BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer
On a busy day at the State Capitol
in 2019, a freshman legislator was about to run into a buzz saw State Rep. Nicholas Muscarello took a seat at a committee table to
Hazing runs deep in Greek life culture
BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer
The criminal case forming against three suspects in last month’s fraternity hazing death of Southern University junior engineering student Caleb Wilson is one of Louisiana’s first uses of its felony anti-hazing law called the Max Gruver Act.
The state Legislature passed the act in 2018 and named it after the LSU Phi Delta Theta fraternity pledge, who died from alcohol poisoning in a hazing incident in 2017. It allows prosecutors to bring a felony charge in hazing incidents of coerced consumption of alcohol, serious bodily harm or death
Former Southern student Caleb McCray 23; Kyle Thurman, 25, an Omega Psi Phi fraternity member; and Isaiah Smith, 28, a Southern graduate student titled “dean of pledges” for the university’s Omega Psi chapter, were arrested and booked by authorities on felony hazing counts tied to Wilson’s Feb 27 death. McCray also faces a manslaughter charge.
The Omega Psi pledging ritual that took place in a Baton Rouge warehouse claimed the life of the 20-year-old Kenner native, authorities said. East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore said he’ll take this fraternity hazing case that’s made national headlines to a grand jury to finalize criminal charges against the alleged perpetrators. Outside the legal arena, Wilson’s tragic death started a familiar saddening conversation in Baton Rouge and across Louisiana: How can deadly fraternity hazing rituals finally be stopped — for good?
ä See HAZING, page 6A
present a controversial bill.
Then-Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office had asked Muscarello, R-Hammond, to sponsor legislation to blanket information in secrecy about companies providing execution drugs to the state. It was part of a bid to end a
decadelong pause in executions in Louisiana. A lawyer from Landry’s office joined Muscarello as they presented the bill to the Senate Judiciary B Committee.
The panel had a Democratic majority picked by former Senate President John Alario to act as a
backstop for John Bel Edwards, who was governor at the time. They swiftly killed the legislation. Edwards was in the middle of a tightly-contested bid for reelection. He would not come out publicly against the death penalty until years later, on his way out of the
Governor’s Mansion. Still, it was widely understood that the governor was uneasy about the death penalty and didn’t like the bill. “It was a whisper campaign,” Muscarello said. “Everybody knew it. It was the worst-kept secret in the Capitol.”
Five years later, Landry and Mus-
METAIRIE ROAD ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE: A rider hands out large beads Sunday to a young girl as the Metairie Road St. Patrick’s Day Parade rolls in Metairie. The annual parade followed the Krewe of Argus parade.
ä See more photos from both parades on Page 4A.
‘We went from health care heroes to ... almost villains’
Five years after COVID hit Louisiana, trust in vaccines is falling
BY EMILY WOODRUFF
Staff writer
In May 2020, health care workers gathered on the rooftops of
Nearly five years later, the appreciation has faded, and so has the public’s trust.
“We went from health care heroes to now we are almost villains at this point, and not to be
hospitals as the storied U.S. Navy Blue Angels flew over metro New Orleans, saluting front-line employees in a monthslong battle against COVID-19. The Krewe of Red Beans was organizing food drop-offs for weary staff, many of whom were sleeping in separate rooms from their families or stripping down and hosing off outside before stepping indoors. Across the state, communities rallied — sewing masks, donating meals, posting signs in the yards of health care workers overnight as shows of gratitude.
trusted,” said Dr Kara Ward, a critical care and emergency medicine physician in New Orleans.
“There is a huge mistrust now in health care.” The pandemic marked a turning point in trust in medicine, and the state’s declining vaccine coverage is a measure of the long shadow it cast and the politics that have evolved in its wake. What began as
pushback to COVID-19 mitigation efforts has widened into broader resistance to routine immunizations. Health care workers are now navigating deepening skepticism amid a measles outbreak in neighboring Texas, the nation’s first bird flu death in southwest Louisiana, and a steady stream of
ä See COVID, page 5A
North Macedonia
club fire kills dozens
KOCANI, North Macedonia A massive fire tore through an overcrowded nightclub in North Macedonia on Sunday killing 59 people and injuring 155 in a chaotic escape during a live concert. The tragedy focused national attention on corruption in the small Balkan country as authorities detained 15 people. The death toll may rise further, with 20 of the injured in critical condition, according to Health Minister Arben Taravari. The government has declared seven days of national mourning
Some as young as 16 were among the casualties in the pre-dawn blaze in the eastern town of Kocani, where many suffered burns, smoke inhalation and a stampede in the desperate effort to reach the building’s single exit, officials said.
Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said 15 people were detained for questioning after a preliminary inspection revealed the club was operating without a proper license He said the number of people inside the club was at least double its official capacity of 250. Relief arrives at space station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Just over a day after blasting off, a SpaceX crew capsule arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, delivering the replacements for NASA’s two stuck astronauts.
The four newcomers — representing the U.S., Japan and Russia — will spend the next few days learning the station’s ins and outs from Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Wilmore and Williams expected to be gone just a week when they launched in June on Boeing’s first astronaut flight. They hit the nine-month mark earlier this month.
“It was a wonderful day Great to see our friends arrive,” Williams told Mission Control.
Weather permitting, the SpaceX capsule carrying Wilmore, Williams and two other astronauts will undock from the space station no earlier than Wednesday and splash down off Florida’s coast.
Supporters of Brazil’s Bolsonaro protest
RIO DE JANEIRO Thousands of backers of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro poured onto Copacabana Beach on Sunday to express their support for the farright politician as he faces charges he plotted a coup Bolsonaro and close allies attended the demonstration in which protesters also called for Congress to grant amnesty to those in jail for their roles in the Jan 8, 2023, riot, when government buildings in the capital Brasilia were ransacked A sea of people wearing Brazil’s yellow-and-green national soccer jersey chanted and held placards reading “Amnesty, now!”
Local media reported that around 18,000 people attended, based on figures from a monitoring project linked to the University of Sao Paulo.
Last month, Brazil’s prosecutor-general formally charged Bolsonaro with attempting a coup to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Part of that plot allegedly included plans to poison Lula and shoot dead Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees several cases against him.
After losing to Lula, Bolsonaro refused to concede, and left for the United States days before the end of his term.
Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing and has said he is a victim of political persecution.
BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press
The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily barring the deportations under an 18th-century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members, officials said Sunday. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling.
U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order Saturday temporarily blocking the deportations, but lawyers told him there were already two planes with immigrants in the air — one headed for El Salvador, the other for Honduras. Boasberg verbally ordered the planes be turned around, but they apparently were not and he did not include the directive in his written order
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a statement Sunday, responded to speculation about whether the administration was flouting court orders: “The administration did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory.”
The acronym refers to the Tren de
PROVIDED PHOTO Prison guards transfer deportees from the U.S alleged to be Venezuelan gang members, to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador on Sunday.
Aragua gang, which President Donald Trump targeted in his unusual proclamation that was released Saturday In a court filing Sunday, the Department of Justice, which has appealed Boasberg’s decision, said it would not use the Trump proclamation he blocked for further deportations if his decision is not overturned.
Trump’s allies were gleeful over the results.
“Oopsie…Too late,” Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele wrote on the social media site X above an article about Boasberg’s ruling, a post that was recirculated by White House communications director Steven Cheung. Bukele, a Trump ally, agreed to house about 300 immigrants for a year at a cost of $6
million in his country’s prisons.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who negotiated an earlier deal with Bukele to house immigrants, posted on the site: “We sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars.”
Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center said that Boasberg’s verbal directive to turn around the planes was not technically part of his final order but that the Trump administration clearly violated the “spirit” of it.
“This just incentivizes future courts to be hyper specific in their orders and not give the government any wiggle room,” Vladeck said.
The immigrants were deported after Trump’s declaration of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which has been used only three times in U.S. history
The law, invoked during the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II, requires a president to declare the United States is at war, giving him extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners who otherwise would have protections under immigration or criminal laws. It was last used to justify the detention of Japanese-American civilians during WWII.
Venezuela’s government in a statement Sunday rejected the use of Trump’s declaration of the law, characterizing it as evocative of “the darkest episodes in human history, from slavery to the horror of the Nazi concentration camps.”
BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
CAIRO The United States and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are both vowing escalation after the U.S. launched airstrikes to deter the rebels from attacking military and commercial vessels on one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.
The Houthi-run Health Ministry said the overnight U.S. strikes killed at least 53 people, including five women and two children, and wounded almost 100 in the capital of Sanaa and other provinces, including Saada, the rebels’ stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia.
“We’re not going to have these people controlling which ships can go through and which ones cannot. And so your question is, how long will this go on? It will go on until they no longer have the capability to do that,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS on Sunday. He said these are not the one-off retaliation strikes the Biden administration carried out after Houthi attacks President Donald Trump on Saturday vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis cease their attacks, and warned that Tehran would be held “fully accountable” for their actions.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted international shipping in the Red Sea, sinking two vessels, in what they call acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has been at war with Hamas, another Iranian ally
The attacks stopped when a Israel-Hamas ceasefire
took hold in January — a day before Trump took office but last week, the Houthis said they would renew attacks against Israeli vessels after Israel cut off the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza this month.
There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.
The overnight airstrikes were one of the most extensive attacks against the Houthis since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.
Trump’s national security adviser Michael Waltz, on Sunday told ABC that the strikes “actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out.” He didn’t identify them or give evidence. Rubio said some Houthi facilities had been destroyed.
The Houthis’ political bureau has said the rebels will respond to the U.S. strikes and “meet escalation with escalation.”
The rebels on Sunday claimed to have targeted the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group with missiles and a drone, but two U.S. officials told The Associated Press they were not tracking anything The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.
The spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement called for “utmost restraint and a cessation of all military activities,” while warning of the “grave risks” to the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest nation.
Rubio said that over the past 18 months the Houthis had attacked the U.S. Navy
“directly” 174 times and targeted commercial shipping 145 times using “guided precision anti-ship weaponry.”
The attacks sparked the most serious combat the U.S. Navy had seen since World War II.
On Sunday, the head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, denied his country was involved in the Houthis’ attacks, saying it “plays no role in setting the national or operational policies” of the militant groups it is allied with across the region, according to state-run TV
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, writing on X, urged the U.S to halt its airstrikes and said Washington cannot dictate Iran’s foreign policy
The U.S. and others have long accused Iran of providing military aid to the rebels. The U.S. Navy has seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weaponry it said was bound for the Houthis.
The United States, Israel and Britain previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen, but the new operation was conducted solely by the U.S. It was the first strike on the Houthis under the second Trump administration.
The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, three Navy destroyers and one cruiser, is in the Red Sea and was part of the mission. The USS Georgia cruise missile submarine has also been operating in the region.
Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, and Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.
Tren de Aragua originated in an infamously lawless prison in the central state of Aragua 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 during the past decade. Trump seized on the gang during his campaign to paint misleading pictures of communities that he contended were “taken over” by what were actually a handful of lawbreakers.
The Trump administration has not identified the immigrants deported, provided any evidence they are in fact members of Tren de Aragua or that they committed any crimes in the United States. It also sent two top members of the Salvadoran MS13 gang to El Salvador who had been arrested in the United States.
The immigrants were taken to the notorious CECOT facility the centerpiece of Bukele’s push to pacify his once violence-wracked country through tough police measures and limits on basic rights.
Immigration lawyers said that, late Friday, they noticed Venezuelans who otherwise couldn’t be deported under immigration law being moved to Texas for deportation flights. They began to file lawsuits to halt the transfers.
“Basically any Venezuelan citizen in the US may be removed on pretext of belonging to Tren de Aragua, with no chance at defense,” Adam Isacson, of the Washington Office for Latin America, a human rights group, warned on X.
Netanyahu seeks to boot Israel’s security chief
BY MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press
JERUSALEM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he will seek to dismiss the head of the country’s internal security service this week, deepening a power struggle focused largely on who bears responsibility for the Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s effort to remove Ronen Bar as director of the Shin Bet comes as the security service investigates close aides of the prime minister. Netanyahu said he has had “ongoing distrust” with Bar and “this distrust has grown over time.” Bar responded by saying
he planned to continue in the post for the near future, citing “personal obligations” to finish “sensitive investigations,” free the remaining hostages in Gaza and prepare potential successors. Bar also criticized Netanyahu’s expectation of a personal loyalty that contradicts the public interest. But he emphasized that he would respect any legal decision regarding his tenure. The Shin Bet is responsible for monitoring Palestinian militant groups and recently issued a report accepting responsibility for its failures around the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. It also criticized Netanyahu, saying failed government policies helped create the climate that led to it.
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misinformation online.
That shift in trust now shows up in exam rooms: There are more questions about vaccinations and more patients referencing things they saw on social media
Fearful parents delay routine shots. Adult patients second-guess flu and shingles vaccines. Longtime doctors find themselves on the defensive at times, and Louisiana is seeing a concerning drop in immunizations.
“Now everything is questioned,” said Ward. She said even routine medical decisions are now met with suspicion, from oxygen use to blood draws. And while Ward welcomes questions, she said they are often asked with disbelief instead of curiosity
By the numbers
Louisiana kindergartners were once vaccinated above the average rate in the U.S. Before the pandemic, nearly 96% of Louisiana kindergartners were vaccinated for measles. By 2023, that number had dropped to 92%
While Louisiana mandates standard childhood vaccinations for school entry, families can request exemptions for any reason Since the pandemic, nonmedical exemption rates have more than doubled, from 1.3% in 2018 to 2.7% in the 2023–24 school year A new state law requires schools to include information about vaccine exemptions in any communication about immunization requirements, a move that public health officials say will likely drive exemptions even higher Dr Nora Oates of Hales Pediatrics in Uptown New Orleans said hesitancy about vaccines comes up a few times a day It doesn’t mean patients don’t ultimately choose to vaccinate, but she goes into appointments now knowing she’ll need to account for questioning.
“It just takes more time than it used to to talk about vaccines with families,” said Oates, a pediatrician of 25 years.
The vaccine questioned most is the MMR, or measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, said Oates. Families want to know if the vaccine causes autism, a longdebunked myth that both the Trump administration and the Louisiana Legislature have directed public health authorities to study The hesitancy has even spread beyond children and the MMR vaccine. Ward sees patients in the intensive care unit who say they won’t get a flu shot, even though they are more at risk for bad outcomes, because they heard it causes autism.
“I’ve heard this in grown adults,” said Ward. “You’re 55, you’re not going to get autism, and it’s also not caused by vaccines.”
Just last week, Dr Kyle Happel, a pulmonary critical care physician in New Orleans, lost a patient to the flu during a particularly severe season in which Louisiana led the country in cases. It’s a hard backdrop against which
to have conversations.
“I have people questioning the flu shot now, talking about individual choice and personal preference,” Happel said. “We didn’t have these conversations preCOVID.”
Happel is a proponent of fresh food, often gifting friends, family and co-workers with fresh, Louisianacaught fish he catches on his days off. But there’s a difference between promoting a healthy, natural lifestyle and thinking vaccines are “unnatural,” he said
“You know, dying of the flu is a very natural death,” said Happel. “It is a very natural way to die of a virus that’s been around for thousands of years.”
He still tries to engage patients with evidence-based reasoning. But, he said, wins are “few and far between.”
“A lot of folks are just galvanized” by the politicization of vaccines, said Happel. “When evidence is not in charge of health policy, then evidence-based medicine has lost.”
A messaging shift
Five years ago this week, Louisianans were watching warily as the first signs of a new virus emerged in the U.S.
But the virus, driven in part by large gatherings around Mardi Gras, had already taken root in the state. On March 9, the state confirmed its first COVID-19 case, and just days later Louisiana recorded its first death, a 58-year-old from New Orleans What followed was a rapid surge in cases and deaths that made Louisiana one of the nation’s early hot spots.
By late March, the state issued a stay-at-home order, shuttered schools, bars and nonessential businesses, and banned gatherings to slow the spread. By the end of April, more than 27,000 cases and over 1,700 deaths had been reported statewide.
When vaccines became available at the end of 2020, the state launched a massive campaign to get people inoculated. They stood up large vaccination sites and offered gift cards and free transportation to appointments. The biggest incentive was a $1 million prize.
One of the most vocal proponents of vaccination was Dr Katie O’Neal, chief academic officer for Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in Baton Rouge. O’Neal, an infectious disease specialist, went on national and local news to urge vaccination, speaking plainly of the hordes of very sick patients, many in their 30s and 40s, crowding hospitals.
Now, she speaks differently of vaccines not because she sees less evidence, but because the situation is not as urgent.
“At that point, we had thousands of people dying (each) day of one disease that had a vaccine that can save your life,” said O’Neal. “The conversation today is about lifelong health.”
Still, she has patients and friends who come to her with questions.
“They’re fearful of the unknown,” said O’Neal.
Historian John Barry, a Tulane professor and author of “The Great Influenza,” believes the erosion of trust has left the state in a vulnerable position.
“The net result is we’re actually worse off than we were in 2019,” he said.
In February Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham sent a memo to employees of the Louisiana Department of Health saying the state would end longstanding mass vaccination efforts and advised public health workers to direct patients to their doctors rather than recommend specific vaccines.
Last year, Abraham blasted the state’s COVID-19 response during a meeting of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security
At the same meeting, Deputy Surgeon General Wyche Coleman suggested vaccines cause autism.
“You could probably fill Tiger Stadium with moms who have kids that were normal one day, got a vaccine and were then autistic after,” Coleman said.
Abraham recently took to social media to reaffirm confidence in the MMR vaccine, writing, “The measles vaccine (known as MMR) has proven to be safe and effective, and I recommend it to my patients. Adults and children should consider getting the vaccine if they haven’t already received it. Be sure to talk to your doctor before making that decision.”
Rebuilding trust
The “talk to your doctor” advice from the pandemic is one of O’Neal’s biggest regrets. Many people in Louisiana under 50 don’t have a primary care doctor unless they have an illness, she said.
“That recommendation fell on many deaf ears, and I wish we had worded that differently,” O’Neal said. Despite the rhetoric, most Louisiana families want protection from vaccination. Dr Stephen Jones said he hasn’t noticed families less inclined to get vaccines. But it is harder for them to get them, he said.
“The access to vaccinations has been a little behind schedule,” Jones said.
Some good has come from the experience. Clinicians are now far less afraid of giving steroids to patients for viral illnesses. After initially fearing steroids would worsen COVID outcomes, doctors learned they saved lives, said O’Neal.
When pediatricians see a child with a high fever and viral illness, they now typically wear masks, which offers protection they didn’t routinely reach for before the pandemic, said Oates.
And while the pandemic drove some health providers into early retirement or pushed nurses away from bedside care, for others, it was a defining moment.
“When you live through something like COVID it’s kind of a crucible,” said Happel. “I guess it kind of defines who can stand up to the challenge and who bugs out.”
Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate. com.
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Southern University Board Chair Tony Clayton, the district attorney in West Baton Rouge for Louisiana’s 18th Judicial District, said one solution is to take fraternity recruitment out of the hands of undergraduate students.
“I’m going to propose that the graduate chapters, in regards to Southern, are to be in charge of intake, as opposed to having undergrad kids do the intake or initiation,” Clayton, who earned a law degree from Southern, said in an interview.
“If the kids are going to want to become a member of the fraternity or sorority, the initiation would have to go through the graduate chapters, which are professional men and women.”
Clayton plans to campaign around the state, visiting graduate chapters of the Divine Nine, the nation’s nine historically Black college fraternities and sororities. He also plans to submit a change to Southern’s bylaws
‘Be honest about it’
Ted James, a former Baton Rouge state representative for Louisiana’s 101st District, supported the passage of the Max Gruver Act while serving in the state House.
When news broke of Wilson’s death, James said he could tell from the first reports it was going to be related to hazing.
James, 43, holds Southern University undergraduate and law degrees and belongs to a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity graduate chapter As a graduate member of the Divine Nine and a community leader, James said he and other fraternity brothers can’t be silent about hazing present in their organizations’ cultures and their own frat experiences.
“Twenty-four years ago, did I ever think that I was in a position that I was not going to survive? Absolutely not,” James said.
“Did I, quite honestly — and I think that it’s important for me and others to be honest about it — did I do some things that I probably shouldn’t have done? Absolutely.”
Lifelong commitment
The respect Black Greek organizations command among potential recruits also comes from the history of leadership Divine Nine graduates have in the Black community Membership isn’t an undergraduate commitment, but a lifelong one, in which graduate members conduct charity and service and pay dues to their organizations.
Vanessa LaFleur D-Baton Rouge, the District 101 state representative, said she thought of her own children when she heard about Wilson’s death.
“My initial reaction was just deep sorrow,” she said.
“When I see his face, I see my son’s face, who as a college student I have no doubt wants to pledge a fraternity one day.”
LaFleur also a Southern
University graduate, is a graduate adviser at Southern and a Alpha Kappa Alpha member In her work with students, LaFleur explains to them that as much fun as Greek life is, it carries penalties for those not following the rules.
“My daughter just went through the process in 2024 at Southern, in my old chapter,” LaFleur said. “I was very proud of that process, because it was by the book, every bit of it, because the graduate chapter was in charge of the process.”
James said it frustrates him when blame is aimed toward Southern University, when the hazing ritual authorities said caused Wilson’s death was off-campus.
“There’s no way for Southern to be responsible for thousands of students when they leave campus,” he said.
Clayton and James both emphasized that unlike Gruver’s fatal hazing incident, the pledging ritual leading to Wilson’s death took place off Southern’s Baton Rouge campus.
Southern officials require all National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations, including Omega Psi Phi, to put new members through an anti-hazing training as part of their admissions process.
Council organizations are also required to have a specific anti-hazing statement.
Omega Psi’s “zero tolerance” hazing policy statement prohibits both “physical shock” and after-hours activities during its intake activities.
“So there are a lot of efforts put on educating young people about what not to do. And, you know, there are folks that have just made some horrible, horrible decisions,” James said Southern University is conducting an internal investigation into the circumstances of Wilson’s death Meanwhile, university President Dennis Shields said Omega Psi Phi was ordered to “cease all activities” at the university Additionally, the university suspended all campus club and Greek life recruiting through the academic year, he said.
Hazing history
Hazing has been part of American university culture since the 1850s, said Walter
Kimbrough, a former president of Dillard University and a hazing-crime expert witness
At that time, hazing was undertaken by upperclassmen against freshmen.
“Hazing was pretty ubiquitous in American higher education by the 1920s,” Kimbrough said.
“But that’s when colleges and universities stopped allowing the hazing of freshmen. So you had this culture that had been on campuses for 70 years, and people where trying to figure out where does it go?”
Fraternities and sororities, as private organizations, became the outlet for these impulses.
Black Greek-letter organizations, formed by the earliest Black collegians to foster community between each other and incubate future leaders, didn’t yet induct “pledges” at that time.
Kappa Alpha Psi, a historically African-American fraternity, was founded in 1911, but didn’t have any formalized pledge activities until 1919, which coincides with the time “when colleges and universities around the country said there’s no more hazing of freshmen,” Kimbrough said.
The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the oldest collegiate Black fraternity, started in 1906, and its first pledge class was in 1921.
Pledging in the Divine Nine organizations officially ended about 70 years later, after the hazing death of Joel Harris in 1989 at Morehouse College in Atlanta while pledging for Alpha Phi Alpha.
At that time, presidents of eight Black Greek-letter organizations came together to officially end pledging initiation. They replaced it with an admissions process disallowing hazing, Kimbrough said.
Then, the same way the hazing culture shifted from the general student body to only Greek organizations in the 1920s, it again shifted, continuing underground and out of sight
‘Dying to belong’
Students face immense social pressure to go along with hazing rituals, despite official warnings they receive about its danger and illegality.
Akeya Simeon calls this phenomenon “dying to belong.” She is assistant direc-
tor of the University of West Virginia’s Center for Fraternal Values and Leadership and a Delta Sigma Theta member
In Kimbrough’s years of analyzing hazing incidents, he’s noticed those that hold the most sway over undergraduate fraternity members are not the leaders or elders of the organization. Instead, it’s the younger more-recent graduates.
“That’s part of the challenge, because there is this influence of people who are older, a group I call ‘extended adolescents,’” the former Dillard University president said.
“They’re 24 to 30 years old. They have graduated and left. They’re continuing to live their undergraduate experience, but they have a lot of sway on the chapter.”
To Kimbrough, this group is often overlooked when examining hazing culture within a Greek organization.
“The problem is, these people are invisible to the real leaders of the organization. They aren’t members of graduate chapters. They don’t go to conventions or meetings,” he said.
“… They’re not financially active with the fraternity but (pledges) listen to them because they pledged there
displayed during his memorial Friday at Southern University’s F.G. Clark Activity Center Three men have been booked on felony hazing counts tied to Wilson’s Feb 27 death. STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER
son and eight other hopefuls lined up according to height, McCray and two others took turns punching them in the chest using a pair of black boxing gloves, according to McCray’s arrest warrant affidavit.
McCray, whose defense attorney said his client is innocent, delivered the final blow before Wilson collapsed to the floor and began having a seizure, police said. Fraternity members did not call 911 after Wilson experienced the medical episode, and waited to bring him to Baton Rouge General’s Bluebonnet hospital early the morning of Feb. 27, sources said.
“What eats at me is the beating,” state Rep. LaFleur said. “There isn’t nothing brotherly about putting your hands on me. That’s not going to build a community.”
three or four years ago and they respect that.”
Including frat members
Another cultural difference between White Greek organizations and the Divine
Nine are the methods used in hazing pledging rituals.
“In predominantly White groups, particularly fraternities, the hazing really is more through the alcohol,” Kimbrough said, “whereas for historically Black groups, I can’t think of a case where there was a death due to alcohol poisoning. It’s always been physical.”
In this way, the deaths of Gruver and Wilson are demonstrative of the kinds of hazing carried out by each organization the young men were pledging to join.
Indeed, Wilson, a former trumpet player for Southern University’s famed Human Jukebox marching band, died as a “direct result” of being punched in the chest while pledging for the Omega Psi fraternity inside a 3412 Woodcrest Drive warehouse, Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr said.
During the ritual, pledges were brought to the building and forced to change into gray sweatsuits. With Wil-
Simeon, assistant director of the Center for Fraternal Values and Leadership at University of West Virginia, said the most effective cultural shifts she’s seen occur at the colleges she’s worked with have been when students are actively involved in making new policies.
“Rather than becoming the adversaries of these student organizations, of these fraternities and sororities,” we need to have “roundtable conversations,” she said. However, when these Greek life groups break policy she thinks they should be banned from campus — forever
At Southern University board Chair Clayton intends to seek a ban of Omega Psi Phi frat “anywhere from five to 10 years, just to let them know that we have taken this seriously A kid has lost his life for no reason.”
In 2005, Omega Psi was kicked off Southern’s Baton Rouge campus for three years, after university officials found “overwhelming evidence” a fraternity pledge was severely beaten, The Advocate | The TimesPicayune archives show Email Quinn Coffman at quinn.coffman @theadvocate.com.
carello teamed up again and turned the tide on the death penalty, part of a frenetic effort by the newly-elected Republican governor to reshape the state’s politics in his image and usher in a red wave that has cemented the GOP’s grip on Louisiana’s levers of power
Last year, during a special session on crime, Muscarello again brought the bill on Landry’s behalf. This time, it went even further Not only would it keep information about execution drug providers secret it would legalize nitrogen gas as an execution method, along with electrocution, which the state previously outlawed in 1991
Instead of being sent to a committee stacked with Democrats, Muscarello’s bill went to a Senate committee with a 6-1 Republican majority It sailed through the Legislature and became law.
On Tuesday, it is expected to culminate in Louisiana’s first nitrogen gas execution of Jessie Hoffman Jr., who has been on death row for the 1996 abduction, rape and execution-style killing of Mary “Molly” Elliott in rural St. Tammany Parish.
The Louisiana Supreme Court on Sunday rejected Hoffman’s request for a new execution date.
The saga is one chapter in Louisiana’s sharp turn away from bipartisan criminal justice laws passed in 2017 in favor of an approach that embraces more incarceration and executing people on death row
“2019 is a big turning point in all this,” said MaryPatricia Wray, an anti-death penalty advocate and former communications aide to Edwards. “Prior to that time, most of the death penalty legislation that had been authored was to abolish the death penalty That’s when we switched over to not only not abolishing it, but instead ramping it up.”
Attempt to outlaw
The year 2019 was also perhaps the last best chance for opponents of the death penalty to abolish the practice, the same year Landry began his quest to restart executions through Muscarello’s bill.
That year, a pair of legislators — State Sen. Dan Claitor a Republican former prosecutor, and Rep. Terry Landry, a Democratic former State Police superintendent — both carried legislation to end the death penalty in Louisiana.
Both men had said they previously supported the death penalty, but said a host of ethical and practical reasons changed their minds.
Terry Landry approached Edwards before he filed the bill and asked if the governor thought it would hurt him politically, the former lawmaker said in an interview Edwards encouraged him to go forward with it.
The effort was gaining steam. Supporters felt if they could get the bill through the House, it could make it to the governor’s desk Terry Landry’s bill made it out of the House Criminal Justice
Committee, a crucial step.
But after the House debated the bill for hours, Terry Landry pulled it without a vote.
He said he didn’t know if he had enough support, and didn’t want to make members “bleed” on a tough vote. Moderate Republicans he was courting would likely be hit with allegations of being “soft on crime” during reelection if they voted with him, Terry Landry said.
During the debate, Edwards stayed out of the fray A Democrat facing a tenuous reelection bid in which President Donald Trump would travel to Louisiana multiple times to campaign against him, Edwards would only say publicly that he would uphold state law around executions
Privately, the governor said he wanted the Legislature to work it out on their own, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Edwards worried jumping into the mix could turn the debate into a partisan war in a Legislature that was dominated by Republicans. And supporters of repealing the death penalty needed Republicans to get on board in significant numbers if they were to have a chance to pass it.
“John Bel was in his first term. He had to run again. This is such a political, explosive issue, you’ve got to think about not only passing a bill but how it’s going to impact people who you support and who support you,” Terry Landry said. “I think he would have signed it had (it passed).”
Shifting political sands Republicans have only gained more ground in the Legislature since 2019, putting the abolition of the death penalty further out of reach. While polling shows Louisiana residents are split on the issue, Republican voters in the state are far more likely to say they support the death penalty, with 70% approving of the practice in a 2022 poll by LSU’s Public Policy Research Center
Muscarello, a defense attorney, said he used to be ambivalent about the death penalty viewing it as a high cost to the state, especially because Louisiana wasn’t putting anyone to death for years. The State Public Defender’s Office said in a statement last month that they spend at least $7.7 million annually defending death penalty cases, which does not include the costs to district attorney’s offices, courts and law enforcement.
But Muscarello and the governor both have been animated by spending time with the families of victims of the defendants on death row Wayne Guzzardo, whose daughter was gunned down in a 1995 restaurant robbery and his family have
played a particularly crucial role. Todd Wessinger, who was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder in the case, is on death row but has not exhausted all of his appeals.
Not all victims’ families feel the same way: Brett Malone, whose mother was abducted and murdered in 2000, is trying to prevent the execution of Jeremiah Manning, who was convicted in the case and is on death row He says Manning’s death would not bring any comfort or closure to his family
Muscarello said he briefly worked for Guzzardo’s daughter at the Pepper Tree restaurant in Hammond, and that spending time with the Guzzardo family in recent years has pushed him to fight to restart executions.
Initially, Muscarello had considered including legalizing death by a firing squad as an execution method in Louisiana. He decided against it because it was seen as “too radical.” He now wants to put it back.
“Now that I’ve been able to meet with these families, it puts a face behind the news story,” he said. “I have no sympathy for this guy.”
U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, chief of Louisiana’s Middle District, wrote in a recent order that a team of lawyers for Hoffman made a convincing enough argument that death by a firing squad would be preferable to death by nitrogen gas that she blocked the execution. She said she wanted a full trial on the merits of the case.
Her ruling was vacated by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, who said the nitrogen gas execution could go forward.
South Carolina carried out the first death by a firing squad since 2010 last week.
While the Legislature never got on board with abolishing capital punishment, there was one last-ditch effort in 2023 to spare more than 50 people on death row during the last year of Edwards’ term.
At a talk at Loyola University that year, Edwards broke his silence on the issue, citing his Catholic faith and saying the death penalty was at odds with “pro-life” values. Edwards is against abortion rights and signed laws enacting further restrictions on the procedure, including the state’s “trigger law” that instantly banned the procedure after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in 2022.
Later that year, as faith leaders gathered for a prayer service about the death penalty in front of the Governor’s Mansion, Edwards invited them inside to discuss the issue, said Diocese of Baton Rouge Bishop Michael Duca in a recent interview With the backing of the Vatican, whose Archbishop
Vincenzo Paglia sent a letter asking him to consider death row prisoners’ clemency requests, Edwards embraced a push to try to commute the sentences of prisoners on death row But despite his urging the state Pardon Board to consider granting them clemency the board declined.
Edwards didn’t return a message seeking comment
Nitrogen gas executions
Last year, the changing political tides in Louisiana long a bastion of idiosyncratic political alliances — culminated in a conservative takeover The GOP had supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature, in part because of Jeff Landry’s yearslong effort to help install more conservative members.
As part of Jeff Landry’s blitzkrieg effort to reshape the state government, he reunited with Muscarello to push the bill restarting executions. This time, Jeff Landry was governor, not at-
torney general, and he was not quiet about his position.
“States around us are finding ways and methods in order to execute those who have been tried, and convicted, and sentenced to death,” he said ahead of the special session.
“I have committed myself to those families because I have sat in front of those families I have listened to those families from all over the state,” Jeff Landry said Wednesday “They deserve their day of justice. That is what that jury has granted them.”
In a special session dedicated to toughening criminal sentencing, Jeff Landry said the bill was part of his package. From the start, it faced little resistance. “Everybody knew it was in the governor’s package,” Muscarello said. “I feel like that gives it a little extra momentum and support.”
Still, the impending execution of Hoffman is reigniting an age-old debate, which has played out in the halls of the
State Capitol and in courtrooms around the country
Eddie Rispone, a Republican who ran a failed bid to unseat Edwards in 2019 before emerging as a key backer of Jeff Landry’s run for governor, recalled ringing up Republican legislators in 2022 to encourage them to consider abolishing the death penalty
He argued to them that the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime and costs the state millions. In an interview, Rispone said he might feel different if he was personally affected by a heinous crime. But as a Catholic, Rispone said he doesn’t believe in it.
“From my standpoint, if someone did something that egregious to my loved one, I don’t know if I’d want them to put them out of their misery,” he said. “If in fact they don’t ever repent, they’re going to suffer that whole time. If they do repent, and then they have an opportunity to be saved. Christ died for our sins.”
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BY ANTHONY McCAULEY Staff writer
Megan Forman said it has been hard to avoid the “bittersweet” cliché when talking about her decision, together with husband and cofounder Jay Forman, to sell their Gracious Bakery and Café business, which has consumed their lives since they first opened in New Orleans a baker’s dozen years ago. The bakery and cafe started as a small operation in Gert Town in 2012. It was the culmination of a lifelong passion for pastry that took Megan Forman to the New England Culinary Institute in her 20s, to work for top pastry chefs in New York City and back to New Orleans to be part of the “artisanal” food movement in the early 2000s. Having grown the business into one that boasts about $2 million in annual sales, the Formans, now in their early 50s, have decided it’s time to focus on other pursuits.
BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer
A battle for the Jefferson Parish Council District 1 seat vacated by Marion Edwards in January has been intensifying with two prominent West Bank politicians ramping up attacks as early voting gets underway for the March 29 election.
Ricky Templet, a Gretna Republican who has served three previous terms on the council, is the establishment favorite, landing the majority of campaign donations and endorsements Timothy Kerner Jr., the Republican mayor of Jean Lafitte, is his most well-financed and well-known opponent. A third candidate, Democrat Andrea Manuel, is a Spanish educator from Gretna making her second run for public office. Kerner has accused Templet of being part of a political “mob” in downtown Gretna, claiming he poured the majority of the district’s discretionary fund into projects that benefit a wealthy few Templet has bit back, saying Kerner is part of a political dynasty that has governed Lafitte for decades and has poorly managed the town in the years since Hurricane Ida.
Other politicians have jumped into the fray as well, including at-large council member Jennifer Van Vrancken, Templet’s former rival, and state Rep Timothy Kerner Sr., Kerner Jr.’s father Manuel, for the most part, has avoided the bickering.
“I have not engaged in their combat. Their history is between them,” said Manuel. “I have 94,000 residents of my concern.” Templet, 64, served on the council from 2012-23, when Van Vrancken unseated him in an at-large race. Kerner, 34, lost a race for the state Senate against Sen. Pat Connick that same year Manuel, meanwhile, lost her contest for a state House seat, also in 2023. Templet’s campaign has leaned heavily on his previous accomplishments on the council, including securing major investments for drainage, disaster recovery and crime prevention. If elected, Templet said he hopes to find ways to use local tax dollars to help combat the insurance crisis
“I’ve been a pastry chef for 30 years and I’m now getting my masters in counseling,” said Megan Forman, who is in the second year of postgraduate studies in clinical mental health counseling at the University of New Orleans.
“I’m now excited about that in the same way I was excited about pastry in my 20s.” Jay Forman, who was in educational software before the couple opened Gracious, said that as their daughter approaches the end of her high school years, they decided to reevaluate the hard grind of the food production business, especially as it moves into a new phase of growth.
“For us, it’s a quality-of-life question,” he said. “This is the kind of business where you have to be present and on site all the time and we’re just ready for the next stage of our lives.”
Since the two native New Orleanians started the business at the Woodward Design+Build building on Norman C Francis Parkway in Gert Town, back when the thoroughfare was still known as Jefferson Davis Parkway, it has
BY JONI HESS Staff writer
grown substantially. Now, there are two bustling cafes — one on St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District, across from Christ Church Cathedral, and one on Prytania Street on the commercial strip that includes Creole Creamery as well as an industrialscale bakery on Earhart Boulevard.
The bakery’s wholesale and commercial business has seen the most growth recently and already accounts for 60% of sales.
Gracious processes hundreds of pounds of dough every day and sells wholesale to independent operators, like Justine in the French Quarter, Commander’s Palace and Le Petite Grocery, as well as supplying the two retail shops. They also sell products like gourmet king cake through Whole Foods, candied pecans at Sazerac House, beignet mix via Fleurty Girl and various products through online gourmet retailer Goldbelly.com
But perhaps the biggest immediate prospect for growth comes from the company’s certification last fall to do commercialscale food production for companies that supply organizations like Tulane University and the Caesars Superdome, Jay Forman said.
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points certification is required by many big retailers, supermarkets and food service providers (think Walmart, Costco, Amazon, etc.) before they will even consider a food business for supply contracts Since getting certified, Gracious has won contracts from Sodexo for the Caesars Superdome (e.g., for corporate suites hospitality at Super Bowl LIX), as well as from Aramark Collegiate Hospitality for Tulane University
“I don’t think a lot of people will know that the core of our business is actually baking for other companies around town,” Jay Forman said. “We have an existing wholesale book that is year-round and that is also poised for growth.” Gracious made it
through the tough times of the past decade but it had to deal with the same series of crises that drove many out of the food service business.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of almost 1 in 7 restaurants in the U.S., according to the National Restaurant Association The sector was one of the hardest hit in 2020-21 and the inflation surge that followed and drove up raw materials, labor costs and rents also made it difficult for many to survive New Orleans restaurants were hit particularly hard and the fallout is still being felt.
Gracious had to close its original outlet when the Gert Town neighborhood was hit by office closures and remote working, affecting nearby employers like Xavier University Also, the old Coca-Cola building next door to their original outlet saw many of the small businesses depart after the building was sold to developer Tim Baudier in 2021.
Gracious now employs about half the 80 staff it had at peak, a reduction that also reflects outsourcing its delivery operation
Megan Forman said she has no regrets about their struggles. She aimed to create the a better work environment than the ones she came up in, which were often male dominated and hostile.
“I’ve tried to be a very
woman-focused company because I had some pretty bad experiences, as you might imagine, working in New York in the ’90s,” she said She reflects wistfully on the opportunities she had to work with big name chefs at a great time for pastry craft baking. They included Richard Leach at Park Avenue Café, who was renown for his innovative and artistic approach to plated desserts like deconstructed cheesecakes and fruit tarts. Also, Joanne Chang at Payard Patisserie & Bistro, who now owns Flour Bakery and Café in Boston.
In New Orleans, Megan Forman worked as pastry chef for Susan Spicer at Bayona and later was in at the start of Sucré in 2007, which was created by local restaurateur Joel Dondis with pastry chef Tariq
Hanna
“I was just so passionate about it,” she said, adding that she and her husband were lucky to catch the zeitgeist that saw a boom in artisanal bakeries, like Tartine in San Francisco, and a larger food movement that emphasized craftsmanship, locally sourced ingredients and a return to traditional baking techniques.
The tagline for Gracious is “artisanal at scale,” which Jay Forman said is meant to convey that they’re not too precious “The idea of a ‘boutique baker’ can oftentimes
bring to mind fussy millennials who are hard to work with, but we’re not like that. We’re business people,” he said.
Interested buyers will have access to an online “deal room” once they’ve signed a nondisclosure agreement, said Parke McEnery, who is brokering the sale for the owners. They own the building on Earhart Boulevard, which is about 5,000 square feet and includes hundreds of thousands of dollars of industrial baking equipment. Part of the building is also leased to another commercial tenant.
Both the Prytania Street and St. Charles Avenue outlets are leased and have liquor licenses The St. Charles Avenue spot also has been granted a special event license in recent years and has become a fixture for Uptown Mardi Gras revelers. Jay Forman can be found there stirring giant tubs of Hunch Punch during the season Sales during Mardi Gras season have been brisk enough to cover annual operating expenses, he said.
“That’s where we are with the business now,” Jay Forman said. “It’s grown up and ready to stretch its wings and see what it can do with new owners.”
Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate. com.
Continued from page 1B
for homeowners, as well as improve infrastructure and educational programs in libraries.
Kerner who is expecting his second child, says he will work to keep young families on the West Bank with promises like attracting a children’s museum, offering financial support for local businesses and improving flood mitigation and drainage infrastructure. Jefferson Parish is aging more rapidly than the rest of the state and has far fewer children than previous decades.
The winner will represent a majority-minority district that covers Gretna, Terrytown, Jean Lafitte, Crown Point, Estelle, Barataria, Grand Isle and parts of Harvey and Marrero.
Gretna vs. Lafitte
Central to the political advertisements and candidate forums are the accusations of mismanagement that Templet and Kerner have hurled, largely centered around each other’s hometowns.
Kerner says district funds have been too heavily concentrated on downtown Gretna. He often cites a controversial project spearheaded by Templet and state leaders to construct a brewpub in Gretna using about $9 million in funds freed up by the American Rescue Plan Act.
He says that if elected, he’d more evenly distribute resources throughout the district.
“It’s old school politics, and it needs to stay in the past where it belongs,” Kerner said. “I’m running because I think we can do better for everyone on the West Bank not just a powerful few.”
He used the same strategy in his unsuccessful bid for Connick’s seat, who he claimed was part of a political “machine.” Both Connick and Templet hired political consultant Greg Buisson to run their campaigns.
Templet called Kerner’s accusations hypocritical, considering Kerner’s family has led Jean Lafitte since its incorporation in 1974. He handed out flyers
at a Terrytown Civic Association meeting calling his opponent “Little Timmy Kerner” and criticizing the fact that Lafitte still has not rebuilt a school, town hall and other public facilities since Hurricane Ida.
“I’m waiting on him (Kerner) to bring those fresh, new ideas to Lafitte first, because I see nothing positive in Lafitte,” Templet said in an interview “If you can’t do it at home, how are you going to do it for the rest of the parish?”
Kerner says those projects have been tied up waiting for funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and he pointed out that the Jefferson Parish School Board greenlit the reconstruction of Fisher Middle/High School at its meeting last month.
Templet later released a campaign ad featuring a video of Kerner Sr commending Templet’s assistance to Jean Lafitte during Tropical Storm Lee in 2012.
“The residents of Lafitte will tell you that since then, the only time they saw Templet was when it was a photo op to promote his political standing,” Kerner Sr said on social media in response to the ad. Templet denied using natural disasters as photo opportunities.
Templet has received major endorsements from Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng, the five district council members and U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, RMetairie. Kerner has been endorsed by Van Vrancken and Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser At-large council member Scott Walker said he will not endorse a candidate.
Templet also has the largest war chest, reporting over $230,000 in campaign funds about a month before the election, according to a Feb. 27 report covering campaign finances since the start of the year. Kerner reported about $76,000 at the same time, while Manuel reported having $5,295 in campaign loans.
Early voting runs through Saturday
Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate. com.
adding a small parking lot and hiring new construction project managers.
Logistics delays
Greg Nichols, City Hall’s deputy chief resilience officer, said in December that a quick open would depend on how soon they could select a construction contractor
During a council committee meeting last month, Robles said that before they could put out a bid, the planning team had to seek approval from the federal government to use a type of contract called Construction Manager at Risk that allows a construction manager to also oversee the design and planning process potentially saving time and money
Robles said the administration and Kenner-based firm Digital Engineering & Imaging Inc. anticipate construction bids will go out this month. The firm is charged with performing site assessments, infrastructure improvements and engineering work. Completion of the site’s master plan, led by national design firm Sasaki and Associates Inc., was originally slated for March under a $2.5 million contract that includes project management and gathering feedback and suggestions from the community in a series of public meetings.
Robles said the master plan has been delayed until May because of issues obtaining a venue to hold the fourth and final public meeting, where the full plan would be presented In February, Robles said the master plan was about 80% complete.
The quick-open plan requires more money, planners say, and last month the New Orleans Department of Public Works and Digital Engineering asked the City Council for an additional $729,000. That would bring the existing contract total with Digital Engineering to $2.1 million, but a council committee denied the request, pending more information such as evidence the project is on track to meet deadlines.
“What gets the park open are the elements in this contract. We need to finalize this get this work completed so we can let the beach be open,” Robles said in February
The committee’s denial comes as Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration backed out of a $20 million deal with the Orleans Parish School Board, blaming the move on sudden budget constraints that include lost traffic camera revenue and million-dollar settlement payments.
Community stakeholders, who have been invested in the beach’s reopening since
before the city’s involvement, echoed the committee’s reasons for denial while voicing frustration over a lack of communication from the project team and the site’s slow reopening pace.
“Stop spending money on consultants, on designs and assessments,” New Orleans East resident Sage Michael said. “We need to take the money we have now and open the beach.”
Michael, along with community members Tricia “Blyss” Wallace, Reggie Ford and other volunteers, began clearing the site of overgrowth and garbage in the early days of the pandemic. They created
walking trails and a rudimentary irrigation system, which sparked the redevelopment plans they say feel more like a faraway dream than reality
“We took care of city property that was neglected. We brought in community resources to restore the site. We made it a safe place for people for over four years without $24 million,” Michael said.
Michael said further delays will rack up exorbitant construction costs in the long run, an issue consistent with inflated industry costs on a national scale.
During the council committee meeting last month, community members also
expressed concern about the project planning team’s public engagement process — one that has mostly focused on amenity preferences and creating a vision for the site in the years to come.
“There shouldn’t be a reason that the community has to wait until almost March to have this type of information. We shouldn’t have had to wait this long,” said Abraham McNeil.
“We need full transparency We cannot expect a trusting relationship without communication,” he added.
Since the launch of the master planning process last January there have
been a series of public meetings, but many say it isn’t enough.
“It’s not just being talked to or given information, it’s also making sure you’re answering people’s questions. There are many questions and the answers don’t seem to be coming,” council Vice President Helena Moreno said.
The New Orleans Office of Resilience and Sustainability will host a Lincoln Beach community memory collection event at St. Augustine High School on March 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The final public planning meeting has not yet been scheduled.
Jenkins, Sha'Conia
Sherlock, Jolene
Smith, Cheryl New Orleans
Charbonnet
Jenkins, Sha'Conia West Bank Davis Mortuary
Smith, Cheryl Obituaries
Jenkins, Sha'Conia Fiffie
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.
Jolene PatriciaSherlock (Pat) Covington, Louisiana passed away on Saturday, March 8th, 2025 at the age of 86. She was born on March 17th, 1938 in New Orleans, Louisiana where she grew up with her father, Mack J. Groves, mother, Lena Lala, and brother, Mack J. Goves. Pat was passionate about her career as abeautician.In 1977, she and her husband, Paul O'Donnell, starteda ceramic mask making company, Fancy Faces; her legacy continues to live on in the company to this day. Pat was awoman of deep faith and devoted to the Catholic religion. She was apassionate painter and reader. As resident of St. Anthony Gardens, she took on the role of presidentof the residentialcommunity. She loved baking for fellow residents and adored spending time with her friends at St. Anthony Gardens. She is survived by her son, Paul O'Donnell, daughter, Kathleen Hamel, son-in-law, Stephen Hamel, granddaughters, Katie Hamel and Melissa Sigmon, and great-grandchildren, Harper Lent, Grayson Gary, and Oliver Sigmon.
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.
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I write in response to Terry Verigan’s excellent guest column regarding state budget cuts to the University of New Orleans, an institution which has nurtured such luminaries as Stephen Ambrose and Ellis Marsalis Investigation is sorely needed to determine whether other state schools — among them LSU, University of Louisiana at Lafayette and University of Louisiana at Monroe — face the same levels of fiscal constraint. Given Louisiana’s large number of universities and community colleges (much needed in a state where many students are poor and may lack reliable transportation in a state that also badly underfunds public transit), it seems a holistic and less harmful way to trim costs would be to merge nonacademic functions that are duplicated at nearby campuses. For example, UNO, Southern University at New Orleans and Delgado could merge accounting, audit, building/ ground maintenance and bursar’s and registrar’s offices.
Ideally, the U.S. Department of Education and Louisiana Legislative Auditor should lead a joint investigation into UNO’s underfunding; however, we can’t count on the former in an era of Donald Trump/Elon Musk/DOGE purges, and the latter is beholden to a Legislature, which for decades has caused the problem; thus, it falls to this newspaper and other news media to uncover the truth. A good place to start may be to examine U.S. census data on race, age and poverty rates in each area served by a state college or university; this will help to determine if our governor and Legislature discriminate against New Orleans.
BRUCE S EVANS Metairie
Mike Smith’s February article on the MidBarataria Sediment Diversion needs much more clarity and context.
For instance, the claim that opposition comes mainly from commercial fishers ignores the many environmental groups, marine mammal and waterfowl advocates, academics and coastal officials also raising concerns. Organizations like Earth Island Institute, Healthy Gulf, the Humane Society, the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and officials in St. Bernard and Plaquemines oppose the project due to its excessive costs, minimal projected land gain and harm to endangered species.
Furthermore, why be dismissive of the commercial fishers industry and our culture?
Louisiana’s shrimp and oyster industry generates over $1.6 billion annually and supports thousands of jobs, yet the economic impact is ignored The effect on recreational fishing another key part of our economy and culture — is also overlooked.
The proponents of the project ask us to sacrifice jobs and businesses to “potentially”
rebuild 21 square miles over 50 years while Louisiana loses up to 34 square miles on the coast in a single year, all while officials rushed to break ground on the project, further exposing serious planning flaws in this $3 billion experiment.
Another concern is that in Smith’s article he mentions a trust fund for fishers but ignores that when the BP oil spill settlement funds run out, taxpayers will be stuck with the bill for a project that won’t work. When all is said and done, this just doesn’t make sense as a well-reasoned solution. Instead of gambling billions of dollars, why not explore options that are safer, more effective and faster? Shouldn’t that be our priority?
Pressing pause is the right move so better, more cost-effective strategies can be explored. Gov Jeff Landry is right to listen to those who have lived, worked and protected these estuaries for generations.
EWELL SMITH
former executive director Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, 2001-2013 Metairie
For more than 50 years, I have been following the politics of this the country I love. America, after the Second World War, invested billions of dollars and the lives of many of its children in an effort to assure a lasting universal peace. Yes, there have been many costly missteps along the way But still the result of this effort is that the United States became the leader of the free world. But in less than a month, all that changed. Our president has become a bully, insisting that Ukraine cede half its rare earth mineral rights to the United States. Instead of standing up for the facts, he has
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’s city of residence.The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US A LETTER SCAN HERE
Woes of Isle de Jean Charles residents show flaws in progressive ideology
Alex Lubben’s article on “relocation anxieties” concerning Isle de Jean Charles is another example of how a supposedly wellintentioned government assistance program goes off the rails due to unrealistic progressive thoughts. Using taxpayer dollars granted under the Obama administration, we built $300,000 homes for folks whose previous homes were worth less than $100,000. A home mentioned in the article was valued at $55,000.
So now we wonder why these folks are having a hard time paying the huge increase in property taxes and insurance. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to build homes that were closer in value to their old homes so that these folks could comfortably afford to live out their years without financial anxiety?
This is social engineering: upgrading homes for relatively poor folks into homes that they can’t afford. All at taxpayer expense. It is an example of pushing an ideal without facing reality
JOHN ANDREWS New Orleans
become a parrot for Russian talking points and propaganda.
And as a negotiator forget it. President Volodymyr Zelensky has to negotiate his country’s peace terms to end the war President Donald Trump will then no doubt claim credit for ending the war I’m also puzzled at the muted response of our politicians and of the general public.
If America can change this much in a month, what do we have to look forward to in the next four years?
MICHAEL MCCAUGHEY Baton Rouge
Abandoning vaccination push sends message that government isn’t there for people
In a recent article, Dr MarkAlain Dery asks “Why are we taking away tools of public health practitioners that will make life better for people?” He is referring to the state of Louisiana ending mass vaccination efforts. The answer is that the current Republican administrations in Baton Rouge and Washington, with the exception of Dr Bill Cassidy, do not want people to expect anything from
the government. This goes back to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. He was reelected three times because he helped people and made their lives better just as Dery suggests that vaccines do. The Republicans do not agree with that. They want us to be on our own, and that is just the way it is. DAVE MEEKS New Orleans
Kendrick Lamar’s artistry went over heads of some viewers
In response to a previously published letter regarding the Super Bowl halftime show: New Orleans indeed shined as a spectacular Super Bowl host, showcasing its culture, hospitality and ability to create an unforgettable event. However, it’s unfortunate that some viewers chose to miss the beauty of this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, opting to mute their TVs in “disgust” rather than appreciate a performance that was nothing short of prolific. Kendrick Lamar, a Grammy Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-honored artist, delivered a powerful display of music, artistry and culture
that resonated deeply with millions of fans worldwide. To suggest that his performance was in a “language other than English” is dismissive and outright inaccurate.
Lamar’s lyricism is poetic, rhythmic and deeply intentional, qualities that have cemented him as one of the greatest artists of our time. As his closing words suggested, he is an artist who understands that not everyone is willing to listen. To those who felt compelled to mute their TVs, just “Turn the TV Off” next time.
MARIAN WHITFIELD GRAYSON New Orleans
Your article “Gordon McKernan takes on Morris Bart” puts plenty of emphasis on which one might win, but you neglected to mention who loses no matter what: the vast majority of Louisiana’s auto insurance customers. Auto accidents have been happening since the car was invented, and people have been suing each other nearly as long. What McKernan, Bart and others of their kind have done is incentivize lawsuits with their advertising.
Quoting from the article: “Bart and McKernan both estimate that they spend $20 million to $25 million annually on advertising statewide.” Who are they targeting? In my opinion? People who believe that insurance companies have plenty of money therefore no one is getting hurt when the insurance companies pay out huge claims. Before unregulated advertising, one only had to pick up a phone book to find a lawyer to represent them. That system worked fine. People who were injured by negligent parties had plenty of legal options. Why did that need to change? If the reader doesn’t know the answer to that question, there’s no need to explain further JOHN SINGLETON
Discussion of RFK Jr. vote was enlightening
I congratulate the newspaper for publishing the discussion between columnists Stephanie Grace and Quin Hillyer on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr for secretary of Health and Human Services. It was refreshing to read a measured discussion and debate without accusations meant to do little more than accuse either side of being traitorous because of their perspectives. Please schedule them both for further such debates.
ROBERT E. THOMAS Metairie
WALT’S CAPTION CONTEST
WINNER: Jay Dardenne, Baton Rouge
St. Paddy’s Day
Nice! We received 767 entries in this week’s Cartoon Caption Contest. This was a tricky one, but we really had some great ideas in this batch. Our winner came up with a very funny punchline that matched the cartoon perfectly. Great work, everyone! As always, when we have duplicate entries, and we always do, we pick the earliest sent in. Here are this week’s winner and finalists. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! — Walt
CHARLES SMITH, ST. ROSE: “I stopped drinking at restaurant bars because the chef kept looking at my legs.
LYNNE CASSARO, HARAHAN: “Haven’t seen so much green since last summer’s algae bloom.
JOHN E. GALLOWAY, KENNER: “May I have a Grasshopper please?”
JIM MCCARTY, SLIDELL: “I need a drink, I almost got hit by a giant carrot!”
ADRIAN GENRE, PORT ALLEN: “So I heard this was a good spot to pick up a few bar flies?”
EMMETT ROBERTS, METAIRIE: “If he hadn’t driven the snakes out, the party would be complete.
LOIS WILLOZ, METAIRIE: “I don’t know about you guys, but I want to find a pot of crawfish at the end of my rainbow!!!!”
DR BILL COLEMAN, METAIRIE: “Go slow boys or you’ll get a My-Green.”
TIM PUJOL, MAUREPAS: “It is my lucky day! I had a fly in my beer!”
MARY H.THOMPSON, GREENSBORO, GEORGIA: “So stop me if you’ve heard
this one before…”
DAVIS C. HOTARD, BATON ROUGE: “I sure enjoyed the rain on my parade THIS time!”
ANA BRENES, METAIRIE: “We can stay dry here at our watering hole.
LYNN WISMAR, KENNER: “Welcome to the ‘Green with Envy’ Management Therapy Group’!”
ALISON CARLIN, MADISONVILLE: “We’ve reached the PINT of no return.”
JIM CRIGLER, BATON ROUGE: “Finally, a couple of guys who understand that ‘it’s not easy being green’!”
PHILLIP T GRIFFIN, NEW ORLEANS:
“you either have a fine costume, or the leprechaun and I are in big trouble.
KEVIN STEEN, CORPUS CHRISTI,TEXAS: “Remember you promised you wouldn’t order frog legs.
DALE HUNN, HARAHAN: “Who’s got the green to pay for this?”
KIM FROLICH, MANDEVILLE: “The Jolly Green Giant should be here any minute…”
GREG HACKENBERG, NEW ORLEANS:
“Today it actually is easy being green!”
MIKE GILLY, COVINGTON: “I really like the ‘hops’ in this beer!”
BOB USSERY, NEW ORLEANS: “Anybody up for cabbage ball?”
FREDDY WAGUESPACK, JR., METAIRIE:
“After this round, let’s all go back to my pad.”
DUKE RIVET, BATON ROUGE: “Seamus, I wouldn’t order the ‘gator bites’ appetizer if I were you!”
TIM PEKAREK, SLIDELL: “This is a very Ribbiting experience!”
STEPHEN R. BARRY, NEW ORLEANS: “Great… one wants me for luck, the other wants me for lunch!”
RICHARD SCHEGA, MANDEVILLE: “This beer beats flies & kale smoothies…”
MARTHA STARNES, KENNER: “The bartender just asked me ‘is this some kind of joke’?”
RORY STEEN, DENVER, COLORADO: “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m one Guinness away from believing I’m a prince.”
On my first visit to Death Row at Louisiana State Penitentiary as a Buddhist chaplain, I remember how loud it was; the clanking of metal and men trying to talk to each other in side-by-side cells. As the three men in my meditation group walked into our small room and took their seats, I naively expected the shackles on their ankles to be removed for our religious services. They were not.
This was where I met Jessie Hoffman — a man who, despite living under the shadow of death, radiated a quiet compassion that softened even the harshest corners of Death Row
It was clear to me that Jessie is a person who has turned his life around through hard work, meditation, deep self-reflection and humility In our Buddhist group, which met in a small room off Death Row Jessie was a source of stability and wisdom. During services, we practiced breathing meditation, read the Holy Buddhist teachings and discussed how to live for the benefit of others.
Jessie’s contributions to these discussions were always thoughtful and profound. He is kind and patient with others. He has been meditating for over two decades; it was clear to me that through his practice of Buddhist meditation, Jessie is now a person defined by kindness, humility and service to others.
This commitment to faith is not performative; it is a daily discipline that has reshaped Jessie’s life. In my capacity as
chaplain, I saw his deep wisdom and how he models that wisdom for the other men in prison.
Jessie has grown from his struggles and trauma. He is genuine with other people and makes an impact on whoever he engages with He has taken on the role of a mentor, guiding younger men on their own paths to peace and helping them manage conflict and choose a life away from violence.
Prison staff describe him as calming presence — a man who helps to maintain peace within the walls of Angola while showing respect to everyone he encounters. In a place often defined by despair, Jessie’s example has illuminated the possibility of change. His renewal poses a fundamental question to Louisiana’s leaders: If the purpose of incarceration is not only punishment but also the opportunity for redemption, then what justice is served by extinguishing a life that has so profoundly changed for the better?
Executing Jessie now would serve no
Democrats are searching for a magic wand to get them back to power But there are no magic wands in politics. There are only skill, hard work, the right issues — and luck.
Beyond that, Democrats need the same three things that political parties out of power have always needed: An agenda that fits the nation’s mood, a presidential candidate who embodies that mood and national conditions (especially economic) that work in their favor
Examples in history are plentiful.
In 1968, Republicans came back from Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 landslide after the Vietnam War and public unrest tore apart the country In 1976, Democrats came back from Richard Nixon’s 1972 landslide when the Watergate scandal decimated GOP fortunes. In 1992, Democrats came back after three consecutive Republican wins, starting with Ronald Reagan’s hefty victories. In 2008, after losing two elections, Democrats came back after the Republican administration’s mismanagement of the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina and the economic meltdown. Last year, voters were in the mood for change. The problem for Democrats was that the change voters wanted was to move away from Democratic policies, especially on immigration, inflation, national security and a variety of progressive social causes. So instead of nominating a candidate who embodied change, Democrats did the opposite. They nominated Vice President Kamala Harris, part-and-parcel of the sitting regime.
Democrats thought Harris would give them something new and exciting. They thought she’d shore up support from women, minorities and young voters — constituencies that elected Barack Obama and Joe Biden. But it didn’t happen.
Harris received a smaller vote percentage among women, Black and Hispanic voters than did Biden and Hillary Clinton in their races against Donald Trump. Also, Black voters made up a smaller percentage of the 2024 electorate, with Harris on the ballot, than they did in the prior two elections, down 15% from when Biden ran and down 8% when Clinton was the Democratic nominee.
In addition, Harris had a problem energizing young people. Voters 18-29 made up 17% of the electorate in the Clinton vs. Trump race, 16% in Biden vs. Trump and only 14% in Harris vs. Trump.
Democrats must face the hard lessons in these numbers. Until they do, their party won’t make a comeback.
As Democrats look to 2028, they must recognize that gimmicks don’t matter; it’s policies, candidates and national conditions that do. That’s why so much of the discussion now going on in Democratic circles is so silly Podcasts, sports news shows, brushed up messaging, angry cussing and town hall meetings won’t save them. The problem is deeper than that.
The root of the tooth ache: Democrats have moved too far left. To make it worse, most Democrats don’t even realize how far left they’re perceived to have drifted. They have allowed the excesses of progressive politics to shape their positioning, policies and image.
Even Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California and a progressive himself, bemoans the hash his party has made of its politics. His finger is surely to the wind, but what else can you expect from a presidential candidate-in-waiting?
So how can Democrats win again? The answer: Tony Blair
row at Angola.
purpose. It would neither erase the pain of the past nor honor the principles of justice that recognize the potential for human transformation.
Clemency exists precisely for cases like Jessie’s — not to forget his past actions but to acknowledge that he is no longer defined by them. His life demonstrates that even those who have committed grave wrongs can find a path to faith and service to others.
To end that life now would be to deny the very essence of what true justice should represent — mercy, redemption, and the belief that no further harm should be done.
Louisiana’s leaders have the power to choose mercy over death, to affirm that our justice system is capable of grace. Jessie Hoffman’s story challenges us to rise to that standard — to show that, even in the darkest of places, we can choose light.
The Rev. Michaela Bono is a Zen Buddhist priest.
Blair, the British politician, became leader of the left-wing Labour Party in 1994, at a time when the Conservative Party held power Blair’s strategy: Remake his party, don’t just fiddle with tactics. “New Labour, New Life for Britain” was his slogan.
Blair’s New Labour offered voters a “third way” alternative to discredited left vs. right politics. He took on the left wing of his party and pushed for market-based reforms and opposed nationalization of the economy At 43, Blair marched to a big victory in 1997, closing the curtain on 18 years of Conservative rule He was the only Labour prime minister to lead his party to three consecutive victories.
Here’s what Democrats should do: Remake their party and move it to the center; reject enough progressive policies to convince voters they’re serious; appeal to the masses and not just to organized groups; find good candidates who embody the new Democratic Party; and wait for opportunities to open up as voters start looking for change.
Victory often lurks in the jaws of defeat. It just takes guts to reach in and pull it out.
Ron Faucheux is a nonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana. He publishes LunchtimePolitics. com, a nationwide newsletter on polls and public opinion.
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
The NCAA Women’s Tournament bracket is set.
And the selection committee gave the LSU women’s basketball team a No 3 seed for the fourth season in a row This time, the Tigers will compete at the top of the Spokane 1 region alongside squads such as No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 North Carolina State and No. 4 Baylor
Because it’s once again a top-four seed, LSU will host tournament games for the fourth consecutive year Its first opponent is No. 14 seed San Diego State one of the three other teams assigned to the Baton Rouge region, which will cover the first two rounds of the bracket. The other two squads that will play in the
Pete Maravich Assembly Center are No. 6 seed Florida State and No. 11 seed
George Mason.
“That 3 seed has been good to us at LSU,” coach Kim Mulkey said.
The Spokane 1 region also contains a few potential interesting matchups for LSU.
Last season, the Tigers knocked off UCLA in the Sweet 16. That is a potential Elite Eight showdown this year
Earlier this season, LSU beat the Wolfpack 82-65 on Nov 27 in The Bahamas.
NC State then went on to win all but two of its 18 regular-season conference contests, reached the ACC Tournament title game and jumped the Tigers for a No. 2 seed. A Sweet 16 rematch is projected.
The bracket also could give Mulkey an Elite Eight battle with Baylor, the pro-
gram she guided to three national championships across a 21-season tenure that ended when she took the LSU job in 2021.
“There’s excitement in the air,” Mulkey said “I mean, just look at our fans out there, excited. It’s exciting to see who you’re gonna play. It’s exciting to, once again, be exposed on national television. You can’t put a dollar sign on what that means, and to see LSU up there and to see the girls in the video. This is why you play, and only 16 of us get to host.”
LSU has won its own regional and advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of the past two seasons. In 2022, Mulkey’s first year in charge, the Tigers suffered an upset loss to No. 6 seed Ohio State in the second round.
ä See LSU WOMEN, page 4C
The Detroit Pistons team that will show up in the Smoothie King Center on Monday night won’t be the same pushover the New Orleans Pelicans have dominated for the past three-plus years. The Pistons are no longer the worst team in the NBA. They’ve turned things around after making changes to their front office, coaching staff and roster. As a result, they’ve gone from
ä Pistons at Pelicans, 7 P.M.MONDAy,GSN
a team that won just 14 games last season to getting in position to triple that total this season.
They are 37-31 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a reasonable chance to climb to a top-four seed for the playoffs
Not bad for a team whose struggles this time a year ago were even worse than this season’s Pelicans. The Pistons hired former Pelicans general manager Trajan
Langdon as their president of basketball operations. Langdon then hired coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who replaced Monty Williams. They upgraded the roster, and Cade Cunningham emerged as an NBA All-Star More importantly, they got better on defense, going from the team with the worst defensive rating in the NBA last season to ninth best this season. They thrive on toughness. These may not be your Bad Boys Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s, but they aren’t the ones from the past few seasons, either Bickerstaff
reminded everyone of that Saturday night during a postgame rant criticizing the officials after his Pistons lost to the Thunder
“We understand that we play a style of ball that’s physical and on the edge,” Bickerstaff said.
So the Pelicans, who have won seven straight games against the Pistons, will have a much tougher time extending that streak to eight.
The Pelicans have had their troubles against physical teams
BY EDDIE PELLS AP national writer
Auburn is the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, with Duke, Houston and Florida joining the Tigers on the No. 1 line in the March Madness brackets released Sunday
The NCAA selection committee favored the regular-season champs of the record-setting Southeastern Conference despite three losses in their last four games, along with a loss to Duke back in December
The Tigers (28-5) and Gators were two of the 14 SEC teams to make the field, which are the most for a conference in the history of the tournament. The previous high was 11 by the Big East in 2011.
It’s Florida, which captured the SEC Tournament by winning three games with an average margin of 15 points, that opens as a slight favorite to win it all at the Final Four in San Antonio on April 5 and 7, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. In something of a surprise, both North Carolina and Texas slid in off the bubble, while Indiana, West Virginia and Boise State did not.
The 68-team bracket starts whittling down on Tuesday with preliminary games, and the main draw kicks off Thursday and Friday with 32 games at eight sites around the country
The selection show began with a heartfelt tribute to the late Greg Gumbel, the CBS stalwart who oversaw the bracket unveiling for decades. Then, just as Gumbel would have preferred, it was about the basketball — and there was plenty to talk about. North Carolina looked all but out, a victim of a 1-12 record against Quad 1 opponents and part of a conference (ACC) teetering on the verge of a historically bad season. But the Tar Heels were the last team in, thanks maybe to a strong nonconference slate. Texas was also in, its seven wins against Quad 1 teams outweighing its overall 15 losses. The Carolina inclusion was certain to fuel some conspiracy theories. The chair of the selection committee was Tar Heels athletic director Bubba Cunningham, who said rules state he cannot be part of any debate about his own team.
“As vice chair, I managed all the conversations we had about North Carolina and we had quite a few,” said Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill, who was brought onto the CBS bracket show to discuss Carolina.
The SEC’s 14 teams were followed by the Big Ten with eight and Big 12 with seven. The ACC, meanwhile, ended up with four teams, barely avoiding its worst showing since 2000, back when the conference was half the size it is now
Even in a down cycle, the ACC has Duke, and Duke has arguably the best player in the country in freshman Coo-
ä See PELICANS, page 3C ä See
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
Ethan Frey has carved out a defined role in the LSU lineup.
Hitting left-handed pitching became a strength of the righthanded hitter since last season.
That’s why he was back in the lineup Sunday against Missouri left-handed starter Kadden
Drew Frey did his job in the first inning, shooting a run-scoring double off Drew, but when Missouri went to right-handed reliever Xavier Lovett, LSU coach Jay Johnson kept Frey in the game.
“We were pretty lined up for what he was going to do,” Johnson said regarding Frey’s first at-bat against Lovett, “and saw an opportunity right there.” Frey quickly rewarded his
coach’s trust, rapping a single off of Lovett before hitting another single to drive in a run an inning later It was Frey’s second three-hit day of the season as LSU won 10-5 to clinch the series sweep of Missouri (8-11, 0-3 SEC) at Alex Box Stadium.
“It was a little weird getting back into it,” Frey said when asked about facing a righty “But, I mean, it’s just the same old baseball.”
LSU had 10 hits, nine runs, three walks and was hit by four pitches through five innings. By the end of the day, junior Jared Jones was the only starter without a hit.
Frey and freshman Derek Curiel had three hits apiece. Curiel reached base five times and
BY JIM KLEINPETER
Contributing writer
LSU softball had control of its Sunday game against Kentucky with a 4-1 lead going into its final at bat, but the No. 4 Tigers added a knockout punch compliments of their power-hitting duo of Maci Bergeron and Tori Edwards.
Bergeron hit her second homer of the day, a three-run shot, and Edwards followed with her team-leading 11th as LSU finished a sweep of the Wildcats, 8-2, on a windy day at Tiger Park
The visitors never showed signs of surrender and outhit the Tigers, 9-6, while stranding nine baserunners. The late homers allowed LSU right-hander Sydney Berzon to relax in the seventh inning even as the Wildcats scored, and improve to 12-0. Berzon was the winning pitcher in all three games, coming out of the bullpen on Saturday
“We talked about throwing the last punch, and we did a good job of doing that,” LSU coach Beth Torina said. “It makes the last inning feel completely different. If it’s 4-1 and they score that run, it’s a lot of pressure. It feels completely different. The fact we’re never done, never quitting, continuing to throw punches, continuing to be aggressive, that’s who we are.”
LSU (27-1, 3-0 in SEC) threw punches early, too. The Tigers scored a run in the first without a hit and made it 3-0 on Bergeron’s tworun homer in the third. Kentucky had baserunners in all but one inning and a couple of times had Berzon on the ropes, but with the wind blowing out, Berzon got 11 groundball outs to pitch around trouble.
“When the wind is blowing this hard, just trying to keep the balls out of the air, keep it more on the ground as best I can,” said Berzon, who struck out four and walked one while throwing 116 pitches. “It’s a mental thing, understanding I can work through
the process, and I have a strong defense behind me. Knowing if something were to happen, I have a phenomenal offense to pick me up.”
The LSU defense shut down a major Kentucky threat with the Tigers leading 1-0 in the second. With runners on second and third and one out, shortstop Avery Hodge fielded a smash by Cassie Reasner and threw out Lauryn Borzilleri out at home on a close play that survived a video replay challenge. Peyton Plotts then hit a line drive down the left-field line and Tigers left fielder Jadyn Laneaux made a running catch toward the foul line to save two runs.
Kentucky finally got a run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and LSU answered with one in the bottom half on a bases-loaded infield hit by Jalia Lassiter Berzon dodged another threat after allowing leadoff singles in the sixth inning, getting two easy grounders after a sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position. Then the LSU sluggers stepped up. Bergeron followed a single by Hodge and a walk to Danieca Coffey with her seventh homer of the season, and third in two games, on a 3-2 pitch from relief pitcher Carson Fall. Bergeron had five hits and nine RBIs for the weekend. “I’ve been very specific about
what I’ve been swinging at,” said Bergeron, who is second on the team with 25 walks. “That’s helped me walk more and do what I did today
“I’ve been training for those pitches all week in the Mike (Moore Performance Center) for hours. I definitely feel more confident in what I’m swinging at.”
Edwards then hit her 11th homer to left field.
“Really incredible performance by Maci this weekend,” Torina said. “This is something she’s work hard for for two years. She conducts herself like a professional in practice. She’s worked for this moment and is deserving of moments like this.”
BY DARRELL WILLIAMS Contributing writer
After a weather-plagued loss Saturday, Sunday was a beautiful day for the Tulane baseball team
Tayler Montiel pitched three strong innings of relief, and Michael Lombardi drove in the winning run and closed in the ninth as the Green Wave edged Xavier 5-4 to win the weekend series at Turchin Stadium.
The Musketeers (8-13) beat Tulane (15-5) 10-3 on Saturday to tie the series at a game apiece.
“(Xavier) is a team that would fit in our conference in terms of just the competitiveness and talent level, so we knew coming in that this would prep us for what’s coming starting next weekend,” said Green Wave coach Jay Uhlman, whose team won for the eighth time in 10 games.
Tulane will play host to Lamar on Tuesday before starting Ameri-
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extended his on-base streak to 21 games, while sophomores Steven Milam and Jake Brown drove in multiple runs along with Frey
“We can’t be narrowed down to one way of winning,” Frey said. “Very (multi)dimensional. We can play small ball, or we can go deep.”
After Frey’s run-scoring double, Milam hit a sacrifice fly to right field in the first inning that scored a run. Brown then hit a two-run home run, a shot into right field that was his first homer of the year
Later in the third inning, Milam reached on a fielder’s choice that drove in another run. Jones and junior Daniel Dickinson had a run-scoring groundout and dou-
can Athletic Conference play Friday vs. Wichita State in a threegame series at Turchin. Lombardi, who started in center field, laid down a perfectly executed bunt to the first-base side that brought in Gavin Schultz from third base with the eventual winning run in the bottom of the seventh.
Montiel then struck out the side in the top of the eighth, getting third baseman Luke Hammond on a called third strike to lead off the inning. Hammond had gotten a hit in six consecutive at-bats.
Montiel pitched three innings while giving up one hit with no walks and striking out four The one run he allowed was unearned.
Xavier had tied the score 4-4 in the seventh when Tulane first baseman Nate Johnson bobbled a bunt by Jason Jelic, enabling Carter Hendrickson to score from third. Hendrickson had reached base leading off the inning on an
ble, respectively, in the fourth before Frey’s second RBI hit of the day
“We’re better,” Johnson said.
“And again, this is a different deal. Like even the guys that were in the jerseys last year they’re in the jerseys this year (and) they’re different, too.”
No 1 LSU (20-1, 3-0) had to rely on its bullpen again Sunday after redshirt sophomore right-handed
starter Chase Shores lasted only 32/3 innings. The night before, junior right-handed starter Anthony Eyanson registered the same amount of outs.
Junior left-hander Conner Ware was the first LSU reliever, recording two outs before handing the ball to freshman right-hander Mavrick Rizy with one out in the fifth inning.
Rizy threw two scoreless frames, forcing three groundouts, including a double play, on 25
error by Wave shortstop Kaikea Harrison and advanced to third on a double by first baseman Connor Misch.
Lombardi entered in the ninth. He gave up a one-out double to Misch, then struck out Jelic looking at a beautiful breaking pitch on the outside corner before fanning Clay Burdette on a 2-2 pitch to end it.
Montiel (1-0) was the winning pitcher for the first time since 2023, his first season with the Wave after transferring from Mississippi State. He admittedly underperformed the past two seasons while Tulane won two AAC Tournament championships. He has two career wins with the Wave.
“I’ve really struggled since I’ve been here,” Montiel said. “But I had a good fall, and my coaches and teammates have a lot of confidence in me.
“Repeating my delivery has
pitches. He walked one batter before coming out for redshirt sophomore left-hander DJ Primeaux with one out in the seventh inning.
“With a defense like that behind you,” Rizy said, “you’ve just got to fill (the strike zone) up and let them do their thing.” Primeaux forced a fielder’s choice before walking a batter and giving up a two-out, runscoring single that cut LSU’s lead to 9-4. Junior right-hander Zac Cowan replaced him after the hit and walked a batter before getting a strikeout to escape a basesloaded jam. Cowan tossed a scoreless eighth inning before giving up a run in the ninth, but the game never was in doubt.
“The best reliever in college baseball is on that field there for the last 21/3 innings,” Johnson said of Cowan. Shores had an up-and-down
Vikings acquire 49ers RB Mason after a trade
The Minnesota Vikings acquired restricted free agent running back Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers and rewarded him with a two-year deal worth up to $12 million.
The trade sends a 2026 sixthround pick to San Francisco. There is also a pick swap in 2025 with the Niners flipping the 187th overall pick for the 160th. San Francisco previously had placed a second-round tender on Mason worth $5.4 million for 2025. That gave the 49ers the right to match any offer made to Mason or receive a second-round pick as compensation.
But with San Francisco unwilling to pay that high a salary to a backup and Minnesota unwilling to part with such a high pick, the sides reached the trade instead.
Ravens sign QB Rush to back up Jackson
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has a new backup.
Cooper Rush has agreed to a two-year, $6.2 million deal worth up to $12.2 million with Baltimore, a source with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed Sunday Rush spent his first seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, where he was the backup to Dak Prescott. He replaces 38-year-old Josh Johnson, who is a free agent and was Jackson’s backup each of the past two seasons. The only other quarterback on Baltimore’s roster is Devin Leary, a sixth-round draft pick last year who struggled through training camp. Rush, 31, brings plenty of experience. He has appeared in 38 games (14 starts) and the Cowboys went 9-5 in games he started.
Russian teen Andreeva beats No. 1 Sabalenka
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva came back to beat No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday to make the 17-year-old the tournament’s youngest champion since Serena Williams in 1999. The 11th-ranked Andreeva improved to 19-3 this season — the most wins by a woman on tour and collected her second Masters 1000 title of 2025. The other came at Dubai in February, which earned her a top-10 ranking for the first time.
This was Andreeva’s fifth consecutive victory over a top-10 opponent, and she is now 9-5 against players ranked that high since the start of 2024. That includes two victories each over Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek.
been important. Every time I’m out there now, I feel like I’m getting in the same spots, and I feel consistent with my delivery to where I’m not guessing as to how the ball is going to move.”
The seventh inning was key for Montiel and the Wave, Uhlman said. After two errors and the unearned run that tied the score, there were runners on second and third with no outs. Montiel fielded a bunt by Burdette and scooped the ball with his glove to catcher Hugh Pinkney, who tagged out Misch at the plate
Montiel then struck out Nolan Tucker and induced a groundout to shortstop by Isaac Wachmann.
“The seventh had a chance to be a really bad inning for us,” Uhlman said “When we walked off the field, we were tied instead of down. That was huge.”
The Wave led 4-3 after the sixth, with all of its runs unearned.
start, surrendering three earned runs on four hits. After throwing a scoreless first inning, he allowed one run in each of the next three innings He had five strikeouts and allowed almost no hard contact, but his control was erratic at times. He walked three batters and hit another on 87 pitches.
“I thought he had a great first. I thought it was a good one (run only) in the second,” Johnson said. “I thought he got outside himself a little bit in the third, with two free bases and the balk. He needs to learn from that, but then I thought he really competed after that.”
LSU faces UNO on Tuesday at Alex Box Stadium. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m and the game can be streamed on SEC Network+ Email Koki Riley at Koki. Riley@theadvocate.com.
Astros to start Valdez on opening day again
Framber Valdez is going to start for the Houston Astros on opening day — again.
Manager Joe Espada told reporters on Sunday that Valdez will take the mound when the Astros host the New York Mets on March 27. The left-hander is making his fourth consecutive opening-day start. The 31-year-old Valdez went 15-7 with a 2.91 ERA in 28 starts for the AL West champions last year He finished seventh in balloting for the AL Cy Young Award.
Valdez made his big-league debut with Houston in 2018. He helped the Astros win the World Series in 2022. He is 68-41 with a 3.30 ERA in 157 big league games — all with Houston.
Illness jeopardizes Betts’ status for Dodgers’ opener
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop
Mookie Betts is still struggling to recover from an illness, with manager Dave Roberts pessimistic that the eight-time All-Star will be ready for opening day against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday in Japan.
Betts was able to go through a light workout Sunday but became tired quickly Roberts said Saturday that Betts started suffering from flulike symptoms in Arizona, the day before the team left for Japan. He still made the long plane trip, but he hasn’t recovered as quickly as hoped. Roberts said Betts will need to show substantial improvement on Monday to play against the
“To be able to go through an entire workout and not feel that same fatigue would give us a chance,” Roberts said.
BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer
FORT WORTH, Texas Minutes after his team lost to Tulane in an American Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinal Friday, first-year Florida Atlantic coach John Jakus made a pitch to keep his star freshman players for another season.
That is the reality of college basketball in the NIL era, and Jakus said some people thought he was crazy for thinking it was possible.
Sixth-year Tulane coach Ron Hunter was not as direct after the Green Wave’s 78-77 semifinal defeat on Saturday to top-seeded Memphis. Having backed up a 12-6 conference record with a gritty performance against the Tigers, the senior-less Wave appears capable of taking another leap forward if the roster returns close to intact next season.
“Right now it’s furthest from my mind,” Hunter said. “These kids are great. I know every year’s a different year. We kind of made a bond for all our ourselves in there we’d get ourselves back in this situation. My job is to make sure that we can get as many back, but right now I’m concerned about this team. And hopefully for us this isn’t our last game.” Tulane (19-14) has no shot at the National Invitation Touranment with a NET ranking of 145, so Hunter — who refused to elaborate later — was referring to either the 16-team CBI, which will be played in Daytona Beach, Florida, from March 22-26, or the new College Basketball Crown, another 16-team event that will occur in Las Vegas from March 31-April 6. Hunter said when he was hired
that the Wave never would play in an event below the NIT, but this team’s surge has prompted a change of heart.
The College Basketball Crown will announce its field after the NIT bracket is complete, followed by the CBI.
Processing what had just happened on the court was tough for Hunter and his players. The Wave nearly reached its first conference tournament championship game since 1992, but two critical calls in the final 30 seconds went in Mem-
phis’ favor On replay review, the officials reversed a goal-tending call that would have given Tulane a onepoint lead After the ensuing inbounds pass, Tigers guard PJ Haggerty dove on top of Rowan Brumbaugh and grabbed a loose ball without being assessed a foul
“I want to make sure I say this: Memphis is a hell of a team,” Hunter said. “It was a great game. It’s nothing against Memphis at all, but let the players (decide) it. That’s the part that’s hard because
these guys work all year long to get to this point, and those guys (the officials) go to the hotel and have a beer and then go on to the first round (of the NCAA Tournament) next week. I have a hard time with that.”
Hunter admitted his locker-room speech was difficult.
“It was really hard just because we put so much into it from where we started with a new team and all,” he said. “I hope I’ll have some good news for them.”
Regardless of any postseason
possibility, the best news for the program is for the current players to stay out of the transfer portal, which opens March 24. Brumbaugh, a redshirt sophomore who led the Wave in scoring and assists, certainly appeared happy with his situation Saturday
“This team was just so fun to play on,” he said, mentioning all four of his fellow starters and Hunter by name. “It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing basketball.”
Sources indicated the toughest sell jobs will be Kaleb Banks, a junior transfer from Indiana and the Wave’s second-leading scorer, and standout freshman Kam Williams, who scored 16 points with a team-high eight rebounds against Memphis.
AAC teams were ravaged by the transfer portal a year ago. Tulane was no exception, but Hunter rebuilt the roster with Brumbaugh, Williams and top substitute Mari Jordan while coaxing tremendous improvement from holdovers Gregg Glenn, Asher Woods and Percy Daniels.
Whatever happens, Hunter, 60, said he was rejuvenated by coaching this team, which exceeded outside expectations dramatically a year after a veteran Tulane group plummeted to the bottom of the AAC.
“There were a lot of thoughts and questions I had about myself last year about how long I wanted to keep doing it, but having this group around, I’ve had so much fun,” Hunter said. “It’s made me feel younger, and I’ve realized how badly I want to get this program to the (NCAA) tournament. It’s going to drive me every day to get us there.”
BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.
Rory McIlroy had every reason to think he would be leaving The Players Championship with the gold trophy and a big payoff Sunday He was three shots ahead of J.J. Spaun after a four-hour rain delay and had a rain-softened course ahead of him.
Spaun refused to give in easily He caught McIlroy with two great shots held his nerve down one of the most daunting closing stretches and it ended in a draw when it was too dark for a threehole aggregate playoff
This David-and-Goliath battle won’t be decided until Monday morning at the TPC
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like this.
You saw it in the playoffs last season when the Pels got swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder And you’ve seen it this season in games against the Houston Rockets and the Orlando Magic. The loss to the Rockets on March 6 prompted Pelicans coach Willie Green to call his team “soft” afterward.
“The lack of physicality,” Green said. “We look soft When we look soft defensively, we stop sharing the ball offensively Do we do it every game? No. But those are the inconsistencies that we are seeing.
“We have to make decisions that we want to be more consistent in our approach, starting with our physicality When we do, we’re fine.” When they don’t, they aren’t. The lack physicality and having a bad quarter here or there are why the Pelicans have lost 13 games by 20 or more points. The latest such loss came to the Magic last week.
“I think it starts with the leaders of the team,” Trey Murphy said about not playing soft. “There was a huddle at half court right before the third quarter (against Orlando) about testing our manhood. We’ve just got to draw a line in the sand. I feel like we showed a better effort in the second
Sawgrass. McIlroy, keeping an eye on Spaun while playing in the group ahead of him, needed two putts from 75 feet on the par-4 18th for a 4-under 68. Then he had to wait until Spaun (72) came within inches of making a 30-foot birdie putt for the win.
“Everyone expects him to win,” said Spaun, who has one PGA Tour title and has never reached the Tour Championship. “I don’t think a lot of people expect me to win. I expect myself to win
That’s all I care about.
McIlroy made birdie before and after the delay to build his lead to three shots. He played the final six holes in 1 over, and his 4-foot par putt on the 18th nearly slid out of hole.
“I’m standing here feeling like I should be going home with the trophy today,” McIlroy said. “But it’s all right. I’ll reset and try to go home with the trophy tomorrow.” They finished at 12-under 276. They did well to finish in regulation before sunset.
The Players has a threehole aggregate playoff on the most memorable holes on the TPC Sawgrass the par-5 16th, the island green on the par-3 17th and the 18th hole that requires the boldest of tee shots with water all the way down the right and trees to the right.
It will be the first Monday finish at The Players Championship since Cameron Smith won in 2022, and the first playoff since Rickie
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PAUL SANCyA Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, center drives between Detroit Pistons forward Chimezie Metu left, and Tosan Evbuomwan on March 24 in Detroit. The Pelicans have won seven in a row vs. the Pistons.
half.” To beat a team like the Pistons — or any other team in the league, for that matter — the Pels can’t wait until the second half to show up. They’ll have to bring it for all four quarters against a team they haven’t lost to since Valentine’s Day 2021. “I know we’re not going to accept softness,” Green said “So whatever that means. I don’t know if I can instill it. But we just can’t accept that. We have to step on the floor and at minimum
you’ve got to match their intensity and physicality, and we’ve got to outcompete them.” Green, a Detroit native in his fourth season as the Pelicans coach, is 6-0 against his hometown team. But these Pistons are much tougher In order for the Pelicans to continue their winning ways against them, they’ll have to be tougher, too.
Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate. com.
Fowler won 10 years ago.
“You’ve got to make five good swings. That’s all it is,” said McIlroy a four-time major champion with 38 titles worldwide. “So
Fashion made a statement for the LSU women’s basketball team
Sunday Kim Mulkey strolled into the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for her team’s NCAA selection watch party wearing the same white zipper jacket she wore 20 years ago when she coached Baylor to an upset win over LSU in the 2005 Women’s Final Four
Scott Rabalais
“I saw it and thought it might bring us good luck,” Mulkey said. There is a chance the Tigers will need it.
Star shooting guard Flau’jae Johnson watched the selections flash on the PMAC’s big video scoreboards with a walking boot on her right foot. Double-double assembly line Aneesah Morrow watched with a walking boot on her left foot, both along with their teammates wearing T-shirts with the words “NOTHING EASY” printed on the front.
A return to the Women’s Final Four won’t be easy for LSU, nor anyone else in a year when there are at least seven or eight legitimate national championship contenders.
But if Johnson, dealing with shin splints, and Morrow, who re-aggravated a foot sprain in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, aren’t right, it will be impossible for the Tigers to get there
Before you start fretting too much about LSU, here was the official word from coach Kim Mulkey about Johnson and Morrow at Sunday night’s post selection-show news conference:
“Good to go,” Mulkey said “Morrow and Flau’jae are in a boot. I don’t know why they’re still in it but they just keep them in it.”
That should be good news for the Tigers (28-5) who for the fourth straight tournament under Mulkey drew a No. 3 seed and will take on No. 14-seeded San Diego State (25-9) on Saturday in a Spokane 1 regional game at a time to be determined. No. 6 seed Florida State (23-8) and No 11 seed George Mason (27-5) are in the other first-round matchup here, the winners to play some time next Monday
Aside from the fact that Spokane Washington, is too remote to host a regional — I went there when the LSU women played there in 2013 and couldn’t get home even after the Tigers lost in the round of 16 it’s an intriguing regional top to toe.
UCLA is the No. 1 overall seed, a team LSU beat in the Sweet 16 last year before losing to Iowa and Caitlin Clark in the Elite Eight. The Bruins could play
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LSU then bounced back and stormed to a national championship in 2023. In 2024, it reached the Elite Eight and fell to a No. 1-seeded Iowa team. Caitlin Clark tallied 41 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in that rematch of the 2023 national title game. Her nine 3-pointers tied a tournament record.
The Tigers could’ve earned a No 2 seed or even a No 1 seed this season, but they’ve dropped three of their last four games, including regular-season contests against Alabama and Ole Miss, and a Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinal clash with Texas. Senior Aneesah Morrow aggravated a foot sprain early in the second half of the Texas game, depleting an LSU team that already was missing junior Flau’jae Johnson (shin).
On Sunday, both Johnson and Morrow wore walking boots during the team’s selection show watch party, but Mulkey said both are “good to go” for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re playing at home,” Mulkey said. “It doesn’t guarantee you any victories, but it sure is good not to have to pack this weekend.”
The Tigers are one of only three No. 3 seeds to win a national title since the tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1994 This LSU team will need to win six games in a row to become the fourth. It can notch its first victory when
JOHNSON
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL
LSU guard Flau’Jae Johnson soars to the hoop past Tennessee guard
Ruby Whitehorn on Feb 9. LSU earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament and will face San Diego State.
Southern, who first must advance from a First Four game with UC San Diego. Baylor is the No. 4 seed and NC State, which LSU drummed 82-65 back in November in The Bahamas, is the No. 2. Considering the other No. 2s are TCU (where former Tiger Hailey Van Lith now plays), UConn and a hot Duke team, it could have been a worse draw for LSU. From that perspective, confidence for the Tigers — who still count Johnson, forward Sa’Myah Smith and point guard Last-Tear Poa as key contributors from the 2023 national championship team — should not be in short supply ESPN, by the way gives LSU a 98.8% chance of beating the Aztecs in the first round. The second round could be dicey if the Tigers get the Seminoles, who are led by Ta’Niya Latson and her NCAA tops 24.9 points per game. Still, it’s a sucker bet to pick against the Tigers not to make the trek way out west — as long as its big three of Johnson Morrow and guard Mikaylah Williams are on top of their respective games. Meanwhile, the LSU men’s season is over Because the SEC got a record 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament, 15th-place LSU and
16th-place South Carolina were eligible for NIT bids under the new “rich get richer” policy
Both schools turned down the offers, and thankfully so.
I feel a touch hypocritical saying that, because I was very critical of the Ben Simmons-led LSU team turning down an NIT bid in 2016. But that team went 19-14 overall, tied for third in the SEC and reached the conference tourney semifinals. This LSU team went 14-18 overall, 3-15 in conference and was one-and-done in the SEC Tournament. There was nothing about LSU playing in the NIT that would have moved the needle for the program or its fans. Zero. The sooner the Tigers can start sizing up prospects in the transfer portal and trying to build a competitive roster for 2025-26 with more NIL money the better And yes, Matt McMahon will be back to do the building. Maybe the fashionable thing next March will be the LSU women and men both being in the NCAA tournaments.
For now, it’s important to see how far the women’s team can go this year and whether it truly is a legitimate contender to become NCAA champions again.
The Southern women’s basketball team will begin its NCAA Women’s Tournament odyssey in Tampa, Florida, against Big West Conference champion UC San Diego on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
The battle between No. 16 seeds is one of four matchups at Amalie Arena over two days in the First Four The winner between Southern and UC San Diego will move on to Los Angeles to face UCLA, the No 1 seed in the Spokane Regional 1, on Friday.
The Jaguars (19-14) secured their third tournament bid in seven years on Saturday with a 64-44 victory over Alcorn State in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game.
UC San Diego (20-15) secured its bid with a 75-66 win over UC Davis on Saturday
BY TERESA M. WALKER Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Todd Golden knows exactly what he expects out of his fourth-ranked Florida Gators.
“We have a chance to win a national championship,” Golden said as his Gators accepted the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship trophy Sunday
Walter Clayton Jr scored 22 points as Florida won its fifth SEC Tournament title and first since 2014 Sunday beating the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers 8677.
“I came here because I believed in that vision,” Clayton said of winning titles at Florida. “See it come to fruition, it actually happening, is great.”
The Gators (30-4) lost in this game a year ago. This time, they showed off their depth going through No. 21 Missouri, No. 5 Alabama and now the Vols. The result is finishing their 12th appearance in this game all-time to add another title to the list that started with three straight between 200507.
“When we are playing like this, I think we are the best team in America,” Golden said.
Will Richard added 17 points for Florida. Alex Condon had 13, Thomas Haugh 11 and Alijah Martin 10.
Richard wore one of the nets around his neck talking to reporters, and the senior made clear he doesn’t want his first to be his last. This is just more motivation.
“Cutting down the nets is a great feeling, but we want to be able to do that in the NCAA Tournament as well,” Richard said.
Fourth-seeded Tennessee (277) goes home still looking for its first title in this event since 2022. The Vols have five SEC championships, but dropped to 1-3 under coach Rick Barnes with this the Vols’ fourth final in the past seven tournaments.
“We came with the idea we wanted to win this tournament,” Barnes said. “Disappointed that we didn’t. We get to go again next week. Hope that we can survive and keep moving on.”
Jordan Gainey led the Vols with a career-high 24 points. Zakai Zeigler had 23 and Chaz Lanier added 11 before fouling out.
“The experience we’ve had, playing the best of the best in this conference is going to help us in March, and that’s the biggest goal,” Tennessee senior Jahmai Mashack said of balancing the disappointment of the loss.
These teams split during the season with each winning routs defending their home courts. The Vols had enough fans that this felt
like a home court. Yet they led only briefly, the last less than two minutes in at 6-5. Florida took over from there. The Gators jumped out to a 3422 lead and took a 39-30 edge into halftime thanks to a buzzerbeating deep 3 from Denzel Aberdeen. Tennessee never got closer than five in the second half. No.22 MICHIGAN 59,No.18WISCONSIN 53: In Idianapolis, Tre Donaldson seems to have this March Madness stuff down pat. The Michigan guard delivered his second clutch play in two days, this time making the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:54 left to send No. 22 Michigan past No. 18 Wisconsin for the Big Ten Tournament title
Sunday No. 16 MEMPHIS 84, UAB 72: In Fort Worth, Texas, PJ Haggerty scored 23 points, Dain Dainja had another double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds and 16th-ranked Memphis won the American Athletic Conference tournament with an win over UAB on Sunday Haggerty put the Tigers (29-5) ahead to stay with his tiebreaking bankshot with 16:10 left. The AAC player of the year later had a 17-second span when he drove the baseline for another shot off the glass, then had a steal that led to his fastbreak ending with a three-point play VCU 68, GEORGE MASON 63: In Washington, Max Shulga scored 18 points and Joe Bamisile sealed the win with two free throws with a half-second left as Virginia Commonwealth held off George Mason to win the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament championship Sunday VCU led by eight at the break 3628, but George Mason got back-toback 3-pointers from Jared Billups and Woody Newton to trail by just two, 45-43 with more than 12 minutes to play Shulga answered with a 3 and hit a pair of free throws before finding Jack Clark for a 3 to push the VCU lead to 53-43. YALE 90, CORNELL 84: In Providence, Rhode Island, John Poulakidas knocked down five 3-pointers in the second half as regular-season champion Yale added the Ivy League Tournament championship with a win over Cornell on Sunday to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last five seasons. The senior guard got off to a slow start, scoring just two points in the first half and missing all four 3-point attempts as Yale took a 37-32 advantage into intermission. That changed to start the second half when he erupted for eight points during a 90-second span, burying two 3s and a jumper to push the Bulldogs’ lead to 16 points, 50-34 with under 16 minutes to play
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its first-round game against San Diego State tips off in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Saturday
The Tigers are making their 30th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. They’ve earned a top-four seed 15 times.
per Flagg, a 19-point, 7.5-rebounda-game freshman whose ankle injury, the school says, will not keep him out of March Madness. Elsewhere in the bracket, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino leads his unprecedented sixth program into the tournament, and what a road he would have to take to get to the Final Four First he will travel to Providence and the same building where the coach led the Friars to a surprise Final Four trip back in 1987, to lead St. John’s in a first-round game against Omaha. Pitino’s second game could come against Arkansas and John Calipari in what would be a titanic matchup between two of the game’s biggest coaching names. Another coaching icon, Tom Izzo leads Michigan State to its 27th straight tournament. The
Texas guard Julian Larry moves against Tennessee forward Cade Phillips during the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament on Friday in Nashville, Tenn. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spartans are seeded second and will face America East champion Bryant in its opener
And Gonzaga is in for the 26th time, though extending its streak of making the second weekend to 10 years will be tough. The Bulldogs are seeded eighth and could face Houston in the second round. The biggest quirks in this year’s bracket all involved the SEC:
• There are three potential second-round games between SEC teams — the sort of matchups the committee is asked to avoid, but that became inevitable with 14 SEC teams in the bracket.
• The SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 captured 42.5% of the spots, which leads to questions about whether the tournament really needs to expand to bring even more big-school teams into the mix.
• Now that the SEC officially has established itself as a hoops conference comes the question of whether the league can capture its first national title since 2012 when Kentucky won it all.
Is hypothyroidism linked to dementia?
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases approximately 5 out of 100 Americans (5%) have hypothyroidism. This translates to an estimated 16 million people in the United States.
Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, is a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of certain crucial hormones. Untreated, the condition can cause a number of health problems, including heart disease, obesity, joint pain and cognitive decline. If a person is experiencing concerns about lack of focus and signs of memory loss, they should also be aware of other symptoms associated with hypothyroidism. These include fatigue, weight gain, fluid retention, enlarged tongue with teeth indentations, cold intolerance, hair loss, dry skin, depression, joint pain, constipation, headaches, brittle fingernails, elevated cholesterol and enlarged thyroid gland.
These symptoms often lead to a person thinking that they might have the onset of Alzheimer’s or dementia. The person shouldn’t rush to judgment about possibly having the beginnings of Alzheimer’s disease Rather, the symptoms of memory loss and lack of focus might be related to low thyroid function.
Because the brain uses so much energy, people with hypothyroidism (slowed metabolism and less energy) tend to experience a decline in their mental acuity — the “brain fog” that many individuals describe as they experience the symptoms of the disorder.
Hypothyroidism is often associated with mood disturbances and cognitive impairment meaning that the thyroid hormones are critical for normal brain function. Specifically, hypothyroidism has been associated with several cognitive deficits, including general intelligence, visual-spatial skills and memory
Hypothyroidism can often be diagnosed with a simple blood test. With some people, however, it may be more complicated, and more detailed tests are needed. In an individual with an underactive thyroid gland, the blood level of T4 (the main thyroid hormone) will be low, while the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level will be high. This means that the thyroid is not making enough hormone, and the pituitary gland recognizes it and is responding appropriately by making more TSH in an attempt to force more hormone production out of the thyroid. For the majority of people with hypothyroidism, taking some form of thyroid hormone replacement (synthetic or natural, pill or liquid, etc.) will make the “thyroid function tests” return to the normal range, and this is accompanied
BY RACHEL MIPRO Contributing writer
One area shelter has a novel take on tackling homelessness in New Orleans: letting families stay together Standing in their new facility new enough that the kitchen and other areas have yet to be finished Dawn Bradley-Fletcher CEO of the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter, showcases little touches: a Desmond Tutu quote on the wall, children’s books in the library the alphabet rug in the intake room. “We’re in it for the long haul,” Bradley-Fletcher said. “We’re here to meet community needs.”
Despite the name, dads are welcome with mothers and kids, and single dads looking to enter with their kids are also accepted. As the only shelter that allows families in the metro region, the shelter is constantly busy.
The New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter moved into the Iberville Street location in late January, occupying a building that formerly housed a hotel. Besides temporary housing, the shelter offers services like employment help, education and life skills train-
ing for adults. Where families blossom
The new space, with 21 bedrooms, doubles the shelter’s capacity, bringing capacity up from 50 to 100 participants. The front hall is lined with flower-themed bedroom names like “Tulip” and “Daffodil.”
Rooms utilize space-saving measures like trundle beds and bunk beds to accommodate families of all sizes the largest to date has been a family of 13.
Less than 2% of the roughly 4,700 people served by the shelter have returned to homelessness. Bradley-Fletcher attributes the program’s success to its emphasis on a family-first approach. A year or two into the shelter operations, a woman who had been staying there tried to leave because her 12-year-old son could no longer live with his aunt, and she didn’t want to stay in the shelter
BY MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN and JOSEPH B FREDERICK Associated Press
Dear Doctors: We live in the fire zone in Altadena, California After the evacuations ended, we came home, and now my throat is constantly sore. There’s no smoke smell, but my husband says the air can still be unhealthy Why would that be? The air quality numbers are good, so it’s confusing.
Dear reader: We are near one of the fire zones in Southern California and are sadly familiar with the ongoing aftermath. Over the course of 24 days, fire tore through 60 square miles, destroyed more than 16,000 homes and businesses and damaged thousands more. At least 29 people died, and many more, including rescue workers, were injured Now the flames are out, but the health dangers continue. This is due to fine particulates released by the fires. We touched on this in
By The Associated Press
Today is Monday, March 17, the 76th day of 2025. There are 289 days left in the year This is St. Patrick’s Day
Today in history
On March 17, 1992, White South Africans voted 68.7% to 31.3% to end over 40 years of apartheid in a national referendum. (Voters of all races were allowed to vote two years later in the general election that resulted in Nelson Mandela becoming president.)
On this date:
In 1762, New York held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade.
In 1776, the Revolutionary War Siege of Boston ended as British forces evacuated the city.
In 1950, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, announced that they had created a new radioactive element they named “californium.”
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while her son had no place to live. Organization members had a meeting and decided to change the rules.
“Since then, we’ve been breaking all the rules,” Bradley-Fletcher said. “If it doesn’t make sense to us, then we’re going to fix it, because who made that rule? Where does the 12-year-old boy go?”
‘It just got to be too much’ Program participant Tiara Glenn said having her family with her helped her during a difficult time. Glenn entered the shelter in July five months pregnant, and with her 6-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter Glenn said she was having a tough pregnancy and was told to stop working and go on bed rest. She kept moving between her boyfriend’s assisted living place, where he wasn’t allowed to have people stay with him, and her mother-in-law’s onebedroom home, while trying to keep her children from realizing their situation.
“I was trying to keep life as normal for them as possible, without them realizing we’re really going through a struggle right now,” Glenn said. “I tried to keep up with all the things that they were doing it just got to be too much.” When she decided to accept assistance, Glenn said the shelter was welcoming.
“I was a little scared,” Glenn said. “I was a little skeptical about going, because I have never been in that type of situation in my life It was actually a great experience It was almost like being home.”
‘I’m very blessed’
A few weeks into their stay, she lost the storage unit that had contained all of her belongings.
The shelter helped her with baby items, furniture and everything she needed when the family, complete with a new baby daughter, moved into their own new apartment in late November
Dr. Elizabeth
Dr Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS
a recent column, but your question allows a more detailed look at the issue.
Particulates are the microscopic bits of burned materials that become suspended in wildfire smoke. Their extremely small size means they can be inhaled into the deepest recesses of the lungs. These are the alveoli, which are minute air sacs clustered at the ends of the bronchial tubes. The delicate membranes of these air
In 1969, Golda Meir took office as prime minister in Israel, beginning a term that would last through five crucial years in the nation’s history In 2003, edging to the brink of war, U.S. President George W. Bush gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave his country Iraq rejected Bush’s ultimatum, saying a U.S attack to force Saddam from power would be “a grave mistake.”
In 2010, Michael Jordan became the first ex-player to become a majority owner in the NBA as the league’s Board of Governors unanimously approved his $275 million bid to buy the Charlotte Bobcats from Bob Johnson.
In 2016, finally bowing to years of public pressure, SeaWorld Entertainment said it would stop breeding killer whales and making them perform crowd-pleasing tricks.
sacs are where the oxygen we breathe in enters the bloodstream and the carbon dioxide produced by metabolic processes exits. To get a sense of just how small alveoli are, an adult has about 240 million in each lung.
The particulates released in urban fires differ from those generated by forest fires. In urban fires, particulates come from the vast array of man-made materials found in the built environment. They include building materials, appliances, electronics, plastics, vehicles, batteries, gasoline, propane, paints, stains and solvents, cleaning products, pesticides, carpets, wood and tile floors and furnishings. As these burn, dangerous substances are released into the air They include heavy metals such as lead, zinc and chromium; toxic chemicals such
as formaldehyde, benzene, ethylene glycol-toluene, chlorine and asbestos from older homes; and an array of carcinogens known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs.
The AQI, or air quality index, warns about common pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. However, many of the particulates generated in urban fires are outside of its scope. That’s the disconnect — and the ongoing health risks that your husband is referencing. Wildfire particulates mix with the ash and soot that fall to the ground. When blown by wind or disturbed during debris removal, they can once again become airborne. Updated air quality specific to wildfire particulates is available at fire. airnow.gov
People returning to burn areas are advised to take precautions for several months. Keep windows and doors closed whenever there’s a smoky smell. Use an appropriately sized air purifier that has a HEPA filter, and change the filter often. When it’s windy, and when debris removal occurs, use an N95 mask while outdoors. Wildfire particulates are known to ramp up inflammation throughout the respiratory tract. If the throat irritation you are experiencing doesn’t clear up, please check in with your health care provider Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.
In 2023, the International Criminal Court said it had issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine. Today’s Birthdays: Civil rights activist Myrlie EversWilliams is 92. Singersongwriter John Sebastian (The Lovin’ Spoonful) is 81. Author William Gibson is 77. Actor Patrick Duffy is 76. Actor Kurt Russell is 74. Actor Gary Sinise is 70. NBA executive Danny Ainge is 66. Actor Rob Lowe is 61. Rock musician Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) is 58. Olympic soccer gold medalist Mia Hamm is 53. Singer-TV personality Tamar Braxton is 48. TV personality Rob Kardashian is 38. Singer-songwriter Hozier is 35. Actor John Boyega is 33. Olympic boxing gold medalist Claressa Shields is 30. Olympic swimming gold medalist Katie Ledecky is 28.
New Orleans Women’s and Children’s Shelter Chief Philanthropy Officer Madeleine Briscoe, left, poses with CEO Dawn Bradley-Fletcher Besides temporary housing, the shelter offers services like employment help, education and life skills training for adults.
Now settled in and about to start a new job, Glenn said the organization is still in contact, reaching out periodically to offer help and resources.
“Sometimes it can still be overwhelming,” Glenn said.
“ I was a little scared at one point, because I was kind of scared about being in a new apartment, just leaving a shelter, just having a baby, it was a big life transition for me. So in a sense, I’m still kind of processing everything. Just picking up the pieces, and building everything so it’s OK. I’m very blessed by the situation.”
Looking to expand
Funded through a mix of government dollars, private donations, family foundations and other donors, the shelter is always looking to expand services as it grows. The organization itself has been around since 2007, created in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
“The city was sort of coming back to life,” BradleyFletcher said. “But the biggest part of this is homelessness had really spiraled.”
While a basic women’s facility opened to food and shelter directly after the storm, funding ran out in 2007. Founders Jackie and Dan Silverman created the New Orleans Women’s and Children’s Shelter to fill the void, emphasizing support for New Orleans families.
Bradley-Fletcher, after working in a pediatric AIDS program and later working on finding homeless men employment, had decided to leave the nonprofit world and start her own business after Hurricane Katrina. But when she heard from a friend that a couple was looking to start a shelter, she knew she wanted to be on the front lines of the program.
“Back then it was a lot dealing with homelessness, because you really didn’t have the resources like we have now,” Bradley-Fletcher said. “We’ve sort of used, over the years, our time to create resources. That’s why we have so much programming in-house. I remember, Katrina, we didn’t have anyone to help with employment. We had to do it ourselves. It was just different.”
Eighteen years later, the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter is gearing up for one of its largest annual fundraisers. Bubbles and Bubbly will be held March 30 in the Arbor Room at Popp Fountain in New Orleans City Park. Donations will go toward operational costs.
“It’s a really fun family event,” said NOWCS Chief Philanthropy Officer Madeleine Briscoe. “We have bubbles for big kids and little kids and everyone in between.”
Dear Heloise: Sixty years ago when our home had been built, my husband solved my jewelry tangle in a simple, beautiful way He painted a 7-by-2-foot pegboard medium blue, framed it with narrow stained cove strips, and hung it on our bedroom wall with numerous hooks. Necklaces and bracelets are visible, quickly accessible, and a focal point of the room’s decor Earrings and pins take up less room in the drawers with inserts from candy boxes. — Donna, in Canandaigua, New York
Med disposal
placed the powder in the pill bottle, added water and dish detergent, then gave it a good shake. I guess this either destroys the morphine or renders it unusable.
— Mark B., via email
Cracked heels
Dear Heloise: I have had dry, cracked heels for years. I tried petroleum jelly and lotions with no luck. I found that eczema cream works. Use a pumice stone to help remove the dead skin, then apply the cream because it will help with this problem. — Joyce, in California
Carrying heavy loads
Dear Heloise: My 101-yearold father was in hospice for a short time before he passed away I administered his comfort meds including morphine. When the hospice nurse came to Dad’s home after he passed, I asked how to dispose of the morphine. She crushed the pills,
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in one niche world. It’s a little-known world that depends on buying pennies wholesale, loading them into machines and persuading parents to feed a few dollars into machines that stamp designs on the pennies Paw Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — as they are stretched between metal rollers at funfairs. Small orbits of collectors and craftsmen have developed around them. And without the penny, the whole thing faces an uncertain future.
The last pennies?
New copper pennies vanished from circulation in 1982 — 73 years after the first Lincoln penny was minted They were replaced by coins of mostly zinc thinly coated with copper The solid copper old ones were more pliable and easier to stamp, making them hot items for kids at funfairs.
“They’ll clean ’em so when they elongate the dino or shark of the printed coin it maintains a ghost image of the printed head of Lincoln,” said Brian Peters, general manager of Minnesota-based Penny Press Machine Co. “Pre-1982 copper pennies, they bring those.” Jeweler Angelo Rosato worked for decades in the 1960s and ’70s hand-printing pennies with scenes of their New Milford, Connecticut, hometown and
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by a general improvement in symptoms making the person feel better, including easing concerns about cognitive function.
Hypothyroidism is one of the most frequent causes
Dear Heloise: Recently, someone wrote in that they could no longer carry in economical heavy bags of pet food and potting soil from their trunk when they got home, and their solution was to divvy up these contents into smaller bags that were easier to carry and dispense from.
historical and sentimental scenes. Everything was obsessively cataloged, including more than 4,000 penny photographs.
“We’re big fans of the penny Keep the penny,” said Aaron Zablow of Roseland, New Jersey, who was with two of his sons at the American Dream Mall.
“I like the pennies,” his 9-year-old son Mason said. Some don’t want stoppage Critics say the rise of electronic commerce and the billions of pennies in circulation mean the U.S. could stop printing the copper coins tomorrow and see little widespread effect for decades. But some people are watching fearfully to see if Trump’s public critique of the penny will affect their business.
Alan Fleming, of Scotland, is the owner of Penny Press Factory, one of a number around the world that manufacture machines that flatten and stamp coins.
“A lovely retired gentleman in Boston sold me over 100,000 uncirculated cents a couple of years ago but he doesn’t have any more,” Fleming wrote. “I will need to purchase new uncirculated cents within the next 12 months to keep my machines supplied and working!”
Regardless of what happens to niche businesses like Fleming’s, penny defenders say they’re an important tool for lubricating the economy even if they’re a money-losing proposition.
Since the invention of money, humankind has wrangled with the question
of symptomatic dementia and is recognized as a cause of reversible dementia. Consultation with a physician, preferably an endocrinologist, is recommended to determine an accurate diagnosis.
As a lifelong pet owner, I do want to recommend to everyone that when you transfer pet food from large bags to smaller containers, please be sure to hold on to the original bag until you have finished up the contents. These days, there are many pet food recalls, and the only way to identify yours is by the date and lot numbers printed on the bag. It is a “best practice” that I have always followed, and it provides me with peace of mind. I hope this helps folks to remember the importance of being able to confirm the safety of your pet’s food if there is a recall. Stacy E., Winston-Salem, North Carolina Stacy, another solution might be to purchase a hand cart to move the bags around. You can roll the bag out of the trunk and slowly slide it onto a dolly, aka a hand cart. It’s what I usually do to save my back. — Heloise Email heloise@heloise.com.
of small change, how to denominate amounts so small that the metal coin itself is actually worth more. In 2003, Thomas J. Sargent and another economist wrote “The Big Problem of Small Change,” billed as “the first credible and analytically sound explanation” of why governments had a hard time maintaining a steady supply of small change because of the high costs of production. Why pay money for coins? In a digital world with the line blurring between the real and the virtual, tactile coins have been reassuring. “What this all tells you about the United States as a country is that it’s an incredibly conservative country when it comes to money,” said Ute Wartenberg, executive director of the American Numismatic Society Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters are sometimes designed by artists lasersculpting tiny portraits of leaders and landmarks using special software.
“It’s pretty cool because when I tell people what I do I just say my initials are on the penny,” Joseph Menna, the 14th Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, said in the 2019 film “HeadsUp: Will We Stop Making Cents?”
Fleming is hoping some lobbying may help: “Maybe we should take a trip to Washington and ask to speak to President Trump and Elon Musk and see if we can cut a deal on buying millions of pennies from them.”
Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Engage in activities or events that stimulate your life and provide encouragement to yourself and others Change your spending habits. Buy only what you need and save your money.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) You owe it to yourself to focus on personal and financial gain. Put aside your generosity and desire to make everybody love you, and focus on taking care of personal business.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You've got the drive and determination to make a difference. Concentrate on lifestyle, finances and health, and stop worrying so much about what others do
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Discuss how you feel and what you want, and dissect the information you gather. Test a proposal's validity before you sign on. Skip the agitation and take ownership of what you pursue.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Be bold and do your best to stand out and finish what you start. A labor of love will fill your heart with joy and line your pockets with cash.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) The best way to persuade others to help you make a difference is to make them feel so empowered that they want to utilize their skills. Set the stage for success and run the show.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Live and learn Changing your surroundings will
spark your imagination and help you understand what's possible Engage in discussions with someone you trust to give you a unique perspective
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Get your responsibilities out of the way and then turn on the charm. The extreme will make your heart flutter and help you connect with someone who brings out your best.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Let your actions speak for you. Focus on what's best for everyone and challenge anyone who is being greedy. Become the voice for those who have yet to find theirs.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec 21) Look for any sign of opposition and arm yourself with the facts, knowledge and answers you require to stay on top of your game Compliments and encouragement will lead to favorable contributions.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take time to analyze a situation before you act. It's best to let matters play out until you can assess what action to take. Observation is a great teacher. Learn from experience
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Lie low; now is not the time to put pressure on a situation. Lighten up and show your fun side; everyone will want to be with you and share their thoughts.
The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by nEa inc dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication
InstructIons: sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.
Saturday’s Puzzle Answer
BY PHILLIP ALDER
Jay Leno said, “Major League Baseball has asked its players to stop tossing baseballs into the stands during games, because they say fans fight over them and they get hurt. In fact, the Florida Marlins said that’s why they never hit any home runs. It’s a safety issue.”
Iassumethatwasproducedbyascriptwriter — but no doubt Leno’s delivery was equally important
Unless you are in an event where overtricks can be important (pairs or boarda-match), you should play your contracts as safely as possible. And if you succeed in a particularly tough deal, it will feel like a home run. This three-no-trump contract would result in an out for many declarers at the table. How should South play after West leads the club nine?
North’s three-heart rebid promised five or more spades, four or more hearts and at least game-forcing values. (However, if North had six spades and only game interest, he might have jumped straight to four spades, keeping his heart suit hidden.)
West did not want to lead! Eventually he chose the unbid suit
Southhaseighttoptricks:threespades, one diamond and four clubs. And those spades will surely provide at least one extra winner. But if declarer cashes his spade ace and plays a spade to dummy’s queen, he is called out his contract has no chance. Instead, South should finesse dummy’s spade 10 on the second round. When it wins, he rounds
Previous
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.
Saturday’s Puzzle Answer
ken ken
InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 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. HErE is a
