The Advocate 05-16-2025

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Fire heavily damages historic Nottoway

‘We might just see the end of it’

The Nottoway Resort plantation home in Iberville Parish caught fire Thursday afternoon and slowly went up in flames, causing massive damage to the 166-year-old house on the Mississippi River

The blaze started in the building’s south wing before spreading to the main house. Dozens of fire response vehicles, ambulances and civilian cars lined La. 1 as wind kicked billows of smoke into the sky Fire crews remained at the scene into the night.

Officials on the scene Thursday evening said it was too early to judge the full damage from the fire, but as the sun set, almost the entirety of the historic location was charred or had collapsed. The northern wing was gone, along with most of the mansion’s back wall. Only the

chimneys remained on those sides, standing where the second and third floors once were. The facade and upper balcony had collapsed as well.

“This thing was built in 1859, now we might just see the end of it,” said Jordan Ward, a deputy with the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, as he watched the flames Thursday

evening. As the roof of the main house collapsed, Iberville Parish Fire Department Director Shaun Bordelon said firefighters’ problems were simple: “Water Not enough of it.” When the large hose on a ladder

Landry urges police to partner with ICE

Louisiana state troopers are poised to start enforcing federal immigration laws under a controversial partnership that President Donald Trump has dramatically expanded in a bid to speed up immigration arrests and deportations.

Gov. Jeff Landry issued an executive order Thursday urging local law enforcement agencies, too, to join the Department of Homeland Security’s 287(g) program, which lets Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials delegate certain immigration enforcement duties to local cops working under ICE supervision. Federal agents alone typically have that authority Louisiana State Police recently entered an agreement under the 287(g) program, Maj. Nick Manale, an agency spokesperson, said Thursday So have the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, spokesperson Taylor Brazan said, and the state Department of Public Safety and

Use of local agencies has soared since Trump began immigration crackdown ä See ICE, page 5A

Legislator pulls proposal from bill

A new vape tax could be off the table after a legislator pulled the proposal from his bill in the Louisiana House on Wednesday

But state Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie, said the Senate will consider whether to add such a tax back into House Bill 517 as the proposal proceeds through that chamber

“It’s a juggling act,” Brass said, adding that he was in negotiations with health advocates, tobacco industry representatives, House and Senate leadership and Gov Jeff Landry’s office. After it was amended, Brass’ bill easily passed the House with a 79-12 vote.

For now, Brass’ bill has a new purpose: He amended it so that it would create a fund to pay

ä See VAPE, page 5A

New start times are coming to some BR public schools

he would like to take part in the pilot program and their respective start times. He plans to bring the East Baton Rouge Parish

School Board a list, likely in June, for its approval. Cole said a few principals have expressed interest in changing start times and are reviewing the idea internally He said he also plans additional engagement with affected schools. The School Board took a first

step down that road Thursday when it agreed to a second professional contract with Prismatic. The contract would pay the firm no more than $245,000 between now and January to help the district, particularly its beleaguered

ä See TIMES, page 4A

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON Fire crews move a line around as flames fully engulf Nottoway Resort on Thursday in White Castle.

Homeland Security looks to buy $50M jet

The Department of Homeland Security wants to spend about $50 million to buy a new longrange Gulfstream jet to replace an aging one used by Secretary Kristi Noem and top Coast Guard and DHS officials.

The request for funding, to come from the Coast Guard’s 2025 fiscal year budget, came up during a House appropriations subcommittee meeting on Wednesday Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., said she was “horrified” to receive a “last-minute addition” to the service’s budget proposal for the jet, noting Noem has another Gulfstream to use.

Adm. Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant, said the Coast Guard, like the other military services, operates two military “long-range command and control aircraft” and the one being replaced is more than 20 years old.

“Like a lot of the rest of our operational aviation fleet and our cutters and our boats and our shore facilities, it’s old and it’s approaching obsolescence and the end of its service life,” he said during the hearing. Lunday, who became acting commandant on Jan. 21 after Trump, a Republican, fired Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, said the jet is needed to provide the DHS secretary, deputy secretary himself, the acting vice commandant and two area commanders with “secure, reliable, on-demand communications and movement to go forward.”

The current plane is also “outside the Gulfstream’s service life, and well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a written statement, calling its replacement “a matter of safety.”

$27 Magna Carta copy revealed to be original

A manuscript purchased by Harvard University as a cheap, water-stained copy of the Magna Carta is, in fact, “one of the world’s most valuable documents,” a British researcher said Thursday

The Magna Carta (Latin for “Great Charter”) is a landmark legal document first issued by King John of England in 1215 that established limits on the power of the monarchy Today, it’s considered one of the most important legal writings in the history of democracy

A document believed to be a 1327 copy of the manuscript was purchased by Harvard Law School from a London book dealer in 1946 for $27.50, or about $500 today

But as it turns out, the manuscript held in the university’s library for nearly 80 years is no cheap copy — it’s one of only seven known Magna Cartas from the year 1300.

The stunning discovery happened after David Carpenter, a professor of medieval history at King’s College London, stumbled upon a document unassumingly titled “HLS MS 172” on the school’s website.

He reached out to fellow Magna Carta scholar Nicholas Vincent, a professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia, and sent him images of the manuscript for a second opinion.

A company specializing in digital research used ultraviolet light and spectral imaging to reveal details on faded pages invisible to the naked eye, and the document’s authenticity was verified.

Harvard’s stained copy of the Magna Carta is worth millions of dollars, Carpenter estimates. In 2007, an original 1297 version of the document was sold at auction in New York City for $21.3 million.

Republicans block transparency

Democrats want more information about people sent to El Salvador

WASHINGTON Senate Republicans have blocked a Democratic resolution to require more transparency from the Trump administration about deportations to El Salvador

The vote Thursday was the latest attempt by minority Democrats to force Senate votes disapproving of Trump administration policy The Senate rejected, 45-50, the motion to discharge the resolution from committee and consider it immediately on the floor

“This information is critical at a time when the Trump Administration has admitted to wrongfully deporting people to El Salvador, and after Trump has said he’s also looking for ways to deport American

citizens to the same terrible prisons,” said Virginia Sen Tim Kaine, the lead sponsor of the resolution.

The resolution blocked by Republicans would force administration officials to report to Congress about what steps it is taking to comply with courts that have ruled on the deportations. Democrats have highlighted the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to the Central American country and who a Maryland judge has said should be returned to the U.S. Democrats want to put Republicans on record on that case and others while also pressuring the government of El Salvador, which is working with the Trump administration. The resolution would also require the Trump adminis-

tration to reveal more information about money paid to El Salvador and assess the country’s human rights record. It’s just the latest example of Democrats using the legislative tools available to them in the minority to try to challenge Trump’s agenda.

The Senate in early April passed a resolution that would have have thwarted Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada, and Republicans narrowly blocked a similar resolution later that month that would have stalled Trump’s global tariffs.

Four Republicans voted with Democrats on the first tariff measure, and three Republicans voted with them on the second resolution No Republicans joined Democrats on Thursday’s measure on El Salvador

Israeli woman killed on way to give birth

TEL AVIV, Israel Tzeela Gez was on her way to the hospital to bring new life into this world when hers was suddenly cut short.

As her husband drove their car through the winding roads of the occupied West Bank late Wednesday, a Palestinian attacker shot at them. Within hours, Gez, nine months pregnant, was dead. Doctors barely saved the life of the baby, who is in serious but stable condition.

Israel says it is trying to prevent such attacks by waging a monthslong crackdown on West Bank militants that intensified earlier this year But the escalating offensive, which has killed hundreds of Palestinians over 19 months, displaced tens of thousands and caused widespread destruction, has ultimately not snuffed out attacks.

Israel has pledged to find the attacker, who fled the scene, and the military chief of staff, who visited the area Thursday, told troops that the broader operation would continue alongside the manhunt

“We will use all the tools at our disposal and reach the murderers in order to hold them accountable,” Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said, according to a statement from the military, which said it had sealed Palestinian villages in the area of the attack and set up checkpoints

The shooting, especially because the victim was a pregnant mother with three other children, has the potential to ignite vigilante violence against Palestinians by radical Jewish settlers They regularly storm Palestinian towns and villages, burning and damaging property in response to such attacks.

‘A mother in her essence’ Gez, 37, and her husband Hananel, were residents of Bruchin, a settlement of some 2,900 in the northern West Bank. She worked as a therapist and on her

Facebook page, shared developments in her professional life as well as her thoughts on the war in Gaza, the fallen Israeli soldiers and the hostages still held by Hamas. Meital Ben Yosef, head of the settlement’s local council, told Israeli Army radio that Gez was “all mother A mother in her essence.”

“A couple of parents were driving to the happiest moment that a parent can experience and the wife is killed on the way It’s a horrific incident,” she said.

Photos of the car released by the military showed a bullet hole on the passenger side of the windshield and a streak of blood on a back door

Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing, praised the attack as “heroic” in a video statement Wednesday but stopped short of saying the militant group was behind it.

Concern about reprisal attacks

The attack sparked outrage and calls for revenge.

“Just as we are flattening Rafah, Khan Younis and Gaza, we must flatten the nests of terror in Judea and Samaria,” wrote the Israeli finance minister and a settler firebrand, Bezalel Smotrich, in a post on X, referring to the West Bank by its biblical name.

The violence in the West Bank escalated when the war in Gaza erupted with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Israel has staged frequent raids in the territory, especially but not limited to its north, using ground and air power in violence that has killed many militants but also other Palestinians, some of them throwing rocks to protest the incursions as well as others not involved in confrontations.

On Thursday, the Israeli military said its forces killed five militants in a raid that appeared unrelated to Gez’s killing. Hamas mourned the men as “resistance heroes” but stopped short of claiming them as its fighters

Charles Strouse, composer of ‘Annie’ and ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’ dies

the Family.” Strouse turned out such popular — and catchy show tunes as “Tomorrow,” the optimistic anthem from ”Annie,” and the equally cheerful “Put on a Happy Face” from “Bye Bye Birdie,” his first Broadway success. “I work every day Activity it’s a life force,” the New York-born composer told The Associated Press during an interview on the eve of his 80th birthday in 2008. “When you enjoy doing what you’re doing, which I do very much, I have something to get up for.”

The Democrats are forcing the votes under different statutes that allow so-called “privileged” resolutions — legislation that must be brought up for a vote whether majority leadership wants to or not The resolution rejected Thursday was under the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows any senator to force a vote to request information on a country’s human rights practices.

Also Thursday, Kaine and several other Democrats filed a joint resolution of disapproval to try to block a $1.9 billion arms sale to Qatar at the same time that the country is offering to donate a $400 million luxury jet as Trump’s Air Force One. If the Senate Foreign Relations Committee does not consider the resolution, Democrats could force another vote on the Senate floor

Fla. bars adding fluoride to water

Governor signs statewide ban on the mineral

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida Republican Gov Ron DeSantis signed a measure Thursday prohibiting local governments from adding fluoride to their water systems, making it the second state in the country after Utah to implement a statewide ban on the mineral. DeSantis signed the bill at a public event in Dade City over the concerns of dentists and public health advocates.

“Yes, use fluoride for your teeth, that’s fine, but forcing it in the water supply is basically forced medication on people,” DeSantis said Thursday “They don’t have a choice, you’re taking that away from them.”

State lawmakers approved the bill last month, requiring the mineral and some other additives be removed from water sources across the state. Utah was the first state to ban fluoride in late March, and its prohi-

bition went into effect last week, while Florida’s provision is effective July 1. Some local governments in Florida have already voted to remove fluoride from their water, ahead of the statewide ban. Some Republican-led states have sought to impose bans following a push by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr to stop fluoridating water Earlier this month, DeSantis pledged to sign the bill and was flanked by the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, who has attracted national scrutiny over his opposition to policies embraced by public health experts, including COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Fluoride is a mineral that has been added to drinking water for generations to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century Studies have traced a link between excess fluoride and brain development.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MAyA ALLERUZZO
Israeli settlers look toward their neighboring village the morning after a Palestinian gunman killed Tzeela Gez, who was on her way to the hospital to give birth, Thursday outside of the West Bank settlement of Bruchin.

AN LSUGRAD

performed your friend’s life-saving surgery. taught your child howtoread. trained your favorite athlete for next season. grew the rice in your family’s gumbo. movedone step closertocuringbreast cancer. publishedthe next bestsellingmemoir. helped youplan for an abundant retirement. opened your new favorite restaurant. nursed rural communities to good health. counseled youthrough apersonal emergency. designed better houses for hurricanes. stoppeda hacker fromstealingyour identity. filed your taxes for the best refund. kept your grocery storestocked. offeredyou your first job.

TODAYAND EVERYDAY, AN LSUGRAD TOUCHES YOUR LIFE.

Welcome, 5,428new alumni, to apowerful community of changemakers.

WE BUILD TEAMSTHATWIN

truckwas turned on, it limited the amount of water availablefor others to battlethe blaze.

The firedamaged allsidesof thebuilding, as the upper floor collapsed onto the ground floor.

Debris from siding and thefacade along thetop floor fell,coating the grass in burning debris and hot coals as ash filled the air

Firefighters were forced to take shifts spraying hoses on two faces of the building, allowing teamsto rest andrehydrate from theheat

The fire was called in shortly after 2p.m., according to Chris Daigle, Iberville Parish president, who was on scene and directing the response alongside Bordelon. Matthew Morgan, executive chef for Nottoway,was one of the first to see the smoke coming out of thesouth wingofthe building. He was standing across the lawn in the gift shop at the time.

“I never ran so fast in my life,” he said.

He and other employees grabbed fire extinguishers and tubs of water But, by the time he got to the ground floor of thesouthwing, “I heard crackling beneath my feetand it freakedmeout. Ijust dropped the tub and ran back outside.” Morgan said the crackling and yellow smoke that was coming out of the floor would have hadtohave come from thebasementlevel’s museum and theater rooms.

The south wing’souterwalls were blackened where theblaze had been extinguished, and burned window shutters dripped withwater

Morgan said first responders were on the scene within minutes.

“These boys showed up at damn near all the same time,and just went right to work,” he said No guests were at the resort duringthe time of the fire, andnoinjuries had been reported.

TIMES

Continued from page1A

Transportation Department, manage the transition and improve operations.

Cole earlier this year contracted with Prismaticto review transportation operations and to gauge the feasibility of changing start times.Cole said he hired the firm after seeing its presentation at arecent education conference. He said he hired it under his own authority at acost of less than $50,000.

Board member Patrick Martin Vsaid he “strongly supports” changing start times, but urged Cole to take care with the implementation

“If we do it wrong, it will turn the community against this much-needed, long-term reform,” Martin warned Since taking over as superintendent in August, Cole has been critical of how early some children are picked up and brought to school.

“It should not be acceptable for any of our children to be at abus stop before the sun comes up,” Cole told an audience in February.

The new start-time pilot may well expand. In arecent report commissioned by the school system, Prismatic suggested waiting until January or August 2026 before

The White Castle FireDepartment responded, alongside Plaquemine,Bayou Goulaand other Iberville Parish municipal fireservices.Other area fire departments, including St. George and BatonRouge, arrived to assist as well. The Baton Rouge Fire Departmentwas sending aboat to help the fight. Later in the night, crews started pulling water from therivertohelpextinguishthe fire. Nottoway,whichhas changed its official name to Nottoway Resort,

making afull districtwide transition to new start times.

Colesaidthe speed at which start times change depends on how feasible that is andhow quickly communities embrace the idea.

Thecompany said the transition won’t be easy

“Prismatic emphasizes that, while achievable, succeeding in changing (school start times) will require considerable effort on the part of thedistrictasa whole, notjustthe transportation department,” according to its report.

This will be abig lift for aschool bus system that has been slowlyrecovering froma disastrous startto the 2023-24 school year during which asevere shortage of drivers andworkingbuses ledtomany children being stranded or delayed in getting to andfromschool. Drivers staged atwo-day sickout, joined on thesecond dayby similarly discontented cafeteria workers, forcing the cancellation of classes.

Prismatic’swork follows in the footsteps of transportation reviews conducted in 2020 and 2024 by Huntsville, Alabama-basedLEANFrog Consulting.

The current two-tier bus schedule in BatonRouge was instituted in 2002 as part of around of budget cuts. It allowed the school

is usedasanevent venue,hotel and museum. The plantation was built at the request of JohnHampdenRandolph, aprestigious sugar cane planter,and was completed in 1859. The64-room, 53,000-squarefoot mansion was designed by renowned architect Henry Howard, of NewOrleans,inGreek Revival andItalianate style. Among itsfeatures were 22 massive columns, 165 doors and 200 windows.

The mansion had flushing toilets, hot and cold water in all bath-

system toshed 50 buses and drivers from its fleet by allowing buses to runtwo trips in the afternoon. It was approved despite objections that older children would lose sleep and that younger children would benefit from starting school earlier

The schoolsystem consideredbut rejected the idea of flip-flopping its traditional school schedule so that elementary schools start first while middle and high schools start later.A task force convened at the time noted that some parents were worried about small children waiting in the dark for buses during cold weather.The taskforce also had concerns about the effect that changingstart and release times would have on participation in athletics and availabilityofafter-school transportation.

While never loved,the schoolschedulehas remainedinplace for the past23years, partly due to concerns about the costs of changing it.

In itsrecent report,Prismaticidentifiedmultiple ways that the school system could make its bus service efficient enough to fund new school start times. These savings would comemostly by creating more accurate, but fewer bus routes,with morechildren riding fewer

buses each day

rooms,gas lighting throughout the homeand abowling alley installed for Randolph’s11children.

As theflames consumed the building, people gathered on a nearby levee Thursday evening to watch.

“Tothe generalpublic,it’sNottoway,it’sahouse,” said Vanessa Boudreaux, generalmanager at Nottoway.“But to those of us who worked here, who slept in it so manynights, it’sahome.” Randy LaPrairie,who hasdone maintenanceatthe facility for

To create the improved routes, theschoolsystem will have to completeits inprogress transition to BusPlanner,routingsoftware thedistrict purchased at the peak of the 2023 bus crisis.

more than 30 years, said fire had always been aworry for abuilding of this age.

“I remember first being here and saying,‘If this thingevercatches fire, Idon’tthink you’ll be able to stop it.’”

Janean Webber, aresident who said she regularly walks the grounds at the plantation, lamented the potential loss of alandmark.

“All the hurricanes, all the disasters, it survivedall of that, anda fire takes it out. It’s sad,” shesaid Thursday evening.

Cole said improving bus routes waspartofthe rationale for the long-in-the-makingdistrict“realignment” plan that was approved last month. The plan closes nine schools, relocates four and givesseven schoolsnew

grade configurations. It also redraws attendance zones for12schools, allofwhich will need newbus routes Severalelementaryschool attendance zones are becoming much larger as a result of the plan.

STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

for effortstohelp youth stop using tobaccoorprevent them from starting Brass said keeping the fund in place is now his priority.Hebelieves it will support his bigger goal of educating youth about the harmful effects of tobaccoproducts, he said

Under the proposal, thenewly-created Youth Cessation and Prevention Fund would get its money from the state’ssmokeless tobacco tax, with 20% of that tax’sproceeds going into the fund

Forty percent of the money in the fund would go to the Louisiana Cancer Research Center,40% would go to the Louisiana Department of Health, 10% would go to the Cancer Center of LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport and10% would go to the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Gonzales.

At those organizations, the money would pay for smoking prevention mass-mediaprograms,tobacco control programs,screening programs and prevention and cessation initiatives, among other measures.

ICE

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Corrections, according to Landry’sexecutive order. Manale and Barzansaid “operational details” of those agreementshave not yet been finalized.

In his executive order, Landry,aTrump ally,directed remainingstate law enforcement agencies to “explore, and where appropriate,enter into”287(g) agreements. The order “strongly encourage(d)” local agencies to make those agreements.

“If you’re here illegally andyou engage in criminal activity,you are going to be deported or senttojail,” Landry said of the state’seffort, which he is calling Operation GEAUX.

Trump’sadministration has pushed an aggressive expansion of the 29-year-old 287(g) program —which has longfaced criticism over concernsabout racial profiling and inadequate training for local officers —ashis administration seeks more personnel for its crackdown on illegal immigration.

Landry’sexecutive order underscores how Trumpallied state leaders could bolsterthe president’s immigration ambitionsashe seeks to marshal resources to fulfill hispromise of deporting millions of people. Leaders in other conservative states, including Florida and Texas, where participation in the program has surged, have takenaction similar to Landry’sexecutive order to encourage participation in the 287(g) program. That program traces to 1996, when Congress approved it under the Immigrationand Nationality Act In 2009, before Democratic former President Barack Obama’sadministration placed new guardrails over the program due to concerns about racial profiling, there wereonly 29 existing partnerships.In2014,Congress slashed funding for the program from $68 million to $24

In its original form, HB517 —which was backed by Gov.Jeff Landry— sought to taxvapor products at 33% of theirwholesale price. Currently, thoseproducts aretaxed basedon howmuch vapingliquid is in them, at 15 cents amilliliter

During aHouse Ways andMeans Committeemeeting last month, health advocates said thebill was an important step toward reducing vaping rates among youth. Theysaidnearly 1in3Louisiana high school students vapes, citing astatistic from the 2023 Louisiana YouthTobacco Survey

Thoseinthe businesscommunity, however,warned the lawcould raise taxes on vapeproductsbyasmuch as 600%. They also argued that, after Louisianain 2023passed alaw that took many popular flavored vapes off store shelves, many youthnolonger use legally-purchased products; a tax,therefore, would do little to deter teensfrom vaping, they argued.

Billscreatingnew taxesneeda twothirdsmajority vote to pass the Legislature —that’s70votes in the House and 26 in theSenate.

Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@theadvocate. com.

million.

Butthe programreturned in force during Trump’s first term. Theadministration oversaw aspike in the agreementsbetween the start of 2019 and the end of 2020, reaching over 150 activeagreements heavily concentratedinFlorida, North Carolina, Georgia and Texas, said Austin Kocher,a Syracuse Universityprofessor who studies immigration enforcement.

Landry’sexecutiveorder Thursdayfollows earlier effortsbystate leaderstoget tougher onimmigration.

The governor sent Louisiana Army National Guard troopstothe U.S.-Mexico border last springamid a showdown between Republican governorsand Democratic former PresidentJoe Biden over what theRepublicans called Biden’slax border enforcement.A Louisiana bill approvedlastyear, modeled after legislationin Texas that materialized as part of thatdebate, sought to empowerlocal police to take on immigrationenforcement duties. Butacourt battle over the fate of the Texas lawultimately doomed the Louisiana bill, too

With Trumpback in office, thefederalgovernmentitselfhas elected to hand local law enforcementagencies that power

Thenumberofactive 287(g) agreements nationwidehas soared since he returned to theWhite House in January,driven by sharp increases in Florida and Texas, according to news reports in those states. As of mid-April, there were 456 active 287(g) agreements nationwide, accordingtoCBS News more than triple the number in December

“In the span of about two months, theTrumpadministration radicallyexpanded the287(g) program beyond anything Ihave seen in the past 15 years of close study of this precisepolicy,”Kocher said

Only two Louisiana law enforcement agencies, though, previouslyhad active partnerships under the287(g) program, according to data

on ICE’swebsite: TheBossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and theKenner Police Department.A partnership with the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Officeispending.The State Police, correctionsdepartmentand Wildlife and Fisheries partnerships were not yet listed on ICE’swebsite.

LouisianaAttorney General Liz Murrill’soffice is weighing a287(g)partnership,too,she said on Thursday. Murrill is reviewing agreements recentlyentered by the state attorneys general in Texas and Mississippi, she said.

“I would not be opposed to it,”saidMurrill, aRepublican. The expansionof287(g) partnerships under Trump’s second administrationis part of amultipronged strategy he has implemented in hisbid to accelerate immigration detentions and deportations.

FBIagents have beenreassignedtoimmigration enforcement, andfederal prosecutors areinitiating an unprecedented number of criminal charges against people accused of re-entering the country illegally Theadministration rolled back along-standing rule against detaining migrants in courthouses, schools, churchesand other “sensitive” areas. Acting under that policy,ICE agents arrested severalpeopleinside acourthouse in Jefferson Parish last week.

ATrumpspokesperson and an ICE spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment on theadministration’sexpanded use of 287(g).

ICE has typically entered two kinds of dealswith local law enforcement under the program: “jail enforcement” agreements, which allow deputized local officers to interrogate people about theirimmigration status once they’re held in jail, and “warrant serviceofficer” agreements, acreation of thefirst Trump administration under which local cops are trainedand certifiedto execute immigrationwarrants.

Trumpissued an executive order earlierthis year reinstatingathird,particularlycontroversialversion of those agreements: the socalled “task force model,” whichempowerslocal officers to conductimmigration enforcement during the course of their normal policing duties.

The agreements with Louisiana State Police and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are both “task force model” partnerships.

Researchers with theNational Immigration Forum, an umbrella organization of immigration advocacy groups, found that local agencies have faced lighter training requirements through theprogram under the second Trump administration. Deputized 287(g) officers werehistorically required to attend four weeks of training. Now,some local agencies report that training will be replaced by a five-day course, the group found.

Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie, left, proposed House Bill 517, whichwas

WeareproudtosponsorTheAdvocate’s StarofStarssportsawardscelebratingthebesthigh schoolstudentathletesintheBatonRougearea.

SupremeCourt weighs birthright citizenship

Justices look for waytoscale back nationwide orders

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court seemed intentThursday on maintaining ablock on President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship while looking for a way to scale back nationwide court orders.

It was unclear what such adecisionmight look like, but amajority of the court expressed concerns about wouldhappenifthe Trump administration were allowed, even temporarily,to deny citizenship to children born to people who are in the United States illegally

The justices heard arguments in the Trump administration’semergencyappeals over lower court ordersthat have kept the citizenshiprestrictions on hold acrossthe country Nationwide injunctions have emergedasanimportant check on Trump’s efforts to remake the government and asource of mounting frustration to the Republican president and his allies.

Judges have issued 40 nationwide injunctions since Trump began his second

term in January,Solicitor General D. JohnSauer told thecourt at the start of more thantwo hoursofarguments.

Birthright citizenship is amongseveral issues, many relatedtoimmigration, that theadministration has asked thecourt to address on an emergency basis.

The justices also are consideringthe Trumpadministration’spleastoend humanitarian parolefor more than 500,000peoplefrom Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela and to strip other temporarylegal protections from another 350,000 Venezuelans. The administration remains locked in legal battlesover its efforts to swiftly deport people accusedof being gangmemberstoa prison in El Salvador under an 18th-centurywartimelaw called the Alien Enemies Act. Trumpsignedan executive order on thefirst day of his secondterm that would deny citizenship to children who are born to people who arein the country illegally or temporarily

The order conflictswith aSupreme Courtdecision from 1898 that held that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment made citizens of all children born on U.S. soil, with narrow exceptionsthatare notatissue in this case.

States, immigrantsand rightsgroup sued almost im-

mediately, andlower courts quickly barred enforcement of the order while the lawsuitsproceed.

Thecurrent fight is over the rules that applywhile thelawsuits go forward.

The court’sliberal justices seemed firmlyinsupport of the lower court rulings that found the changestocitizenship that Trump wants to makewould upset the settled understanding of birthrightcitizenship that has existed for more than 125 years.

Birthright citizenship is an odd case to use to scale back nationwide injunctions, Justice ElenaKagan said.“Everycourt has ruled against you,”she told Sauer If thegovernment wins on today’sarguments, it could still enforce the order against people whohaven’t sued, Kagan said. “All of those individuals are going to win. And the ones who can’taffordtogotocourt, they’re theones who are going to lose,” she said.

Severalconservative justices who might be open to limiting nationwide injunctions also wanted to know the practical effects of such adecision as well as howquickly the court could reach afinaldecision on the Trumpexecutive order

Justice Brett Kavanaugh pressed Sauer withaseries of questions about how the federal government might

FEMA’s acting chiefsaysagencywillshift more recovery responsibilities to thestates

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’sacting chief plans to shift responsibility for disaster recovery to states during the upcoming hurricaneseason,hesaid during astaff town hall on Thursday

David Richardson said his intention was to “return primacy to the states” as partofan agencywide transformation Richardson said FEMA’s intent forthe 2025 “disaster season” will betostrengthen states’ abilities for response and recovery while coordinating federal assistance “when deemednecessary.”

The comments dovetail withabroadbased effort by the Trump administration to overhaul and downsize the federal government. They come just 17 daysbefore the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, which scientists predict will see an aboveaverage 17 namedstorms andfour major hurricanes. Richardson said FEMA was“to some degree, to agreat degree, readyfor disaster season ’25,” and that he would be submitting aplanfor theseasontoNoem by next Friday

Theagencyisina periodofupheaval as the Trump administration weighs its future. President Donald Trump hasfloated “gettingrid of”FEMA altogether,anidea Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noem has echoed. Richardson replaced former actingchief Cameron Hamilton lastweek one day afterHamiltontold acongressionalcommittee that he did notthink FEMA should be eliminated.

While Richardson downplayed the likelihood that FEMA would disappear altogether,hesaid his role was to realize Trump’s vision of how disastersare managed,which he said meanspushing a“large part”ofresponse and recoveryto the states.

Some states, including Florida andTexas, are already adequately prepared for disasters, according to the acting chief. Others should prepare to shoulder moreofthe fi-

nancialburden, he said, warning that the typical federal 75% cost share for things like repairing public infrastructure could changeassoon as this summer

“There should be some budgeting things thatthey have,” said Richardson. “I bet (Texas)Gov.(Greg)Abbott has arainy-day fund for fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, andhe doesn’tspend it on something else.”

FEMA assistance is made available to stateswhen agovernor requestsand the president approves amajor disaster declaration. Those decisions are typically based on whether the event’simpact exceeds the state’s capacitytorespond.

Trump has already signaleda departure from typical decision-making around disasterdeclarations.Hehas denied requests from Washington and West Virginia. Just this week, he approved amajor disaster declaration for stormsthat struck Arkansas in Marchafter initially denying therequest

Therewere 90 major disaster declarations in 2024, and 27 climate-related events that caused more than $1 billion in damages.

While states typically lead disaster response, they relyonfederal resources as needed, said Jeremy Edwards, FEMA deputy director of public affairs during theBiden Administration, and not every state will be able to take on moreofthat responsibility

“It’sunclear what they mean when they say returning primacy to the states,” he said. “What does that mean when certain states don’thave the resources in their own budgets to respond to andrecover from catastrophic events?”

Regarding long-term restructuring, RichardsonsaidFEMA will begin a“mission analysis” to ensure its activities are strictly limited to what it is legally mandated to do.

“Wewill not do anything that is not in the statute,” he said. “If we are, we are wasting theAmerican people’smoney.”

About 2,000 full-timestaff have leftthe agency since President Donald Trumptook office in January,aloss of roughly one-third of theagency’sfull-timeworkforce.

enforce Trump’sorder “What do hospitals do with anewborn? What do states do withanewborn?” he said. Sauersaidtheywouldn’t necessarily do anything different, but the government mightfigureout ways to reject documentation with “thewrongdesignation of citizenship.”

Kavanaugh continuedto push for clearer answers, pointing out thatthe executive order gave the government only about 30 days to develop apolicy. “You think they can getittogether in time?”hesaid.

The Trump administration,like theBiden administration before it, has complained that judges are overreaching by issuing orders thatapply to everyone instead of just the parties before thecourt.

Picking up on that theme, Justice Samuel Alito said he meant no disrespect to

the nation’sdistrictjudges whenheopined that they sometimes suffer from an “occupational disease which is the disease of thinking that ‘I am right and Ican do whatever Iwant.’

But Justice Sonia Sotomayor was among several justices who raised the confusing patchwork of rules that would resultifthe court orders werenarrowed and new restrictions on citizenship couldtemporarily take effect in more than half the country

Some childrenmight be “stateless,” Sotomayor said, because they’d be denied citizenship in the U.S. as well as the countries their parents fled to avoid persecution.

One possible solution for the court might be to find a waytoreplace nationwide injunctions with certification of aclass action,alawsuit in which individuals serve as representatives of

amuch larger group of similarly situated people. Such acase could be filed and acted upon quickly and might even apply nationwide.

Butunder questioning from Justice AmyConey Barrett and others, Sauer said the Trump administration could well oppose such alawsuit or potentially try to slow downclass actions. Supreme Court arguments over emergency appeals are rare. The justices almost always dealwith the underlying substance of adispute. But the administration didn’task thecourt to take on the larger issue now and, if the court sides with the administrationovernationwide injunctions, it’sunclear how long inconsistent rules on citizenship would apply to children born in the United States.

Adecisionisexpected by the end of June.

TrumpsaysU.S., Iran have ‘sortof’ agreed on adeal

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States and Iran have “sort of” agreed to terms on anuclear deal, offering a measure of confidencethat an accord is coming into sharper focus.

Trump, in an exchange with reporters at abusiness roundtable in Doha, Qatar described talks between American envoy SteveWitkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as “very serious negotiations” for long-termpeace and said they were continuingto progress.

Still, throughout hisfourday visit to the Gulf this week, the president has underscored that military action against Iran’snuclear facilities remains apossibility if the talks derail.

“Iran has sort of agreed to the terms: They’re not going to make, Icall it, in afriendly way, nucleardust,”Trump said at the business event. Without offering detail, he signaled growing alignment with the terms that he has been seeking.

Atop political,military and nuclear adviser to Iran’ssupreme leader,Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,told NBC News on Wednesday that Tehran stands ready getrid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium that can be weaponized, agree to enrich uranium

onlytothe lowerlevelsneeded for civilian use and allow international inspectors to supervise the process. Ali Shamkhani added that in return, Iran wants an immediatelifting of alleconomicsanctions.

On Thursday,hours after Trumpsaid the twosides were getting closer to adeal, Araghchisaid Tehran’sability to enrichuraniumremained acore right of the Iranian people and ared line in nuclear talks.

“Wehave said repeatedly that defending Iran’snuclear rights— including enrichment —isafundamentalprinciple,” theofficial said.“Thisisnot something we concede, either in public discourse orinnegotiations. It is aright that belongs to the Iranian people, and no one can takeitaway.”

Trump said his demands have beenstraightforward

“They can’t have anuclear weapon. That’sthe only thing. It’sverysimple,” Trump said. “It’snot like I have to give you 30 pages worth of details.Itisonly onesentence.Theycan’t have anuclearweapon.”

ButTrump on Wednesday suggested he waslooking forTehrantomakeother concessions as part of apotential agreement.

Iran “must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy warsand permanently and verifiably cease pursuit of nuclearweapons,” Trump said in remarks at a meeting in Saudi Arabia, the

first stoponthe Mideast trip. “They cannot have anuclear weapon.”

Before moving on to the United Arab Emirates from Qatar on Thursday, Trump stopped at aU.S.military installation at the center of American involvement in theMiddleEast and spoke to U.S. troops. TheRepublicanpresidenthas used his visit to Gulf states to reject the“interventionalism” of America’spast in the region.

Al-Udeid Air Base was a major staging ground during the U.S.warsinIraq and Afghanistan. The base houses some8,000 U.S. troops, down from about10,000 at theheight of those wars.

Trumptold the troops that his“priority is to end conflicts, not start them.”

“But Iwill neverhesitate to wield American power if it’snecessary to defend the United States of America or our partners,”hesaid.

Trumplater flew to Abu Dhabiinthe UAEfor the final legofhis trip.Hevisited theSheikhZayedGrand Mosque, thecountry’slargest mosque.The UAE’s founder,Sheikh Zayed,is buried in themosque’smain courtyard.

Trumptook his shoesoff, which is customary,ashe stepped intothe house of worship and spent time marveling at the architecture. “It’s beautiful,”Trumpsaid. He was laterattendeda state visit hosted by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Qasr

and his

by

and UAEflags, and they were guidedthrough aspace exhibit inside the palace.

Al Nahyan also presented Trump withthe Orderof

MILWAUKEE AWisconsin judge pleaded notguilty Thursday to charges accusing her of helpingaman who is illegally in the country evade U.S. immigration authorities seeking to arrest him in her courthouse. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Duganentered the plea during abrief arraignment in federal court. MagistrateJudge Stephen Dries scheduled atrial to begin July 21. Dugan’slead attorney,Steven Biskupic, told thejudge that he expects the trial to last aweek. Dugan, her lawyers and prosecutors left without speakingtoreporters.

She is charged with concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstruction. Prosecutors say she escorted EduardoFlores-Ruiz and his lawyer out of her courtroom through aback door on April 18 after learningthat U.S. Immigration andCustoms Enforcement agentswere in the courthouse seeking to arrest himfor beinginthe country illegally.She could face up to six years in prison if convicted on both counts. Her attorneys say she’s innocent. They filed amotion

Wednesdaytodismiss the case, saying she was acting in her official capacity as a judge and therefore is immune to prosecution. They alsomaintain that the federal government violatedWisconsin’ssovereignty by disruptinga state courtroom and prosecuting astate judge.

Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse ahead of Thursday’s hearing Esther Cabrera, an organizer with the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression,said the charges against Dugan amount to “state-funded repression.

“If we are going to go after judges, if we’re going to go after mayors, we havetounderstand that they can come afteranybody,” shesaid. “Andthat’skind of why we wanted to make apresence out here today is to say that you can’tcome after everyone anditstopshere.”

According to court documents,Flores-Ruiz illegally reentered theU.S. after beingdeported in2013. Online court records show he was charged withthreecounts of misdemeanor domestic abuse in Milwaukee County in March, and he was in Dugan’scourtroom on April 18

for ahearing in that case.

According to an FBI affidavit, Dugan was alerted to theagents’ presence by her clerk, who was informed by an attorney that the agents appeared to be in thehallway Dugan was visibly angry and called the situation “absurd” beforeleaving the bench andretreating to herchambers, theaffidavit contends. She and another judge later approached members of thearrest team in thecourthousewithwhatwitnesses described as a“confrontational, angry demeanor.”

After aback-and-forth with the agentsover the warrantfor Flores-Ruiz, Dugan demanded they speak with the chief judge and led themfromthe courtroom, according to theaffidavit.

After she returnedtothe courtroom, witnesses heard her say something to the effect of “wait, come with me” before ushering Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out through adoor typically used only by deputies,jurors, courtstaff and in-custody defendants, theaffidavitalleges. FloresRuiz was free on asignature bond in the abuse case, according to online state court records. Federal agentsultimately detained him outside thecourthouse after achase.

Al Watan presidential palace. Trump
delegationweregreeted
young children wearing traditional robes and waving small U.S.
Zayed, the UAE’shighest civil decoration and credited Trumpwith building the two nations’ economicpartnership to new heights.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByALEX BRANDON
PresidentDonald Trumpshakes hands with yousifAlObaidli, director of Sheikh ZayedGrand Mosque, during atour of the mosque on ThursdayinAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Plan for ousting trans troops laid out

Commanders will send them to

WASHINGTON Military commanders will be told to identify troops in their units who are transgender or have gender dysphoria, then send them to get medical checks in order to force them out of the service, officials said Thursday

A senior defense official laid out what could be a complicated and lengthy new process aimed at fulfilling President Donald Trump’s directive to remove transgender service members from the U.S. military

The new order to commanders relies on routine annual health checks that service members are required to undergo Another defense official said the Defense Department has scrapped — for now — plans to go through troops’ health records to identify those with gender dysphoria. Instead, transgender troops who do not voluntarily come forward could be outed by commanders or others aware of their medical status. Gender dysphoria occurs when a person’s biological sex does not match up with their gender identity

The defense officials spoke on condition of ano-

nymity to provide details of the new policy The process raises comparisons to the early “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which at times had commanders or other troops outing gay members of the military who — at the time — were not allowed to serve openly Active-duty troops will have until June 6 to voluntarily identify themselves to the Defense Department, and troops in the National Guard and Reserve have until July 7.

The department is offering a financial incentive to those who volunteer to leave. They will receive roughly double the amount of separation pay than those who don’t come forward

Initially, officials said the Defense Department would begin going through medical records to identify anyone who did not come forward voluntarily That detail was not included in the new guidance released Thursday. While the department believes it has the authority to review medical records, it would rather go through a more routine health assessment process, the defense official said. Traditionally, all service members go through a health assessment once a year to determine if they are still medically able to serve. A new question about gender dysphoria is being added to that assessment Activeduty troops who do not voluntarily come forward

would have to acknowledge their gender dysphoria during that medical check, which could be scheduled months from now A unit commander could expedite the health assessment.

Under the new policy, “commanders who are aware of service members in their units with gender dysphoria, a history of gender dysphoria, or symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria will direct individualized medical record reviews of such service members to confirm compliance with medical standards.”

The defense official said it is the duty of the service member and the commander to comply with the new process. The department is confident and comfortable with commanders implementing the policy and it does not believe they would use the process to take retribution against a service member, the senior defense official said. It comes after the Supreme Court recently ruled that the Trump administration could enforce the ban on transgender people in the military while other legal challenges proceed. The court’s three liberal justices said they would have kept the policy on hold.

Officials have said that as of Dec. 9, 2024, there were 4,240 troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria in the active duty, National Guard and Reserve. But they acknowl-

Missing camper ‘miraculously’ found alive in Calif. wilderness

LOS ANGELES When Christopher Gutierrez went to check in on his remote camping resort after a long snowy winter in the High Sierra, he was met with a shocking discovery — a starving hiker holed up inside one of his cabins.

The woman, 27-year-old Tiffany Slaton from Jeffersonville, Ga , had been missing in the Fresno County wilderness for almost three weeks.

Gutierrez, who owns Vermilion Valley Resort, found Slaton around 2 p.m. Wednesday, just two days after Fresno County Sheriff’s Office officials announced they had scaled back search efforts for the missing camper

“She pops out, didn’t say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug,” Gutierrez said during a Wednesday evening news conference. “It was a pretty surreal moment and that’s when I realized who this was.” News that Slaton had been found quickly reached her parents Bobby and Fredrina Slaton where, some 2,500 miles away in a Georgia clothing store, her mother had the exact same reaction as her daughter.

“I just grabbed somebody, I said, ‘Can I hug you?’ And I did,” Fredrina Slaton said. “I was crying and hugging.”

Bobby Slaton said it was one of the best days of their lives. “We are extremely excited and happy to hear the news that my daughter is now safe,” he said. Slaton’s parents reported her missing on April 29 after they had not heard from her for more than a week. The Sheriff’s Office started searching for the missing camper and, thanks to tips from the public, learned that she had been seen at Huntington Lake on April 20 and near the old Cressman’s General Store on April 24. Her location beyond that point was a mystery

The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team

scoured nearly 600 square miles of the High Sierra looking for Slaton from May 6-10. Vehicles were unable to make it through Kaiser Pass because of heavy snow blocking the road, but helicopters were used to scout above Mono Hot Springs and around Lake Edison, where Slaton was ultimately found. Snowplows cleared Kaiser Pass on Wednesday, which made it possible for Gutierrez to access Vermilion Valley Resort on Lake Edison for the first time this year, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

“We were sliding off the road. It was pretty dicey icy but we managed to get in there and spent about an hour and a half breaking up the ice,” Gutierrez said.

He planned the trip to check on the condition of his resort before the summer tourist season and said he felt compelled to get there sooner rather than later after hearing reports of a missing hiker in the region.

Gutierrez had purposefully left one of his cabins unlocked over the winter so that someone who is lost could increase their chances of surviving in the cold, stormy weather Sheriff officials suspect Slaton survived by foraging from the land and using the cabin for shelter

After finding Slaton, Gutierrez gave her as many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as she could stomach and contacted the Sheriff’s Office, which quickly arrived on scene with an ambulance. She was dehydrated, but was otherwise in good condition. She was taken to a hospital for further treatment, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Botti commended Slaton’s resilience and survival skills, saying this is the longest stretch of time he’s seen someone go missing and come out alive.

“Two days, nine days, that’s amazing, but three weeks, it’s unheard of,” he said. “It speaks to the tenacity that Tiffany has, that she’s a fighter She’s not going to give up.”

Pope meets head of Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine

edge the number may be

higher There are about 2.1 million total troops serving.

In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said earlier this month that about 1,000 troops already have identified themselves and “will begin the voluntary separation process” from the military That can often take weeks.

Trump tried to ban transgender troops during his first term, while allowing those currently serving to stay on. Then-President Joe Biden overturned the ban. The new policy does not grandfather in those currently serving and only allows for limited waivers or exceptions.

“No More Trans @ DoD,”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a post on X. In a recent speech to a special operations conference, he said: “No more dudes in dresses. We’re done with that s***.”

VATICAN CITY Pope Leo XIV met Thursday at the Vatican with the head of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, in one of his first audiences as pontiff that reaffirmed his appeal for a peaceful, negotiated end to Russia’s war His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk said he invited Leo to visit Ukraine and presented the pope with a list of prisoners held by Russia. The Vatican under Pope Francis had worked for prisoner exchanges, as well as for the return of Ukrainian children taken to live in Russian-occupied territories.

In his first Sunday noon blessing as pope, and again this week Leo has appealed for an end to the war and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian

people.

“I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people. Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible. May all the prisoners be freed, and may the children return to their families,” he said Sunday The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said it was “premature” to think of a possible papal visit to Kyiv, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had also suggested during a first phone call with Leo on Monday Leo has vowed “every effort” to try to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table. Leo is to be formally installed at a Mass on Sunday; Zelenskyy and U.S. Vice President JD Vance are expected to attend.

Court suspends ankle monitor company

BR officials cite tracking lapses

A Baton Rouge ankle monitor-

ing company has been suspended from doing business with a state court in Baton Rouge, with officials citing a series of failures that includes losing track of a murder defendant out on bail

Criminal Tracking Services has spent years outfitting the accused with ankle bracelets while they await trial in the 19th Judicial District Court. But late last month, it was removed from the court’s list of approved electronic monitors for criminal defendants.

Tarvald Smith, the 19th JDC’s deputy chief judge, sent company

officials an April 28 letter notifying them of the temporary suspension over “recent lapses” in cases CTS has handled.

Smith’s letter said the company is not eligible for any new monitoring jobs in the Baton Rouge-based district court, and any remaining assignments on the company’s roster will be evaluated for reassignment to another bond company

Diana Gibbens, the district court’s judicial administrator, ad-

vised Parish Prison Warden Cathy Fontenot in an April 25 email that CTS was no longer a courtapproved vendor for electronic monitoring. An owner of CTS declined to comment when reached by The Advocate.

The suspension came after years of concerns raised by state prosecutors about CTS’ performance in various cases. The East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office

sought to have the company removed from at least 10 different cases dating back to 2022. The most recent came in a murder case last month, when prosecutors asked the courts to relieve CTS of its monitoring duties for Jeremiah Emil Howze. The 18-year-old Baton Rouge man was released from the parish prison and placed on house arrest Jan.

KEEP ON DUCKIN’

A duckling swims in the False River in New Roads on Monday

Trinity Driving School, known around Baton Rouge for its black driver education cars, is being investigated by the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles The school has reportedly been closed since at least Wednesday Signs on the doors and a pop-up on its website say the temporary closure is due to “technical difficulties.”

Council rejects creating districts

Members want residents to vote on change in elections

The Denham Springs City Council backed off a plan to implement council districts for future elections Tuesday at its liveliest meeting of the year

The council unanimously denied an ordinance to create three council districts for elections during a meeting packed with residents who said they supported the idea. If the proposal were approved, the city would be divided into three districts based on location, with one council member elected per district. Two additional members would be elected at-large.

Currently,

Durwin Walker, of Denham Springs, presented the proposal at the meeting and said introducing district representatives could ensure that every part of the city would have fair representation. “That representative would be responsive to a fewer number of people giving people more access to them,” he told the council. Walker said district-specific representatives would be “better to know the specific needs of

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL
DENHAM SPRINGS

Louisiana whooping cough cases soar

State on track to break 2013 record

Louisiana is facing a recordbreaking surge of whooping cough cases and is on track to surpass the highest number of reported cases in decades, state health officials said Wednesday

The state has data on whooping cough, also known as pertussis, going back to the 1990s, said Teresa Sokol, state epidemiologist at the Department of Health. Previously the highest case count was 214 cases in 2013.

“Our current trajectory with whooping cough cases this year means that we are unfortunately on track to surpass that number of cases, probably before the end of this year,” Sokol said.

During a news conference that incoming LDH Secretary Bruce Greenstein said was about transparency and protecting the public’s health, officials shared updates on both the measles and whooping cough outbreaks While the state has successfully contained measles, whooping cough cases continue to rise, posing a significant risk to

infants too young to be fully vaccinated.

As of Wednesday, the state reported 170 whooping cough cases in 2025 surpassing the total of 153 cases recorded in all of last year

Since September 2024, the outbreak has led to 42 hospitalizations, with nearly 70% involving infants under 1 year old. Two infants have died, marking the first fatalities in Louisiana since 2018.

Newborns are especially vulnerable to whooping cough because they have immature immune systems, said Dr Margot Anderson, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Tulane University In older kids the virus is usually an “annoyance,” but its lengthy contagious period makes it easy to spread.

“We used to call it the 100-day cough,” said Anderson “They’re contagious for at least three weeks of coughing.”

Infants get their first pertussis vaccine at 2 months. To protect them, Anderson recommended what’s known as “cocooning” — keeping infants away from others until they get their first shot. She also recommended a booster shot during pregnancy to give the baby antibodies.

Five of the 42 hospitalized pertussis patients were vaccinated. Six

had an unknown vaccination rate, and the remaining 31 were undervaccinated or unvaccinated.

One in three babies under the age of 1 who get whooping cough will be hospitalized, said Sokol.

“The younger the baby is, the more likely they’re going to have a severe illness,” she said.

Anyone who is going to be around the infant in early days, such as grandparents or siblings, should be up to date on the pertussis vaccine, which is given as part of the DTaP vaccine for children and the Tdap vaccine for adolescents and adults. Those vaccines also protect against diphtheria and tetanus.

It’s likely that whooping cough is going undetected in the state due to less frequent testing, said Sokol.

Though Louisiana’s overall case rate for pertussis is lower than the national average, the rate of severe cases requiring hospitalization is significantly higher at 15% compared with a national average of 5%.

Surgeon General Dr Ralph Abraham said Louisiana residents should consult health care providers if there are any concerns about a child’s health. He advised parents to seek medical attention if a child has symptoms like high fever, not eating, not drinking, or decreased urinary output.

Brusly town meeting gets heated

Sewer project setback prompts tension

A Brusly Town Council meeting Monday turned tense after the contractor in charge of handling the town’s sewer system upgrades requested an additional four months to complete the project’s next phase.

Council member Rusty Daigle called the extension a “hard pill to swallow.”

In a contract with Brusly, Spinks

Construction agreed to install new pumps, a sewer lagoon cover and a polishing reactor at the town’s sewer pond near the West Baton Rouge Parish canal. The equipment has been in place since the 1980s. But the sewer lagoon and polishing reactor phases are yet to be finished, despite the original contract calling for substantial completion by May 22. A change order, which was approved by the council Mon-

COUNCIL

Continued from page 1B

the people in that district,” and the two at-large representatives would bring “a broader perspective for the city as a whole.”

Under the proposal, District 1 would roughly span from the northern boundary of city limits to Stephen Drive, District 2 would cover from Hatchell Lane to the eastern boundary of city limits, and District 3 would represent people living in the area spanning from the Amite River to Range Avenue

The majority of the room voiced support for the move during the meeting’s public comment period, saying it would create more accountability and representation in city politics. Some also said it would introduce true representation for

Continued from page 1B

6 after police arrested him in the Dec. 23 killing of a classmate, Kyle Earthly According to investigators, Howze shot Earthly 18, multiple times as the two men rode together in a car near the Exxon gas station in the 1500 block of Old Hammond Highway Prosecutors reviewed Howze’s GPS tracking data April 10 and it showed multiple curfew violations and instances where his ankle monitor’s battery died in the four months he was free on bail.

None of those violations were reported to the state or the courts. Prosecutors sought to have Howze’s bond revoked in an April 15 motion and asked a commissioner to relieve CTS of its monitoring assignment. Court records show there was no decision on the motion to remove CTS.

A grand jury indicted Howze on May 1 on charges of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice and unlawful handling of machine guns. He pleaded not guilty when

day, shifted the deadline to Sept 22 to give the contractor more time to work on the lagoon cover

The council is also facing an unexpected problem: the structural condition of the bridge to the sewer pond, which needs to hold a cement truck and an excavator for the polishing reactor phase. Daigle alleged that contractor Trey Spinks failed to report that information promptly

“We’re trying to be fiscally responsible,” Daigle said. “That’s what I think our jobs are, and I don’t know how to accomplish that now with the situation you’ve put us in.”

Daigle also did not accept Spinks’ rationale of unsuitable weather for the delays in the lagoon cover

“How about just some communication, some open lines?” Daigle said. “You’ve got to let the council know a little bit what may be coming, so it’s not such a shock to us last Monday night.”

Spinks said Daigle’s summary of the events was “skewed” and that windy weather in the beginning

the Hispanic and Black communities in the city

“It’s kind of hard to get an African American elected based on the few that we have,” said the Rev Debra Keller, a Black resident of Denham Springs. “If someone was in these areas that we think are maybe underserved could be better served.”

A few residents voiced opposition changing the system

Jan Fairchild, of Denham Springs, was confused about what the voting process would look like and said she has never had any trouble with anyone on the council. She and a handful of other residents said the people should vote on this change if it were to happen.

“I don’t like that at all,” Fairchild said Council member Jeff Wesley and all of the council members said most people did not know about the

arraigned Monday in a packed courtroom.

On Tuesday, his attorneys filed a notice that they plan to assert a self-defense argument in his case, invoking a new law that took effect Aug. 1 The law puts the onus on state prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant did not have justification to act in self-defense in criminal proceedings.

Other instances of tracking lapses

In September 2021, CTS was appointed to keep track of Cameron Kentrell Sterling after he was indicted for two counts of first-degree rape. The company handled his ankle monitoring for nearly a year and told the courts he was in compliance

However when investigators tied Sterling to a fatal shooting near his house in August 2022, CTS officials couldn’t provide detectives with definitive tracking records on the man’s whereabouts the night of the shooting.

Detectives determined Sterling didn’t always keep his ankle monitored charged, as his court order required. CTS’ late owner Fred Hall told presiding District Judge

“I would recommend talking to your health care provider if you have questions about your immunity to these diseases, because there are tests we can do to check your immunity,” Abraham said

For those who do not have a regular health provider, Abraham recommended visiting a parish health unit.

Measles cases closed

On May 9 Louisiana closed the investigation that stemmed from a travel-related measles case in the New Orleans area in mid-April. One additional case was found through contact tracing, but that case was already past the incubation period when it was identified According to Dr Pete Croughan, 75 people were exposed, about half of whom were health care workers.

Two high-risk contacts received post-exposure drugs that are typically given to people who are unvaccinated, “which almost certainly prevented additional cases,” Croughan said These cases coincide with a national uptick, with more than 1,000 confirmed measles cases across 31 states by early May, the highest annual total since 2019.

Approximately 96% of these cases have occurred in unvaccinated or

TRINITY

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months of 2025 prevented completion of the lagoon cover

“When it’s windy days, you just can’t touch it,” Spinks said. “It’s dangerous.”

He acknowledged that he should have informed the council about the bridge dilemma sooner “You’re right,” Spinks said. “With the bridge, I got the information. I treated it a little too loose. I’ll give you that.”

The change order was no-cost, meaning no additional taxpayer money will go toward the project for now The contract price is currently $3,647,628.

Once the sewer lagoon is complete the town will need to fix the bridge so the cement truck and excavator can cross and install the polishing reactor, Mayor Scot Rhodes said. The town would likely pay for bridge improvements, as opposed to state funds, he added.

“Council is the one that controls the purse strings, not me, so they’ll have to approve that if it comes to a change order for bridge repair,” Rhodes said.

ordinance. They thought the proposal should be put before voters in an election. “I want the city to vote on it,” he said. The ordinance could be placed on upcoming council agendas and put to a vote again, or the proposal could be placed on a ballot, potentially as soon as October, though the city might have to pay to cover the costs of running an election, depending on what else is before voters in the fall.

State law states that a board of aldermen, or city council, can legally implement districts through an ordinance If the measure went to the people’s vote, the council seemingly would still have to approve an ordinance afterward.

Email Claire Grunewald at claire.grunewald@theadvocate. com.

Brad Myers in a November 2022 memo that he was having problems keeping track of Sterling because he couldn’t get him to charge his device and it stayed dead for days.

About a month later, Hall texted a prosecutor that he no longer had the ability to track Sterling and said the man had removed his ankle bracelet, according to court records.

Prosecutors convinced Myers to revoke Sterling’s bond, and the judge urged CTS to follow his court orders.

In April 2019, Tamion Devon Perry pleaded guilty to simple burglary and remained on probation in June 2022, when an LSU student alleged he sexually assaulted her near the campus. Prosecutors reached out to CTS to get the man’s ankle monitoring locations. Hall told prosecutors there was a problem with Perry’s monitor and he had to send it to China to see if any records could be retrieved from the manufacturer according to a court filing.

Later in June 2022, Johnny Brown, a defendant indicted in a 2021 killing, was arrested again during a traffic stop for illegal possession of a firearm. At the time,

undervaccinated individuals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Some parents have asked about giving their children an early measles vaccine before the typical timeline of one year Anderson advised that since there is no evidence of active spread of measles within the state, early vaccination is generally not necessary, except in cases where a child may travel to areas with ongoing outbreaks.

Recent state policy changes have reduced proactive vaccine promotion, ending mass vaccination events like flu shot fairs and instructing public health employees to direct residents to their health care providers rather than actively recommending vaccines.

Abraham said he would not consider holding vaccine events for pertussis, but said the department was promoting the vaccine on its website, urging residents to speak with their physicians.

Access is a problem Anderson often sees in hospitalized patients with vaccine-preventable diseases.

“We were so interested in this problem of vaccine refusers or skeptics, but oftentimes it’s that they live in Tickfaw, or somewhere really rural, and don’t have transportation,” she said

that once we have concluded things we can provide them with further instruction.”

The OMV could not confirm if the investigation relates to any criminal wrongdoing on the part of Trinity or when the school might reopen. Signs on the school’s building refer clients to an email address and phone number with the OMV: ladrivingschools@dps. la.gov or (225) 925-1795. “Students and parents should continue to reach out to us,” said Kelly Sittig, OMV customer service administrator “We will be gathering their information so

DANCING

Continued from page 1B

this week on TikTok.

“I have seen principals punish students for dancing and celebrating,” Principal Alisa Welch said. “I’ve seen students put out of their own graduation.

“First of all, the privilege of celebrating at graduation has to be earned through the year by the whole senior class,” she said.

And there are some rules, Welch said.

“They cannot dance on the stage,” she said. “When they hit the floor, there’s no music playing and they have 30 seconds to dance, because we’ll be calling the next child’s name then.”

After all the diplomas are handed out, the new graduates dance together to songs they selected beforehand, which have been vetted and approved by school officials.

For the last song, they can leave their seats, shoes and graduation caps behind to dance around the auditorium.

Then, with the words, “Let’s put it back together” from Welch, the students return to their seats and put their mortarboards back on.

A benediction ends the ceremony Senior class President Jasmin

the Baton Rouge man had been under house arrest with GPS ankle monitoring purportedly under CTS’ watch for more than 15 months.

During the traffic stop, Baton Rouge police recovered a stolen .45-caliber Glock with a modified “switch” device that converted the pistol into a fully automatic weapon. Forensic tests later matched the Glock to an April 2022 shooting that killed Devin Page when a stray bullet struck the 3-year-old boy Prosecutors in court filings noted that none of the bullets that killed Page were fired from the gun recovered from Brown. But it was one of several guns fired in the fatal shooting in the 5100 block of Fairfields Avenue.

When prosecutors issued subpoenas for Brown’s location data, CTS could not provide any tracking information for a two-week span that included the afternoon of Page’s shooting. Court records showed there were several daylong and weeklong gaps in the records when CTS couldn’t account for Brown’s whereabouts.

In fact, Brown was never equipped with an ankle monitor after he got out of a juvenile detention center in February 2023, and

A post on the Ring website from an anonymous user says people with the state government’s logo on their clothes were seen taking boxes out of the building Wednesday morning.

OMV regulates driving schools within the state and is responsible for maintaining driver education certificates and other student documentation in the case a driving school closes. Trinity representatives have not responded to attempts to contact them

Robertson said “it’s something to look forward to all year.”

When the students dance at their graduation, “it’s a judgefree zone, it’s where you can just be yourself and celebrate you,” she said.

There’s no rehearsal time at school for the dance-off, Welch said. The students practice on the morning of the commencement.

“We come under a lot of criticism, for me personally as the principal, for allowing that, but I don’t care what the naysayers say,” she said. “They don’t know what the kids went through to get their diploma.”

“I’ve had several students in this class lose their mothers this year,” she said. “To see them just enjoy this moment, it meant so much to me.”

Welch is leaving her role as principal of Madison Preparatory Academy to be an administrator at another charter school, but she expects the dancing graduation ceremonies to keep going.

“The next class is already thinking about what they’re going to do next year,” Welch said “The kids are going to dance, anyway, you might as well get in front of it and allow it to happen.”

Email Ellyn Couvillion at ecouvillion@theadvocate.com.

CTS officials remained unaware that he had no tracking device until June 2023, when prosecutors reached out to the detention center Assistant District Attorney Angelica Torrance said Hall had no idea Brown had been without an ankle monitor for months. In a July 2023 motion, she asked District Judge Eboni Johnson Rose to disqualify CTS from acting as a bond supervisor for any cases in her courtroom “based upon their egregious lack of oversight in this case.” Johnson Rose had already excluded the company from handling cases on her docket, according to court minutes.

BUSINESS

BRIEFS

FROM STAFFAND WIRE REPORTS

S&P 500 notches

a4th straight gain

Most U.S. stocks drifted higher in quiet trading Thursday following ajumble of mixedreports that offeredlittleclarity on how the U.S. economy is managing throughPresident Donald Trump’strade war

The S&P 500 rose enough to extend its winning streak to a fourth day and to pull within 3.7% of its all-time highset earlier this year.The Dow JonesIndustrial Average was up,but the Nasdaq composite slipped Stocks got alift from easing Treasury yieldsinthe bond market. They fell afterthe economic reports suggested the Federal Reserve may have more room to cut interest rates later this year to bolster the U.S. economy if it weakens under the weight of high tariffs.

But the reports did littleto spell out whether the economy is falling toward arecession,as many investors had been fearing, or shaking off the uncertainty after Trump called off many of histariffs temporarily. The headliner reports said shoppers spent less at U.S. retailers last month than expected, while inflationwas betteratthe wholesale level than economists forecast. Other updatessaid U.S. manufacturing looks like it’sstill contracting but fewer U.S. workers are applying for unemployment benefits thanexpected.

Dick’stobuy Foot Locker for $2.4B

Dick’sSporting Goods is buying the struggling footwear chain Foot Locker forabout $2.4 billion, the second buyout of a major footwear company in as many weeks as business leaders struggle with uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Dick’ssaid Thursdaythat it expects to runFoot Locker as astand-alone unitand keepthe Foot Locker brands,whichinclude Kids FootLocker,Champs Sports,WSS andJapanesesneaker brand atmos. Earlier this month Skechers announced that it wasbeing taken private by the investment firm 3G Capital in atransaction worth more than $9 billion Foot Locker,based in New York City,offers Dick’sa lot of potential, namely its huge real estate footprint, and would give the Pittsburgh company its first foothold overseas. Foot Locker has about 2,400 retail stores across 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The company had global sales of $8 billion last year

Dick’ssaid that it anticipates closing on the Foot Lockerdeal in the second half of the year The transaction still needsapprovalfromFootLockershareholders

U.S. lost business travelersinApril

Business travel to the U.S. fell 9% in April as companies and workers grappled with economic uncertainty and anger over the Trumpadministration’stariffs and border policies.

TheNational Travel and Tourism Office released preliminary figures Thursday showing the numberofairlineand ship passengers who entered the country last month using business visas. TheMiddle East wasthe only region that saw higher business travel to the U.S., with arrivals up 9.4% compared to April 2024. But that didn’tmake up for big losses from otherregions; the number of business travelers from Western Europe fell17.7%, for example.

The new government data didn’tinclude people coming from Canada for business or who traveled by land from Mexico. Mexican arrivals by air for those holding business visas were down 11.8%, the government said. And overall travel from Canada also fell in April. According to Statistics Canada, Canadianresidents’ return trips by air from the U.S. fell 20% in April, while return trips by car weredown 35%.

Walmartwarns of higher prices

NEW YORK Walmart, which became thenation’s largest retailer by making low prices apriority hasfound itself in aplace it’s rarely been: Warning customers that prices will rise for goods ranging from bananas to carseats. Executives at the $750 billion company told industry analysts Thursday that they’re doingeverything in their power to absorb the higher costsfromtariffs ordered by PresidentDonald Trump.

Given the magnitude of the duties,however,the highest since the 1930s, higher prices are unavoidable,and they willhurt Walmart customers already buffeted by inflation over the past three years.

Trump’sthreatened 145% importtaxes on Chinese goods were reduced to 30% in adeal announcedMonday, with some of the higher tariffs on pause for 90 days

Thosehigherprices began to appear on Walmartshelves in late Apriland accelerated this month, Walmartexecutives saidThursday.However,a larger sting will start to be felt in June andJuly when the back-to-school shopping season goes intohigh gear

“We’re wired to keep prices low, butthere’s alimit to what we can bear,orany retailer for that matter,” Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey saidThursday after thecompany reported strong first-quarter sales.

Rainey emphasized that prices arerising not just for discretionary items suchaspatio furniture

andtrendy fashions, but forbasic necessities as well. The price of bananas, imported from Costa Rica, rose from 50 centsper pound, to 54 cents. He thinks car seats madein China that sell for$350 at Walmart will likely cost customers another $100. Baby strollers are also sourced from China, Rainey said. Higher prices arrive as many Americans pull back on spending as theygrow increasingly uneasy about the economy.Aslew of companiesincluding toy manufacturer Mattel,toolmaker StanleyBlack &Decker and consumer products giant Procter &Gamble have announced higher prices or plans to raise prices. ButWalmart’smoves are even moresignificant given its outsized power in the retailing landscape. Walmart says that 90% of American households rely on the retailer

fora range of products, andmore than 150 million customers shop on itswebsite or in itsstores every week. Analysts will dissect the earnings reports from other retailers including Target and Home Depot, set to be released next week. Tariffs on China and other countries are threatening the low-price model at the core of Walmart’ssuccess. The full impact of tariff costs hadbeen delayedascompanies tried to beat the clock by bringing in foreign goodsbeforeTrump’s tariffs took effect. Retailers and importers had also largely halted shipmentsofshoes, clothes, toys and other itemsdue to new tariffs but many are resumingimports from China in the narrow window that opened during the temporary “truce”thisweek, hoping to avoid sparse shelves this fall.

RebrandedAldistore opens

The first rebranded Aldi store in metroBaton Rougeopenedin Prairieville on Thursdayasthe fast-growingsupermarket chain continued to increase its presence in thearea.

Customersstarted lining up outside the former Winn-Dixie at 3:30 a.m. for free gift cards and bags, said Heather Moore, regional vice president.Bythe time the store opened at 9a.m., Moore said 250 people were in line.

“Wehave areallygoodfollowingand we want to continue to build onitinthisarea,” Moore said.

Aldibought all of the WinnDixie and Harveys Supermarket

stores from Southeastern Grocers in adeal that closed in early 2024. Plans are to convertabout 220 of the locations to Aldistores by the end of 2027. About170 of thestores will be soldback to a group of privateinvestors that includes thepresident and CEO of Southeastern Grocers.

The Prairieville store looks much like any of the18south LouisianaAldilocations that have been built from theground up over the past few years. The productscarried in the store are the same andthe layout is similar

“Whenwefirst started the conversation about this, people thought, ‘Oh, is it going to be asuperAldi?’,”Moore said.“Butwe were like ‘No, we wantthe experience to be pretty similar.’”

The Prairieville Aldi is about 13,000 squarefeet,roughly the same size as the typical area store.That’sabout half the space the Winn-Dixie store took up. Plans aretolease out the remaining space, Moore said. Along with being smaller, the Aldi stores don’thaveamenities found at Winn-Dixie such as fresh meat andseafood departments. But the stores have lower costs because of the limited inventory and features like self-bagging and asking customers to put down a 25-centdeposit on shopping carts.

About 15 employees from the Prairieville Winn-Dixie have gone to work at Aldi, either at thenew store or at the company’s other area locations, Moore said.

Converted Winn-Dixie stores have already opened in Amite

and Metairie. Aformer Winn-Dixie store in Zachary will reopen as an Aldi later this summer, Moore said.

Next week, Aldi will start on another conversion. The chain bought aformer BigLots store in DenhamSprings that will be converted over the summer.The planistoopeninthe fall, Moore said. Around the same time,a newstore in Gonzales at the intersectionofAirline Highway and Burnside Lane will open. Mooresaidshe doesn’tknow yet howmanylocal Winn-Dixies will eventually be rebranded as Aldi stores. According to the Winn-Dixie website, there are 15 locations in south Louisiana.

Email TimothyBoone at tboone@theadvocate.com.

Report:UnitedHealthprobedfor Medicare fraud

Bloomberg News (TNS)

UnitedHealth Group Inc. is undercriminal investigation for possible Medicare fraud, The Wall Street Journal reported,citing unidentifiedpeoplefamiliar with thematter

The Justice Department has had aprobe into the company’sMedicare Advantage business sinceat least last summer, according to the people

Thenature of the potential criminalallegations against theinsurer isn’tclear,the newspaper said, citing the people. UnitedHealth’s shares fell more than 8% in post-

market trading in New York. UnitedHealthdidn’trespond to questionsfrom theWSJ, while a spokesman for the Department of Justice declined to comment to the newspaper. UnitedHealth representatives also didn’timmediately respond to requestsfor comment from Bloomberg on Wednesday The report comes just after the insurer unexpectedly replaced its chief executive officer and suspendedearnings guidance, asecondsurprise for investors after it cut itsannual forecast.The move piled further doubt on thecompany’sstrategytofocus on Medicare,which pushed profitgrowth for years but hasrecentlyfaltered In additiontothose headwinds,

UnitedHealth also faces growing scrutinyinWashington,as antitrust regulatorschallenge its planned purchase of Baton Rougebasedhome health operator Amedisys. Earlierthis month, Amedisys announced it would divest 120 home health andhospice care centers to several companies in order to smooththe waytoapproval of the UnitedHealth deal. But this week, theU.S. Department of Justice rejected thesale, accordingtoHospice News. According to the report,the agency wasn’tconvinced thedealwould maintain competition in thehome health and hospice market Insurers’ MedicareAdvantage

practices have drawnquestions in recent years. Companiesget paid morefor taking care of sicker patients in the program, with rates determined by the diagnosis codes they submit. Watchdogs and whistleblowers have accused insurers of exaggerating how sick their patients are to boost profits, and some firms have paid large sums to resolve cases.

UnitedHealth faced allegations in along-running civil Medicare fraud case that it improperly overchargedthe U.S. government by more than $2 billion. The company in March received afavorable finding in that case, bringing it astep closer to winning potential dismissal.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Customers shop Thursday in the produce section of the newAldi store in Prairieville.

St.Alphonsus LiguoriCatholic Church,14040Greenwell Springs Rd Greenwell Springs,LAat12pm

Hill, Lisha

Immaculate HeartofMaryCatholic Church,11140 LA-77inMaringouin, at 11 a.m.

Irving, Sarah Star Hill BaptistChurch,1400 N.

FosterDrive,Baton Rouge,Louisianaat

11am

Kilshaw, Rita

St.AloysiusCatholic Church at 11am

Mancill Sr., Robert Greenoaks Memorial,9595 Florida Blvd., BatonRouge,LAat2:00pm

McFarland, Safaria

UnitedChristian Faith Ministries

9229N.Ridgewood Dr BatonRouge LAat 11am

Miller, Jo-Ann Live OakChurch,34890 LA-16in Watson, at 9:30 a.m.

Moncla,Marvin

Holy TrinityCatholic Church,315 Marshall Street in Shreveport, at 10 a.m.

Davis, Beverly

her twosons, Adam and Alex, who were her pride and joy. She was asecond mother to her nieces and nephews as well. She was acaring listener, counselor and advocatefor herfamily and many friends.

sus Liguori Catholic

hisdaughter, Shawn Hernandez, his mother andfather-in-law, Marjorie and George Kullman,brothersin-law DominicBattaglia, Tony Bergeron and Michael Kullman

Monson, Mary Greenoaks FuneralHome, 9595 FloridaBoulevard, at 10 a.m.

Ryland, Eddie

SealeFuneralHomeinDenham Springs at 11am

Wilson-Lovey, Steve Winnfield FuneralHomeat11am. Obituaries

72, of

La passed awaypeacefully on May 03, 2025. She was born on September 26, 1952 in New Orleans, La to Henry, Sr and Myrtis Snell Dorothy was aloving spouse and family member. She was a1970 graduate of Plaquemine High School and enjoyed spending time with her family and going to the casino.Dorothy leaves her love and legacy to her daughter,Carlus Bynum, grandson, Christopher Bynum, greatgranddaughters, Christian James and Bailee Bynum, sisters Janet Haynes, Florence (Tyrone, Sr.) Hall, and Cynthia Dunbar, brothers Henry (Carolyn) Snell, Jr., Cleveland Snell, Patrick Banks, Brian (Chasity) Banks, and Carlyle Banks, uncles Robert (Margaret) George, Sr. and Joseph (Josephine) Snell. She has two godchildren, Markisha Snell and Trendalyn Walker, ahost of nieces, nephews, special friends, and friends that, over the years, became family.She is preceded in death by her parents, Henry Sr. and Myrtis Snell spouse, Thaddeus Bynum, and brother Clifton Snell.A celebration of life willbe on Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 11:00am at St. Peter Baptist Church 58116 Court St. Plaquemine, La. 70764, Rev. Corey J. Mitchell officiating. Services entrusted to Roscoe Mortuary.

Beverly L. Davis,93, of Baton Rouge, passedaway peacefully on May6,2025, at LandmarkNursing Home.A devotedwife, mother, and longtime memberofGreater MorningStarBaptistChurch, she served over 60 years as church secretary. Beverly retiredfromthe East Baton Rouge School System and also worked as a home care assistant. She is survived by her children AlmaBrumfield(Francis) and Floyd Davis(Shandricka), numerousgrandchildren, great-grandchildren, and extendedfamily. Visitation willbeheld May17 from 9amfollowed by services at 11 a.m.atGreater MorningStarBaptist Church, 1002Mavis Dr. Baton Rouge,La. Services entrusted to DesselleFuneral Home 263 Eddie RobertsonSr. Drive, Baton Rouge, La. 70802

FrancesB.Davis de‐partedthislifeonSatur‐day,May 10, 2025, at Audubon Health andRehab inThibodaux,LA. Shewas 86, anativeand resident of Labadieville, LA.Visitation onFriday, May16, 2025, at Williams &SouthallFuneral Homefrom5:00pmto6:00 pm. Visitation on Saturday May 17,2025, at NewBel‐montBaptist Church,from 8:00amtoreligious ser‐vices at 10:00 am.Inter‐mentinthe church ceme‐tery. Arrangements by Williams &SouthallFuneral Home, 5414 Hwy. 1, Napoleonville,LA70390 (985) 369-7231. To sign the guest book or offercondo‐lences, visitour websiteat www.williamsandsouthall funeralhome.com.

Fields, Julia Bariola

Allen“Whitey”Dabney departedthislifeonSun‐day,May 4, 2025, at hisres‐idenceinLabadieville, LA Hewas 70, anativeof Napoleonville,LA. Visita‐tiononFriday, May16, 2025, at Williams & SouthallFuneralHome from2:00pmto4:00 pm VisitationonSaturday, May 17, 2025, at Woodlawn UnitedMethodist Church from9:00amtoreligious servicesat11:00 am.Inter‐mentinthe church ceme‐tery. Arrangements by Williams &SouthallFuneral Home, 5414Hwy.1, Napoleonville,LA70390 (985)369-7231. To sign the guest book or offercondo‐lences,visit ourwebsite at

Julia'spassionsincluded cheering on her LSU Tigers any chance she got in any sport, traveling as much as she could, Walking with Purpose Bible Study, Bengal Belles,avid gardening, baking for her family and friends and regular dining at CityCafeWhere GoodFriendsMeet. Her Christmas "trash" treats willbemissedby many. Her warm smile, compassionate nature, and unwavering support forher family and friends left a hugeimpact on allwho knew her. Julia lovedher people fiercelyand never met astranger She is survivedbyher husband, Dr. RonaldFields; twosons, Adam and Alex Fields; brothers, Stephen Bariola (Judie) and Philip Bariola (Dara); several loving in-laws; Thomas Fields III(Tamara); ErinShaffett; Leazel McDonald(Scott); LottieRoss (Ken); nieces, AndreaPolk(Alan), Gennie Cook (Kendall), Mary Philip Bariola, Tara Fields, CammieShaffet,McKenzie McDonald-Christensen(Andrew), and Savannah Ross; nephews, BrantleyBariola, Thomas Fields IV (Mary Chris), Tucker McDonald, Noah Ross; greatnieces and nephews, Avaley and Ainsley Polk, Isaac and IversonCook, Isaac Bennett, and LoxleeShaffett.

Julia was predeceased by her father, Julius Bariola Jr., her mother, Janice Combs Bariola and grandparents Paul and Virginia Combs and Julius Bariola, Sr. and Catherina Piazza Bariola.

Acelebration of Julia's life will begin with Visitation on Sunday, May 18, 2025, from1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Resthaven Funeral Home,11817 Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge.

On Monday, May 19, 2025, aVisitation willbe held at Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 15615 Jefferson Highway at 10:00 a.m. with aMass of Christian Burial following at 11:00 a.m. to be celebrated by Father Todd Lloyd.Interment to follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory in theGardenofReflections. In lieu of flowers,the family requests donations be madeinJulia's Honor to The FamilyVillage;a nonprofit that providesessential support and resources to childreninneedwithin theBaton Rouge area, ensuring they havethe necessitiestothrive

The family wouldliketo give special thanks to the nurses, physicians and staff of theTrauma ICU at University Medical Center in NewOrleans. Julia'smemory willforever live on in the heartsof her family,friends, and all who were touched by her kindness and love Family and friends may signthe online guestbook or leave apersonal note to thefamily at www.resthav enbatonrouge.com.

Hayes, James Funeralservicesfor James Hayeswillbeheld Saturday, May17, 2025 at Mount PilgrimBaptist Church,9700 Scenic Hwy. A publicvisitationwillbe heldfrom9:00a.m.until 10:00 a.m. with religious servicesbeginning at 10:00 a.m.Interment:St. Peter's U.M.C 1087 St.Peter Ln Clinton,La. Professional servicesentrusted to Charles Mackey Funeral Home.

Julia BariolaFields, 54, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, became abutterflyjoining her mother and father on May11, 2025,due to injuriessuffered in atragic accident. Shewas born on July 20, 1970,inLake Providence, to the late Julius and Janice Combs Bariola. Shewas born and raised inLake Providence, Louisiana.She attended Saint PatrickSchool and graduated valedictorian from Briarfield Academy. Sheattended LSU for two years until her careercalling brought her to nursing school at Northeast Louisiana University While she was studying nursing, Julia mether loving husband, Ronnie. They marriedlessthan2 months afterher nursingschool graduation and spent the next30yearstogether. She was his "Babydoll, "Princess" and his "Happily ever after." Juliawas adevout Catholic parishioner of MostBlessed Sacrament Church. Shededicated her life to caring for othersbeginning with her careerin nursing and then becoming adevoted mother to

Church. It was onlyinthe past year he gaveupbeing head usher, butremained activeasanusher. He was very proud of his legacy of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, where he enjoyed fishing on his son's houseboat in the Spillway. Alvinwas quitethe handyman, always fixing or repairing somethingand making it better than what it wasoriginally. He would never turn anyone awayif they needed help,including family,friends, and neighbors.Alvin is survivedbyhis loving wife, CarlinHebert; hischildren Paula Kairdolf (Errol), Alvin Hebert,Jr.,ByronHebert, Tina Coston (Steve), Brett Hebert, EricHebert (Deborah), Mary Clark (Wayne); adopted daughter, Nancy Mensik (Mike); 21 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; asister, Doris "Pie"Boyett; and sister-inlaw, Betty Jane Dupont Hebert. He was preceded in deathbyhis parents, Adam "Pope" Hebertand Vivian "Vee" Schexnaildre Hebert;brothers, Donald Hebert(Bobbie), and Glynn Hebert;sisters, Mary Alice Suarez(Ronald), and Joann Hebert; and brother-in-law, Sam Boyett. Visitation will take place on Friday, May 16, 2025, at St.Alphonsus Liguori CatholicChurch, 14040 Greenwell Springs Rd.Greenwell Springs, LA 70739, from 10:30 a.m. until Mass of ChristianBurial at 12:00 p.m. Pallbearers will be his 7grandchildren, Ryan Kairdolf, Adam Hebert,Brad Hebert, Cody Coston, Brett A. Hebert, ChaseHebert,and Connor Burns. Altarservers will be his great-grandchildren, Elliott Beard and Hadlie Beard. Interment willfollowatResthaven Gardens of Memory. The Family of AlvinHebert,Sr. wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Dr. James Taylor, the nurses and aids of Amedisys Hospice, Fr. Mike Moroney, and our very special angel Deborah Booksh. In lieu of flowers, donations can be madeto St.JudeChildren's Research Hospital.Family and friends may signthe online guestbook or leave apersonal notetothe familyatwww.resthavenbaton rouge.com

Bob wasa graduate of Catholic High andLSU.He wasonthe 1953 CHSteam when they wonthe state baseballchampionship andpitched in the1955 BR city championship.Hehad several jobs including car sales, insurance, Yellow Pagesand retiredfrom Westinghouse-Siemens Electric Repair with 25 years service.Hewas an avidfan of LSUsports, played golf andtennis. He foundreal joyin2019 watchingLSU's perfect season.

Anative of Maringouin, LA anda residentofBaton Rouge,LApassed away peacefully on May5,2025 at the age of 64. Survived by herdevoted husband, WayneHill, son, Troynell Gougisha, daughters: Jalisa andAtashia Hill, mother:Geraldine Gougisha, brothers: CharlieJr, WarrenSrand Troy Gougisha. Preceded in death by her father:CharlieGougisha, Sr.VisitationonFriday, May16, 2025, Family: 9:30am-10:00am, Public: 10:00am-10:45am followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00am, Immaculate HeartofMary Catholic Church,11140 LA-77, Maringouin, LA, conducted by Father David Dawson. Intermentinchurch cemetery. Harbourt,

In hislater years he enjoyed meeting agroup of friends at McDonald's sharingstories andsolving theworld'sproblems. He also met his'55 class members for lunch once a month He hadtostop most of this activity in September 2024 when he hadby-pass surgery and waslater diagnosed with renalcancer. Bob and Dottraveledmost of the USAalone,with friends andfamilyonlymissing four states.Whileall this activity wasgreat, his biggest joycamefromhis family. He wasalways ready to give ahelping hand to his children and enjoyed theanticsofhis grandchildren. He enjoyed thedaily conversations with Bambi and hisbest friendChuck. He also enjoyedwageringonthe golf majors with Larry (most of whichLarrywon). He was proudofthe achievements of hischildrenand stepchildren. We will miss him andhis never ending humor. The familywould like to thank thepersonnel of Amedisys Home Health andHospice fortheir compassionate care

Henderson, Marilyn Services forMarilyn Henderson will be held Sat‐urday,May 17, 2025 at Saintsville C.O.G.I.C.,8930 Plank Rd.A public visita‐tionwillbeheldfrom11:00 a.m.until 12:00 p.m. with religious services begin‐ningat12:00 p.m. Inter‐ment: Private. Professional servicesentrusted to Charles Mackey Funeral Home.

Hernandez, Robert James

Hebert,Alvin Dermon'AD'

Alvin"AD" Dermon Hebert,Sr.,borninPlaquemine and along-time resident of BatonRouge, LA, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at theage of 94. He was agraduateofSt. John in Plaquemine.OnOctober 24, 1953, he married Carlin A. Arceneaux. AD spent twoyears with U.S Army where he served as aTechnical Instructor.Hestarted as alineman with South Central Bell and laterbecame aPBX Installer with AT&T. AD was also amemberofthe Pioneers. He served as an usherfor the past 30 years at St.Alphon-

Robert James Hernandezdeparted this world for hisheavenlyhomeonMay 2, 2025. He was theson of Oscar SaurageHernandez and LeonaFrances AucoinHernandez, born on March 6, 1937. He is survived by his devotedwife of 43 years, Dorothy Hernandez. His3 children, BambiHernandez, Brian Hernandez both of Covington, LA and Mark Hernandez of Moss point, MS. One grandson, Dylan (Airana)Wassmuth and their children, Sasha and JR of Grand Bay, AL.Heis also survivedbythree step -sons. Rick (Matilde)Ladnier of Sugar Land, TX, John (Trish) Ladnier of Tylertown, MS and Russ Ladnier of Prairieville, LA. Seven step-grand-children: Jaden, Baylor(Evelin),DeLaney, Rich, Luisa, Donny(Kim) and Derek(Crystal). Brothers-in-law, Larry Champagne and Clark White.Sisters-in-law: Pat Bergeron, Margaret Battaglia, Barbara Flowers and Spring White,Nieces: Lisa(Robert) and Suzanne(Steve), nephew Beau(Trisha) and 14 step nieces and nephews. Also agreat Niece Meaganand her son Koaand several first cousins He was predeceased by hismotherand father, his sister, ConnieChampagne,

Acelebration of Life will be held at Seale Funeral Home in DenhamSprings on Range Ave on Sunday, May18th withvisitation from 11:00am to 1:00pm andservice at 1PM. Burial of cremated remains will follow in Evergreen Memorial Park. Please share your condolencesat www.sealefuneral.com Memorial donations can be made to St.Jude's Children's Hospital.Bob's favorite charity.

Kaglear, Lindbergh
Bynum, Dorothy Ann 'Dot'
Dorothy Ann Bynum "Dot",
Port Allen,
Davis, FrancesB
Dabney,Allen

Charles E. Bell will officiate. AVisitation will be held from 6pm -8pm Friday at Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home in Baton Rouge and again 9am11am Saturday at Chapel Baptist Church in Woodville. Interment will follow in the Cedar Rest Cemetery in Woodville, MS under the direction of Semien-Lewis Mortuary of Jennings, LA. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.semienlewismortuary.com

Knockum, Brenda

Brenda Knockum, ana‐tiveofBelle Rose,LA, passedawayonMay 7, 2025, at theage of 73 at Chateau D’villeNursing HomeinDonaldsonville, LA. Visitation will be held onFriday, May16, 2025, from4:00pmto6:00pm, and againonSaturday, May 17, 2025, at GreaterIs‐raelBaptist Church from 9:00amuntil thereligious servicesat11:00 am.Inter‐mentwillfollowin the churchcemetery. Arrange‐ments arebeing handled byWilliams& Southall Fu‐neral Home,located at 5414 Hwy. 1, Napoleonville, LA70390. To sign theguest book,visit ourwebsite at www.williamsandsouthall funeralhome.com.

Brandon "Bebe" Magee, adevoted husband, loving father, cherished son, grandson, departed this life leaving behind alegacy marked by love, strength, and joy. Hispresence litup every space he entered, and the world was truly a better place because he shined his light on it. Anative of Bogalusa,hemade his home in Baton Rouge where he and his wifebuilt alife and abusiness together. Brandonwas known not only for his athletic talent and achievements but also for his unmatched work ethic and unforgettable sense of humor. He lived with passion, dedication and an unshakeable commitment to his family. Whether on the court or off, Brandon inspired those around him with his drive heart, and laughter. He is survived by his devoted wife, StephanieM Elwood Magee, and his five beautiful children: Khloe Magee, Madison Magee, Leonessa Klier, Ezequiel Elwood, and Brandon Zaire Magee. His legacy lives on through them—each carrying apart of his light forward.

Brandon also leaves behinda host of beautiful and bright nieces and nephews as wellasa strong team of auntsand uncles; his proud parents, StephanieSmith and Marvin Magee;his beloved grandmother, Bessie Brumfield; and his siblings: Marvin Dillon (Dericka Marshall- Dillon), Sharde Dillon-Bridges(Stephon Bridges),TramarcusLevi, Cameron Wallace,and JuliusKennedy eachof whomheheldclosetohis heart. Welcomedinto Heaven by those who went before him, including grandfather Luther CharlesMagee, Pauline B. Magee, Uncle Roderick Magee, grandfatherJohnny Brumfield and Gerald Simmons and cousins and friends LaTodrainDillon and Edderick Carde Penton. He willbedeeply missedbyall who knew and loved him.

Roy LeonardMarchand Jr.,age 94, completedhis earthly journey and went to be with the Lord on Tuesday,May 13, 2025.A lifelong resident of Gonzales, Louisiana,Roy spent justfouryears awaywhile servinginthe U.S.Air Force in San Antonio, Texas. It was therehemet his beloved wife, Joan Marie Wolfe Marchand. Joan,a sergeant, outranked Roy, a corporal—an arrangement that affectionatelyremained throughouttheir 59 -year marriage.In1949, Roy Jr. and his father,Roy Marchand Sr.,purchased the family's generalstore, originallyestablished in Gonzalesin1907 by Roy Jr.'s grandfather. By the late 1950s, Roy Jr.had begun transforming the store into abeloved local seafoodmarketand restaurant.Known simply as "The Store"tofamily and friends, it became a stapleinthe community—a place for fresh and boiled seafood, hot plate lunches, andpo'boys. Over theyears, many of Roy's relatives worked atThe Store,and countless young people in Ascension Parish got their firsttasteof cooking there, including a few who went on to fame Roy also served his community in otherways—as a Director for the Bank of Gonzales,a GonzalesCity Councilman, and alongtime member of the AscensionParish LibraryBoard. He was precededindeath by his parents, Roy Marchand Sr.and Lydia Hebert Marchand;his wife, Joan Marie Wolfe Marchand; his son,Robert James Bobby" Marchand; and sisters, BarbaraEpstein andClara Ann Johnson. Roy is survived by six children:Ronny Marchand,Rodney Marchand (Sharon),Scott Marchand, ToddMarchand,Lisa Lackey(Rory), and Theresa Robbins (Troy). He also leavesbehindeight grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Visitation willbeheld at St.Theresa of Avila CatholicChurch in Gonzales on Saturday, May17, 2025,from10:00 a.m. until the Mass of ChristianBurial at 12:00p.m. Interment will follow at Cornerview Cemetery. Pallbearerswill

be Rodney Marchand, Scott Marchand, Todd Marchand,Troy Robbins, Davin Miller, DJ Miller, and Adam Marchand.Inlieuof flowers,the family asks that Massesbeoffered for Royand Joan at St. Theresa of AvilaCatholic Church in Gonzales.

It is with deep sadness thatweannouncethe death of ourbrother,Aaron Bruce Materre, who transi‐tionedfromthislifeon Sunday, May4,2025 Beloved sonofthe late FreddieMaterre Jr andLil‐lie "Bea"Materre.Brother tothe late Joseph,Darrell and MichaelMaterre.His surviving siblings,Marva, Onetia, Marvin,FreddieIII, and Lloyd. HisCelebration ofLifeisSaturday, May17, 2025, at 11 AM at Demby FuneralHome, 900 Magno‐lia St,Donaldsonville, LA

Visitation &religious services Saturday May 17, 2025 at Greater Bethany Baptist Church 214 Valverda Rd.Maringouin, La. 10am. Visitation until 11am Religious services.Conducted by Rev. C.A. Robinson Officiating.Interment Church Cemetery.

A"CelebrationofLife Visitation"for Marvin Louis Moncla, 87, willbe held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, from5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Rose-NeathFuneral Home,2500 SouthsideDr., Shreveport, Louisiana. Services willbeheldonFriday, May 16, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Trinity CatholicChurch, 315 Marshall St. in Shreveport. Interment willfollowatForest Park East Cemetery, 3700 St.Vincent Ave.Officiating theservicewillbe Father Duane Trombetta

Marvin was born on October3,1937, in Lake Charles, Louisiana to Eugene Fields Monclaand Louetta OctaviaCailleteau Moncla and passedaway on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Shreveport

Marvin was aresident of Shreveport.Hereceived hisB.S. Civil Engineering degree in May 1959. After graduating, Marvin joined his family's construction business known as Moncla ConstructionCompany, Inc.,and continued the business after his father's death through2007. He was aGeneralContractor and some of his projects were Holy Angels, Holy Rosary, St. PiusX,St. Catherine's School, St. Joseph's School, St.Jude's in Bossier City, Notre Dame School, Daughters of the Cross Convent, Kelly's Truck Stop,one of Swepco's Arsenal Hill Buildings, and 6/8 FirstNationalBank branches.

Our Dad was aseason ticket holder forLSU football gamesfor decades, and he lovedtraveling down to watch his team play.Healso enjoyed traveling the country on his Harley, and one road trip took him to Sturgis, South Dakota forthe annualrally.

He is preceded in death by hisparents; brother, First Lt.Albert Gene Moncla, USAF; wife, Dessie Windham Moncla;son, MichaelAndre Moncla; and themotherofhis eight children, AllisonMiller Moncla. Left to cherish his memory are hisdaughters, Shari Monclaand Wende Moncla; sons, Gene Moncla, Marvin Jr. Moncla (Renee), Ben Moncla, Roger Moncla(Brenda), and Mark Moncla(Deborah); 17 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Honoring Marvinaspallbearerswillbefour of his sons, William EugeneMoncla, Marvin Moncla, Jr RogerMoncla, and Mark Moncla,his grandson-inlaw, Sean Forney, and his grandson, Zachary Moncla. At thetime of his death, he was awidower. Our Dad willbegreatly missed,but we willloveand cherish his memory forever.

Katherine Dunning Nadler passedaway on May 13, 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was born on May 3, 1935, in BatonRouge.She was known by her family and many friends as "Kappy". Agraduate of Baton Rouge High School, Katherine went on to attend Louisiana State University. She latermarried JosephAllan Nadler Jr. of Plaquemine, Louisiana, where thecouple made their home and raised their threechildren: William AllanNadler(Gale), Nancy Katherine Nadler Gremillion (Dennis), and Jean Laughlin Nadler Moody (Robert). "Miss Kappy" dedicatedmany years to theIberville Parish Library as abeloved children's librarian. Her passionfor storytelling and literacy touched generations throughher leadership of storytime sessions and Summer Reading programs that brought joy to countless childreninPlaquemine.She was adevoted grandmother to eight

grandchildrenand eleven great-grandchildren,with afew cherished "bonus" grandchildrenand greatgrandchildrenwho also held special placesinher heart. Katherine was precededindeathbyher parents, herhusband, Joseph Allan NadlerJr., and her grandson, Scott Allan Nadler. Herlegacylives on through themanylives she enriched withher warmth, creativity, anddedication to familyand community. Mayher memory bring comforttothosewho knew and lovedher.A visitation willbeheld on Sunday, May18th at RabenhorstFuneral Home on Government St.from1PM to 3PM;with aFuneral Service beginningat3PM

Poston,Joyce Marie

JoyceMarie Poston de‐partedthislifeonFriday, May 9, 2025, at herresi‐dence in Thibodaux, LA

She was74, anativeofThi‐bodaux, LA.Visitationon Saturday, May17, 2025, at Williams &SouthallFuneral Home, 10:00 am.Cremation tofollow. Arrangements by Williams &SouthallFuneral Home, 1204 ClevelandSt., Thibodaux,LA70301, (985) 447-2513. To sign guest book or offercondolences, visit ourwebsite at www williamsandsouthallfune ralhome.com.

Patricia Turner Riddick b.1939, passedawayon May5th, 2025. Memorial servicesat10am, Saturday May17, RabenhorstFuner-

Sumrall, Helen Marie Williams Morris

HelenMarie Williams Morris Sumrall, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother,and friend, peacefullypassed away on Saturday, May3, 2025, at the age of 98. Helenwas born in Kentwood, Louisiana, on September 22, 1926. Over the years, herfaithled hertoactively serve in churchesinevery city whereshe lived,including SuperiorAvenue Baptist Church,Bogalusa LA; and most recently, Istrouma Baptist Church, Baton Rouge.Helen is survivedbyher daughter, Frankie Morris Erwin (Denny Erwin); granddaughters andtheir husbands, Paige Erwin Riley(Greg Riley); andDr. April Erwin (Scott D'Agostino); great-grandchildren, Patrick Rileyand Brooke Riley; as well as several nieces and nephews. She waspreceded in death by herparents, Joeand Frankie Williams; herfirst husband, Harlon Morris,and second husband, MarvinSumrall; her twobrothers, Joseph "Joe" Williams, Jr.(Othell), and Stanley Williams; andher sister,EleanorLedoux (Ernest). Herfuneral will be held at Istrouma Baptist Church,Baton Rouge,on Saturday, May17, 2025, with visitation from 9:00 a.m. untilservicesat11:00 a.m., conductedbyRev RonLambe. Gravesideservices, ledbyRichard "Rick" Ledoux, will follow in Woodland Cemetery, Kentwood, LA. Pallbearers will be Greg Riley, Patrick Riley, Darryl Williams, Gerry Morris,Don Whatley, Larry Fussell,and Martin Burch. Honorarypallbearer will be Quintin Merrett. Special thanks to Brandi Baker, RN,Pinnacle Hospice,whose faithfulvisits everyTuesday morningendearedher to thefamily. In lieu of flowers, memorial donationsmay be made in hername to Send Relief, https://www.sendrelief.or g, acollaboration between theInternational Mission Boardand North American Mission Board, SBC, that responds to disasters and

Materre, AaronBruce
Marchand, Roy Leonard
Mazone, Chester
Magee, Brandon 'Bebe'
Nadler, Katherine Dunning
Riddick, Patricia Turner
Moncla, MarvinLouis

OPINION

Plansto weaken ethics enforcementa badidea

In alegislative session that should focus on the state’s most pressing problems, Louisiana lawmakers are pursuing awideranging rewrite of the state’sethics code that would whittle awayat the minimal protections enacted to safeguard against conflictsof interest, backroom dealingand corruption.

That’sthe wrong message to send in astate riddled withLouisiana’slong and sordid political history,particularlywhen polls show public trust in government is at historic lows.

Supporters of the bill say the Louisiana Board of Ethics often pursuespublic officials accused of the most minor infractions with an intensity that is inappropriate, costing small-town officials and others unnecessary sums to hire lawyers for inadvertent mistakes.

They say ethics officials sometimes treat the processwithout the sensitivity and understanding of howthe hint of an ethics charge could damage reputations and political futures, sometimes for small violationsthat people simply didn’t realize they had committed

ThePublic Affairs Research CouncilofLouisiana agrees that tweakstothe ethics codeare likely neededtoadapt to changing circumstances and to address those legitimate legislative concerns.

But theresponse concocted by lawmakers andanattorney representing Gov.Jeff Landry in an ethics dispute is outsized for the problem. Thebill would skew the law in favor of public officials accused of misconduct instead of finding anequilibrium between them and theethics board that in-

vestigates possible violations. House Bill 674 won unanimous support from theHouseonMay 5. Lawmakersdidn’task asingle question on the House floor about the bill before supporting it. The entirediscussion and vote about suchsignificant revisions took about threeminutes. The bill now awaitsdebateinthe Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The proposal would add new hurdles for manyparts of the ethics investigation process; give someoneaccused of aviolation multiple ways to try to stymie a case to run out the clock on when charges can be filed; and require theboard to consider new,unclear standards for whether to even pursue an investigation.

For example, to determine that an investigation of an allegation is warranted, two-thirds of the ethics board is supposed to determinethat they are more likely than not to find aviolation —even though they haven’tconducted theinvestigation yet In addition, thebill would carve

Hydrogen couldbea key to fuelingstate’s future

The Gulf Coast region has abundant resources to expand beyondconventional energy fuels and chemical feedstocks.From its proximity to athrivingnatural gas industry to its existing processing and transportation infrastructure, there is ample opportunity for expanding production of hydrogento support our energy mix.

Specifically,the state ofLouisiana is more than prepared to champion the growth of hydrogen as it plays akey role in the development of emerging markets.

map.

Encouraging pilot projects from Ohio to NewYork showco-firing hydrogen in turbinescan cut emissions, but challenges remain withpolicy,funding and infrastructure. Hydrogen’shigh delivered cost,driven by expensive production, transport and storage remains akey barrier

out new exceptions to ethics rules and allow public servants to newly take gifts up to $400 ayear without disclosure.

Andthe bill would expect the small ethics board stafftodothe added steps without any promise of new lawyers or other employees to help with the workload.

The measure clearly aims to makeitharder forthe ethics board and its administrative staff to bring charges against officials. Arelawmakers trying to makeit nearly impossible, though?

The extensive ethics code rewrite is advancing at the same time lawmakers are considering a similar vast redesign of the laws governing the spending and disclosure of the money candidates, political parties andothers raise for politicking.

House Bill 596 would add similar hurdles forthe Board of Ethics to investigate possible campaign finance violations, just as in the other ethics code bill. It also would change disclosure rules with new limits on someof

the things that must be publicly reported.

These proposals come after lawmakers enacted changes last year that now allow the governor and legislators to appoint members to the Board of Ethics directly,removing aprocess that required board appointees to be vetted and recommended through Louisiana’sprivate colleges. PARhopes that as lawmakers consider these bills, they remember they are accountable to the public they serve.

Disclosure lawsand ethics restrictions may often feel cumbersomeand irritating, but they help build confidence in government. Undermining those guardrails would only serve to further erode trust and makevoters question what their public officials are trying to hide.

Steven Procopio is the president and Melinda Deslatte is the research director of thePublic AffairsResearch Council of Louisiana.

Floodplanoffershopeto AmiteRiver basinresidents

Eric Smith GUEST COLUMNIST

Louisiana, long acornerstone of America’senergy and chemical industries, now findsitself at apivotalmoment in the clean energy transition. As the nation’s second-largest hydrogen producer —and the largest consumer— Louisiana already has the scale, industrialbaseand naturalgas resourcestoshift from gray hydrogen, or that produced from fossil fuels where the carbon dioxide is released, to blue hydrogen, which is produced from natural gasand the carboniscaptured. What sets the state apart is not just its productive capacity but its strategic infrastructure, including a600-mile hydrogen pipeline linking key industrialhubs across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Meanwhile, carbon capture and sequestration is no longer hypothetical, it’s operational. Louisiana is one of four states in the nation granted regulatory primacy. Add in an existing carbon dioxide pipeline originally designed for enhanced oil recovery —now repurposed to support carbon sequestration —and Louisiana emerges not just as aparticipant but as afrontrunner in North America’s decarbonized hydrogen future. With support from stategovernment, Louisiana is laying the groundwork for a hydrogen economy that spans legacy uses like refining and ammonia production to emerging sectors such as hydrogen-fueled transportation and power generation. But while hydrogen is hailedasthe fuel of the future, its path forward is subject to economic and politicaluncertainties. Green hydrogen, which ismade from renewable energy sources like wind or solar, remains prohibitivelyexpensive and faces steep infrastructure barriers. Blue hydrogen has emerged as the pragmatic alternative: leveraging existingnatural gas infrastructure andcarbon capturetechnology to deliver lower-carbon energytoday Federal incentives, like the hydrogen production tax credit, are designedtosupport this transition, buttemporal fragility in the face of shifting politicalwinds threatens the entire clean hydrogen road

Louisiana, with its existing pipeline network and upcoming projects like Kindle Energy’sMagnolia plant and Air Products’$4.5 billion blue hydrogen facility, is better positioned thanmost— but even here, upgrades are needed. Financing long-term projectsiscrucial, and Louisianamust balance global policy shifts with domestic concerns to succeed at delivery. Meanwhile, corporategiantslike Exxon and Chevron are hedging theirbets.Ata recent industry conference, Exxon CEO DarrenWoods made it clear:Only 10% of their capital is going into emerging lowcarbon markets like hydrogen, and that’s contingentonthe continuation of the hydrogentax credit mentioned above.

Chevronismoving forwardwithgreen hydrogenstorageinUtah and eyeing carboncapture projects alongthe Gulf Coast.

The interest is real, but without consistent federalbacking and fasterinfrastructure development, hydrogen risks becoming another solution thatfails to scale.

As globalenergy marketstighten and environmental scrutiny intensifies, the U.S.—including energy powerhouses like Louisiana —are increasingly beholden to international climateregulations,regardless of domestic policy.The marketreality is clear: Compliance withforeign emissionsrules is aprice of participation in globaltrade.

Blue hydrogen offers Louisiana apractical, cost-effective path to decarbonization that leverages its existing industrial base, delivery infrastructure and abundant naturalgas resources. Louisiana’sutility, refining, petrochemical, ammonia and maritime sectors arealready major gray hydrogen consumers, making them prime candidates for conversion to blue hydrogen.

With $20 billion invested and global demand rising in key export marketslike the European Union, Japan and China, Louisianaisprimedtolead in blue hydrogen —ifitdelivers on emissions transparency, aligns withglobal carbon standards and sustainsa stable regulatorypath.

Eric Smith is the associatedirector of The Tulane EnergyInstitute and a professor at the AB Freeman School of Business.

Almosteveryone in the Capital Region remembers thefloods of August 2016. They inundated tens of thousands of homes and cost 13 precious lives. The trauma still lingers in the hardest-hit communities.

Even if you escaped the floodwaters, you felt their impact. Businesses closed. Schools doubled up or shut down. Public services were interrupted. Maybe you helped aneighbor carry alifetime of cherished keepsakes to the street —for the garbage dump.

Not asingle parish in the Amite River Basin —Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, St. Helena or St. James —was spared. The basin is no stranger to riverine, coastal, backwater or flash flooding. In 2016, we saw all of it. The system overloaded. The Comite River, Bayou Manchac, Ward Creek BlindRiver and many others surged beyond capacity.

$1.2 billion in construction on the Comite River Diversion Canal and the “Five Bayous” Project in East Baton Rouge Parish —both expected to finish after 2028.

No one can truly prepare fora1,000year flood, but 2016 showed us again the force and persistence of water in our basin.

It is part of alist of devastating events —the floods of 1977 and 1983, Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, theMarch (and August)2016 flood and the “rain bomb” of 2021 that we’ll never forget.

More importantly,itunderscored the growing frustration of citizensdemanding action. In 2022, the Legislature restructured theAmite River Basin Commission, giving it asharper,more urgent mission to reduce flood risk.

Andweare acting. Together with our seven member parishes and professional experts, we are advancing morethan $100 million in transformative projects: Clearing sediment from the Lower Amite, improving drainage in Bayou Manchac, installing pump stations to movefloodwatersintothe Mississippi River in Ascension Parishand bolstering protections for vulnerable communities in St. James Parish

At thesame time, the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers is nearing completion of

The Legislature also tasked us with developing the first Amite River Basin Master Plan forcomprehensive drainage, flood risk reduction and water management across the basin. In short: to fix the problem

The newly completed plan, available on the Amite River Basin Commission’swebsite, identifies how we can revise FEMA’s flood mapstoremove thousands of homes from designated flood zones, lowering insurance costs forfamilies. It also provides tools to help communities design smarter drainage systems, aid emergency managers during storms and help residents understand and manage their risk.

The plan showsthat by stopping excess water from entering the Amite River system —and improving how the system drains —wecan significantly reduce future flood losses. When we do nothing, those losses now average $210 million annually.Left unchecked, they’ll climb to $550 million ayear by 2050. Afully implemented Amite River Basin Master Plan can cut that risk in half

This plan represents anew chapter of regional cooperation among the seven parishes in this basin, working together as one to protect what matters. It’s not perfect. It will evolve. But one thing is certain: There is no alternative. We must act.

John Clark is the president of theAmite River Basin Commission.

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK Aswollen and swift moving AmiteRiver flowsbeneath U.S. 190 at theLivingston Parish line.

ROOM FOR DEBATE POPE LEO XIV

The election of Pope Leo XIV was asurprise to many last week when the CollegeofCardinals choseCardinal RobertPrevost, aChicagonative, to leadthe world’s1.4 billion Catholics.The Roman Catholic Church has neverbeen led by an American —until now.Thenew pope also has worked as amissionary in Peru andholds citizenship of that nation. In addition, NewOrleans historian Jari Honora discovered the pope’sfamily hasdeep Louisianaroots.As we learnmore about Pope Leo XIV, questions remain about howhewill approach his role on theglobalstageand what hispapacy willmeanfor the church. Hereare twoperspectives.

With newpapal leader,there’s no goingbackfromFrancis

The selection of Pope LeoXIV,formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost,means there will be no turning back from thedirectioncharted by Pope Francis, whomade Prevost acardinalin2023.

ThefirstAmerican popewas shaped by his experience of global Catholicismand deeply influenced by two decades serving the poor and leading adiocese in Peru. The new pope’scommitment to social justice is reflected in the name he chose: the last Pope Leo authored the pro-worker 1891 encyclical, “Rerum Novarum,” which laid the groundwork for acentury of Catholic social teaching.

commitment to Francis’ legacy,calling for peace, dialogueand justice,”said John Carr, founder of Georgetown University’sInitiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life. “He chose Leo XIV to make clear commitmenttoCatholic social teaching.”

Pope Leosends message that evil will notprevail

E.J Dionne

In his first public address as pontiff, Leo signaled hissupport forFrancis’sbeliefin a“listening” or “synodal” church, built on grassrootsconsultation withthe faithful.

“Wewant to be asynodal church,” Leo said, “walking and alwaysseeking peace, charity, closeness, especially to thosewho are suffering.”

He will be the first leader of 1.4 billion Roman Catholics with arobust socialmedia history.That history suggestsLeo will not be afraid to take issue withthe policiesof President Donald Trump, even though, as The Post reported, he voted in Illinois Republican primaries in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Within minutes of the pope’sselection, the internet buzzed with his February tweet, which linked to astoryinthe liberal National Catholic Reporter that criticized Vice President JD Vance’scomments on immigration.

“JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t askus to rank our love for others,” read theheadlinecapturedinthe new pope’stweet. Vance hadarguedthatlovefor family,neighborhood,community andnation took priority over love directed to “therest of theworld.” Leo’s own connections to “the restofthe world” are underscored byhis dual citizenship —born in the United States, he also took Peruviancitizenship. His core beliefs wereimmediate cause for celebration among pro-Francis Catholics and other progressives in theU.S. “At the very beginning, he demonstrated

But PopeLeo is no carbon copy of Pope Francis.The remarkable speed of hisselection pointed to asense among middle-of-the-road cardinals that he could be aconciliator in adivided church.

It is hard to read where thenew pope will lead on LGBTQ+ rights and the role of women in the church, important issues everywhere but particularly in theAmerican church. Hispast statements andcloseness to bishops from theGlobal South— who tendtobemore conservative on these questions —suggest little innovation.But his support for thesynodal process and for modest advances in women’sroles in the church under Francis might leave open some doors to change.

There is alsosome irony that the first American pope chose thename Leo. Despite LeoXIII’sprogressive stances on labor issues, he issued statementsstrongly critical of aspects of American Catholic thinking that were influenced by modernity. The object of Leo’sconcern came to be seen as a quasi-heresy called “Americanism.”

American Catholic bishops pushed aside thecontroversy,insisting that none of the ideas condemned by Leo XIII wereactually being taught by theU.S. church. Later,in the1960s, American ideas about democracyand religious freedom would have an important influence on the Second Vatican Council

Pope Leo XIV’selection might be seen as thedecisive settlement of the “Americanism”controversy

Thenew pope might have important and critical things to say back to the leadership of thenation that nurtured him. He promises to beanimportant voice for social justice, international solidarity —and bridge building.

E.J. Dionne is on X, @EJDionne. Email him at ejdionne@washpost com

My favoriteearly fact about Pope Bob from Chicago comes from his talkative brother,John. Local reporters found John right away as the world met PopeLeo XIV.Fake newsI may have repeated initially had the new pontiff as aCubs fan.His bro set the record straight:Forever White Sox, much to thedisappointmentofWrigley Field, whohad already identified him as their man Besides clearing up diamond misconceptions, John shared childhood memories of his brother.“He took ourmom’s ironing board and put atablecloth over it, and we had to go to Mass,” John said. “He knew everything.Heknew his prayers in Latin. He knew his prayers in English, and he did that all the time, and he took it totally serious.” John explained that it was “not agame” to Rob, as he has referred to his brother.“He wasdead serious about it.” For cradle Catholics, it’snot an unfamiliar anecdote. Somekids used potato chips forthe play ceremony,others used crackers. Someofushave made the mistake of giving apreprepared play Mass kit to achild. All is pious and lovely until the “priest”decides he’shad enough and throws all the pretend consecrated hostsall over the basement, leading even the most conservative young women to wonder why Jesus put men in charge of his priesthood. Mercifully, God himself is actually the one calling theshots. When we had thechance to hear from thefirst pope from the United States —even if he’sspent enough time out of the country to makehim a morepalatable choice forthose who do not hail from our neck of the woods —heassured us we are loved and that evil will not prevail. We need to know these things. God is love and all its implications —this idea can makelife

bearable, and yet be so hard to believe. We are living in atimewhen not only are we having contentious immigration debates, but we’ve also lost any sense of how manyundocumented children are unaccounted for. Only God knowswho among them are now in the hands of traffickers. Evil will not prevail —itrequires an act of faith to believe this. And we’re going to trust an institution? One that’sbeen knowntohave looked the other way in the face of child abuse? Yes, because it is the Church of Jesus Christ, whocalls us to conversion.

Pope Francis used to visit the sameimageofMary and Jesus every timeheleft and returned to Rome. He did it from morethan merepiety He wasbearing witness to the fact that everything requires acts of trust in God. Confidence that his mother is ours, too, carries us in wayswecan never fully know Mary as the Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the United States and one of the most, if not the most, misunderstood aspects of Catholicism The Immaculate Conception has nothing to do with Mary and Joseph never having had sex. It is about the sinless nature of Mary, from the momentofher conception. It signals that miracles happen and purity is possible, with God’s grace. It’s not merechild’splay.The sacraments do actually sustain us. In his first homily as pope, Leo XIV warned us of practical atheism. Even a daily Mass-goer can fall into it. Mass is not forplay anymore. It’s everything forthose whobelieve we believe it; we will live it and invite others with the love we show like never before. The attention the world has fixed on the Catholic Church right now necessitates it.

Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

Kathryn Jean Lopez
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass withthe CollegeofCardinals inside the Sistine Chapel at theVatican on May9

urgent needs at home and around the world. Please visit www.resthavenbatonr ouge.com to read the full obituary or to leave apersonalnote to the family.

Thomas,Isaiah

Isaiah Thomas departed thislifeonWednesday, May 7, 2025, in Thibodaux, LA. He was36, anativeof Thibodaux,LAand aresi‐dentofNew Iberia.Visita‐tiononSaturday, May17, 2025, at St.Peter Baptist Church from 9:00am to reli‐gious services at 11:00am Intermentinthe church cemetery. Arrangements byWilliams& Southall Fu‐neral Home,1204 Cleveland St.,Thibodaux,LA70301.To signthe guestbookor offercondolences,visit our website at www.william sandsouthallfuneralhome. com.

DEATHS continued from at theage 83. She was a native of Blairstown, LA Shirleywas an Educator with EBRP School Board for 37yrs. She was precededin death by her devotedhusband, LeroyFisher.She is survived by her 2sons, Roderick Fisher and Lerard Fisher (Shonda).She was a lovingwife, mother, grandmother, sister,aunt, and friend. Visitation willbe held on Saturday, May17, 2025 at Richardson Chapel Church of God in ChristBR, LA from 9:00AM until servicesstartat11:00AM. OfficiantElder Leonard Powell.Burial in Cedar Grove Church Cemeteryin Greenwell Springs, LA.

James was born on July 24, 1953 to the union of the late WilliamJrand Adrine Ventress of Rosedale, Louisiana.Hepeacefully departed this life on May9, 2025 at St.Joseph Hospice of Baton Rouge. He is survived by his dedicated wife; Marcia G. Ventress, two daughters, Je-

nae(Arthur)Poole and Jonnitha Brown; twosons, Jermaine Gordon and Joe Jones. Homegoing Celebration willtakeplace Saturday, May 17thatHallDavis and Sons located at 1160 Louisiana Avenue Port Allen, La. at 10:00 am. Burial will proceed at the RosedaleCemetery in Rosedale, Louisiana. Repast following at the Rosedale Community Center.

Yates, Janice

Funeralservicesfor Jan‐ice YateswillbeheldSat‐urday,May 17, 2025 at Charity ChristianCenter, 8710 O'Neal Lane.A public visitationwillbeheldfrom 9:00a.m.until 10:00 a.m. withreligious services be‐ginning at 10:00 a.m. Inter‐ment: Monday,May 19, 2025 at LouisianaNational Cemetery. Professional servicesentrusted to Charles Mackey Funeral Home.

obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FORMORE INFORMATION: 225-388-0289

Ventress, James
Turner Fisher, Shirley Lucille
Turner Fisher,a resident of Zachary, LA, passed away

LSUlatest exampleof SECsuccess impacting team’s image

Want an example of how brutal the Southeastern Conference has become?

We enter into evidence Exhibit A, the LSU softball program

The Tigers have the No. 5RPI in the country and astrong 41-14 record. Yet the Tigers wereonly the ninth seed in last week’sSEC tournament and are the No.10 national seed as they prepare to host their NCAA Baton Rouge regional against Southeastern, Nebraska and Connecticut.

LSU’sstrong start to the 2025 season was followed by a fade at thefinish,but allis forgottenwhenthe postseason starts.

Tigers third baseman/leadoff hitterand unquestioned leader Danieca Coffey said the team has latched onto the resetvibeinthe BatonRouge regional at TigerPark.

“I took this week to focus on myself and what Ineed to grow in to put myselfinthe best spottomorrow,” said Coffey,who missed nearly all of last year’srun to the super regionals. “You’re trying to getback to that spot you felt at the beginningofthe season.It’slike arestart to the season.”

Refreshed and ready withmore thanaweek off since their last game,the Tigers (41-14) take on No. 4seed Southeastern (48-14) at 4:30 p.m. following the opener

between No. 3seed Connecticut (35-17) and No. 2seed Nebraska (39-13).

LSUwent 4-8 in the lasthalf of the SEC slate to finish 12-12 for the second consecutive season. Despite some program record-setting offensive numbers and aNo. 4 RPI, they slid outofthe top eight seeds, which would have put them in positiontohost asuperregional.

But coach Beth Torina was clear on the difficulty the Tigers face to get beyond thisweekend with astrong and varied field. SLUgavethe Tigersall they could handle in aFebruary meeting and no other 4-seed won as many as 40 games much less the 48 theLions captured. The Lions facilitated their short game with 194 stolen bases this year

See LSU, page 4C

If LSU,which opens at 4:30 p.m. Friday against SLU,wins its regional and No.7national seed Tennessee wins the regional it is hosting, the Tigers will have to go on the road forasuper regional forthe second straight season. LSU lost in three games at Stanford in 2024.

The Tigers have been atop eight national seed three times since Beth Torina took over in 2012 but only once since 2015. That was in 2021, when LSU was the No. 7and lost asuper regional at hometoFlorida State. The Tigers madethe last of their four trips under Torina to the Women’sCollege World Series in 2017. They last won the SEC regular season in 2004 and the SEC tournament in 2007, all facts that were pointed out on the SEC Networktelecast of LSU’s SEC tournament loss to Oklahoma, the No. 2national seed.

The arrival of Oklahomaand Texas to the SEC has madesoftball in the league, already unbelievably tough, harder than adiamond. Seven of the top eight national

at Tiger Park. Torina has led the Tigers to regionalsin all14seasons as coach.

LSUbaseballfalls in heartbreakingfashion to SouthCarolina

Cowan’swildpitch leadsto Gamecocks’ walk-off win

But despite his sterling résumé, Cowan couldn’thold onto LSU’slead. The junior right-hander allowed arun in theeighth inning before surrendering agame-tying solo home runtoSouth Carolinathird baseman KJ Scobey in the ninth inning.

Pinch-hitter Jase Woitathen hit aone-out triple before ahit by pitch, line-out and an intentional walk then loaded the bases with two outs. Cowan, despite his superb com-

COLUMBIA, S.C. The game was all but over LSUhad atwo-run lead with Zac Cowan in the game. Besides one rockyweekendin College Station, Texas, two weeks ago, the junior right-handedreliever hadbeenlights out throughout Southeastern Conference play for the Tigers.

ä LSU at South Carolina 6P.M. FRIDAy,SECN+

mand, threw awild pitchthat allowedthe walk-off run to score that gave South Carolina the 6-5 win. With the scoretiedatthreeinthe eighth inning,LSU scored two runs. Sophomore Steven Milam hit asacrifice fly that gave the Tigersthe lead before seniorMichael Braswell singled to makeita5-3 game.

SouthCarolina was inches away from po-

TRANSFORMING TRAUMARECOVERY

tentially taking the lead in the seventh inning withrunners on first andsecondwith one out. But LSU senior Josh Pearson made asliding catch in right field and threw out the runner at second base on aclose play to end the inning.

LSU’soffense got off to astrong start on junior Daniel Dickinson’s two-run homerun in the first inning. It was the Utah Valley transfer’sninth of the season andhis first

See RABALAIS, page 4C ä See WILD PITCH, page 4C

Guillaume Spielmann,PhD Lead TraumaResearcher, Our Lady of theLakeHealth AssociateProfessor of Kinesiology, LSUHealth

Scott
Rabalais
LSUcenter fielder Jalia Lassiter,center,celebratesher homerun withher teammates in the fourth inning against AlabamaonApril 4atTiger Park. STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
STAFF FILE PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON LSUright fielder McKenzie Redouteytalks with coachBeth Torina in the fifth inning of agame against Charlotte on Feb.7

China’s Yang joins draft combine for NBA spot

Yang Hansen — a 7-foot-1, 253-pound center from China — is one of a slew of international players at the draft combine in Chicago this week, meeting with teams, getting measured and being put through drills. He also is taking part in the 5-on-5 scrimmaging, under the watchful eye of executives from every NBA team.

He turns 20 on June 26, the day that the Round 2 picks in this year’s NBA draft will get selected. That might turn out to be a fairly memorable birthday for the Chinese big man.

WNBA set to tip off season

A host of teams looking to challenge for the championship

There are no shortages of challengers to the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty or star power across the league.

A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are some of the veterans who will share the spotlight with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers as the league, in its 29th season, hopes to continue its rise in popularity

The WNBA season tips off Friday with expansion team Golden State playing its first game that night. A day later the Liberty will host the Aces where New York will receive its rings and raise the first championship banner in the franchise’s history

Later that day, Clark and Reese will meet for the first of five matchups this season between Indiana and Chicago.

Both are looking to build off their stellar rookie seasons where they set records and helped the league to record ratings and attendance. No team made more moves this offseason then the Fever who brought in a lot of talented veterans around Clark and Aliyah Boston the last two WNBA Rookie of the Year award winners. Indiana added DeWanna Bonner Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham as well as re-

signing Kelsey Mitchell. Clark is a slight favorite over Wilson and Collier according to BetMGM to win the MVP. The Fever are one of the betting favorites to win the title. Indiana is not the only team to make major moves with several franchises adding marquee names to rosters during the offseason via free agency and trades.

Atlanta picked up former Mercury All-Star Brittney Griner, who had spent her entire WNBA career playing in Arizona since being drafted No. 1 in 2013 by Phoenix. The Dream also added former Connecticut standout Brionna Jones. Phoenix was active in bolstering its roster trading for Alyssa Thomas and signing Satou Sabally

Curry watches as Warriors fade out

MINNEAPOLIS The Golden State Warriors revealed a glimmer of hope before their elimination game in Minnesota with the announcement that Stephen Curry had been cleared for shooting drills and light on-court workouts, raising the possibility his strained left hamstring could heal in time for him to play in the series.

The Timberwolves quickly put an end to that, closing out the Western Conference semifinal series with a 121-110 victory Wednesday night.

All Curry could do was watch, the four-time NBA champion and league’s career leading 3-point shooter relegated to wincing from the bench while the Wolves shredded an exhausted Warriors defense with 63% shooting.

The Warriors said earlier in the day that Curry was “making good progress” in his recovery from the injury suffered in the opener of the second-round series. With a three-day break before the scheduled Game 6, Curry would’ve have had extra time to heal, but his fourth consecutive absence was simply too much to overcome for this Warriors team

that was already thin on consistent scoring

“Injuries are part of the playoffs. I learned a long time ago the playoffs are really about health and then just guys stepping up and making some big shots, big plays in key games,” said coach Steve Kerr, who embraced veterans Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green on the court after the game. “That’s what decides every series. We’ve been on both ends of that. It’s just part of it, so there’s no sense in dwelling on it.”

The Warriors lost four straight games in the same postseason for the first time since 1972.

“We definitely missed Steph.

That obviously goes without saying But I’m not going to come up here and harp on Steph not being here, make it like their win is less than what it is,” Green said.

“They’re moving on Congratulations to those guys. They beat us regardless.”

Curry’s first career hamstring strain, one of several injuries that have waylaid star players during these NBA playoffs, made it predictably harder for the Warriors to space their offense and generate scoring They averaged 17 turnovers per game in the series and shot only 34% from 3-point range.

The Sun lost their entire starting five from last season and brought back former UConn All-American Tina Charles.

Looking for a repeat title

It’s rare for teams to win backto-back championships in the WNBA. Las Vegas became the first to do it in 21 years with its consecutive titles in 2022 and 2023. New York is trying to do it now The Liberty made a few key offseason moves bringing in veteran guard Natasha Cloud as well as forward Isabelle Harrison. New York also will have exciting guard Marine Johannes back this season after she missed last year to prepare for the Olympics with her French team. The Liberty did lose guard Betnijah Laney-Ham-

ilton to a knee injury that she suffered in the offseason. She’ll be out for the year

Lynx for a championship

Minnesota was overlooked at the start of the season and led by Collier, they made it back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2017 before losing in a decisive Game 5 to New York. While they didn’t make many offseason moves, the Lynx return all five starters.

Collier the league’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, anchors a solid defense that held opponents to a league-best 41% shooting from the field.

High expectations for Bueckers Bueckers was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and will try and help revitalize the Dallas franchise. She was the most efficient player in college on the offensive end and capped off her career helping UConn win its 12th national championship. Before she went through a series of injuries at UConn, Bueckers became the first freshman ever to win AP Player of the Year New leadership on sidelines Eight of the 13 teams will have new head coaches this season. Atlanta and Los Angeles turned to college coaches Karl Smesko and Lynne Roberts, respectively Indiana brought back former coach and player Stephanie White to lead the Fever. White had been in charge of the Connecticut Sun, who replaced her with former Belgium national team coach Rachid Meziane.

Vegas leads at 64 as stars fail to shine at PGA Championship

CHARLOTTE, N.C.— Jhonattan Vegas played the best golf hardly anyone saw Thursday in the PGA Championship.

Brilliant sunshine after three days of rain brought out a full house of spectators expecting a great show They just didn’t get it from who they came to see — Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele — and most of them were long gone when Vegas worked his magic in the late afternoon.

Two good par saves. Two short birdies. Another par save. And then three birdies at the end for a 7-under 64, giving the 40-yearold Venezuela his best score in 45 rounds at the majors and a twoshot lead on an opening day of surprises.

“Incredible,” Vegas said when asked to summarize his round. “Any chance you get to shoot 64 at a major championship is always great.”

Equally incredible is that for the first time in at least 30 years, none of the top 10 players in the world ranking could be found in the top 10 of the leaderboard after 18 holes at a major

The biggest crowds belonged to the top three in the world, and it wasn’t nearly as inspiring as four of the last five majors they have combined to win. At his first major since winning the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam, McIlroy didn’t make birdie over his last 12 holes and had nothing to say about that after a 3-over 74 sent him straight to the range. Scheffler, the world No. 1,

and defending PGA champion

Schauffele had plenty to say about mud balls on tee shots, particularly on the 16th hole that sent both to double bogey Scheffler at least holed two shots from off the green — one for birdie, one for eagle — and he finished with a 6-iron from 215 yards to 3 feet on No. 9 that sent him to a 69.

“I did a good job battling and keeping a level head out there during a day which there was definitely some challenging aspects to the course,” Scheffler said. “Did a good job posting a number on a day where I didn’t have my best stuff.”

Vegas tied for the lead by getting up-and-down from behind the green on the par-5 seventh

He holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the short par-4 eighth. And on the rugged ninth hole, his tee shot held up in the grass just short of the bunker He hit that to 25 feet and ended his amazing day with a third straight birdie.

He has never finished in the top 20 in a major and hadn’t qualified for this one in three years. Vegas had a two-shot lead over Ryan Gerard, the PGA Tour rookie who grew up in North Carolina and was the only other player to reach 7 under until bogeys on his last two holes. He was joined at 66 by Cam Davis of Australia. They weren’t the only players who might an introduction to casual golf fans. Alex Smalley, the first alternate who found out about 15 hours before he teed off that he had a spot in the field, rolled in a 70-foot eagle putt on his way to a 67. Ryan Fox of New Zealand, who qualified by winning the Myrtle Beach Classic, also was at 67.

He really feels happiness here,” Chris Liu, Yang’s interpreter, said after relaying Yang questions. “And then, he’s really willing to compete with everyone and against everyone. He really enjoyed that.”

NFL considers allowing players in Olympics

NFL owners will discuss a proposal to allow players under contract to participate in flag football when the sport makes its Olympic debut in 2028 in Los Angeles.

The league released a proposed resolution on Thursday on the issue that will be considered next week by owners at the spring meetings in Minnesota.

If the resolution is approved by at least 24 of the 32 team owners, the league would be allowed to negotiate with the NFL Players Association, Olympic officials and national governing bodies on the specifics of letting NFL players participate. The proposal would allow only one player per NFL team to be selected by a country for the Olympics in addition to each team’s designated international player

Pacquiao returning to the ring after senatorial loss

Boxing great Manny Pacquiao is coming out of retirement to fight Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight crown in July

Pacquiao’s team made the announcement on Thursday, just hours after he conceded defeat in a bid for another seat in the Philippines Senate. It was not clear if the fight at a Las Vegas venue to be decided is a one-off or if 46-year-old Pacquiao is coming out of a fouryear retirement to box full-time. Asked to clarify, his communications officer Joey Hernal said the media should wait for Pacquiao’s own press conference.

Pacquiao previously served as a senator from 2016-22. In the midterm elections on Monday, Pacquiao vied for a second stint in the Senate but finished 18th out of 12 allowed.

Sinner cranks up his game in rout of Ruud

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner cranked up his level to near-perfection in a 6-0, 6-1 dismantling of Ruud in the Italian Open quarterfinals on Thursday — a day after Sinner was granted a private audience with the new tennis-playing pope just down the road at the Vatican.

In his fourth match back after a three-month doping ban, Sinner blasted winners on the lines, finished off points with aggressive overhead smashes and never really let Ruud — one of the best clay-court players on tour — have a chance. The seventh-ranked Ruud was coming off a title at the Madrid Open but in the first set he managed to win just seven points. The Norwegian dropped to 0-4 in his career against Sinner

FIFA gets formal complaint of human rights oversight

A group of international lawyers filed a formal complaint to FIFA on Thursday claiming the soccer body is failing to uphold its human rights policy with 2034 World Cup host Saudi Arabia. The filing using FIFA’s own online portal for grievance reporting was made by FIFA’s former anti-corruption adviser Mark Pieth, Swiss lawyer Stefan Wehrenberg and British barrister Rodney Dixon. Their offers to advise FIFA on human rights compliance were ignored.

“Saudi Arabia has been chosen as the next host country despite its appalling human rights record, including violations relating to freedom of expression, arbitrary arrest, detention and mistreatment, migrants’ rights and women’s rights,” the lawyers’ complaint said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLIE NEIBERGALL
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark walks off the court after an exhibition game against Brazil on May 4 in Iowa City, Iowa.
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, right, and Buddy Hield react to a missed shot in the second half on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
AP PHOTO By
SCOTT STRAZZANTE

LHSAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Mixon comes through to lift U-High past CHNI

SULPHUR As soon as the ball hit the bat, University High’s Lane Mixon knew what he had to do. Mixon had two strikes and there were two outs with runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh inning. Mixon pounded a high chopper on the infield and slid into first base just ahead of the throw by Cath-

olic-New Iberia. Jaris Hamilton, who took off with the crack of the bat, scored from third, giving the second-seeded Cubs a 2-1 victory over No. 4 CHNI in one of the first games played at the LHSAA baseball tournament on Thursday at McMurry Park.

“Every day we practice getting the bat on the ball,” Mixon said. “When you put the ball in play, good things happen. As soon as my hand

Pitcher throws shutout

SULPHUR Bennett Smith knew for the better part of a week that he would be the starting pitcher for Catholic High in the first game of a state championship series.

And once game time arrived, the senior right-hander was ready Smith made his first start of the postseason and limited Brother Martin to five hits with no walks in a 2-0 victory that opened the best-of-three LHSAA Division I select state championship series Thursday at McMurry Park.

Smith threw just 70 pitches over seven innings, relying on a mix of pitches that included a split-finger fastball, a pitch that “just drops,” Smith said. “It’s like a drop ball. It just falls off. It was working great.”

Top-seeded Catholic (36-5) turned to Smith when rainouts last week caused the Bears to play their two state semifinal games on Saturday, leaving usual pitching ace Lucas Lawrence without enough rest to pitch on Thursday Instead, Lawrence will pitch on Friday, coach Brad Bass said.

Bass told Smith after the rainout last week that he would get the first-game start in the championship series.

“It’s one he definitely earned,” Bass said. “This wasn’t something we gave him. This was something through coming out of the bullpen and being a dependable strike-thrower and competing his butt off. To get this opportunity is something he earned. And he did that

SULPHUR It took a little time for Live Oak ace Sawyer Pruitt to find his groove. The UL signee walked the first four batters he faced to give 11th-seeded Sam Houston a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Then Pruitt struck out the next three batters That paved the way for the topseeded Eagles to notch a 3-1 victory in the first game of the Division I nonselect final series at the LHSAA baseball tournament on Thursday

touched (first base) I knew we won.” It was an appropriate ending for the Division III select game in which both teams scratched and clawed to gain an edge. It was the first game of a best-of-three series. The teams meet again at 11 a.m. Friday with a third game at 11 a.m. Saturday if necessary Each team had five hits. Both teams scored a run in the second inning. Catholic-

New Iberia’s J.D. Hidalgo led off the top of the second with a double and advanced third on a bunt Hidaldo scored on another bunt by Isaac Andre.

It didn’t take the Cubs (289) to answer as Ethan Hopkins launched a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to knot the game at 1-1.

From there, U-High starter Grant Sunstrom (7-3) was efficient. Sunstrom, who threw just 86 pitches, struck

out five and retired six in a row in the early innings.

“I was mainly attacking the hitters with heaters,” Sunstrom said. “We always talk about attacking guys and making them prove they can hit it before we try to get fancy and do anything else.”

The approach was the right one in a gritty game.

Catholic-New Iberia (24-12) stranded a runner in scoring position in the top of the seventh U-High stranded

runners in scoring position four times before scratching across the winning run. Brody Mayeux (6-3) is set to start for the Cubs on Friday as U-High can clinch its second straight state title with a win.

“With two strikes, our philosophy is always to put the ball in play and force the other team to make a play,” UHS coach Jon Ramsey said. “The ball bounced our way.”

and made the most of it tonight.”

Brother Martin coach Jeff Lupo said he did not expect Smith to be the first pitcher his team would see, but “we knew he was one of their guys.”

Even so, No. 3 Brother Martin (31-8) needed better execution against the consistent strike-thrower

“It doesn’t matter who they put up there, it’s still 60 feet, six inches away and we’ve got to be better at making some adjustments to string together more quality at-bats in a row,” Lupo said. “I think if you go back and look at our quality at-bat chart, we didn’t have enough of those today. We’ll be better (Friday).”

Brother Martin never advanced a runner beyond first base through the first six innings. The Crusaders put two runners on base for the first time in the seventh, and the final batter hit into a fielder’s choice.

The two runs for Catholic scored on a wild pitch in the third inning and a throwing error from the outfield in the fourth, two miscues that provided all the support Smith needed.

The first run scored on a wild pitch. Orlando Henriquez started the inning with a double to left-center field, went to third on Mills Richardson’s sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch that bounced to the backstop. Egan Prather retrieved the ball and made a throw that glanced off the glove of pitcher Cole Navarro, covering home just as Henriquez reached the plate.

The second run scored on a throwing error from the outfield With Harrison Kidder on first base, Edward Henriquez singled with two outs in the fourth inning, and the throw from right field sailed across the infield and into shallow left field, letting Kidder advance to home for a 2-0 lead.

SULPHUR There are reasons baseball coaches fought to have their finals become best-of-three game series. One of the reasons was on display Thursday Second-seeded North DeSoto hit three home runs during an eight-run fourth inning, including a grand slam by Bryant LaCour, in an 8-2 victory over topseeded Brusly at the state baseball tournament. It was the first game of the Division II nonselect series played McMurry Park. The teams meet again at 2 p.m. Friday with a third game, if necessary at 2 p.m. Saturday

“We always try to avoid the crooked-run inning,” Brusly coach Jason Lemoine said. “We’ve done that pretty much all year, except for some games we lost.

“We they put the eight up there, it was tough. But I wanted to see the fight in our kids and I saw that. And now we move on to the game (Friday).”

Brusly (35-6), seeking its first state baseball title since 1977, must win Friday to force a third game on Saturday Four errors contributed to the woes for the Panthers, who are making their first finals appearance since 2010. Brusly led 1-0 after two innings. But that changed in the fourth. After LaCour’s grand slam, Reni Mason followed with a tworun homer to left.

Cole Doyal added a solo home run for the Griffins (28-12).

Jeremiah Hogan finished 2 for 3 with an RBI triple for Brusly Brayden Ray (10-2) took the loss, giving up seven hits. I The Panthers are set to start Aubrey St. Angelo on Saturday

“We still have a great shot. That was just one game,” Brusly outfielder Aiden Washington said. “We’ve got two more of our best arms pitching.

“We’ve got to remember to stay with our approach. It’s a series for a reason Yes we lost one, but I think we’re in a good spot.”

The senior right-hander struck out 11 and allowed only three hits in his final appearance for the Eagles (336). Pruitt (9-2) walked only two batters after the first inning and kept the Broncos (35-8) guessing with a mix of pitches that highlighted his high-velocity fastball.

The teams meet again at 5:30 p.m. Friday with LOHS needing one win to capture the title Zant Gurney (9-2) is expected to start for the Eagles.

“We try to preach to (Pruitt) not to do too much,”

Live Oak coach Jesse Cassard said. “You’re still playing the same game we

“I just let the moment get too big, which doesn’t happen often,” Pruitt said of his early struggles. “After the inning, all the coaches told me to breathe and just slow down. And just be me.”

REPORT

played 38 other times.”

When Pruitt exited the game in the top of the seventh after throwing 113 pitchers — just two below the LHSAA pitch-count limit he received an ovation.

With one on, Trevor Hodges came in and got a strikeout before inducing a gameending double play

Offensively the Eagles got what they needed by scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning. Cam Washington led off with a single, took second on an error and third on a wild pitch.

Cooper Smith’s infield hit scored Washington. An RBI double by Brock Davis put the Eagles in the lead.

“(Pruitt) made some big

pitches when he needed it,” Cassard said. “I thought out offense scratching right there to get runs was huge.”

Washington factored in LOHS’ other run. He laid down a perfect bunt down the third-base side to score Brayden Allen in the bottom of the fourth.

Sam Houston’s Owen Galley allowed seven hits for Sam Houston and had four strikeouts.

“Going up to the plate, I thought about trying to take a nice easy swing,” Davis said. “I fought off a couple of pitches and found one I could drive.”

W — Braden

(51⁄3 IP, 2R, 6H, 3K, 3BB). L — Brayden Ray (4 IP, 8 R, 7 H 3K, BB). Leaders — BRUSLY: Jeremiah Hogan 2-3, triple, RBI; Josiah Hogan 1-2, RBI; Coy Purpera 2-3, double, run). Aiden Washington 1-2. Brody Bourgoyne (3IP, 1H, 1K, 1W). NORTH DESOTO — Reni Mason 2-3, HR, two RBIs, run; Bolton LaCour 1-4, grand slam);

PHOTO By KIRK MECHE
North DeSoto’s Joseph LaCour heads home after hitting a grand slam against Brusly during their Division II nonselect championship series opener Thursday in Sulphur LaCour hit one of three homers for the Griffins
PHOTO By KIRK MECHE
Catholic pitcher Benett Smith needed just 70 pitchers to shut out Brother Martin 2-0 on Saturday at McMurry Park in Sulphur

Freshman leftyWilliams hasearnedkey bullpenrole

COLUMBIA,S.C. When CooperWilliams trotted out to the mound at College Station, Texas, countless family memberswere cheering him on from the stands.

Williams is from Alvin, Texas

If that town sounds familiar,it’s probably becauseit’sthe same place where Nolan Ryan grew up. Alvinisonlya two-hour drivefrom College Station, and Williams grew up going to Texas A&M gamesand at onepoint waseven committed to pitch for the Aggies

Thiswas abig moment forthe LSU freshman left-hander

“I had alot of family there,cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents,” Williams said. “The waythey came and supported me, it felt (great).” Williams held his own that weekend. He forcedasacrifice flyin his first appearance —Game 1of Saturday’sdoubleheader —before striking out future first-round pick Jace LaViolette on Sunday Twomore strong outings for a freshman who has yet to allowan earned run in Southeastern Conference play

LSU

Continued from page1C

“He (SLU coach Rick Fremin) does such agood job of creating the run game with hisgroup,” Torinasaid.“Theyare so consistent year in and year out. Findingways to defend that is always goingto be the challenge when you face them.” Nebraska wasperhaps themost dreaded 2-seed with one of the three best pitchers inthe nation in Jordy Bahl, who helped pitch Oklahoma to apair of nationaltitles before transferring to her home state school.

“Somebody had to get them,” Torina said.

UConn blasted its way to asecond-place finish in the Big East with 76 homers, 385 runs and a .325 team average, all topsintheir league.

“There are alot of looks to cover in this tournament,” Torina said. “Different pitching, power offenses, short game, alot of different things to do. We’ve had some quality work and had to check all the boxes we can check.

“They’re all tough. Every team playing this time of year deserves to be playing. Whoever comes out of here will be very battle tested.” Despite the late slide,the Tigers have been asuccessstory after losing six starters and their No. 2and 3starting pitchers. What developed was ateam that set aprogram record for mercyrule wins, batting average (tied), on base percentage, tied for second in walks and sacrifice flies and third most runs scored.

Those achievements under Bryce Neal, who replaced longtime offensive coach Howard Dobson, broughtadifferent vibe.

“It’soffensivenumberafter offensive number,” Torina said. “It’sbeen really incredible what he’sdone here.” The success is highlighted by theperformanceofredshirt

“At the end of the day I’m here,” Williams said. “I love being here, and there’s no otherguys I’drather go to battle with every day.”

Despite beingafreshman, Williams’ decision to join LSU following last summer’sdraft was a significant pickup for this year’s team

The Tigers lacked left-handed optionsonthe mound after having 10 lefties in 2024. They had sophomore KadeAnderson and redshirt sophomore DJ Primeaux,and had added two-way senior Dalton Beck andjuniorcollege transfer ConnerWare. But those were the only leftiesonthe team before Williams made hispledge.

LSU had commitments from lefthanders Cam Caminiti and Boston Batemen, but both prospectswere selected in the first tworounds of theMLB draft.LSU neededWilliams to supplement aneed for the short and long term.

“I thinkheisgoing to be aoutstanding pitcher in abigger role than we’ve seentothis point,” LSU coach JayJohnson said. “And at a place like LSU, on apitching staff like this,tobeabletocomeinand get meaningful outs and contributeinSEC gamesasa freshman is

really hard to do.”

So far,Williams has filled his short termpromise. The No. 12 left-handedhigh school pitching prospect in thenation,according to PerfectGame,has a1.46ERA in 17 appearances.

He’s only thrown 121/3 innings, buthis command hasimproved as the season hasgone along, and he’saccomplished what he’sbeen asked to do in SEC play: Get lefthanded hittersout

“I think the next level of it is continuing to developphysically which he already has,” Johnson said. “And then continue to build in away where he can command theball and mix (pitches).”

LSU will need all the help it can get from its bullpen at the SEC Tournament and as it headsinto June. Odds are that extra innings will be needed from its relief arms LikeAnderson ayear ago, count Williams as oneofthose keypieces.

“Doing all the things that you need to do to be successful, he does that,”Johnson said, “the mindset, mental game, competitiveness (and) ability.Now it’s just about building time, strengthand experience.

after

witha double in the first inning of agameagainst Alabama on April 4atTiger Park.

“They’re all tough. Every team playing thistime of year deserves to be playing Whoever comesout of here will be verybattletested.”

freshman first baseman Tori Edwards,who was named SEC Freshman of the Year after beltinganLSU freshman record 18 homerswith 71 runsbatted in.

She also leadsthe team with a.403 batting average.Coffey bounced back from her season ending injury in 2024tobat .386 with a.512 OBP and 52runs scored.

RABALAIS

Continued from page1C

seeds, including the top four, are from the SEC. LSU and Alabama, the No.15, are also hosting regionals. All but one of 15 SEC teams, Missouri, is in theNCAA field of 64 (Vanderbilt does not compete).

“Noother (SEC) sport put all but one of their teamsinthe postseason,” Torina said. Well, SEC gymnastics put all of its teams in, but that’sgoing 9-for-9 instead of 14 of 15 In their final four weeks of theSEC regular season plus the single-elimination conference tournament, LSU faced the top five seeded teamsfrom the SEC: The Tigers were swept at No. 1 Texas A&M,lost two of three at No. 6Texas, wontwo of three at homeagainst No. 3Florida, lost two of three at No.4Arkansas and lost in the tourney to No. 2 Oklahoma and former UL ace Sam Landry

LSU’sregional isn’taking cake walk by any means. No. 2-seeded Nebraska, which plays UConn at 2p.m. Friday,boasts one of the nation’stop three pitchers in Jordy Bahl, who is 23-6 and has an astonishing 254 strikeouts in 174-2/3 innings pitched. SLU,the Southland Conference champion, has a sparkling48-14 record and came within an inch of beating LSU in February at Tiger Park before falling 3-2. But abreak from the rigors of the SEC, even for one round, is awelcomed respite.

“It’snice to prepare for someone else,” Torina said. Ithink there’sagrowing sentiment, misplaced as it maybe, among LSU fandom that the softball program has grown stagnant, or even regressed. While LSU softball has not rankedamong the league’s uber-elite in terms of SEC titles, national seeds or WCWS appearances in recent years, it is far from bad. Torina has run asuccessful program that has been free of any major scandal or controversy One always aspires to be better,and enough LSU programs have demonstrated that they can and shouldreach the top. Among what one would consider the big seven sports at LSU —football, baseball, men’s basketball, women’sbasketball, gymnastics, softball and track and field —only men’s basketball and softball have never won NCAA championships. The other fivehave all done so

LSUcenter fielder Jalia

speakswithassistant coach Bryce Neal during agame against UT-Arlington on Feb.14atTiger Park.

“It’snicetopreparefor

someone else.”

since 2019.

The question is, since when has being atop 10-15 program been considered an underachievement?

LSU softball was whisker close to being atop-eight national seed in 2025. The difference may well have been its home series with South Carolina. The Tigers led game two of that series against the Gamecocks 2-1 before falling behind 3-2 in the seventh. LSU tied it 3-3, but South Carolina prevailed 5-3 in eight innings. The Gamecocks (40-15, 13-11 SEC) got aNo. 8national seed. LSU finished 12-2 in SEC play and is the No. 10. Draw your ownconclusions.

The NCAA field is set. Now it’ suptothe Tigers to do it on the field. They certainly can fight their way out of this regional and win asuper regional on the road, or of course hope for Tennessee to get upset in Knoxville so asuper can comehere. If not, it’sget ready for next season, and the SEC meat grinder that is sure to start up again.

For more LSUsports updates, signupfor ournewsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

pitcher Jaden Noot throws apitchagainst Northwestern State on April22atAlexBox Stadium.OnThursday,Noot retired the first 12 batters he faced untilhesurrendered asingle and arun-

WILD PITCH

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WhatTorina needsthisweekend is for the pitching to even out after ace Sydney Berzon struggled in the final fourweeks. Freshmanleft-handerJayden Heavener showed some signs of maturity with three strong outings in thelast four.

“Herlast few outings have been really good, really strong,” Torina said. “Wehavetohopethat’s what we’regoing to get here. She’s worked through alot of things and grown themost of anybody we’ve had.

“It’sbeen along season; nobody out hereisgoing to feel 100 percent. But (Sydney) has battled through some stuffall year. She’ll give us everything she’sgot.”

homer since April 4. Butafter thefirst,LSU’s offense struggled until the eighth inning. The Tigers were scorelessfrom innings two through four and,despitescoring arun, ran into two outs at third base in thefifth. First, Braswell gotthrown out withnobody out trying to go from first to third on junior Chris Stanfield’ssingle into right field. Freshman Derek Curiel then got thrown outatthird base forthe secondout of the inning on arun-scoring single from juniorJared Jones that stretched LSU’slead to 3-1. Junior left-handerConner Ware earned thestart forLSU on Thursday as coach Jay Johnson elected to notpitch sophomore left-handerKadeAndersonon short rest.

In his secondstart in Southeastern Conference play,Ware struggled. He walkedfour batters, hit another and only threw 12 of his

30 pitches forstrikes.

Ware exited forNoot after walking the bases loaded with nobody outinthe second inning Including Thursday, the junior college transfer has walked 18 batters and hit fivein211/3 innings this season. Noot excelled from the second inning until the fifth. He retired thefirst 12 batters he faced until he surrendered asingle and arun-scoring triple in thesixth inning thatcut the Gamecock’s deficit to arun. Redshirt sophomore righthanderChase Shores replaced him after the triple and gave up asacrifice fly that tied the game at 3-3. Shores got out of the inning withoutallowing anotherrun before tossing ascoreless seventh inning.

LSU and South Carolina face off for Game2ofthe series on Friday.First pitch from Founders Park is set for 6p.m.and the gamewill be available to stream on SEC Network+.

Email Koki RileyatKoki. Riley@theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU thirdbaseman Danieca Coffeyreacts
leadingoff
BETH TORINA, LSU softball coach, on facing ateamoutside of theSEC
STAFF FILE PHOTOByHILARy SCHEINUK
Lassiter
STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU’sCooper Williams deliversapitch against TennesseeonApril 26 at Alex Box Stadium.

BATON ROUGE SOFTBALL REGIONAL

No. 1 LSU (No. 10 national)

RECORD: 41-14, finished ninth in

COACH: Beth Torina, 577-251, 14th season at LSU; 706-362, 18th season overall

TOP HITTERS: 1B Tori Edwards (.403, 18 HR, 71 RBIs);

, 52 R) TOP PITCHERS: RH Sydney Berzon (17-7, 2.56 ERA, 99 K, 131 IP); LH Jayden Heavener (13-4, 2.79, 148 K, 113 IP)

NOTABLE: LSU is hosting its ninth regional in 10 years and 16th overall.

No. 3 Connecticut

RECORD: 35-17, finished second in Big East

COACH: Laura Valentino 176-99, sixth season.

TOP HITTERS: C Grace Jenkins (.425 BA, 21 HR, 68 RBIs); SS Cat Petteys (.409 BA, 14 HR, 46 RBIs)

TOP PITCHERS: RH Payton Kinney (15-5, 2.37 ERA, 92 K, 133 IP); RH Hope Jenkins (11-3, 3.92, 75 K 101.2 IP)

NOTABLE: The Huskies led the Big East in batting average (.325) home runs (76) and runs scored (385).

No. 2 Nebraska

RECORD: 39-13, tied for second in Big 10.

COACH: Rhonda Revelle, 1,166-678, 33rd season.

TOP HITTERS: DP Jordy Bahl (.458 BA 19 HR, 59 RBIs); SS Ava Kuszak (.421, 19, 56)

TOP PITCHERS: RH Jordy Bahl (23-6, 1.57 ERA, 254 K, 174.1 IP); LH Hannah Camenzind (5-2 3.21 46 K, 61 IP)

NOTABLE: Revelle is a former Cornhusker who played in the first WCWS in 1982 and coached Nebraska to the 1998 WCWS

No. 4 Southeastern Louisiana

RECORD: 48-14, won the Southland Conference Tournament.

COACH: Rick Fremin, 346-195, 10th season, 670-423 overall, 20 seasons.

TOP HITTERS: OF Shenita Tucker (.396 BA, 25 SB, 38 R); 3B Maria Detillier (.382 BA, 4 HR, 54 RBIs)

TOP PITCHERS: Macie LaRue (19-2, 2.10 ERA, 125 K, 143.2 IP); Britney Lewenski (9-5, 2.18 ERA, 75 K, 99.1 IP) NOTABLE: The Lions have only 17 home runs but 194 stolen bases in 230 attempts.

MICHAEL JOHNSON
ASSOCIATED
BRALEy
ASSOCIATED

FINAL FIVE

The last Live After Five for the spring featuring Baton Rouge’s longest-running brass band, the Michael Foster Project, with the Golden Sioux Indians will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Rhorer Plaza, 200 St. Louis St.The concert is free. downtownbr.org/live-after-five

THE LIVE EXPERIENCE

With a mixture of Vegas show tunes and his legendary comedy stand-up, Rob Schneider will keep the laughs rolling starting at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Raising Cane’s River Center Performing Arts Theatre, 240 St. Louis St. Tickets are $39-$100. raisingcanesrivercenter.com.

SWAMP CELEBRATION

It’s the 28th birthday for the Bluebonnet

Lots of music and loads of food meet at the eighth annual Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. SaturdaySunday at the Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd.

The free, family-friendly event will feature blues, soul, R&B, jazz, gospel and Christian music. Also look for a vendor’s village.

The Pioneer Award for contributions to the soul food industry will be presented to Cynthia Green of Owens Grocery Deli and Market Founded in 1938 by her parents, David and Emma Owens, Green and her family took over the establishment in 1979. Over the years, the store evolved into a deli known for its home-style breakfasts and lunches. Located in the Valley Park area, its community service work includes providing elderly and needy families with hot meals. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/ owenssoulfood/.

There will also be a soul food cooking competition on both days. First-, second- and thirdplace prizes will be awarded in each category Festival VIP packages also are available. For more information, call (225) 802-9681 or visit www.brsoulfoodfest.com.

MUSIC SCHEDULE

SATURDAY

*All times approximate and subject to change*

n 11 A.M. TO 11:10 A.M.: Hosts Gisele Haralson and Free Spirit

n 11:15 A.M. TO 11:35 A.M.: Pastor Leon Hitchens (gospel/R&B)

n 11:40 A.M. TO NOON: Phoenix Rouge Dance Troupe (belly dancing)

n 12:10 P.M. TO 12:35 P.M.: Ervin “Maestro” Foster & My Better Half (jazz/pop/blues)

n 12:40 P.M. TO 1 P.M.: Outlaw David Jame$ (motivational rap)

n 1 P.M.: Soul Food Cooking Contest Judging (meats and fish, vegetables and sides; judges, Rita Rushing Jones, Nokia WilsonNelson)

n 1:15 P.M. TO 1:45 P.M.: Stephen King (Christian rap)

n 2 P.M. TO 2:20 P.M.: Ny’Aira (R&B/soul)

n 2:30 P.M. TO 3 P.M.: LA Groove (old school R&B)

n 3:15 P.M. TO 3:35 P.M.: Jelly B & D’Wolfe (Southern soul/blues)

n 3:45 P.M. TO 4:15 P.M.: Eilene Rockette (gospel/jazz featuring TBJ Band and guest)

n 4:20 P.M. TO 4:40 P.M.: Soul Food Winners (meats and fish vegetables and side dishes)

n 4:45 P.M. TO 5:15 P.M.: TMQ Band Tino Martinez (instrumental jazz)

n 5:20 P.M. TO 5:30 P.M.: Pioneer Award, Owen’s Grocery and Deli, Cynthia Green

n 5:35 P.M. TO 6:20 P.M.: Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor (soul/blues/ funk/reggae)

n 6:30 P.M. TO 6:45 P.M.: Eddie “Cool” Deemer (comedian)

n 7 P.M.

Louisiana’s John Foster speaks out on ‘American Idol’ fame, record deal rumors, more

Between the post-audition interview with “American Idol” finalist

John Foster just a few weeks ago and last week’s check-in, it’s clear the Louisiana teen is getting used to the spotlight. His responses to questions are quicker His voice more confident and relaxed. But make no mistake, the second-semester LSU student, 18, has a plan for staying grounded despite his near-overnight fame.

“I’ve just kind of had to make sure that I’m staying centered on myself and my faith and know-

ing that I have a purpose here and that’s why I’m here,” country singer Foster, of Addis, said from Hollywood after wrapping up a rehearsal. “And that’s what’s keeping me straight and that’s all I can do.”

On Monday’s “Idol,” Foster made it into the Top 3, the last elimination before a new “American Idol” is named in this weekend’s Season 23 finale. That three-hour show airs at 7 p.m. Sunday on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Tell us about this sudden fame and skyrocketing fan base?

Somebody said one time that

“American Idol” is rocket fuel, and I think that’s a perfect analogy for what it can do for an artist. You know, it’s been literal rocket fuel. I went from 5,000 to 200,000 followers on Facebook, which, within two months, is absolutely incredible. Another example of kind of how far this has brought me is never in a million years did I think I’d ever be recognized in Disneyland. Like, sure, I can see somebody recognizing me in like Louisiana or you know Texas or something but Disneyland in California was not somewhere that I ever thought I’d

PROVIDED PHOTO By ERIC MCCANDLESS/DISNEy
Louisiana’s John Foster, right, takes in an ‘American Idol’ mentoring session with award-winning songwriter LinManuel Miranda at Disneyland Resort last week.
Staff report

Today is Friday,May 16, the 136th day of 2025. There are 229 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On May 16, 1966, the Chinese Communist Party issued the May 16 Notification, adocument that criticized “counterrevolutionary revisionists” within the party and marked the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.

On this date:

In 1943, the nearly monthlong Warsaw Ghetto Uprising came to an end as German forces crushedthe Jewish resistance and blew up the city’sGreat Synagogue.

In 1975, Japanese climber Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

In 1997, President Bill Clinton publicly apologized for the notorious 40-year Tuskegee Experiment, in which government scientists deliberately allowed Black men to weaken and die of treatable syphilis.

In 2018, officials at Michigan State University said they had agreed to pay $500 millionto settle claims from more than 300 women and girls whosaid they were assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar In 2022, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 reached 1million.

Today’sbirthdays: Actor Danny Trejo is 81. ActorPierce Brosnan is 72. Olympic gymnastics goldmedalist Olga Korbut is 70. Baseball HallofFamer Jack Morris is 70. ActorDebra Winger is 70. Olympic marathon gold medalistJoan Benoit Samuelson is 68. Actor Mare Winningham is 66. Rock musician Krist Novoselic(Nirvana) is 60. Singer Janet Jackson is 59. Football Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas is 59. Singer Ralph Tresvant (New Edition) is 57. Actor David Boreanaz is 56. Political commentator Tucker Carlson is 56.

FESTIVAL

Continued from page1D

SUNDAY

n 11 A.M. TO NOON: Hosts Gisele Haralson and Free Spirit

n NOON TO 12:20 P.M.: Outlaw David Jame$ (motivational rap)

n 12:30 P.M. TO 12:45 P.M.: Princess Teha (Christian/world)

n 1P.M. TO 1:20 P.M.: ‘Nspire (motivational)

n 1:30 P.M. TO 2P.M.: Katrina (Southern soul)

n 2P.M.: Soul Food Cooking Contest Judging (appetizers and soups, breads and desserts, beverages; judges, Rita Jones Rushing, NakiaWilson-Nelson

n 2:10 P.M. TO 2:40 P.M.: King Solomon (R&B/soul)

n 2:45 P.M. TO 3P.M.: Susie Shepherd(country/pop)

n 3:15 P.M. TO 3:45 P.M.: Houseof God Praise Team (gospel choir)

n 4P.M. TO 4:30 P.M.: LisaHarris (Tina Turner tribute artist)

n 4:40 P.M. TO 5P.M.: Soul Food Winners (appetizers and soups, breads and desserts, ices and drinks

n 5:15 P.M. TO 5:45 P.M.: TMQBand (instrumental jazz)

n 5:50 P.M. TO 6P.M.: Eddie“Cool” Deemer (comedy)

n 6:15 P.M. TO 7P.M.: Henry Turner Jr. &Flavor(blues/soul/funk/reggae)

n 7:15 A.M. TO CLOSE: Infinity (classic R&B/funk)

FOSTER

Continued from page1D

be recognizedin. And sure enough, many people recognized me, which was crazy It sounds like youdohavea little bitof time in your day to look at your social media. What is atypicalday like foryou these days?

Iwakeupusually around 8a.m. and get to the studio (RedStudios in Los Angeles). The day consists of rehearsing,vocal coaching, trying on wardrobe —because each performance has to be adifferent outfit. So we’re talkingfourfull outfits for nextweek.

We have to rehearse every single song andcoach every single song. So there’s arehearsing coach for that. During the daytime, we usually have little to no social media, but we usuallyget done about5 (p m.) or 6(p.m.) afterwerehearse and dowardrobe and allthatfun stuff. Theevening timeisusually my time that Ican kind of see what’s going on onsocials and replytosome people and make some posts, whatever Ineed to do.

Youmentioned wardrobe. At anytime before the endofthe season, willwesee you maybe without the cowboy hat or minus the guitar?

You’lldefinitely see me acouple, maybe one or two times without my guitar (it happened Sunday night). But my hat stays on always. Idon’tusually wear it very much outside of the stage, but when I’m onstage, I’ve had that hat on for —gonna be three years in July —every single performance and forvirtually everysingle performance, I’ve had that hat on since my very firstgig. So there’snoway Ican goonthat stage without it. Tell us aboutthe Cancer Foundation fundraiser you just did on Facebook?

I’ve got alot of people asking for autographs, likejustasignedpicture —like over ahundred in my inbox or comments or whatever Ididn’twant to sell anything, but also Ididn’twant to totallygive some peopleautographs for free and then not others —that felt unfair to me.

So Istarteda fundraiser on Facebook for the American Cancer Society,whichobviously holds aplace deartoheartbecausenot only do I have multiple family members that are currently battling cancer,but I aspire to beanoncologist.Ifigured it kind of kills two birds with one stonetobemetaphorical, because

GWAR

Continued from page1D

recordings, blistering concert performances anda 32-pagecomic book starring Gor Gor,GWAR’s long-lost pet Tyrannosaurus rex. AccordingtoGWARmythology, theband’smembers are millionsyear-old warrior aliensexiled to Earth. After emerging in the late 1980s from the bowels of an abandoned dairy building in Richmond, Virginia, GWAR conquered the 1990s medialandscape, laying waste to “TheJoan RiversShow” and“The JerrySpringer Show”and making guest appearances on “Beavis and Butt-Head,” Fox News and more. The band’steam of musicians, artists and writers resurrected Gor Gor for GWAR’s40th anniversary.“Dumbo,” the classic Disney animated feature film abouta baby elephant torn from his mother’s care, inspired Gor Gor’sorphaned T. rex storyline.

“Wethought nothing is more traumatic for achild than watching‘Dumbo,’ ”said Mike Bishop, akathe Berserker Blóthar

we’reraising money for cancer research and treatment.

Also,some peoplewho really wanted an autograph picture of mine get one, you know? As of today,weare at $5,300, so that’sreally,really humbling and it warms my heart to know that people supportmeand in return we can support thosethat really need it, those that are battling and looking fora cure to cancer

As far as social media reports, we’ve seen things such as your getting record deal offers from four different recordcompanies, that you’veevensigned with one. Can you clarify that?

Iamnot signed to or affiliated with anyrecord label whatsoever Isignedthe tentative contract with 19 Entertainment, whichis“American Idol’s” record label (common procedure forfinalists). But for clarityreasons though, no,I have notsigned with any label. It’s alsobeing circulatedthatyoursong “TellThat Angel ILove Her”has hit No. 1on

Gor Gor,despitebeing aT.rex, is nonscary beast belovedbythe band’sfans.A sympathetic monster in themanner of such classic UniversalPictures monsters as theWolf Man and Frankenstein monster,Gor Gor “doesn’twant to be araving, crack-addicted T.rex,” Bishop said.

GWAR’sartists andfabricators fashioned new armor and weapons for theanniversary tour. In an era when “the worldhas completely gone offthe rails, expect lots of social commentary,”Bishop said of the new GWAR show. “We’re doing what we always do —have fun, kill stuff and provide catharsis for people. Heads will be rolling.”

Gor Gor’sreturn comes 11 years after the death of Dave Brockie, aka Oderous Urungus, GWAR’s frontman for nearly 30 years. Brockie died at 50 years old from aheroin overdose. His surviving bandmates invited Bishop to make aone-time-only appearance at the annualGWAR-B-Q in Richmond. It didn’tgooff without ahitch.

“My costume fell off in front of everybody as Iwas singing,” Bishop said. “Down to nature. Luckily, because I’m an immortal god, no-

the Billboard charts andit’ssomekind of record. No, that’salso false information. As much as Iwish that was true, Idid not hitNo. 1. Idid like do somewaves on the iTunes country charts, but thatwas the extent of that, unfortunately Have anyofthe artists whose songs you’ve performed been in contact with you?

Yes, actually,Randy Travis followed me on Instagram and sent me avery nice message congratulating me and just kind of giving me some words of support as Igo along. My heart went to my toes when Isaw that notification.And, of course, it’salways like, Ialways do have to check,you know,because so many people,you know, are fakeaccounts. There arealready hundreds of fake accounts of me,but Ineeded to make sure theone from Randy Travis was real.Sure enough, it was really him.That wasreally awesome. You’ve hadthe chance to work alongside

body seemed to notice.”

Despite Blóthar’swardrobe malfunction, the GWAR-B-Q audience warmly receivedthe band’s first post-Brockie appearance.

The emboldened Bishop left his decade-long, university-level career in music education to become GWAR’snew lead howler

“It was an easy decision,” he said. Because thecollective nature of GWAR makes it more akin to a theatrical troupe than arock band, Brockie’sdeath didn’tspell the end of GWAR.

“People think that GWAR centered on Dave’spersonality,” Bishop said. “I’m sure that is trueina band like Nine Inch Nails. It’snot true forGWAR, becausesomany people work on it.”

Bishop’sformal music training wasanother factor in GWAR’s survival.

“I’mgood at voice performance,” he said. “It’seasy formetopick out the mannerismsthat Davehad that made the songs work. Alot of histechnique is original and specific to him, andImay be the only personinthe world who knows what all those things are.”

so manypeople in the last fewweeks —Miranda Lambert,Jelly Roll,Josh Groban,James Taylor.What stands outinyourmind as far as advice that they gave you?

To meet people who are in the shoes that Ihope to be in one day —Imean,Ihopetohavecareers like theydo, andjust to simply meet them andfeel their authenticity andtofeel like their happiness too. They all were wonderful human beings.

To know that you can go far in this industry andbeunderthis much pressure and still be the normal good human being is really comforting to me. For instance, Josh Groban gave me somereally good tips about anxiety and because I’ve kind of struggled with that in the past before going on stage— just really kind of getting in my head about differentthings.Toknow that they struggle with that too, and that theydeal with thatconstantly is really comforting formeassomeonewho’s trying to emerge onto the mainstream of the industry Just kind of being around them and hearing their experiences, it’s been truly great.

Viewers in the last couple episodes have been introduced to your girlfriend, Brooklyn (Bourque). How is she dealing with all this? She’s doing great. She andher family have been watching “American Idol” since she wasborn. Like her dad can remember watching Carrie (Underwood, now an “Idol” judge) win. So forher to be on this showthather family haswatched so much was really cool forher She wassuperexcited and it was just areally great moment. Peopleare referring to you as thingslike “thenext GeorgeStrait.”Has that sunk in? Man, George Strait is the absolute king of country music andI have based alot of my vocal and performance style around him because he’s just so incrediblygood at whathedoes. Imean, there’s areason he’sthe king of country music.

He didn’tjust spring into that role.Sofor people to even slightly compare me to him is such an honor.You know,Ihope one day to meet him. I’ve been listening to him since Icame out the womb He’s so incredibly amazing at performing and making country music —that even the slightest mention of him near my name is an honor in itself

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.

After Brockie’sdeath, reviving GWAR’scartoonishly violent sense of humor was one of the band’sbigger challenges.

“Wewere still funny,but people were merciless with their criticism,” Bishop remembered. “It took along timefor us to process that and get back to aplace where we felt like making GWAR about humoragain. ‘The Return of Gor Gor’ marks that change.”

In recent years, Bishop left his native Virginia forSarasota, Florida.Despite theSunshineState address, he’sfar from retired.

“Because I’m amusician, I’m probably not ever going to retire,” he said.

ButBishop’slife has changed. He andhis wife of seven years, Danielle,havea 4-year-old daughter.The creative child of amusician andanartist,Shilohisalready composing songs.

“I love it,” Bishop said of belated fatherhood. “I never thought that Iwould have akid, but we figured we have agood life,and it might be funtoshare it.”

Email John Wirt at j_wirt@msn. com.

PROVIDED PHOTO By CHRISTOPHER WILLARD/DISNEy Louisiana finalist John Foster performs ‘Almost There’ from‘The Princess and the Frog’for the first of two‘Disney Nights’ on

techniques. Free.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m., Burgersmith, 18303 Perkins Road. Collect your team and jockey for first place. loom. ly/y-CKtQ4.

LECTURE: 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., BREC’s Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road. Skygazing tips, physics phenomena, space programs and famous events are covered. For ages 14 and older. Free. hrpo.lsu.edu. Also, evening sky viewing 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

SATURDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MAR-

KET: 8 a.m. to noon, Fifth and Main streets, downtown. Farm-fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations breada.org.

20TH ANNUAL POND AND GARDEN TOUR: 9 a.m.-

2:30 p.m., 841 Pastureview Drive. One of four homes on the tour, Charbel Harb’s garden includes more than 300 varieties of plants and flowers. (225) 413-5239.

STUDIO SATURDAY: 10 a.m.noon, Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S River Road.

“Egyptian Pottery Demo and Craft Making” with Bill Moore. Local ceramicist Moore will lead an open-format pottery demonstration focused on Egyptian-style pottery. Free with general admission. lasm. org.

FAMILY HOUR STARGAZING:

10 a.m., Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Learn about the stars and constellations in the local nighttime sky followed by an all-ages show. lasm.org.

SUNDAY SPRING 2025 GARDEN TOUR

FUNDRAISER FOR FRIENDS OF LSU HILLTOP ARBORETUM:

1 p.m.-4 p.m., various locations in the Garden District $20, members/students; $25, general public. www.lsu.edu/ hilltop or (225) 767-6916.

TUESDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET:

3 p.m.-6 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Farm-fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. breada.org.

FLEX AND FLOW YOGA:

6:30 p.m., Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar, 315 North Blvd. Rotating instructors and a variety of

WEDNESDAY

TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m., Burgersmith, 27350 Crossing Circle, Suite 150, Denham Springs. Collect your team and jockey for first place. loom.ly/y-CKtQ4.

THURSDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m.-noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket.

“CATS”: 7 p.m., Shaver Theatre, LSU Music and Dramatic Arts Building, Dalrymple Drive. A Christian Youth Theatre production. $16-$22. cytbatonrouge.org.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 7 p.m., Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar, 315 North Blvd. Test your trivia skills with your friends and family. Free.

ONGOING

ART GUILD OF LOUISIANA: Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. Upcoming workshops at Studio in the Park, 2490 Silverest Ave, are as follows: Larry Downs, Acrylics 3 — “More of Painting Your Way,” Thursdays through May 22, 3 p.m.-6 p.m.; Roberta Loflin, Watercolor Basics — “Focus on the Colors of Spring,” Saturdays, May 3-24, 9:30 a.m.-noon; Limiting Your Palette for Color Confidence taught by Nanci Charpentier, Saturday, 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m.; Alla Prima Still Life, taught by Nanci Charpentier and David Gary, May 24, 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Email cherie.gravois@gmail. com or call (225) 413-6941. artguildlouisiana.org.

BATON ROUGE GALLERY CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive. Group exhibit by Edgar Cano Lopez, Liz Lessner, Brandon Surtain and John Isiah, through May. Free. batonrougegallery.org.

CAPITOL PARK MUSEUM: 660 N. Fourth St. “Billy Cannon: They Called Him Legend,” through Jan. 10. (225) 342-5428 or louisianastatemuseum.org.

ELIZABETHAN GALLERY: 680 Jefferson Highway. Spring group show. Call (225) 9246437 or follow the gallery’s Facebook page.

FRIDAY

MICHAEL FOSTER PROJECT

FEATURING GOLDEN SIOUX

INDIANS: Live After Five, Rhorer Plaza, 5 p.m.

ORIGINAL MUSIC GATHERING: La Divina Italian Café, 6 p.m.

CHRIS OCMAND: Agave Blue, Zachary, 6 p.m.

DON POURCIAU & KONSPIRACY: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

KEEPIN’ TIME BAND: T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m.

KIRK HOLDER: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 6 p.m.

RACHAEL HALLACK: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 6 p.m.

SOUTH OF CENTRAL: El PasoSherwood, 6 p.m.

THE REMNANTS: Crowne Plaza, 6 p.m.

KYBALION: Pedro’s Siegen, 6:30 p.m.

TAYLOR NAUTA: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

THE LEE SERIO BAND: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

MATT TORTORICH: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

JOVIN WEBB: Bin 77, 7 p.m.

MELISSA SINGS: Pizza Art Wine, 7 p.m.

IN DEMAND ART STUDIOS: 5800 One Perkins Place, Suite 5D. “This is Our Garden,” featuring the work of eight Baton Rouge-area women artists.

LOUISIANA ART & SCIENCE

MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road. “Discoveries on the Nile: Exploring King Tut’s Tomb and the Amin Egyptian Collection,” through Oct. 31. (225) 344-5272 or lasm.org.

LSU MUSEUM OF ART: Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. “Golden Legacy: Original Art from 80 Years of Golden Books,” through May 25. “In Focus: Artwork by LSU Faculty,” through Aug. 3. (225) 389-7200 or lsumoa.org.

LSU TEXTILE & COSTUME

MUSEUM: Human Ecology Building, Tower Drive, LSU campus. “Color Me Fashion,” more than 45 looks with related accessories spanning approximately 100 years of fashion history from c. 1890 to 1990. Exhibit runs through Aug. 15. (225) 578-5992 or email textile@lsu.edu.

MAGNOLIA MOUND MUSEUM

+ HISTORIC SITE: 2161 Nicholson Drive. Guided and selfguided tours. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. MondaySaturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. brec.org/facility/MagnoliaMound.

OLD GOVERNOR’S MANSION: 502 North Blvd. Open for tours. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free admission. oldgovernorsmansion.com.

OLD STATE CAPITOL: 100 North Blvd. “America’s Sacred Freedoms in the First Amendment,” yearlong exhibit. Free admission. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org.

USS KIDD VETERANS MUSEUM: 305 S. River Road. Displays of a variety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and naval military history. Note: Vessel is in Houma for drydock repairs. usskidd.com.

WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM: 845 N. Jefferson Ave Port Allen. “West Baton Rouge’s Educator Edward Searcy,” through Sunday.(225) 336-2422 or westbatonrougemuseum.org.

Compiled by Judy Bergeron. Have an open-to-the-public event you’d like to promote? Email details to red@theadvocate.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday for the following Friday’s paper

THE LONGNECK SOCIETY: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

STONE NOMADS/GARGUTS/ RED BEARD WALL/SWAMP STANK: Mid City Ballroom, 8 p.m.

HENRY TURNER JR. & ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m.

BUBBA PLAUCHÉ: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 8 p.m.

THE DRUNK UNCLES: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 8 p.m.

LETTERS IN RED: Icehouse Tap Room, 9 p.m.

AFTER PARTY: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 9 p.m.

BRYCE BROUSSARD: Moonlight Inn, French Settlement, 9 p.m.

ESSENTIALL GROOVE: Churchill’s, 9 p.m.

LA SOUTHBOUND: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

MIKE GIBNEY DUO: Jack’s Place, Port Allen, 9 p.m.

TAYLOR NAUTA: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St. Amant, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

BATON ROUGE SOUL FOOD

FESTIVAL: Main Library at Goodwood, 11 a.m.

VICTOR, SKIP & CARRIE: Leola’s Café, 11 a.m.

OPEN JAM SESSION: The Smokey Pit, 4 p.m.

THE REMNANTS: Phil Brady’s, 4:30 p.m.

BRITTON MAJOR: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 5:30 p.m.

CORDON BLUEZ BAND: El Paso-Sherwood, 6 p.m.

SOUTH OF CENTRAL: Pedro’sSiegen, 6 p.m.

THE LONGNECK SOCIETY: Phil Brady’s, 6:15 p.m.

FLOYD BROWN BAND

FEATURING JODY MAYEUX: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

SCHOOL OF ROCK: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

GRAND COUNTRY JUNCTION: Suma Crossing Theatre, Satsuma, 7 p.m.

WILL WESLEY: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7 p.m.

DIZZY: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

GRITZ N’ GRAVY: Bin 77, 7 p.m.

MICHAEL SING PROJECT: Pizza Art Wine, 7 p.m.

CARTER HAMPTON: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 8 p.m.

THE LEE SERIO BAND: Phil Brady’s, 8 p.m.

DUSTIN LEE GUEDRY: Swamp

Chicken Daiquiris, St. Amant, 9 p.m.

KEEPIN’ TIME BAND: Beer

Belly’s, Plaquemine, 9 p.m.

LA WESTWIND: Churchill’s, 9 p.m.

LAUREN LEE: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

PAT & THE PISTOLS: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

BATON ROUGE SOUL FOOD

FESTIVAL: Main Library at Goodwood, 11 a.m.

JUSTIN BURDETTE TRIO: Superior Grill MidCity, 11 a.m.

ROBERT CALMES: Cocha, 11 a.m.

RIVER CITY ALLSTARS: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 11 a.m.

TAYLOR NAUTA: Leola’s Café, 11 a.m.

CARTER HAMPTON: Pizza Art Wine, 11:30 a.m.

ELI HOWARD & THE GREATER GOOD/CLAY PARKER & JODI

JAMES: Beauvoir Park, 2 p.m.

CAJUN JAM WITH JOSH

ELKINS AND CAMERON FONTENOT: West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen, 3 p.m.

HEATH RANSONNET: Icehouse Tap Room, 3 p.m.

T-BOY & JUST US: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 3 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

HALF ME/VATIC DECRYPTION/HOURHOUSE/INNER ANGUISH: Mid City Ballroom, 8 p.m.

MONDAY

VICTOR, SKIP & CARRIE: Phil Brady’s, 6 p.m.

CAM PYLE: Superior Grill MidCity, 6 p.m.

NICK PERKINS: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

VICTORIA LEA: Bin 77, 5:30 p.m.

JEFF BAJON PROJECT: Superior Grill MidCity, 6 p.m.

RALPH DAIGLE: Rio Verde Mexican, Gonzales, 6 p.m.

EDDIE SMITH: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

ALLISON COLLINS TRIO: Mason’s Grill, 5:30 p.m.

BRYCE BROUSSARD: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 5:30 p.m.

PHOEBE KOONTZ: BLDG 5, 5:30 p.m.

CHRIS LEBLANC: Superior Grill MidCity, 6 p.m.

KIRK HOLDER: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m.

GEORGE BELL AND FRIENDS: Saurage Arts Center, 6:30 p.m.

ASHTON GILL: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC W/ HEATH RANSONNET: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7 p.m.

ANDY PIZZO TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7:30 p.m.

DIXIE ROSE’S ACOUSTIC CIRCLE: Teddy’s Juke Joint, Zachary, 8 p.m.

EDDIE SMITH BAND: La Daiquiris, 8 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Brickyard South, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY KYBALION: El Paso-Sherwood, 6 p.m.

OPEN MIC W/AMANDA JO HESS: Istrouma Brewing, St. Gabriel, 6 p.m.

2 DOMESTIC 1 IMPORT: Thai Kitchen, 6 p.m.

RITTENHOUSE: T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m. GARY RAGAN & FRIENDS: La Divina Italian Café, 6 p.m.

SHELTON TRIO:

PROVIDED PHOTO By MICHAEL TUCKER Clay Parker and Jodi James play Beauvoir Park in Baton Rouge at 2 p.m. Sunday. Eli Howard also is on the bill.
AROUND BATON ROUGE
PROVIDED PHOTO
See more than 300 varieties of plants and flowers in the garden of Charbel Harb, 841 Pastureview Drive, during the 20th annual Pond and Garden Tour on Saturday. Harb’s yard is one of four on the tour

tAuRus(April 20-May20) Communicate, get together with old friends or learn somethingnew andexciting. Distance yourself from peopletrying to manipulate or guilt you into something you don't need or want.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Keep an open mind, gather information and discuss matters that can clear up misunderstandings. Achange at home or visiting aplace or person who inspires you will encourage new beginnings.

cANcER (June 21-July 22) Takecareofyour health, wealth and emotional well-being. Gettogetherwithpeoplewithinsightinto something you want to pursue. Shared expenses or joint ventures will lead to disagreements.

LEo(July 23-Aug.22) Take amoment to revamp your plans. Set aside what you need to reach your goal without depending on others for help. The less intervention, the better. Be aleader, not a follower.

VIRGo (Aug.23-sept. 22) It's up to you to implement change if you aren't happy with your current situation. Taking short trips, attending reunions and steering clear of arguments andno-win situations are featured.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) You'll be pulled in different directions when dealing with affairs of the heart. Opportunity knocks —don'thesitate to answer. Dive in and take advantage of whatever comes your way.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-Nov.22) Dig in, participate, finish what you start and dodge

anyone trying to take advantage of you or start an argument. Look at the facts and put your emotions aside.

sAGIttARIus (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Comfort and convenience will ease stress and encourage you to put yourself first. An opportunity to act on behalf of someone or something you believe in will lead to partnerships.

cAPRIcoRN (Dec. 22-Jan.19) Behonestwith yourself and verify the information you receive from others. Be bold and participate in events and activities that make you happy. Don't waste energy on anger; improve your living space.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Be kind to yourself and the people you deal with today. Lend ahelping hand and accept helpwhenyouneedit.Declutteryourlife and rebuild with quality, not quantity, in mind.

PIscEs(Feb. 20-March20) Handle work and money carefully. Refuse to let anyone put you in avulnerable position. Do your best and finish what you start. Choose security over ego and stubbornness.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Take time out to pamper yourself. An emotionally distressing situation will result from false information. Don't let anger set in when honest communication and understanding will encourage apeaceful outcome.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is notbasedonscientific fact. ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

CeLebrItY CIpher For better or For WorSe
SALLYForth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM SherMAn’S LAGoon
bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the samenumber only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS

Virginia Woolf said, “On the outskirts of every agony sits some observant fellow who points.”

It is asad fact of bridge that it does not matterhow greatyour bidding might be.Ifyou do notmake the contract, the opponents get points.

In this deal,how should South plan the play in four hearts? West leadsthe spade king. Eastovertakes withhis ace and returns his secondspade. West takes this trick, cashes the club ace, and plays another club.

When West’s one-spadeopening bid was passed around to South, his balancing three-heart jump overcall was intermediate, showing arespectable six-card suit and 14 to 16 high-card points. North would no doubt have bid four hearts anyway, but West’s three-spade rebid definitely pushed him into it. Eastlet the prevailing vulnerabilitydissuade him from bidding four spades. Declarer mustplay the heart suit withoutloss. If theopponents had passed throughout,South would have taken the finesse.(Apriori,Eastwillhavetheheart king 50 percent of the time, but West will have asingleton king only 13 percent of thetime.)

Here, though, South mustremember the bidding. Eastpassedover his partner’sopening bidand has already pro-

wuzzles

duced thespade ace. If he also hadthe heart king, he would have had seven pointsandwouldhaveresponded.Therefore, West has thekingofhearts. South shouldplay aheart to hisace andclaim when the king luckily drops. Especially when an opponent opened, always check the high-cardpoints.

©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which createsa disguisedword,phrase,name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

INstRuctIoNs: 1. Wordsmustbeoffour 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 AMBIENt: AM-bee-ent: Present on all sides; encompassing.

Averagemark29words

Time

Can you find 37 or more words in AMBIENT?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD—NutRItIoN

today’s thought

“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of thefield which the Lord Godhad made.And he said to thewoman, yes, hasGod said, you shall noteat of every treeofthe garden?” Genesis 3:1

Puzzle Answer
Thedevil
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles

MINUTES WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING GOVERNMENT BUILDING 880 North Alexander Avenue, Port Allen Thursday,April 24, 2025 5:30 PM

The Following Minutes AreSummarized For Brevity,For Precise Meeting Information Please Refer To Meeting Audio Or Video

1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER &REQUEST ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES BE SILENCED

ARegular Meeting of the West Baton Rouge Parish Council was held on Thursday,April 24, 2025 andcalledtoorder at 05:30 PM. Council Chairman Carey Denstel asked that all electronic devices be placed on silent.

2. OPENINGPRAYER

Councilman Atley Walker Jr.led everyone in an opening prayer

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Chairman Denstel recognized Mr.Chance Stephens who led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.

4. LOG ATTENDANCE

The following members wererecorded as being present: Messrs. Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker,Kenneth Gordon, CareyDenstel, Alan Crowe, Gary Joseph,and Mrs.Katherine Andre.

Absent: Mr.Brady Hotard

Also present were, Mr.Jason Manola, Parish President, Mr.Phillip Bourgoyne, Executive Assistant, Mr.Chance Stephens, Director of Finance, Mr.Brandon Bourgoyne, Director of Public Works, Ms. Kristen Canezaro, Special Legal Counsel, and Mrs. Michelle Tullier,Council Clerk.

5. MINUTES APPROVAL A. Approval of Minutes from the Regular Meeting of April10, 2025. Amotion was made by Council Member Kirk Allain, seconded by Council Member Alan Crowe to approve Minutes from the Regular Meeting of April 10, 2025.

The vote was recorded as follows: YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph)

NAYS: 0(None)

ABSENT:1 Brady Hotard) ABSTAIN:0 (None)

As aresult of the votes, the motion Passed.

6. CONSIDER ANY AMENDMENTSTOTHE AGENDA Therewerenoitems to consider at this time.

7. PUBLIC COMMENTS

Mr.Carue Summerswas recognized and ask that the Parish contact the State in regards to gettinganextended turning lane on Rosedale Rd. in front of Port Allen High School, due to the buses requiring awider turn.

8. PARISH PRESIDENT’S REPORT Parish President Jason Manola was recognized and covered the following items: Significant rain event updates.

9. COMMUNICATIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND/OR ELECTED OR APPOINTED OFFICIALS

Mr.Chance Stephens was recognized and brieflyreviewed the updated Budget to Actual numbers for 2025. Said numbers can be found at the end of these minutes.

10. NEW BUSINESS

Therewerenoitems to consider at this time.

11. PUBLIC HEARING ON PREVIOUSLYINTRODUCED ORDINANCES

A. An Ordinance To Amend And Reenact The West Baton Rouge Parish Code Of Ordinances, Part III (“Unified Development Code”), Chapter 106 (“Site Planning”), Article II (“Stormwater Management”), Section106-22 (“Fill Mitigation”), And Section 106-24 (“Commercial Site Development Regulations) To Provide For Stormwater Quantity ControlInMost Developments And Clarify Commercial Site Regulations. The Chairman opened apublic hearing for the purpose of receiving comment regarding the aforementioneditem

Mr.Brandon Bourgoyne was recognized and gave abrief explanation of the requirements of this proposed ordinance. In closing, Mr.Bourgoyne noted that this was recommended for approval by the Planning &Zoning Commission.

No public comments for or against said ordinance werepresented.

No written protests opposing the ordinance werereceived. The Council Chairman at this point declared the Public Hearing closed. Amotion was made by Council Member Alan Crowe, seconded by Council Member Kirk Allain to approve An Ordinance To Amend And Reenact The West Baton Rouge Parish Code Of Ordinances, Part III(“Unified Development Code”),Chapter 106 (“Site Planning”), Article II (“Stormwater Management”), Section 106-22 (“Fill Mitigation”), And Section 106-24 (“Commercial Site Development Regulations) To Provide For Stormwater Quantity Control In Most Developments And Clarify Commercial Site Regulations.

The vote was recorded as follows: YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph)

NAYS: 0(None)

ABSENT:1 Brady Hotard) ABSTAIN:0 (None)

As aresult of the votes, the motion Passed.

B. An Ordinance To AmendAnd Reenact PartIII (“Unified Development Code”), Chapter 105 (“Subdivisions”) ,Article I (“In General”), Section105-4 (“Public Hearing by Commission”), Chapter 111 (“Administration and Enforcement”), Article IV (“Zoning Enforcement”), Section 111-63 (“Boardof Adjustments-Establishment and Procedure”),Section11176 (“Procedures for Amendments To Zoning Map”), ArticleVI (“Subdivision Approval Procedure”),Section111-115 (“Final Plat Approval”) Of The West Baton RougeParish CodeOf Ordinances In Regards To Legal Advertisements, Publication and Mailings.

The Chairman openeda public hearing for the purpose of receiving comment regarding the aforementioneditem

Mr.Brandon Bourgoyne was recognized and gave abrief explanation of the proposed ordinance. He also clarified afew floor amendments to the language proposed. In closing, Mr.Bourgoyne noted that this was recommended for approval by the Planning &Zoning Commission with amendments to the language on pg. 2, paragraph 5, leaving the once aweek for three weeks, striking through the at least three times, and changing the proposed ten days to fifteen and the work last to first on the next line. No publiccomments for or against said ordinance werepresented. No written protests opposing the ordinance werereceived. The Council Chairman at this point declared the Public Hearing closed. Chairman Denstel asked Mrs. Tullier to read aloud how the actual language would read. Mrs.Tullier read (5) “Advertising. Notice of the proposed change and the time and place of the hearing before the planning and zoning commission shall have been published once aweek for three weeks consecutively in an official journal of the Parish. At least fifteen days shall elapse between the first date of publication and the date of the hearing. Amotion was made by Council Member Atley Walker,seconded by Council Member Alan Crowe to approve with amendment/s as read above, An Ordinance To Amend And Reenact Part III (“Unified Development Code”), Chapter 105 (“Subdivisions”) ,Article I(“In General”), Section 105-4 (“PublicHearing by Commission”), Chapter 111 (“Administration and Enforcement”), Article IV (“Zoning Enforcement”), Section 111-63 (“BoardofAdjustmentsEstablishment and Procedure”), Section 111-76 (“Procedures for Amendments To Zoning Map”), Article VI (“SubdivisionApproval Procedure”),Section 111-115 (“Final Plat Approval”) Of TheWest Baton Rouge Parish Code Of Ordinances In Regards To Legal Advertisements, Publication and Mailings..

The vote was recorded as follows:

YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph)

NAYS: 0(None)

ABSENT:1 Brady Hotard) ABSTAIN:0 (None)

C. An Ordinance Amending Chapter 104 Zoning To Incorporate Amended Zoning Designation Map (Zoning Plan) Under Section 104-3 Establishment Of Districts, Official Zoning Map For Rezoning Request Of 3SK Properties, LLC, Regarding Parcel#203000000800 located on Choctaw Rd.Brusly,La 70719. File #2025-07: Described by the WBR Assessor as: TRACT 3SK (REMAINDER OF 778.45 AC) CONT 386 AC M/L IN SECS 25, 32,33 T8S R11E.Rezoning Lots1through 4of Outer Banks Subdivision R-SF-2 (Residential Single Family) to C-1.2 (CommunityScaled Commercial) and Tract 3SK from I-1 (Light Industrial) to AG-3 (Agricultural Full Scale). Master Plan Change. The Chairman opened apublic hearing for the purpose of receiving comment regarding the aforementioned item Mr.BrandonBourgoyne was recognized and gave abrief explanation of the proposed rezoning ordinance. In closing, Mr Bourgoyne noted that this was recommended for approval by the Planning &Zoning Commission. Mr.Chis Mastrie was recognized representing the plat in case of any questions. Therewereafew questions for clarity by the Council. No public comments for or against saidordinance werepresented. No written protests opposing the ordinance werereceived. The Council Chairman at this point declared the Public Hearing closed. Councilman Babin asked that acommittee be put together to address the situation that is coming up behind these tracks with all the development and no way in or out if thereisanissue with the double railroad track. Chairman Denstel agreed with this, stating the infrastructurebehind the tracks is just nottherefor moredevelopment. Councilman Walker agreed with this, and noted the increased trafficinhis district and also brought up a possible drainage study in his lower lying areas of Lukeville. Amotionwas made by Council Member Kirk Allain, seconded by Council Member KennethGordon to approve An Ordinance Amending Chapter 104 Zoning To Incorporate Amended Zoning DesignationMap (Zoning Plan) Under Section 104-3 Establishment Of Districts, Official Zoning MapFor Rezoning Request Of 3SK Properties, LLC, Regarding Parcel#203000000800 located on Choctaw Rd. Brusly, La 70719. File #2025-07: Described by the WBRAssessor as: TRACT 3SK (REMAINDER OF 778.45 AC) CONT 386 AC M/L IN SECS25, 32,33 T8S R11E. Rezoning Lots 1 through 4ofOuter Banks Subdivision R-SF-2(Residential Single Family) to C-1.2(CommunityScaled Commercial)and Tract 3SK from I-1 (Light Industrial) to AG-3 (Agricultural FullScale).Master Plan Change.

The votewas recorded as follows: YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker, KennethGordon, Carey Denstel,Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph) NAYS: 0(None) ABSENT: 1Brady Hotard) ABSTAIN:0(None) As aresult of the votes, the motionPassed. Ordinance 17 of 2025 can be found at the end of these minutes.

D. An Ordinance Amending Chapter 104 Zoning To Incorporate Amended Zoning Designation Map (Zoning Plan) Under Section 104-3 Establishment Of Districts, Official Zoning Map For Rezoning Request Of RobertCritneyJr.,Regarding Propertylocated at 2728 Billups Lane Brusly,La70719. File #2025-08: Described by the WBR Assessor as: LOT SEC 19 T8S R12E 47H-32. Rezoning from R-MH (Mobile Home Park) to R-SF-3 (Residential Single Family). Master Plan Change. The Chairman opened apublic hearing for the purpose of receiving comment regarding the aforementioned item Mr.BrandonBourgoyne was recognized and gave abrief explanation of the proposed rezoning ordinance. In closing, Mr Bourgoyne noted that this was recommended for approval by the Planning &Zoning Commission. No public comments for or against saidordinance werepresented. No written protests opposing the ordinance werereceived. The Council Chairman at this point declared the Public Hearing closed. Councilman Walker read aloud RS: 42:1120 and asked for an opinion from Legal Counsel. Ms.Canezarodid notfeel as though Councilman Walker would need to recuse himself based on the facts presented.

Amotionwas made by Council Member Atley Walker, seconded by Council Member Kirk Allain to approve An Ordinance Amending Chapter 104 Zoning To Incorporate Amended Zoning Designation Map(Zoning Plan) Under Section 104-3 Establishment Of Districts, Official Zoning MapFor Rezoning Request Of Robert Critney Jr Regarding Property located at 2728 Billups Lane Brusly, La 70719. File #2025-08: Described by the WBR Assessor as: LOT SEC 19 T8S R12E 47H-32. Rezoning from R-MH (Mobile Home Park) to R-SF-3(ResidentialSingle Family). Master Plan Change.

The votewas recorded as follows: YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker, KennethGordon, Carey Denstel,Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph)

NAYS: 0(None) ABSENT: 1Brady Hotard) ABSTAIN:0(None) As aresult of the votes, the motionPassed. Ordinance 18 of 2025 can be found at the end of these minutes.

E. An Ordinance To Amend And Reenact The West Baton Rouge Parish Code Of Ordinances, Part III (“Unified Development Code”),Appendix A. “Purchase/Donation Of Real Property”, Section 1, “Descriptions”, And Further Authorizing The Parish President To Sign The NecessaryDocumentation To Accept Donation of Four (4) Acres at the corner of LA Hwy.190 West and Rougon Road, Port Allen, LA and Accept Donation of 0.712 AcreWater Well Site Located on Section Road near its intersection with Poydras Bayou Road. The Chairman opened apublic hearing for the purpose of receiving comment regarding the aforementioned item President Manolawas recognized and brieflyexplained to the Council this request in regards to property being donated to the Parish. No public comments for or against saidordinance werepresented. No written protests opposing the ordinance werereceived. The Council Chairman at this point declared the Public Hearing closed. Amotionwas made by Council Member Katherine Andre, seconded by Council Member Daryl “Turf” Babin to approve An Ordinance To Amend And Reenact The West Baton Rouge Parish Code Of Ordinances, PartIII (“Unified Development Code”), AppendixA.“Purchase/DonationOfReal Property”, Section 1, “Descriptions”,And Further Authorizing The Parish President To Sign The Necessary Documentation To Accept Donation of Four (4) Acres at the corner of LA Hwy.190 West and Rougon Road, PortAllen, LA and Accept Donationof0.712 AcreWater Well Site Located on SectionRoad near its intersection with Poydras Bayou Road.

The votewas recorded as follows: YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker, KennethGordon, Carey Denstel,Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph) NAYS: 0(None) ABSENT: 1Brady Hotard) ABSTAIN:0(None) As aresult of the votes, the motionPassed. Ordinance 19 of 2025 can be found at the end of these minutes.

12. RESOLUTIONS A. ARESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR CANVASSING THE RETURNS AND DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL ELECTION HELD BY THE PARISH OF WEST BATON ROUGE, STATEOFLOUISIANA, ON SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2025 AND TO PROMULGATETHE RESULTS THEREOF

Mr.Stephens was recognized and explained the reason for this Resolutionwas canvassing the returns of the previous election for drainage and library

AMotionWas Made By Council Member Katherine Andre, Seconded By Council Member Gary Joseph To Approve A ResolutionProviding For Canvassing The Returns And Declaring The Results Of The Special Election Held By The Parish Of West Baton Rouge, StateOfLouisiana, On Saturday,March 29, 2025 And To PromulgateThe Results Thereof.

The votewas recorded as follows: YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker, KennethGordon, Carey Denstel,Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph) NAYS: 0(None) ABSENT: 1Brady Hotard) ABSTAIN:0(None) As aresult of the votes, the motionPassed. Resolution 9of2025 can be found at the end of these minutes. 13. CONSIDER

Mr.Bourgoyne wasrecognizedand asked the Council to approve the recommendation

~WITH SETBACK WAIVERS. Mr.Brandon Bourgoyne wasrecognizedand gave abrief explanation of the requirements of this proposed plat, andthe waivers beingrequested. In closing, Mr.Bourgoyne notedthat this wasrecommendedfor approvalbythe Planning &Zoning Commission. Mr.Robert Critneywas recognizedand explainedthe reasons for this request andthe reasons for the waivers needed. There were multiple questions for clarity from the Parish Council in regard to the waivers beingrequested, mainly for the two trailers whichweremovedinto the setbacks of the property ChairmanDenstel did note thatdue to the amount of the waivers there is asupermajority needed to pass this request. Amotion wasmade by Council Member Kenneth Gordon, seconded by Council Member Gary Joseph to approve with waiver/s File #2025-03: Owner: Robert Critney Jr.Address:2748 and2728 Billups Lane,Brusly,LA70719 FINAL MAPSHOWING SURVEY &LOT CONSOLIDATION OF 0.86 AC., 0.36.,& 0.375 AC. INTO TRACT RC-1 LOCATED IN SECTION 19, T8S-R12E SOUTHEASTERN LAND DISTRICT WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH,LOUISIANA FOR ROBERTCRITNEY JR.~ WITH SETBACK WAIVERS. The vote wasrecorded as follows: YEAS: 5(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, AtleyWalker,Kenneth Gordon, Gary Joseph) NAYS: 3(CareyDenstel, AlanCrowe,KatherineAndre) ABSENT:1 (Brady Hotard) ABSTAIN: 0(None) As aresult of the votes, the motion Failed.

16. CORRESPONDENCE REPORT CorrespondenceReport from Council Clerk, Mrs. Michelle Tullier includedthe following items: •Next Planning &Zoning Meeting May 6, 2025 at 5:30pm; •Next

8, 2025 at 5:30pm. 17. ADJOURN There being no furtherbusiness, amotion to adjournwas made by Council Member Kirk Allain andwas adopted by acclamation at 06:47 PM.

$25,000,000.00

$20,000,000.00

$15,000,000.00

$10,000,000.00

$5,000,000.00

ORDINANCE 15 OF 2025

As Introduced by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council At The Regular Meeting of March 27, 2025 And Adopted on April 24, 2025

An Ordinance To Amend And Reenact The West Baton Rouge Parish Code Of Ordinances, Part III (“Unified Development Code”), Chapter 106 (“Site Planning”), Article II (“Stormwater Management”), Section 106-22 (“Fill Mitigation”), And Section 106-24 (“Commercial Site Development Regulations) To Provide For Stormwater QuantityControl In Most Developments And Clarify Commercial Site Regulations.

WHEREAS the Unified Development Code (“Part III”) of the West Baton Rouge Parish Government contains regulationsfor the types of uses permitted for variously zoned properties AND WHEREAS said requirements have been reasonably successful in balancing the development rights of neighbors AND WHEREAS said requirements have been authorized by the Louisiana Revised Statutes and by the West Baton Rouge Parish Home Rule Charter AND WHEREAS said requirements areexercised with theintention of protecting the health, safety and welfareofthe Parish’scitizens and businesses THEREFORE

BE IT ORDAINED BY THIS COUNCIL that Part III (“Unified Development Code”), Chapter 101 (“General Provisions”), Section 101-1(“Definitions”) of the West Baton Rouge Parish Code of Ordinances be amended and readopted to read as follows (NOTE: underlined wordsare additions and strikethrough words aredeletions. Three asterisks -* -indicate sections of the code skipped for brevity of this ordinance. Such sections aretoberetained by the code editors.): PART III –UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE ** * CHAPTER106 –SITE PLANNING ARTICLE II –STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

Sec. 106-22 –Fill Mitigation

Unless otherwise provided, no fill shall be permitted in FEMA Special Flood HazardAreas (SFHA’s)and/or Community Defined (CD) SFHAs unless the fill is mitigated by excavationand meets the requirements in this section.

a) For all subdivision, mobile home parks, commercial, and industrial developments with proposed on-site excavation and fill construction (noimported or off-site fill) such as adetention pond, abefore and after development constructiongrading planshall be provided to show no decrease in the existing flood volume storage capacity below the FEMA BFE and/or the Community Defined Flood Elevation (CD FE), whichever is higher along with the following restrictions: 1) Fill shall not be placed in any area in which doing so might impede the natural floodplain of existing open channels, ditches, or outfall locations.

2) For mitigation purposes, no credit shall be given for the portion of excavation that is lower than adjacent open channels, ditches, or outfall locations.

3) For cases in which an area or pond is utilized for bothon-site stormwater detention and fill mitigation, no fill mitigation credit shall be given for that portion of the

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Parish Council of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that this ordinance shall become effective pursuant to Section2-12 (C) of the Home RuleCharter NOW THEREFOREBEITFURTHER ORDAINED by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council that allotherordinances or partsofordinances in conflictherewith arehereby repealed in their entirety

NOW THEREFOREBEITFURTHER ORDAINED by the Parish Council of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that if any provision or item of this ordinance or the application thereof is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions, itemsorapplicationofthis ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provisions, items or applications of this ordinance arehereby declared severable.

THE FOREGOING ORDINANCE AFTER HAVING BEEN SUBMITTED TO APUBLIC HEARING WASCONSIDERED, AND UPONMOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALAN CROWE, WHICH WASSECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KIRK ALLAIN. THE ORDINANCE WAS SUBMITTED TO AVOTE AND RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING:

YEAS: 8(CROWE, ALLAIN, BABIN, WALKER, DENSTEL, GORDON, ANDRE, JOSEPH)

NAYS: 0(NONE)

ABSENT:1 (HOTARD)

ABSTAIN: 0(NONE)

WHEREUPON the ordinance was declared adopted on the 24th Day of April, 2025.

ATTEST:

ORDINANCE 16 OF 2025

As Introduced by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council At The Regular Meeting of March27, 2025 And Adopted on April 24, 2025

An Ordinance To Amend And Reenact PartIII (“Unified Development Code”), Chapter 105 (“Subdivisions”) ,Article I(“In General”), Section 105-4 (“Public Hearing by Commission”), Chapter 111 (“Administration and Enforcement”), Article IV (“Zoning Enforcement”), Section111-63 (“BoardofAdjustments-Establishment and Procedure”), Section111-76 (“Procedures forAmendmentsToZoning Map”), Article VI (“Subdivision Approval Procedure”), Section111-115 (“Final Plat Approval”) Of The West Baton Rouge Parish Code Of Ordinances In Regards To Legal Advertisements, Publicationand Mailings.

WHEREAS the Unified Development Code (“Part III”) of the West Baton Rouge Parish Government contains regulations for the types of uses permitted for variously zoned properties AND

WHEREAS said requirements have been reasonably successful in balancing the development rights of neighbors AND WHEREAS said requirements have been authorized by the Louisiana Revised Statutes and by the West Baton Rouge Parish Home RuleCharter AND

WHEREAS said requirements areexercised with the intention of protecting the health, safety and welfareofthe Parish’scitizens and businesses THEREFORE

BE IT ORDAINED BY THIS COUNCIL that PartIII (“Unified Development Code”), Chapter 111 (“Administration and Enforcement”), Section111-76 (“Procedures forAmendmentsToZoning Map”) of the West Baton Rouge Parish Code of Ordinances be amended and readopted to read as follows (NOTE To Editors): underlined words areadditions and strikethrough words aredeletions. Three asterisks -* -indicate sections of the code skipped for brevity of this ordinance. Such sections aretoberetained by the code editors.): PART III –UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE

CHAPTER 105 –SUBDIVISIONS

ARTICLE I– IN GENERAL

Section 105-4. –Public Hearing by Commission. Excepting sections 105-2 (b)(1)—(3) and 111-115(e)(1) and (2), all subdivisions, resub divisions, or rearrangements shall be submitted to the commission and shall containthe name and address of aperson to whom notice of ahearing shall be sent; and no plat shall be acted on by such commission without affording ahearing thereon, (R.S. 33:113). Notice shall be sent to said address by certified mailofthe timeand place of such hearing not less than five days beforethe date fixed therefor.The commission shall also give notice of such hearings, including the purpose, time, and place, by at least one publication in anewspaper of general circulation in the area surrounding the proposed subdivision, not less than five days prior to hearing date. In addition, the piece of land to be subdivided shall be posted with aprinted notice in bold type fornot less than ten consecutive days prior to the public hearing conducted by the planning and zoning commission on asignnot less than one squarefoot in area, prepared, furnished and placed by the zoning administrator or designee upon the principal and accessible rights-of-way adjoining the area proposed for subdivision. Additionally,the secretary of the planning and zoning commission shall send out certified letters to all abutting property owners of the area proposed to be subdivided announcing the upcoming hearing by the planning and zoning commission. Saidletters shall be mailed no later than ten (10) days prior to the hearing by the planning and zoning commission. The costs of these letters shall be calculated by the planning and zoning secretary and shall be added to the cost of the subdivision review and shall be paid

preliminary or finalplat, andshall not be refundable. In cases where the feeisfor advertising ahearing for apreliminary plat, the feeshall not be reassessed for the finalplat submission unless substantial plat changeshave occurred thatmay necessitateanotherhearing as determined by the commission. If anew public hearing is required, the property shall be posted andcertified letters shallbemailedinthe same manner as apreliminary plat within the same timeline ***

(g) (16) Payment of $50.00 (if no major changesfromthe preliminary plat) or $100.00 (if major changesfromthe preliminary plat requiring a newpublic hearing plus certified lettermailing costs) subdividing fee to the West Baton Rouge Parish Office of Community Planning and Development

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Parish Council of the Parish of West Baton Rouge,Louisiana,thatthis ordinanceshall become effective pursuant to Section 2-12 (C) of the Home Rule Charter

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council thatall otherordinances or parts of ordinances in conflictherewith arehereby repealed in their entirety

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Parish Council of the Parish of West Baton Rouge,Louisiana,thatifany provision or itemofthis ordinanceorthe application thereof is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect otherprovisions, items or application of this ordinancewhichcan be given effect without the invalid provisions, items or applications of this ordinanceare hereby declared severable.

THEFOREGOING ORDINANCE AFTERHAVINGBEEN SUBMITTED TO APUBLIC HEARING WASCONSIDERED, AND UPON MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER ATLEY WALKER, WHICH WASSECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALAN CROWE. THEORDINANCE WAS SUBMITTED TO AVOTE AND RESULTEDINTHE FOLLOWING:

YEAS:8 (WALKER, CROWE, ALLAIN, BABIN, DENSTEL, GORDON, ANDRE, JOSEPH)

NAYS: 0(NONE)

ABSENT:1 (HOTARD)

ABSTAIN: 0(NONE)

WHEREUPON the ordinancewas declared adopted on the 24thDay of April, 2025.

ATTEST:

ORDINANCE 17 OF 2025

As Introduced by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council At the Meeting of March 27, 2025 And AdoptedonApril 24, 2025

An Ordinance Amending Chapter 104 Zoning To Incorporate

AmendedZoning Designation Map (Zoning Plan) UnderSection 104-3 Establishment Of Districts, OfficialZoning Map For Rezoning Request Of 3SK Properties, LLC, Rezoning Four Lots of OuterBanks Subdivision from R-SF-2 (ResidentialSingle Family) to C-1.2 (Community Scaled Commercial) andTract 3SK from I-1(Light Industrial) to AG-3 (AgriculturalFull Scale).

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council in legalsessionthatChapter 104 Zoning, Sec. 104-3 Establishment of Districts, Official Zoning Map of the CompiledOrdinances of the Parish of West Baton Rouge,Louisiana is amended andre-enacted to read as follows:

Sec.104-3. Establishment Of Districts, Offi

Parish Council that this ordinance shall becomeeffective pursuant to Section 2-12 (C) of the Home Rule Charter

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the West BatonRouge Parish Council, that all other ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith arehereby repealed in their entirety

NOWTHEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Parish Council of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that if any provision or item of this ordinance or the applicationthereof is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions, items or applications of this ordinance which can be giveneffect without the invalid provisions, items, or applications of this ordinance arehereby declared severable.

THE FOREGOING ORDINANCEAFTER HAVING BEEN SUBMITTED TO APUBLIC HEARING WASCONSIDERED, AND UPON MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER KIRKALLAIN, WHICH WASSECONDEDBY COUNCIL MEMBER KENNETHGORDON. THE ORDINANCE WAS SUBMITTED TO AVOTE AND RESULTEDINTHE FOLLOWING:

YEAS: 8(ALLAIN, GORDON, BABIN, WALKER, DENSTEL, CROWE, ANDRE,JOSEPH)

NAYS: 0(NONE)

ABSENT:1 (HOTARD)

ABSTAIN: 0(NONE)

WHEREUPON the ordinance was declared adopted on the 24th Day of April, 2025.

ATTEST:

ORDINANCE 18 OF 2025

As Introduced by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council At the Meeting of March 27, 2025 And Adopted on April 24, 2025

An Ordinance Amending Chapter 104 Zoning To Incorporate

Amended Zoning Designation Map (Zoning Plan) Under Section104-3 Establishment Of Districts, Official Zoning MapFor RezoningRequest Of Robert Critney Jr., Rezoning from R-MH (Mobile Home Park) to R-SF-3 (Residential Single Family).

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED by the West BatonRouge Parish Council in legal session that Chapter 104 Zoning, Sec. 104-3Establishment of Districts, Official Zoning Map of the Compiled Ordinances of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana is amended and re-enactedtoread as follows:

Sec.104-3. Establishment Of Districts, Official Zoning Map ForRezoning

Request Of Robert Critney Jr.Regarding Property located at 2728 Billups Lane Brusly,La70719. File #2025-08: Described by the WBR Assessor as: LOT SEC 19 T8S R12E 47H-32. Rezoning fromR-MH (Mobile Home Park) to R-SF-3 (Residential Single Family).

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the West BatonRouge Parish Council that this Ordinance shallalsoserve as aMaster Plan Change.

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council that this ordinance shall become effective pursuant to Section 2-12 (C) of the Home Rule Charter

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the West BatonRouge Parish Council, that all other ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith arehereby repealed in their entirety

NOWTHEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Parish Council of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that if any provision or item of this ordinance or the applicationthereof is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions, items or applications of this ordinance which can be giveneffect without the invalid provisions, items, or applications of this ordinance arehereby declared severable.

THE FOREGOING ORDINANCE AFTERHAVING BEEN SUBMITTED TO APUBLIC HEARING WASCONSIDERED, AND UPON MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER ATLEY WALKER, WHICH WASSECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KIRK ALLAIN. THE ORDINANCE WAS SUBMITTED TO AVOTE AND RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING:

YEAS: 8(WALKER, ALLAIN, BABIN, DENSTEL,CROWE, GORDON, ANDRE, JOSEPH)

NAYS:0 (NONE)

ABSENT:1 (HOTARD)

ABSTAIN: 0(NONE)

WHEREUPON the ordinance was declared adopted on the 24th Day of April, 2025.

ATTEST:

ORDINANCE19Of2025

As Introduced by theWestBaton Rouge Parish Council At the Regular Meeting of April 10, 2025 And Adopted on April 24, 2025

An Ordinance To Amend And Reenact The West Baton Rouge Parish Code Of Ordinances, Part III (“Unified Development Code”), Appendix A. “Purchase/Donation Of Real Property”, Section 1, “Descriptions”, And Further Authorizing The Parish President To Sign The Necessary Documentation To Accept Donation of Four (4) Acres at the corner of LA Hwy.190 West and Rougon Road, Port Allen, LA and Accept Donation of 0.712 AcreWater Well Site Located on SectionRoad near its intersection with Poydras Bayou Road

NOWTHEREFOREBEITORDAINED by the West BatonRouge Parish Council, in legal session,that Appendix A. Purchase/DonationofReal Property of the Compiled Ordinances of the Parish of West BatonRouge, Louisiana, is amended and re-enacted to read as follows: Appendix A. Donation of real propertydescribed as follows: FOUR (4) ACRES AT THE CORNER OF LA HWY.190 WEST AND ROUGON ROAD, PORTALLEN, LA, FOR COMBINATION FIRE STATION AND SHERIFF’S SUBSTATION PER METES AND BOUNDS BELOW

PROPERTY DESCRIPTION LOT FS-1

ACERTAIN PARCEL OR TRACT OF LAND DESIGNATEDASLOT FS-1

LOCATED IN SECTION 29, T-6-N, R-11-E, WEST BATON ROUGEPARISH,

LOUISIANAAND MORE PARTICULARLYDESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

POINTOFBEGININGBEING THENORTH RIGHTOFWAY OF US HIGHWAY 190 AND THE WESTRIGHT OF WAYOFROUGONROAD BEING ASET ½” IRON PIPE;

THENCE PROCEED N67°54’47”EA DISTANCE OF367.92 FEET TO A POINT AND CORNER BEING ASET ½”IRON PIPE;

THENCE PROCEED N00°50’00”EA DISTANCE OF 441.45 FEET TO A POINT AND CORNER BEING ASET ½”IRON PIPE;

THENCE PROCEED S89°10’00”E ADISTANCE OF 342.90 FEET TO A POINT AND CORNER BEING ASET ½”IRON PIPE;

THENCE PROCEED S00°50’00”W ADISTANCE OF574.82 FEETTO THE POINT OF BEGINNING, CONTAINING 4.0 ACRES AS PER PLAT

PREPARED BY BRADFORD ENGINEERING AND SERVICES, LLC DATED MARCH 24, 2025. DPROPERTYLOCATED AT CORNER OF LA HWY 190 WEST AND ROUGON ROAD,PORTALLEN, LA. SEETHE SUBDIVISION MAP ATTACHED AS EXHIBIT “A”, DONATED BY A. WILBERTSONS, LLC 0.712 ACRE WATER WELL SITE, LOCATEDONSECTION ROAD

WBRWWLOCATED IN SECTION 13, T-6-N,R-10-E,WEST BATON

ROUGE

POINT OF COMMENCIENT BEING THENORTH RIGHTOFWAY OF SECTION ROAD ANDTHE EAST CORNER OF A61.235 AC TRACTAND BEING AFOUND 1” IRON PIPE;

THENCE PROCEED S89°40’00”WADISTANCE OF 1,775.96 FEET TO A POINT ANDCORNER BEING ASET ½” IRON PIPE ANDTHE POINT OF BEGINNING;

THENCE PROCEED N01°27’23”W ADISTANCE OF 218.72 FEET TO A

POINT ANDCORNER BEING ASET ½” IRON PIPE;

THENCE PROCEED N89°41’31”W ADISTANCE OF 142.13 FEET TO A POINT ANDCORNER BEING ASET ½” IRON PIPE;

THENCE PROCEED S01°27’23”E ADISTANCE OF 218.72 FEET TO A POINT ANDCORNER BEING ASET ½” IRON PIPE;

THENCE PROCEED N89°40’00”E ADISTANCE OF 142.62 FEET TO THEPOINT OF BEGINNING, CONTAINING0.712 ACRES AS PER PLATPREPARED BY BRADFOED ENGINEERING ANDSERVICES, LLC DATED MARCH24, 2025. PROPERTY LOCATED ON SECTION ROAD NEAR ITSINTERSECTION WITH POYDRES BAYOU ROAD, WELL SITE COMMONLY KNOWN AS COMMUNITYWELL. SEE THESURVEY MAP ATTACHEDASEXHIBIT “B”. DONATED BY A. WILBERTSONS, LLC. BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED Establishment Of Districts, Official Zoning MapFor Rezoning Request Of LJA Rail. Regarding Property Located At 1100 River West ParkPort Allen,La70767. File #2025-05: Described by the WBRAssessor as: PORTION OF TRACT D-1-A-1 CONT 118.124 AC TRACT D-1-B-1 CONT 192.682 AC TRACT GCONT0.303 AC TRACT HCONT 2.389 AC REMAINDER OF OURSO TRACTCONT89.109 AC UNIONPACIFIC TRACT CONT 19.642 AC IN SEC 59 T7S R12E P/O

POPLAR GROVE PLTN 51-52. Rezoning to I-3witha Special Use Permit forRailroad Utilities on the proposed path attached hereto.

THEREFORE,BEITFURTHER ORDAINED by the West BatonRouge Parish Council, that the Parish President is hereby authorized to sign any and all necessary documentation to effectuate the donation of the abovedescribed properties between the Parish of West BatonRouge and A. Wilbert Sons, LLC.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council, that thisordinance shall become effective immediatelyupon Parish President’s signature.

NOW THEREFORE BE IF FURTHER ORDAINED by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council,that all other ordinances or partsofordinances in conflictherewith arehereby repealed in their entirety

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Parish Council of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that if any provision or item of thisordinance or the application thereof is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions, items or applications of this ordinance which can be given effect without the invalidprovisions, items, or applications of this ordinance arehereby declared severable.

THE FOREGOING ORDINANCE AFTER PUBLIC HEARING WAS CONSIDERED, AND UPONMOTIONBYCOUNCILMEMBER KATHERINE ANDRE, WHICH WASSECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DARYL “TURF’ BABIN,AND AVOTEBEINGTAKEN, THE FOLLOWING RESULTWAS HAD:

YEAS: 8(ANDRE, BABIN, ALLAIN, WALKER,DENSTEL, CROWE, GORDON, JOSEPH)

NAYS: 0(NONE)

ABSENT:1 (HOTARD)

ABSTAIN: 0(NONE)

WHEREUPON the ordinance was declared adopted on the 24th Dayof April, 2025.

ATTEST:

RESOLUTION 9OF2025

ARESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR CANVASSING THE RETURNSAND DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THESPECIAL

ELECTION HELD BY THE PARISH OF WEST BATONROUGE, STATEOFLOUISIANA, ON SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2025 AND TO PROMULGATETHE RESULTS THEREOF

BE IT RESOLVED, by Parish Council,acting as the governing authority (the Governing Authority”), of the Parish of West BatonRouge, Stateof Louisiana (the Parish)that:

SECTION 1. Canvass. ThisGoverning Authoritydoes now proceed in open and public session to examine the official tabulations of votes cast at the election held by the Parish on Saturday,March 29, 2025 (the Election”) and said Governing Authority does further proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declarethe resultsofthe Election

SECTION 2. Procès Verbal. A Procès Verbal of the canvass of the returns of the Electionshall be made and acertified copy thereof shall be forwarded to the SecretaryofState, BatonRouge, Louisiana, who shall recordthe same in his office; another certified copy thereof shallbe forwarded to the ClerkofCourt and Ex-Officio Recorder of Mortgages in and forthe Parish who shall recordthe same in the Mortgage Records of the Parish; and another copy thereof shallberetained in the archives of this Governing Authority

SECTION 3. Promulgation of Election Results. The results of the Election shallbepromulgated by publication in the manner provided by law

SECTION 4. Election Cost. The estimated costs of the Election as determined by the Louisiana SecretaryofState was $51,600.

SECTION5.Employment of Counsel It is recognized, found, and determined that areal necessity exists forthe employment of special legal counsel in connection with the Electionand the canvassing of the returns as provided in this Resolution. Accordingly,BolesShafto, LLC,Monroe, Louisiana (“Special Counsel”), was authorized in the Resolutioncalling the Election to do and perform comprehensive legal and coordinate professional work with respect to the Election. SaidSpecial Counsel prepared and submitted to thisGoverning Authorityfor adoptionall the proceedings incidental to the authorizationofthe Election. Such work having been performed, the fee of Special Counsel in connection with the Election is hereby fixed at asum not to exceed the maximum hourly fee allowed by the Attorney General’s fee guidelines forcomprehensive legal and coordinateprofessional services in an amount not to exceed $2,500, plus “out-of-pocket” expenses. The term of thisengagement is retroactive to the commencement of proceedings and work performed forthe Election with an effective date beginning on October 16, 2024 and extending no later than October 15, 2025. The scope of this legal

representation does not involve federal claims. An ExecutiveOfficer of the District is authorized and directed to enter intoalegal services agreement (“LSA”) with Special Counsel embodying the terms of this engagement in accordance with Attorney General requirements and guidelines, and a copy of such LSA, along with acertified copy of this resolutionshall be forwarded to Attorney General fortheir approval.

[THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLYBLANK]

And the resolution wasdeclared adoptedonthis the 24th day of April 2025.

PROCÈSVERBALAND PROCLAMATION OF THE CANVASS OF THE VOTES CAST AT THE SPECIAL ELECTION HELD IN THE PARISH OF WEST BATON ROUGE, STATEOFLOUISIANA, ON SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2025.

BE IT KNOWN AND REMEMBERED thatonApril 24, 2025 at Five-

Thirty O’clock(5:30) p.m., at its regularmeeting place, West Baton Rouge Governmental Building, 880NAlexanderAvenue, Port Allen, the Parish Council, acting as the governingauthority (the Governing Authority”), of the Parish of West Baton Rouge,State of Louisiana (the“Parish”) and being the authority orderingthe election held thereinonSaturday,March 29, 2025 (the“Election”), did, in openand public session, examine the official certified tabulations of votescast at theElection, anddid examine andcanvass the returns of the Election, there having been submitted at the Election thefollowing propositions, to wit: PARISHOFWEST BATON ROUGE, STATEOFLOUISIANA

PROPOSITION NO. 1 (DRAINAGE TAXRENEWAL) (Parishwide) Shall the Parish of West Baton Rouge,State of Louisiana (the “Parish”)

AMOTIONTOADOPT the above resolutionwas made by Council Member Katherine Andre, and seconded by Kenneth Gordon, and resulted in the following vote:

YEAS: 8(Andre. Gordon, Allain,Walker,Babin, Denstel, Crowe, Joseph)

NAYS: 0(None)

ABSTAIN: 0(None)

ABSENT: 1(Hotard)

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