The Times-Picayune 05-10-2026

‘The

dynamo that is drivingthe city’

12 yearsin, MichaelFitts hastransformed Tulane andits presence in NewOrleans.Charity Hospital is next on hislist.

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

More than adecade ago, when Mi-

chael Fitts was just afew monthsinto leading Tulane University,hestood downtown in New Orleans and looked at the hulking Charity Hospital.

Once agreat institutionthatcared forthe city’s poor,the 20-storycolossus was evacuated during HurricaneKatrina andhad sat empty ever since.

“This is our future,” he recalls thinking

In 12 years as Tulane’spresident, Fitts has along winning streak on the Uptown campus: Recordstudent applications, and rising selectivity Research funds and donor contributions have doubled. Acclaimed professors have joined the faculty, elevatingits academic reputation.

But Fitts, 73, hasalsopushedTulane beyond the academic realm, expanding its physical footprint and impact on New Orleansand the state. He has long seen Tulane and the city as inextricably linked, with theuniversity relying on New Or-

leans’ cultural pull and the city benefitingfrom Tulane’swhirl of intellectual and economic activity

“A great university,” Fitts saidin arecent interview,“literally transforms thearea around it.”

NowTulane is on theprecipice of what is arguably itsmost highstakes project in New Orleans to date —and one that could become thecapstone of Fitts’ tenure.

Theuniversity hasagreed to a65% stake in the estimated $650 million

$22M initialoffer, nondisclosures were keyelements

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

On ahelicopter ride across New Orleans two years ago, Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser sat beside an

unusual passenger: retired professional Australian golfer Greg Norman, also known as “the GreatWhite Shark.”

Therainy flight took them over thesprawling oak-lined golfcourse at New Orleans City Park in a helicopter ownedbyShane Guidry,adonor andtop adviser to Gov.Jeff Landry

Norman, thenCEO of LIV Golf, was looking for potential sites to host a newsummertournament in New Orleans. As Nungesser saw it,Norman was alreadysoldasthey peered down from thehelicopter.Hewas willing to spendmillions on the event, he told Nungesser.Hejust needed Nungesser to promote it.

Down to thewire

Candidates in Senate race jockey to emphasizeTrump ties as voting daynears

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Louisiana’scontentious

U.S. Senate primary race enters its final week centered on the same questionaswhenitbegan: Which Republican candidatebestalignswithPresident Donald Trump?

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,stateTreasurer John Fleming and U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow —each is relentlessly claiming to have the preeminent pro-Trump credentials.

At the same time, all three have been broadcasting TV adsand making campaign appearances where they try to undermine the others’ pro-Trump claims.

“They respect the power that Trump has with Republican rank-and-file, even though Trump has diminished in popularity with independent voters and has zero support among Democrats. His approval rating still runs around 80% among Republicans,” saidPearson Cross, apoliticalscience professor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Electionday is Saturday throughout Louisianafor theSenate race and, in different parts of the state, for elections to the Public Service Commission, the Louisiana SupremeCourt and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Voters throughout Louisiana will also decide whethertoapprove five constitutional amendments.

Voters will see candidates for U.S. House races on the ballot, but Gov. Jeff Landry canceled thoseelections after theU.S.Supreme Court ruled recently that Louisiana’scongressional

ä See CANDIDATES, page 12A celebrating

In the ensuing months, the state wound up offering millions of dollars to the Saudi Arabian-backed golf tour,including hosting fees, marketing support anda“Mardi Grasthemed” event to putonthe tournament. When the deal was announced, a key featurewas a$7.2millionincentive package. But records show Landry’sadministration offered far moreinitially: $22.2 million over the span of five years in hopes of luring theleague foramultiyear tournament, according to aletter of intentobtainedbyThe TimesPicayune |The Advocate. Of the $7.2 millionthat was ultimately approved, $2.2 million went to upgrading City Park’sgolf course. Last month, newsemerged that LIV’sSaudi Arabia owners were

U.S. strike on boat in easternPacifickills 2

WASHINGTON The U.S.military’slatest strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in theeastern Pacific Ocean killed two men Friday whileleaving one survivor.

Video posted on social media by U.S. Southern Command shows ablack, boat-shaped image before what appears to be an explosion, followed by acolumn of fire rising from the ocean. SouthernCommand said it “immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue systemfor the survivor.”

The Trump administration’s campaignofblowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters, including the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, has killed at least193 people. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs Person dies afterbeing hit by plane on runway

DENVER Aperson who jumped afenceand wasona runwayat Denver International Airport was struck and killed by aFrontier Airlines plane duringtakeoff, airport authorities said.The collision sparked an engine fire and forced passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to LosAngeles International Airport, “reported strikinga pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m.on Friday,” accordingtoaposton the airport’sofficial Xaccount.

Aspokesperson for the airport said the person, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hittwo minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believedtobeanairport employee

“We’re stoppingonthe runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the siteATC. com. “Wejust hit somebody.We have an engine fire.”

Theair trafficcontroller respondsthat they are “rolling the trucks now” before the pilot tellsthe towerthey“have smoke in theaircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines saidina statementthatFlight4345 was in thecollision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke waslinked to the collision.

The airline said the plane was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members. Passengers wereevacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal.

Suicide bomber,gunmen kill 3inPakistan attack

PESHAWAR, Pakistan Asuicide bomber and several gunmen detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near asecurity post in northwest Pakistan late Saturday,triggering an intense firefight that killed at least three policeofficers, police said. The attack tookplace in Bannu, adistrict in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, police official Zahid Khan said. He saidmultiple explosions were heard shortly after the attack and that several nearbyhouses and the security post collapsed from the impact of the blast. No group immediately claimed responsibility.However,suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and allied militant groups that have carried out similar attacks in the past.

Iran ceasefire appearstohold

Bahraindetains dozens over suspectedRevolutionary Guardlinks

BY ADAM SCHRECK and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DUBAI, UnitedArabEmirates Atenu-

ous ceasefire appeared to be holding aday after the United States struck two Iranianoil tankers, while Bahrain, whichhosts the U.S. Navy’sregional headquarters, saidSaturday it arresteddozens of peopleitalleged had links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

Friday’sattacks cast doubt on the month-old ceasefire that the U.S.has insisted is still in effect Washington, meanwhile, is awaiting Iran’sresponse to its latest proposal for adeal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and roll back Tehran’s disputednuclear program

TheU.S. military said Friday its forces disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach the American blockade of Iran’sports. Hours earlier,the military saidit

thwarted attacks on threeNavy ships andstruck Iranian military facilities in thestrait.

On Saturday, the small Persian Gulf island of Bahrain said it had arrested 41 peopleitsaidare part of agroup affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The interior ministry said investigations confirmed theywere in contactwith theGuard and collected funds “with theaim of sending them to Iran”to support its“terrorist operations.”

Bahrain is ledby aSunni Muslim monarchy but, like Iran, has amajority Shiite population. Rights groups have said the kingdom has used the war between Iran and the U.S., which bases its Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as an excuse to crack down on dissent. Iran issued awarning to Bahrain. “Siding with theU.S.-backed resolutionwill bring severe conse-

quences.The Strait of Hormuz is avital lifeline; do notriskclosing it on yourselvesFOREVER,”Ebrahim Azizi, headofthe nationalsecuritycommission of Iran’s parliament, said on social media.

Iran hasmostly blocked the critical waterway for global energy since theU.S. and Israel launched thewar on Feb. 28, causing aglobal spike in fuelprices and rattling world markets.

TheU.S. has imposed its own blockade of Iran’sports. U.S. Central Command said on Saturday its forces had turned back 58 commercial ships and“disabled” four since theblockade began April 13.

Britain’sdefense ministry said it was deploying awarship to the Middle East to joina potential mission to protect commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities end.

The ministry said the HMS Dragon will “preposition” in the region, ready to join aU.K.- and

French-ledsecurity plan. France announcedthisweekitwas moving its aircraft carrier strike group into the Red Sea in preparation. U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted the ceasefire is holding but has reiterated threats to resume full-scalebombing if Iran doesn’tacceptanagreementto reopen the strait androllback its nuclear program On Friday,Iranian Foreign Ministry spokespersonEsmail Baghaei said the country was not paying attentionto“deadlines,”according to state-run IRNA Also on Friday,atop Iranian officialsaidSupreme Leader MojtabaKhamenei was in “complete health” and eventually would appear in public.Khamenei hasn’t been seen or heard in public since the warbegan, fueling speculation about his status. Diplomacy continues. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said hiscountry hasbeenincontact with the U.S. and Iran“day and night” in an effort to extend the ceasefire and reach apeace deal.

Israelidrone strikesnearBeirutkill4

BY BASSEMMROUE Associated Press

BEIRUT Three Israeli drone strikes on vehicles just south of Beirut on Saturday killed four people while aseriesofairstrikes on southern Lebanon killedatleast13, including aman and his12-year-old daughter,state mediaand the Health Ministry said.

The three drone strikes south of Beirut marked another escalation since aceasefire between Israel and Hezbollahwent into effect on April 17. Both Israel and Hezbollah have continued theirdaily attacks despite thetruce.

On Wednesday night, Israel’sair force carried out an airstrike on asouthern suburb in whichIsrael saiditkilled asenior Hezbollah military official. It was the first strike near the capitalsince the cease-

fire was reached.

Twoofthe strikes on Saturday took place on thehighway linking Beirut withthe southern port city of Sidon in which several people were wounded, while the third happened on aroad leading to Lebanon’sChouf region killing three, the state-run National News Agency said.

An Associated Press journalist at the scene saw adeadbodyonthe highway in thetownof Saadiyat

The Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike on the southern village of Saksakiyehkilled at least seven, includinga child, and wounded 15. The ministry said thiswas an initial count.

The agency reported strikesinsouthernLebanon, including oneonthe village of Bourj Rahhal thatkilled threeand an-

other in Maifadounthat killed one.

TheHealth Ministry, meanwhile, said three Israeli drone strikes killed a Syrian man who was ridinga motorcycle with his 12-year-olddaughterin thecity of Nabatiyeh.

The ministry saidthat after theinitialstrike, the man and his daughter managedtomoveaway fromthe site only to be attacked again by the drone instantly killing the man.The girlthen moved about 100 yards away and was hit again by thedrone after she had been already wounded. The girllater died in ahospital, NNA said.

“The Ministry of Public Healthdenounces this barbaric targeting and the deliberate violence againstcivilians and childreninLebanon,” theministry said in its statement

Over 100get norovirusoncruiseship

Miami Herald (TNS)

MIAMI More than 100 people aboard a cruise ship that departed from Fort Lauderdalelast monthhave fallen ill from norovirus, according to the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention.

The Caribbean Princess, aPrincess Cruisesship departed fromPort Everglades onApril 28 for an 11-day voy-

age, according to Cruise Mapper.But on Thursday,the CDC announced that 102 passengers and 13 crew members were sick and had been isolated. There are more than 4,000 people on board, according to theCDC.

Thecruiseisonthe waytothe Bahamasand expected to arrive there on Sunday beforeits final destination in Port Canaveral, east of Orlando, on Monday

added that the strike marks an ongoing series “of grave violations of International Humanitarian Law.”

The Israeli military said Hezbollahfired explosive drones into Israelnear the border with Lebanonaddingthatthree soldierswere wounded, oneofthemseriously,inone of the attacks.

It addedthatHezbollahfired drones inside Lebanon as well in which onehit an Israeli vehiclewithout inflicting casualties.

Hezbollahclaimedseveral attacksinside Lebanon as

well as firing adrone at an Israelimilitary post in the northern town of Misgav Am The latest war between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, when Hezbollahfired rockets intonorthern Israel, two days after the United States and Israel launched awar on Hezbollah’smain backer,Iran. Israel has since carried out hundreds of airstrikes and launched aground invasion of southern Lebanon, capturing dozens of towns and villages along the border

redevelopmentofCharity Hospital. Tulanewouldrelocate its publichealthschool andinnovationinstitute to the 1-million-square-foot facility,giving the university a downtown presence rivaling that of its Uptown base.

“The downtown campus,” Fitts said, “changes our relationship with the city.”

Though Fitts’ tenure already is twice as long as the average for university presidents, he tends to deflect questions about his next chapter.Still, he sees the Charity Hospital redevelopment as the culminationof “methodical steps” he’staken over the past decadeto grow and strengthen Tulane, recognizing that his legacy could hang on the project’s outcome.

It’s arisk:Though in the works for years, the project has not been finalized and could still crumble. But if successful, it will be acareer highlight for Fitts that positions Tulane as an engineof growth for the entire city

“In order to have agreat city,you have to have agreat university,” said author and journalist Walter Isaacson, who teaches historyat Tulane. “Michael Fitts has madeTulane the dynamo that is driving the city.” Tulane rises

Fitts can seem omnipresent on Tulane’scampus.

He’sfist-bumping students on the quad one minute and handing out Hubig’sPies to students in adining hall the next. His enthusiasm has made him popular with many students and an effective pitchman forthe university with donors and state officials.

“He loves his job —and it’spalpable,” said Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels, who worked with Fittsearlier in his career AWest Philadelphia native who studied law,Fitts clerked for the legendary civil rightsadvocate and federaljudge Leon Higginbotham and served as outside council advising former President Ronald Reagan. As deanofthe University of Pennsylvania’slaw school, he quadrupled the school’s fundraising and encouraged collaboration between academic disciplines.

BeforeFittsarrived at Tulane in 2014, the university had spent the previous decade recovering from Hurricane Katrina under the heraldedleadership of Scott Cowen. Board members familiar with Fitts’ selection said he was hired to shift the school from recovery to growth mode

“For such along time, the school was seen in reference to Katrina,” said David Mussafer,Tulane’s board chair “Mike really took us beyond that.” Over thelast10years Tulane’sannual federalresearch funding has nearly doubled to $175 million, and its most recent fundraising campaign is approaching$2 billion, officials said. Cranes and construction

nied that thestate threatened to withhold state funding and praised Tulane for “standing up for Louisiana business andour jobs.”

tion, Fitts said, “whatwe’re doingishugefor thecity andthe state.”

belovedlocal dinertobuild off-campus student apartments.

“They’re the big black bear that does what it wants to do,” Hardie said.

Across town, the university hassteadily expanded its downtown presence from a medical school established in the 1930s to 17 buildings today, including the medical school and other graduate programs, with 2,700 employees and2,600 students. Now, Fittsand other university officialssay,the redevelopedCharity Hospital is poised to become the anchor of whattheyrefer to as Tulane’s downtown“neighborhood.” The Charity project, which also will include “innovation labs” alongside retail andresidential space, will help keep talent andindustry in NewOrleans, Fitts argues.

Andy Kopplin, chairof the BioDistrict and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, aphilanthropic nonprofit, said Tulane is the only NewOrleansinstitutionthatcould take on a project of suchmagnitude.

crews becameanear-constantpresence on campus as newdorms were built and academic buildings renovated, and majors like engineering that were cut after Katrina were brought back. Under Fitts, Tulane has become more selective,accepting around 15% of applicants, down from 40% a decade ago. Programslike Louisiana Promise, which givesfull rides to low-income residents, have helped more Louisianastudents attend the university When toutingTulane’s broaderimpact, Fittspoints to the work of faculty members like Quincy Brown, aLouisiana native whose MAGIC-SCAN research usesAItodetectcancerous cells. Former President Joe Bidenvisited thecampus in 2024 to award Brown’steam a$23 million grant. Like other university leaders, Fitts had to steer theschool throughthe COVID-19 pandemic andPresident Donald Trump’stargeting of higher education funding and policy. Under threat of losing $320 million in federalaid,Tulane overhauled itsdiversity office last year, afterFitts hadpreviously pledgedtobolsterdiversity andinclusion at themajority-White institution. After pro-Palestinian protesters set up an encampment on campus thatthe StatePolice eventually dismantled, the Trump administration put Tulane on watch forantisemitism.

Observers sayFitts’ charisma andabilitytowork with all kinds of people helped him navigate the headwinds. His decades of experiencehavemadehim equally adeptatlanding jokes with alumni and advocating for Tulane with politiciansand potential donors.

On Tulane Day at thestate Legislature thisyear,blueand-green booths across the Capitolbuilding rotunda showcased Tulane’s research andeconomic impact. Fitts got pulled intoconversations every few steps, making him late to several appointments with lawmakers.

Senate President Cameron Henry said Fitts is skilled in the give-and-take of politics, offering to contribute to big civic projects likethe Charity Hospital development rather than just asking for support.

“Tulaneshows up with money to help withthe projects that they knoware going to benefit the state,” Henry said.

Butsome criticshave accused the university of overreach. Last year,an Environmental Law Clinic researcher saidthe university instituted a“gag order” after herresearchshowed racial disparities in health impacts from thepetroleum industry.The findings, she said, madelocal politicians “uncomfortable” as Tulane askedthe state forfinancial backing for Charity At the time, Gov.Jeff Landry’s spokesperson de-

Thenextfrontier FittsseesTulane’sincreasingly prominent role in New Orleansasits civic duty, one that benefits both theuniversity andthe city.

Many of itsgraduates are prominent entrepreneurs, business owners,lawyers and teachers in New Orleans. About 20% of graduates in the past threeyears have stayed in thecity, Tulane officials say The university is among the city’slargest employers andboosts its cultural profilewith events like the NewOrleans Book Festival. Tulane officials say the school hadanestimated $2.3 billion economic impact in New Orleans and $5.2 billion statewide in 2024, acombination of university operations, capital investments, research and other factors.

Putting aside thepolitical debates abouthighereduca-

The university’sgrowth has at times caused tensions with the surrounding community Keith Hardie, 77, former president of alocal neighborhood association, said the problem beganyears ago when theschool opted to builda football stadium andothercampus buildings instead of dorms. Private developers soon converted single-family homes into student rentals, crowding outsome localsand leading to clashes over partying and parking.

Under Fitts, theuniversity hastriedtoaddress the issue by creatinghundreds of new dorm rooms and requiringstudents to live on campus foratleastthree years. Nearby residents say the changes have made adifference, with fewer parking shortages and overcrowdedrentals.

But recently tensions have flaredanewoverTulane’splan foraprivate developer to demolish a

“Without Fitts and Tulane’scourage, vision and assets,” he said, “thisproject doesn’tget done.” On the Uptown campus one recent afternoon, Fitts made abeeline to intercept atourgroup of prospective students and their parents as they walked past the student center.Hejokingly introduced himself as the football coach, then polled the groupontheirhome states, whichincluded Delaware, Illinois andOhio.

“Weoften say we’re the most national school,” he said, explaining students travel further on average to attend Tulane than any other college. Then he launched into aquick commercialfor NewOrleans, urging the visitors to get a good meal while in town.

As Fitts sees it, the city, the university andits students allneed each other to thrive

“Talking with students is my favoritepart,” he said, then hurriedtohis next meeting.

La.DEQ canchargehigherfeesunder newbill

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

Louisiana’senvironmental regulator would get anew lease on life and the ability to charge bigger fees on industries it oversees under two bills headed to Gov.Jeff Landry’sdesk.

House Bill 697 and House Bill 758 recently gained approval from both chambers of the Legislature. HB758, the fee bill, also garnered thenecessary two-thirds votes in theHouseand Senate for aseries of fee increases across aswath of agency functions, from air permits to late fees. Both bills were initiated by the state’sDepartment of Environmental Quality and received backing from key industry groups HB697, by stateRep.Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, the House environment committee chair,would extend DEQ’ssunset date five more years from June 30 to July 1, 2031. Statelaw requires the regularreview of governmentagencies to determine their continued necessity HB758, by state Rep. Ken Brass,D-Vacherie, would allow DEQ to resetits fees for the first time in awholesale way since 2016. The changes would align the fees more closely with neighboring states like Texas and wean the agency off general fund appropriations that have been increasingly necessary over the past three years, Brass and other supporters said.

“In essence, this billneeds to be passed,sowecan be in line with the other states, and it allows us to operate the department financially solid,” stateSen. Eddie Lambert, R-Gonzales and chair of the Senate Environmental QualityCommittee, told the Senate floorTuesday before passage. The Senate passed the bill 34-2, meaning afternecessary signatures from the speaker of the House and

Senatepresident, itwill head to thegovernor

‘Owe to thepublic’ Statebudgetrecords show DEQ required no general fund appropriations as recently as fiscal 2020-21. But DEQ has seen them rise sharply since then to as much as $14.9 million this fiscal year,constituting about 9.2% of the department’s $161 1millionbudget.

Thesegeneral fund influxes have occurred even as self-generated fee collections have risen by 43% since fiscal 2021-22 as economic development efforts add new industriesand businesses in need of environmental oversight.DEQ employeelevels haveremained basically flat, ataround 700 to 710 people

Agency officialsalso pointed out that someof those self-generated fee revenue increases in recent years were due to asmall, targeted fee increase that took effect in fiscal 2023 and also revenuesthat weren’t strictly tiedtopermit and other operational fees but to grant and disaster reimbursementsand Volkswagen settlement proceeds.

In testimony in lateMarch over the agency sunset bill HB697, DEQ Secretary Courtney Burdette emphasizedthe breadthofher agency’s mission.

She said that in astatewith “a vast amount” of industry, “we owe to the public andto our citizens astrong DEQ, andthat’s what we striveto provide every day, and Ido think we are fulfilling that mission.”

Thefee increase would come, however,under a state administration that has promised to run DEQ and other state agencies more cost-effectively and cooperatively in an effort to boost economic development and limit public spending.

Landry’sfirst pick to tryto drive some of thosechanges at DEQ, formerSecretary Aurelia Giacometto, stirred

arevolt and astring of departuresamong employees over her managementstyle. Herreplacement sincelast May, Burdette,received positive reviews from some legislators for progress in theway the department has been interacting with them on constituent matters

Major businessand industry groups that would bear manyofthe biggest fee costsdid not oppose the fee increase bill after meeting with department officialsand legislators. Those groups included the LouisianaChemistry Association, theLouisianaMid-Continent Oil andGas Association and theLouisiana Association of Businessand Industry

The groups alsowere in uncommon alignmentwith at least one local environmental group in their supportofthe fee bill, though the business groups andenvironmentalists had different goals in mind for DEQ to pursue with theadded revenue.

“It is important for our state that DEQ is appropriately funded and can efficientlyreviewpermits We appreciate the department being transparent and engaging with industry throughout this process,”

LMOGA President Tommy Faucheuxsaid in astatement.

Officials with theSierra Club’sLouisiana-based Delta Chapter saidthe bill would make DEQ “more sustainable and effective, andhopefully more diligent in pursuing polluters.”

“Since it gives the departmentthe ability to generate funds, although with some caps in place, we hope to see amore dynamicand determined departmentthat does abetterjob of monitoring and regulating polluters,” thestatementadded.

DEQthankedBrass for bringing abill that “will help our agency rely less on stategeneral fund and more on self-generated revenues” while emphasizing its col-

laboration with various interest groups.

The agency said in astatementithad no specific plans for the increased revenue, once the fees kick in fiscal 2027-28, but it would “allow the department to continue to invest in its priority projects, including permitting modernization.”

‘Helpusget results’

Despite the support of influentialbusiness groups, the fee bill had somewhat tougher sledding in winning the necessary two-thirds votes from the House last month.

The fee increases have been estimated to generate about $13.7 million annually over four years, though the higher fees wouldn’tkick in for about ayear to allow DEQ to put them in place administratively and change software.

Between fiscal 2027-28 and fiscal 2030-31, the fees

areexpectedtogeneratea combined $54 million in new revenuefor the department

Butthe changeswould allow DEQ to set the fees administratively, or what’s know as through a“rulemaking,” instead of having themlaidout in statute by legislators, as they are now

The bill would also allow the agency to adjust the fees in thefuture forinflation by tracking the Consumer PriceIndex withoutgoing back to Legislature.

That shift in authority concerned some, like Rep. BerylAmedée, whoquestioned Brass on the House floor March 30.

“What’stostopthe rates fromgoing up again later if it’s just to be done by rulemaking? Is it not going to come back before theLegislature?” askedAmedée, R-Houma.

Brass acknowledged future feeincreases wouldn’t,

but notedthe House committee added an amendment that capped the total amount DEQ can charge fordifferentkindsoffees. Otherlegislators weren’tsatisfied.

HB758 passed the House 75-22, with five more votes than were needed to meet the two-thirds threshold. Somelegislators saidthey would support the feebill if it would add personnel to handle pressing environmental problems more quickly State Rep. Robby Carter, D-Greensburg, said he receives25calls perday about the slow pace of testing from theSmitty’s Supply oil fire and spill last year in Roseland.

“So,ifthiscan help us get results, I’mfor this bill,” said Carter,who ended up voting in favor

DavidJ.Mitchellcan be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

BY MIKE STOBBE Associated Press

NEW YORK No quick dispatching of disease investigators. No televised news conference to inform the public. No timely health alerts to doctors.

In the midst of ahantavirus outbreak that involves Americans and is making headlines around theworld, the U.S. government’stop public health agency,the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention, has been uncharacteristically missingin action, according to anumber of experts.

To President Donald Trump, “Weseem to have things under very good control,” as he told reporters Friday evening.

To experts, the situation aboard acruise ship has not spiraled because, unlike COVID-19 or measles or the flu, hantavirus doesnot spread easily.Ithas been health expertsinother countries, not the United States, who have been dealing primarily with the outbreak in the past week.

“The CDC is not even a player,” said Lawrence Gostin, an internationalpublic health expert at Georgetown University.“I’ve never seen that before.”

Not until late Friday did CDC actions accelerate.

Health officials confirmed the deployment of ateam to Spain’sCanaryIslands, where the ship was expected to arrive early Sunday local time, to meet the Americans onboard. They said asecond team will go to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraskaas part of aplan to evacuate Americanpassengers from the ship to aUniversity of Nebraska quarantine center for evaluation and monitoring. Also, the CDC issued itsfirsthealthalert to U.S. doctors, advisingthemof thepossibility of imported cases.

At their first briefing, held Saturday by telephone only for invited reporters, officials pledged to be transparentinupdating thepublic but said themedia could not cite thespeakersbyname under rules set by aidesto Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Theydid not directly answer aquestion about whether the American passengers could leave the university medical facility when they wanted.

The CDC’sdiminished role in this outbreak is an indicator the agency is no longer the force in international health or the protectorof domestic health that it once was, some experts said.

The hantavirus outbreak is “a sentinel event” that speaks to “how well the country is prepared for a disease threat. And right now, I’m very sorry to say that we are not prepared,” said Dr.Jeanne Marrazzo, chief executive officer of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

does damage becauseacore principle of public health communications is humility.”

The CDC’sacting director,Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, posteda message on social media that theagencywas lending its expertiseincoordinating with other federal agencies andinternational authorities.Arizona officials this week said they learned fromthe CDCthatone of the Americanswho left the ship —aperson with no symptoms and notconsidered contagious —had already returned to thestate.

he gotsomedetails wrong and overstated what was knownabout the outbreak. COVID-19 comparison

Some experts made acomparison with a2020 incident involving the Diamond Princess, acruise ship docked in Japan that became the setting of one of the first large COVID-19 outbreaks outside of China.

outbreak or stop COVID-19’s spread acrossthe world. But some expertssay it wasnot forthe CDC’slack of trying.

Howoutbreakunfolded

Early last month, a 70-year-old Dutch man developed afeverish illness on acruise ship travelingfrom Argentina to Antarcticaand some islandsinthe South Atlantic. He died less than aweek later.More people became sick,includingthe man’swife and aGerman woman, who both died.

Hantaviruswas firstidentified as acause of sickness of oneofthe cases on May2

The World Health Organization swung into action and by Mondaywas calling itan outbreak.About twodozen Americanswere on theship, including about seven who disembarkedlast monthand 17 whoremained on board.

WHOtakingcenterstage

For decades, theCDC partnered with theWHO in such situations. The CDC actedasamainstay of any international investigation, providing staff and expertise to help unravel any outbreak mystery,develop ways to control itand communicate to the public what theyshould know and how they should worry

Suchactions were alarge reason whythe CDC developed areputationas theworld’spremier public health agency

Butthis time,the WHOhas beencenterstage.Itmade the risk assessmentthathas told people the outbreakis notapandemic threat

“I don’t thinkthisisa giant threat to theUnitedStates,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of Brown University’s Pandemic Center.But how this situation hasplayed out

“just shows how empty and vapid theCDC is right now,” she said.

Tumult underTrump

The current situation comes after 16 tumultuous months during whichthe Trumpadministration withdrew from the WHO, has restricted CDC scientists from talking to international counterparts at times and embarked on aplan to build its own international public healthnetwork through oneon-one agreements with individual countries.

Theadministrationhas laid off thousands of CDC scientists andpublic health professionals,including members of the agency’s ship sanitation program

As this was playing out, Kennedy said he was working to “restore theCDC’s focus on infectious disease, investininnovation, and rebuild trust through integrity and transparency.”

WaitingtohearfromCDC

The CDC has not been completely silent on hantavirus.

The agency on Wednesday issued ashort statementthat saidthe risk to theAmerican public is “extremely low,” anddescribed theU.S. government as “the world’s leader in global health security.”

Said Nuzzo: “Not only was that not helpful, it actually

But federal health officials havemostlybeen tight-lipped, declining interview requests.The first on-cameraappearance by a CDC official came Saturday morning, when Bhattacharya appeared on aFox News program and said, “My message to theAmerican people is pleasedon’tworry.” But

The CDC sent personnel to the port, helped evacuate American passengers, ran quarantines, sharedgenetic data on the virus, coordinated with the WHO and Japan, held public briefings and rapidly published reports “that became the world’s referencedata on cruise ship COVID transmission,” saidDr. TomFrieden,aformer CDCdirector

Some aspects of the international response were criticized,and it did nothaltthe

“The CDCwas righton topofit, very visible,very active in trying to manage and contain it,” Gostin said, while the agency’swork now is delayed and subdued. Instead of working with nearly all of the world’snationsthrough theWHO, theTrumpadministration haspursued bilateral health agreements with individualnations forinformation sharing and public health support, andwhatit describesas“theintroduction of innovative American technologies.” Roughly 30 agreements are in place. That’snot sufficient, Gostin said. “You can’tpossibly cover aglobalhealth crisis by doing one-on-one deals with countries here and there,” he said.

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Religiousliberty commission preparingwishlist

Amongviews:Rejecting separation of church andstate

BY PETER SMITH Associated Press

Onemembercalls fora Presidential MedalofFreedom for abaker who refused to create awedding cake for asame-sex couple.

Another callsfor courtinterventions by the Department of Justice on behalf of Amish parents fighting New York vaccine requirements and Catholic nuns challenging that state’srequirement that they accommodate hospice patients’ gender identities. And the chair of the ReligiousLiberty Commission is callingfor afederal hotline with this automated recording: “Thereisnoseparation of church and state.”

These are just some of the recommendations that members of the advisory panel formed by President Donald Trump last year want to see included in the commission’sfinal report.

That report is still in the works, but commissioners had an opportunity to describe their wish lists during their most recent meeting in April. There was little dissent as the commissioners, most drawn from Trump’s base of conservative Christian supporters, coveredthe items they want in thereport

Their ideas reflect the prevailing perspectives on the definition of religious liberty among many conservative Catholic and evangelicalactivists: increasing avenues for religious expression in public schools; expanding opportunities for faith-based organizations to receive public money; and allowing for religious-based exemptions in areas ranging from labor law to classroom lessons to healthcare mandates.

Criticized fornarrowviews

Critics of the commission

BY RACHEL COHRS ZHANG Bloomberg News (TNS)

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump plans to fire Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary,followingmonths of chaos, according to aperson familiar with the matter The president hasn’tyet dismissed Makary,the person said, asking not to be identified because discussions are private. The Trump administration is also mulling additional personnel changes at the FDA, according to people familiarwith the deliberations. Makary’stime as FDA commissionerhas been marked by high employee turnover andfrictionwith pharmaceutical companies. He has clashed with key conservative political figures over staffing, abortion pill access and other issues. When asked by areporter Friday if he was replacing Makary,Trumpsaid no but didn’telaborate. “I’ve been reading about it, but Iknow

say it embodies aone-sided perspective of Trump’ssupporters and is threatening awell-establishedconstitutional separation of church andstate, despite thechair’s claims.

Alawsuit by aprogressiveinterreligious coalition argues that the commission failstocomplywithfederal law requiring advisorypanels to feature diverse members and viewpoints.

The lawsuit echoes criticism that most commissioners are conservative Christian clericsand commentators;one is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi. The coalition says members haveasserted that America is specifically aJudeo-Christian or Christian nation andnotes that most commission meetings took place at theMuseum of theBible in Washington, an institution with Christian leadership.

The Republican administration is asking afederal court to dismiss thelawsuit. Thegovernment is citinglegal technicalities and contending the law does not define how acommission should be fairly balanced or whose viewpoints should be represented.

Another entity created by Trump —the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias— issued areport saying Christians faced discriminationunderthe administration of DemocraticPresident Joe Biden in areas such as education, tax lawand prosecution of anti-abortion protesters. Progressive groups said that report failed to document systemic discrimination, focused on causes favored by conservative Christians and amounted to advocacy rather than an investigation. In afurtherinterlocking of Trump-relatedinitiatives, several members of

the Religious Liberty Commissionare scheduledto takepart in aMay 17 prayer event marking thecountry’s upcoming 250th birthday. Several also participated in arecentBible-reading marathonstagedlargelyatthe Museum of theBible.

Harmonyand tension

The commission has mostly featured agreementamongmembers, with one dramatic exception. Onecommissioner,Carrie Prejean Boller,was ousted in February after acontentioushearing on antisemitism.

Commission Chair Dan Patrick said Prejean Boller sought to “hijack” the hearing, in which she had sharp exchanges with witnesses aboutthe definitionofantisemitism and defended commentatorCandace Owens, denying herrecordofantisemiticstatements. Prejean Boller,aCatholic,contended she was wrongly ousted for expressing her beliefs.

In otherhearings, witnesses described how they defied workplace regulations that theysaid conflicted with theirconservativereligious values on gender,abortion, COVID-19 vaccines and more.Somesaidthey were prevented, at least temporarily,from displaying a religious symbol at work or trying to sing aChristian song at aschool talent show

At thehearing devoted to antisemitism, Jewish witnessesspoke of being harassed and threatened at campus pro-Palestinian protestsagainst Israel. The commission hasalso heard from someHindu, Muslim, Sikh and other witnesses Even so, critics saidthe commission mostly focused on conservative Christian andright-leaningpolitical grievances.

TheRev.PaulBrandeis Raushenbush, presidentof theprogressive Interfaith Alliance,one of the groups suing over the commission’s composition, said the panel’s omissionsare as significant as what it focuses on.

He said the commission has failed adequately toaddress suchissues as antiMuslim effortsinTexas and elsewhere, andalso the rise of antisemitism on the right, not just theleft.

Church andstate debate

Raushenbush said he is especially worried about thecommission chair’schallenging the very notion of church-state separation.

Patrick,aRepublican who is the Texaslieutenant governor,repeatedly denounced aconcept that is embedded in Supreme Court precedent.

“Weneed to saythere is no separation of church

and state,” Patrick said at theApril meeting. “That’sa lie.” He suggested printing “a million bumper stickers” to that effect. No one at the commission meeting disagreed.

While the phrase “separation of church and state” does notappear in the Constitution, 20th-century decisions by theSupreme Court cited Thomas Jefferson’s descriptionofthe First Amendment as creating “a wall of separation between church and state.” The court appliedthe First Amendment’sprohibitionofany church “establishment”to the statesinaddition to the federal government, citing the 14th Amendment’sban on states denying citizens’ rights.

Courtshavesincewrestled with howtobalance freedomofreligion and freedom from governmentsponsored religion.

Schools, vaccines,more

Patrick has advocated for prayer and TenCommandments postings in public schools.

“I don’thaveany malice towards anyone that doesn’t believe in any type of faith,” Patricktoldfellowcommissioners. “That’sfine. That’s what America is about. But these organizationsthatare pushed by some ideology and pushed by someone’s bank account who wants to remove God from our country? We need to push back.”

On otherissues, various commissioners calledfor requiring schools and workplaces to postnotices of the rights of religious expression and exemptions. Some calledfor restoring full pay and pension benefits for military servicemembers who were discharged forrefusing COVID-19 vaccines.

nothing about it,” hesaid. The Department of Health andHuman Services didn’t respond to requests for comment. When reached by phone Friday,Makary had no comment The Wall Street Journal reported thatTrumphad grown increasingly frustrated with Makary for not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products. Separately,The New York Times reported that the FDA had blocked publication of several studies supportingthe safety of widely used vaccines. On Friday,news of Trump’splan to fire Makary was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

pullingfundingfromthe controversial league, sending LIV into turmoil. The New Orleans tournament, which Landry announced last Augustwith fireworks and fanfare, was canceled.

LIV insists it still wants to host atournamenthere later this year,though it may require adifferent contract with the state

The collapse of the deal has rankled Nungesser, whose office lost control of the state’sMajor Events Incentive Fundaroundthe time negotiations with LIV began in 2024.

“Weshouldn’tjust be handing out money with no return on investment,” Nungessersaid.

Thecollapsehas also cast apall over an event that was mired in controversy from the start, in partbecause of LIV’sownersfrom Saudi Arabia, acountry widely criticized by international groups for its human rights record.

Louisiana Economic Development officialsdeclined to answer several questions about the deal, butconfirmed they signed anondisclosure agreement to negotiate with LIV.Other state officials, including Nungesser, signednondisclosure agreements to negotiate with LIV as well.

Nungesser said he’sgetting “hate mail” because people think he orchestrated the deal, and he noted that the Legislature in 2024 moved the events fund from his office back to LED. He said he doubts the tournament would have been successful if it moved forward, saying tourism leadersin other states warnedhim it wasn’tworth it.

After Norman left, Nungesser said he went to another meetingwith LIV executives to talk more about thedeal.

“I said, ‘Look, Iagreed to promote this tournament.’ Isaid, ‘I can also put on a great seafood party for the VIPs if that would be nice,’” Nungesser recalled in an interview. “I did sign aconfidentiality agreement just to meet with them. Idon’t believe in that …but they wouldn’tmeetwithmeifI didn’tsign (that).” LED estimated LIVwould generate between $13million and $24 million in state and local tax revenue over five years from the tournament. It didn’trespond to questions about how it arrived at those figures LED said in astatement announcing LIV’scancellation last month that the golf tour agreed to repay $1 million it has received from the state. SpokespersonEmma Wagner added that “their international audiencealigns with LED’starget countries/ regions for business development.”

Asked about the league’s decision to cancel last month, the governor said there were still benefits from the attempts to lure LIV “It doesn’tmatter.We’ve been able to clean up City

Gov.

Parkand give it aface-lift,”

Landry said last month on thesidelines of aconference about nuclear energy in NewOrleans.“Youcan’t expect 100% of your business deals to pan out.”

Jan Moller,head of Invest in Louisiana, aprogressive think tank that advocates forlow-incomeresidents, said tourism is crucial to Louisiana’seconomy,and notedpartofthe incentive package went to upgrade a course that local residents use

Still, he said,the state should provide aclear rationalefor thereturn on investment

“It’salot of money for a golf tournament,” Moller said.“Putting asideany moral concerns about doing business with the Saudi Investment Trust, that’salot of money to pay for entertainment.”

‘MakeCityParkgreat again’

The day before Nungesser’shelicopter ride with Norman, Guidry sat for lunchwiththe LIVCEO at the Ritz-Carlton inthe French Quarter.

Guidry,a close adviser to the governor in New Orleans and who sometimes lends hishelicopter and corporate jettohim,saidinan interviewthatLIV wanted to come to New Orleans for the “entertainment aspect” of the city.Hesaid that LIV would benefit the state becauseLouisianaofficials could try to land investmentsfrom businesses in other countries,whereLIV said it had an audience. Landry’scampaign fundraiser Courtney Guastella, who organizes his famous annual gatorhunt, made introductionsand coordinated meetings Norman stepped down as

LIV CEO afew months after the initial meetings and did not respond to messages for this story. Butstate officials hammered out an incentive package withother LIV executives.

LIVisowned by the opulent Saudi Arabia public investment fund, which used itsdeeppockets to lure stars like Bryson DeChambeau andJohnRahmfrom the PGATour, miring the league in controversy.Nevertheless, LIVasked for direct aid from Louisiana to put on the tournament.

Landry’sadministration was willing. Last spring, SusanBourgeois,the head of LED, sent an offer to aLIV executive. The state was willing to put up $22.2million in statemoney if LIV committed to hosting atournament for five years.

LIV would get$13.5 million in direct payments, according to the letter.Another $2.2 million would go to improving thegolf course, and more than $6 million wouldgotowardmarketingthe event. Nungesser’s office was also settospend $250,000 putting on a“Mardi Gras themed” event for LIV

But LIVpreferred aoneyear deal, asubsequent offer letter suggests.

“Recognizing the urgency in affirming thestate of Louisiana’scommitment, this updated letter is focused on 2026,” Bourgeois wrote. “LED is also committed to negotiate in earnest beyond the 2026 event and work towardalong-termcommitment covering 2027-2030 with LIV.”

The two sides scaled down thedeal and agreed to one year instead.LIV wasset to get$5million in direct paymentsfromthe state, plus $2.2 million torenovate the golf course. Thestate

the BayouOaks Golf Course in preparation for the LIV Golf tournament in NewOrleans on March 25.

“I just don’tthink they were able to keep it going,” he said. “They started losing players. The funding was alreadyonshaky ground. They just pulled (out).”

Asourcewithdirect knowledge of the negotiations said LIV wantedto schedule the tournament for April, primetourism season in Louisiana, butthatofficials pushed to hold it in the summer when it wouldn’t compete withfestivals and other events. The source spoke on the condition of anonymitybecause of the nondisclosure agreement.

After agreeing to terms, Landry strode onto astage at aCity Park eventspace last year,golf club in hand, as fireworks blasted in front of him

“City Park is about to get a face-lift,” Landry said. “This is an area that could be even greater.Wecan makeCity Park great again.”

Majoreventsfundsurges

The $7 million setaside for LIVisasignificant expenditure from the major events fund, which was created in 2012 to make it easierfor the state to lure big sports events,concerts, musicfestivals and more.

games. The state faced financial problems in the years after the fund wasinitially created in 2012, andthe Legislature didn’tcommit serious funding to it until recently Louisiana hasa morethan $30 billion budget, and frequent budget woes have led to the state trying to cut spending —Landry,for example,sought to save $20 million last year by instituting ahiring freeze.

But with the state recently flush with cash, lawmakers have passed ahost of laws tweaking to allow more events to receive funding. And they have boostedthe amount of money they pour into the fund.

Former House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, moved the fund to the lieutenant governor’soffice in 2022, ahead of apotential run forthe office. Schexnayderdecided nottorun after Nungesser opted out of the governor’srace andstayed in his post.

estimated the tournament would “support” 1,150 jobs over fiveyears if LIV returned.

Last August,the state amended the contract,giving LIV another $500,000 upon completion of the event, bringing the total package to $7.7 million.

“They wanted alot more,” saidGuidry, who sat in meetings with theleague. “They always do.

“Wethought it was agreat thingtoput New Orleanson abig global map and promoteourselves …Itkind of allchanged when Greg (Norman)left.”

Guidry added that “every city was trying” to land the tournament.

The SuperBowlgot at least $10 millionfrom the fund in 2025 whenNew Orleans hosted it, and the state offered other incentives forthe SuperBowl outside of the fund. In the 2026 fiscal year,LIV had by far the largestsingleexpenditure from the fund, with nearly half the money set aside for the golf tour.The fund spent $16.4 million in totalthis year,including grants to the U.S. Bowling Congress, UFC, Essence Festival and a host of smaller events.

The Sugar Bowl, akey annualcollege football eventin New Orleans, also received $500,000 from the fund. The event previously received $1 millionfrom the state, and the Sugar Bowl Committee CEO has warned that NewOrleans could lose out on theevent as othercities vie for increasingly lucrative College Football Playoff

StateSen.JimmyHarris, D-New Orleans, sponsored legislation acoupleyears later to move thefund back to the governor’spurview within LED. And last year,as the state was preparing for the LIV Golf tournament, Harris sponsored abillto widen the typesofevents that could tap the fund for money,including “any event sanctioned by aprofessional golf organization.”

Harris said LIV was part of the impetus behind the bill, but notedthe state hosts awide array of events that get funding. He said he wasn’tinvolved in negotiating the LIVdeal.

The Legislature funnels moneyintothe fund every year to makesure it’s flush, he said. For instance, the state spent yearstrying to lure the SuperBowl,and lawmakers addedmoney each year to make sure the fund hadenoughtopay the NFL.

“We’retrying to keep money in the fund forevents that are coming,” he said. “We have events every year we try to take care of.”

Judgerejects requesttoban camerasfromKirkmurdertrial

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press

SALTLAKE CITY Cameras won’t be banned from the high-profile murder case of the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk, aUtahjudge ruled Friday,saying coverage requests from news stations would continue to be evaluated on acaseby-case basis.

TylerRobinson’s attorneys argued potentialjurorscould be biased by slanted news reports and online commentsthatdepictthe defendantasunremorseful based on how he looks and acts in court. They said live broadcasts were fu-

CANDIDATES

Continued from page1A

map is unconstitutional. Secretary of State Nancy Landry said it was too late to remove thoseraces from the ballot, buther office won’t count the House votes.

Afourth Republican candidate is Mark Spencer,abusiness owner in Belle Chassewho is running as a“Guns and Bible” conservative

Three little-knownand underfinanced candidates are running in the Democratic primaryonSaturday: Gary Crockett, abusiness owner who lives in New Orleans; NickAlbares, apolicy analyst who lives in New Orleans; and Jamie Davis, afarmer in northeast Louisiana. The top twofinishers in the Democratic primary —ifnoone wins at least 50% —will compete in aDemocraticrunoff on June27.

Democrats are hopingthatthe huge turnout on Friday at the State Capitol against Republican plans to eliminate one or both of Louisiana’stwo Democraticcongressionalseats will translate into abig Democratic turnout on May 16

MAGA credentials

The latest pollinginthe race shows Letlow in the lead, or tied with Fleming, in Saturday’ssemiclosed Republican primary,where no-party voters canchoosetovote for the Republican candidatesor theDemocrat candidates.The top two Republican finishers —since no candidate is expected to win

elingthosestories and interfering with Robinson’s right to fair proceedings.

State District Judge Tony Graf said some news outlets have used courtroom footage as “a springboard to discussout-of-courtcommentary” by public officials, opine on theexistence of evidence that has not been presented in court and“generally vilify the defendant,” buthedeclined to ban cameras.

“Electronic media coverage providesa meanstofacilitate the public’sright of accesstocourt proceedings forthosewho cannotphysicallyoccupy thelimited space available in acourtroom,”

over 50% —will face off in aJune 27 partyrunoff.

Letlow,ofcourse, can make the strongest pro-Trump case because she has his endorsement, and that support caused herinJanuary to give up aneasyHouse reelection campaign to try to unseat Cassidy

“I stand firminsupport, shoulder to shoulder with President Trump,”

Letlow said during Tuesday’sradio debate with Fleming. “I would never turn my back on him.”

That final comment was adig at Cassidy’sdecision to vote to convict Trump on impeachment charges that he incited the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol by his supporters. Trump and his supporters see thatasabetrayal because Cassidy took that votetwo months after he won reelection in2020 with Trump’s strong backing.

Letlow has also notedthatCassidy subsequently said Trump shouldn’t runfor presidentin2024 because he couldn’twin. Cassidy alsosuggestedthathe mightrun against Trump ona No Labels campaign if Trump did.

In 2023, Cassidy said he wouldn’t vote for Trump but said in an interviewthisyear that he did.

Cassidyhas noted repeatedly duringthis year’s campaign that he voted 90% of thetimewithTrumpin his first term, and he has said RobertF.KennedyJr. would not have been confirmed as Trump’shealth secretarywithout his support.

“I don’treally think he likes me very much,” Cassidy said of Trump on Monday,“but we work really welltogether.”

Graf said. “Livestreaminginparticular allows as many people as are interested to observe the justice system at work and holdour branchesofgovernment accountable.”

Media organizations,prosecutorsand Kirk’swidow,Erika Kirk, had urged thejudge to allow cameras. They said transparency is thebest way to guard against conspiracy theories thathave circulated since Kirk’sassassination on Sept.10, when the 31-year-old conservative activistwas shotinthe neck while speakingatUtah Valley University in Orem.

The defense and prosecution didnot immediately respond to

Cassidy has said throughout the campaign that Trumphas signed into law fourbills during his second term thatthe senator either sponsoredorthat containedparts of legislation that he authored

Fleming hasnoted repeatedly that he endorsedTrump when he initially ranfor presidentin2016 andthat he worked for Trump during his first administration, including the final10monthsasthe president’s deputy chief of staff.

“I was there on Jan. 6,”Fleming said during the radiodebate. “You know what? There werea lotofresignations in that White House after January6.Istayed there and would notleavemypost. Iwas there until the very end.”

Fleminghas aprominent highway billboardinBaton Rouge that featuresa photo of him andTrump together,both with their thumbs up. Attack ads fly

In recent days, it has become clear that Fleming andLetlowwant to knock each other outduring the primary and face Cassidy in the runoff. Various polls showboth Letlow andFleming would easily defeat Cassidy in ahead-to-head race, while aLetlow-Fleming runoff would be close.

On Thursday,Letlow called on Fleming to resignastreasurer because of his recently revealed side work for theMcKeonGroup, aWashington, D.C., lobbying firm. “Louisiana deserves public servantswho are focused on serving our people,” shesaid in astatement.

requests forcomment after Graf read the ruling via video call.

Graf has said repeatedly that he cannot control the spread of misinformation outside court, but he hastaken steps to protect Robinson’srightsduringhearings. He tightened rules forcameras after members of amedia pool violated acourtroom order by showing Robinson’sshackles and capturing close-ups of him talking to his attorneys. Graf relocatedcamerasto the rear of the courtroom,behind Robinson, making it harder to get images of him

The judge also approved adefense motion to push back Robinson’spreliminary hearing, which

On Friday,Fleming saidhe’sallowed to have part-time, outside employment.

Fleming’spersonal financial disclosure report showsthat he earned $41,000 from McKeon in 2024.In an interview,hesaidhenow earns about $12,000 ayear to provide “advice” to McKeon and that none of McKeon’s clientsare in Louisiana Officials fromthe company didn’t respondtoarequest fora comment.

Fleming, meanwhile,isbroadcasting television ads that —echoingaCassidy line —callher “Liberal Letlow” because her voting record on thescorecardofseveral outside groups is not as conservative as his was. She has retorted that Trump is backing herbecause she’s aproMAGA conservative.

Outsidegroups associated with Landry— whohas joined Trump in backing Letlow —are spending heavily on TV ads attacking Fleming.

“The wholeprocess is dishonest,” Fleming said, noting that donations to the twogroups —The Accountability Project and MAGA Energy —are notbeing disclosed.

Meanwhile, Fleming and Letlow spent more time attacking each other thanCassidy in Tuesday’sradiodebate and accused each other of lying about their records.

“Julia, please don’tinterrupt me,” Fleming said at one point.

Letlow criticized Fleming’svote againstthe farmbill in 2014 when he was in the House. He said it contained wasteful spending.

was scheduledfor mid-May. Prosecutors during that hearing, now set for July 6-10, must show they have enough evidence to proceed to trial. Graf said he set atime frame that balances Robinson’s rights with those of Erika Kirk, who is entitledtoaspeedy resolution.

Prosecutorsintend to seek the death penalty if Robinson, 23, is convicted.Heischarged with crimes including aggravated murder and has not yet entered aplea. Prior to his death, Kirk and the conservative youth movement he founded, Turning Point USA, emergedasa major force in U.S. politics.

She belittled him for not getting Trump’sendorsement after having worked with the president. He said they spoke recently, andTrump called him “fantastic.”

She called Fleming “a career politician.” He said he servedone term as coronerofWebster Parish beginning in 1996 andthenserved eight years in the House beginning in 2009, before he was elected treasurer in 2023.

Fleming criticizedLetlow for calling for the expansion of diversity,equity andinclusionpolicies when she interviewed to be president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She said she quickly learnedthat“theleftcompletely hijacked it”and has voted against DEI policies in the House.

Fleming criticizedLetlow for blaming her financial adviser for the failure to report more than 200 stock trades on atimely basis, sayingitamountedto, “Well, thedog ate my homework.”

She replied, “Itwas areporting error. When it wasbroughttomy attention, Icompletely fixed it.”

Fleming said she supports vaccine mandates. She said that wasn’t true, that she doesn’t.

The back-and-forth between Letlow and Fleming has made Cassidy less of an issue in the race.

Cassidy dominated the race in February and March with TV and digital media attacks against Letlow that sought to undercut her pro-Trump qualifications, thanks to millions of dollarsthatheand asuper PAChad amassed in their campaign warchests.

Funeral celebrates lives of ‘Eternal Eight’

All were killed in Shreveport mass shooting

BY JUSTIN O’CONNOR Staff writer

Eight small white caskets were stretched across the front of Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport on Saturday Gospel singer Kim Burrell roared her song over them from the stage behind, suffusing a room full of sorrow grief and questions with song and praise, too. Her voice lifted hands into the air, bodies from the pews, all rising from a sea of black and white clothing dotted with pastels. There were hundreds of family members, officials, clergy members and more from around the country on hand to mourn the “Eternal Eight” the children shot in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove neighborhood in a devastating domestic murder spree on April 19 by Shamar Elkins, who was the father of seven and the uncle of one.

They were Mar’Kaydon Pugh, 10; Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow 6; and Braylon Snow 5. Their three mothers, who were injured in the violence but survived, are Shaneiqua Pugh, Christina Marie Snow and Keosha Pugh. Elkins used an assaultstyle weapon and died after fleeing amid a police pursuit It was not clear whether he

was killed by officers who fired or from a self-inflicted gunshot, according to police.

An investigation remains ongoing into the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in more than two years.

“It’s not for us to always understand,” Burrell told the crowd. “It’s just for us to know that God is God. Sometimes God does things, he makes choices, so that he can get us to just pay a deeper closer attention to him.”

Thank God for innocence lying before us. There are some people housed in these boxes, and sometimes it’s questionable. We don’t know where they’re going,” she continued, her voice gaining urgency, “but I’ve got a feeling.”

“I said I’ve got a feeling, now,” she belted in song. Those in attendance clapped and gave “amens” back. “I said I’ve got a feeling about all eight. Somebody thank God for purity and innocence.”

Vigorous praise in song and sermon charged the whole service, broken up only by elected officials at every level delivering words in the children’s honor State Sen. Sam Jenkins read Gov Jeff Landry’s proclamation that flags in Louisiana were to fly at half-staff from Saturday through May 17 — one day for each child.

U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields joined the room in applause for former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who came to

Shreveport from Arizona for the funeral. Giffords herself was shot and permanently injured in a mass shooting assassination attempt in 2011 and has been an advocate against gun violence ever since.

“This is not a Shreveport mourning. This is a nation mourning,” Fields said to applause and affirmations.

Pastors took turns touching on the moment’s complexity the swirl in the room’s atmosphere. Confusion at the senseless deaths shared space with a certainty from the preachers that God has a plan.

Celebration shared space with anguish, too. The children’s memorial wreaths were decorated with the

things they loved — little Labubus, footballs and Minnie Mouse stuffed animals. Powdery pink and blue sunset pastel paintings hung around the white caskets, depicting the kids giving smiles, peace signs and funny faces.

Sariahh loved playing with her dolls. Mar’Kaydon rushed to tell his family and granny what he learned at school every day Kayla, called K-Mae by her loved ones, enjoyed roughhousing outside. Layla liked making TikToks with her family and friends. All eight had their own little lives, memorialized in the funeral program.

“Their time here was brief, but their impact was eternal,” it read.

“We come to celebrate Jesus. Thank him for the lives of these precious children,” Bishop Bernard Kimble told the crowd. “In spite of how you may be feeling today, you all need to know that God is still here.”

“Shreveport, we have to love people,” said the Rev Melvin Porter, shortly after the casket lids were shut after being topped with golden crowns for the boys and silver tiaras for the girls “In spite of how they act, we still have to love people. Love must be paramount. It is in moments like this where love becomes more than a feeling. It’s moments like this where love becomes a ministry, it becomes presence, it becomes comfort.” The eight white caskets were ushered to Forest Park West Cemetery in a procession by horse-drawn carriages, where they were topped with roses, and doves were released.

“I know you feel like me.

You’re wondering why we’re here at this time,” Bishop Joseph Hall Jr said during the service in a low voice, pausing and drawing out his words. “I know you said, like me, this should not have happened. We should not be in this place in this point in time.”

“But I heard somebody say God is still in control,” he said. “... I said God is still in control.”

Justin O’Connor is a Report for America corps member covering Bossier government. Email him at justin.oconnor@ theadvocate.com.

Trump asserts authority over public spaces in D.C.

President flexing extraordinary executive power

BY STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A federal judge weighing the future of an expansive Washington park insisted last week she had no intention of becoming Amy Poehler the actress who spent seven seasons memorably playing the head of a local parks and recreation department.

But President Donald Trump might be interested in the role.

Shortly after the United States and Iran exchanged fire on Thursday, Trump made a quick jaunt to the National Mall to review the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool that he ordered repainted a color he describes as “American flag blue.”

The project has been on his mind lately During an hour-plus speech Monday to small-business owners, Trump spent about nine minutes talking about the paint job, detailing the granite floor and boasting that he whittled the renovation’s cost to $1.9 million from

what he said was an initial $350 million estimate.

Trump’s next project might be East Potomac Park, home to an affordable, accessible public golf course with views of the Washington Monument.

The Republican president has talked of transforming it into a posh “U.S. Opencaliber course.” Signs were posted warning of a disruption and preservation advocates took the government to court as debris dumped there from the White House East Wing demolition tested positive for lead

By late Friday, the nonprofit that operates the course said it would continue managing the space until the National Park Service begins a “historic restoration.”

Meanwhile, the White House told a planning agency that it would cost taxpayers at least $7.5 million to follow through on Trump’s plan to paint the granite Eisenhower Executive Office Building white.

And that was just this past week in Washington’s extreme makeover

All the president’s projects

Over the past year, Trump has bulldozed the East Wing

to make way for a ballroom. His name was added to the facades of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Kennedy Center, which he plans to close for a two-year renovation His face adorns a banner at the Department of Justice’s headquarters, among others.

He is pushing for a triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery and has closed parks, including Lafayette Square across from the White House, for a rehab.

Trump is guaranteeing himself a lasting imprint on a city where he won just 6.5% of the vote in 2024. He is flexing extraordinary executive power and offering fresh insight into how he spends his time, perhaps a president’s most valuable asset

As the Washington projects unfolded this week, the ceasefire in Iran was at risk of unraveling, motor club AAA said the average price of a gallon of gas surpassed $4.50 and elections provided new evidence of Democratic enthusiasm heading into the November elections.

“It’s not a zero-sum game but obviously all presidents have limited amounts of capital they can use and limited amounts of attention that they have to give,” said

presidential historian Julian Zelizer of Princeton University “And he’s deciding, in a moment of war, a moment of economic instability, that this is a priority.”

Trump rejects such concerns. Asked at the Reflecting Pool why he was focused on the project given the U.S. military action in Iran, he said, “Our country is about beauty, cleanliness, safety, great people. Not a filthy capital.”

Political considerations

For Republicans defending slim congressional majorities, it is not so simple. Many would prefer to talk about policy accomplishments, including tax cuts, rather than multimilliondollar Washington construction projects

While few directly criticize Trump, there is an acknowledgment that the party needs to confront economic realities. “A lot of Americans are very worried about the cost of living and we need to address it,” Sen John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, said recently

A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll conducted in late April found that 52% of Americans oppose Trump’s planned arch. That

includes about 6 in 10 independents. Some 51% of Republicans favor it.

Americans oppose the ballroom by a 2-to-1 margin, driven largely by Democrats and independents. About 2 in 10 Republicans oppose the project, according to the poll. The poll did not find a notable shift in support of the ballroom after a shooting at last month’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner Trump has cited that incident in his push for a secure facility, something he did not mention when he initially ordered the demolition of the East Wing.

Trump is showing no sign of backing away from any of the projects. In a sign of the GOP’s loyalty to him, Republican senators added $1 billion in White House security upgrades for the ballroom to an unrelated bill. Trump initially said taxpayer money would not be needed.

A dizzying pace of change

In a city where historic preservation is often sacred, the pace of change has been dizzying.

Rebecca Miller, the executive director of DC Preservation League, has spent 23 years at the organization, which sued to stop the golf

course takeover and joined a coalition attempting to force the Kennedy Center to comply with preservation laws. She said her organization has worked with administrations of both parties and called the Trump moves “highly unusual.”

“One of the problems that we have right now is an administration that seems to think that it can just plow ahead without any input,” she said. “These assets are owned by the people of the United States. They’re not anybody’s personal portfolio.”

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said Trump is “laser-focused on lowering costs for working families, deporting illegal criminals, keeping our cities safe, beautifying our nation’s capital, and protecting our national security by ensuring Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon all at the same time.”

Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican, said the renovations offer an “opportunity to bring some money into the city and spruce up stuff that you wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

“But this is tough,” he said. “This is not a city that is in love with the president.”

A YEAR OF POPE LEO

Pope continues to emphasizes community, harmony

His pastoral role interrupted by verbal sparring with Trump

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Pope Leo XIV had tried during his first year as pontiff to insist that his essential role was that of a pastor accompanying his flock. President Donald Trump’s continuing criticisms — and Leo’s increasingly bold retorts — complicated the effort and overshadowed Friday’s anniversary of Leo’s election.

Leo spent the eve of the 1-year mark meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had come to the Vatican on a fencemending visit. Trump’s repeated broadsides against history’s first U.S. pope created an unprecedented back-and-forth on the Iran war that strained U.S.-Holy See relations. By the end of the visit, both the Vatican and the State Department stressed their strong bilateral ties. But the episode nevertheless pushed Leo out of his comfort zone and onto the global stage to make zingers like the one this past week, after Trump’s latest misrepresentation of his views. “If someone wants to criticize me for announcing the Gospel, let him do it with the truth,” Leo said.

It’s all a bit out of character for Leo who — the world has come to learn in this first year is at heart a mild-mannered, 70-year-old Midwestern missionary priest, and a reserved one at that. He likes to play the solitary game of tennis, cites the fifth-century philosopher St. Augustine from memory and insists he is merely quoting the Bible when he calls for peace, as he did again Friday in marking his anniversary “May the God of peace pour out an overflowing abundance of mercy, touching hearts soothing grudges and fratricidal hatred, and enlightening those who bear special responsibilities of gover-

nance,” Leo said during an anniversary homily in the ancient city of Pompeii.

The Trump-Leo feud aside, the former Robert Prevost after his first year seems driven not by the dramatic gesture or headline-grabbing tensions that often fueled his predecessor, Pope Francis. Rather, Leo seems inspired by the calm, persistent zeal to preach the Gospel and — thanks to his Augustinian spirituality emphasize community and harmony

Learning and unifying

Leo began his improbable papacy promising to work for unity in a polarized world and church, and at the one-year mark, he seems to be delivering. After Francis’ revolutionary and sometimes divisive 12-year papacy Leo has brought a calming balm to the Vatican and church at large. He seems intent on healing divisions, even as new threats of schism emerge

That has certainly been the case as he navigates some of the thorniest challenges facing the Catholic Church: tensions between traditionalists and progressives, financial problems facing the Holy See and the geopolitical crises at the heart of the Trump vs. Leo dissonance.

“I think the challenge that the Holy Father has is to strengthen the unity of the church,” said Cardinal Wilton Gregory, a Chicago native

like Leo and the retired archbishop of Washington. While there have always been divisions, Gregory said social media had amplified them, and that Leo seems intent on tamping them down.

“Social communication makes it possible for people to take sides, and sometimes taking sides adds to the divisiveness that we have to deal with and that the Holy Father, as the Bishop of Rome, has to respond to,” Gregory said.

“He has to call us to our better angels,” he added.

That seemed to be Leo’s modus operandi when, days into his recent Africa trip he temporarily quelled the Trump broadsides by essentially declaring he was above the president’s social media rants. While insisting he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace, Leo said it ”is not in my interest at all,” to debate Trump.

“I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa,” he said.

He repeated that message at the trip’s conclusion, saying the political role that comes with being pope, a head of state and global moral authority was simply not his priority

An English-speaking pope For many, the shock of an Ameri-

can pope, who defied the taboo precluding a Rome-based moral counterweight to the White House, still hasn’t worn off.

“It’s been the first year of an American pope who has been critical of what America is doing for the most part,” said Anthea Butler senior fellow at the Koch Institute, Oxford University

She stressed that Leo is doing so “not coming full-on like Francis would,” but approaching issues from the side. He’s not naming names, he’s merely preaching the Gospel.

That approach has certainly helped some U.S. Catholic institutions, after the American church developed an almost comically bad relationship with Francis. His criticism of American-style capitalism was amplified by U.S.-based conservative Catholic media during his papacy For many Vatican watchers, the Argentine pope simply didn’t “get” the U.S., and vice versa. Some U.S. Catholics eventually soured on donating to the Holy See under Francis, following years of unrelenting stories of mismanagement, corruption and scandal.

But with a Chicago math major now pope, “he can’t be dismissed as being ignorant of the realities in the United States,” said Kerry Alys Robinson, chief executive of Catholic Charities USA, a national network of Catholic agencies.

Robinson said she had never seen U.S. Catholic bishops so united as now, particularly in speaking about the dignity of migrants and poor people.

She credits that to many factors, including the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and funding cuts that have created a common purpose. But she doesn’t discount the unifying message from Leo, in English.

“It’s very different when you are hearing the message without it being mediated through translation,” she said.

Repairing U.S. relationships

Ward Fitzgerald, president of The Papal Foundation, which

funds the pope’s charity projects in the developing world, said an English-speaking pope has been a boon especially in the U.S. and Europe, where there is anecdotal evidence of a “Leo effect” spurring new converts.

“I think there’s lots of reasons for it, but I certainly think that having a pope who speaks English helps young people understand the messages of the Holy Father,” Fitzgerald said in an interview That also translates to donors to the church, especially from the U.S.

“When you tell a donor, ‘I really appreciate what you do’ in English and they’re English I think it resonates,” Fitzgerald said. “And so they give a little more.”

The Papal Foundation recently announced 25 new families had joined its ranks since Leo’s election, a not-insignificant number given membership requires a minimum $1.25 million pledge. Fitzgerald and members of the foundation met with Leo last week and gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica for a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the towering figure of the U.S. Catholic hierarchy and a kingmaker in the 2025 conclave that elected Leo.

Dolan is also chummy with Trump and is a member of his Religious Liberty Commission.

In his homily, Dolan extolled the attributes of St. Joseph, the father of Christ and a figure so beloved in the church he is the patron saint of more causes than any other saint. Dolan also revealed his feelings about Leo, whom he had watched in the Sistine Chapel become the 267th pope a year ago Friday St. Joseph was a man of silence, Dolan said, calm and secure in his place.

“A man who exuded a sense of depth and substance. A man who is shy all right, a man who is focused on his mission,” he added. “A man, always attentive to God’s plan.” Dolan then asked the Americans seated in the pews if they could think of anyone else who fit St. Joseph’s description. “I can,” Dolan said. “Pope Leo reminds me of Joseph.”

EDUCATION

Study on school cellphone bans has mixed results

BY GREG TOPPO

74 and The Associated Press

The

The largest study ever of school cellphone bans finds that they offer decidedly mixed results, with teachers reporting fewer distractions when students lock their phones away during the school day, but little evidence the bans quickly bring improved academic achievement or better behavior, as many advocates have hoped The study, by scholars at Stanford University, Duke University, The University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania, compiled data from Yondr, a California startup that makes lockable pouches for schools, businesses and entertainment venues Published Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research, it looks at data from about 4,600 schools and is the first nationally representative look at cellphone bans.

It’s also the first to rely on actual data tracking locked-up phones, not just school “no-show” policies that ask students to keep phones hidden in backpacks or pockets, said Thomas Dee, a Stanford economist who co-led the study No-show policies, he said, are inconsistently and unevenly enforced and not a good basis for research. “We wanted to leverage the data from Yondr because it gives us much more confidence that in-school use of phones is actually being restricted,” he said in an interview

A 2024 Pew Research study found that about one in three teachers consider students distracted by cellphones “a major problem.” Among high school teachers, that figure rises sharply, to 72%. More recently, Pew researchers found that 74% of U.S. adults say they would support banning cellphones during class for middle and high school students, up from 68% last fall.

Much of that momentum grows from years of efforts by the psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who has pushed for schools to ban phones. Haidt, author of the mega-best-

seller The Anxious Generation, has said there’s growing evidence of an “international epidemic” of mental illness that started around 2012, caused in part by social media and teens’ uptake of smartphones in the early 2010s.

As of this spring, at least 37 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to ban or restrict students’ phone use in schools. Teachers and parents typically support the bans, while students, on the whole, oppose them Students also say schools shouldn’t expect big results. Here are five key findings from the NBER study:

1. Phone bans work. Teacher surveys in schools that banned phones bell-to-bell found that the share of students reporting using phones in class for personal reasons fell from 61% to 13%. And GPS data suggest phone usage dropped dramatically — a “large and persistent decline” on

campuses with bans, researchers noted. These schools saw a roughly 30% drop in total device pings during school hours by the third year after pouch adoption. This change, however can’t necessarily be read as a direct measure of the change in student phone use, researchers say, since the data also includes use by adults. And pings are often recorded when phones are on but not in use. But the data still suggest that the sheer impact on student use is substantial and that it can be read as a “conservative lower bound” on the magnitude of cellphone policies.

2. Discipline worsened, then improved. In the first year of adoption, schools that banned phones saw about a 16% increase in suspension rates — both in- and outof-school but this effect faded in subsequent years, researchers found. The uptick likely reflects the fact that many schools took

enforcement seriously and that students turned to other disruptive behaviors.

3. Student well-being dipped, then bounced back. Subjective well-being declined in the first year of adoption, then rebounded, researchers found. It turned positive by the second year

4. Academic achievement gains were minimal. Average effects on standardized test scores were “consistently close to zero” across the first three years after adoption, with similar findings across subjects.

5. Attendance, attention and bullying were largely unaffected. Effects on attendance were “close to zero” — researchers also found no measurable improvements in perceived online bullying or selfreported classroom attention

“I think it’s reasonable to view these results as sobering,” said Stanford’s Dee, who added that not seeing better results at this

early stage “is somewhat disappointing.”

But he noted that as schools keep their bans in place, indicators like student well-being and suspension rates improve. In the first year of the phone bans, students’ self-reported well-being dropped substantially, as disciplinary rates rise, Dee said. “But within three years, students’ wellbeing is actually above what it was at baseline.”

Likewise, he said, the rise in socalled “exclusionary discipline” such as suspension, “really only occurs in the first year of the phone bans. By the third year, exclusionary discipline rates have returned to their baseline levels.”

The study tracked three cohorts of schools, which adopted phone bans in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively

Dee noted that the newest cohorts have actually seen test scores rise in a short time. He isn’t exactly certain why, but theorizes that “the entire social context around which we understand phone bans may be changing — I think people are much more likely to see phone bans in a beneficent light now, as something that’s meant to help us rather than constrain us, even relative to several years ago.”

Dee cautioned that the findings are just a glimpse into the early days of phone bans. In the end, phone bans do what they advertise: They drive down student phone use. That in itself has a clear effect, even if other indicators don’t shift right away

“I firmly believe that getting student phone use down, recapturing their attention in classrooms within schools, is a critical antecedent to realizing their academic potential,” he said, suggesting we need to give them a couple of years to see results.

“We need to not succumb to the usual faddishness that permeates education reform,” he said, “and persist with a robust learning agenda that will allow us to figure out how to manage digital devices and support child development.”

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

SupremeCourt ruling opensfloodgatesbeyondLa.

WASHINGTON

—The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that found unconstitutional Louisiana’scongressional map that elected two Black Democrats has energized apartisan redistricting war aimed at shiftingenough seats to win amajority in theU.S. House.

Mark Ballard

“Weare watching acoordinated, rapid-fire assault on representation across the South, and it is moving fast like awestern wild fire,” former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieuwrote for his organization EPluribus Unum. He noted that nearly 200 seats in state legislatures also could be affected, as well as schoolboard, city council, police jury and other posts.

“The issues you care about— gasand grocery prices, housing, opportunity for your kids—all of it flows through whether your voice is heard in government,” Landrieuwrote It’shard to say which partyis ahead, but the decision in Callais v. Louisiana has given Republicans the momentum.

Sabato’sCrystal Ball, arespected campaign handicapper affiliatedwith the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, estimated Wednesday that, so far, 213districts favorDemocratic candidatesand 207 favor Republicans, with 15 toss-ups.The House majority is 218.

But Louisiana hasn’tweighed in, yet. Legislatorsbegan taking testimony Friday on plans to rid the six-member congressional delegation of one,perhapstwo, Democratic members And Tennessee on Thursday carved Black majority Memphis, which elected the state’ssole Democratic congressperson, into three congressional districts dominated by White Republicans —virtually ensuring all nine

Governor termlimits bill passes House

Aproposed constitutional amendment that would further limit how many terms aperson in Louisiana can serveasgovernor passed the state House last week after facing headwinds over the past month. House Bill 225, by Rep. Mike Bayham, R-Chalmette, would change the limit from two consecutive terms to two terms outright. That would barformer Gov.John Bel Edwards, aDemocrat, from running again after he served from 2016 to 2024. If the bill passes, voters statewide would be asked to approve the change.

Bayham

The House had twice voted on the bill, first in a6722 vote on April 22 and again on a67-21 voteon April 28. The bill requires atwothirds vote —70inthe House because it would amend the constitution, so it failed both times. On Tuesday,the bill passed the House on a73-25 vote. It now

Votingrightsactivists gather outside the Supreme CourtinWashington in October as the justices

to takeupamajor Republican-led challengetothe Voting Rights Act.

members of that state’sdelegation are Republican.

Once Alabama legislators get ajudicial OK, they plan to dismantle one or both of that state’s Black majority congressional districtstoadd GOPseats in its seven-member delegation.

SouthCarolinaistalking about convening to rid thatstate’ssole Democrat from theseven-member delegation Kansas, Nebraska and Indiana could oust fourDemocratic members. Utah wants to undo a court-ordered configuration that allowed for asingle Democratic seat among its three-member congressionaldelegation.

Facing anarrow majority,in

heads to the Senate. The legislative session ends June 1, so the bill hasroughly three weeks topass the upper chamber

Only one Louisiana governor,Edwin Edwards, has served more than two terms. If approved, Louisiana’s rules would be similar to those for president The22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, approved by Congress in 1947 and ratified by the states in 1951, set alimit of two terms for U.S. presidents. Before thatamendment was ratified, only President Franklin D. Roosevelt had served more thantwo terms; he was elected four times.

which Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton,can’tpass legislation that two Republicans oppose and coupled with low popularity ratings nationwide —President Donald Trumpearlier this year pushed Republican-run states to redraw their mapsand turn Democratic-leaning districts into ones that would elect Republicans to Congress. Usually,redistricting occurs once adecade after the U.S. Census shows how populations have shifted and changed. Republican-run Texas started themid-cycle push to redrawing district lines. That caused Democratic California to do thesame. Missouri and Ohio are also press-

for abortions. Murrill is pushing to overturn aFood and Drug Administration regulation that allows doctorstoprescribe mifepristone, which can be used for abortions, using telemedicine and ship thepills by mail. That is allowing out-of-state doctors to circumventthe Louisiana abortion ban and is unsafe for women and girls, state officials argue.

The lawsuit asks thecourts to requirethe FDA to change its rules so that in-person doctor visitsare required to prescribe mifepristone.

Louisiana delegation files brief in abortion pills case

Allsix RepublicansinLouisiana’sCongressional delegation signed an amicus brief withthe U.S. Supreme Courtlastweek supporting state Attorney General Liz Murrill’slawsuit that seeks to halt the dispensing by mail of drugs that canbeused

“I am grateful to my home state of Louisiana for leading theeffort to defend women and babies in our state and across thecountry.Chemical abortion drugs kill innocent children and put mothers’ lives at risk,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,the Baton Rouge Republican who chairsthe Senate’shealth committee, in a statement. “Safeguards protecting againstcoercion, such as the in-person dispensing requirement, must be reinstated immediately.”

ing to pass partisan maps.

VotersinVirginia, apurple state, voted to allow its General Assembly to reopen redistricting and change the 6-5 Democratic congressional advantage to 10-1.

ButVirginia’sSupremeCourt voted 4-3 Friday to disregard the resultsofthat election. Courts in Florida are considering challenges to aremap that turned four Democratic districts, including two with Black or Hispanic majorities, into safeRepublican seats, thereby making that state’sdelegation 24 Republican to four Democrats. Resultsofthe tit-for-tat seemed to be adraw.Then came Callais on April 29.

The Supreme Court recently overturneda5th Circuit Court of Appeals orderthattemporarily blocked mail-order distribution of mifepristone.That means, for now,the pills can continue to be mailed while the court case plays out.

Louisiana officials have criticized that decision.

“The stateofLouisiana has done heroic work in leading thefight against mail-order, ondemand abortion drugs, and the 5th Circuit was right to block theFDA from continuing this dangerous practice,” Speaker of theHouse Mike Johnson, aRepublican fromnearShreveport, saidinastatement. “Weurge theSupreme Court to affirm that decision and protect women and babies nationwide.”

U.S. Sen. JohnKennedy,RMadisonville, andU.S. Reps Julia Letlow,R-BatonRouge, Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, and Clay Higgins,R-Lafayette, all signed onto the briefaswell.

Presidential search records bill advances

The Louisiana House on Thursday passed without opposition a

“Without partisan gerrymandering, the impact of Callais would be limited. But with it, and with sophisticated modern techniques of gerrymandering, Callais will have adevastating effect on the election of Black individuals forlegislative offices,” Professor Erwin Chemerinsky, dean at University of California, Berkeley School of Law,wrote Wednesday in SCOTUSBlog, which focuses its online coverage on the SupremeCourt.

The 6-3 conservative majority in Callais recast the standards needed to prevail in aVoting Rights Act challenge, which minority voters have used for decades to ensure avoice in government.

Under Callais, challengers need to prove that election configurations purposely diluted a race’svoting strength. States can counter that the districts weren’t gerrymandered forracial reasons but forpartisan political reasons, essentially undoing minority-majority districts that favor Democratic candidates.

“Legislators in states in the old Confederacy were racing at about exactly this time aweek ago to immediately start eradicating their districts in which their Black voters might have had an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice,” said David Becker executive director of the Center forElection Innovation &Research, which represents local election officials.

“Black majority cities, like New Orleans and Montgomery and Memphis, could see zero representation forthose cities, putting aside their racial percentages, because those cities might be carved up in order to provide political gain, with those cities’ sins being that they happen to have a population that’smajority minority,” he added.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

bill that will allow public universities to shield information from the public about searches fortop leadership positions.

Senate Bill 290, by Sen. Mark Abraham,R-Lake Charles, would create anew exemption to public records lawsthat would allow universities to keep confidential information about searches for president, chancellor,senior vice chancellors, and athletic coaches. The university would only be required to disclose the three finalists forthose jobs.

Supporters say it could scare off qualified applicants if the fact that they are applying forajob at aLouisiana university is made public. Transparency advocates have argued that it prevents the public from understanding decisions about important public leadership positions.

The bill also allows universities to keep confidential the names of donors if they request it.

SB290 now heads back to the Senate forapproval of amendments madeinthe House.

THE GULF COAST

Mobile experiencing flat population growth

Butneighboring cities arethriving

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

On the Gulf Coast, where most cities’ populations are surging,Mobile,Alabama, is unique.

Despite its booming economy,Mobile has lost more than 5,000 residents since 2020, according to datafrom theU.S.Census Bureau. Mobile County as awhole lost about 2,700 people in the last five years.

The trend in Mobile is astark contrast to neighboring Baldwin County,where the population has grown by more than34,000 peoplesince 2020 as newcomersarrivein Fairhope, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Butleaders in Mobile saytheyare taking new and significant stepstoimprovetheir region’squality of lifeand convince more families to move there.

“It makes all the sense inthe worldto me that some people would live in Baldwin County and work and spend alot of timein Mobile,” said Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis. “I don’tthink that’sunnatural at all, but it highlights some of the issues Ithink we needto fix.”

Residents and politicians point to several reasons for the population decline in Mobile, acity of 200,000 people that is growing more connected to New Orleans after Amtrak restarted its Gulf Coast servicelastyear

Downtown Mobile sits at the easternmost point of the county,and most residential land in the city is already developed. Openland wherenew subdivisions are risinglies in the western and southernreaches of Mobile County,according to Sharee Broussard,the county’sdirector of public affairs.

But the commute to downtown Mobile is far quicker from Baldwin County,Broussard added, and aerospace, maritime, manufacturingand defenseindustriesin Mobiledraw thousands of commuters each day.

“That dynamic helps explain why population growth appears flat while economic activity is accelerating,” Broussard said.

Safety fears may also be adeterrent. In 2023, law enforcement leaders in Mobile blasted areport in the business magazine Forbes that called thecity among the most dangerous in the country. The city’spolice chief said the data was inflated and misleading, and Forbes later corrected its story. Violent crime rates have dropped in Mobile in recent years.

Still, Cheriogotis said, “there’s aperception of crimeherethat, frankly, doesn’tmatch with reality.”

Mobile confrontspopulationtrend

In MobileCounty,leaders are improving parks, adding boat launches and widening roadsinaneffort to improve trafficflows to downtownMobile and encourage new residents to move into developing land.

Mobile plans to open anew international airport closer to downtown in early 2027. The city is also trying to reduce blight in itsaging housing stock,upgrading camera systems andsending intervention teams intoschools to reducerisk of crime. Cheriogotis said the steps willimprove the city’squalityoflife.

City leaders are also trying to attract private investmentnear Mobile’swaterfront, including hotels, retail developments, restaurants and condo space.

Theregionisalready luringindustries: Broussard said Mobile County hasadded nearly 7,500 new jobs since2020.

Population growthcould take time to catch up to economic development as prospective movers realize Mobile County has jobs and opportunities, accordingtoShuaiZhou, an assistant professorofsociology who studies population change at the University of South Alabama.

Whygrowthmatters

Cities and counties often view population growth as abenefit because it signals de-

mandfor aregion’slifestyle and amenities.

It also usually means wealthier newcomers aremoving in and invigorating the tax base.

But growth also brings ahost of challenges, including increased traffic and taxed infrastructure. For those reasons, astable population “can be seen as better than the alternative,” said Nyesha Black,director of demographics at the University of Alabama’sCenter forBusiness andEconomics Research.

“But,” Blackadded, “I do think symbolically,especially for civic leaders, that it is like a thorn in their side if theirpopulation is lost.”

Over thelastfive years, Mobile County has dropped from thesecond to the third largest county in the state. ButMobile’spopulation is not plummeting, and demographers say the region is in afar better position than some struggling counties acrossAlabama.

Census data shows Mobile County’spopulationfell by only 0.1% last year,adecline of less than1,000 people. The latest population datafor cities, including Mobile, is scheduled for releasenext week.

Population growth matters to cities because it makes it easier for communities to attract good job opportunitiesand also boostspropertytax income. But most of Mobile’sfunding comes from sales taxes, so Cheriogotis said he is not alarmed.

“Tosome degree, it doesn’tbother me,” he said. “As long as they’re here spending money,westill have theopportunity to have afinancially healthy city.”

$15million waterfront park opens in Destin

BY POETWOLFE Staff writer

A14-acrewaterfront park in Destin, Florida,has officially opened as Florida Gulf Coast officialscontinue efforts to expand public beach access across the city The park, named Norriego Point Recreation Area, features three dune crossovers, awraparound boardwalk anda pavilion, the newspaper The Destin Log reported. It also offers restrooms, showers and morethan 70 parking spaces, according to Destin mayor Bobby Wagner Parking is free forlocalsbut costs $20 for four hours for visitors. Only serviceanimalsare allowed.

The $15 million project came to lifewith $14 million in BP oil spill recovery funds and about $215,000 in localtaxpayermoney,Wagnersaid. He calledthe park “the fruits of decades of leadership.”

The park’sopening comes amid ongoing limits on shoreline access in Destin, where large stretches of beachfront are privately owned and vendor operations contribute to overcrowding. Wagner has said the city aims to “buy and build more public beaches over thenexttwo years” as more vacationers nationwide turn to Gulf Coastdestinations,drawn by lesscrowded beaches and more affordable lodging.

Last year,local officials announced anotheraddition, TarponBeach Gulf Front Park,whichfeatures 340 feet of public beach access, along with restroomsand 49 free parking spaces. The $16.75 million project is part of abroader initiative to reinvest tourism revenue in expanding access forbothvisitorsand residents, city officials said. Norriego Point Recreation Area is owned by the city,Wagner said. Meanwhile, aseparate $84 million park nearby is owned by the state —aproject that hasdividedthe community,with some city council members concerned it could bring increased noise and congestion to a residential area.

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SUCCESSFUL SMILES

LEFT: Nivea Jerry celebrates during Xavier University’s 2026 graduation ceremony at Xavier University

State tasked to show Hutson’s job failings were intentional

Analysts weigh in on former sheriff’s criminal indictment

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

About a month after a mass jailbreak on her watch last year, as the search for inmates dragged on, then-Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson received a stern letter

The criminal court judges were demanding she resume having deputies bring new arrestees over to court from jail on weekends and holidays, citing “numerous formal and informal requests” that had gone unanswered.

Then-Chief Judge Tracey Flemings-Davillier issued an order on June 18, 2025, giving Hutson a few weeks to comply.

At first, Hutson declined, argu-

ing that it would require money she didn’t have to fill those shifts. Flemings-Davillier held a contentious hearing last July, then held Hutson in contempt of court before the sheriff relented.

That very public row is now a crucial piece of the grand jury indictment that Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office secured against Hutson, according to an affidavit from investigators that was attached to the warrant for her arrest.

The indictment, issued days before Hutson left office last week after a single, rocky term, accuses her of official misconduct, obstruction of justice, falsifying public documents and conspiracy

Eighteen of the 30 charges against her allege malfeasance in office. All 30 list the dates of the offenses as virtually Hutson’s entire term in office as sheriff.

The warrant against Hutson also details failings uncovered previously by the monitor who reports to a federal judge over conditions at the city jail, the Orleans Justice Center under a longrunning consent decree.

The warrant and indictment suggest Murrill’s office has built a case that Hutson was criminally lax in her elected post, according to interviews with former prosecutors and others familiar with public corruption cases.

But to get a conviction they said, the attorney general must go further Beyond showing Hutson was negligent or a weak public servant, Murril has to prove the former sheriff intended to fall down on the job.

“Being over your head in a position that has everyday challenges, that’s not a crime,” said Matt Coman, a former federal prosecutor who in 2014 helped convict former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin. “If that was the case, we wouldn’t have enough room in the jails.” Gregory Carter, Hutson’s attorney, said he remained confident after reviewing the affidavit that Hutson will beat the state charges.

“It’s not a criminal case to say ‘I don’t like the way she’s doing her

RTA board moves to oust CEO

National search planned for replacement

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

The Regional Transit Authority board took its first step Saturday toward ousting CEO Lona Edwards Hankins, voting to begin negotiations with the goal of arriving at mutually agreeable terms for her departure.

The board, newly installed by Mayor Helena Moreno, also voted Saturday to invalidate an extension of Hankins’ employment contract that was approved without public notice by the previous board chair They also began the process of hiring a firm to conduct a national search for Hankins’ replacement.

“We are committed to righting the RTA ship,” board Chair Ann Duplessis said in remarks at Saturday’s meeting, adding that she hopes to come to an agreement with Hankins by the next board meeting on May 26.

Hankins, who took over as the agency’s permanent chief in May 2023, declined to comment. For now, she’ll remain at the helm of the RTA, though the board last month put restrictions on her spending and hiring authority Hankins’ personal attorney, William Aaron Jr., said in an interview after the meeting that they have already sent a letter to the RTA board laying out their demands.

The RTA, a state agency which oversees a fleet of buses, streetcars, paratransit shuttles and ferries, has notched several wins under Hankins’ leadership, including increased ridership and federal funding and the development of a fleet management and capital improvement plan.

But the RTA has also faced a string of controversies.

Half of the agency’s board resigned and Jefferson Parish pulled out of the partnership in 2024 amid questions over whether Hankins and her leadership team had been truthful with the board about a construction contract that ballooned in value. The FBI later launched an investigation into the matter That status of that inquiry is unclear

The RTA has also faced criticism for failing to make meaningful improvements to its paratransit service for disabled and elderly riders amid reports of missed pickups and excessively long trips. The agency’s internal auditors also warned that a lack of oversight on the construction of the Canal Street Ferry Terminal may have led the agency to spend millions more than it needed.

The RTA under Hankins has also faced a string of complaints from former employees, some of which have resulted in six-figure settlements, according to public records.

In April, shortly after Moreno’s board took over, a dozen current and former RTA employees filed

See RTA, page 3B

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

Officially, Priscilla Morse and Franco Santiago are licensed real estate agents whose job it is to sell houses on the northshore.

Unofficially Morse, 62, the managing broker for Compass’ Mandeville office, and Santiago, 65, a Realtor, are the office’s in-house joke writers.

For nearly a decade, Morse and Santiago have been coming up with jokes to put on the real estate company’s large roadside sign along North Causeway Boulevard in Mandeville.

It’s something of a public service: Tens of thousands of drivers pass by the sign every day as they travel to and from the Causeway and often have to wait at traffic lights. The one-liners, puns and other jokes are often real-estate themed “Real Estate Agents Need Clo-

sure” was one recent one. Another:

“I like big houses and I cannot lie.” Other times, it relates to current events, like the pandemic era sign that read, “All we want for Christmas are antibodies.”

But they try to avoid anything overtly political, said Morse, and most of the time the jokes are just plain corny and of the “dad-joke” variety “Nothing Tops a Plain Pizza,” one sign said The important thing is getting new ones up there.

“If it hasn’t been changed out, people call and say, ‘You have to change the sign, it hasn’t been updated,’” Morse said.

When Morse became manager of the office around 2017, the sign said something along the lines of “new homes.” It was a missed opportunity she recalled thinking.

She and some other people in the office started coming up with new jokes for the sign every day

Morse would post a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #mandevillesignoftheday More recently, they’ve been changing the sign once a week. Morse said she and Santiago If

Raymond Bowie, Mardi Gras float painter, dies

‘He

was a true artist’

BY JOHN POPE

Contributing writer

Raymond Bowie, a self-taught

Mardi Gras parade artist who for a half-century used vibrant color combinations and an innate sense of design to turn processions into mobile art exhibits, died at his Algiers home on Monday, the day after his 71st birthday

He died of mesothelioma, said La Keisha Bowie, his daughter

“He was the best of the best,” said Virginia Saussy, the Krewe of Muses’ float and theme chairwoman

“He knew how to paint a float so it brought out the essence of the art. He changed the way we did art and made it much better.”

A lifelong New Orleanian who graduated from L.B. Landry High School, Bowie started painting floats in 1976, when he walked into Kern Studios looking for work, said Chris Richier, Kern Studios’ production manager

“He had talent, and he got to work with really good artists and developed into the best float painter in the history of New Orleans,” Richier said. “He was a true artist. Never cut corners on anything.”

In painting a float, “a lot of it is technique, a lot of it is attitude, a lot

Continued from page 1B

take inspiration from social media, song lyrics and other businesses with funny signs around the country anything to come up with new jokes. They have a thick pile of notes with old ideas and jot down new ones on sticky notes or send each other text messages about them. They sometimes do repeats. In recent years, they’ve been using artificial intelligence to trim some of the jokes down to two or three very short sentences so they fit on the sign, but Santiago

STATE

Continued from page 1B

job,’” Carter said. “Nothing has changed from our standpoint. We walked in the door wholeheartedly believing that she was innocent.” Hutson has pleaded not guilty, along with her co-defendant, Bianka Brown, the former chief financial officer for the Sheriff’s Office. Hutson and Brown are set to be arraigned next Friday in front of District Judge Leon Roche.

Questions

The warrant suggests that several of the 50 combined charges faced by Hutson and Brown relate to Hutson’s responses to demands from the judges for weekend and holiday jail transfers.

To Blake Arcuri, an attorney for sheriffs’ offices across Louisiana who previously worked under former Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman, last summer’s public tussle exposed noth-

the

nishing

Kern Studios float den on February 13 2019

of it is style,” Richier said. “It’s not like canvas work. He wanted to do it right; it had to be perfect. He made sure the colors were right on everything he painted.”

An example of Bowie’s painstaking attention to detail was a multicolored arch he painted for the 2011 Hermes parade, said Henri Schindler, a longtime parade designer. “He worked on it for almost two weeks. It was fantastic.”

The process starts when the de-

said he isn’t worried that AI will replace them.

“It can’t be funnier than me,” he said of AI. The sign itself has gone through different iterations.

The office was once owned by the century-old New Orleans real estate company Latter & Blum, and during that time, the color of the sign went from darker blue to a lighter blue. After real estate giant Compass purchased the Latter & Blum in 2024, the sign became black.

A few times, she said, they’ve had to take down the sign because it was crude or offended a passerby, but that’s rare, she said, and

ing so much as a natural friction between the sheriff and judiciary over courthouse security At the time, Arcuri said he advised officials with Hutson’s office to buck the judges’ demands. He said no other court in Louisiana requires first court appearances live on weekends and holidays.

“I did recommend they push back on that,” Arcuri said. “There’s always that tension there where the judges will get more needy and want to take those liberties.”

Other charges in the indictment appear to relate to Hutson allegedly letting jail conditions fester before the jailbreak. Murrill’s agents “learned that this massive escape was not an unforeseeable event,” the affidavit states. “Instead, it was the culmination of years of documented warnings, operational neglect, and leadership failures within the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s office.”

Arcuri said the state indictment against Hutson

signer creates a watercolor image to serve as a model for painters to use on the floats. With Bowie, Schindler said, the finished product was “every bit as detailed as, and sometimes more than, the prototype.”

Muses started working with Bowie in 2003. It was a collaborative process, Saussy said. “You didn’t just present him with art. You worked with him on that art. That hadn’t been the way we had worked before.

He knew how to look at a piece

they’ve had support from both owners.

“They loved the notoriety of it,” she said of Latter & Blum.

Santiago said he thinks he got his sense of humor from watching comedian Steven Wright, who is known for his one-liners. Morse said she thinks she got her sense of humor from her dad. They haven’t yet sold a house because of the sign, they said, but they’ve gained a following.

“There are people that regularly pass by and they give me feedback, just because we play pickleball together,” Santiago said.

Leslie Victory CEO of

underscores the broad definition of malfeasance in office.

“It literally means whatever an officer or a prosecutor wants it to mean,” he said. “It means performing a duty obligated to you improperly or not performing a duty with the proper standard.”

Coman noted federal laws don’t include a malfeasance statute. Federal prosecutors must be more definitive, charging offenses like wire fraud, bribery or embezzlement to indict elected leaders and public officials. Prosecutors in state court can cast a much wider net.

“It’s not your run-of-themill corruption case, that’s for sure,” Coman said “You’ve got a white-collar case in Orleans Parish against a public official for nonbribery nonkickback type offenses. So it’s really going to be tied to the performance of the office and whether she intentionally violated the malfeasance and obstruction statutes.”

Gusman, the former sheriff, acknowledged his own

of paper and visualize it on a float.”

Bowie started working with Schindler for the Mistick Krewe of Comus’ processions in the mid1980s. As Bowie’s career progressed and his reputation grew, he painted the parades of Rex, Orpheus, Endymion and Muses, turning out a float a week. “Float painters get paid by the float,” Schindler said. “A lot of them are in a hurry to get on to the next float. So many people who work on these projects are killing time so they can do ‘real art.’ This was his art.”

“He loved painting. Period,” his daughter said. When he would talk about painting floats, he would talk about colors and the way they came to life and the joy they brought to people and the excitement of it. He did it so effortlessly He could look at something and know where to put it.”

As Bowie worked, he was always smiling, said Dr Stephen Hales, the Rex organization’s historian emeritus.

“I can’t remember Raymond without his beatific smile as he painted,” he said. “He would pull up his battered rolling chair and his buckets of paint and paint beautiful scenes on the sides of floats. When he lifted his brush, he lifted it with a smile and a passion.”

Northshore Area Board of Realtors, said she’s been driving by the sign for years and said there’s often chatter among other agents when there’s a particularly funny sign.

“I appreciate their efforts to bringing a lighthearted spirit” to real estate, Victory said. She said it could help attract new agents as employees because it speaks to the office’s culture.

It’s a busy thoroughfare — the general manager of the Causeway Carlton Dufrechou, estimated there’s an average daily traffic in excess of 40,000 vehicles in that part of North Causeway Boulevard.

battles with New Orleans’ criminal judges over jail transfers.

“It was a challenge, but it was a challenge that we met by working with the judges and making sure that they were able to see the inmates on a timely basis,” Gusman said. “We made it work.”

Gusman wasn’t too forgiving of Hutson, assessing her run in the office as a “failure.”

Murrill’s office views it as criminal, though her office offered no details outside of the warrant to specify the nature of Hutson’s crimes.

Hutson referred a request for comment last week to Carter, her attorney

Former state and federal prosecutor Walter Becker said specifics are sure to surface as Murrill begins to disclose evidence to defense attorneys, including for the obstruction charges.

Becker said Hutson’s attorneys will likely try to chip away at the criminal counts, particularly those involving alleged conspiracies, before trial. Carter is seeking a preliminary hear-

Hales stuck with Bowie after he suffered strokes, which robbed him of his ability to paint. Recovery was rough, Hales said, as Bowie struggled, first by drawing in sketchbooks, then by painting on his garage wall.

“He came back,” Hales said, “and created new, beautiful works of art.”

Barry Kern, CEO of Kern Studios and Mardi Gras World, called Bowie “the ultimate perfectionist and professional.”

“I’ve never met anyone who spent more time or cared more,” Kern said. “He gave everything when it came to doing what he did.”

His first marriage, to Geraldine Reed, ended in divorce.

She survives him, as do his wife, Sharon Bowie; two sons, Raymond Bowie Jr and Michael Bowie; three daughters, La Toya Bowie, La Keisha Bowie and Amber Bowie; two stepsons, Wayne Jo Guidry and Robert Guidry; a stepdaughter, Niesha Townsend; a sister, Yvette Brown; and 12 grandchildren.

A Mass will be said May 23 at 11:30 a.m. at All Saints Catholic Church, 1343 Teche St. in Algiers. Davis Mortuary Service is in charge of arrangements.

Email John Pope at pinckelopes@gmail.com.

ing to question investigators. It’s not clear who will represent Brown.

“You probably, as a defense attorney want to paint this as a vendetta by the state government against New Orleans,” Becker said.

The indictment follows a lengthy grand jury investigation that Murrill launched after last year’s mass jail escape, when 10 inmates crawled through a hole behind a ripped-out toilet in a ground-floor cell and fled over a fence. It would take several months for authorities to recapture all 10 men, some of whom were awaiting trial for murder or other violent felonies.

Federal consent decree monitors warned Hutson about security lapses long before the jailbreak, documenting failures in at least four reports leading up to the May 16, 2025, incident, the affidavit states.

Staff left inmates unsupervised for hours with access to items they could fashion into weapons, the monitors found. High-risk inmates allowed to roam

freely out of their cells assaulted staff and other inmates, destroyed property, smoked, possessed dangerous contraband and lit fires. Investigators allege OJC officers under Hutson also abandoned the practice of housing problematic inmates in high-risk security units.

Hutson’s successor, former New Orleans Police Department interim chief Michelle Woodfork, took office Monday John Simerman contributed to this story Email Matt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2026

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alawsuit in federal court alleging rampant workplace discrimination and wage theft and accusing Hankins of violating free speechprotections.

Moreno, who tookoffice in January,has signaled for months that she wants to see anew chief executive atop the RTA. But her efforts to do so hit asnag in earlyApril,whenshe learned through areporter that Hankins’ employment contract had been quietly amended without any public notice or vote of the full board by board chair Fred Neal Jr., an appointee of former Mayor LaToya Cantrell.

That contract amendment —dated Oct. 15, just days after Moreno won the mayoral race —extended Hankins’ contract expiration date from 2028 to 2031 andalsocreated anew path to collect bonuses.

“I wasreallycaughtby surprise,” Moreno said in an interview on WWLTuesday,adding that she believesthe contract amendment is invalid.

“I don’tknow how it all went down or who advised them to do what. But ultimately it was approved behind the scenes and signed off on,” Moreno said. The resolution approved by the board Saturday argues that Neal violated agency bylaws in signing off on the contract amendment. Neal declined to comment.

Moreno also asked Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack, who is leading awide-ranging investigation into City Hall spending, to examine the RTA’sfinances. Duplessis said that work has already kicked off.

Hankins joined the RTA as the agency’sdeputy CEO for infrastructure in 2019 She broughtyears of experience managing large projects, includingtime as the director of capital projects for the Recovery School District. Buther backgroundinpublictransit was lessrobust.

Hankins would not have met the minimum qualifications for the CEO position during the board’slast search,in2019, when candidates wererequired to possessatleast five years of transit leadership experience.During the2023 search, the board, without explanation, reducedthat to three years of experience. Hankins narrowly met that requirement. The board selected her for the role in asplit vote in March 2023, agreeing to pay her a salary of $315,000. The board called Saturday’smeeting with the sole purpose of discussing Hankins’ contract.

“This board will continue to do what is in thebest interest of this agency, and we will work diligently to make decisions that willput this agency in the best position to serve our ridership, run effectively and efficientlyand to rebuild the public trust in the RTA,” Duplessis said at the start of Saturday’s meeting.

The board then voted to enter into executive session, where they discussed Hankins’ contractfor about 30 minutesbehindclosed doors with outside counsel. Upon exiting executive session, the board reconvened for apublic hearing and unanimouslyapproved the trio of resolutions

The board, which must approve any separation agreement with Hankins, designated Duplessis as their representative in negotiations.

In an interview after the meeting, Duplessis said sheexpectsthose negotiations with Hankins to move quickly and that she’salready begun interviewing firmstoconduct anational search for her replacement.

“We’re movingforward and Ithink it’sgoing to be better days,” added Mitch Guidry Jr., aformer RTA employeewho was appointed to the board in 2024 by then-council member Moreno

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Abele, Karl Barnes,Ronald Blank, William Cocke, Carol DanielsonJr.,Daryl Eaves, Patricia

Federico,Steven Garness, Wayne

Guarino, Georgia

LaFrance Sr., Ricardo

Marino, Marie

Paine, Lincoln

Schroeder, Henry Simmons Williams, Brenda Sirera,David Smith,Joseph

Sullivan III, Eugene TheardSr.,Floyd

Thomas,Eugene

Todd Sr., Richard Vanderbrook, Terri Willig,Donald Winn, Edna

EJefferson

Garden of Memories

Guarino, Georgia

Thomas,Eugene

Tharp Funeral Home

Willig,Donald

NewOrleans

Estelle JWilson

LaFrance Sr., Ricardo Greenwood

Todd Sr., Richard Winn, Edna JacobSchoen

Abele, Karl

Lake Lawn Metairie

Blank, William

Cocke, Carol

DanielsonJr.,Daryl Eaves, Patricia Simmons Williams, Brenda

Karl Joseph Abele passedawaypeacefully at homeonMay 4, 2026, with his familyathis bedside. Hewas born October27, 1944, in NewOrleans, Louisiana.Karlwas pre‐ceded in deathbyhis beloved wife of 43 years, Hilda MoranAbele,the love ofhis life.Heissurvivedby his sisters, Mary Abele Monett, LindaAbele Long (Mike), andShirley Abele Broussard,along with nieces, nephews, cousins, and many dear friends. He was preceded in deathby his sister,MargaretAbele Dodds.Karlwas theson of Otto Karl AbeleJr. and MargaretMorrisAbele bothdeceased. He earned bachelor’sdegrees in Mathematics andMechani‐cal Engineeringfromthe UniversityofNew Orleans and enjoyeda long career asanengineer with Texaco beforeretiringmorethan 20years ago. Karl was known forhis sharpmind, quiet nature,and steady presence. He andHilda shareda love of travel and spent many yearsexplor‐ing Guatemala, Europe, and destinations across the United States together Karlwas also an accom‐plished waterskier anden‐joyed an active life out‐doors. Karl will be remem‐bered forhis devotion to his family, hislifelonglove for Hilda, andthe many memoriessharedwithrel‐ativesand friendsoverthe years.Hewillbedeeply missedbyall who knew and lovedhim.Relatives and friendsare invitedto attendthe FuneralMassat the J. GaricSchoenChapel ofJacob Schoen &Son Fu‐neral Home on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m.,fol‐lowed by theFuneralMass at12:00 p.m.

Barnes, Ronald George

Beaufort,SC- Ronald GeorgeBarnes passed away on May 6, 2026 at the ageof88. He was born in NewOrleans, LA on October30, 1937 and was a long timeresident of Harvey, LA until September 2024 when he and his wife Barbara FalconBarnes moved to Beaufort, SC.

On April8,1961, he married theloveofhis life Barbara Falcon. He and Barbara enjoyed going out to eat and going to the casinos. Family was the most important thing to him. He enjoyed seafood boilsonhis back deck with family and friends. He had acrazy sense of humor. He always had something funny to say and ajoke to tell Ronald had acareerin banking as aTrust Officer. He was dedicatedtohis family and community where he was part of the beginning of theHarvey Playground in Harvey,LA.

Ronald went to St Michael'sElementary School, Don Bosco Seminary in Patterson, NJ and Loyola University where he studied Journalism. Ronald waspreceded in death by his parents WalterLouisand Cesna LacombeBarnes; brothers

Edward Borne,Walter Barnes, Jr.; SonTimothyK Barnes. He is survivedby his wife Barbara Falcon Barnes; Children Aline Castellano (John), Ronald L. Barnes (Melissa); Grandchildren Jack Castellano (Ellie), Nicholas Barnes, and Jason Castellano.Brothers Lloyd Barnes(Terrance Nilsson), and Kenneth Barnes (Cheryl). Also many nieces and anephew. In lieu of flowers,please haveMassessaid.

Blank, William Herman

We are sorrytoinform youthatRev.William HermanBlank, apriestof theArchdioceseofNew Orleans, diedonMay 5, 2026. He was 80 years of age. Father Blank was born on May6,1945, in Queens, NewYork. He attendedelementaryschool at Nativity of theBlessed Virgin Mary and secondary schoolatJohn Adams, both in OzonePark, NY.He attended Allentown CollegeofSt. Francis DeSales. His seminary educationwas with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and at NotreDame Seminary.Hewas ordainedasa priest on May 16, 1987, at St. Louis Cathedral in NewOrleans. Father Blank served as AssociatePastor at St. Louis King of France, Metairie and St. Elizabeth AnnSeton, Kenner, and was parochial vicar at St. Cletus, Gretna. Fr. Blank served as temporary administrator at St.Joachim, Marrero.His pastorates were at HolyFamily, Franklinton; St. Julian Eymard,Algiers; and St. Hubert in Garyville.Father Blank retired in 2017 and was residing in Mandeville, LA at thetime of his death. Visitation at St.Louis King of France Church Monday, May 11, 2026, beginning at 9:30am followedbya Funeral Mass at 11:00am. Interment to follow in Lake Lawn Park and Mausoleum.

Carolwas born in Cullman, Alabama on September 5, 1938 and moved to NewOrleans in 1960 where she liveduntil her death on May 6, 2026. She wasthe daughter of thelate Dr. LeroyC Bledsoe and Betty Woodward Bledsoe. She graduated fromthe University of Alabama with aBachelor's of Science and was amember of the KappaDelta Sorority. Carol received aMaster's degree in audiology and speech pathology fromTulane University. She practiced

audiology with theNew OrleansSpeech and Hearing Center andthe NewOrleans Public Schools' Child Search Program. Shewas amemberofthe American Speech andHearing Association and aFellow of theAmerican Academy of Audiology. She served on theboardofthe Bright pre-school for the hearing impaired. She wasa board member and founder of theMaple Area Residents Association.She also served on theAdvisory Councilfor theTulane International Hospitality Program, hosting many internationalstudents Carol hadanoutgoing andgregarious personality, punctuatedbycuriosity, acompetitive edge and aslightlymischievous sense of humor. She enjoyed many hobbies, including,but notlimitedto, playing bridge,all water sports, dancing,painting, andextensiveworld travel including regulartrips to Las Vegas, wherebyall accounts,she always beat thehouse at craps. Carol waspreceded in death by herhusband's Alexander Clayton Cocke, Jr.(37 years) and Robert George Waring (2 years). Sheissurvivedbyher son Alexander Clayton Cocke, III andher daughter Elizabeth Cocke Zervigon (Carlos), hersister Frances M. Bledsoe, andgrandchildren Isaac,Luis, Phoebe Garay(Ricardo), Eli (Lisette), Carlos S.,and Benjamin (JT Hassell), and twogreat-grandchildren, Opheliaand Oscar Garay In lieu of flowers please contribute to acharity of yourchoice.A Celebration of Carol's Life will be announcedlater.Toviewand sign the online Guestbook, please visitwww.lakelawn metairie.com

Danielson, Daryl Arthur

Daryl ArthurDanielson, Jr passedawayonMay 1, 2026, after acourageous battle with cancer.Bornin Jackson,Mississippi, on June 14, 1950, to Daryl ArthurDanielson,Sr. and Susan Eversman Danielson, he wasanhonorable man, devotedtohis familyand lovedbyall Daryl lived alifegrounded in love,kindness, and an unwaveringcommitment

to doing what wasright. He wasa true gentlemancharming,generous, and genuinelywelcoming to everyoneheencountered Daryl wasdeeply devoted to his belovedwife Brenda PowerDanielson; hischildrenand their spouses, Sarah Jenkins Oakes (Blake) and Keith Jenkins (Kristin"KK" Kirwin Jenkins); andhis cherished grandchildren, Avery andCharlotteOakes andKonnor andKate Jenkins. Nothing brought himmorejoy than spendingtimewith hisfamily androoting for the New OrleansSaints. He is also survived by hissiblings: Deborah DanielsonRyan (Robert), Barbara Danielson Fitzgerald (Michael), Dawn DanielsonHoppes (Mark), Gregory Danielson, Sr (Lisa), and Stephen Danielson(Erin) An honor studentatDe La Salle High School, Daryl formed friendshipsthere that enduredthroughout hislifetime.Hegraduated from Northwestern University in Evanston Illinois, and later earneda Master of Sciencein Geologyfromthe University of NewOrleans He went on to enjoy adistinguished career as ageologist in the oil andgas industry, apassion he shared withhis father and brother, and later with youngermembersofhis family. He will always be remembered as aloving husband, father, grandfather,brother,uncle, son-inlaw,and friend. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare invited to attend hisservicesatHoly Name of Jesus Church, 6367 St.CharlesAvenue, NewOrleans,Louisiana, on Saturday, May16, 2026. Visitation begins at 10:00 am andcontinues until the Funeral Mass at 12:00 noon. Private interment to follow

In Loving Memory of JOANN WASHINGTON MIMMITT (February2,1962 -December9,2018)

Eaves, Patricia Noonan

Patricia Noonan Eaves passed awaypeacefullyat home in New Orleans on May 6, 2026, at the age of 83. ANew Orleans native, Patsy, as she was known to all, was adevoted wife, mother, and grandmother whose greatest joy was spending time with her family and friends. She loved gardening and community. She became a champion of her neighborhood and community working tirelesslytofound Neighborhood Watch, the Broadmoor Improvement Association, andCOPS 2, an organization which continues today to honor and support the New Orleans Police of the Second District. She truly loved her neighborhood andher native city.

Patsy was born to John Martin Noonan and Margaret Burke Noonanin New Orleans on September 24, 1942. She attended Holy Name of Jesus School in New Orleans, then for high school the Mary Wood Boarding School for Girls in Mundelein, IL and graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University. She married the love of her life, Lewis P. Eaves, III, and cherished 50 years of marriage until his passing. Patsy was preceded in death by her parents, John Martin Noonan and Margaret Burke Noonan, her husband, Lewis P. Eaves, III, and her siblings, John M. Noonan, Jr. and Rita "Missy" Noonan Lagarde.

She is survived by her son, Lewis P. Eaves, IV, her daughter, Shannon Eaves Hattox (Joshua), and her grandchildren, Ethan Hattox, Jameson Hattox, andScarlett Hattox.She is also survived by her sisters, Margie Noonan Blaum, Mary B. Noonan, Kathleen Noonan Kirksey (Michael), and brother, Charles E. Noonan.

Patsy will be remembered for her warm heart her cheerful fun-loving spirit, and her devotion to family and community.

Amemorial service will be held on Friday, May 15, 2026, at St. Rita Catholic Church, 2729 Lowerline St. New Orleans, LA. Visitation will be held from 10 AM -11 AM with afuneral Mass to begin at 11 AM. Inurnment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Red Cross.

Steven

Steven Federico passed away on the morning of March 23, 2026, at the age of 66. He was born on February 17, 1960, in New Orleans, Louisiana,to Michael and Jeannette Federico. Steve attended East Jefferson High School and Nicholls State University. He dedicated nearly 18 years of service to the Jefferson Parish Parks and Recreation Department, working at Pontiff Playground before retiring. Known to many as "Fed," Steve resided in Metairie, Louisiana.Heis survived by his siblings, Michael, Mark (Kathryn), and Holly Huye (Jay) and three nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother Brian, his father, Michael Frank Federico, and his mother, Jeannette

Marie Hymel Federico. Steve was an athlete from childhood through his highschool and college years, and he remained passionateaboutsports throughout his life. He was especially known for his dedicationasanumpire forthe Jefferson Parish RecreationDepartment baseball leagues, where he was respectedfor his fairness and realism. Steve had apassion forhorse racing, studying the statistics and racing forms. He closely followedthe major races, accuratelyrecalling past winnersand purse amounts, demonstrating his deepknowledge and love for horse racing. Steve was well known in his community,and his presence willbedeeplymissed by allwho knew him. Services willbeheldon Wednesday,June 24, 2026, at Garden of Memories on Airline Highway. Visitation willtakeplace from 10:00 to 11:30a.m., with the service immediately following

WayneDurant Garness passed awayonSaturday, April 25, 2026, at age 96. He was bornonJune 13, 1929, in Deadwood, South Dakota, to Olaf Andrew Garness and Beatrice Rose (Durant) Garness, and had beena resident of New Orleans andCovington since 1954.The beloved husband and father is predeceased byhis dear wife of 65 years, Jacqueline Owens Garness of New Orleans, Louisiana;his daughter,Novi Jean Garness; his parents; his brother, RobertDean Garness(Kathy); and his granddaughter, Dawn Davis. He is survivedbyhis loving companion of 10 years, CarolLaurent Benson; his daughter (from afirst marriage to Joanne Monger), Dorothy Bradley Oglesby (Wayne Oglesby); two sons,Daniel Wayne Garness (Joseph Fay) and "Gunnar" Christopher WayneGarness (Kay Buckner); granddaughter, Della Roque; great-grandchildren,MayaRoque, Alejandro Roque, CheyenneCabral,Taylor Cabral, and Isaiah Davis; great-great-grandchildren, AnayaHenry, Aleeana Henry,and Andreas Roque; many nieces and nephews, and his dearfriend, Edward Bailey. Wayne grew up inthe Black Hills of South Dakota andlearned to flyatthe ageof16, which became his lifelong love and avocation.Hewas aStaff Sergeant on Flying Status and an AerialGunner in the Air Force during the Korean Warwho boldly volunteered for every interesting and exotictask imaginable.Heestablished an adventurous career flying amphibious seaplanes across Southeastern Louisiana for RebelAir, Shell Oil,and Chevron Oil. He was one of the foremost pilots in these companies, and came to know Louisiana's landscape and gulf-scape like the back of his hand. Waynewas an avid collector of British and Italian sports cars, which he restored for many yearsinhis garage in Terrytown, Louisiana, and racedinlocal Autocross events in the 1960's, winning many trophies and accolades. He lovedtraveling the west with his family in hismotor home, crossingthe country many times, especially to his beloved Black Hills.He and his wife,Jacqueline touredIrelandextensively with great relish. Wayne also lovedtaking hisfamily toMardiGrasfor many decades, standing behind his children on their ladder,and collecting the bounty of the parades. With Jacqueline, Wayne was asurrogate parent to many of his children's friends, welcoming them into their home and for longcommunal meals, extending his family in every way.Hewas active in the Boy Scouts, St. Paul's

Marching Band,and the American Legion.

Wayne was agifted bass singer, performing for years in theGretna Methodist Church Choir, and with abarbershop quartet. He oftenserenaded his devoted companion, Carol,withthe American songbook.Hewas amemberofthe British Motoring Club of NewOrleans, and theNorthlake A's Model A Club. He treasuredhis time with car people and other pilots of allages,sharing storiesgenerously, with greatenthusiasm and expertise. Wayne and Carol adored theirmeldedfamily of dogs, cats, and vintage cars, living in thebeautiful Covington countryside, and sharing Gulf Coast drivesintheir Jaguar convertible.They were afixture at Covington's yearly St. Patrick'sDay parades, with Wayne dispensing emerald beads to all.

Wayne will be remembered lovingly for his myriad of accomplishments and tales,and for his never -diminishing, ever-dashing spirit. Ahappy man, he lovedlifeand livedittothe fullest. His final wish was to be known as aGreat Pilot!

The family wishesto thank his wonderfulmedical team, Dr. Martha Carr and nursesBecky, Nick, Ginger,and Rebecca, OT Melindaand PT Jenny.

Funeralservices willbe privatewith aCelebration of Life planned foralater date.

E.J. Fielding Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. Please sign theonline guestbookat www.ejfieldingfh.com.

GeorgiaGuarino passed awayonFriday, May1,2026 atthe ageof91, sur‐rounded by lovedones. A residentofRiver Ridge, she isprecededindeath by her husband Bernie;her par‐entsClarenceand Aline Torbert;her siblings,Ray‐mondand Sylvia;and her beloved grandson, JonathanSerigne.Georgia issurvivedbyher daugh‐ters, Bonnie (Jack),Judy, Lori(Bruce),Kristy(Ann), aswellasnumerous grandchildren,greatgrandchildren,and nieces After retiring from Ochsner Clinic, Georgiaenjoyed ce‐ramics, painting,and work‐ing in heryard. Thefamily would like to extend asin‐cerethank youtothe staff ofThe CarpenterHouse for the care anddignity they provided. Visitation will be heldonMonday, May11, 2026 at TheGardenof MemoriesFuneralHome and Cemetery,4900 Airline Dr.,Metairie, La.70001 from10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. followedbya graveside service

Sr., RicardoJ.

RicardoJ.LaFranceSr. passedawaypeacefully on Thursday,April 30, 2026 at WestJefferson Hospital, Marrero,La. He was80 years old. Sonofthe late JosephR.and AlineC LaFrance. Husbandofthe lateCecileL.LaFrance. Sur‐vived by four children:Ri‐cardo J. LaFrance Jr., Wanda Davis, Charlotte Washingtonand Denise Washington(Oliver). Seven grandchildren:Ahmad,Ali‐jah,Giana,Alexia, Trinity, Trevonand Trevonte.Three great grandchildren: Mil'yon,Jazzand Josephine.Foursisters: Conchita andFatima

LaFrance,JolineL.Allen (William),DeidraR.Griffin (Wade), anda host of nephews,nieces, cousins, brothers-in-law,sisters-inlaw,other relativesand friends.Relatives and friends of thefamily, also Priests andparishionersof St. Paul theApostle Catholic Church andSt. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church (formerlyHoly Ghost Church), Pastor and members of AmozionBap‐tistChurch,XavierPrep Class of 1964, employees of Harrah'sCasino, DeltaAir‐lines,StriveInc.and Ochsner Hospital arein‐vited to attend theMassof Christian Burial on Wednesday,May 13, 2026 at10:00 at St.Paulthe Apostle Catholic Church, 6828 Chef MenteurHwy New Orleans, La.70126. Fa‐therArockia Sebastian Mariasusai, SVD, Cele‐brant.Visitationfrom9:00 a.m.until 10:00 a.m. service time. Interment: Restlawn ParkCemeteryand Mau‐soleum, 4040 Hwy. 90 West Avondale, La.70094 Arrangementsentrusted to Estelle J. Wilson Funeral Home, Inc.,2715 Danneel Street,NOLA70113. Infor‐mation: (504) 895-4903. To signonlineguest book pleasevisit www.estelle jwilsonfh.com

It is with sadness and gratitudefor alife well lived, that we announce thepassing of Marie Marino. She entered Heaven's gates onMay 3, 2026, where she was reunited with her loving husband of 59 years, Bernard. Together again, they begin their new journey in Heaven.

She is survivedbyher four children, eight grandchildren, and nine greatgrandchildren, all of whom were blessed by her love, her faith, and thememories she created withthem.

To thosewho lovedher, Marie was morethana mother, grandmother,and great-grandmother. She was Mawmaw.Her grandchildrenwillalways remember sleepovers at her house, nights spent playing boardgames, and the simplejoy of being together. Marie had adeep Catholicfaith and helda special devotion to the Blessed Mother Mary. Her faith guidedher throughout her life and gaveher peace, comfort,and purpose. She and Bernard shared many wonderfuladventurestogether, traveling to placessuch as Alaska, Hawaii, Italy, NewZealand, and many others. She was an avid reader, often with abook in hand, and she also enjoyed crocheting, with many of her handmadeblankets kept throughout her home.

Although Marie is no longer withus, her love remains. She willbedeeply missed and forever held in our hearts.

We invite youtojoinus in honoring Marie on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Memorial services willbe held at St Bernard Gardens and FuneralHome, 701 WestVirtue Street, Chalmette,Louisiana. Visitation willbeheldfrom 9am-11amfollowedbya mass serviceand burial

1936 -April 30, 2026

90, died peacefullyathome on April 30. Anative of Boston, Massachusetts, he moved to NewOrleans to attendTulaneMedical School in 1957, and lived therefor thenext seven decades, apartfromtwo years serving as apsychiatrist at thePortsmouth Naval Prison in New Hampshire(1965-67).

He wasthe fourth of five childrenborntothe late Francis WardPaine and Frances Moir Hatch Paine Hisfather died when he wasfourand hismother remarriedHenryS Middendorf, Sr which made himone of nine children.With hergreat capacity for love and warmth,his mother, Mo, instilledinher childrena curiosity aboutthe world anda concern for those less fortunate than themselves.

He graduatedfrom Phillips ExeterAcademy in NewHampshire,Haverford CollegeinPennsylvania, andTulane Medical School in Louisiana. During andafter collegehevolunteered with theAmerican Friends Service Committee in Cherokee, North Carolina, andinKenya.

He wasmarriedthree times— always to Newcomb grads— includingtoJudy (Jones), his belovedwife of fifty-six years, whosurvives him. Hisgreatest joywas always hisfamilyand he wasespecially proudofhis six children—Lincoln P. Paine (Allison),YvonneW Thomas (Jamie), Isabelle P. Thacker (Strom), Adrienne M. Paine,Rachel P. Fuller (Graham), and Whiton M. Paine (Archana). They,as well as histhirteengrandchildrenand twogreatgrandchildren, all joyfully gatheredinJanuary to celebratehis 90th birthday.

ReturningtoNew Orleansafter his naval service,Lincoln enteredprivatepractice,and then joined the medical staff at RiverOaks Hospital at its inception in 1970. He served as itsmedical director for thirty-fouryears before stepping down following astrokeinFebruary 2022 at the age of 86. He remained on thestaff to run theDay Programuntil January2025. Additionally, he providedweeklypsychiatric care to theresidents at theWaldo Burton Boys Home for much of his career.Deeply devotedtohis profession, he served as treasurer of theLouisiana PsychiatricMedical Association and wasa fellow of the American PsychiatricAssociation

Despite hisalmost seventy years in theCrescent City, he never lost touch

with hisNew England roots. Introduced to midcoast Maine by Judy, the familyspent summers therefromthe early 1970s, above all at their treasured SpringHouse in Alna from 1991 until2019. In the gloriousgardenstheycreated together, Lincoln reigned as Compost King,and kept it all togetherwith liberal useofthe statetool, duct tape.

Modest and unassuming, he wasblessed with a happy disposition,a good sense of humor, and was instantly recognizable by histrademark mustache andever-presentbowtie. He wasanavidbaker and photographer, read widely, andtook hisfamilyon countless road trips and travels abroad—a passion engenderedbyhis mother. He inspired loyaltyand devotion among hisclosecircleoffamilyand friends, among them hissisters-inlaw,Jackie J. Derks, Ruthie J. Frierson,and AnnJ Milliner(Denis) and brother-in-law, Martin"Took" Jones;his trustedfriend andlongtime partner in chess, Pini Weinstein; his "workwife"of43years, Betsy Raymondand the rest of hisRiverOaks family; andhis dedicated caregiver andfriend, Vanessa Brooks.

In the1960s, Lincoln was afounder andvicechair of theCommittee for Open Pools, whichsecured the re-openingofthe Audubon Parkpool as an integrated facility. He wasanactive member of St.Charles AvenuePresbyterian Church andservedonthe Board of Deaconsand the Session. Additionally, he wasinstrumental in recordingovera decade's worthofDr. Kenneth Phifer'ssermons, which he donatedtothe Phifer Library. As selfless in death as he wasinlife, he donatedhis body to Tulane Medical School.

In addition to hisparents andstepfather, he waspredeceased by hisinfantdaughterVictoria, sisters Isabelle P. Middendorf, MarthaP Newell, andstep-sister Sara"Sally" M. Lofving brotherMichael J. Paine, andstep-brothersHenry S. Middendorf, J. William Middendorf, II, andW KennedyBoone"Took" Middendorf. Besides his wife, children, grandchildren andgreat-grandchildren,heissurvived by his brotherand eternalbest friend, F. WardPaine (Mary) of Portola Valley, California, andnumerous nieces andnephews.

In lieu of flowers, the familyrequeststhatdonationsbemade in hisname to Smile Train for cleftlip andpalate repair(https://

donate.smiletrain.org),the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans (https://prcno.org/get-involved/donate/), or acharity of your choice.

Amemorial service will be held at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1545 State St., New Orleans, on Monday, May 11, with visitation at 12:30pm and service at 2:00pm.

Schroeder, Henry Gassner

Henry Schroeder, 86, passed away on April 27, 2026. He lived in Lacombe, LA. His life was marked by innovation, exploits, and an unwavering drive to pursue his passions.

Aself-described one-hit wonder, Henry co-wrote "GraduationDay" which is still played by WTIX. It was recorded in 1959 at Cosimo Matassa's J&M Recording Studio. Mac Rebennack played piano on the B-side instrumental"Noise."

He wasa professional musician (who claimedhe started playing at age 14 on Bourbon Street). Later, he was amicrofiche machine designer and repairman. He channeled his entrepreneurial spiritinto founding several companies. Even after retiring, Henry's energy and enthusiasm never waned. His son Scott fondly referred to him as "the busiest retired guy Iknow."

Henry lived his favorite motto, "the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys." He was aprivate pilot who found joy in the skies in his treasured orange Cessna, The Pumpkin. His love for boats, airplanes, motorcycles, and quirkythings reflectedhis passion for adventure and mechanical precision.

Later in life he shared his love of Doo Wop as a deejay, Dr. Doo Wop, D.J., sharing stories and trivia between songs. Henry was preceded in death by his beloved wife Barbara Schroeder, his parents John and Ida Schroeder, and his brother John A. Schroeder II. He is survived by his daughter Tara Schroeder and son Scott Schroeder (April).

Brenda A. Simmons Williams entered into eternal rest on May 4, 2026. Brenda was born on April 4, 1941,tothe union of Albert and Doretha Ackers in New Orleans, LA. She was the sister of Chester Ackers, the late: Albert AckersJr., AbramAckers, Elton Ackers, Lillie Dean Hamptonand Veronica Becnel. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Oneal Simmons Sr. and Frank Williams Sr. Brenda was mother to Darah Lynn Jones (Michael)and Oneal Simmons Jr. Brenda's 5 grandchildren include Tyron Davis III, Brandon Davis (Angela), Makelsii Simmons, Jocelyn Norman, and JoshuaNorman. Brenda's 4great grandchildren includeJah'Saan Davis, Rah'Niyah Gaines, King George, and Tyron Davis IV. Relativesand friends are invited to attend the funeral services in the chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd in NewOrleans, on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Visitation will begin at 11 AM with funeral services following at 12 PM. Brenda will be laid to rest in Lake Lawn Park immediately after the services have concluded.

Sirera, DavidPaul

DavidPaul Sirera,of Mandeville,Louisiana, passed awayonApril25, 2026

He is survived by his daughter,LindseyMichelle Sirera, his sister,Julie Lynn Sirera, and hismany cousins and friends. He was predeceasedbyhis parents, Lynrose Schroth Sirera and Walter B. Sirera, III, and his daughter,Linda Rose Sirera. Davidwas borninNew Orleans,Louisiana on August4,1959.His family movedtoMandeville Louisiana in 1968.HeattendedOur Lady of the Lake School,St. Paul's School and graduated from Mandeville High School in 1977.David was apitcher on the very first Mandeville High baseball team during hissenior year.Hereceived undergraduateand lawdegrees from theUniversity of Mississippi. While at Ole Miss, he was amember of Sigma Alpha Epsilonfraternity. After graduating from lawschool in 1984, Davidreturned hometohis beloved Mandeville, where he begana longcareer in the practice of law. He enjoyedcamping, walking on the lakefront and spending time with familyand friends.

Davidwas blessedwith, as he would say, "mostexcellent" friends. Profound gratitude is extendedto John Bowers, Jeff Place, JesseWimberly, Brian Rhinehart and Paul Hesse fortheir loyalty,devotion and manyacts ofkindness. Many who knewDavid have expressed how fond they wereofhim, how kind he was and how he made them laugh. He willbe deeply missed. A Celebration of Lifewill be held at alater date. E. J. FieldingFuneral Home, Covington, Louisiana,has been entrusted with the arrangements. Please sign the online guestbookathttps:// www.ejfieldingfh.com.

Smith, JosephGeorge

Joseph George Smith passedawaysuddenlyon February 2, 2026. The only son of Augustine Beslin Smith and Joseph Smith, Jr. Born in New Orleans, La on December 27, 1953,and relocated to Washington,DC in 2005.Hewas an endearing brother to Joyce Pascal -Kilgore (James), and the late MarvaLouise Smith and Lenore Pascal Jackson. Josephgraduated from John McDonogh Senior High School and the DelgadoCommunity College; he also studied Business Administrationat SouthernUniversity in New Orleans.His memorialservice willbeheldonMay 16, 2026,atSt. James AME Church,222 NRoman Street at 11:00am and will be streamed on Facebook: Historic St.JamesAME ChurchNew Orleans. In lieu of flowers, please consider adonation to Dillard University. Afund hasbeen established to honor the Smith Family.The fund provides annual scholar-

ships to students. Checksshouldbe payabletoDillard University and sent to: J. Pascal-Kilgore, PO Box 6323, Washington, DC 20015.

Sullivan, Eugene L. 'Chip'

EugeneLeo Sullivan III (Chip) Belovedbrother, husband and father, Chip passed away March 20, 2026 at theage of 61 from a stroke. Chipisbest known as aPGA professional. Chip'slife was an example of chasing your dreams. He lovedgolf, teaching and travel.Herepresented the US in SouthAfrica, Panama, Japan, and Great Britain.BorninAlbany NY he moved at ayoung age to Covington, LA.Hegraduated St Paul's HS in Covington, OleMiss in Oxford,MSand QSchool in 1987. He was atouring club professional basedinseveral states,including South Carolina,Virginia, Mississippi,Oregon and Louisiana. Hisfirst and last Head Pro job was at Bayou Oaks City Park, New Orleans. Chipissurvived by wife Kari HSullivan of Metairie, LA,three children, Kalley D, Camryn M and Colby Wand sister Doreen MSullivan (James RGarcia)ofAnchorage, AK as wellasmany cousins including Dr Hugh McGrath, Jr (CarolynW)of Covington, LA.Hewas predeceasedbyhis sister Kerry ASullivan, and parentsPatricia O'G Sullivan and EugeneL Sullivan, Jr. A CelebrationofLife was held on March 29, 2026 at Bayou Oaks at City Park, NewOrleans. Chipattributed his successestothe support of his family.A privateburial was held in Covingtonand amemorial marker is planned in the family plotinMadisonville, Louisiana. For more information, see theE JFielding Funeral Home obituary. The GulfCoast PGAhas set up https://gofund.me/4784 08ae4toassist thefamily with expenses.

Theard Sr., Floyd Laurence

FloydLaurenceTheard Sr.,age 95, passedawayon May 7, 2026. He wasbornin New Orleans, LA on Octo‐ber 22, 1930 to thelate, Leslie Joseph Theard and Adelle Juliette Pareti TheardGardache. He is precededindeath by his parents;his son, FloydL TheardJr.,and grandson, JeremyA.Theard. Floydis survived by hislovingwife,

RhodaSongy Theard,and his children;Wendy L. Theard, CindyT.Plescia, Vicky A. Theard,and Leslie T.Hymel (Terry); hisgrand‐children, Toni MariePlescia Ortego(Caleb),and Adam Theard; andhis twin brother,Lloyd J. Theard Floyd wasinbothThe Navy and TheMarineCorps Re‐serve,serving during The KoreanWar.Heretired fromWestern Electric Co asa switchboardrepair‐man.Hewas apracticing taxidermist,and founder and Presidentofthe Sea Horse ScubaDivingClubin the Mid- 50’s. He wasan avidhunter, fisherman, and trapper. He enjoyed the outdoorsand garden‐ing,aswellaspoetryand classical music. Floydwas creative, lovedtoworkon projectsaswellasland‐scaping.Hehad averynice singing voiceand enter‐tainedatmanygatherings. Hewillbedearlymissedby familyand friends. A graveside ceremony will be heldata laterdate. Inter‐mentinThe Southeast Louisiana Veterans Ceme‐tery. Arrangements by Honaker FuneralHome, Inc.,Slidell, LA

Eugene Thomas, beloved husband of Bernadette Thomas,was bornFebruary9,1950, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He departedthislifeonApril 29, 2026. Eugene wasthe son of thelateNathaniel ThomasSr. andEarline Hill Thomas. Amastercarpen‐ter by trade, Eugene pos‐sessedanextraordinary talentfor transforming raw wood into beautifulcre‐ations. Hiscraftsmanship creativity, andproblemsolving skills made watch‐ing himworka true mas‐terclass. Beyond carpentry, Eugenehad many passions he lovedcooking, en‐joyed horseracing, and never missedanopportu‐nitytowatch agood west‐ernmovie.Heretired from

Arnaud’s Restaurant in New Orleans. In retirement, hefound joyinthe com‐panionshipofhis three cherished pups:Ziggy, Qupid,and Festus.Eugene issurvivedbyhis devoted wife, Bernadette Thomas; his daughter,Evelle ThomasDillon(Carlos); three grandsons, Tyrone Thomas, CharlesThomas, and Ronald ClaytonII; one granddaughter,Evelle Tara Dillon; threegreat-grand‐daughters;and onegreatgrandson. He is also sur‐vived by hissiblings: Ber‐niceT.Hayes,Earl(Gilda) Thomas, andJoeyMichael (Diana) Thomas.Eugene was preceded in deathby ten brothers andone daughter. ForeverLoved Forever Remembered.Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend visitation at GardenofMemoriesFu‐neral Home &Cemetery, 4900 AirlineDr.,Metairie, LA70001, on Monday,May 11, 2026 beginningat10 a.m.Interment will follow at11:15 a.m.

Richard"Dickey"M Todd, Sr., age77, of Metairie, passedawayon May 5, 2026. Dickey was bornonNovember8,1948, and is theson of thelate Wilmur andMarionTodd. Hewas an entrepreneur owninga construction companyand aBowling

andTrophyPro Shop in Kenner. He wasanavid bowlerand lovedtowatch NascarRacingalong with manyrealtyTVshows.Fa‐therofRobert(Stacy) Todd and thelateRichard Todd Jr.,grandfather of Reagan and GraysonTodd, brother ofBilly (Carol)Todd, uncle ofTracy Todd Pearsonand Stacy Todd.Familyand friends areinvited to at‐tenda Visitation at 9:00 am onSaturday, May16, 2026, atGreenwood Funeral Home, 5200 CanalBlvd., New Orleans, LA 70124 with the FuneralService at 11:00 am. Intermentwillfollow atGreenwood Cemetery Expressions of love and sympathymay be placed and viewed online at www greenwoodfh.com

Theangel population in heaven increasedbyone this week with theaddition of aonceina generation soul. TerriMcCune Vanderbrook (aka Honey) passedaway on Monday, May4,2026 duetocomplication from APlastic Anemia after six weeks of intense treatment. Terriissurvived by the love of herlife, Bob Vanderbrook; sons, Scott (Michele), Todd (Angie), andChad; seven grandchildren,Trinity, Finley, Corinne, Declan,Robert,

As Isit here in heaven and watch down below on this Mother’s Day mom,I need you to know howmuchit meant having you foramother So no “what ifs”mom,nomore regrets,you loved me wholeheartedly and gave me your best.

Love your daughter,Melinda Betty AnnMack

Asimple message before Election Day: Your vote still matters

It’sbeen ahead-spinning few years for voters in Louisiana. After the Legislature instituted a closed primarysystem in 2024, we must navigate party primaries for the first time in along time on May 16.

It’sbeen along and winding road toget here. The 148,464 voters registered as Independent were switched to No Party, and registered Republicans and Democrats faced adecision of whether to switch to No Party so they could choose which primary they wanted tovotein.

Alongside that upheaval, the statelaunched a massive effort to update itsvoter rolls, resulting in roughly 455,000 voters being placed on the inactive voter list.

Now,after aSupreme Courtruling that struck down Louisiana’s6th Congressional District, the governorhas announced that House elections on the May 16 ballot are canceled so that the state can redraw its maps in accordance with the new guidance from the court Lawsuits have been filed in an effort to have the election go forward as planned, but as of this writing, it’sunclear what will happen.

We know some of Louisiana’s2.9 million registered voters may be shaking their heads, wondering what’sgoing on. It could seem that voting is too baffling, too troublesome, too much of aheadache. Some may be ready to throwuptheir hands andforego voting altogether

To that, we say,stopand remind yourselfof our history.Inademocracy,voting is not only the responsibility of every eligible citizen; it is asacred duty.Inthis, the 250thyear since our founding, we recall the brave patriotswho established our country,creating anew form of government based on the will of the people. Then came the suffragists, who fought to expandvoting rights to women. We also remember those who courageously marched during the civil rights movement,often putting their very lives on the line forequal access to the ballot for all races.

It should be said that the struggles we face today are nothing in comparison. But we understand why some might feeldiscouraged. Our leaders seem to be doing everything in their power to nullify our voices. In New Orleans, the duly electedClerk of Criminal Court Calvin Duncan is in the midst of abattle against aLegislature that eliminated his job after he won an election overwhelmingly in November

Still, we must make use of our vote even if politicians make it hard —especially when they make it hard.

The weeklong early voting period ended Saturday,but Election Day is May 16. Major offices up for grabs include aU.S. Senateseat, Public Service Commissioners and amember of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Five constitutional amendmentsare also on the ballot. And there are multiple local ballot issues to be decided and offices tobe filled. To those who have made it to the polls or voted absentee, we salute you.

If you are heading to the polls on Saturday, afew things to remember.There is still time to educate yourself about thecandidates and constitutional amendmentssoyou can make informed choices. Our recommendations are posted online, as well as our extensive coverage of the candidates and campaigns. While it is too late to register or change your registration for this election, you can check your status on GeauxVote.com. All voters are required to bring avalid photo ID to the polls. And lastly,bekind to your poll workers. They are on the front lines at achallenging time. They deserve our thanks.

OPINION

NOLA.COM/opinions

Romanstone is rightfully back home

Sextus Congenius Verus finally has madeithome. Or rather,his grave marker has.

Lastweek, the FBI’sArt CrimeUnit announced that it had sent Verus’ inscribed stone to Italian authorities along with some other objects. The return marked the latest in an ongoing arrangementbetween U.S. and Italian authorities to repatriate artifacts taken from the country under questionable circumstances. In thecase of Verus’ memorial slab, how it left Italy is a bit of amystery.Records show that it was originally located in acemetery in Civitavecchia, aport city north of Rome. At somepoint,itmade it to that town’s museum,which was bombed during World WarII. When themuseum reopened decades later,Verus’ stone and more than 20 similar ones were missing.

put it in her backyard. But when she moved out, she forgot Verus’ memorial was there.

Danielle Santoro and Aaron Lorenzo bought thehouse in 2018. Last year, they found the marker under somevines while doing some yard work. They consulted with aTulane classicist and aUNO archaeologist who helped uncovered theobject’s story.That kicked off alengthy process that culminated last month with the handover to Italian authorities. All in all, this turns out to be agood story of how returning artifacts should work. It doesn’t always, as repatriation can be controversial, especially when the object is unique.

The sameistrue forthe Rosetta Stone, uncovered by French soldiers in 1799. The inscription on the stone waskey to unlocking hieroglyphs. The stone is also in the British Museum, much to the frustration of Egyptian authorities.

It seems that the stone crossed the Atlantic with Charles Paddock Jr., an American soldier who married an Italian wife while stationed there during thewar

The couple’sgranddaughter,Erin O’Brien,eventually inherited it and

The mostfamous example, perhaps, is the Parthenon Marbles, which currently occupy aprominent spot in theBritish Museum after an English nobleman named Lord Elgin had them taken down from the Athenian landmark in the early 19th century.Elgin claimed to have permission from the Ottoman rulers of Greece, but their presence in London is asore spot for Greeks, who consider them looted. They desperately want them returned.

In the case of Verus’ grave marker, his relative obscurity helped smooth the process. Nothing is knownofhim apart from what’sinthe inscription. That is in no wayacomment on his character —he was, after all, atwo-decade veteran of the Roman military whose heirs considered him “well deserving” of remembrance. But without amajor epic tale or knownrole in somehistorical event, interest in his stone is lower What also helped is the sensitivity shownbyall involved, including those whoinherited the stone, those who found it and the scholars whohelped track downitorigins. That is commendable and refreshing.

Regardless, after its eight-decade holiday in New Orleans, Verus’ stone and Verus the man can be reunited in their homeland.

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

Thequintessentialtexts of American history

As we get closer to July 4, celebrationsare ramping up for America’s 250th birthday In the Opinions section, we’ve been running aseries of essays from historians, scholars, politicians and othersreflecting on our country’shistory and themoment we’reliving through now. We hope you’ve been enjoying the seriesbecause it’s truly been apleasure bring these perspectives to readers.

We’d alsolike to hear from you. We are asking readers to reflect on the quintessential texts of American history. Of course, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are among that number.But we’dlike to hear of other documentsorwords you feel are keys to understanding our country There have been manymemorable speeches by notable figures from Washington’sFarewell Address to the

Gettysburg Address to Martin Luther King Jr.’s“IHave aDream.” speech. There are some texts that werevital to our founding such as Thomas Paine’s“Common Sense” and the“Federalist Papers.” There are texts of treaties like The LouisianaPurchase. The list goes on. Let us know what you think. What texts are mostimportant to understanding American history and why? Send us your thoughts at letters@theadvocate.com.

We’ll print aselection of the best lettersina later edition.

Many of these texts are ones that schoolchildren are forced to memorize and recite, or at least they werewhen I was in school. Readingthese texts today from my perch on the Opinion pages, Ienvy a time when such rhetorical mastery was commonplace in political circles. The Declaration itself isn’tjust asoaring piece of literary artistry,itisan

argument, laying out the reasons the colonies had no choice but to strike out on their own. It is amazing to think how much the written wordhelped shape anew world.

Turning to our letters inbox, Ican give you our numbers forthe weekof April 23-30. We received 58 letters that week, and the topic that generated to mostinterest involved questions about the letters section. We received four letters on the topic of what letters get published and civility in letters. We received three letters on the birthright citizenship issue and three on the Senate race. We expect that with the election nearing and the Legislature sprinting to afinish, we’ll have high numbers of letters in the coming weeks. As always, we look forward to hearing from you.

Email Arnessa Garrett at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com

COMMENTARY

Apugilisticstanceagainst inventorytax

Louisiana’sbusiness inventory tax gave me ajob for aweek when Ineeded extra money.That week taught me how dumb the taxis.

Mercifully,withconstitutional Amendment 4onthe statewide ballot May 16, Louisianans finally have a chance to curb this foolish levy

To be precise, the amendment itself wouldn’teliminate the tax, but it would allow individual parishes to either reduce or eliminate it. As an incentive to end it,the state would make aone-time payment to the parishes to help them transitionaway from the tax’s revenue. It all sounds abit convoluted, so before your eyesglaze over, please allow this vignette that illustrates the tax’sdrawbacks. One Christmas season back in

Quin Hillyer

the1980s when Ineeded some extra cash,aLouisiana retailer (whose name and productsshall remain nameless) hired me for theweek between Christmas andNew Year’sDay.The nature of this business meant it operated on small margins. My sole responsibility was to take productsoff theshelves —probably 90% of each item —and box them up, carefully recording them, to sendthem back to the distributor.The products all had to be out thedoor by Dec. 31. Then, on Jan. 3or4,the proprietor would reorderthe same productsfrom the distributor and put them back onthe shelves. Why? Because theinventory tax is assessed on everything in possessionofthe business as of Jan.1.It literally cost less, substantially so, for the proprietors

to pay me aweek’swages and pay theshipping costs, and then to taketheir own timeaway from other duties in order to restock theshelves once the products came back in January,than it would have cost to pay the tax.

The built-in inefficiencies are abundantly obvious. Anditcan’t even really be said that at least thethreat of the tax was ajob generator for me: Without the assessment,the sameretailer still could have hired me for theweek, but for year-end work far more productive than boxing up items for what amounted to a(perfectly legal) shell game. Especially for small, low-margin retailers, theinventory tax is amajor burden both financially and administratively.Furthermore, because it is levied according to raw inventory rather than as apercentage of net income, it is entirely possible for the tax to

exceed the business’sactual profits. Businesses that lose money obviously can’tstay in business long. Likewise, as new businesses tendtohave excess inventory on shelves as they take time for word-of-mouth to spread and rampuptheir sales, the tax tends to dissuade startups from …well, from starting up at all. Indeed, it can be argued that the inventory tax is asignificant contributor to Louisiana’snear-perennial status as one of the worst-performing states, economically,inthe nation. This particular tax is both an anachronism and an outlier.Only eight other states tax business inventory. This meansthis tax putsLouisiana, self-evidently,ata competitive disadvantage. Meanwhile, though, the amendmenthas been thoughtfully crafted. Afew heavily industrialized parishes rely on the inven-

tory tax foramajor part of their revenues, even as the tax seems acomparative pittance to the big national corporations operating there, someofthem earning manymillions or billions of dollars ayear.That’swhy,rather than eliminate the tax statewide, Amendment 4instead lets each parish decide foritself where the best balance lies amid the economic trade-offs involved. As is often the case, allowing a “local option” is awise approach. As forme, Icertainly didn’t mind being paid forboxing up retail wares foraweek, but it wasn’tmuch of arésumé builder Although, come to think of it, perhaps it would have looked pretty cool forwould-be employers to see me listed as a“champion boxer.”

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

Primaryis aboutmorethanjustBillCassidy

Grace

The U.S. Senate primary campaign that’sdrawing to aclose this week has been depressingly unremarkable, dominated by misleading mudslinging rather thanproductive policydebate. Whatisremarkable, though, is what the precarious position of incumbentRepublican Bill Cassidy tells us about this moment in our nation’spolitics. Just take astep back and think aboutit: Atwo-term senator who has directed significant resources back home, who has gained enough seniority to chair apowerful committee with jurisdiction over vast swaths of American life —not just health but education, labor and pensions could get torpedoed by members of hisown party in favor of someone who would have significantly less influence and leverage.

This is not how Ilearned things worked in my political science classes. It’snot how they worked formost of my years covering Louisiana politics, where Iwas schooled from Day One on how aprogression of powerful, longserving House members and senators helped the state punch above its weight.

This election is shaping up as areferendumonwhether any of those old rules still apply,or whether we’ve really left that world behind.

Any conversation about this

level of disruption,ofcourse, must beginwith President Donald Trump. In Trump’sworld —and Congress is certainly that —traditional conservativism hasbeen redefined as loyalty, and loyalty is the only thing that matters. So even someone who reliablysupports thepresident’s agenda, which Cassidy does to afault, can find himself targeted for one long-ago transgression Thetriggering incident was Cassidy’s2021 vote to hold Trump accountable for incitingthe Jan. 6attack on Congress, and the instrument of his vengeance is U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, plucked by the president from theranks to exact retribution.

But it’salso truethatWashington was becoming more polarized even before Trump arrivedon thescene. One early adopter of the approach was John Fleming, theformer congressman and founding member of the House Freedom Caucuswho is nowstate treasurer.He’salsorunning in theGOP primary,and while he

doesn’t have Trump’sbacking, he is claiming to have been MAGA before MAGAwas cool

Of the three, Cassidy’sarc is the most complicated. He came to theSenateasanavatarofthe growing partisansort, beating three-term Democrat Mary Landrieu in 2014 despite herlonghistory of bringing home the bacon andbeing in the middle of dealsthatallowed hertoextract benefits forLouisiana.His campaign rhetoric amounted to a

constant, irritating but effective recitation of howoften Landrieu voted with then-President Barack Obama —97% of thetime,for those who don’tstill hear it in their sleep allthese years later —who was unpopularinincreasingly Republican Louisiana Once he gottothe Senate, though, Cassidy largely emulated Landrieu’s approach,evenas much of Congress shifted ever more toward all-out partisanship.

Asignal moment was Cas-

sidy’sworkonthe Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and JobsAct that sentmajor investments to thestate, but still drew condemnationfromevery other Louisiana Republican in Congress —including Letlow, who’dcampaignedona promise to bring rural broadband to her districtyet voted against thebill that did just that.

His critics callhim aRINO (Republican in Name Only),but he’s really moreofanold-school pragmatist, atype that Louisianansonceappreciated.Perhaps notanymore. It doesn’t feel like acoincidencethatCassidy’stroubles come as another Louisianan serves as Housespeaker Youcould callMike Johnson moreofa modern-daypragmatist, someonewho behavesasif he answers to aconstituency of one. Nobody would accuse him of leveraging his exalted position to promote Louisiana-specific priorities,not theway priorgenerationsofmembers from the state did.

If Cassidy doesn’t finishinthe top twoinSaturday’s Republican primary andmoveontothe party runoff —a realisticpossibility, according to polls —itwill mark another significantstep in that direction Politicians like him may notbe RINOs, but they arecertainly an endangered species.

Email Stephanie Graceat sgrace@theadvocate.com.

SupremeCourt threatensBlack representation at alllevels

The Louisiana Legislature started considering yet another set of congressional district maps,planning to identify one that isclearly constitutional, aprocess aided by therecent U.S. Supreme Court Louisiana v. Callais decision. The high court ruled that it’s not OK to consider race and racial proportionality as afactor,but it’sperfectly fine to draw maps —ofany kind —based on intentional, obvious political advantages.

districts andpolice juries could find themselves with all-White or majority-White representatives

Will Sutton

The SCOTUS decision clears a path for our Louisiana Legislature and other legislatures to draw maps that don’ttake into account how many Black or Latino people reside in our state or other states. Nationally and locally,ifRepublicans do what the Supreme Court says they can do with their 6-3 blessing, the 62-member CongressionalBlack Caucus will likely be ashadow of itself, the 37-member Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus would continue but with fewer members and Louisiana cities and parish boards,councils,

Though it’sunlikely to happen in thecity of New Orleans, which has astrong home rule charter,places like Bossier City and West Monroe could lose Black elected officials. TheCBC could lose 19 members if enough state legislatures movequickly to change state congressionalmaps toscramble theNovembercongressionalraces when all 435 seats are upfor election.

Many Black people look at their district-elected congressional representative as their first rep and see U.S.Rep.Cleo Fields, U.S Rep.Troy Carter,Mississippi U.S. Rep.Bennie Thompson or CaliforniaU.S. Rep. Maxine Watersas their secondorthird rep. Overall, Black representation could be significantly diminished.

The VotingRightsAct was signed into law by President LyndonB.Johnson.Itwas never a guarantee. Only an opportunity What’scommonly referred to

as “Section 2” corrected the injustice of decades of states and political subdivisions using atlarge elections that almost always prevented Black candidates from winning afire district,school board, countyorparish seat.Section 2made it clear that doing so was no longer acceptable under thelaw.Democrat Johnson wasn’t theonly president to approve of these protections.

Republican President Richard Nixon signed aVRA extensions in 1970. Republican President Gerald Ford signedaVRA extension in 1975. Republican President Ronald Reagan signed a25-year extension in 1982. Republican President George W. Bush signed a25-year extension of the VRA’s Section 5in1992. After the VRA becamelaw,hundreds of thousands of Black people registered to vote, and more Black people ran for office. Somestates thought our leadership had become too Black.They fought back with racial restrictions. Somestates weresobad, implementingvoter registration and voting thresholds, that they had

to get federal approval to hold elections. All or parts of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New York,North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia had to prove they werenot discriminating based on race. So did Louisiana. As these “crossover” or “opportunity” districts were created, there were fewerat-large races and more district races. All atlarge council, fire district and school board mapswere changed to include all or somedistrictspecific representation. That created more opportunities forlocal Black candidates. Jefferson Parish School Board memberswere elected at-large until recent decades. Lawsuits were filed to get school board district representation. Donald Jones was appointed to aDistrict 5seat in 1989 after alawsuit settlement. He waselected to theseat in 1991. The Rev.Ricky Johnson waselected to the board to representDistrict 2in2014. He’sstill there. Derrick Shepherd is in the District 5seat. That’stwo

Black members on anine-member board in aparish that is about 53% non-White. Without opportunity,districts created based on historic election discrimination, aschool district with astudent population that is close to 40% Hispanic and close to 35% Black might be represented by all non-Black people. The SupremeCourt could’ve gotten rid of the VRA’s Section 2. What they’ve done instead is to eviscerate it so that creating districts based on politics is OK but creating districts that provide moreopportunities forpeople like Jones and Johnson is not. Those whoweren’talive in the 1940s, the 1950s and the 1960s shouldn’tbefooled. The diverse leadership we see locally,statewide and nationally hasn’talways existed. Now the court has provided pathways to whack at the progress, saying we’ve come so farthat acolorblind society is here or in sight. Ivehemently disagree.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com

Katherine, and Christian; sisters, Debi (Ken) and Patty; and sisters-in-law Julie, Tammy, Giselle, and Kathy. She was preceded in death by parents, Dr. Lawrence and Beverly McCune; brothers, Timothy and Daniel; and brothers-in -law, Richard and Steve Vanderbrook

Terri was agraduate of Mount Carmel Academy and served as the student body president in her senior year. She attended LSU Baton Rougeand then the LSU School of Dentistry in New Orleans. She graduated with aBachelorof Science Degree in Dental Hygiene.

Terri met Bob whileattending LSU in Baton Rouge. After dating two years, they were married in 1974and recently celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary. Terri and Bob renewed their vows while Terri was in the hospital. She was adevout Catholic and was actively involved in all school activities throughout her sons' educations. In grammar school as well as high school. She was aroom mother, avolunteer tutor, and any other duty which required parental assistance. She was avolunteer and fundraiser extraordinaire. Terri was actively involved in fundraising committees at St. Angela Merici, Christian Brothers School, and JesuitHigh School. She won the prestigious Alma Mater award at Jesuit in 2002.0 She and Bob were the Chair Couple of the Jesuit Celebration at the Hyatt Hotel which is their largest annual fundraiser.

DEATHS continued from Yvonne Dietz. They loved the river cruises andtraveled everywhere in Western Europe from Norway to Italy. They were particularly fond of Ireland. She was also a memberofthe Lakeside Ladies group and coordinated every monthly luncheon. She also oversaw herLadies Saenger TheatreGroup. Although Terri'slifewas cut short, she achieved much during hertime on earth. She was everyone's bestfriend, thebestwife, mother, and grandmother. Sheembracedevery aspectofher life. She lived life to the fullest. Her life was alifeofservice. She livedinthe present and did not worry about the future or dwell in the past Although she is gone,her spirit willliveforever.

Terri had alife that evolved around three principles: Faith, Family and Friends. She was everyone'sbest friend. She was loved by all and disliked by none. Adults, children, and anyone associated with her at any level called her "Honey." She made friends at the drop of ahat and kept them for life. She was everyone's favorite Aunt. Her life was always about everyone else and never about her. She embraced motherhood and her grandchildren were the apple of her eyes She and Bob were deeply in love for over a half acentury. They enjoyed traveling overseas with friends.Tim and Sue Berger andRichard and

The family wouldlike to thankDr. James Perrien of East JeffersonHospital and DoctorsCarter Worth, Thomas Atkinson, and Thomas Morel of Ochsner Hospital for their extraordinarycare forTerri at the hour of her greatest need. Friendsare invitedtoattend the visitation from 10:30amuntil 12:00 noon on Thursday, May14, 2026, at St AngelaMerici CatholicChurch, 835 MelodyDrive,Metairie, LA 70002. The MemorialMass willbecelebrated at noon. Interment willfollow in Metairie Cemetery,5100 PontchartrainBlvd,New Orleans,LA70124. To view and sign the family online guestbook and share your memories of Terri,please visit lakelawnmetairie.com Inlieuofflowers and for those who so desire the family invites donationsto be made in Terri's memory to ChristianBrothers Foundation,Jesuit High School, or Ochsner HospitalCancer Institute.

Donald WilliamWillig, age86, of Metairie, LA passed away on May 4, 2026, in theStJoseph's hospice Carpenter House. Donald was born on March 24, 1940, to John Bennette Willig Jr.and EthelMaltry in NewOrleans, LA.Donald is survivedbyhis loving wife of 60 years Elvera "Jackie"Willig;his sister Elaine Willig;his son Donald RWillig; his grandchildren KaylaEdwards (Timmy),Kaysie Willig (Chuck), Kailey Willig, and step grandsonKenny Martinez; his greatgrandchildren Ben Edward Charlotte Davis,and step grandchildrenElla-Mae, Little Kenny, and Ryver Martinez. He is preceded in death by his parents; and his siblings EthelCannta (John), Edna Desalvo (Russel), Mervin Willig (Joan) and Melvin Willig. Donald lovedgoing on vacation and cruises. In his free time he also enjoyed working in theyard,helpinghis wife with theplants and thehouse,going to the casino, and attending the Amazing Love and New Life TabernacleChurches

Morethan anything he enjoyed spendingtime with his friends and family.A visitation forDonaldwill be held on Saturday May 16, 2026, at 9:30 am, at Tharp FuneralHome1600 N. Causeway Blvd. Metairie LA 70001. Afuneral service will be held in thechapel at 1:30 PM Burial willfollow immediatelyafter at Greenwood Cemetery. Expressions of love and sympathy may be placed and viewed at www.tharpcares.com.

theheartsofher family and allwho were blessed toknowher.Edna’sstory would notbecomplete without mentioning her2 longtimefriends Mary Morgantiand ShirleyGuer‐cio,whose memories re‐mainedclose to herheart throughouther life.Family and friendsare invitedto attend theMemorialMass onFriday, May15, 2026, at Greenwood FuneralHome, 5200 CanalBlvd.,New Or‐leans,LA70124 beginning at1:00p.m.withvisitation at11:00 a.m. until service time. Burial will take place atGreenwood Cemetery Those in attendance are alsoinvited to aReception afterwardsatthe Green‐wood FuneralHomeBoule‐vard Room.Tosignthe on‐line guestbook,aswellas share memories andcon‐dolences, please visit www.greenwoodfh.com

Edna MaeNicosia Winn, was born on February 20 1933, andpassedawayon April 23, 2026, in River Ridge,Louisiana,atthe age of 93. Shelived alife markedbylove, devotion, and grace. Edna is survived byher children,Kenneth MarkWinnand hiswife Vicki VariscoWinn, Janice Winn Vamprine andher husband Edward Vam‐prine,and Steven Michael Winn, grandchildren Gabriel D'Angelo,Evan Vamprineand hiswife Mercedes, andSasha Thorntonand herhusband Terrell, brotherGeraldTor‐res andhis wife Judy,sis‐tersBonnieBayham, and Karen Torres Guidrozand her husband Gerald.Edna was raised in NewOrleans and wasa graduate of So‐phieB.WrightHighSchool After high school,she workedinthe typing pool atPan-AmericanLifeInsur‐anceGroup.She married JackWinnonOctober 7, 1956, at St.Alphonsys Catholic Church andthey weremarried for29years She laterworkedatLake‐sideHospitalwhere she was honoredasEmployee ofthe Year andatThe TreasureCasinoGiftShop. Edna’snumberone job thoughwas as adevoted motherand grandmother who livedfor herchildren and grandchildrenand took greatpride in her family, who broughther great joyand who will for‐evercherish herlove, guid‐ance, andencouragement Outside of work,Ednaen‐joyed living life to the fullest.She lovedgarden‐ing,traveling,reading doing crosswordpuzzles and thedaily Wordle,and listening to music. She rekindled afriendshipwith CarlMeyer andhad along and wonderfulrelationship withhim which lasted 20 years.Her life wasa testa‐menttothe importance of family, friendship,and sim‐ple joys shared with those you love.She leaves behind a legacy of tenderness strength, anddevotionthat will continue to live on in

Saints bringingalong toprookies slowly SPORTS

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Dozens of playerswent through drillswearing New Orleans Saints practice uniforms withoutnames on the back for the closing day of rookie camp —and none of those players wore Nos. 0or52, whichbelongtothe two highestdraft picks from thisyear’sclass.

Neither first-round receiver JordynTyson norsecondround defensivetackleChristenMiller participated in the second and final day of therookie orientation, at least for the on-field portion. Thatseemsconcerning on the surface, especially considering Tyson’ssubstantial injury history,but coach Kellen Moore waveditoff after Saturday’ssession

This, the coach said, is part of the team’sprocess of figuring out who they have in theirplayersand what they needinorder to contribute for the regular season. For Tyson in particular,this wasaplanned absenceand not related to any kind of injury.

“Obviously,Jordyn had anumber of things thathe (dealt with) lastyear during the season, so we gothim into oursystemand let’sjuststart building this thingthe

right way,”Moore said. “Similar to anumber of guys we had last year.” Moore said this is an approach theteam likely will followthroughout the summerasthe team ramps up toward training camp.

The reality is, their absences during the practice portion are not much of asetback. Both Tysonand Miller were in New Orleansthis weekend getting onboarded with theclub,aprocess thatincludes their first exposure to theplaybook, theteam meeting structure,and thestrength and conditioning department

That last point may be especially relevant for aplayer like Tyson, who had spent thelast seven or eight months managing ahamstring injury that cost him threegames of his final season at ArizonaState and prevented him from working out until late in thedraft process.

The Saints don’tintend tojust be smartwith their veterans and their practice workload. The“maintenance program” that Moore speaks of willapplytorookiesand other young players as needed to keep themasfresh as possible for gamedays this fall.

Pelicans can’thit lottery, butintrigueremains

None of the pingpong balls used in Sunday’sNBA draft lottery in Chicagowill affect the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans, despite a26-56 record this season, don’thave alottery pick Their chances of striking gold again like they did in 2012when they landed Anthony Davis or 2019 when they nabbed Zion Williamson are zilch. In fact, they don’thave afirstround pick at all because of that much talked about draft night trade last June.

pick nowbelongs to theAtlanta Hawks afterDumars moved up 10 spots from No 23 to No. 13 in last year’sdraft to select Derik Queen. Sportsfans in New Orleans enjoy rooting againstall thingsAtlanta, so this is another opportunity to do just that.

Lazy voting adisservice to sport, LSU star gymnast Chio

Kailin Chio was so good this season, fans at LSU homemeets started booing judges when the sophomore sensation “only” got a 9.95 or a9.975 score instead of aperfect 10. Iwonder how those fans would react after seeing how the voting forthe Honda Award, women’s college gymnastics’ version of the Heisman Trophy,turned out. The award, announced Thursday,wenttoOklahomasenior Faith Torrez. In the interest of complete disclosure, Torrez and Chio finished 1-2 forthe NCAA all-around individual title last month at the NCAA championships. Torrez also helped lead her squad to the NCAA team title, clinching it with a9.95 in the Sooners’ anchor spot on floor.Meanwhile, Chio got a9.90 anchoring LSU on balance beam after an earlier 10.0 on vault, needing a9.9875 to give the Tigers atie forthe team title or yet another perfect 10 to winitoutright. Those are the facts of what happened in the season’sultimate meet,which is in large part whythe Honda Award wentto Torrez. That said, it is an utter travesty that Chio didn’twin.

Her body of work this season proved Chio wasthe nation’sbest gymnast from January to April, posting one of the

ä See RABALAIS, page 4C

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

But that doesn’tmean Pels executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars won’t be paying attention. “Human nature kicks in,”Dumars said. “Of course I’m goingto follow it.” While other NBA executives will have their fingers crossed hoping the pingpong balls fall in their favor,it’ll be just the opposite for Dumars andPelicans fans The Pels finished this season tiedfor the seventh-worstrecord in theleague. Their

The Hawks have a6.8% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick and a29.3% chance of getting atop-four pick.

The further from theNo. 1 pickthe Hawks land in thelottery,the better Dumarscan feel about the Queen trade. If the Hawks end up gettingthe first overall pick, Pelicansfans will be left wondering what could have beeninahighly touted 2026 draft class that includes guys such as BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke forward Cameron Boozer Thedevelopment of Queen will also factor in how thetrade is inevitably evaluated.IfQueen reaches the potential

ä See WALKER, page 4C

On theroad LSU-Georgia ended after this edition went to press.

U’sinfield hasimproved over the last eeks. Freshman Jack Ruckert at second base twohits and an RBI last Sunday against Carolina. At first base, freshman Maraun hasbecomethe leadoffhitter and leadsthe team in on-base percentage. Both freshmenalso have upgraded the defense. But even with the ascension of Ruckert and Braun, there’sstill ahole remainingonthe infield: third base. The Tigers started fifth-year seniors Tanner Reaves and Seth dar at the position over the last handful mes,but neitherveteran played well enough to warrant an everyday role. Reaves started at third in Game1ofthe rs’ doubleheader on May2 againstSouth lina andwent0 for3.Dardarhad two nGame2ofthe doubleheader,but he struggled defensivelyand was hitless on Sunday.Both players started in Game 2, with rdar at third base and Reaves in left field. th four regular-season games remaining, LSUcoach Jay Johnson will be

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

LSU women’s tennis team advances to Elite Eight

The No. 10-seeded LSU women’s tennis team reached the national quarterfinals on Saturday after knocking off No. 7 Virginia 4-1 in the Sweet 16 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Tigers got off to a good start by taking the doubles point 2-1. They then proceeded to take three of the first four singles matches to clinch the victory Cadence Brace won at No. 1 singles 6-1, 6-4 over Vivian Yang. Ella McDonald prevailed at No. 3 singles 7-5, 6-1 over Kaitlyn Rolls. And Addison Lanton clinched the victory 6-4, 6-3 by beating Isabelle Lacy at No. 4 singles.

LSU advances to face SEC rival and No. 2 national seed Auburn in the quarterfinals on Friday in Athens, Georgia, at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Santos brings rare skillset to SEC

Brazilian LSU center comfortable shooting 3-pointers

Analysis BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

There won’t be many bigs like LSU’s Marcio Santos in the Southeastern Conference.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound center will be unlike most at his position, not simply because he’s a Brazilian pro player from the EuroLeague, the highest level of competition outside of the United States. Coach Will Wade added a player with a rare skillset for the conference. In 37 games for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague, Santos, 23, averaged 6.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.2 fouls in 14.1 minutes per game. He is also shooting 49.3% from the field and 40% from the 3-point line on 1.6 attempts.

Impressive 3-point shooter

Shooting is Santos’ most tantalizing skill as he’s most often used as a 3-point shooting threat

His form is textbook possessing a high and quick release, especially for his position The Brazilian has immense confidence in his jumper, taking open looks without hesitation as well as moderately contested ones.

Santos was comfortable in the pick-and-pop game. That is when an offensive player sets a screen for the ball handler and moves to the 3-point line.

Santos should’ve attempted more than 1.8 3s per game. While the low volume of 3s inflates his overall efficiency, he should be willing to take more at LSU since he oozes confidence from outside. It should be noted that he made 4 of 33 3s in 18 games in his lowerlevel domestic league in Israel. What gives even more credence to his catch-and-shoot talents is his free-throw percentage.

Santos was 80.4% from the freethrow line (82 of 102). That level of consistency is uncommon for a player of his size In the SEC last year, only seven players 6-8 or taller made 78% of their free

Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, left, shoots over

preseason NBA game on Oct 16, 2024, in Portland, Ore.

throws.

Not many players with his brawn and height will be as capable of shooting from beyond the arc like Santos, who made 24 of 60 3s. In the SEC last year, there were only 18 players who were 6-8 or taller and attempted at least 55 shots from distance. About half of those players were tall wings rather than true bigs, which speaks even more to the rarity of Santos’ shooting aggression.

Outside of his long-range abilities, he’s capable of finishing with touch in the paint. He also has a knack for getting fouled with his broad physique.

With how often he is spaced out above the arc and his lack of vertical explosion, he’s not an effective offensive rebounder. Santos also had too many giveaways: 24 assists to 38 turnovers.

Defensive concerns

Santos’ subpar defense was why he was ninth in minutes among those who played at least 24 of 38 games.

While strong, he’s short for the position and not athletic enough to disrupt shots. His two-hand vertical was relatively easy to score over for guards. Santos sometimes denied layups, but the overall sample of 12 blocks in 37 games suggests he isn’t a good rim protector As the screen defender in the pick-and-roll, Santos strictly hedged, meaning he stepped up to impede the path of the ball handler He was coached that way instead of dropping, a defensive coverage where he remains in the paint to defend the driver Santos was an unimpressive rebounder His 0.9 defensive boards per game were disappointing, albeit in 14 minutes of action. In the four contests he’s played at least 20 minutes, three rebounds were the most he tallied. He also averaged 3.2 fouls, which is too many for his limited minutes.

While the overall defensive package is uninspiring, Santos isn’t disengaged. He follows the pick-and-roll coverage and tries to box out.

NBA PLAYOFFS

Final verdict

Santos’ deficiencies are clear: He lacks the height, leaping ability and instincts to be a positive big defender in the SEC. The goal should be for him to reach neutral levels. That’ll require better rebounding, which he should be feasible, and a strong defensive infrastructure around him. Kentucky transfer forward Mo Dioubate is a good start as a versatile and high-motor 6-7 forward. Time will tell if LSU adds a better defensive center who starts over Santos or pushes him to the power forward spot. What can’t be lost is that what makes Santos a worthy bet. It isn’t just how many 3s he’ll make His overall presence should do wonders for LSU’s offense because he’ll make opposing centers respect him outside the paint. Having a credible spacer of his size in college basketball should widen driving lanes and make generating offense easier overall.

Harden, Mitchell lead Cavaliers past Pistons

BY JOE REEDY Associated Press

CLEVELAND — James Harden hit three clutch shots in the final two minutes, Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit 116109 on Saturday to cut the Pistons’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series. Harden bounced back from two mistake-marred performances to finish with 19 points and Jarrett Allen scored 18 for the Cavaliers, who will look to even the series when they host Game 4 on Monday night.

Mitchell reached 2,000 career postseason points in his 73rd game, tied for third-fastest among active players and ninth in NBA history Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had his second career postseason triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but also committed eight turnovers. Tobias Harris added 21 points

Duncan Robinson’s 3-pointer with 3:14 remaining tied it at 104 before Cleveland, which is unbeaten in five playoff home games, was able to seize control. Max Strus intercepted an inbound pass by Cunningham at midcourt and made a breakaway layup with 2:28 left Harden, who drew plenty of criticism for turnovers in the clutch in the first two games, kept the Cavaliers in front with big shots The 17-year veteran hit a 16-foot step-back jumper to extend the lead to 108-104. After a driving dunk by Cunningham, Harden made a floating 7-footer to put the lead back up to four Cunningham responded with a 3-pointer before Harden provided the decisive blow with 25 seconds remaining on a step-back 3-pointer while being guarded by Harris to make it 113-109. Robinson was short on a 3-pointer after a timeout and Mitchell made three free throws down the stretch

Payton feels ‘real good’ about QB’s ankle recovery ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Sean Payton said there’s a “good chance” quarterback Bo Nix will be on the field during the Denver Broncos’ minicamp next month.

“We feel real good about where he’s at,” the Broncos head coach said after the team’s rookie minicamp practice Saturday

About two weeks ago, it was revealed that Nix, who broke his right ankle in Denver’s divisional overtime win over the Buffalo Bills, had a follow-up procedure to his surgery in January, waylaying any notion of him fully participating in the early stages of the offseason training program.

Payton called the follow-up an expected part of Nix’s recovery Nix could be back on the field for the team’s mandatory minicamp June 16-18 before the team breaks for the summer, the coach said.

Thitikul holds onto lead at Mizuho Americas Open

WEST CALDWELL, N.J Jeeno Thitikul held off every challenge Saturday at the Mizuho Americas Open and made nothing worse than par over her last 16 holes for a 2-under 70 and a two-shot lead as the Thai golfer goes after her first LPGA title of the year Thitikul started with a three-shot lead and it was gone quickly after a bogey on the second hole and a fast start by Hannah Green.

But Thitikul kept her cool and kept marching along on a Mountain Ridge course softened by rain but still difficult due to its contoured greens. Thitikul finished at 10-under 216, two shots over Celine Boutier who had a 67.

Herbert shoots 68, leads LIV Golf Virginia by three STERLING, Va. — Lucas Herbert had a 4-under 68 that cut his six-shot lead in half Saturday in LIV Golf Virginia, still leaving him three shots clear of Sergio Garcia as the Australian goes for his first title in his third season in the LIV Golf League.

Scoring was so low at Trump National that Josele Ballester of Spain had a putt for a 59. Ballester made par on his final two holes for a 60, two short of the scoring record on LIV Golf.

Herbert had such a large lead over the field that Ballester was in a large group eight shots behind. That group includes Bryson DeChambeau (65) and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe, who had a 62. Garcia shot 65 to at least stay in range. Jon Rahm shot 65 and was nine shots behind.

Hubbard takes one-shot lead at Myrtle Beach

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Mark Hubbard birdied four of his last five holes Saturday for a 7-under 64, giving him a one-shot lead in the Myrtle Beach Classic as he goes for his first PGA Tour title and a chance to qualify for the PGA Championship next week.

Hubbard’s late run of birdies, before he settled for a par on the closing hole at Dunes Golf and Beach Club, capped a day of low scoring with several players jockeying for the lead. When it ended, eight players were within five shots of Hubbard a group that included Brooks Koepka (64) and 45-year-old Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker (67).

Hubbard was at 16-under 197, one shot ahead of Aaron Rai.

DANNy KARNIK

Don’texpectreunion with Allen, Jordan in Chicago

BY MATTHEW PARAS AND RODWALKER Staff writers

Cam Jordan remainsa free agent and has said he’sopen to playing for another team besides theNew Orleans Saints. Could he land with his former coach in Chicago? It doesn’t seem like it.

Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen —who coached New Orleans for two-plus seasons and oversaw the team’s defense forevenlonger —said he’s not expecting areunion with the 36-yearold defensive end when asked Saturday about the possibility of Chicago signing Jordan.

“Cam’sgoing to be africkinHall of Fame player,isaHall of Fame player,” Allen toldreporters in Chicago. “I don’t know that there’s been aton of discussion about that. Ithink we feel pretty good about where we’re at and what we have and yet, you never know what opportunitiesmightpresent themselves down the road.” Jordan recorded 82 of his 132 career sacks with Allen serving as either the Saintsdefensive coordinator (late 2015-21) or head coach (2022-24).

But as Allen referenced, the Bears have acrowded edge rusher room led by Montez Sweat Austin Booker Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner.The Bears struggledtorush the passer last season, but it appears they’re focused on improving internally Allen told reporters that Chicago needs to focus more on its passrush fundamentalsafter worrying

too much about thescheme in 2025 Chasingadream

Kaleb Blaha put up jaw-dropping numbers this past season at Division III Wisconsin-River Falls.

He threw for 4,971 yards and 41 touchdowns, and rushed for another 1,218 yardsand 18 touchdowns.

His 6,189 yards of totaloffense is the most of anyplayer on any level of football. Ever.Itbroke the old mark of 6,039 yards by JoeBurrow during LSU’smagical season six years ago.

Andlike Burrow,Blaha got some nice hardware to go with his stellarseason.Blaha wonthe Gagliardi Trophy,the Division III equivalent of theHeisman Trophy

And like Burrow, Blaha also led histeam to anational titleas Wisconsin-RiverFalls won the Division III crown.

Now Blahaishoping to fight the long odds and make an NFL roster. He’sone of 30 tryout players at theNew Orleans Saints rookie minicamp.

“I want to show that Ican play at this level,” Blahasaidafter Friday’spractice. “Just putting my best footforward and giving my best shot.Make the most of the opportunity and trust thatifit’s meant to be, it’ll be.”

Blaha won’tget to showoff his armthat threwfor over 11,000 yardsincollege. He’sgetting a tryout asa receiver,aposition he hasn’t played sincehis freshman year at Winona State, aD-II school in Minnesota.Hetransferred to Wisconsin-River the following year and moved to quarterback, the positionheplayed as ajunior and senior in high school.Now he’s headed backtoreceiver

“I’ve always been an athlete,”

Blaha said. “I love playing receiver andI’lldowhateverit takes. Ihaven’tdone it in four or five years. I’ve been practicing andtrying to get into it. Obviously there’sa lot to clean up withit. It’s newand excitingand I’m all for it.”

Now he’s hoping he can make another dream come truebygetting ashot with an NFLteam. Fridaywas athrill for himashe walked into the locker room and sawpictures on the wall of past Saints’ greats like DrewBrees and Reggie Bush “And even seeing the lockers of people on the team now like Chase Young and Kool-AidMcKinstry and people Ihavewatched,” Blaha said. “It’s crazy being in the same locker room as those guys.”

Miller signed TheentireNew OrleansSaints’ draft class is now signed.

The Saints announced they signed second-rounddefensive tackle Christen Miller to afour-year contract Saturday,aday after the team had agreed toterms with all seven of their other draft picks.

Miller’ssigning comes much earlier than lastyear’s secondround pick, when Tyler Shough waited untillate July to sign as thetwo sides wentback and forth over the guarantees in the quarterback’scontract.Shough’s situationfita trend league-wide as second-round selections last year took longer to sign.

But that trend, which stemmed from negotiations over guarantees, hasn’tseemed to linger over to this year,with Miller being the latest second-rounder to get his deal done.

The Saintstook Miller withthe 42nd overall pick out of Georgia in April.

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

BrockRechsteiner haswrestling in his blood andfootballin his heart

So it’seasy to understand why theundrafted rookie wide receiver planstomake the most of his opportunity to try out for the New OrleansSaints.

“I want to do football as long as Ican,” Rechsteiner said. “Once that’sdone, Iwill pursue wrestling.”

Thosefuture goals shouldn’t comeasasurprise. After all, Rechsteiner comes frompro wrestling royalty.

His dadScott Rechsteiner,who wrestled under the aliases Scott Steiner and Big Poppa Pump, is a former wrestling championand a memberofthe WWE HallofFame.

His uncle Rick Steiner was his father’stag team partner, forming one of the sport’s best tandems. And his first cousin Bronson Rechsteiner,who currently wrestles in the WWE as Bron Breakker, participated in WrestleMania in April.

Brock attended WrestleMania in Las Vegas and would like nothing more than to participate in WWE’s main event someday.But for now, he’s more interested in getting on a team and trying to play in aSuper Bowl than being apart of WrestleMania.

Rechsteiner caught 36 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns this past season at Jacksonville State. He attended rookie campwith the Tennessee Titans last week.

“I gotsomegood feedback there,” Rechsteiner said.

Now he’strying to use what he learned in Nashville last week in New Orleans this week. He’sat least caught the attention of Saints receivers coach Keith Williams, who used another wrestling reference when asked about the chiseled 6-foot-2, 225-pound guy wearing the

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Thisisn’tanewpractice.Offensive tackleTaliese Fuagawas on amaintenanceprogramthroughouthissecondseason as he dealt with nagging injuries. It wasn’tperfect, but Fuaga managed to play in 13 contests.

More youcan do BarionBrown had one exceptional trait coming outofcollege that will help him land aspot on an NFL roster: He is an elite return man. Brown, who started at Kentucky before finishing his college career at LSU, set aSoutheasternConference record with six career kick returns fortouchdowns.Hehadatleastonein everyseason, and he recorded three of them as asophomore at Kentucky With teamshavinga better understanding of the dynamic kickoff rule,Brown can be aweapon for the Saints even if he never sees the field foranoffensive snap.

ButtheSaintsdon’tstrictlyseehim as areturn man, and Brown showed ability as apass catcher this week. Mooreprobably would have to be creative when it comes to finding ways to getBrownthe football. At 5-11 and 177 pounds, Brown is built morelike atrack athlete than afootball player,and his size is a

No. 10 Saints jersey

“Yeah, Stone Cold,” Williams said. “He’skind of nasty.I just told him,‘Hey,ifyou get mad at me, just don’tput me in asmallpackage. Iknow you’vegot afew (wrestling) movesupyoursleeve.’But yeah, Stone Cold has been great.”

Although theSaints’ wide receiver room is as crowded as awrestling ring during abattle royal, Rechsteiner likes what he was able to show on Friday,the first dayof rookiecamp. What did he want to prove?

“Just that Ibelong here,” Rechsteiner said. “I believe Ican play at this level. Ithink Iproved today that Ican hangwiththese guys.I just want to makethe team.”

To do that, he wants to showcase what he says are his best assets.

“Mycombination of size and speed and strength,” Rechsteiner said. “There aren’tmany people as strongasmeand as fast as me.”

In addition to receiver,Rechsteiner says he can also contribute on special teams.He’salways been athletic.

Growinguprightoutside of Atlanta,heplayed both basketball and football. His brother Brandon alsoplays basketball. Brandon is transferring to Kansas State afterpreviously playing at Virginia Tech andColorado State. He andBrandon aren’t the mostfamous brothersinthe family,though. That title belongs to their father and uncle, both inducted into the WWE Hall of Famein2022 as one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history

Perhaps Brock will join them in the wrestling HallofFame someday when he switches careers. He hasn’tput much thought into what his wrestling name or finishing movewould be.

“Hopefully I’ll just be Brock Steiner,” he said. “We’ll see.”

But first things first —making his markinthe NFL.

serious limitation.

But it’salso not like he hasn’t shownhecandoitintheSEC.Brown caught at least 40 passes in three of hisfourcollegeseasons,finishinghis career with 175 receptions. And he only missed one gameinhis college career despite his slender frame. Impressive tryout

Brock Rechsteiner drew alittle more attentionthanundrafted rookie tryout players usually get at these sorts of things —his father, Scott Steiner, is in theprofessional wrestlingHallofFame.

But, at least from the media viewing vantage point, Rechsteiner lookslike morethanjust an interesting side story

The receiver out of Jacksonville State is awell-built athlete, checkinginat6-foot-2and 225pounds. He showcased an aggressive mentality when the ball was headed his way,snatching it out of the air ratherthan letting it cometohim. It’stough to saywhether his athleticism will play against professionalathletesbased on the limited competitive reps this week, but he does have someintriguing traits.

The Saints may not choose to sign him. They spent alot of draft capital on the receiver position and currently have apretty crowded room.But, if not here, he should get alonger look somewhere.

Youngsurgesinchase of Fitzpatrick

BY STEVE REED AP sportswriter

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Cameron Young

is one of the hottest players on the PGA Tour,and he’sshowing no signs up letting up.

Seeking to win back-to-back events, Young threatened the course record at QuailHollow on Saturday before settlingfor an 8-under63, leaving himtwo shots behind Alex Fitzpatrick at theTruist Championship.

Fitzpatrick was at 14-under 199 through 54 holes, one shot ahead of Norway’sKristoffer Reitan after each shot 64.

Young, who won last week’sCadillac Championship at Doral by sixstrokes, needed to play the final two holes in 2under to break Rory McIlroy’scourserecord of 10-under 61, set in 2015.

But his birdie putt on No.17 stopped inches from the hole and his drive on the 18th settled in pine straw behind atree, forcing him to punch out and leading to his only bogey of the day

“I know (the record was)10 under andIknew Iwas at nine, Young said. “But that wasn’tmy thought. Iwas just tryingtohit it somewhere right of the hole on 17 and hit acouple good shots on 18.Unfortunately hadone of my few bad swings of the day on 18.”

Before that, Young had sent his shot from afairway bunker 238 yards away to within afew feet of the hole on No. 7for eagle. He seized that momentum to birdie six of his next nine holes.

Matt Fitzpatrick was one of the favorites to win the Truist Championship, but it turns outlittle brother Alex is the one to watch this week.

Alex Fitzpatrick, whoonly earned his PGATourcardtwo weeks ago when he teamed with his brother to win the Zurich

Classic, rebounded from his only bogey of theday witha tee shot to 8feet on the par-3 17th hole for birdie to reach 14 under Matt Fitzpatrick is aformer U.S. Openchampion who’scurrently ranked fourth in the world, and Alex said having hisbrother to lean on has been invaluable

“I feellike he’sbeen anddone everything that Iwant to do in thegame—whether that’s Ryder Cup andwin majors,” said Alex Fitzpatrick, whotiedfor ninth last week atDoral.“So having

“I know (the record was) 10 underand Iknew Iwas at nine. Butthat wasn’tmythought. Iwas just trying to hititsomewhere rightofthe hole on 17 and hit acouple good shots on 18. Unfortunatelyhad one of my few bad swings of theday on 18.”

CAMERON yOUNG, golfer

himbeing aroundand me being there for all of that, Ifelt like I gota really goodsense of what it takes and what the atmosphere is like.”

Reitan,also arookie, madesome noise at the Masters before going 73-77 over the weekend to finish tied for 41st.HeclosedSaturday with four birdies over the final six

RABALAIS

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greatest seasons in the sport’s history.Torrez, while an excellent gymnast who had asuperb career at Oklahoma, was only better than Chio during the NCAA semifinals when individual titles were determined. In the NCAA final, Chio had abetter all-aroundscore (39.700-39.675).

Twoother gymnasts were also finalists for the award: seniors Jordan Chiles of UCLA and Anna Roberts of Stanford. Chiles, the 2026 NCAA floor champion and 2024 U.S. team Olympic gold medalist, would frankly have been amore worthy Honda Award winner than Torrez as well. Interestingly,the AAI Award —which only can go to the nation’stop senior women’s gymnast —was won by Chiles. Gymnastics is the gold medalist of subjective sports. Judges sitattables and decide whether to take adeduction here, shave off ahalf-10th there, or not.And voting for any award, whether it’s the Honda or the Heisman, is also just the collective result of each voter’sopinion.

Still, there have to be some numbers to back up the ballot. According to theCollegiate Women Sports Awards, which administers the Honda, voting camefrom more than 1,000 college administrators. It looks like the majority

of them just picked the senior allaroundchampion on thenational championship team and moved on to thenext task on their desks. Areasonable diveinto the numbers wouldhave revealed that Chio was the most deserving winner, Chiles thesecond-most deservingand Torrez third —based on theentirety ofthe season. Let’s takethatdivenow,shall we?

n Perfect10s:Chio13, Chiles 7, Roberts 3, Torrez 2.

n Percentageofroutinesscored 9.90 or better: Chio 51 of 62 (.823), Chiles46of60(.767), Torrez 28 of 41 (.683), Roberts 33 of 59 (.559).

n Percentageofroutinesscored below9.8:Chiles1 of 60 (.017), Chio 2of62(.032), Torrez3of41 (.073), Roberts 8of59(.136).

n Nationalrankings: Chio —1st all-around, 1st vault, 1st beam, T5 floor,T20 bars; Chiles —1st floor,2nd all-around, 3rd vault, 4th bars, 4th beam; Roberts —5th all-around, T9 floor, T13 beam, T14 vault, T20 beam; Torrez —No ranking on all-around (she didnot perform as an all-arounder until theNCAAfinal), 3rd beam, T29 bars, no ranking on vaultorfloor (not enough scores to qualify).

How did Torrez win theHonda over Chio and Chiles? She was the senior who won theall-around title for thechampionship-winning team. Period.

That’sthe same resume as her former teammate, Jordan Bowers, whowon the Honda in 2025, andfor currentLSU assistant coach HaleighBryant, who won

in 2024. The last Honda Award winner not to be on the winning team was Florida’sTrinityThomas, also asenior,in2023.

That is simply lazy voting. It would be as if the Heisman voters circa 2023 would have decided not to award the trophy to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels because theTigers didn’tsniff theCollege Football Playoff, much less go on to win the title. No, that year the voters rightly decided toaward theHeisman to Daniels based on compelling evidence that he had thebest season overall.

Again, it’sjust an award, one that had Chio won it would have been just another object to dust on ashelf decades from now.But she clearly,emphatically,deserved to winit. This won’thappen, but in the nameofsportsmanship, Torrez should decline the award and leave it vacant for this year or insist it go to Chio or Chiles.

Honda voters may reason that Chio has two morechances to win. Perhaps, but Chio was the best this season, and like Torrez may have themisfortune of being limited in 2027 or 2028 by injuries.

Perhaps this will be fuel for Chio, aquietly intense athlete, as she looks tothe second half of her collegiate career.But it shouldn’t have to be. Not if the Honda Award voters had done their jobs.

Email Scott Rabalais

at srabalais@theadvocate.com

holes to surge into second place.

“Just theopportunitytobenear theleaderboardona Sundayata PGATour event, you know,rookie season —I’m just over the moon about that,” Reitan said.

Nicolai Hojgaard wasfour shots behind along with secondround leader Sungjae Im, who struggleddown the stretchand shot 70. Im skulled abunker shot on the 15th hole, and the ball hit agrandstand and rolled backacrossthe green before settling notfar from where he began. It wasone of two bogeys forthe SouthKorean over the final four holes.

Justin Thomas, J.J. Spaun and Tommy Fleetwood were five shots back McIlroy,the world’sNo. 2player and four-time tournament champion, had adisastrous day,shooting 75 to fall outofcontention. Playing in hisfirst event since winning his second Masters, McIlroylooked like he might make acharge up theleaderboard after bombing his drive down the middle on No. 1and hitting his approach within afew feet for birdie

But he didn’tmakeanother birdie until the 15thhole, with six bogeys in between on one of his favorite courses. He fell 13 shots offthe pace.

Fitzpatrick could have achallenge holding the lead on Sunday Young has won three of his last 14 starts, including the Players Championship in March, to move to No. 3inthe world.

“I’m playing great,” Young said. “There is not aton going on in my head,whichisI think avery good thing. There is all kinds of stuff, but it’snothing complicated. I’m thinking aboutshots andI’m thinking about my execution and that’smainlywhere my head is at.”

if he plays well, that really lifts our team.”

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hard-pressed to findaperfect solution at third. Buthis bestoption at the plate to fill the role is likely Dardar.The Kansas State transfer was hitting .308 witha .970 OPS heading into this weekend’sseries at Georgia.

“I thought he lengthened our lineup alittle bit,” Johnson said. “I thought he took some really good competitive swings,had a couple of hits.” Thehang-up with Dardarhas been his defense.Hestruggled filling in at third base against South Carolina, dropping apopup and misfielding aground ball in Game 2ofthe doubleheader He alsocouldn’tcorral abouncing ball on Sunday that wasoriginally ruled an error before it got changed to being ahit.

Granted,the defense at third basewasn’tmuch better with Reaves there. He failed to secure apop-out in Game 1against South Carolina and committed an error againstMississippi State.But like Dardar,Reaves can help LSU at theplate.

“He deserves to be in (the lineup) right now,”Johnsonsaidlast Sunday. “I believe he’s aplayer,

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he showed at times this season and becomes one of the NBA’s biggest stars, the trade won’t be talked aboutnearly as much.

(Thefact that the Pelicans didn’t put aprotection on thepick will likely never be forgotten, though.)

Dumars, as he reminded us last year after the draft, is banking on Queen thriving in the league.

“When you have achance to get twolottery picks in one draft, you’re accounting for the following year,” Dumars said in June.

“… When you identify aplayer thatyou think can be one of the foundations here, you go and get him. That’swhat we did. We targeted Queen. We thought he could be aheckuva addition here, and we were really aggressive about going to get Queen in this draft.” Dumars believes in Queen. Even more importantly,Queen believes in himself

This is what Queen said last year when asked if being under themicroscope because of the trade would put achip on his shoulder

“I don’t think anybody in that class ever is going to be better than me. Iblock all the noise

There aren’tmany alternatives to Dardar or Reaves at third base. Junior Trent Caraway started at thepositiontobegin theseason but he onlyholds a.713on-base plus slugging percentageand hasn’thad an at-batsince the Mississippi State series. Senior Brayden Simpsonwas athird baseman before transferring to LSU,but he has struck out 18 times in 36 at-bats this season. Simpson and Caraway have also struggled at times defensively.LSU’sbest defensive alternative is probably freshmanEthan Clauss, who hasonly gotten two at-bats in SEC play “I would never say never to anything,” Johnsonsaidwhen asked about the possibility of Clauss cracking the starting lineup.

For now,asLSU tries to sneak into the NCAA Tournament with only two weekends left in SEC play,it’ll rely on Dardar and Reaves to fillout the rest of its lineup and play third base. Especially on defense, it’snot an ideal situation.But if both veterans can contribute on offense, the Tigers will have adeep lineup that will challenge Florida and whoever they face in the SEC Tournament.

out,” Queen said at his introductory newsconference. “Joe has got alot of faith in me. Most of these guys (in the draft), Ibeat in high school.” Despite that proclamation, Dumars said there was atime early in the season when Queen brought up the trade. Dumars response?

“I remember telling him, ‘That’sthe last timeI want you to mention that. Don’tever mention that to me again. Ijust need you to go and be you and do your thing. Whatever happens, happens.’ He never brought it up again.”

Queen ended up playing in 81 of 82 games, averaging 11.7 points and7.1 rebounds. He started48games in aseason highlighted by him recording two triple-doubles. He struggledonthe defensive end andwill have to improve in that area. He’ll getworkonthat aspect of his game this offseason as he lookstoprove Dumars right in giving up this year’s draft pick.

Pelicans fans, eagerly awaiting forDumars to nameanew head coach, will be paying close attention to Queen’sdevelopment. They’ll also be paying close attention to Sunday’sdraftlottery, despite not being apart of it. Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

OUTDOORS

Festooned for the 2025 DelcambreShrimp Festival, shrimp boats Pappy’sBabies, left, and Beach Master begin the festival’sparade. Another paradewill begin earlyWednesdaywhen thespring inshore shrimp season beginsinall three of Louisiana’sshrimpzones.

Celebratingmoms, allthattheydo

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

The holidays fill our calendars —Christmas, Thanksgiving,Easter, the coming 250th celebration of the Fourth of July,Memorial Day,Labor Day,Mardi Gras and others.

Somehow,today seems as important.

Mother’s Day: Where would any of us be without them?

For those among us whose mothers have passedon, it’s aday to remember the woman who praisedour catches of fish; cooked what we brought in from the field, forest and swamp; washed our stinky,muddy clothes; and made sure we were awake and fed in pre-dawn hours after we spent anight dreaming of that much-anticipated fishing trip.

Yep, there’snothing glorious about smelly fishing clothes, but, somehow,we prayed, and ameal of freshly caught speckled troutor boiled crawfish or boiled crabs offset the drudgery of handling our heavily soiled outdoors wear.

For some of us older folks, we’ll spend the day with those memories including her baked Virginia ham with raisin sauce and her roasted turkey with oyster dressing, or the way she couldcook a sirloin tip roast, her lemon meringue pies and her fried chicken —especially her fried chicken. And we will remember our grandmothers’ cookies, red gravy and yellow cakes with chocolate icing, all of which she set out with asmile.

Don’tknow if this would work these days,but 70 years ago (yes, that’salong time ago), one Mother’sDay present was greeted with all the joy abeleaguered mother of four could muster —a clothes dryer,anappliance that freed her from washing clothes only on the most sunshiny day,amust when wet clothes had to be hung on a backyard line to dry

That’ssomething that our last three generations might never know about, including the wonderful smell of sun-dried clothes when they came from the backyard line.

Know what came next?

Afreezer,achest freezer, something that would hold enough food to reduce trips to the grocery store to once

INSHORE SHRIMP SEASON TO OPEN WEDNESDAY

In araremove for the setting of the spring indoor shirmp season, theWildlife andFisheries Commission voted to open the seasonat6 a.m.Wednesdayacross the entire coastal area.

The vote came duringthe LWFC’smeetingThursdayin Baton Rouge.

In most years, the three inshore shrimp zones areopened on different days, depending on when the Wildlife and Fisheries’ shrimpstudysection determines when 50% of the inshorebrown shrimp reach 100 count —100 shrimp to the pound.That “when” is called a“crossoverdate.”

The advisory camewith areminder that the special white shrimpseasonopened in late April in the Vermilion-Teche Basin will close at sunset May10.The spring inshore shrimp seasoninthat areawill open with the rest of the state.

JoeMacaluso

aweek, or maybe less, now that ourfamily swelled to five, then six, then seven, theneight children. It was an itemmom usedtohold enough shrimp and frozen fish sticksand roasts and chicken and strawberries held from aspringtime trip to Ponchatoula andbroccoli and green beans from our garden.

Softshellcrabs were her favorite, andthe soundof herpounding out round steak for ameal still rings in my ears.

We’ll eat crawfish today withour special mothers andhere’shoping you’ll do the same all the while mixingit with memoriesand how much mothers of us older folks enjoyed adding sprigs of mint to warm iced tea —anaroma that filled our neighborhood for those backyard boiling fetes.

Yousee, my mom hadseen far too much by thetime she beganher family. Shegrew up onthe edge of the Dust Bowl during theGreatDepression. She lefta small town to become anurse, thenvolunteered to become afrontline Armynurse during World WarII. That year trudging onto Ohama Beach, then through France, Belgium,Luxenbourg, Holland andGermanyleft memories etched so deeplyshe would shed an occasional tear at the thought of treatingall theyoung soldiers who came throughthe 110th Evacuation Hospital. And, to my mother-in-law

MONDAY

RED STICK FLYFISHERS

PROGRAM: 7p.m Bluebonnet Regional Library,9200 Bluebonnet Blvd, Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Email Brian Roberts: roberts brian84@gmail.com.Website: rsff.org

THURSDAY

BUGS&BEERS: 6:30 p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois St,New Orleans. Casual fly tying. Open to public. Email A.J. Rosenbohm: ajrosenbohm@gmail. com. Website: neworleansflyfishers.com

JUNIOR SOUTHWEST

BASSMASTERS MEETING:

7p.m Seminar Room, Bass ProShops, Denham Springs. Boys &girls age-group bass tournaments for ages 7-10, 11-14 &15-18 anglers. Call Jim Breaux (225) 772-3026.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

SPRING SALTWATER CATCH

&EAT: Boudreaux’s Motel, Leeville. RedStick Fly Fishers event. Email Randy Leonpacher: rmleonpacr@ bellsouth.net

SATURDAY

NSCAREGISTERED SPORTING CLAYS: Bridge ViewGun Club,Port Allen. HUNTINGSEASONS

Joe Macaluso

and nurse Carolyn. God rest their weary souls.

And, to my wife and the two youngwomen who’ve given us five terrific grandchildren.

Thank you. Now,ifyou go back those 70 years, know mostwomen didn’tventure outdoors. Crabbing was adifferent story,but notfishing from a wave-tossed boat nor sitting in aduck blind or deer stand for hours on end.

That’s not the case today

More women are fishing, hunting and spending time on ashooting range, andit’s them engaging in thoselifelongsports that gives uold timersthe hope that we will generationskeepingthese activities thriving in the good ol’ USA

Makesyou think agood fishing rod might be the modern equivalent to a clothes dryer

So, today,ifyou have your mom, spendsome time thanking her. Most times that’sall sheneeds is our thanks, or telling herjust how special shehas made your life.

True, if there is aspecial treat, then getitormake it just for her,ormaybe there’saproject around the house she’s been wanting to get done for months.

Or,maybe, try ahug.

That’swhy,today of all days,a “thankyou”just might be as welcomed as anygift amother and the mother of our childrencould desire.

Happy Mother’sDay!

SQUIRRELS: Through May 24, statewide, private lands only

AROUND THECORNER

MAY19—LAFAYETTE KAYAK FISHINGCLUBMEETING: 6p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Call (337) 232-5854. Website: lafayettekayakfishing.com

MAY20—IATT LAKE PUBLIC MEETING: 6p.m., Wildlife & Fisheriesoffice, 1995 Shreveport Highway,Pineville Aquatic vegetation control information. Email Shelby Richard: srichard@wlf.la.gov

MAY20—FLIES&FLIGHTS: 7-9 p.m,Rally Cap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Avenue Baton Rouge.Casual fly tying. Open to public. Email Chris Williams:thefatfingeredflytyer@gmail.com

MAY21—ACADIANAFLY RODDERS PROGRAM: 6p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Email DarinLee: at cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: acadianaflyrodders.org

MAY24—SOUTH LOUISIANA HIGHPOWER CLUB MATCH:

8:30 a.m., Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Range, St. Landry Road, Gonzales. NRA XTC& F-Classmatch rifle or service rifle,200-yard/50-rounds match course. Fee$15 members, $20 nonmembers, $5 juniors.$25 annual club (first match

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP:

&Civilian Marksmanship Program membership (allows purchases from CMP).Call MikeBurke(337) 380-8120. Email: SouthLAHighPower@hotmail.com

THE VARSITYZONE

CountryDay leadsway with multiple statechampions

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE

Staff writer

Country Day had multiple event winners while Newman, De La Salle, Patrick Taylor and South Plaquemines each put oneindividual atop the awards podium.

Mostsurprising wasDeLa Salle’s Jaeden Brown, who became the 3A state discus champion just months aftershe took up the sport.

Late

Friday

“I told myself that my senior year,Iwould try anew sport,” Brown said. “I chose track and field, and I’m here now.”

Competing on the second day of the LHSAA state trackand field championships FridayinBaton Rouge, Brownreached 113 feet, 6inches on the fourth of her six throws, outdistancingKaplan’sAija Comeauxbymorethan6 feet to win the championship.

Brown played basketball with a partially torn meniscus and continued intothe trackseason. She chose throwing events, not realizing the amount of spinning required.

“When Itold my doctor,hesaid it’smysenior year,goout, havefun and stay safe,” Brown said.

Brown had not topped 99 feet in a

BY SPENCERURQUHART Staff writer

St.Charles Catholicace left-hander Bryce Waguespack attacked with his fastball early and oftenon arainy afternoon against Teurlings Catholic.

Ajunior,Waguespackgot the start for St. Charles to begin abestof-three Division II select semifinal series against reigning state champion Teurlings.The lefty pitched a complete game to open the series, allowingjustone earned runina 4-1 St. Charles win on Saturday The series opener was pushed back aday due to rain and was played at Destrehan High’sturf field instead of St. Charles’ grass field. Rain began fallinginthe later innings on Saturday but remained light enough for Game 1tobecompleted in full.

“Bryce Waguespack was masterful,” St. Charles coach Wayne Stein said. “From the openingpitch, it was one of his best outings ofthe year,and that’swhat we expect from him. I’msoappreciative of Destrehan and St. Charles Parish to allow us to be here.”

ANorthwestern State commitment, Waguespack gave up just two hits and two walks with six strikeouts in seven innings.

“I threw all fastballs, pretty much,” Waguespacksaid. “I tried my slider afew times, and it wasn’t working until the end of the game. (The rain delay)was tough, butI got my throwing in, so it was all good.” Teurlings took a1-0 lead in the topofthe fourth inning.Senior shortstopWilliam Powerled off theinningwitha single,making

meet, she said, but she reached 110 feet in practiceduringthe week before state. Her 95-foot throw at regionals had her seeded sixth at state

“My mom told me,‘Breathe, keep your calm, keep your cool, and then just execute,’”Brown said. “That’s whatI did.”

Country Day’s three event winners were four-time javelin champion Isaac Herzenberg and freshman runners Colette Alvarado, who set the 2A class record in the 800 at 2:13.99, and Varenka Zhuk, the 1,600-meter winner. Zhuk alsoran the 800 and finishedsecond.

Alvarado used afaststart to help beatthe previous class record of 2:14.7 set in 2012 byCalvary’sHaileyHesterman, who ranfor UL.

“My thing is Iliketolead after the first lap,” Alvarado said. “After the race started, Iwas like,‘As long as Ikeep this up,Iknow Ican do it.”

Thepair also ran together on the 4x400 relay that finished second behind Lafayette Christian.

“We’re so close,”Zhuksaid.

“We’ve been doing this forlike six years now.Wewere on the same club for like three or four years.

When Icametohigh school, it’s kind of likea dream come true, being with her again.”

Newman’s DylanKolenovsky won the 2A discus title for the second year in arow.Heled for all six rounds of thediscus competition, finishing strong withhis best throw at the end, reaching 159-1.

The three-event statequalifier finished fourthinthe shot put and javelin.

“It kind of ends on agood note,” Kolenovsky said. “Last throw of my career was my bestone today.”

SouthPlaquemines’Sabryn Bartholomew won the300-meter hurdles by .01seconds when he held off alate surge by Episcopal’s Wynn Turner.

“I’ve been going againsthim for threeyears, and every year is a challenge,” Bartholomew said. “I finally won.”

Bartholomewreachedthepodium in bothhurdle eventsfor the second year in arow.Hefinished second in the110 hurdles. He placed third in both eventslastyear

Patrick Taylor’sKingston Harris won the 3A triple jump. He fouled his first attemptand reached 455.75 on his second —amark that stood to theend.

Kennedy won the3Aboys4x200 relay with KennethChelsea, Tyren Thompson, Derill Valderyand Antwone Davis

his waytothird base after asingle by Carter Deculus and scoring on a sacrifice bunt by Brennen Storms. St. Charles answered in the bottom of the fifth inning, breaking through for fourruns. JuniorKole Hurst delivered abase hit to left centerwith the basesloadedand oneout, scoringjuniors Drew Aucoin andLandree LeBlanc

Thebases wereloadedonceagain after senior Claude Remondet was hit by apitch, and freshman Ben Bordelontookadvantage with a single to right field to plate Hurst and seniorGabe Kugler

“The biginningcameovera culmination of theinnings before,” Steinsaid. “Our plan was to not have any at-bats that lasted less thanfive pitches. Ithought (Teurlings starting pitcher Evan Vincent) made some greatpitchestoget out of jams,but we finallybroke through.” Asenior left-hander,Vincent threw fourscoreless innings prior

to St.Charlesputtingupacrooked numberinthe fifth. He allowed four earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out eight in 51/3 innings. Vincent’scontrol wasshaky despite just one walk, havinghit five St.Charles batters. “Wemade too many mistakes,” Teurlings coach Brooks Badeaux said. “(St.Charles)capitalized on themistakes,and that’s what good baseball teams do.”

The second game of thesemifinal seriesbetween No. 3-seeded Teurlings (25-13-1) and No. 2St. Charles (29-9) is scheduled for noon Sunday, with athird game to follow if necessary.The series winner advancesto the state championship in Sulphur “We’re going to try and getback to St. Charles (for Game2),” Stein said. “We’re going to work tonight to get as much water off the field as we possibly can.Ifwehavetocome back (to Destrehan), we’llask for permission.”

LHSAATRACK ANDFIELD

Final resultsfromthe LHSAA outdoor trackand field meet held FridayatLSU’s Bernie MooreStadium. Class 3A Boys Team totals: 1. UniversityLab, 74. 2. Northwest,58. 3. GlenOaks, 52. 4. St. James, 45. 5. John F. Kennedy,37. 6. Lake Charles College Prep,35. 7. Erath, 28. 7. Kaplan,28. 9. Acadiana RenaissanceCharter, 26. 10. Parkview Baptist,24. Fieldevents Javelin: 1. Presley Parks-Smith, Sterlington, 171-01. 2. Jacob Marcantel, South Beauregard, 165-00. 3. Gordon Rush, University Lab, 164-04. High jump: 1. Braxton Ardoin, Mamou, 6-07.50. 2. Gregory Johnson, Patterson, 6-07.50. 3. Joseph Bernardez, John F. Kennedy,6-03.50. Shot put: 1. Lamar Brown, UniversityLab, 62-07.25. 2. Daviel Straughter, Carroll, 4906.25. 3. DallasTaylor, Westlake,48-09.00. Long jump: 1. De-AndreDunn, GlenOaks, 22-04.50. 2. JavonVital, Lake Charles College Prep, 21-08.75. 3. Elmari Lewis, Vidalia, 21-06.00. Pole vault: 1. BrylonToups,Erath, 13-05.25. 2. Connor Toups,Erath, 12-11.50. 3. Luke Caraway,St. LouisCatholic, 12-05.50. Discus: 1. Kevin Small, Kaplan, 162–00. 2. Frederick Nimer, Northwest,155-02. 3. Chance Landry,Acadiana Renaissance Charter, 139-03. Triple jump: 1. Kingston Harris, Patrick Taylor, 45-05.75. 2. GrangerCollins, University Lab, 45-00.50. 3. JadenVillanueva,St. James, 42-08.75. Track events

4x800-meter relay: 1. Glen Oaks, 8:02.59. 2. Acadiana RenaissanceCharter, 8:15.28. 3. St. James, 8:27.97. 100: 1. KevonJohnson, Northwest,10.83. 2. Keithan Vidito,Northwest,10.95. 3. Derrick White, LakeCharles College Prep, 11.02. 110 hurdles: 1. Sean Herrington, Erath, 14.12. 2. MyijalonMark,Bogalusa, 14.91. 3. Terry Matthews,Acadiana Renaissance Charter, 15.08. 4x200 relay: 1. John F. Kennedy,1:27.98. 2. LakeCharlesCollegePrep, 1:28.17. 3. Northwest, 1:28.18. 1,600 meters: 1. Max Tsolakis, University Lab, 4:22.03. 2. Andrew Watts,Parkview Baptist,4:22.67. 3. Malachi Simonet, Lake Charles CollegePrep, 4:40.45. 4x100 relay: 1. St. James, 42.13. 2. Northwest,42.32. 3. UniversityLab, 42.66. 400: 1. Kodi Clement, Kaplan, 48.32. 2. Greyson Snow, St. LouisCatholic, 48.85. 3. Davis Antwone, John F. Kennedy,49.05. 300 hurdles: 1. Myijalon Mark,Bogalusa, 39.01. 2. JeremiahSmith, Glen Oaks,39.60. 3. Aydan Zenon, St. James, 40.82. 800: 1. Max Tsolakis, UniversityLab, 1:56.79. 2. Andrew Watts,ParkviewBaptist 1:58.92. 3. Ethan Washington, GlenOaks, 1:58.97. 200: 1. Jayden Lazard,Northwest,21.82. 2. Kodi Clement, Kaplan, 21.96. 3. Erin Moore, University Lab, 22.12. 3,200: 1. MaxTsolakis, UniversityLab, 9:56.54. 2. Andrew Watts,ParkviewBaptist 10:10.28. 3. TysonStantz,St. LouisCatholic, 10:15.32. 4x400 relay: 1. Glen Oaks, 3:18.96. 2. John F. Kennedy,3:19.57. 3. St.James,3:25.96. Girls Team totals: 1. Parkview Baptist,118. 2. Madison Prep, 68. 3. UniversityLab, 58. 4. Acadiana RenaissanceCharter, 34. 5. Iota, 27. 6. Kaplan, 26. 6. Thomas Jefferson, 26. 8. Sacred Heart-N.O.,25. 9. Buckeye,22. 10. St. James, 18.5. Fieldevents Javelin: 1. Kaylee Henry,Church Point, 122-09. 2. Aubrianne Redditt, South Beauregard, 120-11. 3. Bella Boone,Buckeye, 117-02. High jump: 1. Ameilia Fontenot, Iota, 5-03.75. 2. KaileighBroussard,Erath, 5-01.75. 3. Brantlee Rinehart, Sterlington, 4-11.75. Shot put: 1. Chidera Ajoka, St. James, 36-00.75. 2. Olivia Kohn, Parkview Baptist 35-08.00. 3. Madison McGeathy, Ursuline Academy, 34-11.25. Long jump: 1. Jana Thymes, Parkview Baptist,18-10.75. 2. Treasure Matthews Acadiana RenaissanceCharter, 16-10.50. 3. Robbyn Palmer, Glen Oaks, 16-08.75. Pole vault: 1. RachelOwens,Acadiana RenaissanceCharter, 10-06.00. 2. Jaycie Willis,Iota,10-00.00. 3. Ramsey Edmonds Parkview Baptist,10-00.00. Discus: 1. Jaeden Brown, De La Salle 113-06. 2. Aija Comeaux, Kaplan, 107-02. 3. Emma Venable, Jennings, 105-00. Triple jump: 1. Cali Cain, UniversityLab, 38-07.50. 2. Savannah Thompson, Thomas Jefferson, 37-09.50. 3. KaileighBroussard Erath, 37-01.75. Track events 4x800-meter relay: 1. Parkview Baptist 9:39.05. 2. Kaplan, 9:41.44. 3. SacredHeartN.O.,9:57.93. 100: 1. Jana Thymes, Parkview Baptist 12.00. 2. Kassi Washington, University Lab, 12.06. 3. KenliAddison, Madison Prep, 12.26. 100 hurdles: 1. Makayla Miller, Madison Prep, 14.80. 2. SophiaParnell, Thomas Jefferson, 15.93. 3. Kinsley Templet, Acadiana RenaissanceCharter, 16.21. 4x200 relay: 1. UniversityLab, 1:40.52. 2. Madison Prep, 1:42.63. 3. John F. Kennedy 1:45.28. 1,600 meters: 1. Lucy Cramer,Parkview Baptist,4:57.55. 2. Molly Cramer,Parkview Baptist,5:13.21. 3. Leah Varisco, Sacred Heart-N.O.,5:25.63. 4x100 relay: 1. UniversityLab, 49.00. 2. LakeCharles College Prep,49.46. 3. John F. Kennedy,50.32. 400: 1. KenliAddison, Madison Prep,56.12. 2. Kennedy Aldridge, UniversityLab, 56.48. 3. JernyStevens,LakeCharles College Prep, 58.39. 300 hurdles: 1. Dynasty Wilfred, Madison Prep, 42.69. 2. Makayla Miller, Madison Prep, 45.95. 3. SophiaParnell, Thomas Jefferson, 47.31. 800: 1. GeorgiaTheriot, Parkview Baptist 2:15.48. 2. Lucy Cramer, Parkview Baptist 2:16.22. 3. Milah Ballou, St. LouisCatholic, 2:18.58. 200: 1. Jana Thymes, Parkview Baptist, 24.63. 2. Kassi Washington, 24.99. 3. Kenli Addison, Madison Prep,25.17. 3,200: 1. Lucy Cramer, Parkview Baptist, 11:22.38. 2. Molly Cramer, Parkview Baptist,11:28.76. 3. Leah Varisco, Sacred Heart-N.O.,11:52.74. 4x400 relay: 1. Madison Prep,4:00.65. 2. Kaplan, 4:05.18. 3. Parkview Baptist,4:06.45.

Class 2A

RESULTS

Girls Team scores: 1. Episcopal, 84. 2. Lafayette Christian, 59. 3. Lafayette Renaissance Charter, 2. 4. Country Day, 38. 5. Newman, 36. 6. St. Thomas Aquinas,33. 7. Notre Dame, 30. 8. Rosepine, 26. 9. Delcambre, 25. 10. East Feliciana, 24. 11. Mansfield, 22. 11. Menard, 22. 13. Midland, 21. 14. North Caddo, 20. 15. Ouachita Christian, 18. Track events 100: 1. Nasiyah Collins, North Caddo, 11.99. 2. LaJordan Boykin,Mansfield, 12.19. 3. Rylii Goodie, Lafayette Renaissance Charter, 12.22. 100 hurdles: 1. Mary EllenTrahan, Notre Dame, 14.52. 2. Jada Recasner,Newman, 15.21. 3. Remi Cousins, Newman, 15.36. 200: 1. Nasiyah Collins, North Caddo, 24.97. 2. Rylii Goodie,Lafayette RenaissanceCharter, 25.12. 3. LeJordan Boykin, Mansfield, 25.30. 300 hurdles: 1. Mary EllenTrahan, Notre Dame, 43.58. 2. Emma Smith, Delcambre, 46.48. 3. ClaireBrodhead, NotreDame, 47.61. 400: 1. Myah Trahan, Midland, 57.02. 2. Hayley Calcote,Rosepine, 57.29. 3. Chloe Carter, St. Thomas Aquinas,57.48. 800: 1. Colette Alvarado, Country Day, 2:13.99. 2. VarenkaZhuk,Country Day, 2:19.75. 3. AdanzeAda Mere, Episcopal, 2:19.91. 1600: 1. VarenkaZhuk,Country Day, 5:02.08. 2. NevaLambert, Episcopal, 5:08.91. 3. AdanzeAda Mere, Episcopal, 5:18.71. 3200: 1. NevaLambert, Episcopal, 11:25.18. 2. Celia Adams, St. Thomas Aquinas, 11:27.95. 3. KayleeSiebeneicher,Menard, 11:59.99. 4x100: 1. Lafayette Christian, 49.36. 2. Episcopal, 49.80. 3. Mansfield, 50.34. 4x200: 1. Lafayette RenaissanceCharter, 1:43.91. 2. Episcopal, 1:4.72. 3. St.Thomas Aquinas,1:47.60. 4x400: 1. Lafayette Christian, 4:01.83. 2. Country Day, 4:05.14. 3. Episcopal, 4:08.90. 4x800: 1. Rosepine, 10:08.47. 2. Episcopal, 10:17.55. 3. Dunham, 10:23.73. Field events Discus: 1. Carly Meynard, Menard, 112-05. 2. Ajaya Harris, Franklin,109-11. 3. Mary LouisHagan, Ouachita Christian, 97-08. High jump: 1. Emma Smith, Delcambre, 5-07.75. 2. Kariah Dunn, East Feliciana, 5-01.75. 3. Jayla Shelton-Keyes, Vinton, 4-11.75. Javelin: 1. JoleyBennett, D’Arbonne Woods 131-03. 2. SamarieGlynn, Many,120-09. 3. Braylee Derouen, Loreauville, 111-11. Long jump: 1. Alaysia Titus,Lafayette Christian, 18-04.50. 2. Remi Cousin, Newman, 16-11.50. 3. Zoey Hodges, Episcopal, 16-10.75. Pole vault: 1. Emma Romano, Northlake Christian, 10-00. 2. Randall McMillan, Newman, 9-06.25. 3. Olivia Marcantel, Menard, 9-06.25. Shot put: 1. Laila Hudson, Lafayette Christian, 39-01.25. 2. Kemani Coleman, East Feliciana, 36-03.50. 3. Jade Triste,St. Thomas Aquinas,34-07.50. Triple jump: 1. Alaysia Titus,Lafayette Christian, 38-02. 2. Rylii Goodie,Lafayette RenaissanceCharter, 38-00.75. 3. Zadi Huggins,Dunham, 35-06. Boys Team scores: 1. Episcopal, 96. 2. Lafayette Christian, 80. 3. Slaughter Community Charter, 46. 4. Ouachita Christian, 38. 4. Newman, 38. 6. Catholic High NewIberia, 28. 7. Mangham, 23. 8. Mansfield, 21. 9. Delhi Charter, 20. 10. South Plaquemines, 18. 11. Country Day, 17. 12. East Feliciana, 16.5. 13. St. Thomas Aquinas,16. 13. North Caddo, 16. 15. Ferriday, 10. Track events 100: 1. BradenCarter, North Caddo, 10.74. 2. Jayden Hamilton, Mansfield, 10.88. 3. Daniel Grainger, Kinder, 10.90. 110 hurdles: 1. Wynn Turner, Episcopal, 14.59. 2. SabrynBartholomew, South Plaquemines, 14.80. 3. KadenOakley SlaughterCommunity Charter, 14.99. 200: 1. Ty’KimionFord, Slaughter Community Charter, 22.12. 2. Brice Perrier, SarahT Reed,22.28. 3. BradenCarter, North Caddo, 22.29. 300 hurdles: 1. SabrynBartholomew, South Plaquemines, 38.77. 2. Wynn Turner, Episcopal, 38.78. 3. Evan Sanders, Episcopal, 40.16. 400: 1. Luke Green,Lafayette Christian, 49.34. 2. Grant Forrest,St. ThomasAquinas 49.68. 3. Thomas Carter, SlaughterCommunity Charter, 50.15. 800: 1. WilliamFosterLambert, Episcopal, 1:58.67. 2. Francis LeLong, Newman, 1:59.19. 3. JacksonFoster, Catholic High New Iberia,2:00.09. 1600: 1. WilliamFosterLambert, Episcopal, 4:22.73. 2. TalanSievers, Lafayette Christian, 4:27.72. 3. Levi James, Ouachita Christian, 4:35.29. 3200: 1. TalanSievers, Lafayette Christian, 9:40.56. 2. Wyatt Price, NotreDame,9:50.38. 3. Mason Kelly,Episcopal, 10:03.11. 4x100: 1. Lafayette Christian, 42.55. 2. Dunham, 42.87. 3. Ferriday, 43.00. 4x200: 1. Slaughter Community Charter, 1:28.10. 2. Lafayette Christian, 1:28.45. 3. Mangham, 1:28.86. 4x400: 1. Episcopal, 3:23.37. 2. Ouachita Christian, 3:24.28. 3. SlaughterCommunity Charter, 3:25.91. 4x800: 1. Episcopal, 8:12.60. 2. Rosepine, 8:16.35. 3. Newman, 8:19.06. Field events Discus: 1. Dylan Kolenovsky,Newman, 159-01. 2. Jacob Carter, Winnfield, 147-01. 3. Tyler Ausberry,Mangham, 136-05. High jump: 1. Ashton Simon, Mansfield, 6-05.50. 2. Rafael Cuartas, Houma Christian, 6-05.50. 3. Thomas Carter, Slaughter Community Charter, 6-01.50. Javelin: 1. Isaac Herzenberg,Country Day, 186-00. 2. Tate Soileau, St. ThomasAquinas,182-09. 3. Michael Bertrand, Catholic High New Iberia,171-00. Long jump: 1. Tayven Carter, DelhiCharter, 23-02.75. 2. Ke’Shaun Toney, East Feliciana, 22-08.50. 3. Jeremy Mitchell, Episcopal, 21-02. Pole vault: 1. ElijahParich,Catholic High New Iberia,14-11. 2. BarrettFreeland, Ouachita Christian, 12-11.50.3.Joel Smith Country Day, 11-11.75. Shot put: 1. Kaleb Campbell, Lafayette Christian, 51-04.25. 2. Kayden Wilson, East Feliciana, 50-08.25. 3. Kobe Smith, Avoyelles, 47-10. Triple jump: 1. Tayven Carter, Delhi Charter, 49-01. 2. Tyler Cook,Lafayette Christian, 4-11.50. 3. Jeremy Mitchell, Episcopal,

Former Braves managerCox dies at age84

BY CHARLESODUM AP sportswriter

ATLANTA— Bobby Cox, the folksy managerofthe Atlanta Braves whose teams ruled the National League during the 1990s and gave the city its first major title as well as WorldSeries trips that fell short, died Saturday.Hewas 84.

Cox died in Marietta, Georgia, according to the Atlanta Braves. He had a stroke in 2019 and heart issues that complicatedhis recovery

“Bobby wasthe best manager to ever wear aBraves uniform. He led our team to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and the unforgettable World Series title in 1995. His Braves managerial legacywill never be matched,” the Braves said in astatement.

Cox took over alast-place team in June 1990 and led the Braves to aworst-tofirst finish in 1991, losing the World Series to the Minnesota Twins in seven games. That was thestart of what was to become a record 14 consecutive division titles, afeat no professional team in any sport had accomplished.

He managed the Braves for 25 years and led Atlanta to its first World Series title in 1995, retired after the 2010 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Cox ranks fourth all-time with 2,504 wins, fifth with 4,508 games, first with 15 division titles,first with 16 playoff appearancesand fourth with 67 playoff victories.

Only Connie Mack, John McGraw andTonyLaRussa hadmoreregular-season winsthan Cox. His 158 regular-season ejections also were the most among managers.

Cox’s death came four days after that of fellow Atlanta icon TedTurner, who as owner of the Braves lured Cox back to theteam in 1990.

TheBraves retired Cox’s No. 6jersey in 2011, when he joined theteam’sHall of Fame

“Heisthe Atlanta Braves,” catcher BrianMcCann said in 2019. “He’sthe best.”

McCanndescribed Cox as “oneofthe best human beings any of ushave ever met.”

Cox spent 29 seasons as amajor leaguemanager,including four with Toronto. He managed16 postseason teams. He brought an old-school approach tothe dugout. He alwayswore spikes and stirrups, and his fatherly demeanor inspired loyaltyfrom his players.

Hall of Famepitcher

Greg Maddux said players around the league always wanted to know what it was like playing for Bobby Cox: “Thefirstwordthat comes to mind is respect. He had that from players. When Bobby talked, we listened.Wewanted to play for him.”

Cox was thefirst NL manager to win at least 100 games in aseason five times. He was Manager of theYear fourtimes and the only onetowin in consecutive years(2004,2005).He also had close ties with his successors, Fredi Gonzalez and Brian Snitker

He regularly attended gamesand spring training before astrokein2019 that affected his speech and movement. Cox recovered enough to visit the Braves later that season, watching agame from the press box level. His wife, Pam, said in 2020 that heart trouble slowed his recovery from the stroke.

WNBA season kicksoff

BY MICHAEL MAROT AP sportswriter

INDIANAPOLIS When IndianaFever fansreturned to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Saturday’sseason opener,it seemed everything wasback in place. Thestreetbanners dotted thedowntown landscape, the handmade signs were visible from any vantagepoint insidethe sold outarena and, of course,Caitlin Clarkjerseys andT-shirts remained a trendy favorite. And why not liveitupasClark’s10-month wait to play ameaningful game on her home courtfinally endedwiththe weekend’sfeatured matchup between Clark and the Fever and Paige Bueckers and the DallasWings. Yetevenwith the anticipationofseeing two of the league’smostpopular playersand thelastfourNo. 1 draft picks squaring off in Game 1, nobody was more excited to get started than Clark.

“I think there’sadifferent juice inside your body when you’re putting on your uniform and you’re mentally locked in to go andplaya basketballgame,” shesaid before tipoff. “Like Iwas

excited for my teammates last year,100%I wastheir biggestfan. Butit’snot the same,itjustisn’t. Imissed havingthe butterfliesinmy stomach before agame. Like Ilovethat, and that means you’re ready.”

The WNBA schedulemakers certainly gave fanswhat they wanted following an offseason filled with collective bargainingagreement negotiations and uncertainty aboutthis year’saction

By Friday night, it was all in the past. Twoold rivals, theNew York Liberty and Connecticut Sun, played the first gameofthe league’s 30th season with two potentially budding rivals, theSeattle Storm andGoldenState Valkyries, capping the night in the third andfinalgame. In between,fansgot their first glimpse of theexpansion Toronto Tempo against Washington. That set up Saturday’sna-

tionally televised matinee between Clark andBueckers, anditdidn’tdisappoint. Clark scored10ofher 20 points in the third quartertohelp theFever rally from a60-51 halftime deficit, but she missed alogo 3-pointer that would have tied the score at 107 with 4.5 seconds left in thegame. The former Iowa star finished2 of 9on3sasthe Wings held on for a107-104 victory

Richardcontinues family’s jump dominance

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Damien Richard’s first leap put him in first place. His next three jumps were longer than the previous one.

Whenthe eventended, theDestrehanseniorbecame an outdoor track andfield state champion forthe firsttime— even though the event was held inside becauseofinclementweather

Competing in the Class 5A state track andfield championships Saturday in Baton Rouge, Richard won thelong jump at 23 feet,31/2 inches —adding to thefamily’shaul of state championships

Older sister Marley Richard, who jumpsfor LSU, becamea six-time outdoor jumpschampion as asenior last year when she won the long and triple jump events

Another sister,Jada, wasa state runner-up in the two jumping events before leaving for UL-Monroe.

Richard, aLouisiana Tech football signee, comesfroma jumping family

“Myparents haveateam: theSt. Charles Striders,” he said. “I’ve been doing that since Iwas alittlekid.”

Thewin Saturday made hima three-time state champion. Richard, an alldistrict cornerback in the fall, won the indoor long and triple jump titles in February

Richard’sfirst jump (22-9) measuredlongerthan the best from runner-up Aiden Walker of West Monroe (223). “Usually,I getbetter

throughout everyjump, so that’s what Iwas doing— just focusing on thelittle things that Ihad to do,” Richard said. “That’swhat Idid. Igot thejob done.”

The 5A and 4A championship meet endedlate Saturday afterthunderstorms delayed thestart of running eventsfor the second day in arow.All field events exceptthe javelin anddiscus weremoved indoors.

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@ theadvocate.com

Lisa O’Rourke poses with aletterfrom her mother inscribed inside abookgifted to her in childhood

LIVING

ReadersacrossLouisiana shareletters from mom

BY JANRISHER | Staff writer

Somewhere in Louisiana right now,there is abox. It might be in acloset,or in agrown child’s attic, or tucked underabed in ahouse that belonged to someone whois gone. Inside areletters —handwritten, folded, some still in theirenvelopes They smell like time.

The hardest letter she ever wrote

The postmark says Dallas, Texas.The date is Sept. 8, 1963. The envelope is addressed to Mrs. Leslie Miller,Haynesville, Louisiana, in handwriting that is careful and young.

“Well, this is oneofthe hardest letters to write I’ve ever written,” Monte Miller Banks began. “I really don’tknow what to say —Iknowyou must hate me, &Idon’twant you to.”

She had secretly married James Merritt Banks, of Homer,six weeks earlier, on July 20, 1963.

ABOVE: Monte Miller Banks posed with her mother and grandmother on Mother’s Day1964. Pictured are BelmaAyres, Monte Miller Banks, Kathleen Ayres Miller whoisholding the baby,and Leslie Banks Clark TOP: The

says Dallas, Texas. The date is Sept.8,1963. The envelope is addressed to Mrs. Leslie

Haynesville, Louisiana, in handwriting that is careful and young.Monte Miller Banks wrote that this was one of the most difficult letters she ever wrote.

“If you think that you can’tever accept James Merritt &don’twant me to come home, Iwill do whatever you say.”

Her mother took to herbed after learning the news.

Bueche has done the samefor her own children.

Theblue satchel on the curb

Iwas under the weather last week, and something Icouldn’t sort out kept nagging at me. Then Ibroke down on the phone with my sister “I really miss Mommy,” Itold her. “She would know what to say to help me feel better.” It will be the second Mother’s Day since my mother passed away,and I’m still

MonteBanks’familywas from Haynesville —Homer and Haynesville were thekind of rival towns where such things matter —and his family was not what hers had in mind.

She had tried twice to tell her mother in person.

Both times,she lost her nerve.

“I know, Mother,that this has probably hurt you worse than anything I have ever done, but it was the only way Icould see to do it,” MonteBanks wrote.

“Andbelieve me, it has upset me terribly to do anything behind your back.”

She closedwithanoffer thatreads, six decades later,with aweight still felt:

Theletters that came back from Monte Banks’ mother and grandmother were, by herdaughterBeth Bueche’s account, mean. Monte Banks’ grandmother wrote her outofher estate entirely,evenleaving her jewelry to two uncles. Eventually, relationsbetween them allbecame amicable, but there were small comments for therest of everyone’s lives, according to Bueche. Banks, who had been her high school’svaledictorian, spent years working long hours,Bueche believes, still trying to prove her decision right. Buechesaidher mother bent over backward to be kind to everyboyfriend sheever had.

MonteBanks triedtothrow theletters away once before her family moved to Birmingham,Alabama. When she put things out on the street, Bueche, then in ninth grade, found a light-blue pleather satchel on the curb amid the boxes of items her parents haddiscarded.She opened thesatchel It wasfilled with letters. She sat on the curb and read them,then put the whole satchel in her car Whenshe called her mother to say she ä See LETTERS, page 8D

Aletter to TerriSimpson, of Baton Rouge, from her grandmother,Johnnie Almedayarbrough Hillin from Rusk County,Texas.

of

of what the day is supposed to be. Lastyear,mymother had been gone only two months before thesecond Sunday in May arrived. The freshness of her death madethe day unbearable. Iput

ä See MOURNING, page 9D

After Eleanor Perret’smother passed away 10 years ago, she found abox of letters she had written to her over the years. The first one is dated Sept. 13, 1961, from Lafayette.

Lisa Cross, of Monroe, submitted thisletter her grandmother wrote to her mother in 1955.

HOLLYWOOD SOUTH

For Taye Martin, his visit to New Orleans this week for the Saenger run of “The Book of Mormon” will be only the second time he’sever been in the Crescent City.The first was when he was born here.

He never got to know the city, because eventually his adoptive parents moved him to their town in Wisconsin.

Leslie Cardé

“As you can imagine, I’m very excited to get to experience this city as an adult,” Martin said.

“Being apart of ‘The Book of Mormon’ while I’m exploring here is particularly special.”

As one of three children, he and his two siblings grew up performing in dance productions and musical theater.Hebegan in the third grade as adancer,and by the 10th grade, he had switched to musical theater

His first musical production was playing newspaper reporter Pat Gilbert in “State Fair.” The character is handsome, dashing and ambitious. But, as a reporter,heisfrustrated to be covering what he considers to be small-time news like the Iowa State Fair.Until, that is, he meets agirl at the fair and they begin to fall in love.

As aversatile artist, Martin is considered atriple threat —he sings, dances and acts —infact, Martin’srésumé includes being apartofthe Metropolitan Opera’s“Aida.” In regional theater he’splayed in “Rent,” Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Jersey Boys,” and “Sister Act.”

But, he’svery proud to be a part of “The Book of Mormon, the musical comedy that follows the story of two Mormon missionaries, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham. When the two boys are sent to Uganda to try and convert the local population to Mormonism, the laughs ensue. The production includes a

biracial cast by the very nature of the plot, and for artist Taye Martin, being acast member in this production has been avery different experience.

“My favorite thing about be-

inga part of this musical is getting to work with so many other Black and Brown performers,” Martin noted

“This is oneofthe first shows I’ve been apart of where there’s more than just ahandful of Black folks. So,it’srather special getting to look across the stage and see it filledwith a beautifularray of skin colors.”

Touring across thecountry is ataxingexperience, both mentally and physically,according to Martin, with the continual arrival in differentcitiesand staying in differenthotel rooms every week apart of thebargain for beingable to tour in anationally known production.

Although “The Book of Mormon” hasbeen on Broadway for 15 years at theEugene O’Neill Theater in Manhattan, afire broke outonMay 4, causing substantial damage and forcing the show to close indefinitely.So, at the moment, the onlyplace to see thismusical is when the

touring company comes to town.

Whatever is in Taye Martin’s future, whether it’sfilm or something else that utilizes his talents, he’s looking forward to the summer break.

But hisplan is to reprise his role in “Book of Mormon” for another year’stour,starting in thefall, and then figure out what’snext after that.

Martinhas acollege friend group he has stayed in touch with throughout the years, and they’re all still very close. Their support, along with his parents and past professors, has meant the world to him.

“They always knew Ihad what it took to book an amazing experience like this,” Martin recounted. “So having them on my side has been more than a blessing!”

If youhaven’tyet seen the irreverent “Book of Mormon,” and you’re atheatergoer,itshould be on your bucket list. When it first appeared on Broadway,itwas

nominated for 14 Tony Awards and won nine of them,including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Direction, Best Featured Actress, Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design, and Best Orchestrations. The music and lyrics of the show are by Trey Parker,Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy Award-winning creators of the landmark animated series “South Park.” Tony Awardwinner Lopez is co-creator of the long-running hit musical comedy,“Avenue Q” and is the genius behind “Frozen” —asin “Let it Go!” If all that isn’treason enough, it’sjust alot of fun! “The Book of Mormon” runs May 12-17 at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. Tickets are available at neworleans.broadway.com. Contact Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@gmail.com

SOCIAL MOMENTS

Nell Nolan SOCIETY

n Horticultural Hobnobbing

Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

Growth underlined giving and gallivanting at the Sugarplum Ball 2026, whichwas presented by LEMOINE and held in Mardi Gras World’s River CityBallroom and Plaza. The beneficiary was Manning Family Children’s and the dress code, “black tie optional.” Formerly Children’sHospital New Orleans, the hospital is part of LCMC Health and is led by Lou Fragosa,president and CEO. This year marked a milestone as it celebrated the firstfull year under the new name and its growing impact. The host committee for “Where the Garden Grows,” as it wastitled, banneredastop names eventco-chairs MegBaldwin and MaryMartin Roth.Sarah Petitto and Amy Rougelot were theauction chairs,and Meredith Claiborne and Ashby Navarro,those for food. Hundreds of people formed the committee, starting alphabetically with Shannon and Patrick Able and concluding with Casey and Chris Zainey In addition to LEMOINE, ENFRA was the Stage Sponsor,and The Ray &Jessica Brandt Family Foundation, the Secret Garden one. Individuals in the next two sponsor listings were Jill andLou Fragosa, Joanie and James Huger,Dana and Dr TomKimball, Betty Lauricella, Louis Lauricella,Meg andWill Baldwin, Bradley Murchison, Dr Samir El-Dahr,Sarah and GregFeirn,Nancy and Dr Stephen Hales, Marilee and AndrewHovet, Katherine Karam and Dr Richard Gitter,Julie Kaplow-Kline andDr. Mark Kline, Kelly and Mathew Timmons, and Janice Yonts.Manywere noted making rounds Features of the 44th Sugarplum were myriad and included early mingling,thematic decorations, and asilent auction andFleurishing Fortune Cash Raffle that was presented by the aboveBrandt Family Foundation. Furthering the established prandial pattern, thefood was scrumptious with thanksgaloreextended to 41 purveyors, which counted restaurants, caterers, and others. CrescentCrown Distributing, The Goldring Family Foundation|Sazerac Company,and Republic National DistributingCompany provided thedrinks. Well over 1,600 guests formed the party profile of socializing,relishing taste treats of all kinds, bidding, and findingways to donate. The merry momentum aligned with themusic that was by Az IzZ from Atlanta, adance and show bandwithanextensive setlist. Late-night gyrations grew and grew Joyful tallying came up with arecord-breaking $1.7million to advance the mission of providing care regardless of afamily’s ability to pay. Allthat bodes well for the future of children’s health and the seeding of the symbolic garden.

n Praising Voices

The Laffont Competition of theMetropolitanOpera Gulf Coast Region took place in Loyola University’s RousselHall with Natalie Burrows,associate director of the Metropolitan Opera’sEric &DominiqueLaffontCompetition,asthe Metropolitan Opera Judge,and John Churchill and Victoria Livengood as associate judges. Michael Borowitz and Jose Melendez were thepianists. The judges chose baritone Gabriel NatalBaez (Puerto Rico District winner) as the first place recipient.Baritone Jacob Huffty andbass-baritone Tzvi Bat Asherah were the second and third winners, and Connor Galle (Loyola student) as theFan Favorite. Applause abounded for them, and all the other contestants.

n AlumAdo

“I found myhome at Tulane,” said Dottie Reese (SW’79, PHTM ’80), whowas one of the honorees at the 2026 Alumni Awards Gala of Tulane University.Held at the Civic Theatre, the 52nd annual gala was described as “a marquee event that brings together alumni whose contributionshave madeameaningful impact on the university,their communities and theworld.” Around of cocktails and conviviality preceded the served dinner and theaccolades.

Libby (née Connolly, NC ’84) and Robert Alexander figured in the Diamond Level Sponsor category,while Sue Griffey (PHTM ’83, PHTM ’93), Crane Strategies LLC, Spencer Fane, and PJ’sCoffeewere Silver Level sponsors. The awards gala wasproduced in partnership with Tulane University’sA.B. Freeman School of Business, Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health &Tropical Medicine, andSchool of Medicine. To embellish the premises, and reflect the school colors, olive green and blue were used in lighting and the table décor,especially the flowers. Three huge screens allowed for easy viewing of the stage activity,while the musical ensemble was positioned in an orchestra balcony.“Moon River” and “Jambalaya” were two of their top numbers. Fleur de Lis Catering purveyed: the pre-set salad and dessert courses flanked the tasty meat maincourse.

Lori A. Hurvitz, associate vice president of alumni relations, and Jonathan L.Warkentin (B ’07), president of theTulane Alumni Association, opened the program with welcoming words. The awards followed with distinguished individuals –some were TU alumni –making the presentations.

The first was theA.B. Freeman School of Business Outstanding Alumni Award It was presented by Paulo Goes and given to Lisa Kelloway Madden (NC’88, B’89). Subsequent Outstanding Alumni awardees and their presenters wereabove Sue Griffey (Celia Scott Weatherhead School) and ThomasLaVeist,and Karen B. De Salvo (M ’92, PHTM ’92, R’96, Tulane Medical Alumni Association) and Lee Hamm.Immediate past TAApresident JenniferMills presented the Robert V. Tessaro Young Alumni Volunteer Award to ShelbyR.Brown (PHTM ’17, SoPA’23).

The first of thethree awardsthat Tulane University President MichaelA.Fitts presented was toLibby Connolly Alexander,the Bobby Boudreau Spirit Award.Dottie Reese(Scott Cowen Service Award), Shawn M. Barney (B’11, Community Builder Award), Odaline de la Martinez (NC’72, International Award forExceptional Achievement), andjointly Max Steitz (SLA ’20) and, in absentia, Franziska Trautmann (SSE ’20, GOLD Professional Achievement Award)thankedrespective presenters August Martin, Millibeth Currie, Christoph Krey and Jonathan Warkentin.

The final three awards (along with their presenters) went to Ellyn W. Ogden (NC’82, PHTM ’84 –Warkentin) the Lisa Jackson Professional Achievement Award; Steven M. Paul (A&S ’72, G’75, M’75 –Fitts) the Distinguished Alumni Award;and Scott Ballard (UC ’95 –Fitts) the Dermot McGlinchey Lifetime Achievement Award. A former owner/operator of Smoothie King franchises, he now owns Ballard Brands LLC with his two brothers. Family andfriends accompanied the laureates, joining the massofproud Tulanians who rekindled collegiate ties and honored alumni excellence.

Post competition, manygathered in RousselHall fordelicious refreshmentsand theopportunity to meet the singers. From theprogram came Mrs.Bruce Gordon,Melissa,and Dwayne O. Littauer GC Region chairs; Mrs. Harry C. Stahel,Claire support groupAMICI president; and master of ceremonies Christopher Tidmore, who enjoined adiscussion with soprano Phyllis Treigle. For thepresentation of awards, Susan Mitchell and Rebeccka Coe, GC Region director,steppedforward. Final note: Happy,happyMother’sDay!

TRAVEL

Milesofyardsales offerSoutherntreasurehunting

BY CHERÉ COEN Contributing writer

Thrifters and bargain-seekers know to brake for yard sales.

Local neighborhood-wideand organization sales offer hours of perusing, so imagine ones that spanhighways, regions —even across six states! Yes, they exist. Here arefive yard sales across the South to know about fordeals, steals and treasure hunting.

127YardSale

Known as the “World’sLongest Yard Sale,” the 127 Yard Sale that occurs every first Thursday through Sunday in August runs 690 miles long. The route along Highway 127 from Alabama to Michigan attracts thousands of shoppers each year in all six states. Theevent began in 1987 in Jamestown, Tennessee, when former Fentress County ExecutiveMike Walker looked for away to move travelersfrom driving interstate highways, such as Interstate 40 and75, to scenic routes through small towns and rural communities.

Not only would thrifty visitors enjoy shopping along theroute, butthey would experience the unique backroads of America.

This year’sgiant yardsale will be Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 6-9, beginning in Gadsden, Alabama. The route moves into the North Alabama mountainsand through the 93-mile Lookout Mountain Parkway.Alabama tourism officials estimate there will be more than 1,000 vendors in Alabama alone.

The route then rolls through Chattanooga and up the middle of Tennessee into central Kentucky and through Cincinnatiand

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

the entire length of Ohiobefore ending insouthern Michigan. To plana trip, find accommodations and restaurants alongthe route and learn more about the many towns alongthe way,visit www.127yardsale.com/yardsalers

DixieHighwayYardSale

There are many Dixie Highways located throughout the south, but the annual 90-mile Dixie Highway Yard Sale —held the first full weekend in June, which will be June 5-7 this year —follows the old two-lane Dixie Highway northofAtlanta, also

known as “Old41.”

The saleconsists of several communities, beginning in Marietta —ashortdrive northwest of downtown Atlanta.

The route moves north through thequaint Georgia towns of Kennesaw,Acworth, Emerson, Cartersville, Cassville, Adairsville, Calhoun, Resaca, Dalton,Rocky Face, Tunnel Hill and Ringgold. Places to visit while shopping include four award-winning museums in Cartersville, Lake Acworth with its beaches and marina, the miniature village of Rock Garden in Calhoun (that’s

so tiny youmust see to believe) and the Civil Warhistoric towns of Tunnel Hill andRinggold. Restaurants abound along the route, including avibrant culinaryscene at Marietta’shistoric squareand Henry’sLouisiana Grill in Acworth, operated by bayou native chef and owner Henry Chandler. Accommodationsvary as well, from cabins at Red TopState Park to the elegant Barnsley Resort and Spa in Adairsville.

Closer to home

Shop owners, antique dealers,

local artists, crafters and residents cleaning outtheir garages line the streetsfrom Sunset to Grand Coteau for the annual Exit 11 Yard Sale in St. Landry Parish. The sale happens on the third SaturdayofMarch and the first SaturdayofNovember,somake plans forthis fall.

Others to considerfor next year include the Whole Town Garage Sale in spring in Abita Springs (this year washeld on March28) andthe 16-Mile Yard Sale located in St. Helena Parish between Amite andPine Grove held the first SaturdayinApril. Yard sale advice

Vendors selling at the big sales like 127 Yard Sale and Dixie Highwaytypically have their tablesand waresavailable for shoppers by 8a.m.and operate until late in the evening each day of the event. Forthose planning to shop until youdrop, wearcomfortable shoes andclothing, and be prepared forhot,sticky weather. Objectstohaveonhand include insect repellent, sunscreen, hand sanitizerand water

Airbnb frozeaccount,kept$1,000 withoutexplanation

Idon’tunderstand whyAirbnb deleted my account. I’ve been aresponsibleguest with excellent reviews.Airbnb says Iviolated its community standards, but Iknow Ididn’t. The only explanation Ican think of is my location.

Christopher Elliott

Ilive in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, which is near the front line but remains under Ukrainian control.Airbnbwillnot do business in Russia. Some international services wrongly mark our entire regionas “disputed,”which feels discriminatoryand unfair.Airbnb asked me to confirm my address, and right after Idid, it froze my ac-

count permanently. Iappealed and sent all theinformation they requested, including proof of residence. Still, they refused to restore my account and saidI can’tcreate anew one. Andeven worse, Ineverreceived my refund of $1,000 forthe cancellations Can you help me getmymoney back and, if possible, my account reinstated? —Daria Popova, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine Airbnbowes you both an explanationand arefund. The companyisallowed to close an accountifitbelieves a guesthas violated its terms,but it should provide avalid reason and process your refund in atimely

manner.None of that happened here. Youfollowed the right steps appealing the decision, providing documentation and contacting customer support.

Unfortunately,itlooks like you got stuck in aloop of automated replies from Airbnb. That left you without answers or access to your funds.

This isn’tthe first case where Airbnb got itsgeography wrong. I mediated acase at thebeginning of the Ukraine war where the platform banned aguest because she used to live in Russia and still had aRussian phone number

When the normal resolution process doesn’twork, you can always appeal to an Airbnb executive. I list all of them on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. Ireached out to Airbnb on your behalf. Arepresentative said the company would review your case. Shortly after,Airbnb asked you again for your address information.You provided it, but then received the samecanned response that your account waspermanently blocked. At that point, you still had no refund. So Iwent back to Airbnb and asked for asecond review.That finally broke the logjam.Airbnb

refunded the full amount of your canceled reservations and reactivated your account The takeaway: When acompany ignores you, persistence matters. Apaper trail, aclear record of promises made(like refund deadlines) —and, if needed, an advocate —can makethe difference between losing $1,000 and getting it back.

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 elliott.org.

AT THE TABLE

‘Crawfishparma rosa’marries Italian, La.cuisine

Ajourney of aN.y.mom falling in love with crawfish

BY MICHAEL DIRESTO Contributing writer

Writing this month’srecipe and column made me think of aconfluenceofseveral important events that Iwill try to bring together in acohesive whole. For starters,the end of crawfish season is near,soI had to make something with them while Ihad the chance. Second, it’sMother’sDay,and it’sonly fitting that Ishare astory about my New York mother’sjourneywiththe mudbug.

And finally,the end of Maywill markthe 30th anniversary of when my wifeand I (along with our,atthe time, one child)moved to Baton Rouge from Dallas, and so began my immersion into Louisiana’sculinary culture so unique and so very different from where Igrew up in New York and New Hampshire.

But if Louisiana food came as arevelation to me, it’sfairtosay that it came as something of a shock tomymom.

Ican remember one particular Sunday phone call, soon after moving to Baton Rouge and beforemyparents had yet to visit us, when the conversation wrapped up with the question that’s always included in my family’sconversations: “What are you eating tonight?”

The first timemymom laid eyes on acrawfish, it was still alive.

Perhaps it wasn’tmybestidea, during one of her first visits to BatonRouge, to take her to acrawfishboil. She took onelook at it and blurtedout,“I’m not eating that thing!”

My dad, agifted troll before trolling was a thing, declared, “Maa,” —his shorthand, pet name version of Marilyn —“stop being such adunkey!” (Pronounced duhng-kee, which was my mom’sown label for anyone who turned up anose at anew food without even trying it).

He got the side-eye, as only she could give it, but she stood her ground and would eat no crawfish that day,falling back on aflimsier excusethat she wasn’tabout to go through allthat work of peeling themfor so small a payoff.

And that was theopening: So, you’re saying you would try crawfish if the tails were already prepared in advance for you? Enter: crawfish étouffée. Twodays later,mywife made thatdish for my parents. From that day forward, and on every occasion of my parents’ visits to Baton Rouge,itwas astrictrequirement that my wife make crawfish étouffée.

Ianswered, “Rachel is making red beans and rice.” On theotherend of the phone, there was silence.After apregnant pause, my momquietly clearedher throat and, in awhisper,asked,“Sweetie,are you doingOKfinancially? Do Ineedtosend you some money?”

Ilaughed out loud, butIimmediately grasped the misunderstanding.

My mom had assumed that herdaughterin-law was scrimping and forcedtoserveus plain rice and acan of pork and beans —and on no less than aSunday,my ownfamily’s traditional day of the week forthe heartiest and most extravagant meals

Itried to explain that, in Louisiana,red beans and rice is exactly that, but Icould picture my mom stillshaking her head with worry and incredulity

“You’ll understandwhen you and dadcome to visit us in Louisiana,” Iassuredher Her understanding would take time and some help from acertain freshwater crustacean.

In my mom’sfinal years before her passing, when she was toofrail to travel to BatonRouge, I increased thefrequencyof my trips to seeher in New York, and one of the last was aquicksoloexcursionwithout my wife and kids due to theirschool or workschedules

As asurprise, Iput twopacks of frozen crawfish tails in my carry-onbag and, to my astonishment,Igot through airportsecurity no questions asked.

My momwas delighted, until Iinformed her: No Rachel, no étouffée.

Itoldher nottoworry,that over the years I hadconcocted my own unique recipe marrying our Italian food heritage withLouisiana cuisine. Besides, maybe this would be the best way tointroduce crawfishtothe rest of our New York family.Itwas ahit, with the word “luxuriant”uttered at thetable to describe theflavor of the meal. Mostimportantly,mom took abiteand winked her approval Happy Mother’sDay,mom. Iextend the same sentiment to all the moms reading this story.Ifshe were still withus, my mom wouldtell you, “When you make this recipe, serveitwithgood bread.”

Crawfish parma rosa

Serving size two cups or two scoops from apastaspoon; Recipe by Michael DiResto

1pound

1/2

never asktobethanked.

2.

over medium heat until bubbling.

3. Add shrimp shells, onion, carrot, celery,bell pepper,salt and pepper,and sauté for 15 minutes.

4. Add garlic and sauté for one minute

5. Add tomato paste, wine and acup of water.Whisk thoroughly until mixedand increase heat to bring to boil.

6. Stir in herb bouquet.

7. Cover and lower heat to medium low, and simmer for 30 minutes.

8. Take off the lid and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half.

9. Remove herb bouquet and mix the pan contents with ahand-held immersion blender or potato masher

10. Press the tomato mixture through a fine metal sieve into abowl, then return to pan.

11. Add butter,cream and Parmesan, then bring to boil over medium heat, whisking thoroughly,then simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens.

12. In the meantime, bring alarge pot of water to boil and add one tablespoon of salt. Cook pasta to al dente, reserving one cup of salty,starchy pasta water

13. Add crawfish and torn basil to the saucepan and continue to simmer until the crawfish is warm.

14. Add pasta to the saucepan, stir,and incorporate pasta water as needed for desired sauciness.

15. Serve on plates with extra grated Parmesan and good bread.

Dear Readers: Wishing all the mothers out there aHappy Mother’sDay.Mother’s Day can be beautiful, but it can also be complicated. For some, it means flowers on the table, handmade cards, little hands carrying breakfast to bed and adult children calling just to say,“Thank you.” For others, it can stir up grief, disappointment, distance or memories of arelationship that was never as warm or easy

as it should have been. So this Mother’sDay,let’swiden the circle. To the mothers whoare celebrated, enjoy every card, every call, every hug and even the slightly wilted grocery-store bouquet.Tothe mothers who feel overlooked, please remember thatmuch of what you gave was planted quietly in school dropoffs, bedtime stories, doctor’sappointments, teenage arguments, packed lunches, clean laundry and all the invisible work no one claps for.Those seeds may bloom in ways youdonot yet see. To those missing theirmothers,

missing their children or grieving what they hoped motherhood would be, may the day leave room for both loveand sorrow

Not every family story is simple, and not every Mother’sDay fits neatly inside agreeting card.

Andlet us not forget the women who mother without a title: stepmothers, foster mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, teachers, neighborsand friends who give rides,remember birthdays,make room at the table, listen lateatnight and show up when showing up is hard. Some of the finest mothering in the world is done by women who

Maya Angelouonce said, “I sustainmyself with the love of family.”

That is whatmothers, at their best, build. Notperfection, but a place where love cansustain us, even after we have grown and gone intothe world.

Andtoadult children: Call your mother if youcan.Write the note. Say the words while she can still hear them. Tell her one specific thing you remember,the soupshe made when you were sick, the ride she gave when she was tired, the way she believed in you before youbelieved in

yourself. “I appreciate you” is a full bouquet, anditnever goes outofstyle

Motherhood is nota greeting card. It is sacrifice, worry forgiveness, humor,endurance andloveinworkclothes. This Sunday, honorthe womenwho showed up, imperfectly,faithfully andoften without being thankednearly enough. Agood mother does notneed aparade. But aphone call never hurt anybody

Sendyour questions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators. com.

FULL OF AWE

Amother’srituals mark time in ‘For SmallCreatures Such As We’

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Sasha Sagan, author of “For Small Creatures Such as We:Understanding Our Place in the Universe” and podcast host of StrangeCustoms, was raised by secular parents, theastronomer Carl Sagan and thewriter and producer Ann Druyan. They taughtSagan that the natural world is full of beauty and that scientific truthsonly enhance the wonders of thecosmos.

Amother of two, Sagan wrote “For Small Creatures SuchasWe” after the birthofher first child, her daughter Helena. When Sagan became amother,she craved integrating ritual andcelebration in her daughter’slife without practicing acertain religion.

She studied the natural phenomena behind humanity’soccasions from births to deaths, holidays to weddings, anniversaries and seasonsin order to develop anew set of rituals for her family that honors thejoy of each experience.

at theNew OrleansBook Festival at Tulane with moderator Nicole Richie. Although thebook was published in 2019, it continues to be relevant for readers, especially parentslooking to create significant moments with their children

Throughout thebook, Sagan marvels at being alive on this planet She sees motherhood as ascientific miracle that transforms people. She contemplates how her own mother practiced rituals that echoed her Judaism and marked thepassage of time.

She writes:

In her book, Sagan examines the symbiotic relationship between human cultural traditionsand the natural world. However,the bookisalso a personal story and love letter to her parents. She weaves her own family journeybothasadaughterand as a new motherthroughouther retellings of history,anthropology, religion, astronomy and biology

On March 14, Sagan spoke about “For Small Creatures SuchAsWe”

“After school on Fridays my mom would usually take me to buy aloaf of challah from the Clever Hans Bakery in Ithaca, in upstate New York, where Igrew up. This was akind of hat tip to theways of our forebears This was another kind of holy sacrament, my first appreciation of what it felt like to finish theweek, to transition from work to rest. It was, Ithink now,a way to learn about marking time, about feeling it happen.”

Foraspring ritual, Sagan chooses to dye eggs, although her family doesn’tdirectly celebrate Easter or Passover

Another special spring tradition Sagan’smother practiced that she haspassedontoher daughter is a “first fruits” festival called Blossom Day.She writes that “the biggest gift was theidea that celebrations could be invented, that we could choose to honor what was most meaningful to us, that and theknowledge that

spring was finally here.”

“For Small Creatures Such as We” is part memoir,part cultural study, part natural study and part personal philosophy.Whether she is explaining how cultures over time have worshipped thesun, themoon or marked turns around the sun, Sagan relates therituals and traditions to her own life, and by extension, to our own lives.

This book is for nonreligious and religious folk alike. It’s acelebration of life, both scientific and sacred.

Sagan’sreflections on her own family traditions and creativity to start new rituals in “For Small Creatures Such As We”are inspiring. Her voice when she describes global rituals and natural phenomena is full of awe. She connects thenatural and the universal with avibe of curious wonder She closes the book by sharing a momentwith her young daughter: “I noticed Helena staring at me from her highchair while Isteamed somevegetables for her —food grown in theearth, with the help of our nearest star,ready for Helena to convert into energy to grow bigger as aresult of millions of years of evolution. She watched me do my small, daily rituals. These images of me, performing semisacred tasks, were being imprinted into her brain, into her memories. Someday Iwill be gone, but she will, Ihope, remember me. AndI’ll be able tolive on, just alittle longer,inthe neurons of her brain and the cells in her blood.”

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

“HowtoStart” by Jodi Kantor

Danny Heitman

Book charts epic journey made famous by theLa. Purchase

When Stephen Ambrose greeted readers with “Undaunted Courage” in 1996, he admitted someinitial doubts about whether anew book about the Lewis and Clark Expedition wasreally needed.

Ambrose, whohad taught history at the University of New Orleans and achieved fame as aDDayhistorian, was impressed by Richard Dillon’s biography of Meriwether Lewis that was published in 1965. Wasthere anything new to say?

But as Ambrose pointed out in unveiling “Undaunted Courage,” alot of fresh research had surfaced since Dillon’swork first appeared. Maybe there wassomething else to be said, after all. Another three decades have passed, and another historian, Craig Fehrman, is having his crack at the Lewis and Clark story.Though his approach differs from Ambrose’s, Fehrman’s“This Vast Enterprise” yields atale that still promises to resonate deeply in Louisiana, which figured largely in this epic piece of American history

The basics will be familiar to manyofuswho first heard about them in grade school. While engineering the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson also authorized an expedition to head out and kick the tires on the nation’snew real estate, which included ahuge swath of territory west of the Mississippi. Lewis and afriend, William Clark, led the journey,with some30others along forthe ride. In his take on what’sbecome aset piece of the national mythology,Fehrman argues that the expedition “depended on morethan Lewis and Clark.” He expands the narrative to focus on several other expedition members, including York, an African American enslaved by Clark, and Sacajawea, aShoshone teenager who had essentially been passed off as chattel to atranslator in the group, Touissant Charbonneau. Because few records exist about York and Sacajawea, Fehrman resorts to alot of guesswork in telling their stories and filling in other undocumented aspects of the expedition.

He tells readers that he’stried to “speculate responsibly,” though his conjectures tend to invite morequestions than they answer

Though “This Vast Enterprise” touches on events from morethan twocenturies ago, afew of its themes chime vividly with current headlines.

Fehrman mentions how international rivalries over the port of NewOrleans helped drive momentum forthe Louisiana Purchase —areminder that then, as now,navigation of critical trade routes wasapriority forworld leaders. In using his presidential authority to advance both the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark’sexpedition, Jefferson invited debates about executive power we’re still having today

Fehrman’sportrait of polarized politics during Jefferson’spresidency will also strike afamiliar chord with readers. He includes aperiod cartoon from Jefferson’sday in which critics of the Louisiana Purchase depict the president as ascraggly dog.

As the United States prepares foralandmark birthday,Fehrman’sbook is auseful reminder that the Lewis and Clark Expedition, like the nation itself,was at its best as ateam effort. Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman. com.

TRADE PAPERBACK

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6. “Dear Debbie” by Freida McFadden

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8. “Want to KnowaSecret?”byFreida McFadden

9. “Project HailMary (media tie-in)” by Andy Weir

10. “MyDress-Up Darling, Vol. 15” by Shinichi Fukuda

Ted Turner’s vision changed industry and society

‘CNN became almost generic for breaking news’

BY JOCELYN NOVECK and WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

Associated Press

NEW YORK When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, Beth Knobel, a future TV news correspondent, was in graduate school. Emerging from class, she saw TV sets had been set up in the lobby They were tuned to CNN, the 24/7 news channel that Ted Turner had launched about five years earlier, which was carrying the launch live.

“Shuttle launches were just kind of routine and the broadcast networks weren’t even covering them anymore,” says Knobel, who worked for CBS News in the 1990s and now teaches journalism at Fordham University “CNN did. So when things went so tragically wrong, there they were on top of the story like no one else.”

That, says Knobel who now teaches a class on TV’s biggest innovators, is just one example of why Turner was the biggest of them all — huge steps ahead of anyone else in his understanding of how news needed to be delivered.

Turner’s death on May 6 comes at a fraught time for cable news, which has struggled to retain viewer-

ship in an era of countless media choices and abundant streaming video. CNN has not been immune; changes in the media ecosystem, the company’s financial picture and multiple editorial resets over the years have left it a markedly different entity than the one Turner built.

But that misses an important point: He built it.

“We use the word giant sometimes to describe people that really aren’t giant,” Knobel says. “Ted Turner truly is a giant. He invented around-the-clock news.”

News as something global

Many in and around the news industry struggled last week for big enough words to describe Turner’s impact on how we consume news.

Longtime TV analyst Robert Thompson said the issue was hyperbole-proof.

“Death and hyperbole often go together,” said Thompson, director of Syracuse University’s Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture. ”But there is no hyperbole here I can think of very few other things in the 20th century that so dramatically changed American politics, journalism and civic engagement than the invention of 24-hour cable news.”

He does add a caveat: The real impact would not be truly felt until others started doing it. Which, of course, they did. But for a long time, and certainly well into the 90s, “CNN became almost

Netflix’s ‘Lord

Cast says they had a ball

BY MARK KENNEDY

AP entertainment writer

NEW YORK — Put 40 boys alone on an island and what do you get? Harmony or chaos?

British author William Golding predicted not good things in his harrowing 1954 classic novel “Lord of the Flies,” and a new powerful, kinetic TV adaptation makes an inspired case that he was probably right.

The Netflix series follows more than two dozen British boys in the mid-1950s stranded on a tropical island after a plane crash as they descend into tyranny and violence, making an indictment about the fragility of democracy and the shallow veneer of civilization.

“We’ve advanced socially or we’ve advanced technologically, but those issues are still there,” says David McKenna, who plays a sensible boy nicknamed Piggy “I would say put 40 boys on a tropical island today, and the same thing would probably happen, sadly.”

‘It can’t help but be chaos

The series is adapted by Jack Thorne, the writer behind the stage play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and the Emmy-winning TV series “Adolescence,” and directed by his longtime collaborator, Marc Munden.

“A lot of the time it was utter chaos and we tried to film some of that chaos as well,” says Munden. “It can’t help but be chaos when you’ve got 36 boys under the age of 12.” Thorne’s four-part adaptation brings a different character to the forefront in each episode, starting with the ra-

generic for breaking news,” Thompson says,” like Kleenex for facial tissues and Xerox for photocopying.”

But it isn’t just the 24-hour cycle that defines Turner’s legacy in news. A number of analysts cited, too, how he conceived of news as a global commodity.

Knobel recalls that when she was Moscow bureau chief for CBS beginning in the early 1990s, she would walk into the Kremlin and see CNN on televisions.

“That was the way in which they came to understand what the world was thinking about Russia,” Knobel says. The same was true in other seats of power across the world. “Global programming didn’t exist before Ted Turner came along and said, ‘Not only am I going to build a new channel for America, but there are a lot of people around the world that will probably want to watch this news channel.’”

All of this has become so ingrained by now that it’s hard to convey to younger people that it once didn’t exist. Back in the ’70s when Turner — an insomniac — was first dreaming of 24/7 news, in many places you’d turn on your TV late at night and would see only static, a test pattern or an American flag until about 6 a.m.

Former CNN White House bureau chief Frank Sesno, now a media and public affairs professor at George Washington University, tells

of the

TNS FILE PHOTO

Ted Turner is seen at his desk inside the CNN Center in 1982.

his students about the “Walter Cronkite era” — when news was delivered at an appointed time, by a voice from on high, in a 30-minute broadcast (which actually doubled the 15-minute broadcasts there once were.)

“I teach these young people and they have no idea who Ted Turner is,“ Sesno said. “I remind them this was, in fact, the world of Walter Cronkite. Ted Turner came in and CNN was seen as an upstart, as something that wasn’t going to succeed.” Thus the derisive moniker “Chicken Noodle News,” which was echoing across the industry when Sesno joined the network in 1984.

“When they hired me, I had zero television experience,” he says.

But CNN wasn’t looking for star anchors at the time. The news was supposed to be the star The stars came later A turning point

For CNN, a moment of particular success came in October 1987, the year after the Challenger explosion, when 18-month-old Jessica McClure was rescued from a well in Texas after a twoday ordeal CNN covered not only the outcome but the incremental developments — standard fare today but certainly not so then for TV Brooke Erin Duffy, an associate professor of communication at Cornell University, points to public appetite for that story as a key moment for CNN, which covered the “hours and hours

of waiting” and allowed audiences to regularly tune in for updates.

But it was during the first Gulf War with Iraq when the entire foundation of news shifted When other journalists left Baghdad, CNN stayed. With correspondents Bernard Shaw, John Holliman and Peter Arnett doing reports under siege from Baghdad’s al-Rashid Hotel, the network changed war journalism forever

A key factor was technology CNN’s news managers “went to Turner and said you know, there’s a war coming. We need some money to cover it, and Ted Turner said to them well what do you need?” Knobel said. ”What they did with that money is to bring in satellite phone technology that no one else had.” It enabled CNN to continue to broadcast news when communications were knocked out.

“I’m someone who competed against CNN for many years working for CBS (and) I can say CNN always had a technological advantage over everybody else,” she said, crediting Turner for giving his network the edge. The 24/7 schedule of broadcasting continuous developments also vastly reshaped what it was like to actually work in the TV news industry Journalists were increasingly expected to “be available 24/7 to satiate the public’s appetite for news,” Duffy said.

Flies’ a harrowing descent into horror

Netflix series ‘Lord of the Flies’ follows more than two dozen British boys in the mid-1950s stranded on a tropical island after a plane crash as they descend into tyranny and violence.

tional Piggy, coming to consciousness after the crash and offering a voting-based system that allows everyone a voice. “What we need to do is get a sense of exactly what we know,” he says.

He meets the cheerful and friendly Ralph (played by Winston Sawyers), and they gather the rest of the castaways, including a group of choirboys led by the volatile Jack (Lox Pratt) and the soulful Simon (Ike Talbut). There’s also a whole raft of very young boys, dubbed “littluns.”

“I think all of the boys really represent an aspect of the human condition Jack obviously represents some of the darker aspects,” says Talbut. “Ralph is the charismatic leader, but I think Simon really represents civility and kindness.”

Envy and paranoia bloom

What begins as a plucky, we’re-all-in-this-together spirit — Piggy sings Groucho Marx’s giddy

“Hello, I Must Be Going” as he pushes through thick vegetation still wearing his schoolboy suspenders and

tie — soon gets darker as envy and paranoia bloom, rivalries deepen and one of the boys reveals his murderous instincts.

“Playing it nice — it’s boring,” says Jack who comes off here less as a simple narcissist than as an entitled boy with a fragile ego.

“An adventure island, what do we do on it? Nothing but boring things. Toilets. Water Hut building. Boring.”

Munden calls it in many

ways a political fable that mirrors current struggles: “One faction led by the dutiful Democrats versus the entitled bully leading another faction.” Talbut sees it as a message about the dangers of groupthink and populism. Thorne has made a few changes to the text, including flashbacks to the boys’ pre-island past to give viewers an insight into their home lives, and a scene in which the survivors come across suitcases from the crash.

Unpacking the suitcases — one is Simon’s, which contains his diary — and the other contains women’s clothes — allows the filmmakers to explore the complex relationship between Jack and Simon as well as chart the increasing unanchored nature of the boys.

One lad slips on a hoop skirt, another pulls a pair of pantyhose over his face, both playing with drag. As the members of the choir smear mud on their faces to be hunters, the look is tribal and quirky Munden was inspired by the images of Liberian child soldiers in the early 2000s who held Kalashnikovs and edgy cos-

tumes to confuse their enemies.

“The idea was that this drag becomes sort of perverted in some sort of way and becomes like another form of armor,” says the director “I just thought it was a little bit more freaky I wanted to sort of challenge the audience a little bit more with that.”

Filming in Malaysia

Munden studs the episodes with stark images of animals winged raptors, ants, caterpillars, hermit crabs — grounding the series in the muddy lush, insect-heavy tropical world, which in this case was the Malay Archipelago, the largest group of islands in the world.

Filming which took place over five months from July to December in 2024 wasn’t easy, with daily speedboat trips to uninhabited islands, dodging monsoons and extreme heat. The older boys were permitted to work only five or six hours a day, while the littlest boys only three. The crew wasn’t allowed to shoot at night, so they used cinematic trickery to turn sunshine into

moonlight. For the characters on the island, it was harrowing. For the actors, however, it was a bonding experience and, for many, their first professional acting gig.

“The best five months of my life,” Talbut says, adding everyone was “just the loveliest person ever.”

There was a safety net for the cast — including child psychologists, tutors and chaperones that freed the actors to go deeper

“You can delve as far as you like into the drama and the horror of it because you know at the end of the day you’re all just going to get in a van, get back to the hotel and jump in the pool.”

The ending actually has a sweetness not the adaptation, but the filming: It turns out many of the older boys have stayed friends and share a group chat. Sawyers just met up with Pratt, enemies on the island now remade as pals in real life.

“We’re all still really really close and we still have that connection because we spent those months together in that place doing that thing,” says Sawyers.

had found them, Monte Bankstold her it was no accident that they were left.

“Now,Irealize she wastrying to leave those memories behind,” Bueche said.

But back then, ateenageBueche delivered the satchel back to her mother.Monte Banks kept it and moved it back to Louisiana years later.She could not bring herselfto throw it away asecond time Monteand JamesMerrittBanks were married 54 years,until his death on Dec. 14, 2017. Bueche last saw her mother on Mother’sDay 2020. MonteBanks’ mother —the one who had gone to bed at the news —died on Mother’s Day in 1973.

‘Themost beautiful child that has everbeen born’

Monte Banks’ letterwas oneof dozens that arrived when,inadvance of Mother’sDay,the newspaper askedLouisianans to share old letters to and from mothers and grandmothers. Like Bueche’s,not allthe letters told easystories. Some motherdaughter relationships, then as now,were anything but simple. But the full rangeofletterswas humbling and deeply human Ann Saxon, of Baton Rouge, sent aletter she received after her mother’sdeath. From New Orleans, in 1953, when Saxonwas 12 days old, her mother had sent it to her sister on the birthofher first child.

Saxon’smother,Barbara Vallina Reilley, wrotethe announcement letter in the voiceofher 12-dayolddaughterin1953, describing the new baby’s“blondish” hair, onedimple in her rightcheekand thegood possibility that her eyes would be blue.

“My mother and father think I am the most beautiful child that has ever been born,” Reilley wrote from 2318 Valmont St. “Daddy just beams whenever he looks atme, andisalwayspleasedtohearthat Iresemble him.”

“I am always hungry.Ilike to cry,especially at night, and constantly need to have my diaper changed. It is time for me tohave agood cry,sobye.”

Saxon said her mother’snickname was Sassy —and it fither till the end.

‘HoneyChile’

In 1952, aNew Orleans grandmother named Camille Cobbs wrote to hergranddaughter Cynthia Andries in Baton Rouge after the girl failed her sophomore English class.

Cobbs worked her way through three pages of householdnews the flu making its rounds, aneighbor’sson also struggling in school, the rosary crusade coming to the churches, “Gunsmoke” on theradio —before landing on what she needed to say

“Now honey you just remember that you are not the firstand won’t be the last to fail,” Cobbs wrote.

MargoTrimbleUterholds aletter written to herbyher mother,SidneyJoess DavisTrimble, at Uter’shome in Lafayette.Atleft are family photos of Uterand her parents, includinggraduation photos of her mother and herself

“Don’tever forget thatIlove you, Honey Chile.”

Cynthia Andries, now Cynthia Litz, is nearly90yearsold. She has kept that letter 74 years.

“The grandmother’srole is indispensable,” she wrote in her note to thenewspaper

This week,Litzlearnedthat the land hergrandmotherleft her mother,and her mother left her, hadstruckoil.

“Look at you, Grandmother, you’restill taking care of me,” she said. “I’mgoing to be 90 years old. I stillfeellike her armsare wrapped aroundme. It’s agood way to leave this world.”

‘Are youkeeping your room clean?’

EstherA.Wilson,who grew up in Switzerland and later madeher home in Louisiana, sent aletter hermother wrote in German on June 12, 1964. Her mother wrote of theprogress of the vineyards, thesnow gone fromthe mountains andbirthdaygreetings for Wilson’sfather

She closed,asshe always did, with:“Deine Dich immer liebende Mutter.Your always loving you mother.”

Agrandmother fromCrosby, North Dakota, wintering in Arizona, wrote to her granddaughter Andrea Gullett in Seattle in 1992 with updatesonGrandpa’sdaily pool sessions, upcoming plans in LasVegas —and agentle nudge aboutroom cleanliness.

“Also are you keeping your room clean &picked up Andrea,” DorothyJoraanstadwrote,“It helps your mother so shedoesn’thave to do it —eh??”

She closed by noting that cousin Jennifer “writes tomeall the time Iamher only grandma!” Gullett, who nowlivesinBaton Rouge, still has the letter

LisaO’Rourke’s mother,Eleanor Reid, often wrote her letters inside

PROVIDED PHOTO Esther A. Wilson, whogrewupin Switzerland andlater made her homeinLouisiana, sent aletter her mother wrote in Germanon June 12, 1964. Her mother wrote of the progress of the vineyards, the snowgone from the mountains and birthdaygreetingsfor Wilson’s father

books. For her 10thbirthday,Reid wrote aletter inside abook titled “Kindness is aLot of Things.”

“Always be kind and considerate of other people andyou will help God to make our world abetter place in which to live,” her mother wrote.

O’Rourkehas carried the book with hersince childhood —tocollege,through everymovesince She said it shaped theway she has tried to live herlife.Her mother now lives in Jayess, Mississippi.

‘Tear thisletterup soon as youread it’

Lola Johnson wrote to herdaughters Peggy and Robbie Johnson andtheir first cousinPatsyTraylor in the summer of 1955, while the three girls were on an epic cross-country road tripwith their

grandmother, Ida Traylor.Peggy Johnsonwas 19 and the oldest of thegroup. Her daughter,Lisa Orten Cross of Monroe, sent acopy of the letter to the newspaper

Lola Johnson didn’thave the full address of where to send it, so she guessed —and the letter found its way

“I see Peggy leftone of her good brazziers(sic) andtwo slips, so I guess youwill have to wash out your brazz (sic) alot. Idon’t even know if youall have enough hose or not.But maybe you can make out,” Lola Johnson wrote.

Shealsoinstructedher daughter Peggynot to read and study thewhole time—just have agood time andenjoy yourself, her mother wrote.

The letter went on to cover everything from railroad crossings to mattersofthe heart.

“If you have your mind on acertainone up there and no one else, andifhedoes act alittlefunny, don’ttry to be so independent,” Johnson wrote.

Then, at the end:“Tear this letter up soon as you read it.”

Peggy Johnson did not tear it up. Six months later,she married.

‘The future is yours Liveittothe fullest.’

Margo Trimble Uter,ofLafayette,was ahighschoolseniorin Natchez, Mississippi, in May 1971 when her mother,Sidney Joess Davis Trimble, wrote her agraduation letter

“You have many other good traits, also, one of which, Ihope, is ‘humility,’ the state of being humble,”her mother wrote. “If you possess this traitI believe it will make your walk through life easier,happier and closer to God.”

Uter is 73 now.She reread the letterbefore sending it to the newspaper

“My first thought when Igot toward theend was that she was try-

ing to tell me to be morehumble,” Uter said. “At that age, we think we know everything —I’m not sure Ilived up to it.”

Her mother closed the letter with,“Thefuture is yours. Live it to the fullest.”

Eleanor Perret was anewlywed of two weekswhen she wrote her first letterhome to hermotherin BatonRouge on Sept. 13, 1961, aftershe andher husband moved to Lafayette foruniversity

“Today is Wednesdayand we hadour first companyfor supper tonight,” shewrote. “Ray was our ‘guest’ but we were so excited over our‘dinnerguest’ that you would have thought the President was coming!”

It was the first of 79 letters Perretwrote home over thenext16 years, chronicling nine moves to seven states, four children, adog andthe whole unfolding shape of alife.

Her mother kept every one. Perret found the box adecade ago, after her mother passed away

‘Lonesome of you’

Gaines Foster, retired professor emeritus of history at LSU, worriesabout what comes next for social history in the age of technology

“Personal letters of family in the 19th and20th century areanamazing resource in termsoflearning what people thought,” he said. “So muchofhistory is about family and attitudes.”

Even as far back as the 1960s, Foster noted, historians were using collections of letters between mothers anddaughters to laythe foundation forunderstanding women’sroles in society Foster encouragespeople to give copiesoffamily letters to research collections before they are lost.

“Texts are so brief you would haveahard time getting much depth out of it,” he said. “I’ll be worried about what happens with social history in the future, and how we’ll put that all together.” In the summer of 1923, a6-yearold in St. Martin Parish dipped a metal-nibbedpen into an inkwell andwrote to hergodmother.The figs werealmost ripe.She missed her so muchshe could cry.She was learning English but still thought in French, so she wrote thatshe was“lonesomeofyou.”

“Dear Godmother,” Helen Verne Maraist wrote on July 11, 1923, “I wanted to know how you are out there sinceyou aregone. Iwas so lonesome of you. That Icould cry so much. The figs are all mostripe. We are eating them now.Mamma madetwo jars of preserves.” Maraist grew up, married, raised children, madefigice cream from the tree in the backyard of her family’shouse in St. Martinville. Her letter survived 102 years. It outlastednearly everyone who wasalive when she wrote it. Across acentury and across Louisiana, for the mostpart, the letterssay thesamethings in different handwriting.Come home. I’mproudofyou.Clean your room. Ilove you no matter what. And from amother in Switzerland: Deine Dich immer liebende Mutter.Your always loving you mother

Email Jan Risheratjan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

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Amother’streasured lettersfromher military son

BY SUSAN WALSH Contributing writer

My good friend Chuck visited me last Christmas and broughta hidden treasure.

Human Condition

Chuck and Igrew up as neighbors in the early 1960sinFerriday.His mother,Dorothy, the youngest of nine children,was born in 1941 in Rodessa. Chuck’smom passed away in 2018, afterwhich he found ascrapbook made by his grandmother chroniclingthe life and passing of her son. His name was Marshall Cox Jr., buthe went by Junior.Hewas Dorothy’s brother and the oldest child Marshall joined the Navy and wentoff to war in 1943.Dorothy never knew him. Chuck happened upon this scrapbook while clean-

MOURNING

Continued from page1D

on abrave face, but Iwas barely holding it together. I experienced everything in contrast —before andafter, here and not here. Seeing others with their mothers made my heart ache. Even though some time has passed, Iamkeenly aware of the space she once filled. Inotice the small moments when Istill want to reach out to her —towatch old westerns together,ask questions and hear her wisdom.

My feelings are more in check this year,but Idon’t expect that to make the day any easier.Infact, it might take more out of me. The first year,people expect the day to be hard They check on you, share encouraging words or simply listen. The second year is quieter.The calendar moves forward and so does everything else. Unfortunately,grief doesn’tfollow aschedule.

In New Orleans, we ac-

PROVIDED PHOTO Marshall Cox Jr., center,holdshis youngest sister,Dorothy. On either side of thesailor are his brothers, Jim and Tom.

ing out his mom’shouse. It is a true time capsule. Marshall served on theUSS Swordfish submarine, which was lost at sea while patrolling the watersnear Okinawa, Japan, on Jan. 12, 1945. The letter reporting this tragedy to the family was written by U.S. Navy Rear Admiral A.R. McCann. It accompanied more official documents regarding the return of personal effectsand bond purchases. It was theletters written by Marshall to his parents, however, that really brought him back to life. One from Jan. 5, 1943, states: “Dear Mom,Dad and All, This thingisanawful mess. We are having somemissing or killed that Iknew real well. Dad, have you still got that old Ford running? Youbetter have because I am going to be back pretty soon! By theway,doyou get all the

now than it once did. We mourn losses while celebratingthe living. We start with adirge and endwith joyful movement. On this second Mother’s Day withoutmymom, I understand therhythm of grief alittle better.The sorrow doesn’tdisappear, and it can show upwhen youleast expect it.But it doesn’tget thelast word Somewherebetweenthe dirgeand the dancing, I’m learning how to carry both.

Tammy C. Barney is an award-winning columnist and veteran journalist whose work has been shaped by a lifelong connection to New Orleans. Agraduate of McDonogh No. 35, Loyola University,and Tulane University,she spent the bulk of her newspaper career at The Times-Picayune and The Orlando Sentinel. She can be reached at tlcbarney@ gmail.com

gasoline foritthat you need? I found out that we guys can get gasoline when we are on leave up to acertain amount. When Icome homeIwill see if Ican get it or not.Ohwell, it’sgood to think of that sometimes.”

In all of his letters home, Marshall also addresses Jim and Tom, his younger brothers. This is one postscript from him:“Jim, how have you andTom been getting along these days? Idon’tguess you like to go to school in this cold weather.I don’tblameyou but stay right in there. Be sure you help Mama allyou can around homethere. Youbegood boys and maybe Iwill get to see you pretty soon. Studyhard and makegood grades in school so you will grow up to be smart men.”

Excerpts from the last letter, dated Sept. 14, 1944, are especially poignant: “Well Iguess all the kids

have started school by now.Iwish Icould have been there to take them the first day.I,myself, have completed Radio School meaning Iwill be aRadioman, Third Class. Imiss all of you and certainly would like to see you. Tell Tom and Jim hello from me and keep all those cute girls there until Iget back. Always, your son, Junior.” In ashort four months, Marshall would be “on eternal patrol” with 88 other souls.

—Walsh lives in Baton Rouge.

Advocate readers may submit stories of about 500 words to TheHuman Condition at features@theadvocate.com or The Advocate, Features, 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. There is no payment, and stories will be edited.Authors shouldinclude theircityof residence.

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,May 10, the130thday of 2026. There are 235 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On May 10, 1869, agolden spike was driven in aceremony in Promontory,Utah, marking the completion of thefirsttranscontinental railroad in theUnited States

Also on this date:

In 1775, Ethan Allen andhis Green Mountain Boys, along with Col. Benedict Arnold, captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, NewYork.

In 1865, ConfederatePresident Jefferson Davis was captured by Union forcesnear Irwinville, Georgia.

In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was named acting director of the Bureau of Investigation (later known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI) by PresidentCalvin Coolidge; Hoover would serve as FBI director until 1972

In 1933, book burnings were held in 34 cities across Germany,targeting authors whose ideologies were in conflict with Nazism.

In 1940, during World WarII, German forces began invading the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and France. On thesame day, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned, and Winston Churchill formed anew government.

In 1960, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Triton completed the first submerged circumnavigation of the Earth.

In 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated, becoming the first Black presidentofSouth Africa.

In 1994, the state of Illinois executedserial killer John Wayne Gacy,52, for themurders of 33 young men and boys.

In 2014, Michael Sam was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the seventhround of theNFL draft, becoming thefirst openly gay player draftedbyaNational Football League team.

In 2023, Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican infamous for fabricatinghis life story,was indicted on charges that heduped donors, stole from his campaignand liedto Congress. (Santos pleaded guiltyinAugust 2024 and was sentenced to morethanseven years in prison; President Donald Trump commuted his sentence in October 2025.)

Today’sbirthdays: Basketball Hall of Fame

coach Jim Calhoun is 84.Musician-songwriter Donovan is 80. Fashion designer Miuccia Prada is 77. Olympicskiing medalists Phil and Steve Mahre are 69. RepublicanSen CindyHyde-SmithofMississippi is 67. Singer-activist Bono (U2) is66. Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks is 63. Model LindaEvangelista is 61. Rapper Young MC is 59. Racing driver Helio Castroneves is 51. ActorKenan Thompson is 48. Olympic swimminggold medalistMissy Franklin is 31

Oldbuilding, same oldneighbordisputes

Dear Miss Manners: Ilive in a vintagethree-flat condo buildinginChicago.

One recent morning at 6, Ireceived atext from my downstairsneighbor that read, “Tell your niece or nephew to stop running in the hallway It’svery loud.” Iwas abit stunned.

My 2-year-old niece had, in fact, briefly run down thehallway —but it was a single moment of toddler glee as her family was leaving the building. Iwanted to respond, “Yes, let me just explain the concept of condo living and shared acoustics to a2-yearold who recently graduated from diapers,” but instead I replied, “Good morning toyou, too, Sharon. The guests have departed the building.” Meanwhile, thesame neighbor’sdog barks at all hours, day and night,and alarge shoe

rack sitsoutside their unit door —aneyesore and afire-code violation. Since then, she seemstobeavoiding me. Idon’twant a neighborly cold war, but Ialso don’tfeel I owe her an apology Miss Manners, how does one navigatesuch lopsided standards —where atoddler’s footsteps prompt an early morning demand, but abarking dog and hallway hazards go unaddressed?

Gentlereader: Save for that somewhat sarcastic “you, too, Sharon,” your response was perfectly polite. Perhaps it successfully shamed your neighbor intosilence —and will also shame her intocleaning up her space and quieting her dog.

Butprobably not.Miss Manners thereforesuggeststhat

you waitareasonable length of time and send her anote, politely asking if those things can be addressed. Your speaking about it directly may also help alleviate any retaliatory need forsarcasm.

Dear Miss Manners: Three months ago, my husband was killed in acar accident. Our children and Ihave been struggling personally,spiritually and financially since the accident. It feels close to impossible. When I’m at work or out in public, people have been approaching me and asking, “How are you doing?” The thing is, they don’treally want the answer.That would be something like, “I’m heartbroken and miserable and Iwasn’t able to bring myself to shower this morning. My youngest child hasnightmares all night, every night, so none of us have slept, and we’re going to

have frozen pizza for dinner for the fourth night in arow Sometimes it feels like Ican’t breathe,” followed by tears. Irecognize that that’stoo much. If Isay something neutral, like “We’re getting by” or “Every day is different,” Iget pressed forfollow-up details, which again leads to tears. Changing the subject is ineffectual, as people ignore the pivot until they get the response they are looking for. What Iwant is to not have this conversation at all. Is there something Ican say that is polite but firm and makes it clear they should stop asking?

Gentle reader: “I appreciate your concern, but Ifind it too difficult to talk about right now.When Iamready,I will let you know.”

Sendquestions to dearmissmanners@gmail. com.

Dear Heloise: The French have asaying: “Scents are made to be discovered, not announced.

Montana

SpeakEnglish well

—David K., in Buffalo, New York David, this is very true. But unfortunately, somepeople bothmen and women —don’t understandthe phrase “less is more.” —Heloise Humidifier hint

from

Dear Heloise: I’m not sure how well this is known, but it took us years to learn it. We use room humidifiers, especially at night, because we live in adry climateinMontana. Before, we used water from the cold water tap that was untreated, and we would experience small white particles that accumulated on nearby furniture and flooring. We learned to use water from the hot water tap that had been treated (“soft water”), and this completely eliminated the deposits. —Brent C., in Billings,

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Dear Heloise: By the time my little sister graduated from college, we had four English majorsliving under our roof. My mom was amusic teacher, but she was justasconcerned about grammar and pronunciation as the rest of us.The word“February” was one of her pet peeves. My dad taught high school history and was obsessedwiththe correct pronunciation of “mischievous” and “caramel.” Ifollowed my dad into theteaching field and taught bilingual education at the elementaryschool level for 17 of my 27 years.Having begun as an English major,Iwas very interested tolearnthat pointing out issuesinSpanish to my studentswas alsoimportant when developing good, fluent English. I’ve heard appalling grammar in the classroom.“I’d have went” is acommon mistake made in the classroom,as well as “I seen it!” Partofthe

problem with the classroom is that they keep adding more responsibilities to the teacher’s day.It’sdisturbing that our students don’teven know how to sign their names because handwriting isn’ttaught in the classroom.When students grow up in homes where their own families don’tspeak good standard English, it is difficult for them to know that what they are actually speaking is substandard English. Iwas motivated to write by another Lori H. from California! —Lori H., in California Lori, young people need to understand that proper English is very important, especially when youget out in the world and need to apply for ajob. If you’re in arole that represents your company,your employer will want someone who speaks well, sounds educated, and gives agood impression.

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important from the way you dress to the way youspeak. So, speak correctly and edge out the competition. —Heloise Homemade icepops

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“Medicare&You,” Centersfor Medicare& Medicaid Services,2025. 2 “Aging changesinteeth and gums”, medlineplus.gov,4/17/2022. 3 FairHealth, Inc. National average dental fees.Datacurrent as of July 2025;subject to change

“Absolutely love” “I absolutelylove my dental insurance. My dentaloffice files the claims,leaving me with very littlebalancetopay.” DorothyP TN

FACES IN LIGHTS FA

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

New Orleans social media personality Korey Sam was on time for his appointment in Terrytownlast Thursday morning before he got delayedoutside his destination by two fans asking for aphoto. After some quickpicsand chitchat, SamheadedinsideSugaBaby Cosmetics so amakeupartistcould get to work transforminghim into oneof the characters he plays online. For many,itwould beanunusual waytospend aweekday morning, but for asketch comedy artist whose videos have earned himmore thana million social media followers, it was just another dayonthe job Posting underthe handle “Korey with aK,” Samisn’tahousehold name —atleast not yet. But he’san example of anew type of celebrity: asocial media influencer whomakes aliving online thanks to aloyal niche audience.

And he’sfar from alone. Dozens of Louisiana creative entrepreneurs make aliving or asignificant portion of their income by posting online. These “middle-class content creators”aren’tglobal celebrities like Lafayette native Addison Rae, an influencer who has parlayed her fame into an acting and music career.But they’re abletogenerate significant revenue —six-figure salaries, in some cases —byleveraging theiraudience’sattention into ä See INFLUENCERS, page 2E

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Over the past couple of years, as Louisiana hasattractedanew waveofindustrial mega projects with construction budgets totaling some $90 billion, veteran maritime and logistics executive Gregory Rusovich has been picking up on acommon thread as he meets and works with the global companies building new plants and facilities in the state The ports, bargeoperators,

IDEAS INNOVATION &

TOPFROMLEFT:

Caitlin Minshew makes aliving creatingsocial media content and helping her clients do the same.

Alex Robinson, a NewOrleanian by wayofBaton Rouge, started creating videos about gardening and other topics during the pandemic.

Chasity Pugh augments her income as a digital marketing consultant withher own content about restaurants, bars, pop-ups, shops and products.

PROVIDEDPHOTOS

freight lines and other vendors these companies are hiring to transportthe tons of rawmaterials,equipment and machinery to buildtheir artificial intelligence data centers, power plants, refineries and liquefied natural gas export terminals are mostly located in other states. Rusovich is bent on changing that.

In late April, he announced anew joint venture between hisexisting firm, Transoceanic Development, and Houston-basedglobal logistics

ABOVE: Social media influencer Carla Pesono takes aselfieMay 2atthe New OrleansJazz&HeritageFestivalatthe Fair Grounds.

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

LEFT: Makeup artist Chilli Fontenot helps NewOrleans sketch Comedian KoreySam —better knownas‘Korey with aK’— getinto character recentlyat SugaBay Cosmetics in Terrytown.

STAFF PHOTO By RICH COLLINS

Maritime industry vetaimstogrowstate’s port traffic

company UTC Overseas. The new company— called UTC Transoceanic, or UTC Transo —will be based in New Orleans and solely focused on getting thecompanies building mega projects around the state and getting generous breaks on their stateand local taxes in the process— to utilizeLouisiana’s portsand logisticscompanies to do the workfor them.

“Wehavetoget outofthis Texas-centricmindset,” Rusovichsaid during an interviewat theHenrietta, aboutique hotel on St.CharlesAvenueofwhich he is apartowner.“If you’re do-

ingprojects in Louisiana, you need to be using Louisiana infrastructure, vendors and suppliers.”

“Otherwise, these investments will come here, and we won’tget the jobs and the tax revenues that they bring,” he said. UTCTransoiswhatisknownin the logisticsworldasa“freight forwarder” —a company that handles moving cargo from the manufacturer or supplier in whatever corner of the globe it originates to the end user

INFLUENCERS

sponsorship deals with brandsand businesses that want to reachlocal buyers. Called “nano” or “micro”influencers in industry lingo, these creatives are agrowing part of a $250billion industry expected to doubleinsizethisdecadeasmarketers look for new waystotarget specific demographics in precise geographic areas

In Louisiana, top creators include food- and culture-focused influencers like Carla Pesono, Alex Robinson, ChasityPugh, Caitlin Minshew,and husband-and-wife teamNoah and Xavi Ingram.In Baton Rouge, Dr.Brittney Fusilier hascultivated ahalf-million fans of her posts about family life and wellness. And in Lafayette, ChasityTheriot has racked up millions of followersofher comedyvideos, many filmed in front of her bathroom mirror For these folks and the many whoaspire to join them, there is real money to be made, thoughthe jobrequires alot more work than their breezy onlinevideosmight suggest. It also comes with downsides, including unsteadyincome, no health insurance, publicscrutiny and increased competition.

To those in the trenches, the challenges are worth it.

“It’sadream job to promote worthwhile businessesand get paid for it,” said Pesono,a former WGNO-TV news anchorwho has become one of the region’sfulltimecontentcreators doing upbeat restaurant reviews. “And Imake threetimes what ImadewhenI was behind the anchor desk.”

‘Peoplewereoddly interested’

Many of Louisiana’sprofessional creators kick-startedtheircareers during the pandemic, when people had time to kill and were looking for ways to connect.

New Orleans native Pugh, who posts on Instagram as “letdatgirleat,” firstbuilt heraudience during the lockdown by making content about her takeoutorders

PORT

Continued from page1E

It’sacomplex and technical business that involves navigating import and export regulations, customsand ever-changing tariff rates, shipping goods across the ocean, finding aport with the best facilities and lowest rates to offload them then figuring out how to get the cargo —whether via barge, rail or truck —to its final destination.

UTC Transo will be specifically focused on moving project-specific breakbulk cargo to individual jobs sites around the state. That covers the massive pieces of specialized equipment, machinery andpiles of raw materials that weigh tens of thousands of tons.

UTC Overseas already does some of this work in the state, as do other global logistics companieswith mostly Houstonbasedheadquarters.

UTC Transo willbe the first one based in NewOrleans and unabashedly biased toward Louisiana.

STAFF

PHOTO

By

RICH COLLINS

Sketchcomedian ‘Koreywith a K,’right —whose social media accountshavemore than 1million followers —poses for aphoto with afan in Terrytown.

“People were oddlyinterested,” she said.“They wanted to seewhat youwere doing at home.”

Now Pugh augments her income as adigital marketingconsultant with her own content aboutrestaurants,bars, pop-ups, shops and products.

Robinson, aNew Orleanian by way of BatonRouge, started creating videos about gardening and other topics during the pandemic.

These days, she makesmost of her income by posting food and culture content withhelp from herhusband, Carlos Lee, apharmacist who has become abit of a localcelebrity himself because of their videos.

“He’sagood sport because he likesthe free food,” Robinson said.

Dozens of other Louisiana creators —including Lafayette TV personality Gerald Gruenig, who has racked up 1.5 million followers for his food and culture content are supplementing their income with prodigiousposting.

Sam andPesono, however,are among the few who live entirely off theproceedsoftheir work.

Sam workedina refinery andin sales before diving into his creative career full-time seven years ago, collaborating withother sketch artiststomake often profane skitsthatinsomecases earn millions of views.Inone of his most popular videos,he’swearing stage makeup to simulate cuts and

But UTC Transo is hiring and plans to expandtomore than 20 employeesinthe months to come. The new company also is looking to lease office space, preferably in downtown New Orleans.

“But thelarger goal,isto hireLouisianabarge operators, trucking companiesand other subcontractors,” Rusovich said. “Wewant to create atrickle-down effect.”

Losing marketshare

Though Louisiana is known for its historic maritime industry and port system along the lower Mississippi River,ithas nonethelesslost market share in the logistics businesstoHouston;Savannah, Georgia; Jacksonville, Florida; Mobile; and other Southern portsinrecent years for acoupleofreasons.

bruisesasheplays acharacter who just got beaten up by aromantic rival.

“I’m willing to spend on props to make the videos morebelievable, because that’swhat it takes,” he said.

Pesono,meanwhile,has posted thousands of food-related videos to her social accounts since sheleft her TV jobin2020, and she’s now grown hersocial media audience to well over 100,000 New Orleans food lovers, which makes her a marketer’sdream

Samand Pesono, atransplant from Buffalo,New York, have made severalvideostogether, including apopular one of him teaching herhow to talklike aNew Orleanian.

‘Modern-daycommercials’

Like their counterparts around the country,Louisiana-focused influencershaveattractedattention from businesses and advertising agencies looking to connect with specific audiences. Onebig reason is that datafrom social media platformsshows clients exactly who is seeing their message.

Another reason is influencers, thoughbeingpaid to promote, are able to build trust with their followers, said New Orleans ad exec

that Rusovichcan help sell clientsonthem.

“Greg understands what theseprojects need and how to connect them with what Louisianahas to offer,” he said.

Lookingfor leverage

While UTC Transoplans to use connections, data andthe best selling points to bring more logistics business to Louisiana, thereisn’tmuch leveragethe companyhas to convince its clients to ship through aportinsouth Louisiana over one in eastTexas

There’snolegal requirementthat companies doing big projectsinthe stateuse Louisiana logistics or freight companies or any other vendors forthatmatter during the constructionprocess or even, at all.

Cleveland Spears III.

“A simple smartphone video might reach more people thanan ad shot in astudio,” he said.

Margaret Tuskey,PRaccount supervisor at Peter Mayer,said her firmhas been working with local content creators for years, but it wasn’tuntil the last fewthat some have built big enough audiences to charge for their services.

“Now they’re really relevant to any consumer-facing brand or institution,”she said.

This revenue from advertisers, sponsors andpartnersiskey,creatorssay,because the platforms themselves— primarily Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube —onlymakebig payoutsto celebrities with many millions of followers.

So,togenerateincome,more niche influencers might charge a fee for aone-off videoorsign a long-term contract to represent abusiness or brand. Prices for avideo range from hundreds to thousands depending on the size of the business.

Samhas promotedlocal law firms, restaurants, clothing brands andmore to his core audience of 25-to40-year-olds. Pesono works for restaurants and food brands.

“It’s theWild West,” Pesono said.

portive of the state’scurrent approach toeconomic developmentand said UTC Transo is about trying to leverage the deals it is bring-

“Every creator setstheir own rate, and they have to figure out what they’re worth based on howthey can help abusiness.”

Caitlin Minshew, who earns most of her income from her “eatingwithcaitt” accounts while also providing digital marketing services to clients, said it took NewOrleans awhile to catch up to bigger cities, but now the local influencer marketplace is growing quickly

“Nobody watchesTVanymore, so we’re the modern-day commercials,” she said.

Busy days,and more on theway

Robinson, who posts something new almost every day,said she dedicates five hours aday to writing, filming, editing, postingand administrative work. Most weeks, she attends two or three events, recently judging acrawfish boil competition hosted by the New Orleans Saints. Pesono followsasimilar schedule,alsoleaving time for events, which have included interviewing Shaquille O’Neal at aSuper Bowlparty and taking aride in the Planters “Nutmobile” forapromo video.

It’sabusy life, but it’sone that sounds great to many people working 9-to-5 jobs.

In 2024, apollster reported that more than half of GenZsurvey respondentswantedtobeprofessional influencers. And, as online content creation has become a national pastime, colleges and universities have begunoffering influencer-focused degrees.

Aubrey Allison, who posts New Orleans political and cultural content as “Aubrey Avocado” while running adigital marketing firm, thinks there’sroom for moretalent at the table —especially in an era when artificial intelligence content is proliferating.

“I think people are craving more authentic and sometimes vulnerable content,” she said. “They want something meaningful, whether you’re trying to help asmall business or letpeople knowabout an election.”

Email RichCollins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com

ing to the state. “I am not trying to grow anew business beyond Louisiana,” he said. “I’m focused on serving these

Louisiana projects.”

EmailStephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

“Greg(Rusovich) understands what these projects need and how to connect them with whatLouisiana has to offer.”

MARCO POISLER, chief operating officer for Global Energy and CapitalProjects at UTC

“UTC hasrelationships in the state but now with Greg, we will be steering our clients to Louisiana,” said Marco Poisler,chief operating officerfor Global Energy and Capital Projects at UTC.

‘A trickle-down effect’ Rusovich has along history in maritime and logistics. He joinedTransoceanic Shipping, the global logistics company founded by his father,the late Basil Rusovich, in the early 1980sand expanded to 25 international offices. He eventuallytook the reins from his fatherin the late 1990s. In 2005, he sold to Kuwaiti-based PWC Logistics, staying on for several years as CEO before stepping down.

In 2011, he founded Transoceanic Development, which built on his logistics experience but focused on bringing food aid and humanitarian cargo to war-torncountries in Africa and the Middle East. In 2019, he sold off the partofthe company doing work in global hot spots but has kept asmall operation focused on Louisiana.

He currently has acouple of employees and works remotely

Part of the problems,Rusovich believes, is that Louisiana portsspecialize in dry bulkcargo, like grain and coffee, or in the case of the Port of New Orleans, container cargo. Theports are less well known for handling break bulk cargo,which includes the large, heavy equipment andcomponents needed to build anew steel mill or LNG export terminal. Rusovich and Poisler also believe thereisaperception that has turned into something of aself-fulfilling prophecy.Companies don’t use Louisiana ports and freight haulersbecause they view Texas as bigger,better, more affordable, efficient, whatever —which, in turn, drives morebusiness to Texas.

“Many companies,and we are guilty of this as well, think of Louisiana as agreat placetovisit with nice people, good food,” Poisler said.

“But people from Houston often manageprojects from Houston. If it’salong-term deal,they willcontract fora whilefrom Louisianathen go backtoHouston ” The trick to changing those perceptions is what Poislercalls a“multimodal approach” that starts with selecting the bestporttoget the jobdone. He said Louisiana has those facilitiesand

It would takepolicy changes to thestate’s economic development programs, whether through law changes or administrative rules, to put such requirements on incentive deals.Rusovich said he would welcome those kind of requirements Louisiana Economic Development

SecretarySusan Bourgeois said such mandates would workagainst thestate.

“I understand whypeople want it,but counterintuitively,mandates would makes us less competitive,” Bourgeois said. “The more requirementsweimpose, the harder it is to compete.”

The state has a“preference” clause in its cooperative endeavor agreements with large companiesthat receive incentive packages encouraging them to hire in-state vendors and contractors. At theend theday, though, the clause is only a suggestion.

“Weare very conscious of making sure we aremaximizing the opportunity for Louisiana businesses,” Bourgeois said.

Rusovich, who has worked closely with LED on projects and serves on Gov.Jeff Landry’s Board of International Commerce, is sup-

Banker: La. ‘is due for a 10-year run’

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

In 2020, longtime banker Joe Zanco left his position as chief financial officer for Home Bank — a large regional lender that ranks as the third-largest in the Lafayette region with more than 12% of its deposits, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. — to take the reins of St. Landry Homestead Federal Savings Bank, a tiny community lender with a nearly century-long legacy in the Acadiana area.

In the years since, Zanco has overseen efforts to grow the bank, which changed its name to Catalyst Bank in 2021, from $177.9 million in deposits to $195 million today and taken it public.

The number of locations has grown from four locations before going public to six today, and Catalyst recently announced plans to acquire Lakeside Bank in Calcasieu Parish, which, when completed later this year, will enable Catalyst to more than double its size.

In his more than four decades in banking, Zanco has weathered the ups and downs of Louisiana’s economy and has watched the fortunes of many friends ebb and flow These days, amid a string of recent economic development wins promising to pump hundreds of billions into the state’s economy Zanco is more bullish on Louisiana than he has been in years.

Officials with the office of Louisiana Economic Development have announced projects in recent months that, if they call come to fruition, will total $100 billion in capital spending and more could be on the way

“The optimist in me says that Louisiana is due for a 10-year run. If the political will is there, we can make some incredible things happen,” said Zanco, a St Bernard Parish native

In this week’s edition of Talking Business, Zanco talks about the bank’s growth in recent years, its recent merger, the decision to go public and what made him leave a large regional bank for what was then a small lender from a neighboring rural parish.

This interview has been edited for clarity

Tell me more about the Lakeside Bank acquisition.That bank is larger in terms of total assets. How does this help Catalyst’s future?

We looked at a couple of deals, but they weren’t the right fit for

us or weren’t the right price for us So we’ve been on the hunt and finally found the partner that we think is culturally aligned with us, that we could get a fair price and that is a market we feel really good about entering — Lake Charles and southwest Louisiana. We are more than doubling the size of our company in this transaction.

How does this grow your bank in regard to jobs? It means we will have the ability to add jobs to the community and start back-filling some of the

banking jobs we’ve lost due to being on the wrong side of mergers and acquisitions over the last decade. We’ve been in a cycle of losing banking jobs in the last decade, and we need to change that. If you think about how MidSouth Bank occupied that building downtown and the parking lot was full, they’re gone now When you think back 15 years — I think The Independent actually ran an article way back Lafayette was second to New Orleans in banking in Louisiana. We had these companies doing so well, and unfortunately it turned on us. Your bank raised $52.9 million in 2021 when it went public as St. Landry Homestead Federal Savings Bank before changing its name. How were you able to do that as a small bank in Opelousas?

Our community has a long history of a great deal of success in that space. It’s ultimately (due to) having a group of driven people come together to grow It’s a matter of who you surround yourself with. If you surround yourself with stagnant folks, you’re not going to achieve the type of growth that we’re going to see.

AROUND THE REGION

State’s small businesses recognized for driving growth

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

Small businesses that are creating jobs and spurring innovation were honored by Louisiana Economic Development at its annual Spotlight Louisiana Awards.

The awards are the marquee event of the agency’s Louisiana Growth Network, which provides small startups looking to scale with capital, programming and support The recognition honors small businesses driving economic growth. The awards typically recognized a group of “Growth Leaders” and a top “Growth Leader Legend,” but the agency restructured this year’s awards to honor winners in five categories, including Small and Emerging Business of the Year, Excellence in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovative Company of the Year

This allows LED to recognize small companies that are having meaningful growth, said LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois. She called the Spotlight Louisiana Awards “the most important event for small businesses all year” because it highlights companies and the kinds of jobs they create “It is making sure we are elevating the work we do in the space and the accomplishments of these businesses themselves,” she said.

Donaldsonville-based Marks Construction notched this year’s Small and Emerging Business of the Year award. The company, which specializes in residential construction, commercial construction and roofing, was founded in 2017 by Jay Marks, a former assistant strength and conditioning coach at Tulane University Marks said he started the business after he saw out-of-state contractors try to take advantage of those who experienced property damage from Hurri-

Louisiana Economic Development’s annual Spotlight Louisiana Awards honored small businesses driving economic growth.

cane Ida. The goal was to provide local, trusted construction services.

Small businesses make up 99.5% of Louisiana companies and employ more than half of the state’s workforce, generating about $5 billion in sales annually

To power up the local enterprises, LED has rolled out a small business directory, appointed regional economic development organizations as points of contacts for businesses seeking to train or upskill their workforce and pilot-

ed an accelerator geared toward small to midsized businesses.

The Louisiana Growth Network supported 26,000 businesses last year, which secured a combined $1.45 billion in contracts.

The businesses were honored at a ceremony Thursday evening at the Manship Theatre. The event also recognized winners of awards from the Small Business Association, Louisiana APEX Accelerator Louisiana Small Business Development Center and National Federation of Indepen-

dent Business.

“As a former small business owner, I know what it takes to build something from the ground up,” Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement. “The companies recognized at Spotlight Louisiana represent the hard work, innovation and determination moving Louisiana forward, and my administration is committed to making sure Louisiana small businesses are connected to the opportunities being created across our state.”

Louisiana’sMenhadenIndustryMarks Startof2026 Season with Annual Blessing of theFleet

Louisiana’smenhaden fishingindustry

officially beganthe 2026 season on April20, theday afterthe annual Blessing of theFleet in PlaqueminesParish. Thelongstanding tradition broughttogetherfishermen, their families,clergyand communitymembers to pray for asafeand successful season.Held in Empire,the Blessing of theFleet reflects generationsofcoastal heritage rooted in faith, family andadeepconnectiontothe Gulf Thefull dayofactivitiesincludedboiled crawfish, lively conversationsand children’s activities.There were also reflectivemoments, as captains andcrew membersbowed their headsontheir menhaden steamers to pray for thecomingmonths.

“The Blessing of theFleet isn’t just aboutthe season ahead,”saidFrancoisKuttel, President of Westbank Fishing. “It’sabout recognizing thegenerations of hardworkingfishermenwho have made this industry what it is today.”

Theevent wasalsoatimefor Plaquemines Parish families to remember what the menhaden industry meanstothem Dozens of attendees pointedout that the fishingseasonisaway of life for multiple generations. In fact,several notedthat theirparents,grandparents, adultchildren, cousins, in-lawsand others have jobs that aredirectlytiedtothe menhaden industry “Daybrookand Westbank areinvestedin ourcommunity.Theygiveusa chance to do somethinginour hometown,” said Sara Nelson,alifelongresidentofEmpireand a six-year employeeofDaybrook. “IfIdidn’t have this position here, Iwouldn’tbeable to live here.” ACornerstone of Louisiana’sCoastal Economy Formorethana century, Louisiana’s nutrient-rich estuarieshavesupported one of themostproductive menhaden fisheries in theGulf. Today, thefishery is powered by twoLouisiana-based,U.S.-owned-and-

operated companies–WestbankFishingin Empire andOcean Harvesters in Abbeville –which together operateacombinedfleet of 27 vessels. Both companiesmaintain U.S.-built,U.S.-owned, andU.S.- crewed vesselsincompliancewithfederal maritime standards. Each workswitha processing partner–DaybrookFisheries for Westbank andOmega Proteinfor OceanHarvesters. Together,the industry generates approximately$419million in annual economicoutput, supports more than 2,000 jobs, andcontributes over $62million in goodsand services across32parishes.

“Onceyou gettothe southern endofthe parish,thisisthe biggestindustrythat’s here,” said Niko Tesvich, presidentofthe PlaqueminesParishSchoolBoard

Menhaden aresmall,nutrient-rich fish foundinabundance alongthe Gulf Coast andplayanimportant role in both the marine ecosystemand Louisiana’seconomy Harvestedusing purseseine nets,the species is processedintofishmealand fish oil–essentialinputsfor aquaculture, U.S. pet food,livestock feed,and humannutrition –valued fortheir high omega-3content Science-BasedManagementand Industry Innovation

Louisiana’smenhaden fisheryiswidely recognized as oneofthe most sustainable in theworld andwas recently recertified by theMarineStewardship Council followinganindependent, multi-year review of environmentalperformance, bycatch, andmanagement. Ongoingstock assessmentscontinuetoshowhealthy and stable populations.

“Louisiana’s menhaden industry is builton accountability,”Kutteladded.“Weoperateunder themostrigorousstandards in theGulf, andwe have consistently met–and oftenexceeded –those expectations throughscience-based management andcontinuousinnovation.

The2026seasonalsoreflectsupdated nearshorebufferzonesapprovedbytheLouisiana WildlifeandFisheriesCommissioninlate2025 Thechangesexpandprotectionsinecologically sensitiveareas,includingtheChandeleurIslands andIsleDernieres,while refiningaccess in historically fishedwatersbased on scientific analysis.Developed throughconsultationwith bothcommercialandrecreationalstakeholders, theupdated frameworkreflects abalanced, science-basedapproachtomanagingLouisiana’s workingcoast Recent findingsfromLouisiana’s $1 million state-funded bycatchstudy furtherconfirm theindustry’s strong compliancewithstate regulations. Thestudy foundtotal bycatch remainsbelow the5 percentcap established in law, with reddrumaccounting forjust3.4 percentoflandings. Thefindings underscore thefishery’slimited ecologicalimpactand reinforce that itsperformanceismonitored measured,and publicly accountable.

Theindustry hasalsousedthese findings to drivecontinued innovation. Westbank Fishinghas invested more than $6.5 million in advanced technologies andgear, including ultra-high molecularweightpolyethylene Spectra/Platinanetting,which reduces net tearsand fishspills, as well as modernized

electronic catchlogging andenhancedvessel tracking systemsthatimprove transparency andoperational awareness. In addition,newly deployed hose-end cage systemshelpprevent non-target speciesfromenteringvessels contributingtoa 24 percentreduction in incidentalred drum mortality.

LookingAhead As the2026seasonbegins, Louisiana’s menhaden industry continuestobalance economic strength with environmental stewardship. From theBlessingofthe Fleettothe final haul on November 1, the season reflectsacommitmenttoresilience, responsiblemanagement, andthe preservation of away of life that hasdefinedLouisiana’s coastfor generations. “Weput alot of hard hoursin. We work as agroup,” said Corey Powell,a Westbank employee of more than 18 years. “I believe in Christ.Heblesses ourfleet,our flagsand ourwhole crew.There wouldbenoother waytostart.”

With expanded protections, proven sustainability practices,and continued investment in innovation, industry leaders remain focusedonensuringastrongfuturefor boththefisheryandthecommunitiesitsupports

NATION &WORLD

AI

is coming forjobs, and‘We’renot ready,’labor expert says

BY ETHAN BARON

The MercuryNews(TNS)

William Gould, one of thenation’sleading experts on employment, sees artificial intelligence as a“locomotive coming down the tracks” with countless jobs in its path. He offers one major takeaway: “We’re not ready.”

The Stanford University law school emeritus professor,who headedthe U.S. National Labor Relations Board from 1994 to 1998 andthe CaliforniaAgricultural Labor Relations Board from 2014 to 2017, has spent his lengthy careerstudying labor andantidiscrimination law

His work has taken him to Washington, D.C., Detroit, London and South Africa. In 1972,hebecame the first Blackprofessor at Stanford Law after working as avisiting professor at Harvard University.Gould shed light on the looming threat to employment from artificial intelligence, possible social upheaval from massive job losses and how topping up income through “wage insurance” for workers pushed by AI into lowerpaying jobs may provide apartial solution.

Gould is the author of the recently published memoir “Those Who Travail and Are Heavy Laden.”

His remarks have been edited for lengthand clarity

Everymajor industrial revolution has eliminated some jobs andcreated new ones. With AI, is it different this time?

The breadth and depthofitare different. It is goingtoaffect so many traditional tasks. Some havealready been affected. Thus far,wereally haven’tseen much in the way of loss of jobs. But it’s coming.

What’sgoing to become of young people who are justcoming out of school and who are looking for work and who don’thave acollege education?

What frightens me is, as asociety,weseem to be focused on how big is it and what kind of jobs will

Stanford University professor emeritus William Gould,who recently released amemoir,‘Those

and Are Heavy Laden,’isa laborexportand advocate for ‘wageinsurance.’

Q&A WITH WILLIAM GOULD EMERITUS PROFESSOR, STANFORD UNIVERSITy

be affected, ratherthanpreparing the adequate safety net we’re going to need to confront whatever change takes place.

What do youexpect would be the effects of large-scale job losses?

Obviously,divisiveness, maybe racialand religious divisiveness.

But don’tforget, coming with that agenda were themostwild and hateful type of movements theKuKlux Klan.

nication. Thusfar we haven’thad very muchthatcan reallybecharacterized as …AIdislocation, but it does appear to be coming and we’re not readyfor it.

We’re the only industrialized country in the worldthat does not provide for substantial wage insurancegoing foryears, and providing for retraining and relocation.

What would wage insurance for people whosejobs arereplaced by AI involve?

We’ve had legislation… purporting to provide paytoworkers who aredislocated as aresult of trade issues, competition from foreigncompanies.The Republicans fought it,and it’s died. What wageinsurance does is to take the kind of conceptwhichwas enacted by Congress in the early 1970s andapply it to adifferent cause for layoffs, the technological innovation that eliminates work. The European countries, particularly theScandinaviancountries, have ledthe way in providingwage protection for workers who are laid off because of technological innovation.

It soundsveryexpensive— howwouldthe U.S. payfor that? It will be expensive.Surely a country that can spend abillion dollars aday on awar of choice can afford amodestcommitment for asafety nettoprotect workerswhose jobs arelost as aresult of AI.

You’ve been working forfair workplaces fordecades. What’s changedfor organized labor?

Looking at this morning’snewspapers …anumber of political people are saying that theUnited States is not for Muslims,and the Republican leadership refusesto rebuke that. Youjusthave to multiply that.

What’sstanding in the wayofensuring people displaced by AI willbereasonably supported and retrained?

Look what happenedinthe 1930s at the time of the Great Depression. This is what created the New Deal, this is what created the labor movement,this is what created theconceptofsharedprosperity.

The lack of political will and the increased inequality that exists in our society,and the influence that is reflected in thatincreased inequality: We’reina periodwhere thebillionaire class has obtained control over the workings of government, and perhaps ultimately much of ouravenues of commu-

Working

The primary reason we have uniondecline is the ossification of the movement. The movement has become bureaucratic Youdon’thave unions committed to bringing in newyoung people.The other problemisthis AI locomotive coming down the tracks, whichisgoing to wreak havocfor workers. Idon’t seeany kind of sustained national effort along the lines of providing for protection forworkers from the consequences.

GNO,Inc.Leads theNational Insurance Fight

Thankstoour Federal delegation andthe national Coalition forSustainable Flood Insurance that we lead, Congressisnow taking thenextstep.

Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA), joinedbyRepresentatives SaludCarbajal (D-CA), Gabe Evans (R-CO),and MikeEzell(R-MS), recently introduced H.R. 8439, theCommission on NaturalDisaster RiskManagement andInsurance Act, abipartisan bill to create anonpartisan federalcommission charged withstudying natural disasterinsurance affordability anddelivering policy recommendations to Congresswithin twoyears

Thecommission would assess thestate of natural-disasterinsurance markets, identifycoverage gaps, evaluate thefederal role in improving access andreducing costs, andreportbackwith concrete policy recommendations. Its membership would draw from theinsurance industry, stateregulators,emergency management experts, andacademic institutions.

Thecommission would also examine thefull landscape of risk-sharing tools, such as privatereinsurance, stateresidual markets, andcatastrophe bonds, to ensurerecommendationsreflectevery available option,including theprivatesector.The scopecoversthe full range of natural disasters Americans face:wildfires,hurricanes, floods, earthquakes,tornadoes, hailstorms, extremeheat, andwinter storms.

Thislegislation is endorsed by national groups including Americans for Financial Reform; BipartisanPolicyCenter; Coalition forSustainable Flood Insurance;EnvironmentalDefense Fund;Flood MitigationIndustry Association; NationalAssociation of Counties; andSmart HomeAmerica; manylocal groups arealso supporting.

GNO,Inc.has been at thecenter of theinsurance fight foroveradecade:

•In2012, GNO, Inc. formed theCoalition forSustainable Flood Insurance in response to theBiggert-Waters Act, which threatenedtospikeflood insurance premiums forhundreds of thousands of Louisiana homeowners

•Thatcoalition drovepassage of theHomeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, which passed theHouse with 306votes andcleared theSenate 72-to-1

•InJanuary2026, CSFI released awhitepaper concluding that, at aminimum, Congressshouldauthorize astudycommissiontoevaluate options and recommendanappropriate intervention

•InFebruary 2026, Rep. Carter andSen.Whitehouse held aroundtable on insurance affordability at GNO,Inc.’soffice,convening regional leadersfrom banking, mortgage lending,homebuilding, affordable housing,and resilience organizations. Acongressional commissionwas theconsensus next step

•H.R. 8439 is thatnextstep

Thankyou to all ourpartnersfor helping to keep GreaterNew Orleans andthe nation safe andaffordable

Fool’sTake:

Recession-proof stock

If you’re worried about arecession, perhaps due to globaleconomic and political turmoil, youmight want to focus your stock investing on companies that tend to stand up well no matter what the economy is doing. Garbage collection tends to be arelatively resilient business, so afine candidate is the trashhauling giant Waste Management (NYSE: WM), which hasbeen rebranding itself as WM. WM has North America’slargest disposal network and collection fleet. It’sthe largest recycler as well, and aleader in producing and usingrenewable naturalgas

The company also provides regulated medical waste and secure information-destructionservices Its vertically integratedassetnetwork of 506 waste transfer facilities, 262 landfills, 105 recycling facilities and 18 medicalwaste incinerators gives it unmatched scale in the industry

WM’strash hauling and recycling businesses generate robust cash flow.Last year,itproduced $6 billion in net cash flowfrom operating activities (up 12.1% from 2024). It’sallocating that cash flow to growingits business and shareholder value: It spent $400million to acquiresolid waste and recycling businesses last year.It’salso investing bil-

Staff report

SouthLouisiana businesses and nonprofit groups recently announced the followingpromotions, new hires and resignations.

NewOrleans

lions in sustainability growth projects. WM increased its dividend by 14.5% late last year,extending its growth streak to 23 straight years. Itsdividend yield was recently 1.5%.(The Motley Fool recommends WM.)

Fool’sSchool: Returnonequity

If you wanttolearnhow to study and evaluate companies as possibleinvestments, you should learn about various measures that will help you see how well a company is performing or how financially healthy it is. It can also be informative to compare acompany’sresults with thoseofother similarcompanies.Here’sanintroductiontoreturn on equity ROE is arelatively simple ratio —one numberdivided by another. To calculateit, you’ll divide acompany’s“netincome” by its “shareholder equity.” Both figuresare found in the company’s financialstatements. We’ll explain howtodothe mathnext,but youcan findROEs calculated for youatsome financialsites. Netincome typically appears nearthe bottomofthe income statement (which might be called the statement of operations, statement of earnings or profit and loss statement). It reflectsthe company’sprofit after all expenses have been subtracted from its revenue.Tocalculate ROE, you’ll needtotalnet incomeover the past four quarters (or over aparticular year)

Shareholder equityappearson the balance sheet.It’sthe result of subtracting totalliabilities from totalassets. If you’re looking at aquarterly report,you can approximateanannual amount by averaging the latestshareholder equity amount and the amount ayear earlier Divide net income by shareholder equity, and voilà —you have return on equity. Here’san example: Coca-Cola’snet income for 2025 was $13.1 billion, and its average shareholderequityover the year was $28.5 billion. Divide $13.1 billion by $28.5 billion, and you’ll arrive at an ROE of 0.46, or 46%.

The ROE shows how much profit —about $0.46 —isearned from each dollar of shareholder equityover ayear.The higher the ROE, the better Note, though: If acompany is carrying alot of debt (reducing shareholderequity), thatcan skewROE upward. Never base investment decisions on any single measure.

Ask theFool:

Womenatthe top

Howmanywomen are CEOsofbig companies? —J.V., San Diego

According to areportfromthe Women Business Collaborative, as of June 30, therewere47women serving as CEOsamong the S&P 500 companies. That’s 9.4%, up from 7.8% in 2024. Among the Russell 3000 companies —the 3,000 largestpublicly held U.S. companies —there were 227

PEOPLE IN BUSINESS

women as CEOs, or 7.6%. And among privately held companies withrevenue topping $1 billion, there were266, or 8.5%.

Current women who are CEOs include Mary Barra, General Motors; Corie Barry,Best Buy; Gail Boudreaux, Anthem; Jane Fraser, Citigroup; Adena Friedman, Nasdaq; Tricia Griffith, Progressive; Vicki Hollub, Occidental Petroleum; Reshma Kewalramani, VertexPharmaceuticals; Judy Marks, Otis Worldwide; Phebe Novakovic,General Dynamics; LisaPalmer, Regency Centers; Kristin Peck, Zoetis; Linda Rendle, The Clorox Company; Kecia Steelman, Ulta Beauty; Lisa Su, Advanced Micro Devices; Julie Sweet, Accenture; Carol Tome, United Parcel Service; and Kathy Warden, Northrop Grumman. What are PBCs?— T.N.,Greenville, South Carolina First launched in 2010, Public Benefit Corps. are atype of business thataims to balance the interests of shareholders with those of employees, customers and communities, often including the environment as well. They’re abit like nonprofits, but they’re alsofor-profit. Unlike nonprofits, theyget no special tax breaks. And unlike traditional for-profit companies, they’re required to list at least one specific public benefit that they will pursue.The rulesregarding PBCs vary by state,but they often give company directors the ability to act in the public interest with some protection from liability Most U.S. states now allow

PBCs. Some well-known ones include outdoor apparel maker Patagonia, eyewear retailer Warby Parker,social media company Bluesky and ChatGPT developer OpenAI.

My Smartest Investment: Did homework

My smartest investmentwas buying stock in Costco. Ihad becomeamember in 2011 and had studied and liked thecompany’s business model. Ialsochatted withsome employees and wasimpressedbyall the good thingsthey had to say—and their longevity

Je ff Mat -

tia has been hired as executivechef of Boomtown Casino &Hotel New Orleans in Harvey

Mattia was previously been managing partnerand chef at Pyre BBQinMandeville, executive chef at the Royal Sonesta andassistant executive chef at Hyatt Regency NewOrleans

Dr.Amelia Jernigan,a professor of gynecological oncology at LSU Health New Orleansand medicaldirector of cancer services

at University Medical Center New Orleans, has been named by LCMC Health as cancer service line director, arole focused on advancing cancer care andexpanding access to oncology services

Arnie Fielkow, af orm er president of theNew Orleans City Council and formerCEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans,

has been appointedbythe New York-based nonprofit Razom for Ukraine to lead a six-monthnational program called Communities for Ukraine to raise awareness and build advocacy for the war-torn European nation.

BatonRouge

Annie Claire Bass,the owner of SoSis Boutique and Annie Claire Designs, has been hired as the executive director of the West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce.

Dr.HannahCabre has been

hired as an as si st an t professor at LSU ’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center Cabre, who has trained at the center as apostdoctoral fellow for the past three years, will lead the newly established Aging, Gynecology,and Endocrinology Laboratory

Across Louisiana Elizabeth Beard hasbeen ap-

Beard

pointed as th en ex t chancellor of LSU of Alexandria Beard, who is LSUA’s provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, will take over thechancellorship from Paul Coreil on July 1. Do you have personnel changes to shareorother ideas for our business coverage? Drop us aline at biztips@theadvocate.com.

Fewindustriesdependonsuchavastarray of raw materialsand high-techproducts, or have such complex business relationshipsamongsuppliers,designers, vendors, or contractorsasthe construction industry

JonesWalker’sConstruction Team helpsclients from across theindustrymanage allofthese moving parts

We understand thecomplexdynamicsbetween —and theuniquepriorities of —industryparticipants andcraft solutions that minimize disputes,manage risks,and help keep projects moving from conception to completion

Ourclients’projectsare equallydiverse andinclude major infrastructure, manufacturingfacilities andplants,hospitals, marine facilities,and airports,aswellasthe products and services necessarytocomplete such facilities

Ownersoccupyapositioninconstruction disputes becausetheybearthe financial burden andrisks of projectfailure.Unlike contractorswho move on,ownerslivewith theresults foryears.Claimsmay come from contractors, subcontractors assertingliens or thirdparties alleginginjuryorproperty damage,often long aftercompletion.

Privateownersenjoy flexibility butface exposure,while public owners operateunder strict rulesproviding protections —ineither case,aprompt responseiscritical. Enforcing notice requirements,preservingdocuments, andrelying on contracts, insurance, and indemnityprovisionsgiveownersa defense, while contract enforcement andearly strategy protectbusinessinterests

Jones Walker is proudtohelpleadthe wayfor Louisiana’sconstruction industry as it navigates acomplex legal environment.

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

South Louisiana contractor is not trying to do it all

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Just as the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic began shutting down the economy in March 2020, a trio of construction industry veterans decided to walk away from their steady jobs at an established general contractor and start up their own small firm.

It was nothing if not optimistic. But six years later, Trine Builders has eight employees, $12 million in annual revenue and a growing reputation for revitalizing historic buildings in New Orleans, a city with no shortage of 19th- and early20th-century structures.

Among the projects to the firm’s name are the renovation of a Warehouse District building on Julia Street anchored by Peche restaurant and several art galleries; the former Riecke Cabinet Works building on Tulane Avenue, which a generation of New Orleanians will remember as the Lighting Inc showroom; and, more recently, the multiphase renovation of Rayne Memorial Methodist’s Uptown campus.

“We don’t want to be one of those big general contractors where they’re just machines and they go after every single job and it’s about volume,” said Kyle Hebert, who cofounded Trine Builders along with Derek Gardes and John Segura.

All three had worked together for nearly a decade at Ryan Gootee General Contractors before launching Trine. Hebert, Trine’s projects partner, and Gardes, its treasury partner, subsequently bought out Segura, and now they each own half of the firm.

Trine has a deliberate way of approaching its projects, Hebert said. First, it only takes on private commercial work no public bids, no residential builds.

Plus, about 90% of its contracts are negotiated, rather than awarded through a hard bid process.

That means Hebert and Gardes are usually in the room before the designs are finalized, allowing them to collaborate with architects and

owners to ensure the project can remain within budget and on schedule from the start.

“We like to be very hands-on,”

Hebert said “We’re typically at every owner, architect, contractor meeting with the clients so that we can make decisions quickly It doesn’t have to go up the chain,” he said.

At any given time, the firm handles up to six projects, ranging in size from $500,000 to $10 million.

All field work and skilled trades are subcontracted out, while Trine’s staff handles project management and supervision. That means the small team has to wear a lot of hats as it competes for work against bigger contractors with larger staffs.

“I handle all the estimating, all

the pre-construction, as well as the field operations,” Hebert said. “Where they have teams of estimators, and teams of people on the pre-construction side and then they hand it off to a team of operations and project managers.”

Building loyalty

Tony Gelderman, an attorney and real estate developer, was the developer on Trine’s first project and he has returned to the firm for two subsequent projects.

Gelderman was familiar with Hebert from before Trine’s founding. Hebert had been project superintendent for the renovation of Fidelity Bank’s headquarters, 353 Carondelet St., and Gelderman was a limited partner on the

project, which was beset by supply chain and other challenges during construction.

“It just became clear to me that he was sort of saving the day,” Gelderman said.

What the developer saw while attending weekly on-site contractor meetings for the project stuck with him. He described Hebert as unflappable, organized and straightforward, someone good at dealing with people.

“So when I heard that he was going out on his own to start his own firm, I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got to try them,’” Gelderman recalled.

That relationship led to Trine’s first project, a renovation of Gelderman’s building at 450 Julia St., the Peche restaurant building.

They teamed up a second time for the exterior restoration of the 36,000-square-foot former home of Riecke Cabinet Works. That work, which involved uncovering the building’s original 1924 facade, restoring its steel windows and shoring up the structure, earned the development team a 2024 Excellence in Historic Preservation award from the Louisiana Landmarks Society For the next stage of the building’s development, now in its design phase, Gelderman selected Trine again over proposals from two other two contractors. Work on the $3.5 million interior buildout is expected to begin soon to convert the second floor to artist lofts and the first floor to light industrial and commercial uses. Trine is also engaged on several other projects around town,

including the Rayne Memorial renovation, an office renovation in the downtown Hancock Whitney Building and a pair of projects on Magazine Street — one turning the former Uptown Pharmacy into a restaurant and another turning a former Popeyes into a suit store.

Though Trine has continued its steady year-on-year growth, it isn’t easy When managing historic renovations in New Orleans, the unexpected becomes routine, from crooked columns and century-old artifacts to underground fuel tanks and streetcar lines.

“Feels like every time we dig into the ground to start doing new foundations, we find new things,” Hebert said.

With such a small team, Trine has limited room for error One bad hire or one project that goes sideways can throw a wrench into the whole operation.

Still, Trine is looking to continue its steady growth and is exploring an expansion into the Baton Rouge market.

“We’re not trying to be this massive, $100 million firm,” Hebert said. “Find out what you do well and don’t try to do it all.” By targeting projects up to $10 million and limiting its focus to private commercial work, Trine has carved out a fruitful niche for itself in the New Orleans area without overextending itself.

“Find out what you do, do it well,” Hebert said, “and don’t try to do it all.”

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com.

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Mind your health

Doctors discusswhatLouisianans should know abouttheir brains

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staffwriter

Stay socially connected. Decrease stress.Get enoughsleep

Eat realfood.Have purpose. While it sounds relatively basic, these “five pillars of healthy brain aging”havelong beencirculated as the best tools for longevity nutrition,physical activity, socialengagement, cognitive stimulationand purpose.

But, the definition of brain health hasalways been fluid, according to Dr James Rini, abehavioral neurologist whospecializes in memory and cognitive disorders at the Ochsner Neuroscience InstituteinNew Orleans.

tial patients to theright treatment trials and research studies,hopes to build an “adequate” team and system to identify andtreat patients who qualify forcognitive treatments.

“We’reataninflection point in neurocognitive care,”said Dr Karen Blessey, aprimary care physician for Ochsner Healthin NewOrleans. “Dr.Rini has been at the forefront of coming up with,ordoingthe research, that is changing how we feel about dementia and cognitivedecline.”

“I think brain health is the ability to stayengaged,” Rinisaid. “It’show you as ahuman are part of agreater whole —not just your physicalenvironment, but your personal environments. How you achieve your long term objectives,yourdecision making, your relationships and your sense of purpose.”

Neurologists, or doctors of the brain like Rini, are battling a changing technological landscape, adwindling workforce and an influx of more treatable patients as medicineadvancesfor cognitive disorders and decline.

Rini, who is working within Ochsner’ssystem to streamline poten-

Although Rini and Blessey areworkingto improve the state’s presence for brain disease, Louisiana still ranks among the nation’s worst statesfor cognitive decline.

Over 95,000 people in Louisianaare living with Alzheimer’sdisease. That’satleast one in eight adults.

“Weexpect this to increase with theour baby boomer generation. Probably an increase of 20% over the next five years,” Rini said. “Even though we areatthe bottom in terms of the problem in its current form, Ithink we have one of the best possibilities to actually solve the problem in theStates.”

Newinfusiontherapies

Thereare two mainproteins thought to interfere with thecom-

munication between brain cells in certain dementias —tau and amyloid.

Alzheimer’sdevelops when there is an excess of amyloid scar tissue, an abnormally folded protein thatbuilds up in everyone’s brain given along enough time period. People areliving longer, thereforeit’snot uncommon for amyloid proteins tobuild up in the brain.

“Everyone getsa little bit of amyloid,” Rini said. “Not everyone getsAlzheimer’sdisease.”

If too much amyloid develops, caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or tumors,itcan clog thebrain’s drainage system and produce abnormaltau proteins. This dysfunctional tauistoxic to neurons, causing themtodie and brings on the thinking difficulties that underpin dementia.

“Weactually can’tdirectly stop tau,” Rinisaid. “Our goal is to go upstream of that —catching amyloids as early as possible before that cascading failure occurs.”

Allofthe biomarkers forAlzheimer’s, dementia andother brain aging diseases perform slightly differently in the brain. Certaintau proteins build into plaques, others form in blood vessels. All cause different brain diseases.

New IV infusion therapies —every two weeks for lecanemab and every four weeks for donanemab —target amyloid plaques in the

ä See MIND, page 2X

Close the doors, buckle up

Dr.Scott Hamilton says to ‘teach children early’ aboutcar safety

BY SCOTT HAMILTON

Contributing writer

This is acolumn in aseries from Dr.Scott Hamilton, director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center,offering practical guidance on preventing and treating illnesses and injuries so kids can stay healthy and out of the emergency department.

Hamilton

Imagine you’re parked on the roof of athree-story building. You put the car in gear and drive off the edge. The ground rushes up in your windshield. The impact from landing off the building equals about a30-mph crash. Youprobably wouldn’tdrive off aroof yourself,though your teenager might say,“Hey y’all, watch this!”

If you did, you would certainly put on your seat belt. Given today’sair bags and crumple zones, you would likely survive, though you’d be shaken up.

This illustration showsthe forces involved in car crashes and reinforces that wearing aseat belt is agood idea. Many people don’texpect to be in acollision, and mostnewer vehicles do have seat belt alerts, but they don’talways prevent people from driving unbuckled or from buckling children correctly.And you wouldn’t drive off that roof with your children in the car

Humans have anatural fear of falling from heights. Our ancestors developed that fear to survive and pass it on. That instinct is built into us.

Cars, however,have only been around forafew generations, not long enough to shape behavior the sameway.Understanding danger on the highway is moreintellectual than instinctive. And some, especially teens, don’trely on that judgment.

Parents must engage their brains. Put your kids in appropriate car seats. Teach children early,before the eye-rolling years, to buckle up before the car moves. Good habits are best learned early

Many times in the emergency room,after acrash involving unrestrained or improperly restrained children, parents often say,“We were just going to grandma’sdown the road.”

Most crashes happen within a fewmiles of home. Seat belts go on before the car moves, every time. Asimple checklist can help: makesure everyone is buckled, confirm doors are closed, put

ä See HAMILTON, page 2X

Animal-based products make way into cosmetics

Consumer interest in such products on the rise

BY AYA DIAB, AMY TAXIN and MELINA WALLING Associated Press

Bryan Vander Dussen spent years as a dairy farmer before shifting to selling farm-raised beef. In the past year, he and his wife have been making another transition: Cooking up recipes in their kitchen that turn organ fat from his animals into tallow balm that buyers are eager to slather on their skin.

One tricky bit: Coming up with formulas that don’t smell like pot roast.

“You see it everywhere, so we were like, ‘Why don’t we do this?’” he said. “Some of the feedback is, ‘We don’t want to smell like beef,’ so we add things like lavender and wild orange to kind of counter that potential beef smell.”

From moisturizers made with beef tallow to salmon sperm facials, consumers have become more interested in animal-based skin care products in recent years. Promoted as natural alternatives to synthetics, they’re gaining popularity across social media and high-end spas as well as at farmers markets and in home kitchens.

Some experts connect the products’ rise to an increased focus on the health impact of chemicals as well as pro-meat messaging from the Make America Healthy Again movement.

“There’s been a movement in the last couple of years to embrace animal-based foods,” said Norah MacKendrick, an associate professor of sociology at Rutgers University who has studied why consumers are worried about chemicals in their personal care products “I

Skincare products made from salmon

have become more interested

think some of that is probably spilling over into the cosmetic world.”

Natalee Keenan, 31, said she was looking for natural skin care products when she decided to give tallow a try The first product she purchased felt beefy and heavy on her skin, but the western Pennsylvania woman said she recently found a whipped tallow balm scented with coconut that feels much lighter “I use it sparingly,” she said, adding a tiny bit has been enough to keep her skin feeling smooth

Here’s what experts have to say about animal-based skin care, including cautions about a lack of medical evidence for their effectiveness. The cosmetics industry moved away from many animal-derived ingredients decades ago amid concerns about animal testing and disease outbreaks like mad

cow, said Perry Romanowski, an independent cosmetic chemist who studies how skin care ingredients are formulated.

For years, those concerns, along with the rise of vegan beauty products, pushed many brands to avoid animal-based ingredients altogether. But recently, some of those materials have started to reappear in skin care products and are often marketed as natural alternatives.

Jamie Moody, founder of Sonoma Mountain Beef in Northern California, said she started making tallow products in an effort to reduce waste. “Since the trend toward clean products remains strong, I believe the market will continue to grow,” she said.

Vander Dussen, the California rancher, said he and his wife are “just kind of jumping onto the fad that’s already there.” He added:

“In today’s world, it’s very important not only what you are putting on your face but where it comes from.”

Kelly Pratt, who owns a spa in Tampa, Florida, said demand for treatments like salmon sperm DNA facials have surged because clients report improvements over time. Cassandra Hutchison, an aesthetician who gives the treatments at the spa, said the ingredient is intended to repair skin and keep inflammation down. She said it helps in hydration, making skin look healthier and repairing damage to the outer layer of skin that keeps moisture in and irritants out. Prices vary, but a tub of tallow balm at Target costs about $15 more than a tub of petroleum jelly And while there are some salmon sperm products like masks you can apply at home, many have to be applied at a spa, which comes with its own costs. Still, that hasn’t

HEALTH NOTES

deterred some consumers, whose searches for terms like “beef tallow for skin” have jumped in recent years and remained higher than ever before, according to Google Trends.

Turning waste from an animal product into something people use is certainly an example of sustainability, experts said.

But neither beef tallow nor salmon sperm have robust medical data to support their effectiveness, said Dr Angelo Landriscina, a New York City dermatologist who has taken to social media to debunk what he sees as skin care misinformation.

Dr Heather Rogers, a Seattle dermatologist, agreed there’s no medical evidence that tallow on your skin is helpful. She said it can be rancid and hard to use, and additives to make it smell more pleasant can be irritants.

Romanowski, the cosmetic chemist, said consumers should keep their expectations realistic. He said only a few skin care ingredients, including retinol, a vitamin A-derived ingredient commonly used to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3 that helps with redness and strengthens the skin, have strong evidence behind them. Others, he said, may offer only modest benefits that are difficult for consumers to notice.

Corrin Dial, 32, owns Lowcountry Family Farms with her husband in South Carolina. Neither of them grew up farming, she said, but decided to try it after he got out of the Marine Corps. Dial said she was looking for a natural balm for her baby about two years ago and decided to try whipped tallow She said she thinks many people are coming to it to avoid chemical products, citing one customer who had cancer and was told by her

doctor to be careful of anything she puts on her skin.

“A lot of people are moving away from the chemical stuff, they’re trying to get into healthy eating and using more products where they know exactly where it came from,” she said. MacKendrick, the sociologist from Rutgers, speculated that mothers, who as a demographic have become increasingly aware of how chemical substances affect children, are driving some of the move toward animalbased cosmetic products.

“We find that mothers are making these decisions for the household,” MacKendrick said. “Buying cosmetics for children or personal care products for children is considered high-stakes work.” Landriscina pointed out that ingredients like salmon-based skin care getting touted as “the hottest new thing” can be rooted in an idea that other cultures, especially in places like Korea, are somehow ahead of the curve or have more innovation in their skin care.

That’s a bit different from the “back to basics” mentality that can draw people to ingredients like beef tallow But he said whether people are interested in something old or something new, their skin care choices should be rooted in evidence.

Romanowski said the beauty industry is under pressure to constantly introduce something new

“You should think of the cosmetic industry more like the fashion industry because you can only do so much with the shirt, right?” said Romanowski. “You can change the color, you can do some aesthetics thing, but it’s still a shirt and it’s the same thing with cosmetics.”

Diab reported from Tampa, Fla., Taxin reported from Santa Ana, Calif., and Walling reported from Chicago.

New board of directors officers picked at Woman’s Hospital

BY MARGARET DELANEY

Staff writer

Woman’s Hospital President and CEO Rene Ragas announced the newly elected board of directors officers in April. They will serve for the 2026-27 board year Woman’s Board of Directors includes:

n Janet Olson as the chair, n Nick Speyrer as the chairelect, n Dr Shawn Kleinpeter as the secretary and treasurer Call out for research participants at Tulane Researchers from the Mary Amelia Center for Women’s Health Equity at Tulane University are looking for participants in a study on family planning

MIND

Continued from page 1X

and pregnancy among women in same-sex relationships. The study aims to better understand familybuilding experiences among sexual minority women in the U.S. South. Participants will be invited to take part in a 60-minute interview and will receive a $50 gift card for their time. Interested in participating? Contact lead researcher Dovile Vilda at dvilda@

tulane.edu. Free mobile dental clinics avaiable

Ochsner LSU Health and Southern University Shreveport are teaming up to bring free dental care to the community through a monthly mobile dental clinic offering cleanings, fluoride treatments and consultations for all ages. The clinic runs every first Thursday at the Peggy Prescott Community Health Center, at 3810 Jewella Ave.

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.

HAMILTON

Continued from page 1X brain to slow cognitive decline. Patients caught in the earliest stages of the disease get the most benefit, which means catching symptoms before it’s too late is essential in the current treatment landscape.

“Once major neurological losses occurred, there is, at this time, no way to reverse it,” Rini said. “We have no therapies that can regrow neurons. We have no therapies that can rebuild networks, systems or ways the brain functions.”

‘Improve your brain health’

There’s no one factor that determines brain disease — the onset or the progression. It’s a multitude of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. There are also no hard-andfast recommendations on when, or at what age, people should begin screening for dementia.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if some of that comes out in the next five to 10 years,” Blessey said. “But right now, it’s more self reported, family reported, or whether a clinician notices it.” While cognitive slowing is common as people get older, cognitive decline comes with its own definitions.

Lawton’s Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale was developed to assess more complex activities necessary for function-

no one factor that

environmental and lifestyle factors, doctors say.

ing in community settings like shopping, cooking and managing finances, according to the American Psychological Association. Patients with active cognitive decline typically lose these abilities before basic functions like eating, bathing, using the restroom — are gone “Ask yourself, if I left my aging parent alone for a week, a month, what would I worry wouldn’t get done?,” Blessey said. “That’s a pretty good indication of where someone is at in cognitive

decline.”

Lifestyle changes early in life can go a long way in preventing the brain from aging more rapidly Sleep has been identified as “one of the easiest to treat modifiable risk factors for late life cognitive impairment,” Rini said. Managing blood pressure, decreasing stress and getting out into the world keeps the brain “socialized” and “active.”

“Our culture always wants a pill or an easy thing,” Blessey said. “Put the phone

down. Get out of the pharmacy Go for a walk. Go visit your grandmother and learn

to knit with her If everyone did that, it would put us out of business.”

phones away Teen drivers are tougher Once they are driving alone, they are less likely to listen. Set clear rules early and reinforce them often: phones off and out of reach, no eating and no passengers. Some argue states should raise the driving age to 18 when judgment is better (Maybe?)

Finally we often put teens in cheap old beaters that won’t cost much to fix after a fenderbender That may make sense financially, but those vehicles lack modern crash prevention and safety features. “You mean, put my reckless teen stunt driver in the newest, most expensive model just to get it bashed up?” It sounds counterintuitive, but a newer, safer car gives a teen a better chance of walking away from that rooftop-equivalent crash.

EatFit LiveFit

BROUGH TT OY OU BY

EatFit forthe mind: food forthoughtstraight from mom

Mostofusdon’thavetothinktoo hardtoremembersomethingour momusedtosaydowntothe exactwords,toneandeventhetimingofit.

Someofitmadesenserightaway. Someofitdidn’tlanduntilyearslater.And someofitstucksimplybecauseitwas repeatedenoughthatitbecamepartof howwethink.

Frommyownmom,therewasn’tjustone line;Itwasacombinationofhowshelived andwhatshesaid.

“Ifyouwantsomethingdone,don’t waitaround—figureitoutandmakeit happen.”Thatwasherapproachtopretty muchallthingsinlife.Butjustasmuchas sheemphasizedindependence,shewas equallyclearabouthowmuchsheloved thepeopleinherlife.Shedidn’tholdback.

“Iloveyoutothemoonandback, witheveryfiberofmybeing.”It’s somethingIheardthroughoutmylifeand eveninthelastconversationsIwasable tohavewithher.Shewasquicktosayshe wasproudandneverleftyouguessing whereyoustood.

ForMother’sDay,Iaskedfriends,family andcolleaguestoshareadvicethattheir mom,oramotherfigure,gavethatstayed withthem.Herearesomefavorites:

TheOnesWe HeardGrowingUp

Mymomalwayssaid, “Nevercookbaconnaked.” ShewasCajunFrench,raised inLafayette—practical advice,andstillrelevant.

JimUrdiales

Mymomwouldremindme toalwaysbekindtothe kidsyouwenttoschool with.Youneverknowwhen yourpathswillcrossagain.

AshleyMerlinGold

“Makeyourbedfirstthing inthemorning—you’ve alreadyaccomplished somethingbeforeyoueven leavethehouse.”It’ssucha smallthing,butmymomknew itsetthetonefortheday.

PeytonCherry

Onethingmymom impressedonmewasto neverfeelsorryformyself. She’dsay,“Ifyoufeel down,getupanddo somethingforsomebody else.”Shedidn’tjust sayit—shelivedit. GinnyWalkerShurds

TheOnesThat StuckLater TheOnesWeStill HearinOurHeads

Mymomwouldsay,“Try nottoarguewithsomeone, evenifyou’reright.The truthcomesoutintheend. Saveyourselfthestress.”

VivianDemarinis-Haik

IfIcomplainedabout something,mymomwould say,“Ifyou’renotpartofthe solution,you’repartofthe problem.”It’sstillsomething IthinkaboutwhenIcatch myselfinthatmindset.

CatherineCampanella

Mymomwouldsay “Show meyourfriends,andI’ll tellyouwhoyouare.”It madememoreawareof whoIspendtimewithand howmuchthatshapesme.

KristinaLarson

Itsoundedstrangetomeat thetime:“Don’tjudgeothers byyourownelbow.”Itwas mymom’swayofsaying, don’tmeasuresomeoneelse’s lifeordecisionsbyyourown perspective. DarleenCarlisle

Mymomtoldmebackinhigh school “Theanswerisalwaysno ifyoudon’task.”That’shelped mestepoutsidemycomfortzone multipletimessince.

LaurenBerry

Mygrandmotherusedtotellme, “Sitstilllongenoughtolisten —youranswerswillalwaysfind you. Atthetime,Ididn’t fullyappreciateit,butnow Iseeitdifferently JeannePowers(hergrandmother foundedthenearlycenturyoldBottomoftheCupPsychic ReadingsandTeaRoom)

“Itwillallworkout. WhenI starttogetoverwhelmedabout things,bothinandoutofmy control,sheisalwaysthereto remindmethateverythingwill landthewayitissupposedto.

CarriganChauvin

“NeversendadryChristmas card. Mymomwasemphatic thatyoudon’tjustsignyourname –addanoteandmakeitpersonal.

JaniceCulotta

Mymomusedtosay,“Ifit ain’tbroke,fixitanyway.” Hermindsetwastostay aheadofthings,andnever gettoocomfortable

TiMartin(hermom,Ella Brennan,wasthetrailblazingmatriarchwho transformedCommander’s Palaceintowhatitistoday)

Mymomalwaysemphasized handwrittenthank-younotes. Istillsendthemforholidays, birthdaysandanythingthat deservesacknowledgment.It wasimportanttohertoexpress gratitudeandrecognizeothers.

CurtisHerring

Mymompushedmetolearn howtocook.Shewantedme tobeabletotakecareofmyself andnotrelyonanyoneelse.

HankAllen

Mymomalwaystoldmeto dowhatmakesmehappyand followmyownpath,regardless ofwhatanyoneelsethinks.And forsomereason,Istillbelieve herwhenshesaidnottoshower duringathunderstorm.

AllieForeman

Noteverypieceofadvicewasperfect,andnotallofitmade senseatthetime.Butitcamefromsomeonewhopaidattention, wholovedusmorethanwecouldimagineanddidn’tholdback whenitcametotellinguswhatmattered.

Tuberculosis vaccineshows promise

Once-fatal diseaseevades treatment

BY KARL HILLE

The BaltimoreSun (TNS)

BALTIMORE Tuberculosis

infected more than 8million people in 2024 —surpassing COVID-19 and markinga record high since 1995 —as anew Johns Hopkins-developed vaccine emerges amid rising antibiotic resistance. The nasal spray,DNAbased vaccine targets two genes to help the immune system fight drug-tolerant

“persisters” thatsurvive prolongedantibiotic therapy andcontribute to relapse.

“Administered together with first-line TB drug therapy,our intranasal DNA fusion vaccine helpedinfected mice clear the diseasebacteria faster,reduced lung inflammation and prevented relapse after treatmentended,” said lead author Styliani Karanika, afacultymember of theJohns HopkinsCenter for Tuberculosis Research and assistant professor of medicine at theJohns Hopkins University Schoolof Medicine, according to a university website.

Delivering the drug as

BY THENUMBERS

anasal sprayfocuses the immune response on the mucus lining of the sinuses and lungs, where infections begin, she said.

Tuberculosis is an infectiousdisease caused by bacteria that typically infects thelungs after being spread by coughing, according to the World HealthOrganization. About 1.2 million people died from TB in 2024 among more than 10 million newinfections;roughly one in fourpeople worldwide carries the bacteria without symptoms, while 5-10% develop active disease. Babies andchildren are at ahigher risk of developingthe dis-

ease if they are infected. Common symptomsinclude prolongedcoughing, sometimes with blood, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever andnight sweats. The disease is usually treated with antibiotics and can be fatal without treatment.

More studies are needed before any human clinical trials can be approved, but Karanika said work with rhesus macaques verified successful immune activation.Her team published theirfindings in theFeb.3 issueofthe JournalofClinical Investigation. The work was funded by National In-

stitutes of Health grants, Hopkins andothersources.

Tuberculosis is preventable and curable, the organizationstates, yetmultidrug resistant strains of TB are agrowing public health crisis.

DATA SHOWSHOW MANy ADULTS

Less than 62% of Louisiana adults see a dentist each year,placing the state at 44th in the nation for annual dentalvisits.

Oral health is avital component of overall health. Oral diseases liketoothdecay,cavities and gum disease are common in adults and can cause pain, tooth loss and infection if left undiagnosed or untreated.

Poor oral health care is worse in adults than in children:

n In Louisiana, an average 61.2% of adults receiveannual dental care and 78.6% of children receiveannual dental care.

n In the United States, an average 67.5% of adults receiveannual dental care and 80.2% of children receiveannual dental care.

Cost of care is the most common reason reported for adults not having visitedthe dentist within the pastyear,evenamong those with private dental insurance.

Tennessee, Kentucky,Hawaiiand more states passed legislation expanding Medicaid access andthe role of midleveldental professionalsso more dental professionals can provideroutine preventiveand restorativetreatmenttypically

only performed by dentists.

These parisheshad the smallestpercentage of adultswho visited adentist in the past year:

n East Carroll Parish with 38.7%; n Tensas Parish with 41.1%; n Claiborne Parish with 42.2%; n Madison Parish with 43.5%;

n Bienville Parish with 44.8%;

n Morehouse Parish with 45.3%;

n EvangelineParish with 45.5%;

n Concordia Parish with 46.6%;

n St.MaryParish with 48.4%;

n AvoyellesParish with 48.5%;

n Franklin and Webster parishes with 48.8%;

n RedRiver Parish with 48.9%

These parishes had the highest percentageof adultswho visited adentist in the past

More than abuilding. Acommitment to care.

AtOchsnerNeuroscienceInstitute,wedeliverleading-edgecare forconditionsaffectingthebrain,spineandnervoussystem—from themostcommontothemostcomplex.Ourteamsusethelatest technologyandadvancedtreatments,butwhattrulysetsusapart isourlaserfocusonthewholepatient.

Thiscommitmenttocomprehensive,patient-centeredcareis reflectedintheDebraH.andRobertJ.PatrickNeuroscienceInstitute, openingfall2026.Thistransformationalfacilitywillbringtogether world-classclinicians,innovativeresearchandadvancedtechnology underoneroof,furtherstrengtheningourabilitytodeliverseamless, coordinatedneurosciencecare.

Throughexpertise,innovationandcompassion,OchsnerNeuroscience Instituteisredefiningwhat’spossibleinneurologicalcare.

Learnmoreatochsner.org/NewHomeForNeuro

FULL OF LIFE

WomeninBaton Rougehavefound theperfect waytodance,unwindand getto bedat9

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staffwriter

Before awoman strides up the grand staircase to the Parlor Room at The Country Club of Louisiana, she knows she’satthe right place for anight at the 5to9 Clubbythe sight of the 300-pound sequined, ruffle-adorned wooden birthday cake at the foot of thestaircase

The call of the discoballisn’tfar.And neither is 5to 9 Club founder Alyssa Lundy,who is releasing her inhibitions on the dance floor to Shakira’s “Hips Don’tLie” during the April night out.

Last year,Lundy started thewomenonly sober club in Baton Rouge that runs from 5p.m. to 9p.m. to offer women areprieve from adult responsibilities and emotionalburdens. Once amonth on Tuesdays,the ladiesgather to dance unapologetically,talkcomfortably and take pride in their girlhood at the beach club-inspiredparty

“It givesthem anight to themselves, once amonth, where they cansay,‘To hell with therestofthe world. If it’s all going to s---, I’mhaving my night outwith my girlfriends. I’m gonna go dance to allmyfavorite tunes from the ’70s,’80s,’90s,2000s.Ican sing my heart out. Ican dance,’ ”said Lundy, whose full-time jobisowningamarketing company calledWho Multimedia and Design.

Amidst cheering and whooping, songs like ABBA’s“Dancing Queen” andPitbull’s“Fireball” boomed through thespeakers at theCountry Club of Louisiana— which Lundy’s father, John Miller,helped establish in 1986. Lundy saysher father’sgoal was to open aspot where everyonewas welcome. She wants her club to exude thesame message Women25and older areinvited to show up in theirmost dazzling outfit or arrive straight fromwork.Come aloneorwithfriends.There is no right

or wrong way to do it.

“It’s judgement free. So,you can just come as you are,” said Melissa Dronet, aparticipantwho hasbeentoalmost every5 to 9Club event. “You’re getting to go out and have girltime.”

Dronet, amom of a28-year-oldson, hassince recruited other friends to joinher at the club,including people from her church, Healing Place. At theAprilevent, afriend droveinfrom New Orleans to join her.Since the club servesmocktails only,there’s no hesitation about driving back after the night ends

It was important to Lundy that her club be alcohol-free, because she lost oneofher best friends to alcoholism In honor of her, this club is asafespace where women can come to dance the stress away.There are also “listening tents” for group discussions with afacilitator to talkabout grief or mental health. Consider anight of dancing as a night of self care. In 2024, the National Institutes of Healthpublished astudy that found that the supportive nature and partnership of dance “enhances participant enjoymentand provides social engagement, accountability and psychological relaxation which may assist with managing mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression.”

The 5to9Club is also alow-stakes way to network and meet newfriends

Marcie Burns, who was oneofthe vendors at theApril eventwith her custom hat company GypsyLane 225, saysthe club is away to connect with adiverse group of women in thecommunity

“Everyone is heretohaveagood time. And we do,” Burns said. “It’suninhibited.” Other vendors included EverGlow PermanentJewelryand art from Lundy’smom, Nancy Miller,who was also giving out “fake fortunes.”

She says she is most proud of her

ä See DANCE, page 2Y

JanRisher

AT LARGE

‘Wewere made for this’

This spring, for the first time in my life,Itaught ajournalism class. I’ve taught writing and English in avariety of settings for more thantwo decades.

But journalism, it turns out, is its ownanimal. At some point early on in the semester,I decidedI needed to try to teach themabout how journalism demands acertain level of awkwardness.

So,Iset atimerfor 12 minutes andtoldthe 20 students in the LSU Manship School’smedia writing classthat—working together,insmall groups or individually —theyneeded to leave the room andreturn with at least 20 strangers willing to give me a high five Iwantedthe assignment to simulate oneofjournalism’s most basic —and most human —requirements: walking up to people youdon’t know and asking something of them.

The secondthe word “Go!” left my mouth, astudent named Mya on the front rowjumped to herfeet,grabbed the hand of the friend sitting beside herand said, “Come on!Weweremade for this!” Twelve minuteslater,the class hadtheir 20 high-fives.

Truth be told, Iwasn’tsure what to expect from aroom of mostly freshmen anda few sophomoresinthe spring of 2026. Most of themwerebornin2008. Forreference, the first iPhone was released in June 2007. These students grewupentirely online.Conventional wisdom would suggest that they might notbeparticularly interested in connecting with the humans around them.

Conventional wisdom would be wrong.

Spectacularly wrong.

My students came from Chicago, New Jersey, New York, New Orleans, LosAngeles, Dallas, SanDiego,Atlanta,Shreveport, Plaquemine andJena. They landedwith me in aclassroom with an iconic view —itlooks out over TigerStadium.

Theygot to work.

TheylearnedAPstyle and basic grammar Idid my best to teach them howtorecognize astory worth telling.

Theywrote profilesand featuresthatran the full range of curiosity.One student reported on the instructorwho teaches atwerking classatthe campus recreationcenter. Another wrote aboutthe ecological valor of Louisiana’s mangroves. They also hadtointerviewand do profiles of each other. Theyworkedhard. They found andtoldgood stories. But what surprisedmemost wasn’ttheir work.

It was them. We laughed—a lot. There were even afew tears. Students who hadnot met when the semester beganwere, by April, the kind of friends who grab each other’s hands without thinking. In my experience as ateacher,that doesn’talways happen.

But when it does,the whole room knows it.

Last week, we had our final class. Alastclass can be bittersweet —there’s relief that the semester hasreached its end, yes, but it also marks the last time thatparticulargroup of people will ever gatherinthatparticularroom. We tend to take for granted the simple fact of being together of showing up week after weekto the same chairs, the same faces. Those moments feel ordinary

INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS

Acadiana leader makes volunteering a life calling

College students inspired to help around the city

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Lafayette native Julie

Lafleur, University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumna and current AmeriCorps program director, has been volunteering in Acadiana since she was in college herself. Now she leads college students to participate in volunteering around the city — education with New Hope Lafayette, the environment with Moncus Park and construction with Habitat for Humanity Lafleur’s journey with AmeriCorps began with volunteering at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana for two years, and when she returned to the university to get a second degree, she reunited with AmeriCorps in 2002 and tutored elementary students. AmeriCorps members also do additional volunteer hours, and Lafleur has spent many hours volunteering at Catholic Charities of Acadiana’s St Joseph Diner, a local soup kitchen. After graduating with her second degree, Lafleur served on the Volunteer Louisiana Commission. She has continued to work in the nonprofit sector and social services for 20 years. She currently volunteers with St. Barnabas Epis-

ASK THE EXPERTS Q&A WITH JULIE LAFLEUR

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

in every part of the state, people help each other. I can’t just say that it’s here because I believe it’s everywhere in the state What would you suggest people do if they want to get out and be more involved? What would be the first step?

In celebration of Arbor Day, representatives from the University

Office of Sustainabilty, UL Americorps and UL Facilities

live oak in front of St. John’s Cathedral.

copal with nursing home bingo and The Inn Bread Crew Lafleur also serves on the planning committee for the Women’s Creative Process Retreat and on the board of Earthshare Gardens. What does volunteering in Acadiana mean to you?

I want to give to the community while I can. I’m a behind-the-scenes kind of person, so I don’t need to be in the front leading. I do a lot of work that a lot of people don’t know about because I don’t need the recognition, and I don’t want the recognition. I

want to just help other people.

Can you tell us more about your willingness to be behind the scenes working toward solutions?

I see myself as a leader, of course, but I also see myself as a cheerleader I don’t need to be leading, and I can if everything’s going well and someone else is leading really well. I can cheer them on. In being behind the scenes, you get the work done and you don’t need the accolades. Just getting the work done is important.

How do you stay motivated whenever community work can be physi-

cally and emotionally exhausting? It can be tiring. I’ve worked for nonprofits for a long time, and you can get to that point of exhaustion. One of my assets is having learned over the years that you have to take time for yourself. You have to take personal time.

There are some months where I’m volunteering a lot, and then I don’t volunteer for two or three months, and then I go back to it. It’s just knowing when to take that personal time.

How else do you spread the word about nonprofits or volunteer opportunities?

If there are any volunteer opportunities that I can pass along to our AmeriCorps students, then we do that in the office. They have their focus areas and their schedule of service work, but anything that we hear — from nursing home bingo to working in a garden to doing a cleanup somewhere to the local soup kitchen, St. Joseph’s Diner — we always like to pass them on to our AmeriCorps members.

But also, if there are any volunteer opportunities that I think my friends might be interested in, then I pass that information along also. Do you find that there is a willingness in Lafayette to be involved in the community? I think all of Louisiana,

Continued from page 1y

daughter’s sense of adventure in starting the 5 to 9 Club.

“It’s a major step to saying you want to do this and then actually pulling it off,” she said. “She has worked so hard. I’m very proud of the children she has raised.”

The club is a family affair

Lundy’s son, James, is her business partner while her daughter, Evie, helps with the photo booth. From the sidelines, James says he has seen the women “let loose more” at the club.

First-time attendees Fredricka Miles and Shahidah Rahman said the event fosters community, just by music.

“I think it’s really important when women gather together anywhere, because this is how we grow Not just

grow a business, but this is how you grow community, even in your own social circles,” Miles said. Coworkers Lindsey Carlton and Stephanie Eberts were also first-time attendees. The two are therapists at Headspace Counseling & Recovery, which Carlton owns. Over Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night,” Carlton said she was excited for the chance to put on her brightest pink lipstick for the occasion.

Here, the women talk about rediscovering their spontaneous, creative, playful sides — without self-consciousness or judgment.

“When’s the last time you got to get dressed up in sequins on a Tuesday?” Carlton said. “And the best part is that it ends at nine. Because we’re all ready to go to bed.”

Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com

United Way of Acadiana has a listing of organizations that are in need of volunteers. There’s everything from working with senior citizens to volunteering at a food bank or volunteering on a construction site with Habitat for Humanity Even filing papers in an office or answering the telephone can help organizations. It doesn’t have to be anything physical. A lot of organizations have different fundraisers, and they always need clerical help or organizing the T-shirts or small things like that. There’s always someplace that needs help. It just depends on your interest and what your abilities are. But, in every community, there’s something that you can do, even small. Even small towns, they have places that you can volunteer Anytime you help someone else, you’re not thinking about yourself and your own situation.

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

Continued from page 1y

until they’re over Then they feel like something.

During our last class, I gave the students a little speech — something I wouldn’t have done a few years ago, but age offers certain permissions. I used one I told them that what they learned this semester was important but so were the relationships they built. I asked them not to let those fragile bonds dissolve through the blur of summer — that when they passed each other on campus or spotted a former classmate across a restaurant, they should stop and say hello, not walk past each other like strangers.

They’re young. They’ve grown up in an age that has worked to engineer awkwardness out of every interaction and created a lot of loneliness. But in this class, it felt like something cracked open. The students seemed to recognize the fun that embracing the awkward can bring.

Mya thought she was talking about high fives and strangers and the mild terror of approaching someone in a hallway and asking for something.

She was right about all of that.

But she was also talking about the whole semester About this group of students from Chicago and Jena and San Diego who ended up, against the odds of geography and circumstance, in a classroom beside Tiger Stadium — and who, when asked to do something hard or uncomfortable or just a little absurd, jumped up and did it. Come on. We were made for this.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@

Vets ride Bogue Chitto Mountain Bike Trail

BY JIM DERRY Contributing writer

Several years ago, Toby Cortez wanted to help find away for veterans to release stressand be able to better deal with anxiety and the aftereffectsofpost-traumatic stress disorder,orPTSD, the stress of remembering traumatic events.

Enter mountain biking. And one of the better sets of trails for those interestedinthe sport can be found in Washington Parish in Bogue Chitto StatePark, just outside of Franklinton.

In fact, over the past fouryears, the state has transformed what used to be just “a couple of trails” into an entire park dedicatedto biking. It currently holds17miles worth of trails with areas for competitive biking, that include aprojumppark, aslope-style course, Enduro lines (steep, downhill trails) and aprogressive jump area.

Those who visit the park and use the trails don’thave to perform tricks or want to plunge 60 mph down asteephill.Infact, visitors don’tnecessarily need to be biking enthusiasts at all. Rather,itis aserene, isolated areasuitedfor those looking to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle.

That’swhy so many veterans find it aperfect spot to visit.

“My father-in-law is aveteran of Vietnam, and Isaw how much it was affecting his life and his spouse and everyone,” said Cortez, developmentcoordinator for the Northshore Off-Road Biking Association, who led developmentof the mountain bike trails atBogue Chitto.

Cortez said it was clear that something needed to be done for the vets, and mountain biking seemed just the answer

“Mountain biking is absolutely perfectly suited to be able tobring anyone —nomatter whether you’re able-bodiedordisabled out here and improve their mindset.Itcan do so in multiple ways, whether it be through companionship and camaraderie or with the sport itself. Youfind another mission. Youjust have another purpose in life when you get together and ride.”

Marine Corps veteran Carlos Pearce, of Covington, hasbecome aregular and is involved in helping coordinate tripsfor other vets.

Last month, he assisted in bringing in agroup of adaptive riders, many of whom have lostthe use of their legs. With the expansion of thepark,itisnow open to those who have special bikes and need wider trails.

After they’re done riding for the day,Pearcesaid groupmembers all huddle together to “cut up, cry, laugh” or do whatever else they want to do.

“Wehave alllived adifferent life than most, and it’s really tough to relate when you haven’tgone through it,” Pearce said. “When you’reabletotalk to someone who knows the pain —things you’ve seen and things you’ve done and thingsyou feel —it’sa relief.

Howitbegan

In 2019,afterdeciding that developing trails suitable for mountain biking wasthe way to go, Cortez roundedupsome investors and called on Lt. Gov.Billy Nungessertoexpand the trails at Bogue Chitto.Itwasn’t ahard sell.

By 2022, the expansion began with helpofa state bill that initially allocated$938,000 to the constructionand design, along withabout $500,000 in private investments.Since then, almost $4 million in public andprivate money has been spent on the trails and amenities.

Attendance at theparkhas nearly doubled on an annual basis over the past half-decade, from about 70,000 per yeartoanestimated 140,000-plus in 2025.

“When Itook office, they were going to close seven state parks because we didn’thave the money.I knewIhad to do something long-term,” said Nungesser,who, as partofhis duties, headsthe state’sDepartment of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. “We started looking at private-publicpartnershipstobring more people in,but also to make some money

“… If you look at thosetrails on the weekends,you’ll see mountain bikes, horse trailers and all kindsofthings,” he said. “Ithas

changed that community.”

In addition to increased park attendance and beautification of thearea, thesupport of local businesses hasalso significantlyincreased, and the park has become “aneducational resource” for the local homeschooling community

Families nowuse the area as adynamic outdoor classroom to teach theirchildrenabout nature all thewhile being able to use the publicarea as an open source of physical education.

Cortez has made it his mission to continue to build Bogue Chitto into amulti-faceted destination that serves the region. Still, it is arespitefor veterans that Cortez seems to enjoy most.

“It’sapretty simple formula: Youcome, you ride, we cook, you eat,” he said. To get moreinformation on theNorthshore Off-RoadBikingAssociation andthe biking trails, visitwww.norbatrails. org. More info on Bogue Chitto State Park can be found at the Louisiana State Parks website, www.lastateparks.com.

FAITH & VALUES

La. churches find new life in publishing

Magazines sent around Mandeville and St. Tammany parish

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

It hardly took a sales job to bring Karen Baker aboard Baker, the director of operations and stewardship at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mandeville, was chatting with Father Robert Cooper a priest at the church, at a conference in 2024.

The topic turned to the monthly publications some other Catholic churches around the country had been trying in their communities — magazines that share news of their congregations in ways that go deeper than the announcements and listings found in the traditional church bulletin handed out each week.

The two agreed that Mary, Queen of Peace could use such a publication.

And it wasn’t lost on Cooper that Baker was just the person who could get it off the ground: Before she jointed the church’s staff, she spent nearly three decades as an editor and writer at the Times-Picayune.

“I was excited about it,” Baker said. “It’s like the old days — just a different media format for me.”

Last September, the first edition of The Porch Light, a monthly magazine, hit some 1,800 mailboxes of the church’s parishioners in and around Mandeville and St. Tammany Parish

In doing so, it joined a growing number of churches around the country working with a Waukesha, Wisconsin-based company called Decided Excellence Catholic Media to print and distribute magazines specific to their communities. The company publishes and mails out magazines for more than 100 Catholic churches in 23 states.

Besides Mary, Queen of Peace, three other Louisiana Catholic churches partner with Decided Excellence: Sacred Heart of Jesus in Baton Rouge; Our Lady Queen of Heaven in Lake Charles; and Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Sulphur

“People love it,” said Jenny Morales, director of integration for church and school at Sacred Heart. “We get really good feedback on it.”

The Sacred Heart Parish Neighbors Magazine has been going for nearly three years now, and is sent to 3,000 homes.

While they serve a small niche, the distribution of the print magazines also gently bucks the idea that readers have abandoned the print format.

“We have to take a break from our phones sometime, right?” Baker says. “Print isn’t dead. It has to be well done.”

Here’s how it works: Baker works with a “staff” of five or six people who contribute stories

some issues of The

and photos. She and the others are always on the lookout for a parish family that other church members might be interesting in learning more about.

“Everybody has a story We want to find them and tell them,” Baker said Recent issues included a feature story about Bridget and Mac McGuire, a couple who grew up down the street from each other in Mandeville, rode the same school bus, became sweethearts as students at Mandeville High School and now, eight years later, are members of Mary, Queen of Peace along with their four children. Baker also wrote a column in one edition, called “Inside the Approach,” for the section of the West Causeway Approach on which the church sits, about her 30 years at Mary, Queen of Peace.

Another feature wrapped up the church’s annual Fleur de Fall fundraising gala. Cooper also has a “From the Pastor” column in each issue. There are also re-

Looking for La. faith

The newspaper is inviting ministers from across Louisiana — every faith tradition, every denomination, every corner of the state to contribute first-person columns on faith for occasional publication in the Louisiana Inspired section.

Topics are wide open, as long as they’re rooted in faith. Write about doubt, community or why ancient traditions still matter Write about what faith looks like in a flood zone, a small town or a hospital room. Write about why you do this work.

Columns should be 550–750 words, first-person, written for a general audience, original and unpublished. Submissions do not guarantee publication and will be edited for length and clarity Promotional content and attacks on other faith traditions are not a fit. Honest, personal writing about faith in Louisiana life is

To submit, email the following to Jan Risher at jan.risher@theadvocate.com:

n The completed column (550–750 words)

n A headshot

n A bio of no more than 100 words

n The name and address of your church or place of worship

n The best contact phone number for the minister (not to be published). Louisiana has always had a lot to say about faith. We’re listening.

ligious writings (“Forming the Faith Through Encounter: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd,” in the February issue), a church events calendar, and even a crossword puzzle. 12 Across is a stumper: “Catholic Social Doctrine is summed up in this number of basic themes.” (Answer: seven.)

While some of the content resembles what one might find in the church bulletins, the packaging — the glossy paper and big, colorful photos — sets it apart, Baker said.

“We want it to look like a magazine. Something that might sit on the table and people come back to,” Baker said. Baker collects and edits the material, then sends it to Decided Excellence Catholic Media, which designs, publishes and mails out each issue. If a church falls short on local material, the company has a supply of evergreen and seasonal content that can fill any gaps. For instance, The Porch Light carried a recent

story on page 11, “Charity and

Tolerance,” from Decided Excellence about a family desperately trying to keep their kids calm in a triple stroller while awaiting a Mass said by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square. At Sacred Heart, Morales said Father Josh Johnson, the church’s pastor, stresses the importance of stories that illustrate the “church, school and neighborhood we serve.”

She said a four-person team is responsible for producing 11-14 stories each month. Initially that seemed like a mountain.

“But we usually have too much content,” she said.

Isaac Summers, director of business development and marketing for Decided Excellence, said the company’s rates vary depending on the size of the publication and the number of homes it is mailed to.

Baker declined to say how much Mary, Queen of Peace spends, but said, “It’s not a huge cost to us every month.”

The emergence of localized parish magazines comes at a time when media outlets are struggling to retain customers for their print products, with more and more publishing migrating to the web.

Baker ironically was at The Times-Picayune in 2012 when it made a digital push, cutting the number of days it delivered the newspaper She and numerous other employees saw their jobs evaporate with the change.

(Georges Media Group purchased The Times-Picayune and Nola.com in 2019, restoring daily newspaper delivery.)

Baker said it’s a bit like The Clarion-Herald, the archdiocesan newspaper but on a more local level.

She hears few complaints when the latest issue comes out, except when it doesn’t arrive. “People will call and say ‘I didn’t get one this month.’”

Email reporter Bob Warren at bwarren@theadvocate.com.

Program sends students on STEM trips

BY MIRIAM FAUZIA

The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

Editor’s note: This story was created by Miriam Fauzia for The Dallas Morning News.

Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities solutions that can be adopted around the world.

DALLAS On most days, the children’s adventure garden at the Dallas Arboretum hums with the chatter of curious kids.

But on one recent morning, the energy was dialed up even

higher Dallas Independent School District students from 12 schools poured into the eight-acre garden, darting through its maze, studying the shapes of plant roots and experimenting with small wind turbines as they moved from one hands-on station to the next

“I learned about the solar system,” said Alan Baragan,

a fourth-grader at Montessori Academy at Onesimo Hernandez Elementary, who sat in the shade of the garden’s Exploration Center with his classmates. “That the Earth and the moon move at the same time,” but the movement can’t be felt, he said.

Students like Alan had been to the arboretum before. But for many, it was their first time there. Their visit came via a new program launched by Lyda Hill Philanthropies through the Dallas Education Foundation Called “Learning Voyages,” the program will give more than 48,000 Dallas ISD students — about 35% of the district’s total enrollment — the chance this spring to take part in field trips designed to reinforce classroom lessons with real-world science, technology, engineering and math experiences. The initiative removes many of the financial and logistical barriers that can make educational outings difficult for schools to organize. Students from grades 1, 2, 5

and 7 will visit destinations such as the arboretum the Dallas Zoo, the Environmental Education Center and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.

“Our goal is to ensure that our students understand what STEM careers and opportunities are there,” LeVonue Brewster, executive director of academic enrichment services at Dallas ISD, said.

“We’re enriching their futures and lighting their beacons of hope for what could be.”

Research finds field trips help students be more engaged and do better academically A 2022 study of elementary school students found those who attended “culturally enriching” field trips — such as to an art museum, a theater performance or a symphony concert — earned higher grades, had better attendance and fewer behavioral issues than students who stayed on campus.

Dallas ISD plans to make the program available to all students in the 2026–27 academic

year, aligning with Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde’s broader effort to ensure students have access to meaningful field trips at every grade level.

Supporting Learning Voyages was a natural fit for Lyda Hill Philanthropies, said Margaret Black, managing director of the nonprofit, which has long prioritized expanding STEM learning opportunities and exposure for young students. “Places like the arboretum, the zoo and the Perot, they spark curiosity for my own children,” Black said. “They’re reasons I feel lucky to raise my children in Dallas,” she said, adding that “tens of thousands of Dallas ISD kids are now going to be able to share the same space.”

Miriam Fauzia is a science reporting fellow at The Dallas Morning News. Her fellowship is supported by the University of Texas at Dallas. The News makes all editorial decisions.

SUNDAY, MAY 10, 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.

todAY's Word — MinceMeAt: MINTSmeet: A finely chopped mixture, often used as pie filling.

Average mark 43 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 64 or more words in MINCEMEAT?

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

super Quiz

An unexpected finesse

Aclubleadwouldhavedefeated the contract but West had no reason to find that lead. He chose to lead a trump. South gave the play a lot of thought at trick one He had three possible finesses, but he did not consider the diamond finesse at first as he had no diamond loser. Why create one? He finally decided that it was the diamond finesse that gave him the best chance.

South won the opening trump lead with dummy’s king and led a trump to his nine. That drew the trumps and he led a diamond to the jack and East’s queen. East shifted to a heart, but South rose with his ace and led a diamond to the king.

He came back to his hand with the jack of spades and discarded dummy’s remaining heart on the ace of diamonds. He led the queen of hearts. West covered with the king, so South ruffed, led a spade to his ace, and discarded a club from dummy on the jack of hearts He lost two club tricks but made his contract. Had West played low on the queen of hearts, South would have discarded a

club from dummy. If East could take the king, the king of clubs would be protected from attack and the jack of hearts would have been used to discard another club later Nice sequence of plays!

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

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Emotions will lead to

poor me” syndrome take over Volunteering your time and skills will give you purpose. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Cut yourself some slack, and live in the moment. Reach out to people you enjoy spending time with, and together you’ll start a new adventure. Partnerships, plans and thinking ahead will lead to something new and exciting

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Simplify your life. Less is more likely to satisfy your soul. Take a timeout for self-preservation. Rejuvenation will help you get a sense of what’s important.

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the

Identify the historical highlight that took place or began on the given date(s). (Example: 1492: A discovery Answer: Discovery of the Americas.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

1914-1918: A war Answer________ 2. 1969: A first in space. Answer________ 3. 1939-1945: A war Answer________ 4. 2023: A coronation. Answer________ 5. 1941: A surprise attack. Answer________

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. 1914: The

with situations Choose kindness and consideration over demands and discord.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Keep busy

The more you do, the

you will feel and the less time you will have to let negativity set in and the

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Share your thoughts, and you’ll make a difference. A change will spark your imagination and encourage you to start a dialogue that will improve your lifestyle

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Stop dreaming and start doing. Be bold and passionate about life, love and the happiness you desire. Explore your creativity and the people, places and pastimes you feel passionate about.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stop, look and listen before casting your fate to the wind. You can gain ground if you take proper precau-

tions, ask questions and get the lowdown regarding the possibilities. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Conversations will be misleading. Ask for proof, verify facts and refuse to take on a responsibility sight unseen. Take time to challenge yourself physically

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Stop and think before you speak. A sharp tongue will make you look bad, not the person you are directing your words toward. Change happens when you are willing to compromise.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Set your tone and your plans to suit your

needs. A social event will help expand your circle, engage in something different or encourage you to start a project that’s uplifting. ARIES (March 21-April 19) A strategic approach to life will help you maintain control. Reconnecting with someone from your past will make you realize how much you’ve grown. Let go of the past and move forward with grace.

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

1. World WarI.2.Neil Armstrong is firstto set foot on themoon. 3. World WarII. 4. King Charles IIIiscrownedkingofthe United Kingdom. 5. Japan attacksPearl Harbor 6. Panama Canal opens. 7. The French Revolution. 8. The GreatDepression.9.The Korean War. 10. Launch of theHubble Space Telescope. 11.The holocaust (the Shoah). 12. The Black Death in Europe. 13. The beheading of CharlesI,King of England.14. Discovery of insulin. 15. The launch of Sputnik 1.

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: Istuck my head outthe window this morning and springkissed me bang in theface.—Langston Hughes