A Baton Rouge Police Department officer takes a photograph of shell casings at the scene of a shooting at the Urban Meadows apartment complex along Greenwell Street in 2024.
BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
Young men in East Baton Rouge Parish who committed violent crimes typically spent their childhood growing up in the poorest neighborhoods and, although enrolled, were frequently absent from parish public schools and never earned a high school diploma.
These insights are drawn from a new report released Thursday and published by The Baton Rouge Area Foundation. Entitled Community Safety: New approaches for preventing violence in Baton Rouge,” the 13-page report pools together 15 years of education and criminal justice data.
The conclusions are consistent with national research on the connection between education and
violent crime, but the data and the people scrutinized are all from East Baton Rouge Parish.
The report pays particularly close attention to young men, aged 18 to 29, who were convicted of murder between 2007 and 2022. They accounted for 70% of the 160 murder
convictions during that 15-year span.
“I’m one of the people who could easily have gone down a path of crime had I not focused on something at school. For me that was basketball,” said LaMont Cole, superintendent of East Baton Rouge Parish public schools. “Even though I wasn’t a great basketball player, I had basketball.”
The murder rate in Baton Rouge rose over that period and remains high, surpassing almost every other medium and large city in the nation.
The Capital City’s murder rate in 2024 was higher than New Orleans, Chicago, Baltimore and New York. It has not fallen from pandemic-era levels.
In his introduction to the report,
ä See CRIME, page 4A
President helps House pass funding legislation
Resolution to keep government open faces fight in Senate
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON For the second time in as many weeks, House Speaker Mike Johnson succeeded in wrangling his narrow and often dysfunctional Republican House majority into passing legislation sought by President Donald Trump. Johnson, R-Benton, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said Trump personally played a big role in accomplishing both legislative wins. Tuesday’s successful effort to approve a resolution that would avert a government shutdown noticeably lacked the frenetic arm twisting and finger-pointing witnessed on the chamber floor Feb. 25 that secured just enough support for Trump’s “one big beautiful” budget bill. By contrast, Tuesday’s “continuing resolution,” which authorizes government spending from Saturday until Sept 30, was relatively relaxed.
ä Military leaders warn of risks to armed forces’ readiness in temporary funding bill.
“You see President Trump pushing, as well as all of us in our House leadership, to get this bill passed,” said Scalise.
He noted that Vice President JD Vance came to Capitol Hill on Tuesday morning. Vance “did a great job of really laying out why it’s so important that we keep the government open and pass this bill so that we can continue on with the great work that’s being done to get our economy back ä See SPEAKER, page 6A
Landry: ‘Time to get back to work’
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Gov. Jeff Landry on Tuesday said he is readying an executive order that would require state employees who work remotely to return to the office. Landry briefly mentioned the plan at the Tchefuncta Country Club during a keynote address to the PAC that supports the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce.
“I’ve been pushing my cabinet secretaries to make sure that our people are going back to work,” he said. “And I can tell you in the next 30 days or so, we’re going to sign an executive order telling everybody, ‘It’s time to get back to work.’” The room erupted in applause in response to the remark.
Landry didn’t elaborate on details of the planned executive order and did not respond to a request
Changes expected for remote state workers ä See REMOTE, page 4A
Trump vows to take back ‘stolen’ wealth as tariffs go into effect
President increases levies on all steel and aluminum imports
BY JOSH BOAK, PAUL WISEMAN and ROB GILLIES Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump openly challenged U.S. allies on Wednesday by increasing tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25% as he vowed to take back wealth “stolen” by other countries, drawing quick retaliation from Europe and Canada.
The Republican president’s use of tariffs to extract concessions from other nations points toward a possibly destructive trade war and a stark change in America’s approach to global leadership. It also has destabilized the stock market and stoked anxiety about an economic downturn.
“The United States of America is going to take back a lot of what was stolen from it by other countries and, frankly, by incompetent U.S. leadership,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday “We’re going to take back our wealth, and we’re going to take back a lot of the companies that left.”
Trump removed all exemptions from his 2018 tariffs on the metals, in addition to increasing the tariffs on aluminum from 10%. His moves, based off a February directive, are part of a broader effort to disrupt and transform global commerce. He has separate tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, with plans to also tax imports from the European Union, Brazil and South Korea by charging “reciprocal” rates starting on April 2.
The EU announced its own countermeasures Wednesday
ä See TARIFFS, page 6A
Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the White House on Wednesday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BEN CURTIS
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
USDA ends Local Foods for Schools program
WASHINGTON The U.S Agriculture Department is ending two pandemic-era programs that provided more than $1 billion for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers and producers.
About $660 million of that went to schools and childcare centers to buy food for meals through the Local Foods for Schools program. A separate program provided money to food banks.
The cuts will hurt school districts with “chronically underfunded” school meal budgets, said Shannon Gleave, president of the School Nutrition Association. “In addition to losing the benefits for our kids, this loss of funds is a huge blow to community farmers and ranchers and is detrimental to school meal programs struggling to manage rising food and labor costs,” Gleave said in a statement
USDA said the programs are a legacy of the pandemic and no longer supported the agency’s priorities.
School nutrition directors are bracing for potential rollbacks to programs that expanded funding for school meals, which for some children can be their only reliable source of food.
Proposed spending cuts to fund Republicans’ tax bill include raising the poverty level needed for schools to provide universal free meals without an application. Restricting eligibility for food assistance programs and requiring income verification for free or reduced price school meals, two proposals for cutting costs, would also likely cut out eligible families from accessing food, the School Nutrition Association said.
Kuwait frees a group of jailed Americans
WASHINGTON Kuwait has released a group of American prisoners, including veterans and military contractors jailed for years on drug-related charges, in a move seen as a gesture of goodwill between two allies, a representative for the detainees told The Associated Press on Wednesday The release follows a recent visit to the region by Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s top hostage envoy, and comes amid a continued U.S. government push to bring home American citizens jailed in foreign countries
Six of the newly freed prisoners were accompanied on a flight from Kuwait to New York by Jonathan Franks, a private consultant who works on cases involving American hostages and detainees and who had been in the country to help secure their release.
He said that his clients maintain their innocence and that additional Americans he represents also are expected to be released by Kuwait later The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment The names of the released prisoners were not immediately made public.
Captain of cargo ship that hit tanker in custody
LONDON The captain of a cargo ship that collided with a U.S. tanker is a Russian national who remains in U.K. police custody, the vessel’s owner said Wednesday, as it emerged that the ship failed several safety checks last year The 59-year-old man, who hasn’t been named by authorities, was arrested by police in northeast England Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence over the collision. He hasn’t been charged.
Shipping company Ernst Russ, which owns the Portugal-flagged cargo vessel Solong, said that the ship’s 14 crew were a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals.
U.K. authorities say they have found no evidence of foul play in the crash, and there is nothing so far to indicate that it’s connected to national security. The cargo ship collided Monday with MV Stena Immaculate, a tanker transporting jet fuel for the U.S. military in the North Sea off eastern England on Monday, setting both vessels ablaze.
One sailor from the Solong is missing and presumed dead.
Surprise victor in Greenland elections
Winning party favors slow path to independence
BY DANICA KIRKA Associated Press
NUUK,Greenland Greenland’s likely new prime minister on Wednesday rejected U.S President Donald Trump’s effort to take control of the island, saying Greenlanders must be allowed to decide their own future as it moves toward independence from Denmark.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen’s Demokraatit, a pro-business party that favors a slow path to independence, won a surprise victory in Tuesday’s parliamentary election, outpacing the two left-leaning parties that formed the last government. With most Greenlanders opposing Trump’s overtures, the campaign focused more on issues like health care and education than on geopolitics.
But on Wednesday Nielsen was quick to push back against Trump, who last week told a joint session of Congress that the U.S. needed Greenland to protect its own national security interests and he expected to get it one way or the other.”
“We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders, and we want our own independence in the future,” Nielsen, 33, told Britain’s Sky News. “And we want to build our own country by ourselves.”
Greenland a self-governing region of Denmark, has been on a path toward independence since at least 2009, when the government in Copenhagen recognized its right to self-determination under international law Four of the five main parties in the election supported independence, though they disagreed on when and how to achieve it.
The island of 56,000 people, most from
indigenous Inuit backgrounds, has attracted international attention since Trump announced his designs on it Trump is focused on Greenland because it straddles strategic air and sea routes in the North Atlantic and is home to the U.S.’s Pituffik Space Base, which supports missile warning and space surveillance operations. Greenland also has large deposits of the rare-earth minerals needed to make everything from mobile phones to renewable energy technology
But Trump’s overtures weren’t on the ballot.
The 31 men and women elected to parliament on Tuesday will have to set priorities for issues such as diversifying Greenland’s economy, building infrastructure and improving health care, as well as shaping the country’s strategy for countering the president’s America First agenda.
Demokraatit won 29.9% of the vote by campaigning to improve housing and educational standards while delaying independence until Greenland is selfsufficient. Four years ago, the party finished in fourth place with 9.1%.
Nuuk resident Anthon Nielsen said the party’s victory would be good for the country. “Most politicians want Greenland to be independent,” he said. “But this party who won, they don’t want to hurry things so everything must be done right.”
Demokraatit will have to turn its attention to forming a governing coalition.
Naleraq, the most aggressively proindependence party, finished in second place, with 24.5% of the vote. It was followed by Inuit Ataqatigiit, which led the last government, at 21.4%.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen congratulated Demokraatit and warned that Greenland’s new government would likely have to “deal with massive pressure” from Trump.
Military leaders tell senators flat budget will hurt readiness
BY LOLITA C BALDOR Associated Press
WASHINGTON Military service leaders told senators Wednesday that passing a temporary budget that keeps defense spending largely flat will hurt readiness and efforts to modernize the armed forces.
The vice chiefs of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force said that if they don’t get additional funding, they at least need the flexibility to shift money to ensure priorities are covered. Congress has been unable to get through a full 2025 fiscal year budget and instead has passed temporary stopgap measures that largely keep funding at 2024 levels.
A bill passed Tuesday by the House would increase defense spending by about $6 billion and trim $13 billion in non-defense spending, which are rather flat changes for both categories when compared with an overall topline of nearly $1.7 trillion in discretionary spending.
The legislation now moves to the Senate.
This would be the first year that Congress hasn’t passed a defense spending bill and will instead use a full-year continuing resolution, the military leaders said They said that continuing the 2024 budget lines doesn’t allow the services to start new contracts, including for weapon modernization or housing and other improvements.
“Ultimately, the Army can afford a large, ready or modern force, but with the current budget, it cannot afford all three,” Gen. James Mingus, vice chief of staff of the Army told the Senate Armed Services readiness subcommittee “Either we provide soldiers the capabilities needed to win or accept greater risks in other areas.”
He warned that the Army will pay for those risks down the road, “not in de-
layed projects or budget adjustments, but in real-world battlefield consequences. We need to invest in the things and training our soldiers need for the next fight, not the last fight.”
Other service leaders echoed his warning, noting that shortfalls in shipbuilding, maintenance and sustainment affect both the Navy and the Marine Corps.
Adm. James Kilby, vice chief of naval operations, said this “will slow shipbuilding, including our amphibious warships.”
Marine leaders have long complained about the lack of critically needed amphibious ships that can transport Marines at sea to combat. As of Wednesday morning, said Gen. Christopher Mahoney, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, just 13 of the Navy’s 32 amphibious ships were available for use.
Air Force Lt Gen. Adrian L. Spain, deputy chief of staff, said the continuing resolution will affect combat readiness in his service “to the tune of about $4 billion.”
President Donald Trump and Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth have both spoken extensively about the need to focus on military readiness and lethality But the government is also facing drastic cuts in spending and personne.
Senators acknowledged the continuing resolution presents a challenge for the military, but they provided no clear answer on whether flexibility will be built in the spending bill.
“From a readiness standpoint, none of us think this is helpful. What would be worse, in my view, is a government shutdown,” said Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska.
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questioned whether the deployment of active duty forces to the southern border is impeding training and readiness because troops are largely erecting barriers and helping border agents.
Student’s detention will stretch on as lawyers spar
Judge asked to move legal fight to N.J. or La.
BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press
NEW YORK Mahmoud
Khalil will remain detained in Louisiana until at least next week following an initial court hearing in New York on Wednesday over the Trump administration’s plans to deport the Columbia University graduate student for his role in campus protests against Israel.
The brief hearing, which focused on thorny jurisdictional issues, drew hundreds of demonstrators to the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan to denounce the Saturday arrest of Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident who is married to an American citizen.
Khalil, 30, didn’t attend after initially being held in New Jersey, he was moved to an immigration detention center in Louisiana.
After Khalil’s Manhattan arrest, Judge Jesse M. Furman ordered that the 30-year-old not be deported while the court considers a legal challenge brought by his lawyers, who want Khalil returned to New York and released under supervision.
During Wednesday’s hearing, attorney Brandon Waterman argued on behalf of the Justice Department that the venue for the deportation fight should be moved from New York City to Louisiana or New Jersey because those are the locations where Khalil has been held.
One of Khalil’s lawyers, Ramzi Kassem, told the judge that Khalil was “identified, targeted and detained” because of his advocacy for Palestinian rights and his protected speech He said Khalil has no criminal convictions, but “for some reason, is being detained.”
Kassem also told Furman that Khalil’s legal team hasn’t been able to have a
CustomerService:
single attorney-client-protected phone call with him. Furman ordered that the lawyers be allowed to speak with him by phone at least once on Wednesday and Thursday Calling the legal issues “important and weighty,” the judge also directed the two sides to submit a joint letter on Friday describing when they propose to submit written arguments over the legal issues raised by Khalil’s detention. Kassem said Khalil’s lawyers would update their lawsuit on Thursday Some of Khalil’s supporters, many of them wearing a keffiyeh and mask, attended the hearing. Hundreds more demonstrated outside the courthouse, beating drums, waving Palestinian flags and chanting for Khalil’s release. The raucous crowd grew quiet, though, to hear Kassem speak. “As we tried to make clear in court today, what happened to Mahmoud Khalil is nothing short of extraordinary and shocking and outrageous,” Kassem told the crowd. “It should outrage anybody who believes that speech should be free in the United States of America.” Columbia became the center of a U.S. pro-Palestinian protest movement that swept across college campuses nationwide last year Khalil, whose wife is pregnant with their first child, finished his requirements for a Columbia master’s degree in December Born in Syria, he is a grandson of Palestinians who were forced to leave their homeland, his lawyers said in a legal filing.
President Donald Trump vowed on social media to deport students he described as engaging in “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the administration moved to deport him under a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that gives the secretary of state the power to deport a noncitizen on foreign policy grounds.
RITZAU SCANPIX FOTO PICTURE By MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN
Chairman of Demokraatit, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, center hugs supporters during the election party at cafe Killut in Nuuk, Greenland early Wednesday.
Education Department layoffs gut its civil rights office
Seven regional sites shut down; cases left in limbo
BY COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Education Department’s civil rights branch is losing nearly half its staff in the Trump administration’s layoffs effectively gutting an office that already faced a backlog of thousands of complaints from students and families across the nation.
Among a total of more than 1,300 layoffs announced Tuesday were roughly 240 in the department’s Office for Civil Rights, according to a list obtained and verified by The Associated Press Seven of the civil rights agency’s 12 regional offices were entirely laid off Despite assurances that the department’s work will continue unaffected, huge numbers of cases appear to be in limbo.
The Trump administration has not said how it will proceed with thousands of cases being handled by staff it’s eliminating The cases involve families trying to get school services for students with disabilities, allegations of bias related to race and religion, and complaints over sexual violence at schools and college campuses.
plaints and mediating resolutions with schools and colleges. Buildings are being closed and staff laid off in Dallas, Chicago, New York, Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Many lawyers at the New York City office were juggling 80 or more cases, said one staffer who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear for reprisals. The branch often mediated cases with New York City schools, the nation’s largest district, and its lawyers were handling a high-profile antisemitism investigation at Columbia University — a priority for Trump.
The staffer described several pending cases involving students with disabilities who are wrongly being kept out of school because of behavioral issues. With limited oversight from the office, they said, school districts will be less likely to comply with legal requirements.
everything is accessible for kids with disabilities.”
Department officials insisted the cuts will not affect civil rights investigations. The reductions were “strategic decisions,” said spokesperson Madison Biedermann.
“OCR will be able to deliver the work,” Biedermann said. “It will have to look different, and we know that.” The layoffs are part of
Some staffers who remain said there’s no way to pick up all of their fired colleagues’ cases. Many were already struggling to keep pace with their own caseloads. With fewer than 300 workers, families likely will be waiting on resolution for years, they said. “I fear they won’t get their calls answered, their complaints won’t move,” said Michael Pillera, a senior civil rights attorney for the Office for Civil Rights. “I truly don’t understand how a handful of offices could handle the entire country.”
a dramatic downsizing directed by President Donald Trump as he moves to reduce the footprint of the federal government. Along with the Office of Civil Rights, the top divisions to lose hundreds of staffers in the layoffs included Federal Student Aid, which manages the federal student loan portfolio, and the Institute of Education Sciences, which oversees assessments of whether the education system is working and research into best teaching practices. Trump has pushed for a full shutdown of the Education Department, calling it a “con job” and saying its power should be turned over to
Advocacy group wants states to decrease abortion reporting
Data could be used to harm people, it says
BY GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press
States should stop requiring health providers to file reports on every abortion because the information poses a risk to both them and their patients in the current political environment, a research group that advocates for abortion access says The Guttmacher Institute says in a new recommendation that the benefit of mandated and detailed data collection is no longer worth the downsides: It could reveal personal information, be stigmatizing for patients and cumbersome for providers — or could be used in investigations.
“It would be a mistake for anyone to assume now that the information a state could collect about abortion would not be used to harm people,” said Kelly Baden, Guttmacher’s vice president for public policy
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade nearly three years ago, it opened the door for states to ban most abortions. It also ignited policy battles over information collected about ending pregnancies.
The possibility of reports being used in investigations has increased with the return of President Donald Trump and anti-abortion officials in key federal government jobs, Baden said. Most state health depart-
ments require medical providers to report data about each abortion, though without including patient names. Massachusetts and Illinois mandate that providers give the state only aggregated data.
The states that collect the information, in turn, produce reports on abortion statistics and send their information to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a nationwide tally Together, that information gives a picture of how often abortion takes place, when in the pregnancy the abortion occurs and the age of patients.
Those reports provide the fullest government pictures of abortion nationally, but they come with a lag time of about two years and lack data from states that don’t require the reports: California, the country’s most-populous state, as well as Maryland, Michigan and New Jersey.
Certain information that some states collect — such as the patient’s marital status or ZIP code and the reason for the abortion do not serve a meaningful research purpose and could stigmatize patients, says Guttmacher data scientist Isaac Maddow-Zimet In conjunction with other data, these details could even be used to identify people who obtain abortions, he said
The same level of detail is not required to be reported to the state for other medical care, Maddow-Zimet added.
“The real concern here is that it fits into a broader pattern of abortion exceptionalism,” he said.
But Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said rolling back reporting requirements can be detrimental: It could downplay the frequency of abortion complications, for instance, she said. Additionally details such as the reason for the abortion could shape public policy if it reveals increases in sexual assault, she said. “The more information we have, the better it is for women,” Tobias said.
Michigan has halted required reporting. Minnesota has removed some required information, such as the marital status, race and ethnicity of patients.
Connie Fei Lu, a medical fellow in complex family planning at the University of Illinois-Chicago, said the 2022 Illinois change to collect a tally of abortions rather than detail on each one can protect the privacy of patients, especially those who travel from other states for abortion.
But she said the data collection policies need to be thoughtful.
“I completely understand the delicate balance in abortion data collection in an environment where that data can end up in the wrong hands,” she said. “From a research perspective, from a scientific perspective, not having this data is not a good thing.”
While Guttmacher wants an end to mandatory abortion reports, it’s not calling for states to get out of the abortion data-collection business entirely; the group says states could instead use voluntary approaches to gather information.
states. On Wednesday he told reporters many agency employees “don’t work at all.” Responding to the layoffs, he said his administration is “keeping the best ones.”
After the cuts, the Office for Civil Rights will only have workers in Washington and five regional offices, which traditionally take the lead on investigating com-
Pillera, who had said before the cuts that he was leaving the department, said it’s unclear how complaints will be investigated in areas that no longer have offices.
“We have to physically go to schools,” Pillera said.
“We have to look at the playground to see if it’s accessible for kids with disabilities. We have to measure doorways and bathrooms to see if
Even before the layoffs, the civil rights office had been losing staff even as complaints rose to record levels. The workforce had fallen below 600 staffers before Trump took office, and they faced nearly 23,000 complaints filed last year, more than ever Trump officials ordered a freeze on most cases when they arrived at the department, adding to the backlog. When Education Secretary Linda McMahon lifted the freeze last week, there were more than 20,000 pending cases. The civil rights office was not the only division to lose attorneys key to the Education Department’s portfolio. Tuesday’s layoffs have nearly eliminated all staff working in the department’s Office of the General Counsel, say two people familiar with the situation, who didn’t want to speak publicly for fear of reprisals.
Attorneys in the division advised the department on the legality of its actions, helped enforce how states and schools spent federal money meant for disadvantaged K-12 students, and watched for conflicts of interest among internal staff and appointees, among other things.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN
Chloe Kienzle of Arlington, Va., holds a sign Wednesday as she stands outside the headquarters of the U.S Department of Education in Washington, D.C The department’s offices were ordered closed for the day for what officials described as security reasons amid large-scale layoffs.
Chris Meyer, president and chief executive officer of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, wrote these homicides are “occurring in neighborhoods with high rates of poverty and school disengagement among young men.”
Analyzing a database of roughly 120,000 students who attended East Baton Rouge Parish public schools over those 15 years, researchers hired by the foundation estimated 300 to 400 boys each year exhibit risk factors that suggested they might turn later in life to violent crime.
Meyer found this small number of children in each grade a cause for hope.
“This means that with strategic, well-funded support, we can make a significant impact on both educational and public safety outcomes,” Meyer wrote.
These kids, who represent about 7% of children in Baton Rouge parish schools in any given year, show one or more of five “signals of disengagement”: low readiness for kindergarten; chronic absenteeism; frequent behavioral incidents; as well as inability to read at grade level in elementary school and perform math well in middle school.
The report suggested ramping up early literacy tutoring, math tutoring as well as programs that counsel and mentor boys based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy Such interventions, relatively cheap in the early grades, increase in cost by factors
REMOTE
Continued from page 1A
for comment through a spokesperson Tuesday
The governor’s effort follows a brief memorandum issued by President Donald Trump on his first day in office ordering executive department agency heads to “take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person.”
It also comes five years after the onset of the COVID pandemic,
of 10 as kids get older, with prison by far the most expensive, according to the report.
“Investing in these early interventions at a fraction of the cost of reactive measures such as incarceration — can yield long-term benefits for both individuals and the broader community,” Meyer wrote.
‘This is really, really bad’
This new report is the fifth in a wide-ranging, ongoing series of reports known as the Opportunity Data Project. For each report, the foundation has partnered with Common Good Labs, a data analytics firm. Previous reports looked at early education, K-12 education, public safety and changing neighborhoods in Baton Rouge Future reports will focus on health care, economic prosperity and regional resilience.
Meyer, who took over the foundation in 2021, said before he launched the venture, he spoke with community leaders about what they thought the foundation should delve into.
District Attorney Hillar Moore, who has worked in the prosecutor’s office for 39 years, was one of the people who offered suggestions.
“I didn’t see (then) the number of juvenile homicide defendants or victims like we do now,” Moore said in an interview “Ages are getting younger It’s getting really bad.”
Data from his office already showed a high correlation between poor school attendance and crime.
Moore asked for the foundation’s help to go deeper
which jolted businesses and organizations first into ad hoc telework plans and later into formalized policies. And since the end of the global health emergency, it’s left many grappling with the question of if and how to return to primarily in-person arrangements.
At least two state agencies in Louisiana on Tuesday confirmed imminent plans to revamp their telework policies.
Full-time employees in the Louisiana Department of Revenue will be required to work from an office at least four days per week beginning March 17, Secretary Richard Nelson said.
HILLAR MOORE, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney
“We started looking at school statistics and looking at our victims and defendants, and we’re saying, ‘Oh, wow this is really really bad. No one getting killed or shooting someone is in school,’” Moore said.
Drawing on the records of 113 young men convicted of murder, researchers found eight out of 10 attended traditional and charter schools operated by the East Baton Rouge Parish school system Of those public school students, only 30% finished high school. That’s less than half the district’s graduation rate of 73%.
Common Good Labs also examined a larger sample of more than 300 young men convicted of murder and other violent crimes. It found 81% of them were chronically absent for one or more school years. That’s at least 10% of the school year, or about 18 days.
‘They’re homegrown’
Moore agreed with the Baton Rouge foundation’s emphasis on early intervention. He said he used to think you could wait until kids were at least 13, but now children need to be reached starting at preschool age.
Currently, some employees work remotely 100% of the time, while others work remotely up to two days per week. Out of the department’s 724 employees, 433 employees work remotely at least part of week, according to departmental data Nelson provided.
Nelson said that, amid a nationwide push in both the public and private sectors to return to inperson work, his agency has been looking into options too.
“Everybody’s kind of moving in this direction to get people back in the office,” he said. Revenue department employees on Monday received an email with
“If Baton Rouge is to survive and change, this is how we’re going to do it We need to pour money into getting to kids early,” Moore said.
“It’ll take 10 to 20 years for things to change, it’s a generation or two, but it’ll be lasting change.”
Mayor-President Sid Edwards echoed the district attorney’s sentiments.
“Years ago, intervention would start in the eighth grade,” Edwards, a longtime educator and coach, said in an interview “Intervention needs to start in the second and third grade now It’s a different world. I mean, there are 10-yearolds out there packing now.”
Edwards also expressed concern at how many murderers were previously students in the parish school system where he worked for years.
“They’re homegrown,” Edwards said. “We know where they’re coming from.”
‘I didn’t have clothes’
Cole, a former Metro Council member who became the schools leader in August, had a complicated, personal reaction to the report.
“I was one of those kids,” the East Baton Rouge schools superintendent said.
He grew up in Baton Rouge in neighborhoods the new report labeled places of “concentrated poverty,” meaning at least 30% of residents earned less than the federal poverty line.
Cole praised his mother for working hard to provide a stable home for his family, but it wasn’t always enough. He recalled days when he came to school smelling bad, his teeth aching because he
updated remote work policies.
The communication said changes are being implemented “in anticipation of new directives from the Administration.”
While full-time employees with a traditional workweek schedule will be permitted one day of remote work, other employees like administrative assistants and those who work compressed fourday work weeks are not eligible to work remotely, the email states.
Nelson said his agency will work on transition plans with fully remote employees who don’t live near an office building on a “caseby-case” basis.
hadn’t been to a dentist.
“In 1984, I didn’t go to school for two days,” he said in an interview
“I didn’t have clothes.”
He recalled bringing extra food home from school to feed friends who didn’t have enough to eat.
As a Metro Council member, Cole’s district was rife with substandard housing, grocery stores with healthy food were distant, as were hospitals and doctors. Many residents lacked ready transportation. Now as superintendent, he runs a school district of almost 40,000 students, many from similarly troubled communities.
Given all the issues students bring to school, Cole said educators get the best results when they first forge strong relationships with their students so they view school in a positive light. To that effect, Cole has pushed for improving customer service and getting educators to improve their professionalism.
Cole also sees value in increasing sports, arts, trade and other classes that get students to stay in school. It worked for him.
He said schools need to serve as a “positive” counterweight to the often negative quality of life in the neighborhood, but it’s hard because that’s where children spend the bulk of their time.
“If you spend enough time in a negative environments, you are going to do something negative,” Cole said. “The negative energy is way stronger.”
Patrick Sloan-Turner contributed to this story
Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate.com.
Louisiana Economic Development this month announced that its revised remote work policy will take effect March 31, according to a spokesperson for the agency Similar to the revenue department, LED employees will have to the option to work remotely up to one day per week with manager approval. Currently, employees at the economic development department are permitted up to two days of remote work.
Staff writer Willie Swett contributed to this report.
Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.
on track, to get our country moving again.”
Johnson leads a 218-214 Republican majority in the House, meaning if two GOP representatives vote on the Democratic side, he loses. In the last Congress, the Republican House could rarely rally its majority
But a combination of an endless round of meetings with representatives and help from the White House has kept Republicans together enough to pass the two bills so important to Trump.
The sweeping budget measure allows lawmakers to draft appropriations bills that would include language enacting Trump’s wants for restricting immigration, deporting more immigrants, expanding energy exploration, and continuing his signature tax breaks that are about to expire. It also orders House committees to find at least $1.5 trillion in budget cuts, which many fear will result in drastic changes to Medicaid
This budget blueprint bill, called reconciliation, passed the House with one vote to spare and is now pending in the Senate.
Congress then needs pass a continuing resolution, called a CR, or government would cease operations on Friday night.
Trump is telling Republicans, first in the House and now in the Senate, that a government shutdown would sidetrack passage of his agenda
On Tuesday, the House approved, 217-213, a resolution that continues
TARIFFS
Continued from page 1A
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that as the United States was “applying tariffs worth 28 billion dollars, we are responding with countermeasures worth 26 billion euros,” or about $28 billion Those measures, which cover not just steel and aluminum products but also textiles, home appliances and agricultural goods, are due to take effect on April 1
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer responded by saying that the EU was punishing America instead of fixing what he viewed as excess capacity in steel and aluminum production.
“The EU’s punitive action completely disregards the national security imperatives of the United States — and indeed international security — and is yet another indicator that the EU’s trade and economic policies are out of step with reality,” he said in a statement.
Meeting on Wednesday with Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump said “of course” he wants to respond to EU’s retaliations and “of course” Ireland is taking advantage of the United States.
“The EU was set up in order to take advantage of the United States,” Trump said.
Last year, the United States ran a $87 billion trade imbalance with Ireland. That’s partially because of the tax structure created by Trump’s 2017 overhaul, which incentivized U.S.
government spending through the rest of this fiscal year, which ends Sept 30 Only one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, didn’t approve the resolution.
The resolution increased defense spending by $6 billion and made $13 billion in cuts to domestic programs, but otherwise left spending levels the same as were approved in December when Joe Biden was still president.
Though a number of Republicans paraded across conservative television to voice their worries, Johnson had been saying since last week that Republicans alone
would pass the CR.
That seemed like a bold statement, given that Republicans alone have not approved a continuing resolution in recent memory When Johnson was a backbencher he routinely refused to go along.
Republicans prefer to see spending plans roll out in the traditional way, with 12 separate bills detailing the appropriations for each executive branch agency CRs lump all the amounts together
Since so many in the GOP majority opposed continuing resolutions, previous House leadership had to solicit support from Democratic
representatives. That was the scenario that led to the October 2023 ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., which opened the way for Johnson to ascend to the top spot. It also was why conservatives unsuccessfully tried to oust Johnson himself last year Johnson is first to say that getting both bills passed was a team effort on which he relied on his lieutenants, chief among them Scalise, his fellow Louisiana delegation member They corralled members individually and in groups behind closed doors to hear out their issues and get their input on how to
draft the legislation. That included members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, where opposition usually arises.
Back when Johnson was a rankand-file representative, he would get irked when leadership dropped a huge CR on the members with instructions on how to vote.
Meanwhile, White House Budget Director Russ Vought came to Capitol Hill to explain the numbers to Republicans. The president personally phoned wavering Republicans and gathered the Freedom Caucus in the White House for a conference.
What’s next
The CR legislation now goes to the U.S. Senate.
Some Democrats in the Senate oppose the resolution and could stall the effort to avoid a government shutdown. They oppose the language that would give Trump further ability to unilaterally cut fundings and fire federal workers without congressional input. The majority Republican Senate on Wednesday morning filed a motion for cloture. It’s a parliamentary procedure that circumvents a filibuster
Sixty senators need to vote for cloture. But cloture allows only a 51-vote majority to pass when the underlying resolution hits the floor Republicans hold 53 of the 100 seats in the Senate. The Senate needs to pass the continuing resolution before Friday night turns to Saturday morning or government will shut down.
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.
pharmaceutical companies to record their sales abroad, Brad Setser a senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations, said on X. Canada sees itself as locked in a trade war because of White House claims about fentanyl smuggling and that its natural resources and factories subtract from the U.S. economy instead of supporting it.
“This is going to be a day to day fight This is now the second round of unjustified tariffs leveled against Canada,” said Mélanie Joly, Canada’s foreign affairs minister “The latest excuse is national security despite the fact that Canada’s steel and aluminum adds to America’s security All the while there is a threat of further and broader tariffs on April 2 still looming The excuse for those tariffs shifts every day.”
Canada is the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States and plans to impose retaliatory tariffs of $20.7 billion starting Thursday in response to the U.S. taxes on the metals.
Canada’s new tariffs would be on steel and aluminum products, as well as U.S. goods including computers, sports equipment and water heaters worth $9.9 billion.
That’s in addition to the 25% counter tariffs on $20.8 billion of imports from the U.S. that were put in place on March 4 in response to other Trump import taxes that he’s partially delayed by a month
Trump told CEOs in the Business Roundtable a day earlier that the tariffs were
causing companies to invest in U.S. factories. The 7.5% drop in the S&P 500 stock index over the past month on fears of deteriorating growth appears unlikely to dissuade him, as Trump argued that higher tariff rates would be more effective at bringing back factories.
“The higher it goes, the more likely it is they’re going to build,” Trump told the group. “The biggest win is if they move into our country and produce jobs That’s a bigger win than the tariffs themselves, but the tariffs are going to be throwing off a lot of money to this country.”
Trump on Tuesday had threatened to put tariffs of 50% on steel and aluminum from Canada, but he chose to stay with the 25% rate after the province of Ontario suspended plans to put a surcharge on electricity sold to Michigan, Minneso New York.
Democratic lawmak dismissed Trump’s that his tariffs are national security and smuggling, saying they’re actually about generating revenues to help cover cost of his planned income tax cuts for the wealthy
“Donald Trump k his policies could wreck economy, but he’s doing anyway,” said Senate cratic Leader Chuck S er of New York. “Why they doing all these things that Americans like? One reason, and reason alone: tax breaks billionaires, the north of the Republican Party’ goals. In many ways, the
dent is addressing what he perceives as unfinished business from his first term. Trump meaningfully increased tariffs, but the revenues collected by the federal government were too small to significantly increase overall inflationary pressures.
Outside forecasts by the Budget Lab at Yale University, Tax Policy Center and others suggest that U.S. families would have the costs of the taxes passed onto them in the form of higher prices. With Wednesday’s tariffs on steel and aluminum, Trump is seeking to remedy his original 2018 import taxes that were eroded by exemptions. After Canada and Mexico agreed to his demand for a revamped North American trade deal in 2020, they avoided the import taxes on the metals.
also allowed U.S. companies to request exemptions from the tariffs if for instance, they couldn’t find the steel they needed from domestic producers. While Trump’s tariffs could help steel and aluminum plants in the United States, they could raise prices for the manufacturers that use the metals as raw materials. Moreover, economists have found, the gains to the steel and aluminum industries were more than offset by the cost they imposed on “downstream” manufacturers that use their products.
At these downstream companies, production fell by nearly $3.5 billion because of the tariffs in 2021, a loss that exceeded the $2.3 billion uptick in production that year by aluminum producers and steel-makers, the U.S. In
factories, and the White House has noted that Volvo, Volkswagen and Honda are all exploring an increase to their U.S. footprint. But the prospect of higher prices, fewer sales and lower profits might cause some companies to refrain from investing in new facilities.
“If you’re an executive in the boardroom, are you really going to tell your board it’s the time to expand that assembly line?” said John Murphy senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The top steel exporters to the U.S. are Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea and Japan, with exports from Taiwan and Vietnam growing at a fast pace, according to the International Trade Administration. Imports from China, the world’s largest steel producer, account for only a small fraction of what
Advocates speak out against execution
Nitrogen gas scheduled to be used on March 18
BY JOHN SIMERMAN and ANDREA GALLO Staff writers
Chef Susan Spicer, deli owner
Dan Stein and Dirty Coast founder Blake Haney are among more than 100 New Orleans-area business owners, artists and lawyers who have signed onto a letter to Gov Jeff Landry arguing that restarting executions in Louisiana would hurt Louisiana’s bottom line.
It’s the latest action by antideath penalty advocates as a potential March 18 execution date looms for Jessie Hoffman Jr., who was convicted in St. Tammany Parish in the 1996 kidnapping, rape and murder of Mary “Molly” Elliott. That date is in question, as a federal appeals court considers a judge’s ruling from Tuesday that granted Hoffman a temporary injunction.
The short letter, dated Wednesday, argues that a state that just drew an extended spotlight with the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras risks a hit on tourism in response to “such extreme actions.”
It references Landry’s push to restart executions after 15 years, as well as the state’s planned use of nitrogen gas, the new method the Legislature and Landry authorized last year Hoffman is slated to be the first death row inmate outside of Alabama to be killed using nitrogen gas in the modern era.
“Executions — especially those by experimental and gruesome methods — don’t send the right message about Louisiana, our culture, and our people,” the letter states. “Gassing people to death is not something we want to see associated with Louisiana.”
The one-page letter, under the letterhead “Business Leaders Against the Death Penalty,” includes as recipients Landry, Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser Attorney General Liz Murrill, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bonnett Bourgeous
coalition of Jewish leaders rallied last month against the plan to use nitrogen gas in executions, saying it was reminiscent of how many were killed in the Holocaust.
New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond also recently penned a column in the archdiocese newspaper The Clarion Herald that called nitrogen gas executions
“cruel, unusual and wrong.”
Alabama is the only U.S. state to have executed using nitrogen gas in the modern era, having done so four times since the start of 2024. Louisiana’s protocol for nitrogen gas, which the Legislature approved as a method last year, mirrors Alabama’s. In short, it calls for pumping pure nitrogen at a controlled rate in place of oxygen into an industrial-grade mask worn tight around the condemned person’s face until they die
“We are not talking about politics. We are not talking about one’s belief on the death penalty We are talking about torture. We are talking about whether the people of Louisiana want to be responsible for what is about to happen.”
THE REV JEFF HOOD
with the state pardon board and has asked Landry for a reprieve in the meantime. Those requests are pending.
The U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which oversees federal courts in Alabama, has upheld that state’s use of nitrogen gas.
and state Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson.
“We just experienced the joy of Carnival season, and it’s heartbreaking to think that our state would cap that off with a ghastly and horrific execution,” said Spicer, owner of several New Orleans restaurants, including Bayona and Rosedale. “This doesn’t just go against my values and the values of our community, it impacts the way that Louisiana is seen around the world.”
Landry’s office did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.
Now 46, Hoffman was 18 and a recent graduate of Kennedy High School in New Orleans when he forced Elliott to drive from downtown New Orleans to an ATM in New Orleans East, withdraw $200 and then head across the bridge to a remote area. Hoffman raped her and dumped her body, a St. Tammany Parish jury found before sentencing him to death. Hoffman is currently the only one among Louisiana’s 56 death row inmates with an execution date. Those pressing a halt to the ex-
ecution also include Sister Helen Prejean of New Orleans, a famed death penalty opponent who said in an interview this week that the mood on death row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola has changed perceptibly since Hoffman received his death warrant last month.
Prejean, who has been a spiritual adviser and witness to several executions, said she last visited death row on Feb. 21. She challenged the idea that the death penalty is necessary to bring justice to victims.
“It’s such a ruse,” Prejean said. “It’s such a hypocritical, morally bankrupt thing to say Where else in the criminal justice system do we ever let the behavior of the criminal determine how we administer a punishment? We never imitate them.”
Prejean plans to attend a rally this weekend that the Promise of Justice Initiative has scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Governor’s Mansion. The planned nitrogen gas execution has led to backlash from other religious leaders as well. A
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An eyewitness to the first nitrogen gas execution in Alabama also spoke out this week. The Rev Jeff Hood, who was condemned inmate Kenneth Smith’s spiritual adviser implored Louisiana not to follow Alabama’s example. Hood described Smith in January 2024 dying a torturous death where he appeared to be slowly suffocating.
“We are not talking about politics,” Hood said at a news conference. “We are not talking about one’s belief on the death penalty We are talking about torture. We are talking about whether the people of Louisiana want to be responsible for what is about to happen.”
Just how long it takes to die by nitrogen gas, and the pain involved compared to other available methods, is the subject of a federal challenge that is now with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, after U.S Chief District Judge Shelly Dick on Friday called a temporary halt to Hoffman’s execution.
Dick, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, found that Hoffman was likely to prevail in the case, and that she needed more time to determine if nitrogen gassing amounts to cruel and unusual punishment under the 8th Amendment.
The appeals court is expected to move swiftly Hoffman also applied for executive clemency
The U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to revisit the most recent Alabama decision, has never directly found that a state’s chosen method of execution violates the U.S. Constitution.
In its appeal Wednesday, Murrill describes Dick’s ruling for a preliminary injunction as a “particularly egregious example” of late intervention by a judge. The attorney general argues that Dick ignored a “wall” of Alabama court rulings to arrive at her decision.
“Indeed, if (Dick) were right, then the Supreme Court, the 11th Circuit, and the Alabama district courts have greenlighted four illegal executions,” Murrill wrote. “That is preposterous — and it is notable that the district court did not deign to engage with those other decisions before reaching its preferred result.”
Louisiana is turning to nitrogen gas after years in which it was unable to obtain the drugs for lethal injections Drug companies have threatened to pull their pharmaceuticals from state prisons if Louisiana uses their products in executions, officials have testified. Louisiana officials said they began acquiring the needed nitrogen last July
The state law passed last year also allows for a return of electrocution to the menu of allowed execution methods in Louisiana, although state officials say that nitrogen hypoxia is currently the only approved method available.
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Chef Susan Spicer,
cuisine for decades, is among more than 100 New Orleans-area business owners, artists and lawyers who have signed onto a letter to Gov. Jeff Landry arguing that restarting executions in
A breakdown of major EPA deregulatory moves
BY MICHAEL PHILLIS, ALEXA
ST JOHN and JACK BROOK
Associated Press
Environmental Protection
Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on Wednesday announced nearly three dozen deregulatory moves that he said would spur the U.S. economy by rolling back rules that have unfairly burdened industry Many of the moves would affect landmark regulations aimed at protecting clean air and water
Here’s a look at some of the 31 regulatory changes
Zeldin announced:
Power plant emissions
The Biden administration set limits on planet-warming emissions from existing gas and coal-fired power plants a major step in the administration’s effort to reduce greenhouse gases from the heavily polluting energy sector Trump has long opposed such tough, climatefriendly limits and has instead promoted oil and gas development. Zeldin said the agency would reconsider the Biden administration standards to avoid constraining energy production.
Toxic emission limits
Coal plants emit toxic metals like mercury and the Biden administration issued a rule to severely limit those pollutants. Officials at the time said technology had progressed enough for these plants to do better
The EPA on Wednesday said nearly two dozen states had sued, arguing the rule was costly and a major burden, especially to coal plants. They also considering offering industry a two-year compliance extension while officials reconsider the rule.
Power plant wastewater
Hazardous metals like mercury and arsenic end up in the wastewater of steampowered electric generating power plants like coal. These can have serious health ef-
Rules on vehicle emissions
Zeldin vowed to review his agency’s emissions standards for cars and trucks, calling the tightened emissions rules the “foundation for the Biden-Harris electric vehicle mandate.” Nothing the Biden administration implemented required automakers to make and sell EVs or for consumers to buy them. Loosening standards would allow vehicles to emit more planet-warming greenhouse gases, but many automakers have already been investing in making their vehicles more efficient ’09 Endangerment Finding
ing it would especially impact downwind neighborhoods that are burdened by pollution from ground-level ozone, or smog, that is out of their control However, the Supreme Court had put a hold on the rule last summer, ruling that states challenging it were likely to prevail.
Regulations on soot
fects including increasing cancer rates and lowering childhood IQ scores. The Biden administration tightened regulations of this wastewater The EPA said it will revisit those “stringent” rules that are costly to industry and therefore may raise residential energy bills.
Oil and gas wastewater
Currently treated wastewater generated from oil and gas drilling can be used in limited ways in certain western lands, such as for agriculture. Environmentalists say there can be a broad range of contaminants in the wastewater some of which might not be known. The EPA said it will reconsider those rules and look at how the treated water could be used for other purposes like cooling data centers, fighting fires and other ecological needs. They say the current rules are costly, old and don’t reflect the capabilities of modern treatment technologies.
Petrochemical emergency
The Biden administration tightened safeguards against accidents for industrial and chemical plants that millions of people live near The agency’s risk management program add-
ed planning and reporting requirements for facilities and forced some to implement new safeguards. Accidents at these plants can be severe — a 2019 explosion at a Texas facility, for example, forced tens of thousands to evacuate, for example. Industry associations have criticized parts of the rule, such as requirements to publicly report sensitive information.
Zeldin said Biden administration officials “ignored recommendations from national security experts on how their rule makes chemical and other sensitive facilities in America more vulnerable to attack.” The EPA is reconsidering the rule.
Greenhouse gas reporting
The EPA said it was reconsidering its mandatory greenhouse gas reporting program, which requires thousands of major industrial polluters to tell the agency about its emissions Zeldin said the “bureaucratic government program” costs hundreds of millions of dollars and doesn’t help air quality Until now, the EPA said the data helped businesses compare their emissions to competitors and find opportunities to reduce them and lower costs.
The scientific finding, under the 2009 Clean Air Act, determined that planetwarming greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. It has been at the core of the nation’s action against climate change. Trump had already directed the EPA to consider the finding’s “legality” in an executive order Experts say the impacts of climate change on human health and the environment are already clear and that upending the finding would be devastating. Technology transition rule
This program enforced strict rules to reduce the use of hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent and planetwarming greenhouse gases used in refrigerators, air conditioners, heat pumps and more HFCs, as they are known, are thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide and leak through equipment that uses compressed refrigerants. Dozens of countries around the globe have pledged to slash their use and production of the chemicals.
End ‘Good Neighbor Plan’
This rule was intended to limit air pollution by restricting power plant smokestack emissions, and those from other industrial sites, across 11 states. Eliminat-
Power plants and industrial facilities release particulate matter, or soot, that can easily pass through a person’s lungs and into their bloodstream. Last year, the Biden administration tightened standards regulating soot in response to scientific research indicating existing regulations were insufficient.
At the time, the EPA estimated its stronger regulations would save thousands of lives and prevent hundreds of thousands of cases of asthma and lost workdays annually The Trump administration’s EPA says these regulations are “a major obstacle” for companies and that the U.S. has low levels of soot.
Air pollutant standards
These EPA standards apply to pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer, birth defects or other serious health problems Industrial facilities are required to follow strict standards to monitor and limit the amount of these chemicals they release into the air
Last year, the EPA tightened standards surrounding ethylene oxide emissions, a human carcinogen commonly used as a sterilizer for medical equipment. The Trump administration said it is considering a “2-year compliance exemption” for facilities affected by these standards, among others.
Regional Haze Program
For decades, this EPA program has required states to reduce pollution that threatens scenic views in more than 150 national parks and
wilderness areas including in the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. Zeldin said that the U.S. has made strides in improving visibility in national parks and that the program is being used as justification for shutting down industrial facilities and threatening affordable energy
‘Social Cost of Carbon’
The social cost of carbon is an EPA tool to weigh the economic costs and benefits of regulating polluting industries by putting a price tag on climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions set at $190 per ton under the Biden administration’s EPA. That calculation is used in cost-benefit analyses, and was intended to account for greenhouse gas emissions’ impacts including natural disasters, crop damage, health problems and sealevel rise.
Under the first Trump administration, carbon was pegged at around $5 per ton. An executive order Trump signed on his first day in office directs the EPA to consider eliminating this calculation entirely
Coal ash program review
After coal is burned, ash filled with heavy pollutants including arsenic, lead and mercury is left behind and typically stored in giant pits under federal regulation. The EPA says it is now seeking to rapidly put regulation “more fully into state hands,” which environmental groups fear could lead to weaker standards. Last year, the Biden administration closed a gap that had allowed companies to avoid responsibility for cleaning up inactive coal ash pits — a policy that environmental groups say could now be repealed.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By GENE J PUSKAR
Vice President JD Vance,
Tensions flare at drainage meeting
Ascension councilman questions overtime pay
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
A Parish Council member and Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment sparred verbally over the use of overtime pay for maintenance crews at a recent East As-
cension Drainage District Board meeting District 2 Council member Joel Robert said he wanted to see the amount of overtime paid to crews, saying he thought the parish should potentially reduce overtime pay and use that money to
hire more employees or pay existing workers higher wages.
“Maybe we don’t ultimately need more employees across the board, or we don’t need to spend more money on more employees, but I think there’s a possibility that we could be cheaper with more
employees and less overtime,” he said.
Cointment responded at the Tuesday meeting by pointing to benefit costs associated with every parish employee, and said overtime pay can act as an incentive for employees paid around $17 or $18 an hour
Robert pushed back, saying, “it would mean a lot more if you gave them a raise.”
“The council in the past, they’ve always been very supportive of paying our guys to work that Friday and Saturday in overtime, especially with good weather,” he said. “And that’s some extra pay for these guys. That means a lot to them.”
BETTER LAKE THAN NEVER
SCHEINUK
A cyclist pedals past heavy equipment as workers move mud and water while work continues on the University Lakes Restoration Project in Baton Rouge on Tuesday The $90 million project to dredge and restore the LSU Lakes, underway for more than three years, is expected to see several new phases of work this year
Build Baton Rouge hires CEO
AG to ask La. high court to intervene on ballot challenge
Lawsuit alleges Amendment 2 worded in biased, misleading way
BY TIMOTHY BOONE Business editor
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
After a state judge on Wednesday refused to halt a lawsuit aimed at derailing a statewide vote on an amendment to the state constitution, Attorney General Liz Murrill said she will ask the Louisiana Supreme Court to intervene.
The lawsuit argues Amendment 2, which could have wide-ranging impacts on state taxes and finances and is set to go before voters on March 29, is worded in an illegally biased and misleading way
The plaintiffs, represented by New Orleans attorney William Most want the court to block the amendment from taking effect.
The office of Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry, the defendant, argued the case should be tossed because it’s
too close to the election and because the plaintiffs don’t have grounds to sue under Louisiana law
But distric Judge Louise on Wednesd plaintiffs ha to sue and h hearing on the nary injunct seek.
“How do that your rights ing respected zen without do that?” said ing why the sider the challenge.
will appear on voters’ ballots.
Shortly after the ruling, Murill said in a statement that “the law indisputably prohibits lawsuits like this” and said she is asking the Supreme Court to immediately intervene because early voting is set to begin Saturday
“The plaintiffs continue to try to create confusion where there is none,” Murrill said.
“It’s not the ballot language that is confusing — it’s this frivolous litigation.”
Regardless of how the lawsuit plays out, Amendment 2
“Our bottom-line conclusion is that the ship has sailed,” argued ttorney presenting office, which in the case. judge agreed too late to Amendment ballot, and didn’t contest absolutely critivoters to know March 29 elecforward with the ballot,” spokesperson for the s Office after the hearing.
The judge said that what remains at issue is the effect Amendment 2 would have should it pass. “We’re past whether or not people can vote on it. It’s the validity of the votes,” Hines said.
In a statement, Most said that the lower court’s decision on Wednesday to let the lawsuit proceed “recognized a core truth: that rules calling for transparency in elections
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
The U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled a $600,000 grant for Southern University after claiming it was researching “menstrual cycles in transgender men.” School officials denied the claim. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently announced the cancellation on X: “The insanity is ending, and the restoration of America is underway.” The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reposted the message on its official
STAFF PHOTO By HILARy
Louisiana OMV computers keep crashing
Outages ‘getting worse each day,’ commissioner says
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
Several weeks of computer system outages have delayed services at Office of Motor Vehicle sites across Louisiana, frustrating both customers and the agency
“The current issues that we’re facing this week started about three weeks ago,” said OMV Commissioner Dan Casey “It was on and off, and it seems to be getting worse each day.” The problem has lengthened wait times for customers seeking to renew their driver’s licenses, register their vehicles, reinstate their insurance or receive other OMV services.
It also is impacting public tag agents, which are allowed to perform OMV services on the state’s behalf.
According to Adele Dauphin, president of the Louisiana Public
St. Patrick’s Day parade in Baton Rouge rescheduled
Staff report
Paradegoers will have to wait one more day for the Wearin’ of the Green parade in the Baton Rouge area as a storm in the forecast has prompted organizers to delay the celebration until noon Sunday
“Due to the threat of lightning, strong wind and a possible tornado watch throughout the Greater Baton Rouge area on Saturday, March 15, 2025, the 40th Wearin’ of the Green St Patrick’s Day Parade will roll on Sunday March 16, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.,” The Parade Group LLC posted on Facebook this morning. “The 6th Shamrock Run 5k also begins at noon along its normal route. We will provide additional guidance as it becomes available in regards to the timing of street closures.”
The post added that since the first Wearin’ of the Green Parade in 1986, historical weather almanac records show there has never been a threat quite like this one.
“We all remember the years of light rain, heavy rain, bitter cold, and just a couple of years ago sleet,” the announcement stated.
“The safety of the parade participants and the tens of thousands of people who have enjoyed the parade for decades is paramount. We would like to thank Chief TJ Morse, the Baton Rouge Police Department, EMS, DPW, the Baton Rouge Fire Department and countless other first responders for their flexibility with this change,” the post also stated.
Memorial set for student Friday
Staff report
The family of Caleb Wilson, the Southern University student who was killed in a fraternity hazing incident Feb 27, will host a public memorial for their son Friday on Southern’s campus. The memorial will take place at the F.G. Clark Activity Center on campus, at 801 Harding Blvd.
A public viewing will be open from noon to 5 p.m., followed by a celebration of life service, which will be streamed online.
“He was a bright light in Jaguar Nation, a dedicated scholar and a proud member of the world-renowned Human Jukebox,” said Chancellor John K. Pierre. “Caleb Wilson’s kindness, passion, and unwavering spirit left a lasting impact on all who had the privilege of knowing him. As we mourn this tremendous loss, we also come together to celebrate his life and legacy with his family.”
Tag Agent Association, one member tracked the computer system disruptions and found there were 38 hours of downtime between Feb 21 and March 11.
On Wednesday alone, the system froze at least five times, Casey said. One time, it was out from 9:27 a.m. until 9:56 a.m. The issue then resolved, but only for about half an hour, when the program froze again
The Office of Technology Services does not yet know how to fix the problem but has “all hands on deck” working to do so, said Casey
The state believes the root of the problem has to do with traffic in the OMV’s database, which law enforcement and other states use to access drivers’ records.
“What’s happening is that more than one entity may be trying to access the same record or the same group of records,” said Casey, adding that that may “lock up” the system. Even customers whose names are called at OMV offices are not immune from the effects, as the system can freeze while that employee is working on the custom-
er’s request. Such interruptions can freeze a driver’s records, requiring the employee to call a help desk to resolve the issue, Casey said.
The outages also could become a public safety issue, according to Casey, who said police rely on the OMV’s database to pull information about drivers on the roads.
In a statement, Louisiana State Police Sergeant William Huggins said the agency has not received any reports of troopers having issues related to the system outages but “(recognizes) the importance of ensuring uninterrupted access to critical driver information for public safety.”
“We are actively monitoring our systems and will make any necessary adjustments to ensure our operations remain unaffected,” the statement said. “Should any issues arise, we will work closely with OMV and other agencies to mitigate any potential impact on law enforcement operations.”
Casey said the state will attempt to implement possible solutions over the next few Sundays but must try one fix at a time to prop-
erly identify the problem.
“We have to just go through one thing after another diligently in an attempt to get it back up and running,” he said.
A fix could be coming According to Casey, the database’s software is 50 years old and needs to be updated. Such an upgrade could help prevent future system outages.
Legislators and Gov Jeff Landry have been very supportive of an upgrade, Casey said, and the OMV has narrowed its options for a new program down to two possibilities.
He expects to select one within 30 days. Then, it will take 18 months to modernize and implement the software for the driver’s licenses side of the database, and another 12 to 18 months for vehicle registration, according to Casey The first upgrade should help relieve the strain on the database and improve operations, he said.
In the meantime, the OMV is getting a new mainframe, which Casey said should also help The
commissioner expressed confidence that the Office of Technology Services will stop the ongoing software freezes and apologized to customers experiencing delays.
“It’s a tough, tough thing,” he said. The delays come at a difficult time for the department, which Casey said gets the most traffic during tax season, when residents have extra money on-hand to pay for services.
In addition, the Transportation Security Administration has said it will begin enforcing its “REAL ID” requirements on May 7. That means airplane passengers must have identification compliant with stricter regulations to board, though the TSA has said it will take a phased-in enforcement approach. It is unclear precisely what that approach will entail. Regardless, the change has left some residents scrambling to obtain or update driver’s licenses by May 7.
Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.
Sheriff: La. bird-napping was an inside job
Mango the dancing parrot returned safely to preserve
BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer
A day after Mango, the Dojacat dancing parrot was safely returned to his preserve, investigators now say his kidnapping was an inside job.
The revelations came after East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office arrested Shelby Alford, 29, on Wednesday morning Alford, a former employee at Magnolia
CEO
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been without a permanent leader for years.
“This organization has good bones and a great structure. They’ve done tremendous things,” she said. “We just have to build on what we have done.”
Some of Build Baton Rouge’s achievements have been the redevelopment of the Baton Rouge
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for mentioning “transgender men.”
The grant was to fund research into using natural fibers to make hygiene products for women.
The Baton Rouge-based university’s researchers mentioned transgender men in the grant because they can menstruate and might need hygiene products, al-
BALLOT
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MEETING
Continued from page 1B are not unenforceable words on a page; they are critical pillars of a functioning democracy.”
More work orders this year
Robert’s questioning arose during a pause in drainage operations director Jade Robin’s presentation on the department’s work in 2025, so far The department reported 41 new work orders in January and 67 in February more than the 25 and 35 reported in the same months for 2024.
Drainage has proved a significant point of tension over the years, as the parish struggles to keep up with its massive growth over the previous decades. The Gonzales Weekly Citizen and WAFB reported arguments at 2021 drainage meetings, with police intervening in one instance.
Wilds where Mango resides, allegedly busted the gate to the sanctuary’s enclosure in the early hours of Sunday before snatching the 14-year-old white-bellied caique.
After East Feliciana Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the crime scene, staff reportedly pointed investigators to a home of a former employee in Prairieville. When they arrived Monday evening, deputies found Mango unharmed.
“We all have that one employee we’d point to at work if something went missing,” said Maj Kevin Garig, chief of investigations for East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s
Electric Co. Power Plant on Government Street into Electric Depot, a mixed-use development with housing, restaurants and an events space, plus Ardendale, a 200-acre tract northeast of Baton Rouge Community College near Florida Boulevard, that will include residences and retail space. Plans are to move forward on some of the projects Build Baton Rouge had been working on before Tyson’s departure, such as redeveloping a section of Plank
though they are not the focus of the study, according to Southern. Southern University’s purpose for the federal grant was to research and process three types of natural fibers in the development of sustainable and disposable feminine hygiene products that can be grown in Louisiana, according to the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center
“This grant, which was reviewed by researchers from throughout the country, is not a
Amendment 2 is the result of twoweek special legislative session held in November focused primarily on making dramatic changes to Louisiana tax law Lawmakers slashed income taxes in exchange for raising the sales tax rate. But they still need final
And Robert’s district covers Acy, Sorrento and portions of St. Amant, which suffered significant damage from the 2016 Louisiana floods. Responding to Robert, Cointment said benefits associated with working for the government mean it costs more per employee. He gave a hypothetical example of an employee with a salary of $100,000, saying the associated benefit costs would add up to a total of $140,000 in costs for that employee.
“These are all things we need to look at in a very detailed fashion, but just throwing people at a problem has never been a solution for me. It has to be looked at in every single angle with the budgets that y’all approve,” he said. “… And so, we do pay a lot of overtime due to the fact that
Office. “That’s what this was.” When questioned by law enforcement however the former employee confessed to EFPSO deputies the bird was stolen, but that she had no part in the heist. Instead the Prairieville resident pointed to Alford, another staff member who had recently quit. The two had reportedly left their jobs disgruntled, and had been staying together the weekend of the burglary, according to officials.
Alford, a resident of Denham Springs, was booked as a fugitive in the East Baton Rouge Parish prison. She will be taken to East Feliciana Parish and charged
Road with a grocery store, civic center, emergency housing and a YWCA child care center “We’re going to focus on the entire parish,” Robert said. “A win for one community is a win for all of East Baton Rouge Parish.”
Robert was most recently director of state operations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program.
with one count each of simple burglary and theft over $1,000, both felonies that can carry over a decade of prison time. Hunter Hillet, executive director of the animal preserve, said Magnolia Wilds has since implemented additional security measures, including changing locks and doorknobs and increasing surveillance. Meanwhile Hillet said Mango appears to be unfazed.
“He’s doing great,” she said. “Enjoying all the treats and dance parties he can handle.”
Email Aidan McCahill at aidan. mccahill@theadvocate.com.
She has more than two decades of legal, administrative and executive management experience, in roles such as executive counsel for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, general counsel for the Southern University system and deputy director of the Litigation and Public Protection Division of the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office.
study on or including research on menstrual cycles. The term ‘transgender men’ was only used once to state that this project, through the development of safer and healthier FHPs, would benefit all biological women,” the research center said in a statement Sunday
The “Project Farm to Feminine Hygiene” launched in the summer of 2024 and was supposed to last for three years. It originated from a study that said some feminine hygiene products contain
voter approval to make a slew of other changes to the part of the tax code found in constitution, such as lowering the maximum income tax rate, loosening restrictions on how money in several state savings accounts can be spent, and capping how much lawmakers can increase
we’re in hurricane season, and we just go into overtime.”
But Robert said the government could use contract labor instead, if benefit costs were an issue.
“If you need to spend $40,000 on every employee you hire, then contract out more labor,” he said.
“I mean, you can’t just give away overtime because they deserve it, you give them a raise because they deserve it.”
In a statement Wednesday, Cointment said the Ascension Parish government makes “workforce structure decisions with the taxpayer in mind to ensure the correct number of people support the right projects across parish government. “Overtime is carefully considered on a case-by-case basis and is approved when necessary and appropriate,” he said. “We
She earned a bachelor’s degree from LSU and a law degree from Southern University Law Center Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.
toxic heavy metals. The research center said it is “optimistic” about continuing to promote agricultural innovation in partnership with the USDA. Officials at Southern University and the ag research center did not immediately respond Wednesday to calls from an Advocate reporter for further comment.
Email Claire Grunewald at claire.grunewald@theadvocate. com.
spending from one year to the next. The amendment would also free up funding to permanently increase salaries for many teachers by $2,000.
Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.
are committed to continuous improvement as we adjust to the ever-changing needs of public works.”
Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher.cartwright@ theadvocate.com.
LOTTERY TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2025
PICK 3: 3-2-4
PICK 4: 6-9-3-4
PICK
Anderson, Lula Wallace 'Madear'
Lula Wallace Anderson, aresident of Zachary, LA, earned her heavenly wings on Tuesday, March 04, 2025 at her residence. She was 101 years old. Lula leaves to live out her legacy her three daughters Emma A. Williams of Cincinnati, OH, Daisy A. Paul and VivianA Bennett of Zachary, LA; son Hardy Anderson of Zachary, LA; one sister-inlaw Daisy Square of Zachary, LA; one daughterin-law Claudia Simon Anderson of Baton Rouge, LA; ten grandchildren, nineteen great grandchildren, andtwo great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, her daughter, her son, her parents, two great grandchildren, two sisters, two brothers-in-law, and one son-in-law. Visitation will be held at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, 22911 Reames Road, Zachary, LA 70791 on Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 5:00 pm -7:00 pm and resume FridayMarch 14, 2025 9:00 am until Homegoing celebration at 11:00 am conducted by Rev Dr Perry Jones Jr. Interment willfollow at Louisiana National Cemetery. Arrangements by Richardson Funeral Home, Clinton, LA.
Henry E. Enete, Sr. "Papaw" aresident of Daphne, AL passed away on December 9, 2024, at the age of 80. He was born May 16, 1944, to Clement E. Enete, Jr. and Lula Lucy Enete in West Monroe, LA. Henry was preceded in death by his adoring wife of 58 years, Katy Roberts Enete, and parents Clement Emile Enete, Jr andLula Lucy Enete. He was anative of West Monroe, LA, where after graduating high school he attended Northeast Louisiana University and then married the love of his life, Katy Roberts Enete. They were residents of Baton Rouge, LA where they raised their two children. They later moved residence to Daphne, AL where he resided the last 16 years. Henry is survived by his children, Henry "Hank" Enete, Jr. (Monique), Katy "Cherea" Schellhase (Andrew); his grandchildren KacieWhite (Michael), Cody Enete, Grant Schellhase (partner Brooke), Austin Schellhase, and William Schellhase; great grandsons, Noble Kirst and Archer Emile White; great granddaughter, Bailey Kate Schellhase; sister Sondra White; sisters-in-law, Sonda Ann Womack, Lynette Roberts, Barbara Roberts, and Sandy Roberts; many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Henry retired from BASF Chemical PlantinGeismar, LA. He enjoyed adventures and was aworld traveler, having spent time working in Saudi Arabia, China, and Taiwan. Closer to home, you could find Henry in the woods riding his dirt bike or at the ballfield cheering on his grandchildren. He was an avid LSU fan and enjoyed watching sports. He also enjoyed watching the sunsets over the lake at his fishing and hunting
or at the ballfieldcheering on his grandchildren. He was an avid LSUfan and enjoyedwatching sports. He also enjoyedwatching the sunsets overthe lake at his fishing and hunting camp. He attended Jubilee Baptist Church in Daphne, AL and was involvedinthe Sunday School class. More than anything, Henry loved his family with hiswhole heart.
Amemorial service will be held on March 22, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Chatham Community Church located at 902 ChathamAve, Chatham, LA. Afterward, burial to take place at Zoar Cemetery. In lieuofflowers, the family encourages donations be made in Henry's memory to your favorite charitable organization.
Lionel Every departed this life on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at his residence in Thibodaux, LA He was 88, a native of Thibodaux, LA and a retired bus driver for the Lafourche Parish School Board Visitation on Thursday, March 13, 2025 at Williams & Southall Fu‐neral Home, Thibodaux LA from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Visitation on Friday, March 14, 2025, at St Paul Baptist Church Lafourche Cross‐ing from 9:00 am to reli‐gious services at 11:00 am Interment in Young Men Benevolent Cemetery Arrangements by Williams & Southall Funeral Home, 1204 Cleveland St. Thibo‐daux, LA 70301, (985) 4472513. To sign the guest book or offer condolences, visit our website at www williamsandsouthallfune ralhome.com
Betty Profit Ford, entered into eternal rest on March 4, 2025 at the age of 64. Viewing at Richardson Funeral Home 11816 Jackson Street, Clinton LA on Thursday March 13, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Celebration of Life Service willbe on Friday March 14, 2025 at Greater Philadelphia Baptist Church, 24497 Cook Road, Zachary LA 70791, at 12:00 p.m., conductedby Reverend Allen Handy.Internment at King Solomon Baptist Church Cemetery. Survivors include her husband, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, her mother, three sisters, two brothers, her mother in law, and ahost of other family members, loved ones, and friends. The services will be live streamed at GPBCLOVE.ORG.
Gonzalez, Maria Alejandra Malpica
Maria was born inBaton Rouge,LAJuly 15, 1971 to Anne and Nelson Malpica. On March 1, 2025, Maria departed this life. Because of her infectious and fierce personality,Maria had hundreds of friends. Maria was passionate about her role as ateacher and acoach. She worked at St. Michael'sthe Archangel, Broadmoor High and Woodlawn High. Maria changedthe lives of so many young women. She was agiver in the truest form. She cared for all her athletes andfulfilled the coach role,the mother role,and the mentor role with afirm hand and aloving heart. Maria will always be remembered for her laughter, her love,and her storytelling She will be missed every day. Her memorywill live on in the hearts of allthose who loved her, worked with her, playedwithher, and sat with her
love, and her storytelling She will be missed every day. Her memory will live on in the heartsofall those who loved her, worked with her, played with her, and sat withher.
Maria leaves behind her parents, Anne and Nelson Malpica; her husband,Chanis Gonzalez; daughter, Alexis Gonzalez; brothers Nelson Malpica and Mark Malpica; and many aunts, uncles, in-laws, nieces and nephews here and in Venezuela. Services will be held at Most Blessed Sacrament Church on Friday, March 14th, 2025. Visitationwill be 10am -11am, Mass begins at 11am.
old na‐tive of Slaughter, Louisiana Viewing at Greater Community Bible Baptist Church on Friday March 14, 2025 at 11:00 am until Celebration of Life Service at noon conducted by Rev. David Brown, Jr.; in‐terment at Pine Grove Church Cemetery Sur‐vivors include her sons Marlon (Darlene) and Mar‐cus Gotch (Tysheka); fa‐ther, Timmie Green; broth‐ers Gerald (Carolyn) and Spencer Green; cousin/sis‐ter Vera London; bonus brother, Johnny Crowder Arrangements entrusted to Miller & Daughter Mortu‐ary
Curvy Green Jr., age 56, aresident of Bayou Goula, LA passed away suddenly onMarch 8. Visitationwill be held on Thursday, March 13, 5-7 pm, and March 14 at Word of Truth in Bayou Goula from10am until the memorial service begins at 11 am. He is survived by his partner, Karen Allen, mother, Marie H. Green; sons, Kendrell, Kobe, and Caden Green; sister, Dinez (Derrick) Westly; nephew, Derrick Westly Jr. and bonus son, Jamarcus Banks.
Richard Francis "Dicky" Hamilton, age 75, passed away on February 26, 2025 in North Padre Island with his family at his side. Richard battled Alzheimer's for 8years. He was born to Lurry, Sr. and ElizabethMcWhiney Hamilton on October 6, 1949 in Baton Rouge, LA. He was educated in the Catholic school system and agraduateofCatholic High School ('67). He earned afull athletic scholarship to New Mexico State Universitywhere he lettered in football forfour years. He graduated from New Mexico State and entered the United States Army. Richard served in the Army for 22 years and retired as aMajor. Following his military career he became ahighschool teacher and administrator in the San Antonio area until his retirement Richard is survived by his wife Naomi "Mimi" Jauregui Hamilton; his five children, Richard (Betsy) Hamilton, Eric Hamilton (Reine), Sandy Hamilton Conboy-Pearcy (James), Jason Hamilton, and Joseph Hamilton; his twelve grandchildren, Jenny, Melanie, Valerie and Anthony Hamilton; Cameron (Heleina) Mixon, Sydney Cotton, Eric Hamilton, Sophia, and Bradan; Shelby (Nick) Fromm, Trey Maldonado; Destiny Hamilton; and eight great grandchildren, Abel, Colt,Raylon, Camilla, Kinsley, Kennedy, Jeremiah and Hendrix. Also survived by brothers,
Shelby (Nick) Fromm, Trey Maldonado; Destiny Hamilton; and eight great grandchildren, Abel,Colt, Raylon, Camilla, Kinsley, Kennedy, Jeremiah and Hendrix. Also survived by brothers, Lurry Duz" Hamilton, Jr. (Ann), Kenny Hamilton (Lisa); sisters, JudyHamilton Yuslum, and Lurline Hamilton (Jill). Preceded in deathby parents, Lurry, Sr. and Elizabeth Hamilton; brothers, Tommy Hamilton and Pat Hamilton; niece Pam Hamilton Lipston; brotherin-law, PeteYuslum.
Graveside services with Military honors on Friday, March 14, 1:30 pm at Roselawn Memorial Park, 4045 North Street,conducted by Father Cleo Milano. Richard was akind, gentle and loving man, devoted to his wife and family. He will be deeply missed. The family would like to express gratitudetohis wife, Mimi, for her devoted love and care of Richard throughout his illness.
I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith 2 Timothy 4:7 Michael Scott “Scotty” Hymel (aka Uncle Mike) passed away Monday February 23, 2025 at 58 years old. He was born February 17, 1967 and was a native of Baton Rouge Louisiana and spent much of his life in Watson Louisiana. He graduated Redemptorist High School before attend‐ing Louisiana State Univer‐sity. Scotty retired as Dis‐trict Chief with the Baton Rouge Fire Department after thirty-two years of dedicated service. He was also the owner of Total In‐surance of Watson He was a member of the Baton Rouge Fire Department Local 557 and an active donor for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. In his spare time, Scotty could be found boating out on the water He enjoyed listening to music and he was best known as the life of any party Most importantly, Scotty had a zest for life and an unwavering devo‐tion to his family including his dogs, Rip and Draco Even though Scotty was the life of the party that didn’t stand in the way of his relationship with God He made sure to begin and end each day in prayer Scotty believed all things were possible with God. It was through the Lord that he found his strength and courage to fight his battle with cancer for the last three years. He fought so hard! Scotty is preceded in death by his beloved mother, Judy Hymel. He is survived by his wife of thirty years, Kobi Hymel; father Trelles A. Hymel (Darnell Perez); daughter, Scotti Hymel; sons Ridge Perkins (Laynee) and Mag‐nus Hymel; sister, Robin Clayton and spouse Mark; grandchild, Berklyn Perkins and Baby Greyson Perkins who will join us this April. Scotty will also be deeply loved and re‐membered by his motherin-law and father-in-law, Brenda and John Keller; sister-in-law, Denise Smith and her husband, Reed; nieces and nephews, Brynn and Chase Martinez, Lacey and Dustin Henson, Lynd‐sie Harrington, Hunter and Chelcie Harrington and BreAnna and Tony Pizzo‐lato. The family would like to give special thanks for all the continued prayers of our family and friends We would also like to thank the Hospice of Baton Rouge The family would like to invite all who knew and loved Scotty to join them as we commemorate his life. A visitation will be held on Friday March 14 2025, from 6:00 p.m until 8:00 p.m. at Resthaven Fu‐neral Home, 11817 Jeffer‐son Highway in Baton Rouge Visitation will re‐sume on Saturday March 15, 2025, at St Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church, 14040 Greenwell Springs Rd., Greenwell Springs, from 11:00 a.m until Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 p.m A Celebration of Life will follow at the Knights of Columbus 6923 Oak Clus‐ter Dr. in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note to the fam‐ily at www resthavenba tonrouge com.
Jenkins, James Hugh 'Jimmy'
James H. "Jimmy" Jenkins, Jr. passed away at his home on March9,2025 at the age of 92. Born in Lafayette on April 5, 1932, Jimmy moved with his family in 1934 to set his roots in Baton Rouge -only leaving to attend Rice University in 1954. But Jimmy shortly returned home that same year to marry his grade school sweetheart , Barbara "Bobbye" Blanchard Jenkins and earn his degree in Civil Engineering from LSU in 1955. Jimmy then joined the United States Air Force 1955-1958 where he cultivated his life -long love for aviation -a passion that began at the behest of his father at the mere age of 16. He then joined his father in ownership of Jenkins Construction in 1960, which pioneered avast percentage of the roads still traversed throughoutBaton Rouge today. Jimmy then headed the formation of Vulcan Foundry in 1965, which specialized in municipal casting and grey iron until 1996 -another staple that can still be found around Baton Rouge today. In addition to the foundry, Jimmy wasa highly innovative businessman, including real estate development, aircraft distribution,oil &gas investment, cable television development, and even cellular telephonedevelopment. An avid fisherman, Jimmy joined the Louisiana Departmentof Wildlife Commission and the National MarineFisheries Council, helped form the Gulf Coast Conservation Association of Louisiana in 1984 (later to become CCA), andeventually became the Secretary of the LouisianaDepartment of Wildlife &Fisheries under Governor Mike Foster 1996-2004. Throughout his tenure as secretary, Jimmy accomplished many measures to protect our fishing& gaming industry, including saving the redfish by eradicating gillnets. Upon retirement in 2004, Jimmy was able to spend more time enjoying his passion for duck hunting at Oak Grove Hunting Club in Creole, LA. Throughouthis impressive business career, Jimmy continued to grow his family with his wife Bobbye, including 4children, 7 grandchildren,& 12 greatgrandchildren."Pepa" was an ever-present source of support for all, creating fond memories of early morning fishing in Cocodrie, camp fires after duck hunting at Oak Grove, flying in his Twin Shrike Commander with astash of Reese's peanut butter cups under theseat, and of course "Pepa's Secret Recipe" for peanut butter &jelly. Jimmy is survived by his wife, Dr. Susan Richarme (m.2018); fourchildren: son James "Jim" Jenkins, III & wife Tammy, daughter Janet Jenkins, daughter Tracy Ducote &husband Raymond, and daughter Blair Kelly &husbandTim; six grandchildren:granddaughter Kelly Schneider & husband Brandon,grandson James "Jimmy" Jenkins, IV &wife Brittany, granddaughter Allison Elkins, granddaughter Katie Schneider, granddaughter Beatty Arnold & husband Jeff, and granddaughter Selby Thompson; and twelve great-grandchildren.Heispreceded in death by wife of 62 years, Barbara "Bobbye" Jenkins; his parents, James &Willie Jenkins, Sr.; brother Ralph Jenkins; and granddaughter Anna Jenkins. Visitation will be held at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA on Friday, March 14, 2025 from 8:30am10:00am until funeral service at 10:00am with Rev. Chris Andrewsofficiating. Interment will immediately follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park. In kind with his generous spirit, donations can be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital in lieu of flowers.
Jenkins, Sr.; brother Ralph Jenkins; and granddaughter Anna Jenkins. Visitation will be held at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA on Friday, March 14, 2025 from 8:30am10:00am until funeral service at 10:00am with Rev. Chris Andrewsofficiating. Interment will immediately follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park. In kind with his
The sun rose in New Orleans, LA on August 27, 1940, bringingwith it anew day and anew life. Robert Louis Matthewswas born to the union of Henry Matthews and Lubertha Holliday. He accepted christ into his life at the age of fifteen. He departed this life in Baton Rouge, LA on March 6th,2025. He was 84 years old. He was life partners to Jeanette Johnson Matthews46years. His mother LuberthaHolliday, father Henry Matthews, Brother David Matthews, Sister Gloria Guy of Houston, TX, andBrother Leon Matthews preceded him in death. He leaves cherished memories to his partner Jeanette Matthews, three sons, Romaro D. Matthews. Nero Matthews, and Lekeem Matthews(Daughter-in-law Jalynn Matthews), and daughter Sheena Diaz (Son-in-law Camilo Diaz), Sister Earnestine Teal (Brother-In -Law William Teal), Sister Gloria Mae, twodevoted and loyal friends Jerry Williams and William M. Btlal. In addition,a host of nieces and Nephews. Funeral services will be located at New Pilgrim Baptist church on Friday, March 14, 2025 at 11:00 AM. Services will be handled by MJR Friendly services funeral home of Denham Springs.
When you need the news. Wherever you read the news.
Pourciau Jr., Gary Immaculate Conception Church in Lakeland, Louisiana at 11:30am.
Obituaries
Hymel, Michael Scott 'Scotty'
Matthews, Robert Louis
Green Jr., Curvy
Ford, Betty Profit
Enete Sr., HenryEmile
Hamilton,Richard
The newspaper of record for Baton Rouge
OUR VIEWS
Recommendations on Amendments 1,
3, and 4 on the statewide ballot
Louisiana voters have become accustomed to being asked to make tweaks to the state’s governing document, first adopted in 1974 and since amended many times.
March 29 will be no different, with four new proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot Chief among them is the lengthy and complicated Amendment 2, the second element of a sweeping tax reform passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov Jeff Landry We will have a fuller explanation and recommendation in Sunday’s newspaper. Below are our recommendations on the other three amendments on that March 29 ballot Early voting begins March 15 and runs through March 22.
Amendment 1: Related to attorney discipline and specialty courts. No.
The first part of this two-part amendment would clarify and explain the Louisiana Supreme Court’s role in disciplining out-of-state attorneys who practice in state courts for specific proceedings. The second part would expand the Legislature’s ability to create specialty courts that cross judicial district or parish boundaries.
While we applaud the use of specialty courts, we do not think expanding the number of judges and courts is warranted. It is likely just to create higher costs for Louisiana’s taxpayers and increased fees for those seeking redress through the judicial system. Additionally, the Supreme Court already has power to discipline attorneys who practice in the state. We urge voters to reject this proposed amendment Amendment 3: Related to juvenile justice No.
This newspaper has consistently opposed proposals that would make it easier to try those under the age of 17 as adults in Louisiana’s criminal justice system. This proposal, if enacted, would remove the current list of 16 mostly violent felonies from the constitution and give the Legislature the ability to add and remove crimes to that list at will
We feel the current list of crimes for which juveniles can be tried as adults is sufficient. We recommend a no vote.
Amendment 4: Changing the timing requirements for filling judicial vacancies.Yes.
This largely technical fix to the constitution is needed after the state adopted a closed primary system for some offices, including Supreme Court. Currently, the state constitution requires that an election for judge be held and a seat filled within 12 months of a vacancy occurring. But the closed primary system could require an extra election to choose a new justice, making it impossible to fill the seat if a Supreme Court vacancy occurs at certain times of the year
This fix would require the governor to call the election to fill the role on the same date as a gubernatorial or congressional election if either of them is within 12 months of the vacancy If not, then the election would occur on the first already scheduled election date after the vacancy occurs.
This fix is unlikely to have much of an impact — it does not apply to lower court judgeships. But nevertheless, in the interest of saving money due to extra elections, we recommend support.
LETTERS TO THE
GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O Box 588, Baton Rouge LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.
OPINION
Careful readers don’t trust anonymous sources
I enjoy reading newspapers, all newspapers. My phone has all the apps including The Associated Press, which I heretofore considered a reliable source.
I do, however, tire of the use of anonymous sources, which my background in journalism tells me should only be used sparingly when information is not able to be obtained in any other way More and more, in many of the Associated Press articles, I continue to read information “from an anonymous source” or “from a person not authorized to provide the information.”
Why would I believe an anonymous source, someone who is afraid to stand behind their words? Why would I believe statements from a person who was not authorized to provide information but did it anyway? I conclude that both these individuals have an agenda.
I will provide you with an example. Back in July 2024, I read an AP article which was about Brittney
Griner’s return from Russian imprisonment to compete for the Women’s U.S. Olympic basketball team. The AP writer wrote that Griner was “wrongfully detained.” I wondered why this language was used. She broke Russian law, was arrested, imprisoned, pleaded guilty, was sentenced and subsequently released to the United States. Long story short, I emailed the AP writer and asked him why he used the words “wrongfully detained?”
Needless to say, every article that he wrote thereafter regarding the basketball star contained factually everything I put in my email.
Did this AP writer have an agenda? I thought he did since he was basically parroting a politician’s declaration while leaving out what factually occurred.
I will continue to read the newspapers, but I will always scrutinize for facts and agendas.
AL KARRÉ Lafayette
Free speech may be a right, but it doesn’t excuse
Reading the newspaper’s coverage of the two public discourses regarding conflicts posing as “freedom of speech” has left me feeling speechless at times. But two words keep surfacing in my mind: civility and laborious. The Institute for Civility states, “Civility is claiming and caring for one’s identity, needs, and beliefs without degrading someone else in the process.”
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Further searches into the frequency of lawsuits with the desire to include crude language in the category of freedom of speech shows a laborious number of times that people have wanted to defend their lack of civility under that banner Simply because someone has won a case regarding this ability to be crude and call it freedom of speech, it doesn’t imply it is moral, ethical or civil.
Has anyone considered the supreme waste of human resources (time, money, mental energy) spent on this topic just so someone can
crudeness
behave in a rude and crude manner without regard for the value of civil discourse and treating another person with dignity and respect?
When a person in a position of leadership and authority uses crude language publicly, they fail to see that they are degrading themselves in the eyes of the person they are attempting to degrade.
Trying to have a discussion with a person who regularly uses foul language in public arenas is like trying to have a conversation with a belligerent teenager
Here’s the irony as I see it: using crude language under the guise of freedom of speech when that very behavior can be intimidating causing the listener to not feel free to express an opposing viewpoint.
That’s a definition of verbal abuse and abuse of authority when it involves a professor or a public official.
BECKY SMITH St George
Stakes of Ukraine’s fight cannot be overstated
Columnist George Will’s beautifully written piece in your Feb. 21 edition somewhat fails to present its message in the stark terms that it deserves. Let me try to do just that. If we believe that history repeats itself and we remember Chamberlain at Munich in 1938 declaring peace in our time while giving Czechoslovakia to Hitler with the result being World War II, a clear modern analogy appears: Trump as Chamberlain, Putin as Hitler, Ukraine as Czechoslovakia, and the only question is the final result. World War III?
True love of country requires action, not just words
“This is my country, land that I love,” and I stand with her today and every day Where do you stand? Democracy first and foremost is my motto. I said the oath to my Constitution more than once: as an enlisted naval reservist, as a federal government employee and as an American every time I pledged allegiance to our wonderful flag. The US of A pledged to try harder, to try to deliver peace and prosperity for everyone. What other country has done more? I can name several that have done less. Stand up or sit down. It is our time to take a stand. Where and when do you stand?
MARY LARSON Baton Rouge
We need more judges like Chief Justice John Weimer
A recent article in the newspaper discussed the governor putting his stamp on Louisiana’s high court. The article said that Gov Jeff Landry sought to undermine the influence of Chief Justice John Weimer because he is registered as no party and has no clear ideological lines. Not being bound by ideological restrictions or commitments seems like a quality we should want and appreciate in all our judges who are supposed to render fair and impartial decisions. It would be nice if at least a few of our other elected officials –both local and national — would have that quality and the courage to display it. We shouldn’t want Geppetto to be able to pull everyone’s strings.
BO BIENVENU Prairieville
BERT R. BOYCE Baton Rouge
Judge correct to delay execution
Federal district judge Shelly Dick was absolutely right on March 11 to delay the intended March 18 execution of convicted murderer Jessie Hoffman Jr Hoffman has made a compelling argument that courts, upon full hearing, are likely to decide that execution by the administration of pure nitrogen gas is a “cruel and unusual punishment” that is banned by the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He makes an even more compelling argument that he has not had adequate time to present his Eighth Amendment claims for full consideration.
And Hoffman makes an irrefutable argument that he would have suffered “irreparable harm” if the execution had been effectuated before he could secure a full hearing on the merits of his Eighth Amendment claims. Legally, the presence of irreparable harm is (quoting multiple precedents) “the single most important prerequisite for the issuance of a preliminary injunction” of the sort Judge Dick granted. Obviously, death is an irreparable harm.
Before considering this case any further, let’s be clear: This is not, repeat not, an argument about whether the death penalty itself is reasonable, moral or constitutional. This is a case about how to carry out the death penalty in a reasonable and constitutional, meaning non-torturous, way It is entirely possible to approve of the death penalty in theory while insisting that certain methods should be off-limits because of the extreme pain or superabundant terror they inflict.
Despite the breezy assurances by
ST PADDY’S DAY
Louisiana state officials that death-bypure-nitrogen is adequately humane, considerable evidence exists to the contrary Start with the fact that almost all veterinary scientists consider nitrogen gas too cruel even for animal euthanasia, and indeed Louisiana itself does not allow veterinarians to use that method.
Then consider that as Louisiana copied its protocols for conducting the execution, it consulted no actual medical experts.
At last Friday’s hearing before Judge Dick, expert witness Dr Philip Bickler, an anesthesiologist with a specialty in human hypoxia (the technical name for deprivation of oxygen), testified that the procedure would be “exposing [Hoffman] to a lack of oxygen such that both extreme discomfort, distress, pain, and terror would be felt all the way up to the point of losing consciousness.”
Under the circumstances of an execution, Bickler said it could take up to five minutes to lose consciousness. In other words, that is up to five full minutes of conscious torture.
This comports entirely with the reactions of all four people the state of Alabama has executed with pure nitrogen over the past year, as described by multiple witnesses each time As reported by The Associated Press and confirmed by others who observed the first one, convict Kenneth Smith “began to shake and writhe violently, in thrashing spasms and seizure-like movements….
The force of his movements caused the gurney to visibly move at least once.
The shaking went on for at least two minutes,” and it took ten minutes before his breathing appeared to stop.
The Rev Dr. Jeff Hood, a priest actually in the chamber with Smith, described saliva and mucus filling Smith’s
A leprechaun, a frog and an alligator all walk into a bar on St. Patrick’s Day.This has a classic joke setup with a Louisiana twist.Who can come up with the funniest punchline for THIS one? Have fun!
So, what’s going on in this cartoon? you tell me. Be witty, funny, crazy, absurd or snarky — just try to keep it clean.There’s no limit on the number of entries.
The winning punchline will be lettered into the word balloon and run on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17 in our print editions and online. In addition, the winner will receive a signed print of the cartoon along with a cool winner’s T-shirt! Some honorable mentions will also be listed.
mask to the point of probable suffocation, his eyes bulging grotesquely – “absolutely, positively a horror show.”
This is not a quick, humane euthanasia. This is not like an anesthetist giving a careful mix of nitrous oxide until a medical patient drifts peacefully to sleep, followed by, say, a lethal shot of morphine the patient cannot even feel.
A death by pure nitrogen looks, on its face, to be a textbook example of an unconstitutionally cruel punishment What this is, is barbaric.
As it is, Louisiana refused to release the protocols for the execution until the day before the hearing before Judge Dick, and even then they featured numerous redactions. As the judge noted, that gave Hoffman virtually no time to prepare or argue the full merits of his case for a different method of death.
“It is in the best interests of the public to examine this newly proposed method of execution on a fully developed record,” Judge Dick wrote. “The public has paramount interest in a legal process that enables thoughtful and wellinformed deliberations, particularly when the ultimate fundamental right, the right to life, is placed in the government’s hands.”
The preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking the death-by-nitrogen until a full case can be made and analyzed, is amply justified. And when that full case is considered, courts should recognize this method of execution to be a screaming violation of the Eighth Amendment. Both the Constitution and basic human decency demand that some other death penalty method, or none at all, must be chosen.
Quin Hillyer can be reached at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com.
To enter, email cartooncontest@theadvocate.com. DON’T FORGET! All entries must include your name, home address and phone number Cell numbers are best. The deadline for all entries is midnight,Thursday, March 13.
Perils of society incapable of patience
The number of books, essays, seminars, conferences, and government and foundation grants exploring, and deploring, the ways our screens affect us does not equal the number of American screens Yet. Technology saves time that people can devote to worrying about technology’s consequences.
Historian Daniel J. Boorstin glimpsed the future in 1962. Fortyfive years before the iPhone arrived, his book “The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America” included a joke: A woman exclaims to a mother pushing a pram, “My, that’s a beautiful baby you have there!” The mother replies, “Oh, that’s nothing — you should see his photograph.” In 1962, television represented the graphic revolution that had begun with photography and continued with movies. The anxiety was that people would prefer the artificial to the real. In 1960, a telegenic president (John F. Kennedy) had been elected, intensifying worries that the graphic revolution would manipulate us. Today Christine Rosen worries that we are manipulating, and diminishing, ourselves.
With smartphones ubiquitous, Rosen, of the American Enterprise Institute, wonders what becomes of us when we prefer our relationship to reality to be “mediated” by technology In “The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World,” she paints, with illuminating anecdotes, a pointillist picture — often amusing, sometimes ominous — of an era when a museumgoer expresses “disappointment that the Van Gogh he sees hanging on the wall is nowhere near as vibrant as one on his coffee mug.”
Rosen has elegant, well-bred regrets about, inter alia, the slow disappearance of handwriting. Today, hands are trained for swift keystrokes rather than the skillful application of ink to paper An intimacy is lost when texting supplants cursive.
But, then, as Virginia Postrel, author of “The Future and Its Enemies” (1998) says when reviewing Rosen’s book for Reason: Before ink, paper and knowledge of the alphabet became abundant, all communications had to have the intimacy of face-to-face exchanges. How far back should regrets go?
In 2013, the Golden Gate Bridge’s toll collectors were replaced by technology depriving commuters, Rosen says, of “a smile or a hello.” But is life diminished by trading fleeting encounters with cheery toll collectors for quicker commutes?
GPS, she says, is more precise than paper maps but makes its users spectators rather than navigators. What if, however, one simply wants to arrive, without the stimulus of navigating?
“We are awash in social media but our social skills — common courtesy, patience, eye contact are deteriorating.” The deterioration is real, and she sensibly postulates causation: Being alone with one’s obsessions on social media encourages impatience, intolerance, solipsism and narcissism And “digilante” justice inflicted by global mobs policing deviations from mob-defined proprieties. Furthermore, socialization is generally superior when teenagers do not socialize primarily by texting.
Sensible parents know that learning to be bored gracefully should be part of growing up, and Rosen, who knows that “people hate to wait,” understands that “checking your phone to escape the tedium can feel like a micro-revolution
Trump pushes return to subsistence farming
During his campaign, Donald Trump promised to deliver great wealth and lower prices Today, his administration is urging Americans to return to subsistence agriculture.
Egg prices have skyrocketed, recently surpassing $8 for a dozen wholesale large eggs Stores are rationing cartons to customers and still getting cleared out These phenomena are primarily driven by the spread of bird flu, which is forcing farmers to cull their flocks. That’s not Trump’s fault, though it doesn’t help that he accidentally fired bird flu experts at the Agriculture Department — setting off a scramble to rehire them — and deliberately suppressed research on the disease’s transmission. Pressed about high prices and policy mistakes, the administration has come up with patchwork of pseudo-plans. One is to research chicken vaccination, which many poultry farmers oppose, since some countries restrict imports of vaccinated chicken products (including the United States). The proposal also seems at odds with the administration’s messaging on human vaccination
Another Trump strategy is to scapegoat (scapechicken?) greedy farmers for allegedly anticompetitive conduct, as if they want to kill off their own flocks. Lefty populist groups have been egging this on, despite no evidence that collusion — rather than a huge hit to supply — is driving price increases
Perhaps most eg(g)regiously, the Trump administration is encouraging Americans to cope with high prices by raising their own flocks.
“How do we solve for something like this?” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins asked on Fox News.
In no universe does it make economic sense for every American household — many of whom live in urban areas or even suburbs where it’s illegal to keep live poultry to start farming their own food. The fact that we humans don’t have to spend all our time growing our own sustenance, and can instead specialize in other fields where we’re more productive, is a tremendous victory for our species.
Our post-agrarian society has allowed Americans to lead richer, healthier, longer, more leisure-filled lives. There’s a reason politicians a century ago promised “a chicken in every pot,” not a “chicken in every yard.”
Encouraging millions of Americans who are completely inexperienced with animal husbandry to become amateur bird farmers in the middle of a bird flu epidemic also seems like a great way to expose more humans to bird flu
This DIY egg production stratagem also raises questions about how the administration expects Americans to grapple with other grocery items that have grown more expensive.
against the tyranny of time.” This escape from boredom feeds what she terms “the relentless acceleration of everyday life.” And she asks: Might boredom which is a deeply human experience, “have a purpose?” Would a society without boredom also lack daydreaming, which can express a creative mind?
Her questions are suggestive. So, however, is this: Was the 14th-century peasant who spent dawn to dusk behind an ox, plowing fields for his lordship, bored? Perhaps not. This possibility is horrifying: The peasant, leading a life bereft of distractions, was incapable of boredom. The sudden coming of computers, smartphones, tablets, social media, etc., collectively constitutes a vast, uncontrolled social experiment. It is, however, uncontrolled only in that government, fortunately, has not managed to take charge. Markets (meaning trillions of individual choices), subgroups of society (e.g., schools, parents) and individuals who share Rosen’s doubts increasingly exercise control over screens.
Rosen’s refined sensibility is rightly offended by the passivity of people who treat screens as troughs that enable endless gorging on distractions. She cites Ambrose Bierce, the Civil War veteran (he was at Shiloh) whose “The Devil’s Dictionary” defined patience as “a minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue.” Rosen knows, however the perils of a society incapable of patience. She sensibly worries that people who are taught by their screens that they are entitled to instant and constant amusement — people who cannot delay apps’ often watery gratifications — will compose a society too impatient for the pace of deliberative politics: for democracy Email George Will at georgewill@ washpost.com.
Trump has been levying (and suspending, and levying again) tariffs on lots of common food items, including produce imported from Mexico and dairy from Canada. For now, most of the North American tariffs have been “paused” for another 30 days. But if they do come back, many foods that Americans love to consume will get more expensive, including avocados (90% of which come from Mexico) and fresh tomatoes (two-thirds from Mexico).
Good luck reproducing those supplies in your own backyards. Especially since a key fertilizer ingredient, 80% of which comes from Canada, is still apparently subject to Trump’s punitive tariffs (though at “only” 10%). This tariff will make farming more expensive any time of year
As will tariffs on Canadian lumber, which might come in handy for building those chicken coops On Friday, Trump said additional lumber tariffs were (probably?) back on again.
And if you’re in the market for some chicken wire, unfortunately Trump has also separately announced new tariffs on steel worldwide, not just on products from Canada and Mexico. Those tariffs are set to go into effect next week Domestic steel prices have already been rising in anticipation.
Trump surely understands that limiting access to imports raises prices, because his administration has also flirted with the idea of allowing more egg imports — with the explicit goal of driving down the price of eggs. Importing more eggs has proved complicated, though, and so far there’s not much additional poultry in motion. (Sorry.)
“Homesteading influencer” content might be trendy on social media, but surely the way to Make America Great Again does not involve having everyone raise their own livestock, log their own forests and galvanize their own steel wire. But that is, perhaps, the logical conclusion of Trump’s lifelong fixation with autarky the idea that an economy should not engage in trade and instead be selfsufficient.
If countries should be economically self-supporting, why not states? If states, why not neighborhoods? If neighborhoods, why not every man, woman and child for themselves? Between bird flu and measles and other contagions, adopting the trad-wife/prepper lifestyle might sound pretty attractive right now
Catherine Rampell is on X, @crampell.
George Will
Catherine Rampell
Quin Hillyer
turous, devoted and much appreciated life. She was 82 years old.Weezie is sur-
vived by her husband of 61 years, Col. (US Army, Ret.) Ron Mullenix; her younger brother, John Schuyler, III; her twosons, Philip and Matthew; their spouses Cristina and Rochelle; and her four beloved grandchildren: Schuyler, Sterling, Margaret, and Briana Mullenix. Weezie leaves also a world of close friendsand admirers made during her lifelong travels in service of her husband's military career—and her own, as educator, technical editor, and docent-leader within numerous Episcopal Church congregations.
Entered into eternal rest March 1, 2025 at the age of 84. Survived by his wife Margaret McKiney. Preceded in death by his parents Thomas and Georgia McKiney; 3sons, 8brothers and sisters. Visitation Friday, March 14, 2025 8:00 am until religious service at 10:00 am Friendship Chapel Baptist Church, 2111 North Street, Baton Rouge, LA. Pastor Charles Allen officiating. Interment Louisiana National Cemetery, Zachary, LA. Service entrusted to Hall Davis and Son.www.halldavisandson. com
McKnight, Laura Faye
The daughter of Col. John Schuyler, II, of New York, and the former Margaret Longshore of Montgomery, Alabama, Weezie was raised in post-WWII Atlanta, Georgia, aformative environment that instilled in her an air of Southern gentility and the generous hospitality that would become her hallmarks.
Laura Faye MulkeyMcKnight passed peacefully on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at St. Joseph Hospice at the age of 92. She wasborn in Wilson, Louisiana, but spent most of her lifein north Baton Rouge, graduating from Istrouma High School and raising afamily in Central. Faye retired from Piccadilly Cafeteria Corporate Office in Baton Rouge, but herfamily was her true legacy.She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend who gave of herself completely, never counting the cost -a "good and faithful servant," atruly precious soul. There was so much tender love and warmth in her softhands, and she enjoyedusing them to crochetand embroidertreasured pieces for loved ones to remember that love and warmth by. Faye was alongtime memberofZoarBaptist Church in Central and cherished hermany trips and memories with Young at Heart pals. Faye is survived by her daughter, Glenda "Darlene" O'Neal; son, Donald Wayne"McKnight; daughter-in-law, Vicky "Dwana" McKnight; siblings, Florence "Flo" Furlow, Margaret"Jean" Mullins and husband Clemon, Charles "Chuck" Mulkey and wife Anne; grandchildren, Scott Harrington and wife Amanda, Cory Harrington and wife Stephanie, Dustin McKnight and wife Sarah, Donyelle Young andhusband Clay, Lauren Conger and husband Robert; great -grandchildren, Elisabeth, Charles David, and Annabelle Harrington, Gavin, Brody, John-Paul and Isabella Harrington, Emilie and WilliamMcKnight, Landyn, Grayson and Brooks Young. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Thomas "Don" McKnight; parents, Claiborne "CD" and Lula "Bobbie" Mulkey; brotherin-law James Jim" Furlow. An intimate,graveside service for immediate family will be held at Resthaven Gardens of Memory in Baton Rouge. The family would like to thank St. Joseph Hospice fortheir Christ-like care.Donations may be made to ZoarBaptist Church. https://www.z oarbaptist.org/give. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave apersonal note to the family at www.resthavenbaton rouge.com.
Laura Faye Mulkey McKnight passed peacefullyon Sunday, March 9, 2025, at St. Joseph Hospice at the age of 92. She was born in Wilson, Louisiana,but spent most of her life in north BatonRouge, graduating from Istrouma High School and raising afamily in Central. Faye retired from Piccadilly Cafeteria Corporate Office in Baton Rouge, but her family was her true legacy. She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend who gave of herself completely, never counting the cost -a "good and faithful servant," atruly precious soul. There was so much tender love and warmth in her soft hands, and she enjoyed using them to crochetand embroider treasured pieces for loved ones to remember thatlove and warmth by. Faye was alongtime member of Zoar Baptist Church in Central and cherished her many trips Mullenix, Mary Louise 'Weezie'
Mary Louise "Weezie" Mullenix diedonFebruary 20, 2025, ending an adventurous, devoted and much appreciated life. She was 82 years old. Weezie is survived by her husband of 61 years, Col. (US Army, Ret.) Ron Mullenix; her younger brother, John Schuyler, III; her twosons, Philip and Matthew; their spouses Cristina and Rochelle; and her four beloved grandchildren: Schuyler, Sterling Margaret, and Briana Mullenix.
Weezie leaves also a world of close friendsand admirers made during her lifelong travels in service of her husband's military career—and her own, as educator, technical editor, and docent-leader within numerous Episcopal Church congregations.
The daughter of Col. John Schuyler, II, of New York, and the former Margaret Longshore of Montgomery, Alabama, Weezie was raised in post-WWII Atlanta, Georgia, aformative environment that instilled in her an air of Southern gentility and the generous hospitality that would become her hallmarks.
Nonetheless, Weezie wouldnever be mistaken for awallflower. Dubbed "The Atlanta Flame" by then Ft. Benning's Commanding Officer during the early years of her marriage to Ron, Weezie was frequently outspoken, firm in her sometimes-contrary opinions, and astaunch defender of the ideals, people, places and things she valued.
Mary Louise "Weezie" Mullenix diedonFebruary 20, 2025, ending anadventurous, devoted and much appreciated life. She was 82 years old. Weezieissurvivedbyher husband of 61 years, Col. (US Army, Ret.) Ron Mullenix; her younger brother, John Schuyler, III;
She wouldbecome the first woman to receivean advanced degree from The Citadel, earning aMaster's in Education during Ron's tour of duty as leader of that venerable military academy's ROTC program.
Weezie was an exacting, apparently tireless administrator, as comfortable correcting theabysmal sentence structure of software engineers as she was organizing multiple transAtlantic household moves, often while her husband was away on military maneuvers.
In the final decadeof her life, Weezie lived near Matt's family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She and Ron took frequent trips to visit Philip's family in the Washington D.C. area, and to other parts of the country; and at home, she enjoyed regular visits to the bookstore, attending her reading groups, movies, luncheons at The City Club, and services at St. James Episcopal Church.
Aservice in Weezie's honor will be held on March 29, 2025, at 11AMat St. James. All who knew her are welcome. She will be interred shortly thereafter, laid to rest beside
Nonetheless, Weezie would never be mistaken for awallflower. Dubbed "The Atlanta Flame" by then Ft. Benning's Commanding Officer during the early years of her marriage to Ron, Weezie was frequently outspoken, firm in her sometimes-contrary opinions, and astaunch defender of the ideals, people, places and things she valued.
She would become the first woman to receivean advanced degree from The Citadel, earning aMaster's in Education during Ron's tour of duty as leader of that venerable military academy's ROTC program. Weezie was an exacting, apparently tireless administrator, as comfortable correcting the abysmal sentence structure of software engineers as she was organizing multiple transAtlantic household moves, often while her husband was away on military maneuvers.
In the final decadeof her life, Weezie lived near Matt's family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She and Ron took frequent trips to visit Philip's family in the Washington D.C. area, and to other partsofthe country; and at home, she enjoyed regular visits to the bookstore, attending her reading groups, movies, luncheons at The City Club, and services at St. James Episcopal Church. Aservice in Weezie's honor will be held on March 29, 2025, at 11AMat St. James. All who knew her are welcome. She will be interred shortly thereafter, laid to rest beside her parents' graves in a military cemetery near Columbus, Georgia.
Seal, Allen Austin Allen Austin Seal, 84, of Harrison, passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at Hillcrest Home.
He was born on May 7, 1940, in Glenmora, Louisiana, to Kenneth William and Leona Conley Seal. On November 16, 1979, Allen married Miss Nancy Eslinger in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and together they built alife filled with loveand companionship.Hededicated many years of service to the Louisiana Department of Transportation, working as aconstructionauditor and in bridge maintenance before retiring. In 1999, he and Nancy made Harrison their home.
Allenwas adevoted Yankees baseball fan and found joy in the simple pleasures of life—spending time outdoors on his John Deere tractor, cutting wood,sharing Sunday coffee with his neighbors, and was an avid storyteller. His warm presence and easygoing nature will be dearly missed by those who knew and loved him. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Ricky Beban Seal; and his brother, Kenneth Donovan Seal.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Nancy Seal of Harrison; his sister, Wilma Lee Seal Leggettof Oakdale, Louisiana; two granddaughters, Amanda Lynn Seal Hull and Jennifer Leigh Seal Tyson; two great-grandsons, Trey and Dallas, all of Louisiana; and numerous other relatives and friends.
Agravesideservice was held at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Maplewood Cemetery, with Beau Bennett officiating. Arrangementsare under the direction of Holt Memorial Chapel.
Visitation was from4 to 6p.m. on Sunday, March 9th, at thefuneral home. Memorials may be made to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, 111 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Sevierville, Tennessee 37862. The online obituary and guestbook are available at www.HoltChapel.com.
Seal, Allen Austin Allen Austin Seal, 84, of Harrison,passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at Hillcrest Home. He was born on May 7, 1940, in Glenmora, Louisiana, to Kenneth William and Leona Conley Seal. On November 16, 1979, Allen married Miss Nancy Eslinger in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and together they built alife filled with love andcompanionship. He dedicated many years of serviceto the LouisianaDepartment of Transportation, working as aconstruction auditor and in bridge maintenance before retiring. In 1999, he and Nancy made Harrison their home. Allen was adevoted Yankees baseball fan and found joy in thesimple pleasures of life—spending time outdoors on his John Deere tractor, cutting wood, sharing Sunday coffee with his neighbors, and was an avid storyteller. His warm presence and easygoingnature will be dearly missed by those who knew and loved him. He waspreceded in death by his parents; his son, Ricky Beban Seal; and his brother, Kenneth Donovan Seal.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Nancy Seal of Harrison;his sister, Wilma Lee Seal Leggett of Oakdale, Louisiana; two granddaughters, Amanda Lynn Seal Hull and Jennifer Leigh Seal Tyson; two great-grandsons, Trey and Dallas, all of Louisiana; and numerous other relatives and friends.
Agraveside servicewas held at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Maplewood Cemetery, with Beau Bennett officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Holt Memorial Chapel.
Visitation was from 4to 6p.m. on Sunday, March 9th, at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, 111 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Sevierville, Tennessee 37862. The onlineobituary and guestbook are available at www.HoltChapel.com.
Wilma Cecelia Gueringer Taylor, 91, of Saint Amant, Louisiana, passed away on March 8, 2025. She was born in Echo, Louisianaon October 14, 1933, and married Claude Larry Taylor on February 27, 1954. Wilma was alovingwife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and cherished friend. She is survived by her husband of 71 years, Claude Larry Taylor; 4children, Alice Taylor Blair, Paul Edward Taylor (Roslyn), Nedda Maria Taylor and Jeri Louise Taylor (Diane); 4grandchildren, Byron Blair (Ashleigh); Timothy Taylor (Lindsey); Michael Taylor (Lauren) and Kristin Gregoire (Donovan); 7great-grandchildren; 2bonus great-great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, David and Edine Gueringer; 3siblings, Mildred Gagnard (Ralph, deceased); Clifton Gueringer (Jocelyn, deceased); Gervina Gueringer; son-in-law, Deacon William Byron Blair; and granddaughter, Rebecca Elizabeth Blair. Her faith and her family were the most important parts of her life. She was avery devoted Catholic all of her life. She and her husband were founding members of St. Thomas More Parish and School in Baton Rouge. When her husbandretired from Barnard &Burk Engineers they moved to Saint Amant and became parishioners first at St. Anne in Sorrento and then at St. Theresa of Avila in Gonzales. Wilma had anatural gift for organization,a skill she applied in every aspect of her life -whether it was cleaning thehouse, cutting the grass, or washing the cars. Wilma took pride in serving as sacristan at St. Thomas More, St. Anne and finally at St. Theresa in order to keep the altar server robes and church linens washed and ironed; to attending the nursing home to helpsetup for mass and saying therosary with the
Wilma Cecelia Gueringer Taylor, 91, of Saint Amant, Louisiana, passed away on March 8, 2025. She was born in Echo, Louisianaon October 14, 1933, and married Claude Larry Taylor on February 27, 1954. Wilma was alovingwife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and cherished friend. She is survived by her husband of 71 years, Claude Larry Taylor; 4children, Alice Taylor Blair, Paul Edward Taylor (Roslyn), Nedda Maria Taylor and Jeri Louise Taylor (Diane); 4grandchildren, Byron Blair (Ashleigh); Timothy Taylor (Lindsey); Michael Taylor (Lauren) and Kristin Gregoire (Donovan); 7great-grandchildren; 2bonus great-great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, David and Edine Gueringer; 3siblings, Mildred Gagnard (Ralph deceased); Clifton Gueringer (Jocelyn, deceased); Gervina Gueringer; son-in-law, Deacon William Byron Blair; and granddaughter, Rebecca Elizabeth Blair. Her faith and her family were the most important parts of her life. She was avery devoted Catholic all of her life. She and her husband were founding members of St. Thomas More Parish and School in Baton Rouge. When her husbandretired from Barnard &Burk Engineers they moved to Saint Amant and became parishioners first at St. Anne in Sorrento and then at St. Theresa of Avila in Gonzales. Wilma had anatural gift for organization,a skill she applied in every aspect of her life -whether it was cleaning thehouse, cutting the grass, or washing the cars. Wilma took pride in serving as sacristan at St. Thomas More, St. Anne and finally at St. Theresa in order to keep the altar server robes and church linens washed and ironed; to attending the nursing home to helpsetup for mass and saying therosary with the residents; or perhaps it was serving with her husband at funeral masses. Together, Claude Larry and Wilma built alife grounded in love, family andshared commitment to service. She wasa charter member of Catholic Daughters of Americas St. Louis King of France in Baton RougeNovember 19, 1962. She served in various roles with both the Baton Rouge group and then with Court #1955 here in Gonzales. One of herfavorite things to do was to organize bus trips. They liked going to the casino to play the penny and nickel slot machines while waiting for the buffet to open so they could eat lunch and visit. Their group of about 40 also took trips together visiting historical churches; attending theIrish Italian Parade in Metairie; visiting EWTN in Alabama; and once amonth on Friday's eating lunch at MikeAnderson's, Philay's or Outback. Unfortunately, COVID came alongand prevented her from doing the things she loved most. She still kept their home cleaned and organized until January of this year when her health started to decline. A visitation will be held on Friday, March 14, 2025, at St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church, in Gonzales, with visitation from 9:30am to 11:20am. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:30am with acommittal servicetofollow at Holy Rosary MausoleuminSaint Amant. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Theresa of Avila Church to provide for masses in her honor. (St. Theresa of Avila -1022 N. Burnside Ave.Gonzales, LA 70737).
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LSU blown out by Bulldogs
Tigers fall in first round of SEC Tournament
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
NASHVILLE,TENN.— In LSU men’s basketball’s last possession before halftime, Mississippi State played a zone defense.
The Tigers recognized it and found Daimion Collins a couple of steps under the free-throw line. He looked to pass it under the hoop but chose not to. He then looked to the right and left corners to pass it. Again, he declined. The 6-foot-9 forward decided to shoot a jumper in the paint, but at that last moment tried to squeeze a pass to his first read under the hoop. That bailout pass was deflected and resulted in a turnover This was the final play of a first half in which LSU didn’t make a field goal in the final 10:04 and had only three points in that span.
The cold spell played a significant role in why 15th-seeded LSU lost 91-62 to 10thseeded Mississippi State in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday “Disappointing end to a challenging couple of months for us,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “But really want to give a lot of credit to Mississippi State. I thought they were terrific.”
ä See SEC, page 2C
AP PHOTO By WADE PAyNE LSU guard Cam Carter moves the ball against Mississippi State forward RJ Melendez during their SEC Tournament game on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.
LSU football hopes it found answer to DL coach churn
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
NFL veteran. He’s also an avid golfer, one who just happened to meet his new boss one day on a course in Lake Tahoe, California.
“His short game’s ridiculous,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said of Williams. That encounter wound up serving Kelly well. LSU football has begun another round of spring practices, but first and once again — it had to quickly hire a new defensive line coach The position has undergone a high rate of turnover across the last 10 seasons. The last coach to hold the job for longer than two seasons left LSU in 2014. Since then, LSU has cycled through nine defensive line coaches on either a full-time or interim basis. The latest to leave was Bo Davis, a former defensive tackle who abruptly vacated a job on Kelly’s staff (and one of the highest non-coordinator salaries in college football) in February to accept a
ä See LSU, page 3C
LSU third baseman Danieca Coffey stretches as she readies to bat against Northwestern on Feb 15 at Tiger Park Coffey is hitting .561 with a .680 on-base percentage, second in the
LSU
BY JIM KLEINPETER
Contributing writer
senior Coffey tearing into opposing pitchers
A young LSU softball team that was expected to need time to pull together in 2025 instead is 24-1 with a No. 4 national ranking.
Leading the way is one of the team’s most experienced players who leads the Southeastern Conference in batting average and walks, as well as gratitude.
Tigers third baseman and leadoff hitter Danieca Coffey suffered the crushing disappointment last year of her senior season ending after 16 games because of a torn ACL in her left knee. After navigating a year of pain, rehab and tears, she’s way ahead of last year’s pace when she batted .404 with a .500 on-base percentage before the injury
Coffey is hitting a white-hot .561 with a .680 on-base percentage, second in the league, and 29 walks. The fifth-year senior is hitting for power, fielding her position fearlessly and deftly stepping into her role as the team leader
“The time out gave me a way different perspective,” said Coffey, who leads her team into the opening weekend of league play against Kentucky at 6 p.m. Friday at Tiger Park. “The difference between last year and this year is I know it can be taken from me at any given moment. Every single at-bat, there’s intention behind every single swing. There’s not a chance of letting up because I know what can happen You’re grateful, and you’re working hard every single moment.”
ä See COFFEY, page 3C
Questions abound as Tigers play waiting game
Johnson
MICHAEL JOHNSON
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Count the LSU women’s basketball team among the select few squads in the country with hopes of winning a national title.
But what exactly are the No. 10 Tigers’ chances of reaching the Final Four for the second time under coach Kim Mulkey? The answer to that question will become clearer once the NCAA Tournament bracket is set at 7 p.m. Sunday The real madness is still more than a week away, with LSU’s next possible game coming no earlier than March 21. Here are five questions to consider in the meantime about LSU and its postseason hopes. Where will LSU be seeded? The consensus among bracketologists favors awarding LSU a No. 3 seed and assigning it to one of the regions in Spokane, Washington.
The Tigers were ranked No. 7 overall when the NCAA selection committee gave a peek into its top-16 teams on Feb. 26. LSU since has lost three of its last four games,
while a few teams that were ranked lower have built win streaks. North Carolina State (No 8) reached the ACC title game, and TCU (No. 9) and Duke (No. 11) won their respective conference tournaments. Those teams each could jump the Tigers on Selection Sunday bumping them down to a No. 3 seed — the same spot in which LSU began each of the previous three NCAA tournaments.
Will LSU be at full strength?
Flau’jae Johnson is battling shin inflammation, and Aneesah Morrow is dealing with a midfoot sprain Mulkey said on Saturday that both will be ready to play by the start of the NCAA Tournament. But how close to full strength will they be? Johnson told The Advocate on Friday that she’s felt pain in her shin since roughly Feb. 9. Her inflammation wouldn’t have begun to subside, she said, unless she stopped playing in games. So LSU ruled the junior out of its regular-season
Flau’jae
SEC. STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
fifth-year
2
2
Arkansas one step closer to bid
ByTheAssociated Press
NASHVILLE,Tenn.— Arkansas basketball took a step toward earning an NCAA Tournament bid in coach John Calipari’s debut season.
Barely
The ninth-seeded Razorbacks held on to beat 16th-seeded South Carolina 72-68 Wednesday in the SEC Tournament after nearly losing a 20-point lead.
“We have a bunch of guys that compete and did what they had to to win the game, so I’m happy,” Calipari said. “Would you like to have it a big score? Yeah.
“But at this time of the year, everybody’s fighting for their lives.” Arkansas (20-12) advanced to play eighth-seeded Ole Miss in the second round on Thursday After the Razorbacks led 59-41 with 14:18 remaining, they missed 12 straight shots over 11-plus minutes and their cushion was cut to a one-point advantage.
D.J. Wagner, who played for Calipari at Kentucky, snapped the field-goal drought with 2:37 left on a 3-pointer to put Arkansas ahead 64-60 and it maintained that advantage. Calipari has led the Razorbacks to a 20-win season with a slew of transfers, including former Wildcats, in his first season with the program. He led Kentucky for 15 seasons, winning a national championship in 2012, before leaving to succeed
SEC
Continued from page 1C
Leading scorer Cam Carter had 13 points and seven turnovers five in the first half, for LSU (1418). Robert Miller had 14 points Jordan Sears had 20 points and five steals.
For the first time this season, McMahon started point guards Sears and Cutis Givens together in a four-guard lineup anchored by the post player Miller. The additional ballhandling assisted in the Tigers making their first three shots of the game. The up-and-down pace early helped LSU feel comfortable against the physical defense of Mississippi State (21-11) Sears and Carter each made pull-up 3-pointers when needed late in the shot clock.
“(We) tried to throw the first punch,” Sears said about the strong offensive start.
coach Eric Musselman.
Arkansas did not earn an NCAA bid last season after advancing to the second weekend in three straight tournaments.
Does Calipari think the the Razorbacks have done enough to show the selection committee they belong in college basketball’s annual showcase?
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not in the room.”
NO 13 TEXAS 79, NO. 12 VANDERBILT 72:
In Nashville, Tennessee, Tramon Mark and Tre Johnson scored 19 points each and 13th-seeded Texas defeated No. 12-seed Vanderbilt in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday. Texas, in its first SEC Tournament, will play No 5 seed Texas A&M in the second round on Thursday Texas led by 15 points at halftime and by 15 points again with 41/2 minutes to go before Tyler Nickel made a pair of free throws and Devin McGlockton’s layup got Vanderbilt within 70-59.
The Longhorns’ next possessions included a failed one-and-one opportunity and two 3-point misses while the Commodores trimmed their deficit to 72-65 with 1:34 remaining.
Vanderbilt got within seven points three more times but the
Longhorns closed out the win with seven made free throws in eight attempts. Jordan Pope scored 14 points and was 5-for-5 on free throws for Texas (18-14) and Arthur Kaluma scored 11 points, all in the first half. Mark made 9 of 11 free throws and
The Tigers were 5 of 8 from the field by the 13:50 mark of the first half but trailed 13-12 because of allowing offensive rebounds. The Bulldogs had five offensive boards along with forcing three turnovers. Mississippi State remained ahead for the majority of the first half because it won the field-goal attempt battle.
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for the SEC Tournament, giving her roughly three weeks to alleviate the pain.
The bad news for the Tigers is that Morrow will have less time to manage her injury
The good news is that she dodged something more serious than a foot sprain when she went down in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinal against Texas. Mulkey said Morrow even tried to return to that game, but LSU held her out because it has “bigger fish to fry.”
Any lessons from SEC tourney?
When the Tigers are at their best, they can both score and defend as well as any team in the country LSU notched 101 points in a
McNeese goes back-to-back in Southland, defeats Lamar LAKE CHARLES Quadir Copeland scored 18 points and McNeese defeated Lamar 63-54 in a coldshooting, defensive battle on Wednesday, giving the Cowboys back-to-back Southland Conference Tournament championships. The top-seeded Cowboys (27-6) will be making their fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Cowboys led wire-to-wire. The lead was 31-22 with two minutes remaining in the first half before 3-pointers by second-seeded Lamar’s Andrew Holifield and Alexis Marmolejos sparked an 8-2 run. McNeese led 33-30 at halftime.
The defensive battle continued in the second half as McNeese went 5 for 15 and Lamar 5 for 23 in the first 121/2 minutes after halftime. McNeese led 47-41 at the under-8 timeout.
Seahawks agree to deal with WR Valdes-Scantling
The Seattle Seahawks agreed Wednesday to a one-year deal worth up to $5.5 million with speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling, according to agent Harold Lewis.
The 30-year-old Valdes-Scantling ended last season with the New Orleans Saints and is one of the game’s better deep threats.
He had 17 catches for 385 yards and four TDs in eight games for the Saints last season after catching just two passes in six games for Buffalo to begin the season. Valdes-Scantling was drafted in the fifth round in 2018, spending four years with Green Bay
He then spent two seasons in Kansas City, including the backto-back Super Bowl wins with the Chiefs.
Commanders re-sign Mariota as backup QB
the Longhorns were 25 for 34 from the line. Texas shot 48% and scored 22 points in the paint in the first half on the way to a 41-26 halftime lead.
The Longhorns had an early 12-0 run and Kaluma scored five points in a 12-3 run that led to a 39-22 lead.
“Turnovers, missed free throws were really detrimental to us and our opportunity to hang around in the game, and Mississippi State certainly made us pay with their best 3-point shooting night of the season,” McMahon said.
The Bulldogs finished 15 of 34 from beyond the arc.
The Tigers opened the second half with competitive fire, especially on defense A two-handed dunk by Miller trimmed the deficit to 11 points with 15 minutes remaining. The Tigers never got any closer LSU trailed by as many as 33 points with 5:54 remaining and finished the game with 15 turnovers and shooting 39% from the field. Mississippi State’s defense led to 10 players making at least two field goals.
The Washington Commanders are re-upping veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota to back up Jayden Daniels in the Offensive Rookie of the Year’s second NFL season. The Commanders on Wednesday agreed to bring back Mariota and sign cornerback Jonathan Jones and defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, according to a person familiar with the deals under the condition of anonymity Mariota is the latest experienced player to stay in Washington after tight ends Zach Ertz and John Bates and linebacker Bobby Wagner also re-signed.
The Commanders also worked out a couple of big trades to acquire wide receiver Deebo Samuel from San Francisco and left tackle Laremy Tunsil from Houston
Chargers sign Steelers RB Harris, free agent CB Jackson
The Los Angeles Chargers signed former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris and free agent cornerback Donte Jackson on Wednesday Harris brings durability having started all 68 games regular-season games with the Steelers.
The lead became more pronounced as the pull-up jumpers LSU hit early started to clank off the rim. The stops Mississippi State accumulated allowed it to play up-tempo and stretch the lead during the Tigers’ scoring drought Atop of LSU’s game plan was to limit Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard, who scored 30 in Mississippi State’s 81-69 on March 1 over the Tigers.
quarterfinal win over Florida. Then it held Texas to only 56 in the semifinals.
Theproblem?TheLSUdefenseallowed the Gators’ 10th-ranked SEC offense to tally 87 points on 48% shooting a day before the Tigers scrounged together only 49 points against the Longhorns. That’s the fewest points they’ve scored in a single game under Mulkey
Johnson will soon return to the court, giving LSU a boost at both ends of the floor
But the Tigers likely will have trouble reaching the Final Four unless they can marry their best offensive and defensive efforts against the teams they’ll encounter in the NCAA Tournament.
Is LSU settled at point guard?
Not really Shayeann Day-Wilson and Last-Tear Poa have split those duties for the last seven games or so, and Mulkey has in-
The 5-foot-11 guard carried the brilliance from the first meeting to the SEC Tournament as he scored 16 points in the first half and finished with 26. Hubbard buried multiple 3-pointers over contests and was at ease scoring on whomever LSU had defending him.
dicated that she’ll let the matchup dictate which ballhandler will play more minutes.
Day-Wilson earned more run against Kentucky on Feb. 23, for example, because LSU wanted her to defendpointguardGeorgiaAmoore. That plan worked: Amoore scored only four points on 2-of-9 shooting in the second half, which helped the Tigers erase a double-digit steal and steal a win on the road.
LSU thinks games against teams such as Texas are better matchups for Poa. In the two games against the Longhorns, she played more than twice as many minutes as Day-Wilson did because the Tigers needed someone to help them evade full-court pressure a job tailored more to Poa’s game.
Mulkey likely will take the same approach in the tournament She may even carve out more minutes for Mjracle Sheppard, who averaged10pointsand2.5stealsper
The Tigers were without Vyctorius Miller and Corey Chest because of injuries.
LSU now will have to wait to find out whether it makes the National Invitation Tournament that begins Tuesday
“We haven’t even thought that far down the road,” McMahon said when asked about the NIT “Just been locked in on trying to figure out ways to give ourselves a chance.”
game in the SEC Tournament while starting in place of Johnson. Long road trip ahead?
It sure looks like it. Remember, the women’s tournament has two regional sites, not four Those cities are Spokane, Washington, and Birmingham, Alabama, this year Birmingham really has room for only two top teams from the SEC: South Carolina and Texas. LSU could’ve earned one of those spots, but it lost too many games down the stretch of the regular season. Now the Tigers likely will have to settle for a long flight to the Pacific Northwest. That’s assuming, of course, they can advance past the first two rounds of the tournament. Those games will take place inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.
A first-round pick out of Alabama in 2021, he topped 1,000 yards in each of his first four NFL seasons. He was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie. Jackson also comes over from Pittsburgh, where he made 15 regular-season starts last year after being traded from Carolina.
He had a career-high five interceptions over that span before missing two of the final three games with a back issue. He’s expected to add a veteran presence to the Chargers’ young cornerback group.
Rams release Super Bowl
56 MVP wide receiver Kupp
The Los Angles Rams cut Super Bowl 56 MVP Cooper Kupp after being unable to find a trade partner for their former No 1 wide receiver The Rams officially moved on from the 2021 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year on Wednesday Kupp announced last month that the Rams were trying to trade him despite his desire to remain with the team. But with him being owed $20 million this season, no other team was willing to make a
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By WADE PAyNE
LSU guard Cam Carter left, shoots against Mississippi State forward RJ Melendez during the second half of a Southeastern Conference Tournament game Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.
AP PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV
Arkansas guard D.J. Wagner reacts to a play against South Carolina at the SEC Tournament on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.
SEC tourney roundup
LSU transfers filling important roles already
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Name an LSU football position group, and there’s a strong chance it has a transfer or two in line to play a key role during the 2025 season.
This offseason, coach Brian Kelly and his staff pursued a wave of players from the transfer portal, marking a shift in their roster-building philosophy
Notebook
Now, the Tigers have a revamped roster with 16 transfers — a group that comprises the No. 1 portal haul in the country, according to 247Sports.
“All of them have a presence pretty much in our two-deep,” Kelly said, “and that’s saying a lot.”
LSU opened a 20-minute viewing window of its third spring practice to media on Wednesday. In that period, transfers dotted the field in the limited offensive team drills the Tigers conducted, yet most worked behind an incumbent player in rotations that Kelly said will change as practices continue.
Returners comprised the preliminary first-team offense AaronAnderson, Zavion Thomas and Chris Hilton were the receivers; Trey’Dez Green was the tight end; Caden Durham was the running back; and all five starters on the offensive line were players who appeared in games for LSU during the 2024 season.
The
five starters, from the left side to the right, were Tyree Adams, Paul Mubenga, DJ Chester, Bo Bordelon and Weston Davis Transfer receivers Barion Brown (Kentucky) and Destyn Hill (Florida State) ran with LSU’s second-team offense, which was led by transfer quarterback MichaelVan Buren Transfer tight end Bauer Sharp (Oklahoma) slotted into that group as well,
along with transfer offensive lineman Braelin Moore (Virginia Tech), who played center alongside two freshmen — Carius Curne and Solomon Thomas and two redshirt freshmen — Coen Echols and Ethan Calloway
That depth chart undoubtedly will change.
Transfer receiver Nic Anderson (Oklahoma) will fill a prominent role So too will Moore and fellow transfer lineman Josh Thompson (Northwestern), who’s expected to join the team next week
That list doesn’t even include
the defense, which LSU beefed up with additions to the secondary and defensive line. The Tigers plucked three new pass rushers, two cornerbacks and one safety from the transfer portal.
It’s still early, but Kelly is pleased with the early returns on a transfer class that LSU needs to step in and fill some important roles.
“To immediately jump into a twodeep situation with all those guys,” Kelly said, “and factor into what we’re doing, I would say that we’re
The Players Championship gives golfers shot at tough Sawgrass
BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The 25
newcomers to The Players Championship probably won’t take much solace in hearing that only one player Craig Perks in 2002 has conquered the diabolical Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass in his debut over the last four decades.
Just as curious is the case of Scottie Scheffler Last year he became the first player in the history of this championship to win in consecutive years.
Tiger Woods for all his greatness won it only twice. Phil Mickelson won in 2007 and some eight years later after missing the cut said, “I can’t believe I’ve actually won here.” The PGA Tour’s premier event — it has been referred to as the “fifth major” begins Thursday with the same level of intrigue. There are great players. There are players in great form. But anything goes over the next four days.
The secret to Sawgrass?
“Playing good,” said Scheffler, who last year had to make up a five-shot deficit with a sore neck by holing out for eagle on the fourth hole on his way to a 64.
“You can’t fake it around this place,” Scheffler said.
“I think there’s a lot of genius in the way the golf course is designed. There is some volatility in terms of the hazard That provides a lot of volatility for how the golf course can play especially in high wind.
“It doesn’t suit one type of player,” he said. “It’s not a horses-forcourses-type place. It’s just the
COFFEY
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Coffey is clearly one of the nation’s best players. In five games last week, she batted .750 with an .800 OBP She reached base in 12 consecutive plate appearances during one span and was named SEC Player of the Week for the second time this season. Her ability as an ignition switch for the LSU offense was never in doubt. But she is also showing improved power numbers with a .758 slugging percentage and matching her career high with two homers.
She said she’s as strong as she’s ever been, but the power improvement is attributable to pitch selection and a more mature hitting philosophy
guys that are playing the best are going to be on the leaderboard on Sunday.”
That sounds simple enough, thought that requires a view of Perks in 2002. He played great that week — turns out it was his only PGA Tour victory but had to chip in for eagle from the edge of the 16th green, hole a long birdie putt on the 17th and then chip in for par on the 18th.
Simple.
If the island green at the par-3 17th, or water in play on all but a handful of holes isn’t enough, the PGA Tour restored the tree that hung sideways over the tee box on No. 6 that frames the shot and gives players one more thing to think about.
“I certainly have to hit it a little lower than my preferred launch window,” Rory McIlroy said.
McIlroy won in 2019 and he has three other top-10 finishes. He also has missed the cut seven times, keeping in form of other past champions.
“You just have to be so on your game here,” McIlroy said. “I think that’s the main key It’s such a course on execution, and if you’re not executing like 100 percent, you leave yourself in spots where it’s really tough to get up-and-down.
You have to hit the ball where you’re looking, and if you can do that, you can do well here.
“It’s one of the best tests of the year, for sure.”
Among the newcomers this year is Laurie Canter of England, who got plenty of attention Wednesday during the first-timer interviews because he spent parts of three years cashing in at Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
“I’ve talked with (assistant coach) Bryce (Neal) a lot about hunting pitches,” Coffey said. “Before, I knew I was a good hitter and just wanted to get on base. This year is more about doing damage. If I hunt this one pitch, I can hit it to the scoreboard. If I’m hitting inside and outside, I’m going to get my normal hit and get on base. I want people to be afraid to leave the ball over the plate.
“I want to play professionally; singles ain’t going to cut it. I need to hunt pitches and do damage.”
LSU coach Beth Torina marvels at Coffey’s ability.
“Danieca is one of the best players in the country, best hitters in the country,” she said “She can cover the entire zone When I call pitches against her in practices and scrimmages, she’s one of the toughest outs you’re ever going to find. It’s tough for her to have
Canter was an alternate who was never in trouble with the European tour because he had limited status. And then he played beautifully enough to work his way into the top 50 in the world, the final push a runner-up finish in the South African Open.
Six others have won for the first time in the last year, three of them in 2025 — Brian Campbell (Mexico), Joe Highsmith (PGA National) and Karl Vilips (Puerto Rico).
Scheffler has a chance to join Jack Nicklaus as the only threetime winners of The Players Championship. Nicklaus won his three before it moved to the TPC Sawgrass in 1982.
The Masters champion is still waiting to hit his stride after sitting out all of January with a hand injury from trying to cut ravioli with a wine glass.
But he has been on an amazing run, capped off by his nine-win season in 2025, winning back-toback at The Players and building such a big lead at No. 1 in the world that he is assured of being atop the ranking for two straight years. No one except Woods has done that.
“Scottie is the closest thing to Tiger I think any of us have seen,” Wyndham Clark said. “He not only is the No. 1 player in the world, he embraces it, and he shows up every week and almost wins or is in contention or does win. It’s very impressive.
“I think he’s kind of the mark we’re all trying to get to, and I have nothing but respect for everything that Scottie is doing, and I love that it doesn’t affect him,” Clark said. “It hasn’t gone to his head. He just continues to be Scottie and goes about his way.”
to see how that fits He’s smart, he’s physical, and he brings us an experienced offensive lineman.”
Thompson transferred to LSU in December after spending four seasons at Northwestern. Last year, the 6-foot-5, 310-pounder started 10 games at right guard. In 2023, he started eight games at right tackle.
In 2024, Thompson allowed only eight pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, without giving up a sack.
LSU signed two offensive linemen from the transfer portal in the offseason to help it replace the four starters it’s losing to the NFL. One of them is Thompson and the other is Moore, a redshirt junior who started 24 contests across the previous two seasons at Virginia Tech. Kelly has said that the Tigers are planning to play Moore at center and move Chester to guard.
Injury update
Injured LSU starters Whit Weeks and Jacobian Guillory did not participate in practice Wednesday but both were spotted riding exercise bikes on the sideline.
very pleased with all of them.”
O-lineman yet to enroll
Thompson is the only LSU transfer who hasn’t enrolled at the university and joined the team.
But Kelly expects the fifth-year senior offensive lineman to join the Tigers next week once he finishes his coursework at Northwestern.
“A versatile player that can play guard or tackle,” Kelly said. “We haven’t decided where that will be. It’ll be putting the pieces together
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position under first-year New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore. Davis, like many of his predecessors, coached only one season at LSU.
“I don’t know why,” Kelly said about the churn. “It’s just turned out that way.”
LSU hopes it found something more permanent with Williams, a Ruston native who starred on the Tigers team that won the 2003 national championship He’s never coached at the collegiate level before, but for the last five seasons, he worked as the defensive coordinator at Ruston High. There, Williams drew on the experience he gained at both the collegiate level and pros. Across 13 seasons with the Buffalo Bills, he recorded 481/2 sacks and 103 tackles for loss, and appeared in six Pro Bowls.
Weeks, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference linebacker, suffered a broken fibula in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 31. Guillory, a sixth-year interior defensive lineman, tore an Achilles tendon in September
Kelly told The Advocate in February that Guillory could participate in individual drills during spring practices but that Weeks won’t be cleared until June.
LSU expects Guillory, Weeks and Harold Perkins — a linebacker recovering from a torn ACL — to be ready for preseason practices. Wilson Alexander contributed to this report.
an off-day because she can hit so many different pitches, speeds and parts of the zone.”
“He clearly understands the nuances of the position and can articulate and communicate that effectively to those that need to go play it.”
BRIAN KELLy LSU coach, on new DL coach Kyle Williams
“We’re looking for some continuity at the position,” Kelly said, “and Kyle was looking to settle in, and so, that was an attractive match for us from that perspective. There were certainly other things, but that was one of them.”
LSU still has two defensive line coaches, as defensive coordinator Blake Baker prefers. Kevin Peoples is back coaching the edge rushers, and Williams is now guiding the interior linemen On Wednesday, Kelly said he spent a few minutes observing those drills and came away impressed with how Williams “connects with his players.”
Her defense hasn’t suffered, even with the memory of her injury still fresh in mind. She dismisses it as a “freak accident” and has made the same play multiple times this season without a hitch, charging in from third to field a bunt or dribbler
The role Coffey was unaccustomed to was being a vocal leader
In the past, she deferred to players such as Taylor Pleasants and Ali Newland. Now, she embraces leadership as easily as she grips the bat.
“Her stats speak for themselves,” junior pitcher Sydney Berzon said. “She is the leader of this team. Her knowledge, experience, everything she has to offer helps us every day at practice and the games. She really brings this team together I’m happy to have her another year.” Recently during a postgame
“He clearly understands the nuances of the position,” Kelly said, “and can articulate and communicate that effectively to those that need to go play it.” Williams also will need to help LSU recruit and retain players a pair of Davis’ strengths. This offseason, Kelly and his staff added nine edge rushers and tackles, four via the transfer portal and five from the high school ranks. So far, they have one defensive lineman committed to their 2026 freshman class: Edna Karr’s Richard Anderson, a top-50 national prospect and one of the three best recruits in Louisiana, according to 247Sports composite rankings. Kelly tamped down concerns that losing Davis, or cycling through yet another defensive line coach, will hurt LSU’s chances of retaining those players or landing additional ones in later cycles.
“Kyle got on the phone with our recruits,” Kelly said, “and spent time with the players because you start a new relationship. But it’s LSU really, and it’s the football program that at the end of the day is put under the spotlight, and we feel confident that that will stand up in most cases.” Williams signed a three-year deal with LSU. This season, he’ll pocket $700,000 — the same amount that Peoples is earning under his current contract. Davis was earning $1.35 million, more than any other defensive line coach in the country Wilson Alexander contributed to this report.
huddle, Coffey interrupted the message to deliver a few thoughts of her own, something she might not have done last year
“It’s nice to see her confident enough to do that,” Torina said.
“She’s holding the standard and holding them accountable.
“She’s really growing into that role She’s obviously been that for us in her actions and what she’s done in the program her entire time. She’s starting to become more vocal (now).”
Coffey believes it is more important what the rest of the team thinks than what she says.
“What I’ve learned about being a leader is if you give the role to other people, they love to lead, too,” she said. “Everybody has a voice in what we’re doing. My biggest thing is making sure everyone can voice their opinion and know it’s heard.”
JOHNSON
infielder Danieca Coffey
inning of a game against Penn State on Feb 21 at Tiger Park.
H THE VARSITY ZONE
Free throw woes, St. Aug’s charge help sink Liberty
BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer
LAKE CHARLES Perception is framed through the eyes of the beholder
That makes St. Augustine coach Wade Mason’s take on his team’s 43-41 victory over Liberty in a Division I select semifinal intriguing.
“Liberty that’s a great basketball team,” Mason said. “In my mind, they did not do a thing to lose the game. They ran out of time.”
The top-seeded Patriots ran out of time and opportunities in the final seconds of the LHSAA boys basketball tournament game played Wednesday at Burton Coliseum.
Statistics belied the way the game ended for 2024 champion Liberty (25-2) and the Purple Knights (29-4).
St. Augustine had 27 turnovers but made up for it by shooting 70% (17 of 24) from the field, including 8 for 8 in the fourth quarter The Patriots missed five of their six free throws in the final 14.7 seconds.
Malek Robinson and Kingston Jarrell missed two free throws each with a chance to tie the game in the final 9.8 seconds.
The teams battled for possession on each live miss. A loose ball foul put Jarrell on the line with 0.2 seconds remaining.
Robinson and St. Aug’s Brayden Boyd each had 12 points to lead their respective teams. Jarrell added 11 points and eight rebounds for Liberty “We faced a lot of hardships,” Liberty coach Brandon White said. “We started the season looking for places
“I’m proud of the season we had. We played a tough schedule. We were prepared for this. A bad shooting night (and) free throws hurt us.”
BRANDON WHITE, Liberty coach
to practice and play because our gym was out of commission (until January, water damage).
“They were resilient all year You always want to win your last game of the season, but it does not always happen. We did that last year Congratulations to St Aug. They won this one.” With the win, fourth-seeded St. Augustine advances to the title game for the first time since winning a Class 5A championship in 1995. The Purple Knights play the winner of Thursday’s semifinal between No. 2 St. Thomas More and seventhseeded John Curtis at noon
Saturday Liberty made just 7 of 21 free throws for the game, including 3 of 10 in the final quarter The Patriots led 1312 after one quarter and 2017 halftime.
An alley-oop to Jarrell gave Liberty a 27-17 lead with 4:45 to go in the third quarter The Patriots led 32-24 going into the fourth quarter
St. Aug tied it with a 10-2 run. Tye Williams’ 3-pointer tied made it 34-34 with 5:06 remaining. The Purple Knights outscored Liberty 19-9 in the final period.
A layup by Boyd gave SAHS a 38-37 lead at the 3:12 mark Another layup by Boyd made it 42-38 with 58.2
Liberty’s Kingston Jarrell dunks against Zachary during a District 4-5A game on Feb 11 at Liberty On Wednesday, the Patriots fell to St. Augustine
seconds left, triggering the final sequence.
“I’m proud of the season we had,” White said. “We played a tough schedule. We were prepared for this.
A bad shooting night (and) free throws hurt us.”
Email Robin Fambrough at rfambrough@ theadvocate.com
THURSDAY’S BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINAL GAMES
ZHS, Brusly face similar tasks
Broncos, Panthers expecting physical semifinal games
BY WILLIAM WEATHERS Contributing writer
Eight months ago, it was one of the most physical, competitive games Zachary basketball coach Jonathan McClinton had seen and that was a nothing-to-lose summer league contest against Natchitoches Central
Imagine the intensity surrounding Thursday’s 8 p.m. matchup in Division I nonselect state semifinal where the winner advances to Saturday’s championship game?
No. 1 Zachary (26-6) faces No. 4 Natchitoches Central
(25-5) at 8 p.m. Thursday at the LHSAA boys state tournament at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.
“When we talked to the kids on Sunday about Natchitoches Central, we said it’s going to be a battle,” said McClinton, who guided the Broncos to back-to-back state titles in 2021-22. “It’s going to be physical. Both teams are going to play extremely hard, and it should be interesting to watch. I’m so glad I’m not an official in the game.”
Zachary is returning to the state tournament for the first time in three years. The Broncos, also the top-seeded team last season, were upset in the quarterfinals by Ruston 62-55.
Senior guard Xavier Ferguson leads a trio of dou-
ble-figure scorers with a 22-point average followed by sophomore Ian Edmond (19 points per game) and junior Kristion Brooks (10 ppg).
“We have the mindset that we’re still not done yet,” McClinton said. “Because we went through what we went through and having that taste of the quarterfinal loss in your mouth all year.”
Meanwhile, Brusly will make its third trip to the semifinals in five years, the kind of consistency that’s elevated the thinking of coach Kirby Loupe.
“We’re on the right path, but it’s time for us to break down the door,” said Loupe, now in his 10th season
“We’ve lost in the semifinals the last three times We’re right there.”
Fifth-seeded Brusly (25-4) faces top-seeded and reigning state champion Wossman (26-6) in a Division II nonselect state semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The Panthers have won 14 of their past 17 games and dominated opponents in the playoffs with a 34-point average margin of victory
Junior guard Micah Bryant is the team’s leading scorer at 18 points per game with senior captain Edrick Snearl producing 16 points.
“The keys will be turnovers and not giving them easy points in transition,” Loupe said. “That’s how we play too. Physicality is our strength and toughness.
“We’re a transition team. I really think this is going to be a heavyweight fight.”
Central-Denham Springs to face off
One of them will end title-game drought Thursday
BY WILLIAM WEATHERS Contributing writer
The two schools, separated by a 10-mile stretch that includes the Amite River, are ending decades-long droughts in the state basketball tournament No. 2-seeded Central (25-4) looks to make its first championship game appearance since 1994, while No. 3 Denham Springs (29-3) has designs on its first trip to a final since 1956. The two former district rivals meet at 6:15 p.m. Thursday in a Division I nonselect semifinal at Burton Colise-
um in Lake Charles.
“Two talented teams,” Central coach Scott Osborne said. “Denham lacks height, but everybody they put out there can score That’s a concern where anybody for them can have a good night shooting the basketball.
“It’s about getting back and using our length to stop anybody from having a big shooting night. For us, it’s doing what we do on the big stage.” Central hosted a regularseason matchup against Denham Springs right after January’s snow episode and beat the Yellow Jackets 78-64.
Senior guard Collin Verrett scored 11 of his gamehigh 26 points in the first quarter and senior center Ked Franklin added 20.
The Wildcats are led in scoring by junior guard Jace Conrad and Franklin at 13 points apiece, with Verrett averaging 10 points per game and junior guard Jalen Thomas at 9 ppg. Franklin averages eight rebounds and Conrad three assists.
“It’s an advantage of having an opportunity to play them and it is for them too,” Denham Springs coach Kevin Caballero said. “It was a hostile environment with a great crowd that night. We learned some stuff about ourselves.
“The kids are excited They know these guys. We’re fortunate enough to get to play them again and especially on this stage.”
Conrad scored 16 of his team-high 23 points in the second half of Friday’s 61-49
Shaw handles Madison Prep in semifinals
BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer
LAKE CHARLES The sneaker was on the other foot for Madison Prep.
After two straight wins over Shaw in the semifinals, the fifth-seeded Chargers ran into a buzzsaw
Top-seeded Shaw dominated all phases of the game in a 71-47 victory over Madison Prep in a Division II select semifinal played Wednesday at the LHSAA basketball tournament in Burton Coliseum.
“This is our 14th straight appearance (in the LSHAA tourney) and I don’t make light of that,” Madison Prep coach Jeff Jones said.
“When you come here as many times, you end up being on both sides of it.
“Shaw was very determined and they deserved to win. Playing this game is like fighting. And just like UFC, you don’t win every fight Today we got pounded into submission.”
Shaw (27-2) advances to play Hannan in the final set for 4 p.m. Saturday Khalil Awogboro finished with 16 points to lead four double-figure scorer for the Eagles, who made 50% (25 of 50) of their shots from the field and 76% (13 of 17) of their free throws.
Triston Naquin (13 points), Allen Shaw (11) and Dennis Seal (11) were the other double-figure scorers for the winners. Shaw led by as much as 36 points in the game, handing Madison Prep (26-7) the most lopsided loss in its 14 tourney appearances.
Jones praised his squad, which had no returning starters for beating the odds by making it to semifinals. The game ended with a running clock in the final quarter It was a sharp contrast to the November season opener in which Shaw beat MPA 61-55.
Elijah Garner led Madison Prep with 15 points and helped fuel an 11-point surge in the fourth quarter for the Chargers, who had 26 turnovers and made 38% (18 of 47) of their shots from the field.
Eight first-quarter turnovers kept the youthful MPA team from finding its footing early In turn, Shaw eclipsed the 28-point totals from each of its two previous semifinal losses to the Chargers by scoring 31 first-half points. The 6-foot-7 Naquin scored on a turnaround jumper off the opening tip, and the Eagles were off to the races. He finished the first half with 11 points A putback by MPA’s Kenny Brown got Madison Prep within 9-5 with just under three minutes left in the first quarter The Chargers scored just two points over the next seven-plus minutes. By the time Wesley Favorite made a 3-pointer at the 3:51 mark of the second quarter, Shaw had a 29-10 lead.
“I thought these guys really locked in on the game plan that we put in,” Shaw coach Wesley Laurendine said. “As you can see, we got (four double-figures scorers). That’s hard to guard.”
PREP REPORT
quarterfinal win over East Ascension. The Wildcats didn’t lead until there was 2:34 to play
Denham Springs overcame a one-point deficit going into the fourth quarter for a 53-50 win over Ruston.
Junior Da’Jean Golmond led the Jackets, which hit seven 3-pointers, with 16 points. Juniors Jermaine O’Conner and De’Sean Golmond added 13 and 11 points.
O’Connor leads a balanced scoring effort at 13.6 points followed by sophomore guard Jeremy Williams (13), De’Sean Golmond (10) and De’Jean Golmond (9.4).
“There’s a lot of energy around here,” Caballero said.
“We’re all excited and it’s fun to see them at this time of year.”
STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
43-41 in a Division I select semifinal game at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.
Jordan returning to Saints for 15th season
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
Cam Jordan isn’t going anywhere
The New Orleans Saints defensive end announced on social media Wednesday that he’s returning to the team for a 15th season And as part of that return, the Saints and Jordan reached an agreement on a reworked contract, a source with knowledge of the situation said.
The terms of Jordan’s reworked contract were not immediately known. But the 35-year-old was set to hold a $20 million cap hit next season, leading to the assumption that he and the team would have to address that figure in order for him to stay with the franchise.
Jordan made clear last season that he wanted to keep playing, but he admitted he was unsure whether his time with Saints was coming to an end. The eight-time Pro Bowler saw his playing time dwindle particularly over the first half of the season, which cre-
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD
Saints defensive end Cam Jordan leads the Who Dat chant before a game against the Raiders at the Caesars Superdome on Dec. 29.
ated tension between him and the coaching staff. But after Dennis Allen was fired in November and
interim Darren Rizzi took over, Jordan saw his snaps and production — increase.
Running back coach Joel Thomas works with players during a minicamp practice for the Saints at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on June 13, 2023.
Two coaches stoked about second tour with Saints
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
Even if Joel Thomas had let his dreams run wild, he would not have foreseen this.
After a one-year stint as the New York Giants running backs coach, Thomas is back with the New Orleans Saints with whom he coached from 2015-23 — but now with an associate head coach title tacked next to his old running backs coach role.
It’s not just about the job for Thomas, who last week continued his annual tradition of riding with one of the Mardi Gras super krewes. He is back in the place his family recognize as home.
“If you put your heart into a certain place, especially here in New Orleans, it loves you back like no other,” Thomas said. “I’m getting emotional thinking about it That’s what it’s about: creating memories, creating a home. Even though I wasn’t born here, I feel like I was raised here. My kids have been raised here. My wife, she was all in. It was a lot of elation when I found out I could come back home.”
Thomas is one of two coaches to return to the team on new head coach Kellen Moore’s first staff, with the other being offensive line coach Brendan Nugent, who worked in various roles with the organization from 2015-21. Both of them are excited to be back in their old stomping grounds.
Thomas maintained his connection to the city while he was with the Giants, and he made sure when he left the Saints to do so on good terms to keep the door open for a potential return. He just didn’t anticipate it would happen this quickly
Although Thomas and Moore never have worked together, Moore described Thomas as someone whose name was “very prominent around this whole league.” For his part, Thomas — who played his collegiate football at the University of Idaho — has long kept tabs on Moore, a Boise State product.
“(The Saints) gave a call to (Giants head coach Brian Daboll) and given my conversations that
I’ve had about this place — my heart is here, my family’s heart is here — it came about,” Thomas said. “And with my title, it’s a promotion, so that’s how it ended up working.”
Nugent left the team on different terms. He worked his way up from a low-level assistant job to the offensive line coach and run game coordinator, but he was let go when Dennis Allen took over in 2022 He ultimately landed with the Los Angeles Chargers as their offensive line coach.
It was with the Chargers that Nugent met and worked with Moore, who served as the offensive coordinator in 2023.
“It was awesome,” Nugent said of his time with Moore. “That’s another big part of why I’m excited to be back here is I believe in him. The way we built the offense, the way we did it, the way he called it, all the different aspects of it when we did that in LA. I believe in him, and I’m excited to help him get this thing rolling.”
After a year in Seattle, Nugent reunited with Moore in New Orleans, where he’ll have the important task of getting the most out of a young offensive line loaded with former first- and secondround picks.
He’s been gone long enough to have coached only two current Saints linemen Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz A third, Landon Young, is a free agent.
Nugent found a home in his old neighborhood on the Northshore, and his family will rejoin him later this week. Like Thomas, he still has deep ties to the community that he called home for half a decade.
“This place is a special place,”
Nugent said. “My two youngest kids were born here; my older two (kids), this is all they know; my wife loves it, so they’re about as excited as I am to get back here.
“Sometimes you never know how things are going to work out. I’m just excited to get back to a place I know, an organization I know, a place I love living.”
Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
Jordan finished last season with four sacks, all of which were recorded over the final eight games. He finished the year with 565 defensive snaps, good for 48% of the defense’s total. Despite playing less than half the time, Jordan started all 17 games for the Saints. Drafted 24th overall in 2011, Jordan has become the franchise’s all-time sack leader with 1211/2 sacks.
Jordan announced his return on Instagram accompanied by a video featuring highlights of his career On X, he posted a clip from Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf Of Wall Street” in which Leonardo DiCaprio’s character tells a room of his co-workers that, “I’m not [expletive] leaving!” Jordan accompanied that video with a series of eye emojis.
“The Saints have been the only home I’ve known, so if you’re going to shut that door, you’re going to have to shut it for me, because I’m not going to do it to myself,”
Jordan said in December “As much as I bleed, I think I only bleed Black and Gold, but if you force me to go bleed somewhere else, a soldier fights wherever, whenever, however.”
It remains to be seen how new coach Kellen Moore and his coaching staff plan to deploy Jordan. Last year, the team asked Jordan to play on the inside at defensive tackle in addition to his edge rushing duties — a role that Jordan was unhappy with.
The Saints have addressed their defensive line in the opening days of free agency trading for defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, resigning Chase Young, extending Nathan Shepherd and restructuring Khalen Saunders.
“He’s still a player,” Moore said of Jordan last month. “He can still impact games. I feel fortunate about that.”
Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com
Southern men upset by Grambling
Top-seeded Jaguars fall in overtime at SWAC tourney
BY CHARLES SALZER
Contributing writer
P.J. Edwards blocked a last-second 3-point attempt by Cam Amboree to allow eighth-seeded Grambling to upset top-seeded Southern 65-62 in overtime at the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament in Atlanta on Wednesday Southern (20-12) sent the game to overtime tied 49-49 after a wild finish capped by Brentay Noel’s tying dunk with 0.6 seconds left in regulation. The Jaguars scored first in overtime, but Grambling made three 3-pointers to take control.
Amboree’s 3-pointer with 11 seconds left got Southern within 62-60 before free throws in the final seconds kept things close.
After Grambling’s Kintavious Dozier made two free throws with 3.6 seconds left for a 65-62 Tigers lead, Southern inbounded to Amboree, who worked up to the right wing before his final 3-point attempt.
Grambling (12-21) moves into the quarterfinals where it will face the Texas Southern-Alabama State winner
Southern scored the first five points of the second half to take a 34-21 lead. The Jaguars’ lead was still comfortable after DaMariee Jones’ layup gave them a 44-32 lead with 8:45 left, but Southern hit a wall.
The Jaguars went scoreless for seven minutes. allowing Grambling to go on a 17-0 run. Jordan Johnson finally ended the drought with a 3-pointer but Southern trailed 49-47 with 1:45 to go.
Both teams missed shots in the closing seconds before Grambling
tried an inbounds pass from midcourt with 15 seconds left. Southern knocked the ball away and Michael Jacobs made a saving pass to Noel as he flew out of bounds leading to the game-tying dunk.
The Jaguars also struggled from behind the 3-point line, but made up the difference with strong work on the offensive boards. Southern scored 10 of its first 16 points on second chances helping it take an 18-10 lead with six minutes left. Grambling used an 11-4 run to get as close as 24-21 with 1:25 to go in the half. Southern’s Cam Amboree scored the last five points of the half. He finished off his personal run with three free throws after Mikale Stevenson fouled him on a 3-point try Led by Dionjahe Thomas’ six points, eight Jaguars scored in the first half.
Southern women roll into SWAC semifinals
BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer
The Southern women’s basketball team kept Mississippi Valley State at arm’s length for 25 minutes before really turning it on.
Sparked by a 9-0 run to end the third quarter, top-seeded Southern got the separation it wanted and coasted in the fourth quarter of a 63-43 quarterfinal win over Mississippi Valley State at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament in Atlanta.
Southern (18-14) will take a day off before returning to action at 4:30 p.m. Friday The Jaguars will face the winner of Thursday’s quarterfinal game between No. 4 Jackson State and No. 5 Grambling.
“It was a grind-it-out game, and that’s what we did,” Southern coach Carlos Funchess said. “The young ladies kept fighting and fighting. Things weren’t going great for us, but we just kept battling.”
After trailing 34-23 at halftime, Valley (8-23) got as close as nine points in the third quarter. The Devilettes trailed 45-35 midway through the quarter but went scoreless the rest of the quarter
Soniyah Reed and Sky Castro each had two baskets, and Jocelyn Tate handed out two assists as Southern surged to a 54-35 lead entering the fourth quarter
The Jaguars defense did the rest, holding Valley to eight points in the fourth quarter
Aniya Gourdine and Reed finished with 14 points apiece while DaKiyah Sanders and Tate each scored 10. Gourdine also had seven rebounds and three steals.
“We don’t depend on one or two players. It’s the team aspect that takes charge for us,” Funchess said. “We did a great job of spreading it out, moving the basketball and getting it to the open people.” Jaylie Reed topped Valley with 15 points. Devilettes leading scorer D’Yanna Maxey was held to five points.
Southern guard Soniyah Reed makes a pass against Prairie View on Feb 15 at the F.G. Clark Activity Center Reed scored 14 points in Southern’s win over Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday.
Sanders opened the game with two baskets as Southern took a 5-0 lead. Valley came back to make it 5-4, but Southern never let the Devilettes take the lead. Reed and Gourdine each made 3-pointers, and Southern led 15-10 after one quarter In the second quarter, a 3-pointer from Reed helped Southern extend its lead to 29-15. The Devilettes could get no closer than nine points and trailed 34-23 at the half. Southern made just 11 of 37 shots in the half, but it pulled down 14 offensive rebounds The Jaguars also scored 15 points off of 14 forced turnovers.
FILE PHOTO By JOHN OUBRE Southern’s Jordan Johnson shoots over Grambling’s P.J Edwards on Jan. 18 at the F.G. Clark Activity Center Edwards blocked a potentital tying 3-pointer in overtime on Wednesday to lift the Tigers to a 65-62 upset of the Jaguars in the SWAC Tournament in Atlanta.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LIVING
Jan Risher
Miss Mary’s coconut pie: the perfect formula for Pi Day
Finding a reason to eat a good pie shouldn’t require a national holiday That said, when Congress declared March 14 as National Pi Day in 2009, I joined the ranks of believers that baking a pie this week is an excellent notion.
My go-to pie is a French Silk pie. Sometimes I dream about it.
When Amy Martin shared her family’s long-time and much-loved coconut pie recipe, I thought, “This is the perfect dish to try for Pi Day.”
I’m pleased to say that I was right. Martin lives in Lafayette but is originally from Magnolia, Arkansas, population 10,769. The recipe she shared is one her paternal grandmother made often Her grandmother, Frances Young Hall, learned the recipe from Mary Tarkington, who worked with the family for decades.
“Miss Mary was amazing,” Martin said. “She taught me how to cook. She taught my grandmother how to cook. That’s where a lot of our recipes come from.”
Martin, who has a lot of baking credibility herself, says that coconut pie was her family’s traditional birthday treat
The recipe is straightforward and simple — no fancy ingredients. Pretty much, it’s butter, eggs, coconut, vanilla flavoring, milk and sugar Martin says sometimes she makes her own pie crust, and sometimes she buys the boxed kind. At Martin’s recommendation, I used a prepared pie crust that was frozen. Once it thawed, I unrolled it and sprinkled salt on it.
“My grandmother taught me to do that. It makes a storebought pie crust almost taste homemade,” she said.
ä See THE DISH, page 2D
FEELING LUCKY
Hearty lamb stew and apple cake a fitting way to celebrate Irish heritage
Kevin Belton
Because my wife Monica is not from New Orleans, she often has questions. Recently, she was curious about the wide space between West End and Pontchartrain boulevards, noting that it didn’t seem like it was supposed to be a park.
I told her that in the 1830s, a canal was built linking Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River to improve the city’s transportation infrastructure. The project was largely done by Irish immigrants, many of whom arrived in New Orleans after fleeing the Irish potato famine. These men, desperate for work and a new life in America, found themselves in treacherous conditions as they worked to dig the canal through the swamps and marshlands of the city
ä See HERITAGE, page 2D
STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER
Jan Risher used Amy Martin’s family recipe to bake this old-fashioned coconut pie in celebration of Pi Day.
PHOTO By MONICA BELTON
Irish Lamb Stew
Share the sidewalk! It’s not that hard
Dear Miss Manners: When walking or biking on a sidewalk or a trail, I often encounter three individuals walking or riding abreast Instead of their moving to single file to let me pass, I’m forced to move aside to the grass or curb. When I was walking on a narrow pier, keeping to my side, I was approached by this woman walking on my side rather than staying on hers. I deliberately continued to walk straight toward her We would have collided if I had not, once again, stepped aside.
dividuals might seem like a good idea, but it would put you on the wrong side of both etiquette and the rules of right of way
Judith Martin MISS MANNERS
Should I call out this rude behavior?
Gentle reader: Yelling “gangway!” as you plow into the offending in-
Coconut Pie
Recipe is by Mary Tarkington of Magnolia, Arkansas, from the recipe box of Frances Young Hall. Makes one pie. 4
THE DISH
Continued from page 1D
I gave her method a try and agree that the sprinkle of salt made a difference. A couple of other tips Martin offered were: n After the pie bakes, it will still be a bit “jiggly” when the time comes to take it out of the oven —
One rudeness does not justify another And being off-course does not relieve you of the duty to avoid a collision
Miss Manners admits you might be in technical compliance were you to force them to change course by stopping in place. But this will be cold comfort if it results in your being run down Better to step aside with a startling, “Excuse me!” that will cause them to look up as they go by
Dear Miss Manners: My parents run a guesthouse that is filled mostly
that’s normal. n Cream of Tartar is essential for the right meringue. Until this week, I had never made a coconut pie before Maybe it was because, like Martin, when I was a kid, I didn’t think I liked coconut pie. Now, it seems like one of the biggest treats around. I will definitely be making this one again. It’s worthy
with people they consider friends. Guests often gather directly on the other side of a door that separates the guests’ quarters from ours. When I close the door for privacy, it feels as if I am rudely shutting the door in the guests’ faces. When the door remains open, guests frequently walk into our quarters — uninvited, even in the middle of dinner — and interrupt us. Is there something I can say politely as I close the door? Or is there a polite way I can voice my discontent for the unwelcome interruptions?
Gentle reader: Please remind Miss Manners to tell the business world to stop getting into etiquette, because they take things that everyone understood and
not browned pie crust.
3. Bake at 300 F for 40-60 minutes or until firm.
Meringue
3 egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar
1. Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
2. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff.
3. Place on cooked pie and brown in oven. (I baked about 15 minutes.)
of its own national holiday
Thanks, Miss Mary You, too, can send in the recipe for your signature dish. Each week, Jan Risher picks a different dish to try at home. She compares notes with the cook who sent in the recipe. If you’ve got a great dish you think others would love, email Jan. Risher@theadvocate.com.
Chunky Apple Cake Makes 15 servings.
1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in apple cubes until well combined.
2. Spread into a greased 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 40-
45 minutes or until top is lightly browned and springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 30 minutes before serving.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter Cook over medium heat until butter is melted. Gradually add cream. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, stirring constantly Remove from the heat. Serve with cake.
Continued from page 1D
Thousands of Irish laborers are believed to have perished during the construction of the New Basin Canal, a staggering loss of life that casts a shadow over the ambitious project. A cholera epidemic about the same time may have made the death toll seem even higher But in any case, the working conditions they endured were brutal. The labor was physically demanding, involving long hours in sweltering heat and the marshy, disease-ridden landscape surrounding the canal What made it even more deadly were diseases like yellow fever and malaria
that spread throughout the area The canal was finished by 1838. By the 1950s, it was mostly filled in, leaving the wide grassy space there today The Irish went on to help shape New Orleans’ identity, establishing strong neighborhoods, churches and organizations that reflected their culture and traditions. While the death of so many workers was an unimaginable loss, their legacy lives on in the city they helped build. In true New Orleans style, we celebrate the city’s Irish heritage by parading with The Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day parade and an Irish American parade. We cook we eat and we remember
This lamb stew is hearty and filled with flavor and I wish I had been around to make it for all those Irish immigrants to nourish their bodies and souls. The apple cake is perfection because it is moist and sweet but not too sweet. And you can control the sweetness by how much caramel (and ice cream) you decide to add.
Kevin Belton is resident chef of WWL-TV and has taught classes in Louisiana cooking for 30 years. The most recent of his four cookbooks, “Kevin Belton’s Cookin’ Louisiana: Flavors from the Parishes of the Pelican State,” was published in 2021. Email Chef at chefkevinbelton@ gmail.com.
muddy them up beyond all recognition. Yes, it is perfectly polite to close the door when you need privacy All you have to do is go to the door, say, “Excuse me, I’m going to close the door for a little while now,” and do so. No, there is no easy way to tell someone who appears at an open door that they are not welcome: At the very least, you will have to speak to them civilly and listen while they respond.
This was all perfectly simple until someone’s boss established an “open-door policy” and told everyone they were always available to talk — and then punished people foolish enough to take them seriously
Dear Miss Manners: One of our
By The Associated Press
Today is Thursday
March 13, the 72nd day of 2025. There are 293 days left in the year
Today in history
On March 13, 2013, Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope, choosing the papal name Francis. He was the first pontiff from the Americas, and the first from outside Europe since Pope Gregory III’s death in the year 741.
On this date:
In 1781, the seventh planet of the solar system, Uranus, was discovered by astronomer William Herschel.
In 1925, the Tennessee General Assembly approved the Butler Act, which prohibited public schools from teaching of the theory of evolution. (Gov Austin Peay signed the measure on March 21; the bill was challenged in court later that year in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial. Tennessee ultimately repealed the law in 1967.)
In 1946, U.S. Army Pfc. Sadao Munemori was
friends is very seriously ill. I hosted a party and assumed they would not be able to attend, so I did not extend them an invitation. It was very presumptuous of me and I feel awful. How can I apologize? They discovered it partly through other friends talking about it.
Gentle reader: “I feel terrible. I got confused and thought you had told me you were unavailable. Will you please forgive me?”
Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
TODAY IN HISTORY
posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for sacrificing himself to save fellow soldiers from a grenade explosion in Seravezza, Italy; he was the only Japanese American service member so recognized in the immediate aftermath of World War II.
In 1954, the pivotal Battle of Dien Bien Phu began during the First Indochina War as Viet Minh forces attacked French troops, who were defeated nearly two months later
In 1996, a gunman entered an elementary school in Dunblane, Scotland, and opened fire, killing 16 children and one teacher before killing himself; it remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history
In 2020, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot in her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, during a botched raid by plainclothes narcotics detectives searching for
STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER In celebration of Pi Day 2025, Jan Risher used Amy Martin’s family recipe to bake this oldfashioned coconut pie.
PHOTO By MONICA BELTON
Chunky Apple Cake
suspected drug dealer; no drugs were found, and the “no-knock” warrant used to enter by force was later found to be based on false information. Today’s Birthdays: Songwriter Mike Stoller is 92. Singersongwriter Neil Sedaka is 86. Actor William H. Macy is 75. Actor Dana Delany is 69. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.,
Emile
BRIEFS
Wall Street rises after promising inflation data
U.S. stock indexes rose Wednesday after Wall Street got some relief from an encouraging inflation update. But even on a rare up day for the market, President Donald Trump’s trade war still knocked stocks around.
The S&P 500 gained after skidding between an early gain of 1.3% and a later loss. The unsettled trading came a day after the index briefly fell more than 10% below its all-time high set last month.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average also pinballed sharply, careening between a rise of 287 points and a drop of 423. It ended with a loss while the Nasdaq composite climbed.
Companies in the artificial-intelligence industry lead the way Nvidia climbed 6.4% to trim its loss for the year so far to 13.8%.
Server-maker Super Micro Computer rose 4%, and GE Vernova, which is helping to power AI data centers, gained 5.1%.
Intel hires former board member as new CEO
Struggling chipmaker Intel has hired former board member and semiconductor industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as the latest in a succession of CEOs to attempt to turn around a once-dominant company that helped define Silicon Valley Tan, 65, will take over the daunting job next Tuesday, more than three months after Intel’s previous CEO, Pat Gelsinger, abruptly retired amid a deepening downturn that triggered massive layoffs and raised questions about the chipmaker’s ability to survive as an independent company
This won’t be Tan’s first time running a semiconductor company, nor his first association with Intel. He spent more than a decade as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, which makes software that helps designs processors, and joined Intel’s board of directors in 2022 before stepping down in August Tan will rejoin Intel’s board in addition to becoming CEO.
Although Gelsinger arrived at Intel in February 2021 amid high hopes, his tenure was a major letdown as Intel’s stock price plunged 60%, wiping out $160 billion in shareholder wealth Leading up to his departure last year, Intel laid of 17,500 of its employees about 15% of its workforce — and suspended its dividend to save money on its way to an annual loss of $19 billion. More recently, Intel delayed the opening of two new chip factories in Ohio to ensure the projects are completed in a “financially responsible manner.” The project is supposed to draw upon the $7.8 billion in funding earmarked for Intel in the CHIPS Incentives Program created during the administration of President Joe Biden. Trump to name top Fed bank regulator
The Trump administration is expected to choose Federal Reserve governor Michelle Bowman to be the central bank’s top financial regulator, according to a person familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity. Bowman, who has been a member of the Fed’s governing board for six years, would replace Michael Barr, who stepped down last month. Barr, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, came under attack from big U.S. banks after proposing that they hold more capital in reserve in a 2023 regulatory reform proposal. Bowman’s appointment was reported earlier Wednesday by Bloomberg News. Bowman, along with Fed governor Christopher Waller voted against Barr’s proposal. She was appointed to the board by President Donald Trump in 2018. Barr resigned from his post as vice chair for supervision but has remained on the Fed’s board of governors. As a result, Trump was forced to choose from among the existing governors, rather than appointing someone from outside the Fed.
U.S. inflation cooled last month
One measure falls to four-year
low
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September and a measure of underlying inflation fell to a fouryear low, even as widespread tariffs threaten to send prices higher
The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed, down from 3% the previ-
ous month. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose 3.1% from a year earlier, down from 3.3% in January. The core figure is the lowest since April 2021.
The declines were greater than economists expected, according to a survey by data provider FactSet. Yet inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target And most economists expect inflation will remain elevated this year as Trump’s tariffs kick in.
The report “is encouraging news, though it doesn’t tell us much about where inflation is headed,” said Oren Klachkin, Nationwide Financial Markets econ-
omist, in an email. “With tariffs possibly set to push goods prices higher we see inflation risks as tilted to the upside.”
On a monthly basis, inflation also came in much lower than expected Consumer prices rose 0.2% in February from the previous month, down from a big 0.5% jump in January And core prices rose just 0.2%, below the 0.4% increase in January. Economists watch core prices because they are typically a better guide to inflation’s future path.
A sharp drop in airfares, which fell 4% just in February from the previous month, helped bring down overall inflation. Rental
price increases also slowed and the costs of hotel rooms and car insurance rose much more slowly in February than the previous month. The price of new cars fell last month compared with January Grocery prices were unchanged last month from January, bringing some relief to consumers grappling with a 25% jump in grocery prices from four years ago.
How big an impact Trump’s tariffs will have on prices remains unclear, for now The duties have roiled financial markets and could sharply slow the economy, and some analysts see the odds of a recession rising.
Steel, aluminum tariffs may cause pain
BY PAUL WISEMAN and JOSH BOAK Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is again lashing out at three of his biggest irritants: foreign steel, foreign aluminum and Canada.
The Trump administration on Wednesday effectively plastered 25% taxes — tariffs — on all steel and aluminum imports. The president said on Tuesday that the U.S. would double the forthcoming levy on the two metals to 50% if they come from Canada — but pulled back on the threat by the afternoon after the province of Ontario suspended its plans for retaliatory tariffs.
The pain won’t just be felt by foreign steel and aluminum plants. The tariffs will likely drive up costs for American companies that use the metals, such as automakers, construction firms and beverage makers that use cans. The threats to the economy have rattled stock markets.
“Unilateral tariffs will raise prices, cost American jobs, and strain alliances,” Philip Luck and Evan Brown, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote
in a report last month.
The latest tariffs are an amped-up replay from Trump’s first term. In 2018, in an effort to protect American steel-makers from foreign competition, he imposed tariffs of 25% on foreign steel and 10% on aluminum, using a 1962 trade law to declare them a threat to U.S. national security
Trump’s first-term steel and aluminum tariffs benefited American producers of the two metals, encouraging them to increase production. But the beneficiaries were relatively few: The U.S. steel industry, for instance, employs fewer than 150,000 people. Walmart alone has 1.6 million employees in the United States. Moreover, economists have found, the gains to the steel and aluminum industries were more than offset by the cost they imposed on “downstream” manufacturers that use steel and aluminum. In 2021, production at such companies dropped by nearly $3.5 billion because of the tariffs, canceling out the $2.3 billion uptick in production that year by aluminum producers and steel-makers, the U.S. International Trade Commission
found in 2023. This time, “there is no particular reason to think that the economics won’t be more of the same: small gains for the U.S. steel and aluminum producers and employees, but larger overall losses for the rest of U S manufacturing,” said Christine McDaniel, research fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center
The president insists that steel imports are a threat to the very existence of the United States. “If we don’t have, as an example, steel, and lots of other things, we don’t have a military and frankly we won’t have — we just won’t have a country very long,” Trump said last week in his joint address to Congress. The scope and unpredictability of Trump’s tariff agenda threatens to rekindle inflation and to slow growth by discouraging companies from making investments until the trade tensions have eased. “If you’re an executive in the board room, are you really going to tell your board it’s the time to expand that assembly line?” said John Murphy, senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Egg prices continue to hit records as holidays approach
Experts say some relief may be coming
BY MAE ANDERSON Associated Press
NEW YORK — Egg prices again reached a record high in February, as the bird flu continues to run rampant and Easter and Passover approach. The latest monthly Consumer Price Index showed a dozen Grade A
But there may be light at the end of the tunnel. The USDA reported
last week that egg shortages are easing and wholesale prices are dropping, which might provide relief on the retail side before this year’s late Easter, which is three weeks later than last year It said there had been no major bird flu outbreak for two weeks. “Shoppers have begun to see shell egg offerings in the dairy case becoming more reliable although retail price levels have yet to adjust and remain off-putting to many,” the USDA wrote in the March 7 report David Anderson, a professor and extension economist for livestock and food marketing at Texas A&M University, said wholesale figures dropping is a good sign that prices
could go down as shoppers react to the high prices by buying fewer eggs.
“What that should tell us is things are easing a little bit in terms of prices,” he said. “So going forward, the next CPI report may very well indicate falling egg prices.” However, he doesn’t expect lasting changes until bird stock can be replenished and production can be replaced.
“Record high prices is a market signal to producers to produce more, but it takes time to be able to produce more, and we just haven’t had enough time for that to happen yet,” he said. “But I do think it’s going to happen. But it’s going to take some more months to get there.”
THE CANADIAN PRESS PHOTO By JUSTIN TANG
A participant holds an ‘Elbows Up Canada’ sign Sunday during a rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Line up your activities and lock them in to avoid confusion or disappointment. Precision and detailwillhelpavoidunexpectedexpenses and double bookings.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Explorethepossibilities and nurture your curiosity. What you experience will help shape what's to come.Havingconfidenceinyourselfwill change the way others perceive you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) When one door shuts, another opens. Accept change and makethemostofit.Letyourenergyflow in directions that provide the excitement and desire you long for.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Take a moment to breatheandrethinkyouroptions.Refuse to let your ego or emotions interfere with wise choices. Verify facts before buying into something lacking substance.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Put your energy into your work or source of income. An innovative attitude and persistent drive to do your best will fetch good results if you don't go overboard. Balance will be the key to your success.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Do what suits you best. Refuse to participate in someone else's drama or dreams. Concentrate on learning and living life in a manner suitable for reaching your destination of choice.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Set doable goals. Refrain from letting anyone talk you into taking on too much. Learn to adjust to
changes you cannot control and organize your time to accommodate your to-do list.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Stretchyourmind Consider how you can use your intellectual and physical attributes to complete your mission without causing distress or hurting your reputation.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Participate in activitiesthatpromotephysicalandmental stimulation. Meeting people heading inasimilardirectionisencouraged.Take nothing for granted; when in doubt, ask.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Leave yourself time to nurture meaningful relationships. Set boundaries with people who take advantage of you. Put in the work, set high standards and walk away from toxic situations.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Put your energy where it counts. Focus more on your health and well-being and less on trying to please someone who drains your energy. Run the show instead of letting someone else dictate what's next.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Overreacting will not solve problems. If there is something you don't like, change it. Put together a budget you can live with. Try to maintain a positive attitude.
InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
BY PHILLIP ALDER
When you are the declarer, sometimes your opponents will defend well and make your life somewhere between difficult and impossible. More often, though, they will not find the best plays, making your task much easier.
Take today’s deal as an example. South is in four hearts. After West leads the spade king, what is the best defense? If East and West find that sequence of plays, what is declarer’s correct line mathematically?
Three no-trump is easy here, but if South had rebid that, North, with four trumps and a low doubleton, would have corrected to four hearts.
Under West’s spade king, East encourageswithhisnine.NowWestshouldcash his spade queen, then lead a third spade (preferably the 10 as a suit-preference signal for diamonds, the higher-ranking of the other two side suits) to East’s ace. Then East should shift to the diamond four.
Southhastwolinesofplay.Hecantake the diamond finesse — a straight 50-50 shot. Or he can win with his diamond ace and run all of his trumps, discarding a diamond from the dummy. He gets home if clubs are 3-3 — a 35.53 percent chance — or if a defender has four-plus clubs and the diamond king. (He will be squeezed by the last heart.) Even allowing for the squeeze chance, mathemati-
cally the diamond finesse is the better line — and fails here.
However, if West wins the third spade trick and exits with a trump, declarer can cash his trumps, pitching a diamond from the dummy, then check
By Andrews McMeel
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer today’s thought
our God is in the heavens: he has done whatever he has pleased.” Psalms 115:3
