The Acadiana Advocate 06-08-2025

‘An evolution, not a renaissance’

Cajun, zydeco music brings national media attention to Louisiana

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

When “60 Minutes” came to the Lafayette area last fall to film a segment on Cajun and zydeco music, they were confronted with the energy of a thriving cultural scene. CBS correspondent Jon Wertheim remarked that the sounds of southwest Louisiana were experiencing a “most unlikely renaissa nce,” in the “60 Minutes” episode that aired on Sunday, May 18. Seeing acts like Jourdan Thibodeaux, Chubby Carrier and Lil’ Nate Williams attract crowds of eager fans to local watering holes, Wertheim noted that Acadiana feels like a place apart, where Cajun and zydeco music sets the rhythm of life instead of being relegated to the history bin That immediacy, and the vibrancy with which fans and artists continue to engage with

the region’s folk traditions, is largely thanks to how Cajun and zydeco music and performance have evolved through the years — in addition to a multidecade effort to promote the region’s music in Louisiana and beyond, according to experts.

“We live for moments like this, when we see our culture represented anywhere — nationally and internationally It’s what we all work so hard for.”

CyNTHIA SIMIEN, wife of zydeco star Terrance Simien

“We live for moments like this, when we see our culture represented anywhere — nationally and internationally It’s what we all work so hard for,” said Cynthia Simien, wife of zydeco star and Grammy winner Terrance Simien.

Cynthia Simien is also an agent and booking manager who has long worked with her husband to promote Louisiana music worldwide. She was largely responsible for the campaign to include a Cajun/ zydeco category in the Grammy Awards, which was inaugurated in 2008 but collapsed a

ä See EVOLUTION, page 8A

BY AIDAN MCCAHILL Staff writer

Teachers face pay struggles

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Cade,

teacher in

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Jourdan Thibodeaux, left, and Cedric Watson perform as Jourdan Thibodeaux et Les Rôdailleurs at Festival International de Louisiane in 2024.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER Terrance Simien is a zydeco star and Grammy award winner

Iran claims access to cache of Israeli files

Iran’s state television said on Saturday the country obtained a large trove of sensitive Israeli nuclear information.

The Islamic Republic’s intelligence services have acquired “thousands of files related to that regime’s nuclear projects and facilities,” according to the broadcaster

The report added that a mission to obtain the material — which it said contain extensive documents, images and videos — was carried out “a while ago,” without providing details on the files or how they were obtained

The claim comes amid renewed escalation of hostilities between Iran and Israel, two countries that came close to an all-out war last year amid the Gaza conflict and Israeli strikes on Iran-backed groups.

The Israeli government made no immediate comment on Iran’s claims.

Last month, reports emerged that Israel was weighing potential strikes on Iranian nuclear sites — a move that Iranian officials have warned could trigger a proportionate response and derail the country’s ongoing negotiations with the U.S. Chicago police officer killed by friendly fire

CHICAGO A Chicago police officer was unintentionally shot and killed by her partner after they chased a suspect into an apartment and encountered another person with a rifle, officials said.

Krystal Rivera, 36, a fouryear veteran of the department is survived by a 10-year-old daughter

The partner was the only person who fired a weapon, and the “gunfire unintentionally struck Officer Rivera,” city police said in a statement Friday An autopsy showed she was shot in the back. Rivera died at a hospital late Thursday, less than an hour after being shot.

Colleagues had brought her to the hospital in a squad car that crashed and caught on fire due to a malfunction, according to Police Superintendent Larry Snelling. She was then transported in another squad car

The person who allegedly brandished the rifle was taken into custody, police said. They did not immediately say what charges the person would face.

The shooting occurred just before 10 p.m. on Thursday as Rivera’s tactical unit conducted a stop on someone suspected of having a weapon. A chase ensued that ended in the apartment Investigators later found three weapons at the scene, police said. Snelling called Rivera “young, vibrant and a hard worker.”

Her mother told The Chicago Sun-Times that she had dreamed of being a police officer since she was young.

“For me, it’s a privilege,” Rivera told the Sun-Times when she graduated from the academy in 2021. “I come from a family of serving. To help people in need, that’s my calling.”

Salmonella outbreak in eggs sickens dozens

A salmonella outbreak linked to a large egg recall has made dozens of people sick in seven states in the West and Midwest, federal health officials said Saturday

The August Egg Company recalled about 1.7 million brown organic and brown cage-free egg varieties distributed to grocery stores between February and May because of the potential for salmonella, according to a posted announcement Friday on the Food and Drug Administration’s website.

At least 79 people in seven states have gotten a strain of salmonella that was linked to the eggs, and 21 people have been hospitalized, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The recall covers Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington and Wyoming. A list of brands and plant codes or Julian dates can be found on the FDA and CDC websites.

95 people reported killed in Gaza

Israel says it retrieved body of Thai hostage

BY SAM MEDNICK and MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel Israel said Saturday it retrieved the body of a Thai hostage abducted into the Gaza Strip during the Hamas-led attack that sparked the war, as Israel’s military continued its offensive, killing at least 95 people in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza’s health ministry Nattapong Pinta had come to Israel to work in agriculture. Israel’s government said he was seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed early in the war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023.

Thailand’s foreign ministry said the bodies of two other citizens were yet to be retrieved. Thais were the largest group of foreigners held captive. Many lived on the outskirts of southern Israeli kibbutzim and towns, the first places overrun in the attack. Forty-six Thais have been killed during the war, according to the foreign ministry

Israel’s defense minister said Pinta’s body was retrieved from the Rafah area in Gaza. The army said he was seized by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that also took two IsraeliAmerican hostages, Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies were retrieved on Thursday Israel’s military later said it killed the head of the Mujahideen Brigades, As’ad Aby Sharaiya, in Gaza City on Saturday

Fifty-five hostages remain in Gaza. Israel says more than half are dead. Families rallied again Saturday evening in Israel, calling

for a ceasefire deal to bring everyone home.

Hamas issued an unusual warning about another hostage, Matan Zangauker saying Israel’s military had surrounded the area where he’s held and that any harm that came to him during a rescue attempt would be Israel’s responsibility Israel’s military didn’t immediately comment.

“The decision to expand the (military) ground maneuver is at the cost of Matan’s life and the lives of all the hostages,” Zangauker’s mother, Einav, told the rally in Tel Aviv

Israel continues military offensive

A strike in Gaza City killed six members of a family, including two children, according to the Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals. Israel’s military said the strike targeted the Mujahideen Brigades leader “This is the real destruction,” a

man said as he carried the body of a small boy from the scene.

Four Israeli strikes hit the Muwasi area in southern Gaza between Rafah and Khan Younis.

In northern Gaza, a strike hit an apartment, killing seven people including a mother and five children. Their bodies were taken to Shifa hospital.

“Stand up, my love,” one weeping woman said, touching the shrouded bodies.

Israel said it was responding to Hamas’ “barbaric attacks” and dismantling its capabilities. It said it takes all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.

Reports: Dead tried to get food

Staff at Nasser hospital, which received the bodies of six people over the past 24 hours, said they were killed while on their way to get food aid. Much of Gaza’s population of over 2 million relies on

aid after widespread destruction of agriculture as well as a recent Israeli blockade. Experts have warned of famine.

Israel’s army has warned that the aid distribution area is an active combat zone during nighttime hours. It said several suspects attempted to approach troops operating in the Tel al-Sultan area overnight “in a manner that posed a threat.” The army said troops called out, then fired warning shots as the suspects advanced.

Over the past two weeks, shootings have occurred frequently near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel’s military has said it fired warning shots or, in some instances, at individuals approaching.

The hubs are run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and aid groups.

A GHF spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with the group’s rules, said it didn’t feed Gaza residents on Saturday and blamed Hamas threats. There was no immediate Hamas response.

Separately, Palestinians lined up at a soup kitchen in Gaza City for handouts on the second day of Eid al-Adha.

“I have been standing here for more than an hour and a half. I feel I have a sunstroke, and I am in need,” said Farida al-Sayed, who said she had six people to feed. “I only had lentils, and I ran out of them.”

Trump warns Musk about backing Democrats

President not interested in fixing relationship

BY MICHELLE L PRICE and BILL BARROW Associated Press

BRIDGEWATER, N.J Presi-

dent Donald Trump is not backing off his battle with Elon Musk, saying Saturday that he has no desire to repair their relationship and warning that his former ally and campaign benefactor could face “serious consequences” if he tries to help Democrats in upcoming elections.

Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker in a phone interview that he has no plans to make up with Musk. Asked specifically if he thought his relationship with the mega-billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX is over, Trump responded, “I would assume so, yeah.” “I’m too busy doing

other things,” Trump continued. “You know, I won an election in a landslide. I gave him a lot of breaks, long before this happened, I gave him breaks in my first administration, and saved his life in my first administration, I have no intention of speaking to him.”

The president also issued a warning amid chatter that Musk could back Democratic lawmakers and candidates in the 2026 midterm elections.

“If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences for that,” Trump told NBC, though he declined to share what those consequences would be. Musk’s businesses have many lucrative federal contracts.

The president’s latest comments suggest Musk is moving from close ally to a potential new target for Trump, who has aggressively wielded the powers of his office to crack down on critics and punish perceived en-

emies. As a major government contractor, Musk’s businesses could be particularly vulnerable to retribution. Trump has already threatened to cut Musk’s contracts calling it an easy way to save money

The dramatic rupture between the president and the world’s richest man began this week with Musk’s public criticism of Trump’s “big beautiful bill” pending on Capitol Hill. Musk has warned that the bill will increase the federal deficit and called it a “disgusting abomination.”

Trump criticized Musk in the Oval Office, and before long, he and Musk began trading bitterly personal attacks on social media, sending the White House and GOP congressional leaders scrambling to assess the fallout.

Vice President JD Vance in an interview tried to downplay the feud. He said Musk was making

Bucharest gay pride march turns 20

BY STEPHEN MCGRATH and ANDREEA ALEXANDRU

Associated Press

BUCHAREST, Romania Tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ supporters took to the streets of Romania’s capital Saturday for its annual gay pride parade, following a tense election cycle marked by an increase in hate speech against the community

Marchers of all ages walked through Bucharest’s streets and down the central Victory Avenue, as many waved colorful flags, blew whistles and held placards that read: “Be proud, be bold, be you!”

Held since 2005, the event marked Bucharest Pride’s 20th anniversary

A highly divisive and chaotic election cycle in Romania saw a rise in support for far-right and conservative political figures and parties in the European Union member, one of the bloc’s most religious countries.

Victor Ciobotaru, executive director of ACCEPT Association, an LGBTQ+ rights group, told The Associated Press that throughout the 2024-2025 election cycle, the organization registered “a huge increase” in hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community

“We had more people complaining about being harassed on the streets or being attacked,” he said. “This hate speech doesn’t remain without effect. We can feel the tension within the society

We are going to continue to fight for our

rights, no matter the political climate.”

Earlier on Saturday, right-wing groups who advocate for traditional family values and oppose same-sex marriage held an anti-LGBTQ+ countermarch in the capital, with many waving Romania’s tricolor national flag and others holding placards depicting religious icons.

Before the parade, the ACCEPT association also reported a large “STOP LGBT” banner that had been draped over an abandoned Bucharest apartment building, which was later removed.

“These types of actions are now more legitimized by the hate discourse which was spread all during these years, during these electoral campaigns,” Ciobotaru said. “We will not be afraid to go on the streets.”

a “huge mistake” going after Trump, but called him an “emotional guy” getting frustrated.

“I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that’s not possible now because he’s gone so nuclear,” Vance said. Vance called Musk an “incredible entrepreneur,” and said that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which sought to cut government spending and laid off or pushed out thousands of workers, was “really good.” Vance made the comments in an interview with “mano-

sphere” comedian Theo Von, who last month joked about snorting drugs off a mixedrace baby and the sexuality of men in the U.S. Navy when he opened for Trump at a military base in Qatar The Vance interview was taped Thursday as Musk’s posts were unfurling on X, the social media network the billionaire owns. “This stuff is just not helpful,” Vance said in response to a post shared by Musk calling for Trump to be impeached and replaced with Vance. “It’s totally insane. The president is doing a good job.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

A man dances while holding a rainbow flag Saturday during the Bucharest Pride Parade in Bucharest, Romania.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

Displaced Palestinians carry wood and other items Saturday in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

Rivera

Immigration authorities active in L.A. area

By The Associated Press

LOSANGELES U.S. immigra-

tion authorities extended activity in Los Angeles area on Saturday in the wake of protests at an federal detention facility and a police response that included tear gas, flash-bangs and the arrest of a union leader Border Patrol personnel in riot gear and gas masks stood guard outside an industrial park in the city of Paramount, deploying tear gas as bystanders and protesters gathered on medians and across the street, some jeering at authorities while recording the events on smartphones.

“ICE out of Paramount We see you for what you are,” a woman announced through a megaphone. “You are not welcome here.”

One hand-held sign said, “No Human Being is Ille-

gal.” The boulevard was closed to traffic as U.S. Border Patrol circulated through the area. ICE representatives did not respond immediately to email inquiries about weekend enforcement activities.

Arrests by immigration authorities in Los Angeles come as President Donald Trump and his administration push to fulfill promises to carry out mass deportations across the country On Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested more than 40 people as they executed search warrants at multiple locations, including outside a clothing warehouse where a tense scene unfolded as a crowd tried to block agents from driving away Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the activity was meant to “sow terror” in the

nation’s second-largest city In a statement on Saturday, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons chided Bass for the city’s response to protests.

“Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement,” Lyons said in a statement. “Make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our na-

tion’s immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens.”

Protesters gathered Friday evening outside a federal detention center in Los

Angeles where lawyers said those arrested had been taken, chanting “set them free, let them stay!” Other protesters held signs that said “ICE out of LA!” and led chants and shouted from megaphones. Some scrawled graffiti on the building facade. Federal agents executed search warrants at three locations, including a warehouse in the fashion district of Los Angeles, after a judge found there was probable cause the employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Advocates for immigrant rights say people were detained Friday by immigration authorities outside Home Depot stores and a doughnut shop.

Democratic states resisting Trump’s immigration crackdown

BY DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press

As President Donald Trump’s administration targets states and local governments for not cooperating with federal immigration authorities, lawmakers in some Democratic-led states are intensifying their resistance by strengthening state laws restricting such cooperation.

In California alone, more than a dozen pro-immigrant bills passed either the Assembly or Senate last week, including one prohibiting schools from allowing federal immigration officials into nonpublic areas without a judicial warrant.

Other state measures have sought to protect immigrants in housing, employment and police encounters, even as Trump’s administration has ramped up arrests as part of his plan for mass deportations.

In Connecticut, legislation pending before Democratic Gov Ned Lamont would expand a law that already limits when law enforcement officers can cooperate with federal requests to detain im-

migrants. Among other things, it would let “any aggrieved person” sue municipalities for alleged violations of the state’s Trust Act.

Two days after lawmakers gave final approval to the measure, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security included Connecticut on a list of hundreds of “sanctuary jurisdictions” obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws

The list later was removed from the department’s website after criticism that it errantly included some local governments that support Trump’s immigration policies.

States split on what to do

Since taking office in January,

Trump has enlisted hundreds of state and local law enforcement agencies to help identify immigrants in the U.S. illegally and detain them for potential deportation.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement now lists 640 such cooperative agreements, a nearly fivefold increase under Trump.

Trump also has lifted longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools, churches

and hospitals, and ordered federal prosecutors to investigate state or local officials believed to be interfering with his crackdown on illegal immigration The Department of Justice sued Colorado, Illinois and New York, as well as several cities in those states and New Jersey, alleging their policies violate the U.S. Constitution or federal immigration laws.

Just three weeks after Colorado was sued, Democratic Gov Jared Polis signed a wide-ranging law expanding the state’s protections for immigrants Among other things, it bars jails from delaying the release of inmates for immigration enforcement and allows penalties of up to $50,000 for public schools, colleges, libraries, child care centers and health care facilities that collect information about people’s immigration status, with some exceptions.

Polis rejected the administration’s description of Colorado as a “sanctuary state,” asserting that law officers remain “deeply committed” to working with federal authorities on criminal investiga-

tions. “But to be clear, state and local law enforcement cannot be commandeered to enforce federal civil immigration laws,” Polis said in a bill-signing statement.

Illinois also has continued to press pro-immigrant legislation

A bill recently given final approval says no child can be denied a free public education because of immigration status — something already guaranteed nationwide under a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Supporters say the state legislation provides a backstop in case court precedent is overturned.

The bill also requires schools to develop policies on handling requests from federal immigration officials and allows lawsuits for alleged violations of the measure.

Legislation takes many forms Democratic-led states are pursuing a wide range of means to protect immigrants.

A new Oregon law bars landlords from inquiring about the immigration status of tenants or applicants. New laws in Washington declare it unprofessional conduct for bail

bond agents to enforce civil immigration warrants, prohibit employers from using immigration status to threaten workers and let employees use paid sick leave to attend immigration proceedings for themselves or family members.

Vermont last month repealed a state law that let law enforcement agencies enter into immigration enforcement agreements with federal authorities during state or national emergencies. They now need special permission from the governor to do so.

As passed by the House, Maryland legislation also would have barred local governments from reaching immigration enforcement agreements with the federal government. That provision was removed in the Senate following pushback from some counties that currently have agreements.

The final version, which took effect as law at the start of June, forbids public schools and libraries from granting federal immigration authorities access to nonpublic areas without a judicial warrant or “exigent circumstances.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC THAyER

Border Patrol personnel deploy tear gas Saturday during a demonstration over the dozens detained in an operation by federal immigration authorities a day earlier in the Paramount section of Los Angeles.

Deported manbackinU.S., chargedwithhuman smuggling

BY BEN FINLEY Associated Press

To hearthe Trump administration tell it, Kilmar Abrego Garcia smuggled thousandsofpeople across the country who were living in the U.S. illegally,including members of the violent MS-13 gang, long before his mistaken deportationto El Salvador.Inallegations madepublic nearly three months after his removal, U.S. officials say Abrego Garcia abused the women he transported, while acoconspirator allegedhe participated

records state. When he was 12, the gang threatened to take him away until his father paidthem Thefamily moved butthe gang threatened to rapeand kill Abrego Garcia’ssisters, court records state.The family closed the business andeventually sent Abrego Garcia to the U.S The family never went to the authorities because of rampant police corruption, according to courtfilings Thegang continued to harass thefamily in Guatemala, which bordersEl Salvador.

Life in theU.S Abrego Garciafled to the U.S. illegally around 2011, theyear heturned 16, accordingtodocuments in his immigration He joined

scratched andrippedoff her shirtduring an argument. Thecase was dismissed weekslater,according to court records.

Vasquez Sura said in a statement, after the document’srelease by theTrump administration, that the couple had worked things out “privately as afamily,including by going to counseling.” She addedthat “Kilmar hasalways been aloving partnerand father,and Iwill continue to stand by him.”

AtrafficstopinTennessee In 2022,accordingtoareport released by theTrump administration, Abrego Garcia was stopped by theTennesseeHighway Patrol for

speeding.The vehicle had eight other people and no luggage, prompting an officertosuspect himofhuman trafficking, the report stated.

Abrego Garcia said he was driving themfromTexas to Maryland for construction work, the report stated. No citations were issued.

Abrego Garcia’swife said in astatementinApril that he sometimes transported groups of workers between job sites, “so it’s entirely plausible he would have been pulled over while driving with others in the vehicle. He was not charged with anycrime or cited for any wrongdoing.”

TheTennessee Highway Patrol released video body

camera footage thisMay of the 2022 traffic stop. It shows acalm and friendly exchange between officers and Abrego Garcia as well as the officers discussing among themselves their suspicions of human trafficking before sending him on his way.One of the officers said: “He’shauling these people formoney.” Another said he had $1,400 in an envelope.

An attorneyfor Abrego Garcia said in astatement after the release that he saw no evidence of acrime in the footage.

Mistaken deportation

Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March despite the U.S. immigration

judge’sorder.For months, hisattorneyshavefought for hisreturn in afederal court in Maryland. The Trump administration described the mistaken removal as “an administrative error” but insisted he wasinMS-13. The charges he faces stem from the 2022 vehicle stop in Tennessee but thehuman smugglingindictment lays outastring of allegations that date back to 2016 but are only being disclosed now

Aco-conspirator also alleged that Abrego Garcia participated in the killing of agang member’smother in El Salvador, prosecutors wrote in papers urging the judge to keep him behind bars while he awaits trial.

Abrego Garcia

Trump’s ‘big bill’ chips away at big Obama, Biden bills

Affordable Care Act, Inflation Reduction Act would be affected

BY LISA MASCARO

AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON — Chiseling away at President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Rolling back the green energy tax breaks from President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

At its core, the Republican “big, beautiful bill” is more than just an extension of tax breaks approved during President Donald Trump’s first term at the White House.

The package is an attempt by Republicans to undo, little by little, the signature domestic achievements of the past two Democratic presidents.

“We’re going to do what we said we were going to do,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said after House passage last month

While the aim of the sprawling 1,000-page plus bill is to preserve an estimated $4.5 trillion in tax cuts that would otherwise expire at year’s end if Congress fails to act — and add some new ones, including no taxes on tips — the spending cuts pointed at the Democratic-led programs are causing the most political turmoil.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said this week that 10.9 million fewer people would have health insurance under the GOP bill, including 1.4 million im-

meets with reporters Wednesday to discuss work on President Donald Trump’s bill of tax breaks and spending cuts at the Capitol in Washington.

migrants in the U.S. without legal status who are in state-funded programs. At the same time, lawmakers are being hounded by businesses in states across the nation who rely on the green energy tax breaks for their projects

As the package moves from the House to the Senate, the simmering unrest over curbing the Obama and Biden policies shows just how politically difficult it can be to slash government programs once they become part of civic life.

“When he asked me, what do you think the prospects are for passage in the Senate? I said, good — if we don’t cut Medicaid,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., recount-

ing his conversation last week with Trump. “And he said, I’m 100% supportive of that.”

Health care worries

Not a single Republican in Congress voted for the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, in 2010, or Biden’s inflation act in 2022. Both were approved using the same budget reconciliation process now being employed by Republicans to steamroll Trump’s bill past the opposition.

Even still, sizable coalitions of GOP lawmakers are forming to protect aspects of both of those programs as they ripple into the lives of millions of Americans.

Hawley, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and others are wary of changes to Medicaid and other provisions in the bill that would result in fewer people being able to access health care programs.

At the same time, crossover groupings of House and Senate Republicans have launched an aggressive campaign to preserve, at least for some time, the green energy tax breaks that business interests in their states are relying on to develop solar, wind and other types of energy production.

Murkowski said one area she’s “worried about” is the House bill’s provision that any project not under construction within 60 days of the bill becoming law may no longer be eligible for those credits.

“These are some of the things we’re working on,” she said.

The concerns are running in sometimes opposite directions

and complicating the work of GOP leaders who have almost no votes to spare in the House and Senate.

While some Republicans are working to preserve the programs from cuts, the budget hawks want steeper reductions to stem the nation’s debt load The CBO said the package would add $2.4 trillion to deficits over the decade.

After a robust private meeting with Trump at the White House this week, Republican senators said they were working to keep the bill on track as they amend it for their own priorities.

The disconnect is reminiscent of Trump’s first term, when Republicans promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, only to see their effort collapse in dramatic fashion when the late Sen. John McCain, RAriz, voted thumbs down for the bill on the House floor Battle over Medicaid

In the 15 years since Obamacare became law, access to health care has grown substantially Some 80 million people are now enrolled in Medicaid, and the Kaiser Family Foundation reports 41 states have opted to expand their coverage. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid to all adults with incomes up to about $21,500 for an individual, or almost $29,000 for a two-person household.

While Republicans no longer campaign on ending Obamacare, advocates warn that the changes proposed in the big bill will trim back at access to health care.

The bill proposes new 80 hours

of monthly work or community service requirements for ablebodied Medicaid recipients, age 18 to 64, with some exceptions. It also imposes twice-a-year eligibility verification checks and other changes.

Republicans argue that they want to right-size Medicaid to root out waste, fraud and abuse and ensure it’s there for those who need it most, often citing women and children.

“Medicaid was built to be a temporary safety net for people who genuinely need it — young, pregnant women, single mothers, the disabled, the elderly,” Johnson told The Associated Press. “But when when they expanded under Obamacare, it not only thwarted the purpose of the program, it started draining resources.”

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has said the changes are an Obamacare rollback by another name.

“It decimates our health care system, decimates our clean energy system,” Schumer of New York said in an interview with the AP

The green energy tax breaks involve not only those used by buyers of electric vehicles, like Elon Musk’s Tesla line, but also the production and investment tax credits for developers of renewables and other energy sources.

The House bill had initially proposed a phaseout of those credits over several years. But the conservative Freedom Caucus engineered the faster wind-down — within 60 days of the bill’s passage.

BY DAVID G. SAVAGE

Los Angeles Times (TNS)

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court cleared the way Friday for the DOGE team that had been led by Elon Musk to examine Social Security records that include personal information on most Americans.

Acting by a 6-3 vote, the justices granted an appeal from President Donald Trump’s lawyers and lifted a court order that had barred a team of DOGE employees of freely examining Social Security records

“We conclude that, under the present circumstances,” the Social

Security Administration, or SSA,

“may proceed to afford members of the SSA DOGE Team access to the agency records in question in order for those members to do their work,” the court said in an unsigned order

In a second order, the justices blocked the disclosure of DOGE operations as agency records that could be subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

The court’s three liberals — Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan — dissented in both cases. “Today, the court grants ‘emergency’ relief

that allows the Social Security Administration (SSA) to hand DOGE staffers the highly sensitive data of millions of Americans,” Jackson wrote. “The Government wants to give DOGE unfettered access to this personal, non-anonymized information right now — before the courts have time to assess whether DOGE’s access is lawful.”

The legal fight turned on the unusual status of the newly created Department of Governmental Efficiency This was a not true department, but the name given to the team of advisers led by Musk. Were the DOGE team members

presidential advisers or outsiders who should be not given access to personal data?

While Social Security employees are entrusted with the records containing personal information, it was disputed whether the 11 DOGE team members could be trusted with same material.

Musk had said the goal was to find evidence of fraud or misuse of government funds.

He and DOGE were sued by labor unions who said the outside analysts were sifting through records with personal information which was protected by the

privacy laws. Unless checked, the DOGE team could create highly personal computer profiles of every person, they said.

A federal judge in Maryland agreed and issued an order restricting the work of DOGE

U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander an Obama appointee, barred DOGE staffers from have accessing to the sensitive personal information of millions of Americans. But her order did not restrict the Social Security staff or DOGE employees from using data that did not identify persons or sensitive personal information.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton,

CONGRATULATIONS SENATOR CASSIDY,M.D.

We salute your unwaveringcommitment to puttinganend to Alzheimer’s.

Thankyou for your leadership in Congressand your significant contributions to vital policies thatsupport those living with dementia andtheir caregivers.

On behalf of the over 7millionAmericans living with this disease, and their nearly 12 millioncaregivers, we thankyou, Senator Cassidy,for paving the way. Congratulations on this well-deserved award.

fewyears later into the “Regional Roots Music” category.

And theSimiens were instrumental in bringing zydeco to Disney through their work on the 2009 “The Princess and the Frog” movie. Terrance Simien andthe Zydeco Experience appear on the soundtrack and in music for the popular Disney ride, Tiana’sBayou Adventure.

“We’ve been exporting this music for 40 years now,soweknow how many people are experiencing it for the first time —but in Louisiana, not so much,” she said. “I mean, when you hit Disney you’ve turned acorner,but around here, it can be out of sight, out ofmind.

“Roots music has become more mainstream, but from the ’80s, ’90s and mid-’00s to where we are today, it’sno accident. It’staken alot of hard work,avillage, aconsciousness about American roots music. We are in performing artscenters andschools acrossthe country that don’tget alot of American roots music, they don’tsee that muchfrom Louisiana. That’s what Terrance and Buckwheat Zydeco didalot of —touring, educating. It’sall part of the evolution. Every piece is an important part of it.” Theevolution,cometolife

Lafayette residentDustin Cravins said that he watched the episode with “mixed feelings.” He is the second-generationorganizer of the Zydeco Extravaganza, founded by his father as aradio show in the 1980s to promote the music of Creole country

That program, which still broadcasts weekly on Z105.9, developed into atelevision show-turned-festival held annually over Memorial Dayweekend at BlackhamColiseum. The festivalisakeystoneof the zydeco community; and stands alongside other long-running events like Festivals Acadienset Créoles, which started afew years earlier for the same reason —to promote the evolving soundsof Cajun and Creole music to bigger and bigger audiences.

“Watchingthe episodedid give me mixed feelings about this interpretation of the renaissance,”said Cravins. “That renaissance was in the ’80s. It may have slowed, but never went away.Inlarge part, it’s thanks to that that ourCreole culture is very much lived now.It’s notsomething you experience in a museum.”

He said that when his father and uncle started theirradio show very few young people were listening to zydeco. Today,there’sbeen anoticeableshift.“There’smore young bands out now than older bands,” according to Cravins. That youthful energy is reflected on dance floors, and in Lil’ Nate Williams’ streaming numbers.

The zydeco artist, who played at the Zydeco Extravaganza thisyear with his band, Lil’ Nathan and the Zydeco BigTimers, told “60 Minutes” that hisstreaming audience grewbyover3000% lastyear

Cravins said, “There’savibrant

ecosystem here, and while there arechallenges, there was no lightning rodrecently that really changed the trajectory of where the music andculture areheaded.It’sbeen aconcertedeffort by anumber of people for many

years to preserve and promote the sounds.”

Festivalsmadea difference Barry Ancelet was one of the people engaged in that work with Cajun French music, morethan 50

years ago. In 1974, Ancelet worked with Louisiana French artists like Clifton Chenier,Marc Savoy,Bois Sec Ardoin and the BalfaBrothers to create “HommagealaMusique Acadienne.” That concert brought 12,000people to Blackham Coliseum, and has been held outdoors every year since as Festivals Acadiens et Créoles.

The concert grew from theidea thatitwould createanentirely newexperience to feature Cajun andCreolemusicians on stage, insteadofa dancehall, to an audience of listeners instead of dancers.

“Cajun music andzydeco was really dance hall stuff,” said Ancelet,aCajunfolklorist andhistorian in the Department of Modern Languages at theUniversityof Louisiana at Lafayette. “Itwasn’t consideredcool.Itwas oldpeople’s music.

“The real story is howfestivals changed it, bringing it out of the dance halls and making it available to the whole family.That change of context changed the way people played and listened.”

Ancelet says that emerging cycles of “raw”and “refined” sound have comeinto playthrough the years, also influenced by how bands and venues evolved to meet audience expectations.Cajun and Creole music largely evolved from raw, unrefined countryplayers to

BOWIE

Joel Savoy, left,and Linzayyoung playduring Festival Acadiens et Creoles on October 12.

Lisa and David Wurtzel dance to Chubby Carrier &the BayouSwamp Band at the NewOrleans Jazz

tight, rollicking dance hall ensembles —and the rise of music festivals developed seasoned stage performers that play more like arena bands —faster,tighter and louder,with even more audience-focused energy

“That’sthe kind of ongoing evolution that’sbeen happening that they missed,” Ancelet said. “It’sanevolution, not arenaissance.

“History is constantly evolving.There’scontinuity,but that continuityis creating something new When this is working at its best, when it’sreally good, it produces things that both surprise and reassure us. Yousee where it came from, but you recognize it as something new and exciting —and if Cajun musichadn’t done that, nobody would be listening to it anymore.”

Cajun artist Jourdan Thibodeaux, who was featured on the “60 Minutes” episode alongside Chubby Carrier,the Savoy Family Band and Lil’ Nathan Williams, says thathedoesn’t know much aboutarenaissance. He’salways played this music, he said —“just

doing the same thing.”

He does think that the current crop of young musicians are moreengaged, and talented, than ever

“Young bands out there are comingout likesavants,” he said. “They areabsolutely incredible, coming out at 18 and19and theycan play9 instruments.”

They arealsoincorporating newinfluences,reaching new audiences and continually pushing the Cajun and zydeco genres in waysthat bring new attention to Louisiana rootsmusic, thanks to thefoundationaleffortsof musicians,historians,archivists, language teachers and others who have helped entrench amodern interpretation of theregion’s sound.

Chubby Carrier has been part of that movement since he was ayoung man. He learned accordion playinginhis father’s band,and later drummedfor Terrance Simien. Carrier said that his father alwaysmade him understand that he should follow hisown path,evenwhile representinghis family and culture.

He said, “I grew up in the ’70s,and daddysaid, ‘This is your job —listen to R&B, blues, rock n’ roll, funk. Be yourself. Don’ttry to be me or your grandfather.You

grew up in this genre, so incorporate it, but do

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

Scrubboard players performwithChubbyCarrier& the Bayou Swamp Band on May1during the NewOrleans Jazz &HeritageFestival.

STAFF FILE PHOTOByBRAD BOWIE

Festival Acadiens et Creoles on Oct. 12.

Shaken, Foret followed orders, withdrawing cash from his local bank. To prevent further theft, the caller said, the rest of the money needed a secure location: a Bitcoin ATM across the street at a Chevron

The 78-year-old Thibodaux native had spent a lifetime working oil fields for Texaco and said he’d never even heard of Bitcoin. Now he found himself scanning a QR code that allowed him to send money to an address recorded on something called a blockchain It wasn’t until the next morning that he began to feel uneasy By then, a third of his life savings was gone, fed in $100 bills through a machine.

“I was so upset that day I didn’t think straight,” Foret said. “They were polished, I guarantee it.”

The use of cryptocurrencies — digital assets that operate on decentralized networks rather than regulated authorities — has exploded in recent years So too have their physical counterparts.

Thousands of crypto ATMs are popping up at gas stations, pharmacies and vape shops across the country The companies that own them claim the machines make it easier for the tech-unsavvy to invest in crypto. But many law enforcement officials argue that same convenience allows criminals to easily scam people and launder money.

“Right now, this is not a system that gives any confidence to law enforcement that it’s being legitimately used,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said. “There are a lot of smarter things these companies could do to make it a legitimate enterprise.”

The Federal Trade Commission reports that fraud losses at crypto ATMs increased tenfold between 2020 to 2023, with $66 million reported in the first six months of 2024. In Louisiana, as local law enforcement struggles to manage the new threat, legislation has been introduced recently that would force companies to help curtail criminals Crime’s new frontier

As the realization that he had been scammed dawned on Foret,

he contacted Sgt. Gerard Lotz, who handles cyber fraud for the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office and is also a member of the Louisiana Cyber Crimes Division, a state-run program that collaborates with the U.S. Secret Service.

“They needed someone to investigate crypto; I just happened to be standing in the hallway,” said Lotz, who admits most of what he initially learned about Bitcoin came from 12-year-olds on YouTube. “They say I’m the foremost expert in cryptocurrency in Lafourche Parish.”

Lotz first noticed crypto ATMs appearing in his mostly rural parish over the summer of 2023. Since then, he has come across 30 or so of the machines in Lafourche.

During the first 10 months of 2024, Lafourche residents reported losing $1.6 million to cryptocurrency scams, with $657,000 fed solely through ATMs.

“If 2% of the population of Louisiana accounts for $1.6 million in cryptocurrency fraud, how much is it for the whole state of Louisiana?” Lotz said

Many cases go unreported by both victims and law enforcement.

When they are brought to light, resource-strapped police departments rarely pursue them since the investigations are unlikely to end in arrests, Lotz said.

“The scam industry has evolved in the past years,” said Paul Sibenik, founder and CEO of Crypto Forensic Investigators, a private firm many people turn to when their losses exceed six figures.

While 90% of his cases involve scammers operating from overseas — often calling from countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos Sibenik said the schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The groups behind them are larger, more organized and frequently linked to transnational enterprises such as Chinese crime syndicates, or, in the case of North Korea, state-sponsored schemes.

Many scammers are often victims themselves, Lotz said. According to a United Nations Report, an estimated 220,000 people have been trafficked into Southeast Asia for the sole purpose of conning people, forced to call around the clock from industrialscale compounds Globally, The Economist reports that up to 1.5 million people both coerced and voluntary — are involved in the

industry Despite his devastating loss, Foret expressed some sympathy for many caught up in the business.

“I guess they almost have to do it,” he said. “That’s rough.”

Tricky tactics

Lotz and Sibenik said getting people to the ATMs is made easier by personal information posted on the dark web by criminal hacker groups. Fraudsters pose as customer service representatives from banks or tech companies, develop business or romantic relationships, or impersonate local and federal government agents to convince victims they owe bogus fines and fees — such as alleged Social Security overpayments or outstanding warrants.

In three incidents in Lafourche, scammers targeted newer gas station employees, posing as their bosses and convincing them to transfer cash from their office’s safe into the ATMs, said Lotz. Others in the parish were victims of a nationwide scheme run by a prison gang in Georgia, where cellmates introduced themselves as local law enforcement.

“One represented themselves as our chief deputy one as the detective captain,” Lotz said.

The main giveaway, he said, was that they called it “Lafourche County.”

After cash is converted to Bitcoin — or any of the thousands of other cryptocurrencies — the funds are typically sent to an online wallet controlled by the scammer By the time victims realize they have been defrauded, thieves have usually already used “mixing services” tools that combine stolen cryptocurrency with funds from other sources and distribute it across multiple accounts to obscure the origins of the scammed money

“It’s like starting a race 50 laps into the race,” Lotz said.

In rare cases where investigators identify a wallet address, blockchain technology a public ledger recording all cryptocurrency transactions — enables them to trace funds between accounts.

“The problem is, you don’t know who is tied to that Bitcoin,” Lotz said. “I can’t give a search warrant to Bitcoin because it doesn’t exist; it’s a concept.” So investigators monitor trans-

actions but usually can’t do much until funds end up in an online exchange Analogous to traditional banks, exchanges are law enforcement’s best chance to recover funds because they provide an opportunity to freeze assets.

But that requires cooperation, and most criminals use exchanges based outside the U.S. in countries like the Bahamas or the Seychelles with weak regulations and minimal identification requirements.

“That way if a warrant is served from another country or a law enforcement agency, they can say, ‘Hey I don’t have any info on this person,’” he added.

Even if the exchange provides personal information, Lotz says, law enforcement sometimes has to wait days for search warrants to be processed by a judge, by which point the scammer has usually offloaded the funds back into cash. Private companies like Sibenik’s face similar restraints once they locate stolen money

“In order to recover funds that are frozen, pretty much every exchange wants a law enforcement request,” Sibenik added. “This crypto can be very fast, and the legal system does not move fast.”

Lawmakers respond

Crypto ATM companies say they facilitate access to digital currency Most machines charge between 15% and 30% in transaction fees. By comparison, major online exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken charge 0.1% to 0.4% and allow users to convert cash to crypto from home.

“It begs the question why anybody would put cash into a machine like this when they could do it a different way,” Murrill said.

In February, Athena Bitcoin, a major Bitcoin ATM provider, was sued in Maryland for allegedly enabling elder financial abuse. The lawsuit claims the company allowed exploitation by failing to implement adequate safeguards.

Bitcoin Depot, the largest Bitcoin ATM network in the world, received $5,418 from Foret’s transactions in February Lotz says it has refused to return the money despite law enforcement requests. In an email response to The Advocate, a representative for the company said Bitcoin Depot was unable to comment on the story “The most vulnerable people are

being affected by the machines, and these companies are taking 30%,” Lotz said.

Reacting to the local cases, Lafourche Sheriff Craig Webre called the Attorney General’s Office to raise the alarm. The conversation prompted the introduction of House Bill 483 during this spring’s state legislative session.

Sponsored by Rep. Mark Wright, the bill would place new restrictions on crypto ATM use, including a $3,000 daily transaction limit, a mandatory 72-hour waiting period before transactions are processed, and a warning on each machine stating that “no state or government official will ever request that cash be deposited into a Crypto ATM.”

Murrill said the three-day transaction hold is intended to give law enforcement a window to recover funds in cases of suspected fraud, citing incidents where Lafourche sheriff’s deputies were able to seize cash from an ATM moments before it was collected by an armored truck.

The $3,000 daily cap also aims to deter money laundering, as current machines allow unlimited cash deposits — activity that if large enough would automatically raise red flags from the IRS in traditional banking systems.

Murrill says the bill wouldn’t interfere much with the broader crypto industry On May 12, it passed the House with a 98-0 vote, and the Senate is expected to vote on it Sunday

After a training course in Alabama with the National Computer Forensics Institute, Lotz was better able to wrap his head around the technology Tracking software supplied by the federal government has also helped him trace about a quarter of Foret’s stolen funds to a UK-based exchange before they could be withdrawn.

He expects Foret to recover that portion of his money any day, returned in the form of Bitcoin. Thanks to bullish markets, the value of his reclaimed funds has grown a few hundred dollars since they were first stolen.

As he waits Foret’s last request was simple.

“Put it out there and let people know how they do it,” he said.

Email Aidan McCahill at aidan. mccahill@theadvocate.com.

herself wasn’tsosure.

“How is this my life?” she recalled thinking.

As living costs continue to rise, Cade’sexperience isn’tfar from that of teachers across Louisiana. Many struggle to pay their bills and provide for their families, despite often having multiple degrees and frequently working outside of schoolhours to plan lessons and take care of students.

Lawmakers have long debated raising the pay of the state’spublic school teachers, who make about $5,000 less on averagethan their counterpartsinother Southern states and $15,000 less than the national average, according to data from the Southern Regional Education Board. This year,after voters rejectedaconstitutional amendment that included amechanismtofund permanentteacher raises, the Legislature appears likely to pass one-timestipends for the third year in arow to keep teacher pay at its current level.

From taking on additional duties at school to working second and even thirdjobs, teachers say they not only want and deserve raises they need them. If something doesn’tchange, and soon, many say they could be forced to leavethe profession, potentially worsening the state’steacher shortage and jeopardizing recent academic gains that officials have described as “historic.”

Louisiana leaders —including Gov.Jeff Landry and state Superintendentof Education Cade Brumley are celebratingthose gains that they largely attribute to teachers’ hard work. Increasing educator salaries would be “a muchdeserved win for our unsung heroes,” Landry said in November as he pitched the slate of constitutional amendments that included the raises. But the gap between the praise for educators andthe

reality oflow payhas left some teachersfeelingfrustrated and undervalued.

“I’mproud toteach, especially special education,” Cadesaid. “Louisiana just doesn’tseem to wanttohelp me back.”

An ongoing struggle

Cade savorsthe firstfew moments of the day when she’sstill in bed, eyes closed, before she’sreminded of thebills and responsibilities waiting for her

“It feels like Iwake upand hitthe ground runningand I don’tstop,”she said

She tries to make her ranch-style home in St. Rose warm andwelcomingfor herchildren, Alura, 7, and Jack, 3. Nearlyevery inch is filled with remnants of old art projects and science experiments.

But everywhere Cade looks, she sees needed repairs: apicture window heavily damaged by termites, abroken fence, a nonfunctioning dishwasher Acardboard box near the front door,whichher childrenhave turned into afort, held anew water heater that Cadebought after the family dealt with abroken one for six months.

“I couldn’t afford the $500 to fix it,”she said. “I spend seven and ahalf hours every daywith nine autistic boys, changing diapers, doingall thethingsrequired of me, and before Ileft for work everyday,I waschanging the bucketunder the heater.”

Born and raised in Metairie, Cade worked as ahairdresser until the2008 recession. Wanting morestability, sheturned to theprofession of her two older sisters: teaching.

“I’dalways loved being aroundchildren,” shesaid. “I thought it was agood way to secure afuture. Asalary,insurance, aretirement plan.”

Cadetook classes for six years while working parttime jobs andearned her teaching degree in 2014. She taught atacharterschool in New Orleans and in the St. Charles Parishschoolsystembeforereturninglast

year to teach in Jefferson Parish,where she lives.

Hercurrent salarybarely makes adentinher bills, she said. She relies on her parentstohelp pay for child care and other expenses.

“They do it with grace,” she said, “but it’s definitely ahuge struggle for them.”

Last year,three years after herroof was severely damaged during Hurricane Ida, Cade received astate grant to repair it,but she still had to pay $2,500 out of pocket —asum she didn’t have. One of her sisters stepped in,giving Cadethe $2,000 teacher-paystipend she hadreceivedfrom the state.

Cade knows she’s fortunate— some of her colleagues’ financial situations are more dire. And she’s proud to have providedfor her children through it all. She’s also constantlyexhausted.

It shouldn’tbethis hard to get by as ateacher,she said.

“I gota college degree,” Cade said. “I’mdoing what I’m supposed to do.”

Araise in thefuture?

It’s been more thantwo decades since Louisianalast approved pay raises for educators through thestate’s school funding formula. Megan Boren, aproject manager with theSouthern Regional Education Board, said states thatgive districts less funding for teacher salaries generally shift the burden to school systems to make up thedifference through their local tax base.

In December,Jefferson Parishvoters shot down, by amargin 319 votes out

of more than 35,000 cast, amillage that would have raisedlocal educators’pay by morethan $8,000.

Lastweek, the district told staffthatthe Jefferson Parish School Board voted to increasepay by $1,200 for full-time certified employees.That’sabout $50 more per paycheck before taxes.

“I appreciateit,” Cade said, “but it’s not enough.”

If lawmakers fail once again to raise teacher pay, moreeducatorswill move to higher-paying districts or leave the profession altogether,someadvocates have warned.

Back at Cade’shome, she, Alura and Jack sit on the floor in the front room playing with Violet,one of the family’stwo guinea pigs.

Cade says Alura keeps asking if the family can takeabeach vacation soon. They’ve never been, but a trip isn’tinthe budgetright now

“One of thehardest parts of living paycheck to paycheck is younever get to plan,” Cadesaid.“We’re hoping maybe next year.”

“WithSon of aSaint,you neverreallygraduate from theprogram,instead youdevelop a newlevel of connection with thecommunity,” said MilesStewart,aSon of aSaint alumni whorecently graduatedfromthe U.S. Military Academy at West PointinMay 2025

Sonofa Saintisanon-profitorganization that serves fatherless boys in NewOrleans throughaholistic approach to mentorship that hasbeenenrichingchildren’slives sinceitwas establishedin2011. Everyyear, newmentees betweenthe ages of 10 and12-years-oldare inducted andinvited into year-round opportunities that offer mentorship,education,recreation, camaraderie,culturalenrichment, and emotionalsupport.Today theprogram services 500young menacrossthe NewOrleans area

“InSon of aSaint,the olderthatyou get, you’ll start to have differentconversations with your mentorsand thereare differentroles foryou to play in helping andguiding thenew mentees,” said Stewart, whowas apartofthe inaugural cohort of boys in 2011.“Youstart lookingtoset agoodexample forthem.

Taking up themantleofrolemodel canbe adauntingtaskattimes,but Stewartstrives to create balanceand purposeinhis life as he continuestochart hiscareerpath. Beingable to help youngermentees seealargerpicture hasbeenmeaningfultohim

“I always say, ‘See thelight outsideofyour currentsituation.’ If youkeepgoing outofyour comfort-zone,you’llfind somethingthatisfor you,”Stewart said Stewartgraduated with aBachelorofScience in Systems Engineering, andheiscurrently aLieutenantinthe US Army Engineer Regiment.Inthe fall,Stewart hasplans to return to NewYorktoworkfor 6monthsasanathletic intern coachingfootballatthe U.S. Military Academy PreparatorySchool, before heading to Fort LeonardWood, Missouri,toattendthe U.S. Army EngineeringSchool.

Stewart also recently spokeatSon of Saint’s 2ndannualsignature event, “A NightinNew

York”, on May21, 2025.“OurStory is in Every City”was theevent tagline, andStewart along with Sonofa Saintalumni, QuintenCrump Trey Hand,and AceNice, shared theimpact theprogram hashad on theirlives,encouraging theevent attendeestorecognize howasdonors, supporters,and friends of theorganization, they area part of thestory this organizationis writing. TheinfluenceSon of Sainthas hadon livesinNew Orleansisnow reaching farbeyond geographical city limits

“It’sgoodtosee howmuchSon of aSaint has grown. It’s affecting so many boys’lives,” said Stewart. “It’sgoodtosee everyone with aplan, andI thinkit’sreallyhelping NewOrleans little by little.Hopefully,itinspiresother people to pick up similarinitiatives.”

Everyyoung manwho is inducted into Sonofa Sainthas mentorswho stay with them throughout theirprogram journey, and forStewart thosementors have been Chris Muscoand Bivian ‘Sonny’Lee III, theCEO and FounderofSon of aSaint.Stewart’s graduation from West Pointisa source of prideand accomplishment, notonlyfor Stewartand hisfamily, butfor Leeand Musco, whowereinattendance forthe graduation.AsStewart expressed, the bondsformedwithyourmentors throughout theyears arenot finalized once yougraduate, insteadtheytakeona newcharacter.Stewart knowshis mentorsare only ever aphone call away “Graduationseasonisour victorylap foreach youngman whoexperiencesthismilestone.It’s proofthatour modeloflong-term mentorship andholisticservicesworks,” said Lee. “These youngmen aren’t just crossing astage,they’re stepping into theirpower as future leaders, changemakers,and maybeevenfuturementors ForSon of aSaint,it’safull-circle moment that

heartofour mission, to

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Republicansleanontax breakbenefits

WASHINGTON— Faced with criticism of President Donald Trump’ssignature “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Republican leadership have focused their defense on how the tax breaks will boost the economy

The 1,037-page bill is chock full of increased spending for border security and the military, but the biggest ticket itemsare sweeping tax cuts that the White House says “means an extra $5,000 in Americans’ pockets” through decreases in tax bills. All of whichwould be paid for,at least partially,bycuts to Medicaid and food stamp spending.

The Congressional Budget Office calculated that the bill’s$1.3 trillion reduction in spending doesn’tcover the $3.7 trillion cost of the tax breaks and other spending, meaning the bill would add $2.4 trillion over the next decade to the nation’s$36.2 trilliondebt.

Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, and other Republican leaders criticize the CBO, anonpartisan arm of Congress, for figures they say lowballs the legislation’s economic benefits. (Tobefair: Lawmakers on both sides trash the CBO when its predictionsdon’t support their talking points.)

Behind the fiery rhetoric is an argument that the biggest portion of debt comes from extending Trump’s2017 tax break, which for the time being is current policy and therefore shouldn’tbecounted as future debt.

“If we do not get this bill done, the tax cuts of 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, will expire at the end of December.Every American will receive the largesttax increase in US history all at once,” Johnson said. “We’ve made the tax cuts permanent, and we’ve infused it with apro-

State Legislature barrels toward‘sine die’

The State Capitol will see a flurry of activitythis week as legislators hurry to finish their work before “sine die,” the mandatory end of thesession at 6p.m.

Thursday

Both the House and Senate will meet Sunday The biggest remainingtask is to finish the state budget for next fiscal year

The House has already passed its version of the budget, but the Senate hasyet to approve the version on itsside. Once the Senate passesits version of the budget, the House must vote to concur before it can go to Landry for his signature. If the House does not agree

growth series of policies that will get the economy going again. It will be jetfuel to the economy.” Phenomenal economic growth will increase revenues and more thanoffset the cost of thetax cuts, he added. Not every Republican buys that theory Thefeud between Elon Musk and Trump, for instance, began with the billionaire’scontentions thatTrump’sbill would increase the deficit and should be rejected.Some SenateRepublicans,

with changes the Senatemade, it will send the bill to conference committee. Several bigfiscal questions have yet to be answered.For example: Will the Senate continue to blockGov.Jeff Landry’sefforts to increase funding for LA GATOR, the state program that helps parentspay for private school, to $94 million?How much money,if any, will lawmakers draw from the state RevenueStabilization Fund to spendonone-timeprojects likeinfrastructure? Meanwhile, after 6p.m. Monday, all bills will requirea two-thirds vote to pass either chamber,not counting concurrences, resolutions or conference committees. That means lawmakers will bepushing to get their priorities throughonSunday or early Monday,before thehigher threshold takes effect.

Unemploymentbenefits legislationpasses

TheLouisiana Senate on Mon-

such as Sen. RandPaul, R-Ky., have voiced similar fears.

The cornerstoneofthe legislation —making the2017 Trump tax cuts permanent —would staveoff an increase in taxes that will occur next year if the bill is not enacted Marginal tax rates would lock in from 10% to 37% depending on income levels. Taxpayers won’tsee additional federal tax withholding from their paychecks. The bill alsomakes permanent

day gave final passagetoabill that would requireresidents collecting unemployment benefitsto do moretofind ajob.

Having already passedthe House, the bill now needs Gov Jeff Landry’ssignaturebefore becoming law Currently, theLouisiana Workforce Commission requires those collecting unemployment to performthree “work search actions” each week. HouseBill 153, by state Rep. Troy Hebert, R-Lafayette, increases that requirement to five and putsitinto state statute.

Awork search action could include filling out ajob application, interviewing for ajob, attending job fairs, attending networking events or doing mock interviews.

Proponents of the bill saidit would help get more Louisianans back intothe workforce.

Critics saidthe measurewould set overly burdensome requirements, especially for those in rural areas with limited job opportunities

thecurrent higher standard deductions —$14,600 for individuals and $29,200 for married couples —and temporarily increases the amounts by $1,000 for single filers and$2,000 in joint returns. New tax breaks include adeduction up to $10,000 on loans to buy personalpassenger vehicles. That amount phases out for joint filersearning more than $200,000 annually.The TaxFoundation, apolicy think tankfounded in 1937, estimates thatstate tax

Mike Johnson caught up in Trump-Muskfeud

The donnybrook between President Donald Trumpand his former ally,billionaire Elon Musk, has expanded to include House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Musk asked Thursday on X:

“Where is the Mike Johnson of 2023!?” referring to apost then in which the Benton Republican called aprevious national debt amount unsustainable Johnson firedback Thursday on Xusing uncharacteristically terse language.

“The Mike Johnson of 2023 is the SAME Mike Johnson who has always been alifelong fiscal hawk —who now serves as Speaker and is implementing amulti-stage plan to get our country back to fiscal responsibility and extraordinary economic growth,” Johnson wrote.

collections would fall by about $2.2billionnationwide from this deduction.

Deductions basically lower a filer’sadjustedgross income, which is the starting point on most state returns, meaning lowertaxes for the states.

The legislationalso exempts qualifiedtips andovertime pay from federal income taxation.

While good for individual workers, the overtime deduction could costthe Louisiana treasury about$101 million, according to the TaxFoundation.

Deductions for tips could cost Louisiana about$15 millionifthe Legislature doesn’tenact legislationthatwould offset the losses on astate level, estimates the TaxFoundation.

The bill also includes atemporary $4,000 bonus added to the $15,000 standard deduction for seniors.

The enhanced deduction is a substitute for Trump’scampaign promise to remove taxes on Social Security,which under longstanding federal law are funded by apayroll taxduring working yearsand is taxedagain as income when benefits are paid.

The huge measure also includesa myriad of tax breaks for businesses.

Changes in wording to Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code would credit large purchasesof equipment andsoftware up to $2.5millionona business’stax returns, andSection 168(k) would accelerate depreciation that can be deducted from taxes.

“Yourlife will be dramatically betterbecause you’re going to have more moneyinyour pocket,” Scalise said. “Yoursmall business thatyou’re working for,orlarge business, is going to nowinvest more moneyinto the economy.”

The House-passedOne Big Beautiful Bill Act is beforethe Senate, where changes are likely Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

“The same CONSISTENT Mike Johnson who hasALWAYSsupported the America First Agenda.”

Musk on Tuesday called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Johnson has spent months negotiating and got passed by asingle vote, a “massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill.”

He said the bill would add to the nation’s$36.2 trillion debt and should be defeated.

The 1,037-page bill includes muchofTrump’sdomestic agenda, such as increased spending on the border and sweeping tax cuts, as well as reduced spending on Medicaid and food stamps.

The House-passed legislation is being considered by the U.S. Senate.

By Thursday,the feud between Trump and Musk devolved into mutualnamecalling.

Musk ended his role as Trump’s point mantoshrink the federal government over the weekend. Abillionaire, Musk donated $250 million to Republicans during last year’scampaigns.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByJ.SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Speaker of the House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, talks Wednesday about his discussions with Elon Musk as he meetswithreporters to discuss work on PresidentDonald Trump’sbill of tax breaks and spending cuts at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Mark Ballard

EDUCATION

Official helpsschools make stridesinreading

Q&A WITH SHANNA BEBER

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO

Staff writer

As the top literacy official at theLouisiana Department of Education, Shanna Beber has seen big changes in theway students learn to read.

Since 2021, state education officials and lawmakershave enacted aseries of laws and policies centeredaround the so-called science of reading, aresearch-basedapproach to reading instruction that emphasizes phonics.

State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley has credited the approach with driving Louisiana students’gainsonanational reading test.

The department’sexecutive director of literacy,Beber manages a17-person team that overseesliteracy andtutoring work throughout the state. Oneofthe team’sbiggest roles is to help educators learn how to apply the science of readingintheir lessons, and to help school leaders better support teachers in that work

Buildingrelationships with educators and school administrators is crucial, Beber said, so her team isn’tseen as statemonitors sent to check for compliance.

“If we want our educators to collaborate with us and value our guidance,” she said, “they needtosee us as partners in this work.”

Beber recently explained how Louisiana is trying to improve reading instruction.

The interview has been condensedand edited for clarity

Can you explain what your team does?

We use literacy data to determinetargeted areas. We alsohave school systems that will reach out to us to tellus they’re making strides in literacy,but maybe there’sone school that doesn’t seem to be improving.

They ask us to partner with them, look at our data and do walk-throughs in classrooms to look for patterns or trendsand come up with an action plan of support.

Sometimes, there’sa misunderstanding around the science of reading that it’sjust phonics or phonemic awareness.

Really,it’sa vast body of research over decades that really explains how the brain learns to read and what instructional practices are most effective for teaching reading, especially for struggling readers.

Unlike speaking, reading is not natural. Youhave to explicitly teach children how to read, and so you have toexplicitly teach them how sounds map to letters and how theintegration of word recognition and language comprehension is what’sneeded to becomeaskilled reader

How can schoolssupportteachers in making those changes?

By providing thetime and space for teachers to come together in what we call teacher collaboration. So, sometime within theschool day,bring teacherswho teach ELA together to dig into theirmaterials.

Onebeautiful thing about Louisiana is we’ve identified high-quality instructional materials, and our educators have access to those.

Butit’sreally about allowing them to have thetime to explore those materials, to determine what those instructional moves are and what is expected for students to learn.

what’sinthem,toget that training and also be able to dig into their own students’ work. They need timetolook at where their students are at, how they’re scoring on individual assessments, what additional interventions are needed, and how they can bring those skills they need into daily instruction.

We know that teachers teach from bell to bell, and it’savery valued profession that needs timetoensure instruction is highquality.Giving teachers the space to do that is always beneficial.

Howdoyou measure the work that youdo?

Our team collects data in various ways. We collect anecdotal data as we’re out on site visits, and collect feedback from educators monitoring progress. We track our tutoring participation and those outcomes. But ultimately,the progress we pay closest attention to is our literacy outcomes, which have attracted national attention.

We’ve becomealeader of literacy work, and so when we receive our beginning, middle and end-of-year literacy screener data, we jumpright in. Fortunately,we’ve constantly seen growth there, but addressing (spots that need work) often looks like atiered approach.

It’sreally about building capacity in our literacy coaches and school leaderssothat they can continue to provide professional learning and support forour educators that’scentered around literacy best practices.

It also gives us agreat opportunity to have conversations and listen totheir needs, which can alsobecome the next steps for us.

What changeshas the science of reading required forteachersinpractice?

Science of reading has brought back the importance of explicit, direct instruction.

Basically,how will I, as ateacher,teach and model this skill for them? How will I provide them the opportunity to practice, and then what academic feedback am I giving them on their independent work so that they can progress more?

It’sallowing teachers to havetimeto prepare for their daily lessonswhile also considering the students in their classroomsand what additional supports those studentsmay need.

What are somecommon themes —and challenges that come up when working with educators?

They need thetime and the training to be able to do it well. So, to takethe high-quality instructional materials to understand

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTSACROSSTHE STATEHOW TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACINGLOUISIANA SCHOOLS. HAVE AN

For example, we’re currently looking at our K-3literacy screener results from the end of the year to see which school systemsmade progress and which ones didn’t. Then we target our support to those schools that need it most. We’ll do the same thing when the ELA LEAP data comes out later this summer so that we can track our secondary literacy efforts.

Sometimes we’re able to go to schools making significant gains and learn from them so that we can share their story and codifywhattheir process is to share with others.

And sometimes, it’scoming in and saying, “You’re not progressing with your literacy rates, and so we’ll partner with you to determine somenext steps and create an action plan fornext school year.”

Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@ theadvocate.com.

THE GULF COAST

Popular BR chef set to open restaurant in his hometown, Biloxi

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

Baton Rouge chef David Dicken-

sauge is on the move again. Except this time, he’s saying farewell to Louisiana to open a restaurant of his own on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Dickensauge has had a hand in numerous Baton Rouge restaurants — consulting on menus and running kitchens. The list includes Beausoleil Coastal Cuisine, Pizza Art Wine, Bin 77 Bistro & Bar, Proverbial Wine Bistro, Tsunami, Zeeland Street, Library Wine and Provisions in Gonzales and, most recently The Colonel’s Club.

Dickensauge says the move to Mississippi is a “farewell, but not a goodbye,” as he hopes to see familiar faces at his new venture Field’s Mediterranean by Chef David Dickensauge, in his hometown of Biloxi.

“Baton Rouge made me who I am. There are a handful of restaurateurs who took me to the next level,” Dickensauge said. “I’ve been in Baton Rouge more than any city I’ve cooked in my life.”

Dickensauge also emphasized his gratitude for the diners in Baton Rouge who have supported him in his career, allowing him to become not only a great chef but a creator in his field.

Formerly Field’s Steak and Oyster Bar, Field’s Mediterranean is part of the Nicaud Restaurant Group, which has opened new restaurants and hotels across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The new restaurant operates out of the historic Magnolia building at 119 Rue Magnolia, Biloxi, near the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino and Mary Mahoney’s Old French House.

While the concept will focus on Mediterranean cuisine, Dickensauge says the menu will also in-

PROVIDED PHOTO

David Dickensauge, past executive chef at The Colonel’s Club is opening his own restaurant, Field’s Mediterranean, in his hometown of Biloxi.

clude dishes with Moroccan and African influences. He hopes to open the restaurant by the end of June.

Dickensauge added that his move to Biloxi was prompted by the opportunity to be closer to his family and have a stake in the restaurant.

“I’ve paid my dues being an executive chef for other people,” he said. “I wanted to do my own thing.”

In the next year, Dickensauge aims to bring Field’s Mediterranean to Baton Rouge.

“I love Baton Rouge, and I wasn’t looking to leave,” he said, “but it was a golden opportunity.”

Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@theadvocate. com.

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

The yearslong wait — consisting of notable road construction projects, multimillion-dollar investments and heavy anticipation from die-hard fans — will come to an end Monday

In the early morning hours, the Texas-based convenience chain Buc-ee’s will debut its first Mississippi store in Harrison County, about a 75-minute drive from downtown New Orleans. At 74,000 square feet, the location will be one of the largest in the nation, offering Gulf Coast residents and travelers heaps of gas pumps, beaver-themed merchandise, fresh foods — and, most likely, an increase in traffic.

The Menge Avenue exit off Interstate 10, where the store is located, has a daily average traffic count of 53,000 vehicles, but Mississippi Department of Transportation spokesperson Anna Ehrgott expects this number to quickly escalate once Bucee’s opens.

“We encourage drivers take an alternate route if possible, slow down and put away distractions as congestion is expected,” Ehrgott said.

She added that the Menge Avenue exit is within an active work zone, where crews are widening I-10 from four to six lanes between Diamondhead and Country Road Farm by Long Beach, thanks to MDOT receiving nearly $1.2 billion in funding for the project in 2023.

Ehrgott noted that the expansion, which is slated to be finished in 2027, has called for some

“We encourage drivers take an alternate route if possible, slow down and put away distractions as congestion is expected.”

ANNA EHRGOTT, Mississippi Department of Transportation spokesperson

lane shifts in the area, though road closures are not expected to happen once Buc-ee’s opens.

Because of its sprawling size, pristine bathroom stalls and fresh menu items made by employees in cowboy hats, Buc-ee’s has fans across the nation in a griphold.

The convenience store’s widespread appeal explains why some of its locations, particularly its first out-of-state location in Rob-

ertsdale, Alabama, have experienced an uptick in traffic

Aside from expanding its footprint across the Gulf Coast, the corporation built a store in Mississippi to help ease congestion at its Robertdale location. But drivers traveling from neighboring states like Alabama and Louisiana to visit the new Buc-ee’s suggests similar traffic snarls in Harrison County

To prepare for increased traffic, contractors hired by Bucee’s expanded a two-lane bridge at the Menge Avenue exit to five lanes while Harrison County provided $15 million in funds for its construction.

The bridge, which hadn’t been touched since 1973, was completed in December

Email Poet Wolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By JUSTIN MITCHELL

A worker training at the Buc-ee’s store in Pass Christian, Miss., heads to the parking lot recently. The store will open Monday

HELPINGHOLLYWOOD

Louisiana Irishfamilyconsulted on music, dance in ‘Sinners’

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

When Hollywood came calling, Tony Davorenalmostdidn’tanswer thephone.

Around this timelast year,Tonyand his wife, SheilaDavoren, were getting ready for their usual summer work:teaching Irish dancecamps. The Louisiana-based couple travel the country leading workshops in Irish dance, culture and folklore, combining their backgrounds in dance and music —Sheila as afirst-generation Irish American who toured with Riverdance, and Tony as an Irish musician who has recorded with Sting, The Chieftains and Sinead O’Connor.

That’swhy Hollywood called. An agent was askingifTony would be interested

in speaking with Swedishcomposer Ludwig Göransson, famous for his work on such projects as “Oppenheimer,” “Creed” and “Black Panther.”

That’s abig name and big films, representing apotential major opportunity— but Davoren thought he couldn’ttake the call. He explained that it was their busy time of year,but theagent convinced himtohear Göransson out.

“They asked if Iwas familiar with the Scottish folk song ‘Will Ye Go, Lassie Go?’ and the Irish song ‘Rocky Road to Dublin,’”saidDavoren.“To say I’m familiar with thosetwo songs is an understatement. I’veknown and loved and cherished them all my life.”

When Davoren was achild, he hung out withhis father’sband, The Rocky

Road,and spent time in his dad’sfolk club in Coventry,England —alsonamed The Rocky Road. His mother’sfavorite song was “Go, Lassie, Go,” which is also known by the name“Wild Mountain Thyme.”

Today,the Davorens’ family song is “Rocky Road to Dublin” —sothe Irish folk tune is very much at the heart of their work sharing Celtic culture with theworld.

“RockyRoad to Dublin” plays apivotal role in thefilm “Sinners,” from “Creed” and“Black Panther” director RyanCoogler.Now one of the top-grossing films of 2025, the movie is set in the MississippiDelta in the 1930s, and stars

ä See ‘SINNERS’, page 2B

Weather service hiring in Lake Charles

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer

TheNational Weather Service announced plans this to hire 126 workers to permanent positions andtransferexisting employees to some of the neediest offices in theU.S.after morethan600 employees were laid offinfederal budget cuts.

The LakeCharlesofficestands to recoup someofthe staffitlost in the sweeping cuts to National Oceanicand AtmosphericAdministration that leftthe weather service’s 122 field offices withvacancy rates of morethan 20%.

The Lake Charles office staff is among the mostseverely stretched in Louisiana, according to Tom Fahy,legislative director forthe union that represents weather service employees. Many people took retirementpackagesand other buyouts amid the cuts, Fahy said. He said sevenof24total positions werevacant in Lake Charles as of Wednesday In April, at least four longtime meteorologists, all with morethan 30 years of weather forecasting experience, retired from the Lake

ä See WEATHER, page 2B

La.LIGO scientists fear cuts

President’sproposed budget threatens spaceobservatory

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

Acadiana locations considered for national register

BY STEPHENMARCANTEL Staff writer

Three Acadiana locations arebeing considered for the National Register ofHistoric Places. The National Park Service is takingpublic comment on the properties to understandwhat makes these locations important to localswith the goal of furthering historical preservation and community identity,according to an agency announcement. The three Acadiana locations are:

n RayneHistoricDistrictinRayne,Acadia Parish n Ville Platte Post Office in Ville Platte,

ä See LOCATIONS, page 2B

Authorities: Jennings man arrested on childsex crimes

Jenningspolice arrestedaman in connection with sexcrimes involving children.

LJ ShawnDietz,31, of Jennings,was arrested Tuesdayand faces 12 counts of carnal knowledge of ajuvenile, three counts of first-degree rape of avictim under theage of 13 and one count of contemptofcourt.

Dietzisbeing held at theJefferson Davis Parish Jail. He is being held without bail.

Double shooting in Jeanerette leads to three arrests

Three people werearrested in connection with two separate shootingsthatoccurred Wednesday in Jeanerette. Jeanerette police respondedaround

CRIME BLOTTER Advocate staff reports

3p.m. to reports of ashooting in the 600 block of Canal Street,according to aJeanerette PoliceDepartment announcement. Upon arrival, police discovered amale victimsuffering from nonlife-threatening injuries. Officers unsuccessfully pursued five suspects on foot. Less than three hours later,police received reports of another shooting in the area of WilsonStreet andCypermortStreet. Police suspected Javon Robertson, 22, of Jeanerette, as the shooter

ä See BLOTTER, page 2B

Scientists believe if the Trump administration’sproposed budget is approved, aLouisiana space observatory couldbeonthe chopping block and see its scientific mission crippled.

TheTrumpadministration announced on May 30 aproposed federal budget request for 2026 that would cut $5.2 billion, or 57%, of theNationalScience Foundation’s $9 billion annual budget.

The proposalcould lead to the shutdownofthe NSF-funded observatory tucked away in the Livingston Parish piney woods, which madeinternational headlinesin 2015 when it detected gravitation waves from black holes morethan abillion light years away

TheLaser InterferometerGravitational-WaveObservatory (LIGO) is one of twointhe United States. Its counterpart is LIGOHanford in Washington state.

ä See LIGO, page 2B

PHOTO PROVIDED By TONy DAVOREN

Tony Davoren, right, and ‘Sinners’ star Jack O’Connell stand on setafter filmingthe ‘Rocky Road to Dublin’scene.

Zuschlag honoredinLa. Senate

Staff report

Aresolution honoring the late Richard Zuschlag, longtime president and CEO of Acadian Ambulance,was recently passed by the Louisiana Senate.

The resolution, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, of Lafayette, expressed “sincere and heartfelt condolencestothe family and friends of Richard Zuschlag on theoccasion of hispassing in June 2024.”

‘SINNERS’

Continued from page1B

Michael B. Jordan with English-Irish actor Jack O’Connell. O’Connell plays Remmick, a1,200-year-old vampire whogrewupin Ireland before the Norman invasion.

According to aVulture magazine piecetitled“We need to talk about the Irishdancing vampires in ‘Sinners,’” the song is amajor part of one of the movie’s most important scenes oh, and there’salso Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell and others performing authentic Irish step dancing.

They pulled it off, thanks to the Davoren family team.

Just acouple of weeks after taking the Göransson call, Davoren and his wife and daughter,dancer Roisin Davoren, had signed NDAs and were busy on set in New Orleans. Their job was to ensure that all things Irish song, dance, accent —were accurately portrayedinthe film.

“I’ve seensomany movies get Irish or Cajun or Louisiana stuff wrong,” Davoren said. “This movie had every aspect covered, from Delta blues to Irish songs —even an expert on twins. They

WEATHER

Continued from page1B

Charles office,including meteorologist-in-charge

Roger Erickson. In addition, Fahy said Lake Charles also lost another meteorologist,a technician and amanagerial electronics position.

Fahy said that for meteorologists specifically,the Lake Charles office has a vacancy rate of nearly 39%, the highest in the state.

BLOTTER

Continued from page1B

Shortly after,JPD learned that Robertson was arrested in Baldwin after avehicle and foot pursuit with local police.

Robertsonfaces onecount of illegaluse of aweapon and terrorizing.

Miguel Martinez, 17, faces onecount of illegal useof aweapon, two counts of aggravated criminal damage to property and attempted second-degree murder,and one count of terrorizing.

JaylonCharles,19, faces two counts of aggravated criminal damage toproperty and attempted second-degree murder and one count of illegaluse of aweapon and terrorizing.

Martinez andCharles are being held at the Iberia Parish Jail. Robertson does not appearonthe Iberia Parish or St. Mary Parish Jail rosters. Police are also searching for a16-year-old male.

An investigation is ongoing, and additional arrests are expected.

LOCATIONS

Continued from page1B

Zuschlag, who was 76, died June 5, 2024, from complications followingcancer treatment.

“It wasa privilege to honor Richard E. Zuschlag on the Senate floorfor hisvisionary leadership and unwavering commitmenttoemergency medical careinLouisiana,” Boudreaux sharedina Facebook post. “His work through Acadian Ambulance has savedlives, created careers, andstrengthened communities across our state.”

Zuschlagwas known as a hard-driving executive who, with two co-founders, in 1971 started Acadian Ambulance Serviceand builtitinto a company known for putting people over profits.

Acadian Ambulance remainsbased in Lafayette, has 5,200 employees, and operates in four states and 37 parishes in Louisiana.

Acadianwas about80% employee-owned at thetime of his death, and Zuschlag ownedthe remaining 20%.

would call and text me about individual words, simple things like ‘would this word have been used around this time.’ They even had me record the Lord’sPrayer in an Irish accent for Jack to learn “The thing Ilearned the most is,you cannever go into too much detail on aproject you’re trying to getright.”

Davoren opened up his Rolodex, bringing Louisiana Creole musicians like Jeffery Broussard onboard for recording and scene work. He made scratch recordings of the songs sothe actors could learn them properly,played the Irish bouzouki and hand drum for the soundtrack, andevenrecruiteda “hodgepodge of aCeltic choir” from

Shreveport has a15.38% rate, while New Orleans is fully staffed with meteorologists.

Stephen Carboni, nowthe acting meteorologist-inchargeinLakeCharles, did not respond to requests for comment.

Records provided by weather service New Orleans Lead Meteorologist Mike Buchanan show that reassignment opportunity notifications for three positions in the Lake Charles office closed on May 27. However,

Crowley man dies in Acadia Parish crash

ACrowley man died ThursdayinanAcadia Parish crash, according to Louisiana State Police Police said thecrash claimed the life of 60-yearold Roderick Boullion, of Crowley.

Just after noon Thursday, troopers began investigating atwo-vehicle crashon Louisiana Highway 13 near its intersection with Airport RoadinAcadiaParish.

Thepreliminary investigationrevealed that a2004 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by Boullion was travelingnorth on Highway 13. At the same time, a2019 Kenworth commercialtruck was travelingsouth. For reasons stillunder investigation, police say, theMercurycrossed the centerline and drove into the path of thetruck,which hit the Mercury head-on. Boullion was properly restrained, according to police, butsuffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. Thetruck driverwas properly restrained anduninjured.Aroutinetoxicology sample was obtained from

The companyisnow 100% employee-owned, current CEO Eddy Dupuis said, as Zuschlag intended. Zuschlag was “the man who made Acadian what it is today, theman whoseimpact on our communities and our state will last for decades, andthe manwhose faith, love and friendship has touched us all,” Dupuis said.

In May,Acadian held its annualawardsceremony, thefirst since Zuschlag’s death.

love singing along to Irish songs.Watching him work, when we put theRocky Road scenetogether for the first time—Ryan was moving his cameraman around, explaining the shots he wanted, like adance within the dance. The vision he had for the scene was phenomenal;Iwas blown away.”

Davoren said his daughter is enjoying basking in the limelight of the experience. She is currently attending university in Dublin,and hopestodance andteach professionally one day —like her parents.

LIGO

Continued from page1B

Under theproposed federal budget, only one LIGO observatory would operatewith areduced level of spending for LIGO technology development in the2026 fiscal year,according to the budget proposal.

LIGO Livingston ObservatoryHeadJoseph Giaime said that if either observatory were to close, “the amount of space we can see into is muchdiminished.”

“Werun together.We use data together.We’re able to dig moredeeply intospace together,” he said.

While it is unclear which LIGO observatory would have to shut down if the proposed budget were approved,scientists believe it would be harmful to both observatories either way.

The NSF froze funding grants in January after a White House memo called forapause in federal grant spending and then rescinded the memo. LIGO hassince been under ahiring freeze, but did not reduce any staff at either observatory,said Whitney Clavin, aCaltech spokesperson, in March. LIGO has had significant ties to LSU fordecades. The university even proposed Livingston as alocation for the observatory.Itisthe onlyLIGO site close to auniversity,saidLSU professor of physicsand astronomy Gabriela González. González, who was also the spokesperson for the international LIGO Scientific Collaboration during the2015 breakthrough, said many scientists come to workat LSU because of LIGO. Shesaidifsupport for LIGO is eliminated or drastically reduced, observatoryemployees from Baton Rouge, Hammondand across thestate would lose their jobs.

around the countryofpeople who could sing, or be trained to sing, in an Irish accent Sheila andRoisin Davoren took over the dancetraining. According to Davoren, “Jack (O’Connell) is seriously talented. His dadisfrom Ireland, he spent summers there, he grew up learning Irish dance. My wife and daughter came up witha simple choreography,but he showed up to rehearsal with high level Irish dance moves. It wowed the socks off them.”

He alsofound out that Coogler himself is ahuge fan of Irishfolk tunes

“He hadeliteknowledge of Irish music,” saidDavoren “He said that he and his kids

Buchanansaid thatnone of thethree positions —two lead meteorologists and a meteorologistincharge were able to be filled through thereassignment opportunitiesnotifications

Buchanan said another round of weather service positions will filled soon.

“It’ll be probably sometime this summer, (but) they’re waiting for the (reassignment opportunity notifications) to get finalized, and then they’ll be movingforward,” Buchanan said. “It’ll

Boullion and submitted for analysis.

The truckdriverwas not suspected of being impaired and voluntarily provided abreath sample, which revealed no alcohol detected. This crash remains under investigation.

Lake Charles man sentenced to life

ALakeCharles man who gunned down arobbery victim in 2023 has been sentenced to life in prison.

ProsecutorssaidKevin E. Williams,26, planned an armed robbery,met thepotential victim and then fatally shot him in the head, according to anews release fromthe Calcasieu Parish DistrictAttorney’sOffice.

On Jan. 31, 2023, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office arrived at ahome off Westwood Road in Westlake andfound DamarcusA.Ardoin, 25, dead inside, areleasefrom theoffice states. Deputies arrested Williams on Feb. 6, 2023, and he was booked intothe Calcasieu Correctional Centerona count of second-degree murder

He said that “she didn’tget overawed by stardom. She was real firmand clear,telling Michael B. Jordan and theotheractorsnot to be too bouncy,put your hands down, be morestoic. They listened to her.”

For his part, Davoren says that he was humbled by the opportunity to share something he loves withthe entire world.

“I’ve been afolk music nerd sinceIwas 7or8,” he says. “Playing all this uncool music in your room your friends hate, wasting what seems like hours and hours —never thinking it’s goingto be cool. It’s just apassion. To be asked by people in Hollywood at that level to envision the treatmentofthese songs —it’sjust afabulous honor.”

be 126 positionsacross agency.Wedon’tknow all the offices involved, but that’sthe numberofpositions right now that were advertised.”

Buchanan said the New Orleans office will be “partnering” with LakeCharlesat theend of the month.

“We’llbehelping them out,” Buchanan said. “They’ll be mostly doing their own productsand services,but occasionally we’ll be assisting them, because our staffing here in Slidell is significantly better.”

Williams was found guilty of second-degree murder on Feb. 28. On Friday,14th Judicial District Court Division H JudgeKendrickGuidrysentenced him to life in prison without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of

LIGO Executive Director David Reitze, who oversees both observatories and is based at the California Institute of Technology,said in an email that LIGOispreparing fora39.6% budget reduction for LIGO and are working to understand what can keep operating. Reitze saidthis typeof budgetcut would force LIGO to make“very hard choices”about picking programs to terminate. He also said LIGO is talking to NSF to understand thedecisionprocess behind potentially closing an observatory “Honestly,shutting down either LIGO Livingston or LIGO Hanford would cripple our scientific mission,” Reitze said.

“How can we even makea decision like that?”

LIGO had planned to temporarily shut down some parts of its Livingston facilityover the next twoyearstoinstall anumberoftechnology improvements. The new technology would lead to more gravitationalwave detections and increase thepossibility of discoveringnew types of gravitational-wave sources. But theproposed budget cut could stall these plans. “We’ll have to put those upgrade plans on hold. So much science would be lost,” he said. Each LIGO observatory employs approximately 50 people.The Livingston sitealso hostsgraduate students and researchers, including LSUresearchers, according to Reitze.

sentence, according to arelease. In addition, Williams was sentenced to 25 years on acount of obstruction of justice to second-degree murder.That term will be served consecutively withthe first sentence.

“If NSF support for LIGO research is reduced …it would notlet us attract graduate studentsand postdocs to LSU who later work for the technological workforce in Louisiana andthe U.S.,” she said. “Our physics and astronomy department and others in the country saw alarge increaseinapplicationstograduate school citing LIGO as one the main factors” The gravitational waves discovery in 2015 confirmed akey prediction of Albert Einstein’sgeneral theoryof relativity and kick-started a new era of astronomy.Since then, LIGO has observed hundreds moregravitational waves. Aside from operating and improving thegravitational wave detector,the Livingstonobservatory’smaingoals are also to use LIGO data for science, and to carry out education and public outreach at theLIGO ScienceEducation center.The observatory hosts school field trips and publictours on thefirstSaturday of every month. “I personallyworry about ourability to continue our education missionand do a good job as needed on our science mission. …We’re going to do the best we can,” Giaime said.

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

Evangeline Parish n Citizens Bank in Jeanerette, Iberia Parish.

n Hickory Hill Plantation House in Jackson, East FelicianaParish n Oak Grove Historic District in Oak Grove, West Carroll Parish. Comments canbedirectedtonational_register_submissions@nps.gov

Other Louisiana locations include: n WooddaleTower in BatonRouge, East Baton RougeParish

withthe subject line, “Public Comment on (property or districtname), (parish) Louisiana” or by mail to the National RegisterofHistoricPlaces,National Park Service, 1849 CSt. N.W., MS 2013, Washington, D.C., 20240.

Comments should be submitted by June 17.

PHOTO PROVIDED By TONy DAVOREN

Tony Davoren records an Irish ensemble choir withactors Peter Dreimanis andLola Kirkefor the composer of ‘Sinners, Ludwig Göransson.

Obituaries

Richardson, Rosalie Hammett

Private services will be held at Garden of Memories Funeral Home & Cemetery in Metairie, Louisiana, for Rosalie Hammett Richardson, age 100, who peacefully passed away on Monday, June 2, 2025, in Lafayette. Rosalie will be Interred with her late husband, Reverend George Robert Richardson. Survivors of Rosalie includeher three children, George Robert "Bob" Richardson, III, and his wife, Susan, Beth Foreman and her husband, Bill, and BarbaraHarvey and her husband, Charles;four grandsons, Scott Foreman, Greg Foreman (Kerry), Doug Richardson, and Jason Richardson (Laura); six great grandchildren, Austin Foreman, Kaitlyn Foreman, Matthew Ashy, Amelia Richardson, George Richardson, and Benjamin Richardson; and her nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Reverend George Robert Richardson, II; her parents, Percy Griffing Hammett and Rose Ann Walker Hammett; and her siblings, May, Marjorie Caribel, and Paul. Rosalie was anativeof Jackson, Mississippi, anda longtime resident of Lafayette, Louisiana, having also spent many cherished years in New Orleans. She graduated from Jackson High School and went on to attend Soule Business Collegein New Orleans, where she received her business training. During WorldWar II, she worked in the rationing department at Higgins Shipyard in New Orleans. She also pursued theologicalstudies at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. It was during her time in NewOrleans that she met her beloved husband, Rev. Robert Richardson, at

Gentilly Baptist Church. Rosalie had adeeplove forher faith and wasdevoted to serving others through her church. She was adedicatedmember of First Baptist Church in Lafayette, whereshe sang in the choir and took part in nearly every program and ministryavailable. She especiallyenjoyedteaching Bible School and Studiesfor women and children, and she remained active in her church family and the widercommunity throughout her life. Alongside her husband, she traveledextensively, participatinginmissionary trips, pilgrimages, and exploring many places aroundthe world. Her hobbies included attending musicals and plays, and she cherished every opportunity to sharejoy,music,

both Audubon Hospice and T.S. Granger. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Faith House, honoring Rosalie's memory; P.O. Box93145 Lafayette, LA 70509 -337232-8954View theobituary and guestbookonline at www.mourning.com Martin& Castille Funeral HomeDOWNTOWN, 330 St Landry Street, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506, 337-2342311

When youneed thenews. Wherever youreadthe news

Thenewspaper

ADVERTISEMENT

Many Americansare fortunate to havedental coverage fortheir entire working life, through employer-provided benefits.Whenthose benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to putoff or even go without care. Simply put —without dentalinsurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.

When you’re comparingplans ...

 Look forcoveragethat helps pay formajor services. Some plans may limitthe numberof procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans mayrequire you to payhundredsout of pocket before benefits are paid.

 Shop forcoveragewithnoannual maximum on cash benefits. Some planshaveannual maximums of $1,000.

Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1

That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meanttocover everything. That means if you wantprotection, you need to purchase individual insurance.

Earlydetection canprevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.

The best way to preventlarge dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice ayear.

Ask

age.2

Treatment is expensive— especially theservicespeople over 50 oftenneed.

Consider these national average costs of treatment. $222 fora checkup .$190 for afilling. $1,213 fora crown.3 Unexpected bills likethis can be arealburden especially if you’re on afixed income.

OUR VIEWS

On fiscal matters, state

Senate is taking itsresponsibility

seriously

At the start of the legislative session thatis set to endlater this week,weurged Louisiana lawmakers to take their role as part ofa co-equal branch of government seriously,and to approach decisions on taxing and spending withcaution

We’ve been pleased to see the state Senate, under the mature lexadership of Senate President Cameron Henry,R-Metairie, do just that. Senators killedHouse-passed bills thatwould have cut the state sales tax rate from 5%to4.75% andits flatincome tax ratefrom 3% to 2.75%.

We continue to believe that Louisiana’s sales tax is too high and disproportionately burdens those least able to pay,and we’re always for putting more money in Louisianans’ pockets whenpossibleand prudent. But these proposals were neither. State Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro,argued that the lost revenue would be offset byeliminatinga state savings account. But an analysis by state economists found that the numbers didn’t add up,and predicted the tax cuts would create steepshortfalls in comingyears. We’regladthe Senate Revenue &Fiscal Affairs Committee took thiswarning seriously

We were also encouraged to see the Senate Finance Committee reduce the amount thestate wouldallot to the new LA GATOR programthat lawmakers created last year at Gov.JeffLandry’s urging, which puts taxpayer dollars toward private school tuition and other educationalexpenses.

Landry had included $93.5 million forthe program in his proposed budget, and the Houseapproved it. But the Finance Committeefollowed the lead of Henry,who has pointed out that states with similar programs have seen costs skyrocket, with much of the money going to familieswho already send their kids to private schools. Henry hasalsonoted that asmaller voucher program adopted under Gov.Bobby Jindal didnot produce better outcomes.

The committeecut $50 million from therequest and budgeted $43.5million, the cost ofthatold voucherprogram.

We don’tknow whether that figure willstand; advocates arepushing for the original totaltobe restored,citingthe nearly 40,000 familiesthat have applied to participate. The full Senate will consider the budget in thecoming days, andwhatever emerges will go to conference committee with Housemembers

We hope lawmakers who still have achanceto weighinwill keep in mindthe unsettling fiscal uncertainty from Washington, where Congress maycut Medicaidand other programsonwhich Louisiana’sbudget relies, as well as policyshifts affecting major sectors such as tradeand international tourism. There’s also uncertaintyinBaton Rouge, where lawmakers passed majorchanges to the tax system just last year and have yettosee how they’ll play out.

We actually wish we’d see more of thistype of thoughtful deliberation from our representatives in Congress,where Republicans majorities in both houses have mostly done President Donald Trump’sbidding ratherthanembracingtheir constitutionalrole providing checks and balances That’snot theway government is supposedto work —onany level.

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.

RedAmerica making moneyoff greenenergy

Wyoming is the second windiest state, after Nebraska. It’s obvious why thewind power industry is investing $10 billion there. Andit’shard to see why any state politician would oppose this.But somehave. Wyoming is one of those fossil-fuel producing states in which so-called conservatives feel obligated or are paid —tostop competition from clean energy.Texas is another Wyoming State Sen. Larry Hicks proposed atemporary ban on renewable energy projects. “It does one thing: puts amoratoriumonwind and solar for the next five years,” he said. “It’s asimple little bill.”

power Texas was expected to double its storage capacitythis year —that is, until Donald Trumpslapped huge tariffs on China. More than two-thirds of imported batteries come from China.

In March, the Texas Senate passed amandate that half of all new power capacity come from sourcesother than battery storage. In other words, at least 50% of all newpower plant capacityhad to be produced from coal, natural gas and oil.

by endorsing an “all of the above energy strategy.” He wants to keep Wyoming as “the energy state” but also to address climate change by developing clean renewables. The far-right Freedom Caucus went after Gordon foracknowledging climate change. It introduced abill designed to stop the state from pursuing any carbon reduction targets and titled it “Make Carbon Dioxide Great Again.”

Apragmatic Republican, Gordon called such proposals as “a little bit stupid.”

A“simple,”five-year plan? Howdo you say,“Aw,shucks” in Russian? But let’spoint out that renewable energy is the only kind of energy that is, by definition, sustainable. Wyoming may have coal, oil and gas. Butithas wind forever This hostility towardwind power is even weirder in Texas. Texas harvests moreelectricity from wind than any other state, or nearly 28% of all windgenerated electricityinthe U.S. In one recent week, nearly half of Texas’s electricity came from solar and wind

Back in Wyoming, lawmakers wedded to fossil fuels are complaining that large wind and solar projects are fundamentally changing thelook of Wyoming’swide-open spaces. That’signoring the aesthetics of Wyoming’scoal pits, wide open craters that stretch for miles

Wyoming is over 63 times the size of Rhode Island, with less than half the population of the Ocean State. There are dozens of wind turbines in Rhode Island, onshore and off. More are planned withminimal complaint. There does exist public support for clean energy in Wyoming, which is whyHicks’ initiative failed. Gov.Mark Gordon tried to bridge the differences

The bottom line is that Wyoming continues to develop wind energy projects. The Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project, now under construction near Rawlins, will be the nation’slargest wind farm

Much of what happens from here on in depends on Washington. The recently passed House bill strips away subsidies forrenewables. How it fares in the Senate remains to be seen. Suffice it to say,slowing America’smove to cleaner and also cheaper energy is morethan alittle bit stupid.

Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop.Emailher at fharrop@gmail.com.

Celebrationasimportant as critique

On theOpinion pages,wehave many chances to addour voice to a varietyoftopics, or lift up thevoices of others. We look for topics where we feel the newspaper can share views that makea difference in clarifying an issue, condemning awrongor even celebrating asuccess. It’s this lastpoint that Iwant to emphasizetoday As much as the newspaper’s roleistohighlightwhereour communities or political leadersfall short, that’snot our only role. We like to point out wherethings are going right,too. Some of my favorite editorials and columns are ones that tell the story of alife well lived or along-sought goal achieved by an individual or team. We have anumber of talented people in our state, some of whom work many yearsinobscuritybeforeachieving theirdreams. When we can, we like

to feature their stories. The same goes for themany institutions working hardinour community year after year that may notget attention If you are part of agroup that deserves ourattention, pleasesend us anote. We receive many guest columns from groups working throughout our state. When they have thechance to explain where they see solutions, it often has apowerful impact.Wehope it can become acatalyst for others to joininthe work. After all, we can’t investinsolutionsifwedon’tknow what they are. Going to our letters inbox, we can give you can an update of the letters we received at theend of May. From May 15-22, we received 64 letters. Breaking news dominated the topics of discussion. Therewere sixletters on the New Orleans jailbreak, where 10 inmates

escaped.Fourletters on immigration andthreeonthe Nottoway Plantation fire roundedout the list. From May 22-29, we received 66 letters, with the so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” drawing alot of interest. Six letters mentionedvarious aspects of the bill. Next, writers were concernedabout efforts to lower auto insurance rates in Louisiana.Wereceived four letters on the topic as it was being debated in the Legislature. There were also letters on asmattering of other bills. Now thatthe sessioniscoming to a close, we will be interested to see your letters aboutwhatpassedinto law. As always, you’ll hear whatwe think, andfrompoliticians around the state on what was accomplished. But your voicematters too.

Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | OpinionPage Editor.Emailher at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

Arnessa Garrett

Froma Harrop

COMMENTARY

Thestate’s ready. Arethe feds?

Every year Louisiana’sgovernor, no matter who that is, kicks off hurricane season by urging residents to have aplan —a place to go if an evacuation is necessary andway to get there; ago-bag with vital documents, medicine and other necessities; supplies for pets and so forth.

fecting informationavailable. State ClimatologistJay Grymes backed that up, declaring that “I feel confident that our tropical coverage this season will be more thanadequate for what we require.”

Stephanie Grace

“Preparation starts withthe individual,” Gov Jeff Landry said last week, before invoking the lesson learned from prior monster storms: “Preparation saves lives.”

That’strue. It’salso true that the needtoprepare doesn’tjust apply to individuals. It applies to government as well. And that’swhere things are worrisome as the tropics begin to heat up.

Landry offered reassurances about Louisiana’sreadiness, and indeed, state and local ranksare staffed up with people who’ve been through major storms before. Less convincing were his reassurances about the federalgovernment’sability to predict and respond to disaster

The governorsaid he hadn’t heard that President Donald Trump’sadministration’smassive cuts to the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration and National Weather Service were af-

Landry also said that despite considerable talk of dismantling the Federal Emergency Management Agency,he’sspoken with his allies at the White House and the Department of Homeland Security “and I do not believe the president or the White House has any intention of revamping FEMA while hurricane season is in play.” If there are issues, he added, he’sconfident that he can pick up the phone and call Washington. Well, let’sall hope it doesn’tcome to that, and that if it does, Landry’s assessment is correct. Because there are plenty of indications that it’snot.

It’s good that the National Weather Service is looking to fill key positions now, but that move follows huge losses in experienced staff. Theseare the people who supply data to local weather forecasters —and also to state officials like Grymes.

It’snot at allreassuring that a longtime Florida television meteorologistrecently issuedadire on-air warningthathe’snot sure he can provide accuratehurricane predictions this year due to the administration’s“sledgehammer attack” on science, which he said

has left NWS offices 20% to40% understaffed and mayground hurricane hunter aircraft.

“Whatwe’restarting to seeis thatthe qualityofthe forecastsis being degraded,” meteorologist John Morales said. This year “we may be flying blind.”

While it’sgood that Landry’sgottenpersonalassurances,arecent internal FEMA report warned that the agency is in fact not ready for the season —and made theobvious point that allthe talkofeliminating it undermines focus on the missionathand.

It’s alsogood that Landryhas contactsinthe administration, not

just witha president he strongly supports but with Homeland SecuritySecretary Kristi Noem,a closeally from their days serving together in Congress, whose department includes FEMA.

On the otherhand, other Republicans withclose administration tieshave already had trouble getting the help they needed following major weather events. This happened in Arkansas, whereGov.Sarah Huckabee Sanders —yes, Trump’sfirst term press secretary —had to appeal FEMA’s initial rejection of her request for amajor disaster declaration following severe March

storms. It happened in Missouri, prompting Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley to practically beg Noem during ahearing to expedite disaster requests after deadly tornadoes hit the St. Louis area. So it’sgood that Landry and Grymes are confident they can handle whatcomes this summer but the truth is that the state just doesn’thave the tools the feds do. Or did.

It didn’thave to be like this.

After Trump wonlast year’selection, there was talk that former U.S. Rep. GarretGraves, of Baton Rouge, might take over FEMA. He would have been agreat choice, as aseasoned government insider who knows whatneeds fixing but also gets the agency’svital role. Instead, we have an acting FEMA administrator who recently said that he didn’teven know there’ssuch thing as ahurricane season. David Richardson insisted he wasjoking, but even under that best case scenario, is that really what we need at this tense timeof year?

As Landry said, there’snothing more important than taking the threat of severe hurricanes seriously That doesn’tjust apply at the individual level. It goes straight to the top.

Email StephanieGrace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.

TheNineteenweren’t first,lastmistreatedBlack people

Will Sutton

Iwalked along the sidewalk beyond the library to the Lawless Chapel on the Dillard Universitycampus andpaused whenI saw asinglewhite hearse. One hearse for19 people. One hearse for what’sleftofthose 19 people. Skulls. In some cases, parts of skulls. Beautifully-crafted boxes carrying their remains were inside asingle coffin. The gloved hands of the Rhodes Funeral Home staffwere careful as they moved them inside for aviewing There was no open casket. No closed casket. Each person’sbox had a place of honor Ithought about Alice Brown, 15; Henry Allen, 17; Prescilla Hatchet, 19; Hiram Smith, 20; and Hiram Malone, 21, and the livesthey might have lived. But, like 10 others with names and two unidentified people, they went to Charity Hospital forhelp, to get better. Each died, for avariety of reasons. They were decapitated. Their bodieswere left somewhere in New Orleans. Theirheads went to Germany for predetermined research —race science —tohelp provethat Black people are inferior to White people The Nineteen were among 1,200 ancestral remains at the University of Leipzig inGer-

The Louisiana Senate should not just rubber-stamp the appointment of Roy Carubba, the acting president of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, to serve afull terminthat position. WhileCarubba may well merit the job, some complicated questions first should be answered.

many.Aside from our 19, four other people have been identified, including someindigenous people, according to the university’sDr. Martin Gericke. He said the work to repatriate these individuals started in 2021 because “repatriations are avery important step in thehealing process of the wrong thathas been done to the respective communities.”

New Orleans city archaeologist Michael Godzinski was contacted by email on May 2, 2023, his birthday.“That was 53,” he told me.“Yeah. Happy 53.”

He reached out to afriend who had worked at the attorney general’soffice and to friends at the University of New Orleans. They agreed that retired Dillard University professor Dr.Eva Baham and Dillard,the state’soldest HBCU, had to be involved.

This wasn’tthe first repatriation. In 2024, the remains of atribal ancestor were sent to aUnited States community that doesn’t want to beidentified. No name. No cause of death. Returned with lots of questions, just like The Nineteen.

The Nineteen died in 1871 and 1872, just afew years after the Civil Warended in 1866. The Union beat the Confederates and their states-rights support for the institution of slavery The Civil Warwas real. In simple terms,

Meanwhile, Carubba frequently throws around accusations against past and present board members, calling them “corrupt.”

one side supported slavery and theother side supported emancipation, though slowly Ican’timagine learning our nation’s history without references to indigenous people who were disrespected and mistreated by people who weren’tinvited and the formationofcolonies thatbroke from theirmotherland to form anew nation. Ican’timagine learning our history without references to theCivil War, theCrash of 1920 andhow somewerebeaten and killed during the Civil RightsMovement.

What happened to The Nineteen was in the1800s, but disdain, disrespect and exploitation of Black people —specifically Black bodies —has continued.

In the1800s and the 1900s, someregularly stole Black bodies from graveyards and sold them —inwhole or in parts —to thehighest bidding medical schools.

The infamous Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in theNegro Male was a study conducted for 40 years by the United States Public HealthService and theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention Black menwere given the impression that treatment would make themhealthy.Itwas alie. About 400 were not treated at all. The study didn’tend until 1972.

In 1951, Henrietta Lacks, aBlack woman, was diagnosed withcervical cancer at Johns

Hopkins University in Baltimore. Somebody thought taking someofher cellsampleswas agood idea. For science andthe public good, it was. Lacks’ cells helped thedevelopment of apolio vaccine,aidedcancer research and helpedwithgene mapping. Unfortunately, no oneasked Lacks or her family.Companies made millions.Lacks and herfamily did not —until Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. settled alawsuitwithLacks’ heirs— in 2023. JohnTolman,Moses Willis andWilliam Roberts, each 23; Samuel Prince, 40; William Pierson,43; JohnBrown, 48; MarieLouise, 55; Henry Williams,55; Adam Grant, 50; Isaak Bell, 70; andMahala, 70, weren’t part of avoluntary research program.They didn’tagree to have theirskulls tested.Don’t youthink it’s strange that none of these people were White, mostwere Black anda fewwere indigenous? History is important. We mustremember thegood andthe bad. At onepoint in our history,the American Public Health Associationcalledracism apublic health emergency. The year was2020. Perhaps these things won’t happenagain withproper public health attention. Or am Idreaming?

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Quin Hillyer

The Senate has an obligation to ensure that key appointees are well vetted. Especially for an agency as important as one that provides flood and hurricane protection for 650,000 people, lawmakers should make sure the right person is running the show

The Senate is scheduled to approve or disapprove of all pending board and commission appointments on June 11 and 12. Thelevee board undeniably has been riven by turmoil in the past year.Four membersof the nine-member boardresigned in March in protest against Carubba’sleadership and actions, andcontinuing board memberClay Cossé has published aletter to the same effect. As complaints and blame-casting fly against and from Carubba, the board canceled its May meeting forlack ofa quorumoccasioned by Carubba’sown absence. Result: The board was unable to approve the agency’s formal hurricane plan before storm season officiallybegan.

Carubba says the board vote would be amere formality and that all systems are ready for the storm season. The Senate should probe to see if he is right.

Now,inanew accusation, Carubba told me on June 3that “The four board membersthat resigned did so pursuant to acivil service grievance.”

Carubba said the state’sattorneygeneral is “looking into” and “examining” the grievance —the details of which are not public. Attorney General Liz Murrill said, through her press aide, thatshe had “no comment” on the matter

Allegations of corruption or complicity in civil service violations from one board member about his peers naturally help createa toxic board atmosphere. They should not be aired unless really warranted.

At theApril17levee board meeting, Carubba did askthe board to approve the hiring of afirm “to handle HR grievances.” Still-serving board member Rick Duplantier toldme, though, that the aspersions cast on his former colleagues were unfair

The grievance, Duplantier said, not only was not why[his former colleagues] resigned,” but indeed was filed after they were in the process of resigning. He said the grievance had absolutely nothing to do with thoseboard members.

Whatever the nature of the probe, Carubba manifestly has upended the agency’soperations.Atleast the board, if not the whole agency,appears dysfunctional. Before Carubba is confirmed for afull, four-year term, the Senateshould examine whether the turmoil seems likely to produce desirable

resultsinthe long run. Will the agency be able to competently provide flood protection amidst such chaos? Or is the chaos, as Carubba says, instead necessary to fix whathe describes as amess he inherited?

Among many other questions, theSenate also should ask if it’s appropriate that Carubba openly says he “reports” not to Gov. Jeff Landry’soffice, but to businessman Shane Guidry,a Landry friendand financial supporter who holds no official government position.

Meanwhile, Carubba’sown residential eligibilityfor the board, or possible lack thereof, also deserves vetting. Is he even permitted to serve in his board position?

By law and by Landry’sofficial letter appointing him, Carubba fills aseat explicitly designated for,and only for,aresident of Jefferson Parish. YetCarubba takes ahomestead exemption on arather large house he calls it his “camp” —inPortVincent, in LivingstonParish. By law,asthe Jefferson Parish assessor also confirms, “Ahomestead exemption cannot be applied to aproperty that is not permanently occupiedbyits owner” Carubba’s“residency” is complicated. In his application for the board post, Carubba listed 324 Lake Avenue in Metairieashis official residence. His voter registration instead lists 3400 Hessmer Avenue— his business address (as an engineer),but where he says he also maintains an apartment.

The Senateshould ask if this means Carubba is technically ineligible either forthe homestead exemption —meaning he is get-

ting an undue taxbreak —orfor the levee board spot.

As he explained it on thephone to me, Carubba saidwhenhebought thePortVincentplace he very temporarily considered it his main abode— until he soon thereafter secured theapartmentonLakeAvenue for alonger-term rental.Except forthatshort interlude in Port Vincent, he said, “The truth of it is that Ihavebeen living in Jefferson Parish andvoting in Jefferson continuously forthe last 39 years.”

As forhis homestead exemption, he didn’t think to change it once it wasawardedin Port Vincent: “I nevergaveitany thought.I just do what Ineed to do to runmybusiness andlive my life.”

Gov. Landry’spress aide KateKelly said, “Roy hasahome in thearea that he represents. Everything is completelylegal and within the requirements.”

Well is it?

Again, thiscouldall occurwithnoill intent, exactlyasCarubba explains it.Still, theSenate should examine the wholepicture— his eligibility, his conduct, hisaims and objectives. To hiscredit,theyalsoshould listen to his obvious enthusiasm forthe job of flood protection itself.

Eitherway,confirmation to any keycommission shouldbethe result of real deliberation,not justaforegone conclusion.The safety of residents of Orleans, Jeffersonand St. Bernard parishes depends on it.

Quin Hillyer canbereached at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Gov. Jeff Landryspeaks Tuesdayabout preparations forhurricane season at the Governor’sOffice of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness headquarters.

BREAKING OUT

LSU right fielder Josh Pearson drives the ball for agrand slam against West Virginia in the sixth inning of their super regional Game 1onSaturdayatAlex Box Stadium.

LSUbatsproduce two huge inningsinclubbing of WVU

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

The big inning has eluded LSUasoflate.

Go back to May 10. That’sthe last time the Tigers scoredmore than three runs in an inning when they scored six in the fifth inning of a13-3win over Arkansas.

Crooked numbers aren’t arequirement for agoodday but in Game 1ofthe BatonRouge super regional against West Virginia at Alex Box Stadium on Saturday,LSU finally broke throughwithtwo big ones

The Tigers scored seven runs in thefifthinning and six runs in the sixth. The offensive explosion was more than enough to secure a16-9 victory,inching the Tigers one win closer to reachingthe College World Series for the second time in three seasons.

“Great win for our team today,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “It was against areally goodteam and areally good pitcher.”

See LSU, page 3C

Can’toverstate value of team-firstPearson

Josh Pearson is the kind of player coaches loveto have but sometimes never find.

Be ateam player.Wait your turn. But when called upon to perform,give it your all.

In today’sNIL/transfer portal/post-House settlementera, Pearson is aunicorn. Aguy who has, except for last season when he started 52 of 60 games, been aparttime starter most of his four years at LSU.

UL ready to adjust after House deal OK’d

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Late Fridaynight,judge Claudia Wilken granted approval to the House v. NCAA settlement that allows schools to begin directly paying athletes starting July 1. In recent years, athletes across the country have been receiving huge payments through NIL collectives,which technically were notpartofeach school’s athleticdepartment. Under this newsystem, each school will share revenue withits athletes up to acap of $20.5 million forthe 2025-26 school year Schools not in the Power Four conferences won’t approach that cap, but that doesn’t mean the revenue sharing won’tprovide structure and clarity “We’re excited about this case,” said Trey Frazier,the UL deputyathletic director and RCAF executive director.“We’re going to opt into the revenue-sharing model.” Prior to the ruling, any payments to add or keep UL athletes had to be raised through theKreweAllons collective, avolunteer group that created an LLC to assist the athletic department.

In this newformat, theprocess will be morestreamlined.

“What that means is we’ll be able to fundraise fordollars through the RCAF,” Fraziersaid. “Thatwon’t be ouronly means, but we’ll be able to do some things with ticketing with events and with budgeting. We can fundraise andhavea little bit morecontrol over theprocess, andwethink our fanbase will appreciate that avenue alittle bit more.” The hope is that therelationships built

Buthehas stuck it out for fouryears.

That’sthe rare part.The rarest part.

“That’s my only guy who’sbeenhere in my fouryears here,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said.

Most college players, if they’re great talents, are gone after three seasons. That includes Saturday’s starting pitcher for LSU, Kade Anderson, even though he allowed acareer-high six earned runs in

Scott Rabalais ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

N FOOTE er

thletes and one contributormakeup

Coles, Hayden

Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025. six-member class includesfour nanatives —basketball star Kevin two-waybaseball standout Corey four-year softball starterHaley and Ed Dugas, who has helped recdecadesofULathletes via the Athtwork. ther twohonorees arekicker Brett f Brandon, Mississippi, and Kenyan vegolfer Richard Ainley

Brooks came to UL from White Casand finished his career as the thirdading scorer in school history,trailg only Bo Lamar and Andrew Toney rom 1987-91, the skinny 6-foot-8 oks scored 2,294pointsand shot rom thefield and 40.9% from 3-point .e averaged 19.8 points and6.2 re-

bounds agamewhile making 77.4% of his free throws Brookshit theground running as theAmerican South Conference’snewcomer of the year while averaging 16.8pointsand 6.3 rebounds and shooting 56.5% from the field.

Thenextseason he averaged 20.7 points and 5.4 rebounds and shot52.2%. As ajunior, he averaged 20.1 points and7.0 rebounds while shooting 3-pointers at a40.4% clip. As asenior,Brooks averaged 21.2 points and 6.0 rebounds while making 44.7% of his 3-point attempts. He wasa two-timehonorable mention AllAmerican and four-time All-ASC performer

Brooks was drafted No. 18 in the first round of the NBA draft in 1991 andwas immediately traded to the Denver Nuggets, where he played for three years. Coles was aproductofComeaux High and still ranks No. 2onUL’sall-time hitting list with acareer .369 average. He ledthe Cajuns in battinginbothof

his seasons —.368 in 2002 and .371 in 2003 —and also ledthe team in homers, RBIs, doubles, triples and stolen bases in 2003. Coles was atwo-time All-Sun Belt performer He also pitched forthe Cajuns with a3.38 ERA and four saves in his second season. Hayden, aWest Monroe native, is the softball program’sleader in runs scored (251) and was afour-time All-Sun Belt selection, including three timesonthe first team, in her career from 2014-17.

Also afour-time Sun Belt academic honoree, Hayden finished with acareer .365 averagewhile starting everyday of herfouryear career The outfielder, who beganher career on the infield, didn’tcommit an error during her senior season, and finished with career totals of 49 homers, 214 RBIs and 29 stolen bases.

HALL OF FAME, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

FRENCH OPEN

GREAT GAUFF

American outlasts No. 1 Sabalenka for second Grand Slam championship

BY JEROME PUGMIRE AND SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP sports writers

PARIS Drawing on the painful memory of her defeat three years ago in the French Open final gave Coco Gauff just the motivation she needed to win the clay-court major for the first time.

The 21-year-old American defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday for her second Grand Slam title, two years after winning the U.S. Open.

“I think (the U.S. Open victory) was more emotional but this one was harder,” said Gauff, who managed to handle the elements and the momentum swings better than Sabalenka “I knew it was going to be about willpower and mental (strength).”

The victory put to rest the bad memories of her 2022 French Open final loss to Iga Swiatek when, as an 18-year-old, Gauff felt overwhelmed even before stepping onto Court PhilippeChatrier.

“It was a tough time, I was doubting myself,” Gauff said.

“I was crying before the match, and so nervous, literally couldn’t breathe and stuff.”

Gauff said that the lopsided loss rocked her confidence to such an extent that she was left “in a dark place” and feared she was not cut out for winning major titles.

“I thought if I can’t handle this, how am I going to handle it again?” she said

She handled it just fine Saturday

The second-ranked Gauff made fewer mistakes and kept her emotions in check to get the better of Sabalenka again at a major final, having come from a set down to beat the Belarusian in the 2023

U.S. Open final.

Gauff raised the winners’ trophy aloft, then kissed it several times. She held her hand over her heart when the U.S. national anthem played

“This one is heavy,” Gauff said.

“It feels great to lift it.”

She is the first American woman to win at Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2015. It was the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 final in Paris since 2013, when Williams defeated Maria Sharapova,

and just the second in the last 30 years. After Sabalenka sent a backhand wide on Gauff’s second match point, the 21-year-old American fell onto her back, covering her face with both hands as she started to sob, then got up and held her hand over her mouth. She continued to sob as she patted the clay with her left hand.

Gauff greeted Sabalenka at the net with a warm hug and thanked the umpire. She then screamed out with joy and relief and got to her knees and crouched forward, continuing to cry as she savored the win.

She later hugged film director Spike Lee and celebrated with her entourage in her box before thanking the fans.

“You guys were cheering for me so hard,” she said. “I don’t know what I did to deserve so much love from the French crowd.”

Sabalenka praised Gauff for being a “fighter” and said she deserved the win, but added that the windy conditions made for an error-strewn contest.

“This will hurt so much,” Sabalenka said “Coco, congrats, in the tough conditions you were a better player than me.” Both players were sloppy in the

first set, conceding 21 break-point chances and making 48 unforced errors between them, with Sabalenka making 32 yet still winning the set. She made 70 in the match, compared to 30 for Gauff. Sabalenka was often frustrated, remonstrating and shouting at herself and frequently turning around to look at her team with an exasperated look on her face. She put her head on her hands a couple of times, and at one point raised her shoulders as if to say “What’s going on?”

Gauff said she paid no attention, knowing full well that Sabalenka could find her best game at any moment.

The first set looked to be heading Gauff’s way when she led 3-0 in the tiebreaker, but Sabalenka steadied herself and clinched it with a forehand volley at the net.

Gauff leveled the match with a smash at the net, but Sabalenka stuck to her high-risk approach in the deciding set.

One superb rally in the third game drew loud cheers.

After an intense exchange of drop shots, Gauff hit a lob that Sabalenka chased down before attempting a shot between her legs — only for Gauff to intercept it at the net.

Sovereignty beats Journalism to win Belmont

BY SPENCER RIPCHIK Associated

Press SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y Sovereignty bested Journalism on Saturday in a Kentucky Derby rematch to win the 157th Belmont Stakes, the second hosted at Saratoga.

Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado traversed the field of eight on a fast Saratoga track after downpours

Wrist injury puts Phillies

1B Harper on injured list

PITTSBURGH — The scuffling Philadelphia Phillies suffered a blow when they placed first baseman Bryce Harper on the 10-day injured list because of right wrist inflammation before their game against the Pirates. Harper sat out Friday night’s 5-4 loss to the Pirates. There is no timetable for his return.

The two-time National League MVP and eight-time All-Star is hitting .258 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs in 57 games.

He missed five games with a bruised right elbow after being hit by a pitch from Atlanta’s Spencer Strider The Phillies are expected to play third baseman Alec Bohm at first while Harper is out, with utility player Edmundo Sosa taking over at third.

Gonsolin latest Dodgers pitcher to go on the IL

ST LOUIS — Tony Gonsolin has been placed on the 15-day injured list by the Dodgers because of right elbow discomfort, joining fellow rotation members Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell among 14 Los Angeles pitchers on the IL.

NL West-leading Los Angeles activated relievers Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech from the 15-day IL before Saturday’s game against St. Louis and designated righthander Chris Stratton for assignment, one day after he rejoined the team.

Gonsolin, a 31-year-old righthander made his season debut on April 30 after recovering from Tommy John surgery on Aug. 18, 2023, and was 3-2 with a 5.00 ERA in seven starts.

Memphis center Edey to have ankle surgery

MEMPHIS — Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey sprained his left ankle again and the team says the All-Rookie team selection will need surgery The Grizzlies said Saturday that the 7-foot-3 Edey was working out this week when he injured the ankle again.

Imaging revealed excessive ligamentous laxity which will be addressed with surgery that also will restabilize his ankle.

The two-time national player of the year at Purdue missed 12 games early in the season because of a sprained left ankle. The Grizzlies said a preliminary timeline for recovery will be provided after surgery and that Edey is expected to make a full recovery

Braves designate reliever Kimbrel for reassignment

SAN FRANCISCO Craig Kimbrel’s stay with the Atlanta Braves lasted just one day as the team designated the franchise’s career saves leader for assignment and recalled left-handed pitcher Austin Cox.

The Braves had selected Kimbrel from Triple-A Gwinnett and recalled left-hander Dylan Dodd before opening a road series against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.

Kimbrel pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the Braves’ 5-4 loss. Kimbrel spent his first five seasons in the big leagues with Atlanta, leading the league in saves each year from 2011-14.

The Braves traded Kimbrel to San Diego before the 2015 season opener, and he has pitched for several teams since.

Manassero, Fox share lead at Canadian

Open

CALEDON, Ontario Matteo Manassero and Ryan Fox each shot 6-under 64 on Saturday to share the third-round lead in the RBC Canadian Open, the final event before the U.S. Open next week at Oakmont.

Manassero rebounded from a three-putt bogey on the par-4 17th with a birdie on the par-5 18th — hitting an 80-yard third shot to 2 feet to get to 14-under 196 on the North Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley Trying to win for the first time on the PGA Tour, the 32-year-old Italian player has eight international victories.

Fox also birdied the 18th. The 38-year-old player from New Zealand won the Myrtle Beach Classic last month in a playoff for his first PGA Tour title.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

Coco Gauff of the U.S kisses the trophy after winning the final match of the French Open against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Roland-Garros stadium on Saturday in Paris.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOOT ByBJESSICA HILL

Alvarado reacts aboard Sovereignty after crossing the

157th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday

Saratoga Springs, N.y.

The onslaught in the fifth inning began after aleadoff singleand two walks allowedbyright-handed reliever JJ Glasscock. Left-hander Cole Fehrman relieved him midway through the second free pass, but sophomore Steven Milam was unbothered.

Milam blasted agrand slam over the wall in rightfield to hand LSU (47-15) a7-1 advantage. It was the firstgrand slam of his career Freshman Derek Curiel then shot arun-scoring single tocenter field, andjunior Chris Stanfield hit atwo-run single into left-center to give the Tigers a10-1 lead.

“Wehave areally deep team this year,” LSU senior outfielder Josh Pearson said. “I feel like we have guys whocan play in the big leagueswho don’tstartevery day.”

Fehrmanand Glasscock combined to allow five earned runs without recording an out. Their cameos Saturday came as asurprise, as the two pitchers had combined to throw 122/3 innings this season prior to the super regional.

“Wefelt like some of these pitchers have been really,really great throughout some shorter outings, some sim games,” West Virginia coachSteve Sabins said. “It didn’tgotheir way this week, but when you trail in the game, there’s always some balance of making sure that you go to win the game, butalso that you have enough arms to compete and win aseries.”

West Virginia (44-15)answered LSU’sbig fifth inning with four runs in the top half of the sixth, but LSUcountered immediatelywith six runs in the bottom of thesixth. With the bases loaded, West Virginia walked in two runs with one out before Pearson hitanother grand slam to give theTigers a 16-5 advantage.

“Super proud of Josh,” Curiel said. “Since Igot here, he kind of taught me the ropes to know, and I look up to him alot.” West Virginia left-handedstarter

GriffinKirn forced the Tigersinto making weakcontactthrough three shutout innings to open the game.

Free passes becameaproblem forKirninthe fourth inning. He hit thefirst two batters of the inning to put two on with one out for Curiel.

Curiel, LSU’stypical leadoff hitter who moved down to seventhin the order Saturday,delivered. The California native blasted athreerun home run over the wall in left field,handing LSU a3-1 lead on the Tigers’ first hit of thegame.

“They just progressively gota little bit better,”Johnson said. “And wewere,eventhoughwedidn’thave any hits, we were pressuring them with pitchcountsand long counts andthree balls and3-2 (counts), all of thosetypes of things.”

Kirn didn’tlast long after that. He escaped the fourth inning but exitedthe fifth after allowing a leadoff single to Pearson.Heallowed two hits with threestrikeouts andthree hit batters.

“I don’tknow how you guys felt holding acamera in almost abillion degrees out there, but I’m sure standing on the middle of the pitcher’smound wasn’tall that comfortable,” Johnson said. “And Ithink maybe he ran out of gas a little bit,sohelost his command.”

Free passes proved to be thedifference in the game.The Mountaineers walked eight battersand hitfive others, tying its seasonhigh in freepasses issuedina single contest West Virginia outhit LSU11-8despite the lopsided score. Curiel and Pearson were theonly Tigers with multiple hits. Curiel reached base in all fiveofhis plate appearances.

“(Kirn) can be really,really tough on lefties, but (Curiel) executed it perfectly,” Johnson said. “Hekepthis feet in there and got hit by apitch on thefirst one, stayed on thatslider and (hit) it out of here. Like that’simpressive to be able to do that.”

Sophomoreleft-hander Kade Anderson started on the mound for LSU. He allowed just oneearned run through thefirst fiveinnings, but long layoffs before thesixth andseventh diminishedhis effectiveness.

West Virginia tagged Anderson forfour runs in the sixthinning and two in the seventh. Twosingles and afielder’schoice drove in runs in the sixthbefore atwo-run home run fromfreshman Gavin Kelly cut theMountaineers’ deficit to nine in theseventh.

Anderson struck out seven but surrendered aseason-highnine hits and sixearned runs in seven innings.

He didn’tbelieve the longlayoffs before thetop of the sixth and seventh innings played afactor in his performance.

“As apitcher,you go through those allofthe time,” Anderson said. “It’sabout how you bounce back from those.”

LSU and West Virginia will square off for Game 2ofthe BatonRouge super regional Sunday First pitch is slated for 5p.m andthe gamewill be televised on ESPN2.

Hayden helped UL win four Sun Belt regular-season titles, two tournament crowns, three NCAA regionaltitles andaCollege World Series appearance in 2014.

Dugas spent 34 years at UL as aprofessor in physical education from 1967-2001, but his greatest contribution to UL athletics was with the Athletic Network —anonline database with information, stories and photos of UL athletes through the decades. More recently,Dugas was instrumental in organizing team reunions, including the Beryl Shipley basketball reunion in 2001. Dugas also created two endowed scholarships for special-needs students.

Baer enters the Hall of Fame with the most famous fieldgoal in school history He nailed a50-yard field goal on the game’sfinal play for a32-30 Cajuns’ win over San Diego Stateinthe New Orleans Bowl in 2011 for the program’sfirst bowl victory As significant as that kick was, Baer’s career was much more than that indelible moment. Baer is the most accurate field goal kicker in NCAA history, nailing 90%ofhis 50 attempts. Before Kenny Almendaresbrokethem this past season, Baer owned UL recordsfor most field goals made in aseason (20),ina career (45) and consecutively (18). Baer still holds the school record for career points in bowl games with22, thanks to 13 points in a43-34 New Orleans Bowl win over East Carolina in 2012. Afterhis 2000-01 Cajuns career,Ainley owned UL’s stroke average record (71.87) in asingle seasonfor twodecades. It stood until this past season when Malan Potgieter compiled a71.15 campaign. Ainley’scareer average of 72.48

He

seven innings. That’sone day going to be freshman Derek Curiel, LSU’s typical leadoffman.

Youhave to have future majorleaguers on your roster if you want to go deep in the NCAA Tournament andall the wayin theCollege World Series. But you havetohave Pearsons, too, guys whostay and are the glue of your program.The backbone. The example. There’saphrase Johnson used as he spoketothe media after LSU’smolten hot 16-9 victory over West Virginia in Game 1of theNCAA Baton Rouge super regional on Saturday: “Team over me.”

He didn’tuse it to describe Pearson directly, but you know he could have just the same.

“He’s really dialed into the right things,”Johnson said of Pearson. “Every time I come up here (in a news conference), Ifind Italk about them as much as people as Idoasplayers. He’s right at the top of the list.

athree-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth inning fora 3-1 lead. Then after the Tigers took command of the gamewith aseven-run fifth to go up 10-1, Pearson belted agrand slam in the sixth to right, countering a four-run uprising by the Mountaineers in the top half of the inning. It wasLSU’s second grand slam of the day after Steven “Monster” Milam hit one in that monster fifthinning.

If Pearson felt an extra surge of adrenaline knowing he would start Saturday,hedidn’tbetray it. “Nothing changed,” he said. “I go to the field thinking at some point that I’mgoing to be in the lineup. Isaw my nameinthe leadoffspot and knew Ihad a job to do.”

“Nothing changed. I go to the field thinking at somepoint that I’m going to be in the lineup. Isaw my name in the leadoff spot and knew Ihad ajob to do.”

“He’sthe best. He’sjust the best.”

Friday night, Pearson learned he would start in the super regional opener instead of Jake Browninright field. Not just starting, but leading off. Johnson, exhausting the percentages and angles as he does, perhaps figured Pearson would be best adept at handling West Virginia starter GriffinKirn, who likes to make the inside half of the plate his domain. As aresult, Johnson shifted Curiel all the waytoseventh in the lineup.

Johnson’smoves worked with almostmechanical efficiency Curiel got LSU on the board with

Continuedfrom page1C

over time will make fundraising easier

“Ifyou have adeep-seated relationship with someonefromour staff, you’d probably rather justwork directly with me in terms of your overallsupport for the program,” Frazier said. “Plus, it’stax deductible andyou’re getting priority benefits and pointsand that kind of stuff.”

Frazier saidthe UL athleticdepartment will revealmore specifics of its revenuesharing plan in thecoming weeks.

Frazier didn’treveal the exact numbers, buthesaideachcoachingstaff wouldknow soon what revenue-sharing figures it has for recruiting.

“It’ll be morelike every year when we sit down withthe coaches, you have morelike abudgeted number,” Frazier said. “They’re going to know that someofthat is fundraised and someofitisbudgeted, but they know they’ll have Xdollars to work with.”

Another interesting part of the settlementisroster limits. The ruling set roster limits of 105 for football, 15 for men’s and women’sbasketball, 34 for baseball and 25 for softball.

Baseball and softball programs have been under the11.7-scholarship rule for decades, but nowtheycan offer up to 34 baseball and 25 softball scholarships.

Programswith financial restraints likely won’treach those roster limits but there is moreflexibility

“I obviously don’tknowwhat other teams in the Sun Belt are going to do, but Icould guessthatbaseball programs at Coastal (Carolina) andSouthern Miss probably

Despite not getting the classic starting effort from Anderson —hewas not as hot from the 92-degree heat Saturday as he was about the way he pitched —the Tigers all did their job to win the opener While it’shardly aguarantee, the value of winning the first game of asuper regional can’tbeoverstated. Since the supers came to be in 1999, 79% of the teams that wonGame 1went on to the College World Series. That means four out of five dentists recommendwinning the opener —and flossing, of course.

West Virginia coach Steve Sabins talked about it being a three-gameseries, and that his team can still winit. It is. And the Mountaineers can. But he knowsaswell as anyone that West Virginia is really in abind now That’sthanks in large part to Pearson, whomay go back to the bench Sunday forGame 2, but will be ready to go in if the Tigers need him The epitome of team over me.

aren’tgoing to have 11.7 scholarships next year,” Frazier said. “So yes, we need to make sure that we’resupportingbaseballand softball by using that exampleat arate that’scompetitive in theSun Belt. Youcould seehow you’d be at acompetitive disadvantage if you were at 11.7 and somebody else had say 20 scholarships, plus whatever they’redoing with revenue sharing and NIL.”

UL baseball coach Matt Deggs hopes the ruling will provide some relieffor midmajor programs, whether intended or not.

“NIL is going to be flipped upside down a littlebit formost programswith revenue sharing now,” Deggs said. “It’ll be alittle more cutand driedwitha budgetthatwecan supplementguys with. That’swhatthe game will be movingforward forevery school.” With the hiring of newmen’s basketball coach Quannas White, Frazier hopes the attendanceand fundraising will escalate for that program over the next year and build uponthe promising first roster put together by White’sstaff.

“People are excited, for sure,” Frazier said. “I’dbeprettydisappointedifattendance doesn’tgrow and support doesn’t grow at apretty good rate this year.Hopefully,the team will have the success we’re hoping forand it could really jump from there.

“Almost every person Italk to is saying, ‘Yeah,I’m going to getsome season tickets,’ or ‘I’m excitedand going to come to moregames.’

Another part of the ruling is that any NIL deals of $600 or moremust be approved by aclearinghouse.

Football-wise, the Cajuns likely won’t movemuch above the 85 scholarship players on the 105-man roster

eld goal for the Cajuns’ first bowl win in NewOrleans in 2011, is part of

Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025

JOSH PEARSON, LSU right fielder

Former Lafayette

Biddick

PHOTO By ROBINMAy

Cane Cutters’leadoff man Biddickisoff to hotstart

BY MIKE COPPAGE

Contributing writer

Dylan Biddick has picked up where he left off last summer for the Acadiana Cane Cutters.

The leadoff man/designated hitter doubled and homered,driving in three runs and scoring threein the Cane Cutters’ 16-9 win over Seguin River on Friday at Fabacher Field.

“Honestly I’m just trying to stay within myself and my approach,” said Biddick, who led the team in hitting last summer and is tiedfor third with a.333 averagefor the 2-2 Cane Cutters.

“The last two games, Istruggled with my approach by swinging at everything. Iwas getting antsy Before the game, Itold myselfto go back to what Iwas doing. Itook deep breaths, and Iwas seeingthe ball well.” Biddick doubled and scored in the bottom of the firstinning. Histwo-run homer in the second inning drove in second baseman

Austin Mills, who reached base in all five at-bats and scored three runs. Mills is hitting .300 with three stolen bases.

“That’swhat we expect out of him,” coach Darien Dukes said about Mills. “For himtoget on base,movearoundand move runners. He did agood job on a squeeze play.That’shis job in the nine-hole. That’shis game.”

Mills droveinarun on abunt single in afour-runfourth inning. He also beat out agrounder for an infield hitand scored in the sixth.

On both plays, the Ascension Episcopal product dove headfirstinto

first base.

“When Italked to coach Dukes, he told me to lay one down the third-base line,” Mills said of the bunt single.“Thethird baseman was creeping up, and the first basemanwas playing back. Iwas able to putitin agreat spot and use my speed to beat it out.”

First baseman Peyton Woods, wholeadsthe team with a.389 average, had threehitswith two doublesand three RBIs. Woods also has atriple and homer this season and is tied for first in RBIs with Biddick (five)

“He’ssolid,” Dukes saidof Woods(Doyle High, Southeastern Louisiana). “We’re super-happy to have him. He takes agood,profes-

sional at-bat everytime he comes up to theplate.”

Isaiah Castenada collected four of the Cane Cutters’ 12 walks and scored four runs. Hunter Azemar added atwo-run single. Aarren Marshall scored twice. Bennett Mittelsteadt, CoyClements and Brandon Levy each drove in a run. Connor Stelly chippedina hit and scored.

“We’re playing team baseball,” Dukessaid. “Whenwegrind out at-bats, we’re avery good team Theproblem is that when we comeout of our approach at the plate, bad thingshappen.”

Five Acadiana pitchers combined to walk17and hit four batters. Levy,who hasa0.00 ERA witheight strikeouts in four innings, pitched twoscoreless innings to finish the game. He was preceded by Lucas Harrington, who struck out four in 12⁄3 innings

“It was amarathon,” Dukes said of the game, which ended close to 11 p.m. “Wehavetoget to strike one and stop putting people on base. Youcan’thave ateam score nine runs on three hits.”

Seguin River dropped to 1-3.

CoastalCarolina sweeps Auburn to advancetoCWS

By The Associated Press

AUBURN,Ala. Jacob Morrison and Hayden Johnson combined to scattereight hits and Coastal Carolina defeated Auburn 4-1onSaturday to sweep the Auburn super regional and reach the College World Series forthe second time.

The Chanticleers will try to duplicatethe national championship theywon in 2016.

Morrison allowed one run on six hits with six strikeouts in six innings. Johnson (5-0) came on in the seventhand pitched three scoreless innings with twohits and five strikeouts.

Coastal Carolina’s three-run seventhinning featured an RBI single by Walker Mitchell and aseries of Auburn miscues led to the other tworuns.

With thescored tied 1-1 after Mitchell’s single,hemoved up a base on asingle by BlagenPadoand scored from second on athrowing errorbythe first baseman on aball hit by Ty Dooley.Awalk by Ty Barrango loaded the bases and Coastal’sthird run scored when Wells Sykes was hit by apitch.

Mitchell droveinthe finalrun withasingle in the eighth inning.

Caden Bodine’s10th-inning home run early Saturdaymorning gave the Chanticleers a7-6 victory in the first game.

TheTigers playedinthe superregional round for the fifth time. They advanced to the College World Seriesintwo of theirprevious four appearances.

ARIZONA 10,NORTHCAROLINA8: In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Maddox Mihalakis drove in three runs, including two with ago-ahead single in the seventhinning,and Arizona defeated North Carolina, forcing aGame 3inthe Chapel Hill super regionalonSunday The Wildcats trailed 8-6 in the seventh inning but rallied with four runs. With two on and one out,

BrendanSummerhill doubleddown the left-field line to score onerun while Easton Breyfogle advanced to third. Breyfogle then scored on awild pitch by Walter McDuffie to tie the score.

After acouple of walks loaded the bases, Mihalakis drove in two with asingletoright fieldoff of Folger Boaz. Tony Pluta pitched 21/3 scoreless innings for the win.

DUKE 7, MURRAYSTATE4: In Durham, North Carolina, Kyle Johnson drove in five runs to power Duke’s victoryoverMurray Stateinthe first game of the Durham super regional.

The Blue Devils areone win from reaching theCollege WorldSeries for the first time since 1961. Johnson, a.228 hitter in 57 at-bats coming in,had two doubles anda home run among his four hits Duke managedonly sixhits— four by Johnson —but the Blue Devilsbenefited from eightwalks. Dom Decker had four of Murray State’snine hitsand droveintwo runs.

Duke is playing in the superregionalsfor thefourthtime. The Racers are makingtheir fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and first in the super regionals.

LOUISVILLE 6, MIAMI 5: In Louisville, Kentucky,RenzonGonzalezdrove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, Daniel Cuvet added athreerun home run in the eighth and Miamidefeated Louisville to even the Louisville super regional at agame apiece.

In the seventh, Dorian Gonzalez doubledtoleadoff the inning and later scored the go-ahead run on a single by Renzo Gonzalez for a6-5 Miamilead. Cuvet’sone-out home run to left made it 9-5 in the eighth. Louisville scored arun in the ninth on asingle by Lucas Moore and the Cardinals hadrunners on first and second with nobody out before Brian Walters retired the next three batters.

Celebrate the100th anniversary of ‘Kingof Zydeco’

Happyearly CliftonChenier Day! The 100th anniversary of the Grammy Hall of Famer’s birth near Opelousas isn’tofficial until June 25. However, aslew of music releases, tribute shows and memorabilia honoring the King of Zydeco will happen throughout June and beyond Chenier’smusic hasinfluenced everyone from Mick Jagger to “Zydeco

Herman Fuselier

Boss” Keith Frank. While plans for other activities are still in the works, here’s aworking list of waysto enjoy the “Year of Chenier.”

Tributetothe King of Zydeco

The long-awaited album, featuring the Rolling Stones, Taj Mahal, Lucinda Williams, Charley Crockett and other icons, comes out June 27. A7-inch vinyl of Jagger singing “Zydeco Sont Pas Sale,” with Chenier’s original on the B-side, is outon Chenier’sbirthday,June 25.

PartyFit foraKing

The New Orleans Jazz Museum will host a“Year of Chenier” kickoff and fundraiser from 6p.m. to 10 p.m. June25 at 400 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans. Just like the album sales, proceeds from the event will benefit the new Clifton Chenier Memorial Scholarship at UL-Lafayette. The Roy House, home of UL’s Center for Louisiana Studies, will alsohost a fundraiser on June 24. King of La.Blues &Zydeco Set for aSeptember release, this is afour-CD/six-LP boxset

ä See CHENIER, page 4D

Atravelingoralhistory projectwill floatdown Louisiana’swaterways

Staff report

Starting mid-June, the traveling oral historyproject,“A Secret HistoryofAmerican River People,” will journeybyhandmade shantyboat through Louisiana’s waterways.Artist WesModes and crewwill navigate BayouTecheand the Atchafalaya Basin, interviewing Cajun and Creole residents and collecting personal stories of life on the bayou.The project documents voices often left out of the official record —stories of resilience, displacement, environmental changeand cultural survival. Since 2014, the shantyboat has traveled more than 2,600 miles, gathering river histories for apublic archiveand hosting pop-up exhibitions along the journey. For more information, visit peoplesriverhistory.org

PROVIDED PHOTOS FROM WILLIAMPLUMMER

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Chamber Singers rehearse with director WilliamPlummer in OurLadyof the Potterychurch in Bruges, Belgium, for the CantarodeInternational ChoirFestival, heldMay 29 to June 1in Kerkrade, Netherlands. The UL singers placed 5thinthe competition, which featured other choirs from the U.S. andEurope.

ON THE WORLDSTAGE

UL

Lafayettechamber singerscompete in Europe,bring home lifelong memories

BY JOANNABROWN Staff writer

Last week, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Chamber Singersplaced5th in theInternational ChoirFestival, showcasing choral groups from theUnited States and across Europe.

It was an excellent showing in a juried group of 10 top choirs, including choral singers fromGeorgia Southern University,ayouth choir from Tyrol, Austria, and the St.NicholasChoir from Slovenia, whichplaced first. According to UL Lafayette choral director William Plummer,the experience was aformative one for his young singers, many of whom were traveling abroad forthe first time to compete with experienced,competition-hardy groups.

“I wasreally pleased,”saidPlummer.“Alot of our competition was adults and music majors and graduate students, and we had something like 15 out of 35 on the trip that were freshmen, or it was their first time in thetop choir this year, or this semester. Ithink that’san incredible compliment to what we have going on here.”

Butthe trip was about morethan competition. Before traveling to

United States and other nations.

Kerkrade, Netherlands,for several rounds of judgedperformance, the group landed in Bruges, Belgium, for aweek of rehearsal, activities and public performances with the other groups. While there, the students got to showoff theirunique Louisiana sensibilities, while learning from singers hailingfrom Sweden,Switzerland, Belarus, the

“Theytaught each other choreography,taught each other songs, andgot to make friendswith people across borders and across cultures. It was ajoy to see them experience traveling and being accepted as foreigners,and Ithink

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Chamber Singers takeagroup shot in the main square of Bruges, Belgium. Theytraveled to Bruges for rehearsals ä See CHAMBER, page 4D

Howdid SaintKatharine Drexel getaround?

Katharine Drexelwas canonizedbyPope John Paul II in 2001. Drexel used her inherited wealthtofound Xavier University in New Orleans but also traveled to Carencrotoestablish Catholic schools for Blackchildren.

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Dogs andcatscan also suffer from allergies

Solutionsavailable forfurry friends

BY LAURA UNGAR AP science writer

About five years ago, Gail Friedmannoticed her Parson Russell Terrier was constantly licking his paws andseemedsuper uncomfortable.

“The poor dog. Iwould put baby socks on his feetsothat he wouldn’tlick them or bite at them,” said Friedman, of Oak Brook, Illinois. “I was constantlychanging the socks, washing his feet alot Nothing worked.”

It turned out her caninecompanion, Mr.Friedman, had allergies. It’s acommon and tricky probleminpets —caused by various things such as pollen, dust, mold, chemicals and food —but veterinarians say there are severalways to ease their suffering.

Allergies happen when the immune systemoverreacts to aforeignsubstance.Catsand dogs reacttomany of the same things people do,aswellaspests like fleas.

There are no definitive recent statisticson how manypets have allergies,but research suggests theproblem is growing.

“I probablysee allergic dogs and catsevery single day, probably multiple times aday,” said Dr.Karen Woodard, medical director at ThrivePet Healthcare-Elmhurst in Illinois. About 90% of allergic pets react to environmental triggers, Woodardsaid, and the rest have food allergies only

Dogbreedsthatare especially vulnerable include various types of terriers, boxers and bulldogs; in cats,it’sPersians, Siamese and Himalayans Petscan even be allergic to other animals —cats to dogs, dogs to cats andeither to another species.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,June 8, the 159th day of 2025

There are 206 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On June 8, 2023, Donald Trump was indicted by agrand jury in Miami on 37 felony counts related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents that had been moved to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’sFlorida home. (The case against Trump was abandoned following Trump’sNovember 2024 presidential election victory.)

Also on this date:

In 1789, in an address to the U.S. House of Representatives, James Madisonproposed amending the Constitution to include aBill of Rights.

In 1949, George Orwell’snovel “1984” was first published.

In 1966, amerger was announced between the National and American Football Leagues, to take effect in 1970.

In 1967, during the SixDay War, 34 American crew members were killed when Israel attackedthe USS Liberty aNavy intelligencegathering ship in the Mediterranean Sea. (Israel later said the Liberty had been mistaken for an Egyptian vessel.)

In 1968, U.S. authorities announced the capture in London of James Earl Ray,the suspected assassin of civil rights leaderthe Rev.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

In 1978, ajury in Clark County,Nevada, ruled the so-called “Mormon Will,” purportedly written by the late billionaire Howard Hughes, was a forgery In 1995, U.S. Marines rescuedCapt. Scott O’Grady,whose F-16C fighter jet had been shot down by Bosnian Serbs

on June 2. In 2009, NorthKorea’s highest court sentenced Americanjournalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee to 12 years’ hard labor fortrespassing and “hostile acts.”(Thewomen were pardoned in early August 2009 after atrip to Pyongyang by former President Bill Clinton.)

In 2017, former FBI Director James Comey, testifying before Congress, asserted that President Donald Trump fired him to interfere with Comey’sinvestigationofRussia’stiesto the Trump campaign. In 2021, Ratko Mladi, the military chief known as the “Butcher of Bosnia”for orchestrating genocide,crimes against humanityand war crimes in the Balkan nation’s1992-95 war lost hisfinallegal battle when U.N. judges rejected hisappeal and affirmed his life sentence. Today’sbirthdays: Singer Nancy Sinatra is 85. Musician Boz Scaggs is 81. Pianist Emanuel Ax is 76. Actor Sonia Braga is 75. Actor Kathy Bakeris 75. Singer Bonnie Tyler is 73. Computer scientist TimBerners-Lee is 70. Actor GriffinDunne is 70. “Dilbert”creator ScottAdams is 68. Actordirector Keenen Ivory Wayans is 67. Singer Mick Hucknall (Simply Red)is65. Musician Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) is 63. Actor Julianna Margulies is 59. Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, aDemocrat from Arizona,is55. Tennis Hall of Famer Lindsay Davenport is 49. TV personality-host Maria Menounos is 47. Country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson is 47. Guitarist-songwriter Derek Trucks is 46. Tennis Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters is 42. U.S. Olympictrack gold medalist Athing Mu-Nikolayev is 23.

“It’spossible for themtobeallergic to us, just like we are to them,” said Thrive’s Dr.Anthea Elliott Schick of Scottsdale, Arizona, immediate past president of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology

Signsofallergies

Allergiccats and dogsaren’t as likelyashumans tosneezeand cough. More often,theyscratch and lick themselves, shake their heads and develop ear infections.

Woodard saidher Yorkie mix, Teddy,had the classicsigns scratching around his shoulders andgettingrashesand ear infections starting as asix-month-old puppy She livedinthe South at thetime, and he tested positive for allergies to various trees and grasses there. Acommonsign of allergies in her feline patientsis“overdoing their grooming,”saidWoodard. “So if youstart seeingbald patches

on your cat, even though the skin underneath it looks normal, that could be asign of allergies.”

Even food allergies, often to chicken, beef, lamb or other protein sources, frequentlyshowup on the skin, although pets can have vomiting or diarrhea, too.

Rarely,pets can develop lifethreatening anaphylacticreactions, perhaps after being stung by an insect.

But most allergiesare simply miserable forthe animals.

“Itbreaks my heart because it getstoapoint that not only do I have socks on poor Mr.Friedman —which is humiliating forhim he sometimes gets so bad he has to wearthe coneofshame,” Gail Friedman said.

Howtohelp

The first step is to get adiagnosisfromthe vet. This could involveallergytesting, or in the case of food allergies, an “elimina-

tiondiet,” which involvesfeeding limitedingredients the pethasn’t previously eaten

If the allergy culprit is environmental, there are medications like anti-inflammatory drugs and newer oral and injectable medications fordogs to block chemical signals associated withitchiness. Food allergies maybetreated with special diets such as “hydrolyzed” food,inwhich proteins are chemically brokendowninto tiny pieces

But vets saythere arealso ways to help pets at home by cleaning theirbedding frequently,wiping theirfur with awet washcloth and giving thembaths.

Outdoors, “they’re almost actinglike littleSwiffers, getting allergens on theirskin, andit goes through theirskin andactually becomes aproblem,”Schick said. “Wesay bathe your dog, at a minimum, once aweekifthey’re allergic.”

No need to keep inviting no-showcouple

Dear Miss Manners: Ourgroup of friends is about 15 people large. We have known each other for more than three decades. At theopposite end of the group is acouple who we only see when the entire group getstogether We like to entertain, and have invited this couple for years. They have never accepted our invitations, though they accept invitations from others in the group. In somecases,they RSVP “no,” but other times they do not reply at all. Finally,wehosted aparty and decided not to invite them.The entire group got together afew days before our party, and several people were talking about how much they werelooking forward to it —unbeknown to them that two people present didn’tget an invitation. Suddenly Ifelt like we did thewrong thingbynot inviting them. On one hand, Ithought:Perhaps there’sno harm in sending an inviteifyou know they won’tcome anyway.Onthe other

hand, we have finitespace, we’re buying food and supplies, and I’drather invite people Iknow will come. Partofmealso feels that you don’t get thecourtesy of an invitation if you never show or if you repeatedly fail to RSVP Gentlereader: Listen to that latter part of you.

Miss Manners assures you that the repeated offense of not answering an invitation justifies not getting another one. She further suggests you use caution with the excuse that they will not come anyway if you invite them.Too manywedding hosts rely on that logic and suffer theconsequences when they guess wrong.

Had thecouple or someone else in that pre-party gathering pointed out theomission —orifthe tension was palpable enough —you might have said, “Lacey and Doug, you never seem tobeable to attend our parties, so Ididn’twant to burden you with an invitation.” It sounds as if it did not come to that, but it is there forthe taking if it does.

Dear Miss Manners: What’sthe polite, kind thingtodowhen one must miss a

funeral forreasons such as illness or injury?

My aunt’smother just passed away, and the funeral is in afew days. However,I’ve come downwith abad cold and, in the interest of not making others sick, Iplan not to attend unless I recover farfaster than expected. Iwant my aunt to know that Icare enough to attend, but Idon’twant to makethis about me. Is atext appropriate? Anote after the funeral?

Gentle reader: Assuming that you have already written acondolence letter, aphone call would be morepersonal than atext —and morepolite than a note afterward, when everyone will have wondered where you were.

“I am so sorry that Iwon’tbeable to attend, but I’mafraid Ihave adreadful cold and Idon’twant anyone to catch it,” you might say.Itgoes without saying, Miss Manners hopes, that you avoid using hyperbole (e.g., “I’m feeling deathly ill”) forobvious reasons. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; or to heremail, dearmissmanners @gmail.com.

Garden hintshelpwithcritters, growth

Dear Heloise: Here is what Idowithcoffee grounds in my 10-by-20-foot allotment garden. Iuse grounds from home and alsopick them up from my local coffee shop. Idig them into my soil and put themaround the base of my roses. Ialso put them in my wormbin; the worms love them, and it discourages mice from sneaking in.

One year,when Ihad agopher invasion, Ifirst killed the gopher witha trap, thendug out tunnels to wherethey crossed my fence line. Isealed off the points where the tunnels entered my garden with restaurant-sizedcoffee filtersthat were often included with the grounds. No moregophers! —Hedy W.,inLaguna Woods, California

Tellingkidstoclean

Dear Heloise: Your solution to M.R. in Oklahoma’sstickyrefrigerator shelves seemed wasteful and time-consuming. Have the kids be morecareful, have themwipe up after themselves, and put alarge trayoneach shelf. —J.T., in Iowa

J.T., in aperfect world, all children would be only too happy to comply.Unfortunately,inreal life, most won’twipe down the sticky jar.(That’sthe voice of experience speaking.) Youcan keep after your kids until they drive you crazyorline therefrigerator shelves withplastic designed for this purpose Youcan find themonline or in grocery stores. The shelf liners can be wiped, washed and dried. —Heloise Sticky shelves

Dear Heloise: Ijust read the hint from aparent whose kids leave sticky items on refrigerator shelves. If they are old enough to remove the items, they can put the item back after takingawet cloth and wiping the container first.Mom taught me and my six siblings when we were young. Iamgoing on 80. —The BlondeFlamingo, via email Weddingday blues

Dear Heloise: Ialways have aproblem when outfits (such as the wedding that was described in arecent column) charge one price foraperson, then only half of this price for an attending spouse/guest/plus-one

Doesthis mean that the second person can only eat half of whatthe single person eats since they only paid half price? Iunderstand that the hostess is trying to make it affordable for couples (who, by the way,probably make more money than asingle person). But it just never seems fair.I’m sure the hostess does not mean to offend and has never thought about it this way. —Bobbie P.,in Santa Ana, California Bobbie, personally,Idon’tthink the price they charge for aguest to attend their wedding is as important as the fact that they charge people to come. A couple is supposed to have awedding within their budget. If they can’tafford abig, splashy wedding, then they should tailor it to whatthey can afford.

And charging half price for the plusone does not make the situation any better.Sorry,but charging aguest to attend awedding is inappropriate. If you do pay to attend awedding, be sure to take adoggie bag and eat as muchas you want! —Heloise

Sendahinttoheloise@heloise.com.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Hints from Heloise

TRAVEL

Trails,mountainattractions return to NorthCarolina

BY JESSICA FENDER

Contributing writer

HAYWOOD COUNTRY, N.C.

Our foraging party nibbles lemonymountain sorrel and delicate violets

as we hike past forested valleys of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on our right, ranchland sloping awayonour left

Our barefoot guide Lee “Natty” Trebotich points to asmattering of vibrant green shoots hidden among trailside ferns. They’re highly prized wild ramps, adelicious cross between garlic and leeks. Alas, they grow just outof bounds over the park’sborder

Soon, our climb flattens into the grassy promontory of Hemphill Bald, where our real reward awaits: apostcard panorama of Haywood County’sblue-green peaks dotted by cloud shadow and stretching to the horizon

Up here, it’seasy to forget the ravagesthat Hurricane Helene wrought across much of western North Carolina just eight months ago, when fast-moving water washed away roads and flooded buildings.

While scarsremain throughout the region, this rural county,a half-hour west of Asheville nonetheless offers all the trappings of an idyllic mountain getaway —from miles of trails through temperate rainforest to rushing creeks and swimming holes to a delightful collection of artistsand eateries. Residentslike Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers hopevisitors come back as quickly as the Haywood County communityhas.

“One of the greatest fears is that we’re going to be forgotten,” he says later,overbreakfast “Hopefully,someone takes a chance on us and leaves here with new memories.” Aless-crowdedseason

Those who would venture to cooler climes this summer can fly nonstop from New Orleans to Charlotte and drive 2.5 hours or book aconnecting flight to nearby Asheville. While summerand fall are high seasoninHaywood,officials note adrop in room bookings will likely make cabins easier to snagand popular lookoutsless crowded this year

Indeed, people arefew as we later glide along the Blue Ridge Parkway listening to homegrown bluegrass band Balsam Range singing about Canton, oneofthe county’sfive mountain towns. There’saduo of picnickers lunching at one overlook. At another,a pair of cyclists breeze by,waving in spandex.

Typically,their motorized brethren are far more common. Famouslybiker-friendly Maggie Valley is home to the mindboggling Wheels Through Time Museum, acollection of 375 exceptionally rare,American-made motorcycles.

The iconic parkway,frequently the National Park Service’smost visited site, traces the spine of the Appalachians 469 miles into Virginia. Elsewhere in North Carolina, hefty swaths remain closed post-storm. In Haywood all but three of its 46 miles are drivable. Eager cruiserscan even continue another 46 miles onto Gatlinburg, Tennessee, via scenic U.S. 441 through the Great Smoky Mountains.

But we don’twander nearly that far,opting instead for ajauntupa forest trail perfumed with balsam

By ChristopherElliott

American

At luxury resort Cataloochee Ranch in Haywood County,N.C Wednesday nightsfeature liveAppalachian music and barbecue.

warming in the sun.

Aquiet sliceofthe Smokies

Haywood County is aplace that manages to loom both large and small at the same time. Rows of nostalgic,low-slung motorlodges rest on theaprons of toweringmountains. Apopulation just doublethat ofthe LSUBaton Rougecampusisspread over its 555 square miles. Within its boundaries are portionsoffour different national parks and forests,including the quietestslice of theperpetually bustling Great Smoky Mountains. Quirkydowntown Waynesville, thecounty seat, proves that small

communities are home to big ideas, too.

In arepurposed elementary school, Sam Kearney brandishes asteel shaker filled withhousemaderose syrup, dragonfruit powder,lime and ablend of moodelevating herbal adaptogens.

“The world needs morefun, and Iamhappy to oblige,” the former bartender-turned-mocktail maven declares.

Likemany of Waynesville’s newest and most colorful businesses, her Roll Up HerbalBar was based in theup-and-coming Frog Level district next to the creek.

Helene swamped thehistoric

Compact and quirky, downtown Waynesville, N.C., boasts someofthe best shopping in the county, concentrated around Main Street.

stretch,scattering owners like dandelion seeds across less impacted parts of downtown.

The displaced Funky Fern, with its hip and inclusive vintage clothing andwild artisanal accessories, joined the fine art galleries and home goods purveyors along the primeshopping blocks of Main and Wall streets. Nearby thehippie-chic Soul Sisters —another Frog Level exile —now sits next to akava lounge and across thestreet from adog bar and bakery

“Weall trauma-bonded,” Kearney says. “I loved Waynesville before, butnow it’slike, I’mnever leaving.”

Checkconditions first

Neighborly ties here are strong, and the welcome has been universally warm. At giftshop Maggie Mountaineer Crafts, astaple in thevalley forahalf century,the family turned the wreckage of their matriarch’shome into a shady creekside park, its foundation becoming aflower-fringed platform where travelers can picnic.

Stories abound about free food and aid post-storm. In that context, thesurprisingly quick recovery begins to makesense.

Ourlast full day in Haywood is misty as we set out forthe Cataloochee Valley,the quiet side of theGreat Smoky Mountains, for elk spotting.

In thepark, abridge closure cuts short our drive, and we hike theremaining half mile under an impossibly lush canopy

Downed trees line parts of the creek. Aonce level trail is now rutted and pocked. Most of this area has reopened, but it’sstill recovering. Visitors are wise to check conditions online before setting out.

At the clearing best knownfor the antlered behemoths, we spot nothing but asingle wild turkey In an ideal world, our timing would have been better.Elk are mostactive at dusk and dawn, and we got alate start.

But even under these less-thanperfect circumstances, twigs still snap satisfyingly under our boots. Mats of white-green tree mossspring back from our touch. And the breeze still sounds like ocean waves rushing through the treetops overhead on apeaceful morning.

Topto-dos

From family-run farm visits to viewsofwildlifeand the Milky Way, Haywood’scharm lies in its outdoor opportunities and warm small towns. These top to-dos are morethan enough to fill up asummertimeitinerary

n Pick your own wildflowers, raspberries and other growing goodies at 10 Acre Gardens. Goat yoga, hayrides and live music optional. Prices vary.Thetenacregarden.com

n Toast over tiers of housemade scones and clotted cream at Crown&Thistle, Waynesville’s new family-run tea room and hub forintimate concerts and other special events. Crownandthistletearoom.com

n Cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway. For along drive, start at Beech Gap and head toward Great Smoky Mountains. For ashorter trip, head east from USFS Road 816 to view foliage at Graveyard Fields Overlook. Check conditions at Blueridgeparkway.org.

n Experiment with Appalachia’s maker culture during aclay class at Cold Mountain Art Collective. Two-hour wheel class $80; coldmountainartcollective.com

n Set out early forthe Cataloochee Valley forelk viewing at dawn. Summertimeisperfect for spotting new mamas with their calves. Parking $5. Check park conditions at Nps.gov/grsm

n Take aguided tour of the Wheels through Time Museum’s epic 38,000 square feet where the rarest motorcycles have the wildest backstories. Adult admission $15. Wheelsthroughtime.com.

n Shop the stylish boutiques of downtownWaynesville’sMain and Wall streets, where fine arts and craft makers abound.

n Enjoy fine fare, family recipes and craft cocktails at Singletree Heritage Kitchen in Waynesville. Singletreekitchen.com.Ortrek up to luxury resort Cataloochee Ranch on Wednesday nights for Appalachian music and barbecue raised right on property.Cataloocheeranch.com

n Forage your meal amid breathtaking viewsguided by one of Food forAdventures’ trained chefs and botanists. Day classes from $120. Foodforadventures. com.

n Play around of golf surrounded by Appalachian peaks at the nostalgic Springdale Resort, apublic 18-hole championshiplevel course with akiller on-site restaurant. From $65 per round. Springdalegolfnc.com

n On clear nights, stargaze at Richland Balsam Overlook, the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway at 6,053 feet.

Jessica Fender writes about travel. Email her at Fender@ TravelerBroads.com.

refund

When an airline cancels your flight, it owes youarefund, regardless ofthe reason for thecancellation. Itdoesn’tmatter if your ticket was refundable or not. You shouldget arefund. Full stop. Interestingly, your flight cancellationhappenedjust before a newgovernment regulation went into effect. The rule mandates automatic cash refunds when an airlinecancels its flight.Ifthe hurricane had waitedafew weeks, then you wouldn’t havehad this problem. But your case is important becausehurricane season

is just starting, and airlines are only getting used to this rule. Who knows? They might forget If an airline doesn’toffer you an immediate refund, you should request it in writing. And it looks like you did, which is great. Copies of emails and screenshots of any online chats or messagescan be helpful if you’re trying to get afair resolution. If you have to makeacall, note the date and time, and the names of any representatives you speak with. So what happened? Alook at your itinerary suggestsAmeri-

can only canceled one leg of your flight, from Tampa to Dallas. I guess that doesn’tcount as afull canceled flight. I’m kidding! It certainly does. Youfilled out forms and pleaded your case with American Airlines, to no avail. As alast resort, you could have appealed to amanager or executive.Ipublish the names, numbers, and email addresses of the American Airlines customer service managers on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott. org. Abrief, polite email to one of themmight have resolved your problem. Icontacted American

on your behalf to see if the flight credit wasits best offer.Itwasn’t. “The ticket will be refunded,” an American Airlines spokeswoman told me.And it was. Let’shope that with this new federal rule, we’ll neverget another refund case like yours. But if you do —well, you know where to find me

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

PHOTOSByJESSICA FENDER

Hiking in barefeet, foraging guideLee ‘Natty’Trebotich leads hikers along the Cataloochee DivideTrail to HemphillBald in Haywood County,N.C.

Sonenraged that tenantsrefusetopay rent

Dear Harriette: Iamstruggling right now,emotionally and financially.Mytenants haven’t paid their rent in months! Itry to remain passive about it, as Iamrelying on the legal system to settle this issue, but my son is infuriated. Every day we see our tenants get dressed, head to work, bring home groceries, order takeout, host guests and game nights and so much more. They are rude to us when we cross paths. They seem to have no shame about notpaying, and the more arrogantthey are toward us, the harder it is to temper my son’srage. How can I get him to recognizehow critical it is for him to get ahandle on his demeanor? Idon’twant to give anyone any reason to sympathize

Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

with or justify ourtenants’ behavior —Overstayed Welcome Dear Overstayed Welcome: First,you must be suretoprovide formal written notice of theamount of rent that is overdueand give adeadline by which it must be paid. Be sure to save copies of all correspondence you send them. If they do not pay by the deadline, consult alawyer about howtoinitiate eviction proceedings. If you do not want to go the eviction route, create aplan of attack.Contact thepolice and document thecrime your tenants are committinginnot paying rent Getonthe record. Reach out to local media —call thenewspapers and TV andradio stations —and outthese peoplefor the criminals

Jeff Boutte, above,along with Chubby Carrier,will leada Chenier tribute andjam at 1p.m.June 28 at theSt. LandryParishVisitor Center in Opelousas

CHENIER

Continued from page1D

of familiar and rare live recordingscompiled by Smithsonian Folkways. Essays by yours truly, American Route’shost Nick Spitzer and Grammy-winning writer Adam Machado are included, with moving remembrancesbyClifton’sson, C.J.

D.C. Zydeco

To celebrate the box set,a tribute concerttakes place in November at Wolf Trap National Park, apavilion-style venuenear Washington, D.C. C.J. Chenier will entertain, backed by Louisiana stalwartsSonny Landreth, Roddie Romero andJoel Savoy Camp Clifton

“Accordion Dragon” Corey Ledet will help teach Chenier’s music, history and dance as part of Louisiana Folk Roots’ kids summer camp at Le Vieux Village in Opelousas. The June 23-27 camp ends with young musicians performing at Toby’s Lounge and Reception Center

Chubby andLil Jeff jam

Grammy winner Chubby Carrier andzydecoveteran Lil JeffBoutte will lead aChenier tribute and jam at 1p.m.June 28 at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center in Opelousas. Music and conversation with C.J. Chenier is the focus of the center’smonthly Zydeco Capitol Jam eventon June 14.

Funkymural

Amural celebrating Clifton Chenier and his rubboardpioneering brother Cleveland continues in the St. Landry Parish arts town of Sunset,also

CHAMBER

Continued from page1D

that’sbecause our students are auniquely really genuine group. We don’tput on airs down here in South Louisiana,” Plummer said “Our students really exude the fact that they’re real, they’re not a caricature of anything. AndI think that was really highlyappreciated by our assigned chaperones for the competition and the fantastic folks who hosted our concerts and provided hospitality to us.” Plummer,who founded theUL Chamber Singers in 2012, saw the program through avolatile time during the COVID-19pandemic, whenchoral membership dwindled. He rebuilt the choir by enrolling the Chamber Singers in international virtual competitions, where aselect list of theiraccomplishments include winning International Choral Festival Wales in 2021, placing in the finals of the Michelangelo International Music Festival in 2022, and winning

they are. Create asincere social media blast that describes in detail what these people have been doing and what the impact has been on your lives. Tagthem on your posts. Don’tsay anything that is untrue or that you cannot prove in case they attempt to retaliate. Dear Harriette: I’m on astrict budget.Alot has changed for me at homeand at work, and as aresult, I’ve been socializing much less. Lastweek was aclose friend’s birthday,and Ididn’twant to miss out on celebrating her; Ireached out to an old colleague, and he gave me fourcomplimentary suitetickets to aconcert. Iinvited thebirthday girl and two of our close friends. She was so flattered. When we got to theshow, one of the other friends noticed aguy checking her out and went

CURIOUS

Continuedfrom page1D

where she established Catholic schools for Black children. The schools were later consolidated into OurLadyofAssumption Catholic School.

Anditwas this story that prompted Carencro resident Clara Arceneaux’squestion about theschool.

“Do you have information on St.Katharine Drexel being escorted by Sosthene Arceneaux in abuggy to locate propertyto build aschool for Black children in Carencro?” Clara Arceneaux asked.

Born into considerable fortune

over to talk to him.She told us to go ahead without her,and she’d meet us at ourseats. She never did. At theend of the night, she showed up,telling us all about this cute, kind stranger,totally oblivious to the fact that the night was supposed to be in honor of one of our friends. It really bothered me. Despite my currentpersonal struggles, I wanted to give my friend aspecial evening; meanwhile, our other friend couldn’tcare less. Part of me is peeved because Ihaven’t spent timewith my friends in a long time. Iwentout of my way to create afun evening forus, and she didn’teven bother to stay near us. Am Ibeing ridiculous here, or shouldI say something?

—Mates Before Dates Dear Mates Before Dates: Wasthe birthday girl upset? Is your

known asthe Rubboard Capital of theWorld. The art will reside on thewall of theFunky Flea, an antiques andcollectibles store at 829 Napoleon Ave., Sunset. Centennial pins

Tourism officials in Opelousas andthe parish will unveil and distributenew commemorative pins at eventsthroughoutJune.

More than 2,000 of the all-color, lapel pins have beenproduced.

Zydeco Unplugged

Accordion masters Andre Thierry,Corey Ledet andLil Jeff Boutte salute Chenier at Zydeco Unplugged,adaylong, Creole cultural celebration Aug. 16 at Le Vieux Village in Opelousas.

Zydeco Unplugged routinely shares performances and interviews onits Facebook page.

Horses &Harmony

Chenier will be posthumously honored as Musician of theYear at Horses &Harmony,the St Landry Chamber of Commerce’s annual awardsceremony.A zydeco band will perform at the Sept.17event at theYambilee Building in Opelousas

OneHundred Years

C.J. Chenier leadsmusical guests and friendsina special edition of theLouisiana Crossroads series Sept. 18 at the AcadianaCenter for the Arts in downtown Lafayette at 101 W. Vermilion St.

Herman Fuselier is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. A longtime journalist covering Louisiana musicand culture, he lives in Opelousas.His “Zydeco Stomp” show airs at noon Saturdays on KRVS 88.7 FM.

Drexel was born Catherine Marie Drexel on Nov.26, 1858, in Philadelphia, to afamily with aconsiderable banking fortune. She lived on a90-acre estate in thecity’sTorresdale neighborhood. Her family was devoutly religious. Drexel’smother died only five weeks after her birth, and her stepmother often opened up the family mansion to distributefood and clothing to the poor Drexel was awakened to the plight of indigenous Americans while on afamily trip to the western states,which inspired her desire to help poor communities. She began extensively traveling bothdomestically and abroad, and in 1886 met Pope Leo XIII, who encouraged her to pursue her passion for aministry to help Native American and Black children. Drexel entered the convent of theSisters of Mercy two years later,and two years after that, founded theCongregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People in Ben Salem,Pennsylvania, of which she served as Superior General.

After her father’sdeath in 1885, Drexel inherited alarge fortune, which she used to fund the schools and churches.

Transportedbybuggy?

The search for the answer in Clara Arceneaux’sbuggy question begins withaphotoofDrexel snapped during her 1924 visit to thesouthwest Louisiana community, but local historian and author Kathy Higginbotham points out that Sosthene Arceneaux isn’tinit. Sosthene Arceneaux was aCarencro-area farmer and carpenter who donated part of his land for construction of a one-room school house for which Drexel donated funds.

“Katharine Drexel established two schoolsinCarencro: one in thePrairieBasse community and another on Sosthene Arceneaux’s property,”Higginbotham said.

“The only photograph of St. Katharine Drexel visiting donated land is in Prairie Basse.”

However,that doesn’tnecessarily mean the buggy ride didn’t takeplace

“While it is not to suggest that she never visited Arceneaux’s property, Ihave no evidence to confirm such avisit,” Higginbotham said.

The historian included acopy of the photograph in her correspondence, in which Drexel holds an umbrella while conversing with two men in suits identified as Washington Gordon and Clearville Leblanc.

Bishop Jules Jemnard, in full cassock, stands afew yards away, and another nun, Sister M. Mercedes, stands on the periphery

The only other figures in the photoare awoman named Andrea Gordon and apriest identified only as Father Wrenn.

All stand along athin path cuttingthrough agrassy field where an old farmhouse stands. The photo’scaption indicates that this was the spot in the Prairie Basse community where Drexel built St. Elizabeth’sCatholic School.

St.Elizabeth’sCatholic School was later moved into the school next to Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church. Wood from the deconstruction of St. Elizabeth’s was used to build the church hall. No buggy, butameeting

AFacebook search turned up a2018 post by Wynne ZacharieCluse, who wrote that her husband, John Cluse, is Sosthene Arceneaux’sgreat-grandson.

second in the American Prize for Virtual Performance in 2023. However,this festival was the singers’first time traveling to an international competition, enabling them to build lasting memories that

Plummer said will shape thefuture direction of their lives He said, “I wanted to give them this experience, because Iwas a student at theUniversity of Louisville in Kentucky who traveled

with their choir,and won competitions and placed in competitions, anditchangedmylife.I didn’t knowwhat was possible until Iwas on stageorinthe audience, hearing groups of that quality

friend knownfor straying? You need to pause and assess your reaction to this situation. Yes, you could be overreacting. Sure, your friend should have been there with the group, but it might not be so awful forher to hang out with acool guy she met.How do your other friends feel about it? Before you ask, reflect carefully on what happened. What was the general feeling about the evening? If everyone else had agreat time, let it go. If they were also upset, say something. But you do need to accept that when you give agift, you give it freely with no expectation.

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

The post included aphoto of an undated local newspaper story of Sosthene Arceneaux’smemories of ameeting between him and Drexel, which wasarranged by Bishop Jemnal. The post also included aphoto of Sosthene and his wife standing on either side of Drexel. Still, there’snodocumentation of a horse-drawnbuggy ride.

Sosthene Arceneaux’sschool eventually wasconsolidated into Drexel’sOur Lady of Assumption Catholic School, which was merged with Carencro’sSt. Pierre Catholic School in 1971. The empty Assumption building has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Katharine Drexel also started St. Anne’sConvent School in Carencro, and the three schools St. Pierre, Our Lady of Assumption and St. Anne’s—merged and now operate as one as Carencro Catholic School,” said Sonya Louviere, the school’sprincipal. Carencro Catholic School stands at 200 W. St. Peter St. ‘She is an importantpart’ As forDrexel, she was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001 —the first person whowas born a United States citizen to be canonized.

Drexel’sname can be found on schools, churches and streets throughout the United States. She is highly revered in Louisiana for having founded Xavier University in New Orleans, the nation’s only historically Black and Catholic university She also founded schools in Marksville and NewIberia.

Drexel died in 1955 at age 96 in Pennsylvania. She was entombed in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, where ashrine to her has been established.

The saint’sfeast day is celebrated on March 3, which is prominent at Carencro’sOur Lady of Assumption Catholic Church because of her involvement and work in the community “I went to the celebration at Our Lady of Assumption, and I met alady whosaid when she was ababy,St. Katharine held her,” Louviere said. “I read everything about her that Ican get my hands on, and Ihave ascrapbook on her St. Katharine’ssisters taught at our schools, and she is an important part of our school today.”

Do you haveaquestionabout something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phonenumber andthe city where you live.

“For manyofthese students, the fact that mostofthem are not music majors or voice majors, that’s ahuge thing. This is basically a hobby for them,turned up to this level of excellence and professionalism. And those benefits will ripple through their livesand in their professions, and whatever they decide to take on.”

One graduating chamber singer said that the experience is sure to impact his upcoming role as a teacher at Evangeline Elementary in Carencro.Joel Iler, avocal music educationmajor,saidthatthe trip wasan“eye opener.”

“Getting to seepeople from other nations, exchanging music with them, andgetting to hear how they’ve been taught and the ways thatthey’re teaching music to theirpeers —it’sgivingme new options and opportunities to oneday teach thesethings in my classroom.And I’ll be able to share my ownfirst-hand account of these experiences.”

Email Joanna Brownatjoanna. brown@theadvocate.com.

FILE PHOTO By ROBINMAy

Lil

PROVIDED PHOTO By KATHy HIGGINBOTHAM Katharine Drexel holds an umbrella while surveying the land for her school in the PrairieBasse community at Carencro in an undated photo.

AT THE TABLE

Trials,triumph in recreating tastyjambonsandwich

BY CATHERINE S. COMEAUX Contributing writer

Ifirst tastedthe salty sweetness of the jambon sandwich more than20years agowhenartist George Marks was serving thehot ham, fig and Asiago cheesedeliciousness at an artshow in Arnaudville.

Having just moved back afterestablishing himself as afine artist in Baton Rouge, Marks wasintentongrowinganarts community in hissmall hometown. He started byconnecting people with fig sandwiches and great art. Over the ensuing decades, Marks and an eclectic group of creatives havecoalesced into avibrant arts communitythat has attracted nationaland global attention.NUNU Arts and CultureCollective on theCourtableauHighway is its hub.

NUNU occupies alarge old warehouse with ever-changing interiors— designedtomorph into an artgallery,musicvenue, workshopor some combination of all these. The space also housesasmall bookshop,amaker’sspace and aprofessional kitchen. People gatherwithin to create and connect —they dance, quilt, parler françaisand host potlucks

Irecently attended one of their community potluck dinners, boldlyattemptingto recreatethe NUNU-famousjambon sandwich as my contribution. Over the years, Ihave made thebougiegrilled cheese at home,riffingoff the basics —switching up the bread, the figs and the ham. I’ve used Langlinais’ pistolets, Poupart’sciabatta and various baggedrolls from grocery storebakeries. I’ve experimented with whole figs, strawberry figsand a lemon zesty version, relyingonthe creativity and generosity of my fig-canningfamilyand friends (thanks,Stephan, Mom, Uncle Fred and Ms. DeValcourt).I’ve moved from thickto thin-shaved deli ham. One of thegreat joys of cooking is following yourcreative impulsesas you try to recreate atastewithout arecipe (and withoutlosing an hour to YouTubesearches.) Feeling abit audacious havingvolunteered to make Marks’ specialty sandwichasmy contribution to the potluck,I askedhim forthe recipe. He graciously shared what hecalled a“trickedout”version from hismother Rita Dautreuil Marks’ recipe, replacing her sliced white Evangeline Made witha soft, fatFrench loafand tweakingafew other ingredients. Having therecipe was quitehelpful. Ifinally achieved the delightful toasted cheesy outer crust. But in following the recipe, Iignored

my instinctsand something wasn’tright. I

had brushed thebread witholive oil when my hands weretelling me to slather generously Marks clarified his version of “brushing the bread,”which involves one of his food-use-only paint brushes loaded witholive oil. We laughed, Imentally edited the recipe and we enjoyed the delicious but slightly dry sandwiches.

Potluck goers recognized theplatter of sandwiches on the table and would exclaim, “The jambon!” as if they’d just seen an old friend. Some newcomers mistook it for aCuban. It’s more closely related to acroque monsieur,a fancy French sandwich made with butter,Dijon,ham and broiled Gruyere on top. Served with salsa on top,itbecomes acroque senor

Slide in aslice of pineapple and it’s acroque Hawaiian. Smear bothsides with Louisiana fig preserves and it’s acroque Nunu, better known as thejambon among the creatives of Arnaudville.

Toward theend of the evening, avibrant woman with dark-rimmed glasses and short white hair walked through the doors like she owned the place and was promptly served a selection from the table spread. It was Marks’ mother,the originator of the recipe. As she bitinto thesandwich, Ithought to hide behind asmall tribeofartists at anearby table but went over and chatted instead. She kindly said it was good. Iknow it needed amore thorough slathering of olive oil but it was good, and the jambonsandwich platter was emptywhen the tables were cleared.

Trythe recipe for yourself at home, but be generous with theolive oil. Or head to Arnaudville. According to Marks, the jambon will be a featured item on themenu when NUNU hosts “Le Petit Brunch” starting this fall on the third Saturday of each month.Proceeds will help fund the programming at NUNU.

The JambonSandwich

Serves 6-8. RecipeisbyGeorge Marks, adapted from arecipe created by his mother,Rita Dautreuil Marks.

1softFrench bread loaf

4to8-plus tablespoons olive oil, divided 1/2-pluscup fresh gratedParmesan or Asiago cheese, divided

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Slice theFrench bread in half horizontally

3. Slather both sides of each half generously witholive oil using apastry brush(or an unused paint brush).

4. Place bread pieces, cut side down, on alightly oiled bakingpan

5. Sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons cheese on the outer sides of the bread slices.

6. Toast for 4minutesuntil golden and crisp.

7. If using baked ham, sliceinto sandwich-sized portions and lightly pan-fryinaskillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until just crispy

8. In asmall bowl, mash and mix the fig preserves with 1tablespoon olive oil until smooth and spreadable. Add more olive oil if necessary

9. Spread the fig andolive oil mixture on bothofthe inner sides of the

toastedbread

10. Layerthe hamontop of the fig mixture andsprinkle the remaining cheeseontop

11. Close the sandwich and choose your grilling method: panini press, oven,stovetopskilletorgriddle. Cut sandwichloaf as necessary to fit your chosen grilling method.

12. Foroven, stovetop or griddle, place andpress aheavy black iron skilletontop to compress the sandwich, thenheat for about2-3 minutes on each side.Slicediagonally and serve warm.

Recipe notes:

n Butterormayocan be substituted for the olive oil.

n If using thin-sliced deli ham, you might omitpan-frying it (Step7).

n Afew clean bricks wrapped in aluminum foil will also work to press the sandwichasitisgrilled.

PHOTOSByCATHERINE S. COMEAUX

The Jambon Sandwich with side salad and fruit

GeorgeMarks, originator of the Jambon Sandwich, and his mother Rita Dautreuil Marks, attend apotluck at NUNU in Arnaudville.

AP FILEPHOTO

Diving into theKingfish

BY DOUG GRAHAM Staff writer

“American Populist: Huey Long of Louisiana,”by

Thomas E. Patterson, Louisiana State University Press, 720 pages

Huey Long ran roughshod through Louisiana politics for adecade, first as governor and then U.S. senator before he was gunned downinsidethe State Capitol in Baton Rouge in 1935. Long connected with everyday Louisiana residents using arough-hewn folksy manner —heoncegave aspeechon the floor of the U.S. Senateextolling the delights of potlikker,his favorite dish. But he was aruthless politician who was not beyond using unsavory methods and intimidation to getwhat he wanted.

Author Thomas E. Patterson,a Chicagolawyer by trade, gives adetailed study of both sides of the man known as the Kingfish in “American Populist: Huey Long of Louisiana.” The book is more than an examination of an extraordinary political force, however As he lays out Long’slife from childhood to death, Patterson also examines the political history of the U.S.during those times, explaining theforces that shaped the world Long stepped into along his path.

During Long’stime leadingthe state —which he did even after leaving the governor’soffice —hereshaped Louisiana even as theGreat Depression hit. Poor residents received help through public works and welfare programs; students got free textbooks; the system of roads and bridges was upgraded; and the state’s universities were expanded, particularlyLSU.

To finance all these efforts, Long raised inheritance and incometaxes, as well as the severance taxonoil. It’s easy to see why he was embraced by the poor and reviled by the wealthy. But taxes weren’tLong’s only weapon. Patterson describes severalstrictsteps the Kingfish took to make sure his policies passed and held firm, including controlling appointments to local educational, police and fire departments throughout Louisiana. He also populated the state government with men he knew he could manipulate from afar while he served in the Senate. Long’spolitical career went through aseries of ups and downs.

Patterson discusseshow Long’spersonal and professional foibles helped push him into the valleys, and how he rose each time to fight back to the

Sen.HueyP Long addresses students at LSU on Nov. 12, 1934.

Louisianalegend Huey Long’s life, career get thorough examination in newbook

ummit through force per

summit throughforce of will and personality.Hewrites about how Long could hold acrowd’sattention through even some of his longest speeches, and howhewas an imaginativeworkhorse when it came to campaigning.

Thebook also goes into detail about thefederal government’sefforts to rise from theGreat Depression. It addresses Long’sefforts to promote manyofPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt’sNew Deal programs at first before pivoting to create his own “Share OurWealth” movement, which he was spearheadingasheconsidered arun forpresident against Roosevelt in 1936. All that ended when he was shot Sept.8,1935, by Dr.Carl Weiss in a hallway at the State Capitol, dying two

days later

Patterson references several earlier works on his subject, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Long written by LSUprofessor T. Harry Williams, but he has his own viewpoints on theKingfish. Hisappreciation of Long’saccomplishments comes through, even as he questions some of the methods used to achieve them. In the end, this is not abook for someone looking for aquick read about the famous Kingfish. This is adetailed, comprehensive examination of Long, his triumphsand failures,his strengths and shortcomings, theworld he lived in and what he left behind.

Email DougGraham at doug graham@theadvocate.com.

N.O. helped shapeone of thebest summer novels

When Tove Jansson arrived in NewOrleans in 1972 foranextended visit, fewpeople knew that acelebrity wasintheir midst. Her stay helped shape another surprise —namely,one of the best books about summer ever written. The tale of how all this came about is worth revisiting as another summer unfolds and Jansson’swork attracts renewed attention.

Jansson, an artist and writer from Finland, coined acomic strip and related books about the Moomins —mythical creatures, abit like hippos, whose compassion and sense of fun madethem ahit with children. By the timeshe visited Louisiana, Jansson’sMoomin stories had been widely translated and found audiences in manyparts of the world, including America. But in middle age, Jansson started to focus on writing foradults, and she yearned forfresh inspiration. Jansson traveled the world between 1971 and 1972 with her longtimecompanion and fellow artist, Tuulikki Pietilä. Their odyssey took them manyplaces, including Japan, England, Holland and Mexico.

It wasNew Orleans, though, that stole Jansson’sheart.

She and Pietilä found aplace in the French Quarter and lingered amonth.

“I think,” Jansson wrote to afriend, “this is the best thing of the whole journey, this happy, beautiful, peaceful town so full of music! We’re not tourists anymore; we’re living here, preparing food at home, in an ordinary room with our own back yard where vegetables grow.”

In NewOrleans, Jansson completed “The Summer Book,” asmallnovel she’d been working on forayear.Atfirst glance, this fictional story about a6-year-old spending her summer on asmallisland off the coast of Finland would seem to have nothing to do with New Orleans. But grounded in small joys that unfold across long afternoons, the book chimes nicely with Louisiana’ssense of summer as aseason suspended in time.

Little wonder that Jansson finished this charming tale in the French Quarter

The language and themes of “The Summer Book” are simple enough formiddle schoolers, though it’sbeen embraced as abook for adults. The strange appeal of the novel is that not much seemstohappen within its 170 pages. The maincharacter,Sophia, goes swimming, pokes around in the woods, entertains avisitor, plays with her cat, rides in aboat and listens to the rain.

But Jansson writes with such perceptive clarity about these humble wonders that she renewsareader’ssense of what summer —and life—can be.

That might explain whythe workofJansson, whodied in 2001, is having arenaissance. “Notes from An Island,” Jansson’saccount of her own summer idylls, wasrecently reissued, along with new editions of “Sun City,” “The True Deceiver” and “The Woman Who Borrowed Stories,” her adult fiction.

The books are an embarrassment of riches forany summer reader.It’sheartening to think that Louisiana had arole in creating Jansson’s legacy

Email Danny Heitman at danny @dannyheitman.com.

Danny Heitman

Endofincentivesthreatens emerging greenindustry

BYBLAKE PATERSON

Louisiana economic officials and politicians have cheered the billions of dollars in industrial projects recently cropping up across the state, driven in part by lucrative federal tax credits for clean energyinvestments

Now,many areworriedthatarollbackofthose credits could threaten jobs and investments, dampening Louisiana’s“allofthe above” strategy to grow its clean energy and carbon management industries

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

The Norwegian Seamen’s Church at 1772 Prytania St. wasbuilt in 1968 to provide ahome away from home for sailors in New Orleans. Later,itbecame a haven for jazz musicians. Now,the midcentury modern complex has been transformed into agathering place for an entirely new community In 2021, sisters Diana Fisher,Deborah Peters and Kendall Winingder reopened

along with oil and natural gas production

Nearly $40 billion worthofnew Louisiana solar farms,low-carbon ammonia andhydrogenplants, factories supplying electric vehicle batterymaterialsand other investments stand to lose incentives if clean energy tax credits from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act are cut, according to data from the Clean Investment Monitor, ajoint projectofthe Rhodium Group and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Donald Trump’sdomestic policy package, referred to as his “big, beautiful bill” of taxcuts andspending priorities, would quickly phase out tax creditsfor wind andsolar,end electricvehicle subsidies and curtail acredit for clean hydrogen production,among other rollbacks. Preservedinthe bill are tax credits for carbon capture and sequestration, a technology favored by the oil and gas industry

The bill narrowly passed the House and is facing scrutiny in the Senate. Some Republicansare opposed to the bill for its vast expansion of the federal debt, while others are expressing reservations about

IDEAS INNOVATION & IDEA

theformer church’sdoors and welcomed customers to Spyre, aholistic healthcenter providing mental health services, physicaltherapy, yoga, exercise classes and other wellness services on acampus that includes asaltwater pool, meditation garden andfarm-to-table cafe. The siblings and business partners were inspired to build acommunity based on holistic health —an approach to care that considers the whole body —in acity known more for living well than wellness itself.

able enterprise withmultiple revenue streamsthat contribute to amuch bigger economicriver: the $2 trillion global wellness industry, which is growing by roughly 5% ayear in the U.S., according to consulting

Aftera

class, they cansit poolside at The Well Cafe and sip organic smoothies. Nonmemberscan buyday passes or drop-in classes that begin at $18. Spyre’s founders said they intentionally keep prices below market rate.

“The wellness industry is very elite, very expensive and very White,” Fisher said. “We’re trying to makethis accessible to awide variety of community members.”

STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Sisters Diana Fisher and Deborah Peters, twoofthe three owners of Spyre, walk between the saltwater pool and the meditation garden at the holistic health center in NewOrleans

Staff writer

Issued May 28 to June 3

New commercial

RESIDENTIAL: 349 Ridge Road, leasing office for Townhomes at Creekview and Cottages at Creekview residential developments; applicant and contractor, DSLD Homes; $352,334.

RECREATION: 3617 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, convert

43,396-square-foot building to Urban Air Adventure Park with cafe, restrooms, party rooms, office and attractions; applicant Pistil Consortia; contractor, Planet Construction; $95,000.

Commercial alterations

INDUSTRIAL: 111 Marcon Drive, description, renovate existing building and other work for office/warehouse for Chuck LeBlanc; applicant and contractor, Patricia Pullin Malcombe Contractors; $426,329

DENTAL: 2910 Johnston St., renovate existing space in Winnwood Shopping Center; applicant, Hollier Dental; contractor Thompson Brothers Construction; $120,000.

RETAIL: 5433 Johnston St., renovations for new location of Miller’s Formal Tux Shop; applicant and contractor, Hubert Hulin Construction Services; $24,000.

RETAIL: 5433 Johnston St., interior renovation for Miller’s Formal Tux Shop; applicant and contractor, Hubert Hulin Construction Services; $24,000.

INDUSTRIAL: 312 S. Bernard Road, Broussard; none listed; applicant, Prime Marine Services; contractor, self-contracting; $5,000.

Commercial demolition OFFICE: 551 Jefferson St., description, none listed for the former Sans Souci Fine Art Gallery; applicant and contractor, Ducharme Brothers; $42,000.

New residential

122 ALLISTER ROAD, MAURICE: self-contractor, $441,180.

WELLNESS

Continued from page 1E

A holistic home

107 HARVEST CREEK LANE: Emsley Construction, $330,840.

320 WHITE PINE DRIVE: DR Horton, $240,480. 323 WHITE PINE DRIVE: DR Horton, $225,000.

400 FLORES COURT NO. 1: Manuel Builders $228,960. 602 CAPSTONE CROSSING: Manuel Builders, $227,160. 209 FILLMORE WAY: Manuel Builders, $225,180. 138 LAKES EDGE, BROUSSARD: AM Design, $209,760. 104 NEWTON DRIVE: Manuel Builders, $209,880. 102 NEWTON DRIVE: Manuel Builders, $175,230. 419 JUDICE LANE, DUSON: DSLD, $201,150.

102 AVOYELLES DRIVE: Manuel Builders, $192,060. 124 GRENADINE DRIVE: Manuel Builders, $186,030. 553 SMITH-REED ROAD: The Cajun Homeboy, $126,000. 102 TELLURIDE PASS, DUSON: Hammerhead Homes, $112,680. 209 BELLE HOMME DRIVE: selfcontractor, $171,000.

209 PLATEAU ROAD: BCS Builders, $108,000. 225 WAKELY COURT: DSLD, $211,140.

305 WAKELY COURT: DSLD $203,310. 229 WAKELY COURT: DSLD, $197,460. 602 SUMMER ST., BROUSSARD: DSLD, $134,007. 121 LOTUS ST., BROUSSARD: $125,734.

700 SUMMER ST., BROUSSARD: DSLD, $125,734. 119 LOTUS ST., BROUSSARD: $140,650. 103 REFUGE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: McLain Homes, $165,250. 118 GREENHOUSE ROADS, YOUNGSVILLE: McLain Homes, $165,250.

305 JUSTIN ST.: Reliance Real Estate Group, $75,000.

309 JUSTIN ST.: Reliance Real Estate Group, $75,000.

The inspiration for Spyre came during a crisis.

Eight years ago, at age 34, Fisher received a breast cancer diagnosis that completely upended her life. In response, she curated a treatment plan that combined traditional medicine with acupuncture, yoga, massage, lymphatic drainage and other holistic therapies.

“Everything you could do, I did,” Fisher said. During the process, she found it hard to coordinate care, share information between providers and find a sense of community, so she decided to create her own.

Fisher and her sisters — who share her interest in holistic medicine dreamed up the idea of a wellness hub that would bring many services under one roof. It would serve people dealing with serious health challenges as well as those wanting to embrace healthier living in general.

The sisters all have an entrepreneurial streak. Peters created and sold a film equipment company in Los Angeles. Fisher co-owns the Tibetan House store and meditation room on Tchoupitoulas Street. And Winingder helped found Sugar Roots Farm, a nonprofit outdoor classroom in Lower Algiers.

The family’s background in real estate helped kick-start the process.

The sisters’ father, Tom Winingder, moved to New Orleans in the late 1970s and helped develop some of the best-known local real estate projects of the last half century, including Canal Place, The Windsor Court and the Jazzland amusement park. Kendall Winingder is a designer at Felicity Property Co., a real estate firm that specializes in historic preservation and urban development chaired by her father Her husband, Patrick Schindler, is the president of the company, which is headquartered across Urania Street from Spyre.

ACADIANA INBOX

Fifteen local business leaders were selected to participate in the Acadiana CEO Roundtable. The 10-month program is hosted by One Acadiana in collaboration with the Louisiana Economic Development office and facilitated by the Leadership Institute of Acadiana.

The roundtable will include:

n Blaine Prejean, Select Risk Insurance

Group

n Thomas Rinehart, NuStarr Equipment

n Collus Roche, Trusted Compliance

n Dustin Duval, M&E Consulting

n Cleveland Auzenne IRIDE Transportation

n Hailey Melancon, Atlas Feed Mill

n Cathi Pavy, Pavy Studio

n Craig Simon, Aviation Academy of Louisiana

n Kyle Kent, Kent Design and Build

n Kayla Kountz, Aromatic Infusions

n Ramon Fonseca, Drone Institute

n Ryan Meche, iConvergence

n James Gardiner, Grace Building Maintenance

n Raquel McCorvey, BeLuxxe Health and Wellness

n Jeremy Plaisance, Fezzo’s Seafood

The event will bring together key decision makers from Louisiana-based small businesses for collaborative, growth-oriented roundtable sessions.

Each session is designed to support a collaborative environment in which CEOs can safely explore business and personal issues with the guidance of experienced facilitators.

Mark Mouton was named director of business development for the Lafayette Economic Development Authority

Mouton, previously director of business retention and expansion for the organization, will move into a broadened role designed to further align with LEDA’s business attraction, retention and expansion efforts.

Leaning on this real estate acumen, the sisters purchased the former Norwegian Seamen’s Church property in 2019 for an undisclosed sum and began a multimilliondollar renovation that continued through the pandemic. The project required a zoning change and benefited from historic tax credits due to the building’s age and status as a historic landmark.

“That designation meant we couldn’t change a lot of things, but that’s OK,” Fisher said. “We’ve maximized every inch of the space in a very creative way.”

No bathrobes or Botox

On a recent rainy weekday, the lobby of Spyre was buzzing with activity despite the calm created by the neutral-toned wood floors and ceilings, cream-colored brick walls, and well-placed greenery

A couple of employees were working at the check-in desk in front of a wall of glass providing a view of the meditation garden and saltwater pool in the courtyard.

Outside, steady rain was falling, but three women were dry under a patio cover as they gathered around a laptop at a cafe table.

Separated by a partition from the lobby the church’s former chapel was waiting to host its next exercise class. A cart with colorful hand weights stood at the entrance.

An ultramodern crystal chandelier hung over the church’s former altar, glowing like a portal to another dimension.

Anyone entering this scene would be forgiven for assuming they were in a luxurious spa straight out of the HBO show “The White Lotus.” But Peters said they would be mistaken.

“It looks so beautiful here, so sometimes people get a little confused and they want a bathrobe and some slippers,” Peters said “But you come here to do work. We’re not doing Botox.”

Instead, she said, Spyre is for people who want to pursue wellbeing through connections between mental health, physical health and nutrition.

“We all firmly believe in medicine and science,” Peters said. “But we know this living breathing organism of ourselves is all connected.”

JOHNSON

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL

Oxbow Solar farm is located along Ventress Road in Ventress. Nearly $40 billion worth of new Louisiana solar farms, low-carbon ammonia and hydrogen plants, factories supplying electric vehicle battery materials and other investments stand to lose incentives if clean energy tax credits from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act are cut, according to data from the Clean Investment Monitor, a joint project of the Rhodium Group and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

CLEAN

Continued from page 1E

ending subsidies that have led to major investments in their states.

“If somebody’s already invested $100 million, they’ve gotten their land, they’ve begun their permitting, they have a business plan,”

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, said in a call last month to discuss the bill. “I think we need to look at those differently.”

Lobbying of state delegation

Projects that are expected to take advantage of some form of IRA tax credits have cropped up across the state in recent years.

can to protect those industries in Jefferson Parish, so we’re highly supportive of retaining those credits,” Bologna said.

Jefferson Parish is also trying to position itself as a key node for the offshore wind industry Gulf Wind Technology, a wind turbine technology company, last year partnered with Shell on a $10 million initiative to create a wind power research hub at the Avondale Global Gateway

The House bill would give most zero-carbon power plants, including wind and solar, a 60-day deadline to start construction, in order to qualify for tax credits.

Multiple revenue streams

Besides selling memberships and charging à la carte fees to drop-in customers, Spyre generates revenue by renting office space to health and wellness providers, whose private practices are located at the center

Currently, about 18 mental health professionals, physical therapists and other practitioners are based on the campus, creating a synergy that benefits the center and the practitioners as well as the clients of each.

“We provide the lobby but we don’t reschedule an appointment,” Peters said. “We don’t know patients’ personal information.”

Spyre has its own team of about 30 instructors all independent contractors — who teach yoga, Pilates, high-intensity interval training and meditation.

The center also hosts special events, including wellness retreats, weddings and book signings. A comedy show recently used the former church altar as a stage.

The facility partners with hotels in the neighborhood including the Henry Howard Hotel, Hotel Saint Vincent and The Blackbird Hotel to provide services for guests, including pool passes, with one important caveat:

“We are not a ‘hang out and drink by the pool’ place,” Peters said. “That’s not our vibe.”

‘Sweet spot’

The sisters said their four-yearold enterprise is in a sweet spot They make enough money to cover expenses without paying for advertising. And, unlike many New Orleans businesses, Spyre won’t be brutally slow during the summer

Some out-of-town guests have even encouraged them to expand or franchise the concept, but that’s not at the top of the to-do list

“We’re not doing this to get rich off of people’s vulnerabilities in their health journey,” Fisher said. “We’re doing it as an act of love and a gift to our community. We want to be a touchstone for people.”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

Louisiana has seen some 905 megawatts of solar installations in 2024 alone, and currently has enough panels to power around 155,000 homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group. Other projects seeking IRA tax credits include Clean Hydrogen Works’ proposed $7.5 billion ammonia facility in Ascension Parish that would sequester emissions underground and is expected to create 350 new jobs. Also, Monarch Energy proposed a $426 million facility in Ascension that would employ a carbon-free process to make hydrogen for use in industry and create an estimated 44 new jobs.

In April, Illinois-based CF Industries, which operates the largest ammonia production facility in the world at a complex in Donaldsonville, announced plans to build a $4 billion low-carbon ammonia plant nine miles upriver from its existing facility The company said in its 2024 annual report that “changes to the IRA may impact our ability to receive anticipated tax credits for our low-carbon ammonia projects, which, in turn, could negatively affect the profitability of these projects.”

With so many investments on the line, Louisiana economic development officials are ramping up efforts to convince Cassidy and U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, RMadisonville, that protecting the IRA’s clean energy tax credits are in the state’s best interests.

Greater New Orleans Inc. is collecting signatures on a letter it plans to send to Louisiana’s senators that calls for preserving the clean hydrogen tax credits and the transferability of credits for carbon capture and other technologies.

Jerry Bologna, president and CEO of Jefferson Parish’s economic development agency, said repealing the IRA tax credits would make it harder to attract investments in wind, solar and electric vehicle battery manufacturing.

The parish landed the nation’s first manufacturing facility for EV battery components last year when the Japanese chemical company UBE broke ground on a $491 million facility in Waggaman. The facility is expected to create nine permanent jobs when it begins operations in 2027. Though UBE isn’t taking advantage of IRA tax credits directly, repealing the consumer tax credit for electric vehicles could reduce demand for UBE’s products, Bologna noted.

“We want to do everything we

“Nothing can move that quickly,” said Camille ManningBroome, president and CEO of the Baton-Rouge based Center for Planning Excellence.

‘Full trust’

Of course, tax credits are only one part of the equation when companies decide where to locate factories or energy projects. Many are built to operate for decades, which means that changes in tax credits from one presidential administration to the next aren’t necessarily going to end the investments. And free market advocates argue that the tax credits unfairly pick winners and losers in the economy, which isn’t as efficient as letting consumers and businesses decide.

Still, the credits have scrambled the political calculus around supporting industry Gov Jeff Landry, an ally of Trump, has touted many of the projects that stand to gain from the IRA tax credits as wins for Louisiana and an example of the state’s “all of the above” approach to energy In a written statement, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said it was premature to comment on the budget bill given that it’s only passed the House.

“We are tracking the bill closely, and will continue our work with local, state and federal partners to bring added investment and jobs to Louisiana,” Bourgeois wrote.

“We have full trust that our federal delegation will represent the best interest of Louisiana’s economy today and in the future.” Adam Knapp, CEO of Leaders for a Better Louisiana, a statewide economic development group, said there’s “near universal agreement” among industry groups and economic development officials that the clean hydrogen tax credit needs to be preserved in some capacity

The tax credit — which provides companies up to $3 per kilogram of clean hydrogen produced — has been a major driver of investments in low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia projects in Louisiana, Knapp said.

But under the House proposal, the credit would only be available for projects that begin construction by the end of 2025. Knapp said it’s unrealistic to expect projects to break ground by the end of the year

“You don’t build industrial grade projects in that short of time period,” Knapp said.

Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.

Mouton

BUSINESS WITH BEN JOHNSON

Lafayette

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

Grand Rapids, Michigan, has made itself into a blossoming hot spot for the tech industry, with about 40,000 tech jobs in the midsized city Ben Johnson, founder and CEO of Techneaux Technology Services in Lafayette, said there’s no reason why what worked in Grand Rapids can’t be replicated in south Louisiana. Lafayette leaders met with Grand Rapids officials last fall as part of One Acadiana’s Leadership Exchange trip, where they learned how the tech industry blossomed there.

The genesis of Grand Rapids’ tech industry came about a dozen years ago when local leaders joined forces.

“They put together a team and went to Silicon Valley and got in front of a bunch of executives there,” Johnson said. “They said, ‘We have bad ass programmers here at half your cost. If you want to make some better business decisions, come see us.’

“All of a sudden they’re marketing that region as a tech hub. That’s what we can do here, and I think it’s easy for us.” Johnson is now heading up the 15-member Lafayette Regional Technology Council, made up of local tech executives and community leaders, to help develop and retain top talent and attract more companies.

It’s an opportune time do to that with the Meta project to be built in Richland Parish and other large business projects that will require industrial technology jobs, Johnson said. In this week’s edition of Talking Business, Johnson talks about his role with the committee, what the Acadiana region and south Louisiana as a whole can do to improve its tech presence and how his company has grown from his garage to a business with nearly 200 employees and a second office in Midland, Texas.

This interview has been edited for clarity

This group has some big names on it but you were the guy named to serve as the

chairman How did that happen and how do you see your role in this?

The tech council thing has really been fun for me because, for one thing, I’ve been so head down with Techneaux. This is our 16th year now and I was just so focused on getting the business off the ground.

It’s finally off the ground, and so I can start reaching out and doing things in the community That Leadership Exchange was really my first foray into getting out of my comfort zone.

We’re just hearing about what they had done with the tech council (in Grand Rapids), and I was like, this was such a great way to bring the community together It didn’t seem like a huge lift on their part in the beginning. It was really just getting people together to talk.

The tech sector has grown in Lafayette and south Louisiana and gets talked about a lot. What is at the top of your agenda for the industry? The mission statement we’ve

come up with is pretty simple.

It’s really to support and encourage the growth and collaboration of the tech ecosystem in the Lafayette region, and the way that we’re going to do that is through four pillars. It’s collections and knowledge sharing.

That’s going to be like meetups and specific programming around hot topics There will be advocacy That’s making sure policy and things of that nature that we’re all aware of and that we can advocate for this region. Another one is talent and workforce, which has been probably the most talked about portion of this, and that kind of goes hand in hand with the fourth pillar which is the marketing and community outreach.

Let’s talk about the talent and workforce. What the challenge now to retain that talent? Is that the biggest challenge?

Retention seems to be high on the list, but I think that’s anywhere as you go — not just Lafayette — with so many opportunities for people

to work remotely Everyone needs that midlevel to senior level talent. Whenever you’ve built up someone, if they don’t see the opportunity, it’s easy for them to go get work at a Google, Apple or Microsoft. You have to show some value as a company to keep these people around.

UL puts out great talent It’s top notch — the work ethic, the knowledge and they’re coming out prepared. Unfortunately, you still have to have middle-tier individuals and seniors to help those people come along, and that’s where I think we hear the biggest gap is right now is.

How do you address that? Is it a pay issue?

Or a kind of a mentoring deal?

That’s one of the things I’m interested to see. Here at Techneaux, I feel we’ve done a great job with that. There are other companies in the area that are good at retaining talent. Maybe it’s a matter of helping other companies understand what we’ve done in order to

be successful with that and help them implement some of those same practices. We may be competitors in the traditional sense, but there’s so much work these days. We’re really just interested in helping each other out because in the long run it’s going to help out all of us. You look at what’s going on in Louisiana right now — you’re bringing in Meta, you’ve got a huge LNG plant in Lake Charles, you’ve got Hyundai coming in — there’s going to be work for a ton of people.

Why did you take this assignment on? Your company just moved into its new office in Lafayette in the former Fontana Fitness Center and is growing Why take on this role?

I had to do some soul searching. I didn’t get into business to be a businessman. I’m a computer nerd. I like doing programming. So I had to really think about, why am I doing this?

It speaks back to the mission statement which was really personal for me here: We help customers succeed, we help each other succeed and we help Techneaux succeed.

Those two key words were “help” and “succeed,” and that’s always been something for me. I want to help people. I’d like to help people outside of Techneaux. If I can help other businesses put people over profit, that’s a huge win. If everyone in this industry start pulling together, what can the region and the state be in the next five to 10 years?

I loved the term Silicon Bayou that people were trying to push back in the day, because I think it really can be similar to a Silicon Valley

We’ve got the people, we’ve got the talent and we’ve got the innovation and creativity It’s kind of limitless on what we can do here. I think right now we’re kind of limited by the way we’ve chosen to run our businesses, but hopefully we can change that.

We’re going for opportunities with Meta, with these huge LNG plants and with Hyundai. It’s there for the taking.

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.

BeyondtheHeadlines

As oneofthe largest lawfirmsinLouisiana,Jones Walker LLPishonored to partnerwith TheAcadianaAdvocate |Lafayette to supportthe expanded businesssection.

This in-depth reportingwillexplorewhatbusinesses aredoing to achievetheir goals, avertthreats, addressopportunities,and advancetheir business objectives.Welook forwardtothe thought leadership andconversationthissection will inspire. Since1937, our firmhas been committed to workingwithcommunityleaders to developbusiness opportunitiesacrossthe state. We aresteadfast in continuing ourdedicationtogobeyondinadvising clientsand supportinginitiatives andorganizations that make Louisiana abetterplace to live andwork

William H. Hines,ManagingPartner bhines@joneswalker.com 504.582.8000 201St. CharlesAvenue NewOrleans,LA70170-5100

5tipsfor afun summer withoutbag fees

Fool’sTake: An oily investment

Michelle Singletary

THE COLOR OF MONEy

Picture this: Your tan lines have faded, the tchotchkes you purchased have already gathered dust, but one thing sticks around after vacation —acredit card balance that hurts like abad sunburn. That’s the reality when summer fun morphs into reckless spending on the road.

According to asurvey by Bankrate, 29% of Americans planning to travel this summer said they will take on debt. People will pay for that fun in the sun by accumulating debt on credit cards they can’tpay off right away.Others might use buy-now-pay-later plans, borrow from family or friends, or take out apersonal loan.

Perhaps you’re saying to yourself: “That’snot me because I’ve saved up to trot around the globe.”

While seemingly responsible, this approach can mask deeper financial vulnerabilities. I’m not going to applaud you for shelling out cash for acruise if you’re drowning in credit card debt, allowing the interest to balloon. Or you haven’t met such crucial long-term goals as retirement savings or your children’sfuture education.

But let’sassume you’re among the fortunate who can vacation without financial worries —your credit cards are paid in full each month, and your emergency fund offers agood safety net. Even then, the allureof the “treat yourself” mentality on holiday can lead to post-trip regrets. Here are some strategies to help you return home with memories, not financial remorse.

1. Plan astaycation

If you vacation in your backyard, you won’tbe

alone.Inthe Bankratesurvey, amajority of nontravelers said they can’t afford to go awaybecauseitcosts too muchorbecauseeveryday life expensesare toohigh. OK, so staying home it is. Astaycation doesn’thave to meansentencingyourself to aweekofhousehold chores Here’show to get into vacationmode:

n Resist the temptation to gettothatto-do list Treat your staycation like agenuine getaway.Imean it. Don’tguilt-trip yourself (pun intended) into doing mundane tasks. Relax and binge-watchsomething.

n Don’t tell people you’re staying home.Act as though you’re gone by refraining from obligations with friends and family —unless they’re part of your vacation-at-home plans.

n Plan your dayjust as youwould if you were on a trip. Create adaily itinerary of thingsyou wanttodo aroundtown.Check the local tourism bureau website for activity recommendations gearedtoward out-oftowners. Take alocal kayak trip or enjoy anearby lake or park

n Don’t get so zealous with your local plans thatyou overspendonyour staycation. Search for free events, concerts, movies or other things you can do on the cheap. If you live in abig city,various tourist attractions can still bustyour budget. Your missionfor your staycationifyou’reindebt or yoursavingsaccountis depletedistospend as little money aspossible.

2. Avoidthe debt trap Want to jetawaytoJamaica?Noproblem. Youcould buy that plane ticketnow and book your hotel room and pay later. BNPL credit dealsallow consumerstosplit the payments forthe purchases, typically into four interestfree installments. Fees may kick in only if payments are made late

The ease of these deals can createthe illusion of affordability. Fourinterestfree installmentssound harmless, right?

But those installments can turn into afinancial albatross if youcan’tmake those paymentsontime or aretempted to load up on moreBNPL loans.Becareful or thatdream vacation might just become adebt nightmare.

3. Leavethe leechesbehind Youmay love them, but freeloading family or friends can be frustrating.

Iaskedreaderstodish on their vacation-sharing regrets afew yearsback.

One reader had to fork over a$150 fee when guests didn’tproperly clean their side of atimeshare villa.

“Wedidn’task for any money towardthe timeshare,asitwould have cost the same with one family or twofamilies staying,” the reader wrote. “Weshared food costs just fine.Ijust never understood why they thought it was OK for us to clean up theirmesswhen we wereboth on vacation.”

Here’sa cautionarytale from the subreddit forum r/ EntitledPeople: “I covered the Airbnb,gas, groceries, and even two dinnersout all becauseeveryone said ‘we’ll pay you back when we get home.’ Not asingle one of themhas paid me back. When Ibrought it up, one friend said: ‘You seemed cool withitatthe time.’

Like, Iwas happy to spend $5,000 while everyone else lived rent-free? Now they’re acting weird, saying I’m ‘being dramatic’ about money.”

The mostimportant tip about sharing avacation withothers is to get your money up front.Like, for real. Otherwise, your budget-friendly trip could end up costing you morethan you plan.

Be very clear about all costs. Before making any travel arrangements, setup aformal meeting to discuss

financial expectations. For those booking atimeshare:When you check in, have the people vacationing withyou alsoput up acredit card. If they’re in aseparate villa, even if it’s in your name, do the same thing. As thevacation comes to an end, get thebill theday before checkout and divvy up any charges

4. Pack like apro

With Southwest Airlines joining other carriers in charging for checked bags, now is agood timetoconsiderthe benefits of packing lighter.Doyou really need a different outfit every day?

I’m very close to being able to travel withjusta carry-on. I’ve been practicing and getting pretty good at editing out all the stuffI think Idon’tneed.

Keep in mind: Traveling light makes navigating around flight cancellations a lot less stressful.

5. Don’tfallfor free stuff

Bargain hunters sometimes get sweet-talked into timesharepromotions because of the freebies offered. Be wary. Iloved this storyfroma colleague: “My husband and Iunintentionally got roped into one of thosetimeshare presentations on our honeymoon, but we got out of it because he happened to lose his driver’slicense thatday So one inconvenient situationsaved us from an even worse one!”

My husband and Inow have apolicy of refusing goodies —whether agift card, free amusement park tickets or adiscounted restaurant meal —ifit means being trapped by a timesharesalesperson for severalhours.

Sure, you might save some money,but at the expense of something you can’tbuy —time.

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@ washpost.com

By Amanda McElfresh

amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Thisarticle is broughtto youbythe Louisiana CommercialFishing Coalition LLC

Along Louisiana’sworking coastlines asmall silver fish powers avastnetwork of food, health, and agriculture. Knownas menhaden,sometimes called pogies,this humble species forms the backbone of one of our state’s most valuable and least understood commercial fisheries.But the story doesn’t end at the water’sedge. Once caughtand refined, menhaden support industries acrossthe U.S. and aroundthe world—from aquacultureand petfood to livestock feed and dietary supplements

Each year,Louisiana’s menhaden industry generatesmorethan $419 million in economic output and supports over 2,000 jobsacross32parishes.Its reach extends farbeyond the dock, anchoring avalue chain critical to national food systems and Louisiana’scoastal communities

Harvesting aRenewable Resource Louisiana is home to themenhaden fishery—one of themost productiveand sustainably managedfisheriesinthe world

Lessthan 2% of the Gulf’s menhaden biomass is harvested each year under sciencebased management, innovativetechnology, and strict adherence to state and federal regulations.The MarineStewardship Council(MSC) certifies the fishery forits responsible practices,and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission confirms thatpopulations arehealthy and growing. Abundant, fast-growing, and naturally renewable,menhaden areanideal sustainable resource.

Twocompanies—Westbank Fishing and Ocean Harvesters—operate fleetsout of Empire, LA and Abbeville, LA. Their vessels useadvanced netting technologytominimize bycatchand ensuresafe, efficient harvests

Once landed, the fish go to local processing plants to become twoprimary products: fishmeal and fish oil Processing for U.S. and Global Markets

During theproduction process,menhaden arecooked, pressed, dried, and ground into high-protein meal,whilethe extracted oils are filtered and refined. Nothingiswasted. The processisdesigned formaximum efficiency and minimal environmental impact,aligning withcircular economyprinciples that prioritizefull resource utilization. Theseproductsare rich in omega-3s protein, and essential nutrients,making them ideal ingredients foraquaculturefeed, pet food, and nutritional supplements. Most product stays in theU.S.tosupport domestic industries,with the balance exported to meet global demand forhigh-quality, sustainable feed ingredients

Fueling Aquacultureand Food Security

As global demandfor seafood continues to rise, aquaculturenow represents more than half of the world’ssupply. Remarkably efficient, fishcan gain one kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of body masswith just one kilogram of feed—makingaquacultureone of themost effectivemethods of protein production.

Amajor useofmenhaden-derived fishmeal and oil is in aquaculture. These marine ingredients areessential to thediets of farmraised species such as salmon and seabass, supporting optimal growth andoverall health. Menhaden fishmeal andoil arealsousedin products likeartificial crawfish bait and feed

Oil prices have slumped this year,due to both demand concerns and increased supply.Some producers are better positioned to weather lower oil prices than others.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is in that group, and it’sacompelling oil stock in this current market environment.

ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance discussed that market environment on the company’srecent first-quarter earnings conference call. He stated, “The ultimate depth and duration of this current price environment remains unclear.” However,he noted that “ConocoPhillips is built for this, with clear competitive advantages.”

ConocoPhillips has a disciplined capital allocation strategy that it says is “battle-tested through the cycles.” It recently showcased this discipline by reducing its guidance for capital spending by $500 millionand for operating costs by $200 millioninresponse to lower oil prices. Despite cutting spending, the company maintained its production guidance: It’sdelivering the same oil and gas volumes for less money

ConocoPhillips is also adividend payer,with a recent dividend yield of 3.7%. The company has solid growth prospects, and its combination of cyclical and noncyclical characteristics makes it apromising oil stock to buy and hold for the long term.

Fool’sSchool: Micro, macroeconomics

One of the first things economics students learn is the difference between microeconomics and macroeconomics. It’sa valuable distinction for all of us

to understand —not just economists. By learning about these fields, you can better understand factors that affect countries and businesses, and those can also help inform your investment decisions. Here’s abrief look at the terms. Macroeconomics focuses on how the overall economy works, on aregional, national or global level. It looks at the relationships between factors such as inflation, employment rates, gross domestic product, price levels, monetary policy —often trying to determine whatwill boost economic growth. Other concerns within the field include business cycles, national debt, interest rates and international trade. Microeconomics takes anarrower view,studying how individuals and companies act and react. It considers factors such as supply and demand, labor markets, costs of production, price elasticity (how flexible consumers are about whatthey’re willing to pay) and competitive advantages. The field studies the behavior of buyers and sellers, observing or predicting the results of various actions, such as the lowering of prices or the raising of wages. Competition is aparticularly important topic to understand, as the most successful companies often have sustainable competitive advantages. Examples include astrong brand (think Coca-Cola or Disney), economies of scale (Walmart or Amazon), barriers to entry (Boeing) and switching costs (think of Apple and how muchofa hassle it would be to switch to another technology ecosystem).

The microeconomic concepts of monopoly and oligopoly (when amarket is controlled by just afew companies) are also important: Abusiness that’s anear-monopoly has alot more freedom to raise prices, while companies in competitive industries don’t.

From Gulf to Global Markets: HowMenhaden Powers theU.S.and theWorld

forcatfishfingerlings raised on farms across the southern United States.

PetNutrition and Agriculture

Menhadenplays agrowing role in pet nutrition. Premium U.S. pet food brands rely on menhaden fishmealand oilfor its highlevelsofDHA andEPA—types of omega-3 fattyacids that arenutrients thatsupport jointhealth,coatcondition, and brain developmentindogsand cats In acompetitiveglobal market,Louisiana menhaden provides premium and sustainable ingredients to U.S. pet food manufacturers, therebyreducing theindustry’s reliance on imports In agriculture, menhadenfishmeal and oil serveasa protein-and nutrient-rich feed supplementfor U.S. livestock such as pigs, chickensand even horses.Louisiana Menhadenisahighly sustainable resource that plays acritical role in U.S. and global food security.

AGlobalImpact with Local Roots

While menhaden products reach customersindozens of countries,the biggest impact is felt hereathome. Their economicimpact starts in Louisiana.In 2023alone, Westbank Fishing and Daybrook Fisheries deliveredmorethan $36.5 million in employeecompensation—supporting hundreds of jobs in southern Plaquemines Parish, one of the state’s most economically vulnerable regions.In2023, OmegaProtein and itsfishing partner Ocean Harvesters provided an additional $23million in payroll and benefitsinrural Vermilion Parish, locatedinthe heart of Louisiana’s Cajun Country.Manyemployees come from multigenerational fishing families,and most arepeople of color—underscoring the industry’s role in providing inclusive,livingwage employment. By keeping processing local, companies ensurethatthe economicvalue stays in Louisiana

Connecting Louisiana to the World Louisiana’smenhaden fishery is amodel forhow local, sustainable industries can support national food systems whilefueling global supply chains.Fromfeeding fishand pets and supporting exports,thiscentury-old fishery continues to evolve—proving that when managed responsibly, asmall fishcan makeabig impact As regulators and lawmakersconsider futurepolicy,it’scriticaltorecognizethe broad benefitsofthisworking fishery.It’snot just about what happensoffshore, it’s about howLouisiana’sfishing heritagehelpsfeed the country and the world

Motley Fool

One of La.’s fastest-growing energy firms expanding north

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

ENFRA, the Metairie-based energy services firm formerly known as Bernhard, announced Tuesday it has acquired River Mechanical Services, a Philadelphiabased provider of heating, cooling and plumbing services.

Founded in 1997, River Mechanical specializes in heating, ventilation and air conditioning; plumbing repair and installation; and maintenance of other systems

The company has a portfolio of customers in local commercial real estate, health care, higher education and hospitality markets

The deal marks the first entry into the Northeast for one of the fastest-growing energy companies in Louisiana

ENFRA, which has 25 offices nationwide and roughly 2,400 employees, provides engineering, construction, maintenance and asset management services in the health care, higher education and IT sectors.

Philip Catanzaro, ENFRA’s chief operating officer said the acquisition of River Mechanical expands the company’s national footprint and provides an entry to another major urban market.

On June 2, Metairie-based ENFRA, which traces its roots to 1919 as a plumbing and sheet metal company, announced the acquisition of Philadelphia company River Mechanical Services.

ENFRA traces its roots to 1919, when first-generation GermanAmerican William Bernhard founded Bernhard Plumbing and Sheet Metal Works in Baton Rouge. Over the years, Bernhard Plumbing grew steadily But its trajectory really took off when Bernhard Capital Partners — the private equity firm created in 2013 by Jim Bernhard, William Bernhard’s grandson — took over the company, merged it

with several others and recreated it into an energy powerhouse known simply as Bernhard.

In 2019, the firm relocated from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. In 2021, it was acquired by a Dutch private equity firm, DIF Capital Partners. Earlier this spring, it rebranded as ENFRA.

Last year, Bernhard Capital Partners agreed to purchase the natural gas systems of Entergy Louisiana

BUSINESS BRIEFS

and Entergy New Orleans for $484 million.

In recent decades, the firm has embraced the “Energy as a Service” business model, which means customers pay a recurring fee to a third party rather than investing in energy infrastructure themselves.

The owners of an office building might contract an Energy as a Service provider to install and maintain solar panels or heating and cooling systems, for instance.

The business model has become more popular over the last 15 years, powered by innovations like smart grids, which use digital technology to improve energy production and distribution.

Rob Guthrie became ENFRA’s CEO in 2024. The company’s new name, which took effect in May, is a portmanteau of “energy” and “infrastructure,” signifying the company’s focus on the national Energy as a Service market.

“Ten years ago, we were a very solid, traditional engineering and construction business that had an unproven idea,” Guthrie said in a March interview “Today, we’re a market leader in Energy as a Service with a coast-to-coast presence. It’s rare that a business as old

as ours would undergo that significant of a transformation in such a relatively short period of time.” Industry tracker Grandview Research estimates the Energy as a Service market in the U.S. was worth about $25 billion in 2024. Growjo, which tracks fast-growing private equity-owned companies, estimates ENFRA’s revenue last year at just over $790 million. There are challenges and opportunities ahead: Tax credits for renewable energy battery storage and energy efficiency upgrades from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act have been a boon to business, but they are in doubt under the Trump administration. Artificial intelligence, meanwhile, will bring more changes to the industry, potentially improving energy efficiency for universities, municipalities, hospitals and other big entities.

ENFRA has long-term contracts with Tulane University, LSU, the Jefferson Parish government, the University of Arkansas, LCMC Health, Ochsner and the University of New Orleans.

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

Acadian’s home health service to launch in N.J.

Acadian Cos. will expand its hospital-at-home services into Wall Township, New Jersey, through a partnership with a Boston-based provider Acadian Health, which provides patients with the same level of clinical care they would receive in a hospital, will partner with Medically Home in the township along the Jersey Shore, officials from both organizations announced Wednesday Acadian Heath’s program is integrated with hospitals in each region and has resulted in improved patient outcomes, reduced costs and increased patient satisfaction.

Since joining forces with Medically Home in December 2023, it has had over 35,000 patient visits,

including 2,242 program admissions so far this year

Acadian has operations in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Wisconsin.

Steel stud manufacturer to build near Broussard

A New Iberia company that manufactures steel studs and other steel products started work on a $3 million expansion south of Broussard.

U.S. Frame Factory broke ground on a 40,000-square-foot plant to be built at 1036 Labit Road in Broussard in the Schaefer Industrial Park. The expansion will add 40 new jobs, KLFY reported.

The project is expected to be completed in early 2026.

U.S. Frame Factory, led by brothers and co-founders Mateo and

Tiago Atwi, of New Iberia, makes steel framing for commercial and residential projects.

Tech council to hold first event this month

The Lafayette Regional Technology Council will hold its first event in June as part of an effort to gather input from the region.

Council chair Ben Johnson, of Techneaux Technology Services, and member Marcus Brown, of Digital Twin Studios, spoke about the event and other move regarding the council with Jan Swift on the Discover Lafayette podcast

The event, to be called the Idea Collider, will be later this month and will include gathering ideas and input from the public and then from business leaders.

The council has organized its

work into GEARS — Get Every-

thing Accelerated and Ready subcommittees that focus on workforce and talent, marketing and recruitment, networking and knowledge sharing, and policy advocacy

“When I graduated in 2001, there weren’t real tech jobs here,” Johnson said. “Now we’re working to create a pipeline and make sure the talent knows they can build a career here.”

Dutch Bros Coffee site in Lafayette in the works

Popular coffee franchise Dutch Bros Coffee is seeking to open a Lafayette location. Representatives of the brand filed for a sign permit for the property at 5711 Johnston St., according to documents filed with Lafayette

Consolidated Government.

The project still has more hurdles, including a building permit, before construction can begin.

The building is the former Regions Bank near the Acadiana Mall. A demolition permit for the building was approved in 2022 for what was to be a Firehouse Subs location, but no significant construction took place.

The property is owned by Alexandria-based Petron, which specializes in commercial contracting, but is under contract to be sold to a limited liability corporation registered to a Houston-based commercial real estate group, documents show Founded by brothers Dane and Travis Boersma in Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1992, Dutch Bros has 1,012 locations in 18 states. Another location is planned for Baton Rouge near the LSU campus.

Decadesof Dedication.

To protecting theemployees who’ve poweredour success since1939.

To an honest, respectful culture built on doingthe rightthing.

To careersthatlast —some spanning more than 30 years.

To competitivebenefits that support health,family, andyourfuture.

Guthrie

PROVIDED PHOTO

LOUISIANA

after beinggiven afollow-updose of an experimentalgene editing treatment in AprilatChildren’sHospital

Philadelphia.

FIRSTSTEP

BY LAURAUNGAR AP sciencewriter

Ababy born with arare anddangerous genetic disease is growing and thriving after getting an experimental gene editing treatment made justfor him.

Researchers described the case in a new study,saying he’s among the first to be successfully treated with acustom therapy that seeksto fix atiny but critical error in his genetic code that kills half of affected infants. Though it may be awhile before similar personalized treatments are available for

BY BILLSULLIVAN, INDIANA UNIVERSITY

TheConversation

Male fertility rates have been plummeting over the past halfcentury.Ananalysisfrom 1992 noted asteady decreasein sperm counts and quality since the1940s. Amore recent study found that male infertility rates increased nearly 80% from 1990 to 2019. The reasons driving this trend remain amystery,but frequently cited culprits include obesity,poor diet and environmental toxins

others, doctors hope the technologycan someday help themillions left behind even as genetic medicine has advanced becausetheir conditions are so rare.

“This is the first step towardsthe use of gene editing therapies to treat awide variety of rare genetic disorders forwhich thereare currentlyno definitive medical treatments,” said Dr.Kiran Musunuru, aUniversityof Pennsylvania gene editing expert who co-authored the study published last month in the New England Journalof Medicine.

The baby,KJMuldoon, of Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, is one of 350

Infectious diseases such as gonorrhea or chlamydia are often overlooked factors that affect fertility in men.

Accumulating evidence suggests that acommon single-celled parasitecalled toxoplasma gondii may also be acontributor: An April study showed for thefirst time that “humanspermlose their heads upon direct contact” with theparasite. Iamamicrobiologist, and my lab studies toxoplasma. This new study bolsters emerging findings that underscore theimportance of

Scientists saygeneediting treatment that helped adesperately illbaby thrive couldsomeday treatmillions

million people worldwide withrare diseases, most of which are genetic. He was diagnosed shortly after birth with severe CPS1 deficiency,estimated by some experts to affect around one in amillion babies. Those infants lack an enzyme needed to helpremoveammonia from the body,soitcan build up in their blood and becometoxic. Aliver transplant is an option for some.

Knowing KJ’sodds, parents Kyle and NicoleMuldoon,both 34, worried they could lose him.

“Wewere, like, you know,weighing all the options, asking all the questions for either theliver transplant, which

is invasive,orsomething that’snever been done before,” Nicole said. “Weprayed, we talked to people, we gathered information, andweeventually decidedthatthiswas theway we were going to go,” her husband added. Within six months, the team at Children’sHospital of Philadelphia and PennMedicine,along withtheir partners, created atherapy designed to correct KJ’sfaulty gene. Theyused CRISPR, the gene editing tool that won its inventors the NobelPrize in 2020. Insteadofcutting theDNA strandlike the

See BABY, page 2X

preventing this parasitic infection

Infected cats defecate toxoplasma eggs intothe litter box, garden or other places in theenvironment where they can be picked up by humansorother animals.

Water,shellfish andunwashed fruits and vegetables can also harbor infectious parasiteeggs. In addition to eggs, tissue cysts present in the meat of warm-blooded animals can spread toxoplasmosisaswell if they are not destroyed by cooking toproper temperature. While most hosts of theparasite can control theinitialinfection

with few if any symptoms, toxoplasma remains in the body for life as dormant cysts in brain, heart and muscle tissue. These cysts can reactivate and cause additional episodes of severe illness that damage critical organ systems. Between 30% and 50% of the world’spopulation is permanently infected withtoxoplasmadue to the many ways the parasite can spread.

Upon infection, toxoplasma spreads to virtually every organ and skeletal muscle. Evidence that

toxoplasmacan also target human male reproductive organs first surfaced during the height of the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, when some patients presented with the parasitic infection in their testes. While immunocompromised patients are mostatrisk fortesticular toxoplasmosis, it can also occur in otherwise healthy individuals. Imaging studies of infected mice confirm that toxoplasma parasites quickly travel to the testes in additiontothe brainand eyes within

See PARASITE, page 3X

PROVIDED PHOTO By CHLOE DAWSON/CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA KJ Muldoon, of Clifton Heights, Pa., is held by adoctor

HEALTH MAKER

Shreveport dad learned to walk again after rare diagnosis

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

One day in November 2011, Shane Sumlin started to feel his legs go weak. The next morning, he was paralyzed from the neck down. Sumlin was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare neurological disease where the body mistakenly attacks the nervous system, not long after he lost feeling in his legs. He spent the next three years learning how to walk again at LSU Health Science Center’s physical therapy program in Shreveport 15 minutes from where Sumlin and his family live.

As of 2024, there are 60,000 cases in the United States of GuillainBarré or some variant of the condition every year, with a little over 85 new cases each year in Louisiana. Some cases of Guillain-Barré are recurring, some start in the eyes and some patients gain back their strength within months.

Symptoms of GBS come on quickly like in Sumlin’s case, with feelings of muscle weakness, blurry eyes, imbalance and clumsiness and more, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Sumlin continues his work as a financial adviser in Shreveport, as he has for 25 years even through his diagnosis. He worked as a liaison for the GBS Foundation International for ten years, answering questions and sharing his experience with countless GBS patients around the world.

In 2017, Sumlin was elected to the board of directors for the GBS Foundation International where he works with patients, politicians, advocacy groups and community members to raise awareness and support for people and families dealing with this rare disease.

Tell me about your journey with GBS

When I was 41, I woke up one morning and my legs just didn’t feel quite right. They felt weak I didn’t think much about it I worked in the yard. I went to work. But, as the day went on, it got worse and worse. By the end of the day, I had a hard time turning the lamps off in my office. We went back home, and I fell one time. It wasn’t a bad fall, but I just knew I was losing muscles in my legs.

We called my mom’s husband, who lives in Odessa, Texas. He’s a physician.

I told him, “I don’t feel bad My strength is being zapped.” And he said, “Shane, we just had a case out here in West Texas called Guillain-Barré Syndrome.”

When I woke up the next morning, I was completely paralyzed

BABY

Continued from page 1X

first CRISPR approaches, doctors employed a technique that flips the mutated DNA “letter” also known as a base — to the correct type. Known as “base editing,” it reduces the risk of unintended genetic changes.

It’s “very exciting” that the team created the therapy so quickly, said gene therapy researcher Senthil Bhoopalan at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, who wasn’t involved in the study “This really sets the pace and the benchmark for such approaches.”

In February KJ got his first IV infusion with the gene editing therapy, delivered through tiny fatty droplets called lipid nanoparticles that are taken up by liver cells.

While the room was abuzz with excitement that day, “he slept through the entire thing,” recalled study author Dr Rebecca AhrensNicklas, a gene therapy expert at CHOP After follow-up doses in March and April, KJ has been able to eat more normally and has recovered well from illnesses like colds, which can strain the body and exacerbate symptoms of CPS1. The 9½-month old also takes less medication.

Considering his poor prognosis earlier, “any time we see even the smallest milestone that he’s meeting — like a little wave or rolling over that’s a big moment for us,” his mother said. Still, researchers caution that it’s only been a few months. They’ll need to watch him for years.

“We’re still very much in the early stages of understanding what this medication may have done for KJ,” Ahrens-Nicklas said. “But every day, he’s showing us signs that

from the neck down. I could not move at all.

I spent 77 days in the hospital, mostly in a rehab hospital. I really did not show any improvement.

The day before they discharged me, they wanted to send me to a nursing home because they said I’m just not going to get any better I still couldn’t touch my face after all these months

My wife said, “No, I want to take him home.”

In May of 2012, I got into LSU Health Science Center School of Allied Health in Shreveport.

I was very blessed to have a lady there who not only was a doctorate in physical therapy, but also had a background in neuro and had seen a few cases like mine.

She said, “I want to get my hands on him.”

We spent the next three years together

She taught me how to crawl on my hands and knees, just like a baby I crawled for about nine months. I couldn’t do hardly anything at first, but after nine months, I was able to make a lap around the track.

The first year after my diagnosis, I was still in a wheelchair, not even close to being able to come out. At months 15 or 16, my nerves started regenerating a little bit in my legs. At 18 months, I was taking some steps with people holding on to me. I worked my way into leg braces in the second year and then walking with a cane after about two and a half years. It took me three years to learn how to walk again on my own.

What do you tell patients with a similar diagnosis?

Most of the calls that I get are

he’s growing and thriving.” Researchers hope what they learn from KJ will help other rare disease patients. Gene therapies, which can be extremely expensive to develop, generally target more common disorders in part for simple financial reasons: more patients mean potentially more sales, which can help pay the development costs and generate more profit. The first CRISPR therapy approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration for example treats sickle cell disease, a painful blood disorder affecting millions worldwide. Musunuru said his team’s work — funded in part by the National Institutes of Health showed that creating a custom treatment doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive. The cost was “not far off” from the $800,000-plus for an average liver transplant and related care, he said.

people who want to talk to a non health care person who has lived the illness. I’ve laid there on my back for a year I completely understand them and what they are going through.

I believe the number one need that people have is connection, and the second is hope. It’s most important for me to let them know they are not alone.

You may read things on the internet. You may hear good outcomes, bad outcomes. You may be told one thing by a physical therapist and another by a doctor But, if you want to talk to somebody that has actually lived it and had to miss work for six months and have a wife take complete care of you, I’m here for them.

That that has really given our family a lot of mission and purpose around the illness.

Tell me about the men’s mental health chats.

One thing I definitely missed during my journey with GBS, that I figured out about five years ago, is the mental struggle and the emotional trauma that came with my life being completely turned around. I was always so focused on learning how to walk. As a guy in Louisiana, the mental struggles are not something that you talk a lot about. I felt myself just carrying anxiety and stress.

In the past year, I’ve started hosting a Men’s Coffee Chat. Basically it’s a video call through the GBS Foundation where we get 20 to 25 men on together online and we just talk about the struggles all of us have. A lot of us need help with walking. About 75% of people with GBS have some type of pain or interferences with their daily life.

It’s frustrating in a lot of ways. I think as guys, we just need a group to lean on. I told my story in one of these chats, and then we all started talking. I made a connection with the guy in San Antonio. Although it’s rare, there are over 60,000 in the country who are diagnosed with this rare disease. That’s a lot of people. We’re just trying to raise awareness of it, especially all the way from New Orleans up here to Shreveport. One of the things I’m advocating for is to try to get better help to our community For those who are in the rural areas and in Louisiana, that’s difficult. We work on educating hospitals on how to recognize what Guillain-Barré is. Was there anything besides family, community that you turned to during your recovery? In the first 24 months, I focused every bit of my energy on the actual physical therapy I would try to leave it all in the room, work as hard as I could, more than I was expected to, be willing to fail, not

set any goals. I felt like it was good to put things in my head that were positive and good. There’s not a lot of books out there on Guillain-Barré, so in my case, I leaned on my faith. I leaned heavily into my faith daily, and it helped me get through.

A lot a lot of good, neat things can come out of a diagnosis if you take care of the physical side and the emotional health, which was a mess for me in the beginning. I was blessed to have a medical center so close, and that they had a School of Allied Health in Shreveport with physical therapy students. They used me as a teaching tool to the physical therapy students for years. The cool thing about that is now my daughter is starting her third year in PT school, helping patients on the same track where I learned how to crawl.

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

“As we get better and better at making these therapies and shorten the time frame even more, economies of scale will kick in and I would expect the costs to come down,” Musunuru said. Scientists also won’t have to redo all the initial work every time they create a customized therapy, Bhoo-

palan said, so this research “sets the stage” for treating other rare conditions.

Carlos Moraes a neurology professor at the University of Miami who wasn’t involved with the study, said research like this opens the door to more advances. “Once someone comes with a

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and re-examining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

breakthrough like this, it will take no time” for other teams to apply the lessons and move forward, he said. “There are barriers, but I predict that they are going to be crossed in the next five to 10 years. Then the whole field will move as a block because we’re pretty much ready.”

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you.

Email margaret.delaney@theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Shane Sumlin and his daughter crawl around the track at LSU Health Science Center for Allied Health in Shreveport.

Shane Sumlin stands with his family at the LSU Health Science Center School of Allied Health in Shreveport. Sumlin has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

PROVIDED PHOTOS By CHLOE DAWSON/CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA

KJ Muldoon sits with his parents, Kyle and Nicole Muldoon, and his siblings after a follow-up dose of an experimental gene editing treatment in April at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Doctors Kiran Musunuru, left, and Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, right, stand with their patient, KJ Muldoon.

Eat Fit LiveFit

SScoop smarter: Using less sugartomakeice cream that’sjustassweet

liding open afreezer door in the ice cream aisle at the grocerystore, Iwas disappointed to realize that nearlyevery carton packsabout 20 grams of added sugarina modest half cup serving. That’s five teaspoons, and afull day’s worthofadded sugarfor many of us. Sweet news forflavor and texture, perhaps, butnot so good for our insulin and energy levels.

Thatmomentmotivatedme totryoutoneofthenew-ish icecreammakers(Ioptedfor theCuisinartICE21)looking torecreatethesamecreamy texture butwithafractionof sugar.Oneyearoftestbatches later,I’velandedonafew ingredientswapsthatgiveus theluxuriouscreamyrichnessof homemadeicecream,without thesugaroverload.

Makingyourownicecreammeans yougettochooseeachingredient,from thetypeofdairy(orplant-baseddairy alternative)tohowmuchvanillasuits yourtaste.

Sugarvs.sweetness: Aquickrefresher

Whenitcomestoicecream,sugar doesmorethansweeten.Italsolowers thefreezingpoint,whichhelpskeepice creamsoftandscoopable.Ifwesimply nixthesugar,wecaneasilywindup withsomethingmorelikearock-hard ‘icemilk’insteadofacreamyicecream.

TheworkaroundIlandedonisa combinationoftwonatural,plant-based zerocaloriesweeteners:Confectioner’s StyleSwerve(oranybrandofpowdered erythritol),tobringthatmeltinyour mouthsweetness,pairedwithallulose,

whichbringsmoistureandcreaminess. Togethertheymimicicecreamrecipe chemistryreallywellforbothsweetness andtexture.

Threestarterformulas

Dependingonthemakeandmodel oftheicecreammaker,yourrecipes mayvary.Buthere’sageneralguidefor adjustingingredientamountsaccordingly.

•Zero-sugarversion: Replacehalf

ofthesugarwithgranularallulose (availableatWholeFoodsand online).Replacetheotherhalfwith Confectioner’sStyleSwerveor powderederythritol.Eachofthese canbedialedbackevenfurther,as muchas50percent,dependingon howmuchyou’reintosweet-sweet icecream.

•Half-sugarversion:Thisoneis myhusband’spreference,andit’s exactlythat halfthesugar.Take youroriginalrecipeandcutthesugar by50percent;youlikelywon’teven noticethedifference.

•Protein-boostedversion: Addhalf acupofunflavoredwheyorplantbasedpeaproteinpowderintoeither batchaboveforabouttengramsof proteinperscoop.

Makeityourown

Oncetheicecreamisthickenedand almostdonechurning,sprinkleinany extrasduringthefinalminuteortwoso theystayevenlysuspended.Hereare someofmyfavorites:

•Freshberries

•Lily’snosugarchocolatechips

•Sautéedpeacheswithcinnamon

•Toastedpecans

•Instantespressoconcentrateforan affogatospin

•Fruitswirl:pulseberrieswitha squeezeoflemontomakea‘ribbon’ throughout

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THENUMBERS

LOUISIANARANKS 26TH FORMENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERSINTHE U.S.

According to the NationalInstitutes of Mental Health, more than 1in5 Americans experienced a mental illness in 2022.

An analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that only 26.8% of mental health care needs were met in 2024,and more than 122 million Americans were living in areas with a shortageofmental health care professionals.

The averagenumber of mental health providers in Louisiana is 332.4 per 100,000 people.That’sjust belowthe national average with 344.9mental health providers per 100,000people in the U.S.,according to America’sHealth Rankings based on 2024 data.

Louisiana ranks 26th in the nation for thenumber of mental health providers per 100,000 people. Massachusetts took the topspot with 791.5 mental health providers per 100,000 people, and Alabama had the least with 152.2 mental health providers per 100,000 people.

Mental health providers, in this 2025 parish datafrom U.S. County Health Rankings andRoadmaps, include psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, counselors, marriageand family therapists andadvanced practice nurses specializing in

PARASITE

Continued from page1X

days of infection. In 2017,mycolleagues and Ifound that toxoplasma can also form cysts in mouse prostates.Researchers have also observedthese parasites in the ejaculate of manyanimals, including human semen, raising the possibility of sexual transmission.

Knowing that toxoplasma can reside in male reproductive organs has prompted analyses of fertilityin infected men. Asmall 2021 studyinPragueof163 men infected with toxoplasma found that over86% had semen anomalies. A2002 study in China

mental healthcareasofSeptember 2024.

Theparishes with themostmentalhealth providers per 100,000 people include, in descending order: n Madison Parish with876 per 100,000, n Caddo Parishwith785 per 100,000, n Orleans Parish with680 per 100,000, n Concordia Parish with622 per 100,000, n Richland Parish with619 per 100,000, n Rapides Parish with589 per 100,000, n Ouachita Parish with551 per 100,000, n East Carroll with527 per 100,000, n East Baton RougeParish with475 per 100,000, n Lincoln Parish with465 per 100,000.

Theparishes with theleast mental health providers per 100,000 people include, in ascending order: n Cameron Parish with21per 100,000, n Assumption Parish with35per 100,000, n Catahoula Parish with48per 100,000, n Vermillion Parish with58per 100,000, n West Carroll Parish with64per 100,000, n Winn Parish with68per 100,000, n Grant Parish with78per 100,000, n Evangeline and Beauregardparisheswith 79 per 100,000, n St. James Parish with83per 100,000.

found that infertile couples are more likely to have a toxoplasmainfection than fertile couples, 34.83% versus12.11%.A2005study in Chinaalso found that sterile men are morelikely to test positivefor toxoplasma than fertile men. Not all studies, however, produce alink between toxoplasmosisand sperm quality

Toxoplasmosis in animals mirrors infection in humans, which allows researchers to address questions that arenot easy to examinein people.

Testicular function and spermproductionare sharply diminishedintoxoplasmainfected mice, rats and rams. Infected mice have significantlylower spermcounts and ahigher proportionof

abnormally shapedsperm.

In that April 2025 study researchers from Germany, Uruguayand Chileobserved that toxoplasma can reach the testesand epididymis, the tube where sperm mature and are stored, two days after infection in mice. This finding prompted the team to test what happens when the parasitecomes into direct contact with human sperm in atest tube.

After only five minutes of exposure to the parasite, 22.4% of sperm cells were beheaded.The number of decapitated sperm increased the longerthey interacted with the parasites.

Sperm cells that maintained their head were often twisted andmisshapen. Somespermcells hadholes in their head, suggesting the

Vegan+dairyfree

Plant-baseddoesn’thavetomeanjust sorbet.Swapequalpartscannedcoconut milkanddairy-freewhippingcream(Iuse Califia’sDairyFreeHeavyWhip)inplace ofheavycreamanduseunsweetenedpea proteinmilkinsteadofcow’smilk

Freeze-welltips

Whatevericecreammakeryoulandon, rememberthesethreerules:Freezethe bowlovernight–yes,everysingletime. Youneverknowwhenthoseicecream cravingswillstrike.Don’tfillitpastthe manufacturer’s‘max’line;overfillingisthe fastestpathtoaslushymess.Lastly,if you’relookingforthosepretty,rounded scoops,giveittime,freezingforatleast twohourstoallowittofirmupabit

What’sinstore

Ifyou’renotintotheDIYroute,here arethreeofmygo-tolower-sugarice creambrands: •TwoSpoonsisaprotein-richoption with205calories,12gramsproteinand zeroaddedsugarperserving. •Rebelislactose-freewithonly2.5 gramsnetcarbsperserving.

•SoDeliciousSugarFreeisavegan optioncenteredoncoconutmilk.It’s notmyfavoriteintermsofflavoror texture,butIlikethatit’splant-based withzeroaddedsugar.

Aspoonfulofperspective Theseicecreamremakesarelighteron sugar,butthey’restillrichincreamand calories.So,servingsizematters. Ifyoutryoutanyoftheserecipe tweaks—orcreateyourownhealthier alternative—I’dlovetoknowhowitturns out.Youcanemailmeatnutrition@ ochsner.org.Andremember,life’stooshort (andsummer’stoohot)towastetimeon icecreamyoudon’tabsolutelylove

parasites were trying to invade them as it would any other type of cell in the organs it infiltrates. In addition to direct contact, toxoplasma may also damage spermbecause the infection promotes chronic inflammation. Inflammatory conditions in the malereproductive tract are harmful to sperm production andfunction

The researchers speculate that theharmful effects toxoplasma may have on sperm could be contributing to large global declines in male fertility over thepast decades.

The evidence that toxoplasma can infiltrate male reproductive organs in animalsiscompelling, but whether this produces health issues in people re-

mains unclear Testicular toxoplasmosis showsthat parasitescan invade humantestes,but symptomatic disease is very rare. Studies to date that showdefects in thesperm of infected menare too small to draw firmconclusions at this time.

Additionally,some reports suggest that rates of toxoplasmosis in high-income countrieshavenot been increasing over the past few decades while male infertility was rising, so it’s likely to only be onepartofthe puzzle.

Regardless of this parasite’spotential effect on fertility,itiswise to avoid toxoplasma.Aninfection can cause miscarriage or birth defectsifsomeone acquiresitfor thefirsttime

during pregnancy,and it can be life-threatening for immunocompromised people.

Toxoplasmaisalsothe leading cause of death from food-borne illness in the United States. Taking propercareofyour cat, promptly cleaning the litterbox andthoroughly washingyourhands after can help reduceyour exposure to toxoplasma.

Youcan also protect yourself from this parasite by washing fruitsand vegetables, cooking meat to proper temperatures before consuming and avoiding raw shellfish, raw water and raw milk.

The Conversation is an independent, nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentaryfromacademic experts.

BROUGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Wherecareand community come together

AtOchsnerLafayetteGeneral,webelievehealthstartswith connection—neighbortoneighbor,hearttoheart.Fromclassrooms toclinics,playgroundstoparishlines,we’rehere—listening, partnering,andshowingupforwhatmattersmost-yourhealth. Becausewhenwecareforourcommunity,wecareforeachother.

Learnmoreatochsner.org/community

LakynG. | FamilyMedicinePatient

LOUISIANA

TOOLSFOR SUCCESS

Charterschoolfor dyslexic students planstoexpand

Bounty of abackyard herb

The mint taking over my backyard offered twooptions: pull it out or throw aparty

In keeping with the pledge I madeamonth ago to plan agathering each month, Iopted forthe latter It started in May with aSaturday lunch —agathering of six friends, someofwhom didn’t know each other Guests came ready to share areason to celebrate. We went around the table, sharing large and small personal reasons to revel. It wassimple: we metat arestaurant. It wasjoyful: each person came ready to share what they were celebrating. Ispent weeks considering what kind of gathering would come next. Something to make? Something to do?

One idea sparked another.Initial ones included:

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

As many as 1inevery 5Americans has dyslexia

Yetasof2023, only about 1% of the nearly 700,000 studentsinLouisiana public schools havebeen identifiedas having dyslexia.

Fordyslexic children whogountreated, gapsinreadingand writingabilities can begin as early as first grade, with potential consequences over time including lower highschool graduation rates or college enrollment numbers, and higher chances of unemployment or incarceration

That’swhy Louisiana Key Academy, anonprofit charter school, has sought to bridge the gapfor dyslexicstudents by providing testing and specialized education programs at no cost to parents.Since its launch in Baton Rouge in 2013, the school has assisted hundreds of studentsand expandedtoadditional locations across thestate

The Louisiana Key Academy plans to open its fifth and newest location in Jefferson Parish, the largest public school system in the state, for the 20272028 schoolyear. TheLouisianaState Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will vote to approve thenew location in August

“I think every parish in the state

needs aLouisiana Key Academy,” said formerstate Rep. Joe Marino, no party-Gretna.

Dyslexia is alearning disability that affectsa person’sphonological processing, or ability to speak,read and spell. Dyslexia has no visible symptoms,and affectspeople for their entire lives.

Those with dyslexia require specialized education to meet theirneeds, including at least 90 minutes per day of reading instruction. Clinical diagnoses require comprehensive evaluation, including both tests and interviews.

‘What’swrong with me?’

Dr.Laura Cassidy,wife to U.S.Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, co-founded theschool with that in mind12years agoafter watching herdaughter, who is dyslexic,struggle at herprivate school.

“We’re spending alot of money,but is this really going to getthe kids where they need to get?” Cassidy recalled.

Cassidy said dyslexic childrentoo oftengoundiagnosedoruntreated, as costs and time constraints associated with the diagnosis,treatment andtutoring for the disability —aswell as stigmas andlack of awareness —make it difficult for parents to accessproper care, especially for those who are economically disadvantaged.

Arecentstudy from SallyShaywitz, co-director of the Yale Center forCreativity andDyslexia,found that about half of children grades K-2 at two New Orleans public charter schools were at-risk of dyslexia, andthat adisproportionate numberofBlack students have dyslexia that goes undiagnosed or untreated.

Cassidy said dyslexic children who fall behind in schoolbecausetheyare undiagnosed can suffer fromconfidenceissues in the classroom, which over time can lead them to drop out as early as middle school.

“You can imagine, if you’re smart butyou’restrugglinginschool,and your classmates arepacing ahead of you, you’re wondering, ‘What’swrong with me?’ ”Cassidysaid. “If you’re not identified as dyslexic, then parents or teachers or administrators can sometimesthink (you)are lazy or not smart ”

Those beliefs oftentimes lead to stigmas associated with dyslexia, which causes many to conceal that they have it from others, Cassidy said.

Specializededucation

At LouisianaKey Academy,students are provided with90-minutereading instruction in smallgroupsevery day, with sixstudentsfor every oneteacher.Children are tested for free before enrollment,and several teachers undergo two-year training in language therapy to help students.

Theschool operates under guidance fromShaywitzand her husband, Dr BennettShaywitz, theother co-director for The Yale Center

The Baton Rouge campus serves 440 students in grades first through ninth, and won approval in 2022 to add a10th grade.The campus relocatedto5015 Auto Plex Drive last year to accommodatethe change.

In recent years, Key Academy has opened additional locations in Shreveport andCovington,witha learning pod in Ruston opening in the2025-2026 school year

Few other schools in the region cater to dyslexic students, and even fewer provide that education tuition-free. Cassidy said parents commutefrom all over thestate to enrolltheir children at

ä See TOOLS, page 2Y

n Atiny talent show:Each person comes prepared to perform a 30-second “tiny talent” —something odd or delightful. They could deliver aone-line joke. They could makeweird sound effects. They could do amagic trick or balance aspoon on their nose. They could demonstrate speedy origami. The possibilities are endless and applause is mandatory n ASpaghetti Western Film Fest: People wearcowboy hats and we eat Italian food —makeyour-ownpasta bowls. Then guests workasindividuals or in pairs to use their phones to “film” short Western scenes using props, tiny plastic cowboys and other small toys. We would then screen the results with popcorn, handing out mock “Oscars.”

n ADIY publishing gathering: Iwould provide paper,pens, scissors, glue and old magazines. Guests makemini-zines out of single pieces of paper,using simple folding techniques. They decorate each page with art, words or collage. At the end of the party,guests will swap zines when everyone is done.

n Make-a-muse gathering: Each guest becomes someone’smuse. Upon arrival, all names go in a hat. Thirty minutes in, we draw names and then each person creates something inspired by the person whose namethey chose —asketch, apoem, acollage or short story.Each person presents their creation at the end of the party

n Throwback to third grade shadow box gathering: Guests come with afavorite book they read/enjoyed and ashoebox. I’ll have somesupplies on hand, and we will each create ashadow box about our book. In true thirdgrade fashion, we will each present our shadow box and tell about our book.

Ultimately,I bypassed these ideas. Iama fanofcelebrating what’sinfront of me. And, in June, mint was calling my name. (That said, Idointend to put these other ideas

STAFF PHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

Second grade teacher Nicole Havard answers aquestion during aStructured LanguageArtslesson recentlyatLouisiana KeyAcademy in BatonRouge.

STAFF PHOTO By MAX BECHERER

is seen in the garden.

Student Zara Williams putsher finger under the words of her book while reading aloud.

Q&A WITH KyLE CROSBy

YouTuber teaches lesser-known Louisiana history

Lafourche Parish influencer focuses on horror anthology

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Kyle Crosby knows Louisiana, especially its bayous, and he wants to share his knowledge with the world. While he works as a distiller at Sazerac House in New Orleans, he writes, travels and films videos about Louisiana history all over the state.

A Larose native and Nicholls alum, Crosby grew up in Grand Isle and Lafourche Parish. He wants to turn his love for Louisiana history into a 10-episode Louisiana Dread horror anthology series. His YouTube channel Louisiana Dread provides the historical background of towns and events for his eventual series.

How did your Louisiana Dread YouTube channel begin?

In 2017, my dad got sick. He had dementia, so I moved back from Los Angeles to take care of him. Sitting by his bedside, I would read him Louisiana stories, and it would just fascinate the both of us, because we had never heard a lot of them.

From there, I realized that not many people know about these stories globally I worked in tourism for about five years, and people — from Madagascar all the way to Arizona — love the Louisiana culture, the food, the music, everything.

So I decided to create this online presence of accurate Louisiana history as kind of an appetizer before you watch the main horror series, so you have knowledge of the actual history

Now I’m at the point where I’m looking for funding for the hor-

ror series. Then we can finally start making it.

What do you think are some common misconceptions about Louisiana history that you hope to dispel?

People tend to look at the negatives of Louisiana history While there are a lot of important things that need to be studied, they need to be highlighted in a way that’s not romanticizing a time period where people were oppressed. People need to know what went down, what happened.

It’s hard when you have people from a certain age group that come into a place like Louisiana and want to step back in time It’s like, no, it’s not what you should be doing. You should be learning from it.

Progress is based off of the horrors that happened. I want to change the perception of Louisiana as this backwards, hillbillyesque place. It’s definitely not like that at all. Some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting are from here.

What kind of responses have you gotten to your Louisiana Dread channel and your videos?

Overwhelmingly positive I’ve gotten children in school watching — their teachers will play some videos, and they’re grateful. I do it in a video format, and very bluntly, I don’t try to use large words and try to sound smart. I don’t know what that says about me. I think it’s really cool that it’s getting kids into history, which has always, no pun intended, historically been a problem. But there are views from children

like that to people my age, who enjoy seeing the gumbo reviews and the history

What really tugs at my heartstrings is when people from the bayou and the island, maybe in their 80s, they’ll write handwritten letters to me, thanking me for bringing our history accurately into the mainstream audience.

Why do you think it’s important for people to preserve south Louisiana’s history?

The elephant in the room is that our culture is disappearing. The land itself is physically disappearing.

I’ve heard it my whole life:

“You lose your land, you lose your life.” That’s what’s happening to us. The language happened about 100 years ago, and it’s starting to make a comeback, thankfully But the land loss is still happening. It’s a point where, if you are a climate refugee, your greatgrandchild won’t speak the same language as you.

The more we keep people on our land longer, we can preserve our culture. We immortalize it through video, because you don’t know what’s in the future

What sources do you use to find accurate history?

If I’m looking up a story that involves anything from Bayou Lafourche I would go to Nicholls State Archives at Nicholls’ Ellender Memorial Library

When it comes to virtually anywhere around Orleans or Jefferson Parishes, the Williams Research Center in the French Quarter is very helpful. I’ve also gone to the LSU archives and done a little bit of research. I’ll

On your own, discuss ‘James’

Book is the summer choice for Louisiana Inspired

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Summer is the perfect time for reading and chatting about books. For this summer’s book club selection, “James,” Louisiana Inspired is turning off the camera and microphone and giving the discussion over to the readers.

Instead of a virtual discussion, we’ve compiled discussion questions that can function for small coffee shop talks, official book clubs and casual conversations among friends. Ask a friend to read “James” and then schedule a time to chat, using these questions as a guide. Pick and choose the questions, and let us know your thoughts.

Some of these questions were collected from the Penguin Random House and Booker Prize reading guides.

Questions and Topics for Discussion

n James is a retelling of Mark Twain’s 1885 novel “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” which is widely regarded as a classic work of American literature. Have you read “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” before? How does Everett alter Twain’s original text? Did this reimagination change your perspective on the original novel?

n Twain is well-known for his satirical writing. Where does Everett use humor and satire in “James?” What social and cultural conditions does the novel’s satire mock or critique?

n Reflect on Jim’s narration. Why does he switch between vernacular and standardized English? How did this codeswitching affect your reading experience?

n Describe Huck’s role in the story How does Jim’s fugitive status, as well as race, color, class, age and education, influence the relationship between the two characters?

n “James” depicts the brutalities of slavery, particularly the violence inflicted upon enslaved women and girls, through the stories of Sadie, Lizzie, Sammy and Katie. What are the unique threats that these characters must navigate? How does Jim react to the gendered violence that he encounters?

n Return to Jim’s travels with the minstrel group. What does the novel say about the performance of race? How do blackface minstrelsy and racial pass-

ing complicate or undermine racial classification? Can all the characters be seen as performers of race?

n Jim’s quest for freedom parallels his quest for literacy Discuss the key moments on his journey to writing his story. What are the texts that he studies? Who are the characters who give him the tools and encouragement to write?

n Discuss the use of religion and superstition in the story

n “James” features an ensemble of fugitive and enslaved characters How does Everett affirm the humanity of these characters in his writing? Was there one who was particularly memorable to you?

n The Mississippi River is central to the landscape of the novel. What is the role of the river? How did it shape the political landscape of the region and the events of the novel?

n What’s the significance of Jim renaming himself? Why do you think Everett chose to title the novel in this way?

n After reading “James,” can you think of another character from a classic text that you would like to read as the narrator of their own story?

n A central theme in “James” is identity: the identity given to us, versus the one we claim as our own, and the extent to which we reveal our true identity to others. How does “James” explore the tension between these identities, and how does this theme shape James’ journey throughout the novel?

of youTube channel Louisiana Dread that focuses on preserving Louisiana history with engaging videos and stories.

go to libraries, and I’ll find different books specific to the different town. I do use some online resources through Google searches, and I’ll read through that, but the most accurate is going to be a local library

It’s so important we keep those.

Like the American Italian Research Center at the East Bank Regional Library I wouldn’t have known it, but I went visit to Sal Serio, and I found so many different books about different things that we had never seen online.

How does your channel bring awareness to our state?

People in this state see me as what I am I’m one of them. I’m not an outside influencer coming in.

I’ve gotten recognized almost every day through either the history or for my gumbo reviews.

“Hey, you’re the gumbo man,”

RISHER

Continued from page 1y

invited a few friends over and suggested they bring something “mint-adjacent.” Meanwhile, one of my daughters suggested that I dry mint leaves and order empty teabags that we could fill on our own. We’ll also make several other mint-inspired dishes, but the mint tea has been a hit at my house. I was surprised how easy it was and had never known it was possible to buy empty teabags! We will have a mojito bar and a few other mint-inspired dishes to try If I can figure out the logistics

or “I love the history videos,” that kind of stuff. And we speak for a while. And I’m interested in them too, because they’re my people — Black, White, whoever in Louisiana. And I want to talk to them about their shared experience.

It’s really just like sitting on the porch. South Louisiana is your porch, and you can talk to everybody — great stories and a lot of common stories, too. No matter how different you think you may be from your neighbor, you have so much in common, genetically Maybe you’re afraid to meet them, but you should, because they’re family To learn more, visit youtube. com/@LouisianaDread or LouisianaDread.com.

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

and gather the necessary items, we will make minty bath salt. Truth be told, that detail may or may not come together — and either way is perfectly fine. No one I’ve invited will mind that things aren’t elaborate or perfect — that is not why they are coming. Mint grows wild and generous, appearing in unexpected corners much like laughter, much like good conversation. Reason enough to gather Do you have a fun idea for a gathering of friends or soon-tobe friends? Send details to Jan Risher at jan.risher@theadvocate. com.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

n NPR described “James” as “a startling homage and a new classic in its own right.” In your opinion, does the book have the potential to stand the test of time and be considered a classic? Why or why not?

n Does the novel feel more like a correction, a continuation or a confrontation of Twain’s story?

n What parallels did you notice between the characters’ world and our own?

n What do you think Percival Everett wanted readers to take away from this retelling?

Email discussion anecdotes or responses about the novel to joy holden@theadvocate.com or jan. risher@theadvocate.com

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

to include additional testing.

Continued from page 1y

Louisiana Key Academy, and some parents have even moved from out of state for the education.

“You’re just wondering, ‘Why can’t my child read? Why is my child so unhappy?’” Cassidy said.

“It’s this enigma you’re not getting answers for, and then there is an answer That’s why most parents end up bringing their kids to our school and, in the interview process, cry.”

Statewide change

In addition to her work at the charter school, Cassidy has lobbied for changes to state education policy regarding the identification and reporting of dyslexia in public schools.

In 2022, Marino authored legislation to require that all teacher education programs include at least three credit hours pertaining to the education of dyslexic students.

A year later, Cassidy worked with Marino to pass legislation requiring all kindergarten teachers to screen their students for dyslexia at the start of the second semester a law that was expanded last year

“Under the current school system, as long as they are able to continue to progress without failing, they don’t identify dyslexia,” Marino said. “You might have a students struggling to get a ‘C’ or ‘D,’ but they aren’t catching them as dyslexic because they haven’t failed a grade Most of these kids aren’t being identified until they’ve already missed out on the most formative years of their education.”

Cassidy’s husband, chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, has also made dyslexia a key issue on his platform and has sponsored multiple bills seeking to improve accessibility to screening and treatment nationwide.

Marino commended Dr Laura Cassidy for her work in helping students with dyslexia across the state, and with educating him and other policymakers on the subject and its importance.

“She’s a force of nature when it comes to doing good,” Marino said. “I never doubt or underestimate that Dr Cassidy is going to get something done because I’ve seen it over and over again.”

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

‘James’ by Percival Everett

PHOTO VIA GETTy IMAGES

Percival Everett has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his novel ‘James.’

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS Fourth grade teacher Olivia LeDuff helps student Aaliyah Williams read a short story on a tablet during a Structured Language Arts lesson recently at Louisiana Key Academy in Baton Rouge.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Kyle Crosby is the founder and host

LSUengineering students rebuildkids’ crane

KnockKnock Museum’s engineering-inspired attraction up andrunning afterdisrepair

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Creative problem solving is abedrock element of theKnockKnock Children’sMuseum in Baton Rouge, so when it came time to replace the mechanical crane in the “ByYou Building!” learning zone, the Knock Knock team had to brainstorm ways to get the crane functioningagain After seven years of service and many children’shands later,the beloved giant mechanical crane was in disrepair and kept breaking

“We’re anonprofit organization,” said Christina Melton, the executive director of Knock Knock Children’s Museum, “and it’sexpensive for us to try to fix something like this.We got abid that was out of our price range, and so we had to be creative in the way we are encouraging children to solve problems.”

Melton was familiar with the LSU School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering’sSenior CapstoneProgram, which tasks seniorengineering students with real-world design challenges, because her son graduated from there in 2024. Shewent to LSU for help.

Meltonand herteamattended the Capstone Design Fair in August 2024, and she pitched the “Redesign and Rebuild Our Crane” project to the LSU School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

The project garnered huge interest from the LSU engineering students and, out of 40 pitches, was one of the more sought-after projects in the pitch meeting, competing with the likes of Exxon, Dow Chemical and NASA.

Ateam of engineering seniors —including Caleb Hagen, Patrick Herke, Michael Hotcaveg, Angelina Jorgenson, Emanuel Ochoa and John Leblanc —grabbedthe chance to work on acommunity-driven assignment.

“I was interested becauseI wanted to do this for my little nephew,” said Hagen, the team leader.“He’s just the joy of everybody’slife, so Ireally wanted to make sure that I could have somethingfor,not only him, but others to enjoy foryears to come. It’sall about community

goodwill andseeing the smile on the kids’ faces.”

Theengineering students spent the 2024-2025 school year meeting with the Knock Knock Children’s Museum staff, consulting with exhibitdesigners from aroundthe country, working with BatonRouge engineering firm Hargrove andAssociates, Inc. and Port Allen fabrication companyFab-Worxtocomplete theproject

“The community came togetherto makeithappen,”Melton said.

Theproject was funded in part by an anonymous donation.Hargrove andAssociates, Inc. provided professional engineering certification forthe design and construction, and Fab-Worxdonated the welding and fabrication of the new crane.

Dimitris E. Nikitopoulos, LSU’s Mechanical andIndustrialEngineering DepartmentChair,sponsored the engineeringstudents’project.

Hagen noted that theengineering team’s primary concern wasmaking sure thecrane designwas safe for children and easytooperate. The team worked with acertified playground safety inspector to ensure they were following everything to theletter of thelaw

With an opening on May22, the newkid-powered crane is an interactive, engineering-inspiredattraction that givesyoung buildersthe power to move, lift andload large foamblocks,teaching them to become mini problem solvers andfuture craneoperators.

The crane helpschildren build gross and fine motor skills andintroduces early engineeringconcepts like forceand motion to the children who operate it.With the newtransparent design, children operating thecranecan see itsinner workings as they activate simple machines likegears,pulleys and levers.

“Wealsowanted to make sure we couldshowoff everything,” Hagen said. “Kidsreally just want to see howthingsmove.Theymight not quite understand howall the gear reductions work,but they can see them.”

The newcrane, largerand sturdier than its predecessor,isalso designed to be durable enough to

withstand the thousands of little hands that will play withitfor years to come.

Melton said all of the young engineers —homegrown Louisiana talent —are atestament to the stellar studentsLSU is putting out. Not only are they skilled, butthe students want to make adifference in the community

“I’ve seen the amount of work on asmall scale that the team has put in,” said Levar Greenhouse, the chair of the Knock Knock Children’s MuseumBoard of Directors andthe ExecutiveCommittee,who visited thelab at LSUduringthe process “I’ve seen the stress. Iknow it had to be hard being asenior trying to graduate, puttingthis project together with sixdifferent team members who have theirown goals and objectives. We really appreciate it.”

Hagen credits the capstone projectwithsupplying hima priceless experience. He had to learn welding standards, how to conduct aproper analysisand learn how to do the machining.

“I wouldn’tbethe same person if Idid not havethis,” he said. “I have learned so muchasa resultofthis. They don’tteach you everything you need to know in engineering, but you’re taught how to be aproblem solver.Wedid areally good job of

powering through, makingsure we couldfind thepeople whoknewthe right answers so we couldget this done.”

Hagen’s4-year-oldnephew was thefirst childtotry outthe new crane. He loved it

STAFF PHOTO By MOLLyBAHLINGER

Caleb Hagen demonstrates kid-safe operation of the KnockKnockMuseum’snew and improvedmechanical crane, for which he led the team of LSU engineering students in itsre-envisioning.Itwas unveiled in aribboncutting ceremonyonMay 22.

PROVIDED PHOTO

LSU SchoolofMechanicaland Industrial Engineering students who designed and built the KnockKnockChildren’sMuseum newcrane are, from left,Angelina Jorgenson, Patrick Herke, Caleb Hagen, Michael Hotcaveg, Emanuel Ochoa and John Leblanc

FAITH & VALUES

Churches hope to tap the power of pickleball

BY BOB SMIETANA Contributing writer

The gym at the Adventure Commons was filled with sounds of pickleball squeaking sneakers, the thwack of a paddle hitting a ball and cheers from players after a good shot.

A dozen players filled three courts at the athletic center run by the Adventure Christian Church, located just off exit 315 from Interstate 57 in south suburban Chicago Among those playing pickleball on Wednesday morning (May 14) was Kathy Henricks, a retired real estate agent and member of Adventure Church She’s been playing the game with friends for about four years — and is largely responsible for the church having pickleball.

“I said, ‘How come we don’t have pickleball?’” she told RNS, during a break between games. “And a little while later we had nets and were ready to roll.”

That same question is being asked at churches all over the country from downtown megachurches to smalltown congregations that are hoping to tap into the power of pickleball to build community and bring a little joy to their neighbors About 20 million Americans played pickleball in 2024, according to data from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, and that number continues to grow More than a few play at churches.

Todd Katter, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church’s Huntley campus in the Chicago suburbs, said as many as 150 people have taken part in pickleball events sponsored by the church campus in local venues and in the church parking lot.

“Which was a bad idea,” said Katter, as it turned out the parking lot sloped downward. He called pickleball a “playground” for adults and a new third space where people hang out and make friends — and it appeals to folks from 17 to 70.

“There was an era where people went to Starbucks to hang out, he said. “Now, people drive through and grab a Starbucks and go play pickleball.”

Katter, who picked up the game a few years ago, said pickleball is a great outreach for churches It’s easy to play and is widely popular And it doesn’t take long for people to

At-home

BY MICHELLE CROUCH

Contributing writer

get hooked, because the skill levelto-enjoyment curve isn’t very steep.

“Even if you don’t have a lot of skill, you can still have a lot of fun,” said Katter.

Jason Young, the care and ministry pastor at Hope Community Church in Glenview, Illinois, said sports like pickleball can have both social and spiritual benefits. Young said he started going to church in his 20s, after his brother invited him to join a church volleyball team. At the time, he’d had no interest in religion, but he loved to play volleyball, so he said yes. Over time, he said, being around folks on the team rubbed off on him and he eventually started going to church.

Sports and friendship, he said, opened the door for him to think about faith. “What I appreciated about it was nobody was kind of putting me in the hot seat,” he said.

Hope started offering pickleball a few years ago, when the church, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic, was meeting in a park district building that had a gym. One day, Young said, a church member approached the pastors with the idea of offering a free pickleball clinic. About 40 folks showed up to that first clinic, so when Hope moved to a new building, leaders decided to offer pickleball a few days a week.

Kay Seamayer, 85, said she was thrilled when First Baptist Church in Dallas decided to start offering pickleball. Seamayer, a lifelong athlete, had been playing for more than a decade and was a longtime advocate for the game.

Anyone can play it, she said. And

it’s a great way to make friends.

But playing at church did come with a challenge The game draws people of all skill levels, she said, and that meant toning her competitive side down a bit. Which took some prayer, she said, and a message from God.

“You just don’t have to be competitive in everything you do,” said Seamayer, who still plays competitive three-on-three basketball. “So, settle down and help those people who want to play and just play for fun.”

First Baptist runs pickleball as part of the church’s overall sports ministry, with leagues in the fall and winter, said Brent McFadden, minister of sports and outreach. They also offer pickleball during open gym times the church has a pair of courts marked out for pickleball. The sessions start with a short prayer and then a devotional.

Many of the folks who take part in pickleball or other sports aren’t members. But that’s OK, said McFadden. The idea is to offer an easy entry point to the church for folks who might be skeptical of coming to a service.

The Rev Michael Graham, of Gilford Community Church, a progressive congregation in New Hampshire, hopes to give pickleball a try at

some point. Graham got a pickleball racket for his birthday, but knee surgery delayed his debut on the court. Graham sits on the board of the Gilford Youth Center, a nonprofit that operates out of the gym the church built that offers sport programs to the community He was skeptical at first when folks from the community asked about playing pickleball at the center

Now the center offers pickleball three days a week.

“Over probably the last four or five years, pickleball has become so important that now we have three courts,” he said. The Armenian Church of Our Saviour, an Orthodox church in Worcester, Massachusetts, has offered pickleball in the church’s auditorium over the past two winters, said Bryan Davis, a longtime church member Davis, a 72-year-old retired teacher, said a friend from the church had introduced him to pickleball a few years ago — and he played mostly outside. Then his friend came up with the idea of playing in the auditorium, which doubles as a gym and event space.

“He kept on saying, you know, I think we could fit some pickleball courts in the auditorium,” said Davis. “We went up and measured,

and sure enough, we could fit two in there.”

Because the space is used for all kinds of events, the courts could not be permanent Instead, Davis said, church members lay out the courts using a special tape, which takes about a half an hour to lay down — and just a few minutes to clean up afterwards.

About a dozen folks play at the church, paying $5 each — with the funds going to pay for equipment.

“We gave a little money back to the church, too,” he said. “The priest came and played. He loved it. It was just really a lot of fun.”

Terrie Golwitzer started playing pickleball at Adventure two years ago after Henricks invited her to give it a try She watched a few videos online to get some tips, then showed up to play on a Monday After about 10 minutes, she was hooked.

Now she plays three days a week and is in a group chat with friends she’s made there. They often hang out together when they are not playing. And she said pickleball is one place where folks don’t argue about politics, which is a relief, and the game has both social and health benefits.

“Pickleball is about people,” she said.

hospital care for children program first of its kind

Editor’s note: This story, created by Michelle Crouch for the Charlotte Ledger, is part of the AP Storyshare. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world

When 6-year-old Mackenzie Conlon was hospitalized with the flu at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital in February, all she wanted was to go home, her mother, Stephanie Conlon, said. Mackenzie, who has complex medical needs due to cerebral palsy, had been fighting high fevers, dehydration and pain so intense her constant crying left her nearly voiceless. Conlon, 46, said she would watch helplessly when her daughter pointed at the hospital door in a plea to leave.

But after five days of around-theclock hospital treatment, Atrium’s providers offered the family an unexpected alternative: continue Mackenzie’s hospital care at her Charlotte home.

Thanks to Atrium’s new pediatric hospital-at-home program Mackenzie could recover in her own bed, with access to her favorite TV shows, foods and toys, while still receiving hospital-level care. The family jumped at the chance

“As a parent, watching your kid be in a hospital is just the most heartbreaking thing,” Conlon said

“So finding out that we were able to go home just completely switched the mood This is where all of her favorite things are. For me as a parent, knowing I could sleep in my own bed, knowing I could take a shower, those little comforts made all the difference.”

More comfort for patients

Atrium’s is the first hospital-athome initiative in the nation designed specifically for children, the hospital system said. Modeled after similar programs for adults, it combines home visits from para-

medics, remote monitoring and virtual check-ins from doctors and nurses to deliver hospital-like care while patients heal at home. Today, 142 health systems in 39 states have federal approval to provide home hospital care, including seven in North Carolina: Novant Health, Duke Health, UNC Health, WakeMed, Cone Health and Scotland Memorial Hospital, in addition to Atrium.

For hospitals that are struggling with capacity it gives them a way to open up more beds for the sickest patients

Early research on the adult programs has been promising. A 2024 report to Congress found that most patients were happy with the care they received and that their health outcomes were better than those of similar patients treated in the hospital.

The researchers cautioned that the data was limited and may be skewed by statistical bias. They found that the patients in these programs tended to live in urban areas, tended not to be low-income or on Medicaid, and were more likely to be White. More than a third of hospital-at-home patients nationally had respiratory problems, like Mackenzie

They also noted that the patients who were able to be sent home tended to be “less clinically com-

plex overall.”

In a separate study last year, Harvard Medical School researchers analyzed the cases of more than 5,000 Medicare patients who received hospital home care in 2022 and 2023 and found low rates of mortality and hospital readmissions within 30 days.

Concerns about safety and cost

Critics say that shifting hospital care into the home, especially for kids, is a risky move.

They argue that family members aren’t equipped to handle emergencies, technology can fail or miss subtle signs of a patient’s decline, and that if something goes wrong, help might not arrive fast enough.

(The federal government requires patients to be close enough that the hospital can respond to a change in their condition within 30 minutes.)

“In the hospital, we’re right there with the tools to save a child’s life,” said Michelle Mahon, director of nursing practice at National Nurses United, a California-based nurses group that opposes the programs.

“At home, it could take 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive and that’s too late. It’s alarming that vulnerable infants and children would be placed in this type of precarious program.” Mahon added that hospitals have a financial incentive to create the

programs because they can charge the same rates as if the care was happening inside a hospital — including facility fees

A spokesperson for the North Carolina Nurses Association said it isn’t affiliated with National Nurses United and that its board of directors hadn’t discussed the hospitalat-home model specifically or taken a position on it.

More research is needed

Eileen Appelbaum, an economist and co-director of The Center for Economic and Policy Research, agrees there are risks — but she said it comes down to how the programs are designed and run.

“If the decisions are made carefully, if patients are selected carefully, if the parent is able to provide the support the patient needs, and if the family is computer-savvy so they can deal with telehealth connections, then I do think it can be positive,” said Appelbaum, who coauthored a 2023 report analyzing the model.

Appelbaum said more peer-reviewed research is needed to assess the quality and costs of the programs compared to hospital-based care and to set standards for which patients should receive treatment at home and how that care should be billed and administered.

Atrium’s adult hospital-at-home program, one of the largest in the country, serves about 90 adults a day As of mid-April, about 40 children and adolescents had been admitted to the program, said pediatrician Stefanie Reed, the program’s medical director The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive Eventually, she said, Atrium hopes to expand the program to its other hospitals, with a goal of treating 10% of its pediatric patients at home.

To ensure safety, the hospital has specific criteria about which types of patients are eligible, Reed explained. Some are admitted directly from the emergency room. Others, like Mackenzie, transition after having had some inpatient care. Families always have the choice to stay in the hospital, Reed said.

A new kind of house call

After Mackenzie’s family made the decision to shift to home care, paramedics set up the necessary equipment and visited twice a day, connecting to Mackenzie’s doctors by video while performing a physical exam.

Billy Long 32, the community paramedic who usually visited Mackenzie, used a digital device that allowed the doctor to listen to Mackenzie’s heart and lung sounds and to look into her ear canal and throat

A longtime ambulance paramedic, Long worked part time in an Atrium Health pediatric emergency room before switching to home hospital care. He said his new role is less stressful, and he especially likes working with kids.

As home hospital programs expand, the demand for paramedics like Long — particularly ones with lots of experience — is increasing, creating more competition for a limited pool of workers.

Conlon said being at home, where she and McKenzie could eat their normal foods, go for walks outside and sleep in their own beds, made them both more comfortable.

“I could just curl up in bed with her or do a breathing treatment for her with just the night light and sound machine on — things that are very cozy to her,” she said. It was also reassuring, she said, that her daughter’s health care team was just a click away

“There were so many times where I was texting the nurse at 4 in the morning,” she said. “I always got responses immediately.” Mackenzie was enrolled in the program for three days before she was discharged.

Conlon said knowing home-based care is available will make it easier the next time she has to take Mackenzie to the hospital.

“It really changes your perception because if you do need to go to the ER, you know you have the potential to be home sooner,” she said. “I would do this again in a heartbeat.”

Players join together on one of the pickleball courts set up at Adventure Commons.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Kathy Henricks, one of the founders of the pickleball group at Adventure Commons

PROVIDED PHOTO A paramedic visits Mackenzie Conlon, 6, connecting her doctor via a video call. Mackenzie was one of the first patients in Atrium Health’s new hospital-at-home program for children.

SUNDAY, JUNe 8, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — concAtenAte: konKAT-ih-nit: Linked together

Average mark 39 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 66 or more words in CONCATENATE?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

The road home

Today’s deal is from a match between a team from China and a team from Trinidad and Tobago.

Attheothertable,thedeclarerfor Trinidad and Tobago made four hearts after the lead of the ace of spades.

The Chinese declarer at this table got the ace of diamonds lead followed by the queen of diamonds. He won with dummy’s king and ran the queen of clubs to West’s king. South ruffed the diamond continuation in hand, and cashed the ace of clubs, seeing the 10 fall from West. This was the position: NORTH

♠ K Q J 8 4 2

♥ Q 9 ♦ Void ♣ Void WEST EAST

♠ A 10 9 5 ♠ 7 6

♥ 8 ♥ K 7 4 2

♦ 9 8 2 ♦ Void ♣ Void ♣ 8 6 SOUTH

♠ Void

♥ A J 10 6 5

♦ Void

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

trump losers. Should South overtakethenineofheartswiththe10 andcashtheace,Eastwouldhave two natural trump winners. The winning play in the given position is to lead a low heart to the queen.Eastwillwinbutcandono damage.

wuzzLes

super Quiz

♣ J 9 7 South led the nine of clubs, ruffed by West and over-ruffed withdummy’squeen.Thedefense had to prevail from this point. If South ran the nine of hearts, he would have to ruff a spade to get to his hand. East would lead another spade when he got the lead and South would have two

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Talking is beneficial, but following through will have a massive impact on your reputation and prospects. Choose peace and intelligence over discord and chaos.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Participate in something that brings you joy Reconnecting with old friends or signing up for a course or adventure that is spiritually awakening will have a positive impact on your life and the choices.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Protect your health, position and reputation Refuse to let anyone speak on your behalf. Transparency will save

you from undesirable feedback. Discipline and innovative ideas will lead to positive results.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Be observant, show interest, and listen attentively Bond with people who share your concerns, and offer unifying alternatives.

LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct. 23) Get moving, participate and make your voice heard. Travel, educational pursuits and communication will help you gain momentum and a leadership position.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Emotions will fluctuate, and passion will surface. Channel your energy

into love and romance. Patience is necessary to maintain the status quo.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Go through the proper channels, get approvals and apply for rebates before starting home improvements. Make your space homey and inviting, and enjoy the comfort.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Establish yourself and your beliefs before you commit to donating to or volunteering for an organization to guarantee your objective is a good fit. Don’t make unnecessary compromises.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Do what makes you most comfortable Shift your attention to saving money and selling what you no longer need or use. Make efficiency a priority and find affordable ways to lower your overhead.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Focus on the changes you want to make. The less you share, the easier it will be to achieve your goal. Allowing others to intervene will lead to discord and expenses you should avoid.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Let situations play out before making a move. Acting in haste will backfire, leaving you to clean up the mess. Concentrate on physical and emotional strength.

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

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Stand up and be heard, but first, be sure your thoughts are valid and accurate. Passing along false information will leave you in a precarious position. Change only what’s necessary

goren Bridge

Answers to puzzles

1. Southpaw.2.Defenseman. 3. Court 4. Backboard. 5. Huddle. 6. Dummy.7.Linesman. 8. Break. 9. Double dribble.10. Gridiron.11. Chip. 12. Match penalty.13. Ad court. 14. Dunk. 15.Interception

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

zCourageous people donot fear forgiving,for the sake of peace. —Nelson Mandela

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly

FoXtrot/ by BillAmend