The Advocate 03-15-2025

SENATE APPROVES SPENDING BILL

La. execution back on for next week

BY ANDREA GALLO, MEGHAN FRIEDMANN, JOHN SIMERMAN and JOSEPH CRANNEY Staff writers

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has cleared the way for Louisiana to resume plans to execute death row inmate Jessie Hoffman

Jr next week with nitrogen gas.

The New Orleans-based federal appeals court on Friday night vacated a Tuesday ruling from U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick of Louisiana’s Middle District, who had blocked the state from moving forward with Hoffman’s execution scheduled for Tuesday

Dick issued a preliminary injunction, allowing time for a full trial on whether death by nitrogen gas amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, which is forbidden under the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment. Attorneys for the state issued a notice of appeal within minutes of Dick’s ruling.

The 5th Circuit vacated the preliminary injunction.

“In sum, the district court didn’t just get the legal analysis wrong — it turned the Constitution on its head, by relying on an indisputably more painful method of execution as its proposed alternative,” the appeals court’s ruling states, written by Judge James Ho, an appointee of President Donald Trump. Dick’s ruling had said that

Hoffman’s team had given enough evidence that death by a firing squad could be a more humane way for Hoffman to die. In an emergency appeal brief, attorneys for the state urged the appeals court to vacate Dick’s ruling. The state of Alabama, the only state to employ nitrogen gas-

rating drops premiums for residents by 25%

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

Central residents should get a 25% discount on their flood insurance premiums when bills go out next fall, city officials said. The city received a better rating from the National Flood Insurance Program because of its stormwater management and other measures designed to reduce flood risk in the East Baton Rouge Parish community Central just received a Class 5 rating from the flood insurance program, up two spots from its current one, city officials said. In 2024, only two governments in Louisiana shared that rating: Jefferson Parish and the city of Mandeville.

Central’s 25% discount takes effect Oct. 1. The current discount for Central is 15%.

Despite the coming discounts, Central residents and businesses could still see an increase in flood insurance rates overall, albeit smaller than it might otherwise be, due to longer term changes

Four constitutional amendments on ballot in Louisiana

BY ALYSE PFEIL

Staff writer

On March 29, residents in every parish will have the chance to vote on four proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution The changes deal with courts, taxes, how juveniles are treated in the criminal justice system, and elections for judges. Three of the constitutional amendments have faced controversy — and court challenges. One of those, Amendment 2, is part of

a push by Gov. Jeff Landry and the Legislature to overhaul Louisiana’s tax system. This month, every ballot includes the four proposed amendments, but some parishes will vote on local issues, too. There are 23 parishes that will consider just the amendments, while 41 parishes will also vote on local races or propositions.

Early voting runs from March 15 to March 22, excluding Sunday, and early voting locations are open from 8:30 a.m to 6 p.m.

Voters can find out where to vote at www.GeauxVote.com, on the GeauxVote mobile app or by calling their parish registrar of voters. Here are the four proposed constitutional amendments in the order they appear on the ballot.

Amendment 1

This amendment would give state lawmakers new broader authority to create regional or statewide specialty courts. Currently they can only create specialty courts, such as drug courts or

family preservation courts, within a parish or a judicial district.

It would also clarify that, under the Louisiana Constitution, the state Supreme Court has authority over disciplinary cases involving lawyer misconduct by out-of-state attorneys working in Louisiana. Currently, the constitution only says the Supreme Court has authority over “disciplinary proceedings against a member of the bar.”

Proponents say Amendment 1

ä See AMENDMENTS, page 4A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BILL FEIG

Residents in Central were hit with severe flooding in 2016.

Texas AG: IDs for trans people can’t change AUSTIN,Texas In a written opinion issued Friday, Attorney General Ken Paxton questioned the validity of court orders directing state agencies to change a person’s biological sex on driver’s licenses, birth certificates and other identification documents

Identification previously changed under court orders sought by transgender Texans should be reissued with the original sex designation, the nonbinding opinion said

The Texas Department of Public Safety requested the opinion in September about a month after it stopped accepting court orders to change gender markers on driver’s licenses. The Department of State Health Services also stopped allowing gender changes on birth certificates unless the hospital made an error

“The Transportation Code as well as the Health and Safety Code contain no provision for judicial review over the contents of driver’s licenses or birth certificates,” Paxton wrote in a 19page opinion. “Neither can DPS or DSHS change a person’s ‘sex’ designation without supporting evidence that, as a matter of law, cannot exist on the facts you describe.”

Illinois flag vote results with current one on top SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Flags engender such loyalty and pride, they often become very personal emblems with quirky or quaint nicknames: Old Glory, Union Jack, Maple Leaf — or SOB.

That would be (state) “Seal on a Bedsheet,” the derisive moniker with which some have burdened the Illinois state flag, a gleaming white banner emblazoned with the state’s bald eaglethemed emblem. Some forward-looking lawmakers set up a contest to design a new flag and put it to a vote. In a landslide, a winner was chosen. And it’s the current flag.

Of nearly 385,000 votes cast, the existing bunting received 43% more tallies than the next six finalists combined

“Some may call it an SOB and the vexillogical community (flag experts) may hate it, but people overwhelmingly prefer our current state flag,” said Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose archivist chairs the Illinois Flag Commission. Its members were chosen by the governor legislative leaders and state education and museum administrators.

Created in 1915, the current emblem is a white field featuring the state seal adopted in 1868: A bald eagle before a rising sun, a shield in its talons and in its beak, a banner expressing the Prairie State’s dual tenets: “State Sovereignty, National Union.” In 1970, “Illinois” in block letters was added at the bottom.

Last fall, residents were invited to submit their vision for a new standard. More than 4,800 did — most of them serious. The commission whittled it down to 10 finalists, then added the current 1915 flag, and banners created for the state’s 1918 Centennial and 1968 Sesquicentennial.

American who snatched wombat leaves Australia

MELBOURNE,Australia An American influencer left Australia on Friday after the government announced it was reviewing her visa over a video she posted of her snatching a baby wombat from its mother Sam Jones, who describes herself as an “outdoor enthusiast & hunter,” made her Instagram account private Thursday after she was widely condemned for the video. Jones, who also uses the name Samantha Strable, closed her social media channels to messages and couldn’t be reached for comment Friday

“There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement after a government official confirmed Jones had flown from the country voluntarily In the video, Montana-based Jones lifts the wombat joey by its front legs in darkness from a roadside then runs away from its mother “I caught a baby wombat,” she said as a man filming her laughs. She returns the wombat to the roadside after several seconds.

New Canadian PM sworn in

‘We will never be part of the United States,’ Mark Carney says

BY ROB GILLIES Associated Press

TORONTO Former central bank-

er Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada’s new prime minister on Friday, and will now try to steer his country through a trade war brought by U.S. President Donald Trump, annexation threats and an expected federal election.

Carney, 59, replaces Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remained in power until the Liberal Party elected a new leader Carney is widely expected to trigger a general election in the coming days or weeks.

“We will never, ever, in any way shape or form, be part of the United States. America is not Canada,” Carney said. “We are very fundamentally a different country.”

The governing Liberal Party had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared economic war and repeatedly has said Canada should become the 51st state. Now the party and its new leader could come out on top.

in his annexation threats and suggested the border is a fictional line.

Carney called the idea “crazy.”

The U.S. trade war and Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are canceling trips south of the border, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.

Carney has said he’s ready to meet with Trump if he shows respect for Canadian sovereignty He said he doesn’t plan to visit Washington at the moment but hopes to have a phone call with the president soon.

“The president is a successful businessman and dealmaker. We’re his largest client in so many industries,” Carney said. “Clients expect respect and working together in a

proper commercial way.” Carney navigated crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis, and then in 2013 when he became the first noncitizen to run the Bank of England — helping to manage the worst impacts of Brexit in the U.K. He will now try to steer Canada through the trade war brought by Trump.

Carney, a former Goldman Sachs executive with no experience in politics, becomes Canada’s 24th prime minister He said protecting Canadian workers and their families in the face of unjustified trade actions and growing the economy will be his top priorities.

Trump put 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products April 2. He has threatened economic coercion

Man charged with intoxication manslaughter in Texas crash

17-vehicle pileup killed 5

By The Associated Press

A man was charged Friday with intoxication manslaughter after five people were killed and several injured in a late-night wreck in Austin, Texas, that involved over a dozen vehicles on Interstate 35, authorities said.

Authorities said that the five people killed in the crash that involved 17 vehicles Thursday just before 11:30 p.m. included three adults, a child and an infant.

First responders said that 11 people were taken to hospitals.

Solomun Weldekeal Araya, 37, was charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault after the crash, Austin police said Friday Police said he was in custody in Travis County Jail. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney Jail

records did not list an attorney for him.

Police have not detailed the circumstances that led to the wreck. Police said in an email Friday that they were still early in the investigation and had no further information available to release.

The southbound lanes of I-35 were closed following the crash, and they remained closed into Friday before reopening at about 1 p.m. The wreck left a stretch of the interstate littered with mangled vehicles and debris.

The collision was “very large and very complex,” police Officer Austin Zarling said at an early morning news conference.

Edgar Viera told KXAN television that he was at a nearby store when he heard the crash and went to try to help those involved.

“We didn’t have the proper tools to open the vehicles, so we just did what we could,” Viera told the station. “It was hard to see this.”

USPS agrees to work with DOGE on reform, plans to cut 10,000 workers

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Postmaster General Louis

DeJoy plans to cut 10,000 workers and billions of dollars from the U.S. Postal Service budget and he’ll do that working with Elon Musk ’s Department of Government Efficiency, according to a letter sent to members of Congress on Thursday DOGE will assist USPS with addressing “big problems” at the $78 billion-ayear agency, which has sometimes struggled in recent years to stay afloat. The agreement also includes the General Services Administration in an effort to help the Postal Service identify and achieve “further efficiencies.”

USPS listed such issues as mismanagement of the agency’s retirement assets and Workers’ Compensation Program, as well as an array of regulatory requirements that the letter described as “restricting normal business practice.”

“This is an effort aligned with our efforts, as while we have accomplished a great deal, there is much more to be done,” DeJoy wrote. Critics of the agreement fear negative effects of the cuts will be felt across America. Democratic U.S. Rep. Gerald Connolly of Virginia said turning over the Postal Service to DOGE would result in it being undermined and privatized. “This capitulation will have catastroph-

ic consequences for all Americans — especially those in rural and hard to reach areas — who rely on the Postal Service every day to deliver mail, medications, ballots, and more,” he said in a statement.

USPS currently employs about 640,000 workers tasked with making deliveries from inner cities to rural areas and even far-flung islands.

The service plans to cut 10,000 employees in the next 30 days through a voluntary early retirement program, according to the letter. The USPS announced the plan during the final days of the Biden administration in January but at the time didn’t include the number of workers expected to leave.

Neither the USPS nor the Trump administration immediately responded to emails from The Associated Press requesting comment.

The agency previously announced plans to cut its operating costs by more than $3.5 billion annually In 2021, the agency cut 30,000 workers.

As the service that has operated as an independent entity since 1970 has struggled to balance the books with the decline of first-class mail, it has fought calls from President Donald Trump and others that it be privatized. Last month, Trump said he may put USPS under the control of the Commerce Department in what would be an executive branch takeover

The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered the Liberal Party’s chances in a parliamentary election expected within days or weeks, and Liberal showings have been improving in opinion polls.

The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surge.

But after decades of bilateral stability the vote on Canada’s next leader now is expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with the United States.

FAA permanently restricts choppers on D.C. air route

BY JOHN SEEWER and TARA COPP Associated Press

WASHINGTON Helicopters will be permanently restricted from flying near Washington, D.C.’s airport on the same route where a passenger jet and an Army helicopter collided in midair, killing 67 people, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday

The move comes just days after federal investigators looking into the cause of the crash recommended a ban on some helicopter flights, saying a string of near misses in recent years showed that the current setup “poses an intolerable risk.”

The FAA, which manages the nation’s airspace and oversees aviation safety, has come under criticism after the National Transportation Safety Board said there had been an alarming number of near misses in recent year in the congested skies around Ronald Reagan National Airport.

The closure of the heli-

copter route near the airport makes permanent the restrictions put in place after Jan. 29 midair collision. The FAA order will allow a few exceptions for helicopter use, including presidential flights along with law enforcement and lifesaving missions. The FAA also said it is studying cities with airports where there are a high number of different types of aircraft sharing the same space. It also is looking at offshore helicopter operations along the Gulf Coast. The Army supports the FAA’s efforts to improve aviation safety around the nation’s capital and will use “alternative routes to mitigate impacts on training and readiness,” spokesman Matt Ahearn said Friday Before the collision there were 28 government agencies authorized to fly helicopters near Reagan National, including the Department of Defense, military services, law enforcement, and emergency medical services.

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN PHOTO By JAy JANNER

Officials examine the aftermath of a fatal crash on I-35 southbound near Parmer

Allies at G7 meeting preserve unity despite tensions

BY MATTHEW LEE AP diplomatic writer

LA MALBAIE, Quebec Top diplomats from the Group of 7 industrialized democracies agreed Friday on a joint statement expressing support for Ukraine and a U.S. ceasefire proposal in the three-year-old war even as President Donald Trump’s trade policies and taunts toward host Canada overshadowed the talks.

Despite the tensions, diplomats from the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan signed off on a final communique after hours of late-night negotiations. There were concerns that the bloc’s once solid unity had been thrown into irreversible disarray by Trump’s whopping tariffs on steel and aluminum and threats for additional levies if there is any retaliation

Although the trade war and Trump’s repeated comments about turning Canada into the 51st state distracted from the discussions, diplomats were able to rally around his Ukraine peace plan.

Ukraine statement

“G7 members reaffirmed their unwavering support

for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence,” the communique said “G7 members called for Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied after the meeting that the G7 support for Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty strayed from the Trump administration’s position, including its insistence that Ukraine must be open to ceding control of some land to Russia to get a peace deal.

“I’ve never heard President Trump say that Russia has a right to take all of Ukraine and do whatever they want there,” Rubio told reporters. “So that’s not inconsistent.”

The G7 diplomats discussed, but did not detail, imposing further sanctions on Russia including the possibility of selling seized Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defense — should Russia not accept and respect a ceasefire and providing additional support for Ukraine in that event

In a significant change from the past, the G7 state-

ment did not contain a specific condemnation of Russia for invading Ukraine. Rubio had said prior to the meetings that the U.S. did not see the value in antagonizing Russian President Vladimir Putin while he was considering Trump’s ceasefire proposal.

Putin said Thursday he agrees with the plan in principle, but set out a host of details that need to be clarified before it is accepted.

The G7 statement “emphasized that any ceasefire must be respected and underscored the need for robust and credible security arrangements to ensure that Ukraine can deter and defend against any renewed acts of aggression.”

Still, Trump’s apparent desire to draw Putin back into the fold continues to alarm G7 members. Russia was thrown out of the G8 after it seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Unity and division

Despite the agreement on key points, Trump’s policies were front and center as the allies gathered for two days of talks at a snowy resort in La Malbaie, Quebec.

All G7 members are affected by the tariffs but

Trump demands ‘accountability’ for ‘wrongs’ at Justice Department

BY ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump pledged to “expose” his enemies during a norm-breaking political speech at the Justice Department in which he aired a litany of grievances against the criminal cases he faced and vowed retribution for what he described as the “lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls.”

The speech was meant to rally support for Trump administration policies on violent crime, drugs and illegal immigration But it also functioned as a triumphant forum for the president to boast about having emerged legally and politically unscathed from two federal prosecutions that one year ago had threatened to torpedo his presidential prospects but were dismissed after his election win last fall.

Though other presidents have spoken from the Justice Department’s ceremonial Great Hall, Trump’s address amounted to an extraordinary display of partisan politics and personal grievance inside a Justice Department that is meant to be blind to both. He promised to target his perceived enemies even as he claimed to be ending what he called the weaponization of the department.

The speech marked the latest manifestation of Trump’s unparalleled takeover of the department and came amid a brazen campaign of retribution already undertaken under his watch, including the firing of prosecutors who investigated him and the scrutiny of agents who investigated supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6, 2021.

“Our predecessors turned this Department of Justice into the Department of Injustice. But I stand before you today to declare that those days are over, and they are never going to come back and never coming back,” Trump said to cheers from a crowd that included political allies. “So now, as the chief law enforcement officer in our country, I will insist upon and demand full and complete accountability for the wrongs and abuses that have occurred.”

The visit to the Justice Department, the first by Trump and the first by any president in a decade, brought him into the belly of

an institution he has disparaged in searing terms for years but one that he has sought to reshape by installing loyalists and members of his personal defense team in top leadership positions.

Trump’s unique status as a onetime criminal defendant indicted by the department he was now addressing hung over the speech as he vented, in profane and personal terms, about investigations as far back as the Russian election interference investigation to the more recent inquiries into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

“We will expel the rogue actors and corrupt forces from our government. We will expose, very much expose their egregious crimes and severe misconduct,” Trump said in a wide-ranging speech.

“It’s going to be legendary And going to also be legendary for the people that are able to seek it out and bring justice. We will restore the scales of justice in America, and we will ensure that such abuses never happen again in our country.”

Trump’s visit also comes at a time when Attorney General Pam Bondi has asserted that the department needs to be depoliticized even as critics assert agency leadership is injecting politics into the decisionmaking process.

When it comes to setting its agenda, the Justice Department historically takes a cue from the White House but looks to maintain its independence on individual criminal investigations.

Trump has upended such norms.

He encouraged specific investigations during his first term and tried to engineer the firing of Robert Mueller, the special counsel assigned to investigate ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Even before Bondi had been confirmed, the Justice Department fired department employees who served on special counsel Jack Smith’s team, which charged Trump with plotting to overturn the 2020 election and with hoarding classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Both cases were dismissed last November in line with longstanding Justice Department policy against indicting sitting presidents.

perhaps none more so than Canada, the only one that borders the United States and the only one that Trump has personally antagonized with repeated derogatory comments about it becoming the 51st state.

Rubio, on his first official trip to Canada and his first to a G7 event, heard a litany of complaints as he met with his counterparts.

“We will put maximum pressure on the Americans and, meanwhile, will work on looking for off-ramps,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters Friday “The Trump tariffs are going to hurt Americans. That’s our message, that’s our approach.”

Rubio, who called Joly a friend, said the tariffs are not meant to be a “hostile move” against allies but are about making trade fair Those benefiting from previous arrangements likely do “feel it

is hostile to change the status quo because it’s to your benefit,” he told reporters.

U.S., Canada diplomats Joly said her discussion with Rubio had been “frank” — diplomatic code for “blunt.”

“I wanted to be able to have a frank conversation,” Joly said. “Of course, Canada’s sovereignty is not up for debate and we had a long conversation on tariffs and trade.”

After Trump reiterated in the Oval Office on Thursday that “Canada only works as a state,” Joly stood firm.

“What I said to the secretary is that Canada’s sovereignty is not up for debate.

Period,” she said Friday “There is no argument. There is no conversation about it.” She added, as if addressing him, “You are here, you respect us, you respect our sovereignty, you respect

our people.

Period.” Rubio told reporters Friday that Trump “loves Canada” and has simply “made an argument for why Canada would be better off joining the United States from an economic perspective and the like. He’s made that argument repeatedly, and I think it stands for itself.”

Joly noted that many of the allies thought Trump’s comments were a joke.

“I said to them this is not a joke Canadians are anxious, Canadians are proud people, and you are here in a sovereign country and so therefore, we don’t expect this to be even discussed, clearly not laughed at,” she said.

Friday’s sessions were shortened due to Joly’s need to depart earlier than planned to attend Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s swearing-in ceremony and first Cabinet meeting.

Senate passes funding bill to avert shutdown

BY KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Senate passed a six-month spending bill on Friday hours before a government shutdown, overcoming sharp Democratic opposition to the measure and sending it to President Donald Trump to be signed into law

The vote was 54-46. Democrats voiced frustration that Republicans went ahead with a measure they said included little input from them, and one they viewed as shortchanging key priorities such as health care and housing assistance. But in the end, some of them viewed a shutdown as a worse outcome and supported Democratic leader Chuck Schumer’s effort to allow the bill to come to a final vote.

Democrats were confronted with two painful options: allowing passage of a bill they believe gives President Donald Trump vast discretion on spending decisions or voting no and letting a funding lapse ensue.

Schumer gave members of his caucus days to vent their

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in the federally subsidized insurance program.

Central, a city of 30,000, is bounded by the Amite and Comite rivers, crisscrossed by other waterways and was heavily hit by the August 2016 flood, which inundated tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the region and scarred a generation of residents.

Sixty percent of Central is in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s special flood hazard area. Such low-lying areas fall under special floodplain management regulations and mandatory flood insurance rules.

The better premiums for Central come as flood insurance costs are skyrocketing elsewhere after the National Flood Insurance Program shifted to its controversial Risk Rating 2.0 system to set rates.

In 2023, the Central area was expecting to see insurance increases well above most homes in the nation, phased in over several years. The neighborhoods around Central City Hall, for instance, were anticipating a 114% increase over time, up to as much as $2,035 per policy owner, FEMA estimates show The National Flood Insurance Program has limited any one year’s increase to no more than 18%. If that full increase occurs, Central residents could still see their premiums rise, despite the 10% improvement in their discount.

Earlier this week, Mayor Wade Evans and the city’s consulting engineer, Stokka

frustration about the options before them, but abruptly switched course and made clear on the eve of voting that he will not allow a government shutdown

His move outraged many in the party who want to fight the Trump agenda, but gave senators room to side with Republicans and allow the continuing resolution, often described as a CR, to advance.

Democrats from all corners looked to pressure senators to kill the bill House members wrote letters, posted on social media and held news conferences in the hours before the vote.

“The American people sent Democrats to Congress to fight against Republican dysfunction and chaos,” said a letter from 66 House Democrats to Schumer House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and his team dashed back to the Capitol, urging senators to block the bill and negotiate a true compromise with Republicans.

Some Democrats also argued that Republicans would take the blame for a shutdown, given they controlled all the levers of

Brown, detailed city improvements in a meeting of the Amite River Basin Commission, which oversees flood control in several parishes.

Central’s efforts include adopting new development rules, creating their own computer model to predict flood risk caused by new development, doing regular aerial imaging of the city’s geography and creating a storm water management plan.

Central also improved maintenance of its network of drainage infrastructure and waterways and aggressively sought grants for that work, city officials added. Evans, a former city councilman and a landscaper and contractor by trade, said the August 2016 flood was a catalyst for those improvements, which began under the previous administration and continued in his.

The flood hit 60% of the city’s structures and contributed to Evans’ own rising interest in local government.

“The flood changed my life in many ways. When you cart your children out of your house in a Rubbermaid bin to get them to a boat, it changes your outlook,” Evans said. “And I can empathize with the citizens who are ultimately scarred because of that flood. There are people who really have fears.”

The city’s new, real-time flood forecasting website is called Early FloWS. The online mapping program combines various rain and weather forecasts, river gauge data and other information to produce real time estimates of water levels at selected bridges, highways

power in Congress and the White House.

“If you refuse to put forward an offer that includes any Democratic input and you don’t get Democratic votes, that’s on Republicans,” said Sen Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In contrast, Schumer picked up one unexpected nod of support — from Trump himself, who just a day earlier was gearing up to blame Democrats for any shutdown.

“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took ‘guts’ and courage!” the president posted on his social media account.

Schumer has acknowledged the difficult choice he faced, but insisted Democrats would not allow a government shutdown and warned of the havoc Trump and Musk could bring if federal offices shuttered.

“A shutdown will allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer said, referring to the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency “Donald Trump and Elon Musk would be free to destroy vital government

and other locations across the city, Central officials said.

Central now has its own hydrology equipment in place at every bridge crossing in the city’s various watersheds, Evans said. The equipment was bought with funding from the President Biden-era American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus program.

“So, Ms. Smith, who sits and worries every time we have a bad rainfall, can put herself at ease to see that water is not projected to even get this close to the street or whatever,” Evans said.

Evans said he hopes the forecasting work could lead to a further reduction in the city’s flood insurance classification, potentially in a year Central’s work drew interest from members of the Amite commission, including Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment and state highway official Ed Knight.

Cointment explained that his parish is looking at a similar flood forecasting system and asked how the Central system uses rain forecasts and actual rain data.

Knight, deputy assistant secretary for public works, asked how the city’s flooding model used for development review could be applied statewide or across the entire Amite River Basin.

Brown, Central’s consultant, said the city’s model couldn’t be directly expanded across such large areas. That would likely require several models covering smaller areas, Brown noted.

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

services at a much faster rate.”

Congress has been unable to pass the annual appropriations bills designed to fund the government, so they’ve resorted to passing short-term extensions instead.

The legislation before the Senate is the third such continuing resolution for the current fiscal year now nearly half over

The legislation would fund the federal government through the end of September It would trim nondefense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increase defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a top line spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion.

The Republican-led House passed the spending bill on Tuesday and then

adjourned. The move left senators with a decision to either take it or leave it. And while Democrats have been pushing for a vote on a fourth short-term extension, GOP leadership made clear that option was a nonstarter Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and others made the case that any blame for a shutdown would fall squarely on Democrats.

“Democrats need to decide if they’re going to support funding legislation that came over from the House, or if they’re going to shut down the government,” Thune said.

Progressive groups urged Democratic lawmakers to insist on the 30-day extension and oppose the spending bill, saying business as usual must not continue.

“There’s still time,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury

of New Mexico at a House Democratic retreat in Leesburg, Virginia. “So, any of my colleagues in the Senate who are considering voting on cloture, the American people are shouting: Please do not hand the keys over to Elon Musk.” But Schumer said Trump would seize more power during a shutdown, because it would give the administration the ability to deem whole agencies,

Democrats

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and the template for Louisiana’s plan, submitted an amicus brief in support of Louisiana moving forward with the method.

“The district court’s findings are demonstrably misguided and warrant this Court’s emergency intervention,” attorneys for Louisiana said in their brief, painting Hoffman’s lawsuit as a last-ditch effort to delay justice. They also argued that Dick, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, ignored precedents set by the Supreme Court and the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The state said that Hoffman’s attorneys dragged their feet on a fresh challenge to nitrogen gassing as an execution method. Hoffman is on death row for the 1996 abduction, rape and murder of Molly Elliott in rural St Tammany Parish. Elliott’s husband, Andy Elliott, said this week that he was torn about the execution and that while it’s been a struggle to spend so long waiting for a final resolution, Hoffman’s death would not bring him closure

“This is justice for Mary ‘Molly’ Elliot, her friends, her family, and for Louisiana,” said Attorney General Liz Murrill in a statement Friday night.

Cecelia Kappel, an attorney for Hoffman, said Friday night that his legal team will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court is not required to take up the matter, but may do so at its discretion.

“The 5th Circuit should have deferred to the district court’s assessment of the extensive evidence presented to it after a 12-hour-long hearing showing that Louisiana’s new execution method is likely to cause Jessie to suffer a prolonged and torturous death,” Kappel said Hoffman’s method of execution, nitrogen gas, will prevent him from practicing his Buddhist breathing meditation at the period between life and death, she said.

“The 5th Circuit should have deferred to the district court’s assessment of the extensive evidence presented to it after a 12-hour-long hearing showing that Louisiana’s new execution method is likely to cause Jessie to suffer a prolonged and torturous death.”

CECELIA KAPPEL, an attorney for Jessie Hoffman

“I think that is just the cruelest thing about this,” Kappel said.

Kappel said earlier this week that Louisiana was trying to avoid scrutiny and place blame on Hoffman “for the rushed nature of these proceedings even though the State only announced it would use lethal gas for executions and set Jessie’s execution date last month.”

Dick’s decision came after a daylong hearing March 7 at which Hoffman testified, asking that the state find another way to put him to death. His lawyers argued that death by nitrogen gas would be inhumane and leave Hoffman feeling like he was drowning, causing emotional suffering

They said death by firing squad — which is not currently legal in Louisiana but was used last week to execute a man in South Carolina would lead to a quicker and less painful death In its brief, the state argued that a firing squad would cause a more physically painful death and that nitrogen gas would not be as distressing as the plaintiffs made it out to be. It would be a surprise if the U.S. Supreme Court intervened in Hoffman’s case, based on how they have treated arguments about cruel and unusual death in recent years. In 2019, the conservativeled Supreme Court narrowly rejected a Missouri death row inmate’s argument that his medical condition would lead to a painful and excessively punitive execution by

lethal injection.

The court sided with the state in a 5-4 vote, with Justice Neil Gorsuch writing for the conservative majority They ruled that executions aren’t “cruel and unusual” solely because they are painful.

Attorneys for 51-year-old defendant Russell Bucklew had said that tumors growing in Bucklew’s throat would burst during the execution, causing him to choke for several minutes on his own blood.

“Cruel and unusual” executions are ones that “cruelly super adds pain,” Gorsuch wrote.

“The Eighth Amendment does not guarantee a prisoner a painless death — something that, of course, isn’t guaranteed to many people, including most victims of capital crimes.”

An earlier majority of the high court had agreed to stay Bucklew’s execution, with former Justice Anthony Kennedy joining the more liberal justices.

The 2019 ruling was seen by legal scholars as a signal that the majority-conservative court had hardened on capital punishment.

“This Court has yet to hold that a State’s method of execution qualifies as cruel and unusual, and perhaps understandably so,” Gorsuch said.

Missouri authorities executed Bucklew by lethal injection in October 2019, six months after the high court’s ruling.

Judge sets trial date for pay dispute

Speech therapists sue Ascension School Board

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff

writer

A group of speech therapists sued the Ascension Parish School Board last year alleging they were paid less than they were owed

Following a recent hearing in the 23rd Judicial District Court in Ascension, a judge set a bench trial for September The lawsuit filed in March 2024 by attorney James Bullman on behalf of the 24 employees claims

the board paid the group for three years at a level below their salary classification. The group seeks payment for those wages and legal costs. The board denied all the allegations in a May 2024 filing by its

attorney Mark Boyer. He did not immediately respond

sion School Board passed a salary schedule with six primary levels, including a “Level 4 Salary Specialist” tier Bullman wrote this tier included therapists and audiologists, and the speech therapists should have

A

‘EVERYONE

LOVED CALEB’

Southern University community honors student who died in alleged fraternity hazing

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Classmates, faculty, friends and family gathered for a visitation and ceremony Friday in memory of Caleb Wilson, the Southern University student and “Human Jukebox” trumpet player who died after a fraternity hazing ritual Feb. 27. Outside of Southern’s minidome, visitation was held, the day was breezy and warm. Mourners entered in twos and threes, wearing a mix of formal tire and Jaguars blue and gold.

The building, which s seen decades of Jagr victories and graduations instead hosted the Southern community in a time of sorrow.

Wilson’s casket was surrounded by large bouquets of blue and gold flowers

Photos of Caleb as a baby as a boy standing with his mother, and as a young man standing on Southern’s campus — were placed along the walkway

Inside the lid of Wilson’s casket, a short message was sewn into the white fabric: “Did you pray? Did you thank God? Smile.” A checkmark followed each question.

A few parents stood with their children enrolled at Southern, comforting them as they left the visitation.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s a heartfelt moment, not only in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, but throughout the whole world

Because Caleb was a leader,” said Dion Norman, an English teacher at Warren

Clark Activity Center on Friday.

Easton Charter High School who taught Wilson. “Everyone loved Caleb.” Norman said Wilson, 20 and a Kenner native, was a critical thinker and a funloving guy in school. He spent much of his time in band, or practicing with select extension bands like one mentored by Trombone Shorty Wilson played baseball, was part of the cotillion and was “a comedian at times.”

“It’s really sad, because someone of his upstanding characteristics, you wouldn’t think that this would happen to him. I knew he had goals and dreams to be a part of everything that he wanted to be a part of,” Norman said.

During his senior year of high school, Wilson went on a university visit trip with Norman and a group of other highachieving students. After touring Tennessee State University in Nashville, the group visited the African American Music Museum. It was there Wilson proudly told his teacher he had been accepted into Southern University

“He was very excited about Southern because he was a band-head,” Norman said. “He wanted to be part of the Human Jukebox.” A celebration of life ceremony open to the public was slated at 5 p.m. at Southern’s F.G. Clark Activity Center

Drainage woes vex residents

Rural Livingston Parish bogged down with stormwater

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

Cecil Coates enjoyed sitting on his front porch in Holden. Now, doing so is only a painful reminder of the swampy eyesore in front of his house.

Ongoing problems with stormwater drainage have caused the ditches along Coates’ street to be filled to the brim and coated with a bright green residue or algae. They’ve taken on a life their own. Coates said the ditches and their culverts’ inability to properly drain water started after Hurricane Ida in 2021. It has only gotten worse, and every time it rains water overflows into his front yard, he said.

Across the street is Coates’ son’s house, which is nearly hidden behind unruly shrubbery that’s a byproduct of the drain situation.

“If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we get water out of a ditch,” the elder Coates said Coates called his Parish Council member Joe Erdey about a year ago about the issue. Erdey, who covers part of the eastern side of

See DRAINAGE, page 2B

7 indicted in Baton Rouge drive-by shooting

One child was killed, two others injured ä See PAY, page 2B

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

Seven people were indicted this week on various felony charges connected to a drive-by shooting last year that killed 8-year-old Diellon Daniels and wounded two of his siblings. Authorities said four men sprayed dozens of bullets at a car driven by 30-year-old Courtlyn Lunche Daniels on the afternoon of Nov 27, 2024. The gunmen pulled up and opened fire, while the pregnant woman and five of her children were inside a Honda Accord in the 1000 block of Swan Avenue in north Baton Rouge’s Scotlandville community Investigators from the Baton Rouge Police Department said they think it was a hit where the shooters mistakenly targeted the wrong people. Diellon Daniels and his wounded siblings were rushed to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. His 11-year-old sister and younger brother, who was 7 at the time of

Mourners cry together during the memorial of Caleb Wilson at Southern University’s F.G.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

group of mourners gather in a prayer circle during the memorial of Caleb Wilson at Southern University’s F.G. Clark Activity Center on Friday.

Lafayette cemetery gets preliminary OK

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR

Staff writer

The owner of a cemetery in unincorporated Lafayette Parish who didn’t have the local permits needed before he started burying bodies got permission this week to proceed with conditions.

Kevin Menard said he obtained a state permit to operate Serenity Memorial Gardens Cemetery at 2512 West Willow St. near Scott, but was unaware he needed local permission, too. He needed a local business or building permit, an LCG official said, which requires going through the planning process to obtain a plat.

The Planning Commission denied his request for a plat in November after hearing concerns from nearby residents and considering he

already buried bodies on the land in a floodway without local permits.

Menard appealed the decision to the Parish Council in February saying the commission’s decision was improper because it was based on land use, and his property is in the unincorporated part of the parish and is unzoned.

The council voted in February 2-2 on the appeal, with one council member absent.

City-Parish Attorney Pat Ottinger issued a cease-and-desist order for Menard to stop burying bodies at

Suspect arrested in March shooting

Southern University campus incident wounded one

BY DEANNA B NARVESON Staff writer

A man has been arrested in connection with the nonfatal shooting of a Southern University student on March 2, the university announced Friday Semaj Joiner was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Fort

DRAINAGE

Continued from page 1B

the parish that is predominantly rural, said he could name about 30 roads and ditches with drainage problems — but he thinks the area where Coates lives is the worst of them.

“It keeps growing because it never goes away,” he said about Coates’ problem.

Erdey said roughly 75% of the things he handles are drainage problems that can take a while to solve.

“It’s a tough situation over here that I deal with,” the council member said. Livingston Parish is split into four Gravity Drainage Districts: 1, 2, 5 and 8. The first three are funded through property or sales taxes and cover the western and more developed half of the parish. District 8 is unfunded and covers the eastern half of the parish, including Coates’ street There were millage proposals on a 2017 ballot to fund drainage districts for the top and bottom halves of what is now drainage District 8 Voters shot down the proposals

The three funded districts have employees who clean and maintain lateral ditches and canals in the areas, while the parish’s public works department serves the entire parish and District 8. There is a substantial gap in the number of employees per capita with the

PAY

Continued from page 1B

Owner allowed to proceed with conditions been

lawsuit claims they were paid at a lower “Level 2 Salary Master’s” tier

Worth, Texas, on Thursday, nearly two weeks after the shooting.

Joiner faces charges of carrying a firearm on school property, attempted second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon or dangerous instrumentalities

The shooting happened around 7 p.m. March 2 in the U.S. Jones Hall dormitory on campus in Baton Rouge Joiner was caught on camera in the aftermath of the shooting, which triggered a campus lockdown, according to university police. The victim, another male, was taken to the hos-

pital and reported to be in stable condition.

Joiner is being processed for extradition to Louisiana to face prosecution.

“I would like to thank the Louisiana State Police Apprehension Team, U.S. Marshals Services, Baton Rouge Police Department for collaborating with SUPD to help bring this suspect into custody,” said Joycelyn Johnson, Southern University Police Department chief. “The public has also been very supportive in this case.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By

Cecil Coates stares at the front yard of his home in Holden on Dec. 17. Ongoing problems with stormwater drainage have caused the ditches along Coates’ street to be filled to the brim and coated with a bright green residue or algae.

funded districts compared to the public works department.

Funded drainage District 5 has about 20 employees specifically for that area, meanwhile the public works department has about 50 employees working on the entire parish, the department director Robert Dugas said. This means the funded districts have more leeway to handle drainage projects and general maintenance.

“We don’t have true maintenance care in District 8,” Dugas said. Dugas and Parish President Randy Delatte in the next few years

want to update the gravity drainage plan with a parishwide plan.

It would be a similar move to what’s happening with zoning in the parish: only certain districts had zoning until the parish has worked, in phases, to draft a parish-wide zoning and master plan.

“We need a true plan,” Delatte said of parish-wide drainage.

“What’s not working — is the way we are doing it now.”

Email Claire Grunewald at claire.grunewald@theadvocate. com.

The suit doesn’t specify the total difference in the salary amounts or the experience levels of the speech therapists. But according to a copy of the 2023-24 salary schedule in the Ascension School Board’s meeting agenda database, the difference between the two for a new

hire was $258 annually And the difference was $712 for 10 years of experience and $2,073 for 20 years. Few hearings were held on the matter until a status conference was ordered for early February, according to the case docket At that Feb 11 hearing, Judge

the cemetery Menard’s appeal returned to the Parish Council on March 11. Once again only four council members were present.

After some discussion, the council voted 4-0, with council member John Guilbeau absent, to approve the appeal with some conditions.

Menard had requested a variance on building sidewalks and a crossaccess easement to adjacent properties but will have to do both as conditions of the council approving the preliminary plat.

INDICTED

Continued from page 1B

the shooting, both survived multiple gunshot wounds. Courtlyn Daniels gave birth to a baby boy one day after, on Thanksgiving.

On Wednesday, an East Baton Rouge grand jury handed up firstdegree murder indictments for Yancey Omar Jarrell Jr., 23; Tremell Deion Harris, 28; Roger Parker, 20; and Kendrick Profit, 23.

The men also were indicted on five counts of attempted first-degree murder, assault by drive-by shooting and illegal use of weapons during a violent crime. Profit faces an additional count of obstruction of justice, according to court records.

Commissioner Kory Tauzin is set to arraign the alleged shooters on the indictments Monday inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore announced the indictments in a prepared statement Wednesday First-degree murder is a capital felony punishable by execution.

“These defendants are presumed innocent, and the burden of proof is entirely upon the state to prove these charges,” Moore said in the statement. “No formal decision has been made as to whether the state will seek the death penalty.”

In addition to the gunmen who purportedly carried out the ambush, prosecutors were successful in convincing a grand jury to indict three people they alleged helped the suspects following the fatal shooting.

Damarcus Parker, a 21-year-old Baton Rouge man, was indicted on a charge of obstruction of justice. He is accused of tampering with evidence in a criminal case in which a death sentence or life imprisonment could be invoked Parker remained at large when the indictment was passed down, and Commissioner Kina Kimble issued a warrant for his arrest. If he’s taken into custody, he is also slated to be arraigned Monday

The grand jury also indicted both Brianna Crump, 20, and her 41-yearold mother, Yarnell Deanne Crump, on a charge of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and five counts of accessory after the fact to attempted first-degree murder

According to the indictment, the

John Smith scheduled a one-day bench trial for Sept. 26. He also set a deadline for all motions in the case to be filed by July 31, according to court records.

Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher.cartwright@ theadvocate.com.

The cemetery owner’s team has been working to comply with local regulations, said Neil Leboeuf, development manager of Lafayette Consolidated Government’s Community Development & Planning Department.

With the council approval, Menard can proceed with a drainage impact analysis and other requirements, he said, that are needed before final approval of the project plans.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@ theadvocate.com.

women “harbored, concealed, and/ or aided” Roger Parker between Dec. 25 and 31, 2024, while he was being hunted by police as a suspect in the shooting.

Brianna Crump is Parker’s girlfriend. She was there when Baton Rouge police nabbed him at her mother’s apartment near South Choctaw Drive on Dec. 31, 2024.

“This investigation is ongoing, and we encourage anyone to come forward with any additional information,” the district attorney’s office said. “We will continue to prosecute any other persons who are involved or who take measures to evade justice.”

Memorial events and vigils were part of a public outcry from the community that bubbled up from the fatal drive-by, which came on the eve of Thanksgiving. ThenMayor-President Sharon Weston Broome called it a “targeted shooting.”

BRPDPoliceChiefThomasMorse Jr said crime scene analysts recovered 20 to 30 shell casings from the scene. At a Dec. 13, 2024, news conference, Morse also indicated investigators thought all four alleged gunmen had ties to one of Baton Rouge’s “violent street groups.”

Detectives couldn’t confirm which of the four men fired the fatal gunshots, but held them all responsible for the deadly attack.

Witnesses reported seeing four masked men exit their vehicle to shoot at the victims’ car Surveillance video obtained by investigators corroborated those eyewitness statements.

According to arrest reports, the shooters pulled up on Daniels as she approached the intersection of Kingfisher Street near Scenic Highway and opened fire on the Honda Accord she was driving. Daniels steered her car into the nearby parking lot of Lofton’s Hair Car to escape the barrage of bullets and drove into a tree.

Police tracked the dark-colored Acura sedan allegedly used in the drive-by to a house in the 700 block of Lakehaven Drive in Gonzales. Detectives said surveillance footage showed the four men in the Acura when it left a salon building in the 4600 block of Winbourne Avenue just before the shooting. They were in the sedan when it arrived back to the Winbourne address just after the drive-by, investigators said

LOTTERY THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2025

PICK 3: 5-4-6

PICK 4: 4-8-3-7

PICK 5: 2-7-9-8-6 Unof

CLAIRE GRUNEWALD

graduated from Georgia Tech with adegree in Chemical Engineering and worked at ExxonMobil for over 30 years. He methis bride (Sylvia Smith Peak) of 70 years at an ATO beauty contest in which he judgedher the winner. He was preceded in death by his parents TEllis Peak and Hazel Lobrano Peak and his wife Sylvia. Survived by his three children, daughter Celeste Peak Toney (Dock Hodges) of Baton Rouge; Sons WilliamEllis Peak (Mirelle BeckerPeak) of Baton Rouge; Richard Howard Peak (Maureen Gilhooly Peak) of Prairieville;10Grandchildren Melissa Asevedo and husband Kyle, Katherine Prewitt (Beau Anderson), Robert Peak and wife Roberta, RichardEllis Peak, Melissa LaBorde and husband Jeremy, Kenneth Marcell and wife Kasey, Kristan Peak, Elizabeth Peak, RichardPeak Jr. and wife Katie Sciortino, John Peak and wife Sarah and 23 great grandchildren Grace Asevedo, Alex Asevedo, Elliott Prewitt, Justin Peak, Heather Krause and husband Mark, Lauren Standish, Brenna Standish, Ellis Peak, Faith Peak, Aaron Peak, Alexander LaBorde, Cynthia LaBorde, Eric LaBorde, Kenneth Marcell IV, Owen Marcell, Luke Marcell, Griffin Fletcher, Pryce Fletcher, Grant Connor,Jayden Kovacs, Sebastian Peak, Alice Peak, and MaryPeak. His calm, welcoming andeasy going demeanor was second only to his integrity. A true southern gentleman he was always willingto help out whenasked. Trusted as afairorganizer he made two golftrips a year to the gulf coast and was taskedwith making the teams, keeping the scores and bets (25 cents) accurately. He lovedvolunteering with his peers in Audubon Kiwanis. He rose to the office of Lieutenant Governor,helped with starting multiplenew Kiwanis clubs, and builta handicappedchildren's playground. He maintained his membershipin the Baton Rouge Country Club where he lovedtoeat and play golf for over50 years. There were many trips to squaredancing with Sylvia all overthe south. Aspecialthank you goes out to the St Joseph Hospice and Dean's in Caring Hands and others for their tireless support. Visitation at Rabenhorst East 11000 Florida Blvd. will be held Sunday March 16, 10 AM-12 with memorial service at 12 noon. In lieuof flowers considera donation in his memorytothe charity of your choice

2025. He was a Baton Rouge native, graduate of Baton Rouge High, attended LSU, enlisted in the Navy during WWII, Korea where he Captaineda minesweeper, and later graduated from Georgia Tech with adegree in Chemical Engineering and worked at ExxonMobil for over 30 years. He met his bride (SylviaSmith Peak) of 70 years at an ATO beauty contestinwhich he judged her the winner. He was preceded in death by his parents TEllis Peak and Hazel Lobrano Peak and his wife Sylvia. Survived by his three children, daughter Celeste Peak Toney (Dock Hodges) of Baton Rouge; Sons William Ellis Peak (Mirelle Becker Peak) of Baton Rouge; Richard Howard Peak (Maureen Gilhooly Peak) of Prairieville; 10 Grandchildren Melissa Asevedo and husband Kyle, Katherine Prewitt (Beau Anderson), Robert Peak and wife Roberta, Richard EllisPeak, Melissa LaBordeand husband Jeremy, Kenneth Marcell and wife Kasey, Kristan Peak, Elizabeth Peak, Richard Peak Jr. and wife Katie Sciortino, John Peak and wife Sarah and 23 great grandchildren Grace Asevedo, Alex Asevedo, Elliott Prewitt, Justin Peak, Heather Krause and husband Mark, Lauren Standish, Brenna Standish, Ellis Peak, Faith Peak, Aaron Peak, Alexander LaBorde, Cynthia LaBorde, Eric LaBorde, Kenneth Marcell IV, Owen Marcell, Luke Marcell, Griffin Fletcher, Pryce Fletcher,

When you need the news. Wherever you read the news.

The newspaper of record for Baton Rouge

BUSINESS

BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street rallies to best day in months

U.S. stocks rallied to their best day in months on Friday as Wall Street’s roller coaster suddenly shot back upward. That still wasn’t enough to keep the U.S. market from a fourth straight losing week, its longest such streak since August.

The S&P 500 jumped a day after closing more than 10% below its record for its first “correction” since 2023. The last time the index shot up that much was the day after President Donald Trump’s election, when Wall Street was focusing on the upsides of Trump’s return to the White House.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq composite also jumped.

A multiday “relief rally could be coming” after so much negativity built among investors, said Yung-Yu Ma, chief investment officer at BMO Wealth Management. Swings in sentiment don’t go full-tilt in just one direction forever, and the U.S. stock market has been tumbling quickly since setting a record less than a month ago. While stock prices may be close to finishing their reset to account for tariffs set to hit in April Ma said concerns about how big an impact cutbacks in federal spending will have on the economy are “likely to remain for some time.”

BR office once home of Lamar sells for $2M

An office building on Corporate Boulevard that was once the headquarters of Lamar has been sold for $2 million.

The building at 5551 Corporate was purchased by an LLC of the same name, according to documents filed Thursday with the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court’s office. The seller was River Regional Properties III LLC of Baton Rouge, which lists as officers former Ascension Parish Coroner Dr John Fraiche and his wife, Donna, an attorney and longtime civic and community leader Local attorney Charles Landry was listed as the manager of 5551 Corporate, according to a business filing with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office. Landry said he facilitated the deal for a client, whom he could not disclose. The buyer is in the process of evaluating what will be needed to renovate the space for any potential future tenants Will Adams and Kelly Morgan of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate represented the sellers, while Fabian Edwards of Elifin Realty represented the buyers. The agents would not disclose details about the sale, citing confidentiality requests made by the parties involved.

The office at 5551 Corporate is a three-story, nearly 52,000-squarefoot building that once served as the offices for Lamar Advertising. The building opened in 1981 and was renovated in 2013 It was damaged in a fire in December 2023 and has been vacant since then.

Gold rises to new heights as anxiety spreads

Amid widespread economic turmoil, the price of gold has soared to levels never seen before.

The going price for New York spot gold closed Thursday at record $2,988 per troy ounce — the standard for measuring precious metals, which is equivalent to 31 grams — per FactSet. That’s over $825 higher than gold’s spot price one year ago Gold futures surpassed the $3,000 mark Thursday But as of Friday afternoon, fell to just over $2,994.

The price of spot gold is up nearly 14% since the start of 2025, per FactSet By contrast, the stock market has tumbled. The benchmark S&P 500 has tumbled more than 5% this year, with even blue chip stocks fading Interest in buying gold can rise sharply in times of uncertainty, as anxious investors seek safe havens for their money If trends continue, analysts say gold’s price could continue to climb in the months ahead

U.S. public nervous about economy

Trump’s tariffs drive consumer anxiety

BY JOSH BOAK and CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s volatile tariff threats are unleashing historic jumps in public anxiety, with the potential to undermine his pledges to strengthen a U.S economy that is increasingly weakened.

The University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment tumbled 10.5% on a monthly basis in March and plunged 27.1% over the past year The preliminary report released Friday shows that consum-

ers’ expectations of annual inflation climbed to 3.9% from 3.5%, the largest monthly jump since 1993. Along with a ferocious stock market sell-off and downgrades to growth estimates by Wall Street economists, the latest confidence numbers are evidence of possible blowback facing Trump, who just months into his term has suggested that his threats of import taxes meant to create factory jobs would in the short term cause “a little pain.”

Declines were “seen consistently across all groups by age, education, income, wealth, political affiliations, and geographic regions,” Joanne Hsu, director of the survey said in a statement. “Many consumers cited the high level of uncertainty around

policy and other economic factors.”

Even Trump’s base supporters are turning slightly more pessimistic.

Sentiment fell 3.2% among Republicans. They backed Trump in last year’s election on the promise that he would boost growth and bring down prices after inflation spiked to a four-decade high in 2022 under then-President Joe Biden, an event that caused consumer confidence to slump for the Democrat and helped pave the way for Trump’s return.

Bill Adams chief economist at Comerica Bank, warned that the waning confidence could crush economic growth.

“People who are afraid the economy is headed into a ditch won’t buy new cars or houses, go out to eat, or go on vacations,” Adams said. “If

consumer sentiment continues to sour, spending will likely follow it lower and the economy could take a substantial hit.”

The survey also found that Americans expect unemployment to spike in the coming year

So far, Trump appears to be doubling and tripling down on his commitment to taxing imports.

The Michigan consumer sentiment reading follows a sharp drop in consumer confidence in February, as measured in a separate survey by the Conference Board. It also comes as the S&P 500 stock index has fallen more than 8% over the past month, as companies such as Target, Walmart and Ford have warned about the uncertainty caused by tariffs.

Fla. farmers await disease-free trees

Industry battered by storms, loss of acreage

BY MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press

LAKEWALES,Fla.— As Trevor Murphy pulls up to his dad’s 20-acre grove in one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, he points to the cookie-cutter, one-story homes encroaching on the orange trees from all sides.

“At some point, this isn’t going to be an orange grove anymore,” Murphy, a thirdgeneration grower, said as he gazes at the rows of trees in Lake Wales, Florida. “You look around here, and it’s all houses, and that’s going to happen here.”

Polk County, which includes Lake Wales, contains more acres of citrus than any other county in Florida. And in 2023, more people moved to Polk County than any other county in the country

Population growth, hurricanes and a vicious citrus greening disease have left the Florida orange industry reeling. Consumers

are drinking less orange juice, citrus growers are folding up their operations in the state and the major juice company Tropicana is struggling to stay afloat. With huge numbers of people moving into Florida’s orange growing areas, developers are increasingly building homes on what were once groves.

Many growers are now making the difficult decision to sell orange groves that have been in their families for generations to developers building homes to house the increasing population.

Others, like Murphy, are sticking it out, hoping to survive until a bug-free tree or other options arrive to repel the disease or treat the trees.

“I would like to think that we’re at the bottom, and we’re starting to climb back up that hill,” Murphy said.

When Hurricane Irma blasted through the state’s orange belt in 2017, Florida’s signature crop already had been on a downward spiral for two decades because of the greening disease. Next came a major freeze and two more hurricanes in 2022, followed by two hurricanes last year A tree that loses branches and foliage in a hurricane can take

three years to recover, Murphy said. Those catastrophes contributed to a 90% decline in orange production over the past two decades. Citrus groves in Florida, which covered more than 832,00 acres at the turn of the century, populated scarcely 275,000 acres last year, and California has eclipsed Florida as the nation’s leading citrus producer

“Losing the citrus industry is not an option. This industry is so ingrained in Florida. Citrus is synonymous with Florida,” Matt Joyner, CEO of trade association Florida Citrus Mutual told Florida lawmakers recently Nevertheless, Alico Inc., one of Florida’s biggest growers, announced this year that it plans to wind down its citrus operations on more than 53,000 acres, saying its production has declined by almost three-quarters in a decade.

That decision hurts processors, including Tropicana, which rely on Alico’s fruit to produce orange juice and must now operate at reduced capacity Orange juice consumption in the U.S. has been declining for the past two decades, despite a small bump during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Producers of Entrepreneur Week set schedule

New Orleans event planned March 24-29

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

The producers of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week have released details for the 2025 event, which is scheduled to take place March 2429 at multiple locations citywide before two days of programming on the campus of Loyola University in New Orleans. Now in its 14th year, the free, weeklong celebration of entrepreneurship will gather more than 100 speakers and panelists, who will discuss business, technology innovation and culture.

This year, nonprofit business accelerator The Idea Village, NOEW’s founder, has partnered with Loyola to co-produce the event which is scheduled to coincide

with the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University

“Bringing NOEW to campus is going to take our entrepreneurship program to a whole new level,” said Robert “Bobby” Savoie, dean of Loyola’s College of Business. “The gathering will be good for participating businesses and will be an excellent networking opportunity for our students.”

The two-day NOEW Summit, previously held at Gallier Hall, is designed to attract entrepreneurs, investors, students and “anyone with a stake in the city’s future.”

The event will spotlight south Louisiana entrepreneurs. Matt Wisdom, who sold his tech company TurboSquid for $75 million in 2021, will join Waitr founder Chris Meaux to talk about the lessons they learned launching their first companies, how they’re approaching entrepreneurship

the second time around, and how AI is reshaping the startup landscape. Jim Odom, founder of PreSonus, will explain how he built and sold his global music tech company

The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation bought the Baton Rouge-based startup in 2021. Walt Leger, president of New Orleans & Company, will join Idea Village CEO Jon Atkinson in a discussion about the future of the New Orleans brand and explore how innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship are fueling the city’s next chapter Hospitality veterans Amy Sins, Larry Morrow and Robert LeBlanc will discuss the future of hospitality and night life in New Orleans, as well as their expansion into new markets. Other highlights of NOEW programming at Loyola include a dedicated “mini-summit” cel-

ebrating Black entrepreneurs and investors, a panel about the business of festivals, and a look at how universities can fuel economic growth. Unlike previous years, when the week culminated with a pitch competition, this year’s NOEW is taking a different approach. On Friday, three startups that have successfully completed the Idea Village’s accelerator program over the years will make presentations and receive an investment commitment from NOEW, which launched its Momentum Fund last year There will be several other pitch competitions throughout the week. After the Idea Pitch event, NOEW will conclude with a panel focusing on “My Black Country,” a memoir written by songwriter Alice Randall. See the full schedule at NOEW. org.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARTA LAVANDIER

Trevor Murphy inspects an orange tree in one of his groves on Feb 18 in Sebring, Fla. Murphy, whose family has been growing oranges for generations, is hoping for a cure to citrus greening a bacterial infection that together with other factors has decimated the industry.

taking

How many of you are dealing with this?

You’re having conversations with family, friends and associates that are supposed to be uplifting and positive, but they start to meander and dissolve into comments about sad events of the day and the ongoing tide of bizarre decisions coming out of Washington, D.C.

There’s simply no breathing space for what used to be hours of sitting around chatting about the past, good times, sports and positive thoughts. The conversations are becoming more dire, resulting from the rapid and bizarre rants and troubling minute-to-minute shifting decisions from the White House.

Tariffs. Did you know much about them months ago? Thousands of people losing their jobs and families being battered at the whim of a billionaire.

It’s troubling, and try as you might, you can’t get away from it anywhere.

It makes me think of the late Rev. Timothy Wright’s 1981 iconic song, “Trouble Don’t Last Always.” The song is probably sung in virtually every Black Baptist church in the U.S. Its short verses speak to what’s going in the country and across the table right now Here’s a bit of the song: “I’m so glad trouble don’t last always. I’m so glad. Weeping may endure for a night. Keep the faith, it will be all right.” Man, I want to believe in that.

Sitting around Monday evening with some fellas, we began our usual moments of laughing and joking about goings-on in our past. That’s what a bunch of older guys do when given enough time to reflect. But that came to a sudden halt and drifted to serious talk of the violence here in Baton Rouge and nearby areas, involving children killing children over arguments that mean nothing in the big picture.

There was a bit of defeatism in the conversation about ending the violence. The hope is to find a means to bring a major reduction. The understanding is that this will be tough.

As one guy said, “You can’t get a moment to breathe before some other stupid s*** happens.” But nothing compares to friendly conversations going up in flames ignited by the lit match of the President Donald Trump + DOGE Elon Musk systematic destruction of jobs, funding for low-income families, health care and education programs

Then there is the talk of tariffs and how people will be affected. Most folk don’t know what tariffs mean, but they know “it just sounds bad,” a friend said.

Well, that’s OK because some in the president’s administration can’t explain it. On the day I was writing this, the president’s press secretary got it wrong about who pays for tariffs.

The uncertainty and the feeling of impending hardships are dominating conversations online, before and after church services, in the middle of card games and among co-workers in offices across the country

The fear is palpable, and why not? In one conversation, a guy asked how some long-standing businesses and young entrepreneurs survive with hundreds of thousands of people being thrown out of work.

What happens with cuts to programs that feed children and protect them from illnesses? And then there’s the thought of how many of these cuts may lead to increased homelessness, crime and even the breakup of families

Remember these conversations are taking the place of fun chats about movies vacations and things that happened while shopping.

You try to sit and watch a basketball game, and a bulletin comes across the screen about tariffs on and off, or government departments being shredded and workers fired, or threats to ignore or lop off one branch of government to make it easy for the president to make his worrisome vision a reality.

Dale Carnegie wrote: “Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” I say no way folks worried about or saw something like this coming yesterday

But we can hope that Rev Wright’s song is right that “trouble don’t last always.”

Email Edward Pratt, a former newspaperman, at epratt1972@yahoo.com.

The Trump administration, under direction from Elon Musk, is in a process that might best be described as gutting the budget. The budget is being cut in a way similar to how private corporations do it when they need to maximize efficiency to enhance or restore profits.

The problem is that government’s highest priority is service, not profit, and many people fail to see the distinction. We expect certain services from government, and we do not expect government to profit from providing them. Nor should we. That said, I know of nobody who would object to efforts aimed at squeezing more efficiency and effectiveness from our government. Deficiency in both regards is the reason we find ourselves in such turmoil today

Having spent over 20 years in government budgeting, I have to say a variation of the current approach is the only way to actually cut the budget. During my tenure

“Watch the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves” is an adage that may go the way of the alarm clock, rotary phone and marbles.

President Donald Trump has taken on the lowly penny by declaring that the U.S. Mint will issue fewer pennies thus reducing the number in circulation. His excuse is that it costs more to mint than its face value. This has implications on currency use, Congressional power and inflation. Let me focus on the last. As a hypothetical, let’s buy a soft drink at a convenience store. It will be some odd-numbered price such as $1.79 or $2.23 or the like. Adding tax will increase it by some amount that may end in a number other that

we tried many ostensibly rational approaches to budget cuts and none of them worked. Though almost as simple as what Musk it doing and things we have done in the past, what I am suggesting has never, in my experience, actually even been tried.

Based on the best information readily available (and, there’s lots of it), assign cuts at the department level. Give department heads the most flexibility possible and tell them to make the cuts and be fully accountable for them. Do not allow an appeals process. This approach would require upfront analysis, but, as I say, the information necessary to assign the cuts is already there, as is the staff necessary to do the analysis. What has been lacking so far is the resolve. The executive branch has to propose it, and the legislative branch has to enact it. Both have to abide by it.

STEPHEN WINHAM retired state budget director

0 or 5. There’s a 66% chance of this happening. If you pay by credit this is a moot point. If you pay cash, the penny now takes a front-row seat. What happens to the final cost if it ends in a number other than 0 of 5 (a nickel or a dime.)? Will the store drop the pennies you owe? Not likely You will pony up the difference in cost between the calculated cost and 0 or 5. Sure, it’s only one penny at the least or four pennies at the most. It is still a real value that is greater than you need to pay The penny is actually a real thing that will save your money “Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves”

EARL PRATZ Metairie

I feel very discouraged about our state leaders agreeing and following in President Donald Trump’s footsteps. I know our state is “red” and only “blue” in a couple of cities, but our rights as Americans are dwindling every day that these individuals are in office. I pray that during the midterms we will have a few more Democrats step up to the plate. When everyone works together for the people, I feel that we have better results overall. I’ve written to our representatives but don’t actually expect them to change. Sen. Bill Cassidy approving Robert Kennedy Jr as Secretary of Health and Human Services really tops the cake.

I’m disappointed these actions are claimed to be based upon “Christianity.” I am a Christian and have been all my life. These decisions have nothing to do with those principles taught by Christ. When Trump refused to place his hand on the Bible at his swearing in ceremony, why didn’t Christians jump on that?

LINDA PIERCE New Orleans

So, as I understand school vouchers, public school teachers’ tax money pays the salary of private schoolteachers. Although I am not certain if this is constitutional, I am certain that it is not appropriate.

CLYDE LEBLANC retired public school teacher East Baton Rouge Parish

Edward Pratt

Reid explains move to Saints

Signing a homecoming for Prairieville native

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

According to Justin Reid, about a quarter of the NFL’s 32 teams checked in on him when he became a free agent a list he soon whittled down to three.

And when he told his family members one of those teams, they made their preference as clear as a cloudless sky.

“I was letting them know ‘Hey there’s a possibility I end up signing with the (New Orleans) Saints,’ ” Reid recounted “And my text message thread with the family started blowing up, ‘Sign with the Saints! Sign with the Saints!’ ” Reid, the 28-year-old Prairieville native, granted his family’s wish Shortly after free agency opened he agreed to a three-year $31.5 million contract with the team he grew up watching. When he was introduced at the Saints’ Airline Drive facility Friday morning, he did so with most of his family sitting in the audience.

“Being right here in this moment, just walking around the building, as everything is starting to settle in, it’s just one of the best feelings ever,” Reid said. “I’ve got my whole family here in the building right now supporting me. I feel like the city is wrapping their arms around me.”

This is more than just a homecoming story, of course.

New Orleans plugged a hole on its defense by signing a safety who is coming off arguably his best professional season He is a versatile defensive piece whom

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

SEVEN-YEAR ITCH

Kailin Chio flips

Chio recorded her first career 10.0 mark with a

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

The LSU Tigers knew they had to give a strong performance at Auburn on Friday night if they were to come away with the victory and claim at least a share of the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship. Freshman Kailin Chio and fifth-year senior Haleigh Bryant helped make sure of that outcome.

Chio recorded her first career 10.0 mark with a perfect routine on vault and Bryant won the all-around, powering the No. 2-ranked Tigers to a season-best road score in a 198.200-197.550 victory over No. 14 Auburn at Neville Arena.

LSU finished the regular season 11-2 and 7-1 in SEC competition, earning a piece of its first SEC regular-season title since 2018. The Tigers will share that champi-

Curiel’s triple powers LSU to victory over Missouri

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Derek Curiel had reached base in every game of his LSU career before his Southeastern Conference debut Friday The streak wasn’t in jeopardy as he came to the plate in the fourth inning, even though he had popped out and flew out in his first two trips to the plate. It was a big moment for different reasons — the bases were loaded with one out and the score was knotted at 2-2. As the freshman has done so many times already, he got ahead in the count 2-1 before Missouri left-handed senior Ian Lohse left a slider over the plate.

That’s when Curiel pounced

“I read the slider out of (his) hand,” Curiel said, “and I tried my best to stay on it.” He hooked the ball down the left-field line pulling it enough to where he didn’t think it would stay fair But the ball stayed in play and cleared the bases

“I was pointing (at) it, I was like, ‘Come on stay fair,’ “ Curiel said “And then the wind, I think, was going the opposite way, so

it helped push it back a little bit.”

As he slid into the third, he pointed to the sky. The streak was still alive. But more importantly, LSU had taken a 5-2 lead.

Curiel’s triple proved to be the gamechanging hit as No. 1 LSU took down Missouri 12-5 in its SEC opener at Alex Box Stadium.

“Some guys are born to play baseball and born to line up the barrel with a baseball,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “He’s one of those guys.”

Four LSU hitters drove in multiple runs including Curiel, sophomore Jake Brown, sophomore Steven Milam and senior Luis Hernandez. Brown, who didn’t even start the game, and Curiel were the only LSU players with multiple hits.

“If they execute the plan with their talent and have good self-discipline to continue to do that, eventually we’re going to break through,” Johnson said. “And I’m pleased

ä See LSU, page 4C

onship with No. 1 Oklahoma, which wrapped up its first season as an SEC member with a 198.475-197.975 victory at Georgia.

LSU handed Oklahoma its only loss to date, 198.050197.675 on Feb. 14 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The teams likely will head into next Saturday’s SEC championship meet in Birmingham, Alabama, as the No. 1 and 2 seeds. They will be in second rotation at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network with the No. 3 and 4 seeds.

LSU’s best road score of the season outside of Baton Rouge the Tigers’ 198.125-195.475 win over George Washington at the Raising Cane’s River Center also counted as a road meet — was a 197.650 on Jan. 11 in the Sprouts Collegiate Quad in Oklahoma City LSU had been chasing that mark all season while also looking to

LSU gym scratches out piece of SEC title for first time since ’18 ä See GYM, page 3C

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

LSU’s Derek Curiel celebrates after hitting a three-run triple in the fourth inning of LSU’s 12-5 win over Missouri on Friday at Alex Box Stadium. ä See ROSTER, page 2C

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Safety Justin Reid answers questions during an introductory news conference with the New Orleans Saints on Friday at the team’s practice facility

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU gymnast

through the air during her vault routine on Feb 28 at the Raising Cane’s River Center

perfect vault routine in Friday’s meet at Auburn.

6:40

Skip Bertman’s wife, Sandy, dies at age 87

Sandy Bertman, the wife of former LSU baseball coach and five-time national champion Skip Bertman, died on Thursday night in Baton Rouge, LSU announced Friday She was 87 years old.

Sandy Bertman was a native of Brooklyn and met Skip in 1961 while teaching at Madie Ives Elementary School in Miami. They were engaged three months later and got married on Feb. 11, 1962. Their marriage lasted for 63 years. Sandy arrived in Baton Rouge with her husband in 1984, when he was hired to become the LSU baseball coach. He led the Tigers to their first national championship in 1991 before leading them to four more titles over the next nine seasons. His final season was in 2001.

Cowboys reunite with Fowler on 1-year deal

Lee, Bhatia share lead at The Players

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Min Woo

PONTE

Lee and Akshay Bhatia shared the lead at The Players Championship going into a weekend with strong wind in the forecast and the potential for a wide-open chase. That includes Justin Thomas, the biggest surprise Friday Thomas opened with a 78 and was tied for 134th when he set the tournament record with 11 birdies. A bogey from the water on the 18th hole forced him to settle for a 10-under 62 to tie The Players record with Tom Hoge.

“Everything seems to happen in mysterious and weird ways,” Thomas said, unclear if he was speaking to his round or the very game of golf.

Lee made a sloppy bogey on his final hole at the par-5 ninth. Bhatia got creative with a wedge to make birdie on the ninth Both had a 66 and were tied for the lead at 11-under 133.

Thomas was seven shots behind and not the least bit bothered by the deficit.

“I’m happy I have a tee time tomorrow,” Thomas said. “I was losing to everyone playing golf at one point.” Thomas witnessed the only other 62 at the TPC Sawgrass because he was playing with Hoge that day in 2023. He forgot about that until he saw an image posted on the video board behind the 17th green of him and Hoge hugging.

From the right rough on the 18th the plan was to punch it low under the trees to about 20 yards short of the green. But the thick grass grabbed his club and turned it left, and the ball raced through the fair-

way into the water

Thomas took a penalty drop, hit a lob wedge to 2 feet for bogey and at least shared the mark.

Now comes the hard part. The TPC Sawgrass can be daunting in any conditions, but the 25 mph gusts expected Saturday — and the possibility of wind and rain Sunday — can make the Stadium Course a real thrill ride

Rory McIlroy was at the top of the leaderboard during his morning round that featured six birdies in 11 holes, only for his momentum to stall. He had a pair of bogeys over the closing stretch, the last one on the par-5 ninth, for a 68 to finish two shots back.

“I think I hit more fairways in six holes today than I did in 18 yesterday,” McIlroy said “Got it in play

much better and then from there was able to give myself some opportunities and obviously make some birdies early Couldn’t quite continue that on to the back nine, but it was much better off the tee.”

Collin Morikawa, the runner-up last week at Bay Hill who chipped in twice among his nine birdies in a round of 65, also was shots behind with Alex Smalley, who birdied two of his last three holes for a 67.

“I can’t say I drove it great and hit the ball amazing, but I really just took advantage of when I did hit good shots,” Morikawa said. “I putted really nicely Also I didn’t try fighting it too much. I knew it wasn’t quite exactly how I was hitting it, and you just make due.”

Two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler had to settle for

a 70 and was six shots behind, still very much in the mix considering he rallied from five behind on the final day last year The 36-hole cut fluctuated throughout the afternoon with some wild shifts and plenty of emotion. The cut was 1-under 143.

Xander Schauffele made it on the number, extending his cut streak to 59 on the PGA Tour, the longest active streak since Tiger Woods (142) from 1998 to 2005. That required the PGA and British Open champion hammering a hybrid onto the green at the ninth on his final hole and two-putting for birdie and a 71. That sounded like small consolation for Schauffele, who only returned last week from two months of letting a rib injury heal.

Danny Walker also gets a weekend tee time after starting the week wondering if he would play at all. He didn’t get into the field until Thursday morning when Jason Day withdrew with an illness. One of 26 newcomers in the field, Walker three-putted the final hole to finish at 1 under and had to wait an hour to see if he would make it.

Among those missing the cut were Ludvig Aberg, who won the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines last month and is No. 5 in the world. He had five double bogeys over two rounds, three of them Friday

Jordan Spieth had another wild ride, which included hitting one shot left-handed out of the pine straw well left of the fifth fairway Spieth was on the cut line late in the day when he hit the island green at No. 17 and then drilled a drive down the 18th fairway, leading to birdie and a 71 that put him eight shots back.

LSU announces changes to spring football game

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Instead of playing a traditional spring game, LSU football is making an adjustment. LSU announced Friday it will have an open practice April 12 inside Tiger Stadium with an autograph session for fans afterward. Gates open at 9:30 a.m., and it is free to attend.

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according to 247Sports, before the portal opens again in April.

“We have a football team that now is poised to play with anybody in the SEC,” Kelly said “We didn’t before.” The roster would not have been assembled without money, and after a fundraising push, Kelly said about $13 million came from the NIL collective in recent months

Kelly noted some of the money went toward the 2024 team, though he did not specify how much.

Sources with knowledge of the situation told The Advocate the Bayou Traditions collective spent $5.5 million on the 2024 roster So far, the collective has put $7.5 million toward the 2025 team, though a source said the number could increase in the coming months.

Kelly also expects LSU football players will receive $13.5 million during the 2025-26 school year when teams can begin paying

The open practice will replace the public scrimmage that was usually held at the end of spring football. Though LSU announced Jan. 28 that it would play a spring game, coach Brian Kelly decided to adjust the format. Multiple teams around the country this year have changed their spring game or canceled it all together Nebraska, Texas, Southern Cal and others called off their public

players.

LSU has not said how it plans to distribute the projected maximum of $20.5 million that schools would be able to share in the first year of a settlement in the House antitrust case which must be approved in April by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken.

However, Kelly said the money will not be spent entirely on the 2025 roster Revenue sharing will operate on the academic calendar, and LSU plans to reserve an unspecified amount for the 2026 team.

Even then, LSU would have the ability this year to at least triple what it spent on the 2024 team between the funds from the collective and revenue sharing.

“This is an investment where we raised money, and then with the new House settlement, there’s going to be another $13.5 million if it follows the course of what’s been prescribed,” Kelly said. “But that’s going to be stretched out over (2026) as well.”

Under the new system, the NCAA said every third-party NIL deal of more than $600 will have

scrimmages for various reasons. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian pointed to workload concerns, and Nebraska coach Matt Rhule feared other teams would poach players after seeing them on TV

In a recent interview, Kelly questioned canceling spring games as a way to prevent other teams from evaluating rosters on TV, saying “I’m not buying that one.”

But he did think there was merit

to go through a clearinghouse run by Deloitte, which is supposed to determine whether compensation meets fair market value and achieves a valid business purpose, potentially curbing collective spending.

As a result, Kelly said deals were front-loaded to use the money from LSU’s collective before the settlement would take effect July 1.

The post-settlement future of Bayou Traditions is uncertain.

LSU plans to exceed the revenuesharing cap by helping players

find NIL deals.

In order to fund the roster Kelly said LSU “had to raise millions of dollars in a very short period of time” in early December It then divided the money into three categories: current players, transfers and incoming freshmen. The highest percentage went toward player retention. Kelly said starters such as quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, running back Caden Durham and linebacker Whit Weeks “are not free.”

“Clearly whether you believe it or not, their agents are getting hit

to the idea of changing spring games in an attempt to slow down transfer portal activity The transfer portal opens again April 16-25.

“I think that there’s more of, ‘Why don’t we just keep our business a little bit more closely guarded than being so public about it, especially with the ability to transfer so easily?’ ” Kelly said. “I think that there’s much more of a sense of that.”

up by other schools saying, ‘We can give you X,’ ” Kelly said. “You have to protect your roster, too.”

LSU also looked for more instant starters in the transfer portal than in the past. It has signed 16 so far, tied for the most in one year during Kelly’s tenure The previous offseason, LSU signed nine transfers in a class that ranked 43rd nationally Kelly said all of the transfers are on the two-deep as LSU began spring practice this week, adding he feels “really good about the depth of the team and the roster itself.”

After the investment LSU made, he thinks the Tigers could win their first SEC title since he became the head coach.

“Regardless of how we played the game before, we would have needed help,” Kelly said. “Something favorably would have had to happen. We don’t need that now. We need to play the game, play the game the right way, be prepared, do the right things in all areas. If we do that, we’ve got a team that can win the SEC.”

The Dallas Cowboys are turning to a familiar face to boost their pass rush, agreeing with free agent Dante Fowler on a one-year contract worth up to $8 million two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Friday Fowler first joined the Cowboys in 2022 to reunite with Dan Quinn, his former head coach in Atlanta. The 30-year-old followed Quinn last year when Quinn took over as Washington’s coach after three years as the defensive coordinator in Dallas. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Fowler had 101/2 sacks for the Commanders, who reached the NFC championship game before losing to Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.

Iowa men’s hoops fires coach after 15 years

Iowa fired coach Fran McCaffery on Friday after the Hawkeyes won their fewest games and had their lowest Big Ten regularseason finish in seven years. The 65-year-old McCaffery, who was under contract through 2028, had said last week that he intended to return for a 16th season rather than retire.

Athletic director Beth Goetz decided a change was in order amid declining attendance at CarverHawkeye Arena and will sign off on McCaffery’s $4.2 million buyout. McCaffery was 297-207 with the Hawkeyes after Thursday night’s 106-94 loss to Illinois in the conference tournament.

McCaffery is Iowa’s all-time wins leader and longest-tenured coach in program history

Curry first to make 4,000 3-pointers in NBA history

SAN FRANCISCO Stephen Curry’s shooting range and accuracy from way back have long stood alone — whether with a defender or two in his face or when letting it fly from the logo.

Now, the NBA’s career leader in 3-pointers has reached new territory from beyond the arc: Golden State’s star guard is the first player in league history to reach 4,000 3s. He did it Thursday, a day before his 37th birthday His 4,000th came from the right wing and under pressure off a pass from Moses Moody with 8:19 left in the third quarter, on his fourth attempt of the night.

Fans jumped to their feet and roared when Curry made it, and a tribute played on the big screen during a timeout shortly after

WR Kupp, Seahawks agree on $45 million, 3-year deal

Cooper Kupp and the Seattle Seahawks have agreed on a threeyear, $45 million contract. Kupp, the Super Bowl 56 MVP was released by the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday He’ll help replace DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett for his home state team in Seattle, which traded quarterback Geno Smith and signed Sam Darnold in free agency

Kupp, who starred in college at Eastern Washington and is from Yakima, Washington, was the AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2021 when he won the receiving triple crown by catching 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Kupp has been plagued by injuries the past three

AP PHOTO By CHRIS O’MEARA

Min Woo Lee yells after hitting his second shot on the ninth hole during The Players Championship on Friday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Saints pick up extra 7th-round draft pick

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

When the NFL released its draft order last week, the New Orleans Saints were in line to have eight selections this spring.

But as it turns out, the NFL made a mistake one that will benefit the Saints.

The Saints gained an additional compensatory seventh-round pick after the league’s management council informed teams of a recalculation of this year’s comp picks.

As a result, the Saints earned pick No. 254 that previously was held by the Cleveland Browns.

The changes removed an

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new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley can and likely will move about his chessboard. In Reid, the Saints are also getting a player who has played in the last three Super Bowls, winning two of them, with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Reid understands his recent history may be important when it comes to playing a part in reversing the downward trajectory of the organization because he understands what it takes to win in the NFL.

There are standards that must be met, Reid said. Accountability work ethic, attitude and fundamentals. And to meet those standards, there has to be organizational buy in.

“If you have everybody playing as a team and not as a group of individuals, then that’s where you’re going to bring your best football out and you’re going to have some success,” Reid said. “I want to bring that attitude.

I want to bring a sense of calmness to everyone on the defense, so when I’m out on the field, guys can have trust that I’ll be in position to make plays, and I will help put them in position to make plays.”

Reid has some familiarity with some of the roster already He was Chiefs teammates with Khalen Saunders and Clyde EdwardsHelaire, and he spent one season starting alongside Tyrann Mathieu when both were playing for the Houston Texans.

Because of their prior experience together, he is confident he will fit nicely next to

GYM

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atone for its only SEC loss in a 196.875-196.600 meet Jan. 24 at Arkansas Mission accomplished, with a performance that included six individual scores that tied or set season- or career-high marks. “I was absolutely pleased all the way round,” LSU coach Jay Clark said. “Ever since Arkansas, every time I asked them to get better on the road they’ve done it. That meet was every bit worthy of that score.” The Tigers started with a strong 49.600 on uneven bars, led by a 9.975 from Bryant that tied for first with Auburn’s Olivia Greaves. LSU also got a career-high 9.95 from Aleah Finnegan and a 9.925 from Konnor McClain.

LSU then moved to vault where Chio took over Competing in the fifth spot after 9.90s from freshman Lexi Zeiss and Finnegan, Chio posted her flawless routine to give the Tigers their second 10.0 score of the season after one from Finnegan on beam on March 7 against Georgia. A 49.575 on vault gave LSU a 99.175-98.825 lead halfway through the meet, just about the same time Oklahoma was wrap-

additional pick originally awarded to the Miami Dolphins and moved back the selections of the Browns and Los Angeles Chargers by one pick.

“The NFL Management council erred on including Cedrick Wilson Jr as a compensatory free agent, which opens up that 7th round 2025 comp pick to the Saints for Isaac Yiadom going to (San Francisco),” tweeted Over The Cap’s Nick Korte, an expert on the NFL’s compensatory formula. Wilson, signed by New Orleans last year to a twoyear deal, was not eligible to count as a compensatory free agent because the Dolphins previously had

Mathieu. Reid thinks of him-

shortened his old contract, Korte wrote.

With the Saints gaining an additional seventhrounder, the franchise now has nine selections in this year’s draft (sorted by round-overall selection):

n 1-9

n 2-40

n 3-71

n 3-93 (from Washington)

n 4-112 n 4-131 (from Washington)

n 6-184

n 7-248 (from Philadelphia through Washington)

n 7-254

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@ theadvocate.com

ered offers from the Titans

SAINTS ADD TO DEPTH ON D-LINE

The New Orleans Saints have prioritized their defensive line to start free agency and they’ve made another move to add depth to the group.

The Saints are signing defensive end Jonah Williams to a oneyear contract, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed. Williams, 29, spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions — appearing in nine games with one start.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pounder entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2020 out of Weber State. He has 80 career tackles and 21/2 sacks.

Over the last week, the Saints traded for defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, re-signed Chase young to a three-year deal, reworked Cam Jordan’s contract, extended Nathan Shepherd’s deal by one season and restructured Khalen Saunders’ contract. Matthew Paras

self and Mathieu as cerebral players who are excellent communicators. And, stylistically, they pair well.

“Tyrann is a savvy vet. Every offense needs to know where he’s at because he will show up and steal the ball away some type of way,” Reid said. “I see myself as a physical tone-setter — if you want to come down the hall with me, you’re going to have to pay a toll for it.”

Reid is eager to get to work in Staley’s scheme. Entering his eighth NFL season, Reid said the scheme he’d be playing in was an important part of his decision. He saw Staley’s defense as one that fit “like a glove.”

“He mixes things up. I love that,” Reid said of Staley “Not everything is always the same thing over and over He allows guys to be versatile, and I see myself as a versatile player who can play a lot of different positions and cause some problems for the offense. I’m excited to be a weapon for him.”

Reid said he also consid-

Meet scores 1. #2 LSU 198.200 (Vault — 49.575, Bars — 49.600, Beam — 49.375, Floor — 49.650) 2. #14 Auburn 197.175 (Vault 49.425, Bars 49.400, Beam 49.150, Floor — 49.575) Individual (includes first place and all LSU competitors) All-around 1. Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 37.775; 2. Aleah Finnegan, LSU 39.700; 3. Kailin Chio, LSU, 39.650. Vault — 1. Kailin Chio, LSU, 10.0; T3. Lexi Zeiss, Aleah Finnegan, Haleigh Bryant, LSU 9.90; T7. KJ Johnson, LSU, 9.875; T11. Amari Drayton LSU, 9.80. Bars T1. Haleigh Bryant, LSU Olivia Greaves, Auburn, 9.975; 3. Aleah Finnegan, 9.95; T4. Ashley Cowan, Kailin Chio, LSU, 9.90; T6. Konnor McClain, LSU, 9.875; T9. Lexi Zeiss, LSU 9.85. Beam 1. Haleigh Bryant, LSU 9.95; T2. Konnor McClain, LSU, 9.90; T4. Aleah Finnegan, LSU, 9.875; T7 Sierra Ballard, Kylie Coen, Kailin Chio, LSU, 9.875. Floor 1. Aleah Finnegan, LSU 9.975; 2. Haleigh Bryant, LSU, 9.95; T3. Kailin Chio, Amari Drayton, LSU 9.925; T9. Kylie Coen, Sierra Ballard, LSU, 9.875. Attendance: 9,121

ping up its win at Georgia. “She’s pretty intense and serious,” Clark said of Chio. “She’s a lot like Konnor (McClain). You don’t mess with her too much. Obviously, she’s an incredible competitor and she’s just going to get better.”

LSU increased its lead with a 49.650 on floor, just 0.025 off its best score this season in that event. After 9.925s from Chio and Amari Drayton, Finnegan drilled her performance with a season-high-tying 9.975 to get the individual win, giving LSU a 148.825-147.975

Saints assistant Haslett gets full-circle moment

to his two children.

and Eagles, but he decided upon a return home. It wasn’t just because of the urging from his family There was a big part of him that wanted this, too.

“Every kid in Louisiana dreams about playing for the Saints,” he said.

He knows what it means throughout the state when the Saints are successful. He said he was getting chills thinking about leading the Who Dat chant, what he considers to be one of the best traditions in sports.

When he looks at the Saints, on the heels of their fourth consecutive season without a playoff appearance, he sees possibility — a roster that he believes is talented, and a new head coach in Kellen Moore that he believes in.

He hopes he can restore what he knew as a proud and successful franchise.

“I think that we have something where there’s a lot of momentum going and we can build something special,” Reid said. “I see nothing but opportunity and blue skies for us.”

lead going to the final rotation.

Finnegan had stepped out of bounds on one of her two floor tumbling passes five times before Friday night. Clark said he wanted to give the Olympian time to work her way out of it but finally this week told Finnegan and floor coach Courtney McCool Griffeth that changes had to be made.

“We cut her steps down,” Clark said. “She made the adjustment real quickly and did a great job all week You could feel the air go out of the balloon when she landed that last pass.”

The Tigers had some wobbles on balance beam, working around a 9.725 from Kylie Coen in the second spot. But LSU still posted a solid 49.375 that marked its best beam score of the season outside Baton Rouge thanks to a winning 9.95 from Bryant that tied her season high. She recorded a 39.775 to win the all-around over Finnegan (39.700) and Chio (39.650) to give Bryant 103 career titles, third-most in LSU history

“She’s still getting better,” Clark said after Bryant’s slow journey toward all-around status after a December elbow injury “In some ways, she’s still finding her rhythm She’s not even to a midseason-type level yet.”

Some things in life are predestined.

Jim Haslett was the son of a coach and knew he would go into coaching as soon as his NFL playing career ended. So it was no surprise to Jim and his wife, Beth, when their only son chose the same career path after his collegiate playing days ended.

Chase Haslett recently was named the tight ends coach on Kellen Moore’s new Saints staff, making it a full-circle moment for the Haslett family A little more than 25 years ago, Jim was named the ninth head coach for the Saints and eventually led the club to its first playoff win.

Now, instead of pacing the Superdome sidelines under the pressure and stress as the head coach, Jim looks forward to visiting New Orleans as a proud parent and fan while watching the third generation of coaching Hasletts try to win games as an assistant

“He’s definitely excited and geared up for it,” the elder Haslett said by phone from his home in Pittsburgh on Wednesday “He’s a heckuva coach. He gets along with players really well, and he’s advanced really quickly in a short period of time.”

Added Beth: “He’s like his father, just totally into it. He’s a go-getter.”

Beth joked that the last thing she wanted was another coach in the family After decades of living the transient life of a coach’s wife, she was hoping Chase would choose a more stable — and perhaps, sane — profession. The couple’s daughters, Kelsey and Elizabeth, are executives with DraftKings and Blue Cross Blue Shield, respectively But Chase’s career path was largely single-tracked. From his youth days in New Orleans — where he spent afternoons by his father’s side at Saints prac-

tices and his nights playing video games with Saints star receiver Joe Horn — he seemed fated for a football life.

“It’s all I’ve ever been around,” Chase said Monday during a meet-and-greet session for Saints coaches with local reporters. “Seeing how my dad could impact players throughout the course of his career, that’s touched me to the point where I want continue to do that. I didn’t get into coaching for myself; I do it for others. That’s truly why I’m here.”

After a playing career as a quarterback at Illinois and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (his father’s alma mater), Chase dove right into coaching. Mike Riley the former head coach of the San Diego Chargers and an assistant on Haslett’s Saints staffs, gave him his start at the University of Nebraska.

From there, he climbed the ladder, from Mississippi State to Mercer to his first NFL job as a quality control coach on Mike McCarthy’s Dallas Cowboys staff — where the offensive coordinator was none other than Moore.

Chase served in a variety of roles on the Cowboys offensive staff and had an offer to stay in Dallas this year but bypassed it for a chance to join Moore in New Orleans. In his first full-time role as a position coach, he will mentor a talented and veteran room led by Taysom Hill, Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau.

“Phenomenal coach, phenomenal person, love his energy,” Moore said of the younger Haslett. “He comes from a great football family He’s a really special coach, so we were fired up to get a chance to get him and put him in position in the tight end room.”

By all accounts, Chase is not as intense or fiery as his father, who famously would turn red-faced and toss his headset from time to time on the sidelines. In one way, though, Jim said Chase has passed on the Haslett gene

“They’re all Haslett,” said the elder Haslett, the NFL Coach of the Year in 2000, who last served as the head coach of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL in 2023. “The first thing they do each day is grab a football or a baseball or a golf club.”

Understandably, many of Chase’s memories from his time in New Orleans have been fogged by time. He was only 7 when his father was named head coach in January 2000. He and his sisters attended St. Martin’s School just down the block from the Saints’ facility on Airline Drive. He was bound for Rummel High School when Jim and the Saints parted ways after the grim Katrina season of 2005. But those early years were formative ones, and he’s maintained a connection to the city ever since. His cellphone still carries a 504 area code, and his Twitter homepage displays a photo of him and his sisters in Ricky Williams Saints jerseys during Jim’s head coaching days in New Orleans. He’s returned for the weddings of friends over the years and recently had dinner with one of his childhood buddies from the area. “It’s a great opportunity,” said Haslett, 32. “Kellen is a great coach, and it’s a great organization. I definitely want to win another Super Bowl here. That’s the goal.” Chase said a flood of memories flashed through his head when he arrived at the Saints’ facility last week to sign his contract and go through orientation. Watching practices on the outdoor fields. Running sprints with his father after workouts. Climbing the stairs to the second-floor coaches’ offices, where he used to visit his father in the big office on the left. Now, serendipitously perhaps, he works down the hall in his own office on the right.

“Kinda like déjà vu,” he said. “It’s pretty cool. It’s definitely surreal.” Some would call it destiny

PHOTO COURTESy OF HASLETT FAMILy

New Saints tight ends coach Chase Haslett, center, is seen with parents Beth and Jim Haslett at a Dallas Cowboys game against the Buffalo Bills on Dec 17, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.y

Jeff Duncan

LSU rides latest fast start to first SEC win

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

LSU softball saw its hot hitting cooled off a bit in its SEC opener but Kentucky couldn’t slow down the No. 4 Tigers fast start.

LSU jumped ahead of the No 23 Wildcats 4-0 after two innings, and pitcher Sydney Berzon made it stand up in a 4-1 victory at Tiger Park on Friday It was the fifth consecutive game LSU (25-1, 1-0 SEC) has led at least 2-0 after one inning and the sixth time in seven games as the Tigers extended their winning streak to nine.

Tori Edwards hit a run-scoring single and McKenzie Redoutey a two-run triple for a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Catcher Maci Bergeron’s run-scoring single in the second made it 4-0.

“We were just talking about how that, how much easier it is to play defense and all the things that come with that (jumping ahead),”

LSU coach Beth Torina said. “They do such a good job of being prepared. A huge part of that is we have the best leadoff hitter in the country in Danieca Coffey, who gets on base all the time. Out or safe, she sets the tone for the offense, the way she carries herself in her at-bat in the first inning.”

Berzon allowed only four hits and received stellar defensive play behind her After giving up a run in the third inning, Berzon (100) didn’t allow a baserunner past

PHOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON

LSU third baseman Danieca Coffey puts her foot on the bag as she tries to get Kentucky’s Hallie Mitchell out on Friday at Tiger Park.

first in the last four She struck out five walked two and induced 10 groundball outs.

LSU had multiple fine defensive plays to back Berzon. Left fielder

Jadyn Laneaux plucked a line drive just off the grass to prevent a hit; second baseman Sierra Daniel turned two hot shots into outs; and Coffey at third and Edwards at first did the same one time each.

“I felt good, and the thing that gave me confidence was how well my defense was playing behind me,” Berzon said. “You get enough experience that the butterflies go away, and the excitement is more what I feel.

“Getting the lead lets me play a little freer. My movement pitches move a little more. I don’t have to

be absolutely perfect with every single pitch.” Coffey walked to start the bottom of the first before Jalia Lassiter hit into a fielder’s choice Bergeron then walked, and the runners moved up on a passed ball. Edwards sent a liner up the middle to score one run, and Redoutey slammed a triple to left-center field to score two more.

“It’s because during the week we’re preparing for these pitchers and we’re a doing a really good job of it,” Redoutey said of the hot starts to games. “The coaches are preparing us well, and we’re really confident going into the game.”

LSU kept up the pressure on Kentucky starting pitcher Sydney Langdon (1-2). McKaela Walker led off the second with a walk, Avery Hodge singled and Coffey hit a hard grounder off Langdon’s leg to load the bases. One out later, Bergeron singled to left to score Walker, but Hodge was out at the plate on the throw from Wildcats left fielder Hallie Mitchell.

Carson Fall replaced Langdon in the third, and she retired the first seven hitters she faced Kentucky (17-8, 3-1) got its only run when Mitchell led off the third with a walk and went to second on a single by Delani Sullivan. An infield single by Ally Hutchins loaded the bases before McKenzie Bump lined a sacrifice

fly to left. That was the only inning Berzon allowed more than one baserunner

LSU players split on challenging balls, strikes

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Over the past decade, technology has played a greater role in baseball.

Instant replay; various ball tracking devices that measure spin rate, movement and velocity; and PitchCom devices relaying pitch calls to pitchers and fielders’ wrists at the press of a button are some of the common examples.

They have transformed the sport, starting in pro ball before eventually trickling down to colleges like LSU.

But one piece of tech that hasn’t made its way to the collegiate level yet is the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system. The ABS challenge system is a mechanism that enables a batter, pitcher or catcher to challenge a ball or strike call from the umpire.

Each team gets two challenges and loses a challenge if the um-

pire’s call is confirmed. The technology used to determine the balls and strikes is Hawk-Eye, which tracks the exact location of pitches as they enter the strike zone

The first use of the ABS challenge system in the minor leagues was in the Single-A Florida State League in 2022. The apparatus has been utilized in Triple-A the last two years and is being used in MLB spring training games this year for the first time.

There’s nothing indicating the system will come to the college game soon, but LSU players have expressed mixed feelings as to whether or not they’d utilize it if given the chance.

LSU sophomore outfielder Jake Brown and junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson said they’d be hesitant to challenge calls. Eyanson went as far as saying he doesn’t want the system to be used in college.

“It doesn’t really make a differ-

ence,” Brown said. “I think especially where we’re at, the umpires are normally pretty good. And I don’t want to lose the challenge because I thought something was a ball.”

Juniors Chris Stanfield and Daniel Dickinson would embrace the ABS challenge system if given the chance.

Both admitted they aren’t terribly familiar with the rules, but they still were enthusiastic about the idea.

“As soon as the umpire makes a bad call,” Dickinson said, “I’m challenging every single time.”

Junior Jared Jones also would be interested in playing with an ABS challenge system He just wants to make sure he is 100% right before challenging anything.

“I think there are times where I would catch myself doing it,” Jones said. “I’d have to be totally sure, though. I mean, I’m not going to try and guess and be wrong.”

MEN’S TOP 25 TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP

Lanier scores 23 as Vols down Texas

The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Chaz Lanier

scored 17 of No. 8 Tennessee’s first 21 points and the Volunteers never trailed Friday beating Texas 83-72 in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

The fourth-seeded Volunteers (26-6) also gave coach Rick Barnes the 832nd victory of his career, moving him into sole possession of 10th all-time after being tied with Cliff Ellis The Vols will play regular season champ and third-ranked Auburn, a 62-57 winner over Ole Miss, in the semifinals Saturday Lanier finished with 23 points Zakai Zeigler scored all of his 19 points in the second half after playing nine minutes with two fouls in the first half. Jahmai Mashack added 13 and Igor Milicic Jr 12. Texas (19-15) came to its first SEC Tournament as the 13th seed after winning the Big 12 Tournament two of the last four seasons. No. 1 DUKE 74, UNC 71: In Charlotte, North Carolina, Kon Knueppel scored 17 points and No. 1 Duke held off a furious second half rally by North Carolina to beat its rival for the third time this season, on Friday night to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game.

Khaman Maluach added 13 points and nine rebounds, and Sion

James had 12 points for the Blue Devils, who played without star Cooper Flagg. No. 2 HOUSTON 74, No 17 BYU 54: In Kansas City, Missouri, Emanuel Sharpe scored 26 points, LJ Cryer had 20 and second-ranked Houston stifled No. 17 BYU in a victory Friday night that moved the Cougars into the Big 12 Tournament championship game for the second consecutive season.

No. 3 AUBURN 62, OLE MISS 57: In Nashville, Tennessee, Johni Broome scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as regularseason champion Auburn opened its bid to repeat at the Southeastern Conference Tournament by holding off eighth-seeded Mississippi on Friday No. 4 FLORIDA 95, MISSOURI 81: In Nashville, Tennessee, Walter Clayton Jr scored 18 points, Will Richard and Alijah Martin added 17 apiece and the No. 4 Florida Gators defeated the No. 21 Missouri Tigers in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals Friday night.

No.6 ST.JOHN’S 79,No.25 MARQUETTE 63:

In New York, Zuby Ejiofor scored a career-high 33 points, a St John’s record in the Big East Tournament and the sixth-ranked Red Storm

SU women hold on to reach SWAC title game

BY CHARLES SALZER

Contributing writer

With a berth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game on the line in the closing minutes, the Southern women’s basketball team did what it does best: play defense.

Jackson State missed its last five shots from the field and Southern used one final offensive surge to edge the Tigers 51-47 at the Market Center Arena in Atlanta.

After the score was tied 45-45 with 2:47 left to play, Aniya Gourdine gave Southern (19-14) the lead for good with a one-handed runner in the lane. Gourdine added a scoop shot, and DaKiyah Sanders made two free throws with three seconds left to end the Tigers’ comeback hopes.

The win gives top-seeded Southern a shot at its third tournament championship in seven seasons under coach Carlos Funchess. The Jaguars will play No 6-seeded Alcorn State, a 65-55 winner over No. 2-seeded Texas Southern, at 4:30 p.m. Saturday

“We have a great opportunity to go win another championship,” Funchess said. “Our kids want to come out and battle, and that’s all we can ask of them.”

For Southern, the game featured the typical varied list of key contributors. Gourdine came on in the second half to finish with 11 points, three steals and three assists, and Soniyah Reed did her part with 10 points, seven rebounds and a huge block in the

ä Southern vs Alcorn St. 4:30 SATURDAy ESPNU

final two minutes.

Sanders chipped in eight points, Tionna Lidge grabbed five rebounds and Aleighyah Fontenot recorded five assists. “In the first half, I was off, but Soniyah Reed, she was on fire,” Gourdine said. “Somebody always steps in to pick it up. We’ve got a lot of scorers, and I think that’s what makes us special.” Jackson State (16-15) trailed by 12 points after three quarters. A 17-5 run to start the fourth tied the game at 45-45. With 9.9 seconds left, the Tigers had the ball trailing 49-47. Leianya Massenat inbounded to Jaileyah Cotton, whose off-balance 3-pointer was well off the mark Sanders got the rebound and went to the line to seal the win. Cotton and Taleah Dilworth scored 13 points apiece for Jackson State, and Zoe Cooper grabbed 10 rebounds. Southern stayed close in the first half despite giving up nine offensive rebounds. The Jaguars were outrebounded 20-14 but managed to take a 24-23 lead at the break. Jackson State led 17-15 after one quarter, but Southern held the Tigers scoreless for more than six minutes to open the second. Meanwhile, Southern got two baskets from Lidge and a 3-pointer from Reed to take a 22-18 lead. Dilworth scored four points before the half ended as the game tightened up.

with the maturity I see out of them.”

Hernandez drove in LSU’s first runs of the day on a two-run home run in the second inning. The blast was his second homer of the year and tied the score.

home run in the second inning but was superb otherwise. At one point he retired 15 of 17 batters.

“Not a lot of pitchers think about it like this, but honestly, the tworun home run might have helped me,” Anderson said. “Honestly, I think that it kind of changed my mindset. Instead of just being on cruise control, (I focused on) getting after one batter at a time.

pulled away from No. 25 Marquette on Friday night to reach the conference championship game for the first time in 25 years. Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr added 13 points and Ejiofor grabbed nine rebounds as the top-seeded Red Storm (29-4) wiped out an early 15-point deficit. They advanced to play second-seeded Creighton or No 3 seed UConn on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

No. 7 MICHIGAN ST 74, No. 23 OREGON

64: In Indianapolis, Jase Richardson scored 17 points and Jeremy Fears Jr added 11 points and five assists to lead No. 7 Michigan State past No. 23 Oregon in the first of Friday’s four Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal games.

No 11 MARYLAND 88, No. 24 ILLINOIS

65: In Indianapolis, Rodney Rice scored 26 points, Derik Queen had 19 points and 10 rebounds and No. 11 Maryland routed No. 24 Illinois on Friday night in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

No 16 MEMPHIS 83, WICHITA ST 80: In Fort Worth, Texas, PJ Haggerty scored a career-high 42 points and led the go-ahead run for 16th-ranked Memphis in a win over Wichita State in a quarterfinal game at the American Athletic Conference tournament

Friday

After Curiel’s triple and a groundout from junior Daniel Dickinson that drove in a run, Brown kept the fourth inning alive. He pulled a single into right field to drive in junior Jared Jones.

“He doesn’t need to have more talent,” Johnson said of Brown.

“He just needed some time, some experience. He went through a couple small hiccups here early in the season. But, I mean, he’s been really good.”

Brown’s second run-scoring hit came two innings later on a tworun double that hit the left-field wall. The opposite-field shot grew LSU’s lead to 9-2. His third run-scoring at-bat came in the eighth inning on a fly out to left field that allowed Curiel to score. Milam then blasted his fifth homer of the year into right field — a two-run shot — to stretch the LSU lead to 12-5.

“He’s strong and he’s a really good hitter, and it’s a tight swing,” Johnson said, “and his approach is much better.”

Starting on the mound for LSU (18-1, 1-0 SEC) was sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson. He went a career-high 61/3 innings, striking out 11 batters and allowing just four hits and three earned runs. He surrendered a two-run

“I think I just kind of changed my mindset (to), ‘I’m gonna finish this inning’ instead of, ‘Let’s see if I can get through seven.’ “ Anderson exited with one out and runners on the corners in the seventh inning to a standing ovation. He was replaced by junior right-hander Connor Benge, who gave up a sacrifice fly that drove in a run but escaped the inning without allowing anything else.

Benge allowed back-to-back solo homers to Missouri (8-9, 0-1) to begin the eighth inning. The blasts cut the LSU lead to 9-5.

“Guys got a couple good swings on him when we sent him back out there,” Johnson said. “So we’ll look at that.”

Redshirt sophomore left-hander

DJ Primeaux replaced Benge after the homers and retired both left-handed hitters he faced before turning the ball over to junior Zac Cowan. Cowan struck out the next hitter to end the eighth. He then threw a scoreless ninth to finish the game. LSU faces Missouri again on Saturday for the second game of the series at Alex Box Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. and the game can be streamed on SEC Network+

Email Koki Riley at Koki. Riley@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Southern guard DaKiyah Sanders finishes a layup against Florida A&M on Jan. 15 at the F.G. Clark Activity Center Sanders scored eight points Friday as the Jaguars defeated Jackson State 51-47 in the SWAC Tournament semifinals.

THE VARSITY ZONE

Southern Lab can’t match late surge

Hamilton Christian edges Kittens for title

BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer

When Southern Lab rallied from an 11-point halftime

deficit and took a four-point lead in the final quarter, Hamilton Christian coach Dexter Washington had a déjà vu moment. It did not last. And neither did the Kittens’ lead.

Hamilton Christian scored nine of the final 11 points to claim a 61-58 win over Southern Lab in the Division IV select title game Friday at the LHSAA boys basketball tournament at Burton Coliseum.

“Even when we were down 10, I was not worried,” Southern Lab coach Harold Boudreaux said. “I knew this group was going to fight back. They’ve been there before. There’s no hatred here just love. Congratulations to him (Washington) and the program. We played to win we wanted to win, but it just wasn’t our time.”

Title-game MVP Javon Vital finished with a double-double — 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Warriors to their first LHSAA basketball title. Vital had a triple-double in Hamilton’s semifinal win over top-seeded Crescent City Seth Ned also had 20 points, while Christopher Rideau finished with 10 for the winners, including a 3-pointer that cut the Kittens’ lead to 56-55 with 2:14 remaining. The Warriors’ three leaders erased Washington’s fears of a 2022 repeat. Southern Lab beat Hamilton in the semifinals that year and went on to win the Division IV select title. Warren Gougisha led the Kittens with 16 points. Channing Briggs added 13.

Braylon Brown and Charles LaGarde-LeBlanc had 12 points each.

The Kittens methodically climbed back into the game A layup by Gougisha just before the buzzer trimmed the Warriors’ lead to 47-44, going into the fourth quarter.

A Gougisha jumper in the lane gave the Kittens a 51-50 lead at the 3:16 mark. Tyree Riley’s layup and a free throw made it a 56-52 Kittens’ lead at the 2:37 mark.

“When they took the lead, I thought ‘This cannot happen again,’ ” Washington said. “They were up by four When Chris Rideau hit that shot, I saw a glimmer of hope.”

Rideau’s 3-pointer from the top of the key made it 56-55.

Southern Lab turned the ball over on traveling violations on it’s next two possessions. Vital’s floater in the lane gave the Warriors a 5756 lead with 1:03 remaining.

LaGarde-Leblanc scored off an inside pass from Gougisha to give Southern Lab its final lead at 58-57 with 40 seconds to go. Another Vital basket gave Hamilton a 59-58 lead with 29 seconds to go.

The Kittens missed one final shot and Justin Weston scored on a layup with 6.9 seconds left, providing an exclamation point that set off a Hamilton celebration.

It’s teacher vs. student in all-Baton Rouge final

Zachary, Central coaches know each other well

BY WILLIAM WEATHERS Contributing writer

Zachary coach Jonathan McClinton lays the blame at the feet of his counterpart Central coach Scott Osborne from lessons he learned as a player when McClinton played for Osborne, who was then an assistant to Wes Watts.

After the teacher-student relationship blossomed into a full-fledged friendship, McClinton reverts to the teachings of Osborne when it comes to carrying out single-minded tasks.

“He taught me how to separate myself from those emotions,” McClinton said. “He taught us how to continue to push past and push forward with the goal in mind.”

For years they’ve been each other’s biggest cheerleader, especially for the past three years since Osborne became the head coach at Central where McClinton graduated.

When McClinton guided Zachary to back-to-back Division I nonselect state championships in 2021-22, nobody was prouder than Osborne.

They’ve engaged in District 4-5A games. McClinton has won two of three times, but when No. 1 Zachary (27-6) meets No. 2 Central (26-4) in Saturday’s state championship at

8 p.m. in Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, their bond will take a two-hour hiatus until the final buzzer.

The Broncos, behind 18 points from Xavier Ferguson, advanced with a 65-45 semifinal win over Natchitoches Central on Thursday night, just after the Wildcats defeated Denham Springs, 62-56, with Jace Conrad leading the way with 22.

“We’ve always kept that in mind we may be playing each other,” said Osborne, 59-29 in his third season. “It’s a little boundary we have to respect.”

The two teams met in the next-to-last game of the regular season on Feb. 18 with Central protecting its home court in a 78-71 victory over Zachary Now, 31/2 weeks later, they’ll face each other in the final game of the season where relationships run deep on both sides.

This marks the third appearance for Central in a state final, while Zachary is in pursuit of its seventh state crown and third under McClinton.

“We have a great relationship,” said Osborne, who has been at Central for 24 years. “We’ll meet before the season, having something to eat and after the season, we’ll have something to eat and talk over things.

“During this run we’ve talked the day before the games and after I respect him so much.”

McClinton’s introduction to Osborne was being a student in his Algebra 2 class as a freshman. It wasn’t until freshman basketball tryouts that Osborne realized the bigger-than-mostfreshmen McClinton was in his first year of high school.

McClinton recalled that the best season at Central was his junior year when the Wildcats went 27-6 and lost to St. Paul’s in the regional round.

He went on to play college football at Nicholls State and returned to the area and began his coaching journey that includes a 239-97 mark over the past decade.

McClinton shakes his head at the thought of his alma mater coached by Osborne, being on the cusp of its first state championship and the barrier his team will build to prevent it.

“I would love to see him win a state championship,” McClinton said. “Just not this Saturday.”

PHOTOS By KIRK MECHE

Southern Lab’s Charles LaGarde-Leblanc drives the baseline against Hamilton Christian in the Division IV select final at the LHSAA boys basketball tournament on Friday at the Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

Gridiron Show to honor Smiley Anders

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

Fans of Smiley Anders, the longtime newspaper columnist who passed away in May 2024, will appreciate Baton Rouge’s upcoming annual Capital Correspondents Association satirical Gridiron show, set for March 21 at The American Legion Hall, 1515 S Wooddale Blvd., Baton Rouge.

This year’s show will be dedicated to Anders, who in 1973 began performing in the annual Gridiron show Gridiron volunteer Ronnie Stutes says that Anders was a perfect fit for the show’s irreverent tone as it poked fun at Louisiana politics. Anders’ widow, Katherine Scales Anders, known to readers as “Lady Katherine,” invites readers to participate in “Send it in to Smiley” by submitting an item similar to those sent in by readers to the column over the almost 45 years Anders wrote it. As was the tradition with his columns, these items could be humorous, nostalgic, informative, silly — anything and everything that Smiley’s column was. Stutes says the purpose of the notes from readers is to reflect the tone of Smiley’s column, and they are not themselves intended to be a tribute to him.

Smiley Anders, middle, performs in a past Gridiron Show at the Capitol House in the 1980s

The submissions will be displayed at the Gridiron show alongside a picture board and other memorabilia of Smiley’s career. Items should be emailed to SmileyGridiron@yahoo.com, including the sender’s name and city They should be original to the submitter or indicate a source. Submissions may be edited for length or clarity If the number of submissions exceeds capacity, some submissions may not be displayed but all will be preserved as part of the remembrance.

Stutes reminds readers that while much “of Smiley’s column was about current events, a good portion was sparked by reading something in the column, making the reader think of something in their own experience.”

He says that since Smiley’s last column, “we’ve had a football season (college and pro, some good, some not-so-good), an election, children saying cute things

ä See GRIDIRON, page 3D

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

While in the air, aerialists look natural, light and effortless. They float overhead, contorting themselves into different poses. In Baton Rouge, they’re a regular presence at festivals or events like White Light Night.

From the outside, one might assume that aerialists have been doing it forever, but many start after they’re adults in their twenties or thirties.

Whether as a new hobby, revisiting old passions like dance or gymnastics in a new way, or simply starting a new chapter in life, aspiring aerialists build strength and community one class at a time until they too can hang from the apparatuses attached to the ceiling.

Though it may look intimidating, aerial can be for everybody, and it’s more accessible than one might think Those who have cheer, dance or gymnastics backgrounds might have an easier time initially due to the body awareness they developed from those other sports, and upper body strength definitely helps, but neither are necessary

“I have taught people with all different shapes of bodies that are all capable of doing things that they never thought that they would be

able to,” said Jenn Brown, one of the coaches at Refuge Aerial Fitness & Performance.

As a teacher for intro level classes, she hasn’t taught anyone who wasn’t able to do the initial skills like getting into a foot knot or hanging upside down in a ham-

mock sling. From there, people only build more strength and skills.

Not thinking about the ground

Alaina Williams and Lily Tyndall opened Refuge Aerial after a different gym, Above Ground, closed, and many people had nowhere to go for aerial fitness classes or practice.

“We created refuge,” Williams said “That’s exactly why we call it that. A refuge for the aerialists and circus artists that didn’t have a place to go anymore because Above Ground had left. But for us it took on a much deeper meaning of just having a place that anyone could come and do something really incredible no matter who they are or what their barriers might be — really creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and empowered.”

Aerial is not a replacement for therapy, but many aerialists find something helpful about it mental health wise.

Rebecca “Spitfire” Taylor, an instructor and performer at Refuge who is primarily a trapeze artist, said that she’s found that the practice has helped with her anxiety She started aerial in her thirties and has taught people in their 50s-60s.

Flau’jae Johnson teams up with Experian for debt relief for La. families

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

PHOTOS By APRIL BUFFINGTON

Aerialist Stephanie yowell-Lee performs during a mock rehearsal at Refuge Aerial Fitness & Performance in Baton Rouge.

Aerialist Rebecca Taylor balances with her legs as she hangs from the ceiling upside down.

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday, March 15, the 74th day of 2025. There are 291 days left in the year

Today in history:

On March 15, 44 B.C., on the “ides of March,” Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by Roman senators, including Brutus and Cassius, who feared Caesar was working to establish a monarchy

On this date:

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson, addressing a joint session of Congress, called for new legislation to guarantee every American’s right to vote The result was passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In 1972, “The Godfather,” Francis Ford Coppola’s film based on the Mario Puzo novel and starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, premiered in New York.

In 2012, convicted former Illinois Gov Rod Blagojevich entered a federal prison in Colorado, where the 55-year-old Democrat began serving a 14year sentence for corruption. (He was released in February 2020 after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence; Trump pardoned Blagojevich in February 2025.)

In 2018, a pedestrian bridge under construction over a busy Miami highway collapsed, crushing vehicles beneath it; six people died and 10 were injured.

In 2019, a gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, streaming the massacre live on Facebook. (Brenton Tarrant, an Australian White supremacist, was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to 51 counts of murder and other charges.)

In 2022, Russia stepped up its bombardment of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, while an estimated 20,000 civilians fled the desperately encircled port city of Mariupol by way of a humanitarian corridor Today’s Birthdays: Actor Judd Hirsch is 90. Singer Mike Love (The Beach Boys) is 84. Filmmaker David Cronenberg is 82. Musician Sly Stone is 82 Musician Ry Cooder is 78. Actor Frances Conroy is 72. Rock singer Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) is 70. Baseball Hall of Famer Harold Baines is 66 Filmmaker Renny Harlin is 66. Rock singer Bret Michaels (Poison) is 62. Singer-TV host Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray) is 57. Actor Kim Raver is 56. Actor Eva Longoria is 50. Musician will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) is 50. Actor Kellan Lutz is 40.

RELIEF

Continued from page 1D

that was about credit. And I was like, ‘Wow, like I really didn’t know anything about credit and I’m about to go to college,’” Johnson said “I’m pretty good with my finances, and I still didn’t know about some of this stuff so I guess I’m like a whole bunch of other people who probably don’t know it either My mom is super happy that I’m learning about it, and I’m helping other people learn as well.”

Experian has engaged ForgiveCo to administer the acquisition and cancellation of qualifying consumer debt for the selected beneficiaries in Louisiana, one of the states with the highest percentage of poverty in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

AERIALISTS

Continued from page 1D

“It’s hard to explain, but I do remember my first class, and they usually teach you how to hang from your knees first,” Taylor said. “So I was just in a knee hang and felt so much like being a kid again — that feeling of being inverted and not on the ground and the more I did it, the more I learned to trust myself and trust the trapeze.

Tyndall said anecdotally that she finds people who are neurodivergent or have a history of trauma are disproportionately drawn to aerial. This has been supported by other aerialists, and it makes sense: Aerial fitness provides a way for people to connect with their bodies in a supportive community

“You’re doing hard things physically, so it makes you more capable of doing hard things mentally,” Tyndall said.

Diversity in aerial

Tyndall and Williams agree that diversity of all forms is a priority for Refuge.

To be more inclusive, they make aerial accessible by adding adaptations to classes.

“The biggest factor is being patient with yourself cause it’s hard, and it takes some time to learn, but if you’re willing to just show up for yourself and do it, you will eventually get the strength and the coordination,” Taylor said. “We can work with any skill level.”

For people who start with less strength, they have modifications and can break things down step by step, and for students with disabilities, they also offer adaptive circus lessons.

When Baker started out, she was nervous and even asked a friend to come with her to her first class, but she’s come a long way since then. She has even performed in two student showcases.

“I’ve met so many new people and new friends from it,” she said. “It’s been a really nice community for me, and I feel like it’s helped me de-stress whoever I’m coming out of work.”

It’s not about perfection but about improvement and community The aerialists are creating a refuge all their own.

Email Serena Puang at serena.puang@ theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO By JOHN DOUVLOS PHOTOGRAPHy

Shayla Baker performs at a student showcase.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Lily Tyndall performs at an Above Ground Aerial showcase in 2021. She and her co-founder Alaina Williams, opened Refuge Aerial after Above Ground closed.

PHOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON

Jenn Brown, aerialist and coach at Refuge

Chef eyes instructor role

Dear Harriette: I am a trained chef, culinary producer, published recipe author and former caterer

The television and culinary industries can both be unstable at times. A lot of the work I do is contracted for specific periods of time, meaning it’s always a hustle to get new work. My last gig (with a major network) ended a few months ago. Since then, it seems there have been some major changes to the network that are resulting in fewer work opportunities.

How do you know if you’re cut out to instruct others?

— Chef Becomes Teacher

Harriette Cole

SENSE

I don’t know what to do next. Some people have suggested I teach for the time being, but I’m scared I don’t know how I would fare as a culinary instructor I’ve done instructional content for social media before, but never to a room full of people who are depending on my expertise to help shape their careers.

Dear Chef Becomes Teacher: Teaching is a great way for professionals to share their knowledge and expertise with others, and it has proven to be a safety net for some when work dries up. Unfortunately, teaching will not likely pay as well as your TV gigs, but it can represent consistent income. You can get support on how to create a curriculum and learn about teaching methods, even as you also trust your knowledge. You know more than you realize.

Dear Harriette: One of my younger cousins is on the autism spectrum. He’s active, strong and affectionate, but he’s nonverbal. He’s a toddler, and he participates in therapeutic programs that help stimulate him; he seems to be

learning so much. Naturally, though, like any child, he has some habits — some are fleeting, but some seem harder to step away from (biting, pinching, chewing paper, etc.).

I’ve noticed that when his mom talks about helping him ending some of those habits, she describes it as “fixing” them. I hate to hear that because it implies that something might be broken. Like anyone else, habits take time, and words can have a long-lasting impact. I want to say something to her, but she seems defensive. I’m always wary of commenting on people’s parenting. Even though that’s not exactly what I’m doing, parents always seem to get defensive in that way How can I help his mom realize that her child is not something to be “fixed”?

Stop Fixing

Dear Stop Fixing: Tread carefully here. Your cousin is doing the best she can with her child, and she is

naturally defensive. Rather than attempting to correct her directly, you may want to model your thinking through your own language. You can talk about children learning how to stop bad habits and replace behaviors with healthier ones. Look for words that describe what she is saying that you find less judgmental, and use them when you are talking to each other Look for books or articles on helping children adopt healthy habits — especially children on the spectrum — and share them with her Assure her that you are always looking out for them. Don’t correct her directly Share information that may open her eyes to the importance of language.

Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Vegetarian can read own menu, thanks

Dear Miss Manners: I have been a vegetarian for 15 years. It never fails that once a fellow diner finds out this information, they immediately take it upon themselves to read aloud everything on the menu that I am “allowed” to have. It’s as if being a vegetarian means I can no longer read. I often don’t divulge my eating preferences because of this. And it never ends! I can eat with friends I’ve known

GRIDIRON

for decades, and as soon as the menus are placed on the table, I am bombarded with “Oh look, Giselle, you can have (XYZ).”

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Continued from page 1D

to their grandparents, Taylor Swift in New Orleans, a new mayor a snowfall, children saying embarrassing things in church, a windy Mardi Gras and a lot of festivals.”

Readers also enjoyed sending Smiley misheard song lyrics. In one of his last columns, he wrote: Misheard Lyrics Dept.

Readers continue to amuse me with tales of hearing songs that deviate from the correct lyrics: n Kathy Gibbs says, “Mishearings of words in songs are called ‘mondegreens.’ The American writer Sylvia Wright coined the term in 1954, recalling a childhood memory of her mother reading the 1765 Scottish ballad ‘The Bonny Earl of Murray’ and mishearing the words

Believe me when I say it happens every single time. I want it to stop. What can I say that isn’t rude?

(By the way, my husband always says they are just being nice. I say they are being annoying!)

Gentle reader: “Thank you, yes, I saw that.” And they are being annoying

‘laid him on the green’ as ‘Lady Mondegreen.’

n Richard Schega, of Mandeville, says, “I remember sitting around lunch at work discussing the movie ‘Saturday Night Fever’ when Sandy said she thought the Bee Gees’ ‘More Than a Woman’ lyrics were ‘Bald-Headed Woman.’

n Alan R. Crnko, of Holden, says, “One day I was singing in the shower Creedence Clearwater Revival’s smash hit, ‘There’s a Bathroom on the Right’ when my wife Catherine told me the lyric was really ‘There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise.’ In the spirit of misheard lyrics, Anders also included gems like this one: I love U

Shirley McDonald says, “The creative writing comment in your column Tuesday reminded me of one of my (long ago) student’s creative writing assignments

Dear Miss Manners: While staying at a lovely hotel, each morning before leaving my room, I would place $10 on the writing table for the maid.

When I returned to my room the second day, I noticed that the money was still there. The room looked very nice, so clearly the maid had done her work. I sorted it out with the front desk and the money was left for her in an envelope.

I understand that the same person may not be cleaning each day, so where should I leave the tip to be

that had a bride and groom exchanging ‘wedding vowels.’ The mental picture is priceless.”

The Gridiron show will be performed at the American Legion hall at 151 Wooddale Blvd., Baton Rouge (one block south of Florida Bou-

sure each person collects it?

I’ve always left tip money on the writing desk. My husband suggested that it be left on the bed pillow

Gentle reader: This is not so much a question of good manners as good visibility

Miss Manners suggests you place the money wherever you think it will be most easily seen. Or in whatever spot needs the most cleaning.

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

levard). Tickets to the show may be ordered at gridironshowbr.org at a cost of $30 each Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on March 21, with the show beginning at 7:45 p.m.

Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

How to solve

Dear Heloise: My coffee comes out terrible. I’ve changed coffee brands, used cold tap water and distilled water, and measured my coffee grounds carefully, yet I always get such a nasty bitter taste to my coffee. What am I doing wrong? C.N., in Texas C.N., are you cleaning your coffeepot carefully and using the right grind for your coffeepot? I’ve found that when coffee starts to taste a little “off,” it’s usually due to a buildup of coffee oils.

a mild soap. However, do not run the mechanical part of the coffee maker through the dishwasher — just the pot where the coffee goes into. — Heloise Lost clothing items Dear Heloise: When washing my bedsheets each Wednesday, I also toss in whatever else that’s in the laundry hamper Over time, I

First, run white vinegar through the coffeepot to help get the oily buildup out of the inner workings of the pot. You might have to do this twice if you’ve never done it before. Afterward, run clean, clear water through your coffeemaker to get the taste of vinegar out.

You can either run your coffeepot through the dishwasher or clean it by hand with warm water and

RELIGION BRIEFS

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Freeman Baptist holds service

Freeman Baptist Church, 4628 LA. 955, Ethel, invites you and your family to 5th Sunday Fellowship Service 8:30 a.m. on March 30. The guest pastor will be John Bowman, of Beech Grove Baptist Church. All are invited.

St. Joseph Cathedral Feast Day Celebration

St. Joseph Cathedral, 401 Main St., will celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19 with a noon Mass, traditional St. Joseph’s Altar, and community meal.

The altar will be open for prayer and viewing 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bishop Michael G. Duca will preside over

Mass, with Cathedral Rector Rev J. Cary Bani concelebrating and blessing the altar After Mass, all are invited to the Parish Hall for a free, meatless meal prepared by parish volunteers. For details, contact the Cathedral Parish Office at (225) 387-5928 or office@ cathedralbr.org.

Nathaniel Baptist hosts homecoming

Nathaniel Baptist Church, 5032 Highway 33 South, Centreville, Mississippi, invites you to its annual homecoming. This event will take place on March 23 at noon The guest will be pastor Clyde Lewis, of Bethel Metropolitan Baptist Church of Lake Charles.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) It's up to you to implement change. Look around you, and if something doesn't feel right or suit yourneeds,makeadjustmentsand carry on. If doubt sets in, take a pass.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Look for the good in everyone you deal with today. A smile orkindgesturewilltakeyoufurtherthan will making demands. Pay attention to detail when dealing with institutions.

TAURUS(April20-May20)Improveyourliving space, lifestyle or relationships with associates. Keep the peace, regardless of howothersreact.Afinancialopportunity can free up accumulated debt.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Consider what makesyouhappyandfollowthepaththat will take you there. Refuse to let anyone goad you into something you don't want to do. Don't give in to guilt tactics.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Pay attention to what others expect of you and what's at stake. Less complaining and more action will help you dodge negativity and outside interference. Put your emotions on the back burner and do your best.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Stay on top of matters, go directly to the source and interact with people who can help you get things done. Be accommodating, but set boundaries that ensure you don't have to give up what's important to you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A change of scenery will do you good. Whether you travel toyouroldstompinggroundsortoplaces

you've never been, you can spark your imagination.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Live and learn. Look around and consider ways to improve your surroundings, relationshipsandlifestyle.Setpersonalgoalsand build a routine around whatever lowers stress and helps you build strength.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Participating, being active and mingling with people who share your interests will help you find your desired happiness. Don't sit idle when there is so little time and much to explore.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take what others say with a grain of salt and refuse tobecomeunnervedorrespondunnecessarily.Concentratemoreonyourselfand your environment.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Travel, attend a reunion or revisit something you must address before you can feel comfortable moving forward. Anger doesn't solve problems, but rational alternatives can.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb. 19) Invest more time and money in your surroundings, your skills and the prospects that interest you. A financial gain is possible if you build equity instead of spending money on things.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

TODAy'S CLUE: A EQUALS O

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

dooneSbUrY

bIG

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Henry David Thoreau said, “When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.”

Many years ago, an expert married couple played together, and whenever the wife was the declarer, the husband turned on his portable CD player. As you might have guessed, they are not still married. But if running tunes through your mind helps you to relax and think more clearly, do it.

In today’s deal, what do you think of the bidding? After West leads his fourthhighest heart against three no-trump, what should South do?

The South hand has only 19 high-card points, but it has a very good five-card suit, one 10 and two nines. It also has seven control points (ace - 2; king - 1), which is normal for a two-no-trump opening. So I agree with South’s bid. And North, with 4-3-3-3 distribution, was playing the percentages in not using Stayman.

Declarer starts with seven top tricks: four spades, one heart, one diamond and one club. And there are at least three more winners available from the club suit.

The original declarer, though, was tone-deaf. Thinking West had led away from the heart king, South played low from the board. However, East won with his king and shifted to the diamond king. Declarer ducked, took the next diamond, crossed to dummy with a heart, and ran the club jack. But when the finesse lost, the contract went down two. If South had been humming, he would have won the first trick with dummy’s heart ace and taken the club finesse. Then he would have won at least 10 tricks.

Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire

today’s thought

“You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” James 2:19

© 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles