Issuu

“It’sgoing to be atough pill to swallow forcommunities likeours.”

ARCHIE CHAISSONIII, Lafourche Parish president

FEMA ends grants that help preparefor storms

spiked

Atruck winds through high water and downed power lines along La.1 south of Golden MeadowfollowingHurricane Idain2021. The FederalEmergencyManagement Agencyiscutting agrant program that fundswork to lessen damagefromstormsincluding projects like flood control and electrical grid hardening

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON PresidentDonald Trump’s administration has ended aFederal Emergency ManagementAgency program heavily relieduponbyLouisiana that paid to elevate homes, build levees and do other workto lessen damage from storms, callingit“wastefuland ineffective.”

The end of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program effectively spikes148 applications worth

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

The Legislature could be in store for more conﬂict over hemp-THC products during the coming legislative session. Lawmakers have ﬁledbills to raise taxes on them

$721,281,559 in Louisiana, according to FEMA’s ﬁnancial obligations database Louisiana, California and New York collectively receiveabout half of theprogram’s total budget FEMA hasstopped acceptingapplications for2024 and is canceling projects on thedrawing board from 2020 to2023. Approved grant funds that have not been distributed will be returned to the Disaster Relief Fund or the U.S. Treasury,accordingtoFEMA.

Plus, the agency is looking for ways to claw back money already paid out. For

and to add criminal penaltiesfor selling to underagecustomers.

Last year,abattle over how to regulatethe products—and whether to ban them outright stretched into the ﬁnal days of the session. Ultimately,the Legislature did

Louisiana, that could translate to about $282 million.

“The BRICprogramwas yet another example of awasteful and ineffective FEMA program,” an unnamed FEMA spokesperson saidinastatement that accompaniedthe announcement. “Itwas more concerned with political agendas than helping Americansaffected by natural disasters.”

The program was created during Trump’sfirst administration. His

ä See FEMA, page 6A

$4 billion ammonia plant planned

CF Industriesexpanding in Ascension Parish

BY BLAKEPATERSON Staff writer

CF Industries, which operates the largest ammonia andnitrogen production facility in the world at acomplex in Donaldsonville, is expanding its footprint in Louisiana withplans fora new $4 billion, low-carbon ammonia plant about9 miles upriverfromits existing facility on the west bank of Ascension Parish.

The new Blue Point Complex, as it will be known, will be located near Modeste at the RiverPlex MegaPark and is expected to create 103 permanent jobs with an average annual salary of $110,000.

It’s the second announcement in recent week of amajor investment planned forthe RiverPlex MegaPark, a massive, undeveloped tract of agricultural land that economic development ofﬁcials have long sought to turn into an industrial park.Lastmonth, Hyundai announced it would build a$5.8million steel mill at the site.

Gov.Jeff Landry and ofﬁcials from Louisiana EconomicDevelopmentannounced the company’sdecision to go forward with the project, ﬁrst proposed in 2022,ata news conference Tuesdayat the Capitol.

“This investment in infrastructure is an investment in our future,” Landry said. “It is afuture where Louisiana is finally leading notonly ourSouthern neighbors, but the world when it comes to innovation and sustainability.”

CF Industries’ plans call for building a plant that will produce “blue” ammonia, which has alower-carbon footprint than conventionally produced ammonia That’snot because of theway theammonia is produced persebut because the carbon the plant emits is captured and stored in underground wells, aprocess called carbon capture and sequestration.

The plant is oneofseveral industrial projects that have been proposed for the state and are banking on carbon capture andsequestrationtoproducelow-carbon

ä See PLANT, page 7A

not pass aban. Butlawmakers did lower the legal single-serving size from 8mgofTHC to 5mgofTHC, makeitillegal to sell the intoxicating products to people under 21 and limit how bars sell hemp productslike THC seltzers THC, the compound in mari-

juana that gets users high, is also found in hemp, another cannabis plant,thoughatmuch lower levels thaninmarijuana. But many hemp manufacturers sellproducts with concentrated THC levels.

So far,this year’s proposed changes do not include an outright

ban on such products. But two bills that would dramatically raise the consumable hemptax

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

3-year-old Mexican

girl dies from bird flu

MEXICO CITY — A 3-year-old girl in western Mexico has died after contracting bird flu in the country’s first confirmed human case of bird flu, Mexican health authorities said Tuesday

Mexico’s Health Ministry said in a statement that the girl from the western state of Durango died early Tuesday after she was hospitalized with respiratory complications caused by the infection.

Type A H5N1 influenza has been spreading through animals and some people in the United States. There have been 70 cases in that country since during the past year according to the World Health Organization, though researchers and studies suggest that’s likely an undercount.

S. Korean soldiers fire at N. Korean soldiers

SEOUL, South Korea South Korea’s military fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed the rivals’ tense border on Tuesday, South Korean ofﬁcials said, the ﬁrst known border intrusion by North Korea in nearly a year

Violent confrontations and bloodshed have occasionally happened at the Koreas’ heavily fortiﬁed border, called the Demilitarized Zone But Tuesday’s incident won’t likely escalate, as it didn’t cause any casualties on either side and North Korea hasn’t returned ﬁre.

About 10 North Korean soldiers — some carrying weapons — violated the military demarcation line at the eastern section of the DMZ at 5 p.m. They returned to North Korea after South Korea broadcast warnings and fired warning shots, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Army to begin use of horse-drawn caissons

WASHINGTON The Army will soon begin limited use of horsedrawn caissons for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, phasing in the long-held tradition after nearly two years of work to improve the care of the horses

Starting June 2, the caissons will be used for two funerals per day, up to 10 per week, the Army said. The decision comes as the Army struggles to improve training, get better equipment and facilities and rebuild the stable of horses after two died in 2022 due to poor feed and living conditions.

Rare diamond shines at $100 million exhibition

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates A rare blue diamond was on display Tuesday at an exhibition of $100 million worth of the world’s rarest diamonds in the United Arab Emirates’ capital, Abu Dhabi. The eight diamonds on display at the Sotheby’s exhibition have a total weight of over 700 carats. Visitors focused on the 10-karat blue diamond from South Africa, considered one of the most important blue diamonds ever discovered. Sotheby’s expects it to be auctioned off at $20 million in May

Asteroid resembles a spinning hockey puck

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The asteroid that once had a small chance of striking Earth and now might slam into the moon resembles a spinning hockey puck, scientists said Tuesday

A team of astronomers used the Gemini South Observatory in Chile to observe asteroid 2024 YR4 in multiple wavelengths as it zoomed away from Earth in February, barely 11/2 months after its discovery They created a 3D image of it. The nearly 200-foot asteroid looks more like a ﬂat disk — or not-quite-round hockey puck — than a potato.

White House keeps the world guessing Messages mixed ahead of scheduled tariffs

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN, JOSH BOAK and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON Less than one hour before the stock market closed on Monday journalists gathered in the Oval Office for their only chance of the day to ask President Donald Trump about the turmoil caused by his tariff plans.

Are the new tariffs, scheduled to take effect on Wednesday, a bargaining chip to reach better trade deals? Or are they etched in stone in a mission to revamp the global economy?

Investors around the world were hanging on Trump’s every word, but he did little to clear up the situation.

“It can both be true,” he said.

“There can be permanent tariffs, and there can also be negotiations.”

The markets skidded to a close.

At a time when foreign leaders and business executives are desperate for clarity, the White House is sending mixed messages as it pursues conﬂicting goals

Advisers have tried with some success to tamp down a dayslong stock selloff by talking up tariffs

as a starting point for negotiations, which could mollify Wall Street and jittery Republicans in Congress. But the president continues to insist that he can raise hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue with his new taxes on foreign imports, and he’s shown no willingness to back down from an agenda that he’s advocated for decades, even before entering politics.

The ongoing paradox could erode conﬁdence in Trump’s leadership at home and abroad after he promised a booming economy and tax cuts, not depleted retirement accounts and fears of a recession For now, as the tariffs are set to kick in, there’s no clear resolution for what could be the most signiﬁcant overhaul of international trade in a generation.

When reporters asked Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, whether he understood the White House’s plan, he responded with a question of his own — “Does anybody?”

As a result, the U.S. stock market has been extremely volatile The S&P 500 stock index initially posted gains on Tuesday morning on the possibility of negotiations,

only to close down 1.57% as the White House said that the combined tariffs on China would be 104% starting on Wednesday Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, urged the White House to “settle the situation.”

He said the “perception as to whether or not there’s an end game is very important.” Tillis said he is “giving the administration the beneﬁt of the doubt” for now. But he added that “you’ve got to get it done as quickly as you can get it done.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, said Trump was causing economic chaos with the back-and-forth over tariffs.

“Who makes long term investments based on that?” she said. “Who hires people and trains workers based on the hope that Donald Trump will not change his mind again and again and again?”

Trump claimed on Tuesday that “America’s going to be very rich again very soon” and said his team was negotiating with other countries.

“I call them tailored deals,” he said. “Not off the rack. Highly tailored deals.”

At least 79 dead, 160 injured in roof collapse at nightclub

BY MARTÍN ADAMES ALCÁNTARA and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The roof of an iconic nightclub in the Dominican capital collapsed early Tuesday during a merengue concert attended by politicians, athletes and others, leaving at least 79 people dead and 160 injured, authorities said Crews were searching for potential survivors in the rubble at the one-story Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, said Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations.

“We continue clearing debris and searching for people,” he said on Tuesday night. “We’re going to search tirelessly for people.”

Nearly 12 hours after the top of the nightclub collapsed onto patrons, rescue crews were still pulling out survivors from under the debris. Fireﬁghters removed blocks of broken concrete and used sawed pieces of wood as planks to lift heavy debris as the noise of drills breaking through concrete ﬁlled the air

The conﬁrmed death toll had reached 79, Méndez said late Tuesday afternoon. Earlier, ofﬁcials had said there were at least 160 people injured.

Méndez said rescue crews were prioritizing three areas in the club: “We’re hearing some sounds.”

Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz, was among the victims. She had called President Luis Abinader at 12:49 a.m., saying she was trapped and that the roof had collapsed, ﬁrst lady Raquel Abraje told reporters. Ofﬁcials said Cruz died later at the hospital.

“This is too great a tragedy,” Abraje said, her voice breaking.

The Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic posted on X that MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel, 51, also died. Ofﬁcials had pulled Dotel from the debris earlier and brought him to a hospital. Also killed was Dominican baseball player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera, said league spokesman Satosky Terrero.

Among the injured was national lawmaker Bray Vargas.

Relatives of merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing when the roof collapsed, initially said that he had been rescued, but Méndez said later Tuesday that wasn’t true.

He said rescue crews were still looking for Pérez.

Pérez’s manager, Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was spattered with blood, told reporters at the scene that the concert began shortly before midnight, with the roof collapsing almost an hour later killing the group’s saxophonist.

Texas measles outbreak tops 500 cases

BY JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

A day care facility in a Texas county that’s part of the measles outbreak has multiple cases, including children too young to be fully vaccinated, public health ofﬁcials say West Texas is in the middle of a still-growing measles outbreak with 505 cases reported on Tuesday The state expanded the number of counties in the outbreak area this week to 10 The highly contagious virus began to spread in late January and health ofﬁcials say it has spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Mexico.

Three people who were unvaccinated have died from measles-related illnesses this year including two elementary school-aged children in Texas. The second child died Thursday at a Lubbock hospital, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr attended the funeral in Seminole, the epicenter of the outbreak. As of Friday, there were seven cases at a day care where one young child who was infectious gave it to two other children before it spread to other classrooms, Lubbock Public Health director Katherine Wells said. “Measles is so contagious I won’t be surprised if it enters other facilities,” Wells said. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is ﬁrst recommended between 12 and 15 months old and a second shot between 4 and 6 years old.

Maegan Messick, co-owner of Tiny Tots U Learning Academy, where the outbreak is occurring, recently told KLBK-TV in Lubbock that they’re taking precautions like putting kids who are too young to get the vaccines together in isolation.

“We have tried to be extremely transparent,” she told the TV station.

There are more than 200 children at the day care, Wells said. Most have had least one dose of the vaccine, though she added, “we do have some children that have only received one dose that are now infected.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAMIAN DOVARGANES Trucks arrive Tuesday at the Long Beach Container Terminal at Middle Harbor in the Port of Long Beach, Calif.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

A woman stands Tuesday outside the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo,

If You’re Over ThirtyThis is the BEST TREATMENT youcan use foryour SCIATICA,BACKPAIN, and HERNIATEDDISCS

Finally, there’sa treatmenttoconquer lowback, neck,leg andarm pain without dangerousmedications or painfulsurgery

If yousufferfrom:

•LOW BACK PAIN

•SCIATICA

•NECKPAIN

•HIP PAIN

•LEG PAIN

•NUMBNESSINARMS, LEGS OR FEET

Non-surgical Spinal Decompressionmay be theanswerfor you!

We areDr. ScottLeBlanc andDr. Dana LeBlanc, a husbandand wife team,thatown LeBlancSpine Center. We have helped thousandsofpatientsget outof pain with Spinal Decompressiontherapy treatments, andwelove what we do.Discissuesare common,and patients sufferingare usuallygiven limitedoptions of treatment. We runthese bignewspaper advertisementstolet people in thecommunity know thereis anotheroptionoftreatment forpain- withoutmedication,injections, or surgery!

NON-SURGICALSPINAL DECOMPRESSION is a breakthrough,non-invasive treatmentthathas been proventoreverse disc herniationsand relievenerve pain in theneck andlow back.Duringthe procedure, aspinaldiscisisolatedand aseriesofdistraction andrelaxationphasesoccur at averyspecificangle targetingthe source of pain.A vacuum canbecreated inside thediscand thenegativepressuredeliversnutrients, oxygen,and fluidfromsurrounding tissues, to assist with repair of thedamaged disc Thetreatment is not painfulatall,and most patients read or even take anap whileontreatment!

PROOFTHIS TREATMENTWORKS There’splentyof researchtobackupthe claims of Spinal Decompression Therapyand itseffectiveness. Here arejusta few of thepublished scientificstudies

•“Patients reported amean88.9% improvementin backpainand better function .Nopatient required anyinvasivetherapies (e.g.epiduralinjections, surgery).”-AmericanAcademy of Pain Management

•“We thus submit that decompressiontherapy should be considered first, before thepatient undergoesa surgical procedurewhich permanentlyaltersthe anatomyand function of theaffectedlumbarspine segment.”-Journal Of Neuroscience Research

•“86%ofthe 219patientswho completedthe therapy reported immediateresolutionofsymptoms.”-Orthopedic Technology Review

•“Vertebralaxial (spinal) decompressionwas successfulin71% of the778 cases”- JournalofNeurologicalResearch

•“Good to excellentreliefin86% of patients with Herniateddiscs”- TheAmericanJournal of Pain Management

•“Decompression Therapyreporteda76.5% with complete remissionand 19.6%withpartial remission of pain anddisability” -Rio Grande Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery

At LeBlancSpineCenter, we utilizeadvanced, FDA-clearedtechnologythatisproventoeffectively

IcametoLeBlancSpine

Decompression

100% improved! Ican do everything Idid beforemypainstarted,and my favorite part aboutthistreatment is theresults! Ican do allofmydaily activities withoutany pain.The doctorsand staff here have also treatedmegreat IhaverecommendedLeBlancSpine Center to manypeople. andwillcontinuetodoso!

Mark Evans

(FormerHighSchoolCoach and InsuranceAgent) Hometown -Baton Rouge,LA

alleviatepain.

It’s importanttonotethatnot everypatient is a candidatefor Spinal Decompression, whichiswhy we prioritize athorough individual assessment for each person whowalks throughour doors. Our high successrateinpainreliefstems from our commitment to only taking on patients whom we confidently believewecan help

Forthe next 7days, we areofferingaspecial “Decompression Evaluation”offer,atnocostto you! What does this offer include? Everything we normally do in ournew patientevaluations:

•Anin-depthconsultationabout your health andwellbeing wherewewilllisten. really listen to thedetails of your case.

•Acompleteneuromuscular examination

•Afullset of specializedX-rays(if clinically necessary)

•Athorough analysis of your exam andX-ray findings

Youwillsit with thedoctorone on onetogoover your x-rays,and you’ll gettosee everything first hand

At LeBlancSpine Center,weare honestwithour patients andwegivepersonalized attentionand analysis to each case.Wetruly enjoymeeting with patients to answer theirquestions andtohelp find outifSpinalDecompression treatments couldbe theanswertotheir pain

Thereisnochargeatall andyou don’tneedtobuy anything.You have nothing to lose by taking us up on this specialoffer andyou will getanswers to

what is causingyourpain. If youhaveseenour adsinthe past and have thoughtabout calling, don’thesitate. Youdon’t have to go on living in pain,missing outonactivitiesand otherpartoflifethatyou enjoy. Call us today!

I first came to LeBlancSpine Centerwith numbness in my arms andlegs. Iwas also experiencinglower back pain andneckpain. I hadbeensufferingwiththisfor over10years Ihad previouslytriedone epidural injection in my lowerbackand physical therapy, an I wasstill suffering with thesesymptoms. Since beginning Spinal Decompressiontreatments, Ihavehad consistent improvement in my back condition, andIamnow 70%improved! Iam liftingwithout pain,sleepingbetter, andI now have theability to walk withouttiring! Iwould highly recommendDr. LeBlancand LeBlanc SpineCenter!

L. J. Dupuy

(College Baseball Coach)

Hometown -Addis,LA

IcametoDr. LeBlancbecause Ihad been suffering with severe sciatica. Thepaininmylow back andlegswas so severe that Ibegan staying home rather than attendingsportingorsocial events Ibegan Spinal Decompressiontreatmentsand sincethen, Iam70% improved! Iamfeeling well enough andenergetic afterworking allday to cook,dohousehold chores,attendfunctions etc. Ihavemoremobility andI am notexhausted from thepain! Thestaff andDoctors here are wonderful.Everyoneissokindand friendly and will do whatever is needed to decreasethe pain What Ilikemostabout my care at LeBlancSpine CenterisTHE RESULTS! Ihighlyrecommend LeBlancSpine Centerdue to thenon-invasive treatmentand results! As amatteroffact, Ihave recommendedDr. LeBlanctopeoplealready SabrinaRuggiero Customer ServiceRepresenative/Insurance Agent Hometown-Plaquemine, LA

successor, Democratic President Joe Biden, poured moneyinto it from afund thatalsoincludedappropriations to addressclimate change, efforts opposed by Trump.

The spokesperson added that closing the program wouldallow FEMA to devote more funds to respondto hurricanes, ﬂoods,wildﬁres, earthquakes,tornadoes and other disasters.

U.S.Sen Bill Cassidy,RBaton Rouge, said Tuesday he’sgoing to call FEMA, explainwhatthe program meanstoLouisiana andask that it be reinstated.

It “has been an effective program beneﬁting people in Louisiana,” he said.

Louisiana delegation members have long argued that infrastructure improvements that lessenthe impact of storms should be considered whensetting prices for ﬂood insurance,which they consider unfairlyhigh.

“It’s going to be atough pill to swallow for communities like ours,” Lafourche Parish

President Archie Chaisson III said Tuesday His parish government has overseen levee-heightening projects, along with water pump improvements and other infrastructure measures that have cut down on damage from frequent storms.

Chaisson noted that when Hurricane Rita passed by in 2005, 11,000 homes and businesses were flooded. When Hurricane Barry hit in 2019, only 10 buildings were ﬂooded.

“Weknow our vulnerabilities, and if you give us those dollars up front, we can take care of thosevulnerabilities and you don’thaveto pay more in post-disaster,” Chaisson said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whosedepartment oversees FEMA, said in aMarch 24 cabinet meeting that she wanted to eliminatethe beleaguered federal agency.Over the pastfour years, FEMA has provided more than $12 billion to individuals and $133 billion to state and local governments, tribal nations, territories and some nonproﬁts to help in recoveryefforts. FEMA aides have been floating ideastoreduce costs.Those include spreading FEMA’s duties to the states andother federal agencies while narrowing the scope of the agency’s obligations.

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program is one of several pools of money used to help communities bolster infrastructure. FEMA has stopped receiving applications for Flood Mitigation Assistance, another such program, but has not moved to end it.

BRIC and other FEMA programs split the costs with thefederal government pickingupabout 75% and rest coming fromstate and local sources. The programs help fund levees and other projects that were credited lastyear

with keeping the 11-foot storm surge of Hurricane Francine out of most Terrebonne Parish’shomes and businesses, according to a 2024 Congressional Budget Ofﬁce analysis

BRIC fundedthe elevation of nearly 500homes in the 2nd Congressional District, which stretches upthe Mississippi River from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, according to FEMA. On the cutting board are flood control andelectricalgrid hardening projects that already have been approved

St. Bernard Parish is losingmoneyfor a$14.9 million project to restore 401.2 acres of broken marsh that hasbeen thesource of ﬂoodingfor nearly 500 buildings at acost of $1.2 billion

Another $14.8 million is targeted from projects to deepenBaton Rouge’sLSU Lakes enough to absorbrain runoff and reduce ﬂooding of neighborhoods southof thecampus.

About$247.3million in projectsfrom grid hardeninginGretna to drainage in Central had been selected butthe fundshad notyet been obligated —and now won’t be.

Lafourche Parish was selectedbut was awaiting$20 million in federal funds to be obligated,according to FEMA, for work to harden theutility lines around Port Fourchon, whichservices about 90% of thedeepwater offshore oil and gas activity andwhere Hurricane Ida came ashore with Category 4strengthin2021. Fourchon accounts for roughly 20% of the nation’soil supply St.MaryParishPresident SamJones was preparing applicationswhen thecancellationwas announced Hisparishneeds pumps andtopave thetop of levees to provide morethanone

evacuation route. “We’re just going to have to scratch somewhere else,” he said Tuesday Republicans in thecongressional delegation have avoided discussing the Trump administration’s moveonthe FEMA projects —none has been willing to comment, other than Cassidy.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton,and U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy,RMadisonville, didn’treply to requestsfor comment.

Republican Gov.Jeff Landry and the Louisiana Governor’s OfﬁceofHomeland Security and Emergency Preparedness referred questions about the impact on the state from canceling the program to FEMA. The agency responded by sending the news release that accompanied therequest for comment from GOSHEP

Some Louisianaofficials sharply criticized the cuts.

“Byeliminating resiliency funding, the Trump-Musk administrationisharming communitieswho are trying to mitigatefuture disasters,” saidDemocratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,whose New Orleans-based district has been repeatedly ravaged by strong hurricanes, including Katrina in 2005 and Ida in 2021.

“Recent FEMA investmentsinLouisiana, like the BRIC program,have helped us better prepare forfuture disasters,” Carter said.

“Communities in Louisiana have received millionsto raise homes,design and implement smarter and greener stormwaterdrainage systems, and install solar on critical municipal facilities to act as ‘resilience hubs’ during potential power outages.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

Gambino’sBakeryin BatonRouge hascustom cakesand sweettreats forevery occasion

By Amanda McElfresh| amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Whether youneedanelaborate tiered weddingcakefor your specialday or abox of sugarcookies to bringtoa meetup with friends, Gambino’sBakeryinBaton Rouge hasexactly what youare lookingfor OwnerStaceyTatesaidshe encourages brides-to-be to reservetheir weddingcake with Gambino’satleast sixmonthsin advancetoallow time fortasting sessions andplanningthe cake design andﬁllings.In fact,somepeoplehavebookedtheirwedding cakesuptoayearahead of time TatesaidalmondremainsGambino’smost popularwedding cake ﬂavor, although red velvet andchocolate arealsoordered often.

“You canchoosedifferent fillings for differenttiers as well,” shesaid. “Wehave differentsizes andshapes, from simple to ornate.”

baptisms andmuchmore. Thereare even candlessoldinthe bakery to topeverything off andcreatea perfectpresentation.

“Ifyou give us time,wecan customize anythingfor you,”Tatesaid. “Wealsohave alot of grab-and-gostuff that youcan take rightout of theshowcase.”

Tate said some Gambino’scustomers are lookingfornon-cakeoptions.Theirmini-pies aresomeofthe topsellers,asare treats like petitfours,cookies andcupcakes.

“Wesee people whowantsomething specialifthey’re goingona trip or aparty at afriend’shouse,” shesaid. “A lotofpeople willget cupcakes becausesometimes they areeasiertoserve.Somepeopleget them to goalongwithacakeandtheywantthecolors to match. It’s allcustomizable.”

In addition to weddingcakes,Gambino’s makescakes forother occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, retirements,

Gambino’sBakeryislocatedat8646GoodwoodBoulevardinBatonRouge.Tolearnmore, visitwww.gambinos.com,emailbatonrouge@ gambinos.com or call 225-928-7000

Indigenous marchinBraziltodemandmoreland

Action comesas fi

U.N. climatetalks in theAmazonnears

BY FABIANO MAISONNAVE Associated Press

BRASILIA, Brazil With the first

U.N. climate talks in the Amazon approaching, thousands of Indigenous people marched Tuesday in Brazil’scapital, demanding the state guarantee and expand their rights to traditional landsaspart of the solution to the world’sclimate crisis.

The protest is the high point of the annual Free Land Indigenous Camp, now in its 21st edition.Bearing messagessuch as “Land rights =Climate Action,” they walked toward Three Powers Square, where Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace are located in Brasilia.

“Indigenous territories are the

PLANT

Continued from page1A

products that can shipped overseas. None of those projects has been permitted yet, though apublic hearing on the ﬁrst carbon injection well in the state is scheduled for early May

President Donald Trump has pushed for areturnto traditional fossil fuels but hasnot thus far announced cuts to federal tax credits that are key to financing carbon capture and sequestration projects. CF Industries and its partners are planning to rely on those tax credits to help finance the new plant in west Ascension.

CF Industries’ CEO Tony Will saidthe projectwill help meet the uptick in global demand for ammonia, which is used for energy and fertilizers.

The announcement comes as the global economy is on edge from Trump’ssweep-

most preservedand contribute to slowing the climate crisis we’re facing. But theyare also the ﬁrst to be impacted,” said Luene Karipuna,fromthe Amazonian stateof Amapá, while marching. “Wefeel it directlyinour lands, wherewe lost ourentire cassava crop —our staple food in my community.”

Thirteen percent of Brazil´s territory consists of recognized Indigenouslands,mostofitinthe

Amazon

In the past two years, the Amazon basinhas suffered its worst drought on record,leading to a surgeinwildfires, isolation for river communities, crop losses and the deathofwildlife,including the endangeredpink dolphin. Some studies havelinkedthe region’sextreme weathertoclimate change.

Like severalother Indigenous leaders, Karipuna plans to attend the climatetalks—alsoknown as COP30 —inNovember in the city of Belém. Theyhopethe event

ing newtariffs on imports, including on raw materials thatwill be needed to build the new facility

CF Industries expects to import around $2 billion of construction materials, though Will said muchof that won’tbeneededfor at leastthree years. He hopes by then the tariffs will be “greatly diminished, if not eliminated,” he said.

To win the project, LED offered CF Industries incentives that include a$6 million performance-based grant for project development and infrastructure expenditures. The company is also participating in the state’s Industrial TaxExemptionProgram and is expected to utilize theQuality Jobsprogram, LED said Ascension Parish President Clint Cointmentsaid CF Industries’ commitment to the communityruns deep “They think locally,invest locally,and theylisten to their neighbors to address real needsinthe surround-

KARIPUNA,

will be achance to promote land demarcation and other Indigenous rights in all Amazoncountries, and are pressing for agreater role during the event.

“This is ahistoric COP for the social movement. It’sakey moment forall Indigenous peoples to show that we are alive,” saidJuan Carlos Jintiach, an Indigenous leader from Ecuadorand executivesecretary of the Global Allianceof Territorial Communities, an international organizationrepresenting Indigenous peoples from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Last year,the Indigenous movement hadcalledfor thenomination of aco-president forCOP30. The proposal was rejected, but the

ing area,” he said.

Not everyone agrees. SharonLavigne, founder of the environmental advocacy group Rise St. James, said Modeste residents have contacted her seeking herhelp in stopping the new facility from being built.

“If Gov.Jeff Landry wants theworld’slargest ammonia plant in Louisiana, put it at his front door,” Lavigne said.

“We’re going to protest this. We’regoing to ﬁght this.”

CF Industries has been in Louisiana for nearly60 years. In addition toits ammoniaand nitrogenproduction facility on La. 3089, it operates an ammonia production facility at the Cornerstone Chemical Company in Waggaman, which it acquired in 2023.

“I think it’simportant for Louisiananstorecognize how much we arewinning,” Landry said. “Weare living up to the promises that we made wherewestarted to focus on the businesses and industries thatbuilt this state.”

When aLouisianaresidentpassesaway, thetitle to alloftheir assets is frozen.Thisincludesallbankaccounts,investmentaccounts,andrealestate in theirname. None of it can be sold until ajudge orders thetransferofthe assetstothesurvivingheirs.

HowWillMyAssetsGetTransferredtoMyHeirs:

•Assetsneedtobe soldormanagedpriortothecompletionofthesuccession?

•Thereisadisagreementamongtheheirs?

•Thedeceasedhasbillsthatneedtobepaidpromptly?

•Itwilltakealongtimetodeterminetheassetsanddebtsofthedeceased?

•Therearemanycomplicatingfactors?

WhatisUsufruct?

Ausufructisarightthatapersonhasforacertainperiodoftimeontheproperty of anotherperson. Thefeatures of theright of ausufruct vary with the natureofthethingssubjecttoit.Usufructsareoftenestablishedwhensomeonedies.Forexample,amarriedpersonmay,inhisWill,leavehissurviving spouseusufruct of everything he owns when he dies,but thereare certain restrictions andlimitations when establishing ausufruct.The usufructuary mayhavenumerous obligations,suchasanobligationtoprovide security, theresponsibilitytoprovide repairs, thepayment of necessary expenses, taxes,debtsandothercharges

conference’spresident,Brazilian climate secretary André Corrêa do Lago, pledged to create aso-called Circle of Indigenous Leadership “to help integrate traditional knowledge andwisdom into global collective intelligence.”

Dinamam Tuxá,coordinatorof theArticulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, said they are frustrated by the rejection of the co-presidency proposaland are still analyzing Lago’splan.

“The COP is apolitical moment when countries cometogether to negotiate the climate crisis, but unfortunately it does not engage directly with Indigenous peoples at the negotiation tables—even though we are the maindefenders

of these territories and are actively ﬁghting climate change,” Tuxá told the AP Satellite data show that Indigenous territories in the Amazon aregion twice the size of India have very low deforestation rates. The world’slargest tropical forest is amajor carbon sink and climate regulator,and it holds 20%ofthe planet’sfresh water

•WhyaSuccessionmaybenecessarywhenyoudie?

•HowtoavoidtheSuccessionprocesscompletely?

•Federalestatetaxthatmaybeduewhenyoupassaway?

•Communityproperty–whogetsthiswhenyoudiewithoutaWill?

•Whathappenswhenyouleaveyourspousetheusufructofyourassets?

•Whogetstheassetsattheterminationoftheusufruct?

•Theusufructuary’srights?

knowledgeispower,and thechoice is yours. Butyou MUSTACTNOW to put yourestateplaninplace.

PLAN. LetLaura Pocheand herprofessionaland knowledgeable staffmakethis processaseasyaspossiblesoyoucanlivewithPEACEOFMIND.

BatonRouge

TuesdayApril22 11:00am–1:30pm Mestizos 2323SAcadianThruway

IMPORTANTGUIDELINESFOROURWORKSHOPS:Allofourlearningworkshopsemploystrictsocialdistancingstandardsforeveryone’ssafety.Workshopsare

to FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES ONLYand aregeared towardspeoplewho want or need your legalestateplaninplace quickly.(*) Pleasehaveyour personalcalendarhandy at theworkshop so you can choosetostart your plan NOW!Ifmarried,bothspouses must attend aworkshop to ensure that alldecision-makers areinvolvedinyourfamily’s coordinatedplan. Allpeoplewho attend will receive aFREEcopy of thesecond editionofLaura Poche’sbook “EstatePlanning Advice by aWoman forLouisianaWomen:A GuideforBothMenandWomenAboutWills,Trusts,Probate,PowersofAttorney,Medicaid,LivingWillsandTaxes.”

PochéEstatePlanningLawFirm,4960BluebonnetBlvd.,SuiteC,BatonRouge,LA70809

Fontenot, R-Thibodaux, would raise it to 15%, and House Bill 235 by state Rep. Michael Echols, RMonroe, to 20%.

In a statement, Fontenot said the change would generate about $9 million in revenue at a time when the state faces serious budgetary challenges.

Lawmakers this session face two major budget obstacles. If they want to keep a $2,000 stipend for teachers that has been in place for two years, they must come up with $198 million. Meanwhile, if federal cuts come down the pike from the Trump administration, the state could have a bigger issue, since nearly half its spending comes from the federal government. Currently, the hemp tax goes toward early childhood education.

Fontenot’s bill would not change that.

Echols’ bill, however, would spread the revenue. In addition to early childhood education, the tax would fund criminal justice initia-

tives, drug abuse treatment and hemp-THC product testing and regulation

Echols estimated increasing the tax to 20% would generate at least $10 million more in revenue.

“I don’t think it has ever been appropriately taxed,” Echols said.

But Joe Gerrity, CEO of New Orleans-based Crescent Canna, which makes THC-infused seltzers, balked at the notion of such a tax hike.

“It’s excessive,” he said. “It only serves to make people pay more money at a time where many Americans are already tightening their belts.”

Retailers are responsible for paying the tax on the hemp-THC products they sell.

Generally speaking, Gerrity said constant changes to hemp laws discourage people from investing in what he believes should be a thriving industry

“We ﬁrmly believe that Louisiana should become a leader in this industry, and constant changes to the law make it nearly impossible for companies like mine to invest in this market,” he said.

Meanwhile, two bills by Rep.

Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, would tighten the regulations placed on consumable hemp products last year

Though it is already illegal to sell hemp-THC products to people under age 21, House Bill 12 would add criminal penalties for doing so. If the bill passes, anyone who sells a hemp-THC product to an underage person could face a ﬁne of $1,000 to $2,000 or a one- to sixmonth prison sentence. Underage people in possession of such products would face ﬁnes of up to $100.

Schlegel said she modeled the bill after the state’s criminal alcohol laws.

“Those guardrails weren’t put into place when the industry was getting set up,” she said.

The bill also would make distributing hemp-THC products outside of state regulations a crime comparable to drug dealing. Penalties would include one to 10 years in prison or a ﬁne of up to $50,000.

Schlegel has a second proposal, House Bill 36, that would add civil liability to illegally distributing hemp-THC products.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK Lawmakers have filed bills to raise taxes on hemp and THC products and to add criminal penalties for selling to underage customers.

Judge sets deadline in activist’s case

Columbia student being detained at La. facility

BY SARA CLINE and JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press

JENA — An immigration judge in Louisiana said she would terminate the case against Mahmoud Khalil if the government does not provide evidence this week justifying their attempted deportation of the Columbia University student activist.

At a hearing Tuesday in Louisiana, Judge Jamee Comans gave the government 24 hours to provide evidence showing that Khalil, a 30-year-old legal permanent resident, should be expelled from the country for his role in campus protests against Israel and the war in Gaza. If the evidence does not support his removal, she said, “then I am going to terminate the case on Friday.” Khalil has been held in a remote

detention facility in Jena since his March 8 arrest by federal immigration authorities, the ﬁrst in a growing number of attempted deportations against foreign-born students who joined pro-Palestinian protests or expressed criticism of Israel.

While the Trump administration has suggested that Khalil’s role as a spokesperson for protesters proved that he was “aligned with Hamas,” they have yet to produce evidence for the claim.

At Tuesday’s hearing, an attorney for Khalil, Marc Van Der Hout, said he had “not received a single document” in response to his request for “evidence and assertions” in the case. “We cannot plead until we know what the speciﬁc allegations are,” Van Der Hout said.

“I’m like you Mr Van Der Hout, I’d like to see the evidence,” the judge replied. Khalil, who wore a navy blue T-

shirt over a beige sweatshirt, spoke only brieﬂy to request that his wife be permitted remote access to the hearing. The judge obliged, noting that more than 600 people were awaiting access to the proceeding in a virtual lobby “This is highly unusual,” Comans said. Khalil’s detention has sparked fury among free speech advocates, who accuse the Trump administration of seeking to squelch criticism of Israel by labeling peaceful activists as terror-supporters. Khalil, an international affairs graduate student, served as a negotiator and spokesperson for student protesters at Columbia, but was not among those arrested and has not been accused of any crime. In seeking to deport Khalil and other student activists, the Trump administration has relied on a rarely used statute that authorizes the Secretary of State to expel nonciti-

zens who pose “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

They have alleged, without offering evidence, that Khalil’s promi-

BY BRUCE SCHREINER, KRISTIN M. HALL and JONATHAN MATTISE Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky After days of deluges overﬁlled rivers to near-record levels across Kentucky, residents were anxious Tuesday to return to their ﬂooded homes and assess what’s salvageable, even as stubbornly high waters kept some of them waiting even longer Susan Williams returned to her rural Franklin County home with her four dogs and three cats. She left Sunday while the waters kept rising. Now, her house and a neighbor’s looked like they were on an island in brown waters. Williams and some friends loaded her animals onto a

small boat and paddled back and forth, dropping them off at the house built by her parents. “It’s my world. It’s my little paradise,” Williams said about her home.

Water was slowly receding in ﬂooded Frankfort, and ofﬁcials hoped that by the end of Wednesday most could get back into their homes, Gov Andy Beshear said at a news conference. Beshear urged people to wait if they couldn’t get to their homes without driving through water

“Remember even as much as we love our stuff — and sometimes it’s memories and photographs that are impacted — it’s our lives and the lives of our family and friends that matter,” Beshear said Ofﬁcials warned of ﬂood-

ing expected along the Ohio River in Henderson and Owensboro into next week, with swift water rescue teams at the ready

Officials in Frankfort diverted traffic, turned off utilities to businesses and instituted a curfew as the Kentucky River crested Monday just short of a record set in 1978. Water service has been restored, but wastewater isn’t back up yet, Beshear said.

Inundated rivers are the latest threat from persistent storms that have killed at least 23 people, including 10 in Tennessee. At least 157 tornadoes struck within seven days beginning March 30, according to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service.

nent role in anti-Israel protests amounted to support for Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza and attacked Israel in October 2023.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEPHEN SMITH Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil is being held at the Central Louisiana Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Jena.

Trump’stop trade repunder fi

Negotiator grilledbeforeSenatecommittee

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump’stop trade negotiator came under ﬁre Tuesday from senators unnerved by thepresident’s sweeping global tariffs, amarket meltdown and the heightened risk of recession from an upended global trading order “It seems like we’ve decided to begin atrade war on all fronts,” said Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, of North Carolina. He said he wanted to know who in the Trump administration he shouldhold responsible —and “choke” —if the tariffs fail and Americans suffer from higher prices and slowereconomicgrowth. “I wish you well,” he toldU.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.“But Iamskeptical.”

Greer addressed the Senate FinanceCommittee aday after global markets swung wildly and some business leaders lambasted the president’s aggressive bid to raise tariffs on almost everynation.

Greer testiﬁed that Trump’stariffs are already getting results, convincing “about 50” countriesto cometothe negotiating table to reduce their own trade barriers.He said, for example, that Vietnam is cuttingits own tariffs on apples, almondsand cherries. The import taxes are designedtoreduce America’s massive tradedeﬁcits, but Greer conceded thatitwill take time and that the adjustment might “bechallenging at times.”

Lawmakers, including Republicans, aregetting jittery about Trump’strade wars, especially since stocks collapsed after he an-

nounced broad tariffs last week

The market rebounded Tuesday on hopes thatnegotiations will convince thepresident to loweror suspend thetariffs, the biggest of which areset to take effect at midnight Wednesday

Several senators demanded that Greer explain what the administration was seeking to accomplish. At various times,Trumphas said the tariffs were meanttoraise money for theTreasury, bring manufacturing back to theUnited States, protect domesticindustriesand get other countries to make concessions.

“Whatisthe plan?” said Sen. Ron Wyden, of Oregon, top Democrat on the committee. “In the last week, the White House has been all over the map when it comes to thesetariffs.”

SupremeCourt blocks ordertoreinstate workers

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON— TheSupreme Court on Tuesday blocked an order for the Trump administration to return to work thousands of federal employeeswho were letgoinmass ﬁrings.

The justices acted in the administration’semergency appeal of aruling by afederal judge in Californiaordering 16,000 probationary employees at six federal agencies be reinstatedwhile alawsuit plays out because their ﬁrings didn’tfollow federal law

Thecourt’sorder involved a technical legal assessmentof the right, or standing, of several nonproﬁt associations to sue over the ﬁrings. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson said they

would have kept the judge’s order in place.

It’sthe third time in less than aweek that thejustices have sided with the Republican administration in its ﬁght against federal judges whose orders haveslowed President Donald Trump’sagenda. The court also paused an order restoring grants for teacher training and lifted an order that froze deportations under an 18th-century wartime law Butaswith the earlierorders,the effect of Tuesday’s order will belimited.Many employees at theagencies willremain on paid administrative leave for now because of an order in aseparate lawsuit over the ﬁrings.

Thesecond suit, filedin Maryland, involves employees at those same sixagencies, plusroughlya dozen

more.That order is morelimited in that it appliesonlyin the 19 states and the District of Columbia thatsued the administration.

The Justice Department is separately appealing the Maryland order

At least 24,000 probationary employees have been terminatedsince Trumptook office, thelawsuits claim, though thegovernment has not conﬁrmed that number

The coalition thatsued said it was disappointed with the court’s order,but it said the battle is far from over

“There is no doubt that thousands of public service employees were unlawfully fired in an effort to cripple federal agencies and their crucial programs that serve millions of Americansevery day,” it said in astatement.

JudgegrantsAPreinstatement to WhiteHouse events afterban

BY DAVID BAUDER AP media writer

Afederal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to restore The Associated Press’ full access to cover presidential events, afﬁrming on First Amendment grounds that the government cannot punish the news organization for the content of its speech.

U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruledthatthe government can’tretaliate against the AP’sdecision not to follow the president’sexecutive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

The decision, while apreliminary injunction, handed the AP amajor victory at atime the White House has been challenging the press

“Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some jour-

ASSOCIATED PRESSPHOTO By EVAN VUCCI White House press secretaryKaroline Leavitt speaks with reportersTuesdayatthe White House.

nalists —beittothe Oval Ofﬁce,the EastRoom, or elsewhere —itcannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints,” McFadden wrote. “TheConstitution requires no less.”

It wasunclearwhether the White House would move immediately to put McFadden’s ruling intoeffect. McFadden held off on implementing his order for aweek, giving the government timetorespond or appeal. Shortlyafter the ruling, an AP reporter and photographer were turned away from joining amotorcadewiththe White House press pool to cover aTrump’s appearance.

We are hosting aSpecial Eventduring the month of March! During this event, we will be offering these FREE services:

•FREE Hearing Consultations

•FREE Video Otoscope Exam: Hearinglossorjust earwax?

•FREE Clean &Check on currenthearing aids

•FREE Baseline Audiogram Assessment

•FREE Familiar Voice Test

•FREE Demo of Audibel’s latest hearing technology!

AreYou or Anyone YouKnow Experiencing the Following?

1. Asking people to speak up or repeat themselves?

2. Turning theTVuploud tounderstandwhat is being said?

3. Ringing or noises in your ears?

Audibelis NOW Offering...

•Hearingaids at NO COST to those who qualify!•

• That’s Right. No Co-Pay!NoExamFee! No AdjustmentFee! If youhavethiscard, youmay qualifyfor free hearing aids! Call today to verifyyour benefits

Ex-official failed to file statements

Assumption justice of the peace resigned

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

justices of the peace to ﬁle the annual statements by March 31

Bridget Landry, who resigned effective Jan 31, was first elected as justice of the peace for the 3rd Ward in 2007, according to Louisiana Secre-

A recently resigned Assumption Parish justice of the peace failed to file legally required financial statements with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office for several years in a row, according to the auditor’s noncompliance database.

Head Start program gets $600K

Funding helps pre-K students in WBR

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

West Baton Rouge schools received $600,084 in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, amid the federal agency announcing massive spending cuts and layoffs at the direction of President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr

The funds will go toward the district’s Head Start program, which helps 3- and 4-year-old children from low-income families in West Baton Rouge Parish reach kindergarten readiness.

“We look at the whole child, and we try to meet the entire needs of the child,” district early childhood supervisor Crystal Leon said.

Head Start, which currently serves 136 kids, is offered at Brusly Elementary, Caneview K-8 and Port Allen Elementary It focuses on basic child development, like letter identiﬁcation, ﬁne motor skills and sensory play In addition kids who attend get three meals a day.

To qualify, a family must fall 100% below federal poverty guidelines.

“We actually provide comprehensive early-childhood services, with education, health, nutrition, parent involvement, for the low-income families and children that are enrolled in our program,” Leon said.

The federal funding is one of two installments the program expects to receive this year Because of HHS cuts, it’s likely Head Start won’t receive a cost-of-living increase, which helped keep up with expenses like ﬂuctuating gas prices for child transportation Leon said. Last year, their budget included a $27,166 adjustment to keep pace with inﬂation.

“The last couple of years, we’d been used to getting a cost-of-living (adjustment),” Leon said. “With the cost of everything going up, that cost-of-living really does help out.” West Baton Rouge schools Superintendent Chandler Smith said he and program leaders are grateful they can continue serving kids with renewed federal funding. Head Start has existed since 2008

“With all the cuts that are coming at the federal level, we’re excited that our program wasn’t cut,” Smith said.

Smith said the program is critical for supporting success in elementary school and beyond for West Baton Rouge children.

“The earlier that we can get students in our school system and in the classroom, the earlier we can teach them early literacy numeracy skills, socialization, how to work in collaboration with their peers,” Smith said. “It’s just neat to see.” Interested parents can apply online or visit one of the three Head Start locations.

tary of State records. She hasn’t submitted the annual financial statements since March 2020, according to the auditor’s d atabase

Those statements include salaries, fees collected, office expenses and more. Louisiana law requires

Landry, whose ward encompassed Pierre Part and parts of Belle Rose, declined to comment

The failure to file statements for 2024 makes it the fifth year in a row Landry’s former office has failed to comply with the requirements.

According to state law, a person who violates the requirements can be ﬁned up to $1,000, deemed guilty of malfeasance and gross misconduct in office, and subject to removal.

Landry ﬁled multiple ﬁnancial statements more than a year late over the past decade, according to the auditor’s website.

In 2020, she submitted

documents for the 2019 fiscal year and a late filing for 2018. She reported a salary of around $5,205 for 2019 and $5,742 in 2018, with no fees or office expenses reported. Similarly, she submitted her 2015 fiscal year report in 2017 and filed her financial statements for 2013

UNEXPECTED SIGHTS

Delays at OMV sites have improved

Mainframe update

fixes outages, officials say

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Computer system outages that have caused delays at Office of Motor Vehicles sites and public tag agents statewide for more than a month have ﬁnally improved, of-

ﬁcials said.

The state improved an outdated design in the mainframe Thursday, Matthew Boudreaux, deputy OMV commissioner, said in a statement Monday afternoon. At that point, there had been no outages since the update, he said. “Friday, Saturday and Monday have been as good as we’ve seen in months,” Boudreaux said. Adele Dauphin, president of the

Louisiana Public Tag Agent Association, conﬁrmed that she saw a dramatic improvement in the system. Last Monday morning, outages were occurring every half hour, she said; then, on Friday, the system worked. The problems went back to at least February, disrupting a system that the state relies on to issue driver’s licenses and registrations and causing long wait times for Louisianans seeking those services.

Former OMV Commissioner Dan Casey said the OMV’s 50-year-old software system was contributing to the problem. The agency is gearing up to replace that system, but fully installing it could take up to three years. In the meantime, the Office of Technology Services was attempting other ﬁxes to the software.

Two weeks ago, Gov Jeff Landry

Accused

ABOVE: Abigale Rawson, left, points to the sign in an empty fish tank that reads ‘Gone fishing… be back soon!’ with one hand while fixing her safari hat with the other while looking at the fish exhibit with her family during the Zippity Zoo Fest at Baton Rouge Zoo on Saturday LEFT: Westin Leake, 4, scurries away from a free-range bird.

serial

killer’s

trial delayed over sanity

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

Loved ones of former BREC commissioner Carroll Breeden Sr stormed out of a Baton Rouge courtroom in frustration Tuesday after a judge postponed the trial of accused serial killer Ryan Joseph Sharpe amid concerns that he may not be mentally ﬁt to face a jury Jury selection was set to begin Monday Sharpe, a 43-yearold Clinton man, was charged with second-degree murder in Breeden’s fatal September 2017 shooting. Authorities say Sharpe fatally shot Breeden and two other men, and he wounded another during a series of random killings along rural roads in East Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes. After Sharpe tried to ﬁre his lawyer Thomas Damico during a hearing in court Monday,

check

the Baton Rouge defense attorney asked for a sanity hearing. District Judge Collette Greggs, who’s presiding over the case, halted proceedings until Tuesday morning to hear arguments about Sharpe’s competency Prosecutors accused Sharpe of “feigning” a mental health breakdown as he’s done before to stave off another mandatory life sentence if he’s convicted of Breeden’s slaying. But Damico noted Sharpe has been incarcerated at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola since an East Feliciana jury found him guilty last August of killing 48-year-old Boy Scout leader Brad DeFranceschi in October 2017. Damico insisted his client was not malingering in the “rambling, unintelligible, confused” statements he made in court Monday and Tuesday

ä See TRIAL, page 2B

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

BUSINESS

BRIEFS

FROM STAFFAND WIRE REPORTS

Egg giant Cal-Maine investigated for prices

Shares of Cal-Maine Foods, the largest U.S. egg producer, fellinafter-hours trading Tuesday afterthe company acknowledgeditisbeing investigated by the antitrust division of theU.S. Department of Justice.

Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Cal-Maine said it received notice of the investigation into egg price increases last month. CalMaine said it is cooperating with the investigation.

The company’sshares fell morethan4%inafter-hours trading.

Egg prices have hit record highs in recent months, largely due to abird ﬂu epidemic that has forced farmers to slaughter more than166 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens.

One dozen Grade Aeggs cost an average of $5.90 in U.S. cities in February,up10.4% from ayear ago. That eclipsed January’srecord-high price of $4.95

The egg price increaseshave putCal-Maine, whichprovides around 20% of the nation’s eggs, underincreased scrutiny

Trump shifts positions on crypto enforcement

The Justice Departmentisdisbanding ateam of prosecutors who targeted cryptocurrency crimes and is shifting its focus away from complex cryptorelated cases involving banking and securities law,according to amemo reviewed by The Associated Press

“The Department of Justice is not adigital assets regulator,” Deputy Attorney GeneralTodd Blanche said in amemo sent to prosecutors Monday It’sthe latest move by President Donald Trump’sadministration to trytoboost the cryptocurrencyindustrywhileundoing the Biden administration’sefforts to crack down on wrongdoers in the industry.The Trump administration’seffort hasincluded a similar shift in crypto-related enforcement priorities at the Securitiesand Exchange Commission.Blanche’smemo is part of a larger move by the Justice Department to step back fromcertain white-collar enforcement to alignwithTrump’spriorities of tackling illegal immigration, gangs and drug crimes.

The crypto industry,which spent heavily to help Trump win election, has long complained that the Biden administration unfairly targeted innocent actors with either criminal or civil enforcement actions. Opposing theongoing criminal case against the developers behind Tornado Cash, atumbler used to hide ownership of crypto assets,has been acelebrated cause amongsomeprivacy and crypto enthusiasts

“Weshould be going after bad guys. Not the developers of good tools that bad guys happento use,” Peter VanValkenburgh,the executivedirector of theadvocacygroup Coin Center,said on Xinpraise of Blanche’smemo.

Microsoft again world’s most valuable company

Microsoft has overtaken Apple as the world’s most valuable company after losing the top spot last June.

But the circumstances are different from before. Apple claimed the victory last year after the two tech giants jockeyed for thetop spot earlier in the year,thanks to surges in their market capitalization value.In June, Apple’smarket cap was $3.29trilliontoMicrosoft’s $3.24 trillion.

President Donald Trump’sannouncement of broadtariffs on all importedgoods, with heavier rates levied on certain countries, has wiped out trillions in stock marketvalue. Tech is among the industries that haven’t been spared, with share prices for Apple, Microsoft and others tumblingsince Wednesday Both global companies, Microsoft andApple are exposed to rifts in trade, but Apple is especially vulnerable becausemost of its products are built overseas. Almost all of Microsoft’s revenue comes from cloud and software services.

Stocks dive afteranother reversal

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK U.S.stocksdove Tuesday following another stunning reversal, with Wall Streetveering from ahugegainatthe opening of trading to more losses at theclose, because investors still have no idea what to make of President Donald Trump’strade war, which is scheduledtokick into ahigher gear after midnight.

After blasting to an early gain of 4.1%, which wouldhave marked its best day in years, the S&P 500 quickly lost all of it. It then careenedtoa loss of 3% before paring its drop. That left the index, which sits at the heartof many investors’ 401(k)accounts, nearly 19% below its record set in February

TheDow Jones Industrial Averageendeddown,after erasing an earlier surgeof1,460 points,while the Nasdaq composite dropped.

Theshocking swingsfollowed rallies for stocks globally earlier in the day, with indexesup6%in Tokyo, 2.5% in Paris and 1.6% in Shanghai.But even after those jumps, analystshad been warning to expect more swings up anddown for ﬁnancial markets not just in the days ahead but also the hours.

The big question remains centeredonhow long Trump will keep hisstiff tariffsonother countries, whichwould raise prices forU.S shoppers and slow the economy.If they lastalong time, economists and investorsexpect them to cause arecession. But if Trumplowers them through negotiationsrelative-

ly quickly,the worst-case scenario can be avoided.

Hope still remains on Wall Street that negotiations maybepossible, which helped drive the morning’s rally.Trump said Tuesday that a conversation with South Korea’s actingpresident helpedthemreach the“conﬁnes andprobabilityofa great DEAL forboth countries.”

“Theirtop TEAM is on aplane heading to the U.S., and things are looking good,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “Weare likewise dealing withmanyother countries,all of whomwanttomakea deal with the UnitedStates.”

But investors should still remain cautious, said Sameer Samana, a senior global market strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute He pointed to how“the keycountries continue to escalate, rather than deescalate.”

China said it will “ﬁght to the end” and warned of countermeasures afterTrump threatened on Monday to raise his tariffs even further on the world’ssecond-largest economy.

White House presssecretary Karoline Leavitt then said Tuesday that Trump’sthreats of even higher tariffs on China will become reality after midnight, whenimports from Chinawill be taxed at astunning 104% rate.

Japanese stocksled globalmarkets higher after the country’s prime minister,Shigeru Ishiba, appointed his trade negotiator for talks with the United States. It was based on an agreement between Ishiba and Trump, Japanese ofﬁcials said.

forecasts predicted arrivalsfrom abroadthis year would reach pre-COVID levels.

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press

Olja Ivanic looked forward to welcoming some cousins from Sweden to her Denver home in June. Ivanic and the four travelers were planning to go hikinginColoradoand then visit LosAngeles and San Francisco.

ButthenPresident Donald Trump berated Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy in aFebruary meeting at the WhiteHouse. Ivanic’sfourrelatives immediately canceled their scheduled tripand decided to vacation in Europe instead.

“The way (Trump) treateda democratic president that’sina war was beyond comprehensible to them,” said Ivanic, who is the U.S. CEO of Austria-based health startup LongevityLabs

The U.S. tourism industry expected 2025 to be another good year in termsofforeign travelers. Thenumber of international visitors to the UnitedStates jumpedin2024, and some

BY JACK DURA and SARAH RAZA Associated Press

BISMARCK, N.D.— The nearly 2,700mile Keystoneoil pipeline was shut down Tuesday morning after it ruptured in North Dakota, haltingthe flow of millionsofgallons of crude oil from Canada to refineries in theU.S. andpotentially leading to higher gasolineprices SouthBow,aliquid pipeline business that manages the pipeline, said it shut down the pipeline after control center leakdetection systemsdetected apressure dropin the system. Thespill is confined to an agricultural field in aruralarea, about60milessouthwestofFargo.

But three months into the year,international arrivals are plummeting. Angered by Trumps’ tariffsand rhetoric, andalarmed by reports of tourists being arrestedatthe border,some citizens of other countries are staying away fromthe U.S.and choosing to travel elsewhere.

The federal government’s NationalTravel and Tourism Office released preliminary figures Tuesday showing visits to the U.S. from overseas fell 11.6% in March compared to the same month last year.The figuresdid not include arrivals from Canada, which is scheduled to report tourism datalater this week, or land crossings from Mexico. But airtravel from Mexico dropped 23%.

Forthe January-March period, 7.1 million visitors entered the U.S. from overseas, 3.3% fewer than during theﬁrst three months of 2024. The travel forecastingcompany Tourism Economics, which as recently as December anticipated the U.S. would have nearly9% moreinternational arrivals this year,revised its annual outlook last week to predict a9.4% decline

“The affected segment has been isolated, and operations and containmentresources have been mobilized to site,” the company said.

“Our primary focus right now is the safety of onsite personneland mitigating risk to the environment.”

The pipeline transported an average 624,000 barrels —ormore than26million gallons —per day in 2024, according to Canadian regulators. It stretches 2,689 miles from Alberta, Canada, to Texas.

The pipeline’s shutdowncould quickly lead to highergasoline prices in the Midwest,said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president for energy and innovation at

Tourism Economics expects some of the steepest declines will be fromCanada,where Trump’srepeated suggestion that thecountry shouldbecome the51st state and tariffs on close trading partners have angered residents. Canada wasthe largest source of visitors to the U.S. in 2024, with more than 20.2 million, according to U.S. government data.

Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, atravel booking site,saidleisure bookings to U.S. destinations were down 40% in March compared to the same month ayear ago. Air Canada has reduced its schedule of spring ﬂights to Florida, Las Vegas and Arizona because of lack of demand.

Tourism Economics said theimpact of the less favorable viewofthe U.S. from abroad could be severe enough that international visits won’tsurpass pre-pandemic levels until 2029.

“The survey data is all indicating asigniﬁcant mix of cancellations and amassive drop in intenttotravel,”TourismEconomics President Adam Sacks said. That slump has financial consequences.

Tourism Economics expects U.S. spending by international visitors to drop by $9 billion this year

theUniversity of Houston. It will raise prices at the pump likely within oneortwo days, but will have agreater impact on diesel andjet fuel, Krishnamoorti said. The Keystone pipeline transportsa largeamountofaunique, heavy crude thatonly is available from limited sources, he said.

“The refineries run on blends of crude so that they can get the product linethattheywant to deliver,whether it is gasoline, diesel, jet fuel,etc., and not having the supply of heavy crude is going to tilt theirability to makediesel andjet fuel,”hesaid. “Theywill make less of diesel and jet fuel when they have less of the heavy

crude.”

Higher diesel costs could lead to grocerypriceincreases because dieseltrucks transport those products, he said.

Thelead petroleum analyst at gasoline price tracker GasBuddy, PatrickDeHaan,saidrefineries typically have at least afew days supply of crude oil on hand that will help insulate them from immediate impacts from theshut down. But if the pipeline is shut for morethan afew days or aweek it could becomeproblematic. He said some refineries in theGreat Lakes regionare also servedbyother pipelines runby Enbridge

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByJAE C. HONG

Awoman poses for photos on amock red carpet setup outsideTCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday.

father,grandfather, friend, and activemember of the community.Larry's legacy is one of passion,dedication, and leadership, leavinganenduring mark on thelives of all whoknew him. Atruelover of the outdoors, Larry found peace and joyinnature, whether on thewater or in thewoods.Hecherished hunting and fishingtrips with friends and family, wherelaughter and camaraderie created moments that will be treasured forever.For over 40 years,he wasanintegral part of the Lightning Class sailing community,where he not onlyhoned hisskills butalso built lifelongfriendships and shared hislove forthe sport with others. Larry wasadedicated legacy member of theSouthern Yacht Club in NewOrleans forover 50 years,where he found both fellowshipand inspiration.His contributions to thecluband his commitment to thesailing community will be remembered with deepgratitude. Larry devoted more than 40 yearsasthe President and CEOofFrost-Barber Inc.,wherehis vision and leadership helped shape thecompany's success. Knownand respected throughout thebusiness community,hewas admiredfor hisintegrity commitment, and ability to bringpeopletogether. His presenceinthe industry and hiscontributions to thelocal economy will not be forgotten. With prideas aRotarian, he proudly served as theSergeantat Arms and remained an activemember formore than 30 years. Visitationwillbe on Friday, April 11 from 11am to 2pmatRabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government Street.Interment will take place at a laterdate.

Louise "Celeste" Lorio Gremillion, anative of Baton Rouge and resident of Gonzales, Louisiana died on April 5, 2025 peacefully surrounded by the love and support of her family. She was 90 years old. She was a1952 graduate of St. Anthony High School in Baton Rouge. She was awonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. As alifelong Catholic, her devotion to God and faithguided her every step. Her life was rooted in love for herfamily, and she made it apoint to attend every event and celebration, especially her kids and grandkids' college games, where she was abeloved fixture in the stands. She had an extraordinary ability to make everyone feel loved and cared for, and her prayers will continue to surround us all. She is survived by her four daughters and one son, Donna Buuck (Lou), Connie Gremillion, Sandra Gremillion and Stacie Gremillion, Ken Gremillion (Claudia); 10 grandchildren, Rebecca Gafford, Jason Gremillion, Lou, Matt & Christopher Buuck, Kara, Kourtney, Beau& Bailey Gremillion and Alaina Va-

cante and 8great grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her husband of almost 53 years, James A. Gremillion, III, two sons, Stephen "Bo" and Randy Gremillion, an infant great grandson, Cohen Buuck, herparents, Daniel J. Lorio, Sr.and Mary Louise Gremillion Lorio, and her two brothers, JamesCarl and DanielJ.Lorio,Jr. Visitation willbeheldatMost Blessed Sacrament CatholicChurchWednesday April9,2025from10 am until Mass of Christian burial at noon.Burial will follow at Roselawn Cemetery. Pallbearers willbe her son-in-law LouisBuuck, grandsons Lou, Matt, Landon &Hayden Buuck and Beau Gremillion. In lieu of flowers, memorialdonationsmay be made to MBS CatholicChurch. The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the staffatAudubonHospice and those who cared for her in the end.

Landry,

It is with aheavy heart that weannouncethe passing of Peggy Mire Landry, abeloved member of our community, who left us on April 5, 2025,in Prairieville, Louisiana.Born on September12, 1936,in Baton Rouge, Peggy's life was atestamenttolove faith, and dedication, and she willbemourned deeply by allwho knew her Peggy was educated at St. Gerard'sCatholic School, where she laid the foundation fora lifelong love of learning and faith. Along-standingmember of St. John, the Evangelist CatholicChurch, shedevoted herself not onlyto her spiritualcommunity but also to the Ladies Alter Society, reflecting her steadfast commitment to serving others. Throughout her vibrant life,Peggy found joyinvarioushobbies and interests that brought her happiness and fulfillment. She was an avid fisherman who embracedthe tranquility of nature, as well as askilled bowler who cherished the camaraderie found in that sport. Peggy also had a profoundlove fordancing, whichbrought hercloser to family and friends during joyous gatherings. Her passion forcooking, especially reading recipe books, showcased her creativenature in the kitchen. In her quieter moments, Peggy immersedherself in oil painting, whereshe expressedher artistic talents and sharedher vision of beauty with the world.

Sheshared aremarkable marriage of 61 years with herlovinglate husband, Dennis J. LandryJr. Peggywas predeceased by herfather, MauriceC.Mire, and hermother, Nora Lee Elias Mire, both of whom she cherisheddeeply Sheissurvived by her children Denise L. McFarlin and husband John, Debbie A. Landryand husband Blayne Coupel, Dean A. Landry and wifeJulie and their daughterEmily Marie; also survived by her beloved grandchildren Dara N. Landry and Hayden A. Landry childrenofDean Landryand ex-daughter-in -lawHeidi Whittington,and her much lovedchihuahua

"Rosie", who was her constant companion forover tenyears.

Aceremony celebrating Peggy's life willbeheldon Thursday April 10, 2025, at St.John theEvangelist CatholicChurch visitation willbegin at 9:30 am until time of theMass of Christian Burialat11:30 am. Interment willfollow at Prairieville Community Cemetery.

PeggyMire Landry leavesbehind alegacy of love,faith, and creativity. Herwarmthand kindness willbeforeverremembered by those whose lives she touched,and her spirit willcontinue to inspire all who carry her memory in their hearts.

LeJeune,Stanley Anthony

Stanley Anthony LeJeune, affectionately known as "Capt.Stan" gently departed from this life on Sunday, April 6, 2025, surrounded by his lovedones, to meethis belovedwife of 67 years, Eva Mae "Shorty" LambertLeJeune in heaven. Duringhis 85 yearsof life,heenjoyed dancing and hunting.And,above all, his wife, family and friends. Stanley workedon theriver fromthe ageof16 where he became atugboat captain for55years. He was atrue legiononthe river, mentoring and trainingmany of the captains out theretoday. Stanley leavesbehindhis three children, Maudie LeJeune Hunt (Kraig), Deno LeJeune (Gwen), and Todd LeJeune (Nedra); daughter-in-law, Jewell Cedotal LeJeune; eighteen grandchildren, Demi, Logan, Austin, Hunter, Stanley"T-Mike", Jaci,and Londie LeJeune, Rodney, Jr. and Rody Willis, Tyler and Timmy Simoneaux, Luke, Mark Phillip, Gabriel,Stephen, and Francesca Hunt and Steven Ellis; and twelve greatgrandchildren, including one on theway, Rylan, Rayne, Harper, Josephine, Kaden,Emmylou, Genevieve, Brantley, Isaac, Maria, baby Caston, Gavin andBasie. He is preceded in deathbyhis son, Stanley "Mike" Micheal LeJeune; daughter, Susan LeJeune Cauthron; grandson, Kody NedLeJeune; mother, MaudeVincent Landry (Roy); father, Daniel LeJeune (Olida); sister, Barbara "Bobbie"Rafflee; and brothers, Daniel, Gerald, and Larry LeJeune Avisitationwillbeheldat Wilbert Funeral Home, Plaquemine on Friday, April11, 2025, from9:30am to 12:30pmwith Mass of Christianburial at St.John theEvangelistCatholic Church, Plaquemine at 1pm. Entombment willfollowatGrace Memorial Park, Plaquemine.The family wouldliketothank LegacyNursing Home nurses and staff for the support and love they have extended to our family Special thankstohis sonin-law Kraigfor the time and effortspent with Captain. Also special thanks to hisnephew Barry Rafflee and family friends Donny Cannellaand Ernest Budd

for theirmany years of

love and support.

Jeff Lousteau,MD, died onMarch 30, 2025 at home withfamilybyhis side.He was an only childbornto Pauland NaomiLyons LousteauinNew Orleans onJuly11, 1943. Attending JesuitHighSchool andLoy‐ola University he wasvery proud of hisJesuiteduca‐tion. Aftergraduationfrom LSU Medicalschool,he dabbled in severalspecial‐ties ﬁndinghis nichein anesthesia. He wasa lov‐ing husband andfather. Funnyand brilliant, he de‐scribed himselfasa Nerd". He embraced com‐puter technology earlyon and became quitecom‐puter savvy.Heservedasa Major in theAlabama Na‐tionalGuard.Hewas a memberofMENSA.Heis survivedbyhis wife of 29 years,Sandraand daugh‐ter,Paula Lousteau.He was preceded in deathby his parentsand stepson, SterlingEgan. Acelebra‐tionoflifewillbeheldata later date.The family wants to thankthe Hospice ofAcadianafor theexcep‐tionalcareJeffreceived. Personalcondolences may besenttothe Lousteau familyat: www.delhomm efuneralhome.com. Jeff Lousteauand hisfamily werecared forand en‐trusted ﬁnalarrangements toDelhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette,LA.

Edward Arthur Shank passed away on April 2, 2025 at theage of 83. He was born in Kittanning, PA For much of his life,Ed worked as an Aircraft Mechanicfor theU.S.Air Force,but also heldnumerous other occupations, including (but certainly not limited to): commercial shrimper and oysterman, asbestosmonitoring, selling cars online,and working as areserve officer. Ed alsoenjoyed spending his time bowling, playing poker, vacationing, and watching wrestling with afew orange slicesinhand.But aboveall,Edenjoyed spending timewith his numerous grandkidsand family He is survivedbyhis wife, Gloria Clements Shank; his children, Trinel Kerry (Matthew), Edward A. Shank Jr. (Michelle) Cheri Welch(James), Rodney Perez,Dane Perez, Kenneth Perez, Charlene Perez,Troy Perez;grand-

children, Brandy Dufrene, Brandi Authement,Blake Authement,Destiny Authement, Caitlyn Authement, DanielAuthement, SavannahAuthement, Mathew Authement,Alexis Shank, Josh Shank, Mandi Curiel, William Reed,Stephen Reed,Christina LaRocca, Keri AnnLandry, Cherie Perez, Amy Loupe andTailer Perez; 26 great grandchildren; and2 great-great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by parents, ArthurValgene Shank andEthelHooks Shank andgrandson, John Authement

Familyand friends are invited to attend aCelebration of Edward'sLife on Friday, April 11, 2025 starting at 10:00AM witha service to follow at 12:00PM at OursoFuneral Home, 13533 Airline Hwy., Gonzales,LA 70737. Edward willbelaid to rest in SerenityOaks Memorial Parkfollowing theservice.Words of condolences and fond memories canbeexpressed at www.OursoFH.comfor the Shank family.

GraceLavergneShoop passedawaypeacefully March 15, 2025, at theage of76inBaton Rouge. Born inAcadiana, Gracewas raisedona traditional Cajun familyfarminSun‐set,Louisiana.Voted “Most Athletic” in hersenioryear ofhighschool,Grace was co-captainofthe basket‐ballteamand remained ac‐tivethroughouther life She studiedaccountingat UniversityofSouthwestern Louisiana in Lafayette and atthe University of New Orleans.In1976, heryoung familymoved to Baton Rouge where they became members of theSt. ThomasMoreCatholic Church andSchool.For nearlythirtyyears,Grace workedasa leadingsys‐temsadministrator at LCR PlumbingWarehouse.In 2008, sheremarried to Richard Shoop, apartner withwhomshe enjoyed cooking, biking,and out‐door festivals. Gracewas anavidreaderand selftaughtartist. Herelegant, handcrafted projects in‐cludedjewelry,quilts, clothing, stainedglass, and decorated cakes. Sheal‐wayskeptanopenmind and likewise explored a widerange of literature.As a loving mother,Grace in‐stilled thevaluesofwell‐ness, self-reliance, opti‐mismand creativity in her children. Shetookpride in arranging home-cooked meals andnurturing her family’sdiverse interests inthe sciences,arts, and sports. Amongher friends, Grace wasbestknown as anattentive andunder‐standinglistener. Her legacyasa cultured,hard‐working,and warm gener‐ous person livesoninthe heartsofall shetouched Grace is survived by her childrenand theirfamilies: Denise, Donavanand TrevorHallofNew York, Laura Blereauand EliotJor‐dan of NewOrleans,and Pauland Amelie Blereauof Tennessee; herhusband Richard ShoopofBaton Rouge; herbrothersRobert

Lavergne of Metairie and VictorLavergneofCaren‐cro;and severalniecesand nephews.She wasprede‐ceasedbyher parents JosephServilleLavergne and Eldine MarieMcBride Lavergne; hersisterJanell LavergneVige; andher brother JamesRay Lavergne. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tenda visitation on Friday April 11, 2025, from 9:00 a.m.to11:00 a.m. at Green‐wood FuneralHome, 5200 Canal Boulevard, NewOr‐leans,Louisiana with a catholic serviceat11:00 a.m.Interment will follow inGreenwood Cemetery.A MassIntention will also be offeredfor Graceat8:00 a.m.Monday, April7,atthe St. CharlesBorromeo Church,147 Church St., Grand Coteau,Louisiana Asanexpressionofsym‐pathy,inlieuof ﬂowers, the familyisrequesting donations to theSt. Joseph’sHospice Founda‐tionhttps://www.stjosep hhospicefoundation.org/ or theLouisiana School for Math, Scienceand theArts, https://lsmsa.edu.

It is with profound sorrowand solemn reverence that we announcethe passing of Mr. Reginald Waller, whodeparted this earthly life on the 27th of March, in theyear of our Lord2025, at the distinguishedage of 72. Agravesideservice shall be held in hishonor on Thursday, the 10th of April at 11:00 AM at Louisiana National Cemetery,303 West Mount Pleasant Road,Zachary, Louisiana. Hisearthly remains shall also be laidto rest at at Louisiana National Cemetery.The distinguished& solemn arrangements have been entrusted to thecareofWinnfield Funeral Home of Baton Rouge &C.D.Slaughter, FDIC.

Lousteau,Jeff

Peggy Mire

Waller, Reginald

Shoop,Grace Lavergne

Gremillion, Louise

Shank, Edward Arthur

If our interstate highway system operated like our immigration system,its failingswould be impossible for most Americans to ignore.Exits and on-ramps would be blocked withnowarning, milemarkers would beplaced haphazardly along the route, there would benosigns telling you exactly how close you aretoyourdestination and your entire journey would call for exorbitant and arbitrarytolls. Yetfor thosewho want to make alife in the United States,thisis like the road we requirethemtotravel year in, year out, often in the shadows. President Donald Trump, whowas elected vowing to crack down on illegal immigration and make our national borders more secure, has empowered Immigrationand Customs Enforcement to aggressively pursue apolicyofmass deportation. While we know many agreewith this effort, we also know thatnot many truly understandwhatthatlooks like. Occasionally,though,U.S.citizens geta windowintothe frustrations andabsurditiesthat immigrants have faced fordecades. Therecent detention of a73-year-old grandfather from Lafayette pricked theconscience of many across the nation because his story exposes the complexities of immigration enforcement that some would rather ignore.

As his stepdaughter tellsitina Facebook video, Jose FranciscoGarcia Rodriguez came to the United States in the 1980s as arefugee from Cuba. He arrived unable to speak English and with only the clothes on his back. Overthe next 45 years, he was able tobuild alife,raising afamily, holding down ajob andpaying taxes. The family says it tried for10yearsto get him legal immigration status. Butdue to a “mistake” he made early on,heservedtime,and had trouble obtaining awork permit even after he had completed his sentence. At some point, thefamilywas told thatitwould bebetterfor Rodriguez to give up his attemptstogain legal status andjust “lay low.”

But that ended last week when Rodriguezwas arrested near his Lafayette home onhis way to work. With no warning, the grandfather was taken to adetention center in Pine Prairie. Thankfully,his family reportsthatRodriguez was freed Monday. But hissaga is likelynot over While ICE says it is targeting criminals ﬁrst and foremost, there have been reportsfrom around the country aboutimmigrants who have been detained despite having lived in the countrypeacefullyand productively for yearsand posingnothreat to public safety. We understand that there is little sympathy in some quarters for many of these immigrants, but that’snoexcuse to downplay their plight. It’s estimated that ICE detention facilitiesinLouisianahold6,900 immigrants per day on average. We do not know all theirstories. But we know Rodriguez’s,and until we ﬁx our immigration system, none of us can deny theneedless suffering it creates.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

OPINION

Politiciansare crowing about Hyundai’sproposed steel plant near Donaldsonville and their role in making it happen, but thestoryhad afamiliar ring to it: Louisiana produces thelow-value commodity product while the high-value ﬁnished productsare madeelsewhere namely one plant each in Alabama and Georgia.

Aton of rolled steel might cost $1,000 or less in today’smarket (before tariffs) Turn that into a3,000-pound automobile, and the price can reach $35,000 or more. Once aton of steel is made and shipped, that is the end of it. The automobile continues adding employment and value for years.

Meanwhile, steelmaking is among the leading carbon-intensive industries, so we also get carbon dioxide plus nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide,particulatematter and hazardous chemicals resulting from combustion, such as chlorinated dioxins and furans, polychlorinated biphenyls and brominated dioxins.

These persistent, toxic pollutants contribute to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, reduced productivity

Capital punishment is adirty,rotten, stinking, nastybusiness. Andweought not be engaged in it It is aremnant of aretrograde mentality.Longago, theargument for its deterrence value went bankrupt for lack of proof. Thus, its only remaining argument is vengeance. Mistakes in Bible-reading are plentiful. Mistakes learned after the fact of an execution are widely known. Butmaking Jesus an advocate of capital punishment is worse than amistake, it is repugnant. While a discussion of so-called humane methods for theexecution of ahuman being may be of interest toour imaginations, they are, nevertheless, drillings into hideous ethical mineshafts which become darker thedeeper the arguments descend. Furthermore, no secretary of commerce or

and premature death in surrounding communities. Sound familiar? Irecall Gov.Buddy Roemer’scampaign to moveLouisiana away from producing low-value commodity products such as chemicals and to develop higherend industry

That initiative failed and is largely still failing as thestate continues to court, incentivize, hail and celebrate high-volume, high-impact industries like steel, carbon capture, LNG, fertilizer and data centers.

That’sright: data centers, which use millionsofgallons of fresh water and generatemountains of digital waste chips on circuit boardsused to mine Bitcoin.Yet Parish President Kenny Havard described the Hut 8project to theWest Feliciana Council as “no smokestacks, apretty green deal forus.”

It is high time for Louisiana to overhaul itsindustry recruitment efforts to focus on quality of lifeaswell as jobs. That is theway to makethe “good lists” Roemer aspired to forLouisiana.

BILL HUEY Baton Rouge

promoter of tourism would be so stupid as to advertise that in 21st-century Louisiana, we arestill engaged in so hideous apractice that its defenders call good. Those who defend it remind me of adult men we encounter whostill defend thephysical abuse and punishments they received as children. And so, understandably,the cycleofviolence continues. “Weak people revenge,” said Albert Einstein, offering an astute insight intothe psychological proﬁle of bullies. Remember this: The execution of aprisoner is not self-defense. Capital punishment is adirty,rotten, stinking, nastybusiness. But it is one thing more. It is asin.

THE REV.DR. STEVE J. CRUMP minister emeritus, Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge

Gov.Jeff Landry’scomments following his sound defeat in the recent election just further shows how out of touch he is withhis constituents. Essentially calling thecitizens of this statelosers is asure-ﬁre way tolose support,which was dwindling for him

already.Ifanything,itshould be areﬂection of himself. After all he’sserved (and failed) this statefor many years. The failure starts at the top.

CARMINE ANDREWS Baton Rouge

Iama 1978 graduate of the LSU law school. In the late 1970s, LSU was apreeminent law school in America. However,the recent disgusting actions of Ken Levy,who proclaimsto be aprofessor of law at LSU, makemequestion the status of my alma mater.Inmyday,professors of law used the Socratic method to teach us the law.Ken Levy now believes that profanity and politics are necessary instruments to teach the law What astark contrast to the iconic professors we had in the mid-’70s whomade the LSU law school atop law school. How about this foratop 10: Robert Pascal, William Crawford, A.N Yiannopoulos, Frank Maraist, Howard L’Enfant, Cheney Joseph, Katherine Spaht, Alston Johnson, George Pugh and Lee Hargrave.

The pinnacle professor was Saul Litvinoff. If ever there were alaw professor whoepitomized this noble profession, it wasLitvinoff. Professor Litvinoffcame to class with one piece of paper —the roll. That wasall this great man needed to teach. Everything else was in his beautiful mind. He wasa true mentor These werethe professors whotaught us the law and they never uttered acuss word, and they never discussed politics. Why? Because profanity and politics have no place in the education of amind to practice law It sickens me to see how Levy has bastardized the First Amendment by claiming it gives him the right to cuss in class and impugn our current governor and our 47th president.

To my beloved LSU law school, Iurge you to rid yourself of this cancer.Levy must be excised from the faculty.Dothis in the nameofall those former law professors whomade the LSU law school great.

WARREN BYRD Baton Rouge

SPORTS

LATE ARRIVALS

untilbig seventhinningdrops Nicholls

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

For six innings Tuesday, there was reason to believe that LSU had left its bats behind in Norman, Oklahoma, over the weekend.

The Tigers were held scoreless by Nicholls State.They didn’thave an extra-basehit andhadn’tearnedtheir ﬁrst walkuntil theﬁfthinning. The Colonels had struck out fewer times than LSU.

The LSU pitching staff had kept the game withinstrikingdistance by allowingonly threeruns, butsomeone needed to break throughfor the Tigers at the plate. That finally happened in the seventh inning. After two walks anda single loaded the bases withone out, sophomore Steven Milam hit abloop single to put the Tigers on the

BY ZACH EWING Staff writer

board. It was the start of a ﬁve-runinningthatgaveLSU a5-3 victory night at RayDi-

dier Field in Thibodaux. After Milam’ssingle, sophomore Jake Brown shot a grounder into leftfield to drive in two runs to tie the score. Senior Luis Hernandez then got hit by apitch to reload the bases beforejunior Chris Stanﬁeld drove in another pair of runs on the fourth single of the inning to give LSU a5-3 lead. Freshman right-hander

William Schmidt entered the game with LSU trailing 3-0 and tossed four scoreless innings after that. He struck out eight batters and didn’tallow ahit, earning the ﬁfth win of his career The Tigers ﬁnished with 11 hits but none of them went for

When the New OrleansSaintslost their final four gameslast season, it was adrearyend to adisappointing season. But it did have an ancillary benefit: The Saints rose to No. 9inthe 2025 NFL Draft order, giving New Orleans atop-10 pick for thefirst time since many of its current players were in elementary school.It’s been 17 years since the Saints took defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis with the No. 7pick of the 2008 draft. Beforethat, theSaints picking in the top 10 was afairly common occurrence. It happened 17 times in the franchise’sfirst 41years, starting with Kevin Hardy in 1968 and ending with Ellis.

The Saints have hadthe No.1 overallpickonly once, in 1981. Interestingly, they have neverbefore had the No. 9pick (or the No. 4pick). Before the Saints add to this number(barringa trade) when the ﬁrst round of the draft commences April 24 in Green Bay,Wisconsin,here’sa rundown of New Orleans’ previous top-10 picks and the success —orlack thereof —they’ve had in the NFL: All-Pros GEORGE ROGERS,RB,NO.1 PICK,1981: Although the Saints chose him over the likes of Lawrence Taylor and RonnieLott, the 1980 Heisman Trophy winner livedupto the hype of being the No. 1overall pick —atleast for theﬁrst season.Heran for1,674yards in 1981,still theSaints’ single-season rushing record. He scored

BY EDDIE PELLS AP national writer

AUGUSTA, Ga. At

years

McIlroy is old enough to

noticing stuff.Like the fact children at her school weretalking about her dad the day after he won The Players Championship last month.

“She came hometomethat day and said, ‘Daddy,are you famous?’ ” Rory McIlroy said here Tuesday With asheepish turn of the head, the No 2golfer in

Ireland) resumes his eternal quest foraMasters green jacket this week. Claim it and seats at two exclusive tables await him.One would be the Masters’ Champions Dinner, which wasset to be held upstairs in Augusta National’sclubhouse Tuesday night. The other would be to join the ﬁve men whoare the only players ever to winall four professional majors: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and GeneSarazen.

The fact that McIlroy is laden with so manymetric tons of talent has madethe grand slam seem inevitable forhim since he won the 2014 British Open at Royal Liverpool to go with earlier U.S. Open and PGA Championship victories.

Since the 2014 PGA, which he also won,McIlroy has won 19 times on the PGATour.Nine moretimes on

SAN ANTONIO Theﬁnal buzzer in San Antonio closeda drama that ended with confetti and Gatorchomps —athrill-a-minute NCAA title for the Florida Gators that reminded us all of what’sso good about the gamesthese collegeathletes play In another court—afew hours earlierand 1,700 miles away lawyers, afew athletes and a judge debated issues that will affect thefuture of games like these and what comes next fora multibillion-dollar college-sports industrythatisstrugglingwith change. Thosetwo scenes Monday illustratedall that’s at stake—

and maybe even whether March Madness, which Florida wrapped up with a65-63 title-clinching victoryover Houston, will look the same in coming years. So while Florida guard Walter Clayton’sclutchstopinthe ﬁnal seconds might have produced theday’sbiggest headline, federal judge Claudia Wilken’sdecision about the multibillion-dollar college-sports lawsuit settlement —which could come within days, weeks, months,who knows? will carry more weight.

“Basically Ithink it is agood settlement,don’t quoteme, and Ithink it’s worthpursuing,” Wilken said near the closeof the daylong hearingshe held in Oakland, California, that ﬁnished about an hour before tipoff in the Alamodome.

starting pitcher Conner Ware went three innings, allowingone unearned runontwo hits and awalk.

PHOTOSByBRAD WEIME

Sampson’s first title painfully slips away

BY AARON BEARD AP basketball writer

SANANTONIO — All Kelvin Sampson

could do was stand there, hands on hips with a blank look on his face, as the ball bounced loose and Houston’s latest chance at a national title bounced away, too. The coach who has commanded all details over a 36-year career of wins, losses and a few Final Fours couldn’t do anything about this one. The last-second blunder ended in a 65-63 loss to Florida on Monday night.

It took years for the 69-year-old coaching lifer to turn Houston into one of college basketball’s top programs again – one built on defense, toughness, rebounding and doing things a certain, hard-nosed way Sampson rehabilitated his image too, the pariah who nobody understood becoming an almostlovable beacon for how to connect with players and do things the “right” way

But there was no escape from the anguish this time, from squandering a 12-point second-half lead to that final-play turnover that sent Sampson into the offseason stuck on win No. 799 in a windingroad career

“There’s always going to be naysayers and negative nellies and all that stuff, but that’s where your faith and your family is way more important than any of that stuff,” Sampson said outside Houston’s locker room in the Alamodome. The game ended with Houston (35-5) — which ﬁnished at No. 2 in the ﬁnal AP Top 25 poll Tuesday — unable to even get up a shot on its last two possessions, a fact Sampson called “incomprehensible.” On one, Emanuel Sharp drove the right side but had the ball stripped and lost it out of bounds with 26.6 seconds left and Houston down one.

Moments later Houston had its second chance to go ahead. The ball again went to Sharp, who tried to fire a 3-pointer on the catch only to see a hard closeout by Florida star Walter Clayton Jr coming his way Stuck in the air, he tried to dribble the ball to avoid a turnover and was forced to let it bounce, the ball hitting the court with about 4.5 seconds left and then continuing to bounce for another 2-plus precious seconds Finally Florida’s Alex Condon dove for the ball, sending Houston’s Ja’Vier Francis to the floor and killing the final moments of the Cougars’ title dream. Moments later as the confetti started to fall for the Gators, Sampson walked with his head down to the edge of the court as though trying to make sense of what had just happened. He descended the steps, then started making his way up the lane through the heaviest concentration of red-clad Houston fans in a

COURTS

Continued from page 1C

try to ﬁx them.” Among Wilken’s top-line items is ﬁguring a way to gradually implement roster limits prescribed by the lawsuit. A solution could prevent an immediate wholesale phaseout of hundreds of football players, swimmers, sprinters and other college athletes across the country

She also wants tweaks to how athletes who haven’t yet reached college might be treated per terms of an agreement that’s supposed to last 10 years.

“We’re taking your feedback. We’ll take it to our clients,” NCAA attorney Rakesh Kilaru told Wilken. The clock is ticking As currently structured, terms of the settlement are due to take effect on July 1, when the biggest change will be schools’ ability to pay athletes directly Also at stake is $2.78 billion in back pay to former players who weren’t eligible for those payments.

That’s where it comes back to the Gators, along with the thousands of varsity teams and players participating in college sports.

painful march to the locker room.

“I wanted it so bad for him,” said Houston big man J’Wan Roberts, who played ﬁve seasons for Sampson after a redshirt year “So, so, so bad. And it hurts. Coach Sampson, the role that he played in my life, I can’t even put into words.”

It was nearly the highlight of a career that started as a Michigan State graduate assistant under Jud Heathcoate. HIs path ran through Washington State, Oklahoma where guided the Sooners to the 2002 Final Four and Indiana before his career ran into a ditch there due to an NCAA probe and triggered this successful second act.

Along the way the two-time Associated Press national coach of the year has rolled with the rapidly changing college landscape.

“More impressive than anything else for me is seeing him and how unbelievable he has been in being agile and understanding how to evolve Everyone says he’s old school but the reality is, he gets it and surrounds himself with his son and other people who can help him with NIL, revenue share.

Whatever’s laid out we’ll do it,” Houston athletic director Eddie Nuñez said.

And yet, Sampson still talked at the Final Four in a way beﬁtting

his early coaching days at tiny Montana Tech.

“I love coaching basketball, I love teaching,” Sampson said.

“I don’t know what I would have been good at had I not been a coach because that’s the only thing I’ve ever been. But I think I would have enjoyed being a teacher, too, because I enjoy teaching stuff and seeing kids learn and apply it, have success with it. I choose to focus on that stuff more so than the portal.”

Ousted from IU due to an NCAA probe into Sampson making too many recruiting phone calls, he received a ﬁve-year show cause penalty in 2008 that kept him out of the college ranks until his return at Houston in 2014.

Sampson found refuge there after spending his exile in the NBA, while he offered the school the dream of reconnecting with its history tied to the famed Phi Slama Jama era in the 1980s — which before this year had marked the program’s only two trips to the NCAA title game — behind a coach with a proven record for winning.

By his third season, Sampson had the Cougars back in March Madness. They won 33 games in his fourth, then two years later had the Cougars back in the Fi-

nal Four in 2021 — the program’s ﬁrst since Hakeem Olajuwon and coach Guy Lewis led them to the 1984 title game before falling to Patrick Ewing and Georgetown.

The Indianapolis bubble run of four years ago eliminated any doubt about Houston’s arrival as a national power It’s all rooted in Sampson’s vision, built in his image by demanding an unyielding ﬁght and work ethic going back to his upbringing in eastern North Carolina.

His team had put that on display all season, most recently with an improbable comeback in the ﬁnal minute to stun Duke in Saturday’s national semifinals Then came Monday night’s ﬁnale leading just about the entire way and keeping Clayton under control after the Gators star had torn through March Madness.

The Cougars just couldn’t ﬁnish it out on a night when they shot just 34.8%, including 6 of 25 from 3-point range, putting too much weight on the defense to carry them home.

And in the end, Sampson couldn’t ﬁnd the answer Instead, he spent 20 extra minutes after his postgame news conference talking it all out with reporters, an unusual sight for the losing coach on the ﬁnal Monday night of the season.

game as a collegian. But Clay-

ton got the last laugh when he charged toward Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp — who was lining up for what could have been the game-winning 3-pointer with the clock ticking down in a tense, rugged, defense-focused game that left everyone on edge.

Clayton’s defense forced Sharp to let the ball go without shooting. It bounced once, then twice, then a third time Sharp couldn’t grab it, lest he be called for traveling before Florida big man Alex Condon pounced on it and the buzzer sounded.

“I do think what separates us and has separated us all season long is our team talent, how our guys have played together and for each other all year,” Golden said. “Because of that, we can call each other national champions for the rest of our lives.”

Top freshman in SEC set to leave Texas for NBA

Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year Tre Johnson says he’s one-and-done at Texas and will enter the NBA draft.

Johnson, who made his announcement on ESPN on Tuesday, averaged 19.7 points per game to lead the SEC and broke Kevin Durant’s school freshman record with 39 points against Arkansas late in the regular season. The 6-foot-6 guard shot 39.7% on 3-pointers, 42.7% overall and 87.1% on free throws to rank among the SEC leaders. He’s projected as a consensus top-10 draft pick.

Johnson was a consensus topﬁve national recruit coming out of high school in Garland, Texas, and he made an easy transition to the college game. He scored at least 20 points in 15 of 35 games.

South Carolina women get Division I leading scorer

Ta’Niya Latson, the leading scorer in Division I, has decided to transfer to South Carolina, where she will join a high school teammate and try to help the Gamecocks win another national championship. The Florida State guard already had announced her intention to transfer for her ﬁnal college season after scoring 25.2 points a game this season. Latson announced her destination Tuesday with a social-media post showing her in a South Carolina jersey with the words “COMMITTED” and her name along with an interstate sign for Columbia and the school logo. Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson celebrated the pending reunion with her high school teamwith several posts making clear she’s returning to South Carolina.

Northwestern, ex-athletes settle in hazing lawsuit

Former Northwestern University football players are finalizing an agreement with the school to settle lawsuits alleging hazing and abuse that led to longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald’s firing, a school spokesman said Tuesday The private university in suburban Chicago has been reeling from the scandal that engulfed the athletic department. Former football players filed the first lawsuits in 2023, alleging sexual abuse and racial discrimination on the team. Similar allegations then spread across multiple sports. “Northwestern and the student plaintiffs recently engaged in a mediation process that resulted in the settlement of the student plaintiffs’ claims,” a Cook County Circuit Court filing by attorneys for Northwestern said last week.

Mariners lose OF Robles for at least next 12 weeks

Seattle Mariners outﬁelder Victor Robles will miss at least 12 weeks after dislocating his left shoulder while catching a foul ball over the weekend, general manager Justin Hollander said Tuesday Robles, who was batting .273 with three doubles as the Mariners’ leadoff man, was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday Imaging revealed the dislocation caused a small fracture in a bone in the shoulder, and Hollander said it appeared the injury would heal without surgery Robles made a long dash to chase down a ﬂy ball on Sunday

The right ﬁelder went over the low railing in foul territory to make the catch, fell over the wall and crashed into the netting in the process.

Like every other coach, Florida’s Todd Golden is learning to work with a payroll.

It’s funded both from third-party booster groups that can funnel money to the players, and then, if Wilken gives the OK, from a pool of $20.5 million that schools like his will distribute among all of its athletes — but mostly to football and a little less to basketball.

He’s the senior who left a small Northeastern school, Iona, to come back to his home state and join Golden and the Gators. He scored 134 points in six tournament games that culminated with Monday’s ﬁnal. He will be playing in the NBA next year Houston frustrated him and held him to 11 points in his ﬁnal

Those financial decisions, in turn, will dictate roster decisions and determine whether the Gators can afford another player like Clayton.

While the Gators got ready to cut down the nets, the well-worn favorite “One Shining Moment” — a treacly highlight reel from America’s three-week hoops extravaganza played on the big screen above. Florida sprinted and Houston trudged through the tunnel, into their locker rooms, and basketball and college sports, in general — began the long wait to see what comes next.

Portis returns to Bucks after 25-game suspension Bobby Portis is coming back from his 25-game suspension as the Milwaukee Bucks continue their push toward the playoffs. The 30-year-old forward dressed for the Bucks’ game Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves and made his first game appearance since the All-Star break. Portis was suspended on Feb. 20 after testing positive for the painkiller Tramadol, violating the league’s anti-drug program. Portis has indicated he took Tramadol unintentionally His agent, Mark Bartelstein, said Portis believed he was taking Toradol, which is approved and is something that he has taken before. The suspension continued

for Portis in

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC GAy

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson yells during the second half in the national championship game against Florida at the Final Four on Monday in San Antonio.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC GAy

Florida’s Walter Clayton celebrates after Florida beat Houston in the national championship game on Monday in San Antonio.

AreLSUmen better afterportalshuffling?

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

Aroster overhaul was expected from an LSU men’sbasketball team that went 14-18 and ﬁnished second-to-last in the Southeastern Conference.

Thus far,coach Matt McMahon —who is entering his fourth season —has added ﬁvetransfersand lost six players to the portal.

Vyctorius Miller,Corey Chest and Daimion Collins are the three departures who were signiﬁcant contributors during the season. Mike Williams, Noah Boydeand Tyrell Ward either didn’t play or were inconsistentmembers of the rotation.

The player LSU likely wished to keep the most is Miller,who is taking his talents to Oklahoma State

The 6-foot-5, 185-pound freshman guard was the Tigers’ third-leading scorer at 8.9 points on 44.7% shooting in 19 minutes per game. He missed seven contests because of two ankle injuries during SEC play Miller is aﬂuid three-level scorer who ﬂashed shot-creating brilliance for LSU in nonconference play and in a17-point gameagainst Tennessee. The 20-year-old is also agood open-court athlete.

These traits combined witha year of experience playing in the SEC make him an obvious candidate to have abreakout sophomore

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

13 touchdowns, was first-team All-Pro and theOffensive Rookie of the Year.Unfortunately,Rogers played in all 16 games in aseason just once in his career becauseof injuries.

WILLIE ROAF,OT, NO.8 PICK, 1993: One of the greatest playerstoever don aSaints uniform, Roaf made goodonthe team’sgambleintradingPat Swillingfor the No. 8pick used to select him. He made11 Pro Bowls (seven with the Saints), was named All-Pro four times (twice with the Saints) and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

KYLE TURLEY,OT, NO.7 PICK, 1998: In his ﬁve seasons in New Orleans, Turley did plenty more than rip offDamien Robinson’shelmet. He started 79 of apossible 80 games and was an All-Pro forthe 2000 Saints team that earned the franchise’sﬁrst playoff win. Fanfavorites

ARCHIE MANNING, QB,NO. 2PICK, 1971: The first face of the franchise made only two Pro Bowls, at least partly due to the sad stateofthe roster around him. ButManning started 10 years, held everymajorfranchisepassing recordfor about40years andgaveNew Orleansfootballanidentity that lasts to this day

LSU

Continued from page1C

extra bases. Junior Ethan Frey ledthe way with threesingles and awalk.

The LSU pitching staff wasn’t as proliﬁc as it was over theweek-

season. Miller will try to continue to addstrengthashepreparesfor theBig 12.

While his smooth scoringistantalizing, he might not have seamlessly ﬁt with UNLV transferpoint guardDedan Thomas, the starof LSU’stransfer classsofar.McMahon is replacing Millerwithexperienced off-ball players who can provide shooting, solid decisionmaking and size.

LSU’sother backcourt additions are Portland junior Max Mackinnon and Northeasternjunior Rashad King.

Thetwo 6-6 guards might not be as naturally talentedasMiller but are well-rounded producers. Those juniors eachaveragedat least three assistsand five rebounds whileMilleraveraged2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

For Mackinnon, who scored 14.5 points per game, his biggest sell is as aperimeter threat, where he shot 40.7% from 3. Miller has touch butwent 31.8% from beyond thearc. In 13 nonconference games, he shot 34% from3 King, who averaged 18.5 ppg, is not as good of a3-point shooter (31.9%) but will likely defend opposing teams’ best perimeter scorer That was not going to be Miller’s role or his strongsuitasasophomore.

LSU’sfrontcourt subtractions are even less likely to backﬁre for the team sincethe team’sbiggest weakness last year wasrebound-

ing. The Tigers ﬁnishedthe season 347th in the country in defensive rebounding percentage, according to KenPom, and sorelymissed junior big man Jalen Reed, who suffereda season-ending injury in December Rebounding was challenging with theTigers’ four-guard lineup surrounding Collins at center his12.3%defensive rebounding rate wasthe worst of 31 SEC players 6-8ortaller, accordingtoBarTorvik.

The Tigers were badatcrashing the glass even with atraditional two-big group, although Chest whoisheading to Ole Miss —was agifted rebounder with a21.7% defensive rebounding rate.

Collins and Chest were elite athletes but unreliable offensive players and erratic defenders who chased blocks, fouled too often andwereoverpowered by many opponents.

LSUhas brought in 6-9 forward MarquelSuttonfrom Omaha and 6-10, 245-pound Mississippi State center Michael Nwoko. Each has atrack record of impressive rebounding, Sutton with a22.6% defensive rebounding rate and Nowoko at 19.7%

Improved offense will come fromSutton, whowas theSummit LeaguePlayer of theYear after averaging 18.9 ppg, andfrom the returning Reed, whoput up 11 ppg on 60%fromthe ﬁeld in eight games.

SAINTS’TOP-10PICKS

1968: Kevin Hardy,DT, Notre Dame, No. 7pick

1970: Ken Burrough,WR,Texas Southern, No.10pick

1971: Archie Manning,QB, OleMiss, No. 2pick

1972: Royce Smith, G, Georgia,No. 8pick

1975: Larry Burton,WR, Purdue, No. 7pick

1976: ChuckMuncie, RB,California,No. 3pick

1977: JoeCampbell, DE, Maryland, No. 7pick

1978: WesChandler,WR, Florida,No. 3pick

1981: George Rogers, RB,South Carolina, No. 1pick

1986: Jim Dombrowski, G,Virginia, No.6 pick

1993: Willie Roaf,OT, Louisiana Tech,No. 8pick

1997: Chris Naeole, G, Colorado, No.10pick

1998: Kyle Turley,OT, San DiegoState, No. 7pick

1999: RickyWilliams, RB,Texas, No.5 pick

2003: Johnathan Sullivan, DT,Georgia, No. 6pick

2006: Reggie Bush, RB,USC, No.2 pick

TheTigersare notfully formed yet with thetransfer window still open until April 22. However,the

ﬂaws

saved his bestfootball for the Dolphins.Heran for more than 1,800 yards and wasaﬁrst-team All-Pro in his ﬁrst year in Miamiin2002.

Busts

for Jacksonville after ﬁveyears with theSaints. He was afulltime starter at right guardfor the aforementioned 2000 team that snapped the franchise playoff drought.

SEDRICKELLIS,DT, NO.7 PICK, 2008: The most recent top-10 pick never had more than sixsacks in aseason, but he was agood run-stuffer andstarted 70 games over five seasonswiththe Saints, plus six playoff games —including Super Bowl XLIV Best came elsewhere

KEVIN HARDY, DT,NO. 7PICK, 1968: Hardywas traded to the49ers as part of the Saints’forcedcompensation for signing free agent wide receiver Dave Parks. He never amounted to much in the NFL anyway,starting 12 games with ﬁve sacks over four proseasons

2008: Sedrick Ellis, DT,USC, No. 7pick

REGGIE BUSH,RB,NO.2PICK,2006: The Heisman Trophy winnerfinished fifth in the 2006 Offensive Rookie of the Year voting and helped the Saintstothe NFCchampionship game, then was akey part of the exhilarating offense that led to theLombardi Trophy three years later.Inthe end, he spent justfive years in New Orleans, but his last impressionfeels larger Good,solid picks

CHUCKMUNCIE, RB,NO. 3PICK, 1976: He had more than 4,000 yards from scrimmage in four full sea-

end,but fourpitchers combined to keep the Tigers in the game.

Earning thestart was junior left-hander Conner Ware.He went three innings, allowing one unearned runontwo hits and awalk. He didn’tstrikeout any batters.

The lone run he allowed came with two outs in the third inning.

sons in New Orleans, including aPro Bowl 1979 campaignwith more than 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing. But the Saints traded him to the Chargers, withwhom he flourished in the 1980s.

JIM DOMBROWSKI,G,NO. 6PICK, 1986: Nothingspectacular here,but when you rack up 11 seasons with afranchise —includingnine as a full-time starter with acouple of playoff berths —that’sasolidtop10 pick.

CHRISNAEOLE, G, NO.10PICK, 1997: Seeabove,although Naeole left

After surrendering an infield single, Ware threw awild pickoff attempt to ﬁrst base that let the runner scamper to third. Another single drove in the ﬁrst run. Redshirt sophomoreJaden Noot replaced Ware to startthe fourth and recorded two quick outsbeforesurrendering asingle, awalk and atwo-run doublethat

KEN BURROUGH,WR, NO.10PICK, 1970: Aseries of injuries hampered Burrough during his rookie season, and he caught just 13 passes for 196yards.The Saints traded himtothe Houston Oilers, who turned him into atwo-timePro Bowler who led theNFL in receiving in 1975.

WESCHANDLER, WR, NO.3 PICK, 1978: Chandler wasgood for theSaints —a 1,000-yardseason and aPro Bowl nod in 1979,and nearlyanother one in 1980 —but not good enough to prevent themfrom trading himtothe Chargers early in the 1981 season. It was in San Diego where he had his best years, including an All-Pro 1982 season.

RICKY WILLIAMS,RB, NO.5 PICK, 1999: TheSaints infamously traded their entire draft haul to pick Williams. He was mostlyproductive in New Orleans but unfortunately

stretched Nicholls’ lead to 3-0.

Noot issued asecond walk before coming out for junior right-hander Connor Benge. Benge escaped thefourth inning before recording LSU’sfirst two strikeouts in ascoreless fifth. Schmidt struck out another pair of hitters in the sixth to keep the Tigers’ deficit at three.

ROYCESMITH,G,NO. 8PICK, 1972: He started10games during his rookie season for a2-11-1 Saints team, only got three starts the next year and thenwas gone to Atlanta for his ﬁnal three NFL seasons

LARRYBURTON, WR, NO.7 PICK, 1975: His305 yards receiving as arookie were acareerhigh.Ofhis seven career touchdowns over ﬁveNFL seasons, three came with San Diego.

JOECAMPBELL, DE, NO.7 PICK, 1977: He peaked during his second season in 1978 with 16 starts and 51/2 sacks.After the Saints traded him midway through the1980 season, he never startedanother NFL game.

JOHNATHAN SULLIVAN, DT,NO. 6PICK, 2003: Best knownfor searching for apress box meal afterbeing declared inactive for a2004 game, Sullivan showed up to rookie camp overweight,played three seasons and was out of the league beforeheturned 25.

LSUresumesSoutheastern Conference play on Friday against Auburn on the road. First pitch from Plainsman Park is set for 6p.m. and the gamewill be available to stream on SEC Network+.

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

STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU forward Daimion Collins blocks ashot by Vanderbilt forward Jaylen CareyonJan. 4atthe PMAC

THE VARSITYZONE

gets readytocatch

Parkview nips U-High

4-3withrun

BY WILLIAM WEATHERS

Contributing writer

The stage is set for amemorable rematch between No. 1Parkview Baptist and No. 2University High. They’ll have ahard time topping Tuesday’sseries opener

It took 11 innings in the opening act of the district showdown between the state’stop teams in Division III select, with Parkview scoring arun in thetop of the11th for a4-3 victory overU-High at Vick Field.

The two teams will meet again at 6p.m.Thursday at Parkview The rivals have split their season series for the past three seasons.

Parkview (25-6, 5-0 in 6-3A) seized agame that had been tied at 3-3 since the fifth inning when first baseman Tyler Barrient singled to right field to drive in courtesy runner Noah Landry from second base with two outs. Catcher Micah Landry led

in 11th

off theinning by reaching base against U-Highreliever Nicholas Zeringue. Aftertwo straight outs, Barrient— who was 0for 4atthe point —singledsharply to right ﬁeld on a3-2 offering, and Landry motored allthe way home ahead of the relay throwthat was cut off.

Winning pitcherWill Robinson (2-1) was flawless in his 42/3 inningsofrelief.The Belhaven signee kept U-High (20-8, 4-1) scoreless and without ahit,striking outsix, including getting Jake McCann swinging to end the31/2hour game Robinson was part of adazzling relief effort for both teams where Zeringuepitched six innings, allowing only one hit and one run. He registered 10 of his team’s 15 strikeouts andwalked only one. Parkview scored twice on two hits and an error against U-High aceBrody Mayeaux. Left fielder HenryBeckers droveinthe first runwith asacrifice fly to score

Kelan Guidry,and athrowing error accounted for the Eagles’ secondrun.

U-High,which hada totalof three hits, got one back in the first inning on first baseman Ethan Hopkins’ run-scoring hit to centerfield against Parkview starter Sam Mitchell. The Cubs took a3-2 lead with a pair of runs in the third when JarisHamilton doubled in arun that made it 2-2, and Hopkins drove in hissecond run with agroundout Parkview tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth whenSethDeGeorge washit by apitch, took second on Clayton Fontenot’ssacrifice bunt and scoredonBecker’ssingleto center Mayeaux allowed six hitsinfive innings and tworuns (one earned) with four hitbatters, awalkand three strikeouts. Mitchell, aUL signee, pitched four innings while yieldingone hit, five walks and three runs (two earned).

Live Oaksoftballteamcruises to winoverFrenchSettlement

BY CHARLESSALZER

Contributing writer

French Settlement came out ready to play in Tuesday evening’ssoftball game at Live Oak, butgood intentions turned sour in the bottom of the second inning.

The Lions had achance to get off the fieldwithatwo-runlead, but the Eagles had other ideas. Live Oak cranked out four consecutive two-out hits to ignitea six-run rally,and the Eagles went on to post a15-5 nondistrict win in five innings. The biggest blowswere Jeanne Janise’sthree-run homer and Da’Miaya Dunn’stwo-runsingle. Live Oak (18-10) added five more runs in the fourth as it won its eighth consecutive game.

“We’ve talked about howour goal is to put pressureondefenses because we’re very fast,” Live Oak coach Katie Prescottsaid.

“It’s what we do well, andifyou canscorewith two outs it takes a lot away from the defense. Ithink that was thedifference there in the second inning. We really did that well.”

French Settlement (13-7) came in with its own eight-game win streak, and lookedready to add to that early on. AvaAcosta singled to lead off thetop of the ﬁrst and scored on Remie Gautreau’s base hit. Gautreau came around to score on an error as the Lions took a2-0 lead.

Live Oak gotanRBI single from Janise in thebottom of theﬁrst, butFrench Settlement matched it with anunearned run in the second.

French Settlement pitcher Malloy Miles retired theﬁrst two Eagles in thebottom of the second, but Halle Maxwell reached base on awild pitch strikeout. After that, AK Phillips, Dunn andBai-

PREP REPORT

ley Spencer delivered basehits before Janise sent an 0-2 pitch out of the ballpark. “Wecameout andput afew runs on the board, but credit to Live Oak,”French Settlement coach BlakeWestsaid. “They did agood job hittingthe ballreally well, particularly with two outs.” Phillipsstarted in the circle for Live Oak andwent fourinnings. She gave up four hitsand three runs, only one that was earned. Spencercameintopitch the fifth, and gave up two runs on threehitsasthe Lions slicedtheir deficit to 14-5. In the bottom of the inning, Janise drove in Dunn with asacrifice fly to end the game by run rule.

Live Oakplays aDistrict5-5A game on Thursday when it hosts Dutchtown. The Eagles lost to the Grifﬁns 5-4 in 14 innings on March 25, LiveOak’slast loss prior to its current winning streak.

Dutchtowngirls bowlersnot focused on 3-peat chatter

BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer

The one thing Dutchtown High bowling coach Karen Beam does not wanttotalkabout is what plentyofpeople are focused on at themoment.

“People want to talk about three in arow …the streak,” Beam said. “Thatisnot what this is about for us. It’sone shot atime, one matchup at atime and one game at atime.

“If we putall that together twice, then we win anothertitle.Thatis how we have to approach it.”

The three-dayLHSAA bowling tournament begins at 1p.m Wednesday at Premier Lanes in Gonzales with the Dutchtown girls looking to becomethe first team in 17 yearstowin three LHSAA titles in arow Unbeaten Dutchtown (13-0) is the top seed andtakes on Ascension Parish rivalSt. Amant, theNo. 13 seed, at 1p.m. in the semifinal round. The winner advances to face the Chapelle-St.Scholastica winner in the final set for3:30 p.m

The three-day eventcontinues at 9:30 a.m.Thursday at Premier with semiﬁnals andﬁnals for two boys divisions. Singles competition on Friday begins at 11 a.m.atAll Star Lanes. Sydney Lee leads the Griffins with a210 regular-season average, followed by Addison Legendre

Walker

(183),Addisyn Achord (177) and Jayda Allday-Logue (176). All four were on thetwo previous Dutchtowntitle teams.

Knowingthat St. Amant upended the other preseason favorite, DenhamSprings, in the quarterﬁnals is certainly noted.Sounds like the perfect formula for another spicy Ascension rivalry,right?

Beam nixes that notion.

“My girls have already asked if they can take agroup picture with the St. Amant girls before we bowl tomorrow,” Beam said.

“Our teamslikeeachother.The girls have been bowling together outside of high school bowling for years.

“Sure, ultimately everybody wants their own team to win. It’s going to be competitive, but it will have adifferent tone.”

When asked about what could be the deciding factor,Beam heaped praise on the other Grifﬁns —Aubrey Saez, Jewel Boatner and Lily Spohn.

“Since last season, each one of those girlshas raised theiraverage by at least 30 pins,” Beam said.

“They’ve put in the work.

“Inhighschool bowling, any coach will tell youit’sthe bowlers in the one, two and three spots that can make adifference. They are prepared.”

Email RobinFambrough at rfambrough@theadvocate.com

hiresShreveport native as girlshoops coach

BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer

BobbyArmstrong III hasnonatural basketball ties to south Louisiana Butthe 26-year-old Shreveport native said he thought theWalker High girls basketball job would be aperfect ﬁt.

Administrators at the LivingstonParish-based Class 5A power agreed. The school announced that Armstrong hasbeen hired as its new girlsbasketballcoach on Tuesday

Armstrongtakes over for KoreyArnold, who moved to Acadiana High after 13 seasons that included appearances in the past four LHSAA girls basketballsemifinals.

Armstrong is set to meet withthe Walker players on Friday

“I love the foundation that Korey left,” Armstrongsaid. “I felt like this was the right opportunity to come back home andtomaintain the standard the Walker program hasinplace.

“When Ivisited the school, it reminded me of acollege campus. Once Iwas there, it felt like it was home. That was important too.”

Armstrong, a2016 Evangel Christian graduate, has been the girls coach at Dallas-Fort Worthbased Mesquite High the past two years. TheNorthwestern State graduate made some modern Louisiana historybyleading the Winnﬁeld High girls/boys basketball teams to LHSAA tournaments in 2023.

“Korey is known for having teams that are highly competitive, love to press and getinto other teams,” Armstrong said. “That’s also my coaching philosophy to get up and down the ﬂoor and press.”

Winnfield lost to Amite in its 2023 DivisionIII nonselect semifinals in Hammond, while the boys finished as the runner-up to Port Allen in the DivisionIII nonselect boys title game.

“WalkerHigh School is excited to have coach Armstrongjoinour Wildcat family,” Walker athletic director Joey Sanchez said. “Coach Armstrong brings anew sense of excitement to ourgirls basketball program alongwithanunquestionable desire to maintain the proud tradition of Ladycat basketball.” Hall of fame tickets

Ticketsare on sale for the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at 6p.m. on April 16 at the Crowne Plaza. The nine-memberinduction

class includes former athletes, coaches and contributors. Tickets are $50.

Several inductees have south Louisiana ties MikeBoyer,former principal at Teurlings Catholic has been the announcer for LHSAA state track meets for 50 years. Basketball star BarbaraFarris wonstate titles as aplayer at St Martin’sand alater as acoach at John Curtis.

Brother MartinHernandez was the principal at St. Aloysius in New Orleans, which later becameBrother Martin. O.M. “Butch” Helveston was championship track/cross country coach at Baton Rouge High and Episcopal Jennifer Streiffer Mascaro wasaParade All-American in soccer and amulti-sport star at Baton Rouge High.

Notebook

PROVIDED PHOTO BobbyArmstrong,the newWalker girls basketball coach, spent the past twoseasons coaching at Mesquite High in the Dallas-Fort Wortharea.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK

Lauren Cheramie BONVIVANT

Aplant sale andfarmers market arrive forthe season

Bon vi·vant /noun/ asociable personwho has cultivatedand reﬁned tastes, especially with respect to food and drink

Newfood,drink on theblock Prima Après,4225 Nicholson Drive, Baton Rouge, has anew menu with specialty pastas, including chicken piccata, pasta puttanesca, arabiata sauce, pasta muffuletta, deconstructed lasagna, chicken Parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, cheesy chicken, meat lovers, cheeseburger pasta and quattro protiana.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIERGALLEGOS

Tess Whiteheadsqueezes vodka sauce into abowlofradiatori pasta while making acustomer’s order at Prima Apres on Nicholson DriveinJuly 2024

Trythe garden basil martini, made with vodka, basil, fresh squeezed lime juice and triple sec, at Bldg 5,2805 Kalurah St., Baton Rouge. Coffee has arrived at Barracuda Taco Stand,2504 Government St., Baton Rouge, from 9a.m. to 11 a.m. daily

In theknow

The Red Stick Farmers Market is returning to the Main Library at Goodwood at 7711 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge, from 3p.m. to 6p.m. on Tuesdays. Stop after work or school to grab fresh, local produce for dinner. Hello Kitty Cafe:10a.m. to 7p.m Saturday at Mall of Louisiana, 6401 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is making an appearance at the Mall of Louisiana —itwill be parked betweenSoma and Columbia. Customers canpurchase treats and merchandise while supplies last.

Marketsand festivals

You’ve Goat to be Kiddin Me:8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Red Stick Farmers Market, Fifth and Main Streets, downtown Baton Rouge

BREADA’s Red Stick Farmers Market and Southern Maids Dairy will introduce Louisiana Certiﬁed USDA ground and cubed goat meat for retail sale. The market will also feature live cooking demonstrations from Nick Bennett (goat birria tacos with grilled onions, SouthernMaids crumbled feta,micro cilantro and lime), Scott Higgins (mini goat meatballs with Southern Maids whipped feta topped with chimichurri) and Celeste Gill (spicy curry goat).

Plant sale and farmers market:

8a.m. to noon Saturday at Walker High School, 9677 Florida Blvd., Walker Walker High School’sFFA chapter is hosting aplant sale and community farmers market with preserves, goat soap, beeswax lip balm, welding projects and more for sale. The students have been raising ﬂowers, vegetables,succulents and herb plants as wellto offer.The event will feature kids facepainting and apettingzoo.

Star quality

BY JANRISHER Staff writer

For the ﬁrst time, restaurants in the American South, including Louisiana, are up for Michelin reviews

The move gives restaurants across thestate, including those in Baton Rouge’sburgeoning food scene, the chance to earn acoveted star from the global culinary brand.

While there are only 14 restaurants in the United States with threeMichelin stars and32with two stars, 213 have one-star ratings.

In the Michelin process, inspectors dine anonymously multiple times to ratearestaurant. They assess qualitybased on ﬁve criteria:

n Quality of products

n Harmony of ﬂavors

n Mastery of cooking techniques

n Voice and personality of the chef as reﬂected in the cuisine

n Consistencybetween each visit and throughout themenu (each restaurant is inspected several times ayear).

The Michelin hierarchy of one to three stars reﬂects the inspector’s decision on how well arestaurant and its cuisine reflects the Mi-

cities acrossLouisiana,Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

New Orleansisaninternational destination for food,but do anyrestaurantsinthe CapitalCity have a shot at aMichelin star?

The short answer: maybe.

Michelin stars are awarded based on the quality of the food, notthe restaurant’sambience or formality

Notjustfor fancyrestaurants

In 2024, Taquería El Califa de León in Mexico City,which is only about10feet wide and opened in 1968, earneda Michelin star. The tiny restaurant is known for its grilled beef taco, called the Gaonera taco, which was named in honor of Mexican bullfighter Rodolfo Gaona.

chelin brand expectations.

n Onestar:Highquality cooking, worth astop;

n Twostars: Excellent cooking, worth adetour;

n Three stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth aspecial journey With this expansion, Michelin inspectors will visit restaurants in

In 2016, the Michelin Guide expandedtoinclude street food, awarding one-star ratings to two Singaporean hawker stalls and a bubble wafﬂespot in Hong Kong. Since 1955, the guide has highlighted restaurants offering exceptionally good food at moderate

and

STAFF FILE PHOTOByJAN RISHER

In this file photo, Supper Club works to playwith all senses as theyserve

arrayofappetizers, includingthe shortrib burnt ends (revealed under the

STAFF PHOTO By JANRISHER Mammy Pancake, abubble waffle street shop in Hong Kong,has won twoMichelin stars.

Removing shampoorings

Dear Heloise: For the past 23 years, we have set shampoo and conditioner bottles on the marble seat of our shower in the same corner.A ring shows where each bottle sits, and we have never been able to remove them. Ibelieve it is caused by the oils in the shampoo and conditioner that remain on thebottle after being handled. It simply leaks to the bottom of the bottle after the shower Ihave tried baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine bleach andbiodegradablecleaners. Nothing has worked.Doyou have asuggestion? —Roger R.,A Faithful Reader Roger,mix together baking soda and water until you have athick paste, then apply this to the affected area and cover it with aplastic wrap. Wait at least 24 hours so that the bakingsoda can draw out the oils, then rinse the affected area and dry it thoroughly with amicroﬁberclothor avery soft towel If the stains have been therea long time,you might havetogo to ashop or aprofessional cleaning company to see what they

suggest. —Heloise Mayonnaise hint

By The Associated Press

Todayinhistory:

Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: Ihaveakitchen hint. Mayonnaisenow comes in squeeze bottles, which are great for makingsandwiches.However,it’sdifﬁcult to get thelast few teaspoons out. So, Iadd just asplash or two of buttermilk to thebottle. It gets all of themayo out of thebottle or jar and still keeps it tasting delicious! Hopeyou like my hint. —B., in Washington

Missingscrewdriver

Dear Heloise: Theother day,I neededtotightena screw in our screen door andcouldn’tﬁnd a screwdriver in thehouse. Finally,Iusedthe tip of apair of scissors, and it worked perfectly! —L.W., in South Dakota L.W.,Ihad thesame problem onetime, and Iused adime to tightenascrew.Readers have written aboutusing thetip of a dinnerknife,a vegetable peeler, and apair of tweezers. Thanks forthe hint! —Heloise

Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.

TODAYINHISTORY

Shepard and Donald “Deke” Slayton.

MICHELIN

Continuedfrom page1D

prices —called Bib Gourmand recognition. The meals must fall within aﬁxedprice range, which nowamounts to athree-course meal with starter,main course and dessert,which today stands at $40 in mostAmerican cities.

In BatonRouge

In Baton Rouge, the iconic Delpit’sChicken Shack couldfall into theBib Gourmandcategory

preferences,including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes. Additionally,Cocha’swine selection is one of the best around.

Cocha’sowners/operators, the husband andwife team of Saskia Spanhoffand EnriquePinerua, run therestaurantwiththe verve and personality worthy of the recognition.

Historyand methodology

Today is Wednesday,April 9 the 99th dayof2025. There are 266 days left in theyear

On April 9, 1865, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union Lt. Gen Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia after four years of Civil Warinthe United States.

On this date:

In 1939, Marian Anderson performed aconcert at theLincoln Memorial in Washington,D.C., after the Black singer was denied the use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

In 1942, during World War II, some 75,000 Philippine and American soldiers surrendered to Japanese troops,ending the Battle of Bataan in the Philippines. The prisoners of war were subsequently forced to march 65 miles to POW camps in whatis now known as the Bataan Death March; thousands died or were killed en route.

In 1959, NASA introduced the “Mercury Seven,” its ﬁrst seven astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper,John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan

BONVIVANT

Continued from page1D

Sips and Sounds Spring Fest:noon to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Agile Brewing, 14141 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge Join AgileBrewing, Laissez Versez, What If Distillery and Grain Creations for their ﬁrst spring fest. Enjoy live music, vendors, food trucks and spirits. Easter festivities Easter buffet:10a.m. to 2p.m. Sunday,April 20, at Crowne Plaza Executive Center,4728

In 1968, funerals, private and public, were held for the Rev Martin Luther KingJr. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church and Morehouse College in Atlanta, ﬁve daysafter thecivil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2003,Baghdad fell to American troopsduring the Iraq War aftersix days of ﬁghting.

In 2005, Britain’sPrince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles, who took thetitle Duchess of Cornwall.

In 2018, federal agents raided the ofﬁce of President Donald Trump’spersonal attorney,Michael Cohen,seizingrecords on matters including a$130,000 payment madetoadult ﬁlm actress Stormy Daniels

Today’sbirthdays: Satirist-musician TomLehrer is 97. Actor Michael Learnedis86. DrummerSteve Gadd is 80. Actor Dennis Quaid is 71. Fashion designer Marc Jacobsis62. Model-actor Paulina Porizkova is 60. Actor Cynthia Nixon is59. Actor Keshia Knight Pulliamis46. ActorJay Baruchel is 43. Actor Leighton Meester is 39.Singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivanis38. ActorKristen Stewart is 35.

Constitution Ave., Baton Rouge CrownePlaza will offer a plethora ofoptions forits Easter buffet,including seafood gumbo, smoked salmon andbagels, a wafﬂe station, eggplant shrimp casserole, prime rib,almondencrusted duck,caviar deviled eggs, akids’ menu and more Connor Underwood will provide live music.Ticketsare $45 for children and $75 for adults, available for purchase by calling (225) 925-2244. If youhave an upcoming food event or akitchen question, email lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com.Cheers!

The restaurant, one of the oldest in the city,serves delicious fried chicken with multiple side options andwould deﬁnitely ﬁt within Bib Gourmand’sprice point range.

On thefancy end of things, there’s Supper Club, Brandon Landry’supscale, reservation-only,speakeasystyle restaurant. It’s asophisticated, modern establishment that enforces adress code —acollaredshirt or jacket for men is required. Supper Club uses premium ingredients, globally sourced.

SupperClub is the kind of place mostpeople are able to enjoy only on rare occasions. However,when the time comes, Supper Clubisa

BEST

Continuedfrom page1D

and served over linguine with a salad and green beans. The dish was truly delectable and came with aheaping serving. The mornay sauce was light enough that Iwasn’tfull after the ﬁrst three bites.

—Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator

All you can eat Korean BBQ

n Bushido, 5741 JohnstonSt., Lafayette

If Iwanted to do an “all you can eat and drink” dining experience again, I’d deﬁnitely go to Bushido. The food was prepared to perfection, which included a large variety of sushi, ramen and dumplings. The drinks were also worth every penny —for all you can drink, they were pleasantly strong and offered awide range of options. The light-up menus and the beautiful decor also added to the positive experience. Will visit again!

—Ja’kori Madison, staff writer

This Chicken Shack two-piece dinner plate features the restaurant’s renowned ‘knuckle suckin’ good’ fried chicken, two sides and aroll.

fun, albeit extravagant, night out —and thefood is consistent, delightful and delicious.

AnotherBaton Rougerestaurant thatmay pique Michelin inspectors’ interestisCocha, adowntown farm-to-table restaurant that emphasizes fresh, seasonal andlocally sourcedcuisinewith global ﬂavors. Cocha’smenu is diverse and caters to various dietary

Ahot melt and ‘the Humphrey’

n Counter Culture, 7711 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge

As thedays get hotter and thesun shines brighter,there is nothing better than agood oldfashioned ham and cheese sandwich. At Counter Culture, asmall

The Michelin Guide was first publishedinFrance in 1926 to encouragetiresales by giving practical advice to French motorists. Michelinannounced its first North American Guide in 2005 for NewYork.

Since then, guides have been added in Chicago (2011); Washington, D.C. (2017); California (San Francisco in 2007, statewide 2019); Florida (Greater Miami, Orlando and Tampa in 2022, adding Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater in 2025, statewide in 2026); Toronto (2022); Vancouver (2022); Colorado (2023); Atlanta (2023), Mexico (2024), Texas (2024),Quebec(2024)and now, the American South (2025). Email Jan Risheratjan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

yogurt shop off of Perkins Road with adrive-thru, the hot melt with ham has acrunchy slice of tomato, iceberg lettuce, perfectly melted cheese and chipotle mayonnaise.

However,the best part of the sandwich, in my opinion, is the bread. Ichose the jalapeño cheddar sourdough bread that brings a spicy,yet ﬂuffy,take on the melt.

While Iwas there, Ialso ordered asmallHumphrey yogurt —the house specialty —featuring plain yogurt, grapes, bananas, honey and granola. It wasaperfectly cool and fresh waytoend my late-lunch meal

—Margaret DeLaney, health coordinator

STAFF PHOTO By JA’KORI MADISON All youcan eat Korean BBQ at Bushido in Lafayette

STAFF PHOTO By MARGARET DELANEy

The Humphrey, ahouse special, withplain yogurt, grapes, bananas, honeyand granolaatCounter Culture in Baton Rouge

STAFFFILE PHOTOByTRAVIS SPRADLING

Grilled Spanish octopus is one of varied menuitems at Cocha downtown.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Play by the rules, look for incentives and put your heart and soul into getting ahead. Nurture relationships that can help you get ahead, and work as a team player to ensure success.

tAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Venture out, but leave your credit cards at home. A fast-talking salesperson will tempt you with unnecessary bargains. Keeping a low profile or going for a hike instead of going to the mall will encourage peace of mind.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Say no to temptation, overspending or being guilted into making a donation that you can't afford. Curb bad habits and avoid making spur-of-the-moment decisions.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Use your clout and connections. Discuss your plans, get your finances and investments in order, and make positive adjustments to ensure you use your skills in the latest and most extraordinary way.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Reinvent how you want to move forward. It's time to be true to yourself and to venture down a path that offers self-satisfaction and joy.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Do what feels right, and don't look back. Overreacting will get you nowhere fast, but taking a stand and following your heart will soothe your soul. You can make an impact.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) You must feel comfortable with what you choose to

do, so do things your way. Let your innovative ideas flow and your energy carry you to where you want to be.

ScoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Stop sitting on the sidelines and take a stand. It's on you to turn up the volume and let your voice and actions lead the way. Reunite with someone you miss and love.

SAGIttARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take a moment, rethink your next move and watch to see who does what before you reveal your position. Earmark your objective, but wait for the right time to make your move.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Welcome change instead of hiding. Once you investigate, you'll see the benefits of keeping up with the times. Invest in yourself and what you want to do next, and doors will open.

AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Handle partnerships with care. Listen, think before you respond and offer alternatives that provide incentives for everyone. Less drama and more affection will be the way to go.

PIScES (Feb. 20-March 20) Fewer demands and more action on your part will pay off. If you want something done, do it yourself Overreacting will waste time, but concentrating your strengths on what's meaningful to you will make a difference.

FAMILY CIrCUS

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy'S cLuE: I EQuALS G

CeLebrItY CIpher

better or For WorSe

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

bIG

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

Charles R. Swindoll, a preacher who founded Insight for Living, said, “The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it’s a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free.”

The secret of playing bridge excellently is merely(!) a matter of thinking the excellent thought at the right moment. Really, it’s a matter of programming your mind to sift the information and reach the winning conclusion.

In this deal, West leads the diamond jack against seven spades. South wins with his ace and runs a torrent of six trumps and three hearts. What should West discard?

In theory, North’s jump to four spades denied a first- or second-round control.

But with a true Yarborough (no card higher than a nine), he felt justified in a slight fib. South then hoped he would be able to avoid a diamond loser; maybe partner would have the queen or a doubleton diamond.

Sincedummyhadnohelp,Southhadto runhiswinners,startingwithhistrumps, and hope that the defenders would err. Weststartedwithfourpainlesspitches: two hearts and two clubs. Then, though, when the three top hearts came, he was lesscomfortable.Hewasnotsurewhether to throw diamonds or clubs. What was the key clue? If South had started with a doubleton club, he would have ruffed the second in the dummy. So, since South held at most one

Average

Time

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles hidato

OF ACCOMMODATIONRE‐QUIRED NOTLESSTHAN SEVEN(7) DAYS BEFORE THEBID

Bidding Docu‐

shownbysurety’smost recent financial state‐ments filedwiththe LouisianaDepartmentof Insurance. TheBond shallbesignedbythe surety’s agentorattor‐ney-in-fact APRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD Thursday,April 17,2025, 2:00PM LSU- Shreveport,1 University Place, HPEBuilding, (2nd Floor) Room 205, Shreveport,LA71115 Bids shallbeaccepted from Contractorswho arelicensedunder LA R.S. 37:2150-2163 forthe classification of BUILD‐INGCONSTRUCTION. Bid‐derisrequiredtocomply with provisions andre‐quirements of LA R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(c).Nobid maybewithdrawn for a period of thirty (30) days afterreceipt of bids,ex‐cept underthe provi‐sionsofLA. R.S. 38:2214. TheOwner reserves the righttorejectany andall bids forjustcause.Inac‐cordance with La.R.S 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), thepro‐visionsand requirements of this Section,those stated in theadvertise‐ment forbids, andthose required on thebid form shallnot be considered as informalitiesand shall notbewaivedbyany public entity When this projectis fi‐nanced either partially or entirely with StateBonds or federalfunds,the awardofthisContractis contingent upon the granting of linesof credit,the sale of bonds by theBondCommission or the commitmentof federalfunds.The Uni‐versityshall incurno obligationtothe Con‐tractoruntil theContract Between Ownerand Con‐tractorisfully executed 134198April 2, 9, 16, 3t $198.21

arenot

arrangements

Contractorsunableto access biddingdocu‐mentsat

inebidconnect.com

3129

BatonRouge,LA70806 Phone: 225-663-2103 Email: benjamin@streetc ollaborative.com Allbidsmustbeaccom‐

(5%) of thesum of the base bidand allalter‐nates, andmustbeinthe form of acertiﬁed check, cashier’scheck or Bid Bond Form writtenby a surety companylicensed to do business in Louisiana, signed by the surety’s agency or attor‐ney-in-fact.Suretymust be listed on thecurrent U.S. Department of the Treasury FinancialMan‐agementService list of approved bondingcom‐panies as approved for an amount equaltoor greaterthanthe amount forwhich it obligatesit‐self