The Acadiana Advocate 03-30-2025 by The Advocate

‘An

important step towards reconciliation’

Louisiana historical marker acknowledges history of lynchings, racial injustice

BY ANGELINE MATHEWS

Contributing writer

On Saturday, Move the Mindset, a civil rights organization dedicated to promoting racial and social justice, held a ceremony for the installation of a historical marker honoring the lives of two Black men who died by lynching in 1896 and 1906. The marker recognizes the unjust destiny faced by Antoine Domingue and Louis Senegal and offers details about the history of lynching in America.

Domingue, described as peaceable, was attacked and killed on Nov 24, 1906, by “whitecappers,” bands of poor White farmers who saw Black farmers as economic competition. According to historical accounts, they monitored Carencro roads, waiting for Black travelers to fall into their traps. Local law enforcement was aware of the crimes they committed but never intervened, according to accounts.

Domingue and two other Black

men were making their way home when they were attacked. The two other men escaped, but Domingue was beaten repeatedly Knocked off his buggy, he ﬂed to his home to retrieve a gun. He

returned to the scene and was shot and hanged. Six White men were arrested and charged, causing other

Band brings traditional Ukrainian music to La.

BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer

Yagody, a modern folk band from Lviv — a city on the western edge of Ukraine — is excited to play its ﬁrst North American tour The band, consisting of four traditional Ukrainian musicians who combine vocals and percussive instruments to create a tight, transportive sound, kicked off its tour in New Mexico this week. The group will go on to play cities including Chi-

cago, Seattle, Vancouver and Boulder, Colorado, before wrapping up in Louisiana at the end of April. Yagody is performing April 24 at McNeese State University in Lake Charles and April 25-26 at Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette. The band’s submission to the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, “Tsunamia,” encapsulates the way this high-energy group, founded by actress and singer

in Lafayette. ä See BAND, page 4A

Hurricane experts using new tools to predict rapid intensiﬁcation

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

Shortly after Hurricane Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico in October forecasters watched in horror as the storm underwent explosive rapid intensiﬁcation and made its way toward Florida, strengthening from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane in a day

Milton’s wind speeds increased by 90 mph in 24 hours, which Jason Dunion, a University of Miami meteorologist specializing in hurricane research, said is the third highest rate of rapid intensiﬁcation in recorded history

“If you’re a forecaster, you have to communicate that change really fast,” Dunion said.

That kind of fast-paced strengthening, which in Milton’s case famously brought one Florida meteorologist to tears on air, has long posed a problem for forecasters and hurricane-prone states like Louisiana, where residents are often left with little time to prepare.

While researchers understand the large-scale environmental factors that help fuel the phenomenon — warm sea-surface temperatures, low wind shear, moist air much of the process remains a mystery

“What’s harder to predict,” Dunion said, “is how fast the inner core, that heart of the storm, can change in a short period of time.”

ä See TOOLS, page 7A

Bill creates felony in case of incurable infections

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN | Staff writer

impossible to prove what Louisiana could

ä See BILL, page 4A

PROVIDED PHOTO BY TETIANA DZHAFAROVA

Yagody, a modern Ukrainian folk band, is coming to Louisiana as part of its first North American tour The group will play April 24 at McNeese State University and April 25-26 for two sets at Festival International de Louisiane

Mona Senegal, descendent of Louis Senegal, takes a photo of the new historical marker Saturday.

STAFF PHOTOS BY BRAD KEMP

Ola Prejean, right, president of Move the Mindset, unveils a historical marker memorializing lynching victims Louis Senegal and Antoine Domingue on Saturday at the Carencro Welcome Center during a dedication ceremony.

See MARKER, page 6A

Taliban release woman held in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON An American woman detained for weeks in Afghanistan by the Taliban has been released from custody according to a person familiar with the matter and a social media post Saturday from a longtime U.S. diplomat.

Faye Dail Hall, who was detained in February on charges of using a drone without authorization, was released as part of a deal that Qatari negotiators helped broker, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.

The person said that Hall was taken to the Qatari Embassy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, and was in good health, and that arrangements were being made for her to return to the U.S. In a post on X, a former U.S ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, conﬁrmed Hall’s release with a photograph of her and said she would “soon be on her way home.”

Few details were immediately available Saturday, including why she was in Afghanistan or how long or the circumstances of her detention

Musk sells X to his own xAI for $33B in stock

Elon Musk has sold social media site X to his own xAI artiﬁcial intelligence company in a $33 billion all-stock deal, the billionaire announced on Friday Both companies are privately held, which means they are not required to disclose their ﬁnances to the public.

Musk said in a post on X that the move will “unlock immense potential by blending xAI’s advanced AI capability and expertise with X’s massive reach.”

He said the deal values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion Musk, who serves as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX as well as an adviser to President Donald Trump, bought the site then called Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 gutted its staff and changed its policies on hate speech, misinformation and user veriﬁcation and renamed it X.

He launched xAI a year later FCC commissioner opens probe into Disney, ABC

President Donald Trump’s FCC commissioner said Friday he’s opening an investigation into the Walt Disney Co and its ABC television network to see whether they are “promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination.” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr announced the probe in a letter to Disney CEO Robert Iger on Friday The company said it was reviewing the letter and looking forward to answering the commission’s questions.

“For decades, Disney focused on churning out box ofﬁce and programming successes,” Carr wrote to Iger “Disney has now become embroiled in rounds of controversy surrounding its DEI policies.”

Last month Axios reported that Disney had made some policy changes, including eliminating a website designed to highlight personalities and stories from underrepresented communities.

Disney also softened messages that appeared before movies like “Dumbo” and “Peter Pan,” Axios said. Instead of warnings that the ﬁlms include “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or culture,” the messages changed to “this program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions.” Carr’s letter linked to an article by conservative activist Christopher Rufo describing Disney as “the wokest place on Earth.”

Some examples Carr cited go back several years, such as a one-time policy at ABC that at least 50 percent of characters in TV pilots be from underrepresented groups.

Serbians rally outside pro-government station

Informer TV accused of propaganda campaign against students

BY JOVANA GEC Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia Thousands of people rallied outside a progovernment television station in Serbia on Saturday accused of a propaganda campaign against university students behind months of anti-corruption protests rattling populist President Aleksandar Vucic.

Informer TV is among mainstream media outlets in Serbia loyal to Vucic and his right-wing government. Informer TV and tabloid newspaper have repeatedly branded student protesters as extremists during nearly ﬁve months of almost daily street demonstrations.

Protests have been peaceful, but pro-government media have accused organizers of fueling violence and seeking to overthrow the government under orders from abroad. They have provided no evidence to support those statements.

“For months now, ever since the blockades started we have been their target, we have been constantly smeared in the media,” student Ivona Markovic said.

The protests started after a concrete canopy collapsed in November at a train station in northern Serbia, killing 16 people. The tragedy drew focus on rampant government corruption, triggering demands for accountability and political changes.

Protests have put pressure on an increasingly authoritarian Vucic, who is formally seeking European Union membership for Serbia but maintains close relations with Russia and China. Vucic has promised a “counterrevolution” against the protests. Authorities have threatened legal action against university professors, including calls for the arrest of Vladan Djokic, the head dean at Belgrade University

On Saturday, Vucic visited a camp of his loyalists outside the presidency building, including a group of pro-government university students He said that “those who introduced anarchy” at the university would be held to account.

Student protests have drawn hundreds of thousands of people, striking a chord among citizens who have been largely disillu-

sioned with politicians.

Wearing protective white suits, several students symbolically staged a “decontamination” performance outside the Informer TV building A “wall of shame” displayed Informer’s headlines about the protests in the past months, including one alleging protest plans for a “bloody coup.”

Students also launched a petition to limit the television station’s access to broadcasting frequencies. The protest dubbed “DisInformer” was set to last for six hours.

“This is a media war between Informer and students, between lies and truth, abuse of power and resistance,” the students said.

“They (Informer) do not inform, they persecute.”

Informer on Saturday received support from top government ofﬁcials, including the defense minister The newspaper described the protest outside its building as a “hostage crisis.”

Informer is widely watched and read in Serbia, where independent media have faced limited visibility and where critical journalists have complained of pressure, hate campaigns and lawsuits.

Top vaccine official quits, criticizes ‘misinformation’

Dr. Peter Marks coined ‘Operation Warp Speed’

BY MICHAEL CASEY and MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press

WASHINGTON The top vaccine ofﬁcial with the Food and Drug Administration has resigned and criticized the nation’s top health ofﬁcial for allowing “misinformation and lies” to guide his thinking behind the safety of vaccinations.

though during his Senate conﬁrmation hearings he seemed to say he would not undermine vaccines.

Since becoming secretary, Kennedy has vowed to scrutinize the safety of childhood vaccinations, despite decades of evidence they are safe and have saved millions of lives.

Marks oversaw the agency’s rapid review and approval of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments during the pandemic.

Doctor cites the pope’s ‘surprising improvement’

BY COLLEEN BARRY and TRISHA THOMAS Associated Press

ROME Pope Francis has shown “a truly surprising improvement” since returning to the Vatican to convalesce after surviving a life-threatening bout with double-pneumonia, the doctor who coordinated the pontiff’s ﬁve-week hospitalization said Saturday

“I find him very lively,” Dr Sergio Alfieri said, after visiting the pope at his apartment in the Santa Marta Domus on Wednesday, three days after his release from Rome’s Gemelli hospital. “I believe that he will return if not to 100%, 90% of where he was before.” Alfieri said the pope’s voice was regaining strength, and that his reliance on supplemental oxygen has decreased. The limited mobility of his arm was due to an unspecified trauma he sustained before being hospitalized, and that will take time to heal, Alfieri said.

The 88-year-old pope was hospitalized on Feb. 14 after a long bout with bronchitis that left him breathless at times, and which quickly developed into double pneumonia and revealed a polymicrobial (viral, bacterial and fungal) respiratory infection Throughout the ordeal, doctors emphasized the complexity of his condition, given his age, lack of mobility requiring a wheelchair, and the removal of part of a lung as a young man.

Alﬁeri repeated that he didn’t think the pope would make it after a severe respiratory crisis a week after being hospitalized, and he informed the pope that a “decisive” treatment necessary to save him would put his organs at risk.

“He gave his consent, and then he looked a Massimiliano Streppetti, whom he named his personal health assistant who assumed the responsibility to say, ‘We approve everything,” said Alﬁeri. Alﬁeri preferred to describe the treatment as “decisive,” and not aggressive, and emphasized that no extraordinary, lifeextending measures were ever taken.

While Francis beat the double pneumonia in the hospital, Alfieri said he is continuing to treat the fungal infection, which he said will take months to resolve.

Dr Peter Marks sent a letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner on Friday saying that he would resign and retire by April 5 as director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research In his letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press, Marks said he was “willing to work” to address the concerns expressed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr about the safety of vaccinations. But he concluded that wasn’t possible.

“It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient conﬁrmation of his misinformation and lies,” he wrote.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for comment.

Marks was offered the choice of resigning or being ﬁred by Kennedy according to a former FDA official familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he didn’t have permission to discuss the matter publicly Kennedy has a long history of spreading anti-vaccine misinformation, al-

Marks is credited with coining the name and concept for “Operation Warp Speed,” the effort under President Donald Trump to rapidly manufacture vaccines while they were still being tested for safety and efﬁcacy The initiative cut years off the normal development process.

Despite the project’s success, Trump repeatedly lashed out at the FDA for not approving the ﬁrst COVID shots even sooner Trump told conﬁdants after his 2020 loss that he would have been reelected if the vaccine had been available before Election Day

The resignation followed news Friday that HHS plans to lay off 10,000 workers and shut down entire agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars in funds for addiction services and community health centers across the country

In a post on social media Thursday, Kennedy criticized the department he oversees as an inefﬁcient “sprawling bureaucracy.” He also faulted the department’s 82,000 workers for a decline in Americans’ health.

Marks, who could not be reached for comment, also raised concerns in his letter about “efforts currently being advanced by some on the adverse health effects of vaccination are concerning” as well as the “unprecedented assault on scientiﬁc truth that has adversely impacted public health in our nation.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY DARKO VOJINOVIC

Protesting students rally Saturday

Earthquake death toll rises above

Resistance forces announce partial ceasefire

BY GRANT PECK and JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI Associated Press

BANGKOK A unilateral partial ceaseﬁre to facilitate earthquake relief efforts was announced on Saturday by tional which lar ing death soar compare nounced highlighting conﬁr a the be

tricity phone and internet services remained down for most of the city The earthquake brought down many buildings, including multiple units that housed government civil servants, but that section of the city was blocked off by authorities on Saturday

An initial report on earthquake relief efforts issued Saturday by the U.N. Ofﬁce for the Coordination of

of a “severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anaesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers.” Myanmar’s friends and neighbors have already brought in rescue personnel and relief materials. China and Russia are the largest suppliers of weapons to Myanmar’s military and

Continued from page 1A

someone’s intent was, and that the law would further stigmatize STIs. They point out that the state does not have laws criminalizing exposure to illnesses like the common cold. Under the proposal, intentionally exposing someone to incurable STIs such as HIV or genital herpes would be a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000.

The penalties would be harsher in cases involving child or statutory rape, or where the victim is older than 65 or has an intellectual disability Cases where both parties knew of the infection would not lead to a conviction.

The bill defines “exposure” as sexual intercourse, needle sharing or selling or donating bodily ﬂuids such as blood. The bill also makes it a misdemeanor to expose others to curable STIs, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. Those accused could be sentenced to up

to six months in prison or have to pay a $1,000 ﬁne. Moore said spiking STI rates were another factor behind her decision to bring the bill. STI rates in Louisiana skyrocketed in the years following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. They began to level off late last year, but Louisiana still ranks among the highest in the nation for chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea.

Patty Kissinger, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Tulane University, said she did not favor criminalizing STI exposure, even though punishment

may seem appropriate in certain egregious cases.

Criminalization “is a dangerous thing because it increases stigma for STIs,” Kissinger said.

“What if I had a cold, and I shook hands with somebody?” she asked.

Kissinger also wondered how it would be possible to prove an exposure was intentional.

There is already a controversial law on the books that makes it a felony for someone who knows they are HIV positive to expose someone else through any means of contact. It man-

dates up to 10 years in prison and 15 years on the sex offender registry for those convicted.

Critics say the law is outdated, given that modernday treatments can make it next to impossible to spread the virus. Others have argued the law’s definition of “exposure” is so vague that it could include means of contact that cannot actually transmit the virus. (Moore’s law more specifically defines “exposure”).

Between 2011 and 2022, at least 176 people were arrested under Louisiana’s

HIV criminalization statute, according to a report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. A 2022 analysis of law enforcement incident-level data and the state’s sex offender registry found that the law was disproportionately enforced based on race and sex: 91% of arrests for allegations related to HIV crimes were of Black men, a population that makes up 44% of Louisianans living with HIV Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

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Zoriana Dybovska, uses traditional aesthetics and powerful harmonies to share “positive emotions and energy,” according to Dybovska.

The music video for “Tsunamia” takes place in a desert. The group, four women who take equal command of the performance, deliver the music as if calling down a cleansing wave to wash over the harsh environment. “Tsunamia” ended up placing ﬁfth at the Eurovision national selection finals, but for this band, success isn’t just about winning accolades it’s about “playing from the bottom of our hearts, for our society, culture and world democratic values,” Dybovska says. Yagody’s values have been influenced by war Their goal is to revive, reinterpret and spread the sounds of traditional Ukrainian folk music — but that mission is taking place against

the backdrop of violent conﬂict with Russia, centered in eastern Ukrainian cities like Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv

Dybovska lived and worked in Donetsk for about a decade before Russian paramilitary groups began seizing cities in the region in 2014. She then ﬂed to Lviv with her young son and started Yagody as a way to spread Ukrainian culture and music, while the nation was being watched by the world.

“There are more than 200,000 traditional Ukrainian folk songs. Other countries don’t have that,” Dybovska says. “Artists and bands are important to spread the music and identity of the nation, and give people a unique chance to hear our language and culture.”

The band’s members all live in Lviv which is far from the war’s front lines, but the city and surrounding region began to be targeted by Russian shelling and missile attacks following Russia’s major escalation in Ukraine in Febru-

ary 2022. Since 2014, it is estimated that the conﬂict has produced over a million casualties among civilians and Ukrainian and Russian forces.

“It’s like a movie,” Dybobska said “Sometimes we see parts of a rocket falling down when it’s been hit by air defense. My mom has watched rockets passing through her village, and one night she counted 19 missiles ﬂying over. It’s really terrifying.”

She said, “I have friends in eastern Ukraine who are protecting us with weapons. While we’re doing our job spreading Ukrainian culture across the world, they are doing their job destroying the enemy.”

Dybovska said that the past three years, since the 2022 invasion, have been tough — but this period has had a profound inﬂuence on the band’s music. They are more committed than ever to connecting with people who “appreciate good music and positive emotions,” she says.

According to Dybovska, “we are people-to-people

performers. It’s not about the political, it’s about the personal. We could just stay in Ukraine, but it’s so important for our music to be in the hearts of people all over the world You never know if missiles are coming to bomb, if you will survive.

We’re just trying to perform our best ever today, because you may not have tomorrow.”

Tickets are $20 to see Yagody’s performance at McNeese State on April 24. They are playing Festival International in Lafayette

and

on April 26.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

Twohundred SouthLouisiana families recently walked away with $50worth offreegroceries from Ralph’sMarket in Gonzales,courtesyofPelican State Credit Union.

ExcitedshopperslinedupforthePelican Pays giveaway as earlyas7a.m.Inaddition to free groceriesand Pelicanbags, Pelicanteammembers greetedshoppers outsidethe storewithexclusive Pelican cups androuxspoons.

“Thisparticularevent requires alot of people to help out,”saidLeigh Porta, Pelican’sChief Growth Officer. “It’san exciting opportunityinparticularfor ourbackoffice teamstomeetwiththe public.Wehavea lotofteammembers from departmentslikecompliance, risk management andaccountingwho areabletoget outofthe office foraday andtheylovethat. We’relucky to have greatpeoplewho arealwaysexcited to give back.”

Portasaidthe events nowknown as PelicanPaysbegan severalyears ago when employees andleaders wouldstop into localrestaurants andcoffee shopsto buymeals forall customers. Today, the programhas been formalizedwiththe cooperationoflocalbusinesses, including Ralph’sMarket.

“One of thebestthingsabout working

for Pelicanisthatnoideaistoo big, Portasaid. “Thisstarted with some folks sharingideas andthinkingthiswould be somethinggreatfor thecommunity We love this direct formofcommunity supportthathas an immediateimpact on people.”

Portaadded that outreach events like PelicanPaysare aperfect example of thecompany’s “boots on theground” philosophy when it comestocommunity support.

“Wefeelthatisthe bestway to earn thetrust of thecommunity,” shesaid “We’re neverjustgoing to sponsor an eventwhere ournameorlogoison a banner.Wewanttobethere volunteering andhelping out. We feel it is much more rewardingtoshowour dedication with action rather than just words.”

PelicanState Credit Unionserves membersacrossthenationandhasmultiple locationsthroughoutLouisiana.Pelican workswithmembers in everystage of theirlives with awidearray of ﬁnancial programs andcompetitive products.As a designated CommunityDevelopmental FinancialInstitution (CDFI),Pelican is committedtoprovidingﬁnancialsolutions to individuals, families,and communities in underservedmarkets.Tolearn more, visitpelicanstatecu.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY EUGENE HILL

Yagody, a modern Ukrainian folk band founded by vocalist Zoriana Dybovska, is coming to Louisiana as part of their first North American tour They will play in Lake Charles at McNeese State University on April 24, and will play two sets at Festival International on April 25 and 26.

Hidden gems: HownineLouisiana museumsattract globalvisitors, preserve historyand boost localeconomies

By Amanda McElfresh,amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youbythe LouisianaSecretary of State’sOffice

Last year,Secretary of StateNancy Landry was on avisit to theDelta MusicMuseuminFerriday when shemet agroup of visitors from Norway.The travelers hadmadetheir wayacrossthe Atlantic Oceantothe smalltownonthe MississippiRiver forone reason –toexplore themuseumthatpays homage to bluegrass, gospel,blues androckabilly.

“I thoughtthatwas agreatexample of theimpactthese museumshave on theircommunities,” Landry said.“In addition to beingagreat placefor localchildrenand adults to learnabout Louisianahistory, they attractvisitorsfromall over theworld.Those visitors eatinthe localrestaurants andshopinlocal stores.That’sgoodfor theeconomies in theseareas,especially sincemany of thesemuseums areinour smaller towns.

In fact,upto40percent ofthe visitors to theDelta MusicMuseumare from othercountries,saidmuseum director ShaunDavis.The museum centersits exhibits around cousins andFerridaynatives JerryLee Lewis, Mickey Gilley andJimmy Swaggart,eachof whom became famous musicians. Davissaidmost visitors arefansofatleast oneofthe performers,but endupleaving the museum with newfound knowledge aboutother popularartists

“Onceyoustarttodigalittledeeper, youunderstandhow much music, especially earlyrockand roll,was generatedfromthispartofLouisiana,”Davis said.“People come here forone exhibitthey’ve read about online,but they arealwaysamazed at ourdiversity.Anyonewho hasan interest in music, no matter where they arefrom, arecomingbecause they want to seeanimportant birthplaceofAmericanmusic.”

TheDelta MusicMuseumis one of nineinLouisiana that operate underthe SecretaryofState’s office becausetheyalign with itsmission to preserve,present andmakeaccessiblegovernmentinformation.The office hasamuseums division,led by Thomas Carmody. Each museum hasanindividualdirector, and many have localvolunteer groups that commit themselves to regular upkeep,fundraising andmarketing Each museum hasfreeadmission, andsomerentthe venues for events to createastreamofself-generated funds. Donationsare also accepted

“I can’t tell youhow many times people come to amuseumand the ﬁrst thingtheyask is theadmission price. That blowsthemawaywhen we sayit’sfree,”Carmody said.“Once they tour thesite, they askwhere the donation boxis. That createsa nice senseofaccomplishmentbecause thevisitorsrecognizethatthisisa placeworth supporting.”

askfor in termsoffunding,coordinatingbetween themuseums andstate agenciesand workingwith thelocal groups aboutwaystoenhance theirexhibits andeducation.”

At theGermantownColonyMuseum, many volunteerswho overseethe site,which includes several original buildingsthatdatebacknearly200 years,

In BatonRouge,the OldGovernor’sMansion is anothersitethatdraws visitors from around the world, many of whom have heardofthe exploits of Huey Long andwanttosee thehomethatwas built forhim in theearly 1930s. Thebuildingwas home to nineLouisiana governors, includingLong, and features ahiddenstaircase,grand ballroom,watercooled solarium,RoseGarden and areplica of theOvalOffice

AsidefromtheDeltaMusicMuseum, theother sitesunder theSecretary of State’sOffice arethe EddieG.RobinsonMuseum in Grambling, theGermantownColony Museum in Minden,the LouisianaState Cotton Museum in Lake Providence, theLouisiana StateExhibit Museum in Shreveport, Louisiana’sOld StateCapitol in Baton Rouge, theLouisiana StateOil andGas Museum in OilCity, theMansﬁeldFemaleCollege Museum in Mansﬁeld andthe OldGovernor’sMansion in BatonRouge

“Thisisnot aproﬁt-drivenventure,”Carmody said “These aremuseums establishedbypeoplewho live in thesecommunities andoperatedthemuntil the job became toobig forthem.That’swhere we come in.The statelegislature,inits generosity,appropriatesfunds to operateand staff thesemuseums.The Division of Administration hasdoneagoodjob in thelastfew yearsinaddressingdeferredmaintenance. My role includes determiningwhatwecan

aredescendants of theoriginalsettlers. LarryHock, wholeads theFriends of theGermantownColony Museum,saidthe grouphandles minorrepairs and beautiﬁcation, whilethe statepitches in forlarger work like grass-cuttingand majormaintenance projects,including recently putting newroofs on twobuildings

“Wesee tourists from alloverthe worldand alot of people from differentstates,”Hocksaid. “You just don’t seealot of logcabinsfromthe 1830sinLouisiana. It’s averyuniquepiece of history. Theback porchofthe museum is probably oneofthe most scenic spots in NorthLouisiana.It’ssopeaceful andquiet.You look across thebig pastureand get asense that maybe this is what it waslikebackin the1800s whenthe original settlers were on this same land.”

“Therearesomanystoriesabout Huey Long andwhatacharacter he was. We ﬁndthatthe interest people have in himisagateway forthemtowanttovisit andlearn aboutmoreLouisianahistory,”said Dr.Sinella Aghasi,who oversees themansion.“We’retryingtotap into that more by building more educationalprograms, including alecture series foradultsand sessions tailored for K-12 students Oneofour goalsistoattract more families andhelpparents instill aloveofmuseums andhistory in theirchildren.”

Landry said theSecretary of State’sofficeregularly receives positive feedback on themuseums’ management,quality andoverall operations.While some otherstate leadershavediscussed moving the museumsfromthe Secretaryof State’soffice to anotherdepartment,Landrysaidshe feelsthis wouldbeamistake,one that may notresult in anyﬁnancialsavings andmay requirethe hiring of more than 200new employees

“I thinkitwould be adisservice to thetaxpayers of Louisiana,” Landry said.“We manage these museumswell. Theemployees, visitors andcommunity members arehappy with howthings are now. Ihaven’t heardofany of them wantingtomovetheir museum to anotheragency.”

Rather,the museum directors andsupportersare lookingfor ways to expand theirsites’impact on theircommunities.Davis said he waspleased with thedesignation of theFerridayDowntown EntertainmentDistrict, apolitical subdivisioncreatedforcooperative economic developmentpurposes. Hishopeisthatthe DeltaMusic Museum willbecome acatalyst in that district to spur investment andspendinginother businesses

“Thisdesignation meansmore potentialforgrantsandbondmoney to starttoredevelop some of the architecture here that is just waitingtoberevived,” Davissaid. “Our visitors arealwaysaskingabout places to eat nearby.We’dloveto help people developrestaurants, perhapsanart gallery, or maybe even extend ourown museum There’sreasonfor optimism.We know we bringfolks downtown, so we want to take advantageof that to help therestofthe community.”

Carmodysaidheisworking with themuseums to ﬁndwaystoincorporate more technology into thevisitor experiences. That maymeanhaving QR codesinfront of artifacts andexhibits, which visitors couldscanwiththeir phones to learnmore details. Thereisalsothe option formoreinteractive exhibits andmultimediapresentations

“I wouldlovetosee themuseums be able to tell theirstory in amoreelectronicway becausesomuch of today’scommunication is acrossthatmedium,” Carmodysaid. “Whatwedoissoimportant because we arethe face of Louisianatothe people that walk into ourmuseums.Wewanttomakesureweare reachingtheminaway that is meaningful and accessible.”

Exhibits at theDelta MusicMuseuminFerriday, La.showcasethe historyofvarious genres, includingrock, bluesand country.

MARKER

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Whites to protest the arrests. After each man was released on $300 bond, the case dissipated.

On March 24, 1896, Louis Senegal, also referred to as Louis Sinclair in some records was accused of assaulting Louise Martin, a White woman. While awaiting trial in jail, a mob of 500 masked White men overpowered the guard watching Senegal and “the prisoner was no doubt lynched, but no trace of him can be found anywhere,” according to an archive of The Times-Democrat, a New Orleans-based newspaper Neither Domingue not Senegal’s murderers faced prison time or other legal repercussions for their actions

This is why almost 130 years after the murders, Ola Prejean, president of Move the Mindset, believes a marker honoring the two men is long overdue. An installation ceremony took place in the Carencro Welcome Center, a quaint building already ﬁlled with rich history that now holds two jars of soil honoring Domingue and Senegal With a much larger audience than expected on Sat-

urday, people poured outside the doors of the welcome center, onto the lawn and into the street As the lyrics of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” played, the sun shone and the rain was delayed.

“For the marker to be ofﬁcially unveiled, I don’t have words,” Prejean said. “My late husband started this organization, and even though he’s not physically here to see it, I know he’s here.”

This historical marker installation is part of an ongoing effort to commemorate victims of racial violence and encourage conversations about justice and racial reconciliation led by the Equal Justice Initiative.

“It’s necessary to acknowledge history to move forward,” said Steaphie Wylie, an EJI staff attorney “Facing what happened openly and honestly is an important step towards reconciliation because we can’t move forward without this history It also represents a commitment that this kind of violence is not forgotten and to ensure it never happens again.”

A part of the ceremony was recognizing submissions to the “Reﬂections on What the History of Racial Injustice in Lafayette Parish and America Means to Me” literary contest, encouraging Carencro students to express

their feelings on the past and future of equality

In third place was Israel Rhodes, a 10th grade student who wrote an essay titled, “Understanding Racial Injustice.” His essay tackled religion’s role in permitting slavery, with Bible passages being misunderstood to condone the mistreatment of Africans. He noted how discrimination shows itself in resources, education and opportunities.

TyRiana Williams, secondplace winner and a senior at Carencro High, wrote a poem about being from Lafayette but knowing its dark history with racial injustice. She ends her poem with “for justice must rise like the morning sun until every name is remembered as one,” a reminder to listeners that the effort to honor those who died unjustly is never over.

Alexandra Alfred, a Carencro High senior, won first place with her powerful piece highlighting Black stereotypes and how they morph one’s sense of self worth. She mentions cornrows, a popular hairstyle once used to help slaves escape plantations and streets named after slave masters that never wanted to see Black people prosper.

“My mom encouraged me to do the competition, and at

the same time in U.S history class we talked about lynching,” Williams said. “I wanted people to know that it isn’t all about us getting discriminated against; we’re more than that.”

After students read their pieces, Prejean removed the cloth covering the marker, revealing a bright, blue monument with distinct gold lettering. “I think it’s important for

the community to be able to say, ‘It’s OK for us to learn about our past.’ We don’t need to keep it buried,” Prejean said. “It heals people when we bring these topics to light.”

STAFF PHOTO BY BRAD KEMP

One side of the historical marker is seen Saturday during the historical marker dedication ceremony memorializing lynching victims Louis Senegal and Antoine Domingue at the Carencro Welcome Center

Part of the problem is that it’s not easy to get to the core of the hurricane. But experimental tools that researchers think could help improve rapid intensiﬁcation forecasting showed promise during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. And it was a good season for testing — it saw a boom in episodes of rapid intensiﬁcation nearly double the average of the past 10 years.

A few standouts in a vast ﬁeld of ever-evolving technology are aimed at collecting data from within the hard-to-reach parts of a storm, where Dunion said researchers believe answers to the rapid intensiﬁcation riddle could be hiding.

“That’s the part that we still need to understand better,” Dunion said.

Three pieces of new technology came up repeatedly in conversations with Dunion and other hurricane specialists: the tail Doppler radar, StreamSondes and drones.

A “ﬂying laboratory” that allows researchers to ﬂy into hurricanes to create a 3D Xray of a storm, the tail Doppler radar consists of a dish inside a cone on the tail of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft, Dunion said. It continuously measures wind speeds and rainfall as researchers fly through storms.

Hurricane Hunters can safely ﬂy through only the tops of storms, generally at around 10,000 feet, but Dunion said the tail Doppler radar allows researchers to gather data from deep within a hurricane, as low as just above the ocean’s surface.

With a 3D rendering of the entire storm, researchers can better see things like whether its inner core is tilting, which happens when the center of a storm’s circulation in the lower and middle levels of the atmosphere are not vertically aligned Stronger hurricanes tend to have aligned centers, while weaker storms tend to tilt

Researchers think tilting, or the lack thereof, could have some correlation to rapid intensiﬁcation, Dunion said. The tail Doppler radar could help them ﬁnd out for sure.

Joseph Cione, the lead meteorologist for emerging technologies with NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division, said his team is focused on closing that same data gap with the lower core of storms, which, really, are the parts that impact people and land.

“No one lives at 10,000 feet, right?” Cione said. “We all live down here.”

Tiny weather stations called StreamSondes, which are about the size of a jar of tomato sauce and weigh just 14 grams, are dropped out of Hurricane Hunter airplanes directly into storms. StreamSondes measure temperature, humidity, pressure and wind speeds as they fall, transmitting the data back to researchers on the plane. Cione said StreamSondes which were released in high volumes for the first time in 2024, are significantly smaller and lighter than previous generations of similar technology, allowing them to hover in the atmosphere for nearly twice as long. And longer hang time means more data.

Researchers also found last season that if they released multiple StreamSondes at once into a storm,

a process known as “swarm deployment,” they recorded varying wind speeds and other atmospheric measurements, even from within small sections of the same storm

“So we learned that, wow, there’s more variability than we thought,” Cione said Cione’s specialty, though, is drone technology His niche interest for the past 20 or so years, Cione said drones always seemed like an obvious way for researchers to get to the most dangerous parts of hurricanes.

In 2005, Cione led the first successful unmanned aircraft flight into the core of a mature tropical storm, Ophelia. Two years later, he flew a drone into Hurricane Noel.

Researchers have come a long way since then, Cione said: His team conducted 19 drone deployments into storms last season alone, breaking records for wind speeds, communication distance and durability The air-deployed drones Cione is testing now weigh about 3 pounds, have some steering capabilities and can ﬂy through a storm’s most intense winds for over an hour.

Come June, Cione said he hopes to get that time up to two hours.

“So this hits the data void,” he said. “This is an area we can’t get information.”

Despite strides in technology, the 2024 season proved

to be a tough one for forecasters to nail down. Errors in the National Hurricane Center’s storm intensity forecasts were up in 2024 compared to years prior, thanks in part to an explosion in episodes of rapid intensiﬁcation.

John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at the NHC, said there were 34 episodes of rapid intensiﬁcation — which the NHC defines as an increase in sustained wind speeds of 35 mph in 24 hours recorded last year That’s compared to an average of 18 episodes per season over the past 10 years. Still, NHC trends suggest hurricane intensity forecasting has become increasingly accurate since 1990. There’s other evidence of movement in the right direction, too.

When Cangialosi started his career at the NHC 19 years ago, he said forecasters might have guessed a storm would undergo rapid intensification, they might have discussed it with their colleagues, but they never would have said so in an ofﬁcial forecast. Now, they can forecast rapid intensiﬁcation and despite the phenomenon’s unpredictable nature, those forecasts are getting better

From 2010 to 2014, Cangialosi said NHC intensity forecasts were generally about 25 to 30 mph too low for storms that rapidly intensified. So if forecasters

predicted a storm would peak with winds of 100 mph, it would end up with winds of 125 mph. Cangialosi called that a “big miss.”

“Today that error has been cut in half,” he said. Cangialosi said that kind of progress in forecasting, which translates to lives and property saved, wouldn’t have been possible without advancements in data gathering and storm hunting technology which some experts worry could be threatened by the Trump Administration’s cuts to NOAA.

for hurricane analysis and

dictions.”

“Any decrease in data at all would hurt,” Cangialosi said. “From a perspective of data ﬁrst, the more data you

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

Hurricane researcher Jason Dunion works during a Hurricane Hunter mission.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOAA

Critics say Trump trying to sanitize racism in history

They rebuke his order targeting Smithsonian

BY BILL BARROW Associated Press

ATLANTA President Donald Trump’s order accusing the Smithsonian Institution of not reﬂecting American history notes correctly that the country’s Founding Fathers declared that “all men are created equal.”

But it doesn’t mention that the founders enshrined slavery into the U.S. Constitution and declared enslaved persons as three-ﬁfths of a person for the purpose of the Census.

Civil rights advocates, historians and Black political leaders sharply rebuked Trump on Friday for his order, entitled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” They argued that his executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution is his administration’s latest move to downplay how race, racism and Black Americans themselves have shaped the nation’s story

“It seems like we’re headed in the direction where there’s even an attempt to deny that the institution of slavery even existed, or that Jim Crow laws and segregation and racial violence against Black communities, Black families, Black individuals even occurred,” said historian Clarissa Myrick-Harris, a professor at Morehouse College, the historically Black campus in Atlanta.

The Thursday executive order cites the National Museum of African American History and Culture by name and argues that the Smithsonian as a whole is engaging in a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history.”

Instead of celebrating an “unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual

rights, and human happiness,” the order argues that a “corrosive divisive, race-centered ideology” has “reconstructed” the nation “as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably ﬂawed.”

It empowers Vice President JD Vance to review all properties, programs and presentations to prohibit programs that “degrade shared American values” or “divide Americans based on race.”

Trump also ordered Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to determine if any monuments since January 2020 “have been removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history” or “inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures.”

Trump has long criticized the removal of Confederate monuments, a movement that gained steam after the May 2020 murder of George Floyd

Critics argued the order is the latest move by the Trump administration to quash recognition of Black Americans’ contributions to the nation and to gloss over the legal, political, social and economic obstacles they have faced.

Trump’s approach is “a literal attack on Black America itself,” Ibram X

Kendi, the race historian and bestselling author, said.

“The Black Smithsonian, as it is affectionately called, is indeed one of the heartbeats of Black America,” Kendi argued, and “also one of the heartbeats” of the nation at large.

The African American museum, one of 21 distinct Smithsonian entities, opened along the National Mall in 2016, the last year that President Barack Obama held office as the nation’s first Black chief executive. The museum chronicles chattel slavery, Jim Crow segregation and its lingering effects, but also highlights the determination, successes and contributions of individual Black Americans and Black institutions throughout U.S history

“I’m deeply proud that we now have a museum that honors the millions of African American men and women who built our national heritage, especially when it comes to faith, culture and the unbreakable American spirit,” Trump said in 2017 following a tour that included Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and then-Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, both of whom are Black.

Trump won his comeback White House bid with a notable uptick in support from non-White voters, especially

among younger Black and Hispanic men. He ratcheted up attacks during his campaign on what he labeled “woke” culture and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, not just in government but the private sector He also used racist and sexist tropes to attack Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, the ﬁrst Black woman and person of South Asian descent to hold national ofﬁce, and regularly accused her and other liberals of “hating our country.”

Since his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump has banned diversity initiatives across the federal government. The administration has launched investigations of colleges public and private — that it accuses of discriminating against White and Asian students with race-conscious admissions programs intended to address historic

inequities in access for Black students.

The Defense Department, at one point, temporarily removed training videos recognizing the Tuskegee Airmen and an online biography of Jackie Robinson. In February, Trump fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., a champion of racial diversity in the military, as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Brown, in the wake of Floyd’s killing, had spoken publicly about his experiences as a Black man, and was only the second Black general to serve as chairman.

The administration has fired diversity officers across government, curtailed some agencies’ celebrations of Black History Month, and terminated grants and contracts for projects ranging from planting trees in disadvantaged communities to studying achievement gaps in Ameri-

can schools. Civil rights advocates and historians expressed concern about a chilling effect across other institutions that study Black history Kendi noted that many museums and educational centers across the country — such as San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery, Alabama, and the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina — exist with little to no federal or other governmental funding sources

Some already are struggling to keep their doors open.

“To me, that’s part of the plan, to starve these institutions that are already starving of resources so that the only institutions that are telling America’s history are actually only telling political propaganda,” Kendi said.

BY GARY FIELDS and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

WASHINGTON Most employees at the U.S. Institute of Peace, a congressionally created and funded think tank now taken over by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efﬁciency, received email notices of their mass ﬁring, the latest step in the Trump administration’s government downsizing

The emails, sent to personal accounts because most staff members had lost access to the organization’s system, began going out about 9 p.m. Friday according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisal

One former senior ofﬁcial at the institute said among those spared were several in the human resources de-

partment and a handful of overseas staffers who have until April 9 to return to the United States. The organization has about 300 people.

Others retained for now are regional vice presidents who will be working with the staff in their areas to return to the U.S., according to one employee who was affected. An executive order last month from President Donald Trump targeted the organization, which seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, and three other agencies for closure. Board members, who are nominated by the president and conﬁrmed by the Senate, and the institute’s president were ﬁred. Later, there was a standoff between employees who blocked DOGE members from entering the institute’s headquarters near the State Department. DOGE staff gained access in part with

the help of the Washington police.

A lawsuit ensued, and U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell chastised DOGE representatives for their behavior but did not reinstate the board members or allow employees to return to the workspace.

A White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, said in an email Saturday that the institute “has failed to deliver peace” and that Trump “is carrying out his mandate to eliminate bloat and save taxpayer dollars.”

The letter to employees said that as of Friday, “your employment with us will conclude,” according to one longtime employee who shared part of the communication.

A second email, obtained by the AP, said the terminations were at the direction of the president.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is seen Friday on the National Mall in Washington.

OurDoctors AreOff the Charts!

This Doctors’Day,weproudly recognize the incredible physicians who care for our communities with unmatched skill, compassion and dedication. Across our health system, our medical staffsets the standardfor excellence –not only in theirexpertise but also in the relationshipsthey build and the hope they inspire.

Excellence isn’tjust agoal –it’sthe foundation of everything they do, from diagnosing complex conditions to guiding patientsontheir health journeys with unwavering empathy.

To our doctors: thank you for the countless ways you make a difference every single day.Your work is truly offthe charts.

Non Excidet!

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Health System

Our Lady

If aphysician hasmade an impact on you or oneofyour loved ones, we encourage you to share yourappreciation:

Anti-Musk protesters swarm Tesla showrooms

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO Crowds protesting billionaire Elon Musk’s purge of the U.S. government under President Donald Trump began amassing outside Tesla dealerships throughout the U.S. and in some cities in Europe on Saturday in the latest attempt to dent the fortune of the world’s richest man

The protesters are trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk’s role as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efﬁciency, or DOGE, where he’s gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending. Most of Musk’s estimated $340 billion fortune consists of the stock he holds in the electric vehicle company that he continues to run while also working alongside Trump.

Earlier protests have been somewhat sporadic. Saturday marked the first attempt to surround all 277 of the automaker’s showrooms and service centers in the U.S. in hopes of deepening a recent decline in the company’s sales.

Tesla dealership in London as passing cars and trucks tooted horns in support.

One of the signs displayed at the London protest showed a photo of Musk next to an image of Adolf Hitler making the Nazi salute — a gesture that Musk has been accused of reprising shortly after Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

A person in a tyrannosaurus rex costume held another sign with a picture of Musk’s straight-arm gesture that said, “You thought the Nazis were extinct. Don’t buy a Swasticar.”

“We just want to get loud, make noise, make people aware of the problems that we’re facing,” said Cam Whitten, an American who showed up at the London protest.

The Tesla Takedown movement also hoped to rally protesters at more than 230 Tesla locations in other parts of the world. Although the turnouts in Europe weren’t as large as the crowds in the U.S., the anti-Musk sentiment was similar About two dozen protesters held signs lambasting Musk outside a

By early afternoon, crowds ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of protesters had ﬂocked to Tesla locations in New Jersey Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota and the automaker’s home state of Texas. Pictures posted on social media accounts showed protesters brandishing signs such as “Honk if you hate Elon” and “Fight the billionaire broligarchy.”

Man arrested over swastika on Tesla

BY JESSE BUNCH

The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

The Philadelphia region is no exception to Tesla tension, and one recent incident in which a Bucks County man allegedly keyed a swastika into the side of a Tesla SUV — set local social media circles ablaze.

In what’s become a feature of the polarized political climate, the online outrage cycle ended with social media vigilantes identifying the suspect before police even ﬁled charges. And in the case of Teslas, the vehicle’s onboard cameras that record almost constantly are providing keyboard warriors and law enforcement alike with an up-close look at the mounting cases of vandalism.

On Thursday the Central Bucks Regional Police Department issued an arrest warrant for 55-year-old Chadd Riten-

baugh, charging him with two misdemeanors and two summary offenses for damaging property, harassment, and disorderly conduct in the Monday incident.

Footage captured by the Tesla’s side camera in a Planet Fitness parking lot that morning shows a man police say is Ritenbaugh exit a gray Lexus, duck behind the vehicle, and scratch the neighboring car with an unknown” object before walking out of frame.

The Tesla’s owner later left the gym to ﬁnd “what appeared to be scratches in the shape of a swastika” on the side of the vehicle, according to court documents.

When reached for comment, Ritenbaugh directed The Inquirer to his defense attorney, Paul Lang.

“My client is a proud father, longtime resident, and is currently undergoing cancer treatment,” Lang said in a text message. “We will reserve further comment pending the outcome of the case.”

Days before police sought Ritenbaugh’s arrest — identifying him through security footage and his Planet Fitness membership — fans of Elon Musk, online MAGA supporters, even local Republican officials had taken to plastering Ritenbaugh across social media.

Doylestown Republicans went on to blame Ritenbaugh’s behavior on local Democrats in the upscale Bucks County community In a statem ent, Connor O’Hanlon, chair of the Doylestown Democrats, said the group wholly denounces the destruction of private property and has never encouraged vandalism

“There’s been a real effort to conﬂate vandalism with protests, and they really don’t have anything to do with each other,” said Adam Sheridan, a progressive New Jersey activist who organized a recent Tesla dealership protest in Cherry Hill.

Tesla Takedown was organized by a group of supporters that included disillusioned owners of the automaker’s vehicles at least one Democratic Party lawmaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas.

A growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Musk took over DOGE have been looking to sell or trade in their cars while others have slapped on bumper stickers seeking to distance themselves from the billionaire’s efforts to prune or shut down government agencies.

“I’m going to keep screaming in the halls of Congress I just need you all to make sure you all keep screaming in the streets,” Crockett said during a Tesla Takedown organizing call held earlier this month. Some people opposed to Musk have gone beyond protests and set the automaker’s vehicles on fire and committed other acts of vandalism that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has decried as domestic terrorism. Musk indicated he was dumbfounded by the attacks during a March 20 company meeting and said the vandals should “stop acting psycho.” Crockett and other Tesla Takedown supporters have been stressing the importance for Saturday’s protests to remain peaceful. But police were investigating a fire that destroyed seven Tesla vehicles in northwestern Germany early Saturday morning. It was wasn’t immediately clear if the blaze, which was extinguished by firefighters, was related to the Tesla Takedown protests.

Tesla owner sues for $1 million after car keyed at DFW Airport

BY SASHA RICHIE The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

A Dallas County resident is suing for $1 million in damages after a man keyed his Tesla while it was parked at DFW International Airport.

Jeff Nguyen ﬁrst posted about the vandalism on Facebook on March 16 and spoke with CBS News in an effort to identify the perpetrator

According to a lawsuit filed in Tarrant County District Court on Tuesday, the Tesla owner, identiﬁed as “J.N.” in the suit, parked his 2022 Tesla Model X at DFW Airport on March 13. When he returned to the car three days later, he noticed a “deep engraving or indentation” on the passenger side of the vehicle, according to the suit.

Videos from the Tesla’s built-in cameras showed a man drag what appeared to be a key across the side

of the car as he walked by Nguyen posted the video to social media, where it gained traction, including being ampliﬁed by president Donald Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr Tarrant County arrest records indicate Frisco resident Rafael Humberto Hernandez was booked into Tarrant County jail on March 22 and charged with criminal mischief causing pecuniary loss of $2,500 or more but less than $30,000. This is considered a state jail felony, according to the Texas Criminal Defense Group, and is punishable by 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and/or a ﬁne of up to $10,000. Hernandez is also named as the defendant in the civil suit but has not been served yet. The suit is seeking $1 million in damages, citing property damage emotional distress, mental anguish and others such as attorney’s fees and court costs.

BALTIMORE BANNER PHOTO BY WESLEY LAPOINTE Protesters gather Saturday at a Tesla dealership in Owings Mills, Md.

Danish foreign minister scolds Trump administration

Vance said nation underinvesting in Greenland

BY PHILIP CROWTHER, KIRSTEN GRIESHABER and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

NUUK, Greenland The Danish foreign minister on Saturday scolded the Trump administration for its “tone” in criticizing Denmark and Greenland, saying his country is already investing more into Arctic security and remains open to more cooperation with the U.S Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, make the remarks in a video posted to social media after U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the strategic island.

“Many accusations and many allegations have been made. And of course we are open to criticism,” Rasmussen said speaking in English “But let me be completely honest: we do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered. This is not how you speak to your close allies. And I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.” Vance on Friday said Den-

mark has “underinvested” in Greenland’s security and demanded that Denmark change its approach as President Donald Trump pushes to take over the Danish territory

Vance visited U.S. troops on Pituffik Space Base on mineral-rich Greenland alongside his wife and other senior U.S. ofﬁcials for a trip that was ultimately scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were not consulted about the original itinerary

“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance said Friday “You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass ﬁlled with incredible people. That has to change.”

Trump on Friday released a video on his social networking site Truth Social entitled “America Stands With Greenland,” showing footage of U.S. troops there during World War II. In Greenland, Vance said the U.S. has no option” but to take a signiﬁcant position to ensure the security of the island as he encouraged a

Christianshavn, Copenhagen, Denmark. The white hat says ‘Make America Go Away.’

push in Greenland for independence from Denmark.

“I think that they ultimately will partner with the United States,” Vance said.

The reaction by members of Greenland’s parliament and residents has rendered that unlikely with anger erupting over the Trump administration’s attempts to annex the vast Arctic island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pushed back on Vance’s claim that Denmark isn’t doing enough for defense in the Arctic, calling her country “a good

La. native, 108, believed to be oldest surviving WWII paratrooper dies

BY HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press

Sgt. Joe Harris, believed to be the oldest surviving World War II paratrooper and a member of the U.S. Army’s ﬁrst all-Black parachute infantry battalion, has died. He was 108. Harris died March 15 in a hospital in Los Angeles surrounded by family, grandson Ashton Pittman told The Associated Press. He will be honored with a full military funeral on April 5.

mainland to explode and start ﬁres.

and strong ally.” And Greenlandic lawmakers on Thursday agreed to form a new government, banding together to resist Trump’s overtures. Four of

the five parties elected to Greenland’s parliament earlier this month have agreed to form a coalition that will have 23 of 31 seats in the legislature.

The following day, Danish King Frederik X posted on Facebook: “We live in an altered reality There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact.”

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated Saturday outside the U.S. Embassy in the Danish capital Copenhagen with some lifting signs saying, “back off, USA” Danish broadcaster TV2 reported.

Even Greenland’s national dogsled race — Avannaata Qimussersu which kicked off Saturday with some 37 mushers and 444 dogs was not left unaffected. Usha Vance, the vice president’s wife, who was originally

scheduled to attend the race opted out when her husband decided to join the trip and visit the military base instead, reducing the likelihood that they would cross paths with Greenlanders. Løkke Rasmussen, in his video, reminded viewers of the 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the United States. Since 1945, the American military presence in Greenland has decreased from thousands of soldiers over 17 bases and installations on the island, he said, to the remote Pitufﬁk Space Base in the northwest with some 200 soldiers today The 1951 agreement “offers ample opportunity for the United States to have a much stronger military presence in Greenland,” the foreign minister said “If that is what you wish, then let us discuss it.”

Harris

“He was a very loving, loving, loving man,” said Pittman. “That was one of the things that he was very strict upon was loving one another.” Harris was among the last surviving members of the historic 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, nicknamed the Triple Nickles The battalion helped protect the U.S. from deadly Japanese balloon bombs, according to Robert L. Bartlett, a retired Eastern Washington University professor who specializes in the 555th. In 1944 and 1945, the Japanese launched thousands of the balloons to be carried by the Paciﬁc jet stream to the U.S.

By The Associated Press

BOSTON A Tufts University doctoral student who was detained can’t be deported to Turkey without a court order, a federal judge in Massachusetts said on Friday.

Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was taken by masked immigration ofﬁcials as she walked along a street in the Boston suburb of Somerville on Tuesday Ozturk was quickly moved to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in remote Basile,

During World War II, Black Americans were often relegated to more supportlevel jobs in the racially segregated military As a result, the military recruited Harris and hundreds of other Black men, trained them and sent them into blazes on the West Coast Bartlett said. Throughout their time in the military they faced overt racism, including being barred from going to the base commissary and officer’s clubs unless they were speciﬁcally for Black people.

“This unit had to fight to be recognized as human beings while training to fight an enemy overseas, fight in their own country for respect even within the military,” Bartlett said That was not lost on Pittman, who said his grandfather was brave enough to serve the U.S. “during a time when the country didn’t love him, honestly didn’t care about him.”

Harris was born on June 19, 1916, in West Dale, Louisiana, according to Tracie Hunter, spokesperson for WWII Beyond The Call, a nonproﬁt organization that works to document veterans’ accounts. After ﬁlling out his draft registration card, he began his military service in 1941 when he was 24.

Louisiana, before her attorneys could secure a judge’s order blocking the transfer On Friday U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper gave the government until Tuesday evening to respond to an updated complaint ﬁled by Ozturk’s attorneys. “To allow the Court’s resolution of its jurisdiction to decide the petition, Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until further order of this court,” the judge wrote. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson

By the time he was honorably discharged in November 1945, he had completed 72 parachute jumps, according to Hunter

After the war, he worked for the U.S. Border Patrol He also spent more than 60 years in Compton, California, where Pittman said he was the neighborhood patriarch, a man everyone on the block knew and gravitated to.

“His life is to be celebrated,” Pittman said.

Pittman said that his grandfather would sometimes ask him if he would ever jump out of a plane. In October, Pittman had the opportunity to follow in his grandfather’s airborne footsteps.

For a week, he did paratrooper jump training in Corsicana, Texas, through the Liberty Jump Team, an organization that works to preserve the memory of veterans.

“When I got my wings, I actually broke down and started crying because everything in that moment just resonated with me,” he said. “It was like, dang I’m literally doing what my grandfather did.”

Shortly before Harris’ death, he got a landing zone, in Tuskegee, Alabama, dedicated in his name. Pittman said he plans to be the very ﬁrst person to jump in the Sgt. Joe Harris Dropzone.

has conﬁrmed Ozturk’s detention and the termination of her visa, saying investigations found Oztruk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.

Ozturk was one of four students who wrote an oped in The Tufts Daily last year that criticized the university’s response to student demands that Tufts “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,” disclose its investments and divest from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel.

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“Alotofcustomersendupfrustratedwhentheybuy a newRV,”hesaid. “There mightbeunforeseenissues that ariseafter they pick up theirnew RV that they were notexpecting.Theymay endupwithmoreextra features than they want or need.A lotofpeoplewalk away feelingthattheyare overpaying.Theyend up having to do long-termﬁnancing, whichcreatesmore stress in theirlives.” However, theconsignment programatUltimate RV Center meansbuyershavemorecontrol over their payments “Wecan createa more achievable paymentstructure,and thebuyer walksawaywithagoodcertiﬁed pre-ownedRV to enjoy,”Ashysaid.

Ashy speaks from experience.Hehas worked at nearly everylocal RV dealership in thearea, with rolesasasalesman,ﬁnancemanagerandgeneralsales manager, alladdingupto30years of experience in the RV business.AtUltimateRVCenterinCarencro, he is dedicatedtomakingthe selling, buying andservice processeasier for customers. Nowopenfor less than twoyears,thefamily-owneddealershiponInterstate49 sellsexclusivelypre-ownedRVsthathavebeencarefully inspected andrepairedifneeded. This meansbuyers canbeassuredthatacamperfromUltimateRVCenter is in topcondition,without anyofthe bugs andkinks that need to be worked outwhenbuyingbrand-new “Whenyou buyapre-owned RV,there’s no depreciationhit,” Ashy said.“More than likely,all of the

recallshavebeendoneand thebugshavebeenworked out. It’s notuncommonfor anew RV to have to go back to adealership10to15times in thefirst twoyears, anditcan easily sitfor up to sixmonths waitingto be serviced becausedealerships aresaturated.Itcan also take several months for partstoarriveoncethey areordered,and to completethe warranty approval process. Youdon’t have to deal with anyofthatwhen youbuy apre-owned model. UltimateRVCenterhasavarietyofpre-ownedmodels Ashysaidmostarethreetofiveyearsold,althoughsome olderonesareavailable.Thedealershiphasmorethan $2 millionincertifiedpre-owned inventoryand offers apressure-free shopping experience with an open lot, allowing customerstolookfirstbeforespeakingto a salesperson “Wedon’t sell anything that’s very oldand needs a lotofwork. We don’tdothattopeople,”Ashysaid. “We prideourselvesonbeinghonest.Wedon’tsellanything that stillhas issues.Whenownerscometousbecause they want to sell,theyhavetolet us fix it up andput it in sellingcondition.”

Ashy said it isn’tuncommonfor people to want to sell an RV if it becomestoo costly or they don’t useit as much as they expected.Manytry to sell it themselves throughonlineplatformsorsimpleyardsigns,butAshy said that canbecome cumbersome andproblematic “You cansacriﬁceyourpersonalprivacy andsafety when youtry to become asalesperson,” he said.“Also, most people don’t really know allofthe features their camper hasorthe specs abouthow it’s built. We take allofthatoff of theseller’shands.Wealsodealwith allofthe paperwork. Thesellerdoesn’t have to handle anyofthatordealwiththe public.That’swhere our expertisecomes in.” Ultimate RV Center also does nothaveany storage fees.Infact, asellerisnot chargedunlessoruntil their camper is sold

“Acustomercanleavetheircamperherecompletely risk-free,”Ashysaid. “Ifwedon’t sell it,theydon’t owe us apenny.”

Ashy said themaingoalatUltimateRVCenteris to putmorepre-ownedRVsontheroadinSouthLouisiana, withhappybuyersandsellersthroughoutallpartsofthe process.Heencouragescustomersinthemarketforan RV to consider theprice,sizeand whethertheyhave a vehiclecapableoftowingthecampertheyhaveinmind

“Wehaveexperience in everypartofthe business theinformation to puttheminthe rightcamperand thefacilitytoservice theircamperifsomething does happen to go wrong,”Ashysaid. “South Louisiana finallyhas an option forhelpwithservice,parts, salesand ﬁnance.”

TheteamatUltimateRVCenterhas more than 100 yearsofexperienceinsalesandserviceintheRVindustry Thedealershipislocatedat4495NorthwestEvangeline ThruwayinCarencro. Visitwww.ultimatervcenter comfor more information

RITZAU SCANPIX PHOTO BY THOMAS TRAASDAHL Cross-political support is shown Friday for Greenland and Greenlanders in front of Greenland’s representation in

Judge: Student can’t be deported without order

By Amanda McElfresh | am This articleisbrought to youbyUltimateRVCenter.

BY PATRICK WALL

Staff writer

Kathleen Cannino feared this day was coming.

President Donald Trump signed an order this month calling for the U.S. Department of Education to be dismantled. Trump, who argues that the agency is wasteful and ineffective, already has overseen the layoffs of about half of its staff. Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry and state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley have celebrated Trump’s plan, saying states should control education.

An outspoken advocate for special education in Louisiana whose 12-year-old son has a disability, Cannino is alarmed about what the Education Department’s demise could mean for children like hers. Without the agency monitoring states’ compliance with special education laws, Cannino worries that it will fall on parents to try to hold schools accountable.

“Their ﬁght is already difﬁcult enough,” she said, “and I knew it was going to get harder.”

Cannino is all too familiar with those struggles. After her son allegedly faced verbal and physical abuse by staffers at his St. Tammany Parish school in 2018, Cannino sued the district and started homeschooling her son, Noah. Since then, she has successfully pushed for cameras to be installed in special-education classrooms and helped fellow parents demand that schools accommodate their children with disabilities.

She also called attention to shortcomings in the state’s special education system, which the

Louisiana Legislative Auditor conﬁrmed in a recent series of reports. The auditor found that the state education department failed to follow up on many parents’ complaints and provides minimal oversight of schools’ special-education programs. (State ofﬁcials say the agency complies with federal law and has hired additional monitors.)

Until now, the state has had to answer to the federal Education Department, which provides more than $240 million annually to Louisiana in special-education funding. The agency enforces the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, which requires schools to provide services to students with disabilities. And its Ofﬁce for Civil Rights investigates parents’ complaints, including dozens in Louisiana.

Trump has promised to preserve that funding, but it’s unclear what will happen to the Education Department’s other functions, including its oversight of special education.

Cannino recently spoke with The Advocate | The Times-Picayune about why the department’s dismantling has her so worried. The interview has been edited and condensed.

What’s going well with special education in Louisiana? And what isn’t?

The thing that’s going well is teachers who really care and people who really, truly want to improve special education.

As far as what could be improved, in my experience, I think it needs to come from the top. We have a lack of monitoring and enforcement. Our state pretty much allows self-reporting from school

districts but it doesn’t verify that information.

When there is a problem, or a child’s needs aren’t being met, there’s very limited ways for parents to improve that or correct that.

What was your reaction when President Trump issued his order to dismantle the Education Department?

I was extremely worried and disappointed and concerned. And upset for these families of children with disabilities because I know their ﬁght is already difﬁcult enough, and I knew it was going to get harder

My fear is that parents have less of a recourse if things don’t go right. There might be these (special education) laws, but without a way to enforce them, it doesn’t do parents any good.

Why do you think the U.S. Education Department is important?

The federal Department of Education is your checks and balance. Without them, you have loss of oversight, loss of enforcement of IDEA, loss of monitoring of state programs. Parents can write a complaint and they assign an attorney and investigate. They would hold the district accountable to correct the issue.

It was helpful because that seemed to be the only thing that school districts really paid attention to, that had any teeth. Now, if you don’t have that, what are you going to do if the state fails to enforce (the law)?

What else does the department do?

The federal Department of Education is also responsible for data collection. They can use that to improve policy, target resources where they see inequalities or a need for it.

reporter asked what IDEA stands for and she couldn’t even tell her She knew nothing about special education.

The Department of Education keeps posting on Facebook about “boys in girls sports.” They’re not focusing on these children with disabilities and their education.

Proponents say that abolishing the Education Department will restore authority to states and reduce restrictions on federal funding

Our state is already in charge of education, it’s in our Louisiana Constitution. So it’s not correct to say that education will go back to the states — it’s already at the states.

For instance, they collect the graduation rate of children with disabilities. If you’re not monitoring that and these kids start dropping out, how will you know there’s a problem?

They monitor factors such as the ability of these children to read. If they stop monitoring that, you don’t know if these kids can read.

There’s also things like restraint and seclusion numbers. If you have a school that is secluding one student 100 times, that needs to be looked at. That should be a red ﬂag.

Do you think the Trump administration has a clear plan for special education?

Absolutely not. Not when they cut the staff at (the Ofﬁce for Civil Rights), which is extremely important for oversight and enforcement.

Supposedly, they’re going to move IDEA under the Department of Health and Human Services. But they’ve also cut the health department staff.

[Trump’s Secretary of Education Linda] McMahon was on Fox News being interviewed and the

To say they’re going to get the money without strings attached, that is scary If you accept funding, you’re agreeing to the assurances that you will provide a free and appropriate public education (to students with disabilities). If they don’t have to agree to that, they can do whatever they want with the money It would weaken the protections for students and parents as far as being able to hold districts accountable if they’re not meeting the child’s needs.

What can parents of children with disabilities do in this moment?

I would make sure that your school district has a plan in place so that your child’s needs are met. So there’s a way to address concerns in a meaningful way if there’s a problem.

It’s

THE GULF COAST

Restaurant faces swift backlash for anti-LGBTQ+ stance

BY POET WOLFE and JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writers

A Mississippi Gulf Coast restaurant faced quick backlash from the surrounding community, business leaders and LGBTQ+ groups after posting a now-viral video offering a meal special for only couples who “can produce a child.”

Darwell and Nettie Mechelle

Yeager a married couple who run Darwell’s Happiness Cafe in Long Beach, posted the video promoting a Celebration of Couples Day to the restaurant’s Facebook page on Wednesday In the video, the business owners stand in the cafe’s kitchen, and Darwell says the special only applies to “the real kind of couple.”

“If you’re a couple — husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, guy and girl. Couple,” Darwell emphasized.

“We don’t do the trans or the lesbians or gays. I’m sorry That’s down the street,” Nettie said, wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses.

The video has since been deleted, but it circulated again on social media after a nearby business, Trax Bar and Grill, posted a screen recording of the clip Wednesday afternoon, criticizing the Yeagers for not being inclusive to gay couples and for suggesting that any couple who could not conceive children also were not welcome.

Darwell’s video sparks outrage

A string of enraged responses ﬁlled the comment section, almost all of them decrying the opinions of the Yeagers.

The Gulf Coast Equality Council, a nonproﬁt organization for the LGBTQ+ community and its

allies, released a statement about the video Thursday morning, stating that “no one should be made to feel unwelcome simply for being who they are.” Local food inﬂuencers Your Barefoot Neighbor and Mississippi Kween also responded, voicing their disapproval.

Angela Singletary, president of the anti-bullying organization The Society was planning on leading a peaceful protest outside of the restaurant Friday, but decided to cancel it due to safety concerns.

“It’s important that we don’t allow this kind of discrimination and these kinds of comments to... just go. We can’t just let them go,” Singletary said Thursday afternoon, before the cancellation. “They have to be addressed, and people have to be held accountable.”

Owner’s apology

On Thursday morning, Nettie made a statement on her personal

Facebook account, apologizing to anyone who was offended by their comments. The Yeagers had maintained throughout the controversy that their comments were based upon their religious beliefs.

“I’m not perfect and I get my feelings hurt too,” the post read.

“Not always right. But I’m human too. I’m truly sorry if you got offended or misunderstood something not meant to hurt anyone... .”

Darwell reposted the apology on his Facebook page six times, after releasing his own statement where he said he was “tired of being bullied by the Left” and said his business was not going to fail. He added that others will support him because of his beliefs. Below the statement was a photo of Darwell, his arms crossed as he grimaced at the camera with a chef’s knife in hand.

Darwell’s Happiness Cafe prides itself on serving “real food for real people” and gained trac-

tion after its shrimp creole dish was featured in Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” In 2016, Forbes magazine named it one of the best restaurants of the year

The Yeagers declined to comment when asked for a statement at their restaurant on Thursday Other restaurants speak out

Mississippi House Bill 1523 — better known as the Religious Liberty Accommodations Act — was passed into law in 2016, giving organizations the legal right to deny services to members of the LGBTQ+ community based on religious views.

The legislation was passed in a state where 3.5% of the population identiﬁes as LGBTQ+, according to the Williams Institute, and 34% of the community raises children.

The passing of the law under then-Gov Phil Bryant shocked the Mississippi Coast, a place that largely votes conservative but is

known for being socially liberal. HB 1523 prompted the creation of the “If you’re buying, we’re selling” campaign, which gave local businesses the opportunity to place a decal in a noticeable place to let shoppers know all were welcome.

Bay St. Louis photographer Ann Madden went a step further, creating “All Are Welcome” signs that many businesses across the city used. The sign eventually became a mural outside of The Mockingbird Cafe, a popular downtown restaurant and coffee shop.

Madden resurrected her signs on Thursday, offering them up again to Long Beach businesses.

“How sad that we are here again,” Madden said.

Other business and restaurant leaders also spoke out this week.

Jessica Notter owner of Trax Bar and Grill, said she was hurt by the words she heard in the video.

Trax often hosts drag shows, which have become more and more popular on the Mississippi Coast.

“The disgust I feel for statements made in this video is immeasurable; and, if you watch it and ﬁnd yourself agreeing with this lowlife, then I suggest you not set foot into Trax Bar,” she said on Facebook.

William Rester, who owns several restaurants in downtown Long Beach not far from Darwell’s, encouraged Coast residents to come to his spots and eat, where they can always be their true selves.

Lauren Joffrion, corporate executive chef for Secret Coast Restaurant Group that operates seven restaurants across the Coast, said she felt compelled to make a statement.

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but all in all, you reap what you sow,” she said on Facebook. “Hate

Bill takes aim at terms of service

LOUISIANA POLITICS

ASSOCIATED

MARTIN

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy’s bill is called the Terms-ofService Labeling Design and Readability Act.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, RBaton Rouge, has sponsored a bill that would rein in what he calls onerous and unwieldy terms of service agreements. Customers sign the agreements for virtually all technology from using Google services or an iPhone to downloading the Uber app to streaming Netﬂix or Disney Plus. But a 2017 Deloitte survey showed only 9% of users read them before they click the “agree” box ProPrivacy.com believes that number is closer to 1%. And the agreements are often lengthy: The New York Times has reported that some of these agreements are 20,000 words long, roughly the length of Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and Sea.” “A number of years ago, I was getting an Apple product, and I decided I wanted to read the terms of service. And it was written by an attorney, clearly designed to keep a nonattorney from reading. And sometimes it repeated itself,” Cassidy said. “

On several occasions, they cut and taped it and kept putting it in the same words again and again and again. It was designed so that I would not read it. That is wrong.”

Cassidy’s bill is called the Termsof-Service Labeling, Design and Readability Act, or “TLDR” — a common internet acronym for “Too Long, Didn’t Read.” The bill would require all terms of service agreements to have a “truthful and nonmisleading,” shortform summary statement available to all levels of

Climate change can speed up water cycle, trigger extreme weather

BY TAMMY WEBBER and DONAVON BRUTUS Associated Press

Prolonged droughts, wildfires and water shortages Torrential downpours that overwhelm dams and cause catastrophic ﬂooding.

Around the globe, rising temperatures stoked by climate change are increasing the odds of both severe drought and heavier precipitation that wreak havoc on people and the environment

Rainfall can disappear for years only to return with a vengeance, as it did in California in 2023, with recordsetting rain and snowfall. That led to heavy vegetation growth that provided fuel for the devastating January wildﬁres in Los Angeles after drought returned.

But how can global warming cause both drier and wetter extremes? Here’s what experts say

All about the water cycle

Water constantly moves between the Earth and its atmosphere. But that system — called the hydrological cycle is speeding up as global temperatures get hotter, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal and gas. A hotter atmosphere sucks up more water vapor from

ABC’s “This Week”: Sen. Mark Warner D-Va.; Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio.

NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Jeffrey Goldberg, editorin-chief of The Atlantic.

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Sen James Lankford, R-Okla.; Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md.; state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Mich.

CBS’ “Face the Nation”: Warner; United Auto Workers

bodies of water and vegetation and soil.

Over land, this atmospheric demand and loss of surface moisture leads to longer and more intense droughts, even causing some arid areas to expand. Though rain falls less often, when it does, it’s often in intense and destructive deluges. That’s because the atmosphere holds 7% more water vapor for every degree Celsius.

“Basically, global warming is turning the atmosphere into a bigger sponge so it can soak up more moisture and then when the conditions are right for rainfall, it’s like squeezing that sponge,” said Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan. “You get more moisture coming out faster.”

Oceans play outsized role

Oceans absorb most of the planet’s extra heat That causes the water to expand and ice to melt at the poles, raising sea levels. The warmer water also provides fuel for larger hurricanes and cyclones that can dump massive amounts of water in a short time.

In 2023, for example, heavy one-day rains from Mediterranean storm Daniel caused massive ﬂooding

President Shawn Fain; Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas; Sue Gordon, former principal deputy director of national intelligence; retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, former commander of U.S. Central Command “Fox News Sunday”: Warner; Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.; Brad Schimel, Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate; White House trade adviser Peter Navarro. The Associated Press

across eastern Libya that overwhelmed two dams, sending a wall of water through the coastal city of Derna that destroyed entire neighborhoods and swept bridges, cars and people out to sea. Climate scientists say climate change made that storm far more likely Snowpack is diminishing

Climate change also is affecting snowpack, a critical part of the hydrological cycle.

Melting snow helps fill reservoirs and waterways, including for drinking and agriculture. But less snow is falling in general, and what does often is absorbed by thirsty soil.

What’s more, because winters are becoming warmer overall, the growing season is longer, meaning snowmelt also is being lost through evapotranspiration of plants.

But, just like rain, climate change also can cause more intense and sometimes damaging snowstorms.

“All this stuff is related to warming, which we know with perfect confidence is almost all due to human activity,” Overpeck said. “The good news is, we know how to stop it if we want to.”

literacy and persons with disabilities.

It must clearly include a summary of what legal rights the user is waiving, show all past changes to the TOS, clearly say how the user can delete their sensitive information and give a list of data breaches for the previous three years.

In addition, the TOS must not require any new contractual obligation.

Landry renews cybersecurity pledge

Gov Jeff Landry has renewed a state of emergency that his predecessor, former Gov John Bel Edwards, instituted after a series of high-proﬁle cyberattacks on Louisiana government agencies.

Landry’s order says the state continues to face “se-

vere, intentional cybersecurity breaches.”

Edwards ﬁrst declared the state of emergency in December 2023 after a series of major attacks.

In June 2023, hackers breached the Louisiana Ofﬁce of Motor Vehicles, potentially gaining access to driver’s license information and other data for all residents with a state-issued license, registration or other paperwork — at least 6 million people.

Earlier that year hackers struck several universities.

In one case, Southeastern Louisiana University’s computer systems went down entirely for weeks, locking students out of email and other crucial tools.

Responding to and defending against cyberattacks costs state government millions of dollars annually, an

amount that has soared in recent years. The state of emergency allows the Governor’s Ofﬁce of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness — which Landry recently announced would be moving under the purview of the Louisiana National Guard — more ﬂexibility to respond to cyberattacks. It eases some of the purchasing and procurement rules that state agencies typically follow and requires agencies throughout the state to cooperate with GOHSEP on cybersecurity

will return next week.

Mark Ballard’s column

Auto dealers warn of rising prices

Customers to pay more after tariffs, Lafayette firms say

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced 25% tariffs on cars, light trucks and auto parts imported from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10%

Three indicted on murder charges

One St. Landry case dates to 2016

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Three men were indicted Friday by a St. Landry Parish grand jury on murder charges, one of them for a murder in 2016.

Jordan Jamal Barnes, 33, was indicted on a charge of the seconddegree murder of Erica Hunt, who went missing in July 2016, St Landry Parish District Attorney Chad Pitre wrote in a news release.

The missing persons case by the Opelousas Police Department remained unsolved until December 2018, he said, when human remains were found in rural Ville Platte in Evangeline Parish during a search for a missing child Hunt’s case was reopened. LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services lab and DNA Doe Project analysis assisted law enforcement in identifying the remains in 2024 as Hunt Louisiana State Police pursued the case which led to Barnes, who confessed to the crime, Pitre said In an unrelated case, Irving Cisneros Arguelles, 24, was indicted Friday in connection with the ﬁrstdegree murder of Jorlany Osario Beitez, Pitre wrote.

Beitez was reported missing on Feb. 17. Authorities found her burned SUV in a ﬁeld near the 3500 block of Highway 10, Pitre wrote. Her body was found in a nearby bayou.

Arguelles was found in the Beggs area on Highway 10, Pitre said, where law enforcement ofﬁcers allegedly saw him discarding the victim’s phone.

In a third case, Joseph E. Thomas, 18, was indicted by the

ä See CHARGES, page 3B

tariff on imports from China. The tariffs are expected to go into effect April 3. It’s unclear whether the new auto tariffs will stack on top of 25% import taxes set to be levied next week on all goods from Canada and Mexico.

Automakers can respond to the new tariffs in several ways, but all of them cost money and will lead to higher car prices, analysts say Gary Angelle, sales manager at Lafayette’s Hub City Ford, said many dealers are in wait-and-see mode.

He said sales remain consistent and he doesn’t expect to see any change until the tariffs go into effect next week. It is yet to be determined how much of an effect the tariffs will have, Angelle said, but consumers should prepare for price increases.

Trump on Wednesday predicted car prices would fall because of tariffs.

“You’re going to see prices going down, but it’s going to go down speciﬁcally because they’re going to buy what we’re doing, incentivizing companies and even countries with companies to come into America and build,” Trump said from the Oval Ofﬁce.

However, most experts disagree,

EXPLORING EXPRESSION

Suspect accused of tossing powder on officers during arrest

BY JULIA GUILBEAU Staff Writer

A group of Lafayette Parish sheriff’s deputies were sent the hospital Thursday after they were exposed to fentanyl when a sus-

pect tossed the white powdery substance onto them during an arrest, according to a statement from the sheriff’s ofﬁce. The six ofﬁcers who faced exposure were treated at the hospital and were all released.

Sheriff Mark Garber has called the situation “a prime example of the myriad of serious dangers our corrections deputies face on a daily basis.”

The man responsible for throwing the drugs, 32-year-old Ree-

shawn Arnold, faces seven counts of criminal negligence and one count of possession of Schedule II drugs, introduction of contraband into a penal institution, resisting an ofﬁcer and obstruction of justice, LPSO said.

Despite the scare, research hasn’t shown that fentanyl exposure from skin contact is a high

risk, according to medical experts. Here’s what to know Is fentanyl exposure dangerous?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says fentanyl, a synthetic opioid hundreds of times more potent than heroin, can be absorbed into the body via inhalation,

PHOTOS BY ROBIN MAY

ABOVE: MACA student artist Amelia Bourgeois, left, shows her original art on Saturday during the St. Landry Parish Student Arts Expo at Opelousas High. BELOW LEFT: Austin Joseph Roberts, left, drives the team robot while team member Hailee Levergne observes during the Northwest High Robotics competition at the festival. BELOW RIGHT: The Beau Chene High band performs during the event.

N.O. Musicians’ Clinic ends partnership with LSU

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

The cians’ Found ganization medica servic cians parting Health than The of f ing pays full-time nurse worker tant Johnson LSU Health campus. The foundation also helps cover out-of-pocket for topped Du peal, about half the deﬁcit, our Peggy the year reserves. able.” found sion tion. mu two leans, the Cl 2500 block of Canal Street

salaries of the three staffers at the clinic, which cost $350,000 of the total $450,000 in operating expenses last fall.

“Our relationship with the clinic was always a good one,” said Ben Lousteau, interim vice chancellor for ﬁnance at LSU Health. “We supported the concept, but they said due to financial no longer support the clinic.”

LSU will continue to have a relationship with the founorganization’s administrative ofﬁces are located within LSU and patients will still have access to any specialists at LSU they were refe ed to by the clinic.

New path forward

The change goes into effect in June, when the clinic’s existing location will close. The New Orleans Musicians’ Assistance Foundation, meanwhile, will continue to fundraise and shift its focus to helping musicians get health insurance. Honoré said the organization will use the money it raises to pay a portion of its clients’ insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles.

their advocates in partner ship with the LSU Health Network, a nonproﬁt group of clinics afﬁliated with the LSU Health Sciences Center and staffed by LSU physicians. The organization and its mission resonated in a historic city renowned for its jazz and unique culture. New Orleans’ musicians and performers power the local cultural economy Yet many were neglecting preventive health care, working late nights and erratic schedules without benefits

like health insurance or paid sick leave, the organization’s founders said at the time.

As the clinic grew, so did the need for more ﬁnancial support. In 2007, the New Orleans Musicians’ Assistance Foundation was created to provide administrative and fundraising support for the clinic and expand its services to include things like ﬁnancial literacy behavioral health self-care and community wellness.

Jeff “Papa Frog” Klein, 74, a composer, percussion-

ist and bandleader, has used the clinic and foundation’s services for more than a decade, mostly for well visits and referrals to specialists. He says the artistic community would be lost without it.

“They say that New Orleans is a city that loves you back,” he said “The musicians’ clinic embodies that 100%. They care about us — not just if we break a ﬁnger — but as people.”

Financial constraints

Despite its popularity

within the community, the foundation has struggled in recent years to raise enough money to cover the costs associated with the clinic. In the nonprofit world, financial weaknesses can quickly snowball, Honoré said. Funders are reticent to make grants or large gifts to organizations that are not sustainable, which, in turn, makes them less sustainable.

In October, the clinic notiﬁed LSU that it would no longer be able to afford the

Late last year Honoré reached out to Crescent Care about partnering and taking over the musicians clinic. Founded more than 40 years ago, Crescent Care was originally known as the NO AIDS Task Force and has grown to become a fullservice community health center with a staff of more than 270 and a variety of primary and behavioral health care services that treated more than 13,000 patients in 2024. As a practical matter, Crescent Care would treat the musicians and performers from the musicians’ clinic even without a partnership because, under its mission as a federal qualiﬁed community health center, it treats anyone.

But Executive Director Alice Reiner said it’s important to retain the branding of the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic within Crescent Care because the clinic has such deep roots in the community and is a known entity among musicians and performers.

“Above all, we want to ensure continuity of care and support for the musicians,” Reiner said. “There are obviously some unique challenges that musicians have that we want to ﬁgure out how to support. We are thrilled to be able to partner with them.”

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

ogy versity to her knowledge there has not been evidence to suggest that topical exposure leads to fentanyl-related consequences. Despite the rise in illegal fentanyl, Dunn said the drug has been used in medical setting for decades, adding that if skin exposure was a major risk it would have likely been noticed already In order for fentanyl to be absorbed through the skin and cause side effects, it would need to penetrate through layers of skin cells and ultimately reach the bloodstream, Dr Ryan Feldman, an assistant professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin’s School of Pharmacy, said. That type of exposure would require prolonged contact with a large amount of the drug.

ll the

shallow breathing, discolored skin (especially in nails or lips) and small, constricted pupils that don’t react to light.

original location for its returning customers, she noted, “but it was bigenough for us to do adrivethru plus it had cooler spaces for us to store our daiquiris and crawﬁsh,” Louvierre said. The building, which became available when the franchisee for that location closed it along with another in Lafayette in December,isdoublethe size of their old building. Louvierre said they may expand the menu to include aseafood market located at the entrance of the business

Feldman, who authored a study on fentanyl exposure after accidentally sticking his hand in liquid fentanyl, said that in most cases involving ﬁrst responders and

“Weare trying ourhardest to get open as soon as we can,” Louvierre said. “Wemiss interacting with our customers in the public, and we are just excited to get back up and running as soon as we can.” Other businesses have opened

Feldman said cases haven’t shown that enough fentanyl is breathed in to cause dangerous reactions. Dunn emphasized that even if fentanyl exposure by skin contact or by breathing it in were found to cause serious effects, Narcan or naloxone is an easy, safe and highly effective treatment widely available to first responders. In its guidance to first responders — including law enforcement, emergency medical providers and fire rescue the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said incidental skin contact may occur during responders’ daily activities but noted is not expected to lead to harmful effects if the skin is quickly washed off. The DEA also said inhalation of airborne powder is more likely to lead to harmful side effects, but acknowledges that this type of exposure is less likely than skin contact.

which owner Vincent Starwood opened bought last summer and has since worked to put back into commerce. Abody contour shop and a laundromat will openinthe development,which wasthe former Hanger Prosthetics& Orthotics. It already houses asmall grocerystore,called Starwood Marketplace, and a beauty salon/barbershop.

“Everywhere yougo, you gotta get on the road and go to the otherside of town to get anything you need,” Starwood said. “And Isaid I’ll put asmallgrocerystore there to help the community out. It was just heartbreaking when Isee these older folksget on the bus to go all the way on the other side of town just to get groceries because everything on our side of town seems to notbe important.” Starwood said he used his own moneytobuy the abandoned ofﬁce, which lies in an “opportunity zone.” He used most of his

If you think someone is experiencing an opioid overdose, you can use naloxone to quickly reverse the drug’s effects.

agowhenthe former locationburned down.

If you don’t have access to naloxone, call emergency services and try to keep the person awake until they arrive. You can also lie the person on their side to prevent choking.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration runs a national helpline that can connect people to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations in their area If you or a family member are battling with substance abuse, you can call (800) 662-HELP (4357).

“I called everyresourcein Lafayette to help me, even with thiscoronavirus,” he said. “The government claimed to have all these resourcesfor smallbusinesses, but we couldn’tseem to ﬁnd adollar of it.” Other developments along the Thruway include: n Baton Rouge attorneys Harry DanielsIII andChristopher Washington bought property at 718 NW Evangeline Thruway and later at 800 NW Evangeline Thruway.Attempts to reach them were unsuccessful.Work beganearlier last month on the ﬁrst property n Theformer car dealership at 1406 NE Evangeline Thruway is under contract, according to the statecommercialproperty database.

Email Julia Guilbeau at jguilbeau@theadvocate. com.

Huval, Glenda Raye Kimball

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2025 at a2:00 P.M. Mass of Christian Burial in the Cathedral of St.John the Evangelist for Glenda Raye Kimball Huval, age, 87, who passed away on Friday, March 28, 2025 at Avanti Senior Assisted Livingin Youngsville.

Entombment will be held in St. John Catholic Cemetery Mausoleum in Lafayette Reverend Msgr. KeithJ DeRouen will be the Celebrant of the Funeral Mass and officiate the services.

Glenda was an artist at heart, finding immense joy and

It was her passion, her creative refuge, and areflection of her boundless spirit. Beyond herartistic pursuits, she was aloving and strong mother, adevoted friend, and acherished presence in the lives of all who knew her. Awoman of deep faith and community involvement, Glenda was an active member of theRed Hat Club and the Rosary Group at Tanglewood Terrace. Shewas also one of the founders of theNew Acadiansgroup in Lafayette, atestament to her love for her heritage and her desire to bring people together.

Huval, Alexander Lopez, Caleb Rea, andElliot Rea.

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Wit’s Inn, a popular sports bar that has been operating in an entertainment strip on North Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans for well over a decade, closed this month and will reopen in April with new owners.

Former owner Ivan Hinson conﬁrmed the sale of the business Tuesday afternoon, saying he got a competitive offer he couldn’t refuse. The change of hands comes nearly a year after the bar was publicly accused of becoming a “hub” for lawlessness following the shooting death of a security guard.

Hinson said Wit’s Inn will be reopening with a new name, menu items and ownership, though the next business will keep two popular specialty drinks — the MidCity Monsoon and the Bahama Mama on the menu

“The Wit’s Inn served the New Orleans culture for decades. We’ve been blessed to have some very iconic cultural experiences there,” Hinson said in a text message. “The memories are endless.”

Returning after Katrina

Wit’s Inn was one of the ﬁrst institutions to return to North Carrollton after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city in 2005. A year later, Dennis Scheuermann, who was the owner at the time, told Gambit magazine that he renovated the bar because it was essential for businesses to not only reopen in Mid-City, but to come back better than ever

CHARGES

Continued from page 1B

St. Landry Parish grand jury in connection with the second-degree murder of a

Scheuermann said recovering the once-bustling thoroughfare was slow at first because many of the momand-pop establishments had owned their buildings for years and fully paid off their mortgage. As a result, they were no longer required to maintain ﬂood insurance.

But by 2008, a mecca of businesses was once again operating alongside Wit’s Inn, some of which had reopened or replaced restaurants that could not revive after the storm Wit’s Inn eventually became known as a late-night hot spot where football fans gathered to eat pizza and watch Saints games.

Year of complaints, crime

Just before midnight on a Sunday in April 2024, 53-year-old Darriel King, a security guard at Wit’s Inn, was shot and killed while working the front door King had denied the suspect, who was under the bar’s required age of 30, entry before he was gunned down.

King’s killing sparked a renewed debate over the future of Wit’s Inn and the Carrollton strip. At the time, neighboring businesses and local politicians said it had become plagued by crime over the last year New Orleans City Council member Joe Giarrusso said he had received complaints about unpermitted events ﬁlled with hundreds of patrons, parking issues and noisiness at Wit’s Inn and Red Door, a bar across the street.

Calls for service to the 100 block of North Carrollton had more than tripled in 2023, according to data collected by the New Orleans Police Department, increasing from 33 calls in 2022 to 110.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued a statement two

15-year-old

The fatal shooting, Pitre wrote, occurred on Jan. 2 in the 800 block of Joseph Street in Opelousas.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate com.

after King’s killing, saying that a month prior the city had inspected Wit’s Inn without discovering any “documented violation that warranted pursuing enforcement actions.”

“The owner of the Wit’s Inn has made every effort to keep his staff and patrons safe,” Cantrell said in the statement “As a community, we have to stand up and strongly speak out for heroes like Darriel King We must also recognize the business owners in the Carrollton area who are striving every day to do the right thing in the City of New Orleans.”

In January 2025, another deadly shooting occurred at the 4100 block of Iberville Street, near several bars and eateries on Carrollton, killing a 33-year-old victim who was later identified as John Williams and wounding another

Closed for business

Wit’s Inn is now silent; its red doors closed, and its lights turned off.

Crowds surrounding the mint green building have been replaced by a construction dumpster The neighborhood behind it, where patrons often parked, is emptier than usual.

The bar announced its March 10 closure on social media, thanking customers for years of support and good memories.

A string of comments was posted underneath the announcement, nostalgic of the heralded pizza, staff and revelry

LOTTERY

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Survivors include two daughters, Claire "Lorrie" Huval Diaz and Kathy Huval Rea and her husband Rick Rea; one son, Kenneth "Kenny" Huval and his wife Lucretia "Lou" Henry Huval; six grandchildren, Nicole Young Lopez, Stephen Paul Huval, Donald Patrick Rea, Jason Christopher Young,Jeremy Jude Huval and Emily Anne Rea; eight great grandchild,Alexander Lopez, Caleb Rea, ElliotRea, August Huval, Violet Huval, Sylvie Faye Huval, Noah Thomas, and Logan Thomas; one sister, Dorothy Anne Kimball Steib and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Patrick C. Huval; her parents, Marion Wallace Kimball and Clara Theresa Martin Sullivan.

Born and raised in Maringouin, Louisiana, Glenda Raye Kimball Huval lived alife filled withlove, creativity, and unwavering dedication to family and community. She attended Shady Grove High School before pursuing higher education at S.L.I.in Lafayette, where she laid the foundation fora life of purpose and passion. It was in Lafayettethat Glenda met the love of her life, Patrick C. Huval. Together, they built a beautiful life, rooted in love, faith, and shared dreams. In 1977, they purchased Evangeline Specialties, Inc where she worked devotedlyalongside her husband for many decades, pouring her heart into the business they nurtured together.

Glenda was an artist at heart, finding immense joy and fulfillment in painting. It was her passion, her creative refuge, and areflection of her boundless spirit. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she was aloving and strong mother, adevoted friend,and acherished presence in the lives of all who knew her.

Glenda Raye Kimball Huval leaves behind a legacy of love, strength and devotion-a life welllived and beautifully painted with the colors of kindness, faith,and family.

Pallbearers will be Stephen Huval, Donnie Rea, Jason Young, Jeremy Huval, Alexander Lopez, Caleb Rea, andElliot Rea.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Charles Mouton and Adam Mouton ARosary will be recited by Sue AnnMartin on Thursday at 12 Noon in Martin &Castille's DOWNTOWN Location The family requests that visitation be observed on Thursday from 10:00 A.M until time of services. The Huval family is deeply grateful for the kindness, love, andcompassionate care shown by Avanti Assisted Living. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Glenda Raye Kimball Huval name to Carmelite Monestary, 1250 Carmel Dr, Lafayette, LA 70501-5211 or Heart of Hospice, 900 S College Rd, Lafayette, LA 70503. www.lhcgroup.com View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com

Martin &Castille Funeral HomeDOWNTOWN, 330 St. Landry Street, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506, 337-2342311

Awoman of deep faith and communityinvolvement,Glenda was an active member of the Red Hat Club and the Rosary Group at Tanglewood Terrace. She was also one of the founders of the New Acadians group in Lafayette, atestament to her love for her heritage and her desire to bring people together. Glenda Raye Kimball Huval leaves behind a legacy of love, strength, and devotion-a life welllived and beautifully painted with thecolors of kindness, faith, and family.

Pallbearers will be Stephen Huval, Donnie Rea, Jason Young,Jeremy Huval, Alexander Lopez, Caleb Rea, and ElliotRea. Honorary Pallbearers will be Charles Mouton and Adam Mouton. ARosary will be recited by Sue AnnMartin on Thursday at 12 Noon in Martin &Castille's DOWNTOWN

OUR VIEWS

After shocking national security breach, Congress must wake up

The disturbing report that senior defense and national security leaders used a commercial messaging app to discuss highly sensitive plans to bomb targets abroad should rattle every thinking American. And more importantly, it should be a sobering moment for Congress to at last step up to the crucial role it plays in ensuring the safety of the many courageous men and women who put their lives on the line around the globe to protect our nation’s interests.

But alas, we fear that is not happening.

In mid-March, the U.S. military launched airstrikes on targets in Yemen held by Houthi rebels, who have been harassing ships in the Suez Canal. Afterward, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, published an extraordinary account of how he was accidentally added by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to a group on the Signal app that involved Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance and other senior ofﬁcials discussing plans for the attack before it happened.

That the chat happened outside of secure government communication channels itself is a serious breach. Signal, though it encrypts messages, is by no means immune to hacking, as the Pentagon warned employees months ago. That a journalist — or anyone whose true identity was not known — was mistakenly added to the chat should raise alarming questions. This was talk about a military action, the details of which, had they become known, could have put lives at risk. Yet the response from Congress has been predictable and disappointingly partisan. As Democrats call for ﬁrings and resignations, Republicans mostly want to move on. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said he trusted President Donald Trump’s team would make sure it doesn’t happen again. Sen. John Kennedy agreed there’s nothing to see here. “I don’t think most Americans care one way or another,” he said. That is beside the point We elect representatives to Congress to take such matters with the seriousness they deserve. The public is not privy to all the ins and outs of our national security protocols. We do not swear an oath to protect the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Our elected representatives — both Democrats and Republicans — are the ones who have a duty to act, especially when troops could be put in harm’s way How did we come to the point that our very national security is a partisan issue? When Republicans rightly raised security concerns about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton using a private email server Democrats sought to minimize the risks. Now, many of those same Republicans seem to have no concerns here.

Americans need Congress to stop defaulting to its usual tit-for-tat and to call for a thorough vetting of what happened, at the very least If this is not a wake-up call for our lawmakers, we are afraid to imagine what would be.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.

OPINION

Due process for

President Donald Trump is using an 18th-century law the Alien Enemies Act — to justify the deportation of hundreds of people he says are members of a vicious Venezuelan gang. That law was last used during World War II by the Roosevelt administration to justify the internment of Japanese Americans. The government later apologized for that action and paid reparations to the survivors who were detained, but not until 1988 in the last year of the Reagan administration.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., ordered a halt to deportations until a hearing could be held. The administration said the planes deporting Venezuelans were already in the air and over international waters before the judge’s order President Trump has called for the impeachment of Boasberg, an appointee of President Obama.

One can agree that these Venezuelans are “very bad people” while still defending their right to due process, a concept at least as old as the Magna Carta.

In a summation of the Magna Carta’s inﬂuence on modern law, a posting on the Library of Congress site says: “The

Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, which guarantee that no person shall ‘be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,’ incorporated the model of the rule of law that English and American lawyers associated most closely with Magna Carta for centuries. Under this model, strict adherence to regular procedure was the most important safeguard against tyranny.”

There was at least one option other than paying $6 million to El Salvador to take the Venezuelans and imprison them. It’s what the administration initially planned send suspected criminals to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to await a hearing before an immigration judge. Hundreds of tents were erected for the prospective deportees. The administration apparently preferred a faster strategy, perhaps to demonstrate how tough it could be when following through on Trump’s campaign and subsequent promises to rid the country of undocumented aliens and “known criminals.”

That approach has likely contributed to Trump’s record-high poll numbers, but at what cost? If the Venezuelans had been sent to Guantanamo and each one appeared

before an immigration judge, the chances would have been excellent they would end up being deported. That would uphold constitutional law and produce the same results as the administration desires.

Think of it this way: If you were charged with a crime, would you want the government bypassing a jury trial to satisfy a government or political objective? This is the way totalitarian regimes behave. It should not be a policy of the United States. No president should be allowed to unilaterally remove constitutional rights from anyone, including those who may have broken the law to get to this country

Founding Father George Mason said: “...No free government, nor the blessings of liberty can be preserved, to any people but by a ﬁrm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality and virtue; by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles; and by the recognition by all citizens that they have duties as well as rights, and that such rights cannot be enjoyed save in a society where law is respected and due process is observed.” Either due process is for everybody, or it is for nobody Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN

We sometimes get requests to run letters with multiple signers. I understand why a group would want to put many names on a letter It is often a way to show there is broad support for an issue or viewpoint. However, we typically limit letters to one or two signers. We believe letters should represent the views of the writer, rather than of a group. It’s hard for a group to truly collaborate on authoring a letter, and we could rather print the name of the letter’s true author, while mentioning the afﬁliated group. Also, I ﬁnd that letters in a writer’s own words are more engaging than those written as a group project. An individual’s unique syntax and phrasing are sometimes watered down in a letter written by committee. Often, that can make the letter feel less than authentic.

Then too, there are groups that encourage their members to write to us in a letter-writing campaign on a speciﬁc topic. We don’t mind this. It’s good to know when an issue has broad interest. But we do discourage copying and pasting text that isn’t your own in letters to the editor When you send a letter, we assume you are relating your views and your views alone. Even if you feel like a certain form letter expresses your thoughts exactly, we would rather you put your opinion in your own words. It can be hard to determine when a letter is from a source other than the purported author But when we get multiple letters with the exact same wording, or substantial chunks of text that read the same, we generally weed out those letters. In our letters inbox for the week from Feb. 28-March 6, we received 71 letters. That was a bit lower than previous weeks, but you still had a lot to talk about. The most popular topic that week, outside of national politics, was the war in Ukraine, with 20 letters received on the topic. The overwhelming majority wanted to see the U.S. continue to support Ukraine. As it was the week of Mardi Gras, we received nine letters about the holiday, mostly regarding things you saw on the route. And lastly, we received three letters regarding vaccines, a topic that resurfaced after the Texas measles outbreak.

Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | Opinion Page Editor. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

Arnessa Garrett

Cal Thomas

COMMENTARY

NORD facilities awful, but renewal may have begun

So: This was going to be an easy column. Namely: The New Orleans Recreation Development Commission appears dangerously negligent, but a major community coalition is determined, against all odds, to right the ship As it turns out, the column is not so simple. But that’s good news, because the complications arise from progress NORD is making. And the coalition that was ready to blow the whistle on NORD is even better poised to partner with it.

The subject arose, and took urgency, from a Substack post last December by former longtime local prosecutor Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue, blasting NORD for the horrid state of disrepair of many of its playgrounds.

Rodrigue’s reporting, full of photographic evidence, depicted ﬁelds in dangerous condition, garbage-ﬁlled concession areas, fallen electrical boxes, bleachers broken beyond repair, strong odors of urine and feces and even homeless encampments at a playground. There is no denying the vast bulk of Rodrigue’s reporting — and NORD doesn’t deny it.

With all of that evidence in mind, seven key groups ranging from the NAACP to the Metropolitan Crime Commission to the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, all led by the NOLA Coalition (which itself is an umbrella group of well over 500 nonproﬁt groups and businesses) issued a March 25 statement lamenting the “unacceptable conditions of recreational facilities” and calling for “rebuilding NORD.”

Their statement comes on the backdrop of a February notice from the New Orleans Inspector General of an audit “to determine whether NORD spent funds for capital projects in accordance with policy and best practices.”

All of which looks, well, ﬂat-out awful for NORD At the very least, much more engagement from the mayor and City Council seems warranted.

There is, however, more to the story.

What was admittedly horrendous in December is, in at least some of the facilities, improving signiﬁcantly Among the ball ﬁeld facilities most criticized by Rodrigue, two are in remarkably

better condition, with major work ongoing.

The ﬁrst, which Rodrigue identiﬁed as Larry Gilbert Stadium in Hollygrove but which actually is the adjoining Cuccia-Byrnes Playground that for years was home to Carrollton Boosters Little League competitions, was the one where homeless people had lived for nearly two years.

Now, though, the homeless encampment is gone, locks are in place, the main building looks clean, and the ﬁeld seems reasonably usable.

Be that as it may, NORD communications director Emily Oliver said that it was only last summer that NORD regained management of the facility from Carrollton Boosters, which had contractually assumed management during Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration but had moved its Little League programs elsewhere “three or four years ago.”

And NORD already had identiﬁed Cuccia-Byrnes as a prime target for repairs.

Meanwhile, when I visited another of the places Rodrigue had described in horriﬁc terms, the Perry Roehm playground near Elysian Fields and Florida Street,

things were even better The place is a hotbed of refurbishment activity, with work crews using heavy equipment to ready the inﬁeld for artiﬁcial turf literally used in this year’s Super Bowl.

The renovations at Cuccia-Byrnes, Perry Roehm and elsewhere, NORD’s Oliver said, are part of a master plan that preexisted Rodrigue’s December Substack article.

Sure enough, the city’s Big Green Easy master plan, which is not just for NORD facilities but for all the city’s parks and greenways, openly lists bad conditions at a number of NORD playgrounds and carefully designates a schedule for substantial improvements. An admirably comprehensive report and guide, it was published in January 2024.

In Oliver’s telling, Rodrigue’s report was largely accurate but just happened to come in the interregnum between the plan’s adoption and the plan’s actual implementation.

And while it’s well worth ﬁguring out how conditions in so many playgrounds got so bad in the ﬁrst place, the most important takeaway is that caring citizen activists such as Rodrigue and the vast

coalition that issued the March 25 statement are fully engaged now, both prodding NORD and, even more importantly, offering their assistance.

Coalition member Michael Hecht, fresh off his successful oversight of the city’s preparation for the Super Bowl, said he has “been struck by the diversity of voices looking for ways they can help ensure that our kids have safe and supportive recreation opportunities.”

Dawn Hebert, president of the Eastern New Orleans Advisory Commission, said the coalition is “encouraging NORD to consider public-private partnerships, as this is a proven model, and will help NORD leverage private dollars.”

NORD’s Oliver said her agency welcomes such public interest: “These are shared responsibilities that we all have. Taking pride in our communities is something we all should do.”

This engagement, and the transparent goodwill expressed by NORD’s Oliver, is all terriﬁc. Let’s keep it going.

Quin Hillyer can be reached at quin.hillyer@theadvocate.com.

Johnson learns that parenthood trumps partisanship

There aren’t too many forces powerful enough to break through the partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C., but maybe here’s one: motherhood. This possibility could wind up handing House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, a notable loss at the hands of one of the GOP’s truest believing Trumpers.

The member in question is a Florida representative named Anna Paulina Luna, who gave birth in 2023 and was unable to attend key votes in person, as the rules require, due to subsequent complications. She’s a highproﬁle face of an effort to allow new moms and dads and also women who are experiencing pregnancy complications — to vote by proxy Johnson, who has so far managed to keep his tiny Republican majority mostly united opposes the proposal and is reportedly discouraging Luna from pushing it He says he sympathizes with the predicament of members caring for newborns but that the Constitution bars proxy voting But if Luna wants to push it she can, through a procedure known as a discharge petition, which allows a measure with majority support of the full House to bypass leadership and get a ﬂoor vote. And Luna is

making it clear that this is what she wants to do.

“This is about changing the institution for the better,” Luna told the news outlet NOTUS “We had some great members of Congress that we lost because of the fact that they were like, ‘this was just too hard with her family.’ ”

All of which is creating a complication for the self-proclaimed family values crowd that runs things.

The proposal, which would give new moms and dads 12 weeks to vote by proxy, is popular with Democrats; one co-sponsor is Colorado Democrat Brittany Pettersen, who had her second baby in late January and made headlines by bringing her fourweek-old to vote with her on the ﬂoor But it also has some backing among Republicans, both male and female.

So while Johnson’s putting pressure on his caucus to hold the line, there’s a real chance he could wind up on the losing end of a full House vote.

The requirement that members vote in person under all circumstances has some vocal adherents. One is Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, who noted that he did not vote when he was hospitalized following a 2017 assassination attempt Among his arguments is that it’s important to look fellow members in the eye before voting.

The current system certainly creates its share of drama — there’ve been instances of members leaving their hospital beds to vote — but these extreme instances just emphasize the distance between the longstanding system and the reality that human beings who populate it can face.

And it’s certainly fair to point out that the burden is disproportionately borne by members who give birth.

Women now make up just under 29% of House members and 26% of senators, and the difﬁculties in balancing family life and work in a different city — in an institution in which it’s become the norm to leave families back home rather than relocate to the nation’s capital — surely contribute.

The proposal’s proponents think so anyway Here’s what Petterson told CBS News: “Historically, it’s been much more wealthy, older men who serve in Congress. This isn’t designed for young families and for young women, especially.”

That challenges surrounding young families in politics would cross party lines might not be surprising to those who closely follow Louisiana politics. In 2019, a ruling that a female candidate with young kids couldn’t charge child care expenses to her campaign during a political event — and an older male Ethics Board member’s insulting suggestion that the candidate had misplaced priorities — drew bipartisan

criticism from state lawmakers, so much so that the board reversed itself.

And if opponents want to argue that carving out this exception would create a slippery slope, well, that slippery slope seems to exist already

The House allowed proxy voting during the COVID pandemic when Democrats were in charge. And while Republicans criticized it at the time, Johnson was among those who took advantage on more than one occasion — as Luna pointed out, with receipts, on social media. Then there are reports that another Florida Republican, Byron Donalds, seems to have recently voted by proxy while in California for a television appearance on HBO’s “Real Time” show Surely in modern America, it’s more important to allow new parents to recover from childbirth and bond with their babies than to joke around with Bill Maher And surely it’s more important still for lawmakers to understand the work/life challenges that so many of their constituents face, and — one would hope — to enact policies for the rest of us that address those concerns.

Maybe it’s just me, but that sounds like real family values in action.

Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

Amid national struggles, La. Democrats plan a fight

Democrats across the nation are pissed off.

They can’t believe President Donald Trump, South African billionaire Elon Musk, House Speaker Mike Johnson and their Republican colleagues, inﬂuencers and power players are tearing down the federal government so many — Democrats and Republicans alike — spent centuries to build. They want it to stop. But they’re not sure what to do. In Louisiana, just in recent years, Democrats lost the governorship, Republicans hold all statewide ofﬁces and supermajorities in the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives. Democrats got a win, with the support of Gov. Jeff Landry, when the party got a second congressional seat, though that pick up is being challenged in the courts.

including the president’s intent to demolish the Department of Education. U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, held town halls in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Natchitoches, Opelousas and Shreveport. U.S Rep. Troy Carter held a town hall in Georges Auditorium at Dillard University in New Orleans.

I was reminded how bad things look for Democrats when I attended Carter’s town hall in Gentilly Carter hosted the event to hear about the critical health issues that might become dire if Republicans make the Medicare and Medicare changes being discussed.

that Democrats could lose 12 congressional seats with the next U.S. census. The more conservative American Redistricting Project basically agreed, saying it’s likely that Democrats could lose 11 seats.

That feels like Democrats are battling on several fronts as they search for a message that gets more Democrats engaged, gets more Democrats registered and gets more Democrats out to vote.

I asked Louisiana Democratic Party Chair Randal Gaines about the challenge. He sighed, then said, “I’ve got a tough job. We’ve got a tough job.”

Democrats have some mayoral seats Not putting up enough candidates to challenge some district representative seats allowed the GOP to walk into the Baton Rouge state capitol with an advantage.

Congressional Democrats have hosted town halls recently seizing on the opportunity to highlight and blast Trump’s federal government cuts with more cuts coming,

Before the event started, there were a few people in the Georges Auditorium seats and a few people mingling outside. As the start time neared, every few minutes there were two or three, then ﬁve or six, dozens and scores parking and walking, or rushing, to get inside.

These were not the Democrats who were disappointed with Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to Donald Trump and, exhausted, decided to set politics aside as they did their best to ignore what’s been going on — and what’s likely to happen. Participants continued to come

in well after the program started. They listened to Carter and health professionals who shared disturbing and depressing data about communities like ours who could lose jobs, critical health care access and uncertain disability and special education support. They railed about Minority Leader Chuck Schumer joining a few other Democrats to approve a Republican budget stopgap measure that most Democrats saw as damaging. Things could get worse. The more progressive Brennan Center recently suggested that blue states are shrinking enough

Realizing that as the party leader, he must exude hope, he immediately switched gears and talked about party moves, needs and opportunities.

He’s most excited about the party’s new executive director, Dadrius Lanus.

Lanus has been the executive director of 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge. He built the staff from one to three to 10 employees in three years. The chapter won the national organization’s chapter of the year award in 2023. Recommended by Gaines after a search conducted by a ﬁrm with political expertise, the party leadership team conﬁrmed the

selection Wednesday night. Lanus serves on the East Baton Rouge School Board, representing the same district that includes his high school, Glen Oaks High School. He has an undergraduate degree, a master’s degree, a doctoral degree from Southern University and a law degree from Southern University Law Center On his ﬁrst full day of work Thursday, Lanus told me despite all the challenges Democrats face, he wanted this job. “Right now, we’re in a hostile situation,” he said, “but it’s a perfect storm because there’s so much we can accomplish — and people just want to see us ﬁght.”

Some in the Carter town hall audience begged Carter and his colleague Democrats to do much more, and to enlist their help. Carter insisted that they had, and they still do. With counter messaging, with town halls and encouraging people to stay involved. In the end, however, he said the biggest key can be summed up in one word: Vote.

We’re in this mess largely because not enough people voted for another direction. Gaines and Lanus are aiming to change that in Louisiana.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Quin Hillyer

Stephanie Grace

Will Sutton

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON Louisiana Democratic Party Chairman Randal Gaines

SPORTS

NC AA T OU

RN AM EN T

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

SPOKANE,Wash The Tigers almost didn’t make it here.

If you’re a fan of pro sports in New Orleans, you’re going to love this next sentence: The Pelicans’ season is almost over Just eight games remain for the Pelicans in what will end up being the second-worst season in franchise history

Hornets at Pelicans 6 P.M. SUNDAY, GCSN

Couple that with what the Saints did this past season and you can probably understand why fans in the city are just ready for it all to be over The Saints finished 5-12 this season. The Pelicans are currently 20-54. If the Pelicans don’t win another game, the combined 25 wins by them and the Saints would be the lowest total by the two franchises since NBA basketball returned to the city in 2002. As of now, the worst year of combined wins was in 2004 when the Saints went 8-8 and the Pelicans finished 18-64, giving the franchises just 26 wins. But at least the Saints finished .500 that season. This will be just the fifth time the Saints and Pelicans have finished below .500 in the same year, and it’s the first time that’s happened in nine years. The Saints went 7-9 in 2016 and the Pelicans went 34-48 in the 2016-17 season.

The Pelicans have eight more chances to add a few more wins to their slate. Fittingly, the ﬁrst of those eight games comes Sunday when the Pelicans host the equally struggling Charlotte Hornets. No two cities with NBA and NFL franchises have struggled quite like New Orleans and Charlotte this season. Only Charlotte’s Hornets and Panthers have less combined wins (23) than the Pelicans and Saints. The Hornets bring an 18-55 record to the Smoothie King Center on Sunday The Panthers ﬁnished 5-12, including a win over the Saints that was the swan song of Dennis Allen’s time as head coach in New Orleans.

On Friday, before the Tigers eventually landed in the Elite Eight, their season was endangered. Mikaylah Williams can even pinpoint the exact moment that things shifted.

“I think it was ﬁve minutes and 28 seconds left on the clock,” she said

At that point of the fourth quarter, North Carolina State led 65-62.

Aneesah Morrow had just snared her ninth offensive rebound of the night, then turned it into another second-chance layup to cut the deficit to three. Coach Kim Mulkey thought Sa’Myah Smith was fouled on LSU’s first shot attempt of the possession, so she bounded off the floor, scowling and tapped the gold leaf on the shoulders of her jacket, signaling for a 30-second timeout she’d use to bark at the officials.

That discussion gave Morrow a chance to address her teammates in the huddle.

“This is not gonna be my last game,” Williams recalled Morrow saying, “so y’all need to put on.”

LSU senior forward determined to end career in Final Four ä See MORROW, page 3C

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Who will be the next Grifﬁn Herring? When it came to the bullpen, that was the question on LSU fans’ minds heading into the season. Did the bullpen have someone who could throw multiple shutout innings in a tight game? Did anyone have the makeup to ﬁll such a roll? Coach Jay Johnson didn’t anoint any pitcher before the start of the year but LSU spent the preseason developing a number of potential candidates for the role, including freshman right-hander William Schmidt, junior right-hander Gavin Guidry

Aneesah Morrow

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

Right lat muscle pain ends Scherzer’s day early Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer left his debut start with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday because of soreness in his right lat muscle. Facing Baltimore, Scherzer allowed two runs and three hits, including two solo home runs. He threw 45 pitches in three innings, 28 for strikes. Scherzer struck out one and walked none.

Earlier this month, the 40-yearold Scherzer had a spring training start pushed back because of thumb pain.

Judge homers 3 times as Yankees hit 9

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

NEW YORK Aaron Judge combined with Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger to go deep on the first three pitches from Nestor Cortes, then hit two more homers as the New York Yankees set a team record with nine home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday Judge hit a solo homer, his ninth career grand slam and a two-run shot in his 40th multihomer game and third with three homers. He finished with a career-high eight RBIs in New York’s 20-9 victory He came up just short of becoming the 19th player to hit four homers in a game when his sixthinning fly fell on the right-field warning track for a run-scoring double. He flied out again in the eighth against Jake Bauers, an outfielder and first baseman. Goldschmidt, Bellinger and Judge homered starting the first on the unusually warm 78-degree afternoon. Major League Baseball said this was the first time a team homered on its first three pitches since tracking of pitch counts began in 1988.

Austin Wells homered later in the inning as New York hit four home runs in the ﬁrst inning for the ﬁrst time in its century-plus history

Anthony Volpe added a three-run drive in the second for a 7-3 lead against Cortes, who allowed a career-high ﬁve home runs.

Judge’s first homer went 468 feet. He added his ninth career slam in the fourth on a 396-foot drive to left-center off Connor Thomas, a 27-year-old left-hander making his major league debut Jazz Chisholm Jr followed with a home run boosting the lead to 13-3.

Judge hit a 425-foot, two-run homer to center in the fourth against Thomas.

Pinch-hitter Oswald Peraza connected for a two-run homer in the seventh against Chad Patrick, who was making his big league debut New York had hit eight homers at the Philadelphia Athletics on June

28, 1939, and against the Chicago White Sox on July 31, 2007. Toronto set the record of 10 homers against Baltimore on Sept. 14, 1987.

Batting leadoff for the ﬁrst time in his 15-year major league career, Goldschmidt drove a fastball 413 feet into the Brewers’ bullpen in left ﬁeld against Cortes, who was making his Milwaukee debut following a December trade from the Yankees.

Bellinger sent a fastball into the right-ﬁeld bleachers, and Judge drove a cutter 468 feet into the left-ﬁeld second deck.

After a mound visit by pitching coach Chris Hook, Chisholm

took a called third strike, Volpe grounded out and Wells hit a fastball 372 feet into the left-ﬁeld seats. Milwaukee closed to 4-3 in the second against Max Fried, who lasted 4 2/3 innings in his Yankees debut, and Volpe hit a cutter 349 feet into the left-ﬁeld seats.

Wells led off Thursday’s game with a home run off Freddy Peralta, becoming the ﬁrst catcher to hit a leadoff homer on opener day

The Yankees joined the 2011 Texas Rangers as the only team to lead off with a home run in its ﬁrst two games. Ian Kinsler went deep starting both those Rangers games. Cortes, a 30-year-old left-hand-

er who pitched for New York from 2018-24, had never before allowed more than three homers in a game. He is remembered by Yankees fans for allowing a ﬁrst-pitch grand slam to Freddie Freeman in the 10th inning of last year’s World Series opener that lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-3 win, putting them on the way to the title.

Pitching with his hair dyed blond, Cortes gave up eight runs, six hits and ﬁve walks in two innings and left with a 36.00 ERA. Thomas allowed his first five batters to reach and allowed eight runs, six hits and two walks in two innings.

Dodgers’ Betts hits a pair of ‘160-pound homers’

BY BETH HARRIS AP sportswriter

LOS ANGELES Mookie Betts is no longer ailing, ﬁnally able to keep food down and eating up a storm to pack on the weight he dropped while battling a stomach virus during the ﬁrst two weeks of the season. And, as the eight-time All-Star reminded everyone, “I’m still good at baseball.”

He surely is.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star hit two home runs, including a three-run blast in the 10th inning that gave the defending World Series champions a come-from-behind 8-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

“That was not on my bingo card,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He just does some special things.”

The Dodgers are off to a 4-0 start for the ﬁrst time since 1981, a year they won the World Series.

Betts had his third career walkoff homer In the eighth, his ﬁrst homer of the season put the Dodgers in front for the ﬁrst time.

“Right now I’m just having fun hitting 160-pound homers,” he said, smiling.

Betts went 3 for 5 with three runs and four RBIs on a night when the Dodgers received their glittering World Series rings.

“We were joking around that

that first home run he hit was probably his best hope that he’s got right now with all the strength that he’s got,” third baseman Max Muncy said, “but he one-upped it so we were all wrong on that one.”

Betts traveled with the team to Japan for their season-opening two-game series with the Chicago Cubs. But he returned early, ﬂying back before ever suiting up because of the virus that caused him to lose about 15 pounds.

“I’m at 165 now, so another seven or eight pounds will help me a lot but 10 would be ideal,” he said.

How does he plan to gain?

“Keep eating. Just eating all day,” he said. “My chef and wife, both of them are doing enough cooking I’m eating during the game.”

Betts couldn’t keep any food down when he was feeling his worst and initially not knowing what was wrong added to his stress.

So when his game-winning shot off Beau Brieske sailed into the left-ﬁeld pavilion, Betts pounded his ﬁst as he rounded the bases, his head full of thoughts and his teammates waiting for him at the plate.

“Just the ﬁght that I’ve kind of been through, the ups and downs, the nights where I’m just crying because I’m sick,” he said. “My wife there and just kind of holding me That’s really where that

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHTO BY MARK J. TERRILL

Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a walk-off, three-run home run against the Detroit Tigers in the 10th inning Friday in Los Angeles.

emotion kind of comes from.” Betts raised his right arm in the air, tossed his helmet toward the dugout and hopped a few times as he approached the plate. His teammates celebrated by dousing him in water

“I can’t say enough about Mookie,” Roberts said. “He won a ballgame for us.” Betts came to the plate in the 10th after back-to-back singles by Will Smith and Shohei Ohtani, who

took second on defensive indifference.

“The pressure was kind of off,” Betts said. “We were going to get another at-bat with Freddie (Freeman) there and we all know what Freddie does in those type of situations. It was just kind of relax, if you do, cool, if you don’t that’s OK.”

And Betts did.

“I know it sounds super-selﬁsh,” he said, “but I was really proud of myself.”

Baltimore’s Colton Cowser put Scherzer in an early hole with a 417-foot drive to center on the second pitch of the game. Jordan Westburg’s two-out drive off Scherzer traveled 434 feet for the longest home run of his career

WNBA champions Liberty re-signs two-time MVP

Breanna Stewart re-signed with the New York Liberty on Saturday, the team announced.

The move wasn’t a surprise after she helped lead the franchise to its first WNBA championship last year Stewart has won three league titles, the ﬁrst two coming with Seattle. She earned WNBA MVP honors twice and was Finals MVP twice.

Stewart has averaged 21.8 points and 8.9 rebounds in her two seasons in New York. She also had 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks.

The 30-year-old Stewart came to the Liberty in 2023 to be closer to her home in Syracuse, New York. She played the ﬁrst seven years of her career in Seattle after she was drafted ﬁrst by the Storm in 2016.

Sabalenka bests Pegula for first Miami Open title

Aryna Sabalenka entered the Miami Open final against Jessica Pegula with 18 career titles on her elite resume. The Miami Open crown had proved elusive until Saturday The No. 1 seed from Belarus knocked off fourth-seeded Pegula 7-5, 6-2 for her first Miami Open title in a rematch of the 2024 U.S. Open final.

Sabalenka fired up her lethal forehand in posting 22 winners on that wing to win the $1.1 million ﬁrst prize. Sabalenka hit a backhand passing shot on match point after which she raised both hands to the air and looked up to the sky Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, had won the U.S. Open over Pegula 7-5, 7-5 Sabalenka leads the series vs. Pegula 7-2.

Bills extend CB Benford for four years at $76M

The Buffalo Bills reached an agreement Saturday to sign cornerback Christian Benford to a four-year, $76 million contract extension in their latest offseason move to secure a young core player to a long-term deal.

The 24-year-old Benford was entering the fourth and ﬁnal year of his rookie contract after being selected in the sixth round of the 2022 draft out of Villanova. The extension runs through the 2029 season.

Benford has been a starter since winning the job to open his second season after a competition with 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam, who was traded to Dallas last month. Overall, Benford has ﬁve interceptions, including two last season, and credited with 25 passes defended.

Lee separates from pack in quest for first PGA win

Min Woo Lee chipped in for birdie to take the lead and then left Scottie Schefﬂer and everyone else in his wake Saturday with a 7-under 63, giving him a fourshot lead in the Houston Open as he closes in on his ﬁrst PGA Tour victory

Schefﬂer began the third round with a one-shot lead but was stuck in neutral at Memorial Park, making birdie only on the par 5s and missing a few par putts in the 6-foot range to fall ﬁve shots behind. Lee turned a bunched leaderboard into big separation around the turn, which included a tee shot on the par-3 ninth that was inches from going in for an ace and a 12-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY ANGELINA KATSANIS

New York Yankees teammates Cody Bellinger, right, and Aaron Judge celebrate after Judge hit a home run during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday in New York.

Continued from page 1C

The No. 3-seeded Tigers listened. What followed Morrow’s plea was an 18-8 surge that propelled LSU past the Wolfpack and into an Elite Eight clash with No. 1 overall seed UCLA. That game will tip off at 2 p.m. Sunday on ABC, and it’ll give Morrow her ﬁnal chance to reach the Final Four before her impressive collegiate career runs out of eligibility

Williams still can play two more years. Flau’jae Johnson can play one more, though she is eligible to declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft.

But Morrow’s career can end as soon as Sunday She never took a redshirt year and was one year too late to pick up an extra COVID season. Her college hoops career will soon come to a close, a fact that only heightens the urgency at which she chases her buckets and rebounds.

“Just knowing that Nees works so hard,” Williams said, “and she’s gone through so much to get to this point, it just gives us that much more motivation to want to get her to the Final Four and get her that experience. Because she deserves it.”

On Friday, Morrow willed LSU into a battle with NC State before Williams and Smith guided it across the finish line. Morrow finished with 30 points and 19 rebounds, posting her seventh career 30-point, 15-board game and the first such outing in the second weekend of the women’s NCAA Tournament or later since 2010.

Morrow pulled nine of her rebounds from the offensive glass, enough to tie her season high. She turned all but three of those boards into second-chance points.

That work on the glass allowed LSU to both attempt and make seven more ﬁeld goals than the Wolfpack, and it also moved Morrow into fourth place on the all-time NCAA Division I rebounding leaderboard

The 6-foot-1 senior has cor-

LSU

Continued from page 1C

sixth strikeout of the night Evans admitted Friday wasn’t his best outing.

“Command, fastball, slider, changeup, all of it I thought it could have been a little better but that’s the game of baseball,” Evans said. “You can’t be perfect every time.” Evans closed out the game by inducing a deep fly to center field with two outs in the ninth. The save was Evans’ fifth of the year after throwing a career-high 73 pitches.

“(He has) a whole lot of ability with the right mental makeup and pitchability,” Johnson said. “And, I mean, that was impressive tonight.” Friday was junior righthander Anthony Eyanson’s best start in SEC play But before he could throw a pitch, he had to wait an extra two hours and 36 minutes because of inclement weather in the Baton Rouge area. The game originally was scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. but Eyanson’s ﬁrst pitch didn’t come until 9:06 p.m. The contest didn’t

WALKER

Continued from page 1C

It’s been seven months of frustration for Gayle Benson’s two franchises. Boos have been loud at times in the Caesars Superdome and across the street at the Smoothie King Center

Injuries decimated both teams, starting with the groin of Saints center Erik McCoy on the opening drive against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 to the shoulder of Pelicans forward Trey Murphy that ended his season on St. Patrick’s Day For a crash course on injuries, just look at the never-ending injury reports of both franchises. You name it, the Saints and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY YOUNG KWAK

North Carolina State guard Saniya Rivers blocks a shot by LSU forward Aneesah Morrow during the second half of their Sweet 16 game on Friday in Spokane, Wash.

“Nees is only missing a national championship. She has everything else you could ever think of, so we want to be the team that gives it to her.”

MIKAYLAH WILLIAMS LSU guard, on teammate Aneesah Morrow

ralled 1,707 career boards, only five fewer than the player who sits in third place, former Oregon forward Jillian Alleyne.

“It’s just so impressive,” UCLA coach Cori Close said Saturday of Morrow, “the way in which she exerts her dominance on the offensive glass and then really being crafty around the rim or attacking from the high post off the dribble. So that’s going to be our challenge.”

Morrow has posted 30 double-doubles this season eight more than any other Division I player She’s had one in each of LSU’s first three tournament

end until 12:10 a.m. Saturday morning.

The UC San Diego transfer thrived in the late-night setting, striking out 12 batters in ﬁve innings while allowing just one run that was unearned

He surrendered a run in the fourth on a passed ball after Mississippi State (1611, 1-7 SEC) loaded the bases with nobody out, but he kept the Bulldogs at just the one run after striking out the side.

The fourth inning wasn’t Eyanson’s only pickle of the night. Mississippi State threatened again in the ﬁfth, placing two runners in scoring position with one out, but Eyanson recorded two strikeouts to escape the jam.

“I probably say it a lot,”

Eyanson said. “But what it really comes down to, I think I just executed pitches when I really needed to.”

Eyanson’s day ended in the sixth inning when he walked the leadoff batter The Bulldogs then managed to put men on the corners with two out against Evans, but the Texas native forced a groundout to get out of the inning.

Stranding runners in scoring position was Mississippi

Pelicans injured it. Achilles. Shoulders. Hands. Ankles. Obliques. Concussions. Backs. Elbows. Hamstrings. Well, lots and lots of hamstrings, including the one that sidelined Zion Williamson for 28 games this season. He’s also missed the last three games with a lower back contusion after a hard fall against the Detroit Pistons. With just eight games remaining and nothing to play for, the Pelicans should shut Williamson down the rest of the way There is no use in risking another injury for a team that already has used 41 different starting lineups this season. That averages out to a different starting lineup every other game. Credit Pelicans coach

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

SPOKANE, Wash. — A year ago, Sa’Myah Smith couldn’t leave the bench.

A bulky brace stabilized her surgically repaired knee. The ligaments she tore on an early-season drive to the rim were still healing, far too tender to withstand the rigors of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Now Smith can’t leave the ﬂoor

her right, opening a window for a bounce pass that set her up to finish her eighth field goal in 13 attempts — a short jumper that she floated up and through the rim.

That bucket cut a threepoint Wolfpack lead to just one with 1:48 to play and kick-started the 10-0 run that LSU used to ice the game. Smith scored six of those points.

“I would say Sa’Myah is playing very confident,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said.

games, while also elevating her scoring total in each contest from 12 points, to 26, to 30.

In the Tigers’ 2024 tournament run, Morrow averaged 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 48% from the ﬁeld.

As a senior, Morrow is scoring six more points (22.7) and grabbing five more rebounds (14) per game in the tournament while maintaining her shooting efﬁciency (49%).

She’s also willing LSU to wins. Both on the court and in the huddle, unafraid to issue the Tigers stern reminders that she doesn’t want her collegiate career to end anywhere other than Tampa, Florida, the site of the 2025 Final Four

“We were like,” Williams said, “ ‘OK, let’s do it.’ ”

LSU now meets an UCLA team that it defeated in the Sweet 16 exactly one year ago, on March 30, 2024.

“Even to go a little further,” Williams said, “Nees is only missing a national championship. She has everything else you could ever think of, so we want to be the team that gives it to her.”

State’s downfall Friday The Bulldogs left 12 runners on base and were just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

LSU (25-3, 6-2) kicked off the scoring in the second inning on a solo home run from junior Ethan Frey The blast was his ﬁfth homer of the year

Mississippi State lefthander Pico Kohn kept the Tigers’ bats quiet over the next two innings but senior Luis Hernandez got to Kohn in the fifth, blasting his fourth homer of the year with one out. The shot down the left-field line handed LSU the 2-1 lead.

Kohn, who was the SEC Pitcher of the Week last Friday against Oklahoma, exited after the ﬁfth inning. He struck out eight batters and allowed ﬁve hits on 93 pitches.

“He hides the ball well, does a really good job,” Johnson said. “(He) keeps it behind him, and it’s a little unique slot.

“He locates the fastball well, and the slider is hard, and it comes out of the kind of the same tunnel, kind of spins the same.”

Email Koki Riley at Koki Riley@theadvocate.com.

Willie Green for getting his team to play hard during a trying season. That was evident Friday night when the shorthanded Pelicans played three-plus strong quarters against a Golden State Warriors team playing at full strength. Green’s message to his team, despite the circumstances, has been a simple one, said Pelicans wing Bruce Brown.

“We’re not here to lose,” Brown said. “We ain’t trying to lose. Go out there and play for each other Share the ball and play the right way and we can win games.”

More times than not, that hasn’t been the case for the Pelicans. It wasn’t the case for the Saints, either Thankfully it’s almost over

The 6-foot-2 forward’s contributions are simply too valuable to the LSU women’s basketball team, which pulled out an 80-73 win over No. 2-seeded North Carolina State on Friday to bring itself back on the doorstep of the Final Four

“When you have games like this,” Smith said on Friday “it makes it all worth it.”

Before this NCAA Tournament began, Smith had tallied at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in just one of her 76 career games.

The redshirt sophomore now has hit both of those marks in consecutive contests, ﬁrst with a 20-point, 12-board, six-assist outing in the No. 3-seeded Tigers’ second-round win over No. 6-seeded Florida State, then with her 21-point, 11-rebound performance in the Sweet 16 victory over the Wolfpack.

On Friday, Smith played all 40 minutes for the ﬁrst time in her career Smith and Mikaylah Williams scored the Tigers’ last 16 points of the game.

On one of those late fourth-quarter possessions, Williams drove baseline and drew a help defender as Smith took one step to

“Sa’Myah is quietly just doing her job and somewhat doing everybody else’s job, too.”

Smith grabbed four of the 18 offensive rebounds that LSU corralled against NC State. She also stole two Wolfpack possessions and blocked two shots.

“When we got beat tonight on dribble penetration,” Mulkey said, “and they would come off that screen at the top, she altered shots, she blocked shots, she got rebounds. She’s just becoming more comfortable.”

In Southeastern Conference play this season, Smith averaged only 4.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 46% from the ﬁeld. She scored in double ﬁgures just twice and grabbed at least 10 rebounds only once.

Smith is scoring 17.0 points, pulling down 10.3 rebounds and converting 70% of her shots through three NCAA Tournament games. Her emergence couldn’t have come at a better time for LSU, which will meet first-team All-American center Lauren Betts and her No. 1 overall seeded UCLA team in the Elite Eight at 2 p.m. Sunday (ABC). On Friday, the Bruins defeated

No. 5 seed Ole Miss 76-62 behind Betts’ 31 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Smith will draw the assignment of defending Betts more than a year after the season-ending knee injury that took away her entire sophomore year “I’m 100% glad I stuck with it,” Smith said, “and battled what I battled, mentally and physically “I don’t say it a lot, but I’m kind of proud of myself. It’s starting to pay off, and I’m happy about that.” Format chafes Mulkey

Like UConn coach Geno Auriemma, Mulkey isn’t a fan of the two-host regional format of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

On Saturday, Mulkey said “we sold our soul too early” in choosing to play the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight at two regional sites instead of four This year, the host cities are Spokane, Washington, and Birmingham, Alabama.

“This game has gotten better,” Mulkey said. “And man, if you still had four regionals, can you imagine the attendance? I know our fan base They can’t afford to come to Spokane. But they could if it was a little bit closer.”

On Friday, Auriemma said the two-host format “ruined the game,” in part because the logistical challenges of assigning eight teams to one regional site led to scheduling issues. The Huskies, Auriemma said, had to wake up at 6 a.m. for a one-hour practice Friday, then rise at 5 a.m. Saturday for a half-hour shootaround at 7:30 a.m. — seven hours before their Sweet 16 game vs No 3-seeded Oklahoma tipped off in Spokane Arena.

ALL-METRO STAR OF STARS SOCCER

BOYS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

GIRLS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Teurlings Catholic’s Charlie Mader has had time to reflect since the season ended.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it and it was an amazing season,” Mader said. “It was almost the best season that we could have asked for.”

The Rebels went 23-1 overall earned the No 1 seed and reached the Division II final, but Mader said “almost” the best season because Teurlings finished as the state runner-up after losing 3-2 to Holy Cross.

“One more win,” Mader said.“One more win and it would have been the best season.”

Despite falling short of his ultimate goal, Mader enjoyed the best season of his

Teurlings Catholic’s Charlie Mader moves past St. Thomas More’s Michael Doherty during their Division II state semifinal match on Feb 14 in Lafayette. Mader scored 36 goals and had 21 assists in leading the Rebels (23-1) to the state final.

sparkling career as the senior finished with a team-high 36 goals and 21 assists.

“This was my best overall season,” Mader said.“Last year, I was a little bit of a ball hog But this year, I did a better job of spreading the ball.That was my goal for this year I wanted to get others involved and I did.”

For his efforts, Mader was named the Acadiana Advocate’s All-Metro Star of Stars Most Valuable Player.

“That’s a big honor,” Mader said.“Last year I scored a lot more goals, but this year I contributed to us scoring more goals by passing the ball better It was a great year.”

BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR

Ascension Episcopal enjoyed one of the best boys soccer seasons in school history.

But it didn’t end the way the Blue Gators would have liked.

Ascension Episcopal, led by coach Munir Poca, fell short of its goal as it finished as the state runner-up after losing 3-1 to Newman in

BOYS FIRST TEAM

LUKE BREAUX

Teurlings Catholic

BRIAN BROUSSARD

St.Thomas More

ROBERT CALIDONIO Beau Chene

GUNNER HEBERT Teurlings Catholic

CHARLIE MADER Teurlings Catholic

EricNarcisse

St.Thomas More’s Kate Guillory had a great run with the Cougars. In four years, she helped STM win three state championships and led it to a runner-up finish in her senior year

While Guillory and the Cougars didn’t get a storybook ending she said it was an enjoyable season nonetheless.

“It was a really special year,” she said.“I grew as a player, teammate and person. My little sister was on the team, so it was just so much fun. It was the most fun I’ve had playing soccer.”

After spending the first three years of her career playing defense, Guillory showed her offensive skills under first-year coach Katie

Breaux in scoring a team-high 31 goals and adding 13 assists.

“My individual goal was to be as consistent as possible in my play,” she said.“I feel like I did very good with my goal. I gave it my all and I met my expectations. I’m very pleased with my season.”

For her efforts, Guillory was named the Acadiana Advocate’s All-Metro Star of Stars Most Valuable Player.

“That’s really cool,” Guillory said of winning the award.“That’s not something that I was expecting Every player hopes to get recognition and I’m very grateful for the recognition that I’ve received.

GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR

MUNIR POCA, Ascension Episcopal JOHN CARRIERE, Lafayette High

the Division IV title game.

It was still a banner year for the Blue Gators, who finished 18-4-2 and won the District 5-IV For his efforts and the success of his team Poca is the Acadiana Advocate’s All-Metro Star of Stars Coach of the Year

ELOY RAMIREZ Beau Chene

MATTHEW RUSHING Teurlings Catholic

ATTICUS SOLIS David Thibodaux

HAYES BEAULLIEA Ascension Episcopal

STEFAN OERTEL Lafayette High

BOYS SECOND TEAM

HAYES TROTTER Ascension Episcopal STAFF FILE

EricNarcisse

HUNTER BUFORD North Vermilion

NOAH BLOOM

St.Thomas More

BRADY BELL

St.Thomas More

LUKE BROWN Teurlings Catholic

Logan Boudreaux, St.Thomas More; Carson Dwyer,Teurlings; Gian Llopis,Ascension Episcopal; Leslie Schouest,Ascension Episcopal; Rubens Vega,Ascension Episcopal; Tripp Monica, ESA; Jack Long, David Thibodaux; Landon Romero, Erath; Kaden Lemaire,Acadiana Renaissance; David Beazley,Westminster-Lafayette; Zachary Perdikis, Lafayette High; Eddie Hernandez, Acadiana; Ossiel Martinez,Acadiana; Will Schumacher, ESA

Lafayette High’s girls soccer program had championship aspirations.

And while they fell short, there’s no denying the Lions had a successful season.

Behind a high-powered offense led by Brea Bailey and Haylan Chapman the Lions rolled to an 21-2-4 ecord, won the

GIRLS FIRST TEAM

BREA BAILEY

Lafayette High

SYDNEY BABINEAUX

St.Thomas More

LANIE BENOIT

Teurlings Catholic

AUBREY CASSIDY

St.Thomas More

OLIVIA GAUTREAUX Teurlings Catholic

district title and reached the Division I semifinals.

For his efforts and the success of his team, Lions coach John Carriere was named the Acadiana Advocate’s All-Metro Star of Stars Coach of the Year EricNarcisse

KATE GUILLORY

St.Thomas More

SOPHIE VINES Catholic-N.I.

AMBER BROUSSARD Lafayette High

ARIANA LOWENSTEIN Teurlings

HAYLAN CHAPMAN Lafayette High

GIRLS SECOND TEAM

ELLA CROCHET

St.Thomas More

MADI DECUIR

St.Thomas More

AUBREY HOPTON Acadiana Renaissance

GUINN BROUSSARD Teurlings Catholic

BRIANNE BOUTTE New Iberia

Audrey Vige; ESA, Grace Pellerin; ESA,Alexa Marcantel; Westminster, Kristian Thomas; Westminster, Luci Guardia; Lafayette Christian,Addee Ruth Crews; Acadiana Renaissance, Marley Barnhill; Southside, Olivia Girouard; Acadiana Renaissance, Rowan Crovetto; Teurlings, Ava Pfeifer; Lafayette High, Katye Fessender; North Vermilion, Jailah Rideau; Beau Chene, Gabi Sorrel; New Iberia, Maddix Fremin; Catholic-N.I., Maykayla Biagas; David Thibodeaux.

PHOTO BY BRAD BOWIE

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

St. Thomas More midfielder Kate Guillory races upfield with the ball against St. Scholastica in the Division II state championship game on Feb 20 in Hammond. Guillory scored 31 goals and added 13 assists in her first season playing offense.

Van Lith scores 26 points to lead TCU to 1st Elite Eight

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — TCU is in unchartered territory thanks to Hailey Van Lith, reaching the Elite Eight for the ﬁrst time.

It sure seems like business as usual for the dynamic guard

Van Lith scored 12 of her 26 points in the fourth quarter to help second-seeded TCU beat No.

3 seed Notre Dame 71-62 on Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament

“That game was unbelievable. That’s what March Madness is all about,” TCU coach Mark Campbell said. “Amazing team effort, incredible defensive effort. The ﬁght and spirit this group showed in the second half is what you have to do in March.”

Sedona Prince added 21 points for the Horned Frogs (34-3), who will play Texas on Monday night.

With the game tied at 52 early in the fourth, Van Lith took over She scored ﬁve of the next six points for TCU to give the team the lead

Every run that the Fighting Irish made, Van Lith and the Horned Frogs had an answer

“My message to the girls right before we went out for the fourth quarter is we’re going to be steady, and that’s what won us the game,”

Van Lith said

Van Lith, who started her career at Louisville before transferring to LSU last season and then TCU this past year, is on her way to a regional ﬁnal for the ﬁfth time.

Notre Dame (28-6) was trying to reach the Elite Eight for the ﬁrst time since 2019 The Irish have lost

in the Sweet 16 the past four years.

Liatu King scored 17 points for the Irish. Hannah Hidalgo had 15 and Olivia Miles ﬁnished with 10.

But the star backcourt was a combined 6 for 29 from the ﬁeld.

“We literally were just missing shots that we normally make and that’s going to happen at times,” Miles said.

Notre Dame got off to a slow start before rallying for a 35-33 halftime lead. Neither team led by more than four points in the second quarter

The teams met in November in a Thanksgiving tournament in the Cayman Islands, and the Horned Frogs came away with a victory after rallying from a 14-point deﬁcit. The Irish were missing Maddy Westbeld and Liza Karlen for that game.

Booker scores 17 to help Texas edge Vols

BY ALANIS THAMES AP sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Madison

Booker scored 17 points and No. 1 seed Texas outlasted fifth-seeded Tennessee 67-59 in a tight battle Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament. Jordan Lee scored 13 points and Taylor Jones added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Longhorns (34-3), who advanced to face TCU in the Elite Eight. The Horned Frogs beat Notre Dame earlier Saturday to reach the first regional final in school history

Booker scored seven points in the fourth quarter, including four straight with the game tied at 54 with five minutes left. Tennessee pulled back within one on a jumper by Ruby Whitehorn, who led the Volunteers (24-10) with 16 points, before the Longhorns stretched their lead to eight. That was Texas’ biggest advantage of the day, with Tennessee matching the Longhorns’ biggest strengths: defense, rebounding and

post play The Vols outrebounded the Longhorns 39-36, had 15 secondchance points to Texas’ ﬁve and got 36 points in the paint.

Bryanna Preston added 12 points and four assists for Texas, which got 40 points in the post. Zee Spearman had 13 points for the Vols, who continued their run as the only school to appear in every Division I women’s tournament with their 43rd straight appearance. Tennessee outscored Texas 17-13 in the second with Booker sitting on the bench much of the quarter after picking up two early fouls. Still, the Longhorns held a 34-30 edge at the half.

Despite what coach Vic Schaefer said wasn’t his team’s best night, the Longhorns locked down on defense down the stretch against the highest-scoring team in the country

Texas held Tennessee to nine points in the fourth forced four Tennessee turnovers over the final five minutes and held the Vols to no makes on their final five shots.

Bueckers scores 40 points to lead rout over Oklahoma

BY ANNE M. PETERSON AP sportswriter

SPOKANE, Wash. — Paige Bueckers

scored a career-high 40 points rescuing UConn from its firsthalf doldrums and single-handedly turning a tight game against Oklahoma into an 82-59 rout on Saturday that sent the Huskies to the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Bueckers had 29 points after halftime for the Huskies, who trailed 36-33 at the break. The likely No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft eclipsed her previous career best of 34 points, set Monday in UConn’s second-round victory over South Dakota State, her ﬁnal home ﬁnal game at Gam-

pel Pavilion.

The electrifying senior guard matched her career high with six 3-pointers before checking out of the game with 3:06 left and UConn ahead 80-51.

The second-seeded Huskies (34-3), winners of 13 straight, will face the winner of Saturday’s late game between Southern California and Kanas State in a regional ﬁnal on Monday Ashlyn Shade added 12 points and Sarah Strong had 11 points and 11 rebounds for UConn, which is seeking to extend its record by winning a 12th national title. The Huskies reached their fourth Elite Eight in the past ﬁve years, but coach Geno Auriemma’s team hasn’t won it all since 2016.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHTO BY GERALD HERBERT

TCU guard Hailey Van Lith drives to the basket against Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo during the first half of a Sweet 16 game on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala

A no-show moon still left plenty to see

Earlier this month, when I learned that a blood moon might be at its best in the middle of the night, I didn’t have to set my alarm clock for the viewing. As a man of a certain age, I usually wake up a couple of times each night, anyway It was easy enough, during my ﬁrst pre-dawn reveille, to rub the sleep from my eyes, slip on my bathrobe, and sneak into the yard to see what I could see. I had some hope of seeing something. A few hours earlier, while my wife and I were putting the house to bed, I’d stepped outside and spotted a bright full moon. The sky was hazy, which made the big white moon seem even more vivid, like a single light bulb above a high closet shelf. The moon hadn’t yet begun to blush, the spectacle that gives blood moons their memorable nickname. Blood moons happen during a lunar eclipse, when shadow and light conspire to rust the moon to the color of copper In our corner of Louisiana, the blood moon was supposed to be at its reddest around 2 a.m. I returned outside at the appointed hour to ﬁnd the moon shrouded in clouds.

I wasn’t too disappointed by the lack of a show Mostly, I felt the odd contentment that usually visits me in those rare times when I’m outside in the dark. It’s the pleasure, I think, of having the world to yourself. The light was bright enough for me to see other things: a rake leaning against the porch, a garden bucket beneath the beam of a street lamp, a birdfeeder strung like a lantern from a branch of the crape myrtle. It was a windless night, and in the faint glow, even ordinary things seemed to hum with meaning, like props in a stage set before the actors arrive.

I noticed, while scanning the broad silhouette of our Shumard oak, that the black outline of its canopy was slightly fringed, the effect as subtle as the stubble of a beard. I wondered if I’d spotted the tree’s ﬁrst, faint shoots of green Our Shumard had been slow to leaf out this spring, and this was a hopeful sign.

It was enough to think about and I was so deep in the question of Shumards and leaf cycles that I almost didn’t notice my wife arriving in the driveway She often rises in the middle of the night, too, and she’d come to join my hunt for the blood moon.

We must have made quite a sight: a man and a woman, both past middle age, in the front yard in their pajamas in the

ä See AT RANDOM, page 4D

CELEBRATING HISTORY

Sterling Grove Festival brings Lafayette ‘across the tracks’ to tour timeless homes

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Last weekend, one of Lafayette’s oldest neighborhoods got all dressed up and ready for company

The sun shone, the azaleas showed off their early blooms, and it was a pleasant 75 degrees for the Sterling Grove Festival, held March 21 and 22 under the towering oaks of Sterling Street.

The Sterling Grove Historic District encompasses about four square blocks, 25 acres and 43 properties built between 1848 and 1934, just two blocks north of the NE Evangeline Thruway near downtown Lafayette — or “across the tracks,” as Lafayette real estate investor Ravi Daggula puts it Elizabeth Avenue and Sterling Street are the main residential arteries, and both streets offer inviting landscapes for a stroll in a part of town that many people are just passing through on their way to I-10 or I-49.

“The only way we can promote this part of Lafayette is to create awareness among people that this area exists,” said Daggula, who purchased the Charles H. Mouton home at 338 N. Sterling St. in 2017. The property was once the seat

of the 300-acre Mouton plantation, owned by Lafayette’s founder, Jean Mouton. His son, Charles, constructed the home that merges Greek Revival and French Creole architectural elements, and now Daggula is operating it as Maison Mouton, a historic guesthouse.

Sterling Grove is separated from Lafayette’s downtown core by the Thruway and a set of railroad tracks that bisects north and south Lafayette.

“The railroad brought economic prosperity when it came through in the 1800s, but historically divided cities into rich and poor all over the country,” Daggula says.

Was Barq’s root beer invented in New Orleans?

BY RACHEL MIPRO Contributing

PHOTO BY ROBIN MAY

The Jourdan Thibodeaux band played for the crowd at the Sterling Grove Festival on March 21 located in the historic neighborhood on the northside of Lafayette.

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY BRAD BOWIE

The Mouton House is one of the historic homes inside the Sterling Grove area of Lafayette.

BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH CAROLYN HUYNH

Book’s inheritance competition brings a character to N.O.

Siblings tasked with reviving dying banh mi shops

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

The Tran siblings are not exactly a happy family, at least not in Carolyn Huynh’s new novel “The Family Recipe.” Their father, a millionaire admired by strangers, is a terrible person to deal with in real life. That’s why they’re estranged. Their mother left years ago in the middle of the night without saying goodbye.

Huynh’s sophomore novel follows her magical realism debut, “Fortunes of Jaded Women,” which took BookTok and Bookstagram by storm in 2022. In “The Family Recipe,” the Tran siblings are forced to compete for their father’s inheritance. Each of the four daughters is assigned to a city where they’re tasked with reviving a dying banh mi shop, and the first to turn a profit inherits everything, but if Jude, the firstborn and only son, gets married first, he gets it all instead.

While navigating past relationships, gentriﬁcations and community dynamics, each of the daughters has to ﬁgure out how to win over the local Vietnamese populations in their respective cities: New Orleans, Houston, San Jose, California, and Philadelphia. The story goes back and forth between the different siblings working toward their inheritance and the parents establishing themselves in American present time. Family secrets are uncovered along the way Huynh said she sold the book on 50 pages “that don’t exist anymore,” but the big family ensemble cast is still there.

“I’ve always loved the big ensemble cast,” she said. “This one, they begged me to please cut in half, so I did. ‘Fortunes’ had like 14 women. And this one has like seven (points of view) I really tried hard to pare it down, but I just love chaos.”

The Advocate caught up with Huynh, who is based in Los Angeles, ahead of the book’s release on

Tuesday.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity

What inspired the stories in “The Family Recipe?” I really wanted to write a story about the ramiﬁcations of new money for an immigrant family It’s like the desperation of holding onto something When I started thinking about the larger conversation about what I wanted the book to be really about when I was doing research into Houston, it began with the “House of Ho,” the reality TV

new guard coming in with these TikTok viral cafes, restaurants, things like that.

My husband’s also Vietnamese, and we worry about whether these ethnic enclaves will survive in 50, 60, 80 years from now because a lot of those children leave. I left — I moved to Los Angeles, which is not that far away I decided to pick these ethnic enclaves around the country that I feel like not a lot of people are aware of.

show about a Vietnamese family in Houston. It was partially inspired by them, and then I started doing more research on Houston. I realized I had forgotten that in the late 1970s and early ’80s, down in Galveston, (Texas,) the Vietnamese ﬁshermen sued the KKK and won. The story kind of really grew from there.

How’d you pick the cities for your book?

There’s a part of me that didn’t want to write another Vietnamese American story I grew up in Orange County, I know Little Saigon. I had been seeing this shift of the

New Orleans was interesting to me because I’ve always known there’s a huge population there. I am very fascinated by the migration of food. The origins of Viet Cajun comes from New Orleans, but because of the hurricane, it migrated to Houston. I’m always curious about what that migration looks like. Now there’s like this huge chain in California where people can go get Viet Cajun food.

It keeps migrating west, which I always think is very American, actually Tell me about your writing process. Do you write the perspectives of the different char-

acters chronologically as we read them in the book, or do you write each character’s story separately? I have a really chaotic writing process.

My agent, at one point, was like, “You don’t have to make a book hard on yourself,” but I don’t know how to not do it.

I write the book in a very linear format the ﬁrst time, and then I will scrap the whole thing and never look at it again. I will do the same thing a second time, and then a third time. I’m just not a pleasant person for that year I was really struck by how you craft characters of different generations. Can you talk a little about how you do that?

It’s funny, when I crafted these characters — even my debut book — I was really worried about looking like I was relying on stereotypes for the women. At one point, I was like, I can’t worry about that anymore; this is just my lived reality It could or could not be perceived as a stereotype, but I could only control the ending. I choose to write happy endings because that would never happen. I know that sounds really bleak, but it just would not happen in everyday life.

I had this reader DM me years ago, and she had read “Fortunes,” and she said, “I know your book is ﬁction, because my mom would never apologize.” And that always sticks with me. It’s kind of the truth, right? Most stories from the global majority especially the Global South, don’t end in happiness. I like to wrap up these stories with a nice bow because it’s like writing your own happy ending. In the book, the four sisters all have their own ideas about how to revive the banh mi shops. How would you revive a dying banh mi shop?

I would turn it into a food truck and park it outside a dog park so the dogs can have a dog banh mi, and humans can have human banh mi.

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

‘Frenchie’ shares how Cajuns proved their value in WWII

BY DOUG GRAHAM Staff writer

“Frenchie: The Story of the FrenchSpeaking Cajuns of World War II,” by Jason P. Theriot, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, 229 pages

In the 1920s and ’30s, young Cajuns in Louisiana who grew up speaking French as their ﬁrst language sometimes faced discrimination.

In the state-sanctioned Englishonly school system, students who spoke French, even on the playground, could be punished. And Cajuns were often represented as a backward people living a culture stuck in the past

But when those young people went to ﬁght for their country in World War II, they found that their language and way of life actually served as valuable tools in the battle for freedom.

Jason Theriot has spent more than two decades documenting the stories of Cajuns who served during World War II. The author

who is of Cajun-Acadian heritage, has gathered hundreds of those narratives as part of a new project. The tales in this book — augmented by excerpts from sources as simple as church bulletins shine a light on the experiences of those Louisianans.

Translators, chefs, more

During their military training, the Cajuns found value in their French-speaking abilities, in addition to their knowledge of handling weapons and living off the land

Their common backgrounds helped them bond within their units, and many soldiers benefited when Cajuns were moved to kitchen duty, Theriot writes. Among the first “Frenchies” to see action were those sent to the fighting in North Africa. Once there, commanding officers recognized the benefits these Frenchspeaking Cajuns brought to communications with their ability to speak the language of the local people.

Many of them were moved to military police units, while others

worked as translators.

The Louisiana soldiers wrote home, expressing their joy at being able to use their French both in the military and in social situations. They had been derided for speaking the language, but now it was seen as a valuable trait, and it helped them explore a new world.

Some of the soldiers used their French to smooth social interactions, and they became popular with local families who would invite them to dine in their homes and share tales of Louisiana.

As the ﬁghting shifted to France, the Cajuns continued to build on their value.

Some were stationed for long periods in French towns and grew to love the culture and the people.

A few Cajuns even married local women and brought them back to Louisiana. Theriot notes that some companies in Louisiana even targeted these brides in advertisements.

An inspiration

Some of the most compelling stories come from Cajuns who served with the Ofﬁce of Strate-

gic Services, which was a forerunner to the CIA. The soldiers describe the intense training they had to go through to be accepted into the agency

Among those participating was Breaux Bridge native Sam Broussard, who on D-Day came ashore on Omaha Beach with the 1st Infantry Division as an intel-

ligence ofﬁcer, then moved into the Normandy countryside and used his knowledge of French to work with resistance ﬁghters and coordinate missions.

The book also describes the service of Cajuns in the Pacific Theater, where they found the tropical weather on islands in the South Pacific similar to the hot and humid conditions of southern Louisiana. As with their compatriots fighting in North Africa and Europe, they found their knowledge of French to be a handy tool as they served as interpreters and interacted with locals.

While sections of the book can feel disjoined as the author bounces between the soldiers’ stories, sometimes in very short passages, Theriot continues to do important work in examining the experiences of this generation of Cajuns.

Discovering how they overcame discrimination and prejudice against their people and culture serves as an inspiration.

Email Doug Graham at doug. graham@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Carolyn Huynh

TRAVEL

Opt for something different with Branson’s natural side

BY CHERE COEN

Contributing writer

When rivers were dammed in southern Missouri and bass ﬁshing became a regional sport, Johnny Morris saw an opportunity

At 21, the Missouri native convinced his father to let him sell ﬁshing products in the back of his father’s liquor store in Springﬁeld.

Morris loved the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing, so he used that experience to develop a retail brand that expanded into Bass Pro Shops. There are nearly 200 such retail stores and marine centers across North America. The massive stores that double as a tourist destination — with locations in Denham Springs and Bossier City — see about 200 million visitors annually, and have made Morris a billionaire. Conservation is Morris’ other passion and he’s used his profits to build several nature-based attractions in the Ozarks near Branson under the umbrella of the Johnny Morris Foundation. There’s the Top of the Rock heritage preserve with its Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail and the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum featuring hundreds of Native American artifacts, one of the largest collections in the world. Dogwood Canyon Nature Park treats visitors to the natural side of Branson while the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in nearby Springfield offers hours of museum fun.

Dogwood Canyon

A short drive from Branson — and a world away — is the peaceful Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, 2,200 acres Morris developed for visitors to enjoy the outdoors in its pristine state. Dogwood is home to numerous animals, waterfalls, hiking trails and trout streams for public enjoyment but while visitors are welcome, preservation is

By Christopher

American,

everything.

“If a tree falls down, we let it lie where it falls,” said tour guide James Cummings. Naturally, the 10,000-acre Dogwood Canyon boasts dogwood trees, Missouri’s state tree. There are ﬁve species of dogwood in Missouri, with the ﬂowering dogwood most commonly found in the canyon blooming from mid-April to midMay

The best way to enjoy Dogwood Canyon is the Canyon Discovery Tours, where nature experts such as Cummings explain the natural and human history of the canyon, take visitors inside the bison and elk ﬁelds off-limits to the public and show visitors the perfect places for photos.

Other events include guided bicycle tours, trout ﬁshing on the three creeks and foraging with survival instructor and naturalist

The mother ship

Bo Brown, author of “Foraging the Ozarks.” Dogwood includes a fully-functioning mill that sells grits and cornmeal, a restaurant overlooking a lake and waterfall, conservation center, an Amish bridge that required no power tools to build, a chapel that’s rentable for weddings and special events, a treehouse built by Animal Planet’s “Treehouse Masters” and a horse stable facility

what I could possibly send them that would indicate the ticket was not purchased I don’t have a receipt to show what I didn’t buy Between customer service and the resolution department at Citi and American Airlines, I have been on the phone for close to 25 hours. I need your help. — Glenn Ward,Whitman, Massachusetts

You should have only received one charge for your tickets, of course. And if you got a double charge, then your agent — with American Airlines’ help — should have ﬁxed it. You shouldn’t have needed to ﬁle a credit card dispute, which usually allows you to claw back the money

Dear Miss Manners: I hold an annual party, for which I hire a person to assist me in setting it up, maintaining the buffet and serving drinks. She has always done a great job. At the most recent party, however I noticed she had set up a tip jar next to the drinks. I was hor-

In nearby Springﬁeld, visitors will ﬁnd the “granddaddy” of Bass Pro Shops, offering its inventory of outdoor gear and more in nearly 500,000 square feet of space. It’s not the largest — the Memphis Pyramid clocks in at 535,000 square feet — but it’s home to the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, the largest immersive wildlife attraction in the world.

The museum features several wildlife habitats with taxidermy a massive aquarium, “Nature’s Best Photography” exhibit, conservation efforts, the history of Morris and his brand, special events and opportunities such as swimming with sharks and much more. It’s so expansive, visitors are told to plan four to ﬁve hours to see it all.

“It’s just under 2 miles of walking trails,” said Nichole Mosley education manager “I suggest doing half of the museum, stopping for lunch and then visiting the rest.”

But while we’re on the subject, let me say this: You should carry a credit card that carefully considers every chargeback you ﬁle. It looks like your bank did not thoroughly review your request, which is too bad. You might consider ﬁnding another card that will take better care of you. Your case was half-solved by the time you reached out to me. American Airlines had refunded your wife’s ticket, but not yours. It still owed you $1,666. Why did American Airlines charge you for a second set of tickets? Your travel adviser doesn’t know I asked the airline, and it doesn’t know either But everyone could agree — everyone except your bank, that is that you deserved a refund for those

Where to dine

Top of the Rock features elegant dining with a breathtaking view at its Osage Restaurant. Descend the stone-lined stairwell from the restaurant to the End of the Trail AllAmerican Wine Cellar for ﬁne wines by the glass, a whiskey room and a cigar humidor

For something more casual, Arnie’s Barn overlooks what used to be the Top of the Rock’s golf course before sinkholes led owners to discover incredible rock formations (plans are to rework the golf course but maintain the gorgeous red rocks). Arnie’s Barn serves up Mexican-inspired cuisine with local ingredients such as bison from Morris’ farms. The bison tacos were to die for!

In Springﬁeld, Finley Farms and The Ozark Mill have all the hallmarks of a Morris establishment — retail, dining and atmosphere for an experience that’s as much a destination as a meal. Visitors may

dine on southern Missouri favorites and local spirits inside the 1833 Ozark Mill, learn about the property through the museum or purchase Ozark products in the gift shop. Beyond The Mill property includes a chapel, the historic Riverside Bridge that lights up at night, a coffee shop and an urban farm.

Where to stay

Just outside Branson, Big Cedar Lodge offers cabins, cottages, lodge rooms, golfing accommodations and camping at its 4,600-acre lakeside retreat. The resort offers a variety of outdoors activities, a luxurious spa, golf course and dining options. Throughout the year the resort hosts special events, such as wine series and art workshops. Angler’s Lodge in Springﬁeld, across from Bass Pro Shops and Wonders of Wildlife, is an affordable motel with an outdoors ambiance. Angler’s offers an indoor pool and complimentary breakfast, and welcomes pets.

American Airlines tickets.

In a situation like this, you need to keep a complete paper trail of correspondence between you and the airline (which you did). And you need to escalate your problem to the right executive at the airline (which you didn’t). I publish the names, numbers and emails of the American Airlines customer service managers on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. One thing you should not do is call the airline to get this fixed. Spending 25 hours on the phone with American Airlines was a waste of your time. I’m guessing you had to tell your story to many agents, none of whom could authorize a refund. Many consumers believe they can fix a billing problem with a quick phone call, but that almost never works. You have to put everything in writing. By the way your travel adviser should have also been able to help you. They have special contacts at the airlines and should be able to fix a problem like this quickly It’s not clear why your travel advisor could not help you. I contacted American Airlines on your behalf. A representative said it had reviewed your case and refunded your second ticket.

Christopher Elliott is the author of “The Unauthorized Travel Manual” and founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonproﬁt organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or contact him on his site.

riﬁed. I went over and grabbed the jar, then pulled her aside and said that I was sorry that she did not feel I was paying her enough, and that she felt the need to seek compensation from my guests. I told her to tell me how much she felt like I was underpaying her, and that I would compensate her so she didn’t need a tip jar

the tip jar out?

I went back to the friends I had been chatting with and explained what happened. They all thought it was perfectly appropriate for her to have a tip jar After the party, I called my mother and told her what happened. Like me, she was horriﬁed that someone would seek tips at a party that I was hosting. Who do you think is right here? Should I have let her keep

Gentle reader: Inclined to side with mothers whenever possible, Miss Manners is happy to say she agrees with yours. And with you. It is rude to leave out a tip jar in a private home. It screams, as you indicated, that your employees are not satisﬁed with their pay — or are crassly looking for extra. Your approach was justiﬁed and your offer generous, although you did not mention if the worker took you up on it.

Or if you are still employing her Dear Miss Manner: What is the etiquette about ﬂossing your

teeth at a table where others are eating?

Gentle reader: Not to.

Dear Miss Manner: My husband and I are intensely divided over the appropriateness of using the kitchen sink to wash one’s hands for anything other than food prep. I grew up in a house where the bathroom was all the way across the house from the kitchen. We were always welcome to use the kitchen sink to

At the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, visitors can swim with the sharks in a guided experience.

PHOTOS BY CHERÉ COEN

Dogwood Canyon Nature Park features three creeks with several waterfalls and 32 natural springs.

Jacob Elordi talks weight loss, on-screen romance for show

BY LOUISE DIXON Associated Press

BERLIN Jacob Elordi is gearing up for another busy year He’ll soon be seen in Guillermo del Toro’s much-anticipated “Frankenstein” and is currently ﬁlming Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights.” But during a recent interview in Berlin, Elordi, complete with wild curly Heathcliff hair and sideburns, had his upcoming Australian TV series “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” on the mind.

Fellow Australian Justin Kurzel directs the adaptation of Richard Flanagan ’s ManBooker prize-winning novel of the same name, which tells the story of medical ofﬁcer Dorrigo Evans (Elordi). Evans was forced to work on the Thai-Burma railway in the jungle of a Japanese prisoner of war camp during World War II.

Kurzel and Flanagan are friends from Tasmania, where they both live, and celebrated in London to-

FESTIVAL

Continued from page 1D

“Unfortunately, we fall into what many consider the ‘bad’ part of town across the tracks. My goal is to make people cross the tracks,” he continued. To achieve that goal, Daggula partnered with Maureen Dugas Foster of Designing Women of Acadiana to resurrect the Sterling Grove Festival — a community event ﬁrst hosted by the Sterling Grove Neighborhood Association in 2017.

“I live in the neighborhood and love the area,” said Foster “I’ve realized how many people are born and raised in Lafayette, yet have no clue this historic district exists.”

Around 2,000 people attended the Sterling Grove Festival this year, which took place on a blocked-off section of N. Sterling Street, home to historic structures like the Mouton house, the Givens house (324 N. Sterling St.) and the Nickerson house (310 N. Sterling St.). Each of these properties, and others in Sterling Grove, have been purchased and restored by Daggula in recent years.

The Givens house is now a vacation rental and Nickerson is a wedding and event venue.

Zydeco, Cajun and local indie bands performed on the festival’s outdoor stages with historic houses as their backdrop. Art vendors ﬁlled the lawn at the Mouton house, and home tours took place up and down the street as neighbors and visitors chatted from porches and lawn chairs.

“It was an amazing, joyful day,” Foster said. “We got so much feedback from people who had always just walked or driven by, or hadn’t been back since they were a child It was wonderful for the neighborhood, especially since we live in an age where people aren’t out on their front porches anymore, meeting their neighbors.”

One festivalgoer, Karen Young of Youngsville, said she used to live a few blocks away from North Sterling Street. She said she enjoyed seeing the homes, many of which were formerly in a state of benign disrepair, “all in good shape at the same time.”

“I lived nearby for about 10 years and used to walk here and loved it,” she said. “To see these homes now, it’s so much better.”

Sterling Grove resident Chris French moved to the area about 10 years ago from Lafayette’s

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D

had a fourth-grade education, had an impoverished child life, walked into his warehouse. He became the ultimate apprentice, trusted and grew up in the business, and Mr Barq taught him everything. He soaked up everything.”

After learning the trade, Harlan’s great-grandfather, Jesse Louis Robinson, moved to New Orleans in 1909, with the idea of starting his own soft drink business.

By 1922, the Robinson family had Orangine Bottling Works, where they made and distributed ﬂavored drinks like ginger ale, Orangine and Celery Tonic. The Robinson and Barq families remained close, Harlan said.

“Mr Barq was obviously a great mentor and a teacher Mr Barq had always experimented with all kinds of ﬂavor drinks, trying to ﬁnd the right thing that would take off,” Harlan said. “He

gether when Flanagan won the esteemed literary award. But in true Australian style, the idea for the TV series came from a chat back home at a barbecue, Kurzel says with a chuckle. Fittingly, “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” is showing in Australia on Prime Video starting on April 18 before reaching Sky and WOW in Germany this summer (Additional territories have yet to be announced.)

The story spans three different timelines pre-, during and post-war — and three different points of view which start to merge and overlap as the story unfolds.

Although the series is about the courage and horrors of war, a love story is at its heart Through his ordeal, the married Dorrigo is both sustained and tormented by memories of a love affair he had with his uncle’s wife Amy his one true love, played by Odessa Young.

While Kurzel describes the romance as “the absolute spirit of

the whole series,” Elordi admits he was initially “pretty frightened” about bringing it to the screen.

“I was worried that it would kind of overtake the elements of the novel that kind of interested me which was the war parts,” says Elordi.

But the way Kurzel shot and directed those scenes prompted a change of heart.

“He allowed us this space for it to be incredibly raw and real and gentle and it ended up becoming my sort of favorite part of the ﬁlmmaking process because we shot it in halves.”

Kurzel says he had never done a love story and was ”extremely careful and cautious and ﬁercely curious about what that would be with Jacob and Odessa.”

With the love story shot first, Elordi, who had a major year in 2023 after starring as Elvis Presley in “Priscilla” and Fennell’s “Saltburn,” adds he was better able to shape his portrayal of the haunted Dorrigo, when it came time to ﬁlm the Japanese POW scenes.

“Being able to have those memo-

ries while we were shooting the camps, of shooting with Dess (Odessa Young) and Olivia (DeJonge), was a core part of the performance, which goes back to Richard’s book. The two just inform each other like it’s a whole life.”

Casting Elordi was easy for Kurzel who said he “knew right away” that he was right for the role but adds that a special dedication and focus was needed from all the actors cast as soldiers, as they underwent dramatic weight loss to play prisoners of war.

“The crew looking at them coming on set there’s a ‘Wow, we’d better be on today because we can see kind of what these boys have done for it.’ So that was really, really powerful,” Kurzel says. Their dedication allowed him to shoot these brutal scenes in a very grounded and truthful way

“These boys are incredible, but they’re incredibly tired. They’re kind of wasted away you know the level of sort of focus, you can’t have it for the whole day So you’ve got to be really kind of precise about that.”

Elordi says that the six-week weight loss journey was a cumulative effort that also included the background actors. “Seeing that many, especially young people put that effort into something. It was genuinely amazing to see that when we came back from that break, it was like, oh, my God.”

This series marks the second time Elordi has co-starred with an older version of himself in the same movie. Last year Elordi played a young version of Richard Gere in Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” and in this series, Irish actor Ciarán Hinds plays him in his later years, looking back on his time in the war Asked who he would like to see play an older version of himself next, Elordi laughed and suggested “Meryl Streep.”

And while fans wait for that collaboration, Elordi says he will not be letting the inevitable rise in fame phase him.

“I get to make movies a lot, and that is my dream so I am probably the luckiest man alive.”

Saint Streets neighborhood, and his three children put themselves to work during the festival, selling lemonade right across the street from the Givens house.

“It’s a lot livelier now,” said French, referring to the rental and event spaces Daggula has opened in the neighborhood’s historic structures.

French says that he’s done much of the work on his family’s home himself — a sign of ongoing generational investment in the Sterling Grove Historic District.

Another neighbor, 14-year-old Audrey Miller, also lives up close and personal with the neighborhood’s history Her home on N Sterling Street was built by her grandfather, and she’s now the third generation of her family to live on the oak-canopied street.

“My dad has lived there all his life,” she said. “I think this is great to have all these people out here

decided it was a root beer that he had been working on.

“He would often come to New Orleans and work in the lab with my great-grandfather, and my grandmother actually would type up the various formulas that they would come up with as they experimented.”

In 1934, with a perfected recipe, Barq gave Robinson the right to make the secret formula and distribute the product throughout Louisiana while the Barq family sold the product in Mississippi.

An iconic Gulf Coast drink

“It’s a combination of Louisiana and Mississippi,” Harlan said. “It became a drink that was so iconic to the Gulf Coast.”

As the soft drink took off, the Mississippi family established franchises across the country while the Robinsons built a bottling plant in Baton Rouge in 1949.

“Basically, he gave him the state of Louisiana,” Harlan said. “It’s a little bit different from a franchise, because a franchise buys

enjoying this day and these beautiful houses.”

Designing Women of Acadiana was established for women in architecture, design and creative ﬁelds to network and get involved with community projects in Lafayette. The festival was a good platform for the group, Foster said, because one of the focus areas is the “importance of the built environment.”

“Historic home tours are always amazing we just don’t build them like we used to,” she said.

“The detail and quality of the materials is not the same, so it’s really quite magical to step back in time and share the joy We’re hoping to involve even more homeowners next year Most people who live in historic homes love to show them off.”

Email Joanna Brown at joanna. brown@theadvocate.com.

the secret formula from the original manufacturer But in Jesse’s case, he already knew the formula, because he worked with Mr Barq side by side. He was given the rights to make his own formula.”

Part of the original agreement stated that only direct descendants of the Robinsons could learn the secret formula for the soft drink, so Harlan’s grandmother guarded the recipe and ran the Baton Rouge plant Harlan recalls her childhood, one ﬁlled with memories of drinking Barq’s and the family business.

“I didn’t want to stay with the housekeeper I didn’t want to go to lunch,” Harlan said. “I wanted to go into the plant with my grandmother I found it very fascinating as a child.”

Coca-Cola buys the legacy

In 1976, Barq descendants sold their holdings to attorneys John Oudt and John Koerner, who later expanded their holdings by buying the New Orleans Barq’s territory rights. In 1995, the two sold all of

their Barq’s holdings to Coca-Cola. Harlan’s mother sold the family’s share of holdings to Coca-Cola in 2000, a move which skyrocketed Barq’s to a wider national audience. But many in the area still remember the soft drink’s local legacy Barq’s collector Robert Sherrill, who started scouring for bottles, signs and other Barq’s memorabilia around 1998, has a similar outlook. In the course of his collecting, he has spoken to former Barq’s plant workers and researched the history of Barq’s through old newspapers, historical documentation and conversation with a Barq family member

“To me, they both share it,” Sherrill said. “He had a root beer in 1898, but it’s not what you were drinking today.”

Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK

The Nickerson house is one of the historic homes a part of the Sterling Grove Festival.

PHOTO BY ROBIN MAY

Sterling Grove Festival creator Ravi Daggula, right, congratulates George Marks for his work creating an artist community in Arnaudville at the commencement of the festival located in the historic neighborhood in Lafayette.

Elordi

AT THE TABLE

Crawﬁsh Cardinale makes the best of season’s peelings

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

When March rolls around in Louisiana, the spring weather always reminds me of my favorite season — crawﬁsh season, that is.

After the unusual crawﬁsh season last year, due to weather and high prices, I think I speak for the entire state when I say, “Hallelujah! We can enjoy crawﬁsh freely again!”

My little Cajun childhood in Morgan City was filled with fond memories of crawfish boils with friends and family members. Notably, my family always gathered for Mother’s Day at my grandmother’s house, where the kids would swim and the uncles would prepare boiled crawfish with corn, garlic, onions and sausage.

I remember sitting at a table, still in a wet bathing suit, waiting for my dad to peel each crawﬁsh for me. When I was around 5 years old, I guess my dad decided that I would have Cajun initiation — I would learn how to peel my own crawﬁsh.

Since I’ve learned, I have taken immense pride in how much crawﬁsh I can eat in one sitting. Oftentimes, I’m one of the last people at the table as everyone else has stepped away to wash their hands and move on.

Now, anytime someone poses the question, “Should we go get crawﬁsh?,” my pupils get big, and I’m ﬁlled with excitement. Since the season only comes around once a year I guess it must be true that absence makes the heart grow fonder

In past food columnist Corinne Cook’s book, “Extra! Extra! Read all

about it!,” she includes a recipe for Crawfish Cardinale from the newspaper’s first food editor, Pat Baldridge. “Pat loved sharing good food with family and friends. She was an excellent example of Louisiana’s joie de vivre,” Cook writes in the introduction for the recipe. “Crawfish Cardinale was one of her favorite recipes. She included it in her popular cookbook, ‘Louisiana Largesse.’”

Crawﬁsh Cardinale is a dish that starts with a roux and transforms into a thick cream sauce that can be served over rice or pasta, in puff pastries or on top of ﬁsh Baldridge’s recipe calls for a can of mushrooms, but I substituted for fresh ones. I also added a few ingredients to step three, including four cloves of minced garlic and one half cup of minced shallots. Other recipes online add red bell pepper and celery as well.

One thing I would change in the recipe is substituting tomato paste for ketchup as the ketchup adds a sweetness to the recipe that isn’t needed with the brandy In addition to the brandy, a recipe from The Times-Picayune archives adds one-half cup of dry white wine. The last step calls for the chef to spoon the sauce into greased ramekins and bake in the oven. However, I found that this step isn’t necessary if you’re serving it over rice or pasta.

Overall, this Crawﬁsh Cardinale recipe is very much open to experimentation. It’s quick to make, versatile and perfect to satisfy a family or large crowd.

Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren. cheramie@theadvocate.com.

IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday, March 30, the 89th day of 2025. There are 276 days left in the year Today in history: On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously wounded by John Hinckley Jr outside a Washington, D.C., hotel. Also wounded were White House press secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and a District of Columbia police ofﬁcer, Thomas Delahanty (Hinckley would be found not guilty by reason of insanity and held at a psychiatric hospital until his supervised release in 2016. James Brady died in 2014 as a result of his injuries.)

Also on this date: In 1822, Florida became a United States territory

In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward reached an agreement with Russia to purchase the territory of Alaska for $7.2 million, a deal ridiculed by critics as “Seward’s Folly.” In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited denying citizens the right to vote and hold ofﬁce on the basis of race, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish.

In 1923, the Cunard liner RMS Laconia became the ﬁrst passenger ship to circle the globe as it arrived back in New York after a 130-day voyage.

In 1939, Detective Comics issue No. 27 was released, featuring the ﬁrst appearance of the superhero character Batman In 1975, as the Vietnam War neared its end, Communist forces occupied the city of Da Nang.

Many Americans are fortunateto havedental coverage fortheir entire working life, through employer-provided benefits.When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to putoff or even go without care. Simply put —without dental insurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.

When you’re comparing plans ...

 Look forcoverage that helps pay formajor services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundredsout of pocket before benefits are paid.

 Shop forcoverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some planshave annual maximums of $1,000.

Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1

That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meanttocover everything That means if you wantprotection, you need to purchase individual insurance. Early detection canprevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.

The best way to preventlarge dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice ayear.

Ask about the

go up as you age.2

Treatment is expensive especially the servicespeople over 50 often need.

Consider these national average costs of treatment. $222 foracheckup .$190 for afilling $1,213 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethis can be areal burden, especially if you’re on afixed income.

STAFF PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

Today’s birthdays: Actor John Astin is 95. Actor-director Warren Beatty is 88. Musician Eric Clapton is 80. Actor Paul Reiser is 69. Rap artist MC Hammer is 63. Singer Tracy Chapman is 61. Actor Ian Ziering is 61. TV personality Piers Morgan is 60. Singer Celine Dion is 57. Actor Mark Consuelos is 54. Singer Norah Jones is 46. Country musician Justin Moore is 41. Country musician Thomas Rhett is 35.

DINING SCENE

Top chefs gather to support Bocuse d’Or event in N.O.

Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING

The dishes were gorgeous, from the curry-scented lobster Malabar to the majestic, pastry-domed trufﬂe soup. But many of those pulling out phones during dinner at this grand Uptown mansion were snapping photos of the chefs circulating among the tables rather than the food. They were, after all, among the most famous and acclaimed chefs in the U.S with global reputations to match They graciously worked the rooms, visiting tables to shake hands, listen to stories eagerly shared of meals at their restaurants through the years, and pose for photos.

There was Thomas Keller, known for his Napa Valley restaurant French Laundry and Per Se in New York, calling across one bustling room to his good friend Daniel Boulud, perhaps the bestknown French chef working in the U.S., recruiting him for a group photo with a New Orleans couple Emeril Lagasse soon joined them too, along with Jérôme Bocuse, the chef who continues the legacy of his father Paul Bocuse, the revered godfather of modern French cuisine. One part of that Bocuse legacy was the reason the chefs were lending their star power for one big night in New Orleans, and why we’ll be seeing more like it in the city

The event was part of a bigger effort with the potential to boost New Orleans’ standing on the global culinary stage, and elevate a key piece of the city’s culture and economy along the way Chefs convene, hosts prepare

The evening was a dinner to launch the host committee for Bocuse d’Or Americas, held at the home of attorney John Houghtaling, the historic Romanesque Revival mansion on St. Charles

Avenue. It was a fundraiser in support of Team U.S.A., which represents the nation in the international culinary competition Bocuse d’Or, and to support the return of that prestigious event to New Orleans in 2026. Bocuse d’Or was created by Paul Bocuse in the 1980s, along with the closely related Coupe de Monde de la Patisserie, or Pastry World Cup. They’ve grown into one mega event, held every two years in Lyon, France, and together they’re regarded as the world cup of cuisine. They stoke the same pride and passion as sporting world cups; reputations are minted in their winners’ circles; they’re covered closely by international media and draw big sponsorships and industry money They’re much lesser known in the U.S., but that is changing. To compete in the ﬁnals, national teams must qualify in preliminary rounds. Last year, the qualiﬁers for countries in North Amer-

Cast to reunite for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

BY ANDREW DALTON AP entertainment

writer

ica and South America were held in the U.S. for the ﬁrst time, and the host city was New Orleans.

To bring the ﬁrst competitions here, New Orleans & Co., the city’s tourism sales and marketing agency, worked with GL Events, the same French-based production giant that helped orchestrate the Paris Olympics.

In January, they announced that New Orleans would again host the qualiﬁer round for Bocuse d’Or and the Pastry World Cup in 2026.

Planning is underway, and this dinner, held in February just after the Super Bowl, was one of the ﬁrst moves.

The aim was to begin marshaling support among philanthropists and restaurant industry insiders who will help support the event’s return next year The dinner brought in $150,000 toward that goal.

Houghtaling has long been campaigning to get Bocuse d’Or to come to New Orleans. He is friends with chefs Keller, Bou-

lud and Bocuse, who are on the board of Ment’Or, the group that supports Team U.S.A. Traveling to Lyon to attend the Bocuse d’Or ﬁnals through the years, he recognized its potential to shine a brighter global spotlight on the New Orleans culinary scene, and elevate the work of local chefs guiding it.

“It was a huge honor to have Bocuse come here, and it’s a huge responsibility,” Houghtaling said. “Hopefully people in the business and people who care about food will see what an honor this is, and as a city, we can keep it coming back here.”

A roster of chefs

At the host committee dinner, while the celebrity chefs worked the rooms around the mansion, the kitchen was a hive of energy as a roster of local and visiting chefs cooked together That included Gavin Kaysen, a Minneapolis-based restaurateur who is president of Team U.S.A.

and a Bocuse d’Or competitor from the 2007 campaign, with Chris Nye, executive chef at Kaysen’s company, Soigne Hospitality They joined local chefs who each handled a course for the dinner That included Justin Devillier of La Petite Grocery and Justine; Ashwin Vilkhu, who with his family runs Saffron NOLA and the forthcoming restaurant The Kingsway; Baruch Rabasa, a private chef and creator of the Applied Arts Coffee brand; E.J. Lagasse, who leads his family’s ﬂagship Emeril’s Restaurant and co-founded their modern Portuguese spot 34 Restaurant & Bar; and pastry chef Kristyne Bouley

The meal was lavish and carefully composed. As a ﬁnale, trumpeter Irvin Mayﬁeld led a performance in the center of the house.

At one point, Keller addressed the crowd, explaining his passion for Bocuse d’Or He sees America’s pursuit of the competition as a point of inspiration for today’s chefs, and the next generation coming behind them. Keller himself often credited with transforming American ﬁne dining a generation ago, said inspiration could shape the future of American cuisine.

New Orleans got a taste of what’s possible at this level last year with the ﬁrst edition of the Bocuse d’Or qualiﬁers. For one week, the city was abuzz with international chefs, culinary enthusiasts and industry players. It felt more like an introduction of a new concept than a full embrace of what it could be.

As New Orleans burnishes its culinary reputation, and its draw as a travel destination, the potential to go bigger, do more and showcase the city as a top global food city is coming around again as Bocuse d’Or Americas 2026 takes shape.

The ﬁrst steps are already simmering.

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

Pay off bills instead of giving a gift

The more senior superheroes will be joined by more recent additions, including some who have yet to make their MCU debuts. Vanessa Kirby, set to play the Invisible Woman Sue Storm in this July’s “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” is also set for “Avengers: Doomsday.” Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards will join the Avengers too. And they’ll be joined in both movies by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who is playing Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and Joseph Quinn, who plays Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch. Simu Liu, who played the title character in 2021’s “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” is also in the newly announced cast, as is Tenoch Huerta Mejía, who played the aquatic antagonist Namor in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

LOS ANGELES Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Paul Rudd’s AntMan and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki are all back in the Avengers ensemble, where they’ll be joined by several of cinema’s original X-Men The ﬁve veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are in the cast of 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday,” Marvel announced Wednesday Patrick Stewart, 84, who played Professor X in the Fox’s early 2000s “X-Men” films, and 85-year-old Ian McKellen, who played his arch-nemesis Magneto, are also in the “Doomsday” cast as Disney and Marvel seek to take advantage of the acquisition of Fox’s movie library Kelsey Grammer, who played Hank “Beast” McCoy, was also announced, as was Rebecca “Mystique” Romijn, James “Cyclops” Marsden and Alan “Nightcrawler” Cumming. Their characters were taken on by younger actors in the 2010s “X-Men” series reboot, and their inclusion is sure to cause serious fan speculation about the direction and timelines of “Avengers: Doomsday.”

ON THE ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE

Dear Heloise: Now that my children are out of the nest, and we are in a stage of our lives where we want to begin paring down our material possessions, I’ve suggested taking the money my children would have spent on a gift for us and making an extra credit card payment with it. This includes ﬂower bouquets for birthdays and other occasions.

Yes, giving money to a charity in our name is a beautiful thing, but it is my hope that these small efﬁciencies might spark a trend for improving economic situations. This may even put them in a better situation down the line to make charitable contributions in their own name. —

Judy J., via email Judy, one of the very best

things you can do for your children is to teach them how to manage and be responsible with money It’s easy for some, but for many others, it’s a little more challenging. I liked your hint and hope that many parents take the same approach you and your husband have taken. — Heloise

Removing soup grease

Dear Heloise: This hint to remove grease from soups involves putting ice cubes in a metal ladle and sitting the bottom of the ladle on the surface of a soup. The cold ladle causes the grease to congeal on the outside of the ladle, and you can just keep wiping it off with paper towels until all the surface grease has been removed.

I enjoy your column very much. — Mel, in Arkansas Rubber band hint

Dear Heloise: Another use for those sturdy 1/4-inch

rubber bands that keep bundles of produce together is to use them as a bag fastener Products sold in a plastic bag, such as pancake mix, can be rolled up from the bottom and secured with a rubber band. This accomplishes two things: It squeezes the air out of the package to aid with freshness, and it removes the need for bag clips or tape. Nancy T. in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Cat urine odor

Dear Heloise: I always have a bottle of skunk spray around the house because my dog just won’t learn to leave the skunks alone. One day, my elderly tomcat started to urinate on a couple of throw rugs, and it’s an odor that can linger longer than you might imagine. I tried everything to get the smell out, until one day I wondered if maybe the skunk spray might have some effect on the cat

urine odor It took about three separate sprayings, but the cat urine odor was gone. I hope this helps someone else who has a much loved pet they refuse to get rid of. — Selma H., Fayetteville,Tennessee

Decluttering closets

Dear Heloise: I hated the very idea of going through every closet in the house and getting rid of the junk my family and I had accumulated over the past eight years. Finally I just decided to do one closet a month, and I started with the hall closet. There, all odd items went to die. Old tennis rackets, a large coffeepot, hockey sticks, and more emerged from the dark. I am going from closet to closet and cleaning the way you would eat an elephant — one bite at a time. — Nora, in Michigan

Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

Tickets are $20, and complimentary drinks, and red beans and rice will be available. Visit events.humanitix com/nunu41125.

At Cité des Arts Tickets are on sale for Cité des Arts’ production of “Reunion,” written and directed by Patricia Cravins. The show will have three performances at the theater, 109 Vine St., Lafayette, during Festival International de Louisiane. The show focuses on a prominent Creole family that’s forced to confront a long-held secret at an annual family reunion. Performances will be 2 p.m and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 27. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by visiting citedesarts.org/ events/reunion-writtenand-directed-by-patriciacravins-2025-04-26-14-00. Also, registration is open for the theater company’s two-week ﬁlmmaking workshop, “Movie Magic 101,” for students in the sixth through 12th grades. The workshop runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. June 30-July 11 at the theater. Cost is $330 for the course. Payment plans are available. Visit citedesarts.org. At NuNu Tickets are on sale for a performance by Austin singer-songwriter J.M. Stephens at 7 p.m. Friday, April 11, in the Singleton’s Pure Listening Room at NuNu Arts & Culture Collective, 1510 Courtableau Highway, Arnaudville.

Dear Harriette: I’ve made some questionable decisions over the years that had a negative impact on my credit. Many of those mistakes were things I did when I didn’t fully understand the concept of credit and ﬁnancial responsibility. Now my bad credit is haunting me. I’ve been trying to take all of the steps to diminish debt and rectify certain things, but as you probably know, building good credit just takes time. I’m in a serious relationship now and my boyfriend really wants to buy a house together, but I’m scared to admit my credit issues. The way I see it, I can either stall him until my

credit improves or come clean and likely have to wait to purchase anyway Is stalling a bad idea? — Bad Credit

Dear Bad Credit: Yes, stalling is bad. Own up to your life. Tell him that you are working on improving your credit, but you have a way to go. Be honest about your irresponsible spending in the past, and tell him what your goals are for the future. Tell him you aren’t sure if you would be eligible to buy a house today but that you hope to be there soon. Let him know that you want to build your credit and a life with him. See how he responds.

Dear Harriette: I’ve been going out with this woman I really like for about four months now We have a great connection, and I enjoy spending time with her The issue is that she is moving from our hometown in the Midwest to New York

City in a few months. She has been upfront about her plans from the beginning, and she recently told me that she would like to keep seeing me until she leaves this summer My dilemma is that I want to be more intentional with who I am dating because I am at a point in my life where I want to settle down, get married and start a family While I really like this woman, I can’t shake the feeling that continuing to date her when she has no plans to stay might be setting myself up for heartbreak. At the same time, I don’t want to walk away from something that makes me happy just because of an uncertain future. I’m torn between enjoying the time we have left together and cutting things off now to protect myself from getting even more attached. Is it a bad idea to stay in a relationship that likely has an expiration date, or should I take things one day at a time and see where it leads? — Moving On Dear Moving On: It is good that this person was honest with you about her plans from the start, but have you two discussed her intentions for the distant future? Is this woman leaving home for good, or

STAFF PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY

Chefs who took part in a host committee dinner for Bocuse d’Or Americas in New Orleans included, top row, from left, Ashwin Vilkhu, Kristyne Bouley, Baruch Rabasa, Emeril Lagasse, Jerome Bocuse and Chris Nye; bottom row from left, Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and E.J Lagasse.

INVESTMENT INRETURNS

Leaders, civic groups point to insurance, quality of life solutions to bring back disaffected residents leaving the state

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Two thirds of Louisiana parishes lost

last year, and New Orleans was the fastest-shrinking metro area in the country for the second year in a row

These statistics have raised alarms for political and business leaders who know that as

IDEAS INNOVATION &

“If you can’t get basic services right, you’re probably not going to get anything else right.”

PRES KABACOFF City Services Coalition co-founder

people leave in search of jobs, affordable housing, quality of life and good leadership, they leave behind less tax revenue and a smaller workforce. So what can be done to keep people here, bring people back and attract newcomers?

Interviews with more than a dozen Louisiana CEOs, civic leaders, elected officials, researchers and academics sug-

“You retain people by investing in local business owners, developers and educators who are very interested in staying.”

ANDRE PERRY senior fellow at the Brookings Institution

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Business editor

After serving as founding mem-

to $15 million. It’s

logistics and utility services. Those are areas with outsized growth potential, ac-

gest that reversing the trends requires strong city and state leadership, new policies to lower insurance costs, investment to revive stagnant neighborhoods and support for new industries.

But there are plenty of longstanding political and cultural forces in play — not to mention forces of nature — that will make these tasks harder, they said. “The region and state have struggled for a long time,” said Greg Rusovich, a shipping industry veteran who is active in New Orleans civic affairs. “Louisiana hasn’t progressed the way other Southern states have. So what do we do about it?”

“Other places have made bets on new industries, which hire lots of people.”

ALLISON PLYER, chief demographer at The Data Center

cording to de Laureal. Investors apparently agree. Carr’s Hill set a $175 million goal for its initial fund but shot past its target in less than 10 months. A “highly sophisticated” group of investors put money into the fund, de Lauréal said, including university endowments, insurance companies, family

fund was so, relatively, easy “Firms that are generalists, with multiple geographies, are a tougher pitch these days,” he said. “Investors

See QUALITY, page 2E

“To keep (smart young people) here and working on ... solutions, we need to invest in their ideas.”

JOSH FLEIG, Louisiana Economic Development chief innovation officer

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER With events like Mardi Gras and this year’s Super Bowl, visitors worldwide are drawn to the state, but in many Louisiana cities, most notably New Orleans, a population decrease stemming from a drop in local quality of life is threatening to shrink the tax base and workforce.

FUND

Industrial Trades Job Fair

Thursday in New Iberia

South Louisiana Community College’s Economic & Workforce Development will host an Industrial Trades Job Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the New Iberia campus, 908 Ember Drive.

More than 30 employers will be on site actively hiring for positions in electrical, construction, manufacturing, offshore and other skilled trades, SoLaCC ofﬁcials said. Attendees can meet with hiring managers and submit résumés. To pre-register, visit solacc.edu/ jobfair

ACADIANA INBOX

Randall Mann vice president of PR and marketing with Acadian Cos and vice chair of the communications committee for the American Ambulance Association, will lead a seminar on crisis communications at the organization’s annual conference in Lexington, Kentucky

Mann has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, marketing and advertising.

Mann started at Acadian in 2009 as director of sales and marketing for Acadian Monitoring Services before

being promoted to vice president, where now he oversees marketing efforts for all of the company’s divisions.

Ann Montanio was named senior director of revenue cycle at Acadian and will oversee all billing and collection functions, insurance verification, coding, utilization management and the Acadian Transport Assistance Center

She earned a bachelor’s from LSU and a master’s in business administration from the University of Texas.

BUILDING PERMITS

Manuel Builders, $221,760.

Issued March 12-25:

Commercial alterations

RETAIL: 3225 Louisiana Ave., description, renovation to Target store to include architectural, structural mechanical, electrical, plumbing and refrigeration work and exterior facade updates; applicant, Sargenti Architects; contractor, Fulcrum Construction; $3.8 million.

MEDICAL: 310 Youngsville Highway, description, parking lot repavement for Oceans Behavioral Health Acadiana; applicant and contractor, The Lemoine Company; $1.1 million.

OFFICE: 110 Capital Drive, description, interior renovation for Miles Perret Cancer Services; applicant, Ackal Architects; contractor, S1 Construction; $600,0000.

CHURCH: 3001 Verot School Road, description, renovations and additions to sanctuary and site work; applicant, Trinity Anglican Church; contractor, not listed; $1 million.

SCHOOL: 401 Broadmoor Blvd., description, renovation of entry area at Edgar Martin Middle School; applicant, MBSB Group; contractor, Chart Construction; $132,312.

RETAIL: 1927 W. University Ave description, enhance exterior fascia on former Chase Bank building; applicant, Rehman Altaf; contractor, none listed; $15,000.

PARK: 200 Garﬁeld St., description, renovate existing buildings, pavilions and various sites and add new restrooms at Parc International; applicant, Vermilion Architects; contractor, Triad Construction Services; $529,140.

MEDICAL: 208 Rue Louis XIV, Building 2, description, demolition and new construction work for Prostate Centers USA; applicant, Siavash Heydari; contractor, The Delahoussaye Company Inc., $400,000.

APARTMENTS: 2700 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, description, stairway repair at Diamond Lakes Apartments; applicant, Watterson; contractor, Watterson Environmental Group; $1.1 million.

OTHER: 123 N. Morgan Ave., Broussard; description, none listed; applicant, John Sheehan; contractor, Sibley Construction Services, $48,455. OFFICE: 403 E. Main St., Suite 100, Broussard; description, tenant buildout; applicant, Harley Melancon; contractor, Hubert Hulin Construction Services; $90,000.

New commercial

RESTAURANT: 1106 E. Main St., Broussard, description, new Taco Bell location; applicant, B&G Food Enterprises; contractor, Jerry Kachel Builder; $1.7 million.

New residential 108 LITTLE HICKORY COURT: Overton Homes, $334,170.

216 MYIA LANE: contractor not listed, $324,000.

101 VIRLEY LANE: Manuel Builders, $226,350.

109 LENOVA LANE: Manuel Builders, $223,650. 400 RUE GAMBETTA: Manuel Builders, $225,630.

235 TIMBER MILL ST.: GSL Homes, $263,070.

230 CAMERONS COVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders, $155,160.

3215 N. UNIVERSITY AVE.: Lanclos Construction, $361,620. 309 GUN RUNNER DRIVE, CARENCRO:

100 FRESH FIELDS LANE: Platinum Homes, $306,270.

311 BENSON GROVE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Andries Builders, $325,000.

111 HEDGEMOORE COURT, YOUNGSVILLE: Gen Group Construction, $375,000.

109 HEDGEMOORE COURT, YOUNGSVILLE: Gen Group Construction, $375,000.

309 SUNSET PALM COURT, YOUNGSVILLE: Gulf South Builders, $900,000.

106 CAPE TOWN AVE., YOUNGSVILLE: Gulf South Builders, $500,000.

107 BENSON GROVE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Level Construction & Development, $308,334.

709 IBERIA ST., YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $180,000.

100 LA RUE MALAGA, BROUSSARD: Oakside Builders, $300,000.

617 SUMMER ST., BROUSSARD: DSLD, $142,077.

705 SUMMER ST., BROUSSARD: DSLD $143,693.

109 HARVEST FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $177,095.

110 BROUSSARD HILL DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $132,890.

108 BROUSSARD HILL DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $123,714.

106 BROUSSARD HILL DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $128,099.

104 BROUSSARD HILL DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $132,803.

124 LAKE RIDGE DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $132,892.

123 LAKE RIDGE DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $128,099.

110 FOUR BOYS LANE, CARENCRO: Dugas Construction, $459,000.

103 TELLURIDE PASS, DUSON: Hammerhead Homes, $112,680.

145 OPTA ROAD: Dana Dugas Affordable Homes, $312,480.

237 UTOPIA ROAD, DUSON: Krewe Construction & Development Group, $255,420.

4118 S. RICHFIELD ROAD, RAYNE: WTH Construction, $360,000.

92 SETTLERS TRACE BLVD.: DragonFly Construction, $465,120.

111 ORCHARD PARK AVE.: Homes by Heritage Builders, $438,390.

121 EDEN RIDGE ST., DUSON: DR Horton, $252,270.

102 IRVING AVE.: GSL Homes, $263,880.

301 HIDDEN MEADOWS DRIVE: DSLD $215,820.

131 RIDLEY LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: DSLD, $125,520.

238 JAGGED GROVE LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Rajun Cajun Construction $220,000.

208 CENTRAL VILLAGE WAY, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $190,000.

105 REFUGE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: McLain Homes, $163,522.

501 WHISPERING MEADOWS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: AM Design, $287,051.

104 CYPRESS FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $141,404.

107 HARVEST FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $132,892.

102 HARVEST FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $141,404.

103 HARVEST FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $126,175.

104 HARVEST FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $132,218.

105 HARVEST FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $126,220.

106 HARVEST FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $133,895.

want to see a different strategy.”

Carr’s Hill also had an advantage in the fact that it had already prefunded four companies: Matthews Brothers Dredging in Pass Christian, Mississippi; Axis Industries, a La Porte, Texas, business that provides industrial maintenance services; Arrow Waste, an Atlanta company that offers dumpster rentals; and Smart Safety Group, an Atlanta company that provides safety training and Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance.

Those four businesses have grown substantially since Carr’s Hill invested in them over the past few years in terms of proﬁts, employees and revenue, de Lauréal said.

The plan is to acquire and partner with five to seven similar businesses. The fund will pull “all levers of growth” for the companies it supports, de Lauréal said, including hiring employees for the

RETURNS

Continued from page 1E

Start with the basics

As New Orleans goes, so goes Louisiana. It’s the biggest economy in the state and its international reputation drew nearly 18 million visitors in 2024.

But it’s also a city beset by crumbling infrastructure, struggling schools and public safety concerns, although violent crime has dropped dramatically since 2022.

One citizen-led group, the City Services Coalition, believes New Orleans can become more attractive to residents by focusing on the basics, like speeding up the time it takes to receive a building permit or repair a pothole. The group’s focus is safety, streets, water, permits and sanitation.

The 30-member coalition, formed in 2024, hopes its new 216page study will inform this year’s mayoral election and shape policy during the next mayor’s term. It is pushing to reinvent the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board, strengthen the position of the city’s chief administrative ofﬁcer, create committees for safety and infrastructure, streamline permitting and more.

“There are lots of things you need for economic development,” said Pres Kabacoff, one of the coalition’s founders. “But if you can’t get basic services right, you’re probably not going to get anything else right.”

It’s the economy

While improving city services in New Orleans is important, some say it’s a moot point if Louisiana doesn’t spice up its economy which has seen only 2% job growth since 2000 compared with the nation’s 20% growth over the same time frame, according to federal data.

“You can have a better quality of life, but if there are no jobs for people, they still aren’t going to come,” said Allison Plyer, chief demographer at The Data Center, a nonproﬁt research group.

A refrain among some business leaders is that over the years the city and state became too reliant on energy, petrochemicals and tourism. They say Louisiana’s economy needs innovations in these legacy industries including investments in hydrogen, biofuels, battery materials, wind and solar while expanding health care, biotech and other sectors.

Expanding to sectors with high growth potential was a key part of a new report, released Wednesday, from Louisiana Economic Development, aimed at providing a strategic plan for attracting businesses.

sales, management and human relations side, purchasing equipment, expanding facilities and acquiring competitors. “We want to help professionalize a business, to allow it to grow,” he said

The ultimate goal for Carr’s Hill is to get the operations of the companies it invests in to the point where they are taken over by a much larger owner

Focus on the Coast

De Lauréal launched Carr’s Hill in 2019, after he was managing director and a founding member of Bernhard Capital, an energy services-focused private equity ﬁrm started by former Shaw Group CEO Jim Bernhard. Through his years at Bernhard, de Lauréal said he developed an operational minded approach toward investing in companies and how to build a team. The Gulf Coast has not traditionally been known as a hub of private equity activity, but Bernhard Capital changed that when it was established in 2013. It is the largest private equity firm between Houston and Mobile, Alabama,

“Any place that continues to focus on older industries will see declining growth and therefore declining population,” Plyer said. “Other places have made bets on new industries, which hire lots of people.”

Housing an existential threat

The top concern for many in south Louisiana is the rising cost of living, powered by spiking homeowners insurance premiums in the wake of hurricanes in 2020 and 2021.

Jesse Keenan, a Tulane University professor who studies real estate and climate change, said housing costs are a major reason people are leaving.

“One of the city and state’s biggest draws was affordable housing,” he said, noting that rising insurance premiums, along with increases in property taxes and utility costs, have made New Orleans less competitive and affordable than it once was.

“The cost to live here is on par with high-tech cities on the coasts, but you don’t get the same government services for it,” said Keenan, who said the city needs to focus on housing and infrastructure solutions the way it did after Hurricane Katrina and the way the citizen-led NOLA Coalition targeted crime after the pandemic.

Ben Albright, a Baton Rougebased lobbyist who represents independent insurance brokers, said the state’s nascent fortified roof program, which has offered $10,000 grants to help homeowners build more wind-proof structures, might help bring costs down if more people are able to take advantage.

So far, more than 5,000 fortiﬁed roofs, which use special nails and waterproof coatings, have been installed statewide, and Albright said he’s seeing signs that homeowners’ premiums may be stabilizing.

Michael Hecht, CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., the region’s nonproﬁt economic development organization, plans to lobby for national catastrophic insurance that will remove some risk for private insurers.

“This is a problem for the whole country, and by solving it for America, we can solve it for Louisiana,” he said. “There are many possible models, but a simple one could be that the government provides ‘allperils’ insurance for ﬂood, wind, ﬁre, earthquake, etc.”

Hecht said the plan could cover the ﬁrst $100,000 of damage and the private market could then sell “excess” insurance on top.

Pointers from Detroiters

Andre Perry, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who focuses on racial equity work and community development, points to initiatives in Detroit as examples for New Orleans to follow as it tries to attract more people. Since 2013, when Detroit became the largest city in America to ﬁle for bankruptcy protection, investors have helped revitalize parts of downtown by building new hotels, restaurants and apartments. Warehouses and industrial yards have been converted into a 3.5-mile-long riverfront park, and the city has ei-

with four funds managing about $4.4 billion in assets

Partnering with smaller, familyowned businesses is different than what Bernhard Capital does, which is invest in larger infrastructure, construction and utility companies, but de Lauréal said it suits the personality of his ﬁrm and offers an opportunity for greater returns.

De Lauréal grew up in a prominent New Orleans family with deep roots in the business community His father, the late Martin de Lauréal was a senior executive with Stewart Enterprises, until the funeral service provider was acquired in 2013. His older brother, Martin de Lauréal Jr., is president of First Horizon Advisors; his younger brother, Jonathan de Lauréal, is a managing partner with Bernhard Capital.

David De Lauréal said he expects to start a second Carr’s Hill fund in the next ﬁve years or so. “I really like what we’re doing here as a team,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll run out of targets.”

Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.

ther razed or renovated thousands of vacant homes.

In 2023, Detroit saw an uptick in population for the ﬁrst time since 1957, though it still struggles with crime, poverty struggling schools and a shortage of affordable housing.

Perry said there are examples in Detroit of restoration without gentriﬁcation.

“You have to have the goal of retaining people and attracting people simultaneously,” said Perry, who lived and worked in New Orleans from 2004 to 2017. “You retain people by investing in local business owners, developers and educators who are very interested in staying.”

Big job ahead

In New Orleans, the City Services Coalition and other civic groups, like Together New Orleans, hope to encourage community engagement in the next mayoral election to create momentum for positive change.

There’s no doubt whoever wins the job will be facing a big challenge turning around demographic trends.

“People have felt New Orleans is hopeless due to the constant challenges they face trying to live here,” said Helena Moreno, one of the candidates. “This mayor’s race is a tipping point.”

Oliver Thomas the race’s other high-profile candidate, said he wants New Orleans to be a place where young people are excited to raise families.

“Young people’s top priority is creating an environment where new businesses thrive,” he said. “We can accomplish that by partnering with banks on low-interest loans for entrepreneurs and I’ll work with anyone who will listen to bring in high-wage jobs and lowcost housing.”

Working in the next mayor’s favor will be momentum from the city’s multimillion-dollar Super Bowl LIX cleanup effort that received mostly high marks. GNO Inc.’s Hecht, who coordinated the work, said the city and other organizations plan to keep their regular meeting schedule to continue making infrastructure improvements. Something as simple as the daily pressure-washing in the French Quarter has lifted morale in the city’s historic neighborhood. Meanwhile, at the state level, several big investments, including Meta’s planned $10 billion data center in north Louisiana and Hyundai’s just-announced nearly $6 billion steel mill near Baton Rouge, have boosted enthusiasm at Louisiana Economic Development, which recently launched an innovation division.

“Smart young people want to solve interesting problems,” said Josh Fleig, LED’s chief innovation ofﬁcer “Louisiana has some of the most interesting problems in the world. To keep them here and working on those solutions, we need to invest in their ideas.”

Mann

Montanio

Globalstar’s constellation is growing

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

When Silicon Valley rock star

Paul Jacobs in 2023 became CEO of Globalstar — a publicly traded satellite company that powers communication for mobile devices

— it was something of a full-circle moment.

Jacobs spent nearly a decade in the mid-2000s at the helm of Qualcomm, the San Diego maker of semiconductors, software and services for wireless technology that created Globalstar in the early 1990s, so taking the helm of the Covington-based company was a return to his roots.

It was also a pivotal time for Globalstar Jacobs arrived at the company a year after it landed a deal with Apple to power the Emergency SOS services on iPhones — a game changing partnership, now reaching $2 billion, that has reoriented the company’s trajectory and kept Jacobs busy

Earlier this month, Jacobs joined his local team to celebrate the opening of Globalstar’s new $5 million control center. The 10,000-square-foot space, located within the company’s larger headquarters, will monitor and manage its growing communications network of satellites and ground stations around the globe.

Jacobs sat down for an interview after the recent ribbon cutting to talk about Globalstar’s three-decade history and his plans for the future.

This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Globalstar was created as a satellite phone service by Qualcomm and a partner in the early 1990s. In the following years, it had ups and downs.

Mostly downs.

Why was that the case?

First, any satellite company has to be able to pay for the satellites, and that’s really expensive. So if you don’t have a good business model, you’re in trouble

The original idea for Globalstar and its competitor, which was called Iridium, was to provide cellular services outside of cellular

coverage area, which sounds a little familiar now Well, that didn’t work decades ago. It was a niche for people who really needed it, backpackers or ﬁrst responders

The market wasn’t enormous.

So Globalstar pivoted finding other users of its tech.

The company ﬁgured out how to do “internet of things,” monitoring cattle and horses, equipment for the oil and gas industry, or shipping containers. That’s all over the landscape, and nobody wants to lose some expensive piece of equipment just because somebody parked it somewhere and they forgot about it.

Then came this idea of working with our partner (Apple) to be able to build something that actually worked on an existing phone.

And the reason why that was possible is because the way that Globalstar satellites work, when you send data out of here, it essentially

bounces off the satellite back down to a huge antenna.

The enormous market that we’re addressing now is peace of mind. Everybody depends on their cellphones now, and when you get outside of coverage, it’s a little nerveracking. If I’m a backpacker and I twist my ankle out in the mountains, I would like to know that I can let somebody know and come rescue me.

Globalstar has a license to use certain radio frequencies to transmit and receive signals, called spectrum. Can you explain what that means in layman’s terms?

When you think about radio, although some people are too young for that, each station is using a chunk of spectrum to transmit radio waves. They are divided up into different chunks, like somebody singing lower or higher frequency You can divide those up and only listen to a certain frequency It’s a ﬁnite resource of nature, and so

people try to ﬁnd better and more efﬁcient ways of using it. How long is the company’s spectrum license?

We just got a 15-year renewal, which goes with the 15-year life of the satellite. Looking back at the company’s slow build, did anyone think this was going to be a 30year play?

It’s interesting you ask that, because one of the early things at Qualcomm was messaging to long-haul trucks, which was also satellite based, and that was a 30year kind of business. And then we sold it for a billion dollars at the end. What happens next, if everything goes swimmingly?

We’re building new ground stations around the world. We’re in the process of two different tranches of satellites. We will launch some by the end of the year to replenish this constellation. And

we’re going to go from 24 satellites that are operational to 32 satellites that are running the system. Beyond that, we’ve got another 50 that are underway that are next generation. So we have a long road map now of having the ability to have the satellites up, and this facility in Covington will control all those. Globalstar’s got a good solid base now

Last month, Globalstar moved from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq and completed a reverse stock split. Can you explain what that is and why you did it? The company was a multibilliondollar market cap company, but because they had issued so many shares, the shares were in the dollar range, and most institutional investors can’t invest in a stock that’s below ﬁve bucks. We were missing a huge portion of the investing community, and because of that, we didn’t have a lot of analysts following us either So there was sort of this negative spiral of not having people investing and not having people covering us, so people weren’t investing and the stock price stayed low. By doing the reverse split, we just moved the stock, didn’t change the market capital of the company, didn’t change the value of the company, just changed what the per-share price was.

Why move to NASDAQ from the NYSE?

NYSE is a great exchange, and they were very supportive of the company For me, I’d been involved with NASDAQ through most of the companies I’d been part of, so it just seemed like a natural move for us.

Now that you have to come to Louisiana from time to time, what’s your routine?

There’s a Southwest flight to MSY, and sometimes I stay in the Southern Hotel in Covington and sometimes I’ll stay in New Orleans. We’re pretty virtual actually The senior team is together a lot, but it’s like at a customer, convention or investor event. We don’t necessarily all have to work in the same place to run the company Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

Spring 2025 Cost GetawayAcadia al

✜ 5Natural Wonders within the US

✜ TheLouisiana Oyster Trail

✜ SouthernMusic in the Spring

✜ Jefferson Parish Outdoor Adventures

✜ Louisiana Museums

✜ BestSpotstoKayak

Spring TRAVEL GUIDE

5 SpringFever 5Fever

AGRAND CANYON

Hereare ﬁveNatural Wonders withinthe US to satisfy your

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

sthe cozy sleepiness of winter meltsawayand theriversand streamspickup steam, thereisafeelingofrestlessnessinthe air—alonging to take part in this exciting time.Inthe United States youare neverfar from wondrous landscapes that expandbothheart andmindastheyextendbeyondthe horizon.

This spring,takeatriptothe to experience oneofthe most stunningpanoramic vistas in theworld. TheSouth RimofGrand Canyon National Park is open 24 hoursa day, 365 days ayear, andnoreservationsare required.Anentrancepassisrequired,and standard national park admissionis$35.00 pervehicle.Whether it’s soakinginthe sights from thevisitor’s centers or ridingamule down themile-deepcanyonwalls, thereisa myriad of ways to take in thenaturalbeauty of theGrand Canyon.Moreinformation: www.nps.gov/grca

FLORIDA KEYSNATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

Forthose whoprefertobeimmersedinthe beauty of theocean,the viewsfrombelow thesurface in theFlorida Keys National Marine Sanctuaryare easily accessible during thespringtimemonths.Snorkeling andscuba diving arepopular activities in thesanctuary whichprotectsthe only living coralbarrier reef within thecontinental US. On thesurface of thewater,visitorsalso enjoyvarious boatingactivities, such as kiteboarding, fishing, andpaddling. More information: ﬂoridakeys.noaa.gov.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

If thedry desertscapesofthe westernUS have youyearningfor spring blossoms,check outAcadiaNationalPark, locatedinMaine. Therocky cliffsofthisnortheasternparadise come aliveinlateMay andearly June as wildflowerspaint thestony crags with color. Thereisaplethora of hiking trails to enjoy with incredible viewsofthe Atlantic Ocean, andfor thosewho have an itch fornautical historythere arethree lighthouses to visit on park grounds. Experiencingthe sunrise from Cadillac Mountain is abucketlistitem, as well Themostpopulartimetovisit is June throughSeptember,but to experience alesscrowded time at theparkplanfor the shoulder seasonswhichrun from Aprilto Mayand OctobertoNovember. More information: www.nps.gov/acad.

MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK

Within theUS, wondersbelow thesurface aren’t limitedtounderwaterlandscapes. In MammothCaveNationalPark, visitors areawedbythe marvelsofthe cavernous underbelly of thecontinent.Mammoth Cave National Park,located in Kentucky, is home to thelongest cave systeminthe world, whichcan be exploredvia itsvarious cave toursthatencompass arange of skill levels.Reservationsfor toursare highly recommendedastheyoften fill up weeksin advance. Thereare also plenty of grounds to explore abovethe surface,and thespring months of Aprilthrough earlyJuneare thebesttimetovisit theparkdue to fewer crowds,temperate weather, andthe array of springtime blossoms.Moreinformation: www.nps.gov/maca.

NIAGARA FALLS

Last butcertainly notleast,there is nothing equaltothe awe-inspiringpower of a waterfall in springtime.Snowrunoff from across theNorth American continent convergestoleapfromcliffs, creating striking spectacles such as therenownedNiagara Falls, whichsitsonthe border of Canada and upstateNew York.Yearround, TheWorld ChangedHerePavilionisanexcellentarea to experience themajesty of Bridal Veil Falls as youdrenchyourselfinthe beauty of the fallson“Hurricane Deck”orobserve from adrier overlook TheMaidofthe Mist also offersboatrides that bringvisitorscloserto theroaring waters,beginninginthe month of May. More information: www.niagarafallsstatepark.com.

Spring TRAVELGUIDE Ta

OysterTrail

hr uisiana Taste Your Way Through the Louisiana

ASeafood Lover’sDream in Jeﬀerson Parish

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Takeatriponthe LouisianaOysterTrail! TheJefferson Convention &VisitorsBureau, Inc. andthe Louisiana TourismRecoveryProgram createdthe LouisianaOyster Trailin2012. Thetrail is an experience focusingonJeffersonParish restaurantsserving LouisianaOysters!Visitorsand locals alike will experience local flavor,and as “lagniappe”(alittlesomething extra) gettoenjoy thewhimsy of each participating restaurant’s 3-foot tall oyster sculpturehand-painted with flairbya localartist. Whetheryou’reavisitor or alocal,thisisthe perfectopportunity to experience authenticLouisiana flavor and flairthroughoutJefferson Parish’s culinarygems.

Presently, theTrail has 19 participating restaurantsand businesses and continues to grow,which meansmoregreat oyster eateries are showcased andmoreLouisiana oystersare eatenina varietyofways! TheLouisiana Oyster Trailspans theparish, extendingfromrestaurants inthe metropolitan areassurroundingLakePontchartrainand the Mississippi Riverall theway to theGulfof Mexico in GrandIsle! In addition to supporting localrestaurants andbusinessowners, taking atripalong theOysterTrail is also agreat waytoenjoy oneofthe mostnutritionally well-balancedfoodsavailable.Oysters arelow in fat, calories andcholesterol andhighinprotein, iron,calcium, potassium andseveralvitamins. Studies have shown they canboost metabolism, increasetissuerepairand growth,lower blood pressure andcholesterol, increase bone strength andimprove energy.

THE RESTAURANTS CURRENTLY ON THE OYSTER TRAIL

Acme Oyster House 3000 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie

Balcony Ballroom 4738 Utica Street, Metairie

Boulevard American Bistro 4241 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie

Colonial Bowling Lanes 6601 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans

Deanie’s Seafood 1713 Lake Avenue, Metairie

Don’s Seafood 4801 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant 232 North Arnoult Road, Metairie

Galley Seafood Restaurant 2535 Metairie Road, Metairie

Gattuso’s Neighborhood Restaurant, Bar and Catering 435 Huey P. Long Avenue, Gretna

Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House 3117 21st Street, Metairie

New Orleans Marriot Metairie at Lakeway 3838 North Causeway Boulevard, Metairie

Perino’s Boiling Pot Restaurant 3754 Westbank Expressway, Harvey

R & O’s Restaurant 216 Metairie Hammond Highway, Metairie

Red Maple Restaurant 1036 Lafayette Street, Gretna

Restaurant de Familles 7163 Barataria Boulevard, Marrero

Segnette Landing Restaurant 450 Laroussini Street, Westwego

Short Stop Poboys 119 Transcontinental Drive, Metairie

Vincent’s Italian Cuisine 4411 Chastant Street, Metairie

Spring TRAVELGUIDE

Music Cities in the Spring

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Austin

Austin, Texasisknown as theLiveMusic Capital of theWorld,and rightlyso. Thecityhosts artists from acrossanever-wideningrange of musical genres, spanningfromAmericana to electronic post-punkand pop. Twomajor music festivalsthatmaketheir home in Austin arethe Southby SouthwestMusic Festival (www.sxsw.com)and theAustinCityLimits Festival (www.aclfestival. com). However, to getyourdaily doseoftunes this spring,check outthese popularAustinvenues: BrokenSpoke,Antone’sNightclub,and TheFar OutLounge&Stage.

NewOrleans

NewOrleans is widely recognizedasthe birthplaceofjazz, andyear-roundyou can dancetothe rhythmsthatresound through thestreets. Blues, bounce,indie,Dixieland, andzydecoare all reveredmusic genres within thecity. Popularvenues arePreservationHall, Tipitina’s, andSnugHarbor. Everyspringthe city welcomesvisitorsfromaroundthe world to take part in therenownedNew Orleans Jazz &HeritageFestival(www.nojazzfest. com)and French QuarterFestival(www. frenchquarterfest.org).

NewOrleans toNashville Southern

Nashville

Nashville, also knownasMusic City,stirs theheartsofmanymusic lovers.Withnearly 200 music venues, rangingfromthe Grand OleOprytomoreintimatesinger/songwriter paradiseslikeListening Room Café,there is always aplace to immerse yourself in the beauty of music in Nashville. TheCountry Music Hall of Fame &Museum (www. countrymusichalloffame.org),RecordStore Day(recordstoreday.com), andRock‘N’ Roll RunningSeries Nashville (www.runrocknroll.com/nashville)are all greatwaystoexperience Music City this spring.

Memphis

ThesoutherncityofMemphis pulses alongside themightyMississippi Riverasthe home of blues, soul,and rock n’ roll This May don’tmissthe second annual RiverBeatMusic Festival at TomLee Park overlookingthe river(www.riverbeat.com). On BealeStreet, visitors canget ataste of thecity’smusical flavorswhile also grabbing abitetoeat.Iconic venues to checkout areB.B.King’sBlues Club, TheRum Boogie Café,and SilkyO’Sullivan’s Forloversofmusic history, thelegendary Sun Studio is worthavisit.Tourthe studio where ElvisPresley made his firstrecordand where so many othergreatsleft their mark on music history(sunstudio.com).

Outdoor ADVENTURES IN JEFFERSON PARISH

By StevieCavalier

T|stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

he diverseregionofJeffersonParishallowsyou theability to explore nature yetremainclose to theactionofNew Orleans. In fact, theparishisjust10 minutesawayfromdowntown! Here aresomeofthe best ways to getoutside in JeffersonParish. Head to www.visitjeffersonparish.com/outdoors forevenmoreideas.

Beaches

Craving arelaxinggetaway?JeffersonParishboastsseven miles of gorgeouswhite sand beachesin GrandIsle. VisitElmer’s Island WildlifeRefugeand seethe beautifultractofbarrier beachfront locatedonthe southwestern tipofJeffersonParish. At theeastend of GrandIsle, visitthe pristine beachesofGrand Isle StatePark, which include a400-foot fishingpier,naturetrailsand overnight camping.

Fishing

Fishingisayear-roundadventure in JeffersonParishand with generous limits, therewillbeplenty to bringhome. Whethersaltwater or fresh—Jeffersonhas theperfect fishingholefor you. Bass, speckled troutand catfish arebountiful betweenApril andJune.Don’t have aboatorareel? No problem! Hire an experiencedcharter boat captionfor thetripofalifetime.

Parks

JeffersonParishishometothe BaratariaPreserveofJeanLafitte National Historical Park andtwo stateparks, GrandIsleand Bayou Segnette.

TheBarataria Preserve features beautifulnaturetrails, birdingtrails anda visitorcenterfeaturing akids’ activity center, aJuniorRanger program, abookstore,and more.Guidedtours areoffered.

Just a30-minutedrive from NewOrleans,Bayou Segnette StatePark has camping, boating, fishing, canoeing, picnicking,playgrounds,and swimminginthe wave pool,aswellasanecosystemthatoffersyou thechancetospotplants, trees, andwildlifefrombothswampsand marshland. Sixteen floating cabins on thecanal adjacenttoBayou Segnette include twobedrooms, afull kitchen, aliving/diningarea, anda screened-in porchoverlooking thecanal.

GrandIsleState Park features thelastwildbeach in Louisianaalong with greatlocal fishing. Thepier is theonlyone in Louisianathat extends into theGulf- a900-foot-long public fishingpier with a nearby fish-cleaningstation. Thecamping area features 49 campsites with anearbybathhouse with runningwater andanadjacent dump station. Thereare threemiles of hiking trails with primebird watching.

Barataria Preserve

Licciardi

Spring TRAVEL GUIDE

Enrich

your Louisiana Travel Experiencewith a UniqueMuseum Visit

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Agreatway to explore thehistory of this region is to visitone of themany living historymuseums or ahistoricalhomes around thestate. TheLSU Rural Life Museum (www.lsu.edu/rurallife), locatedinBaton Rouge, spans25acres andcontains32historicbuildingstotour. Vermilionville, situated in Lafayette, also includes alivinghistory exhibit whereguests cantourseven historic homes andinteract with costumedcraftsmen whoshare demonstrationsand oral histories (bayouvermiliondistrict.org/vermilionville).

SPORTS&CULTUREMUSEUMS

Sports arean importantpartof thestate’s culture, andthe LouisianaSportsHall of Fame &Northwest LouisianaHistory Museum in Natchitochesisanexciting waytowitness themajor role sports have played in Louisianaoverthe years. More information: louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/louisiana-sports-hall-fame-northwestlouisiana-history-museum.

Anotherexemplary avenue to experiencethe cultureofLouisiana is to enjoyavisit to theNew OrleansJazzMuseumatthe OldU.S. Mint whereexhibitscelebrate the influence jazz has hadonthe cultural fabric of theworld.Besuretocatch oneof themanyliveperformancesormasterclasses availableonsite. More information: nolajazzmuseum.org

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

If your travel crew is down forquirky and campyroadside museum attractions, The Bonnie &Clyde Ambush Museum, outside of Shreveport,isaperfect place forapitstop (www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10864). Anotherfascinatingoff-roaddiversion is theAbitaSprings MysteryHouse which is situated on theNorthshoreofLake Pontchartrain. This zany collection of art, arcade games, signage,and toys is a refreshingreminder that oneman’s trashis anotherman’s treasure (abitamysteryhouse. com).

TheBonnie &Clyde Ambush Museum –Gibsland

TheNational WWII Museum tells the story of the American experienceinthe warthat changed the world.

HISTORY MUSEUMS

TheCabildo,a legendary government buildingwhichhostedthe transfer ceremonies of theLouisiana Purchasein 1803, is amust-see museum foranyone visiting theFrenchQuarter This Louisiana StateMuseum is locateddirectlybeside theiconic St.Louis Cathedral, andits exhibitseducate visitors on monumental happenings in Louisiana, such as the Battle of NewOrleans.Moreinformation: louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/ cabildo

On theother side of theSt. Louis Cathedral, an equallyelegant Spanish colonial building, knownasthe Presbytère, also opensits doorstothose interested in learningmoreabout NewOrleans.Exhibits

ART MUSEUMS

centeronthe culturalphenomenonof MardiGras, as well as theeffects Hurricane Katrinahad on thecity. More information: louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/ presbytere

At TheNationalWorld WarIIMuseum in downtown NewOrleans,visitorscan immerse themselves in theAmerican experience of WorldWar II. With multimediaexhibits, stirring films, andlive performances, this iconic museum allows guests to experience themusic, fashion, andhistory of the1940s in aunique and all-encompassingway.Moreinfo: www nationalww2museum.org.

Agreat waytoexplore thehistory of this region is to visitone of themanyliving historymuseumsorahistoricalhomes

around thestate. TheLSU RuralLife Museum (www.lsu.edu/rurallife), located in BatonRouge,spans 25 acres andcontains 32 historic buildings to tour.Vermilionville, situated in Lafayette, also includes aliving historyexhibit whereguests cantourseven historic homesand interactwithcostumed craftsmen whoshare demonstrationsand oral histories (bayouvermiliondistrict.org/ vermilionville).

TheWhitney Plantation features a historical home andhas solidified itsplace in southLouisiana as amuseum dedicated to educatingthe public aboutthe history andlegacies of slaveryinthe United States. More information: whitneyplantation.org.

TheOgden Museum of Art(ogdenmuseum.org)and theNew Orleans Museum of Art(noma.org)curate interestingand informative art collectionsthattreat guests to southern-focused art, as well as artfrom around theworld.Right next door to the NewOrleans Museum of Art, andalsowithin theperimeter of NewOrleans City Park,are theBesthoff SculptureGarden (noma.org/besthoff-sculpture-garden), andthe LouisianaChildren’s Museum (lcm.org).

If you find yourself roamingthrough theAcadianaregion, don’tmissout on theHillardArt Museum (hilliardmuseum.org), locatedinLafayette, or theAlexandriaMuseum of Art(themuseum.org).

Kimberly Ha, AFamily Affair,2022 Hoa Tay(FlowerHands)

Southern Artists of the Vietnamese Diaspora- Ogden Museum

RileyHal Burriss, Don’sBar –Regal Beer,1945

Crescent Cityscapes Collection -Ogden Museum

KnuteHeldner,French Quarter Rooftops, 1923

Crescent Cityscapes Collection -Ogden Museum

Drummer Baby Dodds -The New OrleansJazz Museumcollection is the largestand mostcomprehensive ofits kind in the world.

Kayaking

Paddleon

ThePerfect Blend of Adventure, Fitness, and Serenity –Plus the BestSpots to Paddle in Louisiana

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Whether you’re lookingfor apeaceful waytoconnect with nature,anintense workout, or an exciting adventure, kayaking offerssomething foreveryone. Here’s why kayaking is such agreat activity.

AFull-Body Workout with LowImpact

Kayaking is an excellentformofexercisethatengages multiple muscle groups. Paddlingworks your arms,shoulders, andbackwhile engaging your core forstability.Atthe same time,yourlegs help controlbalance andmovement. Unlike high-impact activities like running,kayakingis gentle on thejoints, making it agreat optionfor people whowanttostay activewithout riskinginjury. Plus,the resistance of thewater addsan extrachallenge,helping to buildstrengthand endurance.

AFun and Accessible WaytoExploreNature

No matter whereyou arepaddling, kayaking provides aunique perspectivethatyou can’tget from land.It’safantastic waytosee wildlife, from birdsand fish to dolphinsand seaturtles. Because kayakingisrelativelyeasytolearn,it’sanaccessibleway forpeopleof allagestoenjoy thegreat outdoors.

AGreat WaytoRelieve Stress

Spendingtimeonthe waterhas been shown to reduce stress and promotementalwell-being. Therhythmic motion of paddling, the soundofwater lappingagainst thekayak,and thefresh airall contribute to acalmingexperience.Whether you’re paddlingalone forsome quiet reflection or with friends forasocialouting, kayaking provides a refreshingescapefromthe hustle andbustleofeverydaylife.

Places

TO KAYAK INLOUISIANA

BayouSt. John, NewOrleans: An easy andscenic paddle with viewsofhistorichomes,parks, andwildlife. Thecalm watersmakeitagreat spot forbeginners, andkayak rentalsare available nearby

HoneyIsland Swamp, Slidell: Paddle throughcypress and tupelo treesdrapedinSpanish moss whilespottingalligators, egrets,and turtles. Guided eco-toursare availablefor thosewho wanttolearn more aboutthe ecosystem.

Atchafalaya Basin, South Louisiana: With itsmaze of bayous,lakes, andcypress forests, it offersa trulywildand remote paddlingexperience.Wildlifesightings include alligators, otters andbaldeagles.

Bogue Chitto River,Franklinton: This scenic riverwinds throughsandy banks, rollinghills,and lush forests. Thegentle currentmakes it greatfor beginners, andseveral outfittersoffer kayak rentalsand shuttle services.

Cane Bayou, Mandeville: Abeautiful,quiet paddle from Fontainebleau StateParktoLakePontchartrain. You’ll see diversewildlife, including osprey,deer, andturtles. Thetripends with stunningviews of thelake.

Ready to test the waters?

BayouAdventure offersself-servekayak rentals. (www.bayouadventure.com).

Unplug& Unwind

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LOUISIANA

CARE IN THE AIR

BY MARGARET DELANEY

Staff writer

Zachary Dubroc thought he wanted to be a registered nurse. But, after pivoting to emergency medical technician school and working in emergency services, Dubroc found where he wanted to be taking care of patients in the air

Acadian Air Med, founded in 1981, operates a fleet of 13 medically configured helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft from bases throughout Louisiana.

The aircraft can be used to transport patients with major trauma, post-cardiac arrest, severe illness, surgical emergencies and more. Patients who require a high level of care during transport often take the helicopter and team to facilities in New Orleans, Houston or even as far as Tennessee.

Dubroc, who is both a registered nurse and paramedic, regularly commutes to air bases across the state for air med ﬂights.

“I worked in Lake Charles yesterday, Lafayette today and tomorrow I’ll work in Houma and Hammond,” Dubroc said. “I kind of live in the middle of the state, so I just drive where I’m needed.”

There are 86 people employed at Acadian Air Med including in-flight paramedics, in-flight registered nurses and staff members. Each flight has a pilot (a separate group provided by Metro Aviation), a flight paramedic

Paramedic, nurse discuss new technologies and healing in the sky

helicopter air

and a ﬂight registered nurse. When he’s not at an air base, or driving to an air base, Dubroc clocks in hours at an emergency room and ICU.

“A lot of the knowledge is the same,” Dubroc said of his experience in both hospital and emergency settings.

“Out in the ﬁeld, it’s very unorganized chaos, where the hospital is more organized chaos in the way they operate.”

Joseph Sanchez, a paramedic with air med, compared arriving to an emergency situation in a helicopter to a duck treading water

It’s important for the air med team to display a calm manner on the surface, according to Sanchez, even

when they recognize the severity of the situation.

“When we land in our helicopter, we are assuming control and command of the entire scene,” Sanchez said. “Everyone’s going to look up to you, and your demeanor is going to be contagious to the rest of the scene.”

Both the paramedic and registered nurse bring “unique skills” to the scene, according to Sanchez

Paramedics with Acadian Air Med typically have previous experience with 911 calls or treating patients in moving ambulances as an EMT skills that prepare them for new scenes and situations.

Nurses bring ICU experi-

ence, clinical knowledge and a better understanding of long-term care.

“A paramedic wants to make sure the patient stays stable enough to get to the hospital or facility,” Sanchez said. “A nurse is more likely to look at how the patient will react three or four hours later.”

According to Sanchez, part of the job is learning how to read people, especially regarding those who might be afraid of ﬂying or have a fear of small spaces.

“Before we get to the aircraft, we’ll talk with the patients and let them know the

Experts rethink 98.6 degrees

Researchers

BY AVERY NEWMARK

For seemingly forever, we’ve been told 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the standard for a normal body temperature. However, recent studies suggest that the number may be outdated.

According to research, the average body temperature has dropped to around 97.9, with variations based on age, health conditions and even race and gender The discussion gained traction recently when a viral TikTok video questioned whether 99.1 should count as a fever It turns out, they have a point.

The idea that 98.6 degrees is “normal” comes from 19th-century German physician Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich, who took more than a million temperature readings and set the standard. But that was nearly 200 years ago, and our bodies and the world have changed.

“We are not the same people that we were in the middle of the 19th century,” Dr Julie Parsonnet, the George DeForest Professor of Medicine and a public health researcher at Stanford Medicine, told USA Today

A 2017 Harvard Medical School study analyzed data from more than 35,000 patients and found the average body temperature is 97.9, ranging from 97.2 to 98.4.

The study also found body temperature varies by age, gender and medical conditions. Older adults tend to run cooler, African American women the warmest, and older White men the coolest. People with hypothyroidism often have lower temperatures, while those with cancer or higher BMIs tend to run warmer

The decline in body temperature is most likely linked to improvements in health and lifestyle, according to a 2020 study published in the open-access journal eLife.

In the 19th century, people faced more infections, harsh living conditions, and limited medical care, which kept their immune systems constantly active — raising their internal temperatures. Thanks to modern medicine, our bodies no longer have to work as hard to ﬁght off disease, allowing temperatures to drop slightly

“Physiologically we’re just different from what we were in the past,” Parsonnet said in a news release. “The environment that we’re living in has changed, including the temperature in our homes, our contact with microorganisms and the food that we have access to.”

Doctors traditionally deﬁne a fever as 100.4 or higher But if your normal temperature is lower, even 99.1 might make you feel unwell. Instead of focusing on one number,

See FEVER, page 2X

STAFF PHOTOS BY BRAD BOWIE

Flight Nurse Zachary Dubroc, left, and Flight Paramedic Joseph Sanchez, stand on March 6 at Acadiana Air Med’s helicopter air base in Lafayette.

Flight Nurse Zachary Dubroc discusses transporting patients in a helicopter at Acadiana Air Med’s

base.

HEALTH MAKER

CEO, La. hospital leader discusses what’s next for state

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

In May 2024, E.J. Kuiper was selected as the president and chief executive ofﬁcer and leader of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System.

Originally from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Kuiper originally intended to be a professional athlete playing soccer in Europe. However, a devastating knee injury halted his sights on competitive sports and kick-started Kuiper’s journey into health care.

Kuiper joined the Louisiana and Gulf Coast team from CommonSpirit Health in the Midwest serving hospitals in Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota.

The FMOL health system includes hospitals all around Louisiana and Mississippi including multiple locations in Acadiana, the greater Baton Rouge area, Northshore, Monroe and Jackson.

What inspired you to pursue a career in health care?

While playing soccer in Holland, I had a signiﬁcant knee injury that caused me to have multiple knee surgeries to stabilize my knee.

I was exposed to a lot of surgeons and team doctors, physical therapists, athletic trainer people that were physical, spiritual and emotional support system.

It was a pretty dark period of time for me because I thought I was going to be able to be a very good athlete in Holland, but it became clear over a period of a year and a half that I wasn’t going to be able to play competitively I really liked the team that surrounded me for those years while I was getting back to myself, so I decided to go back to school and become a physical therapist.

Around my graduation (in 1991), the Hospital Corporation of America was recruiting physical therapists in Holland They brought

in a huge map of the United States with over 200 dots on it. And they said, “We have jobs anywhere.”

I picked Fort Meyers, Florida because of the white beaches and the whole Disney World thing. I thought that I was going to come back to Holland after a year, but then I met my future wife, Patty, who was a nurse in the hospital that I worked at.

We fell in love — and one year turned into never going back.

Three or ﬁve years in, I started getting a little bit frustrated with “suits,” guys in a suit and tie who

were administrators, who I felt at that time were a little disconnected from all of those in the trenches that actually made all the difference.

One day, the CEO took me aside and said, “Hey instead of bringing all these problems to me, maybe you should consider becoming part of the solution.”

While working, I went back to school, and I got my masters and doctoral degrees.

I know I’m a better administrator today because I started in the trenches. I remember what it feels like when you don’t have support from the senior administrator

My job is to remove barriers and seize opportunities for the people that take care of the patients in our communities.

How is Louisiana different from other hospital systems in the country?

I’ve been around the block. I was in Florida. I was in Illinois, and I spent time in the Midwest. There are some differences in state governments, but at the end of the day, it’s always about ﬁnding the best ways to take care of patients.

I think Louisiana is the same. I ﬁnd that there are many many people here in Louisiana that very much care about good health care

outcomes.

I found a lot of people here, across the state, that have the same passion as I do about improving the health of the patients in our communities.

Tell us about new technologies being introduced in the health system.

For our technology advancements, our philosophy is that we want to be on the leading edge, but we don’t want to be on the bleeding edge.

There are really cool things that we’re developing right now that will cut back on the time our clinicians, doctors and nurses have to spend typing notes and documentation.

Documentation is really important in health care for a variety of reasons, but I would much rather have a nurse spend more time directly with the patient than typing up a note.

We are also working on ambient listening devices that pick up the conversations in a cath lab or in surgery The AI systems can pick up those conversations and transition that into a postoperative note for the physician.

That way, instead of having to type up a note for 10 or 15 minutes, the surgeon can look at a pre-written note and would only have to edit it. That’s more time that can be spent with pa-

tients.

What’s next for the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System?

We will have more than a quarter-billion dollars in capital investments that we’re going to recommend to the board over the next several months, which then would cover the next ﬁscal year I fully expect us to make those investments and more. But you stay in health care long enough, you know that the environment tends to change.

One of the things that we do well is we adapt according to the overall environment.

Right now, in D.C., government leaders are contemplating signiﬁcant reductions in Medicaid reimbursement that would have a big impact on health care in Louisiana.

We’re watching it very closely in our meetings on a very regular basis with our legislative leaders like Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson, Rep. Steve Scalise and Gov Jeff Landry We talk to our Louisiana leaders a lot about how important health care is for Louisiana, and the funding aspect is critical.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

As AI nurses reshape hospital care, human nurses push back

BY MATTHEW PERRONE

AP health writer

The next time you’re due for a medical exam you may get a call from someone like Ana: a friendly voice that can help you prepare for your appointment and answer any pressing questions you might have.

With her calm, warm demeanor, Ana has been trained to put patients at ease like many nurses across the U.S. But unlike them, she is also available to chat 24/7, in multiple languages, from Hindi to Haitian Creole.

That’s because Ana isn’t human, but an artificial intelligence program created by Hippocratic AI, one of a number of new companies offering ways to automate time-consuming tasks usually performed by nurses and medical assistants.

It’s the most visible sign of AI’s inroads into health care, where hundreds of hospitals are using increasingly sophisticated computer programs to monitor patients’ vital signs, ﬂag emergency situations and trigger stepby-step action plans for care — jobs that were all previously handled by nurses and other health professionals

Hospitals say AI is helping their nurses work more efﬁciently while addressing burnout and understaffing. But nursing unions argue that this poorly understood technology is overriding nurses’ expertise and degrading the quality of care patients receive.

“Hospitals have been waiting for the moment when they have something that appears to have enough legitimacy to replace nurses,” said Michelle Mahon of National Nurses United. “The entire ecosystem is designed to automate, de-skill and ultimately replace caregivers.” Mahon’s group, the largest nursing union in the U.S., has helped organize more than 20 demonstrations at hospitals across the country, pushing for the right to have say in how AI can be used — and protection from discipline if nurses decide to

disregard automated advice.

The group raised new alarms in January when Robert F. Kennedy Jr the incoming health secretary, suggested AI nurses “as good as any doctor” could help deliver care in rural areas. Hippocratic AI initially promoted a rate of $9 an hour for its AI assistants, compared with about $40 an hour for a registered nurse It has since dropped that language, instead touting its services and seeking to assure customers that they have been carefully tested. The company did not grant requests for an interview

Hospitals have been experimenting for years with technology designed to improve care and streamline costs, including sensors, microphones and motion-sensing cameras. Now that data is being linked with electronic medical records and analyzed in an effort to predict medical problems and direct nurses’ care — sometimes before they’ve evaluated the patient themselves.

Adam Hart was working in the emergency room at Dignity Health in Henderson, Nevada, when the hospital’s

computer system flagged a newly arrived patient for sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection. Under the hospital’s protocol, he was supposed to immediately administer a large dose of IV ﬂuids. But after further examination, Hart determined that he was treating a dialysis patient, or someone with kidney failure. Such patients have to be carefully managed to avoid overloading their kidneys with ﬂuid.

Hart raised his concern with the supervising nurse but was told to just follow the standard protocol Only after a nearby physician intervened did the patient instead begin to receive a slow infusion of IV ﬂuids.

“You need to keep your thinking cap on that’s why you’re being paid as a nurse,” Hart said. “Turning over our thought processes to these devices is reckless and dangerous.”

Hart and other nurses say they understand the goal of AI: to make it easier for nurses to monitor multiple patients and quickly respond to problems. But the reality is often a barrage of false alarms, sometimes errone-

ously flagging basic bodily functions — such as a patient having a bowel movement — as an emergency

“You’re trying to focus on your work but then you’re getting all these distracting alerts that may or may not mean something,” said Melissa Beebe, a cancer nurse at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. “It’s hard to even tell when it’s accurate and when it’s not because there are so many false alarms.”

Even the most sophisticated technology will miss signs that nurses routinely pick up on, such as facial expressions and odors, notes Michelle Collins, dean of Loyola University’s College of Nursing. But people aren’t perfect either “It would be foolish to turn our back on this completely,” Collins said. “We should embrace what it can do to augment our care, but we should also be careful it doesn’t replace the human element.”

More than 100,000 nurses left the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, accord-

ing to one estimate, the biggest stafﬁng drop in 40 years

As the U.S. population ages and nurses retire, the U.S. government estimates there will be more than 190,000 new openings for nurses every year through 2032.

Faced with this trend, hospital administrators see AI ﬁlling a vital role: not taking over care, but helping nurses and doctors gather information and communicate with patients.

At the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, staffers need to make hundreds of calls every week to prepare patients for surgery Nurses conﬁrm information about prescriptions, heart conditions and other issues — like sleep apnea that must be carefully reviewed before anesthesia.

The problem: many patients only answer their phones in the evening, usually between dinner and their children’s bedtime.

“So what we need to do is ﬁnd a way to call several hundred people in a 120-minute

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state. This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on

window — but I really don’t want to pay my staff overtime to do so,” said Dr Joseph Sanford, who oversees the center’s health IT Since January, the hospital has used an AI assistant from Qventus to contact patients and health providers, send and receive medical records and summarize their contents for human staffers. Qventus says 115 hospitals are using its technology, which aims to boost hospital earnings through quicker surgical turnarounds, fewer cancellations and reduced burnout. Each call begins with the program identifying itself as an AI assistant.

“We always want to be fully transparent with our patients that sometimes they are talking to a human and sometimes they’re not,” Sanford said. While companies like Qventus are providing an administrative service, other AI developers see a bigger role for their technology Israeli startup Xoltar specializes in humanlike avatars that conduct video calls with patients. The company is working with the Mayo Clinic on an AI assistant that teaches patients cognitive techniques for managing chronic pain. The company is also developing an avatar to help smokers quit. In early testing, patients spend about 14 minutes talking to the program, which can pickup on facial expressions, body language and other cues, according to Xoltar Nursing experts who study AI say such programs may work for people who are relatively healthy and proactive about their care. But that’s not most people in the health system.

“It’s the very sick who are taking up the bulk of health care in the U.S and whether or not chatbots are positioned for those folks is something we really have to consider,” said Roschelle Fritz of the University of California Davis School of Nursing.

ways to live well. Health editions will also proﬁle people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret. delaney@theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

PROVIDED PHOTO

E.J Kuiper

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NATIONAL NURSES UNITED

cial intelligence in health

Eat Fit LiveFit

Abetterpeanut butter cup: Cut the sugar,savor the ﬂavor

Asindulgencesgo,peanutbuttercupshave alwaysrankedhighamongmyfavorites.It’s justhardtoresistthesweet-and-just-a-bit-ofsaltinessofachocolatepeanutbuttercup,especially aroundEasterandHalloween.

Thebadnewsis,atypicalservingcanpackin20 gramsofaddedsugar,alongwithquestionableingredientslikeTBHQ,afoodpreservative Thegoodnews?Youcanmakeyourownathome. I’llshareadeliciousrecipefromourEatFitCookbook inthesidebarofthiscolumn.Low-carb,glutenfree andvegan,thesedarkchocolatedelightsworkgreat inamuffinpanwithcupcakelinersorinabunny-or Easteregg-shapedsiliconemold.

Ifyou’renotquitereadytogetintocandy-making mode,therearesomegoodpre-packagedalternativesoutthere.Morebrandsaregivinguslow-carb, low-sugarpeanutbuttercupoptions.Youcaneven ﬁndsomethataremadewithothernutbutters

Herearefourbetter-for-youchocolatepeanut buttercupsthatareworthtrying—allofthem gluten-free,grain-freeandlowcarbwithzero addedsugar.

Lily’sPeanutButterCupsaresweetenedwith natural,plant-basedsweetenerserythritolandstevia. Otheringredientsincludeunsweetenedchocolate, cocoabutter,wholemilkpowderandpeanutbutter.

•Pertwomini-cupserving:140calories,3netcarbs, 7gramsﬁber,<1gramsugar,0addedsugar

ChocZeroPeanutButterCupsaresweetenedwith monkfruitandcontaincocoabutter,unsweetened chocolateandpeanuts.Youcanchoosedarkchocolate,milkchocolateorwhitechocolate.

•Pertwomini-cupserving:140calories,3netcarbs, 13gramsﬁber,1gramsugar,0addedsugar

QuestPeanutButterCupsaremadewithwhey proteinisolate,unsweetenedchocolate,cocoabutter, peanutsandnaturalerythritolsweetener.Theyalso containartiﬁcialsweetenersucralose(Splenda).Althoughmyusualrecommendationistoavoidartiﬁcial sweeteners,IjusthadtoincludeQuestPeanutButter Cupsbecausetheyaresuchacrowdpleaserasa low-sugaralternative.

•Percup:100calories,<1gramnetcarb,2grams ﬁber,0gramsugar,0addedsugar EvolvedAlmondButterCupsaremadewith organicalmonds,cacao,cacaobutter,pinkseasalt andmonkfruit.

•Percup:100calories,2netcarbs,5gramsﬁber, 1gramsugar,0addedsugar

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonproﬁtinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THE NUMBERS

SaltedDarkChocolatePeanutButterCups

Makes12peanutbuttercups

Forthechocolatecoating

•¾cupcoconutoil,melted

•¾cupunsweetenedcocoapowder

•¼cup+2tablespoonsSwerveConfectioners

Forthepeanutbutterﬁlling

•½cupno-sugar-addedcreamypeanutbutter*

•¼cupcacaobutter,melted

•¼cupSwerveConfectioners

•1½teaspoonsseasalt

Inamuffinpan,placelinersinto12cups.Setaside.

Preparethechocolatecoating:Whisktogethermeltedcoconut oil,cocoapowderandSwerveinamediumbowl.Spoon1 tablespoonofthechocolatemixtureintoeachmuffinliner. Freezefor5minutesoruntilmixtureisnolongershinyontop.

Makethepeanutbutterﬁlling:Whisktogetherpeanutbutter, meltedcacaobutter,Swerveandseasaltuntilcombined.Ifit seizesup,microwavefor10seconds.

Removemuffinpanfromfreezerandadd1tablespoonofpeanut buttermixturetothefrozenchocolatecoating.Returnpanto freezerfor5-10minutes.

Aftermixturehasset,removepanfromfreezerandadd½ tablespoonoftheremainingchocolatemixturetoeachcup, coveringthepeanutbutterlayer.Freezefor5-10minutesuntil completelyfrozen.Storeinfridgeorfreezerinanairtight containerandbesuretoletfrozencupssoftenforafew minutesbeforeserving.

Perserving(1peanutbuttercup):240calories,24gramsfat,15 gramssaturatedfat(nearlyallplant-based),240mgsodium,13 gramscarbohydrate(2gramsnetcarbs),3gramsﬁber,<1gram sugar(0addedsugar),4gramsprotein

*Thesechocolatetreatsareequallydeliciouswhenmadewithalmond butter,cashewbutterorsunﬂowerseedbutter.

LOUISIANA IN TOP FIVE STATES WITH HIGHEST

CANCER RATES

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

Louisiana has higher cancer rates than the national average.According to the American Cancer Society, the age-adjusted cancer incidence rate in Louisiana from 2017 to 2021 was 483.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 444.4 per 100,000 nationally

Out of 64 Louisiana parishes, only Orleans, Concordia and Lincoln parishes had less than the national average cancer incidence rate per 100,000.

Lincoln had the lowest rate of cancer cases in the state with 421.8

per 100,000 followed by Concordia (431.7 per 100,000), Orleans (434.1 per 100,000), St. John the Baptist (458.2 per 100,000) and St. Helena (461.4 per 100,000).

The parishes with the highest cancer incidence rates in Louisiana include:

n Iberville with 586.4 per 100,000

n Cameron with 579.7 per 100,000

n St. Landry with 542.3 per 100,000

n Vermillion with 537 per 100,000

n St. James with 533.5 per 100,0000

Louisiana ranks 46th in the nation for cancer incidence rates per 100,000, according to the National Cancer Institute — a lower ranking compared to the state’s neighbors (Mississippi at 39th,Arkansas at 25th and Texas at 11th).

line the tunnel of the helicopter with no space left untouched.

ceiling is gonna be six inches above their face,” Dubroc said. “And we’re gonna be right there with them.”

With children, air med has an extra seat in the front for a parent to accompany them to the hospital or secondary facility

“We try everything we can to bring them,” Sanchez said. “But some of what we do is weight-based as well, so we take all of that into account along with the pilot.”

In each helicopter, the “tunnel” (the back of the aircraft) is stocked with the latest emergency technology However, with seats for two medical personnel and a patient in a gurney, space is limited All of the equipment must be compact. Bungee cords holding EKGs in place, nets ﬁtting emergency equipment to the inside walls and efficiently packed med kits

On board each flight, there are cardiac monitoring tools, ventilators that ﬁt both adults and babies, med pumps that provide fluids to patients, a video laryngoscope, blood and blood warmers for transfusions and a mechanical CPR machine.

When in ﬂight, a patient’s nose is typically six inches away from the ceiling of the helicopter That leaves little space for the paramedic and nurse to provide CPR if necessary while in the air

The CPR technology places a backboard below the patient and mechanically squeezes the patient’s chest.

“Every year, we try to update something,” Sanchez said. In 2018, the fleet added blood transfusion capabilities to its helicopters. Now, all operational air med aircraft are equipped with two units of blood at all times. Sanchez treated a young adult after a crash on the way to work. The patient was trapped under the vehicle with a pelvic fracture and had lost a lot of blood.

“When we got there, the patient was already in hemorrhagic shock,” Sanchez said. “Being able to have that blood and administer the units while he’s trapped inside of the vehicle, I believe, gave him the extra little bump he needed.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

“Studies show that in an ambulance going down the road, efﬁciency doing CPR drops by 60% or 40%,” Dubroc said. “So in the helicopter, where we have less room to do CPR, we can use the board that does CPR way more efﬁciently than we can.” Each quarter the team gets together to look at new technologies — or different sized technologies — to add to the tunnel.

STAFF PHOTO BY BRAD BOWIE

Aircraft mechanic Brandon David performs routine maintenance on a helicopter on March 6 at Acadiana Air Med’s helicopter air base in Lafayette.

BRO UGHT TO YO UB Y Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

PhotobyTeddieTaylor

gut

Dietandnutrition:Aimforahighvarietyofplant-basedfoods eachweek,includingnuts,seedsandherbs.Youshouldmaintain ahigh-ﬁberdietforyourbestguthealthwhilestillenjoying deliciousfoods.ConsideraMediterranean-styledietwithacolorful assortmentoffruitsandvegetablesalongwithwholegrainsand legumestosupportyourgut.

Sleepandstresscontrol:Prioritizegoodsleepandstresscontrol. Stressaffectsthegutthroughthenervoussystem, somanagestressforbetterhealth.Andaim forseventoninehoursofsleepevery nighttoletyourbodyrepair.

Exercise:Aimfor150minutesof moderateintensityexerciseeach week,likebriskwalking,light cycling,dancing,gardeningor playingwiththekids.

Supplements:Supportyour guthealthwithprobiotics(live bacteriafoundincertainfoods) anddigestiveenzymes.Probiotics addgoodbacteria,whileenzymes helpdigestfood.FoodslikeGreek yogurt,kimchiandkombuchacontain probiotics.Alwaystalktoyourdoctorbefore startingsupplementstoensurethey’resafe.

Stayhydrated:Drinkplentyof watertoaidwithdigestionand keepyourgutlininghealthy. Thissupportsthebalanceof goodbacteriathatregulate yourbowelmovements, preventconstipationand breakdownfoods.

Reduceharmfulhabits: Quitsmokingandcutback onalcoholtoimprovegut health.Regularlydrinking alcoholcanirritatethegut andinﬂametheintestines (gastritis).TheOchsner SmokingCessationProgramand challengeslikeOchsnerEatFit AlcoholFreefor40canhelpkeep youmotivatedtomakehealthy choices.VisitOchsner.org/quitto learnaboutfreesmokingcessation services.JointheAlcoholFreefor40 grouponFacebookforsupportand inspiration.

Managefoodsensitivities:Some peopleexperiencefoodsensitivities tothingslikeglutenordairy.Theymay notbefull-blownallergies,butfood sensitivitiescanstillaffecthowyou feel.Ifyoususpectyoumayhavea sensitivity,talktoyourdoctorabout testingortrydietarychanges.

Wehumanshavetrillionsoftinyorganismsliving insideourintestines.Mostlybacteria,collectively theyarereferredtoasthe“gutmicrobiome.”These bacteriaandothermicroorganismsarekey toguthealth.Theyhelpdigestfood, keepourimmunesystemincheckand protectusfromdisease.

Aproperbalanceoftheseorganisms cancreategoodguthealth.An imbalanceincreasestheriskofgut diseases,likeinﬂammatorybowel diseaseandirritablebowelsyndrome, cardiovasculardisease,Type2diabetes, obesityandotherhealthproblems.

Turnsout,thephrase“trustyourgut”ismorethanjustaﬁgureofspeech. Scientiﬁcresearchhasmadeclearthatourfoodchoicesaffectourmood, cognitivefunctionandmentalwell-being.

Ahealthygutmicrobiomecankeeptheintestinalliningstrong,protectagainst harmfulgermsandreduceinﬂammation.Healthybacteriaintheguthelp absorbnutrientsandsendsignalstothebrain,promotingbetterbrainfunction andemotionalhealth.

Dietisthekeyincontrollingharmfulinflammation.Foodshighinrefined sugarsandprocessedingredientscanincreaseinflammationand oxidativestress,harmingbrainfunctionandworseningmood disorders.Thebestfoodsforbrainandoverallhealthinclude fruitsandvegetables,healthyfats,wholegrains,leanproteins andfermentedfoods.

Changingeatinghabitscanbeachallenge,especiallyinsouth Louisianawherefoodissuchabigpartoftheculture.Hereare afewtipsforintroducingabrain-healthdiet.

Tweak your diet for better brain health

Startsmall:Makethetransitiontoabrain-healthydiet manageablebyslowlyincorporatingmorenutrient-dense foodsandreducingprocessedandreﬁnedsugars overtime.

Stayhydrated:Drinkplentyofwaterthroughoutthe day,ashydrationisimportantforcognitivefunction.

Mindfuleating:Payattentiontohowdifferentfoods makeyoufeel.Thisawarenesscanhelpyoumake moreinformeddietarychoices.

Balancedmeals:Tosupportbrainfunction,aim forbalancedmealswithhealthyfats,proteinsand complexcarbs.Complexcarbohydratesaresugar moleculesthatbreakdownslowly,providing steadyenergyandstabilizingbloodsugarlevels.

Consistenteatingschedule:Trytoeatmeals aroundthesametimeeachdaytomaintain steadybloodsugarlevels,whichcanhelp preventmoodswingsandenergydips.

LOUISIANA

LIBRARY LIFESTYLE

New Orleans library builds ‘Read and Ride’ youth program

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

When the New Orleans Public Library staff and stakeholders developed their 10-year strategic plan in 2021, the goal was to cultivate a “library lifestyle” for all New Orleanians by redefining the library’s role and offerings. However residents were still grappling with intermittent pandemic-related closures, along with limited access to transportation — obstacles that impacted those who stood to beneﬁt the most from library services: young people.

“Talking with teens inside and outside the library and reading the newspapers, we were hearing from all sides that transportation was a barrier for teens to get to the library, and we wanted to eliminate this,” said Amy Wander, head of youth programming.

Inspired by similar programs at other libraries, Wander pitched to the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library a free bus pass program, operated on the honor system, to help kids get to all 15 library branches.

“One of the words Amy said was ‘independent,’” recalled Shannan Cvitanovic, executive director of Friends of the NOPL. “When you are young and trying to assert your independence, coming to the library is a safe way to do that.”

The “Read and Ride” pilot program launched in summer 2022 with funding from the United Way, Baptist Community Ministries and the Friends of the NOPL. Each youth gets one pass per visit, and passes are good for unlimited RTA bus, ferry or streetcar rides citywide for 24 hours after ﬁrst use.

“I don’t have to ask my mom for a ride, so it lets me be more independent, which I like a lot,” said Read and Ride participant Ocean Hamilton.

Nearly three years later, the program is “a well-loved offering,” Wander said.

Funded by Friends of the NOPL’s donations, grants and used book sales, passes cost $1 each. Busier branches may distribute 40 passes per month, said Wander, and the library is reviewing data to identify areas of greatest need

“What started as a summer pilot program ended up being a year-round endeavor,” said Cvitanovic.

Librarians distributed between 800

staffers have observed heavy use at library branches located near schools — especially in the Lower 9th Ward, at Dr Martin Luther King Jr Charter School for Science and Technology, which is a short walk from the library’s Martin Luther King Branch at 1611 Fats Domino Ave.

Making the amazing choice

In the television show “Amazing Race,” contestants compete in teams of two to race around the world, making pitstops at a variety of locales with the last team to arrive usually being eliminated.

I was a faithful watcher of the show for years as it was the perfect intersection of my wanderlust and love of games. Years ago, I even sent in an audition tape with my youngest brother Sadly, we never got the call.

Each season, the random cast of characters travels to a variety of foreign cities where they must compete tasks, one being deciding between two so-called “Detours,” that involve different skills or challenges. The decision on which task to do lies solely with the team The Detours usually have creative, catchy names. Examples include: n Sleds or beds in Sweden: Sleds required athleticism as they had to race down a mountain on TechSleds in less than one minute and 58 seconds. Beds was all about craftsmanship, dexterity and attention to detail. Teams had to build a traditional Sami dwelling, called a goahti, along with furnishing it with furs and a ﬁre pit.

n Mix Master or Master Mix in Malaysia: Contestants could either choose to be a DJ and learn to scratch on a DJ table to impress a DJ and his crowd or stack seven cocktail glasses into a two-tier pyramid and carefully pour out different colored cocktails into every glass at the same time to avoid mixing the contents in the SkyBar on the 32nd ﬂoor of the Traders Hotel in Kuala Lumpur n Shake Your Booty or Shake Your Pan in Burkina Faso. Contestants could choose Shake Your Booty to impress three local judges with their dance moves. Or they could pan for gold using the traditional methods of Burkina Faso.

When I used to watch the show regularly when the teams would stand quietly deciding which of the tasks to tackle, I would often shout instructions at the television. My message was always clear

“Choose the fun one!” I would ﬁrst yell.

Followed by “Choose the one that calls out to you!”

Then I would shake my head and mumble something along the lines of, “Don’t be lured thinking that because the other task seems harder that there’s some righteousness to it that is going to earn you extra points.”

When it came time to do this or that to get to the next place, there were never any points for doing the more difﬁcult thing. After watching the show for years, I was convinced that there was no favor in picking the difﬁcult or tedious task, which players seemed to occasionally choose because they were convinced there had to be a catch.

and 1,000 passes to youths in 2024

“Once word got out, it got bigger and more popular,” Wander said

“Now it is more popular than it has been. Some branches have their regulars.”

Read and Ride passes aren’t attached to users’ library cards or accounts, which makes it difﬁcult to track reading habits or areas of greatest use. However, anecdotally Wander said library

“We have found that this is very popular at branches near schools. Those kids weren’t able to stay at libraries (before Read and Ride),” Wander said. “They had to get on the school bus and go home.” Now, those students can read, use the computers or do research at their leisure without being tied to a school bus

I couldn’t help but think of “The Amazing Race” last week as I read contemporary philosopher Laurie Ann Paul’s report, ”When New Experience Leads to New Knowledge: A Computational Framework for Formalizing Epistemically Transformative Experiences.” It may not be a title that rolls off the tongue for nonacademics like myself, but the subject matter fascinates me still. (Paul wrote the report with Joan Ongchoco, Isaac Davis and Julian Jara-Ettinger.)

In the simplest of terms, the

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY MISSY WILKINSON

Shannan Cvitanovic executive director of Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, and Amy Wander head of youth programming at the New Orleans Public Library recently show off Read and Ride passes outside the NOPD’s Mid-City branch at 4140 Canal St.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Giovanni, a library user who asked not

LIBRARY

Continued from page 2Y

schedule. Read and Ride’s success laid the groundwork for a similar pilot program for young adults.

The “Opportunity Pass,” supported by a $2.5 million allocation from American Rescue Plan funds approved by the New Orleans City Council in 2023, provides unlimited RTA rides for youth ages 16 to 24.

RISHER

Continued from page 2Y

report is about new experiences leading to new knowledge. It immediately made me think of “The Amazing Race.” She has written a lot about transformative experiences, something that “teaches you something new, something that you could not have known before having the experience, while also changing you as a person.”

Unlike the “Amazing Race Detour”-style options, she has focused on situations when life offers two distinct choices, where one of the options offers a radically new experience with implications that can’t be understood in advance. Such as:

n Deciding to become a parent or remaining childless?

n Taking the new job and relocating my family or stay with the tried and true?

we approach the crossroads that major life decisions offer?

“I like to think they saw what Amy was doing (with Read and Ride) and were spurred on by that success,” said Cvitanovic, who calls Wander “the teen whisperer.”

Wander said she’s seen higher teen engagement in the library since launching the program, and she’s glad there’s greater access to programming and re-

sources that can help set a child on a new career path, do research online, or just hang out with like-minded peers.

“It’s a great resource that I think more people should know about,” said Read and Ride participant Christopher Washington.

n Marrying this person or exploring another possibility?

n Changing careers? Going into this ﬁeld or that one?

n Going to college here or going there? The question for us mere mortals is: How do

Our information is incomplete. We can’t answer all the what-ifs? We don’t know what choosing one path over the other will bring or how we will change as we face the consequences. Sometimes, even pragmatic pros and cons lists can’t provide an absolute obvious best choice. Rather than wearing ourselves out debating the unknowable consequences, Paul explores reframing our thinking not approaching the choice itself with set expectations but approaching the new experience to make discoveries about the experience itself, instead of being focused on one of the possibilities being the better choice. As in, via my meager interpretation, don’t stress so much about which path to pick. Just pick a good path and make the most of it. And if you’re still struggling as to which path to pick do the one that seems like it would be the most fun or would sync the best with who you know yourself to be.

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

STAFF FILE PHOTO

CHRIS GRANGER

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER

A person walks to the entrance of the New Orleans Public Library’s Main Branch on Loyola Avenue in New Orleans on Aug. 18, 2023. The Library offers a ‘Read and Ride’ pilot program for local youth, who get one pass per visit, and passes are good for unlimited RTA bus, ferry or streetcar rides citywide for 24 hours after first use.

Brierre, MD

Eunice musician continues to build Acadian accordions

Cajun preserves the culture he loves

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Marc Savoy is a Louisiana legend

not only in Eunice but around the world He has dedicated his life to preserving the Cajun culture through making instruments, holding jam sessions and maintaining a music store in Eunice for almost 60 years. He began building accordions as a hobby in 1960, opened up Savoy Music Center in 1966 and is still building today His son Joel joined the business six years ago.

Marc Savoy and his wife, Ann, raised their four children in Eunice, and all of them play at least one instrument and speak their native French. The family performs together as the Savoy Family Cajun Band.

In 2021, Marc Savoy’s book, “Made in Louisiana The Story of The Acadian Accordion” was released and published by UL Press.

Can you tell me how you got interested in the accordion and Cajun music?

The stimulus that inspired me to pursue music wasn’t a performance. It actually had nothing to do with music. It was my love for my family and for the people around me that made me want to do what they did farming, raising animals, gardening and family gatherings.

One day I heard these people playing music, and I was hooked for life, not because I had a particular interest in ﬁddles and accordions but rather because these were the instruments they were playing.

I was about 5 years old when I ﬁrst heard my grandfather playing music on his ﬁddle, and I remember being so excited that I started laughing uncontrollably. When my parents realized how excited I would always get when I heard my family and neighbors playing music, they organized a house dance on Christmas Eve.

I remember being so focused on the folks making the music that night that I totally forgot about

Santa Claus. The social fabric that developed from these house dances was, for me, a very secure, comfortable and warm environment.

When I became of age, I enjoyed attending the local Saturday night Cajun dance halls to listen to the music, especially to the accordion, but being a musician in a band wasn’t anything that ever had much attraction for me.

I did eventually join a band, but after about a year, I realized that I wanted to pursue music in a different context. My discontent also coincided with a big change that I felt could become an enormous shot of adrenaline for Cajun culture — the 1964 Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, had just discovered Cajun music.

When the Eunice Playboys, the ﬁrst Cajun group to be invited to this very prestigious festival, returned to Louisiana and told me about the fantastic reception they had received, I had a premonition that the word “Cajun“ would now become a word with a whole new image.

How do you preserve Cajun culture in your own life and in your community?

After Newport, I was so optimistic that the word “Cajun” would

eventually circle the globe, I decided to open a center founded upon preserving the culture I loved. Although my parents and their ancestors were all rice farmers, I never had an interest in much of anything else unless it was connected to the music of my heritage.

One day it dawned upon me that possibly I could combine both farming and music together I opened the doors to Savoy Music Center in 1966 in the middle of a cotton field. I wanted my music center to be known that I specialized in Cajun instruments for Cajuns. I wanted a center where the older generation French-speaking Cajuns and Creoles could come and feel comfortable speaking their language and playing their music When it was discovered that I respected and honored this older generation for maintaining their heritage, this information spread like wildﬁre.

The 56-year-old jam session that happens here every Saturday morning slowly began by offering these old-timers an opportunity to

play their music. Visitors say that the jam session is reminiscent of an old-time house dance.

What is the significance of the Saturday jam sessions at the Music Center?

From a business point of view, I would hope that my efforts have helped other people realize that heritage and success cannot only coexist, but can do so to a much greater extent with heritage.

Culturally, I would hope that my efforts have demonstrated to others that visitors come to Louisiana not for the purpose of seeing things that are All-American, but rather to experience everything that is natural and organic about Acadiana. I would hope that my feeble efforts have encouraged a sensibility of community Can you share more about your family and their talents?

In my 50 years of traveling the world playing Cajun music, the best thing that ever happened to me was meeting a young girl from Richmond, Virginia, who was also interested in doing the same thing I was doing, and she wanted to do those things with me. She was a beautiful jazz guitarist and pho-

tographer who spoke French ﬂuently Ann and I married in 1976. As our four children were growing up, after dinner time, instead of watching TV with the children, Ann and I would take a musical instrument and play a few tunes while the kids were at our feet coloring in their coloring books or playing with toys.

Joel, our oldest son, was the ﬁrst in the family to express an interest in playing an instrument himself. One day he asked me if he could play my ﬁddle. I told him he was welcome to play it but to treat it with care and respect — and also not to ask me for any information about how to play it because I wasn’t going to help him get started. If he had passion, he wouldn’t need any help from me. Today I am very proud of the fact that all four of our children play music and speak their native French.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY BRAD BOWIE

A banner featuring Chris Stafford’s image is seen between Joel Savoy, left, and Linzay Young as Festival Acadiens et Creoles kicks off with a 50th Anniversary Revue including special guests Marc Savoy & Family on Oct. 12 in Girard Park.

FILE PHOTO BY ROBIN MAY Marc Savoy has a smile on his face while playing with his family when the Savoy Family Band performs during Festivals Acadiens et Creoles on March 20, 2022, in Lafayette.

FAITH & VALUES

New Age music is experiencing a revival among Gen Z

FIONA MURPHY

Contributing writer

Imagine you are walking into a spa, and you are likely to hear an immersive soundscape of soft harmonies, resonant tones and gentle textures submerging your senses.

You are experiencing New Age music, a genre designed to promote relaxation, mindfulness and internal healing. Nonmelodic compositions featuring soft piano notes, delicate harp scales, the shimmering chimes of crystal bowls and ambient synthesizers characterize the genre.

Often labeled as “spa music,” New Age has experienced a resurgence in recent years, gaining popularity alongside the rise of wellness culture and spirituality and a decline in organized religious participation, especially among younger generations. And while overcoming religious backlash was a challenge New Age artists and producers faced when the genre ﬁrst gained traction about 50 years ago, today artiﬁcial intelligence poses a new threat

“I feel like we live in a society where we are bombarded by stimuli all of the time, especially if you have social media,” said Ava Rian Buckler, a 25-year-old former professional astrologer who now does creative consulting in Indiana.

Rian Buckler was diagnosed with attention deﬁcit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, which makes her mind particularly restless, she said. Around 2018, she began feeling increasingly overwhelmed, so she decided to delete her social media accounts and came across New Age music online.

“Listening to healing vibrations, I felt like my attention was coming back to me,” she said. “I felt like my energy was coming back to me.”

Rian Buckler describes herself as deeply spiritual rather than religious, having grown up in a nondogmatic Christian household. She often listens to New Age music at a low volume while she sleeps because she said she believes that’s when her subconscious is most receptive to its therapeutic properties. According to HowMusicCharts com, some of the genre’s most notable artists, such as Brian Eno, Laraaji and Steven Halpern, have seen a renewed interest over the past 15 years. Dozens of YouTube channels created in the last several years dedicated to healing sound vibrations have gained millions of subscribers. And in the broader study and relaxation music category,

New Age music has experienced a resurgence in recent years, gaining popularity alongside the rise of wellness culture and spirituality and a decline in organized religious participation.

LoFi Girl, a 24/7 livestream of lo-fi beats, has become one of YouTube’s most-viewed channels, amassing 14 million subscribers since posting its first “easy-listening” video five years ago.

“The thing that I’m really proud of is that we’ve managed to normalize (New Age) and make it part of what young people think of as music as opposed to being something that’s like sort of music with an asterisk,” said Douglas Mcgowan, a Grammy-nominated music producer and owner of Yoga Records, a Los Angeles-based label dedicated to preserving and promoting New Age music and other niche genres.

Yoga Records is known for its archival work and has played a key role in reintroducing classic New Age albums to modern audiences. Mcgowan said that since founding Yoga Records in 2008, he has seen it as his mission to highlight the potential for listeners to ﬁnd meaning in New Age.

“To me, New Age is a type of secular, profound and spiritual experience,” Mcgowan said. “It’s a personal feeling of wonder It’s the feeling that you get from a beautiful sunset rather than going to a church or a mosque.”

The genre traces its roots in the United States to the 1970s when musicians began experimenting

with sound as a tool for stress reduction. At the forefront of the movement was Halpern, who is regarded as the pioneer of the genre

“I was the ﬁrst person healed by my music,” said Halpern, who has released over 100 albums and has hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners on streaming platforms. A video published to his YouTube channel called “Steven Halpern Great Pyramid OMs Cymatics” has over 500,000 views. Halpern was also nominated for a Grammy Award for best New Age album in 2013

“Healing comes from a balance of body mind and spirit,” he said. “In the 1980s, the major music labels said, ‘We’re going to call it contemporary instrumental because New Age has a spiritual component to it that we don’t want to get involved with.’”

According to Halpern, healing music can synchronize brainwaves with the alpha state, a neurological pattern linked to relaxation and balance. He references research on the physiological effects of sound, including 1994 findings that suggested his music helped maintain healthy blood ﬂow whereas harsh, stress-inducing sounds cause white blood cells to clump together, potentially leading to health effects.

In earlier days, Halpern said, New

Age music faced backlash from religious groups. For example, in Pastor Bob Larson’s 1989 book “Straight Answers on the New Age,” Halpern was labeled a “ringleader of the demonic cult music that they call New Age music.”

“I said, ‘What?’” Halpern recalled. “I work with angels. I work with powers of light.”

Some religious groups opposed New Age music because of its association with meditation, which they viewed as contrary to Christianity

But Halpern considers his work a continuation of ancient healing traditions, which he connects to biblical references, the teachings of Edgar Cayce (a late self-proclaimed American clairvoyant), Sufi masters and the mathematical principles of Pythagoras Halpern was inspired by historical uses of music in the temples of Egypt, Greece and China

“I wanted to hear a contemporary version of what healing music would sound like in the 20th century, and there was nothing available,” Halpern said.

When music stores in California said they had no place for his work, Halpern, who is a classically trained jazz musician, found success at metaphysical bookstores, yoga centers and crystal shops. He soon was part of building a musical movement.

Fifty years later, as popular streaming services such as Spotify make music more accessible than ever, New Age musicians and producers now are contending with AIgenerated music.

“The whole AI revolution really hit my part of the music ﬁeld,” Halpern said. “It’s never going to hit Beyonce because you can’t fake her But the arrangement of things? That’s a different story,” adding that New Age music is an easier target for fabrication because of its structural simplicity, repetition and lack of vocals.

“You see very clearly that New Age music is really sort of the ﬁrst music that is falling to artiﬁcial intelligence,” Mcgowan said.

In recent years, Spotify has faced scrutiny for the proliferation of AI-generated beats, ambient tones and New Age music on its platform, which cuts company costs of paying artists.

“In my case, I saw my royalties (on Spotify) go down 70% in one month,” Halpern said. “It was shocking.” Halpern said that, across multiple platforms, Apple Music, Spotify and Pandora, this is the case.

This trend underscores growing concerns that the rise of AI-generated compositions could diminish the genre’s spiritual and wellness essence, which many listeners seek.

“Nobody has shown me any AI New Age music that has meant anything to me,” Mcgowan said.

“I’m not saying it’s not possible — in fact, I’m saying it’s inevitable but my focus on New Age music of the past has always been about creating an anchor in reality Like, it’s about grounding us in a historical bedrock that is solid and real.”

Halpern also said because of costs, much potential research on the healing properties of New Age music has remained unexplored, which also remains true for AI-generated music.

Younger listeners like Rian Buckler are also approaching AI-generated music with caution.

“I want to support real humans who have been doing this for a long time, especially people like Steven Halpern,” she said, adding, however, that if an advanced AI model was speciﬁcally designed with healing frequencies and programmed with a deep understanding of the genre’s history and its effects on the brain, she could be open to listening to it.

“But as far as everyday use, I don’t think anybody’s doing that yet,” she said.

Bridging the green divide for park equity and connection

BY AIDAN MCCAHILL Staff writer

It’s no secret Baton Rouge has a lot of parks At nearly 180 of them, the city ranks among the highest in the nation for per capita greenspaces.

Despite that abundance, a history of redlining, discriminatory urban renewal, and overall economic disparities have created a system of unequal access to parks in the city

According to a study by Trust for Public Lands, a nationwide park and conservation nonproﬁt, residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 26% less park space per person than those in the average Baton Rouge neighborhood and 52% less than those in high-income neighborhoods. Of the park space residents do have access to, half are labeled in poor condition.

“We have a beautiful park system, but I don’t think there is equal access,” said Crystal EllisLuter, a child policy advocate in Baton Rouge.

In mid 2023, Luter and 15 other residents were selected by BREC, the parish’s recreation and park commission, to join a community planning council. The goal was to generate the highest and most diverse amount of community input possible in order to shape the park system’s new 10year master plan.

Variance in perspectives

Pairs of volunteers met once a month for a year, touring the city’s park system and planning a community outreach event. Andrea Roberts, the chief operating ofﬁcer at BREC, said there was one caveat.

“We were very intentional that the people we paired up were from totally different socioeconomic classes,” she said

“None of us really knew each other,” said Rex Cabaniss, a local architect who joined the council.

He and his partner volunteer

Dr Evelyn Thomas, a local pastor, lived in very different parts of town But that variance in perspectives made for a great team when planning their community outreach event, he said.

“It’s always interesting meeting someone new who has a different experience living here,”

Cabaniss said During Carnival season last year, the pair held a neighborhood event at North Sherwood Forest Recreation Center, where kids brought miniature Mardi Gras floats they’d designed at home. Cabaniss said the event generated a huge turnout among

young families, most of whom ﬁlled out a park survey required to get free jambalaya served at the event.

Meanwhile, Luter and her volunteer partner, a local butcher named Galen Iverstine, organized a cleanup event and established a community garden at Tickie Saia Memorial Park in Lobdell/Wooddale, a neighborhood with a signiﬁcant Hispanic population.

“The benefit for me, because I’m stuck in this bubble in Shenandoah, was being able to see ﬁrsthand the unique needs of other communities,” Luter said.

An increase in contact and trust

The various events were funded through a grant awarded to

BREC from Trust for Public Lands as part of their “On Common Ground” framework, a national effort by the organization to combat polarization and foster community cohesiveness through public parks and green spaces.

More than half of the participants reported experiencing an increase in everyday intergroup contact and increased trust in local government.

The feedback generated by the community council also provided the framework for “Imagine your Parks 3,” BREC’s 10-year master plan centered around equity and investing in underfunded communities.

“A lot of it (the feedback) was just trying to upgrade parks that needed it and using dollars going

forward to bring up the whole system equally,” said Cabaniss. Some of the proposed improvements included better maintenance, improved lighting and heat mitigation strategies to combat rising summer temperatures — all goals of the new master plan.

In November, residents greenlit the plan by voting to renew millages that fund 65% of the park system, expected to generate $55 million in 2025. Among enhancements to the existing system, the plan calls for upgrades to the Bluebonnet Swamp trails and visitors center and improvements to Greenwood and Sandy Creek.

Sustaining our parks system Roberts also indicated plans for another cohort similar to the community planning council, which will focus on ways to engage the community in maintaining the park system.

“We need to be more creative about how we’re going to sustain our parks system over the next 10 years,” Roberts said. “Having the community take ownership in their local parks will also foster connections that bring our community closer together.”

Seeing the level of community involvement on the plan’s ground floor, both Cabaniss and Luter said they were not only excited for the 10-year master plan, but also hopeful for a better future for families and park lovers in Baton Rouge.

“At ﬁve o’clock, if you go to our local park, all of our neighbors are there All of the families are engaging each other, and all of the children are getting exercise,” Luter said. “I think that every child and every family within East Baton Rouge Parish deserves that same type of experience.”

Email Aidan McCahill at aidan. mccahill@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

BREC community planning council members Rex Cabaniss and Evelyn Thomas held a neighborhood event at North Sherwood Forest Recreation Center where kids brought miniature Mardi Gras floats they’d designed at home.

SUNDAY, MArch 30, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — AGGrieVed: uhGREEV'D: Troubled or distressed in spirit.

Average mark 55 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 71 or more words in AGGRIEVED?

ken ken

instructions: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete the grid so that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

By miCHaeL TorCH & KeVin CHrisTian

A different path

Today’s deal is from a recent team match. South was American John McAllister At the other table, six clubs by North failed by two tricks after a heart lead

The diamond position would give McAllister the tricks he needed, butadiamondfinessethroughthe pre-emptor is not for the weak of heart. McAllister made it without the diamond finesse.

The10ofspadescouldhavewon the first trick, but McAllister won in hand with the ace to preserve an entry to dummy A club to the king held the trick, so McAllister led a diamond to his ace and another club. East won and led a diamond — another chance for the diamond finesse but South rose with his king and led a spade to dummy’s king, spurning another possible finesse. This was the position: NORTH

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency goren Bridge

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Socialize, observe and refresh your memory regarding your likes and dislikes. Don’t be too eager to share your feelings. Your outlook will change as you listen and learn

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Engage in life, challenge yourself and put your energy into something that excites you or prompts you to follow your heart. Experience something different.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Explore your options but only pursue what’s inviting. You’ll gain the most if you pick away at the changes that have meaning to you. Refuse to let any-

McAllister ran dummy’s clubs. On the last club, East discarded the queen of diamonds to keep his heart stopper McAllister discarded a low heart, keeping the jack of diamonds, and finally took a finesse and claimed his slam when that held the trick

wuzzLes

super Quiz

SUBJECT: THE BIBLE Identify the biblical character or thing. (e.g., She was Joseph’s wife and the mother of Jesus. Answer: Mary.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

All the waters in this river were turned to blood. (Exodus 7:20)

Answer________

She demanded, “Tell me where your strength lies.”

one lead you astray or waste your time.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Let your intuition guide you regarding professional matters. Protect your reputation and ideas from those eager to step in and take credit for what you contribute.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Press forward on your own steam. Question red tape issues, government or institutional policies. Learn as you go, and be fearless in approaching those trying to take advantage of you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A serious attitude and an energetic approach will make a difference. Believe in

yourself, and get your point across. Put your love on the line in affairs of the heart, and explore romantic possibilities

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Hold tight and shoot for the stars. You have more options than you realize, and taking your place at the podium will prove your worth to those you need and want on your team.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Get involved in projects you feel strongly about, and you will make a difference. Mix business with pleasure, and let your knowledge, experience and charm enchant those you encounter

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take a step back. Someone will offer misleading information to get you to invest your time or money in something that does more for them than you. Stick to what you know and do best.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Networking events will offer the platform to promote and market what you want others to buy. Travel, communication and making others aware of the possibilities will bring good results.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Be careful, patient and thrifty Handling your finances will require restrain-

ing yourself from making unnecessary purchases. Put your energy into positive change and a healthy lifestyle.

PISCES (Feb 20-March 20) Avoid overdoing it and save yourself a bundle. Take time to go over your expenditures and see where you can cut back. A change of attitude that sends you down a positive path will pay off.

“um,yeaH”

1. Nile. 2. Delilah 3. Lazarus. 4. Pilate. 5. Jesus. 6. Moses. 7 Mary Magdalene. 8 Joseph 9. Moses. 10. Judas Iscariot 11. Mud (and saliva). 12. Goliath. 13. Seth. 14. Noah. 15. Abraham.