The Times-Picayune 03-16-2025

Delayed St. Patrick’s and Argus parades start at noon today on Metairie Road map 2B

N.O. VOTERS DAUNTED BY ENDURING ISSUES

Ahead of electing a new mayor, polling shows residents deeply unsatisfied

BY JAMES FINN, DESIREE STENNETT, SOPHIE KASAKOVE and JONI HESS Staff writers

New Orleanians preparing to elect a new mayor want better roads, working streetlights more economic opportunities and cheaper housing — perennial issues that, to many, seem never to improve

BY ANDREA GALLO and MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writers

But many are so disillusioned by the way City Hall has operated under outgoing Mayor LaToya Cantrell that they’re finding it difficult to pay much attention to the race to succeed her. That sentiment spans race, class, gender and neighborhood. A White bed-and-breakfast owner in Bywater said onerous regulations had slowed businesses’ growth, while a Black printing shop owner in New Orleans East said

no one pays attention to his part of the city A retired gardener said friends are leaving because of affordability Another retiree said politicians only listen around election time. In more than a dozen interviews about the city’s 2025 mayor’s race, which will appear on local ballots on Oct. 11, New Orleanians shared few opinions on the handful of candidates who have already launched campaigns. Instead, they described feelings of apathy and, for some, outright disgust they harbor toward the city’s leadership, describing local politicians as out of touch and inept at tackling the entrenched problems that shape people’s daily lives.

BY SARA PAGONES Contributing writer

Most people don’t embark on their life’s work until early adulthood, but Elizabeth “Betsy” Nalty’s lifelong dedication to volunteering was ignited when she was very young, watching her mother’s community work in the post-World

War II era and getting involved in civic endeavors herself when she was just a child. Nalty recalled her Brownie troop leader, who had involved the girls in everything from watching the polls during political campaigns to being escorts for King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece when they visited the city “The rewards of

greeting people, meeting people and making them happy just stuck with me,” she said. Now 82, the fifth-generation New Orleanian has a decadeslong résumé of community service that would be hard to match She’s served on dozens of boards, including those of the

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

They are called the

Elizabeth Nalty is the 2024 Loving Cup recipient.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

New Orleans residents Janet Livingston, from left, Jim Knickles and Tap Bui discuss the priorities they will be looking for in the next mayoral election.

Cantrell

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

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, attributed the latest outage to a failure at a substation in the suburbs of Havana, the capital.

Internet and telephone service were intermittent about Saturday evening after power went out about 8 p.m. Friday Cuban President Miguel DíazCanel said on his X account that authorities are “working intensely to restore stability” to the power system.

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 gradually restore electricity across the country Several of these were already operating in the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago, Las Tunas and Pinar del Río.

Trump orders strikes on Houthi rebels

BY MICHELLE L PRICE, SAMY MAGDY and LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH,Fla.— President Donald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on the Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Iranian-backed Houthi rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor. The Houthis said 13 civilians were killed in the capital, Sanaa.

“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 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

complex, which includes a sprawling military facility

At least 13 people were killed, said Anees al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Houthi-run health ministry In a statement on social media, he said another nine were wounded.

A U.S. official said this was the beginning of airstrikes on Houthi targets that are expected to continue. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.

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.

President signs bill funding government for 6 months

By The Associated Press

President issues new warnings Trump

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.

Over

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.”

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.

broadcaster that 13 people were detained overnight. He said police detained six opposition activists for allegedly plotting to stage a coup and stir unrest.

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

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By OSAMAH ABDULRAHMAN

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.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

The Chicago River is dyed green Saturday as part of St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Chicago.

BY BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI, JULIE WALKER and REBECCA REYNOLDS Associated Press

Violent tornadoes ripped through parts of the U.S., wiping out schools and toppling semitractor-trailers in several states, part of a monster storm that has killed at least 26 people as more severe weather was expected late Saturday

The number of fatalities increased after the Kansas Highway Patrol reported eight people died in a highway pileup caused by a dust storm in Sherman County Friday At least 50 vehicles were involved.

Missouri recorded more fatalities than any other state as it withstood scattered twisters overnight that killed at least 12 people, authorities said. 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.”

Dakota Henderson said he and others rescuing people trapped in their homes Friday night found five dead bodies scattered in the debris outside what remained of his aunt’s house in hard-hit Wayne County, Missouri

“It was a very rough deal last night,” he said Saturday, surrounded by uprooted trees and splintered homes. “It’s really disturbing for what happened to the people, the casualties last night.”

Henderson said they rescued his aunt from a bedroom that was the only room left standing in her house, taking her out through a window They also carried out a man who had a broken arm and leg.

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 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 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 Saturday but the greatest threat would come from

gone viral.

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. “Look at all that debris Ohhh My God, we are in a torn ...”

afternoon. High winds also knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, according the website poweroutage.us.

winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with gusts of 100 mph possible.

Significant tornadoes continued to hit Saturday

The regions at highest risk stretch from eastern Louisiana and Mississippi through Alabama, western Georgia and the Florida panhandle, the center said Bailey Dillon, 24, and her fiance, Caleb Barnes, watched a massive tornado from their front porch in Tylertown, Mississippi, about half a mile away as it struck an area near Paradise Ranch RV Park.

They drove over afterward to see if anyone needed help and recorded a video depict-

ing snapped trees, leveled buildings and overturned vehicles.

“The amount of damage was catastrophic,” Dillon said. “It was a large amount of cabins, RVs, campers that were just flipped over — everything was destroyed.”

Paradise Ranch reported on Facebook that all its staff and guests were safe and accounted for, but Dillon said the damage extended beyond the ranch itself.

“Homes and everything were destroyed all around it,” she said. “Schools and buildings are just completely gone.”

Some of the imagery from the extreme weather has

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.

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 Friday evening.

About 60 miles to the south, another fire grew to about 3.9 square miles before its advance was halted in the

Jeff Roberson

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE PHOTO By STACI VANDAGRIFF

People sort through the debris

“I don’t know what we’re paying for,” said Dwanne Biagas, a 75-year-old Gentilly resident, referencing once-weekly trash collection, potholes and a lack of consistent street lighting, despite hundreds of millions in tax dollars the city collects each year.

Polling supports the idea that New Orleanians are deeply unsatisfied with leadership in their city Of 600 citywide voters surveyed in December by analyst Ron Faucheaux, just 9% rated the performance of city government positively The UNO Quality of Life Survey, issued a month earlier, found that just 33% of respondents approve of Cantrell’s job performance.

The depth of dissatisfaction with New Orleans’ political leaders underscores a tension driving the nascent election to succeed Cantrell, whose approval ratings and political support have both withered in her second term. Candidates will have to break through that disillusionment to convince voters they can effectively confront the city’s seemingly intractable challenges.

Mayoral hopefuls will need to display “dynamic leadership” to pierce the “malaise” enveloping local politics, said Ed Chervenak, a University of New Orleans political scientist who directs the UNO Quality of Life survey

So far, candidates are former state representative and City Council Vice President Helena Moreno, a Democrat who announced her campaign in December and has $1 million in her campaign account. Also running are retired criminal court Judge Arthur Hunter, former 911 call center manager Tyrell Morris, counselor Ricky Twiggs and business owner Renada Collins. Oliver Thomas, another veteran Democratic City Council member, has begun hiring campaign staff and is expected to announce his run this month.

Entrenched issues, disillusion New Orleanians have long griped about the politicians who represent them. But in recent years, some residents’ views hardened following a series of punishing hurricanes in 2020 and 2021, raging inflation that drove up costs and a specter of mismanagement that engulfed Cantrell’s second mayoral term. To earn the votes of friends Aar-

City Council tenure. In a statement, she called it “terribly disheartening” that many New Orleanians feel resigned to the city’s current level of “dysfunction.”

“That’s not fair to the people of New Orleans, because it can be fixed, with hard work, coordination, the right team of experts and most importantly the right leader leading by example,” Moreno said.

Thomas, who has represented three seats on the City Council over the decades, has touted economic investment and crime reductions in New Orleans East during his council tenure. A threeyear prison term for bribery did not stop voters from granting him the council’s District E seat in 2018.

Thomas said residents have been left out of the political process, a reality he blames for New Orleans’ population loss and other woes.

on Jordan and Noah Lewis, candidates must prove that they can break from past leaders by prioritizing New Orleans East.

The area has made strides in attracting business, investing in education and reducing crime; but Jordan and Lewis say their quadrant of the city has remained on the periphery of elected leaders’ priorities as it claws back from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina two decades ago.

“New Orleans treats us like stepchildren. We’re kind of an afterthought,” said Jordan, 67, owner of Universal Printing, a New Orleans East printshop.

Pastor Willie Calhoun, 64, a lifelong Lower 9th Ward resident, wants a mayor more focused on youth programming and other initiatives addressing root causes of crime.

“If they’re not able to earn a living without committing crimes, then what will they do to feed their families?” Calhoun said.

Rachaela DiRosaria, 40, said the next mayor should make it easier for small businesses to thrive.

DiRosaria runs an art gallery in the French Quarter and a bed-andbreakfast in Bywater

“I’ve had so many issues dealing with local codes and code enforcement,” DiRosaria said, problems that have cost “thousands of dollars.”

Affordability should also be a priority said Janet Livingston, 70 who grew up Uptown. She has been able to remain in New Orleans because she secured a spot at the Christo-

pher Inn, an independent living facility in the Marigny, she said. But she has seen friends forced to leave as New Orleans becomes more expensive.

“New Orleans was built on low-income people and their culture, and without the culture New Orleans is just nothing,” Livingston said.

Cantrell scores low marks

Cantrell, a former neighborhood organizer and City Council member, won the Mayor’s Office in 2017 on an anti-establishment campaign that channeled her knack for connecting with everyday people.

She scored early wins, redirecting millions of dollars from the tourism industry to New Orleans infrastructure projects, raising city workers’ pay and launching billions of dollars’ worth of road improvements. Her administration has worked more recently to address a local affordable housing crisis and provide crime-prevention focused programs for young people.

Yet her achievements have been overshadowed by her withdrawal from some public spaces, a federal investigation that has produced two indictments of people connected to her, her frequent travel outside of Louisiana and her near-constant feuds with the council.

Cantrell’s office did not respond to an inquiry for this story.

Joy Mack, a 51-year-old Central City retiree, recalled Cantrell making herself accessible to voters through public events early in her career That seemed to change

once she took office, Mack said.

“When they come out and start running, it’s a lot of listening,” she said. “When they get inside of it all, ‘poof,’ they’re gone.”

Lewis, 75, is weary of infighting between Cantrell and the City Council during the mayor’s second term. The new council and mayor should work better together he said.

Biagas, the 75-year-old Gentilly resident, recalled efforts by former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial to create opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses. To her, Cantrell seems to lack a comparable vision.

“She’s not as engaged as she once was, and she’s not focused on the big-picture items,” Peter Theis, a 50-year-old attorney and Gentilly resident, said of Cantrell.

Candidates build platforms

The current mayoral administration’s low popularity could hurt Moreno and Thomas because they have lengthy political resumes that could tie them in voters’ minds to the political establishment, said Chervenak, the UNO political scientist.

“They’re going to have to communicate that they’ve got a plan to get us out of this downward spiral,” Chervenak said.

Moreno, one of Louisiana’s most prominent progressives, has cast herself on the campaign trail as an advocate for residents’ kitchentable needs, describing progress on infrastructure, affordable housing and other challenges during her

“Ideas should come from neighborhood leaders. I’ve been meeting with everyone from neighborhood preservationists to young entrepreneurs,” he said. “If I run, my mission will be to give our city back to the people who love it.”

Hunter, a former New Orleans police officer who spent more than two decades as an Orleans Parish criminal court judge and later ran for district attorney, said voters “don’t need another career City Hall politician reporting about the problems,” an apparent shot at Moreno and Thomas.

“Parents don’t feel safe letting their kids go out to play Our streets are crumbling. Water bills are ridiculous,” he said.

Morris, who is facing criminal charges for misconduct related to his wreck of a public vehicle during his role at the city’s 911 call center, is less well known, having never held elected office. Neither have Twiggs nor Collins.

Morris did not respond to a request for comment, but has said he’s running a grassroots campaign. On their campaign websites, Twiggs and Collins have said they will focus on creating more local jobs and supporting local culture bearers, respectively

Contenders will formalize their bids during a three-day qualifying period in July

Bright spots noted

Polls indicate that New Orleanians aren’t completely lacking hope for the direction of their city:

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

To earn the votes of friends Aaron Jordan, right, president of the Greater New Orleans East Business Alliance and printshop owner and Noah Lewis vice president, the two said candidates must prove that they can break from past leaders by prioritizing New Orleans East.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER Mayor Latoya Cantrell’s early achievements like with infrastructure improvements have been overshadowed by her withdrawal from some public spaces, a federal investigation that has produced two indictments of people connected to her her frequent travel outside of Louisiana and her

ä See MAYOR, page 10A

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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.

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 end of the entire project in perhaps five years, a speaker could give apartments to another 30-35 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 littleknown 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

House

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 two-story 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, De-Villier 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 Re-

NOTICE OF EARLYVOTING in JEFFERSONPARISH MARCH 29,2025 MUNICIPAL PRIMARYELECTION

The Jefferson Parish Registrar of Voters Office will conduct Early Voting on the following dates for this parishwide election: Beginning on SATURDAY,MARCH 15th through SATURDAY,MARCH 22nd Closed Sunday(3/16) 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the following 6locations:

EAST BANK: Jefferson (Joseph S. Yenni Building) 1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., Suite 502, Jefferson, LA 70123 (504) 736-6191

Kenner (Rivertown) 408 Minor St., Kenner,LA70062 (504) 467-5168

Metairie (East Bank Regional Library) 4747 West Napoleon Ave., Metairie, LA 70001

WEST BANK:

Marrero (Charles B. Odom Building) 5001 West Bank Expressway,Suite C-2, Marrero, LA 70072 (504) 349-5690

Harvey (West Bank Regional Library) 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey,LA70058

Grand Isle (Grand Isle Multiplex) 3101 Hwy.1 Grand Isle, LA 70358 (Monday,March 17th, only)

vival style from 1819 to 1822 and were then used as a garrison for troops and a storehouse for munitions 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 then-Speaker 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,” McCormick 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

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 undersco re an essential fact about Louisiana: Rel igio n 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 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, rece ntly 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, and some say that their faith allows for justice to be meted out in this manner when the crime is so heinous.

“I am for the death penalty because God was for capital punishment,” said Bill Housley, who oversees 27 churches as the director of missions for the Louisiana Baptist Association. He said he wasn’t speaking on behalf of his organization, but as an individual.

Louisiana is one of the most religious states in the nation and has among the highest rates of adults who regularly attend religious services, according to public polling. South Louisiana is especially known for its large population of Catholics, a religion that is ardently and outspokenly opposed to both abortion and capital punishment as a coercion of God’s message.

But public opinion in the state, though divided, tips toward an acceptance of capital punishment. Polling commissioned by The Times-Picayune and The Advocate and several other groups in 2023 found that 51% of voters opposed an attempt by former Gov John Bel Edwards to spare the lives of prisoners

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.

on death row, while 41% of voters said they supported it. The effort ultimately failed.

Landry, a Republican, has made resuming executions — and expanding possible avenues to execute those on death row an early priority Landry’s communications director Kate Kelly said in response to questions for 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 suffered the trauma of society’s most heinous crimes, granting them justice restores that balance.”

Landry spoke in a 2019 legislative hearing on being Catholic and pro-death penalty, arguing that the church supported the death penalty for more than 2,000 years and quoting St. Thomas Aquinas in support of capital punishment in medieval Europe.

“Some in the church have made ending the death penalty a top priority,” Landry said at the time. “And in doing so, they have chastised many in the faith who, like me, are standing behind those who mourn rather than those who kill. Those bishops cherry pick, by solely focusing on the mercy of God. They have glossed over the fact that God is also a just God.”

Catholic teaching has evolved on the death penalty It was once accepted as a deterrent for crime and as a means of keeping communities safe.

But a change in attitudes ramped up by the time Pope Paul VI removed capital punishment from church law in 1969. In 1995, Pope John Paul II, who was canonized in 2014, updated the catechism to say necessary cases of execution were “very rare, if not practically nonexistent.” Pope Francis updated the Catechism again in 2018 to say “‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”

“The teaching of the Catholic 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 violence.”

Duca noted that when the church allowed for capital punishment, it was because there was no other means of protecting citizens from those who were a danger to society Even Jesus forgave his own executioners on the cross, he said Catholic governors in Louisiana have taken different approaches to the death penalty in recent decades. No executions happened while John Bel Edwards

or Kathleen Blanco were governor, both Democrats and Catholics. Edwards announced his opposition to the death penalty shortly before he left office in 2023, citing his faith.

Bobby Jindal, a Catholic Republican, was governor during Louisiana’s most recent execution in 2010, but the circumstances were unusual: Gerald Bordelon volunteered. It was the only execution of Jindal’s two terms in office.

The last contested execution came in 2002, when Mike Foster, an Episcopalian, was governor Old Testament defenses

Some faith groups see the death penalty as willed by God.

Housley said he would accept methods for capital punishment such as nitrogen gas, hanging and electrocution.

“There are some crimes that are so heinous that you forfeit your life,” Housley added.

The Louisiana Family Forum, a faith-based values 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.

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 protocol allows a clergy witness inside the execution chamber. Hoffman, who turned toward Buddhism after the death of his grandmother in 2002, plans to have Rev Reimoku Gregory Smith present as his spiritual adviser Smith said he plans to use a meditation cushion and to perform a traditional ceremony of chanting the “Mantra of Great Compassion” in Japanese and offer a dedication of merit. A Zen priest 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.

Redemption is one theme Prejean has mentioned during her many unsuccessful attempts to convince Loui-

PROVIDED PHOTOS By SISTER HELEN 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.

siana 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 chamber are seared into her mind. They are meant to represent two sides of the coin for death row inmates Elijah, though he died, ascended to heaven with God. Daniel was spared — he had faith in God, and was rescued after his enemies threw him into a lion’s den.

There’s long been a ritual at Angola where a condemned inmate eats his final meal alongside the guards who will soon restrain him 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 helped Hoffman, 46, to learn “everything I needed to cope and deal with what I was dealing with in that moment was inside me,” he said. “It allows me every day to be a better version of myself.” Smith, his spiritual adviser, said it’s his role to walk alongside Hoffman in compassion and without judgment as they meditate together, discuss the teachings of Buddha and to be present when the state kills him.

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Trump invokes 18th century law to speed deportations

Judge stalls move hours later

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

WASHINGTON A federal judge barred the Trump administration Saturday from carrying out deportations under a sweeping 18th century law that the president invoked hours earlier to speed removal of Venezuelan gang members from the United States.

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg said he needed to issue his order immediately because the government already was flying migrants it claimed were newly deportable under President Donald Trump’s proclamation to be incarcerated in El Salvador and Honduras. El Salvador already agreed last week to take up to 300 migrants that the Trump administration designated as gang members.

“I do not believe I can wait any longer and am required to act,” Boasberg said during a Saturday evening hearing in a lawsuit brought by the ACLU and Democracy Forward. “A brief delay in their removal does not cause the government any harm,” he added, noting they remain in government custody but ordering that any planes in the air be turned around.

The ruling came hours after Trump claimed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua was invading the United States and invoked the Alien

Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime authority that allows the president broader leeway on policy and executive action to speed up mass deportations.

The act has only ever been used three times before, all during wars Its most recent application was during World War II, when it was used to incarcerate Germans and Italians as well as for the mass internment of Japanese-American civilians

In a proclamation released just over an hour before Boasberg’s hearing, Trump contended that Tren de Aragua was effectively at war with the United States.

“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 order could let the administration deport any migrant it identifies as a member of the gang without going through regular immigration proceedings, and also could remove other protections under criminal law for people the government targeted.

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

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, prodemocracy 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 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 Trump’s order requiring reductions also includes several other lesser-known government agencies such as the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a nonpartisan think tank, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.

The Trump administration has already made several controversial moves regarding Voice of America, including suspending a respected journalist who noted criticism of Trump and canceling contracts that allowed VOA to use material from independent news organizations, such as The Associated Press.

members, even as Venezuela’s government claims to have eliminated the criminal organization.

The government said Trump actually signed the order Friday night. Immigration lawyers noticed the federal government suddenly moving to deport Venezuelans who they would not otherwise have the legal right to expel from the country, and scrambled to file lawsuits to block what they believed was

a pending proclamation.

Boasberg issued an initial order at 9:20 a.m. Saturday blocking the Trump administration from deporting five Venezuelans named as plaintiffs in the ACLU suit who were being detained by the government and believed they were about to be deported. The Trump administration appealed that order, contending that halting a presidential act before it has been announced would

cripple the executive branch. If the order were allowed to stand, “district courts would have license to enjoin virtually any urgent national-security action just upon receipt of a complaint,” the Justice Department wrote in its appeal.

Boasberg then scheduled the afternoon hearing on whether to expand his order to all people who could be targeted under Trump’s declaration.

Veronica Even expected to bringher newborn, Theodore, home forChristmas.Instead,she watched as he wasrushedtoManningFamilyChildren’s.

“Every anatomyscanhad been clear,”Veronica said.“We hadnoreasontothinkTheodorewas anything but perfectlyhealthy.” However, just before discharge, apediatriciandetecteda heart murmur leading to an echocardiogram that revealed two critical congenital heart defects: acoarctation of theaorta,a narrowingofthe majorartery, anda ventricularseptaldefect(VSD),aholebetween the heart’s ventricles Theodore wasimmediately transferredto ManningFamilyChildren’s, wherea team of specialists, ledbyDr. ErnestoMejia,pediatric interventional cardiologist,and Dr.Farshad Anvari,pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, were prepared to utilizea revolutionary technology This technology,Elucis, combines ultrasoundsand CT scanstocreate3Dmodelsofthe heart that can be viewed in virtualreality

Dr.Mejia,who broughtthisexpertise to Manning Family Children’s in 2024 aftertraininginColorado explained, “two-dimensional images arelikethe blueprintsofa house. Virtualreality allows us to literallystepintoa tiny heart andmovearound, just like walkingthrough thefront door andtaking a tour of thehome.”

Dr.Anvariemphasized theimportanceofthe technology in planningthe complexsurgery.“What interested me in Theodore’s case wasthathis diagnosisbecame more severe with each imaging procedure,”hesaid. “The virtualreality helped me even further, as Iwas able to seethatTheodore’sVSD waslargerthanI hadinitially thought. Withoutthe technology,thatwould have been an unexpected finding once in theoperating room.”

Dr.Anvariusedthe3DmodeltoexplainTheodore’s conditionand thesurgicalplantoVeronicaand herhusband,Joshua. Thefollowing day, Theodore underwentopen-heart surgery.

Theimpactofthe virtualreality technology was profound.Dr. Anvari explained, “BecauseI knew exactlywhattoexpectand wasfully prepared,his surgerywas at leasttwo hoursshorter than it could have been. That’s twomorehours he wouldhave remained on theheart-lungbypassmachine.” This reductionintimesignificantlydecreasedrecovery time andpotential complications, allowing Theodore to be discharged rapidlyfollowing hisprocedure Theodore’s surgerymarkedthe first useofthis type of virtualreality technology in Louisiana. ManningFamilyChildren’sisnow exploringits applicationinother specialties,including neurology andorthopedics “Theodore’scaseisthe tipofthe iceberg,”Dr Mejiasaid. “While severe,his defects areamong themostcommonlytreated,soimagine howthis canpositivelyimpactmorecomplex cases. This innovative technology haspotential fortremendous benefitstomillionsofpatients– pediatricand adult. Patients go home faster,feelbettersoonerand incur fewerexpenses. Veronica expressedher immensegratitude to the ManningFamilyChildren’steam. “Wewereinitially devastated andfilled with uncertainty,”she said “But theteam’sunwaveringdedicationand theuse of this incredible technology gave us hope.Tosee our sonthrivingafter such achallenging start is truly remarkable.Weare forevergratefultothe Manning Family Children’s team fortheir compassion expertiseand commitment to innovation.How everythingcametogethersoperfectly,soquickly, wastruly extraordinary. TheHeart Center at ManningFamilyChildren’s continuestodemonstrate itscommitment to providingthe most advanced care, combining innovative

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MANUEL BALCE CENETA

President Donald Trump departs Air Force One Friday at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Even as they took a dim view of Cantrell, just over 60% of respondents to last fall’s UNO poll said they’re satisfied with how things are going in the city overall, up from 44% in 2022.

In interviews, a few residents took note of local progress and offered advice for how a new mayor could build on it.

“I know that crime has gotten better,” said Ashley Webb, 42, who lives in Gentilly and runs the small grocery Barcelo Gardens in the Desire Area. “I don’t hear as many gunshots and there’s not as many sketchy things happening that I’m witnessing.” (Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick was the only public official in the UNO poll to score above 50% The poll did not score individual City Council members.)

Others said more work is needed to address meat-and-potatoes issues, such as infrastructure.

“Focus on taking care of the streets, something that makes the people feel like something is changing,” said Keni Odom-Grier a 34-year-old Central City resident “The moment when people feel like nothing is changing is when they start making up their own rules.”

Tap Bui, a 38-year-old New Orleans East resident, said a new mayor should balance working with Republican Gov Jeff Landry, who has waged ambitious policy-making efforts in the Crescent City and developed a friendly rapport with Cantrell, with pushing back when Landry oversteps.

“I definitely want someone who knows how to play the game, because a lot of times, that’s what it’s about,” she said.

Others are not so optimistic about a new leader’s capacity to turn the tide.

“The attitude of New Orleans is ‘that’s just the way it is,’” said Jim Knickles, 73, who bemoaned the city’s failure to tackle homelessness in a phone interview from the Gentilly homeless shelter where he’s living. “And that’s a very terrible thing.”

James Finn covers politics for The Times-Picayune | Nola. com. Email him at jfinn@ theadvocate.com.

NALTY

Continued from page 1A

most prestigious institutions in the city She’s also supported their efforts through years of philanthropy

She does it all with a quiet, unassuming grace that has earned her admiration from across the metro area and the state and has resulted in her selection as the recipient of the 2024 Times-Picayune Loving Cup

The Loving Cup honors civic activity in the previous year and has been awarded since 1901 to men and women who have worked unselfishly for the community without expectation of public recognition or material reward. A public recognition of the award will be held later Those who nominated Nalty are unanimous in describing her as the embodiment of those qualities.

“She is a she-ro of our times in the city of New Orleans,” said Aulston Taylor, president of St. Augustine High School. “It’s rare to find someone who is going to do enormous good and does not look for recognition. She’s in love with the work, not the recognition.”

In her nomination letter, Gretchen Kane, head of school at Academy of the Sacred Heart wrote that Nalty “embodies the virtues celebrated by the Loving Cup Award She has devoted herself entirely to causes greater than herself and has thereby enriched the lives of countless individuals in our community.”

Michael Fitts, president of Tulane University, praised Nalty’s foresight and dedication to New Orleans, saying she “has taken indispensable philanthropic measures to see that this region not only survives but thrives.”

And Kimberly Field-Marvin, who is head of Louise S. McGehee School, which Nalty has been closely involved with for a lifetime, called her a forward-thinking person. “You might think someone of her age would be stuck in her ways, but what I see in her is deliberation and perspective to be able to see a variety of points of view.”

Nalty says she is overwhelmed by her selection. An admirer of all who’ve previously been honored, “I never saw myself there,” she said.

The oldest of four girls, Nalty thought her path would be the piano and even considered music therapy following experiences as a teenager playing for residents of what is now the John J. Hainkel home.

Frank T. Howard, 1901; Isidore Newman 1902; Sophie B. Wright, 1903; Dr A.W DeRoaldes, 1904; Charles Janvier, 1905; W.R. Bloomfield, 1906; and Ida Richardson 1907. No awards were presented in 1908 and 1909. Dr Sara T. Mayo, 1910; Hugh McCloskey, 1911; R.M. Walmsley, 1912; Leon C. Simon, 1913; Deborah Milliken, 1914; W.B. Thompson, 1915; W.R. Irby, 1916; Mrs John Dibert, 1917; Eleanor McMain, 1918; Mrs. James Oscar Nixon, 1919; Charles Weinberger 1920; Jean Gordon, 1921; Rudolf S Hecht 1922; Simon Schwartz, 1923; Frank B. Williams, 1924; Rabbi Emil W. Leipziger, 1925; and W.J. Warrington, 1926. J.P. Butler, 1927; Brig Gen. Allison Owen, 1928; Mrs. A.J Stallings, 1929; Edgar B Stern, 1930; B.C. Casanas, 1931; Thomas F Cunningham, 1932; Felix P Dreyfous, 1933; Charles A. Favrot, 1934; Warren Kearny 1935; Nicholas Bauer, 1936; Col. L. Kemper Williams, 1937; and Samuel Zemurray, 1938. Joseph A. Airey, 1939; Dr Rudolph Matas 1940; Charles E. Dunbar Jr , 1941; William G. Zetzmann, 1942; Sister Stanislaus Malone 1943; A.B Paterson, 1944; Dr Alton Ochsner 1945; Mrs. Joseph E. Friend, 1946; Mrs. Charles F Buck Jr , 1947; Charles E. Fenner 1948; Mrs. James Weaks Reily, 1949; and Harry Latter, 1950. Harry McCall, 1951; Joseph H. Epstein 1952; Mrs. Ernest A. Robin, 1953; Carmelite Janvier, 1954; A.B Freeman, 1955; Clifford F. Favrot, 1956; Capt. Neville Levy, 1957; Crawford H. Ellis, 1958; James Gilly Jr , 1959; Martha Gilmore Robinson, 1960; Leon Hey-

mann, 1961; Mrs. Robert Laird, 1962; and Percival Stern, 1963. Edith Stern, 1964; Darwin S Fenner, 1965; Edgar A.G. Bright, 1966; Rabbi Julian B Feibelman, 1967; Harold Salmon Sr , 1968; Lucile Blum, 1969; Lester J Lautenschlaeger, 1970; the Rev J.D. Grey, 1971; Clayton L. Nairne, 1972; Norma Monnin Hynes, 1973; William B Burkenroad Jr , 1974; Francis C. Doyle, 1975; Albert W. Dent, 1976; Richard West Freeman, 1977; the Rev Peter V. Rogers, 1978; and Harry McCall Jr , 1979. James J Coleman Sr , 1980; Armand LeGardeur, 1981; Archbishop Philip Hannan 1982; Ed Rowley, 1983; Rosa Freeman Keller, 1984; Bryan Bell, 1985; Michael J Molony Jr , 1986; Mary Pumilia, 1987; A. Louis Read, 1988; Dave Dixon, 1989; Carolyn Gay “Blondie” Labouisse, 1990; Norman Francis 1991; and Diana Lewis, 1992. John F Bricker, 1993; Betty Wisdom, 1994; Anne Milling, 1995; Lester Kabacoff, 1996; Leah Chase, 1997; Sunny Norman, 1998; Herschel L. Abbott Jr , 1999; Alden McDonald, 2000; Waldemar Nelson, 2001; C. Allen Favrot, 2002; Fran Villere, 2003; Moise Steeg Jr ,

She majored in piano at LSU after graduating from McGeehee, but following the death of her beloved piano professor and meeting her future husband, banking executive Donald Nalty, she decided to return home. The couple spent 40 years together in the Uptown home where she still lives, surrounded by books, art and family portraits, including

Summer Camps Schools ServicesActivities

those of her twin daughters who reigned as queens of Rex and Comus in 1991. The couple also had two sons. Following the 2003 death of her first husband, she married Richard “Dick” Simmons 12 years ago.

“Every opportunity I had was a learning experience. I grew from it. I had many passions, but family

was always the underlying number one, home.”

She has always been a committed volunteer “There was not only one special thing. I enjoyed education very much, the importance of it and the responsibility that goes along with educating young people. But I also enjoy the arts, many aspects, and historic houses and making them part of our community and the history that we’re able to impart,” she said

The science of medicine and research is something she calls an innate interest.

Her resume, which covers more than 50 roles she has played in civic affairs, reflects all of that. She chaired the board of Louise S. McGehee School, the first woman to hold that position, and served three terms on the board of administrators for the Tulane Education Fund. She was on the Tulane University Health Sciences Center Board of Governors, the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation and the LSU Health Science Department of Psychiatry Advisory Board

She served on the Ogden Museum of Southern Art board and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, as well as the board of the Hermann-Grima/Gallier Historic Homes.

But for Nalty, the position she currently holds is where she sees the greatest impact: president of the Edward G. Schlieder Education Foundation Board, a group that anonymously provides grants to educational institutions across the state.

“I really think that wherever I can make a difference here in the city is what’s really important to me, because this is home,” Nalty said. She points to her work on the city’s 2011 Ethics Review Board, which was responsible for the hiring of New Orleans’ first inspector general. “It was so important to the city and its au courant,” she said.

An admirer of all the previous recipients of the Loving Cup, Nalty said she never saw herself as someone who might be in those ranks.

“My work with the foundation is really what is carrying me to feel that I’m still making a difference,” Nalty said of the future. “I’m not looking beyond right here at home. There’s work to do and it’s a matter of identifying it and getting to it.”

Her ambition now, she said, is “being in a position to give a lot of love to a lot of people. Because love is the underlying thing in my DNA.”

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STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Members of the 2024 Loving Cup committee are, from left, Louis Freeman Jr., Monique Guillory, Mathilde Villere Currence and Storey Charbonnet. Aulston Taylor is not pictured. With the group at right is Kevin Hall, publisher of The Times-Picayune and The Advocate.

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, Zel-

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

enskyy voiced Ukraine’s 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.” Starmer 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 Moscow 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 straightfor-

ward” 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 signifi-

cant 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.

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 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.

Feds probe if Columbia hid students sought by U.S.

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press

YORK

NEW

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 Colum-

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.

lence and terrorism.” Srinivasan opted to “self-deport” Tuesday, the department said. Officials didn’t say what evidence they had that Srinivasan had advocated violence.

renewal form because her case had been dismissed.

bia’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 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

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

But medical updates this week have focused on his continued physical and respiratory therapy as well as the rotation from highflow oxygen through nostril tubes during the day and a noninvasive ventilation mask at night to help ensure his rest. An X-ray this week confirmed that the infection was clearing. Doctors have not indicated how much longer Francis will be hospitalized.

The pope this week participated in Lenten spiritual exercises from the hospital, which Vatican officials have said implied a lighter workload. He received a cake and hundreds of messages wishing him well on the 12th anniversary of his papacy Thursday

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 vio-

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

The woman who was arrested in Newark, Leqaa Kordia, was charged with failing to leave the U.S. after 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.

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Demonstrators gather Wednesday in Foley Square outside the Manhattan federal court in New york in support of Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested last week

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.

Mark Ballard

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.

“It’s no secret that our

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Wawa advertises its app and rewards program to customers who order at the touchscreen station.

Voters flood town halls with fears of Social Security cuts

Crowds put heat on GOP over Musk and DOGE

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

HOLLAND, Mich. — One after another, callers on a telephone town hall with U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga pressed the Michigan Republican about possible cuts to Social Security Among them was a retired teacher and coach from West Michigan who said he and his wife, both with disabilities, have struggled to access their benefits.

The man, identified only as Michael from Allegan, said he feared that office closures and massive layoffs of federal workers — part of an effort by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to slash government spending — will make it even harder

“We worked our entire life,” he said. “But we can’t get any help because we can’t get through to anybody.”

Huizenga pledged throughout the meeting: “Let me just reiterate, Social Security is not being touched.”

Similar exchanges have played out across the political battleground of Michigan and elsewhere in the U.S. in recent days, as widespread cuts prompt fears among constituents about the popular program, which provides monthly benefits to retirees and some children. It’s left Republicans scrambling to reassure voters and play down Musk’s comments about Social Security and his ability to make cuts. The GOP also has accused Democrats of “fearmongering” on the matter

It’s clear the issue has resonated Of the 13 questions Huizenga took, nine were related to Social Security In a nearby mid-Michigan district that was among the most competitive U.S. House races last year, a poll taken at the beginning of first-term GOP Rep. Tom Barrett’s telephone town hall showed Social Security and Medicare as the top issue for attendees. And at a fiery in-person town hall in Asheville, North Carolina, one of the first questions Rep. Chuck Edwards fielded was on how he would “ensure the protection of our Social Security benefits.” After the question was read, the room of about 300

people erupted in applause. While Trump has repeatedly said he “will not cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits,” the administration has begun layoffs affecting over 10% of the Social Security Administration workforce and the closure of dozens of offices nationwide.

Musk, the world’s richest man and one of Trump’s most influential advisers, has called Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.” He hinted that it could be a primary target in his broader effort to downsize the federal government, saying in an interview on Fox Business Network that “most of the federal spending is entitlements” and “that’s the big one to eliminate.”

The White House insisted Musk was only referring to fraud.

Democrats, struggling for a unified message against Trump, see an opportunity Polling indicates that cuts to Social Security would be unpopular, including within Trump’s base. A solid majority of Republicans said the U.S. is spending “too little” on Social Security in a January AP-NORC poll, and only about 1 in 10 said “too much” is being spent on the program. In her rebuttal to Trump’s joint congressional address earlier this month, Democratic Sen Elissa Slotkin warned that the president “could very well come after your retirement.”

Potential cuts to critical government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security brought Leslie Boyd out to listen to Edwards’ town hall in North Carolina on Thursday. Those programs need to be improved instead of cut, Boyd said before the event, and she hoped Edwards had

“the courage to stand up for that.”

Boyd, 72, said she has some savings, but depends on Social Security.

“I paid into that my entire career,” Boyd said. “I worked from the time I was 16. I paid into that, it’s mine and I want it.”

Asked about the program inside the packed meeting, Edwards began by saying “President Trump has made it clear” before he was interrupted by jeers. He then shifted to discuss his own viewpoint on the program instead.

“I’m not going to vote to dissolve your Social Security I’m not looking to,” Edwards started to say before being drowned out by shouting. He continued, “That’s a promise that’s been made to the American people. Those folks who have worked all their life and paid into that certainly deserve to reap the rewards.”

Several attendees continued to yell at Edwards, demanding he stand up to Musk.

Barrett opened a telephone town hall in his mid-Michigan district Monday night by addressing the flood of concerns over DOGE he said his office had been receiving. Barrett stressed that Musk is merely an adviser and said programs are “temporarily paused and under review.”

“I want to be very clear that this does not include Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid,” he said. “Again, this does not include Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. It’s important to keep in mind that DOGE is only giving recommendations.”

Republican leaders have cautioned lawmakers against in-person town halls, contending without offering evidence that paid activists

Officials warn of 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 re-

cently affected hundreds of people. Medusa uses phishing campaigns as its main method for stealing victims’ credentials, according to CISA.

To protect against the ransomware, 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.

were disrupting events.

Michigan Rep. Lisa McClain, a staunch Trump ally, claimed Democratic donors had “organized” the disruptions.

Yet even in tightly controlled telephone town halls, where questions are often screened in advance by congressional staffers, Social Security was a top concern.

During McClain’s Monday call, a caller named Beverly who said her handicapped

son relies on Medicaid, expressed her fears: “I’m really concerned about that being cut, I guess.”

“Let me put your mind at ease. Do not listen to the Democrats that are fearmongering,” said McClain, who represents a heavily Republican district north of Detroit. “There are no cuts to Medicaid.”

During the town hall with Huizenga, a caller named Val from Berrien County, Michi-

gan, voiced her frustration, warning that office closures could cause some beneficiaries to “slip through the cracks.”

“Suddenly they’re going to find themselves without the means to cover their housing, or the means to get the care they need or to be able to get food on the table,” she said.

LCTCSinstitutionssee enrollment rise as Louisianaresidents pursue educationalopportunities to meet localworkforce demands

By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youbythe LouisianaCommunity andTechnical CollegeSystem.

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.”

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

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 “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

Associated Press writer Makiya Seminera contributed from Asheville, N.C.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MAKIyA SEMINERA

Rep. Chuck Edwards talks Thursday during a town hall in Asheville, N.C.

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

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.

EDUCATION

combination particularly when it repeats itself over a number of years.

Have any colleges and universities successfully made it out of financial crisis?

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.

“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.”

Nietzel

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?

Some institutions continue to deal with fallout from the pandemic and prepare for

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

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

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

Ambrose

Iconic pet reindeer in Alaska falls mysteriously ill

BY MARK THIESSEN Associated Press

ANCHORAGE,Alaska An icon-

ic reindeer so beloved that he has been in parades, featured on reality TV shows and visited by schoolchildren on field trips in Alaska’s largest city is fighting for his life after mysteriously falling ill after someone tampered with his pen.

Ever since, 8-year-old Star has had pneumonia, digestion issues and rapid weight loss Star’s owner, Albert Whitehead, has taken him to a veterinarian every other day to receive care and in hopes of finding a cause for the issues.

“I think we’ve done everything possible for him,”

Whitehead said Veterinarian Sabrieta Holland said she the reindeer’s prognosis is “guarded.”

Star lives in a fenced-in pen attached to Whitehead’s house at the edge of downtown Anchorage. It’s been over 20 years since someone last tried to tamper with the enclosure where reindeer named Star have been kept for the last seven decades. Star is the seventh in a line of reindeer to carry that name. In early January, someone cut a huge hole in the fencing to gain entrance, spending about five minutes inside

with Star before taking off

What the person did in the pen is unknown, but Star began having stomach issues and dropping weight shortly after

Then, on Feb. 20, Anchorage police found the friendly and trusting reindeer wandering around downtown and returned him home

When Whitehead reviewed his security cameras, he found someone had used bolt cutters to remove padlocks off Star’s pen and an alley gate. Star followed the man out into the neighborhood, and the reindeer wound up alone downtown, familiar streets because that’s where Whitehead walks him.

The next night, the situation turned more serious.

Whitehead was watching the video feed when a man wearing a scarf over his face sprayed something from two different cans into Star’s pen and twice hit the reindeer in the face with an unknown substance.

Whitehead rushed outside to confront the man.

“I yelled at him to stop, ‘What the hell are you doing? What are you spraying on the animal? Don’t do that, quit that!’” Whitehead said.

The man replied: “I’m trying to help Star.”

plastic bags causing chronic weight loss and indigestion problems are the most common foreign objects she’s seen in reindeer The next option would be surgery to look at the reindeer’s abdomen and possibly remove any blockage, but it’s generally a poor outcome, even in healthy deer, she said. The bond between Whitehead and Star is “quite significant and precious,” Holland said.

“Albert’s daily life and reason for getting out for walks and such all are because of Star And Star is really fond of Albert, too,” Holland said in a text. “It will be quite devastating for him if he loses Star.”

Whitehead and police believe it was the same man from the prior night It’s not known if the January tampering involved the same person.

“I don’t think the individual wanted to harm Star, but by his actions, he did,” Whitehead said.

“I have no idea what he meant by that,” said Whitehead, who suspects — based on the smells that the sprays could have been a disinfectant and deodorizer

Anchorage police posted the surveillance video on social media in hopes it would lead to the suspect’s identity So far, no viable tips have come in, spokesperson Christopher Barraza said in an email.

Star’s pneumonia worsened, and a cough leads Whitehead to believe Star ate something harmful, perhaps while loose.

The pneumonia is likely due to him accidentally inhaling the chronic reflux or regurgitation of the contents in the largest of the reindeers’ four stomachs, Holland said.

The sprays possibly also contributed.

It’s possible there’s a blockage, but the largest stomach of a reindeer is quite big and not easily obstructed, Holland said. However, ingested

Anchorage pioneers Oro and Ivan Stewart started the reindeer tradition, bringing the deer they received from an Alaska Native herder to Anchorage in the 1950s. Whitehead took over as caretaker from his friends in 2002. The average life span of a reindeer is about 15 years, but some Stars had long lives, like the first who lived to 23. Others didn’t live as long, including the second Star, who was stolen, beaten to death and then butchered by a known Fairbanks meat thief. The third Star died after eating a plastic bag.

Report: Ducks, once a conservation bright spot, declining in U.S.

BY CHRISTINA LARSON AP science writer

WASHINGTON At least 112 North American bird species have lost more than half their populations in the past 50 years, according to a new report published Thursday

Among the birds showing the steepest declines are Allen’s hummingbirds, Florida scrub jays, golden-cheeked warblers, tricolored black-

birds and yellow-billed magpies.

“These are the very real consequences if we are unable to conserve and protect the crucial habitats that birds need,” said study co-author Mike Brasher, a senior scientist at the nonprofit Ducks Unlimited For several decades, waterfowl stood out as a conservation bright spot with duck populations growing nationwide even as many

other groups of birds declined in the U.S. But that trend has reversed, the new data shows.

The total number of dabbling and diving ducks is down about 30% from 2017, said Brasher Loss of grasslands habitat and a prolonged drought affecting the wetlands of the Great Plains’ prairie pothole region have taken a toll. Among all waterfowl, numbers are down 20% since

2014, the report found.

The latest report is a collaboration between several groups including Cornell University, Ducks Unlimited, American Bird Conservancy National Audubon Society and the American Ornithological Society

The work draws on survey data from the U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and citizen projects such as Cornell’s eBird. There are some 2,000

bird species in North America. A third of the species examined are rated as high or moderate concern for conservation due to declining numbers, habitat loss or other threats. These birds “need urgent conservation attention,” said Amanda Rodewald, a study co-author from Cornell, adding that bird survey trends also reveal the health of their habitats. The report focuses on

birds that must breed and feed in specific habitats such as forests, grasslands and coastal regions. Grassland birds including the Bobolink are most at risk.

“For each species that we’re in danger of losing, it’s like pulling an individual thread out of the complex tapestry of life,” said Georgetown University biologist Peter Marra, who was not involved in the new report.

PATRON AND PREVIEWPARTY

WEDNESDAY,MARCH 26

PATRON PARTY 6pm | PREVIEWPARTY 7–9 pm

WEDNESDAY,MARCH 26 —SUNDAY,MARCH 30

Floral displayswill be on view to thepublic 10 am –5pm

This five-dayannual eventshowcases interpretive, creative, and breathtaking floral designs by local and regional artists,gardenclubs,florists,designers, and professional landscapers. This year’s theme, LesJardins de la Nouvelle-Orléans will celebratethe gardens of NewOrleans in all of their splendor and beauty

ARTINBLOOM CHAIRS

CharlotteMeade and KeithPorteous Meade

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GARDEN STUDYCLUBOFNEW ORLEANS PRESIDENT Courtney Le Clercq

THANK YOUTOOUR SPONSORS

ORCHID

PRESENTINGSPONSOR

BOUQUET

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SUSAN AND TIMOTHY BRIGHT

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK THIESSEN

Star, a pet reindeer, stands in the backyard of his owner, Albert Whitehead, on Tuesday in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. The reindeer has fallen mysteriously ill.

Protestant churches try new ideas amid membership decline

BY PETER SMITH Associated Press

When the Episcopal Church recently announced cuts to its national staff, it was the latest in a long-running cycle among historic U.S. Protestant denominations — declines in members leading to declines in funding and thus in staff. And it wasn’t alone.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) also announced recent cuts to staff at its headquarters and in its global missions program

The United Methodist Church, after undergoing a major schism, has settled into a historically low budget, having cut its numbers of bishops and other positions.

While the circumstances vary from one denomination to another, there are some common threads.

Several Protestant denominations are losing members, particularly the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist and other historic mainline groups that have not only been aging and shrinking but have suffered schisms as they moved in more progressive directions.

At the same time, the number of nondenominational churches has grown over the past decade, as have the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated.

As a result, denominations have had to do less with less — not only cutting budgets to balance the bottom line, but making strategic changes and trying out new ideas.

Widespread skepticism

Despite their different structures, “every one of these national bodies really have to deal with changing social contexts and ethos,” said Scott Thumma, codirector of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “A lot of that has to do with the skepticism around national organizations and institutions.”

In their heyday, denominational offices oversaw mission organizations that sent large numbers of church workers to far corners of the world. They put out officially sanctioned hymnals, devotional guides, magazines and Sunday School materials. They organized big national conventions that set and fiercely debated policy and doctrine. They set standards for how ministers were trained, credentialed and disciplined. They

ran historical societies and pension funds for ministers.

The Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program, marking its 100th anniversary this year, is a testament to the traditional idea that it’s more efficient to pool everyone’s money and trust leaders to allocate it wisely. The convention still runs a large missions program. But its churches aren’t sending as much as they used to.

The SBC has also declined in membership. and it faces unique challenges such as litigation following a report on sexual misconduct

Its Executive Committee, which trimmed its staff in 2023, is putting its Nashville office up for sale.

Nowadays, not only has trust in centralized leadership faded, but there often are fewer church members to support programs and activities Many denominational churches are acting more like nondenominational ones — downloading music or Sunday School lessons from independent rather than official sources.

Episcopal Church

Last month, the Episcopal Church announced the layoff of 14 workers, with another 16 retiring this year under an incentive program. Another 13 vacant positions are being eliminated. Other staffers are being trained to take on new roles, and the denomination projects it will have a net total of about 110 full-time workers by next year

“Our goal was to meet the emerging financial reality but also to determine how we can continue to serve the church as it’s becoming something different than it was,”

Episcopal Church Presiding Bish-

op Sean Rowe said in an interview

“It’s creating networks on the ground,” he said. “It’s paying attention to what is new and working, and lifting that up.”

Some of the shift in strategy will involve looking at ways to support local dioceses and parishes, which are “better equipped to know what their needs are,” Rowe said.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) cut 12 positions from its central offices late last year It also enacted a major change in its approach to global missions earlier this year, eliminating the position

of mission co-worker or those who worked directly in other countries in schools, churches or other ministries. The church will retain workers who will maintain regular contacts with Presbyterian and other churches overseas, as well as interfaith contacts, while also working with diaspora communities in the United States. The world mission staff reduced from 79 to 44, according to a church announcement last month.

The changes are difficult, acknowledged the Rev Jihyun Oh, executive director of the PC (U.S.A.)’s Interim Unified Agency, a recently consolidated office overseeing a range of denominational work.

The denomination is roughly a third of its size when it took its current form in the 1980s, following a reunification of northern and southern branches. And while many members had increased their giving to missions over the past two decades, the net effect of fewer members was a decline in funds. It was important, Oh said,

to reorganize now, before a financial crisis required a more drastic cut. Meanwhile, some of the countries where mission workers once were assigned now have well-established Presbyterian churches, she said.

“The church’s witness and ministry is not coming to an end,” she said. “There can be resurrection and renewal in a different sort of way.” That renewal might be measured not so much by numbers but “in terms of impact, in terms of partnerships, in terms of other ways that we will actually be called to live out faith in this time.” She hopes church members understand that “God’s not done with us.”

United Methodist Church

In the United Methodist Church, giving to denomination-wide ministries fell by about 13% to $91 million in 2024, according to its General Council on Finance and Administration. That didn’t cause an immediate shock because the denomination has been preparing

for such declines in recent years.

It underwent a yearslong schism in which a quarter of its U.S. churches left by the end of 2023.

Many joined a more conservative denomination before the UMC’s General Conference in 2024 removed its long-standing bans on ordaining and marrying LGBTQ people, while continuing to allow church conferences in other countries to set their own rules.

United Methodist denominational agencies currently have 503 fulltime employees, down 36% since 2016, according to the council. Thumma said that even though “organized religion” gets a bad name these days, that’s not the full story

“You have people who are still interested in spirituality some sort of gathering around something higher than themselves, but not in these particular forms,” he said.

“There are a lot of religious and denominational leaders who realize that, but the question is what forms or structures are going to resonate with those folks.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By PETER SMITH

The Rev. David Meredith, left, and the Rev. Austin Adkinson sing during a gathering of those in the LGBTQA+ community and their allies on May 2 outside the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C..

Mining project in Amazon divides Indigenous tribe

BY ROSIENE CARVALHO Associated Press

LAGO DO SOARES,Brazil Indigenous leader Filipe Gabriel Mura stands before Soares Lake in Brazil’s Amazon, looking out at the amber waters that are surrounded by a jagged shoreline that has been home for centuries to Indigenous people known as Mura.

“It’s the most beautiful sunset,” said Mura. “I doubt there’s another like it in the world.”

Mura and others from the tribe fear that the pristine beauty of the place may soon change Hidden from view dozens of miles below ground, the region holds one of the largest reserves of potash, a mineral that includes potassium, on the planet Now Brazil Potash Corp., a Toronto-based mining company listed in the New York Stock Exchange, is set to start tapping the mineral, which is used to make fertilizer and is a key to Brazil’s booming agribusiness. As can happen when mammoth projects are planned in Indigenous communities Brazil Potash’s plans are sparking fears of environmental impact and creating divisions. Opponents fear that mining will expose the tribe to harmful pollution and hurt tribal unity, while supporters think it will raise their standard of living.

The project, expected to soon break ground, has an estimated cost of $2.5 billion. It is planned near the mouth of the Madeira River, which flows into the Amazon River.

The build-out will include two shafts reaching a depth of 3,018 feet below ground the equivalent to a 300-story building. One shaft will be to transport workers and the ore they mine while the other will be for ventilation.

Above ground, the project

to emailed questions.

Aldinelson Moraes Pavão, 53, a leader of the Mura Indigenous Council who lives near the projected port, says the mining is a way out poverty and a way to preserve their culture.

“We’re going to get schools and health grants. Professionals will be hired to work here We are hopeful,” said Pavão.

Another leader Marcelo Lopes, a father of nine, says that the crops and fishing yields are no longer enough to sustain his Urucurituba village. Life has become more difficult thanks to drought, wildfires and the resulting smoke.

The suit alleges that the mining company acquired plots in the project area through deception, threats and coercion. It also highlights what it says are flaws in the licensing process.

One environmental risk is the handling of rock salt, a byproduct of the mining called brine The company says there will be two sites next to brine ponds to collect surface water and thus contaminated water will be contained According to the Attorney General, the site will be in a flood-prone area vulnerable to seasonal rising and falling river levels.

tion is 9.2 million tons of potash ore annually, which would meet 17% of Brazil’s current demand, according to the company The project received licensing by Amazonas Environmental Protection Institute, a state-level agency. However, it faces lawsuits from the Office of the Attorney General for a lack of proper consultation with the Mura and potential environmental risks, such as soil and water contamination, as the plant will be in a region prone to seasonal flooding.

“We risk losing our culture if the state denies our existence and that of our ancestors to pave the way for mining. I am honored to represent a people determined not to be erased,” said Mura, the tribal leader In colonial times, the Mura were nearly driven to extinction while resisting nonIndigenous settlers. Today, the population is about 13,000 spread across this stretch of the Madeira River, a maze of smaller rivers, lakes and headwaters Soares, a small village, is the closest to the planned mining site while nearby Urucurituba, another small vil-

in 2003. Historical records show the tribe has inhabited the area for at least 200 years. Brazilian law prohibits mining on Indigenous land.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Brazil’s Indigenous bureau, known as FUNAI, said that the recognition process was underway but couldn’t provide more details on when or if the territorial designation may be made.

FUNAI added that there was strong evidence that Soares and Urucurituba are Indigenous lands and that the project could bring deforestation, noise and air pollution, changes in aquatic fauna and other environmental impacts.

Brazil Potash says it has consulted the Mura people and that the majority support the project. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said 90% of representatives from 34 out of 36 nearby villages voted. However, Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office, which is tasked with defending Indigenous rights, argues the consultation process was flawed. It secured a court order prohibiting company representatives from entering Mura

“Many times, we’re left begging. It’s humiliating, especially now that we have this treasure,” Lopes said.

In the lawsuit, the Attorney General’s Office says the internal division is one of the project’s first consequences.

Geologist Cisnea Basílio says that while the location is attractive because the mining can happen at relatively shallow depths, that comes with inherent risks. She warns that the underground mining carries the potential to crumble the surface, swallowing nearby villages.

“Accidents happen even in developed countries,” she said. The federal government supports the project as vital for the economy Brazil is one of world’s largest importers of potash. The leading suppliers include Russia, Belarus and Israel, raising concerns that armed conflicts may cut supply or lead prices to skyrocket, which happened after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In the agribusiness sector, Brazil Potash has secured a transportation agreement with giant Amaggi conglomerate, which holds 894,000 acres of productive area, almost five times the size of New York City The plan is to transport the mineral in large barges through major Amazon Rivers to reach Mato Grosso State, Brazil’s largest soybean producer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EDMAR BARROS

Indigenous leader Filipe Gabriel Mura shows an exploratory well for future drilling of potash, a mineral that includes potassium, on Feb 18 in the Lago do Soares village, in Autazes, Amazonas state, Brazil.

Wilson remembered as ‘radiant’

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.

ä See WILSON, page 2B

‘JUST

THE WAy IT WAS’ Gennaro’s, Metairie’s oldest bar, is still going strong

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

With a shot and a beer in hand, Gary

“Teach” Rhoden settled onto a stool at Gennaro’s Bar and gestured across the room. It was Friday afternoon, and the bar was buzzing with patrons ahead of the annual Old Metairie Irish Festival that evening.

“This is my office,” Rhoden, 69, a retired Jefferson Parish elementary school teacher, joked. “I have to check in.”

With its cheap drinks and welcoming atmosphere, Gennaro’s has long been a popular hangout for New Orleans’ suburbanites. But the Metairie Road establishment isn’t just any watering hole.

It’s believed to be the oldest bar still operating in Metairie.

With so many other storied bars and restaurants gone — “Ain’t dere no more,” as the locals say — Gennaro’s is a reminder of how much Jefferson Parish has changed over its 200-year history

When Gennaro’s opened as a bar and restaurant in 1937, Metairie was largely rural. Its founder, Charles Gennaro, was an immigrant from Sicily who worked as a farmer, grocer and oyster dealer, according to local historian Catherine Campanella.

Gennaro and his wife, Jennie, lived around the corner on the aptly named Gennaro Place — while his oldest daughter, Antoinette, and his son-in-law, William Dwyer lived in the apartment above the bar That’s where William J. “Bill” Dwyer grew up.

“I’d run downstairs and get anything

I wanted out of the kitchen,” Dwyer, 77, said in a recent interview

He remembers sitting on the bar stool watching patrons play pinball. Back in those days, the machines paid when you won — but took your money when you lost.

“It taught me not to gamble because I saw guys put a lot of money in there.”

Another Dwyer, Bill’s cousin Stephen, described Gennaro’s as a “neighborhood institution.”

Back in the day, he said, it featured a dance floor and bandstand, at one point hosting Liberace. Also making an appearance was the boxer Rocky Marciano.

“It wasn’t high-end like the Copacabana,” he said, referencing the famous

New York City nightclub that set the standard for glitz in the 1940s and 1950s “But in Metairie, it was pretty high stuff.” The bar was also known for its food. On Wednesdays, it was all-you-could-eat fried chicken. And on Thursday’s, all-youcould-eat spaghetti. Today you can order off Bear’s Poboys menu located next door Bob Marshall, a former Times-Picayune reporter had a different memory of the bar’s kitchen. He grew up nearby and would go hunting with Bill Dwyer, both armed with BB

He said they’d freeze whatever they

and every year the

at

would use it to create a “big wild game gumbo.”

ä See GENNARO’S, page 2B

$30M bridge, road widening project keeping up with development

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

With his eyes glued to the clock as if it was marking the countdown to a NASA launch, Daniel Gitlin knows he must be out of his north Covington home and on U.S. 190 by 6:42 a.m. A minute earlier is fine. A minute later? Well

“After 6:42 I really hit the traffic — it’s that exact,” Gitlin said. And it’s even worse in the evenings. “There’s no avoiding it,” Gitlin said.

But the state highway department says help is coming soon to what might be St. Tammany Parish’s worst traffic snarl the stretch of U.S. 190 on either side of the bridge crossing the Bogue Falaya River Work is churning along on a $30 million project to widen that stretch of U.S. 190 from the Bogue Falaya bridge north to La. 437, commonly known as Lee Road.

The new bridge will carry two lanes of vehicles northbound. That will allow the existing twolane bridge to be dedicated to just southbound vehicles. And a new two-lane roadway will run alongside the existing highway between the bridge and Lee Road.

The current work is one phase of a five-phase plan that will eventually widen U.S. 190 all the way to La. 25, with roundabouts at several intersections to improve traffic flow The current phase, including the new bridge, could be open to drivers by the end of the year, according to the state Department of Transportation and Development.

“This is going to be a game changer,” said Gitlin, who in addition to being one of thousands of northshore commuters, also works for the DOTD.

Gitlin’s office is in Bridge City, which means his commute takes him through Covington, across the Causeway and then across the Mississippi River as well. He battles the southbound U.S. 190 traffic in the morning, when vehicles clamor for position in a single lane until the highway expands to three lanes just south of the bridge.

guns.

shot,

cooks

Gennaro’s

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Patrons order drinks at Gennaro’s Bar in Metairie for St. Patrick’s Day on Friday

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Family and friends hold a second-line parade Saturday after the celebration of life service for Caleb Wilson at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Kenner

PROVIDED PHOTO

Some of the regular crowd at Gennaro’s Bar in the 1950s.

HIGHWAY

Then, in the evening, he’s among hundreds of other drivers stuck in a molasses-like, blocks-long crawl caused by three lanes of northbound U.S. 190 traffic being funneled into the single lane over the current Bogue Falaya bridge

“It’s awful. Just brutal,” said Steve Hudson, who lives north of Covington and also tangles with the traffic beast. “I’m retired now so I don’t have to fight it every day. But, man, that is misery.”

Like many of the roadways scattered across the northshore, U.S. 190 from Interstate 12 to north of Covington is a throwback to when there were fewer cars and drivers. But as the parish’s population has grown over the decades, public infrastructure — roadways in particular has struggled to keep pace with development.

More than 50,000 vehicles per day travel along U.S. 190 near the Bogue Falaya bridge, Gitlin said. Finally, a new bridge

While the latest U.S. 190 project will add lanes in each direction, the new bridge is obviously the centerpiece. It comes after decades of pleading by St. Tammany officials.

“This will be a big deal,” said St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper, adding that talk of widening or replacing the bridge goes back decades.

The current bridge, which is east of downtown Covington, was built just after World War II, long before the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and I-12 opened central and western St. Tammany to the explosive residential and commercial development that would come to define the following decades

GENNARO’S

Continued from page 1B

Shortly after World War II, Gennaro’s installed its famous red and green neon sign, which still shines today

When construction was nearly complete on the Causeway Boulevard overpass that still casts its big shadow on Gennaro’s, Dwyer said he and his buddies would take their bikes to the top of the overpass and ride it down.

Gennaro’s regulars were also responsible for organizing the Krewe of Zeus, one of Metairie’s

first Mardi Gras parades. A group of regulars were drinking at the bar one night in 1957 and got to wondering why Metairie didn’t have any parades. Legend has it that by the time they left the bar, Zeus had been born, scribbled on a cocktail napkin.

The parade made its debut the next year, as did another Metairie parade, the Krewe of Helios. Years later, Metairie’s Carnival parade schedule would outgrow that first route that took them down a stretch of Metairie Road and past Gennaro’s.

Metairie’s St. Patrick’s Day parade does still roll past the bar Sunday will mark its 54th ride through Old Metairie.

Thirteen years ago, Gennaro’s was purchased by childhood friends Brian Hebert, Rob Robinson and Kent Berger

“We try to keep it as a neighborhood bar, just the way it was,” Hebert said, adding that the bar still opens at 10 a.m. for its regulars.

“Everybody’s got a connection to the bar,” he said.

Continued from page 1B 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

The highway department spent more than $9 million in 2019 making substantial changes to the three-mile stretch of U.S 190 north of I-12 to improve traffic flow And it did until the three lanes of northbound U.S. 190 traffic needed

to funnel into a single lane across the old Bogue Falaya bridge.

The new bridge — some 4,800 cubic yards of concrete and 1.1 million pounds of steel — will feature wider lanes and shoulders, something the existing bridge cannot boast.

It sits atop a series of concrete columns pounded as deep at 107 feet into the earth, the highway department said.

“I think it’s kind of a marvel,” Gitlin said one recent morning, standing beneath the structure as workers poured over their tasks above.

“Once people see concrete they’ll really know it’s getting closer.”

For now, motorists must navigate through a roughly mile-long construction zone and even when complete, this latest phase will just push the bottleneck farther north.

Push for asphalt, concrete

The commuter in Gitlin understands the public’s frustration of losing hours each week on clogged roadways. But the DOTD spokesperson in him understands that the state has countless traffic hot spots, each with elected officials and motorists clamoring for improvements.

“Really, there’s always just more need than there is money,” he said.

“A lot of times projects just sit there

until there’s money available for them.”

Gitlin noted that St. Tammany has seen hundreds of millions of dollars in road improvements in the past few years. Indeed, the DOTD is involved in a few big-ticket projects aimed at increasing capacity

The state is wrapping up a threestage, $189 million widening of I-12 between La. 59 and La. 1077. And the first segment of the long-awaited, $216 million La 3241 opened last summer That 20-mile highway, which officials say would open another north-south corridor in the eastern-central portion of the parish, was also decades in the planning.

WILSON

Continued from page 1B

“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.” Last month, Wilson captivated millions worldwide when he performed with the Human Jukebox during the Super Bowl LIX pregame show On Saturday, a silent trumpet flanked his coffin as high-profile mourners honored his memory Dressed in pearls and a black sheath dress, New Orleans Saints owner and CEO Gayle Benson delivered a reading from the Book of Wisdom. Multiple local officials, including former NOPD superintendent Shaun Ferguson and Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, dotted the audience. Others, including Gov Jeff Landry U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy Rep. Troy Carter, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and Kenner Mayor Michael J. Glaser, sent proclamations to Wilson’s family — his father, Corey Wilson Sr., a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy who provided security for Benson; his mother, Urania Brown; and his siblings, Coren and Corey Jr During his remarks, Rep. Jo-

seph Stagni pledged to honor Wilson and his family on the Louisiana House of Representatives floor and to harden hazing penalties.

Currently, people found guilty of fatal criminal hazing can face a $10,000 fine and five years behind bars.

Three have been arrested so far in connection with Wilson’s death on Feb. 27. Caleb McCray, 23, who allegedly delivered the deadly blow in a hazing ritual at a warehouse off Greenwell Springs Road, was arrested last week on manslaughter and criminal hazing. Kyle Thurman, 25 and Isaiah Smith, 28, were both booked earlier this month on one count of criminal hazing.

“The young men that did that to him my heart goes out to them. I’m sure they did not set out to kill him,” said funeral attendee Sylvia Holmes. “It’s not necessary to be brutalized to be part of a brotherhood.”

She said her grandson Connor Goodly was reconsidering Greek life after seeing his childhood friend’s promising future cut short. Once a fellow Human Jukebox band member, on Saturday Goodly served as Wilson’s pallbearer

“Caleb’s purpose on Earth may have been fulfilled, but I don’t think ours have been,” 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.”

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Pallbearers walk the casket down stairs to the hearse during the celebration of life

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng hangs out outside of Gennaro’s Bar for a St. Patrick’s celebration on Friday.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

People gather outside Gennaro’s Bar in Metairie for a St. Patrick’s celebration on Friday.

PROVIDED PHOTO

This is an exterior shot of Gennaro’s bar and restaurant from around 1950.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Construction continues

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del Marmol, George

Dennis Sr.,Austin

Ford, Samuel

Hart, James

Howat, Hugh

Howat, Moonyeen

James Sr.,Aaron

Jenkins, Sha'Conia

Kullman, Merrilee

Landry,Albert

LeBlanc, Cindy

Lerille, Red Logan, Sondra

Marinello Sr., James McQuiston, Carole

Paciera,Adrienne

Ruiz, Wanda Smith, Cheryl Soniat, Myrtle Spangenberg, Lisl Steib, Pierre Wallace, James E Jefferson Garden of Memories del Marmol, George LeBlanc, Cindy

Leitz-Eagan da Roza, Mary Marinello Sr., James Neptune Society Kullman, Merrilee

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in Chalmette in May 2001, achieving Chancellor's Honors. She built adistinguishedcareer in banking serving as Branch Manager at Whitney NationalBank from 1998 until retiring in March 2017. Prior to that, she was aSmart Money Relationship Manager at Bank One/First NBC, where she managed portfolios and was recognizedasa top producer in retail sales for the Greater New Orleans area. Beyond her career, Carolyn was an active member of numerous organizations, including the NunezCommunity College Foundation, the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association and the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce.She also servedasPresident of the Nunez Community College Alumni Association and was alongtime executive board member of the American Heart Association's St. Bernard Chapter.She was alicensed insurance agent and anotary public in St Bernard Parish. Carolyn is survived by her loving husband, Michael L. Browning, with whom she shared57 wonderful years of marriage; the sons to whom she was devoted, Mark Browning (Robyn Cockerham) and Matthew Browning; her cherished grandchildren, Andrew Browning (Michelina Percoco), Nick Browning Elizabeth Browning (Chris Varnum) LaurenBrowning; and her adoredgreat grandchildrenCeleste Browning, Theodore Browning, and Violet Browning. Her sister, Mary Bosco Marks, her brother, Gilbert F. Bosco, Jr.,and niece, Brandi Marks Theard (David), also survive Carolyn. She was precededindeath by her son, Michael A. Browning, and her parents, Gilbert F. Bosco, Sr., and Dorothy Driscoll Bosco. Family and friends areinvited to attend avisitation at Lake Lawn MetairieFuneral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. NewOrleans, LA 70124 on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 10:00 AM,followed by aFuneral Mass at 1:00 PM. Interment will take place at Lake Lawn Park Cemetery. Services will be officiated by Fr. Alex Harb. Carolyn'slegacy of kindness, love,and compassion will be deeply missed by all who knew her. To viewand sign the online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairi e.com

Jenkins, Sha'Conia CobbIII, James Armond 'Bubba'

Jacob Schoen

Ruiz, Wanda

Soniat, Myrtle

Lake Lawn Metairie

Browning, Carolyn

Cobb III, James

Howat, Hugh

Howat, Moonyeen

Paciera,Adrienne River Parish

Treasures Life

Steib, Pierre St Tammany

Bagnell Son

Logan, Sondra West Bank

Davis Mortuary

Dennis Sr.,Austin

Smith, Cheryl

Obituaries

Browning, Carolyn Bosco

Carolyn Bosco Browning 76 of Prairieville, Louisiana, passed away on March9 2025. She was born on October 26, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Carolyn was adedicated professional and abeloved member of her community. She earned an Associate of Business Studies from Nunez Community College in Chalmette in May 2001, achieving Chancellor's Honors. She built adistinguished career in banking, servingasBranch Manager at Whitney National Bank from 1998 until retiring in

family and friends for the love and support through this difficult time. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial gathering at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 PontchartrainBlvd. in New Orleans, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, from 10:00AM until 12:00PM. A graveside service will immediately follow in Metairie Cemetery.

gler, at St. Charles Bor‐romeo Catholic Church 13396 River Road, Destre‐han, La. on Saturday, April 12 at 11 am Visitation will begin at 10 am

Carolyn Cobb III, James da Roza, Mary del Marmol, George Andre

To view and sign theonline guest book, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

James Armond Cobb, III "Bubba", age 65, passed away at his home in Pass Christian, Mississippi,on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

Bubba was preceded in death by his parents, James Armond Cobb, Jr. and Isabel Hillery Cobb; his brothers, Andrew Hillery Cobb and MichaelParker Cobb, Sr.; his niece, Katie Ambrogio; and hisfatherin-law, Victor Barousse Bubba is survived by his wife of 42 years, Monique Barousse Cobb; his two sons, James Armond Cobb, IV (Elizabeth) and Brandon Michael Cobb (Kelsey); his five grandchildren, Kendall Cobb, Kylie Cobb, Cameron Cobb, JamesArmondCobb, V, and Claire Cobb; hissister, Catherine Cobb Nortman (David); hismother-in-law, Mona Barousse; his sister-in-law, Mary Cobb; his brother-in-law, MichaelBarousse (Jill); and many niecesand nephews.

Bubba was born in Metairie, Louisiana on September 19, 1959. He graduated from De La Salle High School in 1977, and attended Spring Hill College. He wasa former member of the Doll and ToyFund and the Louisiana Motor Transport Association. He began his career in transportation when he joined Haynes Motor Line.He went on to own and operate his own business, Inter City Express in New Orleans, beforerelocating to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He enjoyed weekend adventures on the Wolf River, fishing, boating, and was an avidcar enthusiast. Bubba never met astranger, and he will be missed by many. The family wouldlike to extend their gratitude to family and friends for the love and support through this difficult time Relativesand friends are invited to attend a memorial gathering at Lake Lawn Metairie

Mary Connick da Roza passed away on March 7 2025 at the age of 94 sur‐rounded by her loving chil‐dren. Mary was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 68 years, the love of her life and her best friend who supported and encouraged her in all of her endeavors Dan da Roza; parents James and Jessie Catherine Fowler Connick, brothers James Paul, Joseph Harry John William, Paul David, William Joseph; sister Jessie Ann. Mary is sur‐vived by her brother Michael O’Dell. She was the proud mother of 5 chil‐dren: Kathleen Bruce Roy da Roza (Margie), Addie Scullin (Dan) Ann Avallone (Tony), and Mary Kay Son‐nier (John) and the loving grandmother of twelve grandchildren Jennifer Morrison, Jason Bruce, Stephanie Purvis, Paul da Roza, Lindsey Marion Justin da Roza, Emily Scullin Daniel Scullin Stephen Avallone, Mary Avallone Hayden Sonnier and Nathan Sonnier and 14 great grandchildren She had numerous nieces and nephews all who held a special place in her heart Mary was born March 9, 1930 in New Orleans, and in childhood lived in Atlanta, and Mobile finally moving back to New Orleans where she became a life long resi‐dent. She attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School, graduating in 1947 and Providence Hospital School of Nursing, in Mo‐bile, Alabama graduating in 1951. Outside of her fam‐ily, her work as a Regis‐tered Nurse was her most prideful accomplishment Mary considered nursing not as a profession, in‐stead she viewed nursing as a vocation She worked at Mercy Hospital and Touro Infirmary until her retirement, specializing in Infection Control Mary be‐came a Certified Infection Control Practitioner devel‐oping and implementing infection surveillance and control programs for both hospitals She was a mem‐ber of the American Practi‐tioners in Infection Control (APIC), serving as presi‐dent. She was very instru‐mental in opening the New Orleans Chapter She did much work during the AIDS epidemic In retirement she established a consult‐ing firm, Rochele Inc, and was a consultant for nu‐merous nursing homes, de‐veloping infection, safety and quality assurance pro‐grams for these facilities Mary was respected and admired by her colleagues, mentoring many nurses freely, giving her time of‐fering guidance and en‐couragement as they en‐tered the practice of infec‐tion control Her accom‐plishments in nursing gained her the honor as a Great One Hundred Mary was a Catholic who lived her religion and tried to re‐flect her faith in all that she did She was always the perfect hostess, and loved entertaining family and friends She enjoyed the years spent as part of a gourmet club, with a small group of very close friends, that always had a good time together. Mary loved gardening and spent end‐less hours working in her yard. Gardening was her special pleasure. Mary also enjoyed traveling abroad with her husband, Dan and spent time volunteering for Meals on Wheels. Mary was compassionate, set‐ting an example by her ac‐tions and selflessness. The family would like to extend a sincere thank you to In‐terim Hospice and their nurses for their attentive and compassionate care delivery. Relatives and friends are invited to at‐tend a funeral mass, offici‐ated by Father Harry Bu‐gler, at St Charles Bor‐romeo Catholic Church, 13396 River Road Destre‐han, La., on Saturday, April 12 at 11 am Visitation will begin at 10 am

ing boards and tennis courts and now he rests in peace, forever adored by his wife and cherished by all who knew him. Rela‐tives and friends are in‐vited to attend the Funeral Services at St Agnes Catholic Church 3310 Jef‐ferson Hwy., Jefferson, LA 70121 on Monday March 17, 2025. Visitation will begin at 9:30 am with a Mass officiated by Fr Den‐nis Hayes starting at 10:00 am. Inurnment will fol‐lowed in Garden of Memo‐ries Cemetery, 4900 Airline Dr. Metairie, LA 70001. To order flowers or offer con‐dolences, please visit www gardenofmemorie smetairie com.

George Andre del Mar‐mol 71, of Jefferson passed away peacefully on March 1 2025, after a long illness, leaving behind a legacy of laughter love and a little bit of mischief Born the first boy after three girls in New Orleans he arrived ready to shake things up As a child ath‐lete, he earned “Best Camper” at Tulane Daycare a title he’d later joke was his early peak. His knack for surprises started young At Mater Delarosa School in kindergarten, he slipped out after his mom dropped him off, only to pop up in the car yelling Surprise!” when she got home. The nuns weren’t amused, but it was classic George. As a teenager, he shone as a tennis player and diver, competing in meets across the South with a grit and grace that defined him. In 1977, he met his wife, Ginger at LSU in Baton Rouge, sparking a love that carried them through 48 years. He grad‐uated with a degree in con‐struction technology, building not just structures but a life full of warmth and connection. A devoted Catholic (received the Order of St Louis Medallion last year), George found strength in his faith as a longtime parishioner of St Agnes, where he was a fa‐miliar cherished face Though they had no chil‐dren, George and Ginger were surrounded by a lov‐ing family and a tight-knit circle of friends who’ll miss his quick wit and steady presence He faced his ill‐ness with the same courage he brought to div‐ing boards and tennis courts, and now he rests in peace, forever adored by his wife and cherished by all who knew him. Rela‐tives and friends are in‐vited to attend the Funeral Services at St. Agnes Catholic Church, 3310 Jef‐ferson Hwy., Jefferson, LA 70121 on Monday March 17, 2025. Visitation will begin at 9:30 am with a Mass officiated by Fr Den‐nis Hayes starting at 10:00 am Inurnment will fol‐lowed in Garden of Memo‐ries Cemetery, 4900 Airline Dr Metairie LA 70001. To order flowers or offer con‐dolences, please visit www gardenofmemorie smetairie.com

James Dennis, Sr., Austin Dennis, Jr., Rose Ryles, Di‐anne C Brown, Paula A Castro, Flora C. Morris (Clifford) Velma C. Ander‐son (Donald, Sr.), Delia C. Holmes, Rev Kim C Castro Sr. (Troylynn), Ezekiel Tous‐saint Derrick (Alexis) Tou‐ssaint, Treenice Williams (Clifford) Carolyn (Charles) Junius, Rev Johnny (Oshele) Byrd, Danijah and Jamal Dennis Great grandfather of the late Dezaniyah Harrison Son of the late John Dennis and Edolia Dennis Brother of Sarah Dennis, Elsie Den‐nis

and the

Gladys Bellard, Easton Den‐nis Issac and Joseph Williams, Ivory and Izeal Vallian. Uncle of the

Vonessa Gadison, and Ezo‐lia Johnson. Also

ing his memories are

grandchildren,

grandchildren

great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews cousins, other relatives and friends Relatives and friends of the family, also pastors, officers, and members of New Zion Bap‐tist Church, Children of Is‐rael Baptist Church Rock of Ages Baptist, and all

doesn’tpay for dental care.1 That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meanttocover

Thatmeans if you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance. Early detection canprevent small problems

Rev. Dr. Austin Dennis, Sr. entered eternal rest on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the age of 88. He was a na‐tive of Opelousas, LA and a resident of Harvey, LA Rev Dennis was Pastor Emeri‐tus of New Zion Baptist Church of Marrero and Children of Israel Baptist Church of Killona He at‐tended A.P Clay Christian Bible College, Christian Bible College and Union Baptist Theological Semi‐nary, where he received a Doctorate in Theology He was Vice President Emeri‐tus with Purelight Baptist and Educational Associa‐tion, and he served as President of Seven Churches Tent Revival Rev Dennis was also a retired employee of Louisiana De‐partment of Transportation and Development and a former employee of T L James Foreman Company of Ruston, LA. Beloved hus‐band of Carolyn Toussaint Dennis, and the late Sylva‐nia Dennis by first mar‐riage, and Adline Cooks Dennis by second mar‐riage Loving father of Syl‐vania (Rodney) Perry Veronica (Rickey) Nelson, Bernadette Oakley (Jerome), Delores (Joseph) Thierry, John Dennis, Sr., James Dennis Sr Austin Dennis, Jr., Rose Ryles, Di‐anne C Brown, Paula A Castro, Flora C. Morris (Clifford), Velma C Ander‐son (Donald, Sr.), Delia C. Holmes Rev Kim C. Castro Sr (Troylynn), Ezekiel Tous‐saint, Derrick (Alexis) Tou‐ssaint, Treenice Williams (Clifford), Carolyn (Charles) Junius, Rev Johnny (Oshele) Byrd, Danijah and Jamal Dennis Great grandfather of the late Dezaniyah Harrison. Son of the late John Dennis and Edolia Dennis. Brother of Sarah Dennis, Elsie Den‐nis Thomas and the late Gladys Bellard, Easton Den‐nis, Issac and Joseph Williams, Ivory and Izeal Vallian Uncle of the late Vonessa Gadison, and Ezo‐lia Johnson. Also cherish‐ing his memories are 61 grandchildren, 95 great grandchildren, 12 great great grandchildren, and a host of nieces nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Relatives and friends of the family, also pastors, officers, and members of New Zion Bap‐tist Church, Children of Is‐rael Baptist Church Rock of Ages Baptist, and all neighboring churches; members of Purelight Bap‐tist and Educational Asso‐ciation are all are invited to say farewell. Remains will lie in repose at New Zion Baptist Church, 1131 Garden Road Marrero LA on Sunday, March 16, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Celebration of Life will be held at Rock of Ages Bap‐tist Church, 6533 Acre Road Marrero LA on Mon‐day, March 17, 2025, at 11:00 a.m Pastor T. A Ran‐son, Sr., host pastor; Pas‐tor Edward Joseph III of St Mary Baptist Church, offici‐ator; Bishop J. D Wiley of Life Center Cathedral, offi‐ciating. Viewing will be held from 8:00 a.m.-10:45a.m. ONLY. Inter‐ment: Restlawn Park Cemetery-Avondale, LA. Arrangements by Davis Mortuary Service, 230 Mon‐roe St., Gretna, LA To view and sign the guestbook please go to davismortu‐aryservice.com Face masks are recommended.

Browning,

Dennis Sr., Rev. Dr. Austin

da Roza, Mary Connick

Samuel Bradley Ford, age 98, passed away after abrief illness on March6, 2025, at his retirement home in Covington, Louisiana where he had resided since 2020. Mr. Ford was born in Selma, Alabama and raised in Jasper, Alabama where he attended Walker County High School. He was a WWII veteran, having enlisted in the US Navy in1944. He later attended the University of Alabama (class of 50') on the GI bill and was aproud member of Sigma Nu fraternity as well as alifetime, avid supporter of Bear Bryant and Alabama football.Roll Tide! He majored in radio and television broadcasting and had a50year career in this industry. He worked in Mobile, Alabama before moving to New Orleans, Louisiana where he was the program director for WVOG, known as the "voice of gospel." The station was recognized by the Wall Street Journal for starting an "electronic church" and being apioneer in Christianprogramming. Under Mr. Ford's leadership, it also received aLouisiana Governor's Award for Mediabecause of an adoption program he started for the state. Mr Ford married Jennie Welch after collegeand had two sons, Dr. Sam Welch, an ENT physician, and Mr. Ernie Welch. The family were members of the Baptist church in Mobile, Alabama and Mr. Ford enjoyed playing golf and doing play by play announcing for the local baseball team. Years later, after moving to New Orleans,he met and married Joyce Prima, (daughter of iconic musician Louis Prima), when she visited his radio station promoting her father's music. The couple lost their home and most of their possessions in hurricane Katrina and relocated to Abita Springs, Louisiana. In his later years Mr. Ford was active with the AmericanLegion and attended many events recognizing his WW II service with his dear friend Ignatius DeSandro,afellow veteran and local leader. He also loved monthly gatherings with the "R.o.m.e.o.s.", (real old men eating out single) organized by his longtime friend, Dr Murphy. Despite ever worsening eyesight and hearing, he enjoyed playing the piano and never missed adaily bingo or Pokeno game at his retirement home. He studiously kept up with current events both local and national, voted in every election since he was 18 and almost never missed an Alabama or New Orleans Saints footballgame. Mr Ford was asouthern gentleman and astudent of history with alifelong enthusiasm for learning. He was passionate about what he called his beloved south" and wrote an autobiographical book drawing on decades of lived experience called Southern Scandal which was being edited by Tate Publishing at the time of his death. In the Afterward of the book he writes, "Don't even consider giving someone apiece of your mind. Be sensible and give them peace of mind...Smile and extend a hug to your own family members and afriendly handshake to neighbors, no matter how distant or different they appear. Then, as Mr. Lincoln dreamed, we shall, with God's help, have a"new birth of freedom" in our beloved nation. Peace happiness and prosperity might well be the fruits of aspirit of harmony and forgiveness. At least, it will be agood start." Mr. Ford was predeceased by parents, Lawrence Ford and Juanita Walker, sister Martha (Ford) Ceriani and by wives Jennie Welch and JoycePrima.

He is survived by sons, Dr. Sam Welch and Ernie Welch, granddaughter Mary Lee Smith, great grandchildren Molly and Connor, niece Dr. Carol Ceriani, nephew Steve Ceriani, daughters-in-law Karen Welch and Patti Welch and stepdaughters Diana Reidell and Sheryl Duffourc.

The family willreceive friends on March 20, 2025, at 10:00 AM with at 11:00 AM at Serenity Funeral Home Chapel, 20419 Hwy. 36, Covington, La. 70433 with military honors. Rev. Alex Guzman willofficiate. Internment will be private at Southeast Louisiana

at 10:00 AM with at 11:00 AM at Serenity Funeral Home Chapel, 20419 Hwy. 36, Covington, La.70433 with military honors. Rev. Alex Guzman will officiate. Internment will be private at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Slidell, Louisiana. Arrangements are entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home of Covington, La

Hart, James Franklin 'Jimmy'

JamesFranklin Hart, Sr., affectionately knownas Jimmy, was born on November13, 1940 to Edward W. Hart and Christine StokesHart of New Orleans, Louisiana. Jimmy grew up with his beloved siblings- older brother EdwardHart (deceased) and youngersister Susan HartHanlon in Uptown NewOrleans. Jimmy attendedSt. Matthias and graduated from the eighth grade in 1954. He then attended Rugby Academy (an old military school on St. CharlesAve. in New Orleans) from 1954 through 1958 where he had ascholarship (as he likestosay, he was among the top ten in his class, but there were only 10 students in the graduating class). After he graduatedfrom Rugby he attended Tulane University where he studied mechanical engineering. Three years into college, he transferredtothe University of Southeastern Louisiana where he graduated in 1964 with adegree in mechanical engineering. That same year, he went to work for Boeing in New Orleans, helping to build the first stage of the Saturn rocket. In 1974 his careeradvanced at Martin Marietta where he helped to build external fuel tanks for the Space Shuttle Program. Jimmy retired in 2010 and enjoyeda happy retirement filled with the company of family, friends, good food, enjoyingnature, and travel. In 1967 Jimmy married his beloved wife Jan Collette and they had three wonderful children, James Hart, Jr,Jessica Hart Stubbs (Mitch), and Joshua Hart. Jimmy enjoyed watching his four grandsons Jack Stubbs, David Stubbs, Gabriel Stubbs, Sam Stubbs, and hisbeautiful granddaughter-in-law, Marisa Stubbs (Jack), grow into fine and accomplished young adults. He also took great pleasure in the company of his loving nieces and nephews, as well as many dear lifelong friends. After the death of his wife, Jimmy enjoyed a beautiful relationship with Barbara Clatterbuck, who has been acherished member of the Hart/ Stubbs family for over 20 years. Jimmy passed away peacefully on March 10, 2025, surroundedbyhis family and in the comfort of his home at the age of 84. He was known for his amazing generosity,his gracious hospitality,his incredible intellect, and his endless supply of terrible jokesfor all occasions. Jimmy made sureevery person who walked through his door was warmly welcomedand offereda cold soda pop. He was deeply loved and will be very much missed. In lieu of flowers, the family asks thatthose wishing to remember Jimmy consider making a donation to the charity of their choice in hishonor.

Hugh Joseph

Hugh Joseph Howat passedaway peacefullyon February21, 2025 at the age of 86. He is survivedby his devoted and loving wife of 63 years who passedaway shortly after him, Moonyeen"Maureen" McDermott Howat, hisloving daughter,Kelley Howat Broussard(Rick), grandson, Richie Broussard (Annie)and great-grandson, Henry Broussard. He is also survived by hissister, Fay Howat Varden (William), his brotherCarl Howat (Cheril), and sisterin-law, Judy Howat along with many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was precededindeathbyhis parents Harold and Hazel Howat and brother, Walter Howat. Hugh was aproud graduate of St. Aloysius

with many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in deathbyhis parents Harold and Hazel Howat and brother, Walter Howat. Hugh was aproud graduate of St.Aloysius High School (Class of 1956). He retired as acivil engineering technician from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District.Prior to his federal career, he worked as a structural draftsman for A.W. Thompson & Associates, consulting engineers. Hugh loved spending time with his wife, family, and friends. He was a generous man and was always willing to lend ahelping hand to anyone who needed it. He enjoyed researching his family genealogy, traveling,working on projects outdoors, M&M's and walking at Lafreniere Park in Metairie. He will be truly missed by all who knew and loved him. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the joint Funeral Mass of Hugh and Maureen at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Boulevard in New Orleans, on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. Interment will follow at St. Louis #3 Cemetery. Avisitationwill be held at the funeral home beginning at 10:00 a.m. In lieuofflowers, masses or donations in his name to Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana https://rmhcsla. org/donate/ are preferred.

Moonyeen "Maureen" McDermottHowat, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2025 at the age of 83. She was preceded in death by her loving and devoted husband of 63 years, Hugh Joseph Howat and her parents, John and Clare McDermott. She is survived by her loving daughter, Kelley Howat Broussard (Rick), grandson, Richie Broussard (Annie) and great-grandson, Henry Broussard.She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Judy Howat, sister-in-law, Fay Howat Varden (William), her brother-in law, Carl Howat (Cheril), along with many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Maureen was agraduateofSacred Heart of Jesus High School and Soule Business College. She worked for many years as the librarian at Our Lady of Divine Providence School. She retired as a secretary from the U.S. Army CorpsofEngineers in New Orleans. She enjoyed working on her genealogy, playing Scrabble and Wordle, &volunteering with The Friends of the Jefferson Parish Library. Maureen cherished her time spent withher family and friends. She was genuinely kindhearted,patient and caring and always had asmile or kind word to share with others. She will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved her. Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend the joint Funeral Mass of Maureen and Hugh at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Boulevard in New Orleans, on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. Interment will follow at St. Louis #3 Cemetery. Avisitationwill be held at the funeral home beginning at 10:00 a.m. In lieuofflowers, masses or donations in her name to The Friendsofthe Jefferson Parish Library https://www.friendsofjeffe rsonlibrary.org/ are preferred.

James Sr., Aaron Michael

Aaron Michael James Sr passed away on March 3, 2025, at the age of 62 Aaron is survived by his mother, Lois James Berry; children, Aaron Jr and Alex James Jacob Love; grand‐children, Asia, Alexi, Au‐tumn, Aaron III, Leh’Gend James, and Harmoni Smoot; brothers, Stephen Jr (Linda), and Byron James (Charnelle); sisters Angela Lipscomb, Char‐lotte James Morris (Lloyd), ‐

children, Asia, Alexi Au‐tumn, Aaron III, Leh’Gend James, and Harmoni Smoot; brothers, Stephen Jr (Linda), and Byron James (Charnelle); sisters, Angela Lipscomb Char‐lotte James Morris (Lloyd), and Lois James. Also sur‐vived by a host of other rel‐atives and friends Pre‐ceded in death by his fa‐ther, Stephen James Sr., brother Charles James sis‐ter-in-law, Melinda James; brother-in-law, Johnnie Lip‐scomb, Sr., grandmothers: Mercedese Alexis and Alex Mae Dunn; and grandfa‐thers: Joseph Chambers and Otis James. Family and friends are invited to at‐tend the Celebration of Life Service on Monday, March 17, 2025, for 1:30 p.m. at The Boyd Family Funeral Home, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy., New Orleans, LA 70126. Visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m Elder Warren Mitchell, Christian Fellow‐ship Family Worship Cen‐ter, officiating Interment will be private. Guestbook Online: www anewtraditi onbegins com (504) 2820600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D. Boyd Own‐ers/Funeral Directors.

Sha'Conia Fiffie Jenkins the youngest daughter of Rev Roland Joseph Fiffie Jr and the late Rosalyn Denise Gordon Fiffie, was born on December 25, 1991 and passed away on Fri‐day March 7, 2025. Beloved wife of Aaron Josiah Jenk‐ins Loving mother of Der‐rell (Prince) Joseph, Aalana Denise and Star Darlene Jenkins. Sister of E'Toya Leblanc (Jevon), LaRhonda (Darnell) and Yolanda Fiffie and Jabriel Bennett Daughter-in-law of Henry Sr. and Darlene Jenkins Sister-in-law of Jessica and Henry Jenkins, Jr. and Jas‐mine Taylor (Kerry). All family and friends are in‐vited to join us in remem‐bering ShaConia and shar‐ing stories of her remark‐able life A Celebration ser‐vice honoring the life of the late Sha'Conia Fiffie Jenkins will be held in the Chapel of Charbonnet Labat Glapion Funeral Home, 1615 St Philip Street, New Orleans, LA 70116 on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 10 am Inter‐ment Providence Memorial Park and Mausoleum Visi‐tation 9 am in the chapel Please sign online guest‐book at www charbonnetf uneralhome.com Due to Covid pandemic, face mask and social distancing ad‐vised Charbonnet Labat Glapion Directors (504) 581-4411.

Kullman,Merrilee Wickstrom

Merrilee Wickstrom Kullman, born in New Orleans on February 24th, 1945, passed away peacefully in New Orleans on March 10, 2025 after along and sometimes feistybattle with dementia. Merrilee was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Frederick S. Kullman (Freddy). She is survived by her children Hillary Wickstrom Gage, AmyYildizli (Turgay), Josh Gage (Jessica Pullano), and her daughter in spirit, Katharine Archer, along with her grandchildren Imogen Archer Walker, Juliet Archer Walker, Aiden Gage, Grace Gage, and Josephine Gage. Merrilee is also survived by her sister, Cynthia Wright, and her brother, Charles Wickstrom (Elizabeth Joyce). Merrilee also had a special place in her heart for her nephew, Marc Wright, who lovingly cared for her when she needed help,a bond that remained strong until his passing in 2022. She also adored her nephew David Wright and his family, who were an important part of her life. Merrilee's family was extensive. She was warmly welcomed and deeply cherished by the Kullman family, becoming an integral part of their lives after her marriage to Freddy.

Merrilee's family was extensive. She was warmly welcomed and deeply cherished by theKullman family, becominganintegral part of their lives after her marriage to Freddy. She leaves behindbeloved sister and brother in laws and step-nieces and nephew.

Merrilee attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans and All Saints College in Vicksburg, Mississippi graduating in 1964, where she formed lifelong friendships with classmates. Once you were in her circle, you were in for life. She valued her friends as much as her family, and herloyalty was unmatched.

After earning adegree in physical therapy from Oklahoma University, Merrilee was alifelong Boomer Sooner, even nicknaming herson "Boomer" (a moniker he quickly outgrew). Merrilee's life was a beautifulblendoflove, laughter, and plenty of delicious food (just never canned peas). Shewas an amazing cook and baker, known far and wide for her famous pecan pie. She and Freddy hosted legendary Christmas parties where she made bread, pies, gumbo, andsoups, all from scratch, ensuring everyone left with afull belly and a smile. Alover of dance, Merrilee loved ballroom dancing, apassion she shared with hermother, she loved tap dancingand even taughtJazzercise. In Bellingham, she andher neighbors on High Noon Road embraced clogging, practicing, performing, and laughing through the whole process. Merrilee's love of music was constant. She instilled alove of music in her children and took them all to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, atradition that lives on. She was alifelong fan of Irma Thomas, adored Jimmy Buffett, and was atrue Parrot Head. In the 1980s, she and hersister Cynthia hosted unforgettable boat drink parties, always with great tunes and plenty of laughter. Her love of ice cream was as strongas her love for music,until the end she never turned down ascoop. Merrilee had adeep passion for travel andexplored the world extensively. She climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, hotair ballooned in Turkey, safaried in Africa, biked through Italy, rode the train across Europe, danced in Argentina, Heli hiked the Canadian Rockies (twice) and enjoyed many other places, always eager for her next adventure. Despite her global adventures, she always held a special placeinher heart for her roots in Nebraska. She frequently traveled back to visit cousins, keeping those family connections close throughouther life.

Gardeningwas ahuge and importantpart of Merrilee's life. When she wasn't out in her own garden, she was an avid Master Gardener, even serving as Presidentofthe Master Gardeners of Whatcom County. Merrilee also dedicated much of her time to volunteering and helping others, the Bellingham Women's shelter held aspecial placein her heart.

Merrilee's spirit of joy, generosity, and funwill live on in the many lives she touched. She leaves behind alegacy of love, and laughter. In theimmortal words of Jimmy Buffet "some of it's magic some of it's tragic, butI had agood life all the way." To all thewonderfulindividuals who cared for Merrilee, the family offers heartfelt thanks. Your presence brought her comfort and joy, making these years so much more bearable. We are eternally grateful.

Acelebration of life is planned for Wednesday April 30, 2025 from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Audubon Park Clubhouse. In family to be women's Planned name.

life. Gardeningwas ahuge and importantpart of Merrilee's life. When she wasn't out in her own garden, she was an avid Master Gardener, even serving as Presidentofthe Master Gardeners of Whatcom County. Merrilee also dedicated much of her time to volunteering and helping others, the Bellingham Women's shelter held aspecial placein her heart. Merrilee's spirit of joy, generosity, and fun will live on in the many lives she touched. She leaves behind alegacy of love, and laughter. In theimmortal words of Jimmy Buffet "some of it's magic, some of it's tragic, butI had agood life all the way." To all the wonderfulindividuals who cared for Merrilee, the family offers heartfelt thanks. Your presence brought her comfort and joy, making these years so much more bearable. We are eternally grateful.

Acelebration of life is planned for Wednesday April 30, 2025 from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Audubon Park Clubhouse. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be senttoyour local women's shelter or Planned Parenthood in her name.

Jenkins, Sha'Conia Fiffie

Landry, Albert Matthew 'Matt'

Albert Matthew Landry, lovingly known as Matt, was born on September 30,1948 and grew up in New Iberia, LA. He gradu‐ated from the home of his beloved “Big Red” Catholic High School in 1966. He worked for many years

Howat, Moonyeen

McDermott 'Maureen'

Howat,

talk about his desire to help runaway children and prayed for them every night. He loved spending time with family and was crazy about his many nieces, nephews and their children He also had a love for steak, barbecue and sweets/donuts ~ he walked to Meche’s donuts on St Peter Street often to enjoy their selection of goodies or could inhale a bag of Skittles in no time flat

After Jacob and Stephanie passed, he lived in New Or‐leans for a few years where he walked to Mass at Holy Name Church and volunteered at the zoo. It was in New Orleans that he was diagnosed with autism and began to par‐ticipate in the Special Olympics. He was in a bowling league called “Special Rollers” as he had honed his skills in a bowl‐ing league for many years in New Iberia They bowled on Saturday afternoons and then went to Mass at OLPH in Kenner where he came to know and love his beloved priest, Fr. Richard Miles After Hurricane Kat‐rina, Matt moved to Mar‐bridge Ranch in Manchaca, TX, (just outside of Austin) which is a wonderful place for people with disabilities He was near his brother, Jacob, and his wife Sherry along with their children Zachary, Christienne and Sherry and their families He lived there for the past 20 years, and he had amaz‐ing caregivers there who treated him like family One of his favorite things was taking part in the Spe‐cial Olympics competitions in equestrian, bowling, golf and bocce He had roles in their Christmas programs and even sang a solo one year. He thrived at Mar‐bridge. His passion was riding horses, playing golf and hanging out with his best friend, Ray. He loved going to family events and spending holidays with his Texas family from Austin and Houston and coming to New Orleans to pass a good time at the Mardi Gras with his New Orleans family He beat cancer 20 years ago and was “CF” as he called it (cancer free) Over the past few years his health declined He passed away peacefully on Satur‐day March 8, 2025, sur‐rounded by his loving fam‐ily who came in from near and far to be with him Matt was an exceptional gift to our family and to all those who were lucky enough to know him. His sharp wit and unexpected humor could bring a full room to their knees with laughter He could always lift your mood when down He was full of child-like joy and wonder and never for‐got a thing you told him (or sports stats either) He be‐came a huge fan of all things Texas… BBQ Tx Longhorns, Dallas Cowboys and Scottie Scheffler but he never forgot his Louisiana roots. He was enjoying some Zydeco music in his room the day before he left this earth Matt didn’t want to burden anyone with his health struggles and often didn’t share them and would al‐ways say he was just fine There aren’t enough words to describe how special and loved Matt was to his family and friends and he will be missed beyond measure. We are certain he was greeted in heaven by so many loved ones, and he certainly is not bur‐dened with struggles any longer as God’s most faith‐ful servant. Matt is sur‐vived by five of his sisters Stephanie (Sousou) Barineau (Bill) of Kingwood, TX; Toni Coopersmith (Jim) of Mission Hills, KS; Mary Frances Landry of Baton Rouge LA; Courtney Saucier (Don) of Destre‐han LA; and Louisan Frey (Frank) of Kingwood, Tx He is also survived by 18 nieces and nephews and their spouses Jeanne Barineau Martinez, Dan Barineau, Stephanie Barineau Dowd, Michael Coop‐ersmith, Gabrielle Cooper‐smith Kelly C Markson Conrad Coopersmith, Jay Landry, Lauren Landry Cheetham, Zachary Landry, Sherry Landry Deitrick Christienne Landry Parten, Ryan Saucier, Danielle Saucier Wood, Tony Frey, Layne Frey, Christian Frey Emma Frey, 20 great nieces and nephews, and 2 greatgreat nephews He was preceded in death by his parents Jacob Segura and Stephanie Durand Landry, his brothers Jacob D Landry and Bill “Blackjack” Landry, as well as his niece, Camille Cooper‐smith Matt’s services will be held on Saturday, March 22nd, at St Peter’s Catholic Church in New Iberia La (108 E. St. Peter St.). Visita‐tion is from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm, with a rosary at noon followed by eulogies His funeral mass will be at 1:00 pm with burial follow‐ing his service at Memorial Park Cemetery (402 W. Ad‐miral Doyle) In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to the Marbridge Foundation, Matt’s home for the past 20 years or to the Social Ser‐vice Center in New Iberia Pellerin Funeral Home, 502 Jefferson Terrace New Iberia, LA 70560 (337.365.3331)

Matt’s home for the past 20 years or to the Social Ser‐vice Center in New Iberia Pellerin Funeral Home, 502 Jefferson Terrace New Iberia, LA 70560 (337.365.3331)

LeBlanc, Cindy G

Cindy G LeBlanc of Metairie, La entered the Gates of Heaven peacefully on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 greeted by her husband Gerry along with Shuggie Her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren, were by her side at home during her time of passing. She was born on December 15 1948 in New Orleans, raised in Metairie where she de‐voted much of her time to the yearly fair at St. Ed‐ward the Confessor School during her children’s atten‐dance and alongside her husband’s many years of service to the school Cindy’s passion for fire‐works followed her parents desire to build a successful firework’s import company in Gretna, La She also owned and operated sev‐eral fireworks locations in Gretna for over 50 years in addition to owning South‐ern Imports for a period of time. For many years Cindy also enjoyed spend‐ing Mardi Gras day with her children, grandchil‐dren, and friends riding in the truck parades in New Orleans and Metairie She was also proud of and loved her husband, her children, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren Cindy was predeceased by her hus‐band, Gerry LeBlanc and parents Max and Mary Gritzman She is survived by her daughter Melissa Jones and her husband Danny, son, Gerard LeBlanc and wife Abby grandchil‐dren, Sarah, Ashley, Max, Emma, Cole, sister, Doris Buchman and husband Fred and nieces Denise, Katie nephews Ted, Kevin and their children Visita‐tion will be held on Friday March 21, 2025 at Garden of Memories Metairie Fu‐neral Home, 4900 Airline Dr. Metairie LA 70001. Vis‐itation will begin at 12:00 PM with a mass at 2:00 PM Inurnment will take place at a later date at Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery The family would like to thank Denise Costa Cindy’s niece and God child for traveling in to help out during this diffi‐cult time Auntie knew you were there to support her and we know it meant a lot In addition, we would like to also thank Dr Tyler Baker and his entire staff on continuing to check on Cindy and Melissa during Cindy’s illness and helping the family navigate a chal‐lenging time Arrange‐ments are entrusted to Garden of Memories Metairie Funeral Home of Metairie, La.

AMass of Christian Burial will be heldonSaturday, March 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM in St. Mary, Mother of the Church in Lafayette for RedLerille, age, 88, who passedaway on Friday, March 14, 2025 in Lafayette,Louisiana. Interment will be held in Holy Mary MotherofGod 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. Therewill be no public visitation on Saturday.

Memorial contributions in Red'sname may be made to the Carmelite Monastery, 1250 Carmel Drive Lafayette,LA70501, Hospice of Acadiana, 2600 Johnston Street, Suite 200 Lafayette,LA. 70506 https:/ /hospiceacadiana.com/, or to Camp Bon Coeur, 300 Ridge Road, Suite K Lafayette,LA. 70506 https:/ /www.heartcamp.com/ View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com Martin &Castille Funeral Home -DOWNTOWN, 330 St. LandryStreet, Lafayette,Louisiana 70506, 337-234-2311

www.mourning.com

Martin &Castille Funeral Home -DOWNTOWN, 330 St. Landry Street, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506, 337-234-2311

Logan, Sondra Finch

AGrandchild's Love

Never Waivers.....While her amazingly loving grandson, Adam, tightly and bravelyheld her hand....her other amazingly loving grandson and ourAngel in Heaven, Steven, took the other and guided her home to Heaven with him. Sondra Joy Finch Logan was welcomed into Heaven to join her parents, brother,a son, agrandson, and an ex-husband of which all loved her dearly. Sondra Joy Finch Logan was born on October 3, 1935 to Paul and Ruth Finch in Des Moines, Iowa and left our earthly presence on February 19, 2025 the age of 89. Sondra is survived by an awesome Sonin-Love, Douglas Cristina and Daughter, Dee, and another daughter, Terry Lynn Hisaw (Tony). She also leaves behind an unbelievable Grandson, Christopher Adam Milton and Granddaughter-inLove, Gillian Milton whose unwavering Love over the years kepther cheerful and laughing in her final years as well as comforted in every moment of need until her last peaceful breath. Also survived by her loving, compassionate Granddaughter, Aimee Lynn Sills (Jason, Micah, and Hayden, Grace) whose many visits and smiles shared during her final years were so cherished! She is also survived by a total of 9grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Sondra was an avid artist.She loved stained glass classes at Pain in the Glass, where she was loved by all as she created masterpieces while entertaining her friends. Aspecial Thank youtoBrita Higgins for her years of friendship and love even into Sondra's final moments. The Lord called Sondra home and she was welcomed intoheaven by her parents, Paul and Ruth Finch, abrother, JD Finch, a son, Glen Logan, and a grandson, Steven Milton. Wordscan never express the gratitudefelt forthe loving and compassionate care provided during her years at Christwood Senior Living. The amazing Angels at Christwood, under the leadership of Marty Dean, cared and truly loved Sondra unconditionally in not only providing care for her, butsuch kindness and compassionwere shown by all. Our heartfelt gratitude is extended to MartyDean, Patti Prosper, BrandiJohnson, Skyler Byers, Erica Eckert, Latoni Squires, Latisha Skles, and all the amazing caring hearts that made Sondra's days eventful. And to Alayna Cantrell, your constant kindness filled her heart withsuch joyand happiness. In addition, we would like to extend aspecial "Thank You" to Dr. Chris Forea, Dr. Tara Doran, and Dr. Mary Grimmett at St Tammany Parish Hospital fortheir heartfelt care and compassion during her final and last visit. And "Thank you" to St Joseph Hospice Care, your compassionatecare in her final moments. Aprivate service will be held at alater date to celebrate her life. In memory of Sondra, one can make a donation to Hope& Hearts 4Paws, PO Box 915, Mandeville La 70470 or at www.hh4p.com or thru PayPal to Hope.hearts4pa ws@gmail.com. As her love for saving furbabies was evident throughout her life.

Marinello Sr., James Baldassaro

James Baldassaro Marinello Sr. passed away on Saturday, March 8 2025, at the age of 82. James was preceded in death by his parents, Xavier and Edith Marinello; his beloved wife of 45 years, Patricia A Marinello, and his sister, JoAnn M. Sellers. He is sur‐vived by his sons, James B Marinello Jr. and Craig M Marinello (Lisa) and five grandchildren, Allyson Julia, Elle, Lily Grace, and Aubrey Marinello He is

Marinello, and his sister, JoAnn M. Sellers. He is sur‐vived by his sons, James B Marinello Jr and Craig M. Marinello (Lisa) and five grandchildren, Allyson, Julia Elle Lily Grace and Aubrey Marinello. He is also survived by Jeanne Colon Marinello whom he married in 2014 and spent almost 11 wonderful years with in addition to three stepchildren Adrian A Colon Jr., Monique Colon Toso (Mike) and Angelle Colon Adams, and six step grandchildren MaryCatherine and Elizabeth Toso and Margaret, Claire Jeanne, and James Adams After graduating from Mc‐Donogh 35, he enlisted in the US Navy and served for four years on the USS Con‐stellation after which he received an honorable dis‐charge with the rank of 1st Class Petty Officer He worked with the New York Life Insurance Company for over 55 years. He will be remembered as a loving fa‐ther, doting husband, reli‐able friend, and avid fish‐erman. He served as both an usher and Eucharistic Minister for over 30 years at Saint Philip Neri Catholic Church and continued his service as a Eucharistic Minister at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church until he was no longer able to serve. Family, friends, and colleagues are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at Saint Philip Neri Catholic Church 6500 Kawanee Av‐enue, Metairie LA, 70003 on Friday March 21, 2025, at 1:00 pm Visitation will begin at 11:00 am. Inter‐ment will be in Saint Louis no. 3 Cemetery 3421 Es‐planade Avenue in New Or‐leans, LA Fond memories and expressions of sympa‐thy may be shared at www LeitzEaganFuneralHome. com

Carole Lois McQuiston (née Jones) passed away peacefully at home at the age of 87 on February 16 Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Carole was the beloved daughter of Delmar and Mabel Jones and the cherished sister of the lateRobert Jones. She graduated from Frankford High School in Philadelphia in 1955 and went on to earn abachelor's degree in education from Penn StateUniversity in 1961. Carole dedicated her career to teaching elementary school, sharing her love of learning with students in both Pennsylvania and Colorado.

In 1965, she married Fred McQuiston, afield service engineer, and together they embarked on a life filled with adventure, relocating throughout the United States and abroad beforesettling in Mandeville, Louisiana, in 1978. While in Mandeville, Carole found joy in her work at the Mandeville Public Library and was an active member of St. Timothy on the Northshore United MethodistChurch She also pursued further education at Delgado College in New Orleans and was actively involved in NAMI, advocating for mental health awareness.

Carole is survived by her devoted husband of 60 years, Fred McQuiston; her son, Eric McQuiston (Betsy McQuiston); her daughter, Karie McQuiston Loomis (the latePaul Loomis); and her three beloved grandsons, Conner McQuiston Chris Loomis,and Patrick Loomis.

Carole will be remembered for her love of learning and her dedicationto her family and community. She leaves behind alegacy of wisdom, and generosity that will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Amemorial service will be held at St Timothy on the Northshore Methodist Church Memorial Garden on March 26 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in Carole's honor.

Paciera, Adrienne Woolley

Adrienne Woolley Paciera, 73, passed away peacefully at her home in New Orleans, Louisiana, surrounded by loved ones, on March 10th after a courageous battle with metastatic brain cancer. Born and raised in New Orleans, Adrienne remained alifelongresident of the city. She met the love of her life, Vincent Paciera Jr., while still in high school, and together they built abeautiful life filled with love, family, and shared adventures. They were blessed with two children:VincentPaciera III and Danielle Paciera.

Adrienne embraced life with acalm and joyful disposition,coupled with a poise that was evident in all she did. She found joy in jazzercise, treasured time at her condo in Miramar Beach, and delighted in traveling the world alongside her husband. Her passion for exploration led her to pursue acareer as a travel agent. Adrienne shared aspecial bondwith her children, often taking road trips with her daughter Danielle, relishing lunches with herson Vincent, and enjoying festivals with them both Among her fondest memories were thejoyful days spent "festing" with her children on Local Thursdays at Jazz Fest and enjoying Mardi Gras celebrations with her sisters Mickey Rodriguez and Suzy Smith. Family was at the heart of Adrienne 's world. She shared meaningful connections with her in-laws Shirley and Vincent Paciera Sr., as well as Kirth and Donna Paciera, creating lastingmemories on family vacations with all ten of thePaciera clan. Whether cooking for loved ones, chatting with neighbors on daily walks with her chocolate lab, "piddling" in thegarden, or sharing wine andlaughter with friends, Adrienne's warmth and easygoing spirit made herbeloved by all who knew her. She is survived by her devoted husband Vincent Paciera Jr.; childrenVincent Paciera III andDanielle Paciera; sisters Mickey (Michelle) Rodriguez, Suzanne Smith,and Helene (Heddy) Goslin; and her sweet labrador Abbey. Her remarkable spirit will live on in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to know her. A memorial service will be held to celebrate Adrienne's extraordinary life on Monday, March 24, 2025 at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70124. The visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. until themass at 12:00 p.m. May hermemory bring solace to all who loved her.

to be amongst one of

greats. Wanda is survived by her brothers Lyndell and Olen Hender‐son and sister Sandra Porche; her sons Chad Michael and Todd Eric Reeves and daughter Ash‐ley Ruiz Kelley; Along with five grandchildren Chloe and Faith Reeves Gracee Reeves, Kinley and Ty Kel‐ley Proceeded in death by her husband Felix Leon Ruiz Jr and her parents Muriel and Leonard Hen‐derson Relatives and friends of the family are in‐vited to attend a memorial service with Brother Paul Taylor in the J. Garic Schoen Chapel at Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home, 3827 Canal St New Orleans, LA 70119 on Wednesday March 19, 2025 at 1:30pm The family will receive friends from 11:30am until service time Inurnment will follow in Lake Lawn Metairie Ceme‐tery. Arrangements by Jacob Schoen & Son Fu‐neral Home. Condolences may be left at www schoenfh.com

donna@reverealtors.com

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Wanda Hender‐son Ruiz, age 70, on March 3, 2025, surrounded by her family Wanda was a beloved figure in her com‐munity and the co-owner of Ashley Renee’ Bridal for over 40 years. Wanda alongside her sister, San‐dra transformed what started as a small floral store in Chalmette LA into an iconic bridal store across the State Loui ’s leg will f elt in fabr mmu Her er hum and will tinue all t who ed eno to be amongst one of world’s greats Wand survived by her bro Lyndell and Olen Hen son and sister Sa Porche; her sons C Michael and Todd Reeves and daughter A ley Ruiz Kelley; Along five grandchildren C and eves Gr Reeves and Ty ley. P in deat her husband Felix L Ruiz Jr and her pa Muriel and Leonard H derson. Relatives a friends of the family a vited to attend a memorial service with Brother Paul Taylor in the J Garic

Cheryl Ann London Smith, age 74, peacefully entered into eternal rest on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Ochsner Medical Center Main Campus. She was a native of Harvey, LA and a resident of Marrero, LA Cheryl was a proud gradu‐ate of Lincoln High School Class of 1968. She contin‐ued her studies at South‐ern University at New Or‐leans where she earned a Bachelor of Business Ad‐ministration Degree. She was employed as a depart‐ment manager with D. H Holmes Department Store for many years, before she gained employment with the Jefferson Parish Public School System, from which she retired as a Student Records Manager at West Jefferson High School Cheryl was a lifelong faith‐ful and active member of Evening Star Missionary Baptist Church where she was President of the Usher and Beautification Min‐istries, and served on the Women Day Committee and various other commit‐tees She will be remem‐bered for her love and ded‐ication to her family church and community Devoted and proud mother of Rev. Norman Duhon Smith and Natacha Paige (Fitzgerald) Young; she was also instrumental in the rearing of Jonique Johnson and Fenetra Jones Loving and doting grand‐mother of India London Paige (Kane) Tenorio and Kolby Shears. Daughter of the late Percy Pierre and Louise London Pierre Beloved sister of Danette Pierre, Tanya Pierre Paulette Pierre, Percy Pierre, Jr. and the late Eric Pierre. Niece of Gloria Mae London and the late Lou‐berta London Williams, Va‐leria London Ellison, Lucille London Brooks, Irving and Melvin London. Cousin of Daren (Blanche) Johnson, Brian (Teran) Johnson, Flo‐rence Prout Linda McDon‐ald, Hilda Crosby, and Rev Dr. Harold Ellis Clark, Sr Godmother of Veantha Dumas Webber Devoted childhood friend of the late Loretta Smith Jackson Cheryl is also survived by her friends who she often talked with and gave ad‐vice on fashion and design, Melba Alexander, Beverlee Daisey, Dianne Fennidy, Diane Stewman Clithua Dibbles, Ella Mae Coleman, Greta Jones, Hazel Ann Roussell, and host of niece

Smith, Cheryl Ann London

McQuiston, Carole Lois

Ruiz, Wanda Henderson

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

NOLA.COM/opinions

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.”

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.

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.

We are fortunate to have several columnists and others on staff who have

Looking to our letters inbox, I have totals for the last two weeks in February From Feb. 13-20, we received

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. 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

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?

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

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%.

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.

Will Sutton

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.

Quin Hillyer

Stephanie Grace

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Lower Lafitte is inundated with water nine days after Hurricane Ida on Sept. 7, 2021.

New Orleans Forecast

Cheryl Ann London Smith, age 74, peacefully entered into eternal rest on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Ochsner Medical Center Main Campus She was a native of Harvey, LA and a resident of Marrero LA Cheryl was a proud gradu‐ate of Lincoln High School Class of 1968. She contin‐ued her studies at South‐ern University at New Or‐leans, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Ad‐ministration Degree. She was employed as a depart‐ment manager with D H. Holmes Department Store for many years, before she gained employment with the Jefferson Parish Public School System from which she retired as a Student Records Manager at West Jefferson High School Cheryl was a lifelong faith‐ful and active member of Evening Star Missionary Baptist Church, where she was President of the Usher and Beautification Min‐istries, and served on the Women Day Committee and various other commit‐tees She will be remem‐bered for her love and ded‐ication to her family church and community Devoted and proud mother of Rev Norman Duhon Smith and Natacha Paige (Fitzgerald) Young; she was also instrumental in the rearing of Jonique Johnson and Fenetra Jones Loving and doting grand‐mother of India London Paige (Kane) Tenorio and Kolby Shears Daughter of the late Percy Pierre and Louise London Pierre. Beloved sister of Danette Pierre Tanya Pierre Paulette Pierre, Percy Pierre Jr and the late Eric Pierre Niece of Gloria Mae London and the late Lou‐berta London Williams, Va‐leria London Ellison Lucille London Brooks, Irving and Melvin London Cousin of Daren (Blanche) Johnson, Brian (Teran) Johnson, Flo‐rence Prout, Linda McDon‐ald, Hilda Crosby, and Rev Dr Harold Ellis Clark Sr Godmother of Veantha Dumas Webber. Devoted childhood friend of the late Loretta Smith Jackson. Cheryl is also survived by her friends who she often talked with and gave ad‐vice on fashion and design, Melba Alexander, Beverlee Daisey, Dianne Fennidy, Diane Stewman Clithua Dibbles, Ella Mae Coleman, Greta Jones Hazel Ann Roussell, and host of niece, nephews cousins, other relatives and friends Rela‐tives and friends of the family, also pastors, offi‐cers and members of Evening Star Missionary Baptist Church, Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church #3, and all neighboring churches; members of Louisiana Freedmen Mis‐sionary and Westside Mis‐sionary Baptist Associa‐tions; faculty, staff and students of Dwight Eisen‐hower Charter School and Belle Chasse Middle School are invited to attend the Homegoing Celebration at Evening Star Missionary Baptist Church 817 Grefer Avenue, Harvey, LA on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 10:00a.m. Pastor Keith Paul Stewman, officiating Viewing will be held from 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m Only at the church Interment: Evening Star Cemetery #2Harvey LA Arrangements by Davis Mortuary Service, 230 Monroe St Gretna LA To view and sign the guest‐book please go to www davismortuaryservice com. Face masks are recom‐mended.

Spangenberg, Lisl Mary

Myrtle C. Soniat, a beloved wife, mother grandmother, great-grand‐mother, sister and friend passed away on Saturday, March 1 2025 at the age of 97. Myrtle was a native of Paincourtville, Louisiana where she graduated from Belle Rose High School She was a longtime resident of New Orleans, La. and moved to Slidell, La. in 2005. Her faith and her family were the most im‐portant part of her life She was an avid bowler and en‐joyed cooking, reading and traveling She has now re‐joined those who have gone before her, husband, Alfred J. Soniat Jr.; parents Paul A Curtis and Lucy C Curtis; brother Paul A Cur‐tis Jr and son James M. So‐niat She is survived by her

Steib, Pierre

Lisl Mary Spangenberg, 75, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2025 after living every day to the fullest. An intellectual and educator, she spent her life helping others understand and enjoy the world throughliterature, the arts, language and film.

Myrtle C. Soniat a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grand‐mother sister and friend passed away on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at the age of 97. Myrtle was a native of Paincourtville, Louisiana where she graduated from Belle Rose High School She was a longtime resident of New Orleans La and moved to Slidell, La. in 2005. Her faith and her family were the most im‐portant part of her life She was an avid bowler and en‐joyed cooking, reading and traveling. She has now re‐joined those who have gone before her, husband, Alfred J. Soniat Jr.; parents, Paul A Curtis and Lucy C Curtis; brother, Paul A. Cur‐tis Jr. and son James M So‐niat. She is survived by her daughter, Beverly S Urbina (Carlos); sons Alfred J. So‐niat III (Marian), Kenneth G Soniat (Angel) and Don‐ald P Soniat; grandchil‐dren, Cody M. Soniat (Ana) Carmen M Urbina and Jonathan M. Urbina; greatgrandchildren, Cody, Damon and Aiden; brother Charles J Curtis (Linda) and sister Ruth C. Beecher (Richard) A private memo‐rial service will be held at a later date when her ashes will be interred at St Louis Cemetery 3 in New Or‐leans, La.

Spangenberg, LislMary

Lisl Mary Spangenberg, 75, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2025 after livingevery day to the fullest An intellectual and educator, she spent herlifehelping others understand and enjoy the world through literature, the arts, language and film. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mary Elizabeth Rew Spangenberg and Robert Ferriday Spangenberg III, she never lost herlove of all things French and New Orleans-centric. Reading and writingwereanchors to her life which she shared with fierce advocacy and patient probing. Her careerwas broadinthe worlds of business and education. Agraduate of Mercy Academy in NewOrleans, Lisl completed her Bachelor's degreefrom the University of Colorado (Boulder) in three years. She then traveled extensively, working several years in Europe and living on akibbutz in Israel. She returned to earn a Master's degreein Linguistics from Louisiana State University. As agraduate teaching assistant at the University of Texas (Austin) she went on to complete PhD work in Linguistics. She received a

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mary ElizabethRew Spangenberg and Robert Ferriday Spangenberg III, she never lost her love of all things French and New Orleans-centric. Reading and writing were anchors to her life which she shared withfierce advocacy and patient probing. Her career was broad in the worldsofbusiness and education.

AgraduateofMercy Academy in New Orleans, Lisl completed her Bachelor's degree fromthe University of Colorado (Boulder) in three years. She then traveled extensively, working several years in Europeand living on akibbutzinIsrael. She returned to earn a Master's degree in Linguistics from Louisiana State University. As agraduate teaching assistant at the UniversityofTexas (Austin) she went on to complete PhD work in Linguistics. She received a scholarship to an elite HarvardBusiness School program designedtoposition Humanitiesmajors more broadly in the world of business. She was hired immediately by Texas Instrumentswhere she was apioneer in the world of text-to-speech technology. Her work in Austin included developing synthetic speech applications for the talking elevator.

She continued her career managing those applications in Europe for General Instrument until she followed agreater passion: free-lance writing, including regular reporting for "Furniture Today" and publishing abook: "Timeless Traditions, A Couple's Guide to Wedding Customs Around the World." While living in Greensboro, NC,she delighted in timespent with her young nephew and niece.

Of all her successes, Lisl considered her greatest career accomplishment to be theover 23 years of teaching high school English in the LosAngeles area. GranadaHills Charter High School, consistently ranked as one of thebest schools in California, was her epicenter as she cajoled her students to see the world throughexpansive lenses. Her empathy, wisdom and practical advice guided agenerationof students into top notch colleges all over the country. Lisl was preceded in death by her brother, Rew George Spangenberg. She is survived by loving siblings Robert F. Spangenberg IV (Barbara) of New Orleans, Louisiana, Margaret Spangenberg Benjamin (Bill) of Greensboro, North Carolina, Peter R. Spangenberg (Melanie) of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, and many nieces and nephews in additiontoher California family of close friends. Her sister-in-law Barbara's love and care in Lisl's last year earned her the well-deserved designation as Lisl's other sister. Aprivate celebration will be held at alater date in New Orleans by her Spangenberg clan with great food and much laughter, just the way she wanted to remember home. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to theGranadaHills Charter High School through the link below. When prompted with

Master's degree in Linguistics from Louisiana State University. As agraduate teaching assistant at the UniversityofTexas (Austin) she went on to complete PhD work in Linguistics. She received a scholarship to an elite HarvardBusiness School program designedtoposition Humanitiesmajors more broadly in the world of business. She was hired immediately by Texas Instrumentswhere she was apioneer in the world of text-to-speech technology. Her work in Austin included developing synthetic speech applications for the talking elevator. She continued her career managing those applications in Europe for General Instrument until she followed agreater passion: free-lance writing, including regular reporting for "Furniture Today" and publishing abook: "Timeless Traditions, A Couple's Guide to Wedding Customs Around the World." While living in Greensboro, NC,she delighted in timespent with her young nephew and niece. Of all her successes, Lisl considered her greatest career accomplishment to be theover 23 years of teaching high school English in the LosAngeles area. GranadaHills Charter High School, consistently ranked as one of thebest schools in California, was her epicenter as she cajoled her students to see the world throughexpansive lenses. Her empathy, wisdom and practical advice guided agenerationof students into top notch colleges all over the country. Lisl was preceded in death by her brother, Rew George Spangenberg. She is survived by loving siblings Robert F. Spangenberg IV (Barbara) of New Orleans, Louisiana, Margaret Spangenberg Benjamin (Bill) of Greensboro, North Carolina, Peter R. Spangenberg (Melanie) of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, and many nieces and nephews in additiontoher California family of close friends. Her sister-in-law Barbara's love and care in Lisl's last year earned her the well-deserved designation as Lisl's other sister. Aprivate celebration will be held at alater date in New Orleans by her Spangenberg clan with great food and much laughter, just the way she wanted to remember home.

In lieuofflowers, memorial gifts may be made to theGranadaHills Charter High School through the link below. When prompted with "Apply My DonationTo"the family suggests "Curriculum and Instruction." https://ghchs.networkf orgood.com/projects/2304 30-g hc-t k-12-e xcellencefund-2024-2025

Pierre Steib 11/03/193203/12/2025. With a heart full of love and a spirit of humility, Pierre Steib, af‐fectionately known as Uncle Pete, Mr. Pierre, and Pete, made his mark on the world and touched count‐less lives. Born on Novem‐ber 3 1932, in Vacherie LA Pierre was a loving and re‐liable pillar of the commu‐nity, leaving behind a legacy of generosity and warmth. Pierre was a hum‐ble laborer, serving for many years at Brice Con‐struction before retiring Despite his own hard work he never sought recogni‐tion or accolades Instead he found his joy in simple pleasures: spending time with family and friends, tending to his lawn, pour‐ing concrete, watching the news, and helping with the family's cherished tradi‐tion of "La Boucherie." His dedication to his work and to his loved ones shone through in everything he did Pierre was a lifelong member of the Good Chil‐dren’s Society, and his faith was a guiding force in his life. He served as a faithful usher at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church for many years until his health no longer allowed him to do so. His commit‐ment to his faith is best de‐scribed in 1 Corinthians 16:14 "Let all that you do be done in love." Pierre lived this verse, showing love and kindness to every‐one he met. Pierre was blessed with a large and loving family He is sur‐vived by his devoted wife, Marie Steib, his children Sandy (Tellis) Jolivette Tammy (Bryan) Johnson, Rose Mitchell and Rogers Steib, along with a host of grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. He was pre‐ceded in death by his par‐ester Sr and Am

Pierre Steib 11/03/193203/12/2025. With a heart full of love and a spirit of humility, Pierre Steib, af‐fectionately known as Uncle Pete Mr Pierre and Pete, made his mark on the world and touched count‐less lives. Born on Novem‐ber 3, 1932, in Vacherie LA Pierre was a loving and re‐liable pillar of the commu‐nity, leaving behind a legacy of generosity and warmth Pierre was a hum‐ble laborer, serving for many years at Brice Con‐struction before retiring. Despite his own hard work, he never sought recogni‐tion or accolades. Instead, he found his joy in simple pleasures: spending time with family and friends, tending to his lawn, pour‐ing concrete, watching the news, and helping with the family's cherished tradi‐tion of "La Boucherie." His dedication to his work and to his loved ones shone through in everything he did. Pierre was a lifelong member of the Good Chil‐dren’s Society, and his faith was a guiding force in his life He served as a faithful usher at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church for many years until his health no longer allowed him to do so His commit‐ment to his faith is best de‐scribed in 1 Corinthians 16:14 "Let all that you do be done in love." Pierre lived this verse showing love and kindness to every‐one he met Pierre was blessed with a large and loving family He is sur‐vived by his devoted wife Marie Steib, his children Sandy (Tellis) Jolivette Tammy (Bryan) Johnson, Rose Mitchell, and Rogers Steib, along with a host of grandchildren and greatgrandchildren He was pre‐ceded in death by his par‐ents, Sylvester Sr. and Amy Oubre, and his siblings Each one of his family members will remember Pierre for his calm de‐meanor, his ability to make everyone feel seen and heard, and his unwavering commitment to peace and understanding. Pierre's services are under the di‐rection of Treasures of Life He will be remembered not just for his achievements and titles, but for the way he loved, the way he lived and the way he made every person feel special As we celebrate the life of Pierre Steib, we invite you to share your memories and upload photos to his memorial page His story is not just one of dates and facts but a tapestry woven with the threads of love, faith and family Let us re‐member Pierre in all his humble loving, reliable and generous glory. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, 13281 LA-644, Vacherie, LA 70090 with visitation begin‐ning for 9am and Mass to follow for 11am. Entomb‐ment Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church Cemetery

Arrangements of his final care entrusted to Trea‐sures of Life Funeral Ser‐vices 315 E. Airline Hwy. Gramercy, LA 70052. "When someone you love be‐comes a memory, that memory becomes a Trea‐sure”

James Lamar 'Jim'

James Lamar "Jim" Wallace, 92, lovinghusband to Julia Cartwright Wallace, of Clemson, SC, passed away on Friday, March 7, 2025. Born in Luverne, AL, he was the son of thelate James Lenox Wallace and Trudie Estelle Graydon Wallace. Jim attended Auburn University and proudly served his country

Wallace, James Lamar 'Jim'

James Lamar "Jim" Wallace, 92, lovinghusband to Julia Cartwright Wallace, of Clemson, SC, passed away on Friday, March 7, 2025. Born in Luverne, AL, he was the son of the late James Lenox Wallaceand Trudie Estelle Graydon Wallace. Jim attended Auburn University and proudly served his country in the United States Army as amember of the82nd Airborne. Jim had along career as an insurance investigator. Mr. Wallace wasa faithfulmember of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Chattanooga, TN and most recently, All Saint's Episcopal Church in River Ridge, LA. Jim was a committed servant and held many leadership roles in each of his home Churches. He will always be remembered for his contagiouslaugh and abundant positivity. Those who knew him will have fond memories of seeing him on his daily three-mile walks, rain or shine, in his famous wide-brimmed hat. Jim was an avid Atlanta Braves andAuburn Tigers fan. He was warm and welcoming to all, havingnever met astranger -just a friend he hadnot spoken with yet. He is survived by his wife, Julia Cartwright Wallace; sons, James Patrick Wallace (Tami) of Nashville, TN andJulian Craig Wallace(Jerae) of Clemson, SC; six grandchildren, Matthew,Anne Marie, Andrew,Shelby, Graydon and Samuel; his brothers, Ronny Wallace, Bobby Wallace and Billy Wallace of Alabama. Jim was predeceased by his parents and his sisters, Betty Palomino and Lynette Gerchy. Services to celebrate Jim's life will be held at a later date in Alabama and Chattanooga. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Oconee Memorial Hospital Foundation,Cottingham Hospice House, 298 Memorial Drive, Seneca, SC 29672. Visit RobinsonFuneralHo mes.com or DuckettRobinson Funeral Home & Cremation,CentralClemson Commons.

DEATHS continued from

Soniat, Myrtle C.

Steib, Pierre

Soniat, Myrtle C.

Wallace,

An eye opener

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 and the intricacies of offensive football at the game’s highest level. For an ambitious gridiron grasshopper such

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Late calls go against Tulane in tight loss

BY GUERRY SMITH

Contributing writer

FORT WORTH, TEXAS Tulane point guard Rowan Brumbaugh pulled his jersey over his head in disappointment and frustration seconds after he made a meaningless 30-foot shot at the buzzer Saturday The Green Wave had come oh-so-close to upsetting topseeded Memphis in an American Athletic Conference tournament semifinal, and Brumbaugh was involved in two controversial officiating decisions seconds apart that helped determine the outcome in a 78-77 loss. His would-be basket for a 73-

72 lead with 26.5 seconds left was overturned when the officials reversed a goal-tending call on Memphis center Moussa Cisse upon replay review, ruling Cisse had not touched the ball after it hit the backboard.

Tulane (19-14) retained possession because the arrow was in its favor, but after the inbound pass, Brumbaugh lost the ball when Memphis guard PJ Haggerty poked at it Brumbaugh thought Haggerty fouled him multiple times going for the recovery but Haggerty ended up being awarded a timeout after wrestling it

Pels search for motivation in lost season

season in franchise history

So what’s left to play for?

“It comes down to being a pro and what you want to get out if it,” Pelicans forward Zion Williamson said. “We’ve talked about it as a team. The season hasn’t gone the way that we’ve wanted it to. But that doesn’t mean we can’t build into something for next year.”

Next year, the Pelicans will have Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones back. Those are two key pieces to the puzzle that executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin and general manager Bryson Graham built.

Murray and Jones started the season opener, but they eventually suffered season-ending injuries along the way Their absences, along with all the other injuries the team has endured this season, gave younger players a chance to play Pelicans coach Willie Green had to shuffle the deck on his starting five way more than he wanted to. The starting five Thursday against the Magic was the 35th different combination. That’s basically a different lineup every other game.

“This is a unique opportunity for guys who want to step up into those roles,” Green said.

Players such as Trey Murphy Jose Alvarado, and rookies Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic have made the most of their increased minutes. New players such as Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown, both acquired in the Brandon Ingram trade, are still figuring things out as they adapt to their new team.

“It’s different for every player,” Olynyk said about the motivation. “Obviously for the young guys, you want to get out here and get experience and show the organization, the franchise and the rest of the league what you can do. For an older player, you just continue to build and grow chemistry

“For me, it’s trying to build inside this system and get some chemistry and cohesiveness with these guys heading into next year.”

There will come a time over the final month of the season when Green likely will decrease the playing time for some of the star players. Some will be shut down once the team gets closer to the finish line. But for now?

“Our goal all together is to continue to try to build momentum with this group,” Green said. “We’ve been doing a decent job

ä See TULANE, page 6C ä See

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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

ä See LSU, page 3C

Rod Walker ä For a report on Pelicans at Spurs.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GARETH PATTERSON

Memphis center Moussa Cisse blocks Tulane guard Rowan Brumbaugh in the last 30 seconds of a game in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday The call originally was goal tending before a replay review reversed it.

PELICANS,

7C

DUNCAN,

3C

‘See ball, hit ball hard’

Juco transfer Reaves steps up at plate, third base for LSU

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.

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

ä For Missouri at LSU report. GOTO NOLA.COM

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 middle-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 pitch-

ing 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.

“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.”

Ohtani hits 2-run HR in return to Japan

BY DAVID BRANDT AP Baseball Writer

TOKYO Japanese star Shohei Ohtani showed off some prodigious power in his return to the Tokyo Dome on Saturday night. In an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants, the threetime MVP belted a two-run homer to right field in the third inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 4-0 lead, setting off a roar from the roughly 42,000 fans in attendance.

“He always seems to rise to certain occasions, expectation to put on a performance,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Once again, he delivered.” Ohtani led off the game with a walk and came to bat for a second time in the third inning. He didn’t get his best swing on the ball, but the 6-foot-4, 210-pound slugger was still able to launch a slider from Yomiuri’s Shosei Togo 391 feet, which was plenty of distance to get it over the fence.

The 30-year-old is just 4 1/2 months removed from surgery

on his left (non-throwing) shoulder but has recovered remarkably fast. His big swing at the Tokyo Dome is another sign that he’s feeling good heading into his eighth big league season, his second with the Dodgers.

“I was a bit out front on it, but it went out at a good angle and I thought it was going to be a home run,” Ohtani said, through a translation.

The Dodgers put on quite a power display in the third with Michael Conforto, Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández all going deep to give Los Angeles a 5-0 advantage. Conforto said it was great to go deep in his first at-bat, but the conversation quickly switched to Ohtani.

“It’s really amazing,” Conforto said. “In every big moment, he seems to just do what the fans want him to do.”

Los Angeles beat Yomiuri 5-1.

The Dodgers are playing in Japan as part of the Tokyo Series

is playing

Pittsburgh Pirates name Skenes opening-day starter

Paul Skenes is going to start for the Pittsburgh Pirates on opening

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 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.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU third baseman Tanner Reaves celebrates on second base after hitting a double against Xavier on Tuesday at Alex Box Stadium.

in

season. He played several seasons for the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan before coming to the U.S. in 2018 with the Los Angeles Angels.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EUGENE HOSHIKO Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers connects for a two-run home run in the third inning of a game against the yomiuri Giants on Saturday in Tokyo.

LSU softball provides answers vs. Kentucky

BY JIM KLEINPETER Contributing writer

After attacking early the night before, the LSU softball team showed it could win late, too.

Tori Edwards slammed a two-run homer in the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie, and Sydney Berzon came out of the bullpen to get the last four outs in a 6-4 victory against Kentucky at Tiger Park on Saturday Moments before Edwards’ homer, Kentucky tied the game with a two-run single by Madyson Clark. The No. 4 Tigers (26-1, 2-0 SEC) answered when Jalia Lassiter doubled with one out against reliever Alexia Lacatena and moved to third on a passed ball. One out later, Edwards hit the first pitch from Lacatena on a line over the center-field fence for her team-leading 10th homer

“I just knew she was going to attack us,” Edwards said of the Kentucky pitcher “Honestly, she was the pitcher I wanted to see and the pitch I wanted to hit It all worked out. It was a curve in, and I wasn’t going to get beaten in I was looking to hit a ball down and hard, and it happened to go over the fence.”

DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C

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

It was that kind of night when the Tigers had an answer for every score by the No. 23 Wildcats (17-9, 3-2). Kentucky went up on a solo homer by Cassie Reason off freshman Jayden Heavener but Maci Bergeron hit her fifth homer for LSU — a three-run blast in the third — to give LSU control When the visitors cut it to 3-2 on a solo homer by Ally Hutchins in the fifth, LSU responded with a run-scoring grounder by pinch-hitter Madyson Manning

“The coolest thing about tonight was they answered every time Kentucky scored,” LSU coach Beth Torina said. “They answered back, showing how tough they are in a lot of different ways. It’s one of the ways we said we wanted to be in the beginning of the year They proved they are.”

Heavener pitched well in her SEC debut, allowing only two earned runs. Clark’s two-run single was preceded by a walk and an error by third baseman Danieca Coffey. The runners advanced on a fly ball and scored when Clark singled sharply to right field.

Berzon (11-0), who pitched a four-hit complete game to beat Kentucky the night

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 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

Transfers make big plays as LSU puts on full pads

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.

Linebacker: West Weeks, Davhon Keys Star: Austin Ausberry

Cornerback: Ashton Stamps, Ja’Keem Jackson

Safety: Javien Toviano, Cooley

before, relieved Heavener after Clark’s hit and got the last out on a close play at first. Then she induced three consecutive grounders to shortstop Avery Hodge to close out the game.

Heavener allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one.

“It was pretty good, a good competition,” Heavener said “It opened my eyes to what SEC competition will be. I’m a freshman learning a lot. There’s a lot more for me to learn.”

Heavener said she had a message for Berzon as she walked out of the circle.

“I said, ‘You got this,’ ” Heavener said with a smile. “It’s a tight zone, you got this. I have a lot of confidence in her as everybody should.”

Said Torina of Heavener:

“I was proud of her It’s hard to be a freshman in the SEC. She was able to answer them back, too, the same way the offense answered them She’s got a lot of good stuff in front of her “Sydney is so good out of the bullpen. We haven’t seen her a lot this year (out of the bullpen) but her track record is just so good. Everyone is confident when she takes the mound.”

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 KoolAid 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.

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

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.

“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.”

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

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 tugof-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

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.

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.”

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

The LSU offensive line runs drills during spring practice at the team’s practice facility on Wednesday.

PRACTICE REPORT

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU first baseman Tori Edwards drives the ball for a double against Minnesota in the fourth inning last Sunday at Tiger Park Edwards’ two-run homer on Saturday against Kentucky was the decisive blow in a 6-4 victory.

OUTDOORS

Louisiana trio vying for bass-fishing glory

BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing

writer

There’s really nothing like the Bassmaster Classic in the world of freshwater fishing. Packed arenas suitable for big-time college basketball tournaments filled with fishing fans from across the country to find out whom among the 50 something qualified anglers will take home a $300,000 prize with a win filled with future endorsement dollars.

This year, this week, this celebration isn’t far from home – Fort Worth, Texas, – and south Louisiana has three men vying for fishing glory Greg Hackney is the old man among this trio, and it seems he’s been around so long that he should be older than 51. The Gonzales resident is competing in his 18th Classic and is looking for his first title. His big skins on his wall are a 2014 Angler of the Year title and three Elite Series tournament wins. If he weighs more pounds of largemouths than anyone else from Lake Ray Roberts then that big prize money will put him over the $3 million in Bassmaster winnings. The others are Tyler Rivet, who calls Raceland home with his family, and New Iberia’s Caleb Sumrall Both are looking for their first Classic win in their third try Rivet cut his teeth in the college fishing world. He won five major college national titles and established Nicholls State’s fishing team before earning a petroleum technology degree. Sumrall, 38, has been a national touring pro for five years and made his mark with a win in the 2017 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.

Weigh-ins for the three-day Classic begins Friday afternoon inside Dickies Arena. There will be a fee to park.

There’s more. The Classic Expo is scheduled for a Friday-Sunday run inside the Fort Worth Convention Center a good distance from Dickies Arena. So if you want to do both, plan to get to the Expo in the morning, then drive to the arena for about 3:30 p.m. to get a good seat. There aren’t many lakes capable of producing a double-digit lunker and Ray Roberts is one of them. The lake record is more than 15 pounds, and with favorable conditions and the approaching spawn, it’s likely a largemouth hitting 10 pounds plus is in the cards.

Also the Bassmaster Kayak Classic is set this week along with the Classic Celebrity Pro-Am scheduled for an 8 a.m. Wednesday launch from Twin Points Park on Ten Mile Bridge Road at Eagle Mountain Lake. The 3:15 p.m. weigh-in is open to the public.

There’s a decided Louisiana and LSU flair to the ProAm. Cliff Crochet, the “Cajun Baby” from Pierre Part, is among the pro anglers paired with the “celebrity” anglers, including former LSU football stars Patrick Queen, Barkevious“Kiki”Mingo and Damone Clark Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer and SMU football coach Rhett Lashlee will get in on the action, too, along with NASCAR, WWE and Olympic athletes and musicians, actors and comedians.

All that aside, the week should belong to Rick Clunn, the four-time Classic champion who’s in his 50th year competing in Bassmaster events.

Clunn will be among the “pros” in the Pro-Am, but the biggest accolade will follow later in the week.

After competing in his 500th Bassmaster tournament, this legendary angler will be honored with the first Rick Clunn Bassmaster Person of the Year Award during the Classic weigh-in.

FILE PHOTO

Gonzales national touring pro angler Greg Hackney celebrates one of his Bassmaster wins, a $100,000 prize in the BASSfest tournament. This week, Hackney and Caleb Sumrall, of New Iberia, and Raceland’s Tyler Rivet will compete for the $300,000 first-place check in the Bassmaster Classic set for Lake Ray Roberts near Fort Worth, Texas. Hackney is competing in his 18th Bassmaster Classic in his 19-year pro-fishing career

Clunn, now 78, was voted by bass fishermen across the nation as the best professional bass angler — he qualified for a record 32 Classics — and the award will according to B.A.S.S. “...recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the sport of bass fishing, both on and off the water The award celebrates those who exemplify integrity, character and a lasting impact on the fishing community.”

By the way Clunn was the first to weigh a doubledigit bass in a Classic with a 10-pound, 10-ounce giant in the 2006 Classic held on the Kissimmee Chain of lakes. Live weigh-ins can be seen daily at bassmaster.com.

Vacancies

The announcement was weeks in coming. This week, Advocate staff writer Alyse Pfeil story informed a waiting audience that Madison Sheahan will leave her secretary of Wildlife and Fisheries post to become the deputy director of the U.S. Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement Agency.

She was named to LDWF’s top job by Gov Jeff Landry, who, in a surprise move, offered the 26-year-old woman from South Dakota the position shortly after his inauguration last year. The agency’s deputy secretary, Tyler Bosworth, is taking her spot for now. And, long-serving CEO David Cresson has left Louisiana’s Coastal Conservation Association. The board has tabbed longtime activist and northshore resident Charlie Caplinger to serve until a new CEO can be hired. Friday, CCA Louisiana advertised for the position.

Sorrows

Our state was hit with a triple blow last week with the deaths of Jimmy Jenkins, Sandy Bertman and Alice Foster It’s understating to say Jenkins was an avid bird hunter and fisherman. He was much more — a business man, family man, philanthropist, a no-nonsense, stand-up, do-the-right-thing man.

He made his marks on our outdoors by being a leader in our state’s first major fishing conservation group, the Gulf Coast Conservation Associa-

SUNDAY KIWANIS OF POINTE COUPEE

BASS TOURNAMENT: 3 p.m. weigh-in, Morrison Parkway New Roads.

MONDAY

GULF COUNCIL REEF FISH

ADVISORY PANEL MEETING:

7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (Central), Council office, 4107 West Spruce Street, Suite 200, Tampa, Florida. Draft amendments on changed to shallow-water & deep-water groupers; stock assessments on red grouper & mutton/yellowtail snappers. Public comment accepted in person & via webinar. Website: gulfcouncil.org

TUESDAY

GULF COUNCIL IFQ ADVI-

SORY PANEL MEETING:

7 a.m.-4 p.m. (Central), 4107 West Spruce Street, Tampa, Florida. Open to public & via webinar. Commercial IFQ on red snapper, grouper & tilefish. Website: gulfcouncil. org

LAFAYETTE KAYAK FISHING

CLUB MEETING: 6 p.m., Pack & Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Call (337) 232-5854. Website: lafayettekayakfishing.com

WEDNESDAY

FLIES & FLIGHTS: 7 p.m., Rally Cap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Avenue, Baton Rouge. Fly tying. Open to public. Spare tools, materials for novices. Email Chris Williams: thefatfingeredflytyer@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY

YAMAHA RIGHTWATERS

BASSMASTER KAYAK CHAMPIONSHIP: Lake Fork, Yantis, Texas, Dickies Arena, Fort Worth. Website: bassmaster. com.

THURSDAY

tion, which morphed into the national Coastal Conservation Association.

His activism got him appointed by then Gov Edwin Edwards to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. After his term expired, Gov.elect Mike Foster had to twist his arm more than once to take the top spot in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, where he stayed through Foster’s two terms.

He set about turning the agency into a business-first model by reassessing budgetary demands on a major department operating without the state’s general fund dollars.

These tasks made friends and enemies, but a more modern approach to the agency’s operations allowed establishment of programs in existence today

Among his major accomplishments was modernizing the Enforcement Division with enhanced training and equipment upgrades in vehicles, patrol boats and radio communications.

And, what can anyone say about Sandy Bertman, unless you add credence to the saying “Behind every great man there is a great woman.”

In those first days, months and years after leaving their home in Miami to take a cut in pay to become LSU’s baseball coach, Mrs. Bertman was Skip Bertman‘s devoted right-hand woman. She was everywhere and always reveling in “her” Tigers accomplishments. What’s more, like in most coaching homes, she was in charge of raising their four daughters and make home, well, home. She was the first First Lady of LSU Baseball. If you didn’t like Alice Foster, you couldn’t like anyone on our planet. Gracious, caring, a gentle soul who could add a gentle nudge to her governor husband, Mike. She had a way of tempering his penchant for impatience with political foes out for anything that wasn’t good for our state and showed him that a spoon of sugar fed to an opponent could take away the bad taste of a loss.

BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racing writer

LAS VEGAS Christopher Bell sometimes can’t believe seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson even knows Bell exists. And when Bell’s phone lights up with a new text message from the Hall of Famer, he can’t stop himself from freaking out a little bit. But the texts have come three weeks in a row now — after Bell’s victories at Atlanta, Circuit of the Americas in Texas and Phoenix — and Bell hopes Johnson hits that send button again Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bell has the chance to become the first driver since Johnson in 2007 to win four consecutive Cup Series races — an accomplishment that only eight drivers have achieved in the modern era of NASCAR that began in 1972. He starts 13th on Sunday “It is still the coolest thing in the world to me that I have Jimmie Johnson in my phone,” Bell said. “He has talked to me, he has sent me a text message after every win so far I’m still shocked every time I see his name pop up. I respect the heck out of him. It’s an honor to know that he thinks of me after the race to send a text message. That is so cool.” Bell’s three straight wins is the Cup Series’ longest winning streak since Kyle Larson won three in a row twice in 2021, and Bell is the first to do it in NASCAR’s Next Gen car, which was introduced in 2022.

ACADIANA FLY RODDERS PROGRAM: 6 p.m., Pack & Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Email Darin Lee: cbrsandcdc@ gmail.com. Website: acadianaflyrodders.org.

FRIDAY CCA SPORTING CLAYS CLASSIC: 11:30 a.m., Covey Rise Lodge, Husser. 100-target course, 12- & 20-gauge shot shells provided. Also: 5:30 p.m., Field-to-Table dinner/auction. Registration website: e.givesmart.com/ events/GRS/ Call CCA (225) 952-9200.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

BASSMASTER CLASSIC: Lake Ray Roberts, Denton, Texas. Weigh-in daily, Dickies Arena, Fort Worth. Bassmaster Classic Expo, Fort Worth Convention Center. Website: bassmaster.com

DUCKS UNLIMITED/BATON ROUGE GRAND SLAM SPONSOR BANQUET: 5:30 p.m., Renaissance Hotel, 7000 Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge. Honoring Luke & Sonja Laborde. Call Taylor Bennett (225) 921-4535/(225) 248-1111. Email: taylor@ whenwemesh.com

Bell savoring Johnson’s texts during 3-race winning streak

The four-in-a-row club

Among those who have accomplished the feat, seven are in NASCAR’s Hall of Fame and six are Cup Series champions.

The drivers who have won four consecutive races in the modern era are Cale Yarborough in 1976, Darrell Waltrip in 1981, Dale Earnhardt in 1987, Harry Gant in 1981, Bill Elliott in 1992, Mark Martin in 1993, Jeff Gordon in 1998 and Johnson 18 years ago.

Bell’s three wins this year tie his career-high victory totals in 2022 and matched in 2024, and breaking his season-best mark isn’t out of the question at Las Vegas, where he has five career top-10 finishes in 10 starts and three poles. Bell, in his No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, was the runner-up in Vegas’ past two fall races. He is not considering a fourth consecutive victory a lock even as he has dominated the first month of the season.

“One thing is for sure — nothing that has happened the last three weeks means

anything for this week,” Bell said. “Everything is still ahead of me and nothing is set, and we have to go out there and perform. This has been a strong track for us in the past, but I’m just trying very hard to not get ahead of myself and understand it is a new week.” On the pole

Michael McD owell earned Spire Motorsports its first Cup Series pole when he took the top qualifying spot in Saturday’s session.

McDowell, a former Daytona 500 winner, is in his first season driving for Spire. The team has shown stark improvement with an infusion of cash brought by new majority owner Dan Towriss, who also controls Andretti Global in IndyCar and the Cadillac F1 team set to debut in 2026.

McDowell’s qualifying lap in a Chevrolet bested Joey Logano and Austin Cindric in Team Penske Fords. Kyle Busch was fourth in a Chevrolet from Richard Childress Racing and followed by Erik Jones.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DARRyL WEBB Christopher Bell celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway last Sunday.

THE VARSITY ZONE

St. Aug grinds out title win

Purple Knights stymie St. Thomas More with tough defense

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE

Staff writer

LAKE CHARLES St. Thomas More

held the reputation as the team that could cause trouble for opposing teams with its oppressive defense

But St. Augustine showed how two can play at that game — and win a state championship while doing so.

The fourth-seeded Purple Knights kept No. 3 St. Thomas More from scoring in the third quarter and widened the lead in the fourth on the way to a 45-35 victory in the LHSAA Division I select state final Saturday at Burton Coliseum.

“To win a game like this, in this setting, you have to be willing to grind it out,” St. Augustine coach Wade Mason said. “And you have to be willing to play defense.”

Outstanding player selection Jakobe Shepeard had 10 points and seven rebounds. He forced a key turnover late in the fourth quarter and blocked a shot with just less than a minute remaining

Leading scorer Aaron Miles scored all 13 of his points from the free-throw line, where he made all but one of his attempts.

The pressure defense that keyed St. Thomas More in a comeback win at the buzzer against John Curtis in the semifinals was no match for St. Augustine.

The Purple Knights routinely broke the press and scored baskets at the other end, especially late when St. Thomas More tried to keep St. Aug from padding the lead.

Mason made a change at halftime to have the 6-foot-4 Shepeard get the inbound pass against the St Thomas More press.

“I knew that every time you get the ball in, they’re coming,” said Shepeard, a senior. “Their rotations are very good. Their press is amazing. Coach just told me, ‘Step up to the plate and be you.’ That’s what I did today.”

Mason instilled a defensive mindset with a drill in practice that has the starters play only on defense and award one point for each stop while giving the offense two points for each basket

“These guys hate it,” Mason said about that drill in practice “But

it just builds a mindset that you score with your defense. That was my thing, man, just stop them Just stop them.”

St. Augustine (30-4) trailed 17-9 at halftime. The Purple Knights did not allow a point during an 11-0 run through the third period to lead 20-17 when the fourth quarter began.

The first half turned on a technical foul call against St. Augustine that sparked a 7-0 run for St. Thomas More, helping the Cougars take a 17-9 lead into halftime. With the score tied, neither team scored for the first four minutes of the second quarter But STM hit two free throws and a basket

scored on the ensuing possession after the technical foul, plus a 3-pointer by sophomore Matthew Cook that quickly put St. Thomas More ahead by seven points. St. Thomas More (28-5) played more than 5 minutes without starting senior point guard John Luke Bourque because of a back injury He left the game in the third quarter when he fell to the floor and a referee assessed him a technical foul for flopping, coach Danny Broussard. The St. Augustine defense “was what we expected,” Broussard said. “Their defense was really good — very physical. Very physical game.”

Javardes Brazile, a 6-foot-6 junior, affected the game from the start against the taller players from St. Thomas More. He scored six points in the first quarter and the teams were tied at 8-all when the period ended. He finished with eight points.

Senior Trenton Potier scored 10 points for St. Thomas More.

The win gave St. Augustine its seventh LHSAA title and the first with Mason as coach. Mason returned to his alma mater last season as an assistant coach and became the head coach this season.

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

Hannan outlasts Shaw for state title

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

LAKE CHARLES What could have been a lopsided state championship game between Hannan and Shaw went back and forth in the fourth quarter

But it was No 2 Hannan that outlasted No. 1 Shaw in a 59-55 victory that gave the Hawks the LHSAA Division II select state title Saturday at Burton Coliseum Outstanding player selection Drew Timmons scored 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting and ended his high school career as a state champion for the second time. He was the high scorer and outstanding player the first time as a freshman. “It helps when you have the best player on the court,” Hannan coach Errol Gauff said “Other guys can relax and play their game.”

Hannan (23-6) led by 15 points in the third quarter Shaw (27-3) went on a 14-0 run, and after a basket by Hannan, 6-7 Jackson State commitment Noah Butler completed a three-point play that made the score 41-all before the period ended. The lead changed four times in the fourth quarter Junior Bryce Daniels scored the basket that put Hannan ahead for good at 49-48. Daniels scored five points all in the fourth — and had nine rebounds and three assists The 6-6 Timmons, a Navy signee, scored the final two baskets for Hannan, including a three-point play with 54.4 seconds remaining that made the score 56-50. Timmons had the ball on the perimeter more than he usually would so he could have more room to work against the quick and athletic Butler “I kind of tried to get to the goal from the outside,” Timmons said.

the first quarter, and Allen Shaw made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it a one-point game. In the second quarter, Hannan stretched the lead to six points before halftime. Timmons scored eight points in the period, his last basket a contested floater off the backboard that made the score 30-24.

Sophomore Paul Hoyt made a 3-pointer off an outlet pass from senior Zachary Lauro during a 9-4 run that closed the half. Lauro made 3-pointer as Timmons scored three baskets during a 9-0 run that started the third quarter

This game played out differently than when the teams met twice in the regular season and Shaw won both times.

“We let them punch us first,” Butler said. “We didn’t punch back until mid-third quarter That was the main difference between this game and the last two contests.”

Gauff said the first two games were played more in half-court sets. He encouraged his players this time to keep a quicker pace against Shaw

“I just told them, ‘Go be you,’ ” Gauff said. “And as the game got going, I was like, I don’t think they liked that we’re running it right back at them. Maybe they weren’t expecting it. I don’t know.”

Shaw has been to state tournament four years in a row The Eagles throttled Madison Prep in the semifinal to reach the state final for the first time since 2001. Shaw coach Wesley Laurendine said the loss was on him.

“Errol did a great job of getting his team prepared to play us,” Laurendine said.

Spaun leads after winds wreak havoc in Florida

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — J.J. Spaun

watched his 25-foot putt swirl 360 degrees around the cup and drop for par a fitting end to a wild windy, round-wrecking Saturday at The Players Championship that gave him a one-shot lead going into the final round of the richest tournament in golf.

The par gave Spaun a 2-under 70, the lowest score among the final 10 groups

The Shaw trio of Butler, senior guard Khalil Awogboro and sophomore guard Allen Shaw each scored 14 points. Sophomore Tristian Naquin had eight points and 10 rebounds.

Allen Shaw made a 3-pointer that cut the lead to three in the final minute Hannan went 3 of 4 from the free-throw line to seal the win. The lead changed four times in

“Maybe I didn’t do as good a job as I need to do to get my guys ready to play.”

Contact Christopher Dabe at

on the 15th, an eagle by chipping in on the par-5 16th, and a double bogey with a tee shot that didn’t reach the island on the notorious par-3 17th.

“It’s pretty razor thin around here anyway,” Glover said. “And then you add in 25, 30 miles an hour with some gusts, it shrinks things even more. I did a good job where I was missing for the majority of the day, and there was a couple holes where you just can’t miss.”

Spaun was at 12-under 204, a stroke ahead of Cauley and three ahead of Glover and Alex Smalley There was plenty of heartache, not including the five rounds in the 80s.

Will Zalatoris was briefly tied for the lead when he stepped on the 14th tee. He played the final five holes in 9-over par a quadruple bogey on the 14th, a double bogey on the 15th, a ball in the water on the 17th for double bogey and a bogey at the last. It added to a 78. He went from tied for the lead to 10 shots behind in the span of about an hour Rory McIlroy made birdie on the final hole to salvage a 73 and perhaps his chances, leaving him only four shots behind.

“Most of the dropped shots were from around-the-green mistakes rather than tee-to-green,” McIlroy said.

“I felt like I hit the ball pretty well, controlled my flight. Not out of it by any means The wind is supposed to still be blowing tomorrow, so yeah, it was nice to birdie that just to get one closer to J.J. on the last.”

Two-time reigning champion Scottie Scheffler wasn’t so fortunate. He was hanging around and poised to get closer until he went from the pine straw left of the par5 16th fairway to a bunker, then another bunker under a large tree and wound up with a bogey He three-putted from long range for bogey on the 17th, tossing his ball into the water He hit what he thought was a perfect wedge on the 18th only to see it roll off the back of the green. He had a 72.

A year ago, Scheffler birdied his last three holes to get within five shots and wound up winning with a 64. This time he played bogeyed two of the last three and was seven behind.

Is that too much?

“I’m not really thinking about it too much right now,” he said. “I’m just a bit frustrated with the finish but hoping to come out of the gates a little bit better tomorrow and turn things around.”

PHOTO By KIRK MECHE

St. Augustine’s Jakobe Shepeard drives the baseline against St. Thomas More during the Division I select championship game Saturday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

J.J. Spaun watches his birdie putt on the 15th hole during the third round of The Players Championship on Saturday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

PHOTO By KIRK MECHE

Hannan’s Andrew Timmons, left, was named the Division II select outstanding player after the Hawks defeated Shaw in the championship game on Saturday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles. Simmons had a team-high 22 points.

LSU women likely No. 3 seed in NCAA tourney

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The LSU women’s basketball team was a No. 3 seed in each of the past three NCAA Tournaments, including the one that ended with the Tigers winning their first national title. Where will the NCAA selection committee place LSU this time? All signs point right back to that same position.

Tournament projections from ESPN, The Athletic, Her Hoop Stats and CBS Sports agree the Tigers will be given a No. 3 seed for the fourth year in a row when the bracket is unveiled at 7 p.m. Sun-

day on ESPN. Once again they’ll host the first two rounds and likely travel across the country for the Sweet 16. Last season, LSU flew to Albany, New York, after it advanced past the first two rounds. This year, the Tigers will likely take a trip to Spokane, Washington — if, of course, they can reach the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row

The other regional site (Birmingham, Alabama) is much closer to Baton Rouge. But according to NCAA bracketing guidelines, the

selection committee has to spread out the top four teams from a major conference across the four regions. Because both South Carolina and Texas are poised to earn higher seeds than LSU, they’re set to take the two spots in Birmingham while leaving one of the Spokane regionals for the Tigers. LSU could’ve made a stronger case for one of those spots, but it stumbled down the stretch of the regular season. The committee had the Tigers ranked No. 6 overall before they played a road game against the Longhorns on Feb. 16. They lost that game 65-58, then dropped three of their next six, slipping out

of contention for not only a No. 1 seed, but also — in all likelihood — a No. 2 seed. Over that stretch of play, teams that the committee had slotted below LSU, according to the last glimpse it gave into its top 16 teams, began building win streaks. North Carolina State (No. 8 in the Feb. 26 reveal) won four straight contests and reached the ACC Tournament championship game. TCU (No. 9) rode a 10-game win streak into both Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles. Duke (No. 11) won the ACC Tournament, capping a six-game winning streak with two victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of The Associated Press Top

Florida

Tournament

Gators pull away from Tide to reach title game

BY JIM DIAMOND The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Walter Clayton

scored 22 points, and No. 4 Florida pulled away from No. 5 Alabama for a 104-82 victory in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday

Alijah Martin and Will Richard each had 16 points for the Gators (29-4) in their fifth consecutive win. Next up for Florida is Sunday’s SEC championship game against No. 8 Tennessee, which beat No 3 Auburn 70-65 in the first semifinal. The second-seeded Gators led the Crimson Tide 47-45 after a first half that featured 10 lead changes. But Clayton and company really turned up their play down the stretch.

Chris Youngblood had 14 points for third-seeded Alabama (25-8).

Clifford Omoruyi and Mouhamed Dioubate each had 12. Clayton went 6 for 11 from 3-point range. The senior guard added six assists.

Takeaways

Alabama: The loss derailed the Crimson Tide’s hope of winning the program’s third SEC tournament title in the last five seasons. With 10 wins over AP Top 25 opponents this season, a program record for most in a single season, Alabama has a strong case for a good seed in the NCAA Tournament. Florida: The Gators were impressive in the defensive end, holding the high-scoring Crimson Tide to just 82 points. Entering Saturday, Alabama had scored 90 points or more in 18 games this season, the most in Division I.

Key moment

Richard hit a 3-pointer with 9:24 remaining in the second half to give Florida a 21-point lead and put the game out of reach for Alabama.

Key stat

After a tightly contested first half, Florida outscored the Crimson Tide 57-37 over the final 20 minutes

Up next

Florida and Tennessee split the two-game season series, with both teams winning on their home courts.

The Crimson Tide wait to learn the team’s first opponent in the NCAA tourney

Tennessee holds off Auburn to earn spot in championship game

BY TERESA M. WALKER

AP sportswriter

NASHVILLE, Tenn Zakai Zeigler

scored 20 points as No. 8 Tennessee held off regular-season champion and third-ranked Auburn 7065 on Saturday to reach the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship for the first time since 2022.

The fourth-seeded Volunteers (27-6) got revenge both for their Jan. 25 loss at Auburn and their 2019 loss to the Tigers in this tournament’s title game. Tennessee will play fourthranked Florida on Sunday for the tournament title. The Vols and the winner of that semifinal likely wind up with No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament — only fitting for the nation’s best league. Jordan Gainey added 15 points for the Vols, and Chaz Lanier had 12. The Tigers (28-5) go home

Takeaways

25 poll. Each of those three teams can now claim more Quad 1 wins than LSU, which is 6-5 in such games this season. That’s enough victories to earn a top-four seed, but likely not enough to net a top-two seed.

Which means that coach Kim Mulkey’s Tigers will soon find themselves back in a familiar position, fighting for a trip to the Final Four as a No. 3 seed. Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994, three of those teams have taken home the national championship. Last season, LSU’s run ended in an Elite Eight loss to No. 1-seeded Iowa.

Former Xavier-N.O., Jazz player Watts dies

By The Associated Press

head and crooked headbands.

He led the league in steals in the 1975-76 season.

SEATTLE Donald “Slick” Watts, a former Xavier of New Orleans great who was a fan favorite for the Seatte SuperSonics and later played for the New Orleans Jazz, has died. He was 73. A native of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, Watts played three seasons at Xavier (1970-73) with career totals of 1,460 points and 331 assists — both school records at the time.

Watts’ son Donald, who played for Washington, announced his father’s death Saturday on social media, writing: “You did so much for so many of us. It was an honor to call you pops.” Watts had been in poor health after a stroke in 2021. Watts was signed by coach Bill Russell to play for the Sonics in 1973 as an undrafted rookie. He was with Seattle for less than five years, but became a fixture known for his broad smile, bald

TULANE

Continued from page 1C

away on the floor Haggerty then hit six straight foul shots while Brumbaugh missed the back end of a oneand-one free throw as the Tigers (28-5) held off a determined effort from the fourth-seeded Wave, which was trying to reach its first tournament final since 1992.

“I hate that it had to end the way it ended, especially with what I just saw in the locker room on tape,” Tulane coach Ron Hunter said. “I’m not going to get into that, but I hate it for the kids. Those are some plays that shouldn’t have happened.”

Tulane was trying to get one win away from reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995 after being picked to tie for 11th out of 13 teams in the preseason AAC coaches poll. A 12-6 record in league play after a dismal nonconference performance earned the Wave the fourth seed in the tournament and a double bye to the quarterfinals.

Tulane hung right with Memphis despite giving up a gamehigh 23 points to starting center Dain Dainja, and another 10 to Cisse while each grabbed 11 rebounds. The Wave answered every time the Tigers tried to pull away in a game when neither team led by more than seven points.

Brumbaugh refused to blame the officials for the late sequence.

“I felt it was a missed call, but that’s what seasons come down to,” he said. “There were tons of possessions that I wanted to make up during the game. It’s not the officials’ fault we lost. I missed a big-time free throw This just sucks.”

Tulane limited Haggerty, the AAC Player of the Year, to 2-of13 shooting.

“Our whole goal was to make Haggerty have to really earn his baskets, and we knew it was going to open up things for the inside play,” Hunter said.

“It gave us the chance to win.

We did not want them to shoot 30% or more from the 3-point line (the Tigers went 5 of 23), but when you bring your defense out to defend the 3-point line, it allows those inside guys to go to work.” Dainja helped out by missing

He later played for the New Orleans Jazz and the Houston Rockets but made Seattle his home following his career and frequently attended Sonics events, as well as Washington and Seattle Storm games.

“We are saddened by the passing of Sonics icon Slick Watts,” the Storm posted to social media. “Slick was a champion for the Storm and a beloved member of the Seattle community.”

Grandson Isaiah Watts, who plays for Washington State, posted several photos of his grandfather “I pray every time they see me they see you. Love you past life. I got us forever Rest in paradise papa.”

Watts starred at Grand View Junior College before transferring to Xavier and then entering the NBA.

In his later years, Watts taught physical education in the Seattle school cistrict and ran a basketball academy with his son. He was named to the Sonics’ 40th anniversary team.

“I hate that it had to end the way it ended, especially with what I just saw in the locker room on tape. I’m not going to get into that, but I hate it for the kids Those are some plays that shouldn’t have happened.”

RON HUNTER,Tulane coach

10 of his 13 free throws. Tulane did the rest with balanced offense.

Brumbaugh scored a team-high 22 points, constantly probing the lane on drives and finishing or passing to an open teammate. Freshman Kam Williams contributed 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a pair of 3s that tied the game twice in the second half. Asher Woods had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists, while center Gregg Glenn added 12 points and seven assists, repeatedly feeding cutting teammates for layups.

Tulane erased a 39-32 halftime deficit in less than two minutes after the break, getting a driving layup from Glenn and a reverse layup from Brumbaugh on one of Glenn’s pinpoint passes and a 3 from Williams.

Woods’ trey gave the Wave its first lead since 7-6, making the score 44-43, and the game was excruciatingly close from there. The lead changed hands four times from the 1:19 mark to the 40-second mark, with the reversed goal-tending call on Brumbaugh’s shot preventing a fifth.

“I was pretty confident (it would be overturned),” Cisse said “I know that was a block because the timing was great. I let him drive on purpose so I could time it to block it.”

The Wave had a hard time blocking out the pain after it was over

“That was just great basketball and a heck of a game,” Woods said. “Of course it hurts when you’re a competitor and put so much time in. It’s tough to swallow.”

Hunter who had tried to keep a positive tone, offered a parting thought.

“There were some things we could have done better, but again, these kids go home,” he said. “Some of these guys that are officiating go on to the NCAA Tournament, and there are no repercussions for them.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER

guard Walter Clayton reacts to a basket against Alabama during the second half of their SEC

semifinal game Saturday in Nashville, Tenn. Clayton had 22 points in the Gators’ 104-82 win.

WALKER

Houston ramps up ‘D’ to beat Arizona for Big 12 title

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP Basketball Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Milos Uzan poured in 25 points, Emanuel Sharpe added 17 and secondranked Houston turned up its trademark defense in the final minute to hold on for a 72-64 victory over Arizona in the Big 12 Tournament championship game Saturday night.

Playing without injured big man J’Wan Roberts, the Cougars (30-4) took a 64-62 lead on Uzan’s 3-pointer with 5 minutes to go then suffocated the Wildcats (22-12) down the stretch to avenge a loss to Iowa State in last year’s title game.

“We did a great job of staying together,” Sharpe said. “That’s what coach has been preaching. And that’s why I love this team.” Houston romped to the regularseason Big 12 title, winning 19 of 20 games in the expanded league. And it was just as dominant in three game in Kansas City, easily beating Colorado and No. 17 BYU before turning back red-hot Ari-

zona for the trophy

“We never panic,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “I notice a lot of people around us do, but thank God they’re not coaches and players. We’ve been in these bunkers. We’ve been there when it’s tough. We’ve learned to internalize and almost get independent of everything around us. We get in a bunker and believe in each other and get to work.”

Caleb Love scored 19 points for the Wildcats. Jaden Bradley had 14 points and KJ Lewis finished with 11.

Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd had bristled after their quarterfinal win over No. 9 Texas Tech when it was suggested that the title tilt amounted to a showdown of styles: Arizona’s high-flying, highscoring offense against Houston’s dominant defense.

“We’re not that bad on defense,” Lloyd said succinctly Turns out the Wildcats are quite good.

They harried and harrassed Houston’s guards wherever they

went on the floor, twice holding the Cougars without a point for 5-minute stretches in the first half. The result was a 33-28 lead in the locker room that felt just a little bit bigger Yet there is a reason that Houston is No. 1 nationally in defensive efficiency

The Cougars were still trailing 40-37 when they clamped down on the Wildcats, turning defense into offense and outscoring them 19-6 over the next five minutes. By the time Uzan curled in a bucket with 11:40 to go, Houston had taken a 56-46 lead — the largest of the game for either team at that point. Arizona gamely fought back to take a 62-61 lead, only for the relentless Cougars to regain the lead seconds later, when Uzan dropped his 3-pointer He scored again on their ensuing possession, and Houston maintained its lead from there.

The result was its third conference tourney title in five years after the pair it won in the American Athletic Conference.

Kings at the Smoothie King Center on Feb 13.

PELICANS

Continued from page 1C

with that. We’ve had some really good games. And we’ve had some games like (Friday) where we didn’t bring it for 48 minutes. So we’re just trying to build momentum and attack the games.”

There have been far more bad games than good ones. One season after having the second-most wins in franchise history the Pelicans are heading toward one of the worst seasons in franchise history

The main thing Green wants to see is consistency. He was pleased with what he saw Tuesday in a victory over the Los Angeles

Clippers, but then frustrated two nights later in the lopsided loss to the Magic.

There have been far too many games when the effort just wasn’t there, a big reason the Pelicans have lost 13 games by 20 points or more and four by 30 points or more. Those type of losses can be demoralizing, especially once the postseason hopes are dashed. Murphy said the mindset remains the same for the final few weeks of the season.

“One day at a time, one foot in front of the other,” Murphy said.

“Just try to play for a reason. You want to go out there and win games. We’re not out there trying to lose We are trying to win games and put out a good product.”

No. 6 St. John’s beats Creighton for 1st Big East title in 25 years

BY MIKE FITZPATRICK Associated Press

NEW YORK RJ Luis Jr scored all but two of his 29 points after halftime and No. 6 St. John’s made 14 straight shots from the field in the second half to beat Creighton 8266 on Saturday night for its first Big East Tournament title in 25 years. Zuby Ejiofor added 20 points and Kadary Richmond had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the top-seeded Red Storm (30-4), who reached 30 wins for

Players want to do that for themselves. And they want to do it for the team as it tries to build momentum going into the 2025-26 season.

“Sometimes you’re playing for a contract,” Olynyk said. “Sometimes you’re playing because you love the game of basketball. So there is a lot of stuff to play for

“Collectively as a team, you want to build good habits and build that connection and cohesiveness and something that you can roll into the next season. Eventually, the record is going to be 0-0 and that’s when you’ve got to be ready.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

coach to take six schools to the Big Dance.

The others were Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville and Iona. Pitino, in his second season at St. John’s, also became the first coach to win the Big East Tournament at two schools. He’s won three times in his last four seasons in the league, after guiding Louisville to championships in 2009, 2012 and 2013. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 15 for second-seeded Creighton (2410), which fell to 0-5 in Big East championship games since joining the conference for the 201314 season. It was the fourth Big East Tournament title for the Johnnies, who made the championship game for the first time since winning the 2000 trophy under Mike Jarvis. The previous two came in the 1980s under Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca, who died Nov 30 about five weeks shy of his 100th birthday

BIG TEN ROUNDUP

Donaldson’s drive sends Michigan past Maryland

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS Tre Donaldson drove the length of the court and scored on a layup with 0.4 seconds left to give No. 22 Michigan an 81-80 victory over No 11 Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals Saturday Donaldson finished with 12 points and nine assists, but the heavy lifting was done by Vladislav Goldin, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Danny Wolf Jr with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

The Wolverines (24-9) will face No. 18 Wisconsin in Sunday’s championship game in Indianapolis.

Donaldson’s remarkable drive rekindled images of Tyus Edney in 1995 and Danny Ainge in 1981, who made similar plays to add their stories to the March Madness book. This time, Maryland tried to preserve the lead without fouling.

Derik Queen finished with a career high 31 points to lead the Terrapins (25-8) who entered the game on a nine-game winning streak. Selton Miguel added 16 points. Maryland has never

reached the tourney’s title game. No. 18 WISCONSIN 77, No. 7 MICHIGAN ST 74: In Indianapolis, John Tonje scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds to help No. 18 Wisconsin beat No. 7 Michigan State on Saturday in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

John Blackwell added 14 points as the Badgers (26-8) won for the third time in four days. They will play No. 22 Michigan for the tournament title on Sunday The Wolverines beat No 11 Maryland 81-80 on a last-second layup.

Jase Richardson had 21 points and seven rebounds for the Spartans (27-6). Jeremy Fears Jr had 14 points and six assists, but he had the ball knocked away in the waning seconds as he tried to tie the score with a heave from near the midcourt logo. Michigan State, the league’s regular-season champs, had won eight in a row Wisconsin erased a 45-41 deficit with an 11-0 run in the second half. The Badgers were pushed to the very end, but they used four straight points to make it 72-67 with 1:10 to play

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Pelicans coach Willie Green gives guard Jose Alvarado props as they go into overtime against the Sacramento

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL

Arizona guard KJ Lewis puts up a shot during the first half against Houston in the Big 12 Tournament championship game Saturday in Kansas City, Mo. Houston beat Arizona 72-64.

MEN’S

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANK FRANKLIN II Creighton’s Steven Ashworth, second from left, and Jasen Green, right, defend against St. John’s’s RJ Luis Jr during the first half of the Big East Tournament championship game Saturday in New york

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy Michigan Wolverines guard Tre Donaldson collects the ball as Maryland guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie attempts a steal during the first half of a Big Ten Tournament semi

nal game Saturday in Indianapolis.

Remembering

St. Joseph’s Night 2005, a watershed moment in Mardi Gras Indian tradition

BY GERALDINE WYCKOFF

Contributing writer

One of the most magical tradi-

tions of the Mardi Gras Indians is taking to the streets of New Orleans on St. Joseph’s Night. As they do on Carnival Day, the Indians roam, rather than parade, through neighborhoods looking for other tribes to engage in mock battles won with tambourines and the beauty of the rhinestones, beadwork and feathers of their artfully crafted “suits.”

Fans of the Indians will have two chances to see them this week, weather permitting. The Mardi Gras Indian Council presents “Indian Super Sunday” on Sunday at A.L. Davis Park in Central City The park opens at 11 a.m. with DJs and performances by BRW and other bands. The parade starts at 1 p.m. at the corner of Washington Avenue and LaSalle Street

The Black Indians will be on the streets again, both Uptown and Downtown, on Wednesday, around sundown for St. Joseph’s Day. The annual St. Joseph’s Day outing dates to the early 20th century, at least. The late, highly respected Mardi Gras Indian Council Chief of Chiefs Robert “Robee” Lee said there were Indians out on the St. Joseph’s holiday when he started masking in 1929. He said he also knew Indians who hit the streets on St. Joseph’s night before World War I. The Black Indians came out in the evening on St. Joseph’s Day, the 19th of March, a Catholic holiday widely celebrated in the city, because the streets were abuzz with folks visiting foodladen altars erected at churches and Italian corner grocery stores. The Black Masking Indians were often generously welcomed to partake in the delicious homemade cookies and a variety of Italian specialties piled high on the altars.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of one of the darkest chapters in the St. Joseph’s Day tradition, but also the dawn of a new era of cooperation and respect between the Indians and New Orleans police.

Sirens and flashing lights

On March 19, 2005, as the Indians roamed beneath the oak trees along Washington Avenue

expression is hard to read. ‘To

Rare portrait of enslaved man goes on display in New Orleans

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

In the 1840 oil painting, a man named Frederick wears a scarlet vest under his black coat and a blue bow tie beneath his translucent lace collar His spine is straight, his shoulders are back. It’s a rare, formal portrait of a Black American man of the era. But what is most compelling about the painting is Frederick’s expression. The Black man’s piercing sideward gaze and the horizontal line of his lips are impossible to read. Emotionally, Frederick is a sphinx.

Frederick was enslaved, the human property of a beyond-wealthy plantation owner And despite the sophisticated getup he’s wearing in the portrait, on display at the Neal Auction Company on Magazine Street, he worked in the dusty cotton fields of northern Louisiana.

The painting is set to be sold on April 4.

The auction house estimates that the canvas will go for $300,000 to $500,000. On Monday the day the painting went on display, Marney Robinson, Neal’s director of fine arts, said that there was already “significant interest” among institutions

and individuals. Who was Frederick? Paintings of enslaved individuals are very rare. And when slaves were included in antebellum portraits, they were generally depicted in subservient roles to White people. But Frederick is painted with extraordinary dignity and forthrightness.

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

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM NEAL AUCTION COMPANy Frederick’s

survive all that he did, he had to be strong,’ said historian Katy Morlas Shannon.

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM KEITH HILL

Big Chief Howard Miller, of the Creole Wild West, takes to the streets on Super Sunday, 2024.

DINING SCENE

Broke after Mardi Gras? These restaurants help

It was a long and glorious Carnival season with plenty of opportunities to justify indulgences, between the parties, costumes and so, so much king cake.

If you’re feeling financially wrung out after the marathon, here are top picks for restaurants that always feel like good bargains. Just remember if you choose a meal out to tip well, because everyone’s feeling it.

n Lebanon’s Café

1500 N. Carrollton Ave., 504-862-6200

I call this a dive Middle Eastern restaurant with the same affection I describe dive bars it’s reliable, affordable, perhaps down at the heels and always there for you. I put the hummus up against any in town, at any price. Share a plate of lamb chops and a few of the other dips and appetizers, some of which are amazingly still under $5. It’s BYOB, and actually BYOG(lass) is a good idea as the few shopworn pieces of stemware are in high demand. But whatever, at these prices I’ve happily sipped cheap wines from foam cups n Le Ponce 3311 Ponce de Leon St.

This is the new bakery and cafe from Cafe Degas just across the street. Build-your-own breakfast sandwiches on great baguette or croissants add up to less than $10. You can pair a coffee with an order of chouquettes (two-bite pastry puffs) for the “dunk dat duo” for $6, and open-face baguette tartines loaded with ham and brie or just jam are steals.

n Secret Thai 9212 West Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, 504-345-2487

Leftovers are all but a guarantee at this wonderful strip mall Thai restaurant in Chalmette, which is like the Rocky & Carlo’s of Thai food. That’s because even if you order conservatively, the portions are just so much larger than anyone should expect for the prices. Most main dishes are under $20, all are enough to share, and the quality is excellent. The restaurant can also famously put a hurting on you if you dare ratchet up the spicy

spectrum. Trust me, stick to level one or lower unless you know for sure you can handle it BYOB, and you’ll appreciate something to cut through that heat.

n The Original Fiorella’s Café 5325 Franklin Ave., 504-309-0352

Here is the reincarnation of an old-time French Quarter restaurant that long served the French Market especially, now in Gentilly It’s the ideal New Orleans neighborhood joint with lots of character and great prices.

You’re getting hamburger steak, liver and onions and some of the city’s best fried chicken for under $15 a plate Of special note is the stromboli, different from any other I’ve seen under that name. It resembles a muffuletta made with sliced sausage from a family recipe, with raw green peppers and red onions and cheese on toasted bread. You can get a half for $12, and it is still big enough to be two sandwiches in one

n Juan’s Flying Burrito 8140 Oak St., 2018 Magazine St., 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., 515 Baronne St.

The first Juan’s burrito I ever had back in 1999 landed at five bucks. Never ask an English major to check your math, but I think all these years later the price is still well below inflation.

If you, like me, are susceptible to a margarita or several, even when chasing a bargain, of course your bill will show that. But Juan’s still gives you a good meal and a great price, and has its own style. Get the “B.R.C.” (beans, rice, cheese, served with cheese), a bargain nacho plate in disguise for under $10, good to share or as a stand-alone meal at the bar next to that marg.

n Punjab Dhaba 2305 W. Esplanade Ave., 504-441-2323

I know buffets are often ballyhooed, but even at a time when we have a new richness of Indian cuisine around the area, there is an appeal of curries and kormas

and heaps of basmati rice holding in hot plates that appeals for a swift and inexpensive lunch. This Kenner restaurant is the more dressed-up outpost of a related restaurant in Hammond inside a gas station conceived to serve the many Sikh truck drivers working the American highway The buffet is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily for $19.99.

n Frady’s One Stop 3231 Dauphine St., 504-949-9688

The corner stores of New Orleans remain the home of bargain eats. Frady’s, an enduring anchor of the old Bywater, is a museumquality representation of the tradition. It’s generous plate lunches and po-boys that Kirk Frady and his crew prepare just over the counter One barometer of the times is the “grumpy old man breakfast,” served all day Even with the eye-popping price of eggs making headlines, this one still starts

with two eggs and adds bacon or sausage, grits or potatoes for just $8.50.

n Adams Street Grocery 1309 Adams St., 504-861-1120

The po-boys are everything you want a po-boy to be, including a frugality that lives up to the name. Most are between $7 and $9, and only the fried seafood numbers breach the $10 mark. I love the roast beef, with gravy soaking into the Dong Phuong bread. You could go super cheap with an assorted cheese or the French fry po-boy; a half of either will run you only $3.50.

n The Daily Beet 1100 Girod St., 504-605-4413; and 3300 Magazine

The hunt for bargains often leads to the bottom of the nutritional scale, and perversely often the top of the calorie count. The Daily Beet is always a refreshing stop. This is a place for salad bowls and bowls teaming with crunch and light dressings, and also where I (sort of) learned to pronounce açai, a remedy I often turn to here to lighten up. When you can eat well and virtuously for under $20, it counts as a win these days.

Email Ian

Nell Nolan SOCIETY

Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

■ Twilight at the Globe Hall

“Let’s start at the very beginning!” So began a favorite tune from “The Sound of Music.” As applied to the Original Illinois Club, along with its recent debutante cotillion and 130th anniversary ball, it was only fitting to recall the first gallivanting. “Tonight, allow us to bring you back to the Globe Hall, where it all began” stated the printed program for the 2025 Carnival celebration at the Jung Hotel. The theme was “Twilight at the Globe Hall.”

Benward, Tamia Williams, Ciara

The overture included the introduction of the master of ceremonies, Mark V. Joseph Sr., accompanying Ms. Keisha Ferdinand; the presentation of the 2025 ball captain E.J Roberts, who portrayed OIC founder Wiley Knight; and the arrival of heralds Ramon Irvin Bolden and Sammie Rowan Bolden

Luminosity

When ball captain E.J. Roberts pointed to light the OIC crest, the opening of the 123rd ball and debutante cotillion commenced. First, OIC members and their ladies were introduced by King Illinois 2013 Christopher L. Hammond, along with his spouse, Mrs. Hammond, and Mrs. Roberts. Widows and deceased members were commemorated.

The next presentation was that of the 2024 royal court, which hailed as Queen Illinois Chase Hope Hardon and King Illinois Charles F.Webb Sr , her grandfather Miss Layla Callie Jackson was the royal debutante maid. The royal debutantes of last year were Misses U’Nique Ashanti Allen, Chloe Nicole Carter, Samari Deon Harris, Maegan Elizabeth Haynes, Zoe Marie Simien and Lauryn Grace-Marie Williams They were accompanied by Kings Illinois, the above Mr Webb (of 2024 and earlier, 1993) and Tracey L.Thibodaux (2009).

Moving ahead to 2025, and after master of ceremonies Joseph provided a brief OIC history, royal debutantes Lydia Shelby Benward, Diamond Bolds, Kennedy Gabrielle Boutte, Bailey Alexis Bush, Dacia Renee Chilangwa, Michaela Gabrielle Gray, Kai Elizabeth Jones, Ciara Christin Lewis and Tamia Lynn Williams appeared. Anticipation quickened with the excitement of the royal arrival. That was achieved, and to the “Grand March” from the opera “Aida,” when Queen Illinois 2025 Riley Noel Baptiste, who was accompanied by Mr Hammond and Dr Reginald D. Rigsby, and pages Berkley Lois Gowdy Sylvia Louise Thomas and Zola Genevieve Trosclair, walked into the spotlight for the coronation ceremony A 1984 debutante maid, Denise Tartt-Reid, paid entertainment tribute to the 2025 monarch, whose parents are Mr Van Baptiste and Ms. Raquel Dufauchard. The royal toast and royal promenade followed, as did the dancing to the traditional “Chicago Glide.” The dance was introduced to the organization by club founder Wiley Knight and performed at each ball since 1965. It was performed to the music of “Dance, Dance Queen Illinois.” The song’s exhortation to “come frolic and play (during) the season of Mardi Gras” added mirth to monarchy The ball’s revelry concluded at midnight. All present were in awe of the lovely queen who wore a princess-style gown designed by Marguerite Nguyen that featured exquisite beading and a perfectly coordinated collar Among those applauding her, along with her family and OIC brass, including debutante chairman Darren A. Patin, were Judges Robert E. Jones III, Lloyd Medley Jr (retired), Jennifer Medley and Omar Mason with spouse Carla Also, Charles E.Toney (representing City Council

),

and

, Dr Nikita Harris, Joseph White,Tremon Tapp, Cardell Ross, Gregory “Beau” Perrault, Ruby DuFauchard, D’Juana Cousin, and Gavin Henry. Her majesty Riley was thrilled and honored to reign at the 130th anniversary ball. She described the night as “a whirlwind

and cherished memories, making my debutante experience as Queen truly magical.”

■ Royal Heartbeat

“Join us for a Celebration Honoring Original Illinois Club’s Debutante and Our Queen of Hearts” headed the invitation honoring the future majesty, Miss Riley Noel Baptiste The “strictly formal affair” was held at English Turn Golf and Country Club. The honoree is the daughter of Mr Van Baptiste and Ms. Raquel Dufauchard.

Dr Brice Miller, of The New Orleans Music Company, provided the musical program, which was highlighted by a soulful solo trumpet piece dedicated to the queen. She was touched by the tribute. Among those close to the queen, her family and the OIC were Ruby Dufauchard, state Rep Jason Hughes, Russell and Joseline Frank, D’Juana Cousin, Gavin Henry,Anthony and Marion Maheia,

Valerie Jolly,Andrew and Jennifer Harris, Christopher and Angelle Hammond and Melvin and Kim Buford To mention a few who relished the

bounty of the buffet Choice offerings were gumbo, crispy salad, prime rib, and roasted potatoes and vegetables. The sweet tooth also was sated

When Riley appeared before the appreciative assembly, she caught every eye in her custom-made ball gown. Fashioned of silk, it featured gold netting and gold beading throughout Of course, the next elaborate gown she would don was that of a queen.

To finish the festivities, liveliness reigned The attraction of a brass band and a performance by the Zulu Tramps added another beat to this heartfelt happening.

member Freddie King III

Jeffrey Clark

Dr Melanie Askew-Clark

of joy, celebration,

Lydia

Lewis

Aline Clark, Donna Newsome, Ellen Thibodaux Otis Gowdy, Bobby Duplessis, Huiet Joseph III

Riley Baptiste

Bailey Bush, Darren Patin, Michaela Gray Zola Trosclair, Berkley Gowdy, Sylvia Thomas Ramon Bolden, E.J Roberts, Sammie Bolden

Dacia Chilangwa, Kai Jones, Diamond Bolds

Gregory Perrault, state Rep. Jason Hughes

D’Juana Cousin, Ruby Dufauchard, Gavin Henry

E.J Roberts, Kennedy Boutte, Bailey Bush, Anthony Maheia

Cameron Green, Riley Baptiste, Raquel Dufauchard

PHOTOS By JEFF STROUT

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

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

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

American Airlines

and

BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT Travel Troubleshooter

My

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-

home and professional speakers, home theater systems, sound

bars, headphones, Bluetooth speakers, AV receivers and

W.

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.”

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

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.

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.

Paul

Klipsch in the anechoic chamber

The Klipsch anechoic soundproof chamber

Comus queens reunite for Carnival memories

PHOTO By JEFF STROUT

The queens who wore the crown of the Mistick Krewe of Comus ball on Mardi Gras in years past gathered recently for a luncheon to share memories and merriment during the Carnival season Shown attending are, kneeling from left, Libby Grace Hoefer, Cathy Maunsell Posey, Laura Morgan Butcher and Anne Lykes Woodard Seated are Muffin LaBouisse Adriance, Mary Scott Westfeldt McKinnon, Anne Summers White, Helen Nalty Butcher, Alston Montgomery Kerr (1975), Carolyn Crusel Wogan, Helen Elizabeth Wisdom (2024), Lucie Sandoz Lanier Anne Stewart Kock and Anne Phillips Ziegler. Standing are Ellen Simmons Ball, Avery Scott Rowan, Dorothy Davis Ball, Sara Schmidt DeJarnette, Ashby Geary Navarro, Elizabeth Smart Wooten, Elizabeth Grace Hoefer Virginia Freeman Rowan, Lily Saer Tufts, Peyton Armistead LeCorgne, Mary Kock Dickson, Scout Beron Crimmins, Virginia Kerr Zoller Nina Pratt Gensler and Lyn Howard Anderson. The luncheon took place at the home of Virginia Rowan, Mrs. John F Rowan Jr

Algiers Irish Association names its ‘Colleen of the Year’

Allie Lynn Cozzens

Staff report

Allie Lynn Cozzens will be featured as Colleen of the Algiers Irish Association in the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Parade after being recently crowned.

A graduate of John Curtis Christian High School and now a sophomore finance and marketing major at UNO, she is the daughter of Christopher and Shan-

Dear Heloise: Phyllis asked how she can use up coffee grounds. In addition to the flowers you mentioned, coffee grounds serve as a terrific deterrent for keeping many animals away from plants in the vegetable garden. —William M.,via email Finger cuts

Dear Heloise: J.T., in Cincinnati, gave some good advice on nasty finger cuts. I used to have the same problem but not so much during the past two winters. Every night when going to bed, I rub petroleum healing jelly for babies on my fingertips, then spread it around my hands. It works perfectly — no more split skin! I found mine in the baby section at a local grocery store. — Linda H., Lincoln,Nebraska

Need a straw?

Dear Heloise: Have you ever needed a straw and couldn’t find one? Here is what I do to end this problem: Every time I snag a soda or a shake,

I toss the cup but keep the straw I take the straws home and put them in the dishwasher Over the course of a couple of months, you will have plenty of straws in various colors. Problem solved! After all, you did pay for it, so why not keep it? — David C.,Churubusco,Indiana David, I’m going to assume you mean a plastic straw Some states want us to only use paper straws like we did in the ’50s. Reusing straws is a good idea and puts less in our landfills. — Heloise Water stains Dear Heloise: I have water stains on my sink and dishwasher front, both of which are stainless steel. How do I get rid of this problem? —AshleyT.,Shawnee,Oklahoma Ashley, use equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Let

tell Cozzens and the granddaughter of Doris and Jim Cozzens, who are all members of the Algiers Irish Association.

Allie Cozzens represented the Algiers Irish Association at Irish Day at the Races on March 8 and be presented at the annual Algiers Irish banquet on Monday The parade, originally scheduled for Saturday did not roll because of storms.

Scholarship sponsor missing appreciation

Dear Annie: For the past sev-

eral years, I have donated two medical scholarships to the local high school in memory of my mother-inlaw While I have received a couple of thank-you notes from students over the years, most of the time, I hear nothing — not even a simple acknowledgment from the school.

Because of this lack of appreciation, I am seriously considering not giving the scholarships this year It’s disappointing to put money toward something meaningful and feel as though it’s taken for granted. I know there are plenty of other ways I could spend this $3,000 to make a difference.

Do you think I am being immature by withholding my scholarships because of lack of appreciation? I can’t help but wonder if all high schools treat their donors this way, or if this is just my experience. I have truly loved being able to help young people further their education, but I’m starting to wonder if this is the best way to do it. What do you think? Am I expecting too much, or is it reasonable to want some acknowledgment?

— Feeling

Underappreciated

Dear Underappreciated: You are an amazing daughter-in-law, and your kindness toward your mother-in-law is truly touching. It’s completely understandable to want to feel appreciated. Even if the high school doesn’t offer formal acknowledgment, know in your heart how many lives you’re helping — and let that bring you inner warmth. That said, sometimes a school’s silence isn’t due to ingratitude but simply a result of bureaucratic oversight. Often, the impact of your donation is felt more deeply by the students

whose lives you touch, even if the school administration doesn’t express their thanks directly

Before deciding to withhold your scholarships this year, consider having an open conversation with the school about your feelings. Sharing your perspective might encourage them to find a more personal way to show their appreciation. And if nothing changes, you deserve to explore other ways to make a difference — places where your support is celebrated and nurtures a stronger sense of community

Your desire for acknowledgment isn’t immature; it’s human. In the end, it’s your choice, and you have to do what brings you the most satisfaction.

DearAnnie: Lately I’ve noticed a strange habit of mine, and I can’t quite figure out why I do it. Some nights, when I can’t sleep, I grab my phone and scroll through Google News or random articles to help me drift off again It’s nothing secretive — just harmless late-night reading. But the moment my husband moves, rolls over or stirs even slightly I instinctively hide my phone, as if I’m doing something wrong

The funny thing is, I know he wouldn’t care. He’s never given me a reason to feel like I have to sneak around or be secretive. And yet, I still react like a guilty teenager caught past curfew It makes no sense to me! I know I’m not doing anything wrong, so why do I feel like I need to hide it?

Could this be some kind of subconscious guilt, even though I logically have nothing to feel guilty about? Is this just an old habit from the past creeping into my marriage? I’d love to understand what’s going on in my own head because, quite honestly, it drives me crazy that I do this. — Feeling Guilty Dear Guilty: You don’t have anything to feel guilty about. Your reaction is

likely a conditioned habit, not guilt. Somewhere along the line — whether in childhood, a past relationship or just a desire to be considerate you learned to associate being “caught” on your phone with doing something wrong Even though you know your husband wouldn’t care, your brain reacts on autopilot. That said, scrolling your phone in the middle of the night isn’t doing your sleep any favors. The blue light from your screen can interfere with melatonin production, making it harder to fall back asleep and lowering sleep quality overall. If you’re struggling with restlessness, try a non-screen alternative like reading a book or listening to calming audio. The next time you catch yourself hiding your phone, pause and remind yourself: I’m not doing anything wrong. With time, that awareness will help you break the habit.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

‘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

BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH CONSTANCE ADLER

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.

N.O. novel in the works for 20 years worth the wait

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 the future.

Rien Fertel is the author of four books, including, most recently, “Brown Pelican.”

Lauterbach

Adler

Former queens of Dorians meet for luncheon before Mardi Gras

The former queens of the Krewe of Dorians’ balls gathered during the Carnival season to share memories and mirth at Commander’s Palace Shown attending are, seated from left, Ann Lindsey Wilhelm, Brenda Gooch Bethea, Diane Sustendal Labouisse, Bailey Victoria Shofstahl (2024), Danielle Viguerie Coco, Marian Ripley DeMeyers and Holley Lawrence Haag. Standing are Taylor Schmidt Pospisil, Aylett Clesi Mazzarell, Courtney Lee Herbst, Susan Ewing Herbst, Winifred Tranchin Duckworth, Marylynn Beatrice Smitherman, Katherine Cook Caballero, Amelia Cook Waldrup and Katherine Lagarde Bernard.

TODAY IN HISTORY

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 being 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 Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 2,997 points (12.9%), the largest point drop and second-largest single-day percentage decline in history Today’s birthdays: Business executive Sanford Weill is 92. Actor Erik Estrada is 76. Football Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure is 74. Actor Isabelle Huppert is 72. Rock musician Nancy

Wilson (Heart) is 71. Golf Hall of Famer Hollis Stacy is 71. Football Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome is 69. Rapper-actor Flavor Flav is 66. Folk musician Patty Griffin is 61. Actor Lauren Graham is 58. Actor Judah Friedlander is 56. Actor Alan Tudyk is 54. Actor Alexandra Daddario is 39. R&B singer Jhené Aiko is 37. Rock musician Wolfgang Van Halen is 34. NBA center Joel Embiid is 31. MLB first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr is 26.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Dear Miss Manners: I attended two touring Broadway shows, and many families were at each performance. For one show, some people wore costumes: Across from me, a child had on a rather large hat the whole time. At the other show, a nearby child sang along, loudly, to every song they knew Is it wrong to expect the accompanying adults to teach these children proper audience behavior?

Gentle reader: “Proper audience behavior” is a topic of hot debate these days.

The silence that both you and Miss Manners prefer dates only from the early 20th century Before that, audiences treated plays, and even operas, as if they were streaming the entertainments at home. That is to say, they talked and wandered around, paying attention only when something interested them.

In the 21st century, interactive entertainment has become common, even in such hitherto one-way venues as museums. Everyone, everywhere, is asked for

immediate feedback. Rock concerts encourage enthusiastic noise. It is not just hats that might block one’s view, but phones being held up to take photographs, or people standing up to dance.

Now the expectation of audience participation has spread to both movie and live theaters. That being the case, you would be wise to inquire about the venue’s policy before buying tickets to future productions.

Dear Miss Manners: I have a casual acquaintance whom I see regularly and have a high opinion of.

This individual asked me to donate to a specific charity

Generally, I would contribute a small amount, but the charity she named has a poor reputation among a great number of my friends, many of whom have the medical condition the charity claims to support.

I don’t want to rain on her parade or discourage the work she feels is important, and I would gladly contribute to another organization. Is ignoring the request the kindest way to proceed? Is there a polite way to support my acquaintance’s charitable work without donating to this organization, which, in good conscience, I cannot?

Gentle reader: Wouldn’t that charitable lady want to know about the problems others have had with that organization? As a donor, she might be in a position to look into those complaints and, if found valid, to request that they be addressed. But it is not necessary to tell her, or even to extract another suggestion from her When someone asks for a donation, you are not required to oblige. Miss Manners would think it better to give to charities you know to be effective. You can always mention them as an alternative response — not as a return request, but to show that your philanthropy budget is already committed. But even that is not required to be polite when responding to a solicitation: “Thank you for telling me about it” is sufficient. And indeed, in cases where you are inclined to give, it would be wise to give yourself that extra time to look into the value of the organization. Send questions to missmanners.com; email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

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But, of course, that’s the end 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

MOMENT

Continued from page 1D

near A.L. Davis Park, police officers ordered them to remove their feathered suits and get off the street.

Bertrand Butler, the executive director and co-founder of the Mardi Gras Indian Council, came upon the chaotic scene of flashing police lights and blaring sirens about 7 p.m. After he asked to speak to the district police chief, Butler recalled recently, officers threw him to the ground

“It was like I was Al Capone or something,” Butler said.

He received a summons and

brain was splattered in the back seat. That was Toddy’s way of 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 brought to 6th District police station, then later released. His daughter was also arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The charges against Butler and his daughter were eventually dropped

That night Howard Miller, Big Chief of the Creole Wild West, got a call about the confrontation. “I couldn’t believe what they were telling me,” he said recently

His immediate reaction was, “Let me get out there and see what’s going on and see if I can talk to our people and get them to safety.”

With some children in tears, Miller advised his fellow Indians, “Let’s get off the street for now and we’ll come back and deal with it at another time.”

was released back to Ruth Warren, 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,

In part, Miller blames the ugly confrontation on new police recruits who weren’t familiar with the culture. “That’s where the difficulty was, I imagine.”

‘This has got to stop’

Following the St Joseph’s Day incident, the Mardi Gras Indian Council asked attorney and social activist Mary Howell to provide legal observers for the Indians’ 2005 Super Sunday parade the following month.

Howell assembled a group of law students, paralegals, ACLU members and other volunteers to work pro bono. Monitors in bright green caps still observe the Indian’s Uptown events.

On June 27, 2005, the Indian

‘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

Council met with the New Orleans City Council to discuss the relationship between the Indians and police.

Legendary 82-year-old Big Chief Allison “Tootie” Montana of the Yellow Pocahontas tribe was not expected to attend. But the elderly chief was determined to address the issue of police harassment.

“This has got to stop,” he declared while standing at the podium in the council chambers, surrounded by other chiefs and Indians.

After a pause, he collapsed — he’d suffered a heart attack. As he received medical attention, his fellow Indians started singing their spiritual prayer “Indian Red.” The chief died defending the Black In-

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.

dian culture that was his life.

That 2005 council meeting marked a dramatic turnaround in how city officials and police regard Indians and other culture bearers, including social aid and pleasure club second-line participants.

“They’re realizing that this is a significant part of the city,” Miller said.

Continued education is essential to foster cultural awareness, Butler said. “If the right people get together it can happen in all phases.”

To Howell, “the heart of this is a question of respect — respect for the culture, respect for the traditions, respect for the community, respect for the neighborhoods. It’s something we can never think that it’s done. It’s never done.”

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 nightblooming 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 night-blooming 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 nightblooming 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.

According to research by histori-

an Katy Morlas Shannon on behalf of Neal Auction, Frederick was born in 1802, probably in Virginia, and was enslaved by Virginian Dr Rush Nutt, a scientist who moved to Mississippi in 1815 where he made a fortune as a cotton planter Frederick was 40 years old when Nutt died in 1837. He and his wife, Maria, and their four children then became the inheritance of the doctor’s son, Haller Nutt. Frederick was, in the brutal parlance of the time, the “slave driver” of the Nutt family’s Louisiana properties.

“The driver of the plantation was the most significant job an enslaved man could hold on a plantation,” Shannon wrote in an essay about the painting. “The term driver’ came about in the early days of the transatlantic slave trade when “experienced enslaved men were tasked with supervising enslaved field laborers by ‘driving’ or coercing them,” Shannon explained.

The term “slave driver” remains a part of American slang

As revealed by Shannon’s research, Frederick was in charge of lumber processing, drainage, levee building, planting, harvesting and all assorted agricultural tasks. He had a “leadership role and was trusted,” Shannon said.

“In that kind of situation, he would have had to discipline other enslaved people,” she said. Though, as an enslaved man himself, he was certainly not immune to the horrors of the brutal system.

There is some evidence, Shannon said, that Frederick was once whipped for correcting a plantation overseer

“To have survived all that he did,” Shannon said, “he had to be strong, and have a commanding presence. He was incredibly savvy and was walking a fine line.”

The coming of freedom

In 1859, Haller Nutt having profited handsomely from Frederick’s labor and that of his 200-some other enslaved workers — set out to build a lavish octagonal mansion in Natchez, Mississippi, which he dubbed Longwood It was to be a massive, exotically styled edifice, which included an ostentatious cupola and onion

dome on top. The onset of the Civil War brought construction to a halt. With the victory of the Union Army in 1865 came the end of slavery Frederick, now in his 60s, took the surname Baker, found work as a farmer and also found his calling as a Christian minister in Tensas Parish. He eventually presided over 69 weddings — such unions had been forbidden under slavery Frederick disappears from the historic record in 1872. But he did not disappear from history

His portrait — which is believed to have been painted by the accomplished itinerate artist C.R. Parker — hung in the finished ground floor of Longwood mansion for 150 years after his death. The building — sometimes referred to as Nutt’s

Folly — is a Natchez tourist attraction.

According to Shannon, over the years, a certain “moonlight and magnolia” mythology was attached to Frederick’s portrait, in which he was described as the family butler who’d grown up with Haller Nutt.

The appearance of Frederick’s portrait at the Neal Auction company is its second visit to New Orleans. During the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, New Orleans staged the World Cotton Centennial, an unofficial world’s fair centered in what’s now Audubon Park. Frederick’s portrait was exhibited in the “Colored People’s Exhibition” within the Cotton Centennial, a large exhibit meant to highlight the role of Black people in American culture.

Questions linger

However we interpret Frederick Baker’s life, the purpose of his portrait remains obscure.

Was it an acknowledgment of the enslaved man’s importance to the success of the family business? Or is there some other explanation?

Shannon says she doesn’t think “we’ll ever know.”

Shannon points out that among the many ironies attendant to the painting is the fact that Frederick had no choice in the matter His portrait may have hung amid those of Nutt family members, but “it was not equivalent to them” in the society of the time.

Baton Rouge art collector Jeremy K Simien pointed out that the portrait of Frederick was, from the start, an artwork meant to commemorate something of im-

portance. It was an oil on canvas keepsake, “the most expensive medium,” he said.

“It’s a showpiece,” he said, “not meant to go in a backroom.”

Simien, who once owned the famous 1837 portrait of Bélizaire a Black or mixed-race domestic servant of a wealthy French Quarter family — said he appreciates the historic importance of the portrait. But considering Frederick’s role as a slave driver, he wouldn’t care to own it.

“It was meant to show you the power of the master and his regime,” Simien said. The work would be appropriate in a museum setting, Simien said, because “all history is important, the good, the bad, the ugly, no sugar added.”

Dr Terrel Williams, a member of the executive committee of the Pilgrimage Garden Club that has owned the Longwood mansion and the Frederick portrait since 1970, also believes the painting belongs in a museum.

Williams said the organization decided to sell the painting because, as its value has grown in recent years, it became increasingly difficult to properly protect and insure it.

In addition, he said, the painting “needs a greater presence.” It should be, he said, in a major institution. Money from the sale will go to maintaining Longwood. Neal Auction Company is located at 4038 Magazine St. For hours and more information, visit nealauction.com.

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By DOUG MacCASH

The 1840 portrait of an enslaved man named Frederick, attributed to C. T. Parker, is displayed in its own

ARTS & CULTURE

Fast-food chain sends artwork to New Orleans

Founded outside of Johannesburg in 1987, Nando’s is known for flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken.

The hottest of the fast-casual chain’s spice and sauce is marketed as “like tackling a ferociously fiery dragon.”

Working with the Spier Arts Trust, the chain is also the world’s largest collector of South African contemporary art, an assemblage of more than 30,000 pieces, many of which are displayed in more than 1,200 restaurants in about 30 countries around the globe (it appears that Houston and Atlanta outlets are the nearest Nando’s to New Orleans, alas).

“If You Look Hard Enough, You Can See Our Future: Selections of Contemporary South African Art from the Nando’s Art Collection” is on view at the free Newcomb Art Museum on the Tulane University campus through June 20.

An opening reception, free and open to the public and featuring music by Courtney Bryan, is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday (March 21).

A panel discussion of contemporary African art, presented as part of the 2025 New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane, is scheduled for 1 p.m. March 29 in the LavinBernick Center on campus.

The traveling exhibit, which features paintings, works on paper, sculptures, and photography created in South Africa between 1948 and 2020, is organized by three themes: place, portraiture and abstraction.

Versions of the show have been displayed at the African American Museum of Dallas and the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta.

The Nando’s collection

“To really understand the heart behind the collection, you need to know that it was started by a man named Dick Enthoven, and he was a friend of mine for more than 20 years,” said exhibit curator Laurie Ann Farrell.

Enthoven was the owner of Nando’s and Spier Wine Farm, among other concerns, and a renowned art collector.

“He really believed in the arts as the connector between human

beings and really championed the South African art scene like no one else.”

In addition to his role in growing Nando’s and its art collection, Enthoven, who died in 2022, was instrumental in helping to end apartheid as a business leader and member of South Africa’s parliament, Farrell said.

But, Farrell added, the exhibit avoids anchoring its content to sociopolitical issues.

“Our show has a few sprinkles of that,” she added, including a Nelson Mandela portrait as its primary entry focal point.

Farrell began her work on the show during the early, isolating days of the COVID-19 pandemic by combing through the collection’s digital catalog.

“My whole intention with the show (was formed by) thinking about how important human connection is, especially when we were all kept away from each other for so long,” she said.

The exhibit takes its title from a work on its walls, “If You Look Hard Enough, You Can See Your Future,” by Stephen Hobbs, changing “Our” to “Your” with the artist’s permission.

“Really, we’re in each other’s future in this world,” Farrell said.

“Trying to help people see that, even though someone’s living on the other side of the world and having a completely different lived experience, there are universal

n The exhibitions “Hoa Tay (Flower Hands)” and “Crescent Cityscapes: Images of New Orleans from the Permanent Collection” have opened at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. More: ogdenmuseum.org.

n The National WWII Museum is soon to launch the new original musical “Rosie!” in BB’s Stage Door Canteen. Learn more about its creation at a “Dinner with a Curator” event scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 18. At 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, the museum will present a “Meet the Author” event with Robin Judd (“Between Two Worlds: Jewish War Brides after the Holocaust”), which will also be offered online. The museum will host a Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Commemoration ceremony honoring women who served in the wartime defenseindustry workforce at 6 p.m. Friday, March 21. The event will take place in-person and online. The museum will also open a new special exhibit, “On American Shores: The Aleutian Islands Campaign,” with a reception and presentation at 5 p.m. March 26. The presentation will also be offered online. More about all: nationalww2museum.org.

n Co-authors Freddi Williams Evans and Anna Rita Scott will discuss

themes that will arise. There are ways to find similarities and connections with people.”

Newcomb Art Museum

Maurita Poole, executive direc-

their new book “Passing It On: The Art of John T. Scott” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20 at the New Orleans Museum of Art. More: noma.org.

n The Historic New Orleans Collection, the New Orleans Public Library, and NOPL’s REACH Center will present “A New Door for My People,” a half-day public program exploring Black life in Reconstruction-era Louisiana at the REACH Center, 2022 St. Bernard Ave., at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22. More: hnoc.org.

n The New Orleans Museum of Art will host its annual “Art in Bloom” event, featuring floral displays, a lecture, a luncheon and fashion show and silent auction from March 26-30. More: noma.org.

n At 6 p.m. March 26, the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience will host a conversation with author and pro basketball player Dan Grunfeld, who will discuss his book “By the Grace of the Game.” The program will also be offered virtually. More: msje.org.

n At 9 a.m. March 28, the Historic New Orleans Collection will present its annual daylong scholars conference as part of the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. The event will take place in the Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres St. More: hnoc.org.

tor of the Newcomb Art Museum, said the institution’s location on a university campus offers opportunities to view the exhibit from a variety of academic disciplines.

“Some people can look at it to

explore political issues,” she said

“Some people can look at it to explore issues of artistic concerns or aesthetic concerns.

“Some people can look at it just out of curiosity, to kind of say,

‘Well, what is contemporary South African art about?’ if they have no introduction to it at all.

“This is the type of show that we like to bring to our institution because it allows people to have those multiple entry points.”

Must-see pieces

n “Tied by Time” by Tamlin Blake, a hand-woven tapestry made of recycled newspaper (Farrell: “I think the monumentality of that piece is really striking.”)

n “Construction Workers” by Sam Nhlengethwa (in collaboration with Yellowwoods Arts), a largescale street scene composed of handmade ceramic tile. (Farrell: “It’s such an epic work, and it’s so heavy and difficult to move. But on the other hand, it’s very difficult to damage.”

n “Joburg Man,” a mixed-media work by Dale Yudelman and Arlene Amaler-Raviv (Farrell: “I just want to know, where is he going and what is he seeing?”)

Dave Walker focuses on behindthe-scenes coverage of the region’s many museums here and at www.themuseumgoer com. Email Dave at dwalkertp@ gmail.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED By NEWCOMB ART MUSEUM

Tamlin Blake’s ‘Tied by Time’

Dave Walker

Sharpening thefocus

Bernhard LLC, a Metairie-based energy services company led by new CEO Rob Guthrie, is changing its name to ENFRA as it consolidates its focus to the ‘Energy-as-aService’ market

PROVIDED PHOTO By BERNHARD LLC

With name change and a new CEO, a Louisiana-based company aims to keep pace with a changing energy market ä See ENERGY, page 2E

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

Bernhard LLC, one of the fastestgrowing energy companies in Louisiana, is at a crossroads, with a new chief executive and an impending name change, signaling a broader shift for the firm after more than a century in business.

The Metairie-based

CVC DIF It also has long since diversified away from plumbing and A/C installation into cutting edge “new energy” sectors. Rob Guthrie, who became CEO in a planned transition last June, said the name change, which will take effect at the start of May is not intended to be a break from the company’s past Nor is it a harbinger of a sale or a public listing for the

Port Orleans Brewing launches version of long-lost brand

RICH COLLINS Staff

at Tulane University

Packaging Director Gabby Phillips operates bottling equipment at Port Orleans Brewing Co.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Rob Guthrie took over as chief executive officer of Bernhard LLC in June.

The new Jax bottle features the silhouette of the St Louis Cathedral.

New Orleans

KID smART has hired Bridget Nolan as managing director of institutional fundraising and Monica Anderson as executive assistant and office manager Nolan has a background in nonprofit management and corporate partnerships. She earned a master’s in arts administration from the University of New Orleans. Anderson has more than five years of administrative experience in the nonprofit sector, in roles that supported children in foster care and afterschool programs.

Emily Hay Starr is the new director of development for Boys Town Louisiana

Fool’s Take: An energetic investment

Starr has more than a decade of experience with nonprofit organizations, including leadership roles at The Salvation Army New Orleans Area Command and 826 New Orleans. She earned a bachelor’s in sociology, magna cum laude, from the University of La Verne, a master’s in American studies from California State University, Fullerton and a doctorate in sociology, with honors, from Tulane University

Chad Jones has joined Waste Pro USA as major accounts manager in Louisiana.

Jones was a star member of the LSU football and baseball teams. He was a safety on the Tigers’ 2007 national championship winning football team and was a pitcher on

The S&P 500 index was recently up 14% in total returns over the past year, while the utilities sector had surged 25% as domestic electricity demand reached a record high in 2024. JPMorgan Chase strategists estimate electricity demand will more than triple in the next few years compared with the previous decade, so consider investing in the Vanguard Utilities ETF (ticker: VPU).

The Vanguard Utilities ETF encompasses 69 U.S. utilities companies. Its recent top five holdings by weighting were NextEra Energy, Constellation Energy, Southern Co., Duke Energy and Vistra.

Artificial intelligence consumes a tremendous amount of power, especially while developing and training each model. Adoption of electric vehicles and increased domestic manufacturing could also contribute to demand for electricity

Many utility companies are legal monopolies that generate consistent but slow-growing earnings; as a result, the utilities sector has often underperformed the S&P 500. But

ENERGY

Continued from page 1E

company, though he acknowledges that 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 Bern-hard, 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 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-a-Service (SaaS)

the 2009 baseball team that won the College World Series.

Noah Loveland and Benji Azar have been promoted by Elifin to senior associate in the firm’s New Orleans office.

Danielle Summers has been hired by Automation Personnel Services as the branch manager of its New Orleans office.

Summers has more than two decades of experience in staffing and human resources, as well as operating her own business, Summers Manage-

they are typically seen as defensive investments because they provide essential services, which means they’re somewhat resistant to recessions.

(JPMorgan is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Goldman Sachs Group, JPMorgan and NextEra. It recommends Constellation and Duke.)

Fool’s School: Annuities for retirement income

Having regular, dependable pension income to look forward to sounds good, but while most workers had pensions decades ago, 401(k)s have become far more prevalent, and pensions are relatively rare outside of the public sector

You might still be able to set up fairly reliable pensionlike retirement income via fixed immediate annuities.

(There are other kinds of annuities, such as variable and indexed, but those are more complex and can be problematic. Research them before buying.)

With a fixed immediate annuity you pay an insurance company a significant sum, and it promises to send you regular payments for a set period — or for the rest of your life. By paying more money, or accepting smaller payments, you may be able to include

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 fastgrowing private equity-owned companies.

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 low- or 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. Credits 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

ment Co.

Baton Rouge

Monte Danos has joined REV as director of growth, strategy and product development.

Danos previously was senior director of marketing at Cox Business. Before that, he held regional business-to-business marketing responsibilities for the company’s operations in Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

He earned a bachelor’s in mass communications, magna cum laude, from LSU.

Jeremy Beyt is the new CEO of ThreeSixtyEight Beyt co-founded ThreeSixtyEight and has served as chief creative officer since the business was launched in 2016. He replaces Kenny Nguyen, who will serve as chair

JAX

features such as inflation adjustments, or payments that will continue for the duration of your spouse’s life, too. There are some hybrid annuities that offer long-term care payments if you need them.

In the recent interest rate environment, a 65-year-old man might be quoted monthly $648 payments (that’s about $7,800 a year) for the rest of his life for $100,000. A 65-year-old woman might be quoted $625 per month ($7,500 annually); women generally get smaller payouts because they tend to live longer A 70-year-old couple might get $1,211 each month for $200,000 (about $14,500 over a year).

If you buy your annuities when interest rates are higher, you’ll be offered more income — and interest rates these days are higher than they were a few years ago. If you expect them to drop soon, perhaps look into annuities sooner rather than later You can get bigger payments if you buy when you’re older, or if you choose a fixed deferred annuity (one that starts paying in the future).

Be sure to buy only from insurers with high credit ratings because the annuity payments are guaranteed only as long as the company is in business. (You might prefer to split your purchase among several strong insurers.)

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 approach 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.

Nguyen is moving over to his family’s real estate business.

As part of the leadership change, the company promoted five employees.

n Justin Hutchinson, vice president of growth

n Tara Lirette, chief product officer

n Nick Defelice, chief operating officer

n Kara Pitre, vice president of operations

n Phil Roberts, executive producer Alex Ruch and Fabian Edwards have been promoted by Elifin to vice president.

Ruch is an industrial sales and leasing specialist and Edwards is an office sales and leasing specialist.

Continued from page 1E

“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 original 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 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% year-overyear 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.

Jefferson Parish council member Jennifer Van Vrancken and Inspector General Kim Chatelain criticized the deal, saying it circumvented public bid and open meeting laws. Construction is underway, however, and the brewpub is on track to open in the second quarter of 2026.

Meanwhile, Port Orleans has been keeping its 15,000-barrel capacity facility on Tchoupitoulas Street busy by producing canned beverages for New Orleans-based THC seltzer company Louie Louie.

Despite all the activity the Jax revival holds a special place for Mears and Noel.

“We’ve invested a lot in this,” Mears said. “We believe in it. It’s a passion project for us.” Email Rich Collins at rich.collins@theadvocate com

Danos

Ruch Edwards

Starr Jones

Nolan

Anderson

Loveland Azar

Summers

J. Bernhard Motley Fool

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

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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.”

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.

Eat Fit Live Fit

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Createdbytheteambehind FuelCafé+MarketatOchsner FitnessCenter,thisGreenGoddessrecipewillhelpyouwhipup adelightfullyverdantsmoothiewithflavors oflemon,basilandapplealongwithahint ofcucumber,spinachandcelery.Butit’sthe twoingredientsthatyoumightnottaste thatgivetheGreenGoddessitsrealpower:avocadoandcollagenpowder. Advocatingforavocado Avocadosareanexcellentsourceof heart-smartfats—mainlyoleicacid,the sametypeofmonounsaturatedfatinolive oil–thatcanhelptoimprovecholesterol andreduceinflammation.Alsogoodfor eyehealth,avocadosarerichinluteinand

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Atypeofproteinfoundinskin, muscles,bones,tendonsandligaments,collagenisalsofoundinour organs,bloodvesselsandintestinal lining,makingitanessentialelement ofourbodies,insideandout.Supplementingwithcollagencanhelp thebodyoutinseveralways. Backedbyagrowingbodyof researchpublishedinpeer-reviewed journalsoverthepast10-15years, thepotentialbenefitsofcollagen supplementationareimpressive. Inadditiontoboostingthe healthofligamentsandtendonsfor improvedjointhealthandreduced jointpain,supplementingwithcollagencanhelptohealandprotect theliningoftheGItract,improving nutrientabsorptionanddigestion. Overtime,youmaynotice enhancedhair,skinandnailhealth. That’sbecausecollagensupplementationhelpstosupportthedensity andstructureofthebody’scollagen andreducecollagenbreakdown, inturnimprovingskinelasticityand hydration. Youmightalsoexperienceimproved appetitecontrolandweightmanagement,

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

LOUISIANA KINDERGARTEN VACCINATION RATES ON STEADy DECLINE

Kindergarten children vaccination records

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.

thankstotheaminoacidsincollagenthat helptokeepusfeelingfullerlonger.Adding justascooportwoofcollagentoyour morninglatteorafternoonsmoothiecan helptokeepyourappetiteincheckfor hours. Cheerstoallthat.AndHappySt.Patrick’s Day!

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TomakeaveganGreenGoddess, replacethecollagenpowderwith vanillaplant-basedproteinpowder.

PROTEIN

Continued from page 1X

How to get enough

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.

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Nationally Ranked Children’s Care

OchsnerChildren’sHospitalisproudtobetheonlyhospital inLouisianarecognizedbybothNewsweekandU.S.News &WorldReportforexceptionalpediatriccare.

Newsweek’s2024rankinghighlightsOchsnerChildren’sfor excellenceinpulmonologyandneonatology.Inaddition,U.S. News&WorldReport’s2024-2025rankingsnamedOchsner Children’stheNo.1children’shospitalinLouisianaforthefourth yearinarow.Threespecialtiesrankednationallyinthetop50, includingpediatriccardiologyandheartsurgery,pediatric gastroenterologyandsurgery,andpediatricorthopedics.This recognitionreflectsourcommitmenttoprovidinghigh-quality, compassionatecare.Formoreinformationortoschedulean appointment,visitochsner.org/childrens

LOUISIANA

AI ARCHIVIST

Creating digital database that is

‘a boon for public domain’

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Joseph Makkos will tell you himself

he’s not a rich man.

—

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

Archivist

Makkos

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.

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.

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?

“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.

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency goren Bridge

PISCES (Feb.

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.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Answers to puzzles

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

FoXtrot / by Bill Amend

dustin / by Steve Kelley & Jeff Parker