GENEVA The lead U.S negotiator in trade talks with China cheered “a great deal of productivity” in resolving differences between the world’s two leading economic powers, after officials wrapped two days of bargaining in Switzerland following President Donald Trump imposing steep tariffs and Beijing retaliating.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday there was “substantial progress” in the weekend sessions but offered scant information on exactly what negotiations entailed. He said more details would come at a briefing Monday
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer suggested that an agreement had been reached but provided no details. He and Bessent briefly addressed reporters once talks had wrapped at the stately villa that serves as the residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, but did not take questions.
“It’s important to understand how quickly we were able to come to agreement, which reflects that perhaps the differences were not so large as far as maybe thought,” Greer said. But he also stressed that a top Trump priority means closing the U.S. trade deficit with China, which came to a record $263 billion last year
“We’re confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us to resolve, work towards resolving that national emergency,” Greer said.
White House fires
top copyright official
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has fired the nation’s top copyright official, Shira Perlmutter, days after abruptly terminating the head of the Library of Congress, which oversees the U.S Copyright Office.
The office said in a statement Sunday that Perlmutter received an email from the White House a day earlier with the notification that “your position as the Register of Copyrights and Director at the U.S. Copyright Office is terminated effective immediately.”
On Thursday, President Donald Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to be librarian of Congress, as part of the administration’s ongoing purge of government officials perceived to oppose the president and his agenda.
Hayden named Perlmutter to lead the Copyright Office in October 2020. Perlmutter’s office recently released a report examining whether artificial intelligence companies can use copyrighted materials to “train” their AI systems. The report, the third part of a lengthy AI study, follows a review that began in 2023 with opinions from thousands of people including AI developers, actors and country singers.
Afrikaners with refugee status depart for U.S.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa A group of 49 White South Africans departed their homeland Sunday for the United States on a private charter plane having been offered refugee status by the Trump administration under a new program announced in February The group, which included families and small children, was due to arrive at Dulles International Airport outside Washington on Monday morning local time, according to Collen Msibi, a spokesperson for South Africa’s transport ministry
They are the first Afrikaners — a White minority group in South Africa — to be relocated after President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Feb. 7 accusing South Africa’s Black-led government of racial discrimination against them and announcing a program to offer them relocation to America.
The South African government said it is “completely false” that Afrikaners are being persecuted. The Trump administration has fast-tracked their applications while pausing other refugee programs, halting arrivals from Afghanistan, Iraq, most of subSaharan Africa and other countries in a move being challenged in court.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MSTySLAV CHERNOV
Zelenskyy hopes for ceasefire with Russia
Ukrainian
leader challenges Putin to meet him in Turkey
BY SAMYA KULLAB and DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday challenged Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to meet him personally in Turkey on Thursday, the latest move in a weekendlong exchange of proposals from both sides on the next steps in the U.S.-led peace effort.
Zelenskyy said that he still hopes for a ceasefire with Russia starting Monday, and that he will “be waiting for Putin” in Turkey “personally” after U.S President Donald Trump insisted Ukraine accept Russia’s latest offer — to hold direct talks in Turkey on Thursday Ukraine, along with European allies, had demanded Russia accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday before holding talks, but Moscow effectively rejected the proposal and called for direct negotiations instead.
is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!” Trump wrote, adding: “HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!”
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Saturday and issued a coordinated call for a 30-day truce starting Monday The plan has received backing from both the European Union and Trump.
The leaders pledged tougher sanctions on Russia if Putin did not accept the proposal.
Putin in remarks to the media overnight effectively rejected the offer and proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday instead “without preconditions.” He did not specify whether the talks on Thursday would involve Zelenskyy and himself personally
He said a ceasefire might be agreed on during the negotiations — but stressed that the Kremlin needs a truce that would lead to a “lasting peace” instead of one that would allow Ukraine to rearm and mobilize more men into its armed forces.
Hamas to free last U.S. hostage in Gaza
Move a part of truce efforts
BY WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip
Hamas said Sunday that the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, will be released as part of efforts to establish a ceasefire, reopen crossings into the Israeli-blockaded territory and resume the delivery of aid. Two Hamas officials told The Associated Press they expect the release in the next 48 hours.
President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed late Sunday in a message to AP that Hamas had agreed to release Alexander as a good will gesture toward Trump.
The announcement of the first hostage release since Israel shattered a ceasefire in March comes shortly before Trump visits the Middle East this week It highlighted the willingness of Israel’s closest ally to inject momentum into ceasefire talks for the 19-month war as desperation grows among hostages’ families and Gaza’s over 2 million people under the new Israeli blockade.
“This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones,” Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday evening. “Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict I look very much forward to that day of celebration!” Alexander is an IsraeliAmerican soldier who grew up in New Jersey He was abducted from his base during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamasled attack that ignited the war in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the U.S. informed it of Hamas’ intent to release Alexander “without compensation or conditions” and that the step is expected to lead to negotiations on a truce. Netanyahu’s government was angered by U.S. direct talks with Hamas earlier this year which led to a Hamas offer to release Alexander and the bodies of four other hostages if Israel recommitted to a stalled ceasefire deal Days later however, Israel resumed the war
Strikes in Pakistan killed 100 militants, India says
By The Associated Press
It was not clear if Zelenskyy was conditioning his presence in Turkey on the Monday ceasefire holding, and there was no immediate comment from the Kremlin on whether Putin would go. In 2022, the war’s early months, Zelenskyy repeatedly called for a personal meeting with the Russian president but was rebuffed, and eventually enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with Putin had become impossible.
“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy There is no point in prolonging the killings And I will be waiting for Putin in (Turkey) on Thursday Personally I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday
Trump said in a social media post earlier Sunday that Ukraine should agree to Putin’s peace talks proposal “IMMEDIATELY.”
“At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it
Zelenskyy said on X on Sunday morning that it was a “positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war,” but insisted on a ceasefire first Putin and Zelenskyy have only met once in 2019. After repeated unsuccessful calls for a personal meeting with the Russian leader early on in the war, and following the Kremlin’s decision in September 2022 to illegally annex four regions of Ukraine, Zelenskyy enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with Putin had become impossible.
Macron said Sunday that Putin’s offer of direct negotiations with Ukraine is “a first step, but not enough,” signaling continued Western skepticism toward Moscow’s intentions.
“An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations,” Macron told reporters at the Polish-Ukrainian border, according to French media, adding that Putin is “looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time.”
Qatar says no final decision made on gifting Trump jet
Plane could be used as temporary Air Force One
BY ZEKE MILLER and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump reportedly is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar during his trip to the Middle East this week, and U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft.
The Qatari government acknowledged discussions between the two countries about “the possible transfer” of a plane to be used temporarily as Trump’s Air Force One, but denied that the jet “is being gifted” or that a final decision had been made.
ABC News reported that Trump will use the aircraft as his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library
The gift was expected to be announced when Trump visits Qatar, according to ABC’s report, as part of a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the first extended foreign travel of his second term.
But hours after the news, Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, in a statement said, “Reports that a jet is being gifted by Qatar to the United States government during the upcoming visit of President
Trump are inaccurate.”
“The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense,” the statement said. “But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made.”
Meanwhile, administration officials, anticipating questions about the president accepting such a large gift from a foreign government, have prepared an analysis arguing that doing so would be legal, according to ABC.
The Constitution’s Emoluments Clause bars anyone holding government office from accepting any present, emolument, office or title from any “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without congressional consent.
One expert on government ethics, Kathleen Clark of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, accused Trump of being “committed to exploiting the federal government’s power not on behalf of policy goals, but for amassing personal wealth.”
“This is outrageous,” Clark said “Trump believes he will get away this.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer poked fun at Trump’s “America first” political slogan.
“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar,” the New York Democrat said in a statement. “It’s not just bribery it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”
ISLAMABAD India’s military strikes into Pakistancontrolled Kashmir and Pakistan earlier this week killed more than 100 militants including prominent leaders, the head of India’s military operations claimed Sunday Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, the director general of military operations, said India’s armed forces struck nine militant infrastructure and training facilities, including sites of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group that India blames for carrying out major militant strikes in India and the disputed region of Kashmir
“We achieved total sur-
prise,” Ghai said at a news conference in New Delhi, adding Pakistan’s response was “erratic and rattled.” The two countries agreed to a truce a day earlier after talks to defuse their most serious military confrontation in decades The two armies exchanged gunfire, artillery strikes, missiles and drones that killed dozens of people. As part of the ceasefire, the nuclear-armed neighbors agreed to immediately stop all military action on land, in the air and at sea. On Sunday, Pakistan’s military said it did not ask for a ceasefire as claimed by India, but rather it was India that had sought the ceasefire.
From left British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz make a call to U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday from Kyiv, Ukraine.
The Trump administration has made that jobharder, Rogers said, echoing the uncertainty many nonprofits have felt in recent months SinceMarch,whenPresident Donald Trump issued an executive order criticizing institutions trying to “rewrite our Nation’shistory,replacing objective facts withadistortednarrative driven by ideology rather than truth,” Whitney Plantation and other institutions that center the stories of Black people have wondered whether funding they’ve long counted on will continue.
For Rogers, soon after Trump’sorder came notices from the Institute of Museum of Library Services that two grants totaling almost $350,000, awarded through aprogram supporting African American museums, had been rescinded. In a letter to grantees, the federal agency’sacting director Keith Sonderling wrote that the grant “is no longer consistent with the agency’spriorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States.”
Twodays after the cancellation letter,she received another emailinthe middle of the night, saying that funds already requested would be completed. Rogers is also pushing to wrapupa third federalgrant ahead of schedule, thisone from the National Park Service.
Still, the uncertainty coming from Washington has made her job at the Whitney that much harder.Grant funding that she once assumed would be paid out as promised is now in doubt.
She figures that other grants are no longer worth applying for,given directives aimed at halting funding for diversity initiatives. There’salso unease from international travelers, who make up 20% of the site’svisitors.
“Part of me is just so mad that these funds, appropriated by Congress, are in question for so many people and are being taken outright from so many people,” Rogers said. At the same time, she said the museum’smission to tell the truth about the nation’s history —tocenter the lives of the enslaved, rather than the enslavers —feels even more vital.
‘Peoplewerehungryfor this’
By the time they reached the stately,230-yearold “Big House,” the two dozen people on arecent morning’s tour of Whitney understood the museum’sfocus.
“There is no furniture upstairs,” historical interpreter
Visitorsstand in front of amonument as theylearnabout the 1811 GermanCoast uprisingatthe Whitney Plantation in WallaceonApril30.
they stoodbelow.“We took it out. What we realized is that alot of guests werecoming to this house andtheybecame more enamored. ...”
One guest guffawed, shakinghis head.
“Yeah, if youcan believe it, they became more enamored with the antebellum era,” she continued, “asking more questions about theowner’s furniture, instead of the enslavedpeople.”
Soon after WhitneyPlantation welcomed its first visitors in late 2014, TheNew York Timesdeclared it “the first slavery museum in America.” Its arrival came four months after apolice officer shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The National Museum of AfricanAmerican Historyand Culture hadn’topened yet. TheInternationalAfricanAmericanMuseumin Charleston,SouthCarolina, didn’tyet exist.
“People were hungry for this, and also, didn’tknow howtoreact to the whole thing,” saidRogers, 42, who opened the place alongside JohnCummings, theformer triallawyer who bought what was once an indigo, rice and sugar cane plantation andinvested $10 million to restore it.
Nowa nonprofit,the organization is “uncomfortably reliant” on visitors, as Rogersput it, with about 86%of revenue in fiscal year 2024 coming from ticket sales and thegift shop
Most of themuseum’s expenses go to people and maintenance, leavinglittle for activitiesorexhibits like the one she’senvisioning for the store.
Najia Harry told the groupas
That’swhere federal funding helps. An Institute of Museum andLibraryServices grant paidfor the site’s first Juneteenthfesti-
andkidneydamageifin‐gested in high concen‐trations over long peri‐odsoftime. This approval andcorre‐sponding documentation is availableathttps:// www.epa.gov/pcbs/eparegion-6-polychlorinatedbiphenyls. Forquestions regardingthisapproval please contactMs. Courtney Allenat214665-6630 or allen. courtney@epa.gov AVISOPÚBLICO AGENCIADEPROTECCIÓN AMBIENTALDEESTADOS UNIDOS REGIÓN 6, DALLAS TEXAS. APROBACIÓN PARA LA DELINEACIÓNY LIMPIEZA DE BIFENILOS POLICLORADOS (PCB)EN EL SITIODELAADMINIS‐TRACIÓNNACIONALDE AERONÁUTICAY EL ESPA‐CIO (NASA),INSTA‐LACIÓN DE ENSAMBLAJE MICHOUD, 13800 OLD GENTILLY ROAD,NEW OR‐LEANS, LOUISIANA La United States Environ‐mental Protection Agency (EPA oAgencia de protección ambiental de EstadosUnidos) Región 6estáentregando la notificación de aprobación para lastar‐easdelimpiezapropues‐tasenuna propiedadde la NASA ubicadaenel 13800 OldGentillyRoad, NewOrleans,Louisiana La MAF(porsus siglas en inglés)seutiliza para la instalacióndecompo‐nentes delNASAGeorge C. Marshall SpaceFlight Center (Centrodevuelo espacial George C. Mar‐shalldelaNASA),con sede en Huntsville,Al‐abama.Una seriedein‐vestigacionesllevadas a cabo entre1998 y2022 determinaron eidentifi‐caronsuelosafectados porbifenilos policlorados (PCB,por lassiglasen inglés). En febrerode 2025, la NASA entregó a la EPARegión6 un Plan de limpieza de PCB para su aprobación ylaEPA
val. A$243,000 grant from thatagency,one of the two canceled andthenrestored, is payingfor thecreationof an exhibitionabout enslaved people who resisted and selfemancipated before and during theCivil War.
The nonprofit’smost “solid” funder is the Louisiana Endowmentfor the Humanities,which itself relies upon funds from theNational Endowment for the Humanities, another Trump target. It was LEHthatresponded after Hurricane Ida damaged every building on site, Rogers said. LEHpaidfor plywood and dehumidifiers and tarps. They knew “what we were dealing with here in Louisiana, and that might look very different than in Kansas or California,” Rogers said.
In April, theLEH got word that the NEH was canceling $600,000 of its funding, leading the Louisiana agency to nix one major grant program. Ithonored grants alreadyawarded, including one for $15,000 to the Whitney Plantation. But thefate of future yearsoffunding are unclear
Federal moneythat flows through state agencies are “truly democratizing dollars that can reach every part of the state,” said director Miranda Restovic.
Most foundations and donors, in contrast,focus their dollars on cities. And competition for such dollars just got tougher,Rogers said. “I don’tknow where we’re going to look forgrants, to be honest.Ihave no clue.”
Protecting the physical siteisexpensive, taxingand important, she said, partly because the space itself tells thestory. Beingonthe plantation each day has changed Rogers’own understanding of slavery,she said.
Walkingamong the sugar cane, the plants towering
over her,“Ifelt the vastness in adifferent way.”
‘I’m notwilling to back down’ Rogers is in abetter positionthan somenonprofits. She gotmost of thegrant money that was expected this year,and supporters have respondedtoconcerns about cuts. In less thana week in April, theWhitney Plantation raised more than $39,000.
Still, there are worries on the horizon. She hadplanned to apply for a$750,000 grant fromthe National Park Servicefor renovations andrepairs to the “Big House.”
But applying for agrant takes time, and recentnews had given her pause. In February,news outlets reported that the National Science
Foundation was flagging grant applications with termsrelated to diversity, equity and inclusion. That same month, the National Park Serviceremoved an 11-mile stretch of the Mississippi River,which included theWhitney Plantation, from considerationfor a National Historic Landmark designation, at the request of state officials In theory,toget the park servicegrant, Rogerscould have written anarrative that downplayedWhitney’s focus on enslaved Black people, focusing instead on theWhitepeople who lived in thegrandhouse,she said. But that would have betrayed theplace’smission. “What Iwould want to focus on is preserving the
craftsmanshipofthe enslaved African builders,” shesaid. “I’mnot willing to back down on that.” The whitewashing of history is “a tale as old as time,” said Katherine Bush Felton, board member of the Whitney Plantation and adescendant of Wallace’s settlement of Black landowners. Many textbooks and museums have told a narrow or untrue version of history,“andIthink as an African American,I’m fully aware of that.”
Institutions suchasWhitney Plantation play “a crucial role in conveying historical truths —the good, the bad and the painful,” shecontinued. “And not just because we don’twantto repeat history,but because there is strengthinunderstanding history.” That strength is whatHarry sees whenshe looks at a memorialsculpted by artist WoodrowNash, hertour’s last stop. Last week, visitors followed heralong agravel path andaround awallof roses to find dozens of heads mounted on steel rods. Before telling the story behind the piece, honoring the menkilled in 1811 after staging the biggest armed slaverevoltinU.S.history Harrynoted that many people hadn’tever heard that history,“including me.”
“I livedhere my entire life,” said Harry,a24-yearoldcollege student studying criminal justice, “and Idid not learn about this revolt until Icametowork here. So I’mgoing to tellyou what I’ve learned.” She named themen,describedtheir bravery and detailedtheir deaths. As she spoke, she turned the head of one sculpture, thenanother, until they wereall facing forward
Rule 9(h)
CLAIMANTS OF COMPLAINTFOR
OF
NOTICE is hereby given that DiamondB Indus‐tries, L.L.C.,asowner and operator of thevessel, theM/V RIVERDIAMOND herengines,tackle, gear furniture, appurte‐nances,etc.(hereinafter "the Vessel"),has filed a Complaint, pursuant to 46 U.S.C. §§ 30501, et seq forexoneration from or limitation of liabilityfor allclaimsfor anyand all loss of life,injury, loss of property,destruction,or damage,arising outofor relatedtothe allegedIn‐cident occurringonNo‐vember 3, 2023, involving theM/V RIVERDIAMOND, at or near HoumaTwin Span Bridge on theGulf Intracoastal Waterway in Terrebonne Parish,all as is more fully de‐scribedinDiamond BIn‐dustries,L.L.C.'sCom‐plaint forExoneration from or Limitation of Lia‐bility ("Complaint"). Allpersons firms, or corporations asserting claims with respectto whichthe Complaint seeksexoneration from or limitation of liability areadmonished, to file theirrespectiveclaims, under oath,asprovided in Rule Fofthe Supple‐mental Rulesfor Certain Admiraltyand Maritime Claims of theFederal RulesofCivil Procedure, with theClerk of the United States District Courtfor theEastern Dis‐trictofLouisiana,500 PoydrasSt.,New Orleans, Louisiana, andmust servea copy thereofon counselfor Complainant on or before the22ndday of July,2025 or be de‐faulted. Anyclaimantdesiring to contesteitherthe righttoexoneration from,orthe righttolimi‐tation of liability, shall file andserve an Answer to theComplaint,unless hisorher claim is in‐cluded in Answer,all as is required by Rule Fof theSupplementalRules forCertain Admiraltyand Maritime Claims of the p g p su uso libre derestric‐ciones es de 1parte por millón (ppm)dePCB o menos. La EPAtiene au‐toridadparala aprobación de lasRiskBasedOn-Site Remedia‐tion of PCB(Tareas de limpieza basadasenel riesgo de PCB) conforme alaToxic Substance Con‐trol Act(TSCA oLey de controldesustancias tóxicas) yalartículo40§ 761.61(c) delCFR (Código de regulaciones fed‐erales). LosPCB se emplearon normalmentecomo flui‐dosdieléctricosen equiposeléctricos. En 1979, se prohibió la fabri‐cación de estos fluidos dieléctricos para limitar la liberación de PCBen lagoso quebradaspor losdaños quepuede causar su consumode‐bido alaposible bioacu‐mulación en la cadena alimentariadeproductos de pescadeportiva.Los PCBhan sido asociados a dañosenelhígadoy los riñonesdeingerirse en altasconcentraciones duranteextensos períodos Esta aprobación ylos documentos correspon‐dientesestán disponiblesenhttps:// www.epa.gov/pcbs/eparegion-6-polychlorinatedbiphenyls. Para consul‐tassobreestetema, por favorcomunicarsecon Ms.CourtneyAllenpor el 214-665-6630 oallen. courtney@epa.gov 140331-may7-23-14t $7,235.00
STAFFPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Families can also use the stipends to pay for arange of education services. But more than athird of parishes, including Winn, have no locally based service providers participating in LA GATOR, according to an analysis of the nearly 360 vendors that have signed up so far.
Aspokesperson forthe Louisiana Departmentof Education said many of the services available through the program, such as online courses and tutoring, are available statewide.
“The LA GATOR Scholarship Program gives parents the opportunity to customize their child’seducation —especially in areas where traditional public or nonpublic options may be limited,” spokesperson TedBeasley said in astatement.
The limited local options arereflected in theprogram’sapplication numbers: Only 11% of eligible students whoapplied livein rural parishes, according to the analysis. In Winn Parish, not asingle family applied
Tha t’sc omplic ated Landry’sefforts to secure nearly $94 million in state money for the program next fiscal year —abudget request likelytocome up Monday at ameeting of the House Appropriations Committee. Some rural Republicans are wary of spending that much on aprogram that willbenefit few of their constituents whilegiving urban and suburban families atuition break.
“In my district, those opportunities just don’texist,” saidRep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, whose district includesWinn Parish and who,asHouse Appropriations chair,plays abig role in decidinghow to allocate state money McFarland said he’d rather see more funding for public schools, which anchor many ruralcommunities but operate on shoestring budgets. “They haven’thad an increase in years,” he said Proponents say rural families willbenefitfrom the education products and servicesthey can purchase through LA GATOR,including laptops and support for students with disabilities.
“The uses of the GATOR scholarship are so plentiful and diverse,” said Erin Bendily,senior vice president at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy,anadvocacy group that has championed the program.
Familiesare only eligible for the grants if they enroll their children in private school or educatethemat leastpartially from home, which isn’tpossible for some working parents. And while most servicesare online and accessible anywhere, there are fewer in-person options in rural areas —which, as families found during the coronaviruspandemic, work better for many students than remote learning.
Bendily predicted that as more families learn about the new program, an array of education providers— from public schoolsoffer-
inga la carte courses to “microschools” servingjust a fewstudents —will open or expandtomeet thedemand. “This is a true marketplace,” shesaid,“that we know will growovertime.”
Withoutschoolchoices
Winnfield, anearly 175-year-old timbertown with about 4,000 residents, is known forbeing the birthplace of former Gov.Huey Long andhomeofthe Winnfield Tigers (“In the forest above the bayou where the Tigersplay,”goes the high school’s alma mater). But, even if families had applied to LA GATOR, they wouldn’t find muchofwhat advocates call “school choice.”
One of the closest private schools— Gracepoint Christian Academy,23 milesaway in Jonesboro —didn’tsign up to participate in the program. Twothathave —St. Mary’sCatholic School, 34 milesawayinNatchitoches, andCedar Creek School, 50 miles north in Ruston —don’t provide transportation to and from Winnfield.
“Here in Winn Parish,we don’thave any choice,” said Joe Lynn Browning, who has served on the local School Board for over 40 years.
Parents can use LAGATOR to cover the cost of educating their kids at home —ifthey meet certain conditions. They can’tregister with the state as homeschoolers (homeschool groups lobbied against inclusion in the program to avoid the regulations), but they can provide “homeeducation” if theyagree to administer annual testsand submit to audits.
Down the road from Winnfield, in the tinyvillage of Atlanta, agroup called Magnolia Bend Academy offers in-person classes for homeschooled students. The group, which has several locations, opened thecampus after theWinnParishSchool Board shuttered Atlanta’s only public school due to budgetconstraints. Butbecause the academy is registered as ahomeschool program,parents cannotuse LA GATOR grants to payfor tuition, the school told families.
“It won’thelp us at all,” saidSheree Russell, whose 9-year-old grandson attends theschool.
Mostfamilies choose to enrolltheirchildren in one of the parish’sfive public schools. They might not be agood fit for some students, like McCardie’sgrandson, but they work wellfor others.
The Winn Parishschool system —where nearly 75% of the roughly 1,700 students are economically disadvantaged —earned a“B” rating last year,and its “A”-rated Calvin High School wasone of the state’smost improved. They also admitall students and provide transportation and special-education services, none of which private schools must do.
Yetwithlimited localtax revenue, worsened by apapermill’srecent closure, thedistrict relies heavily on statefunding that has barely budged for years. Thedistrict can’tafford to replace aging Winnfield Primary, whichMcCardie’sgrandson attends, anditadopteda four-day schoolweek to compensate
rollment fiveyears earlier. By law,schools participatinginLAGATOR mustbe state approved. But the state Education Department says unapproved schoolscan join the program as “service providers” andoffer“up to the full-timeeducation of participating students.” Over time, many more unapproved schools —which any adult can establish —could register as service providers and receive state funding Public schoolsalsocan get in on theaction by signingup as vendors.
for teachers’ stagnant pay
Critics say LA GATORwill leavepublicschoolswith even fewerresources. In small rural districts, losing even afew extrastudentsto private or home education would make it even harder to affordbuilding upgrades or higherpay.And as state funding forprivate education expands, the likelihood of increased aid for public educationshrinks.
AmberCox, aSchool Board member whose son is in the fourthgrade at Winnfield Primary, said she supportsthe goal of giving parents more school choices.Yet she also wants thestate to invest more in public schools like the one her son attends.
“They’re excelling now and theirresources are so limited,” shesaid.“Justimagine what it could be if theyhad more.”
An opportunityfor options
For now,rural families have fewer school options— but thatcould change.
Traci Schmidley,aparent and educator who lives in rural Red River Parish,started homeschooling herfriends’ and neighbors’ children alongside her own more than adecade ago. Eventually,she and her husband built aclassroom building on their property andformed afaith-based school, Country Day Montes-
At least one school district, Caddo Parish, already has done so, and the rural Grant Parish school system is planning to as well, said SuperintendentErinStokes. The district expects to offer individual courses and electives —like band class, welding or computer science —thatstudentscould payfor with LA GATORfunds.
often serve homeschooled students andchildrenwith special needs. Most of the schools charge tuition and fees, andabout athird get state funding through private-education grant programs, according to anational survey
Schmidley’sschool signed up to participate in LA GATOR, and Microschool Americaregisteredasa vendor Fueledbythatfunding,she predicts acoming boom in homegrownschools across thestate.
“I think you are going to see anew wave,” she said. “It’s not going to be measured in years —it’sgoing to be measured in minutes.”
Stokes said she’sexcited to servemore familiesinGrant Parish, which, like neighboring Winn, has no private schools participating in LA GATOR. Butshe also worries about the consequences of morestudents movingtoprivate or unapproved schools that aren’tsubject to the same accountabilitymeasures, like teacher evaluations and stateissuedletter grades, as public schools.
“I’mnot saying we’re perfect by any means,” she said. Butthe state oversight “forces us to do better everysingle year —and that’sagood thing.”
sori, that now enrolls about65 students.
In 2020, Schmidleyfounded Microschool America to help other people establish “microschools,” afast-growing sector of small, usually unaccreditedprivate schools that
Louisiana already has seen an explosion in smallunregulatedschools, often formed to serve one or more homeschool families. In October, non-state-approved schools served nearly 34,000 students —more than doubletheir en-
Many private schoolsencouraged theirfamiliestoapply forLAGATOR, but back in Winnfield, no one told McCardie aboutit. She missed thedeadline, so she’llhave to wait until applications open for the 2026-27school year By then, maybe there will be more options in her area. If not, she’s consideredrenting an apartmentinaparish with private schools. She won’tstop,she said, untilshe finds theright school forher grandson “I would fight to the end of the earth forJah’Derrick,” shesaid.
Your hearing is an integral part of your overall health and wellbeing. Studiesshow that untreated hearingloss has been linked to many health issues, including cognitivedeclineand dementia.1
We are hosting aSpecial Eventduring the month of March! During this event, we will be offering these FREE services:
•FREE Hearing Consultations
•FREE Video Otoscope Exam: Hearinglossorjust earwax?
•FREE Clean &Check on currenthearing aids
•FREE Baseline Audiogram Assessment
•FREE Familiar Voice Test
•FREE Demo of Audibel’s latest hearing technology!
AreYou or Anyone YouKnow Experiencing the Following?
1. Asking people to speak up or repeat themselves?
2. Turning theTVuploud tounderstandwhat is being said?
3. Ringing or noises in your ears?
Audibelis NOW Offering...
•Hearingaids at NO COST to those who qualify!•
• That’s Right. No Co-Pay!NoExamFee! No AdjustmentFee! If youhavethiscard, youmay qualifyfor free hearing aids! Call today to verifyyour benefits
Coroner IDs pedestrian killed on I-10 twin span
BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer
on Sunday as 61-year-old Errol Douglas Cain. Cain, of Tallahassee, Florida, was hit on April 30 by a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu that was traveling east between Irish Bayou and Old Spanish Trail, according to Louisiana State Police. Police said Cain was walking in the left lane of the highway when he was hit. Cain was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, was not injured. Tape ruled the death accidental
Harahan man charged in sexual abuse of 3 children
BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer
A Harahan man has pleaded not guilty to charges that he sexually abused three young children, according to Jefferson Parish court records.
Dewell Walker, 67, pleaded not guilty Thursday to three counts of sexual battery of a victim under the age of 13 and two counts of indecent behavior with a victim under the age of 13.
Walker was arrested March 21 following an investigation by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, ac-
cording to authorities.
He is accused of inappropriately touching three children while they were between the ages of 4 and 12, authorities said. Walker was known to the families of the victims. A relative of two of the victims learned of the abuse and reported it to law enforcement, police said. Detectives identified the other victim during the investigation, according to authorities.
Walker was being held Friday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. Bail was set at $140,000.
1 arrested after French Quarter stabbing
Staff report
A man was arrested Saturday night after an argument in the French Quarter ended with a stabbing, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
2 wounded in shooting near edge of Treme, 7th Ward
BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer
Two people were wounded when an argument culminated with gunfire near the border of Treme and the 7th Ward on Saturday afternoon, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
Police were called at 1:27 p.m. to the 1400 block of North Clai-
borne Avenue, where one person was shot multiple times during an argument. The victim was transported to a hospital, police said. Later, another victim arrived at a hospital, according to police. Police did not immediately release more information.
Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey bubnash@theadvocate.com.
Flowers for mom
Paramedics transported the victim to a hospital, police said. Underhill, who police said stayed at the scene, was booked into the Orleans Parish jail on a count of aggravated battery, according to online jail records. Police did not immediately release more information.
Robert Underhill, 55, is accused of pulling out a knife and stabbing another person in the 700 block of Decatur Street near Jackson Square during an argument over whether the victim had stolen from Underhill. The stabbing was reported to police at 7:40 p.m.
DOLLY’S
Continued from page 1B
Robertson. He said three different people from Kenner have reached out to him to say they’re excited to be able to get the Honeycomb flavor on the south shore.
They’re always experimenting with new flavors, Mutter said, including a nondairy ice cream option that’s still being tested, sugar-free sno-balls and on April Fools’ Day, joked about a new “crab boil snoball” topped with a boiled crawfish and Cajun garlic sauce.
Boon to Rivertown
The shop is in a city-owned cottage on Williams Boulevard that previously housed a boutique, which has since expanded across the street. The cottage is located across from Gendusa’s Italian Restaurant and near the Planetarium and RiverShack Kenner, which opened last year
The building has a special history, Mutter said, brought to Rivertown by former Mayor Aaron Broussard after he saw it at the 1984 World’s Fair
Bringing people and businesses back to Rivertown has been a goal of city leaders for decades, and there has been progress in recent years.
Mutter said Flying Dolly’s explored locations over south Louisiana, but deals kept falling through until they found Kenner
“They’re doing such a wonderful thing with this Rivertown area,” Mutter said.
Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser said he welcomes the new ice cream shop with open arms.
“They are a perfect fit for the revitalized historic Rivertown area,” Glaser said in a statement. “We are so proud of the continued growth in this area of Kenner and cannot wait to see what’s in store for Rivertown’s future!” History of the company
The Robertsons’ original
northshore location in Mandeville was first called Just Chillin, but they changed the name in order to be able to expand across state lines. The new name comes from their late one-eyed pug named Dolly, who used to jump into their suitcases before trips because she wanted to fly with them
The ice cream company’s manufacturing facility is also in Old Mandeville, Mutter said, and they love being a part of the fabric of Mandeville and St. Tammany Parish.
“You get to meet a lot of people from around the community,” Mutter said, especially because they often hire high school and college workers.
Though they all grew up and live in St. Tammany Parish, Mutter said his father first met Jeff Robertson while attending Metairie’s Rummel High School in the 1960s.
Mutter’s family runs Doerr Furniture in New Orleans and Bedding Plus, and he spent time in the family business before venturing into the hemp industry and now ice cream and sno-balls after the Robertsons reached out. Last year, the trio took over ownership of New Orleans staple Pandora’s Snowballs on Carrollton Avenue, after the longtime owner retired.
Email Lauren Walck at lauren.walck@ theadvocate.com
LAKEFRONT
Continued from page 1B
did gather in the area, the lacking attendance was met with some disappointment and reflection on how holidays used to be celebrated along the Lakefront.
No single incident directly prompted the effort to intensify security at the Lakefront, said Joshua Rondeno, superintendent of police at the Orleans and East Jefferson Levee District Police Departments. But the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street highlighted the necessity of proactive emergency preparedness, the agency said.
“Jan. 1 served as another important opportunity to reflect on and improve our approach to planning for large-scale public events — especially those where the presence of vehicles or other motorized conveyances may pose risks to pedestrian safety,” Rondeno said.
Easter was the first instance of heightened security at the Lakefront, as state and local officials rolled out what they called ”unprecedented” measures, including barricaded checkpoints targeting speed, noise, seat belt use, window tint and license plate violations. There were 80 officers manning the area during the April holiday
The security measures on Easter yielded “tremendous results,” Rondeno said, leading the agencies to replicate the security precautions.
On Mother’s Day, there were 40 officers patrolling the Lakefront, a mix of levee district law enforcement, New Orleans Police Department officers and Louisiana State Police, including Troop Nola.
On top of the heightened police presence, flood protection authorities also imposed traffic restrictions along Lakeshore Drive from the Seabrook Bridge to West End Boulevard. The 5-mile stretch was restricted to keep a lane open for emergency responders.
‘A cultural thing’
For some longtime residents of the area who said they come out to the
Lakefront to celebrate with music, food and community, the heavy security presence and resulting sparse turnout was disappointing.
“It’s upsetting because that’s what this is for,” said Brittany Knighten, who gathered for Mother’s Day with her mom and son, eating poboys on a shaded table. “This is for us to enjoy however we enjoy it if nothing violent is happening.”
“I feel like that’s a New Orleans cultural thing, too, to come on the lake,” Knighten said.
Her mother, Tiffany Knighten, agreed, noting that she’d been coming to the Lakefront ever since she was small.
With clear skies and tem-
peratures in the mid-70s, it was not weather that deterred people from spending an afternoon outside.
Joddice Taylor, who ate crawfish with her family not far from the Franklin Avenue intersection with Lakeshore Drive, reflected on how the area used to be packed with people on any holiday
Still, she said the absence of crowds didn’t bother her too much.
“It doesn’t matter too much to me about other people, just being around my family,” Taylor said.
Levee officials also installed new signage in the area, newly painted noparking zones and improved bathroom amenities and trash collection schedules,
according to flood authority officials.
Other families gathered to celebrate Mother’s Day at City Park, which saw huge crowds for Easter, spawning speculation online that people were avoiding the Lakefront in protest of the heavy police presence. The park implemented traffic adjustments in anticipation of thousands of residents and visitors coming to enjoy Mother’s Day But it is unclear whether there were more people at City Park on Sunday than usual. Brandace Anthony, who has been coming to City Park for Mother’s Day for at least 10 years, said she thought this year’s crowds felt smaller
The Taylor family spends time near pavilion 13 on Mother’s Day along Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans.
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Annabelle McNulty takes a picture of her daughter Isabella Vega and her mother, Francisca Calix, on Sunday on a path in a wildflower garden in City Park in New Orleans.
THE INSURANCE CRISIS
As the Legislaturedebates how to make insurance more affordable in Louisiana, we’ve received manylettersfrom youregarding the crisis. Here is aselection of them.
Innovative loan programs couldmake fortified roofs more widespread
We need afaster way to reduce owner costs related to insurance for storm damage to roofs and subsequent water damage. The fortified roof program is abrilliant start, butIfear that it is too slow.Agrowing number of homes retrofitted and builtwith fortified roofs may keep some insurers from leaving, but will atrickle entice others to enter thestate, providingneeded competition?
Iamnoinsurance expert, but it seems like alarger mass of improved homes might be asignificant accelerator.Competition might even contribute to reductions in cost for owners witholder roofs. Iknow that many states had, and may continue to have, loans to help residents achieve higher energy efficiency,saving them money in the longrun. These programs may be amodel to drive faster adoption of fortified roofs. Rather than loans for energy efficiency improvements (HVAC, insulation, water heaters),Louisiana could apply it to tougher roofs. Energy efficiency loan paymentsare taken on utility bills, but our marginal roof cost paymentswould go on insurance bills. The added monthly cost on theinsurance bill would never be more than the amountofthe marginal cost reduction resulting fromthe cost of the improved roof. Sure, the homeowner will see none or little of the savings for a fewyears, but the roof will last longer than the payments(or the program is not of any benefitand should not be used). The interest rate could be reducedfor people with low incomes. The loans would be secured by the value of the home, so there is little risk to theloan source, and it should cost much less than grants. Details like transfer of the paymentsat thetime of ahome sale can bedecided and worked out.
PETERKULAKOSKY Jefferson
AreLa. trial lawyerssuffering likethe rest of us?
Iappreciate all the work the governor is doing to get Louisiana car insurance rates reduced to afair level.Iwould like to know where the Louisiana accidenttrial lawyers have their cars insured. Are they insured in Louisiana, or insured at second out-of-state homeswhich have lower insurance rates?
DAVID RUBENSTEIN NewOrleans
Don’texpectinsurance reform when triallawyers have governor’s ear
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,and the2025 legislative session is oneofthose times. The insurance crisis in our state is not apartisan fight; it’s an existential crisis. The insurance costsare astronomicalinLouisiana, if you can get it at all. Thepoliticians and attorneys can’tbeallowed to let their personal interests outweigh thegood of constituents, fellow citizens and policyholdersany longer U.S.Sen.Alan Simpson famously said, “Politics is acontact sport.” In astatewhere football and politics elicit passionatereactions from the citizens, it would help if the spectators knew the rules of the game. In Louisiana, there are no rules, and hence winning elections and strengthening one’sposition becomes theprimary objective of those in power.That needs to end.
The most recent incident to illustratethis was Gov.Jeff Landry and others taking aleisurely hunting trip in Texas to meet withtwo of themost powerful plaintiffs’ attorneys in thestate. The reason: to discuss “insurance
reform.”
Who wasn’tonthis trip?Tim Temple, the insurance commissioner of Louisiana. Temple ran on reform and came into office with aclear mandate: toget insurance rates down. To thetrial attorneys, electing Tim was akin to allowing afox into ahenhouse, and they’ve tried at every step to dull his teeth
This session may give Louisiana achance to implement reforms that would benefit individuals, businesses and others whomay choose to relocate here.
Nothing profound will happen with insurance rates or improving the business climate until we address tortreformhead-on. We will continue to fall further behindour Southern peers as the politicians and attorneysget wealthier.Isthere acorrelation between our litigious culture, insurance costs and Louisiana’sslower growth? Not if you ask trial attorneys.
JEREMY ROBICHEAUX owner,Coastal Louisiana Insurance
Keytoreducing auto ratesisreducing crashes,
so don’tblame thelawyers
I’m apersonal injury lawyer with 30-plus years of practice. Iamalso aconservative. My experiences give me aunique perspectiveonlowering auto insurance rates in Louisiana.
It’stimefor adifferent path.
My solution is against my self-interest, but wouldactually help thepublic: fewer car accidents. If we accomplish this, the lawyer ads will diminish greatly.Fewer car accidents means we will stop the absolute carnageofour citizens on our roads. People are killed,maimed, injured and their lives are disrupted for weeks, months, years or a lifetime.
School shootings, theFrench Quarter terror attack, plane-helicopter collisions, etc., mayget theheadlines, but thesheer volume andlikelihood of any of us getting hurt or injured occur in all too common car accidents. Insurance rates would go down because insurance companies would not be paying as many claims or large settlements. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Louisianaranks fifth in accidents andfatalities per miles driven and
per capita. There was acrash with injuries every 15 minutes here, and an average of 900 deaths per year,between 2021 and 2023.
So, how do we achieve fewer car accidents? Basically,quit giving out driver’slicenses like candy at Halloween and implement 10 common-sense fixes:
1. Stricter driver licensing.
2. Re-licensing every few years.
3. Hands-free cellphones only
4. Three-strike warning patrols. (Drivers given two warnings and aticket on the third offense for certain infractions).
5. Lower speed limits.
6. More red-light cameras and electronic speed ticketing.
7. Taxincentives for cars with anti-collision equipment.
8. Increases in mass transit and reductions in the regulations on Uber-like services, which will lead to more options.
9. Improvements in roads and lighting.
10. Public awareness campaigns.
EERICGUIRARD personal injurylawyer Baton Rouge
Public should know more aboutwho’s making money
Whynot try ideasto lowerauto insurance ratesthat work in other states?
The Legislature is focused on the wrong aspectsoflowering insurance premiums.
If lawmakers truly wish to reducethe rates, they should overhaul the insurance system completely
Theyshould look at Massachusetts’ low-cost no-fault insurance, instead of blaming the lawyers for allthe ills of the insurance dilemma.Implementing ano-fault systemwould eliminate many of the minor claims fromthe courts. The individual’spolicy would take careofmost claims directly.There would still exist a right to sue for the more serious claims.
Blaming the lawyers for high ratesisridiculous. Lawyers don’t make the accidents; drivers do. Isee drivers in my town run red lights everytime the traffic signalturns red. Isee them texting while driving. Isee them talking on the phone with the phone placed next to their ear.Isee drivers on Interstate 12 reach speedsof90-plus milesper hour Youwonderwhy accidents can be deadly
Foryears, the Legislature has resistedoutlawing texting or talking on the phone.
Theyhaveresistedfunding the State Policetoenforce traffic laws. Theyhaveresisted funding lawenforcementthroughout the state to enforce traffic laws. Whathas been proposed in this legislative session will notbring ratesdown.
These elected representativessimply want to go back to their constituents andgive them afeel-good story with no real substantive change.Ofcourse, Idoubt thatIwill ever see a change in my lifetime.
Full disclosure, Ihavebeen a lawyerfor over 40 yearsinthis state
CHARLESM.RAYMOND Mandeville
of
LAWRENCE
H. IVERSON III Metairie
The state Legislature should pass abill and thegovernor sign it into state law that stipulatesthe following:(1) Anylawyer or law firm that files an auto accident lawsuit in anycourt in Louisiana shall report to the Louisiana commissioner of insurance within 10 daysoffiling the names of the plaintiff, the plaintiff’s attorney and the sued insurance companyaswell as the dollar amount sought andthe parish where the accident occurred; (2) Upon settlement of thelawsuit, be it a court judgment or asettlement out of court, either the plaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney shall report to theLouisiana commissioner of insurance the full terms of the judgment or settlement; and (3) The Louisiana commissioner of insurance shall publish monthly in thenewspaper of record in Louisiana alist of theautoaccident lawsuits settled in the prior month
require astreet address and phone number forverification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words.
STAFF FILEPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
Acar involved in awreck on Interstate 10 near Michoud Boulevard is hauled away in 2023.
WINNER: Jim Crigler,Baton Rouge
POTHOLELIFEGUARD
We received 628 entries in this week’s Cartoon Caption Contest.We had several on missing cars, and abunch on deeper potholesdownthe street. Our winner took home thetop prize with his punchlineabout howlong it actually takes to getthesecraters filled.Terrificmix in this bunch! As always, when we have duplicate entries,and we always do, we pick the earliestsentin. Great job! —Walt
CHARLES SMITH, ST.ROSE: “I remember having great times swimming in there when Iwas akid.”
ELAINE SHUBERT,SLIDELL: “Remember to look both ways before diving into the water!”
BONNIE F. LOSEE, LAFAYETTE: “The neighborhood amenitiesare improving.”
LLOYDL.KELLER JR., NEW ORLEANS: “Kids, good news!!! Thewaterslide will be installed next week.
CATHERINE HOLCOMB,MORGAN CITY:
“I’m in chargeofthe carpool today!!!”
HANK WELTY (AGE 7), NEW ORLEANS: “Look out for the pothole monster!”
DAVIS C. HOTARD,BATON ROUGE: “you’re lucky I’m here! With the number of potholes we have,there’s not enough lifeguards to go around!”
JOHN RYAN, GREENVILLE,S.C.: “How convenient! Theseneighborhood swimming holes are all over the city!”
BILLYDOUGLASS,BATON ROUGE: “Watch out for alligators!!”
MARIANO HINOJOSA, BATONROUGE: “Lifeguards are cheaper than pothole repairs.
STUART CLARK, LAFAYETTE: “It’sagood thing y’all have astack of abandoned cars to stand on.”
SAM JOHNSON, ZACHARY: “Don’tworry guys …the voters will neverpass atax to fixour swimming hole!!!”
RALPH STEPHENS,BATON ROUGE: “Give it aweekortwo and youcan swim laps in it.
STEVE QUARTANO,BATON ROUGE: “If you find an ’87 Chevy down there,it belongs tome.
D. SABRIO, METAIRIE: “Now,y’all know whytheynameditCanal Street back in theday!”
RICHARD LOCHREN, NEW ORLEANS: “In today’seconomy, this sure beats the price of summercamp.”
DIANNA MOLL, COVINGTON: “Enjoy now kids.ADULTswimisin10minutes!”
ROBERT SWANTON, NEWORLEANS: “Heyfellas, just think after next year’s blizzard, you’ll be able to go ice skating too.”
HARPER VICIDOMINA-MILLS (AGE 10),
METAIRIE: “The concrete people will be here soon so wrap it up quickly.
DAVIDM.PRADOS,METAIRIE: “When life givesyou potholes,makeswimming pools.”
TERRYMcCARTHY,COVINGTON: “I getit, you’re smilingbecause your crawfish trap is full.”
SAM PERNICI, BATONROUGE: “Kids,be careful in the deep end!”
CHARLOTTE HUMPHRIES,HAMMOND: “I hear there’s one over on Perkins that has adivingboard.
PEG USNER, MANDEVILLE: “Good work! By the end of summer,you will graduate to the big ‘pool’ justoff Esplanade.
JACOBDILEO,GONZALES: “Theroads are gone,but at least the potholes are fluoride-free.”
PHILLIP T. GRIFFIN, NEWORLEANS: “If this catches on, we will neverhave enough lifeguards.”
JIMMIE PAPIA, METAIRIE: “Wedon’t have to worryabout overcrowding; we have adozen of these in everyblock.”
RUSSELL R. BARCELONA,BATON
ROUGE: “I told youI had aroad trip planned this summer.
RORY STEEN,DENVER,COLO.: “Marco! Pothole!”
Louisiana is facing amental health crisis. Nearly 715,000 adults in our state live with a mental health condition, and 179,000 of them experience serious mental illness. An estimated 44,000 teens between 12 and 17 are struggling with depression. Approximately 3.4 million Louisianans live in areas without enough mental health professionals to meet the growing demand.
As Louisiana debates the reduction or removal of red-light and speed enforcement cameras, we must consider the real consequences of such adecision. These cameras are not about punishingdrivers —they are about saving lives.
Iteach defensive driving courses as an instructor at the Metropolitan Safety Council and see firsthand the vital role these cameras play in keeping our roads safe. While Iagreewe need common-sense safeguards in place to prevent misuse, the evidence proving the benefits of these devicesisoverwhelming anddeserves serious attention.
Nationally,the numbers tell asimilar story.In2022,over 1,100 people were killed andmore than 100,000 were injured in crashes involving red-light running. Half of those killed weren’t the offenders —they were pedestrians, cyclistsand innocent drivers.
So, what do red-light and speed cameras actually do? They deter speeding, change driver behaviorand build safer communities. Speeding isn’t just atraffic violation —it’sadeadly threat on our roads. In 2023 alone, Louisianasaw more than 143,200crashes, including 147 pedestrian fatalities and 344injuries Speeding and running red lights are considered aggressive driving.Aggressive driving, one of thetop causes of crashes, contributes significantly to thesestatistics
Traffic safety cameras work to reduce these dangerous actions,ultimately lowering crash rates and saving lives.
Research shows that cities with red-light cameras experience 21% fewer fatal crashes at red lights and 14% fewer fatal crashes at signalized intersections. In contrast, cities that removed their cameras saw a 30%increase in deadly red-light crashes. Another keyadvantage is the increased safety they provide for police officers. Automated enforcement reduces the need for police to make high-risk traffic stops. This technology not onlyprotects law enforcement but also shieldsdrivers and pedestrians from potential harm during routine pullovers.
Critics oftenargue that local governmentsonlyhave traffic cameras to generate revenue. That argument ignores their primary purpose: changing driver behaviortoprevent recklessdriving.
In Louisiana, nearly 85% of nonpedestrian fatal crashes involve factors like alcohol, distraction or aggressive driving. Nationwide, 89% of people say they
see speeding weekly and 67% witness red-light running at least once amonth. These are not rare occurrences. Cameras act as aconsistent deterrent, holding drivers accountable and encouraging safer habits behind the wheel. When drivers know they’ll be ticketed for speeding or running red lights, they are morelikely to drive responsibly,leading to fewer crashes.
Traffic cameras also protect vulnerable bystanders. In school zones, they slow down traffic where children cross thestreet. In communities, they ensure safer roads for pedestrians and cyclists. In work zones, they enforce traffic compliance and protect workers on the job.These benefitsgobeyond reducing speeding —they makeour communities safer for everyone.
In astate likeLouisiana, where traffic fatalities continue to rise, removing a proven system that saves lives would be adangerous setback. These cameras are lifesaving tools.
For thesafety of every driver,pedestrian,child and police officer,itiscrucial that Louisiana continues to support and utilize speed and red-light cameras on our roads.
Lives depend on it
Beth Inbau is president and CEO of the Metropolitan Safety Council of the New Orleans Area, Inc.
It’s clear that we need real solutions. One of the mostpromising answers? Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. CCBHCs, established by Congress in 2014, are designed to provide awide range of mental health and substance use services. At CrescentCare in New Orleans and Start Community Health Center in Houma, we operate two of Louisiana’ssix CCBHCs, offering care to everyone in our community —nomatter their diagnosis, insurance status or ability to pay.Grant funding has allowed us to expand our teams, partner with local organizations and provide 24/7 crisis response. The impact of CCBHCs is undeniable. Michael came to us after losing his job due to substance misuse. For years, he had tried to numbthe pain of unaddressed trauma. At CrescentCare, he began not only substance use treatment but also the deep work of addressing the trauma driving his addiction.
Today,Michael is in recovery and flourishing. He has returned to full-timework, built astrong support network in the local recovery community and is creating afuture full of possibility At Start Corporation,another LouisianaCCBHC, Elizabeth was ayoung pregnant woman who struggled with trauma, behavioral health issues andsubstance use. Through Start’scoordinated care model,she was connected to substance use programs, case management and parent education services. She secured stable housing and gave birth to ahealthy baby boy.Today,both Elizabeth and her son are thriving. These stories are whywedothis work. But without sustainable funding, we risk leaving morepeople behind. Thousands of Louisianans still lack access to this kind of care. And the grant funding we rely on isn’tapermanent solution. There are two mainways CCBHCs are funded across the country.In20states, clinics access a flexible Medicaid payment rate that reimburses them forthe full costs of care. This system enables expanded access to care and provides stable, long-term funding. For example, some clinics in rural areas have used these funds to purchase mobile health units, bringing care directly to people whomight otherwise go without. Louisiana isn’tthere yet. Right now,our CCBHCs depend on federal grants that only last a fewyears at atimeand don’tfully cover the cost of care. This uncertainty makes it hard to plan ahead or launch critical new programs. But we are making progress. The state recently received a$1million federal planning grant that could help us access this flexible payment rate in the future. That is great news, but that process could take years.
Thankfully,Congress has achance to fix this. Bipartisan legislation introduced last Congress —the Ensuring Excellence in Mental Health Act —would give Louisiana’sCCBHCs access to the samestable funding as those in other states. It would also help moreclinics in Louisiana achieve CCBHC status, making it easier for them to meet the growing demand forcare. We encourage our congressional delegation to support similar legislation in this new Congress. We also encourage our representatives in Washington to resist drastic cuts to Medicaid, which, together with the Children’sHealth Insurance Program,covers over 1.6 million people in Louisiana. Medicaid is the largest funder of substance use and mental health services. Significant cuts to the program jeopardize the great work of CCBHCs and other community health centers.
CCBHCs have proved their value. They deliver high-quality,accessible care, often to people whohave nowhere else to turn. Expanding this model is not just apolicy decision; it’salifeline forthousands of Louisianans.
It’s timefor our congressional delegation to take action. Ensuring reintroduction and passage of the Ensuring Excellence Act this year will guarantee that CCBHCs can keep changing lives —one person, one family,and one community at atime.
Let’sgive Louisiana the same chance as other states to build afuture where everyone has access to the care they need. Our communities deserve nothing less.
CaseyGuidry is CEO at Start Corporation, aCCBHC basedinHouma.AliceRiener is CEO of CrescentCare, aCCBHC basedinNew Orleans.
Beth Inbau GUEST COLUMNIST
Alice Riener GUEST COLUMNIST
Casey Guidry GUEST COLUMNIST
NewOrleans Forecast
SEX WORK
Continued from page1B
passed with support from that department’sleaders and from Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams’ office. YetLouisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who works with that office to prosecute arrests made in NewOrleans by State Police, has said any ordinance that is more permissive than state law,which doesnot decriminalize prostitution in any instance, would be unenforceable.
“Local ordinancesdonot preempt state criminal laws,” Murrill saidinaMonday statement. Under the local rules,police are now barred from seizing most property belongingtosex workers, andcourts may not issue sanctions when sex workers violatethe conditions of apretrial release orprobation. Police also may not arrest people basedonoutstanding state warrants related to prostitution, which is alocal, state and federal crime. Sex workers could still be arrested under federal and out-ofstate warrants.
ROAD
Continued from page1B
The city will host aSafety and Mobility Summit at 10 a.m. Saturday at University MedicalCenter’sConference Center on Canal Street, so residents canspeak directly with city staffabouttheir concerns.
The summit and the survey whichisopenuntilJune20, are partofa newcity initiative called Safe Streets for All, which seeks to eliminate crashes that lead to fatal or serious injuries on local roads. The initiative is ajoint effortbetween the city’sDepartment of Public Works, Office of Resilience andSustainability and Department of Health.
Between 2019 and 2023, car crashes killed nearly 300 people and injured another 47,000,according to city data.
“For years, New Orleans has endured amuch higher rate of traffic fatalities and serious injuries than thenational average, especially for people walking and bicycling, saidAndrew Logan, aspokesperson for the city’sDepartment of Public Works.
Most of those crashesare preventable, officials say
Sexworkers who are not crime victims can still be arrested. New Orleans joins other locales across the U.S. that have at least partiallyremoved sanctions forsex work. Maine assesses no penaltiesfor selling sex, though those whopay forit or engage in sex traffickingmay still be arrested. California does not arrest people wholoiter for the purposeof sex work.InNevada, the practicehas long been legal in certain circumstances.
Thelocal ordinance was modeled after a2022 state law that provides immunity from arrest and prosecutionfor drugpossession for peoplewho need medical intervention during an overdose.
Gardner,inaninterview,said that Chef MenteurHighway and Downman Road business owners already pay about $10,000 each
Logan saidthe city already has itseyes on what they consider the most dangerous roads —those with hightrafficvolume and speed limits above 35 mph. But they want to hear about other streets and intersectionsand areas wherethere is thegreatest community concern Residents who participate will be able to help shapeacitywide action plan in the coming months, he said. Theeffort is onlythe latest move from theCantrelladministration to try to improve safetyoncity roads, with many of the changes focused on pedestrians. In recent years, the mayorhas expanded bike lanes and expanded school zones to cover high schools. The city hasalso taken on agreater roleinpromoting school bus safety by conductingschool bus inspectionsand requiring background checksand drug testsfor school bus drivers. As aCityCouncil member, Cantrellalsoworked to secure grant money to help make school bus routes safer after the2014 deathof6-year-old Shaud Wilson. Bayinnah Simmslosther greatnephew, 6-year-old MaysonRichards, in another fatal school bus crash last month. She said she is relieved to know the city is start-
month to have New Orleans police officers and other privatesecurity guardspatrol theirarea, whichhas been ahot spot for prostitution. But the costly patrols have done little to eliminate theactivity,he said. He worries the changes will make things worse.
Rupp, who interviewed dozens of sex workers and helped write theordinance based on the issuesthat arose from thoseconversations, said she understands business owners’concerns, but thatthe local rules are about promoting safety,not more sexwork.
Rupp said she hopes NewOrleans can be an example for neighboring cities and the state Legislature
ingtotakeroad safety more seriously and hopes no other families will have to experience whatthey did.
“You’re looking at ayoung mom who never thought she would be burying her kid so young,”Simms said of her niece, Mason’smother Hasaniik Richards.“We were thinking,‘In acouple weeks, it’s his graduation from kindergarten. Andinstead of agraduation party, we planned afuneral.”
Simms urged thecitytofocus on major roads and smaller, lesstraffickedcommunity roadsused by children and families. When crashes do occur,law enforcement officials should communicate more often with victims’ families about the resultsofcrash investigations
Simmssaidshe hopesthatthe initiative would eventually expand to include schools and the private school bus operatorsthat transport children. She wants to see more monitoring of drivers, and greater consequences for others who violate schoolbus traffic laws. Keeping kids safe should be atop priority,she said.
“It’s nothing moredisheartening than having this happen,” she said.
To take the survey before June 20,visit theSafe Streetsfor All webpage at nola.gov
DDD
Continued from page1B
Pontchartrain Expresswayto the east, ClaiborneAvenue to the south and the Mississippi River to the west. Chris Ross, whochairs the district’s11-member board, said they had conducted anational search to fill the CEO position, with the help of an independent headhunter consultant. The job pays $255,000 ayear plus benefits anda potential bonus, he said.
“Seth’sdeep roots in NewOrleans, combined with his proven leadership in public investment, make him the right person to lead the DDD into its next chapter,” Ross said in astatement announcing Knudsen’sappointment. “His vision, experience, and collaborative approach will be key to advancing our missionofcreating acleaner, safer,moreinclusive, and economically resilient Downtown.” Ross saidKnudsen had been chosen from ashortlist of about 10 candidates.
Knudsen had worked for13 years at the redevelopmentauthority,acityagencythatpartners with developers and invests in projects to revitalize neighborhoodsand support economicdevelopment.
He is aTulane University graduateinurban planning and worked for City Hall and the Housing Authority of NewOrleans earlier in his career.Healso earned post graduate qualifications from the UniversityofPennsylvania and
theMassachusetts Instituteof Technology Knudsen said in atelephone interview that the core missionand priorities of the districtwill remain his main focus. Chief among those is providing enhanced security and beautification services for the district, as well as broader economic development goals. On the latter,Knudsen said the agency will be looking to partner with other city organizationsto ensure the long-delayed Charity Hospital rehabilitation project can move forward,aswellasother developments like the 1010 Common St. project that is converting aformer officebuilding to aresidential and hotel use.
He said he also wants to work, as Barbour did, on revitalizing lower CanalStreet. And he wants to be part of an “all handsondeck strategy to alleviate thecity’s homelessness problem.
TheDowntown Development District wasthe nation’sfirst assessment-basedbusiness improvement district whenitwas founded in 1974. The relationship between the district and City Hall hasoccasionally been fraught, and Barbour’spredecessor successfully sued the city to gain more control of its tax funds.
Alaw that took effect last year, Act 520, changed theterms of selecting the board, effectively reducing the number of appointees chosen by theMayorofNew Orleans from nine to five and reducing the time those members serve on the board.
EmailAnthony McAuley
tmcauley@theadvocate.com.
Straka outduels Lowry to win Truist
BY BOB LENTZ AP sportswriter
FLOURTOWN, Pa. — Sepp Straka
knew early on that precision at Philadelphia Cricket Club was the key to the Truist Championship Now, the Austrian and the oldest country club in the United States are linked forever Straka seized the lead with a par on the 16th hole and shot a 2-under 68, outdueling Shane Lowry on Sunday for his second victory of the season.
“It’s huge, the biggest win of my career,” Straka said of his fourth PGA Tour title.
After Lowry missed the green with his tee shot at the 212-yard, par-3 16th, Straka hit to approximately 30 feet. Lowry chipped out of the heavy rough but failed to convert a 6-foot par putt falling a shot behind.
Lowry missed a potential tying 22-footer for birdie at the par-4 17th and after driving into trouble at the stout 514-yard, par-4 closing hole, he finished with a three-putt bogey A back-nine duel had an anticlimactic ending. Straka made a nopressure, two-putt par at 18 and joined Rory McIlroy (three victories) as a multiple winner this season. The Austrian who played college golf at Georgia also won The American Express in January “It’s not the best ball-striking week I’ve had,” Straka said. “Off the tee the first two days, I hit it terrible.”
The difference, he said, was putting. He made more than 110 feet
Larson
BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter
of putts in the final round.
“The putter was just excellent this week. Made a lot of midrange putts, and that’s something you have to do when you want to win a golf tournament.”
Straka moved to No. 2 in the FedEx standings, gets $3.6 million of the $20 million purse in the PGA Tour’s sixth signature event of the season and takes home the winner’s cricket bat trophy, a nod to the group of students and cricketeers from Penn who founded Philly Cricket in 1854.
He’s poised to move into the top 10 in the world ranking and all but certain to make his second European Ryder Cup team.
Straka credited his consistency and work ethic for rise in the rankings.
The Truist was another miss for Lowry whose last PGA Tour victory was the 2019 British Open. He won the European tour’s BMW PGA Championship in 2022.
Lowry’s even-par 70 left him in a tie for second with Justin Thomas (67), who made a late run at the leaders.
Lowry, who has advocated for a cooling-off period for players before fielding questions from the media after a round, declined to comment.
Patrick Cantlay Jacob Bridgeman and Tommy Fleetwood each shot 65 and finished tied for fourth at 12 under McIlroy, the defending champion and four-time event winner at Quail Hollow, its usual venue, never really got going and closed with a 2-under 68. Playing in his first individual tournament since
completing the career Grand Slam at the Masters, McIlroy shot 68 and was in a group in seventh place at 10 under McIlroy now heads to Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, for next week’s PGA Championship, the year’s second major
“I think I’m in a good place,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I played all that well this week, I still finished seventh. A couple little improvements and little tweaks, especially going to a place I love like Quail Hollow, and I feel like I’m in a really good spot.”
Prime scoring conditions returned to Philly Cricket’s Wissahickon Course for the first time since the opening round. After a rainy and chilly second round and a blustery third, Thomas, who was trying to win consecutive starts after taking the RBC Heritage last month, was the only real pursuer in the sixth signature event of the PGA Tour season. Ultimately, it came down to the third-round leaders.
Straka built a two-stroke lead after the first nine holes Lowry broke their tie with a 12-foot birdie putt at the first to get to 15 under Both took advantage at the par-5 fifth. Lowry made birdie to get to 16 under and Straka trumped his playing partner with a 20-foot eagle putt to forge another tie.
After Lowry settled for a par at the eighth, Straka drained a 15foot birdie putt to go one stroke up and followed with a 28-footer at No. 9 to reach 17 under Straka’s lead was gone after two
holes on the back nine after consecutive bogeys.
After neither capitalized on the 95-yard 14th, the shortest par 3 on tour — excluding majors — in the Shotlink era dating to 1983, Lowry nearly chipped in for eagle at the par-5 15th and settled for birdie.
Straka matched that with a birdie from 6 feet and moved in front to stay at the next hole.
Thomas nearly caught the leaders twice. He missed potential tying birdie putts from 14 feet on the 12th and from 3 feet on the 15th.
“It was a good day,” said Thomas, who returns next week to the site of his first of two PGA Championship wins. “Obviously I gave myself a chance. Starting three back to have a putt on 15 to tie for the lead, I definitely would have taken that at the start of the day
“I fought hard, played well, and gave myself a chance, which is what I wanted.”
Sahith Theegala withdrew before the start of the final round, citing a neck injury
The pros spoke fondly Wissahickon course in the tour’s return to golf-starved Philadelphia The century-old course boasted large crowds throughout the week, resulting in the event’s fan shop selling out of merchandise on Saturday and being shuttered for the final round.
“You always hear about Philly sports fans, and it really is true,” Straka said. “I rooted for the Eagles a little bit last year because my Bulldogs had a lot of guys on defense there. Every time I heard a ‘Go Birds,’ it was kind of fun to hear that.”
prevails at Kansas for third Cup win of season
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kyle Larson took most of the drama out of his second straight spring victory at Kansas Speedway on Sunday
After putting his No. 5 car on the pole for Hendrick Motorsports, Larson led 221 of 267 laps, winning both stages and cruising to his third NASCAR Cup Series win of the season. He was never challenged down the stretch by second-finishing Christopher Bell — and he most certainly didn’t need another last-lap pass to win at the wire like he did a year ago.
The margin over Chris Buescher then was 0.001 seconds, the closest in Cup Series history It was 0.712 seconds on Sunday
“Glad to not win by an inch this time,” Larson said with a smile. “A little safer gap.” Larson, who also has wins at Homestead and Bristol, has finished in the top four in each of his past four Cup Series races, and now he will take that momentum to Indianapolis Motor Speedway Larson will be on track Tuesday as he begins another shot at “the Double” — running every lap of
the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day Memorial Day weekend
Last year, he contended in the rain-delayed Indy 500 before a speeding penalty on pit road resulted in an 18th-place finish. He then hopped a flight to Charlotte for the NASCAR race, but rain there kept him from ever completing a lap.
“It’s a cool win here at Kansas,” Larson said in victory lane, “and now we’ll try to execute two good weeks at Indy.”
Even though Larson spent most of a hot, sunny day at Kansas in the lead, he found himself trailing Chase Elliott early in the final stage. But when Elliott’s team dropped the jack too soon before his right rear tire was on during a pit stop, Larson was able to get back to the front on the restart, and he spent the last 50 laps cruising to the checkered flag.
Bell, a three-time winner already, finished in the top three for the sixth time this season. Ryan Blaney came in third, giving Team Penske another good run after Austin Cindric won two weeks ago at Talladega and Joey Logano won last week at Texas.
Drivers head through the first turn during a NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday in Kansas City Kan.
LSU men’s golf off to rough regional start AMHERST,Va The LSU men’s golf team has work to do if it wants to advance from the NCAA Amherst regional.
The top seed in the regional, the No 6-ranked Tigers struggled to a first-round 6-over-par 286 and were tied for 10th with Arizona in the 13-team field. Seven teams still had to complete their first rounds as of late Sunday night.
Only the top five teams will advance to the NCAA championships. SEC Newcomer of the Year Algot Kleen birdied the 18th hole to shoot an even-par 70, good for a tie for 20th. But LSU’s three other counting players went a combined 4 over on the final hole, with Matthew Dodd-Berry, Jay Mendell and Arni Sveinsson all shooting 72s.
Yankees pitcher Stroman suffers setback with knee
New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman had a setback as he tries to return from a left knee injury that has sidelined him for the last month.
Manager Aaron Boone said Stroman still had “discomfort” in his knee after throwing a live batting practice session in Tampa, Florida, on Friday and will be reevaluated before the team figures out the next step in his rehabilitation process.
Stroman hasn’t pitched since allowing five runs in two-thirds of an inning against the San Francisco Giants on April 11. He was placed on the 15-day injured list the next day with what Boone hoped at the time would be a short-term absence. He was 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA in three starts.
Bogey-free spree leads Thitikul to LPGA victory
Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand turned back a pair of challenges Sunday and played bogey-free over the final 27 holes at Liberty National, closing with a 3-under 69 for a four-shot victory over Celine Boutier in the Mizuho Americas Open.
Thitikul won for the first time this year and the fifth time in her LPGA Tour career
Nelly Korda is still trying to win for the first time this year She was within one shot of Thitikul until driving into the hazard on the par-4 ninth hole and taking bogey It was a downward spiral from there, as Korda played the back nine with two bogeys and no birdies.
Boutier shot 72 to finish second, followed by Carlota Ciganda (70) and Andrea Lee (72).
Zverev, Gauff among winners at Italian Open
ROME Reigning champion Alexander Zverev advanced at the Italian Open on Sunday by beating Lithuanian qualifier Vilius Gaubas in straight sets. The No. 2-ranked Zverev won 6-4, 6-0 in the third-round match in Rome and will play France’s Arthur Fils next. Fils beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Carlos Alcaraz overcame Laslo Djere 7-6 (2), 6-2 and will next face Karen Khachanov In the women’s draw, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka fought back from a set down against Sofia Kenin to advance.
Kenin, the No. 31-seeded American, won the first set 6-3, but Sabalenka powered back to take the next two sets by the same score.
“I feel like our day was kind of a product of qualifying well and having good pit stops and restarts.”
Blaney knew he was coming on strong, too, but he was left to lament what might have been.
“We were kind of running those guys down quick,” Blaney said.
“A few more laps, I would have scared the 5 a bit at least.”
“I was just trying to get to the end. I know Ryan was coming on really strong there,” Bell said.
Chase Briscoe finished fourth and Larson’s teammate Alex Bowman rounded out the top five. Brad Keselowski looked as if he might finally have his first top-10 finish this season. He started from the rear but steadily made his way forward, and the 2012 series champion had moved into second behind Elliott when his right rear went down with 72 laps to go. Keselowski wound up in the wall, ending his hopes of contending.
Derby-winning jockey punished for whipping Jockey Junior Alvarado has been fined and suspended for whipping Sovereignty too many times during his Kentucky Derby-winning ride on May 3 at Churchill Downs. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority on Friday ordered Alvarado to pay a $62,000 fine and suspended him for two Kentucky racing days, May 29 and May 30.
A hearing with racing stewards was held Thursday, and Alvarado was found to have used his crop on Sovereignty eight times during the race, according to HISA documents. Alvarado has 10 days to appeal, and BloodHorse reported that his agent, Mike Sellitto, said he is appealing.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT ROURKE
Sepp Straka, of Austria, poses with the trophy after winning the Truist Championship golf tournament at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on Sunday in Flourtown, Pa.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By COLIN E. BRALEy
LSU BASEBALL
“You’re winning an Omaha-caliber game on Friday night. Close, back andforth,great opponent,” LSU coach JayJohnson said. “There’s so much value in that and how we found away to do that “Thought last night’s performance was maybe the best game of the year.We’vehad alot of good ones, butI thought lastnight was really good.”
LSU took an early lead on Sunday,trying to earn the cherry on top of what was already asuccessful weekend. But the Tigers couldn’tfinish off the sweep, losing 7-4 to Arkansas after allowing two runs in the ninth inning of a one-run game.
“I thought our guys fought,competed fine,” Johnson said. “Ithink there’stremendous value in helping us know the roadmapfor what we’re going to need to do to winin tournament play.”
LSU (40-12, 17-10 SEC) threatened to tiethe score in the eighth inning, driving in arun on adribbling groundout from junior Chris Stanfield with one out. But with a runner on second, freshman Derek Curiel hit aroutine groundball to second base to end the threat.
Junior left-hander Conner Ware started the ninth inning butwalked the first batter before exiting for freshman right-hander William Schmidt, who walked two more batterstoload the bases Freshman right-hander Mavrick Rizy entered the game for Schmidt with the bases loaded and nobody out. He surrenderedtwo runs on abases-loaded walk and asingle that gave Arkansas a7-4 lead.
He recorded just one outbefore comingout for redshirtjunior right-hander Grant Fontenot,but the damage was done.
“I’m sure they’re disappointed in their performance,”Johnson said. “But Ihave all of thefaithin the world in Conner and William and Mavrick to be big partsofthis thing.”
LSU tried to respond by putting the tying run at the plate withone out in the ninth after junior Daniel Dickinson singled and junior Ethan Frey walked. But freshman pinch-hitter Cade Arrambide struck out, and senior Luis Hernandez lined out to shortstop to end the ballgame. Sunday was LSU freshman
Tulane pitching implodes as Memphisavoidssweep
BY GUERRYSMITH Contributing writer
Aftertwo excellentmound performances,Tulane’s weekly pitching implosion arrived Sunday Memphis hitters met balls over theplate with one solid swing after another.Plenty of other offerings were notinthe strikezone, with seven Green Wave pitchers combining for seven walks, two hit batters and apairofwild pitches.
right-handerCasan Evans’third start of theseason. After tossing ascoreless first two innings, he allowed four earned runs on fivehits in the third.
He struggled putting away hitters with twostrikes, allowing a sacrifice fly,a run-scoring double andatwo-run single on two-strike countsinthe third. Evanssurrenderedseven hits and threewalks in 32/3 innings.
“If there’sany pitcher I’ve had at that agethat was readyfor it, it was him,” Johnson said. “And Ithink he’llhaveunbelievable valuefromstartingitout (against Tennessee, Texas A&M and Arkansas).”
Redshirt junior right-hander
Chase Shores replaced Evans in thefourth and gota strikeout to escape ajam with runners on first and second. But he thensurrendereda runinthe fifth that stretched the Arkansas (41-11, 189) lead to 5-3.
The big right-hander from Texas settled in nicely after that, retiringsix of the next seven batters he faced in two scoreless innings. He finishedSunday’sgame withfour strikeouts and two hitsallowed in 31/3 innings.
“I felt good,” Shores said. “I’m built up to kind of go do that. So health-wise,feltnormal andeverything.”
Freshmanleft-hander Cooper Williams replaced Shoresinthe seventh and got astrikeoutbefore surrendering awalk andforcinga fly out.
The call on ball four against Williams upsetJohnson, enough so that he argued thedecision and wasejected. It was the second time
Johnson had been dismissed from agame this year and the fourth time it’shappened in the lasttwo seasons.
“I told him he flinched(andsaid), ‘You missedit. Youknow you did,’ and (then) he ejected me,” Johnson said. “And then Isaid he didn’tgive me awarning. He said he gave our dugout awarning, and(there was) amisinterpretation of what Iguess that is or was.”
LSU got off to astrongstart at the plate, scoring three runs in the first two innings. Hernandez and sophomore Steven Milam hit solo homeruns in thesecond to give the Tigers a2-0 lead before Hernandez hit arun-scoring single in the third.
“We’ve had these guys at LSU There’sone guyinthe lineup that may notbethe headline guy,but when they go,we’re almost impossible to beat,”Johnson said. “And Ifeel like Luisisthat guy offensively.”
TheTigerswere quietafter that.Stanfieldwas the lone man to reachbasefrominnings four throughsix. LSU also stranded a runnerinscoringposition in the seventhbefore adding arun in the eighth.
The top of its order especially struggled. Curiel and junior Jared Jonescombined to go 0for 9with six strikeouts.
The Tigers next will face South Carolina in theirfinalSEC series of the year beginning on Thursday Firstpitch from Columbia, South Carolina, is setfor 6p.m. and the gamewill be available to watch on SEC Network.
Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.
to use ahigh second-round pick on him. He got his guy,just like Payton got his 19 years ago Shough will turn 26 in September,justa year youngerthana then-27-year-old Brees was when he came to rescue New Orleans. Nobody knew how good Brees would be, much like nobody knowshow good Shough will be. Time will tell.
Shough’sarm talent was evident in Saturday’spractice when he completed his first seven passes before finallythrowing an incompletion. Many of those throws were darts. But it’sway too early to readanything into it. This was just in 7-on-7 drills competing against rookies. No pads. No tackling. No pass rush. And no high stakes. The real competition comes in training camp when guys such as Chase Young and Demario Davis are running toward Shough while Rattler and Haener are looking overhis shoulder trying to win the same job. Even in limited work Saturday,Moore liked whathesaw in Shough.
“For these quarterbacks, alot of times really whatyou care about is howthey command the huddle and command the whole
operation,” Moore said. “New system, new language and all those things associatedwith it. Tyler has hopped in and done a good job of coming in here and taking control of it.”
When addressing the media after practice, Shough was just as poised and polished.
“The biggest thing Iwant to continue to do is play free,” Shough said. “A lot of things you can’tcontrol.But you can control your preparation, your attitude and your effort. That’s one thing I’m going to do.”
Moore informed Shough about Carr’s retirement right before Saturday’spractice.
“Whoever is on theroster,I’ve got to continue to grow and get better and do my besttoelevate the quarterback room,” Shough said. “I was going to come in regardless, him being hereornot, andcontinue togrow.”
Last week, Shough organized a throwing session at Tulane with teammates suchastight end Juwan Johnson and receiver Bub Means.
His teammates have noticed thematurityalready
“He has aleadership mentality, andhe’sgoing about it in aprofessional way,” said running back Devin Neal, the Saints’ sixthround draft pick.
Shough is just two weeks on the joband he knows there’salong way to go. He’slearning his new
job andlearning anew city that is readytoembrace him if he wins the job.
He’seaten charbroiled oysters andfleur-de-lis shrimp from Drago’s. He’salreadyfeltjust howbrutal the south Louisiana humidity can be.(Trust me, Tyler. Youain’tseen nothing yet.) And he’sreceivedadviceabout the city from former punter Thomas Morstead,whose No.6 jersey Shough will don.
And oh yeah,he’salreadyhad his official “welcome to New Orleans” moment.
“I feel like I’m alreadyengrainedinNew Orleans because I’vealreadypoppeda tire in a pothole,” Shough said.
Potholes and humidity aside, he’s seen the positives, too. He’s already got afeelfor just what the Saints mean around here
“I resonate with it completely,” Shough said. “That’skinda what Iwanttoplaywith is that passion.
That passion will win fans over if Shough can win games.But before he wins games, he first has to winthe starting job
After Carr’sretirement, he is one step closer
“I’vegot so much work to do,” Shough said. “I’m arookie coming in, and I’ve got to earnmy keep.”
Email Rod Walkeratrwalker@ theadvocate.com.
Thatcombo platterresultedin an ugly 15-6 road loss as Memphis salvaged thefinalgameof the weekend series, sending the Green Wave back to NewOrleans withmore questions about its pitchingdepth.
Memphis (21-30, 8-16 American Athletic Conference), the lightest hitting team in the league, strangely has exploded for 12 or moreruns in half of its AAC victories. This was the fourth time in as many weeksTulane (30-21, 13-11), whichwon thefirst two games3-2 and3-0, has allowed 15 or more runs.
“That’skind of been the story repeated,” Tulane coach Jay Uhlman said. “They(Wave pitchers) are showing you right now what they are, but Itold them we’re going to need them. They gotta do it forusbecause at some point we aregoing to need some contribution from them. Ilovetosee them have success, but sometimes people getintheir ownway.”
Tulane starterBlaise Wilcenski (5-4), who threw 71/3 shutout innings over twoappearances last week, lasted only one inning Sunday.Handed a1-0 lead on Connor Rasmussen’sRBI double in the topofthe first, he gave up a two-rundoublewithtwo outs,followedwitha walk anda hitbatter and watched abases-clearing shotglance off left fielder Theo Bryant’sglove on the warning track as the Tigers went ahead 5-1. Will Clements replacedWilcenskitobegin the secondand retiredonly one of the five batters he faced,going walk, single, single, doubletomakeit7-1.GraysonSmith entered and coaxed a pairofgroundouts, butanother run scored
“Both Wilcenski and Clem were passivelynoncompetitive, which put them in bad counts, andthat
SOFTBALL
Continued from page1C
fly in theseventh proved to be thedifference.
“They are consistently at the top of their conference, winning seasons, alot of baserunning greatness over there,” Torina said. “Weknow we have our work cut outfor us.”
Perhaps even more concerning is Nebraska pitcher/utility playerJordy Bahl, atransfer from Oklahoma who helped the Sooners win two national titles with a44-2combinedrecord, a 0.99 ERA and 397 strikeouts in
waskindofa themethe rest of the day,” Uhlman said. “Wegot ourselves into bad counts, and then when we did get into twostrike counts, we weren’table to put them away.” Tulane did not record its first strikeoutuntil thesixthinning after 11 Tigers went down on strikesineach of thefirst two games. The Wave rallied with arun in the third, another in the fourth and twointhe fifth to cut the deficit to 8-5 before collapsing again after Rasmussen groundedout with the bases loaded.
Jacob Moore allowed atwo-run single,threw awildpitch andsurrendered aanother run-scoring single —all withtwo outs —as Memphis padded its lead to 10-5. “Wetraded their crooked numbers with our single runs,” Uhlman said. “Wejust didn’tget enough done offensively to really get back in the game, and when they put the three on our two, the wind was out of our sails and nine straight guys were retired.” Moore, who hasstruggledfor most of theyearafter being an effective closer in 2024, recorded five outs and gave up five hits and five runs (four earned), leaving in the sixth with a13-5 deficit that became14-5 on asingle off freshmanJulius Ejike-Charles. Catcher Andrew McKenna had the plate blocked on athrow from Bryant, but the ballbounced off his glove.
The rest of theday was about avoiding being run-ruled, which Tulane managed when Garrett Payne got an inning-ending fly out in the seventh with the winning run on second and registered three outs after the walkoff runner reached second with adouble in the eighth.
Tulane is tiedfor fourth with Florida Atlantic in theAAC and can be anything from the No.2to theNo. 6seed in theAAC Tournament,depending on howitfares at home against second-place Charlotte in itsfinalregular-season series. The high end, though, would require asweepand some help.
Memphis climbedout of the cellar under former Tulane player and Southeastern Louisiana coach Matt Riser. The Tigers likely can qualify forthe eightteam eventbywinning theirseries at Wichita State next weekend.
2882/3 innings. She wasthe Big TenPlayerofthe Year in 2025, going 23-6for theCornhuskers witha 1.57 ERA. Shealsohit 19 home runs andhad 59 RBIs, leading the team with a.458 batting average.
“UConn has hadagreat offensive year,” Torina said. “Nebraska has an incredible class they got out of the transferportal last year.I remember telling (Nebraska coach)Rhonda Revelle she won the portal, including Jordy Bahl. She’s oneofthe best players in the country,not only doingitonthe mound but 19 home runs on top of pitching. Theyhaveastrong team andlineup.
STAFF PHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough and other players gather after rookie minicamp at theindoor practice facility on Airline DriveinMetairie on Saturday.
STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU center fielder Jalia Lassiter,center,takes the field for agame against Alabama on April5atTiger Park.
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU pitcher Chase Shores looks to firea pitch past anArkansas batter in the fourth inningonSunday at Alex Box Stadium
LIVING
STRIKING ACHORD
BY JONATHAN LANDRUM JR. AP entertainment writer
LOS ANGELES Kendrick Lamar extends his dominant musical reign, entering next month’s BETAwards as the leading nominee.
The rap megastar earned 10 nominations Thursday,including an album of theyear for hishighly-acclaimedproject“GNX,” thenetworkannounced His ubiquitous disstrack “Not Like Us,” emanating from the Drake feud, received nominations for video of the year andviewer’schoice award. Lamar madewaveswith his Grammy triumph, winning song and record of the year for“Not Like Us.”Hefollowed up with agroundbreaking halftime show,becoming the firstsolohiphop performer to headline the coveted
slot. He is currentlyonthe Grand National Tour withSZA.
Doechii, Drake, Future and GloRilla tied for the second-most nominations with six. Metro Boomin pulled in five nods, while SZAand The Weeknd each scored four
Kevin Hart is expected to bring the funny as host of the awards show,celebrating its 25th anniversary The comedian-actor,who hosted the BET Awards in 2011, called this year’s ceremony a“black-tie affair.”
“It’sachance to reflect, cherish and honor life’sunforgettable moments,” Hart saidinastatement. He has ahistory with the network, hosting “Comic View: OneNight Stand” in 2008. He wasanexecutive producer andone of the stars of “Real Husbands of Hollywood”and launched adult animated
comedy “LilKev”onBET+.
The BETAwards will offer tributes to formerpopularhosts and performances, including the network’sonceflagship program “106 &Park.”
“‘106 &Park’ wasmorethanjust amusic countdown show; it was the heartbeat of Black youth culture and one of the highest-rated BET programs for over adecade,” said Scott Mills, BET’spresident and CEO. The weekdayshow launched in 2000 and lasted for more than adecade.
The show thrived with avideo countdown, interviews and performances “From Freestyle Friday to unforgettable live performances, it launched careers, influenced fashion, and became aplatformwhere voices,style,
Travolta filmingmovie on theMississippi Coast
BY MARYPEREZ Sun Herald
Research showssome therapiescan aidParkinson’s patients
What are some integrative therapies to consider in Parkinson’sdisease?
Parkinson’sdisease is aneurodegenerative disorder that affects the predominantlydopamine-producing neuronsina specific area of thebraincalled substantianigra. Parkinson’sdementia, causing adeclineinthinking and reasoning, can occurafter several years of motor symptoms during thedisease progression The cause of Parkinson’s disease remains largelyunknown, and though there is no cure, treatment optionsinclude medicationsthatcan manage problems withwalking, movement and tremors.
Research hasshown promise in integrative therapiessuchas yoga,tai chi, massage, various movement techniquesand acupuncture.
A2012 study reported in theNew England Journal of Medicine states that tai chi, a balanced-based exercise training, “appears to reduce balance impairmentsinpatients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease, withadditional benefits of improved functional capacity andreduced falls.”
At theUniversity of BritishColumbia, Kaitlyn P. Rolandcompleted herPh.D. research which measured the Parkinson’s-related changes to daily muscleactivityand consequences forphysical function andfrailty. Her 2012 study revealed that yoga,particularly if it’s adapted to theneedsof individuals withParkinson’s disease, can increase mobility, balance, strength andflexibility. Moreover,her research concludedthatyoga also may lessen perceivedstress, enhance relaxation andbenefit sleep.
Another integrative therapy helpful withindividualswith Parkinson’sdisease is massage therapy. Research is limited in this area; however, somestudies have shown theeffectiveness of massageinrelieving side effects of Parkinson’sdisease, mainly thetremors associated withthe disease, even if the reliefistemporary.Studiesalso showed ameasurable reduction in musclerigidityimmediately following a60-minutemassage.
The Alexandertechnique and theFeldenkraismethod are known therapiesfor those with Parkinson’s disease. The disease affects balanceand leadsto gradualdeterioration of motor skills,and thus,certainmovementtherapies counteract those effects. The Alexander technique, forexample, is atherapy that emphasizes posture and balance and assists individuals in retaining mobility.Another therapy,the Feldenkrais method, aims to retrain the body to do difficult movements. For instance, aFeldenkrais practitioner will helpthe individual with Parkinson’sdisease workwith specific actionsand movement sequences verbally or through hands-ondirection, in sitting, standing, or lying positions, or while walking.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MATT SLOCUM
Kendrick Lamar performs Feb. 9during halftime of the Super Bowl in NewOrleans.
HANNAH
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Life is brighter when you satisfyyour needs first instead of putting others ahead of you. Realign yourself with what truly matters to you, and headina direction that offers peace of mind
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Uncertainty, temptation and excess hover overyou Stand still and evaluate. When in doubt, take the simplest route to asafer place. Being well-informed will be crucial.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Discussions, socializing and networking will offera host of prospects. Apply more time and energytomakingthingshappen instead of talking about your intentions.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Pay more attention to what's happening around you. It's timetoapply muscle to ensure you setyourself up for awin.Refuse to let emotionsstep in and mess things up.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept.22) Move about, gather information and connect with people who make you think and offer insight into what's possible. Setabudget and initiate the changes necessary to meet your expectations.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Pay attention to detail, investments and health. Go the extra mile and do the legwork necessary to put your mind at ease and promote your desires. Partnerships look interesting.
sCoRPIo(oct. 24-Nov. 22) Take the plunge and do whatever works best foryou. Added discipline will help you overcome temptation, allowing you to make room for what's necessary to
maintain peaceofmindand quality of life.
sAGIttARIus (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Create opportunities instead of expecting them to cometoyou.Use your imagination,create whatyou want in your mind and startbuildinga future that excites you.
CAPRICoRN(Dec. 22-Jan.19) Tune in to the beat that resonates with you and enjoy the ride. Physical action will define howyou do business and encourage an instant response.Tidyuploose ends so youcan get on with your plans.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You may want to put whatyou don'tlikeorwant behind you, but haste makes waste. Slow down, rethink your strategy and calm your mind, and you'll find apath forward thatworks in your favor.
PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Rearrange your financing and budgetfor something you want.Changing your environment will give youstability and encourage you to eliminate what weighs you down mentally, emotionally or financially
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Keep an open mind. Look for the positive in whatever situation youface, andyou'll discover innovative alternatives thatwill broaden your outlook and encourage you to expand your options.
CelebrityCipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people,past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands foranother. toDAy's CLuE:L EQuALs Z
FAMILY CIrCUS
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
Sudoku
InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains thesame number only once. The difficulty level of thesudoku increases from monday to sunday.
Saturday’s Puzzle Answer
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
By PHILLIPALDER Bridge
JohnLocke,anEnglishphilosopherand physicianknown as the Father of Classical Liberalismwho died in 1704, said, “An excellent man, likeprecious metal, is in every wayinvariable. Avillain, like thebeams of abalance, is always varying, upwardsand downwards.”
At the bridge table, when the dealer’s opening bid of one of asuit is followed by two passes, the fourth player is in the balancing seat.Three of his actions have differentmeanings from those in the secondposition—two upward and onedownward Over thenextthreedays, let’slookat these calls. First, an overcall of one notrump. After West opened one heart,ifNorth had overcalledone no-trump, it would have shown some 15.5 to 17.5 points (abouthalfapointmorethanthestrength promised by aone-no-trump opening bid). But in the balancing (or pass-out) position,itisaweakno-trump,indicating only 11 to 15 points —likethe Southhand in this deal
North,with nine points, would have raised opposite asecond-seat one-notrump overcall, but nowhas an easy pass. West leadsthe heart queen. South sees only four top tricks: two hearts and two diamonds. The spade suit will generate
wuzzles
onemore trick, but it is better to attack clubs.And since West surely holds the ace,declarer should winthe second (or first)hearttrickinhishandwiththeking and lead alow club to thequeen. After it wins,hereturns aclub and plays low from his hand. When the ace comes tumbling down, the contract is home.
Each Wuzzle is awordriddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn
Previous answers:
word game
INstRuCtIoNs: 1. Words mustbeoffour or moreletters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
toDAy’s WoRD tENANts: TEN-ents: Those who rent or lease adwelling from alandlord
Averagemark 15 words
Time limit 20 minutes
Canyou find19ormore words in TENANTS?
sAtuRDAy’sWoRD —INVEIGLEs
sine
today’s thought “Now therefore thus said the Lord of hosts;Consider your ways.”Haggai1:5
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
Anyone knowingorhaving informationregarding the whereabouts of Dwight Gardina, in rem, individually andonbehalfof theSuccession of Louanna M. Barras Hart,orofany surviving spouse,relatives,heirs,successors administrators or information regardingpropertylocated at 4438 Cerise Avenue,New Orleans, LA, 70127, please contactCurator ad hoc, Jatavian Williams,909 Poydras Street,New Orleans, LA 70112 at (504)500-2020 or viaemail at: jwilliams@glagowilliams.com 140627-May10-12, 3t $217
Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of theheirs of DorothyColeman Woodruff
Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of theheirs of RooseveltSterling, Jr please contactattorney Eric Derbes at 504-207-0912. 140783-5/12-13-14-3t $85.00
Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of TimothyJehrrod Hassona/k/a TimothyJ.Hassonand/orTajhA Hassona/k/a Tajh Hasson, of 2080 Carver Dr Marrero, LA 70072, please contactattorney Ronald L. Faia,Jr. at 6565 VicksburgSt.,New Orleans, LA 70124; Phone: 504-908-9328; Email: rfaiajr@gmail.com. 140444-May10-12, 3t $145
Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of Walter Jackson, please contact attorney Betty Mauryat504-2070914. 140273-5/10-11-12-3t $85.00
Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of LucasHargrove, who previously residedat510 Fielding Ave., Terrytown, LA 70056, please contact attorney Ronald L. Faia,Jr.,at6565 VicksburgSt.,New Orleans, LA 70124; Phone: 504-908-9328; Email: rfaiajr@gmail.com. 140797-5/12-13-14-3t $133.00
June 6, 2025 PRE-BIDCONFERENCE: May20, 2025 Datesare subjectto changesvia an adden‐dumpostedbythe Bu‐reau of Purchasing on theCity’ssupplierportal. If this solicitation is fed‐erally funded,prospec‐tive bidder/respondent must payparticularat‐tentiontoall applicable laws andregulations of theFederal government andthe Stateof Louisiana.
TheBureauofPurchas‐ingusescommodity codestonotifysuppliers of therelease of asourc‐ingevent andsubse‐quentmodificationsvia addendum. Note that you wouldreceive thosenoti‐ficationsifyou selected thefollowing commodity code(s) before there‐leaseofthe sourcing event:
COMMODITYCODE(s): 745, 750, 913, 913-27
TheCityofNew Orleans strongly encourages mi‐nority-ownedand women-ownedbusi‐nesses, socially andeco‐nomicallydisadvantaged businesses andsmall businesses to respondto this solicitation,orto participateinsubcon‐tracting opportunities pursuanttothissolicita‐tion Formoreinformation aboutthissourcing event, go to www.nola. govand clickon“BRASS SupplierPortal” under “BIDS& CONTRACTS” Once on theSupplierPor‐tal, search “Open Events.” Thankyou foryourinter‐estindoing business with theCityofNew Or‐leans.
TheBureauofPurchas‐ingusescommodity codestonotifysuppliers of therelease of asourc‐ingevent andsubse‐quentmodificationsvia addendum. Note that you wouldreceive thosenoti‐ficationsifyou selected thefollowingcommodity code(s) before there‐leaseofthe sourcing event:
COMMODITYCODE(s): 961-75
TheCityofNew Orleans strongly encourages mi‐nority-ownedand women-ownedbusi‐nesses, socially andeco‐nomicallydisadvantaged businesses andsmall businesses to respondto this solicitation,orto participateinsubcon‐tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐tion Formoreinformation aboutthissourcing event, go to www.nola. govand clickon“BRASS SupplierPortal” under “BIDS& CONTRACTS” Once on theSupplierPor‐tal, search “Open Events.” Thankyou foryourinter‐estindoing business with theCityofNew Or‐leans. JamesSimmons,Jr. ChiefProcurement Officer AdvertisingDates: April28, May5 and12, 2025 NOCP 8351 138476-apr28-may5-123t $104.25
Notice About Your Drinking Waterfromthe Sewerage and Water BoardofNew Orleans to Customersinthe East Bank of New Orleans: During the January 2025 freeze event, our water system violated drinking water requirements. Althoughthis situation does not requirethat you take immediateaction, as our customers, you have aright to knowwhat happened, what you shoulddo, and what we aredoing to correct this situation.
We arerequired to monitoryour drinking water forturbidity (cloudiness) on acontinuous basis (every 15 minutes) and report such results to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH). Thistells us whether we are effectively filtering the water supply.The Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) requires our treated water to meet 0.349 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTUs) or less in 95 percent of the measurementsper month and to never exceed amaximum allowable turbidity limit of 1.499 NTUs at any time.
During the January compliance period (January 1, 2025, to January 31, 2025), the New Orleans CarrolltonTreatment Plant was in violation of the Surface Water Treatment rule. The violationoccurred because the treated water turbidity level exceeded 0.349 NTUs in 6.5 percent of the treated water monthly measurements.
What should Ido?
Thereisnothing you need to do. Youdonot need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. If you have specifichealth concerns, you may consult your doctor.Ifyou have aseverely compromised immune system, have an infant, arepregnant,orare elderly,you may be at increased risk and shouldseek advice fromyour health careproviders about drinking this water.General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infectionbymicrobes areavailable from EPA’s SafeDrinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
What does this mean?
Thisisnot an emergency.Ifithad been, you would have been notified within 24 hours. Tests taken during the timeofthe violations did not indicate the presence of bacteria in the water
Turbidity has no health effects. However,turbidity can interferewith disinfection and provide amedium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches. These symptoms, however,are not just associated with disease-causing organisms in drinking water,but also may be caused by anumber of factors other than your drinking water.EPA has set enforceable requirements for treating drinking water to reduce the risk of these adverse health effects. Treatments such as filtering and disinfecting the water remove or destroy microbiological contaminants. Drinking water which is treated to meet EPArequirements is associated withlittle to none of this risk and should be considered safe.
What is being done?
Actionhas been taken to prevent this violation from recurring. This turbidity violation was the result of higher-than-normal water treatment rates due to freeze related water usage in the East Bank’swater distribution system. To reduce the likelihood of this happening again, the Sewerage &Water Boardisrehabilitating one of two filtrationfacilities at the Carrollton Water Plant to increase treatment capacity and has hired anational consulting firm to assess our facilities and operations and to recommend improvements.
For moreinformation, please contact New Orleans CarrolltonWater Works at (504) 865-0405 or waterinfo@swbno.org.
Please sharethis information with all other people who drink this water,especiallythose who may
Our water system is in violation of drinking waterrequirements. As our customers, you have aright to know whathappened, whatyou should do, andwhatweare doing to correct this situation.
We arerequired to monitor your drinking waterfor turbidity (cloudiness)
Plant wasinviolation of the Surface WaterTreatment Rule.The violation occurred because the treated waterturbidity level exceeded the maximum allowable limit of 1.49 NTUs on January 22, 2025, between 9:00 pm and10:00 pm.
What should Ido?
There is nothing you need to do. Youdonot need to boil your wateror take othercorrective actions. If you have specifichealth concerns, you mayconsult your doctor.Ifyou have aseverelycompromisedimmune system, have an infant, arepregnant, or areelderly,you maybeat increased risk andshould seek advice from your health careproviders about drinking this water. General guidelinesonways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes areavailable from EPA’sSafeDrinkingWater Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
What does this mean?
This is not an emergency. If it hadbeen,you would have been notified within 24 hours. Tests taken during the timeframe of the violations did not indicatethe presence of bacteriainthe water.
Turbidity hasnohealth effects. However,turbidity can interferewith disinfection andprovide amedium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicatethe presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses andparasites thatcan cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea andassociated headaches. These symptoms, however,are not just associatedwith disease-causing organisms in drinking water, but also may be caused by anumberoffactors otherthan your drinking water. EPAand LDHhave set enforceablerequirements for treating drinking watertoreduce the risk of these adversehealth effects. Treatments such as filteringand disinfecting the waterremove or destroy microbiological contaminants. Drinking waterwhichistreated to meet EPAand LDHrequirements is associatedwith little to none of this risk andshould be consideredsafe.
What is being done?
Action hasbeen taken to preventthis violation from recurring. This turbidity violation wasthe result of higher-than-normalwater treatment rates duetofreeze-relatedwater usage in the Algiers waterdistribution system. To reduce the likelihood of this happening again, the Sewerage andWater BoardofNew Orleansplans to rehabilitate filtration facilities at the Algiers WaterPlant to increase treatment capacity andhas hired anationalconsulting firm to assessour facilitiesand operationsand to recommend improvements.
For moreinformation, please contact NewOrleansAlgiers WaterWorks at (504) 865-0405 or waterinfo@swbno.org.
Please sharethis information with allthe otherpeople who drink this water, especially
