Wanted church to be a refuge for everyone
FRANCIS: Dec. 17, 1936 - April 21, 2025
Was willing to shake up scandal-ridden church
Easter blessing was his final public farewell
Cause of death was a stroke that led to heart failure
Recent hospitalization lasted 38 days
BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
Ameri-
pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday He was 88. The Vatican said Francis suffered a stroke which led to a coma and his heart to fail, as he recovered from a five-week hospitalization for double pneumonia. His funeral and burial at Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major across town are expected over the weekend.
Bells tolled in Catholic churches from his native Argentina to the Philippines and across Rome as news spread around the world
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived. Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy
He made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday a day before his death — to bless thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square, drawing wild cheers and applause Francis performed the blessing from the same
ä See POPE, page 4A
BY CHARLES LUSSIER
BY AIDAN MCCAHILL Staff writer
As much of the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88, the loss cuts especially deep in Baton Rouge. Reflecting on his 12 years as pontiff, locals remember a legacy marked by joy and service praising his ability to carry their faith far beyond the walls of the Vatican and into the hearts of everyday people.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Bueno Aires, Argentina, Francis was the first Jesuit Pope, and the first to come from the Americas.
“From day one, he showed us how to live how Jesus called us,” said the Rev Michael Allelo, of St. Aloysius Catholic Church. “He spoke with a pastor’s heart and he ministered with a pastor’s heart. We always saw that.”
The Most Rev Michael G. Duca, bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge, recalled Pope Francis bucking expectations from the start: opting for modest footwear over the traditional red shoes, living inside a Vatican guest house and choosing Saint Francis of Assisi for his papal namesake — a saint celebrated for his vow of poverty
“You don’t choose a name lightly,” Duca said. As the years progressed, Duca said, Pope Francis lived up
ä See MOURNS, page 6A
ä JD Vance was one of the last leaders to meet with Pope Francis. Page 4A ä Several cardinals are considered front-runners to be the next Pope. Page 5A ä What happens next? Page 5A
Rick Edmonds, R-St. George, said a key goal is to allow students in St. George to continue to patronize magnet programs in Baton Rouge and vice versa. He said he was already in talks with
parish school leaders to forge an agreement and was ready for more.
“I love hard conversations. I’m here for it,” Edmonds said in March. “I enjoy sitting around the table and hearing ideas, and that’s
ä See ST GEORGE, page 6A
3 killed in Ukraine during Easter ceasefire KYIV Ukraine Russian attacks during the 30-hour Easter ceasefire unilaterally declared by President Vladimir Putin over the weekend killed three people in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, a regional official said Monday Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of Kherson’s administration, wrote on Telegram that the casualties occurred over the last 24 hours, adding that three others were wounded in the region, parts of which are occupied by Russia.
After Putin declared the move on Saturday, Ukraine responded by voicing readiness to reciprocate any genuine ceasefire but said the Russian attacks continued. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia violated the ceasefire more than 2,900 times. Zelenskyy said that Russian forces carried out 96 assault operations along the front line, shelled Ukrainian positions more than 1,800 times and used hundreds of drones during the course of the ceasefire. “The nature of Ukrainian actions will continue to be mirror-like: we will respond to silence with silence, and our blows will be a defense against Russian blows Actions always speak louder than words,” he said.
The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, listed 4,900 Ukrainian violations of the ceasefire It charged that Moscow’s forces “strictly observed the ceasefire and remained at previously occupied lines and positions.
Speaking Monday, Putin said that the fighting resumed after the ceasefire expired at midnight. Commenting on Zelenskyy’s call for a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire or, at least, a halt on strikes on civilian facilities, the Russian leader noted that Kyiv was trying to “seize the initiative,” adding that “we must think about it, carefully assess everything and look at the results of the ceasefire.”
Houthi rebels say U.S strikes kill 12 in Yemen
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates U.S. airstrikes targeting Yemen’s capital killed 12 people and wounded 34 others, the Houthi rebels said early Monday.
The deaths mark the latest in America’s intensified campaign of strikes targeting the rebels.
The U.S. military’s Central Command declined to answer questions about the strike or discuss civilian casualties from its campaign.
The Houthis described the strike as hitting the Farwa neighborhood market in Sanaa’s Shuub district. That area has been targeted before by the Americans.
Footage aired by the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel showed damage to vehicles and buildings in the area, with screaming onlookers holding what appeared to be a dead child. Others wailed on stretchers heading into a hospital. Strikes overnight into Monday also hit other areas of the country, including Yemen’s Amran, Hodeida, Marib and Saada governorates.
Officials: Noem’s purse stolen at D.C. restaurant WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse was stolen at a Washington, D.C. restaurant Sunday night, according to department officials.
The department in an email said Noem had money in her purse to buy gifts for her children and grandchildren and to pay for Easter dinner and other activities.
The department in an email didn’t specify what was stolen, but CNN — which was first to report the story — said the thief took about $3,000 in cash, as well as Noem’s keys, driver’s license, passport, checks, makeup bag, medication and Homeland Security badge. The department said Noem had cash in her purse to pay for gifts, dinner and other activities for her family on Easter The Homeland Security secretary is protected by U.S Secret Service agents. The Secret Service referred questions about the incident to Homeland Security headquarters.
BY TARA COPP and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press
WASHINGTON The White House expressed support Monday for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following media reports that he shared sensitive military details in another Signal messaging chat, this time with his wife and brother Neither the White House nor Hegseth denied that he had shared such information in a second chat, instead focusing their responses on what they called the disgruntled workers whom they blamed for leaking to the media and insisting that no classified information had been disclosed.
“It’s just fake news. They just bring up stories,” President Donald Trump told reporters. “I guess it sounds like disgruntled employees You know, he was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people, and that’s what he’s doing. So you don’t always have friends when you do that,” Trump said.
The administration’s posture was meant to hold the line against Democratic demands for Hegseth’s firing at a time when the Pentagon is engulfed in turmoil, including the departures of several senior aides and an internal investigation over information leaks.
The White House also tried to deflect attention from the national security implications of the latest Signal revelation by framing it as the outgrowth of an institutional power struggle between Hegseth and the career workforce. But some of the recently departed officials the administration appeared to dismiss as disgruntled were part of Hegseth’s initial inner circle, brought in when he took the job
“This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change that you are trying to implement,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in remarks amplified by a Pentagon social media account.
The latest news added to questions about the judgment of the embattled Pentagon chief, coming on top of last month’s disclosure of his participation in a Signal chat with top Trump administration leaders in which details about the military air-
strike against Yemen’s Houthi militants were shared.
“Pete Hegseth must be fired,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.
The New York Times reported Sunday that the information shared in a Signal messaging chat with Hegseth’s wife, brother and others was similar to what was communicated in the already disclosed chain with Trump administration officials.
A person familiar with the contents and those who received the messages, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, confirmed the second chat to The Associated Press. The person said it included 13 people and was dubbed “Defense | Team Huddle.”
White House officials first learned of the second Signal chat from news reports Sunday, according to an official familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations.
Hegseth, talking to reporters while attending the White House Easter egg roll, didn’t address the substance of the allegations or the national security implications they raised but assailed the media.
“They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations,” Hegseth said. “Not going to work with me. Because we’re changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of warfighters. And anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees on old news doesn’t matter.”
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, struck a similar tone, writing on Sunday night on X: “Secretary Hegseth is busy implementing President Trump’s America First agenda, while these leakers are trying to undermine them both Shameful.”
The Trump administration has struggled in its public explanations about senior officials’ use of Signal, a commercially available app not authorized to be used to communicate sensitive or classified national defense information.
The first chat, set up by national security adviser Mike Waltz, included a number of Cabinet members and came to light because Jeffrey Goldberg, editorin-chief of The Atlantic, was added to the group.
BY LARRY NEUMEISTER and MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press
NEW YORK Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, was convicted Monday of teaming up with her husband to accept bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car from three New Jersey men looking for help with their business dealings or legal troubles.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty on all counts in the same federal courthouse in Manhattan where a different jury convicted Bob Menendez of many of the same charges last year The Democrat is supposed to begin serving an 11-year prison term in June.
three-week trial followed the timeline of the whirlwind romance between the couple that began in early 2018 and continued after criminal charges were brought against them in September 2023. Repeatedly during the trial, prosecutors said they were “partners in crime.”
Nadine Menendez, who stood but did not appear to react as the verdict was delivered by the jury foreperson, was scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, six days after her husband is expected to report to prison.
Outside the courthouse, she wore a pink mask as she stood next to her lawyer, Barry Coburn, said he was “devastated by the verdict.”
“We fought hard and it hurts,” he said.
“This is a very rough day for us.”
The evidence shown to jurors over a
BY MICHAEL CASEY and JOCELYN GECKER Associated Press
BOSTON — Harvard University announced Monday that it has filed suit to halt a federal freeze on more than $2.2 billion in grants after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration’s demands to limit activism on campus.
In an April 11 letter to Harvard, the Trump administration had called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university and changes to its admissions policies It also demanded the university audit views of diversity on campus and stop recognizing some student clubs. The administration has argued universities allowed antisemitism to go unchecked at campus protests last year against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Harvard President Alan Garber said the university would not bend to the demands. Hours later, the government froze billions of dollars in federal funding.
During a 2022 raid on the couple’s Englewood Cliffs New Jersey home, FBI agents found nearly $150,000 worth of gold bars and $480,000 in cash stuffed in boots, shoe boxes and jackets. In the garage was a Mercedes-Benz convertible, also an alleged bribe. Both Nadine and Bob Menendez said they are innocent and never took bribes.
Initially they were to be tried together along with the three businessmen, but Nadine Menendez’s trial was postponed a year ago after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery Bob Menendez, 71, resigned from the Senate last August following his conviction. Before the charges were brought he had been chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Prosecutors accused Nadine Menendez of starting to facilitating bribes to the senator around the time that they began dating, before they married in the fall of 2020.
“Nor has the Government acknowledged the significant consequences that the indefinite freeze of billions of dollars in federal research funding will have on Harvard’s research programs, the beneficiaries of that research, and the national interest in furthering American innovation and progress,” it added.
Harvard’s suit called the funding freeze “arbitrary and capricious,” saying it violated its First Amendment rights and the statutory provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Within hours, the White House lashed back.
“The gravy train of federal assistance to institutions like Harvard, which enrich their grossly overpaid bureaucrats with tax dollars from struggling American families is coming to an end,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in an email Monday “Taxpayer funds are a privilege, and Harvard fails to meet the basic conditions required to access that privilege.”
“The Government has not — and cannot — identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation,” said the lawsuit, filed in Boston federal court.
By The Associated Press
CAIRO The main Palestinian rescue service in Gaza on Monday condemned Israel’s probe into the killings of 15 medical workers last month, calling it a “fabricated investigation.”
The army announced the results of its investigation on Sunday, saying it had found “professional failures” and dismissing a deputy commander in what it described as an accident.
A total of 15 people were killed in the March 23 incident including eight medics with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, six members of the Hamas govern-
ment’s Civil Defense unit and a United Nations staffer Troops bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. U.N. and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later In a statement, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the investigation underscores “the occupation’s persistence in shielding the truth from the world.” It accused Israel of making “fallacious allegations” that medical rescue teams are part of Hamas and asked why Israel continues to detain a paramedic who survived the attack.
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BY MARCOS ALEMAN and MATT BROWN Associated Press
SAN SALVADOR Four House
Democrats have traveled to El Salvador to call attention to the plight of a man the Trump administration deported to a Salvadoran prison and has refused to help return — even after the Supreme Court ruled that it was the government’s duty to do so.
forget about them breaking the law forget about them completely ignoring the Supreme Court,” Frost said.
“We’re not going to be the last members of Congress and senators that are here to make sure that he’s released and that our country is following our laws.”
Reps. Yassamin Ansari, of Arizona; Maxine Dexter, of Oregon; Maxwell Frost, of Florida; and Robert Garcia, of California, arrived Sunday in the Central American nation to investigate the condition of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who had lived in the United States for more than a decade. The Trump administration deported him, a move that administration officials have said in court filings was done in error But despite a Supreme Court ruling that ordered the Trump administration to help facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, the administration has said it has no power to bring him back, a position being scrutinized by federal courts as potentially in violation of judicial rulings.
In a news conference Monday in El Salvador’s capital, the Democratic representatives and Abrego Garcia’s lawyer said they were in El Salvador “demanding his safe return home.” The group said they hoped to continue to pressure authorities for his release, and that their petition to meet with Abrego Garcia was denied.
“Part of what the Trump administration does is they do so much that they try to make sure people forget
The quartet’s trip comes after Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland traveled to El Salvador last week and met with Abrego Garcia and Salvadoran officials. Abrego Garcia lived in Maryland with his wife and three children, who are American citizens, before he was deported on March 15.
Abrego Garcia’s protected legal status prohibited him from being deported to El Salvador He was deported on one of three planes filled with migrants accused of being gang members.
Frost said the four representatives were in El Salvador to “build off the work” of Van Hollen and that they were inquiring about where Abrego Garcia was being held and under what conditions.
Chris Newman, a lawyer representing the deportee, added that his primary concerns was Abrego Garcia’s access to counsel.
“We know nothing of Mr Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts since the staged photo op on Thursday with Sen Van Hollen,” Newman said. “We demand to immediately know where he is and to have access to him.”
The White House press office issued a statement Monday that said the past week “has shown Americans everything they need to know about Democrats’ priorities.”
The White House accused the representatives of “picking up their party’s mantle of prioritizing a deported illegal immigrant MS-13 gang mem-
ber over the Americans they represent.”
Garcia said he and Frost sent a letter last week to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., requesting that an official delegation go to El Salvador to investigate Abrego Garcia’s condition and push for his return, but received no response. Ansari said more Democrats would be traveling to El Salvador in the coming days and weeks.
Justice Department lawyers said in court last week that they have no power to advance Abrego Garcia’s return because he is in a foreign country’s custody Administration officials also claimed in public comments that Abrego Garcia was engaged in human trafficking and terrorism and therefore correctly deported. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that if Abrego Garcia were to return to the U.S., “he would immediately be deported again.”
Van Hollen unsuccessfully lobbied the Salvadoran government for Abrego Garcia’s return. He told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the United States is facing a constitutional crisis if the Trump administration does not follow the Supreme Court’s order to push to bring Abrego Garcia back. It’s a warning Democrats are increasingly amplifying. Rather than debate President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration policy or the merits of the administration’s invocation of national security to carry out deportations, Democratic lawmakers are zeroing in on the issue of due process, with some noting that the Supreme Court and lower court federal judges found Abrego Garcia was deported without a proper hearing.
Ansari said she finds it “extremely alarming” that Trump officials seem to have no regard for due process.
BY MORGAN LEE and JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press
EL PASO,Texas Maribel Hernandez and her husband, Leonardo Campos, were shopping at a Walmart in a Texas border city in 2019 when a gunman who wanted to stop what he believed was a Hispanic invasion opened fire, killing them and 21 others. On Monday, Hernandez’s daughter Yvonne Loya Gonzalez, spoke directly to the gunman, Patrick Crusius, after he pleaded guilty to capital murder in the El Paso massacre: “Their absence in my life has left a deep void in my heart.”
The statements by family members and victims that began Monday afternoon are expected to continue through Wednesday Some, including Gonzalez, told Crusius they have forgiven him “I have no more room for hate in my heart,” she said.
Crusius, a White 26-yearold community college dropout, did not address the families while accepting the plea deal, which he made after local prosecutors agreed to take the death penalty off the table. He had already been sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms on federal hate crime charges. His accepting of the plea agreement ends six years of efforts to punish him by state and federal authorities.
Crusius, who wore a striped jumpsuit, shackles and a protective vest during the hearing, drove more than 700 miles from his home near Dallas to carry out the shooting on Aug. 3, 2019.
“You came to inflict terror to take innocent lives and to shatter a community that had done nothing but stand for kindness, unity and love. You slaughtered fathers, mothers, sons and daugh-
ters,” State District Judge Sam Medrano said. Now as you begin the rest of your life locked away, remember this: your mission failed,” he continued. “You did not divide this city you strengthened it. You did not silence its voice, you made it louder You did not instill fear, you inspired unity El Paso rose, stronger and braver.
Medrano sentenced Crusius to life in prison without the possibility of parole
While one of his lawyers, Joe Spencer, told the court, “We offer our deepest condolences,” Crusius did not explicitly apologize Monday for his actions.
Crusius also pleaded guilty Monday to 22 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which were enhanced with violence and prejudice findings in relation to the 22 people who were injured but survived the shooting. He was sentenced to 22 additional life sentences on those counts.
Patrick will leave prison only in a coffin on God’s time,” Spencer said.
Crusius has acknowledged he targeted Hispanics in the attack at the Walmart in the
border city that was crowded with weekend shoppers from the U.S. and Mexico.
In a posting to an online message board just before the massacre, Crusius said the shooting was “in response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.” He said Hispanics were going to take over the government and economy On social media, he appeared consumed by the nation’s immigration debate. After the shooting, Crusius told officers he had targeted Mexicans.
Spencer told the court Crusius has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which can be marked by hallucinations, delusions and mood swings. “His thinking became increasingly divorced from reality,” he said.
“We share this not as an excuse, but as part of the explanation for the inexplicable,” he said. Before the attack, Crusius appears to have been consumed by the immigration debate, posting online in support of building a border wall and praising the hard-line border policies of President Donald Trump, who was in his first term at the time. Gunman in racist attack at
BY CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON One of Pope Francis’ final encounters before his death was with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who visited the Vatican over the weekend.
The meeting took place on Easter Sunday Vance, a Catholic convert, entered the room and reached down for the pope’s hand “Hello,” the vice president said. “So good to see you.” Francis was sitting in a wheelchair, and his words were inaudible in a video released by the Vatican.
“I know you’ve not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance said A priest serving as a translator spoke for the pope.
“These are for your children,” the priest said as someone presented Vance with chocolate eggs. Next came a tray of additional gifts, including rosaries and a Vatican tie.
Continued from page 1A
loggia where he was introduced on March 13, 2013, as the 266th pope.
From his first greeting that night — a remarkably normal “Buonasera” (“Good evening”) — to his embrace of refugees and the downtrodden Francis signaled a very different tone for the papacy, stressing humility over hubris for a Catholic Church beset by scandal and accusations of indifference.
The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution that had seen its influence wane during the troubled tenure of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis’ election.
But Francis soon invited troubles of his own, and conservatives grew increasingly upset with his progressive bent, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and crackdown on traditionalists. His greatest test came in 2018 when he botched a notorious case of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, and the scandal that festered under his predecessors erupted anew. And then Francis, the crowdloving, globe-trotting pope of the peripheries, navigated the unprecedented reality of leading a universal religion through the coronavirus pandemic from a locked-down Vatican City
“We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented,” Francis told an empty St Peter’s Square in March 2020. Calling for a rethink of the global economic framework, he said the pandemic showed the need for “all of us to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other.”
The world mourns
World leaders on Monday extolled Francis’ commitment to the marginalized. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is largely Catholic, wrote on X: “From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. May this hope forever outlast him.”
Flags flew at half-staff in Italy and crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square When the great bells of St. Peter’s Basilica began tolling, tourists stopped in their tracks to record the moment on their phones. Johann Xavier, who traveled from Australia, hoped to see the pope during his visit. “But then we heard about it when we came in here. It pretty much devastated
In
“Thank you,” Vance said as he held the dark tie. “So beautiful.”
They posed for a photo, Vance standing to the pope’s right before bidding him farewell.
“I pray for you every day,” Vance said. “God bless you.”
Vance’s visit was not without political sensitivities, and he met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Saturday for what the Vatican described as “an exchange of opinions.” The Catholic Church, under Francis’ leadership, has championed the rights of migrants, while Vance and President Donald Trump have advocated for crackdowns.
Vance’s office said the vice president and the cardinal “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”
Trump issued a statement on
Truth Social: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and
dia after Italy posted additional thoughts on social media.
“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” he wrote on X. “I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill.”
Vance shared a link to remarks that Francis gave on March 27, 2020, as COVID-19 was spreading around the globe.
“I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID,” Vance wrote. “It was really quite beautiful.”
Francis had spoken from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
all who loved him!”
At the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday Trump said he signed an executive order for U.S. flags to fly at half-staff in the
pope’s honor “He was a good man,” the president told reporters. “He loved the world and it’s an honor to do that.” Vance, who continued on to In-
Cardinal Jorge
all of us,” he said.
Francis’ death sets off a weekslong process of allowing the faithful to pay their final respects, first for Vatican officials in the Santa Marta chapel and then in St. Peter’s for the general public, followed by a funeral and a conclave to elect a new pope.
As the sun was setting on Monday evening, the Vatican held a Rosary prayer in St. Peter’s Square in its first public commemoration.
In his final will, Francis confirmed he will be buried in St Mary Major Basilica in a simple underground tomb with only “Franciscus” written on it. The basilica, which sits outside the Vatican, is home to Francis’ favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, to whom Francis was particularly devoted.
Reforming the Vatican
Francis was elected on a mandate to reform the Vatican bureaucracy and finances but went further in shaking up the church without changing its core doctrine.
“Who am I to judge?” he replied when asked about a purportedly gay priest.
The comment sent a message of welcome to the LGBTQ+ community and those who felt shunned by a church that had stressed sexual propriety over unconditional love.
“Being homosexual is not a crime,” he told The Associated Press in 2023, urging an end to civil laws that criminalize it
Stressing mercy, Francis changed the church’s position on the death penalty calling it inadmissible in all circumstances He also declared the possession of nuclear weapons, not just their use, was “immoral.”
In other firsts, he approved an agreement with China over bishop nominations that had vexed the Vatican for decades, met the Russian patriarch and charted new relations with the Muslim world by visiting the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq.
He reaffirmed the all-male, celibate priesthood and upheld the church’s opposition to abortion, equating it to “hiring a hit man to solve a problem.”
But he added women to important decision-making roles and allowed them to serve as lectors and acolytes in parishes. He let women vote alongside bishops in periodic Vatican meetings following longstanding complaints that women
do much of the church’s work but are barred from power
Sister Nathalie Becquart, whom Francis named to one of the highest Vatican jobs, said his legacy was a vision of a church where men and women existed in a relationship of reciprocity and respect.
“It was about shifting a pattern of domination — from human being to the creation, from men to women to a pattern of cooperation,” said Becquart, the first woman to hold a voting position in a Vatican synod.
Still, a note of criticism came Monday from the Women’s Ordination Conference, which had been frustrated by Francis’ unwillingness to push for the ordination of women.
“This made him a complicated, frustrating, and sometimes heartbreaking figure for many women,” the statement said. The church as a refuge
While Francis did not allow women to be ordained, the voting reform was part of a revolutionary change in emphasizing what the church should be: a refuge for everyone “todos, todos, todos” (“everyone, everyone, everyone”) Migrants, the poor, prisoners and outcasts were invited to his table far more than presidents or powerful CEOs.
“For Pope Francis, (the goal) was always to extend the arms of the church to embrace all people, not to exclude anyone,” said Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, who takes charge after a pontiff’s death.
Francis demanded his bishops apply mercy and charity to their flocks, pressed the world to protect God’s creation from climate disaster, and challenged countries to welcome those fleeing war, poverty and oppression.
After visiting Mexico in 2016, Francis said of then-U. S. presidential candidate Donald Trump that anyone building a wall to keep migrants out “is not Christian.”
While progressives were thrilled with Francis’ radical focus on Jesus’ message of mercy and inclusion, it troubled conservatives who feared he watered down Catholic teaching and threatened the very Christian identity of the West. Some even called him a heretic.
A few cardinals openly challenged him. Francis usually responded with his typical answer to conflict: silence.
He made it easier for married Catholics to get an annulment allowed priests to absolve women who had had abortions and decreed that priests could bless same-sex couples. He opened debate on issues like homosexuality and divorce, giving pastors wiggle room to discern how to accompany their flocks, rather than handing them strict rules to apply
“He was a man of peace,” the Rev Benediktus Obon said after holding Mass in Los Angeles. “He loved humanity He embraced all people, and didn’t care who you were. We are all creatures of God.”
St. Francis of Assisi as a model Francis lived in the Vatican hotel instead of the Apostolic Palace,
“Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities,” he said. “It has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void.”
He encouraged people to rely on their faith to help then endure “because with God life never dies.”
wore his old orthotic shoes and not the red loafers of the papacy, and rode in compact cars. It wasn’t a gimmick.
“I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful,” he told a Jesuit journal in 2013. “I see the church as a field hospital after battle.”
If becoming the first Latin American and first Jesuit pope wasn’t enough, Francis was also the first to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century friar known for personal simplicity and care for society’s outcasts. Francis formally apologized to Indigenous peoples for the crimes of the church from colonial times onward. And he went to society’s fringes to minister with mercy: caressing the deformed head of a man in St. Peter’s Square, kissing the tattoo of a Holocaust survivor, or inviting Argentina’s garbage scavengers to join him onstage in Rio de Janeiro. His first trip as pope was to the Italian island of Lampedusa, then the epicenter of Europe’s migration crisis. He consistently chose to visit poor countries where Christians were often persecuted minorities, rather than the centers of global Catholicism.
Missteps on sexual abuse scandal
But more than a year passed before Francis met with survivors of priestly sexual abuse, and victims’ groups initially questioned whether he really understood the scope of the problem.
Francis did create a sex abuse commission to advise the church on best practices, but it lost influence after a few years and its recommendation of a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for predator priests went nowhere. And then came the greatest crisis of his papacy, when he discredited Chilean abuse victims in 2018 and stood by a controversial bishop linked to their abuser Realizing his error, Francis invited the victims to the Vatican for a personal mea culpa and summoned the leadership of the Chilean church to resign en masse.
As that crisis concluded, a new one erupted over ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington and a counselor to three popes.
Francis had actually moved swiftly to sideline McCarrick amid an accusation he had molested a teenage altar boy in the 1970s. But Francis nevertheless was accused by the Vatican’s one-time U.S. ambassador of having rehabilitated McCarrick early in his papacy
Francis eventually defrocked McCarrick after a Vatican investigation determined he sexually abused adults as well as minors. He changed church law to remove the pontifical secret surrounding abuse cases and enacted procedures to investigate bishops who abused or covered for their pedophile priests, seeking to end impunity for the hierarchy
“He sincerely wanted to do something and he transmitted that,” said Juan Carlos Cruz, a Chilean abuse survivor Francis discredited who later developed a close friendship with the pontiff. But groups that advocated for more action on sexual abuse expressed disappointment in Francis’ legacy
“Pope Francis was a beacon of hope to many of the world’s most desperate and marginalized
ä See POPE, page 5A
By The Associated Press
CITY Apopular sayingin
VATICAN
Vatican circles is that if you“enter aconclave as pope, you leave as a cardinal.”
It implies the sacred and secretive process is no popularity contest or campaign, but rather the divinely inspiredelection of Christ’s Vicar on Earth by the princes of the church.
Still, there are always front-runners,known as “papabile,” who have at least some of the qualities considered necessary to be pope —much like those depicted in last year’s Oscar-nominated film “Conclave.”
Any baptized Catholic maleis eligible, though only cardinals have beenselectedsince 1378. The winner must receive at least twothirdsofthe vote from those cardinals under age 80 and thus eligible to participate. Pope Francis,who died Monday,appointed the vast majority of electors, oftentapping men who share his pastoral priorities, which suggests continuity ratherthan rupture.
Anyone trying to handicapthe outcomeshould remember that Jorge Mario Bergoglio was considered too old to be electedpope in 2013 at age 76, and that Karol Wojtyla wasn’tonany front-runner lists going into the 1978 conclave that elected him Pope John Paul II.
Some possible candidates:
Cardinal PeterErdo
Erdo, 72, the archbishop of Budapest and primate of Hungary, was twice elected head of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences, in 2005 and 2011,suggesting he enjoys the esteem of European cardinals who make up the biggest voting bloc of electors. In that capacity,Erdo got to know manyAfrican cardinals because the council hosts regular sessions with African bishops’ conferences. Erdo hadevenmoreexposurewhenhe helpedorganize Francis’2014 and 2015 Vatican meetings on the family and delivered key speeches, as well as during papal visits to Buda-
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people. But what we mostneeded from this pope was justice for the church’sown wounded,the children and adults sexually abused by Catholic clergy,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of the U.S.based group BishopAccountability
AchangefromBenedict
The road to Francis’ 2013election was paved by Pope Benedict XVI’sdecision to resign and retire —the first in 600 years Francis didn’t shyfrom Benedict’spotentially uncomfortable shadow.Francis embracedhim as an elder statesman and adviser, coaxing him out of his cloistered retirement to participate in the public life of the churchuntil Benedict’sdeath in 2022
“It’slike having your grandfather in the house, awise grandfather,” Francis said.
Francis’ looser liturgical style and pastoral priorities madeclear he and the German-born theologian came from very different religious traditions, andFrancis directly overturned several decisions of his predecessor He made sure SalvadoranArchbishop Óscar Romero, aheroto the liberation theology movement in Latin America, was canonized afterhis case languished under Benedict over concerns about the credo’sMarxist bent.
Francis reimposedrestrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass that Benedict had relaxed, arguing it was divisive. The move riled Francis’ traditionalist critics and openedsustained conflict with right-wing Catholics, particularly in the U.S. ConservativesopposeFrancis
By then, conservatives had alreadyturnedawayfromFrancis, betrayed after he opened debate on allowing remarried Catholics to receive the sacramentsif they didn’tget an annulment —a church ruling that their first marriage was invalid.
“Wedon’tlike this pope,” headlined Italy’sconservativedaily Il Foglio afew monthsinto the papacy,reflecting the uneaseofthe small but vocal traditionalist Catholic movement.
Those same critics amplified their complaints after Francis approved church blessings for samesex couples,and acontroversial
Pope Francis’ death nowsets offthe process of allowing the faithfultopay their final respects, first forVaticanofficials in the Santa Martachapel and theninSt. Peter’sfor the general public.
n Aprecise sequence of events will include the confirmation of death in thepontiff’s home, the transfer of the coffintoSt. Peter’sBasilicafor public viewing,a funeral Mass and burial.The dates haven’t been announced yet, but the burial must takeplace between the fourth and sixthday after hisdeath.
n After the funeral, there are nine days of officialmourning,known as the “novendiali.
n During this period,cardinalsarriveinRometoparticipate in aconclave to elect the next pope.
n The conclave must begin 15-20 days afterthe “sede vacante” —the “vacant See” —isdeclared, although it canstartsooner if the cardinals agree.
n The cardinals will vote in secret sessions, and the ballots will be burned in aspecialstove after each session.
n Black smokewill indicate that no pope has been elected, while white smokewill indicate that the cardinals have chosenthe nextpope.
pest in 2021 and2023.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx Marx, 71, the archbishop of Munich and Freising, was chosen by Francis as akey adviserin2013. Marx later was named to head the council overseeing Vatican finances during reforms and belt-tightening. The former president of the German bishops’conference was astrongproponent of thecontroversial “synodal path”process of dialogue in the German church that began in 2020 as aresponse to the clergysexual abusescandal there. As aresult, he is viewed with skepticism byconservatives whoconsidered the process athreat to church unity,given it involved debating issues such as celibacy,homosexualityand women’sordination. Marx made headlines in 2021 when he dramatically offered to resign as archbishop to atonefor the German church’sdreadful abuse record, but Francisquicklyrejected the resignation and told him to stay Cardinal Marc Ouellet
Ouellet, 80, of Canada, led the Vatican’sinfluentialbishops office foroveradecade, overseeing the keyclearinghouse for potential candidates to head dioceses
around the world. Francis kept Ouellet in the jobuntil 2023, even though he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, and thus helped select themore doctrinairebishops preferred by the German pontiff. Considered more of aconservative than Francis,Ouellet still selected pastorally minded bishops to reflect Francis’ belief that bishops should “smelllike thesheep” of their flock. Ouellet defended priestly celibacyfor the Latin Rite church and upheld theban on women’s ordination but called for women to have agreater rolein church governance. He has good contacts with theLatin American church, having headed the Vatican’sPontifical Commissionfor Latin America for over adecade. Since 2019, his office has taken chargeofinvestigating bishops accused of coveringupfor predator priests,ajob that wouldhave made him no friends among those sanctioned but also could have given him lots of otherwise confidential and possibly compromising information about fellow cardinals.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Parolin, 70, of Italy,has been Francis’ secretary of state since 2014 and is consideredone of the
maincontenders to be pope,given hisprominence in theCatholic hierarchy. Theveteran diplomatoversawthe HolySee’scontroversial deal with China over bishop nominations and was involved —but not charged —inthe Vatican’sbotched investment in aLondonreal estate venture that led to a2021 trial of another cardinal and nine others. A former ambassador to Venezuela, Parolin knows theLatinAmerican churchwell. He would be seen as someone who would continue in Francis’ traditionbut as amore soberand timid diplomatic insider, returning an Italian to the papacy after three successive outsiders: St.JohnPaulII(Poland); Benedict (Germany) and Francis(Argentina). But while Parolin hasmanaged theVatican bureaucracy,hehas no real pastoral experience.
Cardinal Robert Prevost
The idea of an American pope haslong been taboo, given the geopolitical power already wieldedby the United States. But the Chicagoborn Prevost, 69,could be afirst. He has extensive experience in Peru, first as amissionary and then an archbishop, and he is currently prefect of the Vatican’spowerful dicastery forbishops, in charge of vetting nominations forbishops around theworld.Francisclearly hadaneye on himfor years and sent him to run the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014. He held that positionuntil 2023, when Francis brought him to Romefor his current role. Prevost is also president of thePontifical Commission for LatinAmerica, ajob that keeps him in regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy in the part of the world that still counts the most Catholics.Inadditiontohis nationality,Prevost’scomparative youthcould count against him if his brother cardinals don’twant to commit to apope whomight reign for another twodecades.
Cardinal Robert Sarah Sarah, 79, of Guinea, the retired head of the Vatican’s liturgy office, was long considered the best
accord with China over nominating bishops. Its details were never released, but conservative criticsbashed it as asellout to communist China, while the Vatican defended it as thebest deal it could get.
U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, a figurehead in the anti-Francis opposition, said the church had become “likeashipwithout arudder.”
Burke waged his opposition campaign for years, starting when Francis fired him as the Vatican’s supreme court justice and culminating with his vocal oppositiontoFrancis’ 2023 synodonthe church’sfuture. Francis eventually sanctioned Burke financially,accusing him of sowing “disunity.” His 2014 Christmasaddress to
hope for an African pope. Beloved by conservatives, Sarah would signal areturn to the doctrinaire and liturgically mindedpapacies of JohnPaulIIand Benedict. Sarah, who had previously headed the Vatican’scharity office Cor Unum, clashedonseveral occasions with Francis, none more seriouslythan when he and Benedict co-authored abook advocatingthe “necessity” of continued celibacy for Latin Rite priests. The book cameout as Francis was weighing whether to allow married priests in theAmazon to address apriest shortage there.
Cardinal ChristophSchoenborn Schoenborn,80, thearchbishop of Vienna, Austria, wasastudent of Benedict’s, andthus on paper seemstohave the doctrinaire academic chopstoappeal to conservatives. However,hebecame associated withone of Francis’ mostcontroversial moves by defending his outreach to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics as an “organic development of doctrine,” not the rupture that someconservatives contended. Schoenborn’s parents divorced when he wasa teen,so the issue is personal. He also took heat from the Vatican when he criticized its past refusal to sanction high-ranking sexual abusers, including his predecessor as archbishop of Vienna.
Cardinal Luis Tagle Tagle, 67, of the Philippines, would appear to be Francis’ pick for thefirst Asianpope. Francis brought the popular archbishop of Manila to Rome to head the Vatican’s missionary evangelization office, which serves theneedsof the Catholic Churchinmuch of Asia andAfrica. His role took on greater weight when Francis reformed the Vatican bureaucracy and raised the importance of his evangelization office. Tagle often cites his Chinese lineage —his maternal grandmother was part of a Chinese family that moved to the Philippines —and he is knownfor becoming emotionalwhendiscussing his childhood.
tracts. He authorizedVatican policeto raid his ownsecretariat of state and the Vatican’sfinancial watchdog agency amid suspicions about a350 million euro investment in a London real estate venture. After a 21/2-year trial, theVatican tribunal convicted aonce-powerful cardinal, Angelo Becciu, of embezzlementand returned mixed verdicts to nine others, acquitting one. The trial, though, proved to be areputationalboomerang for the Holy See, showing deficiencies in the Vatican’slegal system, unseemly turf battles amongmonsignors, and how the pope had intervened on behalf of prosecutors. While earning praise for tryingtoturnthe Vatican’sfinances around, Francis angered U.S. conservatives for his frequent excoriation of the globalfinancial market.
Soccer, operaand prayer
Born Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, JorgeMario Bergoglio was the eldest of five children of Italian immigrants.
the Vatican Curia was one of the greatest public papal reprimands ever: Standing in the marbled Apostolic Palace, Francis ticked off 15 ailments he said can afflict his closestcollaborators, including “spiritual Alzheimer’s,” lusting for power andthe “terrorism of gossip.” Trying to eliminate corruption, Francis oversaw the reform of the scandal-marred Vatican bank and sought to wrestle Vaticanbureaucrats into financialline,limiting their compensation and ability to receive gifts or award public con-
He credited his devout grandmother,Rosa, with teaching him how to pray.Weekends werespent listening to opera on the radio, going to Mass and attending matches of the family’sbeloved San Lorenzo soccer club. As pope, his love of soccer brought him ahuge collection of jerseys from visitors. He said he received his religious calling at 17 while going to confession,recounting in a2010 biography that, “I don’tknowwhatitwas, but it changedmylife Irealized that they were waiting forme.” He entered thediocesan seminary but switched to the Jesuit orderin1958, attracted to its missionary tradition and militancy Around this time,hesuffered from pneumonia,whichled to the removal of part of his right lung. Hisfrail health prevented him from becoming amissionary,and his less-than-robustlung capacity was perhapsresponsiblefor his whisperofa voiceand reluctance to sing at Mass. On Dec. 13, 1969, he was ordained apriestand immediately beganteaching. In 1973, he was named head of the Jesuits in Argentina, an appointment he later acknowledged was “crazy” given he wasonly 36. “My authoritarian and quick manner of making decisions led me to have serious problems andtobeaccused of being ultraconservative,” he admitted in his Civilta Cattolica interview
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
Republicaninsidersare buzzing over talk that U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,R-Start, is seriouslyconsidering whether to challenge U.S. Sen Bill Cassidy’sreelection next year
Gov.Jeff Landry said in abrief interview that he had discussed Letlow’spossible candidacy with Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, but wouldn’tsay anything else —other than that he is not recruitingher Cassidy endorsed Landry during the 2023 governor’srace.
Eddie Rispone, amajor Republican campaign donor who narrowly lost the 2019 governor’srace, said he called Andrew Bautsch, asenior campaign advisertoLetlow, on Monday after hearing overthe weekend that she’sconsidering making abid.
“He said they’re concentrating now on her reelection,” Rispone said. “She has alot on her plate with the president getting bills approved.”
Rispone added he told Bautsch that he is sticking with Cassidy “He’sdone agood job other than the impeachment vote,” Rispone said. “Heworkshardand has done good things. He’sbeen able to reachacross the aislea little bit and get things done.”
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to that name, becoming famous for his unwavering affinityfor the world’smarginalized and forgotten.
During Pope Francis’ last public appearance,onEaster Sunday, he appealedfor peace inGaza, pleading with leaders to reacha ceasefire. Members of the Holy Family Church in Gaza told Reuters he had made anightly routine of calling them since the war began in October 2023.
“He had so many outstanding qualities, but his care for thepoor,
Continued from page1A
whatthisisgoing to take, all of us working together.”
Amonth later,with the bill now filed, those “hard conversations” are off to a rocky start.
“Wewere told that we wouldbegranted an opportunity to reviewthe bill prior to it dropping,” School Board President Shashonnie Steward said. “That didn’t happen.”
“That’snot agood start. Doesn’tforma good starting relationship,” Steward continued.
In any case, Steward is inclined to delay such negotiations until there’sa successful public vote on the proposed St. George school district.
Edmonds saidhehad previously sharedversions of the bill with some Baton Rouge School Board members,but he ended up filing the bill earlier than he’d planned because last week the state Senate adjourned early and he was worried about delaying it further with such ashort legislative session. Consequently,he said, he was not able to give board members afinal bill in advance.
“I’m trying to give everybody as much as input as I can,” Edmonds said. He said the Senate Education Committee, on which he serves as chair,may hear the bill as soon as its meeting Wednesday afternoon, but he said he’sstill deciding
Cassidyiswidely viewed as vulnerablebecause of his vote in 2021 to convict Donald Trumpoftrying to incite ariot at theU.S.Capitol on Jan. 6that year when he was president. His campaign declined to comment
State Treasurer JohnFleming hasalready declared his candidacy,and at least two other elected Republicansare weighing abid.
Letlow is serving hersecond full term andrepresentsadistrictbased in northeast Louisiana that extends south to the Florida Parishes and now includes parts of Livingston and Ascension parishes. It also includes Central,St. George and LSU’scampus in East Baton RougeParish.
Asked while visiting theState Capitol on Wednesday whether sheis considering running, Letlow said, “I’m focused on reelection” andrushed away Bautsch did not return aphone call.
Conversations about Cassidy’s chances of winning athirdterm next yearinevitably involve his vote to convict Trump, which came after the Democrat-controlled House impeached him.
TheLouisiana Republican Party quickly voted to censure Cassidy —a symbolic move —and surveys showed that hispolling numbers
the indigent, the prisoner and the migrant were hallmarks of his serviceasHolyFather,” Duca said in astatement released by theDiocese.
“He was the people’spope,” said Marie Constantin, aBaton Rouge photographer who documented Mother Teresa’smany visitstothe U.S
As the years went on,Francis becamebetter known for attempting —with varied success—tosteer theCatholic Church in amore progressive direction. Like many of his fans, Constantin viewed Francis as areformer more concerned with big picture realities thanbureaucracy andclericalism.
Pope Franciswas famousfor
Senate Bill 234 was filed last weekbyEdmonds and state. Rep.Emily Chenevert, R-Baton Rouge. It requires a simple majority to pass. It’s the companion to SenateBill5,sponsored by Edmonds and filed in late March,which calls for amendingthe stateconstitution to enable funding for a new St. George school district.
Under Louisiana law,supporters of anew school districtneed to win atwo-thirds vote of thestate Legislature to put an amendmenttothe state Constitutiononthe ballot. That amendment then would need to pass with a majority vote of the entire state and the entire parish affected, in this case, East Baton Rouge. SB25 calls for such aconstitutional referendumto appear on theNov.15ballot; Edmonds saidthat’sadraftingerror andthe bill will be changed to set theelection sometime in 2026. AccordingtoSB234, thenew school districtwould not open its doors until July 1, 2027. In the case of Central, the more recent breakaway district, there were eight months between thesuccessful votetoamend the state constitution andthe district’sformal opening in July 2007.
Cross-district enrollment did nothappen years ago when Baker,Central and Zachary successfully broke away from the EastBaton Rouge Parish school system. Students living in those communitieswho attended Baton Rouge magnetschools
among Republicans immediately tanked. Many Republicans called Cassidy’svote disloyal, noting that Cassidy had won reelection in 2020 with Trump’sstrong support.
Republican insiders say surveys continue to show that Cassidy’s polling numbers remain underwater,meaning more voters view him unfavorably than favorably
TheCassidy campaigndisputes this,especially when independent votersare included in surveys becauseunder thenew closed primary system,independent voters can vote in the April 2026 Republican primary Cassidy hasbeen working assiduously to improve his standing with voters. He hasbeen holding meetingsthroughout Louisiana to tell voters about hissupport for Trump’spolicies in Washington.
Cassidy gave his assent for the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.toserve as secretary of health,a high-profile vote given Cassidy’sbackgroundasa doctor who has been astrong advocate of vaccines. Cassidy has backed the othercontroversial TrumpCabinet nominees, including Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
Trumphas invitedCassidy at leastthree times to theWhite House during his second term.
Cassidy has also been aggres-
calling on Catholics to carefor the environment, outlined in his 184-page encyclical“Laudati Si,” published in 2015.
The text criticizesunfettered capitalism —notably the fossil fuel industry —stresses the interconnectedness of ecology,poverty andwar,and callsfor immediate action to address the climate crisis. In order to effectively promote the messageinthe U.S.,the Vatican partnered with Baton Rougebasedstrategic communications firm Covalent Logictolaunch a public relations campaign.
“Pope Francis understood he could say whatever he wanted to say,”saidStaffordWood, thefirm’s
were droppedfromthe rolls and obliged totransfer to schools in their newly formed school districtsor find somewhere else to continue their education. The only exceptions weregraduating seniors who were allowed to stay put Typically,students in Louisiana can only attend schools across district linesifthere is an agreement between the two districts.
SB234, however,saysthat East BatonRouge and St George “shallenterinto an agreement with respect to the transfer of students.” It goes on to say that any student in eitherdistrict “shall be allowed toattend any magnet program at aschool with selective enrollment” in theother district as long as they meet thestandards andrequirements of that magnet program
It’sunclear what happens if this legislation passesasis and East Baton Rouge does not enter intosuch an agreement.
Edmonds saidtherewill need to be agreementsona number of issueswhen it’s time to form the St. George school district. He also said he’salways open to suggestions for improvements to the bill that areconsistent with its intent.
In spring 2019, theEast Baton Rouge public school system foundthata St Georgeschool districtfollowing municipal lines— like Edmonds’ legislation would create —would compel nearly 4,000 children to change schools. Arerun of thatanalysis
sively raising money for his reelection campaign.
His campaign trumpeted that he raised $1.3 million during the first quarter of 2025, which left him with $7.5 million on hand.
BesidesRispone, other major Republican fundraisers are supporting him.
Boysie Bollinger,who sold his shipbuilding company several years ago, said Cassidy’sseniority and position as chair of the Senate health committeeprovide enormousbenefits to Louisiana.
Besides, Bollinger added, referring to Cassidy’svote to convict Trump,“I’mnot alitmustest person.”
Richard Lipsey,aBaton Rouge business owner andanother major Republican donor,said he hopes that Letlowwon’t challengeCassidy
“They’re both top-notch people,” Lipsey said. “My loyalties would still lie with Bill.”
PearsonCross, apolitical scientist at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, said Letlow has earned areputation during her four years in office as being attentive to her district
“She has been areliable vote for Speaker (Mike) Johnson but hasn’t engagedinthe ideological fights,” Cross added.
founder. “But if people couldn’t understand it and couldn’thear it,it wasn’treally communication.”
The campaign simplifiedthe Pope’smessaging intothe slogan “We’re all Part of God’sPlanet” and launched videos, T-shirts and nature-inspired artwork.Wood recalls her team wascomposed of Catholics, Evangelicals and Protestants, as wellasatheists and devout Hindusand Muslims. “It didn’tmatter,everyone on my team was engaged in this idea of caringfor the planet through the Catholic faith,” saidWood. “Thatto me was the beauty of PopeFrancis as acommunicator he didn’t saythingsthatjustCatholicpeople would embrace.”
lastyear found asimilar but slightly increased levelof displacement.Baton Rouge MagnetHigh would lose the most, 532 students, followed by Woodlawn High, which would lose 504 students. SB234would prevent allcurrenthighschoolstudentsfrom having to changeschools, not just graduating seniors.
Regarding the financial impact of St. George, a state-sponsored simulation in 2019 found thatsuch a district would result in a
The biggestwild card will be whether Trump vents his anger at Cassidy by endorsing Letlow or another Republican challenger, Cross said.
“If Trump endorses her,all bets are off, especially if he comes to Louisiana to campaign forher,” Cross said, adding that “Fleming, ideologically,islined up with Trump.”
Fleming, whoserved four terms in the Houserepresentingnorth Louisiana,workedfor the Trump White House during the final year of Trump’sfirst term In past interviews, Letlow said that then-President Joe Biden won the2020 election —something that U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise and other Republicans have not been willing to say —and also expressed her wonder at serving after her husband, Luke, won the seat but then died of COVID-19. Letlowhad been aseniorofficial at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Akey issuefacing Letlow soon is how to respond if fellow Republicans propose reductions in Medicaid to offset at least someofthe cost of the big tax cuts that Trump wantstoextend. About one-third of the residents in Letlow’s district receive Medicaid, which offers publichealth insurance to lowincome people.
Ducasaid Francis built on the legacies of popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II, legacies Duca hopes will continue on to the next church leader “I’m concerned because the worldissodividedinupheaval,” Constantin said. “When you’re in a period of great change, everything rises and falls on good leadership. Leaders that have abeautiful heart and can do the right thing.” MemorialMasses for PopeFrancishaveyet to be scheduled, but Duca said the pope will be remembered throughout the rest of Easter week. Duca said further planning will rely on guidance from the Vatican, which should comewithin the next fewdays.
15% cut in funding for the East Baton Rouge Parish school system while making the new St. George the fifthrichest district in the state.
SB234 contains several provisions aimed at blunting that potential financial impact, at least for awhile, and dealing with issuesthat have bedeviled past school breakaway efforts. One provision sets up a formula forhow St. George will offsetso-called“legacy” costs, mostly due to the
burden of retirees who get medical insurance through the parish school system Another provisionsets aside money forfour years to offset potential losses to other school districts by adding anew school districttothe state’s per-pupil school funding formula known as the Minimum Foundation Program Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate. com.
BY GRANT PECK Associated Press
BANGKOK Transnational organized crime groups in East and Southeast Asia are spreading their lucrative scam operations across the globe in response to increased crackdowns by authorities, according to a U.N. report issued on Monday
For several years, scam compounds have proliferated in Southeast Asia, especially in border areas of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, as well as in the Philippines, shifting operations from site to site to stay a step ahead of the police.
More recently, scam centers that have bilked victims out of billions of dollars through false romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes are now being reported operating as far afield as Africa and Latin America.
Asian crime syndicates have been expanding operations deeper into remote areas with lax law enforcement that are vulnerable to the influx, according to the report issued by the U.N Office on
Drugs and Crime. The report is titled “Inflection Point: Global Implications of Scam Centers, Underground Banking and Illicit Online Marketplaces in Southeast Asia.”
“This reflects both a natural expansion as the industry grows and seeks new ways and places to do business, but also a hedging against future risks should disruption continue and intensify in Southeast Asia,” Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC’s acting regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement.
UNODC estimates that hundreds of industrial-scale scam centers generate just under $40 billion in annual profits.
The trend to hedge beyond the region has been consistent with continued reports of crackdowns targeting Asian-led scam centers that have been found operating in Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and select Pacific islands, as well as related money laundering, people trafficking and recruitment services discovered in Europe, North America and South America.
People from China, Vietnam and Ethiopia
work in scam centers on Feb 26 sit with their
released from the centers in Myawaddy district in eastern
In Africa, Nigeria has become a hot spot, with police raids in late 2024 and early 2025 leading to many arrests, including people from East and Southeast Asia suspected of cryptocurrency and romance scams. Zambia and Angola have also busted Asian-linked cyberfraud operations.
The report also points to crackdowns on Asian-led scam centers in the Middle East and some Pacific islands.
Alarmingly even as Asianled groups have been expanding the geographical scope of their operations, the involvement of criminal groups from other parts of the world is also growing, the report says. New online markets, money laundering networks, stolen data products, malware, artificial intelligence and deepfake technologies are laying the ground for the rise of crime as a service, the report says. These technological innovations facilitate conducting their businesses online and adapt to crackdowns.
BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
CAIRO A paramilitary group in Sudan attacked a city in the western Darfur region, killing more than 30 people, an activist group said, in the latest deadly offensive on an area that is home to hundreds of thousands of displaced people
The Rapid Support Forces and allied militias launched an offensive on el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province, on Sunday, the Resistance Committees in the city said. Dozens of other people were wounded in the attack, said the group, which tracks the war
The RSF renewed its attack on Monday, shelling residential buildings and open markets in the city, the activist group said. There was no immediate comment from the RSF El-Fasher, more than 500 miles southwest of the capital, Khartoum, is under the control of the military, which has fought the RSF since Sudan descended into civil war more than two years ago, killing more than 24,000 people, according to the United Nations, though activists say the number is likely far higher
The RSF has been attempting to seize el-Fasher for a year to complete its control
of the entire Darfur region. Since then, it has launched many attacks on the city and two major famine-hit camps for displaced people on its outskirts.
The city is now estimated to be home to more than 1 million people, many of whom have been displaced by the ongoing war and previous bouts of violence in Darfur The RSF grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militias, mobilized two decades ago by then President Omar al-Bashir against populations that identify as Central or East African in Darfur The Janjaweed were accused of mass killings, rapes and other atrocities.
In Latin America, the report says that it’s “notable that Brazil has emerged as one country that has faced a growing set of challenges related to cyber-enabled fraud, online gambling, and related money laundering, with some linkages to criminal groups operating in Southeast Asia.”
The attacks on el-Fasher have intensified in recent months as the RSF suffered battlefield setbacks in Khartoum and other urban areas in the county’s east and center.
Sunday’s violence came less than a week after a twoday attack by the RSF and its allied militias on the city and the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps killed more than 400 people, according to the United Nations.
Last week’s attack forced up to 400,000 people to flee the Zamzam camp, Sudan’s largest, which has become inaccessible to aid workers, U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.
It also notes that in late 2023 in Peru, more than 40 Malaysians were rescued after being trafficked by a Taiwan-based gang known as the Red Dragon syndicate that forced them to commit cyber-enabled fraud.
“The convergence between the acceleration and professionalization of these operations on the one hand and their geographical expansion into new parts of the region and beyond on the other translates into a new intensity in the industry — one that governments need to be prepared to respond to,” Hofmann says.
BY JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press
HOUSTON A shootout in front of a family courthouse on Monday between several Texas deputies and a man with a handgun wounded one of the deputies as well as the suspect, authorities said. At 12:20 p.m., a man with a weapon was reported walking from the Harris County Civil Courthouse in downtown Houston to the nearby Family Law Center, Carl Shaw assistant chief deputy with the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, said during a news con-
ference Deputies began chasing the man before ending up at the nearby Family Law Center, where a shootout took place, Shaw said. A female deputy with the constable’s office along with the suspect were shot and wounded. The suspect, who authorities were still trying to identify, might have had more than one weapon, Shaw said. The deputy, who was shot in the back, and suspect were hospitalized and both were listed as stable Monday afternoon. No other injuries were reported.
Walgreens Boots Alliance has agreed to pay $300 million to settleallegations that itfilled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioidsand other controlled substances and illegally billed federal programs such as Medicare forthose medications, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday
The federal government had alleged that Deerfield,Illinoisbased Walgreens filled prescriptions with “egregious red flags,” accordingtoan amended complaint filed last week in U.S District Courtfor theNorthern District of Illinois. The governmentalleged that Walgreens filled prescriptions with high dosages of opioids, filled prescriptionsfor the drugs too early,and filled prescriptions for adangerous combination of three drugs, from late 2013 to early 2023,according to the complaint.
Walgreens has deniedthe allegations.The settlement agreement does not include any admission of wrongdoing orliabilitybyWalgreens.
FTC sues Uber over subscriber enrollment
The U.S. Federal Trade Commissionfiled alawsuit against Uber on Monday,alleging that it enrolled consumers in its Uber One subscription programwithout their consentand made it too difficult for them to cancel the service.
Uber One members pay $9.99 per month or $96 per year for a range of services, includingfeefree Uber Eats food deliveries and cash back when they take Uberrides.
In its lawsuit, the FTC said multiple customers complained thatUber signed them up for Uber One without theirpermission or charged them forthe service before afree trial period wasover.Inatleast one case, apersonwas charged$9.99 per month even though they didn’t have an Uber account,the lawsuit said. The FTCsaid Uber also made it extremely difficult for subscribers to cancel Uber One. TheagencysaidUberrequires customers to take at least 12 differentactions on at least seven screens to cancel theservice. Cancellation gets evenharder for consumers within 48 hours of their billingdate, the FTC said, requiring them to navigate as many as 23 screensand still contact customer service
In astatement, Uber saidit was disappointedthatthe FTC chose to move forwardwith thelawsuit.Uber said its signup and cancellation processis clear,simple and lawful.
Google faces offwith government in court
Google is confronting an existential threat as the U.S. government tries to break up the company as punishment for turning its revolutionary searchengineintoanillegal monopoly
The drama began to unfold Monday in aWashington courtroom as three weeks of hearingskicked off to determine how thecompany should be penalized for operating amonopoly in search. In its opening arguments,federal antitrust enforcers also urged thecourt to impose forward-looking remediestoprevent Googlefrom usingartificialintelligence to further its dominance.
The U.S. Department of Justiceisasking afederal judge to order aradical shake-up that wouldban Googlefrom striking themultibillion dollar deals withApple and other techcompanies that shield its search engine from competition, share its repository of valuable user data with rivalsand forceasale of its popular Chrome browser Google’sattorney,John Schmidtlein, said in his opening statement that the court should take amuch lighter touch. He said the government’s heavyhanded proposedremedies wouldn’tboost competition but insteadunfairly reward lesser rivals with inferior technology
BY STAN CHOE AP business writer
NEW YORK Wall Street weakened
Monday as investorsworldwide get more skeptical about U.S. investmentsbecause of President Donald Trump’strade war and his criticism of theFederal Reserve, which areshaking the traditional order
The S&P 500 sank again. That yanked the index that’satthe center of many 401(k) accounts 16% below therecord it set two months ago.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped, while losses for Teslaand Nvidiahelpeddragthe Nasdaq composite down. Perhapsmore worryingly,U.S.
governmentbonds andthe value of theU.S.dollaralso sank as prices retreated across U.S. markets. It’s an unusual movebecause Treasurys and the dollar have historically strengthened during episodes of nervousness. This time around, though, it’spolicies directly from Washington that are causingthe fear andpotentiallyweakening their reputations as some of theworld’ssafest investments.
Trump continued his tough talk on globaltrade as economists and investorscontinuetosay hisstiff proposedtariffs could cause arecessionifthey’re not rolled back. U.S. talkslastweek with Japan failed to reach aquickdeal that could lower tariffs and protect theeconomy,and they’re seen as
a“testcase,” according to Thierry Wizman, astrategist at Macquarie.
“The goldenrule of negotiating and success: He who has thegold makes the rules,” Trump said in allcapitalized letters on his Truth Social Network.Healso said that “the businessmen who criticize tariffs are bad at business, but really bad at politics,” likewise in all caps.
Alsohanging over the market areworriesabout Trump’sanger at Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Trump last week criticized Powell again for notcutting interest rates sooner to give the economy morejuice.
The Fed has been resistant to lowering rates too quickly because it does notwanttoallowinflationto
reaccelerate after slowing nearly all the way downtoits 2% goal from morethan9%three years ago. Trump talked Monday about a slowdown for the U.S. economy that could be coming unless “Mr TooLate, amajor loser, lowers interest rates, NOW.” Amove by Trump to fire Powell would likely send aboltoffear throughfinancialmarkets. While Wall Street loveslower rates, largely because they boost stock prices, the bigger worry would be that aless independent Fed would be less effective at keeping inflation undercontrol.Sucha move could further weaken, if not kill, theUnitedStates’ reputationas theworld’ssafestplacetokeep
BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP retail writer
NEWYORK— Stores selling secondhand clothes, shoes and accessories are poised to benefit from President Donald Trump’strade war even as businesses theworld over race to avert potential damage, according to industry experts.
American styles carry international influence, but nearly all of the clothing sold domestically ismadeelsewhere.The Yale University Budget Lab last week estimated short-term consumer price increases of 65% forclothes and 87% for leather goods, notingU.S. tariffs “disproportionately affect” those goods.
Such pricehikes may drive cost-conscious shoppers to online resale sites, consignment boutiques and thrift stores in search of bargains or away to turn their wardrobes into cash. Used items costlessthan their new equivalents andwould be subject to tariffs only if they comefrom outside the country
“I think resale is going to grow in amarket
BY ANNIE MA AP education writer
WASHINGTON— The Education Departmentwill begincollection next monthonstudent loans that are in default, including thegarnishing of wages for potentially millionsof borrowers, officials said Monday Currently,roughly 5.3 million borrowers are indefault on their federal student loans. The Trump administration’sannouncement marks an endtoaperiod of leniency thatbegan during
thatisdeclining,”said Kristen Classi-Zummo, an apparel industry analyst at market researchfirm Circana. “What Ithink is going to continue to win in this chaotic environmentare channels that bring value.”
Theoutlook for pre-owned fashion neverthelesscomes with unknowns,including whetherthe president’stariffs will stay long enough to pinch consumers andchange their behavior.It’salso unclear whether secondhand purveyorswill increasetheir own prices,either to mirror theoverall market or in response to shopper demand
The secondhand clothing market already was flourishing before thespecter of tariffs bedeviled theU.S. fashion industry.Managementconsulting firm McKinsey and Co. predicted after the COVID-19pandemic that global revenue from pre-owned fashion would grow11times faster than retail apparel sales by this year as shoppers looked to save money or spend it in amore environmentally conscious way
Whilemillennialsand membersofGeneration Zwere known as the primary buyers of
used clothing, data from market research firm Sensor Towershows the audience may be expanding.
The number of mobile app downloads for nine resale marketplaces the firm tracks— eBay,OfferUp, Poshmark, Mercari, Craigslist, Depop, ThredUp, TheRealReal and Vinted —increased by 3% between January andthe endofMarch,the first quarterlygain in three years, Sensor Tower said.
The firm estimates downloads of the apps foreBay,Depop,ThredUp andThe RealReal also surged compared with ayear earlier forthe week of March 31, which was when Trump unveiledsince-pausedpunitive tariffs on dozens of countries.
Circana’sClassi-Zummo said that while customersusedtoseek outcollectible or unusual vintage pieces to supplement their wardrobes, she has noticed moreshoppers turning to secondhand sites to replace regular fashion items.
“It’sstill acheaper option” than buying new,even though retailers offerdiscounts, she said.
the COVID-19 pandemic.Nofederal student loans have been referred for collection sinceMarch 2020, including those in default.
Under President Joe Biden, the Education Department tried multiple times to forgive millions of people’s student loans, only to be stopped by courts.
“American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” Education SecretaryLinda McMahon said.
Beginning May 5, the department willbegin involuntary collection through the Treasury Department’soffset program, which withholds payments from the government —including tax refunds federal salaries and other benefits
—from people withpast-due debts to thegovernment. After a30-day notice, the department will also begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default. The decision to send debt to collections drew criticism from advocates.
“This is cruel, unnecessary and will further fanthe flames of economicchaos for working families acrossthiscountry,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center
Already,many borrowers have been bracing forobligations coming due.
In 2020, President Donald Trump paused federalstudentloanpaymentsand interest accrual as a
temporary reliefmeasure for student borrowers. The pause in payments was extendedmultiple times by the Biden administration through 2023, and afinal grace period forloan repayments ended in October.That meant tens of millionsofAmericanshad to start making payments again. Borrowers who don’tmakepayments for nine months go into default, whichisreportedontheir credit scores and can go to collections.
In addition to theborrowers already in default, around another 4 million are between 91 to 180 days late on their loan payments. Less than 40% of all borrowers are current on theirstudent loans, departmentofficials said.
BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump welcomed tens of thousands of people Monday to the White House Easter egg roll, saying the overcast weather meant no one would have to worry about getting sunburned. He thanked the National Park Service for how “spiffy” everything looked.
More than 40,000 people were expected to participate, he said.
“Happy Easter to everyone,” the president said, flanked on the White House balcony by his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and an Easter bunny mascot. “It was a beautiful day yesterday, and it’s a beautiful day today We don’t have to worry about sunburn but it looks like it’s not going to be raining.”
The president and first lady visited the egg roll area, where he blew a goldtoned whistle stamped with the presidential seal to start a few races. They also spent time at a station where kids wrote cards to service members. Melania Trump later read “Bunny with a Big Heart” at a reading area It’s a story about a forgetful rabbit who gets injured, must stay in bed and learns to be kinder to his family Wooden spoon-wielding
children competed against each other to guide hardboiled eggs dyed pink, blue, yellow or green across a patch of the lawn to a finish line. In some cases, eggs were lobbed into the air instead of rolled across the grass, and at least one wooden spoon went flying through the air
The participants included some of Trump’s grandchildren son Don Jr.’s children.
A special station promoting next year’s 250th anniversary of America’s founding provided opportunities to sign a mini-Declaration of Independence or dress up as Founding Fathers. The daylong event featured multiple activity stations, live performances and story times.
Trump gave a “special thank you” to his wife for her work organizing the annual event.
“I also want to thank the National Park Service,” he said. “The job they do in making everything so beautiful and spiffy, and I’m very difficult when it comes to that.
I will tell you, very, very difficult. They have done an incredible job. You just have to look around and see”
The American Egg Board, which has participated in the Easter egg roll for nearly 50 years and has been a lead sponsor for the past decade, donated 30,000 eggs that
were hand-dyed by board staff and volunteers, said Emily Metz, board president and CEO.
She said the board understands the frustration felt by egg farmers and consumers over the egg shortage caused by the spread of avian flu and how expensive it’s become to buy a dozen.
Metz said the 2,500 dozen eggs given to the White House were small and medium, sizes not typically sold by retailers, so they will not further strain the supply or contribute to even higher prices. Nearly 9 million dozen eggs are sold daily in the United States, she said.
“We feel like we need to take a moment to celebrate where we can, and you cannot have Easter without eggs. And you cannot have the White House Easter egg roll without real eggs,” Metz said in an interview
Trump also included topics unrelated to Easter in his brief remarks, like recruitment gains for the military and police and fire departments. He said religion “is coming back to America.”
The egg roll is one of the oldest White House traditions, dating to 1878 and the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes He opened the lawn to children after Congress banned them from rolling eggs on the grounds of the Capitol.
BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court seemed likely to uphold a key preventive-care provision of the Affordable Care Act in a case heard Monday
Conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, along with the court’s three liberals, appeared skeptical of arguments that Obamacare’s process for deciding which services must be fully covered by private insurance is unconstitutional. The case could have big ramifications for the law’s preventive care coverage requirements for an estimated 150 million Americans. Medications and services that could be affected include statins to prevent heart disease, lung cancer screen-
ings, HIV-prevention drugs and medication to lower the chance of breast cancer for high-risk women. The plaintiffs argued that requirements to cover those medications and services are unconstitutional because a volunteer board of medical experts that recommended them should have been Senate-approved. The challengers have also raised religious and procedural objections to some requirements The Trump administration defended the mandate before the court, though President Donald Trump has been a critic of the law The Justice Department said board members don’t need Senate approval because they can be removed by the health and human services secretary
A majority of the justices seemed inclined to side with
the government Kavanaugh said he didn’t see indications in the law that the board was designed to have the kind of independent power that would require Senate approval, and Barrett questioned the plaintiff’s apparently “maximalist” interpretation of the board’s role.
“We don’t just go around creating independent agencies More often, we destroy independent agencies,” said Justice Elena Kagan said about the court’s prior opinions.
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas seemed likely to side with the plaintiffs. And some suggested they could send the case back to the conservative U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That would likely leave unanswered questions about which medications and services remain covered.
in photos taken by a camera on a spacecraft operated by NASA and the European Space Agency to study the sun. The comet won’t swing close to Earth like Tsuchinshan-Atlas did last year Other notable flybys included Neowise in 2020 and HaleBopp and Hyakutake in the 1990s.
BY SHEIKH SAALIQ
Associated Press
NEW DELHI U.S. Vice President JD Vance held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as New Delhi looks to avoid American tariffs, negotiate a bilateral trade deal with Washington and strengthen ties with the Trump administration.
Vance, who is on a largely personal four-day visit to India, met with Modi at his residence in New Delhi and the two leaders “reviewed and positively assessed the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation,” Modi’s office said in a statement. They also “welcomed the significant progress” in the negotiations of an expected trade deal between the two countries, the statement said.
The White House in a statement said that Vance and Modi set the terms for ongoing talks, “laying down a road map for further discussions.” It’s a sign that talks are moving forward but remain far from finalized, though Trump admin-
istration officials also spoke with their counterparts from India in a sign of the high level of engagement.
The Trump administration has portrayed its strategy of tariffs as forcing negotiations that could limit the reach and influence of China, the world’s dominant manufacturer
The U.S. is India’s largest trading partner and the two countries are now holding negotiations aiming to seal a bilateral trade agreement this year They have set an ambitious target of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.
If achieved, the trade deal could significantly enhance economic ties between the two countries and potentially strengthen diplomatic ties as well. Vance’s first visit to New Delhi came amid the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s partially paused tariff program against most countries, including India. Earlier in April, Trump announced a 90-day pause in which imports
U.S. general says allied forces can repel Asia aggression
BY JIM GOMEZ Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines Thou-
sands of allied American and Filipino forces opened annual combat drills Monday that include repelling an island attack to simulate the defense of the Philippine archipelago and seas in a “full-scale battle scenario” that has antagonized China.
The annual Balikatan military exercises between
the longtime treaty allies are scheduled from April 21 to May 9 with about 9,000 American and 5,000 Filipino military personnel. Fighter jets, warships and an array of weaponry including a U.S. Marine anti-ship missile system will be involved, U.S. and Philippine military officials said.
China has steadfastly opposed such war drills in or near the disputed South China Sea and in northern Philippine provinces close
to Taiwan, especially if they involve U.S. and allied forces that Beijing says aim to contain it and, consequently, threaten regional stability and peace.
“We are ready,” U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn told a news conference when asked if U.S. and Philippine forces have built up the capability to address any major act of aggression in the Taiwan Straits or the South China Sea after years of joint combat exercises.
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LOUISIANA AT LARGE
Yvonne LaFleur did not planto be asocial media sensation.
But that is what the 78-year-old New Orleans style and fashion iconhas become since herInstagram account started inearnest in January,already amassing more than 259,000 followers. In aworld all too often focused on hype and sensationalism, LaFleur’sunderstated elegance, pairedwith her slow,soothing New Orleanslilt, has found an audience.
Followers say LaFleur simply rings true, representing, for many,the gold standard of class and luxury
The shop feels old-world. Her femininity and softness ooze intoevery corner.Glimpsesof yesteryear are also behind the scenes— like her team of seamstresseswho alter any garment freeofcharge.
“A fine store should give it to you fitted properly —with your pants shortened, your wedding dress steamed, taken in and bustled,” she said. “Nobody else does that. They giveyou the stuff —and that’swhat it is, stuff. If it doesn’tfityour body,it doesn’twork.”
Going to her boutiqueon HampsonStreet is like atrip back to aslower and more caringtime. She asked that Iarrivebefore the shop opened, so we would have the chance to visit “At 10 o’clock,it’slights, camera, action,” she said. When Iarrived, shewas on her hands and knees, foldingadisplay of lacy underpants. Nimbly shequickly moved up anddown from the floor —always graceful and holding aposture my parents tried for years to teach me
As she showed mearound the store’snooks and crannies, her pace never altered.Itwas gentle charm as she almost floated from one room to the next, occasionally stopping to turna hanger the right way,she shared asteady stream of style tidbits andinsights:
n “Headbands aremaking a comeback.”
n “Mississippi hostessesare the best in the United States. They use their china, their silver, their crystal and their neighbor’s flowers, youknow,but they make an effort. On the Gulf Coast you cantell the localsfromthe people who are just camping out there.”
n About 80% of her inventory is made in the United States.
n Her millinery department is going strong. “Weare doing a lot now for the KentuckyDerby. And for the Royal Ascot even,” she said.
n There are reference books full of who is wearing which dress to what event —sothat twopeople don’tshow up in the samefrock.
LaFleur saidshe encourages people who visit her shopto“buy something you don’talready have in your closet, especially if you’re from out of town. You’ll remember your trip by that special piece you bought.”
She estimates that about 60% of her clientele is from out of state. She designsthe clothes she sells. She explainedwhy everything doesn’tcome in every size. “What you do when you’re making apattern is you pivot from the center,” she said. “For theclothing that Icarry from an 8toa14toasmaller size,it’s very hard to pivot from a14to a0toa22. Youlose proportion
ä See RISHER, page 2B
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
The Louisiana Department of Health unveilednew initiatives to fight Medicaidfraud, waste and abuse and to address fatal overdosesduringpregnancy at anews conference Monday It was the first official day on the job for thestate’s new health chief,Secretary Bruce Greenstein Health Department officials announced the Fighting Fraud Wasteand Abuse Taskforce, which will be aHealthDepartment collaboration with Gov Jeff Landry’s LA DOGE program, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’sOffice, the Attorney General’s Office and members of theLegislature Theeffort ismeant to “protect
the integrity of our Medicaid program,”said Health Department Undersecretary Drew Maranto. “Because every dollar lost in the program is adollar taken from those who truly need care.”
The task force will have three focus areas It will “strengthen ourMedicaideligibility efforts” through adata-sharingpartnership with the Office of Motor Vehicles starting April 23, Maranto said. There will alsobe“expanded oversight and audit” by the HealthDepartment’sProgram Integrity Unit and “enhanced collaboration” with the Fraud Control Unit of the Louisiana AttorneyGeneral’soffice.
And, working with LA DOGE and the University of LouisianaLafayette, the Health Department will alsouse a“newAIand
secretaryofthe Louisiana Department of Health, speaks during anewsconferenceonMondayatthe Louisiana Department of Health in Baton
adataanalytics tool to identify andaddress fraudulent practices,waste andabuse,” in the Medicaid program, Maranto said. Also on Monday,the Health
KevinHall, president and publisher of Georges MediaGroup, speaksat the Best of Baton Rouge celebration on Mondayat L’Aubergein Baton Rouge.
On Monday night, TheAdvocatepresented the 2025 Best of Baton Rouge awards at L’Auberge Casino and Hotel, recognizing theplaces,restaurants and local businesses that are loved in Baton Rouge. Over 236,000 votes were cast in 242 categories in sectors includingfood anddrink, education, finance, health and beauty, home and garden, law,automotive, real estate, services, shopping andthings to do. Businesses were awarded first, second and third place. See allthe results in aspecial magazine comingthisSundayinsideThe Advocate.
BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writer
Newexitramps that will allowdrivers to more easily exit Interstate 10 and Interstate 12 westbound ontoCollege Drive areset to openWednesday,the Louisiana Department of Transportation andDevelopment said. DOTD also announced Monday that one lane will be closed on thenew,merged interstate. And the EssenLane
and I-12 will be closed forabout 1,000 feet so crews can place permanent barrierswherethe old exit was located. The new exitsare the last majorphase of the flyover project, DOTD said. Afew minor tasks like permanent lane striping
‘The only good tariff is a dead tariff’
BY STEPHENMARCANTEL Staff writer
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy,at aMonday morningmeeting in Broussard, said he doesn’t like tariffs and he’s not exactly sure what President Donald Trump’splan is on tariffs but expects it will bring countriestothe negotiation table.
“President Trump loves tariffs. He lovestariffslike the Devil loves sin,” Kennedy said. “I don’tcompletely understand it, and Ithink this is intentional on his part, where the president is going with tariffs.Idon’t.” Kennedy,R-Madisonville, spoke Monday at asold-out Broussard Chamber of Commerce event at the Madison Banquet and Reception Center On April 2, Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on countries across the globe, with Chinaincurring the harshest rate hike. American stocks began atailspin following the announcement buthave since somewhat recovered after the administration said there would be a90-day pause, barringa now 145% tariff on Chinese imports.
The United States is in “unchartedwaters,”Kennedy said,adding thatthe modern global economy has not seen tariffs of this magnitude.
The way he sees it, Kennedy said,tariffs only acttoimpede the free market. They should be used onlyagainst countries like China that seek to undermine or abuse American markets or those who are actively hostile toward the United States.
But Kennedy said Trump’s strategy is working and that other nations are coming to the table. Trump’stariffs pause, his administration said, was to give time for him to work out better trade deals with over 75 countries thatreached outtothe White House
“Theonly good tariffisa dead tariff,” Kennedy said.“I
Continued from page1B
“maternaloverdose mortality.”
“Nopopulationhasit harder thanpregnant momsand new moms with addiction,” said Health Department Deputy SecretaryDr. Pete Croughan.
“Since2018,overdosehas overtaken every medical complication as the No.1 cause of maternal mortalityinthe state.”
The project is a“coordinated effort” led by the Health Department to ensure that pregnant women andmothers with substance abuse disorders are screened and treated by health care providers in a “stigma-free” way and connected with medical clinics that canhelp with addiction treatment. Its aim is to cut overdose ratesamong pregnant womeninhalf in three years’ time After both initiatives were introduced, Greensteinsaid he was “proud” thatLouisiana has“someof the best public health work that’sbeing done around the country.”
More on measles
Also at the news conference, officialssaid asecond case of measles has been confirmed in Louisianain the Greater New Orleans area. The second case of measles was discovered in an adultwho “traveled abroad,” although thepersonwas unsure of hisor her measles vaccination status, Louisiana Surgeon General Dr.Ralph Abraham said.
“This case was an older case, not infectious at all,” he said Greenstein commended Abraham as being among “themost transparentof any public health official
hope our goal is going to be to getthem to go to zero tariffs.”
The senator also discussed thecurrent budget resolution bill. Kennedysaid thebill has athree-pronged approach of generally lowering government spending, deregulation and redesigning thetax code.
The amendedbill, which the House passedApril 10, will requireonly asimple majority in the Senatetopass under reconciliation, Kennedy said.The bill aimstocut $1.7 trillion in federalspending and $4.5 trillion in net tax cuts Kennedywants to see Trump’s2017 taxcuts, which areset to expire, be madepermanent andredesign the tax code to stimulatethe econo-
my
“And we won’tget asingle Democratic vote,but if we can hold the Republicans together in theSenate, (and) that’sa big if,weonly need 51 votestodothisand we’re going to do it,” Kennedysaid.
Aquestionarose about judges, and Kennedy said federal judges have been liberal in their use of universal or nationwide injunctions, whichhavebeenused to block Trump orders on mass deportations andending birthright citizenship.
Kennedy joined IowaSen. Chuck Grassley,who introduced abill that would prohibit grantingrelief to anyone beyondthe parties involved in alawsuit. The bill would require Democraticsupport to pass, Kennedyadded. On Thursday,the Supreme Court saiditwill hear arguments on whethertolimit the lower court’s nationwide injunction powers. Without mentioning Trump specifically,Kennedy ended hisdiscussion on judges with theedict that court orders should befollowed
“You can criticize the hell outofit, you can appeal it, butyou can’t say Idon’tagree with it, andI’m not going to follow it. Once we start doing that in America, it will undermine thelegitimacy of ourentire federaljudicialsystem,”
Kennedysaid
The comment is likely in reference to Trump’schallenge of ajudge’sruling that the administration returnMary-
in thecountry” forhis willingnesstoreadily announce Louisiana’stwo measles cases
On Saturday,the Health Department confirmed Louisiana’sfirstcaseof measles, which was found in theNew Orleans area.
Officials said the patient wasanunvaccinated adult who likely contracted the disease duringinternational travel
The NewOrleans measles case followsanoutbreak in West Texas that has been ongoing for nearly three months and has killed two unvaccinated school-age children.
Amid fearsofa possible measlesoutbreak in Louisiana, the Health Department has regularly promoted the measles, mumps andrubellavaccineasthe best way to avoidgetting measles.
Landry’s Health Department
The Louisiana Department of Health has undergone some restructuring since Landry became governorin2024. Landry last summer signed offonthe creation of anew office of the surgeon general, whichactsas thestate’schiefmedical officer and works in collaboration withthe secretary of thedepartment. SinceJune, when he transitionedfromsecretary of thehealth department to Louisiana surgeon general. Abraham has regularly said that the patient-doctorrelationship should be frontand center in health care decisions.
Landry earlier this month appointedGreenstein secretary of theHealth Department following the retirement of Michael Harrington in March Greenstein served in leadershiproles at state andfederal health agencies,including chieftechnology officerofthe U.S. Department of Health and
landresident Kilmar Abrego Garciatothe country after he was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador.Afederal appeal court ruledagainst Trump’sattempt to block the order On Sunday,Kennedy told NBC News that deporting Abrego Garcia “was ascrewup,” bucking against Trump, butsaidthathewould likely not be returned to the United States.
The senator later said if the president did deny federal judge orders that he would, “call himout on it,” adding that something like Abrego Garcia’scase wouldnot happen again.
While Kennedy was addressing supporters inside, a smallgroup of constituents stood across the street hoping he would see their signs asking him for an open town hall and to support funding for federal programs that benefit Louisianans.
Bernard Ussher,who held a“Sen. Coward” sign in one hand and an American flag in theother, calledfor Kennedy to meet with peopleina setting wheretheydidn’t have to pay to hear him speak Attendees had to pay about $15 to get into the breakfast whereKennedy was talking.
Pamela Bradley said she wanted to encourage Kennedy to preserve federal funding for programsthat support Louisianans.
“Weare extremely concerned about Louisiana losing itsabilitytohave information,”she said. “Weneed the National Weather Service. We need (theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).Weneed FEMA. We need NPR. What is Kennedy going to do about saving these programs?”
Another question Kennedy briefly commented on was about carbon capture, stating that “Louisiana’sgot to figure it out” andthathe’s“gottosee the science to show me that it’s safe.”
Kennedy ended his discussion saying that he wants to seethe Department of Educationdismantled, callingit “woke.”
Staff writer AshelyWhite contributed to thisarticle.
Human Services in 2017 and 2018 during the first Trump administration. He also hada priorstint as Louisiana’shealthsecretary under former Gov Bobby Jindal.
Greenstein resigned from the job running the state’sHealthDepartment in April 2013 afternearly three years amid stateand federal probes into astate Medicaid contract awarded to his former employer,ClientNetwork ServicesInc The federalinvestigation didn’tresult in charges, and Landry,who was attorney generalatthe time in 2016, droppedstate perjury charges.
Greenstein has also worked in the private sector.Before being tapped by Jindal, he ranthe worldwide health andhuman services business division at Microsoft.
Email AlysePfeilatalyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.
ALivingston Parish Council member wascited Friday on acount of driving whileintoxicated,the Sheriff’s Office said. Li vingston Parish sheriff’s deputies pulled over council member Dean Coates in Springfield on Friday night for improper laneusage, speeding and expiredmotor vehicleinspection. As the deputy approached Coates, he saidhesmelled alcohol, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
After an investigation, Coates was issued amisdemeanor summonsfor operating avehicle while intoxicated, pending atoxicology
Continuedfrom page 1B
because then things are too long-waisted or whatever.”
Iunderstood and explained that my grandmother had been an expert seamstress. Ilargely grew up in her sewing room.
With that detail, LaFleur did what she does well. Not only is she sartorially perceptive, she is amasterofobservation. She recognized my interest in sewing and patternmaking and smiled, saying that she wanted to show me something special.
“Funny when you have arelative who sews,they never want you to mess up thefabric, so they don’tteach you,” she said, as she sashayedintoan unlit small room off the shop’smain showroom. “Theyput such value on theyardage. Youknow, they’reproductsofthe Depression.”
report, the Sheriff’s Office said. The investigationis ongoing. In aFacebook post, Coates said he was pulled over after leaving acrawfish boil.
“As an elected official, I am held to ahigher standard, and Iintend to earn back the trust I’ve broken,” he said.
Coates apologized and said he is cooperating fully with the legal process.
Officials ID police gunfire suspect
The man whodied Sunday morning after exchanging gunfire withBaton Rouge policeofficers in ahotel parking lot has been identified, officials said.
Police responded at 3:04 a.m.Sunday to acall
Ifollowed herand couldn’thelpbut attempt to sashay myself. Once inside,she motioned toward the ceiling, where hercommercial patterns were hanging.
LaFleur studiedfashion at LSU but saidshe really learned howtodesign clothesinNew York City
She opened herstore in 1969, months after graduating from LSU,whenshe met aMississippi investor whoasked herhow much shewould need to open herown shop.She said, “$10,000.” He pulledout an envelope of $100 bills They were partners for five years. She was able to buy the building outright. He laterinvested in her opening ashopinNew York City.For several years, shewas back and forth between New Orleansand New York often On oneofthose trips, she was seated beside Jimmy Walsh, whom shelater married. He hasbeen Joe Namath’sattorney for decades. These days,the couple
about adisturbance involving an armed man, later identified as Kevin Vallian, 34,atthe Super 6Inn & Suites at 9901 Gwenadele Ave. There wasanexchange of gunfire after officers encountered Vallian in the parking lot and Vallian was shot, according to police. Vallian was taken to a hospital where he waslater pronounced dead, accordingtothe Baton Rouge Police Department. No officerswereinjured during this incident. In accordance with standard Police Department policy,the twoofficers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leaveand theshooting is beinginvestigatedinternally,according to the department.
spends most of their time in New Orleans. LaFleur sets the table for dinner each morning before she goes to work
“My husband cooks, but Iclean,” shesaid. Throughout the store, violets are everywhere. They’re on hergift wrap,bagsand the carpet “Ms. Gayle Bird,she’s Gayle Benson now, did the carpet for me,” shesaid. It’sfrom London. Violets are asymbolofloyalty.So Iwanttosendloyal customers outofmystore.” She explainedthe violets as herode to Mother Cabrini, herhigh school alma mater
“Mother Cabrini raised violets,”she saidasshe pickedupa framed photo of the nun. “She’s my good luckcharm.” With LaFleur,the reference is done with atenderness thatiscompletely endearing. ButIcouldn’t help but smile at the New Orleans-ness of the moment, so many things go back to where onewentto high school
Bergeron, Kay Marie
Kay MarieBergeron, born October 4, 1941, entered eternal rest on April 10, 2025, at Gonzales HealthcareinGonzales, LA., at 83 years of age. Kay was adevoutCatholic. Her devotion to her faith and familyguided her throughout her life. She was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence Bergeron and Netta Haydel Bergeron. Kay is survived by her brothers, Donald Bergeron (Karen) and Lynn Bergeron (Joan). Also survived by her pride and joy, herniecesand nephews, Linette Guillory,Steve Bergeron,Stacy Jackson, Rob Bergeron, DanielleCalbert, and Patrick Bergeron. Also, her great nieces and nephews,Jake Guillory Shelbi Schexnayder,Zack Bergeron, HolliJackson, Cole Singletary, Seth Jackson, and Gavin Calbert, and her 2nd great-grand nephews and nieces, Reed Brignac, Jax Guillory,Alli Guillory, ScottiSchexnayder, and Kellen Schexnayder. Kay's determination and courage, in facing life with many challenges, is best described by aquote from Christopher Reeve; "For everyone who thought Icouldn't do it... for everyone who thought Ishouldn'tdoit...for everyone who said, "It's impossible'...see you at the finish line!". Kay saw and crossed that "finish line" when graduating from RomevilleHigh School in 1960, receiving her B.S. degree in education from Nichollas State University in 1964, teaching high school English at Romeville High School for8 years, then working as alibrarianatSt. James Library in Lutcher,LAfor 25 years.Serviceswill be at St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church,1022 N. BurnsideAve, Gonzales, LA on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, visitation willbefrom 9amuntil Mass of Christian Burialat11am.Kay's final resting place willbe at St. Mary's Cemeteryin Convent, LA. Honoring Kay in serving as her pallbearers are Rob Bergeron, Steve Bergeron, Patrick Bergeron, Jake Guillory ScottyGuillory,and Paul Jackson. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Manning Family Children's Hospital, formerlyCripple Children's Hospital, where Kay received treatment. Donations may be made by phone (504) 896-9375, by mail, Manning Family Children's Attn: Development Department 200 Henry Clay Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118 or online at www ma nningchildrens.org/givingat-m anning-f amily-c hildrens.
honorablyservedhis coun‐tryinthe United States Navy.Hewas aDeaconand faithful member of St IsidoreCatholicChurch Willie is survived by his loving anddevotedwifeof 73 years, HelenBordelon Berthelot, andhis tenchil‐dren:Willie"Billy" Berth‐elot,Jr. (Ann),Gayle Berth‐elot Broussard(Steve),Jeff Berthelot, TommyBerth‐elot (Sue Ellen),Denise Berthelot(Audrey), Christie Berthelot Zeringue,JackBerthelot (Tonya), BrentBerthelot (Suzanne), BrianBerthelot (Hillary), Michelle Berth‐elot Wyble; 40+ grandchil‐dren andgreat-grandchil‐dren;one brother-in-law anda host of nieces and nephews. Willie is pre‐cededindeath by hispar‐ents,brother and five sis‐ters,aswellasmany brothers-in-lawand sis‐ters-in-law; sons-in-law, Herb Zeringue andJamie Wyble. Servingaspallbear‐erswillbeWillie'sgrand‐sons Mark,Joshua K. Joshua R.,Hunter,Hayden andJustin. Honorary pall‐bearerswillbeAndrewand Parker Berthelot. Relatives andfriends areinvited to join thefamilyfor thevisi‐tation at BakerFuneral Home,6401 Groom Road, Baker, LA,onTuesday April22, from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Thevisita‐tion will continue at St IsidoreCatholicChurch, 5657 Thomas Road,Baton Rouge, LA,onWednesday, April23, from 9:00 a.m. until theMassofChristian Burial at 11:00 a.m.,offici‐ated by Father FrankBass. Thegravesideservice with military honors will follow at HillcrestMemorialGar‐dens Mausoleum, in Baker, Louisiana. Thefamily wouldliketoexpress their gratitudetothe Home In‐steadCareProsaswellas to thenursesand aids with ClarityHospice whopro‐videdsuchcompassionate andlovingcaretoour pre‐ciousfather. In lieu of plants and flowers, please consider donating to your favorite charity. Please visitwww.bakerfunera lhomeonline.comtosign andleave amessage on thedigital guestbook or to send flowerstothe family in memory of Willie M. Berthelot, Sr
on Friday, April 25, 2025, at 9:30 AM,followedbyMass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM.Interment willbeon Saturday April 26, 2025, at Legion Memorial Cemetery in Newellton,Louisiana, at 10:30 AM.Pallbearers will be Patrick Black, Evan Black, Stewart Black, Alex Black, Mike Dunbar, Blake Roussel, and Brian Black In lieu of flowers, please considera donationtoSt. LillianAcademy forspecial needs studentsinKelly's name or adonation to St JosephCatholicChurch in St.Joseph, Louisiana. "Well done, good and faithful servant." Youwillbesorely missed
Stewart, Jacqueline Fitzmorris
Jacqueline 'Jackie' Fitzmorris Stewart,82, passed away surrounded by family on April17, 2025 in Hammond,Louisiana. Born in Springville,Louisiana, on March 29, 1943, Jackie graduated from Fairpark HighSchool in Shreveport, Louisiana and from Louisiana Technical UniversityinRuston with a Bachelor's degree. She married her sweetheart, Jim'Sonny' Stewart,on November 21. 1962 and they remained devoted to one anotherfor over 57 years untilJim passed away in 2020. Jackie made friends everywhere she went and cherished those friendshipsalways. She was an accomplished painter and truly enjoyed working in her yard and cultivatingflowering plants. WhenJim and Jackie moved to Holden Louisiana in 1997, they joined SpringfieldBaptist Church and Jackieenjoyed volunteering in thenursery and supporting the missionworkoftheir community. Jackie was preceded in deathbyher husband, James Edward Stewart; her parents, JosephLeslie Fitzmorris and Florence Mae Dunn. She is survivedby her daughterand son-inlaw, Leslie Kathleenand Kirk Reese of LasVegas, her sonand daughter-inlaw, John Damon and Kim Coco Stewart of Baton Rouge and her son, James Paul Stewart of Albany She is also survivedbyher seven grandchildren, Andrew Stewart,David Stewart (Camille), Theresa Stewart(Michael Bernal, fiancée), Catherine Broussard (Everett),Michael Stewart, Anna Stewart and KyleStewart.She is also survivedbyher sisters, Florence Mae Fitzmorris, Bercegeay,Virgil
Black, Alex 'Kelly'
Alex KellyBlack ("Kelly") went to seehis Lord and Savior on April17, 2025,surrounded by his family. Kelly,ashewas known to all, was bornin Tallulah, Louisiana,on June 23, 1940,and raised on Lake BruininTensas Parish.Hetook great pride in his roots and wasproud to tellall who wouldlisten about his affinity andaffiliationfor TensasParish Kellysharedhis camp and his contagious affection forLakeBruin withhundreds of people over the years. In 1964, Kellygraduatedfromthe University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana-Lafayette), wherehemet thelove of his life, MerilynWilliams, a fellow accounting student Since their marriagein 1965,Kellyand Merilyn wereinseparable. Theirdevotiontoeach other was plain forall to see.Kelly established A. KellyBlack CPA whereheand Merilyn workedalongside each other forover fortyyears. Their officeon Brentwood Drivewas aplace where many people stopped by to visit, share acup of coffee and learn life lessons.Kelly was an incredibly generous person who contributedtocountless charitable causes. His passion was supportingindividuals with specialneeds. Kelly hada sister-in-lawand a grandsonwith DownSyndrome,and throughout his life, he supported charities that enhancedthe lives of individuals with special needs. Kellyissurvived by his wife, Merilyn,and his two sonsBrandon (Blake) and Barton (Esther); his eight grandchildren, Patrick,Frances, Clayton, Adele, Evan, Kirby,Stewart, and Alex; hissister, LaDean Dunbar (Robert); sisters-in-law, Jane Roussel(John) and Ava Williams Ellis; and many special nieces and nephews. He waspreceded in death by hisparents, Elbert BascomBlack and MamieGuice Black. The family willreceive relatives and friends at St Aloysius CatholicChurch
Rose Marie Mancuso, a belovedsister, aunt cousin and friend, passed away peacefully on April 17, 2025, at theage of 81. BornonFebruary 15, 1944, in Plaquemine, Louisiana, Rose spent her life rooted in faith and family.She was alongtime resident of St.Amant Louisiana. Adevout Catholic, Rose prayed therosarydaily and lived her life guidedbygrace and devotion. She worked for many years in retail, where she was known for her warm smileand caring nature. Afterretirement, she enjoyed spending her days shopping, visiting the casino,and,most importantly,cherishing time with her family.Rose especiallyloved dancing at the weddingsofher many nieces and nephews. Her joyful spirit touched everyone who knew her. She was preceded in deathby her parents, Carlo and Annie (Cashio) Mancuso,and her sisters,Lucy Bueche and TenaLeJeune. She is survivedbyher brother, PJ Mancuso,and her sister, Joan Mancuso Savoy, as wellasa largeand devoted family of nieces, nephews, and extended relatives who will miss her dearly.Services forRose willbeheldonWednesday, April23rd, at Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant.Visitation willtakeplace from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.,followed by aFuneralMass and burial.Rose's faith, laughter, and unwavering love willbeforeverremembered by those blessed to haveknown her. To view and sign theonline guestbook, please visit www.rabenhorst.com.
Ruth,Sarah Ann
Mrs. Sarah Ann Gordon Ruth, aresident of Baton Rouge, LA., passed away April9,2025, at theage of 70. Mrs. Ruthwas born on July21, 1954 in Franklin, LA to parents, Shem and LeeGordon. Mrs. Ruthwas highly involvedwiththe BatonRouge Camellia Society,along with her husband, Mr. Mike Ruth, she also was involvedwiththe LA PorcelainArt Teachers and Artists.She was an avid painter, lovedcamellias,porcelain art, animals and avid LSUsports fan alongwithenjoying cooking and feeding people Sarahwas aregistered nurse and met Mr. Mike in 1976 at LSUMedicalCenter in Shreveport,where she was working as an R.N. and he was doing his internship/residency. They became inseparable from thefirst daytheymet They marriedin1980 and were married for45years, buthad been togetherfor nearly 50 years. She is survivedbyher husband, Mike Ruth; sons, John GordonRuth(Victoria Elaine AndersonRuth) from BatonRouge and Ben Michael Ruthfrom Portland Oregon.She is preceded in death by her parents, Shem and LeeGordon.In honorofMrs. Sarah Ann, in lieu of flowers, adonation can be madetoyourfavorite animal shelter.
andKay Shrimpton,sisters -in-law JoyStewart and June Dowden. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare invited to attend thevisitation at the Chapel of Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home, 7738 Florida Blvd,Denham Springs, LA. on Thursday, April 24, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. untilthe startofthe Memorial Service at 12:00 p.m. Intermentwill follow in Zeigler Cemetery in Livingston
Wales, Gwynne C. Honey
GwynneC."Honey"
Wales passedawayApril 15, 2025. Born in Roanoke Virginia June 30, 1939. Gwynne later moved to Glen Burnie,Maryland whereshe graduated from Glen BurnieHigh School Gwynne's journeytoBaton Rouge began after being acceptedtonursing school at MatherSchool of NursinginNew Orleans, LA Just before leaving Glen Burnie for nursing school, shemet hersoon to be husbandather home church in Glen Burnie,MD whereBob hada temporaryassignment as a JROTC instructorfor the U.S. Army. After Bob's tour with theArmyconcluded, they were married. In fairly shortfashion, four children were added to themix. Thesechildrenwere blessed to be rearedbya godlymom anddad.For thechildren'sformative years, she wasa stay at home mom and attended to theireveryneed. Gwynnewas along time member of Istrouma Baptist Church whereshe sang in thechoirand served in many otherleadership positions as well.She was well known for her"pound cake"ministry. IYKYK.She lovedtotraveland took many trips in herlater years visitingrelativesand
just havingwonderful timesand creating great memories. Gwynne was preceded in death by her parents Clarenceand Marie Cannaday, husband Robert E. "Bob" Wales, and granddaughter AinsleyEdwards. Sheissurvived by herchildrenBob (Karen) Wales, Suzie (Brandt)Edwards, Kaye (Cecil)Rushing, LaurieWales, Eight grandchildrenand Six great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, thefamilyasks that you make donations to theIMB (International Mission Board), Alzheimer'sServicesofthe Capital Area or Istrouma Baptist Church.A memorial service willbeheldat Istrouma Baptist Church Saturday, April 26, 2025. Visitation willbeginat8:30 am with theservice followingat11:00 am.
For many Catholics, PopeFrancis wasa figure who gave constant reminders of Jesus’ teachingtocare for the poor andmarginalizedinour society.The pontiff, who died Mondayatage 88, will be remembered for his humility andasan advocate for peace and global understanding In south Louisiana, where many of the nation’s 53 million Catholics reside, thepope’s death comes as startling news. Though he had struggled with illness for months, Francis appeared on Easter Sunday to bless crowdsinSt. Peter’s Square The first pope from Latin America, Francis came to lead an institution seekingfresh voices after years of dealing with an unfolding clergy sex abuse scandalthatrocked churchparishes in Louisiana and elsewhere andthreatened the church’sfoundations. His gregarious style quickly made an impression. He wasnoted for answeringreporters’questions with unexpected frankness. When asked in 2013 aboutclergy who are gay,hefamously responded, “who am I to judge?”
On this issue and others, thepope soughtto strike apath toward compassion andawayfrom rigidity when it comes to how we treat others. It’salesson we all need in these times,and one we hope will be alasting legacy of Francis. He also never stopped speakingupfor the migrants the world over whoface hardship and scorn. Indeed, in his last address,onEaster Sunday,Francis wrote, “On this day, Iwould like all of us to hope anew andreviveour trustin others, including those whoare different from ourselves, bringing unfamiliar customs, waysof life and ideas.” Francis showed courageinremainingtrue to his message even as immigrationbecame ahot-button topic in manyWestern countries. He weathered criticism, too, for his stance on climate change, telling countries at theU.N. conference COP 28 that not protectingthe environment was “anoffense against God.”
He didnot waver, however,onthe church’s teachings regarding abortion,calling it a“grave sin,” and he also spoke out against birth control and in vitro fertilization.Hewas avocal opponent of thedeath penalty as well, framing the issue as part of the church’seffort to supporta “culture of life.”
In an age where so many messages get garbled, Francis’ clarity of vision wasrefreshing —though we recall,tothe delight of Saints fans, there were afew times when the wiresdid get crossed. When the Vatican’s@pontifexaccount on Xused the hashtag saints, socialmedia took it as the pope’simplicit endorsementofour football team.
It couldn’thave been easy to be pope in an age where spiritual matters often take aback seat to more worldly concerns. But Francis put the church in the conversation.Wejoin in the prayersfor him and for thechurchasitlooks for aleader to followinhis footsteps.
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,
OurSocial Security is already 90% dismantled. It is very clear that the goal is to destroy thesystem so that it can be privatized (read, robbed). People are being deported and sent to foreign prisons without due process of law as if their lives mean nothing. (It’salready surfacing that they are not all gang members).Itisterrifying to think that President Donald Trumpcould do this to anyone he wants to get rid of. Millions were spent on deportation optics as well —where was the concern for waste there? Medicaid, which millions of people depend on for hospital and nursing home costs, is being threatened. Farmers are denied repayment for investmentsthey have made; food designated overseas is rotting because USAID was butchered. Factories and businesses will close because of the tariffs they must now pay and cannot sustain. The history books are being rewritten, shamefully removing anyone’scontribution
to our history other than White men Studentsand vetswill not see what they have been promised. Health care is on thechopping block. Environmental protectionsare on the chopping block.
Ourformer allies are insulted and angry at Trump’sbullish tactics, and we will pay for their withdrawal of friendship and trade. It is unbearable to see thepeople in alreadyimpoverished or war-torn countries starving and dying as they are.The diseases that can now run rampant in those countries will reach our shores, if one looks at this in apurely selfish way. What Trumpisdoing is gutting our country,our standing with the world, our livelihoods, and causing deadly consequences for many.Never mind what it is doing to inflation (up) and theeconomy (down) —the platform he ran on. Idon’tunderstand our Congress members’ enabling of this.
RUTH FLETCHER Metairie
When Ifounded Assured Flooring &Countertops in Louisiana two decades ago, Inever imagined how vital credit card rewards would becometo our operations. Today,they’re acritical tool for managing our expenses and staying competitive.
Every month,wespend thousands on materials, toolsand transportation.Byusing business credit cards that offer rewards, we earn points that help us reinvest in thecompany —whether it’s covering unexpected costs, offering more competitive pricing or keeping cash flow steady during tough times.These rewards aren’tjust perks —they’re part of a strategic financial plan that helps us compete with big-box stores.
That’swhy I’mdeeply concerned about the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill in Congress, which would require banks to issuecredit cards on several payment networks to force competition, known as arouting mandate. On paper,this sounds harmless. Butthe realityisthat this bill would lead to amajor drop in interchange
revenue —the very revenuestream that funds rewards programs small businesses like mineneed. According to aUniversity of Miami study,small businesses could lose $1 billion in rewards if this passes. That’smoney that can be used to pay down balances, offset rising costs and keep cash flowing where it’s needed most. Worse, it could weaken the fraud protections we rely on every time we make apurchase. Big retailers like Walmart and Home Depot might have theleverage to weather these changes —but small businesses don’t. We can’tafford the added risk or the lost financial support. Small businesses already face enough challenges. Congress shouldn’tdismantle asystem that helps us thrive. Please stand with small businesses and reject the Durbin-Marshall bill. The last thing we need is moreregulations to stand in our way
PHILIP RUIZ owner,Assured Flooring &Countertops
Tulane President Michael A. Fitts’ excellent opinion piece on April 4pointed out the large and important economic impact on Louisiana due to the presence of Tulane and other colleges and universities in this state. In addition to his highly informative article, an article in the fall 2024 issue of “Tulanian” by Mike Strecker and Barri Bronston points out in moredetail the positive benefits of Tulane as an “economic and community powerhouse.”
Tulane, ahighly regarded university nationally and internationally,isbut one of approximately 6,000 universities and colleges in the United States. Many of those schools, both small and large, receive federal funding forresearch, teaching programs, student scholarships, etc. These schools have significant financial, academic and cultural impacts on afew thousand communities across the country As Strecker and Bronston report for Tulane, the students and staff/faculty of all these schools, across the nation, collectively spend millions of dollars in their local communities: in restaurants, grocery stores, entertainment venues, rentals, house purchases and more. Therefore, the cancellation of funds, or the threat of such, is highly problematical or even existential not only forthe schools, but formany of their communities. Istrongly urge my fellow citizens to contact their local and national representatives and senators to stress the vital importance of continuing federal funding to these institutions.
JEFFREY D. GREEN Metairie
In his April 16 columninThe Advocate, Cal Thomas asked, rhetorically I am sure, “How did I, my parents, grandparents and ancestors going back to the founding of the nation manage to get a decent education before the federal Department of Education was created?”
My response: “Because Cal Thomas is and his forebears were White.”
Afootnote: The first U.S. Department of Education was created in 1867 by President Andrew Johnson to collect and distribute information and statistics about schools.
JAMES R. MADDEN Baton Rouge
Thepicture really says it all.
In grainy,faded tones, it shows a groupofpeople on what appears to be aschool bus. They are Vietnamese refugees, packed in with astack of boxes behind them, likely containing everythingthey owned.
The picture was taken by aTimes-Picayune photographer in December 1975, just months after the communist North Vietnamese army overwhelmed the U.S.backed counterpartsin the south, forcing approximately one million Vietnamese to flee.
The people on that bus were headed from Arkansas to Westwego, where they were among the first of thousands of Vietnamese refugees toland in southeast Louisiana. The500-mile journey from Fort Chaffee was, for most of them, certainly the culmination of along and perilous journey,livingday-to-dayina legal limbo with no assurance of what the future held. Andyet, many of them are smiling.
Staring at the picture, as Idid, while reading Desiree Stennett’sbeautiful piece earlier this month about how the Vietnamese community in southeast Louisiana has gone from small pocketsofrefugees to an integral part of thelocal fabric, Icouldn’thelp but ask whysome of them looked so happy
Those smiles must have masked unimaginable pain and stress, the gutting loss of ahome and family members and complete uncertaintyabout what might come next. But they also show an optimism, adetermination to accept their circumstances and forge something new and better
And boy,did they.The people on that buscould not have foreseen what they would build in southeast Louisiana. They would be joined by thousands of their fellow countrymen, growing in the ensuing half-century from a tiny population to one that is so much apart of Louisiana it’shard toimagine the state without them. After all, Duong Phuong king cakes rule every Carnival season, banh mi po-boys are belovedand plenty of Viet-Cajunculinary treats are found all over It shouldn’tbesurprising thatwhen people with such arich cultural history land in aplace with its own strong traditions, what is born of that mix is something that neither could have predicted, but turns out to be magical. Vietnamese arrivals have thrived outside of the culinary world, too. They have made significant marks in Louisiana business, industry and
politics. Vietnam has acomplicated legacy formany Americans. For folks my age —I am closing in on my 52nd birthday —itwas something our parents talkedabout, rarelyinapositive light.
My Americanhistory classes in school never covered it; for some reason,the classes always ended with thetriumph of World WarII. For along time, its people and culture remained amystery to me In the years after Iwas born, the UnitedStatesaccepted hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who fled after the war.Many settled in other parts of the country,too.
Theirstories are not unlike thestories of other waves of immigrants to south Louisiana: Acadians from Nova Scotia in the18th century,Haitians in the19thcentury and Sicilians in the 19thand early 20th centuries are just afew of the older examples. Each of these groups has exerted aprofound and wonderful influence on the culture thatmakes Louisiana unique. Sadly,wedon’t have as many photos of those migrations as we do of the Vietnamese.
We are left to only imagine the expressions painted across the faces of thoseAcadian, Sicilian or Haitian refugees as they alighted in Louisiana carrying few possessions but trunkloads of hope and resolve.
Which brings me back to thesmiles in that picture. Somehow,thosefolks, ripped from their homes,land and all that they knew,are able to muster smiles.Through perilous journeys, they had landed in aplace that was different,yes,but had built itselfon being awelcoming place where it didn’tmatter where you came from as long as you werewilling to work hard.
HereinLouisiana, we can see, hear, feel and taste —perhaps more than other places across the United States —the glorious impactsofour centuries-long commitment to accepting the huddled masses from achaotic world. What’s more, the vastmajority of us were, at some point in our ancestry, just like thepeople on that bus.
That’swhat makes this thegreatest place in theworld, still. IwishIcould go back in time, jump up thestairs to that bus and talk to them abouttheir smiles.IwishIcould tellthem, “I’m glad you’re here.” Thereare plentyoffolks now attempting similar perilous flights. Most of them are not criminals or terrorists. Their journeysstart in different places,and they get hereindifferent ways. And yet,mymessage, and the message of millions of Americans remains the same: “Welcome.”
Faimon A. RobertsIII can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.
When Donald Trump wonhis second term, there was much speculation about what it would mean to have a presidentwho started out asessentially alame duck. “After nearly adecade —during which so many in the GOP cowered in fear at the costsofdefying Trump —ambitious senators, House members andgovernors will be contemplating their own futures in a world without him,” wrote my colleague E.J. Dionne, adding that “recognizing the limitations on aTrump presidency is afirst step toward holding Trump in check.” However you would describe what is happening now,noone would argue that Trump has been held in check. Instead, we are witnessing something entirely novel in Americanpoliticalhistory: the YOLO presidency. (YOLO,for thoseunfamiliar,stands for “YouOnly Live Once” —which is to say, make themost of every moment youhave.) Rather than being constrained by the fact that he can’trun for officeagain, Trump has been liberatedbythe fact that he doesn’tneed to. He is free to do exactly as he pleases, knowing he will neveragain have to explain himself to voters. And, as they say,you only live once. Of course, Trump has mused about running for athird term, telling NBC News that he was “not joking” about the idea, but the 22nd Amendment is quite clear: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”Itwould take another constitutional amendment to allow him to run again, and he doesn’thave aSupreme
Court pliant enough to wink at some exotic legal theory.ComeJanuary 2029, Trump will leave the White House, and he is certainly acting like someonewho doesn’tneed to worryabout public sentiment.
Polls have repeatedly shown that majorities of voters support the work President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency is doing to cutwaste andfraud in federal spending. ArecentpollbyCBS News found that 51% of those surveyedbelieve there is alot of wasteful spending in federal government agencies, while an additional 36% believe there is some wasteful spending, for atotal of 87% who believe there is waste in government. Given that, it is not asurprise that54% said theybelieve that DOGE leader Elon Musk and his team should have some, or in some cases alot,ofinfluence over the spending and operations of U.S. government agencies. All thatmakes sense. Of course there is waste in a$7trillion federal budget. Of course somebody should try to find it and stop it. So why is the DOGE project so controversial? For four reasons: 1) Democrats and their allies in the media want Musk to fail because they want President Trump to fail. 2) Alarge part of the federal bureaucracywants Musk andTrump to fail because it has an interest in an everexpanding andcostly bureaucracy.3)With a tech-guy,move-fast-fail-then-fix approach to problem-solving, the DOGE ethos is appropriatefor some federal government functions but notfor others. And 4) Elon Musk can’tstop talking. Some of the factors are simply built into the process. Others would be difficult to change. So this will be about the simplest wayDOGE could reducethe friction it encounters as it searches for waste and fraud in federal spending: Have its leader talk less. To take arecent example: Sen. Mark Kelly,a politically ambitious Democrat from Arizona,recently visited Ukraine. Afterleaving the country,Kelly wrote aseriesofposts on Musk’sXplatform tearing into Trump’sstrategy to end the war The president is “trying to weaken Ukraine’s hand” andispursuing a“ridiculous ‘screw you, go it alone’ foreign policy,”Kelly wrote, adding thatthe UnitedStates will notsucceed “by being bullieslike Putin.”
Thatispretty muchDemocratic boilerplate when it comes to Ukraine. So Kelly reasonably opened himself up forcriticism anddebate. But thatisnot what Musk did. Instead,heimmediately respondedtoKelly: “You area traitor.”
The problemwas not just that Kelly is aformer U.S. Navy fighterpilotwho flewcombat missions in the Gulf War, andlater aNASA astronaut who flewfourmissions in the space shuttle.The problemwas about general principles: Why reflexively call someone atraitor? Whatgood does that do? Why go nuclear off the bat?
“I think it reflectsbadly on the White House,” amember of the House,Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon,saidofMusk’scomment to Kelly.And then Bacon made perhaps the most important observation of the whole affair: “His [Musk’s] job wastodoanaudit of what we’re spending on.”
Nor hashebeen limited by the normal forces that beset lame-duck presidents. Asupine Republican Senateconfirmed a television host to lead the Defense Department and avaccine skeptictohead the Department of Health and Human Services with barelyamurmur of concern.
His more conventional establishment advisers, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, express full-throated defenses of hiswildestinnovations.
Why is this happening? Why does the lame duck not walk or quack like one?
The shortanswer is thatTrump, once again, defies all normal political rules.
Asecondfactoristhat eight years of the hashtag“resistance” taught Trump to ignore public outcry,orbetter yet,to revel in it. In 2021, he left office in disgrace, with a34% approval rating. Yet here he is,president again. If experience is the best teacher,itissuggesting he should listen to his heart, not some outraged pundit.
Third, and perhaps mostimportant, Trump is not constrained by party loyalties, of which he hasnone. Mostpresidents havespent decades working their way up theparty ranks and building relationships withotherparty members. The party has becomethe hub of their social network, the defining facet of theiridentity.Naturally,they care about its fortunes and want to leave it
in better shape thanthey found it. Trump has never displayed this kind of loyaltytoany person or institution —and certainly not to apartyhehas always helmed as aconquering invader This all feels so unprecedented becausenormally,someone who actslike Trump can’treach the point where they can act thatway Someone who displays no loyalty to their party will quickly slip off the lower rungs of the greasy ladder that leads to power.Only Trumpsomehow managed to makeittothe topinone wild leap, without ever giving the party achance to shape him. Instead, as has been noted many times,hehas shapedthe party into a reflection of himself. And this explains the real mystery of his presidency: Why has he gotten so little resistance from legislators and movement activists, who will ultimately bear the political cost of Trump’slast hurrah? Why hasn’tthere been morepushback from the rising leaders who hope to take his place as the party moves beyond Trump?
The answer is that there is barely any partybeyond Trump. Ideology and organization have both given way to Trumpian whimsy.Hemight not succeed in his dreams of restoring the American empire, but within the Republican Party,his imperial rule seems near-absolute. Whatever the emperor decrees, his subjects must apparently go along —even if the emperor decides theywill be buried with him.
MeganMcArdle in on X, @asymmetricinfo.
Bacon was also irritated by aspat Musk got into with the foreign ministerofPoland. When Musk tweeted,“My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainianarmy.Their entire front line would collapse if Iturned it off.” —whenMusk did that, the foreign minister respondedthatPolandpaysabout $50 million peryear for the service. Thenheadded, “The ethicsofthreatening the victim of aggression apart, if SpaceX provestobeanunreliable provider, we will be forced to look for other suppliers.”TowhichMusk responded, “Be quiet, small man. Youpay atiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute forStarlink.” In reaction, Rep. Bacon said, “going after the foreign minister of Poland —Idon’tthink that’sright, either.
Go back to main point about Musk: “His job was to do an audit of what we’re spending on.” It’shardtoimagine amoreimportant task for aspecial government employee like Musk. So why is he inserting himself into the Ukraine peace process? Maybe he should leavethatto the president.
Afew weeks ago, this columnwrote that “One problemthat besets some billionaires is thattheythink theycan do anything they want because theymostly can.” That is certainly true for Musk whenheisrunning Tesla and SpaceX, the companies he created and led to suchextraordinary success. But government andworld affairs just aren’tthe same thing. Byron York is on X, @Bryon York
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
At atime when the valueofsafeties in theNFL is acontentious topic, theNew Orleans Saints shelled out for the position this offseason.
The Saints gave Justin Reid athreeyear,$30.5 million contract,a largebut arguably reasonable deal that makes the 28-year-old the league’s15th-highestpaid safety.His addition not onlyaddressed the loss of astarter —Will Har-
BY ROBMAADDI
AP pro football writer
The NFL draft is the culmination of alifelong dream for many collegeplayers who’ve envisioned hearing their names called by commissioner Roger Goodell since they werekids. They’ve made plenty ofsacrifices and spent hundreds of hours practicing on thefield, exercising in the weightroom and studying film. They’vedealt with injuries —some had to overcome significant ones —and battled adversity along the way And the journey is justbeginning, especially forthe players who aren’tpicked in the first round and don’tget aguaranteed multiyear contract. Prospectshad to turn it up a notch in the months leading up to this week’sdraft. From trainingfor the scouting combine to preparing forpro days,interviewing with coachesand visiting teams, the process can be
risdeparted forthe Washington Commanders —but his presence also should serve as an upgrade at aspot that was iffy for New Orleans last year
Thedeal also prevents safety frombeing apriorityfor New Orleans ahead of
this week’sNFL draft.
“I actually really liked them to maybe go safety (in Round 1), but thenthey signed Justin Reidinfree agency,” Yahoo Sports draft analyst Nate Tice said. “So thatchanged my math.”
In the event of asurprise, let’stake alookatthe topsafetiesinthisyear’s class as well as some candidateswho could be on the Saints’ radar on Day 3.
overwhelming Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams, USC center JonahMonheimand Colorado State wideoutTory Horton,
whoare represented by Excel SportsManagement, have spent monthsgetting ready for the big daybytraining at theagency’s performance center in Irvine,
California.
They’ll likely have to wait until the second or third daytohear theirnames calledinGreen Bay, but theround doesn’tmatter because getting the opportunityis themain goal.
“Thisissomething thatI’ve been chasing since Iwas akid and not too many people get this opportunity,sothe fact that I’m in this position and Ihave this chance, I’m just taking every momentwithabreath and I’m not taking anything for granted,” Williams said. “I’ve been putting in alot of work, alot of countlesshours, sleepless nights, and younever knowwhat’sgonna come outofthis. Youjust put in thework and pray forthe best. So just knowing that this could become areality,it’ssomething that Istill can’tbelieve and then once my name gets called, I’m just gonna have to take it allin andjust really understand that
BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer
The opportunity to be the first general managerofthe LSUmen’sbasketball team humbled andexcited RonaldDupree. The chance to playasignificant role in the potentialturnaround of amajor college athleticprogram enticed the 44-year-old to leave his executive role with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The former LSU basketball player returned to Baton Rouge because it is a“calling.” He said he feels compelled to be apartofthe process of returning aprogram he loves to glory after years of inconsistency
“I don’tknow if Iwould have done it for anyother program, to be honest,” Dupree told The Advocate.
LSU hired Dupree to becomethe program’sfirst general manager on April 7.
Theformercollege andsix-year NBAplayerleft hispost as thedirectorofglobalscouting forthe Milwaukee Bucks after four years. He started as a scout with the Bucks in 2017 and previously was an assistant coach with LSU and Nevada.
“His experienceatthe NBAlevel in roster construction, talent evaluation, playerdevelopment, just your overall system of scouting and muchmore really make Ronaldthe perfect person for this new job,” said Matt McMahon, who is entering his fourth season as the LSU head coach.
An instrumental aspectofDupree’s job is forming andmaintaining relationships with college players’ agents. This is the front line of negotiating signings withplayers in the transfer portal and coming from high school.
“Taking that responsibilityoff his plate so he can focus moreoncoaching and connecting with our players,” DupreesaidofMcMahon. “Obviously,no decisionwill be made without him being comfortable and agreeing with it.
“The decision will be made, together, and sure he would be the final say.” McMahon acknowledges this hire will help him focus on coaching even more.
Braves ace Strider returns to injured list after 1 start
Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider strained his right hamstring Monday while playing catch and was placed on the 15-day injured list.
BY NOAH TRISTER
AP baseball writer
This is a sight the Tigers probably expected a lot more often by now: Casey Mize pitching seven strong innings, and Spencer Torkelson hitting a three-run homer to lead Detroit to a 3-1 victory
There’s still time for both of them to make big contributions to the team that drafted them No 1 overall. When the Tigers returned to the postseason last year for the first time in a decade, they did it without great production from Mize and Torkelson, who were supposed to be cornerstones of their rebuild. Torkelson hit 31 home runs in 2023 but managed only 10 (with a .219 average) last season. Mize made only two starts total in 2022 and 2023 before going 2-6 with a 4.49 ERA a year ago. Now both of them are starting to show why they were taken at the top of the draft — Mize in 2018 and Torkelson two years later The 27-year-old Mize is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA this season. Torkelson, who
is still just 25, already has seven home runs and a .288 average that is well above his career high of .233. On Saturday, Mize got the win and Torkelson accounted for all Detroit’s scoring in a victory over Kansas City After relying heavily on Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in their run to a wild card last year, the Tigers are off to a more balanced start in 2025. Only two AL teams have scored more runs than Detroit, which leads the AL Central by a half-game over Cleveland. Only one AL team, the New York Yankees, has a better run differential than the Tigers. Wild inning
The Chicago Cubs became the seventh team in the last 125 seasons to allow 10 runs in an inning and still win. Arizona scored 10 in the top of the eighth on Friday only for Chicago to rally with six in the bottom half and win 13-11.
Remarkably, the Colorado Rockies nearly matched the Diamondbacks’ plight a day later Colorado scored eight runs in the seventh Saturday but still lost 12-11 to
Washington Also Saturday, Miami scored six in the ninth but lost 1110 to Philadelphia. Other big innings from this past week included a nine-run third by Tampa Bay against Boston on Monday, a seven-run first by the Los Angeles Dodgers against Colorado on Wednesday, and a sevenrun third by Cincinnati against Baltimore on Sunday. The Rays, Dodgers and Reds all won.
Trivia time
The Milwaukee Brewers broke a franchise record by stealing nine bases in their 14-1 win over the Athletics on Sunday The Brewers stole eight bases against Toronto on Aug. 29, 1992. Which Milwaukee player, who went on to win Rookie of the Year honors that year, stole three bases in that 1992 game?
Line of the week
Cincinnati’s Austin Wynns had six hits in the Reds’ 24-2 blowout of Baltimore on Sunday, although the last two of those came against position players pitching. Wynns also drove in six runs. Wynns had seven hits and two
RBIs all of last season for Cincinnati.
Comeback of the week
After entering the game with a four-run lead in the ninth Saturday, struggling Yankees closer Devin Williams managed to retire only one batter before Tampa Bay tied it. Williams allowed five straight hitters to reach, culminating in Brandon Lowe’s tying two-run single. Williams managed to induce a double play to end the inning, but Tampa Bay went on to win 10-8 on Jonathan Aranda’s 10th-inning two-run homer
The Rays had a win probability of 0.6% in the ninth, according to Baseball Savant. Williams hasn’t blown a save this season Saturday’s game wasn’t a save situation — but he’s now allowed eight earned runs in eight innings.
Trivia answer
Pat Listach had three of Milwaukee’s eight steals in that game. He went on to finish the season with 54, second in the American League to Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton.
BY AARON BEARD AP basketball writer
Duke star Cooper Flagg is head-
ed to the NBA as the favorite to be the No 1 overall draft pick.
The program announced Flagg’s move in a social media post Monday following a lone college season that saw the 18-year-old become only the fourth freshman named as The Associated Press national player of the year while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four Flagg had reclassified to get to Duke a year early and his decision was expected all year, even as he generally declined to spell out plans about his professional future as the season pushed into March or mentioned how much fun he had playing in college.
“I mean, it’s been an incredible year with a really great group of people,” Flagg told the AP in March after winning national player of the year The 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward from Newport, Maine, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals to lead the Blue Devils in each category He’s a versatile threat who showed the ability to thrive as a scorer, playmaker and defender
“His highlights, his statistics, the ways he impacted the game on both ends of the floor really in every category, was off the charts — as good of a freshman season that a guy has had here,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said in a social media video from the program about Flagg’s NBA declaration.
“But to me the separator and the joy of coaching Cooper is the person he was every day the teammate that he was — never about statistics or anything other than creating an environment and helping his team to win.”
The statistical highlight came when Flagg scored 42 points to
Atlanta made the move retroactive to Friday, two days after Strider returned from elbow surgery and made his first big-league appearance since April 5, 2024. Strider allowed two runs over five innings in a 3-1 loss at Toronto, and the 26-year-old right-hander was slated to make his home season debut Tuesday against St. Louis. Strider made just two starts in 2024 before UCL internal brace surgery on April 12. Strider finished fourth in 2023 NL Cy Young Award voting and was an All-Star, going 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA and a league-best 281 strikeouts.
Eagles, center Jurgens announce 4-year extension
The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens have agreed to a fouryear contract extension through 2029, the team announced Monday
The 25-year-old Jurgens made the Pro Bowl for the first time last season after a switch back to center after six-time All-Pro Jason Kelce retired. Jurgens was a backup as a rookie in 2022 after being drafted out of Nebraska in the second round and made 11 starts at right guard in 2023. Philadelphia went 14-3 last season and dominated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in winning its second Super Bowl title. The Eagles, led by mobile quarterback Jalen Hurts and a strong offensive line, rushed for a franchiserecord 3,048 yards last season.
QB Iamaleava picks UCLA after Tennessee departure
Nico Iamaleava said he’s heading to UCLA, a week after Tennessee announced the quarterback who helped the Volunteers reach last season’s College Football Playoff was no longer with the program. Iamaleava issued an Instagram post Sunday of himself in a UCLA uniform Tennessee coach Josh Heupel had indicated during the Volunteers’ spring game on April 12 that Iamaleava wouldn’t be part of the team anymore Asked when Heupel knew the Vols would not have Iamaleava moving forward, the coach said it became apparent the previous morning when the quarterback was a “no show” with no communication with Heupel. Iamaleava completed 63.8% of his passes for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions last year in his lone season as Tennessee’s starter
Hawks fire GM Fields, promote from within Landry Fields was fired as general manager of the Atlanta Hawks on Monday after three seasons, with the team missing the playoffs in the last two of those.
The Hawks promoted Onsi Saleh to the GM role, while also announcing that they have opened a search for a president of basketball operations. Atlanta went 40-42 this season, then missed the playoffs after going 0-2 in the play-in tournament.
set an Atlantic Coast Conference freshman record against Notre Dame in January, along with having 30 points, six rebounds and seven assists to help Duke hold off Arizona in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. There were plenty of impressive single plays, too, that demanded highlight-reel placement like his transition dunk through a defender against Pittsburgh in January Flagg closed with 27 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Houston in the national semifinals. The Blue Devils had led by 14 with about 8 1/2 minutes left but faltered late, with Houston scoring the game’s last nine points in the final 33 seconds and Flagg missing a late shot for the lead.
Still, he was an elite and hypercompetitive force for one of college basketball’s top teams all season with a game far more advanced than his age, capable of making an impact from baseline to baseline and sideline to sideline. He won’t turn 19 until December which would be roughly two months into his rookie season. Flagg is the third Duke player to announce an early exit for the NBA in the past week, joining freshman wing Kon Knueppel and junior guard Tyrese Proctor
Fields led the decision-making a year ago when Atlanta had the No. 1 pick and selected Zaccharie Risacher who is a finalist for rookie of the year this season.
The Hawks haven’t won a playoff series since making it to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021.
St. John’s lands former North Carolina G Jackson
North Carolina guard Ian Jackson is transferring to St. John’s and returning to his hometown to play for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, the Red Storm announced Monday A highly touted recruit from the Bronx, Jackson averaged 11.9 points while shooting 45.6% overall and
J.TERRILL
BY SCHUYLERDIXON AP sports writer
DALLAS DallasMavericks
general manager Nico Harrison said he miscalculated the depth of love his club’s fans had for Luka Doncic before the trade that sent the young superstar to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Despite the persistentcatcalls from fans for him to be fired in the 21/2 months since the deal,Harrison still believes it was the right move forbuilding achampionship contender in Dallas.
“I did know that Luka wasimportant to the fan base,” Harrison said Mondayduring his seasonending news conference,six days after asession with asmaller group of reporters that the club called to try to move on from the exhaustively discussed Doncic trade. “I didn’tquite know it to what level.”
As he has said before,Harrison expected plenty of blowback from the trade, but thought it would have eased sooner if Da-
vis had been able to play with Kyrie Irving,KlayThompson, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively for most of the restof the season. Instead, those five haven’t playedtogetheryet,and thestar combo of Davis and Irving shared less than threequarters together before Davisinjured agroin in his Dallas debut.Irving tore the ACL in hisleft knee whileDavis was out.
“Wefeel that’sa championshipcaliber team,and we wouldhave been winning ata high level and thatwould have quieted some of theoutrage,” Harrison said as part ofthe same answer about the fans’ love for Doncic.“And so unfortunately we weren’t able to do that, so it just continued to go on andon.”
The Mavericks almost didn’t have enough players to meet the NBA’s minimum requirement for severalgames while Davis was sidelined. Oncehereturned,the Mavs steadied themselvesand qualified for thefinal spot in the WesternConference play-in tournament at No.10.Dallaswon at Sacramento for ashotatthe eighth seed in theplayoffs before losing at Memphis.
Harrisonsaidhebelievedthe Mavs would get agood player in thefirst round of thedraft,where theyare currently slated to pick 11th. He alsodidn’trule outchanges in free agency But when asked what Dallas needed to become acontender again, Harrison said, “Really,we justneedtoget healthy.I think the team we’re bringing back is achampionship-caliber.Wefully expect to have Kyrie back with us next year whenhegets healed from his injury.And we believe we’llbecompetingfor achampionship.”
After Harrison said repeatedly last week that“defense wins championships”while defending thetrade, Doncic was asked by ESPN about his reaction to the session, saying it was “sad” what Harrison was saying and he wanted to moveon.
Harrison, who saidlast week he still hasn’tspoken to thefivetime All-NBA playerwho ledthe Mavericks to the NBAFinals last season, was asked about that exchangeand said, “I feel thesame way he does.I’ve actually never spoken ill of Luka, and I’m just ready tomove on with this team that we have.”
BY GREG BEACHAM AP sports writer
LOS ANGELES— After asecond offseason of financial discontent, Matthew Stafford is glad to beback at workwith the Los Angeles Rams.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback attended the start of the Rams’ voluntary offseason workoutprogram Monday,several weeks after getting asubstantial raise on the contract extension he received three years ago when the Rams won it all. Stafford got arestructured deal for thesecond straight offseason after challenging the Rams for better terms.
The 37-year-old Stafford didn’t go into many details about the standoff, which was much shorter this season after itstretched upto the start of training camp in 2024. Thequarterback also acknowledged he did “due diligence” on potential landing spots in atrade before the Rams gave him whathe wanted.
“There’ssomany positive things about our organization, about our team,” Stafford said. “Never really wanted to leave, so just happyto be back and happy that the Rams wantmeback, and hopefully we canmove forward and have a great season.”
Stafford, who began hiscareer with12years in Detroit, will play his fifth seasoninLos Angeles after strongly considering the possibility of starting over elsewhere.
The sides have downplayed the seriousness of their negotiations, with coach Sean McVay saying that he never seriously thought Stafford would leave. But Stafford definitely thought about it: His agent got permission from the Rams to gauge the quarterback’s potential value in atrade, and Staffordwas quickly linked to theoreticaldeals with theRaiders andGiants.
Los Angeles Ramsquarterback MatthewStafford warmsupbefore an NFCdivisional playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 19 in Philadelphia.
“I think anytime those kind of things come up, you’re obviously doing due diligence and looking around,”Stafford said. “You obviously poke your head around and see what’sgoing on.Obviously wanting to be back with the Rams was my No. 1priority,soI’m glad it worked out and Idon’thave to worry about it.”
Heading into his 17th NFL season, Stafford has made it clear he will decidehis future on ayear-toyearbasisfrom here on out,and the Rams seem content with that —for 2025, at least.
There’salso the distinct possibility theRams willattempt to draft theirquarterback of thefuture this week, either with the26th overall pick or bymoving up.
If that happens, Staffordsaidit wouldn’t changethe way he approaches the season.
“Whoever we draft, Ihope they comein and helpour team win,” Stafford said. “You look at it last year, ourfirst two picks were guys on defense that made huge impacts on our team. So for me, I’m just
BY GREG BEACHAM AP sportswriter
LOSANGELES Twohours before JJ Redick’s playoff coaching debut,the Los Angeles Lakers’ new benchbosslookedready to lace ‘em up himself His leg relentlessly pumped up and down underthe table whilehemostlygave curt,onesentence answers to reporters’ questions. He sounded thoroughly consumedbythe monumental taskahead of the Lakers in the NBApostseason —but unlike mostcoaches, he looked eager to meet it physically as wellas mentally
ButRedickdoesn’t want to be back in uniform,nomatter what this pure shooter’sbody languageissaying thesedays. When askedrecently whether he enjoyscoaching morethan playing, Redickquickly replied: “Yes.”
“I’ve been trying to figure that out for the last six months, honestly,” he saidwhenasked why “I think anybody that wasaround me as aplayer knows how much Ienjoyed the job every day,and knows howgrateful Iwas to be in theNBA every day,and very gratefultohave a15-year career.”
He paused and added: “I like this more.”
The 40-year-old Redick was only three years removed from being Luka Doncic’s teammate during his final playing season when he took over theLakers with absolutely no coaching experience.
He attacked his new job with theintensity of his playing days, and he has showed immediate acumen: His Lakers won 50 gamesand thePacificDivision titledespite shaking up their core at midseason with that blockbuster trade to acquire Doncic.
Hisyear was tumultuous away from the Lakersaswell: His family lost its home to the wildfires in Pacific Palisades. Redick is undoubtedly exhausted, but he’s still pouring hours into figuring out how the Lakers can come back against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who routed his team in the series opener Saturday Game 2isTuesday night in Los Angeles. Redick already knows that being the head coach of the Lakerscomes with infinite layers of scrutiny,but particularlyfromthe many former players who have built media careers examining the current team —and usually finding it lacking. When theLakerslostGame 1, Magic Johnson immediately jumped onto social media to criticizethe coach, saying Redick “didn’tdoagood job.”
Los
J.J. Redick questions acallashis team playsthe Indiana Pacers during the second half of agame on March26inIndianapolis.
Like any player,Redick knows the only waytoanswer critics is by winning. He alsoknows he’s still in theprocessnecessary to achieve all of his goals in his second career “As acoach, you’re obviously judged on regular-seasonwins and losses and your ability to get to the playoffs,” Redick said. “But Ithink the other two things that you’re really judged on (are) the wayyou’re able to handle the pressure of the playoffs, the adjustments, the in-gamestuff there’sstill so much workthat we have to do —and then Ithink you’re also judged on the culture youcreate, andwhether or not your players and everybody in thebuildinglike coming to work.”
Redick thought about becoming acoach for most of his playing career,and he learned from each of his owncoaches, including Mike Krzyzewski and Stan VanGundy.He’salready enjoyingsignificantsuccess with the Lakers, who almost always look more prepared and more focused than they did last season under Darvin Ham Although Redickwasn’ta finalist forthe NBA Coach of the Year award,the Lakersbymost measures hadtheir second-best season since the end of the Phil Jackson era in 2011.
Redick isn’tready to reflect on his first coaching season, however.He’sstill learning, and they’re still playing.
“Other than my house burning down in the Palisades Fire,nothing has surprisedme, becauseI wentinto this with avery open mind and abaseline level of knowledge,” Redicksaid. “And though Ididn’thaveexperience as acoach, Ihad 15 years of experience in theNBA,(and) I’ve been apartofa bunchofdifferent locker roomsinabunch of different situations, so I’ve kind of seen alot.But truthfully, there’sa different challenge every day.”
BY BRIAN MAHONEY AP basketball writer
trying to load this team up withas manygood players as we possibly can. If aquarterback comes along andthey feel theneed to take him, (I’d)welcome him with open arms and try to teach him as much as I possibly can.”
Stafford will have theentire offseason program to forge abond with Davante Adams, his longtime rivalinthe NFCNorth.The star receiver signed atwo-year deallast month with the Rams, who also released Super Bowl MVPCooper Kupp, Stafford’slongtime favorite target “He’sbeen an unbelievable player foralongtime,” Stafford said of Adams. “Obviously hada special connection with Aaron (Rodgers) there in Green Bayfor along time, which was great to watch as long as Iwasn’t on theother sideline watching it. …Great hands. Can finish plays down the field with scores as well. I’m excited to get to work with him. I’ve been afan of his for along timeasa player,so hopefully Ican give him the rock and he can do his thing.”
NEW YORK Cade Cunningham had33points and 12 rebounds, Dennis Schroder made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 55 seconds left, and the Detroit Pistons snappedtheir NBArecord15-gamepostseason losing streak by beating the New York Knicks 100-94 on Monday night in Game 2oftheir playoff series. The Pistons, whohadn’teven been to the postseason since 2019, recovered after theKnicks eraseda15-point deficit to earn their first playoff victory since Game 4ofthe 2008 Eastern Conference finals against Boston. TheCeltics won the final two gamesofthatseries, andthe Pistons were thenswept in 2009, 2006 and 2019 before dropping Game 1atMadison Square Garden. Nowtheyare back in the win column, all tied in the series and will host Game 3onThursday night Schroder,who wasn’teven on the Pistons until atrade in February,nailedthe 3-pointerafter theKnickshad used a16-4 run to tie it at 94-94 on Josh Hart’sdunk. Schroder finished with20points off the bench.
The Pistons engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history thisseason, going 44-38
after a14-win season in 2023-24 that included a28-gamelosing streak, longest ever in asingle season.
They were then in good shape to win Game 1with an eight-point lead after three quarters, before the Knicks used a21-0 run in the fourth to win 123-112. Detroit built another eight-point advantage after three Monday,and this timemade the big plays after another Knicks rally Jalen Brunson scored 37 points forthe No. 3-seeded Knicks, but Karl-Anthony Townsand OG Anunoby were each limited to 10 after both finished with 23 points in the opener Cunningham bounced back witha strongperformance after the All-Star guard was just 8for 21 in Game 1. TheKnicksstruggled to keep him out of the paint anddefendhim withoutfouling, as the Pistons shot 14 free throws to the Knicks’ twowhile building a55-49 lead at halftime. The Pistons then held New York to just one basket in the first seven-plus minutesofthe thirdquarter.Cunningham and TobiasHarris each had two baskets in an 11-0 run that Paul Reed, playing because backup centerIsaiahStewart was out with right kneeinflammation, capped witha basketthatgave thePistons theirlargest lead at 68-53 with 5:02 remaining in the third.
this is the real thing.”
Williams, who is projected to be asecond-round pick, ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dashatthe combine. He’saprovendeep threat who can line up at any of the wide receiver spots
Aformer quarterback in high school, Williams caught acareerhigh 70 passes for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He had 10 catches for 172 yards and atouchdowninthe Holiday Bowl.
For Williams and many others like him, the NFL is away to make abetter life, not just for himself but also his family
That’salot of pressure, but Williams embraces it.
“It would mean the world,” he said about getting drafted. “Just take alot off my mom.I can help my family,mysiblings. It gives them motivation to keepgoing and justtoknow that dreams do actually come true.Livingin asociety wherealot of people shy (away) from their dreams just to have this opportunity and get drafted is just like adream come true.”
Horton recorded 1,000 yards receiving as ajunior and senior and used his COVID eligibility to stay in schooland play an extra year in 2024. Aknee injury forced him to miss the second half of his fifth season, but he’s healthy and ready to go. Horton is projected to be picked in the third or fourth round.
“The whole process itself is a bitofagrind,but allthe work fromthe PopWarner days to middle school to the high school days and just the adversity that you’realwaysfacing within life and just thegame of football itself, it kindofall plays out,” Horton said. “It kind of molds you andbuilds you to being that better person, that better version of yourself. And just having alittle bit of that weight off of your shoulders from finishing school and only focusing on the sport that you love to do, Ifeel like that’s something that kind of helps out quite abit for me. And Ikind of just dedicated my entire time to football and just enjoying my life of studying and just dream-
“Itwould mean the world. Just takealot offmymom. Ican helpmyfamily, my siblings. It gives them motivation to keep going and just to know that dreams doactuallycome true. Living in asociety where a lot of peopleshy (away) from their dreams just to have this opportunity andget drafted is just like adreamcometrue.”
KyLE WILLIAMS, wide receiver
ing and playing ball.”
Monheim’spathcould be even tougher. He’sprojected to go anywhere from the fifth round or later,withsome draft analystspredictinghemight have to sign with ateamasanundrafted free agent.
“It would mean everything,” Monheimsaidabout getting drafted. “I can’twait for whatever opportunitypresents itself. Obviously,I’ve been training for thatmoment and I’ll be ready for it and it’d be an awesome momentfor my family,for myself, for my coaches,everyone that’sbeen apart of this process along my wholelife
“It’sanother step on theroad in my footballjourney. It’staken alot to get to this point, alot of peoplepouring into me, alot of work so you know it’sgood to be here and it’sjust another step in the road.”
Oregonoffensivelineman Josh Conerlyspent 21/2 months training at Excel’sstate-of-theartfacilities. Hisstock soared aftera standout performance against Penn State’sAbdul Carter in the Big Tenchampionshipand he could end up giving Goodell ahug onstage Thursday night
Conerly’sdaily training routine startedwith running in the morning, followedbypositiondrills, filmsessions and offensive installs. After lunch, it was timeinthe weight room andthen two or three hours of recovery
“They takecare of us likeno other,”Conerly said aboutExcel’sstaff. “I’m abig tub guy,so Ienjoy being in the hot tub, cold tub, sauna, red-light therapy.I like doing all those little things. It has my body feeling the best probably than it’sever felt.”
ONLY $39.95
Continuedfrom page1C
Tice liked Starks as apossible fit for New Orleans at No. 9, but the safetyislikelytogomuch later in Round 1—ifheeven getstaken on the first day at all. Starks has great size forthe position at 6-foot-1 and was an experienced three-year starteronone of thenation’s best defenses. His versatility would allow him to play multiple spots, and thatlikely would be intriguing to Saints defensive coordinator BrandonStaley,who deployedDerwin James in asimilar fashion when he coached the Los Angeles Chargers. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, however,envisions Starks more as a free safety than strong safety Nick Emmanwori,South Carolina Emmanwori might be the first safetytaken off the board, if it’snot Starks. The SouthCarolina product is an athletic freak who registered
aperfect 10 Relative Athletic Score thanks to his 4.38-second40-yard dash, 43-inchvertical jump and 11foot broad jump. He has productivity to match his athleticism. The 21-year-old was nameda first-team All-American last season after finishing with 88 tackles, four touchdowns and two pick-sixes.
JonasSanker, Virginia Sankerplays with range and has length,giving him the tools to possibly become astarter in theNFL. He wasathree-year starter at Virginia,making plenty of impact plays in the box. At 6feet and 206 pounds, Sanker reportedly needs to workonhis pursuit angles and can lose track in his coverage. But he’s athletic andisprojected to go in the third or fourth rounds.
Lathan Ransom,OhioState
Oneofthe Saints’ better lateroundselections in recent years hasbeen safety JordanHowden Could Ransom be this year’sHowden? They have asimilar size as Ransom is 6feetand 203 pounds,
whereas Howden is 6feet and 209 pounds. At Ohio State, Ransom emerged as astarter over the last two years and spent fivetotal with the Buckeyes. Ransom, with 76 tackles in 2024, can make plays in the run game and is ahard-hitting safety.Ifanything, he has one of the cooler names among this year’s prospects.
CraigWoodson, California
The Saints hired former California defensive coordinatorPeter Sirmon to coach linebackers this offseason, so he’d undoubtedly be familiar with Woodson. Sidelined for allof2021 with akneeinjury,Woodson cameback strong to emerge as athree-year starter for the Golden Bears. He can playinthe nickel and on the back end, as well as contribute on special teams.According to The Athletic, Woodson “got bettereach year,whichdidn’tgounnoticed by NFL scouts.” He is 24, making him an older prospect. EmailMatthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com
Under Ducote, Parkview softball aims to return to state tourney
BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer
LSU fans got a reminder of what a dominant player Ashlee Ducote was when she was honored during a softball alumni weekend earlier this spring.
The former Alexandria High star was part of a 1997 Tigers team that resurrected the sport at LSU. Ducote was a two-time, first-team All-America selection and the SEC Player of the Year in 2000.
A few weeks later, Ducote and her Parkview Baptist team have another softball resurrection project in the works. The fourthseeded Eagles (20-12) host No. 20 Catholic High-New Iberia (8-13-1) for a regional-round Division III select game set for 5 p.m. Tuesday
“It’s been a few years the last time we went to the state tournament was 2019,” Ducote said. “This is still a young group. But the freshmen and sophomores started playing varsity in middle school.
“They already have three or four years of experience. Right out of the gate, we were 0-3 and that was rough. We’re playing a tougher schedule this year I told them we would figure it out. Things started clicking for us in late March.”
From 2008 until 2019 the Eagles were tourney regulars, winning a Division II select title in 2018. Now a return trip to the LHSAA tourney is the endgame Ducote has in mind, but it will take two more wins to get there.
“I never overlook an opponent. Today we went over the scouting
report we got,” Ducote said. “Sure, Catholic is a No 20 seed. They come into the game with the same goal we have to advance to the next round. We need to execute the things we need to do.”
The Eagles have three seniors in Ava Cavaness (third base), Haley Lindsey (center field) and Hannah Franks (courtesy runner).
Want evidence of just how far the Eagles have come since last season? Their top hitter is sopho-
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SUSAN POAG
Former LSU player Ronald Dupree dunks during the 2003 SEC Tournament. Dupree recently was hired as the LSU men’s hoops general manager
Continued from page 1C
“I think the general manager position will allow me to spend more time in the coaching aspects of the job along with player development,” McMahon said.
“But I think whenever you’re able to add a talented person like Ronald Dupree, it makes everyone in your organization better and that is certainly the goal of the hire.”
Dupree said he’d love to eventually add more staff to make a “front office” for the team. He also said he’ll use his experience as a former professional player to assist current players prepare for their future.
“A lot of times you get this position, people think about it being like autonomy and power and all that,” Dupree said. “But it’s more about serving, you know, how can I be of best service to coach Mac, staff and our players?”
Dupree also will have a hand in which players LSU targets in the transfer portal and on the high school recruiting trail. This will be a major point of collaboration between McMahon and Dupree.
“I call it alignment,” Dupree said. “My position it’s to support him, and for us to be aligned on his vision of how you want to play.”
Dupree will focus on not only the kinds of skills and physical traits McMahon wants from players but also on intangibles such as personality Those discussions already have started.
Dupree hasn’t been involved in the five transfer portal additions thus far Those signings came before he was hired
“I do like who they’ve been able to add,” he said. “We have a few more spots we want to finish up on that. But just to be honest, they’ve done a terrific job putting the current roster together.”
The incoming transfers are highlighted by UNLV sophomore point guard Dedan Thomas, who is ranked as the No 14 player in the portal by 247Sports.
In last season’s Southeastern Conference preseason poll, LSU was predicted to finish 14th. The Tigers finished 15th and were one of only two teams in the conference to miss the NCAA Tournament.
LSU aims to participate in March Madness for the first time during McMahon’s tenure. Dupree said that is an attainable goal because of the backing the program has received. The mission is even more focused on fielding a competitive team that regularly makes the tournament.
When Dupree decided to leave the Bucks, his former coworkers gave him some advice.
“One of the things they told me is, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day, don’t get too ahead of yourself, just take your time,’ “ Dupree said. “In my head the last few days, (I thought) it’s not gonna happen overnight, but then I don’t think we’re too far to the type of basketball I think fans want to see.”
Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com
more right-fielder Ava Landry who bats leadoff with a .417 average. A year ago, she was the No. 9 hitter Sisters Jolie and Aimee Gawlik bat in the middle of the order and have combined to hit 13 home runs. Both are hitting in the .380s. Two eighth graders and one seventh grader share time in the circle. Jalayah Slaughter and Emmarie Lacy are eighth graders. Aimee Gawlik is the seventh grader
When Lacy does not pitch, she is usually the designated player and is batting .379. A win over Class 5A/Division I power St. Amant during that late March surge gave the Eagles a confidence boost. Wins over reigning champion Lutcher and traditional power E.D. White on the same day at the Brusly tourna-
ment helped, too.
“I think the important thing about those wins was this — they were able to say, ‘OK we can compete with these teams,’ ” Ducote said. “That’s when they really bought in.”
Email Robin Fambrough at rfambrough@theadvocate.com
BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer
What do a coach with 13 years of experience at his alma mater, a 10-year college coaching veteran and a coach who spent the 2024 season away from football have in common?
All three have been hired as head coaches by Baton Rouge area schools for the 2025-26 sports year
Antoine Washington is the new head football coach at his alma mater, Port Allen. Aja Ochie, a longtime assistant at Southeastern Louisiana, takes over the girls basketball program at The Dunham School.
After focusing on track this season, Lawrence Brown is the new head football coach at Tara.
“I had opportunities to leave, but to be honest with you, Port Allen has always been my dream job,” Washington said. “The kids are very excited.”
Washington is a 2007 Port Allen graduate who worked under three head coaches as an assistant. Previous Port Allen coach Don Gibson was hired as the head coach
Nonselect Division I Tuesday’s regional pairings No. 9 West Monroe (17-16) at No. 8 Live Oak (20-13), 5:30 p.m. No. 12 East Ascension (18-12) at No. 5 Hahnville (24-8), 4:30 p.m. No. 13 Southside (22-10)
“I’ve been watching film of the team. I know they made it to the (Division III select) quarterfinals the last two years. I’m eager to work with them this summer and have everything ready when I give birth in early September.”
AJA OCHIE, new Dunham School girls basketball coach
at Central Middle School.
Ochie, a former SLU player, had been a part of the Lions women’s basketball staff since 2015. The majority of the SLU women’s staff moved to McNeese when Ayla Guzzardo accepted the head coaching job there.
Because her husband Onochie, also an ex-SLU player, is head coach at Hammond High, she applied for the job at 2A Dunham.
She succeeds Hilary Morris, who is making a family move to Texas after the school year Speaking of family Ochie is pregnant with her fourth child.
“With my husband also being a head coach and our children, a move now just wasn’t right for us,” Ochie said. “I heard about Dunham. I am very impressed with the school great family atmosphere
“I’ve been watching film of the
team I know they made it to the (Division III select) quarterfinals the last two years. I’m eager to work with them this summer and have everything ready when I give birth in early September.” Brown, 59, takes over for Reginald Ware at Tara. He led now-defunct Pointe Coupee Central to the football quarterfinals more than a decade ago. Brown then spent six seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, St. Augustine. He has 25 returning players set for spring practice and is holding middle school tryouts.
“I’m going to all the middle schools. We need to bring in more players in here,” Brown said. “We’re a C level school academically and that should help.”
Email Robin Fambrough at rfambrough@theadvocate.com
(29-5),
(22-13) at
Thursday, 6 p.m. Friday, noon Saturday (if necessary) No. 14 Minden (21-14) at No. 3 Lutcher (2311), 6 p.m. Friday, noon, 3 p.m. (if necessary) Saturday
RANDyLABAUVE
Nowisa good time to
By now,you’ve probably had to crank up the lawnmower and give your lawn its first cut in awhile
Turfgrasses are emerging from their winter dormancy, turning green and growing once again and so are warm-season weeds. As you get back into the habit of lawnmaintenancethis spring, think about helping your grass along with adose of fertilizer sometime soon. Now is also the perfectopportunity to get a handle on weeds whilethey are small and easier to control. Youcan buy combination weed-and-feed products at gardencenters and hardware stores. But Eric DeBoer,anassistant professor of turfgrass management with the LSU AgCenter,recommends handling the tasks of weed control and fertilization with separate products. Before you start, you need to do afew things. First, get your hands on abroadcast spreader for applying granular fertilizers and herbicides.Ifyou want to use aherbicide that’smeant to be sprayed, you may need to locate asprayer; some of these products come in containers with built-in sprayersorcan be connected to agarden hose.
Next, you should determine how big your yard is —you need to know how much product to buy.And you need to know what kind of grass— or grasses —and weeds are growing in your yard. This information will not only allow you to select the most effective fertilizer andherbicideproducts for your situation, but it will also help you avoid damaging your lawn, as some products are not safefor useoncertain grasses. Visit www.LSUAgCenter com/turfgrass for guidesthat can help you identify common lawn weeds and differentiate between popular turfgrass species such as St. Augustinegrass,centipedegrass,bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. These pages also provide suggested fertilization ratesfor different grasses and cultural and chemical weed control strategies. When it comestocontrolling weeds, your focus right now should be treating newly germinated warm-season weeds with apost-emergence herbicide. Mature cool-season weeds like chickweed and annual bluegrass should be removed by hand pulling or mowing at this point. They will die back soon as temperatures continue to climb.
To prevent an infestation of warm-seasonweeds later on, it’simportant to apply herbicide now whilethey are young and tender
“A more mature weed is alwaysgoingtobemore difficult
Atreehouse,a chef’s dream, arooftop loft areamong themostpopular Airbnbsfor ashort stay in BatonRouge
BY JOYHOLDEN | Staff writer
Whether it’sacozy home with historic charm or aluxurious, sprawlingmanor,Baton Rouge has awiderange of options for short-term rentals.
Tommy Talley,who manages 24 short-term rental properties in Baton Rouge, joined Airbnb as ahost in 2016. He has witnessed Baton Rouge grow from around 250 rentals almost 10 yearsago to, at the height of football season, over 900 properties available for short-term rental. Talley sayshis guests range from out-of-towngrandmothers coming in to support new parents to aSeattle group of horror fans visitingthe 13th Gate.
Kasey Eglin,who has owned ashort-term rental home on Hundred Oaks for twoyears, is surprised by thesheer number of guests she has hosted.
“A lot morepeople come to Baton Rouge than I realized,” shesaid.
ä See TEMPORARY, page 2D
Dancers performat the2019 Global Water Dance in Zadar, Croatia.
BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer
Eglin and her husband bought the home as an Airbnb; the previous owners were managing it as a short-term rental for three years. The couple thought the home would be a good investment and an eventual place for their three children to live, if they chose to go to LSU, Eglin said.
She has noticed families coming to town for weddings, sporting events, tournaments and holidays.
Thanksgiving week is already reserved for this year
Her place is pet-friendly and includes a crib and stroller, so Eglin says it’s an ideal rental for young parents and pet owners.
All about location
Just like real estate, the short-term rental market is all about location.
“They want to be by the coolest bar, best coffee shop, be able to walk to things,” Talley said. “Walkability is the way we build ours.”
Mid City, Garden District and Hundred Oaks neighborhood locations do well due to the size of homes for a short stay and the proximity to restaurants and events. Eglin’s Hundred Oaks rental is across from Zeeland Street Market and near Garden District Coffee.
“It really has a feel of a bed-and-breakfast because people will wake up in the morning, walk across the street and go to Garden District and get their coffee and then get their biscuits at Zeeland,” Eglin said.
“It’s just such a sweet little walkable community Once people come, I’ll have repeat guests because they fall in love with the area.”
Talley says that his downtown loft properties on Third Street are also consistent producers, especially during wedding season for brides and grooms to get ready and have photo shoots.
Here are nine short-term rentals that are highly rated as guest favorites according to Airbnb.com.
Historic charm
Hundred Oaks Top 1%
This lovely home boasts a quintessential Southern front porch and clean, fresh aesthetic in the quaint walkable neighborhood of Hundred Oaks near Perkins
Continued from page 1D
invites those interested in participating to text her at (225) 317-4365. She hopes the event will get people involved with water in Baton Rouge, and she’s still actively recruiting dancers
The story of Baton Rouge’s water is complicated, said Standifer, but she is determined to tell it.
”Water doesn’t care what parish you’re in or what state you’re in. It’s just gonna flow,” she said. “It’s important for people to realize this is our right — to have access to clean water We need it, and it’s here.”
The city of Baton Rouge draws its water from the Southern Hills Aquifer, a natural underground reservoir of groundwater that has been highly rated over the years in terms of cleanliness. The water source has been in long-term danger due to increased pumping over the years. The increased pumping has drawn more and more salt water over the Baton Rouge fault, a geological crack that roughly tracks Interstates 10 and 12, and into the water source.
In an attempt to tell the story of water through dance, Standifer has divided dancers into different groups: industry, water and the community The groups have distinct choreography but also intermingle to show how the Baton Rouge is dependent on water and how members of the community also depend on industry for jobs
Charming exterior of Tudor Airbnb
Overpass restaurants. With two bedrooms and three baths, this getaway lists for $225 per night. The home is in the top 1% on Airbnb based on ratings, reviews and reliability
Close to LSU
Most Expensive
This large home by the University Lakes sleeps six to eight guests and includes a covered patio, pool, high ceilings and lots of room to spread out. It has a pool, hot tub, putting green and outside seating with a TV With four bedrooms, five beds and four baths, this house rents for $1,500 per night.
Nicholson Manor with pool
Step back into time for a midcentury-style pool party at this large home located on Nicholson Drive Built in 1948, it’s a great space to host large groups of family and friends with a large backyard, a huge lap pool and outdoor patio With six bedrooms, seven beds and three bathrooms, the rent is $500-$700 per night depending on season and dates.
Downtown
Loft with Rooftop
For a downtown loft experience, this two-story loft on Third Street features an amazing rooftop deck, a balcony and is within walking distance of restaurants, cafes, bars and downtown events. The upstairs bedroom is on the second floor and opens up directly to the rooftop deck for a skyline view The loft is atop a bar on the ground floor, so this stay comes with a party. For
$375 per night, it comes with two bedrooms, two beds and two baths.
Beauregard Town Retreat
This renovated 1920s home in the heart of Baton Rouge’s historic Beauregard Town is within walking distance to the Raising Cane’s River Center, the Mississippi River levee and downtown events. This downtown cottage is in the top 5% of eligible listings based on ratings, reviews and reliability. It has one bedroom, two beds and one bathroom for $169 a night.
Notable luxury
Kenmore House
Designed and owned by celebrity designer and HGTV alum Kenneth Brown, this luxury Hundred Oaks home is outfitted with top-of-theline furnishings and stocked with high-end amenities. It’s in the top 1% of properties based on ratings, reviews and reliability This home’s special features include a glassed-in patio looking out over beautiful oak trees and a landscaped outdoor entertaining area. It comes with three bedrooms, three beds and two bathrooms for $325 per night.
Living large in luxury
This century-old Garden District Tudor home looks like it’s straight out of a fairy tale. In the top 5% of properties based on ratings, reviews and reliability, this renovated, chic house is a rare find Perfect for a large group of up to 12 people, the home delivers on space and amenities, including a heated pool. It comes with three bed-
rooms, seven beds and four baths for $429 per night
Something different Treehouse cabin vibes
This home is giving treehouse vibes in the city. Located in the Capital Heights neighborhood, the owners call it the “Treehouse” because it is an elevated home surrounded by mature trees. Exposed wood throughout brings a cabin feel. It comes with one bedroom, two beds and one bathroom for $140 per night.
Chef’s dream kitchen
For a weekend of gourmet feasting for a festive group, this house features a chef’s kitchen equipped with highend appliances, ample countertop space and a large galley, cookware, pots, utensils and knives. For outdoor gatherings, this house also includes a massive covered outdoor kitchen. Families love this spot, which is in the top 10% based on ratings, reviews and reliability For $450 a night, it comes with four bedrooms, five beds and two bathrooms.
Prices listed represent current listing prices and fluctuate. They do not include additional fees.
By The Associated Press Today is Tuesday, April 22, the 112th day of 2025. There are 253 days left in the year Today in history: On April 22, 1889, the Oklahoma Land Rush began at noon as thousands of homesteaders staked claims to nearly 1.9 million acres of land that was formerly part of Indian Territory By the end of the day, the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie were established with as many as 10,000 settlers each.
On this date: In 1954, the publicly televised sessions of the Senate Army-McCarthy hearings began.
In 2000, in a dramatic predawn raid, armed immigration agents seized 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boy at the center of a custody dispute, from his relatives’ home in Miami. Elian was reunited
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to control than a weed that’s freshly germinated,” DeBoer said.
Carefully read the label directions of the product you intend to apply Labels will tell you which weeds the product is labeled for, which grasses it can safely be used on and other critical details.
“A lot of herbicides will have directions saying not to spray if the ambient temperature is 85 F or warmer, so you have to pay attention to the outdoor temperature,” DeBoer said Also, be mindful of application instructions. Herbicides come in liquid and granular forms. If you’re using a granular product, the label likely will direct you to apply it after you’ve irrigated the yard or following rain or heavy dew
with his father at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington. In 2005, Zacarias Moussaoui pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom outside Washington, D.C., to conspiring with the Sept. 11 hijackers to kill Americans. (Moussaoui was sentenced to life in prison in May 2006.)
In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, operated by BP sank into the Gulf of Mexico two days after a massive explosion that killed 11 workers. Today’s birthdays: Actor Jack Nicholson is 88. Singer Mel Carter is 86. Author Janet Evanovich is 82. Filmmaker John Waters is 79. Basketball Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood is 76. Singer Peter Frampton is 75. Actor-comedian Ryan Stiles is 66. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan is 59. Actor Sheryl Lee is 58. Actor-talk show host Sherri Shepherd is 58.
“The idea is that the granules stick to the leaves to deliver the herbicide,” DeBoer said. On the fertilization front, carefully following directions is important, too. Read the product label to see how much should be applied to your yard and adjust the dial on your spreader accordingly to set the correct application rate. There are lots of formulations of fertilizer out there. DeBoer suggests looking for something that is higher in nitrogen and lower in other nutrients such as phosphorous.
“Nitrogen is the most important nutrient to get out in the spring,” he said. Keep up with regular mowing and irrigate as needed as spring and summer wear on. Along with fertilization, these steps promote a healthy vigorously growing lawn that can outcompete unattractive weeds.
For some dancers, the cause and movements reflect their real world concerns. The Rev Lura Lisa Wall, who pastors Unity Church in Baton Rouge, grew up in the New Orleans suburbs and now splits her time between Baton Rouge and River Ridge. New Orleans doesn’t draw from the aquifer; they get their water from the Mississippi River Wall worries that if things don’t change, Baton Rouge might one day be in the same boat.
Sourcing water from an underground aquifer is preferred because of it purity due to water having filtered through sediments.
“We’re at the bottom of the Mississippi,” Wall said. “There’s a lot of stuff that goes into the river before it gets to Baton Rouge.”
Though there are no current public plans that Baton Rouge will switch water sources, activists and dancers are concerned because water is a finite resource. This, they said, combined with the salt intrusions and the fact that many industries in Baton Rouge use drinking water instead of Mississippi River water for their operations, are causes for worry and reasons to act now to protect the aquifer
According to The Water Institute, fresh water drawn from the Southern Hills Aquifer System provides 100% of the public water supply and 83% of the industrial and power generation water supply in East Baton Rouge Parish.
“They (the public) need to
The group is still actively looking for dancers, but for now, they meet on weekends to learn choreography and reflect on what the movements in the global dance mean
care about it,” said Mary Lee Orr, executive director of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network. “They need to let the governor know Baton Rouge Water Company know, their representatives, their senators know that they really want to preserve this aquifer because if there isn’t positive input from people, then the people in leadership think it’s okay if it goes away.”
At the event set for June 14, people will hear from speakers, including Gary Beard, director of the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District. There will be resources there which will provide more information, encourage participants to call their local representatives and test their own water
“The bottom line is we need to care for each other, and that means taking care of the water,” she said.
“There’s nothing wrong with having industry and making things as long as we are in line with taking care of what is needed to live. There’s not gonna be industry if people are not around.”
The Global Water Dance will take place on June 14, 2025 at LSU’s Hilltop Arboretum at 10:30 a.m., located at 11855 Highland Road. Participants are encouraged to carpool as parking will be limited. Text Standifer at (225) 317-4365 for more information. She is looking for both dancers and volunteers to staff information tables. No dance experience is required.
Email Serena Puang at serena.puang@ theadvocate.com.
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Keep moving. Idle time is your enemy today. Too much time to think, complain or get into trouble will prevent you from taking care of business. A physical change will boost your confidence.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Broaden your horizons, participate in thought-provoking events and get in touch with people who can offer experience and hands-on help. However, find out what's expected of you before you embark on a project.
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Zero in on what's important to you instead of lurking around the outer perimeters of situations. Speak openly from the heart and directly to those most likely to tell the truth.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Finish what you start, do things by the book and take responsibility for yourself, your words and your actions. Arguing will waste time and deter you from reaching your objective or destination.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) You are overdue for a change. Look at yourself, what you do and the goals you want to achieve A positive attitude will outweigh negativity and anger.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Take a break. Get out and mingle, network or participate in something that motivates or stimulates you to give your all. Now is the time to express yourself with confidence, not to hesitate.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Accept change and keep moving forward. How you
deal with what's happening around you will determine how others perceive you and your influence on your goals.
sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Social events will result in heartfelt discussions that give you something to think about. Be careful about what you agree to do. A project will require time and effort.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take care of financial matters, apply for a position that interests you and manage your health care with finesse. Don't leave anything to chance or up to someone else.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Look at the long-term effects and pace yourself accordingly. Refuse to let someone drag you into their drama when you are best off working on benefits you most.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Make changes that improve your lifestyle and health. Discipline and saying no to temptation is essential Micromanagement, along with common sense, will help stabilize your life.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Take advantage of an opportunity to discuss your interests and how to use your skills to market yourself effectively. Think outside the box, and you'll discover how to diversify and update your skills.
The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
toDAy's cLuE: y EQuALs A
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
Bridge
By PHILLIP ALDER
Jim Rohn, an entrepreneur and motivational speaker whodied in 2009, said, “Ifyou don’t design your own life plan, chancesareyou’llfallintosomeoneelse’s plan. And guesswhat theyhave planned foryou? Notmuch.”
If youdon’t design your own declarerplay plan, chances are you’ll fall intothe defenders’ plan. And guess what they have in store foryou? Down one.
In this deal, how should South play in fourspades after West leads the diamond jack?
South wassorelytempted to rebid three no-trump, wondering if his side could take ninetricks in either no-trump or spades. But herethatwould not have worked well. East would have led the club queen, and the defenders would have takenfour clubs and one heart for down one.
South starts with four potential losers: oneheart,one diamond and two clubs. He hasnine winners: sixspades, one heart andtwo diamonds. Wheremight the10th trick come from?
He can get an extra trick if West has theheart ace or East has the club ace.
Declarermusttakethefirsttrickinhis hand with the ace, retaining dummy’s kingasalaterentry.Hedrawsoneround oftrumps,thenplaysahearttodummy’s
queen. If Eastcould take the trick with theace, Southwouldneed East also to hold the club ace; otherwise, declarer would be condemned to down one. Here, though, the queen holds. South then draws trumps and leads his second heart,establishing his 10thtrick. Plan the play at trick one. ©2025 by NEA,Inc dist. By AndrewsMcMeel
Syndication
Each Wuzzle is awordriddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. Forexample: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InstRuctIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or moreletters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats”or“dies,” arenot allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns,slang words,orvulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed.
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Average mark 20 words Time limit 35 minutes
Can you find 26 or more words in CHECKERED?
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ROUGE, LOUISIANA 70821 Notice
provided and corrected exclusively by the nominating party.Therefore, any mineral lease(s) or geophysical agr eement(s) awarded by the Louisiana State Mineral and Energy Board(Mineral Board) from the Tract(s) listed below arewithout warranty of any kind, either express, implied or statutory including, but not limited to, title or the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for aparticular purpose.
An error or omission in the nominating party’sTract descriptionmay requirethat aState mineral lease(s) or geophysical agreement(s) be modified, canceled or abrogated due to the existence of conflicting leases, operating agreements, private claims or other futureobligations or conditions within the Tract(s) described. In such case, however the Mineral Board shall not be obligated to refund any consideration paid by the Lessee prior to such modification, cancellation or abrogation including, butnot limited to, bonuses, rentals and royalties.
lease(s) or ageophysical agr eement(s),
Tract(s) available for leasing may be situated in the Louisiana Coastal Zone as defined in
Act 361 of the Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature of 1978 (promulgated as LSA-R. S. 49:213) and may be subject to the guidelines and regulations promulgated by the Office of Coastal Management of the Department of Energy and Natural Resources for operations in the Coastal Zone.
Further,in accordance with Article XII, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, and notwithstanding any language herein to the contrary,any mineral rights granted by the Mineral and Energy Boardto the tract(s) advertised herein are subject to the surface usage for integrated coastal protection or hurricane and flood protection projects promulgated, funded and effected through the State of Louisiana, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority the Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration, and the Department of Energy and Natural Resources and its divisions, whether solely or in conjunction with other state, local or federal governmental agencies or with private individuals or entities.
Bids may be for the whole or any particularly described portion of the land
IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES PUBLIC HEARING, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2025 PROPOSED ORDINANCE
The Parish Council of Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana, held aPublic Hearing in the Council Meeting Room, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, on the 18th day of March, 2025 at 6:00 P.M. pursuant to a Notice of PublicHearingpublished on the 18th day of February,2025 in The Advocate and posted on the Iberville Parish website.
The Council Chairman, Steve C. Smith, called the meeting to order at 6:00p.m. followed by the roll call with the following Council Members in attendance: Thomas E. Dominique, Sr., District 3; Freddie Frazier,Sr., District 4; Steve C. Smith, District 5; Raheem T. Pierce, District 6; Nadia Jenkins, District 7; Hunter S. Markins, District 8; Terry J. Bradford, District 9; Chasity Martinez, District 10; Charles Dardenne, District 11; Matthew H. Jewell, District 12.
Absent: Allen, Easley,Morgan.
Chief Administrative Officer-Dwayne Boudreaux, Finance Director Randall Dunn, and Legal Counsel- Scott Stassi werealso in attendance. Mr.Dunn read thefollowing ordinance in entirety
ORDINANCE 1 ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE 2025 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGETTO ACCEPT GRANT FUNDING FROMTHE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONPIPELINEAND HAZARDOUS MATERIALSSAFETY ADMINISTRATION(PHMSA)
The floor was opened to commentsand questions. Therewas no opposition to this ordinance from the public.
Therebeing no further business to be conducted, thehearing was adjourned at 6:03 p.m.
/s/ MACY W. OURSO /s/ STEVEC.SMITH COUNCIL CLERK COUNCIL CHAIRMAN IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR MEETING, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2025
The Parish Council of Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana, metinRegular Session, in the Council Meeting Room, 2nd Floor, Courthouse Building, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, on the 18th day of March, 2025.
The Council Chairman, Steve C. Smith,called the meeting to orderat 6:30 p.m. followed by the roll call with the following Council Members in attendance: Shalanda L. Allen, District 1; Thomas E. Dominique, Sr District 3; Freddie Frazier,Sr.,District 4; Steve C. Smith District 5; Raheem T. Pierce, District 6; Nadia Jenkins, District 7; Hunter S. Markins, District 8; Terry J. Bradford, District 9; Chasity Martinez, District 10; Charles Dardenne, District 11;Matthew H. Jewell, District 12. Absent:Easley,Morgan.
Chief Administrative Officer-Dwayne Boudreaux, andLegal CounselScott Stassi werealso in attendance.
Aquorum was present and due notice had been posted and published in The Advocate newspaper on the 13th day of March, 2025. The Pledge of Allegiance followed.
Council Chairman Smith called for anyone wanting to make public comments to register withthe Clerk.
ADDENDUM None.
The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman.
PRESENTATIONS AND APPEARANCES
A) Proclamation declaring April 2025 as Autism Awareness Month in Iberville Parish •The proclamation was read by Parish President Daigle.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Upon amotion by Councilwoman Jenkins, and seconded by Councilman Bradford, it was moved to wave the reading of the minutes of February 18, 2025 and approve as written. The motion having been duly submitted to avote was duly adopted by the followingyea and nay votes on roll call:
YEAS: Allen, Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell.
NAYS: None.
ABSTAIN: None.
ABSENT:Easley,Morgan.
The motion wasdeclared adopted by the Chairman.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Daigle reported on the following:
•Hestated that he wanted to recognize employees for their years of service; 5years, Cindy Weber,Josh Johnson, and Lane Neely; 10 years, Stacey Adler and Tricia Mullins; 15 years, Wayne Wunstell.
•Keep Iberville Beautifulday Parish wide clean-up day is April 12. Moredetails will be coming out in the coming weeks. On May 5th will
•NextEra
advertised, but no bids will be accepted that does not equal the Minimum Royalty as set forth in La. R.S. 30:127 or which arenot in compliance with the provisions of Sub-part Aof Chapter 2, Title 30 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, other applicable laws or the guidelines established by the Boardthrough the Office of Mineral Resources. The Minimum Royalty is not to be construed as an amount acceptable to the Mineral Board, it being the policy of the Mineral Boardto reject any bid which does not reflect tract potential. The Board considers bonus, royalty percentage, and also compares royalty granted to landowners in the area.
Multiple portion bids on the same tract may be accepted by the Mineral Board, even though they overlap. In the case of overlapping portion bids on the same tract, each of which is otherwise acceptable to the State, the Mineral Boardhas the sole discretion, to determine which one of the multiplebids on the same tract is most advantageous and in the best interest of the State. The Mineral Board may base it decision on factors such as but not limited
of March.
to the royalty,per acrecash payment, bonus, any additional consideration. The selected bid, (referred to as “Bid A”), will be given priority in having alease issued. The Mineral Board will also indicate the acceptabilityofother portion bids on the same tract, if any in the order of their acceptance (referred to respectively as “Bid B”,“BidC”, etc.). Once the plat of “Bid A” ‘s portion has been rendered as accurately as possible, “Bid B” will be contacted and given an option to take alease on the remaining portion of his portion bid acreage not overlapping “Bid A” ‘s bid portion,at“BidB ‘s per acrebid price (both as to bonus and rental); and thereafter each successive bidder whose bid is otherwise acceptable will be given the option to take a lease on whatever portion remains of his portion bid acreage at his respective per acrebid price, less and except any prior portion bid acreage on which the successful bidder has opted to take alease.
The Mineral and Energy Boarddoes not obligate itself to accept any bid, and that acceptance is at the sole discretion of the Mineral Board which reserves the right to reject any and all bids or to grant a
lease on any portion of the tract advertised and to withdraw the remainder of the tract.
Additional requirements to be included in allsealed bids submitted to the Office of Mineral Resources and additional tract information associated with each tract advertised can be found at the Office of Mineral Resources website titled “Notice of Publication” located at: htt p://www.dnr louisiana.gov/index. cfm/page/1300. It is the bidders’ responsibilityto properly complete the bid package pursuant to the requirements stated in both the public notice and the Notice of Publication. The rights to geot hermal resources, free sulphur,potash, lignite, salt and other solid mineralsare to be excluded from any oil or gas mineral lease and any bid purporting to include those rights will be disregarded as to the extent of those rights only
If you require accom modat io ns due to adisability in order to attend or participate in a meeting, please notify the Office of Mineral Resources at P.O. Box 2827, Baton Rouge, LA 708212827 or 225-342-
•Hestated that on March26isthe Geaux Jobs event at the Civic Center,onMarch 28 the Gray Monkey Parade will be hosted at the Belleview Park, on April5isthe Swamp Life Expo, and April12isthe ‘Keep Iberville Beautiful’Day Clean-up Day
FINANCIAL REPORT Finance Director,Randall Dunn stated that the councildid received their budget to actual financial statements and asked if they had any questions. Sales Taxare down this monthand arethe lowest they have been in along time. Councilwoman Allen asked about raises that weregiven and which grade some people weremoved to and stated that she will be making a formal request for certaininformation.
OLD BUSINESS
ORDINANCE IPC# 004-25
ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE 2025 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET TO ACCEPT GRANT FUNDING FROMTHE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (PHMSA)
WHEREAS,the IbervilleParish Councilhas identified the need to replace of approximately5.64 miles of existing steel mains with 4- inch polyethylene (PE) coiled pipe, 88 steel service lines with 1-inch PE coiled pipe, and 88 aging residential meters.
WHEREAS,the Iberville Parish Councilapplied for funding through the US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials SafetyAdministration in June of 2024 under the 2024 grant funding Cycle; and WHEREAS,the IbervilleParish Council was awarded the sum of $2,546,363 from the US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials SafetyAdministration for the completion of the above project;
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the IbervilleParish Council that the 2025 Capital Improvement Fund is hereby amended as follows:
1. An additional amount of two-million-five-hundred-forty-sixthousand three-hundred-sixty-three Dollars ($2,546,363) is hereby appropriated from the Capital Improvement Fund for revenue in the following account Capital Improvement Fund 341, Intergovernmental Grant Capital Outlay Public Works1303, Natural Gas Cost Center Account 5900, Federal GrantsGeneral Ledger Code 431000
2. An additional amount of two-million-five-hundred-forty-sixthousand three-hundred-sixty-three Dollars ($2,546,363) is hereby appropriated from the Capital Improvement Fund for expenditureinthe following account Capital Improvement Fund 341, Capital Outlay Public Works5853, Natural Gas Cost Center Account 5900, Gas InfrastructureRegulatory General Ledger Code 563000
The foregoing ordinance which was previously introduced at the meeting of the IbervilleParish CouncilonFebruary 18, 2025 and acopy thereof having been published in the official journal on February 24, 2025 the public hearing on this ordinance heldonthe 18th day of March, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.,inthe Council Meeting Room, 58050 MeriamStreet, Plaquemine, Louisiana, was brought up for final passage with amotion by Councilman Jewell, and seconded by CouncilmanMarkins, having been duly submitted to avote, the ordinance was dulyadopted by the following yea and nay vote on roll call:
YEAS: Allen, Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins,Bradford Martinez,Dardenne, Jewell.
NAYS: None.
ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Easley,Morgan.
The ordinance was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 18th day of March, 2025.
NEWBUSINESS
A) Introduction of Ordinances 1. Ordinance to amend Appendix B(Unified Development Code) of the compiled code of ordinances for the Parish of Iberville, for purposes of routing all planning commission recommendationstothe parish council for final approval
UponamotionbyCouncilmanDardenne, seconded by Councilwoman Martinezitwas moved that apublic hearing be held on Tuesday,April 15, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. on the introduced ordinance.
The motion having been duly submitted to avote, was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call:
YEAS: Dominique, Frazier,Smith, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins,Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne.
NAYS: Allen.
ABSTAIN: None.
ABSENT: Easley,Morgan.
The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman on March 18, 2024. RESOLUTION COMMITTEE REPORT
The Resolution Committee met on Tuesday,March 18, 2025 at 6:05 p.m., followed by the roll call with the following Resolution Committee Members only in attendance: Jewell, Dardenne, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins,Martinez Frazier,Dominique. Absent:Morgan.
The following resolution was read aloud by Mr.Dunn: A) Resolution to declarecertain
4615 at least two (2) working days before the meeting date.
STATEAGENCY TRACTS (Tract Nos. 45930 through 45931 inclusive, herein cannot specify a leaseprimary term exceeding three (3) years).
TRACT45930Caddo Parish, Louisiana AcertainTract of land, excluding the beds andbottoms of allnavigable waters, belonging to andnot presently undermineral lease from Caddo Levee District on May 14, 2025, being more fully described as follows: That certain tract or parcel of land, situated in Section 22, Township 22 North, Range 15 West, Caddo Parish, Louisiana,and being moreparticularly described as the North Half of the Northwest Quarter (N/2 of NW/4) andthe Northwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter (NW/4 of NE/4)containing 120.00 acres.The description is based on information provided by the State Agency regarding location and ownership of surface andmineral rights.
NOTE: The Caddo Levee District will require aminimum bonus of $50.00 per acreand aminimum royalty of twenty (20%) percent.
NOTE: There shall be no surface operations on the property
TRACT45931Caddo Parish, Louisiana AcertainTract of land, excluding the beds andbottoms of allnavigable waters, belonging to and not presently under mineral lease from Caddo Parish School BoardonMay 14, 2025, being morefully described as follows: That certaintract or parcel of land being situated in Section 33 andorTheoretical Section 34, Township 17 North, Range 13 West, Caddo Parish, Louisiana.Being morefully described in thatcertainCash Sale Deed, dated August 9, 1967, and being recorded under Entry #438192, in the Conveyance Records of the Clerk of Courts office, Caddo Parish, Louisiana,containing 15.98 acres,moreor less. The description is based on information provided by the State Agency regarding location andownership of surface andmineral rights.
NOTE: After the original term of the Lease, production from the leased premises, or from land unitized or pooled therewith, shall only maintain the Lease or otherwise provided therein from the surface of the earthtoone hundred
NOTE:
NOTE: Without
NOTE: The Caddo Parish School Boardwill require aminimum bonus of $3,000.00 per acreand aminimum royalty of twenty-five (25%)percent.
135381-474858-April 22-1t $289.60
property andtobesold at public auction/sale in accordance with Louisiana law
B) Resolution adopting the Citizen Participation Planfor CDBG CouncilmanJewellmade arecommendation to forward the resolution to the regularmeeting, seconded by CouncilmanDardenne. The recommendation having been duly submitted to avote wasduly adopted by the following yea andnay votes on roll callbyResolution Committee Members only:
YEAS: Jewell, Dardenne, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Martinez, Frazier Dominique NAYS: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT:Morgan.
Duringthe RegularMeeting:
RESOLUTION IPC #2025-012
RESOLUTION TO DECLARE CERTAIN USED MOVABLE PROPERTY AS SURPLUS PROPERTY ANDTOBESOLD AT PUBLIC AUCTION/ SALE IN ACCORDANCE WITH LOUISIANA LAW
WHEREAS, the Parish of Iberville, through its Parish Council, hasbeen requested to declarecertainused movable property whichisnolonger requiredassurplus property
WHEREAS, La.R.S. 49:125 provides thatapolitical subdivision is authorized to sell surplus movable property at public auction/sale,and is authorized to employ aqualified licensed auctioneer to handle the said sale or to receive sealed bids for the sale of the surplus property
WHEREFORE, the office equipment andfurnishings, equipment and vehicles described on the list attached hereto is no longeruseful or needed andshould be declared as surplus movable property
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Iberville Parish Council as follows;
“That the usedmovable property,office equipment andfurnishings and equipment andvehiclescontainedonthe attached list (Attachment SP2025-001) aredeclared surplus movable property andthatthe items be sold at public auction or by sealed bid in accordance with Louisiana law afterdue public noticeispublishedinthe official journalofthe Parish.”
The foregoing resolution having been submitted to avote by roll callwas adopted in regularsession this 18th day of March, 2025 by the following vote:
YEAS: Allen, Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell.
NAYS: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT:Easley,Morgan.
The resolution wasdeclared adopted by the ChairmanonMarch 18, 2025. RESOLUTION IPC #2025-013
RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN FOR CDBG
WHEREAS, the Iberville Parish Council hasbeen informedthat the State of Louisiana,Division of Administration, CDBG Section will be accepting applicationsfor FY 2026/2027 Louisiana Community Development BlockGrants; and
WHEREAS, the State is requiring communitiestorevise existing CitizenParticipation Plans to conformwith currentHUD regulations. NOW THEREFOREBEITRESOLVED, thatthe attached Citizen Participation Plandated February 18, 2025 is hereby adopted andwill supersede allpreviously adopted CitizenParticipation Plans.
The foregoing resolution having been submitted to avote by roll callwas adopted in regularsession this 18th day of March, 2025 by the following vote:
YEAS: Allen, Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell.
NAYS: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT:Easley,Morgan.
The resolution wasdeclared adopted by the ChairmanonMarch 18, 2025.
BOARDS &COMMISSIONS REPORT None
DISCUSSIONS None
ADJOURNMENT Therebeing no furtherbusiness, it wasmovedbyCouncilmanMarkins, andsecondedbyCouncilmanPierce, to adjournat7:00p.m. The motion wasunanimously adopted.
/s/ MACYW.OURSO /s/ STEVE
Voting Members
Mr.Burke Fiscus, BoardMember
Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, BoardMember
Dr.Atley Walker Sr Vice President
Mr.Ronald LeBlanc, BoardMember
Mr.Matthew Daigrepont, BoardMember
Mr.Michael Maranto, BoardMember
Mrs. Teri Bergeron, BoardMember
Mr.Alden Chustz, President
Non-Voting Members
Dr.Chandler Smith, Superintendent Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary
1.
2. Pledge of Allegiance
Mr.Daigrepont
3. Roll Call Jessica Blanchardconducted aroll call
•The following boardmember werepresent:
•Mr. Burke Fiscus, BoardMember •Mrs. Hayley Clouatre,BoardMember •Dr. Atley Walker Sr Vice President
•Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, BoardMember
•Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, BoardMember
•Mr. Michael Maranto, BoardMember
•Mrs. Teri Bergeron, BoardMember
•Mr. Alden Chustz, President Aquorum was present
The following boardmembers were absent: Ms. Sonceria Evans, BoardMember Ms. Chareeka Grace
4. Agenda 1. Facilities
Clouatre,
Mr.Ronald LeBlanc, BoardMember
Mr.Matthew Daigrepont, BoardMember
Mr.Michael Maranto, BoardMember
Mrs. Teri Bergeron, BoardMember
Mr.Alden Chustz, President
Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary
Dr.Chandler Smith, Superintendent
1.
That the boardapproves to advertise forbids forfoodservice itemsfor the school year 2025-2026.
Motionmade by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron
Motionseconded by: Mr.Alden Chustz
Voting: UnanimouslyApproved
3. UpdateonBond Resolution (Dr. Chandler Smith)
Dr.Smith was excited to inform the boardofour new ratingofAAChairman declared the flooropen for publiccomment Informational Item,Noaction necessary
4. Discussion of Job Descriptionrevision for the following positions:(Supervisor of Maintenance,Maintenance Staff, AdministrativeAssistant,Receptionist,Director of Human Resources, Custodian, SchoolFood Service Field Manager, Payroll Clerk, Payroll &Benefits Accountant,Director of Finance, AccountsPayable Accountant,Accounting/Grant Coordinator,ExecutiveSecretary/ Minute Clerk, and Special Education Instructional Coach) (Barbara Burke)
Dr.Smith went over thepositions, explaining that some positions contained outdated verbiage.
The chairman declared the flooropen for public comments. That theboardapproves the following revised jobdescriptions: Supervisor of Maintenance, Maintenance Staff, Administrative Assistant, Receptionist, DirectorofHuman Resources, Custodian, School Food Service Field, PayrollClerk,Payroll &Benefits Accountant, Director of Finance, Accounts Payable Accountant, Accounting/Grant Coordinator,ExecutiveSecretary/MinuteClerk, and Special Education Instructional Coach.
Motionmade by: Mr.Matthew Daigrepont
Motionseconded by: Mr.Alden Chustz
Voting: UnanimouslyApproved
5. Discussion to dissolvethe position of Head Start Community ServiceCoordinator.(BarbaraBurke)
Dr.Smith then explained why the position is being suggested to be dissolved. The position will be dissolved as of June 30, 2025. He answered any question the boardhad.
The chairman declared the floor open for publiccomment
That theboardapproves to dissolve the position of Head Start Community Service Coordinator
Motionmade by: Mr.Burke Fiscus
Motionseconded by: Mr.Matthew Daigrepont
Voting: UnanimouslyApproved
6. Discussion of additional activity buses. (Dr.Chandler Smith)
Dr.Smith went over the quotes fora new bus and aused bus.
The boarddecided to buy anew bus over aused bus because we would be able to get moreyears out of it.
The chairman declared the flooropen for publiccomment
That the boardapproves two brand new activity school buses, one for BHS and one for PAHS
Motionmade by: Mr.Alden Chustz
Motionseconded by: Mrs.Teri Bergeron
Voting: UnanimouslyApproved
5. Adjourn
The finance committee meeting was adjourned.
Motionmade by: Dr.Atley WalkerSr.
Motionseconded by: Mrs.Hayley Clouatre
Voting: UnanimouslyApproved
MEETING MINUTES
1.
2. Consideration of request forapproval to advertise forbids for food service items for theschool year 2025 -2026. (Dr Chandler Smith) Dr.Smith went the list of food items that will go out for bid for the School year 2025-2026.
The chairman declared the floor openfor public comment
Regular Meeting of the WBR Parish SchoolBoard 03/26/2025 05:00 PM BoardRoom Central Office 3761 Rosedale Rd, PortAllen, LA
Scan the above QR code with your phone to view this meeting agenda on your phone.
Attendees
Voting Members
Mr.Burke Fiscus, BoardMember
Mrs.Hayley Clouatre,BoardMember
Dr.Atley WalkerSr.,VicePresident
Mr.RonaldLeBlanc, BoardMember Ms.SonceriaEvans, BoardMember
Ms.Chareeka Grace, BoardMember
Mr.MatthewDaigrepont, BoardMember
Mrs.Teri Bergeron, BoardMember
Mr.Alden Chustz, President
Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary
Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business
Dr.Chandler Smith,Superintendent
1. Call to Order
The president called the meeting to order.
2. Pledge of Allegiance Students Caleb Green from Cohn Elementary and CannonHebert from Brusly Middle ledusinThe Pledge of Allegiance.
Dr.Walkerled us in the invocation.
3. Roll Call Jessica Blanchardconducted the roll call. The following werepresent
•Mr. Burke Fiscus, BoardMember
•Mrs. Hayley Clouatre,BoardMember
•Dr. AtleyWalker Sr VicePresident
•Mr. RonaldLeBlanc, BoardMember
•Ms. Sonceria Evans, BoardMember
•Ms. Chareeka Grace, BoardMember Arrive at 5:01pm
•Mr. MatthewDaigrepont, BoardMember
•Mrs. Teri Bergeron, BoardMember
•Mr. Alden Chustz, President
The following wereabsent
Mr.MikeMaranto, BoardMember
4. Approval of Minutes
Be it Resolved, That theapproval of the minutes of theRegular Board
Meeting held on February 19, 2025 be approved as presented.
The Chairman declared the flooropen for publiccomment.
Motionmade by: Dr.Atley WalkerSr.
Motionseconded by: Mrs.Hayley Clouatre
Voting:
Mr.Burke Fiscus -Yes
Mrs.Hayley Clouatre -Yes
Dr.Atley WalkerSr. -Yes
Mr.RonaldLeBlanc -Yes
Ms.SonceriaEvans -Yes
Ms.Chareeka Grace-Absent
Mr.MatthewDaigrepont -Yes
Mrs.Teri Bergeron- Yes
Mr.AldenChustz -Yes
5. Superintendent’sReport Ms. Grace arrivesat5:01
Dr.Smith went over hisSuperintendent Report Attached. The chairman declaredthe floor openfor publiccomment. Informational Item, no action necessary
6. ReportfromCommunity Committees/Agencies
1. West Baton Rouge Parish Library TaxRenewal(TamieMartin) Mrs. Tamie Martin went over theLibrary TaxRenewalPowerpoint. Chairmandeclared the floor open forpubliccomment. Informational Item: No action necessary
7. UnfinishedBusiness
8. Presentation of Consent Agenda
1. Consideration of requestfor approval to advertisefor bids for foodservice items for the school year 2025 -2026. (Finance Committee Report3/18/25)
2. Consideration of requesttobuy two new activity buses for PAHS and BHS. (Finance Committee Report3/18/25)
3. Consideration of requesttoapprove the JobDescription revisions for the following positions:(Supervisor of Maintenance, Maintenance Staff, Administrative Assistant, Receptionist,Director of Human Resources,Custodian, School FoodService Field Manager,PayrollClerk, Payroll& Benefits Accountant, DirectorofFinance, AccountsPayable Accountant, Accounting/Grant Coordinator,Executive Secretary/ Minute Clerk, and Special Education Instructional Coach) (Finance Committee Report3/18/25)
4. Consideration of request forthe approval to dissolve the position of Head StartCommunity Service Coordinator (Finance Committee Report3/18/25)
Ms. Evanspulledthe itemfor discussion. Dr.Smith thenexplained whatwas discussed in theFinanceCommitteeMeeting on why theposition is being suggested to be dissolved. Theposition will be dissolved as of June 30,2025
Be it resolved thatthe Board does hereby approve andadopt the Above Consent Agenda Item #4
TheChairman declared the floor open forpubliccomment. Be it resolved thatthe Board does hereby approve andadopt the Above Consent Agenda Item #4 The position will be dissolved as of June 30,2025.
Motion made by: Mr.Burke Fiscus Motion seconded by: Mr.Ronald LeBlanc Voting: Mr.Burke Fiscus -Yes
Mrs. Hayley Clouatre-Yes
Dr.AtleyWalker Sr.- Yes
Mr.Ronald LeBlanc-Yes
Ms. SonceriaEvans -No
Ms. Chareeka Grace -No
Mr.MatthewDaigrepont -Yes
Mrs. Teri Bergeron-Yes
Mr.AldenChustz -Yes
9. Approval of ConsentAgenda
Be it resolved thatthe Boarddoeshereby approve andadopt the Above Consent Agenda Items #1-3
The Chairmandeclared the floor open forpubliccomment.
The Chairmandeclared the floor openfor public comment. Be it resolved thatthe Boarddoes herebyapprove andadopt theAbove Consent Agenda Items#1-3
Motion made by: Mr.Ronald LeBlanc
Motion seconded by: Mr.AldenChustz Voting: Unanimously Approved
10. End of Consent Agenda
1. Consideration of request for approval of the monthly expenditures and financial reports forJanuary 2025 (Jared Gibbs) Mr.Gibbs presentedthe monthlyexpenditures and financial reports for January 2025.
TheChairmandeclared the floor openfor publiccomment. Recommendation: That theboard approvesthe monthly expenditures and financialreport for January 2025, as presented by Mr.Gibbs
Motion made by: Mr.MatthewDaigrepont
Motion secondedby: Mr.Burke Fiscus Voting: Unanimously Approved
2. Consideration of requesttoreceive and accept the lowbidder for Brusly Upper Elementary School WindowProject.(Dr Chandler Smith) Milton J. Womack wasthe low bidder forthe Brusly Upper Elementary School Window Project
Thechairmandeclared the floor openfor publiccomment
Be it resolved that theboard acceptsMilton J. Womack low bidder,for the Brusly UpperElementary School Window Project
Motion made by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Motion secondedby: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting: Unanimously Approved
3. Consideration of requesttorevisethe Stipend Pay rates (Dr Chandler Smith) Dr.Smith went overthe twochangesfor theStipend Payrates.
Thechairmandeclared the floor open forpubliccomment
Be it resolved thatthe boardapproves the revised Stipend Pay ratesChanges.
Motion made by: Dr.AtleyWalker Sr Motion secondedby: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting: Unanimously Approved
11. Organization Items CommitteeMeeting: Tuesday,April 8, 2025 Regular BoardMeeting: Wednesday, April 16,2025
12. Any otherbusiness unanimously approved by the boardfor consideration
13. Adjourn Be it Resolved, That the meeting be adjourned.The Chairman declared the floor openfor publiccomment.
Motion made by: Dr.AtleyWalker Sr Motion secondedby: Mr.Ronald LeBlanc Voting: Unanimously Approved