The Times-Picayune 04-20-2025

Newtechnology paints aclearer pictureofregion

BY JENNA ROSS |Staff writer

BY MISSY WILKINSON |Staff writer

Wearing asports watch and ahydration pack, BrianMarelo queued up with 18,200 fellow racers waiting forthe starting gun to kick off the 47thCrescent CityClassic 10K on Saturdaymorningindowntown New Orleans.

“I’m notnervous,” the15-year-old Hahnville High Schoolstudent said.“I’ve been training, so I’mpretty confident right now.”

It was his second time competinginthe iconic road race,and thefirst time he’d approached it withfocus, lappingthe 0.8mile walking trail behind his house and doing 5Ksnearly every weekend.He aimed to hold apace of 8to9minutesper mile for a55-minute finish —faster than

Discovering Maya cities used to involve bushwhacking through the jungle,schlepping gearand sidestepping snakes. And over thecourseofhis career,professor Marcello Canuto has done plentyofthat. Still does, sometimes. But these days, thediscoveriesare coming from adark, cool computer labonthe Tulane University campus.

Runners in the firstgrouptakeoff down Poydras Street during the 2025LCMC Health CrescentCityClassic in New Orleans on Saturday. BELOW: Brian Marelo gets ready to participate in the 2025 LCMC Health Crescent CityClassic on Saturday.

THRILL OF THERACE

Teen athletewithspina bifida crushesCrescentCityClassic goal

ä Local flavor dominatessold-out CrescentCity Classic. PAGE 1C

mostofthe field.

Brian Marela’s competitive nature isn’t theonly thing that sets him apart.The callusesthatmark him as adistanceathlete areonhis hands,not his feet —earned from hundreds of miles loggedinalightweight chair with cantilevered wheels.

“I wasn’tsupposed to be able to do all thesethings Icurrently do,” said Brian Marelo, who has spina bifida. “You’re only going to hurt yourself if you believe you can’t. Butifyou try, you might find out that you can.”

ä See RACE, page 7A

Tulane archaeologists discover ancientMayan city

That labisthe newstarof the Middle American Research Institute, an enduring fontofinformation aboutIndigenous America, especially theancient Maya, who lived in what is today southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belizeand Honduras. For decades, information aboutthe vast civilization de-

pended upon arduous expeditions that, it turns out, missed wide swaths of gardens and terraces, houses and yards. Not only the pyramids, but theneighborhoods. Archaeologists arenow studying imagesmade viali-

ä See CITY, page 8A

BP oilspill effects

BY MIKESMITH |Staff writer

Out on the edge of Louisiana’scoast, aset of giant plant pots stand as reminders of the worst-everoil spill of its kind. Butyou couldn’ttell just by looking at them.

The rows of containers sit under awood frame and netting. Inside grows the same cordgrass thatcarpets the marshes stretching out within eyesight of this spot, in the tiny community of Cocodrie.

It’sall part of an elaborate experiment continuing to reveal someeffects of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

“There are alot of lessons learned that will come from this,”saidBrianRoberts, referencing therange of research that the spill prompted. He conceived the cordgrass experiment with colleagues.

“Ithopefully will help us better prepare in the event that something else happens,” added Roberts, the executive director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, as he walkedelevated planks among the fiberglass containers.

April 20 marks the 15th anniversary of the blowout and subsequent spill at the Macondo well off the Mississippi River’smouth in the Gulf.The Deepwater Horizon rig, owned by

disaster sparked15years of intenseresearch ä See DEEPWATER, page 6A

Fireboats trytoextinguish the blazeon the Deepwater Horizon oilrig that was drillingBP’sMacondo well south of Venice on April21, 2010, after an explosion the daybefore left 11 workers dead and 17 injured. Oilgushed into the Gulf for87days as attempts to capthe well failed. In the end, an estimated 4.9 million barrelsofcrude oil spilled

STAFFFILE PHOTOByMICHAEL DeMOCKER

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Humanoid robots run a Chinese half-marathon BEIJING In one small step for robot-kind — thousands of them, really — humanoid robots ran alongside actual humans in a half-marathon in the Chinese capital on Saturday

The bipedal robots of various makes and sizes navigated the 13.1-mile course supported by teams of human navigators, operators, and engineers, in what event organizers say was a first. As a precaution, a divider separated the parallel courses used by the robots and people

While flesh-and-blood participants followed conventional rules, the 20 teams fielding machines in the Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon competed under tailored guidelines, which included battery swap pit stops.

The Sky Project Ultra robot, also known as Tien Kung Ultra, from the Tien Kung Team, claimed victory among the nonhumans, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds.

Awards were also given out for best endurance, best gait design and most innovative form. Houthi rebels report U.S strikes in capital, coast

CAIRO Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Saturday that the U.S. military launched a series of airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa, and the Houthi-held coastal city of Hodeida, less than two days after a U.S. strike wrecked a Red Sea port and killed more than 70 people.

The Houthis’ media office said 13 U.S. airstrikes hit an airport and a port in Hodeida, on the Red Sea. The office also reported U.S strikes in the capital, Sanaa. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The U.S. military’s Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said it continues to conduct strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

Thursday’s strike hit the port of Ras Isa, also in Hodeida province, killing 74 people and wounding 171 others, according to the Houthi-run health ministry It was the deadliest strike in the U.S. ongoing bombing campaign on the Iranian-backed rebels.

United Nations SecretaryGeneral António Guterres on Saturday said he was “gravely concerned” about the attack on Ras Isa, as well as the Houthis missile and drone attacks on Israel and the shipping routes, his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Saturday.

Jersey wildfire grows to 1,000 acres overnight NEW YORK A major wildfire that broke out Friday afternoon in a conservation area in South Jersey expanded to 1,000 acres overnight but was about 50% contained as of late Saturday morning.

Danny’s Wildfire was first reported around 12:25 p.m. in a remote area of the Peaslee Wildlife Management Area in Vineland, in northeastern Cumberland County, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

The fast-spreading blaze initially burned 20 acres, officials said. But by 6 p.m., it had grown to 500 acres with 0% containment. The fire service deployed engines, bulldozers and ground crews, along with a helicopter capable of dropping 300 gallons of water and an air tanker with a 600-gallon capacity In its late-night update, the agency said 20% of the then800-acre wildfire had been contained. That number grew to 1,000 acres by Saturday morning, with 50% containment, officials said.

No structures had been impacted by the fire, and no evacuations have been ordered as of Saturday, though some roads remained closed in the area.

Peaslee is the state’s secondlargest wildlife management area, spanning nearly 30,000 acres in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties.

The area includes pine-oak woodlands, lowland bogs and riparian areas along the upper Tuckahoe River in Cumberland County with the river serving as its eastern boundary

Ukraine wary of Putin’s Easter truce

BY HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press

CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine Ukraine said it would reciprocate any genuine ceasefire by Moscow, but voiced skepticism after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter truce in Ukraine starting Saturday

The announcement from Kyiv came as Russia and Ukraine conducted their largest prisoner exchange since Moscow’s full-scale invasion started over three years ago. Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine starting Saturday, citing humanitarian reasons. According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday to midnight following Easter Sunday

Putin offered no details on how the ceasefire would be monitored or whether it would cover airstrikes or ongoing ground battles that rage around the clock Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said if Russia is genuinely ready to observe a full and unconditional ceasefire, Ukraine will mirror that approach and strike only in defense.

He said such a gesture, particularly over the Easter weekend, could reveal Moscow’s true intentions.

“If a full ceasefire truly takes hold, Ukraine proposes extending it beyond Easter Day on April 20,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram. “That will reveal Russia’s true intentions, as 30 hours are enough for headlines, but not for genuine confidence-building measures.”

Zelenskyy added that, according to

military reports, Russian assaults and artillery fire continued along parts of the 600-mile long front line.

In response to the ceasefire announcement, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Kyiv had in March “agreed unconditionally to the U.S. proposal of a full interim ceasefire for 30 days,” which Russia rejected.

“Putin has now made statements about his alleged readiness for a ceasefire. 30 hours instead of 30 days,” Sybiha continued, writing on X. “Unfortunately, we have had a long history of his statements not matching his actions.”

Putin’s ceasefire announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the grinding three-year war

The two sides meanwhile exchanged hundreds of POWs on Saturday Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that 246 Russian service members were returned from Ukraine, and 31 wounded Ukrainian POWs were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in need of urgent medical care.

Zelenskyy said that 277 Ukrainian “warriors” have returned home from Russian captivity

Both sides thanked the United Arab Emirates for their mediation.

Most of the Ukrainians freed in the latest prisoner exchange are young people born after 2000, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said Friday

Thousands gather in London to support trans rights after ruling

BY KWIYEON HA and PAN

PYLAS

Associated Press

LONDON Thousands of trans rights protesters gathered in central London on Saturday, days after the U.K.’s Supreme Court ruled that a woman is someone born biologically female and that transgender women are excluded from that legal definition.

With unease growing over what the ruling means for the rights of transgender people, protesters came together for what was billed as an “emergency demonstration” in Parliament Square Activists demanded “trans liberation” and “trans rights now,” with some waving flags and holding banners.

Trans groups are worried that Wednesday’s landmark decision would undermine their rights, even though the U.K.’s highest court said transgender people remain protected from discrimination. The head of Equality and Human Rights Commission said the ruling will mean transgender women will be excluded from women’s toilets, hospital wards and sports teams.

“It’s a terrifying time to have your rights taken away from you,” said 19-year-old transgender woman Sophie Gibbs. “I was disappointed to think that we could live in a society that seems so progressive now but is willing to make such a dangerous

Questions emerge after deadly Florida State shooting

BY KATE PAYNE and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE,Fla.—

Amid the abandoned chemistry notes and other debris left behind after a deadly shooting at Florida State University are lingering questions about how the stepson of a beloved sheriff’s deputy tasked with school safety at a middle school became the accused gunman.

Political science student

Phoenix Ikner was a longstanding member of a sheriff’s office youth advisory council and was steeped in the family-like culture of the agency When officers rushed to the university’s student union on reports of gunfire, authorities say it was the 20-year-old who used his stepmother’s former service weapon to open fire, killing two men and wounding six others. As people fled in terror, Ikner was shot and taken into custody He invoked his right not to speak to investigators, and his motive remains unknown as he lies in a hospital bed.

The prosecutor’s office is weighing possible charges as stories emerge about a darker side. One classmate recalled him being kicked out of a student club over comments that other members found troubling.

“This is horrific,” Jimmy Williams, the chief of safety for Leon County Schools, said of the shooting. “This is a horrible, horrible event.” Williams, who has known Ikner’s stepmother, Jessica Ikner, for a decade, said the allegations underscore that “none of us are immune to tragedy.”

Classes and business operations will resume Monday, Florida State announced over the weekend.

“I know it won’t feel like a normal week,” FSU President Richard McCullough said in message to students and employees Saturday

“It’s the last one before finals, and many of you are still processing what happened. Please take care of yourself.”

His stepmother, whose

own alma mater is Florida State, was reassigned from her position as a school resource officer Friday and granted the personal leave she requested, a sheriff’s office spokesperson told The Associated Press. When the alert went out of an active shooter at Florida State University, Jessica Ikner was on duty around 2 miles away at Raa Middle School. A sheriff’s office spokesperson said Jessica Ikner worked to secure the campus to prevent anyone from entering as Raa went into “lockout mode,” along with all of the county’s public schools. She was practiced at this work. Last year, she was named an “employee of the month” by the sheriff’s office, where she has worked for 18 years. Police said they believed Phoenix Ikner shot the victims using his stepmother’s former service handgun, which she had kept for personal use after the force upgraded its weapons. Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil described Phoenix Ikner on Thursday as having been “steeped in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office family” and engaged in a number of sheriff’s office training programs, adding that it wasn’t a surprise that he would have access to guns. There was no record of him having a criminal record. And in Florida, training and a background check are not required to carry concealed guns in public. When Ikner was a child, his parents were involved in several custody disputes with his biological mother, court records show In 2015, when he was 10, his biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, said she was taking him to South Florida for spring break in 2015 but instead traveled to Norway After returning to the U.S., she pleaded no contest to removing a minor from the state against a court order and was sentenced to 200 days in jail. She later moved to vacate her plea, but that was denied.

and harmful ruling.”

The British government has said the unanimous decision by the five judges brought “clarity and confidence” for women and service providers.

Out of some 66 million people in England, Scotland and Wales, about 116,000 identified as trans in the latest census count About 8,500 gender recognition certificates have been issued.

The ruling stemmed from a 2018 law passed by the Scottish Parliament that required at least 50% women on boards of Scottish public bodies Transgender women with gender recognition certificates were to be included in meeting the quota.

The Supreme Court said that using a certificate to interpret someone’s sex would clash with defini-

tions of man and woman and, therefore, the anti-discrimination provisions of the 2010 Equality Act could “only be interpreted as referring to biological sex.”

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said Saturday that he “understands” the “hurt and anguish” trans people are feeling over the verdict, while accepting that the ruling must be followed.

Many people at Saturday’s protest worried that the ruling could be the precursor to other judgments that diminish the rights for transgender people.

“It’s a Pandora’s box situation where I just think we allow certain things and then we essentially opened up the door to allow way more than we ever thought could be accepted or pushed through,” said Zuleha Oshodi, 29.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVGENIy MALOLETKA

An injured Ukrainian soldier waves a national flag after returning from captivity in a POW exchange in Ukraine on Saturday

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALASTAIR GRANT

Campaigners take part in a rally organised by trans rights groups, trade unions and community organisations following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman in equalities law, at Parliament Square, central London, on Saturday.

Clinton returns to Oklahoma City 30 years after bombing

BY SEAN MURPHY Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY

Thirty years after the deadliest homegrown attack in U.S. history, former President Bill Clinton returned to Oklahoma City on Saturday to remember the people who were killed and comfort those affected by the bombing.

Clinton was president on April 19, 1995, when a truck bomb exploded, destroying a nine-story federal building in downtown Oklahoma City He delivered the keynote address at a remembrance ceremony near the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum.

Clinton, now 78, was widely praised for how he helped the city grapple with its grief in the wake of the bombing, which killed 168

Clinton said, recalling his first visit to Oklahoma City just days after the bombing, when he spoke at a memorial service for the for the victims. “I do think we’ve kept that commitment.”

Clinton has visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum numerous times in the years since the bombing and delivered speeches on major anniversaries.

said. “I wish to goodness every American could just see life unfold here, hearing these stories.”

Other speakers included former Oklahoma Gov Frank Keating and former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick, who were in office when the bombing occurred. Family members of some of those killed in the bombing read the 168 names of those killed in the attack.

people, including 19 children. He says it was a day in his presidency that he will never forget.

“I still remember as if it were 30 minutes ago, coming here with Hillary to that

memorial service and saying: ‘You have lost too much, but you have not lost everything. You have certainly not lost America, and we will be with you for as many tomorrows as it takes,’ ”

On Saturday, Clinton also cautioned about the polarizing nature of modernday politics and how such divisiveness can lead to violence, as it did 30 years ago. He said there is much the nation can learn from the “Oklahoma Standard,” a term coined to reference the city’s response to the bombing by uniting in service, honor and kindness.

“Today, Oklahoma City, America needs you,” he

Saturday’s ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on the grounds of the memorial but was moved inside an adjacent church because of heavy rains.

After the ceremony, a procession of bagpipe players from the Oklahoma City Fire Department led many of those in attendance across the street to the outdoor memorial built on the grounds where the federal

building once stood. The memorial includes a museum, a reflecting pool and 168 empty chairs of glass, bronze and stone etched with the names of those killed. Nineteen of the chairs are smaller than the others to represent the children killed. Among the memorial’s top missions is to help people understand the senselessness of political violence and teach a new generation about the impact of the bombing, said Kari Watkins, the memorial’s president and CEO.

“We knew when we built this place we would some day reach a generation of people who weren’t born or who didn’t remember the story,” Watkins said. “I think now, not just kids are coming through more and more, but teachers who are teaching those kids.”

Court blocks new deportations under 18th century wartime law

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI and MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

The Supreme Court on Saturday blocked, for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th century wartime law

In a brief order, the court directed the Trump administration not to remove Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center “until further order of this court.”

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.

The high court acted in an emergency appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union contending that immigration authorities appeared to be moving to restart removals under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

The Supreme Court had said earlier in April that deportations could proceed only if those about to be removed had a chance to argue their case in court and were given “a reasonable time” to contest their pending removals.

“We are deeply relieved that the Court has temporarily blocked the removals. These individuals were in imminent danger of spending the rest of their lives in a brutal Salvadoran prison without ever having had any due process,” ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt said in an email.

On Friday, two federal judges refused to step in as lawyers for the men launched a desperate legal campaign to prevent their deportation, even as one judge said the case raised legitimate concerns. Early Saturday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also refused to issue an order protecting the detainees from being deported.

The administration is expected to return to the Supreme Court quickly in an effort to persuade the justices to lift their temporary order

The ACLU had already sued to block deportations of two Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet facility and sought an order barring removals of any immigrants in the region under the Alien Enemies Act.

In an emergency filing early Friday the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan men held there of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which would make them subject to President Donald Trump’s use of the act.

The act has only been invoked three previous times in U.S. history, most recently during World War II to hold Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration contended it gave them power to swiftly remove immigrants they identified as members of the gang, regardless of their immigration status.

Following the unanimous high court order on April 9, federal judges in Colorado,

New York and southern Texas promptly issued orders barring removal of detainees under the AEA until the administration provides a process for them to make claims in court.

But there had been no such order issued in the area of Texas that covers Bluebonnet, which is located 24 miles north of Abilene in the far northern end of the state.

U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, a Trump appointee, this week declined to bar the administration from removing the two men identified in the ACLU lawsuit because Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed sworn declarations that they would not be immediately deported. He also balked at issuing a broader order prohibiting removal of all Venezuelans in the area under the act because he said removals hadn’t started yet

But the ACLU’s Friday filing included sworn declarations from three separate immigration lawyers who said their clients in Bluebonnet were given paperwork indicating they were members of Tren de Aragua and could be deported by Saturday. In one case, immigration lawyer Karene Brown said her client, identified by initials, was told to sign papers in English even though the client only spoke Spanish.

Recovery hindered after Myanmar quake

BY GRANT PECK Associated Press

BANGKOK Basic services have yet to be restored to the areas of Myanmar worst hit by a huge earthquake three weeks ago, and emergency workers recovering bodies and clearing debris are contending with regular aftershocks and lack of resources, humanitarian services say

A situation report issued late Friday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said frequent strong aftershocks continue to shake central Myanmar almost daily, increasing fear and uncertainty among affected residents, disrupting response effort s and exacerbating the pressure on already limited resources and services.

“Three weeks after catastrophic twin earthquakes hit Myanmar on 28 March, the worst-affected communities are still without safe shelter, clean water and sanitation, stable electricity health care and essential services,” the report said.

The epicenter of the 7.7 magnitude quake was near Mandalay Myanmar’s second-largest city, but it hit a wide swath of the country, causing significant damage to six regions and states including the capital, Naypyitaw It also worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis triggered by the country’s civil war that had internally displaced

more than 3 million people and left nearly 20 million in need, according to the United Nations.

A report in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper published on Saturday said the quake’s death toll had reached 3,726, with 5,105 people injured and 129 still missing. It said 1,975 international rescuers and medical workers from 25 countries had collaborated with local rescuers in saving 653 people and recovering 753 bodies from under rubble.

Myanma Alinn said 65,096 houses and buildings, 2,514 schools, 4,317 Buddhist monasterial living quarters, 6,027 pagodas and temples, 350 hospitals and clinics, 170 bridges, 586 dams and 203 sections of the country’s main highway were damaged by the earthquake.

Myanmar Fire Services Department, an official emergency services agency

operating in many areas of the country, said in statements posted Friday on its Facebook page that rescue workers were carrying out relief, search and cleaning debris from the big buildings, and had returned valuable jewelry cash, and documents found among the rubble to their owners.

It also said that rescuers recovered two bodies from collapsed buildings in Mandalay An official from Myanmar Rescue Federation (Mandalay), which has been operating along with the firefighters, told The Associated Press on Friday that the priority three weeks on from the earthquake was to clear bodies and debris from under bigger buildings, while also providing assistance to the survivors affected by the earthquake.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he fears arrest for

speaking without authorization, said the number of bodies recovered daily has decreased to only one or two. Another emergency services worker in Mandalay, similarly speaking on condition of anonymity, said the number of rescue teams operating in Mandalay has been steadily decreasing as most of the international rescue teams had returned to their countries after their work to find survivors was considered completed. He said local rescue workers were mainly participating in clearing debris and providing assistance. The United Nations Development Program earlier this month estimated that at least 2.5 million tons, or roughly 125,000 truckloads, of debris from the quake needs to be removed It based its estimate on remote sensing analysis of images obtained by satellites.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By PAT SULLIVAN

Aren Almon greets President Bill Clinton after a prayer service for the victims of the deadly truck bomb attack in Oklahoma City on April 23, 1995.

National grouprunsTVadbacking La.scholarships

Push supports Landry’s LA GATORplan

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

As Louisiana Gov.Jeff Landry seeks nearly $94 million for aprogram to subsidize students’ private education, abillionairebacked advocacygroup will run atelevision ad starting Sundaythat targets state lawmakers who have challenged Landry’splan.

Club forGrowth, anationalgroup thatpromotes school vouchersand other conservative priorities, is paying for the ad and arelated outreach campaign. Both urge Louisiana voters to contact their state representatives and demand they“fullyfund” thenew LA GATOR Scholarship Program, which will give eligible familiestax dollars to pay for private school tuition and home schooling expenses like laptopsand tutoring.

“Tell them, ‘Don’tshortchangeour kids,’ ”a voiceover says while the ad displays phone numbers for the Louisiana House and Senate.

The group says it has funded campaigns in 10 other states promoting programs similar to Louisiana’s.Itspent millionsin Texastounseat Republican lawmakers who opposed school vouchers,helping clear the way for that state’sLegislaturetopass amajor voucher bill this week.

“Make no mistake —if you call yourself aRepublican and oppose school freedom, you shouldexpect to lose yournextprimary,” said Club for Growth President David McIntosh in a statement last year Airing Sunday,the ad calls Louisiana’snew voucherlike program “Landry’s education freedom plan.”

Landry,aRepublican, has proposed putting $93.5 million intothe program next school year. But some top state lawmakers, including Senate PresidentCameron Henry,R-Metairie, want to spendabout half that much, keeping LA GATOR’scost roughlythe same as the existingschool-voucherprogramitwill replace. Thead, which should run Easter morning, says viewers shoulddemand

thatlawmakers “fully fund Landry’splan.

Clubfor Growth bought airtimeontelevisionchannels across the state, including thoseinNew Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette,Shreveportand Lake Charles, according to filing with theFederal CommunicationsCommission. In BatonRouge, for example, the ad will air during “Face the Nation” on CBS, while in Lake Charles it will run

during “Meet the Press” on NBC.

AClubfor Growth spokesperson said they spent “six figures” on the ad buy andoutreach to residents digitally and over the phone. He would not say whether thegroup coordinated with Landry’soffice Landry’sspokesperson did not respond to arequest for comment.

The ad echoes one last year that featured Landry

criticizing lawmakers who tried to scalebackthe LA GATOR bill. It waspaid forbya Louisiana-based super PACthat promotes Landry’spolicy agenda. Some lawmakers, including Republicanswho support giving parents more school options, have expressed concern that LA GATORcould drive up statespending as thousands of parents seek statefundedgrants to payfor

private school. The new program drew nearly 40,000 applications before the sign-up period endedTuesday.Most families whoapplied do not have children in public school, thestate Education Department said, suggesting the program will create a major new expense for taxpayers rather than shifting money from public to private schools. Club forGrowth, which promotes free enterprise andlimitedgovernment, describes itself andits political arms as “the largest and mostsuccessful conservativepolitical giving group.” One of its main funders is Jeffrey Yass, abillionaire Republican megadonor who advocates for “school choice,” or giving parents public moneyto pay for private or religious education.

In 2023,the groupendorsed Landry in his bid to become governor, citing his support for “school choice voucher programs.” Club for Growth said it andone of itspolitical arms, theSchool Freedom Fund, spent nearly $16 million during state elections in Texas and Tennessee last year to defeat Republicans it says opposed school vouchers.

“The school freedom revolution is just beginning,” McIntosh,the group president, said last year

Email Patrick Wall at patrick.wall@ theadvocate.com

With alonglist ofsuccessfulprocedures, published researchandleadershippositionsonhis resume,Dr.Rizwan Aslamcould have a thrivinghealthcare career anywhere in theworld.But,the strong relationshipshe’sbuiltwith both hiscolleagues at Tulane andhis patients in NewOrleans over thepast14years mean justasmuchtohim as hisaccomplishments

“Tulaneisreallyengaged with thecommunity,” Dr.Aslam said.“We also offerverypersonalized, advanced care andinnovativetreatmentsthatmay notbeavailable in allmedical systems. It’s trulya collaborativeeffortacrossall specialties to provide thebestpossible outcomes forpatients.Tulanehas arichhistory of medicine,not only in this city,but throughout thecountry,and we continue to be on theleadingedgeofbestpractices.”

Dr.Aslamisthe interimchair andprogram directorfor otolaryngology residency andanassociate professorofneurosurgeryand plasticsurgery at Tulane University School of Medicine.Hewas first drawntothese specialties in largepartbecause of theimmediate impact theworkcan have on patients Today, Dr.Aslamfocuses primarilyonpatients with head andneckcancers,salivarygland disorders, andsleep apnea.

“Thisspecialty combines surgical precisionwith long-termpatient care andbuildingthose patient bonds,”hesaid. “It’sanamazing feelingtohavea tangible impact on people’s qualityoflife. Those relationshipsare reallymeaningful to me.Depending on apatient’s condition, we maysee them for several years. Ireallyenjoy gettingtoknowthemaspeople anddoing what Ican to help them live well.” Tulane’s continuedcommitmenttomedical innovation hasplayeda keyroleinDr. Aslam’sability to help patients usingstate-of-the-artmethods.Over thepastfew years, he hasperformed more than 100

procedures to implantadevicecalledInspire into people with sleepapnea whohavenot hadsuccess with othertreatments, such as CPAP machines.The Inspiredeviceisusually implantedina person’s chest andisactivated with aremoteeachnight.Asthey sleep, thedevicemonitorstheir breathingpatterns andsends mild stimulations to keep theirairwayopen.

“The Inspirehas been clinically proven to significantlyreduceapneaeventsandimprovepatients’sleep qualityand overalllifestyle,” Dr.Aslam explained. “Someofthe other majorbenefits arethatthere are no masksorhoses involved.I’vealwayshad patients come to me andsay,‘Ican’t wear themask. What are my alternatives?’.Inspire provides that alternative. Mypatientswhohaveithavebetterenergy,lessfatigue andsay they feel better overall. I’mreallyproud that we areabletooffer that to them here.”

In addition,Dr. Aslamsaidhehas been excited to work with newinnovations in treatmentfor head andneckcancers.AtTulane, he hasbeenapartof teamsperformingmicrovascular reconstructive surgeriesonpatientswithcancerand usingrobotic surgerytoremovecertain typesoftumors. That work hasbecomeevenmoreimportant in recent yearsas doctorsacrossthe countryhave notedanincreasein some typesofheadand neck cancersamong younger patients,evensomewithout ahistory of smokingor heavyalcohol use. “I’m always happytosee anymethodordevicethat helpsustoimprove precisionincare,”hesaid. “One of ourmainfocuses here at Tulane is personalized medicine.I really like to involvepeopleintheir treatment.I feel that explaining thesituation to patients andhavingthemunderstandwhatisgoing on is critical to success. That helpsusdevelop the solution that willworkthe best for them.” Formoreinformation or to make an appointment withDr.Aslam,pleasevisittulaneent.comorcall

Today,she and herteamare using music therapytoheal and comfort.

Their work is improving memory, strokerecovery, motor function and so much more.

With Our Lady of the LakeHealth and LSU behind them, imagine the mysteries of the mind they will unlocknext.

That’s the impact of champions.

Mandy Creekmore Medical Music Therapist, Our Lady of the Lake Health AdjunctInstructor, LSU

Learn howweare improving the health of Louisiana.

Transocean and operated by BP,blew up, leaving11 crew members dead.

Oil gushed into the Gulf for 87 days as attempts to cap it failed. In the end,an estimated 4.9 million barrels of crude oil spilled, much of it reaching the shore across the Gulf Coast.

It was the biggest waterborne oil spill in history

Intotal, oil reached more than1,300 miles of Gulf shoreline, with Louisiana hardest-hit. Over200 miles of marsh saw moderateto heavy amounts of oil.

The cause of the blowout involved aseries of failures. They ranged from poor cementing and wellcontrol procedurestothe failure of ablowout preventer,among other factors.

The subsequent fallout wasimmense, as were the legal ramifications, though the tragedy also led to some positive outcomes. In one notable example, Louisiana hasused billions in fines and settlements to carry out large-scale coastal restoration projects in the years since.

But alesser-known example involved funding forscientific researchon oil spills and surrounding ecosystems. BP agreedto grant $500 millionover a decade to pay forsuch research, overseenbyanindependent body

The money wasgranted with no strings attached It allowedthe independent body,the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, to finance research as it saw fit, said ChuckWilson, alongtime LSU professor who served as the initiative’s chief scientific officer

Ahefty list of research benefited, eventually uncovering findings on the oil’ssevere effects on the marsh, dolphins and species that live deep underwater,among many others, Wilson said.

‘A huge addition’

As one striking example, aresearcherfound shortly after the spill that thenumberofsmall fish, zooplankton and other invertebrates in deepwaters knownasthe mesopelagiczonedropped offby around 70%, said Wilson. Those speciesformanimportant part of the food chain.

There were also slivers of good news. Wilson notes that the Gulf was accustomed to both natural and accidental oil releases over many years, withlots of bacteria in the water adeptatdigesting it,and that happened to alarge degree.

The 10-year run of the research initiativehas now expired, but some of the work continues using other grants

“You can imagine being able to give out $50 million ayear for a10-year period was ahuge addition to available researchdollars coming to the Gulf of

Mexico,” Wilson said Roberts and LUMCON were among thosebeneficiaries, and their findings on the oil’seffects on marshhaveprovedfarreaching The complexplan they developedinvolvedmimicking natural marsh and tides as much as possible, and that’s wherethe giant plant pots came into play —amesocosm experiment,inscientist-speak.

The 12 pots are 5feet tall. Each includesa layer of marsh removed from the area —over1,600 5-gallon buckets of it in total, taken

intact by hand. They also hold atotal of 50 tons of mud from marshes.

To imitate tidal movement,the pots areconnected to tanks holding water from anearbybayou,deliveredatintervals to the pots. It is designedinsuch away to mimica rising and falling tide of up to 2feet.

Eventually,in2019, about ayear and ahalf afterthe marshplanting was complete, it was time to spread oil inside the pots. First,ithad to be weathered to replicate the state the Deepwater Horizon oil was in when it reached the

marsh. Then it hadtobe spread amongthe pots at different levels. Some received none, while others received high amounts.

Roberts and others dressedinprotective gear in the hotsummersun to do thejob —not an easy proposition. He said he sweated outsignificant weight in the process. That only begins to describe it all.

‘The pieces play together’ Aside from tests to see how the marsh handledthe

oil, scientistsran otherexperiments to examine fish behavior in the same circumstances, includingsurvivalrates andwhatthey did in reaction to thecontaminants.

As forthe marsh itself, the level of oil made abig difference, and areas with the heaviest amountssaw cascading effectsthat speedederosion,Roberts explained.

In areas heavily covered, where oil snaked down to the roots, the dying plants no longerheldsediment

together that maintainedthe structure of the marsh. That wasanespecially important finding for Louisiana’scoast, which is already losing land at arapid clip.

“So what you see is oiled areas eroded much faster than the other areas of the coast,”saidRoberts. “Once that’sgone,there is no recovery,right? That’sthe extreme.”

As timepassed, Roberts and other scientists began to see recovery in theinterior of the marshes, but not so muchonthe edges, where the heaviest oiling occurred —ashappened with the spill. That can have effects furtheralong the food chain, from algae and invertebrates to, gradually,larger animals.

“There’sacascade here in terms of time delaysand some things responding,” he said. “That’sone of the things thatwereally had discovered. That it’sa lot morecomplex in termsof, if youlook at oneorganism or group in isolation, youmay get adifferent story than if you look at how all the pieces play together.”

The BP funding has stopped,but the pots live on and are still being monitored, though not as intensely as before. Roberts said he’d like to find more research funding forthe experiment fornew typesof testing.

Wilson said the cumulative knowledge built up through the BP-related research will better serve responders and scientists when the next spill inevitably occurs.

“It was ahuge mixofdifferent projects and people,” he said.

Licciardi| stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youbyLCMCHealth.

Onoccasionapasserbymayseeathirdflag raised on theflagpole outsideofanLCMC Health hospital.The emblem on theflag reads,“DonateLife”.For 24hours,theNational Donate Life Flag flies tohonorapatientwho hasgranted another personasecondchance at life by choosing to donate theirorgans.

people hadtheir sightrestored. Histissuedonation helpedcountlessothers,aswell.AccordingtoDurapau, herson’s generosity of spirit hasnot only gifted the recipients with new-found health but hasbrought her joyamidstthe most difficult time in herlife.

“Mason hadthe biggestheart,” Durapaushared. “Hewas afriendtoeverybody.Hewould seethe underdog or thekid that just seemed lonely,and he wouldgoand talk to them.”

Theflag is provided by LouisianaOrgan Procurement Agency(LOPA), anonprofitorganizationthat worksclosely with LCMC Health andother health systemstofulfillthe needsoffamiliesonboththe giving andreceivingend of thedonationprocess. LOPA is passionate aboutofferingsupport to families whoare walkingthrough thedonationprocess. From themomentoftragiclosstoyears afterthe loved one’spassing,LOPAworks to honorthe individual donor, supportand comfortthe family,educate the community, andcelebrate thelifeofthe recipient.

“Fromthe very beginning, when they gettothe hospital,LOPAisthere 100% to supportthe donor family,” said Missie Durapau, whose14-year-old son, MasonKiley,donated organs upon hispassing in April2024. “Thingsliketheygot me ablanket andwater,ortheyhelped me to step outofthe room andtakesomedeepbreaths becauseIwas starting to getoverwhelmed.”

MissieDurapauisaregisterednursewhoworkedas abedside nurseuntil 2012 in thepediatric ICUatwhat wasthenknown as Children’s Hospital NewOrleans While workingthere,she wasintroducedtoLOPA andalwaysfound herselfemotionallymoved by the patients andfamilieswho hadmadethe decision to become organdonors. Shenever anticipatedreturning to theManning Family Children’s ICUseveral years laterinthe wake of herson’s fatalaccident.

“About sixmonthsbeforeMason’s accident, he saw thered heartonmydriver’slicense,and he askedme what it meant,”Durapau said.“So,I told himI was registered to be an organdonor andwhatitinvolved, andhesaid, ‘Mom,whenI die, Idefinitely want to be an organdonor.’ As aresultofKiley’s choice to donate hisorgans, fivepeopleweregiven asecondchanceatlifeand two

AccordingtoDurapau,the staff at ManningFamily Children’s went aboveand beyond throughout Kiley’s stay in thepediatric ICU. Thenursesand support staff graciously accommodated theirmanyvisitors andtreated everyone with utmost sensitivity. When it came time for Kiley to be broughttothe operating room,his family,friends,and theICU staff stretched down thehospitalhallwaystohonor himand say goodbyeone last time.Mason Kiley’s‘Hero Walk’was accompaniedbythe flag-raisingceremonyoutside in thecourtyard Oneyearlater,onApril 7th, 2025,Durapau had theopportunity to speakata National Donate Life Monthevent,hostedbyLOPAand ManningFamily Children’s.Inher presentation,she wasabletohonor Kileyandshareherexperiencewiththeorgandonation process. Shealsospoke abouthow connecting with twoofher son’sorgan recipients in recent months hasbeena greatsourceofcomfort andhope. This wasmadepossible by LOPA.One of thenon-profit’s many facets is to facilitate communicationbetween theanonymous recipientand donorfamilieswhen it is mutually desired.

“Inthislastyear, volunteering with LOPA and raisingawareness fororgan donation hasbeen a huge part of my healing,”Durapau said.“It’s given a purposetomypain, andit’sgiven me somethingto do in Mason’shonor,not just to remember Mason, but to keep hislegacy going. If Iwas on theother side of it,and Mason, or my otherchildrenwerewaiting for alife-saving organ, Iwould hope andpraythat anotherfamilyintheir worstoftimes wouldgive that ultimate gift andsay ‘yes’toorgan donation.” Formoreinformation on organdonations and howtoregister to be an organdonor in Louisiana, visit: www.lopa.org.Ifyou areinterestedinNational Donate Life Monthand howtohelpraise awareness in your community, checkout:https://donatelife.net/ To learnmoreabout LCMC Health,visit:www lcmchealth.org

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Executivedirector and chief scientist Brian Robertsstands at the marsh mesocosm experiment at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium in Cocodrie on Wednesday

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Marsh grass growsinthe marsh mesocosm experimentat theLouisiana Universities Marine Consortium in Cocodrie on Wednesday.

STAFF FILE PHOTOByMICHAEL DeMOCKER

An oilslick moves away from the scene as fireboats trytoextinguish the blazeonthe Deepwater Horizonoil rigsouth of VeniceonApril21, 2010 after an explosion left 11 workers dead and 17 injured.

By Stevie Cavalier

When Brian Marelo was born with his spinal cord growing out of his back, doctors said he would never walk.

“His neurosurgeon told my husband that it was much worse than he anticipated, and that Brian would lie in abed and have no quality of life,” said his mother, Gwen Marelo.“It was akick to the gut.”

The Marelos made it their mission to give their son the bestlifehecould possibly have, spending day after day in occupationaltherapyand dealing with the challenges that came with his diagnosis, includingepilepsy and hydrocephalus requiring a shunt. With 20 operations under his belt, Brian Marelo has had“more surgeries than birthdays —and we never know when thenext will be,” his mother said They celebrated eachof his milestones,and as he grew,hedeveloped an interest in sports, playing baseball, soccer and basketball with The Miracle League. He later joined the Lafayette-based Cajun Wheelers.

In 2024, when he participated in a5Kfundraiser for the youth wheelchair basketball team, he discovered aneed for speed.

“Once you finish (a race), it gives you asense of accomplishment,” BrianMarelo said. “It gives me more energy to do another race again, and getthat same energy over and over.” In 2024, he completed the Crescent City Classic.

“He finished in about an hour,and you could tell by the smile on his face he was hooked,” said Lou Fragoso, an ultramarathoner and CEO of ManningFamily Children’sHospital whoran the race alongside him. Supportive community

On abalmy Saturday morning, thousandsofparticipants lined up outside the

CaesarsSuperdome, some wearing costumes or pushing strollers. Bythe time the last wavehad crossed the starting line at 8:45 a.m., the elite runners had finished therace, with time to grab abeeratthe after-party in City Park.

Not allparticipantsmeasured their success inseconds, though

“It’smoreabouthow many ‘Ohyeahs’ and how many pictures they can take along theway with different people thantheir race time,” said Monica Wells.She, Pamela West, Stacey Wells and Lee West participated in agroup costumetribute to WrestleMania, complete with Slim Jim favors, and described their paceasa “highstroll, low jog.”

That kind of spirit is what keeps Dallas-Fort Worth resident Clive H. Coleman coming back to his native New Orleans to cheer family members on in the10K. “It’s alot of heritage, it’sa lotof culture, and it feels good just coming back home,” Coleman said.

Brian Marelo wasn’tthe only wheelchair user to completethe race,but his mother said he wasthe only

onetodosocompetitively. She says there’sa lack of exposure to adaptive sports in Louisiana. She hopes that when familieswatchher son competing, they’ll see what children with disabilities are capable of.

TheCrescent City Classicisthe perfect setting for racers of allagesand ability levels to test theirmettle, Fragoso said.

“This isn’tjustfor fast runners —itisfor everybody,” Fragoso said.He creditsthatoutpouringof community supportand enthusiasm for helping Brian Marelo “find his niche” as a competitor

“I wasrunning alongside himtoguide himand be support, but Ihad 18,000 otherpeoplehelping support him,” Fragoso said. “The Crescent CityClassic isn’tjustarace. It’sacelebration of our cultureand our community,and he got to see thebest of them.”

Now,Brian Marelohas 2032 Summer Paralympics ambitions. He wants to attend the University of Alabama, renowned forits adaptive sportsprogram, and study law or medicine. On Saturday, he complet-

Participants rundownPoydras Street during the

Health

CityClassic in Ne

Brian Marelo, 15, of NewOrleans is the first wheelchair racer to

in NewOrleans on Saturday.

dar, which uses laser pulses fired from aplane,touncover structuresswallowed by foliage, giving scientists akind of X-ray vision. And the Tulane research center, which in March celebrated its100-year anniversary witha symposium andanew exhibition, is at the center of aburst of new research.

“In 100 years, we had done about 1,000 squarekilometers of survey mapping, plus or minus,” said Canuto, who has led MARI since 2009. “In the last 10 years,wenow have data for about 10,000 square kilometers. So in a tenth of the time, we have 100 more times more data It’sascale of athousand.”

In October,the journal Antiquity publishedastudy by Luke Auld-Thomas, aformer Tulane doctoral student, and Canuto, his doctoral adviser,uncovering aMaya city,which they dubbed Valeriana, complete with plazas, causeways andball courts. The site was completelycanopied, in an area that,today,islightly populated. It was just the latestof several studiestomap a clearer,more complex pictureofthe Maya.

Just browsing Auld-Thomas found the lidar images on “the digital equivalent of ahigh, dusty shelf,”hesaid.

It was 2018, and AuldThomaswas in Guatemala City,doing field workthat would become the basisof his dissertation. He was supposed to be looking at ceramics, “but in classic gradschool fashion, Iwas doing something else.” He’d read an article analyzing environmental lidar data captured by NASA and figured, where there’sone, there’smore. So he started Googling, and several pages deep, found lidar images collected for a forest monitoring project in 2013 and released online for free. He zoomedinto an area of Campeche, Mexico, where Mayanists had long suspected there might be settlementsbut wherethere hadn’tbeenmuchresearch, “not forlackofinterest, but because thereare only so many Mayanists to go around.”

As soon as he opened the 3D images, he knew.Risingfrom even the “quick and dirty” versions of the files was “a big, conspicuous city.” Thus began aproject “that is only really possible in a place like MARI,” said AuldThomas, now afaculty member with Northern Arizona University.The research center is “the last of its kind —not to make it sound like adinosaur but to describe it as aresilient holdout. Asurvivor.”

That survival is partly due to Canuto, Auld-Thomas said, who “in addition to being areally creative and prolific researcher is also very,very much an institutionalist.”

And he inherited quite the institution.

In 1923, TheNew York Timesannounced that Tulanewould establish adepartment focused on “MiddleAmerica,”studying “the language and history of the founder of Central America as well as conduct expeditions to that country.” (The center preceded the term “Mezoamerica.”)

The effort was buoyedby New Orleans businessman Samuel Zemurray,president of theCuyamelFruitCompany,who donated$300,000, morethan$5million in today’sdollars.

Theresearch center’s first director, WilliamGates, had morethanscientific research in mind, as Canuto wrote in an article for the Societyfor American Archaeology.Ina letter to the Tulanepresident,Gates spelled out“his vision of gathering ‘informationusefultothe Port of New Orleans,and the businessthat lies behind it.’”

Soon, and undernew leadership,the center embarked on important “and often arduous” field expeditions, Canuto wrote, to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. On their first expedition,MARIresearchers in Mexico discovered agiant stonehead —amajor Olmec monument. “And agolden age of research at Tulane was inaugurated ”

Much of that research focused on theMaya, who before the SpanishconquestofMexico andCentral America, built distinctand sophisticated societiesreflected in their iconography, art and architecture. And, it turnsout, how they shaped theland.

‘Myjaw dropped’

When Canuto came to Tulane from Yale University in 2009, he rebooted the place. RenovationstoDinwiddie Hall followed, with better, more accessible storage for the center’scollection, including 35,000 objectsand 100,000 photographs. On arecentmorning,inthe bright, clean collectionsroom,six

colorful textiles were spread outacross atable,anticipating avisit from an art history student

The institute has along tradition of cartographic analysis, andone of Canuto’s own specialties as an archaeologistwas settlement pattern analysis —less excavating and more surveying. So one of his interests was GIS, or geographic information systems. As atechnology, lidar,shortfor “light detection and ranging,” wasn’t new. It hadbeen usedbyarchitects,meteorologists and astronauts.But over the past 15 years, it’s becomemore available and less expensive. By being able to survey much largerswathsofland, lidar solves aconundrum Canuto, who grew up in Manhattan, describesasthe Central Park problem.

Say you’re aresearcher with the ability to see only afew yards ahead of you. If youwere to drop intoCentral Park,with the goal of understanding the people who once lived in New York City, you might spend weeksinthe park and return to write apaper about how this population of people had no settlements When all along, there were skyscrapers just afew metersaway Archaeologists are still trekking into thejungle, of course. But now,with lidar, they’re headed toward aspecific site,withaspecific purpose

In 2016, the research institute received its first sets of lidar data from aproject funded by Pacunam, aGuatemalanfoundationthat preserves Maya cultural heritage. Afew researchersgathered in theGIS lab to open the lidar files. “My jaw dropped manytimes,” Francisco Estrada-Bell, aresearch professor in archaeology at the Middle American Research Institute, would later tell The New York Times “It was just four of us at 2o’clock in theafternoon, right?” Canuto said, telling the story in that same dark lab, linedwith computer

monitors, adecade later

But as theimages litupthe screens, afew morePh.D. students joined, then afew more. Then,suddenly,itwas 5p.m., and the smallroom waspackedwithdozensof studentsand professors.

In detailed 3D, they saw site after site,city after city.Housesand highways, terraces and irrigation systems. It would lead to a groundbreaking 2018 paper suggesting that millions more people livedinthe Mayan region than previ-

Tulane University professor Marcello Canuto reviewslidar imageswith graduate student Miguel Garcia at the Middle American Research Institute in NewOrleans thismonth. New technologyis giving researchers abetter view of ancient civilizations.

ouslythought. At onepoint, as they studied the images, Canuto cleared his throat. “Stop, everyone,” he began. “Just appreciatethat we have now seen, in the last three hours, more than the entire discipline has seen in the last 100 years.”

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Fishers celebrate seafood order as others fear overfishing

BY PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press

PORTLAND,Maine President Donald Trump’s executive order to boost the U.S. commercial fishing industry drew praise from commercial fishing groups and condemnation from environmental organizations who said they fear cutting regulations will harm fish populations that have already dwindled in some areas of the oceans.

The order represents a dramatic shift in federal policy on fishing in U.S. waters by prioritizing commercial fishing interests over efforts to allow the fish supply to increase.

The president described his decision as “an easy one” that will improve the U.S. commercial fishing industry by peeling back regulations and opening up harvesting in previously protected areas.

“The United States should be the world’s dominant seafood leader,”

he said Thursday citing the nation’s seafood trade deficit, which is more than $20 billion.

Some environmental groups cited the importance of relying on the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which has guided U.S. fishery management for nearly 50 years and was intended to combat overfishing. The number of fish stocks on the federal overfished list grew from 40 in 2013 to 47 in 2023; conservationists said they fear that number will grow with weakened regulations.

“These executive orders don’t loosen red tape — they unravel the very safety net that protects our oceans, our economy and our seafood dinners,” said Beth Lowell, vice president of Oceana, a conservation group. “For decades, the U.S. science-based approach to fisheries management has rebuilt declining stocks, kept American fishers on the water, and protected important places and wildlife.”

Some sectors of the fishing industry have been hit hard by environmental changes and overfishing, including in the Northeast, where once-lucrative industries for Maine shrimp and Atlantic cod long ago dried up. West Coast species, including some kinds of salmon, have also been depleted.

There have also been successes.

The federal government said last year it was able to remove Atlantic coast bluefish and a Washington coast stock of coho salmon from the overfished list

Fishermen said they see a brighter future thanks to the Trump executive order The changes represent a “thoughtful, strategic approach” that could be a lifeline to America’s fishermen, said Lisa Wallenda Picard, president and chief executive officer of the National Fisheries Institute in Virginia.

“The EO outlines key actions to benefit every link in the supply chain from hardworking fish-

ermen to parents who serve their family this nutritious and sustainable protein at home,” Wallenda Picard said. “Importantly, the order calls for reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on fishermen and seafood producers while also promoting the many benefits of eating seafood as part of a healthy, balanced diet.”

Trump’s order came on the same day he issued a proclamation allowing commercial fishing in Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. The monument was created by President George W. Bush in early 2009 and consists of about 495,189 square miles in the central Pacific Ocean.

Environmental groups, some of whom vowed to challenge attempts to weaken protections in certain areas, also criticized that move.

“This is one of the most pristine tropical marine environments in the world that already faces dire threats from climate change and

ocean acidification,” said David Henkin, an attorney with conservation group Earthjustice. “We will do everything in our power to protect the monument.”

Countering conservation groups, the Trump administration argues that restrictions such as catch limits and competition with wind power companies for fishing grounds have held back one of the country’s oldest enterprises.

“In addition to overregulation, unfair trade practices have put our seafood markets at a competitive disadvantage,” Trump’s executive order stated.

The order order gives Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick a month to identify “the most heavily overregulated fisheries requiring action and take appropriate action to reduce the regulatory burden on them.” It also calls on regional fishing managers to find ways to reduce burdens on domestic fishing and increase fishing production.

Scientists search for answers to whale shark mating locations

BY MARIA CHENG Associated Press

JAMESTOWN, St. Helena — Whale sharks shouldn’t be hard for scientists to find. They are enormous — they are the biggest fish in the sea and perhaps the biggest fish to have ever lived. They are found in warm oceans all around the world By shark standards, they are slow swimmers.

But they somehow manage to also be very private: Scientists don’t know where they mate, and they’ve never observed it before. They do finally have some clues, though. Scientists suspect the magic may be happening in the waters around St. Helena, a remote volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean where Napoleon Bonaparte was once exiled and died. It’s the only place in the world where adult male and female whale sharks are known to regularly gather in roughly equal numbers — and food doesn’t seem to be the main attraction

Kenickie Andrews, the marine conservation project manager at the St. Helena Trust says he’s seen

male sharks chasing females, nibbling on their pectoral fins and “displaying themselves” to the female sharks, akin to mating rituals observed in other sharks including great whites.

“What we’ve seen here is classic shark courtship behavior,” he said.

“To this day we haven’t seen successful copulation, but it is proof (whale sharks) are in our waters trying out these behaviors.”

Whale sharks typically measure from 39 to 59 feet, weigh up to 14 tons and are plankton eaters; all sharks have a unique pattern of white spots on their upper side.

Scientists say they need to know where the sharks are mating and giving birth so they can protect those areas, possibly by creating marine reserves where threats like fishing are banned Whale sharks are designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; the group says their population has been “largely depleted.”

Simon Pierce, who has studied whale sharks globally, said he has photographed suspected mating scars on female sharks in St.

Helena, probably from when male sharks bit their pectoral fins to hold onto them and get into mating position.

Suspected whale shark mating behavior has also been reported in Australia and the sharks also gather in places like Mexico, the Arabian Sea and the Maldives,

but that seems to amount to male harassment of immature females, explains Pierce, executive director and co-founder of the charity Marine Megafauna Foundation. That’s not the case in St. Helena, where adult males and adult females are present. Fisheries experts in St. Helena

have also provided eyewitness accounts of what they said were instances of whale sharks mating.

Officials described a lot of thrashing at the water’s surface by two enormous sharks touching belly to belly, but those sightings were not captured on video and are not considered sufficient proof by scientists.

Cameron Perry a research scientist at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, has been working with colleagues on the island to attach camera tags to investigate what the whale sharks are doing, but have run into some technical difficulties: the sharks dive deeper than 6,561 feet and the tags can’t withstand the pressure.

“We have some very tantalizing and teasing video,” Perry said. “We have two sharks about to make contact, and then our camera falls off.”

Perry isn’t sure what the sharks might be doing far below the surface, but hopes new technology being developed will help answer that question. “It’s just a numbers game in terms of how often we can get in the water.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By FLORA TOMLINSON-PILLEy A person swims near a whale shark off the coast of St.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Johnson, Scalisebreakingfundraising records

Duoleading effort to keep GOP Housemajority

WASHINGTON —Ifany proof is neededthat the Nov.3,2026, congressional midterms weighon the minds of House Speaker Mike Johnson,R-Benton, andHouse Majority Leader Steve Scalise, RJefferson,then look no further than the remarkable $44 million the two last week announced having raised to help Republican candidates.

Republicans hold 220 of the House’s435 seats and218 are needed for abare majority. Johnson and Scalise so far have been able to pass controversial bills by one and two votes

The GOP can’taffordtolose support from more than three of its members in the coming weeks when Congress takes up the big beautiful” budget bill that will include President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.

That slim majority —and history —give Democrats hope that, come the 2026midterm elections, they could seize control of oneof the levers of power thatthe GOP now controls. Since the 1970s, with the exception of 2002, the party whose candidate lives in the White House lost control of the House in the midterms.

Crystal Ball, the respected politicalhandicapping outfitaffiliated with the University of Virginia, last week found Democrats narrowly ahead 209-207 inseats safe for one party or the other. Nineteen races are toss-ups.

“Democrats should flip the House next year,” Crystal Ball predicted.

All of Louisiana’sfour Republican and two Democratic House incumbentsare considered safe.

Last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released its list of 35 targeted House seats. That number includes 10 seats in districts Trump

Bill would add governors’ appointees to PSC

Abill in the Louisiana Legislature would add two new seats to the Public Service Commission, both appointed by the governor

The PSC currently has five members, elected from districts across the state. The two appointed members would serve at large, representing the whole state, and would be subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

The commission regulates power companies, internet providers and other utilities throughout Louisiana.

Rep. Daryl Deshotel, RMarksville, who is sponsoring House Bill 413, saidhe wants to add the new seats because of an influx of new data centers to Louisiana with huge power requirements.

won byatleast 10 percentage pointsinNovember; three GOP seats in districts Vice President Kamala Harris won; and eight others that are considered competitive.

“House Republicans are running scared,and they should be. They’re tanking theeconomy, guttingMedicaid,abandoning our veterans and making everything more expensive. In short,they’ve lost the trust of their constituents, and it’sgoing to cost them themajority,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene, aDemocratic representative from the stateofWashington, said in astatement.

Johnson raised more money than any other Republican speaker duringamidterm cycle —a feat hesees as thenation rallying aroundTrump’spolicies to shrink the size of government, raise

CAPITOL BUZZ

staff reports

“That’sa lotofnew power comingtoour state.Ithink they’re going to be extremely busy If you’re adding broadband on topof this, Ijust don’tthink five people shouldbe tasked with that,” he said “I thinkit takesa biggereffort to make that happen.” If passed, the bill would dilute the powerofthe five elected members.Deshotel acknowledged that “the current PSC members hate it,” but said he had“talked to past PSC members who tell me it’sverymuchneeded.”

tariffs on imported goods, and deport immigrantswho snuck into thecountry without proper documentation.

“The American people are enthusiastic about keeping House Republicans on offense in 2026. While we deliver our commonsense America First agenda, we are also building amassive campaign war chest by hitting the ground running in thefirst quarter,” Johnson said in astatement. The money mostly is distributed to GOP candidates, committees and state parties.

As amid-level House manager before ascending to the top spot in October 2023, Johnson didn’tshine at fundraising. Open Secrets, aWashington-based nonprofit that tracks campaign contributions, showedthat,for the2022 election cycle, Johnson

The bill was originally scheduledfor ahearing last week, but Deshotel pulled it from the agenda, saying it “caught people by surprise.” He anticipates it will be heard sometime in the third or fourth week of the session.

FEMA grants to help airport, Barbe High Louisiana has received morethan $8 million in grants from theFederal Emergency Management Agencytohelp pay for repairs from hurricanes Laura and Ida.

The Calcasieu Parish School Board will get more than$7million for repairs to Barbe High School, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Laurain2020.

The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport will also receive more than$1million to repair

raised $1.3 million while the average House member brought in $3 million In the2024 cycle, as speaker, Johnson upped his gamebyraising $19 million, coming largely from retirees, pro-Israel groups and Lockheed Martin, the government’slargest contractor,according to the data Open Secrets organized.

He announced harvesting $32.2 million during the first three monthsof2025 forthe 2026 campaign. The latest reports, which are through March 31, haven’tyet been analyzed Scalise, on theother hand, has been aleading fundraiser for years. It’s part of the reason why he has been in the top echelons of Republican power since 2014. He has raised morethan $225 million since joining leadership.

damage from Hurricane Ida, which struckin2021.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville,announced the grantsina news release this week.

The grants come amid questions over the futureof FEMA and the role it plays in disaster recovery

President Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, the homeland securitysecretary, have bothsaid FEMA should be eliminated and someofits functions dispersed among other state agencies. Some conservatives have long argued that states should shoulder more of the burden of recovering from disastersinstead of leaning on federal taxpayers.

Legislature

off on Monday,back Tuesday

The Louisiana Legislature will not convene on

Open Secrets found that Scalise, in the 2024 election cycle, relied on conservative groups, Realtors, pro-Israel factions and retirees forthe funds he raised. Similar to Johnson’slatest haul, the analysts haven’thad time to collate the information that wasgiven to the Federal Elections Commission weekbefore last.

Scalise announced gathering morethan $12 million in the first quarter of the 2026 election cycle.

“It’smore important than ever we deliver President Trumpan even stronger House Majority, and we’re working overtime to ensure we have the resources required to stay competitive and the top-tier candidates we need to win,” Scalise said.

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

Monday, but committees andfloor actionwill resume Tuesday. Committeesofboth chamberswill meet beginning at 9a.m.The Senate is scheduledtogavel in at 3:30 p.m. andthe House at 5p.m

The agendasinclude bills on car insurance,one of the most controversial issues of the sessionsofar,and on proposed changes to Louisiana’s taxand spending laws thatvotersrejected in aconstitutional amendment earlierthis year, amongmanyother issues. To seefull agendas and schedules, visit legis. la.gov.

SUNDAY NEWS SHOWS

ABC’s“This Week” Sen. Chris VanHollen, D-Md.; Rep, Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; TomHoman, President Donald Trump’sborderczar.

NBC’s “Meet thePress” VanHollen; Sen. John Kennedy,R-La

CNN’s“Stateofthe Union” VanHollen; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Rep. TomEmmer,RMinn.

CBS’“Face the Nation” VanHollen; Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency administrator; Gov. Maura Healey, D-Mass.; Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.; Austan Goolsbee, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

“Fox News Sunday” Van Hollen; Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. The Associated Press

Mark Ballard

CENETA

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, right, with House Speaker MikeJohnson, R-Benton, fromleft, and House Majority Whip TomEmmer of Minnesota, speaks during anewsconference at the Capitol in Washington.

Senator returns from El Salvador meeting with Abrego Garcia

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Associated Press

WASHINGTON The dispute over the wrongful deportation and imprisonment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia “is not only about one man” but about Donald Trump’s disregard of the American judicial system as well, Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Friday as he returned from a three-day trip to El Salvador to press for the detained man’s release.

Speaking to reporters just after landing back in the United States, Van Hollen offered few answers about what will come next in Abrego Garcia’s case.

But the Maryland Democrat said that he and others will keep speaking out after the Trump administration defied court orders to facilitate his return to the United States and insisted that he would stay in El Salvador — even as officials acknowledged an “error” in deporting him.

“It’s about protecting the constitutional rights of everybody who resides in the United States,” Van Hollen said at Washington Dulles International Airport at a news conference with Abrego Garcia’s supporters behind him.

“It’s very clear that the president, Trump administration, are blatantly, flagrantly disagreeing with, defying the order from the Supreme Court.”

Standing next to him, Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer wiped away tears as the senator shared her husband’s comments about missing his family

Much uncertainty remains about the future of Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland, after Van Hollen was presented with a carefully staged opportunity to meet with him in El Salvador on Thursday The Maryland senator said that Abrego Garcia reported he’d been moved from a notorious Salvadoran mega-prison, CECOT, to a detention center with better conditions

Abrego Garcia’s status after Van Hollen left was not known, and there was no

indication that Van Hollen’s trip pushed him any closer to release.

The case has become a focal point in the national immigration debate. Democrats insist that President Donald Trump is overstepping his executive authority and disrespecting the courts; Republicans are criticizing Democrats for defending a man Trump and White House officials claim is an MS-13 gang member, despite the fact that he has not been charged with any gang-related crimes

Van Hollen said that Abrego Garcia told him that he’d shared a cell with 25 prisoners and was afraid of many fellow inmates at CECOT before he was moved to another center in Santa Ana, El Salvador He said that Abrego Garcia reported being treated well — but noted that they were surrounded by government minders at the time.

GOP isn’t budging

The fight over Abrego Garcia is the latest partisan flashpoint as Democrats struggle to break through and push back during the opening few months of Trump’s second administration.

More Democratic lawmakers have said they will fly to El Salvador to push for Abrego Garcia’s release, but the partisan pressure has yielded no results. President Donald Trump and El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, have only dug in on keeping him out of the United States. That stance remained even after the U.S. Supreme Court called on the administration to facilitate his return. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said that Abrego Garcia will “never live in the United States of America again.”

Bukele posted images of Van Hollen’s meeting with Abrego Garcia on Thursday and said that the prisoner “gets the honor of staying in El Salvador’s custody.” Van Hollen said a Salvadoran government official placed other beverages on the table with salt or sugar on the rim to make it appear they were

drinking margaritas. Van Hollen said neither he nor Abrego Garcia drank from the glasses, which in the photo Bukele posted were garnished with cherries.

After days of denying that he knew much about Abrego Garcia, Trump on Friday said he knew Abrego Garcia’s prison record was “unbelievably bad” and called him an “illegal alien” and a “foreign terrorist.

The president also responded Friday with a social media post saying Van Hollen “looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention.”

More trying to visit

Several House Republicans have visited the notorious gang prison in support of the Trump administration’s efforts. Rep Riley Moore, a West Virginia Republican, posted Tuesday evening that he’d visited the prison where Abrego Garcia is being held. “I leave now even more determined to support President Trump’s efforts to secure our homeland,” Moore wrote on social media.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials acknowledged in a court filing earlier this month that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was an “ administrative error.” The government’s acknowledgment generated immediate uproar from immigration advocates, but White House officials have stuck with the allegation that he’s a gang member

The fight has also played out in contentious court filings, with repeated refusals from the government to tell a judge what it plans to do, if anything, to repatriate him.

The three-judge panel from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously refused Thursday to suspend the judge’s decision to order sworn testimony by Trump administration officials and said the judiciary will be hurt by the “constant intimations of its illegitimacy” while the executive branch “will lose much from a public perception of its lawlessness.”

Judge says detained Tufts student must be transferred from Louisiana

BY HOLLY RAMER and KATHY MCCORMACK Associated Press

A Tufts University student from Turkey being held in a Louisiana immigration facility must be returned to New England no later than May 1 to determine whether she was illegally detained for cowriting an op-ed piece in the student newspaper, a federal judge ruled Friday U.S. District Judge William Sessions said he would hear Rumeysa Ozturk’s request to be released from detention in Burlington, Vermont, with a bail hearing set for May 9 and a hearing on the petition’s merits on May 22 Ozturk’s lawyers had requested that she be released immediately, or at least brought back to Vermont, while the Justice Department argued that an immigration court in

Louisiana had jurisdiction.

“The Court concludes that this case will continue in this court with Ms. Ozturk physically present for the remainder of the proceedings,” the judge wrote. “Ms. Ozturk has presented viable and serious habeas claims which warrant urgent review on the merits. The Court plans to move expeditiously to a bail hearing and final disposition of the habeas petition, as Ms. Ozturk’s claims require no less.”

The ruling came more than three weeks after masked immigration officials surrounded the 30-year-old doctoral student as she walked along a street in a Boston suburb March 25 and drove her to New Hampshire and Vermont before putting her on a plane to a detention center in Basile, Louisiana. An immigration judge de-

nied her request for bond Wednesday, citing “danger and flight risk” as the rationale.

Ozturk is among several people with ties to American universities whose visas were revoked or who have been stopped from entering the U.S. after they were accused of attending demonstrations or publicly expressing support for Palestinians. A Louisiana immigration judge has ruled that the U.S. can deport Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil based on the federal government’s argument that he poses a national security risk. Ozturk’s lawyers first filed a petition on her behalf in Massachusetts, but they didn’t know where she was and were unable to speak to her until more than 24 hours after she was detained.

TheU.S. Department of theNavy(Navy)announces theavailabilityofthe FindingofNoSignificant Impact (FONSI) andFinal EnvironmentalAssessment(EA)for theestablishment of anew Military OperationsArea (MOA)and associated AirTrafficControl AssignedAirspace (ATCAA) east of NavalAir StationJoint Reserve BaseNewOrleans(NASJRBNOLA),Louisianatoaccommodateflighttrainingactivitiesforsquadronsstationed at thebase. Theproposedactionistorequestthatthe FederalAviation Administration establishthe blockof specialuseairspaceeastofNASJRBNOLAtobenamedtheBourbonMOA/ATCAA.

TheFinal EA analyzes theimpacts of executing flight trainingactivitieswithin theboundariesofthe new Bourbon MOA/ATCAA from 4,000 feet mean sealevel up to approximately32,000 feet. Trainingactivities in theBourbon MOA/ATCAA wouldbesimilartothose occurring in theexistingadjacenttrainingairspace and include non-hazardousactivitiessuchasfunctionalcheck flights, basic fightermaneuvers,and familiarization training.

TheDraft EA wasmade availablefor public review andcomment from August 22 throughOctober 6, 2024. No publiccommentswerereceived. Basedonthe analysispresented in theFinal EA, whichhas been prepared in cooperation with theFAA andin accordance with therequirements of theNationalEnvironmental PolicyAct andNavypolicies andprocedures (32CodeofFederalRegulationsPart775),andinaccordancewithFAAairspaceandNEPApolicyandprocedures containedinFAA JointOrder (JO) 7400.2P andFAA Order 1050.1F,and with inputfromregulatory agencies, theNavy findsthatthe Proposed Action will notsignificantly impact thequality of thehuman environment. Therefore,anEnvironmentalImpactStatementwillnotbeprepared,andaFONSIhasbeenissued TheFinal EA andFONSI areavailable at:https://www.nepa.navy.mil/NOLASUA andatlocal libraries (Belle ChasseBranchLibrary,8442LA-23,BelleChasse,LA70037andthePlaqueminesParishLibrary,35572Highway 11, Buras, LA 70041). An electronic copy mayalsobeobtainedbywritten

Norfolk,Virginia23508.

PHOTO PROVIDED By PRESS OFFICE SENATOR VAN HOLLEN

Senator Chris Van Hollen, right, speaks with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland and deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration, in a hotel restaurant in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Thursday.

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY U.S.Vice

President JD Vance met Saturday with the Vatican’s No. 2official amid tensions over the U.S. crackdownon migrants, with the Holy See reaffirming good relations but noting “an exchange of opinions”over current international conflicts,migrants and prisoners.

Vance, aCatholic convert, met with the secretaryof state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher in the Apostolic Palace. There was no indication he met with Pope Francis, who hassharply cutbackofficial duties during his recovery from pneumonia.

Vance’soffice saidheand Parolin “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of perse-

cuted Christiancommunities around the world, and President Trump’scommitment to restoring world peace.”

TheHolySee has responded cautiously to theTrump administration whileseeking to continue productive relations in keeping with its tradition of diplomaticneutrality.

It hasexpressedalarm over the administration’s crackdown on migrants and cuts in international aid while insisting on peaceful resolutions to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Those concerns were reflected in the Vatican statement,which saidthe talks were cordialand thatthe Vatican expressed satisfactionwith the administration’scommitment to protectingfreedom of religion and conscience.

“There was an exchange of opinionsonthe interna-

tional situation,especially regardingcountries affected by war,political tensions and difficulthumanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees,and prisoners,” the statement said. “Finally, hope was expressed for serene collaboration between the state and the Catholic Churchinthe United States, whose valuable service to the mostvulnerable people was acknowledged.”

Thereference to “serene collaboration” appearedto refer to Vance’sassertion that theU.S.Conferenceof Catholic Bishops was resettling“illegal immigrants” in order to getfederal funding. TopU.S. cardinals have pushedback strongly against the claim.

“It is clear that the approach of the current U.S. administration is verydifferent from what we are usedtoand,especially in

Thousandstrekthrough N.M. desert to historic adobechurch

BY MORGAN LEE Associated Press

CHIMAYÓ,N.M.— Aunique

Holy Week tradition is drawing thousands of Catholic pilgrims to asmall adobe churchinthe hillsofnorthern New Mexico, in ajourney on foot through desert badlands to reacha spiritual wellspring.

For generations, people of the Upper Rio Grande Valley and beyond have walked to reach El Santuario de Chimayó to commemorate Good Friday Pilgrims began arriving at dawn. Somehad walked through the night under a half moon, carrying glowsticks, flashlights and walking staffs.

Some travelers are lured by an indoor well of dirt believed to have curative powers. Throughout the year, they leave behind crutches, braces and canes in acts of prayer for infirm children and others, and as evidence that miracles happen.

Easter week visitorsfile through an adobearchway and narrowindoor passages to find acrucified Nuestro SeñordeEsquipulasatthe main altar.According to local lore, the crucifix was found on the site in the early 1800s, acontinent away from its analog at abasilica in the Guatemalan town of Esquipulas.

Aspiritual place

Chimayó, known for its artisan weavingsand chile crops, rests high above the Rio Grande Valley and opposite the national defense laboratory at Los Alamos that sprang up in the race to develop the first atomic weapon. The iconic adobe church at Chimayó was cast from local mudatthe sunset of Spanish rule in the Americas in the early 1800s, on asite already held sacred by Native Americans. Set amid narrowstreets,

ROBERTOE.ROSALES

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By

Maria Sandoval leans on ahandmade cross bearing the names of lovedones passed as she waits in line to visit El Santuario De Chimayo in NorthernNew MexicoonGood Friday in Chimayo,N.M.

curio shops and brooks that flow quickly in spring, El Santuario de Chimayó has been designated as aNational Historic Landmark that includes examples of 19th-century Hispanic folk art, religious frescoes and saints carved from wood known as bultos.

Aseparatechapelisdedicated tothe SantoNiño de Atocha, apatron saint of children,travelers andthose seeking liberation and afitting figure of devotion for Chimayópilgrims on the go.

Hundreds of children’s shoes have been left in a prayerroom there by the faithful in tribute to theholy child who wears out footwear on miraculous errands.There are even tinybootstacked to theceiling.

Pueblo people whoinhabited the Chimayóarea long before Spanish settlers believed healingspirits could be found in the formofhot springs. Thosesprings ultimately driedup, leaving behind earthattributed with healing powers.

Away of life

Photographer Miguel Gandert grewupinthe Española valley below Chimayó and made the pilgrimage as aboy

withhis parents.

“Everybody wenttoChimayó. Youdidn’thavetobe Catholic,” said Gandert,who was amongthose whophotographed the 1996 pilgrimage through afederal grant. “People just went there because it was apowerful, spiritual place.”

Scenes from that pilgrimage —ondisplay at the New Mexico History Museum in SantaFe—include children eating snow conestokeep cool,men shouldering large wooden crosses, infants swaddled in blankets, bikers in leather andweary pedestrians restingonhighway guardrails to smoke.

Ageneration later,Good Fridaypilgrimsstillhaul crossesonthe road to Chimayó. Throngs of visitors often waithours fora turn to file intothe Santuario de Chimayó to commemoratethe crucifixion.

AdrianAtencio,30, fell to his knees and ran his hands through the red earth in the well of thefloor in the Santuario.Atencio,fromnearby San Juan Pueblo, hasbeen making the Good Fridaytrek since age 7. This timeitwas aboutthe future and new beginnings.

the West, from whatwe have relied on for many years,” Parolin told La Repubblica daily on the eve of Vance’svisit

As theU.S. pushes to end thewar in Ukraine, Parolinreaffirmed Kyiv’s right to its territorial integrity andinsistedthatany peace deal mustnot be “imposed” on Ukraine but “is built patiently, day by day,withdialogue and mutual respect.”

Vancewas spending Easter weekendinRome with his family and attended Good Fridayservices in St. Peter’s Basilicaafter meeting withItalian Premier Giorgia Meloni. On Saturday,after introducing his family to Parolin, the Vances got aprivatetour of theSistine Chapel and later visited Rome’sbotanic garden, whereone of hissons was seen in aplasticgladiatorcostume that is popular among Italian kids.

It wasn’timmediately clear where theywould celebrate Easter.Francis, for his part, indicated he hoped to attend Easter Mass that usually draws thousands to St. Peter’s Square,according to theofficialMass booklet and liturgical plans released Saturday Papalrebuke Francis andVance have tangled sharply over migrationand the Trump administration’splans to deport migrants en masse. Francishas made caring for migrants ahallmark of his papacy andhis progressive views on social justice issues have oftenput him at odds with members of the more conservative U.S. Catholic Church.

Francis also changed church teachingtosay that capital punishment is inadmissible in all cases. After apublic appeal from

Francis just weeks before Trump took office, President Joe Bidencommuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federaldeathrow Trump is an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, identifies with asmall Catholic intellectual movement, viewed by some criticsas having reactionary or authoritarian leanings, that is oftencalled“postliberal.” Postliberals share some longstanding Catholic conservativeviews, such as opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. They envision acounterrevolution in which they take over governmentbureaucracy and institutions like universitiesfromwithin, replacing entrenched “elites” with their own and acting upon their visionofthe “common good.”

Hazing prevention should startearlier,expertsays

University leader says conversationsmust also be more often

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

Nearly eight years ago,the hazing-related death of an 18-yearold LSU student Maxwell Gruver resulted in aharsher anti-hazing law in Louisiana that madehazing afelony with hefty fines andjail time.

In February,ithappened again Southern University student Caleb Wilson died earlierthis year after being punched inthe chest multiple times by members of Southern’schapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity in what police have characterized as a hazing ritual. His death has reignited conversation about hazing prevention efforts among higher education leaders, legislators and Greek life organizations, and inspired abill that wouldincrease requiredanti-hazing education for somecollege and university students.

Those who have studied hazing incidents, like former Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough, say hazing prevention should start before students enter college and be reinforced regularly Kimbrough, who servedas president of DillardUniversity from 2012 to 2022 and is widely considered an expert in hazing incidents, spoke withThe TimesPicayune |The Advocate about why hazing happens and what everyone from school superintendents to sports leagues can do to prevent it.

The interviewwith Kimbrough, who is currently serving as inter-

Q&A WITH WALTER KIMBROUGH

FORMER PRESIDENT OF DILLARDUNIVERSITy

im president of Talladega College, hasbeen condensed andedited for clarity

Whydoes hazing happen?

It’sjust aculture that says new peoplearen’tviewed as good enough.Even on amajor league baseballteam, therookies have to do certainthings because they’re rookies. SometimesIsay it’sthe Protestantwork ethic gone wrong. If you think that anything worth having is worth working for,some peoplefeel likeifit’sworth being apart of this group, you need

to workfor it. Unfortunately, though, that sometimes takes a bit of aperverted twist and that’s when hazing happens.

How long has hazing been going on?

Hazing is a600-year-old problem. It dates back to German universities in the1400s. It was always based on the premise that initially,new students coming to college were not viewed as good enough by older students and you had to do something to earn your space tobethere. In theU.S., hazing started in the1800s with freshmen. In the

1920s, colleges and universities started toeradicate the hazing of freshmen, but the culture had to go somewhere. That’swhen we started tosee hazing cases pick up in fraternities and sororities. When you put it like that, it sounds like an incredible challengetochangesuch a longstanding practice

It’ssodeeply ingrained.

It’shard changing that culture because peoplejust don’twant to feel like anyone can walk in and becomeamember of an organization withoutdoing anything when they themselves had to go through allthese trials and tribulations to becomeamember.That doesn’tseem fair, so that’spart of thechallenge.

Are there anymeasures university administrations can take?

We’regoing to have to do more consistent year-round anti-hazing messaging

There should be PSAs during football games or basketball games. When they have commercial breaks, there could be a reminder that hazing is illegal. A lot of campuses have electronic message boards and you could run anti-hazing messages all year long.

We need to always be giving the message, not just at certain times of the yearwhen new students are coming in. Ithink it’sgot to be all year round, and on all our different platforms. Ithink it’sjust got to be much moreofa blitz in terms of constant awareness.

You’ve spokenabout the need to educate students about hazing at an earlierage Whyisthat?

We need to be much moreproactive about talking about hazing prior to college. There’sahazing. org study that found 47% of college students experience hazing in high school, so alot of students are coming in predisposed (to

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTSACROSS THESTATE HOWTOTACKLETHE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACINGLOUISIANA SCHOOLS.

think) it’snot that big of adeal.

Schools really should start talking about bullying in middle school. Hazing is apretty close cousin of bullying, so it would be easy to add those together Who should drive that shift?

We need acoalition of groups to talk about this moreopenly and often and not just view it as acollege fraternity problem because it’sbigger than that.

We need superintendents, high school athletic associations. Major league sports should take a stronger stand against hazing, because they can be role models to address that, particularly forhigh school athletes.

Do people seem receptivetoshifting hazing educationearlier?

It’s been floated some, but no one has stepped up to own it and say we’re going to be the group or groups that lead this new coalition.

Ithink it probably should come out of the fraternity-sorority community,but Ithink alot of times those national groups are too busy trying to put out their own fires that they don’tthink bigger than that.

Howdostronger criminal laws factorinto hazing prevention?

Just having astronger law isn’t always adeterrent. Even at LSU, there’sbeen hazing cases since Max Gruver died, so even the threat of jail has not been asignificant enough deterrent forpeople to stop hazing. We just have to keep having conversations about it. We don’t do enough until there’sabig blowup, and then everybody’shair is on fire, trying to figure out what to do. Ithink that we’re going to have to really spend timejust talking about it over and over and over and over again.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Walter Kimbrough,former presidentofDillard University in NewOrleans, has studied the causes of hazing and howtoprevent it.

BY MARY PEREZ Sun Herald

Even those who don’t know casino executive John Ferrucci after his 30 years on the Mississippi Coast probably recognize his voice.

That’s because he was the voice of Silver Slipper Casino commercials for nearly 20 years since it opened in late 2006 in Hancock County

The idea came from the parent company’s CEO, Paul Alanas, who told Ferrucci he wanted him “to be the face of the Silver Slipper,” Ferrucci recalled recently

“When I first got here, people thought it was a New Orleans accent,” he said.

“That’s close enough close enough.”

Ferrucci’s effective campaign lasted for two decades, but he delivered his last radio spot in March.

“People just responded to it, like, unbelievable,” he said.

Ferrucci retired in early April as general manager of Silver Slipper and chief operating officer and senior vice president at Full House Resorts, parent company of Silver Slipper, but he will continue in a consulting role.

His résumé is extensive. It all began when Ferrucci left his job as a teacher with a master’s degree and a $15,000 salary after 10 years. He doubled that, earning $30,000 his first year as a blackjack dealer in Atlantic City, and he worked his way up. Since then, he’s led or worked at six Gulf Coast casinos, with thousands of fel-

THE GULF COAST

low employees he says are responsible for the success of the casino industry

He welcomed top singers and comedians and put $1 million on display before giving it away. He guided a casino comeback from bankruptcy and he helped casinos survive hurricanes and navigate recessions, an oil spill and the pandemic.

Jersey meets Mardi Gras

After a decade of working in Atlantic City for Caesars and Harrah’s in the 1980s, Ferrucci was at his fourth year at a casino in the Bahamas when he was recruited by Grand Casinos. He had to look on the map to find Gulfport, Mississippi.

“They flew me in to interview,” he said, and he arrived on a Tuesday in March.

Mardi Gras parade floats and revelers blocked his way to the casino and his interview

It didn’t stop him.

“I went back to the Bahamas, packed up and came back as the director of table games for the Grand Casinos,” he recalls. That was 1993 and three other casinos were open on the Gulf Coast Isle of Capri, the President and Biloxi Belle.

In 1994, he was promoted to vice president of operations for Grand Biloxi Casino. As he sits on the deck of The Blind Tiger restaurant in Biloxi, the former site where much of the Grand Biloxi operated, he recalls how the Grand Theater was on one side and the hotel tower on the other

The second tower north of the highway is now Harrah’s Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 demolished the buildings south of Beach Boulevard.

“That was a great opportunity for me, because when I got promoted to assistant

help bring the Palace Casino out of bankruptcy and reopen the casino. The next year, he went to New York to open a tribal casino, but he returned to South Mississippi in 2000.

He teamed up with Paul Alanis, president of Pinnacle Entertainment and owner of Casino Magic, which Ferrucci would be selected to manage.

In early 2005, Alanis decided to buy President Casino Broadwater and move operations to Hancock County

The investors bought it on April 15, and Ferrucci worked at the President for four months, when the barge was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Silver Slipper Casino was the first in Mississippi to be built on land after the regulations changed.

Silver Slipper success

general manager here, the theater reported to me. We booked all the acts, and we got to meet all those celebrities. It was a lot of fun back in that day,” he said. Tom Jones, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Wayne Newton, Ray Charles and so many others played the Grand Theater

He posed with each of them, but said, “I don’t have a wall big enough for all the pictures.”

His job also was to hire key people, including casino hosts. He needed 13 hosts and already had 10 of them, so he told the head host to stop bringing candidates in for interviews.

An hour later, he brought in Bridget. She got the job and the guy

“We’ve been married 24 years,” he said.

Moving up, moving back In 1997, he was hired to

“Bridget and I stood there on the pier down in Hancock County where the Silver Slipper was going to be born,” Ferrucci recalled.

There wasn’t anyone in sight, and only the sound of the wind whistling through what was left of the pier

“Are you sure you want do this?” his wife asked.

“I think I’m sure I do, because Paul’s involved, and he’s got a good plan, and I like it. So, yeah,” he said.

Twenty years later, he has risen to become the chief operating officer of Full House Resorts, a major casino company, while continuing as general manager of Silver Slipper

The crowd poured into Hancock County destination on opening day, Nov 9, 2006, according to an account in the Sun Herald. The casino put 700 people to work on the Mississippi Coast after Katrina.

“We were the Hancock County tourism business of

the year for 2007. Our first year We were thrilled,” Ferrucci said at the time. They didn’t build a wedding chapel overlooking the water as originally planned, but they did build a hotel tower a larger parking garage, new restaurants and an RV park on the beach. The 2008 promotion to display and give away $1 million is still remembered as one of the best in the ara. A stack of $100s and $20s was secured in a clear case, with $20 bills mixed in to make it look more impressive, he said. It was the largest amount given away by any casino to date.

What’s next

The new manager

Netanyahu: Israel has‘no choice’

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, JOSEF FEDERMAN and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said again Saturday that Israel has “no choice” but to continue fighting in Gazaand will not end the war before destroying Hamas, freeing the hostages and ensuring that the territory won’t present athreat to Israel.

Theprime minister also repeated his vow to make sure Iran never gets anuclear weapon.

Netanyahu is under growing pressure at home not only from families of hostages and their supporters but also from reservist and retiredIsraeli soldierswho question the continuation of the war after Israel shattered aceasefire lastmonth. In his statement, he claimed that Hamas has rejected Israel’slatest proposal to free half the hostages for acontinued ceasefire.

The prime minister spoke after Israeli strikes killed more than 90 people in 48 hours, Gaza’sHealth Ministry said Saturday Israeli troops havebeen increasingtheir attacks to pressure Hamas to release the hostages and disarm.

Children and women were amongthe 15 people killed overnight, according to hospital staff. At least 11 dead were in the southern city of Khan Younis, several of them in atent in the Muwasi area where hundreds of thousands of displaced people stay,hospital workers said.Israel has designateditasa humanitarian zone.

Mourners cradled and kissed the faces of the dead. Aman stroked a child’sforehead with his finger before body bags were closed.

“Omar is gone Iwish it

was me,” one brother cried out

Four otherpeople were killed in strikes in Rafah city,including amother and her daughter,according to the European Hospital, where the bodies were taken.Later on Saturday, an Israeli airstrike on a group of civilianswest of Nuseirat in central Gaza killed one person, according to Al-Awda Hospital Israel’smilitaryina statement said it killed more than 40 militants over the weekend. Separately,the military said asoldier waskilled Saturday in northern Gaza and confirmed it was the firstsoldier death since Israel resumed the war on March18. Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said it ambushed Israeli forces operatingeast of Gaza City’s al-Tuffah neighborhood. Israel has vowed to intensify attacks across Gaza and occupy indefinitelylarge “securityzones” insidethe small coastal strip of over 2million people. Hamas wantsIsraeliforces to withdrawfrom theterritory Israel also has blockaded Gaza for the past six weeks, again barringthe entry of food andother

goods

This week,aid groups raised thealarm, saying thousands of children have become malnourished and most people arebarely eating one meal aday as stocks dwindle, according to theUnited Nations.

Thehead of theWorld Health Organization’s eastern Mediterranean office, Dr.Hanan Balkhy, on Friday urgedthe new U.S. ambassador in Israel, MikeHuckabee, to push the country to lift Gaza’s blockade so medicines and other aid can enter “I would wish forhim to go in and see thesituation firsthand,” shesaid.

The warbegan when Hamas-led militantsattacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people,mostlycivilians, andabducting 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas currentlyholds 59 hostages, 24 of thembelieved to be alive.

Israel’soffensive has since killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostlywomen and children, according to Gaza’sHealth Ministry whichdoes notdistinguish between civilians and combatants.

DEATHS continued from Sloo KearnyWatters and Colonel Alfred Adair Watters; brothers, A. Adair of Spartanburg, S.C. and Russell Watters of California; andhis eldest daughter, Chastine "Tina" Van Fleet of Pensacola.

artists, faithfullyattending Jazz fest everyyear ! Sandra openedand managed theNew Orleans Museum Store in the Cabildo Sandra was apast recipient of Women of Fashion ,Anactivememberofthe Contemporary Arts Center ,New Orleans ballet association -BRAVO ,New Orleans Opera Guild and NewOrleans museum of art

With thepassing of Louis Wilson and failing health, Sandra eventually moved to Glendale Ohioto live her remaining years with her loving sister Kathy Pfirrmann and brother-in-law Fred where she was warmlyembraced by their friends. Last march Sandra was joyfully welcomed into the Catholic Church she lovedher savior Jesus Christ and willbemissed by allwho knew her Friends are invitedtoattend aservicefor Sandra at Saint JudeCatholic Church 411 rampartSt.,New Orleans, La at 1:30 on April23rd Burial services were held in Glendale, Oh.

Watters, Warren Kearny

Warren Kearny Watters aNew Orleans native, passed from this life April 12 after abrief illness, just twoweeks shy of his 98th birthday. The void left from hispassing is immeasurable. He was adevoted and wellloved man throughout his life Warren is survivedby his belovedwife of 75 years, Chastine "Tatine"; daughters, MaryNeilson and Cecile Tebo; six grandsons, Nelsonand Warren Lindsley, William, Christopherand Alexander Teboand Tucker Arbaugh; one granddaughter, Chastine "Mackie" Arbaugh; and twogreat grandsons, Conrad and LoyalLindsley. Warren is preceded in death by his parents, Ellen

Warrenbrieflyattended Newman School before attending and graduating from Choate School in Connecticut in 1944 and thengraduating from MIT in 1949. Amonghis many achievements at MIT, it is notedthathewas theinstigatorofone of MIT's most famous hoax attempts, replicated in the 1980's by abandofMIT Deke's(DeltaKappa EpsilonFraternity) honoringthe 1940's attempt whichwas thwartedby Yale/Harvardsecurity at thetime.

Warrenwas awonderful athlete andwas captain of theTennisTeams both at Choate and MIT, and served as Presidentofthe DEKE 1949 National Convention

Hismilitaryservice included active duty in the MarineCorps during WWII andasnaval officer in the Korean War,serving several years as Operations Officeronthe USSCabildo.

Warrenwas considered an expertinthe developmentoffiberglass and foam insulation products for thermal, acoustic and fireprotectiononships andsubmarineswithpersonal contacts in theshipbuilding industry throughoutthe U.S. anda number of countriesinthe far east andEurope.

Hisbusinesscareerincluded several years with Owens Corningfollowed by serving as Presidentof theReilly Benton Co. and as Board Director of WhitneyBankfor many years. He wasa life-long member and vestryman of Trinity Episcopal Church founder of theTrinity Perpetual Memorial EndowmentFundand served as Financial Advisorofthe substantial sum raised.Warrenserved as Presidentofthe Board of Trinity Episcopal School, andTrustee of the University of theSouth at Sewanee, Tennessee.

Otheractivities included serving as Presidentof Kingsley House, the Garden District Association andthe Waldo Burton Home. He wasVicePresidentofthe Metropolitan Crime Commission, Chairman of theUnited Way Long Range Planning

Committee, amember of theMayor'sAdvisory Committee on Crime and Delinquencyand Trustee of TheInternational House Warrenwas alifetime member of theNew OrleansCountry Club, The WyvernClub, TheBoston Club, TheLouisiana Literaryand Debating Society, TheSociety of Colonial Wars, The School of Design (Rex), TheMilton Society(Atlanteans), Syntax Society(Comus) andseveral othercarnival organizations OurpreciousWarren, thewarrior,taughtusto always love and serve othersfirst. He lived hislifea physical angeltoall and nowgraces the heavens with spiritual wings to fly. TheWatters Family wishes to thankWarren's incredible caregivers, Barbara Jackson,Aundra Smith, Brenda Baptiste, DemetricHawkins and Wilma Sanders fortheir amazing care,love and devotion to Warrenoverthe past fewyears. In lieu of flowers, the familywould appreciate donationsmade to either TheWaldo Burton Home For Boys in NewOrleans or to theTunneltoTowers Foundation

AMemorialService will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church,1411 Jackson Avenue, Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 2pm witha reception to follow.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

-Amy G.

NOLA.COM | Sunday, april 20, 2025 1Bn

Two vie for Jefferson council seat

May 3 special election to decide District 1 post

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

With Jefferson Parish Council

veteran Ricky Templet out of the race for District 1, a small-town mayor and a little-known Gretna Democrat are now vying for the open seat.

Timothy Kerner Jr., the Republican mayor of Jean Lafitte, and Andrea Manuel, a Spanish educa-

Tammany schools seek

$325M bond issue

Money would go to capital improvements

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

Every five years or so, St. Tammany Parish public school officials ask voters for permission to sell bonds to fuel a host of projects ranging from new classrooms to computers and school security upgrades.

And the voters have always said “yes.” On May 3, school leaders will bring another capital improvements list to voters, this one the largest ever for the district at $325 million.

Given their track record, school district officials would have good reason to feel confident. But as financing referendums become increasingly contentious in St. Tammany, they also know they can’t take any chances.

Early voting started Saturday and runs through April 26, with the exception of Sunday Ahead of the election, Schools Superintendent Frank Jabbia and other district leaders have hit the civic meeting circuit, pitching the ambitious plan to groups across the parish.

He said the message is twofold: explain to residents how necessary the school improvements are, “and at the same time understand that when people look at their tax bills, it’s overwhelming.”

But Jabbia and School Board members have relied heavily on the fact that this bond issue will be backed with revenue from an existing property tax. This isn’t a new tax, they say; it’s just seeking permission from voters to spend money on a long list of projects.

“I think we have really good support from the community,” School Board President Matt Greene said “We’ve got 55 schools. It would really be a challenge if we can’t get this passed.” Voters are being asked to OK a list of projects that includes improvements to 23 schools across the parish and a new health care/ STEM campus near the technical college in Lacombe.

The plan puts the work in four general sections:

n $251 million for improvements to 23 of the district’s 55 schools.

n $32 million for technology and security purchases and upgrades, including $10.5 million to swap out old Chromebooks.

n $30 million for a new health care and STEM learning center

n $12 million for new school buses.

Jabbia said the property tax backing the bonds, which was recently trimmed by the School Board to 13.7 mills, doesn’t

tor and life coach, will face off in the May 3 special election for the Jefferson Parish Council District 1 seat, which opened up late last year when Marion Edwards announced his retirement.

The winner will represent a majority-minority district that cov-

ers Gretna, Terrytown, Jean Lafitte, Crown Point, Estelle, Barataria, Grand Isle and parts of Harvey and Marrero. They will also control millions of dollars in discretionary funds and sway over local contracts. Templet’s bid to return to the

Parish Council ended in the March 29 primary when he got only 28% of the vote, an upset to parish leaders who backed him. Templet, a Republican, served the District 1 and at-large seats between 2012 and 2023. Manuel declined an interview and instead sent written responses to a list of questions.

Early voting continues until Saturday Andrea Manuel Manuel surprised political pun-

dits March 29 when she emerged as the front-runner in the primary, albeit by a razor-thin margin, with 36% of the vote. Manuel mostly flew under the radar undetected by her opponents before the primary as Kerner and Templet tore at each other in political ads and social media posts. She raised about $2,700 — about

JUMP FOR JOy

TOP: Kids jump in the inflatable jumping castle during a free Easter Egg hunt hosted by state Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, outside the American Legion Post 438 in New Orleans on Saturday LEFT: Logan Leach, 2, gives a high-five to Easter Bunny Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, during a free Easter egg hunt.

Longtime rabbi leaving N.O. to be with family Cohn worked decades for human

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

A prominent New Orleans rabbi, widely regarded for his human rights advocacy work and interfaith ties, is leaving the city this week after nearly 40 years of community service. Rabbi Edward Cohn, a Maryland native who was senior rabbi of Temple Sinai until his 2016 retirement, is moving to Atlanta to be closer to family The idea of a move gained momentum last year when Cohn encountered health issues that gave him a new perspective on life.

“I had two back surgeries, one in March and one in April last year That kind of taught me you’re getting older and you need to be with family,” Cohn said in an interview When looking back on his time in New Orleans, Cohn’s story reaches far beyond his congregation. He landed in the

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Rabbi Edward Cohn at Congregation Temple Sinai in New Orleans on

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Kerner Manuel

ä See COUNCIL, page 2B

First Louisiana measles case

confirmed in New Orleans

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

The Louisiana Department of Health on Saturday reported the state’s first confirmed case of measles this year in the greater New Orleans area.

Once nearly eradicated and preventable by vaccines, the highly contagious virus has raised public health alarms as a nationwide outbreak reached 800 cases as of Friday

The New Orleans case is in an unvaccinated adult from Region 1, which includes Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard Parish.

The Louisiana Department of Health said the patient, who is in isolation and has been treated at a hospital, likely contracted measles through international travel. Last year, Louisiana saw three measles cases, the Health Department said, all in the greater New Orleans area and all travelassociated.

The department’s Office of Public Health is working to identify and notify those who have come into contact with the infected individual.

New Orleans’ Health Department could not immediately be reached for comment.

Of the 800 cases nationally so far this year, there have been 10 clusters defined as three or more related cases — according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington. Texas is driving the high numbers, with an outbreak centered in the western part of the state that started nearly three months ago and was up to 597 cases as of Friday Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses near the epicenter in Texas, and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.

The Health Department said the best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

The state’s legislative leaders

issued statements Saturday saying they are monitoring the situation and urged concerned residents to consult their physicians.

“As Louisiana learns of its first reported case of the measles, the legislature will continue to monitor the situation and support our experts at the Department of Health.” Senate President Cameron Henry said, “Anyone in the New Orleans region who is concerned about potential exposure should contact their primary physician for guidance.

“After speaking with the Louisiana Department of Health about the first reported case of the measles, I have been reassured that preparations had been taken ahead of the outbreak in Texas and that our Department of Health partners were ready for this possibility,” Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier said. “Families who have questions or might have a loved one experiencing symptoms can reach out to their local doctor for advice and additional information.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Three accused in hazing death expelled

Victim was allegedly punched four times before collapsing

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

Three men arrested in connection with the hazing death of Southern University engineering student Caleb Wilson have been expelled from Omega Psi Phi, according to the fraternity’s website.

Isaiah Smith, 28; Caleb McCray 23; and Kyle Thurman, 25, were booked in March following an investigation into the Feb. 27 incident, which authorities have described as a hazing ritual inside a Baton Rouge warehouse on Woodcrest Drive.

Wilson, a former trumpet player for Southern’s acclaimed Human Jukebox marching band and a graduate of New Orleans’ Warren Easton High School, died after he was punched multiple times in the chest, law enforcement officials have said Omega Psi Phi pledges were brought to the warehouse and made to change into gray sweatsuits as part of the ritual. McCray and two others took turns punching pledges in the chest using a pair of boxing gloves, according to McCray’s arrest records.

friends

15.

RABBI

Continued from page 1B

segregation.

“New Orleans is that kind of community where we all need to get along with each other,” said longtime congregation member Cliff Kern. “We all need to recognize the value of our faith and our social activities, and I think Ed was always conscious of that.”

With the support of the city’s second Black mayor, Sidney Barthelemy, Cohn helped reestablish the Human Relations Commission, becoming its first chair in a city grappling with the complexities of race, poverty and justice. The commission held hearings to address issues such as housing and job discrimination, and called attention to excessive use of force by New Orleans police.

When the battle over the Confederate monuments’ removal swept headlines and sparked numerous protests across the city, Cohn and the commission were instrumental in having them taken down in 2017.

“It was an ‘in your face’ thing for the Black community,” Cohn said of the Liberty Place monument formerly located at the foot of Canal Street. “It was hurtful. We were able to get it removed.”

Many know him as a source of inspiration.

“He’s probably the best at making and maintaining personal connections with his congregants,”

SCHOOLS

Continued from page 1B

expire for another 15 years.

He and School Board members have noted in previous interviews that voters on several occasions have approved capital improvements projects using bonds backed by the this tax.

The most recent was in 2019, when 65% of voters cast “yes” ballots for a $175 million improvements program.

“This is the largest upgrade we’ve ever undertaken,” Jabbia said. “The 23 campuses (on the list) are in desperate need. We’ll get rid of the portables (classrooms).”

School Board member James Braud said some of the portables have been on campuses for decades.

“You can’t put it off forever,” he added.

said Bob Brickman, an accountant, past congregation president and friend of Cohn’s.

“He really developed deep and meaningful relationships with major faith leaders in the city And for our congregation, it encouraged us to expand our perspective and understanding of other faiths,” he said.

Forging those relationships helped deepen the synagogue’s ties to the broader community, transforming it into a hub for social action and collaboration.

When a fire ravaged Greater St Stephens Church on South Liberty Street in 2008, Cohn opened the synagogue’s doors for leaders to hold Sunday service while the church was being rebuilt.

“It was just very inspiring that he would instantly think of that and make it happen,” Brickman said.

Cohn has also served on a number of boards throughout his time in New Orleans, with multiple honors and awards under his belt, such as the National Urban League’s Living Legend Award awarded in 2014.

Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu appointed Cohn to the Civil Service Commission in 2013, and he previously served on the New Orleans Ethics Review Board. Currently, he’s a member of the Xavier University Board of Directors.

Email Joni Hess at joni.hess@ theadvocate.com.

ish to take advanced classwork in health care and STEM fields and would be operated through collaborations with area health care providers, businesses and the technical college.

“We can’t afford facilities at every one of the eight high schools” across the parish, Braud said. “This is a centralized approach.”

The school district’s bond issue proposition comes on the heels of the mixed results of two propositions on St. Tammany’s March ballot. Voters easily passed a tax for library operations, but shot down a proposition to take some revenue from a roads and drainage sales tax and use it to cover some criminal justice costs.

But Greene and Braud, in recent interviews, emphasized that the school district isn’t seeking a new tax — just voter approval to issue bonds for a massive capital improvements program.

COUNCIL

Continued from page 1B

campaign finance reports. She received no endorsements. Manuel attended candidate forums and media interviews and often responded to questions about policy by saying she’d wait until she’s in the role to research and determine the best course of action

“Anyone who claims to have all the answers to matters in which they only have partial information is being untruthful,” Manuel said in a statement.

But with four constitutional amendments from Gov. Jeff Landry on the ballot mobilizing Democrats to turn out, and with some voters feeling despondent about the other two candidates, she received the boost in votes necessary to make the runoff, analysts theorized. If elected, Manuel would be the first Black council member to represent her district Manuel, 59, runs her own consulting firm, where she offers services teaching Spanish and life coaching. She’s worked as a Spanish teacher at four schools, a child welfare specialist for the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services and an insurance agent. She grew up in Old Jefferson and graduated from Xavier University

She also studied at a Central American language school and served as a missionary in Venezuela for two years She’s received endorsements from 10 Black leaders at the local, state and federal level, including

McCray allegedly punched Wilson four times before he collapsed, authorities have said.

The fraternity’s international leadership has mourned Wilson and thanked law enforcement for its investigation

Wilson’s family has also been vocal in condemning hazing. His aunt and uncles organized an

Smith, a Southern graduate student, was the “Dean of Pledges” for the chapter and was responsible for those pledging to the fraternity, according to court records.

U.S. Congressman Troy Carter, State Sen. Royce Duplessis and Parish Council member Byron Lee.

She’s also been endorsed by Marion Edwards, a Democrat, the Jefferson Parish Democratic Executive Committee and Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund.

Lee is working closely with Manuel on her campaign, and the two spoke at a church in Marrero together recently Lee’s chief of staff, Pamela Watson, is a consultant for Manuel’s campaign.

Manuel says if elected, she plans to work with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the state’s congressional delegation to secure funds to mitigate coastal erosion. She hopes to incentivize new businesses and development on the West Bank, as well as minimize crime by supporting the Westbank Major Crime Task Force and bolstering patrols and equipment at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

She also said she’d like to create a committee to provide input on where discretionary dollars should be spent.

When asked why voters should choose her over Kerner she said via email, “I’m not a politician, nor do I come from a political dynasty.”

Kerner is the third in his family to lead Jean Lafitte, and has repeatedly denied claims that that makes him part of a dynasty

“As I have been canvassing District 1, constituents state they are sick and tired of being sick and tired,” Manuel stated. “Residents have indicated they want someone who is concerned about the needs of all communities, not just specif-

electronic billboard campaign to honor Wilson and share an anti-hazing message in New Orleans’ Central Business District through Saturday At the same time, Omega Psi Phi members are gathered for annual meetings in New Orleans, according to the fraternity calendar.

Email Marco Cartolano at Marco.Cartolano@theadvocate. com.

ic areas within the district, and not a candidate who has an ax to grind or a hidden agenda.”

Tim Kerner Jr.

Kerner has centered his campaign on distributing money more fairly across the district, an effort to attract young families to the West Bank. He trailed behind Manuel by 74 votes.

“Right now, too many communities (in unincorporated Jefferson Parish) are being left behind,” Kerner said in an interview “It’s a situation where they haven’t had a leader They haven’t had someone who’s truly been their voice, listened to them and invested their tax dollars and cared about their community.”

Kerner, 34, became mayor of Jean Lafitte in 2020 after winning 95% of the vote in his election against a Democrat. He succeeded his father, Timothy Kerner Sr., who resigned from the position to become a state representative after serving seven terms as mayor Kerner also works as an attorney and Realtor and serves on the Lafitte Area Independent Levee District Board.

His top priorities are lobbying the state and federal delegations to alleviate the homeowners’ insurance crisis, repairing neighborhood parks “in terrible condition” and expanding on programs like the First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program to attract young professionals like teachers and firefighters to the West Bank.

Kerner also said his experience leading a coastal town will be vital to the district should a hurricane or other disaster hit, especially as President Donald Trump ends

Jabbia said he understands the price tag might give some people pause. But he said construction costs are always rising, as is the cost of technology and other items.

A key component in the improvements plan is the proposed health care and STEM school, which will be built on land the school district owns near the Northshore Technical Community College in Lacombe That school, which is being called The Discovery Center, would be open for high school juniors and seniors from across the par-

FEMA grants and considers nixing the agency entirely Trump issued an executive order in March directing state and local governments to “play a more active and significant role” in disaster preparation and recovery Both at-large council members Jennifer Van Vrancken and Scott Walker have endorsed him, as well as Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle and the Republican Party of Louisiana. All are Republican. Van Vrancken, who has pitted herself against the rest of the council over a brewpub project in Gretna, has heavily backed Kerner since the start of his campaign.

The other district council members, Arita Bohannan, Hans Liljeberg, Deano Bonano and interim member Joe Marino, do not plan to make an endorsement, they said. Kerner slammed Templet before the primary on discretionary spending, saying that he was part of a political “machine” in Old Gretna that took the lion’s share of public money for frivolous projects, like the Gretna brewpub Kerner at one point likened downtown Gretna to “Disney World.” Kerner said he wanted to move away from the “machine” accusations now that Templet is out of the race. He said he’s focused on raising up the rest of the district, not tearing down Gretna, which he called a “gem.”

“I’m not going in there to take anything away from Gretna,” Kerner said. “I’m not going in there to make Gretna less great.

I’m going to fight as hard as I possibly can for Gretna, but I’m also going to fight for other communities.”

“I really hope we have a similar turnout to what we had in March. I think a large turnout helps us. We’re not trying to slide this by anyone,” Green said, referencing the parish’s 22% voter turnout, which was much higher than had been expected for a springtime ballot.

But Braud isn’t confident there will be a big turnout. Are people aware there’s an election May 3?

“Probably not,” he said. “I don’t know what the turnout will be, but I would think it will be pretty small.”

Those in Gretna may be slower to move past Kerner’s previous accusations, though. Arthur Lawson, Gretna’s recently retired police chief and a West Bank political kingmaker, said he has a “lack of trust” in Kerner Marion Edwards said he “got so sick” of hearing Kerner’s claims about spending in Gretna. Gretna Mayor Belinda Constant said she “couldn’t condone” his behavior in this election.

“It has left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths among the citizens of Gretna,” Lawson said.

Kerner said he accepts losing trust with Gretna officials for “bringing transparency” regarding discretionary funds, and that he believes he’s gained trust with the public as a result, based on his success in the primary

“Everyone deserves tax dollars being spent back in their community,” Kerner said. “If that upsets a few people, then sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.”

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

FRIDAY,APRIL 18, 2025 PICK 3: 6-9-2

4: 3-5-3-2

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Family and

hold a second-line after the Celebration of Life Services for Caleb Wilson at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Kenner on March

Abry,Herman

Barisich,Mitchell

CondollJr.,Edwin

Cossé,Leroy Davis, Willie

DiCristina Jr., Casimere Fitzsimmons,Brady

GloverJr.,John

Gooch, Julia

Guzman,Iris

Haeuser, Raymond

Hanberry,Donnie

Hoover, Irvin

Jenkins,Shelita

Juge,Alcee-Randall

Macloud, Eileen

McKay, Catherine

McNamara Jr., William

Meyn, Susan

MillerJr.,Joseph Nicholson, Dwight

O’Neill, Vera

Ormond, Marie

Ortiz,Pamela

Pajaud, Dianne

Palmisano,Angela

Parker,Beverly

Pinell,George Punch, Gerald

Ross III, Edward

St.Pierre, Elizabeth

Stromeyer, Stuart

Trout Wilson, Sandra

Watters, Warren

EJefferson

Garden of Memories

O’Neill, Vera NewOrleans

Boyd Family

CondollJr.,Edwin

Guzman,Iris

Nicholson, Dwight

Pajaud, Dianne

DW Rhodes

Jenkins,Shelita

Greenwood

DiCristina Jr., Casimere

McKay, Catherine McNamara Jr., William JacobSchoen

Meyn, Susan

Parker,Beverly Pinell,George

Lake Lawn Metairie

Abry,Herman

Gooch, Julia Hanberry,Donnie

Ormond, Marie

Ortiz,Pamela

Palmisano,Angela

Punch, Gerald

St.Pierre, Elizabeth

Watters, Warren

Majestic Mortuary

Davis, Willie St Tammany

Bagnell Son

Juge,Alcee-Randall

EJ Fielding

GloverJr.,John

Honaker

Cossé,Leroy

Herman Joseph Abry, a lifelong resident of Harahan, LA, passedaway peacefully at the age of 89 on April 14, 2025.He is survived by his devoted wife of 66 years, Louise Makofsky Abry,and by his children and their spouses: Emily A. Barre'and her husband Daniel Barre', and Herman Gregory (Greg) Abryand his wifeMichelle B. Abry. He was the beloved grandfatherof Alyssa Barre'Bourgeois, Julia Barre' Reuther, Monique Abry Knoepfler, ThomasAbry,and Patrick Abry,and proud greatgrandfather of Brady Bourgeois, Bryce Bourgeois, James Reuther, Casey Reuther,Adrian Reuther, and Vivienne Abry.Heisalsosurvived by his brothers, George Abry and John Abry,and a host of lovingnieces and nephews.Herman was preceded in deathbyhis parents,Herman Andrew Abry and CarmelBuisson Abry; his sisters Carmel A. Pattersonand Ann A. McGehee;and hisbrother Edgar Abry. Agraduate of St. Dominic School and Warren Easton High School, Herman attended Loyola University and proudly servedfor eight yearsinthe U.S.Naval Submarine Reserveasa Torpedoman Second Class. Herman was the fifth-generation leaderand former president of AbryBrothers, Inc., thewell-known New Orleans company specializing in shoring,leveling and elevatingstructures. Among his many contributions to the city, he led the relocation of the historic PitotHouse in 1964 and oversaw critical structural recovery efforts,moving houses and otherstructuresthat came to rest on highways in lower PlaqueminesParishfollowing Hurricane Betsy in 1965. He was widely respected by engineers and contractorsalike forhis integrityand deep expertise, especially in the preservation of historic French Quarter architecture.He was actively involved in the communityand church life, servingasPresident of the St. Mary's Dominican High School Parents Club (1978-79), aformer member and Lieutenant of the Krewe of Eros, aformer board memberofthe AssociatedBuilding Contractors, and aparishioner of St. Rita of Cascia Church in Harahan. There, he served faithfully as a Lector, Sacristan, Extraordinary Ministerof Holy Communion, and a dedicatedvolunteer with the St. VincentdePaul Society.Hewas aproud memberofthe Knights of Columbus Council#3854. A man of faith and reflection, Herman was amember of Manresa Group #38, attending annual retreats at Manresa House of Retreats for 34 consecutiveyears.In recognition of his devoted servicetothe Church, he was awarded the St. Louis Medallion by the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 2006.Herman's legacy is one of devotion —tofaith,family, heritage, and the city of New Orleans.Hewas aquiet force of strength and compassion, admired by all who knewhim. The family extendsheartfeltgratitude to hisdoctors andtohis lovingcaregivers: Lindsey, Gaynell, Latricia, Jasmine, and Fran. Relativesand friends are invited to attend servicesheldatSt. Rita Catholic Church, 7100 JeffersonHwy.,Jefferson, LA on Thursday,April24, 2025.A visitation at church willbegin at 10:00am until Mass begins at12:00pm. Interment willbeprivate. In Lieu of Flowers,please consider adonationin Herman'smemorytoSt. Rita de Cascia Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Manresa House of RetreatsorWLAE-TV.

Always in our hearts. Rest in peace, Stari.

CondollJr.,Edwin Joseph

EdwinJosephCondoll Jr. passedawayonApril 13, 2025, at theage of 64 Edwin,survivedbyhis motherLenoraWhite Gray, sister, DioneCondoll nephews:Tareytonand Alexander Russ, step‐mother, Ruby Condoll, stepsister, Dondra Fisher devoted cousins: Carol Righteous,Victoria Williams,KeefeCondoll, and devotedfraternity brother,VictorStarwood Alsosurvivedbya host of other relativesand friends. Precededindeath by his father, EdwinCondoll, Sr stepfatherLeroy Gray, grandparents, Carrie and James White, Earlineand AugustCondoll. Edwinwas a graduate of Jesuit High School andfour-year mem‐ber of thebasketballteam. Hewas also aUniversityof New Orleansgraduate, ma‐joringinHotel Manage‐mentand Tourismand ini‐tiatedintothe Phi(Theta Mu) chapterofthe Omega Psi PhiFraternityInc.at UNO in 1980. Hispassion was Culinary Art. Special appreciation to “Changeof LifeGroup Home”and Krystal andErvin Steven‐son.Our familyextends appreciation andgratitude for prayersand expres‐sions of sympathy during our time of grief. Family and friendsare invitedto attend theBurialService onMonday, April21, 2025 for 11:00 at St.Louis Ceme‐tery#3, 3421 EsplanadeAv‐enue,NOLA, 70119. Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com(504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd and DonavinD.BoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors

Cossé,Leroy Joseph 'Buddy'

LeroyJoseph“Buddy” Cossé,age 88, peacefully passedonApril 16, 2025 Hewas born in Port Sul‐phur,Louisiana on April14, 1937, where he livedmost ofhis life until he retiredto Slidell to be near hisson and grandsons. He wasthe beloved husband for53 years of thelatePatsy Pi‐chonCossé.Heisalsopre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐ents, George Cossé Sr.and EvelynRouselle Cossé,his brother George Cossé Jr and hissisterEileen Cossé Edgecombe.Heissurvived byhis son, MichaelJoseph Cossé (Andrea),grandsons AndrewCossé andMitchell Cossé (Ashley),great grandchildren;Grace,Ava and Dustin,and hisbroth‐ers GilbertCossé andRene Cossé.Heisalsosurvived byand preceded in death bya host of in-laws, many nephews andnieces, and dearfriends.Buddy gradu‐atedfromPortSulphur HighSchool in 1955 and graduated with aB.S.from NorthwesternState Univer‐sityinNatchitoches, Louisiana.Hewas an ac‐complishedathlete in high school,semi-pro3rd base‐man forthe Port Sulphur Merchants andRegional Badminton Champion for NorthwesternState Univer‐sity. “Coach”was lovedby manyasa teacher, coach, and principalatDelta Her‐itage AcademyinBuras, Louisiana.Helater became recreationdirectorof Plaquemines Parish andre‐tired in 2003. Buddy and Patsy were well known ownersofthe Melody LoungeinPortSulphur for 9 years. He also enjoyed manyyears as asubstitute teacher in theStTammany Parishschools. Buddy was an avid fishermanand

duck hunter.Hewas the chairmanofthe Plaquem‐inesParishChapter of Ducks Unlimitedfor 10 years andfoundingmem‐ber of there-established Delta Duck HuntingClub. His friendsand familyhave manyfondmemorieswith him andthe iconic house‐boat; theDelta Duck.As per hiswishes, aprivate ceremonyfor theinurn‐mentofBuddy andPatsy willbeheldatHonaker For‐est Lawn Cemetery in Slidell, Louisiana. Please visit www.honakerforestla wn.comtosignguestbook ArrangementsbyHonaker FuneralHome, Inc.,Slidell LA.

Davis, Willie MaeMelton

Willie MaeMeltonDavis a retiredchef, enteredinto eternal rest on April10, 2025. Shewas theloving wifeofthe late Hayes Davis,the mother of Bruce, Jody, Calantha,Tammy, Shawn, Shanna,Shane,and Keiishunn. Shewas pre‐ceded in deathbyher hus‐bandHayes Davis, four childrenBruce,Jody, Calantha, andShawn. She leavestomourn herpass‐ing,three daughters, Tammy Simmons, Shanna and Keiishunn Davis, one son ShaneDavis (Pamela), three grandsonsSamuel Ash IV,Cordaryland Zachary Davis, twogreatgrandchildren Courtney and Carter Davis, devoted niece Carrie Annand a hostofcousins,nieces, nephews andfriends.Rela‐tives andFriends of the FamilyalsoPastorand Members of BlessingsBe‐yondInternational Church NAMI, Rouses #26, Pepsi, and ConcernCareHospice are allinvited to attend the FuneralService at Bless‐ingsBeyondInternational Church,3236 Burdette St onSaturday, April19, 2025, at9:30a.m.Visitationwill begin at 9:00am.Interment inResthaven Memorial Park. Professional Arrange‐ments EntrustedtoMajes‐tic Mortuary Service, Inc. (504) 523-5872.

DiCristina Jr., Casimere Louis

Casimere LouisDi‐Cristina, Jr age83, passed awaypeacefully on Satur‐day,April 12, 2025. He is precededindeath by his beloved wife,Janet Frances LesaDiCristina, andhis parents,CasimereLouis Di‐Cristina, Sr.and Helen LarmeuDiCristina. Left to cherish hismemoryare his lovingchildren, Alexis Ann Gardner (Brian) and CasimereLouis DiCristina III (Divina);his adored grandchildren,Amanda, Kyle, andMallory Gardner, and Chad,Cody, andChase DiCristina; andthe joyful anticipationofhis first great granddaughter, whose soon to be arrival brought himimmensehap‐piness. Aproud native of New Orleansand longtime residentofMetairie, LA Casimerelived afulllife grounded in family, ser‐vice, andsports. He de‐voted 44 yearsasa dedi‐cated clerkfor theIllinois South Railroad andwas a proud United States Ma‐rine. Casimere found his greatestjoy in supporting his grandchildren, faith‐fully attendingtheir sport‐ing events,and beingan ever-present figure in their lives.Anavidwalkerand lifelongsportsfan,he never misseda game—no matterwhatsport.Hewill berememberedfor his steadfastlove, hiswarm spirit, andhis unwavering devotiontofamily. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to visitGreenwood FuneralHome, 5200 Canal Blvd.,New Orleans, LA 70124, on Thursday,April 24, 2025, starting at 9:00 a.m.A Memorial Mass will followthe visitation at 11:00 a.m. Theburialwill beinGreenwood Ceme‐tery.

Fitzsimmons, The Honorable Brady Michale

TheHonorable Brady Michale Fitzsimmons, retiredJudgeofthe Louisiana First Circuit CourtofAppeals,passed away peacefullyathome on April 14, 2025, surrounded by family. He was83. Born in NewOrleans on July 17, 1941, to Huyet WalterFitzsimmons and Henrietta MaeTruxillo in NewOrleans,Bradybegan collegeatMarquette University in Milwaukee, graduating from SpringHill CollegeinMobile.A devout Catholic, Brady'seducation centered on 8yearsof education providedbythe Jesuits. He received his Masters from LSUand his JurisDoctor from Loyola, NewOrleans.His early years were spent in New Orleans, Knoxville,TNand Mobile,Alabama. He maintainedcontact through the years with lifelongfriends from St CatherineofSiennaand McGillInstitute in Mobile In 1969, Bradymarried A. Geraldine Mannion. Together, they had4 beautiful sons: Brendan Dalton Fitzsimmons (d. 2022)(Katie Groh) grandchildrenBarbara, Dalton; Ian HuyetFitzsimmons (Katherine), granddaughters Marenand Rowan; Cavan Michael Aherne Fitzsimmons (April)granddaughters Brayden and Callan; andDevinPatrick Fitzsimmons (Kate) grandchildrenLiam andNora.

Bradybegan his professional career as acollege English instructor.Upon completinghis law degree followingprivate practice, he began hisdistinguished legal career that would span nearly four decades serving as apublicdefender andassistantdistrict attorney. In 1988, Bradybecame aDistrict Judge in St TammanyParish Subsequently, in 1995 he waselected to the First Circuit Court of Appeals whereheserveduntil2005. Bradyremarriedin2000 to Margaret Katherine Jackson.Theyretired to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida in 2015. Bradycontinued to serve with integrity, fairness, and adeep commitmenttojustice at therequestofthe Louisiana SupremeCourt on anumberofkey mattersuntil 2023.

Bradywas alifelongstudent of literature,heenjoyed family, traveland art.Inretirement, Brady and Katherine spent 20 years of wonderfulsummers in Montanamaking lifelongfriends. He was predeceased by his parents, younger brother, William "Billy" Patrick Fitzsimmons andhis eldest son,Brendan.Heisalso survived by 3stepchildren, Virginia Ruth,Patrickand PaulJ.Gregory.

He will be sorely missed and remembered for his faith, hislove of family, appreciation of friends and hispassion for the law as a devoted public servant. He wasknown notonlyfor his sharp legal mind but also for hiscompassion, humility, andunwaveringbelief in thedignity of everyindividual whoenteredthe courtroom over whichhe presided.Hereferredto hisjudicialservice as "toilingthe in the vineyards of justice."

Amemorial service will be held at theirhome parish,St. Rita Catholic Church on Friday, May2, 2025, at 2:00pm in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. A Memorial Mass and reception will be held at St Joseph Abbey locatedat 75376 RiverRd. St Benedict, LA on June 23, 2025 with a1:00pm visitation,Mass at 2:00pm and a reception at theAbbey Retreat Center to follow Intermentwillbeprivate

In lieu of flowers, the familyrequests that donationsbemade in Judge Fitzsimmons'honor to the followingcharity: Tunnel to Towers,2361 Hylan Blvd Staten Island, NY 10306 or donationsupport@t2t.org

To share memories, expresscondolencesand sign the online guestbook, please visit www.daviswatkins.com.

Deacon John Armand Glover, Jr.passedawayon Saturday, April12, 2025. He was born in NewOrleans, LAonJune 27, 1952. He is survivedbyhis children, JohnGloverIII (Amanda) KateBilbo (Allen) andJulie Woodard (David); grand‐children, John Glover IV, Annabelle Glover,Leo Woodard,MaggieBilbo and SamuelBilbo.Heisalso survivedbyhis brother, HammonMynders Glover (DebLaQua). He waspre‐ceded in deathbyhis wife of49years,Kathleen Debo‐rah BrownGlover; hispar‐entsJulie MyndersGlover and John Armand Glover, Sr. Deacon Jack wasa na‐tiveofNew Orleansand was ordained in 1987 as a Permanent Deacon.Hewas AssistantPrincipal at St Francis Xavier Catholic School for34years.Hewill bemissedbyall who knew and lovedhim.Inlieuof flowers, thefamilyprefers Massesorcontributions in memoryofDeaconGlover bemadetoCatholicChari‐ties. Relativesand friends are invitedtoattend the FuneralMassatSt. Anselm Catholic Church,306 St MarySt.,Madisonville, LA 70447 on Tuesday, April22, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. with vis‐itation at church on Tues‐day beginningat9:30a.m IntermentwillbeinLake LawnParkCemetery. E.J. FieldingFuneral Home has been entrustedwithfu‐neral arrangements.The Gloverfamilyinvites youto share thoughts,fondest memories, andcondo‐lencesonlineatE.J.Field‐ing FuneralHomeGuest Book at www.ejfieldingfh com

Julia Anne

JuliaAnne"Julie Anne" Claverie Gooch was born in NewOrleans on August 17th, 1939 and died peacefully on April 11th, 2025. Shewas thedaughterof ShirleyMae WahlClaverie andAlbertPaulClaverie andsister to Shirley "Sissy" Curryand Paula Soniat. JulieAnneattended Louise S. McGehee school andNewcomb College, whereshe wasa member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. It wasduringthistimeshe met thelove of herlifeand futurehusband John "Jack" Barr Gooch Jr JulieAnneand Jack were marriedOctober 20, 1960 in NewOrleans and immediatelystarteda family. They calledNew Orleanshomefor eighteen years and retreatedto Pass Christian for summers filledwith beach combing,sailing, fishing, tennis andtimespent with friends and family. Over theyears, Julie Anne dedicatedher time to raising herchildren and creatinga fun, loving home for herfamily. Shewas a lifelongmember of St Charles Presbyterian Church.She later worked diligentlytoliftupher congregationatPineville Presbyterian Church in Pass Christian,Mississippi throughfloralmanagement, organizing donationsand gathering meals for fellowship.She wasalso amember of the New OrleansDebutante Club andPass Christian Yacht Club. JulieAnnewas an exceptional artist, avidreader andtremendous cook. Sheloved beingout on the water supportingJack and herchildrenontheir many sailboat adventuresall over theworld Jackand JulieAnne eventually retiredfulltime to Pass Christian, Mississippi in 2007 where she immediately felt right at home and theyboth settled into thelaidback, but always fervent social calendar of this heavenly coastal town. Shedelighted in qualitytimewith her threechildren andfour grandchildren, whovisited often,teaching them to catch crabsand boil shrimp.Morethanany-

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thing, Julie Anne loved watching her beloved husband out sailing on the race-course and sharing stories and laughter with those she lovedmost.

People often remarked upon JulieAnne's fun and kind nature. She was open to talk with anyone and was always fascinated to hear their stories.She truly never met astranger.

Julie Anne is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, Jack Gooch; her children, John B. Gooch III, Shirley Gooch Charbonnet (Michael), Julie Anne GoochHammond (Stewart); and fourgrandchildren,JulieCharbonnet, Helen Charbonnet Gadiano (Nate), Stewart Hammond Jr.,and Hailey Hammond.

There will be avisitation for family and friends at Lake lawn Metairie Funeral Home at 10:00am on Tuesday April 22nd, 2025 with afuneral service to follow at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to PinevillePresbyterian Church in Pass Christian, Mississippi

Iris AzucenaGuzman, bornonJune 2, 1940, passedawaypeacefullyat the ageof84ather son’s homeonApril 14,2025. She lived alongand happylife. Iris is survived by hersons Geovanny(Rosemary), and Rene(Tenille),aswellasa hostofgrandchildren and great-grandchildren.Pre‐ceded in deathbyher sons Fito1961-1967, Cesar19602019, andOttoniel (Damaris) 1964-2021. Fam‐ily andfriends areinvited tojointhe immediatefam‐ily forthe Memorial Mass onSaturday, April26, 2025, for 10:00 a.m. at OurLady ofGuadalupe International ShrineofSaint Jude Church,411 NorthRampart St.,New Orleans, LA 70112 FatherTony, officiating. In‐terment is private. Repast immediatelyfollowing in the church hall. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditi onbegins.com(504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd and DonavinD.BoydOwn‐ers/Funeral Directors.

Haeuser, Raymond Louis

The family and friends of Raymond Louis Haeuser are sad to announce that he passed from this life on November 25, 2024 aftera long illness. Born in New Orleans to Louis Daniel Haeuser, Jr. and Catherine Louise Haeuser nee Ewerz on May 4, 1947, Ray was 77 years old. He grew up in Lakeview, New Orleans and graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in 1965. Graduating from Tulane University in 1969, where he served as Commander of Sigma Nu, he subsequently considered acareer in the law but opted instead to become apetroleum landman. He had alifelong interest in history and politics, but above all he loved baseball, basketball, football, and any other sport you can name. He loved music, especiallythe Rolling Stones. He could engage anyone in conversation and often did so due to his gregarious nature. He lived at the same address in Uptown New Orleans for 53 years. He is survived by his brother Robert Haeuser of Onalaska, Washington, nephew Ryan Haeuser, wife Taylor, and great niece Tera of Waco, Texas nephew Erik London and wife Grace of Montgomery, Alabama,and sister-in-law Lori Haeuser. He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Russell "Rusty" Haeuser, and sister Nancy Helton. He is also survived by devoted friends Carol Pietz, Thomas Sneed Dexter Ford andvery special friends and caregivers the Brown Family (Lonnie, Alexander, and Margery). One of Ray's chief joys during the last few years of his life was getting to know his two nephews, Ryan and Erik.A memorial service will be held on May 10, 2025 at 10:30 AM at St. Anna's EpiscopalChurch, 1313 Esplanade Avenue in

NewOrleansfollowed by luncheon in the Parish Hall

Hanberry, DonnieJoe

Donnie Joe Hanberry, of The Villages, FL made his way to heaven on September 2, 2024. He was bornon Oct. 18, 1938 in Sumrall, MS.Heispredeceased by hisparents, Edgar Hugh Hanberry MiriamGirleyHanberry, brothersEdwin Earl Hanberry, CharlesLynn Hanberry, ShirleyWayne Hanberry, Royce Sexton Hanberry, Harry"Pete" Olin Hanberry, and wife Susan Koffenberger Hanberry

Donnie Joe Hanberry grew up inSlidell and Metairie,LA. He attended Metairie High School,East JeffersonHigh School and Louisiana State University. He was President of The Key Club and KiwanisClub. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army stationed in Panama. Donnie workedfor Motorola and in the real estate industrybeforeretiringtoFloridain2015

He absolutely loved workingonhis computer and sharing hisinterest and joyswithothers. He loved playinggolfwith his brothers and friends and was an ambassador on the golfcourses in The Villages.Henever lost touch with his old friends from The Southern Tavern in NewOrleans, and made suretoreunite with them foranannual crawfishboil inhonor of TonyDanna. He is survived by his formerwifeand best friend, Barbara Hanberry, hissister Lynnie Jean Hanberry Fogg, and many nieces, nephews, grand niecesand nephews.

Don willberemembered forhis fun lovingpersonality, his love of historyand engaging othersinconversations and humor.

Funeral arrangements are on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at LakeLawn Metairie Funeral Home and Cemeteries, 5100 PontchartrainBlvd., New Orleans, LA .Visitationis from 10 am to 12 am, followed by aChapel service and interment. The family requests no flowersplease, but if you want to make adonation, Donnie was verygrateful to theVillages VA Clinic, 8900 SE 165thMulberry Lane, The Villages, FL 32162.

Hoover, Irvin Bernard 'I.B.'

I.B. Hoover,93, died on April 10, 2025,inthe comfortofhis own home surroundedbyhis family. He was preceded in deathby his wifeof56years, Marion.Heissurvived by his daughterSharonand husband Dan, son Bruce and wifeTeri, andson Scottand wifeRenee.His grandchildrenare Ryan Thorpe, Elizabeth Earls, Emily Garcia, Alexandra Tomasi and CoriParker. I.B. is also agreat grandfather to 6beautiful children. Hewas borninNew Orleans,Louisiana.After graduating fromthe UniversityofLouisianaLafayette and Tulane University, attending Loyola Law School and servinginthe Army/Air Force, he spent twelve yearsinthe financialorganization of ShellOil Company.Hemoved to Albuquerque in 1967and was the Financial Vice President of Pubco Petroleum Corporationuntil he founded Business Environmentsin1973 and continued to be active until 2007.I.B.'s passion for communityserviceshows in the number of positions he held over the years, including coach andpresident of Altamont Baseball LittleLeague, President of the Greater Albuquerque ChamberofCommerce, President of the Executive's Associationof

Greater Albuquerque, Chairman of the Governor's Business Advisory Council, President of theKirtland Partnership Committee, Honorary Commander of theAir Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Chairman of the NewMexico Business Roundtable forEducational Excellence,Chairman of theNew Mexico Highlands University Boardof Regents, and President of theNew Mexico Senior GolfAssociation, among others. He was arecipient of theNew Mexico Distinguished Public Service Award andalso received theSteveSchiff Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to KirtlandAir Force Base. He held many leadership positionsthrough the years at Monte Vista Christian Church. I.B. participated in many other organizations he felt impacted and aidedinimproving thequality of life in Albuquerque and New Mexico. Since theformation of Business Environmentsin1973, he and thecompany have been greatsupporters of UnitedWay of North Central NewMexico. Both Marionand I.B. were strong advocates of Meals on Wheels. I.B. visitedNew Orleans regularly to visit with family,friends and listentoDixieland Jazz in the French Quarter. He enjoyed observing thesuccess of Business Environments, Lobo sporting events, familyactivities, playing bridge and golf, and the family getaways in Angel Fire. I.B., or Poppatosome was known as agenerous, charismatic, funny, intelligent,legendary man with infectious enthusiasm, love forjazzmusic and told agoodstory that knew no end.The impact he has left on thecommunityand his family willbe forever felt.

Cremation has taken place and amemorial service willbeheldMay 20th at 10:30am at MonteVista Christian Church, 3501 Campus Blvd. NE Albuquerque NM 87106. In lieu of flowers,please considercontributing to Meals on Wheels or Albuquerque Little Theater. LaissezLes Bon Temps Rouler. Please visit our online guestbook forIrvin at www.FrenchFunerals.com

Jenkins, Shelita With sadnessweshare the passingofShelita Jenk‐ins,onApril 11, 2025 Pleasevisit www.rhodesf uneral.comtoviewservice information,signonline guestbook,send flowers and sharecondolences

Juge,Alcee-Randall John'Randy'

Alcee-Randall John Juge (Randy) passed peacefully in his sleep on February 20, 2025, at theage of 81. He was bornonJanuary 26, 1944, in NewOrleans, Louisiana, theson of the lateFrank E. Juge and the lateFlorence Sigg Juge.

Randy was acourageouspatriot and loving husband,father, grandfather, greatgrandfather and brother. He graduated from East Jefferson High School in 1963. As ahigh schoolathlete, he was allstate football, basketball and track. He attended Texas A&MUniversity, where he was amember of theFencing,Track &Field, and Football team. He proudly served in theU.S Army and,after graduation fromflight school, became ahelicopterpilotwiththe 25thInfantry Division AviationBattalion. During his tourinVietnam, he earnednumerous awards and air medals, includinga Purple Heart when hisaircraft was under fire and a bulletgrazedhis forehead After his service, he obtained abachelor's degree fromLSU and then went on to become aStateFarm Insurance agent serving foralmost 50 years. He had many interests and hobbies andtrulyadored his family.Randy touched thelives of many and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. Randy is predeceased by his beloved wife Anzia KeithJuge. He is survived by his children, Allison Anjier(John), Clint Juge

(Julia), WendyRush (Sean); his grandchildren, Christopher, Clayton (Brittany),& Ella Blossman; Randy &Jeb Juge; Jeremiah &Kaitlyn Rush; his greatgranddaughter, Emma Blossman;his brothers Frank Juge (Etta Jean) and Denis Juge (Joel); his sister, SuzySale (Herb); and alarge number of cousins, nephews and nieces.

The internment at Pinecrest Memorial Cemetery (Covington) will take place on May 9, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be madeinRandy's memory to your favorite veteran's assistance organization.

EileenBecnelMacloud, a belovedwife,mother grandmother, and jewelry artist,passed away on April 15, 2025, at theage of 78, after complications following aheart attack. A lifelong resident of Norco, Louisiana, Eileenwas known for her warmth,creativity, and deep love for her family and community. Born to A.A.and Pearl Becnel, Eileengraduated fromDestrehan High School in 1963. She went on to havea long and dedicated career in banking and accountsreceivable, working with several businessesacross theSouth Louisianaregion. But it was through her creative spirit that Eileenleft a unique mark. As the founder and designer behind MacBecCreations, she crafted exquisite wire and gemstone jewelry that was showcased at craft fairs and specialty boutiques throughout the area. Eileencherished her role as awife,marriedfor sixty years to William P. "Bill"Macloud, and as a mother to Jeff, Steve,and Tim Macloud.She was also adevoted sister to KathleenBecnel Klibert, who preceded her in death mother-in-law to Tanya Macloud and Jeff McNeely, and theproud grandmother of Madison, Olivia,and Claire Macloud. She loved to travel,especially alongside her husband,Bill, with whom she shared countless adventures and alifetime of memories Familyand friendsare invited to celebrate Eileen's life on Tuesday April22, 2025, at Sacred Heart CatholicChurch in Norco.Visitation willbe held from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.,followedbya Funeral Mass. Eileen willbelaid to rest at St.Charles Borromeo Cemetery in Destrehan. Allare welcome to join thefamily afterward fora receptionat theKnightsofColumbus Hall in Norco, located next to thechurch. Eileen's grace, generosity, and creativitytouched thelives of many. She will be deeplymissed and lovingly remembered.

CatherinePeyton McKay,a cherished mother, grandmother, and friend, passedawaypeace‐fully on April9,2025, at the age of 95. Born on February 10, 1930, to Edward N. Fraiche Sr.and Gesina HenkenFraiche,Catherine was abeaconofloveand strengthfor herfamilyand willbedeeply missedby all who knew her. Sheis survivedbyher son, Tim Peyton, andhis wife,Karla Peyton; herbrother,Ed‐wardN.Fraiche II; five grandchildren,Leslie Kovesdi,Emily Abadie, Addy Peyton,James Pey‐ton,and Olivia Peyton;and fourgreat-grandchildren, who broughther immense joy.Catherine also leaves behindseveral nieces and nephews whomshe cher‐ished dearly.Catherine was predeceasedbyher sons, LeeE.Peytonand Pat M.Peyton, as well as her lovinghusband,James F. McKaySr. Shewas also

preceded in deathbyher siblings, Marion Fraiche Lochridge andThomasJ Fraiche.Catherine wasthe formerwifeofLee B. Pey‐ton,the father of hersons. Throughouther life Catherine embraced both joy andheartache with grace,livingwitha spirit of adventure.She wasaffec‐tionately knownasthe Queen of "The Choctaw Girls," entertaining friends daily with cocktailsand cigarettesonthe front swing beneaththe oak tree. In herlater years, Catherine found greatjoy inher extended McKay family, who welcomed her intotheir hearts andlives makingher feel cherished and included in allfamily activities. Acelebration of Catherine’s life will be held atGreenwood Funeral HomeonWednesday,April 23. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.,fol‐lowed by aMemorialMass inthe chapel at 1:00 p.m. Catherine’s legacy of love resilience,and joyful spirit willforever remain in the heartsofher familyand friends,inspiring allwho knewher.Inlieuof flow‐ers,the familyrequests donations to acharity of yourchoiceinCatherine's memory. We also invite you toshare your thoughts, fondmemories, andcon‐dolencesonlineatwww greenwoodfh.com.Your sharedmemorieswillhelp uscelebrate Catherine’s lifeand keep hermemory alive

William“Coach” Billy McNamara, Jr 83 of Metairie, Louisianasadly passedawayonApril 10, 2025. Billywas born in New Orleans andgraduated fromHolyCross High School,Class of 1960. Billy was preceded in deathby his parents, WilliamJ.Mc‐Namara, Sr.and hisloving mother, MarguriteManale McNamara. He is survived byhis sister Rita MayMc‐NamaraBolen;niece Mary Kay Bolen(Tim) Molbert; nephewLieutenantColonel (Retired) Samuel J. (Julie) Bolen;three great nephews anda great niece;and five great-great niecesand nephews. While atHolyCross, Billywas the Captain anda star baseball pitcher anda forwardon the basketball team.He servedinthe AirForce Re‐serve 1963 to 1968. Billy was recognized as Coach ofthe Year with NewOr‐leans Recreational Depart‐ment, NORD.Hecoached for NORD forover30years winning severalchampi‐onships.Hewas awardeda certificate of Meritwitha “Key” of theCityofNew Orleans forhis outstanding service by MayorMoon Landrieu. Billywas also a loyal employee of Dori‐gnac’sFoodCenterfor manyyears,and wasan avidLSU andN.O.Saints fan.Interment is private. In lieuof flowers, adonation toHolyCross High School would be greatlyappreci‐ated: Holy CrossSchool, Attn:Sheri Salvagio,Assis‐tanttothe Presidentfor Advancement,AlumniRe‐lations,and Communica‐tions,5500 ParisAvenue, New Orleans, LA 70122.

Meyn PhD, Susan RobertaLabry

SusanRoberta Labry Meyn, PhD, died on Decem‐ber 28, 2024, at 82 years old.Dr. SusanMeyn, was bornonFebruary1st,1942, inNew Orleans, La,and married MalcolmA.Meyn, Jr.,MD, JD (“Mac”)onJune 10, 1963. Throughout her life, Susanavidlysought and shared education. She attended Ursuline Acad‐emy in NewOrleans for highschool, where shemet Mac.She then graduated fromthe University of New Orleans as amemberof the firstgraduatingclass in1962. Shortlyafter mar‐ryingMac,theymoved to

California,thentoGer‐many(whereMac wassta‐tioned),returning to Mass‐achusetts,and settlingin Cincinnati,Ohio, in 1976 She ultimately earned a Master’sofAnthropology and aDoctorate of Inter‐disciplinaryStudies (Amer‐icanIndianHistory andAn‐thropology)fromthe Uni‐versity of Cincinnati.Fresh out of college, Susanwas proud to have taught 1st grade in NewOrleans the firstyearthe public school systemwas racially inte‐grated. Shecontinued to teach throughout herca‐reer,ultimatelyserving as anadjunctprofessor of an‐thropology at Mount St JosephUniversityin Cincinnati as well as NorthernKentuckyUniver‐sity. Sheauthoredeleven booksfocusingonthe in‐tersectionofNativeAmeri‐can cultureand fine artas wellasregionalMidwest ethnography.She addition‐allycurated exhibits for renownedinstitutionsin‐cluding theSmithsonian, MetropolitanMuseumof Art andthe Cincinnati Mu‐seumofNatural History. Susan relished workingas a Consulting Ethnologistto the very endofher life.In additiontoher profes‐sionalaccomplishments Susan wasbothcreatively inclined andhad discern‐ing taste. Having learned tosew at ayoung age, she developed into an expert seamstresswitha keen eye fortextiles. Shecre‐atedher wedding dress, ballgowns,children’s clothes,and eclectic,fash‐ion-forwarddesigns for every occasion.Tohelp Mac throughmedical school,residency,and law school shecreated and soldice skatingcostumes inBoston, velveteen shirts inSanta Fe,and custom dressesinCincinnati. She evenmasteredSeminole patchwork---a form of micro quilting specificto the Southeastern tribe. Ad‐ditionally, Susanhad a keen eyefor decorative artsand antiques,a pas‐sionthathad evolvedover her lifetime butone that dovetailednicelywithher consultancy at Cowan’s Auctions. Herexpertise in (andpenchantfor collect‐ing)traditional Native Americansilversmithing and jewelrywas notonly evident in hersingular style buthas become the legacyofmuseums around the country. Susanwas married to Macfor over five decadesastheynavi‐gated thejoysof five chil‐drenand thechallengesof perniciousillnesses. After Mac’s death(2014),Susan relocated to Maryland and subsequentlybacktoNew Orleans where shespent her finalyears amidst fam‐ily andold haunts.Evenas she struggledwithdeclin‐ing health,she made a lasting impression upon those whomshe came to know. Forexample,Susan stalwartlyprevailed over her arthritistosew over 300 masksfor friends, fam‐ily andneighbors during the earlydaysofCOVID-19; witheachgiftshe encour‐agedotherstohavehope. The bondsshe formed with her caregivers were per‐sonal andenduring. Her spiritualitywas aconstant throughouther life,provid‐ing herwithpoise andmu‐tuality that transcended age,background,and lan‐guage.Susan died at home surrounded by love.Susan issurvivedbyher siblings; Alexander Salaun Labry, Lyman Martin Labry, Yancine Margaret Labry Eggers,and Michelle Anne Labry.Susan wasprede‐ceasedbyher father RobertStone Labry, her motherAlmaLouiseSalaun Labry,and hersister, Anita LouiseLabry.Susan is sur‐vived by herchildrenCyn‐thiaLouiseMeyn, Anna Roberta Meyn Labry, Mal‐com AnthonyMeyn, III, PhD,Madelyn MarieMeyn, MD(BryanChristopher Hutchings), andAlexandra Labry Meyn.She is also survivedbyninegrandchil‐drenwhomshe loved dearly: SusanAlexandra Yun, RobertaCarolineYun, WilliamJohnYun,Sophia Labry Fitzgerald,Paul Alexandre Fitzgerald,Mal‐colmAnthony Meyn IV, Nathaniel LymanMeyn, EvelynLabry Hutchings, and HenryAlexander Hutchings.She is also sur‐vived by many loving inlaws, nieces,nephews,and their spousesand children A Catholic Mass will be heldonMonday, April21st at11:00 am,atOur Lady of Guadalupe Church,located at411 NorthRampart Street,inNew Orleans. Fol‐lowingthe ceremony,a jazzy second line will lead a procession to acelebra‐tionofSusan’s life at Muriel’sinJackson Square, located at 801 Chartres Street in NewOrleans Susan’s intermentwillfol‐low in late MayinCincin‐nati, Ohio,where herlively spirit will laytorestin

Macloud, EileenBecnel

Guzman,IrisAzucena

McNamara Jr., William 'Coach'

McKay, CatherinePeyton

peacewithher husband, Mac,inSpringGrove Cemetery. In lieu of flow‐ers,pleasesenddonations toMaȟpíya Lúta (formerly Red CloudIndianSchool, Inc.)a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organizationlocated on the Pine RidgeReservation hometothe Oglala Lakȟóta (Sioux) Tribe: https:// mahpiyaluta.org/.

Miller Jr., Joseph Bayard

JosephBayard Miller, Jr MD, of Silverton, ID,born in NewOrleans, LA, passed away on February 15, 2025 in Silverton, ID. Graveside services will be held on Friday, May2,2025, 10:00 AM at Lake Lawn Cemetery; Weiblen Park, Lot 32; in Metairie, LA.

Dwight Nicholsonde‐partedthissideofHeaven onTuesday,April 1, 2025 at the of 58. He gave hislifeto Christatanearly ageat the family'shomechurch, St. Paul MissionaryBaptist Church#4onS.Liberty Street in NewOrleans Dwightgraduated from JohnMcDonogh H.S. in 1985, then served in the U.S.Armyfrom1986-1994 duringthe 1st Gulf Warand hewas the firstofhis im‐mediate family to go over‐seasand speaka different language(German). He was adevoted brotherto his siblings,generous uncle to hisnieces, nephews andgreat Dawg Daddy to hisfamilydogs Dwightwas theyoungest son of thelateRosetta Nicholson;grandsonofthe lateAnnieMae Nicholson and nephew of thelate Annie PearlVining (Charles).Inaddition to his mother, he is also pre‐ceded in deathbysiblings, Trudy,Gregory,Veronica, Gail(William),Bruce (Dale), Faye,Janet,Janice and hisdog companion Girlfriend"who passed awayinDec.2024. Dwight leavestocherish hismem‐ories,uncle,Charles Vin‐ing;sister-in-law,DaleB Nicholson (Bruce),oldest nephew, WayneNicholson a host of nieces,other nephews,cousins andex‐tendedfamily. ACelebra‐tionservice honoring the lifeand legacy of thelate DwightNicholson will be heldinthe Chapel of Char‐bonnetLabat GlapionFu‐neral Home,1615St. Philip Street,New Orleans, LA 70116 on Monday,April 21 2025at9 am,George Green,Jr.,PastorofThe House of HealingOutreach Church, Officiating. Inter‐mentSoutheast Louisiana VeteransCemetery, 34888 GranthamCollege Dr Slidell, LA 70460. Visitation 8 am in thechapel. Please signonlineguestbook at www.charbonnetfuneralho me.com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion,Directors (504) 581-4411.

Marie Lucille Ormond, of Metairie, Louisiana, passed away on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at the age of 78.

Marie was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 25 years, Chris Ormond, Sr.; her parents, Gabriel and Edith Falgoust; her sisters, Jacquelyn Falgoust, Linda Armond, and Roslyn Goff;and her brothers, Gabe Falgoust and Rene Falgoust. Marie is survived by her two sons, Chris Ormond, Jr (Jodi) andDavid Ormond (Cathy); her grandchildren, Noah Ormond, Alex Ormond, and Michael Ormond; her sisters, Edith Blakesley, Suzanne Miller Joan O'Keefe,Marian Rogers, and Dianne Peltier; and her brothers, Lawrence Falgoust, Antoine Falgoust (Buddy), Dennis Falgoust, Mark Falgoust, and Raymond Falgoust.

Marie was born in New Orleans on September 28, 1946. She was aparishioner of St. Ann

Shrine in Metairie.She enjoyedtravelling and had many adventures, including trips to Alaksa, Australia, Italy, and Mexico. Shewas an avid board game and card player.Mariewas most passionate aboutbeing "Grammy" to herthree grandchildren and was a major partoftheirlives, attending sporting and theater events,and many major milestones. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the memorialMassinthe chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in New Orleans,onSaturday, April 26, 2025at1:00PM. A visitation willbeheldat the funeral home beginning at 11:00AM. The interment willfollow the Mass at All Saints Mausoleum in Metairie Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider adonation in Marie's memorytoSt. Ann Churchand Shrine. To view and signthe online guest book, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

With deep loveand gratitude for alifewell lived, we sharethe passing of Pamela McCullenOrtiz who left us peacefullyon Tuesday,April 8, 2025, at the age of 79. Born on December14, 1945, in Faison, North Carolina, Pam was the daughterofCecil and VelmaMcCullen.She was preceded in deathbyher parents, herbelovedhusband of 45 years, Gotardo Ortiz,and her siblings, Dewey and Sybil McCullen (Hal). She is lovinglyrememberedbyher son, Maximilian (Alexandra), her sister-in-law, Caroline McCullen (wife of the late Dewey), and acherished circle of nieces, nephews, extended family,and canine companions. Beforesettling in New Orleans, Pam attended both the Universityof North Carolinaat Greensboro andChapel Hill.She later pursued a careerinFashion Merchandising at theprestigiousTobe-Coburn School of Fashion in New York.During her time in the city, she workedasan assistant buyer at Macy's HeraldSquare.Growing up with amotherknown for her bold, sometimes flamboyant fashion choices was an early influence that helped shape her into the impeccably stylish woman she became.

In1972,Pam and her husband Goty moved from Memphis to New Orleans, acity that wouldbecome the backdrop for the next chapter of theirlives. It was here, in this new and unknown place, that Pam begantolay thefoundations of alifefilledwith family,lastingfriendships, and alegacy she would cherish.Pam wouldcontinue her education at Tulane University and obtain a ParalegalCertification, a field in which she worked until herretirement

In1978,Pam andGoty welcomed their son Max into the world, and it wasn'tlongbefore she earned thetitle of "cool mom," a reputation solidified with Max's friends and girlfriends alike. Alwaysthe life of the party,Pam had an infectious energy that litupevery room she entered. Anyone lucky enoughtomeet her couldn'thelpbut be drawn in by her warmth,humor, and joy. Evenwhile on full-time oxygen, she couldstill be found on the dance floorshowing off movesthat easilyrivaled those half her age!

Pam'sdeepestpassion, however, was music- a lifelong love thatbegan in childhood,singing in the Faison Presbyterian Church Choir. Her musical journeycontinuedasshe lent her voice to the Idlewild Presbyterian Church ChoirinMemphis, the Jefferson Performing Arts SocietyCivic Chorus in New Orleans, and later, the choiratSt. Patrick's Cathedral.Itwas at St Patrick'swhere she discovereda special fondness forthe beauty and tradition of LatinMasses, which profoundly resonated with her. As theyearspassed, she nurturedrelationships

through bridge games, cosmopolitans, and Book Club outings- bonds that remained strong throughout her life,withmany of thosedear friendsstanding by her side until her final days Her asheswillbelaid to rest in the McCullen family plot in Faison, North Carolina, during aprivate ceremony. Alocal CelebrationofLife willbe held at alaterdatetohonor and remember her vibrantspirit. In lieu of flowers,the Ortiz family kindly requests that donations be madeinPam's memory to thePulmonary Fibrosis Foundationatwww.pulmo naryfibrosis.org

Vera MaeWoodsO’Neill

a consummate artist and creator,beloved wife and mother, terrifichostess tirelessworker, andgener‐ous member of everycom‐munityshe belonged to, passedpeacefully from thislifeathomein Metairie, LouisianaonApril 16, 2025 at theage of 85 Her entire life andpres‐encewas filledwithjoiede vivre,joy of living as trans‐lated from her firstlan‐guage CajunFrench. Every‐thing,inVera’shands,be‐camemorebeautiful.She funneledher creativity into decoratingher home,plan‐ningeventstocelebrate familymembers and neighbors,helping her beloved daughter with school projects,and,tothe great glee of everyone around her, making her elaborate andlegendary homemadeChristmas and Easterchocolates. Vera lived many livesinone: firstasa daughter growing upina tight-knit Cajun community of Gueydan, Louisiana.After high school,Verachose apath offaithfulservice that al‐lowed heraccesstohigher education,inspiredbythe nuns in herhometown. She spent eighteen yearswork‐ing in severalstatesserv‐ing elders,children, and those in need as amember ofthe EucharisticMission‐aries of St Dominic. During those yearsofservice,she met JimO’Neill,who was thenalsoinreligious life Hewas immediatelydrawn toVera’sjoiedevivre After yearsoffriendship, theymadethe bravedeci‐siontoleave theircommu‐nitiesand create alifeto‐gether. They became part‐nersinlife, love,family, and community forthe 47 years they were blessedto share.Two yearsafter their wedding came oneof Vera’sbiggest rolesasa mothertoher daughter Lisa. Vera’s love forLisa was constant in everyges‐ture, costumesewn, birth‐day cake bakedand deco‐rated,school recitalat‐tended. In every“Ilove you”uttered everyday Veracontinued herlifeof service after religiouslife, supportingchildreninedu‐cationalsettingsand el‐dersatcommunity cen‐ters. Oneofher longest and most profound im‐pacts wasasthe Outreach Directorfor Food forSe‐niors,a food commodity program servingseniors acrossLouisiana by provid‐ing them amonthly boxof quality food.She loved traveling to overseedistri‐bution, celebratingvolun‐teersatthemedevents, and speaking French with seniors collecting their boxes.Verawas bound‐lesslygenerousand al‐waysfound ways to show carefor herloved ones,es‐peciallyinthe difficult mo‐ments of life.Veraloved to laugh andhavefun, to sing and dance, to travel,and to gatherfamilytogether.She took greatpride in herAca‐dianheritage. Shemade the best gumbointhe world.Her values,aligned withcompassionand jus‐ticefromanearly age, be‐came even more inclusive

as sheaged. Even in her lastseveral years, when she suffered from demen‐tia,Veramaintainedloving heart connectionswith those around her. She knewher husband and daughteruntil herlast breath. In hertransition time, Vera said that love was whatlifeisall about. She exemplified this in the way shelived.She is sur‐vived by herhusband Jim and daughter Lisa;broth‐ers Donald Woodsand LoganWoods; Jim’ssib‐lings John, Dan(Nancy), and Mary;innumerable beloved cousins, nieces and nephews, grandniecesand -nephews,rela‐tives,neighbors,friends colleagues, andcommu‐nitymembers.The family isgratefulfor hercare‐giversCarol,Felicia,and Anna,who provided com‐passionatecareinher final months. Acelebration of Vera’slifewillbeheldon Saturday, April26atGar‐den of Memories (4900 Air‐lineDr.)inMetairie, LA at 10a.m.Weinviteyou to wearvivid colors,likethe turquoise Vera so loved, to celebrate hervibrant spirit In lieu of flowersand in honor of herlife, we invite you to make adonationto yourfavoritecharity that provideshunger relief to those who areinneed

Dianne ReneePajaud peacefullydepartedthis lifeonMonday, April14, 2025 at theage of 85. Born onJuly21, 1939, in NewOr‐leans,LA, sheisthe daugh‐ter of thelateAlineP.and ReneL.Pajaud. Survivors include adevoted sister, PatriciaPajaud, as well as cousins,Freddie (Ginger) Terence (Tia)and Justin Baptiste, Kellie Dejan (Ivan), Lloyd(Ayanna)and JarrodWills;a cherished Godchild, BetsyMcKendell She will also be fondly re‐memberedbya host of other relativesand friends. In addition to herparents, Dianne is also preceded in death by acousin, Claire BaptisteWills.A proud New Orleanian, Dianne was educatedatValenaC Jones Elementary School St. Mary’s Academyand XavierUniversityof Louisiana.Her passionfor healthand serviceled her toa distinguishedcareer asa registered dieticianin California. Shededicated manyyears to Highland HospitalinOakland,CA where sheretired as Exec‐utive Dietician. Whilein California, sheenjoyed spendingtimewithmany friends andtheir families and actively participated in alumnieventsfor the NorthernCaliforniaChap‐ter of Xavier Alumni.Fol‐lowingher retirement,Di‐anne returned to her hometownofNew Orleans, where sheremainedactive inthe alumni communities ofbothSt. Mary’s Academy and Xavier University.A MassofChristian burial honoringthe life and legacyofthe late Dianne Renee Pajaud will be held atSt. Martin de Porres Catholic Church,5621 Elysian Fields Avenue,New Orleans,LAonTuesday April 22, 2025 at 11 am.In‐terment at St.Louis Ceme‐teryNo. 3, 3421 Esplanade Avenue,New Orleans, LA Visitation10aminthe church.Pleasesignonline guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet LabatGlapion Directors (504) 581-4411.

Palmisano, Angela Cusanza

Angela Cusanza Palmisanopassed away peacefully at home on April 15, 2025, surrounded by herloving family. She wasa devotedwife,mother,sister,aunt, grandmother,great-grandmother,and friend, whose warmth,wisdom anddeep love of familywill be forever cherished. Born and raisedinNew Orleans, Angela spent her life immersedinthe vibrant culture of the city she adored. She graduated from St.Joseph's Academy andearned herassociate's degree in Louisiana History whichled hertoa fulfilling career in tourism. As a proudlicensed tour guide for thestateofLouisiana, focusingonthe Cityof NewOrleans,she shared herknowledge,stories, andpassion with countless visitors, offeringthema glimpse into thesoulofthe Crescent City. Angela was preceded in death by herbeloved husband, Joseph J. Palmisano, and herparents,Salvador Cusanza, Sr.and Angelina VeneziaCusanza. She is survived by hertwo daughters, Dawn PalmisanoSteckler (Robert)and Sheri PalmisanoKlemm (Robert); hercherished grandchildren, Nicholas Joseph Steckler (Hillary), Melissa Elise Steckler, Baron Alexander Steckler, Cameron Alexis Steckler, Peyton KlemmGardner (Mason), Jordan Rebecca Klemm, andMason Patrick Klemm; great grandchildren,Daniel Pulsipher Steckler, HenryJoseph Steckler, Naomi Blair Steckler, andEvelyn Angelina Steckler; brothers, Salvador Cusanza, Jr (Darlene) andMartin Joseph Cusanza (Sharon); brother-in-law, Louis Adrian Palmisano(hislate wife, Diane); anda host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Angela's life was atestament to faith, family, and heritage.She held her Catholic faithclosetoher heart, andher Italian roots shaped thetraditions and love that filledher home. Whethergathered around thedinnertable or strollingthe streets of New Orleans, Angela lived with agraceand joythat touched everyonewho knew her.

Shewill be deeply missed andlovingly remembered.

Relativesand friends are invited to attend the Mass of Christian Burial, whichwill be celebrated at DivineMercy Catholic Church,4337 Sal Lentini PkwyinKenner, Louisiana, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 11:30 AM.The visitation will begin at 9AMwith recitation of theRosaryat 10:45 AM.Words of Remembrance will precede theMass. TheRite of Committal andburial will follow at Metairie Cemetery in NewOrleans Louisiana.

In lieu of flowers, the familyasks that donations be made in Angela's memory to St.Joseph's Academy, https://www.sja br.org/giving/give-now,

3015 Broussard St.Baton Rouge,LA70808.

BeverlyMiller Parker aged89, passedawayon Thursday,April 17, 2025 She is survived by her daughterClaudia M. Val‐cichand herhusband Das, and by herdaughterLaurel E.Parkerand herpartner Catherine Abdallah;grand‐childrenJeptha, Jesse,and LukeValcich andCharlotte Pensa;and sister Betty JeanBurroughs.She is also survivedbymanynieces and nephews. Shewas pre‐ceded in deathbyher for‐mer husbandand father to her daughtersJepthaE Parker; andbyher sister Marlene Miller Marquer. Beverly is thedaughterof GeorgeErnestMiller and EvelynFanninMiller. Bev‐erlygraduated from Fran‐cis T. NicholsHighSchool She worked at SouthCen‐tralBell/ AT&T forover30 years.Beverly wasa life‐longresidentofNew Or‐leans.In2022 shebecame a resident of thePhoenix SeniorLivingatHammond, LA, where shemademany close friendships. AFu‐neral mass will be cele‐bratedTuesday April22, 2025 at 1P.M.inthe J. Garic SchoenChapelatJacob Schoen& SonFuneral Home, 3827 CanalSt. New Orleans,LA. Friendsmay visit from 11 A.M. until Masstime. Intermentto followatGreenwood Cemetery. Condolences may be left at www schoenfh.com.

Joseph 'Joe'

George Joseph Pinell Joe” enteredintoeternal lifeonApril 9, 2025, at the age of 94. George wasborn onJuly25, 1930. He wasa nativeofNew Orleans, La., FrenchQuarter anda resi‐dentofMetairiesince 1970 Heisprecededindeath by his parents, Edna Duplessis Pinelland George John Pinell; hiswifeMarilyn DrouetPinell; hisson StevenGregoryPinelland his sister,LouiseAlhaits Georgeissurvivedbyhis sister-in-law Patricia DrouetGabband his brother-in-lawAlbertM DrouetSr. as well as nu‐merousnephews,nieces, and grandnephews and nieces. George is aretired state employee in thework force division.Hewas 1st lieutenantinthe U.S. Army and agraduateSt. Aloysius HighSchool andTulane University. Joeloved learn‐ing. He enrolled in college

Parker,Beverly Miller

O’Neill, Vera MaeWoods

Nicholson, Dwight

Ortiz,Pamela McCullen

Pajaud,Dianne Renee

Pinell,George

Ormond, Marie Lucille

OUR VIEWS

TheEaster

messageisone of hope in an uncertainworld

Editor’snote:This editorial, in modified form, has marked previous Easter holidays in this newspaper

The Easter story,the victorious ending of a tale of brutal crucifixion,suggests thatthere’s a powerful answer to the pain and evil that have touched the worldthroughouthuman history That’swhy the Easternarrative can resonate not only with Christians but in secular society,too. Any story of hope is needed now more than ever, as recent headlines have reminded us.

On this weekend’sEaster,asonothers, there’s trouble afoot on our anguished planet. The stories of terrorism and war abroad and violence close to home continue to dominatethe headlines. And the newspapers oftoday wouldhave been familiar to our grandparentsand greatgrandparents, as there is once again large-scale warfare in Europe, strifeinthe MiddleEastand unrest in our hemisphere.

We hope for victory for theUkrainian people, peace in Gaza and an end to chaos around the globe, but we know that those ravaged populations will be in need of resurrection,today’s theme, for many years to come.

All this is pretty grim stuff.

Illness and death are ever-presentparts of the human condition, as the Easter story reminds us.

Yetour capacity to be shocked andhorrified by accounts of death and violence in our communities and around the worldis, perhaps, one of the more affirming things aboutthe human spirit. We believe that cruelty is an aberration —that we’re made for something better than bringing darkness to someone else. That brighter spirit has been reflected in neighbors helping neighbors, even under the most difficult conditions.

Easter is the holiest day in the Christian calendar,and this Sunday,believers are gathering at their houses of worship to pray and reflect on the miracle of life renewed, when allwas thought to be lost.

In whatever form, Easter speakstoour basic faiththat love will ultimately transcend hate, that good will triumph over evil, that our better angels will prevail, that miracles arepossible.

In the classic children’sstory “Charlotte’s Webb,” author E.B. White suggested thatbelief in miracles is perhaps not so strangeathing when we consider the presence of the everyday miracleswetake for granted.White waswriting particularly about the life of abarnyard, where the wonders of pigs andducks and spiders were spectacles so grand —but so routine —thatfew visitors thought of them as special. Spring is like that, too, of course. After the frost and cold of winter,the greening trees and emerging blossoms are an extraordinary thing, but they’re avictoryweusually overlook.

Easter is aday to hold such gifts close to heart, to believe once again in renewal —ofthe world and in ourselves.

CORRECTION

Aletter in Thursday’s paper incorrectly said that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is an American citizen. He has legal protected status butisnot acitizen. We regret the error

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Thehopewecan find from

PopeFrancis making snow angels. That image adorned thecover of an issue of The New Yorker in December 2013. Ihave acoffee mug Ipicked up in Rome early on in his pontificate depicting him as asuperhero, cape and all —you could trip over similar souvenirs in the Eternal City during his first years as pope. However you look at it, Pope Francis has gotten people’sattention Church leadership isn’tabout one side winning over another,but authentically trying to figure out what God’s will is as it relates to thetradition of theChurch and through discernment of God’sactual guidance in real time. There have been times when I’ve wondered if Francis trusts theHoly Spirit to workout themess more than mostofusdo. Evil tries to disguise itself in subtle ways. But transparency in all things natural and supernatural can tear off the masks evil wears to disguise itself and removeobstacles to living in the truth.

Francis has now entered the autumn of his days. He makes the rare appearance at the Vatican, praying withanelderly nun on pilgrimage or blessing ababy to thejubilant surprise of his parentsashewas wheeled into St.Peter’sSquare in “civvies,” as lay attire would be referred to if hewere any other priest. Francis was dressed forconvalescence —areminder that he is following thelead of his predecessor John Paul II in showing dignity in suffering. There’sa mercy andgrace that radiates from aperson whosuffers well, under thehumane care of doctors who act as stewards of lifewhile it is still withus. It does underscore one of the most underappreciated aspects of Francis —his commitment to the sanctityofall human life, especially in its most vulnerable forms. He’sinone such form/stage now Interpretations of Francis and his legacy remain diverse. My own National Review had him on the cover

holding an upside-downtextbook. He’s been dubbed “The Great Reformer,” but there are scandal watchers —and victims—who would argue he hasn’t lived up to the name. In truth, his legacy has not been solidified and is astory that is still being written. Afamous secular sociologist once said to me that Pope Francis looks like he really believes what Jesus said quite clearly —inthe Sermon on the Mount.

The media has captured that aspect of him,holding babies and embracing the disabled and the homeless, seeing in everyone the wonder of God’s creation and the miracle that is their individual selves. That samesociologist said if morepeople lived like Jesus did —and commanded —wewouldn’t have someofthe problemsthat plague us. So, actually care forthe orphan, along with the widow and sick. If we do such things, we will be superheroes ourselves.

Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

Better buy your “Forever” stamps now,because theU.S. Postal Service (USPS)has announced another price increase. On July 13, the cost of afirstclass stamp is scheduled to rise from 73 cents to 78 cents. The plan is to raise prices four more times by 2027. Meanwhile, it appears for many people that service is declining. As akid Icouldn’twait for the“mailman”toarrive, always at the same time and thesame person each day.At Christmas, there were deliveries in the morning and afternoon. For awhile Icollected stamps, especially those from overseas. Beforethe internet,mail was how people kept in touch. In 1985, the price of afirst-class stampwas 22 cents. My grandparentssent “penny postcards.” Domestic post cards will now cost 62 cents, more if you mail them to another country

TOWN SQUARE

Irecently sent abook from one major East Coast city to another.It was by media mail, the cheapest rate. Normally it takes four to five days to arrive. This time it took 11 days. The postal service webpage said the book sat in theoriginating post office for aweek before moving. My local post office is usually understaffed, even when there are long lines. Those whoapply for passportstake up large amounts of time and keep the rest of us waiting to mail asingle item Amajor contributor to the rising prices of stampsisthe postal service’sobligation to its retirees. As Axios reports: “The (USPS) faces substantial pension obligations, with unfunded liabilities totaling $409 billion against just $290 billion in assets. This is largely due to asystem where USPS is responsible for its own retirement funding, unlike other federal agencies which receive annual appropriations.

The USPS is required to pre-fund retiree health benefits, and this mandate, along with other factors, contributes to the significant unfunded liabilities.” As prices go up, usage declines. It’s similar to states run by Democrats. As they raise taxes, morepeople leave. Even moreleave after taxes are raised again to makeupfor lost revenue. Bills can now be paid through online banks. Free digital holiday cards can be emailed.

President Donald Trumphas proposed shutting downthe postal service and rolling it into the Department of Commerce. Since 1792, the post office has had exclusive rights to deliver letters. Lifting that restriction would open things up to competition and presumably lower prices. What we have now is too expensive and inefficient. It’s timetostampitout.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com

For an upcoming feature,weasked youtoconsider matters of religious faith. We want to know: Howimportant is your faithtoyour daily life, and what role, if any, should it playinpublic life?

Send responses to letters@theadvocate.com.Wewill publish aselection of the best responsesina future edition.

Kathryn Jean Lopez

Cal

Thomas

COMMENTARY

Abandoning free marketwon’t help insurancerates

It’sbad enough that Gov.Jeff Landry is hindering some fairminded bills to rein in lawsuit abuse and, collaterally,helpbring down insurance rates. What’sworse is his full-court press to hinderthe insurance free market altogether For chimeric short-term advantages, the long-term result likely would be far worse, meaning higherprices and less choice for Louisiana insurance consumers

Landry is pushing aconcentration of powerthat is counterproductive for the economy and unwise for the political system, along with offering atempting opportunity for corruption. Namely Landry seeks to givethe insurance commissioner unilateral authorityto“set” insurance rates, as if asingle official is wiser than the laws of supply and demand.

On the broader lawsuitabuse front, often known as tort reform, Landry’sclose ties to plaintiffs’ lawyers surely play arolein him opposing good billspushed by Insurance Commissioner TimTemple. While Landry claims to be for a“balanced approach” between insurance companies and plaintiffs, he vetoed akey tort reform bill last year and is reported, behind the scenes, to oppose two entirely sensible reform billsthis year.

One would change Louisiana’s

unusualsystem (copied by only 11 other states) that allows aplaintiff to recover at least some damages even if he is up to 99% at fault for an accident.The billLandryopposeswould insist that only those less than 50% at fault for an accident could collectdamage awards From apurely logical standpoint, howdoesLandry’sstance, and Louisiana’s current law, make any sense? Why shouldthe culprit in an accident be the beneficiary in court?

The second wisebill that Landry nonetheless is reported to oppose would cap awardsfor “pain and suffering” ata still-generous $5 million. Awards forpain and suf-

fering, remember,come on top of payments for actual damages and losses. Louisiana is rare among statesright now in having no painand-suffering cap; even plaintifffriendly Mississippi caps pain and suffering at $1 million. Landry’s position isn’tbalanced: It’sa sopto triallawyers.

With thatbackdrop, Landryappears to have an unreasonable animus againstinsurance companies. His support for theinsurance ratesetting bill, with an amendment personally drafted by thegovernor,seems like moreofthe same but by different means As originally drafted by Rep. Robby Carter,D-Amite, House

Bill 576 already wasdicey from a free-market perspective. Its main thrust was to allow the insurance commissioner,onhis own, to reject insurance rate increases even in acompetitive market. Even that wasn’tgood enough for the governor,though. He said at an April 16 House Insurance Committee meeting that he personally stayed up late the night before to amend the bill significantly As drafted, the bill essentially requiredthe commissioner to assess the data behind the rate request and to refrain from rejecting the request “if the rate is actuarially justified.” In short, in giving the commissioner so much added power,itatleast directed him to use data to justify arate disapproval. The governor’slanguage deletes all references to actuarial soundness.

Moreover,itgives the commissionerpower notjust to reject rate requests, but actually to “specify interim rates.” Rather than being amereregulator,the commissionerwould become nearly a commissar,all-powerful within his realm —with the authority to make insurance companies kiss his ring for an arbitrary,rather thandata-driven, grant of rates adequatetostay in business.

Temple himself is against the bill, seeing it as adeterrent to real marketcompetition and as an unchecked authority that future commissioners might abuse.

The governor’sradical amendment was too muchfor Daniel Erspamer,president of the conservative Pelican Institute think tank. Already scheduled to testify to the committee, Erspamer had submitted a“white card” indicating mixedfeelings about, but not opposition to, the bill. After seeing Landry’samendment, Erspamer changed it to a“red card” of opposition, expressing not only concerns about “more government overreach creating more barriers to opportunity and the free enterprise system” but also about “empowering one individual with undue power.”

For Landry,power,not conservative principle, is the key.Before the committee, he said not once but twice that he wasflabbergasted by Temple’s opposition because “I’ve never seen apolitician not want more power.”

In this case, Landry is setting Temple up as the fall guy,asthe governor told radio host Moon Griffonthat “if the rates don’tgo down, that’son[Temple].”

Thus, giving Temple the power also would meangiving Temple the blame, even as trial lawyers who are big donors to Landry keep taking him to their hunting camps. And all while Louisiana’s“tort hell” keeps insurance rates high but keeps the plaintiffs’ bar in high cotton.

Quin Hillyer canbereached at quin.hillyer@theadvocate.com.

DOJchanges mean more politics,lessenforcement

There are all kinds of ways to measure the vast changes in the Department of Justice since Donald Trump returned to the White House, two former New Orleansbased U.S. Attorneys said last week. One is to consider how the administration has quashed the agency’straditional independence from political forces. Forthe first time since the Watergate era, the White House is directly calling the shots, Kenneth Politeand Harry Rosenberg said at aforum sponsored by Loyola’sInstitute of Politics (where Iserve on the board). That extends to monitoring and firing individual prosecutors, denying promotions to those who don’tendorse Trump’slie that the 2020 election was stolen and investigating the president’sperceived enemies Another is to look at who’saround. Polite, who has served in several senior DOJ roles and was U.S. Attorney for Louisiana’sEastern District underBarack Obama, described an eerie ghost townin the department’sheadquarters, with entire divisions —civil rights, environmental enforcement, tax enforcement, public integrity —all gutted.

AndRosenberg, who was U.S. Attorney in theEastern District under President George H.W.Bush, noted achange he saw while handling an environmental case in court recently.There were eight inmates awaiting their hearings, he said, and seven of them were immigration cases.

lent drug-related crime and environmental crimes.

“I think that was atelltale sign that that is —without adoubt here, in Texasand elsewhere —isgoing to be ahuge prioritywithin every office,” Rosenberg said.

There’smuch, much moretosay about the extent to which Trumpis weaponizing the Justice Department,and both attorneys spoke bluntly of the damage to effective law enforcement and thevery notion of the rule of law —all of which is being widely covered nationally

But Rosenberg’scourtroom observation pointstoapart of this sprawling story that deserves more focus: Howchanges to the DOJ’s priorities are filtering down to the state and local levels.

That matters all over thecountry,but it really matters in Louisiana.

Polite noted that the office bothmen ran “punches above itsweight” in investigating and prosecutingpublic corruption, vio-

Allofthosefunctions arenow diminished, thelawyers explained, as the departmentshiftsresources to immigration, an area that’sbeen so minor afocusthat those cases —usually over illegalreentry —typically fell to entry-level attorneys. Rosenbergjoked that immigrationduty was one step above the “duck docket,” or prosecutions for hunting on baited fields.

Polite said he hopes theoffice may still be able tosqueeze someresources to handle homegrown gang cases from budget lines meanttocrack down on transnational drug cartels. Local U.S.Attorneys remain free to prosecutepublic corruption cases, he said, but theshift and the loss of brainpower in Washington matter “When you talk about having the expertise and the resources tomakethose investigations hit home in termsofactual convictions, the public integrity section was home for much of that work across this country.Itnolonger exists,” he said. In general, Polite said, “the priorities that this administration has announced don’t necessarily dovetail withthe priorities that U.S. Attorneys …really need from alocal standpoint.Weneed prosecutors whoare

investigating fraud. We need prosecutors whoare investigating public corruption. We need prosecutors whoare investigating environmental crime. What will this mean …interms of affecting the quality of life forfolks here?” Excellent question. Imagine if federal authorities had not been able to investigate and ultimately convict public officials who’d used their offices to enrich themselves over the years —Ray Nagin, Edwin Edwards and manyother names come to mind —orcrack downonfraudsters and polluters, or help perennially strapped local police and prosecutors piece together complex racketeering cases against violent gangs like the one led by Telly Hankton?

Actually,wemay not need to imagine for long. The new reality Polite and Rosenberg described sounds like open season forall sorts of bad actors to do their worst without having to worry much about how federal authorities might respond. Feel safer and better protected yet? I don’t.

Email StephanieGrace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

Southern,Xaviercould move up with research status

Howard University in Washington, D.C., became the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to reach R1 research status in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education this year Eight Hispanicserving institutions (HSIs) were also upgraded to this same R1 status. Howard alumni, faculty and students have called the school they love “The Mecca” for many years. Now they have another reasontosupport that claim. Howard is one of only 187 higher education institutions withthat status. There are more than 5,800 Title IV postsecondary institutions, including more than 2,600 four-year schools. In Louisiana, thereare three R1designated universities: Louisiana State University,Tulane University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Southern University,aResearch 2school, wants to join the ranks. North Carolina A&T State University is actively pursuing movingfrom aResearch 2des-

ignation to R1, narrowly missing thecut this yearbynot graduating three doctoral students. Xavier University of Louisiana is the only Louisiana HBCUwith the new RCU designation in Carnegie’snew Research Colleges and Universities category It recognizes colleges and universities that haven’tbeen recognized fortheirresearch activity including, like Xavier,those that offer noorfew doctoral degrees Xavier has an education doctorate program.That designation givesinstitutionsthat do alot of research and that make alot of investment infaculty,students and staff research away to be recognized. In addition to Xavier, there are 215 institutions that spent more than $2.5 million on research each year to earn that designation. By comparison,Southern is identified by Carnegie as a“high research” university,hence the reclassified R2 designation, astep aboveXavier and astep below Howard

TheR1designationearned by Howard andothers requires a minimumof$50 million in total research spending andatleast 70 research doctorates each year

That’sa big reach for HBCU institutions doing research and wanting to do morewhile balancing faculty teaching four,five and sometimes moreclasses with little time for research.

Mushtaq Gunja, theexecutive director of the Carnegie Classification systemsand senior vice president at the American Council on Education, told me that Howard is asuccess story worth noting. Though Carnegie designationsare desiredand helpful, he said theR1, R2 and RCU rankings aren’tfor every school.

HBCUs like Dillard University and Southern University at New Orleansare smaller institutions with enough ongoing academic and financial balancing that it limits research investment. Research is not their lane.

Larger institutions such as Southern UniversityinBaton Rouge can more easily aim higher when it comes to research.

AR1designation is possible, and something they have established as agoal.

“Having moreHBCUsattainR1 status could have transformative impacts in theBlack community and society overall by having betteraccessand opportunities to

expand knowledge and representationinresearch fields,” Dr.Luria Young, Southern’svice chancellor of academic affairs, said in astatement. Among other things, she said R1 status could lead to more expertresearch scholars, more high-performing students and opportunities to drive innovation and impact public policy with data.

With RCU status, Xavier would morelikely consider R2 before reaching even higher.R2designations require research spending of at least $5 million and producing at least 20 research doctorates each year.Southern is in elite company as one of only 139 institutionswith that status. Xavier is an HBCU jewel with significant research. They’re happy to havethe RCU designation,one of only 216 institutions to earn that status. Though Xavier isn’tpursuing R1 status, they’ll be considering R2 status, according to Dr Marguerite Giguette, Xavier’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. They’re celebrating the new status and will talk about R2.

“Weare thrilled,” Giguette told me Thursday.“Our faculty is very excited aboutit.” She cred-

ited ahard-working faculty committed to writing and submitting grant proposals that bear fruit. They’re still celebrating.

“I think that’sanincredible achievement for(Howard) and a statement about what HBCUsare capable of doing,” she said.

The provost said she looks forwardtofaculty conversations about what it would take to aim higher.Probably new doctoral programs. Probably greater faculty and student investment. She knowsthat LSU and Tulane benefit as the top two institutions receiving federal research funds. Xavier is third. Iknow what that means.

As President Donald Trump cuts federal research funding at universities across the nation, all colleges and universities with federal funding are at risk for losing an important part of what makes these educational institutions morethan degree farms. HBCUsdon’tget enough federal research money.Let’shold our breath that Howard can maintain its status, and that Southern and Xavier can moveup.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Quin Hillyer

Stephanie Grace

Will Sutton

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Gov. Jeff Landrylistens during aHouse committee meetingoninsurance at the StateCapitol on Wednesday.

coursesuntil hismid 70’s Hewas always therefor any andall of hisfamily and hisfriends’requests, AskAnd It WasDone”.Rel‐ativesand friendsare in‐vited to attend amemorial Catholic Mass on Wednes‐day,April 23, 2025,begin‐ningat11amatJacob Schoen& SonFuneral Home, locatedat3827 Canal St NewOrleans La 70119. Thevisitationstarts for 9amand aChristian Burialwillimmediatelyfol‐low theMassatSt. Louis #3CemeteryonEsplanade Ave.Inlieuof flowers, Massesare preferred.

It is with brokenhearts that we announcethe passing of our father, Gerald Joseph "Gerry" Punch on April 7, 2025. Gerry was born in New Orleans, LA on December 27, 1944, and grew up in Metairie, LA. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 45 years, Camille DeCorte Punch, his parents, Lucien and Elsie Bourgeois Punch, and his siblings, Daniel Punch and Linda Sciortino. He is survived by his son, David (Kristen), daughter, Vicki Fazende (Michael), beloved grandchildren, Amanda Harris, Alexander (Quinn) and Katherine Punch, stepgrandchildren, KellyWells (Vic), Sean (Ashley) Bayley, and Jordan Fazende. He is also survived by his brother Michael, brother-in-law, Gerald DeCorte (Marcelle) and several wonderful nieces and nephews. He leaves acherished greatgrandchild, Logan Martinez and sweet step great-grandchildren, Mila and Aspen Fazende and Lola and Betty Wells. He was also loved and cared for by his many kind neigh-

bors, who lookedout for him regularly. Gerry joined the US Navy on his 17th birthday in 1961 and sailed aboard the aircraft carrierUSS Randolphduring Vietnam. After serving, he met Camie,and they weremarried withina year. They shareda lifelonglove and friendship and were blessedwith two beloved children. He retired from Domino's SugarRefinery in Chalmette. He lovedhis family fiercely, relaxed by drawing and making candles, and couldoftenbe found playinghis guitar and singing his favorite songs.

Gerry's kind eyes are closed now. And per his wishes, they have beendonatedtothe non-profit, SouthernEye Bank. Our hopeisthat they help someone see allthe people that love them, asthey did forour Dad.

Afuneral servicewill be held on Thursday, April24, 2025, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 PontchartrainBlvd New Orleans, LA. Visitation willbeheldfrom 10 AM -12 PM with aMasstobegin at 12 PM. Interment with military honorswill follow at Lake LawnPark Mausoleum. Friends, family, and coworkers are invited to attend and rememberour belovedDad In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Gerry'sname to the Southern EyeBank in Metairie

Ross III,Edward Joseph

Edward Joseph Ross III passedawaypeacefully on March 10, 2025, in Richmond, Virginia, atthe ageof91. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 17, 1934,Edward was alifelonglearner and adevoted family member. He received his earlyeducationatthe Isidore NewmanSchool and went on to earnhis degree from Tulane University, both institutions located in his beloved hometown of New

Orleans. Later in life,Edwardrelocated to Richmond to be near his brother and sister -in-law, Kennard and Louise Ross. He became a cherished member of the WestminsterCanterbury community, where he lived formany years. During his final months, Edward received compassionateand attentivecare at Parson Healthcare, for which his family is deeplygrateful Special thanksare also extendedtoRosa Johnson and CeceliaNelsonfor their unwavering kindness and dedicated support throughout Edward's time in Richmond.

Edward is survivedby his sister-in-law, Louise LegendreRoss; his nieces, Louise Ross Masters(Bill) and Elizabeth Ross O'Connor(Michael); his nephew, Bruce Legendre Ross (Barbie); eleven great -nieces and nephews; and five great-great-niecesand nephews.

Ajoint funeralservice honoring both Edward and hisbrother, Kennard Ross, willbeheldatthe Cathedral of theSacred Heart in Richmond, Virginia, on Friday, May 30, at 12:00 p.m. Interment will follow at Hollywood Cemetery, with areception to be held afterward at WestminsterCanterbury.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth"Betty" St. Pierre passed away in Thibodaux, LA on Sunday, April13, 2025 at theage of 90. AnativeofChackbay, LA,she was born on February 26, 1935 to the late Clarence and Lois Durocher. Devoted wife of thelate Rodney St. Pierre Sr. Loving mother of Anita St.Pierre,the lateRodney St.Pierre Jr., and Lois St Pierre. Proud grandmother of Amy Monier and greatgrandmother of Simone and Jean-LucMonier. Sister of the lateClarence Durocher, PhilipDurocher, Gerald Durocher, and Melanie Durocher. Family

and friends are invitedto attend thevisitation for Betty on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home.Funeral serviceswill beginat2:00 p.m. Condolences and memories can be shared at www.lakelawnmetairie.co m

We are deeply saddened to announce thepassing of Stuart JamesStromeyer, a man who was truly larger than life-known for his generous spirit,infectious smile, and unwavering kindness.Stu touched the livesofeveryone he met. He was apillar of thecommunity, an inspiring leader, atirelessvolunteer,and atrue friend to many.

Aresident of Diamondhead,MSand native of Metairie, LA,Stu attendedOur Ladyof Perpetual HelpSchool, ArchbishopRummelHigh School (1971), Tulane University, and LSU, where he obtaineda bachelor's degree in Finance (1975). He was aLarge Loss Adjuster for oil, gas, and power claims and amentorfor youngadjusters. In retirement,heenjoyed working at thecart barn forThe Club at Diamondhead

Throughout his life,Stu achievedmany things, including an Associate in Claims fromThe Institutes, LeadershipTASBMaster Trustee (2009), and he achievednot one,but TWO hole-in-ones at PineHills Country Club, Sheboygan, WI

Stuwas involvedinand enjoyed numerous hobbies and activities. He was an avid golfer, wine enthusiast,partowner of an NFL

franchise (Go PackGo), a Pink HeartFunds volunteer,a YouthSportsCoach, andactive member in Big Brother Club. Stuserved on theBoardofDirectors for theDiamondhead POA andwas alongtime memberofthe Mardi Gras KreweofBacchus. He was also aformer board memberofPineHills Country Cluband Sheboygan Yacht Club, past board member of theBlanco Texas VolunteerFireDepartment, past president of Clear CreekISD andClear Brook High School Band Boosters. He also enjoyed frequenting sporting events withfriends and family.

He is preceded in death by hisfather,Melville Stromeyer; hisbrothers, Lionel Stromeyer and Mel Stephen Stromeyer; and onesister,Jan Stromeyer, eachsuccumbing at a young age from cysticfibrosis

Stuissurvivedbyhis wife of 15 years, MaryAnn Storer Stromeyer; mother, Elaine Hingle Stromeyer of Denham Springs, LA; children,Becky Rivard(Chris) of Montgomery,TX, Chris Stromeyer (Alta) of LaPorte,TX, William Stromeyer (fiancée Ali) of Webster,TX, Nick Stromeyer (Justine)of Houston, TX; hisstepchildren,Leigh AnnWeaverof Fort Worth, TX, Stuart Gaines-Weaver (Scott) of Denver,CO, GrantWeaver (Lauren) of NewBraunfels, TX, andAbbey Gilliam (Patton) of Hondo, TX. He is also survived by his siblings, Scott Stromeyer of Nashville, TN, Jean Eriksson(Erik) of Houston, TX, andMark Stromeyer (Tammy) of Walker, LA; grandchildren, Cathy Rivard, Russell Rivard, JameyStromeyer Elizabeth Stromeyer, Hayden Gilliam, andTrent Gilliam, andhis former spouses,Dorinda Forsythe andStefanie Caserta; alongwith numerous nieces, nephews,and cousins.

More than anything, Stu wasanadoring husband, devoted son,loving father, proudgrandfatherand caringbig brotherwhose familymeantthe worldtohim. Hislegacyoflove, laughter andservice will live on in theheartsofall whoknew him. He will be deeply missed, forever remembered, andalways cher-

Visitation will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025, beginningat12:00 PM at CrowderFuneral Home, 111 East MedicalCenterBLVD, Webster,TX77598. The funeralservice will begin at 2:00 PM In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Stu'shonor to thePinkHeart Funds of Mississippi or theCystic Fibrosis Foundation RiemannFamilyFuneral Home, Pass Christian,is serving thefamilylocally.

SandraTrout Wilson passedaway peacefullyon February 2nd,2025

Up untilthe endSandra maintainedher grace, kindness ,love of family andfriends and always the fashionista ,her appreciation of beautyinher surroundingsofart andfashion Shewas born in Georgetown ,Ohiotothe lateAnneand Russell Trout Sandra's love of fashion broughther to many placesafter pursuinga marketing degree at the University of Toledo Shehad manyproud achievements in herlife, including owning a Women'sclothing store on St.CharlesAvenueinNew Orleans, andlater moving to NewYorkand becoming amanufacturer of women's blouses travelingto Indiaand thePhilippines overseeingthe embroidery andshipping of hercreations. Shelater moved backto NewOrleans andeventually met and marriedLouis Wilson. togethertheyenjoyed the social life of manyfriendshipsand chaired several fundraiserstobenefitthe artsand charities in thecitythey loved, including theirpassion of dining, music and collecting art from local

Stromeyer, StuartJames

TroutWilson, Sandra

Punch, Gerald Joseph 'Gerry'

St.Pierre,

Durocher 'Betty'

Localflavor dominatesCrescentCityClassic

BY SPENCERURQUHART

Staff writer

The47th Crescent CityClassic sawthe NewOrleans area represented well as both the top male and female finishers aretiedto the race’shost city.

With 18,000 participants announced as running or walking the 6.2-mile course consisting of famous NewOrleansstreets, Saturday’sCrescent City Classic saw New Orleans residents Evan Pardo and Kir Selerttake home first-place awards.

Pardo is a22-year-old Slidell native who’s currently asenioratUNO as amemberof the track and field team. He broke through

Salary-cap expert discusses falloutof Carr injury

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

The New Orleans Saints are in abindwith Derek Carr

If the quarterbacktruly can’t play next season because of his shoulder injury, didthe Saintsknowabouttheailmentwhentheychose to restructure his contract? And if they didn’t, would that have affectedtheir decision?

Those are among the many questionsstill unanswered as the Saints’ drama with Carr continues to unfold.

Where do the two sides gofrom here?

From acap perspective,aslongasCarris on the roster,nothing will change. Butifthe Saints want to move on —whether through trade or cutting him —there are salary-cap ramifications to each move. To break them down, the Times-Picayunetalked with NFL agent and salary-cap expertJ.I. Halsell about what’spossiblynext for the two sides. When canSaintsmoveon?

The most likely scenario is in 2026. Because Carr’scontract is alreadyguaranteed for this year —his restructure did not changethe fact thathe’sset to make $40 million in 2025, even though it loweredhis cap figure to $20.4 million —the Saints would incur hefty charges if they wanted tomove on before next season.

Releasing Carr before June 1, forinstance, would leave $80.1 million on the books,because it includes theremaining money converted into asigning bonus because of

with atimeof31minutes,nine seconds to cross thefinish line first

“(First place) feelsamazing,” Prado said. “I’ve been training so hard forthis. Ijust had to put it together the last 2milesand believe in my training. I’ve always loved running this (Crescent City Classic).”

The 37-year-old Selertisfrom New Jersey but haslived in New Orleans for nine years. She wasthe Crescent City Classic’s top woman for the second time in three years with atime of 36:07.

“I feel at homehere (in New Orleans),” Selert said. “Part of falling in love withNew Orleans is fallinginlovewitheverything there is to see. That’swhy the (Crescent

City) Classic is great.”

Pardo’sfirst-placetime was 26 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Bryant White. Pardo credited his dadand UNO track coaches for his success as arunner “My dad used to run back in college for Louisiana Tech, so Ijust followed his footsteps,”Pardo said. “I was alittle kid and ran a7-flat mile, soIknew Ihad the potential. Ihave agood coach (atUNO). My training has been going well.” White, aWestwego native, finished with a time of 31:33. In third place wasEvangeline native JarrettLeBlanc at 31:41, followed by

ä See CLASSIC, page 8C

ST DRAFT TA KI NG

Analysis givesview into whether Saints are good at selecting players

The 2025 NFL Draft is days away,soit’sa good time to ask the question: Arethe New OrleansSaints any good at this thing?

The Saints’ draft acumen —oflack thereof —has been apopular and polarizing subject in recent years among the team’s passionatefans. We tried to get to thebottom of it by analyzing the results from thelast 10 years of the NFL draft, aspan that coincides with Jeff Ireland’stenure as the director of college scouting.

While general manager Mickey Loomis ultimately makes the final call, draftsalways have been acollaborative processduring histenure. He delegates draft-day authority to Ireland, awidely

respected disciple of Bill Parcells whose scouting background spans threedecades. It’sIreland’sjob to overseethe entire scouting operation, stack the draft boards andrun the showondraft day

“Jeffisarock star,” Saints first-year coach Kellen Moore said.

Fans aren’tquite as sold.

Some believe the Saints are adept drafters, noting their historic 2017 class —widely regarded as one of the best in NFL history —and their ability to unearth undrafted sleepers such as Carl Granderson, Juwan Johnson and Rashid Shaheed. Ireland’scritics point to the struggles

Jeff Duncan

Isaiah Foskey

Alontae Taylor

Alvin Kamara

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Participants rundownPoydras Street during the 47th Crescent City ClassiconSaturday.

DUNCAN, page 6C

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

Morant helps Grizzlies take 8th seed

BY CLAY BAILEY Associated Press

MEMPHIS,Tenn.— Two-time All-Star

Ja Morant promised a sprained right ankle wouldn’t keep him out of Memphis’ play-in game against Dallas with the Western Conference’s last postseason berth up for grabs Friday night.

Morant did more than just play He delivered a thrilling start and yet another addition to his highlight of dazzling plays with a onehanded slam that had teammate Desmond Bane yelling “Showtime!” at him in celebration after Morant elevated so much his eyes were level with the rim.

The guard scored 16 of his 22 points in the first half, and Memphis never trailed in a 120-106 victory to take the No. 8 seed and a spot Sunday in Game 1 at topseeded Oklahoma City

“I couldn’t feel it so I was out there,” Morant said with a laugh.

Bane never doubted that Morant would play

“I mean he’s MVP-type player, a walking highlight reel,” Bane said. “I was happy he was able to give it a go. I knew he was going to show up.”

Morant had been listed as questionable earlier Friday as the training staff worked to get him ready to play His status was officially announced about 30 minutes before the tip.

The guard was injured in the third quarter Tuesday night at Golden State with the No. 7 seed on the line. Morant rolled the ankle coming down on Buddy Hield’s foot. Morant limped off the court and returned in the fourth quarter when he was held to four points as the Grizzlies lost 121-116. Morant took the court late in warm-ups to test his ankle. His young daughter joined him on the

court. ESPN reported during the game that Morant had a second shot for his ankle a couple hours before the start. The guard occasionally limped to the free-throw line, but that was about the only sign Morant was playing hurt. He finished with nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals before interim coach Tuomas Iisalo pulled his starters in the final couple of minutes for some rest. Morant wound up playing 33 minutes to help the Grizzlies finish off the win.

The play of the night was Morant driving through the lane and up into the air to put back a miss by teammate Santi Aldama with

that right arm high to throw down the thunderous dunk.

Jaren Jackson Jr has seen Morant do a lot of amazing things on a court. This dunk? Jackson called it “crazy.” “He was doing what he does,” Jackson said. “And you know that putback dunk was a huge energy boost at the right time. Dunked all over Santi’s head. It was lit.”

Memphis interim coach Tuomas Iisalo has been with the Grizzlies just this season, and this was Iisalo’s 11th game running the show But yes, he noticed that dunk by Morant going up high for the putback dunk. Iisalo said he has learned not to doubt Morant

much.

“He comes up with some stuff that I’m not sure there’s any other human being on the planet that can do stuff like that ...,” Iisalo said. “As a coach, I just try to stay even keel and I try to stay in my solution mode and not to get too emotionally attached to the game because it’s mostly decision making there But plays like that test that side of me, and it was an amazing play.”

Injuries limited Morant to 50 games during this regular season. He has played 19 playoff games in Memphis’ three postseason berths with the No 2 pick overall in the 2019 draft.

Rockets face Warriors in first playoff trip since 2020

BY KRISTIE RIEKEN AP sportswriter

HOUSTON Houston faced the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs four times between 2015-19, and each time the Rockets were sent packing.

On Sunday night, the No. 2 seed Rockets return to the postseason for the first time since 2020 and will face their old playoff nemesis Steph Curry and the seventhseeded Warriors in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

While Curry, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney were around for all those battles with the Rockets, including wins in the Western Conference finals in 2015 and 2018, there isn’t a player remaining on Houston’s roster who played in even one of those games. And these Rockets aren’t worried about what happened in the past.

“This ain’t that team,” Houston’s Fred VanVleet said.

Indeed. Those teams were led by James Harden, whose trade demand sent the Rockets into a full rebuild that made them one of the NBA’s worst teams for three seasons. Coach Ime Udoka was hired before last season and Houston improved to 41-41 before making another jump this season to end the playoff drought

“We’re not just happy to be here,” Udoka said. “We wanna obviously make some noise as well.”

These new-look Rockets have veterans VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, but rely heavily on a young core of high draft picks led by Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and Amen Thompson.

“They are the No. 2 seed for a reason,” Curry said. “They have played well all year long. They play a certain physical style of defense, and they are super ath-

letic.”

The Warriors got the seventh seed with a 121-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night in the Play-In Tournament to return to the playoffs after failing to make the postseason after losing the play-in last season.

Dillon the villain

Brooks embraces the villain role for the Rockets with his aggressive play and piled up the league’s second-most technical fouls this season with 16.

In this series he’ll face Green, who also has a penchant for collecting technical fouls and was three behind Brooks with 13. With the two of them facing off for potentially seven games, many expect there to be some fireworks That led to Brooks being asked how many ejections he expects in the series.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not going to get ejected I’ll leave that to somebody else.”

Butler at the line

Jimmy Butler had made 63 of 68 free throws in eight April games before missing six at the line — 12 for 18 on Tuesday night. It

marked Golden State’s first victory in the play-in rounds after going 0-3 in games played in 2021 and last year

The knack “Playoff Jimmy” has for drawing contact and getting to the line has meant so much to the Warriors.

“Incredibly quick first step and crafty feel for the game,” coach

Steve Kerr said ”.. He’s clearly one of the best iso players in the NBA and a lot of that efficiency just comes from drawing contact and so I can’t tell you how valuable that is for us, what it does for our team to settle the game down and setting our defense up. There’s a reason our whole season shifted

when we got him, he’s that good.”

The Warriors were 23-8 in the regular season after acquiring Butler from the Heat.

Underdogs

The Warriors are the betting favorites and have been picked by many prognosticators to win the series despite the Rockets being a much higher seed.

Golden State last won the title in 2022 and two of its other titles came in 2015 and 2018 after they beat the Rockets to advance to the NBA Finals. Houston won its only titles in 1994 and 1995.

Udoka said the Rockets don’t care that they’re the underdogs in this series and can’t concern themselves with outside noise.

The rebounding factor

Golden State has allowed costly opponents offensive rebounds contributing to second and third chances in recent games. The Warriors were beaten 50-39 on the boards by

the Grizzlies and 42-25 in a 124-119 defeat to the Clippers in the regular-season finale last Sunday Kerr has stressed “scrapping and getting to every loose ball.”

The Rockets led the NBA this season by averaging 14.6 offensive rebounds and Golden State was fifth with 12.5.

Kuminga’s role

High-flying forward Jonathan Kuminga’s role has diminished since Butler joined the team. Sidelined by an ankle injury earlier this year, Kuminga didn’t play the past two games though Green fully expects him to factor into the rotation against the Rockets.

“He’ll contribute. He’s great. He’s getting his work in. That’s all you can do in that situation is get your work in,” Green said. “And he’ll be meaningful for us in that series. I have zero doubt about that. I think the challenge for him is to stay mentally engaged, as it is for anyone in that situation.”

BRIEF FROM

LSU softball falls to Texas after another late rally

Mia Scott’s infield single scored Kayden Henry from second base and No. 3 Texas handed No. 9 LSU another heartbreaking loss 6-5 on Saturday in Austin, Texas. Texas (41-6, 13-5 SEC) beat LSU (36-10, 9-9) in another seventhinning rally on Thursday with a game-winning grand slam to take two of three in the series.

The Tigers scored two in the top of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead as Jadyn Laneaux drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a bunt and scored on Danieca Coffey’s single. Jalia Lassiter followed with an RBI groundout to give LSU the lead.

LSU pitcher Sydney Berzon (155) took the loss after surrendering two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning in relief of starter Jayden Heavener

Skenes bobblehead gets Pittsburgh fans lined up Paul Skenes doesn’t just make baseballs go fast. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace and former LSU star can make merchandise fly off the shelves, too.

Fans began lining up outside PNC Park more than five hours before Saturday’s game between Pittsburgh and Cleveland in hopes of landing a bobblehead featuring the reigning National League Rookie of the Year The gates didn’t open until 90 minutes before the first pitch. Lines stretched out in all directions from the park early Saturday afternoon.

Demand grew so great that the club pledged to make sure everyone in the expected sellout crowd who did not receive one will have an opportunity to obtain one.

Dodgers star Ohtani, wife welcome first baby girl

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani is now a father

The Los Angeles Dodgers slugger posted on Instagram on Saturday that his wife gave birth to a girl. Manager Dave Roberts also acknowledged the news in an ingame interview Saturday with LA visiting the Texas Rangers.

The 30-year-old Ohtani missed the first two games of the series matching the past two World Series champions. Before the game Saturday, Roberts said he didn’t have an update on the baby, but was hopeful Ohtani would rejoin the club Sunday “I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy, beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote on Instagram. “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.”

Oklahoma wins program’s 7th NCAA gymnastics title FORT WORTH, Texas — Audrey Davis posted a 9.9250 on the uneven bars in the final rotation on Saturday, and Jordan Bowers followed with a 9.8875 to help the Oklahoma Sooners win their seventh NCAA women’s gymnastics championship. Oklahoma finished with 198.0125 in their 11th trip to the finals in the last 12 seasons. UCLA — with eight national titles placed second with 197.6125. Missouri (197.2500) was third and Utah (197.2375) fourth. The Tigers’ previous best finish was fifth in 2022 The Utes — with 49 straight championship appearances — lead with nine titles but none since 1995.

Six of Oklahoma’s championships have come since 2016 under coach K.J. Kindler, who took over the reins in 2006.

Alcaraz, Rune to play for title in Barcelona

BARCELONA Spain Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz will play Holger Rune for the Barcelona Open title after straight-set semifinals on Saturday No. 2-ranked Alcaraz beat No. 14 Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4, while Rune dispatched Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 on the outdoor clay Alcaraz holds a 2-1 record against the 13th-ranked Rune The pair of 21-year-olds have yet to meet on clay. Alcaraz won their last meeting at 2023 Wimbledon. Alcaraz won his first Monte Carlo Masters title last weekend and will be searching for his third title of the year and 19th of his career He won the Barcelona Open in 2022 and 2023.

“It’s been a really fun and great week, and let’s see if we can end with a trophy,” Alcaraz said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV

Memphis Grizzlies guards Ja Morant, left, and Desmond Bane celebrate late in the second half of their NBA play-in game against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday in Memphis, Tenn.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CARLOS AVILA GONZALEZ

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors claps and urges on the crowd in the second half of a play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday in San Francisco.

Westbrookfuels Nuggets’ comeback to edge Clippers

BY ARNIE STAPLETON AP sportswriter

DENVER Russell Westbrook, whose lategame follieshung over the Denver Nuggets as they navigated the stunning dismissals of coach Michael Malone and GM CalvinBooth on the eve of the playoffs, came up clutch against his former team in crunch time Saturday.

“That’swho he is,” Nikola Jokic said afterwatching Westbrook hit an uncontested corner 3-pointertogive Denver atwo-point lead late in regulation and then knocking the inboundspass away from—and off of James Harden with9.6 seconds left in overtime to help seal Denver’s112-110 win over the Los AngelesClippers.

“I just know that (inbounds)play,” from being there the previous two seasons, Westbrooksaid.

Westbrook had plenty to do with L.A.’s whopping 20 turnovers, including an uncharacteristic seven from KawhiLeonard.

“Russ is Russ,” interim coach DavidAdelmansaid after improving to 4-0. “Defensively,he’sabsolutely incredible. He wasplaying freesafety out there. Ithoughtalot of the reasons why the turnovers happened, evenif it wasn’thim forcing it, (was) just theway he wasroaming around and impacting the game.

“And then offensively he attacked, Adelman said. “Wemaybe could have pulled it out and executed. Butthat’swhatRuss does. Idon’tthink he’sgoing to change after17years. If he sees somebodyinfront of him 1-on-1, he’sgoing to attack.And thenhe made an enormous 3.”

Jokic scored 29 points andfinishedone rebound shy of atriple-double.Aaron Gordon added 25 points and Jamal Murray 21 as the Nuggets overcame a15-pointfirst-half deficit to power past the hottest team entering the playoffs.

The No. 5seed Clippers’losswas their firstsince March 30 at Cleveland. They rolled intothe playoffs having won 18 of 21, includingtheirlasteight

“If you turn over 20 times against the team that is No. 1inoffensive transition,

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVIDZALUBOWSKI

DenverNuggets guard Russell Westbrook, right, looks to pass the ball as Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, left, defends in the second half of their first-round playoff series SaturdayinDenver.

then you’regonna lose thegame,”lamented Clipperscoach Tyronn Lue. Harden led the Clippers with 32 points. Leonardadded 22 and Ivica Zubac had 21.

Leonardshrugged off the loss, saying the team’smood was “still good. JustGame 1. Youknow, Denver’s agood team, especially at home. Still got Game 2.”

That’sMonday night at Ball Arena.

Adelman said the key to the late comeback wasactually when Denver closed the second quarter on a13-2 run to pull to 53-49 at halftime.

“It felt like one of those games where you’re just slowly crawling uphill,” Adelmansaid

AndWestbrook was leading the way,comingupbig despite missing 12 of 17 shots overall.

“A lotofpeople put alot of emphasis on missing so many shots,” Westbrook said. “Butinthe playoffs, all you need to do is just win the game. Idon’tgive adamn about how many shotsyou miss, make. Just make winning basketball plays defensively,offensively.”

Andhedid just that.

Siakam,HaliburtonhelpPacers

race past Bucksfor a1-0 lead

BY MICHAEL MAROT

AP sportswriter

INDIANAPOLIS Pascal Siakam keptitsimple Saturday.Hegot to his spots, hit hisshots andmade the plays.

The three-time All-Star finished with 25 points and seven rebounds while Tyrese Haliburton added 10 pointsand 12assists to lead the Indiana Pacers past the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98 for a1-0 lead in theEastern Conference best-of-seven first-round series.

“It’sjust playing the game theway it’ssupposed to be played —not alot of thinking, just play the game,” Siakam said after going 10 of 15 from the field. “I thinkaslong as we play the right way and we get theshots we’re supposed to get and we wanttoget, that’swhat’simportant.”

Siakam took full advantage of the festive atmosphereasIndiana hostedits first series opener since 2014.

Team officials handed out gold T-shirts that lit up Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Fans repeatedly counted the seconds ittook for twotime leagueMVP GiannisAntetokounmpo to shoot free throwsand heckled Bucks forward Bobby Portis.And theyroaredwith delight when WNBA starCaitlinClark and others appearedonthe videoboard But what they wanted —and needed most —was afast start.

“The series is one-seventh over,and Game 2willbemonumentallymoredifficult than this one,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said, referring to Tuesday’sgame. “Everybody on our team has got to be armed and danger-

ous. Striking the right balanceiseverything for our team.”

The Pacers certainly were balanced.

MylesTurnercappeda 19-point,fourblock performance with alate 3-pointer to seal thewin after Milwaukeehad cuta 28-pointdeficit to 107-95. Six Indiana playersfinished in double figuresand Milwaukee made just one basket over the final 5:24.

It was eerily reminiscent of last year’s first-round series, which Indiana won 4-2.

Antetokounmpo led the Buckswith 36 pointsand 12 rebounds after missing all six games lastyearbecauseofa calfinjury.

This time, the Bucks played withouttheir otherAll-Star, Damian Lillard, whocontinuestowork his way into game shape after battlingdeep vein thrombosis in his right calf.Hemay return in Game 2.

Thedifference was defense.

Indiana negated Antetokounmpo’simpact over thefinalthree quarters withtraps, doubleteams and against defenders of all sizes.

The result: Antetokounmpo hadonlyone assist and nobody else scored more than15 points. Plus, theBucks, who shot aleaguebest 38.7% on 3-pointers, were limited to just 2of16inthe first half and finished 9 of 37.

ButAntetokounmpo also took issuewith Milwaukee’sdefense.

“I think we were late, like we got into scrambling mode and they would createfor thenext guyand that’swhattheywant you to do,” he said. “Wedidn’thave enough urgency.Going into Game 2, hopefully we can changethat.”

LSUchanges rotation to no availvs. Bama

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Beforethe startofevery weekend series, LSU announces theprobable startingpitchersfor both teams. Redshirt sophomore Chase Shores was listed as theTigers’ starter for Game 3thisweekend, exactly where he’d been listed for everyseries this season. Butwhen push cameto shove, junior left-hander Conner Ware started for LSU, becoming thefirst Tiger not named Kade Anderson, Anthony Eyanson or Shorestostart aSoutheastern Conference game. Ware allowedonly one runbut theplantostart him didn’twork. Shores struggled in relief after enteringthe gameinthe third inning, surrendering four runs on four hits in LSU’s 7-4 loss to Alabama at Alex Box Stadium Ware’sstart didn’tlast long.Heallowed three hitsand awalk andwas replaced by Shores after surrendering asingle to lead off the third inning.

But Shores —making his first relief appearance since March 31, 2023 walked thefirst batter he faced before surrendering athree-run home run to Richie Bonomolo that gave Alabama a3-0 lead.

Shoresgaveupa run in the fourth and another in thefifthbefore he was replaced by redshirt sophomore left-handerDJPrimeaux. Onlythree of thefour runs Shores allowed were earned, but it was an errant throw from the big righty in the fifth that allowed the unearned run to come across in the fifth.

TheLSU relievers following Shoreskeptthe Tigers within striking distance, tossing 31/3 scoreless innings and allowing just one hit until the ninth inning.

Primeaux ended the fifth inning with afly out and got the first two outs of the sixth before hitting thenextbatter. Freshman right-hander Mavrick Rizy came in forPrimeaux and loaded thebases after two walks, buthegot out of the messwith agroundout that ended the inning.

Rizy recorded another groundout to start the seventh before allowing a single and exiting for freshmanleft-hander Cooper Williams, who got two outs to maintainLSU’stwo-run deficit.

To start the eighth inning, Williams hit abatter and forced afielder’schoice before freshmanright-hander William Schmidt entered as thesixthLSU pitcher Schmidt strandedrunners

on first and second base. Schmidt walkedtwo batters to start theninth and came out forredshirt sophomore right-hander Jaden Noot, whogave up ahit, got astrikeout and allowed a sacrifice fly that extended Alabama’slead to three. He walked the next hitter to reload the bases before coming out forjunior righthander Jacob Mayers. Mayers walkedanother batter to allow arun to score, extending theCrimson Tide’slead to 7-3. The Tigers’ bats struggled through the first five innings. They had four hits andtheir only run came on asolo homer from junior Jared Jones in the third inning. Theirfortunes flipped in the sixth aftercoach Jay Johnsonmadeacall to the bench, inserting sophomore Jake Brown as apinch-hitter. With arunneronand two outs, Brown lifted a ball over the left-field wall to cut LSU’sdeficit to 5-3. Brown stepped up again in the ninth, blasting a run-scoring triple to cut Alabama’slead to 7-4, but it wasn’tenough to spark a late comeback. LSU’snext matchup is Tuesday against Northwestern State.First pitch from Alex Box Stadium is set for6:30 p.m

BY BRIAN MAHONEY AP basketball writer

NEWYORK Jalen Brunsonscored34points, Cam Payne had 11 of his 14 in the fourth quarter and the New York Knicks stunned the Detroit Pistons with a21-0 run in thefinal period to rally for a123-112 victory Saturday night in Game 1oftheir first-round playoff series.

Karl-Anthony Townshad 23 pointsand 11 rebounds in his first playoffgame with the Knicks and OG Anunobyalso scored23 points for the No. 3-seeded Knicks.They will host Game 2onMonday night. The Pistons held up wellfor more than threequartersoftheir first playoffgame since 2019 and had a98-90 lead,a little more than nine minutes from ending their NBArecord, 14-game postseason losing streak

TobiasHarrisscored 25 points forDetroit, but just three in thesecond half. Cade Cunningham had21pointsand 12 assists, but the Knickslimited the star guard to 8-for-21 shooting in his playoff debut Brunson, who missed 15 games late in the season with asprained right ankle, was just 4for 15 in thefirsthalf and appeared to be hobbling in the third quarter after tweaking his ankle again. But he changed out of his

By the time they scored again,the Knicks were ahead by 13 points, thedelirious fans inside Madison Square Garden roaring louder with every Pistons miscue after they played with such poise for much of the game Payne converted athree-point play to start therun, Brunson scored and Payne made a 3-pointer to tie it at 98, andthe onslaught would lastfor nearly five minutes.Payne and Brunson combined for the first 17 points beforeJoshHarthad thefinaltwo baskets to make it 111-98 with 4:50 remaining.

PHOTO By JOHN OUBRE

Conner Ware throws apitch against Alabama on SaturdayatAlex Box Stadium.

The relativesize of three red snapper will be important when the private recreational red snapper season opens May1in Louisiana’soffshore waters. The fish at the top measured alittle more than 16 inchesand weighed nearly 4 pounds.The middle fish measured 19 inches and weighed 6pounds,and the snapper at the bottom measured 23 inches and weighed almost 10 pounds. The minimum for a ‘keeper’ red snapper is 16 inches for recreational anglers.

By JOE MACALUSO

OUTDOORS

Getready! Redsnapper season opens next week

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

Happy Easter,and hope you feel the peacethis spring brings you and yours. This spring celebration ushers us into the fishing season, if it hasn’tbegun in earnest already,with reports of first-rate sac-a-lait and speckled trout catches blowing up on chatsitesand message centers And if you’re an offshore angler,know the private recreational red snapper seasons opensnext week. That’sright, May 1this year. Private anglers and statecertified charter operations are allowed to take four snapper per person per day as long as they measure 16 inches or longer.The season will be open daily until state fisheries managers determine landings have reached our annual catch limit. Federally permitted charterboats have adifferent season. There are more rulesto these offshore trips.

Fishermen need aRecreationalOffshore Landing Permit along with the required state fishing licenses. There is no charge for the ROLP and you can get the permit from Wildlife and Fisheries’ website wlf

TUESDAY HUNTING SEASONSPUBLIC

HEARING: 10 a.m., Herring Room, state Wildlife &Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge. Public comment limited on amendments made to 2025-2026 hunting seasons in original proposed seasons, baglimits &regulations.

TUESDAY-THURSDAY

COMMERCIAL FISHING LI-

CENSE/BOAT REGISTRATION

RENEWAL: 8a.m.-3:30 p.m., LDWF office, 468 TexasGulf Rd., Bourg. Also April 29-May 1, LDWF office, 2045 LakeshoreDr., Suite 438, New Orleans. Call LDWF Licensing (225) 765-2898.

SATURDAY BATONROUGE SYMPHONY

SPORTING CLAYS: 8a.m Bridgeview GunClub, 1365 MikeCazes Rd., Port Allen. Donations $150/shooter, $600/4-shooter team. Participants need ear/eye protection &shotshells (71/2 or smaller )Breakfast, coffee &lunch provided. Website registration: brso.org(tab “Sporting ClayShoot”). Call (225) 383-0500, Ext. 107. 14TH ANNUAL BOATING EDUCATION LAGNIAPPEDAY: Daylong sessions at nine statewide locations. Successful completion earns Safe Boating Certificate. Lunch provided

NOTEBOOK

la.gov— andyou’llneedit for taking allreef fish along with somepelagic species. It’s alsoagoodideatobecomefamiliar withall snapper species. Different snappers have differentminimum-length limits and daily creel limits. Agood illustration cameina rodeo several years ago whenafishermen came in with twosnappers to weigh for arodeo. He believed he had hisdaily limit (two backthen) andone was ared snapper.The other was ablackfin snapper,aspecies with adaily limit of 10, and the angler admittedthey caught, butreleased, more blackfin snapper that day becausethey reached their red snapper limit. Next, federal regulations require the use of nonstainless steelcircle hooks along with adehooking tool to remove hooks Gulf reef fish with minimumdamage. Both recreationaland commercial fishermen need them or adescending deviceriggedand readytouse whenfishing for reef fish.

Because Louisianaovercaughtits allotment in 2024, this year it will have an 894,955-pound catch limit, down from 934,587 pounds

in 2024.

The idea behind opening theseason May 1—itwas April 15 last year —isto have some remaining allotment left for the Labor Day weekend.

What’s up

Veterans Open bass tournament organizers have moved off aMay 3date to sometime in July

Becausethey’re happening on thesame weekend, Swollfest and the Catholic High Alumni Fishing Rodeo aretrying to get anglersto enter both.

Swollfesttakes in June 4-7 at GrandIsleMarinawhile Catholic High’srodeo runs June 5-7 from Fourchon Marina. Stay tuned for updates.

Anotable event

TheBaton Rouge Symphony is holding its annual Sporting Claysfundraiser Saturday at the Bridgeview Gun Club in BatonRouge. This unusualmarriageis amajor contributor to the symphony’seffort to keep classical musicinour Capital City

The entry fee getsshooters breakfast and lunch, but you’ll need to bring eye andear protection and your shotshells.

CALENDAR

Preregistration requested. Website: wlf.louisiana.gov/ page/boater-education (tab “FindACourse Near You”).

HUNTING SEASONS

TURKEY: Area A: throughMay 4; Area B: through April 27; Area C: through April 20. SQUIRRELS: Statewide, May 3-25, privatelandsonly.

AROUND THECORNER

APRIL 27—SOUTH LOUISIANA HIGHPOWERCLUBMATCH: 8:30 a.m., Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Range,St. Landry Road, Gonzales.CMP GSSM, NRA match rifle or service rifle, 200-yard/50-rounds match course &Prone matches. Fee$15 members, $20 nonmembers,$5juniors. $25 annual club (first match free) &Civilian Marksmanship Program membership (allows purchases from CMP). Call (337) 380-8120. Email Mike Burke: SouthLaHighPower@ hotmail.com

APRIL 28—RED STICK FLY FISHERS FLYTYING: 7p.m., Orvis Shop,7601 Bluebonnet Blvd. Open to public.Handson clinic coveringbasics of fly tying. Materials andtools provided. Website:rsff.org

APRIL 30-MAY1—BASSMASTER COLLEGE SERIES/LUNKERS TRAIL: Buggs Island, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Website:bassmas-

ter.com.

MAY1—LA. WILDLIFE &FISHERIES COMMISSION MEETING: 9:30 a.m.,Joe Herring Room, state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge.

MAY1-3—MLF TOYOTABASS SERIES/SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION: LakeEufaula Eufaula, Oklahoma. Website: MajorLeagueFishing.com

MAY1-4—MLF BASS PRO TOUR: LakeChickamauga/ Nickajack Lake, Chattanooga, Tennessee. Website: MajorLeagueFishing.com

MAY2-3–FFI GULF COAST CLASSIC: 9a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Gulf State Park Learning Campus, Gulf Shores, Alabama. Fees $10-$15. Seminars, casting clinics, fly tying. Fly Fishing Film Festival May3 Hosted by Gulf Coast Council of FlyFishersInternational event. Website: ffigulfcoastclassic.com

MAY2-4—LA. HIGH SCHOOL/ JUNIOR BASSMASTER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Ouachita River, Monroe. Call Tommy Abbott (504) 722-6638. Website: louisianahighschoolbassnation.com

MAY3—FLYFISHING 101: 9-11

a. m.,OrvisShop, Bluebonnet Boulevard,Baton Rouge. Fee free. Basics of casting,rigging,flyselection. Equipment furnished. All ages, adults to accompany15-and-younger.

UTSA pummels Tulane pitching in series finale

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

When Tulane starting pitcherWillClements couldnot find thestrike zone early in the second inning on Saturday,catcher Hugh Pinkney gave him an animated pep talk that included sticking his finger in his chest.

Clements did not respond, and neither did the eight pitchers behind him in an epic meltdownonthe mound.

Leading 4-1before Clements’ loss of control,the Green Wave gaveup24 runs in afour-inning span as American Athletic Conference-leading Texas-San Antonioran away withthe rubber game of their series25-7inseven innings at Roadrunner Park.

Tulane (24-17, 8-7 AAC) slipped to sixth place in the league, agamebehind Florida Atlantic, Charlotte andEastCarolina— next weekend’sopponent in Greenville, North Carolina.

UTSA (30-10, 12-3) strengthened its hold on topofthe league,moving two games ahead of secondplace SouthFlorida,which lost Saturday to Charlotte.

inning, coaxing an infield pop-up and aforce-out at the plate before going to a 1-2count on thenextbatter He followedwith three straight balls well outof thezone, bringing in the go-ahead run. Light-hitting leftfielder Diego Diaz then hit agrand slam on a3-1 count.

This four-shooter team competition brings some of thetop shotgunners in our area andthe prizes forin team, top man and top woman divisions with opportunities to improvescores at a bonus station. There’sa“supermulligan” to replacing your worst score. Website registration is suggested:brso.org to the “Sporting Clay Shoot” pulldown or call (225) 383-0500, Ext. 107.

Abig thankyou Hunters for the Hungry is taking time to thank our state’shunters for donating morethan 52,000 pounds of venison and hogs to processing centers, whichturned the donated proteintofood banks andsoupkitchens across thestate.Itmeant slightly more than 200,000 meals for theneedy Tears

Donald Braud,adear friendto many and an extraordinary bass fishermen, died earlier this month

Losing adad, abrother and agood friend is painful enough,but losinga kindhearted, always friendly man makes it tougher Condolences to his family andfriends. Braud will be missed, mightily missed.

Preregistration required. Call Shop(225) 757-7286.Website: orvis.com/batonrouge

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Inshore season closed except in Breton/ Chandeleur sounds &all outside waters open.

CLOSED SEASONS: Greater amberjack, redsnapper (private recreational season opensMay 1);gag, goliath &Nassau groupers in state/ federal waters.

OPEN RECREATIONAL SEA-

SONS: Gray triggerfsh, flounder; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers &wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath &Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

LDWF UPDATES

CLOSED: Pearl River WMA (Old U.S. 11 gate &shooting range; flooding); Hope Canal Road/boat launch (MaurepasSwamp WMA, levee construction); Blackhawk Boat Landing,Annie’sLake, Lincecum, Union Point,Dobbs Bay&Routen Camproads and the Warren Trailhead (RichardYancey WMA, flooding,culvert failure);Grassy LakeWMA all roads &trails (flooding). EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com

Tulane’s pitching numbers were mind-numbing, almost astoundingly so. Before recording an out in the fifth, the staffwalked 15 battersand hit four more. When the offerings were over the plate, the Roadrunners hitfourhomers in an 11-run second inning.

The run total allowed was thesecondhighest in program history,trailing only awild 30-21 loss at Pepperdine in 2002 that was played under gale-like conditions just offthe Pacific Ocean.

Clements, who hada bout of wildness in the first when he threw 12 balls in astretch of 14 pitches and walked in the tying run after recording two quick outs, wasnowhereclose to theplate on his first five offerings in the second. He was pulled soon after Pinkney’svisit.

“The wheelsfelloff,” Tulane coach Jay Uhlman said. “Probably somewhere along the line his focus and concentration got sideways. Ihave no answer for that unfortunately.”

Clements’ replacement, Blaise Wilcenksi (3-3), surrendered atying three-run homer to Norris McClure on his first pitch, negating an RBI double by Jason Wachs and atwo-run homer by Tanner Chun that gave the Wave its brief lead.

It gotmuch, much worse from there, although Wilcenski almost wriggledhis way outofa bases-loaded, no-outs jam later in the

The rout was on. Norris McClure chased Wilcenski with hissecond homerun of the inning —atwo-run shot —and Mason Lytle greeted Michael Devenney with asolo blast to make the score 12-4. The homersstopped there, but the free passes continued—fourduring athree-run third, four in arow during afour-run fourth andtwo more to start asix-run fifth, when the Roadrunners also had five consecutive singles. Freshman Julius EjikeCharlesfinally stoppedthe rot, retiring six straight after entering in the fifth, but it wasone of the most brutalstretches in Tulane baseball history.The first nine pitchers threw 104 balls in 193 attempts. Before the collapse, Tulane squandered ahuge opportunity in the first inning, scoring only one run afterloading thebases with no outs. Unlike on Friday, when the Wave did the exact samething while ahead 4-3, this lead disappeared quickly Despite the brutal finish, theserieswas nota total loss. Tulane’s5-3 wininthe middle game wasonly the second homedefeat for UTSA all season and its first against an AAC opponent. TheWave is agame outofthirdplace andtwo games outofsecondwith four league series left.

“You playtowin every series,” Uhlman said. “Unfortunately we couldn’tget that done today,but getting swept on theroad would have been troublesome. There were afew really bright performances over the weekend and some things to build on. When we get to Clearwater (for the AAC tournament), when you win,you get aday off. It saves your best arms for you to use on aregular basis.”

OneofTulane’stop relievers, Carter Benbrook, was sidelined forthe weekend with lower-back pain, andUhlmansaidhewas daytoday moving forward The Wave likely would have pitched him when trailing 6-4 in the sixth inning of Thursday’sopener —agamethat turned into a 13-5 loss —and again early Saturday “He was much better today,” Uhlman said. “That’s good.”

Crews hits twoHRs; Nats holdoff Rockies

ByThe Associated Press

DENVER— JordanBeck took acalled third strike from Kyle Finnegan to end the gamewith arunneron third, and the Washington Nationalsheld on to beat the Colorado Rockies 12-11 Saturday afternearlywasting a10-run lead.

Former LSU star Dylan Crews homered twice, hadthreehitsand four runs; James Wood had fourRBIs,three hits and ahome run; and Josh Bell homeredasWashington built a12-2 seventh-inning lead. Allfour home runs wereoff Chase Dollander Colorado has lost seven straight, dropping to abig league-worst 3-16. The Rockiesclosedwith an eight-run seventh capped by Beck’s three-runtriple off Jose A. Ferrer

Finnegan walked Hunter Goodman starting the ninth and gave up atwoout RBI triple to Mickey Moniak, who had four RBIs. Beck took a1-2 fastball on thelow,outside corner,giving Finnegan his seventh save in seven chances Washington’sMacKenzie Gore (2-2) tied his career high with 13 strikeouts, allowing tworuns andfour hits in six innings. Dollander (1-2) allowed nine runs —six earned and nine hits in four innings, Crewsmadea diving head-first catch on Sean Bouchard forthe first out of the eighth.

The Nationals, whose 12 runs were aseason high, averaged 2.8 runs per game during a1-5 slide before arriving in Denver

FILE PHOTO

Underwooddisplaysflashes of promiseinspringgame

BY LARRYLAGE AP sportswriter

ANNARBOR,Mich. Michigan

quarterbackBryce Underwood showed glimpses of thegrowing pains he will likely experience as afreshman and flashes of the promise that made him the nation’stop-rated high school football recruit in the team’sspring game on Saturday

Underwood was 12 of 26 for 187 yards with ascrimmage-ending, 88yard passtotight end Jalen Hoffmanonareverse flea-flicker in a 17-0win for the Blue over the Maize. He also recovered his fumble, hadapairofdelay-of-gamepenalties, severalerrantthrows —high and wide —and some dropped. Underwood lost 12 yards on twosacks andgained 17 yards on three runs.

“He did well,” coachSherrone Moore said.“Made some really good throws and had some things we need to clean up and get better at.”

As the Wolverines wrapped up spring football in front of about 40,000 fans at the Big House, all eyes were on Underwoodand he has become comfortable with that.

“It’sjust the pressure that came with my arm,” Underwood told The Detroit News earlier this spring. “I can’tstop that.”

Underwood was sacked on his first snap and his first completion went for aloss. He didthrow some darts, usually in theflat,and was quick enough to escapecollapsed pockets to pick up yardage with his feet.

Underwood is expected to compete with sophomore Jadyn Davis and Fresno State transferMikey Keene for playing time ahead of the season-opening game on Aug. 30 at home against Fresno State.

“It’sabattle,” Moore said. “It’s

SAINTS

Continuedfrom page1C

of recent high picks —Isaiah Foskey (2023), Trevor Penning (2022), Payton Turner (2021) and MarcusDavenport (2018) The findings from our study produced support for bothsides.

While the overall results were more positive than negative, with the Saints boasting ahigh hit rate in the draft’searly rounds, the team has struggled recently to replicate the success it enjoyed in 2016 and 2017.

“New Orleans had that (2017) draft, and that setsyou up,but it’s so hard to maintain it,” said Daniel Jeremiah, adraft analyst at the NFL Network. “That’snatural that you are going to have some ups and downs.” For the analysis, we usedPro FootballReference’sApproximate Value to gauge adraft pick’svalue. TheAVmetric assigns anumeric value to players each seasonbased on their playing time, statistical production and honors earned For context, an above-average season for an NFL starterwould be an 8-11 AV.APro Bowl-caliber season would be anythingfrom 12 to 20. An average NFL starter would earn a5-7. Anything below that would be abackuporreplacement-level player

Adefinitive answer is difficult to attain. The player procurement process always has been more art than science, and there’snoNFL draft scoreboard to determine winners and losers. As such,the results are highly subjective.

“There arehugeerror bars around (NFL draft success), largely because there are so many different factors that go into it, from coaching to injuries to luck,” said Matt Manocherian, aformer NFL scout and theCEO of Sports Info Solutions, asports analytics company.“There are definitely such things as good evaluators and staffs, butina given year that may or may not show up in the overallresults.” Alook at our findings:

Top-endquality

The Saints rank second behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the overall quality of their draft production, withanaverage AV of 15.5 per selection, trailingonly Kansas City’s 16.3. The Saints have drafted four All-Pro players in that span: Zack Baun, Ryan Ramczyk, Trey Hendrickson and Michael Thomas. That total is surpassedbyonly the Cowboyswith five, and Chiefs, 49ersand Ravens with six each.

Lack of opportunity

The Saints’ strong performance

going to go all theway to fall camp.”

Underwood is motivated to start andkick off alegacy-building career with lofty goals.

“A couple of Heismans and at least onenatty,” Underwood said last month in an interview on the Rich Eisen Show

Underwood knows there will be peopledoubting he can live up to the hype

“’He’sjustafreshman. He won’t be good enough,’ ”Underwood said. “I might keep that chip my whole three years.”

He attendedBelleville High School, about 15 miles eastof AnnArbor,and flipped hiscommitment to Michigan after telling LSU coaches last yearheintended to play there.

TomBrady,aformer Wolverine and seven-time Super Bowl winner, talked with Underwood

duringthe school’srecruitment via FaceTime and Oracle founder Larry Ellison,one of theworld’s richest people, also connected with him.

JayUnderwood told the Wall Street Journalthat his son is expected to make morethan $15 million at Michigan, but that doesn’t guaranteehewilltakethe first snapnext fall.

“He wants to earn everything,” Moore has said. “Hedoesn’twant to be given anything.”

Hoffman saidUnderwood has simply blended in withhis teammates

“He’sreally humble, likenot a bighead, ego, nothinglikethat,” he said. “Comes into work and every day,hewantstoget better every day. He’s not riding off his success in high school. He’sreally trying to be one of those top players in college football.”

various restructures. For instance, in March, the Saints converted more than $28 million of Carr’s$30 million salary into asigning bonus and spread that bonus over several years. When aplayer is released, the remaining chargesare accelerated to one year “You are obviously not going to cut him before June 1,” Halsell said. If theSaints wanted to cutCarrafterJune 1, they could manage that $80 million by spreading out the charges over 2025 and2026. Halsell said Carr’scap figurewouldremain $20.4 million in 2025, then theSaints would have$60 million in dead money in 2026 as aresultofCarr’s contract Thatmakes 2026 more realistic, Halsell said.And then,hethinks the Saints will useapost-June 1designation on Carr rather than absorb his dead hit of nearly $59.7 million at once. Doing so would leave $19.2 million on the Saints’ books in 2026 and theremaining $40.5 million in 2027. When declaring apost-June 1 cut,however,teams mustcarry the entire cap hit on thebooksuntil that date, so the Saintswould be stuck with Carr’s $69.2 millioncap hit until June 2, 2026.

“Theydothis with alot of their contracts. It really is structured forthem to move on from him with the post-June 1designation next year,” Halsell said, later adding, “My sense is they’ve always plannedtohave that $40 million dead money number in 2027.

“That’s whyIsay from acap management, contract management standpoint, it sucks that he’shurt and you guaranteed him $40 millionthis year,but anyother option besides going through with what (theSaints) had planned on from a cap management standpoint, puts (them) in anegative situation.” What if atrade presents itself?

If Carr’sshoulder can heal in time for theregular season, and if he wantsout of NewOrleans, the music almost hasstoppedplaying

of the 2023NFL

hascome without the benefit of premium picks. They,along with theGreen Bay Packers, are one of two teams without atop-10 pick in the last decade. By comparison, NFC South division rivals Atlanta andCarolinahavehad five top10 picksapiece in that time. The New York Giants have had the most with eight.

2017 sparkles

The Saints’ famed 2017 class remainsthe NFL’sbest draft class of thedecade. The sevenman classwas strong from top to bottom andproduced stars Hendrickson, Ramczyk, Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore, althoughHendrickson earned his ProBowl andAll-Pro honors with theCincinnati Bengals.

“You get three starters in a draft and acouple of other contributors, that’sa really good draft,” Jeremiah said. “You get four starters, that’s outstanding. Three (starters) would be the benchmark.”

Qualityoverquantity

The Saints believe strongly in theevaluation skills of Ireland andhis scoutingstaff. The club’s confidence in acquiring players whomIrelandhas identified as “Saints guys” has shaped its entire draft philosophy and led to a quality-over-quantity approach. Since 2015, the Saintshave made the fewestdraft selections (62) in the NFL.Bycomparison,

thePackers have made an NFLhigh 97 selections in the same span. The Saints’ strategyoftargeting players they have graded highly and positioning themselves to takethem,often via trade, has helped produce thelow number The club’shistorically aggressive approach tofree agency also contributes to its low draft pick total. Compensatory draft picks are awarded to clubs that suffer anet loss of free agents during theprior year’sfree agency period. Since thesystem began in

1994, the Saints have received the fewest number of compensatory picks awarded by the league. Sweetspot This quality-over-quantity draft strategy gives the Saints fewer bites at theapple but also tends to yield ahigher hit rate, especially on the draft’sfirst two days. Of the 31 playersselected by the Saints in Rounds 1-3, 21 developed into multiyear starters and fiveothers —Penning, Taliese Fuaga, KoolAid McKinstry,Baun and Bryan

andthe quarterback could be without adance partner

The Cleveland Browns have added Joe Flacco andKenny Pickett this offseason. The Giants signed RussellWilson andJameisWinston TheLas VegasRaiders traded for GenoSmith, and the Seattle Seahawks signed Sam Darnold. The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be waiting for AaronRodgers, who said Thursdayhe’sstill undecided on whether to retire or keep playing. So, whowould trade forCarr? Then, there’salso the injury factor

“Without knowing the severity of hisshoulder injury —but if it’s one that he couldmissasignificant amount of theseason, if not the entire season —Idon’tthink anyone’ssigning up to trade for that contract,” Halsell said.

Any team that would want Carr next season would be on the hook forthe league minimum $1.2 million salary,but the finalyearof Carr’scontract in 2026 holds a$40 million base salary and a$10 million roster bonus. Those are nonguaranteed,however,soateam can get out of it.

Halsell said the Saints also would havetowaituntilafterJune1totrade him. Doing so before thatdatewould acceleratealmost$79millionworthof cap charges onto theirbooks, whereastradinghimafterwouldleave$19.2 millionin2026 and then almost $59.7 million thenextyear

The Saints’ other options include seeking arbitration if NewOrleans questions thevalidityofCarr’s shoulderinjurybyfiling agrievance, Halsell said. If Carr were to unexpectedly retire, that’streated similar to areleaseinwhichhis dead money would accelerate into one year.(Though the Saints could also perhaps seek to get some of his bonus money back if he were to retire early.)

Fornow,the Saints and Carr appear to be in aholding pattern. “From apure cap management standpoint, Idon’tthink it changes much of whatthey were going to do with his contract and managing his cap number this year and next year,” Halsell said. “From apractical standpoint, yeah, it sucks because you’ve guaranteed him $40 million in cash this year.”

Bresee —are projected to join them after the 2025 season.

To use abaseball analogy,the Saints hit alot of doubles in Rounds 2-3 of the draft. Players such as Vonn Bell, Marcus Williams, Alex Anzalone, Pete Werner,Paulson Adebo, Adam Trautman and Alontae Taylor developed into solid, multiyear starters. They’re not stars, but they’re also not misses.

“(Rounds 2-3 are) the best bang foryour buck because the cost is significantly less (than Round 1), and Idon’tknow that the odds are that much worse in termsof finding guys that can start for you and can have an impact,” Jeremiah said.

In aslump?

The Saints have not been nearly as successful in recent drafts. Each of the club’slast fivedraft classes has ranked near the bottom of the league in collective Approximate Value. Those drafts also have lacked star power, producing just twoPro Bowlers —Baun in 2024 and Erik McCoy in 2019. Baun, of course, earned his invitation after leaving New Orleans forPhiladelphia.

“The Saints had an all-time great draftin2017, but it’squite common to see teamsfollow great drafts with bad ones and vice versa,” Manocherian said. “You could certainly say ateam has been hot or in aslumpbyplaying the results, but when this happens, it doesn’tmean that they are somehow all suddenly worse at their jobs.”

The Saints have selected just nine starters in the seven drafts since the heralded 2017 haul. Five other draftees —Adebo, Baun, Trautman, Kaden Elliss and C.J. Gardner-Johnson —have moved on via trade or free agency and are starting forother teams.

“Wealways used to look at guys that werestill in the league, where maybe they (draftees) weren’table to stick on your roster,but you evaluated the talent correctly that those guys have madeitonother teamsand they found away to survive in the NFLfor awhile,” Jeremiah said.

“That’susually apretty good sign that you’re doing the right process and doing it the right way. Jeremiah added one morepoint that might be overlooked when it comes to the Saints’ draftfortunes: The absence of star quarterback Drew Brees has made everything moredifficult.

“When you have the elite, elite,

Hall of Fame quarterback, it makes alot of those (draft) picks play above their level, as well,” Jeremiah said. “(The Saints) have been

without that the last couple of years.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Los Angeles Ramsquarterback MatthewStafford is tackled by Saints defensivetackle BryanBresee during the second half of their game on Dec.1 at Caesars Superdome. The Saints drafted Bresee with the 29th pick in thefirstround

Draft.

ASSOCIATDPRESS PHOTO By PAUL SANCyA

Michigan quarterback BryceUnderwood throws during the Wolverines’ spring game on SaturdayinAnn Arbor,Mich.

THE VARSITY ZONE

Newman bats erupt

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Newman felt prepared to lean on its pitching in the second game of its baseball series against Fisher

What happened instead was an offensive onslaught that led to a 16-0 victory as the Greenies completed a two-game series sweep on Saturday at Avenger Field in the first round of the Division III select playoffs.

The four-inning win, which advanced No. 13 Newman to face No. 4 Catholic-New Iberia in the next round came after Newman won the first game 4-0 on Friday Christian Sauska struck out 14 and walked four with two hits allowed in that shutout victory

“We were motivated after last night,” Sauska said. “We did get the win, but we felt there was more left in the tank. We came out with guns blazing and it was an exciting win. Everybody was piecing together hits.”

Newman (18-12) won the second game with a mix of base hits (12) and free passes (eight walks, three hit batters) as three other batters reached on errors.

pitch going, we’re pretty good,” Adams said.

In addition to Henry Cook, who pitched three innings Saturday, Adams would have called on Jack Falgoust and Tyler Zweifler along with primary reliever Villere to pitch if he had to.

Pitching depth has “kind of been a staple of our program” through the years, Adams said. But it will take more than pitching to win another playoff series.

“We have to be able to swing the bats,” said Wilson, a catcher “I think our pitching can keep us in close games, but you can’t win not scoring any runs.”

The two wins against Fisher (14-14) ran the Newman win streak to seven games.

Tulane defense rules the day

Quarterbacks struggle, leaving big questions at the position

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

Tulane’s quarterback competition is every bit as unsettled as it was when spring practice started.

After giving up some big plays earlier in the week, the defense dominated the Green Wave’s spring game, forcing Kadin Semonza and Donovan Leary into a series of mistakes and empty possessions on Saturday morning at Yulman Stadium.

Under constant pressure, neither one of them produced two first downs on any of the first 10 possessions in a scrimmage that featured four 10-minute quarters with a running clock. Semonza threw an interception right to linebacker Sam Howard, and Leary followed with a pair or errant tosses that safety Kevin Adams ran under down the sideline and linebacker Dallas WinnerJohnson picked off easily

The defense led 34-0 in the scoring system the coaches designed (six points for a turnover, three for a three-and-out, one for a forced punt) before the offense produced three second-half touchdowns while most of the starters were on the sideline, pulling within 36-22 by game’s end.

“We didn’t play well enough today (at quarterback) to win,” coach Jon Sumrall said. “I like both guys They are both great teammates. They both can throw it well enough. They both work incredibly hard, but we’re a long way from where we need to be. Who’s starting? I have no idea. It’s really no different than we were a year ago at this time.”

Three of the next four series ended in interceptions, with both quarterbacks throwing under duress from a defensive front that was without senior defensive tackle Adonis Friloux, who announced Friday he was entering the transfer portal The line still exhibited quality depth.

“Up front our guys look physical, violent, twitchy and fast,” Sumrall said. “They were just creating havoc. The best pass coverage is a pass rush, and you’ve got guys up front that can create, everything else gets a whole lot easier That group has flashed all spring.”

Tulane returns only two starting offensive linemen — left tackle Derrick Graham and left guard Shadre Hurst and they were pulled early in the scrimmage Howard echoed linebacker Dickson Agu’s praise from a few days earlier of defensive tackle Santana Hopper, a transfer from Appalachian State.

“Remember the name Santana Hopper,” Howard said “He’s elite That entire room, anybody can come in and take over a game.”

Newman scored four runs in the second inning with the help of a balk with the bases loaded and a throwing error by the catcher as he tried to turn a double play that would have ended the inning.

“Last game we were popping the ball up a lot, and this game we were like, we can’t do that,” said Villere, who went 4 for 4 with three singles and the double. “I think we put a lot more balls on the ground, made them

Sauska, Charles Wilson and Collier Villere each hit a two-RBI double over the course of the third and fourth innings.

make plays. And I think that’s what led to more baserunners.”

Newman coach Patrick Adams planned to use as many as four pitchers over the two games his team could have had to play Saturday But without having to play an if-necessary game that would have immediately followed the second game of the series, Newman could turn its attention to the next round of the playoffs.

“We got guys that can throw strikes, and when they get their secondary

AREA PLAYOFF GLANCE

“In the middle of the season, we were struggling up and down the lineup,” Adams said. “Now we’re finding guys guys that are finding a way up and down the lineup. It’s a good thing to have.”

A productive lineup and deep pitching, two good reasons for Newman to feel some optimism as it advances to the second round of the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

Leary played the opening series, but only because he guessed four to Semonza’s five when asked to pick a number between one and 10 (the answer was three). Edge rusher Harvey Dyson sacked him to force a three-and-out. A similar fate awaited Semonza, whose third-down pass was tipped at the line by Derrick Shepard.

The tone was set.

“The intent was there today all around on defense,” said Howard, one of the few veteran starters returning on either side of the ball. “The offense had been kicking our butts the last four practices, so we knew it was personal to come out here and play with relentless effort.”

Semonza, a Ball State transfer whom Sumrall said was sharp in the previous five practices, produced the initial first down on the third series with a short completion to tight end Justyn Reid, but the offense went backward from there.

Leary, an Illinois transfer, moved the chains with a completion to running back Javin Gordon in the flat on his next series before overthrowing wide-open receiver Oliver Mitchell deep down the sideline for what could have been a touchdown two plays later That incomplete pass led to a failed fourth-down attempt when tackle Dominic Steward was pushed into the backfield, forcing a harried throw

After Semonza’s first series of the third quarter ended with a sack from Mississippi State transfer Ty Cooper, Leary led the first drive that produced more than one first down, hitting running back Jamauri McClure for 17 yards and handing off twice in a row to freshman Javin Gordon for 25 yards. Florida Atlantic transfer Zuberi Mobley scored from 4 yards for the first offensive points of the day before Leary threw out of bounds trying to lead Mitchell on a 10-yard conversion attempt worth three points. Leary’s final series failed when he threw out of bounds again on fourth and 3 from the defense’s 8. Walk-on quarterbacks Dagan Bruno, a John Curtis graduate, and Jaxson Judge led fourth-quarter touchdown drives against backups. Bruno hit tight end Anthony Miller for a 25-yard score that was the longest gain of the scrimmage. Bruno also was part of a wild 4-point conversion on the scrimmage’s final play dropping a snap, scrambling to his right and connecting with walk-on wideout Seth Gale through coverage in the back of the end zone. That moment was an outlier The day belonged to the defense, leaving plenty of questions about a quarterback race that will expand by one soon whether TJ Finley comes off the suspension that forced him to miss the final eight practices With redshirt freshman Kellen Tasby having moved to receiver (he took one series at quarterback), Semonza and Leary were the only two on scholarship Saturday “We are very likely to bring in another quarterback, and it’s not a shot at the other guys,” Sumrall said. “I’d like to have four scholarship quarterbacks. We have to go get a quarterback just to make the room right and then also add competition and see who our starter’s going to be.”

Usually reliant on deep pitching staff, Greenies lineup has big day vs. Fisher

STAFF PHOTOS By SCOTT THRELKELD

Newman’s Charles Wilson rips an RBI double against Fisher in the third inning during their Division III bidistrict playoff series on Saturday at Avenger Field. Newman won 16-0 to advance to the regional round against Catholic-New Iberia.

STAFF PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Newman’s Tanner Robert scores on a double by Tyler Zweifler during the fourth inning

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Tulane linebacker Sam Howard, left, passes Rice quarterback E.J. Warner after recovering a fumble

Kimleads by 1atHiltonHead

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

HILTONHEAD ISLAND,S.C. The vibe at Hilton Head Islandisall about ease and relaxation. It felt like anything but that to Justin Thomas on Saturday in the RBC Heritage.

His two-shot lead was gonein two holes,partly because he of a one-shot penalty on the par-5second hole when he informed the rules officialhis golf ball might have moved alittle more than a dimple (it did).

His worst swing of the day on the 11th hole put him in shallow water insidea red hazard line. He tried to play the shot and barely moved it 15 yards, but not before themud and muck splashed into his face andled his caddie to tell him he smelled like awet dog (he did)

“That didn’tseem worth it,” Thomas said, loudenoughfor the gallery to hear and to laugh.

Thomas at least ended the day on ahigh note, rolling in a15-foot birdie putt on the 18th to make up

ground on Si WooKim, who played bogey-free until the final hole at Harbour Town

By then, Kim had done enough to still post a5-under 66 andtake aone-shotlead over Thomas (69) and AndrewNovak (66).

“When you win golf tournaments, you need tosalvage underparrounds when you don’thave your beststuff,” Thomas said. “I just fought and tried to stay patient and then was able to salvage ascoretowhere I’m right there tomorrow.”

Kim didn’texactly have that peaceful feeling when he headed to the first tee,two behind Thomas and without awin in two years.

“It’sbeenawhile to playin thefinalgroup,soitfeels weird. Then alittle bit of maybe pressure,” Kim said.“Notthe pressure, alittle bit like feel weird at the start.”

He started birdie-birdie to catch Thomas. He took the lead when Thomas hadhis mud-filled adventures on the11th and made bogey

Kim stretched the lead to as many as three shots until it suddenly got tight again.

Novak birdiedthe par-317th to completehis bogey-free round. And there was atwo-shot swing from thefinal group when Kim came up short of the18th green and just into thehazard, from here we chopped out of mangled grass and missed the par putt.

“I played great —only missed thelast hole, so that’snot abig deal,” Kim said. “SoIplay pretty much35holes really decent.So I’m not going to worry about the last hole for tomorrow.I’m in good position. I’ve been playing good.”

AndThomas made his birdie.

“Itwas huge,” he said. “I played really well today,really solid. Just didn’thave much to show.The course is getting verydifficult, very firm and fast Yeah, it was nice to see an ironshotget up there pin-high and roll that putt in there. It’snice to finishoff like that and ride that momentum into tomorrow.”

CLASSIC

Continued from page1C

Slidell’sHunter Appleton at 31:58 andBirmingham, Alabama, resident Caleb VanGeffen at 32:00. Selert credited herCityPark neighbors forhelping her achieve atime that was more than one minute faster than second-place female finisher MikaylaTinkman

“My neighbors (and I) run at City Park everyday,” Selert said.“Ididn’treallycareabout my time, but Ireally did want to run well for my neighborhood andthe people Isee every morningwho say hi to me.I’m trying to do it for something larger (than myself).”

Tinkman, from Canada, finishedwith atime of 37:09. Tiel Westbrook of Richmond, Virginia, finished third among women at 38:06 followed by New Or-

leans’ Michelle Parks at 38:21 andThibodaux’sStefanie Slekis at 38:50.

Costumecontest

The Crescent City Classic’s Easter weekend date encourages runners to get dressed up, and there was acostume contest held after the race.

Agroup dressed up as “Wizard of Oz” characters was one of four finalists and won the first-place prize decided by the Racefest audience.

“Itwas really fun,” said Darien Hunter,who wasdressed as a witch. “It was alot running with the cape and makeup and all that kind of stuff,but it was worth it in the end.”

The other finalistsincludeda group of bees, afamous wrestling duoand apersondressed as the famous New Orleans dog Scrim Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.

Kir Selert, of NewOrleans, finishes first among females in the 47th Crescent City Classicon Saturday

STAFF PHOTOSBySCOTT THRELKELD

Evan Pardo, of NewOrleans, winsthe Crescent City Classic on Saturday.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Crescent City Classic

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE STEWART

Si WooKim putts on the

during the

Hilton Head Island, S.C.

DannyHeitman AT RANDOM

Adog,a neighborhood, andthe promise of Easter

New natural gaslinesare coming to my old Louisiana neighborhood, and the advance teams have been busy this spring as they sort out where everything should go. Survey crews combed the streets last month, placing tiny flags in our yards to markout water lines and other utilities so they can be avoided when the digging starts.

Meanwhile, we homeowners have had our own knots to untie. All of us are doing our best to cut the first grass of the season while dodging those little stakes that dot our lawns. I’ve beenstruck by how quickly our eyes adjust to accept new parts of our daily landscape. Those miniature flags, brightorange, green, and yellow,now seem as much afixture to me as the azaleas with their April blooms or the Japanese magnolia’spurple petals, cupped like votive candles as they bask in the sun.

All this digging in my small corner of the cityhas nudged me to think of my neighborhood’stwin lives —the one I see above ground each day, in the winding sidewalks andgiantoaks, andthe quietworld that trembles below,among the clay and the worms and the tiny bulbs and seeds doing their secretwork.

Inevitably,this brings my thoughts to Foster,our faithful terrier,gone some years now but seldom far from mind. If you’ve ever had aterrier, then you’ll know that they embrace this double view of life above and below the ground all the time.

Like most other terriers, Foster loved to burrow —so much so that he’d wiggle deep beneath the blankets once he’d talked himself into our children’sbeds.

Foster’szeal for excavation made my walks with him an adventure.

We’d be strolling along the pavement, taking in the birdsong and sunshine, when his nostrils would flare and his body would tense, like afishing line tightenedbyacaptive perch. Then the furious diggingwould begin, thedirt and grass flying as he threw clods of earth from his tiny paws. Iassumed he’d sniffed out a mole and was on the hunt. What worried me, though, was the matter that he was vandalizing aneighbor’slawn. I’d tug on the leash and urge him along, but it was ahard slog for me and that fierce little mutt. He was a predator entranced by hisprey, not easily budged from his vivid dreams of conquest.

Inow walk alone these days as Ipad along familiar blocks —aritual that has moved me, as Easter arrives,todwell on an abiding miracle. The wonders of the season —the greening dogwood and trailing jasmine, the salamanders sunning on my front porch —have risen from the cold, black soil beneath our feet.

It’sbeen asolace in this anxious year to think thatlife finds away to push throughthe darkness.

CORRECTION: Last week’scolumn included the wrong name for the magazine that Graydon Carter edited during the later yearsofhis career.He’smost famous for editing Vanity Fair Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com

that

BOTTLE FEELING

Liquor storeowner’s dreamcomes true with atinywedding chapel inside hisshop

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

New Orleans liquor store

owner Chuck Loescher was in the hospital recovering from brain surgery when he had adreamabout brides walking down an aisle. He took it as asign that his St. Charles Avenue shopshould addawedding chapel —inthe back left corner,between the tasting room and thecoolers. Before the dream, he thought the chapel was aterrible idea. But he was swayed by thebrides. Who wouldn’tbe?

Loescher,61, saidhewas behind the counteratthe liquorstore one day when he gotabad headache that waseventuallydiagnosed as “a brain bleed.” At thehospital, he said,they drilled holes in his skull to relieve thepressure. After acouple of days in intensive care, he spent amonth recuperating. The doctor didn’tknow what causedthe brain bleed, Loescher said. Maybe he bumpedhis head in the garage.Itdoesn’ttakemuch

Another‘stupid’idea

The wedding chapel concept had

Marksville residents Brent Scallan and Linda Adams demonstrate thecorrect wayofegg knocking in the Avoyelles Parish Tourism Commission Office in Mansura. STAFF

come up before all that happened, when Loescheraskedhis Holy Cross High School palVince Caruso to help him figure out how to puthis newliquorstore, Chuck’son theAvenue, on the map.

Caruso,anAlgiers-born former televisionreporterand marketingman,did some research and

determined that there wasno liquorstore in theworld where onecould also getmarried. Sure therewas adoughnutshop chapel in Portland, he discovered. But Google had never heard of aliquor store wedding chapel.

BY ROBINMILLER Staff writer

The key to successful egg pockingisboiling eggs point-side-down “You turn them upside down, like this,” SharonJuneau

which happens to be the “Egg Knocking Capital of the World.”

Legislativeproclamation That’snot aself-proclaimed title —the Louisiana Legislature officially awarded the moniker to Avoyelles Parish in 2011, naming it for Marksville’sannual

PROVIDED PHOTO By HAGGERTy MEDIA/COURTESy CHUCK’S ON THEAVENUE

Elvis impersonatorand Saints superfan RandyBonnevalpresides overthe weddingofAngel Muhlhauser and Eric Maisonneuveatthe chapel inside Chuck’sonthe Avenue liquor store.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Chuck Loescher,left, owner of Chuck’sonthe Avenue, and VinceCaruso, general manager,are pictured in the wedding chapel at the store in New Orleans on April 11.

DINING SCENE

La.crawfish boilsare soaked in social tradition

relationship of breweries and mobile pop-up boiling operators, turning beer gardens into what can resemble mini crawfish festivals. There aredifferent suds to sample next to the crawfish andthe family-friendly taproom format means the kids can come along.

Still though, whenitcomes to crawfishand family and friends andour traditions, there is nothing like the backyard boil (see also:the drivewayboil, the side yard boil, the front stoop boil, whatever youhave).

Thesocialboil

Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING

We have religious holidays and national holidays and, in Louisiana, what I’ve come to understand as holidays that fall somewhere between structured tradition and the customs we create together.Ofcourse, food is central, and crawfish is right there at aspecial confluence of our culture and the calendar Easter weekend opens the high time of Louisiana boiled crawfish, extendingthrough the Mother’sDay boil andthe Father’sDay boil. In between, there are other days of observation —graduations, spring weddings, post-festival parties, the days that dot our spring weekends. These are occasions that call for crawfish,and they arrive just as theharvesttypically reaches its most abundant.

Ibelieve the fullest crawfish experience is the backyard boil at someone’shouse. This is the big show

This is where all the customs andtraditions take root,get sorted, are evolved through oral argument and field trials and, perhaps, are passed down tothe next generation. This is where the culture of crawfish soaks in.

This year,after the strangeness of scarcity and higher prices of 2024, the crawfish culture of Louisiana is feeling especially robust and rewarding.

Crawfish on demand Crawfish, when done right, will always be an experience. For me, it’snever just about thatmorsel of tail meat. That appeal can hold up in restaurants, too, which provide the vital service of crawfish on demand,and with someone else to clean up.

Ilike the nostalgia built into a trip to the original Deanie’sSeafood, where between the big bar up front and the retail market

next door,there’satime warp back to the old Bucktown. Ilike eating crawfish at Perrino’sBoiling PotinHarvey surrounded by the taxidermy wildlife while

working down avery cold pitcher of beer,feeling like I’ve somehow traveled far into Acadiana rather than just over the Harvey Canal.

Butit’sanoutdoor setting that really makesitfor me, bringing restaurant crawfishjust abit closer to the backyard. It could just be the little pocket-sized porchout front at Frankie &Johnny’slistening to theclang andboom of the port at work across the street while pairing crawfish with abetterthan-you-might-expect wine list (rosé andcrawfish work great; sparkling rose andcrawfish are even better).

Ilove making apilgrimage to Seither’s Seafood and feeling like this littlepatch of Harahan is somehow outbya beach with its thatch and tiki torches, driftwood stagefor live music and impresarioofthe boil, Jason Seither,running theship. Ilovehow Clesi’s Seafood resemblesa terraced patio across its different levels, like acrawfish clubhouse in MidCity,withthe boiling operation in open view

Andcheers to the symbiotic

It’sthe making of crawfish that makes the culture. It’sthe time built into the process, even for people who won’ttouch apaddle or wrangle acrawfish sack. The time requiredtoprepare batches,and even the time requiredto peel andeat afresh deployment, alldictate aspanoftogetherness. The boil culture runs deep and seems to crop up everywhere this time of year

Youalmost can’t avoid it. You hear it in the steady jet engine howl of rushing gasrings and smell it in the aromaoflemon andclove rising over the neighbor’sfence, mingling with the jasmine

It’spartofspring, atime when we count ourregion’sblessings of music andart andculture before the termitesswarm and the summerheat arrives for its long residency.This is no time to take ourunique regional pleasures for granted.

Maybe it’seasytodosowith crawfish. Mudbugs getpretty short shrift in life. They’re raked up by the ton, shippedingreat bundledbags, handledabout as gently as amailsackintransit, andeventually priced like acommodity

But, when it’stime forthe boil, crawfishget tiedupwith our sense of the seasons, the passing of time andthe endurance of traditions. In othercultures and othertimes, theybuilt temples andstatuesinpraise of symbols thatpowerful. In Louisiana, we gathersome friends, get another round anddig in.

Email IanMcNultyat imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTOSByIAN MCNULTy

■ Spring Fiesta

The New Orleans SpringFiesta Association presented ANight in Old New Orleans as its annual vernal celebration. It was the association’s89th anniversary.Dozens of those involved, especially the court, assembled at thehandsome Spring Fiesta Association Townhouse on St. Ann Street in the French Quarter before forming avehicular parade (including carriages) that ended at theOmni Royal Orleans. Onlookers, the parade-goers, were thrilled to receive flowers handed outbythe parade participants. In the hotel, the opening patriotic ceremonies featured BlakeAucoin, presentation of the American flag; David Jorgensen,Pledge of Allegiance and SF history; and Justin Eifert,the nationaland Sf anthems. Then came the SF court ceremonies, led by captain Joseph “Joey” Salvatore DiFatta and past kings JerryWayne Stowe, Le Roi II, and Casimir Joseph “CJ” Blanda,LeRoi I. Wearing the2025 crown was Mr Frank AnthonyMilanese, Le Roi III. On Jan. 12, his majesty was honored at asoiree in the Spring Fiesta House to celebrate his coronation. The requested attire was “elegant Mardi Gras dress.” The courtly procession continuedwith the appearance of flag bearer James Beauregard Kessler, son of Mr.and Mrs. JeffreyDarren Kessler; and the gallants, bearers of the banner,Messrs. Andrew Cranmer “Ace” Nice,son of Ms. Jewlynn Nice and the late Mr.Charles Monroe Nice; and Andrew Dawson Calhoun, stepson andson of Mr.and Mrs. Charles J. Moll III, and son and stepson of Drs. Andrew and Suzanne Hall Calhoun.The promenade girls and their parents were Misses Juliette Aimée Hasney, Dr Christianand Aimée Hasney;Eva Joan Perret, Mr.and Mrs. Matthew Brian Perret;Chloe Madison Pendleton, Mr.and Mrs. Christian Dean Pendleton;and Emelia Jane Uzee,Ms. CathyAnn Ritto. The demoiselles followed: Misses Slone Carson McNutt, Mr.and Mrs. Lee WilliamMcNutt III; Kate Alexis Chaplan,Mr. and Mrs. Scott Alan Chaplan; Rabel Josephine Mae McNutt, Mr.and Mrs. McNutt;and Sylvie Kahn,Mr. and Mrs. Morris Lee Kahn.

The maids of honor were Misses Anne Elise O’ Carroll Giroir,Mr. and Mrs. James Barry Giroir Jr ;and Daphne Clare Holley, Mr Todd Joseph Holley and Mrs. Janeen Higgins Holley.The jewel bearerwas Miss Larkin Anne Schlanker, Mr.and Mrs.William Alan Schlanker.

One of the most anticipated moments wasthe arrival of the queen, Miss Lane Read Calhoun,called Laney,and the daughter and stepdaughter of the above Molls and Calhouns. Pastqueensinattendance were Misses Chloe Jewel Stowe, 2024; and Emma Morgan Caffrey,2011, queen Laney’s half-sister.The association’sfirst queen, in 1938, reigned as Miss Mathilde Mary Maginnis.

Enjoying the title “La Dame Suprême”werepast SF president Cheryl Lynn Kirby and2025 royal wife Karen Milanese, who is also the association’s corresponding secretary

The executive board of directors includes president Jerry Stowe, Mrs.David L. Jorgensen, Dr Missy B. Curran, Joey DiFatta, CJ Blanda, BlakeA.Aucoin, Rhett Ortego, Jeffrey D. Kessler, Leslie Stidd-Massony, Sammy Steele, Mrs. Milanese, Donna Boswell, Martha Curtis, Kelley Thibeaux,and Dr Bill Curran.

Royal entertainment ensued withperformers from the New Orleans School of Ballet, whichhas Nikki Hefko as the artistic director.The dancers were Anna Aldana Huelga,Alicia Rocha, FarynPerry,CamiRose Curran, Eileen Fontenot,Amani Kellow, and ShelbyRobert. Recognitions, toasts,the grand promenade and the court’sfirst danceoccurred before theseated dinner.Compliments targeted the hotel’sstaff for the prandial pleasures. All delicious. Floralembellishment came from profusions of spring blooms in shades of pink, yellow and off-white Then came the non-stopdancing.Attendeesofall agesdarted to the dance floor between courses to revel in the musicof TimNielsen andhis band,the Public Servants. “This is so much fun,” remarked afew of the youngcourt members, whomoved withthe merriment. When all was said and royally done,queen mother Jaye Calhoun Moll reflected on her daughter’s reign. “Laney really enjoyed it,” shesaid, adding that everyone (family and close friends) was there. Aspecial, and touching moment took place beforethe parade went tothe Omni Royal Orleans. Standing on abalconyacross fromthe SF townhouse, Jaye toasted her radiant daughter

Missy Curran, Karen Milanese, Jaye Calhoun Moll, Jerry Stowe

■ Brights of Spring

Gathering forgardens was the thrust for therecent Art in Bloom’sfive-day floral extravaganza presented by First Horizon Bankand held in the New Orleans Museum of Art. The title was “Les Jardins de la Nouvelle-Orléans.” Aone-hour patron party, followed by twohours of previewing (and lots of socializing), launched the highly anticipated event that “showcases interpretive, creative, andbreathtakingfloral designs by local and regional artists, garden clubs, florists, designers, and professional landscapers.” As per thetitle, Crescent City gardens, from Audubon to the Garden District, from Bayou St. John to City Park, and from Esplanade to theFrench Quarter were recognized in theirsplendor Charlotte Meade and Keith Porteous Meade chaired Art in Bloom,whose floral displayswere open to the public for several days. Taylor Pospisil and Courtney Le Clercq wererecognized as respective NOMA Volunteer Committee chair and Garden Study Club of New Orleans president. All four women were joined by their husbands. In addition to the Presenting Sponsor,the next categories were Bouquet,with thanks to Peggyand Timber Floyd and the Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family Foundation, and Iris, with thanks to Red River Bank, Lynne and Rick McMillan,the J. Edgar Monroe Foundation, and Miggy and JayMonroe. Individual names in the Orchid category were Elizabeth Boh, MarionBright, Caroline and MurrayCalhoun, Ella Flower, Susan and Jimmy Gundlach, Elly and Merritt Lane, Sally and JayLapeyre, Pixie and Jimmy Reiss, Permele and GarnerRobinson, Lynn and Charlie Smith, Sarah and DougStokes, and Sarah and GeorgeYoung Most weresighted. So were Susan M.Taylor, NOMA’s Montine McDaniel Freeman director; and the33Art in Bloom committee members.

Features werenumerous and included the silent auction artist, Saskia Ozols, whose work “Preparing foraParty,” graced the cover of the party’s printed program;music; food and drink galore; virtual bidding; and themany exhibitors under the names Creative Designs, Exterior Designs (Gregg Porter and Michelle Leblanc Fine's was ahighlight), Garden Clubs, Ikebana, Movers &Shakers, Professional Florists, Tablescapes, Young Artists,Freeport-McMoran Great Hall Urns, and aPop Up Installation. Yetanother attraction wasthe lecture series, which had limited seating in NOMA’s Lapis Center forthe Arts. The speakers were Susan Crater and Liza Crater Harris of Sister Parish Design, the “renowned American textile and wallcovering brand with arich heritage”; and Mieke ten Have,an interiors stylist, design writer,and creative consultant with extensive experience as amagazine editor.Thanks tapped Permele Robinson for bringing MieketoArt in Bloom.Paces away,the luncheon and fashion show awaited. Ralph Brennan Catering &Events fedthe fashionable (andfloral) flock, while designs from La Fouri, as presented by SOSUSU, caught every attentive eye. Happy Easter,one and all!

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

LaneyCalhoun, Frank Milanese

Sylvie Kahn, Slone McNutt, Rabel McNutt, Katie Chaplan

Anne Giroir,JoeyDiFatta, Daphne Holley

EvaJoan Perret, Emelia Jane Uzee, Chloe Madison Pendleton, Juliette Aimee Hasney

Front: Larkin Schlanker,James Kessler;Back: Ace Nice, Andrew Calhoun

PHOTOSByKENNy MARTINEZ

John Alden andCharlotte Meade, Keithand Charles Meade

Permele Robinson, Susan Le Clercq

Meghan Donelon, Anne Redd, SusuStall

Tony Adams, Susan Taylor,Tod Smith

TRAVEL

Annual Double Decker fest is April25-26

BY JANRISHER Staff writer

Oxford, Mississippi, is as charming as the day is long with its picturesque square, gentle rolling hills, deep rootsin storytelling traditions, array of notable cuisine, abookstore that is hard to beat and, of course,the lovely Ole Miss campus steps away from downtown.

The 28th annual two-day Double Decker Arts Festival, set for April 25-26, is acelebration of spring in the South.Inrecent years, the arts and music festival has seen crowds and weather that make the weekend representativeofa postcard-worthy Southern town.

In short, the Double Decker weekend, which includesmore than 100 artists selected by a jury who sell their wares, avariety of musical performances and afun run make foraknockout of aweekend.

The festival got its name from the double-decker bus that the city brought from England in 1994 as asymbol of the city’s connection to the British university town that inspired the city’s name: Oxford, England. In Mississippi, Oxford punches above its weight culturally Home to Nobel Prize-winning William Faulkner,his home Rowan Oaks is available totour, and some people pay homage to the lauded American writer by visiting his grave in St. Peter’s Cemetery and leaving abottle of whiskey

These days, Square Books downtown is acornerstone of the town’sliterary heritage —and a

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

joy to peruse

Established in 1979 by Richard and Lisa Howorth, the independent bookstore hasgrown into four shops: the main Square Books, Off Square Books, Square Books Jr.and Rare Square Books —all on and around the square in downtownOxford.

SquareBookshosts author events weekly,including Thacker Mountain Radio Show,a weekly live radio show featuring author readings andmusical performances.

Big-time writers frequent SquareBookstopay homage to itswell-earnedplace in the world of books.

The store’screakywooden floorsand shelvesfull of Southern classics andnotable authors make it aplace for avid and as-

Booking.comstill seekingpayment afterhotel

hotel chains.

piring readerstoget comfortable andfind something newtoread

Oxford food scene

The food sceneruns the gamut. Trya dish fromJames-Beard winner JohnCurrence, chef, author, entrepreneur,and owner of four restaurants in Oxford (Bouré,Big BadBreakfast, City Grocery andSnackbar) or frequent aspotlike Taylor Grocery

The ramshackle local legend on the outskirts of town is amust for down-home catfish in anorush setting.

Saint Leo, a2017 JamesBeard Foundation“Best New Restaurant” semifinalist, serves a tasty arrayofwood-fired Italian options anda swanky cocktail menu.

There’s also newcomerGood Eats, which serves alunchtime burgernot to be missed.

Otherlocal favoritesinclude Bottletree Bakery,Ajax Diner andHandy Andy with its no-frills barbecueand burgers that hit the spot.

Accommodations

Hotelrooms can be hard to come by in Oxford on busy weekends, but options aregrowing. The Inn at Ole Miss, on the university campus, is a20-minute walk to downtown. The rooms arespaciousand well-kept —and the restaurant offers an indoor pub atmosphere or tables outside

The OliverHotel with Juliet balconiesand acozy library has old-schoolallure

There arealso Holiday Inn Express &SuitesOxford and the Roundabout Oxford RV and WaterResort, whichhas RV sites andcottageswith kitchens and porches.

Email Jan Risheratjan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

Ibooked ahotel in Wroclaw, Poland, through Booking.com.

Christopher Elliott

Icanceled my reservation well within thefree cancellation period. But then Idiscovered a chargeonmycard for the full amount of $742. Ireached out to Booking.com and arepresentative told me Iwould be refunded within 10 days That didn’thappen. Icalled back and this time, arepresentative told me to wait one month, since the property made thecharge and it is the hotel’sresponsibility to process the refund.

Ithen escalated this to the property.I sentmybank account details.Ahotel representativeinformed me it couldnot refund to an Indian account and that Booking.com would have to process it. After making close to 30 callstothe

hotel, Iescalated my case to Booking.com. But it just reiterated its policy: It can’tissue refunds, sincethat’sthe responsibility of the hotel. Each time Italktocustomersupportthey spin adifferent story.They either saymy refund is being processed or thatthe merchant name is amismatch. Ialso discovered that the propertyhas negative reviews forsimilar transactions with other people, yet Booking.com took noaction. In one of my conversations, acustomer representativealsomentioned they were investigating the property,but that its hands were tied. Canyou help me getmymoney back? —AmanChawla, New Delhi

Youmade yourreservation through Booking.com, so the companyshould help you get a refund, no matter who charged your card. This is adisturbingly common

problem when you’re dealing with an online travel agency Since there’smore than one party involved —anonline agency, an airline or hotel, and often a thirdentity that buys roomsor flightsinbulk —there are alot of finger-pointing opportunities. In my experience, companies rarely missa chance to do that, which is endlessly frustrating for customers like you. When you cancel ahotel room within the cancellation window, you should expect toget aprompt refund.

Butyour hotel had done this to other guests who canceled, and the property had negative reviews toprove it.Soplease, next time read the hotel reviews and consider booking areputable propertywith one of the major

I’m alittle dubious of the claim that aPolish hotel couldn’trefund your Indian account. It had no problem charging you the first time, so what’sthe problem with refunding you quickly?

Clearly,there wasabreakdown in communication between Booking.com and the hotel. I’mnot sure if that wasintentional on the part of the hotel or just aproblem of incompetence. It doesn’treally matter.Booking.com should have stood by your purchase andrefunded you as promised Youmight have been able to get this fixed quickly by appealing to one of the customer service managers at Booking.com

Ipublish the names, numbers and emails of the top Booking.

com managers on my consumer advocacy website, Elliott.org. Icontacted Booking.com on your behalf Arepresentative told me that the company is committed to “seamless travel experiences” for its customers. “Inthis case, our customer service team has identified that there wasadelay in processing the customer’srefund and has since escalated the full refund payout to the customer’s Booking.com wallet,” the representative said. Youreceived afull refund.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

ARTS &CULTURE

NOMA unveils‘NewAfrican Masquerades’

in this exhibition” is that “artists have not had the recognition nor the agency in how the masquerades have been thought about and displayed, especially in Western museum spaces,” Maples said. “So, we wanted to comeatitfrom an opposite point of view

Dave Walker

The New Orleans connection to the artwork on view in the NOMA exhibition “New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations” is subtly acknowledgedoutside the exhibititself —on adifferent floor,actually —where visitors see the BlackMasking (or Mardi Gras) Indian suit created by Elenora “Big Queen Rukiya” Brown in 2014

Miss it and making the connection is on you, which shouldn’tbemuch of alift if you’re at all familiar with theNew Orleans Indians’ colorfully symbolic suits and neighborhoodparading culture.

The intentional placement of Brown’ssuit provides separate agency for local Indiansaswellas the creators of the suits and masks in the exhibit, four artists from the West African countries ofBurkina Faso, Cameroon, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

Agency for the artists is also evident in the capacious “New African Masquerades” staging, whichguides viewers to consider the themes of Collaboration, Economics, Innovation and Mobility as they walk among the 13 masqueradeworks created by Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa, Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah, David Sanou and Hervé Youmbi. Says atitle-wall explainer: “Broadly considered, the masqueradeson view here are three-dimensional reflectionsofconcepts or ideas that arepresented in apublic or private event wherein humans, and sometimes spirits, participate to connect to one another.”

Creationsona spectrum

Masqueradeensembles ‘Fairy,’left, and ‘Oli Papa’ (‘old man’) by artists Sheku ‘Goldfinger’Fofanah and Abdulai ‘Dezo’ SesayofSierra Leone. Oftenperforming together,these fancy ensembles belong to the popular entertainmentsociety known as Jollay. Meaning ‘peace,’Jollayemerges at celebratoryoccasions and reflects ideals of unity,loveand camaraderie.

daybasis.”

The distinctions are madeinthe exhibit: Some masquerade suits have political or satirical purposes, others can be primarily social and celebratory.Some arenever seen in apublic setting, others arecommercial products. Acaptivating immersive videopresentation in the exhibit, where masquerade performances are recorded in various locations, displays the art form on itsfeet.

“Wethought, ‘Let’swork with the artists. Let’sput on view what they want and how they want those (works) to be seen in America.

“There’sconsent from the very beginning and there’sparticipation in the creation and dissemination of the knowledge from the very beginning.”

Don’tmissthese parts

n Short walls of breeze blocks are used as ornamentalframing tools throughout the exhibit. Each artist has his ownpattern. “As acurator, youalways want to signpost, you want to wayfind for your visitors,” Maplessaid. “Overall, the concept with these breezeblocks is that they areacommon feature of these African cities, of the architecture of the cities.

In buildings, the breeze blocks “give youa certain degree of privacy but also allowfresh air to breathe in andout of the spaces,” Maplesadded. In the exhibit, they provide “your ownindividual private wayoflooking at and enjoying and thinking aboutthese masquerades andthese artists’ work, but there’salso thatdegree of community. These breezeblocks are part of your daily life (in) these African cities.”

n The displayofcontainers in whichYoumbi’sworks were shippedtoNew Orleans. Says the wall text: “(A)ll of which Youmbi considers part of the artwork itself, elevating the disregarded shipping elements into precious works of art.”

HAPPENING AT N.O.-AREA MUSEUMS

n On Sunday, garden admission at Longue Vue House and Gardens is free forLouisiana residents. Registration is encouraged but not required at longvue com.

“Masquerades existonaspectrum,” said Amanda M. Maples, Françoise BillionRichardson Curator of AfricanArt at NOMA. “So, they’re beautiful, they’re amazing, but they’re also very,very serious. “I just want people to kindof broaden their understanding of what masqueradesare and can be andhow they function on aday-to-

‘Tso Scream Mask, 2022’byHervé youmbi of Cameroon. The ‘Tso’ mask evokes the elephant and is worn by members of the Nka’a Kossié or Kwo’siSociety whoare guardians of customarylaw

The exhibit, whichwill tour several American andAfrican locations once its NOMArun concludeson Aug. 10, is amodel of cross-continentalcollaboration.Organized by NOMAand the Muséedes Civilisations Noires in Dakar,Senegal, its planning team was led by Maples with co-curators JordanA.Fenton (Miami University,Ohio), Lisa Homann (UNC Charlotte) andartist Youmbi, andcore collaborator Aimé Kantoussan (Musée des Civilisations Noires).

An important thing “that we argue

n The exhibition’s264-page catalog, whichcontains artist biographies, many color photos, analysis of the artwork in the context of the exhibit’sorganizational themes and further discussionofthe quest to ethically commission, acquire and display masquerade art.

Dave Walkerfocuses on behindthe-scenes coverage of theregion’s many museums here and at www themuseumgoer.com. Email Dave at dwalkertp@gmail.com.

n The National WWII Museum will host a yomHaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Commemoration ceremony, at 6p.m.Tuesday.The event is free and will take place in-person and online nationalww2museum.org n Wednesdayat 6:30 p.m., Friends of the Cabildo will host a screening of 16mm movies made at the first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1970.The event will takeplace at the New Orleans Jazz Museum friendsofthecabildo.org n The National WWII Museum will conduct its annual Electronic FieldTrip forstudents in grades7-12 in twoparts, streaming at 9a.m.April 28 and 9a.m. May8,the 80thanniversary of V-E Day.This year’stheme addressesthe endofWorld WarIIand the postwar years. nationalww2museum org n The exhibit “Nicolas Floc’h: Fleuves-Océan, Mississippi Watershed” opens April 30 at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Featuring monochromatic underwaterphotographs and black-and-white landscapes, the exhibit will be on view throughFeb.22, 2026. noma.org

PHOTOSByDAVEWALKER

The memories at Donna’s

Owner recalls the music and people of the famed New Orleans club

BY GERALDINE WYCKOFF

Contributing writer

Folks in New Orleans know her simply as Donna from Donna’s, a hole-in-thewall bar, music venue and down-home restaurant at North Rampart and St. Ann streets. Donna Poniatowski Sims, author of “Donna’s Bar & Grill — New Orleans,” ruled as the bartender and coowner along with her amiable husband, Chef Charlie Sims, who regaled as kitchen master of what became known as New Orleans brass band headquarters. Regulars at the timeworn pink building at 800 N. Rampart St. will recognize the musicians who made the place happily buckjump and swing Crescent City-style, from its opening in 1993 to its regrettable demise in 2010. Donna Sims, now retired and living in Bywater, sets the scene with 400 photos she took through the years and stories she relates in a written “voice” that sounds much as it did when she chatted up friends and patrons as she tended bar

(Full disclosure: I was one of those friends.)

A remarkable element of Sims’ firsthand account is just how many details of events and seemingly minor conversations she recalls.

She says her memories were sparked by the photographs she took of the brass bands, jazz musicians and Mardi Gras Indians who performed at the club. The snapshots were invaluable for her to identify the often-changing members of the young, up-and-coming brass bands. She was able put names to the faces.

of their kitchen at Donna’s Bar & Grill in New Orleans.

good eye,” he said, and then offered her instruction. “He really got me interested in photography,” Sims said.

Sims’ memory aids her greatly in the book’s first chapter when she writes about the history of the building. She tells of conversing with the great-greatgrandchildren of the building’s original owner, a free woman of color for whom it was designed. The women related that their “GG” ran a confectionery and displayed her sweets in the downstairs windows.

BOOK SIGNINGS

NEW ORLEANS JAZZ

MUSEUM, 400 Esplanade Ave.: 4:30 p.m.April 22 (Trumpet Mafia performing)

BEANLANDIA, 3300 Royal St.: 5 p.m.April 24, May 1 (featuring Treme Brass Band)

LOUISIANA MUSIC

FACTORY, 421 Frenchmen St.: 3 p.m.April 28

“I do have notes, though not a journal,” Sims explained during a recent interview, adding that naturally she and Charlie would also exchange stories.

“When I was tending my bar I heard a lot of stuff and I just remembered it,” she added with her usual laugh “The other thing was that I have a lot of memorabilia — I have a lot of posters and I have a couple of huge calendars from different years So I had resources of my own.”

Through the lens of a music lover

Donna shot all of her photographs in the book using a Canon camera that she found early one morning on a French Quarter stoop.

With no responses to her quest to find the owner, she decided that since she had it, she wanted to learn how to use it.

Much later, the late great photographer Herman Leonard came into the club and admired a couple of her photos hanging on the wall

“You know Donna, you have a really

When Sims wasn’t behind the bar, she taught biology, chemistry, anatomy and physics to high school and college students. She found her teaching experience helped her deal with the young musicians in the brass bands.

“Oh, yes indeed, it did,” she emphatically stated. “I love teaching high school kids. They are interesting, highly intelligent by then and a lot of fun.”

“They come up into your place to play and you know that they’re are not quite an adult yet Patience and a lot of kindness has to go along with that. Where I think it’s really beautiful is that the older musicians are that way with the younger musicians. They take a lot of time and patience with these kids.”

Sims’ experience as a schoolteacher is also evident in her style of writing, especially when she’s explaining terminology unique to New Orleans, like secondlining and jazz funerals.

Charlie Sims had been a chef employed by Amtrak on the City of New Orleans line that linked his hometown of Chicago to New Orleans. He was a huge presence at Donna’s for his talent at a hot stove, hilariously holding court with those gathered in the small kitchen and sharing his love and knowledge of modern jazz.

Charlie Sims died in 2017 at the age of 81.

A happy place

Another “real deal” element of Donna’s was Sylvester Francis, who knew the proverbial everyone and would soon found the Backstreet Cultural Museum.

“He was very instrumental in helping us get started,” Donna said.

Importantly Francis brought Benny Jones, leader of the Treme Brass Band, to the club and introduced him to Donna and Charlie.

“We just wanted it to be a happy place,” Donna Sims said. “We just felt like we were a community place where everybody was welcome.” She credits the artists for the music and humorous banter that livened up the bar “They became clientele,” Donna said, again with a laugh In “Donna’s Bar & Grill — New Orleans,” Donna Poniatowski Sims figuratively reopens the doors of the small, kind of funky pink building on the corner of North Rampart and St. Ann streets. It was indeed a happy place.

Geraldine Wyckoff is a music journalist in New Orleans. Email her at gwnomusic@yahoo.com.

‘Merely tolerated, violently persecuted’

New book explores history of Southern Jews

BY RIEN FERTEL Contributing writer

“The Jewish South” by Shari Rabin, Princeton University Press, 296 pages

Charleston, South Carolina, it might come as a surprise, was once the center of Jewish life and culture in the United States, hosting the nation’s largest population of Jews numbering around 800 in the 1820s — and one of the oldest synagogues in the Americas, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, built by enslaved labor in 1749.

Jewish Southerners have at times been merely tolerated, violently persecuted and often socially marginalized, according to Shari Rabin, a professor at Oberlin College.

“I am convinced,” she writes in her crucial survey, “The Jewish South,” “that anyone who truly wants to understand the history of the South, or the United States, needs to know their stories.”

In French Louisiana, the Code Noir of 1724 required the colony’s administrators “to drive out all Jews who may have established their residence there.” As “declared enemies of the Christian name,” they were given three months to leave.

Rabin makes the point that no Jews likely lived in Louisiana at the time.

The expulsion rule would be ignored, and by 1759, there were reportedly six Jews living in New Orleans, including Isaac Monsanto. A merchant originally from The Hague, Monsanto would eventually be expelled by Spanish colonial governors before opening an illegal storefront in the nearby swamps of Manchac.

covers the years spanning Reconstruction through Jim Crow, when, Rabin writes, “most Jews adapted to the norms of southern whiteness, which meant at least tolerating — and in some cases enthusiastically embracing” the worst of the South’s Lost Cause culture and politics.

Monsanto likely received a Catholic burial, though we do not know whether he was forced. This Christianization of Jewish life and lives would be a harbinger of things to come. At the outbreak of the American Revolution, most Jews in the Lowcountry cities of Charleston and Savannah supported the patriots, while others remained British loyalists. Post-revolution, they gained all the privileges bestowed by White citizenship, but they now lived under new, oppressive laws and public norms, including the compulsory closure of their businesses on Sundays and swearing by Christian oaths if elected to office. By the 1840s, an estimated 50% of Jewish men in New Orleans were marrying Christian, mainly Catholic, women (a full century later, my New Orleans-born paternal grandfather would do the same).

By midcentury, New Orleans outpaced Charleston as the center of Southern Jewish life. The Crescent City had four congregations, a Hebrew Benevolent Society and an asylum for widows and orphans.

In New Orleans, as throughout the South, Jews participated in the system of chattel slavery In 1830 Charleston, 83% of Jewish households owned enslaved persons, a notch below the 87% average. Jewish men, as throughout the nation, engaged in relationships with enslaved and free women of color

Judah Touro, a prominent philanthropist for whom Touro Synagogue and Touro Infirmary are named, fathered Narcissa Wilson with a free woman of color named Ellen Wilson. Narcissa would go on to marry Richard Gustavus Forrester, a prominent Richmond, Virginia, lawyer who was also the child of a Jewish man and free woman of color

In “The Jewish South,” Rabin dissects the myth that Jews uniformly supported the Confederacy Many certainly did, most notably Judah P. Benjamin, who represented Louisiana in the U.S. Senate before holding multiple high-ranking offices with the Confederate States of America and appearing on the CSA’s $2 bill.

As with many Southerners, Jews had diverse and shifting loyalties during the Civil War — some enlisted, some fled, and many felt compelled to stay quiet.

Some of the book’s strongest research

It’s not for nothing, the author reminds us, that Flannery O’Connor called the region “Christ-haunted.”

Prominent New Orleans

Rabbi Max Heller, for instance, insisted on the “benevolence of separation,” yet implored his congregants to show Black Americans “our active sympathy, our energetic aid.” Around the turn of the century, Southern Jews increasingly began to embrace a Reform Judaism that Christian conservative Southerners found more tolerable.

Rabin spends several pages detailing the life of Leo Frank, the man convicted and lynched for the supposed murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan in 1913 Atlanta, to elucidate the era’s descent into violent antisemitism.

Phagan was, in an important detail that historians often left out of the story until the success of the 1998 Broadway musical “Parade,” en route to a Confederate Memorial Day celebration.

Frank’s lynch mob would be instrumental in the revival of the Ku Klux Klan at Stone Mountain a few months later During the Civil Rights era, many congregations continued to remain politically neutral, despite the rise in antisemitic material being published throughout the South increasing 400%, according to Rabin, in the last half of the 1950s. During this time, the proportion of Southern Jews dipped dramatically, from 9% in 1900 to 4% by 1943.

Northern Jews would prove vital to the 1961 Freedom Ride and Freedom Summer of 1964, yet when Jackson’s Rabbi Perry Nussbaum visited jailed activists, Jewish congregations throughout the South objected. White supremacists targeted Nussbaum’s synagogue and home in bombing campaigns that also struck Jewish temples and community centers in Atlanta, Miami, Nashville, Jacksonville and Meridian.

These attacks agitated many to finally and fully support the cause.

Rabin ends her narrative in 1967, except for a brief epilogue that rushes through the last six decades. I wanted more: the rise of Jewish communities in South Florida, the pushback against the vile bigotry of David Duke, the disappearance of Jewish-owned businesses that once bolstered the main streets of most every town and city (like the Godchaux’s department store chain in New Orleans, as one example).

Here’s hoping for a sequel.

Rien Fertel is the author of four books, including, most recently, “Brown Pelican.”

PHOTO By MARGARET STEINMAN COURTESy OF DONNA PONIATOWSKI SIMS

Chef Charlie Sims and Donna Poniatowski Sims at the door

PHOTO By DONNA PONIATOWSKI SIMS

George French Henry Butler Mark Braud and Bob French joke around one night at Donna’s.

Shari Rabin

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,April 20,the 110th day of 2025. There are 255 days left in the year.TodayisEaster

Todayinhistory

On April 20, 1999, two students shot andkilled 12 classmates andone teacher and injured 23 othersbefore taking their own lives at Columbine High School, near Denver,Colorado.

On this date:

In 1812, the fourth vice president of the United States,GeorgeClinton, died in Washington at age 72, becoming the first vice president to die while in office In 1912, Boston’sFenway Park,now theoldest active stadium in Major League Baseball,hosted itsfirst official baseball game in front of an estimated 27,000 spectators. (The Red Sox defeated the New York Highlanders 7-6 in 11 innings.)

In 1914, militia and Colorado National Guard members opened fire on an encampment of striking coal miners and their families in Ludlow,Colorado; at least 19 people in the camp, including 12 children, and one National Guard member were killed in the“LudlowMassacre.”

In 1971, the Supreme Courtunanimously upheld the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools

In 1972,Apollo 16’slunar module, carrying astronauts John W. Youngand Charles M. DukeJr.,landed on the moon

In 1986, following an absence of over six decades, Russian-bornpianist Vladimir Horowitz returned to the Soviet Union to perform aconcert at the Grand Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow.

In 2010, an explosion on theDeepwater Horizon oil platform, leased byBP, killed 11 workers and caused ablowout that began spewing an estimated 200 million gallons of crude oil into theGulf of Mexico. (The well was finally capped nearly three months later.)

In 2021, former Minneapolis police officer DerekChauvin was foundguilty of murder and manslaughter charges for the killing of George Floyd;Chauvin was later sentenced to 221/2 years in prison. Today’sbirthdays: Actor George Takei is 88. Actor Jessica Lange is 76. Actor Clint Howard is 66. Former MLB first baseman Don Mattingly is 64. Actor Crispin Glover is 61. Actor Andy Serkis is 61. Actor Shemar Moore is 55. Actormodel Carmen Electra is 53. Reggae musician Stephen Marleyis 53.Rapper Killer Mike is 50. Actor Joey Lawrence is 49. Model Miranda Kerr is 42. Former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly is 34.

Visitors ignore houserules,are reprimanded

Dear Heloise: My husband and I didsomething very similar to J.T.K. and R.E.K. by writing a letter to everyone who abused our hospitality when we bought our lake house. We thought thematter was settled, but little did we know that we opened acan of worms.

sent them to alocal hotel, but bothfamilies decided to go homeinstead.

tency and extraction. Here are someofthe reasons why:

Hints from Heloise

My stepdaughter (my husband’s child) said at first they were offended, but they decided to “forgive us” andshowed up on our doorstep with their three kids and two other children from their neighborhood.

Both my husband and Ihave health problems, and we’re not in the mood for freeloaders who leave wet towels on the beds, don’tlift a finger to help around the house, or ask toborrow our home, car,boat or money

My husband sat them down, said under no circumstance were they staying, and listed our reasons why.They had planned to stay over the Fourth of July weekend without warning, but my husband told them to leave.

We had two other people try to worm their way in at other times, both claimingthat they never received the letter.We

P.S. We bothlove reading your column. Keep up thegood work! —Tess and Frank, in Michigan Tess and Frank, we received an unusual number of letters on this subject, so apparently it’snot uncommon for people to forget their manners and ask for permission to visit someone else’shome.

—Heloise Wettingcoffee filters

Dear Heloise: Wetting acoffee filter before brewing, also called blooming or rinsing, can improve the flavor of the coffee. Wetting the filter helps with temperature control, consis-

n Temperature control: Wettingthe filter helps maintain a consistent brewing temperature.

n Consistency: Wetfilters perform moreconsistently than dry filters.

n Extraction: Wetting the filter helps create amore uniform surface forwater to pass through, which improves extraction.

n Washing: Wetting thefilter removes dustand chemicals from themanufacturing process.

n Sealing: Wetting the filter helps it seal to the brewing device, which minimizes bypass. How to wetthe filter: Place thefilter in the coffee maker Pourhot water over the filter Discard the rinsing water.Add coffee grounds. Note: Somesay that the difference in taste between wet and dry filters may be minor, and somepeople may not be able to tell the difference. Oth-

ers say that they got better flavor and extraction times from a dry filter —Don S.,a loyalreader Cleaning cobwebs

Dear Heloise: Thank you forbeing such an inspiration. Whenever Ihave an “aha” moment, I always think of you. Ispotted a cobweb high up in acorner by the ceiling. Instead of grabbing abroom, which is awkward, Iused my grabber stick with afolded dish towel held in its suction cups. The handle waseasier to hold, and it was super lightweight, making the chore abreeze! Karen B.,Warren, Ohio Spring cleaning reminder Dear Readers: Spring cleaning is just around the corner for manyofus. Make it easy by doing one room per day.Really dig into it, and don’tforget the closets. It’ll be over before you know it! —Heloise

Send ahinttoheloise @heloise.com.

Couple hasdifferent view on handling finances

friend, but Idon’twant money to become aconstant sourceof stress. HowdoIdetermine if this is something we can work through? —Conflicting Values

Dear Harriette: I’ve been dating my boyfriend for more than ayear now,and we get along great in most areas. However, I’ve noticedwehave different approaches to money.I’m focused on saving, investing and planning for the future, while he prefers to live in the momentand spend freely.He likes to buy random infomercial items off of the internetorspontaneously buy newitems like expensive appliances Itold himthatthese aren’t smartfinancial decisions, and he told me to not worry.Iworry that our financial differences couldleadtoconflict down the road,especially when it comes to majorlife decisions like buying ahome, traveling or retirement planning. Ilove my boy-

Dear Conflicting Values: Talk about your views on money in the context of your desires for thefuture.Ask your boyfriend howhe sees his life in five to 10 years. Does he want to buy ahome? What type of workwill he do? Does he want to travel? Whatever you careabout,ask him his views on it. Then describe to him your dreams and interests and your thoughtsonhow to manifestthem Bring up your ideas on saving and investing in the future. Ask him if he is willing toworkwith you to make aplan that includes putting money away ratherthan spending it. Perhaps you can agree to createa joint account for savings or investing, to which you each deposit afixed monthly amount.This can allow him to continue to have some

moneytospend as he pleases while also contributing to the plans for the future.

Dear Harriette: Ilove my friends, but Ican’thelp feeling like the least impressive one in the group. They’re all beautiful, stylish and successful. They have great jobs and exciting sociallives and always seem so confident. When we go out together,Ifeel like Ifade into the background. Guys approach themfirst. People compliment themmore, and Ican’tshake the feeling that Idon’tmeasure up. It’snot that I’m unhappy withmyself, but being around themsometimes makes me question my own worth. Istart picking apart my looks, my career progress and even my personality Iknow they don’tintentionally make me feel this way They’re supportive and kind, but Istill find myself struggling withinsecurity whenever we’re together.Ihate feeling like I’m

in constant comparison mode, and Idon’twant my self-doubt to ruin these friendships. How do Istop feeling like the least impressive friend? How can I build my confidence without distancing myself from the people Ilove? —LessThan

DearLessThan: Take astep back and assess your attributes. What is special about you? Be honest. Then look in the mirrorand remind yourself of those qualities. Youhave to love yourself first. Consider expanding your friend group. Youdon’thave to dump your current group of friends, but open your eyes and notice other people with similar interests who aren’tpart of that clique. See if you can be comfortable around other people without too muchself-judgment. If so, continue to spend time with them. Send questions to askharriette@harriettecole. com.

Dear Readers: Wishing you and your families avery happy Easter and Passover. Spring is a time to get outdoors and play.Itisa time for new beginnings and fresh starts. It is a time when the flowers begin to bloom and kittens are born. Below are some of my favorite poems about spring and joy and the innocence and beauty of childhood

‘InfantJoy’byWilliam Blake

“I have no name /Iambut two days old. —/What shall Icallthee? /Ihappy am / Joy is my name, —/Sweet joy befall thee! /Pretty joy! /Sweet joy but two daysold, /Sweet joy Icall thee; /Thou dost smile. /Ising the while / Sweet joy befall thee.” ‘The World-Soul’byRalph

“Spring

below.”

‘EasterBunny’byLeanne

Guenther

“With ahip and ahop —/ Easter bunny won’tyou stop, /Atmyhouse to hide some yummy little eggs. / Then you’ll jump out and run —/Down the

Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

Watersidevillage withstooditall

BY ROBERT MERRILL ROGERS

Contributing writer

Human Condition

Not too very long ago, before the storm of alifetime, there was aquaint section of town just beyond the levee, curiouslyknown as Bucktown. It was aunique village within acity,the kind of neighborhood so characteristic of New Orleans. It was averitable gumboof vibrant people and places. Shrimp boats and oyster luggerslined the canal. The docks werestrewn with all manner of fishing gear trawlnets and otter boards, crab traps, wooden crates and hampers, ropes and cables —all the fixtures of afishing village. Ramshackle shanties built on stiltsand clapboard houses with tinroofs fronted thethoroughfare.Toone degree or another, these buildings had weathered all previous tropical storms and hurricanes. Like the timeliness of the people living and working there despite adversity,theywere still standing, at least until Katrina.

One memorable restaurantand bar perched precariously out over the water was agreat place

EGG

Continued from page1D

egg knocking competition on Easter Sunday

But even with its statusas parish seat, Marksville can’t take sole credit for this honor.The eggpocking, or egg pacqueing, actually begins withCottonport’sPockin’on the Bayou celebration on the Saturday before Easter “Pâcques is the French translation for Easter,” said Juneau, whose latehusband, Carl “Pappy” Juneau organized the annual festival. “Our celebration happenson the Saturday before Easter, and it all started in the 1950s with Carl and his friends.”

Startedinalocal store

Carl Juneau didn’ttake credit for the tradition in a2017 interview with The Advocate, but his wife is right —Cottonport’sannual egg pocking competition wouldn’thave evolved if he, JackJeansonne, Leland Gautier and Jack Roy hadn’t met up for beers at T-Jim’s Grocery and Market. It was the 1950s. World WarIIhad ended afew years earlier,and life in Avoyelles Parish was just returning to normal. Easter was just around the corner, which triggered memories among the foursome.

They talked about how much funtheyoncehad knocking eggs.Sothey drovehome, each returning to the market with adozen boiled eggs and began the pocking game. Beers were bet, acrowd gathered and the store owner suggested they start acompetition

to celebrate the everyday events of life, whether aspecial anniversary or just the close of aworkday, aplace to enjoy just being alive. Theboiled crabs, raw oysters and fried shrimp were outstanding,the Dixiebeer was cold andrefreshing,and thepeople were all “naturally Naw’lins.” It was aplace where customers did not seemto mind the occasional smell of not-so-fresh shrimp hulls andcrab shells emanat-

“So, ourcompetition began in 1956,” Sharon Juneau said. Celebrations grew Thecelebration now includes children’sactivities and food vendors, as does the Easter on the Red River at the Ben Routh Recreational Center in Effie in its 20th year,which also happens on the SaturdaybeforeEaster

The Effiefestival has an added element of Easter bonnetcompetitions for both men and women, along with an egg toss for all ages.

Butit’sthe eggknocking that takes center stagein the Saturdaycelebrations, culminating in the annual Marksville EggKnocking on Easter morning, averaging700 competitors.

“Our competition began in 1957,”Marksville Mayor Brent Lemoine said He sits at aconference table in the AvoyellesParish Tourism CommissionOffice in Mansuraonthe Friday before PalmSunday.Joining him are SharonJuneau; Cottonport resident and past Easter bonnetcontest winnerElaine Juneau; Marksville resident and longtime egg knocker Brent Scallan; Linda Adams, whose late husband Earl organized the Marksville competition;and Marsha Wiley,chairwoman of theEffie celebration. Beginnings in Marksville Lemoineand Scallan trade stories across the table of howthe Marksville competition actually beganinlocal barrooms, names like Reno’s, J.C.’sand Bailey’sNightclub, all located near the courthouse. The contests were so intense that eggknockers bet big moneyoneach round

ing from the nearby dumpsters, or that sometimes amisguided cockroach would scurry along the peeling wallpaper

There were always characters hanging out there at thebar,characters like Shake-‘n’-Bake. He blended in withthe surroundings, slumped over the bar,drinking a beer and smoking acigarette. His rummy eyes roamed around the place, takinginthe sights, looking for something. With his tornand

“It was serious business, andmyuncle would bet$50 and $100,” Lemoine said.

“Then we started competition on the courthouse square in 1957, and over 300 would attend each year.”

The rules are simple for all threeAvoyelles competitions and have never changed. Basically,itboils down to whohas the hardest egg —pun intended.

When two competitors agree to do battle, one person holds ahard-boiledegg, usually small, or pointed, end up, andthe other tapsitwith the small end of his or her egg. Theideaisfor acompetitor to crack thecompetition’segg without breaking his own.

Andit’sat9 a.m. Easter morning at theend of sunrise Mass when competitors gather in Marksville’scourthouse square forthe big Egg Knocking standoff.

Agood egg

Meanwhile, back in the tourism conference room, Juneau still holds the egg she removed from herbasket earlierinthe meeting. She gives it to Scallan, who tapsitagainst his teeth

“You tap it againstyour teeth like this,” he said, clickingthe pointed side against his front and canine teeth.

“You listentohow it sounds. If it sounds hollow, it’snot going to be agood egg.”

Andthis egg?

“Oh, this one’sgood,”he said.

Scallan, meanwhile, turns to Adams, who stands at the edge of the table holding her own dyedegg. Scallan, still holding Juneau’segg,suggests they demonstrate an egg knocking round.

Adams holds her egg in a

stained striped T-shirt, he looked like he had just gotten off aworkboat.His wrinkled skin wasthe color of beef jerky,but what you remembered about ole Shake-‘n’Bakewas that he had the shakes, Imean serious shakes. If he held his beer in onetrembling hand, it was all he could do to bring the ever-present unfiltered Lucky Strike to his lips. His eyes watered and he squinted as the cloud of smoke enveloped his face.

Many times, he would tell of when he hadbeen impaled with the barb of astingaree. He languished for days in pain and agony,often lapsing into unconsciousness. When he finally recovered, he couldn’tstop shaking. Sometimesinhis story,hewould substitutethe serrated bone of a catfish, but the truth was plain and simple,hesimply drank too much. As the old folks would call it, an old-fashionedcase of the DTs.

The old brick walkway to the lake madefor aromantic stroll on amoonlit night. Despite the unseemly reek of day-old seafood in the dumpsters, the trip was avision of Steinbeck’sCannery Row with dilapidated, ramshackle fish camps overgrown with all manner of vines and trees stunted

precision grip between her thumb and fingers,with the egg’spointed side facing upward. Scallanholds hisegg in asimilar grip withthe pointed side facing downward.

Howit’splayed

This is where rules come into play; the person holding the bottom egg stands completely still while the holder of the top egg does thetapping. Everyone around the table agrees that there’sno advantagetoholdingeither the toporbottomegg, because the weaker shell naturally will crack.

As does Adams’egg.Scallan takes on another competitor,then another.He’s on aroll.

That’swhenJuneau decides that she’sgoing to take back her egg.

“I’msaving this one of the competition,” she said, laughing. “I’m serious.”

Findingeggs

Juneau bought her eggs from afarmer,which is the standard way of gathering eggs forthe competition these days. Some competitors raise theirown chickens, supplementingthe birds’ feed with pebbles and crushed oystershells, believing the mix will make theeggshells stronger

The lateCarl Juneau, in the2017 interview,pointed out that an LSUstudy for the federal government discovered that the homemade dietary supplements did, indeed,make theshellsharder.

“The people who buy their eggs start in January,and they go all over Louisiana, everywhere on aSundayride, and gatherdozens of eggs from people’syards,”Juneau

with salt spray.There were sounds of rustling in the shrubs, crickets merrily chirping, and the splashing of fish in the waterway. Along mostofthe way, there wasthe memorable fragrance of jasmine, sweet olive and an indescribable mixture of tropical exotics.

The walk to the bridge wasa walk from reality to fantasy.Even on the hottest summer night, there would be acool breeze blowing and the gentle lapping of the incoming waves against the pilings. But that brings us back to the present and areality of life. What seems eternal can be so very transient. As time goes by,the memories become vaguer and more whimsical. Eventually,the memories become dreams and Shake-‘n’Bake, the old restaurant, the walk to the lake, they all remain alive only in the late-night slumbers of the old folks who remember —Rogers lives in Metairie.

HumanConditionsubmissions of 600 wordsorfewer may be emailedtofeatures@ theadvocate.com. Stories will be kept on file and publication is notguaranteed.There is no payment forHumanCondition

said. “And then they boil them in coffee grounds, then knock them on their teeth to see how strongtheyare.”

Now, here’swhere things getalittlebit complicated

The rulesallowonly for chicken eggs, but guinea hen eggs also qualify.Guinea eggs are stronger,but it wouldn’t be fair for the Guineaegg knockerstocompete against thechickenegg knockers.

“So, we have twoseparate categories,” Lemoine said. “The only problem this year is that Guinea eggs are alot moreexpensive —they’re selling for$30 adozen.”

That, along with the rising cost of chicken eggs, surely wouldhamper thisyear’s competition, right?

Right?

Eggpricesdon’t matter

“That’snot stopping anybody,” Lemoine said. “People have been gathering their eggs,and they’re goingto competeintheeggknocking.”

It’s not because there’sbig money on the line. Winners

will be awarded cash prizes of $100. That’sall. No,these contests are about accomplishment and bragging rights, whichis why competitors in Saturday’scontests also pock eggs in Marksville on Sunday Still, not everyone is on the up and up. There have been some cheatersalong theway competitors who try to knock their waythrough with wooden or epoxy eggs.

“Sometimes an eggisjust too good, and you have to stop and check it,” Lemoine said. “Wecaught one guy whohad madeanegg out of epoxy.”

Dyeing isn’trequired, and boiling isn’tnecessarily aruleeither.Lemoine remembers some competitors bringing raweggsto the contest, believing boiling weakened the shell. Those matches ended in a big mess.

Email RobinMillerat romiller@theadvocate. com.

Caruso thought it was aperfect fit. “People don’t getdrunk on doughnuts,” he said, elucidating his logic.

Loescher immediately rejected the idea. He said he thought it was “stupid.” Caruso could always be countedontohatch agoofy scheme, after all. Like the time he rode ahorse to high school, or the time in biology class that he used astringto dangle aformaldehyde-soaked frogfrom asecond-story windowtofreak out the class below But, in view of the brides, Loescher greenlighted the chapel projectfromhis hospital bed. “I told him ‘I do,’”Loescher recalled.

Caruso and Loescher didn’t want the chapel to be too gimmicky.Theysparednoexpense, installing arealbrick wall, custom wrought iron and an antique altar andpews, plus agenuine, backlit1892stained glass church window with the image of an open Bible in the middle. Loescher’s chapel isn’t just the only liquor store wedding chapel in the world, it’s the classiest, forsure. Arabiboy makesgood

Loescher was born in Arabi. He wasthe smallest kid onthe Holy Cross footballsquad. He wouldn’thave madethe team at all if it hadn’t beenfor determination. Every day,hesaid,he lifted weights in the training roomand ran, ran, ran. Justas importantly,every day he went to the school chapel to pray for strength and endurance.

After taking classes at SoutheasternLouisiana University, he joined the St.Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Department,where because of his youth and slight stature —hewas assigned as an undercover detective in high schools, ferreting out pushers preying on teenagers. Loescher said that WDSU-TV investigative reporterRichard Angelico did astory abouthim back then, and he was featured on the front page of TheTimesPicayune too.

After that, he transferred to the NOPD, where he became a Bourbon Street beat cop and a part-time entrepreneur— avery successful part-time entrepre-

neur,inhis telling. In the1990s he bought atiny French Quarter convenience store, where he installed an ATMmachine,back when ATMmachines were a newthing. This led to more ATMmachines, which led to real estate and ahotel. Yep, Loescher said, he’s amillionaire.“Not bad for somebody without much education,” he added. In 2007 he left the Police Department to pursue business full-time. He’s gotawife and three grown kids, who are all doingwell in life. Some peoplemight know Loescher from aseries of Instagram reels that went viral, featuring himeating slices of pepperoni sausage and washing them down with icedpinotnoir,a personal passionthatdrew hordes of followers on social media.

Acoupleofyears ago, by unexpected happenstance, he invested in aliquor store located nexttothe Pontchartrain Hotel. When Loescher’s old highschool pal Caruso moved back to NewOrleans

to be closertohis elderly parents, he took ajob at the place. In no time, Loescher asked him to be themanager.And not long thereafter,the wedding chapel idea bubbled up.

Goin’tothe chapel

“It shouldn’thavetaken him getting knocked in the head to see it was agood idea,”Caruso said. First of all, Caruso pointed out, the chapel attracts tourists who come in just to lay eyes on the liquor-store altar,pewsand

stained glass. Which is good for business. Secondly,couples will pay$500 to get married there. It’smemorable,and it’sa bargain. Eric Maisonneuve and Angel Muhlhauser were the first to tie theknotthere.The pair were throwing darts withCaruso in aMetairiebar onenight when theymentioned that they were planning to be married. Caruso suggestedthe chemical plant employee andschool cafeteria worker take advantage of the world’sonly liquor store chapel, which was then under construction. Their wedding would be the grand opening. It would be free.

As Maisonneuve recalls, he consulted withMuhlhauser. “She was like, ‘Why not, let’s do it,’”hesaid. Maisonneuve saidthat he and his fiancée didn’teven look the place over before the wedding. Theyjust showed up. “Just walking through the door and seeing what it looked like was, like,‘Wow!’” Maisonneuve recalled.

Caruso had arranged everything: theElvis impersonator whoserved as minister,the brass band second-line that followed the nuptials, and aChampagne toast on St. Charles Avenue.The eventwas scattered over social media like wedding rice, and the newlyweds couldn’thave been happier “Itwas abetter reaction than abig, big wedding,”Maisonneuve said. “It’scrazy,ain’tit?”

Caruso said that Chuck’son theAvenuehas hosted three weddings since. “Wethought it would be aspur of the moment thing forpeople,” he said, but actually,sofar couples have made reservationsfar in advance. In fact, Chuck’salready has one wedding on the books for2027.

The next nuptials will take place at noon on May 5with a voodoo priestess presiding. Shoppers are welcome to attend as another bride drifts down the aisle between the bottles, as if in adream

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Vince Caruso, general manager of Chuck’sonthe Avenue, looks

Chuck Loescher says he wasthe smallest playeronthe Holy Cross football team in 1980.

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

No one knows exactly when the Easter Rock ceremony started or why, but it’ssaid the northeast Louisiana tradition started before the Civil War. These days, the ceremony is practiced only in Winnsboro, which partly answers a questionposed by Phyllis Hall, who asked if the tradition is exclusive to Louisiana.

“I first heard about the Easter Rock afew years ago,” the Coushatta resident said. “I was curious to learn more about its origins.”

Though the Easter Rock doesn’tenjoy the wide notoriety of other cultural traditions, it has gained some recognition through the Louisiana Folklife Festival in Natchitoches and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Its name refers to the rocking motion of aprocession that takes place on the night before Easter,which once was practiced in northeast Louisiana Black churches from Lake Providence to Ferriday

“Today,the Easter Rock takes place onlyinthe Original True Light Baptist Church in Winnsboro,” said folklorist Susan Roach, a retired professor of English at Louisiana Tech University.“And it’snot achurch per se. They have it in the church, but True Light has no active congregation.” But it does have wooden floors.

Other area churches stopped hosting the procession after trading their wood-frame buildings for new structures with concrete floors.

“Wooden floors areimportant,” Roach said. “True Light’scongregation moved into another building, but the original True Light still has awoodenfloor.”

Roach explained that the wooden floorisessential to capturing the sound that comes from the procession

“They do this shuffle step on thewooden floor,and when that many people are doing that, it startstosound like adrumbeat,” she said.

“If you listen to arecording of theEaster Rock,you can hear that. It’s an essential part of it. It provides abeat for the music, because there are no instruments during the ceremony.”

Roach has written extensively on this subject.She even helpsparticipants prepare True Light’s building (circa 1900) for the ceremony.People from throughout the stateattend theceremony.

The procession, which symbolizes the anticipation of Christ’sresurrection on Eastermorning, begins between 7p.m. and 8p.m. on Holy Saturday.There was atime when the procession lasted untilthe next day’s sunrise service, but now it ends well before midnight.

“The term ‘rock’ itself —the namefor boththe ritual and the movement in

wasburied, during the Easter Rock at Original True Light Baptist Church in Winnsboro.

theritual —has also been given various explanations,” Roach wrote in an essay for the virtual book, “DeltaPieces: Northeast LouisianaFolklife” at louisianafolklife.org.

“When asked about the meaning of the term‘rock,’ interviewees gave us different views,” Roach continued.

OneofRoach’sinterviewees, R.B. Kelly,cited a biblical source for therock: “Elijah rocked tothe coming of the Lord.” Kelly’sreference actually refers not to aBible verse but to atraditional gospel song titled “Elijah Rock,” which is said to parallel the

rocky mountain where the prophet Elijah sought refuge in God in 1Kings 19:918. The song is also said to be connected to another verse associated with Elijah and a“rock,” Psalms18:2, which describes God as a “rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.”

“R.B. Kelly sees the rock as representing the rolling away of the rock from Christ’sTomb,” Roach wrote. “Most likely,the rock reflects the side-toside movement.”

Preparation forthe Easter Rock begins with rearrangement of church pews to face along table in the center

The table, symbolizing Christ’stomb, is covered by awhite tablecloth representing purity.It’stopped by abowl of red punch symbolizing Christ’sblood, 12 cakes representing Jesus’ 12 disciples and 12 lanterns representing the 12 tribes of Israel.

Rounding out the table de-

cor are Easter eggs, which are broken to symbolize the breaking of Jesus’ grave. Agroup of women dressed in white, symbolizing the women whodiscovered Christ’sempty tomb on Easter morning, march in with the leader carrying abanner representing Jesus’ cross. They start out singing “When the Saints Go Marching In,” then moveon to “Oh, David” and finally “The Lord’sPrayer,” before starting over with “The Saints.”

Meanwhile, the procession moves counterclockwise in acircle. Researchers speculate this coincides with the Congo sign of the four moments of the sun of dawn, noon, dusk and midnight then back to dawn, coinciding with birth, life, death and the afterlife. With the singing comes the shuffling.

“Ellen Addison describes how the rock step is done: ‘Just get out there and moveyour foot from one side to another,but you ain’tsupposed to cross your legs They say you’re dancing when you cross your legs. But you don’tdo that,’”Roach wrote. “The Winnsboro group is quick to caution that the Rock is not adance.”

Roach said the first scholarly publication about the Easter Rock was written in 1942, noting that participants remember the tradition as predating the Civil War. As forits concentration among northeast Louisiana Black churches, no definitive explanation has been found.

“I do know that it’sled by women, but men can participate,” Roach said. “And by the end, anyone attending can participate, and they do.”

Do you haveaquestion about something in Louisiana that’sgot you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include yourname, phone number and thecitywhere you live.

Atable is covered withawhite tablecloth, which represents the tomb in which Christ

FILEPHOTOSByHANNAH BALDWIN/THE NEWS-STAR

Hattie Addison Burkhalter carriesthe bannerduring theEasterRock at Original True Light BaptistChurch in Winnsboro in 2017.

EARS TO THE GROUND

Localaudiologist is growingJrumz used at this year’s Grammys— into

anationalbrand

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

In the fall of 2018, Dr.Lana Josephmade aunique “house call.”

The New Orleans audiologist took an Uber to the Smoothie King Center,where afew giantbodyguards usheredher backstagefor an appointment with Drake, the rap superstar who was in town to perform Joseph injected silicone into Drake’sears, creatingthe mold that would be used to make new, custom in-ear monitors, atype of fancy wireless earbuds used by most professionalmusicians on stage.

The experience andothers like it got Joseph thinking: In herlineofwork, shehad madeplenty of ear molds, but whatwouldittake forher to createthe monitors themselves?

Afew years later,whenthe pandemic disrupted

ä See JRUMZ, page 2E

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff

nowhas more assetsthan in its home base of Baton Rouge. “Our biggest market nowis Dallas, followed by Houston,” said Chairand CEO Jude Melville, 50. Founded in 2006 by Melville’s uncle, the lateformerGov Buddy Roemer,b1Bank initially targeted what Roemer and his founding board members felt was an underserved market in the state: growing businesses that were too small for large nationaland regionalbanks to bother with but too big for small community banks to handle. That’sstill b1’s bread andbutter Butin2015, the bank, then called Business First Bank, moved into consumer banking with the acquisitionofAmerican Gateway,alongtime communitybank in Baton Rouge. At the time, b1 had agrowing portfolio of commercial loansbut needed to build up its deposits. American Gateway hada solid core of depositsbut someproblem loans on its books. The deal pushed b1 over the$1 billionmark in assets, setting the bank on apathtogrowth. It has since acquiredfive more banks in Louisianaand Texas,including, most recently, Dallas-based Oakwood Bancshares, which added $862 million in assets to b1’sbalance sheet. Business leaders for decades have decried theloss of banking headquarters across Louisiana. Overthe past 30 years or so, ä See B1BANK, page 2E

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Founded in Baton Rougein2006, b1Bank, then called Business First Bank, aimed to grow businesses too smallfor largenational and regional bankstobother with buttoo big for smallcommunity bankstohandle.

New Orleans

Mary Jones has been promoted to senior director of financial services for the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Jones is a 40-year veteran of the convention center

She earned a degree in business adm ini stratio n from LSU.

Jade Simmons has been promoted to director of financial operations.

Simmons has 17 years of experience in business management and has worked with KIPP New Orleans Schools, LSU Health Sciences Center and the Louisiana Public Health Institute.

She earned a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in business administration, both from the University of Dallas

Natalie Barranco has been promoted to chief executive officer of PRIME

Business Advisory Solutions

Barranco cofounded the consulting firm and previously was chief operating officer

She earned a bachelor’s in math with a minor in business administration from Millsaps College and a master’s in business administration, with a concentration on accounting and taxation from Tulane University

Regina Griffin Graff has been hired as director of operations for the company Graff has more than three decades of expertise in finance, accounting and business operations.

She earned a bachelor’s in accounting from the University of New Orleans.

Baton Rouge

Cason E. “Casey” O’Banion has been named president of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge O’Banion replaces YEA BR founders Deborah Sternberg and Michael Roth, who are moving to New York to be closer to family He recently served as director of entrepreneurship at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber

He earned a bachelor’s in creative writing from LSU, a master in fine arts from Antioch and USC and a law degree from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center O’Banion is a published author and adjunct member of the LSU English department, teaching legal writing.

Lawrence “LJ” Baker Jr has been hired as chief strategic initiatives officer and physician recruitment director at Lane Regional Medical Center

Baker is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and decorated combat

veteran. He has more than six years of hospital administration experience, most recently as chief human resources and strategic initiative officer for Sierra Vista Hospital in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. He earned a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Fort Valley State University and is pursuing a master’s in health care administration from Central Michigan University Global Campus.

Franklin Associates has promoted three employees.

Kyla Jones is now vice president of operations.

Jones has been with the firm for 17 years, leading human resources for eight years and operations for more than four She earned a bachelor’s in psychology from LSU.

Dr Lana Joseph, an audiologist who has been building her own brand of earbuds and headphones, pulls out boxes of her products at her High Level Speech & Hearing office in Harahan. Joseph launched Jrumz, an audio electronics startup focused on safe listening and hearing health, in 2022. Three years later she’s sold roughly $500,000 worth of headphones, wireless earbuds and in-ear monitors.

Continued from page 1E

business at Joseph’s Uptown speech and hearing clinic, she had time to brainstorm the idea properly And that research paid off.

In 2022, Joseph launched Jrumz, an audio electronics startup focused on safe listening and hearing health. Three years later, she’s sold roughly $500,000 worth of headphones, wireless earbuds and in-ear monitors mostly via her online shop and Amazon.

Joseph said she earned her first design patent for a pair of wireless earphones in February She has applied for three more and is planning to expand into hearing aids this year

Even though now she’s a player in the $800 billion-plus global consumer electronics market, Joseph said she’s not trying to compete head-to-head with global tech titans like Apple, Sony and Bose.

“We’re just blazing our own trail, focusing on safe listening,” she said. “That’s the whole purpose of Jrumz. People love the story The company founder is an African American woman and an audiologist, and I started by helping kids hear.” Spark of inspiration

As a child growing up Marrero, Joseph had a speech impediment that took years to diagnose but only a few months to treat. Inspired by that experience, she became an audiologist and, in 2016, founded the High Level Speech & Hearing Center to provide early intervention for children with speech and hearing disorders.

In the near decade that followed, the clinic grew and now has contracts to provide screenings for more than 200 Louisiana schools and day care centers.

“That’s my main bread and butter,” she said. “I have a great team and 10 years in the game. I

Joseph holds a pair of her earbuds.

learned to outsource. Now I serve in the role of CEO and CFO.”

Though the clinic provides pediatric care, Joseph has also built up a clientele of musicians on the side. They come to her for hearing tests and custom-fit, in-ear monitors, which allow them to hear themselves sing and play their instruments while blocking out distractions on a noisy stage.

“Preferably, you want an audiologist to take an impression of your ears,” she said. “An average Joe could potentially damage your hearing.”

Zoom calls, mass production

When Joseph began researching how to create her own audio electronics brand in 2021, she hunkered down and turned her apartment into a lab of sorts.

“There were days when I didn’t take a shower, and days when I barely ate,” she said. “Everything was about, how the heck do I create a headphone company?”

She created her first in-ear monitor using components from Knowles Corp., the company that makes the “drivers,” or miniature speakers, inside earbuds and inear monitors. Ultimately, Joseph realized she’d need to partner with manufacturers in Asia to mass produce

her products. That involved latenight calls and Zoom meetings during business hours on the other side of the world. Her first product the Jrumz XP01 universal in-ear monitor, debuted in January 2022. It has been followed by five other designs, including the Clarity line of headphones.

In the years since, she’s manufactured fewer than 10,000 units altogether Her total investment in the business, all self-funded, is in the high six-figure range. But Joseph said the focus has been on quality over quantity and designing products that sound good at reasonable volumes.

“Audiology taught me that people turn up the volume not because they can’t hear what’s being said but because they can’t understand. We don’t sacrifice bass, but we give more high frequencies so it’s a balanced sound.”

No more freebies

Though Jrumz is small, highprofile performers are taking notice of its products.

When rapper Doechii performed at the 2025 Grammy Awards, where she won “best rap album” honors, her onstage sidekick, DJ Miss Milan, was wearing a bright red Jrumz in-ear monitor

Johnathan S. Hill is vice president of advisory services. Hill has been with the company for six years.

He earned a bachelor’s in business administration and management from Southern University, a master’s in ministry from Luther Rice College & Seminary and is working on a doctorate in organizational leadership from Regent University

Portia Johnson is vice president of disaster and grants management. Johnson previously held leadership positions with the Louisiana Office of Community DevelopmentDisaster Recovery and Louisiana Housing Corp.

She earned a bachelor’s in sociology from LSU and a law degree from Southern University Law Center

Continued from page 1E

banks once domiciled in the state have been acquired by larger banks with headquarters in other Southern cities.

Large, national banks offer loans and other financial services, as do their regional counterparts and smaller community banks. But banking industry watchers have noted that having midsized banks, with local headquarters, means more top executives who can boost civic leadership and offer localized lending decisions.

Moving in from the periphery In Louisiana, b1Bank is a medium-sized fish in a small pond. It is the state’s sixth-largest bank, with 3.5% of in-state deposits about $4.6 billion as of June 30. In Texas, b1Bank is a much smaller fish, with fewer than 1% of all deposits in the state. But the pond is so much bigger and growing — that Melville and others see more opportunities to expand. Banks in Texas last year had $1.44 trillion in total deposits compared with less than $132 billion in Louisiana.

“In some ways, it’s actually easier to break into these markets in Texas because it’s a growing pie,” Melville said. “It’s not like you’re going after someone else’s customers.”

At the 2023 Super Bowl, Emmywinning actor and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph used a Jrumz monitor when performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Other Jrumz users include members of the Grammy-winning New Orleans group Tank and the Bangas, singer/songwriter/producer Babyface and Adam Blackstone, who is the music producer for Nicki Minaj, Justin Timberlake and others. Still, Joseph has to work hard to get the word out and she counts marketing among her biggest expenses and frustrations.

She hired a high-profile ad agency for a while but switched to the boutique marketing company Newtral Groundz run by fellow New Orleans entrepreneur Brent Craige, to create Jrumz social media content, which posts mostly on Facebook and Instagram.

She paid to be the official headphone partner of the New Orleans Pelicans for the last two years and regularly attends industry gatherings around the country

For several years, Joseph traded free products for promotion, but she’s not doing it as much anymore.

“Artists promise to mention me on social media, so I would go out there, fulfill my end of the deal and they would never post,” she said. “So I stopped doing that. People ask me for free stuff, and I say, ‘I’ll give you a discount, but I’m not giving you anything for free unless I know that I’m going to get value from it.’” Joseph eventually hopes to get her products on store shelves but doesn’t have the budget to make it happen at least not yet.

“You can have a great product, but that’s not enough,” she said. “You have to find someone to pitch you to retailers, and you have to pay them to even have the conversation.”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

Melville said b1’s strategy for nudging into the Dallas and Houston markets has been focused on outlying communities around the periphery of the big cities like Addison, Frisco and McKinney near Dallas or Pasadena outside of Houston, rather than “plopping ourselves in the middle of downtown.”

“Those are communities that need community banking,” he said. “It is a little easier to attack something if you divvy it up a little bit.” The strategy makes sense, according to banking experts.

“Dallas and surrounding areas would be attractive to any Louisiana bank because they are growing,” said Jonathan Briggs, a banking analyst, who spent much of his career in New Orleans before moving to Dallas three years ago.

“Louisiana is not.”

Between 2018 and 2022, b1 grew by 40% per year, outperforming peer banks, whose annual asset growth averaged 11% during the same period, according to a report prepared by Southeastern Louisiana University

Long-term plans?

B1 has also expanded in recent years into new product and service lines. It created a network of more than 100 smaller community banks around the country that it partners with, providing back-office functions, portfolio management, loan administration and other services for a fee.

It’s a way for the bank to diversify its revenue stream.

“We also believe that part of being a community bank is helping other community banks succeed,” Melville said “A stronger economy is better for all of us.”

Banks like b1, as they grow, often become targets for acquisition by regional or national banks. Melville said his goal is to create something “meaningful, regional and lasting.”

“We are business people and have a fiduciary, so I can’t say we would never be acquired,” he said.

“But that is not why we come to work every day We want to build something that will last.”

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

O’Banion

Jones

Simmons

Baker Jones

Johnson

Hill

STAFF

PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

Graff

Barranco

JRUMZ

La.pursuingmore‘aggressive’manufacturing policies

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

TimJohnson has been in the persuasion business since he left LSU in the late 1980s with adegree in political science and history

As a26-year-old, he founded The TJCGroup,the consultancy firm that he’sbeenrunning ever since and represents many of the largest oil, gasand chemicals companies operating in the state.

He was able to catch the wave of community advisorypanels, which had just started to develop in the 1980s when the Chemical Manufacturers Association, nowknown as the American Chemistry Council, was rolling out its Responsible Care initiative. That initiative was aresponse to acrisis of trust after aseries of environmentaldisasters and scandals in the preceding decades.

“I started thisfirm as part of a process with communityadvisory panels in October of 1990and just sort of grown the firm since then,” the now-61-year-old Johnson said.

The TJC Group now has about three dozen employees, including several registered lobbyists, Johnson is not afraid to admit, despite the enduring jokes about the profession.AsHuey P. Long once said, government is like arestaurant with waiters from both main parties serving just one dish. “No matter which set of waitersbrings you the dish, the legislative grub is all prepared in the same Wall Street kitchen,” he said.

But as Johnson once said when he was advocating to locate aproposed $2 billion new bridge across the Mississippi River in Iberville Parish: “If you’re not sitting at the table, you’re on the menu.”

The following Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.

What do you think of Gov.JeffLandry’sefforts so far to improve the environment for business to operate, including making it easier for industrytoget permits?

We are still in aposition where it is easier to get permits in other places than it is here. From an industry perspective, that is ahuge issue in terms of speed to market, cost of building afacilityand the

TimJohnson, founder and CEO of The TJC Group,which represents many of the largest petrochemicals companies in Louisiana, said the state’s more aggressiveapproach aimed at boosting manufacturing will ‘pay dividends.

risk of building afacilityand how you de-riskthose things. Ithink we’re making some effort in those areas.

There have been some high-profile industrial wins in the past year.Doyou thinkthere is apositive shift in the waythe state is seeking to attract manufacturing and will it have legs?

We’re thinking about bringing additional manufacturing jobs here and what it takes to do that. Ithink the reimagination of Louisiana EconomicDevelopment is going to pay some dividends. Look at this new group, Leadersfor a BetterLouisiana(an industry lobbying group thatwas the result of themerger in January of The Committee of 100 for Economic Development and the Council for

aBetterLouisiana)

Ithink thatthey were heavily engaged in researching what other Southern stateswere doing in termsoftheir economic development policyand economicdevelopment efforts,and have really brought afresh perspective to that department andhow it’sgoingto operate going forward. Ithink the more aggressive approach is going to pay dividends. You’ve said that theindustrial corridor along theMississippi River hasbeen unfairly saddled with the “Cancer Alley”moniker. In community meetings, what do you tell folks wholive in thoseparishes?

We recognizethat thetopics are very sensitive.Whenyou start talking to families about cancer,weall have been impacted by that, right?

So, as industry,we’ve got to do that withgreat understanding and great compassion. We approach theconversation around cancer in Louisiana and any impacts that industry may or maynot have with compassion andunderstanding. ButI thinkthatpartofwhatwe have to talk about is responsibility forour ownhealth. There are certain decisions that we have to make andifyou look at the population as awhole, there are tons of statistics andstudies that show that the people who work inside industry in Louisianaare some of the healthiest people in our state.

There arereasons forthat. They’vegot great health care coverage, they have preventative care, theyhave wellness plans that have education around diet and alcohol abuse andsunlight andall of those things. And so they tend to be healthier.Whenwegointo communities andwetell individuals, particularly folks who are less fortunate, that there is nothing you can do about your own health, that theplants arekilling youand that’s just afact, Ithink that’sadisservice.

What’sanexample of an industrial project that is being held up by that kind of communitycampaigning?

The biggest oneright now is the one that gets all the headlines, the Formosaproject in St James Parish. Ithink it is the poster child for the difficulty in moving atransformational project forward.

The St.James Parish government is for it so what has been the difficulty?

It has attracted atremendous amount of attention nationwide and thatactivist group, RISE St.

James, has received heavy funding from Bloomberg dollars and some other areas. The Michael Bloomberg Foundation andhis initiative “Beyond Petrochemicals” have been fighting againstjust about everything that St. James Parish looks to do.

Just to be clear,do youworkfor Formosaor St.James Parish directly in making thecase for the plant?

We runanorganization here called Industry Makes, agroup of plants, contractors andservice providers organized to at least push back on someofthe anti-industry activism that we’veseen. The tagline is: “Let others make noise, we make everything else.” Formosa is part of Industry Makes, but we don’tdoany work directly for Formosa.

Some recentwinsinLouisiana comeunder the banner of the state’s“All of theAbove” energypolicy,which seeks to pursue opportunities on the clean energyfront as well as traditional fossilfuels.President DonaldTrump’s administration has sought to roll back some of thelegislation and policies supporting those investments. Does that worry you?

Idon’tknow if I’ve used the word “worried” yet, but it’scertainly something to consider.There are lots of conversations going on at veryhigh levels about thecritical importance of theinvestment those tax credits have brought in terms of what has been announced and anumber of projects are very dependent on those tax credits. So, we are hopeful and have an expectationthatthose taxcredits will remain, in some form or fashion.

EmailAnthony McAuley at tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

Louisiana’s Menhaden Industry Celebrates the Beginning of the 2025 Fishing Season with Blessing of the Fleet

Thisarticle is broughttoyou by the Louisiana Commercial Fishing Coalition LLC Louisiana’s Menhaden Industry Welcomes the2025 Season

As Louisiana’smenhaden fishing industry prepares forthe 2025 season, beginning Monday,April 21, fishermen, their families,and localcommunities are gathering forthe annual Blessing of the Fleet.This year’s event, being held on Easter Sunday, blends faith, family,and a deep connection to the seaasgenerations of fishing familiescome together to honor their wayoflifeand seek protection for the season ahead.

Fordecades,the Blessing of the Fleet has been asolemn momentof unity, with industryworkersand their families,local leadersand clergy coming together to pray fora safe and successful fishing season. From Plaquemines to Vermilion, menhaden steamerswillbe adorned with flagsand fresh paint, as captains andcrews bowtheirheads in prayer–continuing atradition thathas safeguarded fishermen foroveracentury

This gathering is alsoatime to recognizethe dedication and resilience of the industry’s workers. Former Louisiana Department of Wildlifeand Fisheries

Secretary Madison Sheahan visited Westbank Fishinglast year and described menhaden fishing as “one of our state’s toughest jobs.” The startofthe season serves as areminder of the sacrifices thesecrews and their families make,as

well as the challenges they face working on the open water.

ALegacy of Louisiana

Menhaden Fishing

Themenhaden fishery hasbeen acornerstone of Louisiana’scoastal economyfor over acentury.Since the late 1800s,Louisiana’snutrient-rich estuaries have supported vast menhaden populations,making it one of theGulf of Mexico’smost productive fishing regions

In the 1980s,Louisiana’smenhaden industry operated morethan 80 vessels and 11 processing plants. However, due to economic pressures and industry consolidation, only twofishing companies remaintoday –Westbank Fishing in Empire and Ocean Harvestersin Abbeville –together operating afleet of 27 vessels.Despiteconsolidation, Louisiana’smenhaden industry remains amajor economicdriver,generating $419 million in annual output and supporting over 2,000 jobs.Fishermen and processing plantemployees earn

morethan $50,000 peryear,with benefits thatprovide stabilityfor coastal families Theindustry alsocontributes over$62.4 million in procuring goodsand services from 32 parishes,extending its impact far beyond our coast

“The Blessing of theFleet isn’tjust about theseason ahead,”said Francois Kuttel, PresidentofWestbank Fishing. “It’sabout recognizing thegenerations of hardworking fishermen who have made this industry what it is today.

Sustainabilityand Innovation: Ensuring aFuture for the Industry

In additiontoits economic impact, Louisiana’smenhaden industry is recognized as one of themost sustainable in the world. TheMarine Stewardship Council (MSC) has certified thefishery forresponsible harvesting practices, and the latest stockassessmentfromthe Gulf StatesMarine Fisheries Commission confirms thatmenhaden populationsare healthyand growing.

“Weinvest in science-backed conservation efforts to maintain ahealthy fishery forfuturegenerations,” said Ben Landry,arepresentativeof Ocean Harvesters.

This commitmenttosustainabilityis matched by theindustry’s embrace of new technology. Amajor innovation forthe 2025season is theadoption of ultra-high molecular weightpolyethylene Spectra/ Platina netting. This fiber is tentimes strongerthannylon, enhancing durability andsignificantly reducingfish spills caused by net tears. With allLouisiana menhaden vessels nowequipped with this cutting-edgenetting, theindustry continues to improve efficiency and minimizewaste.

Looking Ahead to the 2025 Season

As the2025season begins, Louisiana’s menhaden industry remainsapillarofthe state’s working coast.The Blessing of the Fleet serves notonly as asignalfor the start of another harvest butasa reminder of the industry’s resilience in theface of economic, environmental,and regulatory challenges

From the Blessing of the Fleet on Easter Sunday to thefinalhaulon November 1, menhaden fishing continues to be driven by resilience, responsibility, andadeep connection to Louisiana’s coastal heritage.Industry leadersare committedtoinnovation,sustainability, andensuring that futuregenerations can carry on this time-honored tradition

PROVIDED PHOTO By TIMJOHNSON

The United States is steeped in atrade war that will hurt people who can least afford it at atime when consumers are already,and rightfully,spooked about rising prices.

An Economist-YouGov poll showedthat 80% of Americans expect the tariffs announced by President Donald Trump will raise their costs; 47% expect prices will increase alot

In preparation, many people are stockpiling goods from coffee to hair extensions to toilet paper

Ialready knew somewould encouragepanic buying and hoarding.

“It’snot abad idea to go tothe localWalmart or big box retailer and buy lots of consumables now,” billionaire Mark Cuban wrote on Bluesky.“From toothpaste to soap, anything you can find storage space for,buy before they have to replenish inventory Even if it’smade in the USA, they will jack up the price and blameitontariffs.”

With all due respect to Cuban, this advice is wrong for so many reasons.

Here’swhy you shouldn’tstockpile toilet paper or other goods.

Youcan’tpay rent with what’sinyour

Fool’sTake: Dell set to benefitfrom AI demands

Motley Fool

Tech companies are spending billions to expand their computing infrastructure to handle artificial intelligence workloads, and Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) is positioned to benefit.Dell generates most of its revenue from selling PCs and related accessories, but 46% comes from itsinfrastructure solutions group, which includes servers.

The stock has fallen roughly by half from its 2024 all-time peak —inpart due to concernsover tariffs and the impact that trade conflicts could have on Dell’s supply chain. Dell believes it has

prices for paper towelsortheir morning cup of java.

Michelle Singletary

personal storeroom. Part of the panic is thefear of affordability. That’sunderstandable.

Theconcern is not without merit.The Budget Lab at Yale University crunched thenumbers looking at the effects of Trump’stariffs and the retaliatory levies. The tariffs disproportionately affect clothing and textiles, with consumers facing prices upward of 64%higher on apparel in the short run, accordingtoaBudget Lab report.

Overallprice increases are estimated tocost the average household $4,700 per year (in 2024 dollars)

If consumers change their spending habits, the loss is still significant,anestimated $2,700 per household.

Butif Trump’stariff binge pushes the U.S. economy into arecession, many people will have bigger worries than higher

aresilientsupply chain and that it will be able to navigate these obstacles.

The company’s backlog of orders for AI servers was recently $9 billion,and its infrastructure solutionsbusiness’sgrowthis offsettingthe weak sales of its PCs.Dell expects revenue to increase by8%in2025, driven by server demand Dell forecasts that the addressable market for AI hardware and services will grow at an annualized rate of 33% over thenext several years to $295 billion by 2027. Demand should grow for its PC business over thenext fewyears as businesses and consumers upgrade to AI-capable machines. Theend of Microsoft’s support for Windows 10 could also beacatalyst for stronger PC sales.

Importantly,Dellstock looks

If you lose your job, then your top financial prioritywill be paying for necessities such as your rent, mortgage or auto loan.

There is too muchuncertainty about the tariffs.

Prices might not spike, leaving you withtoo manyitems in your pantry when the money could have been better used to boost your emergency fund or,most importantly, pay down debt

“You have no idea how supply chains areactually going to respond to this,” saidMartha Gimbel, executivedirector at the Budget Lab. “Trying to predict this is afool’serrand.”

As we’veseen already,Trump is unpredictable. His tariff policies areinflux,making longterm financial planning difficult Youcould get stuck with acloset full of toilet paper that wasn’t such agood buy after all.

“You have no idea how much you’regoing to need of things, you have no idea how your needs are going to change,” Gimbel said. “You don’twant to end up in asituation whereyou’re bartering toothpaste.”

Hoarding coulddrive up prices even more.

cheap, with arecent forwardlooking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 8.5. It’sa dividend payer, too, with arecent yield of 2.5% and arecent dividend hike of 18%.

Fool’sSchool: Youneed an investing strategy

For best resultswhen investing, it’sgood to have asound strategy. Without one, you might fall prey to hot stock tips or end up flittingfrom stock tostock and trading too often. Spend sometime reading up on investing. You’ll want tolearn about different kinds of investments,along with their risks and how they tend to perform. (For example, stocks tend to outperform bonds and many other investments over long periods.) Develop reasonable expectations

We’ve been here before. During theheight of the pandemic, consumers stockpiledshelfstable foods, hand sanitizer, disinfectants, bottledwater and toilet paper.

Shoppers descended on supermarkets andbig-boxstores, snapping up items as soon as they hit the shelves. This created shortages andcontributed to predatorypricing.

It might make economic sense to go ahead andbuy thatnew car if you were alreadyinthe market and able to handle the loan payments. But if toomanypeople panic buy because of tariffs, prices could soar simply because of demand. Again, the money could be betterusedtoboost your emergency fund.

Tying up yourcashcan reduce your financial flexibility

If you spend toomuchonnonperishable food items, clothing or other items, you might not have enough to cover unexpected expenses, suchasacar repair

When faced with budgetary constraints, households understandably prioritize certain debts, such as their mortgage or auto loan, according to an analysisbythe FederalReserve Bank of New York.

—understanding, forexample, that over many decades, the stock market has averaged annual gains of around 10%. It’s also good to learn about great investors and how they invest, and about great businesses and how they survived and thrived over time.

As you form your own strategy,here are somefactors to consider:

n How involved do you wantto be, and how much time will you spend on investing? Many people will be best off sticking with a simple, low-feeindex fund such as one that tracks the S&P 500. It can grow powerfully over time.

n What’s your timeframe? Money you won’t need forat least five (ifnot 10) years can be parked in stocks, but shortertermmoney is best placed in less volatile investments such as CDs

In the last quarterof2024, credit cardbalancesclimbed by $45 billionfrom the previous quarter, ballooning to $1.21trillion, according to the New York Fed. With less money coming in, you do whatyou have to do,which sometimes means notpaying your credit cardbill. There’s alreadyan“upward trend in credit carddefaults,” the New York Fed reported. If you have to pause payments on your credit cards, that can sink youfurtherinto debt. The median averagecredit card interest rate for March was 24.2%, according to Investopedia, which tracksrates everymonth. Evenbeforethe trade war kickedoff by Trump’stariffs, consumers were feeling pressed. In February,the share of households expecting aworse financial situationone year from now rose to 27.4%,its highest level since November 2023, the NewYork Fedreported last month. It’snot wise to tie up money on things youcould do without in a pinch.

EmailMichelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

or money market accounts.

n What are your goals and risk tolerance? If you want your money to grow quickly and you can stomach volatility,consider including somegrowth stocks in your portfolio. If you’re more risk-averse, you might focus on blue chip stocks, dividendpaying stocks or undervalued stocks. Lower-risk choices also include index funds, because they can be very diversified.

n What kind of asset allocation do you want? If you’re young, you might invest 100% in stocks. As you approach retirement, you might want to devote part of your portfolio to bonds.

n Will you makeconsistent use of tax-advantaged retirement accounts such as IRAs and 401(k)s? It’s smart to do so. Develop aplan —and then stick to it.

THE COLOR OF MONEy

2New Orleans defense firmsjoin forces

TwoNew Orleans defense firms —Mouledoux, Bland,Legrand &Brackett and Nalley,Dew and Miner —have combinedand will operate under theMouledoux, Bland, Legrand &Brackettname, handling claims in the insurance, maritime, transportation and workers’ compensation areas.

Nalley’sattorneys and staff will move into MBLB’soffices in the Hancock Whitney Center.The move brings the number of attorneys on staff to 60.

MBLB, which has an office in Lafayette, recently expanded into Chicago.

BP makes oil discovery off coast of Louisiana

BP has made an oil discovery in the Gulf south of New Orleans, about 120 miles from the Louisiana coast.

The discovery in the Far South prospect co-owned by BP and Chevron could potentially include acommercial volumeofoil andgas

BP officials said the findwill help the companymeet its goalofdelivering 400,000 barrels of oil per day fromthe region, which hasbeen renamed the Gulf of America by the Trump administration.

Burkenroad investment conference set for Tulane

BurkenroadReports will hold its annual investment conference from 8a.m. to 1p.m. Friday,inthe LavinBernick Center on the Tulane University campus, 29 McAlister Drive.

The conference will featurepresentations from leaderswith 15 public companies, including Pool Corp., Cal-Maine Foods, Crown Crafts, b1Bank, VieMedHealthcare and Amerisafe.

TomPutnam, the founderofFenimore Asset Management, and his daughter Anne will be the keynote speakers. They will discuss their investment business and TomPutnam’sdecision to hand it overtohis daughter

The conference will also feature apanel discussion on alternative investments and venture capital.

The event is free,but registration is required. Visit freeman.tulane. edu/burkenroad-reports/investment-conference.

Trump’sglobaldisruptioncomes amid U.S. dominance

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON By declaring atrade war on the rest of the world, Presi-

dent Donald Trump has panicked globalfinancialmarkets, raised the risk of arecession andbroken the political andeconomic alliances that made much of theworld stable for business after World WarII.

Economists arepuzzledtosee Trump tryingtooverhaul theexisting economicorder and doing it so soon after inheriting the strongest economyinthe world. Many of the tradingpartners he accuses of ripping off U.S. businesses and workers were already floundering.

“There is adeep irony in Trump claiming unfairtreatment of the American economy at atime when it was growing robustly while every other major economy had stalledorwas losing growth momentum,” saidEswarPrasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University.“In an even greater irony, theTrump tariffs are likely to end America’sremarkable run of success andcrash the economy, job growth and financial markets.”

Trump and his tradeadvisersinsist that the rules governing global commerce put the United States at adistinct disadvantage. But mainstream economists —whose views Trump and his advisers disdain —say the president has awarped idea of world trade, especially a preoccupationwith trade deficits, which they say do nothing to impede growth

Theadministrationaccuses other countries of erecting unfairtrade barriers tokeep out American exports and using underhanded tactics to promote theirown.In Trump’stelling, his tariffs are a long-overduereckoning:The U.S. is the victim of an economic mugging by Europe, China, Mexico, Japanand evenCanada.

It’struethatsome countries charge higher taxes on imports than the United States does. Some manipulate their currencies lower to ensurethat their goodsare price-competitive in international markets. Some governmentslavish theirindustries with subsidies to give them an edge.

However,the United States is still the second-largest exporter in the world, after China. The U.S. exported$3.1 trillion of goodsand

services in 2023, far ahead of thirdplace Germany at $2 trillion.

Thefear that Trump’sremedies are deadlier than the maladies he’s trying to cure has sent investors fleeing American stocks. Since Trump announced sweeping import taxesonApril 2, theS&P 500 has cratered 6.8%.

Trump andhis advisers point to America’slopsided tradenumbers —year after year of huge deficits —asproof of foreigners’ perfidy He’s seekingtorestore justice and millions of long-goneU.S.factory jobs by taxingimports at rates not seen in America since thedays of thehorse and buggy

“They’ve taken so much of our wealth away from us,”the president declared at aWhite House Rose Garden ceremony to celebrate the tariffs announcement.

“We’re not going to let that happen. We truly can be verywealthy. We can be so much wealthier than any country.”

Butthe U.S. is alreadythe wealthiest major economy in the world. And the International Monetary Fund in January forecastthatthe United States would outgrow every other major advanced economy this year Chinaand Indiadid grow faster than theUnited States over thepast decade, buttheir living standards still don’tcome close to those in the U.S. Manufacturing in theU.S.has been fading for decades. There is widespread agreement that many

American manufacturers couldn’t competewithaninflux of cheap imports after China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. Factories closed, workers were laid off and heartland communities withered.

Fouryears later,nearly 3million manufacturing jobs had been lost, though robots and other forms of automation probably did at least as much to reduce factory jobs as the “China shock.”

To turn around this long decline, Trump has repeatedly unsheathed the tariffs that are his weapon of choice.

Trumpviews tariffs as an all-purpose economic fix that will protect American industries, encourage companies to open factories in America, raise money for the U.S. Treasuryand give himleverage to bend other countries to his will, even on issues that have nothing to do withtrade, such as drug trafficking and immigration.

Thepresident also sees asmokinggun: The United States has bought more from other countries than it has sold themevery year forthe past half-century.In2024, theU.S. trade deficit in goods and services cametoawhopping $918 billion, the second-highest amount on record.

Trump trade adviserPeter Navarro calls America’strade deficits “the sum of allcheating” by other countries.

However,economists say trade deficitsaren’tasign of national

weakness. The U.S. economy has nearly quadrupled in size, adjusted forinflation, during that half-century of trade deficits.

“There is no reason to think that abiggertrade deficit meanslower growth,”saidformer IMF chief economist Maurice Obstfeld, seniorfellowatthe Peterson Institute of InternationalEconomics andan economist at theUniversity of California, Berkeley.“In fact, the oppositeisclosertothe truthinmany countries.” Atrade deficit, Obstfeld said, does not mean acountry is losing through trade or being “rippedoff.”

The fasterthe U.S. economy grows, in fact, themoreimports Americanstendtobuy andthe wider the trade deficit tends to get. The U.S. trade deficit —the gap between what it sells and what it buys from foreign countries —hit arecord$945 billionin2022 as the American economy roared back from COVID-19 lockdowns. Trade deficits typically fall sharply in recessions.

Nor are trade deficits primarily inflicted on America by other countries’ unfair trading practices. To economists, they’re ahomegrown product, the result of Americans’ propensity to save little and consume more than they produce American shoppers’ famous appetite for spending morethan the country makes means that achunk of the spending is used for imports. If the United States boosted its saving —for example, by reducing its budgetdeficits —thenthatwould reduce its trade deficit as well, economists say “It’snot like the rest of the world has been ripping us offfor decades,” said Jay Bryson, chief economistatWells Fargo. “It’sbecause we don’tsave enough.”

The flip side of America’slow savings andbig tradedeficits is a steadyinflowofforeign investment as other countries sink their export earnings into the United States. Direct foreign investment into the U.S. came to $349 billion in 2023, the World Bank reported, nearly double No. 2Singapore’sinflows. The only scenario in which tariffs reduce theU.S.deficit is if they cause investment in the U.S. to crash, said Barry Eichengreen, an economist at the University of California,Berkeley. That“would be adisaster.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

Economists are puzzled to see President DonaldTrump trying to overhaul the existing worldeconomic order and doing it so soon after inheriting the strongest economy in the world.

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THEHEART OF THEMATTER

3D virtualreality technology used to operateonnewborn

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staffwriter

Theodore Evans was born on a Thursday

Three days later,onDec. 8, 2024, as the family prepared to go home from Lakeview HospitalinCovington, VeronicaEvans handedher son off to a nurse for his final checkup. When the nurse came back without him, Evans knew something was wrong.

Theodore hada slight heart murmur, according to thedoctors at Covington hospital where Evans gave birth, which was “very common in babies,” the nurse explained.

“So much happened after that,” Evans said. “It’s kind of ablur.”

Another hour went by while doctors did various tests on Theodore. They came back to tell Evans that her son had two heart defects: ahole in his left ventricle, or VSD, and anarrow aorta, also called acoarctation of the aorta. He was transferred by helicopter to Manning Family Children’sinNew Orleans. Before takeoff, the Evans familywas visited by apastor who prayed over Theodore.

“The whole thing was definitely an emotional whirlwind,” Evans said. “It broke my heart to see my3-day-old baby hooked up to so many machines.” After being transferred toacardiac intensive care unit, doctorsatChildren’smet to discusstreatment op-

CT scans and virtual reality create a3Dimage of apatient’sheartatManning Family Children’shospitalinNew Orleans.

tionsfor Theodore. Partofthattreatment plan included newvirtual realitytechnologytocreate 3D imaging of Theodore’sheart. Usingvirtual reality

Dr.Ernesto Mejia, Theodore’sdoctor, said working to developthe technology

thatreduced the amount of time theinfantand others are under anesthesia had itsshare of twistsand turns.

One day,Mejiasaidhis boss walked by his office and thought he was spending his time playing video games.

ä See HEART, page 2X

Core values

By Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)

ROCHESTER, Minnesota It is alarge part of the body that lies deep inside, out of sight and perhaps out of mind: your abdominal core. A newand rapidly developing area of medicine focuses on abdominal core health, including howpeople can incorporate it into ahealthy lifestyle and how to address complexmedical problems thatarise when it is compromised. Dr.Charlotte Horne,a metabolic andabdominal wall reconstructive surgeon at Mayo Clinic,explains what abdominal core health is, how to protect it and risk factors for problemsthat may require surgery

“The abdominal core is the outside muscular containerofyour abdominal wall,” Horne said. “This starts at the diaphragm andgoes all the waydown to the pelvic support muscles. Most of the coreis muscle and connective tissue. It’s amuscular container that holds your internal organs in. Every timeyou breathe, bend, bear down to have abowel movement, you’re using these muscles.”

The abdominal core includes abdominal muscles that people may think of as the ”six-pack,” and oblique muscles and tissue that wrap all the way around the upper part of the abdomen andconnect to the midline of the body,Horne added. Many nerves lie between thelayers of muscleand tissue, includingthosethatextendtothe groin, thighs, back and hips.

Those muscles function as aunit and that unit needs to operate well foryou and your body to perform daily activities, Hornesaid. One way to strengthen the structural integrity of your abdominal core is to engage it during your normal activities, she explains: Youdonot have to do thousands of situps or becomeabodybuilder

“One of the things we’re realizing is that we need to educate people how to appropriately engage those muscles when they do everything from going from lying to sitting and sitting to standing, lifting objects andother basicmovements in theirdaily lives,” she said. “When people do yoga or Pilates, they think about pulling their belly button into their spine. That helps stabilize the deeper muscles of the abdominal wall.”

Improving abdominal core health involvesconscious engagement of theabdominal muscles, “bringing everything in and holding it in,” Horne said.

Risk factors forabdominal core problems are wide-ranging. They include cancer treatment; inflammatory boweldisease; chronic or severe coughing; andcomplications from pregnancy (diastasis recti) and surgery.The mostcommon problems are hernias, when part of an organ or tissue bulges through aweak spot in muscle.

STAFF PHOTO By MARGARET DeLANEy

PHOTO PROVIDED

Veronica Evans consoles her 3-day-old baby, Theodore, before he is transferred by helicoptertoManning Family Children’s in NewOrleans for heartsurgery

HEALTH MAKER

Louisiana hospital hosts global conference

Mary Bird Perkins celebrates advances in cancer technology

BY MARGARET DeLANEY

Staff writer

Elekta, a company based in Sweden, is one of the world’s leaders in developing some of the most cutting-edge cancer treatment technologies — and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has worked with them since 2008 in implementing some of these tools in Baton Rouge.

Now, Mary Bird Perkins is signing an agreement with Elekta to serve as a clinical test site for the company’s emerging technologies. This means that, through Elekta, Mary Bird Perkins will be the first to provide patients with access to some of the most advanced technologies available in the world.

This month, the cancer center hosted a conference with medical physicists and leaders in cancer technology from around the world to talk about new technologies and various ways to implement them in Louisiana.

Dr Jonas Fontenot, a medical physicist and president and CEO at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Baton Rouge, did his clinical research training at MD Anderson in Houston before moving to Louisiana 16 years ago.

Dr Sotirios Stathakis, also a

HEALTH NOTES

Alzheimer’s conference offered in New Orleans

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America will host a conference on April 23 at the Embassy Suites Hotel New Orleans Convention Center, 315 Julia St., New Orleans. It will feature some of the top local experts in the New Orleans area in medicine, dementia and caregiving. Attendees will learn about everything from healthy aging to early detection, longterm care planning, local resources and more.

The Educating America Tour was founded over eight years ago to provide critically important information to families and individuals concerned about their memory, including resources that are available to support them.

“We generally focus on speakers that provide greater education and understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, brain health and wellness,” said Charles Fuschillo Jr., president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. “We also discuss the current state of new therapies that have been approved or other trials that are on the horizon

The conference is free and open to all patients, families, health professionals and more. Cancer infusion center opens in Ascension

Our Lady of the Lake has expanded cancer services to Ascension Parish. The new Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute St. Elizabeth Infusion Center brings lifesaving treatments to the area, providing patients with advanced cancer care.

The facility opened on Feb. 27, with 15 infusion chairs in a 4,109-square-foot space The team at the Lake is able to provide personalized treatment to all patients receiving chemo or non-chemo medications, or blood products.

Woman’s Hospital offers mobile mammography

Woman’s Hospital brings lifesaving breast imaging to East Baton Rouge Parish with its mobile mammography coach. The coach makes mammograms more accessible than ever offering advanced 3D mammogram technology at convenient times and locations across Louisiana. A physician’s order is required, and appointments are strongly encouraged.

Health Notes is an occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Have something you’d like to share? Contact us at margaret delaney@theadvocate.com

without losing any precision and accuracy

medical physicist and chief of physics at Mary Bird Perkins, joined the cancer center two years ago Before coming to Louisiana, Stathakis was at Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio with a special interest in therapeutic radiation oncology

How do you go about making decisions about which clinical trials, research and emerging technologies to bring to the hospital?

Fontenot: How do you separate steak from sizzle? It’s really hard.

Technology in general, is sometimes hard to navigate what is real and what is marketing. Through the vetting process, our leaders determine if there is a real opportunity to do better for patients than our prevailing standard.

If we think a new technology will help us take care of patients better and we have surveyed the technology and the clinical data around it — we work to make it happen.

What are specific “cutting-edge cancer treatments” available now in Baton Rouge?

Stathakis: The last technology we installed, on Dec. 11, 2024, was the Elekta Harmony probe a linear accelerator primarily used for radiation therapy It was the first linear accelerator in the United States that provides efficient cancer treatment delivery

HEART

Continued from page 1X

He was actually creating 3D images of hearts with a virtual reality headset and game controls.

Mejia tries to “segment” everything he can taking various CT scans and creating a 3D rendering of the images in the files. He can choose colors and use tools to look around the heart (and inside it as well).

Not only can the technology do a 360-degree scan of various body parts; it can also go inside the organs — in Theodore’s case, showing the hole inside the heart. Mejia and the surgical team were able to look inside Theodore’s heart in order to see how big the hole in his ventricle was and determine the best way to approach surgery

For Theodore, Dr. Farshad Anvari was able to see that going in on the other side of the heart would prevent him from cutting into the thicker part of the heart.

“(The doctors) showed us a really detailed map of Theo’s surgery,” Evans said. “We did not know this was brand new technology I didn’t find out until a month later.”

Anvari was so thorough on how he was going to fix it, Evans said, as well as the possible complication and side effects after Theodore’s surgery

According to Anvari, Theodore’s heart surgeon, without this advanced planning, the unexpected larger size of the patient’s hole in the ventricle could have extended the procedure time by at least two hours.

Reducing surgical time is especially critical for newborns, as it minimizes physiological stress and promotes faster recovery Science shows that an extra hour in surgery can increase recovery time by an entire day, let alone the stress the event puts on the body (especially in a baby as young as Theodore)

“Thirty minutes to an hour might not seem like a huge amount of time, but that’s time not on the heart/lung machine. That’s less time under anesthesia,” Mejia said. “That means the recovery is going to be smoother That means that the hospital stay is going to be shorter That means there is going to be less complications.”

The virtual reality also has the ability to model shunts and skin flaps used in surgery

This can help doctors understand the amount of graft, or muscle, needed to cover the size of the hole (and account for extra material in order to maximize blood flow and optimal pressure in the vessels).

“It’s just been such a game changer in the last five or six surgical kiddos,” Mejia said. “It takes so much guessing work out of what you think you’re going to find during surgery — because we already know exactly what’s there and we can plan appropriately.”

We have technologies that are in alpha testing — gathering data for FDA approval or FDA submissions. And we will use them clinically as soon as they are FDA approved. We also have our MRI Unity that is used in combination with the linear accelerator, all in one machine. This allows for what we call adaptive radiation therapy Basically, we are changing the plan to deliver the dose that the physician has prescribed on a daily basis.

We are able to take into count the anatomical variations of each patient. That way, we can not only more precisely and accurately deliver the radiation that they need, but also deliver safely We no longer need to radiate extra normal tissue that would cause negative side effects.

Fontenot: One exciting area that we are likely to see additional development from us in the next several years is an area called theranostics which involved the intersection of radiation therapy and systemic therapies like chemo. How will access to new technologies directly impact locals and Louisianans?

Fontenot: The reason that we have the physicists, the physicians and the staff here who are capable of supporting those technologies is

because they were attracted by the access to technologies and resources that we have. That’s why I came here — because I knew advanced technology opportunities would be available. We live in Louisiana, which is historically a difficult state to attract super high caliber scientists, physicians or medical staff.

It feeds into this appetite that I think we want to want to bring new technologies into the organization to further our ability to care for patients. We certainly have ambition to move the needle. We are in the bottom 10 of states in how often

get cancer or die from cancer

As we grow as an organization, it is my aspiration that part of lessening the burden for our patients means removing as many barriers as possible.

I really think of where we are today as more oriented to the beginning of our journey as an organization and how we can scale our mission to reach as many parts of underserved areas of our state and region as

PROVIDED PHOTO

Theodore Evans, at one week old, was the first surgical patient to receive treatment after consulting new virtual reality technology at Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans. His father, Joshua Evans, comforted him after the surgery.

Manning Family Children’s introduced the FDA-approved VR technology, Elucis, in 2022 and has spent the past two years integrating the technology into its heart center program.

Now, with the success of its first surgical case, the hospital plans to expand the use of VR segmentation for patients with more complex congenital heart defects and other pediatric specialties.

Thursday’s child has far to go

The new technology can be used beyond surgical effectiveness.

According to Mejia, the technology has emerged as a potential teaching tool for young fellows to recognize what they are looking for during surgery Mejia said the VR imaging can also help when physicians need to consult with other programs on specific patients and optimal treatment options.

“Anyone can hop on the headset and see exactly what we’re talking about, including patient specifics,” Mejia said. “Instead of sending two-dimensional scans back and forth.”

The extremely detailed scans are ideal for communicating with

patients, families and parents about what surgeries will look like.

For Evans, that extra tool answered questions and calmed nerves.

“The whole thing was very sobering. All of the emotions didn’t really come out until after the surgery,” Evans said. “The VR images gave us something tangible.

Once we knew what the problem was, the path forward became

clearer We were a little lost before.” At four months old, Theodore is just like any other baby according to his mother

“You can’t even tell other than the scar,” Evans said.

Theodore was born on a Thursday had heart surgery the following Thursday and was sent home with a healthy heart the next Thursday His dad, Joshua, and his big brother and sister were waiting with open arms to welcome him, just in time to celebrate Christmas at home in Lacombe.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and re-examining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

Fontenot Stathakis

Louisianans

PHOTO PROVIDED By MARy BIRD PERKINS CANCER CENTER New Elekta Harmony 1 technology is available at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Baton Rouge.

PHOTO PROVIDED Theodore Evans enjoyed his first Christmas with his family in Lacombe.

STAFF PHOTO By MARGARET DeLANEy

Dr Ernesto Mejia uses virtual reality to map out patients’ hearts before surgery at Manning Family Children’s hospital in New Orleans.

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While you can absolutely usestorebought hibiscus tea (until recently,that’s howI’ve always made hibiscus tea),if youhappen to have access to ahibiscusplant blooming near you, it can be incredibly satisfying to make hibiscus tea straight from the plant.

It’s not just any hibiscus,though. And it’s not the petals thatare steeped,but instead the ruby-redcalyxes that hold theflowers.

Hibiscus Roselle, also known as Flor de Jamaica, is the variety of hibiscus that’s used to make hibiscus tea, says Linda Franzo, owner of Passionate Platter cookingschooland amemberof the NewOrleans HerbSociety. The calyxes arethe bulb-like parts that attach HibiscusRoselle’s small white flowers to its deep red stems.

Healthbenefitsandwhatto keepinmind

Beyond its vividcolorand taste, hibiscustea can helpsupporthealthy blood pressure levels whensipped regularly, helping to bring both systolic and diastolic numbers down anotch.Most of thestudies that reportedsuchfindings used 2-3 cups aday for anywhere from twoweeks to threemonths,withvery fewreports of negative side effects. Like many other herbal teas, hibiscus teaisalso richinplant compoundsthat

Getrecipesforhibiscusdrinksandother‘zeroproof’cocktailswhenyoudownloadour freeEatFitmobileapp.VisitOchsnerEatFit.orgtolearnmore.

can help protect cells from oxidative stress, an imbalanceoffreeradicalsthat can leadtocelldamageand mayplay a role in conditionslikecancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

That said,ifyou’re taking medications— particularlyforblood pressure or diabetes —check with your healthcare provider before making hibiscus teaa daily drink. And if you’re pregnant or nursing, it’s best to skip thehibiscustea for now—oratleast discuss it with your physician first.

Pickingyourcalyxes

IfyouhaveaccesstofreshHibiscus Roselleplants,firstmakesurethey haven’tbeentreatedwithpesticidesor otherchemicals.

Thebesttimetoharvestisafterthe flowersfalloffbutbeforethecalyxes dryout,saysFranzo.First,pullthecalyx fromthestemandremovethehard greenseedpodfrominsidethecalyx (Youcansavetheseedsfornextseason.) Rinseeachcalyxtoremovedustanddirt beforesteeping.

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THENUMBERS

Youmightfinddriedcalyxesavailable forpurchaseatspecialtyteashopsand grocerystores(e.g.IdealMarket),aswell asatsomesupermarketsandhealthfood stores.

Howtosteep

•2cupsboilingwater

•6-8freshhibiscuscalyxes(or2tablespoonsdriedhibiscuscalyx)

•1teaspoonfreshlemonorlimejuice (moretotaste)

Placethecalyxesinalargemasonjar, heatproofpitcherorteapotwithaninfuser.Pourintheboilingwaterandsteep forabout7to10minutes—enoughtime todrawouttheflavorwithoutbecoming bitter.

Straintoremovethecalyxes,thenadd lemonorlimejuice.Servehotorallowto coolandserveoverice.

Funsciencefact:Whenyouadda splashoflemonorlime,you’llseethe deep-redteaimmediatelyshifttoa gorgeouspinkhue.Thiscolorchange happenswhentheacidityincitrusjuice interactswiththepigmentsinthehibiscus—particularlytheantioxidant-rich anthocyanins.

Servingideas

Infusions:Changeupthetea’sflavor profilewithingredientslikefreshbasil, mint,lemongrassorlemonzest,adding injustafterthehibiscusteaisremoved fromtheheat.

Zero-proofcocktails:Usehibiscustea inplaceofjuiceorsodainyourfavorite zeroproofcocktailrecipes—ormakeone ofthedrinksfrom“CRAFT:TheEatFit GuidetoZeroProofCocktails.”

Popsicles:Freezecooledhibiscustea (optionallysweetened)inpopsiclemolds foratart,ruby-huedtreat.

ONLy 1LA. PARISH HASHIGHERLIFEEXPECTANCyTHANU.S.AVERAGE

According to the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention, the national lifeexpectancy in the United States in 2021 was 76.4 years —inLouisiana, it was 72.2 years

The averagelife expectancy changes greatly based on genderwith women living to 80.2 years and men to 74.8 years nationally (75.9 years for women and 68.8 years for meninLouisianans). Lifeexpectancy for each Louisiana parish ranges from 68.2 years in Morehouseto 78.5 years in Cameron— a10-year difference.

Only oneparish, Cameron, had more than the national averagefor life expectancy.(Though it’sworth noting that the averagepopulation of aparish in Louisiana is 71,840,and Cameron Parish only has 4,728 residents —so its results could be more skewed with fewer outliers.)

The parishes with highest averagelife

CORE

Continued from page1X

“Coughing can causelarge hernias. When you’re coughing, you’re bearingdown and there is asudden, acute change in intra-abdominal pressure, almost like punching from the outside in or from the inside out,”Horne explained.“When you’re doing that all of the time, it causes significantstress to your abdominal wall.” Avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can help protect abdominal core health. Smokingincreasesthe risk of chronic coughing, while heavyalcohol consumption to the point of cirrhosis can cause hormonal changes that in turn weaken the abdominalwall, Horne said. As knowledge about abdominal core health grows, approaches to protecting it and healing it are ad-

expectancies are:

n CameronParish, with an averageof 78.5 years

n St.TammanyParish, with an average of 76.5 years

n Ascension Parish, with an average of 76.3 years

n Lafayette Parish, with an averageof 75.8 years

n PlaqueminesParish, with an average of 75.8 years

Theparishes with the lowest average life expectancies are:

n Morehouse Parish, with an average of 68.2 years n Bienville Parish, with an averageof 68.7 years n Washington Parish, with an average of 68.9 years n Webster Parish, with an average of 69.5 years.

n St. LandryParish, with an average of 69.6 years.

and rapidly developing area of medicine focuses on abdominal core health, including howpeople can incorporate it into ahealthy lifestyle and howtoaddress complex medicalproblems that arise when it is compromised.

vancing, Hornesaid. For example:

n Pregnancy causes muscles to expand to accommodate ababy, and sometimes thosemuscles do notgoback to normal. Exercise

regimens during andafter pregnancy can help to stabilizethem. n Health care experts are realizing thatrestrictions on movement after surgery may not helpand

sometimes may be harmful. Rather than telling people nottolift anything, it maybemore appropriate to explain how to safely reengage those muscles and tendons, Horne suggested n People with inflammatory bowel disease are likeliertohave surgery andtherefore are likelier to develop hernias. Surgeons nowknow that in those patients, mesh should be placed in differentanatomicplanes to prevent the mesh from touching thebowel and potentially causing problems later,Hornesaid.

n Pelvicfloor physical therapy can help women experiencing urinary or fecal incontinence after pregnancy or menopause, she said.

n There is growing recognition thatmesh used to repair hernias isn’tone-size-fits-all. Horne’sresearch focuses on hernia repair in women,including mesh and mesh techniques. In her practice, Horne specializes in complex hernia surgeries.

“Mostofthe patients that Icare for have more of their abdominal contents outside of theirabdominal cavitythaninside,” sheexplained. Even with hernias as large as 10 to 15 centimeters, surgeries canbe performed witha robot to minimize the incision, or can be done with a mix of roboticsurgery and minimal open surgery,Horne said. She uses 3D-printed modelstohelp plan surgeries. Sometimes Botox is used to lengthenthe abdominal wall muscles, sheadded.

“The best part is that patients go from adysfunctional abdominal wall to one that is functional within aboutaweek in thehospital,” Horne said. “Seeing them at theircheckup ayear later is the best thing because they go from saying, ‘I couldn’tdo anything,’ to ‘I’ve gone on all these trips; I’ve done all these things that I’ve wanted to do for years but haven’tbeen ableto.’ They are so happy that they can put that whole thing behind them,whichisgreat.”

DREAMSTIME PHOTO

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

FIRSTFLIGHT

Instructor teaching BatonRouge high schoolersto fly

BY SERENA PUANG

Staff writer

In 2001, Ezzie Smith took his first flightlesson.Hewas afreshman in college, andhe was given theopportunity to learn at amonthlongflight program in Delaware through an ROTC course. Within three weeks, he was flying by himself, but after he got to New Orleans, he realized he didn’thavethe resources to continue his training. He wouldn’tget intoaplane cockpitagainfor another 17 years.

“I vowed that the next time Idid,” he said, “I would not put it down.” Smith continued in his career,he gothis degree in criminal justice andsociology, became apolice officer,and eventually madeacareer change andbecame an assistant principal at Arthur Ashe Charter School. Butwhenhehad to have back surgery in 2018, he spent a coupleofweeksbedridden,during whichhehad timetocontemplate what he really wanted to dowith his life.

“When Iput my feet on the floor, Iturnedinall thepaperwork to be aflight student at the closest flight school Icould find,” hesaid Smith hascome alongway since then.He got hisprivate license, became aflight instructor,and is lookingforwardtoone daytransitioning to full time aviation.Starting this school year,healsoteaches ground school to students at Helix Aviation Academy,the aviation career oriented arm of Helix Community schools founded in 2021. At Helix, children whohave never had theopportunity to go to an airport, muchlessride on aplane,can learnabout careers in aviation, take aclass with aprofessional pilot and even sit inside a plane.

‘Exposureiseverything’

As aflight instructor,Smith has trained kids as youngas12. People can’tget their licenses until they’re 17, but there’snolimit on when they can start accumulating hours. For kids who are in closeproximity to aviation, he said, itiscommon to gettheir pilot’slicense before their driver’slicense.

There are lots of ways one could accumulate hours forpilot’slicenses, but Smith chose the flight

instructor route so he could one day teach his daughters to flyifthey wanted.

“I can’tgive themaschool. Ican’t give them an airline, butI cangive them apilot’slicense,” he said.

According to areportbythe Federal Aviation Administration’s Women in Aviation AdvisoryBoard, only 3.4% of airline pilots areBlack and only roughly 5% of pilotsare female. Smith attributes this to the lack of access andresources many Black students have to careers in aviation from ayoung age. According to U.S. News and World Report,Helix Aviation Academy’s student populationis94.6% Black, and 90% of students areclassified as beingeconomicallydisadvantaged They have 383students, andthey plan to expand the campus to offer one more grade every year.This year’s ninth graderswill becomethe school’sfirst class of tenth graders next year.Intwo more years, they’ll be the first graduating class.

“Whatwe’re doing now is exposing and giving ourkidsthat proximity,” he said. “Exposure is everything.”

Helix Community Schools is a network of charter schools in Baton Rouge. There are fourcampuses in Baton Rouge. Their model and mission is to close the gapbetween students and jobs in industriesthat mayseemout of reachotherwise. Theyalso have alegal academy,a STEAM-based learning academy andplan to open an AI/medical academy in thenext school year.PrestonCastille,president andCEO of Helix,istakingflight lessonswith Smith.

“If you’re goingtoteach our studentstofly,” he told Smith, “you should teach me.”

He’s 10 hours into the roughly 40 instructor-supervised flight hours he needstoget hisprivate license and spent his Mardi Grasbreak squeezing extrahours in.

Smith is no stranger to squeezing hoursinontop of afull-timejob. It took himfive to sixyears to get his own private license while he was working as an assistantprincipal.

“I would get offatthree o’clock from school,” he said, “and Iwould drive to the local airport or the oneinHammondorhere (in Baton Rouge) andflyfor onehour and then drive home.”

Ground school with Smith

The plane he fliesinto Helix Aviation Academy’s airport campus in lateFebruaryissmall.It’sa Piper Cherokee Warrior.It’sa single-engine planewithfourseats. Getting into the cockpit feels narrower than getting into most cars. But that’s where youstart,hesaid as he instructed ninth graders to “never despise small beginnings” during ground school.

Licenses are cumulative. Getting aprivate license leadstoaninstrument license which allows you to fly in clouds or bad weather,and all that is apart of the journeytogetting a commercial license

In order to flycommercial jets, would-bepilotshave to start with ground school to learn the basics whichiswhatSmith teachesto

See FLIGHT, page 2Y

JanRisher LONG STORy SHORT

Hope in empty spaces

My motherwas notafan of wearing white before Easter. It was arule as hard and fast as “No singing at the table,” or “Share with your brother.”No white pants or shoes until Easter (and notafter Labor Day, for the record).

Buying anew Easter dress was oneofour ritesofspring. Even though Iappreciated the pastels of Easter, nothing represented EasterSundaymore than white to me.

By the time Ireached junior high school,I hadmyown ideas aboutstyle andinsistedondriving the decisionprocess about which dress Iwould wear on Eastermorning. My gentle mother setbasic guidelines and had veto power, but forthe most part, she went right alongwith my sartorialchoices

WhenIthink aboutthe Easters from long ago, the memory that stands outmostisn’tofthe many raucous, near blood-sport Easter egghunts with dozens of cousins. Instead, it was early,early on the Eastermorning whenI was in the ninth grade

Our small town hostedacommunity sunrise service at the school’s football field. Those who joinedthe service satinthe home-teamstands with aview to the eastsotheycould watch the sun rise.I grewupgoing to those services everyyear.When Ireached the ninth grade, someoneincharge of the program decidedthattheywould get various youth to participate in the service. Iwas askedtodoaprayer. Iremember being happy about this for avariety of reasons —one of which wasthat Ihad pickedout areal winner of an Easterdress thatyear.Itwas white with bold andcolorful flowers embroidered on the tiny cap sleeves andaround the trim alongthe hem. Ithought that dress wasstunning.

The night before Easter, I haditout andmadesure it was ironedand ready. Part of the excitement of Eastermorning in 1979was seeing which dresses everyone else had pickedout. With asignificant lack of humility,Iwas certain thatmine would shine brightly Ihad to be at the football field early thatmorning so Iran out the door before the rest of my family andheaded that way I’m not sure at what point Irealizedthatitwas cold, as in very cold, but Idoknowthatbythe time Idid, it wastoo late.With no cellphone to calland ask Mom to bring asweater,I took my place in acoldmetal folding chair on acindertrack,wearing anear sleevelessdress, shivering for at leastanhourfacing the bulk of my town sitting in the bleachers as the sun rose behind me.

WhenIthink aboutthe coldestI’ve ever been,that sunrise serviceand white dress always come to mind. It was the sleeveless part thatnearly did me in. To be sure,itwas not the Eastermorning Ihad envisioned.

All these yearslater,Irecognize thatIclearly missedthe whole point of Easter that year Evenstill, Idoremembersomeonethatmorning talking about the empty tomb andthe hope it represents.

Lately,I’ve thought about that coldmorning andre-welcomed the notionthatsometimes hope doesn’tarrive with awhole lotof fanfare.

Regardless of religious belief, I believe most, if notall of us, can

STAFF PHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

Students Camilo Sanchez, left, and Tyveon Anderson look around the cockpit of aPiper Cherokee Warrior airplane in awe during aclass with flight instructor Ezzie Smith at Helix Aviation Academy on Feb.25.

Pilot and flight instructor Ezzie Smith answers students’ unfiltered questions regarding the airline industry.

Canadian recruitedtoteach French in La.stayedtodomore

Feehan taught, consultedand recruitedfor

CODOFIL

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE

Staff writer

Peggy Feehan is anative French speaker,born in New Brunswick, Canada, andeducated there. She taught high schoolscience before moving to Louisiana in 1999, when she was recruited by the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana to teach French, which she did until 2006.

Feehan earned her master’sdegree in educational leadership from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2007.

From 2006 to 2014, she was a consultant, first for St.Martin Parish and then for the Louisiana Department of Education. In February 2015, she began working for CODOFIL, where her main duties included recruiting French teachers from France and Belgium. In 2018, Feehan was appointed as CODOFIL’s executivedirector

She is married to Scott, executive director of Lafayette’sFestival International, and togetherthey are raising their two children, Elaine and Jeremi, in French and English. What are some of the programs that CODOFIL is working toward rightnow?

We are astateagency that has legislative mandates, so that’s first and foremostwhat we do: education, economic development and community development.

When the phone rings, we’ll try to fulfill everybody’sneeds, like if it’sputting musicians in touch with afestival in Canada or a French publisher who wants to tour schools down here to sell their books.

The scope of what we do isvery wide, on top of our legislative mandates.

FestivalInternational is coming up in Lafayette. Is CODOFIL planning anythingin particular for the festivities?

We’re going to have atent not far from theFais Do-Do stage with some French tables. There’s aFrench immersion program in Nova Scotia, Université SainteAnne, that’scoming to recruit We’ll have information about the scholarships we manage as well.

PROVIDED PHOTOS PeggyFeehan is executivedirector at the Council for the Development of FrenchinLouisiana.

As a‘transplant’ from Canada, whyisit importanttoyou to keep French alivein Louisiana?

My goal when Imoved here was nottobethe CODOFIL director,it just happened from onejob to the other.WhenI applied to be director,I had beenhere for threeyears, and Ireally wanted to do more.

Where Igrew up, Iwas raised in French. Ilearned English in school, like people learn French here.

TheAcadian people fought for their language, so it’sabattle that I’ve fought my whole life growing up —kindoflike arebel demanding French services and French rightsand French schools. Igrewupinthat environment, so it translates well to workingfor French inLouisiana,although at a different level.

In New Brunswick, French is an official language, so there’s real rights for citizens, andthatreally doesn’texist over here. But the ideaofpreserving alanguage, or fightingtokeep it alive, certainly is similar Arethere anynotable people in Lafayette who are keeping thelanguagealiveina unique way?

Certainly,the CODOFIL employees doalot intheir respective jobs. When you think aboutthe LafayetteInternational Center,which is an arm of Lafayette Consolidated Government, they do alot of trades internationally —sothere’s alot of Frenchinvolved in their day-to-day jobs.

In this file photo, Lt.Gov.William H. Nungesser presided at the ribbon-cutting and dedication of Lycee Francaise School’sPriestly Campus. Shownabove are, front from left, Nungesser,Dr. ChaseMcLaurin, High School Director Tiguida Mathieu, Consul General of FranceinLouisiana Nathalie Beras and head of French Schools of NorthAmerica Olivier Boasson of the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. Second roware DonahueFavret Contractors Presidentand CEOJohn Donahue III, Louisiana Association of PublicCharter Schools ExecutiveDirectorCaroline Roemer,ExecutiveDirector,Louisiana Association of PublicCharter Schools, CODOFIL ExecutiveDirectorPeggy Feehan, Amis du Lycée FrançaisSupportingFoundation Chair Ashley-Nicole Grosse and Lycee Board Chair Dr.Shearon Roberts.

CavalierHouse Books on Jefferson Street has French books, andtheydid that intentionally to service theFrench-speaking families and the kids in French immersion. Parents whoput their kids in French immersion—not just in Lafayette but statewide —itmatterstothem

Theold folkswho spokeFrench first, they’re dying, so we need little kids in school learning the language to keep French alive. The parents are really the biggest French supportersbecause they’re puttingtheir kids in theprogram What are thebenefits of young people learninga second language?

For akid,it’slike agame. There’s no effort. Being bilingualinanother language certainly hasalot of cognitive benefits. It’sreally good for brain development, and the earlier

theylearn,the better.Inschooling, theyounger the better, because you want to front-load with language.

Curriculum in Pre-K is nothing compared to curriculum in fourth grade. So we can front-load alot of language without having to worry about learning all that we need, or finishing the curriculum.Infirst grade, youcan back offthe French to introduce more content, like social studies content in French. They already understand thelanguage,soit’snot learning social studies and French at the same time—it’sjust learning social studies in French.

Do youhaveany tips for adults who are learningFrench? Ourwebsite, louisianafrench. org,launchedduring COVID, when we were getting phone calls asking if we taught French, which

we don’t. Thewebsiteincludes free resources forbeginners or continuing learners. There’salso abig networkof French tables around the state, andwehaveacalendar available at CODOFIL.org/tables.Weinvite people to visit those French tables and sit down with French speakers to either listen or participate. They’re held at different locations around the state, sometimes in alibrary,cafe or for lunch at a restaurant.There’s onerule:Ifyou sitdown at thetable, you speak French. Youcan listen andtella storyordoasmuchoraslittleas you want. It lets locals and tourists visit in French, learn different accents and continue their learning. Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@theadvocate. com.

By

FLIGHT

Continued from page1y

the students at Helix. For Smith, thegoal is for graduates to leave high school with their private licenses if that’swhat they want, but he’salso aware that not everyone is goingtowantto be apilot.

There is more to careers in aviation than beinga pilot. Careers in aviation can be in marketing, ticket agents, teaching,surveillance, air traffic control, engineering, mechanics,

maintenance andmore and some of these careers can belucrative According tothe U.S. Bureau of LaborStatistics, as of 2023, the median salaryfor aircraft mechanics andservice technicians is $75,020, for air traffic controllersit’s$137,380, forairline andcommercial pilots it’s$171,210. More experienced people can makemuch more Withoutexposure,many studentsatHelix would never have knownto put in forthose jobs. They wouldn’t haveknown they existed

Along with many others, the students are thinking about the spate of recent accidents involvingplanes too. During alate February visit to the school, when Smithtook questions, the veryfirst one was about all the planes falling out of the sky. In the course of the hour,theyasked other practicalquestions:Doyou need insurance for this?

What if afire starts?

In response to concerns, he reminds students that flying is the safest form of travel. Thestatistic he always shares with students is that198,000 flights take

place perday with a99.7% accuracy rating. “I would notbeafraid becausethosestatisticsare in your favor,” he said. “That’s also why Ineed themtobe in the aviation industry.If Iknowexcellence is in the aviation industry,wecan reduce badthingsfrom happeningevenmore. That’s why they have to learn the things theyneed to learnnow.”

Smith is happy to answer student questionsbecause it’spartoftraining the next generation.A2024 report by the AviationTechnician Education Councilproject-

ed a20% shortfall in maintenance techs by 2028. After takingthe ninth gradersthrough the basics of flying, Smithallowed them to get in the plane for themselves, two at atime. Sittingshouldertoshoulderinside the cramped cockpit, Smith pointed out the basic controls Does he get claustrophobic spending so much time in asmall plane?

“Notatall,” he says.“Too much sky.”

Email SerenaPuang at Serena.Puang@ theadvocate.com

RISHER

Continued from page1y

appreciatethe idea of focusing on hope in the face of emptiness. With allthe things that distract,worry andconcernus, this time of year can be areminderofthe good thatcan come from leaving space for hope in things unseen and unearned. Granted, there is a chance thatthis season may notfeel hopeful. Some chairs areempty Some storiesdon’t have tidy endings. Thattensionispartofthe Easter story too.

Empty doesn’talways mean loss. Sometimes, what is empty is just the space where something newcan rise Whatever youbelieve, wherever youare this weekend, Ihopeyou find aquietand hopeful moment —one thatfeels like stepping into warm sunlight afterthreedays of dark andcold.

EmailJan Risher at jan.risher@theadvocate. com.

STAFFPHOTO

JAVIER GALLEGOS

Pilot and flight instructorEzzie Smithcloses the lid

Academy on Feb.25.

Fellowship whosupportsJames Beardfinalist announceswinner

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

On April 10, six women stood in front of judges and pitched their business presentations forthe Junior League of NewOrleans Women’sEntrepreneur Fellowship, agrant that could change their lives.

Kaitlin Guerin is proof of that. As owner of Lagniappe Bakehouse, Guerin was the 2024 fellowship winner.She turned her year of funding and support into being named afinalist for the James Beard Emerging Chef Award.

Supporting women

The fellowship was created to support afemale business owner withfunding as well as mentoring and inkind services, and has delivered results since 2018.

Only 39% of U.S. businesses have women majorityownershipaccording to American Express OPEN, “The 2017 State of WomenOwned Businesses Report.” Access to female mentors, resources, and role models can ignite femaleentrepreneurship. As awomen’s trainingorganization, JLNO’sprofessional membership is able to guidewomen who want to scale their businesses through the fellowship. In order to apply for the fellowship, women must be either themajoritystakeholder or 50/50 co-owner of abusiness and function as the manager.Other requirements include the business being incorporated from one to five years, located within 40 miles of New Orleans and making less than $750,000.

After an application process, the finalists meet with consultants for coaching on their presentationsand then pitch their business plans.

“I am always so inspired at the pitchcompetition,” said Junior League community council director Catherine Rigby,“so Ireally look forward to hearingall of the pitches. We also will have our winner fromlastyear tell us alittlebit abouther past year as theWEFellowship winner.”

The2025 fellowship finalists were AshleyLeJeune, Deshaunya Ware,Diana Davis, Laura Fenner, Kelley Wolfe and Stephanie Dupuy Laura Fenner won with hercompany Chateau Sew& Sew, afabricretail storeand sewing-enthusiast hub that offers classes and private lessons for awide range of experience levels.

TheWEFellowship offers winners thefollowing for one year:

n Mentoring and support services from Junior League of New Orleans members n $7,500 cash grant pro-

vided by Fidelity Bank

n $5,000 worth of accounting advising from Amanda Aguillard, CPA— Owner, PadgettLouisiana

n $5,000 worthoflegal services from Jones Walker

n Accesstomeeting space in Uptown New Orleans

n Tuition to Junior League New Orleans’ Get on Board nonprofit board training program

n Business coaching and evaluation by Trepwise Consulting

n Feature in Lagniappe, Junior League New Orleans’ quarterly magazineto5,000 readers

n Opportunities to market to Junior League New Orleans members

n One year of membership dues(a$220 value)should thefellow meet eligibility criteria andelects to join JLNO

n Branding photography package from Jillian Marie Photography

n Feature in Inside New OrleansMagazine.

n Twoprofessional coaching sessions led by Rayne

TIGERSTADIUM

Martin.

The Junior League of New Orleans is serious aboutsupporting women.

With nearly 1,700 members,theytouch amultitude of spheres of influence. Through training,programming, volunteering and organizing, the Junior League of New Orleans —like sister organizations around the state and country —works toward its mission of advancing women’sleadership for meaningful community impact.

The Junior League of New Orleans, whichturned100 in 2024, vacillates between being the 10th and 11th largest Junior League in the world. Thelocal league hasthree goalsthatshape itswork: improving economic opportunities for women and supporting women’s potential to seize those opportunities, providing needed family

support to alleviate the burdens on women caregivers, andpromoting information andresources forwomen’s health.

‘Down-to-earth group’

Tara Waldron, current president of Junior League New Orleans, has been an active member for11years. When she was alaw student at Loyola University Law School, Waldronlearned that the organization would be a great way to give back,meet women in various fields and build social and professional relationships.

“These are womenwho arejugglingfamilies, jobs, everything else,” Waldron said. “Most of the women are getting their hands dirty volunteering, and making whatever needs to happen, happen.It’sa very down-toearth group.”

Rigby,aShreveport na-

tive,got involvedwithJunior League NewOrleans soon after moving to the city 10 years ago. She says volunteering is what drew her to the organizationbut has come to see the organization as so much morethan that.

“Our members have trainings throughout the year for various things,professional and personal,” Rigbysaid. “It’sgreat for that aspect of learning new things —really having anetwork of women to prepare you foryour professional andpersonal life whoare also volunteering.” Waldron says that the membersofJuniorLeague are always looking at what ways they can support women and children in the area, evaluating how their programs are doing and making the programssuccessful. Email Joy Holdenatjoy holden@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Laura Fenner of Chateau Sew& Sew, the winner of the 2025 Junior League of NewOrleans WE Fellowship

STAFFFILE PHOTOByIAN MCNULTy

Kaitlin Guerin, 2024 fellowship winner,and Lino Asana opened LagniappeBakehouse as a Central Citybakerycafe in an oldtownhouse. Guerinisnow a finalist forthe James Beard Emerging Chef Award.

FAITH & VALUES

Wrestling Church seeks converts with baptisms and body slams

BY JILL LAWLESS

Contributing writer

Sitting around a wrestling ring, churchgoers roared as local hero Billy O’Keeffe body-slammed a fighter named Disciple. Beneath stained-glass windows, they whooped and cheered as burly, tattooed wresters tumbled into the aisle during a six-man tagteam battle.

This is Wrestling Church, which brings blood, sweat and tears — mostly sweat to St. Peter’s Anglican church in the northern England town of Shipley It’s the creation of Gareth Thompson, a charismatic 37-year-old who says he was saved by pro wrestling and Jesus — and wants others to have the same experience.

Thompson says the outsized characters and scripted morality battles of pro wrestling fit naturally with a Christian message.

“Boil it down to the basics, it’s good versus evil,” he said. “When I became Christian, I started seeing the wrestling world through a Christian lens. I started seeing David and Goliath. I started seeing Cain and Abel. I started seeing Esau having his heritage stolen from him. And I’m like, ‘We could tell these stories.’”

A match made in heaven Church attendance in the U.K. has been declining for decades, and the 2021 census found that less than half of people in England and Wales now consider themselves Christian. Those who say they have no religion rose from 25% to 37% in a decade.

That has led churches to get creative in order to survive.

“You’ve got to take a few risks,” said the Rev Natasha Thomas, the priest in charge at St. Peter’s. She acknowledged that she “wasn’t entirely sure what it was I was letting myself

in for” when she agreed to host wrestling events.

“It’s not church as you would know it It’s certainly not for everyone,” she said. But it’s bringing in a different group of people, a different community than we would normally get.”

At a recent Wrestling Church evening, almost 200 people — older couples, teenagers, pierced and tattooed wrestling fans, parents with excited young children — packed into chairs around a ring erected under the vaulted ceiling of the century-old church

After a short homily and prayer from Thomas, it was time for two hours of smackdowns, body slams and flying headbutts. The atmosphere grew cheerfully raucous, as fans waved giant foam fingers and hollered “knock him out!” at participants.

Some longtime churchgoers have welcomed the infusion of energy.

“I think it’s absolutely wonderful,” said Chris Moss, who married her husband Mike in St. Peter’s almost 50 years ago.

“You can look at some of the wrestlers and think” she scrunched her face in distaste But talking to them made her realize “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”

Wrestling was a lifeline Thompson, whose wrestling moniker is Gareth Angel, both wrestles and presides over the organized mayhem. He’s a mix of preacher and ringmaster, wearing a T-shirt that says “Pray, eat, wrestle, repeat.”

He’s loved wrestling since it provided solace and release during a troubled upbringing that saw him survive childhood sexual abuse and a period of homelessness as a teenager

“I could watch Shawn Michaels and the Rock and Stone Cold (Steve Austin)

and I could be like, I want to be like them,” he said.

“So it’s always been an escape for me, and a release and a way to get away from stuff. But then God has obviously turned that around now and it’s become this passion.”

He found Christianity in 2011, ran his first Wrestling Church event in a former nightclub-turned-church in 2022, and moved to St Peter’s last year

As well as the monthly Saturday night shows, his charity Kingdom Wrestling runs training sessions for adults and children in a back room of the church, along with women’s selfdefense classes, a men’s mental health group and coaching for children who have been expelled from school.

For many in the closeknit community of U.K. wrestlers and fans, religion

is a new ingredient, but not an unwelcome one

“I’m mainly here for the wrestling,” said 33-year-old Liam Ledger, who wrestles as Flamin’ Daemon Crowe.

Sitting in a pungent changing room as wrestlers discussed fight plans, donned knee pads and laced up their many-holed boots, he said it’s a bit “surreal” when baptisms are held between bouts.

“It works both ways,” he said. “There’s people that come here that are big on religion, and they’re here for all of that sort of stuff And then they go, ‘Oh, actually this wrestling is sort of fun.’”

Kiara, Kingdom Wrestling’s reigning women’s champion, said the organization has helped her bring her Catholic faith into her wrestling life

“It’s thanks to Kingdom Wrestling that I’ve had the

confidence to pray in the locker room now before matches,” said Kiara, 26, known outside the ring as Stephanie Sid. “I invite my opponent to pray with me, pray that we have a safe match, pray that there’s no injuries and pray that we entertain everybody here.”

Going for growth

Only a handful of people have gone from watching the wrestling to attending Sunday-morning services at St. Peter’s, but Wrestling Church baptized 30 people in its first year Thompson, whose brand of born-again Christianity is more muscular than many traditional Anglicans’, plans to expand to other British cities. One day, he says, he may start his own church.

There has long been overlap between Christianity and wrestling in the

U.S., where figures like Thompson’s hero Shawn Michaels proudly proclaim their faith. But Britain is a less religious place, and Shipley, a former mill town 175 miles (280 kilometers) north of London, is a long way from the Bible Belt. Thompson, though, is unfazed by doubters.

“People say, ‘Oh, wrestling and Christianity, they’re two fake things in a fake world of their own existence,’ ” he said. “If you don’t believe in it, of course you will think that of it. But my own personal experience of my Christian faith is that it is alive and living, and it is true. The wrestling world, if you really believe in it, you believe that it’s true and you can suspend your disbelief.

“You suspend it because you want to get lost in it. You want to believe in it. You want to hope for it.”

New concept underscores the importance of food as medicine

Poor diet remains the leading cause of mortality among adults

BY JOY SAHA

Contributing writer

Editor’s note: This story, created by Joy Saha for Salon is part of the Solutions Journalism Network. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world

In 2012, Wholesome Wave a nonprofit organization working to end food and nutrition insecurity — launched its Produce Prescription Program. The program combines healthcare with nutrition incentives, offering those who have a diet-related illness with prescriptions for healthy foods, namely fruits and vegetables.

Wholesome Wave’s ongoing initiative is just one of many so-called food pharmacies The emerging concept is an extension of the Food is Medicine (FIM) movement, which emphasizes the correlation between healthy eating and longevity. Food pharmacies are exactly what their name suggests: Healthcare organizations and medical professionals provide patients with physical prescriptions for healthy foods along with resources highlighting the importance of a wellrounded diet. Many pharmacies work in tandem with the healthcare system, although several exist outside of the system.

A 2021 research article published in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology explained that food pharmacy programs

“primarily focus on removing barriers to healthy eating, such as financial constraints, through

coupons and financial incentives to promote consumption of healthy foods, particularly fruits and vegetables.” Some programs may also take extra steps to make nutritional education more accessible.

“Food pharmacy programs may also target a variety of barriers, such as a lack of knowledge of healthy eating and cooking skills through inclusion of nutrition or culinary education, a lack of household or community support through peer-support components in the program, or a lack of geographic access to fresh produce through transportation assistance or facilitation of establishment of new locations for vendors of healthy foods,” the article specified

Poor diet remains the leading cause of mortality among adults in the United States, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). The most common dietrelated illnesses include type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity and certain cancers. As of 2022, 126.9 million Americans ages 20 and older have some form of CVD, the NIH reported.

Today obesity remains the second leading cause of preventable death in the States. Over 40% of adults nationwide are obese, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in September. Twenty-three states have the highest adult obesity rates, which the CDC defines as 35% or higher: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin

Diet-related illnesses disproportionately affect underserved communities that live in food deserts. “Access to healthy nutritious foods is an essential social determinant of health and is heavily influenced by local

environments and community infrastructure,” the NIH specified, adding that evidence-based policy solutions are a necessity to “foster an equitable and climate-smart food system” that improves overall nutrition and eliminates health disparities. That’s where food pharmacies come into play.

Per the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, studies have shown that food pharmacies are effective in lessening social, physical and financial barriers to healthy eating The prevalence of food pharmacy programs has also increased in recent years.

In the spring of 2017, the New York City Health Department launched Pharmacy to Farm, a program that gives funds for fresh produce to low-income

New Yorkers who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and are on medication for hypertension. Similarly Geisinger Health System introduced its Fresh Food Farmacy in Pennsylvania to help food-insecure patients suffering from type II diabetes.

A study cited in a 2018 article published by the New England Journal of Medicine’s Catalyst journal found that Fresh Food Farmacy patients’ hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) levels dropped an average of 2.1% compared to a 0.5 1.5% drop when exclusively on medication.

On October 21, the DMV-based Capital Area Food Bank announced its partnership with Unity Health Care to launch a new food pharmacy in Wash-

ington, D.C The program provides approximately 40 pounds of medically tailored groceries on a bimonthly basis to foodinsecure patients suffering from chronic conditions Patients receive fresh produce and shelf-stable foods that are low in sugar and high in fiber and nutrients.

Despite its benefits, food pharmacies have their fair share of limitations, including financial constraints, lack of neighborhood availability and personal barriers (like a “lack of desire” to eat fruits and vegetables among certain patients), the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology noted. The programs, however, are still a step forward in the right direction to reduce dietrelated chronic diseases and food insecurity

PROVIDED PHOTO

Wrestling in the name of God takes place at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in the northern England town of Shipley

FILE PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

The 7th Annual On Cuisine de Jardin Cook-Off invited participants in the Lafayette Parish School Garden Initiative to use vegetables from their school gardens and local produce to create a savory healthy meal at David Thibodaux High on Feb 4, 2023.

SUNDAY, April 20, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

grams

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — APHorisMs: AF-or-izims: Concise statements of a principle.

Average mark 42 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 58 or more words in APHORISMS?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

By zHouQin BurniKeL

Managing entries

super Quiz

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D.

SUBJECT: AMERICAN TV CATCHPHRASES

Identify the character noted for the line. Bonus points if you can name the TV series. (e.g. “Well, isn’t that special?” Answer: The Church Lady (“Saturday Night Live”).)

Today’s deal is from a rubber bridge game, where the bidding is much closer to the system recommended by Charles Goren years ago. South’s two-club bid promised 10 points and North’s two-spadebidshowedextras The normal contract was reached. South played low from dummy ontheopeningheartleadandcaptured East’s 10 with the queen. He played the ace and another diamond to West’s king, and West shifted to a club, won with dummy’s ace as East played an encouraging card. South cashed the queen of diamonds, disappointed that the suit did not split 3-3, and led a diamond to West. East completed a good picture of his hand by discarding a low club and the queen of spades. West exited with a spade and declarer could take no more than eight tricks, drifting down one. On a good day, this diamond suit would have produced four tricks for declarer A better bet for four tricks was the club suit, but South needed two entries to his hand — one to set up the clubs and another to enjoy them He should have won the first trick with the ace of hearts, cashed the ace of clubs, and led a diamond to

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The possibilities will be endless once you start moving. Channel your energy into something that leads to positive results. Fixing your living space to accommodate your needs will help you get ahead.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Question everything. Knowledge, experience and connecting with the right people will help point you in a better direction. Curiosity will lead to a learning experience that enables you to formulate your next move.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Planning ahead is necessary Let go of the past and see what the future holds.

his ace. He could then lead clubs until East took his king. He had plenty of low cards to discard from dummy Eventually, South would force another entry to his hand in the heart suit and make his contract.

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency

Change is an essential process if you want to improve your life. Distance yourself from negative influences.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Getting together with old friends will brighten your day Groups that address issues of concern will motivate you to join forces with or support someone who can help make a difference.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Set boundaries, know your limitations and protect your reputation, assets and meaningful relationships. An upfront, positive attitude will ward off trouble.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Pay attention to paperwork, contracts and joint ventures. Trust your instincts and opt to handle whatever you encounter swiftly and succinctly Home and domestic improvements will make your life easier

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Stick close to home; venturing out will lead to unsafe situations or difficulties with those you encounter Put credence in personal improvements that boost your confidence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be wary of wheelers and dealers. It’s in your best interest to avoid gam-

bling, temptation and indulgent behavior Trust your instincts, not a sales pitch.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Physical improvements will boost your morale, giving you the courage to say and do things you may be too shy to do otherwise. Discipline and persistence will pay off.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep an eye on what others are doing. Look for the positive, and you’ll find a niche that comes naturally and encourages you to follow your heart and do your own thing.

PISCES (Feb 20-March 20) You’ve got some good ideas, but don’t turn

something simple into a complex affair Stick to basics, work with what you’ve got and avoid unnecessary expenses.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Raise awareness and participate in events that help you understand where your presence skills and experience will have the most impact. Take better care of your health and well-being.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact.

© 2025 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

goren Bridge

wuzzLes

1. Spock ("Star Trek").2.EdMcMahon ("The Tonight Show Starring JohnnyCarson") 3. Howie Mandel ("Deal or No Deal").4.Tattoo ("Fantasy Island").5.Ralph Kramden ("The Honeymooners"). 6. Ed Sullivan ("The Ed Sullivan Show"). 7. Maxwell Smart ("GetSmart").8.Fred Flintstone ("The Flintstones").9.DonaldTrump ("The Apprentice").10. RegisPhilbin("Who Wants to Be aMillionaire"). 11.Fred Sanford ("Sanford and Son").12. TommySmothers ("The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"). 13. Latka Gravas ("Taxi").14. Vinnie Barbarino("Welcome Back, Kotter").15. Lou Grant("The Mary Tyler Moore Show").

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Wishing aHappy Passover andHappy Easter toall our readers who celebrate! —From your puzzle friends

Crossword Answers

sCrAbble

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly