BY ANDREA GALLO and MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writers
Before Jessie Hoffman Jr. enters Louisiana’s execution chamber at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, which
is expected on Tuesday, he will walk past two colorful paintings of scenes from the Bible.
One shows Elijah, the Old Testament prophet, ascending to heaven on a chariot engulfed with flames The other depicts Daniel praying for God to save
him from the lion’s den.
“That was the attempt of the prison to give the blessing of religion on what was about to happen,” said Sister Helen Prejean, a Baton Rouge native, Roman Catholic nun and famed anti-death-penalty ac-
tivist. “That just as Elijah was brought up in a fiery chariot, so now the condemned was going to go to God in the fiery chariot of the electric chair.”
The Biblical paintings Hoffman will encounter near the death chamber will underscore an essential fact about Louisiana: Religion remains a central part of the life and culture of the state, including when it comes to the death penalty Anti-death penalty advocates are lodging a final push to spare Hoffman from being put to death, via nitrogen gas, for the
See FAITH, page 4A
BRICKfor BRICK
The outer layer of the exterior of the Pentagon Barracks begins to peel, exposing bricks underneath.
state
building is renovated.
House speaker proposes expanding Pentagon Barracks while building housing lawmakers undergoes long-awaited
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
They are called the Pentagon Barracks, and getting an apartment there from the House speaker is a choice perk for a state legislator
Staying at one of the red brick apartments means living in a historic building while paying cheap rent a stone’s throw from the Capitol. The courtyard in the middle serves as the focal point for gatherings hosted nearly every night by interest groups and lobbyists
during the legislative session.
The downside to living there: Some of the ground-floor apartments flood during heavy rains and frequent leaks damage walls and ceilings throughout the complex. Old pipes have been known to burst.
The state entity that oversees the Pentagon Barracks has been proposing for several years to undertake a complete renovation that would require each building’s residents to move elsewhere for a year or so until the work on that building is complete.
updates
Now House Speaker Phillip DeVillier is exploring what could become a controversial idea, and it involves a quirk: A pentagon by definition has five sides, but the Pentagon Barracks consists of only four buildings.
DeVillier has asked state officials to explore adding a fifth building in the empty space and then move the legislators to the new building, one at a time, during the renovation. That way no one would have to move out. And at the
Southern student’s death sparks painful discussions
BY QUINN COFFMAN
The criminal case forming against three suspects in last month’s fraternity hazing death of Southern University junior engineering student Caleb Wilson is one of Louisiana’s first uses of its felony anti-hazing law called the Max Gruver Act The state Legislature passed the act in 2018 and named it after the LSU Phi Delta Theta fraternity pledge, who died from alcohol poisoning in a hazing incident in 2017. It allows prosecutors to bring a felony charge in hazing incidents of coerced consumption of alcohol, serious bodily harm or death. Former Southern student Caleb McCray, 23; Kyle Thurman, 25, an Omega Psi Phi fraternity member; and Isaiah Smith, 28, a Southern graduate student en-
Bodybuilding icon won Mr. America, Mr. Universe titles
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR, JOANNA BROWN and ADAM DAIGLE Staff writers
Red Lerille, founder of Red Lerille’s Health and Racquet Club in Lafayette, died Friday at age 88.
The announcement was made Friday afternoon on the health club’s Facebook page.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Red Lerille on March 14, 2025. Red will be deeply missed by all,” the post read. Lerille was well-known throughout Acadiana for his health club and for giving back to the community that he loved.
“The outpouring online is a testament to what he’s done and built,” his son, Mark Lerille, said Friday. “Thank you all so much for the condolences and support. As for the club itself, it will go on.”
Lerille’s daughter, Kackie, added, “We’re so grateful for everyone who touched his life.”
A story Lerille often told friends was of putting pictures of Mr America on his bedroom wall when he was only 7 years old He told everyone who came into his room back then that he would be Mr America one day
A native of New Orleans, he worked out at the New Orleans Athletic Club to become a better wrestler and later won three state championships. He first competed in a weightlifting competition at age 14.
But it was an invitation from Lafayette gym owner and weightlifting pioneer Mike Stansbury that may have put Lerille on a track to
See LERILLE, page 9A
Hazing runs deep in Greek life culture ä See HAZING, page 6A
titled “dean of pledges” for the university’s Omega Psi chapter, were arrested and booked by authorities on felony hazing counts tied to Wilson’s Feb. 27 death. McCray also faces a manslaughter charge. The Omega Psi pledging ritual
STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS
House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, standing in a grass field where a proposed new wing for additional apartments would be constructed at the Pentagon Barracks, sees the expansion as a way to keep
legislators housed while the four-sided
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP Red Lerille, who founded Red Lerille’s Health and Racquet Club in Lafayette, died Friday at age 88.
Staff writer
The Chicago River is dyed green Saturday as part of St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Chicago.
Chicago dyes river green for St. Patrick’s Day
CHICAGO The Chicago River is once again glowing kelly green as the city opens its annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Thousands lined the river and packed bridges Saturday and erupted in cheers as members of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union Local 130 sprayed dye into the water from boats, carrying on a tradition they began some 63 years ago.
The dyeing immediately precedes the annual downtown St. Patrick’s Day parade. The day which falls on Monday this year — celebrates Irish culture.
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is credited with having brought Christianity there in the fifth century
The dye is nontoxic. While the river stays bright for several hours, some trace of color can remain for days.
A second St. Patrick’s Day parade was scheduled for Sunday on Chicago’s South Side.
Calif. man wins $50M in lawsuit over tea burns
LOS ANGELES A delivery driver has won $50 million in a lawsuit after being seriously burned when a Starbucks drink spilled in his lap at a California drivethrough, court records show
A Los Angeles County jury found Friday for Michael Garcia, who underwent skin grafts and other procedures on his genitals after a venti-sized tea drink spilled instants after he collected it on Feb. 8, 2020. He has suffered permanent and lifechanging disfigurement, according to his attorneys.
Garcia’s negligence lawsuit blamed his injuries on Starbucks, saying that an employee didn’t wedge the scalding-hot tea firmly enough into a takeout tray
“This jury verdict is a critical step in holding Starbucks accountable for flagrant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility,” one of Garcia’s attorneys, Nick Rowley, said in a statement.
Starbucks said it sympathized with Garcia but planned to appeal.
“We disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive,” the Seattle-based coffee giant said in a statement, adding that it was “committed to the highest safety standards” in handling hot drinks.
Cuba suffers major power outage
HAVANA Millions of people in Cuba remained without power Saturday after a failure of the nation’s electric grid left the island in the dark the previous night.
The massive blackout is the fourth in the last six months as a severe economic crisis plagues the Caribbean country The Ministry of Energy and Mines, in a statement on social media, attributed the latest outage to a failure at a substation in the suburbs of Havana, the capital.
Internet and telephone service were intermittent about 18 hours after power went out around 8 p.m. Friday Lázaro Guerra, director of electricity at the ministry said on national television that power was already being generated to support vital services such as hospitals.
A statement from the Cuban Electricity Union said the strategy was to create “microsystems” that will connect to each other to restore electricity across the country. Several of these were already operating in the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago, Las Tunas and Pinar del Río.
In Sancti Spíritus, the provincial energy company reported on its Telegram channel that more than 200,000 customers in that area had electricity thanks to these microsystems.
Trump orders strikes on Houthi rebels
President issues new warnings
BY MICHELLE L PRICE, SAMY MAGDY and LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH,Fla.— Pres-
ident Donald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Iranianbacked Houthi rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor The Houthis said nine civilians were killed.
“Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,”
Trump said in a social media post. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”
He also warned Iran to stop supporting the rebel group, promising to hold the country “fully accountable” for the actions of its proxy It comes two weeks after the U.S leader sent a letter
to Iranian leaders offering a path to restarting bilateral talks between the countries on Iran’s advancing nuclear weapons program. Trump has said he will not allow it to become operational.
The Houthis reported explosions in their territory Saturday evening, in Sanaa and in the northern province of Saada, the rebels’ stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia. Images online showed plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sanaa airport com-
plex, which includes a sprawling military facility
At least nine people were killed, said Anees al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Houthirun health ministry In a statement on social media, he said another nine were wounded.
Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, said the airstrikes won’t deter them and they would retaliate against the U.S. “Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it no
matter the challenges,” he added on social media.
Another spokesman, Mohamed Abdulsalam, on X called Trump’s claims that the Houthis threaten international shipping routes “false and misleading.”
The airstrikes come a few days after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing off Yemen in response to Israel’s latest blockade on Gaza. They described the warning as affecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden,
the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea. There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.
Earlier this month, Israel halted all aid coming into Gaza and warned of “additional consequences” for Hamas if their fragile ceasefire in the war isn’t extended as negotiations continue over starting a second phase.
The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, during their campaign targeting military and civilian ships between the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in late 2023 and January of this year when this ceasefire in Gaza took effect.
The attacks raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic and other problems at home amid Yemen’s decadelong stalemated war that’s torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation
The Houthi media office said the U.S. strikes hit a residential neighborhood in Sanaa’s northern district of Shouab Residents said at least four airstrikes rocked the Eastern Geraf neighborhood there, terrifying women and children.
President signs bill funding government for 6 months
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has signed into law legislation funding the government through the end of September ending the threat of a partial government shutdown and capping off a struggle in Congress that deeply divided Democrats Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary said in a post on X that Trump signed the continuing resolution Saturday.
The bill largely keeps government funding at levels set during Joe Biden’s presidency, tho ug h with changes. It trims nondefense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increases defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of
nearly $1.7 trillion.
The Senate cleared the legislation on Friday in a 54-46 party line vote, with 10 members of the Senate Democratic caucus helping the bill advance to passage despite opposition from within their party — most vocally from colleagues in the House, who exhorted them to reject the bill out of hand.
Senate Democrats argued for days over whether to force a shutdown, livid that Republicans in the House had drafted and passed the
spending measure without their input. Democrats said the legislation shortchanges health care, housing and other priorities and gives Trump wide leeway to redirect federal spending even as his administration and the Department of Government Efficiency rapidly dismantle congressionally approved agencies and programs. In the end, enough of the Democratic senators decided a government shutdown would be even worse than letting the funding bill pass.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a shutdown would have given the Trump administration the ability to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel nonessential, furloughing staff with no promise they would ever be rehired. “A shutdown will allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer said. “Donald Trump and Elon Musk would be free to destroy vital government services at a much faster rate.”
Over 100K join protest against government in Serbia
BY JOVANA GEC and DUSAN STOJANOVIC Associated Press
BELGRADE, Serbia At least
100,000 people descended on Belgrade on Saturday for a mass rally seen as a culmination of monthslong protests against Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government.
Large crowds of flagwaving protesters clogged the downtown area of the capital despite occasional rain, with people hardly able to move and many stuck hundreds of meters away from the planned protest venue
Following apparent sporadic incidents between protesters and the police, university students who have been leading the peaceful protests for the past four months — abruptly called for an end to the demonstration Saturday, saying they no longer can guarantee safety at the rally
Most of the protesters dispersed, but thousands remained on the streets as tensions surged.
Police said the crowd reached 107,000 people at the peak of the protest.
Serbian independent media described the rally as the biggest ever in the country, saying the numbers were much higher
All public transport in Belgrade was canceled as protesters streamed into the city from various directions.
The rally was part of a nationwide anti-corruption movement that erupted after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Serbia’s north in November, killing 15 people.
Almost daily demonstrations that started in response to the tragedy have shaken Vucic’s firm grip on power in Serbia like never before in the past 13 years in charge. Many in Serbia blamed the crash on rampant government corruption, negligence and disrespect of construction safety regulations, demanding accountability for the victims.
Saturday’s rally was dubbed “15 for 15,” referring to the date of the protest and the number of people killed in the city of Novi Sad on Nov 1. The crowds fell silent for 15 minutes in the evening to honor the victims.
Ahead of the demonstration, Vucic repeatedly warned of alleged plans for unrest while threatening arrests and harsh sentences for any incidents.
A deafening sound of whistles, drums and vuvuzelas filled the air on Saturday Some protesters carried banners that read, “He’s Finished!” Crowds chanted “Pump it Up,” a
slogan adopted during past four months of student-led protests.
“I expect that this will shake his authority and that Vucic will realize that people are no longer for him,” Milenko Kovacevic, a protester, said. The massive rally is not the endgame in a struggle for a more democratic Serbia, Dejan Simic, another protester, said “This is just the beginning of the end, a process which I hope will end soon,” he said.
Protesting university students have been a key force of the anti-graft movement with their call for justice Students’ determination has struck a chord among the citizens who are disillusioned with politicians and have lost faith in the state institutions.
On Friday evening, tens of thousands of people staged a joyous welcome for the students who have been marching or cycling for days from across Serbia toward Belgrade. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told state RTS
Smoke rises Saturday from a location reportedly attacked by U.S airstrikes in Sanaa, yemen.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARKO DROBNJAKOVIC People gather Saturday in front of the Serbian parliament during a major anti-corruption rally led by university students in Belgrade, Serbia.
Trump
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
Storms, tornadoes rage across the U.S.
BY BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI, JULIE WALKER and REBECCA REYNOLDS Associated Press
Violent tornadoes that ripped through parts of the U.S. proved deadly as well as destructive Saturday as whipping winds moved east into the Mississippi Valley and Deep South, with at least 17 people killed and scores of homes decimated.
Missouri recorded more fatalities than any other state as it withstood scattered twisters overnight that resulted in at least 11 deaths, authorities said. The State Highway Patrol also reported that multiple people were injured.
The deaths included a man who was killed after a tornado ripped apart his home
“It was unrecognizable as a home. Just a debris field,” said Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, describing the scene that confronted rescuers. “The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls.”
Tad Peters and his dad, Richard Peters, had pulled over to fuel up their pickup truck in Rolla, Missouri, Friday night when they heard tornado sirens and saw other motorists flee the interstate to park.
“Whoa, is this coming? Oh, it’s here. It’s here,” Tad Peters can be heard saying on a video quickly went viral. “Look at all that debris
Ohhh My God, we are in a torn ...” His father then rolled up the truck window The two were headed to Indiana for a weightlifting competition but decided to turn around and head back home to Norman, Oklahoma, about six hours away, where they encountered wildfires.
“That wasn’t the ideal situation I would have liked to have been in with a tornado going over us,” Tad Peters said in an interview Saturday “But what can you do?”
Officials in Arkansas said three people died in Independence County and 29 others were injured across eight counties as storms passed through the state.
“We have teams out surveying the damage from last night’s tornadoes and have first responders on the ground to assist,” Arkansas Gov Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on X.
She and Georgia Gov Brian Kemp declared states of emergency Kemp said he was making the declaration in anticipation of severe weather moving in later Saturday On Friday, meanwhile, authorities said three people were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle
The deaths came as a massive storm system moving across the country unleashed winds that triggered deadly dust storms and fanned more than 100 wildfires.
Extreme weather conditions including hurricane-force winds — were forecast to affect an area home to more than 100 million people. Winds gusting up to 80 mph were predicted from the Canadian border to Texas, threatening blizzard conditions in colder northern areas and wildfire risk in warmer, drier places to the south. The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota starting early Saturday Snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches were expected, with up to a foot possible.
Winds gusting to 60 mph were expected to cause whiteout conditions.
Evacuations were ordered in some Oklahoma communities as more than 130 fires were reported across the state. Nearly 300 homes were damaged or destroyed.
Gov Kevin Stitt said at a Saturday news conference that some 266 square miles had burned in his state.
The State Patrol said winds were so strong that they toppled several tractor-trailers “This is terrible out here,”
said Charles Daniel, a truck driver hauling a 48-foot trailer along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma. “There’s a lot of sand and dirt in the air I’m not pushing it over 55 mph. I’m scared it will blow over if I do.”
Experts said it’s not unusual to see such weather extremes in March.
The Storm Prediction Center said fast-moving storms could spawn twisters and hail as large as baseballs on Sat-
urday, but the greatest threat would come from straightline winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with gusts of 100 mph possible.
Significant tornadoes, some of which could be long-track and violent, were expected Saturday afternoon and evening. The regions at highest risk stretch from eastern Louisiana and Mississippi through Alabama, western Georgia and the Florida panhandle, the center said.
Apart from Oklahoma, wildfires elsewhere in the Southern Plains threatened to spread rapidly amid warm, dry weather and strong winds in Texas, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico. A blaze in Roberts County Texas, northeast of Amarillo, quickly blew up from less than a square mile to an estimated 32.8 square miles, the Texas A&M University Forest Service said on X. Crews stopped its advance by Fri-
and busi-
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE PHOTO By STACI VANDAGRIFF
1996 kidnapping, rape and murder of Molly Elliott in rural St. Tammany Parish.
Though Hoffman’s attorneys have centered their arguments on execution methods and legal precedent, the broader debate over the state’s first execution in 15 years has been imbued with questions of religion and faith.
More than 250 faith leaders and congregants across the state, including New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond and Baton Rouge Bishop Michael Duca, rec ently signed letters to Gov Jeff Landry asking him not to revive the state’s long -dormant death chamber at Angola with nitrogen gas.
Catholic, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Unitarian and other religious figures signed the letter Aymond has also written a public appeal against the practice, while Jewish and Buddhist leaders have also been outspoken in opposition to nitrogen gas in Louisiana.
“Instead of seeking the false justice of revenge for victims’ families, we implore that you embrace mercy and life,” reads a letter from Louisiana Interfaith Against Executions.
The sentiment is not shared by all faith leaders, however their to ner heinous alt capi Bill 27 of Bap he of individual
organization with an influential lobbying presence at the Capitol, has opposed past attempts to eliminate the death penalty in the Louisiana Legislature.
Gene Mills, the Family Forum’s president, said the death penalty can be an effective deterrent against crime “if it’s executed in a proper fashion,” contending that the “plethora of appeals that are allowed” should be cut.
in training, Smith said Buddha’s teachings call for extending mercy to all beings, regardless of their past.
“Like a lotus flower that blooms above the mud, redemption is always possible — even in the most difficult circumstances,” he said.
this story that government has prioritized criminals over victims for too long, which is why Landry held a special session on crime last year
“Our criminal justice system demands balance,” Kelly said. “And when promises are made to victims and their families who have suf-
olic Church is that there is no more reason to consider the death penalty as a legitimate way of offering any kind of justice or any kind of moral response to a crime that someone has committed,” said Duca, of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.
“All the death penalty does is just continue the cycle of
Death penalty cases are often exceedingly slow; Hoffman was convicted nearly 30 years ago in the rape and murder of Molly Elliott in rural St. Tammany Parish.
“Scripture is clear that when one man sheds another man’s blood, by another should his blood be shed,” Mills said, quoting the book of Genesis.
‘Redemption . possible’
The state’s execution pro-
Redemption is one theme Prejean has mentioned during her many unsuccessful attempts to convince Louisiana lawmakers and governors to outlaw capital punishment. She said the state has baked Christianity into its death penalty practices, though she believes the two cannot coexist.
If the public saw what she saw, Prejean said they would turn against the death penalty
“Distance kills us,” she said. “It literally does, because it kills compassion.”
The paintings of Elijah and Daniel near the death cham-
as he faces death, Prejean said. Sometimes, they hold hands with the warden overseeing the execution and recite the Lord’s Prayer
“It was like this, ‘We’re all Christians, I’m just doing my job,’” she said. “That compartmentalization in human beings is fierce.”
Dobie Williams, who was convicted of murder, and had Prejean as a spiritual adviser, refused to participate in the practice ahead of his execution in 1999.
Religious opposition
Some faith leaders have opposed the method that Louisiana plans to use to put Hoffman to death. A new coalition of Jewish leaders, Jews Against Gassing, formed last year when state lawmakers legalized nitrogen gas as a form of execution. Alabama is the only state so far to have used nitrogen gas in executions in the modern era. The group has some members that oppose the death penalty in all forms, while others support certain forms of capital punishment. All oppose nitrogen gas, calling it reminiscent of the Nazi regime that led to the deaths of millions of Jews and other groups during the Holocaust.
“We are united in our belief that gassing is uniquely abhorrent, and we object in the strongest of terms to its inclusion in the laws of our state,” said Rabbi Katie Bauman of Touro Synagogue in New Orleans. Hoffman has asked for a different method to be used in his death.
Practicing Buddhism
Helen Prejean speaks out against the death penalty in 2023 outside the Governor’s Mansion during World Day Against the Death Penalty. The Roman Catholic nun from Baton Rouge is a famed anti-death-penalty activist.
PROVIDED PHOTOS Photos from the court records in Jessie Hoffman’s execution case show the new execution chamber, left, at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola and the mask for the nitrogen gas. PROVIDED PHOTOS By
PREJEAN Hanging in the execution chamber at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola are paintings depicting images from the Old Testament: Daniel in the lion’s den, left, and Elijah the prophet being taken to heaven.
Duca
that took place in a Baton Rouge warehouse claimed the life of the 20-year-old Kenner native, authorities said.
East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore said he’ll take this fraternity hazing case that’s made national headlines to a grand jury to finalize criminal charges against the alleged perpetrators
Outside the legal arena, Wilson’s tragic death started a familiar saddening conversation in Baton Rouge and across Louisiana: How can deadly fraternity hazing rituals finally be stopped — for good?
Southern University
Board Chair Tony Clayton, the district attorney in West Baton Rouge for Louisiana’s 18th Judicial District, said one solution is to take fraternity recruitment out of the hands of undergraduate students.
“I’m going to propose that the graduate chapters, in regards to Southern, are to be in charge of intake, as opposed to having undergrad kids do the intake or initiation,” Clayton, who earned a law degree from Southern, said in an interview.
“If the kids are going to want to become a member of the fraternity or sorority, the initiation would have to go through the graduate chapters, which are professional men and women.”
Clayton plans to campaign around the state, visiting graduate chapters of the Divine Nine, the nation’s nine historically Black college fraternities and sororities.
He also plans to submit a change to Southern’s bylaws
‘Be honest about it’
Ted James, a former Baton Rouge state representative for Louisiana’s 101st District, supported the passage of the Max Gruver Act while serving in the state House.
When news broke of Wilson’s death, James said he
death took place off Southern’s Baton Rouge campus.
Southern officials require all National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations, including Omega Psi Phi, to put new members through an anti-hazing training as part of their admissions process.
Council organizations are also required to have a specific anti-hazing statement.
Omega Psi’s “zero tolerance” hazing policy statement prohibits both “physical shock” and after-hours activities during its intake activities.
“So there are a lot of efforts put on educating young people about what not to do. And, you know there are folks that have just made some horrible, horrible decisions,” James said.
ties” at the university Additionally, the university suspended all campus club and Greek life recruiting through the academic year he said.
Hazing history
Hazing has been part of American university culture since the 1850s, said Walter Kimbrough, a former president of Dillard University and a hazing-crime expert witness.
At that time, hazing was undertaken by upperclassmen against freshmen.
could tell from the first reports it was going to be related to hazing.
James, 43, holds Southern University undergraduate and law degrees and belongs to a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity graduate chapter As a graduate member of the Divine Nine and a community leader, James said he and other fraternity brothers can’t be silent about hazing present in their organizations’ cultures and their own frat experiences.
“Twenty-four years ago, did I ever think that I was in a position that I was not going to survive? Absolutely not,” James said.
“Did I, quite honestly — and I think that it’s important for me and others to be honest about it — did I do some things that I probably shouldn’t have done? Absolutely.”
Lifelong commitment
The respect Black Greek organizations command among potential recruits also comes from the history of leadership Divine Nine graduates have in the Black community Membership isn’t an undergraduate commitment, but a lifelong one, in which graduate members conduct charity and service and pay dues to their organizations.
Vanessa LaFleur, D-Baton Rouge, the District 101 state
representative, said she thought of her own children when she heard about Wilson’s death.
“My initial reaction was just deep sorrow,” she said.
“When I see his face, I see my son’s face, who as a college student I have no doubt wants to pledge a fraternity one day.”
LaFleur, also a Southern University graduate, is a graduate adviser at Southern and a Alpha Kappa Alpha member. In her work with students, LaFleur explains to them that as much fun as Greek life is, it carries penalties for those not following the rules.
“My daughter just went through the process in 2024 at Southern, in my old chapter,” LaFleur said “I was very proud of that process, because it was by the book, every bit of it, because the graduate chapter was in charge of the process.”
James said it frustrates him when blame is aimed toward Southern University, when the hazing ritual authorities said caused Wilson’s death was off-campus.
“There’s no way for Southern to be responsible for thousands of students when they leave campus,” he said.
Clayton and James both emphasized that unlike Max Gruver’s fatal hazing incident, the pledging ritual leading to Caleb Wilson’s
Southern University is conducting an internal investigation into the circumstances of Wilson’s death.
Meanwhile, university President Dennis Shields said Omega Psi Phi was ordered to “cease all activi-
“Hazing was pretty ubiquitous in American higher education by the 1920s,” Kimbrough said. “But that’s when colleges and universities stopped allowing the hazing of freshmen. So you had this culture that had been on campuses for 70 years, and people where trying to figure out where does it go?”
Fraternities and sororities, as private organizations, became the outlet for these impulses.
Black Greek-letter organizations, formed by the earliest Black collegians to foster community between each other and incubate future leaders, didn’t yet induct “pledges” at that time. Kappa Alpha Psi, a historically African-American fraternity was founded in 1911, but didn’t have any formalized pledge activities until 1919, which coincides with the time “when colleges and universities around the country said there’s no more hazing of freshmen,” Kimbrough said. The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the oldest collegiate Black fraternity, started in 1906, and its first pledge class was in 1921. Pledging in the Divine Nine organizations officially ended about 70 years later, after the hazing death of Joel Harris in 1989 at Morehouse College in Atlanta while pledging for Alpha Phi Alpha. At that time, presidents of
SouthLouisiana CommunityCollege (S continuestomakementalhealtha keyp onitscampuseswithnumeroussupport educationalinitiatives andcollaborati communitypartners. Last year,SoLAccreceivedagrant $478,000 from theBoard of Regentsthr allocation from theLouisiana Depart Health.Thecollegeusedthosefundstod comprehensiveWellnessCollective.Dr. Glover,SoLAccExecutive Directorfor Services,saidthe projectcameata time students andemployees face more ch than ever “There area multitudeofsituati individualsdealwith,includingtrauma,divorce, medicalcomplications,problemsathomeorthe deathofa family member or friend,”Dr. Glover said.“We also seepeoplestrugglewithanxiety depressionandcopingwithoveralllifechanges.
throughprivate donationstohelpstudentsstay in collegeand avoidpausing theireducation due to unexpected challenges
Dr.Gloveradded that SoLAcc hasreceived a separate grantfromthe BoardofRegents.Those fundswillbeincorporatedintothe Wellness Collective to supportstudentsinaddiction recovery andrehabilitationprogramswho want to continue theireducation during that process.
“Weknowthatlifeeventshavea huge impact onaperson’smentalhealth,andsomeone’smental healthistieddirectlytotheirpersonalandprofessional success,” Dr.Gloversaid. “Itaffects their drivetoget up andcometoclass or go to work It affects theirrelationships with theirloved ones It affects everyfacet of theirday.That’swhy it’s so importanttoaddress thosechallengesand make mental health apriority.
“Allofthisworkisdefinitelyrootedincollaboration.ByinvolvingotherorganizationsinAcadiana,weareabletoprovideabroaderspectrumof services in awider geographic area,” Dr.Glover said.“Wealsoenvisionthisworkhavingbenefits inthefuture.Wewantstudentstoreceiveservices whiletheyare at SoLAcc as well as once they graduate.Thishas been agreatway to connect them with resources they maybeabletoutilize in thefuture.”
SoLAcc hasalsoenhancedits educationto preparecurrent students to work in themental health field in thefuture. Dr.Glovernoted that allnursing programs have amentalhealth componentinthe curriculum, andfaculty hope to incorporatetechnologysuchasvirtual reality to replicateexperiences students mayfacewith real-lifepatients.Inaddition,educatorshavetaken acloserlookatprogramssuchaspsychologyand sociologytoensurethatstudentsknowhowthose degreescan lead to future careersand howthe curriculacanremainapplicableintoday’ssociety. TheWellnessCollectiveisalsodesignedtomeet immediateneeds.Somegrant fundshavebeen usedtosupplementfoodcostsforthestudentfood pantries at allSoLAcccampuses. Students who areexperiencing food insecurity canselectupto threeitemspervisittoapantrylocation.Available itemsinclude breakfastfoods,prepacked meals, canned goods, waterand toiletries
In addition to pantry locations, Dr.Glover notedthatSoLAcchasemergencyfundsavailable forstudents whomeetspecific criteria,suchas majorhealthcrises, thelossofhousing from a naturaldisasterorother unforeseen events.The Foundation for SoLAcc provides thesefunds
Sincereceivingthegrant,SoLAcchasalsomade mentalhealthamoreregularpartofcampuslife Last year,the collegehostedthe ULeadStudent LeadershipConference,whichfocusedonvarious aspectsofwell-beingandattractedapproximately 300attendees.Eachmonth,SoLAcchostslunchand-learneventsthataddress topics such as finances,spirituality, relationships andother factorsthatplayaroleinmentalhealth.Dr.Glover saideacheventaverages40to60attendees,both virtualand in-person.
“It’sencouragingtoseeemployeesandstudents beingactiveandengagedwiththeresourcesthat we have,” Dr.Gloversaid. “Theyare embracing opportunitiestolearn abouthow to take care of theirhealth. We’vedefinitely seen an increase in people utilizingall of theresources we provide.”
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Pictures of Caleb Wilson are displayed during his memorial Friday at Southern University’s F.G. Clark Activity Center Three men have been booked on felony hazing counts tied to Wilson’s Feb 27 death.
ä See HAZING, page 9A
Trump invokes 1798 law to declare invasion by gangs
President seeks to speed deportations
BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
Claiming the United States was being invaded by a Venezuelan gang, President Donald Trump on Saturday invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a sweeping wartime authority that allows the president broader leeway on policy and executive action to speed up mass deportations of people — potentially pushing his promised crackdown on immigration into higher gear Trump’s declaration targets Tren de Aragua, contending it is a hostile force acting at the behest of Venezuela’s government. The declaration comes the same day that a federal judge in Washington barred the administration from deporting five Venezuelans under the expected order, a hint at the legal battle brewing over Trump’s move. The judge was scheduled to consider expanding the prohibition on deportation just minutes after Trump’s afternoon announcement.
“Over the years, Venezuelan national and local authorities have ceded evergreater control over their territories to transnational criminal organizations, including TdA,” Trump’s statement reads. “The result is a
hybrid criminal state that is perpetrating an invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States, and which poses a substantial danger to the United States.”
The act was last used as part of the internment of Japanese-American civilians during World War II and has only been used two other times in American history during World War I and the War of 1812. Trump argued in his declaration that it is justified because he contends the Tren de Aragua gang, a common talking point on the campaign trail, has ties to the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The Tren de Aragua gang originated in a prison in the South American country and accompanied an exodus of millions of Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority of whom were seeking better living conditions after
their nation’s economy came undone last decade. Trump and his allies have turned the gang into the face of the alleged threat posed by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and formally designated it a “foreign terrorist organization” last month.
Authorities in several countries have reported arrests of Tren de Aragua members, even as Venezuela’s government claims to have eliminated the criminal organization.
Trump pledged to use the Alien Enemies Act during his presidential campaign, and immigration groups were braced for it That led to Saturday’s unusual lawsuit, filed before Trump’s declaration even became public. The suit by the American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward on behalf of five Venezuelans whose cases suddenly moved toward deportation in recent hours.
Trump signs executive order to gut staff at Voice of America
Move also targets other U.S.-funded media groups
BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press
President Donald Trump’s administration on Saturday began making deep cuts to Voice of America and other government-run, pro-democracy programming, with a press advocacy group saying all VOA employees have been put on leave.
On Friday night, shortly after Congress passed its latest funding bill, Trump directed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the minimum required by law That included the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which houses Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia and Radio Marti, which beams Spanishlanguage news into Cuba.
On Saturday morning, Kari Lake, the failed Arizona
U.S.
gubernatorial and U.S Senate candidate whom Trump named a senior adviser to the agency posted on X that employees should check their email. That coincided with notices going out placing Voice of America staff on paid administrative leave.
Later, Reporters Without Borders said the notices extended to everyone who works for VOA.
The advocacy group said it “condemns this decision as a departure from the U.S.’s historic role as a defender of free information and calls on the U.S. government to restore VOA and urges Congress and the international community to take action against this unprecedented move.”
The Agency for Global Media also sent notices terminating grants to Radio Free Asia and other programming run by the agency Voice of America transmits United States domestic news into other countries, often translated into local languages
Radio Free Asia, Europe and Marti beam news into countries with authoritarian regimes in those regions like China, North Korea and Russia. Combined, the networks reach an estimated 427 million people. They date back to the Cold War and are part of a network of governmentfunded organizations trying to extend U.S. power and combat authoritarianism that includes USAID, another agency targeted by Trump.
The latest reductions are especially provocative because the Agency for Global Media is an independent agency chartered by Congress, which passed a law in 2020 limiting the power of the agency’s presidentially appointed executives.
Trump has already taken several moves to gut congressionally-mandated programs, setting up a potential Supreme Court showdown over the limits of presidential power
prepares to deport about 300 alleged gang members to El Salvador
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s administration will pay El Salvador $6 million to imprison for one year about 300 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, in one of the first instances of the Central American country taking migrants from the United States.
The agreement follows discussions between El Salva-
dor’s President, Nayib Bukele, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio about housing migrants in El Salvador’s notorious prison Bukele’s government has arrested more than 84,000 people, sometimes without due process, since 2022 as part of his crackdown on gang violence in the small country.
Memos detailing the transfer did not disclose how the Trump administration identified the roughly 300 people as
members of Tren de Aragua, a gang Trump repeatedly highlighted in the campaign and declared to be a terrorist organization.
“The Republic of El Salvador confirms it will house these individuals for one (1) year, pending the United States’ decision on their long term disposition,” wrote El Salvador’s ministry of foreign affairs in a memo obtained by The Associated Press.
James E. Boasberg, chief judge of the D.C. Circuit, agreed to implement a temporary restraining order preventing the deportation for 14 days under the act of the five Venezuelans who are already in immigration cus-
tody and believed they were being about to be deported. Boasberg said his order was “to preserve the status quo.”
Boasberg scheduled a hearing for later in the afternoon to see if his order should be expanded to protect all Ven-
ezuelans in the United States. Hours later, the Trump administration appealed the initial restraining order, contending that halting a presidential act before it has been announced would cripple the executive branch.
By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
This articleisbrought to youbyOur Lady of LourdesWomen’s &Children’s Hospital
AnormalSundaymorning last June turned into thebeginning of months of hospital staysand medicalprocedures forone Acadianafamily.
Jada Treadway waspreparing for herworkday when herwater suddenly broke. Treadway knew shewas having identicaltwingirls,butneverexpected togointolaborat23weeksandsixdays Fortunately,AcadianMedicalCenterin Eunice waslessthan10minutes away Jada andher husbandCaden racedto thehospital, wheretheylearned that JadawouldneedaC-sectionrightaway. Bothgirlsweighedlessthantwopounds atbirth.Onetwin,Averi,sufferedabrain bleed, whileher sister Kallyn wasn’t breathing andneededimmediate resuscitation. “I wasjust thankful that we hadgottentothe hospitalwhenwedid.Ifwehadwaitedanylonger, thebabiesmorethanlikelywouldnothavemadeit. That wasdefinitely scary,”Treadwaysaid. “They both looked really badwhen they came out. They lookedbruisedandtheirskinwaslikegelatin.Iwas justgratefultobeatthehospitalbecauseeveryone actedquickly andknewwhattheyneededtodoto save them.”
wouldneedmoreextensive care.Theyquickly contactedtheNICUTransportTeamatOurLadyof LourdesWomen’s&Children’sHospitalinLafayette Theteamiscomprised of ahighlyskilled groupof medicalprofessionals like neonatologists, skilled registered nurses andrespiratory therapistswithexpertiseincaringfor criticallyillnewbornsandneonatal transport.
Underthe directionofboard-certified neonatologists,the NICU TransportTeambringsbabies to Women’s& Children’s HospitalinLafayette viaaspecialized ambulancethatisequippedwitha thermal-neutralenvironment,the latestcardio-respiratorytechnology theability to initiatewhole-body coolingfor babies whoneedit, and otherhighlyspecialized support.
“Sometimes doctors will call us before abirth if they expect that a baby willbepremature andmay need additional care.Other times, like with theTreadways,it’sa more unexpected situationthatarises.Wealsotransportbabiesthat arebornatother hospitalsbut arenot improving the waytheyare expected to,” explainedDr. Sara Serio, aboard-certifiedneonatologist at Women’s &Children’sHospital.
OnceAveriand &Children’sH moreabouttheir murmurs, whic medication.Averiwaslaterdiagnosedwithasevere brainbleedwhichrequiredsurgeryinpartnership with OurLadyofthe LakeChildren’sHospital in BatonRouge.Through it all, theTreadways were by theirside, alongwithother relativeswho took turnssothatneither baby girl wasalone
“Wewereontheroadalot,butwe’reverythankful thateveryonewasalwayswithindrivingdistance Iwouldn’thavewantedmygirls anywhere else,” Treadway said.“TheNICUdoctors andnurses became ourfamily. They always made us feel welcomeandletusinteractwiththegirlsasmuch as possible.”
As part of itsongoing facility expansion, Women’s&Children’sHospitalinLafayette is addingprivatefamilyroomstoitsNICU,including twothatwillbedesignedfor twins.
“It’sreallyimportantforfamilybondingandfor theparents to be able to be near both babies,” Dr Seriosaid. “Itcan be stressfulfor families to feel likethey’respendingmoretimewithonebabythan theother.Everyonewantstobeclosetogether.This expanded NICU in Lafayettewillgiveusa better opportunitytoofferthatfamily-centeredcarethat is so specialtous.
TheTreadwaysgotafirsthandexperiencewith suchprivatefamilyroomswithAveriinBatonRouge andhavenodoubtthattheabilityforparentstostay closetotheirprematurebabieshasapositiveimpact “Ourbiggestprioritywastostaybytheirbedsides as much as possible.Ifeelthatplays abig role in theirprogresstoday andisa reasonwhy they are
TheNICUTransportTeamtravelstohospitals across SouthwestLouisiana,asfar west as Lake Charles,northtotheAlexandriaareaandeastward to theSt. Mary Parish region
“We’ve developedrelationships with alot of doctorsatthose hospitalsand they aregreat aboutrecognizin whentheyneedus,”Dr.Seriosaid “Theyarealwayswonderfulabout callinguswithinanappropriate timeframesothatwecangetthere quickly.EveryoneattheNICUher knowsthe protocol andknows whattodowhenthosecallscome
“Havingarespiratorytherapist isimportantbecausethisperson istrainedinhowtointubateabab andrunaventilator,”Dr.Seriosaid. “Thenursesareprovidingallofthe additionalcareandareusuallyin contactwithdoctors theentiretripabout what is goingonwiththebaby.Thebabyisessentiallyinan isoletteonwheels,sotheyarealwaysinaveryprotected environment.”
AveriTreadwayonherlastdayinthe NICUafterspending117daysinthe unit
thriving,” Treadway said.“Itruly believethatthe combinationofearlyinterventionsfromthedoctors alongwitha loving andsupportivefamilyleads to better outcomes forpremature babies or anybaby that is having arough start.”
Although everything aboutAveri andKallyn’s arrivalwasasurprise,fromthetimetheTreadways learnedtheywerehavingtwinstotheirearlybirth, they couldn’t imagineanythingother than “the twin life.” Thegirls arenow eightmonthsold,five monthsadjusted,andbothareon trackwiththeirmilestones.Their momsaidtheyhave astonished doctorswiththeir progress in everythingfromfeedingtophysical therapy.Theyrecentlypassedtheir swallowstudywithflyingcolors accordingtotheirtherapist.Now thattheyaregettingbigger,their personalitiesarestartingtoshine. “Averi is themorechill and laidbackone.She just sits back andletsyou do what youneed to do,” Treadway said.“Kallyn is thesassy one. Shewilllet you knowwhenshedoesn’twantsomething.We’rejust excitedthatthey’re here andwehavethe chance to seethemcontinuetogrow.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MANUEL BALCE CENETA
President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One Friday at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla.
end of the entire project, in perhaps five years, a speaker could give apartments to another 3035 House members. (The Senate is small enough that all senators get housing at the Pentagon Barracks.)
The cost of the project? An estimated $10 million.
The money would come from an account controlled by the House, said DeVillier, R-Eunice. The little-known fund has $40 million in it
The $10 million would be on top of the current estimated cost of $31 million to renovate the four existing buildings over several years. The full Legislature would have to vote to approve spending money for that out of its capital outlay budget, DeVillier said. What is in the works?
His idea for a new structure within the Pentagon Barracks has yet to generate a public reaction because so few people know about it. Until a recent interview, he had not discussed it publicly
The only previous mention of his idea came in a notice by the state construction office seeking applications for an architect to build 17,000 square feet of new legislative housing at the Pentagon Barracks. The deadline for those submissions was March 5.
“We’re in discussion about options how to repair a very historic building in Baton Rouge,” DeVillier said while sitting in the living room at the speaker’s apartment at the Pentagon. He added that building a fifth twostory structure “is another option that I want to share with people The end goal is to fix the Pentagon Barracks.”
DeVillier said he would insist, if the idea moves forward, that the new building adhere to the design and structure of the four existing buildings.
The State Historic Preservation Office, under Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser would have to prepare a written review of the plans and issue a “certificate of appropriateness” before work could begin.
“Normally, we work with the agencies to get the request to where we are comfortable with it,” said Carrie Broussard, the office’s interim director, adding, “It
would be very unusual to reject it.”
The lieutenant governor has an apartment at the Pentagon Barracks and dozens of groups hold events there throughout the legislative session.
Taylor Barras, who serves as Gov Jeff Landry’s chief financial officer as commissioner of the Division of Administration, knows the Pentagon Barracks well because he served as speaker from 2016-20.
He said an additional building could house about 18 apartments.
Barras, whose agency oversees the Pentagon Barracks, said the architect to be hired by the division will brief him and DeVillier at some point on what it would take to construct the fifth building. With that information, DeVillier can decide whether to continue advancing the idea, Barras said.
“We would want the building to complement the others in style, color and balconies,” he added.
A brick wall fronting River Road occupies the space where the new building would be built.
A building was there originally 200 years ago but fell apart soon after construction and was never replaced.
Whitney Hoffmann Sayal, who is executive director of the Downtown Development District in Baton Rouge, said keeping its historic nature is important.
She said that if the state renovates the existing buildings without constructing the proposed new building, the downtown area and the Spanish Town neighborhood have space for the legislators who would have to move out.
Real estate listings show that any legislator who leaves the Pentagon Barracks would go from paying $200 to $500 per month at the state complex, utilities included, to $1,000 to $1,300 per month for a one-bedroom place in a nearby neighborhood.
Legislators typically defend the below-market rental rate at the Pentagon Barracks by noting they haven’t received a pay increase since 1980. But the decision to raise legislative pay is up to them.
Rich history in Louisiana politics
The Pentagon Barracks have a rich history
They were built in a Greek Revival style from 1819 to 1822 and were then used as a garrison for troops and a storehouse for muni-
tions for decades. Zachary Taylor was the post commander when he was elected the 12th president in 1848.
Confederate troops captured the site and held it for a year during the Civil War. The Pentagon Barracks later became an early home to LSU, and state legislators began living there in 1966, according to a 2024 report by Broussard’s office.
Today 28 senators rent space in 22 apartments, and 29 House members rent in 21 apartments, according to legislative records.
Senators and representatives who live within 25 miles of Baton Rouge don’t get housing there.
Since all senators are taken care of, the competition for a spot at the Pentagon Barracks can be fierce in the 105-member House. It’s the House speaker who decides.
The speaker chooses who chairs legislative committees, and they typically also get a place at the Pentagon. That leaves only a few leftover spots.
Former state Rep. John Alario, who served two terms as speaker, said he rewarded his legislative allies.
“You can’t take politics out of politics,” he said recently Alario, who served 48 years in the Legislature, thought that former Rep. Troy Hebert, D-Jeanerette, was the only House member who had his apartment taken away, in a celebrated kerfuffle.
In 2004, Hebert was a member of then-Gov Kathleen Blanco’s legislative team. She and thenSpeaker Joe Salter had made him chair of the Insurance Committee
and expected him to support them on tough votes.
But after Hebert refused to support a sales tax increase sought by Blanco, Salter removed Hebert as the committee chair Hebert held a news conference the next day to blast Blanco.
Salter levied further punishment by moving Hebert’s parking space in the parking lot behind the Capitol from one next to the building to the farthest spot away
But Salter didn’t eject him from the Pentagon Barracks, Hebert said recently
“They took everything but that,” he said, though he couldn’t remember why not. “It was the holy grail of perks for legislators. When you join the speaker’s team, you get a chairmanship and an apartment. That’s part of the speaker’s package. Nobody else has been foolish enough to leave the speaker’s team other than me.”
Who gets to live there now?
DeVillier, known for his genial manner has given apartments to legislators who are not always allies.
Rep. Danny McCormick is an independent-minded Republican from Oil City
He got an apartment last year at the beginning of his second term. He had been paying about $1,200 per month to rent a small onebedroom apartment a block from the Capitol. Now he pays $250 per month to share an apartment at the Pentagon Barracks with Rep Chuck Owen, R-Rosepine
“This speaker hasn’t held anything over our heads,” McCor-
mick said. “He’s been quite fair.”
DeVillier even gave an apartment to Rep. Mandie Landry, a Democrat from New Orleans who is perhaps the House’s most liberal member
She said she begged for one after depleting her campaign account in 2023 — legislators typically pay for housing in Baton Rouge with campaign funds.
Landry’s roommate is Rep. Beryl Amedee, and that prompts a lot of what’s-it-like-to-live-with-her questions because Amedee, RGray, heads the arch-conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Landry said they get along fine but mostly keep different schedules and avoid policy discussions.
“We talk about what’s going on in terms of scheduling,” she said.
The speaker in between Barras and DeVillier, former Rep. Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, tried in 2022 to transfer control of the Pentagon Barracks from the Division of Administration, which is under the governor, to the lieutenant governor, as he was gearing up to run for lieutenant governor.
(He lost the election.)
But an Advocate news story disclosing that Schexnayder hired his son-in-law with $48,000 in taxpayer funds to renovate the speaker’s apartment killed his proposal.
Still, the Pentagon Barracks needs to be upgraded, DeVillier said recently, while showing off missing bricks and dark splotches on bricks throughout the complex showing water penetration.
“This is not a good sign,” he said as he sifted clay with his fingers in a spot where a brick had been.
STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS
ABOVE: House Speaker Phillip DeVillier points out a hole in the bricks at the Pentagon Barracks big enough to fit his hand inside. LEFT: DeVillier said the stairway may be rotting during a tour of the Barracks, which provide cheap apartments for state lawmakers close to the State Capitol
HAZING
Continued from page 6A
eight Black Greek-letter organizations came together to officially end pledging initiation. They replaced it with an admissions process disallowing hazing, Kimbrough said.
Then, the same way the hazing culture shifted from the general student body to only Greek organizations in the 1920s, it again shifted, continuing underground and out of sight.
‘Dying to belong’
Students face immense social pressure to go along with hazing rituals, despite official warnings they receive about its danger and illegality
Akeya Simeon calls this phenomenon “dying to belong.” She is assistant director of the University of West Virginia’s Center for Fraternal Values and Leadership and a Delta Sigma Theta member
In Kimbrough’s years of analyzing hazing incidents, he’s noticed those that hold the most sway over
undergraduate fraternity members are not the leaders or elders of the organization. Instead, it’s the younger, more-recent graduates.
“That’s part of the challenge, because there is this influence of people who are older, a group I call ‘extended adolescents,’ ” the former Dillard University president said. “They’re 24 to 30 years old. They have graduated and left. They’re continuing to live their undergraduate experience, but they have a lot of sway on the chapter.”
To Kimbrough, this group is often overlooked when examining hazing culture within a Greek organization.
“The problem is, these people are invisible to the real leaders of the organization. They aren’t members of graduate chapters. They don’t go to conventions or meetings,” he said
“… They’re not financially active with the fraternity, but (pledges) listen to them because they pledged there three or four years ago and they respect that.” Including frat members
Another cultural difference between White Greek organizations
and the Divine Nine are the methods used in hazing pledging rituals.
“In predominantly White groups, particularly fraternities, the hazing really is more through the alcohol,” Kimbrough said, “whereas for historically Black groups, I can’t think of a case where there was a death due to alcohol poisoning. It’s always been physical.”
In this way, the deaths of Max Gruver and Caleb Wilson are demonstrative of the kinds of hazing carried out by each organization the young men were pledging to join.
to change into gray sweatsuits
With Wilson and eight other hopefuls lined up according to height, McCray and two others took turns punching them in the chest using a pair of black boxing gloves, according to McCray’s arrest warrant affidavit.
“What eats at me is the beating There isn’t nothing brotherly about putting your hands on me. That’s not going to build a community.”
STATE REP.VANESSA
LAFLEUR, D-Baton Rouge
Indeed, Wilson, a former trumpet player for Southern University’s famed Human Jukebox marching band, died as a “direct result” of being punched in the chest while pledging for the Omega Psi fraternity inside a 3412 Woodcrest Drive warehouse, Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr said.
During the ritual, pledges were brought to the building and forced
PROVIDED PHOTO
From left are Dr Raghotham Patlola, Red Lerille and Dr David Allie Lerille reached two of his lifetime goals in 1960, winning the Mr America and Mr Universe titles, the most prestigious honors in American bodybuilding
LERILLE
Continued from page 1A
iconic status, according to Warren Perrin, who documented the sport in a book chronicling the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s national championship weightlifting team.
Lerille joined the U.S. Navy in 1955 and later enrolled at the school, then known as Southwestern Louisiana Institute, and was on the school’s weightlifting team briefly but was more interested in bodybuilding, Perrin said.
In 1960, he reached two of his lifetime goals, winning the Mr America and Mr Universe titles, the most prestigious honors in American bodybuilding. Lerille often posed at halftime of the school’s basketball games in Earl K. Long Gym, which brought some hoots from the crowd, Perrin wrote.
Stansbury opened Mike’s Gym in downtown Lafayette near the Jefferson Street underpass, and Lerille later bought out the gym at 26 years old, with a $200 loan from his father and equipment he built himself, Perrin said. He changed the name to Red’s and moved it to Johnston Street in 1963 to the site that is currently Dwight’s Restaurant.
Two years later, he moved to his current 20 acres on Doucet Road.
“He was an outstanding businessman,” Perrin said.
“To see (people) there every morning at 4 o’clock waiting to get into that gym, he told me one day, ‘It reinforces that everything I did was right.’ And he always adapt-
ed to what was popular.”
Walter Imahara, who became a national champion weightlifter at SLI and was later voted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, recalls meeting Lerille at Stanbury’s gym in 1959. Imahara, an Asian-American whose family survived a concentration camp in Arkansas and later landed in Louisiana, recalled how he and Lerille stayed in contact for years, and Lerille attended the funeral service when Imahara’s wife died last year
“He was really a different kind of guy,” Imahara said.
“And he’s like me we never use profanity, but we didn’t have to. He’s that kind of guy And, plus, when he and I speak to other people, we don’t like to speak about ourselves. He was not an ‘I’ person.”
Timothy Garrett, a bodybuilder and fitness trainer, first came to Lafayette 27 years ago to work at the Lafayette Fire Department. He joined Red’s to stay in shape.
“At the gym I saw firsthand how amazing everything he built was,” Garrett said. “At 4 a.m every morning, he was there. What a dream to be able to witness what he built.
“He had vision to be able to do what he did for different people, from the tennis centers (and other build outs) to the various nationalities welcome at Red’s.”
Garret has been a bodybuilder for 40 years and says Lerille was an inspiration.
“He was truly a trailblazer. The bodybuilding community has lost a great one.
Last week in Las Vegas, Lerille was among six inductees into the inaugural
Health & Fitness Associa-
tion Hall of Fame as a trailblazer in the health and fitness industry
Lerille won other awards as he got older in recent years, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana CLI & Limb Salvage Club for his commitment to promoting healthy living and the community
Dr David Allie, club founder and a heart surgeon for 40 years, said he was regular at Lerille’s health club and went so much he later sold his Carencro home and bought a home nearby Allie recalled times arriving at Red’s at 4 a.m. to find Lerille sweeping sand off the tennis courts before people would begin playing at 6 a.m.
“I can tell you right now I’m actually smiling even though he’s passed away,” Allie said. “Every time I walked into that place, he was there almost every day at 4 a.m. and he’d be there smiling. I’m smiling because of all the smiles he put on my face and what he had done throughout the community.”
Lerille was named winner of the Lafayette Civic Cup award in 2013.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Lerille will be at 10 a.m Saturday March 22 at St. Mary, Mother of the Church in Lafayette. Interment will be held in Holy Mary Mother of God Cemetery in Lafayette. The family requests visitation be observed from 1 to 7 p.m Friday at Martin & Castille’s downtown location. There will be no public visitation on Saturday
Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.
McCray whose defense attorney said his client is innocent, delivered the final blow before Wilson collapsed to the floor and began having a seizure.
Fraternity members did not call 911 after Wilson experienced the medical episode, and waited to bring him to Baton Rouge General-Bluebonnet hospital early the morning of Feb. 27, sources said.
“What eats at me is the beating,” state Rep. LaFleur said. “There isn’t nothing brotherly about putting your hands on me. That’s not going to build a community.”
Simeon, assistant director of the Center for Fraternal Values and Leadership at University of West Virginia, said the most ef-
fective cultural shifts she’s seen occur at the colleges she’s worked with have been when students are actively involved in making new policies.
“Rather than becoming the adversaries of these student organizations, of these fraternities and sororities,” we need to have “roundtable conversations,” she said.
However, when these Greek life groups break policy she thinks they should be banned from campus forever At Southern University, board chair Clayton intends to seek a ban of Omega Psi Phi frat “anywhere from five to 10 years, just to let them know that we have taken this seriously A kid has lost his life for no reason.”
In 2005, Omega Psi was kicked off Southern’s Baton Rouge campus for three years, after university officials found “overwhelming evidence” a fraternity pledge was severely beaten, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune archives show
Email Quinn Coffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.
This articleisbrought to youbythe LouisianaCommunity andTechnical CollegeSystem. LCTCSinstitutionssee
By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
EnrollmentacrosstheLouisianaCommunityand TechnicalCollegeSystem(LCTCS)hasrebounded strongly from thenationwidedecline in 2020 with its12collegesserving over 150,000 students this academic year.LCTCS playsacriticalrolein Louisiana’seducation andworkforce ecosystem providingacademicpathways, workforcetraining, andadult basiceducation services to meet the changing needsofstudentsand employers Everyday,thousands of students of allages attend classestoearndegrees,credentials,and certificationsthatprepare them forhigh-demand careers, drivingeconomicgrowthand strengtheningcommunitiesacross thestate
Whilemanytwo-year institutions nationwide have facedenrollment declinessincetheCOVID19 pandemic,LCTCS hasbuckedthattrend by expandingaccessand opportunity. TimHardy chairoftheLCTCSBoard ofSupervisors,attributes thissuccesstothesystem’s abilitytomeetstudents wheretheyare –whether they’renew high school graduates,careerchangers or workingadultslooking to advancetheir skills “Communityandtechnicalcollegeshavegained a newlevel of respect acrossourstateandcountry,”Hardy said.“We are providingdirectpathways from unemployment to meaningful careers. By offeringflexibleprogramsfrom two-year degrees to short-term certifications-we areremoving barriersand empowering more students than ever before. We’reableto servethose students by beingverynimbleinhow we provideeducation whetherit’sa two-year degreeprogram,technical diploma, short-term certification program, high school equivalency, or somethinginbetween They cantakeclasses in theeveningorthrough remotelearning. We feel an obligationtoremove barriersand make it as comfortableaspossible for people to gain that upward mobility.”
leadersinour staterecognize this andsee the role that LCTCSplays in that workforcepipeline Idon’t thinkI’veeverseenthislevel of excitement aboutwhatour institutions canprovide.” NunezCommunity College(Nunez) is aprime exampleofLCTCS’s growth andresponsiveness to industry demands.Serving over 4,000students persemester, theSt. BernardParish-basedcollege attracts learners from aseven-parishregion around NewOrleans
Dr.TinaTinney,chancellorofNunezCommunity College, highlightedthe institution’sexpansion of itsalliedhealthand processtechnology(PTEC) programs.Witha recent $1 milliongrant,Nunez is enhancingPTEC to meet thegrowing need forskilled workersinthe energy sector
LCTCSrecentlycelebrateditslargestgraduating class,with35,000individualsearningdegreesand credentialsin2024. This included over 20,000 degrees, diplomas,and certificatesalong with over 13,000 short-term workforcetrainingcredentials and industry-based certifications, demonstrating thesystem’s commitment to equippingstudents forhigh-demand careers.
Ourreasonfor this successisLCTCS’s ability to rapidlyadapt to industry needs. In recent years, thesystem hasexpandedprogramsand launched newprogramsinbroadband,construction, healthcare,and manufacturingsectors that are expandingacrossLouisiana
“Whenabusinessisconsideringrelocating or expandinginLouisiana,one of theirveryfirst questionsisalwaysabout whethera statehas the workforceitwillneed,”Hardy said.“They’renot goingtocomeiftheycan’t findemployees.The
“Weareveryindustrialin thisregion,andourprograms reflect that,” Tinney said “We’reexpandingtraining in renewableenergy and liquefied naturalgas while continuing to support aerospacemanufacturing—wherewearetheonly collegeinLouisiana with adedicated program. This isn’tjustabouttoday’sjobs; it’s aboutpreparing forthe future.” Meanwhile,BatonRouge CommunityCollege(BRCC) isseeingrecordnumbersof graduates.Thecollegenow averages4,200completers annually,thanksinpart to increasedstudentsupport services
Chancellor Dr.Willie Smithcredits thecollege s studentnavigatorprogram, whichhelpsguideindividuals from enrollment through completion.Additionally short-term credential programs,manyofwhich canbecompleted in just weeks, aremakingeducation more accessible to workingadults.
“Mostofour students areparents with families whoneedtoenter theworkforce quickly,”Smith said.“We’regivingthemhigh-value, high-wage credentialsthatleadtoimmediate employment Theimpactonour communitiesisincredible. LCTCScontinues to expand itsreach and impact,ensuringthatevery student—regardless of background—has accesstohigh-quality, career-focused education. With enrollment at record highsand newprogramscontinually being introduced,the system remainsa cornerstone of workforcedevelopment in Louisiana.
LCTCSincludesBaton RougeCommunity College,BossierParishCommunityCollege,Central LouisianaTechnical CommunityCollege,Delgado CommunityCollege,Louisiana DeltaCommunity College, Fletcher TechnicalCommunity College, NorthshoreTechnicalCommunityCollege,Northwest LouisianaTechnical Community College, Nunez CommunityCollege,River Parishes Community College, SouthLouisiana CommunityCollege,and SOWELA TechnicalCommunity College. Visit www.lctcs.edu to learnmoreabout an institution near you.
Russia and Ukraine trade overnight aerial attacks
BY SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine Russia and Ukraine traded heavy aerial blows overnight, with both sides reporting Saturday more than 100 enemy drones over their respective territories.
The attacks comes less than 24 hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine.
Putin told a news conference on Thursday that he supported a truce in principle but set out a host of details that need to be clarified before it is agreed. Kyiv has already endorsed the truce proposal, although Ukrainian officials have publicly raised doubts as to whether Moscow will commit to such a deal.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Saturday, after virtual talks between Western allies hosted by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy voiced Ukraine’s
firefighters were putting out the fire at a lyceum following a
Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine.
support for the 30-day full ceasefire proposal to discuss a longer-term peace plan, but said Russia would attempt to derail talks with conditions and “buts.”
Starmer has told allies to “keep the pressure” on Putin to back a ceasefire in Ukraine, hailing Ukraine as
the “party of peace.” Starm-
er said Putin will “sooner or later” have to “come to the table.
In a statement earlier on Saturday, Zelenskyy had accused Moscow of building up forces along the border
“The build up of Russian forces indicates that Mos-
cow intends to keep ignoring diplomacy It is clear that Russia is prolonging the war,” he said.
However Zelenskyy stressed that if Russia did not agree with the U.S. proposal there would be “specific, harsh and straightforward” response from the
administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
He also said that Kyiv’s troops were maintaining their presence in Russia’s Kursk region after Trump said Friday that “thousands” of Ukrainian troops had been surrounded by the Russian military
“The operation of our forces in the designated areas of the Kursk region continues,” Zelenskyy said.
“Our troops continue to hold back Russian and North Korean groupings in the Kursk region. There is no encirclement of our troops.”
Ukraine’s air force said Saturday that Russia had launched a barrage of 178 drones and two ballistic missiles over the country overnight. The attack was a mixture of Shahed-type drones and imitation drones designed to confuse air defenses. Some 130 drones were shot down, while 38 more failed to reach their targets.
Russia attacked energy facilities, causing significant damage, striking energy infrastructure in the
Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, Ukraine’s private energy company DTEK said in a statement on Saturday. Some residents were left without electricity
“The damage is significant. Energy workers are already working on the ground. We are doing everything possible to restore power to homes as soon as possible,” the energy firm said. Falling drone debris in Russia’s Volgograd region sparked a fire in the Krasnoarmeysky district of the city, close to a Lukoil oil refinery according to Gov Andrei Bocharov, who provided no further details Nearby airports temporarily halted flights, local media outlets reported. No casualties were reported.
The Volgograd refinery has been targeted by Kyiv’s forces on several occasions since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, most recently in a drone attack on Feb. 15. Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.
Hamas says it will free hostage only if ceasefire deal implemented
American-Israeli man held by militant group
BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
CAIRO Hamas said Saturday it will only release an American-Israeli and the bodies of four other hostages if Israel implements their ceasefire agreement, calling it an “exceptional deal” aimed at getting the truce back on track. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed nine people in Gaza including local journalists, medics and a watchdog said. A senior Hamas official said long-delayed talks over
the ceasefire’s second phase would need to begin the day of the release and last no longer than 50 days. Israel also would need to stop barring the entry of humanitarian aid and withdraw from a strategic corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt. Israel has said it won’t withdraw there, citing the need to combat weapons smuggling. Hamas would also demand the release of more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks Edan Alexander, 21, who grew up in New Jersey, was abducted from his military base during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the
war He is the last living U.S. citizen held in Gaza. Hamas still has 59 hostages, 35 believed to be dead.
There was no immediate comment from Israel, where government offices were closed for the Sabbath.
Speaking at a protest camp set up last week outside Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv, relatives of hostages said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “violating the agreement he signed and abandoning the hostages in Gaza.”
“You want to sacrifice our children for the pleasures of power,” said Itzik Horn, father of hostage Eitan and freed hostage Iair
Two Israeli airstrikes in the northern town of Beit Lahiya
Pope works on reform from hospital
BY COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press
ROME Pope Francis en-
tered the fifth week of hospital treatment for double pneumonia Saturday very much looking ahead as he worked on a signature priority of his papacy and signs of his recovery remained on a positive trajectory Working from the Gemelli hospital, Francis has approved a three-year implementation and evaluation process for his reform project that aims to make the church a more welcoming and responsive place. The Vatican office for the synod, or gathering of bishops, released a timetable through 2028 to implement the reforms and said Francis had approved the calendar last week. In a new medical update
the Vatican said that doctors were working to reduce the pope’s nighttime reliance on the noninvasive ventilation mask, which will allow his lungs to work more.
Doctors underlined that while the pope’s condition is stable, he still requires hospitalization for both physical and respiratory therapy, which are “showing further gradual improvements,” the Vatican said Saturday in the first medical update in three days.
Besides treatment, the pontiff spent the day alternating between prayer, rest and some work.
The Vatican has announced that it would provide medical updates on the pope less frequently, in what it called a positive development. The next medical update will be made in the middle of next week, the Vatican said. It
also has ceased issuing brief morning advisories that the pope had slept well and was starting his day
Doctors this week said the 88-year-old pontiff was no longer in critical, life-threatening condition, but have continued to emphasize that his condition remained complex due to his age, lack of mobility and the loss of part of a lung as a young man.
Francis was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis that made it difficult for him to speak
Doctors soon added a diagnosis of double pneumonia and a polymicrobial (bacterial, viral and fungal) infection.
The first three weeks of his hospitalization were marked by a roller coaster of setbacks, including respiratory crises, mild kidney failure and a severe coughing fit.
near the border killed at least nine people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry
The Palestinian Journalists’ Protection Center, a local watchdog, said the dead included three Palestinian journalists who were documenting aid distribution.
Local health official Fares Awad identified one as Mahmoud Islim, who was operating a drone.
The Israeli military said it struck two people operating a drone that it said posed a threat to soldiers in the area. It said it launched another strike at a group of people who came to collect the drone equipment. The army
identified all of those targeted as suspected militants, without providing evidence.
Hamas in a statement called the attack a “serious escalation” showing Israel’s attempts to “sabotage any opportunity” to implement the ceasefire agreement.
Also Saturday, Israel’s military said it removed a platoon of soldiers from Gaza who were seen in a video on social media opening fire during a celebration of the Jewish holiday of Purim. The video shows soldiers shooting, apparently randomly, while another performs the customary reading of the Book of Esther The military said the soldiers “will face disciplinary measures.” No major fighting has occurred in Gaza since the ceasefire took hold on Jan. 19, but Israeli strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military said had entered unauthorized areas, engaged in militant activities or otherwise violated the truce. The United States said it presented on Wednesday a proposal to extend the ceasefire a few weeks as the sides negotiate a permanent truce. It said Hamas was claiming flexibility in public while privately making “entirely impractical” demands.
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Saturday after
Russian drone hit them when
Russian drone attack in
Feds probe if Columbia hid students sought by U.S.
BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press
NEW YORK The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether Columbia University concealed “illegal aliens” on its campus, one of its top officials said Friday, as the Trump administration intensified its campaign to deport foreigners who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the school last year
Agents with the Department of Homeland Security searched two university residences with a warrant Thursday evening. No one was arrested, and it was unclear whom the authorities were searching for But by Friday afternoon, U.S. officials had announced developments related to two people they had pursued in connection with the demonstrations.
A Columbia doctoral student from India whose visa was revoked by the Trump administration fled the U.S. on an airliner And a Palestinian woman who had been arrested during the protests at the university last April was arrested by federal immigration authorities in Newark, New Jersey, on charges that she overstayed an expired visa.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, speaking at the Justice Department, said it was all part of the president’s “mission to end antisemitism in this country.”
“Just last night, we worked with the Department of Homeland Security to execute search warrants from an investigation into Columbia University for harboring and concealing illegal aliens on its campus,” Blanche said. “That investigation is ongoing, and we are also looking at whether Columbia’s handling of earlier incidents violated civil rights laws and included terrorism crimes.
Blanche didn’t say what evidence agents had of wrongdoing by the university It was unclear whether he was accusing the school itself of “terrorism crimes” or saying that people involved in the protests had committed such crimes.
The Associated Press left messages seeking comment from the university about Blanche’s accusations Friday In a note to the school community following the searches Thursday night interim university president
ter her visa expired. Columbia said it had no record of Kordia ever being a student there or being arrested on the campus. However, there were numerous protests and arrests in the streets outside of the university at
the same time. Kordia had previously received a student visa, but it was terminated in 2022 for “lack of attendance,” the department said. She is being held in an immigration detention center in Alvarado,
Texas, according to a government database. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Friday the Trump administration is expecting to revoke more student visas in the coming days.
Katrina Armstrong said Columbia was “committed to upholding the law.” She described herself as “heartbroken” that federal agents had been on campus searching student rooms.
“I understand the immense stress our community is under,” Armstrong wrote. “Despite the unprecedented challenges, Columbia University will remain a place where the pursuit of knowledge is cherished and fiercely protected, where the rule of law and due process is respected and never taken for granted, and where all members of our community are valued and able to thrive.”
Columbia has come under immense pressure from the Trump administration in recent weeks, with the U.S. government canceling $400 million in federal grants and contracts to the school, much of it for medical research, as punishment for not cracking down harder on students and faculty who criticized Israel’s military action in Gaza during large protests last spring.
President Donald Trump and other officials have accused the protesters as being “pro-Hamas,” referring to the militant group that attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023. The administration threatened to permanently end federal funding to the Ivy League school unless it took a variety of steps, including changing its admissions process and ceding faculty control of its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department to a receiver for five years. It also demanded that the school ban people from wearing masks on campus, change how it recruits international students, adopt a new definition of antisemitism, and abolish its student
disciplinary process
Students and faculty who participated in last year’s protests at Columbia have insisted that criticizing Israel and advocating for Palestinian rights isn’t antisemitic. Some Jewish students and faculty, though, complained that the antiIsrael rhetoric made them feel unsafe.
Columbia University’s campus has been in crisis since the arrest Saturday of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who helped lead last spring’s protests.
The Trump administration said Friday it had revoked the visa of Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen and doctoral student at Columbia, for “advocating for violence and terrorism.” Srinivasan opted to “self-deport” Tuesday, the department said. Officials didn’t say what evidence they had that Srinivasan had advocated violence.
Her lawyers denied the accusations, and she told The New York Times that she wasn’t involved in organizing any Columbia protests.
According to the newspaper, the Department of Homeland Security said Srinivasan didn’t disclose two protest-related summonses on her visa renewal application last year Srinivasan told the newspaper she had received the summonses for allegedly refusing to disperse and obstructing foot or vehicle traffic after simply getting caught up in a crowd of protesters while trying to return to her apartment from a picnic last year She said she left the summonses off her renewal form because her case had been dismissed.
The woman who was arrested in Newark, Leqaa Kordia, was charged with failing to leave the U.S. af-
Cybersecurity officials warn against ransomware attacks
BY SARAH PARVINI
AP technology writer
LOS ANGELES The FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are warning against a dangerous ransomware scheme.
In an advisory posted earlier this week, government officials warned that a ransomware-as-a-service software called Medusa, which has launched ransomware attacks since 2021, has recently affected hundreds of people. Medusa uses phishing campaigns as its main method for stealing victims’ credentials, according to CISA. To protect against the ran-
somware, officials recommended patching operating systems, software and firmware, in addition to using multifactor authentication for all services such as email and VPNs Experts also recommended using long passwords, and warned against frequently recurring password changes because they can weaken security.
Medusa developers and affiliates called “Medusa actors” — use a double extortion model, where they “encrypt victim data and threaten to publicly release exfiltrated data if a ransom is not paid,” the advisory said. Medusa operates a data-leak site that shows victims alongside countdowns
to the release of information.
“Ransom demands are posted on the site, with direct hyperlinks to Medusa affiliated cryptocurrency wallets,” the advisory said.
“At this stage, Medusa concurrently advertises sale of the data to interested parties before the countdown timer ends. Victims can additionally pay $10,000 USD in cryptocurrency to add a day to the countdown timer.”
Since February, Medusa developers and affiliates have hit more than 300 victims across industries, including the medical, education, legal, insurance, technology and manufacturing sectors, CISA said.
By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
John Bengeknewheliked TheVincent Senior Living even beforehebecamea resident in itsIndependent Living community. Theatmospherewas appealing, andthe joy amongotherswhenhecameasSanta Claus forholiday events waspalpable. Afterfour yearsina localassistedlivingfacility, Benge knew he wanted achange, andThe Vincent wasthe perfectfit.
“I didn’t want to be in anursing home.That’s notwhatIneedorwhatI want,” said Benge, a self-described social butterfly.“TheVincent hadmuchmoretooffer me.”
IndependentLivingatThe Vincentprovides a hybrid lifestylefor seniorslikeBenge whoare stillmentallyand physically capable of living on theirown butare seekingmoreinteraction andlessstressfromkeeping up alargerhome. Benge’sapartment at TheVincent is hisown “bachelorpad,” whichhehas decoratedand styled to histastesand wherehis family can visithim.Just afew stepsawayare dailymeals in agroup dining hall,exerciseclasses,trips to localattractions,games andmore.
“I enjoybeing around people andIenjoy having fun,”Benge said.“If Ican put asmile on somebody’sfaceorasongintheir heart, I want to do it.The Vincentgives me chances to do that just aboutevery day.
FrankieDabney,communityrelationsdirector at TheVincent,saidmanyIndependentLiving residentsare in asimilar situationtoBenge They don’t want to stay home aloneall the time,but they also don’tneedthe same levelof care that is provided in assisted living.Many IndependentLivingresidents at TheVincent stilldrive themselves.Somestill have jobs, andmostleave thecommunity several times a week forlunches,familyactivitiesand localevents. Inside thesecurityofthe gated community, theirapartmentsare theirown, whichtheyare able to decorate as they wish andhavevisitorsasoften as they wouldlike, even overnight. However, IndependentLivingatThe Vincent does provideanextra layerofsupport to make life easier.For example, aCadillactransportation serviceisavailable on afirst-come, first-servedbasis for residentswho cannot or prefer nottodrive.Independent Living residents cancookfor themselves in theirapartment’s full kitchen–completewithstainless steel appliances,arange,microwave andrefrigerator with icemaker –ortheycan eat in thedining hall viaamonthly meal plan or by paying ala carte. Most IndependentLivingresidents do theirown regularhousekeeping, butcleaning services areavailable if needed on occasion On thehealthside, IndependentLivingdoes
nothavemedical care,but some residents choose to usea third-partyhomehealthagency for certainneeds if theirsituation callsfor it “The biggestdifferencewesee is that Assisted Living is needs-based. Theresidentsoften can’thandlebasic dailytasks or hygieneontheir own,”Dabneyexplained. “WithIndependentLiving, theresidents can stilldothose things for themselves.Theyare seekingmoreofalifestyle change,withmore activities andcamaraderie.It’sagreat option forpeoplewho maybelonelyand overwhelmed with maintainingayardand ahouse,but don’t need somebodytohelpthemwithgeneral day-to-day functions.”
Dabney said oneofthe most common questionsabout IndependentLivingisthe cost that is involved.Benge said that wasonhis mind as well,althoughheisthankfulthathis 38-yearcareerwitha telephone companyplus successful investmentspositionedhim well for hisretirementyears.But,hepointed out that with today’sprices, it canbejustascostly forsomeone to live at home as in acommunity.
“Whenyou look at what it takestolivein a house–yardservice,repairservices,taxes, groceries,utilities,maybe amortgage– a communitylikethiscan actually be cheaper, Bengesaid. “But,I do encourageeveryone to carefullyconsider theirfinances. Youwant to be able to enjoyyourtimeinIndependent Living withoutalwaysthinkingabout the money. Youcan do that if youplanahead.” Each IndependentLivingapartment at The Vincentincludesa privateentrance, available garage access, afully-equipped kitchen, aprivate patiowithawater view,full-size washer and dryerconnections andspaciouswalk-in closets. Thecommunity is pet-friendly, andwater and gasutilities areincluded. TheVincent Senior Living is locatedat2201Verot School Road in Lafayette. Visitwww.vincentseniorliving.com or call 337-329-9892 formoreinformation or to schedule atour.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEFAN JEREMIAH
Demonstrators gather Wednesday in Foley Square outside the Manhattan federal court in New york in support of Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested last week
This articleisbrought to youbyThe VincentSeniorLiving.
THE GULF COAST
Wawa opens second storefront in Fairhope, Alabama
BY POET WOLFE Staff writer
In a trendy Gulf Coast town that is part of one of the fastest growing counties in Alabama, two convenience stores with a recognizable, singsong name and a winged bird logo recently opened, luring travelers with coffee, gas and even a hot sandwich that challenges the popular Publix “pub sub” across the street.
“Have a great Wawa day,” said a smiling employee at the cash register after ringing a warm, soft pretzel in a paper bag at a Wawa location on the outskirts of downtown Fairhope.
This week, the Pennsylvania-based convenience chain opened its second location in Fairhope that’s a 7-minute drive from the first. And already, Wawa possesses tribal loyalty in Alabama, where it has multiple storefronts sprawled across the state
Side-of-the-highway stores are praised for their cheap gas prices and selfserve coffee with flavored creamers galore. But some of these chains, like Wawa and the Texas-based convenience store Buc-ee’s, both of which have recently expanded in the Gulf Coast, take it a step further to establish individuality Wawa and Buc-ee’s are loved by loyalists for some of the same reasons — spotless bathrooms, vast food selections and their happy-go-lucky animal mascots that occasionally wander the aisles Hungry customers order hoagies from touch screens at Wawa while those at Bucee’s gnaw on brisket sandwiches made by cowboy hat-wearing employees.
Buc-ee’s source of corpo-
rate pride is its supersize structure that mirrors its home state’s famous adage: “Everything’s bigger in Texas.” Browse the chain’s website, and you’ll quickly find that its milestones consist of building the largest convenience store and the longest carwash in the world.
But the crux of Wawa’s identity isn’t it being supersized In fact, both locations in Fairhope are rather small, perhaps with the intent of fulfilling its purpose of “creating meaningful personal connections” with customers, as its website reads.
Stephanie Hernandez, an Atlanta native who was walking out of Fairhope’s new Wawa location on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, finds that its compact size is
convenient for customers.
“You can get in and out very quickly,” Hernandez said while holding the store’s frozen coffee.
She added that the food and beverages are reasonably priced, with the panini and a frozen coffee with a shot of espresso being her
go-to orders.
The food selection at Wawa is a blend of prepackaged and fresh-made items.
Italian-style pinwheels with centers filled with salami and pesto aioli are stacked on the shelves, next to homemade guava and mango juice blends. Muffins and sprinkled doughnuts are on display across the aisle from the packaged egg rolls and buffalo bites roasting on heated racks.
Customers, some in work uniform, were gathered by a series of touch screens, where they ordered sandwiches. With the tap of a finger, they chose between breads, meats and toppings.
Some don’t even get out of their cars to order
“I placed my order right here from the parking lot and it said it’ll be ready
It’s already paid for on this app, and it already gave me points,” Marcia Arlington, a New Orleans native, said excitedly while showing the Wawa app on her iPhone.
In recent years, there has been a steady rise in convenience stores not only across the Gulf Coast, but across the United States. A study by the National Association of Convenience Stores found that there were over 152,300 convenience stores operating in the nation in 2024.
The reason for its popularity might be in the name itself. The chains exist in a time when convenience is something that Americans have grown accustomed to, whether it’s sending a text message instead of a letter or heating food in a microwave rather than a fireplace. Like technology, convenience stores especially Wawa, where orders are placed through a touch screen and all gas pumps
accept Apple Pay — fulfill a modern desire for quick results.
Still, it might come as a surprise that Fairhope is home to two locations.
The downtown area works hard to maintain its old charm, with jazz that quietly plays from speakers hooked to streetlights. Even months after the holidays, string lights are glowing on trees. City workers replace flower bushes along the sidewalks at night. And it appeared like the only corporations within walking distance were Another Broken Egg Cafe and Hampton Inn.
Unlike the boutiques and restaurants in downtown Fairhope that tend to close before midnight, the two Wawas stay open 24 hours, welcoming out-of-staters and residents to come at any time that’s most convenient for them.
Though the Wawa locations are minutes away from downtown, their locations are also in an area with more chains. The latest Wawa on 10040 Encounter Drive is across the street from a Publix supermarket, while the other is near a Dollar General. And while both stores are in major shopping areas that attract locals and others along the Eastern Shore, which include the cities of Fairhope and Foley, they are strategically placed in close proximity to Interstate 10, making it easy for drivers traveling the major stretch of highway to stop in and try a brand that has not been this far south for long.
Hannah Levitan contributed to this report.
Email Poet Wolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTOS By POET WOLFE
Wawa has opened a second location in Fairhope, Alabama.
Wawa advertises its app and rewards program to customers who order at the touchscreen station.
LOUISIANA POLITICS
Trump, Musk, La. leaders talk fixing Social Security
Retirement and survivor benefits fund running out of money
WASHINGTON However happy people might be that Louisiana’s 94,000 retired police, firefighters, schoolteachers and other public servants are starting to receive enhanced Social Security this month, the state’s nearly 1 million seniors and disabled beneficiaries should take pause. Social Security’s Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, which pays retirement and survivor benefits, is running out of money Repealing the two provisions that penalized Social Security benefits for public servants whose municipal, parish and state employers hadn’t paid into the system will cost so much that the fund will go insolvent in eight years, rather than nine. That doesn’t mean bankruptcy It means Social Security will then pay only 79% of the benefits owed
who heads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, said in February that Social Security is “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”
Both claim without evidence that “shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud” wasted up to $700 billion
For instance, Musk says obviously dead people who are listed as 150 years old and older are still receiving benefits. Trump included the claim during his March 4 speech to the nation.
A July 2023 inspector general’s report found more than 18 million people born before 1920 didn’t have death information and remained on the aging computer system because of a software glitch None of those listed were receiving benefits
As they are doing with the rest of federal government, Trump and Musk want to trim the Social Security Administration by 12% across the board
Leases already are being terminated for 10 field offices — the closest to Louisiana is in Nacogdoches, Texas.
A lot of ideas are being floated on how best to shore up Social Security’s finances in time. The Social Security Administration employs about 60,000 full-time workers, about 7,000 fewer than 10 years ago. Administrative costs are 1% of the $1.6 trillion distributed every year to about 69 million Americans.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised on the campaign trail and from the Oval Office that Social Security “won’t be touched.” But Elon Musk,
Jeff Landry stumps for Amendment 2
From Houma to Monroe, Gov Jeff Landry is campaigning to convince residents to approve an amendment to the Louisiana Constitution that would complete his push to rewrite Louisiana’s tax system.
“I tell you, business is coming to Louisiana,” Landry told the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce’s political action committee. In November Landry and the Legislature passed bills to cut income taxes and eliminate the corporate franchise tax, making up for the lost revenue with higher sales taxes, among other changes The goal is to make the state
Earlier this week the Social Security Administration planned to end phone service, requiring the elderly and disabled to go online or visit offices in person to handle retirement and disability claims. After The Washington Post reported the move, the administration pulled that plan late Wednesday “He’s out to privatize Social Security,” U.S Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., said Wednesday of Musk. In the Congress that ended in December, Larson
more attractive to businesses, driving economic growth.
CAPITOL BUZZ staff reports
Amendment 2 — one of four to be voted on March 29 — is an additional piece of the larger tax plan sought by the Landry administration It would make a slew of other changes, including new limits on government spending and giving legislators flexibility to potentially eliminate some tax breaks.
Landry has crossed the state pitching the amendment to community groups in Houma, St. Tammany and Monroe. He released a public address urging voters to choose “yes.”
A number of notable statewide organizations have also backed the plan,
pushed a Social Security financial fix that would have required people making more than $400,000 a year to pay more Social Security taxes.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have a similar idea, only theirs would apply Social Security payroll taxes on incomes over $250,000. Under current rules, the Social Security tax rate is 12.4% of earnings — half paid by the employer and half paid by the employee. That’s the money going into the trust fund to pay retirement benefits.
including the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and Better Louisiana, a prominent public policy think tank.
But the amendment faces a lawsuit that argues its language is vague and misleading. After a district court judge refused to dismiss the lawsuit Wednesday, Attorney General Liz Murrill asked the Louisiana Supreme Court to intervene.
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 visit www GeauxVote.com to find out where to vote and get other election information.
Two new state senators sworn in
With two new state senators sworn in Tuesday
But only earnings up to $168,600 are taxed. Whatever a person makes above that amount isn’t taxed.
Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, is a co-sponsor on the House version of the Sanders-Warren legislation.
“This bill reflects the urgency of this moment: Social Security is not a handout; it is an earned benefit. It has lifted millions of seniors and people with disabilities out of poverty, and it continues to be the most successful anti-poverty program in U.S. history At a time when Republicans are threatening to cut benefits
Republicans retain their supermajority in the Legislature.
There are now 28 Republicans and 11 Democrats in the Senate, and 72 Republicans and 31 Democrats in the House.
The two new faces in the Senate include Brach Myers, a Republican from Lafayette; and Larry Selders, a Democrat from Baton Rouge. Both come from the
and privatize the system, we must fight to protect and expand Social Security for future generations,” he said Thursday
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and Sen. Angus King, No Party-Maine, went after the problem in a different way
The primary funding mechanism in the CassidyKing idea, which hasn’t been filed as a bill, would be a $1.5 trillion loan into an affiliated fund that would be invested in the financial markets, like 401(k) retirement plans. Interest and dividends would go to pay down the loan and shore up
state House of Representatives, leaving two seats vacant in that chamber Myers, who represents District 23, replaces former state Sen. Jean-Paul Coussan, who left after being elected to the Public Service Commission.
In a statement, Myers called it an “honor” to officially take his oath of office and join the Senate.
the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund.
“For years, I have been pushing my ‘Big Idea’ to create a fund separate from Social Security and invest it into the U.S. economy,” Cassidy said Thursday “We don’t raise retirement age, we increase work incentives, and pay for the overwhelming majority of shortfall.”
Musk retweeted Cassidy’s March 3 tweet advocating the idea. It then got 17 million views.
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.
“It’s no secret that our state faces tremendous challenges, and I look forward to partnering with my new colleagues, our community leaders and my constituents to ensure that Louisiana is a place that our children want to call home,” he said. Selders, who represents District 14, takes U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields’ old seat. Fields represents the 6th District of Louisiana.
SUNDAY NEWS SHOWS
ABC’s “This Week”: National security adviser Mike Waltz; Diane Swonk, KPMG LLP chief economist and managing director; Dr Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.
NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
CNN’s “State of the Union”: Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy; Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.; Reps. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and Haley Stevens, DMich.
CBS’“Face the Nation”: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick; Gov Wes Moore, D-Md,; Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich. “Fox News Sunday”: Waltz; Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman; Sen. Bernie Moreno, ROhio; Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass. The Associated Press
POOL PHOTO VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Donald Trump, right, and Elon Musk, shown here on Tuesday at the White House in Washington, want to trim the Social Security Administration by 12% across the board
Mark Ballard
EDUCATION
Can higher ed survive a financial crisis?
Experts offer advice for colleges trying to
BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer
The grim financial situation at the University of New Orleans, where decades of low enrollment and financial missteps have culminated in a $10 million budget deficit, is becoming increasingly common on campuses across the country As many as twothirds of colleges and universities in the U.S. have over the last decade shown at least one sign of financial stress, including operating at a loss for multiple years, drops in enrollment and a decline in state appropriations or endowment, according to a report in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Even flagship public universities and elite private colleges, which have largely fared better than regional public institutions, smaller private colleges and community colleges, are beginning to feel the pinch. Over the past year, UNO has cut staff and reduced costs, but officials expect the measures to fall short of fully making up the budget gap. Some institutions continue to deal with fallout from the pandemic and prepare for
an impending “demographic cliff” of fewer college-aged students. Now, as the Trump administration threatens to impose massive cuts to federal research funding, even the wealthiest institutions like Harvard University are announcing hiring freezes.
“Unfortunately the headwinds haven’t slowed down,” said Charles Ambrose, who wrote “Colleges on the Brink: The Case for Financial Exigency” with Michael Nietzel. If you claim success today, you’re just fighting to stay in the game.”
Declaring financial exigency means “saying the survival of the institution is at risk,” Ambrose added, which “really allows you to reallocate your resources better.”
Ambrose and Nietzel, both former university presidents with decades of higher-education leadership experience argued in their recent book that colleges and universities should shift the way they operate, from standard belttightening to more drastic measures like furloughs, to stave off financial ruin and closure
They recently spoke with The Times-Picayune about struggling universities in Louisiana and beyond and the future of higher education.
What does the higher education landscape look like today?
Nietzel: When we originally wrote the book, the majority of institutions
that had to make significant
financial adjustments were regional public universities, community colleges that were hard hit (during COVID) and small private institutions.
You’re seeing that expand now because of the federal policy changes on research support. Harvard and Stanford have hiring freezes. A number of premier universities are recognizing that with this much uncertainty, they just can’t make financial commitments very far out, particularly when they involve salaries.
How does UNO fit into that picture?
Nietzel: I think UNO’s situation falls more into the category that we were familiar with when we wrote the book: a public university in an area where there’s a pretty stiff competition for the higher education dollar You saw the enrollment decline. And even with the students they have, they don’t have a very good system in place for making sure students pay their bills, so they have a lot of uncollected potential revenue.
What can colleges do when they’re
on the financial brink?
Ambrose: In the middle of COVID, I found myself at Henderson State University in Arkansas, a school with more students in collections than were enrolled, low graduation rates and, at one point, four days of cash on hand. Turning that college around led us to build out a toolbox of data-informed tools and strategies — a combination of bringing your costs down and aligning your operating resources to your expenditures. In UNO’s case, if you have if you have $85 million next year to educate 7,000 students, how do you best use those funds?
Nietzel: Look at UNO: They’ve done furloughs, they’ve cut back their athletic budget. They’ve done a number of things. They’ve restructured and the last I saw, they still only accounted for about half of the $10 million deficit
We found that time after time when we looked at colleges on the brink, colleges tend to overestimate their capacity to bring in new revenue and they underestimate what they’re spending sometimes, and that’s a bad
combination particularly when it repeats itself over a number of years. Have any colleges and universities successfully made it out of financial crisis?
Nietzel: One very highprofile example is West Virginia University, which eliminated dozens of academic programs and more than 100 faculty to address a very large budget deficit, projected around $50 million. It earned West Virginia’s president a lot of anger from his faculty, but it was an example of the kinds of very significant reorganization and downsizing that sometimes universities have to do to get right-sized again with respect to their budget. How have things changed since the pandemic?
Nietzel: While enrollment has recovered some from the low point of the pandemic, for a lot of institutions, including UNO, it’s never gotten back to levels that it previously enjoyed So you’ve got a significant decline in tuition revenue. You’ve got inflation that in higher ed tends to run a little bit ahead of just regular inflation in the economy because of the nature of the industry And a number of institutions went further into debt to build new facilities they hoped would boost enrollment.
Ambrose: You also have a definite change within society about the value of college. A lot of that’s been placed just on the rising cost. Learning changed during COVID. Many jobs have removed college degrees as a requirement, even though we know that the value of a college degree still provides generational lift.
WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THE STATE HOW TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LOUISIANA SCHOOLS. HAVE AN
So the public’s lost some confidence and the culture wars have not been a friend to higher education. That adds up to a weakening of how we think about college, but it’s also one of those inflection points that we can start to imagine something really different that can get people excited.
What do you all think the next five or 10 years holds for higher education?
Nietzel: It’ll be a difficult period for several reasons: Federal policy is chaotic, particularly with respect to research. You still have a significant percentage of the population questioning the value of higher education. You have the demographic cliff coming. And you have probably more four-year institutions in the country than can survive financially So it’s going to be a hard period.
Ambrose: I think we’re going to have a period of pretty significant innovation. I think you’re going to see a lot of models emerge like partnerships across business and industry lots of community-based response, consolidations and creative ways to share resources.
In a state like Louisiana, you’re going to see more value placed on systems and there will be efforts to reduce duplication and increase collaboration: sharing of courses, sharing of faculty There’s going to be an innovation boom, and at the same time, there’s going to be compression and some consolidation.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE Students walk on Jan. 16 on the University of New Orleans campus in New Orleans.
Ambrose Nietzel
Spell unopposed for House seat
Republican will replace Brach Myers
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
Annie Spell will serve as the state representative for House District 45 in Lafayette.
Spell, a registered Republican, was the only candidate to qualify for the May 3 election to fill the District 45 seat vacated when
Brach Myers was elected in February to the state Senate District 23 seat, Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court Louis Perret said. Qualifying for the House District 45 seat began Wednesday and ended at 4:30 p.m. Friday
“As a Lafayette native, I know that our community deserves a voice at the State Capitol who works every single day to make Louisiana a place that our children are proud to call home,” Spell said in a prepared statement.
Spell grew up in and still lives in Lafayette. She is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and LSU. She is a clinical psychologist and has been an integral part of building her husband’s company,
Tides Medical, growing the small business with three employees into a large employer in Lafayette Parish that does business in all 50 states, according to campaign information.
Spell said she is ready to work with others in the state Legislature to tackle the problems facing Louisiana and put the state on a path to pros-
A REAL SET OF PIPES
Hundreds pack church for Southern University student’s funeral
BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer
From the pews and choir loft to the balcony and classrooms, at least 700 people packed Pilgrim Baptist Church’s bouquetfrosted aisles Saturday morning for a standing-room send-off to their cherished native son.
The “reckless tradition” of hazing took 20-year-old Caleb Wilson’s life last month, but it did not end his walk with Christ, said the Rev Mitchell Stevens, whose organbacked eulogy capped a three-hour service that crescendoed from grief to triumph and ended with a second-line led by members of Southern University’s Human Jukebox marching band, Roots of Music and the Trombone Shorty Foundation
“I know this man had a purpose, and he finished the purpose God brought him here for,” said Deacon Aaron Harris. “Caleb Wilson was a caring person. He was a person who loved God, and God loved him.”
Born in Kenner and baptized by Stevens when he was 6 years old, Wilson, 20, was an usher at the church, a Warren Easton Charter High School alumnus, a Southern University engineering junior and a horn player with “just the right amount of knucklehead and a whole bunch of genius,” his former band director at Warren Easton High School, Asia Muhaimin, said in her tribute
Loved ones described him as a gentle giant with natural leadership ability — a “Black boy radiant, unchained and unafraid,” said Lauren Leduff King, assistant principal at Warren Easton.
“What Caleb stated, Caleb meant — and oh, how he spoke through his trumpet,” King said. “He played not just music but the echoes of his soul, each breath into brass a story untold.”
See WILSON, page 2B
perity that will benefit residents’ children and grandchildren for decades.
She said she is prepared to bring data-driven solutions to the Legislature to help lower insurance rates, strengthen the economy, expand access to mental health and health care services and ensure fiscal responsibility in state government.
Mardi Gras shooting suspect booked
Charges stem from Jan. 7 incident
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
The alleged suspect in a Mamou Mardi Gras mass shooting was booked into the St. Martin Parish Jail.
Trea’land Ty’rell Castille, 19, was booked in Friday afternoon and faces charges of five counts of aggravated criminal damage to property and six counts of assault with a firearm, according to a St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. The charges stem from an alleged Jan 7 drive-by shooting in the parish. No injuries were reported.
Castille was arrested last Saturday in Montgomery County, Texas, in connection with a mass shooting on Mardi Gras in Mamou. The shooting, which killed two and injured 12, occurred March 4 at an outdoor Zydeco concert on the north side of Mamou.
STAFF PHOTO By ROBIN MAy
The Baton Rouge Caledonian Pipe and Drums band warm up on the street before their performance during the Celtic Bayou Festival held in downtown Lafayette on Saturday.
ä More photos from the Celtic Bayou Festival. PAGE 2B
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Family and friends hold a second-line parade after the Celebration of Life Services for Caleb Wilson at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Kenner on Saturday.
SLAINTE!
Kelle competition during the Celt Lafa
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pro teer in United Miles
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diana, Episcopal School of Acadiana, Acadiana Center fayette police chief and the Lafayette General Health Family Circle Committee. She said her passion for service is driven by periences as a survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which fostered her commitment to giving back to the community.
deputies, the ment the fe day prior, three were injured in a separate Lundi Gras shooting. Stephen Marcantel writes for The Acadiana Advocate as a Report for America corps member Email him at stephen. marcantel@theadvocate. com.
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
Sandefur the Livingston Parish Council member, is asking to extend the halt on solar farms so that the parish’s policy can be written in alignment with the state legislation’s goals.
She has a letter from the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources saying lawmakers were planning to create a comprehensive regulatory program for solar developments during the upcoming legislative session, which begins in April.
Pa for Caleb
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Jeff Landry, U.S Sen. Bill Cassidy, Rep. Troy Carter, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Wilson’s death on Feb. 27. Caleb McCray 23, who allegedly delivered the deadly blow in a hazing ritual at a warehouse
Stagni said. “All of us can be instruments in word and action to strike down hazing for good in the name of this extraordinary young man.”
Livingston Parish loves its farms — as long as they aren’t the solar kind. While solar energy development has surged in Louisiana over the past few years, Livingston Parish halted developing solar panel farms and plants in May 2024. Now, parish council members want to extend it further Council member Erin Sandefur is asking the council to extend the existing 12-month moratorium on large-scale solar panel farms and commercial solar power plants. The moratorium does not include residential solar panels on homes.
The moratorium could have ended before its expiration date depending on pending studies or new ordinances, the council said last year when it put the pause in place. No new ordinances have since come to fruition.
Compared to neighboring parishes, Livingston Parish is behind on enacting any regulations to rein in development of solar projects.
Tangipahoa, West Baton Rouge and St. James parishes have enacted either temporary halts or new regulations for solar power in the past few years.
The letter says it would potentially create statewide requirements for wildlife protection and site plans for solar industry development, which is why she is asking the parish to extend the moratorium.
Sandefur said waiting to get feedback from the master zoning plan survey also plays a role in this move.
The parish is developing a new master plan for land development.
“We’re cautiously looking at this to figure out what’s best for the parish,” she said Tuesday at the parish’s ordinance committee meeting. The solar moratorium extension was introduced at the Thursday parish council meeting and a public hearing for it was set for
March 27. The only solar panel field under development in Livingston Parish is outside of Springfield in council member Joe Erdey’s district, but Hurricane Ida damaged it in 2021 New Orleans-based solar energy company Joule is working to restart construction. Erdey said he isn’t sure how he will vote on extending the solar moratorium. “I can’t support it yet, until I know everything I need to know about it,” Erdey said. Erdey has questions about safety of developing the solar farms related to the land and wildlife to build these projects. Similar questions from other council members prompted putting the moratorium in place last May
LOTTERY FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2025 PICK 3: 3-4-2 PICK 4: 7-4-3-4 PICK 5: 9-3-0-0-9 MEGA MILLIONS: 3-17-39-42-70
MEGA BALL: 1
MEGAPLIER: 3 Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.
ABOVE: Olivia Benedetto, 4, left, and Annabelle Olivier, 7, enjoy playing Irish bingo in the children’s tent during the Celtic Bayou Festival Lafayette on Saturday.
PHIA GERMER
LEFT: Irish fiddler Randall Bays plays Irish tunes with guitar player Don Penzien during the Celtic Bayou Festival.
on March 9, 2025.
Rev. Chris Blanchard will conduct the funeral services. Burial will take place in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Madison BlairBolinger passed away unexpectedly on Sunday March 9th, 2025. Her passing has created a void in her family's hearts. Madison was agift from God to her familyand will be forever loved and missed.
Madison, aresident of Lafayette, was the daughter of Jackson Burke Bolinger and the former Laura Beth Butler. Madison was born on March 16th, 1995 in Baton Rouge, La She was raised in Lafayette, La. She attended Woodvale Elementary School, Alleman Middle School and Lafayette High School, graduating in 2013. After high school she earned an associate's degree in phlebotomy and worked in the health care industry thereafter. Growing up, Madison enjoyed gymnastics, earning her black belt in taekwondo, softball,Girl Scouts, swim team, and many other activities. While astudent at Lafayette High, she enjoyed being in the color guard and winter guard and swimming on the LHS swim team. Madison excelled at her work in the healthcare industry asa phlebotomist. Madison loved her familyand friends. She loved to laugh, be silly and have agood time. Madison always looked forward to holidays and celebrations, especially Christmas and baking banana bread for her friends and family. Madison loved Disney and enjoyed many familytrips to Disney World. She recently had awonderful trip to Disney with the love of her life Ronnie Broussard where they became engaged. Madisonwas arabid LSU fanand attended many LSU football and baseball games throughout her life. Madison loved animals and never turned away astray. Over the years she had many pets and loved them all. Madison was gifted in music and art and enjoyed spending many hours creating music with her fiancé Ronnie. Over the past few years Madisontreasured the love she shared with Ronnie and children Arlo, Audrey, Emmie and Olivia. She is survived by her parents, Jack and Beth Bolinger; brother, Burke Bolinger; fiancé, Ronnie Broussard and children, Arlo Broussard, Audrey Broussard, Emmie Broussard and Olivia Carrier; aunt, Linda Jean Bolinger Bailey, uncle, Robert Bernard Butler, aunt, Rebecca Ann Hughes Butler: cousins: Hamilton Bradford Butler, Sullivan Blake Butler, Melissa Anne Eddy Shelby (Derrick), Nathaniel Burke Bolinger, Isaac LachlanShelby, Adeline Jane Shelby and
Bradford Butler, Sullivan Blake Butler, Melissa Anne Eddy Shelby (Derrick), Nathaniel Burke Bolinger, Isaac Lachlan Shelby, Adeline Jane Shelbyand numerous othercousins and relatives thatshe loved. She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Walter Harold Bolinger andZetta Anne Allison Bolinger; maternal grandparents, Eugene Jerome "Mick" Butler and Laura Elizabeth "Liz" Bobo Butler; aunt, Nancy Jane Bolinger Eddy; and uncle,ManuelEugene "Gene" Bailey. The family requests that the visiting hoursbeobservedatDelhomme Funeral Home -Bertrand on Monday, March 17, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Visiting hourswill continue on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 from 8:00 AM until the time of service
Pallbearers will include Burke Bolinger, Robert Butler, Nathaniel Eddy, and Pete Prados. Personal condolences may be sent to the family of Madison Blair Bolinger at: www.delhommefuneral home.com
Madison Blair Bolinger and her family were cared for and entrusted final arrangements to Delhomme Funeral Home,1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA. Madison'sfamilywishes to thank all who reached out with prayers, kind words and many acts of support during this most difficult time. Your love has been agift to our family.
AMass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM in St.Mary, Mother of the Church in Lafayette for Red Lerille, age, 88, who passed away on Friday, March 14, 2025 in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Interment will be held in Holy Mary Mother of God Cemetery in Lafayette.
The family requests that visitation be observed on Friday, March 21, 2025 from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Martin &Castille's DOWNTOWN Location. There will be no public visitationon Saturday.
Memorial contributions in Red's name may be made to theCarmelite Monastery, 1250 Carmel Drive Lafayette, LA 70501, Hospice of Acadiana, 2600 Johnston Street,Suite 200 Lafayette, LA.70506 https:/ /hospiceacadiana.com/, or to Camp Bon Coeur, 300 Ridge Road,SuiteK Lafayette, LA.70506 https:/ /www.heartcamp.com/. View theobituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com
Martin &Castille Funeral Home -DOWNTOWN, 330 St. Landry Street Lafayette, Louisiana 70506, 337-234-2311
Lerille, Red
OUR VIEWS
We recommend a no vote on Amendment 2
Louisiana voters are frequently asked to make technical fixes to a state constitution that just about everyone agrees has grown too complicated and inflexible. Occasionally they’re asked to approve significant policy changes in the state’s governing document.
But not since the current constitution was adopted more than 50 years ago have they been tasked with casting a single up-or-down vote on as many consequential provisions as are contained in Amendment 2 on the March 29 ballot, with early voting March 15-22
Adoption of the amendment would essentially rewrite the article that governs state and local revenue and finance, enshrining changes laid out in a 115-page bill adopted by the Legislature and championed by Gov Jeff Landry in a November special legislative session.
Let’s start by acknowledging that there are things we like in the proposal.
The most high-profile proposals would allow teachers to keep receiving the $2,000 stipend awarded over the past several years, when lawmakers declined to enact permanent raises. The money would come from liquidating several trust funds and paying down the retirement system debt, the latter being another worthy goal. Elsewhere, the amendment offers incentives for localities to stop charging inventory tax, which discourages investment in our state. It would give lawmakers some more spending flexibility by reducing the amount locked away in trust funds, and make it harder to enact the sort of tax exemptions that keep Louisiana’s overall rates artificially high and create winners and losers But we have serious concerns over other provisions. For all the added flexibility lawmakers would have if more money flows into the general fund and less into protected funds, these funds have served the state well. And there are other provisions in the amendment that would give future lawmakers less flexibility than they have now, including a hard cap on the income tax rate and less flexibility to grow spending to address the state’s ongoing needs And dissolving education trust funds, combined with other spending restrictions, could make it harder to fund education priorities besides teacher pay, including early childhood education programs that reap all sorts of educational and economic benefits.
There’s much, much more, so much that we doubt most Louisiana voters have the bandwidth to fully understand all the changes, and then weigh and measure where they come down on balance (although we urge them to read the detailed analyses available online from groups in favor, opposed and neutral).
And that brings us to another major concern: the process that brought us to this point.
We don’t believe the rushed adoption of this sweeping amendment during a short session — while the Legislature was simultaneously making major changes to personal income, sales and corporate taxes — allowed for the level of vetting that these extensive proposals warrant Compare this to the lead-up to the vote on the 1974 constitution, which was extensively debated in public over a full year by elected delegates. Moreover, the urgency that led to the special session, driven by the fiscal cliff that was looming once temporary sales taxes expired is not a factor We weren’t happy that lawmakers adopted even higher sales taxes while cutting and flattening income taxes — our preference is for a graduated system in which those who are not struggling, within reason, contribute proportionally more than those who are — but rejecting this amendment does not create an emergency. Following that session, we wrote that many of the ideas discussed were promising, and we applauded the Landry administration and lawmakers for starting the conversation about how best to fund government. We believe that conversation should continue, and not be short-circuited by hasty passage of this proposal.
We therefore recommend a “no” vote on Amendment 2.
OPINION
A warning for President Trump
”Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.”
— Henry Kissinger President Donald Trump is on a roll, claiming victory after victory against the “swamp.” Some of his decisions are being challenged in court, but others like closing the border and deporting migrants with criminal records are likely to be sustained. Polls show they are popular Foreign policy is another matter but we’ll see whether the president’s “art” of deal-making works to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. There is one enemy that is far more dangerous than any foreign threat or the high price of eggs. That enemy is pride, which as Scripture warns “goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
Perhaps the most famous validation of that ancient truth in modern times and an example of pride’s selfdestructive inner nature was the collapse of the Nixon administration over the Watergate scandal. Richard Nixon had scored a resounding victory for a second term in the 1972 election, but his pride and that of especially his chief counsel, Charles W. Colson, brought them down.
I have been rereading Colson’s bestselling 1976 book “Born Again.” It’s about how his extreme loyalty to Nixon and the “dirty tricks” unleashed against Democrats by people hired by members of the administration, resulted in his conviction and ultimate spiritual transformation. The story will be familiar, especially to Christians of a certain age, and those who have read the book — two million have been sold — or seen the movie. As the “gate” began to close on the administration, Colson visited his old friend, Tom Phillips, president of Raytheon Corporation in Boston. He noticed a difference in the man he had known in the past. Colson writes that Phillips explained to him his life had been transformed after accepting Jesus Christ and suggested Colson read C.S. Lewis’ classic “Mere Christianity.”
Taking no chance he might not, Phillips read Colson the chapter about pride in which Lewis wrote, “There is one vice of which no man in the world is free. Pride (or self-conceit) leads to every other vice.”
Phillips added that he and the Nixon administration had brought all their
troubles on themselves.
When Colson got into his car to leave, he described himself breaking down in tears because he knew Phillips was right. Pride was leading to his downfall. He eventually accepted Christ as his Savior. Colson went to prison, but out of that experience came a vision to establish a ministry to inmates he called “Prison Fellowship.” The organization helps prisoners and their families. It still endures following his death in 2012.
No one would argue that Trump displays the characteristics of a humble man. Yes, it is possible to be a strong leader while having a humble spirit, but Trump does not reflect that inner quality History is replete with leaders who have been consumed with and destroyed by pride Let this serve as a warning, Mr. President. The best friends are those who speak the truth, disregarding the effect it might have on their own positions. Will you listen and avoid the fate of others who traveled down this dead-end road and learned too late to regret it?
Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors @tribpub.com.
Knowledge of history shapes opinion
When we are debating ideas for editorials, we consider what our commentary can add to the debate. Our reporting provides the most important things to know about a topic, so there is usually not much to add that is new or breaking. And generally, readers can glean from reading an article why an issue is generating interest. What our editorial pages and columnists add to the discussion is often a knowledge of what has gone before and how it may apply to current events.
As a student of history, I firmly subscribe to the belief, attributed to philosopher George Santayana, who wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
We are fortunate to have several columnists and others on staff who have
long histories as observers of local, state and national politics. In newspapers, and in other arenas, we call this “institutional knowledge.” That means that we know where we stood years ago and where we do today And that history matters. As long as it doesn’t prevent us from embracing the future we try to respect and honor that past. Of course, we so much change on the horizon, it’s likely that the media landscape will look different in the coming years. We hope to be able to continue to provide that connective tissue that helps our communities make sense of current events.
Looking to our letters inbox, I have totals for the last two weeks in February From Feb. 13-20, we received
97 letters. Most were concerning national politics, with 21 letters on various issues happening in Washington. But we also received several letters on statewide issues. Vaccine requirements, the Baton Rouge library tax proposal and the death penalty all were of concern to writers. We received four letters on each topic In the week of Feb. 20-27, we received 93 letters, again with national politics leading the pack. With 16 letters. But two related issues also stood out. President Donald Trump’s handling of the war in Ukraine was the subject of eight letters. And the cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency prompted nine letters.
Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | Opinion Page Editor. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.
Arnessa Garrett Cal Thomas
COMMENTARY
This hurricane season, will agencies be there?
Once upon a time, people who wanted to steer clear of politically divisive conversations knew they could stick to a safe topic: the weather No such luck anymore, now that the Trump administration’s whirlwind dismantling of government is coming for the agencies dedicated to predicting what’s coming, preventing underlying conditions from getting even worse and helping rebuild after increasingly frequent disaster strikes And bad timing too, just as those of us in the states that surround the Gulf of Mexico, all of which voted for Donald Trump, are looking ahead to the next hurricane season. It’s hard to keep up with the haphazard, on-and-off decisions out of Washington these days — that’s what happens when an administration floods the zone with so much news that it’s difficult to concentrate on any one story — but here’s a sampling of what is either already here or possibly on the horizon.
is held up in court and some since chaotically rescinded.
These are people who produce weather forecasts, maintain radar systems, gather data from satellites and even fly into hurricanes to monitor deadly threats. Their work is used by the private websites and TV meteorologists that the public relies upon to understand risk. And if you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll trust Margaret Orr, whose forecasts New Orleans viewers relied upon for decades before she retired from WDSU last year “I can testify to the fact that the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service, both part of National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, give lifesaving information,” Orr wrote in these pages.
And why is this happening?
are among the biggest recipients of federal money after hurricanes and other storms hit.
According to an Axios story on based on data from the Carnegie Disaster Dollar Database, Louisiana’s average annual take between 2015 to 2024 from FEMA and HUD recovery grants totaled $1.4 billion, tied with Texas and behind only Florida. Louisiana led — by far — in FEMA and HUD recovery grant funding as a share of 2023 state spending, at 6.3%, well ahead of Florida with 2.8%.
Through attrition and mass layoffs, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which includes the National Weather Service, could lose nearly 20% of its 13,000-member workforce to the administration’s DOGE-driven downsizing some of which
Well, maybe it goes back to the claim in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation blueprint that Trump disavowed on the campaign trail but is largely following in office, that NOAA is “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry.”
Or maybe, just maybe, climate change alarmism actually comes from the alarming things Americans are experiencing in real life, from monster storms that
intensify overnight as they pass over ever-hotter water in the Gulf to sky-high insurance rates from those few companies still willing to write policies in the hurricane zone. Action to stem climate change, of course, is another administration target. Here’s how The New York Times recently summarized where the Environmental Protection Agency is on that: “The Trump administration said it would repeal dozens of the nation’s most significant environmental regulations, including limits on pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks, protections for
wetlands, and the legal basis that allows it to regulate the greenhouse gases that are heating the planet.”
That means greenhouse gases creating more extreme weather, no matter how diminished the NOAA is. And it means more disasters, but big cutbacks may be coming for how we handle those, too.
Trump has talked of reimagining or even eliminating FEMA and sending its responsibilities to the states. Yes, disaster response could be streamlined, as Louisianans know But the reason they know that is because Louisianans
Another data point from the organization listed three Louisiana congressional districts among the top eight in FEMA household aid applications since 2021, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s 1st district ranking second nationally
So maybe he and Louisiana’s other top congressional leader, House Speaker Mike Johnson, might want to speak up about all this, rather than acting as an extension of the Trump administration.
Sure as June follows March, April and May, hurricane season is coming for the people they represent.
Politics aside, surely they don’t want this perfect storm to unfold on their watch, do they?
Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.
BESE adopting Gulf of America not conservative
The Gulf of Mexico is the Gulf of Mexico is the Gulf of Mexico
The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education just wasted everybody’s time probably some money and perhaps our schoolchildren’s educational quality by voting unanimously that state schools will now adopt the “Gulf of America” nonsense emanating from the Oval Office.
BESE is an overwhelmingly conservative board in a decidedly conservative state, but its adoption of the tendentious “Gulf of America” nomenclature is anything but conservative In fact, it’s not even a sign of patriotism; instead, it is merely performative jingoism.
What BESE did is wrong on two levels, one substantive and one practical.
Substantively, it along with President Donald Trump — is wrong because pretending to change the name is ahistorical, unnecessary and insulting to allies. The familiar body of water has been known as the Gulf of Mexico since 1550, and became almost
universally known as such in the mid-17th Century The international body generally considered definitive for global place names, the International Hydrographic Organization, always has called it the Gulf of Mexico. Never, ever, has it been the Gulf of America. This matters. Modern political “conservatism,” of course isn’t directly synonymous with “traditionalist,” but a key feature of conservatism does involve respect for tradition and historicity, unless and until empirical facts or strong reasoning support tradition’s abandonment.
There is no strong reasoning here In his proclamation pretending to rename the Gulf, Trump doesn’t even offer reasoning other than saying, essentially, “we love the Gulf and we’re America so we can call it what we want.” It’s just baboon-like chest-thumping. And it’s meaningless. Even if one accepts the dubious proposition that Trump can rename part of the Gulf by unilateral edict, that supposed authority cannot extend
beyond 12 nautical miles from U.S. shores.
The rest, by the same international laws that the U.S. relies on to say that China does not own the entire South China Sea, consists of international waters. The minute the U.S. stops respecting time-honored international conventions is the minute we lose any moral authority to insist that other, hostile nations also respect them.
And as simple geographic fact, more Mexican coastline than U.S. coastline, 1,743 miles to 1,631 miles, borders the Gulf.
From Trump, the move also is hypocritical. This is the same president who had conniption fits over renaming military bases bearing the names of Confederate generals. Even putting aside the issue of slavery, Trump would have us believe that place names are sacrosanct even when they involve the U.S. Army honoring generals who literally fought against the U.S. Army, but that place names are not sacrosanct even when no discreditable history begs to lose a place of honor Put all that aside, though, and
just consider practicalities that conservatives usually value, such as costs. International publications have had a field day, for example, with the story of how a Mobile, Alabama institution recently rebranded itself, at significant expense, as the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. Now, suddenly, it faces tremendous costs in signage and entire promotional campaigns if it is to de-brand after just spending loads to create the new moniker That’s just one example. All over the South, institutions and governments trying to follow Trump’s lead will be spending money changing logos, replacing signposts, buying new maps and the like. Now Louisiana’s state school board, due to a random impulse of a president who never even mentioned the Gulf in his campaign and against all the historical norms that should guide academia, is joining the expensive parade. And all before even waiting to see if the renaming “sticks,” so to speak. This is impractical to the degree that it could harm educational
quality Although the changes to course materials will not be mandatory immediately, the state Department of Education will be working with fourth- and fifthgrade social studies publishers to ascertain that the new name is included in new teaching materials. But will the tail wag the dog? There exists ample resistance to the bogus new name. Not all publishers will comply The ones that do may well charge higher prices to do so. And legitimate questions exist: Will the publishers willing to change be the same publishers whose materials already match Louisiana’s standards? What if they don’t? If push comes to shove between “Gulf of America” nomenclature and what otherwise are the best instructional products, which will take precedence? Trump’s attempt to rename the Gulf of Mexico came so suddenly it was like an unexpected effusion of effluvia. Last I checked, good education is grounded in timeless values, not in what amounts to an adolescent mind burp.
Quin Hillyer can be reached at quin.hillyer@theadvocate.com.
La. children’s future hangs in the balance with Amendment 3
The staunchest of youth advocates argue that none of our children should be tried as adults.
Ever As conservative as Louisiana has been, is and is likely to be for the foreseeable future, that is not likely to be an idea that gains much political support anytime soon.
It’s hard to make that argument when a few bad boys and girls commit some horrible, high-profile crimes.
Carjacking an elderly woman and causing her death is hard to get out of our consciousness, especially when so many have seen the video. It’s hard to make that argument when a young teen is released on bond and tethered to an ankle monitor yet someone is killed.
Circumstances like those are few compared to the number of good boys and girls who never come in contact with law enforcement, and the small percentage of the total minor population who have been before a judge and spent time in a criminal justicemonitored facility, jail or prison.
Last year, our state passed legislation requiring that 17-year-olds charged with felonies be tried as adults. That is a big difference for a child. The court process is different. Longer sentences are possible. Adult prison time is more likely There are often fewer rehabilitation services. After years working to find common-sense criminal justice reform, Louisiana’s conservatives, moderates, liberals and libertarians came together in 2016 and significant reforms were implemented. Last year, our state legislature decided they’ve seen enough progress and started a dismantlement. The Louisiana constitution has been updated a number of times since Louisiana became a state in 1812. Even before Landry became governor, there have been calls for another state constitutional convention to deal with what most believe is a bloated, 72,000-word document that is about 10 times longer than the U.S. Constitution. The governor took a shot at getting legislative support to hold a
2.5-week constitutional convention without success.
The existing Constitution of 1974 which took about two years to write and ratify — was approved by voters in April 1974. When it became effective Jan. 1, 1975, the new constitution gave district attorneys statutory flexibility for youths 15 years old and older in cases of first- and seconddegree murder, manslaughter, aggravated rape, armed robbery, aggravated burglary and aggravated kidnapping. It wasn’t until 1994 that the constitution was changed to give district attorneys additional flexibility when considering the prosecution of minors as adults. Those changes allowed such prosecutions also for first- and second-degree murder, forcible rape, simple rape, second-degree kidnapping, second or subsequent aggravated battery, second or subsequent burglary of an inhabited dwelling and second or subsequent felony-grade drug violation involving manufacturer distribution or possession with intent to distribute of controlled dangerous substances.
If approved, Amendment 3 would remove these 16 specific crimes from the constitution, allowing legislators to write laws to determine which crimes warrant children being prosecuted as adults. The 16 would remain in state law, but as long there’s a two-thirds majority legislators could greatly expand that list to include who knows what. Exactly what, we don’t know Amendment 3 supporters didn’t, can’t — or won’t answer the question.
One real possibility: More teens could become felons — and that label is tough to shake.
We elect state representatives and state senators to represent us, but our children’s futures are too important to allow emotional, knee-jerk reactions to determine how children should be handled when accused of doing wrong.
Only 10% of registered voters decided amendments on the December ballot.
Groups including the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, Vote of the Experienced (VOTE) and others urge voters to click “No” on the proposed amendment during an early voting
period that ends on March 22 and on March 29, election day. For those who think this is a bunch of liberal progressives opposing the amendment, consider the Leaders for a Better Louisiana, a statewide, best-for-business group focused on forward-thinking reform. The group’s analysis says the 16 specific circumstances “were placed in the constitution as a protection for children, but also to allow citizens to decide to what extent they believe young people should face the same punishment as adults.”
“We believe that makes sense,” the analysis continues. “Some have argued that there are more crimes that young people are committing that need to be added to the list. That may be But choosing to treat a child as an adult is a serious decision that the writers of our constitution did not want to take lightly We think that ultimate decision should remain in the hands of the people, not just the Legislature.” We all should agree.
Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.
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STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Lower Lafitte is inundated with water nine days after Hurricane Ida on Sept. 7, 2021.
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New DC Staley’s 2009 visit with Saints a transformational trip
Brandon Staley’s first extended visit to New Orleans was a memorable one, but there were no beads or Jell-O shots involved. Staley, the new defensive coordinator for the Saints, had come to New Orleans in the summer of 2009 for work, not play At the time, he was a relatively unknown 26-year-old assistant coach at the University of St. Thomas, an FCS powerhouse in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Then-Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi, one of Staley’s early mentors, invited him to training camp that fall
Staley spent the week observing the offensive operation. He watched practices and sat in the back of the quarterbacks meeting room to observe the installation sessions with QBs Drew Brees, Mark Brunell and Joey Harrington; Lombardi; offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael; and head coach Sean Payton. It was Staley’s initiation to the NFL
ä See DUNCAN, page 3C
N.O. roots shaped new UL hoops coach
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
If he heeded the advice of his high school coach, Quannas White never would have been a candidate to become the new UL men’s basketball head coach.
“I tried to encourage all of them to get a real job,” said Bernard Griffith, who was an LHSAA Hall of Fame coach at St. Augustine in New Orleans from 1987-2005.
Griffith was kidding, and White did what his former head coach and mentor did not what he said.
White carried many of the principles Griffith taught him into his coaching career
“He was always willing to learn,” Griffith said of White, who will be formally introduced as the new Cajuns coach Monday “He was a real lowkey, easygoing guy, but when it came time to lace them up and go to work, he went to work.”
In the 1999 Class 5A state championship game, that secret sauce was on full display in the Cajundome before a record crowd of 15,319.
Led by White and teammate Hollis Price, the Purple Knights defeated reigning state champion South Lafourche 53-44 to cap a 25-3 title campaign.
White scored 14 points,
ä See COACH, page 3C
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
The streak is over. Before this weekend’s opening Sun Belt Conference road trip to Marshall, the UL Ragin’ Cajuns softball team had won 89 consecutive league series dating back to March 2013.
After splitting Friday’s two games, the Cajuns were hoping to make Saturday’s game the 16th time UL won the rubber game to extend the streak.
The Thundering Herd would have none of it, scoring seven runs in the first inning and cruising to a 12-4 victory over UL at Dot Hicks Field in Huntington, West Virginia
The Cajuns dropped to 14-12 overall and 1-2 in league play while Marshall is now 14-13 and 2-1.
UL has another road game at 6 p.m. Tuesday at McNeese State before returning home to play UL-Monroe on Friday.
Sam Roe gave the Cajuns a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first inning, but that lead wouldn’t last long.
The Herd pounced on UL pitcher Mallory Wheeler for six runs on three hits and two walks in only a third of an inning. Brooklyn Ulrich’s two-run single was the biggest blow in the big frame, but Marshall also got RBI singles from Diamond Leslie, Abby Dannly and Paige Simpson.
Bethaney Noble gave up the seventh run in the first, then later allowed three more runs in the fifth in the blowout loss. Chandler Hoskins collected a two-run double and scored on a wild pitch in the fifth.
The Cajuns hinted at a possible comeback when Roe finished off a big weekend at the plate with a two-out, three-run home run in the third to cut Marshall’s lead to 7-4 Marshall starter Bub Feringa improved to 4-4 after allowing four runs on five hits, one walk and striking out three in six innings.
Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.
BY WILSON ALEXANDER
Staff writer
When LSU ended spring football with a traditional scrimmage in the past, coach Brian Kelly said he had to spend one of the practices going through substitutions, dividing players into separate teams and explaining the pregame routine. He thought all of that time could have been spent elsewhere, so Kelly changed the format of LSU’s spring game. Instead of the scrimmage, LSU will hold an open practice April 12 inside Tiger Stadium followed by an autograph session. Gates open at 9:30 a.m., and admission is free. The practice will not be televised, according to an LSU spokesperson. In 2024, the spring game was broadcast on the SEC Network. “We were wedded to this idea that it had to culminate with a
spring game, and I think we took a step back and said, ‘You know what? Let’s think like (organized team activities in the NFL),’ ” Kelly said. “You get so many OTAs. Use them up, make sure that you’re getting all the developmental work and skill work necessary, and don’t be wed to the idea of a spring game.”
Kelly said LSU will scrimmage, but instead of playing a continuous game, it will structure the day like one of its other spring practices. There will be periods for special teams, red-zone plays and third downs, as well as full-team work with the starting offense and defense going against one another Last year, LSU went through a situational red-zone period before playing the scrimmage. Kelly said the team has not spent enough time on special teams during the spring game and he wanted to include more.
“I think what was more important to me, where we are as a football team, was to get all of our players an opportunity to get reps,” Kelly said. “And sometimes, you don’t get the equal amount of reps in a spring game.”
Multiple coaches around the country have altered or canceled their spring games, citing various reasons. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian pointed to workload concerns and said the Longhorns would structure their spring like OTAs. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule feared other teams would poach players after seeing them on TV “The word ‘tampering’ no longer exists,” Rhule told reporters. “It’s just absolute free, open, common market. So, I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world. I don’t want these guys all being able to watch our guys and
Jeff Duncan
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, right, and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton shake hands after a Dec. 10, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. Staley is now the defensive coordinator of the Saints.
PHOTO By JONATHAN BURKE / UNIVERSITy OF HOUSTON
Houston associate head coach Quannas White, center high-fives former Cougars star Marcus Sasser with assistant coach Hollis Price at his right.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU coach Brian Kelly watches the offense warm up for before the spring game on April 13 at Tiger Stadium.
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
UL head coach Alyson Habetz, left, talks to pitcher Bethany Noble in a game against Texas on Feb. 7 at Lamson Park. The Cajuns dropped their first Sun Belt series since 2013 on Saturday.
BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS
STM’s magical run ends
St Augustine defense stymies Cougars in second half
BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer
LAKE CHARLES St. Thomas More
coach Danny Broussard has consistently referred to the Cougars’ basketball team as being “special.”
And with their recent late-game heroics in the quarterfinals and semifinals, when they won on lastsecond shots, Broussard wondered if his Cougars were “a team of destiny.”
But the Cougars’ pursuit of the Division I select state championship ended Saturday when St. Augustine beat them 45-35 at Burton Coliseum.
“It’s a tough one,” Broussard said. “These young men have worked extremely hard this year and I think we kind of surpassed people’s expectations. I thought we might be a team of destiny we won two (games) — a 3-point buzzer shot and the one y’all saw the other night. I thought we might’ve been a team of destiny but it didn’t work out that way.”
It’s the second consecutive season the Cougars, who were seeking their first state championship since 2022, have finished as state runner-up. Last year the Cougars were defeated by Liberty in the title game.
“They were a very physical team,” Cougars senior Elijah Guidry said. “From the jump there was a lot of pushing and shoving. We were going at each other from the tip-off. It even started in warm-ups. There was a little chatter back and forth. But that’s just competition. Everyone was doing a little pushing (and)
shoving.
It was a tale of two halves for the Cougars, who shined defensively in the first half when they held the Purple Knights to nine points, including one point in the second quarter while taking a 17-9 lead at halftime.
“The first half was unbelievable,” Broussard said. “What did they have nine points? That’s unbelievable to hold that team like that.”
In the second half, the Cougars were outscored 36-18 and that was propelled by a scoreless third
quarter for STM in which the Purple Knights scored 11 unanswered to take a 20-17 lead into the fourth quarter
“(In the) second half, things kind of turned around a little bit. At the end, we had to gamble a little bit. I would say it was a closer game than what people read the paper and see the score. I’d like to think it was a closer game than that, we had to gamble to get some steals and it didn’t go our way and they got some layups.”
And as for the scoreless third
quarter quarter, Broussard said scoring has been a struggle for the Cougars all season.
“All year long. We have went for droughts without scoring,” Broussard said. “That wasn’t this team’s forte. I’m not sure we went a whole quarter without scoring, I really don’t know I know we held three teams without scoring in a quarter I don’t think (being held scoreless) has happened this year, but we went through droughts.
“Long droughts without scoring. I told them at halftime I knew this game was far from over because they make runs. They missed a lot of shots in the first half and they were going in, in the second.”
The state title is the Purple Knights’ first since 2021 when they won the Division I championship.
Offensively, the Cougars were led by Trenton Poitier, who finished with a team-high 10 points and three rebounds. In addition to Poitier, Grayson Roy and Matthew Cook each scored six, while Elijah Guidry and Xarian Babineaux chipped in five apiece.
“Two 1,000-point guys on our team last year and we lost that,” said Broussard, referring to the graduation losses of Michael Mouton and Chad Jones.
“There’s a reason our scoring suffered a little bit. We lost all of our scoring. But again, we made the most of our personnel that we had.”
St. Augustine was led offensively by Aaron Miles and Jakobe Shepeard. Miles finished with a game-high 13 points, while Shepeard, who was named the Most Outstanding Player, had 10 points and seven rebounds.
“They say defense wins championships,” Broussard said. “Well it didn’t win it this time, but boy it came close.”
LSU third baseman’s mantra is getting through
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
Before every game, Tanner Reaves’ mom shares a message with him.
“She says, ‘See ball, hit ball,’ “ Reaves said. “And I say, ‘See ball, hit ball hard.’
Lately, it’s a mantra that’s been getting through to the LSU third baseman. Reaves had seven hits in his last 14 at-bats entering Saturday’s game with Missouri, blasting two home runs and driving in eight runs over that span After not starting in LSU’s first six games, the redshirt junior has started at third base in five of the past seven games before Saturday He’s batted eighth in the lineup in nearly every start.
“He’s a great ball player,” LSU sophomore Jake Brown said “Love having him. It was only a matter of time before he had his moment to shine.” Reaves’ journey to LSU was a long one. He played three seasons of junior-college baseball in Texas, redshirting his freshman year at Grayson College before posting a .420 batting average with 20 homers as a redshirt freshman at Blinn Community College. He already was committed to LSU after his breakout campaign, but he decided to return to Blinn for another season instead. He led the Buccaneers to their first-ever NJCAA national championship.
During the tournament run Reaves broke the Junior College World Series record for hits (18) and doubles (seven).
“Tanner’s been given nothing in his career,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said.
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Reaves’ smooth transition from the junior-college ranks has been aided by his bat speed, a part of his game that jumped out to Johnson when he was evaluating him at Blinn
His quick swing is thanks to his quick hands. It’s been a strong suit of his since he started working with his first hitting coach at 4 years old His approach was built off of shooting line drives to the opposite field
“Backside line drives, that’s just kind of like my game,” Reaves said “And he taught me how to use my hands.”
When Reaves arrived on campus, Johnson said LSU didn’t make a lot of mechanical changes with his swing. Most of what the coaching staff has tried to do is prepare him for the higher level of pitching, adjusting his mental and visual approach at the plate.
“It’s been more of advancing his game to the things that matter, like within the game,” Johnson said, “in terms of timing, pitch recognition or pitch selection.”
Reaves also has worked on getting stronger — going from 162 pounds to more than 170 while improving his ability to hit the ball for power to his pull side. As a lefthanded hitter he said most of his power before he got to LSU was to left field
Both of his homers this year were blasted into the right-field bleachers at Alex Box Stadium.
“I definitely still have the mid-
dle-of-the-field approach,” Reaves said. “But it does help with a little peace of mind, knowing that I can go to the pull side if I need to.”
Reaves said the “biggest concern” that existed within his game before he made the jump to the SEC was his defense. The primary reason why Reaves returned to Blinn for a second season was to get better defensively
At Blinn, he mostly played second base in his first season before becoming a right fielder as a redshirt sophomore. He also spent some time at shortstop.
Even though his defensive versatility was viewed as a strength when he arrived at LSU, Reaves played only a couple of games at third base with Blinn.
“I know my job is never going to be one particular position,” Reaves said “I know they liked the bat. That was kind of the big deal was my swing.”
Reaves hasn’t had a lot of balls hit to him at third base despite committing two errors The LSU pitching staff has accumulated a ton of strikeouts and opposing teams have hit more ground balls up the middle
But Reaves is still trying to get better at the hot corner The key to improved play, he believes, is to keep his feet moving. Not staying agile and playing through the ball is what caused the error he had in the third inning on March 7. Johnson also has made a similar point regarding Reaves’ defense, saying that he’ll “never be upset with an infielder for being aggressive and coming and getting the ball.” Additionally, he believes Reaves will need to continue to work on getting lower and wider while fielding balls at third.
Pittsburgh Pirates name Skenes opening-day starter
Paul Skenes is going to start for the Pittsburgh Pirates on opening day
The former LSU star is coming off a dominant performance in his first season in the majors. The 22-year-old right-hander went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts for Pittsburgh in 2024, winning the NL Rookie of the Year award.
The Pirates posted a video on social media on Saturday that showed manager Derek Shelton informing Skenes of his decision. In the video, Skenes walks into Shelton’s office and answers a couple of questions about how his bullpen went Shelton later got up from behind his desk and informed Skenes he would be starting March 27 at Miami. He shook hands with Skenes and gave him a hug.
Rangers starting pitcher Gray fractures his wrist
Texas Rangers pitcher Jon Gray fractured his right wrist when he was hit by a line drive in a spring training game against Colorado.
Gray left in the fourth inning Friday after being struck by a 106.4 mph comebacker off the bat of Rockies slugger Michael Toglia.
Gray is coming off an injurymarred 2024 season in which he was 5-6 with a 4.47 ERA. He spent time on the injured list last year because of a strained groin before his season was cut short by a bothersome right foot issue.
The 33-year-old Gray is in the final season of a four-year, $56 million deal he signed in 2021 He is 21-21 with the Rangers over three seasons.
Falcons to pay QB Cousins $10 million roster bonus
By keeping quarterback Kirk Cousins on the Atlanta Falcons roster through Saturday, his $10 million roster bonus has become fully guaranteed, according to multiple reports. The payment was due before Monday, the fifth day of the start of the new league business year The Falcons repeatedly have expressed their plans to retain Cousins, who lost his starting job last season, on the roster as the backup quarterback.
The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year deal worth up to $180 million.
The Falcons benched Cousins for rookie Michael Penix, their surprise pick at No. 8 overall who’s now their quarterback moving forward after taking over late last season.
Niners bring back fullback Juszczyk after cutting him
“Because you’re closer to the plays, you have to play wider and you have to play lower,” Johnson said. “And for a guy that played middle infield and outfield predominantly, that’s a little bit of a new feel.”
LSU doesn’t have a natural third baseman on its roster Instead, it has a handful of players who can play the position.
The best suited among them is senior Michael Braswell, last year’s starting shortstop who also played seven games at third base during his sophomore year at South Carolina. Braswell began this year as the LSU starting third baseman, but Reaves’ emergence and Braswell’s struggles at the plate have moved him into a platoon with Reaves.
Braswell is a right-handed hitter, meaning he’s mostly playing against left-handed pitching.
“I’m comfortable with where it’s at right now,” Johnson said regarding the Reaves/Braswell platoon after LSU’s win over North Alabama on March 7. “... I don’t feel like it has to tip one way or the other, or probably that it will for a while.”
Braswell was the LSU leadoff hitter at the end of last year and played his best baseball in the postseason. This year is his fourth in the SEC, and he started on Friday against Missouri left-handed starter Ian Lohse, going 0-for-2 with a walk.
Even with Reaves’ emergence, the ideal scenario for Johnson is to get him and Braswell producing at the same time. But for now, it’s Reaves who is seeing the ball best and hitting it the hardest.
“I feel like I’m starting to hit a little bit of a groove,” Reaves said “and finding my swing.”
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk is returning to the San Francisco 49ers on a two-year, $8 million contract just days after being cut, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday The Niners released Juszczyk on Tuesday instead of paying him a $4.1 million salary this season and up to an additional $500,000 in offseason workout and roster bonuses. The team took on a $3.6 million dead cap charge with the move but brought him back on the new deal.
The 33-year-old Juszczyk was one of the first players signed after coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took over in 2017 and has been a key part of the offense since then thanks to his versatility
Chargers sign former Eagles offensive lineman Becton
The Los Angeles Chargers beefed up their offensive line Friday night by signing guard Mekhi Becton.
The 6-foot-7, 363-pound Becton started 19 games at right guard last season for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, helping pave the way for running back Saquon Barkley to rush for 2,504 yards and 13 touchdowns. Becton was the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the New York Jets out of Louisville, where he earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in 2019. He has started 49 of 50 career games, including the postseason in the NFL.
The Chargers also agreed to terms with linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips on Friday The 28-year-old played for Houston last season on a one-year deal.
PHOTO By KIRK MECHE
St. Thomas More’s Grayson Roy, right, battles St. Augustine’s Jakobe Shepeard for a rebound during the Cougars’ loss to the Purple Knights on Saturday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.
DUNCAN
and the intricacies of offensive football at the game’s highest level. For an ambitious gridiron grasshopper such as Staley, the experience was transformative and fueled his ambition to coach in the NFL.
“I was able to learn pro football the way you should learn it,” Staley said. “The way that things were done here, there was a different level of detail, specificity, organization, a higher standard for competition. And to see it up close was a very formative experience for me. I was very fortunate.”
Staley cut his teeth as a coach on the defensive side of the ball, but he played quarterback in high school and college Staley’s final year of competition was at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania, where Lombardi was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Brees was one of his early role models.
“Drew was the best,” Staley said. “And just seeing him operate for five days in training camp from sunrise to sunset, it made me realize that if I want to take my game (to the NFL) someday (as a coach), I’m going to have to be able to defend Drew Brees. And that’s a tall task.”
The intense daily practice competition between the defense of first-year coordinator Gregg Williams and the Brees-Payton offense was also an eye-opener
Staley followed the Saints closely the rest of the year and felt a special connection when they went on to win Super Bowl XLIV
“I can just remember all the great coaches and great players on that team, on both sides of the ball,” Staley said. “You just saw the competition, and you knew something was happening. The people that were (there) in training camp knew that that was going to be a special team.”
Staley kept his notes from that career-altering week and continued to reference them on his coaching journey, with stops at Hutchinson (Kansas), John Carroll (Ohio), James Madison (Virginia) and Chattanooga (Tennessee). He remained close to Lombardi and Carmichael and thought the Saints might lead to
LSU
Continued from page 1C
say, ‘Wow, he looks like a pretty good player Let’s go get him.’ “ Though LSU’s open practice will not be televised, Kelly questioned the idea that other teams tried to persuade players to transfer after watching them in a spring game.
his entry into the NFL as an offensive assistant.
The break eventually came a few years later with the Chicago Bears as an outside linebackers coach. Staley worked his way up the ranks and eventually landed the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021.
One of his first calls was to Lombardi, whom he hired to be his offensive coordinator
But that week in New Orleans stuck with him throughout his ambling journey to the top of his profession
“It was one of those experiences for me that I’ll always look back on,” Staley said. “I was able to see that team build something the right way.”
Staley faces a major challenge in trying to rebuild the Saints to those lofty standards. The defense he inherits was once a perennial top-10 unit but plummeted to 30th in yards allowed last season.
Staley arrives with a strong reputation as a defensive strategist. He fits the profile of new head coach Kellen Moore’s first staff: smart, relatively young, passionate and ambitious. He’s excited about coaching longtime Saints defensive stars Cam Jordan, Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu, and is just as eager to continue the development of young talents such as Bryan Bresee, Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry
He’s also grateful for the opportunity to return to the coordinator ranks and to do it in an organization he views as one of the most respected in the league.
That’s right: Don’t count Staley among the folks who think the Saints aren’t a desirable NFL location. He said he’s long admired the organization from afar and is bullish about the opportunity to work in a place with such stable management and passionate fans.
“This is a first-class place, and to team up with Kellen again — someone who I really believe in who he is and all the things that he represents it just seemed like the perfect fit,” he said.
“There is a special football culture here.”
Staley’s coaching career didn’t start in New Orleans, but it was inspired here.
Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.
“I wasn’t worried about that,” Kelly said. “I think if you’re going to lose a player, it’s not because of what they put on film in spring ball. It’s because of what’s happened throughout the entire semester or year I think that was just an easy soundbite to get out from under having a spring game.”
COACH
Continued from page 1C
including the game’s last field goal with 32 seconds left to ice the win. Price scored 18.
“With that team you had to show theme you could beat them,” Griffith said. “They knew they were in better shape because we had this thing we had drills that we went through in their careers where we’d be in shape. The whole thing was, ‘We will outwork you.’ ” It wasn’t for everybody, but White and Price led the effort.
“The underclassmen that would come in there, they would be like, ‘I don’t want to do all of this,’ and the older kids would tell them, ‘Yeah, you do,’ ” Griffith said. “ ‘If you want to play, you want to do what he’s telling you to do.’ They just put in the work.” These days, White and Price are still working together as part of coach Kelvin Sampson’s coaching staff with the expected No. 1 seed Houston Cougars.
And when White and Price get a chance to go home and visit their old coach it’s clear how much they appre-
Similar to LSU, Alabama is not broadcasting its spring game, and coach Kalen DeBoer told On3 that the Crimson Tide will have a “modified” event. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin replaced the spring game last year with competitions such as tug-of-war and other events. Oklahoma said players and coaches will go through combine-style drills” instead of the scrimmage.
Some SEC schools are still playing a spring game. Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks told reporters the Bulldogs would keep their spring game this year. Texas A&M and South Carolina are also playing their annual spring games.
“I think the game itself needs to be treated much
ciate what they experienced at St. Augustine.
“Yeah, I see them pretty regular,” Griffith said.
“They’ll call me and we’ll sit down and chat and maybe get a bite to eat.
“They keep trying to pick my brain and I keep telling them, ‘Y’all on a whole different level now.’ They’ll be like, ‘No, Coach, the basic fundamentals are still the fundamentals.’ And I guess they’re right, the basics are still the basics.”
Although White spent two years at Midland Junior College out of high school, he joined Price at Oklahoma when Sampson was coaching there.
“He (Sampson) was a motivator and a pusher to get the guys to play hard to do what they’re supposed to do to execute their system,” Griffith said “Quannas and Hollis had learned from the past — you do what the coach says, you give the effort and if you want to be successful, that would open the doors for you.
“Quannas was always real receptive. He went along. He took advantage of it.”
White wasn’t always with Sampson, however Prior to reuniting with his college coach at Houston in 2017, White was an AAU coach in
BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer
LSU football practiced for the fifth time this spring Saturday, and media members were allowed to watch for about an hour until lightning moved the team indoors on its first day in full pads.
A week into spring ball, LSU is still in the early stages of figuring out the depth chart. But the Tigers showed a glimpse of where things stand at the moment, and some newcomers made notable plays.
Here’s everything we saw:
Play-by-play
LSU ran four plays between the first-team offense and defense before the weather rolled through, and a few players stood out on both sides of the ball.
On the first play, sophomore running back Caden Durham turned a stretch handoff to the left side into about 10 yards. Then, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier scrambled off a play-action bootleg, something he hesitated to do last season.
Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan said he liked the play, then turned to the media watching from above.
“Even you guys!” he said, drawing a laugh.
The defense won the next two plays. Florida transfer defensive end Jack Pyburn blew up an outside run for no gain, and NC State transfer safety Tamarcus Cooley broke up a pass intended for wide receiver Aaron Anderson.
Depth chart
The full-team period offered a look at who was getting reps on the first-team offense and defense.
Here’s how the defense lined up: Defensive end: Pyburn, Gabriel Reliford
Defensive tackle: Ahmad Breaux, Dominick McKinley
more as a workday,” Kelly said.
In the future, Kelly said he may want to hold more of a traditional scrimmage if a lot of young players were going to have key roles in the fall. That way they could experience the pregame routine before the season opener
But that’s not the case this year “We have some young players that need some practice time, and this will give everybody an opportunity,” Kelly said. “You don’t have to worry about splitting the squad, and you don’t have to worry about some of the nuances that splitting that up and having two teams sometimes make it difficult for you to get the matchups that you want.”
Louisiana for eight years. He also had coaching stints at Western Kentucky and Tulane.
“It helped him a lot,” Griffith said of White’s AAU years. “In AAU, you get a different mentality about how to play Everybody thinks they’re the best thing in the world You’ve got to convince them to give an effort and to become not an individual, but a team.
“Through that process, he learned to get the guys to be a team.”
Even now when Griffith watches the Cougars play, he can see his former backcourt’s influence on the team.
“You can see a little bit of the influence of Quannas and Hollis in there as the style of play with kids giving defensive effort 100% all the time,” Griffith said. “They really go at you. They go at you by doing what they work on doing. They just get after it. They’ve got their footwork down and doing all kind of stuff.”
UL fans hope White can bring that same level of intensity and aggressiveness to the UL basketball program.
Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.
Linebacker: West Weeks, Davhon Keys Star: Austin Ausberry
Cornerback: Ashton Stamps, Ja’Keem Jackson
Safety: Javien Toviano, Cooley
The offense could be seen rotating more throughout practice.
Trey’Dez Green and Oklahoma transfer Bauer Sharp both got reps at tight end, including in some two-tight end sets The wide receivers shuffled around a lot, though Anderson and senior Chris Hilton were consistently in the first group. On the offensive line, LSU continued to have Tyree Adams at left tackle, Paul Mubenga at left guard, DJ Chester at center, Bo Bordelon at right guard and Weston Davis at right tackle
But there are signs of experimentation. Redshirt freshman Coen Echols entered at right guard for a few plays, and Virginia Tech transfer Braelin Moore got plenty of work at center
LSU coach Brian Kelly told The Advocate before spring practice that Moore would play center this season, and Chester would move to guard. There was one moment when Chester slid to left guard and Moore played center with the first-team offense.
It also was notable that early enrollees Carius Curne and Solomon Thomas are getting work with the second-team offense early in their careers at left tackle and left guard, respectively a sign they could push for playing time.
Other observations
LSU struggled to complete many passes during one-on-ones. The wind was a factor, making it difficult to connect downfield Hilton ran past Jackson on a go route at one point, for example, but Nussmeier wasn’t able to hit him.
Freshman cornerback DJ Pickett and Virginia Tech transfer cornerback Mansoor Delane stood out during their reps. Toviano also made a pass breakup in coverage on Anderson. Senior receiver Zavion Thomas twice beat Stamps, including on a slant that he took for a touchdown. After practice, Kelly said senior safety Jardin Gilbert will miss the entire spring as he recovers from shoulder surgery Other players who were out were redshirt freshman receiver Jelani Watkins, freshman tight end JD LaFleur, freshman offensive tackle Tyler Miller, freshman offensive lineman Brett Bordelon and redshirt freshman offensive tackle Ory Williams.
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
The LSU offensive line runs drills during spring practice at the team’s practice facility on Wednesday.
LIVING
Danny Heitman AT RANDOM
Nightblooming cereus a gift that keeps giving
After collecting newspapers from the driveway the other morning, I was almost back inside when I spotted some news of my own. At the edge of the porch, our night-blooming cereus had offered its first bloom of the year Maybe you already know about the night-blooming cereus, a cactus that usually lives up to its name by blooming only after dark. Often, the plants bloom only once a year, another oddity that sharpens their appeal. I’m told the night-blooming cereus typically blooms between May and October, and I’m not sure why ours bloomed so early The blossoms tend to close as daylight arrives, but I’d managed to spot ours before the sun nudged the flower to fold
My wife and I paused breakfast to take in the sight. The delicate bloom was a treasure, with moon-white petals arranged in a starburst pattern as pointed and precise as origami. I had Ben Johnson to thank for the show Johnson, who lives not far from me, has grown lots of night-blooming cereus plants, and like so many Louisiana gardeners, he’s been generous in sharing his bounty In 2021, he found himself with a surplus of plants and offered to give me one.
“I share my babies with everyone,” Johnson told me. When I connected with Johnson four years ago, we were weathering a shaky time for the country and the world. After the pandemic lockdowns, communities everywhere, including those in Louisiana, were struggling to rebound. Johnson’s small gift of a nightblooming cereus offered a timely reminder of the good that neighbors can do.
The plant Johnson left on our doorstep had something of an adventure. Our son became a fan of our cereus taking it with him when he drove to college out of state Both son and cereus thrived, and the plant eventually returned to us.
As the temps dropped each winter, I remembered Johnson’s advice about these night bloomers.
“Don’t let them get cold,” he cautioned me. “Put them in bed with you if necessary.”
My wife and I haven’t resorted to bringing our cereus to bed, but we’ve been careful to haul it in during freezes. The green vegetation sprawls widely, which can make the cereus a memorable house guest. During January’s snow days, our cereus took its place of honor in the den, spread like an octopus near the hat rack.
We tiptoed carefully, anxious not to trip on its tentacles. As the days grow warmer now, our plants are content to bask in the growing light In such a greening moment the other day, I looked up from the armful of headlines I was carrying and saw that single flower of our night-blooming cereus. My thoughts returned to Johnson and the gift he’d offered me in a strange time. As another spring arrives, the world remains broken in many places. That flower reminded me of what wholeness looks like, which was reason enough to be grateful.
Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com
SWEET SPOT
Acadiana candy store is a roadside attraction that sells 26-pound gummy bears and more
BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
Jelly Bellies, Goo Goo Clusters, Slo Pokes, Sugar Daddys, Bottle Caps, freshly made waffle cones and candy necklaces coax families to pull off Interstate 10 in both Rayne and Scott for a visit to Candyland Cottage.
In reflecting on the number of travelers who make the Candyland visit, coowner Stewart Laurent shares memories of Disney World memories from a San Antonio mom who made a pit stop in Rayne before continuing to the place where Mickey Mouse and Cinderella serve up magic by the scoop.
During their pit stop, the Texas visitors discovered Candyland Cottage & Ice
Cream Shoppe, where Stewart Laurent and his wife and co-owner, Jackie, scoop up their own form of magic and fairy dust.
A kid’s paradise Candyland Cottage is a kid’s paradise. Then again, the family was on its way to Disney World, which is every kid’s dream.
“The parents spent about an hour and a half in the store with their kids, who were just loving it,” Stewart Laurent said. “I happened to be here, which is infrequent because I’m all over the place. And as they were about to leave, their mom said, ‘Well, maybe we’ll stop here on the way home.’
I said, ‘Do it. Stop and tell us how Disney
ä See CANDY STORE, page 4D
CANDYLAND COTTAGE & ICE CREAM SHOPPE
1319 The Boulevard in Rayne and 109 Benoit Patin Road in Scott l Hours for both shops are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday l For more information, call the Rayne store at (337) 334-7210 and the Scott store at (337) 264-6945 or visit candylandcottage.com.
to Bonnie and Clyde’s car?
BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
After years of seeing a variety of cars claiming to be “the real death car” that Bonnie and Clyde died in on May 23, 1934, when a posse of six lawmen gunned them down in Bienville Parish, Jim Dagar has questions.
“I started thinking about the real car Bonnie and Clyde were riding in,” Dagar said. “It was a 1934 Ford Deluxe V8 sedan. So, where is the real car they rode in? Or does it even exist anymore?”
The Houston resident knew from historical accounts that the outlaws were driving an olive-tinted car He also heard rumors that several fake cars attributed to the duo circulated the country through the years. Their owners’ stories were always the same: This was the real death car, and anyone can get an up-close look for X amount of dollars. But all of those “real things” were imitations stocked with two red paint-splattered mannequins in the front seat. Turns out, the car does exist, but not in a place one would associate with the outlaw duo. The old car has been a tourist attraction at the Buffalo Bill Resort & Casino in Primm, Nevada, since 2022. Before that, it had been a main attraction at Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino, also in Primm, since 1988. Both casinos are owned by Primm Valley Resorts.
But, of course, that’s the end
Staff report
Whether you’ve lived in Louisiana your whole life or you’ve been here for a short time, you may have questions — Louisiana-specific questions.
ä See CURIOUS, page 4D The Candyland Cottage location in Scott celebrates Christmas yearround.
Curious Louisiana is a community-driven reporting project that connects readers to our newsrooms’ resources to dig, research and find answers about the state Bottom line: If you’ve got a question about something Louisiana-centric, ask us. Our team is still on a mission to answer the things about this state that have you stumped. Send us your question, your name, email address, phone number and town in an email to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTOS By ROBIN MILLER A glass case is filled with a variety of chocolate truffle flavors at Candyland Cottage & Ice Cream Shoppe in Rayne.
Jackie Laurent, left, and her husband Stewart Laurent are co-owners of Candyland Cottage & Ice Cream Shoppe.
PUBLIC DOMAIN PHOTO
Lawmen gather around the bullet-riddled car driven by Clyde Barrow after ambushing Barrow and Bonnie Parker in rural Bienville Parish on May 23, 1934.
Luncheon honors King Gabriel LXXXVI
Krewe of Gabriel members, guests and dignitaries paid tribute to this year’s King Gabriel LXXXVI Albert Guilliot on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. The beautiful event was held March 2 at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette. The traditional luncheon is a time for the krewe and guests to hear from the king. It represents the first time the king’s identity is revealed to the public. The article naming the king and listing his accomplishments appeared on that Sunday morning in The Acadiana Advocate.
Guilliot, a respected local dentist, reigned as King Gabriel LXXXVI. Guilliot gave a heartfelt speech at the luncheon honoring his long history of Carnival involvement and familial ties to Mardi Gras royalty. He paid tribute to all those who held the honor before him and thanked his family, friends and faith for his success. His speech was both humble and inspiring to many.
The king’s lovely wife, Kathleen, has also been an inspiration to many She is always a gracious hostess who makes every person feel like a friend.
The elegant luncheon is one of the most highly anticipated occasions. It is always at the top of everyone’s list as a favorite. We can’t think of a more enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We’d like to thank the Krewe of Gabriel for inviting us to experience it all. To King Gabriel LXXXVI, Albert Guilliot, merci beaucoup! Long may you reign supreme.
Robert Gardes, Monique Boulet and Reggie Thomas
Julie Dronet, Maureen Judice and Shelly Bond
Queen Evangeline LXXXVI celebrates her reign at elegant luncheon
Queen Evangeline LXXXVI Bella Cortez held her traditional luncheon honoring her royal maids on March 3 at Le Pavillon in Lafayette. The luncheon was pretty in pink with flowers and colors to match the queen’s pink and yellow crest. Cortez, a fourth generation Queen Evangeline, chose the colors because they represent love, optimism, happiness and joy
Family, friends and guests filled the room to share the elegant affair
They dined on soup, salad and an exquisite Chantilly cake. The program included a heartwarming speech by Queen Bella, who paid tribute to her family members, thanking them for their love and support. Cortez gave special thanks to her mother Elisabeth, Queen Evangeline LVIII, and her grandmother Cherie Kraft, Queen Evangeline XXVII, for valuable assistance guiding her in royal duties.
This event is always held on Lundi Gras, the Monday before Fat Tuesday It is a time when the ladies can relax a bit and share a meal before the queen’s big night, riding in the queen’s parade. Decorator Andy Ducharme worked her magic again with beautiful flowers, table décor and an overall exquisite setting. We loved it all. We would like to thank the queen, her family and the Gabriel ladies committee for inviting us to be part of the magic.
PHOTOS By KRIS WARTELLE
Kathleen and Albert Guilliot
Tyler Harson, Ellie Bond, Mamie Mendell, Briley Herpin, Caroline Zehnder, Olivia Laperouse, Alexandra Bernard, Camille Lagasse and Lily Chandler
Anita Saitta and Laura Ann Edwards
Amelia, Hollis, Avery, Evan and Sarah Anderson
Allison Lagasse, Jennifer Zehnder, Elizabeth Ackal, Jenny Laperouse and Christy Harson
Rusty Ruckstul, Richard and Miriam Bourgeois
Ralph Kraft, Anne Marie Cortez, Cherie Kraft, Elisabeth Cortez, and Audrey Cortez and Glenn David Cortez
Patrick Doherty and Bella Cortez
Peggy and Joseph Giglio
Jaime and Maria Mendoza, Marc and Michelle Miller, Kristin and Bobby Bodin, Betsy and John Deshotel
Kris Wartelle
PHOTOS By KRIS WARTELLE
Sophia Matthews, Bella Cortez, Mamie Mendell, Olivia Laperouse and Emma Bond
Laura Ann Edwards, Julie Dronet, Maureen Judice, Anita Saitta, Kathleen Guilliott, Bella Cortez, Betsy Koke, Mimi Francez, Melissa Bienvenu, Rebecca Blanchet and Samantha Salmon
Maddie, Abigail and Renee Busch
JoAnn Cortez, Amy Gallagher and Beanie Castille
Cheri Kraft and Linda Christy
Mary Elise Quoyeser and Mary Quoyeser
Jen Hebert and Lauren Pesson
Alicia and Kate Mouton
Lauren Brown, Dr Pamela Dapp, Kay Aillet and Rebecca Blanchet
Claire Haydel, Tiffani Barrilleaux and Chelette Pharr
Corinne Mendel, Anna Polozola and Amelie Chappuis
Alicia Higgins, Emily Chandler and Anna Waguespack
Krewe of Bonaparte takes wild journey around world
When Bonaparte takes an expedition, you can bet it’s going to be more than just your average travel itinerary. The krewe of fun frolic likes to do things big.
This year, the krewe took on wild and far off places at their 2025 Le Bal Du Couronnment. Royal dukes and maids traveled to India, the South Pacific and other points around the globe.
L’Empereur Napoleon XLVIII Duane Delhomme reigned over the event alongside his beautiful L’Emperatrice Josephine XLVIII Sandra Delhomme.
The ball took place Monday, March 3, at the Cajundome Convention Center. The crowd was ready for Mardi Gras as they packed the room, staying on their feet dancing to the rousing show
Bonaparte always kicks things up a notch, we have to say Young and old enjoy the krewe’s huge Monday night party, even when many have to be up early for the next day, Fat Tuesday It takes some energy, but these ladies and gentlemen pull it off spectacularly every year. We enjoy seeing entire families get into the fun of it. We also thank the krewe for everything they do to make sure we enjoy the show from a ringside seat.
Merci beaucoup, Bonaparte! Until next year
PHOTOS By KRIS WARTELLE
Caiden Sanchez, Duane Delhomme, Devin Delhomme, Dr Damien Delhomme, Sandra Delhomme, Elias Bernard, Audrey Delhomme, Chloe Delhomme and Geneieve Bernard
Joseph, Seth, Thomas and Sarah Darouse
Edward Bienvenu and Jacob Landry
Brooke Migues, Richard Hotard and Ashley Guidry
Brittany and Peyton Eskridge
Tara Dohmann and Mia Robinson
Kay Gautreaux and Michelle Gravois
Mike Cottam, Celie Rivera and Marisa Weber
Chad and Cherie Bailey Stephan and Devin Bernard, Sandra and Duane Delhomme
CANDY STORE
Continued from page 1D
World was.’”
Two weeks later, the family was back.
“It was a Sunday and I was back in the store,” he said. “And the mom said, ‘I need to tell you something. We did everything Disney World had to offer. We also rode the backs of dolphins, and we went scuba diving, but I want you to know what I’ve been hearing almost every day now — ‘Mom, don’t forget on the way home, we’re stopping at Candyland Cottage.’”
Stewart Laurent is silent for a moment. The story still humbles him. Opened 20 years ago
The Laurents opened Candyland Cottage 20 years ago. Today, the shop stands at 1319 The Boulevard in Rayne A second location was added 10 years later at 109 Benoit Patin Road in Scott. Animated elves build Christmas toys yearround at the Scott location.
They’re the kind of elves that once filled department store windows during holiday seasons of yesteryear the kind that automatically place adults on memory lane.
“We go to candy shows in Chicago and look for retro candies and things we haven’t seen before,” Stewart Laurent said. “Whether it’s our products or our service atmosphere, we like to offer things that you can’t just walk in and find everywhere else. We offer unique kinds of candies for kids and adults, alike.”
But that doesn’t mean Hershey’s chocolates can’t be found among the taffy and Stuckey’s Pecan Logs.
“We carry some of the same candies you can find in the stores, but we like to pull away from the normal,” he said “We like to offer things that surprise people.”
It’s been that way since the early 2000s, when the Laurents started out with bigger plans of building a novelty shop village in Rayne, where quilts, crafts, specialty foods and ice cream would be sold.
The village would have been akin to tourist attractions found in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, but the idea never gelled.
So, Stewart Laurent whittled his dream
Goo Goo Clusters aplenty can be found at both Candyland Cottage locations in Rayne and Scott.
Continued from page 1D
of a story that began when Clyde Barrow stole Jesse and Ruth Warren’s newly purchased Ford Fordor Deluxe Sedan from their Topeka, Kansas, driveway in April 1934. Some accounts describe it as olive green, but Perry Carver said that’s not quite accurate.
“It’s a Cordova gray,” said Carver, owner and operator of the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland. “But if it’s taken outside, it does have a kind of a green tint.”
The vehicle not only was equipped with an 85 horsepower V8 engine but also such state-ofthe-art perks like bumper guards, a steel cover for the spare tire on the back and safety glass windows. Crowning the hood was a chrome greyhound ornament now missing from the car A later owner, Ted Toddy, gave the ornament to Carver, who now displays it in the Gibsland museum. Carver purchased the museum from Boots Hinton son of Dallas County Deputy Sheriff Ted Hinton, who was part of the posse that killed the outlaw duo. Carver was 8 years old when he first met Toddy, a friend of his parents They all lived in Atlanta, and Toddy, then sole owner of the Ford Deluxe, allowed Carver to play in it.
Blood stains in the front
“There were blood stains in the front, and one of Bonnie’s teeth was still lodged into the floorboard on the passenger’s side,” Carver said. Evidence of Clyde’s shattered brain was splattered in the back seat. That was Toddy’s way of
down to a single shop that would sell the kinds of sweets he loved as a kid.
They met at camp
The Laurents first met at a Christian youth camp in Mississippi. Stewart Laurent was a counselor, and Jackie Laurent had traveled south from her native Pennsylvania to attend.
“We became friends, and then I’d invited him and some others from the camp up to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving,”
Jackie Laurent said. “He was the only one that came. And then we developed a relationship and got married in Pennsylvania, where we lived the first five years before moving down here, because his family was from here.”
Stewart Laurent worked as a contractor in Pennsylvania in the early years of their marriage.
“I was putting porches on people’s houses, and I was tired of working in snow up to my ankles,” he said.
And the couple moved to Louisiana to be near Stewart Laurent’s family, where his mom taught Jackie Laurent how to make gumbo and other Cajun fare.
Fudge and ice cream
Blocks of fudge are Jackie Laurent’s specialty these days, displayed in a glass case at the cash register, where customers also can order their favorite Blue Bell Ice Cream flavors in scoops, shakes, malts, floats and banana splits.
For those who are hungry for something more savory, both Candyland Cottage locations offer hot dogs, chili dogs, sausage po-boys, Frito pies, nachos and chili.
Stewart Laurent also brings Candyland Cottage on the road by way of a trackless train with tires pulled by a mini reproduction steam engine. He gives train rides at church and company events, as
well as the candy stores’ outdoor events during the holidays.
Giant Gummy Bears
But even the train can’t steal the spotlight from Candyland Cottage’s main attraction — its candy Along with nostalgic sweets, the selection includes 5- and 26-pound Giant Gummy Bears specially supplied to the stores by a group of sibling candymakers in North Carolina.
Stewart Laurent forged a bond with the siblings when a local girl celebrating her fifth birthday requested a pink, 5-pound Giant Gummy Bear for her party Stewart Laurent, promising to honor the request, drove to the candymakers’ workplace, picked up the pink bear and made it back to Rayne in time for the girl’s party
That’s just one story among many in two decades of candy selling. Customers from throughout the world have signed the shop’s guest book and marveled at the retro candies in their glass encased
keeping the car authentic while showing it at carnivals, fairs and other events. No one ever bothered to clean the vehicle until Toddy sold it.
According to a 2016 article in Living Las Vegas magazine, the car was released back to Ruth War-
ren, who let it sit in her driveway before leasing it out for display at the Topeka Fairgrounds.
“After a short time, the car was leased to Charles Stanley’s traveling carnival as a sideshow attraction, and allegedly made a brief appearance in the 1945 movie,
A seemingly endless variety of Jelly Bellies can be found at both locations of Candyland Cottage.
candy museum Kids’ reactions are always wide-eyed awe.
It’s the same awe found in 4-year-old Lane Melton’s smiling face. He and mom Hannah Credeur stopped by the Rayne store before heading out to their home in Hathaway near Jennings. “He actually had a field trip to the zoo in Lafayette today, so we’re on our way back,” Credeur said “He’s been here before.”
Lane is swept away in candy magic while seeking out a pack of Smarties. The rolled sugar candies are Lane’s favorite, and his wide-eyed search conjures memories for his mom.
“I grew up coming here,” she said. “My mom used to bring me here when I was little.”
Now she’s passing along the magic to Lane.
Email Robin Miller at romiller@ theadvocate.com.
‘Killers All,’” the article states. Stanley eventually bought the car outright from Ruth Warren for $3,500 and sold it to Toddy in 1960 for $14,500.
Ending up in Nevada
Last March, the Las Vegas Review-Journal took notice of the car and did its own digging into how it ended up in Primm.
Finally, casino owner “Peter Simon bought the car at a Massachusetts car auction in 1973 for $175,000, or about $1.2 million today,” the newspaper’s March 19, 2024, article states. “It was the highest-priced antique car in the world at the time.”
The 22-year-old Simon built a museum inside the casino he inherited from his dad, Pop’s Oasis along U.S. 91, to house the car, along with other artifacts affiliated with the duo.
Between 1973 and 1975, the museum drew in more than 100,000 visitors. By the end of 1975, Simon planned to sell the car According to the Las Vegas Journal Review, he “felt it would be in bad taste to keep it around amid the construction of the Jean Conservation Camp, a minimum security prison on the edge of town for female offenders.”
“The car was later bought by Gary Primm, son of Primm’s namesake Ernest Primm, for $250,000 in 1988 at auction after Simon sold Pop’s Oasis and liquidated everything in it from vehicles to floor polisher,” the article states. “The car went on display at Whiskey Pete’s in 1988, and was joined over a decade later by Barrow’s bloodied shirt.”
A bloody shirt
That shirt is now displayed beside the car in Buffalo Bill’s. In the meantime, Carver dreams of
one day purchasing that ambush shirt worn by the 25-year-old Clyde Chestnut Barrow, who was 20 years old when he met 19-yearold Bonnie Elizabeth Parker at a mutual friend’s house in West Dallas.
The outlaw duo traveled the central and southern United States with their gang between 1932 and 1934, robbing banks and committing multiple murders and kidnappings. The couple also sent photos of themselves holding guns to newspapers, who not only printed the images but chronicled their exploits. For years, only a stark, white monument marked the spot of the ambush site 10 minutes south of Gibsland. In 2014, the Bienville Parish Police Jury erected a second marker commemorating the six lawmen in the posse. The couple’s story continues to spawn songs, books and movies, the 1967 Warren Beatty-Faye Dunaway classic film being the most iconic.
“But the right car wasn’t used in the movie,” Carver said, laughing. “It was a 1934 Ford, but it was the wrong model.”
As for the car itself, only its bullet holes tell the story of that day
“They cleaned the inside when they moved it to Primm, so it’s no longer historically accurate,” Carver said. “But that car is the reason I’m in Gibsland. I wanted to learn everything I could about Bonnie and Clyde when I came here, and now I own the museum.”
Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.
STAFF PHOTOS By ROBIN MILLER
Candyland Cottage & Ice Cream Shoppe in Rayne is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Outlaw duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are seen in an undated photo. The couple went on a three-year crime spree in the Central and Southern regions of the U.S
TRAVEL
Visit birthplace of famous Klipsch speakers
BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer
You don’t have to be a dyedin-the-wool audiophile to have heard of Klipsch speakers. The brand has been called the “world’s best speaker.”
Forty-year-old Klipsch Heritage speakers are valued at many thousands of dollars more than they originally sold for Klipsch components have been featured in publications as diverse as GQ and Popular Science. They are famous, popular, and perhaps surprising to many — local.
In March, fans of Klipsch were invited to see the speaker brands’ beginnings at the 2025 Paul W. Klipsch Pilgrimage in Hope, Arkansas.
The town, which is a hop over the Arkansas line from north Caddo Parish, is probably best known as President Bill Clinton’s birthplace. In fact, Clinton and Klipsch got their start in the same year: 1946.
Denise Cooper is the volunteer secretary of the Klipsch Museum of Audio History, also in Hope. She makes time for her secretarial duties when she is not working her paying job as an environmental analyst in Memphis, Tennessee. The annual journey to Hope began in the 1990s as a yearly trip by sound quality diehards to the Klipsch factory
As it got larger, Cooper says that safety and industrial espionage concerns moved it from the factory to the museum downtown. Participants engaged in the Klipsch Museum of Audio History Tour led by curator Jim
By Christopher Elliott
Hunter, a wreath laying at Klipsch’s grave, and music and snacks at the Paul W. Klipsch Auditorium on the 2nd floor of Hope City Hall.
Part of the role of the museum, Cooper said, is to keep the many Paul Wilbur Klipsch stories alive. There are a lot of them. He is described, even on the official website, as “eccentric,” “genius,” “madman” and “maverick.”
His passion, it reads, “gave rise to speaker technologists that would forever impact generations of music lovers.”
That genius took shape just after WWII in what is now known as the Tin Shed at the Hope airport
“He was in the Army,” Cooper said. “He came to oversee construction and to manage the Southwest Proving Ground. So he had a little tin shed that he started playing around with his speakers, and that evolved into the Klipsch factory.”
Though the majority of Klipsch manufacturing moved to Indianapolis in 2000, the Klipsch factory in Hope is still open and builds the Heritage line speakers.
One of those speakers, the Klipschorn, has been made by hand in continuous production in Hope for 70 years. Others made in Hope include the La Scala, the Heresy, the Cornwall and the Jubilee.
“That was the last design that Mr Klipsch and senior engineer Roy Delgado Jr were working on when Mr Klipsch passed away that one debuted in 2023,” Cooper said.
Over the years, Klipsch has expanded to include a full line of
home and professional speakers, home theater systems, sound
bars, headphones, Bluetooth speakers, AV receivers and
more.
One of the reasons the sound quality is so good, Cooper said, is the soundproof anechoic chamber that Klipsch and engineer Jim Hunter patented to test equipment, including speakers made by his competitors.
Part of the museum’s goal is to preserve not only the stories, but Klipsch’s technical documents and technical knowledge.
“A big part of what we want to do is use Mr Klipsch, his science of sound,” Cooper said, “and his technical documents and his technical knowledge to encourage science, technology, engineering, art — because it’s all about music and mathematics.”
American Airlines charged me $80 for ‘free’ checked bags
BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT
they were only able to provide me a link to the American Airlines refund page, which did not allow me to request a bag fee refund. I also filled out the American Airlines comment/complaint form to try to reach out that way. I received a boilerplate email stating that American Airlines was going to “make sure that my concerns were directed to the appropriate parties” and to please choose American Airlines for my future travel needs.
I would like a refund of the $80 that we paid. Can you help me? — David Ponzevic, Plainfield, Illinois
American Airlines shouldn’t have charged you $80 for your checked luggage. So much for “free” bags. While I’m on the subject, let me object to the term “free” anything, and especially luggage. American should have said that it included the cost of your luggage in the cost of your fare. (Techni-
cally, nothing is free when you’re flying.)
Oh, I know Some of you, dear readers, are probably saying, “But it’s free if I use my credit card.” Nope! You’re still paying an annual fee or giving American a percentage of those lucrative swipe fees. Or you’re paying interest. Either way, not free. American asked you to pay twice for your checked baggage, and that’s really upsetting.
The other upsetting thing is the way American handled your request for help. You battled seemingly endless phone trees, an unhelpful AI, and a tone-deaf customer service department. Is it any wonder that American Airlines has the reputation it does when it comes to customer service?
How could you have avoided this? The problem happened at
Actor struggling with lack family’s lack of career support
Dear Harriette: My family has never taken my acting career seriously, and it’s starting to wear on me. I’ve been dedicated to acting for 15 years, performing in multiple plays and constantly working to improve my craft. However, I’ve never landed a leading role, and because of that, my family sees my passion as more of a hobby than a real career path. No matter how hard I work or how much time I invest in auditions, rehearsals and performances, they always make dismissive comments like, “When are you going to get a real job?” or “Maybe acting just isn’t for you.” It’s frustrating because I know success in the industry takes time and persistence, but their lack of support makes me feel like I’m not good enough.
I love acting, and I don’t want to give up just to please them, but I also don’t know how to handle their constant judgment and negativity How do I get them to
respect my passion and take my career seriously? If they never do, how do I learn to be OK with that?
— BornActor
Dear BornActor: Some people fuel their passions based on their family members’ lack of support. They may prefer to have supportive family members and loved ones, but when they do not, they figure out ways to allow the naysayers to drive them to greater success. Is that ideal? No. But you cannot control other people. All you can control is yourself. Rather than continuing to try to convince them that they should value your life choices, pivot and direct your attention to pursuing your dream Stop telling them about your journey, which creates opportunities for them to make comments. Just live your life. The exception might be if you find yourself needing their financial support in order to continue on your path. Then it gets tricky You can work that out, too. Find a part-time job that helps to pay the bills. You need to be independent from them in order to comfortably stand your ground.
Dear Harriette: As a person who always prioritizes work, everything else happens only “if I have time” so generally nothing happens for me other than work. I always make time to do more work, so I neglect things like my health, exercise, friendships, errands, sleep and more. How can I encourage more balance in my routine? Even if not balance, where can I squeeze in time for at least some exercise? —Workaholic DearWorkaholic: Start making a daily list of everything you need to do for your life. Include work responsibilities, of course, but also write down the other categories, such as health, friends, family and rest. Check off each box as you complete tasks. Notice which ones regularly get overlooked. Commit to recasting your net so that you fit in the other life essentials. Over time, you can change your behavior patterns if you pay attention to how you are spending your time and reprioritize what is important to you. It takes
the check-in counter I might have skipped the self-service kiosk and headed to one of the staffed ticket counters. An agent could have overridden the system and ensured you didn’t have to pay twice for your checked baggage. Failing that, you could have at least gotten the name of the agent who promised you a refund.
After that, the only fix would have been to write to one of the American Airlines executive contacts I publish on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.
I contacted American Airlines on your behalf. A representative said you had purchased your tickets through an online agency and that the fare included a free checked bag per passenger But it looks like you changed your ticket, which downgraded you to a regular economy class ticket.
By The Associated Press
Today is Sunday, March 16, the 75th day of 2025. There are 290 days left in the year
Today in history
On March 16, 1968, during the Vietnam War, U.S Army soldiers hunting for Viet Cong fighters and sympathizers killed as many as 500 unarmed villagers in two hamlets of Son My village, in what became known as the My Lai massacre.
On this date:
In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson signed a measure authorizing the establishment of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.
In 1935, Adolf Hitler broke the military terms set by the Treaty of Versailles by ordering the rearming of Germany and resuming military conscription.
In 1972, in a nationally broadcast address, President Richard Nixon called for a moratorium on courtordered school busing to achieve racial desegregation
In 1984, William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut, was kidnapped by Hezbollah militants; he would be tortured by his captors and killed in 1985.
In 1985, Associated Press correspondent Terry Anderson was kidnapped in Beirut by Hezbollah militants; he would spend nearly seven years in captivity before be-
American refunded you a $27 fare difference.
“That said, we understand the confusion based on the confirmation email they were sent that still said one free bag, and are willing to refund the bag,” the representative told me.
But before American Airlines could do anything, you reported that the $80 charge had inexplicably been voided. American Airlines closed your case, and since you have your money back, I will, too.
Christopher Elliott is the author of The Unauthorized Travel Manual and founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.
ing freed in December 1991. In 1994, figure skater Tonya Harding pleaded guilty in Portland, Oregon, to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for covering up an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan, avoiding jail but drawing a $100,000 fine and three years of probation.
In 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to take the seat of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who had died the previous month Republicans who controlled the Senate would stick to their pledge to leave the seat empty until after the presidential election; they confirmed Trump nominee Neil Gorsuch in April 2017. In 2020, global stocks plunged amid coronavirus concerns, with the
Paul W. Klipsch in the anechoic chamber
PROVIDED PHOTOS
The Klipsch anechoic soundproof chamber
BOOKS
‘Before Elvis’ digs into music that fueled success
BY GERALDINE WYCKOFF
Contributing writer
“Before Elvis – The African American Musicians Who Made the King” by Preston Lauterbach, Hachette Book Group
While the title of Preston Lauterbach’s book, “Before Elvis — the African American Musicians Who Made the King,” might be deemed provocative, the author offers no preconceived opinions on the often-discussed subject Instead, digging deep into the musical dynamics of the time, Lauterback relies on his own and others’ interviews, newspaper and magazine articles. He often relied on quotes from such noted artists such as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, who in 1953 released “Hound Dog,” which in 1956 became a huge hit for Presley, and guitarist/vocalist Arthur Crudup who wrote “That’s All Right,” Elvis’ first, very successful release.
“Arthur bore Elvis no ill will,” Presley’s manager told Lauterbach in 2003. “He felt that Elvis’ singing captured the spirit of black music.”
Memphis inspirations
First and foremost, Lauterbach devotes himself to research while relating his findings as a storyteller who sets the musical and racial scene primarily in the segregated city of Memphis, Tennessee, to which Presley moved in 1948 from his birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi.
A major figure during this era was the Rev W. Herbert Brew-
ster, an activist in Black voter registration and the Civil Rights Movement who opened his East Trigg Missionary Baptist Church to White people. Presley writes Lauterbach, attended the church regularly and
later in his career the “king of rock ‘n’ roll” cited gospel music as a key element of his style. Elvis also took away from his experiences at East Trigg the importance of building an audience to a frenzy In the church
it was the spirited and spiritually driven congregation, while throughout Presley’s career his shows were typified by screaming, ecstatic teenage girls and engaged crowds.
Those who ‘made the king’ Credit goes to Lauterbach for spending full chapters with bios of those “who made the king” and the effect his rise had on their careers. While Crudup died destitute, his family finally received the royalties that he earned and deserved. His story of not being credited for his composition is an all too familiar one. (New Orleanians have only to think of artists like Al Johnson, who, with help, at last got cash money for his Mardi Gras anthem “Carnival Time.”)
Then there is Big Mama Thornton, whose pure presence, huge talent, powerful voice, moxie and determination carried her through a career that appeared satisfying, though not financially lucrative. Her star rose again in 1968 when she released her original composition, “Ball and Chain,” which skyrocketed to the top of the charts when remade by the dynamic vocalist Janis Joplin. Joplin, who idolized Thornton, made sure her fans knew the song’s source. Big Mama did get royalties from the recording, whereas when asked whether she had received money from “Hound Dog,” which was written by Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber, her answer: “I never got a dime.” Musicianship, stage presence Memphis in the late 1940s and 1950s was buzzing with music. Despite the efforts of E.H. “Boss” Crump, the head of a
powerful political machine bent on separation of the races, musicians and music lovers found a way, as we say in New Orleans, to do what they wanted.
Presley sought out the best and headed to the Plantation Inn, a Black venue, where the Newborn family orchestra performed. It included, among others, patriarch Phineas Newborn Sr on drums and his energetic and talented son Calvin on guitar.
Calvin, whose brother was the noted jazz pianist Phineas Newborn Jr., inspired Presley with not only his fine guitar work but with his hip moves and hot stage presence. The two became friends.
Sun Recording Studio, founded by the now legendary Sam Phillips, set down its roots in Memphis in 1950.
It, of course, became the early home of Elvis Presley, a thenunknown artist who first entered the studio door to record a song for his beloved mother Soon thereafter Memphis’ WDIA became the first all-Black radio station in the nation.
Preston Lauterbach’s “Before Elvis — The African American Musicians Who Made the King,” stands as an examination of a small though transitionally crucial segment of musical history At the same time, it also looks into the continuing evolution of racial relations in America. Elvis, who was strongly influenced and nurtured by Black music, was a part of the revolution that stood up against Jim Crow just as music has always done, and continues to do.
Geraldine Wyckoff is a music journalist in New Orleans. Email her at gwnomusic@yahoo.com.
BY RIEN FERTEL
Contributing writer
“Sight Unseen ” by Constance Adler ELJ Editions, 308 pages Constance Adler moved to New Orleans shortly after the May floods of 1995, a destructive event that sets in motion her debut novel, “Sight Unseen.” Through the story of Claire and Simon, Adler’s novel captures a marriage and a city tested by one deluge after another The rains bring growth — Simon owns a plant nursery — allowing Adler to sketch evocative scenes of the city’s lush and loamy green life. The couple, too, is looking to grow, to raise a child he hesitantly she wholeheartedly — but suffer multiple setbacks early on, including a miscarriage and a failed adoption attempt. Their relationship is soon flooded, overwhelmed with grief. “Life grew easily in this place,” Adler writes, “and it died easily.” In the works for over two decades, “Sight Unseen” is
worth the wait. Adler details an era of New Orleans that feels long-forgotten with a tender touch and great care for the intimate lives of her characters.
This interview has been condensed and edited from a phone conversation This is your debut novel, after a long nonfiction writing career Had you always wanted to write a novel? The short answer is yes. I certainly read novels with great enthusiasm. When I went to graduate school, I was writing fiction, short stories. It took me a long time to write this novel. It started as a short story, way back in 2000. I was picking it up and putting it down and always working on it. And it was a personal challenge. I really wanted to finish this novel to make it realize its potential that I sensed when I started it. Did you approach writing the novel or writing fiction differently than writing nonfiction?
Yes, I definitely did What the two forms of writing have in common is that they both start with experiences that you can draw on, things you know, things you’ve seen But the great joy of fiction is that you have a lot of freedom to just make things up —
make your characters into something more than what you know personally from your own life and to craft situations that grow out of a little bit of experience or knowledge.
It’s a little bit terrifying also because it’s just wide open. But if you let yourself conquer that trepidation and just leap into it, it’s very freeing, very liberating.
How did your own life inform the narrative?
I spent so many years working on this, every time I came back to it I had had some new life experience that informed what I was going to be writing. It was almost like I was in a new headspace in the story
What really fascinated me about the novel is that it is set in the year 1995, the year of the Hurricane Opal near-miss and the devastating May floods.
I am personally very nostalgic for that time. It’s when I first moved to New Orleans. I am also nostalgic for a time when people had to get along in life without cellphones or the internet, and I wanted my characters to be more present in their bodies and in their experiences. And third, I chose
the opening of the book to take place on the eve of the May 8 flood, a flood that a lot of people don’t think about.
It was devastating. I saw it as an early warning for Katrina, as sort of like a dress rehearsal for what would happen 10 years
later
How have your feelings changed for the city over those years?
I think it has followed the path that a lot of really long relationships do. There are ups and downs, there are moments when New Orleans has just broken my heart, and then something will happen where I just fall in love all over again.
It’s usually in springtime, or on a Mardi Gras day. One thing that New Orleans has taught me is you can’t get stuck hanging onto things. It’s natural for things to come into form and then to fade away This is a very natural cycle Nothing is really meant to stay You have to embrace it and cherish it and love it and enjoy it while you have it. And then find something new that you can love Fortunately New Orleans continues to produce so many gorgeous experiences and gorgeous views and gorgeous people that I can love it. I just have to be more supple in my grasp of it, let the past go and keep moving into
Sharpening
BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer
RICH COLLINS Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Rob Guthrie took over as chief executive officer of Bernhard LLC in June.
BUILDING PERMITS
tion; $1.5 million
Issued March 5-11:
Commercial alterations
OFFICE: 600 Jefferson St., Suite 11017, description, existing tenant renovation within Chase Tower; applicant, AQ Studios; contractor, C.M. Miciotto & Son; $510,000.
OFFICE: 556 Jefferson St., description, renovation to Suite 200 of Jefferson Towers; applicant, MBSB Group; contractor, S&S Renovators; $77,080.
MEDICAL: 4600 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, description, third
floor buildout of new NICU and renovations to second floor at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s; applicant, Stantec Architecture; contractor, The Lemoine Co.; $16 million.
MEDICAL: 4600 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, description, new elevator at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s; applicant, Stantec Architecture; contractor, The Lemoine Co.; $1.2 million
RESTAURANT: 1517 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, description, minor interior modifications to existing kitchen area for La Chapina Y La Catracha Restaurant; applicant, Designs by Zulay; contractor, Glenda Hernandez; $97,000.
RESIDENTIAL: 705 Bluebird Drive, description, clubhouse for Camellia Grove Townhomes; applicant, Ritter Maher Architects; contractor, DSLD; $471,702
NAIL SALON: 611 Settlers Trace Blvd., Suites A and B; description, shell only build out for Uniq Nail Lounge & Studio; applicant, Passion Home Design; contractor, $1 million.
CAFÉ: 3300 Johnston St., description, new Starbucks Café with parking at former Burger Tyme/ Wendy’s location; applicant, SPEC LLC; contractor, Vincent Construc-
RESIDENTIAL: 117 Zim Circle, description, none listed; applicant and contractor, Ark-La-Tex General Contractors; $8,500.
RESIDENTIAL: 130 Alsandor Drive, description, none listed; applicant and contractor, Ark-La-Tex General Contractors; $8,500.
OFFICE: 1003 Camellia Blvd., description, converting two offices into one space; applicant and contractor, Madhu Yadlapati; $2,000.
THEATER: 4620 U.S. 90 East, Broussard, description, demolition of existing movie theater; applicant, Celebrity Theaters of Broussard; contractor, Lloyd D. Nabors Demolition; no value listed
505 HOWARD AVE.: Schumacher Homes of Louisiana, $93,690. 109 ORCHARD PARK AVE.: Homes by Heritage Builders, $440,190. 115 ROSENSTIEL COURT: DSLD $126,810.
Chris Credeur was named manager vice president, commercial lender for JD Bank’s Lafayette office. He was previously manager of the bank’s credit analysis department. Credeur has been with JD Bank since 2015. He is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
ENERGY
Continued from page 1E
some “exit strategy” by its owner likely will be its fate in the next few years.
No, the new name for the company — which will be ENFRA, a portmanteau of “energy” and “infrastructure” is meant to underline the transformation of the company into one of the largest U.S. players in the “Energy-as-a-Service” or EaaS, market over the last decade and its prospects for continued fast growth, Guthrie said.
“Ten years ago, we were a very solid, traditional engineering and construction business that had an unproven idea,” Guthrie said “Today, we’re a market leader in Energy-as-a-Service with a coast-tocoast presence It’s rare that a business as old as ours would undergo that significant of a transformation in such a relatively short period of time.”
That evolution was the brainchild of the founder’s grandson Jim Bernhard, who formed private equity firm Bernhard Capital Partners in 2013, after selling The Shaw Group, which specialized in engineering, construction and industrial fabrication, for $3 billion. Bernard LLC was the largest component of Bernhard Capital’s $2.5 billion portfolio when it was sold to DIF Capital in 2021. (DIF was subsequently acquired by CVC). Though Bernhard’s sale price was not disclosed, it was estimated to be close to $1 billion by
Five people were inducted into the Opelousas General Health System Hall of Fame during the seventh annual Hall of Fame Gala.
Those inducted were Dr Donald J. DeBlanc, family medicine (posthumous); former CEO Gary Keller; Rita Keller speech pathologist (posthumous); Joy Poulet, nurse anesthetist (posthumous); and Ann Ruffino, former women’s services director
The inductees were selected by a special committee of the health system board of trustees.
private equity research firms.
Bernhard Capital, whose portfolio of companies is now valued at about $3.6 billion, has since concentrated primarily on growing its utilities business, including the $484 million purchase of Entergy’s gas division.
But Bernhard, or ENFRA as it will soon be known, continued to ride the EaaS wave Though companies had been providing energy services for decades, the explosive growth in EaaS since about 2010 was made possible by the fast spread of smart grids, widely distributed renewable energy, battery storage and other new technologies.
Under the EaaS business model, customers pay for energy services — like heating, cooling, lighting or energy management — rather than buying the energy itself or owning and maintaining energy infrastructure. It’s similar to how companies pay for Software-as-aService (SaaS) instead of buying software outright
The EaaS market in the U.S alone was worth about $25 billion in 2024, according to industry tracker Grandview Research, and is forecast to nearly double to $45 billion by 2030. Bernhard doesn’t provide specific financial results, but Guthrie said its growth has been at about twice the rate of the broader market, or about 25% a year between 2019-2024, led by EaaS business.
The company’s revenue last year was estimated at just over $790 million, according to Growjo, which tracks fast-growing private equity-owned companies.
Prepared oyster business sold to Texas group
Bayou Carlin Oyster Co., the company started by Lafayette chef and restaurant owner Boyer Derise, has been sold to a south Texas seafood company Prestige Oysters of San Leon acquired Derise’s company as part of its move to expand its product line and enhance its operational capabilities, the company announced this week. The company will retain the Bayou Carlin Oyster Co. brand. Terms of the deal, which were finalized Monday, were not disclosed.
Derise got the idea for the company in 2020 as his Good Eatz Kitchen
JAX
Continued from page 1E
facility opened in 2020 in New Orleans East, but after a rebrand from Dixie to Faubourg, the brewery ceased operations four years later
The Jax revival was an aspiration for many at Port Orleans, including Director of Operations
Ryan Mears, who said he’s been a fan of the dormant brand since he came to New Orleans to attend graduate school at Tulane University
“When my wife and I moved to the area 11 years ago, we came across the old Jax building when we were walking through the French Quarter,” he said. “We were expecting a brewery, but it was a mall instead. We were like, ‘Someone’s got to bring this back.’”
Jumping for Jax
Port Orleans had only ever sold beer in cans and on tap since it was founded in 2017 by retired New Orleans Saints player Zach Strief and four partners. But Mears wanted Jax customers to have the “bottle experience,” so last summer the brewery went shopping for used bottling equipment, vintage bottles, cardboard six-pack holders and hundreds of thousands of logo-embossed caps.
“I really wanted the brown bottle with the pry top for the nostalgia factor,” Mears said. “The same beer from a can, glass or bottle is a different experience.”
An in-house designer created a new Jax label inspired by the origi-
Big-ticket clients
Bernhard has stayed away from the high-volume lower profit segments of the market, like retrofitting dozens of outlets for fast-food chains or retail outlets. Instead, it has pursued long-term contracts with big nonprofits, including Tulane University, LSU and Jefferson Parish government, and out-of-state clients like Medical University of South Carolina.
“The strategy all along has been to prove this Energy-as-a-Service concept inside the borders of Louisiana and then export it beyond Louisiana,” Guthrie said. Other flagship customers include LCMC Health, Ochsner and the University of New Orleans.
“It has been an outstanding laboratory for us to test this concept before we scaled it and exported it,” he said.
Like most clients, big nonprofit institutions are driven primarily by saving money on their energy bills over their 20- and 30-year contracts. But Guthrie said that health care systems and universities are more motivated than most to also lower their carbon footprints. The two goals coincide with the various state and federal programs that have mushroomed to incentivize energy users, especially larger institutions, to make efficiency improvements and move toward lowor zero-carbon energy sources.
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act in particular offers investment and production tax credits for renewable energy battery storage and energy efficiency upgrades Cred-
BUSINESS BRIEFS
locations were forced to takeout business during the pandemic. It offers kits with shucked Gulf oysters and compound butter Former Broussard movie theater to be demolished
The former movie theater in Broussard will be demolished after efforts to find a new use for the building were unsuccessful.
Broussard-based Billeaud Cos. had put out a request for proposals to redevelop the site, but officials said the 8-acre site at 4620 U.S 90 East needs a clean slate.
“While originally planning for redevelopment centered around the existing structure, we believe
nal with some modifications. Most noticeably, the original silhouette of Andrew Jackson on a horse has been replaced with an image of the St. Louis Cathedral.
“We thought it was more iconic and more representative of New Orleans,” Mears said.
Though Port Orleans didn’t have access to the original Jax recipe, brewers researched formulas for similar American pilsners that were popular in the first half of the 20th century In 2023, the brewery had stopped distributing its beers to focus on its on-site hospitality business.
But the return of Jax the following year provided an extra incentive for Port Orleans to resume distribution of several brands through Southern Eagle, one of the city’s two major beer suppliers.
The Jax nostalgia factor was a big selling point.
“We don’t have to dump a bunch of marketing money into it or hire a bunch of sales guys,” Mears said.
“It’s an organic growth.”
Port Orleans President Don Noel said the beer is selling well at retail despite not having a reserved spot in most stores’ cold cases.
Those are carefully planned and allocated, and the windows of opportunity to earn shelf space come around only twice a year
Despite that, Noel said a lot of mom-and-pop store owners are finding space for it anywhere they can.
“The retailers like us,” he said.
“They advocate for us.” Mears estimates the brewery is making 500 or so cases of Jax each week. About a third of that is consumed in its tap room. The rest
its for solar, wind and geothermal projects can be as high as 70%, and direct pay options make it easier for nonprofits, schools and municipalities to access incentives, which fits perfectly into EaaS models.
But the Trump administration has indicated it wants to roll back at least some of these incentive programs. On Wednesday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the termination of $20 billion in grants that were part of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, established under the inflation law Zeldin cited concerns about potential fraud and misalignment with EPA priorities, although specific details were not provided.
Some of the provisions in the inflation law have been “huge” for Bernhard’s clients, Guthrie said, because it has allowed them to capture tax benefits that had previously not been available.
“That made projects like solar and battery storage all the more compelling in terms of the financial impact, to say nothing of the environmental impact,” Guthrie said, noting that the uncertainly now created about policy going forward is making life difficult for EaaS providers and clients alike.
“We’re just like everyone else at this point, trying to learn everything we can about the new reality and doing our best to be able to adapt to it,” he said. “But at this point in time, I don’t think anybody has any certainty as to what exactly will happen to that legislation, whether it will be a scalpel ap-
we may have limited options and creativity of the site design,” Billeaud Chair Paul Eason said. “With the building gone, this will open up site planning ideas and give a fresh visualization of what this property can become.”
Billeaud is working to divide the property to maximize frontage along Celebrity Drive and what will one day be Interstate 49. Potential tenants are restaurants, retail or multi-use business concepts. The property is also along Main Street, which is undergoing a streetscape effort to increase walkability in the area.
Billeaud bought the property after the theater closed down in October 2023.
goes out to retailers, bars and restaurants via Southern Eagle on the south shore and another distributor, Champagne Beverage Co., north of the lake.
The plan is to keep the cost of a six pack under $10.
A bonus: now that the bottling line is up and running, Port Orleans is using it to bottle several of its other products.
Challenging time for brewers
The return of Jax has provided a boost for Port Orleans at a time when independent brewers are facing more competition and consumers are gravitating to beer alternatives like THC drinks, hard seltzers and canned cocktails.
The Brewers Association, a national trade group, said craft beer production was down 2% yearover-year in 2024, after booming during the century’s first two decades. For the first time since 2005, more indie breweries closed than opened. Brewers are facing more headwinds in the future, with potential tariffs and other factors that could lead to rising costs.
“Beer has changed a lot in the last 20 years,” said Noel “At one point, small breweries could print money, but then the market became very saturated.”
While reviving the Jax brand, Port Orleans has been busy with other projects, including an expansion to the West Bank that’s generated controversy The brewery was selected to be the operator of a brewpub that is being built with more than $8 million in Jefferson Parish funds on parish-owned land along the Mississippi River levee in downtown Gretna.
proach or a sledgehammer.” A chance encounter Guthrie, 43, came to the energy world by fluke. After college in Tennessee, he worked for seven years at the family construction firm in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, before getting married to a woman from Little Rock, Arkansas, who eventually wanted to move closer to home with their kids.
Needing a job, Guthrie ended up at the Clinton Foundation, working on energy access programs that contained the seeds of many of the aspects that evolved into EaaS in subsequent years. Whatever the uncertainties that public incentive programs for renewable energy sources face, Guthrie said that the biggest change looming for energy, as for many other sectors, is artificial intelligence. AI likely will lead to marked improvements in efficiencies for big energy users, like universities, municipalities and hospitals, which will allow them to have surplus power to sell into grids, he said.
“We’ve always had the philosophy that the primary focus should always be on efficiency and the customer side of the meter,” taking an “agnostic” approach to sources of power, Guthrie said.
“We generally don’t think about things like renewables until we’ve cleared that first hurdle,” he said. “So the efficiency stuff never goes out of style.”
Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.
TALKING BUSINESS WITH CASEy HOyT AND MIKE MOORE
VieMed revolutionized the health care job market
BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor
In 2006, businessman Casey
Hoyt and his longtime friend Mike Moore, a respiratory therapist, launched a health care startup focused on offering respiratory care in the home, a service not widely available at the time in the Lafayette region.
In the nearly two decades since, VieMed Health Care has grown into a 1,500-employee, publicly traded company that is changing the way in-home respiratory therapy is delivered to patients suffering from ailments such as COPD, ALS and sleep apnea by using new technology and noninvasive ventilation devices.
It has thousands of patients in all 50 states and recently reported annual net revenues of more than $224.3 million, up 23% from 2023 VieMed is one of several health care firms in Lafayette that are helping to diversify an economy traditionally dominated by the oil and gas industry As if to underscore that changing dynamic, the company’s corporate headquarters is located in the former Stone Energy office building downtown.
“We are very much a small town that punches above our weight in terms of being a health care incubator,” said Hoyt, VieMed’s CEO.
“We’re recruiting health care talent from New Orleans We’ve got a group of entrepreneurs here locally that have changed that narrative from oil and gas into health care.”
In this week’s Talking Business, Hoyt and Moore, now the company president, talk about what’s behind VieMed’s revenue growth, how much the company has grown and its latest efforts to help patients with sleep apnea. This interview has been edited for clarity How do you all do it? What’s your specialty to grow your customer base?
Hoyt: Our patient is typically a COPD patient or an ALS patient, somebody who’s very sick and at the end of life. Their lungs are failing and they are in and out of the hospital on a regular basis. We treat them by putting a respiratory therapist in the home with them
to hold their hand and offer a next level of care. Our competitors are delivering wheelchairs, walkers, commodes, CPAPs and ventilators, but they’re more of a logistical, drop-off company We’re very clinically focused and usually working inside of the hospital with the pulmonologist and then becoming an extension of case management to effectively discharge that patient into the home. So it’s a continuum of care, from the hospital to the home. Your revenue continues to be significantly up each quarter Can you give me a rundown of what’s happening? Hoyt: What’s driving the revenue is
really the complex respiratory side of the business. Sleep is growing at a nice clip. All of our businesses are growing right now, but the demand for these services — our market penetration is at 6% across the country That’s all of our competitors combined. So 94% of the folks who need our care are not getting it right now They are not aware that it’s available. But therein lies the opportunity for our business to grow It’s lots of demand, lots of patients in need and, hence you see our revenue growing at record numbers from quarter to quarter, year over year
How much has your patient count grown in recent years. Do you have patients and therapists across the country now?
Hoyt: We have patients in all 50 states and really good coverage in 38 of the 50. We have to have respiratory therapists in all 50 to support them. We have a big geographical gap to hit. We started in Louisiana and probably have 80% of the market share here but still have some work to do, just in Louisiana. Texas has recently become our number one state for (number of) patients but there’s still a ton of work to do in Texas. Can you break down your patients by treat-
ment? Moore: We treat almost 3,000 patients a month for sleep apnea. With COPD, which most people associate that with smoking and lung disease, we’re onboarding about 1,500 oxygen therapy patients per month. For ventilators, close to 1,000 per month coming on board. We’ve touched several hundred thousand patients going back to our inception. Most of these patients don’t live long, but some do We have a large range of patients with different diseases But when we get in that home, it’s intense treatment. It’s emotional. The family is involved. It’s always a sad story Sleep apnea seems to be one of those conditions that is more common than people think. Your company has done some interesting things in that space What kind of results are you seeing?
Hoyt: Probably 80% of people with sleep apnea are untreated. The big thing that’s driving our sleep business is the prescribing of the GLP1 drug, the weight-loss drug. A lot of folks are treating their weight loss, and it’s driving more patients into internal medicine and family practice offices. As a result, they’re uncovering more needs for treating sleep apnea because, typically, folks who struggle with being overweight usually are struggling with some form of sleep apnea. They tend to order a CPAP or a home sleep study with the GLP-1 drug. VieMed is still expanding and you’re looking at other acquisitions in the future.How do you market yourselves to expand in the future?
Hoyt: Our patients are the frequent flyers to the hospital and the doctor’s office. Once we’ve built up these patient success stories, that’s what we need to run with to tell the next town over what we’ve done here. Today we’ve got three published studies. We have a 16% reduction in mortality with this patient base. For every 51/2 patients we put on therapy, we save a life. We also save money if we get them on therapy In the first 30 days, we can save $5,400 per patient per year by preventing them from going into the hospital. So the payer is incentivized to embrace our programs. Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.
PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
LOUISIANA
BIG FLEX
Pilates, a 99-year-old form of exercise, helps stabilize the body
BY SHANTELL GOMEZ Contributing writer
Most people don’t think about posture or movement until something starts to hurt. Whether it’s back pain from sitting too long stiffness from not moving enough or feeling out of balance, Pilates might help.
The exercise, invented by Joseph Pilates 99 years ago after he spent time in a German internment camp in World War I, helps bring the body back into alignment.
It’s a method of exercise that strengthens, stabilizes and restores function to the body in a way that feels intentional rather than overwhelming.
And the best part? There are no fitness prerequisites to get started.
The foundation of movement
Many desk-tied workers slouch at the office over a computer endlessly scroll on the phone with rounded shoulders and end up feeling stiff after a long day Adjusting posture might be the solution. Poor posture isn’t just about looks it can lead to back pain, muscle imbalances and decreased mobility
“Classical Pilates is about realigning the body and balancing movement,” said Beneth Frame, a physical therapist and Pilates instructor at Align Pilates Studio. “It helps
strengthen the deep core muscles, which are often neglected when we sit for long periods.”
ä See PILATES, page 2X
Plant protein?
BY LAURA WILLIAMSON
American Heart Association News (TNS)
Protein. It’s what’s for dinner But many consumers are realizing they don’t need a steak on the table for protein. Instead, they’re turning their tastes toward plant-based sources.
Dr Andrea Glenn, an assistant professor of nutrition at New York University in New York City, said it’s as easy to get protein from sources that grow in the field as it is from the animals that graze there.
“All plants contain protein,” she said.
Why do we need it?
Protein is a macronutrient, meaning the body needs it in large amounts for different things, such as building muscle and bones, forming cartilage, skin and blood, and providing calories that give the body energy Hormones, vitamins and enzymes that support the cells in the immune system are also made from protein.
“It’s essential for life, really,” Glenn said
How much is enough?
The recommended daily allowance for protein consumption for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, or about 0.36 grams per pound. For a person who weighs 150 pounds, that’s about 54 grams of protein per day
Children and pregnant or breastfeeding women need slightly more grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for tissue growth and development.
Eating enough protein is important as people age to prevent the loss of lean muscle mass, according to federal dietary guidelines. But 50% of women and 30% of men 71 and older don’t eat enough of it
Overall, adult men do a better job of consuming protein than women, who often fall short of the recommended daily amounts, the guidelines say The deficits seem to come from the types of protein people choose and how they eat them. Adults in the U.S. typically consume protein as part of a mixed dish, such as a casserole, or in a pasta dish or sandwich, which can contain higher amounts of saturated fat and sodium and other less nutrient-dense ingredients.
While most people — 3 out of 4 — meetorexceedtherecommendation for protein from meats, poultry and eggs, nearly 90% don’t eat enough seafood and more than half don’t meet the recommendation for nuts, seeds and soy products, according to the federal dietary guidelines.
The American Heart Association encourages adults to get most of their protein from plants, such as legumes and nuts, as well as from seafood and low-fat dairy products. Animal-based proteins should come from lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry Processed meat should be avoided.
PHOTO PROVIDED By BECKy PHARES
exibility at The Body Initiative, a Pilates studio in Lafayette.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Fay Harris works with Pilates instructor Charley Prejean at Integrated Physical Therapy in Lafayette.
HEALTH MAKER
BR nursing educator hopes to fill La. nursing shortages
BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer
Amy Hall, a certified registered nurse, is the dean of the School of Nursing at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University Hall earned her Ph.D. in nursing at St. Louis University Hall has nearly 30 years of nursing and education experience and is responsible for developing new academic programs
A certified disaster nurse, Hall is an active volunteer with the American Red Cross, caring for people affected by disasters and providing disaster nurse certification courses for other nurses. In her time away from academics, Hall runs marathons.
She received her final star in the “Six Star Medal” in February, after completing all of the World Marathon Majors: Tokyo, Boston, London, New York City, Berlin and Chicago. Additionally, Hall completed the Sydney Marathon, a late addition to the major marathons list Tell me about the ‘potential’ shortage of nurses in Louisiana.
If you look at some of the health statistics, from the Health Resources and Service Administration, they are projecting that there will be a shortage of 78,000 full-time nurses in 2025. We are experiencing the shortage right now It’s very real, and I think it’s even more real in Louisiana The Louisiana Board of Regents projects a 42% shortage of registered nurses by 2030 — which is about 182 nurses. What’s happening to fuel this is that a lot of our nurses are older, a lot of them are retiring. We don’t have as many young people choosing nursing as a career
PILATES
Continued from page 1X
According to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, individuals who practiced Pilates for eight weeks significantly improved posture and spinal alignment. Stronger core muscles provide stability, making it easier to maintain good posture throughout daily activities.
Joint health and mobility
Arthritis and general stiffness can make movement feel more difficult over time. As people age, joints in the body lose some of their natural lubrication, leading to discomfort and reduced range of motion. However avoiding movement isn’t the answer — gentle, controlled exercise can help joints stay healthier longer
“Pilates helps you move your joints in a range that you wouldn’t normally get in d ai l y movement,” Frame said. “It lubricates the joints by increasing synovial fluid flow, reducing stiffness and improving flexibility.”
According to the Arthritis Foundation, exercises like Pilates can improve mobility and decrease arthritis pain by enhancing joint function. This makes Pilates an excellent option for people dealing with joint issues or looking to prevent future problems.
Protecting the spine
Pilates strengthens the muscles that support the spine, helping to keep everything in its proper place. The Spine Journal published a study showing that individuals with chronic low back pain who practiced Pilates for 12 weeks experienced a 60% reduction in pain and improved functional movement. Think of spinal discs like jelly doughnuts the soft center stays in place when
Even though the schools are pumping out a lot of nursing students and a lot of new graduates, we can’t really keep up with the retirements.
We see a significant number of new graduates leave the profession within the first couple of years of their degree. That just breaks my heart I think they really saw during COVID how stressful nursing could get.
What is the new AI tool you are using?
What is the origin story of its use?
At first, there was this uncertainty or panic or distrust of AI as a tool in school. However, I had been writing a textbook with Elsevier Fundamentals for
students and nurses across to provide the foundation of the nursing profession or nursing best practices. We also use these textbooks at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
These textbooks also have an tool called Surepath AI. All of the textbooks that the students purchase can use the tool to answer questions and generate credible help. When a students asks the tool a question like: “Tell me how to best manage a patient who has hypertension,” the tool will provide the students or the faculty information that you can trust that’s backed.
Students can actually click into
the citation if they need to read more about it, and it’ll take them into the pages in the electronic book.
The AI tool also allows us as faculty to role-model with our students how to use AI in a professional way, because left to its own devices students and prospective nurses could get some real unethical or unsafe practices with AI tools.
Are there any other technology innovations that you are looking forward to implementing in order to improve nursing education?
We are looking at possible virtual simulations. Elsevier 360 provides us, not only textbooks,
but a lot of other teaching tools for our students in that package. One of the things are these virtual simulations that are really cool
When I first saw them, probably 10 or 15 years ago, they were really clunky They were like a really bad video game, but now it’s amazing. The programs have a bank of patients to choose from, and we (as faculty) can assign the students to go take care of them. Students can do a physical assessment. They can interview them the simulation actually does voice recognition now, so the students can speak to the patient.
It’s still not like taking care of a real person. How could the shortage impact the way Louisianans practice medicine?
Nurses make up the majority of the staff in the hospital. We still have patients to take care of, and so there’s kind of, they call it a patient nurse ratio, you know, we try to keep the same you know, keep that at a safe number
When a hospital is shortstaffed, you just don’t have as much time to spend with patients to get all of the necessary information. It’s the stories from patients that help you figure out how to take care of them and what they need. Because we are losing so many experienced nurses to retirements, we are losing a lot of knowledge. Nursing is one of those professions that you learn a lot during school, but you’re always learning on the job — always building your knowledge with each patient. We prepare the new grads as best as we can, but we can’t prepare for everything that’s going to happen to them in their career
Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.
posture is aligned, but if a person is slouching or moving incorrectly pressure can push that “jelly” where it doesn’t belong, leading to pain and discomfort
“If I sit balanced, the jelly stays in the middle,” Frame said. “But if I sit with improper posture, it puts pressure on one side, and the jelly starts to move out of the doughnut.” Strength without impact
One of the biggest misconceptions about Pilates is that it is just gentle stretching. While it can be low impact, that doesn’t mean it’s easy Pilates builds strength using controlled resistance
— often through body weight or spring-based equipment.
“As a certified instructor for almost 20 years, I hear people say that Pilates is ‘low impact’ and only about the core,” said Becky Phares said, owner of The Body Initiative, a Pilat es studio in Lafayette. “The truth is, it focuses on fullbody organization, making all muscles strong and all joints flexible.” Pilates is also beneficial
for bone health. A 2021 study from the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity found that weight-bearing exercises, including Pilates, help stimulate the process of bone formation. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, about 50% of women and 25% of men over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis, making resistance exercises like Pilates essential for long-term bone strength.
“Pilates is particularly beneficial for bone health because it focuses on improving balance, coordination, posture and strength,” said Drema Ashley Bourque, owner of In
Balance Pilates Studio, a full-service Pilates studio in Baton Rouge. Many people don’t think about balance training until they start to feel unsteady Whether navigating a crowded grocery store, walking up and down stairs or trying to prevent future falls, balance is a skill that benefits everyone.
“(Pilates) can help reduce the risk of falls and fractures, which become a bigger concern as we age,” Bourque said.
The combination of core strengthening, controlled movement and increased body awareness makes Pilates an effective way to en-
hance stability at any age.
‘Ready’ to start One of the biggest reasons people hesitate to try Pilates is the belief that they need to be flexible, strong or pain-free before starting. But here’s the truth: Pilates is designed to meet people where they are. “If I had to give advice to someone considering Pilates, I’d say, ‘Don’t wait,’ ” Phares said. “Don’t wait until you’re flexible enough — that’s what Pilates is for Don’t wait until you’re strong enough — that’s what Pilates is for Don’t wait until you’re pain-free that’s what Pilates is for.”
Hall Frame
Phares
PHOTO PROVIDED By FRANCISCAN MISSIONARIES OF OUR LADy UNIVERSITy
Students gather for the first day of classes for spring 2025 at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University’s school of nursing
PHOTO PROVIDED By BECKy PHARES A group works through a series of controlled movements on the reformer to improve core strength and stability at The Body Initiative, a Pilates studio in Lafayette.
LOUISIANA KINDERGARTEN VACCINATION RATES ON STEADy DECLINE
Kindergarten children vaccination records
Source:
Analysis of 2021 to 2024 data shows a decline in vaccination rates among kindergarten students both statewide and across the U.S.,from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the measles outbreak continues to plagueTexas,New Mexico and other U.S.states,vaccination rates for all diseases remain a concern for health care professionals.
Nationally,an average of 3.3% of kindergarteners reported any vaccine exemption for the 2023-24 school year with 2.8% of Louisiana kindergarten students filing exemptions.
Data from the Louisiana Department of Health reflects the percentage of complete immunization records (all required vaccines received) for kindergarten students in each Louisiana parish. On the parish level,the largest declines in total vaccination rates from the 2021-22 school year to the 2023-24 school year occurred in Concordia Jefferson Davis,Cameron,Beauregard and East Feliciana parishes.
n Concordia Parish: from 79.5% in 2021-22,to 90.84% in 202223 and to 52.97% in 2023-24.
n Jefferson Davis Parish: 89.79% in 2021-22,to 89.71% in 202223 and to 58.67% in 2023-24.
n Cameron Parish: from 82.86% in 2021-22,to 93.15% in 202223 and to 65.38% in 2023-24.
n Beauregard Parish: from 92.35% in 2021-22,to 87.47% in 2022-23 and to 71.4% in 2023-24.
n East Feliciana Parish: from 92.22% in 2021-22,to 81.48% in 2022-23 and to 71.51% in 2023-24.
In the 2023-24 school year,Madison,Red River,Pointe Coupee, Iberville,Assumption and Bienville parishes had the highest vaccination rates among its kindergarteners.
n Madison Parish: from 76% in 2021-22,to 92.86% in 2022-23
and 97.56% in 2023-24.
n Red River Parish: from 100% in 2021-22,to 97.2% in 2022-23 and 95.93% in 2023-24.
n Pointe Coupee Parish: from 88.59% in 2021-22,to 92.5% in 2022-23 and 95.32% in 2023-24.
n Iberville Parish: from 96.02% in 2021-22,to 97.98% in 202223 and 94.75% in 2023-24.
n Assumption Parish: from 98.02% in 2021-22,to 97.67% in 2022-23 and 93.98% in 2023-24.
n Bienville Parish: from 94.52% in 2021-22,to 97.22% in 202223 and 93.98% in 2023-24.
In order to go to school,Louisiana requires four doses of diphtheria,tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine (DTaP); three doses of the polio vaccine,two doses of the measles,mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR); three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine (HepB); two doses of the hepatitisA vaccine (HepA); and two doses of the varicella vaccine (chickenpox orVar).
The CDC recommends a 95% measles vaccination rate for schools in order to reach“herd immunity”— when enough of the population is immune to the disease to prevent its spread.
The CDC says the rate of vaccinations needed for herd immunity depends on the disease:
n The vaccination rate of whooping cough (pertussis) should be above 90% to trigger herd immunity,according to theWorld Health Organization.
n The vaccination rate of polio should be at least 80% to trigger herd immunity,according to theWorld Health Organization.
n The vaccination rate for hepatitisA and hepatitis B should be at least 80% to trigger herd immunity,according to the Oxford Academic Journal.
While recommended daily allowances are listed in grams, the federal dietary guidelines also use ounces to describe the amount of protein people should eat. These guidelines suggest most adults need 5 to 7 ounces of protein per day, depending on age, sex and calorie intake.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers practical guidance for finding 1-ounce equivalents for a variety of protein-containing foods on its MyPlate website. One egg, 1 tablespoon of almond or peanut butter, 6 tablespoons of hummus or a quarter cup of tofu, cooked beans, peas, lentils or frozen edamame are all equivalent to a 1-ounce serving of cooked lean beef or skinless chicken or turkey Federal dietary guidelines also suggest replacing processed or high-fat meats, such as hot dogs, sausage and bacon, with seafood or beans, peas and lentils. The switch could help lower intake of saturated fats and sodium.
The AHA recommends eating 6 to 8 ounces per week of seafood, prefer-
ably oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, cobia, striped bass, herring or sardines.
“Fish are a good source of protein, especially if you are thinking about reducing your risk for heart disease,” Glenn said. She suggests eating a variety of protein-rich foods throughout the day, rather than focusing on a single source.
Protein from plants
For people who prefer not to eat meat or fish, it’s possible to get all the protein you need from plants, Glenn said. “We don’t typically see vegans or vegetarians being protein deficient.”
Of course, some plants contain more protein than others. Soybeans contain some of the highest amounts of protein found in plants and some of the highest quality protein, comparable to protein from animal sources. Protein makes up nearly 40% of the calories from soybeans, compared to 20% to 30% from other legumes. Soy-based foods such as tempeh and tofu are particularly high in protein, Glenn said. A 100-gram serving of tofu contains 9.4 grams of protein. The same portion of tempeh, a sliceable block made from soybeans, contains about 20 grams of protein.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.
This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and re-examining tried and true methods on ways to live well. Health
editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret. delaney@theadvocate. com to submit health questions, stories and more.
At first glance, his studio in New Orleans’ Central City is inconspicuous. It’s slender and two stories high with an auburn façade, squeezed between other flat-roofed buildings on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. Two window displays leading to the front door bear the patina of a collector’s space, showcasing rows of typewriters.
Makkos, in a navy blazer and pigtails topped with a beige Tom Waitsstyle pork pie hat, opened the door to his studio on a recent, sunny Tuesday morning During the tour he walked past a printing press and tables littered with intaglio stamps. Manila papers are buried in red-capped tubes and garbage bags are scattered everywhere.
Since 2013, Makkos has preserved tens of thousands of New Orleans newspapers, including The TimesPicayune — papers that date from 1888 to 1929. The papers were at one point owned by the British Museum, where they survived a Nazi bombing. After a shift in ownership, Makkos found the archives being offered on Craigslist for free.
The enigmatic Ohio native has a long-standing kinship with print media and history On YouTube, Makkos, 16 years younger, reads a poem assembled from a 1963 article while standing by a Royal typewriter at an open mic. For five years, he’s made use of his collection of over 20,000 records by DJ-ing throughout the U.S. and the United Kingdom. His stage name, “The Archivist,” comes as no surprise.
Makkos is rich rich with historic knowledge that the rest of New Orleans lacks. But he isn’t gatekeeping it. For years, he and his team of creatives, including collaborator Beau Ross and technology advisory Chris Galliano, have been working on an ambitious project that involves using artificial intelligence to create accurate depictions of New Orleans’ past. Makkos says the interactive database in the works is expected to be available in an app format that allows users to experience the city’s history,
archive.
“There’s all these insane things that essentially just have been kept from us due to technological degradation.”
JOSEPH MAKKOS, archivist
including tours, AI videos and highresolution photos.
The archivist believes the general ways history is taught limits the subject matter’s possibilities.
“We read books. We hear podcasts. We watch YouTube videos. We watch movies, and you can go on a tour,” Makkos said.
In fact, tourists stagger through the French Quarter every day, searching for a tour guide to chronicle the Lalaurie Mansion, Pirate’s Alley and Hotel Monteleone. Makkos noted that these walking tours can at times be in pursuit of entertaining visitors rather than sharing accurate accounts of the famous neighborhood’s past.
His project will offer interactive tours based on archives and historical books. Without giving away too much detail before its launch, with certain features slated to come out by the end of the year, Makkos characterized the tour as a Pokémon Goesque feature in the immersive database.
Searching through other websites that provide online archives, like NewsBank and Newspapers by Ancestry, involves inputting keywords, dates and locations that match the descriptions of an article. Makkos’ says
this database will work at a more rapid pace, answering users’ questions about New Orleans history with a model that’s similar to AI chatbots Grok and ChatGBT
Finding the answers to questions relating to history wasn’t always this easy Creative works including newspapers, published between 1923 and 1977 were not in the public domain after Congress extended its copyright protection in 1998, according to Duke University They became accessible in the public domain again in 2019.
“We are scanning at high res, and that’s like a boon for public domain,” Makkos said. “Because it’s like a whole new paradigm to that old information.”
Makkos owns a German-made scanner that produces crisp and ornate photographs of newspapers compared to the pixelated, microfilmed ones that appear on NewsBank.
In the 1950s and 60s, microfilm companies rose to fame, offering to take collections from institutions and capture microphotographs of the archives But some of history was erased during this process, with microfilmers unintentionally cutting off sections of articles They also used 50 ISO, a black-and-white film, Makkos said, even though color started appearing in newspapers in 1913.
“There’s all these insane things that essentially just have been kept from us due to technological degradation,”
Balancing the mental load
In the last few months, both of my 20-something daughters have initiated conversations that included the four magic words a mother waits for: “You were right, Mom.”
They are in the early throes of figuring out adulting — and the energy it requires.
They’ve discovered and discussed the shock of paying bills and making sure their cupboards and cabinets are stocked with all the things: enough food vs. too much food, clean sheets, a working vacuum, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, shampoo, salt and the list goes on and on.
One thing that they will both admit is that their grocery shopping experiences go a little differently now that they are paying the tab.
Our older daughter is rather quiet. At 23, Piper, our youngest, is the opposite of quiet. She is processing her adulthood transition by talking it through. Piper graduated from LSU last spring and joined Teach for America. She accepted a position teaching 11th grade math in Denver and moved there last summer She calls me almost every afternoon on her 25-minute drive home, and I get a synopsis of her day I consider the fact that we are having the conversations as a win.
In those daily calls, I’ve listened to her process her move across the country, the responsibilities of starting a new job, figuring out health care, paying rent and making a car payment. So much new stuff at once has been a shock to her system — not to mention her teaching 70 17-year-old students about trigonometric functions, quadratics, statistics/probability and more.
She and I have talked about what it means to “bear the mental load” of life in general and in a classroom — to be the one who has to recognize and initiate all the things need to happen, along with the energy required to keep track of it all.
At 23, she is working to keep things in perspective, but she says “struggle” is a good word to describe some of her life these days. Getting to know her students and learning details of their lives has been humbling.
Most days on her drive home she admits that she’s so worn out that all she wants to do is stay home and rest. She has realized the need to find a balance between pouring into her students, emotionally and academically, versus taking care of herself a tricky tightrope walk, to be sure.
“The process of recognizing the comfort my own life has been interesting,” she said. “Even with the difficulties I face, I’ve just never had to go through the challenges that a lot of the students I’m working with experience on a daily basis.”
As she’s approaching the last few months of her first year of teaching, she recommends that all adults try teaching, even if it’s only a year
“Being humbled is a good thing,” she said.
“One year of teaching really does the trick. This is an experience that sticks.”
She remembers that I tried to warn her
“You told me that I wasn’t going to understand how difficult teaching is,” she said. “You
STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER
Archivist Joseph Makkos recently sorts through his extensive collection of old Times-Picayune newspapers.
Carnival coverage headlines on original Times-Picayune newspapers from 1925 are kept in an
Inspired Book Club
to meet this week
Group to discuss Presley, Keough memoir
BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer
The wait is over The much-anticipated Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough Inspired Book Club’s virtual statewide discussion is this week. Jan Risher will facilitate the discussion of “From Here to the Great Unknown,” the memoir of Presley and Keough, with a panel of guests at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday March 18
The panelists joining the discussion are Roy Turner, executive director of the Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Annie Vaden, a social worker that specializes in grief and trauma. Both are uniquely prepared to talk about the book and subject matter To join the discussion, go to youtube.com/ live/1dTO8HQ5l2U at 12:15 p.m. on March 18.
Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.
RISHER
Continued from page 2y
were right. I had absolutely no clue.”
Aside from teaching, she is facing the big things and the little things — like learning what a different kind of winter feels like, how to drive in a much bigger city in wintry conditions
DATABASE
Continued from page 2y
he explained.
The photographs and texts of newspapers will not only be of higher quality on his program, but AI will breathe life into them.
“Those people can be winking at you and smiling at you,” Makkos marveled while describing the potential to humanize archives.
Overall, she describes her transition into adulthood as “bittersweet ”
“I think it’s all been a good thing, but it’s kind of bittersweet,” she said.
As she’s observing her students every day and trying to figure out what makes them tick and how to motivate them to do the right thing, she says she’s had a lot of time for self reflection.
“I spend a lot of time
analyzing 17-year-old’s behaviors,” she said “I’m turning that back on myself — looking at some of my past behaviors and asking how am I going to improve some of those behaviors. I’ve realized the importance of letting go of the parts of yourself that don’t represent the best of who you are.”
Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com
The project comes during a rise in concern for the use of AI, with workplaces alarmed that such vigorous technology threatens to replace careers. A study by Goldman Sachs in December 2024 found that only 6.1% of American companies are using AI to produce their services.
On a nationwide scale, more are learning to adapt to the digital age in 2025, with mass media corporations like The New York Times and The Guardian recently embracing AI by using it as a tool rather than a takeover In Louisiana researchers are studying it with the launch
of the $50 million Louisiana Growth Fund and the Louisiana Institute for Artificial Intelligence in February Makkos is embracing AI like many Yet some Gen Z-ers want to experience what technology took away from them. Rather than reaching for their iPhones to snap a picture, they are clearing store shelves filled with digital cameras. The crackle of spinning records and the distinctive
hiss of a running cassette tape have made a comeback in the past year Makkos’ database emerges at a time when some in the younger generation want the old and not the new
“They want authenticity,” Makkos said. “They want something real, something tangible, something that’s rooted in a real thing.”
Email Poet Wolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com
PROVIDED PHOTO Louisiana Inspired Book Club’s first
Archivist Joseph Makkos prepares some of his original Times-Picayune newspapers from the early 1900s.
STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER Archivist Joseph Makkos scans an original Times-Picayune newspaper from 1898.
Using special skills to find purpose providing haircuts
In Baton Rouge, speech therapist meets ‘clients where they are’
BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer
Madeline Johnson holds two licenses that often do not go hand in hand — speech therapy and barbering.
Johnson worked at a beauty salon in high school as an assistant which allowed her to be around one of her passions: hair She also spent time working with a young boy with Down syndrome and developed her other passion: helping people with special needs.
While attending LSU for undergrad and graduate school for speech language pathology, Johnson was also working on her barber apprenticeship. She took the state barber board exam around the same time she graduated with her master’s degree.
This year, Johnson opened her own haircutting service for individuals with special needs, Miss Madeline’s, with a vision to provide sensoryfriendly haircuts. Johnson started her service on Sundays operating out of the Bluebonnet Blvd. Salon du Sud and calling the sessions Sensory Sundays. She believes that every person deserves dignity while getting a haircut.
When did your vision for Miss Madeline’s come to you, and how did it evolve?
A lot of my patients throughout grad school and my fellowship year talked about how it’s really hard for the kids to complete activities of daily living. And a haircut is definitely one of those things.
Every single person has some sort of hairstyle, so it’s important to me that everyone gets to feel like they can express themselves with their hair
How long have you been doing this and what are your plans for 2025?
I started in January The support from Baton Rouge has been outrageous. I expected the special needs community to care about it, but I did not expect the greater Baton Rouge area to care about it as much as they did. It feels like everyone in town has contributed something to this project
Everybody is just outpouring support. I’ve had lawyers help me with my LLC It’s just touching a lot of people, and I’m really grateful for that. It feels like everyone in town has contributed something to this project.
Salon du Sud was hosting me for Sensory Sundays. They had a really great room that was plain and pretty and very neutral, which is important for the whole sensory component of what I’m doing.
I really planned on doing just that for a while, but then the wait list was filled out until the end of April. Parents were calling, and I was telling them that it’s three months out.
I decided to start looking around Then Aaron Hogan, who has Eye Wander photography studio, has a little suite behind his studio that I’m going to share. I’m going to start there on April 1, alternating Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Then on Fridays, I go into schools, clinics, hospitals, and I cut hair on site
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, I plan to do contract speech therapy work — so I’ll still be a speech therapist to keep my skills up and everything. What are some features of compassionate sensory haircuts that make them unique?
You have to keep in mind the entire sensory system visual, auditory, touch, smell, taste, all of it. A typical hair salon is really over stimulating. With the visual component, my salon space is going to be very neutral. It’s not being marketed as a kid’s hair salon. There are no bright colors. There are no rocket ship chairs. I’ll have sensory toys like Pop Its, toys with different textures, weighted items and vibrating items.
The tactile component of a haircut is really intense. I’ve learned a lot of information about proprioception, which is a sense that lets us perceive the location and movements of our body parts, and how anyone with sensory differences likes to be touched. They like to be warned when they’re about to be touched.
I have a lot of deep pressure techniques that I use Before I go in with the clippers, I’ll press down with my hand close to where it’s going to be. We count to three, I do it for two seconds, and then we stop. We kind of create this pattern so that they are aware and can bring attention to that part of their body I don’t ever want to shock their nervous system, and these are things that I learned in speech therapy We talk about it, and I let them play with the items beforehand. Patience is a huge key I always book the appointments to be an hour
A lot of the parents with kids in wheelchairs have been really grateful because I understand my way around a wheelchair I am not afraid to get in there. I’ve had some parents tell me that different salons were almost scared to touch the kids and their big wheelchairs because they just had never seen it before. The parents feel comforted that I am, first and foremost, a health care professional,
and I happen to also be a bar-
ber
What do you want parents and guardians who have children with special needs,or family members with special needs, to know?
I want them to know that they don’t have to make excuses for their child and they don’t have to apologize for what their child needs Even adults with special needs, too.
Adults with sensory differences, or anybody with sensory differences, do not have to explain away anything. I understand it. I feel like I can meet them where they are. I don’t want anyone to feel embarrassed about anything that they might need.
Was this attention to sensory needs something that you were trained in with speech therapy, or has this been something you’ve studied on your own? All speech therapists learn about sensory differences, but the place where I did my fellowship year and clinical experience, I did a lot of cotreating with occupational therapists — which really solidified my knowledge.
“Shell's RootsRun Deep in St.Charles Parish. To us,beingagood neighbor means more than safely clocking in and out;itmeans actively supporting theplacesand communitiesthathavebeen thefoundation of our business fornearly acentury.”
TAMMYLITTLE | General Manager, ShellNorco
In honor of ShellNorco's 95thanniversary,ninety-fiveemployees partnered with thePontchartrain Conservancytoplant1,000 treesat Wetland Watchers Park in St.CharlesParish.
Thesetrees will help fortifythe Lake Pontchartrain shoreline,createnew wildlife habitat, and supportlocal air quality.Atthe event,Shell NorcoGeneral Manager Tammy Little announced a$175,000 donation to theSt. Charles Parish Parksand Recreation Department to helprebuild thepark’spier,which wasdamaged in Hurricane Ida.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Madeline Johnson, a licensed speech therapist and licensed barber, cuts the hair of her client, Dylan Simoneaux.
FAITH & VALUES
Historic Black churches receive preservation grants
BY ADELLE M BANKS Contributing writer
Thirty historically Black churches and projects, including those with ties to Civil Rights leaders who led churches and protests across the United States, are receiving grants totaling $8.5 million from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The awards are part of the third annual Preserving Black Churches grant program that focuses on historic African American sites across the country and assists them in avoiding demolition, paying for maintenance and fixing structural problems.
“We are honored to support the ongoing legacies of these churches, which have stood at the forefront of social progress for generations,” said Brent Leggs, executive director of the trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, in a statement Feb. 24. “This $8.5 million investment marks a critical step in safeguarding historically Black churches as enduring symbols of faith, strength and community leadership By preserving them, we ensure that their powerful presence continues to live on in their communities and inspire future generations.”
Among the recipients of the
grants, which range from $50,000 to $500,000, is The Historic Bethel Baptist Church Community in Birmingham, Alabama It was led by the Rev Fred Shuttlesworth, who died in 2011 and was known for fighting against segregation in his city The funding will be used to help expand programming to feature augmented reality and visual interpretation to aid visitors in learning about the church’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, according to the Preserving Black Churches news release announcing the funding. Another Alabama church, First Congregational Church of Marion, which was formerly led by the Rev Andrew Young, will receive a grant to help stabilize the building’s steeple, among other repairs. Young later became president of the National Council of Churches and the first African American U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and recently eulogized former President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral in January West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, once led by the Rev Ralph Abernathy, who died in 1990 and was a co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with the Rev Martin Luther King Jr will receive funds to aid in the hiring of
a preservation manager for restoration projects at the church.
The trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has raised more than $150 million to preserve historic African American sites. The Preserving Black Churches program specifically, supported by Lilly Endowment, has raised a total of $60 million to protect the legacies and assets of the historic buildings.
Two 2025 recipients are receiving larger grants than in previous years.
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion denomination, a historically Black denomination based in Charlotte, North Carolina, received $500,000 to create a denomination-wide preservation endowment to aid in historic preservation of its churches across the country Its members have included abolitionists Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth.
The Cleveland Restoration Society was allocated $300,000 for its Historic Black Church Initiative. Some of Cleveland’s churches were locations for organizing efforts led by Malcolm X, King and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Several of the churches have decades of deferred maintenance and structural issues.
The other recipients include Detroit’s New Bethel Baptist Church, where singer Aretha Franklin recorded her first J.V.B. Records songs as a teenager; Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Frederick, Maryland, which was a safe house for the Underground Railroad; and St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock” Catholic Church in St. Louis, which was visited by the Rev Augustus Tolton, the first ordained African American Roman Catholic priest in the U.S.
Additional recipients are:
n St. Paul United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Alabama
n Glide Memorial Church (GLIDE Foundation), San Francisco
n Zoar Methodist Episcopal Church (Friends of Zoar, Inc.), Odessa, Delaware
n First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Athens Inc., Athens, Georgia
n St. James AME Church, Columbus, Georgia
n Ninth Street Missionary Baptist Church, Lawrence, Kansas
n Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church, Frankfort, Kentucky
n Antioch Baptist Church, Shreveport, Louisiana
n Anna Bell Chapel A.M.E. Church (New Haven Preservation Society), New Haven, Missouri
n AME Zion Church of Kingston, Kingston, New York
n Dickerson Chapel AME Church (Preservation Hillsborough), Hillsborough, North Carolina
n St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church (Famicos Foundation), Cleveland
n Campbell African Methodist Episcopal Church of Media, Pennsylvania
n Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
n Soapstone Baptist Church, Marietta, South Carolina
n New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church, Charleston, South Carolina
n Taveau Church (Preservation South Carolina), Moncks Corner, South Carolina
n Historic Pickett Chapel (Wilson County Black History Committee), Lebanon, Tennessee
n Dabney Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Inc., Snook Hill, Texas
n Boynton Chapel Methodist Church, Houston
n Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, Milwaukee
n New Salem Baptist Church (Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, Inc.), Elkins, West Virginia.
In Lafourche Parish, a community rallies to form Mickey Maniacs
In the last 24 years, club has raised more than $1.4 million
BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer
When Michelle Plaisance was vacationing at Epcot in Orlando 25 years ago, she learned of a different kind of resort in Florida, the Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee.
Plaisance, a physical education teacher from Larose Cut Off Middle School, picked up a pamphlet for Give Kids the World, an 89-acre, nonprofit “storybook” resort where children with critical illnesses and their families are treated to weeklong, cost-free vacations. Give Kids the World partners with over 250 referring wishgranting organizations to fulfill a child’s wish to visit Florida.
The resort was founded by hotelier and Holocaust survivor Henri Landwirth so that sick children could vacation with their families at no cost.
Plaisance took the pamphlet home and asked her advisory group at the middle school if they wanted to do a fundraiser to benefit the resort. In the last month of school, they raised $1,000 for the nonprofit.
The following year they decided to do a service project and the advisory group raised money all year Plaisance, four students and their parents went down to the Give Kids the World Village to volunteer and deliver a $3,000 check.
The fundraiser led to the start of a new club at Larose Cut Off Middle School, the Mickey Maniacs. In the last 24 years, the members of Mickey Maniacs have raised more than $1.4 million for Give Kids the World.
These days, the communities of Larose and Cut Off, small communities at the very southern part of the state in Lafourche Parish, are involved in supporting Give Kids the World through multiple fundraisers throughout the year
Although no longer at Larose Cut Off Middle School, Plaisance is still heavily involved in Mickey Maniacs. When she left the middle school, Plaisance handed leadership duties over to Celeste Breaux and Molly Bourgeois.
Excitement over membership
With 120 members this year, Mickey Maniacs is a popular club to join at the middle school. It’s so popular that children in elementary school can’t wait to get to middle school so they can join. Throughout the year, students raise money by working school concession stands and a strawberry sale while also conducting fundraisers like the annual MK 5K and Brayden Breaux Memorial Golf Tournament. Bourgeois and Breaux share the load of the Maniacs’ fundraisers and events. They even get help from the current P.E. teacher and
her students, who set up concessions daily
“Everybody knows their role,” Bourgeois says. “They want to be involved, and they play their role. Everybody at the school wants to help out. It’s a big club, and they realize the importance of it.”
Both Bourgeois and Breaux have ties to the mission of Give Kids the World, as the MK 5K is named after Bourgeois’s niece, MaryKate, who passed away from leukemia, and the golf tournament is in honor of Breaux’s nephew who passed away from brain cancer He attended Give Kids the World Village through a granted wish.
“Molly and I just got involved with helping Michelle because Mickey Maniacs was an awesome cause,” said Breaux “and see how it has impacted our families, without us even knowing.”
The best part of each year is the club trip to Give Kids the World in May Traveling from Cut Off to Florida, the club takes the check for that year’s fundraisers. Both students and parents volunteer for the day all over the resort, meeting families who have benefited from the generosity of their middle school and community
After each donation, Give Kids the World and Mickey Maniacs help decide on how to spend the money The club has donated money for a large cooking trailer for grilled hamburger nights by the pool, a wheelchair accessible shuttle, reading area, bowling alley and other special spots around the resort.
A ‘no judgment’ atmosphere
In Baton Rouge, the Blackburn family says they always feel taken care of when they visit Give Kids the World April and Seth Blackburn have visited the resort almost every year since 2017 with their two children, Ethan and Laina.
In 2015, Laina was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and, in 2017, she got her wish granted to take a trip to Give Kids the World.
The experience is second-tonone, April Blackburn says. Every Wish kid and their family also receive tickets to Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, Legoland, the Peppa Pig Theme Park and discounted tickets to other places. Give Kids the World families stay in villas on the property, which are like small houses with multiple bedrooms, a full kitchen, living area and bathrooms.
Other highlights include scheduled “tuck-ins” where the mascots of the resort, Mayor Clayton and Ms. Merry visit the children at bedtime and read them a story Blackburn says her kids’ other favorite part of the resort is free ice cream from Henri’s Starlite Scoops, named for the founder
An adaptive playground, a pool, splashpad, large pond, arcade, train, carousel, free movie theater and miniature golf course are all available for the children and their families.
“Everything’s adaptive,” April Blackburn said. “Everything can be accessed with a wheelchair Everything’s free, and it’s mainly staffed by volunteers who are all so nice.”
Another part of the nonprofit that the Blackburns appreciate is the “no judgment” atmosphere, April Blackburn said. Whether children are in wheelchairs or have feeding tubes, no one stares or cares. It’s a place for chronically ill children and families to feel normal and at ease.
Better than Disney World
The Blackburn kids, now 11 and 13, say Give Kids the World is better than Disney World because everything there is geared toward making you happy The inclusivity and kindness go a long way for families dealing with sickness and health issues.
April Blackburn was surprised to learn that annual gifts from Mickey Maniacs in Lafourche Parish helped pave the way for her and her family to enjoy Give Kids the World to the fullest. Bourgeois said the Larose and Cut Off communities “rally around anything involving our kids.”
“That’s just ingrained in us,” she said. “That’s how we were raised — you look out for each other and take care of each other.”
Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.
PROVIDED PHOTOS
A group of Mickey Maniacs gathers together with a picture of Brayden Breaux at the Brayden Breaux Memorial Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for Give Kids the World. Front row left is Celeste Breaux and in the back, holding the frame, second from left, is Molly Bourgeois, co-sponsor of Mickey Maniacs. Next to her on the right is Michelle Plaisance, the founder of the Mickey Maniacs club
Laina Blackburn, 11, pictured at Give Kids the World in 2024, has been visiting since she was 4 years old.
SUNDAY, MArch 16, 2025
CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley
SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr
GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne
MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters
ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson
ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis
grams
directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.
word game
instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
todAY's Word — distortion: dis-TORshun: The act of altering something out of its true, natural or original state.
Average mark 39 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 53 or more words in DISTORTION?
ken ken
instructions: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.
3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.
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 Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
directions: Complete the grid so that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally
Sudoku
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
The Pollenz family
ThePollenzfamilyhasbeenwell respected in local bridge circles for over half a century. The two brothers, Ralph and Emmett, had a successful tournament partnership back in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Two ofRalph’ssons,MitchellandAlex, andEmmett’sdaughterLynne,all becamewell-respectedplayerson the local scene. We have enjoyed games with all of them except Lynne,andwewouldhappilyhave played bridge with her if we ever had the chance. Mitchell Pollenz was West in today’s deal.
wuzzLes
super Quiz
Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.
SUBJECT: AMERICANA
(e.g., He married Jill Jacobs in 1977. Answer: Joe Biden.)
FRESHMAN LEVEL
1. What does “early to bed, early to rise” make a man?
Answer________
2. What character did Bert Lahr play in the film “The Wizard of Oz”?
Answer________
3. In 1776, George Washington crossed this river to make a surprise attack.
Answer________
4. “Gentlemen Prefer ____” is the title of a 1925 novel.
Answer________
South could still have prevailed with clairvoyant play, but when he led a spade to the queen next, he lost all chance.
The opening spade lead went to East’s 10 and South’s king Despite plenty of points, there were not enough tricks, and declarer had to go to work. He led the nine of spades to dummy’s ace, East playing the four, and then led a club to his jack, losing to the king. Mitchell could see what was coming. He knew declarer had three spades from East’s count signal. If South had five hearts, he would have played onheartsforextratricks IfSouth hadfourdiamonds,hewouldhave played on diamonds. South had to have three clubs and would cash the ace next, felling East’s queen, and take the marked finesse for the nine of clubs. Mitchell tried to thwart this by returning the nine of clubs! Declarer, of course, played the 10 from dummy and could no longer take three club tricks.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Rely on the truth. Refuse to let anger, emotions and ego set in before you can verify the facts. Control, patience and thinking matters through before responding are in your best interest.
5. What line follows, “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack”?
Answer________
GRADUATE LEVEL 6. The TV character “The Fonz” first appeared in this series.
Answer________ 7. Citizens accused of a crime can refuse to tes-
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Set your sights on your responsibilities and get your domestic affairs in order. Stewing about what isn’t working for you can be resolved only via positive change. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Watch your step, pace yourself, choose your words wisely and stick to the facts Someone will correct you if you exaggerate or fall short of your promises. CANCER (June 21-July 22) You can make anything happen if you put your mind to it today. Refuse to let negativity talk you out of going the distance. Stand tall, put a plan in place and make your journey count.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Assess your situation, qualifications and what
matters to you most, and you’ll figure out how to turn a negative into a positive. Refrain from giving in to someone putting pressure on you or treating you poorly. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You can ponder things that irk you, or you can do something about them. The willingness to compromise will be your ticket to success. Consider what others want and barter your way forward. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Gather information, be observant and read between the lines. Let your intuition help you find common ground and turn possibilities into reality. Use
pent-up energy to take care of laborintensive jobs. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Choose the most inviting path. Travel, learning and communication will fill your heart and soul with passion. Don’t hold back when there is so much to gain heading forward.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) You’ll take one step forward and three steps back. Observe what’s happening around you before you venture down a new path. Rely on your intelligence, desire and what makes you feel passionate. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Set your sights on what makes the most
financial sense. Make today about you,yourhealthandthecomfortand convenience necessary to maintain happiness. Focus on what’s working and let go of what isn’t. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Refuse to fall behind or let someone take over matters that require special attention.Focusondomesticissues,using your resources effectively and lowering your stress level.
1. Healthy, wealthy and wise 2. The Cowardly Lion. 3. Delaware River. 4 Blondes 5 I don't care if I ever get back. 6 "Happy Days."
7. Fifth (Fifth Amendment) 8. "The Exorcist." 9. Libraries. 10. George Custer. 11. Robert Ford (killed Jesse James). 12. George Washington. 13. B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 14. The 16th of September. 15. "Dewey Defeats Truman!"
SCORING: 24 to 30 points — congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points honors graduate; 13 to 17 points — you’re plenty smart, but no grind; 5 to 12 points — you really should hit the books harder; 1 point to 4 points — enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0 points — who reads the questions to you?
Cryptoquote Answer
Saturday's Cryptoquote: Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way. Booker T. Washington
word GAme Answer super quiz
sudoKu Answer jumble Answer
Crossword Answers
sCrAbble Answers
wuzzles Answers
Ken Ken Answers
Answers
jeFF mACnelly’s shoe / by Gary Brookins & Susie MacNelly
