The Advocate 05-27-2025

Lawmakers struggle over split-jury verdicts

Bill to revert cases, create parole committees fails

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Lawmakers in Louisiana have, for several years, been grappling with how to deal with an unusual portion of the state’s prison population: inmates who were convicted by nonunanimous jury verdicts. Such verdicts were banned in Louisiana in 2018, and the U.S Supreme Court later ruled them unconstitutional. But the court didn’t apply the decision retroactively, leaving it up to Louisiana to determine how to handle old cases. A proposal in this legislative session — Senate Bill 218, by Sen

Duplessis

Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans aimed to address that problem. It would have allowed prisoners convicted by split juries to apply to have their cases set back to pretrial status. From there, district attorneys could decide whether to hold a new trial, cut a plea deal or dismiss a case. But the bill died in the Senate on Wednesday on a vote of 26-9. The

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

The primary opposition to the bill came from the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, which said it would be impractical to try old cases when witnesses may have died and evidence been de-

MEMORY

LANE

David Gabel, from left, hoists a soft drink to his brother, U.S. Army Staff Sgt Michael John Gabel, on Memorial Day on Monday. He is joined by his wife, Brandy Gabel, and son Jack Gabel at Port Hudson National Cemetery in Port Hudson.

Local buyers floated for Fair Grounds Race Course

Horse racing industry thinks Benson, Bernhard have interest

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

With Churchill Downs Inc., the Kentucky-based owner of the Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots, threatening to leave the state if it doesn’t get a public subsidy, leading figures in the local horse racing industry are eyeing two Louisiana billionaires with ties to the sport as the most likely potential buyers should it be put up for sale

Top of the list is Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson. A horse

breeder who has had runners in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and owns a Kentucky breeding and rehabilitation facility, Benson sought to buy the historic New Orleans horse racing venue eight years ago with her late husband Tom, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the Bensons’ past interest who weren’t authorized to speak publicly about it. Also mentioned as a potential buyer, according to interviews with a half-dozen horse industry players, is Jim Bernhard, the Baton Rougebased founder of Bernhard Capital Partners, who has accumulated with his wife Dana significant horse breeding and racing operations in

ä See RACING, page 4A

The potential sale of the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, which has a 76-day horse racing season, has been the talk of the local racing industry since Churchill Downs executives appeared at a contentious Louisiana Racing Commission meeting May 13.

stroyed. They also argued the cases would clog the courts.

The Promise of Justice Initiative, an organization that represents prisoners convicted by split juries and that asked Duplessis to carry the bill, disputed that notion, presenting data that suggested the association was overstating the number of cases at issue.

Duplessis said he is continuing to work with stakeholders to find a

page 4A

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is backing a smaller river diversion project in Myrtle Grove in Plaquemines Parish instead of the $3 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion underway.

Shift in La. coastal strategy proposed

Project much smaller than Mid-Barataria pitched as replacement

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

Gov Jeff Landry’s plan to abandon the $3 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, once considered the cornerstone of Louisiana’s coastal restoration efforts, may see the state revive an old project to replace it that his administration says will be cheaper, faster and more effective. Not everyone is convinced.

The Mid-Barataria project is on life support after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers suspended a key permit for it. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Chair Gordon “Gordy” Dove is signaling a major shift in strategy that prioritizes protecting coastal fisheries over the original plan that took years to develop and has already cost $500 million. In a detailed presentation before the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday, Dove said that he supports the construction of a smaller river diversion in Plaquemines Parish called Myrtle Grove — a diversion project first proposed before Mid-Barataria was conceived. He presented it as a shovel-ready alternative to Mid-Barataria, which the state could pursue instead and save itself $1 billion in costs, all while freeing up funds to advance other restoration projects throughout the state. But the project is in reality far from shovel-ready, while proponents of the Mid-Barataria plan question the ultimate effectiveness and cost savings of what Dove is proposing.

Myrtle Grove would be far smaller than Mid-Barataria. While Mid-Barataria would send 75,000 cubic feet of river water — roughly equivalent to the volume of 30 shipping containers — into the basin every second, Myrtle Grove would divert between 2,500 and 15,000 cubic feet of river water per second, roughly the volume of six shipping containers.

ä See COASTAL, page 5A

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

10 shot in S.C. at holiday weekend party

LITTLE RIVER, S.C. Ten people were shot during a fight that started after a private boat hosting a holiday weekend party arrived at a dock Sunday night on the South Carolina coast, authorities said.

No one died in the shooting in Little River about 9:30 p.m., although some of the wounded were in critical condition, Horry County Police said in a statement

At least one person was taken to the hospital who was not hurt by gunfire, police said.

The shooting happened around a dock where a private charter boat leaves for cruises. The boat was docked and detectives are trying to figure out exactly where the fight and shooting began, police said.

A flyer online advertised a party Sunday night with a DJ on a three-hour cruise ending at 9 p.m.

A woman who answered a phone number on the flyer early Monday said she was distraught seeing her friends get shot but then said she didn’t want to talk any more and hung up.

Someone who answered the phone at the company that owns the boat said he didn’t want to talk to a reporter

No arrests have been made as detectives continue to investigate, police said.

Ex-police chief escapes from Arkansas prison

CALICO ROCK, Ark. — A former police chief in Arkansas who is serving decadeslong sentences for murder and rape escaped from prison Sunday state corrections officials said.

Grant Hardin, the former police chief of the tiny town of Gateway near the ArkansasMissouri border escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, where he has been held since 2017. Corrections officials did not provide any details about how he escaped. They did say that Hardin had disguised himself and was “wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement when he escaped the North Central Unit.”

The Division of Correction and the Division of Community Correction are following leads with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Hardin pleaded guilty in October 2017 to first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 59-year-old James Appleton. According to an affidavit filed in the case, Appleton worked for the Gateway water department and was talking to his brother-in-law, then Gateway Mayor Andrew Tillman, when he was shot in the head on Feb. 23, 2017, near Garfield. Police found Appleton’s body inside a car Hardin, who was Gateway’s police chief for about four months in early 2016, was sentenced to 30 years in prison He is also serving 50 years in prison for the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers north of Fayetteville.

Egyptian archaeologists discover tombs in Luxor

CAIRO Egypt unveiled three new tombs of prominent statesman in the Dra Abu al-Naga necropolis in Luxor, officials said Monday Egyptian archaeologists have discovered tombs dating back to the New Kingdom period (1550–1070 B.C.) and identified the names and titles of their owners through inscriptions found within, according to a statement by the tourism and antiquities ministry.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in the statement that further study of other tombs’ inscriptions is needed to gain a deeper understanding of the tombs’ owners.

The ministry released pictures of items discovered in the tombs, including artifacts and statues. The discovery comes in the lead-up to the highly anticipated full opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is expected this summer, though a final official date is yet to be confirmed. The museum will showcase more than 100,000 artifacts from Egypt’s rich ancient heritage.

Driver plows through crowd of soccer fans

English authorities say at least 45 injured; man arrested, acted alone

BY BRIAN MELLEY and STEVE DOUGLAS Associated Press

LONDON A 53-year-old White British man plowed a minivan into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans who were celebrating the city’s Premier League championship Monday, injuring more than 45 people as shouts of joy turned into shrieks of terror

The driver arrested was believed to be the only one involved in the incident and it was not being investigated as an act of terrorism, police said.

Ambulances took 27 people to the hospital, including two with serious injuries, and another 20 people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, said Dave Kitchin of North West Ambulance Service. At least four children were injured.

Four of the victims, including a child, were trapped under the van and firefighters had to lift the vehicle to free them. A paramedic on bicycle was also struck but was not injured.

“It has cast a very dark shadow over what had been a joyous day for the city,”

City Council leader Liam Robinson said at a late night news conference.

As the parade was wrapping up, a gray minivan turned onto the parade route and plowed into the sea of fans wrapped in their red Liverpool scarves jerseys and other memorabilia A video on social media showed the van strike a man, tossing him in the air, before veering into a larger crowd, where it plowed a path through the group and pushed bodies along the street before coming to a stop.

“It was extremely fast,” said Harry

Rashid, who was with his wife and two young daughters as the minivan passed by them. “Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”

Rashid said the crowd charged the halted vehicle and began smashing windows.

“But then he put his foot down again and just plowed through the rest of them, he just kept going,” Rashid said. “It was horrible And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.”

Rashid said it looked deliberate.

“My daughter started screaming, and there were people on the ground,” he said. “They were just innocent people, just fans going to enjoy the parade.”

Liverpool fans had come out in the hundreds of thousands to celebrate the team winning the Premier League this season for a record-tying 20th top-flight title.

Peter Jones, who had traveled from Isle of Man, said he heard the car smash into the crowd and saw at least a half-dozen people down.

“We heard a frantic beeping ahead, a car flew past me and my mate, people were chasing it and trying to stop him, windows smashed at the back,” Jones said. “He then drove into people, police and medics ran past us, and people were being treated on the side of the road.

Police said they were conducting extensive inquiries to establish what led to the collision and asked people not to speculate or share “distressing content online.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the scenes appalling and hailed the bravery of rescuers.

“Everyone, especially children, should be able to celebrate their heroes without this horror,” Starmer said. “The city has a long and proud history of coming together through difficult times. Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool.”

Group: New aid system in Gaza has started operations

BY WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip A new aid system in Gaza opened its first distribution hubs Monday, according to a U.S.-backed group that said it began delivering food to Palestinians who face growing hunger after Israel’s nearly three-month blockade to pressure Hamas

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is taking over the handling of aid despite objections from United Nations. The desperately needed supplies started flowing on a day that saw Israeli strikes kill at least 52 people in Gaza.

The group said truckloads of food — it did not say how many — had been delivered to its hubs, and distribution to Palestinians had begun.

“More trucks with aid will be delivered tomorrow, with the flow of aid increasing each day,” it said in a statement.

The U.N. and aid groups have pushed back against the new system, which is backed by Israel and the United States They assert that Israel is trying to use food as a weapon and say a new system won’t be effective

Israel has pushed for an alternative aid delivery plan because it says it must stop Hamas from seizing aid. The U.N. has denied that the militant group has diverted large amounts.

The foundation began operations a day after the resignation of its executive director Jake Wood, an American, said it had become clear the foundation would not be allowed to operate independently

It’s not clear who is funding the group.

The organization is made up of former humanitarian, government and military officials. It has said its distribution points will be guarded by private security firms and that the aid would reach a million Palestinians — around half of Gaza’s popula-

Ukraine: Russia launches biggest drone attack

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV and VOLODYMYR YURCHUK Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Russia launched its biggest drone attack against Ukraine overnight, a Ukrainian official said Monday, part of an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the 3-year-old war

On the third straight night of significant aerial bombardments, U.S President Donald Trump lashed out at Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying he had gone “crazy” by stepping up attacks on Ukraine.

The expansion of Russia’s air campaign appeared to be another setback U.S.led peace efforts, as Putin looks determined to capture more Ukrainian territory and inflict more damage. It comes after Kyiv accepted an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in March that was proposed by the U.S. but that Moscow effectively rejected.

This month alone, Russia has broken its record for aerial bombardments of Ukraine three times.

Russia is also still pushing along the roughly 620mile front line, where it has made slow and costly progress, and is assembling its forces for a summer offensive, analysts say

“Only a sense of complete impunity can allow Russia to carry out such attacks and continually escalate their scale,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Monday “There is no significant military logic to this, but there is considerable political meaning.”

The Russian bombardment on Sunday night included 355 drones, Yuriy Ihnat, head of the Ukrainian air force’s communications department, told The Associated Press, calling it the biggest of the war

The previous night Russia fired 298 drones and 69 missiles in what Ukrainian officials said was the larg-

tion — by the end of the week.

Under pressure from allies, Israel began allowing a trickle of humanitarian aid into Gaza last week after blocking all food, medicine, fuel or other goods from entering since early March. Aid groups have warned of famine and say the aid that has come in is nowhere near enough to meeting mounting needs.

Hamas warned Palestinians on Monday not to cooperate with the new aid system, saying it is aimed at furthering those objectives.

The Israeli airstrikes killed at least 36 people in a school-turned-shelter that was hit as people slept, setting their belongings ablaze, according to local health officials The military said it targeted militants operating from the school.

Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas It has vowed to seize control of Gaza and keep fighting until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and until it returns the remaining 58 hostages, a third of them believed to be alive, from the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war

est combined aerial assault of the conflict. From Friday to Sunday, Russia launched around 900 drones at Ukraine, officials said. Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said Monday that its forces shot down 103 Ukrainian drones overnight that were flying over southern and western Russia, including near Moscow Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency said 32 flights scheduled to land at three Moscow airports on Sunday and Monday had to divert amid Ukrainian drone attacks. The numbers from Ukraine and Russia could not be independently verified.

Soon after Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022, invasion, the conflict became a testing ground for drone warfare. Drones are generally cheaper to produce than missiles.

Russia has received Iranian-made Shahed drones since 2022 and is now believed to be manufacturing its own version. Ukraine as well as receiving smaller battlefield drones from its allies to help it compensate for a troop shortage, has developed its own longrange drones for strikes deep inside Russia. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that there are “no longer any range restrictions for weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine — neither by the British, nor by the French or by us, and not by the Americans either.”

“That means Ukraine can also defend itself by, for example, attacking military positions in Russia. Until a while ago, it couldn’t it can now,” he said. It was not clear if Merz was referring to the easing of restrictions on longerrange weapons late last year Before becoming chancellor, Merz called for Germany to supply Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv, something his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, refused to do.

Obituaries:

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JON SUPER Fans leave as police and emergency personnel work the scene Monday after a minivan plowed into a group of soccer fans near the Liver Building during the Premier League winners parade in Liverpool, England.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI Walaa Al-Kilani, center, mourns her mother and brother, who were killed when an Israeli military strike hit a school sheltering displaced residents, on Monday at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City

Trump honors fallen soldiers at Arlington

BY SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Va. — President Donald Trump paid tribute to fallen service members during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, in an address that honored the “great, great warriors” yet also briefly veered into politics as he boasted of a nation he is “fixing after a long and hard four years.”

Though the holiday is one that U.S. presidents typically treat with pure solemnity, Trump began it with an all-caps Memorial Day social media post that attacked his predecessor and called federal judges who have blocked his deportation initiatives “monsters who want our country to go to hell.”

Yet at Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 400,000 have been laid to rest, Trump commemorated the sacrifice of U.S. service members and singled out several Gold Star families to tell the stories of their fallen relatives.

“We just revere their incredible legacy,” Trump said “We salute them in their eternal and everlasting glory. And we continue our relentless pursuit of America’s destiny as we make our nation stronger, prouder, freer and

greater than ever before.”

“Their valor,” he said, “gave us the freest, greatest and most noble republic ever to exist on the face of the earth. A republic that I am fixing after a long and hard four years.”

During his remarks, Trump told the story of Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, killed along with three other Americans by a suicide bomber in 2019 in Syria, leaving behind her husband, 3-year-old son and 18-monthold son.

The Pine Plains, New York, native was on her fifth combat deployment, he said, embedded with a team hunting Islamic State group militants in Syria, serving as linguist, translator and cryptologic technician working alongside special forces.

“She was among the first women ever to do it, and she did it better than anyone,” Trump said, calling out Kent’s family for applause at the ceremony

The crowd also heard of Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Elroy Harworth from Erhard, Minnesota, whose plane went down in enemy territory during the Vietnam War, dying while his wife was seven months pregnant His son, who was cheered in the audience, followed his father’s path and has been in

Israeli nationalists chant ‘death to Arabs’ during annual march

BY JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press

JERUSALEM Chanting

“Death to Arabs” and singing “May your village burn,” groups of young Israeli Jews made their way through Muslim neighborhoods of Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday during an annual march marking Israel’s conquest of the eastern part of the city Palestinian shopkeepers closed early and police lined the alleys ahead of the march that often becomes a rowdy and sometimes violent procession of ultranationalist Jews. A police officer raised his arms in celebration at one point, hugging a marcher. It was blazing hot, with temperatures hitting 98 degrees in late afternoon. Police kept a close watch as demonstrators jumped, danced and sang. Hours earlier, a small group of protesters, including an Israeli member of parliament, stormed a compound in east Jerusalem belonging to the U.N agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA

The march commemorates Jerusalem Day, which marks Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war The event threatened to inflame tensions that are rife in the city after nearly 600 days of war in Gaza.

Jerusalem lies at the heart of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians Each sees the city as a key part of their national and religious identity It is one of the most intractable issues of the conflict and is often a flashpoint Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its eternal, undivided capital. Its annexation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognized. Palestinians want an independent state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Last year’s procession, during the first year of the war in Gaza, saw ultranationalist Israelis attack a Palestinian journalist in the Old City and call for violence against Palestinians. Four years ago, the march helped set off an 11-day war in Gaza.

Tour buses carrying young ultranationalist Jews lined up near entrances to the Old City, bringing hundreds from outside Jerusalem, including settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

the Army for 20 years.

There was also the story of Army Cpl. Ryan McGhee of Fredericksburg, Virginia, who enlisted after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and whose mother was in the audience.

Trump said McGhee knew he wanted to be an Army Ranger since he saw the towers fall on that day did three tours in Afghanistan, then deployed to Iraq Sixteen years ago this month, the president said, McGhee died in a firefight, and “gave his life at 21 years old.” Vice President JD Vance,

who spoke before Trump, said the lesson of all the gravestones is: “We must be cautious in sending our people to war.” He urged the crowd to push political leaders to treat the lives of soldiers as the “most precious resource.”

Later in his remarks, Trump pointed to a “big, big celebration” coming next year as the U.S celebrates its 250th birthday, joking that “in some ways, I’m glad I missed that second term” when he lost to Joe Biden. “Because I wouldn’t be

president for that,” Trump said, as the crowd laughed “In addition, we have the World Cup and we have the Olympics. Can you imagine? I missed that four years. And now look what I have, I have everything. Amazing the way things work out.”

Before speaking, Trump placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a somber tradition for U.S. presidents. The president paused after placing the wreath, then stepped back and saluted during the playing of taps. Vance and De-

fense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined him. The president began the day with a decidedly different tone.

In a social media message in all capital letters, Trump ranted at Biden, calling him the “scum” who spent the last four years trying to destroy the country with radical leftism and who, he said, left behind an open border That was after he posted a separate message proclaiming “HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!” Wishing people a happy Memorial Day is regarded as verboten because the day is considered a somber one to honor soldiers killed in service.

Vance emphasized as much when he spoke to U.S. Naval Academy graduates in Annapolis on Friday when he said that he and Trump would “lead the most solemn occasion in our nation, Memorial Day at Arlington Cemetery

“You will learn as I have that when people say things like ‘Happy Memorial Day,’ you appreciate the sentiment behind it but know that it’s wrong because Memorial Day is not a happy day,” Vance said last week. “Memorial Day is not for those who served and came home, it is for those who served that didn’t.”

King Charles III arrives in Canada

After this year’s march ended, Arab shopkeepers darted outside to begin scrubbing their shops, now covered with stickers reading “Gaza is ours.”

Police, who called the procession the “Dance of Flags,” said they had detained a number of people and “acted swiftly to prevent violence, confrontations and provocations.”

Speaking in an east Jerusalem archaeological park located in a Palestinian neighborhood, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to “preserve a united whole Jerusalem and the sovereignty of Israel.” He said the government was encouraging foreign embassies to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and investing billions of shekels in the city’s development. Volunteers from the propeace organization Standing Together and the Free Jerusalem collective, which works with Palestinians in Jerusalem, tried to position themselves between the marchers and residents to prevent violence.

One shopkeeper swept the floor after marchers tipped over his bale of bay leaves. A group of young Jewish Israelis followed a Palestinian woman through the streets, calling her “charmouta” Arabic for “whore.

“This is our home, this is our state,” one protester shouted at a Palestinian woman

“Go away from here!” she responded, in Hebrew

Monarch visits to underscore country’s sovereignty

BY ROB GILLIES Associated Press

OTTAWA, Ontario Britain’s King Charles III arrived Monday in Ottawa on a visit that Canada’s leader says will underscore his nation’s sovereignty amid President Donald Trump’s talk of the United States annexing its northern neighbor

Trump’s repeated suggestion that the U.S. annex Canada prompted Prime Minister Mark Carney to invite Charles to give the speech from the throne that will outline his government’s agenda for the new Parliament

The king is the head of state in Canada, which is a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies.

“This historic honor matches the weight of our times. It speaks to our enduring tradition and friendship, to the vitality of our constitutional monarchy and our distinct identity, and to the historic ties that crises only fortify,” Carney said in a statement “Canada’s strength lies in building a strong future while embracing its English, French, and Indigenous roots — the union of peoples that forms our bedrock.”

Carney, the new prime minister and a former head of the Bank of England and Canada’s first Indigenous governor general, Mary Simon, the king’s representative in Canada, greeted the king and Queen Camilla at the airport. A 25-member honor guard from the Royal

NoticedisherebygivenpursuanttoArticle7,Section23(C)oftheLouisianaConstitutionandR.S.47:1705(8)thatapublic hearingofTheTownofSlaughterinEast FelicianaParishwillbeheldatits regularmeeting placeatthe Town Hall located at 3337ChurchStreet, Slaughter, LA on July,15, 2025 at 6:15 p.m. to consider levyingadditionalorincreased millage rateswithout furthervoter approval or adopting theadjustedmillage ratesafter reassessmentandrollingforwardtorates nottoexceedthe prioryear’smaximum. Theestimated amount of taxrevenues to be collectedinthe next year from the increasedmillage is $54,630.65,and the amount of increase in taxesattributable tothemillageincreaseis$216.89.

Canadian Dragoons, for which the king is colonel-inchief, was also on hand.

The king, in a taupe suit and red tie, later dropped the ceremonial first puck during a street hockey game at a community event.

Spectator Norman MacDonald said he’s “proud” the king came to Ottawa to deliver a message on behalf of Canadians.

“Canada is not, obviously, for sale, and it’s not going to

be bullied,” he said. It is rare for the monarch to deliver what’s called the speech from the throne in Canada Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, did it twice in her 70-year reign, the last time in 1977.

Canadians are largely indifferent to the monarchy, but Carney has been eager to show the differences between Canada and the United States. The king’s visit clearly underscores Canada’s sov-

ereignty, he said. After America gained independence from Britain, Canada remained a colony until 1867 and afterward, continued as a constitutional monarchy with a Britishstyle parliamentary system. “We are different,” former Quebec Premier Jean Charest said. “If you look at why King Charles is reading the speech from the throne, then you have to then acknowledge Canada’s story.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance salute Monday during the 157th National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va

VERDICTS

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solution. But it’s unclear whether the two sides will be able to reach a compromise

An alternate plan

On Wednesday — the day Duplessis presented his bill to the Senate Chamber — the district attorneys association offered a new proposal that, instead of granting new trials to prisoners convicted by split juries, would have given those prisoners a chance for parole.

The group asked state Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, to carry the proposal in the form of an amendment to SB218.

The amendment would have established a special parole committee consisting of three judges, one district attorney or assistant district attorney, and one public defender or assistant public defender, all appointed by the governor

Those convicted by nonunanimous juries could have applied for parole from the panel, which would have been responsible for reviewing applications and determining whether convictions had resulted in a “miscarriage of justice.” The panel would have had

Continued from page 1A

recent years.

Bernhard didn’t respond to requests for comment. Benson declined to comment on whether she would be interested in making an offer for the Fair Grounds, but her spokesman, Greg Bensel, said that “she will monitor the situation.

“Mrs. Benson maintains a very strong and active role in the horse business (and) supports Louisiana-bred racing,” Bensel said. “Relative to the Fair Grounds, it is an iconic part of the social fabric of New Orleans. She has a history of supporting iconic New Orleans fixtures.”

Put in play

The potential sale of the Fair Grounds racetrack, which has a 76-day horse racing season and has hosted the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for more than half a century, has been the talk of the local racing industry since Churchill Downs executives appeared at a contentious Louisiana Racing Commission meeting May 13.

During the meeting, they said they would not proceed with the upcoming horse racing season in November unless the state replaces slot machine income it lost after a recent court ruling Racing commission Chair Edward Koehl said at the meeting that the issue will now have to play out in the state Legislature over the next month to see if some kind of deal can be reached before the current session ends in mid-June.

Churchill Downs’ head of racing Gary Palmisano, said the company hoped it could work something out with lawmakers. “Churchill Downs Inc. has expressed its readiness to partner with legislators and the administration to ensure our continued operations in Louisiana,” he said via text. Churchill Downs has not publicly put the Fair Grounds on the market, and there’s no indication that Benson or Bernhard have been approached or have made any formal inquiries.

Still, there are upcoming deadlines that could make continuing to own the track costly Churchill Downs has a contractual obligation to start making upgrades to the Fair Grounds track and buildings starting in July, and to run the annual horse racing program from late November If it misses those deadlines it will start incurring daily fines.

The company said that without a public subsidy it will lose money on its Louisiana operations and won’t be able to continue. Louie Roussel III, a legendary Louisiana horse breeder who owned the Fair Grounds for more than a decade until he sold it to the Krantz family in 1990, said he advised the racing commission to call Churchill Downs’ bluff.

“If they don’t think they can make any money they should sell the track,” Rous-

three years to carry out its duties.

Zach Daniels, executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, said the amendment showed they were willing to work with advocates to find a reasonable solution

But Hardell Ward, the initiative’s director of community impact, said the proposal which was pulled from a three-year-old bill — was not a viable one.

He noted the panel’s decision would not have been appealable, and that the amendment did not define “miscarriage of justice.”

“How can someone who’s been in jail for 30 years properly prove that there’s a miscarriage of justice not even knowing what they mean when they say that?” Ward asked

And for clients who want to prove their innocence, accepting parole is “not justice for them,” he said.

Mary-Patricia Wray, a lobbyist for the Promise of Justice Initiative, did not see McMath’s amendment as a true compromise, but instead as an old proposal that has been discussed for years and rejected, she said.

Duplessis rejected the proposal at the behest of the Promise of Justice Initiative, and McMath withdrew his amendment on the

Senate floor

“Those who asked me to carry this legislation, specifically (the Promise of Justice Initiative) and the clients they represent, did not want the amendment, and I fully understand and accept their rationale,” said Duplessis.

Blame goes around

McMath called the advocates’ rejection of the amendment “shortsighted.”

“Instead of keeping (Duplessis’) bill alive and moving and continuing to work with the other side, (the bill) ended up failing in dramatic fashion,” McMath said. “And what does that accomplish? Nothing.”

Personally, McMath said he voted against the bill out of concerns that it would force victims to relive traumatic moments at new trials.

Meanwhile, the Promise of Justice Initiative has blamed the failure of the bill on what they describe as the association’s outsized influence on the Legislature.

“As demonstrated again (Wednesday) and evident in legislative sessions for years, the Louisiana District Attorneys Association (LDAA), a lobbying group, holds significant, disproportionate power over our legislators,” the group said in a statement after the

sel said in a recent telephone interview “I think having a local owner would be the best thing in the world.”

Long history

The Fair Grounds, which covers 145 acres near City Park, has been hosting horse races since 1838, originally under the name Union Race Course, and is one of the three oldest continuously operated tracks in the country

Churchill Downs has owned the facility since it bought it out of bankruptcy from the Krantz family in 2004. As with other horse racing venue operators around the country, it has increasingly relied on slot machine income for profits and to cover the expenses of the racing operation. The company said it costs about $9 million a year to run the track.

Licensed racetracks with gambling operations are required to contribute a percentage of their net gambling revenues, mainly through prize money, known as purses. The exact distribution depends on the number of racing days and the specific agreements between courses and the racing commission.

Churchill Downs executives argued that the Fair Grounds contributes an outsized share in Louisiana. Last year Fair Grounds paid out $32 million in purses, representing nearly half of the state’s total thoroughbred purses though it accounted for just 27% of the racing days, they told the commission. They also said their track and off-track bets accounted for $250 million in bets last year, or half the state’s total. In 2021, the Louisiana Legislature allowed a new type of slot machine based on anonymized previouslyrun races, called Historical Horse Racing, which has proved hugely profitable for Churchill Downs Though

the company doesn’t report its HHR income locally, its revenue from the machines nationally doubled in 2023 to $768 million, or nearly a third of its total revenue. Its interest in HHR deepened further when it acquired the company that makes HHR technology, Exacta Systems, in late 2023.

Stanley Seelig, a past president of the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, which represents racehorse owners, trainers and other stable employees, said the Fair Grounds and the state’s other three race courses — Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs are all highly reliant on gambling revenue.

“At Fair Grounds, about a third of revenue came from slots (before HHR), a third from the OTB parlors and a third from betting on the horses,” Seelig said. “But at the other three, it’s about 90% from the slots. They’d have a hard time staying open without the slots.”

In March, the state Supreme Court ruled that HHR machines would have to be shut down until they were approved by a referendum in each parish in which they operate. The ruling followed a challenge by truck stop operators who had seen their video poker machines lose out to HHR, which can pay much higher jackpots.

Churchill Downs said the ruling meant its revenue in Louisiana would be down 46% and profits would fall by 74%. The company wants the Louisiana Legislature to pass a law legalizing HHR or to legislate for a permanent annual subsidy for horse racing, as Florida did last year

“Any potential buyers would face the same challenges with the state and the same reality when it comes to economic viability,” said Palmisano.

vote. “When the LDAA told lawmakers to oppose this bill, legislators listened.”

The statement points out that the bill gleaned a wide variety of support, including from hard-core conservative U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, and the Pelican Institute, a right-leaning public policy think tank.

Wray contended the association has a “chokehold” over the Legislature.

“They are under the thumb of their district attorneys,” she said.

“When will the Legislature stand up to these local elected officials?”

McMath disputed that notion.

“I think that if the LDAA had a stranglehold on the Legislature, the bill doesn’t get out of committee, and I would applaud the LDAA for coming back to the table and offering a compromise,” he said.

Daniels said district attorneys offer insight to legislators, and in doing so they “trade on one currency, and that’s the currency of our reputation.” They build that reputation through their work creating safer communities, he said.

“To say that we have a disproportionate impact, or an unfair advantage in some way ignores the role that we play in the communities advocating for victims, and it renders it down to something a

The company has considered offers to buy Fair Grounds over the years, including the one from the Bensons and one from Roussel in 2014. He and two other New Orleans investors couldn’t agree terms with Churchill Downs, he said. Roussel said he’ll be 80 at his next birthday and wouldn’t be interested in having another run.

Churchill Downs paid $47 million in cash for Fair

bit uglier and frankly frustrating to hear,” Daniels said.

Next steps

Though Duplessis’ bill failed in its current form, that doesn’t mean nothing will be done with regard to split juries this session.

Duplessis filed a motion for reconsideration, meaning his bill could come up again.

The senator is exploring whether it is possible to pass legislation that would help the state to determine the scope of cases impacted by nonunanimous jury verdicts.

“At the very least, we should be able to come up with a process that allows us to agree on the size of the problem including the actual number of cases that exist,” Duplessis said.

Disagreement over how many prisoners were behind bars due to split-jury verdicts was a sticking point as SB218 moved through the legislative process The Promise of Justice Initiative estimated that roughly 800 people would have been entitled to relief if the bill passed; the Louisiana District Attorneys Association put that number at 1,600.

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

Grounds and made further acquisitions to bring the number of off-track betting operations to 13 currently

The company said it has invested $200 million in total.

Horse business

Tom Benson had horse racing interests in the 1970s and 1980s and returned to the business in 2014 when he and wife Gayle co-founded GMB Racing. Their high-profile horses included Tom’s Ready, who earned over $1 million and competed in the 2016 Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Mile More recently, Gayle Benson has concentrated on breeding at Benson Farm, the 600-acre breeding and rehabilitation facility near Lexington, Kentucky. When they were interested in buying the Fair Grounds previously the NFL had stricter policies about team owners having interests in gambling operations It has

since relaxed those rules after the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 allowed states to legalize sports betting.

“She fully understands that operating a racetrack not only here in New Orleans but across the country has become increasingly difficult,” Bensel said “There are so many political constituencies that impact horse racing and gaming, that running a racetrack can be prohibitive. This is not unique to the Fair Grounds.”

For their part, the Bernhards bought their first racehorse in 2021 and a year later acquired the storied Pin Oak Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, and expanded it to 1,250 acres. They have also established Pin Oak South, a 100-acre facility in Louisiana.

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate. com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Gayle Benson, right, standing with Greg Bensel, attends the Preakness Stakes in 2018 where her horse, Lone Sailor, finished fifth. As a contentious battle roils between the state and the owners

Alongside the smaller diversion, Dove advocated for building a 24-mile tract of manmade wetlands extending across the Barataria Basin from Bayou Dosgris to Port Sulphur, which is already part of CPRA’s master plan for restoring parts of the coast.

“Congress authorized the design, engineering and construction of Myrtle Grove, with a long-distance pipeline to build land,” Dove said in an interview “Look, the best alternative is to go back to the Corps and let the Corps go ahead and move forward with it.”

Ricky Boyett, a spokesperson for the Corps, noted that the project does not have final authorization, and that its current design calls for using dredged sediment to build land without a pipeline Fishing vs. diversions

Mid-Barataria aimed to build 21 square miles of land over 50 years by slicing open the Mississippi River near Ironton and diverting its flow and land-building sediment into Barataria Basin.

The state has lost an area the size of Delaware to coastal erosion over the last century, and the rate of loss is expected to increase with intensifying hurricanes and sea level rise driven by human-caused climate change.

It was seen as the centerpiece of the state’s $50 billion plan to restore parts of its coastline, but fishermen and shrimpers in coastal parishes have long opposed it on the grounds that the introduction of fresh water into brackish estuaries would destroy fisheries.

Mitch Jurisich, a Plaquemines Parish Council member who owns about 16,000 acres of oyster bed leases and stands to lose business if the diversion is built, celebrated the prospect of an alternative project.

“For 15 years we’ve been fighting this project because we knew it would not do the proper job,” said Jurisich, who has sued in federal court to stop the Mid-Barataria plan. “Let’s get it right this time.” Landry sided with the fishing communities last year when he signaled his opposition to the project, saying that it would “break our culture.” He has blamed his predecessor John Bel Edwards’ administration for withholding a 500-page report from the Corps that modeled how the diversion would perform under specific circumstances, an accusation that Edwards has strongly rebutted.

The Corps ultimately suspended a crucial permit for the project last month, noting as part of its justification that Edwards’ administration had “deliberately withheld” the report. It has also acknowledged, though, that the data in question would not have affected its permit decision.

The Corps also singled out the Landry administration’s disinterest in the project as part of its reasoning to suspend the permit In a May 5 letter Dove said he would in-

form the Corps of next steps within 60 days, or by July 4.

Dove also this week said publicly for the first time that the CPRA would move to cancel another planned river diversion on the east bank of the river, the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion. Fishers and oyster growers oppose that project, too.

Outdated studies

Dove argues that the smaller diversion and landbridge projects would ultimately create more land than MidBarataria, and do so more quickly.

“You would make 19,000 acres (about 30 square miles) in 12 to 14 years,” he said in an interview “You’ll be around to see I’m right You won’t be around to see whether that experiment works or not,” he added, referring to Mid-Barataria.

He appeared to be referencing a report the Corps produced in 2010, which estimated that the project, which also includes moving 2 million cubic yards of river sediment into the basin, would build 19,700 acres over the project’s lifetime.

The state’s marsh-building projects with dredged sediment typically have a 20-year life span since they erode like the rest of the coast, though the accompanying features Dove proposes may extend that.

Mid-Barataria proponents note that the larger diversion would work with nature, could continue to be a landbuilding tool well beyond the 50-year evaluation period and matches the scale of Louisiana’s devastating land loss crisis.

But cost is also a concern for Landry and Dove, who says that scrapping MidBarataria would save taxpayer money, which coastal advocates have called into question. It’s not clear whether the more than $500 million in BP oil spill settlement funds that have been spent on Mid-Barataria will have to be returned if the

project isn’t built.

“You’re going to save over a billion,” Dove insists. “It will probably be about $4 billion but I’m being conservative at a billion.”

The Corps and, eventually, Congress would also have to approve the plan Dove advocates — usually a complex and yearslong process

Sen. Pat Connick, R-Marrero, questioned the project’s timeline at the hearing on Wednesday, noting that the Mid-Barataria project had gone through a long permitting process and that Myrtle Grove would undergo the same.

He said it was “upsetting and shameful” that the state had spent so much money on a project just to “toss it away.”

“Now you’re saying here today and the governor saying here today we can make it better So that’s going to be on you,” he added. “We’ll be watching.”

Simone Maloz, campaign director of Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a coastal advocacy coalition that supports Mid-Barataria, notes that the studies and cost estimates that support Myrtle Grove are likely outdated.

She pointed out that a version of the Myrtle Grove project was first considered in the mid-1980s. In 2005, the cost of the project was estimated to be $278 million, a price tag likely far out of date, Maloz said, and though the Corps studied it on and off over the years, the last published study was issued in 2013.

“In terms of coastal restoration, 2013 is a really long time ago,” she said. “That was before Ida ripped through that basin pretty well.”

Bureaucratic hurdles

The Corps, in a letter to Dove, began to lay out the process for restarting the Myrtle Grove diversion. The state would need to tell the Corps definitively that it

plans to abandon Mid-Barataria and formally signal its intent to restart Myrtle Grove. Dove told lawmakers Wednesday that he has officially informed the Corps that the state plans to restart the Myrtle Grove project. The state and the Corps would also have to come to a financial agreement in order to restart the environmental and technical studies for Myrtle Grove. The state would likely have to foot half the bill for those studies, which the Corps estimates would take three years and cost $3 million. The total costs of construction would be determined in the course of that study

Dove said that Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement funds could be used to pay for the state’s share of those costs but that would need to be approved by the trustees that oversee those funds

“If the Myrtle Grove proj-

ect’s benefits outweigh its costs, if it’s environmentally compliant and technically feasible, then we can make a recommendation to headquarters that can recommend it to Congress,” said Boyett of the Corps. “And then Congress can decide whether to fund it for construction.”

All of that will take years.

If it is built, John Day, an emeritus professor of coastal sciences at LSU, is wary that the smaller diversion will build a meaningful amount of land.

“How the delta has worked the last several thousand years is you had giant crevasses,” or breaches in the natural levees that temporarily held the river in place, he said. “They flowed at 10,000 cubic meters per second.”

That’s 350,000 cubic feet per second, or nearly five times the size of Mid-Barataria — and that’s what built

land in coastal Louisiana Day advocates, instead, for harnessing sediment that gets stirred up when storms come through the Gulf to maintain and expand existing marshes. As delays drag on, coastal groups note that Louisiana’s coast continues to erode at an alarming rate, and storms are only becoming more frequent and damaging as the climate heats.

“How long will it take to get approval from the Corps for these new ideas? What will happen over that period of time? Will we get a hurricane? Will we get two hurricanes?” said Kristi Trail, the head of the Pontchartrain Conservancy. “What you’re really hearing today is a plan for managed retreat” — the term for moving people

‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch Phil Robertson dies at 79

By The Associated Press

WEST MONROE Phil Robertson, who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died Sunday, according to his family He was 79. Robertson’s family announced in December on their “Unashamed With the Robertson Family” podcast that the patriarch of the clan had Alzheimer’s disease. The statement on social media from Robertson’s daughter-in-law didn’t mention how he died.

“Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again,” Korie Robertson wrote.

Phil Robertson skyrocketed to fame in the early 2010s when the A&E network created a reality show presented like a sitcom. It followed the adventures of Robertson, his three sons — including Willie, who runs the family’s Duck Com-

Phil Robertson, the ‘Duck Dynasty’ star who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died Sunday at age 79.

mander company, their wives and a host of other relatives and friends.

Phil Robertson and his boys were immediately recognizable by their long beards and their conservative, Christian and family-oriented beliefs.

That got Robertson into trouble, too. He told a magazine reporter in 2013 that gay people are sinners

4 ex-VW managers convicted of fraud

By The Associated Press

FRANKFURT,Germany A German court on Monday convicted four former Volkswagen managers of fraud and gave two of them prison sentences for their part in the manipulation of emissions controls, almost a decade after the scandal erupted over the company’s rigging of diesel-engine vehicles.

The former head of diesel development was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, and the head of drive train electronics to two years and seven months by the court in Braunschweig, German news agency dpa reported Two others received suspended sentences of 15 months and 10 months

The scandal began in September 2015 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice of violation. saying that the company had rigged engine control software that let the cars pass emissions tests while they emitted far more pollution in actual driving. The company has paid more than $33 billion in fines and compensation to vehicle owners. Two VW managers received prison sentence in the U.S. The former head of the company’s Audi division, Rupert Stadler, was given a suspended sentence of 21 months and a fine of $1.25 million. The sentence is still subject to appeal.

Romania’s new president sworn in

BY STEPHEN MCGRATH Associated Press

BUCHAREST,Romania Romania’s newly elected president Nicusor Dan was officially sworn in on Monday, ushering in a tentative close to the worst political crisis to grip the European Union country in decades after the annulment of the previous election. But multiple challenges lie ahead.

Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former mayor of the capital, Bucharest, decisively won the tense rerun in a runoff on May 18, beating his hard-right opponent George Simion, who later challenged the results at a top court, but was re-

jected last week. At the inauguration ceremony in a joint session of Parliament, Dan signed the constitutional oath. In a speech afterward, he promised to tackle Romania’s economic woes and to be a president “open to the voice of society.”

“The Romanian state needs a fundamental change and I invite you to continue to be involved with all the social force you have proven, to put positive pressure on the institutions of the Romanian state so that they can reform,” he said “I assure you that I will be a president who listens to the voice of society and who is a partner to that society.”

and African Americans were happy under Jim Crow laws.

A&E suspended him from “Duck Dynasty” but reversed course in a few weeks after a backlash that included Sarah Palin.

At the time Robertson’s family called his comments coarse, but said his beliefs were grounded in the Bible and he “is a Godly man.”

They also said that “as a family we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm.”

Robertson was born in north Louisiana and spent his life in the woods and lakes that make up the region called “Sportsman’s Paradise.”

Robertson played football at Louisiana Tech and taught school.

He also loved to hunt and created a duck call in the early 1970s that he said replicated the exact sound of a duck.

The calls were the centerpiece of the Duck Commander business

Robertson would grow into a multimillion-dollar enterprise before A&E came calling.

The family just didn’t sell outdoor and hunting gear, but a lifestyle.

“The Robertsons face everything from beavers to business deals in their own special way with a twist of downhome practicality and a sharp sense of humor,” A&E wrote in its promotion for “Duck Dynasty.”

Appreciations for Robertson appeared on social media shortly after this death was announced, largely from conservative politicians.

Republican Sen Ted Cruz, of Texas, wrote on X, “The great

#PhilRobertson passed today. He loved Jesus & he was utterly fearless. One of my fondest memories was duck hunting with Phil — he was the best shot I ever met. And, in 2016, he recorded this amazing commercial for me. Rest in peace, my friend.”

“Saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson — a man of deep faith, bold conviction, and unwavering love for his family,” wrote Ben Carson, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary also on X. “I’ll never forget the time I spent with Phil and his wonderful family at their homestead in West Monroe, LA. We rode through the swamp stopping at his favorite duck blinds before being welcomed by Miss Kay with a warm, home-cooked meal, surrounded by their extended family and close friends.”

A&E shared their own tribute to the “Duck Dynasty” X account, writing: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson, a hunting industry pioneer and the patriarch of the beloved Robertson family Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time We extend our deepest condolences and respect their privacy as they grieve.”

Ex-U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel dies at 94

BY DEEPTI HAJELA and CEDAR ATTANASIO Associated Press

cloud, and the House cen-

sured him in 2010. But he continued to serve in Congress until his retirement in 2017.

voice and wry sense of humor were a memorable mix.

NEW YORK Former U.S Rep. Charles Rangel, of New York, an outspoken, gravelvoiced Harlem Democrat who spent nearly five decades on Capitol Hill and was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, died Monday at age 94. His family confirmed the death in a statement provided by City College of New York spokesperson Michelle Stent. He died at a hospital in New York, Stent said.

A veteran of the Korean War, he defeated legendary Harlem politician Adam Clayton Powell in 1970 to start his congressional career During the next 40-plus years, he became a legend himself as dean of the New York congressional delegation and, in 2007, the first African American to chair the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

He stepped down from that committee amid an ethics

Rangel was the last surviving member of the Gang of Four — African American political figures who wielded great power in New York City and state politics. The others were David Dinkins, New York City’s first Black mayor; Percy Sutton, who was Manhattan Borough president; and Basil Paterson, a deputy mayor and New York secretary of state.

“Charlie was a true activist — we’ve marched together, been arrested together and painted crack houses together,” the Rev Al Sharpton, leader of the National Action Network, said in a statement, noting that he met Rangel as a teenager House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York issued a statement calling Rangel “a patriot, hero, statesman, leader, trailblazer, change agent and champion for justice who made his beloved Harlem the City of New York and the United States of America a better place for all.”

Few could forget Rangel after hearing him talk. His distinctive gravel-toned

That voice one of the most liberal in the House — was loudest in opposition to the Iraq War, which he branded a “death tax” on poor people and minorities. In 2004, he tried to end the war by offering a bill to restart the military service draft. Republicans called his bluff and brought the bill to a vote.

Even Rangel voted against it.

A year later, Rangel’s fight over the war became bitterly personal with then-Vice President Dick Cheney Rangel said Cheney, who has a history of heart trouble, might be too sick to perform his job.

“I would like to believe he’s sick rather than just mean and evil,” Rangel said. After several such verbal jabs, Cheney hit back, saying Rangel was “losing it.”

The charismatic Harlem lawmaker rarely backed down from a fight after he first entered the House in 1971 as a dragon slayer of sorts, having unseated Powell in the Democratic congressional primary in 1970.

The flamboyant elder Powell, a city political icon first elected to the House in 1944, was ill and haunted by scandal at

the time. In 1987, Congress approved what was known as the “Rangel amendment,” which denied foreign tax credits to U.S. companies investing in apartheid-era South Africa. Rangel became leader of the main tax-writing committee of the House, which has jurisdiction over programs including Social Security and Medicare, after the 2006 midterm elections when Democrats ended 12 years of Republican control of the chamber But in 2010, a House ethics committee conducted a hearing on 13 counts of alleged financial and fundraising misconduct over issues surrounding financial disclosures and use of congressional resources. He was convicted of 11 ethics violations. The House found he had failed to pay taxes on a vacation villa filed misleading financial disclosure forms and improperly solicited donations for a college center from corporations with business before his committee. The House followed the ethics committee’s recommendation that he be censured, the most serious punishment short of expulsion.

BY MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press

President Donald Trump said Monday that he is pardoning a former Virginia sheriff who was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a jury convicted him on federal bribery charges for deputizing several businessmen in exchange for cash payments. Former Culpeper County

Sheriff Scott Jenkins, 53 was found guilty on fraud and bribery charges and sentenced in March. But on Monday, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social that Jenkins and his family “have been dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden DOJ.”

“This Sheriff is a victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice, and

doesn’t deserve to spend a single day in jail. He is a wonderful person, who was persecuted by the Radical Left “monsters,” and “left for dead,” Trump said in the post. “He will NOT be going to jail tomorrow, but instead will have a wonderful and productive life.”

Messages seeking comment were left with Jenkins’ lawyers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western Dis-

trict of Virginia was closed for the Memorial Day holiday Jenkins is the latest pardon Trump has given to loyal supporters. In April, he pardoned Nevada Republican Michele Fiore, who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges that she used money meant for a statue honoring a slain police officer for personal costs, including plastic surgery

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO MATT ROURKE

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LOUISIANA AT LARGE

More than RaisingCane’s chicken

Since October,I’ve documented adifferent Louisiana adventure every week. Friends and coworkers often pitch ideas —and I’m always grateful. But when fellow writer Lauren Cheramie toldmethat Raising Cane’sGolden Birthday contest winners were visiting Baton Rouge and suggestI join their ride-along,Iwas skeptical. “Really?” Isaid. “They’re coming to Baton Rouge, and they’re going to do what?”

Which is how,afew weeks ago, Ifound myselfheading downtown to the company’sBaton Rouge Support Office to meet the winners, who turned out to be Rebecca and Todd Hayes, of West Chester,Ohio.

With aphotographerand videographer in tow,Erin Credo, with the Cane’s marketing department, led us on a“tour” of the offices We passed screens showing liveshots from Cane’slocations worldwide and got aglimpse of the company’senthusiastic culture in the marketing department. Credoshared details like when employees have workedat Cane’sfor ayear, they geta hard hat, “reminiscent of when Todd (Graves), our founder,was aboilermaker.”

“When you’ve been here for five years,you get asockeye salmon,” Credo said. “When

ä See RISHER, page 2B

Report spotlights ammonia risks

Environmentalgroups push back on planned projects

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

Community and environmen-

tal advocates have released the first in aseries of reports about Ascension Parish, arguinglocal leaders should prioritize nonindustrial economic development over current proposals.

Those include largeammonia production complexes that CF Industries, CleanHydrogen Works and Air Products intend to build

Thereport says those three will quadruple the ammonia production in the parish, which has the world’slargest ammonia facility, runbyCFIndustries just outside Donaldsonville city limits.

The first report of the series, produced by the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, focuses on ammonia. It says the chemical poses health and safety risks and will destroy the last rural community in Ascension. Ashley Gaignard, director of Rural Roots Louisiana and aDonaldsonville resident, wrote that it is “timetochangethe narrative surrounding our community

“Wemust work towards being viewed not as apoor,vulnerable community affected by industrial intrusion, but as aplace with potential and aspirations for economic development that respects our rural character,” shewrote.

ä See AMMONIA, page 3B

3 escapees captured in BR,Texas

2of10still on therun

BY KASEYBUBNASH and JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writers

Theintensive manhuntfollowingthe escapefromthe NewOrleans jail earlier this month led to three more inmates being taken into custody on Monday,leaving two others still at large from the historicbreakout.

Lenton Vanburen Jr., 26, was arrested in Baton Rouge while Leo

Tate Sr., 31, and Jermaine Donald, 42, were apprehended by theTexas Department of Public Safety in Walker County,Texas, north of Houston, police said. Gov.Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill lauded thecaptures.

Monday’sarrests leave Derrick Groves andAntoine Massey, among those considered ringleadersinthe brazen May 16 jailbreak of 10 men, at large. Baton Rougepolice confirmed

Vanburen’scapture,saying he was arrested following an anonymoustip.

“Vanburen was apprehended while sitting on abench near a department store located at 9636 Hammond Aire,” the BatonRouge Police Department said in astatement.

StatePolice confirmedthe two captures in Texas.

The jailbreak haspromptedan interstate manhunt and state-led investigations into the New Orleanslockup’soperations, as well

as thelocal criminaljusticesystem.Sheriff Susan Hutson, who runs the jail, has suspended her reelection campaign just months ahead of the vote.

Vanburenwas chargedwith second-degree murder in connection witha November 2021 fatal shooting in New Orleans East. He pleaded notguiltyinApril 2022. He had asked the court to represent himself and amental competency hearing was scheduled for

ä See ESCAPEES, page 2B

NEVERFORGOTTEN

ABOVE: American flagsare seen in front of every headstone as family,friends andloved ones pay their respects.

RIGHT: Mary Bass, from left,takes aphotoofher late husband’s grave marker as she is joined by friendBarbara Beckmann andbrother-in-law Haywood Bass.

Life of Zachary’sfirst Black police officerremembered

Johnsonrespected by government,community

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

After returning from the Vietnam War in 1973, William “Bill” Johnson became thefirst Black officer in the Zachary Police Department. On May 17, he died, andTuesday he is being laid to rest. Johnson served 25 years with the forcebefore retiringasacaptain. Friends andfamily say he was respected by both the Zacharycitygovernment and thecommunity at large. “He was aservantofothers, he enjoyed helpingothers,”said Gloria Johnson, Bill’swife of 20 years.

His friend Gwendolyn Honore had conducted aseries of interviews with Johnson about his life and career She said Johnsontried six timesto apply for aposition with the Police Department before being granted thejob on his seventh attempt. Not someoneto be easily discouraged, she said, he saw the number seven as asign of completion Jack Breaux,Zachary’s mayoratthe time whohad also overseenthe integrationofthe school system,was the one to give Johnson thenews his application was accepted. Johnson said he’d only take the job on thecondition he’dbeable to arrest both Whiteand Black people. Honore said

ABOVE: Family,friends andloved ones pay their respects at Port Hudson NationalCemeteryon Memorial Day on MondayinPort Hudson

Proposal overhauls safety netprograms

Bills move SNAP, TANF outof DCFS to other departments

BYMEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Lawmakers are seeking to streamline how Louisiana administers social safety net programs, with the ultimate goal of creating aone-stop shop where Louisianans can access most benefits Under the plan, the Louisiana WorkforceCom-

mission would eventually take over the public-facing functions of connecting people with benefits like food stamps and possibly even Medicaid, rather than having them visit multiple agencies to get what they need. Meanwhile, the Department of Children and Family Services would step away from its role administering two major federal programs, includingSNAP benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds.

STAFF PHOTOSByHILARy SCHEINUK

ESCAPEES

Continued from page 1B

according to court records Tate was initially jailed on charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in connection with a 7th Ward double shooting in 2018 that killed 19-yearold Alexis Banks and hospitalized a teen. He accepted a plea deal in September 2021, in which the murderrelated charges were dismissed, and he was convicted of obstruction of justice and sentenced to 10 years behind bars, according to jail records.

Donald has a long criminal history but was most recently charged in December 2023 with seconddegree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to court records He pleaded not guilty in April 2024.

The men were among 10 who broke free from the Orleans Justice Center about 1 a.m. May 16 after busting through a cell door and

RISHER

Continued from page 1B

you’ve been here for 10 years, you get a crystal dog.”

Then, we went into a meeting room to chat. Rebecca Hayes sat to my immediate right, and the first thing I noticed was that she was wearing a chunky silver necklace with a heart charm engraved with the word “Hunter.” Something right then and there told me the piece of jewelry played a significant role in a story that went far beyond Cane’s. We began to chat. She quietly explained that she had entered the contest on a whim.

“I was shocked when they called and said I was the fourth place winner, which was a trip to Baton Rouge to see the headquarters,” she said.

At first, she thought it was a scam but was eventually convinced it was real.

“I have five kids, um, four that are living,” she said. “My, my son passed away last year We have two older kids out of the house and on their own, and then I have a 26-year-old that’s in med school, starting her third-year rotations.”

She added that their youngest daughter is graduating high school this year.

Rebecca Hayes’ only request for the trip to Baton Rouge was to meet Cane III, Graves’ dog.

“The reason I know about Cane I, II and III is several years ago, my son who passed away and my youngest daughter and I were in Cane’s,” she said. “We happened to go inside that day and were reading the walls and they had this story We have four dogs. We love dogs — so that has a special place to me too.”

We were quiet for a minute.

The atmosphere felt like she wanted to talk more about her

POLICE

Continued from page 1B

Johnson was under the impression at the time that only White officers could arrest White offenders in the parish.

Breaux told him he could arrest “anyone who broke the law,” Honore said.

A Zachary boy and a Vietnam vet Born in Woodville, Mississippi, Johnson was brought to Zachary in 1955, when his father, Frank Johnson, moved the family closer to his construction work in Baton Rouge Frank Johnson bought an incomplete house on Avenue D, with only one outer wall, and built it into a comfortable home, Johnson told Honore.

His died of cancer a few years later while Bill Johnson was still just a boy

Bill Johnson attended Northwestern High School, playing football, baseball, basketball and running track. He wished his father could have seen him excel in these sports, Honore said.

After graduation, Johnson briefly attended Southern University before being drafted by the Army during the Vietnam War. He told Honore the military taught him discipline and reinforced his confidence in himself. But Johnson returned to unemployment after his time serving in Vietnam, Honore said. After some time working odd jobs and a stint as a baker, he applied for an officer position at Zachary’s fully White department.

Defying racism Lewis Banks was the second

sliding through a hole in a wall behind a toilet as a guard took a meal break. Jail staff didn’t discover the escape until 8:30 a.m. Authorities suspect they received help from jail staff members, including a plumber, Sterling Williams, who has been arrested.

The two inmates still on the run are Massey and Groves. The others previously captured include Corey Boyd, Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, Dkenan Dennis and Gary Price. They are being held without bail at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

Three women accused of helping Vanburen escape were also arrested over the weekend. Two were accused of driving Vanburen from Louisiana to a family member’s house in Mississippi, according to court documents.

At least nine others have been booked on suspicion of aiding the escapees.

The escape has led to harsh criticism of Hutson. Landry has been among those lashing out over management of the jail.

Hutson has defended her man-

agement in part by highlighting what she says are long-standing funding issues and the facility being improperly used to house longterm prisoners.

son, so I asked about her necklace.

“Yes, Hunter is my son’s name,” she said. “He just made people laugh. He had a great heart, and we miss him a lot. He would’ve had a blast here. He loved Cane’s. I would buy the sauce so that we could have it with everything. He loved chicken quesadillas so he’d have Cane’s sauce on chicken quesadillas.”

The couple said their trip to Baton Rouge was their first trip since their son’s death. They weren’t sure they were up for it but knew they needed something light silly even.

As I sat with them, I couldn’t help but consider how we just never know someone else’s story I thought I was going on a lighthearted adventure that

Black officer to join Zachary police; he is now retired after 33 years with the force. He said he wouldn’t have ever joined if not for the foundation that Johnson laid

“Now, the force much better reflects the community,” Banks said.

Banks first considered police work after seeing officers breaking up a fight at a high school sports event. A recent graduate himself, Banks offered to help Johnson and another officer end the commotion

Afterward, Johnson, who already had years under his belt as an officer, asked Banks to sign up. After a time as a reservist, Banks joined the force in 1980.

Banks said those early years were largely peaceful. “There was only one red light in town at the time,” but he said he did learn a lot from Johnson about “the consequences of me accepting the job.”

Banks said Johnson warned him that Black officers often had to face disrespect from White residents as well as mistrust from Black residents.

“We got all kinds of stuff and we dealt with it,” Banks said.

Although Johnson was often called an “Uncle Tom,” he was given more respect by Black business owners and residents who told him they were often detained by White officers with little reason, Johnson had told Honore.

Once, during these first years, a call went out that a Black man had stolen a police car Johnson had told Honore that he knew at once the call was about him. Complaints often came in

turned out to be about something much bigger than expected. This wasn’t about Cane’s; it was about parents grieving and trying to figure out how to put the pieces of their lives back together again.

As we walked out of the offices, Rebecca Hayes told me that their two older children were originally foster children, whom they adopted. The two middle children, including Hunter, were biological — and the youngest? They adopted her from China

I explained that my husband and I also adopted our younger daughter from China Remarkably, our daughters are from the same city in China We had taken separate journeys, at different times, but we had all been to this same faraway place.

against Johnson for simply patrolling a White neighborhood, Johnson said.

The only precaution Johnson was given by his superiors was to call for a second officer if he was ever tasked with entering a White person’s home, Johnson told Honore

Through it all, Johnson maintained the support of the police chief, the mayor and his fellow officers. Banks said Johnson’s advice was that as long as Banks was doing his job right, he wouldn’t have any problems.

“Everybody knew him, not everybody liked him, but everybody had to respect him,” Banks said.

Finding his daughter

Johnson had believed he had had no biological children of his own, Gloria Johnson said.

Until, in fall 2021 he was contacted by Zindy Laursen, a woman from Denmark claiming to have found him through an Ancestry.com test.

Laursen was a pop-icon from Denmark, having been catapulted to stardom as a runner-up in the 1992 Eurovision song contest

“I looked at my phone and I remember thinking ‘there’s my dad,” Laursen told The Advocate during a video interview from Denmark. “I saw my cheeks and his cheeks were alike, and I cried.”

Laursen was born in Sydney, Australia, to a White mother who had been working in bars and clubs there during the 1970s. She was told by her mother only that her father was an American G.I. on rest there during the Vietnam War

This clue eventually helped her

Lawmakers behind the proposal, which is backed by Gov Jeff Landry, say integrating public assistance programs with Louisiana Works will help get more Louisianans back into the workforce. They also say it will allow the DCFS to better focus on its primary mission of child welfare.

Two bills pending in the state Legislature pave the way for what proponents are calling the “One Door” plan.

“This will streamline getting people the services that they need but also get them past the point that they need them,” said state Rep. Stephanie Berault, R-Slidell, who authored one of the bills.

House Bill 617 by state Rep. Kim Carver, R-Mandeville, takes away DCFS’ authority over SNAP and TANF Its companion bill, House Bill 624 by Berault, moves the administration of TANF to Louisiana Works, and it moves the administration of SNAP to the Louisiana Department of Health. Both bills passed the House and its committees without opposition. They now require Senate approval.

Though the LDH would handle eligibility determinations for SNAP benefits, officials say the state’s goal is to give residents access to food stamps through the Louisiana Workforce Commission, which would be renamed Louisiana Works if HB624 passes.

“The behind-the-scenes processing, the sending out of the funds to the cards and things like that can be better done at LDH because they’re already doing almost the exact same thing with Medicaid,” said Susana Schowen, secretary of the workforce commission. But “we’re going to own that people-facing component of it.” Eventually, the state also aims to enable people to access Medicaid through Louisiana Works, said Berault.

Our next stop was the apartment where Graves lived when he started Cane’s — now restored to its 1996 glory with huge desktop computers, the same bedspread, the same cereal boxes on top of the refrigerator and the same beer inside. I thought about all the ways we try to hold onto the past to people, to moments, to the ones we’ve loved and lost. I came for a story about fried chicken. I left with a story about love, loss and the strange and beautiful ways our paths cross. And maybe that’s the real heart of any good adventure not just where it takes you, but who you meet along the way Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

confirm Johnson as her father

She grew up in the fishing town of Svendborg, Denmark, where her mother was originally from. She compared the place to Zachary in some ways, but said it was difficult growing up biracial to a single White mother.

“My mom is blonde with blue eyes, so I always felt a little out of place,” Laursen said.

After her stepfather died, Laursen’s interest in finding her biological father was sparked.

But the search was fruitless to begin, with the Pentagon and Veterans Affairs saying there were too many such cases for them to be able to help. It took a genealogist, a DNA test, a match with Johnson’s nephew, and two paternity tests before they were certain.

In January 2022, Laursen traveled to Louisiana for Johnson’s birthday. At the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, the father and daughter finally met.

“It gave me a sense of self,” Laursen said. “Suddenly the White side of my mother and the Black woman in me merged, and I felt proud of who I was and the new family I had.”

When Johnson had learned about his daughter and her music career, he had first fallen in love with her song “Butterfly,” Laursen said. She had originally written that song in remembrance of her late grandmother Now, even though she can’t make the 11 a.m. funeral in person, that song will be played during his service at Johnson’s own request.

Email Quinn Coffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

If HB624 passes, Schowen’s agency would also manage TANF funds, which pay for a wide variety of programs across various agencies in Louisiana, such as the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program and the Kinship Care Subsidy Program, two cash assistance programs for kids in need.

Schowen said some of the TANF-funded programs, such as those that provide child care or transportation assistance, could play a key role in reducing barriers to entering the workforce. HB624 will allow the workforce commission to wrap such programs into the workforce system.

To facilitate the massive workload shift, DCFS anticipates transferring $384 million and roughly 1,500 positions to the Louisiana Workforce Commission and LDH, according to the fiscal note for HB624.

Schowen said current employees will not lose their jobs as a result of the legislation, nor will they have to reapply She also said HB624 does not change any eligibility requirements for receiving benefits.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission will cross-train its employees so that they can connect people with a variety of benefits, rather than sending them to different locations to get them, Schowen said.

The plan may involve consolidating some offices, especially where there are multiple locations in proximity that offer benefits, she said But Schowen has promised not to limit access to services, especially in rural areas.

“Because of that expertise across programs in the case management model, we can actually provide services with a smaller number of employees, meaning that we don’t have to close rural offices that might not be able to offer a full spectrum of services now,” Schowen said. “We can better staff those areas with just one or two people and keep them open.”

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

LOTTERY

SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2025

PICK 3: 0-7-6

PICK 4: 1-1-8-6

PICK 5: 9-0-1-0-5

Unof

PHOTO By GUS STARK

Todd Graves, from left, Raising Cane’s founder, and Cane III sit with Todd Hayes and Rebecca Hayes, of West Chester, Ohio, winners of the Raising Cane’s Golden Birthday prize trip to Baton Rouge.

Video of the escapees darting from the jail spread widely online and among national news media. Staff writer Mike Smith contributed to this report.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Louisiana State Police troopers escort Lenton Vanburen Jr to a waiting vehicle late Monday night at State Police headquarters in Baton Rouge.

PHOTO By WENDyLOUP

JambalayaFestivaltostayatLamar-Dixon

Organizers

pleasedwith first year at expo center

BY DARLENE DENSTORFF CommunityNewsEditor

Jambalaya Festival Association plans to return its annual Memorial Day weekendfestival to the Lamar-Dixon ExpoCenter next year after this year’ssuccessful first run.

Association President MikeGonzales said Monday that despite afew hiccups, cooks and festivalgoers had mostly positive things to say about the new festival site.

The festival, held from Thursday to Sunday moved this year from its long-standing location along Irma Boulevard in Gonzales to Lamar-Dixon Festival announcer Todd Long called the new site “the future of the festival.” And Gonzales agreed. An afternoon thunderstorm “washed out things” Friday,but the cooking

AMMONIA

Continued frompage1B

“Economic growth does not have to be asupersized industrial facility at thecost of our health and safety.”

Business andlocal leaders argue these plants bring jobs and economic development to the parish, including those nonindustrial businesses. The parish is the state’swealthiest,but Donaldsonville faces poverty levels close to 50%, according to 2023 U.S.Census Bureau estimates. Desiree LeMoine, campaign manager for the proindustry group Industry Makes, said the facilities create work beyond jobs directly tied to the plants.

“The indirect jobs are the United Rentals, or the fried chicken shoponthe cornerorthe dealership that’spreparing to support,” she said. “All the jobs, the vendors that support the plant.”

Ammonia safety

Ammonia, which is used as fertilizer and is seen as apotential clean fuel for shipping, comes with healthrisks

A2016report by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency states low-level, chronicexposure can lead to respiratory problems, wheezing and coughing. High, short-term exposure can cause serious burnsto themouth, lungs and eyes. MikeBelliveau, directorofthe environmental

continued, Gonzales said He saidthe covered barns provided asafe space for the cooks to prepare the rice concoction the festival is known for.

“The cookskeptcooking, butthe peoplejustdidn’t come after the rain,” he said. Thesandused for the ground base caused afew issues, but cooksdeveloped different strategies to correct anyissues. Bands continued to perform in two air-conditioned buildings on the grounds. Gonzales said festivalgoers enjoyed the air-conditionedbuildings but there were a fewissues with sound inside.

The largerlocation offered more space for food and craft vendors and parking was not anissue. Gonzales saidthere were no arrests, praisinglaw enforcement and Ascension Fire District 1for providing security and emergency services. The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Task Force brought in security towers.

The announcement of the winning cooking team came about 6:30 p.m.Sun-

protection group Bendthe Curve, said “Ascension Parish is alreadyammonia central.”

He highlighted anammonia leak at the CF Industriesplant in 2022 that forced the evacuation of Donaldsonville Primary School.The school educates roughly 460students andisabout amilefrom theplant.

No injuries were reported,but some residents fear similar risksfor SorrentoPrimarySchool, which is less than ahalfmilefrom land plannedfor theAir Productsammonia plant.

“So we have three more ammoniaplants; youknow, it triples the threat to that community,” Belliveauargued. “The community’s already overburdened with the highest pollution levels in thenation. And here comes industry proposing more. It’s really unfairand unsafe.”

EPAdata indicatesAscension Parish has led the nation withthe largest quantity of airemissions by single,identifiable sourcesbetween 2010 and 2023. No datahas been releasedfor 2024 or 2025.

Emergencymutualaid

LeMoinesaidthe industry“in generalalways goes above and beyond with their safety protocol.”

She pointedtoemployee training andthe coordination with officialstoprotect communities. That includes developing mutual aidagreements among parishes and municipalities to assist with emer-

day inside, with a“nice crowdon-hand.”

Thiswas the festival titlehe’sbeen hoping for he said.

“This year’swinner, JaredWhite, and his wife, Brittany,brought back the husband-and-wife winning team tradition that we started years ago,” Gonzales said. “Me and my wife, Tootsie, were the first,Scott Duplechein and Kelly werethe second,and Jared and his wifebrought back the husband-and-wife winning team.”

White, 40, of Darrow, said he plans to build a room in his new house laterthisyeartoaccommodate all the cookingtrophieshis family has won throughout the years.

In addition to Jared and Brittany’swin,their son, Jayden, wonthe festival’s inaugural Junior Champion cooking title.

“It wasagreat weekend forour family,” White said Monday.“It was along journey to this win.”

White said he and his wife worked for more than 11 years to perfect their jambalaya recipe,winning last year’s BoucherieFestivaltitle andother smaller contests.

gency help, such as the Ascension Parish Community AwarenessEmergency Response.

She also said companies have a fiscal responsibility to prevent leaks.

“Wehave often been labeled as,you know,money hungrycorporations,” she added. “So, if we’regoing to runwith that argument, thenanything thatcomes outofthe pipesiscosting us money.”

And she pushed back strongly against environmental advocacy groups, calling them “fear mongers” andsayingthat“everything is an issue for them.”

Erasureoflandmarks

Titled “Pollution or Prosperity,” the series will overview the currentand planned industrial developmentinAscension Parish.

Louisiana Bucket Brigade Director Anne Rolfes said residents and officials face adecision about the parish’s future “Wedothink it’s a choice,” shesaid. “Either youdothis andpollute everything anddestroy it, or we do something different andactually have ashared prosperity.”

Much of the debate centersonthe small, unincorporated Modestewest bank community between Donaldsonville andWhite Castle. The CF Industries plant, Clean Hydrogen Works facility and Hyundaisteel millall hope to build in that area, one of the largest remainingundeveloped tracts of land

FuneralsToday

Beaver,Cynthia

St.John theBaptistCatholic Church 402 S. Kirkland Street in Brusly,at 11:30a.m

Feduccia, Diana Greenoaks FuneralHome, 9595 FloridaBoulevard, at 2p.m Johnson, William NewPilgrimBaptistChurch at 11 a.m.

Obituaries

Godso, Roger'Tad'

Roger (Tad) Godso Sr passedaway in the comfort of home on Monday May20, 2025. Roger is survivedhis brother, George E. Godso Jr.and wife, Cindy; andsister,Carolyn Godso; granddaughter, Ravyn Hardeman andher fiancé,Chandler Roux. Several nieces andnephews alongwith great nieces andnephews. He is precededindeathbyhis wife, Virginia Godso; son,Roger Godso Jr.; parents, George E. Godso Sr.and Anna Lucille Godso; sisters, Margaret Kuylen andJulia (Kay) Garcie; and brother, PaulGodso. Agraveside service will be held at Serenity Oaks Memorial ParkonWednesday, May 28, 2025 at 11 AM

Matherne,BarbaraGraff

White said the newcooking site “was just great for thecooks …with lots of space, lotsofconcrete to be able to move our stuff around easily and we didn’tget muddy despite two rainstorms.”

“Parkingwas easierand the food varietywas terrific,” he added. “Everyoneseemed to enjoy themselves.”

White, an association board member,said he’s looking forwardtoreturning to Lamar-Dixon next year to defend his title. He planstorepresent the festival throughout the year by cooking jambalayaatotherfairs and for area nonprofits and charity events.

The association usesthe money it raises at the festivals to providejambalaya for groups needingfundraisers.

“Weenjoy giving back and sharing this tradition,” White said.

Email Darlene Denstorffatddenstorff@ theadvocate.com.

along the lower Mississippi River Ascension Parish officialshaveworkedfor morethana decade to attract industry to build there. ButGaignard said it will erase the community andculturethat hasexisted there for generations.

“We’realsofacing the crisisofthe displacementsofresidents. They will eraseabig amount of cultural landmarks from Modeste, particularly the Black community,” she added. “The community has been overwhelmed trying to make our voice (heard) at these public hearings. But we do feel like our voices are being ignored.”

Those cultural landmarksinclude the Elise Reuss Memorial School. Built in 1906, it was one of only eight plantation schools for Blackchildren in the parish,according to a2023 cultural resource survey performedbyTerraXplorationsfor the proposed CF Industries plant.

Obtained by The Advocate via arecords request, the survey says the building was apreviouslyrecordedahistoric resource. It was demolished.

“The schoolhouse was still standing until early 2023,” the survey says. The building was laterdestroyed to ease the saleof theproperty, accordingto the survey

Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher cartwright@theadvocate. com.

cededindeathare,her parents Lionel andCora Graff; sisters, Sylvia Keen, andSheryl Puissegurand onegranddaughter, Caitlyn MatherneCapone. Visitation will be held at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd., Wednesday, May28, 2025, from 10:00 am untilfuneral service time of 12:00 pm. Interment will immediately follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park.

Miller, Maureen Mahoney

Maureenwas born in Brooklyn,New York,on January10, 1945, and died May16, 2025. Maureenattended Catholic grammar school, SacredHeart Academy and CharitySchool of Nursing all with heryoungersister, Barbara. Maureenworkedinthe medical field at Bryn Mawh Hospital in Pennsylvania for over 20 years.

Maureenleaves her sons, Bryan and Brad,and hergranddaughter, Elaina. Sheleaves hersister-inlaw RachelMahoney as well as herfriends,Kathleen and GervisWyble, Allyson Walker and Lavonne Hatch

Mrs. Barbara Graff Matherne, aresident of Greenwell Springs, LA., passedawayMay 23, 2025, at theage of 86. Mrs. Barbarawas born in NewOrleans, LA., on January 11,1939 to parents, Lionel andCoraGraff.Mrs. Barbaraenjoyeddancing,and most of all taking care of herfamily; shehas been an active member of St Alphonsus Catholic Church.She is survived by herloving husbandof66 years, "Buddy" Delery MatherneSr.;children, DeleryMatherneJr. (Kellie), CorieCrain andLionel Matherne(LeeAnn); grandchildren, DanielleGaspard, CaliKennedy(Joe), Ethan Crain, andMatthew Matherne (Sarah); and seven great grandchildren.Pre-

Maureenhas received special blessingsover theseyearsbyFather Manny Fernandez, whoalso administeredher final blessings. Maureen's long illness began last August after whichshe became an even more devout Catholic and wouldask Barbara to bring herdaily Holy Communion. We thank Luke Corsten, M.D., Adrian Landry, M.D., andthe staff of theBurden Manorand OurLady of the Lake Hospital Thefuneral Holy Mass will be offered by Bishop Emeritus Robert W. Muench,atOur Lady of MercyCatholic Church at 10:00am on Friday, May 30th, with visitation at 8:30am. In lieu of flowers, Maureen wouldlikeMasses as a"spiritual bouquet".

Jayden White, 14, right, stirs his pot of jambalaya along with Jason Beck during Saturday’sinaugural Junior Jambalaya Champ contestatthe Jambalaya Festival. White, whowon the contest, is an incoming freshman at St. Amant High.

Don’tlimit

badnursing homes

We have long voiced concerns over the quality of care provided by Louisiana’spolitically powerful nursing home industry.

Yetabill working its way through the Legislature would actuallyreduce theability of patients and their families to hold nursinghomes accountablefor some decisionsthat affect that care Senate Bill 134 by state Sen. ThomasPressly,RShreveport, would do so by expandingthe definition of health care in Louisianatoinclude administrative, staffing and custodialservices.Itwouldalsoredefine malpractice to include administrative duties, staffing and care performed in asupporting capacity

In effect, the changes wouldprevent plaintiffs from suing management companies for administrative negligence, aclaimthat has brought multimillion-dollar verdicts against nursing homes in recent years. Instead, the bill would limitoperators’legal exposure by forcing patients and their families to sue under Louisiana’sMedical Malpractice Act, which caps damages to $500,000 in total and limits them to $100,000 per individual provider.

Pressly’sbilllargelyreplicates ameasure that author Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, pulled early in last year’slegislative process amidwidespread criticism from patient advocates. This timearound, though, the proposal appears tohave momentum. After passing 26-11 out ofthe Senate, it clearedthe House Committee on Health and Welfareunanimously,and will go before the fullHousesoon.

We urge House memberstothink carefully about the implications of makingthis change

Nursing homes in Louisiana rate poorlycompared to those in other states, with high ratesofpressure sores, concerns about overprescription of antipsychotic medications and major staffing shortages.According to 2021 data from AARP,just 2.5%ofLouisiana’snursing home residents livedina top-performing facility,the lowest percentage in the nation. Theposter childfor irresponsible nursinghomeowners is Bob Dean, whose abhorrent management during an evacuation from Hurricane Ida allegedly led directly to five patientdeaths and indirectly to more.

The stories this paper shared from thattimewere horrific. Dean sent 843 of his elderly and infirm residents to awarehouse during the 2021 storm. Residents got little attention from staff,and urine and excrement accumulated in the facility, which did not have sufficient bathrooms. Some residents spent days in wheelchairs withoutbeing moved or receiving their medications.Many never recovered from the ordeal, enduring amputations, multiple surgeries and more.

Dean pleaded no contest to criminalcharges, and his nursing home company settled aclass-actionsuit that alleged administrative negligenceand otherfailures for $12.5million

And yet this bill —which critics havepointedly nicknamedthe “Bob DeanProtectionAct”—could well protect future bad actorsbymaking it harder to hold them responsible, when appropriate, for decisions that might notbestrictly medicalbut thatcan make all the difference between avulnerable person getting life-sustaining care, or not.

As we’ve learned the hard way,Louisiana’s nursing homeoperators could usemoreincentivetodoright by their patients. Not less.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

JudgeDonaldTrump by whohe is,not whoyou wish himtobe

On April 23, areader expressed the opinion that he truly believes that our current president “wants what is best for our country.” Failing to understand any rational basis for this baffling statement,itinstead raised a number of questions in my mind. If this president truly loved theU.S. as claimed, then why is he wreaking such destructive havoc on our country’sinstitutions? Howcan reasonably intelligent people, regardless of political partymembership, ignore theinnumerable times this president has demeaned, and even completely disregarded, theConstitution on which our country was established?

How can any citizen paying attention to current events not be aware that this president has proven by his actionsthat he has absolutely no respect for our society’sdependence on the rule of law in order for it to function fairly and efficiently?

Furthermore, why did theauthor

Tort

The socialist arm of the Republican Party is hard at work, attempting to take away the rightsofLouisiana residentswith one of theirdevious practices tort reform.

Gov.Jeff Landry’sobservations are true:Tortreformdoesn’treduce insurancerates.Itnever has.Time and again, Republican-controlled legislatureshave eviscerated valuable freedoms of Louisianacitizens with tort reform’shollow promise: Insurance rateswill go down.

Look at Louisiana’shistory of tort reform. The assertion that auto insurance rateswill go down has never happened in light of numerous instances whereRepublican legislatures have “reformed” the tort system.

They’ve done away with strict liability,amended thedirect-action statute, instituted no-pay-no-play, limited recoveries and on and on, but still rates continue to climb along with insurance company profits Republicans should focus on truthin advertising, passing laws regulating attorney ads that mislead about the money clients receive after attorney fees, medical bills and expenses.

of that opinion interpretthe widespread protestsbeing held by demonstrators as based on apersonal “hatred” of the president as opposed to apractical negative reaction to his policies which are causing lifethreatening harmtothem, their families and acquaintances? Given the vastnumber of times this president hasbroken his promises and contradicted himself in both words and actions, whyshould the American people trust him to sincerely care about our well-being?

Lastly,what does the author’s recommendation for patience and positive thinking achieve when the actions of the present administration are clearly eroding the mostly reliable framework of American rights to such aradical extent that our democratic system of governmentwill inevitably collapse around us?

SUE GISCLAIR Baton Rouge

During my first couple of years in the classroom, there have been moments of joy, exhaustion and everything in between. But if there’s onething I’ve learned, it’sthat great teachersdon’t do this work alone. My guiding forcehas been Ashley Brown, amasterteacher at Lowery Middle School in Ascension Parish, who has been my mentor and cheerleader.Sinceday one, she made sure IknewIwasn’tinthis aloneand neverlet me forget my ‘why’ —that teacherschange livesbyshowing up for students everyday.She demonstratedhow the support one teacher givesanothercreates aripple effect thatimpacts everystudent who walks through ourdoors.

I’m not advocating lawyer advertisers’ First Amendment rights should be curtailed, but the current advertisersare failing to truthfully state the actual money clients place in pocket, allowing the inferences to be made thatclientsreceive $800,000 or $1 million or whatever large amount flashes acrossthe screens. We should support Sen. Patrick Connick’sbill making transparent the amount of money paid to insurance company’saffiliates and insurance and non-insurance holding companies. Sen. Connick’sproposedlegislation sheds light on theamount of money paid to an insurer’saffiliated corporation, especially when affiliated companies aresignificantly more profitable than the insurers and, in some instances, siphonoff so much money from the insurer thatitleads to the insurer’s liquidation. Contact your representative as well as your senator and tell them to vote against tort reform and its socialist agenda. Remember,corporations and insurers don’tvote.

PATRICK KEHOE Metairie

Teaching is as much about modeling as it is aboutinstruction. We model thinking, behavior and persistence for ourstudents —and in the same way,Mrs. Brown modeledexcellence for me so Icould learn firsthand best practices in the classroom. Her guidancehelpedmestrengthen my classroom practice, booststudents’ academicworkand build real connections.

One of the most meaningful lessons I’ve learned fromher is that great teaching is rooted in connection. Students aren’t amonolith; they each carry their ownstory,pace. She taught me howtomeeteach student where theyare.Not only have Iseen my students’ confidence grow,79% of themimprovedtheir writing scores this year

The best teachersdon’tjust teach content —theyinspire and empower That’sexactly whatMrs. Brown has done formeand whatIhope Iamdoing formystudents. As Icomplete my two-year commitment with TeachFor America andlook forward to more time in the classroom, Iwill carry forward Mrs. Brown’spatience and wisdom. Because of Mrs. Brown, Iamabetter teacher andperson. And, my students arebettertoo.

JERICHA

RICHARDS Baton Rouge

Legislatureshouldrememberthat gumbostartswithclean water

What willlawmakers do withtheir newfound cash?

When last week’sRevenueEstimating Conference announced that Louisiana’scoffers would have more in them than previously expected, you could imagine many in the Cvapitol rubbing their hands together in anticipation Thewindfall will give the Legislature another $130 million for this fiscal year and $139 million more for next “We’ll take anything we can get,” said Sen Glen Womack,R-Harrisonburg, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee. Competition for the money is expected to be intense: Womack then trottedout thewell-worn Louisianatrope, saying there is a“gumbo” of things that still need money I’m not sure how Womack makes his gumbo, but Iampretty sure he can’tdoitwithout one key ingredient: water I’m also guessing that he doesn’t make it in Monterey,the tinycommunity in his district that has been suffering through months of water problems so bad that some residents filed suit earlier this year against the Monterey Rural Water System andthe company that operates it,JCP Management. Womack was presidentand chairman of the board of JCP in 2019 when he announced his runfor Senate, according to media reports. His name, along with aJCP email address, is listed as a“Designated Operator” of the Monterey systeminthe state’s water system database.

Oh, the irony Residents in Monterey havecomplained of water that alternately smells like bleach or rotten eggs. It sometimes runs brownand residents have been told to boil their water more times than they can count. It would be one thing if Monterey were an outlier.But it’snot. TheConcordia Parish hamlet is just the latest in agrowing list of Louisiana communities plagued by failing water systems. Their problems mostly stem from the same issue: decaying infrastructure that has largely outlived its natural life. The repairsand upgrades aresoexpensive that some of these systems simply cannot afford to pay for them. It’snot just small water systems, either.Baton Rouge, Shreveport and

Once loyal Chicagoans got over the double shock of hearing thatalocal native, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, has been named the 267th pope, some critically important, locally familiar questions came up: Which parish is he from? Sox fan or Cubs fan? And what bearing will his papacyhaveonthe GreatPizza Schism, under which the local deep-dish faithful have suffered the odium of thin-crust New Yorkers?

No problem. Pope Leo XIV, as he will be known, is very Chicago.

New Orleansare all dealing with ongoing challenges. Water problems usually makenews when there is acrisis, such as asaltwater wedge or an outage. Once the immediate problem is averted, the issue disappearsintothe background noise. The state’swater challenges don’t often getthe political attention given to AI data centers or making sure the TenCommandments are visible in schools. Butthey should. After all, it’shard to imagine highlypaid, highly-educated AI datacenter engineersmoving to aplace where they have to go to the local fire station to getdistributed bottled water,ashas happened in several places around the state. Or that those same engineers would choose to puttheir kids in schools that might closebecause thewater running from the fountains was unsafe, as happened in Madison Parish, just a few miles from where theMeta data center is planned. That bringsmeback to the extra money. Noneofthe initial legislative commentsonhow to spend it mentioned water systems. Some legislators referred to “infrastructure,” but that could also include roads, bridges, drainage, sewer and ahost of other items.Manyofthose, Ishould add, are in desperateneed.

There are those who have noticed, though, andare working on the problem. Rep.Jerome “Zee” Zeringue, R-Hou-

we feel, many of us, that our history was hidden from us.

That would hardly be the first time such history has been “hidden” in our country’s racially turbulent past.In this internet age, manyfamilies, includingmine, have uncovered mixedrace ancestry they did not knowabout.

He was born at Mercy Hospital in Chicago’sBronzevilleneighborhood, making him the first American to ever be elected by the conclaveinthe church’s2,000-year history

He was an altar boy at St. Mary of the Assumption Church on theSouth Side next to suburban Dolton,graduated from Villanova Universityand Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1982 and was ordainedasapriest for the Order of Saint Augustine. It also is worth noting that at least one researcher,The Historic New Orleans Collection’sJari C. Honora,a noted genealogist and historianwho has done research for the TV show “Finding Your Roots” with historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., says the pope is partially descended from Creole people of color,although familymemberssay theyhavenot identified as suchinrecent generations.

“It would be so fabulous to have someone who has some connection to our people, who give us therecognition we deserve,” Lolita Villavasso Cherrie, 79, aretired teacher,told the NewYork Times. “I hate to say it,but

AndCreoles are hardly new to theChicago region, considering how thecity’s first non-Indian settler,trader Jean Baptiste PointduSable, was Haitian Creole.

Yet, PopeLeo has not had to go backinhistory to find controversy

Before his election as pope, he shared social media postscriticizing President Donald Trumpand Vice President JD Vance for their immigration stance.

One now-famous post from Feb.3 referred to an article in the National Catholic Reporter titled “JD Vance is wrong:Jesusdoesn’task us to rank ourlovefor others.”

Whichbrings us back to thequestion of whyittook the Vatican so long to getaroundtoselecting an American pope.

Iunderstand how manywere concerned that an American pope would have atendency to dominate proceedings too much, whatever that might mean, although thepower of the pope is such that excessive dominance challenges the imagination.

But themore Ihave learned about Robert Prevost, themore Iamreminded of what people in alot of Chicago neighborhoods call a“reg’lar guy.”

That’sthe sort of jolly person the Cambridgedictionarydefines as “a normal manwho is liked and trusted.”

ma, thechair of the Water Sector Commission, has helped get a$100 million allocation into the budget passed by theHouse. That’sa bumpfrom $75 million last year

Another bill, this one by Marksville Republican Daryl Deshotel, would dedicatesome funds collected through atax on telecommunications to helping rural water systems such as Monterey’s. Neither of these stepsiscertain: The $100 million still must clear the Senate and the governor’sdesk. Deshotel’s bill has madeitout of the House Appropriations Committee, but has yet to be heard by thefull House. Itsfuture is not clear

These moves areagood start. But theneed is so much greater.The state got $750 million afew years ago to fix water systems. Butwhen local providers applied for the aid, there were $2.2 billion in requests. Adding in local matches brought thetotal to about $5.5 billion in needed work.

In that light, ashare of ameasly $130 million may not seem like much.But given theexpanding scale of the problem, money spent now probably saves far more later

So, yes, there is a“gumbo” of needs. Butone of those is actual gumbo, cooked low and slow and chock full of chicken and sausage (notomato for me). Buttomake it, Louisianans need good water

Faimon A. Roberts III can be reached at froberts@theadvocate. com.

Pope Leo XIV sounds like aman who can be trusted,but he is also filling theshoes of apontiff who was bothwidely loved and widely vilified for his perceived departure from traditional Catholic teaching on certain moral issues.

In carefully worded apostolic documents, PopeFrancis softened the church’sattitudes towarddivorced and remarried Catholics, same-sex couples and the validity of other faiths in God’seyes. These positions, along with his personal modesty and steadfast advocacy for the poor and immigrants, endeared him to political progressives theworld over but also inspired asignificant conservative backlash, bothwithin the church and without.

AmongFrancis’ mostvociferous critics were “traditionalist” American Catholics. Bishop Joseph Strickland, of Tyler,Texas, was something of a figurehead of the backlash, noted for his MAGA-inflected vitriol (heonce darkly alluded tothe Vatican’s “deep state”).Strickland was investigated and asked to resign. When he refused, he was removed by theVatican’sDicastery for Bishops, led by then-Cardinal Robert Prevost.

Leo is anew pope, but he will face ahost of old controversies. Some see him as Francis’ heir,while others see signs of doctrinal conservatism.Many will project their own political preoccupations on him, but his preoccupation will be with serving thenearly 1.4 billion Catholics around the world.

At themoment, Leo seems to have thesympathy of the world behind him. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail.com.

PHILADELPHIA When Nature designed Kevin Bethel, it had apolice commissioner in mind. Physically, he fills his uniform with embodied authority.Temperamentally,heisphlegmatic, avirtue welcome in his office in this city.Five decades ago, the commissioner wasaproblem

Will

Bethel, 61, rose from Philadelphia’sBlack community to become, in 2024, the top cop in the nation’sseventh-largest city.This wasnearly 60 years after Frank Rizzo —a6-foot-2-inch, 240-pound high school dropout and self-described “toughest cop in America” —was rising toward the police commissioner’soffice, then twoterms in the mayor’soffice. The 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles presaged urban unrest nationally and aPhiladelphia majority embraced Rizzo, whopromised, “I’m going to makeAttila the Hun look like af****t.” After alerting the media to a1970 raid on the Black Panther Party,his police strip-searched party members. The front page of the next morning’sPhiladelphia Daily News featured aphoto of anaked Black man One evening, hearing of ariot, Commissioner Rizzo leftablack-tie dinner,tucking anightstick into his cummerbund and saying “mymen, my army” were going to work.

“The department wasvery brutal,” Bethel says. The police ethos was “take no prisoners, ask no questions. You’re the biggest gang in the city; have at it.” The Great Migration of Southern African Americans to Northern cities came late to Philadelphia, as did police professionalization.

Today,Bethel’sforce is armed with computer guides to crime hotspots and drones that can be over acrimescene in twominutes. No aspect of American governance —not housing, not health care, not welfare, certainly not K-12 education has achieved successes as dramatic as policing has.

The benefits have accrued disproportionately to communities with average incomes below the national median, below the national average of intact families (twoparents in the home), above-average unemployment, and below-average years of schooling. Because crime is often minorities preying on minorities, if youask whatresidents in those communities want regarding policing, the answer often will be: more. Hence the injustice, as well as the political lunacy of the “Defund the police” clamor that boomeranged on the leftfrom which it emanated.

Police have often felt as if they are bailing oceans with thimbles. Forty-three years ago, however, they got someassistance from academia. In 1982, social scientists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling published in the Atlantic their essay on “broken windows” and crime.

Broken windows, if not repaired, will, they said, proliferate. Abandoned cars, litter-strewnvacant lots, public urination: Quality-of-life offenses produce amenacing sense of spreading disorder.This atomizes communities, dissolving the glue of mutual regard and obligations of civility.People stay indoors, surrendering public spaces to marauders. The urban doom loop accelerates. Sophisticated scientificresearch has confirmed what grandmaknew (about exercise, rest and nutrition). Wilson and Kelling confirmed what did not look like common sense until they articulated it concerning the social incubation of crime. Bethel says “broken windowspolicing” works only if employed by officers whopractice the subtle craft of police work: by not making their attention to obnoxious behaviors obnoxious.

“Overpolicing” —“going after everything” can, Bethel warns, “boil the city.” The key to what he calls “resetting norms” is the elusive, crucial ingredient in all of life: judgment.

It is, Bethel says with intense terseness, “not normal”for children leaving school to see “someone sticking aneedle in his arm” or forpeople to come out on their porch “and see someone defecating on their lawn.” He meanssuch things should not be normal. It is, however,normal in the Kensington neighborhood, with its notorious open-air drug market.

The invention of automobiles gave criminals mobility,and the interstate highway system has exacerbated Bethel’sproblems: I-95, anorth-south drug trafficking corridor,passes not farfrom Kensington, bringing customers and product to what has been called “the Walmart of heroin.” And of even worse drugs, such as xylazine, ahorse tranquilizer that produces necrotizing wounds: flesh-eating bacterial infections. (See Charles Fain Lehman in the Manhattan Institute’swinter 2025 City Journal.)

Bethel is authorized to have 1,200 moreofficers than the 6,300 he has to police 142 square miles. Recruiting people to cope with Kensington is a challenge.

In the mid-1890s, the well-publicized midnight rambles of New York’s36-year-old police commissioner,Theodore Roosevelt, fueled his political ascent. Frank Rizzo, too, used publicity to propel himself into politics. Bethel, knowing that crime cannot be eliminated, only contained, likes the job he has. There it is: judgment.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

George

STAFF FILEPHOTO By IANMCNULTy

Having clean water is an important part of anygumbo recipe.

Clarence Page

Faimon Roberts

SPORTS

No doubtabout it

BY REEDDARCEY Staff writer

If any doubt that LSUbaseball had done enough to earn anational seed lingered into Monday, theNCAAselection committee put it to rest

ä Little Rock at LSU 2P.M.FRIDAy,SECN

The Tigers, according to committee chair and Southeastern Louisiana athletic director JayArtigues, areclearly oneofthe country’seight best teams. They simply have too many overall wins (43),too many Southeastern Conference wins (20) and too many highlevel contributors tofall outsidethat select group.

“You look at their lineup,” Artigues said. “You look at theirFriday-Saturday guys, who mightbethe best 1-2punch maybe in the country,when you talk about both of those guys. So, they’rea team thatdefinitely,inmymindand the

Road to Omahalooks smooth

Going into Selection Monday, there was at least some measure of doubt as to whetherthe LSU Tigers would get one of the eight golden tickets to be atop-eight national seed in the NCAA tournament Not only did LSU manage that,

Tigers open play in BR regional on Friday vs.LittleRock

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU baseball earned the No.6overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host No.2DallasBaptist, No. 3Rhode Island and No.4Little Rock starting this weekend at Alex Box Stadium LSU’s first game in the Baton Rouge Regional will be against Little Rock at 2p.m.Friday.The game will be available to watch on SEC Network. Dallas

This season marks the 28thtime that LSUhas hosted aregional, andthe ninth time it has earned the distinction since 2012. LSUhas also hosted 12 superregionals in its history.Ithas hosted seven super regionals since 2012 and last hosted one in 2023, taking down Kentucky twicetoadvance to Omaha, Nebraska, and eventually winits seventh national championship.

The Tigers were oneofeightSoutheastern Conference teams selected to host aregional. Texas, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss and Tennessee also earned host bids.

BATONROUGE REGIONAL SCHEDULE,

being awarded the No.6national seed.

But the Tigers got about as favorable as path to Omaha, Nebraska andthe College World Series that they could have asked for once the 64-team field was announced. How favorable? LSU’sfirst

opponent, the Little Rock Trojans, are 24-32 overall and come in with the worst RPI of any team in the field at No. 243. Little Rock,which finished eighthinthe 10-team Ohio ValleyConference withan8-16 league record, snaggedthe last berth in the OVC tournament, got hotatthe righttimeand wonthe trophy

TRANSFORMING TRAUMA RECOVERY

a leadoffhome runagainst Southeastern on April29 at Alex Box Stadium. STAFFPHOTO By

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU pitcherKadeAnderson, wholeads the nationwith 145 strikeouts, is abig reason the Tigers gota No.6 national seed

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSUcoach JayJohnson said he thought the Tigers had done enoughfor atop-eight national seed even before the SECTournament.

LSUleft fielder Derek Curiel, right,

Scott Rabalais

Former LSU QB, coach Amedee dies

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

Lynn Amedee, who quarterbacked LSU in the early 1960s and went on to a lengthy football coaching career on the high school, college and professional levels, died May 20. He was 83. A native of Baton Rouge, Amedee started his football career at Istrouma High

School before embarking on a three-year career as an LSU quarterback from 1960-62. He won Southeastern Conference championships in football and baseball, as a pitcher, in 1961

After playing for the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League in 1963-64, Amedee began his coaching career at his high school alma mater Istrouma in 1965 where he coached offensive and defensive backs.

Amedee then became head coach at Baker High from 196769, and also had high school head coaching stints at Northeast, New

Iberia and Opelousas.

Amedee took his his first collegiate coaching job at Northeast Louisiana in 1970. He then went to Tulane for two seasons in 1971-72 before joining the New Orleans Saints in 1973 as offensive backfield coach. He then spent a year coaching with the Birmingham Americans of the now defunct World Football League before returning to LSU in 1975 as quarterbacks coach through 1978.

Amedee, who worked one season as the UL offensive coordinator in 1982, also served as

LSU’s offensive coordinator in 1993-94.

Amedee was head coach at Tennessee Martin in 1980-81. He had assistant coaching staffs at a host of SEC schools: Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Florida, Texas and Mississippi State.

Amedee is survived by his daughters, Rene Graphia and Lee Hattaway, four grandchildren, one great-grandchild and two brothers.

Visitation will be 9-11 a.m. June 3 at Resthaven Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Hwy in Baton Rouge.

Alcaraz and Swiatek off to good starts

Reigning French Open champions cruise to straight-set wins

BY HOWARD FENDRICH

AP tennis writer

PARIS Iga Swiatek, who has struggled lately, and Carlos Alcaraz, who has not, got off to good starts in their French Open title defenses Monday, recording straight-set victories to reach the second round.

Swiatek was up first in Court Philippe-Chatrier and defeated 42nd-ranked Rebecca Sramkova 6-3, 6-3. Swiatek compiled 25 winners and 17 unforced errors in the 1-hour, 24-minute contest.

Alcaraz needed only about a half-hour more than that for a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Giulio Zeppieri, an Italian qualifier who is ranked 310th. Alcaraz won all 14 of his service games, saving the three break points he faced, at Court SuzanneLenglen.

“It was really, really solid,” Alcaraz said. “Really proud about my start.”

Both Swiatek and Alcaraz sat in the Chatrier stands a day earlier to watch the farewell tribute to 14-time champion Rafael Nadal — and both active players wore the rust-colored T-shirts that read “Merci Rafa” distributed to spectators. Swiatek has often talked about her admiration for Nadal; Alcaraz is considered the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s heir apparent.

“For sure, there were tears,” said Swiatek, who faces 2021 U.S Open champion Emma Raducanu next. “It was amazing ceremony, and I’m happy that Roland Garros

did this for Rafa. I’m happy that also the whole tennis world had an opportunity to kind of come together and just thank him. He’s a GOAT, so I’m happy that I was there.”

Alcaraz is seeded No. 2 behind Jannik Sinner — who advanced Monday night with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 victory over 75th-ranked Arthur Rinderknech and is coming off a clay-court title at the Italian Open a little more than a week ago. Alcaraz beat Sinner in the final there.

Monday’s result gave Alcaraz

28 wins in his past 30 matches on red clay, including going 7 for 7 a year ago at Roland-Garros One of the losses came against Novak Djokovic in the gold-medal match at last year’s Paris Olympics, held at the same site as the French Open. Swiatek has slipped to No. 5 in the rankings, her first time out of the top two spots in about three years. She hasn’t reached a final at any tournament since collecting her third consecutive championship — and fourth in five years — in Paris in 2024.

The 23-year-old from Poland extended her French Open unbeaten streak to 22 matches and is trying to become the first woman with four trophies in a row at the tournament in the professional era, which began in 1968. Monica Seles and Justine Henin also won three straight titles at RolandGarros.

What else happened

Two highly seeded Americans who made career-best runs at the U.S. Open last September bowed out quickly in Paris: No. 4 Taylor Fritz, the runner-up to Sinner in New York, and No. 9 Emma Navarro, a semifinalist at Flushing Meadows.

Fritz lost 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to 66th-ranked Daniel Altmaier of Germany The big-serving Fritz was broken five times and saw the end of his 15-match Grand Slam winning streak against opponents ranked outside the top 50. Navarro was eliminated 6-0, 6-1 in just 57 minutes by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain. Bouzas Maneiro’s biggest win of her career also came in the first round at a Grand Slam tournament: She beat reigning champion Marketa Vondrousova in the first round of Wimbledon last year

Also on the way out Monday: Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, who was in tears after her three-set loss to No. 10 Paula Badosa.

Who is playing Tuesday?

The Day 3 schedule includes past major title winners Djokovic, Coco Gauff, Daniil Medvedev and Sofia Kenin, and runners-up such as Alexander Zverev and Jessica Pegula.

Osaka tears up after first-round French Open loss

BY HOWARD FENDRICH

AP tennis writer

PARIS Naomi Osaka still wore the pink accessories in her hair inspired by “sakura” — cherry blossoms — and there were streaks on her cheeks where tears had rolled, when she sat down for a French Open news conference after her first-round loss to Paula Badosa on Monday Osaka’s red eyes welled as she answered a few questions before needing a break and briefly leaving the interview room following the 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4 exit against the 10th-seeded Badosa.

“As time goes on, I feel like I should be doing better But also — I kind of talked about this before, maybe a couple years ago, or maybe recently, I’m not sure — I hate disappointing people,” said Osaka, who owns four Grand Slam trophies from the hard courts of the U.S. Open and Australian Open but never has been past the third round on the red clay of RolandGarros.

Then, referring to her current coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who used to work with Serena Williams, Osaka said: “He goes from working with, like, the greatest player ever to, like, ‘What the (expletive) is this?’ You know what I mean? Sorry for cursing. I hope I don’t get fined.” Osaka, who was born in Japan

and moved to the United States as a young child, was undone Monday by 54 unforced errors.

That was twice as many as Badosa, whose best showing at a major was a semifinal run at the Australian Open in January and who reached the quarterfinals at Roland-Garros in 2021.

After taking the opening set, Osaka was treated by a trainer for hand blisters and also took time to clip her sakura-themed fingernails on the sideline. She attributed the blisters, which also bothered her at the Italian Open this month, to “the friction of clay, because I don’t have blisters on any other surface.”

Osaka’s powerful serves and groundstrokes are dulled by the clay, and that showed against Badosa Osaka was broken five times and finished with nearly as many double-faults, five, as aces, seven.

Once ranked No. 1 and currently No. 49, Osaka withdrew from the French Open in 2021 before her second-round match, explaining that she experiences “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking to the media and revealing she had dealt with depression. She then took multiple mental health breaks away from the tour.

She helped usher in a change in the way athletes, sports fans and society at large understood the

Indy 500 has biggest audience in 17 years

INDIANAPOLIS Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will be out at least two weeks with a left quad strain, the team announced Monday The Fever did not say when Clark suffered the injury. The team said further updates will be provided after she gets another evaluation. Clark had 18 points and 10 assists in a 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty on Saturday Clark is averaging 19.0 points, 9.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds this season.

“Obviously, she wants to play and, obviously everyone wants to see her play,” White said following Monday’s practice. “But for me, it’s about maintaining perspective. It’s making sure that we address this that doesn’t affect the long term, that we take care of it and don’t overpush, don’t overexert.”

Indy 500 runner-up Ericsson penalized

INDIANAPOLIS Indianapolis 500 runner-up Marcus Ericsson was penalized to the rear of the 33-car field along with Andretti Global teammate Kyle Kirkwood on Monday after their cars were found to have unapproved modifications in the post-race inspection that could have helped their aerodynamic efficiency Ericsson finished second to Alex Palou on Sunday when he was unable to make a winning pass in the closing laps. He now will be credited with a 31st-place finish while Kirkwood, who had finished sixth, has been relegated to 32nd. IndyCar said the modifications made by Andretti Global were to the Energy Management System covers provided by Dallara, the company that provides the chassis for the series. The rulebook states that those parts must be used as supplied.

Some fans sell free T-shirt honoring Nadal PARIS A day after the French Open honored Rafael Nadal, dozens of spectators began selling the claycolored “Merci Rafa” T-shirts handed out at Sunday’s tribute — with some listings reaching up to $540. The shirts, marked with the French phrase for “Thank You Rafa” and the date “25.05.2025,” were given to fans attending the ceremony on Court PhilippeChatrier to celebrate the 14-time French Open champion. Distributed in varying shades of clay, the T-shirts were part of a coordinated tribute. Fans were asked to wear them, creating a giant mosaic in the stands that spelled out “RG14,” a nod to Nadal’s 14 titles in Paris.

Florida

trio

out for NHL playoff game

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Sam Reinhart was ruled out by the Florida Panthers for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday, the second consecutive game he has missed since getting hurt earlier in the series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Also out for Florida: Niko Mikkola, who scored two goals in Game 3, and A.J. Greer All are listed as day to day, coach Paul Maurice said.

Florida leads the series 3-0, with a chance to clinch on Monday If Carolina wins, Game 5 will be Wednesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. Reinhart left Thursday’s Game 2 in the first period after a low hit by Carolina’s Sebastian Aho. The Panthers aren’t concerned at this point that it’ll be a long-term absence.

Cornell beats Maryland to win lacrosse championship

FOXBOROUGH Mass CJ Kirst scored six goals, Ryan Goldstein added four and Cornell, the first NCAA lacrosse champion, ended a 48-year drought with a 13-10 win over Maryland on Monday for the Big Red’s fourth national championship.

Kirst scored the final goal into an empty net with 50 seconds to go. It was his 82nd of the season, allowing the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer (247) to tie the single season record of 82.

importance of mental health.

A year ago at Roland-Garros, Osaka played one of her best matches since returning to action after becoming a mother, coming within a point of upsetting eventual tournament champion Iga Swiatek.

On Monday after taking a break from questions, she re-

turned to field one query from a Japanese journalist with an eye to the next major tournament, Wimbledon, which begins on grass on June 30.

“I don’t necessarily know my grass-season schedule right now,” Osaka said. “I wasn’t really expecting to lose in the first round.”

“We knew if (No.) 15 got going we were going home with hardware and by god if he didn’t find it and find it in a big way,” said coach Connor Buczek, a former Big Red All-American. “He pulls the best out of everyone around him.” This was Cornell’s first championship since 1977 when the Big Red defeated Johns Hopkins 16-8.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By THIBAULT CAMUS

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning a point against Italy’s Giulio Zeppieri during their first-round match of the French Open on Monday in Paris.

Amedee

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRISTOPHE ENA

Japan’s Naomi Osaka reacts as she plays Spain’s Paula Badosa during their first-round match of the French Open at the Roland-Garros stadium on Monday in Paris.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Vanderbilt draws No. 1 overall seed

BY ERIC OLSON AP sportswriter

OMAHA, Neb Vanderbilt, which gave up just three runs over three games in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, was awarded the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament on Monday and was among a record 13 teams from the conference to be selected to the 64-team field

The tournament opens Friday with 16 double-elimination regionals. Winners advance to eight best-of-three super regionals.

Those winners move on to the College World Series in Omaha beginning June 13.

Vanderbilt has won eight straight games and 13 of its past 16 to earn the No. 1 seed for the second time, and first since 2007.

“It’s amazing, it’s cool, it’s great, I love it,” shortstop Jonathan Vastine said. “The team was excited about it. After today, that No 1 seed kind of goes out the door because anything can happen.”

The Commodores, who play Wright State in the opener of the Nashville Regional, are in the tournament for the 19th straight time for the longest active streak.

“We understand we have a goal at the end of the year to get to the middle of the country,” pitcher JD Thompson said, referring to Omaha.

“You can’t de-value anybody coming into a regional like this. It’s all good teams, so you respect everybody. If we play good baseball and keep the trend of what we’re doing right now, then we have a good chance.”

The national seeds following Vanderbilt (42-16) are Texas (4212), Arkansas (43-13), Auburn (38-18), North Carolina (42-12), LSU (43-14), Georgia (42-15) and Oregon State (41-12-1). Those eight teams would be in line to host super regionals if they win their regionals.

Seeds Nos. 9 through 16: Florida State (38-14), Ole Miss (40-19), Clemson (44-16), Oregon (42-14), Coastal Carolina (48-11), Tennessee (43-16), UCLA (42-16) and Southern Mississippi (44-14)

The last four teams to get at-

RABALAIS

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Good for the Trojans, who will be making just their second NCAA tournament appearance and first in 14 years. And they can claim to be one of the hottest teams in the country, having won five games in four days at the OVC tourney to claim the league’s automatic NCAA bid.

But heat of a different sort awaits when they deal with either Kade Anderson or Anthony Eyanson, whichever ace pitcher coach Jay Johnson decides to start Or heat in the form of Jared Jones or Derek Curiel’s bats. If this was the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Little Rock would probably be a First Four team fighting for a No. 16 seed to get to play a regional No. 1. Overall, LSU’s regional has the highest combined RPI (meaning worst) of any of the 16 NCAA regionals: 341. LSU is No. 10 in RPI, Dallas Baptist No. 20, Rhode Island No. 68 and Little Rock’s aforementioned 243. Even just counting the top three seeds in the regional (98) their RPI is higher than all but one regional top three (Auburn, 100).

The regional LSU’s is paired with doesn’t exactly promote

LSU BASEBALL

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committee’s mind, was deserving of a top-eight seed.

“Where they fell in there, that’s when you can really start splitting hairs But I don’t think there’s a question they’re deserving of a top-eight seed LSU, the No. 6 overall seed, is hosting Dallas Baptist, Rhode Island and Arkansas-Little Rock in the Baton Rouge regional The team that advances through

Vanderbilt’s Riley Nelson takes a lead while on base against Air Force on Feb 18 in Nashville, Tenn. The Commodores go into NCAA regional tournament action having won 13 of their past 16 games, which includes winning the Southeasterrn Conference Tournament title.

large bids, in alphabetical order, were Arizona State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Southern California. The first four teams left out were Southeastern Louisiana, Troy, UConn and Virginia.

The SEC’s 13 teams in the tournament are two more than its record 11 that made it in 2024.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has nine teams in the field followed by the Big 12 with eight and the Big Ten with four The American Athletic, Big West, Conference USA and Sun Belt all have two teams in the tournament.

First-year SEC member Texas, which opened 38-5 overall and 19-2 in conference play, appeared to be a lock for the No. 1 seed before finishing 5-7 with a loss to Tennessee in its conference tournament opener Arkansas won 20 SEC regular-season games for the third straight year and set a program record with 110 homers.

Auburn’s No. 4 national seed ties the 2003 team for the highest in program history

Been there, done that Texas is in the tournament for a record 64th time. Miami, which lost six of its past seven games, is making its 50th appearance. Flori-

LSU’s starting pitching, its potentially lethal though at times hot and cold lineup, and defense make the Tigers a team that passes the critical eye test for a national championship contender

stomach-churning anxiety Clemson is hosting as the No. 11 national seed, facing West Virginia, Kentucky and the artist known as South Carolina Upstate. Surprisingly, LSU has never played Clemson, a fairly regular CWS participant, though the Tigers did host Kentucky in the 2023 Baton Rouge super regional en route to Omaha and their seventh national title. If the super does indeed end up being LSU and Clemson, what an unlikely but delicious appetizer to the LSUClemson football season opener Aug. 30 at Clemson. There is a long way to go to such a matchup, to be sure. Baseball being the unpredictable game that it is, there are David-like giant killers lurking in every regional. It’s up to LSU (43-14) to live up to the kind of lofty national seed it has been bestowed with.

One could argue that the NCAA selection committee, chaired by Southeastern Louisiana athletic director and former baseball

that grouping will then face either No. 11 seed Clemson or one of its three regional opponents — West Virginia, Kentucky or South Carolina Upstate — in a best-of-three NCAA super regional series. Last year, the Tigers had to fight just to make the 64-team tournament field This season they earned a topeight seed without much suspense.

LSU had — relatively comfortably — built a résumé befitting of a national seed by the time the NCAA selection committee un-

BREAKING DOWN BATON ROUGE REGIONAL TEAMS

LSU baseball received a relatively favorable draw from the NCAA Tournament selection committee on Monday.

The Tigers, selected as the No. 6 overall seed in the field, will host No. 2 Dallas Baptist, No. 3 Rhode Island and No. 4 Little Rock in the Baton Rouge Regional beginning on Friday.

LSU’s first game in the regional is against Little Rock. First pitch from Alex Box Stadium is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be available to watch on SEC Network.

Here’s what you need to know about the teams grouped with LSU in its regional.

Little Rock Record: 24-32, 8-16 OVC RPI: 243

Breakdown: Little Rock won five games in four days to capture the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament crown, defeating Southern Indiana, Southeast Missouri, Lindenwood and Eastern Illinois twice.

da State will be a regional host for a Division I-record 37th time.

The longest active streaks behind Vanderbilt belong to Florida (17), LSU (13), Oklahoma State (12) and Dallas Baptist (11).

First timer

USC Upstate (36-23) is the only team that will be making its first appearance in the Division I tournament. The Spartans had played in three straight Big South championship games before breaking through to beat Charleston Southern 14-2 Saturday to clinch the league’s automatic bid.

Home sweet home, finally

Oregon State earned home field for regionals and potentially super regionals as the No. 8 seed after having to play 35 of its 54 games away from Corvallis The Beavers are 17-2 at home.

Hot Huskies

Northeastern (48-9) has the nation’s longest win streak at 27 games after winning the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament. The Huskies lead the nation in shutouts (17), win percentage (.842) and ERA (2.92), among other categories.

coach Jay Artigues, has more faith in the Tigers than the raw RPI numbers indicate. Clemson, at No. 9, and Coastal Carolina at No. 8, both had arguments. But Clemson got the 10 seed and Coastal the 13.

LSU’s starting pitching, its potentially lethal though at times hot and cold lineup, and defense make the Tigers a team that passes the critical eye test for a national championship contender

Playing a regional and super regional at home is no guarantee LSU will get to Omaha. But not getting a national seed and likely having to play a super regional on the road would have stacked the odds high against the Tigers. Four times since 1999 LSU has played super regionals away and lost them all.

That won’t be the case in 2025. As long as the Tigers are alive, they will sleep in their own beds, occupy their home dugout field the ball in the friendly and familiar confines of Alex Box Stadium. That is, of course, until and unless LSU makes its annual intended goal of reaching the College World Series in a place Tiger fans have come to regard as Alex Box North.

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veiled its bracket on Monday

Coach Jay Johnson said thought his team had done so even before he took it to Hoover, Alabama, for the Southeastern Conference Tournament. There, he threw his top two pitchers on Friday in a quarterfinal game against Texas A&M in part because he was already imagining how he’d approach a regional at Alex Box Stadium.

That decision hurt LSU’s chances of winning a semifinal on Saturday But it likely gave the Tigers all they needed to lock down a na-

(leads the team in batting average) and designated hitter Jack Hopko (15 home runs) provide length for a dangerous lineup.

The clear ace of Rhode Island’s pitching staff is left-hander Trystan Levesque.The graduate senior threw 10 shutout innings against Oregon in February and allowed just one earned run in 81/3 innings in his latest start against Davidson on Wednesday. In 15 starts, Levesque has allowed more than four earned runs in just one outing If Levesque starts on Friday against Dallas Baptist, and the Rams win and face LSU on Saturday, Rhode Island would likely turn to right-hander Jeremy Urena. Urena struggled to begin the year but has pitched well lately allowing no more than three earned runs in each of his past four starts.

The Trojans went on a run despite dropping 10 of their last 11 games in conference play and qualified for the last spot in the OVC Tournament on a tiebreaker As the No. 8 seed, they became the lowest seed to ever win the conference tourney.

Little Rock’s best win of the year came on April 15 when they upset Ole Miss 7-3 in Oxford. It also owns the worst RPI in the NCAA Tournament, 44 spots behind Bethune-Cookman which was the next lowest team.

Little Rock’s attack is led by five hitters with an on-base plus slugging percentage of more than .800: third baseman Ty Rhoades, second baseman Cooper Chaplain, catcher Cade Martin, designated hitter Ryan Geck and center fielder Zach Henry. Rhoades leads the Trojans in home runs and Martin hit the go-ahead runscoring single in the OVC tournament title game.

On the mound, right-hander Jack Cline is the favorite to start Friday’s regional opener against LSU Cline tossed a complete game in the OVC championship game on Sunday, allowing just one earned run and throwing 129 pitches on two days of rest.

Little Rock’s second starter is right-hander Jackson Wells. He also surrendered just one run in a complete game on Wednesday in the Trojans’ first game at the OVC Tournament. In the bullpen, Little Rock doesn’t have a reliever, who has also made at least 10 appearances, with an ERA under five Rhode Island Record: 38-20, 22-8 A10

RPI: 68

Breakdown: Rhode Island beat Davidson, Saint Louis and George Mason in the Atlantic 10 Tournament to clinch its spot in the big dance.

The Rams also won the conference regular-season crown and defeated Oregon — a regional host — once in a four-game series in Eugene in February.They have the best RPI in the Atlantic 10 but the weakest RPI among No. 3 seeds in the NCAA tourney.

Hitting is Rhode Island’s strength.

The Rams are sixth in the country in runs scored and have four hitters who have started at least 34 games while holding an OPS of more than 1.000.

Leading Rhode Island’s offense is third baseman Anthony DePino.The senior has 19 home runs, a 733 slugging percentage and leads the Rams in walks and doubles.After him, right fielder Eric Genther (1.045 OPS), shortstop Reece Moroney

tional seed: their 20th conference victory Only two SEC teams have collected more. “The SEC tournament is a little bit different than some of the other tournaments,” Artigues said. “A lot of those teams go into it knowing they’re in the tournament, or pretty sure they’re in a tournament, and they’re all playing for some of that seeding.

“Winning that first game like they did, and getting to the next day, I thought they did a great job most of the season being very, very consistent to put them in that position.”

In relief, Rhode Island’s top option is right-hander Joe Sabbath who has a 3.11 ERA and eight saves in 27 appearances.The Rams lack an abundance of options in relief after Sabbath as they only have one other reliever with an ERA under five besides him.

Dallas Baptist Record: 40-16, 21-6 CUSA RPI: 20

Breakdown: Dallas Baptist clinched an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after finishing the year with the fourth best RPI among non-hosting teams, getting two wins over Oklahoma and grabbing a win over TCU

The Patriots faced LSU for the first time on Feb 26 at Globe Life Field in Arlington.The Tigers won 7-3, garnering 12 hits and receiving multihit performances from Derek Curiel, Jared Jones, Daniel Dickinson, Steven Milam and Jake Brown. LSU started left-hander Conner Ware who tossed four shutout innings before allowing a home run to start the fifth. Like Rhode Island, Dallas Baptist has one of the more dangerous offenses in the country.The Patriots rank 21st nationally in runs scored and will have four available hitters with an OPS better thab 1.000. The biggest bat in their order is catcher Grant Jay. He leads the team with 19 home runs, holding a .322 batting average and a .688 slugging percentage. Center fielder Nathan Humphreys has 17 homers and is first on the Patriots in batting average, and second baseman Keaton Grady owns a .944 OPS

Leading the Patriots rotation for the last month has been right-hander Ryan Borberg and right-hander James Ellwanger Borberg hasn’t surrendered more than two runs since April 19 while Ellwanger struck out 12 batters in six innings on Thursday against Jacksonville State.

But until he suffered an injury in April, right-hander and former Tiger Micah Bucknam was the Patriots’ ace. He should be available to pitch in the Baton Rouge regional after returning against Jacksonville State this past week and tossing three shutout innings.

Dallas Baptist’s bullpen allowed five earned runs and eight hits in five innings against LSU in February. Left-hander Tyler Schott has been the Patriots’ most consistent reliever, but they also have right-hander Luke Pettitte back from an elongated absence. Pettitte is the son of fivetime World Series champion Andy Pettitte and was the Conference USA Freshman of the year last season. Koki Riley

LSU, in its illustrious program history, has won 11 of the 12 regionals it’s hosted as a national seed. Now, because Johnson’s Tigers earned their second top-eight seed in four seasons, they can begin pursuing Alex Box’s 13th super regional. That chase will start at 2 p.m. Friday against Little Rock (SEC Network, ESPN+).

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JOHN AMIS

Four key issues set for SEC spring meeting

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. The Southeastern Conference has reached the beach once again for its annual Memorial Day week spring meeting. The meeting, which officially runs TuesdayThursday at the Sandestin Hilton, brings together the SEC’s administration with the school presidents/ chancellors, athletic directors, football and basketball coaches and other administrators from the league’s 16 member schools.

LSU interim president Matt Lee, who was picked to fill William Tate’s role after the latter took the president’s job at Rutgers, is expected to attend.

Here are four key issues that will likely be addressed:

The House settlement

Groundwork has been laid for the so-called House settlement which would allow schools to start sharing revenue with student-athletes on July 1. However, as June 1 approaches the settlement has yet to become formally ratified.

Either way, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and school representatives are expected to discuss the implications of the settlement for their schools’ bottom lines.

“I learned a long time ago we don’t control the court system,” Sankey said. “We have a responsibility of implementation. We keep preparing. The more clarity we have, because the clock is ticking, the better.”

Nine-game schedule

The SEC has kicked the issue of a permanent football schedule down the road since Texas and Oklahoma formally joined the conference in 2024. The league crafted an eight-game schedule for 2024 and

fl

ipped the home and road games with the same opponents for each team for 2025.

Several schools including LSU, have long lobbied for a nine-game conference football schedule. That appears to be drawing closer to reality The Athletic recently reported that ESPN/ABC is willing to add $50-80 million to the SEC’s annual $811 million TV rights deal if the league goes to nine conference games. There is no SEC football schedule in place for the 2026 season and beyond. Previously a proposal for a nine-game schedule was expected to include three permanent and six rotating opponents. LSU’s permanents were expected to be Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

Sankey said the process of if and how much the College Football Playoff expands from its current 12-team format will have an impact on SEC scheduling discussions.

“Our eight- or nine-game scheduling (talk) goes back to 2018

JEFF ROBERSON

Pacers look to make changes after 2nd-half collapse in loss

BY MICHAEL MAROT

AP sportswriter

INDIANAPOLIS Two-time All-Star

Tyrese Haliburton blamed himself for the Indiana Pacers’ second-half collapse in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Coach Rick Carlisle figured Haliburton’s teammates played their part, too.

Less than 24 hours after blowing a 16-point lead in the final 20 minutes Sunday night and allowing the New York Knicks to cut their series deficit to 2-1, the Pacers went back to work Monday in search of solutions. Game 4 will be Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

“I felt like we got kind of stagnant on that end,” Haliburton said minutes after the 106-100 loss “I thought we just didn’t do a good job of continuing to play fast. I felt like I did a poor job of keeping pace in the game, especially in the fourth quarter I feel like I was walking the ball up every play, so I know it’s got to be a big area of improvement for me.” Clearly, it wasn’t just Haliburton — or his teammates — struggling to seal a victory that would have put the Pacers within one win of reaching the franchise’s second NBA Finals.

An increasingly aggressive Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 of his team’s 36 points in the fourth quarter and an increasingly shifty defense slowed down Indiana just enough to hold them to a playofflow 42 points in the second half Carlisle credited the Knicks’ defense for making the right adjustments. And just like that, New York managed to avoid the dreaded 3-0 hole that no team has recovered

from and climb back into the series, giving themselves a chance at evening the series Tuesday Strangely the road team has won each of the first games and the Knicks have won six of seven on the road this postseason, their only loss coming at Boston as last year’s champions briefly delayed a second-round exit by winning Game 5.

“I think we have to continue to fly around (defensively),” Knicks

All-Star guard Jalen Brunson said Monday “Obviously, we don’t want to have breakdowns and when we do, we’ve got to continue to slide and help each other out, giving my team more opportunities to shoot the ball and score the ball instead of turning the ball over I think will be a big key for us.”

Coach Tom Thibodeau’s chess moves could be crucial, too. After benching Josh Hart in favor of starting Mitchell Robinson in Game 3, Hart and Towns played key roles in the fourth-quarter rally as Brunson was stuck in foul trouble.

But Towns and Hart appeared to suffer knee injuries Sunday Thibodeau remains hopeful both will be available — and play well Tuesday night.

“I don’t know if you’re aware but our medical team has been voted the best in the league,” Thibodeau said, drawing laughter “They are tough-minded and I think at this time of year, the mental toughness is probably more important than the physical toughness and both of those guys are mentally tough.”

But the Pacers have been here before.

Just two weeks ago after winning the first two conference semifinal games at Cleveland, they lost

when we talked about eliminating divisions,” Sankey said. “Then we expanded (the CFP) and it became different conversation.”

CFP changes

The College Football Playoff announced last week that it is changing to a straight 1-12 seeding format, eliminating last year’s scenario when the top four-rated conference champions got the top four seeds.

Commissioners from the ACC and Big 12 offered that the change was in the best interest of college football and not necessarily their conferences, comments that drew a sharp response from Sankey

“I don’t need lectures from others about the good of the game,” Sankey said Monday “I don’t lecture others on the good of the game. You can issue a press statement, but I’m looking for ideas to move us forward.”

NCAA governance

Member schools are seeking

to alter the governance model to allow the so-called “Power Four” conferences and Notre Dame to have as much as 65% voting power within rule-making committees. That could impact the football calendar (including a single transfer portal in January), basketball selection committees and student-athlete eligibility

Then there is the matter of NCAA membership entirely Yahoo! Sports reported that SEC presidents in March gave Sankey the right to split the league from the NCAA if he sees fit.

Sankey on Monday did not indicate he was promoting that.

“We have 13 teams in the NCAA baseball tournament,” he said, citing his support for championships being decided under the NCAA umbrella. “No one turned one of those invitations down. We had 14 in the men’s basketball tournament. No one turned one of those invitations down.”

Pacers lift ban on Haliburton’s father

BY MICHAEL MAROT AP sportswriter

INDIANAPOLIS Tyrese Haliburton’s father will be allowed to attend Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, meaning his ban from attending Indiana Pacers games following an on-court confrontation with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the playoffs has ended.

John Haliburton is expected to be seated in a suite Tuesday night when the Pacers host the New York Knicks, in hopes of avoiding a repeat of what happened in Game 5 against the Bucks. Indiana holds a 2-1 lead over New York. John Haliburton has not attended any of the Pacers’ eight games — home or road — since running onto the court and yelling in Antetokounmpo’s face after his son made a last-second layup in overtime to send the Bucks home in the first round for the third straight year Instead, John Haliburton has been seen in a local Indianapolis bar celebrating his son’s feats, such as making a buzzerbeating shot to force overtime in Game 1 against the Knicks — a game Indiana won at New York.

to the desperate Cavaliers at home before Haliburton and the Pacers rebounded with a shooting clinic and beat Cleveland in Game 4 before closing out the series on the road.

Could it happen again?

The Knicks prevented Indiana from implementing its usually track-like tempo, outscoring the Pacers 22-8 in transition while limiting them to 5-for-25 shooting from 3-point range. The Pacers have their own injury concern with Aaron Nesmith, their top defender who has primarily been paired against Brunson, who sprained his right ankle Sunday

“Aaron is sore as is to be expected,” Carlisle said Monday “He will be likely a game-time decision, probably listed as questionable and we’ve got to play better.”

Nobody understands it better than Haliburton, who will have plenty of motivation Tuesday

His father, John, will be watching from a Gainbridge Fieldhouse suite — the first game he has attended in person since being banned following his run onto the court after Indiana closed out the first-round series against Milwaukee. And, of course, he has something to prove again as the Pacers try to position themselves for a second straight series-clinching victory at Madison Square Garden.

“I didn’t do a good job getting downhill and making plays,” Haliburton said. “I’ve got to do a better job there. I think I’ve relied a lot down the stretch of games getting guys in the right positions and I feel like I didn’t do, personally, a great job with that. Execution down the stretch, we definitely can be better and that starts with me.”

Tyrese Haliburton was not made available to reporters on Monday, when the Pacers confirmed their decision to lift the ban on his father “I think a father-son relationship is special,” teammate Myles Turner said. “I grew up in a house where my father was a big part of my life, and this is a very special moment — conference finals and you potentially move on So I’m glad that a father can see his son play.”

Game 6 would be in Indianapolis, if necessary

Fever star Clark sidelined with left quadricep strain

By The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS Indiana Fever

star Caitlin Clark will miss at least two weeks after straining her left quadriceps during Saturday’s 90-88 loss to the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty Coach Stephanie White told reporters Monday she wasn’t sure exactly when Clark was injured but was told after the game she had “something going on with her leg.” An MRI confirmed the diagnosis. Clark’s absence could wind up being a big blow for one of the league’s title favorites.

“Obviously she wants to play and, obviously, everyone wants to see her play,” White said following Monday’s practice. “But for me, it’s about maintaining perspective. It’s making sure that we address this that doesn’t affect the long term, that we take care of it and don’t overpush, don’t overexert.”

Clark was not seen with her teammates at the end of practice and was not available for comment. Team officials said additional updates will be provided as circumstances warrant. It’s the first time in Clark’s career she’s missed a game after playing in all 40 games and both playoff games last season and the first four games this year She did miss Indiana’s first preseason game this year with a leg injury

Last season’s WNBA rookie of the year finished with 18 points and 10 assists Saturday but lost the ball on Indiana’s final possession as she tried to take a 3-pointer that could have won the game in the waning seconds.

Afterward, White complained that New York was not called for a foul Clark is averaging 19.0 points, 9.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds this season as the Fever have opened with a 2-2 mark. Indiana returns to action Wednesday at Washington and Clark is expected to miss that game as well as home contests against Connecticut and Washington and Indiana’s rematch at Chicago on June 7 against Clark’s rival, Angel Reese.

The league’s top drawing player could miss additional time, but the Fever seem more capable of winning without Clark this season after using the offseason to bring in a large group of veteran players with championship experience.

It’s unclear just how the Fever will try to replace Clark’s playmaking ability

“Sometimes great players don’t tell you when they’re hurting,” White said. “I’m glad that she did because we need to nip this in the bud.”

Clark set a single-season league record last season with 337 assists after leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to back-to-back national runner-up finishes in college.

AP PHOTO By JEFF ROBERSON Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton celebrates during the first half of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New york Knicks on Sunday in Indianapolis.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By

New york Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after scoring against the Indiana Pacers during the second half of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday in Indianapolis.

On top of the world

BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racing writer

INDIANAPOLIS

There’s a long list of racing greats who have passed through Chip Ganassi Racing over its 35 years in existence — but not so lengthy that Ganassi can’t rattle them off the top of his head.

Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi and Juan Pablo Montoya gave Ganassi four consecutive championships. Scott Dixon teamed with Dario Franchitti to restart another fouryear title streak. Marcus Ericsson won Ganassi his fifth Indianapolis 500 victory in 2022, ending a 10year losing streak in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for Ganassi.

Now he has Alex Palou on his roster, and as he leaned to kiss the first Spaniard to ever win the Indy 500, Ganassi had a message for him.

“You’re the best driver,” the team owner said. “Unbelievable, man. Unbelievable.”

It was the expected ending of a bizarre, crash-filled Indy 500 in which Palou won for the fifth time in six races this season but in the one event Palou was adamant he needed to win to ever have a complete racing resume. He’s already the two-time defending IndyCar champion and has won three titles in the last four years, all with Ganassi.

“I think he’s one of the greats. It’s that simple,” Ganassi said. “Certainly we’ve had some great drivers on our team, and he’s right there, at worst, shoulder-to-shoulder with all the rest of them.”

What a start

There have only been two drivers to win five of the first six races of a season in the modern era Al Unser Sr and A.J. Foyt, with Foyt winning the first seven and that included the Indy 500.

Now Palou is on a similar dominating pace and with 11 races remaining in the IndyCar season, he takes a 115-point lead over Pato O’Ward in the championship standings to this weekend’s race in Detroit.

Palou says the results are not solely driver based and acknowledged the work of his No. 10 Ganassi team.

“I think I get a lot of credit because you see that I’m the only one driving the car But there’s a huge team behind that is making me look very good on track,”

Palou said. “Whenever we’ve had the chance to win, we’ve been able to execute. And that’s taking into account not only the setup, but the strategies, the pit stops.

I’ve been telling you guys that I know that this is not normal,” he added. “But I’m glad that it didn’t end (at Indy) and that we got the wave until the 500 at least.”

How he won Palou won Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by losing it to Helio Castroneves in 2021.

Palou finished second as Castroneves won for a record-tying fourth time, and Palou begged Castroneves to tell him what he’d done wrong. Castroneves wasn’t interested in sharing his secrets.

So Palou studied the film, tried to understand how Castroneves used the traffic to keep Palou behind him, and steadily improved his craft on ovals. His Indy 500 win marked the first victory for Palou on an oval

“Thanks to Helio, I was able to read the traffic good,” Palou said.

“I knew that because of how the strategies were shaking up at the end that we were going to have traffic.

“So traffic, even though you were P2 you were actually P5 or P4. So you had to take that into account. So I was just trying my best to try and read it and get on top of it.”

He was seeing two and three moves ahead, something he learned from Castroneves’ winning move, and it gave Palou the guts to make the final pass with 16 laps remaining. It was an incredibly early move in a race that has been decided the last several years by a series of late-lap passes.

“I think I’m here because of 2021 for sure,” said Palou. What comes next?

Palou is still being sued for nearly $30 million by McLaren Racing in a breach of contract suit after he changed his mind in late 2023 to leave Ganassi for McLaren ahead of the 2024 season.

The two teams had been engaged in a tug-of-war over Palou since he had signed contracts with both teams and McLaren wants every dollar back it spent on developing him as its Formula 1 driver and damages accrued when Palou did not join the IndyCar team.

But he lives his life as if this lawsuit isn’t hanging over his head — or even bothers him just a bit.

It’s tricky though, because Palou is so hot right now many are beginning to openly ask why he isn’t in F1.

There’s theoretically at least one seat open next year with the new Cadillac F1 team owned by Dan Towriss, who also owns the Andretti Global IndyCar team and watched Palou beat his driver Ericsson to win the Indianapolis 500.

Palou doesn’t believe a spot remains open to him in F1 after the McLaren mess, but more important, is content where he is with Ganassi.

“I would understand (if teams don’t want me), but I am super happy where I am,” Palou said. “I mean you can see that.

“I’ve not had any conversations with anybody and I am not knocking on doors. I promise 100% I have had no conversation and no one with my (management) team has had any conversations with anybody.”

Chastain goes from worst to first to win the Coca-Cola 600

BY STEVE REED Associated Press

CONCORD, N.C. — Ross Chastain

stood on top of his No. 1 Chevrolet in his white fire suit and held a watermelon above his head as the crowd at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roared with delight in anticipation.

Then, with sense of ferocity, Chastain slammed it to the track, smashing it to pieces.

Chastain began smashing watermelon as a way to uniquely honor his family’s legacy as eighth-generation watermelon farmers. The tradition began after his first NASCAR Cup Series race and has continued after every win as his own unique way to celebrate his strong ties to watermelon farming.

But this win was extra special, his first at a crown jewel event.

“This thing is fresh from Florida,” Chastain said with a laugh. “It just came up from our family farm. Man, for the Florida watermelon industry, that’s your watermelons you’re getting right now, so y’all better go buy a dang watermelon to celebrate. I want to see videos of smashed watermelons flood the socials. I want to see it. Florida watermelons are in season.”

Chastain passed two-time Daytona 500 winner William Byron with six laps left and won the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, capping a remarkable comeback and becoming the first driver to win the event after starting at the back of the field.

NASCAR said he’s the first driver to win from an official starting position of last since Bobby Allison at the Richmond Fairgrounds in 1969.

William Byron won the first three stages and led 283 laps, but surrendered the lead to Chastain, who started in 40th place and led just eight laps in his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the year It was a huge boost to Trackhouse Racing, and a bitter disappointment for Byron, the Charlotte native who had signed a four-year contract extension Friday with Hendrick Motorsports. Byron has finished in the top three in the last three Coca-Cola 600s without winning.

Chastain said his crew stayed up all night to build him another car after a crash in practice on Saturday

“To drive on that final run in the 600 and pass two cars that had been better than me all night, wow,” said Chastain, who celebrated by standing on his car and slamming a watermelon down on the track as has become his tradition following a victory “Holy cow! We just won the 600.”

Chastain said the plan was the fix the original car after the wreck, but NASCAR intervened. It might have been a good thing they did.

“We thought we were going to have to fix the primary and NASCAR said, no, there is something bent (so) go build another one,” Chastain said. “That’s how we did that.”

Chastain’s crew chief, Phil Surgen said it was “deflating” when a tire went down and Chastain crashed during practice because their original car had been running so well, finishing fastest among the field in 10-, 15- and 20lap averages.

But he said more than 30 employees came into the nearby race shop to work on the car, with nearly a dozen staying until 2:30 a.m. to get it ready to race. The car they used was slated to be a backup car at the Nashville race, but didn’t have an engine and needed several other additions.

“This group of guys I have got is relentless and no doubt everybody was going to give it their best,” Surgen said. “Guys were at concerts and ballgames and dropped what they were doing to come in and help.”

Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks called it a “master class” effort by the team. Byron left the track disappointed over his inability to maintain the lead.

“He was catching me and I was trying to defend and I was getting a little tight,” Byron said “He got a run on me and was able to get to the bottom of the track off of two. It’s disappointing to lead that many laps.”

Byron became the first driver to sweep the first three stages at NASCAR’s longest race, but found himself in a battle with Denny Hamlin the final 100 laps. They exchanged lead a few times before both drivers pitted with 52 laps for one final fill up on gas. But Hamlin didn’t get enough fuel in his car and would have to pit again, falling out of contention. He would finish 16th.

Chastain, running in a backup car, ran down Byron for his sixth Cup Series win and first crown jewel victory Pole-sitter Chase Briscoe finished third.

Kyle Larson’s day ended the way it started at the Indianapolis 500 with a wreck.

Larson arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway via helicopter more than an hour ahead of the start of the race after crashing out at the Indianapolis 500 in his failed second attempt to complete “The Double.”

Johnson makes early exit

Jimmie Johnson’s bid for a record-tying fifth Coca-Cola 600 victory ended early in the second stage when he hit the wall in Turn 4, causing severe damage to his No. 84 Toyota and knocking him out of the race. The seven-time Cup Series champion finished last. “I made a rookie mistake,” Johnson said, who was making his 700th career Cup Series start. “The traffic situations are different with this car and I reacted in a way I shouldn’t have.”

Halftime tribute

Keeping with tradition, drivers pulled their cars down pit road to a complete stop for a moment of silence as part of the Memorial Day weekend tribute to “honor and remember” those service members who’ve lost their lives.

BY NOAH TRISTER

win column. Tampa Bay has played far more games at home than on the road, but the Rays are 16-18 at home and 10-8 away For the A’s, the difference is even more jarring They are 14-12 on the road but just 9-19 at home. These are the only two teams in the major leagues that have a winning record on the road and a losing record at home. After improving from 50-112 in 2023 to 69-93 last year, the A’s were actually above .500 less than two weeks ago. Then they dropped 11 in a row, the past six of which were at home, before finally beating Philadelphia 5-4 on Sunday

The Athletics have a winning percentage of .538 on the road and .321 at home. That difference

of .217 is on pace to set a modern record. The previous mark was “achieved” in the strike-shortened season of 1994 by the Chicago Cubs, who were 29-25 (.537) on the road and just 20-39 (.339) at home. The record for a full season was set back in 1908, when Pittsburgh was 56-21 (.727) on the road and 4235 (.545) at home. Ironically, if you take out the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the A’s already hold the modern record for the biggest home-road winning percentage difference in the other direction. In 1945, the Philadelphia A’s went 39-35 (.527) at home but just 13-63 (.171) on the road for a split of .356. Trivia time

Although the A’s have only nine home wins this season, three of them

have come in walk-off fashion. Name the three teams that have yet to produce a walk-off victory in 2025.

Line of the week

Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal struck out 13 in a two-hit shutout on Sunday, lifting Detroit to a 5-0 win over Cleveland. It was his first complete game as a pro, and he threw just 94 pitches the last of which was a 102.6 mph fastball to strike out Gabriel Arias. Skubal became the first player in franchise history to pitch a complete game with no walks, two or fewer hits and 13 strikeouts. Comeback of the week

The Cubs began the week by losing 8-7 in walk-off fashion to Miami on Monday night — they had

been up by one with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and nobody on. But later in the week,

Ganassi calls Palou ‘the best driver’ after his historic Indy 500 win

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AJ MAST

Alex Palou, of Spain, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday at the Indianapolis Speedway. Palou won for the fifth time in six races this season while claiming his first Indy 500.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy

Car owner Chip Ganassi touches the winner ring as he and Alex Palou celebrate Sunday’s win.

Three hydrangea species staplesin La.gardens

Hydrangeas have long been astaple of Southern gardens, and it’snowonder why

These beloved flowers,with their unique clusters of delicateblooms, offer alate-spring and early-summer splashof color to shaded areas —something that’s not always easy to find Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs. Like most shrubs, it’sbest to plant them in the fall.But you can appreciate theirbeautiful blooms right now —orsoon There are many species of hydrangeas out there, butin Louisiana, you’re most likely to encounter three. Each has its own unique characteristics, care requirements and bloom times.

Bigleafhydrangea

This is what most people think of at the mention of the word “hydrangea.” With large, rounded flower heads,which are technicallyknown as corymbs, this hydrangea is native to East Asia. It’ssometimes called French hydrangea, garden hydrangea and mophead hydrangea, and its Latin name is Hydrangea macrophylla. The bigleaf hydrangea can grow well in both acidicand alkaline conditions. For many cultivars, soil pH determines the color of blooms. Acidic soil yields shadesofblue, and alkaline soil prompts pinks and purples. White-flowering cultivars are available, too, and aren’tinfluenced by pH. Flowers typically emerge in May and last for afew weeks. This plant does best in full shade. Some sun in the morning is OK, but it definitely needs to be shadedduring the intense heat of the afternoon. Water regularly,especially during the intense heat of the summer

Most bigleafcultivars reach 4to6feet tall and typically don’trequire much pruning

But if you have an established shrub that you feel has become unrulyorifyou need to remove damaged wood, be sure to prune immediately after flowering ends in latesummer Don’tprune at other times of year,asthe bigleaf hydrangea blooms on old wood. This means it sets flower buds on the previous year’sgrowth Newer bigleaf cultivars are being bred with heat resistance and color stability in mind. Some even rebloom throughout the growing season.

Oakleafhydrangea

Unlike the familiar bigleaf hydrangea, the oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is native to the southeastern United States. In nature, it’s an understory shrub in forests that also can be found along high stream banks. This hydrangea has afew things in common with the bigleaf hydrangea —likeits

BY MARGARETDELANEY Staff writer

ill Afton often spends his days working with community members on how to get their lawns, vegetable gardens andfruit trees in healthy shape.

As ahorticulturistwho now works as thecounty agent, or agriculturaland natural resource agent, for St. Tammany Parish, he does presentationsatlibraries, garden clubs, social groupsand Master Gardener training to teach people about horticulture.

Here are his seven tips to have the best lawn in the neighborhood this summer

Know thegrass

Warm season grasses workbest in Louisiana’stemperate climate (with longsummers).

The four common types of grasses that cangrowthroughoutthe stateand grow well in Louisiana’s climate include: Centipede, St. Augustine, Bermuda and Zoysia grasses. Zoysiagrass is “the hot species”that is alittlemoredisease resistant and insect resistant, according to Afton “Weneed to try to identify what youhaveout there, becausethen you can research information on howtoproperly take care of it,” Afton said. “There’safew different things for each different type.

Centipede andSt. Augustine

When taking asample for testing,get soilfrom multiplesites in agrowing area and mix them togethertoformacomposite sample.

grasses are the most common, and most people in south Louisiana have amixture of both growing in the same yard. If large trees or two-storyhouses cast large shadows over alawn, these grasses will be thebest bet to thrive.

Bermuda and Zoysia, although fast-growing and ideal for the state’s climate, need full sun constantly

“If you’ve gotall day fullsun in your lawn, Bermuda is areally easygrass to grow,” Afton said.

“It’s got areally fine texture to

it.Itlookslike agolfcourse-type grass.”

Test thesoil

Goodgrass has good roots. Good roots need good soil.

LSU AgCenter does soil testing, at $11 persoilsample plus shipping, in ordertoevaluate the properties of thesoil—looking at acidity and levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium,magnesium, sodium,copper and zinc.

ä See MOWING, page 2D

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Rodrigue

PHOTO By TOMKOSKE

Freshink failstoimpress some people

Dear Miss Manners: It seems more and more of my friends’ young adult children are gettingtattoos Often my friends sharethe news like the tattoo is some sort of accomplishment and, if the young adult is present, will summon them over to show off the new ink to (presumably) collect compliments. While Idon’tbegrudge others doing what they want withtheir bodies,I don’thave tattoos myself and don’tpersonally understand the appeal. Ialso admit thatwhen someone permanently tattoos themselves at the tender age of 18 or 19, nothing in my being thinks congratulations or praise is in order

mentary comments about the design. Iusually just smile and listen.While Idon’t want to make up fake compliments, saying nothing doesn’tfeel entirely polite either.Whatdoyou think?

you choose thedesign?” “Will you be doing moreofthese?” and definitely not,“Areyou nuts?”

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Most of the other friendswill feign interest andoffer compli-

MOWING

Continued from page1D

“Webasicallylearn how to fertilize your specificlawn,” Afton said. “There are 16, arguably 17, nutrients that plants need to grow and develop properly.”

The ideal pH level for most grass lawns is between 6.0 and 7.0, slightly acidic to neutral. This pH range allows for optimal nutrient availabilityand absorption by the grass. Afton likes to grab soil samplesfrom different areas of the lawn, and then he mixes them into one soil sample test.

No rain,noproblem

If there’sno“substantial” rain for two to four weeks, it is important to waterthe lawn. When Louisiana gets heavy rainfall, the soil is loaded up withwater.Water will penetrate theground and bring nutrients to the soil in thegrass and itsroot system. Going without wateris stressful on any plant, according to Afton, because that limits the ability of nutrients to circulate through the plant. Acommon marker that alawn needs watering is wilting grass, or if the individualbladesofgrassare starting to roll in on itself.

Time self-irrigation just right

The best time to water the lawn is before dawn for 30 minutes once or twice a week.

“A lot of people will set their systems to come on 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon, every day,” Afton said. “The water is not going down that far,and the plant roots will get used to that and just grow in the top couple of inches.”

It’simportant to let the soil dry in between wateringso that the water percolates through the soil.

If you water the grasstoo much, or too often, it could have anegative effect on the rootsystem.

“Wedon’tever want to keep it wet,” Afton said. “Sometimes we have waterlog situations that can predispose plants to adisease Ihaven’t seen it alot in the past couple of years because it’sbeen on the dry side.”

Watering for 30 minutes and allowing the soil to dry out coaches the roots to

HYDRANGEA

Continued from page1D

preference for shade and pruning requirements. But there are some important distinctions. For one, good drainage is crucial for the oakleaf hydrangea. Toomuch water will spell trouble for this plant, whichisparticularly susceptible to root rot. Oakleaf hydrangea flowers appear abit earlier, starting in lateAprilin some parts of Louisiana. The foliage offers great red-and-orange fall color in northernparishes.

This species can reach well over 10 feet tall in perfect conditions —but in cultivation, it usually stays in the range of 4feet

Gentle reader: If there is onething Miss Manners would thinkthese young adults should have learned from postingpersonal information online, it is that showingoff to others does not inspire universal admiration.Perhaps they neglectedtoteach their parentsthat attemptstosolicit compliments are likely to producesnarky responses. Not that you or any of their friendswould besorude. Butneither do youhave to produce false flattery.Rather,you can simply ask polite questions: “How did

Dear Miss Manners: Ourdaughter is finishing kindergarten and will start first grade in thefall. Neither the school nor our family are celebrating this milestone with a graduation or in any way differently than we would any advancementfrom one grade to thenext.

Ourchurch annually celebrates graduates in the early summer with acertificate and public recognition on “graduation Sunday.”

Ithink this is acharming tradition and an important part of being in community with each other

Because our daughter isn’t graduating, Idid not submit a form noting her graduation to the church secretary who organizes “graduation Sunday.” This resulted in acall from the secretary,

grow as expansive as they can in search of water

Mowing thelawn

Mowing the lawn at the correct height is,byfar, one of thebest management strategies that can be implemented in alawn maintenanceroutine.Not onlyisitcost effective, but mowing at thecorrect height will help to reduce theamountofpesticides needed to maintain abeautiful lawn, according to the LSU AgCenter

When alawn is mowed too short, often called scalping, it creates an open canopy to thesoil layer beneaththe lawn. When sunlight can easily reach this soillayer, weed seeds have agreater chance of germinating.This is because most seeds of weeds that occur in our lawn needsunlight to germinate.

“It’salso not agood idea to mow alawn after you’ve watered,”Afton said Instead, it’sbesttowait until thedew dries in the morning before mowing. It may be inconvenient, as early morningisthe coolest timetomow,but early morning lawn mowing may not be thebest for thehealthofthe lawn.

Sharpenthe blades

The most important thing to have, by way of equipment,issharp bladesonthe lawn mower

“You gottomake sure you’re providing anice, clean cut,”Afton said. “Those dull blades kind of tear at theblades of grass, and you’re left with anasty wound.The grass loses alot of water that way.”

Generally speaking, peopleshould mowtheir lawns

to 8feet. Its cone-shaped, bright white flower clusters make astatement in shaded areas. They contrast nicely with theshrub’slarge, lobed, textured,green leaves that resemble oak tree foliage.

Paniclehydrangea

The panicle hydrangea (Hydrangeapaniculata),a nativetoAsia, is quitedifferent from the bigleaf and oakleaf species. It craves sun —although it can still benefitfrom some afternoon shade in ourclimate. It’smuch larger and grows more vigorously. Older cultivars can reach 15 feet tall and higher;neweronesgrowto between 3feet and 8feet tall in the Deep South

The panicle hydrangea also bloomslater,with the

who wanted to know if she could include our daughter in the list of graduates. Irespondedthat she could not, because our daughter didn’tgraduate from anything. The secretary didn’tgive up, arguing that other families were listing their children who had “graduated” from preschool and kindergarten. Wouldn’t our daughterfeel left out?

Irespondedthat she would likely be more confused and embarrassed (she is autistic and does not like to be singled out) at being recognized forsomethingher school and family had not mentioned. The secretary finally gaveupthe point after I remained firm The whole interaction leftme confused. Why would anyone even call achild who finished kindergarten agraduate? Doesn’t

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday, May 27, the147th day of 2025. There are 218 days left in the year

Todayinhistory

On May 27, 1937, the newly completed Golden Gate Bridgeconnecting San Francisco andMarin County,California, was opened to pedestrian traffic(vehicles began crossing the next day)

On this date:

In 1896, 255 people were killed when adevastating F4 tornado struck St Louis,Missouri, and East St.Louis, Illinois.

so thata third of the grass plant is cut off each timefor mostofthe growing season (between March and July in Louisiana) —that’s probably once aweek, according to Afton

However, if thestate gets heavier rain, especially in the summertime, the grass will grow alot faster,and mowing twice aweek follows that one-third rule

Additionally,eachgrass type has an optimal length of growth:

n St. Augustine grass should be mowed at 2to3 inches.

n Centipede grass should be mowed at 1to2inches.

n Bermuda grass should be mowed at ½to¾inches.

n Zoysiagrass should be mowed at 1½ to 3inches.

Unwelcomevisitors

Insectsand diseasescan greatly damage alawn. One of the more common diseases is brown patch, which strikes during mild weather and occursprimarily on St. Augustine grass in late March or April.

If the lawn greens up normally and thenbegins to have rapidly enlarging areas of brown grass, it is likely brown patch. Active brown patch can be treated when it occurs with afungicide, according to the LSU Ag Center

Ahealthy lawn is more resistant toweeds and pests, like chinch bugs in the summer.Italsowill recover more quicklyfromstress. Fertilizing andmowing regularlyare essentialelements to keep grass healthy

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

first flowersusually emerging in late May to June. The cone-shaped flower heads or panicles,onmany cultivars are initially greenish and later turnwhiteand thenpinkish. The blooms can stayonthe plant for months as they cycle through the different colors. This plant should be watered regularly during establishment and times of excessive heat and drought. Butaslong as you don’t overwater,this species is less particular about watering than others. While other hydrangea species bloom on old wood, thepanicle hydrangea sets flowers on new wood. That meanspruning can be done in latewinter or early spring. Pruning helps keep these robust plants’ size and shape in check.

In 1941, theBritish Royal Navy sank theGerman battleship Bismarck off France, killing over 2,000 German sailors.

In 1942, Doris “Dorie” Miller,acook aboard the USS West Virginia, became the first African-American to receive the Navy Cross for displaying “extraordi-

RODRIGUE

Continuedfrom page1D

of resilience and creativityofthe world-renowned Cajunartist whotoldthe story of his exiled ancestors through brushstrokes.

Lots of interviews

“BLUE” alsooffers arich, in-depth look at George Rodrigue’slifeand work through new,candid interviews withhis family,curators, critics, collectors and suchnotable admirersas chef/restaurateur Emeril Lagasse, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, political strategistJames Carville, former New Orleans mayor and President of the National Urban League MarcMorial, artist James Michalopoulos. Along with Jacques Rodrigue andhis brother,Andre, the film alsofeatures their mother —George Rodrigue’s firstwife —Veronica HidalgoRedman; and the artist’ssecond wife, Wendy Rodrigue-Magnus.

Viewerswill see rare footage, unseen for nearly 50 years, offering an up-close look into Rodrigue’s reflections on hisroots and artistic inspirations.

“I hope audiences see‘BLUE’asatributetoGeorge Rodrigue’s enduring impact on art and culture in Louisianaand around the world,” O’Malley said. “His story as an artistislayered and deeply inspiring. From his majesticoak trees andevocative Cajun portraitstothe iconic Blue Dog, his masterworksweaveanextraordinary narrativeand serve as apowerful testament to his perseverance and the deep impact he andhis art have had on so many lives.” “BLUE”isproduced by WLAE NewOrleans’ 6th Street Studios, in association with O’Malley Productions. O’Malley,aNew Orleans native, and writer Jeannine O’Malley,are theforces behind O’Malley Productions, which also produced documentaries “Fats Domino—

graduation require earning adegree, diplomaorcertificate? Ilove the tradition of celebrating the hard work of graduates and sending them off to the next challenge. But if all of our “graduates” are 4- and 5-yearolds, it seemstomiss the point. I would love to hear Miss Manners’ thoughts. Gentle reader: No doubt those 4and 5-year-olds are also missing the point, as they find that it is possible to be agraduate without academic achievements.

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

nary courage and disregard forhis own personal safety” during Japan’sattack on Pearl Harbor

In 1968, the U.S. SupremeCourt, in United States v. O’Brien, upheld the conviction of David O’Brien fordestroying his draftcard outside aBoston courthouse, ruling that the act was not protected by freedom of speech.

In 1993, abomb set by the Sicilian mafiaexploded outside the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy; 5people were killed and 48 wounded, and dozens of centuries-old paintings were destroyed or damaged.

In 1994, Nobel Prize-winning author Alexander Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia to the emotional cheers of thousands after spending two decades in exile.

In 1998, Michael Fortier, the government’sstar witness in the OklahomaCity bombing case, was sentenced to 12 years in pris-

Walking Back to New Orleans,” ‘A Tribute to Toussaint” and“Irma Thomas: The Soul Queen of New Orleans.”

Howitstarted

The artist often told the story of his introduction to art through the gift of a paint-by-numbers set when he wasconfined to bed with polio in the third grade.But he opted to forgo the numbers forthe back of thecanvas to create his own work.

He laterstudied artat the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the ArtCenterCollege of Design in Los Angeles, then returned hometo document the fading Cajun culture first through aseries depicting oak trees with mossladen limbs then moving on to paintings that showed Cajun people.

“He was painting Cajun people before Chef Paul Prudhomme’sCajunrevival,” Jacques Rodrigue said.

“This was when the Cajun culture really wasn’tathing to be celebrated. Youknow, if you’d told my grandmother that she was Cajun, she may have slapped you, because the Cajuns were considered ignorant, uneducated and didn’tspeak proper Frenchand weren’taproper culture. But formydad’s generation, this wasathing to be celebrated.” So Rodrigue celebrated through such evocative

on after apologizing fornot warning anyone about the deadly plot. (Fortier was freed in January 2006.) In 2006, amagnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Java near the city of Yogyakarta, killing more than 5,700 people. Today’sBirthdays: Actor Lee Meriwether is 90. Actor Bruce Weitz is 82. Musician Bruce Cockburn is 80. Singer DeeDee Bridgewater is 75. Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater is 71. Actor Richard Schiffis70. Singer Siouxsie Sioux is 68. Musician NeilFinn (Split Enz, Crowded House) is 67. Actor Peri Gilpin is 64. Comedian Adam Carolla is 61. Actor Todd Bridges is 60. Baseball Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell is 57. Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas is 57. Actor Paul Bettany is 54. Actor Jack McBrayer is 52. Rappermusician Andre 3000 (Outkast) is 50. Rapper Jadakiss is 50.

works as his 1971 piece, “The Aioli Dinner,” and “Jolie Blonde” in 1975.

Cajuns celebrated

“The moreI stayed in Los Angeles (for art school), the more Irealized how differentIwas,” George Rodrigue says in arestored 1970 interview in the film.

“Louisiana is different. The people aredifferent. Iwanted to paint my early childhood feeling. We had a different food,wehad different music. There was nobody to record thelast 200 years whywewere here.” He also wanted to depict his culture’sresilience in hardship.

“They (the Cajuns) had to go to live in theswamps, you know?” George Rodrigue said. “Theywere notallowed in NewOrleans. They were not allowed in the populated areas. This is what Iwant to show: thepain, thesuffering of all these people.” In the1960s and1970s, critics in the art world dismissed or struggled to understand George Rodrigue’s paintings. Museums and galleries wouldn’t show his artwork.

“Herealized early on that you can’tlisten to what critics say as long as you’re painting what’sinyour heart and believe in the public,” JacquesRodrigue said. “He believedthe public would respond.”

Finally, theone-hour film explores theorigins of the Blue Dog, first painted in 1984 and inspired by the Loup-Garou —a“crazy werewolf dog” from Cajun lore —and was modeled after Rodrigue’sfamily canine, Tiffany What started as aghost story illustrationevolved into aglobal pop icon in the early 1990s, featured in presidentialportraits, high-profile ad campaigns for Absolut Vodka, Neiman Marcus, and Xerox, and acquired by such celebrity collectorsasSylvester Stallone and Whoopi Goldberg. For moreinformation visit wlae.com/rodriguebluedogfilm

Email RobinMillerat romiller@theadvocate. com.

PROVIDED PHOTOFROMTHE GEORGE GODFREy RODRIGUEJR. FAMILyTRUST GeorgeRodrigue’s1991 painting,‘Loup Garou’

O’Malley

STAFF PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK

Aworker steadies their mowerastheywork to mowthe grass in the medianofAirline Highwaynear the Fairgrounds on April 8inBaton Rouge.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Voice your opinion, take astand and make adifference. Opportunity comes whenyou believe in and promote yourself. Dedicate more time to home, family, health andlove.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Review the details thoroughly before making a change. Refuse to let pressure tactics jeopardize your situation. Pay attention to investments andlegal matters, and question the motives of others.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Listentoothers, but refrain from letting anyone push you in one direction or another.Whatyou choose to do has to come fromthe heart Apartnership that isn't in sync needs to be reevaluated.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Nothing will be as it appears. Question, digdeep and scrutinize your findings. Participating in something for the wrong reason will putyou in avulnerable position.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Travel, education and communication will pay off. Talk to expertsandpeoplewithsharedinterests; the feedback will help point youinthe right direction.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Be careful what you wish for. Aggressive behavior, snap decisions and pressure tactics will send the wrong message.Take your time, observe and let the chips fall where they may. Time is on your side.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) You've got the stars on your side. Opportunities are apparent if you open your eyes andvisualizewhatyou want to achieve. Refuseto sit back when you are best off enthusias-

tically pushing forward. surroundings, make amove and setagoal that excites you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You may relish change, but it'sbest to weigh thepros andconsbefore you step into something iffy or costly. Temptation andemotions will steer youinthe wrongdirection. Whendoubt kicks in, take apass.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Jump into action andkeep the momentum flowing. Pushforward andfix up your surroundings. Make changes at home that support family fun and romance or put you in your comfort zone.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Take amoment to rethink your journey. Don't act until you feel comfortable making achange When inundatedwith too muchinformation, you should startfact-checking and deliberating. Focus on your needs.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Dreambiganddo your best to make it areality.Set abudget,fine-tune your plans and gather support to ensure success. Letyouractions speak foryou, and your dedication will encourage others to follow your lead.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Achange will give you theboost you require to get ahead. Approaching whatyou do best in aunique manner will grab the spotlight. Don't be shy; trustyourinstincts and focusonwhat matters.

Thehoroscope, an entertainmentfeature, is notbasedonscientific fact. ©2025 by NEA,Inc dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

zodIAC

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

TODAy'S CLUE:S EQUALS P

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Richard Cobden, a19th-century Englishpolitician,said,“Anewspapershould be the maximum of information and the minimum of comment.”

Ifyougetthemaximumofinformation at the bridge table and use it wisely, you will make the minimum of errors.

First, though, let’s look at the auction. What shouldSouthbid on the second round?

He should rebid twohearts, guaranteeing at least asix-card suit and 12-14 points, aminimum opening. With only five hearts,Southwould show asecond suit, bid no-trump, or raisespades(perhaps with only three).

ThenNorth, knowing about an eightcard fit,raises to four hearts. (Note that fourspadesbyNorth fails if East leads a low diamond andWest shifts to the club jack.)

AfterWest leads theclubjack,what should South do?

First, he shouldcount losers by looking at his 13 cardsand taking dummy’s winners into account. He has four: one spade, two diamonds and one club.

Second, he counts winners. Here, he enjoys10:twospades,sixhearts,onediamond andone club. So, he can get home as long as he does not lose four tricks.

To eliminatethat spadeloser, declarer mustestablish his diamond winner.

Suppose South tries dummy’s club queen, captures East’s king with his ace, drawstrumps, and leads adiamond. The defenders can win,cash aclub, and shift to spades, but South winsinhis hand and plays another diamond. With the spade ace still in the dummy, he has 10 winners. ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By

AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying,

Previous answers:

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters

Averagemark

today’s thought “Therefore allthings whatever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them: for thisisthe law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

TheMayor andCouncil of the City of Baker, Louisiana,willmeet on May 27, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. atthe BakerCityHallin the CouncilChambers, 3325 Groom Road,Baker Louisiana 70714 andvia www.youtube.com/@ bakerforward,atwhich timea public meeting willbeheldfor adoption ofthe following: Ordinance2025-5, an or‐dinance to rename the Baker Fire Stationin honor of JamesE Goose” Carroll(Mayor) (Introduced 5/13/2025) Ordinances canbe viewedinfullatCityHall, 3325 Groom Road,Baker Louisiana 70714, Monday throughThurs‐day from 7:00 a.m. –5:30 p.m In accordance with the rules of conductofthe Baker City Councilmeet‐ings, anypersondesiring to be heardrelativeto any of theseordinances and matters forpublic hearing maycontact the Clerkofthe BakerCity Council,CityofBaker Louisiana,P.O.Box 707 Baker,Louisiana 70704-0707, in writing, and an opportunity will beoffered to speakdur‐ing this public hearing. In accordance with the Americans with Disabili‐tiesAct,ifyou need spe‐cialassistance, please contact Ashley Williams at225-778-0300, describ‐ing theassistancethatis necessary Angela Canady Wall LCMC, ClerkofCouncil City of Baker, Louisiana

cc: Mayorand Council Members City Attorney Advocate Department Heads 142654-may27-1t $25.99

PUBLIC NOTICE

TheMayor andCity Council of theCityof Central,Louisiana,will holda public hearingon Tuesday,May 27, 2025 at 6:00pmatCentral Com‐munity School BoardOf‐fice,11576 Sullivan Road Central,LA, to discuss the following:

1) Aresolutiontoap‐prove theDevelopment Policiesand Standards Manual. Aresolutiontoapprove the City of CentralDevel‐opmentPoliciesand Standards Manual andto provide forrelated mat‐ters(By CouncilMember Lazaroe).

2) Aresolutiontoestab‐lishpenalties forUDC vi‐olations Aresolutiontoestablish penalties forTitle 7Uni‐fied DevelopmentCode ofthe City’s Code of Or‐dinancesand to provide for relatedmatters (By Council Member Roy) Thecompleteagenda can be found at central‐gov.com on thePublic Noticepageand Council Archivespageorbycall‐ing 225-262-5000. 142718-MAY27-1T $15.22

PUBLIC NOTICE TheDepartmentofNat‐uralResources Office of Coastal Management is currently reviewingthe following projectfor Con‐sistencywiththe State and LocalCoastal Re‐sources Management Act of1978, as amended(La R.S.49:214.21-214.41),and the regulationsofthe Louisiana CoastalRe‐sources Program (LCRP) Pursuant to Section306 (d)(14) of theCoastal ZoneManagementAct of 1972, as amended (CZMA), thepublicmay submitcommentson proposedprojectsto OCM ConsistencySec‐tion, P.O. Box44487 Baton Rouge, LA 708044487. Applications may beinspected during OCM businesshours at 617 N. 3rd Street,Baton Rouge, LA. Commentsmustbe receivedwithin15days ofthisnoticetobecon‐sidered.For more infor‐mation, contactMark Hoganat(225) 219-9530 or(800) 267-4019. Direct FederalActions: C20250052 COE-NOD Ge‐otechnicalBorings for Reach Kofthe Morganza tothe Gulf HurricanePro‐tection Levee, Lafourche Parish C20250053 NRCS Geotechnical Exploration for theNorthwest Little LakeMarsh Creation Ex‐tension (BA-276) Project, LafourcheParish, Louisiana FederalLicense or Permit:

I, JOHN DOUGLAS WILLIAMS,have been convictedof14:42.1ForcibleRape (attempted).Offenders victim wasa 19 year oldadult female Date Convicted:1/28/1992 220 -ASSAULT TO COMMITRAPE, SODOMY,ORAL COPULATION,ORANY VIOLATIONOF264.1, 288, OR 289 (attempted).Offenders victim wasan18year oldadult female Date Convicted:10/17/1985. CALIFORNIA. State Equivalent:14:42Aggravated Rape My Addressis: 3124 JOYCEDRBATON

ROUGE, LA 70814, East BatonRouge Parish Race:Black Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 8/25/1957 Height:6'1 Weight: 160 Hair Color: Black EyeColor:Brown Scars/Tattoos:Tattoo on R_forearm ("J") Louisiana &California 142576, May27-28 2t $250.00

I, Robert Matthew Slaybaugh,have been convictedof14:81Indecent Behavior with Juveniles(attempted) Date Convicted: 6/28/2012. My Addressis: 4747 Annette St,Apt #13, BatonRouge,LA70805, East BatonRouge Parish Race:WHITE Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 11/22/1991 Height:5'5