WASHINGTON Facing a global market meltdown, President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly backed off his tariffs on most nations for 90 days even as he further jacked up the tax rate on Chinese imports to 125%.
It was seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade war between the U.S and most of the world to a showdown between the U.S. and China. The S&P 500 stock index jumped 9.5% after the announcement, but the drama over Trump’s tariffs is far from over as the administration prepares to engage in country-by-country negotiations. In the meantime, countries subject to the pause will now be tariffed at 10%.
The president hit pause in the face of intense pressure created by volatile financial markets that had been
pushing Trump to reconsider his tariffs, even as some administration officials insisted his reversal had always been the plan.
As stocks and bonds sold off, voters were watching their retirement savings dwindle and businesses warned of worse-than-expected sales and rising prices, all a possible gut punch to a country that sent Trump back to the White House last year on the promise of combating inflation.
The global economy appeared to be in open rebellion against Trump’s tariffs as they took effect early Wednesday, a signal that the U.S. president was not immune from market pressures. By early afternoon, Trump posted on Truth Social that because more than 75 countries had reached out to the U.S. government for trade talks and had not retaliated in meaningful ways, “I have
ä See TARIFFS, page 4A
INSIDE
ä Senate Republicans express relief at decision to pause tariffs. Page 4A ä U.S. stocks soar to one of their best days in history. Page 6A
SEVEN DAYS OF TRUMP’S TARIFFS AND MARKET UNCERTAINTY
APRIL 2
President Trump announces his longpromised ‘reciprocal’ tariffs — declaring a 10% baseline tax on imports across the board starting April 5, as well as higher rates for dozens of nations to take effect April 9.
APRIL 3
Trump’s previously announced auto tariffs begin. Prime Minister Mark Carney says that Canada will match the 25% levies with a tariff on vehicles imported from the U.S
APRIL 4
China announces plans to impose a 34% tariff on imports of all U.S. products beginning April 10, matching Trump’s new ‘reciprocal’ tariff on Chinese goods, as part of a flurry of retaliatory measures.
APRIL 5
Trump’s 10% minimum tariff on nearly all countries and territories takes effect.
APRIL 9
Trump’s higher ‘reciprocal’ rates go into effect, hiking taxes on imports from dozens of countries. Hours later, his administration says it will suspend most of these higher rates for 90 days.
Landry backs bills on auto insurance
Governor calls for ‘balanced approach’ to legislation
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Gov Jeff Landry will back a set of auto insurance bills he says favors neither side in what seems certain to be a clash between two powerful interest groups during the legislative session that begins Monday
“For far too long inside of this very building there has been a battle waged between insurance companies and trial lawyers,” said Landry during a news conference Wednesday at the State Capitol.
“Both sides have plenty of blame to go around,” he went on. “Today I’m not here to help any lawyers, and I’m not here to help insurance companies. I’m here to help the citizens of the state.” At issue is the high cost of auto insurance in Louisiana. Landry unveiled several proposals he said are aimed at bringing down rates, calling the measures “a balanced approach that holds both sides accountable.”
The legislation he highlighted focuses mainly on how insurance claims are litigated. Insurance companies and many in the business community contend out-of-control lawsuits are hurting the economy, while trial lawyers and some consumer advocates argue people hurt in accidents are
See INSURANCE, page 7A
Lawmakers push back on education funds request
BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
A battle is brewing between Gov Jeff Landry and Louisiana lawmakers over education spending.
Landry is seeking nearly $94 million for his signature LA GATOR program, which will give families money to pay for private school and other education expenses next school year The program, which Landry muscled through the Legislature last year, will replace state-funded vouchers that help low-income families afford private tuition. But now a powerful state lawmaker is throwing cold water on Landry’s plan. In an interview this week, Senate President
Landry seeking $94 million to fund LA GATOR program ä See EDUCATION, page 7A
auto racing champions at the White House on Wednesday.
Workers on the floor at the New york Stock Exchange watch the action on Wednesday.
Officials probe possible girl, monkey trade
A Missouri foster mother has been charged with child abuse and endangerment as authorities investigate whether she traded an adopted daughter to someone in Texas for a monkey and mistreated other children in her care.
Prosecutors said the woman, 70, was a foster or adoptive parent to more than 100 children.
Lincoln County prosecutor
Mike Wood said the suspect and the woman whom the girl was staying with in Texas knew each other because both own exotic animals. He said two witnesses said they were asked to take the girl to Texas and return with a monkey Pope Francis meets with British royals
ROME Pope Francis met privately with King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Wednesday at the Vatican during the royal couple’s four-day state visit to Italy and on the occasion of their 20th wedding anniversary, the Vatican announced.
It was the first known meeting since the pope’s return to the Vatican after five weeks in the hospital for life-threatening double pneumonia. Francis had planned to have an audience with Charles, but the official state visit to the Vatican was postponed due to the pope’s health
The pope issued a new invitation for a private audience but it was subject to his health and only confirmed Wednesday morning
The mid-afternoon visit lasted about 20 minutes and included a private exchange of gifts.
NYC OKs immigration office at Rikers jail
NEWYORK New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is allowing federal immigration officials to operate at Rikers Island to work on gang and drug-related criminal investigations in the city’s largest lockup.
But immigrant rights groups and Adams’ critics cast the Tuesday executive order as a concerning quid pro quo after federal prosecutors dropped corruption charges against the Democrat so he could help support the Republican President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Adams announced plans to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to resume operations at the jail in February after meeting with Trump border czar Tom Homan, though details of the arrangement weren’t released until Tuesday’s order
Charges dropped in ‘Catch a Predator’ fad
A judge has dismissed conspiracy and kidnapping charges against five Massachusetts college students who were accused of plotting to lure a man to their campus through a dating app and then seizing him as part of a “Catch a Predator” trend on social media.
The Assumption University students were arraigned in January and entered not guilty pleas Since then, their lawyers had filed motions seeking to dismiss the charges, saying authorities lacked probable cause to believe they committed crimes.
Following a hearing last month, a Worcester District Court judge on Tuesday dismissed the conspiracy and kidnapping charges against Kelsy Brainard, Easton Randall, Kevin Carroll, Isabella Trudeau and Joaquin Smith.
Albums enter National Recording Registry
LOS ANGELES Albums from Elton John, Tracy Chapman, Mary J. Blige and the cast of “Hamilton” are entering America’s audio canon, along with singles from Helen Reddy and Celine Dion and the music of Minecraft.
New inductees into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress include John’s loaded-with-hits “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” from 1973, Chapman’s self-titled 1988 album that included “Fast Car,” Blige’s deeply introspective 1994 “My Life,” and the 2015 original Broadway cast album of “Hamilton.”
They were among the 25 recordings entering the archive in the class of 2025, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced Wednesday
Officials scramble to ID victims of collapse
124 killed, hundreds injured at iconic nightclub
BY MARTÍN ADAMES ALCÁNTARA and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic
A crowd of people grew increasingly agitated Wednesday as they waited at the Dominican Republic’s forensic institute for news of their loved ones still missing a day after a roof collapsed at an iconic nightclub, killing at least 124 people and injuring hundreds more.
National Institute of Forensic Pathology officials read the names of 54 victims they have identified so far
“We cannot wait until nighttime!” said one woman who was waiting for news of a relative whose name she did not hear “We’re going to go crazy!”
Officials called for calm, saying they have already delivered 28 bodies to their families but do not yet have a tally of all the bodies recovered. Officials said more than 250 people were hurt.
“The authorities are selling us false dreams!” cried out José Sánchez, whose brother and brotherin-law were still missing.
The legendary Jet Set club in Santo Domingo was packed with musicians, professional athletes and government officials when dust began falling from the ceiling and into people’s drinks early Tuesday
Minutes later, the entire roof collapsed. Concrete slabs killed some instantly and trapped dozens of others on a dancefloor where hundreds had been dancing to a lively merengue concert. In the minutes that followed, the country’s 911 system received more than 100 calls, many from people buried under rubble.
The victims include merengue icon Rubby Pérez, who had been singing to the crowd before disaster struck. His body was found early Wednesday, said emergency operations director Juan Manuel Méndez.
Rescue crews are still searching for survivors more than 24 hours after the collapse. Officials said Wednesday they have rescued 145 survivors from the wreckage of the nightclub.
“As long as they report that there is a missing person, we will be here,” Méndez said.
Rescue crews from Puerto Rico and Israel arrived Wednesday to help with the search. Officials said crews used sonar to detect what could be one person still breathing under the rubble.
Santo Domingo Mayor Carolina Mejía praised what she said were acts of love, including one Dominican who was handing out coffee to those at the scene and a man on vacation from Costa Rica who joined the search because he’s part of a rescue crew back home.
So far, only a few dozen people have been identified in one of the worst disasters to hit the Dominican Republic Those who died include a cardiologist, a government architect, a retired police officer, a retired United Nations official, the son and daughter-in-law of the minister of public works and the brother of the vice minister of the Ministry of Youth.
Also killed was MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel and Dominican player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera, Satosky Terrero, spokesperson for the country’s Professional Baseball League, told The Associated Press.
Israeli airstrike on Gaza apartment building kills 23
BY WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Israeli aircraft struck a residential block in war-ravaged northern Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least 23 people, health officials said, as the renewed fighting in the devastated Palestinian enclave showed no signs of slowing.
The Al-Ahly hospital said at least 23 people were killed in the strike, including eight women and eight children. The territory’s Health Ministry confirmed the figures.
The strike hit a four-story building in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City, and rescue teams were searching for victims under the rubble, according to the Health Ministry’s emergency service. The civil defense, a rescue group that operates under the Hamas-run government, said other neighboring buildings were damaged in the strike.
The Israeli military said it struck a senior Hamas militant who it said was behind attacks emanating from Shijaiyah, but it didn’t name him or provide further details. Israel blames the deaths of Palestinian civilians on the militant group, because it embeds itself in dense urban areas.
As it ratchets up pressure on Hamas to agree to free hostages, Israel has issued sweeping evacuation orders for parts of Gaza, including Shijaiyah. It imposed a blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left civilians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle. It has pledged to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory and establish a new security corridor through it.
The U.N. said the Israeli military has denied aid workers permission for more
than two-thirds of 170 attempts to move humanitarian supplies within the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire ended. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said efforts to get dwindling aid supplies to Palestinians were “severely strained.”
The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
Earlier this week, Hamas fired its strongest volley of rockets since the ceasefire collapsed, lobbing 10 projectiles toward southern Israel.
Israel resumed its war against Hamas in Gaza last month after an eight-week ceasefire collapsed. The ceasefire brought a much-needed reprieve from the fighting to war-weary Palestinians in Gaza and sent an infusion of humanitarian aid to the territory It also led to the release of 25 living Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the return of the remains of eight others, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Trump says Israel would be ‘leader’ of Iran strike
BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Israel would be the “leader” of a potential military strike against Iran if Tehran doesn’t give up its nuclear weapons program. Trump made the comments ahead of this weekend’s scheduled talks involving U.S. and Iranian officials in the Middle East sultanate of Oman. Trump earlier this week said the talks would be “direct” while Iran has described the engagement as “indirect” talks with the U.S. “If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” Trump said. “Israel will obviously be very much involved in that. They’ll be the leader of that. But nobody leads us, but we do what we want to do.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week said he supports Trump’s diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement with Iran. He added that Israel and the U.S. share the same goal of ensuring that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.
Netanyahu, however, led efforts to persuade Trump to pull out of a U.S.-brokered deal with Iran in 2018.
The Israeli leader, known for his hawkish views on Iran and past calls for military pressure, said he would welcome a diplomatic agreement along the lines of Libya’s deal with the international community in 2003. But that deal saw Libya’s late dictator Moammar Gadhafi give up all of his clandestine nuclear program. Iran has insisted its program, acknowledged to the International Atomic Energy Agency, should continue.
“I think that would be a good thing,” Netanyahu said. “But whatever happens, we have to make sure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons.”
The United States is increasingly concerned as Tehran is closer than ever to a workable weapon. But Trump said on Wednesday that he doesn’t have a definitive timeline for the talks to come to a resolution.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICARDO HERNANDEZ A rescue worker comforts a woman Wednesday during the search for survivors
Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Court clears way for worker firings
Thousands of probationary employees let go
BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court cleared the way Wednesday for President Donald Trump’s administration to fire thousands of probationary workers, halting a judge’s order requiring them to be reinstated in a legal win for Trump’s effort to downsize the federal workforce.
The decision comes a day after the Supreme Court also sided with the Trump administration in another lawsuit filed over mass firings.
A split panel for the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the terminations of federal workers should probably be appealed through a separate employment process rather than fought out in federal court Two judges appointed by Republican
presidents sided with the administration, while a third Democratic appointed judge dissented.
The decision comes in a lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen states, who said the mass firings will cause irreparable burdens and expenses to support recently unemployed workers. They said at least 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated since Trump took office.
The states could still seek further review as the lawsuit continues to play out.
The Republican administration has argued that the states have no right to try to influence the federal government’s relationship with its own workers, but also had already reinstated some 15,000 workers to full duty or paid leave as the lawsuits played out according to court
documents.
The appeals court order halts a decision from U.S. District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore, who was one of two judges appointed by Democratic presidents who found that the Trump administration violated federal laws in carrying out the terminations at 20 agencies in the states that sued.
The Supreme Court blocked another order from U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco on Tuesday finding that nonprofit groups lacked legal standing to sue over the firing of probationary workers. The case still has additional plaintiffs, however, and Alsup was weighing Wednesday whether to again order reinstatement on behalf of the state of Washington and labor groups.
U.S. restores aid, except in Afghanistan and Yemen
BY SAMY MAGDY, RIAZAT
BUTT and ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Associated Press
CAIRO U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has reversed new cutoffs in emergency food aid to several nations but maintained them in Afghanistan and Yemen, two of the world’s poorest and most war-ravaged countries, according to the State Department and officials who spoke to The Associated Press It marks the latest round of abrupt cancellations of foreign aid contracts run through the U.S. Agency for International Development and equally sudden reversals. The whipsawing moves come as the Republican administration and Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency dismantle USAID and dramatically
reduce foreign assistance, asserting that the spending is wasteful and advances liberal causes.
The United States over the weekend sent notices terminating funding for U.N. World Food Program emergency programs in more than a dozen countries. Aid officials warned that the cuts could threaten the lives of millions of refugees and other vulnerable people, stressing the risks of further destabilizing regions ridden by conflicts.
The State Department confirmed Wednesday that it had reversed those cuts in Somalia Syria Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Ecuador It said it would keep the cancellations for Afghanistan and Yemen but left the fate of food aid in six other unidentified nations unclear Even in Syria, Somalia and other crisis areas where it
had reinstated support for lifesaving food programs, the U.S. would work with the U.N. to modify its funding “to better align with Administration priorities,” the State Department said by email. It gave no details.
Two USAID officials said Jeremy Lewin, the DOGE associate overseeing the dismantling of the aid agency ordered the reversal of some of his contract terminations Tuesday, after the AP reported them. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
The USAID officials said Lewin sent a note internally expressing regret for the sudden contract terminations and reversals. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others had pledged that the kind of lifesaving aid targeted would be spared.
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Supreme Court allows Trump’s removal of board members
BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the Trump administration to oust two board members who oversee independent agencies, for now The action seems to signal the court’s support for President Donald Trump’s effort to remove limits on his power to hire and fire.
Chief Justice John Roberts signed an order pausing a ruling from the federal appeals court in Washington that had temporarily restored the two women to their jobs. They were separately fired from agencies that deal with labor issues, including one with a key role for federal workers as Trump aims to drastically downsize the workforce.
Roberts handles emergency appeals from the nation’s
capital. He called for the two board members, Gwynne Wilcox of the National Labor Relations Board and Cathy Harris of the Merit Systems Protection Board, to weigh in by early next week.
It’s not clear why Roberts would have paused the appellate ruling unless he and his colleagues believe it was likely wrong.
The immediate issue confronting the justices is whether the board members, both initially appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, can stay in their jobs while the larger fight continues over what to do with a 90-year-old Supreme Court decision known as Humphrey’s Executor In that case from 1935, the court unanimously held that presidents cannot fire independent board members without cause.
The ruling has long rankled conservative legal theorists, who argue it wrongly curtails the president’s power Roberts was part of the current conservative majority on the Supreme Court that already has narrowed its reach in a 2020 decision. Soon the high court could narrow it further or jettison it altogether In its emergency appeal, the administration also suggested the justices should take up and decide the broader issue of presidential power The court could hear arguments at a special session in May and issue a decision by early summer Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 7-4 to return Wilcox and Harris to their jobs while their cases play out.
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PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL Internal Revenue Service employee Diane LeDesna leads protesters supporting federal workers in a March 15 rally outside the IRS regional office in Kansas City Mo.
Senate Republicans express relief at tariff pause
BY STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press
WASHINGTON As news that President Donald Trump was backing down on most of his tariffs reached a luncheon of Senate Republicans Wednesday, the room reacted with relief, cheers and smiles It capped an extraordinary 24 hours in Washington in which GOP senators had increasingly confronted the Trump administration with worries about the economic impacts of the president’s sweeping tariff strategy In Senate hearings and interviews with reporters, GOP skepticism of Trump’s policies had run unusually high, amounting to a rare break with a president they have otherwise championed.
Lawmakers had reason to worry: the stock market had been in a volatile tumble for days, and economists were warning that the plans could lead to a recession.
As Republicans heard from businesses back home worried about the president’s plans and navi-
TARIFFS
Continued from page 1A
authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately.”
Trump later told reporters that he pulled back on many global tariffs — but not on China — because people were “yippy” and “afraid” due to the stock market declines. He added that while he expected to reach deals, “nothing’s over yet.”
The president said he had been monitoring the bond market and that people were “getting a little queasy” as bond prices had fallen and interest rates had increased in a vote of no confidence by investors in Trump’s previous tariff plans.
“The bond market is very tricky,” Trump said. “I was watching it. But if you look at it now, it’s beautiful.”
The president later said he’d been thinking about his tariff pause over the past few days, but he said it “came together early this morning, fairly early this morning.”
Asked why White House aides had been insisting for weeks that the tariffs were not part of a negotiation Trump said: “A lot of times, it’s not a negotiation until it is.”
The 10% tariff was the baseline rate for most nations that went into effect on Saturday It’s meaningfully lower than the 20% tariff that Trump had set for goods from the European Union, 24% on imports from Japan and 25% on products from South Korea. Still 10% represents an increase in the tariffs previously charged by the U.S. government. Canada and Mexico would continue to be tariffed by as much as 25% due to a separate directive by Trump to ostensibly stop fentanyl smuggling.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the negotiations with individual countries would be “be-
gated the political ramifications of crossing Trump, they engaged in a delicate two-step of urging the president to engage in negotiations and warning of the economic fallout of long-term tariffs, then shifting to praise for the president’s economic vision
That strategy seemed to pay off Wednesday afternoon when Sen. Roger Marshall broke the news to the roomful of fellow Republicans that Trump would back down on tariffs on most nations except China for 90 days.
“It really lightened up the lunch discussion,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, adding that there were cheers, clapping and “a lot of smiles.”
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said he was relieved by the announcement and “we all would rather see the market rise than fall.”
Just a day before, Republican senators had presented their concerns in stark terms to the Trump administration, even as they were careful to direct any criticism at
the president’s aides and advisors rather than the president himself.
“Whose throat do I get to choke if this proves to be wrong?” Republican Sen. Thom Tillis asked U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a Tuesday Senate hearing. Tillis was pressing for an answer on which Trump aide to hold accountable if there is an economic downturn. His frustration was aimed at the across-the-board tariff strategy that would have potentially hamstrung U.S manufacturers, who are dependent on materials like aluminum and steel from China. His home state of North Carolina, where he is up for reelection next year has attracted thousands of foreign firms looking to invest in the state’s manufacturing industries.
Still, Tillis cautioned that the announcement “doesn’t do much for certainty.” He said that the 90-day pause may calm the market, but he wouldn’t recommend to a CEO to deploy capital right now “when you don’t know what the long-term cost is going to be and the tax en-
spoke,” meaning that the next 90 days would involve talks on a flurry of potential deals. Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, told reporters that the pause was because of other countries seeking talks rather than brutal sell-offs in the financial markets, a statement later contradicted by the president.
“The only certainty we can provide is that the U.S. is going to negotiate in good faith, and we assume that our allies will too,” Bessent said
The treasury secretary said he and Trump “had a long talk on Sunday and this was his strategy all along” and that the president had “goaded China into a bad position.”
Prior to the reversal, business executives were warning of a potential recession caused by his policies, some of the top U.S. trading partners were retaliating with their own import taxes and the stock market was quivering after days of decline.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the walkback was part of Trump’s negotiating strategy She said the news media “clearly failed to see what President Trump is doing here. You tried to say that the rest of the world would be moved closer to China, when in fact, we’ve seen the opposite effect. The entire
world is calling the United States of America, not China, because they need our markets.”
The head of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said the trade war between the U.S. and China “could severely damage the global economic outlook” and warned of “potential fragmentation of global trade along geopolitical lines.”
Market turmoil had been building for weeks ahead of Trump’s move, with the president at times suggesting the import taxes would stay in place while also saying that they could be subject to negotiations.
Particularly worrisome was that U.S. government debt had lost some of its luster with investors, who usually treat Treasury notes as a safe haven when there’s economic turbulence. Government bond prices had been falling, pushing up the interest rate on the 10year U.S. Treasury note to 4.45%. That rate eased after Trump’s reversal.
Gennadiy Goldberg, head of U.S. rates strategy at TD Securities, said before the announcement that markets wanted to see a truce in the trade disputes.
“Markets more broadly, not just the Treasury market, are looking for signs that a trade de-escalation is coming,” he said “Absent any de-escalation, it’s going
vironment.”
The unpredictability of Trump’s strategy was on full display Wednesday, as even Greer seemed to have no clue that the announcement was coming as he testified in the House Ways and Means Committee. Greer, who had told senators the day before that negotiations would take some time, had to adapt his message in real time.
“I feel like you’re in a very bad position here, this whole idea that this president made this switcheroo on you while you were in the middle of testifying here today,” said Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y Democrats pointed to the dizzying changes as a sign of Trump’s capriciousness.
“This is government by chaos,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer at a news conference. “He keeps changing things from day to day. His advisors are fighting among themselves, calling each other names, and you cannot run a country with such chaos.”
But for Republicans, it was just
to be difficult for markets to stabilize.”
John Canavan, lead analyst at the consultancy Oxford Economics, noted that while Trump said he changed course due to possible negotiations, he had previously indicated that the tariffs would stay in place.
“There have been very mixed messages on whether there would be negotiations,” Canavan said. “Given what’s been going on with the markets, he realized the safest thing to do is negotiate and put things on pause.”
The whipsaw-like nature of Wednesday could be seen in the social media posts of Bill Ackman, a hedge fund billionaire and Trump supporter
“Our stock market is down,” Ackman posted on X. “Bond yields are up and the dollar is declining. These are not the markers of successful policy.”
Ackman repeated his call for a 90-day pause in the post. When Trump embraced
Trump being Trump.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican who is close with the president, argued that the unpredictability was a way of gaining “leverage” in the negotiations.
“This is the way he’s always been,” Cramer added. “He even allows his own administration to have different views and have their own spats, and to do it publicly, because he follows all of that and he stays focused and watches the response from both his public and the world.”
Yet Trump’s pause only came after considerable urging from within his own party GOP senators, including in a group interview with Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night, had voiced hopes Trump would act quickly in hopes of ending the economic tumult. Sen John Kennedy, R-Mandeville, said Trump is like the “pit bull who caught the car” as other countries offer trade deals with the U.S. He added: “I hope he takes the deal.”
that idea several hours later, an ebullient Ackman posted that Trump had “brilliantly executed” his plan and it was “Textbook, Art of the Deal,” a reference to Trump’s bestselling 1987 book.
Presidents often receive undue credit or blame for the state of the U.S. economy as their time in the White House is subject to financial and geopolitical forces beyond their direct control.
But by unilaterally imposing tariffs, Trump has exerted extraordinary influence over the flow of commerce, creating political risks and pulling the market in different directions based on his remarks and social media posts. There still appear to be 25% tariffs on autos, steel and aluminum, with more imports, including pharmaceutical drugs, set to be tariffed in the weeks ahead.
The tariffs frenzy of recent weeks has taken its toll on businesses and individuals alike.
On CNBC, Delta Air Lines
CEO Ed Bastian said the administration was being less strategic than it was during Trump’s first term. His company had in January projected it would have its best financial year in history, only to scrap its expectations for 2025 due to the economic uncertainty “Trying to do it all at the same time has created chaos in terms of being able to make plans,” he said, noting that demand for air travel has weakened.
Before Trump’s reversal, economic forecasters said his second term has had a series of negative and cascading impacts that could put the country into a downturn.
“Simultaneous shocks to consumer sentiment, corporate confidence, trade, financial markets as well as to prices, new orders and the labor market will tip the economy into recession in the current quarter,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at the consultancy RSM.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House on Wednesday with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
BRIEFS FROM STAFFAND WIRE REPORTS
Monroe company plans
$12.5M expansion
AMonroe company that makes plastic sheeting used in consumer and industrial products willspend
$12.5 million to add production lines to its manufacturing plant.
The work will create 12 new jobs at Mid South Extrusion and 26 indirect jobs in OuachitaParish, according to Louisiana Economic Development.
This is the second expansion at Mid South Extrusion in recent months. In September,the company said it would spend $17 million to add production lines, amove that is projected to add 21 jobs. That work is set to be completed in August.
The expansions are being done to meet the growing demand for polyethylene film,a thin, lightweightsheeting used in sectors such as agriculture, consumer products, food and beverage, ecommerce and industrial.
This second expansion is set to begin in November and will involve addingmanufacturing equipment, modifyingthe plant to handle the weight and height of the productionlines, adding raw material silos and an HVAC system.
The new line should be operational in early 2026.
Once the latest expansion is complete, Mid South Extrusion will operate 16 production lines, with more than 240 workers in a 350,000-square-foot building Postal Service seeks to hike stamp costs
The U.S. Postal Service is seeking arate increase this summer that includes hiking thecostofa first-class stamp from 73 cents to 78 cents. The request was made Wednesday to the Postal Regulatory Commission, which must OK the proposal. If approved, the 5-cent increase for a“forever” stamp and similar increases for postcards, metered letters and international mail would take effect July 13.
The Postal Service contends, as it did last year when it enacted a similar increase, that it’sneeded to achieve financial stability
Former U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy previouslywarned postal customers to get usedto “uncomfortable” rate hikesasthe Postal Service seeks to become self-sufficient. He said price increases were overdue after “at least 10 years of adefectivepricing model.”
DeJoy resigned in March afternearly fiveyears in theposition, leaving as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’sDepartment of Government Efficiency had floated the idea of privatizing mail service.
Universal chooses London theme parksite
Universal has chosen the homeland of Harry Pottertobuild its first theme park and resort in Europe, the entertainment company and U.K. officialsannounced Wednesday Thestudio and themeparkoperator that has drawn millions to its Potter-themed wizarding worldsand other attractions said it would begin constructionnext year justbeyondthe outskirtsof London. British PrimeMinisterKeir Starmer said the park would create 28,000 jobs and would bring opportunity,growth, and “of course, joy to Britain.”
The park will be built on a476acre site in aformer brickyard in Bedford. Construction is expected to be completed by 2031. The town is about 50 miles north of London. Universal did not say what attractions it would offer at the park, but it has builtridesaround many of its movie franchises, including“Minions,” “E.T.the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Jurassic Park,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “Fast & Furious.”
The Universal resort, initially expected to include a500-room hotel, will be near amajor rail line and Luton Airport, which officials recently said would be expanded. Universal, adivision of Comcast Corp., has five entertainment andresort complexesaround the world —inOrlando, Florida; Los Angeles; Osaka, Japan; China; and Singapore.
Housevotes on overdraftfeesrule
Lawmakersmove to overturn Biden move limitingfees
BY CORA LEWIS and MARYCLARE JALONICK Associated Press
NEW YORK The House voted Wednesday to overturn arulethat would have limitedbank overdraft feesto $5,following theSenatein moving to dismantle the regulation that theBiden administration had estimated would save consumers billions of dollars.
The resolution killingthe rule which passed the House217-211, will nowhead to the White House for President Donald Trump’ssignature. Republicans arguedthatthe “disastrous” regulation issued in the
final days of President Joe Biden’s term wouldhave forced banks to stop offering overdraft protection altogether and made it harder for Americans to access credit.
“Competition and innovation, not government-mandated price caps, remain the best waytoensure consumers have access to affordable financialproducts andservices,” said Arkansas Rep. French Hill, the chairman of the HouseFinancial Services Committee.
Currently,the nation’sbiggest banks take in roughly $8 billion in the charges every year,according to datafrom theConsumer Financial Protection Bureauand bank public records. Rightnow,there is no cap on the overdraft fees that banks can legally charge.
Banks and banking groups had previously sued over the rule, arguing that it wouldhave led to consum-
ers leaning on worse, less-regulated services. Republicans votedtoundo theregulation under the Congressional Review Act, a1996 lawthat allows Congress to reverse recently adopted rules.
Democrats strongly opposed the effort and said the rulewould help consumers whocan’tafford the fees. California Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the Financial Services panel, saidthat Americans are “fed up with these junk fees” and want to get them under control.
Therule, scheduledtogointoeffect in October,was part of Biden’s effort to reduce fees that hitconsumers on everydaypurchases, includingbanking services.The CFPB estimated therulewould have saved consumers about$5billioninannual overdraft fees, or $225 perhousehold that typically experi-
ences thefees. Biden had called the fees, which can be as high as $35 per transaction, “exploitative,” and consumer advocates point out they hitbanks’ most cash-strapped customers. When abank temporarily lends aconsumer money after their accounthas reached azero balance, the consumer is typically responsible for paying back boththe overdrawn amount andanadditional fee, which can be more thanthe original amountcharged. In one example, a $3 cup of coffee can end up costing someone more than $30.
Overdraft fees originatedduring atime whenconsumers wrote and cashed checks more frequently so that thecheckswould clearinstead of bouncing, if there was an issue of timing —but banks steadily increased the fees in the first two decades of the 2000s.
U.S. stocks rocket to historic gains
Trump’spause on most tariffstriggerseuphoria
BY STAN CHOE Associated Press
NEWYORK U.S. stocks soared to one of their best days in history on aeuphoric Wall Street on Wednesday after President Donald Trump said he would back off on most of his tariffs temporarily,asinvestors had so desperately hoped he would The S&P500 surged9.5%, an amount that would count as agood year for the market.It had been sinking earlier in the day on worries that Trump’strade war coulddrag the global economyintoarecession. But then camethe posting on social media that investors worldwide had been waiting and wishing for
“I have authorized a90day PAUSE,” Trump said,after recognizing the more than 75 countries that he said have been negotiating on tradeand hadnot retaliated against hislatest increases in tariffs. Treasury Secretary ScottBessent later told
reporters that Trumpwas pausinghis socalled ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on mostofthe country’sbiggest trading partners, but maintaininghis 10% tariff on nearlyall globalimports. Chinawas ahuge exception, though, with Trump saying tariffs are going up to 125% against its products. That raises the possibility of more swings ahead that could stunfinancial markets. The trade war is not over,and an escalating battle between the world’stwo largest economies can create plenty of damage. U.S. stocks are also still below where they were just aweek ago, when Trumpannounced worldwide tariffs on what he called “Liberation Day.”
But on Wednesday,atleast, the focuson Wall Street was on the positive.The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite leaped. The S&P500 had its third-best day since 1940. The relief cameafter doubts had crept in about whether Trump cared about the financial painthe U.S. stock market was taking because of his tariffs. The S&P 500, theindex that sits at the center of many 401(k)accounts, cameinto the day nearly 19% below
itsrecord set less thantwo monthsago. Wednesday’srally pulledthe S&P 500 index away from the edge of what’scalled a “bear market.”That’swhat professionals call it when arun-of-the-mill drop of 10% for U.S. stocks, which happens every year or so, graduatesinto amore vicious fall of 20%. The index is nowdown 11.2% from itsrecord Wall Street also got aboost from arelatively smoothauctionofU.S. Treasurysinthe bond market Wednesday.Earlier jumps in Treasury yieldshad rattled the market,indicating increasing levelsofstress. Trumphimself said Wednesday that he had been watchingthe bond market “gettinga little queasy.” Analysts say several reasons could be behind therise in yields, including hedge funds andother investors having to sell their Treasury bonds to raise cash in order to make up for losses in thestock market. Investors outside the United States may also be sellingtheirU.S. Treasurysbecause of the trade war.Suchactionswould push down prices for Treasurys, which in turnwould push up their yields.
FederalReserve couldbein‘di
Higher prices,slower hiring addressed
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON The prospect of high inflation stemming from widespread tariffs along with weaker hiring could put the Federal Reservein adifficult spot,Fed policymakers saidinminutes fromlast month’smeeting. The minutes, released Wednesday,said that the Fed could keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged if inflationremained stubbornlyelevated.And they said it could cut its rate if growth slowed and unemploymentrose. Theminutes were for the Fed’sMarch 18-19
meeting. But if both happened at thesame time, theFed “may face difficult trade-offs,” some of the19officials on the central bank’sinterest-rate setting committee said. Rising unemployment can often lead to arecession, when theFed would normally slash its key rate to support moreborrowing and spending and stimulate the economy.Yet Fed officials would likely be reluctant to cut if inflation rose,becauseitusually seeks to cool higher prices by keeping itskey rateunchanged or even raising it if necessary The minutesreflect discussions amongFed officials before President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs April 2onnearly 60 countries, alongwith a10% tariffonnearlyall nations. Trump
said Wednesday that he had paused thetariffs for90days, though the 10% dutywould remain, as well as ahuge125% tax on imports from China. The minutesalso said that the tariffs that hadbeenannounced before the March meeting —onsteel, aluminum, and on many imports from Canada and Mexico —had already causedmany companies to delay hiring and raise prices.
SeveralFed officials, according to the minutes, said that their business contacts “were already reporting increases in costs, possibly in anticipation of rising tariffs,” or “hadindicated willingnesstopass on to consumers higher input costs that would arise from potential tariff increases.” Many of those same business
contacts“reported pausinghiring decisions because of elevated policyuncertainty,” according to the minutes. In remarks last Friday,Fed Chair JeromePowell said the April 2tariffs would likely raise inflation and slow growth. He also noted that their impact would likely be temporary,but said there was aheightened chance that they could persistently raise inflation.
Inflation has comedownsharply from itspeak in June 2022, but it has remained stubbornly elevated even before the imposition of duties. Consumer prices were 2.8% higher in February compared with ayear ago, though March figures will be released early Thursday andare expected to show inflation declining to 2.6%.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOBySETH WENIG
Traders work on the floor at the Newyork Stock ExchangeinNew york on Wednesday.
often shortchanged in court.
Some of the measuresLandry presented couldlimit howmuch money trial lawyers canwin for injured clients. Others could impact the bottom line of insurance companies that naturally seek to limit what they pay out.
Both sides offered cautioussupport Wednesday for the governor’s ideas.
“Weapplaud thegovernor’sengagement on this issue and look forward to working with the administration and legislatorsto support real insurance reform that can bring skyrocketing rates under control whileprotectingthe rights of Louisianacitizens,” said ConnieKoury,executive director of Louisiana Association for Justice, which represents trial lawyers.
Insurance Council of Louisiana
Executive Director RodneyBraxton said Landry offered ideas that “we could certainly sit down with him and work on.”
But he also noted the insurance industry wants to seelegislation
“significant enough to make real change for the insurancemarket in Louisiana.”
“Significant change means policy measures that will drive down the cost of claims,” said Braxton. “In-
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Cameron Henry,R-Metairie, said he and other legislative leaders agreed last yearto fund the LA GATOR ScholarshipProgram at the same level as school vouchers. So he was surprisedtosee Landry proposea budget for next fiscal year that includes $93.5million for LA GATOR —more than double what the state spends annually on vouchers.
“I was not remotely expectingthat,” Henry said about Landry seeking an extra $50 million for the program. “Somehow there was amisunderstanding, which we will rectify.”
Despite Landry’s request, Henry said he will hold firm to spending roughly the same amount as vouchers cost this school year:$43.5 million
“It will be no more” than that, he said,“because that was the original agreement.”
The governor’sspokesperson declinedtocomment
Wednesday Landry is likely to fight for the money.When Henry and other state senators tried to scale back the LA GATOR bill last year,Landry attacked them in TV ads and promoted the bill at aCatholic school in Henry’sdistrict.
YetLandrymay face an uphill battle securing extra fundsfor private education when the legislative session starts next week.
Last month, voters rejected aconstitutional amendment that, among many other changes, would have funded salary increases for public school teachers. Now,the Legislature must find $200 million to maintain salary stipends for teachers and other school staffers otherwise, thousands of educatorscould face pay cuts. Without raising taxes or otherwise boostingstate revenue, it’sunclear how the state could afford teacher pay and the nearly $100 million Landry wants for LA GATOR, said Jan Moller, executive director of Invest in Louisiana, anonpartisan think tank.
“There’sgoing to be really tough choices thatthe Legislature will be forced to make,” he said.
surance is driven by two things: frequency and severity —how often thereare accidents and how severe the damages are.”
Here are some of the issues and what efforts Landry said he would back:
Medicalbills
Louisiana’s“collateral source” rules affect how much money plaintiffs can receive in courtfor medicalbills. Those rules currently allow plaintiffstocollect more money in damages than what they actually paid for medical bills,up to alimit set out in state law
Landry said he wouldsupporta different policy that mirrors Texas rules.
“If we adopta Texas model, then Ibelieve we will reach afair and balanced approach,” he said, withoutspecifying whatTexas does that he wouldsupport
Landry alsoacknowledged his veto last yearofa collateral source proposal,amove that drew theire of the business community. He said Wednesday that last year’s bill “did nothing to address the problem and took the rights away from thosewho arelegitimately injured.”
Linkinginjuriestoaccidents
Landry said he would sign abill reversing aLouisiana Supreme Court judicial precedent known as the“Housley presumption.”
That doctrine says that if evi-
The LA GATORprogram has been atop priority for Landry,aswell as someinfluentialadvocacygroups andRepublican donors.
It will offer eligiblefamilies tax dollars to payfor private school tuitionor eligible expenses,including tutoring, textbooksand special-education services. Studentswho currentlyreceive school vouchers will be first in line forthe new stipends, followed bylow-income studentsand studentswithdisabilities.
Thegrants will range from about $5,200 forfamilies who don’tqualifyaslow-income to roughly $15,200 for students with disabilities.
Parents already are clamoring for the money.More than 33,000 families have submittedapplications since March 1, according to the state Education Department.Nearly 30,000 of those applicants meet the eligibility criteria.
“The high demandfor the LA GATOR Scholarship Program shows the value this program provides to familiesacross our state,” Landry said in astatement last month.
Now the question is how much money the Legislature will give theprogram —which will determine how many families getgrants.
The $43.5 million that went toward vouchers thisschool year would fundLAGATOR grants averaging $7,100 for about 6,100 students, according to the governor’s budgetproposal.The additional $50 million Landry wants would payfor grants averaging $9,300 for another 5,300 students.
Besides opposing the extra $50million for LA GATOR, Henry alsosaidlawmakers need to know how many more students the state’s privateschools can enroll.
“I want to know how many seatsare available,” he said in an interview Tuesday with TheTimes-Picayune|The Advocate editorialboard and reporters. “We’re not goingto appropriate money and then they tell us how many seats they’re going to fill.”
The funding debatebecamemore complicated last monthafter voters soundly rejected fourconstitutional amendments —including Amendment 2, which
dence points to acausal connection between acrash and an injury when symptoms appear after an accident, then it’spresumed the accident caused the symptoms.
“This is acourt-made law thatinjury in any case is assumed to be causedbythe accident,and that’s absurd,”saidLandry. “Thismeasure would make it harderfor frivolous lawsuits to moveforward by making thelawyersand their clients prove their injurieswere the result of the car accident.”
Uninsureddrivers
Landry said he wants to make it harder for uninsured drivers to collecta payoutafter an accident through a“no pay no play” measure.
He would raise Louisiana’s “award exclusion” from $15,000 to $100,000. That would mean uninsured motorists couldn’t collect on thefirst $100,000 in bodily injury damages.
“Weneed our no-pay-no-play concept to be strengthened because uninsured motorists should nothave the same rightsasthose responsible citizens who are paying to have insurancecoverage,” he said.
Advertising
Landry said he backsabill by Rep. KimCarver,R-Mandeville, called the“LouisianaLawyerAdvertising andUnfair TradePractices Act.”
Landry had championed.
Alongwith making constitutional changes to taxes and budgeting, thatamendment would have freedupmoney to boost teacher salaries. In effect,itwouldhavelocked in pay stipends —$2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support staff —thateducators have received in lieu of raises the past two years.
Without the money that Amendment 2would have provided,the Legislature would have to locate$200 million in the budgettoreup thestipends.Otherwise, teachers will takehome $2,000 less next school year
“If theywant to do ateacher pay raise, they’re going to have to find themoney,” said Steven Procopio, president of thePublic Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, aBaton Rouge-based think tank.
The Legislature couldreintroduce aconstitutional amendment to fund teacher raises, Procopio noted. However,it’sunlikely voters would have time to go to the polls again beforethe new fiscal year startsinJuly In themeantime, lawmakerscould approveanother year of paystipends —if they secure the funding. One source could be the extra money that Landry requested for LA GATOR, Procopio said.
“Sincethe additional $50 million is above and beyond what wasdiscussed last year, in termsofjustpayingfor the voucher program,” he said, “that’sprobably going to make it aprimetarget.”
But proponents of theLA GATOR program point to the high demand, saying it should receive the full amount Landry requested.
Mary Beth Derrickson, directorofgovernment relations for LABI,agroup that promotes economic
It would require thatlawyer advertising comply withthe Rules of Professional Conductofthe LouisianaState BarAssociation, banfalse, misleadingordeceptivestatements in advertising and prohibitsolicitingclients within30 days of apersonal injury accident.
Landry said he also wants prevent insurance companies from passing thecost of advertisingon to consumers.
“Ifthe insurance companies want to hire overpaid celebrities to appear in commercials and have geckos sipping on coffeeand riding motorcycles, well then our citizens should not have to pay forthat in their premium increases,” he said.
Landry didn’treference aspecific bill. However, abill by Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock, would prohibit insurersfromincluding certainadvertising costs in their rate-setting methods.
Othermeasures
Landry said he wants to remake the role of theLouisiana Commissioner of Insurance to function more likethey do in other Southern states, though he didn’tprovide detailswhen asked about specific changes he would like to see.
“Our insurance commissioner hasbeen unable to hold insurance companies to theirword,”Landry said. “I do not believe that it is personal. Ibelieve that he doesjust not have the power to be able to do that.”
development in Louisiana andsupportedthe LA GATOR bill, said she expects Landry to push hard for the
Landry said he would also support providing insurancediscountstotruckers who use dashcams, prohibiting the use of credit checks in setting insurance rates and banning texting while driving. Settingthe stage
Landry’sannouncement comes on theheelsofa Texasturkeyhunting tripthat he attendedalong with prominent trial lawyers, House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, Senate President CameronHenry and others.
Those involvedsaidthe excursion wasatleast in part aimed at brokering adeal between business interests and trial attorneys.
Henry said it wasanovel attempt to see if legislators could find commonground on protecting therightsofpeopleinjured in accidentswhile eliminatingfrivolous lawsuits.
Over the past several months, legislators held aseriesofcommittee meetings meanttounearth the primary drivers of Louisiana’s high insurance rates.
Akey playerwas Firment, the House InsuranceCommitteechair, who hasworkedinthe insurance industry foryears.
On Wednesday,Firment commended Landry for his “comprehensive” package of legislation aimed at striking abalance.
“I look forward to hearing these bills debated in the coming weeks,” he said.
$93.5millionduring budget negotiations. What’sunclear is whether lawmakers will go along with him
“This is ahuge priority for the governor,” she said. “We’re just going to see how it shakes out.”
Impact Charter School facing eviction
Fate of students up in the air at Baker site
BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
The ugly legal fight that has dogged Impact Charter School in Baker since a damning investigative audit led state officials to replace its management escalated
Wednesday when the school was informed it has just a few days to pay $260,000 in back rent or be evicted along with its 400-plus students.
“If payment is not received and premises are not vacated by April 15, 2025, Lessor will proceed with
immediate eviction and legal action to recover possession and damages in accordance with the lease and applicable Louisiana law,” according to the eviction notice. The one-page letter was posted Wednesday morning on the front
of the 4815 Lavey Lane school. The letter is from Friends of Impact Charter Schools, a nonprofit foundation that supports the school and owns the property, and its attorney, Kathleen Wilson The rent is for the months of March and April.
A recent audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office accused founder Chakesha Scott of using the school to personally
EASY COME, EASY GROW
ABOVE: Research Associate Specialist Connor Cavalier laughs with Master Gardener Joy Boudreaux during the Spring Garden Fest at LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens on Saturday RIGHT: Volunteer Lynn Pennington looks at a rosemary plant with Kevin Dang during the Spring Garden Fest.
STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Ceremony to honor those killed in USS Kidd attack
Museum also to unveil new exhibit
BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer
enrich herself and her family
The audit also raised questions about the Friends group and the terms of the 2022 lease it has with the school, which the auditors described as “excessive.” The audit describes Scott as the president of the Friends group; she has said she is only its registered agent.
part of crew
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
A Prairieville man who was part of a drug network that flooded south Louisiana with kilograms of cocaine and heroin pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge in court Tuesday Clarence Corey Anderson, 46, was the last of six defendants to plead guilty to charges tied to a 22-count federal indictment filed in August 2022. He pleaded guilty to a count of unlawful use of communication facilities when he stood before Shelly Dick, chief judge of the U.S. Middle District Court of Louisiana. Anderson originally had been indicted on two counts of the felony charge as well as conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. He faced decades in federal prison if a
Innocence Project wants conviction overturned
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
Thirty-eight crew members died that day, and 55 others were injured.
“The Kidd and her squadron had fought off three aerial raids that day before a fourth raid resulted
While the USS Kidd remains at a Houma shipyard for much-needed repairs, the annual ceremony that honors those who died on the ship in a kamikaze attack on April 11, 1945, will carry on Friday in Baton Rouge in a commemoration at 1:55 p.m., the time the attack began 80 years ago.
Damage to the port side of the USS Kidd from a kamikaze attack on April 11, 1945
PROVIDED PHOTO
A New Orleans nonprofit legal group is asking a federal court to overturn a two-decades-old murder conviction in the 1998 death of a 16-year-old pizza delivery driver in Livingston Parish. The Innocence Project New Orleans filed a petition in the U.S. Court for the Middle District of Louisiana seeking to overturn the second-degree murder conviction of James Skinner, who was one of six people convicted in 2000 of murdering Eric
Coastalricefarmtohostbirding expedition
Outing designed to show how wetlands,bird patterns work together
BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer
Driveabout an hour southof Lafayette, turn down alow-lying road that runs only yards away from theVermilion River,and keep your eyes peeled for alligators.
This primeval Louisiana landscape is the entrance to Live Oak Farm —a bucolic spot on the Gulf Coast, where rice has been cultivated for the past 100 years. This Friday,bird lovers and
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jury were to convict him at trial. Dick ordered apresentencing investigation and allowedAnderson to remain free on bond whilehe awaits hissentencing, according to court records from the hearing The judge had yet to set asentencing date as of Wednesdayafternoon. Prosecutors said Anderson was among acrew of traffickers that transported and distributedcoke, heroin and cash in Baton Rouge, across Louisiana and beyond. They used phones to negotiate their
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Walber,anAlbany High School student and football player
Walber was finishingapizza delivery shift in April 1998 when the group robbed him, beat him and then ran him over with his own car.They left Walberalong aroad in Tangipahoa Parish, according to reports. The petition asks the court to “end his unconstitutional conviction and punishment.”
The organizationcitesa U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2016 that overturned themurder convictionofMichael Wearry,
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in the ship being struck on her starboard side by one lone suicide plane,” according toanews release.
naturalists can visitthe farmfor an expedition designedtoshowcase thesymbiotic relationship between rice cultivation, coastal wetlandsrehabilitation andmigratory birdpatterns, according to Erik Johnson, director of conservationsciencewithAudubon Delta.
“Right now, 2.1 billionbirds are crossing the Gulf on their way back from Central America and South America to theirbreedinggrounds here in the U.S. and Canada,” said Johnson,one of the guidesfor Friday’sbirding trip.
“Louisiana, especially south Louisiana,ispartofthatMississippi Flyway and we’re right in the peak of that migration.”
It’sarare opportunity to access aprivately ownedbirding mecca, which also happens to sit at the
deals and oftentalked in code to thwart the suspicions of law enforcement.
The trafficking operation ran from October 2017 to January 2019, according to the federal indictment.Federal investigators said thedealers carried outdrug andmoney exchangesinpublic places, suchasthe Tanger Outlets mallinGonzales, Walmartparking lots, outside the high-volume Benny’s Car Wash on Siegen Lane, nearanautoshop on Airline Highway and at popular food spots on College Drive and near Essen Lane.
Prosecutorsidentified Francisco Palma, 45, as themastermind and saidhe headquartered the opera-
heart of Louisiana’srice industry
TheGodchauxfamily of Abbeville played an integral role in the development of Louisiana rice throughthe 20thcentury,starting with thefamily business, LouisianaState Rice Milling Company,Inc.Thatbusiness eventually became Riviana Foods, whichis nowowned by Ebro Foods —one of the world’s largest producers of rice and pasta
Through the decades, as Frank Godchaux III and his family participated in the global expansion of Louisiana rice, their home placeatLiveOak Farm remained an isolated spot to farm, hunt, rest and gather as an expanding clan.Today, the property consists of nearly 6,000acres of rice fields andadjacentwetlands that hug the Vermilion Bay
tion from what was then his Baton Rouge homeonthe LSULakes.
He andJuanVillareal Jr., who rana Texashub of theoperation traveled to MexicoCity on multiple occasions tomeet with cartel members andothers whosuppliedthemwith kilos of cocaine andheroin. They smuggled the drugs acrossthe border andsold it to dealers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and other partsofthe state. According to the indictment, Palma called Anderson in November2018 andtoldhim he had8 kilograms of cocaine. Anderson said he wanted to buy three of them, and thetwo men met in aHome Depot parking lottwo days later, where Palmagave him the drugs.
Last year,the Godchauxs placed the farm under aconservation easement, which will ensure that Live Oak Farm remains permanently intact for future agricultural uses and wildlife habitat preservation
“Rice and conservation can go hand-in-hand in Louisiana,” said Cindy Brown, executive director of Covington-based Land Trust for Louisiana,whichholds the easement on Live Oak Farm.
“Rice is not only ahuge part of ourculture,italsocan be an ideal refuge habitat forbirds that are endangered by coastal habitat loss. In this case, we have an iconic Louisiana rice family that hasa passion for conservation, and has done aterrific job in making sure that rice production continues alongside the enhance-
Theyreturned to the same parking lot aday later so Anderson could pay Palma forthe cocaine, according to feds.
Twoweeks later, Palmacameto Anderson’sPrairievillehouse to pick up more drug money,accordingtothe affidavits. In December 2018, thetwo spoke on the phone about cutting and testing drugs. Several membersofthe drug crew have already been sent to federal prisons. Allsix have now pleadedguiltytocharges associated with the illegal ring.
Palmaconfessed to 11 drug conspiracy,racketeering, money laundering andweapons charges in March2023. He hasyet to be sentenced.
ment of wildlife habitat.” Johnson puts it more starkly: “As we lose these habitats, we lose the birds. There’s really nowhere else for them to go. We’ve been losing birds in ourcoastal habitats fordecades, and investingincoastal restoration is not only importantfor bringing those birds back, but also for providing abuffer for coastal communities to protect them against sealevel rise and storm surge.”
Registration is open now for Friday’sLive Oak Farm Birding Expedition, located near Palmetto Island State Park in Abbeville. Ticketsare $60 andcan be purchased on theLandTrust for Louisiana website.
Email Joanna Brown at joanna. brown@theadvocate.com
In November,Judge Dicksentenced Villareal to 61/2 years in prison in forhis role. She gave Richard Antunez,anothermember of thecrew, 70 monthsinAugust 2023 after he pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge. Marco Antonio Filos, amiddlemaninthe operation, got 26 months in December 2023. Brittany Adell Allison, Palma’s live-in girlfriend at the time, got 18 months of court supervision in May 2024. Federal prosecutors agreed to deferprisontime in exchange for her completing apretrial diversionary program
Email Matt Bruceatmatt. bruce@theadvocate.com.
whowas originally sentenced to deathinWalber’skilling. The Supreme Court ruledthat prosecutorswithheld critical evidence about key witnesses andanother possible suspect. In lightofWearry’scase, Skinner sought new post-conviction appeals.But he was unsuccessful with the 21st JudicialDistrictCourt, the Louisiana First Circuit CourtofAppeal andthe Louisiana SupremeCourt. Wearry served a25-year sentence after his death-row conviction was reversed andhas
The ship was still able to make it to aremote coral atoll named Ulithi in the Pacific, and the dead were buried thenextday,the same day that President Franklin D. Roosevelt died, the U.S. Naval Institute notes on itswebsite
been outofprison since 2023. Skinner,however,is still serving alife sentence. Innocence Project Executive Director Jee Park, whowas also an attorney for Skinner, says Skinner andthe family of Eric Walberdeservejustice but have notreceivedit.
The Innocence Project New Orleans has freed or exonerated over 50 people since2001, according to its website MeredithAngelson, thenonprofit’sdeputy director, said the state courts have consistently made errorswhenresponding
to evidence they believe shows awrongful conviction
“The state of Louisiana has inflicted agrave injusticeon James Skinner, keeping him wrongfully in prison for25 years. The SupremeCourt determinedthat Louisiana courtshad ‘egregiously misapplied’ thelaw in his co-defendant’scase,” Angelsonsaid.
In response to thepetition, 21st Judicial District AttorneyScott Perrillouxsaid Skinner’sdefenseisrelyingonthe 2016 Supreme Court ruling for Wearry, butthathebelievesSkinner’s case is different.
One of the most recent developments connected to Walber’s murder was in January when the
federal court dismissed a2018 lawsuit filed by Wearry,who allegedthatPerrilloux coerced false testimony from a10-yearoldwitness.
Perrilloux said in January that he was never concerned about theoutcome but is gladthe case is concluded.
“Lostinall of thefalseand outrageousclaims is that abright andkind 16-year-old hadhis life senselessly and violently taken from him almost 27 years ago by Michael Wearry and several others,” Perrilloux saidafter the dismissalinJanuary
EmailClaire Grunewald at claire.grunewald@ theadvocate.com.
Wilson is anew attorney for the Friends group. It was previously represented by Baton Rouge attorney J. Lane Ewing Jr
To have somewhere to hold classes, the new management of Impact Charterisasking thecity of Baker School Board to lease avacant property at 3750 Harding Blvd., the former home of Baker HeightsElementary,for the rest of the school year,whichendsMay 22.The Baker School Board has scheduled aspecial meeting for 6p.m. Thursday to consider the idea.
Baker Superintendent J.T.Stroder said he first heard aweek ago from Impact’sinterim Superintendent Michelle Clayton, who expressed concern to himthenthatImpact’s lease might get canceled and wanted abackupplan. Strodersaid he and Baker Board President Monique Butler had aconference call with Clayton on Wednesday morning after the eviction notice was issued and agreed to call the special meeting on Thursday “There’s400 kids out there that need to finish the year,” Stroder said The Advocate has requested but not received any comment from Impact school officials about the eviction notice.
Citing the findings in the audit, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Feb. 21 removed Impact’sprevious board of directors and replaced them.
That new board met three days later and immediately froze out ChakeshaScottand herhusband,
Eric, the school’s principal,placing both on paid leave.OnMarch 7, the new leadership of the school went astep further andfired Scott, sayingshe committed “repeatedand substantialviolations”ofthe terms of her leave. For instance, Scott not onlyfailedtoreturn school property in herpossession, the sameday she was placed on leave aschool-owned silver 2021 Range Rover that Scott had been using previously “was taken from school grounds and hasn’t been returned,” according to court papers.
Gettingterminated hasn’tdeterredScott,who has claimedthe takeover ofthe school was illegal, and that she remains in control.
Aflurry of litigation has emerged from this mess.
Wilson, theattorney namedin Wednesday’seviction notice, is also representing agroup of Impact parents whosoughtunsuccessfully to reverse BESE’sreplacement of the school’sboard; Wilson is lodging an appeal.
The oldboardofImpact Charter School is also suing BESE in federal court, claiming theFeb. 21 decision was unconstitutional andthatScott and school leaders were denied due process.
The plaintiff’s attorney in that case, Ron Haley,had his law license suspended April 2bythe Louisiana Supreme Court for unspecified reasons emanatingfrom areferral by the state’sOffice of Disciplinary Counsel.
Meanwhile, the new board has filed itsown suit,claiming Scott has “knowinglyand intentionally” refused access to current payroll records, preventing employees from gettingpaidontimeand accu-
The USS Kidd has madeits homeinBaton Rouge since 1982 as theonlyWorld WarIIFletcherclass destroyerpreserved in its wartime configuration.
Last spring, the ship was floated down to theThoma-SeaMarine Constructors repair yard in Houma for major repairs.
The Kiddwas repaired and wentontoserveinthe Korean Warbefore it was decommissioned and placed in reservein 1964. In 1975, deemed unfit for further service, it was stricken from the naval lists of vessels, the institute said.
rately accounting for their taxwithholdings. Moreover,the suit claims Scott has continued to “delete data and information from related school financialaccounts as she still hasaccess to these accounts.” The board is seeking to remove Scottasanauthorized user from all school accounts. The suit also said the new board hasbeen unable to access “substantial” funds in accountsmanaged by Friends of Impact Charter Schools and aseparateorganization, Charter SchoolsAthletic Association Inc, for which Scott is thesole officer.Bothorganizations are defendants, alongwithScott andher husband, Eric.
That suit hasstalledbecause theplaintiffs weretwice unable to serveScott court papersather home in Zachary as well as serving others named in the suit. Priya Kumar,whose New Orleans firm is representing the newImpact board, filed amotion Tuesday requesting that state District Judge Ronald Johnsonget thecase moving again by appointing a“curator ad hoc” to represent Scott and others, describing themas“absentee defendants.”
Thecommemoration ceremony will be held Fridayonthe upper floor of theUSS KiddVeterans Museum.
Themuseum will also unveil a newexhibit that day on the Japanese pilotwho died in thekamikazeattack. The exhibit features alife-sizerecreation of Sub-Lieutenant Shigehisa Yaguchi, wearingflight gear
“The new display will also feature additionalpieces salvaged fromYaguchi’sshatteredaircraft that have rarely before been seen,” the museum said.
The admission price for the remembrance service and museum tour is $8.
FEMA cuts cruelest to those workingtobetter prepare forstorms
“An ounce of prevention is wortha pound of cure,” says the old adage.Inanera with extreme weather events increasinginfrequency, the FEMA program known as BuildingResilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, was that ounce of prevention.Infact,for Louisiana, it was significantly more than that The program paid for elevatinghomes and building levees in areas vulnerable to punishing storms.InLouisiana, residents fromCameron to Monroe have benefited from the program. And many can point to tangible benefits from theprojects funded. Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson III told thisnewspaper’s Mark Ballard thatinfrastructure improvements funded by BRIC grants, includinghigherleveesand water pump upgrades, directly led to less floodinginhis community in 2019, when Hurricane Barry hit the area. After thestorm,10homes and businesseshad flood damage. Compare that to 11,000 during 2005’s Hurricane Rita Yet, inexplicably,inaterse, unsignedstatement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced this week that the program was abruptly ended. “TheBRIC programwas yetanother example of awastefuland ineffective FEMA program,” the statementread. We would beg to differ.And so would thousands of Louisianans who live in flood-prone areas. There were 148 grantapplications fromour state worth about $721 million in the 2024 cycle. To add insulttoinjury,many of the grants that hadbeen approved by theprogram from2020 to 2023 were canceled, leaving local officials scrambling to find fundingtocomplete projects already in the works. Andthe agencyisseeking the return of some money already disbursed. In Louisiana, that could amountto$282 million That could mean St. Bernard Parish won’tget money to fix acresofbroken marsh that have been the source of floodingfor years, Baton Rougewon’t getfunding to deepenLSU Lakes so nearby homes aren’tthreatenedwhenitrains and Lafourche Parish won’t gethelpfor aproject to harden utility lines aroundPortFourchon, which handles 20% of the U.S. oil supply If the Trump administration truly cares about making government more efficient, we can see no better use of taxpayer dollars thanmaking communities more resilient to theeffects of extreme weather.Weknow how costlyrebuilding afterhurricanes and floodingcan be. This shouldn’tbeapartisan issue. It is shameful that Republican state officials and representativesinCongresshave been silent as ourcommunities are maligned and needed protections are cast as frivolous spending.The exception is Sen. Bill Cassidy,who said Tuesday he would askFEMAtorestore thefunding.
“Wesave alot of money as anation if we proactively address the risk of flooding,” hesaid. We wholeheartedly agree and hope that other Louisiana leaders step upand defend howseriously our state has taken mitigatingour flood risks. Far from waste, our effortsshould be hailed as abulwarkfor the nation.
LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE
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
Public
health leadersstoking distrust in vaccines is shameful
Iread with great concern arecent report on the front page of thenewspaper about the decline in trust in doctors and public health officials in Louisiana since thepandemic, and aconcomitant decline in vaccination rates here.
If thestate’snewly minted surgeon general would like toknow thereason for this decline in trust he need only look in the mirror.A public policy statement,now prominently featured on the Louisiana Department of Healthwebsite over Dr.Ralph Abraham’s signature, includes the following claim: “Within monthsoftheir approval, COVID vaccines were shown to have no third-party benefit in terms of reduced transmission, yet they were still mandated.”Inother words, anyone choosing to decline thevaccine should not worry about giving COVID to anyone else: The decision not to get vaccinated is astrictly self-regarding act.Nothing could be further from thetruth.
It took me about 30 seconds of
rooting around on the National Library of Medicine’swebsite to find two peer-reviewed studies on the correlation of vaccination rates and protection against transmission, which found that COVID vaccines were consistently associated with a reduced risk of transmission.
These studies found that reduced risk declined somewhat with time, and with the appearance of COVID variants(not an unusual occurrence with vaccines), but overall risk was still considerably lower than it was among the unvaccinated.
As thestate’ssurgeon general, Abraham must be at least vaguely aware of these and similar studies, which undercut the misleading claim he makes on his department’s website. Iconsider this an act of malpractice. If Abraham wants to play politics withpublic health, that’shis business, but he should not be authorized to practice medicine in Louisiana.
BRUCESMITH NewOrleans
To the guest columnist who wrote, “Cuts to USAID have implications for the world and Louisiana,” tell me how the waste that has been found is helping the world? The intended purpose is good and needs to be continued. President Donald Trump got voted in by people like me who were angry at whatour party became. Imight not agree with some of what he does, but Isure respect and cheer his administration’sculling of waste of our tax dollars. People who spread misinformation or only use part of it are areal problem in this country,and if the columnist was such an expert, Ithink she would have mentioned he is not cutting all aid, just the waste. Real experts use all the facts, not just the parts they want people to read or hear
During amilitary assignment in Germany during the1980s, we were usually shopping on military bases forgroceries and basic household supplies.
The Military Commissaries and Exchanges eliminated theuse of pennies. Period For fourglorious years, Ididn’t have to messwith pennies. If thetotalended in 3cents it was rounded up to thenearest 5. If the total ended in 2cents, it went downtothe nearest zero. Period I, as aresult, have developed apathological hate of pennies. They’re great for slowing algae growthinbird baths and outside water dishes, sometimes can be used as emergency screwdrivers or occasionally to level awonky table leg. For me, Ivote no morepennies.
My husband andI as well as both ourdaughters aregraduates of LSU. We are wondering whyLSU hasno interest in ourFirst Amendment. The real reason LSU removed tenured lawprofessor Ken Levy from the classroom is that it was instructed to. Gov.Jeff Landry,like President DonaldTrump, doesn’t wantour First Amendment of free speech to survive because he fears it. Howcan LSUgoalongwiththis sham? Its brand is tarnished. Whatstu-
BRENDAFORTMAYER NewOrleans
dent would wanttoenroll in acollege that suppresses free speech andcritical thinking, where students aren’t taught to weigh arguments, challenge assumptionsand engage with people whodisagree with them?
As Alyson Neel wrote in arecent guestcolumn, that’swhat universities aresupposedtocultivate. KimMulkeystood up to Jeff Landry.You can also, LSU. GENE SOTILE Baton Rouge
Iwas delighted to read Eric Gabaourel’srecent piece regarding vehicular traffic in the French Quarter.Itislong past timetohave aconversation addressing the imbalance between vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the Vieux Carré. As Gabaourel wrote, vehicular traffic should continue to flow freely along the borders of the Quarter via Canal, Rampart, Esplanade and Decatur/North Peters. Throughout the interior of the Quarter,however, steps should be taken to reduce vehicular traffic and promote pedestrian-friendly thoroughfares. Exceptions, of course, should be madefor residents and others as needed. Amere seven blocks lie between the river and Rampart Street. It should be no arduous journey foranyone to park at any of the lots along the river and walkto their desired shop, restaurant, museum etc. In these days of counting steps, one would think that parking to alight onto the banquette as close as possible to one’s destination would be passé. The image Gabaourel paints of abustling, vibrant district with “cafes spilling into open spaces once occupied by parked cars” should enchant residents and visitors alike. One need only observe the activity around Jackson Square to see the benefits of pedestrian-centric planning. Hopefully,Gabaourel’svision of a French Quarter forpeople rather than cars can be realized one day
PRESTON VALOIS Covington
MARK IRWIN Denham Springs
Johnsonshouldnot bowontariffs
Louisiana’scitizens need U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to stand up for their interests and exert Congress’ constitutional power and duty over trade and tariffs, not kowtowservilely to President Donald Trump. Start with Johnson’sduty —indeed, the duty of every memberofCongress,but especially that of the speaker as the guardian of Congress’ institutional prerogatives —tofollow the letter and spirit of theConstitution TheConstitution could notbeclearer: “The Congress shall have Power To lay andcollect Taxes,Duties, Imposts and Excises.”
Congress, not the president.
control. In this case, Trumpisciting the “emergency” power excuse, even though there is no remotely reasonable waythatamere trade deficit, during afull-employment economy, fits any dictionary or statutory definition of “emergency.”
independent judgment on behalf of individual constituencies, not act as rubber stamps for the president
If there is any one person in the country most obligated to safeguard Congress’ authority andprerogatives vis-à-vis the president, it is the speaker of the House. The speaker’soffice is specifically mentioned in the Constitution and, unlike thenation’svice president(who shares executive and legislative duties), the speakeristhe only specifically named officer who represents only the legislature’sinstitutional interests.
It is true that in several constitutionally dubious delegations of that authority,Congress has allowedthe president some unilateral tariff powers —but eventhenonly in cases of national “emergency,” when threatsexist to nationalsecurity, whenforeigncountries restrictU.S. commercein“unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” ways, and the like.
And while those dubiousgrantsof authority leave some wiggle room forinterpretation, the words“emergency” and “national security” aren’t open-ended. They have real meanings, andthose meanings do restrict the president’spower —especially when considering that they are clearly exceptions to the Constitution’s specificityabout Congress, not the president, having authority over tariffs.
In other words, if there’sany doubt as to whether the presidentcan impose atariffwithout Congress’ specific assent, theanswermust be “no.” Otherwise, the Constitution’scareful balancingofpower begins to wobble in the direction of authoritarian presidential
EGG DECORATING
Easter egg painting is fun for the whole family,but this little guy seems to have launched this group into some serious creativechaos!
That’sthe first reason why Johnson’s servility to Trump—ingeneral, actually,but specifically with regard to Congress’ constitutional power over tariffs —issoinexcusable. Asked on April 7whether he would allow the House to voteonreclaiming the tariff authority it already is supposed to exercise, Johnson answered like aminor functionary,not an independent constitutional officer
“You’ve got to give thepresident the latitude, therunway,todowhat it is he was elected to do,”hetold CNN’sManu Raju. And, later in his answer: “We’re going to give him the spacenecessary to do it.”
This is, well, pathetic. Congress, not the president, is elected to take the lead on trade policy.End of story.And the speaker,more than anyone else on theplanet, is supposed to insist on that.After all, the public elects senators and representatives just as the public elects the president. Especially in the U.S.system, thosecongressional electionsare fordelegates to exercise
So, what’sgoing on in this cartoon? youtell me.Bewitty,funny, crazy,absurd or snarky —just trytokeep it clean.There’snolimit on thenumber of entries.
The winning punchlinewill be letteredinto theword balloon andrun on Mondayin our print editions and online. In addition, thewinner will receivea signed print of the cartoon along with acool winner’sT-shirt! Some honorable mentions will also be listed
In this case, unprecedentedly huge tariffs not only are terrible macroeconomic policy for thecountry as a whole (although that’sanargument for another day), but they are particularly harmful for Johnson’sown Louisiana constituency.The whole point of tariffs is to discourage importsofforeign goods. That means, of course, far less business for portsand thecities and states that rely on trade.
By tonnage, Louisianaboasts four of the ten busiest ports in thenation Louisiana’seconomy would be horribly hobbled by aTrumpian trade war.It is no wonder that ahost of Louisiana importers and businesses that rely on imports already are raising astink against tariffs.
While thedirectors of the Port of NewOrleans have been circumspect, other port leaders (such as in Mobile) are openly asking Trumptostop his madness. AndCary Davis, president and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities, said thetariffs are abad idea that will amount to “raising prices across the economy.”
Louisiana’senergy industry,alinchpin of the economy,also is likely to takea major blow,asenergy exportssurely will suffertremendously from atrade war.Why would Johnson allow this?
Oneistempted to ask him, as actor Robin Williams’ character asked astudent in Dead PoetsSociety, “Are you a man or an amoeba?”
By standing up neither for Louisiana nor for thepowers of theHouse, Johnson shows morelikeness to aparamecium.
Quin Hillyer can be reached at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com.
To enter,email entries to cartooncontest@theadvocate.com
DON’T FORGET! All entries must include your name, home addressand phone number.Cellnumbers arebest. Thedeadline forall entries is midnight on Thursday,. Have fun, folks!— Walt
Youmight not have noticed, but Minnesota governor and losing2024 Democratic vice presidentialnominee Tim Walz is on anational tour He is holding town halls in congressional districtswon by President Donald Trump in Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Wisconsin and more. Any time anational politicalfigure schedulesa visit to Iowa, there is speculation that he or she is going to run for president. But TimWalz?Really?
“Onimmigration,” Walz said, “what we were asking for is abipartisan policythatstrengthens immigration control, that recognizes that we needa workforce here,thatthey should be allowed here legally, and that, when they gethere, they’re part of theAmerican fabric.”
After giving the matter somethought, Ihave decided that I’ve becomeunsuited to the low art of writing newspaper columns any longer My deficiencies to participate in the current conversation are many. For one thing, Ihave never listened to apodcast. I prefer reading things, amore efficient way to gather and retain information.
For example, while I’ve heard of this Joe Rogan fellow,I’ve no good idea what he’sall about. Igather he endorsed Donald Trump, and that’senough forme. But then Iused to listen to Rush Limbaugh on my truck radio sometimes and generally found him preposterous. Isuspect Rogan has inherited his audience of ignorant soreheads and members of the “I hate girls” club —yearning desperately forfemale companionship, but ashamed to admit it.
Furthermore, Idonot own, nor have Iever wanted, an iPhone. My sainted wife, maybe the least “tech savvy” person you could ever meet, spends agreat deal of time struggling with hers, arguing constantly with that snippy Siri. Iget by with asteam-powered flip phone which rings about twice aweek —normally a call from somebody I’mnot eager to talk to. Gifted with the fashion sense of acowherd, I have never wanted to becomean“influencer” anyway.When Ireally want to dress up, Igo with L.L. Bean.
Just the other day,I encountered the online meanderings of one Jack Posobiec, aright-wing influencer whocame up with abrilliant idea: “What if instead of avaccine we just wereable to get exposed to aweak version of the virus that enabled us to build the antibodies we need to fight the real thing?”
Yeah, what if?
Something else Ilearned courtesy of Kevin Drum’s invaluable website is that fewer than half of Republicans in an Axios/Ipsos poll say they trust the Centers forDisease Control for health information. Sixty-eight percent trust Trump.
Don’ttell me it’snot acult.
So yes, the mainreason I’mcalling it quits as anewspaper columnist —this will be my last outing in this space —isTrump, the incompetent sociopath and career criminal who’sgotten himself elected president of the United States. I’mnot afraid of him;mycontempt is absolute. Ijust don’twant to spend the rest of my life thinking and writing about him
That anear-majority thought him worthy of the presidency is too depressing to contemplate. One way or another,Trumpwill bring the American experiment to ruins. But nothing says Ihave to chronicle the catastrophe. Ionly get one life.
The happy misanthrope and Baltimore Sun columnist H.L. Mencken predicted all this more than acentury ago. “On somegreat and glorious day,” Mencken wrote in 1920, “the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’sdesire at last and the White House will be adorned by adownright moron.”
Dudes, we’re there. Donald Trumpisn’t merely ignorant; he exists in fear and loathing of anybody who’snot.
“The mostcostly of all follies,” Mencken wrote on another occasion, “is to believe passionately in the palpably not true. It is the chief occupation of mankind.”
Walz told CNN Sunday that while he is considering arun for athird term as governor in 2026, “I am notthinking about running in 2028.” Parse that any way you like.
Walz made alittlenews on the issue of former President Joe Biden’s decision to run for reelection when he was clearly unable to mentally and physically handle thejob. Walz blamed Biden himself —“He made thedecision”—and then added, “I would hope we would never do it again ”Then, he changed the subject.
One eye-opening part of theinterview was when Walz was asked about the Harris-Walz ticket’sposition on immigration and the disaster at the U.S.-Mexico border.His answer suggested that if Democrats had wonthe election last November,the problemat the border createdbyPresident Biden would have continued under President KamalaHarris.
Fromthat, it appearsthat Walz’sborder policywas to legalizethe migrants whowere crossing illegally during the Biden years, get them jobs andthen make sure that they are “part of the American fabric.” At another point in the interview, Walz said, “None of us aresayingwe should be soft on theborder.”But that sounds pretty soft on theborder.
Walz continued: “I’mnot going to say what we need to do is, we need to just arrest people and ship themtoElSalvador No, what we need to do, invest the money on the border.Weneed to makesure that we have the judges necessary to adjudicate things faster.Weneed to makesure, if you’regoing to be in this country here legally,when you are, you’re going to be uplifted, celebrated and part of this great American tapestry.And thatisthe bipartisan bill we had.”
That last part was areference to legislation that Harris often claimed would fix the problemsofthousands andthousands of migrants crossing the border every day and being allowed to stay in the United States. The bill, Harrissaid
in many campaign appearances,would be the heart of herborder andimmigrationpolicy. It neverpassed House or Senate votes, norwould it today if Walz andHarris were in theWhite House. But what Walz’sinterview really brings to mind is the fact that if he and Harris hadbeen elected,the border problemwould still be with us. One of theremarkable things aboutthe second Trump administration is how quickly Trump stoppedthe massive anddestructive flowofillegal crossers over theborder.The bordercrisis, once named in opinionpolls as oneofthe nation’smostpressing issues, virtually disappeared overnight.
“Since taking office, my administration haslaunchedthe most sweeping borderand immigration crackdown in American history,and we quickly achievedthe lowest numbers of illegal bordercrossers ever recorded,” Trump said in his March address to ajointsession of Congress.
“The media andour friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed newlegislation: ‘Wemust have legislation to secure the border.’But it turned outthatall we really needed was anew president.”
He was right. Trump has, of course, since moved on to other issues andcontroversies. But with hisdiscussion of the border, Walz gave us adeeply troubling glimpse of what might have been. Byron York is on X, @Bryon York.
Salon columnist Amanda Marcotte put it this wayafter watching one of those televised focus groups from the heartland on CNN: “What quickly becomes evident about the median voters in an American focus group is how profoundly opposed they are to even the most basic factual information. On the contrary,it’s acommunity with apathological aversion to reality,where people compulsively react to anything truth-shaped with hostility,running as hard as they can toward disinformation. They are addicted to BS.”
When chronicles are written about the decline and fall of the American republic, the opening chapters will no doubt describe the founding of Fox News and the cowardly inability of other newsorganizations to confront the reality of aSoviet-style propaganda network in their midst.
But they won’t be written by me, because I’ve reached the end of my rope. Idowant to thank my editors in Kansas City and at newspapers large and small whohave published my work over the years. Also, the manykind readers whohave written inquiring about my health and commenting upon my work. Thanks as well forthe brilliance and dedication of the medical professionals whohave restored my health and congenital optimism over the past year.I do look forward to haranguing poor Diane and innocent civilians downatthe dog park instead of churning out newspaper columns. Take care, y’all.
Email Gene Lyons at eugenelyons2@yahoo.com.
Quin Hillyer
Byron York
Gene Lyons
continued from family wouldliketothank Nicole,Tina, Debbie, &Lila her caregivers, and several others from FrancoisBend Assisted Livingfor their kindness &love. Mayher soulrestineternal peace, and may the memories of hervibrant, vivacious life bring comfort to all who knew &loved her.
drews.Hehad apassion for history, especially the civil war. He hunted for civil war relics for years and ended up with quite the collection. He was famous for his collection of guns, especially carbines Mostthe time you would find him at the Baton Rouge gun shows or at his home, showing folks his collection. He also loved to go deer hunting in Centerville, Mississippi. You would either find him driving his four-wheeler around, or in the cabin napping after agood thunder storm. He would also host yearlypig hunts at the camp with his friends where food, drinks, music and stories seemed to never end. On available weekends, you would find him looking for the next antique he had to have. He had azest for life with a funny sense of humor and he will be greatly missed by his friends and family. There will be no services.
Johnson,AnnieMarie
AnnieMarie Johnsonde‐partedthislifeonWednes‐day,April 2, 2025, at Thibo‐dauxRegionalMedical Center. Shewas 65, ana‐tiveofLabadieville, LA and residentofThibodaux,LA. VisitationonThursday, April 10, 2025, at Williams & SouthallFuneralHome from2:00pmto4:00pm. VisitationonFriday, April 11, 2025, at NewMorning StarBaptist Church from 9:00amtoreligious ser‐vices at 11:00am.Inter‐mentinthe church ceme‐tery. Arrangements by Williams &SouthallFuneral Home, 5414 Hwy1 Napoleonville,LA(985)3697231. To sign theguest book or offercondolences visit ourwebsite at www williamsandsouthallfune ralhome.com.
Joyce Marie Lambert born July 19, 1929, alifelong resident of Gonzales forover 50 years, passed away on April 4, 2025. She started her journey in Livingston parish where she was active in the pageant industry, Baton Rouge Little Theater, writing & singing songs,Livingston parish fair, and Walker community. She was also an "adoptive" mother to many of the Walker High School girls basketball team who she affectionately called "her girls". However, her biggest love was her family. She was a member of St. Mark's Catholic Church where she was achoir member for decades. Joyce was a bright light, had an infectious personality, and was truly loved by everyone she has ever encountered. Born to Leona and George Stevens, Joyce was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Allen Lambert of 53 years. She is survived by her sons, Steve Allen (Brenda) and GeorgeAllen (Jan); her step sons, Mark, Mike, & Brian Lambert; grandchildren, DeShae Doyle (Chad), Dax Allen (Kaitlyn) and Chase Allen (Katie); greatgrandchildren, Kenedi Bullion (Garrett), Alek Falgoust, Ryleigh Allen, Beau Allen, Emerson Allen, Banks Allen &Bishop Allen; step-grandchildren, Ashley, Allison, Roxanne, Rachel (deceased), Chelsea, Dakota Carrier & Ethan Carrier; and agreat, great grandchild, Maverick Bullion. Avisitation for Joyce will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025 from 9to 11 AM at Ourso's Funeral Home, 13533 Airline Hwy, Gonzales, La.70737.Funeral service will take place April 11th at 11 AM, followed by acommittal service at 12 PM at Serenity Oaks Memorial Park, 15304 Hwy 73, Prairieville, La Pallbearers honoredto serve include Dax Allen, Chase Allen, Alek Falgoust Chad Doyle, Garrett Bullion, and Beau Allen. The
McConnell, Stokes O'Neal 'Neal'
StokesO'Neal "Neal" McConnell, 49, passed awayonWednesday, April 2, 2025. Born on August 4, 1975, Neal grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, attending St. Aloysiusand CatholicHigh School before earning afinance degree in 1997 from Southern MethodistUniversity.It was at SMU duringhis sophomoreyearthat Neal met the love of hislife, MandyBragg.The two wereinseparablefromthat pointon, marrying in 2001 and raisingthree sons together —Stokes (21), Bragg (19), and Oliver (17) —who werehis greatest pride and joy.
Neal was exceptionally bright and effortlessly affable —qualities that servedhim wellinlifeand in his nearly30-year career in finance.Heheldpartner positions at severalfirms, including Perennial Advisors, WalkerSmith Capital, and mostrecently Sophos Capital Management. His passion forinvesting was matched onlybyhis gift for connectingwith people.Whetheramong the upperechelonsofthe hedge fundworld or chatting with aneighbor on the block, Neal's warm nature andbone-drywit endeared him to allwho knew him
Outside ofwork,Neal was adevoted husband and father,a loyalfriend, and apassionate golfer— aplus handicap, though never quite as goodashe thoughthimself to be. His absence is deeplyfeltby many, and his memorywill be cherishedalways.
Nealissurvivedbyhis wife, Catherine "Mandy" Bragg McConnell; sons StokesO'NealMcConnell, Jr Hudson BraggMcConnell, and OliverGreen McConnell; his parents, Stokesand Noy McConnell; his brother,PatrickMcConnell, and sister-in-law, LauraMcConnelland niece AndieMcConnell; his mother-in-law, Beth Bragg and brothers-in-law, Bill Braggand Ty Bragg, and theirfamilies. He is also survivedbyhis aunt Margo Weisgerber and cousins Amanda, Kevin, and Grant Tarleton; his uncleEricMcConnell, auntJeannieMcConnell, and cousinJill White —all of whom were special to him.
Aserviceto celebrate Neal is beingheldthisSaturday,April 12, at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Baton Rouge.Visitation begins at 10:00am with service commencing at 11:00am, with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family is establishing a trust to support the boys' ongoing educationand living expenses duringthis difficult time.Donations can be madehere: https:// gofund.me/980ad038.
Morris Sr., John Louis
John LouisMorris,Sr., passed away on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at his residence.Hewas 94, anative of Brusly, Louisiana,and a resident of PortAllen, Louisiana. John Louisworkedasa typewriter technician for many yearsatthe Olivetti Underwood Corp.and retired from Associated Business Equipment.Hewas a member of ShilohBaptist Church, PortAllen,LAfor many years. He returned to the church of his youth, Union BaptistChurch, Brusly, LA where he faithfully served untilhis death. Survived by 2sons, John Morris, Jr. (Althea) of Addis, Louisiana andClaude
Morris (Gwendolyn) of Friendswood,Texas; 2 daughters, Stacy Morris Jones (Louis) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Jaqueline VealofLancaster, Texas; 5grandsons, Renio Morris of BatonRouge, Louisiana, Travis Morrisof Port Allen, Louisiana, Trevor Morris (Brittany) of Houston, Texas, Claude Morris II of Friendswood, Texas and Lance Jones of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; 6 granddaughters, Kayun Parker (Joseph) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana ,Fayun Collins (Frederick) of Zachary, Louisiana, Tranel Flowers of Houston,Texas La'YoKey Grimes of Brusly, Louisiana,Charice Vealof Lancaster,Texas and CharlotteVealofHouston, Texas;23great-grandchildren;5 great-great-grandchildren; 2nieces, Melody Morris of BatonRouge, Louisiana and Thedrial Morris Jackson of Sugar Land, Texas; 2goddaughters, Mayor Terecita Pollard Patton of Port Allen, Louisiana, and Pentral Paul Ross of BatonRouge, Louisiana and ahost of nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives, and friends.
John Louis was preceded in deathbyhis wife, Nola Bell Jack Morris; his son, Vernell Brian Morris; his parents, Raymond and Quida Garig Morris, Sr.; his brother, Raymond Morris, Jr.; hissister,Mildred Morris; his special companion Mary Oubre; his grandson, baby John Morris III; his granddaughter,Charmaine Veal; 2great-grandsons, baby Mason Morrisand baby Treyvon Smith;and his step-grandson, Louis Jones III.
Visitation Saturday, April12, 2025, UnionBaptist Church, 743 Gwin Street,Brusly, Louisiana, 9:00 am until religious service at 11:00 am. Entombment Heavenly Gates Cemetery of BatonRouge, 10633 Veterans Memorial Blvd.,Baton Rouge, Louisiana. FuneralServices EntrustedtoHallDavis and Son.
Kortney Myles, 37, adynamic force of brilliance, creativity, and joy, passed away on Sunday, March 30, 2025. Born to AltheaMyles and Don Neal,she was lovingly raised by her aunt,Evelyn Myles.
Kortney was outgoing charismatic, and deeply gifted—a visionaryand overachieverwho excelled in every endeavor Aproud graduateof ScotlandvilleMagnet High School and Southern University,she shined as a member of the iconic Southern University Dancing Dolls. Her talents knew no bounds. Kortney was a trailblazing quantum scientist, fashion designer, stylist,and product inventor.She brought elegance and innovation to everything she touched. A dedicatedmember of AlphaKappa Alpha Sorority,Incorporated—Beta PsiChapter—she liveda life of service, sisterhood, and excellence.
Kortney's legacy is one of brilliance,beauty, and boundless potential. She willbedeeplymissedby her family,friends, sororitysisters, and all who were inspired by her presence.
Acelebration of life will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Rose HillBaptist Church, 3213 Groom Rd,Baker, LA 70714.
It is with heavyhearts and profound sadnessthat weannouncethe passing ofour dear friend,Walter Butch” Naquin,Jr.,80, na‐tiveand longtime resident ofThibodaux,who passed awaypeacefully on April7, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He wasa
dedicatedpublicservant and abeloved figure in our community formany years.Butch wasbornon August15, 1944, in Thibo‐daux, Louisiana. He gradu‐atedfromThibodaux High School andNichollsState University. In 1969, he ob‐taineda JurisDoctorate degreefromLSU Law School.In1972, he was hired by then acting Dis‐trict Attorney,Francis Dugas,and served as the First AssistantDistrictAt‐torneyfor 18 years. In 1990, Butch hadthe honorand privilege of beingelected LafourcheParishDistrict Attorney andservedthe citizensofLafourche Parishinthatcapacityfor 12years.Itwas during this timethatButch wasse‐lectedbyhis fellow peers fromacrossthe Stateof Louisiana to serveasPresi‐dentofthe LouisianaDis‐trict Attorney’s Associa‐tion. He took this opportu‐nitytomeet with localleg‐islatorstopasslegislation toensurethatvictims had rightsand that theirvoices would be heardinthe criminaljustice system Duringhis 55 year legalca‐reer,Butch hada profound and lastingimpactonthe lives he touchedand those who hadthe pleasure of knowing him. Hiscompas‐sionand empathyfor oth‐ers washis hallmark Butch’s primaryobjective and philosophy throughout his entire legalcareer was ultimatelyhis lasting legacy… “toalwaysensure thatjustice wasaccom‐plished in afairand impar‐tialmanner”.Hewas truly a manofthe people,for the people.Outside the publicarena,Butch’s pas‐sionwas practicing law withhis son, playinggolf withhis buddies, horse racing, andspendingtime withhis threegrandchil‐drenwho were theheart and soul of hislife. Butchis survivedbyhis loving and caringwifeof30years, Carol Jewell Naquin;chil‐drenBradNaquinand Alica NaquinGros; grandchil‐drenwho were Butch’s eyesand ears,MaryBeth GrosDuet(Jake), Matthew Gros, andLexiNaquin; sis‐ter,JeanPassman;and nephews,Kevin Passman (Brandi), andToddPass‐man (Allison). He waspre‐ceded in deathbyhis fa‐ther, Walter “Zot”Naquin and mother Doris“Teetsie” DoucetNaquin. Thefamily would like to thankCathy Ledet,his longtime parale‐gal,for workingalongside him forthe past 24 years. A special thankyou to his medical providersand caregiversoverthe last several months.The family alsowishestoexpress its sincere gratitudeand ap‐preciationfor theover‐whelmingoutpouringof love, prayersand support given to them during this difficult time.Inlieuof flowers, memorial dona‐tions maybemadetothe E.D.White “W”Foundation orthe City of Thibodaux RecreationDepartmentin his name.Visitationfor Butch will be held on Sat‐urday,April 12, 2025 from 8:00amto11:00 am at St JosephCo-Cathedralon Canal BoulevardinThibo‐daux, Louisiana. AMassof Christian Burial will follow at11:00 am at thechurch withburialtofollowatSt. JosephCemetery. Landry's FuneralHome, Inc. is en‐trusted with thearrange‐ments.
Stonewell"Stoney" Serrett wasbornonNovember25th, 1924 and entered intohis heavenly home on April7th,2025 surrounded by family.The same dogged determination that characterized his whole life insuredhemadeitto 100 years (along with his unfailing commitment to exercising!). Stoneywas a belovedhusband,son, brother, father, grandfather,great-grandfather, great-great grandfather, uncle, and friend. He was preceded in deathbythe love of his life,Mary Gladys Serrett;his parents, Beatrice Carr Serrettand John BaptisteSerrett; and hisnine siblings -Raymond,Cleveland "Pat", Selma, Stanley, Lillian, John "Houston", Sybil,and Florence.Hewas the eighth of 10 childrenina close-knit family who remained that way their wholelives. He was theultimatedevoted family man, always there forhis childrenand willing to help,evenintheir adult years. After hisretirement, he spent many years "doing his genealogy", tracing theSerrett family to the 1700'sinFrance, as it was important to him that we
knew ourfamilyroots. If Stoney was yourfriend, it wasfor life. He kept in touchwithchildhood friends, even those from first grade, untiltheyall passedaway. Hisclosest friendships, however, were forged withthe young men he met in theNavy during WWII with whom he established life-longbonds. Stoney was aChristian with astrongfaithand unfailingmoral compass. He wasalso aproud American, spending 25 years in theNavy Seabees, serving duringWWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Hismilitaryservice took himall over the worldspendingtimein Truk, Guam, Okinawa, Bermuda, theGreat Lakes, Italy, andMorocco and likely inspiringhis love of travel. In later years, he spent long hourscontactingindividuals to establish MCB2 reunions with others whohad served in hisbattalion. He andGladys enjoyed travelingall over the US to reminisceatthose reunions.Stoney loved sports, playing them as a youth,coachingasan adult, and watchingthem all hislife. He lovedwatchinga goodbaseball/footballgame especially when oneofhis grandchildren, or hisLSU tigers, were playing. Although generally aquiet man,who rarely raisedhis voice, it wasa differentstory if he was excited over aplayorfelt histeam was beingtreated unfairly. Youknewhewas happy when he began whistling, took outhis harmonica, or began singing the "old Lo-Dee-Tee"song. He will always be rememberedfor hisdeep love of family, kindness, work ethic ("Ifyou can'tdoyour best,..."), helping nature, easy-goingdisposition love of learning, encyclopedic knowledge of baseball/football facts and records, and atremendous sweet tooth (especially for DQ blizzards). Hisideaof Heaven on Earth was watchinga footballgame on TV,listeningtoa baseballgame on theradio, and enjoyinga quart of ice cream and we suspect that he's settled nicely into Heaven doingjust that surroundedbyfriends and family. He's survived by his four children: Darrell (Sandy), Michael, Karen andLaurie (Blaine); 12 grandchildren- Missy, Darrell Jr.(Cheryl "Tootie"), Michael, Jeff (Roberta), Erin, Emily, Francelle (Chip), Ashley(Blaine), Brittney (Sal), Nik(Jenny), andBrynt(Kayla); 25 great -grandchildren; and5 great -great grandchildrenand wasexcited to meethis latestgreat-great-granddaughter, Caleigh, at his 100th birthday party. He will be dearlymissedby all."Ioncethoughthome wasa place butitwas actually Daddy andMomma." Avisitation willbeheldat Greenoaks Funeral Home on Friday, April 11th,2025 from 12:30 untilfuneral servicesat2:30. Burial will follow in Greenoaks Memorial Park. Please visit www.greenoaksfunerals.c om to leave condolences to thefamily.
It is with profoundsorrowand solemn reverence that we announcethe passing of Mrs. Bertha Broaden Wilcox, whodepartedthis earthly life on the4th of April,inthe year of ourLord2025, at the distinguished age of 85. A publicviewing shall be held in herhonor on Friday, the 11th of April,from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Winnfield Funeral Home. Asecondviewingwill take place on Saturday, the 12th of April,commencing at 9:00 AM at Greater King David Baptist Church,222 Blount Road,Baton Rouge Louisiana. The celebration of life servicesshall follow at 11:00 AM.Her earthly remains shall be laidtorest at at SouthernMemorial Gardens. The distinguished &solemn arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Winnfield Funeral Home of Baton Rouge &C D. Slaughter, FDIC
Wolfe,Patsy Jean Stephens
Patsy Jean Stephens Wolfepeacefullytransitioned to the next life on March28, 2025 in Baton Rouge Born August 27, 1932 and raised in Shreveport, she waspreceded in death by herhusbandof39 years, Donald Edward Wolfe, herparents Ethel LeeReedStephensand John HershelStephens Sr., brothers Steve Lee Stephens, William Robert Stephens, and John HerschelStephensJr. Highlights of herlifeincludegraduating from Byrd High School andsubsequentinvolvementwith thealumniassociation and Byrd Babes; time as aPhi Mu andPKA Dream Girlat Louisiana Techwhere she earneda bachelor'sdegree in education andlater a master's degree in guidance andcounseling. Sheoperatedtwo businesses over theyears, visited nearly everynational parkand traveled widely to all hemispheresofthe world.
Shewas involved in numerousorganizationsincluding Lagniappe Ladies at Louisiana Techand the Centenary Muses and PEO Chapter BinShreveport. Hertruepassion was childrenand teaching them to read as afirst and second-grade teacher in Shreveport and NewOrleans.
Alwaysfaithful and dedicated to herchurch, she wasanactivemember of Central Christian Church andBroadmoor Methodist ChurchinShreveport and Trinity Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge Most importanttoher always washer beloved family. She is survived by broken-hearteddaughters Katheryn WolfeFlournoy (Clay) and Laura LeeWolfe (PhilipElliott); granddaughterBeatrixRose Flournoy(Chris Clay), bonus granddaughter Sarah Falconer (Craig), great-granddaughterLydia Noffke;and herbrother Michael Reed Stephens (Anita), as well as numerouscherished nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Described by oneofher many exceptional Home InsteadCareProsasa mighty warrioratthe end, shetruly believedwe shouldlove oneanother andspent herlifeattemptingtodojust that. Shewas lovedand will be missed. Herfamilyiseternally grateful for themany kind, loving employeesand residents of TheClaiborneBaton Rouge andfor theincredibleblessing that is Hospice of Baton Rouge whoguided the family through the endwith their love,knowledge,and support Funeral servicesare set for 11 a.m. Saturday April 12, 2025 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 3552 Morning GloryAve., Baton Rouge Visitation will be held 10-11 a.m. in theTrinity Common Room anda Celebration of Life receptionwill follow thefuneral service
Myles, Kortney
Lambert, Joyce Marie
Serrett, Stonewell 'Stoney'
Wilcox, Bertha Broaden
Naquin Jr., Walter 'Butch
SPORTS
practice round on WednesdayatAugustaNational Golf Club.
TED WALKS
LafayettenativeScott is 1win away from Masterscaddie record,but he wantsno credit
AUGUSTA, Ga. TedScott knew in his heart he wasn’tcaddying anymore
The2020-21 season wasending, andso were his 15 highly successfulseasons with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson. Scott had spent 22 seasonsinall “looping” and was lookingtodo something else.
LSU softball gives Torina her 700thwin
BY JIM KLEINPETER Contributing writer
Maci Bergeron homered and Tatum
Cloptonpitched athree-hittertohelp LSUcoach Beth Torina pickupher 700th career winina 9-1victory against Louisiana Tech on Wednesday at Tiger Park.
The No. 5Tigers jumped out to a4-1 lead in the first inning and finished it with four more runs in the sixth to improve to 35-5 after bouncing back from Sunday’sloss to Alabama.
Torinaimprovedto 700-353 in 18 seasons, 14 at LSUand four at Florida International, in whatshe calleda “complete” victory
“I didn’tplay in any of the games, but it makes me proud to think about all the women that did,” Torina said. “That’s the big deal when youhit one of those marks. It makes me really proud.
Scott Rabalais
“I was done,” the Lafayette nativesaid Then he got acall that changed his life from the man whose life Scottalso changed.
Scottie Scheffler,a promising25-yearold but winless in his first twofullPGA Tour seasons, wanted Scotttopick up hisbag.
ä First round, 2P.M.THURSDAy,ESPN
“He said,‘I can win thebig tournaments,’ ”Scott recalled Scheffler saying. “I thought,‘Ilike the way this guy is talking.’ ” Scott, like Scheffler adeeply devout man, prayedwith his family aboutwhat
ä See RABALAIS, page 5C
Saints could usehelperfor RB Kamara
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
Alvin Kamara signed acontractextension last season and is coming off a career highin rushing yards, but it may make sense for the New Orleans Saints to pursue acomplementfor their star in whatappears to be aloaded 2025 running back class.
After years of being devalued —with the argument being that
ä NFL Draft, APRIL24-26,ESPN
runningbacks agepoorlyand teams often can find cheap replacementsinthe draft —last season served as an argument for the position’simportance, and one had to look no further than what happenedunder new Saintshead coach Kellen Moore’swatch in Philadelphia. With Moorecallingplays, the Eaglesleaned hard on veteran running back Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 2,000 yards in the regular season, then carried the
Eaglestothe SuperBowl with an additional499 yards rushing in four postseason games. And Barkley wasn’t the only running back to power an offense last season. Derrick Henry,another 2024 free agent signing, rushed for 1,921 yards to lead theBaltimoreRavens’ No.1rushing attack.Two recent first-round picks, Atlanta’s BijanRobinson (1,456 yards, 14 touchdowns)and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs (1,412 yards,16 touchdowns)alsoenjoyed huge seasons. Thoseteams went a combined 49-19 in 2024.
So, while running back is hardly the most pressing need on the roster,New Orleans could reap some big-time benefits by using oneofits premium picks on a runner
The options behind Kamaraon theroster all come with significant questions. Kendre Miller is only 22 years old and has flashed the dynamicability that made the Saints select him with the No. 71 pick of the 2023 draft, but he has missed moregames (20)than he’sappeared in (14),
BY RODWALKER Staff writer
Keion Brookshas worn aBirmingham Squadronuniformway moretimes this season than he’s worn aNew OrleansPelicansone.
So has Lester Quinones.
Both of thoseplayers —along with Antonio Reeves, Elfrid Paytonand KarloMatkovic —are all playing meaningful minutesin what ended up being ameaningless finalstretch of the season for thePelicans.
Their play is abig reason TJ Saint takes somuch pridein watching the Pelicans these days.
Saint is in his third season as head coachofthe Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ GLeague team locatedabout 350miles away
“The word Ilike to use is ‘fulfilling,’”Saint said. “Especially the guys whowere originally on the GLeague rosterlikeLester and Keion.And EP (Payton) to an ex-
“I thought it wasreally acomplete game,continuing to score throughout. Tatumdid agood jobofkeeping their offense guessing. We got some people in (the game), got Maci aday off (from catching), got Jada some time (catching). We did alot of good things throughout the game.” Clopton,who last pitched nearly three weeks ago at Georgia, allowed an unearned runinthe first inning and nothing else while striking out five and walking one on 101 pitches.
“I felt great. God bless this perfect day to play softball,” Clopton said. “It’s always aprivilege to put this uniform on and represent this team and this coach that got 700 wins. It wasanhonor to throw that gamefor her
“The working neverstops, whether in the bullpen or outthere (in agame). We’realwaysrefining,sharpeningand trying to get better.”
Louisiana Tech (25-15) jumped ahead with arun in the first inning as Elena Heng scored on Reagan Marchant’s fielder’schoicegrounder. The Tigers cameright back with four in the bottom half of the inning.
Bergeron slammed atwo-run homer to left field, her ninth, after asingle by Jalia Lassiter.After walks to Tori Edwards andJadyn Laneaux, Maddox McKee hit atwo-run double to left-center field.
“Itwas asuper cool win,”Bergeron said. “The next gameisthe mostimportant gameonour schedule. I’mglad we could getthrough this.Wehave afun weekend coming up. (On the homer) I was just looking forsomething down the middle and Igot it.”
Pitching dominated from that point, although LSUneeded asterlingdefensive play fromMcKee at second base to save tworuns in the third inning. Louisiana Tech had runners on second
ä See SAINTS, page 3C ä See LSU SOFTBALL, page 3C
tent. Just seeing the first part of their journey from the September workouts to our training camp and seeing them now as two-way players is reallyfulfilling to see.”
Players who spent time with theSquadronthis season scored 54 of the Pelicans’ 114 points in Tuesday’sroad loss to the BrooklynNets. ThePelicans’ finishing lineup that closed the gap late had three players (Payton, Reeves and Matkovic) whospent time this seasoninBirmingham.
“This is the mostcall-ups we’ve had in our four-year history as aG League franchise,” Saint said. “The whole point of the GLeague as far as the Pelicans are concerned and how we view it is to get guys ready to play in the NBA andeventually play meaningful minutes and meaningful roles. All it’sabout in
the GLeague in Birmingham is to run your daily race.” The sharp-shooting Reeves scored 17 points Tuesday and scored 23 in the gamebefore that. He scored aseason-high 34 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in November Reeves said it helps being on the court beside guys he played with in Birmingham
“It’sdefinitely funand enjoyable having these guys out there with me,” he said. “Throughout the process with the Birmingham situation, Iknow these guys now.Soit’s definitely funbeing out there with them.” Reeves, drafted by the Pelicans in the second round in June, played nine games with the Squadron. Quinones played in 31, the mostof anyPelicansplayer. Brooksplayed in 26.
“Having familiar faces always
PHOTO COURTESy AUGUSTANATIONAL GOLFCLUB
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler exchanges clubs with his caddie, Lafayette nativeTed Scott, during the final round on April 14 at AugustaNational Golf Club
Torina
Dodgers expect 1B
Freeman to return Friday
WASHINGTON Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday he anticipates first baseman Freddie Freeman will return to the lineup Friday when the team begins a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. Freeman took live batting practice the last few days.
Job one for Nwoko is rebound for LSU
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
On Jan. 29 in the Pete Maravich
Assembly Center, then-No. 1 Auburn corralled six offensive rebounds in one possession against the LSU men’s basketball team. Auburn pummeled LSU’s athletic but slender frontcourt for a season-high 24 offensive rebounds, eight more than its second best outing this season.
LSU coach Matt McMahon and his staff addressed that glaring issue with the signing of Mississippi State transfer Michael Nwoko on March 31, this year’s first portal addition for the Tigers.
The 6-foot-10, 245-pound sophomore center is more physically imposing than any frontcourt player LSU had Starting bigs Corey Chest and Daimion Collins, who both have entered the portal, weigh 220 and 200 pounds, respectively
Nwoko’s frame allowed him to be a successful role player in the Southeastern Conference. He averaged 6.1 points on 52.5% from the field, 4.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 15.4 minutes per game for the Bulldogs.
While rebounding is his biggest draw for LSU, his scoring ability is better than his counting stats indicate.
Nwoko’s scoring mainly came as a roller in the pick-and-roll. He’s an impressive athlete for an SEC big who can elevate for alley-oops, which pairs well with new LSU point guard Dedan Thomas from UNLV, who is a gifted facilitator
Nwoko also scores after offensive rebounds, throwing down highlight-worthy dunks.
His scoring isn’t limited to dunks and being spoon-fed layups, though.
He has a consistent hook shot with his right hand, which worked against some of the best centers in the conference.
He still has limited offensive skills and is not a creative finisher in the paint
The 20-year-old also could improve on making more contact on screens, maximizing the usefulness of his frame to create more space for himself and the ballhandler
His shortcomings aren’t major concerns because his main role is as a rebounder Of everyone in the SEC who played at least 14 minutes per games, Nwoko was one of seven with a defensive rebound rate of 19% and an offensive rebound rate of 13%.
His broad frame allows him to easily box out opponents and carve out space for boards. He plays with high energy, crashing
the glass on both ends.
As a freshman at Miami, he had the second-highest offensive rebound rate (11.5%), trailing a teammate who had the highest rate (12.6%) in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Nwoko must improve on defense. While it’s not a major weakness, his inability to anchor a defense is likely why he averaged just the seventh-most minutes for Mississippi State, despite starting 32 of 34 games. The Toronto native has the frame to not be overpowered but is too often caught in precarious angles, which lead to being scored on or fouling. Nwoko picked up five fouls in 14 minutes against LSU in the SEC Tourna-
ment on March 12
His 6.4% block rate is encouraging — only 15 players in the SEC had a 6.0% block rate However block rates don’t equate to great defense necessarily Collins and Chest both were on the list but were overall poor interior defenders.
The Tigers should be pleased with this addition as Nwoko is a serviceable big with bulk and a go-to offensive move. He projects best as a backup who plays around 15-20 minutes. In some circumstances, the sophomore’s rebounding prowess and size will merit more playing time
Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com
Championships no longer guarantee NBA job security
BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer
These are the coaches who won NBA championships in the last six years: Joe Mazzulla with Boston, Michael Malone with Denver, Steve Kerr with Golden State, Mike Budenholzer with Milwaukee, Frank Vogel with the Los Angeles Lakers and Nick Nurse with Toronto.
Mazzulla is still with Boston. Kerr is still with Golden State. Everybody else got fired. They packed up their ring and left Malone became the latest name on that list Tuesday, when the Denver Nuggets — the 2023 NBA champions — fired him with three games left in the season, an unprecedented move for a postseason-bound team. And around the league, in the hours that followed, coaches reacted in basically the same stunned, surprised manners. The Nuggets enter Wednesday holding the fifth spot in the Western Conference playoff chase.
“Just disappointment,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s the unfortunate part of the business. I’ve known Michael for decades. Michael just did a phenomenal job there.” Championships no longer guarantee job security Same goes for individual awards. Mike Brown was the unanimous coach of the year in 2023; he got fired by Sacramento earlier this year Phoenix’s Monty Williams and Memphis’ Taylor Jenkins were first and second in the coach of the year voting in 2022; they’ve both been fired now as well.
“I wake up every day saying this could be my last day,” Mazzulla said. “You have to have that type of perspective because it gives you gratitude and it keeps you hungry You have to have a healthy balance if you want this for as long as you can. At the same time, you’re very much replaceable because that’s just how it works. Every day I remind my-
WNBA, eight of the current 13 coaches (in fairness, one is an expansion team) have had their job for less than one year; seven of the 13 have a career record of 0-0 going into this season, after simply massive amounts of turnover following last season.
“That’s a sobering reality of this profession,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said earlier this season when told he has the second-longest current tenure in the NBA behind only San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich.
Malone’s firing was the 302nd coaching change in the NBA since Popovich became coach in San Antonio in 1996 That means, on average, the other 29 teams in the league have all had more than 10 coaching changes in the Popovich era. Malone was the fourth-longest tenured coach in the NBA right now behind Popovich Spoelstra and Kerr
And it is puzzling to coaches: four of the last six championshipwinning coaches, five of the last seven winners of the Coach of the Year award and seven of the last 11 coaches to take a team to the NBA Finals all have something in common.
They all got fired.
self of my own mortality.” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle knows there’s not really any such thing as true job security for coaches. But he didn’t see the likes of Brown, Jenkins and Malone being let go this season.
“If anyone would’ve told me that any of these three guys would get let go during the season this year, I would’ve been shocked. It’s disappointing,” said Carlisle, who doubles as president of the National Basketball Coaches Association. Jenkins was fired late last month with nine games left in Memphis’ season. Now Malone is out, with three games left in Denver’s season. Before this season,
there had been one other instance in NBA history of a team changing coaches with less than 10 games left in a postseason-bound year — Larry Brown leaving New Jersey with six games left in 1982-83. It’s now happened twice in the last two weeks.
“Between Taylor and between a guy like Mike Malone, they’ve done such a great job in their careers of building an identity,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said. “I have a ton of respect for both guys.”
More than half of the current NBA coaches — 17 of the 30 — have been in their jobs for less than three years. And in the
Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue — who won a title with Cleveland in 2016 and eventually got fired from there, too — halfseriously said coaches might want to stop winning awards.
“You see the trick now — don’t win coach of the year don’t win a championship, because you’re going to get fired in two years.
The criteria for getting hired and fired, I don’t know what it is anymore,” Lue said.
And Kerr was even more succinct. Coaches are making more than ever he noted, but billionaire owners have no problem paying off those contracts if they want to make a change
“We’re all going to suffer a similar fate at some point. That’s kind of the way it is,” Kerr said.
He was placed on the injured list retroactive to March 31 after spraining his surgically repaired right ankle when he slipped in the shower at home.
Freeman is 3 for 12 with two homers and four RBIs in three games this season.
He missed the Dodgers’ opening series in Tokyo against the Cubs with left rib discomfort, and then sat out last week’s series against Atlanta before going on the IL.
Rangers place LF Langford on the 10-day injured list
ARLINGTON, Texas The Texas Rangers placed Wyatt Langford on the 10day injured list with an abdominal muscle strain, the team announced Wednesday
The 23-year-old left fielder was removed from Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs after his plate appearance in the seventh inning. He was diagnosed with a right oblique strain.
Langford started the Rangers’ first 12 games in left field and was batting .244 with a team-best four home runs. His 12 home runs since Sept. 1, 2024, rank second in the American League behind Aaron Judge’s 13 for the New York Yankees. The Rangers recalled outfielder Dustin Harris, utility player Ezequiel Duran and infielder Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Round Rock.
Grizzlies’ rookie hospitalized after midair dunk collision
Memphis starting guard Jaylen Wells broke his right wrist on a hard fall on his arm and head from a midair collision at the end of a fastbreak dunk during a victory over Charlotte on Tuesday, likely ending the rookie’s season right before the Grizzlies go into the playoffs. Wells was down for eight minutes before being lifted by medical personnel onto a stretcher with his head strapped in to restrict motion and taken to a hospital, where he had movement in all of his extremities, interim coach Tuomas Iisalo said.
The rookie’s father, Fred Wells, told the Memphis Commercial Appeal that his son was alert enough to ask what the score of the game was. He had pain in his face, jaw and back.
Vols find games to replace canceled Nebraska series
Tennessee and Georgia Tech will play a home-and-home football series in 2026 and 2027, the schools announced Wednesday
The Volunteers will travel to Atlanta to face the Yellow Jackets on Sept. 12, 2026. Georgia Tech will go to Knoxville on Sept. 11, 2027. The series replaces two games Tennessee had scheduled against Nebraska for 2026 and 2027. Nebraska announced in February that it had backed out of those games.
Tennessee and Georgia Tech met all but three seasons from 1954-87. Tennessee won the most recent meeting 42-41 in overtime in the 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Vols lead the all-time series 25-17-2.
Djokovic upset by Tabilo; Alcaraz rallies for victory
Novak Djokovic’s latest bid to win a 100th career title ended in another upset defeat to a familiar face.
Alejandro Tabilo, who handed the 24-time Grand Slam champion a surprising loss at the Italian Open last year, beat Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters. Back on clay for the first time since winning the Olympic gold in Paris last August, Djokovic said he didn’t have high expectations going into the match. Djokovic, who recently lost the Miami Open final to Jakub Mensik, turns
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By WADE PAyNE
Mississippi State center Michael Nwoko grabs a rebound against LSU during the SEC Tournament on March 12 in Nashville, Tenn.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID ZALUBOWSKI
Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone argues a call with referee John Goble against the Utah Jazz on March 28 in Denver.
Ex-Tulane player helped Gators win title
BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer
Until the past few weeks, Carlin Hartman had the same number of NCAA Tournament wins (two) in 24 years as an assistant basketball coach as in four seasons playing for Tulane in the early 1990s. Kiss that narrative goodbye. Hartman, Florida’s associate head coach under Todd Golden, watched a career-long dream come true when the Gators rallied to beat Houston 65-63 in the NCAA championship game Monday night. Long one of the most respected assistants in the game, he played a role in the ultimate accomplishment for any team sport.
“The feeling is everything I expected and more,” he said Wednesday morning, less than 36 hours after the resilient Gators won a game they led for barely more than a minute “It’s awesome. It’s tiring. You don’t really sleep, and your mind is buzzing with a good buzz all the time. When you come down from the high, you start to reflect on wow, this really happened. We are national champions.”
So how did Hartman, 52, get to this point? He kept the same perspective through stops at Rice (three times), McNeese State, UL, Richmond, Centenary, James Madison, Columbia, Oklahoma, UNLV and finally Florida, where he just completed his third year “It was a lot of hard work and keeping your head down and not looking too far ahead,” he said.
“My biggest thing when I’m coaching these young men is to give them my very best as a coach, as a developer as a mentor as a father/uncle figure. I don’t worry
about myself. I worry about them and the programs I work for, and make sure I serve them as best as possible.”
The journey started in 1990 when he arrived at Tulane from Grand Island, New York, as part of an ambitious freshman class in then-coach Perry Clark’s second year Kim Lewis, the marquee recruit in that group and also an assistant coach in college basketball now, recalled his first impression of the teammate who remains his closest friend.
LSU SOFTBALL
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and third after a walk to KB Briley and a single by Allie Furr With two outs, cleanup hitter Nicloe Hammoude hit a shot off Clopton’s glove that deflected toward McKee, who made a diving stop and threw from her knees to first base to retire Hammoude. The Tigers tacked on a run in the fifth inning and finished off Tech in the sixth. Bergeron walked, then pinch runner Sa’Mya Jones stole second and
SAINTS
Continued from page 1C
and therefore is tough to count on Clyde Edwards-Helaire is a former top pick who hasn’t produced more than 500 yards from scrimmage since 2021. Jordan Mims, Xazavian Valladay and Velus Jones have not proven to be more than bottom-ofthe-roster players. If the Saints do bolster their backfield with one of their four Day 1 or 2 picks, here are some who could make sense.
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
It is hard to envision a scenario in which the Saints use their firstround pick on a running back unless that scenario is to draft Jeanty Like Robinson a few years ago, Jeanty is viewed as a can’tmiss prospect and will almost certainly be selected in the first 15 picks of this year’s draft. He may be gone before the Saints are on the clock at No. 9. The 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up is coming off an absurd statistical season during which he rushed for an NCAA-best
scored on a base hit by McKenzie Redoutey In the sixth, Sierra Daniel reached third on a bunt and two throwing errors before walks to Danieca Coffey and Lassiter loaded the bases. Bergeron came a few feet from a grand slam with a blast to the warning track for a sacrifice fly. Tori Edwards, Redoutey and Jadyn Laneaux followed with run-scoring singles to end it. LSU will be on the road for the next two weeks against No 4 Texas A&M and No. 1 Texas before returning home for a series with No. 3 Florida.
Lewis, whose Robert Morris team threw a scare into No. 2 seed Alabama in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, is the godfather of Hartman’s two sons.
“He had those glasses and a high top,” Lewis said. “I was like, who is this nerdy-looking guy from Buffalo, but we instantly clicked and started talking to each other and have never missed a beat since then.”
Lewis and Hartman were instrumental in Tulane reaching the NCAA Tournament in 1992
PELICANS
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helps,” Brooks said. “It helps put your nerves at ease and helps you be a little bit more comfortable. I’m proud of all of us to have come up here and taken advantage of this opportunity that we have.”
Brooks recorded his first career double-double last week in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. While that was a big achievement, it was Brooks’ game in February that impressed his G League coach the most.
Saint remembers sitting on his couch that night watching the Pelicans playing the Oklahoma City Thunder Brooks entered the game late.
“Just seeing his readiness, which is a big thing we preach in Birmingham,” Saint said. “I was giddy watching him play.”
The G Leaguers have been forced into action in a season marred by one injury after another Pelicans coach Willie Green has used 44 different starting lineups this season.
“That is always a part of it,” Green said “Building a relationship with each and every guy and understanding what it takes to get them to play at their max That’s the fun part about it.”
The not so fun part is the losses, which are to be expected when relying on several players still trying to find their way in the NBA.
“In moments like these, learning from their mistakes while they are playing is huge for their growth,” Green said.
2,601 yards (185.8 per game) and 29 touchdowns — all for Moore’s alma mater by the way He often has been compared to Kamara because of his contact balance, his ability to elude defenders and his hands out of the backfield — except he does it with 4.42 speed. If Jeanty is there at No. 9, the
Saints have to consider selecting him. He may not fill a 2025 positional need, but he is as close as it gets to a sure thing, and the Saints have a dearth of young impact players.
Ohio St. RB TreVeyon Henderson
If the Saints want to add a home
acter he brought into the locker room. He inspired people by his actions and how hard he played. He just had a thirst for the game.” That thirst continued into his coaching career, which began at Rice in 1996-97 under Willis Wilson, one of several people he considers his mentors along with Clark and Jon Roth, his coach at Grand Island High. Hartman specializes in working with big men, but he develops close relationships with everyone on his teams. Lewis spent time with Hartman in San Antonio before the Final Four and said it was clear how much Florida players loved and respected him.
Hartman is at Florida because he was on the same staff with Golden at Columbia in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
When Florida hired Golden in 2022, he made Hartman his top assistant. Hartman had spent five years at Oklahoma with Lon Kruger — recruiting Trae Young, who as a freshman became the only player to lead the NCAA in scoring and assists.
and 1993 for the first two times in its history (the total is three now), and winning its opening-round game both years. Hartman, an aggressive forward, finished his career ranked 10th in scoring (1,180 points), third in field goal percentage (52.8%) and seventh in steals (146), earning induction into the Tulane Hall of Fame in 2023.
Clark recognized his leadership skills immediately
“That’s what helped us become so good, so fast,” Clark said. “It was the intangibles and the char-
The final step is a head coaching gig. Before the NCAA Tournament, a pair of Florida assistants below him accepted offers from Columbia and Campbell.
With an NCAA championship on his resume, he can afford to be more selective after coming up just short on positions he sought in the past and turning down a few others.
“I’m going to be smart and strategic in my next move, but I’ll never be an assistant at a place other than Florida,” he said. “I can say that with confidence. The head coaching job would have to be something very special.”
“We just try to hammer on the readiness and the details to be the most connected team we possibly can in Birmingham,” Saint said. “Then when you get your shot, you’re used to it hopefully and you can shine in your moment.”
Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.
The Pelicans (21-58) have just three games remaining. They play their last road game Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks and then finish the season at home Friday against the Miami Heat and Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder Jose Alvarado, Bruce Brown and Yves Missi are all listed as questionable for Thursday’s game, so there could be even more opportunity for the guys who played in Birmingham. Their Squadron coach believes they are prepared.
run hitter to their lineup, Henderson could be a fit. The former five-star prospect averaged 6.4 yards per carry in his four years with the Buckeyes, including a Big Ten-leading 7.1 yards per carry as a senior He was also at his best during Ohio State’s run through the College Football Playoff, when he recorded 414 yards from scrimmage on 44 touches — 9.4 yards per touch.
Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins
The reason Henderson wasn’t a bell-cow back at Ohio State this past season is because he was splitting the workload with Judkins, an Ole Miss transfer While Henderson served as the Buckeyes’ bigplay threat, Judkins was the more physical complement. He’s a load at 6 feet and 221 pounds but he also showed off his athleticism at the NFL combine, where he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash.
Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson Johnson’s stock may have dipped after the NFL combine, where he ran a 4.57 40, but the top-end speed is not necessarily what teams are looking for out of him anyway Though he is one of the
bigger backs in the class, at 6-1 and 224 pounds, Johnson is more of a patient runner than a physical bruiser — think Le’Veon Bell. But, despite consistently facing stacked boxes thanks to Iowa’s anemic passing attack, Johnson rushed for 1,535 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson
The Saints already have brought a bunch of Louisiana natives back home this offseason, so why not add another? The Dutchtown High School product blew up for Tennessee last season, racking up 1,491 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns on his way to becoming the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year He’s on the smaller side at 5-8 and 200 pounds, but he proved he could handle the load against premier competition. He ripped off six consecutive 100-yard games against SEC teams last year including big games against Alabama (139 yards, two touchdowns) and Georgia (101 yards, touchdown).
Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Pelicans forward Keion Brooks jumps to score against the Golden State Warriors at the Smoothie King Center on March 28.
AP FILE PHOTO By ADAM CAIRNS
Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson rushed for two touchdowns in a 44–31 win over Penn State in 2023.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
LSU coach Beth Torina coaches against Texas-Arlington on Feb 14 at Tiger Park. LSU beat Louisiana Tech 9-1 on Wednesday, giving Torina her 700th career win.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By SCOTT KINSER
Florida head coach Todd Golden, left, celebrates with associate head coach Carlin Hartman after defeating South Carolina 70-69 on Jan. 22 in Columbia, S.C.
THE VARSITY ZONE
Chapelle able to turn tables on Dutchtown
BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer
Karen Beam served up some sage advice for her Dutchtown High School squad.
“You can’t win them all it’s not possible,” Beam said. “Look, you put Dutchtown bowling on the map and had a great season. Actually four great ones.
“You’ve got so much to be proud of. We bowled well. This was Chapelle’s day
“They set records and were amazing.”
Chapelle claimed a 20-7 victory over the two-time reigning champion Griffins in the girls final at the LHSAA state bowling tournament held Thursday at Premier Lanes in Gonzales.
Both top-seeded Dutchtown (141) and fifth-seeded Chapelle (160) cruised through their semifinals to set up a late afternoon final rematch.
A year after the Griffins beat the Chipmunks 19-8 for their second straight title, Chapelle turned the tables.
With finals MVP Elizabeth Hamilton rolling a varsity careerbest series of 702 and teammate Olivia Bares adding a 659 series, Chapelle set state team records for the most pins in two games (2,323) and in three games (3,444).
Stephen F. Austin signee Sydney Lee led Dutchtown with a 622 series. Lee also recorded a 686 series in Dutchtown’s 23-4 semifinal win over St. Amant Addison Legendre had two games over 200, including a 210 for the Griffins Jayda Allday-Logue added a best score of 204 for Dutchtown. The first game of the final was the closest.
The teams actually split the points in the individual matches with each winning three. Chapelle finished 29 pins better and netted another two points to take a 5-3 lead. Allday-Logue, Aubrey Saez and Addisyn Accord also won their individual matches by slim margins.
Prairieville High School outfielder Ethan Pugh takes a swing at a recent game. The Hurricanes have a 17-13 overall record and sit at No. 23 in the LHSAA Division I nonselect power ratings in their first season.
Prairieville wasting no time racking up wins
BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer
Heard the story about a Class 5A baseball team at a brand-new school that overcomes some obstacles, has a winning record and can make the playoffs?
Sounds like a great script for a fictional story, but it is the reality for Prairieville High.
The Hurricanes have a 17-13 overall record and sit at No. 23 in the LHSAA Division I nonselect power ratings posted Wednesday Prairieville completed a District 5-5A sweep of Ascension Parish rival St. Amant with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night. The victory ended the regular season for the Hurricanes, who have a 5-5A bye round for Thursday-Saturday St. Amant is 24th in the power ratings, holding down the last potential playoff spot prior to the season’s end.
“This season has been nothing short of amazing for our players and our coaches,” Prairieville coach Kade Keowen said. “I am so proud of these guys. We had tryouts last June, but work on our baseball facility was not finished until December
“So, when we came back to school in January, we had to evaluate 39 kids we had never seen play baseball before. None of them had much varsity experience. There was about three weeks before our first scrimmage. It took us four to six weeks to make sure we had people in the right places, position wise, and on JV and varsity.” Keowen, the former East Ascension coach, said Prairieville is fortunate to have one senior and nine juniors, all of whom chose to come to the new school from other schools.
Outfielder Ethan Pugh, who came to Prairieville from Ascension Christian, is the lone senior The other players came from East Ascension, St. Amant, Dutchtown and St. Michael.
Catcher Grant Gautreau who came from St. Amant, leads the team with a 355 batting average and four home runs.
Maxwell Sanchez (5-2) has the top pitching record. Sanchez and Dylan McClure are among the players from Dutchtown who moved to Prairieville.
REPORT
5 p.m. Walker at East Ascension, 5 p.m. Friday’s games Maurepas at False River, 4 p.m. Woodlawn at Dunham, 4:30 p.m. University at St. John, 5 p.m. Baker vs. Slaughter Charter at DCI Park, 5 p.m. Ascension Catholic at Lutcher, 5 p.m. Karr at Zachary, 5 p.m. Central at Denham Springs, 5 p.m. Saturday’s games St. Thomas Aquinas at Holden, 10 a.m. Lutcher at Live Oak, 11 a.m French Settlement at Northshore, noon Fisher at Ascension Catholic, noon Parkview Baptist vs. West Feliciana at West Feliciana Sportsplex, 5 p.m. Girls bowling
Semifinals
Dutchtown 23, St. Amant 4
Liberty 0 Loranger at Albany, ccd. New Iberia at Catholic-PC, ccd. Thursday’s games Port Allen at East Iberville, 3:30 p.m. Tara at Episcopal, 4 p.m. Parkview Baptist at St. Michael, 4 p.m.
DUTCHTOWN: Sydney Lee 279-686, Addison Legendre 202, Jewel Boatner 203; ST. AMANT: Addison Kirby 230-202 — 601 Chapelle 24, St. Scholastica 3
CHAPELLE: Olivia Bares 225;Taylor Bourdonnay 216-222, Elizabeth Hamilton 204; ST SCHOLASTICA: Gabby Falkenstein 177 Championship Chapelle 20, Dutchtown 7
CHAPELLE: Elizabeth Hamilton 243-227232 — 702; Olivia Bares 248-212-199 — 659; Alexandra Young 224. DUTCHTOWN: Sydney Lee 213-216-193 — 622; Addison Legendre 201-210; Jayda Allday-Logue 204; Note: Chapelle sets state record for twogame total of 2323 and a three-game record of 3,444. MVP — Elizabeth Hamilton, Chapelle
Colton Morris (Ascension Christian) and Jacob Easley (St. Michael) are among the other leaders. Easley, who also plays second base, pitched the final three innings of Tuesday’s win.
“We’ve all grown together this season,” Keowen said. “I know this has made me a better coach. I can’t wait to see what we do next. Going to the playoffs would be icing on the cake.”
DiPalma gets new role
Catholic High athletic director Ben DiPalma will transition to the school’s advancement director role for the 2025-26 school year
DiPalma spent four years as the school’s athletic director. He plays an active role in the Louisiana High School Athletic Directors Association and most recently has been a member of the LHSAA executive committee, a position he will resign from as he moves into administration.
“This has by far been the best four years of my career,” DiPalma said. “It’s been so much fun The role will be different. But I plan to stay involved with the athletic directors association and with our teams.”
Boys golf at Santa Maria Team leaders — 1. Episcopal, 326; 2. Dunham, 333; 3. University, 338 4. Prairieville, 385 Medalists — 1. Jayden Williams, University, 76. 2. Austin Ray, Episcopal, 77. 2. Luke Dickerson, Episcopal, 77. 2. Graham Thorton, Dunham, 77. Girls tennis Dunham 5, Live Oak 0 Singles Bailey Adams, Dunham def. Emily Loper 6-3, 6-0; Jordyn Mooney def. Hannah Varnado 7-5, 2-6, 10-2 Doubles Adora Dinh/Josephine Johnston def. Ashlyn Simpson/Claire Prestidge 6-1, 6-0; Campbell Banks/Bella Dupont def. Sam Martin/Savannah Ducote 6-1, 6-3; Claire Nesheiwat/Elizabeth Ortiz def. Sarah Duford/Emily Wellman 6-3, 6-4 Boys tennis Dunham 4, Live Oak 1 Singles Logan Bernard, Live Oak def. Adam Nesheiwat, Dunham 6-1, 6-4; Bennett Lasseigne Dunham def. Nick Jorden, Live Oak 6-7(5), 7-5, 10-8; George Harrod/Milo Johnston, Dunham def. Gavin Dilorenzo/Kaden Zeller, Live Oak 6-0, 6-1; Chris Olivier/Wait Harrod, Dunham def. Xander Vallejo/Josh Baker, Live Oak 6-0, 6-1; Lucian Pham/Cooper Eenigenburg, Dunham def. Nate Tryon/Kolton West, Live Oak 6-2, 6-0
BY STEPHEN HAWKINS Associated Press
DALLAS — Luka
Doncic entered the court with the Los Angeles Lakers for his first game back in Dallas to cheers in an arena where draped over every seat was a T-shirt with “Hvala za vse” across the front.
That Slovenian phrase translates to “thank you for everything.”
Then came the tribute, a video of Doncic’s time with the Mavericks after the rest of the Lakers’ starting lineup had been introduced before his first game back in Dallas on Wednesday night, when he scored 45 points to match a season high in a 112-97 victory that clinched a playoff spot for the Lakers.
“Brought tears to my eyes,”
Doncic told ESPN right after the game. “I came as a young kid here, was 18, and not knowing what to expect from NBA, and (the Mavericks) made me feel like home, and it’s just a lot of great, great memories.”
Doncic was alone on the bench for more than two minutes looking up to some of his many highlights in Dallas — from his NBA rookie of the year season into last year’s NBA Finals — though he didn’t make it all the way through before putting his head down and wiping away tears. His eyes were still red once he was introduced and came on the court with his teammates who surrounded him, including several hugs.
As for playing after that emotional video, he said, “I don’t know how I did it because when I was watching that video, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m playing this game.’ But, you know, all my teammates had my back. They were really supporting me.”
Everyone knew it was going to be an emotional night with Doncic wearing his No. 77 jersey for the Lakers. It was for both the 26-year-old from Slovenia and those Mavericks fans who were there when he wore that number in Mavericks blue the first 51/2 seasons of his career Right after tipoff, the chant “Fire Nico” broke out, directed toward Nico Harrison, the Mavericks general manager who traded Doncic.
“That chant got louder and longer in the first quarter, and was repeated numerous times throughout the game.
Doncic’s return came two months after that seismic trade out of nowhere. He had been the face of the Mavericks, and he was the NBA scoring champion last season when they made it to the NBA Finals. The 2019 rookie of the year had two seasons left on his contract before the trade the first weekend of February in a package that brought Anthony Davis to Dallas.
“Honestly, I don’t know about closure. It’s obviously a lot,” Doncic said after a loss at Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
U.S. Open champ Clark, Moore commit to Zurich Classic
BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer
Wyndham Clark, the 2023
U.S. Open champion, and Taylor Moore have committed to play in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, tournament officials announced Wednesday Clark is ranked 11th in the World Golf Rankings, following his tie for fifth in the Houston Open. He was ranked as high as third in the world at this time last year Moore is ranked 87th. The Zurich Classic will be played April 24-27 at TPC of Louisiana in Avondale. The tournament has received commitments from top-20 players Rory McIlroy (No. 2), Collin Morikawa (No 4), Shane Lowry (No. 13) and Billy Horschel (No. 20).
“Wyndham has won at the highest levels with victories in a major championship and two signature events,” said Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, which operates the tournament for the PGA Tour
“Both he and Taylor have had success in the Zurich Classic playing with different partners, so this pairing should be a strong one.” Clark finished third in the 2023 Zurich Classic after a tie for 10th in 2022 and a tie for 17th in 2021. He was forced to withdraw from the tournament last year because of a family medical issue. Moore finished tied for fourth in both 2022 and 2023, playing with Matthew NeSmith. Clark has posted three other top-25 finishes this
2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after posting a 60 in the third round, the first score that low at Pebble Beach. The next month, he placed second in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then tied for second at The Players Championship. In addition to his U.S. Open victory in 2023, he also won the Wells Fargo Championship and
PGA Tour season after a strong 2024 campaign, when he placed in the top 10 eight times, including two second-
place finishes and a victory in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He won the rain-shortened
Doncic
PROVIDED PHOTO
1
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER (USA)
Age: 28
Odds: +450 World ranking: 1 FedEx Cup ranking: 10
Masters entered; best finish: 6; 1st (2022, 2024)
Off the tee: Appears to be trending upward after a slow start to 2025 because of a hand injury. Has T2 and T3 in past four starts
THE 89TH MASTERS
2
RORY MCILROY (NORTHERN IRELAND)
Age: 35 Odds: +600 World ranking: 2 FedEx Cup ranking: 1
Masters entered; best finish: 17; 2nd (2022)
Off the tee: Arrives at Augusta in great form with wins at Pebble Beach and The Players His 10th attempt to complete the career Grand Slam means major pressure
3
COLLIN MORIKAWA (USA)
Age: 28 Odds: +1400 World ranking: 4 FedEx Cup ranking: 5
Masters entered; best finish: 6; T3 (2024)
Off the tee: Hasn’t won in 2025, but two runner-up finishes say he’s close. On a secondshot course like Augusta, his iron play could be the winning touch
Masters chairman lobbies for unified golf leagues
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Masters chairman
Fred Ridley on Wednesday used the pulpit of his annual pre-tournament news conference to urge more action toward reunification between professional golf’s warring parties, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
“I’m not really in a position to say what form that should take as far as how the two organizations should come together, or what legal structure that may be, or what the financial aspects of that may be,” Ridley said. “What I am doing is encouraging cooperation and trying to figure out a way to get something done, regardless of what the structure of it is, to where everyone can play together again.”
The Masters is now one of only four times a year PGA Tour and LIV players compete against each other along with the other majors: the PGA Championship, the U.S Open and the British Open
“I think we all agree that four times a year is not enough to have the great players of the game together,” Ridley said.
LIV CEO attends
In a significant move, Augusta National Golf Club has invited LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil to attend this year’s Masters, something it did not do with former LIV CEO and co-founder Greg Norman Ridley said he did not have specific plans to meet with O’Neil this week, but added “I know that we will have some discussions.”
Echavarria wins Par-3
If Nicholas Echavarria is the Mas-
Since it started in 1960, no one has ever won the Par-3 contest and the Masters in the same year, giving rise to the notion of a “jinx.”
New voice at 16
Longtime commentator and former professional golfer Frank Nobilo takes over broadcasting from Augusta National’s 16th hole at this year’s Masters, replacing legendary announcer Verne Lundquist
Lundquist called the action at 16 from 2000-24, including Tiger Woods’ chip-in back in 2005, one of the most famous shots in Masters history “It’s Verne’s chair,” Nobilo told Golfweek on Tuesday “I’m just keeping it warm.”
Nobilo, 64, who played in four Masters from 1995-98, will also call action on holes 2, 7 and 11. Lundquist, 84, who resides in Colorado, said he will not attend this year’s tournament.
Mower math
Ever wondered what lengths grass is cut at Augusta National? The Masters released these stats
NOTEBOOK
ters champion on Sunday night, remember he’s also the man to break the Par-3 jinx. The Colombian golfer beat JJ Spaun in a two-hole playoff to win Wednesday’s Par-3 contest, a fun Masters tuneup played on Augusta National’s picturesque ninehole par-3 course. They tied at 5 under par, just two of 19 golfers to turn in a score. Most players end up not completing their round because they let a family member, caddie or even a patron from the gallery take a shot or make a putt.
Tuesday: Fairways: 3/8ths of an inch
Second cut (primary rough): 1 3/8th
inches Greens: 1/8th inch Green collars: 1/4th inch Tee boxes and green surrounds: 5/16ths inch
The last word
“If you’re not ready by now you don’t really have a chance.”
— Rory McIlroy during Wednesday’s Par-3 contest
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Golf’s most anticipated major returns with sport’s biggest names
BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer
walked out of the clubhouse through a crowd under the live oak tree and headed out for a quick nine holes in his bid for an elusive Masters green jacket, the final piece of the career Grand Slam He played a money game with Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry before heading over to the Par 3 Tournament The Masters is so different from the other four majors. It has the smallest field (95 players) on the prettiest property (home of a former nursery that now boasts more than 80,000 plants of 350 varieties) and is the only major referred to as a “tournament” instead of a “championship.” And the final act Wednesday afternoon is for players to walk over to the Par 3 course with their toddlers dressed in white coveralls to
play a tournament no one wants to win the Augusta National curse is that no one has ever won the Par 3 Tournament and the Masters in the same years.
“The buildup to this event is a lot, and the sort of anticipation and we’re waiting eight or nine months for the next major to roll around from the Open championship,” McIlroy said. “To end your preparation with an afternoon like this it’s such a fun afternoon. And then it’s time to get to work. McIlroy comes to the Masters in the best form, having already won twice this year and with arguably the most attention as he
tries for the 17th time to join the elite list of slam winners.
The betting favorite remains Scottie Scheffler, coming up on two years as the No. 1 player in the world, already with two Masters titles. Jack Nicklaus is the only player to have won three times in a four-year span.
Scheffler said he’s feeling good, even if he didn’t sound that way with his nose stopped up.
“This rain and pollen out here,” he said. “I get out of my car in the morning, my eyes start watering.
It’s a little bit worse than normal years.
“I’m feeling good,” he said.
“Sniffles aren’t going to stop me.”
4
LUDVIG ABERG (SWEDEN)
Age: 25 Odds: +1600 World ranking: 5 FedEx Cup standings: 6 Masters entered; best finish: 2; 2nd (2024) Off the tee: Expectations are not if but when Aberg will win a major, especially after a runner-up finish in his Masters debut Has a win in
RABALAIS
Continued from page 1C
to do next.
“Everyone,” Scott said, “got the same answer.”
What has happened since could, with just a smidgen of hyperbole, qualify as divine intervention.
Over the past four seasons, Scheffler has rocketed to No. 1 in the world, capturing two of the past three Masters tournaments among his 13 PGA Tour wins — plus a gold medal in last summer’s Paris Olympics — all with Scott on the bag.
Scheffler possesses immense talent that a minute few people on the planet can claim. But just as clearly, Scott is a not-to-beunderestimated ingredient of Scheffler’s success.
“Ted Scott has really helped Scottie Scheffler stay in control of his emotions, to have an incredible attitude of positivity in a game that can definitely put negative thoughts in your head,” said the Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis, who composed a feature on Scott that premiered Wednesday night. “I think he has incorporated joy into Scottie’s life, and not just in a professional way He’s optimistic, positive kind, and it is such a positive thing for Scottie.
“There is obviously no ranking for caddies. But if you ask any player, any caddie, any official, they’re probably going to say Scottie Scheffler is the world’s number one player and he has the world’s best caddie.”
When Scheffler tees off at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday to open the 89th Masters tournament, paired with two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas and U.S. Amateur winner Jose Luis Ballester, he will be aiming to make history He is trying to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as the only repeat Masters champions, and join Nicklaus as the only men to win three Masters in four seasons. Scott has his own “record” to shoot for as well.
Another victory for Scheffler would make Scott, 51, just the third caddie in Masters history to be on the bag for five victories. William “Pappy” Stokes brought home five winners from 1938-56, among them Ben Hogan in 1951 and 1953. Willie Peterson caddied for the first five of Nicklaus’ six Masters victories in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972 and 1975. Both Stokes and Peterson caddied in an era when only Augusta National’s club caddies could work the Masters.
Scott doesn’t try to deny it would be an achievement, but he also doesn’t want to claim any of the credit.
“I wouldn’t want to be in the history books as, ‘Oh, this is the caddie who won five times’ and ‘Look at me,’ because honestly, I don’t hit a shot,” he said. “Half the time it’s the wrong club or it’s hit in the wrong place.
“These guys are so good at golf, I’m thankful I get to support them. If I happen to get to do it five times (at the Masters), I would be so blessed. But I wouldn’t think of that as a record for me. I live for Scottie to get in the record books as one of the best to play at the Masters. I would cherish that more than any caddie number of wins. To say I walked with the champion five times would be amazing.”
There are “horses for courses” in golf, and certainly Scheffler is a thoroughbred at Augusta National. Eighteen of his 20 rounds here have been at par or better and he’s the only man to finish inside the top 20 in
Age:
65 YEARS AGO
Arnold Palmer won his first Masters in 1958.Two years later in 1960,Arnie’s Army — the name bestowed on his legions of fans — was in full force.“It was 1959 when I first saw the words ‘Arnie’s Army,’ ” Palmer said. Solders from Camp Gordon in Augusta (now Fort Eisenhower) worked Masters scoreboards and were allowed to attend for free in uniform.They were quickly drawn to the charismatic Palmer, and the “army” was born. “When I won my second Masters title (in 1960), I thanked the ‘army’ of supporters who came out to follow me,” Palmer said. He would go on to win the Masters again in 1962 and 1964, with his army cheering him on.
Scott Rabalais
CADDIES WITH MOST MASTERS WINS
5: William “Pappy” Stokes: 1938, 1948, 1951, 1953, 1956
“These guys are so good at golf, I’m thankful I get to support them. If I happen to get to do it five times (at the Masters), I would be so blessed. But I wouldn’t think of that as a record for me. I live for Scottie to get in the record books as one of the best to play at the Masters. I would cherish that more than any caddie number of wins. To say I walked with the champion five times would be amazing.”
TED SCOTT, caddie
the past six Masters.
Again, Scott helped put him over the top, as they’ve gone win, tie for 10th and win the previous three Masters.
“Teddy is so great around this golf course,” Scheffler said to Sky Sports after winning here last April. “He knows exactly where the ball needs to be put.
“He does such a good job of managing me as we go around the course. Having a clear picture of what we need to do, understanding where the wind is, understanding where the miss is, and playing the right shots. I can’t speak highly enough of him managing me, not only around this golf course but all the golf courses we play. He’s a great asset to me out there and a great friend as well.”
And to think, Scott figured he was done with caddying.
“Three times I’ve tried to quit caddying and it keeps coming back to me,” Scott said. “I’ve been fortunate to work with great guys.
“I’m finishing up with the best guy The best player.”
For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/ lsunewsletter
Scheffler McIlroy Morikawa Aberg
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT SLOCUM
Scottie Scheffler, center, and Russell Henley, right, walk off the green on the 16th hole during a practice around at the Masters on Wednesday in Augusta, Ga.
LIVING
Curried vegetables yieldbright flavors
BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER
Best Fest
1. Heat oil in alarge nonstick skillet over medium-highheat
2. Add onion and green and red bell peppers and saute for 2 to 3minutes. Add the flour and mix until the flour is mostly absorbed.
3. Add the water to asmall bowl and mix in the ginger,garlic, turmeric, cumin and curry powder.Pour the water into the sauté pan and cook until the sauce thickens, 30 to 40 seconds.
4. Add the okra, mushrooms and vegetable broth. Stirwell andadd salt and pepper to taste. Bring thesaucetoasimmer, cover the skillet with alid and cook for about 5to6minutes. Stir in the cashews.
5. Divide in half and serve overthe rice.
NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 394 calories (48 percent from fat), 20.9 gfat (3.9g saturated,11.5 gmonounsaturated), no cholesterol, 14.4 gprotein, 47.0g carbohydrates, 11.8 gfiber,93mg sodium.
Microwaveable Brown Rice
Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer
1packagemicrowaveable brown rice to make1½cups cooked rice
2teaspoons oliveoil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Cook rice according to package instructions.
2. Measure 1½ cupsand set aside the remaining rice for another dinner.Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Divide between 2dinner plates.
NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 226 calories (24 percent fromfat), 6.0 gfat (1.0 gsaturated, 2.7 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 4.2 gprotein, 38.8 gcarbohydrates, 2.4 gfiber,6mgsodium.
Areyou coming to see me on the food stage at French Quarter Fest? Y’all got your Jazz Fest tickets? Who’shad crawfish (even if it was expensive when the season started)?
SpringtimeinNew Orleansis magical. As thecity shakesoff the remnants of winter and the crazy snowwehad, thestreets come alive with vibrant music, delicious food and apalpable sense of joy that permeates every corner The mild weather,blooming flowersand festive spirit make spring theperfect time to explorethe city’sunique culture and traditions. At theheart of these celebrations are theiconic festivals that draw locals and visitors alike to experience the very soul of New Orleans.
Ahallmark of spring in New Orleans is theFrench Quarter Festival, starting April 10. Spanningseveral days in mid-April, this event —billed as the largest free music festival in the South —transformsthe historic French Quarter into amassive celebration of local music, food and culture. More than
20 stages feature everything from traditional jazz to funk and brass bands. Food is acentral element, with more than 60 local restaurantssetting up booths. Must-try dishes include crawfish étouffée, shrimpand grits, and beignets.The festival’s emphasis on local talent and cuisine makes it afavorite among residentsand visitors.
Next up, the New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival, April 24-May 4, showcases the best of jazz, blues, gospel, R&B and rock With alineup of local legends and international stars, it’snowonder Jazz Fest is considered one of the world’spremier music festivals. Beyond the music, however,Jazz Fest is also afeast for food lovers. Vendors line the grounds,
ä See HUNGRY, page 2D
Crawfish Fettuccine
Serves 4very hungry people or 6normal hungrypeople.
1pound fettuccine pasta
1tablespoon butter 1pound cooked crawfish tails
4cloves garlic, minced 1cup heavycream
6tablespoonsgrated Parmesan cheese
1tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt to taste
1. Fill alarge pot withlightly salted water and bring to arolling boil. Cook fettuccine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8minutes. Drain.
2. Heat butter in alarge skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir crawfish and garlic in butter for1minute.
3. Pour in heavy cream;stir Add Parmesan cheese, 1tablespoon at atime,stirring constantly. Mix in parsley,season withsalt. Simmer,stirring frequently,until sauceisthickened.
4. Stir fettuccine into sauce until evenly coated; serve hot.
HANNAH LEVITAN
TNS PHOTO By LINDAGASSENHEMIER
Kevin Belton
PHOTO By MONICA BELTON
Chef Kevin Belton’sCrawfish Fettucine
In defenseofcallwaiting
Dear Miss Manners: I’m no more afan of call waiting than Miss Manners is, but Ido want to defend its limited utility.Iwas coowner and manager of asmall business for several years, and Ifrequently had to act as receptionist by answering our office phone If I’m on the phone and call waiting sounds, Iask Party Atowait 15 seconds while Icheck my other line. Iask them to call back if we’re disconnected, and I repeat my guarantee that I will get back to them in 15 seconds Iswitch to Party Bonthe second line by stating my name and asking for theirs. Then Isay immediately that Ihave to return to my other line,but Iwill definitely call them back in five or 10 or 15 minutes (whichever seems realistic for finishing Party A’scall) Under no circumstances will Iallow Party Btoexplain the reasonfor their call; if they try,Iinterrupt
Reader submitsdeclutteringhints
and repeat that Ineed to hang up and I’llcall them back. If they still keeptalking, Itell them for the second time that Ihave to hang up. Then I hang up, without waiting for their consentoracknowledgment. If the whole process is handled efficiently,I’m back to Party Awithin the 15 secondsthat I promised. But some peopleinevitably persist in telling metheirstory,so Ihavetostay firm andcut them off. Am Ibeingrudebyhanging up, or is my system sufficiently polite for the modern world?
Gentle reader: Sufficiently Polite for the Modern World sounds like astandardfor those whohavegiven up caring— one stepbehind Do Whatever Comes Naturally,though perhapsbetter than the perpetually dreary Whatever MakesYou Happy
What is interesting about your situation is that busi-
ness etiquette may indeed have different rules than those that apply in the personal world. Hospitals do not takepeople on astrictly first-come, first-served basis for agood reason, and this leadsher to wonder what service your company provided. Whatever that is,the more pressing the reason for you to pick up quickly for thenext caller —say, for example, you were staffing asuicide-prevention hotline —the more reason you would have not to hang up on the current one. Andeven if youcannot stay with the current person,what justification is there for hanging up rather than putting them back on hold?
Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick,1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
PHOTO By MONICA BELTON
Crawfish Bread
Serves 6to8
1baguette or loaf of French bread
½cup mayonnaise
2tablespoons butter
¾cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
2cloves garlic, minced
1pound cooked crawfish tails
¾cup chopped green onion
1tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1teaspoon Creole seasoning
8ounces cream cheese, softened
½cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
½teaspoon sweet paprika
Chopped fresh parsley,togarnish
HUNGRY
Continued from page1D
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Slice the bread in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet. Coat halves evenly with mayonnaise.
3. In alarge skilletover medium heat, melt the butter andsaute onion until translucent, about 5minutes. Addgarlicand cook until it releases aroma, about1 minute.
4. Add crawfish, green onion, andparsley, andcook until heated through, 4to
offering dishes that have become iconic like crawfish bread, jambalaya and cochon de lait po-boys. Don’tforget the mango freeze. Jazz Fest truly embodies the city’s dedication to celebrating music and cuisine in equal measure. Spring in New Orleans is not just aboutmusic and food; it’sabout community andthe joy of gathering together to celebratelife. Whether you’re grooving to livejazz at Jazz Fest, savoring aplate of crawfish at theCrawfish Festival, or strollingthrough the French Quarterwitha poboy in hand, thecity’sspirit shines brightest during this season. In New Orleans, every meal is acelebration, and every songisaninvita-
BERRY
Continued from page1D
“Growers did see adip in production at some point afterthe freeze,but alot of fruit has been comingin during the past few weeks,” Dr.Mary Helen Ferguson, extension agent at the LSU Ag Center,said.
Theberry belt
The strawberry industry hasbeena source of pride for Louisiana dating back to the 1800s. Many Italian and Hungarian immigrants moved to the state for its warm weather and rich soil and decided to try their hand at growing the crop.
The industry was highly successful, and local farmers sold their strawberries to people across the country by the 1920s. In 1924, over
14,000 acres were planted, according to GingerRomero’s“The Louisiana Strawberry.” These days, most U.S. strawberries are grown in California,but Louisiana strawberries still supply local farmers markets and grocery stores. And it depends whoyou ask, but many people saySoutheastern Louisiana strawberries are the sweetestinthe country
Berrypicking tips
If you’re ready to head out andpick berries on your own,Ferguson shared afew tips to make sure you’re selecting the best fruit.Here’s what she said:
n Pickberries that are fully ripe. Strawberries won’t ripen more once they’reoff theplant like some fruitsdo.
n Storeyourstrawberries in the refrigerator as quickly as possible.
Dear Heloise: It’sthe time of year when people start spring-cleaning and adding fresh touches to their homes. Oneofthe best thingsthat you can do to improve your homeisto declutter.When I say “declutter,” I don’tmean throwing things out and replacing them with new clutter.Imean gettingrid of items that you don’tlove, gifts that you don’tlike, and all the craft materials for that one hobby you’re going to do …someday.These hints might be of help to you as you go through your home: n Don’tdothe whole house at once. Take it one room at atime, but get busy and dig in! Youmight do your closet today,and two or three days later,you can tackle the rest of the room.You’ll avoid burnout this way n Don’tsay,“Imight need this in thefuture.” It’s clutter,soget rid of it and remember that you might never need it!
n Youlive in ahome, not astorage unit. Stop saving stuffthat you don’tuse or like. If you haven’tworn a party dress in two years, you probably never will again.
Keepingthe housecool
5minutes.Add Creole seasoning and stir.Add cream cheese, removefrom heat, and continue to stir until cheese is melted
5. Dividemixture and spread evenly over both bread halves. Topwith cheesesand sprinklewith paprika.
6. Bakefor about 15 minutes. Turn oven tobroil and broil close to flame or heat until cheese has browned, 1 to 2minutes.Serve warm.
tion to dance.
Kevin Belton is resident chef of WWL-TV and has taught classes in Louisiana cooking for 30 years. The most recent of his four cookbooks, “KevinBelton’sCookin’ Louisiana: Flavors from the Parishes of the Pelican State,” was published in 2021. EmailChef at chefkevinbelton@gmail. com.
n Don’twash your berries beforeputting them in the refrigerator.Instead, wait until you’re abouttoeat them.
n Plan to preserveoreat your berrieswithina few days of picking. Strawberries can last up to seven days afterharvest under ideal conditions.
Wheretopickyourberries
But where can you find astrawberrypatch to indulge?Here’salist of farms.
n CM FARMS: 252 CM Farms Road,Dry Creek n KINGSTON ORCHARDS: 7406 La. 175, Frierson
n INDIAN VILLAGE HARVEST FARM: 1976 Guyton Swamp Road,Calhoun
n MRS. HEATHER’SSTRAWBERRY
FARM: 31458 La. 43, Albany
n LIUZZA LAND: 56211 Old
U.S. 51, Amite City
n LANDRYPOCHÉ FARM: 29955 Richardson Drive, Holden
By The Associated Press
n Donate items to charity or have agarage sale, but don’tbox up clutter and store it in your attic, basement or garage. Get it out of your homeand off your property
n Before you buy anything new to replace what you parted with, ask yourself:“Do Ireally need this? How will this makemylife better?”
n Once you get rid of all the clutter,your homewill be easier to clean. You’ll improve its appearance, and it’sawonderful sense of accomplishment to open up the kitchen junk drawer and see it organized beautifully.Many people experience asense of freedom once all the clutter is gone. Goodluck, and remember to be ruthless whendecluttering! —J.L., in Massachusetts
TODAYINHISTORY
bound forNew York on its ill-fated maiden voyage.
Today is Thursday April 10, the 100th day of 2025. There are 265 days left in the year
Todayinhistory:
On April 10, 1998, the Northern Ireland peace talksconcluded as negotiatorssigned theGood Friday Agreement,alandmarksettlement to end 30 years of bitter rivalries and bloody attacks.
On this date:
In 1866, theAmerican Societyfor the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in New York by Henry Bergh.
In 1912, theBritish liner RMSTitanic set sail from Southampton, England,
In 1919, Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata wasassassinated by forces loyal to President Venustiano Carranza.
In 1963, the nuclear submarine USSThresher (SSN-593) sank during deep-diving tests east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, killing all 129 aboard.
In 1971, the U.S. table tennis team arrived in China at the invitation of the communist government foragoodwill visit that came to be knownas“pingpong diplomacy.”
In 2019, scientists released thefirst image ever made of ablack hole,revealing afiery,doughnut-shape
Dear Heloise: Our neighbor gave us agreat suggestion to lower our cooling bills during the summer He installed solar and sun screens on the windows that are on the sunny side of his house. These screens block the majority of the UV rays on the hot side of his home. So, we had amobile screen company come to install them on ours. Oh, it’ssoeasy.And I’ll do anything to save money! Ilove your wonderful column. Keepitup! —S., in California
Tracking your pets
Dear Heloise: There are a number of new gadgets to monitor your precious pets, such as collars with aGPS and avideo camera. Boarding and day care places have doggy cams so that you can check on your pooch from your laptop or smartphone. —B., in Washington
Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
object in agalaxy 55 million light-years from earth. Today’sbirthdays: Labor leader-activist Dolores Huerta is 95. Football Hall of Famer Mel Blount is 77. Author Anne Lamott is 71. Actor Peter MacNicol is 71. Singer-producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds is 66. Musician Brian Setzer is
Judith Martin MISS MANNERS
Hints from Heloise
Chef Kevin Belton’sCrawfish Bread
ARIES(March 21-April19) Set your sights on something on the rise.Avoid situations and people who tend to interfere. Put your time and energy into progress, not into no-winsituations and empty conversations.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Chooseyour path, and don'tlook back. It's time to show your worth,shoot for the stars and make adifference. Clearupany legal, institutionalorfinancial matters.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Putyour emotions aside, be realistic and set your sights on your dreams. Changing your direction or will take research, learning andfine-tuning. You may not be able to pleaseeveryone, but you can please yourself.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Putthought and energy into earning more and increasing your financial stability. Domestic improvements willboost your assets andmakeyourlife easierand more enjoyable.
LEO(July23-Aug. 22) Keep an open mind; listen, learn and put what you discover to work foryou. Take any opportunity to meet new peopleorreconnect with someone you lost touch with over the years.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.22) Take abreak and visit aplace that inspires youor helps you put things in perspective. Engage in conversations that push you to visualizewhat'spossible andconnect youwith people who can help you make things happen.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Take atripor attend an event that offers insight and gives you something to think about. An emotional journey will help you recognize what's best for you.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Take on achallenge, make adifference or useyour skills, talents and experience to propagate your plan. Victory is within reach if you believe in yourself.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pay attention to your finances. Thinktwice beforegetting tied up in someone else's debt. Avoid drama and don't let someone's sobstories manipulate your heart.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You'll crave change and be attracted to unique people and places that stimulate your creative imagination. Go with the flow and discover what excites you most.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Creative accounting will help you manage your finances. Spendmore time at home making your space more functional. Keep your money and possessions safe, and avoid joint ventures.
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains thesame number only once. The difficulty levelofthe Sudoku increasesfrom Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
Bridge
BY PHILLIP ALDER
James C. Dobson, an evangelical author, psychologist and founder of Focus on the Family,said, “Don’t marry the person youthink youcan live with; marry only the individual you think you can’t live without.” That is no doubt true. At the bridge table, though, don’t make the play you think is right; make the play after which either your contract cannot fail or the opponent’s contract cannot make.
In this deal, East is defending against five diamonds. West leadsthe heart queen, and South calls fordummy’s five. How might East hope to defeat the contract?
After South openedone diamond, West made atwo-heart weak jump overcall, showing agood six-card suit and 6to 10 high-card points. East raised to four hearts, acontract that would have made when bothmajor-suit finesses worked. However, South rebid five clubs, and North converted to five diamonds. Since neither side was surewho could make what, this was passed out.
The defenders need three tricks to defeat five diamonds. East can see one in hearts. His side cannot take asecond heart, because West’s overcall guaranteedasix-cardsuit.Anyminor-suittricks would come in the fullness of time. That left spades to be considered.Who should be attacking that suit, West or East?
Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. Forexample: NOONGOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InstRuctIOns: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are notallowed.
tODAY’s WORD FORFEIt: FOR-fit: To lose or lose the right to.
Averagemark 20 words
Time limit 30 minutes
Can you find 25 or more words in FORFEIT?
YEstERDAY’s WORD —PREPARED
thought “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalms
wuzzles
loCKhorNs
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
hidato
Jury Type: Petit Judge: Elizabeth A. Engolio Date: Monday,May 5, 2025
ADAMS, DENNIS LANE 5445 POINT CLAIR RD #C-5 CARVILLE,LA707212118 06/27/1970
ALLAIN, SHANNON T58337 FORTSTPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3109 03/20/1983
ALLEN JR, ANTHONY LAMAR 32540 MAYOR MAURICE BROWN ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788 12/22/2005
ANDERSON, JONATHAN GEROID 77570 H&HSTMARINGOUIN, LA 70757 04/04/1997
ANDERSON, JOSHUA TREVEION QUINTRELLE 33070 ADAMS DR WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2600 10/09/1992
ANDERSON, LARRYTHOMAS 58240 NICHOLAS ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2239 08/19/1957
ARNOLD, CARMANNICOLE 1706 SHADOWBRUSH WAYSTGABRIEL, LA 707765350 12/16/1998
ARNOLD, MIA CARLEY 58430 IRONFARM RD PLAQUEMINE,LA70764-3018 06/04/1997
ATWOOD,JENNY SUE 20125 TONI LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5308 07/26/1983
BABIN III, ONEIL JOHN 16980 BABIN LN GROSSE TETE, LA 70740 07/22/1953
BANKSTON, DAVID CHRIS 24520 HEBERTSTPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4009 09/02/1959
BARBEE, KELLI CAVALIER 58155 RANDOLPHS DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 707647430 05/15/1974
BATISTE,XAIVIER MONTRELL 25150 DUBLIEUX ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6008 11/10/2006
BECNEL, MARQUEL 57931 CENTER ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4366 01/28/1995
BERTHELOT,JAYDEN TRYSTAN 35005-BHWY 69 WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-4440 02/14/2006
BEST,EMILYCAILLET 77280 CORA DR GROSSE TETE, LA 70740 08/15/1990
BEZUE, BRIDGET BATTON 24395 KYLIE DR #9PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3840 01/15/1970
BLAKESLEY,THERESE S20200 DANIELLNPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5304 10/07/1952
BLANK, JONATHAN DAVID 77065 JESSIE ROMIG DR GROSSE TETE, LA 707403439 03/09/1970
BOOKSH, SCOTT BLAIN 20145 SIDNEY RD GROSSE TETE, LA 70740-3411 11/13/1963
ROY,SHELLEY ANN1110 ROY GOMEZ RD SUNSHINE,LA70780-311508/16/1978
SAIZON,MARK A20730 HWY 77 GROSSE TETE, LA 70740-3500 04/16/1963
SALVADRAS, BOBBY JOSEPH 63655-A BAYOU JACOB RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5609 10/27/1963
SANCHEZ, ADRIENNE LANDAICHE 24655 DEVILLIER ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3845 03/28/1975
SANCHEZJR, RUDY ANTHONY63410 BAYOU JACOB RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-
g 10:00A.M for the follow‐ing: RFxNo. 3000024564, SCBA ReplacementParts for FETA,4/22/25 RFxNo. 3000024581, UTV forLDWF, 4/29/25 Bidproposalforms,in‐formationand specifica‐tionsmay be obtained by accessingthe bidnum‐berinLaPac at www.doa Louisiana.gov/ospor from theprocurement sectionlistedabove.No bids will be received after thedateand hour specified.The rightisre‐served to reject anyand allbidsand to waiveany informalities.
TomKetterer Director of StateProcure‐ment FAX(225) 342-8688 135977-apr10-1t $12.58
Proposalswillbere‐ceived until2:00PMon 4/30/2025 by thePur‐chasingDepartmentof DelgadoCommunity Col‐lege andthereafter pub‐liclyopenedfor miscella‐neousexteriorcleaning &pressurewashing at DelgadoCommunity Col‐lege’s Campuses and Sites. Anon-mandatory jobsitevisit will be held on Wednesday, 4/16/25 at 10:00a.m.Additional informationmaybeob‐tained by contacting the Purchasing Department, l d i l PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS
g p DelgadoCommunity Col‐lege,501 City Park Ave. NewOrleans,LA70119 (504) 762-3029 or email: tsheff@dcc.edu. BidDocuments andAd‐dendamay be down‐loaded from:https:// wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana. gov/osp/lapac/dspBid cfm?search=departm ent&term=39Evidenceof authoritytosubmitbid shallberequiredinac‐cordance with R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1) (c)and/or R.S. 39:1954 (C)(2) (d). AA/EEO 135901-apr10-1t $37.05
PUBLIC NOTICE
Sealed bids will be opened andreadby Southeastern Louisiana University,Purchasing Department,Property Control& Supply Build‐ing, 2400 NorthOak Street /SLU 10800, Ham‐mond,LA70402, at 4:00 p.m.,Central Time,on thedatespecified below: Furnishand DeliverAth‐leticTrainingSuppliesfor theAthletics Dept.Opens 4/30/2025. Biddocuments and formsmay be obtained from theSoutheastern Purchasing Department as listed aboveorby downloadinga copy from theLAProcurement and Contract Networkfor Southeastern LA Univ at: https://wwwcfprd.doa. louisiana.gov/OSP/ d id f PUBLIC NOTICE
g LaPAC/dspBid.cfm?sea rch=department& term=42
Evidence of authorityto submit thebid shallbe required in accordance with R.S. 38:2212(A)(1)(c) or R.S. 39:1594(C)(4). No bids will be received after thedateand hour specified.The University reserves theright to re‐ject anyand allbids. RichardHimber Director of Purchasing 135057-apr10-1t $14.62
PUBLIC NOTICE
VOUCHER# 2025-05-4610
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS
Notice is hereby given that sealed Requestfor Qualifications(“RFQ”) will be received by the City of BatonRouge and theParishofEastBaton RougePurchasingDivi‐sion until 2:00 PM CSTon May13, 2025, in Room 826, of City Hall,222 Saint LouisStreet,Baton Rouge, LA 70802 for: RFQ#2025-05-4610 City-ParishAncillary Benefits
Copies of theRequest for Qualificationsmay be obtained from LaPAC (https://wwwcfprd.doa. louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/ dspBid.cfm?search=dep artment&term=102) Central
Bidding (http://www.cen tralauctionhouse.com)or by emailrequest to: 054610HRAncillaryBene‐fits@brla.gov *Note: TheCity-Parish haselected to use LaPAC, thestate’s online electronic bidposting andCentral Biddingnoti‐fication system,inaddi‐tion to itsstandard meansofadvertising this requirement. LaPACis resident on StatePur‐chasing’swebsite at https://wwwcfprd.doa. louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/ pubmain.cfm andis availablefor vendor selfenrollment NOTE:This RFQisnot availableto submit online viaCentral Bidding; submissions must be mailedorhand deliveredtothe address mentionedinthe RFQ In that LaPACand Central Biddingprovidesanim‐mediatee-mailnotifica‐tion to subscribingbid‐ders that asolicitation andany subsequent ad‐dendahavebeen letand posted,noticeand re‐ceiptthereof is consid‐ered formally givenasof theirrespectivedates of posting. Though notre‐quired if receivingsolici‐tation andaddendano‐ticesfromLaPAC and CentralBidding theCityParish will emailad‐dendatoall vendorscon‐tactingour office andre‐questing to be putonour office Vendor Listingfor this solicitation Thedeadlinefor receiv‐ing writteninquiries is il
g q April 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM CST. RFQs received after the abovespecified time will notbeconsidered. RFQs will be opened immedi‐atelyafter Teleconference Call-inin‐formationfor Public Ac‐cess to RFQOpening: Join by phone:
+1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Access code:263 373 080 (followedbythe #but‐ton) Alternatenumbers to call if numberabove is not available, whichmay occurdue to network traffic(usethe same Access Code,followedby the# button): United States Toll (Boston) +1-617-315-0704 United States Toll (Chicago) +1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Dallas) +1-469-210-7159 United States Toll (Denver) +1-720-650-7664 United States Toll (Jacksonville) +1-904-900-2303 United States Toll (Los Angeles) +1-213-306-3065
This teleconference num‐berwillprovide youwith live audioaccesstothis proposal opening. The teleconference will be live only at the notedRFQ openingtime on thedateofRFQ open‐i Q p ing Theright to reject any andall RFQs andto waiveirregularitiesand informalitiesisreserved.
Note:The City-Parishhas electedtouse LaPAC, the state’sonlineelectronic bidposting andCentral Bidding notification sys‐tem, in addition to its standard meansofad‐vertisingthisrequire‐ment.LaPAC is resident on StatePurchasing’s websiteathttps:// wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana. gov/osp/lapac/pubmain. cfmand is availablefor vendor self-enrollment. NOTE:ThisRFQ is not availabletosubmiton‐line viaCentral Bidding; submissionsmustbe mailed or hand delivered to theaddressmen‐tioned in theRFQ Proposalsreceivedafter theabove specified time will notbeconsidered. Proposalswillbeopened immediatelyafter pro‐posalopening time in Room 806 of City Hall. All interested partiesare in‐vitedtobepresent Teleconference Call-inin‐formationfor Public Ac‐cess to RFQOpening: Join by phone: +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Access code:263 373 080 (followedbythe #but‐ton) Alternatenumbers to call if numberabove is not available, which may occurdue to network traffic(usethe same Ac‐cess Code,followedby the# button): United
PUBLIC NOTICE OF VACANCY Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-EastBank BoardofCommissioners
Pursuant to La. R.S. 38:330.1 et seq., notice is hereby given that applications arebeing acceptedfrompersonsinterested in serving on the BoardofCommissioners for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority- East Bank (SLFPA-E) Nine members serve on the BoardofCommissioners. ANominating Committee comprised of representatives of civic, professional and academic organizations reviewsapplications and recommends individuals for appointment by theGovernor and confirmation by the Senate. The Nominating Committee is comprised of representatives from the following organizations: Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, Council for aBetter Louisiana, Louisiana Geological Survey,Association of State Floodplain Managers, National Society of Black Engineers, UNO College of Engineering, Tulane University School of Science &Engineering, SouthernUniversity College of Engineering, LSU College of Engineering, Louisiana Engineering Society, andAmericanSociety of Civil Engineers.
CURRENT VACANCY
The Nominating Committee is accepting applications for 4positions on the SLFPA-E BoardofCommissioners:
Anon-resident whoresides outside of Jefferson, Orleans, or St. BernardParish to completethe remainderofa term that started on July 2, 2021 and ends on July 1, 2025 and asecond term appointed by the Governor that startsonJuly 2, 2025 andends on July 1, 2029.
Aresident of Orleans Parish on the east bank of the Mississippi River to complete the remainderofaterm that started on October 21, 2022 and ends on July 1, 2026.
Anon-resident whoresides outside of Jefferson, Orleans, or St. BernardParish to completethe remainderofa term that started on July 2, 2024 and ends on July 1, 2028.
Aresident of Orleans Parish on the east bank of the Mississippi River to complete the remainderofaterm that started on October 21, 2022 and ends on July 1, 2026.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
Three members shall reside in Orleans Parish on the east side of the Mississippi River within thejurisdiction of SLFPA-E.Two members shallreside in Jefferson Parish on the east side of the Mississippi River. One member shall reside in St. BernardParish. Threemembers shall reside outside of Jefferson, St. Bernard, or Orleans Parishes.
QUALIFICATIONS
Engineering/Related Field Professional
Five members shall be either an engineer or aprofessional in arelated field such as geotechnical, hydrological, or environmental science. At least one of the three members shall be acivil engineer
Non-EngineeringProfessional Twomembers shall be professionals in disciplines other than engineering, geotechnical, hydrological, or environmental sciencewith at least ten years of professional experience in that discipline. At-Large Twomembers shall be at-large and can serve with or without technical or professional qualifications.
Once the new member is appointed, the composition of the Boardmust meet the residency and occupational qualifications defined above.
HOW TO APPLY:
Youmay obtain an application by going online to www.floodauthority.orgorcontacting: Chris Humphreys Interim Regional Director,Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East 6920 Franklin Ave., New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 286-3100 chumphreys@floodauthority.org The deadline for receiving applications isApril 25, 2025.
