The Advocate 04-26-2025

Landry orders endtoremotework

Stateemployees to return to officesbyJuly1

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Many employees who workin Louisiana stategovernment will be required to work from an office, notfromhome,beginningJuly1

under an executive order issued by Gov. Jeff Landry this week.

“No later than June 30, 2025, allstate departments, agencies, boards and commissions under the governor’sauthority shall require their employees to performtheir

duties at adesignated physical office or facility,”the order states.

Landry’scommissioner of administration, Taylor Barras, is also required to create new policies by May 15 to help government agencies to implement the directive. The commissioner is also allowed to approve exceptionstothe remote-workban.

The directive also says other state agenciesthatdon’t fall within the governor’sauthority “are strongly encouraged” to follow any newreturn-to-officepoliciesset up by theadministration.

“Whenpeople remote work, they don’tget an opportunity to work inside the work environment with their other colleagues,”Landry said in asocial media videoannouncing the change. “It’stimefor people to comebacktowork because they are moreproductive.” Landrysaidletting employees work remotelywas “one of the biggest negativeeffects” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SPILLWAY PROTECTS, BUTATACOST

With riverrisingand openingBonnetCarre anearcertainty, some areconcernedwithfreshwaterdischarge that cankillwildlife

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

The Bonnet Carre Spillway has been opened morethan adozen times since it was constructednearly 100 years ago, but the protection it offers New Orleans’ levee systemcomes at acost:The rush of fresh water into surrounding brackishestuariescan harm thespecieslivingthere, sometimes killing offentire fisheries and reefs.

As the Mississippi River continuesto rise, forecasters say anotheropening this year is anear certainty,news that hasn’t been welcomed by allonthe GulfCoast.

Acritical engineering feat of its time, it’shard to imagine where New Orleans would be today withoutthe spillway.But despite allthe good it hasdone, many in south Louisiana havea complicatedrelationship with thelong-standingstructure —one that both saves and hurts so much.

The needfor something like the spillway became evident after theGreat Flood of 1927,when months of heavy rain across the South inundated the Mississippi River in seven states anddisplaced hundreds of thousands of Americans.

As the river swelled,Louisiana officials grew increasinglyconcerned that thele-

TheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers test openingthe Bonnet CarreSpillwayonMonday as the Mississippi River nears flood stage.

TOP: TheBonnet CarreSpillwayhas been opened more than adozen times to protect NewOrleans from the rising waters of the river,including in 1950.

veesystemprotectingNew Orleanscould break, flooding the city andcausing potentially catastrophic damage.

To spare theCrescent City, officials took drastic and controversial action: In

April 1927, dynamitewas used to break a levee downstream from NewOrleansin Caernarvon, sending floodwaters rushing

ä See SPILLWAY, page 4A

Student visas restored ICEreverses terminations after

BY JANIE HAR and KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO

The U.S. governmentisreversing the termination of legal status for international students around the country after manyfiled court challenges against the Trump administration crackdown, federal officials said Friday

The records in afederal student database maintained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been terminated in recent weeks. Judges across the U.S. had alreadyissuedorders temporarily restoring students’ records in dozens of lawsuits challenging the terminations.

More than 1,200 students nationwidesuddenly lost theirlegal status or hadvisas revoked, leaving them at risk fordeportation. Many said they had only minor infractions on their record or did not know whythey weretargeted. Some left the country while others have gone into hiding or stopped going to class.

In Louisiana, more than adozen international students have had their visas revoked, according to university officials.

In response to therestoration, U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge,confirmedthata numberof international Southern University students had their visas restored.

“While I’mgladthis situation is getting resolved, these sudden and unfounded decisions by the Trumpadministration continue to cause unnecessary confusion and hardship for students, schools, and families,” Fields saidinastatement. “I look forward to working with this Congress and this administration to continue fighting for students in my district and

ä See VISAS, page 5A

Louisianacould repeal wrongful conviction compensation law

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Louisiana lawmakers are debating whether to amend or do away with alaw that allowspeople who were wrongfully convictedtoseek compensation from the state.

Astate law passedin2005 gives people whose sentences were vacatedorreversed thechance to prove their innocence before ajudge and earn compensation,

which is cappedat$480,000 and depends on howlong aperson was incarcerated.

The attorney general is responsible for defending the state in those cases, andthe statehas a fund from which to payout compensation.

In its originalform,House Bill 101, by stateRep. Nicholas Muscarello, R-Hammond, would have eliminated that fund and shifted responsibilityfor handling such

casesand paying outcompensation to local parishes.The bill also would have made it more difficult to apply for compensation.

Attorney General Liz Murrill backed thatproposal, saying an influx of wrongful conviction compensation cases outofOrleans Parishisa problem for her office and for state taxpayers.

However,onWednesday,during aHouse AdministrationofCriminal Justice Committee meeting,

state Rep. Debbie Villio successfully introduced anew version of thebill—one thatwouldrepeal the wrongful convictioncompensation statute entirely

The committee, which Villio chairs, voted 7-4 to send her version of HB101tothe full House

The vote fell along party lines, with Democrats opposed to the bill and Republicans in favor of it.

“I believethatSection 1983 is the appropriateremedyfor wrongful

convictions involving misconduct and support the repeal of the state statute,” Villio said in astatement, referring to Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act, whichallows individuals to sue government officials forcivil rights violations. Proponents of the bill, including Murrill, presentedSection 1983 —afederal law —asa viable alternative to seeking compensation

ä See REPEAL, page 5A

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

U.N. food agency: Food stocks in Gaza depleted

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip The World Food Program says its food stocks in the Gaza Strip have run out under Israel’s nearly 8-week-old blockade, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the territory.

The WFP said in a statement that it delivered the last of its stocks to charity kitchens that it supports around Gaza. It said those kitchens are expected to run out of food in the coming days.

Some 80% of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million relies primarily on charity kitchens for food, because other sources have shut down under Israel’s blockade, according to the U.N.

The WFP has been supporting 47 kitchens that distribute 644,000 hot meals a day, WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa told The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear how many kitchens would still be operating in Gaza if those shut down. But Etefa said the WFPbacked kitchens are the major ones in Gaza. Israel cut off entry of all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza on March 2 and then resumed its bombardment and ground offensives two weeks later, shattering a two-month ceasefire with Hamas.

U.S. reports nearly 900 measles cases

With one-fifth of states seeing active measles outbreaks, the U.S. is nearing 900 cases, according to figures posted Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC’s confirmed measles cases count is 884, triple the amount seen in all of 2024. The vast majority 646 are in Texas, where an outbreak in the western part of the state that’s approaching the three-month mark.

Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in the epicenter in West Texas, and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.

Other states with active outbreaks defined as three or more cases — include Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee Bear spotted playing on family’s backyard slide

SIMSBURY, Conn. — Sarah Loving had just returned home from lunch last Saturday with her husband and two young children when she looked out the window and spotted two bears walking across her backyard in Simsbury, Connecticut.

Her wildlife visitors didn’t really surprise her In recent years, bears have been pretty common in Simsbury, a suburban community of 24,500, located about 12 miles northwest of Hartford, where overturned garbage cans are often found along the road on “trash day” after a bear has searched inside for a snack.

But when one of the bears stopped at her family’s wooden playset and began climbing up the stairs, Loving started filming. What came next, took her by surprise.

“He made it to the landing and then went down the slide, like he had done it before,” she said. In the video, the bear nonchalantly slides head first, its front paws breaking its fall in a pile of soft sand at the bottom. The bear then lays there for a few seconds, calmly looking around.

Loving said the pair hung out for a few more minutes before moving on to her neighbor’s yard. Their appearance lasted about 10 minutes.

Thursday in Kyiv, Ukraine, killing 12 and injuring 87.

Trump wants high-level Ukraine, Russia talks

President says ‘Crimea will stay with Russia,’ wants mineral deal signed

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV, CHRIS MEGERIAN and DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

ROME President Donald Trump on Friday called for Ukraine and Russia to meet for “very high-level talks,” saying they are “very close to a deal” on ending the bloody three-year war

Trump posted on his Truth Social site shortly after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral that it was a “good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine.” His envoy, Steve Witkoff, had made a visit to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday,

“They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off,’” Trump wrote

“Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”

Trump’s announcement followed him saying in an interview published Friday that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” the latest example of how he has been pressuring Ukraine to make concessions to end the war while the country remains under siege

He also earlier demanded on social media that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “IMMEDIATELY” sign a longdelayed agreement giving the United States access to his nation’s mineral resources.

Progress on ending the war has seemed elusive in the months since Trump returned to the White House, and his previous claims of imminent breakthroughs have failed to come to fruition. Russia continued its bombardment of Ukraine on Friday, killing three people with a drone strike on an apartment building in a southeastern city

Despite a rare admonishment of Putin this week, Trump’s focus has largely been on urging Zelenskyy to cut a deal that would involve ceding territory to Ukraine’s invader In an interview with Time magazine, Trump described Crimea as a place where Russia has “had their submarines” and “the people speak largely Russian.”

“Crimea will stay with Russia,” Trump

said. “And Zelensky understands that, and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time. It’s been with them long before Trump came along.”

When asked by reporters, Zelenskyy said he didn’t want to comment on Trump’s statement but repeated, as he has many times during the war, that recognizing occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian is a red line for his country

Crimea is a strategic peninsula along the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. It was seized by Russia in 2014, while President Barack Obama was in office, years before Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022.

Trump has been accusing Zelenskyy of prolonging the war by resisting negotiations with Putin. Western European leaders, however, have accused Putin of dragging his feet in the negotiations and seeking to grab more Ukrainian land while his army has battlefield momentum.

The war could be approaching a pivotal moment as the Trump administration weighs its options Senior U.S. officials had warned that the administration could soon give up attempts to stop the war if the two sides did not come to a settlement. That could potentially mean a halt of crucial U.S. military aid for Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters Friday as he left the White House to attend the pope’s funeral, Trump said there was no deadline for the conclusion of peace talks.

“I just want to do it as fast as possible,” Trump said. Negotiators are “pretty close” to a deal, he said.

He promised to meet with foreign leaders while in Rome, and said it was “possible” he could meet with Zelenskyy Zelenskyy said late Friday however that he was not sure he would make it to Rome in time for the funeral.

Witkoff’s meeting with Putin on Friday was their second this month and the fourth since February Witkoff’s trip coincided with the death of a senior Russian military officer in a car bomb near Moscow

The Kremlin released a short video of Putin and Witkoff greeting each other “How are you, Mr President?” Witkoff could be heard saying. “Fine, just fine, thank you,” Putin responded in rare remarks in English, as the two shook hands.

Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, who attended the talks, said the meeting lasted three hours and was “constructive” and “useful.” Further talks are expected, he said.

India says troops exchanged fire with Pakistani soldiers

BY AIJAZ HUSSAIN and RAJESH ROY Associated Press

SRINAGAR,India Indian and Pakistani sol-

diers briefly exchanged fire along their highly militarized frontier in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, Indian officials said Friday, as tensions soared between the nuclear-armed rivals following a deadly attack on tourists.

India has described the massacre in which gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian, as a “terror attack” and accused Pakistan of backing it. Pakistan denied any connection to the attack near the resort town of Pahalgam in Indiacontrolled Kashmir It was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance.

split between them and claimed by both in its entirety.

On Wednesday, India suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty that has withstood two wars between the countries and closed their only functional land border crossing. A day later, India revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals with effect from Sunday Pakistan responded angrily that it has nothing to do with the attack, and canceled visas issued to Indian nationals, closed its airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines and suspended all trade with India. Nationals from both sides began heading back to their home countries through the Wagah border near Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Friday

Ex-U.S. Rep. Santos sentenced to over 7 years in prison

BY PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y Dis-

graced former U.S. Rep. George Santos was sentenced Friday to over seven years in prison, sobbing as he learned his punishment for the crimes that led to his expulsion from Congress.

Santos, who pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, appealed for mercy In a federal court a short drive from his old congressional district, he said through tears that he was “humbled” and “chastised” and realized he had betrayed his constituents’ trust.

“I offer my deepest apologies,” he said, adding: “I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.”

U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert evidently wasn’t convinced.

“Where is your remorse?

Where do I see it?” she asked as she sentenced him to 87 months behind bars. “It’s always someone else’s fault.” The New York Republican served in Congress less than a year before becoming just the sixth member of the House to be ousted by colleagues. Santos admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his family members, to fund his winning campaign. His plea deal included agreeing to pay roughly $580,000 in penalties.

“From the moment he declared his candidacy for Congress, Santos leveraged his campaign for his own enrichment and financial benefit,” U.S. Attorney John Durham, whose office prosecuted the case, said outside court. Santos, 36, is due to report to prison July 25.

Man pleads not guilty in insurance CEO’s killing

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEWYORK Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty Friday to a federal murder charge in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as prosecutors formally declared their intent to seek the death penalty and the judge warned the Justice Department to stop making public comments that could spoil the case.

Mangione, 26, stood with his lawyers as he entered the plea, leaning forward toward a microphone on the defense table as U.S District Judge Margaret Garnett asked him if understood the indictment, which charges him with stalking and shooting Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last December Mangione said, “yes.”

CustomerService:

Asked how he wished to plead, he said simply “not guilty” and sat down. A cause célèbre for people upset with the health insurance industry, Mangione’s arraignment attracted several dozen people to the Manhattan federal courthouse, including former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who served prison time for stealing classified diplomatic cables.

Mangione, held in a federal jail in Brooklyn since his arrest, arrived to court in a mustard-colored jail suit and chatted with one of his lawyers, death penalty counsel Avi Moskowitz, as they waited for the arraignment to begin.

Late Thursday night, federal prosecutors filed a required notice of their intent to seek the death penalty

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An article in Friday’s edition about proposed changes to Louisiana’s ethics laws incorrectly said that a bill would allow judges to order the end of an investigation by the Board of Ethics. The bill would allow judges to block all or part of a subpoena, not the entire investigation The Advocate regrets the error

With the region on edge, three Indian army officials said that Pakistani soldiers fired at an Indian position in Kashmir late Thursday The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with departmental policy, said Indian soldiers retaliated and no casualties were reported.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the report.

Tuesday’s attack in Kashmir was the worst assault in years targeting civilians in the restive region. Since then, tensions have risen dangerously between India and Pakistan, which have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which is

Islamabad also warned that any Indian attempt to stop or divert the flow of water would be considered an “act of war.” The suspension of the water treaty could lead to water shortages at a time when parts of Pakistan are already struggling with drought and declining rainfall.

Pakistan has also warned it could suspend the Simla Agreement in what would be a major and worrying step. The peace treaty signed after the 1971 India-Pakistan war established the Line of Control, a highly militarized de facto border that divides Kashmir between the acountries.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EFREM LUKATSKy

A police officer passes by the remains of cars on Friday that were damaged in a Russian missile attack that struck homes

FBI arrests judge in Milwaukee

Official accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, DEVI SHASTRI and SCOTT BAUER Associated Press

MILWAUKEE

The FBI on Friday arrested a Milwaukee judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities, escalating a clash between the Trump administration and local authorities over the Republican president’s sweeping immigration crackdown.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court

Judge Hannah Dugan is accused of escorting the man and his lawyer out of her courtroom through the jury door last week after learning that immigration authorities were seeking his arrest. The man was taken into custody outside the courthouse after agents chased him on foot.

ing to her chambers It says she and another judge later approached members of the arrest team inside the courthouse, displaying what witnesses described as a “confrontational, angry demeanor.”

After a back-and-forth with officers over the warrant for the man, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, she demanded that the arrest team speak with the chief judge and led them away from the courtroom, the affidavit says.

President Donald Trump’s administration has accused state and local officials of interfering with his immigration enforcement priorities. The arrest also comes amid a growing battle between the administration and the federal judiciary over the president’s executive actions over deportations and other matters. Dugan was taken into custody by the FBI on Friday morning on the courthouse grounds, according to U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Brady McCarron. She appeared briefly in federal court in Milwaukee later Friday before being released from custody She faces charges of “concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest” and obstructing or impeding a proceeding.

“Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest It was not made in the interest of public safety,” her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, said during the hearing. He declined to comment to an Associated Press reporter following her court appearance.

Democratic Wisconsin Gov Tony Evers, in a statement, accused the Trump administration of repeatedly using “dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level.” Court papers suggest Dugan was alerted to the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the courthouse by her clerk, who was informed by an attorney that they appeared to be in the hallway.

The FBI affidavit describes Dugan as “visibly angry” over the arrival of immigration agents in the courthouse and says that she pronounced the situation “absurd” before leaving the bench and retreat-

After directing the arrest team to the chief judge’s office, investigators say, Dugan returned to the courtroom and was heard saying words to the effect of “wait, come with me” before ushering Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer through a jury door into a nonpublic area of the courthouse. The action was unusual, the affidavit says, because “only deputies, juries, court staff, and in-custody defendants being escorted by deputies used the back jury door. Defense attorneys and defendants who were not in custody never used the jury door.

A sign that remained posted on Dugan’s courtroom door Friday advised that if any attorney or other court official “knows or believes that a person feels unsafe coming to the courthouse to courtroom 615,” they should notify the clerk and request an appearance via Zoom.

Flores-Ruiz, 30, was in Dugan’s court for a hearing after being charged with three counts of misdemeanor domestic battery Confronted by a roommate for playing loud music on March 12, Flores-Ruiz allegedly fought with him in the kitchen and struck a woman who tried to break them up, according to the police affidavit in the case.

Another woman who tried to break up the fight and called police allegedly got elbowed in the arm by Flores-Ruiz.

Flores-Ruiz faces up to nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine on each count if convicted. His public defender Alexander Kostal, did not immediately return a phone message Friday seeking comment.

A federal judge, the same one Dugan would appear before a day later, had ordered Thursday that FloresRuiz remain jailed pending trial. Flores-Ruiz had been in the U.S. since re-entering the country after he was deported in 2013, according to court documents

Attorney General Pam Bondi said victims were sitting in the courtroom with state prosecutors when the judge helped him escape immigration arrest.

“The rule of law is very simple,” she said in a video posted on X “It doesn’t matter what line of work you’re in. If you break the law, we will follow the facts and we will prosecute you.”

About 250K say goodbye to pope

3 days of public viewing of Francis concludes

BY COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press

VATICAN CITY More than 250,000 people paid their last respects to Pope Francis over three days of public viewing by ordinary mourners, church and political leaders that ended Friday, when his coffin was sealed ahead of his state funeral in St Peter’s Square and burial in a basilica outside the Vatican’s walls.

World leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei, along with royalty converged on Rome for the funeral. But the group of marginalized people who will meet his casket in a small crosstown basilica are more in keeping with Francis’ humble persona and disdain for pomp.

The Vatican said that 164 delegations are confirmed, including 54 heads of state and 12 reigning sovereigns.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who will also attend the funeral, was among those who made it in time to pay last respects to the pope.

Tens of thousands of mourners waited hours in line over three days to bid farewell to Francis, who died Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 88. A higher-than-expected turnout prompted the Vatican to extend the basilica’s opening hours overnight

Angele Bilegue, a nun, was among the last mourners. It was her third time to pay her respects, including once inside the Vatican at his residence in the Santa Marta Domus, where she said she spent six hours praying at his coffin.

“He was my friend, so I went one last time to say goodbye,” she said. “I cried.”

A changing of the guards at Francis’ open coffin signaled the end of the viewing period of the pontiff, who was laid out in red robes, a bishop’s pointed miter and a rosary entwined in his hands. He was being buried with his well-worn black shoes, including scuff marks on the toe emblematic of the simple life he espoused.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell presided over the closing and sealing of the coffin in his role of camerlengo, or interim Vatican administrator According to photos released by the Vatican, a white cloth was placed over the pope’s face, and a bag containing coins minted during his papacy was put in the coffin along with a one-page written account of his papacy

The account, called a rogito, summarized his whole life’s story, from his childhood in Argentina as the son of parents with Italian heritage through his priesthood and promotions eventually to archbishop and cardinal in Buenos Aires — and then pope. It highlighted his “defense of innocents,” his encyclicals and also his illnesses.

“He was a simple and much loved pastor in his archdiocese, who traveled far and wide, also by subway and bus,” read the text of the document, recounting his life as archbishop. “He lived in an apartment and he prepared dinner alone, so he could feel like an ordinary person.”

Roman neighbors and retired flight attendants Aurelia Ballarini and Francesca Codato came to pay respects to Francis on Friday with very different motivations. Ballarini, 72, was coming to terms with her grief, and Codato, 78, was seeking forgiveness.

For Ballarini, the pope’s death leaves

a hole in her life. While only 16 years younger than Francis, she considered him a grandfather figure. Every morning, she would log on to Facebook for his daily greeting, and respond “with a couple of words.”

“He gave everything, gave all of himself, up to the end,” said Ballarini. “I spent the last two days crying. I was not well after his passing I can’t even say the word. For me he flew away One day, we will see each other again.”

Codato said that she feels tremendous guilt toward Francis, having forsaken him out of devotion to one of his predecessors, St. John Paul II. When Francis became pope “he was an outsider to me.”

“I feel guilty, because through videos I have seen in these days, I have understood he was a man of enormous humanity, close to the simple people,” she said. “So I came to ask forgiveness, because I feel guilty towards him, like a worm.”

The work of the conclave to choose a new pope won’t start until at least May 5, after nine days of public mourning. Cardinals have been arriving in Rome, with 149 meeting on Friday morning to discuss church business. They won’t meet again until next week, meaning a conclave date is unlikely to be set until after the funeral.

Judge blocks Trump’s collective bargaining order

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from implementing an executive order that a labor union says would cancel collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees.

U.S District Judge Paul Friedman ruled that a key part of President Donald Trump’s March 27 order can’t be enforced at roughly three dozen agencies and departments where employees are represented by the National Treasury Employees Union.

The union, which represents nearly 160,000 federal government employees workers, sued to challenge Trump’s order The union said it would lose more than half of its revenue and over two-thirds of its membership if the judge denied its request for a preliminary injunction.

Friedman said he would issue an opinion in several days to explain his two-page order The ruling isn’t the final word in the lawsuit. He gave the attorneys until May 2 to submit a proposal for how the case should proceed.

Some agencies, including the FBI, are exempt from a law requiring federal agencies to bargain with labor

organizations over employment matters. Presidents can apply the exemption to agencies that have a “primary

ligence,

tional security work.

or

Dugan

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDREW MEDICHINI People line up Friday to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

into St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes and displacing roughly 10,000 people.

As a direct result of the flood, U.S. Congress passed the JonesReid Flood Control Act of 1928, which federalized flood protection along the Mississippi River and its tributaries, with oversight from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Corps initiated its first surveys for the Bonnet Carre Spillway in 1928 Matt Roe, a spokesperson for the Corps, said the site where the spillway stands today was selected because the river had formed a natural crevasse there in floods that occurred before the levees were built.

Construction on the spillway started a year later and was completed in 1931, and highway and railroad crossings were finished in 1936, according to the Corps.

How it works

Now nearly a century old, Roe said the structure still works the same way it did when it was first built.

Composed of 350 “bays” that run alongside a 5.7-mile stretch of the Mississippi River about 33 miles upriver from New Orleans, Roe said officials open the spillway when the river’s water levels are too high, an effort to relieve pressure on the levee system.

Officials generally open the spillway when the river flow rate hits 1.25 million cubic feet per second, which usually corresponds to a river level of around 17 feet on the Carrollton gauge in New Orleans, or around 17 feet above sea level, according to the Corps.

To open the spillway crews individually pull timber beams, called needles, from the structure’s bays. Each bay contains around 20 needles, and each needle weighs around 600 pounds, according to the Corps. Small gaps between the needles allow some water to flow through the structure at all times, Roe said. But when the needles are pulled and an entire bay is opened, fresh water from the river rushes through the spillway and into Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Borgne, and, sometimes, as far as the Mississippi Sound, all bodies of water that contain a mixture of fresh and salt water

The amount of water diverted from the river — and intensity of impacts to wildlife in surrounding waterways — depends largely on how many bays are opened and for how long, Roe said.

The Corps is currently engaged in a five-year study looking at the best ways to manage the Mississippi River and, in part, how to better operate the spillway

The last time all 350 bays were opened was in 2011, but the longest duration opening was in 2019, when the structure was partially open for a whopping total of 123 days.

Continued from page 1A

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers test the Bonnet Carre Spillway in Norco on Monday in advance of opening it as the Mississippi River nears flood stage. It would be first spillway opening since 2020.

‘Like opening a firehose’

The Bonnet Carre Spillway has been opened 15 times in the more than 90 years since it was built, but 2019 is the year wildlife and commercial fishing groups always talk about.

After intense rains in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys, the spillway had to be opened twice that year killing off oyster reefs and other animals in neighboring waterways. Some reefs reported mortality rates of nearly 100%.

John Fallon, director of sustain-

ability and coastal conservation initiatives at Audubon Nature Institute, said there were more than 300 bottlenose dolphin deaths reported in the northern Gulf of Mexico that year A report released by federal researchers found that many dolphin carcasses exhibited signs of exposure to high concentrations of fresh water, including skin lesions, “resulting from extreme freshwater discharge from watersheds that drain into the northern Gulf of Mexico.”

Brackish bodies of water contain

a mixture of salt and fresh water, and Fallon said the organisms that have evolved to live in those waters can handle fairly significant flocculation in salt concentrations.

But when large portions of the spillway are opened for a long time, Fallon said, it’s a different story

“It’s when we force that much freshwater directed through a single channel like that it’s like a firehose.”

Most organisms can’t handle that kind of instant, drastic change, and Fallon said those most severely

impacted are often animals like oysters, clams and other bottom feeders that can’t get up and swim away

The difficulties come down to their very biology, he said.

“It would be like if you’re breathing air but we changed the composition of the air,” he said. “You’re going to struggle.”

Finding balance

It all comes down to ion balance, according to Cassie Glaspie, an assistant professor in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences at LSU. Salts are composed of ions, and Glaspie said freshwater marine species have evolved ways to keep more ions in their bodies, while saltwater species have found ways to rid their bodies of excess ions.

Some sea birds, for example, excrete excess salt through glands on their bills. Sea turtles can expel salt by crying, Glaspie said, and many saltwater species have extremely salty urine.

“The communities we have here are very resilient to that, because they have to be to live here. Much like the people who live here.”

CASSIE GLASPIE, assistant professor in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences at LSU

The marine species that live in Lake Pontchartrain and ot he r brackish bodies of water are really just saltwater species that have evolved to become highly tolerant to fresh water, Glaspie said. That means they’re good at handling a lot of variability

But an extensive spillway opening can swamp those abilities.

“These types of management decisions are outside the realm of normal,” she said.

It’s not just the inundation of fresh water, Glaspie said. The Mississippi River is also significantly cooler and nutrient-dense than the surrounding shallow estuaries, leading to drastic changes the temperature and water quality

The organisms that struggle most are, concerningly, also those that support the rest of the food web.

Rangia cuneata, a kind of web clam, are almost always found in tissue samples taken from the bottom of Lake Bourne, Glaspie said, meaning they support and feed much of the other life found there. Those clams are especially vulnerable to drastic changes. That’s bad news for all the animals that feed on those clams.

Yet, Glaspie remains hopeful. She’s seen coastal species in the area nearly entirely wiped out by all kinds of crises: hurricanes, floods, a recent drought. They always find a way to rebound — and fast.

“The communities we have here are very resilient to that, because they have to be to live here,” Glaspie said. “Much like the people who live here.”

The change of course was expected after the governor briefly previewed the policy last month at a luncheon address in Covington, saying “It’s time to get back to work.” Landry spokesperson Kate Kelly on Friday said the executive order does not apply to Louisiana’s public higher education institutions, but said “we encourage them to adopt similar policies.”

A spokesperson for Commissioner of Administration Taylor Barras also said the order does not apply to the four public higher education systems.

But some higher education leaders said the order could require them to take similar action.

LSU spokesperson Todd Woodward initially said the order applies to LSU. When told the Governor’s Office said it did not, he deferred to Kelly’s statement; he did not immediately respond to an additional questions.

Those include the Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges System, LSU System, Southern University System and University of Louisiana System.

A statement from the UL System said, “The University of Louisiana System is aware of Governor Landry’s Executive Order regarding the return of state employees to in-person work. We are currently awaiting additional clarification and guidance from the Division of Administration.”

The Southern University System did not respond to an emailed request for comment Friday afternoon.

The state’s community college system has been expecting an executive order from the Governor’s Office ending remote work arrangements, said LCTCS Vice President of Education Chandler LeBoeuf In light of the order, it is now assessing “operational practicalities” and intends to voluntarily comply and align with the order whenever and wherever possible.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

throughout this country.”

In one of the lawsuits, Assistant U.S. AttorneyElizabethKurlan read astatement in federal court in Oakland, California, sayingICE wasrestoring thestudent status forpeople whoserecords were terminated in recent weeks. Asimilar statement was read by agovernment attorney in aseparate case in Washington, said lawyer Brian Green, who represents theplaintiff in that case.Greenprovided The Associated Press with acopy of the statement that thegovernment lawyer emailed to him. It says: “ICE is developingapolicy that will provide aframework for SEVIS record terminations. Untilsuchapolicyisissued,the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situatedplaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be reactivated if not currently active and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination.”

SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor InformationSystems database that tracks international students’ compliance with their visa status. NCIC is the National Crime Information Center,adatabase of criminal justice information maintained by the FBI.

Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant Homeland Security secretary,said ICE had not reversed course on any visa revocations but did“restore SEVIS access for people who had not had their visarevoked.”

Greg Chen, with the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said some uncertainty remained:

“It is still unclear whether ICEwill restore status to everyoneit has

REPEAL

Continued from page1A

through Louisiana’sstatute. But critics say the federallaw wouldnot cover all wrongfully convicted people, and that it is very difficult to succeed in such federal lawsuits.

Muscarello said the earlier version of the bill was scrapped because shifting the compensation case burden to local entities wasn’t viable,asparishes couldn’t affordtopay out judgments. But he thinks there is still work to do on the latest version, to ensure people who werewrongfully convicted canget compensationby some means.

“It’smyopinion that peoplewho are wrongfullyconvicted should be compensated,” he said. “If the state messes up, we need to pay them for our mistakes.”

Thirty-nine states have wrongful convictioncompensation statutes, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, which is runbythe Universityof Michigan Law School, MichiganState University College of Lawand the University of California, Irvine Newkirk Center for Science and Society

Reason forthe bill HB101 came about because the state saw an influx of wrongful conviction compensation cases, according

targeted and whetherthe State Department will help studentswhose visaswere wrongly revoked.” Green, who is involvedinlawsuits on behalf of several dozen students, said his cases only sought restorationof thestudent status and that hewould be withdrawing themasaresultofthe statement Friday from ICE.

But lawyers in the Oaklandcase are seeking anationwide order from thecourt prohibiting the government from arresting or incarcerating students, transferring them to places outside their district or preventing them from continuingwork or studies.

Pam Johann, agovernment lawyer,said it was premature to

to Muscarello. Murrill, whenpresenting the bill to the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, attributed thatinflux to OrleansParish In recentyears, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams has made deals that shortenedoroverturned hundreds of prisoners’ sentences through aprocess known as post-conviction relief. Hisoffice often justified those dealsbyciting shoddy policework or suspect tactics by prosecutors.

Murrill andRepublican state lawmakers have criticized Williamsover those deals, arguing hisoffice gave prisoners fartoo many breaks. Murrill told the House criminal justice panel that they havecaused the spike in wrongful conviction compensation claims —and that shedoes not believe all those claims are legitimate.

“Orleans, right now,I thinkwehaveover 20 cases pending, and that is in my opinion not because they have necessarily valid cases to make those claims, but it’s becauseofthe high volume of reliefthat was granted by the district attorney, and nowthathas prompted more lawsuits under this statute,” Murrill said.

Murrill said her office is being forced to defend “cases that Ihad nothing to do with.”

She arguedthat the parish whereawrongfulconviction occurred should be responsible for handling the cor-

consider anything like that given thatICE was in the process of reactivating records and developing apolicy.“We should take apause while ICE is implementing this change that plaintiffs are seeking right now,onits own,” she said.

But U.S.District Judge Jeffrey S. Whiteasked her to humor the court.

“It seemslike with this administration, there’sa newworld order everysingleday,” he said.“It’s like whack-a-mole.”

He ordered the governmentto clarify the new policy

Last month,SecretaryofState Marco Rubio said his department was revoking visas held by people acting counter to national inter-

responding compensation case, adding thatstate taxpayersfrom Monroe should notbepaying for wrongdoing in New Orleans.

Some former prisoners are also seeking money both through state statute and thefederal Civil RightsAct, Murrill said.

Bill drawscriticism

Jee Park, executivedirector of the Innocence Project NewOrleans,anorganization focused on freeing innocentprisoners, said she was “shocked” that the state is considering repealing its wrongful conviction compensation statute.

“Most of ourclients are on Medicaidand Medicare They’reonfoodstamps. They’re barely able to make their ends meet, you know, andsogiving them alittle bit of something to help thempay for rent, to help them pay for their transportation, for theirinsurance, goes along way,” she said. “And it’s something thestate should do —theydid take away theirlifefor decades It’syears they will never get back.”

As forthe possibility of winning damages through a federal lawsuit, Parksaidit is “incredibly challenging” to succeed in suchlawsuits becausegovernmentofficials have immunity And not all exonerees qualify to fileSection 1983 claims becausenot alltheir cases involvegovernment wrongdoing, she said.

ests, including somewho protested Israel’swar in Gazaand those who face criminal charges. But many studentswhose status wasterminated said they did not fallunder those categories.

Asurvey by The Associated Press-NORC Center forPublic Affairs research found that even the visa revocations for students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests aremore unpopularthan popular

About half of U.S. adults oppose this policy,and only 3in10are in support.Among college educated adults, 6in10strongly oppose, compared with 4in10who aren’t college graduates. In lawsuits,students argued they

Park cited Malcolm Alexander’sstory as an example of one casewhereitwould not be possible to file afederal civil rights lawsuit.

In the1980s, Alexander was convicted of rape. In 2013, hair evidencerecovered from acrimelab that showed he could nothave committedthe crime, accordingtothe Innocence Project, which says he spent 38 years behind bars.

weredenied due process. Many weretold that their status was terminated as aresultofa criminal recordscheck or that theirvisa had been revoked.

Internationalstudents andtheir schoolswerecaught offguard by the terminations of the students’ records. Many of the terminations werediscovered when school officialswere doing routine checks of the international student database

Charles Kuck, whofiled acase in Atlanta on behalf of 133 students across the country,said ICE’sreversal can’tundo the distress and hardshipthey have faced in recent weeks.

“I’ve got kids wholost their jobs, who might notget them back,” he said. “I’ve got kids wholost school opportunitieswho mightnot get them back.We’vegot kids who missed finals, missedgraduation. Howdoyou getany of that stuff back?”

Jodie Ferise,ahighereducation attorneyinIndiana,saidsome students at schoolsher lawfirm works with have already left the country after receiving instructions to self-deport.

“This unprecedented treatment of student statushad caused tremendous fear among international students,” Ferise said. “Someof them were too frightened to wait and hope forthe administration to change course.”

At least 1,220 students at 187 colleges, universities and university systemshave had their visas revoked, their legal status terminated or both, since late March, according to an Associated Press review of university statements, correspondence with school officials andcourt records. The AP hasbeen working to confirmreports of hundreds morestudents who arecaught up in thecrackdown.

Alexanderwon wrongful convictioncompensation from the state last year, Park said. Muscarello said he understands such concerns and is working on an amendment to HB101 so that it would keep the wrongful compensationstatute intact for people whose wrongful convictions did not involve government wrongdoing but would notcover those who are eligible to file Section1983 claims. But if Muscarello can’t get the amendment right, he won’t movethe bill forward, he said. “Am Iman enough to say the bill needswork? Absolutely,” he said. “My goal is to do the right thing for the state of Louisiana andfor my constituents, and specifically for people that are wrongfully convicted.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ROSS D. FRANKLIN

Students march at Arizona State University in protest of threatened deportations of students on campus in January.

Theoverallweather patternsettlesdownoverthe weekendas aridge of high pressure takes over.Nothing more than aspotty showerisexpected on Saturdayand Sunday. Downpours wouldbe brief, and theexception as opposed to the rule.Drier conditions and aboost in sunshine will nudgetemperatureshigher.Expect highs to climb to the

BY MIKE CATALINI

Associated Press

Forecasters on Friday warned low humidityand gusty wind increasedthe risk that fire could develop across parts of NewJersey Philadelphia and its suburbs and Delaware as firefighters continued to battle avast wildfire in the Pine Barrens.

The National Weather Service discouraged any outdoor burningwith low humidity,temperatures reachingnear 80 degrees and southerly winds that could gust up to 20 mph acrossa swathofthe MidAtlantic. There’sachance of rain over theweekendin the region, where officials said firesalsoburned uncontainedin Pennsylvania on Friday In its most recent update, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said about 60% of the fire spread over nearly 24 square miles in the southern part of the state was contained. No injuries or deaths have been reported, but buildings have burned along with cars. Officials havechargeda

BY HOLLYRAMER Associated Press

CONCORD,N.H. Nineteen

states that refused to comply with aTrump administration directive aimed at eliminating diversity,equity and inclusion programs in public schools went astep further Friday,filing afederallawsuit challenging what they consider an illegal threat to cut federal funding.

The lawsuit filed in Massachusetts by Democratic attorneys general seeks to block the Departmentof Education from withholding

Forecasterswarnoffirerisk as Pine Barrensblaze burns

19-year-old man from the area withstarting the blaze thatled tothe wildfire.

ProsecutorsonThursday said Joseph Kling, 19, from Waretown, New Jersey, was arrested and charged with arson andaggravated arson, saying he litwooden pallets onfire and leftthe area before they were fully put out.

Apublic defender representinghim during the hearingsaidshe had“nothing further” when asked by ajudge.

“The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender cannot comment on pending cases at this early stage of the legal process, other than to remind everyone that individuals are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in acourt of law,” said Cristina LiBassi aspokesperson with the Office of the Public Defender in an email Friday

Attempts to reach Kling by phone were not successful.

Authoritiesfirst spotted the blaze Tuesday morning from afire tower when asmoke column appeared amid thepines.Law en-

forcementsaidtheyused aGPS to plot the originof the fire anddetermined the cause was abonfire that hadn’tbeen put out.

SpeakingThursdayafternoon at anews conference, Ocean County Prosecutor BradleyD.Billhimer said “wecan confidently say that we think the fire was set intentionally.” He declined further comment on whyauthoritiesbelieve the man they arrested was responsible and other matters related to theinvestigation since it remains ongoing.

It’s forest fire season in the pinelands, awilderness that encompasses more than1million acres —an area roughly as large as the Grand Canyon. Firefighters are contending with low humidity and theaftermath of amonthslong drought in the region.

New Jersey is thenation’smost densely populated stateand officials have warned thefire could threaten developments nearby,although parts of the PineBarrens areuninhabited. The firehad grown to morethan 23.8square miles on Thursday

money based on its April 3 directive ordering states to certify theircompliance withcivil rights laws, includingthe rejection of what the federal government calls “illegal DEI practices.”States also weretold to gather signaturesfromlocal school systems certifying their compliance byApril 24. Instead,the plaintiffsinformed the government that they stand by their prior certifications of compliance with the lawbut refuse to abandon policies that promote equal access to education.

“Diversity,equity,and inclusion initiatives are legal effortsthat help studentsfeel safe, supported andrespected.The Trump administration’sthreats to withholdcriticaleducationfunding due to the use of these initiatives are not only unlawful, but harmful to our children, families, andschools,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell.

The newlawsuit comes aday after judgesinthree statesruled against the Trumpadministration in separatebut related cases.

Man sentenced in infant son’s death

He pleads guilty, gets 30 years

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

A man who admitted to shaking his infant son to stop him from crying was sentenced to 30 years in prison this week after pleading guilty to charges in the boy’s death.

Luciano Joseph Livious Sr., 27, stood before District Judge Will Jorden and entered his guilty plea to a charge of manslaughter Monday inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse. The man was scheduled to be tried for seconddegree murder this week in the June 2023 death of his 6-month-old

son, Luciano Livious Jr He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge, which removed the chance of a mandatory life sentence had he been convicted of murder at trial. Emergency responders were called to the family’s Baton Rouge house in the 10200 block of Avenue L on June 3, 2023, for reports of an unresponsive infant.

The infant was rushed to Our

Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital to be treated, and medical staff there noticed signs of brain bleeding and other injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome, according to Baton Rouge police.

The boy died at the hospital from “non-accidental trauma” two days later, and an autopsy revealed signs of blunt force trauma to the head.

The father initially told police

his son had been sleeping in bed when he found the infant unresponsive

But after medical examiners ruled the boy’s death a homicide, Livious admitted to detectives that he shook the child to try and stop him from crying, according to police reports.

Email Matt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

Nearly a dozen ducklings huddle for warmth under the feathers of their parent Muscovy duck on a log floating in University Lake in Baton Rouge on April 6.

But after debate, it is sent back to committee LIVINGSTON PARISH

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

While Louisiana state legislators are preparing to discuss banning or regulating kratom, Livingston Parish officials are hoping to take the decision into their own hands. The Livingston Parish Council introduced an ordinance Thursday to prohibit the sale of the controversial herbal substance, but after a lengthy debate, sent it back to the drawing board to potentially introduce regulations on selling kratom instead of the original outright ban. Kratom is an unregulated substance that can produce stimulating or sedating effects depending on the volume, and can be purchased at smoke shops Ordinance to prohibit kratom sales introduced

Mike the Tiger ‘pleads’ for litter-free celebrations

Corks, confetti end up in his habitat and can be hazardous

BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer

LSU’s spring graduation is three weeks away, but graduating seniors are already celebrating by taking pictures in front of the iconic Mike the Tiger habitat on North Stadium Drive. The popular photo spot will be even busier on graduation days May 16-17. Champagne corks and confetti will fly — and some of it will, without a doubt, blow through the fencing and into the tiger mascot’s yard. Nobody wants to rain on a graduate’s parade, but Mike the Tiger made a special plea on social media.

“Once again I ask my graduates to celebrate responsibly,” an Instagram post reads.

“When you use confetti and pop champagne near my habitat, it inevitably blows in. Then my caretakers have to pick it up because ingesting it could be harmful. It also litters our beautiful campus Be good, Tigers.”

“We’ve dealt with this every year, twice a year, for the past few years,” said Ginger Guttner communications manager for the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Trash from celebrations surrounding spring graduations at LSU was cleaned up from Mike the Tiger’s habitat earlier this month.

Champagne corks and confetti, these days often made of plastic pose potential health risks for the tiger, Guttner said.

“Graduation is a huge milestone, and we certainly want to encourage people to celebrate, but we just ask them to pick up any litter,” she said.

“Mike could accidentally eat it, especially if it gets in water,” Guttner said.

The tiger’s 14,000-square-foot enclosure contains two swimming pools.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Ex-partner of mankilledbyofficeraccused of threats

She also assaultedman whocalled911, officialssay

BYAIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

After her former partner diedfollowing an officerinvolvedshooting, awoman wasarrestedThursday for allegedly threatening to shoot Baton Rouge police andassaultingthe man who first calledofficers to the scene. Yushika Vallian, 31, was arrested in Opelousason countsofunauthorized entry of abusiness and simple

Aman accused of beating and strangling his significant other in her Baton Rouge home has been arre sted in Cincinnati. Richard Stinson,68, is wanted by Baton Rouge police on counts of first-degree murder and home invasionafter allegedlyenteringthe home of Rose Davillier,68, on April14 and killing her

Stinson was arrested in Cincinnati by the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force and is awaitingextradition backtoBaton Rouge. A tip from CrimeStoppers led to the arrest, BRPD said.

Davillier was found in abattered state in her home in the 4100 blockof White Sands Drive around 9:30 p.m. after officers arrivedinresponse to a call aboutanunresponsive woman. The suspect fledbefore officers arrived.

battery. Additional counts will be added for terroristic threats made to theBaton Rouge PoliceDepartment, accordingtoaBRPDstatement

At 3a.m. Sunday, April 20, BatonRouge policewere called to Super6 Inns and Suites on Gwenadele Avenue afterthe motelmanager reporteda man attempting to

rob someone with agun in the parking lot. There, officersexchanged gunfire with 34-year-old Kevin Vallian, shooting him in theparking lot. He was taken to ahospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Police sayYushika Vallian began making threats to BRPD shortly afterward on social media, via email and by phone, telling officers she would shoot them and “run acar into policeheadquarters,” according to aBRPD spokesperson. On Tuesday, Vallianallegedly returned to the Super 6with agroup of other “unknown subjects,” who forced their wayinto the manager’s office, assaulting andinjuring the motel manager.Vallian allegedly attacked the manager for calling thepolice on her partner The sameday,BRPD detectives secured an arrest warrant for Vallian and picked her up in Opelousaswiththe help of theSt. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. Vallian was booked into jail in Opelousasand will be extradited to Baton Rouge.

KRATOM

Continuedfrom page 1B

Police: Manshot to death on front porch

Aman was fatally shotFriday while sitting on the front porchofhis Baton Rouge home, police said. Abraham Ross, 34, was shot about12:30 p.m. in the2600 block of Jefferson Avenue, police said in anews release. No suspectsormotive have yet been identified.

Anyone withinformation on theshootingisasked to call BRPD’s Violent Crimes Unit at (225) 389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.

N.O. counciltightenstravelrules

Ordinance takes aimatmayor

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

NewOrleans municipal employees must prove there is “a professional benefit” to their taxpayer-funded travel, under rules the CityCouncilpassed this weekthat arelargelyaimed at Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Council members on Thursdayalsodirected Cantrell’s administration to studyits policies on city-funded trips, and to recommend changes by the end of the yearthat “ensure fiscal responsibility transparency,and publicaccountability.”

The ordinance,which was approved unanimously, comesasthe councilhas repeatedly criticizedCantrell for spending hundredsof thousandsoftaxpayerdollars on travel to conferences and forums during her second term. It also comes after the council’seffort to institute a temporary ban on most cityfunded travel wasblocked in March by Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Sidney Cates, who ruled the ban violates the city charter

“Weare simply trying to collect data, both past and future and present,onhow muchmoneythecityisspendingontravel and how we can better have best practices to

govern how we do travel,” said Council President JP Morrell, who has emerged as one of Cantrell’sfiercest foes in hersecond term.

ACantrell administration spokesperson said Friday that thenew ordinance “effectivelyrevived elements of the already invalidated ‘Travel Ban’ ordinance.”

Leatrice Dupre also said that the ordinance requires employees to send in “information already required for submission to the Chief Administrative Officer as partof theexistingtravel approval process.”

Current city policy requires employees to obtainthe lowest rates possible and document thepurpose of their travel.It also mandates that thetravel must be directly related to the employees’ city responsibilities, though it does notexplicitly usethe terms “professional benefit.”

The fight over travel is only the latestskirmish between an increasingly combative council and amayor touched by controversy that is nearingthe endofher tenure in office. All but one of the council members is either running for reelection or,inthe cases of Helena Morenoand Oliver Thomas, gunning for Cantrell’sjob nextyear.Joe Giarrusso is the exception.

Thecouncil’sban on all nonessential travel,which it approvedinFebruary, came followingCantrell’sdecision to back out of asettlement

that would have delivered millions of dollars to New Orleans schools.Council members said the travel ban was not intended as punishmentbut an effort to curtail unnecessary spending as the Cantrell administration raised concerns about the city’sfinancial stability Cantrell suedthe council over the baninMarch. Cates ruled in her favor

Though theban remains paused by thejudge’sorder Thursday’sordinance also extends the period of the ban —whichwas set to expire at the end of this month —until the end of December

Extending the banallows the council to appeal the judge’s ruling, Morrellsaid Thursday

According to the ordinance, “professional benefits” are defined as specific informationonskills, relationships or knowledgeemployees hope to obtain or develop. Before travel may be approved, they must also say why that information is important to their jobduties.

The administration’sstudy, perthe ordinance, must include a“full accounting of travel expenses incurred by each cityemployee” over the last three years,including the amount spent on each trip divided intoseveral categories and the purpose of the travel.

Email SophieKasakove at sophie.kasakove@ theadvocate.com.

Manfound guilty in Terrytownkilling

Business dispute ledtomurder, officialssay

BYMICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

Six years after Mohamed Mezlini was attacked and smothered to death by duct tape wrapped around his head, aJefferson Parish jury has convicted his accused killer of manslaughter,according to the Jefferson Parish DistrictAttorney’sOffice. Saleh Omar,47, had been charged with second-degree murder,but jurors found him guilty Thursday on the lesser charge following eight hours of deliberation. Omar had been accusedof killing the Terrytown29-yearold known as “Mo” over a business dispute, according to authorities. Mezlini, who’d once worked at Omar’scellphone store, WirelessHub, leftto open his ownbusiness, leaving his former boss feeling financially slighted, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Surprise attack

On Sept. 8, 2018,Omar convinced his then-17-year-old stepbrother,Yazan Omar,to call Mezliniand lurehim to a vacant jewelry storelocated next door to Wireless Hub on Terry Parkway, authorities said Mezlini, who left his parked car running, entered the suite, of which the windows were papered over Saleh Omar grabbed Mezlini from behind, putting him in achokehold, the Sheriff’s Office said Mezlini managed tobreak freeand bloody Saleh Omar’smouth witha punch, the District Attorney’sOffice said. But Omar,armed with agun andknife,quickly quelled any resistance. Omarhad Yazan Omar help secure Mezliniwith ducttape, wrapping it tightly around hischest,arms and head, according to authorities. Yazan Omarthen left thesuite,testifyingthat the ducttape around Mezlini’shead was not covering the man’snose whenhe departed, according to the districtattorney’s office.

Leaving his stepbrother andMezlini in the vacant store, Yazan Omar returned to Wireless Hub wherehe told employees what had happened, though no one took it seriously enough to call 911 at the time, the District Attorney’sOffice said. However,the employees became concerned when they sawSaleh Omar leave thesuite with blood on his face. Realizing thatMezlini had never exited the vacant store, the employees used ascrewdriver to open the locked suiteand discovered Mezlini bound andunconscious inside, authorities said.

Mezlinihad duct tape wrapped completely around his head, from the top of the bridge of his nose to his chin, according to Sheriff’s Office investigators.

Mezlini was taken to ahospital in critical condition but diedthe following day. An autopsy determined he died of asphyxia by strangulation andsmothering, authorities said. He also had injuries indicating he’d been beaten, the District Attorney’sOffice said.

or gasstations. TheDrug Enforcement Administration hassaid it can cause side effectslike seizures and hallucinations.

The timing to introduce a plan to tackle kratom parishwide comes right after officials in Denham Springs heldoff on banning the substance in hopes that the state Legislature takes action.

Livingston Parish Council memberJohn Mangus introduced theidea and said the issue was brought to his attention over ayear ago He said kratom is aserious issue,and the councilwants to do what is best for the people.

“I don’tthink youelected me to wait,” Mangus said about delaying this ordinance while state lawmakers are debating the same issue. Louisiana lawmakers are consideringtwo competing bills this session concerningkratom. One would ban possessing and selling the substance; the other would regulate it by adding age restrictions and limiting certain typesofkratom products for sale.

In 2021 in Livingston Parish, a2-year-old girl died afteringesting alethal

MIKE

Continuedfrom page 1B

amount of kratom andthe antidepressanttianeptine. Her death sparked conversationssurrounding banning the supplement in the parish.

The parish ordinance committee originally proposed prohibiting kratom sales in 2023, but the item didn’t come to fruition.

The parish Coroner’sOfficehas backed prohibiting sales since then. Jim Brown,the office’s chiefof investigations, referenced the death Thursday night. Brown said there is a“tremendous” overdose issue in theparish,eventhough those deaths have dropped in recentyears.

“Almost everyoverdose we have hadinthe last four years, kratom was involved,” Brownsaid.

Brownadded that kratom was not the only drug involved in thesedeaths, that other drugs were being used as well with the supplement.

Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Cody Jarreau also highlighted this at thelast ordinance meeting, saying consumers usekratom to enhance the high of other drugs, therefore, investigators see people using it with harder street drugs.

Adam Peak, owner of Bella Sunrise Smoke Shop in Baton Rouge,attendedthe meeting and said he wasunder the influence of kratom.

Mike’sc aret ak ers aretwo LSUveterinarian students who hold their roles for twoyears, Guttner said. They pick up thetiger’s habitat twice aday,seven days aweek,whenMike is safelyinside hisindoor enclosure. One of the caretakers —they take turns hastobe30minutesfrom Baton Rouge at all times, Guttner said.

LIBRARY

Continuedfrom page 1B

eightbranches andoffers resources for children and adults, including an early literacy program,memory kitsfor older adultsexperiencing memorylossand online professional trainings.Ithouses aphysical collection of 125,000 items and morethan 1,000,000 items digitally,according to thewebsite.

The library also holds events,such as Jazz Night withSouthernUniversity every February andthe Gray MonkeyParadein

He said he staunchly supports adding regulations, but opposes an outright ban on sales.

“I’vebeenwaiting fora bill like this for the past four to five years,” he said. Peak suggested that a complete ban on sales would have negative repercussions, such as peoplebuying kratom online.

VivianAllen, of Walker, toldthe councilthat she previously has used kratom andfound positive effects and that her husband often usesittomanagepainand energy in the mornings.

“It’snot addictive,” she said.

Allen doessupport regulating the substance and putting an age limit on sales. Council memberErin Sandefur spokeabout people possibly with PTSD or other medical issueswho find reliefwith these types of supplements whena typical prescriptionfrom a doctor isn’talways thebest answer “I’mfor regulating it,” she said in oppositiontoanoutright ban on sales. Ultimately,council member John Wascom proposed sending the issue to the ordinance committee to revise theproposal to possiblyenact regulations instead of a complete ban on sales. The motion passed.

Thephoto in aMike the Tiger post on April 4shows 12 Champagne corks nestledina bedofconfetti, all trash pickedupthat day “This is just asample of what my caretakers hadto pick up today. Celebrate, Tigers, but please do so responsibly,” the post said. Email Ellyn Couvillion at ecouvillion@theadvocate. com.

Plaquemine, Seneca added.

“Iberville Parish Libraryhas served its community for74years and is part of the fabric of everyday life,” Seneca wrote. “The library hosts several well-loved, longrunning annual events that support literacy and foster communityconnection.”

The promotional page forthe millage on the library website provided examples of equivalents for theroughly $2.50-permonth rate. In the Baton Rouge area, acup of drip coffeeorafast-food sandwich each monthwouldbe

moreexpensive for an individual than the proposed millage renewal, it said. The property tax renewal will show up on the ballot just one month after asimilar proposition was turned down by voters in neighboring West Baton Rouge Parish.

THURSDAY, APRIL24, 2025 PICK 3: 1-7-0

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JeffersonSr.,William Grace Memorial Park,60455 Bayou JacobRoadinPlaquemine, at 11 a.m.

Johnson, Jamie CharletFuneral Home in Zacharyat 11am

Johnson Sr.,Albert BelfairChurch,5550Florida Blvd., BatonRouge,LAat11am.

Johnson Sr Jamie East Feliciana Steam Academy, 9414 PlankRoad, Clinton, LAat 11am Jones, Leora LighthouseMissionaryBaptist Church,321 Center Street in New Iberia,at10a.m

Lacy,Kyren DavidStopherGymnasium,220 NSU ColonelDr.,Thibodaux, LA 70301 at 11am

Lewis, Lillie Hall'sCelebration Center,9348 Scenic Highway,Baton Rouge, LA at 11am Small, Susan ResthavenFuneral Home,11817 JeffersonHighway in BatonRouge at 2:30pm Smith Sr Eric RosemoundBaptistChurch,11188 OldLaurelHill Rd St.Francisville,LA at 2pm Wales, Gwynne IstroumaBaptistChurchat11am.

Boyett, Jerauld Coleman 'Jerry'

Jerauld Coleman Boyett ("Jerry"), passed away Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Jerry was born on June7, 1938, in Pensacola,Florida. He lived in Baton Rouge where he raised his family and retired from Shell Chemical,and moved to Gulf Shores, Alabama. Jerry enjoyed life to the fullest and was happiest on the water throwing his cast net, fishing with arod and reel or just apole or shrimping. He also loved playing hisguitar and singing. He and his wife Delia enjoyedtraveling and camping and pretty much covered the U.S. and Mexico. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Cordelia Boyett, his brother, Tommy Boyett and wife, Anita Boyett, his daughter, Jerrie Landry and husband Richard Landry, and his son, Robert Boyett and wife Bernie Boyett, Grandchildren, Joseph Lockwood, ShellyLockwood and Benjamin Boyett, Great -Grandchildren,Gabby Stephens, Karissa Stephens andChloe Lockwood. He was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and C.H. Boyettand his son, Monty Boyett. Visitation willbeat 11:00 and service beginning at 12:00 on Monday, April 28, 2025, at Pensacola Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home, 7433 Pine Forest Road, Pensacola, Florida32526.

Rory, 23, of Baton Rouge, passed suddenlyonApril 19, 2025. He was so loved by his father, Jonathan Craft (Elizabeth); his brother,Kevin, and sisters, Katie and Piper; as well as by grandparents:Daleand Joan Craft, Dawn Stockwell, Graham Atkinsand DebraHopps. His mother, Melissa Atkins Hanks, preceded him in death. Rory's love for art, especially dragons and anime, reflected his unique perspective of the world.His free time was spent fishing,a testament to hispatience and competitive nature,orplaying video games, reflecting hislove for virtual adventure and strategy. He enjoyed teaching himselfhis favorite songsonthe piano and playingMagic: The Gatheringwithfriends.

Acelebrationoflifewill be held on April26, 2025, from 1-4pmatAbundant LifeChurch,206 Edgewood Drive, in Denham Springs. Guests areencouraged to dress casually.

Hagan, Richard Nores'Dickie' RichardNoresHagan, “Dickie” passedawayon Wednesday, April23, 2025. He was86years oldand wasa retiredMechanical Designer with variousengi‐neering firmsinBaton Rouge. Dickie wasa U.S. Army veteran. Visitation will be at St.John theBap‐tist CatholicChurch in ZacharyonMonday,April 28, 2025 from 10 am until Rite of ChristianBurialat 11 am.BurialwillbeinAza‐leaRestCemetery, Zachary. He is survived by hisdaughter,Meg Pecot andhusband,Jay andRick Haganand wife,Melissa.6 grandchildren,Jovonni Ramella,Emily Hagan SarahHagan,Katlyn Knight,GageDaigle,and QuinnPecot. 2greatgrandchildren,JohnLuke Ramella andSophiaKnight. He is preceded in deathby hisparents,Rufas andWin‐nieHagan andsisters, Sharon andJan.Pallbear‐erswillbeRobbieBrignac, Richie Brignac, Gage Daigle,Quinn Pecot, Jacob Knight andJay Pecot. Hon‐orary pallbearer will be Bill Chaney.Dickiewas an avid outdoorsman. Sharesym‐pathies, condolences, and memories at www.Charlet FuneralHome.com.

ConnieRabornHarvi‐son, 80, passedaway peacefully in thepresence of herfamilyatGrace NursingHomeinSlaughter, on Thursday,April 24. She wasa loving wife,mother, grandmother, andsister. Sheenjoyed beinginthe peaceofthe SmokyMoun‐tainsand praising herLord andSaviorwithprayerand song.She is survived by herchildrenMelissa Doucet,Darrell Serrett (Cheryl“Tootie”),Michael Serrett, JeffreySerrett (Roberta)and herstep‐daughtersDanaPateand ReneeFancher;ninegrand‐children Trey Dispensire, Justin (Tate), Kyle,Re‐bekah, Jacob(Anna), Alec, andAva Serrett, Amber (Nick) Madere,and Kacie (Shawn) Laughrey;three great-grandchildrenRay‐lanMadere, Oliver Laugh‐reyand CaleighSerrett; sister Pamela (Larry)Mc‐Cullough.She waspre‐cededindeath by herhus‐band of 46 years, Edwin Harvison,her parents Deweyand Myrtle Raborn andher brothers Donald andJimmy Raborn.Visita‐tion at CharletFuneral Home in ZacharyonMon‐day, April28beginning at 2 p.m. with servicecon‐ducted by Pastor Scott McKenzie at 4p.m.Burial to immediatelyfollowin Azalea Rest Cemetery Sharesympathies, condo‐lences andmemoriesat www.CharletFuneralHome. com.

Albert L. Johnson, Sr movedontohis heavenly home on April12, 2025, at theage of 82. He wassur‐rounded by lovedonesat hishome. Albert wasborn on February,27, 1943tothe late Benjamin F. Johnson, Sr andGeorgia SmithJohn‐soninBaton Rouge, LA.He wasone of four sons and wasa graduate of Capitol Senior High School,Class of 1960. He wasemployed at TheAdvocateand re‐tiredwith over 30 years service. He also retired from theEBR School Board where he worked as a school busdriverfor more than 20 years. Albert is sur‐vivedbyhis belovedwife of 29 years, Rita D. John‐son, hissonsAlbertJohn‐son, Jr AnthonyScott, daughter,SandraCampbell andchildreninlove, An‐thonyPlain andTerry Plain. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Aaron Campbell, Alexander Campbell, Jr., Taylor Jami‐son, AlronJohnson, Laneisha Johnson, Miesha Johnson, Skye Johnson, AlanaScott, AnthonyScott II, Boston Scott, Aden Plain, D’AnthonyPlain andTierah Plain. He attended Belfair Church,5550 FloridaBlvd. BatonRouge,LA, 70806 where services will be held,Saturday, April26th at 11:00 A.M. with visitation from 9-11 A.M. conducted by Pastor JonBennett. Fu‐neralarrangementsare by CapitalFuneralHomeand internment at Heavenly GatesMausoleum

WoodrowLeo Overton, “Lee”,a lifelong resident of Clinton, passed away peacefully at hishomeon Tuesday, April22, 2025. He was83years oldand aU.S Army veteran. Aprivate familyfuneral will be held on Monday,April 28, 2025, at OurLadyofthe Assump‐tion Catholic Church in Clintonfrom1 pm until Mass of ChristianBurialat 2pm. Burial will be at Ma‐sonicCemeteryinClinton Leeissurvivedbyhis wife of 58 years, SaundraPicou Overton. Theirchildren, RichardOverton andwife, Becca,ofBaton Rouge; Jean Paul Overtonand wife,Rebecca,ofHouston TX;LexleeOverton of BatonRouge;WoodrowLeo Overton, Jr.and wife,Cyndi of Norwood;SidneyJof‐frionand husband,Jeffof BatonRouge;and Colette Sallas andhusband,Jeffof Corinth, TX.19Grandchil‐dren:MaggieJo, Hattie, Mary Kate,Bess, John Henry, Callie,David,So‐phie,LA, Caitlee, Woodrow Leo, Holden Lee, Ann, He‐lene,Jillian,Riley, Saundra, Addie, andKamryn. 2Great Grandchildren: Dalton Lee andEmber.Heispreceded in deathbyhis son, Francis DavidOverton,his parents, Helenand JudgeWoodrow Overton, hissisters,Paula Overton, andChristine OvertonRandolph. Leewas an Attorney forover 57 years, he startedhis own practice with hiswiferight outoflaw school.A former assistantdistrictattorney forthe 20thJudicialDis‐trict, Leehad alongand distinguishedcareer as a triallawyerwho passion‐atelyfoughtfor hisclients. He also wasco-founder andpartner of Hill Country Real Estate andfounder andownerofEagle Ameri‐canInsurance Company. Some of hisformer mem‐berships includeAmerican TrialLawyers Association, LouisianaTrial LawyersAs‐sociation, FelicianaBar As‐sociationand the LouisianaBar Association. He wasalsothe founding Presidentofthe Clinton Jaycees,and former Presi‐dent of theClintonLions Club,aswellasformer leader of BoyScout Troop 60. Leewas agraduateof theNew Mexico Military Institute, Roswell, NM LouisianaState University andLouisiana StateUni‐versityPaulM.HebertLaw Center.Hewas alifelong fan of LSUfootball,loved classiccorvettes, wasan avid outdoorsman who lovedto fish,hunt,snow skiand ride hisproperty with hisbeloved dogs.He metthe love of hislife, Saundra, at 11 yearsold

whentheyhad their first date to aboy scoutdance in Clinton. Leewas aworld traveler,havingvisited over 40 countrieswithhis dear wife.Hewas proudof hisservice in theUnited States Army as aSpecialist E5 –a veteranofForeign Warwho wasawarded the Army Occupational Medal, Berlin.Pallbearers will be RichardLeonOverton,Jean Paul Overton, Woodrow LeoOverton Jr Holden Lee Walker,LAOverton,David Roccaforte, andWoodrow LeoOverton III. Honorary Pallbearers will be Dorman Bunch, Jeff Sallas,JeffJof‐frion, Mitchell Waller,and ShaneMcBride.Special thanks to Dr.Jeffrey Hyde MD,Dr. DarleneNemeth, thestaff of AudubonHos‐pice,and Lee’swonderful caregivers over thepast year anda half including Shun, Barbara, Janet, Geraldine, Shell, MeMe, Mary andChiquitaand AudubonHospice.Inlieuof flowers, memorial dona‐tionsmay be made to Our Ladyofthe Lake Children’s Hospital or St.JudeChil‐dren’s Hospital

Richard "Ric"William Petrie Jr., an adoring and loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away on Wednesday, April 23, at theage of 78.

He was born on December6,1946, to Richard William Petrie and Helen K. Petrie in BatonRouge, Louisiana.

Ricattended University LaboratorySchool graduating in 1964, and went on to attend LSU, graduating with an accounting degree in 1969, where he was a proud member of Kappa Alpha fraternity.Asa student, he joinedthe Army and upon graduation became aCaptainstationed at RamsteinAir Base, Germany from 1970-1973. Returning stateside, he was stationed at Fort Bliss, TX, until retiring from the Army in 1976. He earned theNational Defense Service Medal and Army CommendationMedal during his service.

He married thelove of his life,Susan McCord,on June 1, 1968, in NewOrleans, LA.They were blessed with twodaughters, Jenny and Anne.

In 1976, Ric went to work at Proctor &Gamble in BossierCity, LA.Hemoved back home to Baton Rouge in 1978, and started as a Trust OfficeratFidelityNational Bank. He then became thehead of theTrust Department at Capital Bank &Trust until 1995, when he left to workasa Financial Advisor at Morgan Keegan foreleven years. Finally,hebecame a Business &ContractsManager at B&I Servicesuntil retirement in 2009.

An avid LSUfan, golfer and hunter, he enjoyed the simple thingsinlife-being in theoutdoors, watching baseball, agoodvodka martini witholives, playing aboard game and grilling at home for family and friends.Hewas awonderful storytellerand therock of our family with his firm and steady nature. He will be remembered as theulti-

mate gentleman for his endlesskindness, patience,heartylaugh,solid advice andcare for others In hiswords.... What this whole life is aboutisto have afew friends left who cansay "hewas agood man" Ricissurvived by hisdevotedwife of 57 years, Susan Petrie, hisdaughters Jennifer Leachand Anne Underwood, son-in-law's Claude Leachand ClayUnderwood, grandchildren Jackson, Miller andChalkleyLeach andAvery and PhilipUnderwood. He is also survived by hissister CaroleAnn Brown and nieces, MaryMargaret Zabalaoui, RebeccaValedie andCatherineCollins. He wasprecededin death by hisparents, Richard andHelen Petrie, andbrother-in-law Kenneth Brown Serving as pallbearers will be Claude,Jackson andMiller Leach, Clayand PhilipUnderwoodand Barham Todd. Serviceswill be held at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd,onTuesday, April 29, 2025. Visitation from 8:30 to 10am, followed by afuneral service at 10am. In lieu of flowers, please make adonation to support veterans throughTunneltoTowers. www.t2t.org

Gerald Grey Phares, Jr went to be with theLord on April 23, 2025, at the age of 88. He was born &lived in LA attending Central Cityschools. During HS he singly operateda dairy farm, milkingthe cows before school, wherehewas voted 'most likely to succeed'. After HS he obtained aBAfromLSU in Agriculture &a MA in Banking wherehewas voted President of his class at theLSU BankingSchool. Hisemploymentincluded positionsasPresidentofvariousAgricultural Banks aroundthe state. Hisfinal career wasasowner/operator of theBook Warehouse on Florida Blvd.He touched thelives of many people, especially his

grandchildren, whom he picked up from home duringthe summerand took to work with himsothey couldlearnhard work &responsibility. He also took them campingduringthe summerwhere he taught them aboutnatureand healthy fun. Gerald was generous, charismatic, and unconditionally honest& direct. After Retirementhe &his wife became involved with theBRCamillia Society, wherehealso served as club President. Gerald was preceded in death by hiswife of almost 70 years, SharonRobinson Phares, having 5daughters, 12 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren Gerald was always willing to help family, friends & strangers withhis strength,optimism &values. Gerald's valuessolidified when he becamea born-again Christian,servingthe Lordwith intensity. It may be said by most that knew him, that he Served HisGeneration Well Gerald is survived by daughters: Bambi Carpenter(Brent), Lydia Fellner (Fred), Mandy Manda (John), Alanna Davis (Max),and Sissy Hughes (d. Mike). Pallbearersare grandchildrenChancellor Carpenter, Cameron Carpenter,Caleb Fellner, Joseph Golmon,Gabe Jacobs,JoshHughes,Michael Polozola, andSharonFellnerashonorary.

Please join us on Monday morning at Live Oak Church,34890 LA-16, DenhamSprings, LA 70706 for

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Johnson Sr., Albert L.

PetrieJr., Richard William 'Ric'

Phares Jr., Gerald Grey

Overton, Woodrow Leo'Lee'

Harvison,ConnieRaborn

Obituaries

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Big Tech carries Wall Street in wild week

Big Tech stocks carried Wall Street Friday to the close of a winning, roller-coaster week, one that saw markets swing fromfear to relief andback to caution because of President Donald Trump’strade war

The S&P 500 rose to add some more to abig three-day rally, and it’sback within 10.1% of its record setearlier this year Spurts for influential tech stocks sent theNasdaqcomposite up. But they masked amixed dayoftrading on Wall Street, wheremore stocks fell within the S&P 500 than rose, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose marginally Alphabet climbed 1.7% in its first trading after Google’s parent company reported late Thursday that itsprofit soared 50% in the beginning of 2025 from ayearearlier,more than analysts expected.

Alphabet is one of thebiggest companies on Wall Street in terms of size, and thatgives its stock’smovements extra influence on the S&P 500 and other indexes.Another market heavyweight,Nvidia,was also amajorforcepushingthe S&P 500 index upward after thechip companyrose 4.3%.

Consumer sentiment slides on inflation fears

U.S. consumer sentiment fell to one of the lowest readings on record and long-term inflation expectations climbed to the highest since 1991 on fears of the economic fallout from tariffs. The final April sentiment index fell to 52.2 from 57 amonth earlier,accordingtothe University of Michigan. While aslight improvement from the preliminary gauge of 50.8, the latest figureis the fourth-lowest in data back to the late 1970s.

Consumers anticipated inflation will rise at an annual rate of 4.4% over the next five to 10 years, thedata out Friday showed. They expect prices to rise at a6.5% pace over thenext year. While down from apreliminary reading of 6.7%, year-ahead price expectations are still the highest since 1981.

The survey began March 25 and concluded April21, aperiod that included President Donald Trump’sannouncement of a90day pause on higher tariffs for dozens of U.S. trading partners. In addition to stoking fears of higher inflation, the Trump administration’strade policies areelevating anxiety about the economy and labormarket. The university’s expectationsindex slumped to 47.3, the lowest since 2022, as 60%ofrespondentsoffered unsolicited comments about the hit from tariffs.

7-Eleven’snew chief confident about value

Thefirstforeigner tapped to head 7-Eleven expressed confidence Friday the Japanese convenience store chain willcontinue to attract thrifty customers, eveninaneconomic slowdown.

But Stephen Hayes Dacus, an American with aJapanese mother,declined to comment on the specifics of thevarious investment plans now being studied, includinganacquisitionproposal by Alimentation Couche-Tard of Canada.

Aspecial company committee, which he isn’tpart of, is charged with studying the options “totally objectively,” he said.

“The process is moving forward very constructively,” Dacus, who is currently adirector, told asmall group of reportersat the Tokyo headquarters of Seven &iHoldings Co., which operates 7-Eleven.

Fluent in Japanese and English, Dacus saidhewas determined to build aculture of leadership that he’slearned to admire from his experience working at Walmart, Uniqlo and other retailers.

“If you’renot humble, you’re not listening to your customers. You’re not learning. But if you’re not aggressive, you’re goingto get beat by your competitors,” he said.

Callsfor cuts maynot help consumers

‘Threatening theFed doesn’tsoothemarkets it spooks them’

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

President Donald Trumpisbadgering the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, but even if the Fed gave intothe pressure, it wouldn’t necessarily lead to lower borrowing costsfor consumers.

In fact,economists say, Trump’s ongoing attacks on Fed Chair Jerome Powelland his tariff policies couldkeep thelonger-term interestrates that matter forconsumersand businesses higher than they otherwise would be. Alessindependent Fedcan lead,over time, to higher borrowing costs, as investors worry that inflation may spike in the future.Asa result they demand higheryields to own Trea-

sury securities.

Trump has repeatedly urged Powell to cutthe short-term interestratethatthe central bank controls. The Fed typically reduces its rate during an economic downturn to encouragemore borrowingand spending, and raises it to cool the economy andfightinflation when prices rise.

Butlong-termratesonthings like mortgages, auto loans, andcredit cards arelargelyset by market forces.And in recent weeks, fears that Trump’ssweeping tariffs could raiseinflation, alongwiththe administration’sthreats to the Fed’s independence, have led markets to push those longer-termrates higher.It’snot clear that the Fedcan fully reverse those trends by itself.

“It’snot automatically true that even if the Fed were to cut rates, that youwould seea measured decline in long-term interest rates,” said Francesco Bianchi, an economist at Johns Hopkins University “This kindofpressure on the Fed might backfire …ifmarkets don’t believethe Fed has inflation under control.”

Trump renewed calls on Wednesday and Thursday for Powellto reduce theFed’sshort-termrate, telling reporters that the chairis “making amistake” by not doing so.

And last week, Trump suggested he could fire Powell, while atop aide said that the White House was “studying” whether it could do so.

Thethreatstothe Fed’s independence unnerved Wall Street inves-

tors because they see aFed free from political pressure as critical to keeping inflation in check. An independent Fed can take unpopular steps, such as raising rates, to fight inflation.

“Threatening the Fed doesn’t soothemarkets —itspooks them,” said Lauren Goodwin, chief market strategist at New York LifeInvestments. “And theresult is often the oppositeofwhat any administration wants to see: higher rates, weaker confidence and more marketturmoil.”

SinceTrump beganimposing tariffs in early March, when he slapped dutiesonCanada and Mexico, the 10-year Treasury yieldhas risenfrom4.15% to about4.3%. The yieldisa benchmark formortgage ratesand other borrowing. Mortgage rates,inturn, have increased duringthattime, from 6.6% to 6.8%

By HILARy SCHEINUK

Bon Carrédatacentersold

DartPoints buys nearly 90,000-square-foot site

BY TIMOTHYBOONE Business editor

Adatacenter inside Bon Carré Technology Park hasbeensoldfor $9.4 million,more thanfour years after aSouth Carolina firm paid $8 million forthe 800,000-square-foot business center

DartPoints, aDallas-baseddata center operator,bought the nearly 90,000-square-foot data center in adeal that was filedThursday with the East Baton Rouge ClerkofCourt’s office. The seller was EdgePWR.

EdgePWRofMountPleasant, SouthCarolina, bought BonCarré in December 2020. The company specializes in datacenters in second-and third-tier markets such as Charleston,South Carolina and Omaha, Nebraska.

BonCarré is located on Florida Boulevard, at the former BonMarche Mall site. The mall closed in the1990s after it lost retail tenants to thenewer Cortana Mall and was rebranded as abusiness and technology park.

Bon Carré hasanoteworthymix of tenants that includes GMFS, Capital Area Human Services,the Louisiana Department of Health and the Baton Rouge PoliceDepartment .Italso housesthe Nexus Louisiana Tech Park business incubator.The former Montgomery Ward building is separately owned by Cox Communications. Afew months after the deal closed, EdgePWR spent $10 million renovating Bon Carré, painting the property,replacing the roof and adding landscaping. It also brought in newtenants including theGovernor’sOffice of Homeland Security& Emergency Preparednessand TheVolunteers of America.

“We’ve had good luck leasing the office space,” said BenGrahamofStirling,who

along with Scott Macdonld, represented EdgePWR in the deal.

BonCarré’s location in themiddleofBaton Rouge,along withthe ample parking, makesita“good landing spot” for state agencies.

DartPoints has been in the local market since 2023 when it acquired Venyu, alocal data centeroperator andcloud service provider. Venyu operated two data centers in BonCarré

DartPoints officials said the growth of sectorssuchastelehealth, gaming andAI have pushed the demand for computerstoragethatisclosertoindividual clients. GrahamsaidDartPoints bought its property as part of an expansioneffort across the U.S. Grahamsaid he and Macdonald will continue leasing space in Bon Carré, looking for office tenants.

“We’velooked at some conversions for sports-orienteduses,” he said. “We’re open to anything.”

Automakers focusonthe global market

U.S. chided over tariffsat Shanghaishow

BY ELAINE KURTENBACH AP business writer

SHANGHAI Boothsofbig Chinese, German andJapanese automakers were bustling at Shanghai’s auto show thisweek as the industry kept its focus on awider globalmarket not subject to steep U.S.tariffs on imports of cars and auto parts.

Signs are that U.S. President Donald Trump’s25% tariffs on auto importsiscausingcompanies to recalibrate their strategies, andinsome cases find new opportunities.

“When governments up above are at odds, it’sgoing to impact the busi-

nesses down below,” said Ma Lihua, general manager at Soling, aChinese maker of domain control units and otherelectronicsusedinsuch things as rearview camera displays. Soling,headquartered in Shanghai, counts Ford MotorCo., Toyota Motor Corp. and many other top tier global and Chinese automakers among its customers. It’s also setting up amanufacturing base in Vietnam, whose local electric vehicle maker VinFast hasambitions to becomeSoutheast Asia’sleading automaker

Many of thedozens of auto parts and components companies exhibitingatthe Shanghai autoshow have operations spanning boththe Chinese and world markets. Metal components maker Gestamp, asupplier of chassis, battery boxes and other key auto parts, has

suffered from aslowdown in the U.S.and western European marketsbut is expanding in Asia, Latin America andEastern Europe.

The tariffs are nowanaddedcomplication, as automakers watch to see what comes.

“In the past, supply chains usually wouldrun likeSwiss clockwork, but now it’sthe opposite,” ErnestoBarcelo, chief ESGofficer for Gestamp, said of the uncertainty now dominating the market

“The lack of stability now, it’s somethingvery. fluffy,” Barcelo said.

Afundamental criteria for investing in any market is political stability,Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motor Co., told reporters when asked about his company’splans to expand manufacturing overseas. That applies to countries likeHun-

gary,where the companyhas notyet decidedonwhether to builda factory,hesaid,but also to the United States underTrump.

“Ifa countryisnot politically stable, it’svery risky,”said Wei, who also goes by thename Jack Wey. With U.S.tariffs so high, Great Wall can focus elsewhere, such as on tradebetween Chinaand Europe, which is bound to grow,hesaid. He didn’taddress the tariffs of up 45.3% that theEUhas imposed on electric vehicles madeinChina Tianshu Xin, CEO of Leapmotor International,a joint ventureofStellantis andChina’s Leapmotor, said the U.S. market wasn’tits first focus. Now, “wewant to monitor the regulatory environment,and also customer preferences are slightly different compared with other markets,”Xin said.

STAFFPHOTO

Ignoring realitywon’t help make schools better

It seems there is afull-scale effort to beat up public schoolsinlow-income areas. Here is the latest.

Proposed legislation by stateRep. BarbaraFrieberg is agut punch to schools inlow-income areas.The Baton Rouge Republican wants thestate to give money to schools based on attendance data fromthe districts This is supposed to encourage higher attendanceat those schools. It would address absenteeism, she says. Sounds plausible until therealities of manychildren and families in low-incomecommunitiesare considered.

Nowlet me explain some realities that Ihave witnessedfirsthandasamember of groupthatgives Thanksgiving boxes and Christmas moneytostudents in need at my old high school.

These will be the students who maybeout for days at atimebecause the importance of theclassroom may not match up withthe realitiesof survival.

There were three youthsinthe family, but both parents were in jail. The older daughter,acollege student and parttimeworker,was trying to manage the family

She pushed her siblings to school, but sometimes one of them just found the situation overwhelming and didn’tattend every day

Another family of threelived in ahomelessshelter. The mother made surethey got to school. Acoupleof monthsago, she wasinthe hospital fora fewdays.The childrenleftthe homeless shelter and stayedatthe hospital withtheir mom. Luckily,school was not in session at thetime.But, given their love for their mom, they would havespent those days at the hospitalifso.

There was aHispanic student among agroup of six that Imentored at theschool for ayear. Shepointed out to me that several of her friendsand neighbors leave school to go to work. Some dropouts go to work and others might work for afew daysata time,then return to school. Imaginewhatadozen or so of those students will do to your school’sattendance report. Theseweresome of the cases we raninto. Iknow darn well those are not isolated. It would be beneficial if people who drawupthese plans would sit and talk withschool guidance counselors and community leaders who work in thetrenches with families to get some idea of what theyare planning. Ithink sometimes theydon’t wanttodoit because it mightpoke ahole in theblinders they are wearing.

Recently,one of my best friends and Iweretrying our best to help afamilynear him find ahomelessshelter or somewhere that would takeinafamily of nine. Several of the sevenchildren attendedpublic schools

As theyscrambled to find somewheretolive, Idon’t think school the next daywas apriority

Look legislators, if you wanttohelpstudentsattend school, find out some of therealitiesthatare keeping themaway.Granted, someparents andstudents may notview attendance like others.

But, what about finding ways to raisethe salariesof teachers in low-income schools because manyofthem leaveasquickly as they can? Getmuch-needed equipment into those classrooms.

Can’tdothat, you say? Well, youfound millions of dollarstopave the way forpublic school money to fill the coffers of private schools.

Find those students Ican findevery day who need familyassistance and providethatto them.SNAPis notthe sole solution.

Getprograms intothose schoolstiedtoschool attendance,where some businesses will be there to offer payingjobstoteenagers.

Venture out from your gated communitiesorupper and high-income neighborhoodstosee whatiscausing attendance problems. My friends andI do it allthe time, just trying to help some of them. Then maybe you’ll get abetterideaofthe reality of these families. Ipromise you will find some of those reasons for low attendance as aresult of situations you could never imagine.

Email Edward Pratt, aformer newspaperman,at epratt1972@yahoo.com.

Saints select QB at pick No.40

O CROSSING NF DR

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Whennewsbroke in earlyApril that Derek Carr’s2025 season may be injeopardy because of an injury to his shoulder, the New Orleans Saints suddenly became a destination for quarterback speculation.

The Saints put an end to the conversation about their future at quarterbackearly Fridaynight when theyselectedLouisville quarterback Tyler Shough with the No. 40 pick. Therewas some thought that the Saints may have to trade up to address the position, but they did not have to touch any of their current assets. Shough was thefirst quarterback selected Friday night, andthe third quarterback overall in the 2025 draft.

New Orleans was on Shoughthroughout the process. He said Saints quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien spent “about the whole day” with him prior to his pro day,going over offensive conceptsonawhite board before getting lunch and dinner.Shough also visited the Saints’ facility prior tothe draft. He’sexcited to join an organization that has several former NFL quarterbacks onits coaching staff, including head coach Kellen

AP FILE PHOTO By GREG M. COOPER

Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough prepares to makeapassduring the first half of a game against Boston CollegeonOct.25in Chestnut Hill,Mass.Shough was selectedby the Saints in theNFL draft on Friday.

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The LSU women’sbasketball team haslanded one of thetop players in thetransfer portal.

MiLaysia Fulwiley,adynamicguard whospent thefirst two seasons of hercareer at South Carolina, took to social media on Fridaytoannouncethat shehad committed to coach Kim Mulkey and the Tigers.

“She’s bringing her incredible playmaking abilityto BatonRouge,” Mulkey said in astatement, “standing out as oneofthe most electrifying talents in college basketball. Her abilitytoimpact winning has been clear throughout her career,and we can’twait to seeher shine in purple and gold at the PMAC soon.”

Fulwiley will be ajunior next seasonand is one of the most coveted transfers of the 2025 cycle. In two years with the Gamecocks, LSU’schiefSoutheastern Confer-

ence rival, sheentered games offthe bench and frequently changedtheir complexion, usually sparking coach Dawn Staley’soffense with dazzling transition finishes.

Fulwiley now will bring that scoring touch to Baton Rouge, where she’ll share abackcourt with Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams.

The Tigers hada clear offseason need to addfrontcourt contributors, but they also lost both of theirlead ballhandlers. Shayeann Day-Wilson exhausted her eligibility,and Last-Tear Poa transferred to Arizona State. Fulwiley,a5-foot-10 combo guard, is neither atraditional, pass-first point guard nor aconsistent, efficient scoring threat. Butshe is agiftedathlete,a dangerous transitionbucket-getter and aformer highly ratedrecruit who has served as akey piece on apairofteams that reached the national championship game.

ä See FULWILEY, page 3C

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Although Taylor spoke to the Jets at the combine, he did notvisit the team beforethe draft,so the pick came as asurprise to him

“I’ve kindofkeptmyheaddownthis whole process, selling myself to the best of my ability,and being who Iamand honest with whoI am, andperformingonthe bigstages,” Taylor said. “I don’tthink there

After putting togetherthe most productive career by atight end in LSU history, Mason Taylor was pickedearly in the second round of the 2025 NFLDraft, goingwith the No. 42 overall pick to the NewYork Jets. Taylor was the third tight end offthe board after Michigan’sColston Loveland and Penn State’sTyler Warren were drafted in the first round. Taylor becamethe highest-drafted LSU tight end since David LaFleur was picked in thefirst round in 1997.

MUSIC THERAPY

were any tells for sure, so it was definitely surprising and I’m excited, can’t waittoget up there to New York.

Athree-year starter, Taylor endedhis LSU career with the school records forthe most receptions (129) and yards (1,308) by atight end. He also caught six touchdowns and famouslygrabbed a2-point conversion to beat Alabama in overtime as afreshman

STAFFFILE PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON

Mason Taylor signalsa first down after abig play against Alabama on

9atTiger Stadium.

7:55 a.m. FIM

9:30

2p.m. PBAElite League FS1 COLLEGE BASEBALL

11 a.m. Miami at Boston CollegeACCN Oklahoma at Georgia SECN

2p.m. Arkansas at Florida SECN

3p.m. Texas A&M at Texas ESPN2 Tulane at East CarolinaESPNU

5p.m. Vanderbilt at Ole Miss SECN

7p.m. Tennessee at LSU ESPNU

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

11 a.m. Maryland springgame BTN

1p.m.Rutgers spring game BTN

3p.m. Oregon spring game BTN

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

11 a.m. Texas at Oklahoma ESPN2

1p.m. Florida at LSU ESPN2

5p.m. Nebraska at Washington BTN

6p.m. Clemson at Georgia Tech ACCN

8p.m. Missouri at Alabama SECN

BROADCASTHIGHLIGHTS

COLLEGE TRACK ANDFIELD

12:30 p.m.Penn Relays CBSSN

2p.m. DrakeRelays CBSSN

WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL

7p.m. Kansas at Nebraska BTN FISHING

7a.m. Bassmaster Elite Series FS1 GOLF

noon PGATour:Zurich ClassicGOLF

2p.m.

PGATour:Zurich ClassicCBS

PGATour Champions GOLF

LPGA: Chevron ChampionshipNBC

4p.m. LIV Golf FS1

HORSE RACING

noon America’sDay at the Races FS2

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

8p.m. UFC: Garryvs. Prates ESPN2

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

noon* Baltimore at DetroitMLBN

3p.m. PhiladelphiaatChicagoCubsFOX

6p.m. Houston at Kansas City FS1

9p.m.* Miami at Seattle MLBN NBA PLAYOFFS

noon Cleveland at Miami TNT

2:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at Memphis TNT

5p.m. DenveratL.A.Clippers TNT

7:30 p.m. Houston at Golden State ABC

2025 NFLDraft: Rounds 4-7 NFLN

NHL

noon Tampa BayatFlorida TBS

3p.m.Vegas at MinnesotaTBS

6p.m.Toronto at Ottawa TBS

8:30 p.m.DallasatColorado TBS

MEN’S SOCCER

6:30 a.m. Burnley at Queens Park CBSSN Everton at Chelsea USA

9a.m.Sunderland at Oxford United CBSSN Ipswich Town at Newcastle U. USA

6p.m.MLS: Atlanta at Orlando City FOX

WOMEN’S SOCCER

noon NWSL: NJ/Ny at Washington CBS

6:30 p.m.NWSL: San DiegoatChicagoION

9p.m.NWSL: Seattle at BayION UFL

6p.m.Michigan at St.Louis ESPN

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

7p.m.Pro Volleyball Federation FS2

*Joinedinprogress

LSUmen’s hoopscheckingboxes

McMahon addressesneeds with transfers

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

This offseason has seen agood deal of turnover for LSU men’s basketball, which is enteringa fourth seasonunder coach Matt McMahon.

Seven players have transferred, and as of Friday,five players have been added to the roster from the transfer portal.

McMahon spoke to The Advocate regarding the offseason and how the 2025-26 team is taking shape. This conversation wasbefore Curtis Givens became the most recent player to enter the portal when it was reported on Wednesday.

McMahon said he is thrilled with his team’stransfer portal haul thus far as the program has been “very intentional” with the piecesithas acquired.

The Tigers set the tonewiththe acquisition of sophomore Dedan Thomas from UNLV, whoisrated as the No. 18 player in theportal, according to 247Sports. After subpar point guard play last season, McMahon saidheand hisstaff needed someone who could make an immediate impact.

“Just love his electricitythat he brings to theposition, hisability to create not only for himself, but for others,” McMahon said. “(They) always say the ultimate compliment of apoint guard is they make everyone else around them better and Ithink he certainlydoes that in many ways.”

Thomas,who is 6-foot-1,185 pounds, averaged 15.6 points on 41.3% from the field and 35.3%

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coachMattMcMahon has added five transfers during the offseason, and he said the Tigers are still considering‘players that fill important needs.

fromthe 3-point line, 4.7 assists and 1.9 turnovers pergame.

While thetwo-timeAll-Mountain West Conference player’s3-point percentage is solid, his3-point volume (2.6 attempts) was unexpectedly low for aplayer of his size andskill.

McMahonisn’t concernedand said he expectsThomas to shoot more from beyondthe arc.

“His catch-and-shoot 3s have been done at areally high percentage, and Ithink he’sanexcellent shooter from behind the arc,” McMahon said. “I thinkhe’ll be in good positiontohelpusstretch the floor,not only with his ability to shoot the 3, but just his craftiness and creativity off the dribble.”

In the frontcourt, LSU added bigs in sophomoreMichael Nwoko

from Mississippi State and senior Marquel Sutton from Omaha. “Wewanted to addsize, physicality,defensive rebounding, rim protection, and we feellike we were able to check those boxes,” McMahon said.

With thesignings of seniors Rashad King and MaxMackinnon from Northeastern and Portland, respectively,McMahon was enamored with both having good size as 6-6 guards.

While everyone outside of Mackinnon is rated in the top 150 of 247Sports transfer portal rankings,the team isn’tfinished adding transfers to the team

“Wewant to continue to add players that fit, players thatfill important needs forus,”McMahon said. “So we’re definitely not complete at this point, but I’m really fired up aboutthe directionwe’re headed. And Ithink if we can add another piece or two, we’ll be really excited aboutour rostergoing into thesummer.”

When asked whether there is a preferred position to add depth at, he said theTigers are just searching for whoever is the “best fit.”

Outside of thetransfer portal, they have madeadditions to their staff. On April 17, LSU announced thehires of generalmanager Ronald Dupree and assistant coach Yasir Rosemond.

McMahon described Dupree as a“perfectperson” forthe new position as aformer LSU star andexecutive in an NBA front office. On Rosemond, he said he’s agreat asset to the program with his coaching experience from Oregon, Alabama, Georgia and most recently Indiana.

“I’vealways been abig fanof Yasir,”McMahonsaid. “I think he’sfantastic in player development,relationships with players, and is one of the country’seliterecruiters, so really excited to add him to our staff.”

LSUfaces bigtests with national seed on line

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

Trying to snap out of alateseason slump usually results in athletes being encouraged to focus on the next game, butthe LSU softball team is well aware of the stakes.

TheNo. 10 Tigers havelost six of their last seven SEC games and return home at 1p.m. Saturday forathree-game seriesagainst No.8 Florida. Threedaysafter that series ends, the Tigers travel to Arkansas to meet the No. 9 Razorbacks for three in thefinal conference series. Becauseofthe qualityand quantity of SEC teams, its going to be amad scramblethrough the SEC Tournament to secure one of the eight national seeds and that allow ateam to stay at home until the Women’sCollege World Series.

LSU shortstop Avery Hodge said it’safact that can’tbeignored.

“It’sinthe back of allofour heads,” Hodge said. “Wejust need to focus on these next two weekends. Playing our game and playingstrongwillhelpusachieve those goals.”

Tigerscoach Beth Torinaisn’t trying to hide it from her players, and she likesher team’schances of responding positively

“They are resilient and have proven to be that throughout the

theimplications.”

LSU isn’tina badposition but was much better off before going 1-5 in aswing through Texas A&M and Texas. The Tigers’ RPI is No. 7and strength of schedule is No. 10, but that can improve after the next two weekends, particularly if they can capture both series.

Torina is hoping atweak of her lineup will help. Hodge was moved from the No. 9spot in thebatting order to No. 6. She’s fourthonthe team witha.356 average and has a .423 on-basepercentage. She also leads the team with 10 stolenbases in 12 attempts.

“She’ssucha great human on and off the field and apresence outthere.She provides so much peaceand comfortwhen I’min the circle. Ispeak forall thepitchers when Isay we knowshe has our back andissogreatatcommunication.”

Hodge said she adapted quickly after arriving at LSU.

“Ithappened formeinthe fall with everyone being so welcoming,” Hodge said. “Wegot to work right away and that was ahuge part.Making me feel comfortable andthe coaches pushing me hard is what Iwanted. Thetransition has been really easy

Poirier’sretirement match setfor UFC 318 in N.O Dustin Poirier announced Friday that his final UFCfight will take placeinhis home state of Louisiana.

On July 19 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Poirier will face BMF champion Max Holloway in theLafayettenative’s farewell fight at UFC318. “There’snot abetter guy Icould think to fight in my retirement fight,” Poirier said. “He’salegend, former (undisputed) champion, current BMF champion, so we’re going to put on another war.”

The BMF belt is an unofficial title awarded to the fighter whohas showntoughness,aggressionand willingness “to engage in war-like” contests, according to ufc.com. Poirier, 36, hasarecord of 30-9. Holloway,33, hasa 26-8 record.

LSU freshman DL Battle enterstransferportal

LSU freshman defensive tackle Dilan Battleentered thetransfer portal Friday,multiple sources confirmed to The Advocate.

Battle was athree-star recruit in the 2025 class from Texas who enrolled early in January.Heparticipated in spring practice before entering the portal.

Battlewas thefirstLSU scholarship playertoenter in thespring transferportal window,which closed Fridaynight. Graduate students can enter the portal at any time.

LSUishosting SouthFlorida defensive linemanBernard Gooden until Saturday.Gooden,asenior, recorded 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 11/2 sacks while starting 11 games last season,and LSUhopes to secure his commitmenttoadd an experienced player to the defensive line.

Tulane, ex-LSU quarterback Finleyreturnstoportal Well-traveled quarterback TJ Finley is in the transfer portal again.

Finley, aPonchatoula product who has started games for LSU, Auburn, Texas State and Western Kentucky,will not get that chance at Tulane. Having signedwiththe Green Wave in Januaryand participating in the first seven spring practices, he was suspended April 3after being arrested on campus and charged with being in possession of astolen Dodge Ram.Sources at the timeindicated he would not be allowedtoreturn regardless of the outcome of his case.

Finley,asixth-yearsenior, faces acourt date on June 1. He has thrown for 6,128 yards andwill look for somewhere else to finish his college career

Grizzlies guard Morant doubtful for Game 4

MEMPHIS,Tenn. Memphis guard Ja Morant is doubtful to play Saturday when theGrizzlies face elimination in Game 4of their Western Conference series against OklahomaCity because of abruised hip.

In Game 3, Morant wasona fast break with teammateScotty Pippenwhenhejumpedand was struck at the feet by astumbling Lu Dort. The contact led to Morant hitting the court without breaking his fall.

Despite reports that Morant would miss Game 4onSaturday, interim coach Tuomas Iisalo declined to confirm that. Later Friday, the Grizzlieslisted Morant as doubtful on their injury report for Game 4, meaning he is unlikely to play

season,” Torina said. “They still have everything they wanttoaccomplish right in front of them

It’sgoing to be tough getting into the topgroup becauseit’sso competitive with just SEC teams.

We’reout here trying to play the best versionofLSU softball we can, but everybody understands

Hodge doesn’tcarry much power with six extra-base hits among her 42, but she did connect for her first career homeragainst UL in March. More importantly,she’s been acapable replacementat shortstop for four-year starter Taylor Pleasants Ajuniortransfer fromnational champion Oklahoma,she’splaying shortstop full time for the first time and has 17 errors, but only one in the last 13 games.

“Knowing it wouldbeTaylor’s lastyear,wehad abig question mark as to whocould fill that spot,” LSUpitcher TatumClopton said. “It couldn’thave gone better for us.

“I’m comfortable leading. Leadership looks different in alot of ways. Some days it’sbyexample or sharing my thoughts.”

LSU hasits work cut out for it this weekend. Florida leads the SECinruns scored (391),homers(85)and hits (453). Taylor Shumaker and Mia Williams are in afour-way tie for third with 16 homers, which includes LSU first baseman Tori Edwards. Three other Gators have at least 10. Leadoff hitter Kendra Falby is batting .469 with a.538 on-base percentage and34steals.

“Their lineup is incredibly deep, no momentwhere you can catch your breath,”Torina said. “It’s probably the deepest lineup we’ve seen.

Butler’sstatus uncertain for game againstRockets SANFRANCISCO Warriors forward Jimmy Butler is listed as questionable forGame 3ofGolden State’s first-round playoffseriesagainst theHouston Rockets after he suffered apelvic contusion in a frightening fall during Game 2. Butler flewhome from Houston andunderwentanMRI exam Thursday in the Bay Area that revealed he injured his pelvis and has adeep gluteal muscle contusion. The team announced the update Friday,with the best-of-seven series tied at onegameapiece as it shifts to Chase Center in San Francisco forGame 3onSaturday night. Game 4isMonday Butler wentdown hard when fouled by Amen Thompson late in the first quarter and then missed the rest of Wednesday’sgame.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU shortstopAvery Hodge rounds firstafter getting ahit against AlabamaonApril 5at TigerPark.

ä Florida at LSU, 1P.M. ESPN2

ZURICHCLASSIC

FROM THEGALLERY:QUICK TAKESFROMTHE ZURICH CLASSICHEADING INTO SATURDAY’S

WEATHER

Saturday in Avondale

Hit and hope: Partly cloudyearly, chance of showers late. High85.

LEADING/LURKING

Isaiah Salinda and KevinVelo followedtheir course-record 58 witha 3-under-par69toget to 17-under127. They’re one strokeuponAndrewNovak/Ben Griffin, and twoahead of Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark.

WHERE’S RORY?

Masters champion/world No. 2RoryMcIlroyand Shane Lowry, the 2024 Zurich champions, gotto14under through 12 holes but bogeyed three of their last six to shoot 69 and slip into atie for16th at 11-under 133.

Rookiesmaintain lead at Zurich Classic

BY JEFF DUNCAN Sports columnist

Awild weekend beckons at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

PGA Tour rookies Isaiah Salinda andKevin Velo maintained their surprising lead Friday in the tightly contested field at 17-under par after two rounds of play at the TPC of Louisiana. But their precariousoneshot lead feels anything but safe. Behind them lurks an army of contenders,including the tandems of Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak at 16 under and the Hojgaard twins —Nicolai and Rasmus

—at15under

In all, 15 teams are within five shots of the lead, including former LSU standout Ben Taylor and fellow Englishman David Skinns, who are one of two tandems four shots back at 13 under.A cluster of nineteams sitat 12 under,including the formidable tandems of Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, Sepp Straka and Brice Garnett, and Aaron Rai and Saheeth Theegala. But they’re all chasing Salinda and Velo, who battled the hot, windy conditionsto card ascore of 69 during the alternate-shot format.

“I know best ball is obviously where you can take (the score) low,but Ilike our chances in alternate shot versus anyone in the field,” said Salinda,28, aSan Francisco native. “Tomorrow,we just keep playing how we’re playing, set ourselves up for

Sunday and give ourselves a shot.”

Salinda and Velo entered theday withaone-shot lead after carding acourserecord score of 14-under 58 in the four-ball(best-ball) format on Thursday.They started slowly with ascore of 37 on theback nine,then caughtfire with consecutive birdies onNos. 1, 2and 3to finish the front nine in 4-under32.

“Wereally played toour strengthstoday,” said Velo, 27, aRedwood City,California,native. “Webothmissed acouple short ones that kind of led to our bogeys,but besides that, we played pretty flawless.”

TheHojgaard twinsstruggledtoconsistently score in thehot,windy afternoon conditions, butthe duo managed to stay in contention by saving several pars.Their only bogey came on the par3No. 9.

“Itwas quitetricky out there,”Nicolai Hojgaard said. “The wind was abit swirly.Very pleased with how we hung in there today and grinded it out. Ithink that’sthe most important thing when you’re playing alternate shot is the good pars youmake. The saves are more importantthan the birdies to keep themomentum.”

Novak and Griffintook advantage of their early tee time to post aroundof6-under66inthe relativelycalm morning conditions.The tandem carded sevenbirdies and just one bogey (No.

4) in theirround.Their lead stood for most of the day until Salinda and Velo overtook them late in the afternoon.

“There was alot of good golf shotstoday,” said Novak, a30-year-old North Carolinanativewho has three top-10 finishes this year.“…Our short games kind of take care of alot of missteps. But alot of good puttingand seven birdies today.That’sreally strong foralternate shot (play).”

Tournament favorites Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry loom six shots back at 11 under, butitwas a disappointing finish for the reigning tournamentchampions. Playing in front of an enthusiastic gallery of about 1,000 patrons, theduo made abold chargewith a4-under32onthe front nine,including an eagle on the par-5, 548-yard No.2 They birdiedfive of thenext nine holes to pull within two strokes of the lead only to flounderdown thestretch withthree bogeys in their final sixholes Among the headliners who failed to make the cut were the Fitzpatrick brothers, Alexand Matt,who missed the cut by astroke at 9under, and theteams of two top-20 players —Kurt Kitayamaand No. 4Collin Morikawa, and Taylor Moore and No. 17 Wyndham Clark who were at 8under Saturday’s roundofbestball play begins at 7:50 a.m. The leaders will teeoff at 11:45 a.m.

FULWILEY

Continued from page1C

The Columbia, South Carolina, native averaged 11.7 points per contest in both seasons of her career.As afreshman, she shot 44% from the field and 34% from 3-point range. As asophomore, she converted 43% of her field-goal tries and 26% of her long-range attempts, with per-game averages of 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assistsand 1.5 steals. In three career games against LSU, Fulwiley averaged 13.3 points on 45% shooting and drained 6of 13 tries from beyond the arc. She also tallied six steals. Her top showing vs the Tigers wasa24-point

outing in the 2024 SEC Tournament title game, a matchup that SouthCarolina won 79-72. Fulwiley has scoredat least 20 pointsonly seven times, but she played just 19 minutes per game across thefirst two years of her career.Her per-40-minute scoring average last season was 24.9 ppg, one of the six highest ratesamong DivisionIsophomoresand a higher average thanones postedbyother SEC stars in her class, such as Williams (21.9) andMadison Booker of Texas (20.5). LSU is replacing eight of the13scholarship players from last season’steam It has only four returning contributors— Johnson, Williams, Kailyn Gilbert and Jada Richard —and

they’re allguards, just like threeofthe four recruits signed to itsNo. 1freshman class. Thosefacts didn’tstop Mulkeyfrom pursuing Fulwiley, then landing herin one of the most noteworthy moves of the 2025 offseason. Fulwiley will be the third transfer to sign with the Tigersthisoffseason.LSU already inked former Notre Dame forward Kate Koval and former East Carolina forward Amiya Joyner. Both are expectedtoplaysignificant roles next season. LSUalso is still in the mix for former Wisconsin star Serah Williams, a6-4 forward also ranked as one of the 10 best transfers of 2025, per ESPN. She visited Baton Rouge on April 17-18.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Two-man teamsplay the followingformat:

Thursday:Four-ball (bestball)

Friday:Foursomes (alternate shot)

Saturday:Four-ball (bestball)

Sunday:Foursomes (alternate shot)

THIRDROUND

TICKETS/PARKING

Daily tournamenttickets are $45 each.Activemilitarymembers are admittedfree, as are children under15with apaying adult Public parking is at NOLA Motorsports Park, 11075 Nicolle Blvd., withanew course entrance near the third green

McIlroybringsinfans, even from 8,500miles away

BY SCOTTRABALAIS Staff writer

Half aworld away from where Rory McIlroy was battling to win hisfirst green jacket and the career Grand Slam, Ping-Yuan “Wilson” Chen was up in the middle of the night at hishome in Taiwan, following the Masters and living and dyingwith every stroke.

Scott Rabalais

“Watching round four was like aroller coaster,” Chen said. “I got so nervous. It was almost like Icouldn’tbreathe.”

Notlongafter McIlroy sank to his knees when he sank thewinning puttina playoff against Justin Rose, Chen made adecision. The 27-year-old recently had quithis sales job for aluxurybrand companytolive outhis dream of traveling the world. He wanted to visitthe next place McIlroywas going to play on the PGA Tour after the Masters He wanted to come to New Orleans.

Chen’sodyssey started when he reached out on Instagram to the Zurich Classic social-media team,inquiring about how to purchase tournament merchandise. It’sonly sold on site, so that started the conversation abouthis decision to make the 8,500-mile pilgrimage to the Crescent City

Earlier this week, Chen hopped on an airliner from TaiwantoLos Angeles, flew from there to Houston, then to save on costs he drove from Houston to NewOrleans, arriving Thursday at TPC Louisiana during the middle of the Zurich Classic’sfirst round.

“I know it’s goingtobe scary, butI just decidedI’m going to do this,” Chen said. He only had achance to catch aglimpseofMcIlroy and fellow Irishman Shane LowryonThursday as they opened defense of their Zurich Classic title. On Friday, Chen was out beside the first tee as they set offjust before 1p.m.

Sporting awhite Zurich Classic hatand blue Zurich shirt while clutching a

tournament replica pin flag alreadyfilling up with autographs of players suchas two-time majorchampion Collin Morikawa,Ryder Cup captainLuke Donaldand fellow Taiwan native Kevin Yu, he setout among the throngs of fans who surged throughoutthe course to chase down the tournament’smost dynamic duo

“My little brotherasked me (Friday) morning how big Rory is likeinNBA terms, because he knows the NBAbetter,” Chen said.

“So, Isay to him that Rory is like the LeBronJames right now. Itold him the (career) Grand Slamisonly sixplayers. One of them is Tiger and the others, they are like very old now.”

Onlyaday or so after his arrival,Chensaidheknew coming to New Orleans and the Zurich was agood move.

Alife memoryinthe making.

“I’m glad Idid this,”hesaid.

“It’sbetterthanIthought after being here. Thepeople everywhere are so nice.

It’s NewOrleans, so of course thefood hasbeen abig part of his experience. Tournament officials,uponlearning of Chen’svisit, hooked himupwith manyofthe tasty treats being offered on property during the tournament. Among his favorites: a filet mignon sandwich and, of course, chargrilled oysters.

Come to think of it,why wouldn’tyou travel 8,500 miles forfood like that?

NewOrleans is always bustling witheventsand internationaltourists, but Chen arrived at aparticularly busy time on the city’s

social calendar. Not only is it the week of the Zurich Classic and the NFL draft (Chen didn’t seem to be livingand dying withthe Saints’ draft machinations, much to his benefit), but it’salso the first weekofJazz Fest. Chen saidhewould like to visit the National WWII Museum while in town, and people at his downtown hotel have advised himtocatch an act or twoatJazz Fest After the tournament, Chen’strip isn’tdone. He’s planning to retrace his steps, first to Houstonthenbackto Los Angeles, where his girlfriend is meetinghim from Taiwantocatch moresights out west.He’sbeen to the Grand Canyon before, and he would liketoshowittoher Thinking of seeing America’s wonders through someone else’seyes, someone from so far away,makes you truly think about what an amazing country this can be. “The other place in America Ireally wanttogosince Iwas child is Monument Valley,” Chen said. Ihaven’tbeen to Monument Valley, either.Thanks, Wilson, for reminding me to bumpitupmybucket list. When Chen’sfather,an orthopedist, retires from his practice, they want to do aroad trip across America. Chenwants to make coming back to New Orleans, perhaps even to the Zurich Classic, apriority

“I think being here in TPC Louisiana, it’slike awhole new world,” he said. “Maybe I’ll come for the Zurich Classic next year.I’d love to come back every year.”

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE Ping-yuan ‘Wilson’ Chen watches as RoryMcIlroyand Shane Lowrycompete in the second round of the Zurich ClassicatTPC Louisiana in AvondaleonFriday.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Isaiah Salinda, left, and Kevin Velo wait their turn on the 18th green during the second round of the Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana in Avondale on Friday.

Hunter goingstraight to work in Jacksonville

BY MARK LONG AP pro football writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Two-waystar

Travis Hunter walked into the Jacksonville Jaguars’ facility for thefirst time Friday,saw general manager James Gladstoneflipping afootball and grabbed it

“It didn’ttake long for Travis to produce hisfirsttakeaway,”Gladstone said. “It’sgoing to beafun go if that’swhat we see here on the horizon.”

Hunter was still carrying the ball when he arrived at his introductory news conference an hour later It was aplayful prop and set the tone for an entertainingdebut in frontofanaudiencethatincluded the mayor,the sheriff anddozens of fans.

The Jaguars traded up three spots —they gave up significant draft capitaltomake it happen to select the Heisman Trophywinner secondoverallinthe NFL draft Thursdaynight. After alate night in Green Bay,Wisconsin, Hunter hoppedonowner Shad Khan’sprivate jet Friday morning and stared out of awindow the entire flight to Florida because he was “just excited to get here and be able to come back home and get to work.”

Hunter was serious,too

He canceled his return flight to remain in Jacksonville, go house hunting with his fiancée andbegin catching passes from quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

“I’m going to comeout and do my job,” Hunter said. “I’m not going to say I’m going to changeanything. Idon’twant to set the expectation too high. I’m just going to comein and do my job, and hopefully we change the atmosphere.”

The Jaguars are counting on Hunter to change everything about the franchise —beginning on both sides of the ball.

“He embodies belief,” Gladstone said. “He’sarare person. He’s arare player.But he’salso areminder that the boundaries of the game of football were built to be challenged.

Two-wayplayerTravisHunter,the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round draft pick, talkswithreporters during an introductorynewsconference Friday in Jacksonville, Fla.

“So, the decision to select him was actually astatement, astatement for how we plan to move, whoweare, and we want him to be nothing more than himbecause, when he is,heelevatesthe space around him —from the football fieldtothe city to thegameoffootball itself.”

Hunter was expected to get both offensive and defensive playbooks during his initial visit. The Jaguars expect him to start mostlyat receiver during rookie minicamp next month while slowly getting more and more work on defense.

Eventually,though, they plan to have himplaying asimilar number of snapsonboth sides.

“Weknowthathe’sgoing to be able to doboth.Wefeel that in our bones,” coach Liam Coen said. “We have to have the ability to be agile and befluidonspecific days. If we don’tfeel like he got enough work on one sideofthe ball theprevious day,thenweneedtobeable to move forward and get him those

reps thenext day

“How is this thing going to work? What do we want this to look like? We want it to look like what it looked like at Colorado, and that would be pretty good for us.”

Hunter played awhopping 1,461 snaps last season at Colorado, according to Pro Football Focus. Buffs coach Deion Sanders, aPro FootballHallofFamer andthe last NFL player to play significant snaps on both sides of the ball, allowed Hunter to take several days off after games to recuperate. The Jaguarshave already discussed providing him similar rest Hunter will wear his usual No. 12 with Jacksonville, andhewas given an official Jaguars jersey during hisintro Friday.Heplayfully pulled it away fromHallofFamer Tony Boselli, the team’sexecutive vice president, and thengrinned ear to earwhen Gladstone said, “He’s got asmile thatwill light up aroom.”

“Yeah,there it is.Let it shine,” Gladstone said.

WR Bech,taken at No.58, dedicatescareertobrother

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

After Jack Bech was selected in the second round of the NFL draft Friday night, he dedicated the rest of his career to his brother

Bech’solder brother, Tiger,was one of 14 people killed during the New Year’sterrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Bech has vowed to keep his memory alive eversince, and he was drafted No. 58 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders

“One of the best moments ever,” Bech said on the telecast. “Like I’ve been saying, it’satwo-for-one deal. Not only do they getme, they get Tiger,too. It’sa dream come true. Everybody in this room are the people Ilove most, the people who got me here. Ican’twait to go put on for Raider Nation.”

Watching the draft from his hometown of Lafayette, Bech was surrounded by family and friends, includingLSU quarterback GarrettNussmeier.Hehugged his parents after he got thecall while therest of thepeople at thedraft party cheeredand clapped. Bech’solder brother was on his mind, as he has been ever since his death. After Martin “Tiger” Bech died, Bech got two tattoos on the left side of his chest dedicated to him.

One reads “7 to Heaven,” anod to the number Tiger wore at Princeton. The other,aseries of Roman nu-

Continued from page1C

Taylor became the latest member of his family to reach the NFL. Hisdad, Jason Taylor,was aHallof Fame defensive end after recording139 1/2 careersacks, primarily with theMiami Dolphins.Taylor’s uncle, Zach Thomas,alsoreached the Hall of Fame as alinebacker “Myfamily’sreally supporting,” MasonTaylorsaid. “My dad’sabig supporter,soI mean Ihate to say it, but Ithink he’ll love the Jets a lotmore than the Dolphins now.” Jason Taylor played one season with the Jets, so Mason Taylor

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Casan Evans calls it achangeup.

But that’snot what it lookslike coming out of thefreshman’s right hand. The pitch bares acloser resemblancetoasplitter because of its late downward break.

It’sacombinationofasplitter and achangeup. Somehave even called it a“splinge.”

“I’vehad this pitchsince my junior year of high school,and it’slike amix be tw een a changeup and a splitter,” Evans said. “It’s just what wasmost comfortable to me. And ever sincehighschool,I’vebeen able to throw it wheneverand wherever Iwant, in any count.”

When Evans was afreshman and sophomore in high school, the pitch was asplitter.But the stress it placed on his forearmforced him to grip it differently,wideninghis fingers on the ball for a more comfortable delivery and turning it into more of achangeup.

“Just being able to throwthe pitch at any time builds my confidence,” Evans said, “knowing that Ihave aput-away pitch.”

TCU wide receiver Jack Bech carries the ball on atouchdownrun against Houston on Oct. 4inFortWorth, Texas. Bechwas selected No. 58 overall by theLas VegasRaiders on Friday

merals —I.XXVIII.MCMXCVII

I.I.MMXXV —represents the day Tiger was born and the day he died.

“He’sgoingtokeep bringing me further andfurther andfurther,” Bech said,“and Idedicate my whole career to him.”

After going to St. Thomas More, Bech began his career at LSU, the same school where two of his uncles played football and where his parents went to school. He transferred to TCU after two seasons.

Bech caught 62 passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns last yearfor theHornedFrogs.He was then named themostvaluable

went to school in New York for a year while he was growing up. He remembered playing in Central Park with his mom and siblings. “Wewent to the park every single day to keep us entertained as kids,”Taylorsaid. “Running around there and running around NewYork, Imean, it was fun. It wasa blast, so it’s definitelycrazy andeye-opening knowing that I’ll be there nowolder.”

Taylor wasthe second LSUplay-

er to get picked in the2025 draft after offensive tackle Will Campbell went No. 4overalltothe New England Patriots. They will now play in the same division. After Taylorwas picked, former Alabamacoach Nick Saban

player of the Senior Bowl, helping further raise his draft stock.

Though Bech losthis brother in the midstofthe draft process, he has kept Tigeratthe forefrontof hislife andcontinued to work towardthe day he would begin his professional career “Wewant to keep leaving his legacy,” Bech said. “Wewanteverybody and more to know about him That’sone thingthat we promised, onething that Ipromised is I’m nevergoing to lethis name die.I’m going to keep livingitevery day, everyyear,everymonth. I’m going to make sureknows Tiger’sname.”

on ABCsaidthat the “biggest recruiting mistake” that he ever made with the Crimson Tide was not landing Taylor Taylor was athree-star recruit coming out of St.Thomas Aquinas High in Florida. Saban said Alabama went back and forthon whether to offer Taylorascholarship after being “the best tight end we had in camp,” but he committed to LSUinstead.

“This guy is an outstanding player,” Sabansaid. “He’s gotthe right mental makeup. He can play all the spotsattight end. He can play hand in the dirt,hecan move as an H, he canplay out as awideout.This guy is areally good player.He’smyfavorite all-around tight end.”

The pitch has gone along way toward making Evans one of the best relieversincollege baseball. Entering this weekend’s serieswith Tennessee, he has a 0.67 ERA and has struck out 38% of the battershe’sfacedin27innings.

He andjunior right-hander Zac Cowan have combined to form one of the strongest bullpen duos in the country.Cowan cameinto this weekend with a1.21 ERA and

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

Moore and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier

“Everywhere coach Moore has been,it’sbeen greatness from the quarterback position,”Shough said. “He’sa guru when it comes to that. I’msoexcited to continue to workwith him.I feel like this is the only team in theNFL where you’ve got the QB coach,the OC and thehead coach allquarterback guys. So this is an incredible opportunity to come in and learn from them.”

Shough is anontraditional rookie quarterback. He dealt withinjuries throughout his college career,which included stops at Oregon and Texas Tech, and he will enter his rookie season as a 26-year-old. He doesn’tviewhis ageas something that willholdhim back.

“In aperfect scenario, I’dplay 10, 12 years and I’m still (in my) mid-30s,” Shough said. “I think any team would ask for that. Coming intothis situation,I’ve already seen whatcan happen in theNFL, and I’ve already gone through those challenges in college,soI feel much more preparednow to come in andplay free and have fun and do everythingIcan to makethe team better.” All three of the injuries Shough suffered in college —tohis shoulder,collarbone and leg —were season-ending, butnoneofthem required extensive rehabilitation.While he recovered, Shough said he pored himself into studying game plans.

“It’sonly mademestronger,” Shough said. “I’vehad thebone breaks. It hasn’taffected me physically,and it’s strengthened

a32.4% strikeout rate in 371/3 innings.

It probably isn’tacoincidence that Cowanand Evans’out pitch is someversion of achangeup.

“I think aright-on-right changeup is the toughest pitch in baseball,” junior Daniel Dickinson said. What has made the off-speed pitches so effective forCowan and Evans is their ability to locate it wherever they want.

Cowanhas allowedthe only home runbetween them, and both pitchers have awalkrate that’sunder 9%. In other words, they throw strikes without leaving theballoverthe heartofthe plate.

“Hitting is about timing; pitchingisabout disrupting timing,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “Timing is correlated to how well yousee the ball, andtheyhave an abilitytocreate deceptionin hitters.

“Theyalso throwall theirpitches forstrikes, andthe morethat you do that, the more doubt that you put in the hitter,and then it makes it hard for them to get a really good swing off.”

The plus command and plus changeup they possesshavedone wonders for an LSU bullpen that hasotherwise had an up-anddownyear

“Somepeople just are able to throw (the changeup) alot easier than others, and Ithink that’s something that just comes very naturally to them,” junior lefthander Conner Ware said, “and it’skind of their pitch, and it’s whatthey’ve been doing their whole lives.”

Email Koki RileyatKoki. Riley@theadvocate.com.

me mentally.I feel so prepared to come into New Orleans, continue to learn, continuetogrowand compete. At this point, I’mready forthis opportunity.”

He stayed healthy in 2024 and enjoyedastrong season with Louisville,throwing for 3,195 yards and26touchdowns. Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said that while Shough was asolid athlete who could move,the Cardinalspurposely avoided situations that would put theballinShough’s hands as arunner to mitigate the injury risk.

“Itwas huge,” Shough saidof his final season. “Just to be in that style of offense under coach Brohm, you’re running pro-style concepts and having alot more control of everything, having afull season where you have to manage the ebbs and flows

“Obviously, I’ve been around and seen alot of ball and started alot of games, but getting afull season and being able to showcase what Ican do was my main goal.”

In Shough, the Saints selected aquarterback with prototypical size (6-foot-5, 219 pounds) and an NFL-caliber arm. Talent evaluatorshave praised Shough forhis ability to push the ball downfield andmaketight-window throws, and Shough has also displayed a creative side withoff-platform throws—though he may need to dial someofthat back at the professional level.

He joins aSaintsquarterback roomthat includesCarr as well as 2024 fifth-rounderSpencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-rounderJake Haener.At40thoverall, Shough becamethe highest drafted quarterback by the Saints since they selected Archie Manning second overall in 1971.

Email Luke Johnsonat ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GARy MCCULLOUGH

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ

SCOREBOARD

game: Golden State at Houston, 6:30 p.m. x-Friday, May2: Houston at Golden State, TBA x-Sunday, May4: Golden State at Houston, TBA L.A. Clippers 2, Denver1 Saturday’s game: Denver 112, L.A. Clippers 110, OT Monday’s game: L.A. Clippers 105,Denver 102

Thursday’s game: L.A. Clippers 117, Denver 83

Saturday’s game: Denver at L.A. Clippers, 5p.m Tuesday, April 29: L.A. Clippers at Denver, 9p.m x-Thursday, May1: DenveratL.A. Clippers, TBA x-Saturday, May3: L.A. Clippers at Denver, TBA Oklahoma City 3, Memphis 0 Sunday’sgame: Oklahoma City 131, Memphis 80

Tuesday’s game: Oklahoma City 118, Memphis 99

Thursday’sgame: Oklahoma City 114, Memphis 108

Saturday’sgame: Oklahoma City at Memphis, 2:30 p.m.

x-Monday, April 28: MemphisatOklahoma

City,TBA x-Thursday, May1: Oklahoma City at Memphis, TBA x-Saturday, May3: Memphis at Oklahoma City,TBA L.A. Lakers 1, Minnesota 1 Saturday’s game: Minnesota117, L.A. Lakers 95 Tuesday’s game: L.A. Lakers 94, Minnesota

85 Friday’s game: L.A. Lakers at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday’sgame: L.A. LakersatMinnesota, 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday’s game: Minnesota at L.A. Lakers, 9p.m. x-Friday, May2: L.A. Lakers at Minnesota, TBA x-Sunday, May4: Minnesota at L.A. Lakers

Pro football

NFL Draft First Round Selections

Thursday 1. Tennessee, Cam Ward,qb, Miami.

2. Jacksonville (from Cleveland), Travis Hunter, cb/wr, Colorado.

3. N.Y. Giants, AbdulCarter, de, Penn State.

4. New England, Will Campbell, ot, LSU 5. Cleveland (from Jacksonville),Mason Graham, dt, Michigan.

6. Ashton Jeanty,rb, Boise State.

7. N.Y. Jets, Armand Membou, ot, Missouri.

8. Carolina, Tetairoa McMillan, wr,Arizona.

9. New Orleans, Kelvin Banks Jr ot, Texas.

10. Chicago, Colston Loveland, te, Michigan. 11. San Fran. 49ers, Mykel Williams,DL, Georgia 12. Dallas Cowboys,Tyler Booker, OL Alabama 13. Miami Dolphins, KennethGrant, DT Michigan 14. Indianapolis Colts, Tyler Warren,TE, Penn State 15. Atlanta Falcons, Jalon Walker, DE, Georgia

31. Philadelphia Eagles,Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama 32. Kansas City Chiefs,Josh Simmons,OL, Ohio State Friday, April25 Second Round

33. Cleveland, Carson Schwesinger,lb, UCLA. 34. Houston (fromN.Y.Giants),Jayden Higgins, wr, Iowa State. 35. Seattle(from Tennessee),NickEmmanwori,s,South Carolina.

36. Cleveland (from Jacksonville), Quinshon Judkins, rb,OhioState.

37. Miami (from Las Vegas),Jonah Savaiinaea, g, Arizona.

38. New England, TreVeyon Henderson, rb, Ohio State. 39. Chicago (from Carolina),Luther Burden III, wr,Missouri.

40. New Orleans, Tyler Shough, qb, Louisville.

41. Buffalo(from Chicago),T.J.Sanders, DT, South Carolina.

42. N.Y. Jets,Mason Taylor, te, LSU

43. San Francisco,Alfred Collins, dt, Texas.

44. Dallas, DonovanEzeiruaku, de, Boston College.

45. Indianapolis, JT Tuimoloau, de, Ohio State.

46. L.A. Rams (from Atlanta),Terrance Ferguson, te, Oregon.

47. Arizona, Will Johnson, cb,Michigan.

48. Houston (from MIA through LV), Aireontae Ersery,ot, Minnesota.

49. Cincinnati, DemetriusKnight Jr lb, South Carolina.

50. Seattle, Elijah Arroyo,te, Miami

51. Carolina (from Denver),Nick Scourton, de, TexasA&M

52. Tennessee (from PITthrough SEA), Oluwafemi Oladejo, de, UCLA.

53. TampaBay,BenjaminMorrison, cb,Notre Dame. 54. Green Bay, AnthonyBelton, ot, NC State.

55. L.A. Chargers, TreHarris, wr,Mississippi.

56. Chicago (from MIN through HOU and BUF), Ozzy Trapilo,ot, Boston College.

57. Detroit (from LAR through CAR),Tate Ratledge, g, Georgia.

58. Las Vegas (from Houston), Jack Bech, wr, TCU.

59. Baltimore, Mike Green, de, Marshall.

60. Denver, RJ Harvey, rb,UCF

61. Washington, Trey Amos, cb, Mississippi.

62. Chicago (from Buffalo),Shemar Turner, dt, TexasA&M 63. Kansas City,Omarr Norman-Lott, dt, Tennessee. 64. Philadelphia, Andrew Mukuba, s, Texas. MORE College baseball

Area schedule Thursday’s games None scheduled. Friday’s games Mississippi Valley State at Southern, n Georgia Southern at UL, n Old Dominion at UL-Monroe, n UNO at Lamar, n Grambling at Florida A&M, n Dallas Baptist at Louisiana Tech,n Tulane at East Carolina, n NW State at Stephen F. Austin,

16. ArizonaCardinals, Walter Nolen, DT,Ole Miss 17. Cincinnati Bengals, Shemar Stewart, DE, TexasA&M 18. Seattle Seahawks, Grey Zabel, T, North Dakota State 19. TampaBay Buccaneers, EmekaEgbuka, WR, Ohio State 20. DenverBroncos, Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas 21. PittsburghSteelers, Derrick Harmon, DT Oregon 22. LosAngeles Chargers, OmarionHampton, RB,North Carolina 23. Green BayPackers, Matthew Golden, WR,Texas 24. Minnesota Vikings,DonovanJackson, OL, Ohio State 25. New York Giants,Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss 26. Atlanta Falcons,James Pearce, DE, Tennessee 27. BaltimoreRavens, Malaki Starks, S, Georgia 28. Detroit Lions,Tyleik Williams,DT, Ohio State 29. Washington Commanders, Josh Conerly, OL,Oregon 30. BuffaloBills, Maxwell Hairston, CB Kentucky

Grambling at Prairie View, n Saturday’s games Southern at Arkansas-Pine Bluff(DH), noon Nicholls at Southeastern, noon TexasA&M-Corpus Christi at Northwestern, noon McNeese at Stephen F. Austin (DH), noon Florida at LSU,1p.m. Liberty at Louisiana Tech,2p.m. UL at TexasState,2p.m. UL-Monroe at South Alabama, 3p.m. Grambling at Prairie View(DH), TBA Sunday’s games UL at TexasState,noon Liberty at Louisiana Tech,noon UL-Monroe at South Alabama, 1p.m. Florida at LSU,5p.m. TBA Golf

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Friday At TPC Louisiana New Orleans Purse: $9.2 million Yardage: 7,425; Par: 72 Second Round I.Salinda/K.Velo 58-69—127 -17

B.Griffin/A.Novak62-66—128 -16 N.Hojgaard/R.Hojgaard59-70—129 -15 C.Phillips/J.Bridgeman 62-68—130 -14

B.Taylor/D.Skinns 64-67—131 -13

R.Hisatsune/T.Kanaya62-69—131 -13

A.Rai/S.Theegala 63-69—132 -12

B.Garnett/S.Straka65-67—132 -12

C.Gotterup/Q.Cummins 63-69—132 -12

D.Lipsky/D.Wu 63-69—132 -12

J.Knapp/F.Capan 63-69—132 -12

K.Ventura/A.Rozner61-71—132 -12

N.Taylor/A.Hadwin 66-66—132 -12

S.Stevens/M.McGreevy 63-69—132 -12

T.Mullinax/R.Shelton 62-70—132 -12

C.Davis/A.Svensson 61-72—133 -11

L.List/H.Norlander64-69—133 -11

N.Hardy/D.Riley 63-70—133 -11

N.Lashley/H.Springer 62-71—133 -11

P.Peterson/T.Rosenmueller61-72—133 -11

R.Castillo/W.Mouw 65-68—133 -11

R.McIlroy/S.Lowry 64-69—133 -11

S.Fisk/T.Widing 63-70—133 -11

T.Detry/R.Macintyre64-69—133 -11

B.Cauley/K.Tway 64-70—134 -10

Manassero(134) 8:42 a.m.:

(134), Albertson/Whaley (134) 8:55 a.m.: Echavarria/Greyserman(134) Tway/Cauley (134) 9:08 a.m.: Rosenmueller/Peterson(133) Fisk/Widing(133) 9:28 a.m.: McIlroy/Lowry (133), Davis/A. Svensson(133) 9:41 a.m.: Hardy/Riley (133),Mouw/Castillo (133) 9:54 a.m.: Lashley/Springer(133),Detry/ MacIntyre(133) 10:07 a.m.: List/Norlander (133),Ventura/ Rozner (132) 10:20 a.m.: Stevens/McGreevy (132),Mullinax/Shelton(132) 10:33 a.m.: Knapp/Capan (132),Rai/Theegala(132) 10:53 a.m.: Straka/Garnett (132),Gotterup/ Cummins (132) 11:06 a.m.: N. Taylor/Hadwin(132),Lipsky/ Wu (132) 11:19 a.m.: B. Taylor/Skinns (131),Hisatsune/Kanaya (131) 11:32 a.m.: Bridgeman/Phillips (130),N Hojgaard/R. Hojgaard(129) 11:45 a.m.: Novak/B.Griffin(128),Velo/Salinda (127)

go without care Simply put—without dental insurance, theremay be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.

Medicare doesn’tpay for dentalcare.1 That’sright. As good as Medicare is, it wasnever meanttocover everything That means if you wantprotection,you need to purchase individual insurance.

Earlydetection canprevent small problems from becomingexpensive ones.

The best waytopreventlarge dental bills is preventivecare. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice ayear.

THE VARSITY ZONE

Tourney berth at stake for rivals

St. Amant, East Ascension softball teams meet in quarterfinals

BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer

Anywhere else, it is just another LHSAA softball quarterfinal.

When 12th-seeded East Ascension (19-12) makes the short trip to face No 4 St Amant (22-9) in a Division I nonselect quarterfinal set for 1 p.m. Saturday, it means more.

The game helps highlight a series of quarterfinals set for Saturday in the Baton Rouge area.

The rivalry is packed with enough storylines to fill seven innings. Whether the game between the District 5-5A and Ascension Parish rivals exceeds seven innings is only one point of interest.

“In both games we played against St. Amant we were right there until the fifth or sixth inning,” Spartans coach Toni Ricca said “We’re excited to have this opportunity You know there will be a big crowd and a great atmosphere.”

St. Amant has won the past three LHSAA titles in the largest nonselect class. East Ascension came close to making the tourney a year ago, losing to eventual runner-up Ponchatoula.

The last time the two rivals met in a quarterfinal was 2011. Quarterfinals were still part of the LHSAA tourney then and St Amant coach Amy Pitre was the East Ascension coach.

“That is a junior-led team. They’ve gotten better each year and you can see the growth,” Pitre said. “It’s no surprise for them to be here. They were a strike away from making it to the state tournament last year

“People had doubts about us.

We’ve got a lot of new faces and people in new positions We took some losses. It’s a game-to-game thing. When you go from watching last year to having to produce game after game, it’s an adjustment.”

The Gators beat the Spartans 14-5 and 9-4 in their District 5-5A games this season. The last game was nearly a month ago.

Conventional wisdom says it is hard to beat a team three times in one season. But the Gators did it en route to their 2022 LHSAA title.

Other factors make this matchup intriguing. For example the marquee player a year ago and this season played third base.

St. Amant’s Alix Franklin powered the Gators a year ago. She now plays for LSU. The Spartans are led by Cayden Tullier, a junior who plays in the USA Softball system.

Tullier is batting .500 with 12 home runs, 39 RBIs with 43 stolen bases and 58 runs scored.

“(Tullier) has been more aggressive this year on the bases,” Ricca said “And when she gets to second, we find ways to get her home.”

Bailey Ducote leads St. Amant with a .473 batting average and 52 runs scored. Olivia Johnson is at .472 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs.

Braylee Decoteau gets the start in the circle for the Gators. East Ascension is hitting .341 as a team. Mac Creel has a .443 average for the Spartans.

“The most important thing is stay focused on what goes on in our dugout and between the lines,” Pitre said.

Kerr comes to defense of Brunson

BY LARRY LAGE Associated Press

DETROIT New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was booed almost every time he touched the ball in Game 3 against the Detroit Pistons.

Brunson heard much worse than that Thursday night during a win that gave the Knicks a 2-1 lead in the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

Fans at Little Caesars Arena directed a threeword chant at Brunson — beginning with a four-letter profanity and ending with his name — on numerous occasions.

Golden State’s Draymond Green heard the same phrase in Houston this week, and on Friday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr came to the defense of both players and scolded the fans.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t concerned about Brunson getting his feelings hurt.

“To Jalen, those are cheers,” Thibodeau said. “He lives for that stuff.”

Brunson said he hadn’t been subjected to verbal abuse like that previously in seven NBA seasons.

“Do I think it’s cheers? No,” he said.

“But it’s just another way to get me focused and poised.”

The Pistons put the NBA’s fan code of conduct, which prohibits obscene language, on videoboards throughout the night, but that did nothing to stop the chant.

Rockets fans yelled the same ugly words at Green during Houston’s Game 2 win on Wednesday night — and Kerr has heard enough.

Guidance on fan behavior is also shown on the big screen before games in Houston.

Kerr lamented that fans often use foul language at games, adding that players are held to certain standards of behavior and fans should be more respectful.

“It feels like we’re stepping way over the line,” he said. “I know our fans aren’t going to do that. I would just implore fans everywhere to not cross the line

“You can yell at the players and you can say a lot of things, but I just find it disturbing, 20,000 fans yelling (a profanity) to a player There are kids all over the arena Like, what are we teaching our kids?

“And I understand it’s an emotional time when you come to a game and you want your team to win, but the league asks the players to watch their decorum, I think we should ask our fans to do the same.”

Rockets star Dillon Brooks said he appreciated the fans for being engaged and doing their part to create a home-court advantage

“I like it. It was good. Let the fans get going,” Brooks said of the taunting directed at Green “Anything to get our fans going is great to hear the noise, to hear the energy being built within the arena.”

Golden State guard Brandin Podziemski said most people know what the line is, but acknowledged it gets stepped over by fans.

“I heard it was worse in Boston in the ’22 Finals than it was last game,” Podziemski said.

“But for me I try not to worry about any fan, if they’re talking to me or not, I just try to go out there and play.”

Teams open WNBA training camps with new looks

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier will be back on the court Sunday to renew their chase for a coveted WNBA championship when training camps open and last year’s rookie sensation Caitlin Clark begins Year 2 in the league. Stewart and the New York Liberty will be chasing a second straight WNBA title, something Wilson and the Aces did in 2022 and 2023. There has been lots of movement in the offseason with the Aces adding Jewell Loyd in a three-team

trade that sent Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles. Las Vegas still has a solid core with Wilson, Loyd, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. New York added Natasha Cloud to bolster its roster with guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton sidelined for a few months after having knee surgery No team made more changes this offseason then the Fever, who are led by Clark. Indiana added Sophie Cunningham through a trade and signed free agents DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Sydney Colson, and Brianna Turner Add that to Clark and Aliyah Boston and there’s a lot of excitement in Indiana. There’s a new energy in Dallas as well with No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers joining the team. The Wings are hoping that the former UConn star can bolster a roster that features Arike Ogunbowale. Golden State will be the first new WNBA team to take the court since the Atlanta Dream began play in 2008. New leadership on sidelines Eight of the 13 teams will have new head coaches this season. Atlanta and Los Angeles turned to college coaches Karl Smesko and Lynne Roberts, respectively Indiana brought back former coach and player Stephanie White to lead the Fever White had been in charge of the Connecticut Sun, who replaced her with former Belgium national team coach Rachid Meziane.

Word on the street

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

In some cities, a new bookstore opening could be seen as competition For Tere Hyfield of Red Stick Reads in Baton Rouge, it’s a reason to organize a book crawl. The last Saturday in April is Independent Bookstore Day, and for the first time, four bookstores in East Baton Rouge, Livingston and West Feliciana parishes are coming together to host a bookstore crawl. They hope to expand it in the future. It’s not an original idea, Hyfield clarified, but it’s the first time in a while, they’ve had enough bookstores to have a crawl.

“Until recently it was just us here (in Baton Rouge),” she said “I’m like, who am I crawling with? What am I doing?”

But in April, TBR Books and Tea opened on Highland Road.

To Hyfield, the book crawl is a way to welcome TBR Books and Tea into the fold and to “go out with a bang” in their old location before they relocate to 3829 Government St., behind Baton Rouge Music Studios and near Rocca Pizza, Cannatella Grocery and Mid City Beer Garden.

To participate in the book crawl, people can pick up “passports” to collect stamps at each participating store. If they collect all four (a roughly 76-mile loop), they can drop the passport off at the last bookstore they visit to be entered into a drawing, which will have a collective grand prize with swag and gift cards donated by all four bookstores.

Here are the special events, giveaways and book recommendations by booksellers at each of these independent bookstores:

The Conundrum n 11917 Ferdinand St., St. Francisville

The Conundrum is the only independent bookstore in St. Francisville, and when Tere and James Hyfield were considering opening their bookstore in Baton Rouge, they called owner Missy Couhig. The Hyfields consider her a mentor and friend to this day The Conundrum will be running giveaways throughout the day and providing lemonade, tea and snacks. At 11 a.m., they will have a sing-along story time and book signing with Britt Gondolfi, author of “Look Up! Fontaine the Pigeon Starts a Revolution.” From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., authors will be Suzanne Duplantis, “Lagniappe Leftovers,” and Julie Hooks, “Hannah Bear & Lulu’s Festival to Remember.” For those looking for a local book, Couhig said “Broken

Last chef standing

BY JUDY BERGERON Staff writer

New Orleans chef and culinary competition

regular Nini Nguyen watched the first season of Food Network’s “24 in 24: Last Chef Standing” and yet she still applied for its sophomore season.

“I was like, ‘This is a crazy show and I am crazy and I kind of want to do it.’ They cast me and it’s exciting,” Nguyen said Monday “I’m 38 years old and I’m not a spring chicken like some of the other people who are on this season, but, you know, I wanted to see how I held up.”

While the title hints at what this competition is all about, here’s the official network synopsis: “Shot in real time, the hosts have gathered a group of 24 talented and fearless chefs for 24 challenges over the course of 24 straight hours. Skill, creativity and stamina are tested while the clock never stops — and

only one competitor will survive to become the last chef standing and win $75,000.” During the 24 hours, the challenges, divided into eight shifts, test each chef’s skills in tasks such as speed, resourcefulness, artistry and adaptability If the guest judges aren’t impressed, the chef will probably be told to pack up those knives and leave.

“Chefs who last a long time will cook for 24 hours. There’s sometimes eliminations throughout the show Sometimes they eliminate one person. Sometimes they eliminate multiple people,” Nguyen said.

“It’s just torturous because you could be tired. You know when’s the last time I feel like you stayed up for 24 hours? And so your mind plays tricks on you.”

Network competition

She likened the experience to spending an extended amount of New Orleans chef Nini Nguyen relishing opportunity, stress of Food

Staying awake for 24 hours while cooking wasn’t something Nguyen said she practiced in advance.

“I think with filming things like this, it’s part energy but also your adrenaline’s up. You know, you can’t really train your adrenaline to be up,” she explained. “I already stay up late, I don’t sleep very much, so I felt like that wasn’t gonna be the problem. The focusing, that was what was going to be difficult for me.”

BY JOY HOLDEN

PROVIDED PHOTOS By NICK AGRO/FOOD NETWORK

Nini Nguyen, left, and Gabriele Bertaccini work against time and fatigue on

The Conundrum’s owner Missy Couhig

BOOKS

Continued from page1D

Bayou,” by Jennifer Moorhead, hasbeen arecentfavorite. It’s setinWest Feliciana Parish, in a made-up town that is amash-up of Louisiana towns the author has visited.

For children, she recommends “Astronaut Hayley’sBrave Adventure,” which is about Hayley Arceneaux, aphysicianassociate and pediatric cancer survivorfrom St. Francisville who wasthe youngest U.S. citizen to go to space. Otherwise, she said, “Scrimonthe Run,”about the famous runaway dog from New Orleans, has been abestseller Cavalier HouseBooks n 114 N. Range Ave., Denham Springs

For the book crawl, Cavalier House Books is hosting Rachel Kumar with Little Learner Games from 10 a.m. to 1p.m.and Jordan Lahaye Fontenot, author of “Home of the Happy,”from 1p.m.to3 p.m. They will also have giveaway items from the American Booksellers Association. John Cavalier recommends “Homeofthe Happy,” atrue crime memoir about the murder/ kidnapping of the author’sgreatgrandfather in EvangelineParish. “It’sfantastic,” he said, “If you haven’tgotten it, go ahead and get it. Everybody’sshelfinsouth

Louisiana is going to have acopy of that book.”

TBRBooks andTea n 7276 Highland Road,Baton Rouge

TBR Books and Teaopened on April 12. For thecrawl, they’ll be hosting agolden ticket giveaway with Libro.FM, an audiobook companythat givessomeofits proceeds to local independent bookstores. OwnerJamie Freeman and her staff will hide the golden ticket somewhere within thestore, andthe winnerwho finds it will get12free credits Freeman recommends “EverythingisTuberculosis,”byJohn Green,onthe history of the deadliest infectious disease, and “We Solve Murders,”byRichardOsman, which is part murder mystery,part romance.

RedStick Reads n 541 S. EugeneSt.,Baton Rouge RedStick Readsplanstohave abig moving sale(20-25% off) to minimizethe number of books they have to move to their new location. They also plan to have food and drinks throughoutthe day.

Hyfield said she’sbeenona true crimekickrecently andrecommends “The Girl’sa Killer,” by Emma C. Wells. Or as apalate cleanser,she recommends “You Can’tSpellTreason without Tea,” acozy fantasy about two women whoescapetheir lives and run a tea/book shop together

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

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday,April 26, the 116th day of 2025. There are 249 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On April 26, 1986, in theworst nuclear disaster in history,an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused radioactive fallout to begin spewing intothe atmosphere. Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster,while the long-term death toll from radiation poisoning is believed to number in the thousands

On this date:

In 1607, English colonists went ashore at present-dayCape Henry,Virginia, on an expedition to establish the firstpermanent English settlement in the WesternHemisphere.

In 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of PresidentAbraham Lincoln,was surroundedby federal troops near Port Royal, Virginia, and killed.

In 1913, Mary Phagan, a 13-year-old worker at aGeorgia pencil factory,was strangled; Leo Frank, the factory superintendent, was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death. (Frank’sdeath sentence was commuted, but he was lynched by an antisemitic mob in 1915.)

In 1994, votingbegan in South Africa’sfirst all-race elections, which resulted in victory for the African National Congress and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president In 2000, Vermont Gov.Howard Dean signed thenation’sfirst bill allowingsame-sex couples to form civil unions. In 2018, comedian Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molestingTemple University employee Andrea Constand at Cosby’ssuburban Philadelphia mansionin2004. (Cosby was later sentenced to threeto10 years in prison, butPennsylvania’shighest court threw out theconviction andreleased him from prison in June2021, ruling that the prosecutor in the case was boundbyhis predecessor’s agreementnot to charge Cosby.) Today’sbirthdays: Actor-comedian Carol Burnett is 92. Composerproducer Giorgio Moroder is 85. Olympic swimming gold medalistDonna de Varona is 78. Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 67. Actor Joan Chenis64. Actor Jet Li is 62. Actor-comedian Kevin James is 60. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey is 59. Actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste is 58. First lady Melania Trumpis55. Singer Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins (TLC) is 55. Countrymusician Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts) is 54.

Whichisit, soda or water?

Dear Miss Manners: Self-service fountain machines at pizza parlors and delis have the different sugary sodas labeled with big buttons, while there are often smaller black “water” and “soda” buttonsbelow

Ihave always believed that the aerated water dispensed by the“soda” button is still just water, meaning Ican fill up acup for free. After all, it is not on the menu for purchase. Is my assumption correct? My partner says that this is stealing and Ineed to pay for it.

water is still water? Idoacknowledge that the soda button uses a small amount of the aeration cartridge shared by the other beverages. Iamhappy to change my practice and ask each time, but now I’mjust irritated with my partner and digging in my heels. Please weigh in.

Ionce asked at the register to confirm this was OK, and the young guy there said “sure.” But at lunch at adifferent restaurant, Isaid Iwas going to get some soda and mypartner said “OK, if you want to steal it” —right in front of theowner,who was walking by our table.

Idonot identify as athief, and I felt hurt. Is there something Iamoverlooking? Should Iask each time, at each restaurant? Or is my assumption OK that aerated or not,

Gentle reader: The argument that compels Miss Manners the mostisthat soda water is not otherwise on the menu. Is this true for every establishment? That would be thequestion to ask:“May I have acup forsoda water,oris that something Ican purchase from you?”

Youthen have full permission to give asmug, satisfied smile to your partner when the answer is in your favor.Provided you still want to dine with someone who has been calling you athief Dear Miss Manners: Iwas born a natural redhead. But as the years went by,myhair color faded away,and now Ineed extra help from my beautician to keep my hair red.

My entire life, strangers have asked me, rather frequently,if red is my natural color.Now,I feel inclined to explain that it once was,but that Icurrently dye it. However,that feels awkward and unnecessary

What would you suggest Isay when someone asks me this very direct question?

Gentle reader: “My hair is naturally red.” This is not only technically truthful, but moreimportantly succinct. Youdonot owe anyone, much less impertinent strangers —and it is indeed impertinent to ask someone such aprivate question —adetailed confessional. Miss Manners will leave it up to you if you feel compelled to divulge the whole truth to your friends —but she holds out hope that your friends are too polite to ask. Or already know the answer

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

FYI

Continuedfrom page1D

location will also feature 24-hour availability for members in the coming months. Formore information, visit ymcabr.org/construction.

American Red Cross holds aid certification

TheLSU HilltopArboretum will host the American RedCross Wilderness and Remote First Aid course 8a.m. to 5p.m. May 10-11 at theLSU Hilltop Arboretum,11855 Highland Road,Baton Rouge. This two-daycourse will provide individuals with afoundationoffirst aid principles and skills to be able to respond to emergencies and give care in areas that do not have immediate emergency medical services, suchaswilderness and remote environments andduring urban disasters. The American RedCross certification is viable for two years. The Wilderness and Remote FirstAid course requires active participation in aclassroom or field experience. Current adult CPR/ AED certification is aprerequisite for participation in theWilderness andRemoteFirst Aidcourse.Participants mustalsobe14yearsof

will be pagedthrough simultaneously.Volumes 1-3 contain 100 plates each, while Volume 4contains 135 plates. Visitors are welcome to take photographs without flash. Limit personal belongings to avoiddamaging thefolios, and purses and bags will either be locked or placed along the side of the room. The event is free, but atimed reservation is required to view the folios. Learn more and register at lib.lsu.edu/special/audubon.

TheBRIrishClub15th annual Film Festival

age on or before thelast scheduled session of the course. Tuition is $270, and the class is limited to 12 participants. Registration is required ahead of time. Formore information, call (225) 767-6916 or emailinfo@friendsofhilltop.org

Libraries to hostviewings for Audubon Day

Calling all birders: LSULibraries will hosta viewing of the famed double elephant folio edition of John James Audubon’s“Birds of America”(London, 1827-1838) from 10 a.m. to 2p.m.May 3atHill Memorial Library,95Field House Drive, Baton Rouge. During each viewing, the four volumes of “Birds of America”

The Baton Rouge Irish Club will hold its15th annual Film Festival Aug. 2, at the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center,100 Lafayette St., Baton Rouge. This signature event coincideswith the club’s75th anniversary Events of the day include the ever-popularshort film series, an inspiring documentary and afeature film, alongwithbagpipers and dancersfromthe Ryan School of Irish Dance. For furtherinformation, visit batonrougeirishfilmfestival.com emailbatonrougeirish@gmail com,orfollow @BRIrishFilmFest on social media.

Email Joy Holdenatjoy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

Baha'i Faith

Unitarian Church to hold garden fundraiser

The Unitarian Churchof Baton Rouge, 8470 Goodwood Blvd., will hold its annual garden fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 1p.m. Saturday, May 3, andfrom10a.m.to

2p.m.Sunday,May 4.

An assortment of plants and hand-painted pots will be available.Cash, check and PayPal will be accepted In conjunction with this sale, thechurchwill hostits annual flowerceremony. The ceremonial exchange of flowers will be celebrated during the 9a.m. and 11:30 a.m. church services on May 4. ManUp Conference

5K/1-Mile Fun Run

The ManUp Conference

5K/1-Mile Fun Run willtake

place at 8a.m. Saturday at the Baker Municipal Center Auditorium,3325 Groom Road

Theevent promotesspiritual andphysical health and supportsS.T.A.R.S. (StudentsThatAre Reaching Success), acitywide youth program. For more information or to register,visit raceroster com/events/2025/99616/manup-conference.

Gospel singing, festival in Tickfaw

The Rev.MikeVaughn will leada Quartet& Southern GospelFestonFriday, May 2, at GoodNews Fellowship Church,13101 La. 442 West, Tickfaw

Doors will open at 5:30p.m. and singingwill start at 6:30 p.m. with Kelly

Barber &Friends. Vaughn andDanny RayBishop, (“ThePianoMan”) from Calico Rock, Arkansas, will sing at 7p.m.

This is afreeconcert, but alove offering will be received.A concession stand will serve desserts.

For further information, contact Barbara Vaughn at (985) 974-0507 or mvmgoodnews.com

Family,Friends Day at Nazarene Baptist Nazarene Baptist Church, 1707 Spanish Town Road, Baton Rouge,will host Family and Friends Day at 11 a.m. Sunday

The guest speaker will be the Rev. Charles Allen, pastor of Friendship Chapel. All families and friends are invited to attend.

NGUYEN

Continued from page1D

time in agambling casino.

“You know how like in casinos there’sthe oxygen and the lights and no windows. So you can never tell what time it is? Ifeel likebeing in that stadium (as they refer to Food Network kitchens),” she said. “It’skind of that samefeeling like you’re not really paying attention to everything else because you’re so busy and so stimulated.I didn’thave atrouble with it.” With each chef’sstrengths andweaknessesonfulldisplay during the 24 hours, Nguyen sees her ability to think on herfeet as aplus, butpossibly not beingable to cook everything(as in all dishes)asher weakestlink.

“A lot of these chefs have restaurants andthey’re cooking all the time. Icook at home, but Idon’tcook at that kind of level allofthe time,” she said. “But Ifeel likeit’snot always about everything you know,but what you cando—like basic skills and how to make it delicious, being creative and

underpressure.” Nguyen, formerly of New Orleansbakery Sucréand restaurant Coquette in addition to Michelin-star restaurant ElevenMadison Park in New York,now devotes her time to teachingcooking classes, writing cookbooks (“Dac Biet: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook”) andcompetitive cooking. Shewon thefirst season of Food Network’s “Last Bite Hotel” and has appeared on “Top Chef:Kentucky,”“Top Chef:All-Stars L.A.”and most recently “Tournament of Champions.” Nguyen also hope to open aVietnamese restaurant in her hometown, NewOrleans, in the nextyear She reached the top16on “Champions” before being bestedbyKentuckycontestant Sara Bradley “I had so much fun. It’s such agreat opportunity, and it’slikeone ofthe best shows that I’ve participated in in recenttimes,”Nguyen said. “Sara Bradley’sadear friend of mine and she’smy person —the person that I normally callfor (advice on) competitions.SoifIwere to lose to anyone, I’m happy to

Dadwon’t stop smoking around grandchildren

Dear Harriette: My dad’s aheavy smoker and has been for as long as Ican remember.When Iwas growing up, he used to smoke inside the house constantly Iremember the smell being everywhere —inmy clothes, in thewalls, even in my toys. Ideveloped some healthissues that I believe were tied to all that secondhand smoke exposure, and it’ssomething I’ve carried with me into adulthood. Ihave two young children of myown, ages 2and 6, and I’m protective of their health. I’ve madeit clear to my dad that Idon’t want him smoking around my kids. He doesn’tsmoke inside the house when he visits, but whenever we’re

have lost to her.”

Lookingahead to Sunday’s premiere, Nguyen said thereare advantages and disadvantages to be earned along for the contestants, and just when viewers think they know what will happen next,wait.

“At any given minute, thingscan change,” thechef said.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

outside together —like in the backyard, at apark or even just walking around —helights up without thinking twice. I’ve reminded him multiple times, but he either brushes it off or says things like, “We’re outside, it’s fine,” or “One puff isn’tgoing to hurt them.” It’s beyond frustrating. How can Iget through to him in away that doesn’tfeel like an attack but still makes it clear that this is nonnegotiable forme? —Stop Smoking

Dear StopSmoking: Nowis the timetobedirect and firm.Tell your father that if he continues to smoke around your children, he is no longer welcometo come over.Show him data regarding the negative impact of secondhand smoke

on others, and tell him that as much as you love him, you are unwilling to subject your children to what you had to endure your whole life. Youare not overreacting; the negative impacts of secondhand smoke are significant. Think coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and adverse reproductive health effects in women, as wellassudden infant death syndrome, respiratory infections, ear infections and asthma attacks in children. For more information, visit cdc. gov/tobacco/secondhandsmoke/health.html.

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/oAndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St.,Kansas City,MO 64106.

Beingcautiousaroundthe elderly

Dear Heloise: I’m getting close to 82 years old, and when Isee acrush of people, Istay out of the way because they could so easily knock me over I’ve been knocked down in thepast. Polly,inCalifornia Polly,thanks for your letter.Readers, older people can lose their balance easily and get pushed to thefloor by people rushing past them, so please slow down around the elderly.They could break abone if they fall.

—Heloise Threehints in one

on the top, but the bottomsare burned. Irun the burned bottomsalong my cheese grater so that the food looks and tastes perfect! (I usually “sand them down” over the sink so Ican easily rinse away the evidence!)

n To clean the coffee or teastains from acup, Ispray the inside of the cupwith ableachbasedkitchencleaner, rinse it, andstickitin the dishwasher.Itworks great!

Dear Heloise: Ihave read your wonderful column for years; thank you for all your great hints! Here are three of my own: n Sometimes cookies, pastries,bread, etc., come out of the oven looking beautifully golden-brown

n My very favorite way to makegrilled cheese, especially when Iammaking multiple sandwiches, is in the oven! Ibutter one side of several even-numbered pieces of bread while my oven is warming to 375 F. Then Ilay all the bread on abaking sheet with the buttered side downand put one piece of cheese on

top of each piece of bread. Ican then add itemssuch as bacon, ham,onions and tomatoes on top of the cheese. Ipop the trayinto the oven for acouple of minutesuntil the cheese is melted andbubbly.Then Itakethe trayout and flip oneside of each sandwich on topofits partner with aspatula.Each sandwich turns outperfectly —lightly brown on the outside andmeltedonthe inside.Also,the add-ins areslightly cooked and don’tfallout of the sandwich because theyare alreadystuckinthe melted cheese. People can ask forthe type of bread, cheese and add-ins they want, and all the sandwiches are made at one time! —A.R., in Pennsylvania

Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Hints from Heloise

NewOrleanschef Nini Nguyenwas inthe

of Champions,’ hostedbyGuy Fieri

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Clear up unfinished business and rework your space to suit your needs. Declutter, donate or sell what you don't use, and you'll make your life easier.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Connect and brainstorm with like-minded people, and you will bring about positive change in your community. Travel, research and communication are all favored.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Look within for solutions and concentrate on making a positive personal shift to accommodate your goals. Refuse to let negativity set in or take you in the wrong direction.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Push boundaries, initiate change and learn all you can to support your efforts. Discuss your intentions with someone you want to include in your journey. A passionate attitude is the key to gaining momentum.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Adopt a unique perspective and see where it leads. Dedication, thoroughness and finishing what you start will endear you to those you care about most.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Playing fair will encourage others to give you more leeway to do as you see fit. Put your energy into your relationships, and everything else will fall into place.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Avoid pressure tactics. You'll have much better luck if you are straightforward, pleasant and

accommodating. Road rage and toxic situations will escalate if you react aggressively.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Think before you act. Look for peaceful solutions and worthwhile ways to expel excess energy. Pay attention to investments, spending and bringing in additional cash.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your perception is off, so don't jump to conclusions. What you do and how you react will be important. Verify facts, and you'll gain insight into how best to proceed.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Follow your heart, not the crowd, and happiness will prevail. A social or networking event will encourage you to connect with someone who will contribute to your objective.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Set standards, a tight budget and boundaries regarding home improvements and joint ventures. Downsize, declutter or alter anything that suggests excess or indulgence.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Socialize and engage in activities that challenge and encourage you. Resurrecting your dreams, hopes and wishes will enable you to revamp your schedule.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews

McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

TODAy'S CLUE: y EQUALS M

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Joey Adams, a comedian and author said, “It’s very easy to be witty tomorrow, after you get a chance to do some research and rehearse your ad libs.” Itiseasytobeclevertomorrow—after a deal has finished. Experts, though, usually make the right plays before they get to trick 13.

In today’s deal, how should South play in five spades after West leads the diamond queen? North’s three-diamond cue-bid showed spade support and at least game-invitational values. East doubled to indicate diamond support. So West went on to five diamonds, hoping that if he went down, it would be a cheap sacrifice. And South, unsure who could make what, competed to five spades. Note that five diamonds goes down only if North leads a spade. Otherwise, with hearts 3-3 and with several dummy entries in trumps, West can make the contract.

In five spades, declarer tried dummy’s diamond king, then ruffed East’s ace. South drew two rounds of trumps ending on the board, ruffed the last diamond to eliminate that suit, then played a club. West took his ace and would have done best to shift to a low heart, forcing declarer to decide what to do immediately. But West, thinking that he might get two heart tricks by force and worried that South might have the heart 10, exited with the club queen.

Declarer cashed dummy’s club tricks, crossed to hand with a trump, and led a low heart, West playing low smoothly. That was excellent defense, but since West was marked with at least one heart honor, South had to call for dummy’s jack. And when it held, he claimed.

Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InSTRucTIonS: 1. Words must be of

2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles