The Advocate 03-21-2025 by The Advocate

Trump orders closure of Education Dept.

Shutdown likely impossible without act of Congress

BY COLLIN BINKLEY and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that’s been a longtime target of conservatives.

Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the depart-

ment in 1979. Republicans said they will introduce legislation to achieve that, while Democrats have quickly lined up to oppose the idea. The order states the education secretary will, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”

It offers no detail on how that work will be carried out or where it will be targeted, though the White House said the agency will retain certain critical functions.

Trump said his administration will close the department beyond its “core necessities,” preserving its responsibilities for Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell Grants and money for children with disabilities. The White House said earlier Thursday that the department will continue to manage federal student loans, but the order appears to say the opposite. It states the Education Department doesn’t have the staff to oversee its $1.6 trillion loan portfolio and “must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve

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ST. GEORGE

Legislation planned to form school district

Proposed boundaries to match those of new city

BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

Ending nearly a year of speculation, a state senator announced Thursday he is ﬁling legislation to form a St. George school district with the same boundaries as the newly created city of the same name. If successful, the new St. George school system would be the ﬁfth public school district in East Baton Rouge Parish, joining Baker, Central and Zachary in gaining educational independence from the parish school system. The new district would begin student instruction in fall 2026 at the earliest.

“Landmark legislation only comes a couple of times in a lifetime, and this is landmark legislation,” state Sen Rick Edmonds, R-St. George, said during a news conference at St. George City Hall.

“Landmark legislation only comes a couple of times in a lifetime, and this is landmark legislation.”

STATE SEN. RICK EDMONDS, R-St. George

The new city of St. George, the ﬁfth-largest in Louisiana, was cleared to go into operation less than a year ago, after a lengthy incorporation effort and court battle. Creating a companion school district is a long-standing promise to St. George supporters unhappy with parish public schools.

The new district would signiﬁcantly shrink the size of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system and could cause signiﬁcant educational disruption for many families.

In making the contours of the St. George school district the same as the municipal boundaries, St. George is following a different path than the other three breakaway districts in the parish, none of which matches their respective municipal

Audubon Zoo alligator gets cataract surgery at LSU Vet School

Rare white reptile gets first-of-its-kind operation in U.S

BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer

Zookeepers at Audubon Zoo in New Orleans knew something wasn’t right with its rare, blueeyed, white alligator Victor when he seemed to not notice his dinner — a whole, thawed fish or other type of meat held out to him at the

end of a pair of long tongs.

“We would notice the food would be right next to him and he would miss it, or he couldn’t grab his food as well,” senior zookeeper Ashley Rabenau said. “Normally, they’re taking the food right from the tongs.”

Another zookeeper, Victoria Brumley, noticed the alligator was instead following the shadow the tongs made on a wall in his enclosure.

“We tried to toss the food closer to the shadow,” Rabenau said. Something was amiss.

Audubon Zoo veterinarian staff reached out to veterinarians at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge, where ophthalmologist Dr Renee Carter and her team examined 12-year-old Victor’s eyes and discovered he had an advanced cataract in the left one, along with some inﬂammation. But the retina itself was healthy and well.

On Feb. 19 Victor became the ﬁrst alligator in the U.S to have cataract surgery

PROVIDED PHOTO

Victor, one of the white alligators at Audubon Zoo, came to the zoo in 2019.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BEN CURTIS

President Donald Trump is joined by students as he signs an executive order in the White House on Thursday.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Report: Plane showed high rate of descent

TORONTO The alert system on a Delta Air Lines jet that ﬂipped upside down and burst into ﬂames as it tried to land in Toronto last month indicated a high rate of descent less than three seconds before touchdown, a preliminary report said Thursday

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which issued the report, continues to investigate the Feb. 17 crash-landing in which 21 people were hospitalized. All 76 passengers and four crew members survived when the Delta plane arriving from Minneapolis burst into ﬂames after ﬂipping over and skidding on the tarmac.

The TSB of Canada report says when the plane’s ground proximity warning system sounded 2.6 seconds before touchdown, the airspeed was 136 knots, or approximately 155 mph. It says the plane’s landing gear folded into the retracted position at touchdown and the wing detached from the fuselage, releasing a cloud of jet fuel, which caught ﬁre as the plane slid along the runway

Family of whistleblower suing Boeing in his death

CHARLESTON,S.C.—

The family of a former Boeing quality control manager who police say killed himself after lawyers questioned him for days about his whistleblowing on alleged jumbo jet defects sued the airplane maker Thursday Boeing subjected John Barnett to a “campaign of harassment, abuse and intimidation intended to discourage, discredit and humiliate him until he would either give up or be discredited,” lawyers for the family wrote in a wrongful death lawsuit ﬁled in federal court in South Carolina Barnett, 62, shot himself March 9, 2024, in Charleston after answering questions from attorneys for several days. He lived in Louisiana. “Boeing had threatened to break John, and break him it did,” the attorneys wrote in court papers. Boeing has not yet responded in court ﬁlings.

‘Coco 2’ in the works at Disney and Pixar

“Coco” is getting a sequel Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger said Thursday that “Coco 2” is currently in development at Pixar Animation Studios.

“While the ﬁlm is just in the initial stages, we know it will be full of humor, heart and adventure,” Iger said at the company’s shareholders meeting. The sequel will reunite the creative team behind the first, including directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina. “Coco” followed Miguel, a 12-year-old boy with musical dreams who goes to the Land of the Dead to ﬁnd out more about his family’s history

The original grossed over $814 million at the worldwide box ofﬁce and won two Oscars, for best animated feature and best song for the catchy hit “Remember Me.” It also won a Golden Globe and the BAFTA for best animated ﬁlm.

“Coco” was Pixar’s ﬁrst feature ﬁlm with a lead character from a minority group, and one of the largest American productions ever to feature an almost entirely Latino cast.

“Coco 2” is reportedly eyeing a 2029 theatrical release

Finland again ranked world’s happiest country

HELSINKI— Finland is the happiest country in the world for the eighth year in a row, according to the World Happiness Report 2025 published Thursday

Other Nordic countries are also once again at the top of the happiness rankings in the annual report published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford. Besides Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden remain the top four and in the same order When it comes to decreasing happiness — or growing unhappiness — the United States has dropped to its lowest-ever position at 24, having previously peaked at 11th place in 2012 The report states that the number of people dining alone in the United States has increased 53% over the past two decades.

Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 85

BY WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY

DEIR-AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Israeli strikes killed at least 85 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Thursday, according to local health officials. Hours later, Hamas fired three rockets at Israel without causing casualties, in the first such attack since Israel broke their ceasefire.

Israel resumed heavy strikes across Gaza on Tuesday, shattering the truce that had facilitated the release of more than two dozen hostages and brought relative calm since late January Israeli bombardments in the past three days have killed at least 592 people, said Zaher al-Waheidi, the head of the records department at the Gaza Health Ministry

The Israeli military said it was again enforcing a blockade on northern Gaza, including Gaza City. Palestinians were not being ordered to leave northern Gaza but can no longer enter, the military said, and are only allowed to move south on foot using the coastal road Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had returned to what remains of their homes in the north during the ceaseﬁre.

Israeli ground forces are also

pushing into Gaza near the northern town of Beit Lahiya and the southern border city of Rafah, the military said Thursday. The operations come a day after Israel moved to split Gaza in two by retaking the strategic Netzarim corridor that divides Gaza’s north from south.

The military ordered Palestinians to evacuate an area in central Gaza near the city of Khan Younis, saying it would operate there in response to Thursday’s rocket ﬁre from Hamas. The Palestinian militant group said it targeted Tel Aviv One rocket was intercepted and two fell in open areas, according to the army Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels also launched two missiles at Israel, one early Thursday morning and another in the evening, the military said. Both were intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace, according to the army, and no injuries were reported. Air raid sirens rang out and exploding interceptor rockets were heard in Jerusalem. There have been three such attacks since the United States began a new campaign of airstrikes against the Houthis earlier this week.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said overnight Israeli strikes killed at least 85 people, mostly women and chil-

dren. The ministry’s records do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The Indonesian Hospital said it received 19 bodies after strikes in Beit Lahiya, near Gaza’s northern border, which was heavily destroyed and largely depopulated earlier in the war

“It was a bloody night for the people of Beit Lahiya,” said Fares Awad, head of the Health Ministry’s emergency service in northern Gaza, adding that rescuers were still searching the rubble.

“The situation is catastrophic.”

Israel’s military said Thursday its airstrikes in Gaza had killed the head of Hamas’ internal security apparatus and two other militant commanders. Israel has said it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in densely populated areas.

A United Nations-backed group of human rights experts accused Israel last week of “disproportionate violence against women and children” during the war in Gaza.

One of the strikes early Thursday hit the Abu Daqa family’s home in Abasan al-Kabira, a village outside Khan Younis near the border with Israel. It was in an area the Israeli military ordered evacuated earlier this week, encompassing most of eastern Gaza.

Taliban frees American abducted in Afghanistan

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON An American man who was abducted more than two years ago while traveling through Afghanistan as a tourist has been released by the Taliban in a deal with the Trump administration that Qatari negotiators helped broker, the State Department said

Thursday

George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, is the third American detainee to be released by the Taliban since January. He was seized by the Taliban’s intelligence services in December 2022 and was designated by the U.S government as wrongfully detained the following year

In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Glezmann was on his way back to the United States to be reunited with his wife, Aleksandra, and praised Qatar for “steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts” that he said were “instrumental in securing George’s release.”

“George’s release is a positive and constructive step,” Rubio said “It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan President Trump will continue his tireless work to free ALL Americans unjustly detained around the world.”

Glezmann was being accompanied back to the U.S., through Qatar’s capital, Doha, by Adam Boehler, who has been handling hostage issues for President Donald Trump’s administration. The Taliban disclosed earlier Thursday that Boehler had met with a delegation that included Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Glezmann, 66, was in Afghanistan as a

tourist at the time of his abduction and has visited more than 100 countries as part of his passion for exploring different cultures, according to a proﬁle on the website of the Foley Foundation, an organization that advocates for the release of Americans detained by foreign countries.

The release of Glezmann is part of what the Taliban has previously described as the “normalization” of ties between the U.S. and Afghanistan following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Most countries still don’t recognize the Taliban’s rule.

Glezmann’s release follows a separate deal, arranged in January in the ﬁnal days of the Biden administration and also mediated by the Qataris, that secured the releases of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty

The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul said at the time that those two U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two life terms in 2008 after being convicted under U.S. narco-terrorism laws for securing heroin and opium that he knew was bound for the U.S.

Unlike in that arrangement, the U.S. did not give up any prisoner to secure Glezmann’s release, which was done as a goodwill gesture, according to an ofﬁcial briefed on the matter who insisted on anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.

On Thursday, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry conﬁrmed Glezmann’s release on “humanitarian grounds.” In a statement, it said the “Islamic Emirate again reafﬁrms its longstanding position that dialogue, understanding and diplomacy provide effective avenues for resolving all issues.”

Military leaders discuss Ukraine peace force

Ceasefire plans being formulated

BY HANNA ARHIROVA and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press

KYIV Ukraine Senior military officers from more than 30 countries across Europe and beyond met in England on Thursday to ﬂesh out plans for an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine as details of a partial ceaseﬁre are worked out.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he didn’t know whether there would be a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war, but “we are making steps in the right direction” as a “coalition of the willing” led by Britain and France moves into an “operational phase.”

“We hope there will be a deal but what I do know is if there is a deal, the time for planning is now,” he said during a visit to the meeting of military planners at a British base outside London “It’s not after a deal is reached.”

“It is vitally important we do that work, because we know one thing for certain which is a deal without anything behind it is something that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will breach,” he said.

Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders this week, though it remained to be seen when it might take effect and what possible targets would be off limits to attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking in Norway on Thursday said that although he originally had sought a broader ceaseﬁre, he was committed to working with the U.S. to stop arms being directed at power production and civilian facilities.

“I raised this issue with President Trump and said that our side would identify what we consider to be civilian infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said. “I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding about what the sides are agreeing on.”

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MAGDY Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARIAM DAGGA

Volunteers and rescue workers use a bulldozer Thursday to remove the rubble of a building hit by an Israeli airstrike in Khan younis, southern Gaza Strip.

Judge says response ‘woefully insufficient’

Answers sought on El Salvador deportation flights

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON A federal judge instructed the Trump administration on Thursday to explain why its failure to turn around ﬂights carrying deportees to El Salvador did not violate his court order in a growing showdown between the judicial and executive branches

U.S. District Judge Jeb Boasberg demanded answers after ﬂights carrying Venezuelan immigrants alleged by the Trump administration to be gang members landed in El Salvador after the judge temporarily blocked deportations under an 18th-century wartime law. Boasberg had directed the administration to return to the U.S. planes that were

already in the air when he ordered the halt.

Boasberg had given the administration until noon Thursday to either provide more details about the ﬂights or make a claim that it must be withheld because it would harm “state secrets.” The administration resisted the judge’s request, calling it an “unnecessary judicial ﬁshing” expedition.

In a written order, Boasberg called Trump officials’ latest response “woefully insufficient.” The judge said the administration “again evaded its obligations” by merely repeating “the same general information about the flights.” And he ordered the administration to “show cause,” as to why it didn’t violate his court order to turn around the planes, increasing the prospect that he may consider holding administration officials in contempt of court

The Justice Department has said the judge’s verbal

directions did not count, that only his written order needed to be followed and that it couldn’t apply to ﬂights that had already left the U.S. A Justice Department spokesperson said Thursday that it “continues to believe that the court’s superﬂuous questioning of sensitive national security information is inappropriate judicial overreach.”

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ofﬁcial told the judge Thursday the administration needed more time to decide whether it would invoke the state secrets privilege in an effort to block the information’s release.

Boasberg ordered Trump officials by Friday to submit a sworn declaration by a person “with direct involvement in the Cabinet-level discussions” about the state secrets privilege and to tell the court by next Tuesday whether the administration will invoke it.

DOGE blocked from Social Security systems

BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

WASHINGTON A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from Social Security systems that hold personal data on millions of Americans, calling their work there a “ﬁshing expedition.”

The order also requires the team to delete any personally identiﬁable data in their possession.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland found that the team got broad access to sensitive information at the Social Security Administration to search for fraud with little justiﬁcation.

“The DOGE Team is essen-

tially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion,” she wrote.

The order does allow DOGE staffers to access to data that’s been redacted or stripped of anything personally identiﬁable, if they undergo training and background checks.

“To be sure, rooting out possible fraud, waste, and mismanagement in the SSA is in the public interest But, that does not mean that the government can flout the law to do so,” Hollander wrote.

The Trump administration says DOGE is targeting waste in the federal government Musk has been focused on Social Security as an alleged hotbed of fraud,

describing it as a “Ponzi scheme” and insisting that reducing waste in the program is an important way to cut government spending.

The ruling, which could be challenged on appeal, comes in a lawsuit ﬁled by labor unions, retirees and the advocacy group Democracy Forward. They argued that DOGE access violates privacy laws and presents serious information security risks.

The lawsuit included a declaration from a recently departed Social Security ofﬁcial who saw the DOGE team sweep into the agency said she is deeply worried about sensitive information being exposed.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Deportation of Georgetown scholar halted by court ruling

BY OLIVIA DIAZ and BEN FINLEY Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A federal judge on Thursday ordered immigration officials not to deport a Georgetown scholar who was detained by the Trump administration and accused of spreading Hamas propaganda in the latest battle over speech on U.S. college campuses.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles in Alexandria, Virginia, ordered that Indian national Badar Khan Suri “shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court issues a contrary order.”

Suri’s attorney wrote in an earlier court ﬁling that Suri was targeted because of his social media posts and his wife’s “identity as a Palestinian and her constitutionally protected speech.”

“Dr Suri is an academic, not an activist,” his attorney Hassan Ahmad wrote in a court ﬁling on Thursday “But he spoke out on social media about his views on the IsraelGaza war Even more so, his wife is an outspoken critic of the Israeli government and the violence it has perpetrated against Palestinians.”

Suri’s attorney argued that federal authorities have provided no evidence that he’s committed any crimes and that his detention violates his free speech and due process rights. Suri, who has no criminal record, holds a visa authorizing him to be in the U.S. as a visiting scholar, and his wife is a U.S. citizen, according to the motion.

“The Trump Administration has openly expressed its intention to weaponize immigration

law to punish noncitizens whose views are deemed critical of U.S. policy as it relates to Israel,” Suri’s attorney wrote. Suri was accused of “spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media” and determined to be deportable by the Secretary of State’s ofﬁce, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said late Wednesday on the social platform X. Suri’s case was ﬁrst reported by Politico.

Suri was arrested Monday night outside of his Virginia home, where he lives with his wife and three children, who are between the ages of 5 and 9, according to the ﬁling by his lawyer Masked agents “refused to tell him the basis for the arrest, handcuffed him, and forced him into an unmarked black SUV,” Suri’s lawyer wrote. “Dr Suri’s wife quickly arrived on the scene and begged for answers; the agents only disclosed that they were from Homeland Security, the government was revoking Dr Suri’s visa, and he would be detained in Chantilly.” Suri and his wife, Mapheze Saleh, “have long been doxxed and smeared,” Suri’s lawyer wrote, while she said in a separate statement to the court that a website had “claimed falsely that my husband and I have ‘ties to Hamas.’”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ARIANA CUBILLOS

People holding photos of migrant relatives, who they say were detained in the U.S. and are awaiting deportation, participate Tuesday in a government-organized rally in Caracas, Venezuela.

Trump’s latest order shows his grip on GOP

Education Department has mostly enjoyed bipartisan support

BY MORIAH BALINGIT, CHRIS MEGERIAN AND BILL BARROW Associated Press

WASHINGTON A little more than 23 years ago, Republican President George W. Bush sat at a desk at a high school in Hamilton, Ohio, and signed a law that would vastly expand the role of the Education Department and transform American schooling. On Thursday, his Republican successor, President Donald Trump, signed a very different document — this one an executive order designed to dismantle the department.

For years, as right-wing activists called for eliminating the agency, many Republicans paid lip service to the cause but still voted to fund it. Now Trump, emboldened and unapologetic in his drastic remaking of the federal government, has brushed aside concerns that deterred his predecessors.

Thursday’s announcement follows other aggressive decisions, including the enlistment of billionaire Elon Musk to downsize the federal bureaucracy at startling speed, or the review of scientific findings that are foundational for fighting climate change.

Dismantling the Education Department was always high on Trump’s list. He talked about it repeatedly during his campaign, often to cheers from his supporters, including the conservative group Moms for Liberty

But despite telegraphing his

Continued from page 1A

America’s students.”

At a signing ceremony, Trump blamed the department for America’s lagging academic performance and said states will do a better job.

“It’s doing us no good,” he said.

Already Trump’s Republican administration has been gutting the agency Its workforce is being slashed in half, and there have been deep cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she will remove red tape and empower states to decide what’s best for their schools But she promised to continue essential services and work with states and Congress “to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”

The measure was celebrated by groups that have long called for an end to the department.

“For decades, it has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into a failing system one that prioritizes leftist indoctrination over academic excellence, all while student achievement stagnates and America falls further behind,” said Kevin Roberts president of the Heritage Foundation Advocates for public schools said eliminating the department would leave children behind in an American education system that is fundamentally unequal.

“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said.

goals, Trump’s executive order was a stunner even for a president who thrives on audacity Margaret Spelling, education secretary under Bush, said she was indeed surprised he was following through on his campaign vow

For years, Spelling said, talk of about eliminating the department was a way for Republicans to signal their adherence to party orthodoxy, even as they voted to send billions of dollars to support its mission. Much of that money ended up at schools in their own districts, funding extra teachers for impoverished schools, for example. As recently as 2023, 60 House Republicans voted against a bill to close the department.

“It was always a little bit of a wink and a nod deal,” Spelling said. “Donald Trump has called the bluff.”

Trump, in remarks at the White House, said: “People have wanted to do this for many, many years, for many, many decades. And I don’t know no president ever got around to doing it. But I’m getting around to doing it.”

He held the executive order up for photos while standing next to Education Secretary Linda McMahon. He’s joked that he’ll need to ﬁnd another job for her once her department is gone.

The executive order is likely to get mired in legal challenges, and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle said closing the department can’t move forward without their approval. But Trump, through the Department of Government

Efﬁciency, has already shrunk the department’s imprint, moving to eliminate about half of its staff.

The ﬁrst talk of eliminating the department came just a year after its formation from President Ronald Reagan, who opposed its efforts to integrate schools. However, calls to get rid of the new department fell out of favor by the end of Reagan’s ﬁrst term. By the time George W. Bush became president, it was seen as a vehicle to implement his policy vision of a federal government that required states to closely monitor student progress, and hold schools accountable that fell short.

Calls to eliminate the department reemerged with the Tea Party, whose adherents made it a symbol of bloated bureaucracy that usurped power that belonged to local governments.

The most recent push to close the department emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, when right-leaning parents, infuriated by what they saw as unnecessary school closures, began arguing that the government was indoctrinating their children.

Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, was in the White House audience and was recognized by Trump in his remarks. She said the department allowed teacher unions to exert undue influence over schools, a problem that became more apparent while schools were closed and students were learning over Zoom.

“The American people woke up

For all the talk of overreach, federal law explicitly bars the federal government from telling schools what to teach their students. Dayto-day operations of schools are largely handled by state and local authorities.

And while Trump has talked about eliminating the department, he envisions a more muscular role for the federal government in schools, moving swiftly and aggressively to punish schools that do not fall in line with the administration’s interpretation of civil rights laws.

Early in his administration, he has already taken unprecedented action to sever federal grants from the University of Pennsylvania and from Columbia University over its handling of pro-Palestinian protests.

and recognized the fact there were a lot of people that were making decisions that were not in the best interest of their children,” she said.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who as a young lawmaker voted for the 1979 bill to create the department, praised Trump’s move and argued the agency has not accomplished its original mission.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Gingrich said of backing Democratic President Jimmy Carter, his fellow Georgian, in a 215-201 vote.

Two generations later, Gingrich argued, “If you take what the scores were then and how much we were spending on education then and compare it now it’s impossible to escape the reality that it’s been an abject failure.”

Opponents are already gearing up for legal challenges, including Democracy Forward, a public interest litigation group. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., called the order a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”

Margaret Spellings, who served as education secretary under Republican President George W. Bush, questioned whether the department will be able to accomplish its remaining missions, and whether it will ultimately improve schools.

“Will it distract us from the ability to focus urgently on student achievement, or will people be ﬁguring out how to run the train?” she asked.

Spellings said schools have always been run by local and state

ofﬁcials, and rejected the idea that the Education Department and the federal government have been holding them back. Currently, much of the agency’s work revolves around managing money both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, like school meals and support for homeless students The agency also is key in overseeing civil rights enforcement.

The Trump administration has not formally spelled out which department functions could be handed off to other departments or eliminated altogether It hasn’t addressed the fate of other department operations, such as its support for technical education and adult learning, grants for rural schools and after-school programs,

and a federal work-study program that provides employment to students with ﬁnancial need.

States and districts already control local schools, including curriculum, but some conservatives have pushed to cut strings attached to federal money and provide it to states as “block grants” to be used at their discretion.

Block granting has raised questions about vital funding sources including Title I, the largest source of federal money to America’s K-12 schools. Families of children with disabilities have despaired over what could come of the federal department’s work protecting their rights.

Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. The money often supports supplemental

The executive order to close the department also included language to take federal funding away from schools that promote “diversity, equity and inclusion,” a term that has come to encompass everything from highlighting the achievements of Black Americans to allowing transgender athletes to compete. Advocates and Democratic strategists have warned that Trump’s efforts could backﬁre with voters. According to recent polling, 6 out of 10 registered voters oppose the closure of the department.

Democratic pollster John Anzalone, who has worked for multiple presidential campaigns, including Joe Biden’s 2020 victorious effort over Trump, said the president’s moves are a base pleaser likely to backﬁre for Republicans with the broader electorate.

programs for vulnerable students, such as the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students or Title I for low-income schools.

Republicans have talked about closing the Education Department for decades, saying it wastes money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should fall to states and schools. The idea has gained popularity recently as conservative parents’ groups demand more authority over their children’s schooling.

In his platform, Trump promised to close the department “and send it back to the states, where it belongs.” Trump has cast the department as a hotbed of “radicals, zealots and Marxists” who overextend their reach through guidance and regulation.

Even as Trump moves to dismantle the department, he has leaned on it to promote elements of his agenda. He has used investigative powers of the Ofﬁce for Civil Rights and the threat of withdrawing federal education money to target schools and colleges that run afoul of his orders on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports, pro-Palestinian activism and diversity programs.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, dismissed Trump’s claim that he’s returning education to the states. She said he is actually “trying to exert ever more control over local schools and dictate what they can and cannot teach.”

Even some of Trump’s allies have questioned his power to close the agency without action from Congress, and there are doubts about its political popularity The House considered an amendment to close the agency in 2023, but 60 Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BEN CURTIS Secretary of Education Linda McMahon speaks to reporters at the White House on Thursday.

ASSOCIATED

boundaries. The size of the Zachary school district in particular is much larger than that city Edmonds promised to stick with the St. George municipal boundaries and not amend them during the upcoming state legislative session beginning next month.

Edmonds also said he’d work with East Baton Rouge school leaders to come up with mutually agreeable legislative language to deal with issues that have bedeviled past school breakaway attempts, such as what happens to students in magnet and charter schools and ﬁnancial issues.

“I love hard conversations.

I’m here for it,” Edmonds said. “I enjoy sitting around the table and hearing ideas, and that’s what this is going to take, all of us working together.”

East Baton Rouge public schools Superintendent LaMont Cole said Thursday he isn’t yet ready to comment on the proposed legislation, saying he ﬁrst wants to talk with the parish’s School Board members to see what they think.

At the news conference, Edmonds was ﬂanked by St. George Mayor Dustin Yates, council member Patty Cook and state Rep Emily Chenevert, who will push the legislation in the House.

Continued

Overall, there are a lot of differences, in size and shape and structure inside the eye,” she said.

About the only thing done the usual way was the injection that put 7-foot-long Victor asleep in the large animal surgical suite of the LSU Vet School.

“You can get a vein in an alligator, and inject between the scales,” Carter said. “It was deﬁnitely more of a production. We used ultrasound to help us ﬁnd the veins.”

At other times during the operation, a neuromuscular blocking agent was injected into the eye, so Victor’s iris would open.

Humans get eye drops instead because our iris muscles work differently A temporary tubing system also was put through his eyelid, which is much thicker and harder to maneuver than other animals’ to administer post-op medications to the eye.

Victor is now back home at Audubon Zoo, hanging out with his pal, a fellow blue-eyed, white alligator named Two-Spot, who’s 35 years old.

Edmonds said he doesn’t have a version of the twobill package yet, but said he expects to release it publicly in early April. The Legislature’s regular session starts April 14 and ends June 12.

Of Edmonds’ bills, one would set the details of the school district. The other would be a separate proposed constitutional amendment to ensure access to state per-pupil funding for public schools.

Yates said that school discontent started the process that led to the city of St. George, and it continues to be a ﬂashpoint since he took ofﬁce last year

“There hasn’t been one day that I haven’t had a conversation with a resident in

St. George about our school system,” Yates said.

Yates detailed the many hurdles the city had to surmount to go into operation, saying it created an unavoidably slow path to a St. George school district.

“This was the quickest it could have happened,” he said.

M.E. Cormier is the leader of Better Together/Residents Against the Breakaway a group that for years led opposition efforts against the incorporation of St George She questioned the timing of Thursday’s news conference, noting early voting has started for the March 29 St. George municipal elections.

“I think this news confer-

Both of the gators have leucism, a rare genetic condition that’s different from albinism. Gators with leucism have a partial loss of pigmentation, resulting in white or pale skin with blue eyes, unlike albino gators, which have pink eyes and complete pigment loss.

Senior zookeeper Rabenau said young gators with leucism don’t survive very long in the wild because their white skin doesn’t camouﬂage them

But Victor was found at an early age by agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

before coming to Audubon Zoo, she said.

His vision is much improved, Rabenau said.

“He is deﬁnitely doing better,” she said. “We’re not relying on shadows anymore.”

Email Ellyn Couvillion at ecouvillion@theadvocate. com.

ence was mostly a publicity stunt for Dustin Yates and Patty Cook, who are in tight races,” Cormier said. Meanwhile, creating a school district is in many ways more difficult than creating a new city

Under Louisiana law, supporters of a new school district need to win a two-thirds vote of the state Legislature to put an amendment to the state Constitution on the ballot That amendment then would need to pass with a majority vote of the entire state and the entire parish affected — in this case, East Baton Rouge.

That is the process used by Baker, Central and Zachary It also is the process attempted unsuccessfully in 2012 and 2013 to create a breakaway school district in southeast Baton Rouge.

Cormier questioned whether a St. George school district can command the necessary support.

“This is the ﬁrst time there would be a parishwide vote for any St. George issue, and St. George organizers and supporters do not have parishwide support regardless of whether they are able to overcome the legislative hurdles,” Cormier said.

In spring 2019, the East Baton Rouge public school

system found that a St George school district that followed municipal lines — like Edmonds’ legislation would create would compel nearly 4,000 children to change schools.

A rerun of that analysis last April found a similar, but slightly increased level of displacement Baton Rouge Magnet High would lose the most, 532 students, followed by Woodlawn High, which would lose 504 students High school students may be grandfathered from changing schools initially depending on how a St. George school district law is written. Edmonds said he is agreeable to not just grandfathering students already enrolled in magnet schools, but establishing a standing cross-enrollment arrangement that would allow future students in St. George to attend Baton Rouge High and other magnet schools.

Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate. com.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

From left, Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-St. George; St. George Mayor Dustin yates; and St. George City Council member Patty Cook participate in a news conference on Thursday.

Families process Hoffman’s execution

Angola inmate put to death using nitrogen gas, a first for La.

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Hours before he was executed, Jessie Hoffman Jr meditated.

He cried and laughed with his family He played charades.

And though Hoffman declined to make a public, ﬁnal statement when he was strapped to the execution table at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, his wife said that he tried to calm her anxieties ahead of his death.

“He kept saying, ‘I know you’re strong, and I know you can do this, and I will always be there,’” said Ilona Hoffman in an interview

Thursday

Ilona Hoffman, who lives in the Netherlands and has spent the past few weeks in Louisiana to be with her husband ahead of the execution, said she was still trying to process the loss.

So was a family member of Hoffman’s victim on Thursday Hoffman was on death row for the 1996 abduction, rape and murder of Mary “Molly” Elliott.

Elliott’s sister-in-law, Kate Murphy made an unsuccessful plea for Louisiana to spare Hoffman’s life. She said the state never got back to her on a letter she sent requesting a pardon for Hoffman the day before he was scheduled to be put to death. Instead of issuing a pardon, state ofﬁcials used nitrogen gas for the ﬁrst time in an execution Tuesday night when they put him to death.

“We have experienced some closure because the decision has been made — that’s the problem with the death penalty It’s irreversible,” said Murphy, who lives in Phoenix.

“Jessie Hoffman’s story is over Molly (Elliott) Murphy’s story is over But it doesn’t change the feeling that justice was not done in this case.” She did not believe Hoffman re-

sembled the 18-year-old who killed Elliot, she said.

The night of the execution, Elliott’s husband, Andy, also expressed mixed emotions. He described it as bittersweet. He said he hoped the case could help bring change to how death penalty cases happen, saying a multidecade wait blunts the effectiveness of the punishment being a deterrent for crime

“There is relief that this long nightmare is finally over, but also renewed grief for Molly and sadness for Mr Hoffman’s family, whose nightmare began when mine did and who’ve also had to go through nearly 30 years of this

gut-wrenching process through no fault of their own,” said Andy Elliott, who lives in Covington.

Last moments Thursday would have been Jessie and Illona Hoffman’s threemonth anniversary. They met through a prison pen pal website, where from the beginning Ilona said she noticed in Hoffman a tranquility and a nuanced way of looking at the world.

Hoffman’s attorneys described him as a man who transformed in prison, and who became a mentor to others and a faithful Buddhist.

He displayed those qualities to the end, she said, focusing on help-

Oklahoma executes man who killed woman in home invasion

BY SEAN MURPHY Associated Press

McALESTER, Okla.

— An Oklahoma man who fatally shot a woman during a home invasion and robbery 20 years ago apologized to the victim’s family before he was executed Thursday, remorse a woman wounded in the attack said was sincere but came too late.

Wendell Grissom, 56, was declared dead by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester at 10:13 a.m.

It was Oklahoma’s ﬁrst execution of 2025.

“It took him a total of 13 minutes to die, and it took him a total of two minutes to kill my best friend,” said Dreu Kopf, who was shot multiple times by Grissom but managed to ﬂee the home.

Grissom and a co-defendant, Jessie Floyd Johns, were convicted of killing of Amber Matthews, 23, and wounding Kopf at Kopf’s Blaine County residence. Johns was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Dreu Kopf, center, who was wounded in a 2005 home invasion robbery, speaks to reporters after witnessing the execution of Wendell Grissom on Thursday at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Okla.

ing his family members ﬁnd peace when they visited him Tuesday

She said he wanted to make sure they knew he was OK.

“He was there with us, and he said, ‘Let’s gather and let’s meditate’ and was chanting,” she said.

“That was so impressive. Everybody got calm and their emotions together, and that was a very beautiful spiritual moment.”

The rest of the family left at 2:15 p.m., she said, while she and Hoffman’s son Jessie Smith stayed for another 45 minutes. After that, they would be escorted to the warden’s ofﬁce, leaving Hoffman alone with his spiritual adviser to prepare for the execution chamber

Before they parted, he gave Ilona Hoffman his wedding ring. They shared a ﬁnal hug and kiss.

“I’m OK. You need to know that I’m OK,” he said in her recollection “Everybody dies at some point. What makes me so special?”

‘I am truly sorry’

Murphy felt that executing Elliot’s murderer would only spread more pain, she said Thursday

“We move away from emotional reactions over time, and we’re able to see things more clearly,” Murphy said.

“And when you see things more clearly you realize that ﬁnishing violence with more violence is not the answer.”

Jessie Hoffman offered an apology to Elliott’s family in a 2023 petition for clemency, but it never reached the family

“To Mr Elliott, to Molly Elliott’s parents, and to all those impacted by such a senseless and painful loss, I want to say that I am extremely and genuinely sorry for all the pain that my very selﬁsh, horrible and heartless acts caused you all,” it read.

“I cannot begin to comprehend the pain you have had to endure because of me. I know that I am the cause of unimaginable pain and suffering. I am truly sorry.”

Murphy said she wished she would have had the opportunity to receive his apology in person and that she regrets that they were never able to meet.

Still, the two were able to interact through a therapist and victim’s advocate She was able to ask Hoffman questions about the murder and receive his apology, she said.

“That helped me a lot, personally,” Murphy said.

“I was also able to offer him forgiveness for the worst thing he had ever done.”

Email Haley Miller at haley miller@theadvocate.com.

BY CURT ANDERSON Associated Press

Grissom said he was under the inﬂuence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the killing and asked the victims’ family to forgive him.

“I pray that you all can forgive me,” he said. “Not for my sake. For your sake.”

A minister prayed at Grissom’s

“I apologize to all of you that I’ve hurt,” Grissom, bearded and wearing a grey prison uniform, said while strapped to the gurney, an IV line afﬁxed to his arm. “I regret so much that I’ve put that hatred in your heart for me.”

feet as the lethal drugs began to ﬂow He exhaled forcefully several times and could be heard snoring when a doctor entered the execution chamber and declared him unconscious about ﬁve minutes later He appeared to stop breathing at 10:09 a.m. and the color started to drain from his face.

More than two dozen of Matthews’ friends and family witnessed Grissom’s execution.

STARKE,Fla.— A Florida man who killed an 8-year-old girl and her grandmother on a night in which he drank heavily and used drugs was executed Thursday evening. Prison officials said Edward James, 63, was pronounced dead at 8:15 p.m. after receiving a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. He drew the death penalty after pleading guilty to the Sept. 19, 1993, killings of Toni Neuner, 8, and her grandmother, Betty Dick, 58. As he awaited the injection, James said he did not wish to give a final statement. As the drugs were administered, James breathed heavily, his arms ﬂinching and then he was still. Three other executions were carried out this week in the U.S., including the lethal injection earlier Thursday of an Oklahoma man for the fatal shooting of a woman during a home invasion. Arizona executed a man by an injection Wednesday and Louisiana used nitrogen gas for the ﬁrst time Tuesday, putting a man to death as that state ended a 15year pause on executions.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied James’ final appeals earlier in the day, clearing the way for the state’s second execution of the year Gov Ron DeSantis signed James’ death warrant earlier this year and another warrant for an execution in early April. James had been renting a room in Dick’s house in Casselberry near Orlando, where Toni and three other children were staying the night of the attack. Court records show James drank up to 24 beers at a party downed some gin and also took LSD before returning to his room at Dick’s house The girl was raped and strangled to death The other children were not harmed. James, who pleaded guilty to the charges, was also convicted of the girl’s rape and of stealing Dick’s jewelry and car after stabbing her 21 times. Court documents show James drove the car across the country, occasionally selling pieces of jewelry until he was arrested on Oct. 6 of that year in Bakersﬁeld, California. Police obtained a videotaped confession from James, who despite his guilty pleas was sentenced to death upon an 11-1 recommendation by a jury

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Faith leaders, activists and supporters of Jessie Hoffman Jr 46, sit in silent prayer Tuesday outside the entrance, far left to the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola as Hoffman is executed.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SEAN MURPHy

Texas wildfire prompts evacuations

Arkansas, Florida crews also battling blazes

BY JIM VERTUNO, FREIDA FRISARO and ANDREW DEMILLO Associated Press

AUSTIN,Texas Wildﬁres fueled by dry conditions and gusting winds burned in a few Southern states

Thursday, forcing evacuations in Texas and prompting Florida ofﬁcials to close part of a major highway with spring break in high gear

A wildfire in Sam Houston

National Forest near Houston prompted the evacuation of about 900 homes and closed schools. The National Weather Service issued elevated ﬁre warnings around the nation’s fourth-largest city.

The ﬁre burned about 3.7 square miles and was only about 20% contained Thursday afternoon as firefighters used water-carrying helicopters to douse hot spots and bulldozers to dig containment

lines, the Texas A&M Forest Service said

Investigators believed the fire was started Wednesday by what was supposed to be a controlled burn on private property, said Josh Mizrany, assistant chief law enforcement ofﬁcer with the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Investigators will look into how the ﬁre spread, he said, and evidence could be turned over to local prosecutors if necessary Ofﬁcials had not reported widespread damage or any injuries.

Montgomery County ofﬁcials said they knew of one home that burned to the ground

The Cleveland Independent School District, which has about 12,000 students, canceled classes as a precaution

In the Florida Keys, a large brush fire that began Tuesday caused authorities to close the two

roads leading in and out of the island chain, because of smoky conditions and to allow ﬁreﬁghters to move equipment.

Ofﬁcials said the ﬁre had burned about 34 square miles and was about 20% contained.

Spring break is in full swing in Florida, and ofﬁcials said U.S. 1, the major thoroughfare that connects the mainland to the islands, was expected to have intermittent closures in the coming days. It is also a heavily traveled road for people who live on the mainland and work at many of the hotels and restaurants in Key Largo and beyond.

In Arkansas, crews responded to nearly than 100 ﬁres Wednesday that were fueled by high winds and were dealing with five new ones Thursday

The fires closed several highways, including a portion of Inter-

BY JAIMIE DING Associated Press

LOS ANGELES The family of Erik and Lyle Menendez on Thursday rejected claims by the Los Angeles district attorney that the brothers hadn’t appropriately taken responsibility for the 1989 killing of their parents and said that any lies they told during their murder trial were due to trauma and fear “Kids lie when they’re scared, when they feel intimidated, and when they become traumatized. They lie when they don’t know who to trust. But they grow up, they learn, and they take responsibility,” said Tamara Goodell, a cousin of the brothers who spoke Thursday at a rally calling for the brothers’ release from prison.

The family’s rally was supposed to coincide with a resentencing hearing for the brothers that could result in them being immediately eligible for parole after 35

years behind bars. It was postponed to April after Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced his office was withdrawing the resentencing motion previously submitted by his predecessor, George Gascón. While it is possible for the judge to proceed without the district attorney’s support, legal experts say the brothers’ chances of success have diminished tremendously

The brothers, 18 and 21 at the time, were convicted of murdering their mother, Kitty Menendez, and their entertainment executive father, Jose, and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

They began their latest bid for freedom in recent years after their attorneys said new evidence emerged about their father’s sexual abuse. The brothers had the support of most of their extended family Hochman said he doesn’t support resentencing at this time because the brothers have failed to take “complete

responsibility” for the lies they told as the case unfolded, including their original claim that they did not kill their parents and, later, that they acted in self-defense. Hochman has also cast doubt on new evidence of sexual abuse.

“They have lied to everyone for the last 30 years,” Hochman said in a news conference last week.

Anamaria Baralt, a cousin of the brothers, said they have already taken responsibility and acknowledged their mistakes. The family has no intention on changing their position, and Baralt said she hopes the brothers don’t as well.

“We won’t let him rewrite history,” she said of Hochman. “That would be pandering to his truth.”

Their remaining pathways to freedom include being granted clemency by California Gov Gavin Newsom, or a habeas corpus petition for a new trial their attorneys submitted for court consideration in May 2023.

state 530 southeast of Little Rock due to heavy smoke. Flames damaged structures in

seph’s, a 115-year-old building in North Little Rock that once served as an orphanage and is now the home of a nonproﬁt that provides urban farming resources.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID J PHILLIP Fire crew members drive Thursday along a fire line while working to contain the Pauline Road wildfire in Cleveland, Texas.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAMIAN DOVARGANES

Supporters hold signs Thursday during a news conference regarding developments in the Menendez brothers’ case in Los Angeles.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street edges lower despite solid data

U.S. stock indexes edged lower Thursday following another reminder that big, unsettling policy changes are underway because of President Donald Trump, along with more signals suggesting the U.S. economy remains solid for now

The S&P 500 slipped after ﬂipping between modest gains and losses through the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped slightly and the Nasdaq composite fell.

Wall Street has been swinging for weeks on a roller-coaster ride, as stock prices veer on uncertainty about what Trump’s trade war will do to the economy Stocks got a boost Wednesday after the head of the Federal Reserve said the economy remains solid enough at the moment to leave interest rates where they are.

It’s not just uncertainty about the trade war affecting Wall Street. Accenture fell to one of the market’s larger losses Thursday even though the consulting and professional services company reported slightly better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Worries are rising about the hit Accenture may take to its revenue from the U.S. government as Elon Musk leads efforts to cut federal spending. The federal government accounted for 17% of Accenture’s North American revenue last fiscal year, and its stock sank 7.3%.

Home sales rise as mortgage rates ease

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in February as easing mortgage rates and more properties on the market encouraged home shoppers.

Existing home sales rose 4.2% last month from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.26 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday Sales fell 1.2% compared with February last year, ending a string of ﬁve straight annual increases. The latest home sales topped the 3.92 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet On an unadjusted basis, sales fell 5.2% from February last year, when the month included an extra day because 2024 was a leap year Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 20th consecutive month. The national median sales price rose 3.8% in February from a year earlier to $398,400, an all-time high for February. All told, the U.S. median home sales price is up 47% over the last ﬁve years

While the average rate on a 30-year mortgage brieﬂy fell to a two-year low last September, it didn’t stay there long, climbing to just above 7% by midJanuary The rate averaged 6.67% this week, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. That’s more than double the 2.65% record low that the average rate reached a little over four years ago.

Applications for jobless benefits inch up

Slightly more Americans applied for unemployment beneﬁts last week, but layoffs remain historically low U.S. jobless claims ﬁlings rose by 2,000 to 223,000 for the week ending Saturday, the Labor Department said Thursday That’s just less than the 224,000 new applications analysts forecast. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs and have remained mostly in a range between 200,000 and 250,000 for the past few years. The four-week average, which evens out some of the week-to-week swings, inched up by 750 to 227,000. It’s not clear when job cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency will show up in the weekly layoffs report, though the Labor Department’s February jobs report showed that the federal government shed 10,000 jobs. That’s the most since June 2022.

N.O.

Ritz-Carlton has new owner

Miami investment group buys iconic property

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, a luxury hotel on Canal Street in one of the city’s most iconic buildings, has a new owner — Miami investment group Gencom, which purchased the property from its longtime Dallas-based owner in a deal that was ﬁnalized Thursday

As part of the sale, Gencom also acquired the Courtyard by Marriott French Quarter/Iberville, which is connected to the RitzCarlton and, together, takes up almost an entire city block on the edge of the French Quarter

A sale price for the properties, which, together, will add 758 hotel rooms to Gencom’s portfolio, was not disclosed. But industry experts

estimate the hotels, together, could have fetched as much as $265,000 per room, or more than $200 million.

In a statement announcing the deal, Gencom founder and principal Karim Alibhai said New Orleans represents a “compelling market for luxury hospitality.”

“We continue to build upon our legacy of investing in and enhancing world-class hospitality assets with this significant acquisition that expands our presence in this high-proﬁle destination,” he said.

The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans opened in 2000 in the former Maison Blanche building, a historic Beaux Arts-era building that, in the mid-20th century, was home to the department store’s beloved Christmas character Mr Bingle.

When the hotel opened in the newly renovated building, it ranked with the Windsor Court as one of just two ﬁve-star hotels in the city at the time.

In the years since, competition has stiffened, with more luxury hotels and high-end boutique hotels opening, including the Four Seasons, the Hotel St. Vincent and Hotel Peter and Paul.

“They used to be one of the only games in town,” said local industry expert Lenny Wormser vice president of HREC, a hotel brokerage.

“There’s a lot more competition now, but they have held their own and are still a top property.”

With 528 hotel rooms and suites, the Ritz-Carlton has more than 48,000 square feet of event space, a ﬁtness center, an indoor swimming pool and spa, as well as jazz trumpeter Jeremy Davenport’s

eponymous lounge.

The adjacent Courtyard by Marriott has 230 rooms and markets itself to business and leisure travelers. Both hotels recently underwent major renovations.

Both Ritz-Carlton and Courtyard by Marriott are among the 30 Marriott hotel brands. Gencom has an $8 billion portfolio that includes dozens of high-end resorts and hotels around the country, including nearly a dozen Ritz-Carlton hotels.

Gencom’s investment in the properties is a boon for the city, according to Wormser

“They’re one of the top Ritz-Carlton owners in the country,” he said. “When they come into the market, they do good things.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

Disney seeking successor to Iger

Replacement with Chapek as CEO nearly a disaster

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN Associated Press

Behind the red carpet movie premieres and new thrill-inducing rides for fans of its amusement parks, there is a quiet search underway to ﬁnd the successor to Bob Iger, the face of Disney for most of the past two decades.

Disney went through the CEO search recently, and it was nearly a disaster

Only two years after stepping down as CEO, Iger returned to Disney in 2022 after a period of clashes, missteps and a weakening ﬁnancial performance under his hand-picked successor, Bob Chapek But how do you replace a chief executive who is considered by many to be the gold standard?

Iger strengthened the Disney brand through his acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasﬁlm, oversaw the expansion of the company in China and India and had a laserlike focus on technology that both made the Disney product better, and more accessible. Iger, at the same time, is approachable, media savvy and has deftly managed a company that is like no other Under Disney’s umbrella are theme parks, movies studios and streaming technology, all with priorities seemingly at odds with each other, or at least vying for the attention of the company’s chief executive.

Disney did not provide succession updates at its annual share-

Regulators

holders meeting on Thursday Still, the question of who can follow Iger remains on investors’ minds.

Disney created a succession planning committee in 2023, but the search began in earnest last year when the company enlisted Morgan Stanley Executive Chairman James Gorman to lead the effort.

Gorman said in a January letter to shareholders that the committee had made “strong progress” over the past year

“The full board is engaged in and committed to finding the right leader for the company and we are planning for a smooth leadership transition that will

Exterior panel can detach, creating hazard, NHTSA says

BY MATT OTT AP business writer

U.S. safety regulators on Thursday recalled virtually all Cybertrucks on the road, the eighth recall of the Tesla-made vehicles since deliveries to customers began just over a year ago.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall, which covers more than 46,000 Cybertrucks, warned that an exterior panel that runs along the left and right side of the windshield can detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

The stainless steel strip, called a cant rail assembly, between the windshield and the roof on both sides, is bound to the truck’s assembly with a structural adhesive, the NHTSA report said. The remedy uses an adhesive that’s not been found to be vulnerable to “environmental embrittlement,” the NHTSA said, and includes additional reinforcements Tesla will replace the panel free of charge.

Owner notiﬁcation letters are expected to be

enable Disney’s continued success,” he wrote.

Disney does has the beneﬁt of time. After signing a two-year contract mostly to right Disney’s trajectory after a rocky two years under his hand-picked successor, Iger agreed to a contract extension that keeps him at Disney through the end of 2026.

Disney declined to comment on its succession planning efforts. It is a broad search Disney is looking inside and outside of the company Internal candidates are being mentored by Iger, interacting with the company’s 15 board members (including Iger) and receiving external coaching.

The internal candidates are widely believed to include the chairman of Disney-owned ESPN, Jimmy Pitaro; Chair of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Josh D’Amaro; and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden.

Given the complex and unique nature of Disney, many expect the next leader of the company to come from within.

“Internal candidates make sense when a company doesn’t need a major shakeup and when the bench of potential candidates is deep,” said Jason Schloetzer, associate professor at Georgetown McDonough School of Business.

mailed May 19. The recall of 46,096 Cybertrucks covers all 2024 and 2025 model years, manufactured from Nov 13, 2023, to Feb. 27, 2025. The NHTSA order says that Tesla became aware of the problem early this year Videos posted on social media showing people ripping the panels off of Cybertrucks with

their hands have gone viral in recent days.

The Cybertruck, which Tesla began delivering to buyers in late 2023, has been recalled eight times in the past 15 months for safety problems, including once in November because a fault in an electric inverter can cause the drive wheels to lose power Last April, the futuristic-looking trucks were recalled to fix acceleration pedals that can get stuck in the interior trim. Other recalls were related to windshield wipers and the display screen. It’s the latest setback for the Elon Muskowned electric automaker, which has come under attack since President Donald Trump took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that’s slashing government spending.

While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted. Even before the attacks ramped up in recent weeks Tesla has been struggling, facing increased competition from rival electric vehicles, particularly out of China.

Though largely unaffected by Thursday’s recall announcement, Tesla shares have plummeted 42% in 2025, reﬂecting newfound pessimism as sales crater around the globe.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX

A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse stands in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RICHARD VOGEL

A Cybertruck is on display in 2023 at the Tesla showroom in Buena Park, Calif.

North Macedonia mourns fire victims

BY VISAR KRYEZIU and KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES Associated Press

KOCANI, North Macedonia

Thou-

sands of mourners ﬂocked to funerals Thursday in North Macedonia for the dozens of victims of last weekend’s devastating nightclub fire, bringing flowers and photographs and some of them collapsing in grief.

The March 16 blaze claimed 59 lives, mostly young people, including several members of the pop band DNA, who were performing when ﬂames engulfed the venue in the eastern town of Kocani. Authorities have set up cordons around burial sites to provide privacy for mourning families.

Burials were held in several cities and towns throughout the country, but the main funeral was in Kocani, a town of about 25,000 people east of the capital, where 30 of the victims were being buried, with cofﬁns lined up near graves dug by excavators.

Thousands of mourners walked solemnly along dirt paths to the freshly dug graves marked with paper signs. Many carried baskets of white ﬂowers or clutched photographs of their loved ones. Many wore T-shirts and badges with pictures and names of the deceased.

Several people overcome by grief required medical attention. A weeping man rested his head on the edge of one of the cofﬁns.

Ana Kostadinovska, a backing vocalist for the band DNA, who survived the ﬁre, wrote in an online post: “A part of my second family has left. Along with them, my soul.”

“All that remains is ashes and emptiness and who would have thought that emptiness could hurt so much,” she wrote.

The ﬁre, and emerging stories of the harrowing scenes at the nightclub, have triggered an outpouring of grief and protests, led mostly by young people Thursday’s religious service at the cemetery in Kocani was led by clergy from the country’s Orthodox

Church, while Red Cross and emergency personnel were present to support grieving families.

Ahead of the funerals, the country’s spiritual leader, Orthodox Archbishop Stefan, called for na-

tional unity in prayer for the victims and their families.

“We pray constantly for the salvation of the innocent victims, holding memorial services for the deceased and offering prayers for the heal-

ing of the injured, as well as for the comfort of their families and loved ones,” he said.

“National solidarity and unity are most needed in such difﬁcult times,” he added. “We call on all the faithful to preserve peace within ourselves and peace among ourselves, and, praying diligently, to mourn with dignity.” Stefan presided over the Kocani funerals.

Separate funeral services took place in the capital, Skopje, and ﬁve other towns — several neighboring Kocani where many local businesses closed as a sign of respect.

Public tributes were also made for Ile Gocevski, a Kocani ambulance driver who died of apparent heart failure after completing 11 hospital runs on the night of the ﬁre.

The investigation into the tragedy continues to widen. Seven police ofﬁcers are among more than 20 people detained as authorities probe the lack of ﬁre safety measures at the Pulse nightclub, as well as allegations that the club’s permits had been obtained illegally

Carney plans to trigger an early election in Canada

BY ROB GILLIES Associated Press

TORONTO Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will trigger an early election this weekend for an expected vote on April 28, a government official said Thursday against the backdrop of a trade war and sovereignty threats from U.S. President Donald Trump Carney will go to Governor-General Mary Simon on Sunday and request to dissolve Parliament, said the official, who wasn’t authorized to publicly give details and spoke on condition of anonymity Simon’s office holds a constitutional and ceremonial role as the representative of Canada’s head of state, King Charles III. The campaign for the election, which is due by October but can be called at any time before then by a prime minister, will then officially begin.

The prime minister said the convention in Canada is that the governor-general will know ﬁrst whether an election will be called.

“In this time of crisis the government needs a strong and clear mandate,” Carney said in Edmonton, Alberta.

to Edmonton, Alberta.

Carney earlier joined the Edmonton Oilers hockey team on the ice Thursday for a morning skate. A former Harvard goalie, he sported a No. 24 jersey, a reference to him being the 24th Canadian prime minister

The former two-time central banker was sworn in as Canada’s new prime minister on Friday Carney, 60, replaced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remained in power until the Liberal Party elected a new

leader

The governing Liberals had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared a trade war. He has repeatedly said that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state.

Trump’s economic war and annexation threats have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Many are canceling trips south of the border, and avoid buying American goods when they can.

BY MEHMET GUZEL and SUZAN FRASER Associated Press

ISTANBUL Thousands of people gathered at Istan-

Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested in a dawn raid on his residence on Wednesday over alleged corruption and terror links, escalating a crackdown on opposition ﬁgures and dissenting voices. Several other prominent ﬁgures, including two district mayors, were also detained.

bul’s city hall for a second night Thursday to rally against the arrest of the city’s mayor, which many see as a politically driven attempt to remove a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from the next presidential race.

The detention of the popular opposition leader deepened concerns over democracy and sparked protests in Istanbul and elsewhere, despite road closures and a four-day ban on demonstrations in the city It also caused a shockwave in the ﬁnancial market, triggering temporary halts in trading on Wednesday to prevent panic selling.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ARMIN DURGUT

woman cries Thursday while looking at photographs of the victims of a massive nightclub fire at a memorial in Kocani, North Macedonia.

THE CANADIAN PRESS PHOTO By JASON FRANSON

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney skates Thursday with the Edmonton Oilers hockey team during a visit

Bill would end BREC’s independence

Legislation would transfer responsibility for parks to city-parish

by 61%, despite public criticism from some quarters about the agency’s management.

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

BREC could become part of the East Baton Rouge city-parish government under a proposal filed Thursday in the state Legislature, where a prior attempt to dismantle the parks agency failed several years ago. The measure, House Bill 87 by state Rep. Dixon McMakin, would repeal the section of state law that set up the East Baton Rouge Parish Recreation and Park Commission as an autonomous government entity run by its own board and with the power to levy taxes, administer its ﬁnances and own property All of those functions would be transferred to the city-parish instead.

Having the city-parish run parks and recreation for the Baton Rouge metro area would avoid duplication of services, save taxpayer money and create a “more efﬁcient, more effective park system,” McMakin said in an interview BREC disagreed.

“Transitioning BREC under CityParish could potentially jeopardize the funding that citizens have endorsed,” a statement issued Thursday by the parks agency says. “We see no compelling reason to restructure, as our existing format effectively channels investments throughout East Baton Rouge Parish.”

McMakin, a Baton Rouge Republican, also ﬁled separate legislation, House Bill 86, to change the makeup of the park system’s commission from nine members to ﬁve.

The statement says “voters reaffirmed their commitment” to the nearly 80-year-old park system in November by renewing 10year millages and funding BREC’s strategic master plan. The taxes passed, one by 53% and the other

Rather than six Metro Council appointees and one representative each from the Planning Commission, School Board and

CROSSING ZONE

Suspect in custody after fatal shooting

Landry puts GOHSEP under National Guard

Restructuring will reduce costs, governor says

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Gov Jeff Landry announced

an opportunity to save millions by bringing GOHSEP under the National Guard,” Landry said in a news release “This move not only delivers signiﬁcant cost savings but also aligns with my belief in the importance of relying more on our National Guard to strengthen our state’s resilience.”

Louisiana National Guard

CRIME BLOTTER staff reports

A suspect has been taken into custody following the fatal shooting Wednesday of an Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center employee in what Baton Rouge police said was a domestic incident. The suspect, Roland Domino, 60, shot Patricia Jackson, 58, multiple times after an argument in the parking lot near the hospital shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday, police said Domino and Jackson were the parents of at least one son and daughter together, according to court records. Domino was apprehended by Baton Rouge ofﬁcers at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday night on Mississippi River Bridge, police said. He was walking on the bridge carrying a gun and threatening suicide, a police spokesperson said. He was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on counts of second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr said Domino was waiting for Jackson at her car Workers at the hospital reported the

Thursday he is placing the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness under the Louisiana National Guard in a “cost savings restructure.”

“As part of our ﬁscal responsibility initiative, we’ve identiﬁed

Brig. Gen. Jason P. Mahfouz will serve as the interim director of GOHSEP and oversee “day-today operations,” and Adjutant Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux “will provide oversight to GOHSEP during this transition,” according to the announcement.

Jacques Thibodeaux, an appointee of Landry had been serving as the agency’s director “GOHSEP Director Jacques Thibodeaux took on a challenging role and served our state with dedication under difﬁcult circumstances We deeply appreciate his service,” Landry said in the announcement. Thibodeaux said in an interview that, over the next 30 days, he will help transition GOHSEP from a stand-alone agency to one under the purview of the National Guard in a role titled special assistant to the adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard.

His plans after that are undetermined Thibodeaux said He noted that he’s worked in emergency management for 40 years and is also a retired Army soldier and retired U.S. marshal. “I’m gonna take (a) well-needed break and enjoy my family, and then I’ll determine what’s gonna be the next chapter,” he said.

The state’s emergency management ofﬁce has existed since the 1970s. It had previously existed as the Louisiana Ofﬁce of Emergency Preparedness and was under the direction of the Louisiana

Technology could help with tire dumping

Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto, secretary of the state Department of Environmental

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Students and campus visitors cross Highland Road at Veterans Drive on Tuesday near the LSU Student Union in Baton Rouge.

STAFF FILE

PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER New technologies could help with Louisiana’s chronic problem with waste tires, an official says.

See BREC, page 2B

Higgins says he won’t challenge Cassidy for Senate seat

Baton Rouge Republican up for reelection next year

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Acadiana U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins wrote in a letter Thursday that he would not run in the 2026 U.S. Senate race even though he pointed to a poll that found he would have won.

“It is my considered determination that, current engagement in the House being incredibly signiﬁcant, it may be ultimately more beneficial to the Republic that I remain in service to the MAGA America First agenda as a senior Republican in the House of Representatives,” wrote Higgins, R-Lafayette. “So, fellow citizen, I shall continue to serve you in the People’s House.” Higgins did not endorse incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Baton Rouge Republican who has angered many right-wing Republicans after voting to convict President Donald Trump of impeachment charges for provoking the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Cassidy,

BREC

Continued from page 1B

mayor-president’s office, the legislation would require the mayors of East Baton Rouge Parish’s five cities to serve as BREC commissioners. Forcing the mayors to “sit in a room, talk it out and figure it out” and oversee BREC, which has a budget of more than $100 million, is better than governance by a group unelected commissioners, McMakin said. As of Thursday, the parks agency is not taking a position on the bill to change the makeup of the board. BREC leadership has not yet discussed the two pieces of legislation with McMakin, and “we therefore are unaware of his objectives in filing these bills,” the statement said. While he’s spoken to some mayors about the proposals, McMakin declined to say which ones have voiced support.

TIRES

Continued from page 1B

communities It will help the businesses,” Giacometto told the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee at the State Capitol. “And this is something that is not a solution that is going to occur overnight.”

She described pyrolysis as a clean-burning technology that is used in cement production, but trade promotional papers indicate such a facility would still have some emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, hydrogen sulfide and fine particulates, all regulated pollutants.

The secretary offered her comments nearly two weeks after her department issued an overview report on waste tires following a series of town hall meetings she had last year along with visits to dump sites and an out-ofstate facility that uses pyrolysis.

The report detailed the state’s efforts to track and subsidize the recycling of tires with user fees and the illegal dumping that has continued anyway

Other state officials and those in the recycling business have previously cited the need to find a market for waste tires. But past attempts to use tires for road surfacing, fuel and other methods have failed to take hold or have petered out over cost, safety and other reasons.

however has been invited to the White House twice in the past week.

“I respect the Senator, I thank him for his service and I wish him well,” Higgins wrote. “A MAGA America First Republican candidate will emerge, my Brothers and Sisters, and that Louisiana Patriot Republican nominee will be held accountable to stand by their promise to We the People of Louisiana. I shall be watching, in this season, very, very closely.” Cassidy responded Thursday “Clay and I both love our country and Louisiana We’re both working to defend the American dream and support President Trump’s Pro-America agenda. He’s a man of strong faith and will continue serving southwest Louisiana well.”

State Treasurer John Fleming, R-Minden, is the only announced challenger to Cassidy. A former congressman, Fleming also worked in the White House during Trump’s ﬁrst term.

State Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, and Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, R-Metairie, have made noises about also challenging Cassidy from the right. U.S Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Start, and former U.S.

Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, have been named by others as potential candidates, but they have nothing to say about the possibility Higgins said he commissioned a poll by the Trafalgar Group, of Atlanta, which was released March 12 The survey questioned 1,068 Louisiana voters, with a 2.9% margin of error, on the candidacies of Cassidy, Higgins, Fleming and the other four Higgins was shown with 30.7% support in the April 2026 Republican primary Most of Higgins’ support is based in his congressional district, where more than two-thirds of the Republicans back him.

Cassidy scored 23.5% support, with most of his backing coming from Baton Rouge New Orleans and Shreveport.

“Incumbent Cassidy is especially vulnerable in front of a Republican primary audience,” Trafalgar reported. None of the named candidates could win in

Sid Edwards declined to comment.

by using chopped-up tires as a form of base material in the ground or on slopes.

“The current process that we use today is taking a waste tire. You cut it up, and you put it somewhere else, so that’s not getting rid of the tire. That’s just transforming its size and shape and placing it somewhere else in the state,” Giacometto said It’s unclear how the state is going to find a new path toward economic viability and simultaneously slow dumping. The state report offered no specific legal or policy changes. Giacometto said state officials are still working on them.

“I know that right now we’re still looking at our regulatory authorities and what we can do within that realm,” she said in an interview “At this point, (we’re) still working through the process.

The state has also gotten interest from a European company, Life for Tyres Group Limited, for recycling. A year ago, it announced plans for a $46 million plant in St. John the Baptist Parish that would convert waste tires into biofuel feedstock, carbon black and scrap steel, according to state economic ofﬁcials.

In the meantime, she told the committee that DEQ will set aside $1.3 million in grant money to help local governments handle illegally dumped tires. The program is expected to be rolled out by the summer

system to the general fund.

“I just think the city-parish as a whole has enough problems that they need to figure out how to fix,” he said. “There’s a reason that that money is in its own silo.”

But Evans said he could get behind the bill to change the composition of the BREC commission.

“I believe the ﬁve mayors of the parish are much more accountable to our voters than unelected bureaucrats,” he said. The park system faced scrutiny in the state Legislature in 2021 when former state Sen. Bodi White, RCentral, sought to dismantle it and set up independent recreation districts for St. George, Zachary and Central, an effort that ﬁzzled in the House.

Today, BREC has more than 170 parks, and its budget for the 2025 ﬁscal year is nearly $116 million.

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.

Many recent state-financed recycling efforts have involved ﬁnding ways to keep them out of

landﬁlls

“One of the things that I consistently heard during the waste tire town hall is that the municipalities, the parishes, they’re all experiencing it in different ways,”

Giacometto said. The money will come from a $7.6 million trust fund set aside for tire recycling projects. DEQ ofﬁcials told legislators that the fund is continuing to add money from tire user fees. Last fall, Giacometto requested the ability to use her discretionary budget authority of up to 10% to address waste tires locally She received it in Gov Jeff Landry’s $156.2 million budget proposed for the agency in ﬁscal 2025-26. The tire problem is widespread and relentless. An estimated 4.5 million new waste tires are generated

each year in Louisiana, one new waste tire for roughly every person in the state. The biggest piles pose ﬁre and environmental risks, such as a defunct tire recycling center in Cottonport that caught fire in 2022, burned for days and forced a state prison evacuation, or a huge tire dump found a few years ago in New Orleans East.

Dumping also presents an enforcement problem, both for local law enforcement and DEQ. Giacometto told the panel her agency can’t go on private property to remove waste tires, while local agencies often have

higher priority cases to pursue. Legislators on the panel welcomed Giacometto’s report but wanted more on solutions and had questions about how dumping rules have been enforced by past administrations.

State Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Oil City questioned how a purported tire warehouse in Caddo Parish was able to accumulate 200,000 tires under DEQ’s watch while small companies in the area were being dinged for not covering a handful of tires. The collection of tires is within a few miles of small towns and a local bayou and right along a road. McCormick said a local fire official told him the tires are the No. 1 fire hazard in the area. “One summer, somebody drives by and throws out a cigarette, within a matter of time, it’s going to be a massive fire,” he said. He said he was looking to DEQ to recommend legislative solutions. Giacometto said DEQ enforcement officials were able to track the owner to Texas and bring the person to court but suggested stronger and more flexible enforcement laws would help.

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

Mugs, shirts, hats, posters, books. Something for everyone at the Advocate Store!

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, wrote in a letter Thursday

2026 U.S. Senate race.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

House Bill 87 would repeal the section of state law that set up the East Baton Rouge Parish Recreation and Park Commission as an autonomous government entity run by its own board and with the power to levy taxes, administer its finances and own property

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Illegally dumped tires fill a lot along Interstate 10 in New Orleans.

Student manager scores NIL deals

McNeese state men’s basketball’s Khan makes history

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer

During his two years as a student manager with the McNeese State University men’s basketball team, Lake Charles native Amir Khan often joked he would land a deal to capitalize on his name, image and likeness.

Khan’s joke became reality at the end of February, when he became the first student manager of a college sports team to secure an NIL deal. The senior sports management major has scored endorsement deals with TickPick, Buffalo Wild Wings and Insomnia, the gourmet cookie franchise.

“I don’t know how to fully process that,” Khan said of his instant fame, after a video of him dancing, rapping and leading the Cowboys basketball team down the tunnel to the court for a February game went viral on social media.

“It’s crazy to think that I’m the ﬁrst one ever to do that. So, it’s deﬁnitely amazing, and I’m glad it’s the start, but hopefully it’s not the last.”

When Khan, 22, first applied to be a student manager for the McNeese Cowboys in March 2023, he had no intent of getting NIL deals or going viral on social media.

He applied for the position after he learned former Louisiana State University men’s basketball coach Will Wade would be taking the coaching job at McNeese State University As a lifelong LSU basketball fan, he wanted the opportunity to work with Wade.

For the past two years, he’s done just that. Ten months out of the year, Khan and the four other student managers for the basketball team do team laundry, wipe up spots on the court, set up for games and practices, run the clock and hype the basketball team before games.

On Feb. 22 during a game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Khan did the tunnel walk with the team holding his boombox as usual. This time, though, since he knew the words to the song, he decided to rap, sing and dance along The team’s grand entry to the court along with Khan’s rapping was all recorded and posted on social media platform X. Then it got posted to TikTok, too. “I thought it would be like

Continued from page 1B

National Guard adjutant general from 1990 to 2006. It was changed to a cabinet position in the Governor’s Ofﬁce and became GOHSEP after Hurricane Katrina. Thibodeaux said the agency is “just going back to its roots.” The transition should be “relatively

a pretty cool just for the team to have,” Khan said. “It was a pretty fun moment.”

A couple days later, Khan’s family saw the funny video of him, but he didn’t think much more about it

When he got home later that night, he saw the video was going viral on social media and was posted to the sites of Barstool Sports and a few other big sports pages. Then, when he would scroll through X, he’d see the video reposted and people talking about him.

“I just kind of tried to keep doing my thing, not change up too much of what we’ve been doing and stay focused on the team’s success,” Khan said. “But, it’s deﬁnitely all awesome.”

In the next few days, he got calls from companies with national brands to sign NIL agreements with him.

So far, Khan has ﬁlmed a video for Insomnia Cookies, gotten a boombox sticker from TickPick and was sent a personalized bumpbox from Buffalo Wild Wings as part of his endorsement deals.

In addition to NIL deals, Khan is seeing an increase in fame as fans are purchasing shirts with his picture, as well as asking for autographs and photos with him.

While all of this has been going on since the end of February Khan said he’s focused on the Cowboys team going as far as it can in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Southland Conference Championship.

In a first-round game Thursday, the Cowboys, a No. 12 seed, upset the No. 5 seed Clemson Tigers 69-67. The thriller that went to ﬁnal buzzer was McNeese State’s

first NCAA Tournament victory in school history

The Cowboys will face No. 4 seed Purdue Saturday in a second-round game. “I love all the support everyone has given me, but I want to make sure the focus is on the team,” Khan said. “It’s their moment, the players and the coaching staff, they’re the ones who earned it.”

Email Courtney Pedersen at courtney pedersen@theadvocate. com.

BLOTTER

Continued from page 1B

woman had been receiving threats from a former partner, Morse said. Jackson was taken into the hospital after the shooting and died while being treated, Morse said.

Domino has a criminal arrest history of forgery, simple burglary, aggravated assault, simple battery and aggravated assault, police said.

Sheriff: 2 dead, teen injured after shooting

A series of events after an argument in a Tangipahoa mobile home Wednesday night left two dead and a teenage boy in the hospital, according to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

Jayvelyn Smith, 18, suffered an accidental self-inﬂicted gunshot wound to the leg and later died, according to the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

Officials said Smith fatally shot 25-year-old Genesis Kelly following an argument. An unidentiﬁed 16-year-old was also shot and was stable as of 2 p.m Thursday according to the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

The shooting was reported to the Village of Tangipahoa Police Department about 6 p.m.

Investigators determined that Smith and Kelly were visiting the 16-year-old at a home on Spruce Lane and Center Street when they got into a ﬁght. Smith shot himself in the leg as he tried to pull a gun from his waistband, according to the Sher-

iff’s Ofﬁce.

The fight spilled outside, where officials said Smith shot Kelly, who died at the scene. The circumstances around the shooting of the surviving teen are unclear, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Kelly was declared dead at the scene, while Smith and the other teenager were transported to a hospital, where Smith later died.

Two booked on suspicion of DWI

Two people were booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison between noon Wednesday and noon Thursday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Those booked and the counts against them: n Vilmar Gomez-Matul, 30, Baton Rouge, operating while intoxicated, second offense; vehicle entering highway from private road; driver must be licensed. n Devin Gordon, 20, Baton Rouge, operating while intoxicated, first offense; driving over median.

LOTTERY

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2025 PICK 3: 9-9-0 PICK 4: 3-6-1-1 PICK 5: 8-4-9-3-0

at alyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTOS By COURTNEy PEDERSEN

Amir Kahn interacts with McNeese State University Cowboys fans on Sunday during a NCAA Tournament Selection party at the Legacy Center Kahn is the first student manager of a college sports team to secure a name, image and likeness deal.

Sammy Wayne DiVincenti, Sr., 75, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana diedSaturday, March 16, 2025. He was bornonMay 17, 1949 in Baton Rouge to Lucy Manisco and Joseph Salvador DiVincenti, Sr. He was the oldest of their8 children, and our Mother was so proud that her oldest and youngest sons were bornexactly 12 years apart. He had to fill in as surrogate parent, while they were running the business, and as soon as he was 9years old, he startedworking at DiVincenti Brothers, Inc., until the business was sold in 2007. He graduated from Catholic High School in 1967, and attended LSU, all the while working long hours at DiVincenti Brothers. He enjoyedcoaching and managing sports teams during hisschool years. He marriedthe Love of His Life in 1970, JoAnn Ruffino, and they had nearly 55 wonderful years together. He is survived by his daughter, Stacy Lynn DiVincenti (Rob) and his son, Sammy Wayne DiVincenti, Jr. (Samantha). He is the grandfather of 7, Karlee Marie, Sophia Grace,Ava Nicole,Emilia Claire,Lola Belle, Sam Wayne DiVincenti III, and Kaara Ann. He also had 2step grandchildren, Sydneyand Drew. He is also survived by his 7 siblings: Joey DiVincenti, David DiVincenti (Re), Phyllis Draughon, Dotty Smith (BJ), Ginny DiVincenti, LuAnn Prejean (Randy), Gerald DiVincenti (Mary), and his double first cousin, Michael DiVincenti, Jr. (Aglonie). He also had numerous niecesand nephews and great nieces and nephews. He is precededindeath by hisparents, Joe and Lucy,his grandparents, Salvador and Felice DiVincenti, and Sam and DoraManisco, and his in-laws, Joe and Gwen Ruffino. He was a lifetime member of the Catholic High School Men's Club, and apast President He was also amemberof the AIA Italian Club, the Sacred Heart Knights of Columbus, the Sons of Italy, and the Sertoma Club where he also servedas past President through the years. Sammy lovedvisiting with his friends and sharing ameal. He was a great salesman for DiVincenti Brothers and later on working for S&W Wholesale Foods based out of Hammond, LA, where he retired in 2022. Hispallbearers will be Michael Sirchia, Robert Draughon, III, Joseph DiVincenti, III, David DiVincenti, Jr., Colby Draughon, Skyler Prejean, Billy Smith, III,and Drew Peterson. Visitation willbe held at ResthavenFuneral Home, 11817 Jefferson Hwy. Baton Rouge, LA 70816, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Visitation will continue on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 2025 Stuart Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70808, from 9:30 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. followed by aprocession with entombment at St. George Catholic Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials or donations canbe made in Sammy's name to Catholic High School or the American Diabetes Association.

Ferachi, Beulah Hebert

Beulah Hebert Ferachi, our beloved mother with a gentle heart and peaceful spirit, passed away on March 18, 2025, at the age of 101. She was born Octo‐ber 5 1923 in Plaquemine La. Beulah married Vincent A Ferachi on August 24 1947; they were married for 58 years until his passing Vincent and Beulah worked together and established Ferachi Oil Co.; she eventu‐ally retired in 1987. She was a lifetime member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church and Altar Society Those left to cher‐ish her memory are four children, Glenn (Fran) Fer‐achi, Kenny (Debbie) Fer‐achi, Joycelyn (Barry) Lamothe and Janet (Mark) Abernethy; sister, Shirley Hebert Rivet; brother, Floyd Hebert, 11 grandchil‐dren, Keith (Tiffany) Fer‐achi, Kyle Ferachi Kellye (Fritz) Carville, Kade Fer‐achi, Kenny Jr. (Gretchen) Ferachi, Kaci (Chris) No‐bles, Dr. David (Melissa) Ferachi, Dr.Larry Ferachi Jr. Tony (Jessica) Lamothe Jaime Lamothe, and Jill (Jordan) Wright and 20 great-grandchildren Beu‐lah is preceded in death by her husband, Vincent A Ferachi; her parents, Alcee and Irene Hebert; son Dr Larry Ferachi, Sr.; sister, Herd Schexnaildre; and brothers, Morris, Alcee, Nolan J.C. and Fabian Hebert. In lieu of ﬂowers, donations may be made to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church or St John the Evangelist 100 Years Capital Campaign Pall‐bearers honored to serve will be her grandsons Keith Kyle Kade Kenny Jr David, Larry Jr. and Tony Visitation will be held at Wilbert Funeral Home in Plaquemine, on March 20 from 5 pm to 8 pm and again at St John the Evan‐gelist Catholic Church in Plaquemine on Friday, March 21, from 8 am until Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am Entombment will be at Grace Memorial Park fol‐lowing mass. Our family extends heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the caring staff of Pinnacle Hospice, PHS caregivers Marie Pos‐ton and Kristle Green A special thanks to Father Greg Daigle Please share memories at www wilbert services com.

Alifelong resident of Morganza Louisiana passed away on March 13, 2025 at the age of 59. ACelebration of Life Remembered will be heldonSaturday, March 22, 2025, 1:00 P.M. at A. WesleyFaith Center, 152 Hwy 3050, Morganza, Louisiana 70759, conducted by Minister Shaunya Jacque.Survived by his devoted companion; Helen M. Caddo, five children; Trevis Phillips, Sherry Jarreau, Angel, Carlton, and JamesCaddo, one brother; Roman Gage,uncle; Alvin Winston, eight grandchildren, otherrelatives and friends including his fur-baby Corduroy Jean Jarreau whom he cherished dearly. Preceded in death by his parents; James &Annie Beatrice Gage, paternal grandmother; O'Deal Baker, maternal grandparents; Ida Winston and James Robertson.

Granger, Barbara

In Loving Memory of Barbara Jean Hawkins Granger. Aresident of Port Allen, LA, passed away on Friday, March 7, 2025. Visitation, Friday, March 21, 2025 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Hall's Celebration Center 9348 Scenic Highway, Baton Rouge, LA. Visitation continues on Saturday, March 22, 2025, 9:00 am until religious service at 11:00 am Holy Family Catholic Church, 319 North Jefferson Avenue,Port Allen, LA .Entombment St. John Baptist Church Cemetery, Brusly, LA. Funeral Service entrusted to Hall Davis and Son. www.halldavisandson.com

Harrison, Munford

Entered into eternal rest on March 6, 2025. Survived by his loving sisters, Elizabeth (Leroy) Ealem,Vivian H. Gray and Jeneva (Lee) Ruffin. Preceded in death by his parents, Maggieand Munford Harrrison, Sr.; brother, Renell Harrison and sister, Fern Byrd Gray. Visitation, Monday, March 24, 2025 10:00 am until religious service at 11:30 am, Hall's Celebration Center, 9348 Scenic Highway, Baton Rouge, LA. Reverend Anthony Lands officiating Interment St. Mark Baptist Church Cemetery, Glynn, LA. Service Entrusted to Hall Davis and Son. www.hallandson.com

Jackson, Monica Lynette Monica Lynette Jackson transitioned to her "Brand New Life" on March 06, 2025, at Clarity Hospice in Baton Rouge, LA.Memorial Services March 20, 2025, at 7p.m. at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church 23030 Talbot Dr. Plaquemine, LA. Cherishing Monica's legacy of sweet memories are great nieces whom she helped rear, Adriana Johnson and Ayana Johnson; brother, Lawrence Jackson; nieces AshanteCamper, Breia Gordon, and Karesa Hall; nephews, Brandon Gordon and Lawrence (Keisha) Hall Jr.

Johnson, Carrie Mae Hafford

Carrie Mae Hafford

Johnson was born Decem‐

ber 13, 1937, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at the age of 87 she was called home

She was a life time resi‐dent of Baton Rouge, Louisiana A devoted mem‐ber of Progressive Baptist Church where she served on the usher board for sev‐eral years. She is survived by two loving daughters Yolanda Gale Haynes (George) of New Orleans and Kim Johnson of Los Angeles CA two grand‐children, George Patrick Haynes of Dallas, Texas, Heather Haynes Toliver (Andrew) of Los Angeles, and host of nieces nephews, cousins and friends She was preceded in death by her father Thomas Hafford mother Carrie Hafford Veals and stepfather Lenance Veals and sister Bessie Mae Col‐lier. Services will be held Saturday, March 22, 2025 at Progressive Baptist Church 998 Julia Street Baton Rouge LA 70802 at 10:00 am. The viewing 9:00 – 10:00 am. Interment: Roselawn Cemetery, 4045 North Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. Arrangements by D.W Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Ave Please visit www rhodesf uneral com to sign the on‐line guestbook

Miller, Azalea Lorraine

Azalea L. Miller was born 01/13/1987. Transitioned on March 4, 2025. She leaves to cherish her memories; ParentsYolanda and Craig Pollard of Baton Rouge, La; Father Jay Dee Shelton of Bentonia, Ms.; Her sister Monisha Freeman and sons of Conroe, Tx. her companion Robert Dillingham of Baton Rouge, La. and other relatives and friends. Celebration of life will be at Allen Chapel AME Church 6175 Scenic Hwy B.R. La. on Saturday March 22, 2025, at 10am. Viewing from 8am until 10.

Bertha Pruitt Mitchell a resident of Jackson, passed into her heavenly home on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. She was 94 years old Visitation will be at Trinity Baptist Church Jackson on Saturday, March 22, 2025 from 10 am until service at 1 pm. Burial will be in Bethel Hill Ceme‐tery, Jackson. She is sur‐vived by her son, Roger D Mitchell and wife Louise A and sister, Alma Ellender Grandchildren Rebecca Heinz, Phillip Mitchell, Tay‐lor Mitchell, Brynlee Mitchell, Bentlee Mitchell, Kaleb Mitchell, Hannah Heinz, Hayley Heinz, Hope Heinz Mark Sumrall, Jesse Sumrall, Markie Sumrall, John H. Sumrall, Tristan Sumrall, Braiden Sumrall Matthew Sumrall, Ben Mitchell, Michael Mitchell Lisa Mitchell and Saman‐tha Mellard. 23 greatgrandchildren and 3 great great-grandchildren She is preceded in death by her husband, William C Mitchell, sons, Wendall Mitchell, Johnny F. Mitchell and Dwight Mitchell and a daughter, Janet Grace Car‐away. A great-grandson Steven Mitchell Parents, Adam and Margie Pruitt siblings, J.D., Adam, Lawrence, A.J L.C. and Marse Pruitt. One sister, Alberta Kervin Pallbearers will be Taylor Mitchell, David Heniz, Brian Hilburn, Kaleb Mitchell, Brandon McAllister and George Knight, Jr. Honorary Pall‐bearer, Ernest Phelps Sis‐ter Bertha P. Mitchell was co-founder of Trinity Bap‐tist Church in Jackson She served as Prayer Warrior, Intercessor and Counselor for members of the com‐munity, church and those who lived out of state. She faithfully served as a vol‐unteer at Louisiana War Veterans Home, DCI and Villa Medical Facility. Many listened to the livestream services just to hear her powerful shouts of Praise to Jesus. Special Thanks to Bridgeway Hospice, and her nurse Johanna and CNA Rochell. Share sympa‐thies, condolences and memories at www Charlet FuneralHome.com

Roberts Sr., Dwight Anthony

It's with heavyhearts we announce the passing of Dwight Anthony Roberts Sr. He was born in NewOrleans, La and later resided in Baton Rouge, La.Dwight was adevoted husband of 50 yrs to his beloved wife Debra Roberts. He was a father of 5, agrandfather of 15, and agreat grandfather of 3. He was adedicated provider. He started working at St.Aloysius Catholic School at the age of 16 and remained ahardworking man throughout his life until his well-

working at St. Aloysius Catholic School at theage of 16 and remained ahardworking man throughout his life until his wellearned retirement. Dwight's work ethic and unwavering dedication to his family made him arole model to all whoknew him. His impact on his family and community will never be forgotten. Though he is no longer with us in body, his spirit will live on in our hearts.

Robinson, Anthony Funeral services for An‐thony Robinson will be held Saturday March 22 2025 at Ministry of New Life, 951 Eddie Robinson Sr Dr. A public visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m until 11:00 a.m with reli‐gious services beginning at 11:00 a.m Interment: Southern Memorial Gar‐dens. Professional services entrusted to Charles Mackey Funeral Home.

Rodriguez, Gwendolyn Thomas Smith

Gwendolyn Thomas Smith Rodriguez departed this life on Friday, March 14, 2025, at St James Parish Hospital in Lutcher LA. She was 70, a native and resident of St. James LA. Visitation on Friday, March 21, 2025, at Williams & Southall Funeral Home, 101 Loop 945, Donald‐sonville, LA from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Visitation on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at New Hope International Family Worship Center 21490 LA-20, Vacherie, LA from 12:30 pm to religious services at 2:00 pm. Inter‐ment in St. Luke Baptist Church Cemetery Arrange‐ments by Williams & Southall Funeral Home, 101 Loop 945, Donaldsonville, LA 70346, (225) 473-1900. To sign the guest book or offer condolences, visit our website at www william sandsouthallfuneralhome. com

Sr., Larry Dwayne

Dwayne Singleton Sr., July 16, 1962 -March

D. Singleton Sr. age 62 passed away peacefully on March 12, 2025

his home. Son of thelate Eliza Baptiste andBennie Frank Singleton Sr. He graduated from Scotlandville High School in 1980 and received his bachelor's in engineering from

bachelor's in engineering from Southern University A&M, Baton Rouge in 1985. He was joined in holy matrimony with Leaner Kelley and from this union of thirty-seven years, one son, Larry Jr. was born. Hisloving survivors include his wife, Leaner andson, Larry Jr., three sisters, Rosia R. Singleton, Deborah S. Haywood, Cynthia S. Veal all of Baton Rouge, LA four brothers, Darryl W. Singleton of St. Francisville, LA, Gerald L. Singleton Charles R. Singleton and Jeremy E. Singleton all of Baton Rouge, LA, ahost of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Larry was preceded in death by his mother, father, sisters, Ora Bradley and Lisa Singleton;one brother, Bennie Singleton, Jr. and one niece, Melissa Singleton. Services will be held at 2:00pm Saturday March 22, 2025 at Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home &Cremation Service, 1553 Wooddale Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806.

Shirley Tennart entered into eternal rest at her res‐idence in Baton Rouge Louisiana on March 11, 2025. She was a 75-year old native of Baker, Louisiana Viewing at Miller & Daugh‐ter Mortuary on Friday March 21, 2025 at 9:00 am until Celebration of Life Service at 10:00 am; en‐tombment at Heavenly Gates Survivors include her children Amanda Polintan, Leroy Jr (Veron‐ica) and Brian Tennart (Camika) all of Baton Rouge, Alvin (Pat), Christo‐pher (Janice), and Darius Jackson (Fatrice Williams), all of Baker, Louisiana; 18 grandchidlren; 15 greatgrandchildren; and a greatgreat-granddaughter; sib‐lings David Jackson Jr Rosia Brown and Syncer "Pat" Johnson (Gregory); preceded in death by her parents; seven siblings; and a grandson

Mitchell, Bertha Pruitt

Tennart, Shirley

OPINION

Plans to change the levee boards are a bad idea

Shane Guidry the governor’s close adviser and self-styled Elon Musk of Louisiana, wants to “reform” how board members are chosen for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authorities, which are responsible protecting the New Orleans metro area. His plans have just prompted four board members to resign in protest, charging that the east bank Flood Protection Authority no longer focuses on ﬂood protection For his part, Guidry claims board members are “scammers.” This makes me wonder whether he’s a liar, a fool or both.

writing an award-winning book exploring flood protection, chairing a post-Katrina bipartisan working group on flood protection created by the state’s congressional delegation, and being the only nonscientist ever to give the National Academies of Sciences’ Abel Wolman Distinguished Lecture, which honors contributions to knowledge about water And I was the least qualified member of the board.

storm surge modeling.

After Hurricane Katrina, voters approved a constitutional amendment with 81% of the vote statewide, 94% in Orleans Parish That amendment led to the creation of the flood protection authorities and created a nominating process designed to minimize political influence while still giving governors the final decision.

I served on the authority protecting the east bank for six years. My qualiﬁcations included

My colleagues on it included Tom Jackson, a president of the American Society of Civil Engineers; Rick Luettich, chair of a National Academy of Sciences committee on coastal risk reduction; Ricardo Pineda, the chief engineer for California’s levee system; Steve Estopinal, an engineer and college textbook author; Paul Kemp, one of Louisiana’s most respected coastal scientists and a member of the state forensic team that investigated Katrina; Larry McKee, president of the Louisiana Council of Engineering Companies; and Dave Barnes, a meteorologist who pioneered

We had no legal authority over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but our board’s expertise forced the Corps to listen and sometimes change course when we objected to their plans. I have no doubt we would not have tolerated a fatal error the Corps made when building the pre-Katrina system the Corps drove sheet piling along the drainage canals to prevent water from undermining the ﬂoodwalls from below, but the piling did not go deep enough to accomplish that task. The old board, picked by politicians, failed to prevent this.

The most important change we did force involved armoring the system adequately against overtopping. That would not have happened without our board, and Tim Doody focused on that problem

As board president Doody was entitled to a salary, which he refused.

I would like Guidry to explain to the state and to the Legislature what scams we were engaged in, and how board members were “just out for themselves,” as he also charged. Last year, the nominating pro-

In case of Mahmoud Khalil, due process must be protected

Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident and a leader of the proPalestinian protests at Columbia University, was detained by ICE at his home in New York earlier this month and is now being held in an immigrant detention center in Jena, an action undertaken by the federal government reportedly to ﬁght antisemitism. As Jewish leaders committed to our community’s safety, we feel compelled to respond — not to defend Khalil’s words or actions, but to defend the constitutional principles his arrest may challenge. It must be said that since Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitism has surged to levels unseen in our lifetimes. American Jews have faced an onslaught of violent rhetoric, relentless misrepresentation of our history and exclusion from communities of which we have long been a part. Nowhere has this been more apparent than college campuses. Jewish students and faculty are regularly intimidated, harassed and sometimes even assaulted for being visibly Jewish. This has created an environment where Jewish students often feel unheard and unsafe in spaces intended to foster intellectual and cultural exchange. While some campus protesters express good-faith objections to the war in Gaza, others glorify Hamas’ brutal actions on Oct. 7 mutilation, burning alive, rape and taking of hostages as legitimate forms of resistance. Jewish students have had

to grapple daily with the impact of such violence not only being excused but celebrated in public spaces. Believe us when we say that American Jews have never felt more unsafe than during this period.

Aaron Bloch GUEST COLUMNIST

Sara Lewis GUEST COLUMNIST

Khalil has a history of leading protests some of which led to violence, property damage and signiﬁcant disruption to campus life. These protests have sometimes included explicit support for terrorism against Jews and Israelis, including Hamas-branded propaganda and images praising terrorist leaders.

We do not know the full extent of his individual speech or action, nor whether they crossed legal lines. First Amendment rights are sacred, but they are not without exception. What we do know is that due process is essential, and we must not allow fear to alienate us from this knowledge. Jews have a long history of activism in defense of civil liberties.

Our families, with histories of pogroms and forced expulsions, bear the scars of life without them. Throughout Jewish history in the Diaspora, no community has been safer than American Jews, thanks to the nation’s commitment to individual rights — freedom of expression, religious liberty — and the protection of due process, which shields us from abuses of power Under U.S. law legal foreign residents can lose their status and face deportation under speciﬁcally enumerated circumstances, but the

burden of proof rests with the government. While immediate detention may be warranted in cases involving imminent danger or ﬂight risk, the government has not made such an accusation in this instance.

Bypassing these legal protections undermines fundamental due process rights and establishes a dangerous precedent, leaving all of us vulnerable to potential governmental overreach.

Civil liberties must be universally upheld. We do not consent to the erosion of fundamental rights in the name of ﬁghting antisemitism, in this instance or any other, and we demand due process for all.

Yes, we want safety But sacriﬁcing constitutional protections does not make Jews — or anyone — safer Instead, it subjects us to the instability of ever-changing political winds rather than securing us under the protection of a legal system grounded in inalienable rights.

Our Jewish tradition teaches that we must treat others with fairness, even those whom we might consider our enemies. Our American tradition teaches that constitutional rights are sacrosanct.

We must never relinquish our freedom for a ﬂeeting sense of safety but rather we must continue to champion due process and civil rights for everyone.

Katie Bauman is the senior rabbi at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans. Aaron Bloch is the director of Jewish-Multicultural and Governmental Affairs at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. Sara Lewis is the vice president of advocacy at the National Council of Jewish WomenGreater New Orleans Section.

cess yielded Norma Jean Mattei, another president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, but the governor rejected her without giving a reason. Perhaps he thought she might not defer to him as current board President Roy Carubba, who worked for Guidry in the past and apparently thinks he still does, clearly does.

Indeed, Guidry is not a member of the authority’s board but seems to be running it, since Carubba even asks his permission before talking to the media and three of the board members who resigned addressed their resignation letters to Guidry Will new board members have the qualiﬁcations of my colleagues or Mattei? Or will they simply do whatever Guidry wants?

The proximate cause of Guidry’s “reform” proposal is that Guidry and Carubba want police chief Joshua Rondeno serving as the east bank authority’s regional director although he lacks qualiﬁcations required by law Most board members have blocked this move.

Rondeno himself has said he “would rather stand alone on the governor’s side than stand with everyone who is going against his will.” In other words, Rondeno favors the governor’s opinion over the opinion of engineers and flood experts. That statement flies in the face of the constitutional amendment that formed the board in the first place. It alone should disqualify Rondeno not only from the regional director’s position but from any position with the authority The whole point of the post-Katrina reform was to take politics out of flood protection as much as possible and put it in the hands of those with expertise.

That’s a lesson the state learned 20 years ago, but apparently Shane Guidry is a slow learner What he wants, unfortunately, may lead to a refresher course none of us want to take.

John M. Barry is a distinguished scholar at the Celia Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University

Amendment 2 will make state more competitive

I believe in Louisiana and making

it a better state. I am positive that voting yes on Amendment 2 will truly move Louisiana forward. As a business owner I want more investment and more companies moving into the state, and Amendment 2 will make us more competitive for economic development. This amendment represents a major improvement to a key part of our constitution that is more sweeping than any constitutional changes we have seen in decades.

Admittedly, it may be hard for the voters to understand just what it does and why it is so important. Our organization, Leaders for a Better Louisiana, has analyzed it thoroughly and — while it is not perfect — it accomplishes many things groups like ours have advocated for years. Amendment 2 makes commonsense changes to policies dealing with state and local taxes, government spending and state savings accounts.

It streamlines the constitution, gives the Legislature more flexibility over fiscal issues and uses almost $2 billion now invested in three different trust funds to eliminate an equal amount of debt in the state’s teacher retirement system. Reducing such debt makes more money available for education. That’s why such a broad range of education advocates and good government groups agree with conservative fiscal reform groups on this amendment.

In most cases, these are moves constitutional reformers have backed for years They don’t solve every issue that has been identiﬁed in this section of the constitution, but this amendment does a number of signiﬁcant things that we believe voters should be aware of:

n Raises the cap on how much money can go into the state’s “Rainy Day” fund and ﬁlls it up with a transfer of $1.8 billion from another savings account

n Lowers the maximum income tax rate from 4.75% to 3.75% and

doubles the standard deduction on income taxes for seniors

n Reduces the debt in the state teachers’ retirement system and uses the savings to make a temporary teacher pay stipend permanent

n Requires a two-thirds vote to create or change tax exemptions or credits

n Attempts to address longstanding issues surrounding the business inventory tax and lack of uniformity between the state and local sales tax base

n Moves several funds and tax deductions out of the constitution and places them in statute giving the Legislature more ﬂexibility to deal with ﬁscal problems

There are also some important things this amendment does not change:

n Sales tax exemptions on food at home, residential utilities and prescription drugs

n The homestead exemption

n The requirement for a balanced budget

n Constitutional protection of the “Rainy Day” fund, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund and the Transportation Trust Fund. Yes, the amendment is complex and might be difﬁcult for some to navigate. But that is because it addresses years of changes that have complicated the longest and most heavily amended article of our constitution.

Is it perfect? No. It’s hard to write a perfect document when you are talking about something this substantial. But it is very good and ﬁnishes the job on the important tax and ﬁscal reforms the Legislature passed last November It’s good for citizens, it’s good for businesses and it sends a signal that Louisiana is addressing many of the longstanding issues that have held us back and made our state less competitive.

For these reasons, our leaders for Better Louisiana and I strongly support this amendment. I hope citizens will approve this important rewrite of a major piece of our constitution.

Scott Ballard is a board member of Leaders for a Better Louisiana.

COMMENTARY

With tariffs and trade deals, President Donald Trump is aiming to fundamentally reshape the nation’s economy His tactics have been cheered by some who consider them a long-overdue course correction and booed by others who consider them a major mistake that will weaken our nation’s financial strength

Here are two perspectives.

Beautiful economy was a terrible thing to waste

Boy do I miss Joe Biden. I especially miss the former president when Donald Trump and his bobbleheads unfairly blame him for everything that’s gone wrong since Inauguration Day Trump has since proven beyond doubt that he can wreck the economy all by his lonesome. And that’s not all he’s wrecking Trump was handed a great economy, “The Envy of the World,” according to ﬁnancial media. His trade war, lack of coherent economic policy and perhaps low interest in governing when cameras aren’t present have investors close to panic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost more than 2,000 points since Election Day

tion rate has at times been inching up. And it’s not just eggs, which MAGA still yaps about as Biden’s fault, not the result of bird ﬂu.

Froma Harrop

Consumer conﬁdence just scored its largest decline since August 2021. Americans are falling behind on car payments at the highest rate in more than 30 years. Inﬂation and employment numbers have gone wobbly, and the U.S. dollar is losing value.

Money aside, Americans risk losses of personal security as Elon Musk rants against Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security Musk calls the beloved Social Security program a “Ponzi scheme.

There is the hard-to-quantify loss of “domestic tranquility,” that is, the beneﬁts of a well-functioning society as promised in the U.S. Constitution. Musk is cannibalizing old-fashioned government services that the citizenry expected as perks of being American — basics such as the Small Business Administration and having people at the IRS to answer questions. Trump now talks of privatizing the U.S. Postal Service.

Musk jumping like a chimpanzee as he waves his chainsaw is an unappetizing sight.

We all want to cut government waste, but shouldn’t he inquire into what the government workers he’s ﬁring do? The Tesla Chainsaw Massacre is clearly sport for the richest man on earth, but what about the rest of us?

Since Biden left ofﬁce, the inﬂa-

Trump posted on Truth Social an article by right-winger Charlie Kirk entitled, “Shut up About Egg Prices.” We shall ignore the order and note that the U.S. Agriculture Department expects egg prices to rise more than 40% this year Trump’s bizarre trade war against neighbors Mexico and Canada is as scary as it’s economically nuts. As a shaken commentator on Fox Business News graphically noted on Monday “A sinkhole has opened up under the NASDAQ.”

During some recent chaos, Trump turned to the cameras and said that this economy is going to boom. “We can do it the easy way, or we can do it the hard way.” Exactly whom was he threatening?

When Ontario responded to Trump’s 25% tax by announcing a tax on the energy Canada sends Michigan, Minnesota and New York, Trump retaliated with a 50% tax on Canada. Things calmed down a bit when Ontario and Trump backtracked.

But both Europe and Canada announced new tariffs against American products, hours after Trump slapped new tariffs on metal imports. Clearly, Trump isn’t the only one in charge.

We didn’t have these spectacles when Biden was president. The economic indicators were simply lovely Perhaps a man who ﬁled for bankruptcy six times is not exactly a ﬁnancial “genius.”

One fears that when stocks show any kind of recovery, Trump will drag us back into his circus house of funny mirrors. Biden may have slowed down toward the end, but he never subjected America to lunacy His administration sailed on smoothly Boy do I miss Biden.

Email Froma Harrop at fharrop@ gmail.com.

We’ve been here before with the economy

When I began investing in balanced mutual funds in 1983, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 1,190. On a recent Monday, despite the drop of more than 1,000 points, the DJI closed at 41,911. It’s the difference between looking at short-term vs. long-term investing.

I called my ﬁnancial adviser who told me not to worry about the latest decline because I am diversiﬁed. Besides, she said, “it’s only paper.” That may not sound reassuring until one considers we’ve been here before.

The year was 1981 and the country was struggling with doubledigit inﬂation (13.5% at the end of the Carter presidency), high unemployment (8%), high interest rates (mortgage rates soared to 16.64%) and sinking public conﬁdence.

It took Ronald Reagan nearly two years to turn the economy around, beginning with the 1981 Economic and Recovery Tax Act, which substantially reduced taxes and eventually led to strong economic growth.

Bruce Bartlett, who wrote the draft of an earlier version of the bill, defended it in an article for The Washington Post: “Keynesian economics, which was the dominant theory at the time, said that higher taxes would curb inflation by reducing people’s disposable income and spending, and that any tax cut would exacerbate inflation. Our thinking, by contrast, was that lower taxes would increase the incentive to work, save and invest; if that led to an increase in the supply of goods and services, then the impact would be anti-inflationary.”

So it was, and so it did.

Reagan’s approval rating sank to 35% in 1983, but as the economy began to recover, it soared to 61% by November 1984, leading to his landslide re-election.

President Donald Trump has expressed a “wait and you’ll see” attitude about his economic policies. He promises a great economic boom and a new “Golden Age.” We’ll see if that replicates the Reagan pattern. Trump didn’t help consumer conﬁdence when he punted after being asked twice whether a recession might be coming.

Writing in The New York Post, Fox Business commentator Charles Gasparino advises to ignore the stock market because Wall Street is dealing with “painful detox from (its) government spending addiction.”

“Think of the current US economy as a junkie weaning himself off heroin, which is never easy,” Gasparino writes. “It’s been addicted to the heroin of government spending — both monetary and ﬁscal for so long that we are running $2 trillion deﬁcits when the economy is growing near 3% with low unemployment as sleepy Joe Biden spent money we didn’t have.”

As with President Reagan, Trump is still having to deal with the fallout from his predecessor’s economic policies, including Biden’s “Inflation Reduction Act,” which caused inflation and produced the high prices and other negative consequences Democrats are claiming are Trump’s fault. Really? After only a few weeks in office and with his last cabinet officer confirmed by the Senate only recently?

Detox is painful, but the result is worth the effort. Our problem is that too many Americans have become over-reliant on government to take care of them, while ignoring the old Puritan ethic of self-reliance. Politicians have been ﬁne with this because it contributes to their careers and power That attitude has contributed to our $36 trillion national debt and inﬂation which the administration, with the help of Elon Musk and his DOGE squad, are trying to reduce.

Economic roller coasters can be scary, but like the rides at the fair, the end produces satisfaction, relief and even a thrill. So, hang on.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.

Cal Thomas

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost more than 2,000 points since Election Day.

Southern to take on No. 1 UCLA

BY CHARLES SALZER

Contributing writer

Jaguars look to upset Bruins in first round of tourney ä Southern vs: UCLA

How ready was the Southern women’s basketball team for Wednesday’s First Four game against UC San Diego? The Jaguars played what might have been their best first half of the season to create the separation that led to a 68-56 win in a First Four NCAA Tournament game in Los Angeles. Playing two time zones away from Baton Rouge at UCLA’s famed Pauley Pavilion made no difference to the Jaguars. Their first-half shooting numbers were the best they have put up this season From the field, Southern made 17 of 29 shots, good for 58.6%, and 6 of 9 from 3-point range. Soniyah Reed had the hottest hand, and Southern made sure she got plenty of touches Reed made three 3-pointers in the first half, when she scored 19 of her career-high

ä See SOUTHERN, page 5C

Transfer portal window key for McMahon, LSU basketball

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LSU men’s basketball was a boat filled with holes. The Tigers’ 11-2 nonconference record came against all non-NCAA Tournament teams. The auspicious start masked the leaks that imminently sank coach Matt McMahon’s team during Southeastern Conference play

In January, it steadily became clear that there wasn’t a strategic adjustment that would help LSU (14-18, 3-15 SEC) compete in a conference that sent a record 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament It was also unrealistic for McMahon, who prides himself on player development, to turn the season around with in-season

ä See PORTAL, page 3C

BY JIM KLEINPETER Contributing writer

The 2025 LSU softball team has gotten a lot of attention for its revved-up offense and 27-1 start, which has led to a No. 3 ranking in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll. But junior pitcher Sydney Berzon’s work puts a different spin on the Tigers. It’s the same ability to spin a softball that has made her a two-time All-American, but increased strength and focus has reﬁned her game to a near-perfect place. Berzon has made 12 appearances, one in relief and won every one of them while dialing up a 1.01 earned run average in 68 1/3 innings. She has struck out 62 batters, walked 11 and hurled four shutouts. LSU (3-0 in SEC play) carries that elevated ranking into its ﬁrst SEC road trip at No. 13 Georgia

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Derek Curiel wouldn’t characterize himself as a big eater Picky isn’t the right word. He’s just someone who doesn’t tend to stuff his face in food.

“That’s why it’s hard for me to gain weight,” Curiel told The Advocate.

Curiel has had to change those habits since joining LSU baseball. Gaining weight was a top priority when he de-

See LSU, page 5C

cided last summer to spend, at least, the next two years in Baton Rouge and take his name out of the MLB Draft. His commitment to LSU is paying off so far The freshman outﬁelder owns a .434 batting average, .578 on-base percentage and has reached base in all 22 games. He was awarded SEC Freshman of the Week honors following LSU’s sweep over Missouri, and he looks to lead the Tigers’ at-

tack as they head to Austin for a three-game series against Texas beginning on Friday (7 p.m., SEC Network). The weight he’s already added has been a key component to his success He’s gained more than 10 pounds since arriving on campus. LSU has him listed at 182 pounds. “I’m not a fully grown man yet,” Curiel said.

LSU ace Berzon looks to lead Tigers in first SEC road series

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Southern guard Aniya Gourdine takes a shot against Texas Southern on Feb 13 at the F.G. Clark Activity Center. The Jaguars are set to take on No. 1 UCLA on Friday

2:25

2:30

4:30 p.m. Oregon vs.Vanderbilt ESPNEWS

5 p.m. Nebraska vs. Louisville

5 p.m. Ball St. vs. Ole Miss ESPNU

6:30 p.m. Ga.Tech vs. Richmond ESPNEWS

7 p.m. South Florida vs.Tennessee ESPN

7 p.m. Lehigh at Duke ESPNU

9 p.m. Southern U. at UCLA ESPN MEN’S COLLEGE GYMNASTICS

7 p.m. Michigan at Nebraska BTN WOEN’S COLLEGE GYMNASTICS

5 p.m. Big Ten Tournament: Session 1 BTN

7:30 p.m. N Dakota vs W. Michigan CBSSN COLLEGE SOFTBALL

2:30 p.m. Mississippi St. at Northwestern BTN

5 p.m. Florida St. at Duke ACCN

5 p.m. Mississippi at Kentucky SECN

COLLEGE WRESTLING

11 a.m. NCAA Tournament ESPNU 7 p.m. NCAA Tournament ESPN2 GOLF

1 p.m. PGA: Valspar Championship GOLF

5 p.m. PGA Champions: Hoag Classic GOLF

9:30 p.m. Porsche Singapore Classic GOLF HORSE RACING

12:30 p.m.America’s Day at the Races FS2 4:30 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS2 MLB SPRING

Pels show plenty of pride in latest win

Two nights after playing a game that made you think the New Orleans Pelicans may have thrown in the towel on this season, they showed that they haven’t.

You really couldn’t have blamed them if they did though.

Pels’ Geriot named head coach at Iona University

The New Orleans Pelicans are losing one of their assistant coaches. Dan Geriot, in his ﬁrst season as one of Willie Green’s assistants, has been named head coach at Iona University, three days after Tobin Anderson was ﬁred following two years on the job as Rick Pitino’s replacement.

The school announced the hiring Thursday morning. Geriot will begin his duties at Iona immediately, according to a source familiar with the hiring.

“I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to get to work,” Geriot said in a press release from the school. “Iona has a strong basketball tradition and history of success and I look forward to being a part of it. Our goal is to build a team hat plays hard, competes at the highest level and makes our fans proud. I can’t wait to get started.”

Jackie Robinson’s story restored after DEI purge

An article highlighting the U.S. Army career of baseball legend

Jackie Robinson has been restored to the Department of Defense website. Its removal appeared to be related to the Trump administration’s stance against diversity, equity and inclusion.

Center The Pels’ other two wins against teams that currently have won 40 games were against the Denver Nuggets way back in November and the Los Angeles Clippers last week. Those two wins came at home.

Robinson, the Hall of Famer who broke baseball’s color barrier when he started at ﬁrst base for the Dodgers in 1947, was drafted into the Army in 1942 and served until 1944, achieving the rank of second lieutenant.

Unlike the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Pelicans’ playoff hopes have pretty much been dashed since before the All-Star break. They were ofﬁcially eliminated from postseason play last week

Rod Walker

At this point, there isn’t much to play for other than pride and building chemistry for the future.

In Wednesday’s 119-115 road win over the Timberwolves, the Pelicans showed they still have some pride left in the tank

Just 48 hours earlier, it didn’t look that way

The Pelicans fell to the Detroit Pistons 127-81 on Monday, a margin that tied the record for worst regular season loss in franchise history

Nobody had ever beat the Pelicans so convincingly on their home court in the regular season. Making matters worse, the Pelicans lost one of their best players for the remainder of the season when Trey Murphy suffered a season-ending injury to his right shoulder

The Pelicans could have called it quits then and there. Or at least they could have called it quits on Wednesday when they fell behind by 16 points to the Timberwolves in the ﬁrst half. But they never folded.

“I’ve got to give coach (Willie) Green the respect on that one,” said Zion Williamson. “After the (Detroit) game, he was honest with us on how bad we looked. He said when we get to Minnesota, we’re going to practice, we will have a good practice because we need to regroup I feel like that practice did a lot for everybody’s conﬁdence and just chemistry of the team.”

The result?

The Pelicans followed up their

worst performance of the season with their best one.

The win came against a Timberwolves team that has won 40 games this season, a rare Pels’ win over a quality opponent.

There are 10 teams in the NBA that have won 40 games so far The Pelicans are a dismal 3-24 against those teams after Wednesday’s victory at Target

This one was on the road against a team that was in the Western Conference Finals lasts season. Minnesota is straddling the line of being a top 6 seed this year, which means they could avoid the play-in tournament. They had far more to play for than the Pels. Yet, Timberwolves’ star Anthony Edwards had this to say after the game.

“They just played harder than us.”

That says a lot about the Pelicans.

“Collectively as a group, this was an extremely well-executed game,” Green said. “All the guys that touched the ﬂoor contributed in a big way We played with force. We played with physicality But more importantly, we trusted each other on the ﬂoor I’m extremely blessed to be able to coach high character guys in that locker room.”

The Pelicans, led by Zion Williamson’s 29 points, eight assists and ﬁve rebounds, had six players in double ﬁgures.

“I’m not going to lie,” Edwards said of Williamson. “He’s incredible.”

It’ll take a similar Pelicans’ effort to duplicate their win Friday against these same Timberwolves.

They’ll need a similar effort from Williamson. A similar effort from his supporting cast.

And a similar amount of the pride they played with Wednesday

S. Carolina trio seeking 3rd national title

BY PETE IACOBELLI Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Sania Feagin, Raven Johnson and Bree Hall are chasing history, even if South Carolina’s trio do it a bit under the radar at times.

The three, all part of the Gamecocks’ No. 1-ranked recruiting class before the 2022 season, are seeking a third national championship in the past four years.

It’s something they’ve talked about heading into top-seeded South Carolina’s NCAA Tournament opener with 16th-seeded Tennessee Tech on Friday

The Gamecocks (30-3) are coming off a third straight Southeastern Conference Tournament title while the Golden Eagles (26-5) are on a 17game win streak through the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

No. 8 seed Utah (22-8) plays ninth-seeded Indiana (19-12) in the opener

It’s a bigger, final prize that Feagin dreaming of cutting the down the nets in Tampa in a few weeks.

“I think it about it, I do,” said Feagin, whose had a career high in points, rebounds and minutes this season. “Making this kind of history for the team.”

Johnson, a highly regarded point guard in high school, played just two games during the 2022 national title season due to injury

She has started 48 of 50 games the

put us in the position to make history,” Staley said. “You know, I love this class for that. They don’t get the credit, they don’t get the individual credit that they deserve. But they get the national spotlight because they win.”

Handling change

Just four games in, Utah’s year took a sudden turn when coach Lynne Roberts, who had led the team to the past three NCAA Tournaments, left to become coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.

The Utes elevated assistant Gavin Petersen and barely missed a beat for another 20-win season and a fourth straight trip to the NCAAs.

The article is one of at least 50 pieces that appear on the department’s site as part of a series titled “Sports Heroes Who Served.”

Written by David Vergun of DOD News and published on Feb. 9, 2021, the article recently disappeared from the site. The page displayed an error message, and the URL had been altered to include “DEI.”

Stars Clark, Reese set to play two prime-time games

Caitlin Clark and former LSU standout Angel Reese will have two of their WNBA games broadcast in prime time nationally for the ﬁrst time in league history

The June 7 and Aug. 9 games between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky will be shown on CBS. Both games are on Saturday night.

The WNBA will have more than 175 games broadcast across multiple platforms in the regular season, including 13 on ABC The network will have an opening weekend doubleheader of Las Vegas against New York and Chicago vs. Indiana on May 17.

Celtics sold for record $6.1B to private equity firm

BOSTON Private equity mogul William Chisholm agreed to buy the Boston Celtics on Thursday in a deal that values the NBA’s reigning champions and the most-decorated franchise in league history at a minimum of $6.1 billion the largest price ever for American professional sports team. If the deal is approved by the NBA’s board of governors this summer, the sale would top the $6.05 billion paid for the NFL’s Washington Commanders in 2023.

A Massachusetts native and graduate of Dartmouth College and Penn’s Wharton School of business, Chisholm is the managing partner of California-based Symphony Technology Group.

Stanford selected as U.S. captain for Solheim Cup

past two years. Hall has started all 50 games the past two seasons, although she’s averaged three fewer points this season (6.2) than a year ago as the Gamecocks became the ﬁrst undefeated champions in nearly a decade.

“It’s very exciting,” Hall said.

“It’s something I’ve thought about, but I try to keep present, stay in the moment.”

The group, which also included North Carolina State forward Saniya Rivers who left after the

2022 title, has been caught among some of the best and brightest Staley has brought into the program. As freshmen, they played behind between WNBA players Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke. Last year, it was 6-foot-7 forward Kamilla Cardoso and dynamic freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley gaining the headlines. Dawn Staley their coach, said this group had sacriﬁced the most for the benefit of the program when all three could’ve followed Rivers’ choice to ﬁnd success elsewhere.

“Because of their sacriﬁce, they

The Utes, seeded eighth in the Birmingham 2 Regional, will face ninth-seeded Indiana to start things on Friday

“This was not on my Bingo card,” Petersen said.

Or anyone elses, although junior forward Gianna Kneepkens thought the transition took place as smoothly as possible. The team knew Petersen’s style and demeanor, so hearing his voice in charge was not a dramatic change.

“It was obviously unexpected and it was a surprise to everybody,” Rhode Island transfer Maye Toure said. “But we already knew Gavin. But also we are a player-led program, so just keep the same mindset.”

Angela Stanford was introduced Thursday as the next U.S. captain of the Solheim Cup, leading a young core of Americans who are coming off a victory and will try to win the cup overseas for the ﬁrst time in more than a decade. Stanford was on the last American team that won away from home, in 2015 in Germany when Juli Inkster was at the helm She was an assistant on the last three teams, including what she calls a “massive” victory in Virginia last September

The 2026 matches will be held at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. Anna Nordqvist of Sweden had been selected captain for Europe.

Stanford, 47, has seven LPGA Tour victories, including her lone major in the 2018 Evian championship. She also played in 98 consecutive majors, the longest streak in LPGA history

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRIS CARLSON South Carolina forward Sania Feagin celebrates after scoring against Texas in the second half of the SEC Tournament championship on March 9 in Greenville, S.C

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABBIE PARR Pelicans forward Zion Williamson dunks during the first half of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in Minneapolis.

No. 12 McNeese holds off Clemson

Cowboys earn first March Madness victory

BY JIMMY GOLEN Associated Press

PROVIDENCE,R.I.— McNeese coach

Will Wade and his boombox-toting manager are moving on in March Madness after the 12th-seeded Cowboys held off late-charging No. 5 seed Clemson 69-67 on Friday in the ﬁrst bracket buster of the NCAA Tournament.

Brando Murray scored 14 of his 21 points in a stifling first half, when the Southland Conference school from Lake Charles, Louisiana, held Clemson to 13 points After falling behind by as many as 24, the Tigers rallied, erasing most of a 12-point deficit in the final minute before running out of time. With its first NCAA Tournament victory, McNeese earned a secondround matchup on Saturday with fourth-seeded Purdue, a 75-63 winner over High Point.

Chris Shumate added 13 points and 11 rebounds for McNeese, which has been best-known this March for its viral, rapping manager and a renegade coach who has reportedly already lined up his next job at NC State.

The Wolfpack will have to wait at least another 48 hours, because Wade is still needed in Providence

A 71/2-point underdog, McNeese (28-6) held the Tigers to one basket over almost eight minutes during a 17-2 ﬁrst-half run that turned a tie game into a 23-8 lead. After Clemson (27-7) scored the first three points of the second, the Cowboys ran off nine in a row and led by as many as 24 points.

Jaeden Zackery scored 24 points, Chase Hunter had 21 and Viktor Lakhin grabbed 10 rebounds for Clemson before fouling out with six minutes left in the game.

No. 1 HOUSTON 78, No. 16 SIU EDWARDSVILLE40: In Wichita, Kansas, Milos Uzan scored 16 points, LJ Cryer added 15 and No. 1 seed Houston was able to rest up for the rest of the NCAA Tournament while romping past No. 16 seed SIU Edwardsville on Thursday in the ﬁrst round of the Midwest Region.

Ja’Vier Francis added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Big 12 champs, who will carry a 14-game winning streak into a second-round matchup with eighth-seeded Gonzaga or No. 9 seed Georgia Houston (31-4) has won 26 of 27 overall.

“I thought our defense and our rebounding, two of the things we really emphasize, was good today,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Shot selection was really good to start the game knocked some shots down, got off to a good start.”

No.9CREIGHTON89,No.8LOUISVILLE

75: In Lexington, Kentucky, Jamiya Neal scored a career-high 29

PORTAL

Continued from page 1C

improvement from the four freshmen who each started at least ﬁve games.

The team needed its older players with expected three returners in the rotation and three transfer guards in senior Cam Carter and fifth-year seniors Jordan Sears and Dji Bailey

Carter, a Kansas State transfer, lived up to expectations, scoring 16.2 points per game on 39.2% 3-point shooting good enough for eighth in the SEC. Sears underperformed, averaging nine less points and shooting 13% worse from 3 compared to

points and had 12 rebounds, Steven Ashworth connected from well beyond the arc on the way to 22 points, and ninth-seeded Creighton beat No. 8 seed Louisville on Thursday in the ﬁrst round of the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Greg McDermott’s Bluejays (25-10) won their fifth consecutive March Madness opener and beat a team ranked in the top 10 for the second time this season.

Louisville (27-8), despite its unimpressive seeding, entered at No. 10 in the AP Top 25

“We felt like we had to win the 3-point-line battle,” McDermott said, “so we did what we could to force them into 2s, and if they shot 3s that they’d be challenged. I think for the most part we were able to do that.”

No.6 BYU 80,No.11VCU 71: In Denver, Igor Demin and Richie Saunders led BYU to an victory over VCU in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, giving first-year Cougars coach Kevin Young a better memory of Ball Arena than his last one.

The former Suns assistant watched the Denver Nuggets bounce Phoenix from the playoffs at this arena in 2023, leading Young to say this week that he still has nightmares of Nikola Jokic

his previous season at UT-Martin. Bailey, a Richmond transfer, was a good defender but a 25.7% 3-point shooter

Entering the season, LSU ranked 63rd in the country in 247Sports transfer portal team rankings and was 14th in the SEC. The two teams behind it were South Carolina and Oklahoma. Each have a projected ﬁrst-round NBA draft pick in Collin Murray-Boyles and Jeremiah Fears, respectively

The Tigers’ portal misses were compounded by unexpected losses.

The team never had junior Tyrell Ward, who averaged nine points last season, as he stepped away to prioritize his mental health. It changed the starting lineup after junior Jalen Reed’s season-ending ACL tear on Dec.

and Jamal Murray

It was Saunders (16 points) and Demin (15) who haunted VCU and propelled the sixth-seeded Cougars (25-9) into a Saturday showdown against third-seeded Wisconsin, which handled Montana earlier in the day in the East Region.

No.3WISCONSIN 85,No.14 MONTANA 66: In Denver, Wisconsin backup forward Carter Gilmore made a sweet 3, then turned to the Montana fans and signaled for them to “shhhh.”

Back on defense, he took a charge from one Montana player then altered another’s shot. By the time Gilmore’s flurry was over Thursday, the game pretty much was, too. The Badgers pulled away for their ﬁrst March Madness win in three years, over the Grizzlies.

“He’s a major key to our team,” said John Blackwell, who ﬁnished with 19 points and was one of ﬁve Badgers in double digits. “He’s a spark plug off the bench, a guy who’s always going to give us energy whether he gets 15 points or zero points.”

No.1AUBURN 83,ALABAMA ST 63: In Nashville, Tennessee, Miles Kelly made seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points, All-American Johni Broome added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 1 seed Auburn

3, inserting redshirt junior Daimion Collins.

After ﬁve games, LSU replaced 18-year-old freshman Robert Miller with redshirt freshman Corey Chest in the starting lineup. The Tigers reshuffled the starting group another six times in hopes of landing the right combination during a seven-game losing streak.

LSU moved Sears to the bench sporadically and started freshman Curtis Givens 12 games as he averaged 4.8 points on 26.9% shooting.

Starting on Feb. 12, they experimented and found the most success with a four-guard starting group, helping the Tigers beat South Carolina and Oklahoma.

After those wins, LSU closed the year on a six-game losing streak,

TRANSFORMING TRAUMA RECOVERY

3-point range and shot 55% from the ﬁeld overall.

No. 2 TENNESSEE 77, NO. 15 WOFFORD 62: In Nashville, Tennessee, Chaz Lanier scored 29 points on 11-of22 shooting and No. 2 seed Tennessee never trailed in a victory over Wofford on Thursday night that sent the Volunteers to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season. Coach Rick Barnes’ Vols (28-7) will play either No. 7 seed UCLA or 10th-seeded Utah State on Saturday in the Midwest Region as they try to reach a third straight Sweet 16.

Zakai Zeigler had 12 points and 12 assists. He became Tennessee’s career assist leader after setting the single-season record for assists at the Southeastern Conference Tournament. No.4TEXASA&M 80,No.13YALE 71: In Denver, Texas A&M snuffed out hope of another Ivy League upset Thursday, sending Yale back to class with a victory behind a career-high 25 points along with 10 rebounds from big man Pharrel Payne in the NCAA Tournament. The fourth-seeded Aggies (23-10) were on a lot of “upset watch” lists, thanks mainly to going against a Yale team some thought might be even better than the one that pulled off a first-round shocker last year against Auburn.

But an upper-division team from the best conference in the country, the Southeastern, proved too much for the Yalies.

beat 16th-seeded Alabama State on Thursday in the ﬁrst round of the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Bruce Pearl’s Tigers (29-5) lasted one game in 2024, losing to Yale days after winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament

This time, Auburn came in having lost three of four inside the powerpacked SEC with a resume still strong enough to earn the top overall seed among the four No. 1 teams. Auburn will play No. 9 seed Creighton, an 89-75 winner over eighth-seeded Louisville, in the second round of the South Region on Saturday for a trip to the Sweet 16 in Atlanta.

GONZAGA 89, GEORGIA 68: In Wichita, Kansas, Khalif Battle scored 24 points, Nolan Hickman had 18 and eighth-seeded Gonzaga routed Georgia in the ﬁrst round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday Braden Huff added 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting as Gonzaga (26-8) advanced to an intriguing secondround matchup with top-seeded Houston The Cougars rolled to a 78-40 victory over SIU Edwardsville.

The Zags used a sharp, focused performance to move into the second round for the 22nd time since Mark Few took over as coach in 1999. They went 12 for 20 from

lacking enough shot-making to keep up with the elite offenses of the SEC.

These changes were McMahon’s attempts to give his team the best chance to win. Also true, these were moves of desperation to overcome the reality of having inferior talent.

LSU is 133rd in offensive rating on KenPom and, as of Thursday, it ranks last in the SEC by 30 spots behind South Carolina. When the transfer portal window ofﬁcially opens on March 24, McMahon and his staff have to study the landscape and acquire players who will be upgrades at all positions.

LSU is guaranteed to lose 52% of its scoring from just the players who are out of eligibility

ARKANSAS 79, KANSAS 72: In Providence, Rhode Island, Jonas Aidoo scored 22 points to help 10th-seeded Arkansas to a opening-round NCAA Tournament victory over No. 7 seed Kansas on Thursday night in the latest meeting between two of college basketball’s winningest coaches.

Johnell Davis added 18 points, including some crucial late free throws, to help John Calipari to his ﬁrst tournament victory as Razorbacks coach. Freshman standout Boogie Fland played for the ﬁrst time since having right thumb surgery in January and scored six points in 24 minutes.

Arkansas will get either No. 2 seed St. John’s or No. 15 Omaha in the second round of the West Region on Saturday No.11 DRAKE 67, MISSOURI 57: In Wichita Kansas, Bennett Stirtz scored 21 points and No. 11 seed Drake, a team relying heavily on Division II transfers, held on after blowing most of a 15-point lead to beat sixth-seeded Missouri on Thursday night in the ﬁrst round of the NCAA Tournament.

Tavion Banks added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs (31-3), who along with first-year coach Ben McCollum advanced to a second-round matchup with third-seeded Texas Tech or No. 14 seed UNC Wilmington on Saturday Caleb Grill had 14 points for Missuri (22-12). Tamar Bates had 10 before fouling out.

Replenishing the team should be achievable as The Advocate reported McMahon will have additional NIL funding.

An amazing haul in the portal doesn’t guarantee greatness — Indiana missed the tournament and was second in the 247Sports portal rankings — but the more talent a team has, the more opportunity a coach has to mold it.

If LSU doesn’t maximize its recruiting efforts along with proper retention, it won’t just be home watching the NCAA Tournament from the couch for a fourth straight year — it will once again be the doormat of an elite conference.

Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLES KRUPA

McNeese State guard Brandon Murray takes a shot over Clemson defenders during the first half of their game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday in Providence, R.I.

CURIEL

Continued from page 1C

Adding and maintaining weight hasn’t been an overnight fix for Curiel. It’s not just about what he eats; when and where he consumes food matters.

For the ﬁrst time in his career, he’s started eating during games, whether it’s a turkey and provolone sandwich from Jersey Mike’s or snacking on peanut butter crackers and almonds.

Then after games, he’ll make himself a shake.

“I usually make like a vanilla shake,” Curiel said. “I just put strawberries, peanut butter, protein powder obviously creatine (and) all sorts of stuff. Honey and all that stuff.”

He also makes sure to wake up at a reasonably early hour every morning to have breakfast. If he wakes up at 11 a.m. — Curiel likes to sleep in — he loses valuable hours that could’ve been devoted to having a good breakfast.

LSU strength and conditioning coach Chris Martin orders Curiel to eat until he gets full. He wants him to have roughly four meals and two snacks a day Curiel’s not used to doing any of that.

“The ﬁrst thing (Martin) asks me before I work out, he’s like, ‘What have you ate today?’ And I have to tell him,” Curiel said. “And if it’s not enough, then he gets pretty mad at me. So I’ve got to make sure that I eat on the good schedule.”

ON DECK

WHO: LSU (21-1, 3-0) at Texas (17-2, 3-0)

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday

WHERE: UFCU Disch-Falk Field

TV: SEC Network

RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (New Orleans); KLWB-FM, 103.7 (Lafayette)

RANKINGS: LSU is No. 2 by D1Baseball; Texas is No. 8

PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU — LHP Kade Anderson (4-0, 2.57 ERA); Texas LHP Jared Spencer (2-0, 2.36 ERA)

PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate. com/lsu

ON X (FORMERLY TWITTER): @KokiRiley

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Anderson struck out 11 batters and made it to the seventh inning last Friday in his start against Missouri. His strikeout percentage this season is at a whopping 43.6%. Spencer allowed ﬁve earned runs in 52/3 innings last week against Mississippi State. Koki Riley

and clams. Yes, broils exist in California as well.

“Before, I was a little more picky,” Curiel said. “But I’ve opened it up a little bit.”

Gaining weight has become such an emphasis for Curiel in part because he does almost everything else well on the ﬁeld. He has the speed to play center ﬁeld, has elite instincts at the plate (his 22.3% walk rate dwarfs his 11.7% strikeout rate) and has constantly puts the ball in play

“Luckily, he wasn’t 25 pounds heavier prior to coming here,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “It would have been probably hard to keep (him here if he was).”

Packing on the pounds is what should catapult Curiel’s game to the next level, allowing him to hit for more power He only has one home run, but has blasted eight doubles and two triples.

The additional weight will also help him stay healthy He hasn’t gotten hurt this season, but being stronger should help him survive the grind of playing in his first year in the SEC.

“With the extra muscle, it helps absorb the shock of all the games we play,” Curiel said. “... And I thank Chris for that, because Chris has done a great job with that for all of us.”

“Reviewing ﬁlm,” Berzon said when asked what her secret is.

“The longer you play in the SEC the more you learn what to look at, what to focus on, and on how to approach hitters. Being able to take that film seriously and studying it, you learn how to beat these hitters.

“I’d like to say I got stronger Our strength and conditioning coach (Melissa Moore Seal) is phenomenal. My body is in a better position than it has been any other year.”

Catcher Maci Bergeron has been on the receiving end of Berzon’s pitches for three years now and has an inside take.

“Sydney is incredible; no matter what is happening, she has so many pitches she can work with she always ﬁghts through it,” Bergeron said.

“She’s always evolving, working on her pitches, where she’s throwing them. And she studies the game exceptionally well. She studies the hitters and watches hours and hours of ﬁlm on the hitters she’s going to face. She hasn’t added pitches, just developed the ones she has.” LSU coach Beth Torina, formerly a college pitcher at Florida and the team’s pitching guru, said Berzon’s performance has been building over the past two years.

A Buffalo, N.Y., native who won two state titles at Baylor High School in Chattanooga, Tennes-

see, she brought a unique ability to spin a softball.

“Her best pitch is probably a drop ball, although she might argue with me on it,” Torina said.

“She has the phenomenal ability to throw it with perfect spin down and perfect spin up, which is as rare as you can ﬁnd in the game

The combination of up and down is truly unheard of. I’ve never been around somebody that can do that with a softball. Most coaches would say the same.

“And then there’s her change of speed. She has a lot of pitches, a lot of different speeds, changeups that really keep people off balance.” Torina said on top of that her competitive instincts are just starting to kick in.

“She understands how to win,” Torina said. “It’s being in a lot of moments and understanding how to make big pitches.

She’s always working on improving her location and putting pitches in good spots. She understands how to win the big game.

She’s been in a ton of them, and she’ll be in a bunch more.”

As far as arguing with Torina that never happens In three seasons Torina said she hasn’t had a single pitch call shaken off.

“I do have an idea of what I want to throw but it normally syncs up with coach,” Berzon said with a smile. “I have this unwavering trust. I know when she’s calling a pitch, there’s a reason. I study ﬁlm but I know she studies double, if not triple, what I see. She’s trying to give me the best option she can in the moment, so I go with it. I trust her.”

But Curiel’s also becoming more accustomed to having Louisiana cuisine. His girlfriend is from New Orleans and his roommates are Baton Rouge native William Schmidt and Luling native Mikey Ryan so he’s had king cake and has learned what boudin balls are too.

He also likes crawﬁsh, shrimp

Curiel’s from California, so the one meal he doesn’t need to be convinced to eat is a burger from InN-Out Burger During LSU’s trip to Arlington and Frisco, Texas, he went to In-N-Out four times.

SOUTHERN

Continued from page 1C

24 points. Aniya Gourdine also made her mark with a pair of 3-pointers as Southern took a 4020 halftime lead

The 20-point halftime lead was too much for UC San Diego to overcome, and Southern (21-14)

secured its first NCAA tournament win. The level of difﬁculty will increase exponentially Friday night.

As LSU’s leadoff hitter, Curiel has been one of the Tigers’ best hitters. It’s hard to beat a 1.210 onbase plus slugging percentage.

But if he adds a couple more pounds, maybe he can.

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

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

As the No. 16 seed for Regional 1, Southern’s next opponent is No 1 UCLA (30-2), which is also the top seed for the entire tournament. UCLA has gone 11-2 against ranked opponents this season including a 77-62 takedown of then-No.1 South Carolina on Nov 24.

The 30 wins are a ﬁrst for UCLA, as is the school’s No. 1 seeding for the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins began the season 23-0, but lost both regular-season meetings against crosstown rival USC.

The Bruins are led by All-America center Lauren Betts, a 6-foot7 junior who leads her team with averages of 19.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.

She also shoots 63.4% from the ﬁeld.

Kiki Rice has a team-best 130 assists and scores 12.8 points per game. Gabriela Jaquez, Angela Dugalic and Janiah Barker all average more than ﬁve rebounds per outing for a UCLA team that is fourth nationally with 43.3 rebounds per game.

UCLA has not played since March 9, when the Bruins de-

feated USC 72-67 to claim the Big Ten Tournament title. Betts had 17 points, ﬁve rebounds and four blocks while Rice and Londynn Jones each scored 13. For Southern, another fast start will likely be a necessity to keep pace with UCLA. The only time a No. 16 seed has defeated a No. 1 seed in the NCAA women’s Tournament was in 1998, when Harvard upset Stanford 71-67.

FILE PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

LSU’s starting pitcher Sydney Berzon chats with head coach Beth Torina in the ﬁrst inning a game against Virginia Tech on Feb 16 in Tiger Park.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU’s Derek Curiel takes off on a hit against Xavier of Ohio on March 11 at Alex Box Stadium Curiel is looking

Parkview Baptist shuts out Central in battle of top teams

BY CHARLES SALZER

Contributing writer

Sam Mitchell and Cade Durbin

combined to pitch a three-hit shutout as Parkview Baptist battled its way to a 2-0 nondistrict win Thursday night at Central.

The game pitted two of the top teams in their respective classiﬁcations Parkview at No. 1 in Division III select and Central at No 9 in Division I nonselect — and the game didn’t disappoint.

Despite managing only three hits, Central (15-5) had chances to score.

Two of the Wildcats’ hits went for extra bases, and they stranded ﬁve runners in scoring position in the ﬁrst three innings.

Parkview (15-5), which won its sixth straight game, picked up single runs in the second and ﬁfth innings. Durbin came on for the last two innings and had four strikeouts while retiring all six batters he faced.

Mitchell faced 22 batters and ﬁnished with nine strikeouts and three walks.

“We lacked the discipline to lay off the fastball up (in the zone),” Central coach Sham Gabehart said. “We’ve worked on it, but we still chased it and because of that we failed to execute in those moments that would have made the difference.”

Most of those moments came in

the early innings. Connor Logsdon led off the bottom of the ﬁrst with a triple to left, but was stranded after two pop-ups and a strikeout.

The Wildcats left runners at second and third in both the second and third innings. Each at bat ended with a strikeout.

Parkview took a 1-0 lead in the second. Durbin, who began the game at second base, singled to right and later scored from second on designated hitter Noah Graves’ single.

The Eagles added their second run in the ﬁfth after Clayto Fontenot drew a one-out walk. Fontenot moved to second on a ground out, stole third and scored on Micah Landry’s single to right.

It was all the scoring that the Eagles would need.

“We haven’t played a lot of road games,” Parkview coach Phillip Hawke said. “We wanted to come out in a hostile environment and get off to a good start. Sam getting us out of that ﬁrst inning kind of set the tone for us.”

Fontenot ﬁnished with two hits for Parkview which had seven for the game. Central starting pitcher Brady Thornhill struck out two and walked three in six innings of work. Wildcats reliever Tucker Pitre pitched the seventh, and worked out of a jam after the ﬁrst two batters reached base.

Doncic, Reaves join James on Lakers’ injury list

By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are sitting out with sprained right ankles when the Lakers host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night in Los Angeles’ sixth game in eight days. The Lakers announced the decision to rest Doncic and Reaves alongside fellow injured starters LeBron James and Rui Hachimura about six hours before tipoff against the Bucks

The Lakers also declared key rotation players Dorian FinneySmith (left ankle) and Jarred Vanderbilt (right groin strain) out against Milwaukee. That means Los Angeles will be without its top four scorers and ﬁve of

the top six when the Bucks visit.

“The substitution matrix will be a lot of fun, but, you know, we feel like we have enough guys that can move and make shots and defend that we have a chance to win,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said during his pregame news conference.

Doc Rivers’ Bucks are dealing with their own spate of injuries.

Guard Damian Lillard was ruled out Thursday because of a calf injury

“I don’t know if we’re going to be the more healthier team tonight, to be honest, but (the Lakers) not having Luka and LeBron, we’re probably the more healthier team,” Rivers said.

Los Angeles is in a brutal stretch of its schedule with 20

games in a ﬁve-week span. The Lakers have won three straight home games over the previous four days, but they also have six more games in the ﬁnal 10 days of March after they host Milwaukee.

Doncic scored 31 points and Reaves had 22 in the Lakers’ victory over Denver on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles has won nine consecutive home games since Feb. 19 and 16 of 17 home games overall.

Doncic has played through his persistent ankle injury, but he also sat out last Friday in Denver to rest the problem. Reaves hadn’t missed a game since March 4 despite his own nagging ankle injury

James will miss his seventh consecutive game with a groin injury, while Hachimura hasn’t played since Feb. 27 due to a knee injury When asked if it was realistic either James or Hachimura could return against Chicago on Saturday, Redick said he is “hopeful” to get one or both back in the lineup. Los Angeles’ already crowded schedule this month is even worse because the Lakers beat San Antonio on Monday in a game rescheduled from January because of the wildﬁres that devastated parts of Southern California. That rescheduling meant the Lakers are playing ﬁve home games in a seven-day span this week before starting a road trip in Orlando on Monday.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Central shortstop Connor Logsdon fields a ground ball as Parkview Baptist runner Tyler Barrient leaps to avoid

interfering in the second inning on Thursday in Central.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

THE SURFRAJETTES/ BLACK WIDOWS

7:30 p.m.Wednesday l Mid City Ballroom, 136 S.Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge l $15, advance; $20, at door l midcityballroom. com and thesurfrajettes.com

‘We still ﬁnd our people’

The Surfrajettes riding surf music waves with their signature retro sound, 1960s look

BY JOHN WIRT

Contributing writer

The Surfrajettes ﬁnd audiences wherever they go, even when the gig is nowhere near a beach.

“And if there’s a guitar community they come out,” Surfrajette Shermy Freeman said. “Guitars and surf music intersect.”

An all-female instrumental quartet distinguished by a romping retro sound and 1960s look, the Surfrajettes feature melody-making guitarists Freeman and Nicole Damoff, bassist Abby Jo Powell and drummer Annie Lillis pounding that signature surf beat. Freeman believes anyone can enjoy surf music.

“If someone says they don’t like surf music, I interrogate them about why,” she said. “Any surf music — not just our band — is generally happy feel-good-type stuff It’s so inoffensive I can’t think of a reason not to like it.”

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM THE SURFRAJETTES

The Surfrajettes dress the part, donning matching multicolored minidresses, miniskirts and gogo boots.

Dick Dale, the Ventures, the Astronauts and the Chantays, recording acts from the 1960s, are among the Surfrajettes’ sonic role models. The band’s high-energy repertoire runs from recreations of surf classics to original compositions to arrangements of non-surf hits by the Rolling Stones (“Paint It Black”), the Beatles (“She Loves You”) the Spice Girls (“Spice Up Your Life”) and Britney Spears (“Toxic”). The Surfrajettes complement their surf music with instruments and ampliﬁers that echo the ’60s Fender guitars and amplifiers; Freeman’s retrostyle Creston “Creature” guitar; and Lillis’ 1965 Slingerland drum kit.

“There’s a vintage vibe, for sure,” Freeman said of the gear “That’s important to us.”

CURTAIN CALL

It’s the final weekend for the LSU Theatre production “Roleplay.” Performances are at 7:30 p.m Friday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (ASL performance) at Reilly Theatre, Tower Drive, LSU The 2019 drama was developed by students and professionals at Tulane University $9-$20. lsu. edu/cmda/theatre/events/index.php.

HERITAGE PLUS MUSIC

Celebrate both at the Louisiana Red Beans and Rice Festival taking place 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Town Square, 222 North Blvd. The music lineup includes Big Freedia, Glen David Andrews and more. Free, but VIP tickets available at louisianaredbeansandricefest.org

THE DOKTOR IS IN Doktor Kaboom brings his new show, “Under Pressure,” to the Manship Theatre at 2 p.m. Sunday. Equal parts interactive science, comedy and personal empowerment messages, the 60-minute show demonstrates the power of pressure in all forms. $31. manshiptheatre.org

A DAY OF HAPPINESS

BBY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

right colors, music, food, dance and pure fun await Baton Rouge at the Festival of Colors, an event celebrating the Hindu holiday Holi.

The Baton Rouge Holi Festival will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at Repentance Park.

Manisha and Rubin Patel wanted to create more opportunities for cultural events in Baton Rouge, in part to give their children a chance to participate in traditional Indian events and holidays. They formed Colors of the World, a Baton Rouge nonproﬁt, nonreligious organization that celebrates cultural diversity. The Holi Festival of Colors event is one of the nonproﬁt’s biggest fundraisers.

The Festival of Colors event is “the happiest day in Baton Rouge,” according to Manisha Patel, the cofounder of Colors of the World.

“It’s just a day to let loose and be free and listen to music and dance around and get each other dirty

dia, and very few were accessible in the U.S. Holi is considered one of the most revered festivals in India and is celebrated across the country Sometimes called the “festival of colors” or “festival of love,” the gathering represents the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, and for many a festive day to unite and forget all resentments and bad feelings toward each other

with colored powders,” she said. Before the Patels organized the Holi festival in Baton Rouge, Manisha Patel had never attended a Holi event. Born in the U.S., she had heard about it all her life from her parents and family, but at the time Holi events were held in In-

Every year, a portion of the proceeds goes to local nonprofits in the Baton Rouge community In 2022, Colors of the World donated to the Vince Ferachi Community Garden, the Three O’Clock Project, and the Global Foundation for Better Education, Health, and Environment. In 2023 and 2024, proceeds were donated to Keep Tiger Town Beautiful. This year, Colors of the World will donate to the Joe Burrow Foundation. Colors of the World has given close to $40,000 over the last few years. The Holi Festival of Baton Rouge is a unique festival of colors,

Ed Sheeran debuts new song in N.O. with

Ed Sheeran performs with the Soul Rebels during a surprise mini-parade in the French Quarter of New Orleans on Saturday.

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

Shankar Pendyala, left, holds up Nikkey Pendyala as the two dance during the Holi Festival.

FILE PHOTOS By MORGAN WERTHER

Patrons of the Baton Rouge Holi Festival dance at Repentance Park

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday, March 21, the 80th day of 2025. There are 285 days left in the year

Todayinhistory On March 21, 1965, civil rights demonstrators led by the Rev Martin Luther King Jr began their third attempt to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama this time under the escort of U.S. Army and National Guard troops assigned by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Onthisdate:

In 1963, the United States closed Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary; more than 1,500 inmates had been jailed at the island prison off the coast of San Francisco over its three decades of use.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter announced that the United States would boycott the Summer Olympic games in Moscow because of the Soviet Union’s failure to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.

In 1990, Namibia became an independent nation as the former colony marked the end of 75 years of South African rule.

In 2012, meting out unprecedented punishment for a bounty system that targeted key opposing players, the NFL suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton without pay for the coming season and indeﬁnitely banned the team’s former defensive coordinator; NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ﬁned the Saints $500,000 and took away two draft picks.

In 2019, President Donald Trump abruptly declared that the U.S. would recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the disputed Golan Heights the ﬁrst country to do so — in a major shift in American policy

Today’sbirthdays: Football Hall of Fame coach Tom Flores is 88. Actor Timothy Dalton is 79. Actor Gary Oldman is 67. Actor Matthew Broderick is 63. Comedianactor Rosie O’Donnell is 63. Former soccer player Ronaldinho is 45. Actor Sonequa Martin-Green is 40. Actor Scott Eastwood is 39. Tennis player Karolína Plíšková is 33. Actor Jasmin Savoy Brown is 31. Actor Jace Norman is 25.

HOLI

Continued from page 1D

harmony, friendship and love that grows in popularity each year Although an Indian festival, this event attracts people from many different cultures and backgrounds from the south Louisiana community Admission is free. Food, drinks and color powder are available for purchase

For the best effect, wear white Colors will wash out, but it’s recommended to wear something you don’t mind getting stained, just in case The color powder is safe and nontoxic. The family-friendly event will feature music, Indian dances, henna art, face painting and vibrant colors in an open-air setting. “It’ll be like three hours, and your cheeks will hurt from smiling. It really is just amazing,” said Manisha Patel. For more information, visit holifestivalbr.com.

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

FRIDAY JC MELANCON: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 11 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, New Iberia, 5 p.m.

FRIDAY NIGHT JAMS: City of Scott, 6 p.m.

DARRYL FONTENOT &

JENNIFER KAY: Naq’s, Duson, 6 p.m.

DARRYL GROS: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.

JAMBALAYA TRIO: Randol’s Cajun Restaurant, Breaux Bridge, 6 p.m.

ROCK N ROSE: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

ALYSSA MCMURRAY: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

MAJOR HANDY BAND: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Jim

Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s Restaurant, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

AARON HEBERT: SHUCKS!, Abbeville 6:30 p.m.

THRUWAY BOYS: Agave Downtown, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

NICOLE NEEDHAM & WHISKEY BAY: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

JAMES MCMURTRY WITH BETTY SOO: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

THE ROUGE KREWE: Rock ‘n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

RUSTY METOYER: Cowboys Nightclub, Scott, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY

WAYNE SINGLETON & SAME OL TWO STEP:

Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8 a.m.

TROY LEJEUNE BAND: Fred’s, Mamou, 8 a.m.

CAJUN/ZYDECO BREAK-

FAST: Dylan Aucoin & Judice Ramblers, Naq’s, Duson, 8:30 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: Moncus Park, Lafayette, 9 a.m.

SATURDAY MORNING JAM SESSIONS: The Savoy Music Center, Eunice, 9 a.m.

DYLAN AUCOIN & THE JUDICE RAMBLERS: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 11 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC

SURFRAJETTES

Continued from page 1D

The Surfrajettes dress the part, donning matching multicolored minidresses, miniskirts and gogo boots. Group members made their own costumes in past years, but more recently they ﬁnd apropos outﬁts in the vintage clothing stores they visit while touring.

“When you play in a performing band, you should be dressed differently from the people in the audience,” Freeman reasoned. “That’s a respectful way to do your job. We put a lot of pride into our stage aesthetic. We want to put on a show for audiences that’s fun, musically and aesthetically.”

SHEERAN

Continued from page 1D

Armed with a microphone attached to a small amplifier with wheels — and bedeviled by brisk wind whipping the pink, heartshaped helium balloon tethered to the ampliﬁer back and forth in his face — Sheeran explained that he was about to play “Azizam” publicly for the ﬁrst time.

“We’re gonna do one song here

we’re ﬁlming a bit of content — and then we’re going to do a parade and walk down and play some songs, if you want to come

JAM: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m. “THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” YOUTH GROUP PRODUCTION: Heymann Performing Arts Center, Lafayette, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

GRITZ N GRAVY: Bayou Teche Brewing, Arnaudville, 4 p.m.

MATT GARY TRIO: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

JAXON MECHE: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.

MICHAELIS: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

Lillis credits something that didn’t exist in the 1960s, the internet, for stirring interest in the Surfrajettes.

“Even in places that you wouldn’t think people will be into this kind of music,” she said. “In the heart of the Midwest, we still ﬁnd our people.”

The Surfrajettes’ current 25date tour is their seventh U.S. trek. The band expanded beyond North America last year with a visit to Europe, touring the United Kingdom and playing festival dates in Spain and Estonia. The quartet also performed for Beach Boys and Melissa Etheridge cruises.

An international band, the Surfrajettes pair the Toronto, Canadabased Freeman and Damoff with Ohio residents Lillis and Powell.

with us,” Sheeran announced to the seated crowd.

“I’ve got a new song coming in a couple weeks that no one’s heard. This will be the ﬁrst time it’s ever been played live. We’ll play it once now and then we’ll walk down, play some songs that you know, and I’ll play this song again.

“Thanks for coming out. It’s nice to be back here.”

Turning to the Soul Rebels, he said, “Shall we give it a whirl?”

With that, the Soul Rebels conjured a brassy arrangement of “Azizam.” Sheeran, in a tie-dyed T-shirt, blue-gray cargo pants and Nike sneakers, threw himself into the task at hand, unde-

NICKI NEEDHAM & ANDREW LAWRENCE: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

SUGAR JAM FEATUR-

ING CHUBBY CARRIER & THE BAYOU SWAMP BAND: Sugar Mill Pond, Youngsville, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

GOOD DUDES DUO: Tap Room, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m.

HUGH & THE WRECKING CREW: Agave Downtown, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.

MELISSA DUBOIS: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

GABE VERRET & LOGAN

SAGREA: The Alley Downtown, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

AUSTIN REAUX: Gloria’s Bar & Grill, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

MIKE DEAN BAND: Lakeview Park, Eunice, 8 p.m.

SETH SPELL & CAJUN

STRONG: La Poussiere Cajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge, 8 p.m.

DUSTIN SONNIER: Cowboys Nightclub, Scott, 10 p.m.

SPANK THE MONKEY: Rock ‘n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

GLENN ZERINGUE: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

LE BAL DU DIMANCHE — MORGAN LEMELLE & THE ZYDECO PLAYMAKERS: Vermilionville Living History Museum &

Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m

CAJUN JAM: Bayou

Teche Brewing, Arnaudville, 2 p.m.

“THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” YOUTH

GROUP PRODUCTION: Heymann Performing Arts Center, Lafayette, 2 p.m

FORET TRADITION: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 4:30 p.m.

GENO DELAFOSE: Rock ‘n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 5 p.m

JAKE SPINELLA: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

CAT HEAD BISCUIT

BOYS: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

MONDAY

DEWEY BALFA CAJUN & CREOLE HERITAGE WEEK: Louisiana Folk Roots, Lafayette, 9 a.m.

PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Cafe Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

SAM SPHAR: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

ZYDECO, WALTZ, & LINE DANCE LESSONS: O’Darby’s Pub & Grill, Carencro, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

DEWEY BALFA CAJUN & CREOLE HERITAGE WEEK: Louisiana Folk Roots, Lafayette, 9 a.m.

ALYSSA MCMURRAY: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

TERRY HUVAL & FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant, Lafayette, 6 p.m

WEDNESDAY

DEWEY BALFA CAJUN & CREOLE HERITAGE WEEK: Louisiana Folk Roots, Lafayette, 9 a.m.

DULCIMER JAM: St. Landry Visitor Center, Opelousas, 10 a.m.

It’s ﬁtting that the Lake Ontarioadjacent Toronto has many beaches. The group caught the surf music wave in 2015, becoming a vehicle for Freeman’s and Damoff’s return to music following a hiatus from performing.

“Surf music was a fun way to rediscover the guitar,” Freeman recalled. “There are no singers, so we’re always playing the melodies. That’s more rewarding than playing rhythm parts all the time. And there was a surf scene in Toronto at the time. We were inspired by other bands, and there weren’t many women doing it.” Guitar-driven, melodic surf music gives Freeman and Damoff opportunities to exploit their guitar and amp effects — echoing reverb, tremolo picking, volume

terred by the wind and the amp’s sonic limitations.

After “Azizam,” with sheriff’s deputies blocking the street and bodyguards maintaining a space for Sheeran to sing, the procession started down Decatur past Café du Monde.

Backed by the Soul Rebels and pulling the amp like a piece of luggage, Sheeran sang “I Don’t Care” as his ﬁlm crew recorded the scene. He paused to slap high-ﬁves as fans and photographers pressed in close. He continued onward with “Don’t.”

As the procession turned onto Dumaine Street, he and the Soul Rebels reprised “Azizam.”

Halfway down the 500 block of

LIVE MUSIC: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

MATT GARY TRIO: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

ZACH EDWARDS: Tap Room, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m.

CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

DEWEY BALFA CAJUN & CREOLE HERITAGE WEEK: Louisiana Folk Roots, Lafayette, 9 a.m.

RHYTHMS ON THE RIVER — THE CHEEWEEZ: River Ranch Town Square, Lafayette, 5:30 p.m.

CHARLES & WENDY

TRICHE: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

KIP SONNIER: Naq’s, Duson, 6 p.m.

PAUL TASSIN: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

TROUBADOUR: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

COMMUNITY DRUM CIRCLE: Moncus Park, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

ZYDECO JAM: Wildcat Brothers at Gator Cove Lafayette, 6 p.m.

ABI CLAIR & KJ: The Alley Downtown, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

DWIGHT JAMES & THE ROYALS: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

WEEPING HOUR TOUR: Feed N Seed, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s music listed?

Email info/photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com.

The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper

swells and muting strings with their palms.

Freeman, Damoff and Lillis played various musical styles, including surf music, before the Surfrajettes.

“We were drawn to a retro sonic aesthetic already,” Lillis recalled.

“We all like the Beatles, classic R&B and ’60s pop and psychedelic music, and surf is adjacent to all of those genres.”

Being cast in a Quintin Tarantino movie is one of the Surfrajettes’ career ambitions. Tarantino the Oscar-winning writer-director of “Pulp Fiction,” “Django Unchained” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” — famously incorporates vintage music in his movies.

“We’re waiting with baited breath,” Freeman said.

Dumaine, he stopped the procession to thank the fans and the Soul Rebels. “We’re going to play one more song, you’re going to know what it is,” he declared. “Let’s have a sing-song.” With that, the Rebels’ drummers counted off the intro to Sheeran’s smash “Shape of You.”

When the song was over, Sheeran bro-hugged each musician before his bodyguards hustled him into the back of an Orleans Parish sheriff’s department SUV It sped away with him barely 25 minutes after he’d ﬁrst appeared on Decatur Street. Email Keith Spera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO By MARy KEATING BRUTON

American singer-songwriter James McMurtry, along with Betty Soo, plays Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette at 8 p.m. Friday

FRIDAY

BIG FREEDIA/GLEN DAVID ANDREWS/RUBEN MORENO/AFTER PARTY/ N’TUNE/BEAUCOUP

BOOGIE BAND: North Boulevard Town Square, 5 p.m. (also 10 a.m. Saturday)

SHANE MADERE: The Colonel’s Club, 5 p.m.

ORIGINAL MUSIC GATH-

ERING: La Divina Italian Café, 6 p.m.

BRICE & JENNA: Crowne Plaza, 6 p.m.

CAITLYN RENEE: BLDG 5, 6 p.m.

CHRIS LEBLANC: Tallulah at the Renaissance, 6 p.m.

EDDIE SMITH: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 6 p.m.

KYBALION: Pedro’s Siegen, 6 p.m.

RUSTY YATES: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 6 p.m.

STEVE GUSTAFSON: Stab’s Restaurant, 6 p.m.

STYK: T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m.

THE LONGNECK SOCIETY: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

STONE SOBER: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

TAYLOR RAE: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

TOMMY THIBODAUX: Pizza Art Wine, 6:30 p.m.

RHETT ANTHONY: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

CAM PYLE: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

PERIQUE: Bin 77, 7 p.m.

HENRY TURNER JR. & ALL-

STARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m.

PHIL CHANDLER: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 8 p.m.

THE MAIN EVENT TRIO: Louisiana Legends Lounge, Denham Springs, 8 p.m.

LAUREN LEE DUO: Spanky’s, Dutchtown, 8 p.m.

SPANK THE MONKEY:

FRIDAY FRIDAY NIGHT LECTURE:

7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., BREC’s Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road. Skygazing tips, physics phenomena, space programs and famous events are covered. For ages 14 and older. Free. https://hrpo. lsu.edu/. Also, evening sky viewing 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

GRIDIRON 2025: 7:45 p.m., American Legion HallNicholson Post 38, 151 S Wooddale Blvd. Comedy satire show presented by the Capital Correspondents Association. This year’s show dedicated to Smiley Anders. $30 bontempstix.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

CHILDREN’S ENTREPRENEUR MARKET: 5 p.m.9 p.m. Friday, Galvez Plaza, 238 North Blvd.; and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Repentance Park, 275 S. River Road. Live bands, car show, zydeco dancing, kids zone, interactive activities, cook-off and meet and greet with inﬂuencers.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

ZERBINI CIRCUS: 6 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Baton Rouge

are Sparrows for Arrows and the Warmadillos.

Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 8 p.m. THE DRUNK UNCLES: The Cottage Inn, Prairieville, 8 p.m. BLISS? “PASS YR PAIN ALONG” ALBUM RELEASE PARTY WITH GENTLEMEN ROGUES AND HEY THANKS!: Mid City Ballroom, 9 p.m.

3:05 EXPRESS: Jack’s Place, Port Allen, 9 p.m. COWBOY MOUTH: Southern Rhythm, Denham Springs, 9 p.m. DAMON KING & BO JAMISON: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

DERRICK LEMON: The Vineyard, 9 p.m.

DOWNBEAT LOUISIANA: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 9 p.m.

JOVIN WEBB: Churchill’s, 9 p.m.

PEYTON FALGOUST: Icehouse Tap Room, 9 p.m.

RANDALL KING: The Texas Club, 9 p.m. REGENERATION: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St Amant, 9 p.m.

Raceway, 17700 Plank Road, Zachary. Adults, $15; children, $7. ZerbiniFamilyCircus.com.

“ROLEPLAY”: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday (ASL performance), Reilly Theatre Tower Drive, LSU. An LSU Theatre production, the 2019 drama was developed by students and professionals at Tulane University. Tickets are $9-$20. Visit lsu.edu/ cmda/theatre/events/ index.php.

“THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME”: 7:30 p.m.

Friday, and 2 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday, Sullivan Theater, Central. Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature $25-$35. www.sullivantheater.com.

SATURDAY

USA WRESTLING: 7 a.m., Raising Cane’s River Center Arena, 275 S. River Road. $15, adults; $8, children, plus fees. ticketmaster.com.

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m. to noon, Fifth and Main streets downtown. Farm-fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. breada. org.

STUDIO SATURDAY ART WORKSHOP: 10 a.m.-

RUN FOR COVER: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

TAYLOR NAUTA: Leola’s Café, 9 a.m.

JOVIN WEBB: Leola’s Café, 11 a.m.

KENT LOUQUE: Leola’s Café, 2 p.m.

CIVIC ORCHESTRA OF BA-

TON ROUGE: Main Library at Goodwood, 3 p.m.

OPEN JAM SESSION: The Smokey Pit, 4 p.m.

KENNY NEAL/THE MI-

CHAEL FOSTER PROJECT: Galvez Plaza, 5 p.m.

BRITTON MAJOR: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 5:30 p.m.

ARNETT HAYES: Stab’s Restaurant, 6 p.m.

DON POURCIAU & KON-

SPIRACY: Pedro’s Siegen, 6 p.m.

KENNY ACOSTA: Big J’s Side Porch, 6 p.m.

MIKE HOGAN: BLDG 5, 6 p.m.

noon, Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Local artist Robert Bienvenu will lead a hands-on exploration of ancient Egyptian line and portrait art. Ages 14 and older. $35, nonmembers; $25, LASM members. lasm.org.

FAMILY HOUR STARGAZING: 10 a.m., Irene W Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Learn about the stars and constellations in the local nighttime sky, followed by an all-ages show. lasm.org.

GREATER BATON ROUGE

MODEL RAILROADERS: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Republic of West Florida Historical Museum, 3406 College St., Jackson. Electric trains of all sizes will be running on ﬁve different layouts. Free admission and parking. greaterbrrailroaders. com. CODE RED CHILI & SALSA

COOK-OFF: 10 a.m., Historic Village, downtown Zachary. Also live music. Family-friendly

TUNICA HILLS MUSIC FESTIVAL & JAM: 10 a.m.10 p.m., Parker Park, 5730 Commerce St., St. Francisville. More than 30 bands of all genres on three stages. Familyfriendly. Free.

PAPO Y SON MANDAO: Pedros Juban, 6 p.m.

ROCKIN’ ROUGE: T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m.

UNITED WE JAM: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

FLOYD BROWN BAND

FEATURING JODY MAY-

EUX: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

WILL WESLEY: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

CYNDER ROAD BAND: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7 p.m

TOBY TOMPLAY: Bin 77, 7 p.m.

SHERYL CORMIER & CA-

JUN SOUNDS: Ric Seeling Dance Studio, 7:30 p.m.

HOTEL BURGUNDY/BLUE

WIDOW/SUNSCAPE: Mid City Ballroom, 8 p.m.

ACOUSTIC NIGHT W/ HENRY TURNER JR.: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m.

RHETT ANTHONY: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 8 p.m.

THE MARSHALL TUCKER

BAND: L’Auberge Event Center, 8 p.m.

DEF LEGGEND/POISON

I.V./OZZMOSIS: The Texas Club, 8 p.m.

FUNC HAUS/SPARROWS FOR ARROWS/THE

WARMADILLOS: Chelsea’s Live, 8 p.m.

TAYLOR NAUTA: Locals Central, 8 p.m.

TREY MORGAN: Spanky’s Dutchtown, 8 p.m.

BACKLIT STEREO: Icehouse Tap Room, 9 p.m.

I-10 BOUND BAND: Southern Rhythm, Denham Springs, 9 p.m.

KENDALL SHAFFER: Moonlight Inn, French Settlement, 9 p.m.

LA GROOVE: Churchill’s, 9 p.m.

RHETT GUILLOT: The Vineyard, 9 p.m.

SOUTHDOWN SOULS/ CHRIS LEBLANC: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

T-BOY & JUST US: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St. Amant, 9 p.m.

“AMERICAN MENU” ENCORE PERFORMANCE:

3 p.m., UpStage Theatre, 1713 Wooddale Blvd. $25. upstagetheatre.biz or (225) 924-3774.

ZAPPS INTERNATIONAL

BEER FEST: 3 p.m.-6 p.m., LSU Rural Life Museum, 3560 Essen Lane. Tastings of more than 200 domestic and international beers and ales in addition to several home brews. $20-$65, plus fees. bontempstix.com FOR THE CULTURE — BLACK HISTORY MONTH

CELEBRATION: 5 p.m.-

8 p.m., Galvez Plaza, downtown. Rescheduled from Feb. 22 due to weather, the event offers performances by Grammy-nominated blues artist Kenny Neal and the Michael Foster Project brass band; also vendors. Guests encouraged to bring lawn chairs. Free. www.brla.gov/3305/ For-The-Culture.

CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC

ASSOCIATION DANCE: 7:30 p.m., Ric Seeling Dance Studio, 10776 N. Harrells Ferry Road. Live music by Sheryl Cormier & Cajun Sounds. Free dance lessons at 6:45 p.m. with paid admission. $10, CFMA members; $15, nonmembers; $10, students with ID; free, children 12 and

THOMAS CAIN BAND: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

THE AWEN TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 10 p.m.

TREY GALLMAN: Murphy’s, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY

JOSH MARTIN: Leola’s Café, 9 a.m.

KENDALL SHAFFER: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 10:30 a.m.

JUSTIN BURDETTE TRIO: Superior Grill MidCity, 11 a.m.

ROBERT CALMES: Cocha, 11 a.m.

BO BURKES: Leola’s Café, 11 a.m.

JOVIN WEBB: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 11 a.m.

CHRIS ALLEN & DAKOTA

CIVELLO: Red Stick Social, noon

JUSTIN MCCOY: Leola’s Café, 2 p.m.

JUSTIN CORNETT: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 3 p.m.

MIKE HOGAN: Icehouse Tap Room, 3 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

MONDAY

VICTOR, SKIP & CARRIE: Phil Brady’s, 6 p.m.

BRANDON NICHOLSON: Superior Grill MidCity 6 p.m.

JEFF BAJON PROJECT: Pedros Juban, 6 p.m.

MIKE ESNEAULT: Stab’s Restaurant, 6 p.m.

NICK PERKINS: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

PHIL CHANDLER: Bin 77, 5:30 p.m.

RACHAEL HALLACK: Superior Grill MidCity, 6 p.m.

RALPH DAIGLE: Rio Verde Mexican, 6 p.m.

EDDIE SMITH: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Louisiana

younger.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

BASF’S KIDS’ LAB: 11 a.m.,

1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday, Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Explore the science of chemistry during 45-minute hands-on workshops for scientists ages 6-12 and their accompanying adults. lasm.org.

CRAWFÊTE: 2 p.m.-5 p.m., Perkins Rowe, Perkins Road at Bluebonnet Boulevard. Presented by the Baton Rouge Epicurian Society. Boiled and gourmet crawﬁsh tasting, drinks and live music. $100, plus fees. bontempstix.com.

“EXONERATED: PORTRAITS OF THE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED” OPENING RECEPTION:

2 p.m.-4 p.m., Cary Sausage Community Arts Center, 233 St. Ferdianand St. Portraits by Becky Gottsegen. Exonerees will be in attendance. Free. www artsbr.org/.

TUESDAY

GENEALOGY AND SELFPUBLISHING: 2 p.m., Fairwood Branch Library, 12910 Old Hammond Highway. Learn how to

Legends Lounge, Denham Springs, 7 p.m.

VMSSV/MIKE BAGGETTA/ STEPHEN HODGES/ MIKE WATT/BOZO BED & GRATITUDE JAR: Mid City Ballroom, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

ASHTON GILL: BLDG 5, 5:30 p.m.

CAITLYN RENEE: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 5:30 p.m.

KENDALL SHAFFER: Mason’s Grill, 5:30 p.m.

CAM PYLE: Superior Grill

MidCity, 6 p.m.

CLAYTON SHILLING: Tallulah at the Renaissance, 6 p.m.

KIRK HOLDER: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m.

JOEY HOLAWAY: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC W/HEATH RANSONNET: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7 p.m.

SONGWRITERS NIGHT: Louisiana Legends Lounge, Denham Springs, 7 p.m. ANDY PIZZO TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7:30 p.m.

THE SURFRAJETTES/ BLACK WIDOWS: Mid City Ballroom, 7:30 p.m.

DIXIE ROSE’S ACOUSTIC CIRCLE: Teddy’s Juke Joint, Zachary, 8 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Brickyard South, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY KYBALION: El Paso Sherwood, 6 p.m.

OPEN MIC W/AMANDA JO

HESS: Istrouma Brewing, St. Gabriel, 6 p.m.

THE STARDUST BOYS: The Brakes Bar, 6 p.m.

AFTER 8: Perkins Rowe, 6 p.m

CHRIS ALLEN: Tallulah at the Renaissance, 6 p.m.

CHRIS LEBLANC: Mike Anderson’s, Gonzales, 6 p.m

DON POURCIAU & KONSPIRACY: Pedros Juban,

preserve your life story through self-publishing. Registration required at ebrpl.co/events or by calling (225) 924-9380.

FLEX AND FLOW YOGA: 6:30 p.m., Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar, 315 North Blvd. Rotating instructors and a variety of techniques. Free.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m., Burgersmith, 18303 Perkins Road. Collect your team and jockey for ﬁrst place. loom.ly/y-CKtQ4.

“LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY” (FILM): 7:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. The movie brings into focus the dazzling, complex period of Liza Minnelli’s life starting in the 1970s. Rated R. $12.50. manshiptheatre.org.

WEDNESDAY

TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m., Burgersmith, 27350 Crossing Circle, Suite 150, Denham Springs. Collect your team and jockey for ﬁrst place. loom.ly/yCKtQ4.

THURSDAY RED STICK FARMERS

MARKET: 8 a.m. to noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce, goods and

JACKIE BELLE: Zilantro’s Mexican Grill, Central, 6 p.m JEFF BAJON PROJECT: Superior Grill MidCity 6 p.m

KEVIN SCHEXNAYDER: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. PATRICK COOPER, BILL ROMANO & DOC CHENEY: La Divina Italian Café, 6 p.m

SHANNON DYER: La Carreta, Denham Springs, 6 p.m BEN RAGSDALE: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

VICTOR VIGNES: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m. THE BISHOP ELLIS TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7 p.m.

RISK/JACKAL/OPPOSITION/HOLEOPENER: Mid City Ballroom, 7 p.m.

ROUTE 61: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris,

TURNER JR. & ALL-

Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m.

GALLMAN: Spanky’s, Dutchtown, 8 p.m

JAM: Phil Brady’s, 9 p.m

more. facebook.com/ redstickfarmersmarket. DRIP, SIP AND JAM: 6 p.m.-10 p.m., Bonne Sante Wellness Center, 201 Community College Drive. Beneﬁt in support of BRCC Athletics. A night of art, ﬂavors and music by Pants Party $175-$1,500. bontempstix.com.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 7 p.m., Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar, 315 North Blvd. Test your trivia skills with your friends and family. Free. STAND UP COMEDY WITH RICH VOS: 8 p.m., Hartley/Vey Studio Theatre, Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. The comedian has four specials on Comedy Central and more than 100 television appearances. Rated Rish. $31. manshiptheatre. org.

Compiled by Judy Bergeron. Have an open-to-thepublic event you’d like to promote? Email details to red@theadvocate. com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday for the following Friday’s paper

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Participate in events conducive to meeting new people and exploring possibilities that can change your perspective. Set a routine that offers mental, physical and emotional stimulation and enjoy the outcome.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Change begins with you and your choices. Consider your lifestyle and what you can do to improve your situation. Think outside the box and pick what makes you feel good about yourself. It's OK to be different.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Emotions will surface causing you to question your relationships, pastimes and frequent haunts. The time to switch things up to suit your needs is now. Align yourself with people heading in a similar direction.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) When one door closes, another opens. Look for the door that leads to peace and happiness. Take control of your destiny and concentrate on what interests you most.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Put your energy where it brings the highest returns. Speak up, show interest and follow through with vim and vigor. Your showmanship will put you in a position that warrants attention.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Take a chance and discover what's possible. Mulling over whether to do something doesn't count as doing it. Challenge yourself mentally, physically and emotionally.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Rethink your

pursuits and manage your relationships with care. Not everyone you know is looking out for your best interests Don't be fooled by someone's charm or unrealistic promises.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Take a moment to consider your plans. Don't take a risk that can harm your reputation or emotional or physical well-being. Review the past and learn from your mistakes.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stick close to home and loved ones. Tally up your overhead costs, and you'll discover a way to cut corners. A work-related alternative will help bring in extra cash.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pick up the pace, speak your peace and adjust your lifestyle to fulfill your heart's desire. Refuse to let someone call the shots or push you in a direction that doesn't suit your needs.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Set boundaries, standards and rules to live by. Harness your strong points and use your skills to reach your goal. Settling for less to appease someone else will lead to disappointment and regret.

PIscEs (Feb 20-March 20) Think big but live within your means, and you'll discover how to fulfill your personal and financial needs. Distance yourself from people who set poor examples or tempt you to be frivolous.

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

Ann Landers offered the advice that if you want to catch a trout, don’t fish in a herring barrel.

The segue from that to this deal is thin. But South is in four hearts. West leads the club queen. How should declarer plan the play? What were West’s more effective opening leads?

North’s rebid was a double negative, showing a very weak hand, choosing either two no-trump or three clubs, according to partnership preference. Here, South would have done better to sign off in three no-trump.

South starts with four potential losers: two spades and two diamonds. He has only nine winners: six hearts, one diamond and two clubs.

Probably there is an instinct to play a heart to dummy’s nine, followed by a diamond to the queen. However, when the finesse loses, if West now returns his remaining trump (or shifts to spades and East leads a trump in time), South’s contract is, as the British phrase it, kippered(fromthenoun“kipper,”asmoked herring).

The diamond queen is a red-card herring. After South takes the first trick, he should cash his diamond ace and play anotherdiamond.Thedefenderscanwin, cash two spades and shift to a trump, but declarer takes that in his hand, ruffs the diamond queen with dummy’s heart nine (getting a seventh trump trick), crosses back to hand with a spade ruff or a club, draws trumps and claims

The contract can be defeated if West

today’s thought “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraides not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles