The Acadiana Advocate 06-22-2025

‘I’ve been

very fortunate’

Wise decisions pave way for STM’s coach Danny Broussard

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Sometimes it’s a good idea to listen to the advice of your older brothers.

On one particular decision, though, St. Thomas More legendary boys basketball coach Danny Broussard is glad he listened to his gut instead.

After graduating from Meaux High in rural Vermilion Parish in 1977, Broussard’s first thought was to become a coach After all, his two older brothers Rickey and Brent were already coaches and the family was always heavily involved in athletics

“They were kind of trying to talk me out of it,” Broussard said. “They said things like, ‘Oh, it’s tough, you don’t make a whole lot of money and it’s long hours, so why don’t you do something else?’”

So Broussard spent his entire freshman year at then-USL in Lafayette in general studies, hoping

ä See BROUSSARD, page 4A

La. Senate put brakes on several big bills

Stalled measures shed light on legislative politics

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

With less than two hours to go in the legislative session, all eyes were on the Louisiana Senate.

A day earlier the House had passed on an 88-4 vote a bill to ban companies from owning both pharmacy benefit managers and pharmacies, a prospect that had initiated a flood of lobbying texts from CVS and ignited a fiery debate in the House

Now it was up to the Senate to decide whether House Bill 358 by state Rep. Dustin Miller, D-Opelou-

ä See SENATE, page 6A

U.S. STRIKES IRANIAN SITES

3 nuclear facilities hit as U.S. joins Israeli air campaign

Make peace or face future attacks, Trump threatens

Donald

Iranian nuclear and military sites, joining Israel’s effort

Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete

BY SAM MEDNICK, AAMER MADHANI and DAVID RISING

Press

Associated

WASHINGTON The U.S. military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, directly joining Israel’s war aimed at decapitating the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.

Addressing the nation from the White House, President Donald Trump said Iran’s key nuclear sites were “completely and fully obliterated.” He also warned Tehran against carrying out retaliatory attacks against the U.S., saying Iran has a choice between “peace or tragedy.”

Iran’s nuclear agency confirmed that attacks hit its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz atomic sites, but insisted that its work will not be stopped.

The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to

systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump said in a post on social media “All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow All planes are safely on their way home.”

Trump added in a later post: “This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Ne-

ä Republicans in Congress praise Trump after strikes in Iran. PAGE 7A

tanyahu praised Trump’s decision to attack in a video message directed at the American president.

“Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,” he said. Netanyahu said the U.S. “has done what no other country on earth could do.”

The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation But Fox News host Sean Hannity said shortly after 8 p.m. that he had spoken with Trump and that six bunker buster bombs were used on the Fordo facility Hannity said 30 Tomahawk missiles fired by U.S. submarines 400 miles away struck the Iranian nuclear sites of Natanz and Isfahan.

ä See STRIKES, page 7A

Broussard

REUTERS PHOTO By CARLOS BARRIA

President

Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House on Saturday in Washington after the U.S military struck three

to decapitate the country’s nuclear program, as, from left, Vice President JD

Hegseth listen.

Many witnessing immigration arrests for the first time

BY JULIE WATSON, JAKE OFFENHARTZ and CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press

SAN DIEGO — Adam Green-

field was home nursing a cold when his girlfriend raced in to tell him Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles were pulling up in their trendy San Diego neighborhood. The author and podcast producer grabbed his iPhone and bolted out the door barefoot, joining a handful of neighbors recording masked agents raiding a popular Italian restaurant nearby, as they yelled at the officers to leave. An hour later, the crowd had grown to nearly 75 people, with many in front of the agents’ vehicles.

“I couldn’t stay silent,” Greenfield said. “It was literally outside of my front door.”

More Americans are witnessing people being hauled off as they shop, exercise at the gym, dine out and otherwise go about their daily lives as President Donald Trump’s administration aggressively works to increase immigration arrests. As the raids touch the lives of people who aren’t immigrants themselves, many Americans who rarely, if ever, participated in civil disobedience are rushing out to record the actions on their phones and launch impromptu protests.

Greenfield said on the evening of the May 30 raid, the crowd included grandparents, retired military members, hippies, and restaurant patrons arriving for date night. Authorities threw flash bangs to force the crowd back and then drove off with four detained workers, he said.

“To do this, at 5 o’clock, right at the dinner rush, right on a busy intersection with multiple restaurants, they were trying to make a statement,” Greenfield said. “But I don’t know if their intended point is getting across the way they want it to. I think it is sparking more backlash.”

Previously, many arrests happened late at night or in the predawn hours by agents waiting outside people’s homes as they left for work or outside their work sites when they finished their day. When ICE raided another popular restaurant in San Diego in 2008, agents did it in the early morning without incident.

White House border czar Tom Homan has said agents are being forced to make more arrests in communities because of sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with ICE in certain cities and states. ICE enforces immigration laws nationwide but seeks state and local help in alerting federal authorities of immigrants wanted for deportation and holding that person until federal officers take custody

Vice President JD Vance, during a visit to Los Angeles on Friday, said those policies have given agents “a bit of a morale problem because they’ve had the local government in this community tell them that they’re not allowed to do their job.”

“When that Border Patrol agent goes out to do their job, they said within 15 minutes they have protesters, sometimes violent protesters who are in their face obstructing them,” he said.

Melyssa Rivas had just arrived at her office in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, California one morning last week when she heard the frightened screams of young women. She went outside to find the women confronting nearly a dozen masked federal agents who had surrounded a man kneeling on the pavement.

“It was like a scene out of a movie,” Rivas said. “They all had their faces covered and were standing over this man who was clearly traumatized. And there are these young girls screaming at the top of their lungs.” As Rivas began recording the interaction, a growing group of neighbors shouted

at the agents to leave the man alone. They eventually drove off in vehicles, without detaining him, video shows. Rivas spoke to the man afterward, who told her the agents had arrived at the car wash where he worked that morning, then pursued him as he fled on his bicycle It was one of several recent workplace raids in the majority-Latino city

The same day, federal agents were seen at a Home Depot, a construction site and an LA Fitness gym. It wasn’t immediately clear how many people had been detained.

“Everyone is just rattled,” said Alex Frayde, an employee at LA Fitness who said he saw the agents outside the gym and stood at the entrance, ready to turn them away as another employee warned customers about the sighting. In the end, the agents never came in.

Arrests at immigration courts and other ICE buildings have also prompted emotional scenes as masked agents have turned up to detain people going to routine appointments and hearings.

In the city of Spokane in eastern Washington state, hundreds of people rushed to protest outside an ICE building June 11 after former city councilor Ben Stuckart posted on Facebook. Stuckart wrote that he was a legal

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAMIAN DOVARGANES

Melyssa Rivas stands Friday at a location where she witnessed masked federal agents detain a person earlier this month outside Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Downey, Calif.

guardian of a Venezuelan asylum-seeker who went to check in at the ICE building, only to be detained. His Venezuelan roommate was also detained.

Both men had permission to live and work in the U.S. temporarily under humanitarian parole, Stuckart told The Associated Press.

“I am going to sit in front of the bus,” Stuckart wrote, referring to the van that was set to transport the two men to an ICE detention center in Tacoma. “The Latino community needs the rest of our community now Not tonight, not Saturday, but right now!!!!”

The city of roughly 230,000 is the seat of Spokane County, where just over half of voters cast ballots for Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Stuckart was touched to see his mother’s caregiver among the demonstrators.

“She was just like, ‘I’m here because I love your mom, and I love you, and if you or your friends need help, then I want to help,’”

he said through tears.

By evening, the Spokane Police Department sent over 180 officers, with some using pepper balls, to disperse protesters. Over 30 people were arrested, including Stuckart who blocked the transport van with others He was later released.

Aysha Mercer, a stay-athome mother of three, said she is “not political in any way, shape or form.” But many children in her Spokane neighborhood — who play in her yard and jump on her trampoline — come from immigrant families, and the thought of them being affected by deportations was “unacceptable,” she said.

She said she wasn’t able to go to Stuckart’s protest. But she marched for the first time in her life on June 14, joining millions in “No Kings” protests across the country

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt as strongly as I do right this here second,” she said.

Pope: There should be no tolerance for abuse in church

BY FRANKLIN BRICEÑO Associated Press

LIMA, Peru Pope Leo XIV has said there should be no tolerance in the Catholic Church for any type of abuse sexual, spiritual or abuse of authority — and called for “transparent processes” to create a culture of prevention across the church.

Leo made his first public comments about the clergy sex abuse scandal in a written message to a Peruvian journalist who documented a particularly egregious case of abuse and financial corruption in a Peruvian-based Catholic movement, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae.

The message was read out loud on Friday night in Lima during a performance of a play based on the Sodalitium scandal and the work of the journalist, Paola Ugaz.

“It is urgent to root in the whole church a culture of prevention that does not tolerate any form of abuse — neither of power or authority, nor abuse of conscience, spiritual or sexual abuse,” Leo said in the message. “This culture will only be authentic if it is born of active vigilance, of transparent processes and sincere listening to those who have been hurt. For this, we need journalists.”

Leo is well aware of the Sodalitium scandal, since he spent two decades as a missionary priest and bishop in Peru, where the group was founded in 1971. The thenBishop Robert Prevost was responsible for listening to the Sodalitium’s victims as the Peruvian bishops’ pointperson for abuse victims and helped some reach financial settlements with the organization. After Pope Francis brought him to the Vatican in 2023, Prevost helped dismantle the group entirely by overseeing the resignation of a powerful Sodalitium bishop. The Sodalitium was officially suppressed earlier this year right before Francis died. Now as pope, Leo has to oversee the dismantling of the Soldalitium and its sizable assets. The Vatican envoy on the ground handling the job, Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, read out Leo’s message on Friday night, appearing alongside Ugaz on stage. In the message, Leo also praised journalists for their courage in holding the powerful to account, demanded public authorities protect them and said a free press is an “common good that cannot be renounced.”

Whenitcomestofeedingfamiliesandproviding healthcare,Louisianaisalreadydoingmorewith less. Proposed changestoSNAP(Supplemental NutritionAssistanceProgram,formerlyknown as food stamps)and Medicaid in the“OneBig BeautifulBillAct”couldjeopardizevitalsupport forhundredsofthousands of Louisiananswho rely on theseprograms.

ThefivefoodbanksintheFeedingLouisiana network,providingfoodformorethan60million mealsannuallythroughmorethan1,000partner sitesandfaith-basedorganizations,arealready stretchedthin. Unfortunately,Louisiana’sfoodbankscannot fillthe gapthese cuts wouldleave behind. HerearefivereasonswhySNAPandMedicaid areessential to Louisiana. Protecting these programsismorethanjustcompassionate;it’sa smartinvestmentinoureconomyandourfuture

1. SNAP andMedicaidSupport Louisiana Communitiesand Local Economies Everydollarspent on SNAP brings about $1.50ineconomicactivitytolocalcommunities. Thesedollars supportgrocery stores,farmers markets,andsmallbusinesses acrossLouisiana Removingorreducingthissupportwouldhave ripple effects,especiallyinrural areaswhere the economyis alreadystretchedthin.SNAP dollars enable families to spendmoremoney on other essentials,likehousing,clothing,transportation, andutilities

PatR.Van Burkleo, FeedingLouisiana’s ExecutiveDirector, says:“We have noticeda recent uptick in people callingusfor SNAP application assistance whohavebeenlaidoff andhavenever neededassistancebefore. Formany, SNAP helps relievetheburdenoffeedingtheirfamiliessothey canfocus on searchingfor work.”

2. LouisianaReliesonFederal Funding More ThanAny OtherState MorethanhalfofLouisiana’sstatebudgetcomes fromfederalfunding–morethananyotherstate. ANYshiftinresponsibilityfor fundingSNAPor Medicaidfromthefederalgovernmenttothestate couldcreatesignificantbudgetstrain.

SNAP benefitshavealwaysbeenfully funded by thefederal government.Proposedchanges wouldrequire states to begincoveringa portion of thosebenefit costs, whichcould amount to hundredsofmillionsofdollarsforLouisianaeach year startingin2028. Louisianasimplycan’t affordtofootthisbill.

3. SNAP andMedicaidServe Working Families andStudents, NotJust theUnemployed Social safety netprogramssupport people youknow: thechildcare workerstakingcareof your kids,the collegestudent interningfor your company, thefamilysitting beside youatchurch. SNAPandMedicaidhelppeopleduringdifficult times.Mostrecipientsareworking,caringforloved ones,ormanaginghealthchallenges. Nearly18%ofLouisianians–morethan847,000 people–relyonSNAP.Thatincludesover350,000 childrenand100,000seniors.Medicaidprovides healthcare coverageforroughly1.4millionLouisianians Patcontinues:“Theseprogramsbring dignity andhopetohardworkingpeoplejustlikeyou.We recently helped Kendra,ayoung womanwho is living andworking at ahotel with hertoddler to avoidhomelessness,applyforSNAPandMedicaid. StorieslikeKendra’sremindusthatsocialsafety

netprogramsdon’t just meet immediateneeds Theyhelppeoplerebuildtheirliveswithstability andself-respect.”

4. LouisianaCan’t Absorb These CostsWithout Sacrificing Other EssentialServices

IfLouisianaisforcedtotakeonalargershareof SNAPandMedicaidcosts,theaddedstrainonthe statebudgetcould lead to cuts in otheressential services,likeroads,education,publicsafety, and communityhealthprograms.

Thestate is already heavilyreliant on federal aid.Takingonhundredsofmillionsinnewresponsibilities couldundermine theverysystemsthat keep families afloat.

“CuttingfederalsupportforSNAPandMedicaid doesn’t just affectthose programs,” Patwarns “Itweakens theentirenetwork that supports Louisiana’scommunities.It’sarippleeffectwe can’t afford.”

5. Nutritionand Healthcare Go Hand-in-Hand

Theproposed“OneBigBeautifulBillAct”doesn’t just impact SNAP.Italsoincludesharmful cuts andaddedhurdlestoMedicaid,puttinghealthcare access at risk formanylow-incomepeopleliving with disabilities,families, andseniors

WithoutMedicaid, many people wouldforgo necessarymedical care, leadingtoworse health outcomesandhigherlong-termcostsforthestate “Nutrition andhealthcaregohand-in-hand,” Patexplains. “Ifyou lose both,familiessuffer a doublehit.Withoutaccesstoaffordablenutrition andmedical care,peopleare more likely to miss work,experienceemergencies,orneedcostly treatment lateron.”

WHAT’S NEXT? StandWithLouisiana Families

SenatorsJohnKennedyandBillCassidyhavean opportunitytostandupforLouisianainabigway Standing againstthe cuts andchanges to social safetynetprogramsinthe“OneBigBeautifulBill” meansstandingupfor Louisiana’sfuture.

“Consider contacting your lawmakersabout thisissue,”concludesPat.“Theproposedchanges andcutswould be acostlymistake forall of us andLouisiana’s food bankswillnot be able to fill thesegaps.”

Learnmoreatfeedinglouisiana.org

FeedingLouisiana:64parishes, 5foodbanks,1 mission.FeedingLouisiana’snetworkincludesthe FoodBankofCentralLouisiana,theFoodBankof NortheastLouisiana,theFoodBankofNorthwest Louisiana, theGreater BatonRouge Food Bank andSecondHarvest Food Bank of GreaterNew Orleansand Acadiana

to decide what his future would hold. He thought about being apharmacist. He always hadabig personalityand loved talking to and helping people.

“The only problem with that was pharmacy school was in Monroe and Ididn’t want to go way up there, and also there were too many chemistry courses,” Broussard said. “I was good at math, but not chemistry.”

After the second semester,his adviser came to him demanding adecision.

With no otherfavorable options in mind,Broussard said, “I’m going to education.”

More than four decades later,Broussard is enteringthe Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as one of the nation’smost successful coaches in the history of high school basketball.

It wasn’tthat his brothers didn’tthink young Danny could coach. In fact, he had already proven he could.

As asenior at Meaux High, Broussard coached the school’s4Hbasketballteam to atournament title in Kaplan.

“I found guys at Meaux,” he remembered. “Weput together alittle team of fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders, andwewon. That’s kind of when Igot hooked. I remember thinking, ‘This is fun. Ilove this.’ Getting them together and preparing them and then seeing the results.”

Twoyears later,Broussard helped Tommy Picard coach aBabe Ruth team to the state championship, and hadthe team’s ace pitcher not punctured alung during the series, “I think we could have won regionals.”

Old brother Rickey wasn’t surprised by those early signs of success.

“I never had any doubt that Danny could accomplish great things,” said Rickey, wholed NichollsState’s men’sbasketball team to two NCAA Tournament appearances. “There was just something about him.”

Upon graduating college, young Danny faced another big decision.

Incredibly,hegot an offer from HansonMemorial in Franklin to be the program’s head basketballcoach.

Broussardasked for the weekend to ponder his options, although he was ready to accept the offer

Once again,his older brother had other ideas. While Danny wascommunicating with Hanson, amath teacher at this new school, St. Thomas More, where Rickey was the head basketball coach, decided to run themath department at Fatima instead just weeks before the start of school.

Rickey implored his younger brother to talkto STM’sadministration before accepting the Hanson job.

“They offered me $3,000 or $4,000 more ayear to be afreshman baseball, basketball and football coach,” Broussard laughed. “That’s alot of money to akid right

outofcollege, so Itookit.”

As afootball coach, things didn’tgoverywell. TheCougars’ freshman squadwent 0-8 anddidn’tscore apoint butheshowed promise in basketball.

Soon, another opportunity presenteditself.

Rickey’s assistantcoach from Fatima, Stephen Rees, decided to head to medicalschool, allowingDanny to move into the spot as the Cougars’ top basketball assistant

Then early in year two, Rickey got acallfrom Ragin’ Cajuns head coach Bobby Paschal with an offertojoin hisstaff. He accepted the offer.

“I remember asking Rickey,‘So who is going to coach St.ThomasMore?’ and he said, ‘You are.’”

The22-year-old’s stomach gotrealtight in ahurry,but bigbrother knew what he was doing.

“I hadnodoubtinmymind that he coulddo it,” Rickey said.“The only questionwas, wouldtheygive him the job. There was acontingent of people (onSTM’sboard)that wanted to goafter acoach from NewOrleans.I had to go to the board.

“I told them, ‘Just give him ashot. He knows all the plays,and the players like him.’”

Earlynerves elevated to full-blown panic one halfinto Broussard’s firstgameas head coach. TrailingAbbeville 23-20 at halftime, Broussard remembersthinking, “This is going to be ashort career.Theymight say,‘You can’thandlethis.’”

After ahalftimespeech of yelling out adjustments,star guard Al Fadaol walked by Broussardonthe way out of thelocker room andsaid, “Don’tworry coach, Igot this foryou.”

He was right. Fadaol scored 22 points to complement 21 from John Simpson on the way toa 60-44 win over the Wildcats.

“Fadaol saved my job,” Broussard now laughs.

Fast-forward 41 years, and Broussardranksasthe No. 6 coachnationally in wins with 1,162 —that’s171 winsfrom being the winningest coach ever.He’sled the Cougars to six state championships, five staterunners-up, 20 Top

blended thatwith themore player-friendlydemeanorof FrankHardy,who coached Broussard his final two seasons at Meaux.

“Rickeysold me on the importance of fundamentals thatfirst year,” Broussard said.“I’d see us play some really athletic teams,but Isaw them not being fundamentally sound andmakinga lot of mistakes.When we wouldn’t make those mistakes at the end of games,and Isaw that we’d win thosegames

“But Ialso sawthatsome of the lessons Ilearned from coach Hardy worked for me too.”

By 1987, the Cougarswere ranked No.21nationallyin the USA Todaypoll, ledby future LSU basketball and baseball player Lyle Mouton and future University of Louisiana at Lafayette point guard Eric Mouton.

just outwork people,” Broussard said. “I can name five guys right now that can run circles around me coachingwise. I’m talking about awesomecoaches. Those guys motivated me to work hard andgotoclinics andlearn as muchasIcould about this game.”

‘Passion is gettinginthe way’

In fact, years after Broussard had established himselfasone of thestate’stop coaches, former assistant coach Mike Patin got acall from Broussard to have lunchwithhim andRoy Petitfilstodiscuss amatter

Broussard hadgotten multiple technical foulsand even got ejected from astate tournament game, and he wanted to investigate that situation

“He toldus, ‘I’vegot to get betteratthis. I’ve gotto get abetter handle on this. Whatcan Ido?”saidPatin, who coached with Broussard from1988-90. “He was both vulnerable andreally sincere. We gave him some practice suggestions. We were very frank with him and he followed back up with us. Iwas impressed to no end withthat.

“Hesaid, ‘I don’twantto throw my passion away,but someofmypassion is getting in the way.’”

Indeed,that passion for thegame, his team, his school and the relationship with his players is what has helped Broussard overcome allobstacles during hiscareer

“His driveisotherworldly,” Patinsaid.

but we’ll texteach other from 5a.m. until midnight somedays,” Cortese said. Broussard’s passion ranges intoother areas as well, though. He’slong been a friend of St. Thomas More’s special needsprograms.

“That’swho Danny is,” Patinsaid.“Iremind him of that. Sure, he can chase the wins and all of that is important, but to me,the biggest thing is the stories, the relationships he has with so manypeople

“You go to aSt. Thomas More basketball game and you’re going to see people who aren’t necessarily basketball fans. They’re Danny fansbecause of theway he’s treated, inspired and motivated them.”

‘One greatyear’

Broussard’sglory yearson the floor were still ahead of him In 2013, Trey Touchet sparked acomeback win over the Bryce Washingtonled St. Augustine for astate title. It wasfollowed by four more. Many considerthis past season one of the best coaching jobs of his career.With his leading scorer at 10 points agame, Broussard gave the 2024-25 Cougars a challenge at thebeginning of the season.

28 appearances,27district championships and 18 30-win seasons

“It’satestamenttohis longevity and consistency and success,” former player Lyle Mouton said of Broussard’sHall of Fame induction. “The way he tells it, he became acoach by default. I guess sometimes it’sbetter to be lucky than good.He has proven it was agreat decision and it wasn’tluck.

“You don’tdoitfor this long with so much successif it was just luck all theway.”

After winning the district championship that first year as head coach,Broussard still figured the school’sadministration would hire a moreexperiencedcoach to replace him.

“I’ve been very fortunate. Iwas in the right place at the right time,” he said.

Any remaining doubters were provenwrong when Broussard ledthe Cougars to the state championship in 1986.

“By thatyear,Ihad settled intomyown,” Broussard said. “I could seethe program developing.”

Amix allofhis influences

Broussard had the basketball knowledge fromhis brother’s mentor,Rodney Ledoux in Breaux Bridge. He adopted adrill sergeant approach to fundamentals learned from Rickey and

Despite hisearly success, Broussard knew deep down he didn’t know everything about being abasketball coach.

That’swhy he relentlessly attended clinics and did whatever he could to learn moreabout his profession.

“I’dlike to think that we

“In the gym, he has the same energylevel,” said assistant coach Wesley Cortese, who played for Broussard before being his assistant for 15 years. “He brings energy every day. When I’m having lowenergy days, he’s like,‘Hey, let’sgo. It’stime to go to work.’ He brings that energy and he expects that energy.”

Broussard’s mind is always moving and very rarely slowsdown, especially during the basketball season. “Neither one of us sleep,

“I told the kids that we had to guard better than anyteam in thehistory of St. Thomas More,and that’s whatthey did,” Broussard said. “Whata perfect example of buying into what the team needs.” No onewho knowsBroussard expectshim to slow downany timesoon.

Oneyearafter being slowed by triple bypass surgery,Broussard led his Cougars to the state championship game and then led the Cougars’ coaching staff to avictoryinthe McDonald’s All-American game in New York.

“This is one great year forDanny Broussard,”Lyle Mouton laughed.

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

Our enchanting community invites you to explore life’s exciting opportunitiesand defiesyourexpectations of whatseniorliving should be.Weare dedicated to providing outstanding senior living experiences for those seeking thebest in life. At TheVincent, youenjoy an exciting,adventurous, social, andenriching lifestyle. Come by foratourand sample the warmth andsupportofour community foryourself!

Longtime St. Thomas More basketball coach DannyBroussard is the No.6 winningest high school boys basketball coach nationally

PROVIDED PHOTO

St.Thomas More basketball coach DannyBroussard, his wife, Dena, and grandchildren Mills and Henryvisit Newyork Cityfor the McDonald’sAll-American basketball game.

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BY SAMYAKULLAB

Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine Ukraine’s president saidthat Russia repatriated at least 20 of its own dead soldiers in recent exchanges with Ukraine describing it as aresult of Moscow’sdisorganization in carrying out large swaps of wounded POWs and remains of troops.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said thatanIsraeli citizen was among the dead Ukraine had received in recentexchanges. He spoke to journalists on Friday but his comments were embargoed until Saturday Officials did not disclose the identities of the bodies.

Journalists were shown aRussian passport and ID belonging to one of the 20 dead Russians. According to the document, the man came from theMoscow region. ZelenskyydoubtsPutin

“They threw the corpses of their citizens at us. This is their attitude toward war,toward their soldiers. And this is already documented. Sometimes these bodies evenhave Russian passports,” he said. He said the Russian side insisted the dead were all Ukrainians.

SENATE

Continued from page1A

sas, would pass.

In the end, the Senate didn’t bring it up for avote. Sen. Kirk Talbot,R-River Ridge, took to the dais to introduce Senate Resolution 209, which urged the Louisiana Department of Health to study the impact of legislation suchas House Bill 358.

That signaled Miller’sbill was dead.

HB358 was not the only piece oflegislation that passed theHouse, only to meetits end in the Senate Anumberofbills,and one major budget measure, all stalled or were killed by the upper chamber

“The House does their job as diligently as they can, but sometimes through the process, by the time it gets to us, people have had more chance to look at it, and they’vefound something in it that they didn’tlike or didn’trealize that were in it, and it staysonthe Senate calendar,” said Senate President Cameron Henry,RMetairie.

Theexchanges of thedead and wounded soldiers arethe only tangible result of direct peace talks in Istanbul. In June, Ukraine andRussia agreed to exchange the bodies of fallen soldiers in a6,000-for-6,000 format during the secondround of negotiations. Ukraine was concerned that the number was too high and thatthe sides did nothave enough time for forensic examinations and checking the identities of the dead.

Zelenskyy said he suspected Russia’splanwas to playalong withpeace talkstoappease the U.S. and stave off moresanctions butwithout ending thewar that RussianPresident Vladimir Putin believes he is winning.

doesn’tget throughthe entire processdue to the amount of work and time spent on each piece of legislation,”Rep Emily Chenevert, R-Baton Rouge, said in astatement

“I wouldsay mostlegislators feel that way.”

What billsstalled

Chenevert sponsored House Bill 685, which would have banned diversity,equity and inclusioninitiatives in stategovernment. After it sparked abruising debate on theHouse floor,the proposal withered away in theSenate withoutgetting acommittee hearing.

Also thisyear,after the House voted to cutsales and income taxes, the Senate Revenue& Fiscal Affairs Committee killed the proposals. Senators said they were wary of potentially creatingabudgethole in future years.

Meanwhile,House Bill 283,a proposalto place acap on state spending, passed theHouse but got stuck in the Senate Finance Committee.

Talbot said it is natural for the legislative process to slow downonce it reaches the Senate,partly because senators represent awider array of constituents

“Senators representalmost three times the size of aHouse district. They represent —inmost cases, if not all—a larger,more diverse constituency,” he said Jay Dardenne, aformer senator,lieutenant governor, secretary of state and commissioner of administration, said the Senate has long “been the place where ideas that have sailed out of the House die.”

“It’snot that unusual,”he said. Still, the pattern caused frustration among some House members.

“No matter what the bill, it’sdisappointing when abill

“It’sunfortunate that they didn’tcare enough about it to hear it, but Isuppose they havetheirreasons,” said stateRep. Phillip Tarver,R-Lake Charles, who sponsored that measure.

In another example, the House adopted Gov.Jeff Landry’srequest to include $93.5million to fund LA GATOR, aprogram that helps families pay for privateschools. But the Senate then took $50 million out Henrysaid$43.5million was the amount legislators had previously agreed to, and his members were worried the program’scost couldgrow outofcontrol.

Landry’sofficedid not comment onthe Senate’srole in halting the legislation.

Building aconsensus

Oneman has the most say in what happens to abill once it reaches theSenate: SenatePresident Henry “Nothingthatwedoisin

He said that because of this, Ukraine would be “in areally difficult situation” of deciding whether to continue the talks in Istanbul.

Impact on Ukraine

ZelenskyysaidUkrainewas against Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, because of itsmilitary partnership withRussia,but stopped short of expressing explicit support for Israel’sstrikes. He repeated that thenew war in the Middle East will affect Ukraine indirectly “Iran gave theRussians everythingtokillus. They gave them martyrs, they gave them missiles, andtheygavethemlicenses. The fact thattheir production capacitieshave now become weaker is (a) positive for us.But at certainpoints it may already be too late,” he said, also citing Russia’smilitarycooperation with North Korea. Russia hasmodifiedIran-made Shaheddrones andhas usedthem, often hundreds at atime, in barrages targeting Ukraine.

avacuum. Nothing is asole decision by me that we’re going to do something or not do something. We have an enormous amount of meetings among thesenators,”

Henry said.

But in deciding what happens with abill, senators say Henryseekstobuild aconsensus among members.

“He has taken the position and treated the role in away wherehewantstobuild a consensus amongsenators and pass legislation where we can getbroad support,” said stateSen. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge.

That courtesy also extends acrossthe aisle, according to stateSen.GeraldBoudreaux, D-Lafayette.

Boudreaux said Henry meetsregularly with the Senate Democratic Caucus andkeepshis door open for individual memberstomeet with him.

“Thatgiveshim agauge, it giveshim apulse of what the membershipwants,” Boudreaux said.

Overall, Boudreaux said, Henry “representswhat the Senate is supposedtobe— theupper chamber,more deliberate.”

“I say that veryrespectfully” to the House, he added, noting that it is much easier to gradually build consensusinthe 39-member Senate than in the 105-member House.

Pharmacy bill

When it came to pharmacy benefit managers, senators had to decide what to do with just oneday left in the session.

They stood in the middle of an aggressive lobbying push. Landry and Donald Trump Jr thepresident’sson,both pushed for the Senate to pass HB358, which would have bannedPBMs andpharmacies from having thesame ownership, aconcept known as vertical integration.

Meanwhile, CVS, which ownsthe PBM CVS Caremark and itsown chain of drugstores,told legislators it would have to close 119 pharmacies in Louisiana if

Zelenskyy said 39 Russian companieswereinvolvedinthe production of Oreshnik, an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying anuclear warhead.Hesaid 21 of them are not under sanctions. “And therefore it is absolutely incomprehensible whysanctionsshould notbeimposed urgently,” he said. Russia attacked Ukraine with the missile in November,marking aserious escalation in thewar and Russia’scapabilities.

Ukrainelooks to Europe

Zelenskyy dispelledreports that Patriots air defense systemswere destroyed in recent Russian drone and missile barrages. He also said Ukraine has startedusing domestically produced interceptors to shoot down Shahed drones and is seeking financing from Germany to ramp up the weapon’sproduction

He added he sent signals to Western partners asking them to giveup0.25% of their GDP to support Ukraine’s local defense

industry

Zelenskyy said it’slikely he wouldattendaNATOsummit laterthis week,but that he would make afinaldecisiononMonday

Though Zelenskyy did not meet President Donald Trump, who had leftearly the Group of Seven summit in Canada last week, Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and the head of the president’soffice, Andriy Yermak, gave U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent alist of weapons Ukraine is hoping to purchase. “Wewill wait feedback,” Zelenskyy said, adding the packageofweapons includedPatriot systems.

The weapons package would be amongthe topicsZelenskyy plans to discuss withTrumpintheir next meeting, he added, as well as the issue of sanctions.

“Frankly,itseems to me thatwe need to talk abouta newbreath in thediplomatictrack,” he said. “Weneed greater certaintyand greater pressure fromthe world on Putin.”

HB358 passed.

Ultimately,the Senate did notcallthe bill up for avote Members were concerned thatthe measure had not had public input, Henry said.

The PBM legislation came through an amendment to a bill that originally set rules for remote work for pharmacy technicians.

That amendment was proposed while the bill was in aconference committee, a closed-door process where a group of House andSenate membersmeet to hash out agreementsonbills when one chamber has rejected the other’samendments.

“Itneededa full vetting, and it didn’thave that, so we can wait untilnext year and do that,” Henry said.

Landry haspromised to call theLegislature into aspecial sessiontoban verticalintegration of PBMs and pharmacies.

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

Henry

Zelenskyy

RepublicansinCongresspraiseTrump afterstrikes in Iran

BY MARYCLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON Congressional

Republicans —and at least one

Democrat —immediately praised President Donald Trumpafter he said Saturday evening that the U.S. military bombed three sites in Iran.

“Well done, President Trump,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, posted on X. Texas Sen.John Cornyn called it a“courageous and correct decision.”Alabama Sen. Katie Britt called the bombings “strong and surgical.”

Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin posted: “America first, always.”

STRIKES

Continued from page1A

Thestrikes areaperilous decision,asIran has pledged to retaliate if theU.S.joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally.Hewon the White House on the promise of keepingAmerica out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism.

Trump told reporters Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forcesinto Iran, saying it’s“the last thing you want to do.” He had previously indicated that he would make afinal choice over the course of two weeks.

Iran’sSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States on Wednesday that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.” And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared “any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.”

Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain anuclear weapon, and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country’sleaders to giveupits nuclear program peacefully

The Israeli military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of alengthy war,while Iran’sforeign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement “would be very very dangerous for everyone.”

The prospect of awider war loomed. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they wouldresume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel’smilitary campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the U.S.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel announced that the U.S. had begun “assisted departure flights,” the first from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump planned to make his decision on the strikes within two weeks.Instead, he struck just two days later Trump appears to have made the calculation —atthe proddingofIsraeli officials and many Republican law-

The SenateArmed Services Committee chairman, RogerWicker,of Mississippi, said Trump“has madea deliberate— and correct —decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime.” Wicker posted on Xthat “we now have very seriouschoices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies.”

The quickendorsements of steppedupU.S.involvementin Iran came after Trumphad publicly mulledthe strikes for days and many congressional Republicans had cautiously said theythought he would make the right decision. Senate Majority Leader John Thune saidSaturday evening that “as we

makers —that Israel’s operation had softened the ground and presented aperhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran’s nuclearprogram, perhaps permanently

The Israelis say their offensive has already crippled Iran’sair defenses, allowing them to alreadysignificantly degrade multiple Iranian nuclear sites.

But to destroy theFordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, Israel appealed to Trump for thebunker-busting American bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive OrdnancePenetrator,whichuses its weight and sheerkineticforce toreach deeplyburiedtargets and thenexplode. Thebomb is currently delivered only by the B-2 stealth bomber,which is only found in the American arsenal.

If deployed in the attack, it would be thefirst combat use of the weapon

Thebomb carries aconventional warhead,and is believed to be able to penetrate about200 feet below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped oneafter another,effectively drillingdeeper and deeper with each successiveblast.

TheInternational Atomic EnergyAgency has confirmed that Iran is producing highlyenriched uranium at Fordo, raisingthe possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were usedtohit the facility

Previous Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on acentrifuge site have caused contamination

take action tonight to ensureanuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, Istand with PresidentTrump andpray forthe American troops and personnel in harm’sway.”

Thune andHouse SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Benton, werebriefed ahead of the strikesonSaturday,according to people familiarwith the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

Johnsonsaidina statement that themilitaryoperations “should serve as aclear reminder to our adversaries and alliesthat President Trump means what he says.”

House Intelligence Committee Chairman RickCrawford, R-Ark., said he had also been in touch with

only at thesiteitself, notthe surrounding area, theIAEA hassaid.

Trump’sdecision for direct U.S. military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push —including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear program.

For months, Trump saidhe was dedicated to adiplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice —inApril andagain in late May —persuaded Netanyahu to hold offonmilitary action against Iran and give diplomacy more time.

The U.S. in recent days has been shifting military aircraft andwarships into andaround the Middle East to protect Israel and U.S. bases from Iranianattacks.

Allthe while, Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that themoment could be a“second chance” for Iran to make adeal to delivering explicit threats on Khamenei andmaking calls forTehran’sunconditional surrender “Weknowexactly where theso-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trumpsaid in asocial media posting. “He is an easytarget, but is safe there— We arenot goingto take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”

The militaryshowdown with Iran comes seven years after Trumpwithdrew the U.S.fromthe Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the“worst deal ever.”

the White House and “I am grateful to theU.S. servicemembers who carried out these precise and successful strikes.”

Breaking from many of his Democraticcolleagues, Sen. John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, an outspoken supporter of Israel,alsopraised the attacks on Iran. “As I’ve long maintained,thiswas thecorrect move by @POTUS,” he posted.“Iranis theworld’sleading sponsorofterrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.”

Both parties have seen splitsinrecent days over the prospect of striking Iran. KentuckyRep.Thomas Massie, aRepublican and alongtime opponent of U.S. involvement in for-

The 2015 deal, signed by Iran,U.S.and other world powers, created along-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement thatlimited Tehran’senrichment of uranium in exchangefor the lifting of economicsanctions.

eign wars, posted on Xafter Trump announced the attacks that “This is notConstitutional.”

Many Democrats have maintained that Congress should have asay.The Senate was scheduledto vote as soon as this week on aresolution by Virginia Sen. TimKaine requiring congressional approval before the U.S. declared war on Iran or took specific military action ConnecticutRep.Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House intelligencepanel,posted on Xafter Trump’sannouncement: “According to theConstitution we are both sworn to defend, my attention to this mattercomes BEFORE bombs fall. Full stop.”

Trump decried the Obamaera deal for givingIran too muchinreturn for too little, becausethe agreementdid not cover Iran’snon-nuclear malign behavior.

Trumphas bristled at criticism from some of his MAGA

faithful, including conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, whohavesuggested that further U.S. involvement would be abetrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to endU.S.involvement in expensive andendless wars.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Cassidyhas an idea to save moneyonMedicare

WASHINGTON —Ever since U.S. senators got their hands on the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, fiscal conservatives agonized over how better to cover the trillions of dollars the proposed tax cuts would add to the nation’s$37 trillion debt.

Mark Ballard

Few politicians, particularly President Donald Trump, want to touch Medicare, the federal health insurance plan for seniors and somedisabled people. Along with SocialSecurity,Medicare is oftenconsidered the deadly third rail of American politics.

The massive bill shifts more financial responsibility for Medicaid, which provides health care coverage for low-income people, from the federal government to the states. But that isn’tenough to fully pay for Trump’sdomestic agendaand proposed tax cuts.

The entire bill could be killed either by senators who want to roll back proposed Medicaid cuts and by senatorswho want additional savings to avoid an even larger deficit.

Additional savings could be wrung out of Medicare, perhaps by raising the 65-year-old eligibilityage, some conservatives postulated. More eyed reducing overpayments to privateMedicare Advantage plans, which would appease budget hawks seeking more spending cuts in themegabill.

One idea comes from U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, and it could generate up to $270 billion in savings, according to his office —enough to placate some of the concernsthat Medicaid re-

Landrysigns bill

targeting drones

Gov.Jeff Landry announced this week that he had signed a bill that gives state and local law enforcementthe authority to take down unmanned drones, calling it the first of its kind.

House Bill 261, by Jay Galle, R-Mandeville, allows officers to stop “a threat posed by an unmanned aircraft system acting within the state in anefarious manner,” using “legal and safe methods, including but not limited to jamming, hacking or physical capture.”

ductions don’tcover the OneBig Beautiful Bill Act’scosts.

Cassidy’sNoUPCODE Act was not integratedintothe Senate Finance Committee’srecommended changes. Still, the idea could reemerge as negotiations continue.

Cassidy’sidea is supported by some lawmakers in bothparties. Butthe influential insurance industry has bellowed objections to No UPCODE, therebyadding another coalition tothe ones that opposeMedicaid reductions or some other policy in thethousand-page budget reconciliation bill Trump wantspassed.

“They decided just to kind of leave things in the Medicaid space,” Cassidy said last week.

protect our people and our skies before tragedy strikes.”

Theact specifically makes it illegaltoflyunmanned drones overparades and parade routes. It makes an exception for drones that are authorized for useinmovies, TV orother productions. Thebill passed both chambers of the Legislaturewithoutopposition.

CAPITOL BUZZ staff reports

In anews release, Landry said the “WeWill Act” Act could set anational precedent, because the authority to handle unmanned aircraft hastypically been reserved for federal entities.

“This law puts Louisiana on the front lines of drone defense,” Landry said in the release. “We are taking bold steps now to

Earlier this year, Landry saidduring a dinner with President Donald Trump andother Republican governors that unidentifieddrones were spotted near Louisiana nuclear power plants. Entergy confirmed drones hadbeen identified near its River BendStation nuclear power plant.

StateShield, anational nonprofit thatsupports state-level laws to protect against interference from China, praised thelaw

“Louisiana became thefirst state in the nation to give law enforcement officers authority to

“There’ll be an opportunity to savemoney for the taxpayer and improve service for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in the future. It’sbipartisan.So, I’m hoping that there will be an appetitefor taking this up as soon as we finish the OneBig Beautiful Bill.”

In traditional Medicare, the federal government reimburses hospitals,physicians and other healthcare providers, if approved, for services already rendered.

About half of the nation’s67 million people on Medicareare enrolled through private insurance companies offering Medicare Advantage plans. The private plans,generally,

neutralizehostile drones,” said Joe Gebbia Sr., founder and CEO of State Shield. “Inexpensive drones have become powerful tools for criminals and foreign adversaries to spyon, or even target, critical infrastructure. The risk escalates when those systems are made in China and sendsensitive data overseas. We thankGov.Landry and Representative Galle for theirleadership combating this growing threat.”

Bernie Sandersholds rally in Shreveport

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., held arally in Shreveport on Saturday at the Municipal Auditorium

It was part of his Fighting Oligarchy Tour,aseries of events to have “real discussions across America on how we moveforward to takeonthe Oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power and influence in this country.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, aRepublican whose district includes Shreveport,paid

cover awiderrange of services, such as prescription drugs, without the added chargesbeneficiaries pay in the traditional plan.

Generally,Cassidy’sNoUPCODE Act would require private insurerstochange aspects of how thefederal government calculates the ratesitpays.

In particular,the legislation would include limiting the practice of aggressively coding on thefrontend to capture every possible diagnosis, which allows higher premiums. But when thecare is deliveredand billed, some of those claims are denied as unnecessary,according to several studies, including oneby theMedicare Payment Advisory Commission.

for abillboard in the city’sdowntown that said, “Nothanks, Bernie, we’ll pass on socialism and a $1,300 tax increase.”

The billboard refers to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the mammoth spending bill that Johnson supportsand Sanders opposes. Amongmany other policy changes, the bill would prevent tax cuts passed during President Donald Trump’sfirst term from expiring.

FEMA givesBaton Rouge City Hall$6.2 million

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has given East Baton Rouge Parish $6.2 million to retrofit windowsinCity Hall, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy,R-Madisonville, announced this week.

“Louisianians are all too familiar with the threats that strong winds pose to their communities during disasters,” Kennedy said in anews release.

“This $6.2 million will help East Baton Rouge Parish fortifythe Baton Rouge City Hall to better withstand gusts during future storms.”

“That’sanenormous shift of money from the Medicare programinto the coffers of the insurance companies,” said Alan Levine,a Louisiana Health Department secretaryunderGov Bobby Jindalwho now runs a systemofmostly rural hospitals andclinicsin29counties in the AppalachianHighlands of northeastTennessee, southwest Virginia,northwest North Carolina andsoutheast Kentucky

Levine’s BalladHealth, based in JohnsonCity,Tennessee, is owed about$130 millionfor services rendered but not paid, he said.

America’sHealth Insurance Plans, anationaltrade associationrepresenting the health insuranceindustry headquartered on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House andthe Capitol, counters the No UPCODE Act provisions would jeopardize care for the elderly

“The President andCongressionalleadersmadeaclear promise to seniors thatthere would be no cuts to Medicareaspart of the budgetreconciliation legislation,”AHIP President and CEO Mike Tuffin said in astatement last week

“Last-minute attempts to cut MedicareAdvantage to fund otherpriorities would directly undermine thatpromise and lead to highercosts andreductions in benefits formorethan 34 million seniors andpeople living with disabilities.”

Though No UPCODE is not part of the Senate package, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is spending the weekend trying to knit together policies thatwould convince 51 of the 53 GOP senators in the 100-seat chamber to approve Trump’slegislation.

Thune told reporters he hopes to geta full vote this week on the Senate’s versionofthe One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

SUNDAY NEWS SHOWS

ABC’s“This Week”: Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. NBC’s“Meetthe Press”: Sens. Lindsey Graham,R-S.C., and Mark Kelly,D-Ariz. CNN’s“Stateofthe Union”: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem; Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; Israeli President Isaac Herzog; former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton; Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. CBS’ “Face the Nation”: Sen. TimKaine, D-Va.; Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter; Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky.; retired Gen.Frank McKenzie, former commanderofU.S. Central Command. “Fox News Sunday”: Noem; Kaine; Sen. Mike Lee, RUtah. The Associated Press

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILE PHOTO

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, has aplanthat could generate an estimated $100 billion in savings enough to placatesomeofthe concerns that Medicaid reductions don’t coverthe One BigBeautiful Bill Act’s costs.

MahmoudKhalilvowstokeepprotestingGazawar

Activist home aftermonthsin

La.immigration facility

BY HOLLYRAMER and ARON RANEN Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J.— APalestinian activistwho was detained for more than three months pushed his infant son’s stroller with one hand and cheered on his supporters as they welcomed him home Saturday

Mahmoud Khalil greeted friends and spoke briefly to reporters Saturday at New Jersey’sNewark International Airport aday after leaving afederal immigration facility in Louisiana. A former Columbia University graduate student and symbol of President Don-

ald Trump ’s clampdown on campusprotests, he vowed to continue protesting Israel’swar in Gaza.

“The U.S. government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide,” he said. “This is why Iwill continue to protest with everyone of you. Not only if they threaten me with detention. Even if they would kill me, I wouldstill speak up for Palestine.”

Khalil, alegal U.S. resident whose wife gave birth during his 104 days of detention,said he also will speak up for the immigrants he left behind in the detention center

“Whether you are acitizen, an immigrant, anyone in this land, you’renot illegal. That doesn’tmakeyou less of ahuman,”hesaid.

The 30-year-oldinternational affairs student wasn’t accused of breakingany

laws during theprotests at Columbia. However,the government hassaidnoncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should

be expelled from the U.S. for expressing views theadministration considers to be antisemitic and“pro-Hamas,” referring to thePalestinian

militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Khalil was released after U.S. DistrictJudge Michael Farbiarz said it would be

“highly,highly unusual” for the government to continue detaining alegal U.S. resident who was unlikely to flee andhadn’tbeen accusedof any violence. The governmentfiled notice Friday evening that it is appealing Khalil’srelease.

Joining Khalil at the airport, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of NewYork, said hisdetention violated theFirst Amendment and was “an affronttoevery American.”

“He has been accused, baselessly,ofhorrific allegations simply because the Trump administration and our overall establishment disagrees with his political speech,” she said.

“The Trump administrationknows that they are waging alosing legalbattle,” Ocasio-Cortez added. “They are violating thelaw,and they know that they are violating the law.”

BY BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press

LONDON As thesun rose Saturday on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, acrowd erupted in cheersat Stonehenge where the ancient monument in southern Englandhas clocked the summer solstice over thousands of years

The orange ball crested the northeast horizon behind the Heel Stone,the entranceto the stone circle, and shone its beam of light into the center of one of the world’smostfamous prehistoricmonuments. The solstice is one of the few occasions each year when visitors are allowed to walk among thestones, which are otherwise fencedoff

Thecrowd gathered before dawn at the World Heritage Site to mark the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere,beating the heat during the U.K.’sfirst amber heathealth alert issued since September 2023. Temperatures later topped91.4 degrees in

People gather SaturdayatStonehenge, England, during sunrise on the summer

Surrey, 80 miles eastofStonehenge, the hottesttemperaturerecorded in theU.K.sofar this year.

About 25,000 sun devotees andother revelers, including druids, pagans, hippies, locals and tourists, showed up, according to English Heritage, which operates the site. Morethan 400,000 others around theworld watched a livestream.

“Thismorning was ajoyous and peaceful occasion withthe mostbeautiful sunrise,” said Richard Dewdney,head of operations at Stonehenge.“It is fantastic to see Stonehenge continuing to enchantand connect people.”

Stonehenge was built in stages5,000 years ago on the flat lands of SalisburyPlain approximately 75 miles southwest of London.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOBySETH WENIG

Mahmoud Khalil, second from left, alongside Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.y., prepares to speak Saturday at anewsconference upon arriving at Newark International AirportinNewark, N.J.

EDUCATION

Foreign students feel targeted in schools

BY JOCELYN GECKER

AP education writer

To attract the brightest minds to America, President Donald Trump proposed a novel idea while campaigning: If elected, he would grant green cards to all foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges.

“It’s so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, from the greatest schools,” Trump said during a podcast interview last June

“That is going to end on Day One.”

That promise never came to pass.

Trump’s stance on welcoming foreign students has shifted dramatically International students have found themselves at the center of an escalating campaign to kick them out or keep them from coming as his administration merges a crackdown on immigration with an effort to reshape higher education

An avalanche of policies from the Trump administration — such as terminating students’ ability to study in the U.S., halting all new student visa interviews and moving to block foreign enrollment at Harvard — have triggered lawsuits, countersuits and confusion

Foreign students say they feel targeted on multiple fronts. Late Wednesday, Trump himself took the latest action against international students, signing a proclamation barring nearly all foreigners from entering the country to attend Harvard. A federal judge temporarily blocked the order the following day

Students from around the world described how it feels to be an international student today in America. Their accounts highlight per-

vasive feelings of fear, anxiety and insecurity that have made them more cautious in their daily lives, distracted them from schoolwork and prompted many to cancel trips home.

For many, the last few months have forced them to rethink their dreams of building a life in America.

Student feels ‘expendable’

Markuss Saule, a freshman at Brigham Young University-Idaho, took a recent trip home to Latvia and spent the entire flight back to the U.S in a state of panic.

For hours, he scrubbed his phone, uninstalling all social media, deleting anything that touched on politics or could be construed as anti-Trump

“That whole 10-hour flight, where I was debating, ‘Will they let me in?’ — it definitely killed me a little bit,” said Saule, a business analytics major “It was terrifying.”

Saule is the type of international student the U.S. has coveted. As a

high schooler in Latvia, he qualified for a competitive, merit-based exchange program funded by the U.S. State Department. He spent a year of high school in Minnesota, falling in love with America and a classmate who is now his fiancee. He just ended his freshman year in college with a 4.0 GPA.

But the alarm he felt on that flight crushed what was left of his American dream.

“If you had asked me at the end of 2024 what my plans were, it was to get married, find a great job here in the U.S. and start a family,” said Saule, who hopes to work as a business data analyst. “Those plans are not applicable anymore. Ask me now, and the plan is to leave this place as soon as possible.”

Saule and his fiancee plan to marry this summer, graduate a year early and move to Europe.

This spring, the Trump administration abruptly revoked permission to study in the U.S. for thousands of international students before reversing itself. A federal

judge has blocked further status terminations, but for many, the damage is done. Saule has a constant fear that he could be next.

As a student in Minnesota just three years ago, he felt like a proud ambassador for his country

“Now I feel a sense of inferiority

I feel that I am expendable, that I am purely an appendage that is maybe getting cut off soon,” he said. “The policies, what they tell me is simple. It is one word: Leave.”

Dreams to ‘doomscrolling’

A concern for attracting the world’s top students was raised in the interview Trump gave last June on the podcast “All-In.” Can you promise, Trump was asked, to give companies more ability “to import the best and brightest” students?

“I do promise,” Trump answered. Green cards, he said, would be handed out with diplomas to any foreign student who gets a college or graduate degree.

Trump said he knew stories of “brilliant” graduates who wanted to stay in the U.S. to work but couldn’t. “They go back to India, they go back to China” and become multi-billionaires, employing thousands of people. “That is going to end on Day One.”

Had Trump followed through with that pledge, a 24-year-old Indian physics major named Avi would not be afraid of losing everything he has worked toward.

After six years in Arizona, where Avi attended college and is now working as an engineer, the U.S. feels like a second home. He dreams of working at NASA or in a national lab and staying in America where he has several relatives.

But now he is too afraid to fly to Chicago to see them, rattled by news of foreigners being harassed at immigration centers and airports.

“Do I risk seeing my family or risk deportation?” said Avi, who asked to be identified by his first name, fearing retribution.

Avi is one of about 240,000 people on student visas in the U.S. on Optional Practical Training — a postgraduation period where students are authorized to work in fields related to their degrees for up to three years. A key Trump nominee has said he would like to see an end to postgraduate work authorization for international students. Avi’s visa is valid until next year but he feels “a massive amount of uncertainty.”

“I drive to work every morning, 10 miles an hour under speed limit to avoid getting pulled over,” said Avi, who hopes to stay in the U.S. but is casting a wider net. “I spend a lot of time doomscrolling job listings in India and other places.” College over war

Vladyslav Plyaka came to the U.S. from Ukraine as an exchange student in high school. As war broke out at home, he stayed to attend the University of Wisconsin. He was planning to visit Poland to see his mother but if he leaves the U.S., he would need to reapply for a visa. He doesn’t know when that will be possible now that visa appointments are suspended, and he doesn’t feel safe leaving the country He feels grateful for the education,

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOSE LUIS

THE GULF COAST

PHOTO By JOHN FITZHUGH

Vacant since Katrina, historic school couldget anew life

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Abuilding that was used as a school in the heart of downtown Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, has been vacant since HurricaneKatrina ravaged the waterfront city. Twenty years later,itcould see arebirth

The white Spanish Revival-style property is on the marketand open to offers until July 17, according to thelisting. LocatedonNorth Second Street, it is just afew blocks away from the city’slively entertainment district packed with restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and antique stores.

At approximately 47,200 square feet, the property features three structures: athree-story main building, aone-story office building and aone-storycafeteria witha partially constructed kitchen Built in 1927 by New Orleans architect William T. Nolan, the for-

mer school “represents the modernization of Mississippi’spublic education system”during that era, the Mississippi Department of Archives andHistory said.

The buildingisone of 14 in Hancock County that is designated a Mississippi Landmark, meaning a permitand approvalare required for any proposed alterations.

It most recently housed Second Street Elementary School before the building closed down in 2005 and was, at one time right after construction,the siteofBay Senior High School, according to historic records.

“The site offers outstanding visibility andaccessibility foravariety of future commercial, residential or mixed-use concepts,” the listing said.

Butina city devoted to historic preservation, discussions over modernizingthe century-old building have been approached with opposi-

tionfromresidents in prior years

In 2018, Jim MacPhaille —aNew Orleans developer who owns vacation rentals, PJ’sCoffee, Creole Creamery and arestaurant in Bay St.Louis —withdrewhis proposal to convert the former school into a70-room boutique hotel.Nearby residents hadobjected to hiszoning change request, saying the plans for thebuilding were too vague.

“It’s really somethingfor thecity to figure outifitwants that property rezoned or fixedsosomebody can develop it,”MacPhaille saidat the time. “I just don’twanttofight with my neighbors.”

Photosofthe building’sinterior show exposed roofs and walls within former classrooms, hallwaysand alarge auditorium space. After Katrina, the damage was considered minorand moderate, accordingto assessment records, with several brokenwindows and possible water damage.

Player wins $144K at Miss.blackjack table

It’s theninth largejackpot so farthisyear

BY MARYPEREZ The Sun Herald

Theninth jackpot of the year hit at aMississippi Coast casino anditwasn’tona slotmachine “Precision. Poise. Alittle Pearl luck,” is how Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D’Iberville described the winonJune 13. An unidentified player from Millry, Alabama,was playing at the Blackjack Blazing7stable and won $144,563.

The Scarlet Pearl Facebook post called it “another extraordinary moment”atthe casino Additional details weren’tavailable. This is thesecond jackpotof more than$100,000thisyear at ScarletPearland comes less than amonth after an unidentifiedwinnerplaying in the highlimits Orchid Room on May 15 bet$12.50 andwon $112,098. Howlucky is 2025?

The nine jackpots of $100,000 or morethis year hit at five separate Biloxi area casinos.

That’sslightly ahead of 2024 by number of wins,but behind last year at this time for amount won.

Hereare some comparisons:

n For the first six months of 2025,Coastcasinoshave9wins for atotal of $1.88 million.

n In 2024, the Coast casinos saw 17 wins over $100,000, for atotalof$5.95 million.

n Last year,five players won their jackpotonpoker or other table games instead of slots.

n So far this year,four of the nine wins were on videopoker or table games rather than traditionalslotgames

These eight other players also hit for$100,000 or more

this year: n $402,411: WonMay 9bySantigo S. (no last name provided) at Golden Nugget Casino Biloxi. He playedblackjack forabout an hour and 20 minuteswhen he hit the jackpot on aside bet on the casino’s21+3 Blackjack Progressive game.

n $300,000: WonFeb. 15 by aplayerfromBirmingham, Alabama, at Beau Rivage Resort andCasino in Biloxi on a 2-credit bet. It was a2-credit bet on the same $100 denominationTriple Double Stars slot machine that hit ajackpot on Feb.12.

n $270,000: WonJan. 22 at Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi during arare snowstorm.A South Carolina player wasplaying a$100 Triple Double Stars slotmachine andwon on a$200 bet.

n $150,000: WonFeb.12bya player from Gulfport at Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi playinga$100 denomination Triple Double Stars machine with a 1-credit bet.

n $150,000: WonMarch 21 at Hard Rock Casino Biloxi. The unidentifiedplayerfromGeorgiawas playingTripleTriple Bonus videopoker game when, just minutes apart, she won $100,000 and$50,000.

n $142,551: WonMarch 7by Shawn (no last name provided), of Mobile, Alabama, at Palace Casino Resort in Biloxi while playing theLightningBuffalo Link slotmachine n $112,098: WonMay 15 by an unidentified player in Scarlet Pearl’shigh-limits OrchidRoom on an Aristocrat Lightning Cash machine anda 50-cent demon. The playerbet $12.50.

n $100,000: WonMarch 6by an unidentified player from Kentucky at Hard Rock Casino Biloxi. He was playing aGame King videopoker machine, betting $125 per spin on the $25 Triple Double Bonus Poker.

The Second Street School in BaySt. Louis, Miss., is just blocks away from the city’s lively entertainment district packed with restaurants, boutiques, artgalleries and antique stores.

GOP’s food stamp plan found to violate Senate rules

BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON In another blow to the Republicans’ tax and spending cut bill, the Senate parliamentarian has advised that a proposal to shift some food stamps costs from the federal government to states a centerpiece of GOP savings efforts — would violate the chamber’s rules

While the parliamentarian’s rulings are advisory, they are rarely, if ever, ignored. The Republican leadership was scrambling on Saturday, days before voting is expected to begin on President Donald Trump’s package that he wants to be passed into law by the Fourth of July

The loss is expected to be costly to Republicans. They have been counting on some tens of billions of potential savings from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, to help offset the costs of the $4.5 trillion tax breaks plan. The parliamentarian let stand for now a provision that would impose new work requirements for older Americans, up to age 65, to receive food stamp aid.

“We will keep fighting to protect families in need,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, which handles the SNAP program.

“The Parliamentarian has made clear that Senate Republicans cannot use their partisan budget to shift major nutrition assistance costs to the states that would have inevitably led to major cuts,” she said.

The committee chairman,

policy matters in the budget reconciliation process now being used.

Late Friday, the parliamentarian issued its latest findings It determined that Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Commit-

tee’s proposal to have the states pick up more of the tab for covering food stamps — what Republicans call a new cost-sharing arrangement would be in violation of the Byrd Rule. Many lawmakers said the

states would not be able to absorb the new requirement on food aid, which has long been provided by the federal government. They warned many would lose access to SNAP benefits used by more than 40 million people.

Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said in a statement that his team is examining options that would comply with Senate rules to achieve savings and “to ensure SNAP serves those who truly need it while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

The parliamentarian’s ruling is the latest in a series of setbacks as staff works through the weekend, often toward midnight, to assess the 1,000-page proposal. It all points to serious trouble ahead for the bill, which was approved by the House on a party-line vote last month over unified opposition from Democrats and is now undergoing revisions in the Senate.

At its core, the goal of the multitrillion-dollar package is to extend tax cuts from Trump’s first term that would otherwise expire if Congress fails to act. It also adds new ones, including no taxes on tips or overtime pay. To help offset the costs of lost tax revenue, the Republicans are proposing cutbacks to federal Medicaid, health care

and food programs — some $1 trillion. Additionally, the package boosts national security spending by about $350 billion, including to pay for Trump’s mass deportations, which are running into protests nationwide.

Trump has implored Republicans, who have the majority in Congress, to deliver on his top domestic priority, but the details of the package, with its hodgepodge of priorities, is drawing deeper scrutiny

All told, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the package, as approved by the House, would add at least $2.4 trillion to the nation’s red ink over the decade and leave 10.9 million more people without health care coverage. Additionally, it would reduce or eliminate food stamps for more than 3 million people.

The parliamentarian’s office is tasked with scrutinizing the bill to ensure it complies with the so-called Byrd Rule, which is named after the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., and bars many

Vance blames Calif. Democrats for L.A. immigration protests

VP calls Sen. Alex Padilla ‘Jose’

BY MICHAEL R. BLOOD AP political writer

LOSANGELES Vice President

JD Vance on Friday accused California Gov Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of encouraging violent immigration protests as he used his appearance in Los Angeles to rebut criticism from state and local officials that the Trump administration fueled the unrest by sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, the state’s first Latino senator, as “Jose Padilla,” a week after the Democrat was forcibly taken to the ground by officers and handcuffed after speaking out during a Los Angeles news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on immigration raids.

Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and said that Vance should know better “He should be more focused on demilitarizing our city than taking cheap shots,” Oswald said.

doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful. And it is why the president has responded so forcefully.”

Vance’s visit to Los Angeles to tour a multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center and a mobile command center came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. That followed over a week of sometimesviolent clashes between protesters and police and outbreaks of vandalism and looting that followed immigration raids across Southern California.

Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, “The Vice President’s claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear.”

Speaking at City Hall, Bass said Vance was “spewing lies and utter nonsense.” She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a “stunt.”

“How dare you say that city officials encourage violence? We kept the peace,” Bass said.

By Amanda McElfresh| amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Dr.Sally Dobyns is keepingupanactiveroutine sincemovingintoThe VincentSeniorLiving in earlyApril.The mornings in herassisted living apartment always start with coffee from herfully-stocked kitchen. Then,depending on theday,it’stimefor physical or occupational therapy.

“The therapists areexcellent andI’vemade great strides,”Dr. Dobyns said.“Idon’t have greatstrengthinmylegs, so we areworking on building that up alittleatatime.

Dr.Dobynssharesher mealswithother residentsofThe Vincent, andconsiders the gatherings ahighlight of herday.She’s bonded with many of them,including others whoshare hername. An avid reader,Dr. Dobyns hasjoined thecommunity’s book club,which meetsoncea month.Inbetweenallofthat,sheenjoysfrequent visits from herchildren, grandchildrenand otherrelatives When shehas time,Dr. Dobyns is workingon amanuscriptfor abookbased on afamilystory that hascaptivatedaudiences for decadesduring workshopsand keynoteaddresses that sheled as aprofessor at theUniversityofLouisiana at Lafayette, director of itsCenterfor Gifted Educationand Coordinatorofits Master of EducationProgram in Gifted Education.

Theone thingIasked wasifthe staff waskind, Dr.Dobynssaid. “She told me shewouldn’t have it anyother way. Ihavefound that to be true.Thisisa kind place, andIappreciatethat aboveall else.”

“I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,” Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem’s event. “I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t a theater And that’s all it is.”

“They want to be able to go back to their far-left groups and to say, ‘Look, me, I stood up against border enforcement. I stood up against Donald Trump,’” Vance added.

A spokesperson for Padilla,

Trump’s dispatching of his top emissary to Los Angeles at a time of turmoil surrounding the Israel-Iran war and the U.S.’s future role in it signals the political importance Trump places on his hard-line immigration policies Vance echoed the president’s harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city

“Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement,” Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices.

“What happened here was a tragedy,” Vance added.

“You had people who were

In a statement on X, Newsom responded to Vance’s reference to “Jose Padilla,” saying the comment was no accident.

Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W. Bush’s administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. Padilla was arrested in 2002 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport during the tense months after the 9/11 attacks and accused of the “dirty bomb” mission It later emerged through U.S. interrogation of other al-Qaida suspects that the “mission” was only a sketchy idea, and those claims never surfaced in the South Florida terrorism case.

Dr.Dobynssaidshe wouldn’t be thriving as well as sheisifitweren’t for thestaff that surroundsher at TheVincent.She interacts frequentlywiththerapists,housekeepers,nurses, driversand others,all of whom embracetheir callingtohelpseniors remain as active and healthyaspossible.

“Whenthe head nursefirsttalkedtomeabout TheVincent,she askedifI hadany questions.

In fact,the staff’s warmth,graciousnessand positivity hasservedasa strong motivator for Dr.Dobyns. Thanks to theirencouragement,she cannow walk shortdistances usinga walker, andoften uses theon-site gymonher ownto exercise independentlyoutside of herscheduled therapysessions.

“I’m 74 yearsold,soIpay attentiontothe fact that Icould easily getout of shapeveryfast becauseofmyage,” shesaid. “I have to move Iwanttokeepmystrengthupand stay fit as long as Ican.”

Dr.Dobynssaidshe wouldencourage other seniorsand theirfamiliestotaketimetodo theirresearchiftheyfeelanassistedliving communitywould benefit them,and to think aboutthe person’s dailyand medicalneeds

“I thinkthe question Iasked beforeI moved in aboutthe staff’s kindness wascritical,”she said.“That’s somethingthatcannotbetaught.”

TheVincent Senior Living is located at 2201 VerotSchoolRoadinLafayette.Multipleassisted livingapartment floorplansare availablewith allutilities included, afull-size microwave andrefrigeratorand stainlesssteel sinksand disposals. Assisted Living residentsalsohave access to dailyactivities, amovie theater, libraries, on-sitebistro, beauty salonand wellness center forrehabilitationservices. Otherservices includeweeklyhousekeepingand laundry, group andprivate transportationand medication management.Visit vincentseniorliving.com or call 337-329-9892 to learnmore.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By J SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Activists with the Poor People’s Campaign protest on June 2 outside the Supreme Court in Washington against spending reductions across Medicaid, food stamps and federal aid in President Donald Trump’s spending and tax bill.

La.lagsinpay

Statehad

smallestpersonal income growth in 2024

BY MARGARETDeLANEY Staff writer

Louisiana had the smallestincrease in personalincome growth between the third and fourth quarters of 2024, according to analysis from the U.S. Bureauof Economics.

On average, personal income in the United States grew by 4.6% during that period—from atotal of $24.69 billiontoa total of $24.97 billion. Louisiana’s personal income increased

by just 2.4% in thesame time period.

State data from U.S. Department of Commerce are in thousands of dollars.

States with thehighest statewide total personalincome growthfromthe third andfourth quartersof2024 include:

n Delaware with 6.1% growth —from$73,031 to $74,124

n Georg ia wi th 6% growth —from $698,070 to $708,304

n South Carolina with 6% growth —from $329,412 to $334,261

n Virginia with5.5% growth —from $680,415 to $689,522

n Alabama with 5.4% growth —from $293,688 to $297,556

Members of LSU search committee named

Grouptasked with finding next president

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

LSU’sboard announced themembers of its presidential search committeeFriday,acrucial first step in the process of finding anew leader of Louisiana’sflagshipuniversity

The 19-member committee includes health careexecutives, business leaders, two professors, one LSU student and several members of LSU’sBoard of Supervisors, which overseesthe LSU system. Five of the seven LSU board members on the committee were

ä See LSU, page 2B

Summer bugseason arrives

Termites,roaches becoming more visible

BY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer

Summer is bug season in Louisiana,and June’swarm temperatures and recent heavy rainshave brought out pesky critters that can wreakhavoc in your home, bite your skin and create general annoyances. Mosquitoes, ants and flies are already buzzing about, and insects like termites and roaches are beginning to swarm or emerge, es-

ä See SUMMER, page 2B

n Utah with 5.4% growth —from $232695 to $235,759. States withthe lowest statewide totalpersonalincome growth between the third and fourth quarters of 2024 include, in ascending order:

n Louisiana with 2.4% growth—from $282,599 to $284,310

n Vermontwith3.4% growth —from $45,517 to $45,898

n Indiana with3.5% growth—from $441,205 to $445,009

n Arkansaswith3.6% growth—from $185,715 to $187,378

n Idaho with 3.7% growth —from $124,561 to $125,698

n Wisconsin with3.7% growth—from $404,205 to $407,927.

MikeDopsie, center, andZydeco Entourage perform during the SWLA Juneteenth MusicFestival & StoneSoulPicnicat Heymann Park on SaturdayinLafayette.

STAFFPHOTOSByBRAD KEMP

CELEBRATETOGETHER

LEFT: Abram Freeman, president of theJuneteenth Association of Louisiana, opens the festival with aprayer RIGHT: Youngsters play in thewater during thefestival.

Washington MardiGrasnames king andqueen

W. Gray Stream, SarahHeebe to reign over festivities

BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writer

Lake Charles business owner and community leader W. Gray Stream will be the next Washington Mardi Gras king, andYale University student SarahLouise Heebe will be the queen, event organizers announced this week.

The duo were selected by U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, who is serving as chairman of next year’sevent, which will be held from Jan. 29-31 at the Washington Hilton.

“I am honored to select King Gray Stream and Queen Sarah Heebe to reignoverthe royal court in what has becomeone of our nation’spremiersocial events that highlights Louisiana’sunique culture and joie

de vivre!” said Scalise in anews release. Created more than 75 yearsago by Louisiana congressional staffers to bring ataste of the state’sfamed Mardi Gras celebrationstothe nation’scapital, Washington Mardi Gras has becomea gathering of political,business andnonprofit leaders. Stream is president of the Stream Companies, which manages operat-

ingcompanies and owns timberland, agriculture andmarshland in Louisiana. He also oversees an investmentportfolio focusedon Louisiana-based companies and those focused on transitions in the energyindustry.In2018, he founded GulfCoast Sequestration,which focuses on capturingCO2 andstoringitdeep underground. Gov.Jeff Landry picked Stream to lead theLouisiana Economic Development Partnership, which advises state officials on attracting

ä See MARDI GRAS, page 2B

Stream Heebe

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Weary of grindingly slow road repairs, adysfunctionaldrainage system, erratic water bills and a city government viewed as inept at responding to those entrenched problems, New Orleanians largely blame one person: Mayor LaToya Cantrell.

New Orleanians’ discontent with Cantrell reached anew low this month. Acitywide poll found that just 27% of residents approveof her performance, the lowest mark of Cantrell’spolitical career,which took off on aswell of activism after Hurricane Katrina but hassince petered into aseries of scandals, legal troubles and frequent trips outside her city

While Cantrell’spolitical clout has eroded, the City Council has emerged as anewly powerfulplayer,changing laws to increase itsauthority and oversight.

Yeteven as the council assumes a new level of control over the day-today functions of city government, residents don’tseem to blameits members for thefrustrations they harbor toward city services. Poll numbers, strategists said, suggest those efforts to cull her traditional levers of power havesucceededin raising the council’sprofile:The survey performed in late Mayby Faucheux Strategies found that 47% of residents approve of the council’swork.

“Rather thanthe mayor being the most visible political actor,the council is now frontand center,” said Ed Chervenak, apolitical scientist and pollster at the University of New Orleans. Cantrell pushed back this week on criticism of her leadership in arare statement, calling it “disrespectful” and “insulting” at aU.S. Conference of Mayors event andsuggesting that it is being levied because she is aBlack woman leader in the Deep South.

As an election ramps up to decide her successor,the eventual winner will need to differentiatethemselves as sharplyaspossible from the perceived failures of Cantrell’s administration, political operatives said. And while the council’srising profile could boost ambitions oftwo members who are running for the

SUMMER

Continued from page1B

pecially as Louisiana sees more precipitation, according to Aaron Ashbrook, an assistant entomology professor at LSU.

In past years, more of these pests would already be out and about by mid-June, butbecause of Louisiana’sabnormal winter, some insects are behind schedule.

Here’severythingyou need to know about 2025 summer bug season.

Mosquitoes, ants andfliesare common household sights in Louisiana. But these pests are currently rampingupacrossthe state, thanks to one factor that’s driving up populations.

“It’sgoing to be abig year for mosquitoes, most likely,because of all the rain,” Ashbrook said.

Last week, New Orleans city officials announced that mosquitoes on the east bank of NewOrleans

city’stop office, it could alsomake them vulnerable to political attacks.

“It givesyou good experience to be mayor,” said Ron Faucheux, an analyst whose firm performed the May poll. “But the other side of that coin is that you’re part and parcel of thecity government that has so frustrated residents.”

Thetwo leading candidatesaccording to polling and fundraisingtallies are City Council members: council Vice PresidentHelena Moreno and District Ecouncil member Oliver Thomas. Arthur Hunter,aformer longtimeCriminal District Court judge, is alsoseeking theMayor’sOffice

Thecouncil’s strategy

The council’sclasheswiththe mayor have occupied much of the last fouryears of her administration.The panel changed city laws to increase its authority,convinced voters to give it say over the appointments process and sued her administration on multiple occasions. Its members have also leveled adrumbeat of criticism at her administration in public hearings.

While the approach haslifted the council’sprofile, analysts said Moreno and Thomas, the two councilcandidates running for mayor, maystill need to convince voters that their experience atop city government won’t translatetoanother four years of dysfunction.

“Ifanoutsider candidate cantake advantage of the dissatisfaction with government and pinthaton the council, that could be asuccessful strategy,” said Karen Carvin Shachat,a political operative who has worked on mayoral campaigns in New Orleansfor several decades but is not presently working for one.

Hunter is best positioned to carry that message, Faucheuxand Carvin Shachat said.But Faucheuxnoted that theretired judge has less money than his opponents and notched just9%support in the citywide poll

Nearly half of surveyedvoters said they would votefor Moreno. Thomascame in second with22%. Another22% saidtheyhave not made adecision.

Meanwhile, Thomas and Moreno seetheir respective experience as among their biggest selling points. Hunter and acampaign representative didnot respond to multiple interview requests.

Thomasdescribed how the city cut itsviolent crime rate while he was on thecouncil in the late 1990s,

tested positive forWestNile virus, promptingwidespread mosquito control treatment Like mosquitoes, fireantsalso flourish after heavyrain,resulting in larger-than-average red mounds.

“When there’salot of rain, their mounds aregoingtobeforming at the top of the soil, and so we’re morelikely to encounter them,” Ashbrooksaid.

Though they’re known for their painful stings and bites, fire ants alsocontrol fleaand tick levels, according to the LSUAgCenter

Considering that tick season is particularly bad this year,increasedfire antactivitymay be asilver lining in helping to keep other insect populations in check.

Ashbrooksaid he’salso encountered asubstantialamount of deer andhorse flies this year.These bloodsucking insects mostly targethumans, horses and cattle Fruit flies, asmaller,winged pest, have been particularly active this month, too.

andrecalledthatthe struggling New Orleans Recreation Development Commission “workedbetter then.”Thomasserved on thecouncil for 13 years before he served a three-year prison term for abriberycharge. He was again elected to thecouncil in 2021.

“You want amayor who understands the system,” Thomas said. “No one understands thesystem better than me.”

Moreno, aformer state legislator who has served on thecouncil since 2018, said her aspirations for the city’stop officecrystallized “in the last couple of years” as she grew increasingly frustrated with theadministration’sinabilityto carry out what she said were basic city functions, suchasremediating blighted property or fixing broken streetlights.

She said thecouncil became increasingly responsible for areas outside its typical legislative duties.

“Due to the fact that we’ve hada failure of leadership by this administration, the council at timeshas hadtooverstepthat(legislative) role .inordertotakeonmoreof those operational responsibilities,” Moreno said.

A‘leadership void?’

Therecentpollwas conducted daysafter New Orleans’ brazen May 16 jailbreak. Cantrell’s lowmarks probably stem in part from her quiet response to thataffair,saidCarvin Shachat.

Thecouncil’s“engagement”following the escape, through social media and public meetings,exemplifies how the panel has stepped in at moments when Cantrellhas seemed absent, shesaid.

Thecouncil notched wins in the lateststate legislative session, too —anarena wherestate lawmakers and lobbyists said Cantrell did not mount much of an agenda this year (Cantrell’slobbyistsaid state lawmakers were more hesitant to move New Orleans-related legislation because of the upcoming overhaul in the city’sleadership through the municipal elections.)

Analysts said Thomas, who has voted more consistently with Cantrell’s administration than mostother council members, will likely have to quell doubts that he is viewed as an ally of the mayor’s. Thomas firmlyrebuked that critique in an interview

“People see me and(District D council member) EugeneGreen as allies of the mayor,” he said. “We’re really alliesofthe people.

Fruit flies feed and reproduce on trashand rottingfood, so it’s extra importanttoempty your garbage andtakeadditionalpreventive measures to avoid infestations.

Termites androaches

But more of Louisiana’s most harrowing pestsare still on their way “I imagine that we might see swarms alittle bit later thanwe typically wouldthis year for termites,” Ashbrook said.

Even though there have already been several swarms, Ashbrook saidthe season was pushed back aweek due to theharsh winter

Residents shouldalso look outfor cockroaches, since their activityhas been relatively high recently, according to Ashbrook.

Since roaches typically live in manholes andsewers, they are oftenflushed outafter floods and begin searching for adrier spot to hang.

Continued from page1B

appointedbyGov.Jeff Landry

The committee will hire areplacement forformer President William Tate IV,who stepped downthis month to leadRutgers University in New Jersey.LSU’s next president will lead asystem that includes campusesinBaton Rouge, Alexandria, Eunice and Shreveport, along with an agriculture center,biomedical research center and medical schools in NewOrleansand Shreveport. The University of NewOrleans is also poised to join the system under anew bill thatLandry is expected to signinto law

LSU Board Chair Scott Ballard, whomLandry appointed, said in an interview this month that aconsulting firm will help the committeebegin identifying candidates thissummer with the goal of selectinganew president during the fall.

“This distinguished and engagedgroup bringsdeepexpertise,institutional knowledge, and ashared commitment to identifying the next transformative leader for our university system,” Ballard said in astatement Friday

Here are the committeemembers andtheir affiliations, as provided by LSU: n Ballard, chair,LSU Board of Supervisors n LeeMallett, vice chair, LSU Board of Supervisors n Valencia Sarpy Jones, past chair,LSU Board of Supervisors n Rémy Voisin Starns, past

MARDI GRAS

Continued from page1B

new businesses. Heebe is asophomore at Yale, where sheismajoring in environmental studies with acertificate in energy studies. She is on theexecutive board of theYale Student EnergyAssociation, is co-presidentofthe Renewable Future Alliance and worked in a labcreatingcatalysts to reduce CO2, among other work.She is the daughter of Fred Heebe, the New Orleansbusinessman who owns the River Birch landfill, and Jennifer Heebe, aformer state representative and Jefferson Parish Council member.Fred

Tips forcontrollingbugs

Termites: Moist conditions are ideal for termites, so fix any leaks, keep vents open andavoid leaving wood piles near your home.

If you find mud tubes, warping or water stains in your home, call pest control immediately

Roaches and fruit flies: Empty your trash.

This also goes forall pests, because food sources like rotting potatoes, sticky counters or even toaster crumbs can attract an army of bugs.

“What might seem like asmall amount to ahuman wouldbea feast for days forthese flies,” Ashbrook said.

Mosquitoes: UseEnvironmental Protection Agency-approved insect repellent, check for standing water inside andoutside andinstallwindow screensifyou haven’t already

Deer and horse flies: Test outinsect repellent and consider wearing loose-fitting, long sleeves, if you’re

chair,LSU Board of Supervisors n James Williams, pastchair, LSU Board of Supervisors n John Carmouche, supervisor, LSU Board of Supervisors n Blaise Zuschlag, supervisor, LSU Board of Supervisors

n Ben Bordelon, presidentand CEO, Bollinger Shipyards n Clarence Cazalot, immediate pastchair,MDAnderson;former chair/president/CEO Marathon Oil; past chairLSU Foundation Board of Directors n Paul Coreil, chancellor,LSU Alexandria n Greg Feirn,CEO,LCMC Health n EJ Kuiper, president and CEO, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System n Pete November,CEO, Ochsner Health n RogerOgden, business leader,philanthropist, LSU Foundation Board of Directors n Emily Otken,medical student, LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport; former student member, LSU Board of Supervisors n KennethSchafer,Boyd Professor andBall Family Distinguished Professor n Ryan Theriot,executive vice president/COO of Parish Construction; former LSU andMLB player

n DanielTirone, LSU A&M Faculty Senate president; associate professor,LSU A&M College of Humanities &Social Sciences n Bill Windham, ShreveportBossier business and industry leader

Email Patrick Wall at patrick. wall@theadvocate.com.

Heebewas king of Washington MardiGras in 2023. Thecenterpiece of Washington MardiGrasisthe ball,open only to members of the Mystick Krewe of Louisianans. Butthat event is surrounded by meetings,aneconomic development luncheon and events sponsored by various major Louisiana companies andorganizations. Theevent also raises money for acharity selected by the king; last year, King Rico Alvendia, a New Orleansattorney,selected theMars Hero Fund, which supportsveteransand families of active-duty members of the military

Email Matthew Albright at malbright@theadvocate.com.

able to.

Fire ants: Consider spraying your yard with EPA-registered insecticide or set ant bait near mounds. Fleas and ticks: Avoid feral animals and regularly treat your pets with flea and tick prevention medicine. Check yourself forticks after being outdoors. Consider tightening door frame sealsand fillstructural cracks and crevices to prevent infestations.

LOTTERY

FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2025

PICK 3: 1-5-8

PICK 4: 2-2-8-4

PICK 5: 2-4-7-4-3

MEGA MILLIONS: 26-49-58-61-63

MEGA BALL: 9

Cantrell

Larroque,Robért de Bruyne

Obituaries and abig fanofMotown, especially The Supremes. He also possessedanextensive record collection coveringall musicalgenres. He was ahuge fanof the TV show "Jeopardy." He knittedcaps forchildren and donated them to the Women &Children' Hospital of Lafayette.

Robért de Bruyne Larroque, anative of Jeanerette, LA, and alongtime resident of Lafayette, LA, passed away at his home after abrief illness on June 13, 2025. He was66 years old.

A1977 graduate of St. Joseph High School in Jeanerette, Robért went on to the University of Southwestern Louisiana (UL Lafayette), where in 1981, he graduated with a degree in accounting.

Robért's career as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) spanned nearly 45 years, and included positions at several major Acadiana healthcare, educational, and nonprofit institutions. More recently, Robért worked independently as aCPA and notary for various clients.

Robért was one-of-akind. The fifth of seven children, he was amuchlovedfamily member According to his mother, Robért learnedtoread before first grade. Also, his ability to remember dates and familyevents was legendary. He had many friends growingupand was involved in numerous activities: Altar server at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Jeanerette, BoyScouts, and National Honor Society, to name afew Robért loved animals, especially dogs. He also had abeautiful singing voice and was along-time member of ChoraleAcadianne Rosewood Concert of Early Music and St. John Cathedral Choir. Robért was adevoted music lover

Robérthad asometimes outrageous, often bonedry sense of humor. He brightenedand lightened the mood of every room he entered, be it ahospital room, awake, awedding, or an informal familygathering.Whereverthere was laughter, there was Robért He was also akind, loving, and gentle person. He is survived by his devoted friend and companion of many years, Morris Skipper, and beloved dog Pepper

Robértwas precededin death by his parents, AdolpheAimé and Elizabeth Burke Larroque, and anephew, J. Burke Larroque,Jr. HeleavesbehindbrothersAndré, Charles, and Jacques Larroque; and two sisters, Sr. CelesteLarroque, SEC Lisette Larroque Carmichael,and Nicole Larroque Dufour.Healso leaves ahost of nieces and nephews, including the Larroque, Carmichael, and Dufour families and the Skipper, Blair, andOrphe families

In lieu of cardsand flowers, the family asks that friends consider making donations in Robért's name to any of the following organizations: The AmericanCancer Society, Alzheimer's Association, Faith House of Acadiana AssociatedCatholic Charities, and the Lafayette Animal Shelter & CareCenter. According to his wishes, Robért's celebrationoflifewillbea private family gathering.

FARMING

KevinLandryFarms,LLC seeksa farm‐worker forworkinVermilion Parish,LA. Work duties during peak season in‐cludecrawfishing,including manually cutting/preparing crawfish bait;bait andcheck traps; assistinginmaking andrepairing crawfish trapsas needed;plantingand harvesting of rice;general farmlabor,including farm maintenance, manualshovelwork, hoeing of weeds. During non-peak sea‐son, assistinginwater maintenance; assistinginpreparing farmfor upcom‐ingpeakcrawfishseason, includingor‐ganization of crawfish traps/equip‐ment,assistinginrepairing crawfish trapsasneeded, assistinginplac‐ing/setting crawfish trapsinfieldsfor crawfish season;general upkeep and preparationoffarm, fields,levees,and shop includingassisting in clean‐ing/placing/setting/maintainingfarm equipmentand crawfish boatsfor up‐coming season;and generalfarmsani‐tation duties.Local travel between worksitesinVermilion Parish,LA. Must be able to lift 40lbs. 40 hoursper week No educationrequirement.Notraining forthe jobopportunity required.No employment experience required.To applyfor position,contact employer at (337)319-1262orbyapplying in person at 1730LAHighway35, Rayne, LA 70578. Rate of Pay$36,005.00/year

FARMING TooManyChiefs, LLCseek afarm‐worker forworkinJeffDavis Parish,LA. Jobdutiesinclude:Duringpeakfarm‐ingmonths, assist in crawfishingfarm duties,including manuallycut‐ting/preparing crawfish bait,baitand checktraps;assisting in making and repair crawfish trapsasneeded; plant‐ingand harvesting of rice;general farm laborincluding,farmmaintenance manualshovelwork, hoeing of weeds. Assistinginwater maintenance; as‐sistinginpreparing farm forupcoming peak crawfish season,including assist‐inginorganizationofcrawfish traps/equipment, assistinginrepairing crawfish trapsasneeded,assisting in placing/setting crawfish trapsinfields forcrawfishseason; generalupkeep andpreparation of farm, fields,levees, andshopincluding assistinginclean‐ing/placing/setting/maintaining farm equipmentand crawfish boatsfor up‐coming season;and generalfarmsani‐tation duties.Assisting in thecutting andharvestingofhay,asneeded. 40 hoursper week.Noeducation require‐ment.Notrainingfor thejob opportu‐nity required.Six (6)monthsexperi‐ence in similarfarming occupation re‐

by mail, emailtoDebra Faul at dfaul@stlandrycharter school.com,orhandde‐liveredtoSt. Landry CharterSchool,office of thePurchasingDivision, locatedat1203 Burr Street,Opelousas,LA 70570, until 1:30PM Cen‐tral Time on the 10thof July,2025 forthe follow‐ing: St.LandryCharter School Roof Replacement andwill, shortlythere‐after, be opened and read aloudinthe Pur‐chasingDivisionOffice locatedat1203 Burr Street,Opelousas,LA 70570. Bids received after theabove specified time foropening shallnot be considered andshall be returned unopened to thesender. Biddersare encouraged to call into thebid openings at the followingphone number 337-943-0954.

bidformprovidedwithin thespecifications. The successfulbidderwillbe required to executeper‐formance andlabor and material paymentbonds in thefullamount of the contract as more fully definedinthe biddocu‐ments. No contractors maywithdrawhis bidfor at leastforty-five (45) days afterthe time scheduledfor theopen‐ingofbids. Each bidshall be submittedonlyonthe bidformprovidedwith thespecifications. The successful contractor will be required to exe‐cute performanceand laborand material pay‐ment bondsinthe full amount of thecontract as more fully definedin thebid documents. Bids will be evaluatedby thePurchaser basedon thelowestresponsible andresponsivebid sub‐mitted whichisalsoin compliance with thebid documents. TheSt. Landry Charterreserves theright to reject any andall bids forjust causeinaccordancewith LA R.S. 38§2214.B.

abovespecified time

thesender. Biddersare encouraged to call into thebid open‐ings at thefollowing phonenumber337-9430954.

ScopeofServices: The work shallconsist of,but notlimited to,furnishing allmaterial, labor, tools, andsupervision forthe re-roofing of theSt. Landry CharterSchool Allworkshall be com‐pleted within 180 calen‐dars days from theis‐suance of theNoticeto Proceed.The contractor shallalsopay Liquidated Damagesinthe sumof onethousand five hun‐dred dollars($500) per calendar daybeyond the completion date in which theworkisnot complete beginningwiththe first daybeyondthe comple‐tion time Bidders mayrequest the electronic bidpackage from Brandy LeBlancat brandy@prouet.comor 337-237-6517. Only abid bond,certified checkorcashier’s check shallbesubmitted as the bidsecurity. Bids must be signedin accordance with LRS Title38:2212(B)5. ACor‐

Contractorsorcontract‐ing firmssubmittingbids in theamount of $50,000.00 or more shall certifythattheyare li‐censed contractors under Chapter24ofTitle 37 of theLouisiana Re‐visedStatutesof1950 andshowtheir license numberonthe frontof thesealedenvelopein whichtheir bidisen‐closed.Contractors shall be licensedfor theclas‐sification of Roofing and SheetmetalSiding”. Bids in theamountsspecified abovewhich have notbid in accordance with the requirements,shall be rejected andshall notbe read.Additional informa‐tion relative to licensing maybeobtainedfrom theLouisiana StateLi‐censingBoard forCon‐tractors,Baton Rouge, Louisiana. PURCHASING DIVISION St.LandryCharter School PUBLISHDATES: 6/15, 6/22, 6/29

ScopeofServices: The work shallconsist of,but notlimited to,furnishing allmaterial, labor, tools, andsupervision forthe St.LandryCharter School newP.E.Building. All work shallbecompleted within 120 calendars days from theissuance of theNoticetoProceed Thecontractorshall also payLiquidatedDamages in thesum of onethou‐sand five hundred dollars ($500) percalendarday beyond the completion date in whichthe work is notcomplete, beginning with the firstday beyond thecompletiontime. Biddersmay requestthe electronic bidpackage from Brandy LeBlancat brandy@prouet.comor 337-237-6517.

Only abid bond,certified checkorcashier’s check shallbesubmitted as the bidsecurity. Bids must be signedin accordance with LRS Title38:2212(B)5. ACor‐porate Resolution or Cer‐

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Let’sfocus on lowerrates for insurance

We were not surprised that,for the second consecutive year,the insurance issue generated the mostpolitical friction duringthisyear’s legislative session. As it was last year with property insurance, when statelawmakers came together this year to tackle car insurance,about theonly point of agreement wasthat the costto consumers is toohigh.

That’swhy,like in 2024, we were gratified to see the Legislature take serious stabs at solving the problem, passing araft of measures intended to reduce Louisiana’sabnormally high premiums.

The bills passed this year include anumber that are aimed at reducinglitigation costs forinsurancecompanies. The sponsors ofthose bills argued that akey driver of highcosts is thehigh awards insurance companies pay forcrashes.

Among these were bills that would require plaintiffs to demonstrate that injuriesactually happened during an accident,prevent drivers deemed more than 50% responsiblefor accidentsfromcollecting damages and reduce payouts to uninsured motoristshurt in accidents

Loweringthosecostsshould trickle downto consumers in theform of reduced rates, their proponents argued. They should also helpmake thestate more attractive to insurancecompanies andfuel amore competitive, consumerfriendly environment.

The most controversialbill passed hadnothingtodo with litigation, however.That bill, known during the sessionasHouse Bill 148, will give the insurance commissioner more latitude in rejecting rates proposed by insurancecompanies.Gov.Jeff Landry championed the measure, which passed despite beingopposed by Insurance Commissioner TimTemple, whoargued that giving that power to asingle elected official could “destabilize” theinsurance marketand cause some companies to stop writingpolicies in the state. That could actually increaserates, he said. With the session behind us, however,wefeel it’s important to put these political battlesto bed. Now is the time to buckle down anddothe hard work of making sure these bills have their intended effects.

Temple and his staff in theDepartmentofInsurance have been given new powers. But even if they decline to use them,how they regulate theindustrywillbekey to ensuring success. Legislators, too, cannot considertheir work to be finished. It willbeincumbent upon them to listen to constituents and keep an open mind as to whether the changes are actually leading to lower rates.Itisnot an overstatementtosay that insurance, especially property butincluding auto, is akey force holding Louisianaback from thesort of growth seen in otherSouthern states.

It’seasy to understand whymanyresidents roll their eyes at political battles. They just want their ratesto go down.That’swhy we,like other residents of Louisiana, are countingon our political leaders to makesure thatobjective is achieved.

An editorial published Wednesday incorrectly stated that Paola Clouatre, who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, entered the country illegally. She had an asylum visa

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME.

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

It’sbeen three years since theSupreme Courtended Roe v. Wade. Can we begin to start to talkabout it?

“What is shetalking about?” you may be thinking. Where has shebeen? There are about 72 news stories perday about abortion in the Dobbs age, named after the Mississippi case that led to the end of Roe. The longer Ilive, though, the more Iappreciatehow painfully long it can takehumans to processanything significant. Andsoit is withabortion.One of the underdiscussed issues is the need for post-abortion healing. Ministries like After Canaan and Rachel’sVineyard often don’teven get mentioned in Catholic churches,whereyou’d think they’d be mostwelcome, because thepriest doesn’tknow or because women don’twanttotalk about their experiences for fear of judgment by “good Catholics.”

it,usually from aplace of anger.And while the political and legal aspects are important, they also canbeadistraction

We live in something of adelusion when it comes to abortion. Because it is so frequently apolarizing political story,weact like we are dealing with

The law is ateacher,aswe say,and so the ability to make laws regulating abortion at all is fundamental. In that sense, the end of Roe v. Wade was abit of awin for everyone, because it meant we can actually have debatesin thestates about what should be and who we are. That also comes with tremendous challenges, too. My colleague Haley Strack at National Review contacted the Washington Postrecently when anews story asserted that undercovervideos from theCenter for Medical Progress showing Planned Parenthoodemployees talking about how they deal with aborted baby remains were doctored by thepro-life group. Oncethe Post was contacted, they corrected the story That’sgood news in the news. When theWashingtonPost correct-

ed their PlannedParenthood story, theymadeclear they had relied on previous reports. Icertainly believe thatisthe caseand the reporters weren’tlying. And that confirms the need for my initialquestion: Can we start to really talk about where we areasa country now with life after Roe? Where can we meet andhelp women andfamilieswho want to bring life into the world? How can we help womenheal from miscarriages andabortions —two very different kinds of losses, but unconsolable ones, both. Howcan we betterfacilitate permanent transitions out of foster careinthe best interests of the childreninvolved? And how can we at the very leastget back to the Clinton-era guardrails on abortion pills and agreement on abortionbeing rare? We may neverknowhow the Dobbs decisionwas leaked threeyearsago this May, but we can start to have an honest debate/conversation/sharing of facts now.

Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

Canwebegin to talk aboutabortion? Localissuesadd

Each week, we get lettersfrom around the state from readers who see our content in print or online. As our news organization continues to build on its presence in four local markets (New Orleans Metro, Baton Rouge, Acadiana, Shreveport-Bossier City) and recentlyadded reporters in Lake Charles —wewant to get in as many voices from as many areas as we can. Of course, sometimes alocal issueinone area may not be as importanttoreaders in other parts of the state. In those cases, we will publish those letters in the edition that goes to readers in that market. That sometimes makes it challenging to give everyone the right mix of letters every day,but we strive to have discussions of local issues as well as the state and national issues that always generate comments. Ialsolike hearing what’s on the minds of readers from around

Arnessa Garrett

thestate. Though political differences in the various regions have largely disappeared in recent years, it is still interesting to seeletters from north Louisiana and south Louisiana, from the cities and from ruralareas. If you are like many Louisianans, you probably have family and friends fromall parts of the state. And certainly,in astate of 4.6 million people, what happens in one area often has repercussions for all. We tend to get more letters from residents of our larger cities,but sometimes letters from smaller cities and towns can reveal issues that haven’treceived much attention butare just as important. Ihope our readers know that no local issueistoo small to comment on if it matterstoyou. And we’ve seen that letters on local issues can prompt quick responses from local leaders.

Going to ourletters inbox, for the week of June 5-12, we receiveda total of 67 letters. With the closeofthe legislative sessiononJune 12, many of youwrote in to saywhatyou thought of the bills thatpassed. Insurance was the hottest topic,with nine writers weighing in. There were also threeletters on reforms to the Department of Transportationand Development thatpassed, andthreeletters on bills dealing with the New Orleans Fair Grounds. Outside of the legislative session, immigrationwas the topic thatmost readerswantedtocommenton. We received sevenletters discussing the deportationpoliciesofthe Trump administrationand the protests against Immigration andCustoms Enforcement.

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

Kathryn Jean Lopez

COMMENTARY

Courtshouldput wetlands suit in drydock

Louisianaparishes shouldn’t count on seeing money from lawsuits against oil companies any time soon. Indeed, they may never see the money —and they may not deserve it.

As Ihave argued for years, there’saway that is better than lawsuits to get energy-exploration companies to contribute to wetlands preservation. My way is predictable. Dubious lawsuits aren’t.

couldsound more complicated thanitreally is.

First, though, let’sunderstand the current state of play

Right now,alas, an absurdly long-running set of legal battles will get even longer,courtesy of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 16 accepting aprocedural challenge from Chevron thatmay essentially block April’s$745 million jury verdict against the oil giantinPlaquemines Parish. The high court case also could hobble 42 similar lawsuits trying to recover for Louisiana wetlands damage partially caused by energy-company pipelines and drilling. OK: Bear with me, because this

Theonly question directlybefore the Supreme Court is whether thiscase should be adjudicatedin federal court rather than in astate court’sjury trial. In practical terms, afederal court witha judge relying strictly on written law,“free from local interestsor prejudice” (quoting the relevant statute), is thought to give more of afightingchance to the energy company.Alocal jury, by contrast, may be susceptible to the emotional attraction of securing hundreds of millions of dollars from awealthy entity blamed for destroying thestate’smarshlands —nomatter what the law actually says.

ron’sappeal on this procedural issue at some point during its 2025-2026 term that begins in October.IfChevronwins, the case starts alloveragain in federal court, which could undercut the Plaquemines jury verdict.

And remember,this is only one of 42 cases —not all against Chevron, of course —winding their way through various courts, many of whichlikewise would be relocated to federal courts if the justices’ decisionfavors Chevron.

Chevron’s legal argument,in plainlanguage, is thatbecause some of the pipelines at issue were laidspecifically to fulfill contracts with the federal government,federal courts rather than state courts have jurisdiction over the case.

Thehigh court will hear Chev-

To repeat, nowthatthe Supreme Court hasaccepted the appeal,Louisiana isn’tgoing to see anymoney anytime soon,ifatall. If the Supreme Court does indeed grant Chevron’srequest to move the casetofederalcourt Chevron may wellwin on the merits. In essence,Plaquemines Parish is trying to make Chevron andother fossil fuelcompanies payfor damage done to wetlands by drilling andpipelinesunder contracts notjust entirely lawful at thetime, but readily encouraged by both state and national governments. The parish’sspecific claimis

that the companies’ activities violated permitting requirements underLouisiana’s State andLocal CoastalResources Management Act (SLCRMA), which took effect in 1980.Inresponse, Chevron argues,quitereasonably,thatthe parish seeks to punishChevron for“activitiesgoing back decadesbefore permitswere even available underSLCRMA.” The parish is suing in 2025 underthe terms of a1980 lawfor conduct that “long predated”thatlaw It was, to asignificant degree, conduct done at the behest of the federal government itself. Such retroactive penaltiesare both illogical and unfair,and theyalso defy aprovision in SLCRMA itself, which says that“useslegally commenced or established prior to the effective date of the coastal use permit programshall not require acoastal use permit.”

Thatearlierlawsuit endedin ignominious defeat forthe levee board.This onemay well do the same. Still, there can be no doubt that drilling andpipeline activityadds to marsh erosion.And Louisiana obviously could usemore money forwetlands refurbishment

The solutionnow,asithas been ever sinceGov.David Treen first proposed it morethan40years ago, is to stop trying to bilk energy companiesfor long-past activitythatwas legalback then.Instead,let them knowthat, going forward,anadditionalfee will be leviedontheir work —one that raises enough money to be useful, but that is small enough to avoiddeterring job-creating exploration

That, at least, is Chevron’sview of thecase. It seemstomeas reasonable nowasitdid whenI wrote in 2014 aboutasimilarlawsuit filed by an area leveeboard, although thespecific legalissues andstandards here aresomewhat different.

If alllocal entities drop their lawyer-enriching suits, thelegislature could vote in concert to assess such afee. The oilcompanieswould knowwhatthe expectationsare —but they wouldn’t be subject to retroactive jackpot injustice.

Quin Hillyer canbereached at quin.hillyer@theadvocate.com.

La.Legislature sendsa clearmessage to D.C.

The Louisiana Legislature just got through passing awhole bunch of laws,but fewifany will affect the state’sfinancial health —and that of many of its residents —asmuch as what’shappeninginCongress right now And on that, lawmakers had aclear message for Washington: Don’t cut Medicaid. I’m not talking about just members of the Democratic minority, or even acoalition of Democrats andmoderate Republicans. No, resolutions urging Congress to preserve funding for the widely used program passed overwhelmingly in both houses in Baton Rouge, each stocked with asupermajority of Republicans. If that doesn’tconvey the urgency of the threat, the names of thelawmakers who wrote the resolutions should. House Resolution 369, which asks Congress not to take action on Medicaid thatadversely affects hospitals, was authored by state Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, who chairsthe Appropriations Committee that deals with the state budget; it passed 98-0. Senate Concurrent Resolution 32 from stateSen. Patrick McMath, RCovington, chair of the Health and Welfare Committee, asks Congress to oppose “sweeping or indiscriminate cuts” to Medicaid. It passed the Senate 35-0 and the

House 84-7. Or maybe this might: Senate President CameronHenry,R-Metairie,islobbying his contacts in Congress to hold the line. If the deep cuts proposed in the Senate Finance Committee version of President Donald Trump’sOne Big Beautiful Bill Actbecome realityand take effect immediately the Legislature would likely have to go into special session to deal with thefallout, Henry said at apost-legislative panelhosted by thePublic Affairs Research Council. Theproposed Senate language has “a bunch of things in it that would have significant effects on Louisiana, not in apositive way,” Henry said. These effects could impact many of the roughly 1.8 million people in Louisiana who are covered by various Medicaid programs, and also all of those whoseek care at rural hospitals thatrely on Medicaid funding to keep their doors open. Among many other things, the bill would cut intothe “provider taxes” that states use to draw down federal match money In an ideal world, Henry’spleas would spur action from the state congressional delegation’sRepublicans. Yetthe pull of national politics may be too strong.

On the Senate side, Louisiana should get asympathetic ear from U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-

Baton Rouge, chair of the committee that oversees healthcare, member of the Finance Committee and aphysician who long treated Louisiana’sneediest patients in theold CharityHospital system.

Cassidy has an admirable history of putting the state’sneeds first, most notably when he crossed party lines to work on thegiant infrastructure package passed under former President Joe Biden, which at the senator’s behestwas written to focus on some of Louisiana’sspecific challenges Yetheisdepressingly compro-

mised by his ownpolitical situation —specifically areelection campaign next year in which he’sbeen targeted by MAGA forces still angry that he voted to convictTrump at his second impeachment trial —somuch so that he pushedthrough Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’sconfirmation despitedeep,entirely justified misgivings andisgoing out of his way to voice enthusiasm for the president’sgiant spending bill.

Then there aretwo top-ranking members on the House side, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton,and Henry’sformerboss

Steve Scalise,R-Metairie, the majority leader.Certainly the two of themshould be in apositiontounderstand how much the cuts, even underthe Housepassedbill, would hurt their state.Like Cassidy,they both did time in the Louisiana Legislature, so the stakesare hardly unfamiliar.

Yethere’show Henry characterizedtheir response: “They’re awareofit, but they are also awarethatthe rest of the country wants changes.”

Well, OK, but Trump didn’ttalk aboutmaking these particular changesonthe campaign trail. And it’snot like the people these Louisiana members represent didn’tvotelike the rest of the country.They did, giving Trump an easy60% majority in Louisiana,compared to his justunder-50% winning plurality nationwide

The legislative resolutions asking forhelpcame from lawmakerssenttoBaton Rouge by those same people So Idon’t know, maybe Cassidy,Johnson, Scalise and the rest might want to dig alittle deeper andconsiderjoining state legislators in doing what’sbest for their ownconstituents —not just apresident who demands, andsomehow seems to get, their fealty at everyturn.

Email Stephanie Graceat sgrace@theadvocate.com.

Celebratingseven decadesand lookingfor more

Earlier this month, Iwas blessed to hit the Big 7-0. As I’ve aged, I’ve been callingmyself a “young senior.” Crossing this new decade threshold, Ilike aphrase I heard just recently: “chronologically gifted.” My wife was going to host abig party for me. I asked that we take atrip to see some of my best friends instead. Ivisited an “old” family friend, 93, and his wife. Ivisited a nephew,a fellow journalist whose work I’ve read since he was akid, and his wife and their two beautiful children Ivisited with afriend’sdaughter, my “niece” Lauren Rivers-Taylor Iremember bouncing Lauren on my lap. Iwas bouncing her kids on my lap. My birthday trip with friends andfamilywas whatI needed. Arecent podcast conversation Iheard challenged me. Iheard someone talk about an African

tribal chief whose village included families whorelied on each other.Theydid things together Even work

Will Sutton Stephanie Grace Quin Hillyer

An anthropologist got to know the chief well enough that he invited him to his London home.After aweek,the chief asked where he had been going each day.The guy said “work.”The chief asked:Ifhis family is so important why did he leave them each day? Of course, he worked to makemoney to take care of his family ButIget thechief’spoint Icontinuetowork because it challenges me, Ienjoy it and I feel I’m making adifference. Psalm 90:10 in the Bible suggeststhat we have about70years to live, and,ifweare strong, we might have 80.There’snominimumlife guarantee. There’sno maximum.The idea is that we should livegood,fruitful lives because, at some point, we die.

Life is abalancing act of choices. More than 27% of those eligible for Social Security takeitassoon as they can at 62, getting some of what they earned as soon as possible, perhaps for alonger time. More than 24% take it at 66. Fewer than 11% wait until 70-74, ensuring alarger monthly check. Butfor how long? There’snobenefit to waiting beyond 70 to collect —even if you’re still working. My first check is coming soon. Ican’twait. Ihad no idea when I got paychecks in my teensthat what Imissed then, I’d be expecting now How much moretime do Ihave to collect checks? Idon’tknow Just for laughs and giggles, I tried The Death Clock. Basically,you put in some key, honest factoids about yourself and —VOILÀ! —you get your likely death date. Iwas truthful about my weight, lack of exercise and morewith

my first Death Clock pass. It predicted that I’ll be gone in less than six years. More specifically,five years, five months and 24 days or late 2030. Iadmitted I’ve been acouch potato. My high school friend Bill Brousseau barely got to 160 pounds most of our time at St. Augustine High School more than five decades ago. He was 150 pounds when Ivisited him in northern Virginia. When Isaw my college friend Ulysses “Jeff” Rivers in Hackensack, New Jersey, he looked aboutthe sameweight as he did when we were at Hampton Institute (now University) 40plus years ago. Clearly,I ate too much too often and Istopped running fartoo long ago. I’mnot close to my high school or collegeweights. Itook another couple of goes at theDeath Clock. We lost my mom in her late 70s. My dad is 94. I thought Imight be somewhere in between, with tweaks.

By promising to drop some weight, then moreweight, and adding just someexercise, the Death Clock gave me much moretime. Per the clock, if Ilose enough weight, exercise and take better care of myself,I might live until I’mnearly 93 years old, just days shy of my birthday Seemsthe clock knowsmy counselor,mydentist, my dermatologist, my internist, my neurologist, my ophthalmologist, my podiatrist and my psychiatrist: It also tells me to eat less; avoid snacks; exercise regularly; drink plenty of water; take better care of my brain, eyes, feet, fingers, heart, internal organs and toes; get moresleep and live aless stressful life. Godhasn’tpromised me another decade, but He’ssure making it clear that I’ve got to makegood choices if Iwant that and more.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByJ.SCOTT APPLEWHITE

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, makes apoint as Speakerofthe House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, listens at right, during a news conference on PresidentDonald Trump’sbill.

LSU’s 50th CWS winunlike anybefore

KADE,MAN

OMAHA, Neb Never ever met alwaysfor the LSU Tigers on Saturday nightinGame 1ofthe College World Series final against Coastal Carolina. Never before in what is now 79 CWS games had the Tigers ever been involved in a1-0 decision, win or lose. It wasa win —LSU’s50th win here, fourth-most alltime —whichiswhere the always part comes in forthe Tigers. They don’talways win in Omaha, of course, but for the Chanticleers and a host of other CWS victims, it must feel likeit. Even with adesert-like wind howling in from right field, even with two excellent starting pitchers in Kade Anderson of LSU and CameronFlukeyofCoastal, it seemed prettyflukey thata Premier League-like score (1-nilinOmaha, cheers) would be the end result.

Another thing that had to feel pretty flukey for the Chanticleers was all the opportunities they had to score arun or two in this one. Anderson walked aseason-high five batters to go with his prettycustomary 10 strikeouts. He also hit Coastal’s leadoff man Caden Bodine twice, bringing the Chanticleers’ record totalofhit by pitches this season to 178. Is HBP aminor at Coastal in thephysical education departmentorsomething? Someone get me acool towel and course catalog and let’sfigure this out. Overall the Chanticleers, who saw their 26-game winning streak gobythe boards,

LSU starting pitcher Kade

and catcher Luis

after the Tigers defeat Coastal Carolina 1-0 on SaturdayinGame 1ofthe CollegeWorld Series finals in Omaha, Neb ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

on SaturdayinOmaha,

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

OMAHA, Neb.— Five runstypically have been the magic number for LSUthis season.

Heading intoGame 1ofthe College World Seriesfinal, the Tigers hadlostonlytwice all year whentheyhad scored at least five runs. When Kade Anderson is pitching, such lofty heights aren’tusually required.

LSUneededjust onerun against Coastal Carolina on Saturday nightatCharles Schwab Field. Anderson, the LSU left-handed sophomore ace who is the potential No. 1pick in the upcoming MLB draft, made sure of it Andersontossed his second complete-gameshutout of

theseason to deliver LSU’s first-ever 1-0 wininOmaha. He struck out10batters andallowed justthree hits on 130 pitches.

The Tigers are one win away from their eighth national championship in program history with two shots at getting it. The first one is set for 1:30 p.m. Sunday against Coastal Carolina on ABC.

Coastal Carolina made Anderson work for his gem.

TheChanticleersdrewfive walksand were hitbytwo pitches. Theyput arunnerinscoring position in thefirst, third, fourth and seventh innings. Anderson had thrown 54 pitches through just three frames.

But Anderson got better as thegamewenton. After

Pelicans putfaith in Weaver to drafta differentstory

BYROD WALKER Staff writer

Instead, theNBA draft lottery fell the other way and the Pelicans ended up sliding to the No. 7pick.

“Even when we went from 4to7,Iwasn’t oneofthe people that was really disappointed in that back room,” Dumars said.“Iwas OK with it. Iknowthisdraft, and we’re going to get agood player at 7.”

Joe Dumars, unlike most of the NewOrleans Pelicans fan base, wasn’tfazed when the pingpong balls didn’tfallinhis team’s favor on that May eveninginChicago Dumars, hired in April as the Pelicans executive vicepresident of basketball operations, just had inherited ateam that finished withthe fourth-worst record in the NBA. Thatdismal 21-61 season gave the Pels a12.5% chance of landingthe No. 1overall pick and winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.

ä NBA draft 7P.M.WEDNESDAy,ESPN

Thereare two reasons for Dumars’ optimism. First,helikes this year’sclass. Secondly,and mostimportantly,hereally likes the guy who is going to help him find theright players. Troy Weaver was the first person Dumars hired.

Weaver is the new senior vice president of basketball operations andisresponsible for helping locate the missing piecestoturn things around forthe Pelicans. Before coming to New Orleans, Weaver spent timeasanassistant general manager forthe OklahomaCity Thunder and general manager of the Detroit Pistons. This past season, he served as asenior adviser for the

ä See PELICANS, page 3C

Scott Rabalais

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

starting pitcher Kade Anderson throws apitch in Game 1ofthe CollegeWorld Series finals against Coastal Carolina

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Anderson

Hernandez embrace

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

Ex-LSU Tigers pitcher

Gervase makes MLB debut

Former LSU right-hander Paul Gervase made his Major League Baseball debut on Saturday with the Tampa Bay Rays, helping them defeat the Detroit Tigers 8-3 at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.

Gervase, a product of FuquayVarina, North Carolina, is the 90th LSU player to make the majors. LSU has had at least one former player make his MLB debut in 31 of the past 35 seasons.

NBA closes curtain with a Game 7

Thunder vs. Pacers is first Finals to go seven games in nine years

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

OKLAHOMA CITY It started with 30 teams, most of them fairly optimistic about their chances when the season began eight months and 1,320 games and 35,543 3-pointers and 299,608 points ago. Only two teams remain. For one game. Game 7. The NBA season ends Sunday night when the Indiana Pacers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder to decide which team will hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy, take over for the Boston Celtics as champions and become the league’s seventh title winner in the past seven years. It’s the first winner-take-all game in the NBA since 2016, when Cleveland beat Golden State “I’m very much looking forward to Game 7,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “The last time we’ve had one of these in the finals, I think, was ’16 These are special moments certainly for both teams but for our league, for the game, for the worldwide interest in the game. It’s a time to celebrate.” Yes, but only one team will celebrate Sunday night.

For the Pacers, it would be a first NBA title and the capper to a season that started with Indiana banged up and getting off to a 10-15 record through the first 25 games No team has ever been below .500 that deep into a season and went on to win a championship.

For the Thunder, it would be a first NBA title — kind of, sort of, Seattle won one in 1979 and even though the franchise moved to Oklahoma City from there, the Thunder don’t recognize it as one of its own — and wrap up a season in which the team scored more points than any other club in NBA history and posted the best record.

“We have to understand the work is done and we have to trust the work,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said Saturday, the final

Indiana Pacers center Tony Bradley, left, looks toward Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, right, after a foul as Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton, center, looks toward Bradley during Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday in Indianapolis.

ä Pacers at Thunder, 7 P.M. SUNDAy,ABC

practice day of the season. “The muscle is built. We have to flex that muscle That’s what tomorrow will come down to for us.”

It has been the epitome of a backand-forth series, with both teams having the lead at some point. Indiana led 1-0 and 2-1; Oklahoma City led 3-2 but got blown out in Game 6, its first chance at winning the title. So, here we are, tied at 3-3, one game away from a decision.

“Grateful for the opportunity,”

Thunder guard Jalen Williams said. “That’s one thing I can say is throughout the whole entire thing, you always have to remain grateful for where you are because there’s a lot of NBA players that will trade their spot with me right now That’s how I look at it. But as far as history, I want to be on the good side of that, for sure.”

Oklahoma City has looked every bit the part of a championship contender all year; going 68-14 in

the regular season cemented the Thunder into the favorite’s role.

Being the best team in the regular season is for this very privilege, to play host for Game 7.

The Pacers peaked at the right time and took the more circuitous route here. But they’ve already started this series with a win in Oklahoma City They see no reason why it can’t end the same way

“I think we just have done a great job of just staying together,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said.

“There’s not a group of guys I’d rather go to war with. I’m really excited to compete with these guys in a Game.”

Haliburton’s health

The strained right calf is still an issue for Haliburton, but he played in Game 6 with the injury and — no surprise he’s going to play in Game 7. “I’m pretty much in the same standpoint I was before Game 6,” Haliburton said. “A little sore. Good thing I only had to play like 23 minutes. I’ve been able to get

even more treatment and do more things. Just trying to take care of it the best I can. But I’ll be ready to go for Game 7.”

Thunder in title shots

Counting all games this season, Oklahoma City’s two lowest-scoring outputs were 81 points against Milwaukee and 91 points against Indiana.

The Bucks game was in the NBA Cup final. The Pacers game was Game 6, when OKC had a chance to win the NBA title.

So, in the two “championship” games the Thunder have played this season, they’re averaging 86 points. In all other games, they’re averaging 119.7 points.

“We obviously have to get better offensively,” Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Last game, clearly, was not good enough and not going to cut it, and we know that We watch film for those type of things. You have games like that. Now, it sucks to have it at that stage obviously but we know we have to be better, for sure.”

Here are some Game 7 numbers to ponder

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

OKLAHOMA CITY For the 20th time, there will be a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Indiana will play at Oklahoma City on Sunday night in the final game of the season, with the winner getting the Larry O’Brien Trophy Home teams are 15-4 in Game 7 of the finals, but a road team Cleveland, over Golden State — won the most recent of those games in 2016. A look inside some numbers surrounding this matchup: Odds are, nobody’s scoring 40

There have been only two 40-point scoring performances in Game 7 of the NBA Finals — and both came in losing efforts.

Jerry West scored 42 points in Game 7 of the 1969 series, but the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in Bill Russell’s final game And Elgin Baylor scored 41 points in Game 7 in 1962 — another Lakers-Celtics matchup but Boston prevailed in that one as well. Bob Pettit had the third-highest scoring total in a Game 7. He had 39 for the St. Louis Hawks against the Celtics in 1957 and Boston won that game as well. The highest-scoring Game 7s in a winning effort? Those would be by Boston’s Tom Heinsohn in

that 1957 game against St. Louis and Miami’s LeBron James in the 2013 series against San Antonio.

Both had 37; Heinsohn’s was a double-overtime game, James got his in regulation.

Hard to break 100 points

Yes, these are high-scoring teams. Oklahoma City was No. 4 in points per game in the regular season (120.5 per game) and Indiana was No. 7 (117.4). The Thunder are second in that category in the playoffs (115.2), just ahead of No. 3 Indiana (115.1).

In Game 7, that might not matter much No team has reached 100 points in Game 7 of the NBA Finals since 1988. Or even topped 95 points, for that matter

The last five Game 7s:

n 2016, Cleveland 93, Golden State 89

n 2013, Miami 95, San Antonio 88 n 2010, Los Angeles Lakers 83, Boston 79 n 2005, San Antonio 81, Detroit 74 n 1994, Houston 90, New York 84

The last finals Game 7 to see someone hit the century mark was when the Lakers beat the Pistons 108-105 in 1988.

Expect a close one

The average margin of victory in Game 7 of an NBA Finals: 6.9 points.

In the past eight such games have been decided by single digits. Only four have been doubledigit wins: Boston over St. Louis by 19 in 1960, Minneapolis over New York by 17 in 1952, Boston over Milwaukee by 15 in 1974 and New York over the Los Angeles Lakers by 14 in 1970.

The closest Game 7 in the finals was Syracuse beating Fort Wayne 92-91 in 1955. That was one of six finals Game 7s decided by three points or less.

By seed

The Thunder are the 22nd No. 1 seed to play in Game 7 of an NBA Finals. Their 21 predecessors on that list are 12-9 in the ultimate game; seven of those games have been ones where both teams entered the playoffs as No 1 seeds.

The Pacers are the fourth No. 4 seed to make Game 7 of the title round. Their three predecessors went 1-2 (Boston beat the Lakers in 1969, Seattle lost to Washington in 1978 and the Celtics lost to the Lakers in 2010).

Game 7 experience

It’ll be the fourth Game 7 for Indiana forwards Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner Siakam’s teams have gone 2-1 in Game 7s, Turner’s have gone 1-2. Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith is 2-0 in the pair of Game 7s in which he

has played, with Indiana winning at New York last year and Boston beating Milwaukee in 2022. Both of those wins were in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Thunder star Shai GilgeousAlexander, the league’s reigning MVP, has averaged 27 points in two previous Game 7s. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton scored 26 points in his lone Game 7 to this point.

No player on either side has previously been part of a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.

New for some refs, too

The NBA doesn’t announce referee assignments until game day, so it won’t be known until Sunday morning who the three-person crew is for Game 7.

This much is certain: for at least two of the referees, it’ll be the first time on the Game 7 finals stage.

Scott Foster — who would seem a likely pick this year worked Game 7 of the finals in 2013 alongside Dan Crawford and Monty McCutchen, and Game 7 of the title series in 2010 with Dan Crawford and Joe Crawford.

The most recent Game 7 of the finals was in 2016 and the crew for that game was Dan Crawford, McCutchen and Mike Callahan.

Outside of Foster, no referee in this year’s pool has been on the floor for a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.

Gervase pitched two scoreless relief innings on Saturday against Detroit, allowing no hits with two walks and one strikeout Before Saturday, he had spent the 2025 season with the Triple-A Durham Bulls, where he owned a 3.78 ERA and 0.94 WHIP through 331⁄3 innings.

Fleetwood builds 3-shot lead at PGA’s Travelers CROMWELL, Conn. Tommy Fleetwood has a three-shot lead at the Travelers Championship and his best chance to finally add a PGA Tour title to his impressive worldwide resume.

He shot a 63 in extreme heat. That wasn’t a surprise with so many low scores. The shocker was Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas having one hole wreck their rounds.

Scheffler celebrated his 29th birthday by making triple bogey on his opening hole. Thomas took a quadruple-bogey 9 on the 13th hole. They were out of mix.

Keegan Bradley shot 63 and Russell Henley had a 61 to share second place behind Fleetwood. Fleetwood only missed three greens, and his toughest save was a 6-footer after missing the ninth green to the left with a wedge.

Lee’s bogey-free round gives her Women’s PGA lead FRISCO, Texas Two-time major champion Minjee Lee has taken over the lead with the first bogeyfree round for anyone during a windy week at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Her 3-under 69 in the third round Saturday put her four strokes ahead of Jeeno Thitikul.

Lee the Australian who lives in nearby Irving — got to 6-under 210 after beginning the round three strokes behind Thitikul, the world’s No. 2-ranked player who led after each of the first two days. Lee and Thitikul are the only players still under par Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco is exposed to the ever-present Texas wind that was the strongest it had been all week. There were gusts of more than 30 mph Saturday

Braves pitcher Sale put on 15-day injured list

MIAMI — The Atlanta Braves placed reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale on the 15-day injured list because of a fractured left rib cage. Manager Brian Snitker said before the Braves’ game Saturday that Sale felt discomfort while doing exercises Friday Tests revealed the fracture that sidelined Sale. In his previous start, Sale sprinted off the mound and made a diving stop of a grounder hit by the Mets’ Juan Soto and threw him out for the first out in the ninth. He then struck out Pete Alonso and was lifted after allowing a single to Brandon Nimmo. Sale is 5-4 and has a 2.52 ERA through 15 starts this season.

Orioles place Rutschman on injured list for first time

NEW YORK Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman has been placed on the injured list for the first time in his career because of a strained left oblique.

The 27-year-old Rutschman had an MRI on Saturday morning and the Orioles announced the move about 15 minutes before their game against the Yankees. Rutschman was in Baltimore’s original lineup Friday as the designated hitter before feeling pain during batting practice and being scratched.

The Orioles recalled Maverick Handley who will serve as the backup to Gary Sánchez until Rutschman returns.

Rutschman is hitting .227 with eight homers and 20 RBIs in 68 games. He is the 10th Oriole currently on the injured list.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABBIE PARR

RABALAIS

Continued from page1C

had to leave Charles Schwab Fieldmighty frustrated. They were 0for 9—and 0for Anderson —withrunnersinscoring position. In all, Coastal had10 baserunners to LSU’snine. The Tigers did just afraction of abit better of making it count Here is the scoringsummary for you for Saturday’sgame, brought to you by the company making afortune makingJellOshots across the street at Rocco’s: Derek Curiel ledoff the game for LSU with awalk, working back from an 0-2count by Flukey.Ethan Frey then hita grounder to short,but somehow Curiel was basically on top of the bag at second by the time Ty Dooley got the ball, so his only play was asure out to first.Steven Milam then knocked an RBI single to center,scoring Curiel easily

That Anderson made thelead stand up the entire game was a minor miracle. The way he start-

PELICANS

Continued from page1C

Washington Wizards

“Troy has aunique skillset,” Dumars said. “His ability toidentify talent in this league is elite. He has along track record of being able to identify players at an elitelevel.”

Weaver gets his first test in New Orleans on Wednesday when the NBA draft begins. The Pelicans own the No. 7pick and the No. 23 pick(acquired in atrade on Tuesday) in this year’sdraft.

This is familiar territory for Weaver Seventeenyears ago, he was hired as assistantgeneral managerwith the Seattle SuperSonicsasthey were relocating to Oklahoma City Histeamthen, just like this year’s Pelicans, had atop-10 selection (No. 4) and apick in the 20s (No. 24). The SuperSonics had gone 20-62 the season before, one less win than the Pelicans had this season.

It was Weaver who made a strong push for the SuperSonics/ Thunder to roll the dice and take a chance on acertain player whose draft profile wasn’toverly impressive —especially for aNo. 4pick.

“Because of his defensive ability he is unlikely to be abust, although he probably won’tdevelopinto a bona fidesuperstar,” readone 2008 draft profile on the prospect. The player was Russell Westbrook, who went on to become an MVP and is alikelyHall of Famer

ed thegame, heclearly didn’t have hisbest stuff. By the time he got through thesecond inning, he’d already tied his season high for walks with three. The breaking ballwasn’t breaking like he wanted.

But the usually opportunistic Chanticleers couldn’t capitalizeonthe shiny lures Anderson dangled in the water Meanwhile,hegot strongeras the game went on, seemingly unfazedbythe oppressive Nebraska heat(first-pitch temperature:97)

No big deal for akid from Madisonville who has pitched in 97 degrees and 95% humidity plentyoftimes.

“I think that’sthe real benefit to playing in Louisiana,” he said.

“This was honestly notnearly as bad as it was in the super regional(against West Virginia).It wasn’tevencomparable.”

Now the heat’sonCoastal Carolinagoingonto the coffee bean roaster of Sunday’s 1:30p.m. Game 2. There’sa chance, agood chance, theChanticleers are unburdenedmentally from that monstrous winning streak that

“In terms of evaluation, Troy’s ability to seeplayers for what they can beand notfor whothey are rightnow is amajor strength,” said Will Dawkins, thegeneral manager ofthe Wizards. Dawkins worked with Weaver this seasoninWashington. The two of them also arrived in OKC together back in 2008 under Sam Presti, arguably thebest executive in the NBA.

“The way Sam Presti leads, he allowseverybody to have avoice,” Dawkins said. “Heallows people to listenand then makes the best informed decision. Troy had aloud voice in(drafting Westbrook), and heconsistentlyspokeupfortheguys whohethought weren’tnecessarily the best players now,but would be thebest players moving forward.

“With Troy in OklahomaCity we were abletobuild something pretty special basedoff the talent. It wasn’tjust about identifying the players. It was also grooming them once they gotthere, andTroy playedabig part in that.”

In addition to Westbrook, the Thunder draftedSerge Ibaka with the24th pick that year.Westbrook and Ibaka became key pieces for aThunder team thatreached the NBA Finals four years later Weaver wasn’tavailable for an interviewfor this story,but the draft philosophy he talked about when thePistons hiredhim as generalmanager in 2020likelystill holdstruetoday

“I just feel like my philosophy is we don’tdraft players, we draft

they’ve been lugging around for two monthsnow The problem is, they aren’t playing Game7ofachampionship series here Sunday like they will in the NBA Finals south of here between Oklahoma City and Indiana. It’sbest two-ofthree, and in aspan of less than 24 hours, Coastal Carolina could be done.

Coastal coach Kevin Schnall tried to comfort his team and supporters by remembering that in 2016, the Chanticleers lost3-0 to LSUcoach Jay Johnson’sArizona team, then came back to winthe title with apair of one-runsqueakers. TheTigers are halfway there, yes, but Johnsonknows as wellasanyonehow little that gets you. It will be LSU’sco-ace Anthony Eyanson going Sunday against Coastal’stop pitcher,Jacob Morrison. An eighth national championship is within the Tigers’ grasp, but it certainly will have to be earned.

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

Continuedfrom page1C

walkingthree batters through the first two innings, he escaped ajam in the third, struck out the side in thefourth and cruised through the next two innings.

He allowed asingle in the seventh inning and awalk in the eighth,but nothingelseasheentered the ninth having thrown115 pitches. He struck out first baseman ColbyThorndyke and forced agroundouttothird base before walkingpinch-hitterDomenico Tozzi withtwo outs.

Pitching coach Nate Yeskie met with Anderson on themound after the walk. Whatever he saidmust have worked, as Anderson forced aflyout to right field to end the game.

The only run between the two sides came in the first inning when LSUsophomore Steven Milam shot asingle up the middle to drive in freshman Derek Curielfrom second base.

Milam wasn’tdoneafterhis single. The New Mexico native doubled andreached third base in thethird inning and walked to lead offthe sixth. BesidesjuniorDaniel Dickinson’ssecond-inning single, Milamwas the only Tigerwitha hit through the first 52/3 innings.

After Milam’s walk, senior Luis Hernandez rippeda single to put runnersonthe corners with two outs for junior Chris Stanfield. But Stanfield, who was2 for 12 in Omaha entering hisat-bat, grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.

Hernandez’ssingle had the chance of being arun-scoring hit after right-handed pitcher Cameron Flukey’spickoff throwtofirst basewent haywire. But instead of the ball squirting away from Thorndyke, it hit first-base umpire Jeff Head and didn’tallow Milam to advance to second base. Flukey,despite his wild pickoff attempt, fooled the LSU lineup through six innings. He allowed just one earned run on four hits and recorded nine strikeouts before exiting forleft-hander Dominick Carbone. LSU finished with six hits but went just 2for

people,” Weaver said five years ago. “Wewant to make sure we get the person right. If you get the person right,the basketball will take care of itself.Drafting high, getting the personright is more important tome. Youdraft in the20s, you might want totake aswing on sometalentormaybe aposition.”

Weaver’stimeinDetroit didn’t go well. The Pistons went just54192 in his three seasonsrunning the show.But he drafted some of thekey pieces that helped thePistons turn things around this season to finish sixthinthe Eastern Conference after winning acom-

bined31games the previous two seasons.

“When we showed up, the cupboard wasn’tbare,” first-year Pistonscoach J.B. Bickerstafftold theDetroit Press in an interview “Therewas aton of talent in that locker room.”

Credit Weaver forthat.

Can he bring that type of talent to thePelicans’ locker room?

Dawkins believes he can.

“First and foremost, Troy is as consistent as aperson and as aevaluator as anyone I’ve been around,” Dawkins said. “He has agreat combination of hard work

Email Koki Rileyat Koki.Riley@theadvocate.com.

and humility.Believe it or not, that’shardtofind. He does the work andisreally in it withyou. He’s atrue dayone type grinder. As aleader,he’sinclusive,he’s flexible and he’sconfident.”

That confidence comes from Weaver’spath to becoming an NBAexecutive.Heisn’t aHall of Famer like Dumars, the man he’snow working with for the first time. Heck,Weaver never stepped foot on an NBAcourt as a player.His basketball playing days ended after one season playing at acommunity college. After that, he helped start and coach an AAU team in the 1990s. His success at finding talent there ledhim to landing college assistant coaching jobs at Pittsburgh, New Mexicoand Syracuse.

It wasWeaver who first noticed CarmeloAnthony before he became oneofthe toprecruits in the country.Nailing that evaluation earlygaveWeaveraheadstart in the recruiting process, and he endedupgetting Anthonytosign with Syracuse and eventually lead it to anational championship as a freshman.

“Troy’s years of experience at theyouth level and thecollege level and the pro level are hard to match compared to alot of evaluators out there right now,” Dawkins said. “He can seethe game as an evaluator,but through acoachinglens. He’sspentsomuchtime coaching and being around players. Allofthatcombinediswhat makes him Troy Weaver.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByPAULSANCyA

Troy Weaver is in his first season as seniorvice president of basketball operations for the NewOrleans Pelicans.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK

From left, LSUsecond baseman Daniel Dickinson, center fielder Chris Stanfield, third baseman Michael Braswell, left fielder DerekCuriel, first basemanJaredJones, shortstop Steven Milam and right fielder Jake Brown leap in celebration after the Tigers defeat Coastal Carolina

ALL-METRO SOFTBALL

ALL-METRO TEAM

MARGARET

OGE

St.ThomasMore Pitcher, Jr

ASHLEY

LITTLE

OpelousasCatholic Pitcher, Sr

LEXI

GREENE

Kaplan Pitcher, So

MADALINE

JOHNSON

NotreDame Pitcher, Jr

SHYANNE

IRVIN

St.ThomasMore Catcher, Sr

KENNEDY STUTES

St.ThomasMore Infielder, Sr LEXI

Loreauville Infielder, Sr

TeurlingsCatholic Infielder, Jr ABIGAIL

FORD

Kaplan Infielder, Sr EMMA

St.ThomasMore Outfielder, Sr

MALAYNA

DAIGLE

NotreDame Outfielder, Sr

JACI

GARY

Southside Outfielder, Sr

HONORABLE MENTION

Pitchers: MorganMalveaux, David Thibodaux; BrileyLovell, Southside; Emily Thibodeaux, Acadiana. Catcher: ZoeHarrington, North Vermilion. Infielders: Alexis Dejean, Cecilia; Brooklyn Darbonne, Eunice; Valerie Brown, Notre Dame; Grace Hulin, Catholic-NI.

COACH OF THEYEAR

BRITTANY LEBOUEF KAPLAN

There’snodenying that Kaplancoach Brittany Lebouef had lofty expectations for the season. Although it didn’t end with the Pirates bringing home hardware, Lebouef andthe Pirates had an outstanding year

ADDYSON HEBERT

Kaplan Utility,Sr.

CATE

ROMERO NotreDame Utility,So.

AUDREY SAVINI

David Thibodaux Utility,Sr. HAYDYN

Iota Utility,Sr.

NorthVermilion Utility,Jr.

Outfielders: Addison Cormier, Iota; Addison Lafferty,STM; Brylie Davis,Acadiana. Utility players: Caroline Terro, Lafayette High; Mia Smith,Teurlings; Madison Gussman, Opelousas Catholic; Jena Lecamus,Southside; Gracie Malagarie, LCA; Hayden Cary, Rayne.

The Pirates (29-3) had winsagainst John Curtis (Division Iselect champion), St. Thomas More (Division Iselect runner-up) and Assumption (DivisionIInonselect runner-up), among others.TwoofKaplan’sthreelosses came againstteams—Sam Houston (Division Inonselect)and Doyle —that wonstate titles Forher efforts, Lebouefhas been named theAcadiana Advocate All-Metro Star of Stars Softball Coach of the year Eric Narcisse

FILE

Opelousas Catholic’sAshleyLittle pitches against Menard during the Division IV select title game on May4inSulphur.Little went 20-5 with a1.89 ERA and 250 strikeouts.

ASHLEY LITTLE OPELOUSASCATHOLIC,SR.

Fromthe moment she stepped intothe circle forthe Opelousas Catholic softball team, Ashley Littlehas been everything theVikings couldhaveasked for —and more.

Although thispast season didn’t endwith asecondconsecutiveDivisionIVselect state championship forthe Vikings, Littledid everything she couldasher team finishedas the state runner-up.

“It was averyfun year,” Little said.“We definitely exceeded my expectations this year It was kindofsurprising to makeittothe state championship againthisyear,but at thesame time Iknewwecoulddoit.”

To sayLittle wasinstrumentalinthe Vikings accomplishing that featwould be an understatement. Shewent20-5 overall witha 1.89 ERA. Shestruck out 250 batters in 158 innings while also hitting .544 with 10 home runs, 16 doubles and 40 RBIs. For herefforts, Little has been named the Acadiana Advocate All-Metro StarofStars Softball Playerofthe year “I’m very appreciativeofthe award,”said Little,a Nicholls State signee.“All of the people around me, really helpedmeout.It wasn’t just me.”

EricNarcisse

STAFF

PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON

LANE FENSKE

Catholic-New Iberia

Pitcher, Sr

COLE ALBERT

Vermilion Catholic Pitcher, Fr

JACE GARBER

TeurlingsCatholic Pitcher, Sr

SETH LEGER

Erath Pitcher, Sr

REMY

BROUSSARD

Kaplan Catcher, Sr

CADE

WILKERSON

St.ThomasMore Infielder, Sr

ALL-METROBASEBALL

WILL POWER

TeurlingsCatholic Infielder, Jr

KANYON GRIFFIN

Acadiana Infielder, Sr

PRESTON PEEBLES

Ascension-Episcopal Infielder, Jr

JD.

HIDALGO

Catholic-New Iberia Outfielder, Sr

ANDREW CARRIERE

St.ThomasMore Outfielder, Sr

EVAN

VINCENT

TeurlingsCatholic Outfielder, pitcher, Sr

HONORABLE MENTION

CARTER STELLY

OpelousasCatholic Utility,Jr.

BLAZE DUHON

NorthVermilion Utility,Jr.

RILEY

ROWELL

St.ThomasMore Utility,Sr.

PEYTON DAIGLE

Rayne Utility,Jr.

AYDEN

WELCH

LafayetteChristian Utility,Sr.

Pitchers: AndrewDugas,Acadiana; Zeke Wall, Iota; JacksonDevey,Ascension Episcopal; Sebastian Rideaux,Acadiana Renaissance Catcher: BrennanBroussard, Erath. Infielders: Ryan Berard,Teurlings Catholic; RowenBergeron, Opelousas Catholic; Ellis Stewart, Cecilia; Jackson Trahan,Vermilion Catholic. Outfielders: Ashton Celestine, LCA; Peyton Gonzalez, BreauxBridge; GriffinDoucet, Notre Dame Utility: Karter Meaux,Kaplan; Jack Purser,Teurlings Catholic; Cayden Dartez, St.Thomas More; David Evans,St. Edmund; Jacob Tucker,Southside.

COACHOFTHE YEAR

DAVIDJORDAN CATHOLIC-NEW IBERIA

Reaching the baseball state finals for the first time since 2014 and bringing home the school’s first state championship since 2001 was the perfect wayfor Catholic High of New Iberia’sDavid Jordan to end his career as a head coach. NowJordan, wholed the Pantherstoan

overall record of 26-12, canadd being named theAll-Metro coach of the year as acherry on top.baseballcoachofthe year as acherryon top. “I’vebeen doing it for along time,”Jordan said.“It’stime to inject someyouth into the program.”

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

EVAN VINCENT TEURLINGSCATHOLIC,SR.

It was another dominant season forthe Teurlings Catholic Rebels,who wonthe Division II select state championship fora second consecutiveyear.

While the Rebels had alot of talent on the roster,pitcher/outfielder Evan Vincent wasvital to Teurlings’ successful 34-5 championship campaign.

“It was an incredible year,”Vincent said.“What we were able to accomplish wasincredible. Winning astate championship in back-to-back yearsisawesome. It is the best feeling in the world.Thisteam was special.”

And so was Vincent, the District 4-4A MVP whowent 10-0 with a1.26 ERA. He struck out

Teurlings Catholic’sEvan Vincent pitches against E.D White during the Division II select championship series on May 15 at McMurry Park in Sulphur Vincent, the District 4-4A MVP,went10-0 witha1.26 ERA. He struck out 86 in 61 innings. At the plate, he batted .270 with four doubles, two triplesand 23 RBIs.

86 batters in 61 innings. He also batted .270 withfour doubles, twotriplesand 23 RBIs.

“I’m just glad that Iwas able to help my team,”Vincent said.“On themound, Ijust wantedtogiveusachance to win every time I took the mound, and, in the outfield, Iwanted to make aplaywhenI could. On the mound, it wasmybestseason forsure.”

For his efforts,Vincent is theAcadiana Advocate All-Metro Star of Stars Baseball Playerofthe year

“It’sanincredible feeling,”Vincent said about the honor.“Ihaveworked hardevery daytobe the best that Icould be.

EricNarcisse

Rattler, Shough making cases to Saints

Summer set to decide a starting quarterback

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Kellen Moore looks primarily at two areas when evaluating his quarterbacks at this time of year

The New Orleans Saints coach wants to see their command and control. The command begins in the huddle, with the signal-caller relaying the play call. The control then takes place at the line of scrimmage, with how the quarterback reads the defense and dictates the outcome.

Everything else is a work in progress.

“The execution, just the consistency, is going to be the big aspect as we continue to grow this thing,” Moore said. “But you feel really good where all these guys are at.” Through two months of offseason workouts, the Saints’ threeman quarterback battle resembled more of a two-man competition.

Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough have gotten the majority of reps with an injured Jake Haener (oblique) working to get healthy.

So, who will win the battle?

Moore obviously isn’t anywhere close to naming a victor But through their play, both quarterbacks made a compelling argument for why they could win the job. Let’s take a closer look at why each man realistically could start Week 1.

Case for Rattler

Rattler publicly has said he doesn’t feel that he’s been overlooked in the starting quarterback battle, and his throws throughout the offseason have made sure notice is paid, just in case.

“You’ve just got to play free,” he said.

Rattler has done so thus far He’s been quick and decisive, looking much faster than a year ago. As much as he struggled in his seven games as a rookie, it’s apparent that experience benefited the 24-year-old in the long run

The coaching staff isn’t oblivious to the challenging circumstances that Rattler faced last year, too Injuries decimated the lineup, particularly along the offensive

line and at wide receiver

That doesn’t give Rattler a pass on his play from that stretch — he failed to win a game, after all — but it does explain why he looks better with a full supporting cast, and why it is premature to write him off after one season.

Rattler’s best moments as a rookie came when he was on the move, and if he wins the job, his mobility may prove to be a deciding factor But what has been impressive about him this offseason is that his top throws have come from the pocket.

Some of that can be explained by the fact the Saints have stuck to 7-on-7 work in practices — meaning there hasn’t been a true pass rush to force Rattler outside of it. But a good throw is a good throw

And Rattler has needled some of these passes to his targets.

For Rattler to win the job, he’ll have to be better in areas that have yet to be measured this offseason. He was pressured on a staggering 39.2% of his dropbacks last season, and while it can be tempting to blame that on the health of the offensive line, he was also under duress in college. A Pro Football Focus study from 2019 indicated that pressure rate is one of the more consistent metrics to carry over from college to the pros for quarterbacks.

The two other worrying trends for Rattler as a rookie were his splits between the first and second halves, and his tendency to turn the ball over His eight turnovers (five interceptions, three fumbles) were the league’s third-most across the weeks he suited up. And his passer rating went from 103.5 in the first half to 46.5 after halftime.

Training camp, and more so the preseason, will be a test for Rattler to show he’s learned from the past.

But remember, Rattler was not a finished product when the Saints drafted him 144th overall in 2024. They were intrigued by Rattler’s potential, especially given his background as a highly prized recruit who was once thought of as the top quarterback prospect in the country Quarterbacks need time to grow Perhaps Rattler will show enough

growth this summer to seize the job Case for Shough

Shough hasn’t looked overwhelmed at all in this competition, and he said there’s a good reason for that. The quarterback is used to fighting for a starting spot.

At Louisville, Texas Tech and Oregon, Shough had to earn his job and believes that has helped him throughout this offseason. He said he doesn’t feel as pressed to force the deep ball, for instance, because he’s learned that taking the checkdown can be the smarter option.

“I know the best way to do it is just do your job,” Shough said.

There have been times this offseason in which Shough has been slower than Rattler, but a learning curve was to be expected. Rattler underwent a similar experience as a rookie last year, when he seemed hesitant on certain throws — especially before training camp. It has been evident Shough is still adjusting to the speed of NFL defenses and the rate that he must go through his progressions.

Still, Shough has improved over the last few weeks, and that bodes well heading into training camp next month. He was much sharper during mandatory minicamp, with the ball zipping out on certain throws.

Shough’s arm talent is undeniable. His deep passes rocket down the field, and he’s hit the fast receivers in rhythm. Beyond that, Shough’s arm talent results in impressive placement. He’s able to fire off passes into tight windows, such as when he hit Rashid Shaheed amid tight coverage from Kool-Aid McKinstry

Like Rattler Shough will have to show he’s comfortable against a pass rush. Several draft analysts noted how his game can falter under pressure, and the stats back that up. According to Pro Football Focus, his completion percentage at Louisville dipped from 71.3% when kept clean to 42.3% under pressure.

But as drastic as that split is, Shough was relatively good at avoiding sacks and turnovers. He was only sacked on 3% of his dropbacks last season, and when

SCOREBOARD

2 Robert Macintyre 71-67-70—208 2 Ludvig Aberg 71-69-69—209 -1

Schauffele 69-72-68—209 1 Gary Woodland 67-75-67—209 -1 Cameron Young 65-73-71—209 1

Ryan Gerard 70-71-69—210 E Max Homa 68-71-71—210 E

Andrew Novak 70-71-69—210 E

Matthieu Pavon 71-71-68—210 E

J.J. Spaun 73-71-66—210 E

Jacob Bridgeman 73-69-69—211 +1

Rickie Fowler 70-77-64—211 +1

Joe Highsmith 68-69-74—211 +1

Sungjae Im 67-73-71—211 +1

Shane Lowry 72-73-66—211 +1

Hideki Matsuyama 69-69-73—211 +1

J.T. Poston 73-67-71—211 +1

Cameron Davis 71-73-68—212 +2

Sepp Straka 74-71-67—212 +2

Jhonattan Vegas 74-67-71—212 +2

Tom Hoge 70-72-71—213 +3

Mackenzie Hughes 71-72-70—213 +3

Min Woo Lee 73-69-71—213 +3

Sam Stevens 75-73-65—213 +3

Christiaan Bezuidnhout 71-74-69—214 +4 Tony Finau

facing pressure, he was sacked on only 9.3% of those plays thirdbest in the nation. He also had only six interceptions in 2024, good for a 1.5% interception rate. Draft status, meanwhile, won’t automatically win Shough the job, but it is worth mentioning. The 25-year-old was the Saints’ highest-drafted quarterback since 1971, and this coaching staff played an active role in wanting him Shough, fairly or unfairly, is seen as Moore’s quarterback compared to the two signal-callers whom the coach inherited. If the competition is close, it’s fair to wonder whether the Saints will lean toward starting Shough because of that. And there’s an argument that it may be more beneficial for the franchise in the long run to find out what it has in the rookie. Then again, the circumstances might prove irrelevant. Shough simply may be the best quarterback on the roster Or maybe it’s Rattler The answer is coming this summer

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

New Orleans Saints quarterbacks, from left, Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, Hunter Dekkers and Jake Haener take turns throwing the ball during a minicamp practice in Metairie on June 10.

Newalbum featuringThe RollingStones ahistoricmix of cultures

The Rolling Stones don’tdo tribute albums. Rock ’n’ roll gods with more than 250 million albums sold, the Stones are usually the worshipped, not the worshippers. But rock guitarist C.C. Adcock, of Lafayette, was on to something that could change that. Adcock, like Mick Jagger, cut his musical molars on theaccordion blues and boogie of Opelousas native Clifton Chenier,the heralded King of Zydeco.

Adcock is also aproducer on an album that celebrates the 100th anniversary of Chenier’s birth.He’salso friends with acouple of Jagger’schildren, Lizzy and Jimmy,known to crash at Adcock’splace in the French Quarter All were together for adinner at Antoine’sinNew Orleans when Adcock broughtup the Chenier tribute and apossible Stones participation

ALLIN LIVING

IMAGE FROM FRANCIS PAVy/FACEBOOK

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is releasing a7-inch vinyl of the Rolling Stones and Steve Rileyperforming Clifton Chenier’s‘Zydeco Sont PasSale, as partofa100th anniversary tribute to the King of Zydeco.

“I had already gone to Keith Richards’ camp,” Adcocksaid “I knew acouple of people there. We had been told it was apossibility,but nothing firm.” “When Ibrought it up to Mick, he said, ‘Yeah, that’s something I’dlike to be involved in. Let’sdoit,’”Adcock continued. “I said Ihad been waiting to hear back from Keith. He goes, ‘You asked the wrongman, didn’tyou?’

The world gets to hear the Stones’ reverence for Chenier when “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco” is officially released June 27 on Valcour Records and Smithsonian Folkways. The14song albumfeatures the Stones TajMahal,Lucinda Williams, Charley Crockett and other icons performing Chenier classics with Keith Frank, Nathan Williams, Clifton’sson C.J. Chenier,Sonny Landreth and other Louisianamusic stars

Aspecial, 7-inch vinyl ofthe Stones’ single, “ZydecoSont Pas Sale,” drops June 25, Clifton

ä See ALBUM, page 4D

‘Louisiana Eats’Poppy Tooker dishes on love, loss andoysters at Antoine’sinNew Orleans

BY JANRISHER Staff writer

Sharing ameal with someone creates possibilities far beyond immediate nourishment. In this lunch series, LouisianaCulture editor Jan Risher meets notable Louisianans at therestaurant of their choice and tells thestory of their lunch.

Poppy Tooker knows what she wants and isn’tafraid to ask for it.

“So Iwant it to be adark pink, nota pale pink.OK? No ice, no fruit— and in astemmed glass. Got it?” she said, as she ordered what she calls “Poppy’sPink drink” at Antoine’s. It’s her signaturedrink, and she’shappy to teach others how to makeit.

That generosity sums up much of the spirit with which Tooker approaches life. (For the record, to makePoppy’sPink drink, shake 10 shakes of Peychaud’sbitters into astemmed glass, top with 8 ounces of sparkling water.Garnishwith lime, if desired.)

The bitters’ distinctive New Orleans flavor is no accident. Tooker describes herself as old-school New Orleans, which, in local parlance, means that the next sentence should be about where she went to school.

“I was alifer at Ursuline, kindergarten all the way through,” she said, eventually explaining

STUCKINTHE MIDDLE WITH YOU

MaryGuillory, left, assistant director of theAvoyelles Parish Commission of Tourism, and Wilbert Carmouche, director,frame themselves within the Centre de la Louisiane sign, marking thegeographic center of the state in Avoyelles Parish.

STAFF PHOTO By ROBINMILLER

that it was almost all the way through. In her senior year in 1975, she left Ursuline amidst a bit of drama. She finished at the New Orleans Center for theCreative Arts —a brief detour that, 50 years later, came full circle.

Even so, she did eventually become Ursuline’salumni president, which she considers one of the greatest feathers in her cap.

‘Food became my love language Tooker is the award-winning

BYROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Louisiana’shighest geographical point is Driskill Mountain near Arcadia in the northwest part of the state. Itslowest elevation is New Orleans at 8feet below sea level. But whereisthe state’sgeographical center? That’s the question Megan Smith has been pondering. She lives in Pollock, which is located in centralLoui-

host and producer of the radio show “Louisiana Eats,” which is broadcast weekly on NPRaffiliates throughout the Gulf South. Her much-loved radio broadcast celebrates its 15-year anniversary this month. Our lunch was evidence of its influence and reach.

Lunch with Tooker is acommunity affair —arunning conversation with staff, friends and family She credits her paternal greatgrandmother forher deep interest

ä See TOOKER, page 4D

siana, the region that covers the state’s midsection. “Butwhere is the exact center of the state?” Smith asked. “Has anyone marked it on a map or put up asign letting people know where it is?”

Herman Fuselier

Jan Risher and PoppyTooker in front of Antoine’sinNew Orleans

STAFFPHOTOSByJAN RISHER

Antoine’swaiter Alvin Ross delivered the restaurant’sclassic baked Alaskafor dessert.

TRAVEL

Global Wildlife Center adding newanimalencounters

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

What doesittake to be ahuman kangaroo mom? ForChristinaCooper,executivedirector atGlobal Wildlife Center and mothertoPopcorn, a9-month-old babykangaroo, the list is long: bottles every four hours, awillingness to clean up poopfrom the floors at herhome, a custom pouch for Popcorn to grow and sleep in, past experience caring for ababy kangaroo under consultation with akangaroo rescuer in Australia and adegree in animal science

But visitors at the Global Wildlife Centernow have the opportunity to get up close with kangaroos, no degrees required. Theanimal encounter,called the Walkabout, is a30-minute experience where people of all ages can walk through the center’skangaroo enclosure, take photos with the mob (yes, that’swhat groups of kangaroos are called) and meet Popcorn

Since 1991, Global Wildlife Center has been adestination for family outings and school field trips, but in the last few years, they’ve been working to expand both their offerings for guests and the care they provide for the animals.In addition to the kangaroo encounter,the center addeda capybara encounterlast year,where people can paint withcapybara, and atortoise encounter is in the worksfor the end of June.

‘Weprotect what we love’

These opportunities to meetthe animals must be purchased separately from the traditionalsafari wagon and Pinzgauer tours, but they offer the chance to get up close and personal with the animals —rather than just driving by or seeing them from adistance. As aformer tour guide at the center, Cooper said these experiences allow kids or people who might be alittlenervous or scaredaround animalstohave acomfortableexperience.

allows giraffes to safely receive voluntary veterinary care and collaborated with otheracademics and organizations to do noninvasive research

TheGlobalWildlife Centerruns approximately eight large safari wagon tours and aselection of private/semi-private Pinzgauer tours every day.The beauty of the tours is that anything can happen. Tour guides stay in touch via walkietalkieaboutwhere animals were last spotted, but it’sreally one big game of hideand seek on the 640 acresofopen land where the animals can roam free.

‘Wholenew era’ Macie Matherne grew up spendingsummersand weekends at Global Wildlife Center and feels apersonalconnectiontothe animals.Kameel, oneofthe oldest documented giraffesinthe world, just celebratedher 32nd birthday Matherne, 35, says that she and Kameel grew up together.Though she andher father hada difficult relationship at times, she admires the unique place he was able to create.

“He did always say that he created this space, ultimately,for me,” she said.

After his passing, Macie Matherne has strived to create her own legacy there, but it hasn’talways been easy.In2019, Global Wildlife Center came under serious scrutiny with allegations about financial mismanagement, sexualharassmentand animal neglect. The new CEOsaidshe feelsmanyofthe claims against them in 2019were sensationalized.

But the work she’sdonesinceto improve conditions has shown.

Ryan Schroer,region and international accounts manager for Mazuri, acompany that helps zoos andaquariums with their nutrition needs, says the staffatGlobal WildlifeCenter are consistent in working with him to improve nutrition forthe animals.

Schroer is also aPh.D. student studying gastrointestinalparasites of giraffesinmanaged care, andas part of his research, he stops at the center with as little as afew hours’ notice to observethe giraffesand conductabodyconditionscore an assessment of animal health.

“I’ve got nothing but good things to say,” he said. “They’ve continued to improve and get better and better and better every timeI go there.”

On the consumer side, they were voted the No. 3Best Safari Park in USA Today’s10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

Cooper worked for Global Wildlife Center after she gotout of college in 1996 until 2010. When founder Ken Matherne passed away in 2021, his daughter,Maci,

”Weprotect what we know andwhatwelove,”she said.“If I could get achild that was nervous around animals or scared or afraid, andget them to pet and feed and touch and smile— thattomewas themost rewardingexperience just changing someone’sattitude aboutanimals and helping them to embrace thewonders of nature.”

became the newowner/CEO and asked Cooper to return. Cooper saidher returnpresented an opportunitytomakesomeof thedreams and goals shehad for thecenter areality Partofthat vision was toacquire capybaras, which they’ve done Another goal, she said, was to hire afull-time, on-site veterinarian, Dr.KanyonMcLean.The center has installed agiraffe chute that

On board aPinzgauer tour,rhea birds chased afterthe vehicle evoking “Jurassic Park.” Giraffes come right up andstick their heads into the vehicle, andcows make the silliest faceswhile angling for food. Their mouths are toobig for the cups that the center provides, so people have to dump the food right into theirmouths(thereis slobber involved; be careful).

“This is awhole new era at Global Wildlife Center,” Cooper said while Popcornhoppedaround in her office.

She’swaiting for the day that Popcorncan rejoin themob.Until then,she’llbecaringfor thekangaroo one bottle at atime.

Email SerenaPuangatserena. puang@theadvocate.com.

Customer blamed forpreviousbumperdamageoncar rental

Christopher Elliott

Irented acar from Thrifty in Anchorage and noted damageon the front bumper when Itook the car.Months later,Thrifty is holding me responsiblefor the damage, which Ididn’t cause. The evidence is very clear from the paperwork Ihave, butThrifty’s third-party claims company, PurCo,won’t listen. It claims that Thrifty lost the paperwork proving Ididn’tcause the damage.The paperwork clearly states that the damage wasthere when Ichecked the car out. PurCo wants me to pay$2,212. Canyou help me? —Natasha Bird, Beaverton, Oregon

Thrifty shouldn’t have charged you adime —and not just because you had already noted the damage.I’llget to the other reason in aminute. This is another instance of a companyblamingits customer forsomethingthat wasn’ttheir fault. When you rent acar,itisessential to carefully document any preexisting damagetoavoid being held responsible for it later It soundslike you did everythingbythe book. Youpaid for Thrifty’sdamage waiver.And you notedthe damage on the paperwork when you checked out thecar.But Thrifty’sthird-party

claims company,PurCo, is claiming that Thrifty lost the paperwork. How convenient Could you have done anything differently? Yes. If you ever get another car that’sdamaged, politely ask for another one. I’ve seen too many cases where an employee assures acustomer that “it’s fine” only toreceive abill for repairs later

Youcould have also taken “before” and “after” pictures.I didn’t see any as part of your claim,and Ithink they might have helped establishthat the damage was there before you rented the car Why wasn’tPurCo listening to

you? Your bill included a$400 “administrative fee,” which is what PurCo charges to handle a claim. Iwasn’tthere when your case came in, but if Ihad to guess, I’d say PurCo didn’twant to lose thebusiness. But your case wasa slam dunk. Not only did you have written proof of the preexisting damage, but you also had asecond defense. The dates of your rental didn’t align with the dates on the claim.

Youcould have tried to resolve this on your own by contacting Thrifty’scustomer service executives. Ilist their names and contact information on my consumer

advocacy website, Elliott.org. I also have the names and numbers of the executives at the claims company,Purco Fleet Services. Icontacted Thrifty on your behalf.Arepresentative reviewed your file and agreed that you should not have been charged for the damage. The representative contacted PurCo and requested that it close your claim.

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.

Popcorn,a 9-month-old Kangaroo joey, perches on ashoulder at the Folsom facility

Giraffes, deer and rhea mingle on the property alongsideatour at

Flying to El Paso for a passport one Sunday

BY PAUL CLIFTON Contributing writer

It was a hot Sunday afternoon when the wheels touched down at the El Paso (Texas) International Airport.

Human Condition

The purple/gray silhouette of the Franklin Mountains loomed in the west as I hopped into a taxi and headed downtown to my hotel. I had never been to El Paso, never had an inclination to visit. Until a few days prior, that is.

On a Friday evening. I came home from work and my wife was on the phone. She was distraught, pacing.

“We have a problem,” she mouthed to me, hand over the phone. “Passport.”

She hung up the phone and told me that my passport would expire on Sept. 10. We were to leave for Scotland to attend my oldest son’s wedding on Sept. 4. It was Aug

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D

said Wilbert Carmouche, tourism director “You use your iPhone or smartphone to click on this code, and it takes you to a site that tells you how to get there.”

Visitors are indeed finding the site, and they’re taking photos with the sign for social media, Carmouche said.

Those who don’t want to seek out a QR code kiosk can either visit travelavoyelles.com/about/ find-your-center-in-the-centerof-louisiana on where to find Centre de la Louisiane or simply drive to its physical address at 1860 Old River Road in Mansura which is a little more than 5 miles southeast of Marksville. Visitors driving north on La. 1 should turn right on La. 107, locally known as Cocoville Road, upon approaching Marksville.

After about a mile, turn right on Old River Road, which eventually follows an oxbow lake called Raccourci Old River, a curve left behind by the Mississippi River after it changed course.

A little more than three miles down this road, the marker stands on the left, surrounded by its own crushed stone parking lot in the midst of private fishing camps bordering former waterway “CLECO put up a security light for us in the parking area,” Carmouche said. “So this is a safe spot.”

Marked by a metal sign

The sign is a large, metal cutout of Louisiana, where visitors can frame themselves within the state for photos. “Avoyelles Centre de la Louisiane” borders the top in blue and red letters, and a bubble noting “You are here” marks the location on a mini outline of the state The exact coordinates of this

ALBUM

Continued from page 1D

Chenier’s birthday It features Jagger singing the original Creole lyrics, backed by Grammywinning accordionist Steve Riley of Mamou Playboys fame.

Recorded in 1965, the original is a hard-driving, stripped-down romp of accordion, rubboard and drums, Clifton Chenier’s early sound that rocked dancehalls and rural house dances in southwest Louisiana. In later years, he added horns, organ and blues guitar, an electrifying mix that put his “Bogalusa Boogie” album in the Grammy Hall of Fame and Library of Congress.

Adcock was challenged with making Clifton Chenier’s barebones, old-school zydeco work with the signature guitars of Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards. The results gave him the “frissons,” French for chill bumps.

“Keith and Ronnie did what they always do — the ancient art of weaving,” Adcock said “They find a way to snake around each other and support each other Two guitars end up sounding like one. I was on cloud nine watching how they let it unfold.

“It sounded like the Stones. It wasn’t a little cute, cultural cameo. It was like, ‘Oh let us pay tribute to your culture.’ It was also ‘No, we’re the Stones. We make Stones records — in whatever we do.’ I thought that was a very, very cool thing.”

Adcock will always cherish his “catbird seat” in producing a historic blend of music cultures.

27. I could fly to Ireland but I could not return Panicked, I googled expedited passports. The U.S Department of State website noted that one could make an appointment at a passport agency/office for a quick turnaround under certain circumstances. I called the number and

location are 30.5191 degrees north, 91.5209 degrees west. Carmouche and assistant tourism director Mary Guillory pinpointed these numbers after extensive research.

“We started working on this in September of 2024,” Carmouche said. “We looked at maps in the Assessor’s Office and discovered that the center was not where it was previously marked.”

Guillory said a concrete marker once declared the state’s geographic center as being 40 yards north of where the new marker stands

“We looked at the maps, and we knew that wasn’t right,” Guillory said. “We were doing a rebranding of Avoyelles Parish at the time, and we knew this would be the perfect identity for us, because though we have good food and friendly people, we aren’t the only parish in the state that has these things.”

But not every parish can claim to be the exact center of the state, bringing together north and south Louisiana, along with a diversity of cultures and traditions where where French and English are equally prevalent.

Avoyelles Parish is also home to the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana.

Dare to drive the twisty-turns of Avoyelles Parish’s backroads for a chance to stand right smack in the middle of the state. While there, take a selfie or group photo. And don’t forget to tag Avoyelles Parish Tourism when posting them. For more information, visit travelavoyelles.com.

Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

IMAGE FROM FRANCIS PAVy/FACEBOOK Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is releasing a 7-inch vinyl of the Rolling Stones and Steve Riley performing Clifton Chenier’s ‘Zydeco Sont Pas Sale,’ as part of a 100th anniversary tribute to the King of Zydeco.

“This speaks to how much they respect Clifton and how important that music is. I would not have felt comfortable going to them with a tribute to Buddy Guy or Muddy Waters or Dolly Parton,” Adcock said. “It was something about Clifton. They knew that music. It was just kinky enough that it would be something that they would be involved in.

“It speaks to how much they love American music and how much they knew zydeco.”

Herman Fuselier is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. A longtime journalist covering Louisiana music and culture, he lives in Opelousas His “Zydeco Stomp” show airs at noon Saturdays on KRVS 88.7 FM.

waited, held captive to dreadful, soulless hold music.

As I sat, sporadic skitterings emanated from our attic.

Being an environmental consultant, I knew well the black hole that is bureaucracy Finally, an angel came on the line and I told her our story

“OK, let’s see if we can get you into the New Orleans office,” she said. I listened, her keyboard clacked, each stroke a spike to my skull.

“Hmmm, there is an opening in November Well, that’s not gonna work, is it? Hold on.”

And then she said something I will never forget.

“Don’t worry, we are going to get you to your son’s wedding.”

After more searching, she came up with an open 8 a.m. slot the following Monday in El Paso. That night, I booked a flight for Sunday By the next evening, the thumping and skittering in the attic had

become louder, bolder I climbed the attic steps, cleared the top and shone a flashlight into the dusty darkness. The beam exposed two neon eyes, perfectly still.

The raccoon assumed an indignant posture on its hind legs as if I had interrupted something. I had read somewhere that light, sound and scent can run them off, so I filled a huge bowl with white vinegar, grabbed a portable radio (tuned to the most annoying country music station I could find), left the light on and hoped for the best.

“Yep, it’s a raccoon,” I told my wife, trying, and failing, to be nonchalant.

Now to Sunday I got on a plane and left my wife at home, alone, with a raccoon banging around in the attic and the specter of an expired passport hanging over the family like Damocles’ sword.

Once I checked into the hotel, I walked five blocks to the passport office to recon. I had the requisite documents

proof of travel and receipts, birth certificate, on and on. All night, I obsessed over what else could go wrong. Then I found it. A sign on the office door stated cash only so I wandered around downtown El Paso searching for an ATM. At 8 a.m. Monday, the passport office was quite busy but well-run with helpful staff and, unbelievably, I was out of there by 10 a.m., crisp new passport in hand. I called home. The raccoon had fled.

I got on a plane bound for Baton Rouge first thing Tuesday I could finally breathe; all was well. Scotland and the wedding were beautiful.

— Clifton lives in Baton Rouge. Human Condition submissions of 600 words or fewer may be emailed to features@ theadvocate.com. Stories will be kept on file and publication is not guaranteed. There is no payment for Human Condition.

TOOKER

Continued from page 1D

in and love of Louisiana food.

“My world revolved around her and meals at her house,” Tooker said. “My great-grandmother coming to pick me up and taking me out to lunch or cooking in her kitchen with Rose and Lily, who were like the original food processors, taught me how to love people with food — so that food became my love language and my vehicle for showing you how much.”

I asked Tooker to choose a restaurant for our lunch that she felt best represented classic New Orleans. She said it was a tough call, but ultimately, for her, there was only one answer: Antoine’s Restaurant.

Located at 713 St. Louis St. in the French Quarter, Antoine’s dates back to 1840, “when New Orleans was queen city of the Mississippi River when cotton was king and French gentlemen settled their differences under the oaks with pistols for two and coffee for one,” as the restaurant describes its origins. Rick Blount, CEO, is the current family custodian of Antoine’s. He’s the fifth generation of the family to run the iconic establishment. He stopped by the table to chat, too. As he describes it, “Our family’s been hoarding here on St. Louis Street for 185 years.”

His wife Lisa Blount stopped by later to chat and get feedback on the meal, the new menu design and the importance of keeping dishes reasonably priced.

Antoine’s food and ambience for our Friday lunch would be hard to beat. Gentle piano music played in the background. The light was perfect.

We tried three different oysters: the Rockefeller, the Foch and Ronquille. All three were outstanding, but Tooker and I agreed that the Ronquille — new to Antoine’s menu and a specialty of chef Ralph Pausina — was a revalation.

On a first-name basis

Tooker knows the incredible vastness of Antoine’s and its history well. A few years ago, she had the chance to help catalog the contents of some of the restaurant’s rooms that had been locked for decades. In 2019, she facilitated the donation of the ephemera to the Historic New Orleans Collection, which has an ongoing cataloging project of the artifacts.

“Have you ever been in the Japanese room on the second floor?” she asked.

I said I had not.

Tooker, by the way, is on a firstname basis with Antoine’s family members, including those who ran the place 150 years ago.

“It’s a wonderful room in and of itself. Jules (Alciatore, son of Antoine) created it in the late 1890s when Japanese art was so in. It was one of his first really big banquet rooms,” she explains. “When Dec. 7 happened in Pearl Harbor, they literally locked the doors and never went back in there for like 40 years. They never used the space. Isn’t that the wildest thing? That is how big and how great this place is.”

She moves on to another room where she found and read handwritten and typed correspondence from Roy Alciatore, who managed the restaurant through the Prohibition era and World War II.

“Roy really brought this place into its 20th-century fame,” she said. “He planned the 100th anniversary and marketed that so successfully that it really put them on the map.”

She explained that Roy Alciatore didn’t think that there should be a telephone that people could call for reservations. Instead, he believed people should write a letter

“So, every letter that Roy received was there,” she said. “The original was there, but even better, he meticulously made a carbon copy of his response to every letter, attached to the original. I mean, what a writer’s dream.”

The treasure trove of Antoine’s and New Orleans history included correspondence from Walt Disney, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and more.

An all-in approach

Beyond the oysters, Antoine’s iconic potato puffs served with Bearnaise sauce might have been

the best thing on the table. I keep thinking of them. The French onion soup was rich and the cheese just right. The salad was fresh and satisfying.

The baked Alaska at the end of the meal was over the top. Its meringue was perfectly charred and tasted just as good.

The overall experience felt fancy Even so, Antoine’s does a great job of keeping the dishes affordable. If you haven’t been to Antoine’s in a while (or forever), take this as your sign to go. We had a peek behind the scenes, thanks to Tooker, but the magic wasn’t exclusive.

Tooker won me over with her all-in approach to life, love and Louisiana. She’s not one of those people who compartmentalizes her life into various segments — it’s all on the table at once, mixing and meshing flavors.

She doesn’t shy away from the hardest parts of life. Earlier this year, she became a widow Her husband, Kenny Tobin, died on Feb. 28, 2025. He was diagnosed with ALS in March 2024. Tobin was the teenage love she never forgot — and she believed he was the love of her life. The pair reconnected in 2015 and married in 2022.

“The disease raced through his body We had only been married about two years at that point,” she said. After she buried him, she wanted to move away from the home where she had nursed him through the illness. One day, she ran into Geoffrey Lutz at Costco. He was an old high school friend from her brief stint at NOCCA. Fifty years later, that brief detour ended up reshaping her world again through Lutz.

She mentioned she was looking for a place in the French Quarter As it happened, he had one. She took it, and, in the months since, the two have fallen in love.

Tooker is aware that the timing may seem unconventional, but she is in love. She’s happy and grateful for another chance.

“I just keep singing. I feel like Julie Andrews,” she said. “When I burst into song, which I do often, I will sing, ‘Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.’” Whether ordering a drink, sharing the history of a place she adores or falling in love again, Tooker lives with the same intensity she brings to the table — all heart, all flavor, all in.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

French onion soup from Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans

STAFF PHOTO By IAN McNULTy

Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans is the oldest continuously family-run restaurant in the U.S

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,June 22, the 173rd day of 2025. There are 192 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On June 22, 1938, in a rematch that bore the weight of both geopolitical symbolism and African American representation, American Joe Louis knocked out German Max Schmeling in just two minutes and four seconds to retain his heavyweight boxing title in front of 70,000 spectators at New York’sYankee Stadium.

On this date:

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated for asecond time as Emperor of the French. 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, amassive and ultimately ill-fated invasion of the Soviet Union that would prove pivotal to the Allied victory over the Axis Powers.

In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, more popularly known as the “GI Bill of Rights,” which provided tuition coverage, unemployment support and low-interest home and businessloans to returning veterans.

In 1945, the World War II Battle of Okinawaended with an Allied victory

In 1970, President Richard Nixon signed an extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that lowered the minimum voting age to 18.

In 1977, John N. Mitchell became the first former U.S. Attorney General to go to prison as he began serving asentencefor his role in the Watergate cover-up.

In 1981, Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to killing rock star and former Beatle John Lennon.

In 1986, Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona scored the infamous

“Hand of God” goal in the quarterfinalsofthe FIFA World Cup against England, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead.(Maradonawould follow minutes later witha remarkable individual effort that become known as the “Goal of theCentury,” and Argentinawon 2-1.)

In 1992, the U.S.Supreme Court, in R.A.V v. City of St.Paul, unanimouslyruled that “hate crime” laws that banned cross burningand similarexpressionsofracial biasviolated free-speech rights.

In 2011, after evading arrest for 16 years, mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger was captured in SantaMonica, California. In 2012, former Penn Stateassistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted by ajuryin Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, on 45 counts of sexually assaulting10boysover 15 years. (Sandusky would later be sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.)

Today’sBirthdays: Actor Prunella Scales is 93. Actor KlausMaria Brandauer is 82. Fox News analyst Brit Hume is 82. Musician-producer PeterAsher (Peter and Gordon) is 81. Musicianproducer Todd Rundgren is 77. Actor Meryl Streep is 76. Actor Lindsay Wagneris76. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.,is76. Actor Graham Greene is 73. Singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauperis72. Actor Bruce Campbell is 67. Environmentalactivist Erin Brockovich is 65. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is 65. Basketball Hall of FamerClyde Drexler is 63. Actor Amy Brenneman is 61. Author Dan Brown is 61. Actor Mary Lynn Rajskub is 54. Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner is 54. TV personalityCarson Daly is 52. Actor Donald Faison is 51. Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey is 47. Golfer Dustin Johnson is 41.

Musicians’ formal clothesnot formal enough

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave had season tickets to theorchestra for acouple of decades.For evening concerts, the orchestra wearswhitetie, and women soloistswear evening dress. For afternoon concerts, the soloistsstill wear evening dress, and the men in the orchestra wear black suits, black shirts and black ties

The musicians who are women, however,wear an assortment of black clothes:from black slacks witharegular black shirt to an orchestramusician’straditionallong black dress. In my opinion, some of the women look as though they should be turning on the TV and getting abowl of popcorn.

er to dress up. Granted, women are expected to showvariety in their outfits, and there areunlikely to be enough formal events in modern life for themtoinvest in an evening wardrobe.

But even when such occasions weremore common, ladies knew how to dress up without maintaining costume shops —pairing basic dresses withscarves, jewelry or little jackets.

Gentle reader: Strange, isn’tit, that when formal clothes arecalled for, men areoften now more dressed up than women? Not counting the Oscars, of course

Miss Manners has noticed this in orchestras, but also at social events. The men will be properly —not to mention attractively —clad in dinner jackets, while many of the women hardly both-

Dear Heloise: Twoyearsago, afriend

asked me to attend aself-defenseclass withher becauseshe felt uncomfortable going alone. So, Iagreed, and it was the smartest thing I’ve ever done

As for orchestras, surely women musicians can find long black dresses or trouser suits they can wear at everyconcert. Variety is not aconcerninthis case.Ofcourse, these garmentswould have to allow for ease in playing their instruments. Miss Manners recalls reading about acellistwho tried on adress in aNew York department store by sitting down and opening her legs to accommodate an imaginarycello —whereupon the saleswoman said sternly,“Madam!

Bergdorf’s is not that kind of store!”

Dear Miss Manners: I’m in my late 70s and enjoy spending time with my adult

children. My son-in-law drives avan, whichisvery hard for me to get into. I would prefer to take our car,which is easy for me. However,anytime we go as agroup, we take his van.

When Iasked my husband what we might do to avoid my difficulty,hejust said, “(Son-in-law) likes to drive.”

I’m spending my second day in pain from getting in and out of this van. Would it be rude of me to insist on taking our car? How should Iexpress my needs without seeming too demanding? Also, I’m not able to drive at night.

Gentlereader: So you really need your son-in-law’shelp in getting around, and it is not unreasonable for him to use his own car —especially as there seem to be several people in this group, and avan is probably abetter fit.

Miss Manners is not unsympathetic with you; she mentions this only to free you from any sense of victimhood. And then to tell you to buy a small folding footstool to keep in the van for these excursions.

Email dearmissmanners@gmail. com.

This past Christmas while Iwas out shopping one evening, Iwas busy placing packages in the trunk of my car Aman came up behind me, grabbed my hair, and said I’d better give him money or else. He had asmall gun aimed at my neck. Isaid that Ihad no cash and usually shopped with my credit cards. Ifigured this would work to get rid of him. It didn’t.

He took my car keys and told me to get in the car.Irefused and used three moves thatmyself-defenseinstructortaught me to use. Dangerous?Yes, but if Igot intothe car,hemight have killed me out in the middle of nowhere If he shotme, therewould have been aloud noise, and in abusy parking lot, someone might have heard and called for help. He got away,but Iwas unhurt. I

urge other women to take self-defense classes. It might save your life someday.Itsaved mine,and Iwas alive to seemyfirst grandchild born afew months ago. —Joan D.,inNew York Coffeepotcleaning

Dear Heloise: Iread the helpful hint from areader about cleaning glass coffeepots. Insteadofa special stain remover,Iuse baking soda and dish soap; it works great! No chemicals, just natural products. —Michele C., Cypress, California Michele, if you happen to forget to turn off the pot at night, and you have somenastyburnedcoffee stuck to the bottom of the pot in the morning, just take2tablespoons of baking soda, ahandful of ice cubes, and asquirt of dishwashing soap.Then swirl the mixture around in theglass pot. It will loosen up thegunk on the bottom

—Heloise Keepingperfume fresh

Dear Heloise: Acouple of years ago, I wasgiven abeautiful, decorative box that sat on my dresser.Itwas fairly large but empty.One day,I decided to

store all my perfumebottles inside of it. This reduced clutter on my dresser, kept sunlight off the bottles, and kept all of my perfumeatabout the same temperature. People tell me that I’m hiding all the pretty bottles, but what good are the bottles if the perfume has lost its fragrance or evaporated? —Bianca, Kingston, Rhode Island Honeyvs. sugar

Dear Heloise: Which is better foryou: sugar or honey?

—Betty,inMichigan Betty,honey and sugar are both comprised of glucose and fructose, although honey contains less of each. Honey has been used forcenturies as asweetener and amedicine. It has vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids and enzymes. Sugar does not. However,sugar has about 49 calories per tablespoon while honey has 64. Honey is sweeter than sugar, which meansyou could probably use less honey than sugar.Itisnot recommended to give honey to children under 12 months of age due to arisk of infant botulism —Heloise Sendahinttoheloise@heloise.com.

BETWEEN THEPAGES WITH WENDyA.GAUDIN

Xavier professordives into Creole rootsinnew book

‘SunsetLimited’usestrain routetoinvestigate lineage

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Louisiana is arich stateofmixed-race

people.Wendy A. Gaudin,a California native and descendant of LouisianaCreoles, approachesthe complextapestryofwhat it means to be Afro-Creole in Louisiana and California in her creative nonfiction book, “Sunset Limited: An Autobiography of Creole.”

Gaudin uses the train route, theSunset Limited —atrain that manyCreolefamilies took from New Orleans to LosAngeles —asavessel for investigating herown family’slineage and experiences while examining the cultural and social elements of being Creole inside and outsideofLouisiana.

Gaudin forms apersonal, nuanced history that includes elements of poetry and imagery

Gaudin is ahistorian, essayist,poetand history professor at Xavier University in New Orleans, where she teaches courses in the disciplinesofhistory and African American and diaspora studies. Herresearch interests areprimarily in Creole history and the historiesof racially mixed people in different French colonial contexts, namely south Louisiana and south Vietnam.

How did you approach your unique style of including poetryand imageryamong the history?

My Ph.D., master’sand bachelor’sdegrees are all in history,and Idid learn how to write the standard, traditional, third-person singular style that is supposed to be from an objective point of view

But Ialso studied oral history,and one of the elements is the relationship of the recorder of the story to the person telling their story.You cannot act as if you are two machines telling stories

Californian, and that perception of me may shapewhat they tell me and how they tell me.I would also saythat I’ve always been acreative writer

My strengthisinterdisciplinary.Iwrite creativenonfiction. Iwriteautoethnography.Iwritepoetry.Iweave them all together.I wrote from my strength, rather than the dictates of my discipline.

”Sunset Limited” is accessible in away that people can connect to it and not feel likethey’re reading above their understanding.Though, at the same time, it’seducational. How did you accomplish that?

Ireally wanted it to speak to multiple audiences —topeople who are interested in life, life stories, life writing. Idid not want it to only speak to academics.

Ialso want to say Creoles are more than onething, and so Iwanted the book to reflect themultidimensionalityofCreoles.

What similarities do you see in the Creolediaspora to Los Angelesand the Louisiana Creolemigration to other cities?

There were different migrations. One migration was New Orleans to Chicago, primarily around World WarI,and another was southwest Louisiana to Houston.

Other ethnic groups live in Chicago, so it’sadifferent kind of landscape than Houston and adifferent landscape from LosAngeles

All of that is going to shape how Creoles integrate into alandscape that has differentethnicities, and perhaps even how they’reperceived.

They may have been perceived as Greeksinone place, and then as Italians in another place, as Latin Americansin another place, and Idon’t thinkthat there’sanythingstrange about that. Ithink that’swhat happens when people are of mixed ethnicity.

We look at each other We hear each other’s accents. We share some of our history witheach other.When you’rean oral historian, you give some of yourself to the subject that you’re interviewing, and it’snot flat.It’smultidimensional. It’svery rich

PROVIDED PHOTO

WendyA.Gaudin, Xavier University historyprofessorand authorof ‘Sunset Limited: An Autobiography of Creole’

Iwas speaking to these Creoles whoare my grandparents’ generation, andI am a younger generation. They may be judging me based on how Ilook, how Ispeakasa

So, they find their place, and they fit into whatever that place is.

What wouldyour grandparents have thought about the new pope being descended from a 7th Ward family?

Ithink that my grandmother,Rita Roux, probably would have been especially proud that he was a7th Warder like herself.

She probably would have said, “Oh, yeah. I know all of them.”

So manyofusknow people within Creole families that sort of cross the color line back andforth,like aswinging door.Members of my own family have done that.

Ithink my grandparentswould not be surprised. They would probably look at him and say,“Yes, he looks like members of ourfamily.”

What do you think peopledon’tunderstand about leavingaspecificculture within acountry?

That identity is notsimple. Self-definition is not simple. The idea that we are one thing is absurd.

Race is such an overwhelming dominant narrative and adominant category that it fools us intothinking that we are just this one thing, even if we have to tear ourselves apartorsqueezeourselves until we can’tbreathetofitintothat category

Migration is abeautiful way of understanding that we are more than one thing, and our identity is made up of multiple elements of our lives. People of mixed race are apeople, not just part this or part

that. We share things across language, acrosstime.Ifeel that Creoles are a part of the African diaspora, and we’re also part of the multiracial, post-colonial world.

Although“SunsetLimited” tells afairly comprehensive historyofLouisiana Creoles, is there anything that youwould add?

Perhaps Iwould write alittle bit about Acadiana, because Acadiana has awhole Creole history and aculture that’squite different from New Orleans.

Email Joy Holdenatjoy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

Mark Twainoncesharedthe stagewitha NewOrleans writer

Little wonder that “Mark Twain,” Ron Chernow’snew book about America’smost famous writer,has climbed up this summer’sbestseller list. Chernow, whose 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton inspired ablockbuster Broadway musical, has a devoted following of fans. Twain, of course, has his stalwart community of admirers, too. Even those who have never read Twain’sbooks know who he was. His success as astage performer,mixing public readings of his work with humorous monologues,made Twain America’sfirst stand-up comic. Those performances, so often recreated for modern audiences by the late actor Hal Holbrook, extended Twain’slegacy as apublic wit into our own time. But what few readers know and what Chernow’sbiography makes vividly clear —isthat when Twain embarked onone

memorableleg of his lecture tour, he had aNew Orleans sidekick who seemed to please audiences at least as much as the author of “Huckleberry Finn.”

Twain’slecture partner,whom Chernowdiscusses in great detail, was George Washington Cable,aNew Orleans writer who gained anational reputation in thelatter part of the 19th century because of hisstory collection, “Old Creole Days,”and anovel, “The Grandissimes.”

Cable used Creoledialect in hisstories andalso sang Creole tunes, which made him, like

Twain, notonly an author but an entertainer.

WhenTwain embarked on a four-month lecture tour between 1884 and1885, he asked Cable to be part of thegig. Twain had abig ego,but he apparently got lonely on theroad,sothe thought of having aprotégéalong seemed appealing. His choice of Cable as akind of warmupact wasn’t withoutcontroversy

Cable, who’d fought forthe Confederacy andwas theson of a slave owner,had publicly called foranend to racist policiesinthe ebb of Reconstruction, arguing that Americans shouldn’ttolerate “a class of people less thancitizens.” Many Southerners were incensed.

In the North, though, Cable had fewworries abouthis reception.

“Wehad agreattime last night,”hewrotefrom Boston. “Twenty-twohundred people applauding laughing &encoring in

washogging thestage.

As Twainput it,his juniorpartner’s“constantdisposition is to lengthen his pieces —henever shortensone.”

There were other tensions,too. Cable,a devout Presbyterian,“refused to travel on theSabbath because he wanted to rise earlyand attendlocal churches andSunday schools,” Chernow tells readers. Twain, who neversuffered from an excess of piety,thought the delayinhis tourschedule awaste of time.

After theirtravels, thepair’s friendship cooled,“andthere was neverasequeltotheir celebrated speaking tour,”Chernowwrites Cable,meanwhile,suffered“viciouscriticism back home” and decidedthathenolongerfitin NewOrleans. He andhis family moved to Massachusetts.

Music Hall.”

But Twain, neverone to share the limelight,began to grumble, privately complaining that Cable

TRADEPAPERBACK

Email DannyHeitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

1. “Till SummerDoUsPart” by Meghan Quinn

2. “Problematic SummerRomance”by Ali Hazelwood

3. “The Tenant”byFreidaMcFadden 4. “One Golden Summer”

FILE PHOTO

Author Samuel Clemens,better known under hispen name of Mark Twain

Issued June 11-17

Commercial alterations

RETAIL: 2801 Johnston St., description, facade improvements to an existing South College Center; applicant, Ziler Architects; contractor, Castle Row Construction; $900,000.

INDUSTRIAL: 1017 Freeman Road, Broussard; description

fire damage repair; applicant CAD Control System; contractor, Pro Construction One; $349,041.

MEDICAL: 315 Rue Louis XIV, description, install new PET CT camera and related equipment along with other minor renovations at Cardiac Specialists of Acadiana; ap-

Lafayette among fastest internet speeds in U.S

plicant, Hashmet Wali & Associates; contractor, Tom Rectenwald Construction; $300,000 SCHOOL: 801 Mudd Ave description, minor renovation to add a vestibule to secure entrance at Baranco Elementary; applicant, MBSB Group; contractor, Chart Construction; $231,305.

RESTAURANT: 409 Brook Ave description, interior modification to Park Bistro dining room; applicant, Zaunbrecher Design; contractor, Peter Cooke/owner; $30,000. New construction BAR: 4401 Johnston St., description, new location for Legends of Lafayette bar and

Lafayette has one of the fastest internet speeds in the country, according to a national report

The 2025 ISP Reports of U.S cities’ internet speeds found that Lafayette’s average internet speed of 9,036 Mbps and was second-best among cities with a population between 100,000 and 249,999 residents. At that speed, it would take about a minute to download a 4K Ultra HD movie.

MARUCCI

Continued from page 1E

“torpedo bats” in the majors — is that Marucci is determined to remain on the cutting edge of innovation in the old ball game.

Earlier this year, Marucci and Victus became the official bats of Major League Baseball, replacing rival bat maker Louisville Slugger One reason for the switch, Noah Garden, deputy commissioner for MLB, told The Athletic, was that Marucci had innovation in its DNA The company operates a baseball performance lab in Baton Rouge Ballplayers come there to be fitted for a bat, or multiple bats, with custom weights and shapes for different hitters or hitting situations.

“For years, there hadn’t been a lot of changes to baseball equipment,” said Kurt Ainsworth, Marucci’s cofounder and CEO, in a phone interview “Now it’s all very high-tech, and we’re on the forefront.”

This focus on highly engineered gear has helped Marucci become the most popular bat maker in professional baseball. According to Bat Digest, Marucci and Victus account for half of MLB bat market share. The company has also carved out a chunk of a much bigger market. Building on a close relationship with college baseball powerhouse LSU, it now sells aluminum and composite bats to collegiate athletes, high schoolers and little leaguers with major league dreams.

In addition to bats, Marucci now sells gloves, balls, helmets, apparel and footwear. And, since 2015, it has opened 14 Hitter’s Houses globally These retail stores — with batting cages in the back — promote the brand and the game all at once. All these offerings earned the company roughly $192 million in revenue in 2024, according to an annual report from its parent company

“We’re going to do things that will shock some people,” Ainsworth said. “And we want to become a household name.”

Arms race

Early on a recent weekday morning, Marucci’s unassuming Baton Rouge headquarters was already buzzing with activity.

In the Hitter’s House at the front of the campus, employees were preparing for the days’ shoppers and sluggers to arrive A few buildings away, Marucci executives were meeting in a large, glass-walled conference room. Colorful bats, gloves, helmets and other gear covered the walls And in the factory across the parking lot, a worker was operating a lathe that turns cylinders of unfinished maple — called billets — into usable, if unfinished, bats in seconds. A dozen or so co-workers were busy sanding, painting and stenciling.

The high-tech scene was a few doors down. In the performance lab, Micah Gibbs, the company’s director of player performance, was giving a tour of one of the most advanced batting cages in the world, equipped with cameras and other sensors to study every element of a batter’s swing.

Marucci opened the space in 2023 in partnership with The Golf Lab, a 16-year-old venture that provides

BUILDING PERMITS

grill; applicant and contractor, Stellco; $900,000.

STORAGE: 3001 Mills St., description, Store N Lock facility; applicant, SPEC LLC; contractor, Fremin General Contractors; no value listed. New residential

208 HAMMER LAKE RUN, BROUSSARD: Provence Homes, $2.5 million.

308 ALEXANDER PALM WAY BROUSSARD: Signature Series Homes, $300,000. 108 TRAVELERS PALM WAY, BROUSSARD: $300,000.

305 BENSON GROVE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Level Homes, $264,342.

308 OLD SUGAR MILL DRIVE,

The report gave Lafayette an A- and noted its fiber coverage reached 92% of households. Companies providing fiber service include LFT Fiber, AT&T, Cox, Earthlink, T-Mobile and Verizon

The digital connectivity index was ranked at 66/100. It was Lafayette’s first time to make the list.

“Lafayette combines a strong infrastructure backbone with solid adoption and affordability,” the report said. “Lafayette’s highspeed network is well positioned to support ongoing economic growth

3605

YOUNGSVILLE: Level Homes, $293,904.

101 EMBARK LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $204,000.

106 PROVINCETOWN LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $190,000. 120 BAYFIELD DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $190,000. 100 NEWTOWN DRIVE: Manuel Builders, $210,420. 227 CAMERONS COVE DRIVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders, $155,160. 224 CAMERONS COVE DRIVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders, $163,620 210 SURREY ST.: Heine Development Co.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

and enhance community quality of life.”

Lafayette was behind only West Valley City, Utah, for the fastest speed in its category.

Chattanooga, Tennessee, was far ahead of every other major city in the survey regardless of category at 17,141 Mpbs due to the recent investments in its EPB Fiber Network, one of the nation’s first municipally owned gigabit services.

ISP Reports used block-level data to assess internet speeds, ac-

counting for both the availability and the number of people who can access high-speed internet in each area, to gain a realistic picture of internet performance in each city

Loft18 featuring golf gaming opens Broussard

Loft18, the Metairie-based chain of bar and grills that feature virtual sports simulator bays, opened its Broussard location Friday

The 10,000-square-foot restau-

golfers with quantitative data designed to help improve their game.

in use, techs attach wires and nodes to a batter’s body to track movement and speed. A 3D motion capture system, ground plates and sensors

attached to bats gather additional data.

“Players have had hitting coaches forever, but it’s hard to quickly retrain your body to change motion, especially when facing 100 mph pitches,” said Gibbs, a former LSU player “So, if a batter is having a slump, there might be an easier fix: Just change the bat.”

Hometown home run

The origin of Marucci Sports is far from high tech. In fact, the company started in one backyard and moved to another before hitting the big time.

In the early 2000s, longtime LSU athletic trainer Jack Marucci set up shop in his backyard, next to his own wiffleball field, to make the perfect wood bat for his young son Gino. He continued to make bats of all sizes as a hobby, and his connection to college baseball and, by extension, the pros — helped him show them off to influential players.

In 2004, Ainsworth and Joe Lawrence, both former LSU ballplayers who spent time in the majors, were rehabbing injuries at LSU They recognized the potential in what Marucci was making and convinced him to partner with them to turn the hobby into a business They invested in equipment and moved the operation to Ainsworth’s backyard.

The company’s quick ascent is now legendary Marucci bats were officially approved by MLB for in-game use in 2005. Then, over the next two decades, Marucci gained more highprofile users and everyday fans.

The company has acquired several competitors, including Victus, Lizard Skins and Baum. It’s been bought twice itself, first for $200 million in 2020 by Connecticutbased publicly traded holding company Compass Diversified, and for $572 million in 2023 by Georgia’s Fox Factory Holding Corp. Today, Marucci has about 400 employees worldwide. Most work in Baton Rouge or in a fulfillment center in Geismar Others are stationed throughout the United States, with outposts in Tokyo and the United Kingdom.

Jack Marucci and Lawrence are no longer involved in the company’s day-to-day operations.

rant held a grand opening to mark its opening in the former Ballroom of Broussard space at 405 Albertson Parkway

Loft18 has six simulator bays that can play a variety of games, along with a VIP room. The bays can hold up to 12 people The menu includes sports bar and grill food such as hamburgers, wings

Playing catchup

Marucci Sports has expansion plans, including opening a public factory tour in Baton Rouge this summer Florida-based training company The Stable, which operates a training facility on the Baton Rouge campus, will set up shop later this year at a Marucci facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, which will also house a Hitter’s House and performance lab.

But Ainsworth said staying on the cutting edge of tech is key to growth plans in a sport where cameras and computers are part of every pro practice and teams are hiring former NASA scientists and MIT grads.

Marucci is now helping teams design gear for different scenarios: batting against a left-handed pitcher vs. a right-handed pitcher, for instance. Or making lighter bats for players who are having an off day or are feeling under the weather

“The game is changing,” Ainsworth said. “There used to be one bat for all situations, but now players may have a few dozen models. It’s like golfers using different clubs.”

New bat designs have become popular The “torpedo” bat with a bulge in the barrel that moves its center of gravity closer to the hitter’s hands — has been embraced by many pros, particularly after a jaw-dropping surge of homers by the New York Yankees early this season drew attention to the strangely shaped sticks.

The research and design extend to gloves, cleats and other gear

“We’re designing and developing products that feel like an extension of your body,” Ainsworth said.

Major leaguers are the company’s highest-profile customers. At its headquarters, there’s a wall of signatures from stars who have traveled to Baton Rouge to study their swing.

But the company’s most important market, by far, is everybody else, said Tulane University business professor Peter Ricchiuti, a big-time baseball fan whose office on campus is filled with MLB memorabilia.

“It’s amazing that Marucci was able to break into a business that was dominated by Louisville Slugger, which was to baseball bats what Q-tips are to cotton swabs,” Ricchiuti said. “When youngsters see big leaguers swinging a Marucci bat, they want one.”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Pallets of billets fill the Marucci Sports Baton Rouge warehouse as an employee inspects several for processing

Baseball cards of players that use Marucci equipment line a wall with a few cards of CEO Kurt Ainsworth in the office.

Micah Gibbs, director of player performance and master bat fitter, holds a bat while talking about bat balance at the Baseball Performance Lab on the Marruci Sports campus in Baton Rouge.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Some baseball players that use Marucci bats have signed a special wall at the office.

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Musician, PreSonus founder still ‘takes every meeting’

Audio company sold to Fender for $200M

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Baton Rouge native Jim Odom

Q&A WITH JIM ODOM

is a musician, inventor and businessman who cofounded PreSonus Audio Electronics in 1995 to meet the growing demand for affordable digital music-making gear used in recording studios and on stage. The company’s first pro duc t, made in a temporary factory set up in the back of a Baton Rouge furniture store, won awards at an industry trade show for its ability to improve the sound quality of recorded audio. PreSonus launched several hit products early on that launched it into competition with Yamaha and other global brands operating in the same space. Then, over the next quarter-century it continued to grow and expand, adding a successful software business to its portfolio in the early 2000s and employing roughly 180 people in Baton Rouge.

In 2021, Odom sold PreSonus to Fender Musical Instruments Corp., the famous guitar maker, for more than $200 million. He stayed at the company until a little over a year ago, when he completed his assignment to merge the companies’ research and development, and product groups. Now, the serial entrepreneur — also a decadeslong guitarist in the Louisiana rock band LeRoux, famous for the 1978 hit song “New Orleans Ladies” — is coaching and investing in companies from

STAFF FILE PHOTO By TRAVIS SPRADLING A curved ‘CDL 12’ model loudspeaker manufactured for PreSonus Audio Electronics can be stacked in an arc with multiple speakers, providing sound that is of the same volume, regardless of where one is in a room. PreSonus founder Jim said the company’s first product, a digital signal processor called the DCP-8, took off when it was used by Broadway shows in New york.

around the world.

In this week’s Talking Biz, adapted from a conversation earlier this spring, Odom talks about building and selling the business, the challenges along the way and what’s next.

This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity

In the 1990s, there was a “digital revolution” in the music industry when the move away from expensive analog gear — like tape machines — made it much more affordable to get professional sound quality

Can you talk about your company’s role in bringing audio electronics to the masses?

When digital audio was invented, it meant that a piece of gear that might have cost $100,000 was now $5,000. It became possible for someone to build a little room in their house to record and produce music. The large studios at the time were charging $1,000 to $2,000 a day because their investment in equipment was in the neighborhood of $500,000 to $1 million.

We started by developing tools for those home studios.

Who were you competing with?

Companies like Yamaha and Mackie, but we found our niche in things like digital signal processing.

What is that?

You can send a signal from a microphone, for instance, through a processor and change the sound. You can equalize it, change the pitch of it or do anything with it using software that lives inside a microchip.

You were in a garage competing with global corporations. What were the decisions that you made that allowed you to grow?

The term ignorance is bliss comes to mind. I had some experience building products at my previous job, so we built a small factory in the back of a furniture store. We had robotic machines working on circuit boards. Customers would wander into the back wondering what was happening.

Your garage era was brief. You scaled up pretty quickly In 1995, my partner and I went to a major music industry trade show in Los Angeles. We had a 10-by-10 booth, launched our first product, a digital signal processor called the DCP-8, and it was named one of the top 10 products of the show out of about 900 companies.

How was it used?

It ended up somewhere we didn’t expect, on Broadway in New York City They would stack

about 10 of these and use them to control all of the microphones for the actors onstage. They would switch the scenes in real-time using our products.

You encountered obstacles as you grew the company. How did Hurricane Katrina affect you, for instance?

It was brutal. In Louisiana we couldn’t go into the office for two or three weeks, but we still had to work because our business is global. I remember sitting on my front porch with my generator running. One day, I was talking to my factory guy in Taiwan, who had just experienced a typhoon and he was also on his porch with his generator going.

So Katrina was a disruption, but you got through it. The pandemic was a different story, full of surprises.

First, we thought no one would be buying because the stores are shut down. Then, suddenly, online meetings became the only way to work and we manufacture audio interfaces and microphones, perfect for online business meetings.

First, we cut back our forecasts, and then we tripled them.

Why did you sell?

We were ready Since we were crushing it during the pandemic, it was a great moment. A lot of our investors had been in for 25 years at that point, and we had never had a liquidity event They never made a penny and then they made a lot. How do you go about selling a global audio electronics company? The first thing we did was start interviewing investment banks. We ended up with Baird out of London. They had a lot of experience in the audio industry a big Rolodex. We started with about 80 interested parties — a lot of private equity firms — but knocked that number down pretty quick. The whole process took about a year What are you working on now?

I’ve been pretty active in meeting new people and discussing new ideas — everything from AIgenerated music to where the music business is headed.

I joined a group out of Nashville called MAD Records to immerse myself into an incubator environment for musicians that are trying to write, record and market their music. And I started a record label, which will be announced soon.

My first record release is for a fantastic musician Jonathon “Boogie” Long — and will be released this summer.

I’m also on the board of directors for Innovation Catalyst Venture Capital Fund out of Baton Rouge.

As an investor, I’m looking for companies with exemplary founders that can go the distance.

I’m an early investor in United Studio Electronics, a wonderful microphone company founded by Chad Kelly a genius in mic design. I invested in a startup called OwlDuet, which is an AI-based technology for music production. I also invested in an Austrian company that develops digital audio networks for music and event production.

It’s an exciting moment in technology, and it’s moving very fast. What’s your advice for new entrepreneurs?

I think networking was one of the biggest things that helped us. I never turned down a trade show or a meeting. I still take every meeting because you never know who you’re going to meet that might be able to help your business.

The first big order for PreSonus from Guitar Center came out of a conversation at a bar in California. After about half an hour, we had our first product in all the stores. So you just never know. Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

rate of 7.1%.

Michelle Singletary

THE COLOR OF MONEy

Ioften advise drivers seeking to replace their old car to buy a pre-owned vehicle, mainly due to depreciation. According to Kelley Blue Book, new vehicles lose nearly 30% of their value over the first two years. Considering this fact, allowing someone else —in this case, the prior owner of the car when it wasnew —totake that kind of hit would make sense. Just wait andbuy a usedcar to save alot of money, right?

Well, it’snot quite that simple for budget-conscious buyers anymore, based on new data from Edmunds, acar-shopping website: The average price fora3-year-old used vehicle was $30,522 in the first quarter of 2025,anincrease of 2.3% from $29,844 the previous year

Rising used-car prices have narrowed the cost differential between new and old vehicles, Edmunds reported, notingthatthe gap has shrunk to about $17,000. Look, that is still asignificant difference, especially if you need to finance your car.However, whenyou put it in perspective,

Fool’sTake:

Built to grow

this narrowing makes it abit harder to convince people that buying usedisabetter deal

Edmunds said the price jump for late-model cars can be attributedto several factors.

One is thetariff war being waged by President Donald Trump. “As tariffs threaten to restrict new-vehicle supplyand pricing, spillover demand could once again inflatevalues of used vehicles, particularlyfor nearnewmodels,” Edmunds said in its market report.

Another is that used cars aresitting on dealer lots longer —anaverage of 38 days. Thismight lead youto think thatdealerswould become desperate andcut prices to spur sales. But generally, that’s nothappening.They are “demonstrating awillingness to wait for the right buyers given the lower supply,”according to Edmunds.

The surge in used prices is also related to people keeping their cars longer.The average age of trade-ins rose to 7.6 years in the first quarter of thisyear,up slightly from 7.3years ayear ago. With fewer trade-ins amid high demand,used-car dealers can charge more.

The rising costs of nearly new vehiclesmight also indicate a broadershifttoward apricier

used-car market, the report noted. So,used or new, what’sbest? It depends.

Buying used is stillagood deal For many people,depreciation still matters. Agap of $17,000 is still alot of money.Myhusband andI spent that much on aused car for oureldest daughterwhen she was in high school. She’s 30 andstill driving that car

Toomanyconsumers are committing to high monthly payments for anew car or stretching payments out longertoafford anew ride.

Acase in point: Another recent Edmunds report found that 17.7% of new-car buyers hadmonthly payments of $1,000 or moreinthe first quarterofthisyear.The averagemonthly payment for anew car wasn’t much better: $741. In contrast, the averagemonthly paymentfor aused car was $550, basedonanaverage term of 69.7 months, an 11.3% interest rate anda down paymentof$4,078. It’snosurprise that more buyers aretrying to stretch their money,with 84-month loanshitting an all-time high in the first quarter. Theymadeup19.8% of new-vehicle financing, up from 15.8% ayear earlier With aused car,you may not

have to stretch your budget to a breaking point. Remember that new cars usually come with higher insurance premiums. Also, keep in mind that the higherthe price of the car,the more youwill need to pay in sales tax.

If your finances are tight, you should consider aused car.Just be sure to have amechanic check it out. Edmunds and similar sites provide useful reviews, prices andadvice on buying areliable usedcar

When newisright foryou

There comes atime when your vehicle starts acting like a tantrum-throwing toddler.Itissues constantwhining noises or won’t move when you want it to. Your car’scrankiness finally leads to the decision to trade it in for a newone.(This part of the analogydoesn’twork with atoddler,I know.)

However,just like dealing with atoddler, you need astrategy First, figure out what you can afford

According to Edmunds, the averageamount financed for a newcar was $41,473 for the first quarter. That camewith aterm of 69.5 months, adownpayment of $6,511 and an average interest

If you’re buying new (or used), don’troll aprevious loan into a new one, which could result in negative equity —when you owe more on your vehicle than it’s worth. This could trap you into abloated loan that is harder to escape than acar salesman trying to upsell you on an expensive extended warranty At edmunds.com, there is acar affordability calculator.Plug in the monthly amount you can comfortably afford so that you can see avehicle price range. Over the years, Ihave found different ways to save, whether buying with cash to avoid financing costs or buying used to get a good deal. And sometimes Ihave bought new when Ididn’twant to compromise on the features I wanted.

If you can truly afford anew car —and you aren’tconcerned about depreciation because you will keep the car years longer than the average owner —get what you want. It’sOKtotreat yourself if the decision to buy new aligns with your financial well-being and personal preferences.

EmailMichelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

Motley Fool

Amazon.com(Nasdaq: AMZN) is aleader in e-commerce and cloud computing, two areas that helped net sales climb to $638 billion in the latest full year.After e-commerce earnings dropped in 2022 due to inflation, Amazon boosted profits by shifting U.S. fulfillment from anational to a regionalsystem, bringing items closer to customers. This saved on costs and improved its ability to deliver faster.Meanwhile, Amazon WebServices,the world’sleading cloud-computing platform, drives profitsfor the

entire company Amazon hasgone all in on the high-growth technology of artificial intelligence. It has developed about 1,000 generative AI applications to improve productivity and efficiency across its retail business, from front-end tasks like customer service to back-end taskslike coding. Thecompany now has major growth opportunitiesine-commerce, cloud computing and digital advertising, and it’susing AItoboost revenue and improve profit margins. Amazon’s shares recentlytraded at aforward-looking price-toearnings ratio of 33, well below itsfive-year average of around 48, offering an attractive entry point into one of the tech sector’s most diversified players. Longterminvestors may want to consider shares of Amazon for their

portfolios.(John Mackey,former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is amember of The Motley Fool’sboard of directors. TheMotley Fool owns shares of and recommendsAmazon.com.)

Fool’sSchool: Homebuying tips

Part of the classic American dream is buying one’sown home. It’satrickything to do, though, and is often one’sbiggestpurchase ever.Soheed these tips.

n Check your credit score: The higher your credit score, the better interestrates you’ll be offered, so it’sworth taking some time to beef up your score if need be. Good waystodosoinclude paying down debts andpaying bills on time.

n Shop around for the best mortgage: Don’taccept the first homeloan you’reoffered —check with multiple lenders. Read up on differentkinds of homeloans, too, to see which is best for you: fixedrate or adjustable-rate, 30- or 15year,and so on.

n Get preapproved: Being prequalified (which meansyour lender thinksyou can afford agiven amount) isn’tenough if you want to be acompetitive bidder as properties become available. Haveyour lender preapprove you —meaning it hasvetted your finances and is ready to lend you up to aspecified limit.

n Be suretofactor extraexpenses into your decisions: For example, there will likely be closing costs on your home loan, and ahome appraisal andinspection. Youmight also want to buy “points,” an

upfront fee to shrink your interest rate. Once you own the home, you’ll need to factor in homeowners insurance, maintenance and repairs and property taxes.

n Don’tbuy more home than you can afford: Crunch somenumbers to see whatkind of dwelling you can realistically buy and maintain. You don’twant to spend so much that you’re financially pinched.

n Employaprofessional: It’ssmart to enlist the services of an experienced buyer’sagent. This real estate professional can offer valuable advice and guide you through the homebuying process.

n Don’tviewa home primarily as an investment: Real estate can fall in value, just as stocks can, and it typically doesn’tincrease in value at arapid clip. Instead, view your new homeasanice place to live.

Ex-Lowe’s staffer says ruling ‘bittersweet’ in union-busting case

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

A former employee at Lowe’s in New Orleans said a settlement this week in his long-running case over alleged union-busting tactics by the hardware chain was a bittersweet victory.

Felix Allen was fired by the North Carolina-based hardware business two years ago after leading an effort to form a union at the Elysian Fields Avenue store

The company said at the time that Allen had been fired because of improper use of a forklift.

However, Allen filed a formal complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, charging that his firing had followed a pattern of harassment by Lowe’s management in the months after he and some fellow workers had begun the process of

trying to form a union in October 2022.

In a settlement finalized this week, Lowe’s agreed to pay Allen just over $14,000 in lost wages, according to documents filed with the labor board. The company was also obliged to post a notice in the Elysian Fields store informing workers of the settlement and their rights, including their right to form a union.

“It’s a little bittersweet,” Allen said. “It’s good to get the money but it’s too little, too late.”

Allen moved to New Orleans in 2020 after earning a master’s degree in music from Florida State University As the COVID pandemic disrupted the economy, he took a job at Lowe’s that turned into a full-time gig. He said low pay and hazardous work practices led him and others to try and unionize the store.

Supporters of the effort garnered the required minimum signatures from at least 30% of the store’s 172 employees when they filed a petition to unionize with the labor board. But they had to withdraw it in December 2022 due to a procedural error because the union wasn’t properly identified on petition cards. It was never refiled and the effort fizzled.

In investigating Allen’s claims of unfair labor practices, the labor board found Lowe’s had illegally harassed employees by aggressively surveilling them and using other methods that were determined to be for the purpose of deterring their unionizing efforts

Lowe’s didn’t respond to requests for comment about the case. In previous statements, the company said it prefers for its employees to deal directly with management rather than through a union.

“It’s exciting that the NLRB has been able to resolve this case after almost two years and hold Lowe’s accountable, even if this is a small punishment for such a large corporation,” Allen said.

Violations history

Lowe’s has successfully resisted about a half-dozen unionizing efforts by its employees over the past two decades. There are currently no petitions filed with the labor board to form a union at any Lowe’s store.

Since 2000, Lowe’s and its subsidiaries have been found to have violated employment or safety-related rules 156 times and paid a total of just over $89 million in fines, according to Violation Tracker Allen said he waived his right to try and be reinstated at Lowe’s. He is working full time as a musician in the New Orleans area.

In plain numbers, that means that if you bought a house in New Orleans a decade ago at an average price of $155,000 it should have declined in value by about $2,000 after inflation if it followed the long-term trend. But current inflation-adjusted house prices in New Orleans are down by more than $20,000 over that period, at $132,000.

“There are a lot of reasons to live in New Orleans besides property price appreciation, but homeownership is very often sold as the best vehicle to wealth creation, and that might well not be the case in New Orleans,” Johnson said in a phone interview There are many factors behind that, including population decline and a slowgrowth economy. They also reflect a big swing back from the steamy prices during the COVID pandemic, when few houses were moving and those that came on the market were snapped up at or above asking price. The gen-

eral inflation that followed has meant that the easing in house prices has been exaggerated.

In Baton Rouge, the market didn’t get as pumped up as it did in New Orleans during the pandemic and prices have been less volatile in recent years. The problem is that the long-term downward trend has been much steeper

A Baton Rouge house bought at about $135,000 in 2000 now has a market value of about $128,000 after adjusting for inflation, or a loss of 5%.

Johnson and his partner in the study, Eli Beracha, a real estate professor at Florida International University, are quick to point out that many things have to be factored

into their study In common with all metro areas, for instance, New Orleans and Baton Rouge have many variations across its parishes and neighborhoods and even at street level.

Also, being at the top of their list isn’t an unqualified accolade. The current top city is Detroit, where house prices have been on a strong upward trend for the past seven years, but from a low base. Conversely, it is one

of the 10 cities in Johnson’s study to have seen a longterm decline in house prices after inflation.

New homebuilding in Detroit has not kept pace with rising demand, both in the city and its near suburbs. Detroit issued only 18 singlefamily home permits last year, leaving demand unmet, according to city data. At the same time, speculative investors have been dominating Detroit area home pur-

chases, often for cash, which accounted for about 40% of sales in the first quarter of this year, according to Redfin, a real estate firm.

A shiny hope?

Cities like Seattle, which has seen a near-doubling in inflation-adjusted house prices since 2000, have their own problems. The Emerald City has a notorious affordability problem, with soaring house prices and rents leading to one of the most intractable homeless problems in the country Johnson said he hopes their new database will be “part of the conversation,” and help policymakers as well as homebuyers and investors to make informed decisions.

“There is one bright and shiny hope for New Orleans,” Johnson said.

“A key data point — the price to rent ratios — are very low,” he said. “That typically signals soon-to-be property appreciation. So, in New Orleans, we might well be at the right buying point.” Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@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, ourfirm hasbeencommitted to workingwithcommunityleaders to develop business 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

PROVIDED PHOTO By RITA HARPER Felix Allen in 2023 outside the Lowe’s Home Improvement store on Elysian Fields in New Orleans. He won a settlement from the hardware chain after the National Labor Relations Board found they had used unfair labor practices to block efforts to form a union.

Meet with an Install Designer Completethe In-Home Assessment -Location of generator -Sizerequired -How it works -How install happens -Qualify for financing -Answer questions

Receive aWritten Quote -Location of generator -kWsizer report -Install details -Total Price

Schedule Installation -Pick install date -Pay Down Payment -Sign Agreement

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Fly Allardyce preparesfor surgery to remove one of her kidneys at Willis Knighton Hospital in Shreveport on March 31.Her stepbrother,Hampton Burnside, was the organ recipient.

Notblood, butbonded Louisiana womandonates kidney to stepbrotherafter surprise match

BY JANRISHER Staffwriter

When they were growing up, Hampton Burnside remembers that his stepsister Susan Fly Allardyce loved New Kids on the Block.

“She used to always watchNick at Night. She liked ‘Night Court,’ ”he said.“Ididn’tlike NickatNight that much.”

Burnside was 9and his new stepsister was 12 when their parents married. Even back then, he recognized her extraordinary kindness.

“Wegot along from the get-go,” Burnside said.

These days, he admits, he’d probablywatch Nick at Night as longas she wanted.

Now,heconsidersher morethan kind. He considers her amiracle.

Adisease hiding in plainsight

In March 2024,Burnside thought he had arespiratory infection. Short of breath, he went to the hospital —and discovered his kidneys were in total failure.

“He had no idea that he had kidney disease,” Allardyce said. There was no reversing the damage. He began dialysis threetimes aweekand hadto leave his job with Community Coffee.

“Being akidney patient is a full-time job,” Allardyce said. The symptomsleading up to Burnside’skidney failure —fatigue, itchy skin, swollen limbs, weight loss —don’talways set off alarm bells.

‘The dads arethere’

Growing number of Blackfathers with autisticchildrenlook to be more visible

BY KENYA HUNTER AP health writer

ATLANTA— When Tyrone Green’s youngest sonwas diagnosed with autism, his wife wasimmediately ready to get the 3-year-old the support he needed.But Green was stuck: He hadquestions about his son’sfuture and an overwhelming feeling of loneliness —like no one, not his wife,not his friends, understood his experience.

“Mywife couldn’tunderstand what Iwas going through as a Black father, allthese hopesand dreams Ihad for my kid,” said Green, who lives in Michigan. “She didn’tfeel the same way.” In 2021, he joined aBlack fathers’ support group and met a fewother dads eagertodiscuss their unique challenges. They startedtheir own podcastin2023 called“AutisHIM,” aplace where Black dads talk aboutthe wins andsetbacks of having autistic children.

Green is amonga growing number of Black fathers of autistic children looking to be morevisible in the nationalautism conversationthrough podcasts, nonprofitsand summits that specifically address theirexperience. These mensay their hope is not only to be consideredmorethansidekickstomothersofthe children, but also to help other Black dads acceptautism diagnoses andnot prolong getting kids the help that theyneed Autism is aneurodevelopmental disorder that affects how people communicate, process information and interact with the world around them.Federal data shows thatsince2020, Black children have had ahigher prevalence of autism spectrum disorder than White children— achange experts credit mostly to better awareness of autism in underservedcommunities.

SusanFly Allardyce andHampton Burnsidebecame stepsiblings when he was9and she was 12. ‘Wegot along from the get-go,’Burnside said.

ä See KIDNEY, page 2X

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.recentlyannounced plans to have the federal government do abroad study for the causes of autism, even though it’sbeenlooked at by researchersfor decades. He hassaidautism is a“tragedy” that“destroys families” and thatsome people with autism will never hold ajob, pay taxes or go on dates.

But manypeople with autism live successful, socially richand independent lives, which makes anarrative like Kennedy’sdangerous, said Michael Hannon, a counseling professor at Montclair State University who studiesthe social and emotional aspects of autism on Black fatherhood.

It “can literally diminish hope for any father or father figure or family,” Hannon said of Kennedy’sframing of autism

But affinity groups forBlack menwho have kids with autism are asuccessful way to get the dads to engage with their emotions, Hannonsaid.

ä See AUTISM, page 2X

Susan

HEALTH MAKER

Oncologist following a family legacy

New cancer leader combines research and patient care in Louisiana

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Pennington Biomedical Research Center announced the arrival of Dr Adithya Hari, a nuclear oncologist, in April.

Hari will be the assistant professor, physician and nuclear oncologist at Pennington’s Division of Clinical Science.

Hari, born in a government hospital in Kurnool, India, was the child of doctors and professors. He followed a family legacy to study medicine. He studied at the same hospital he was born and began his first years of medicine there, too.

“Most of my teachers and professors were my family,” Hari said. “It was cool to be there, but I was always interested in U.S. health care.”

Hari made the move to the United States for his medical internship at Piedmont Athens Regional hospital in Georgia.

Hari’s research in cancer metabolism and nuclear medicine in Louisiana will be a collaborative effort with Mary Bird Perkins

Cancer Center, Louisiana Cancer Research Center and LSU Health New Orleans.

Hari will work with Louisiana institutions on research initiatives that support the LSU-lead preparations for the upcoming submission of the NCI Cancer Center Support Grant — a pivotal step toward enhancing cancer research and care across the state.

Hari earned his medical degree from Kurnool Medical College in Kurnool, India, pursued doctoral studies in clinical and translational science at Case Western Reserve University Hari completed a nuclear oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center What is nuclear medicine?

Nuclear medicine is a pretty new sector of medicine even for most of the clinicians. Many don’t understand the full impact.

Nuclear medicine is a field where we use radioactive molecules to determine the function of various molecules in the body

This can be used for either diagnostic purposes or therapeutic purposes. At my fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City, I had the privilege of extending my knowledge deep into the brain’s hippocampus. My doctorate was in metabolism, but I always wanted to carve out a niche in the clinical space. That’s how I was interested in

Evan Polk, right, talks with his daughter, Jordyn Polk, 13, after she was dropped off from school recently in Secane, Pa He said a big part of navigating his daughter’s autism diagnosis was learning to sit with emotions that weren’t simply ‘happy and mad.’

AUTISM

Continued from page 1X

“The challenge is convincing people to (talk openly and honestly), because the practice of doing that is rare, not just among Black men, but people in general,” he said, adding that people might think it will reflect on their ability to parent.

Evan Polk said a big part of navigating his 13-year-old daughter’s diagnosis was learning to sit with emotions that weren’t simply “happy and mad.” In the beginning, he was very protective.

“I became a helicopter dad,” said Polk, who started AuSome Kicks, an art therapy nonprofit for autistic children near Philadelphia earlier this year “I didn’t want nobody or nothing to harm her whatsoever When I found out she was autistic, she’d be outside with knee pads and elbow pads looking crazy.”

He said he later taught his family to be more patient with his daughter, as opposed to traditional parenting styles of being firm and hoping that she would fall in line.

Dr Berry Pierre said he initially was on the sidelines of his autistic daughter’s support team as his wife, Maria Davis-Pierre, did the bulk of advocating

The Florida couple founded Autism in Black and for the first five years, he said the organization didn’t specifically tailor messaging to Black dads.

“Whether it be in schools the (individual education plan) meetings, the mothers were just there,” Pierre said. “But as we started to kind of try to go deeper and figure out ‘All right, what’s going on? Where are the guys?’ we started to realize that a lot of them will be there.”

Many Black dads, Pierre found out, were equally involved as the moms, and Pierre wanted to get

switch between being a diagnostic and also a therapeutic physician. What brought you to Louisiana?

Southern Louisiana has been on my radar for such a long, long time. The primary investigator in clinicals trials of new medications for prostate cancer was Dr Oliver Sartor a longtime medical director and researcher at Tulane. He was a urologist, a cancer urologic malignancy specialist, and he directed some of the biggest trials in nuclear medicine space.

The collaborative nature of different institutions in his work within southern Louisiana throughout his career inspired me. It left a lasting impression on my mind.

The availability of a world-class research center at Pennington, and the clinical expertise from Mary Bird Perkins, provided an excellent stage for me to be a clinician researcher

together to discuss patients who might not have a straightforward diagnosis, not a straightforward course of disease. I want nuclear medicine to enter the tumor discussion, so that we could have input at the patient care level.

What are you bringing to the state to advance cancer research in Louisiana?

It’s so remarkable the degree in which everybody is coming together It’s such an honor for me to work here at such a pivotal time as the institution increases its footprint into cancer research. Everything is coming together with one objective: to reduce the impact of cancer within this region.

I’m also planning to collaborate with my previous institutions like Kettering that would enhance our research and bring in a different demographic of patients for research.

more of them talking publicly about autism

“The dads are there, but we know the general public doesn’t realize that yet,” Pierre said “So we try to serve as this engine to shine a light on what’s really happening. The dads are there, they’re attentive. And even with this diagnosis, they’re going even harder.”

Some dads, like Nicholas Love in North Carolina said they first hesitated to openly share their journey of raising their kids with autism in fear that people may not understand.

“I was very guarded for a while in talking about my children both being on the spectrum,” said Love, who is CEO of the marketing agency The Kulur Group.

“Even in how you take pictures that you upload on social media, being cognizant and thinking about, ‘Well is this a picture that looks, dare I say, the perception of what normal looks like?’”

Now, he’s an open book about them, is understanding when employees need a little extra time for urgent family needs and has advocated that men receive more paid leave so they will have time to be more involved with their kids.

“I got to a point where it’s like, ‘OK, this is my reality I need to do my part in normalizing this,’”

Love said Green said that while his podcast and platforms like Autism in Black make it easier for Black fathers to share their stories of their kids’ wins and losses, he’d like to see “more support groups out there, more podcasts, more conversations.”

“I see a lot of Black women doing their thing and I highly appreciate that, but I think there definitely needs to be more conversations surrounding (Black fatherhood and autism) because, for myself, I’m a Black man,” Green said. “I have a Black family but this is never really the topic of discussion.”

nuclear medicine to begin with. Nuclear medicine is not just medicine; you have to have profound knowledge of the nuclear physics component of it: How does radioactive decay work? What is an electron? What is a proton? What is an alpha particle? What is a gamma ray?

It was quite challenging to me because of the intricateness of the studies. Ultimately, I wanted to have a combination of both sides of medicine so that I can

KIDNEY

Continued from page 1X

“Put that together and it doesn’t spell out anything big,” she said.

“The symptoms can be confused with something else so easily.”

Burnside, 45, is a single father to two children, ages 9 and 11. He’s their only guardian.

A bond beyond biology

“He is my brother,” she said “When he got sick, I took it as, not really a sign, but in solidarity with him, I decided to make changes since he had to change his entire lifestyle.”

She cut out fast food, reduced her meat intake and lost 20 pounds.

“I took the opportunity while worrying about my brother’s health to focus on my own,” she said.

To her surprise, by the time she saw her doctor again for a routine checkup, all her numbers were in the normal range.

Months into Burnside’s diagnosis, Allardyce traveled to a family wedding On the day before the wedding, she went for a long walk. It was a walk that changed everything.

“There were butterflies and birds, and the weather was perfect. I don’t know if it was God that said it to me, but this idea came to me, ‘What if I got healthy so that I can donate? What if all of this was for a purpose?’” she said.

By midnight, she was registered to begin the process of donating a kidney

At first, she assumed she wouldn’t be a match for Burnside. She expected to enter the paired donation program — a system that matches incompatible donorrecipient pairs with others in the same situation, so everyone can get a kidney that fits.

After all, he had not asked her to get tested.

“He was hoping that someone else in his family would go get tested,” she said. “I wasn’t even someone he had thought of because we aren’t blood related.”

But then she got word that their blood types were compatible — she’s A+, he’s A-.

Still, there were other factors to consider

“His hospital got him to give blood and then snuck me in to give blood and they mixed our blood to see if it would work,” she said.

“You could have knocked me over with a feather when they said we were a match.”

She said the match is not as improbable as winning the lottery but it’s still rare.

“He only had one volunteer He didn’t have a line of people to donate,” she said. “If you tested a hundred or a thousand people, there may be another match, but are they willing?”

Even once they had matched, challenges remained.

Allardyce learned that 40% of willing donors are disqualified for

I’m looking forward to work on integration of nuclear medicine for seamless patient care. I’m looking forward to developing a framework so that all the targeted patients are treated without any kinks in workflow Those are my top priorities.

I also want to expand our participation in tumor discussions. In some cases, the medical oncologists, the surgical oncologists, the radiologists and pathologists get

their compatibility is not as improbable as winning the lottery, but it’s still

anatomical reasons alone. Fortunately, even though her left kidney was atypical, surgeons were still able to make it work.

After months of testing and waiting, Allardyce was cleared for surgery

She shared the news with her family and a few close friends but waited to tell Burnside.

“The night she called me, I had had a terrible day,” Burnside said, his voice cracking. “I get choked up talking about it. She called and said, ‘I’ve got something to tell you.’”

Rooted in generosity and love

Now fully recovered, Allardyce says her health is great.

“It’s like nothing ever happened,” she said. “No pain — just a little scar to remind me of what I did.”

Living donor transplants are rare but growing Nicole Labadot, executive director of the Legacy Donor Foundation in New Orleans, said the dynamics are complex but rewarding.

“Becoming a living donor is a deeply personal decision rooted in generosity and love,” Labadot said.

And sometimes, it’s the only option for people.

The average wait time for a kidney in Louisiana is five to seven years more time than many people in need have.

“Anybody on a normal transplant waiting list has to be sick

I am pretty active in the society of nuclear medicine. Nearly 10,000 people, including physicians, technologists, doctoral students and anyone remotely interested in nuclear medicine meets twice a year

I’m planning to increase our presence there to potentially attract more faculty and staff here so cancer research can continue to grow

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

enough to need an organ but well enough to survive a transplant,” Labadot said. “The beauty of being a living donor is that you’re at the optimum health. You’re giving someone an organ functioning at a much higher level than a deceased donor.”

Most living donors, like Allardyce, resume their lives without long-term health effects. They also receive priority status on the transplant list should they ever need a kidney themselves.

“Living donors like Susan are real-life heroes,” Labadot said. “They give someone a second chance at life.”

‘I get to see my kids grow up.’

At 5:30 a.m. on March 31, Allardyce arrived at Willis Knighton Hospital in Shreveport for the transplant surgery She expected to be done by noon, though doctors had warned her that her kidney’s unique anatomy might extend the timeline.

The transplant was a success — but the early days of recovery were tough for Burnside.

“My brother is doing much better than he was right after surgery when he was in and out of the hospital,” she said.

Though he had stage 5 level kidney disease before the transplant, Burnside no longer needs dialysis.

These days, he’s focused on raising his kids and looking forward to easing back into work. Nearly three months post-surgery he’s eager to be around people again.

“I’m night and day from where I was. I get to see my kids grow up,” he said.

“I love my sister to death. I can’t put in words how much she means to me. I wrote her a letter, but that’s not enough.”

Allardyce said she doesn’t want her brother to feel like he owes her anything.

She’s asked him to stop saying thank you.

“We’re all ready to find our normal again — and that’s a good thing. We want to be bored,” she said.

Maybe that means they will find time to cue up a little “Night Court” or sing along to some New Kids on the Block.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

DO YOU HAVE A HEALTH STORY?

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.

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 PHOTO

Dr. Adithya Hari is a nuclear oncologist working at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.

PROVIDED PHOTO Susan Fly Allardyce, left, donated a kidney to her stepbrother, Hampton Burnside. She said

rare.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT SLOCUM

Eat FitLiveFit

Toploaf choices: Getting goodatbuying better bread

Needhelpinthebreadaisle.Whichloaf isbest?

Thatwasthegistofatextthatpopped upfrommydadafewweeksago,followed byaphotooftwoverysimilarlooking brownloavesandanothertextthatread: Wholegrain?Multi-grain?Help!Mydadis prettynutrition-savvy,butlikemanyofus, hefindsbreadlabelsdifficulttodecipher.

Confusinglabels:

Hardlythebestthingaboutsliced bread •Browncolor≠wholegrain Flipthe loaftoreadtheingredientsandlook forwordslikewhole-wheatflour, sproutedwholegrainoraclearly namedwholegrain.Considersteering clearofanythingthatincludesthe word‘enriched’aswellasingredients likewheatflourorunbleachedwheat flour,whichisjustrefinedwhiteflour indisguise,strippedofthefiber-and nutrient-richbranandgerm.

•‘Multi-grain’breadandotherloaves labeledas7-grainor15-grainonly meanthatmultiplegrainswere used—notnecessarilywholegrains.

•Fibermatters.Tohelpcurbcravings andkeepbloodsugarsteady,aimfor atleast3gramsoffiberandideally nomorethan2gramsofaddedsugar perslice.

•Gluten-freebreadsmay soundlikeagoodidea, butmanyarestillbasedon refinedfloursliketapioca starch,potatostarchorrice flour—notidealwhenwe’re lookingformorefiberand protein.Instead,ifglutenfreebreadsareonyourlist, lookforthosemadewith betterqualityingredients likealmondflour,amaranth orsorghumflour.

Additivesworthknowing Mostdoughconditionersand preservativesarebenign,butsomestill showupinstoreboughtloavesandfall underthe‘avoid’categoryfromthe CenterforScienceinthePublicInterest (CSPI)ChemicalCuisinelistoffood additives,including:

•Potassiumbromate–Usedto enhancetextureandproducealighter bread,potassiumbromatehasbeen linkedtokidneyandthyroidtumors inanimalstudies,anditisbannedin manycountries.

•Azodicarbonamide(ADA)–When breadisbaked,ADA—achemical usedasableachingagent—can breakdownintourethane,apotential carcinogen.

CSPIconsidersthefollowingcommon breadadditivesgenerallysafe:enzymes,

calciumpropionate(moldinhibiter)and theemulsifiersmono-anddiglyceridesand DATEM.Ifthebreadisotherwisenutrientrich,asmallamountoftheseadditives doesn’tconcernmeformostpeople.

Toploaf:5breadstotry Dave’sKillerBread–Powerseed •Organicwholewheatbreadwithflax, quinoaandpumpkinseeds

•Perslice:90calories,18grams carbohydrate,4gramsfiber,1gram sugar,5gramsprotein •Niceseedycrunch

SilverHillsSproutedPower–TheBig16

•Wholegrainwheatwith16different grainsandseeds,sproutedforeasier digestion

•Perslice:95calories,16grams carbohydrate,4gramsfiber,1.5grams sugar,6gramsprotein

•Mildoaty,nuttyflavor

FoodforLife–Ezekiel4:9Low-Sodium SproutedBread(flourless)

•Flourlessandvegan,thisbreadis madefromsproutedwheat,barley, millet,lentils,soybeans,andspelt

•Perslice:80calories,15grams carbohydrate,3gramsfiber,0sugar, 5gramsprotein

•Labeledas‘low’sodium,itactuallyhas zerosodiumperslice.(Mostbrands ofbreadhaveabout140to190mg sodiumperslice.)Lookforitinthe freezersection.

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam

BaseCulture–7Nut&SeedBread(low carb;grain-andgluten-free)

•Madewithalmondbutter,flaxseed, chia,hemphearts,pumpkinand sunflowerseeds

•Perslice:100calories,8grams carbohydrate,4gramsfiber,0sugar, 3gramsprotein

•Mypreferenceistotoastitto accompanyameal;it’salittletoo smalltomakeapropersandwich.Look foritinthefreezersection.

Nature’sOwn–KetoMultigrainBread (lowcarb)

•Boththeir‘ketomultigrain’and‘keto softwhite’usemodifiedwheatstarch andwheatproteinisolateinplaceof flour.

•Perslice:40calories,10grams carbohydrate,9gramsfiber,0sugar, 6gramsprotein

•It’sadecentlow-carboptionfor everydaysandwiches,thoughIprefer thequalityofingredientsintheBase Culturebrandforalower-carbbread.

Traditionalsourdough Slow-fermented,homemadesourdough isinaclassofitsown.Forstarters,ithas oneofthesimplestingredientlistsyou canfind:flour,waterandsalt.Alonger fermentationtimeallowstheenzymesto helpdigestmuchoftheglutenandstarch creatingatangyloafthatmanyfindeasier todigest.Ifyou’reluckyenoughtohave aneighbor,bakeryorhobbythatkeeps realsourdoughinclose,steadysupply, celebrateit—andshareitwithothers whenpossible!

Thebottomline

Breadshouldbringusjoy,notconfusion. Keepawholesomeloafonhandfor everydaymeals,andwhenthathomemade sourdoughcrossesyourpath,savorit Afterall,thebestbreadistheonethat suitsourtastebudsandnutritionalneeds.

BY THENUMBERS

ARTHRITISRATES SLIGHTLy DECLINEBUT LA.STILL RANKSHIGH

Louisiana had the sixth-highest rate of arthritis among adults in 2023 with 30.7% adults reporting the condition. The national averageis 26.3% —that’s about 54 million peoplein the United States with arthritis

Arthritis rates have decreased across the nation, from 27.7% in 2022 to 26.3% in 2023, according to data from the Centers forDisease Control andPrevention via America’sHealth Rankings

In this data, the CDC looked at adults across the nation whowere told by ahealthprofessional that theyhad some formofarthritis —that includes over 100 conditions.

Arthritis, which literally translates to “joint inflammation,”can cause many different symptoms including pain, redness,heat and swelling of the joints, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and

Virtual mental health

firstaid training offered Youth Mental Health First Aid is hosting aclass viaZoomtoteach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, neighbors and other caring residents how to help children aged 12 to 18 who are “experiencing amental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.” The course features a five-step action plan to help Louisiana proclaims Woman’sHospital Day

Gov.Jeff Landry and lawmakers declared Monday,May 19,asWoman’sHospital Day in Louisiana to celebrate reaching amilestone of 400,000 birthsatthe Baton Rouge hospital.

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Thestates with the highestrates of arthritis in the countryinclude, in descending order: n West Virginia with 39.7% of adults reporting arthritis, n Tennessee with 33.2% of adults reporting arthritis, n Maine with 32.7% of adults reporting arthritis, n Mississippi with 31.1% of adults reporting arthritis, n Alabama with 30.9% of adults reporting arthritis.

Thestates with the lowest ratesof arthritis in the countryinclude, in ascending order: n California and Texaswith 21% of adults reporting arthritis in eachstate, n NewJersey and Utah with 22% of adults reporting arthritis in eachstate, n Minnesota with 22.1% of adults reporting arthritis.

NewOrleans transplant institute given ELITEStatus

OchsnerHealth’skidney transplant program, part of the Ochsner Transplant Institute, has been awarded ELITE Status within the credentialed ProgramsofExcellence transplant networkbyINTERLINK COE Networks &Programs. ELITE Status is awarded to only aselect fewprograms nationwidecertifying delivery of superior transplantcare. Health system launches youthcrisis program

Anew mobile crisis program includes a24/7 crisis intervention team on site or virtually.The initiative at Southeast Community Health System looks to provide

Arthritisinthe United States

HEALTH NOTES

mental healthneed of children (up to 21) across southeast Louisiana. LSU Healthdoctor gets international recognition

six-decade career washighlighted on nature.com.

Penningtonwelcomes human performancechief

Dr.Nicolas Bazan,ofLSU Health New Orleans’ Neuroscience CenterofExcellence, was honored at Accademiadei Lincei in Rome, aprominent scientific institution, for his research on neurodegenerative disease and brain aging.

Bazanhas spent his life’swork researching neurodegenerative diseases, acondition his aunt in Argentina experienced on his way to apiano class at 8years old.Bazan’s

Dr.Stefan Pasiakos will lead the Center for HumanPerformance Optimization at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. In this role, Pasiakos will lead groundbreaking research aimed at enhancing human performance andphysiology across diverse environments —from the battlefield to deep space, according to Pennington. Tulane doctor honored with national award TheAcademy of Diagnosticsand Laboratory Medicine has awarded

Tulane SchoolofMedicine research scientist Tony Hu the 2025 AcademyAward for Outstanding Contributionsto Clinical Chemistry in aSelected Area of Research. Oneofthe nation’shighest honors in clinical diagnostics, the award recognizes clinical chemists whose pioneering research efforts have placed them among the world’s foremost experts in their fields. HealthNotes is an occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Have somethingyou’d liketoshare? Contact us at margaret. delaney@theadvocate.com.

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Brain Health

brain health

Manypeoplewonderifthere’sanythingtheycandotokeeptheirbrainhealthyandreducetheriskof dementia.There’sgoodnews!Makingsomesimplelifestylechangescanimproveyourbrainhealth.What’s evenbetteristhatthesehabitswillmakeyourlifericherandmoreenjoyable.Herearefivethingsto incorporateintoyourlife:

Exercise:Mostofusknowexerciseisgoodforourhearts.But didyouknowexerciseisgoodforyourbrain,too?Exercising fivedaysaweekfor20to30minutesatatimehasbeen showntohavelong-termpositiveeffectsonthebrain.Try activitieslikewalking,dancing,cyclingorswimming.

Diet:Eatinghealthyfoodsoverthecourseofyour lifeandminimizingjunkfoodiscriticalforbrain health,sothere’snotimeliketodaytogetstarted. Thinkfruits,vegetables,healthyoilsandfish.

Sleep:Didyouknowpoorsleepisoneofthebiggest causesofreducedconcentrationandmemoryproblems? Poorsleepthatgoesonforyearsisnotgoodforyourbrain. Weallneedseventoninehoursofuninterruptedsleepeach night.Ifyouneedhelp,consultyourdoctororhealthcareprovider.

Relaxationandstressreduction:Stresscanaffectmood andmemoryanditalsocanincreaseanxiety.Maketime forrelaxationandunplugfromtechnologylikecellphones. Takingwalks,relaxinginthebathtub,andpracticingdeep breathingareafewwaystorelax.Ifyouneedadditionalhelp withstressandanxiety,talktoatherapistorpsychologist.

Mentalactivity:Keepyourmindsharpwithactivitieslike reading,talkingtofamilyandfriends,doingpuzzles,and socializing.Don’tspendallyourfreetimezonedoutinfront oftheTV.

Peoplewhohavediabeteshavelotsofgoodreasonsforcontrolling it,includingloweringchancesofheartdisease,stroke,andfootorleg amputations.Anothergreatreasontocontrolyourdiabetesislowering yourriskofdementia.

Researchhasshownanincreasedriskofdementiaforpeoplewithtype 2diabetes.

MostpeopleintheUnitedStateswhohavediabeteshavetype2 diabetes.Andresearchaboutthelinkbetweendiabetesanddementia hasmostlycenteredonpeoplewithtype2.

Peoplewithdiabetesareunabletoproduceenoughinsulin.Without insulin,glucose(sugar)staysinthebloodstreamathigherlevels.Over time,thatuncontrolledglucosecancausemultiplesideeffects,including mentalcomplications.Dementiaisonepossiblesideeffect.

Whilescientistsarestillstudyingthelinkbetweendementiaand diabetes,youcanmakechangestoyourlifestyleandtakemedicationsto improveyourhealthandcontrolyourbloodglucoselevels.Herearesteps youcantake:

1. Knowyournumbers.Ifyou’reworriedyoumighthave diabetes,reviewyourmostrecentbloodsugarlevel

STAFF PHOTOS By APRIL

BUFFINGTON ABOVE:

Isabella Frank, Seeds to Success program manager of Horticulture, demonstrates howto fill in agrow towertothe teachers recently at the School Garden Leadership Workshop held at LSU’s Hill Farm Teaching Facility

Expandinga teacher’sreach

La.program to connectcommunities with fresh, healthyfood

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

For Carl Motsenbocker,Farm

ager for horticulture, filled a newly-made grow tower with soil media and taught them how to seed the towers.

The workshop involves a morninglecture and instruction, taughtbyDenyse Cummins, a mastergardener and aSeeds to Success program adviser,followed by an afternoon hands-on training. After the training, the educator studentspractice lessondelivery using one of the lessonsonthe Seeds to Success curriculum resources website.

JanRisher LONG STORy SHORT

Cracking thecodeof summer

Our10-year-old nephews, Sam andHenry Risher from Olive Branch,Mississippi, have spent the last week withus. Moments after they arrived, both descended upon theold rotary phone in ourliving room —clearlyhaving no ideahow to operate it.I gave them my phone numberand asked them to try to callme.

Theytreated thediallike acombination lock, rarelyputting their fingers in theholes. Theykepttrying to “click” thecenter.After each falsestart, they pushedeach other outofthe way to try again.

Twominutes in,they realized they needed to pick up thereceiver.

“Doweclickit?” Henry asked “Oh,wehavetoget theletters. We have to figure out howtotypeit.” Hisbrother took alook witha magnifying glass.

“Butthere’snoofficialevidence of when we get thenumbers,” Sam said. The conversation anddiscovery went back andforth Iadmired theirpersistence.

“You have to getthis right there,” Henry said, pointing from the3 to thefingerstop Iencouraged them to do just that.

“I have no ideahow,” Henry said. Theykeptatit.

BELOW: Lyn Hakeem drills ahole into atrash can to build agrowtower

to School is more than just aprogram. It’sabout local food systemsand working to teach children and feed children within a local food area. For more than 20 years, he has recruited LSU studentsand his ownfamily to helpplantgardens in local schools. Back in 2014, he attendeda FarmtoSchool conference in Austin, Texas, and realized Louisiana would be a perfect place to implement the program.

Earlierthissummer, Motsenbocker,Louisiana Farm to School executive director and professor of Horticulture and SustainableAgriculture at LSU, led26educators and community membersfrom across Louisiana participatedinthe Seeds to Success FarmtoSchool Garden Leadership Workshop at LSUin Baton Rouge. Participants drilled holes into large white trash bins to make strawberry grow towers. The methodswere simple, the materialsaccessible andthe practice possible for aclassroom or addition to aschool garden. After drilling,the groups of educators watched as Isabella Frank, Seeds to Success program man-

SeedstoSuccess is theLouisiana Farm to School program which works to shore up connections that communities have with fresh,healthy food andlocalfoodproducersbychanging food purchasingand education practicesatschoolsand preschools

Garden Leadership Workshop

TheweeklongannualFarm to School Garden Leadership Workshoptakes place at the Hill FarmTeachingFacility on LSU’scampus.Bythe end of the week,the attendees build their network witheach other, learn aboutsustainable food gardening, practicegardeningmethods and practice Seeds to Success curriculum.

“(Theeducators) learna lot in the mornings in the classroom, andtheninthe afternoons,they have alot of funwiththe lessons,” said Tyne Bankester,the programmanager forcurriculum integration and MarketMaker.“Theyget to experience it alot like thestudents. They go through it and see so that way they can think about how thiswould work in their classrooms.”

The workshop participants leave the weeklong training loaded down with garden tools theybuilt,raisedgarden beds recipes, seeds, Harvest of the Month trays with posters and other gifts to help them with theirrespective Farm to School plans

ExpansionofSeeds to Success

In 2016, Gov.JohnBel EdwardssignedAct 404, directing the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and theLouisiana Department of Agriculture andForestry to createafarm to school program This led to the development and launchofSeedstoSuccess: The Louisiana Farm to School Program, apartnership between the LSU AgCenter and the LouisianaDepartment of Education Division of Nutrition Support, funded by the USDA Motsenbocker,who had writtenmultiplegrants and started Harvest of theMonth by 2016, wasapproached to lead the program —and he has built it piece by piecesince. “It’sbeen reallyrewarding,” he said. “It’sreally nice to seeit expand, and to see people using it, and to see excited kids,excited teachers and excited farmers interested.”

Seeds to Success focuses on athree-pronged approach to engaging communities and schools with fresh, healthy and local food —Seeding LA, Harvest of the Month and PurchasingLocal. The program is set up to support schools however theychoose to implement Seeds to Success.

Seeding LA provides engaging andeducationalmaterials related to agricultureand nutrition forteachers, parents and students. SeedingLAisbroken up into three subcategories: Seeds to Grow,SeedstoSow and Seeds to Know Harvest of the Monthshowcases locally grownfoods in Louisiana schools, institutions andcommunities. Each month, participating sites focus on promoting onelocally grown item.

ä See TEACHERS, page 2Y

“This hastomatter,” Henry said, pointing againtothe numbers. Yes, Iassured him. That does matter

Sevenminutes in,they still hadn’t figured it outand would have kept at it,but Ioffered to show them howitwas done.

Aweek later,they’re still notover theirrotary phone amazement and dialitmost every time they walk past it.Figuring outthe rotary phone set thetonefor theweek —curiosity,confusionand lots of laughter Theycame to Louisiana fortennis camp at LSU, where they spent theirmornings.The rest of the

PHOTO HenryRisher,Jan Risher and Sam Risher standing at the entrance of the Senate Chambers in the Louisiana Capitol

days andevenings were withusat what we dubbed“Camp Aunt Jan andUncle Julio.”

We have had afull week:Wewent to thetop of thestate capitol.We wove old-fashioned potholders. We watched the original “How to Train Your Dragon” at home, then went to thetheater to see thenew one. Their uncle worked withthem as they each created two pieces of art. After church Sundaymorning, they even taught me alittle abouttwin speak,their own way of communicating —sometimes even without words —that leads to giggles, as happened midway through oneofthe hymns we were singing.

We went to the original Cane’s andlater to Mike Anderson’s, wherethey tried alligator,gumbo andpo-boys.Theywentswimming Theytoured thenewspaper press andnewsroom.

At theKnock Knock Children’s MuseuminBaton Rouge, we worked for40minutes to build an incredibleRube-Goldberg machine.Whenitfinally worked, we cheered likethe Saints wonthe SuperBowl

PROVIDED

Building

Meet people and be confronted with new ideas

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

Alan Nobili is executive director of the Alliance Française de La Nouvelle-Orléans, where he leads initiatives in French language education, cultural programming and international exchange. Originally from Paris with Corsican roots, he grew up in Réunion Island and Tahiti.

Nobili has held leadership roles across Europe and North America, including as director of the Alliance Française du Manitoba in Canada He has more than 20 years experience in cultural diplomacy nonprofit management and multilingual education.

He is fluent in French, English and German. He collects vinyl records and enjoys playing tennis.

What is Alliance Française, and who does it serve in New Orleans and throughout the state of Louisiana?

We are the French cultural center here in New Orleans. We are a nonprofit and offer French classes for all ages and levels — and more classes and events related to French and Creole culture to connect the Louisiana audience with the French language and culture, because French is a heritage language here in New Orleans and throughout much of Louisiana.

It’s the official language of 29 countries and is spoken in more than 80 countries in the world.

Our work is a way to connect the city and the state with many different cultures and people all over the world. Alliance Française is part of a global network, with 105 chapters in the USA and more than 800 in the world.

What is the perception in French-speaking countries of the importance of the French language and culture in New Orleans and Louisiana?

Most people don’t realize how Louisiana is important for French

speakers all over the world. It’s the place in the USA where French is a native language, a heritage language, and still spoken today by a large portion of the population. We estimate that more than 150,000 people still speak French in Louisiana mainly in Acadiana, but also in New Orleans and in many other parishes. For the members of the French world, this is a very special place.

Nearly 100,000 French tourists from France come every year to Louisiana. When they come, of course, they are looking for good food, good music, but also, they are always praying to connect with French speakers and everything related to the French history and presence.

What role do organizations like yours play in supporting cross-cultural connections and the value of appreciating other cultures?

In these times, we know that our offering is important because we provide a place where people and cultures can meet. It’s a place where you can have a discussion,

a conversation. We believe that’s important in today’s times — that people communicate and exchange ideas even if they don’t share the same points of view

We need such spaces where people from different backgrounds French speakers, non-French speakers, foreigners, Creoles, people from New Orleans and tourists can meet and be confronted with new ideas and experiences.

I believe Alliance Française plays a great role in getting people to start conversations and exchange ideas.

Alliance Française does language testing?

We curate and offer official tests — French language tests that are used for people wanting to immigrate to Canada or those who want to become French citizens. We have observed over the last few months a huge increase in the demand of American people, or people with Haitian roots or from some other countries, looking to immigrate abroad.

Some of these people have been

Nominate someone extraordinary

Award celebrates accomplishments of those over 60

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

Do you know someone over the age of 60 who is doing extraordinary things? Going back to get more education? Inventing something new? Winning awards for work they are still doing?

Do you know someone who has made significant accomplishments after turning 60 years old? Nominate them for the Louisiana Inspired ENCORE Awards. The awards celebrate Loui-

TEACHERS

Continued from page 1y

Activities could include serving local items in a meal or snack, offering taste tests, featuring posters around the school, or teaching food education to help students get to know the featured item.

Purchasing Local aims to unite local farmers with cafeterias.

Seeds to Success Farm to School provides the framework and network for farmers and schools to find one another and they also offer trainings on food safety and food procurement.

With the passage of Senate Bill 14 in the most recent legislative session, Louisiana schools will have to make sure that at least 20% of the food they buy comes from Louisiana farms. This law will go into effect at the start of the 2027-28 school year Seeds to Success is set up precisely to meet this demand through their Purchasing Local arm.

Bankester says Farm to School programs thrive when they are supported — by administration, their district and the parents.

“To succeed, they need to build a team to work with, and that team can look however it needs to look, They need somebody to have their back,” she said. “It’s kind of about finding how this is going to work at your school. Every program looks different.” Seeds to Success also provides support to teachers throughout the year, especially at the annual Farm to School Conference in October that teaches gardening training, education training and procurement trainings.

sianans aged 60 and over who continue to lead, serve and inspire. The awards will recognize individuals who prove that purpose and passion don’t fade with age they evolve Whether they launched a business, wrote a book, earned a degree, created art, led community initiatives or made a lasting impact in any field, we want to recognize those who keep going, keep learning and stay engaged with their communities.

The 2025 ENCORE Awards will highlight those who have taken on bold new challenges, lifted up others and made a measurable impact in their communities or beyond, challenging outdated ideas of aging by shining a light on

people whose second (or third!) acts are meaningful, powerful and creative. Nominations for the 2025 ENCORE Awards can be made here. If you are unable to complete the online nomination form but would like to nominate someone, call (225) 336-6954. Submissions will close July 14. Award recipients will be announced in late summer

For more information, email Jan Risher at jan.risher@theadvocate.com.

The conference is not restricted to educators school food authorities, farmers and community partners also attend. The 2025 Farm to School Conference is scheduled for Oct. 8 in Baton Rouge.

One of the first grants Motsenbocker applied for and won was the Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant, a competitive grant that connects students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips and local food sourcing for school meals. In March 2025, the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program for fiscal year 2025,

which would have provided $10 million to help schools and early care and education centers incorporate local foods, nutrition education, and garden activities into their meal programs, was canceled. That funding for Seeds to Success is gone Seeds to Success is funded through 2026, but the Louisiana Farm to School Program Act that Edwards signed in 2016 is contingent upon grant renewal in October. For more information, visit seedstosuccess.com.

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

married to French citizens for years, like 15 or 20 years, and then suddenly they decide to become French. So, they take these exams.

In terms of the cultural exchange, especially in regards to food and music,what does Alliance Française offer?

Each year we host the Bastille Day event. This year on July 11, it will be the big instance of food heaven.

We invite French vendors to provide specific French foods — charcuterie, pate and cheese, of course.

We are bringing a selection of local vendors specializing in what I would say is real French food.

But throughout the year, we organize workshops like wine tastings, food tastings — on cheese, for example.

We offer a food and French language workshop, usually at the end of the year for small groups willing to learn French and cook at the same time. We have a small kitchen. With a chef, we will prepare a program linking French cuisine, Creole cuisine and French language learning.

How long have you lived in New Orleans?

I moved last year from Paris with my family We are my wife and my three kids. They are 8, 13 and 16. I’m going to celebrate one year of pure pleasure, joy and cultural discovery I didn’t expect so much fun and so much energy from this city From that point on, it was pure pleasure.

We are enjoying the city, and I’m very happy as the director here I think that people can feel it when they come to Alliance Française to learn French or attend events — they can feel that I am happy to do my job and to be here in New Orleans. This is very important when you run a cultural center — that you make people comfortable — and that I adopted the New Orleans

way of life.

You know what? Sometimes I’m sad because I know that my term will end in three years’ time. I can already feel that it’s going to be hard to leave New Orleans in 2028. My position is a four-year term. Then, I will be assigned and transferred to another place.

What are some of the lessons you’ve learned in your one year in New Orleans? I learned that living in New Orleans is like running a marathon. You need to keep a good energy rate. There are many events, so many cool things to do. I would say that I learned how to manage my energy I learned that even if I miss one event because I’m too busy, there will be another — which is pretty cool.

Other than your offices, where do you like to go in New Orleans, or other places in Louisiana, for what you consider to be a touch of France — to feel more at home?

There are a few cafes I like. For example, Delachaise Cafe on St Charles. I feel good there because there is a terrace which is not airconditioned. I don’t like air conditioning that much. I prefer to sit on the terrace and have an espresso. I would say this is my favorite place to feel like at home.

You can go to French tables in New Orleans or Baton Rouge also. Each time I go to French tables, I just feel like, “Wow.” It’s really moving for me to see how these people are still keeping the culture alive — being very American and very French at the same time.

Who can visit Alliance Française?

We love welcoming people, even if they are just going to spend one hour here. It’s a place where everyone is welcome — people speaking French or not.

This interview was edited for length and clarity

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

RISHER

Continued from page 1y

We went to the Old State Capitol and admired its beauty We especially loved the Old Capitol’s ghost story video an engaging take on the building’s history I highly recommend it. The boys had never been to New Orleans — so we went. Just as we were turning into the French Quarter from Esplanade, trying to time our trip to avoid all the hubbub of the day three cops blocked our way For a moment, we couldn’t figure out what was going on Then suddenly, right in front of us, the Naked Bike Ride started. Imagine being a 10-year-old boy and that being your welcome to New Orleans they will never forget! We went on to have beignets at Café du Monde and tromped through the rain in the French Quarter From there, we went uptown to visit friends and walked all to Audubon Park

Being tourists close to home was more fun than one might expect. I encourage everyone to make a list of local activities and set aside a week to do them.

The week with my nephews was a great reminder of the power of making a list and doing the things. Even more than being tourists at home, I loved being with these boys. Turns out, 10-year-old boys

eat more than one might expect! They also love to repeat nonsensical things over and over, which they call “Italian brain rot.”

Phrases I’ve heard at least 397 times each this week include, “Tralalero, tralala,” and “Bombardiro Crocodilo.”

I have no idea what either phrase means — the boys just repeated them endlessly I am not a fan of that saying about “making memories.” I don’t believe in doing something just to make a memory I prefer to do it for the experience and to live it fully

Nonetheless, throughout the week, I couldn’t help but think about the way new experiences in new places can stick with a 10-yearold. I’m confident some of our shared experiences will fill a little corner of their memories — and mine too.

Other than the movie, beignets, and Knock Knock Museum, everything else we did was completely free.

The week was a reminder that delight hides in the simplest or most surprising places cracking the code of a rotary phone, repeating nonsense words, riding an elevator to the top or a Naked Bike Ride welcoming you to New Orleans.

The boys are back home now I miss them already. Even the “tralaleros.” Even the “Bombardiro Crocodilos.”

PROVIDED PHOTO

Alan Nobili, executive director of Alliance Française de La NouvelleOrléans

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Ten-year-old twins Henry Risher and Sam Risher test the girth of a roll of paper in the press room at The Advocate.

PHOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON

Teachers work on building a garden tower recently at the School Garden Leadership Workshop held at LSU’s Hill Farm Teaching Facility

BR Arts Councilcultivateslocal filmmakers

10-weekprogram provides hands-on, professional courses in creative industries

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

Between TV,TikTok, YouTube or digital billboards,video media is everywhere, andsomeonehas to make it. But getting to be one of those people can be difficult. First, one has to know about the different jobsavailable, learn the technical skillstodosaidjob, network with industry professionals andgain experience.

That’swhere the Talent Advancement Program comes in.

Through TheArts Councilof Greater Baton Rouge, the program provideshands-on,professional training courses in creative industries. The course this summer, taught by Chris Jeansonne, will run on Saturdays until Aug. 16.The programispart of the Arts Council’s effort to meet the demand fortalent in Baton Rouge’screativesector, and they plan to expand the program to address local needs

The Talent AdvancementProgram started in 2022 and has had four previous cohortsofstudents in differentfields such as audio engineering and gallery arts. Last year was the pilot for the videoproduction track, which had students working as agroup to shoot acommercial for theprogram,rotating throughevery role on aset.The decision to focus theprogram on commercials was intentional.

“Commercials are the lifeblood of alot of our local filmmakers here ” Jeansonne said.

Though work in the film industry in Louisiana and in the United States in general has sufferedas productions are choosingtofilm in other countries where tax credits are more lucrative, local businesses always need commercials. Now,with businesses investing as much, if not more, money into short form videos and social media outreach, the demand for this talent has grown.

The Louisiana Legislature passed abill expanding tax credits for film

and TV productions, which supporters hope willbringmoreproductions to the state.

Jeansonne said the skills that someonewouldneedtowork on a commercial set are highlytransferable to other kinds of production work.

“What is goingtobethe most beneficial intermsofcontent creation locally,hereinBaton Rouge, is being able to support localadagencies to take theirideas and bring them to fruition,” he said.

Beyond learning about job opportunities through experimenting in different roles on thecommercial set, he hopes that students in his classdevelop an industry vocabulary to work in the industry competentlyand get their foot in the door

The program isdesigned to be accessible tobeginners. Participantsdon’thave to have aportfolio

of video production work to apply

Each class is kept to 10-15 peopleto make sure each persongetsone-onone attention

Graduates of the programshould be able to step onto acommercial set, social media set or even some lower level documentary/film productions and start building their careerswith the skills they learn during the 10 weeks.Graduates of the program are added to theArts Council’s roster of creativeprofessionals which connects them with future work opportunities

The program allowed local photographer MayaMiller to make her directorial debut on acommercial based on an idea she pitched. She said it was empoweringtosit in that role,and the program taught her to view video production in anew way

“This program is away to keep people engaged, keep people in-

terested, keep peoplethinking creatively on how they can have their voiceand have it be seen and heard in asafe space that allows people to give positivefeedback and affirm those things,” she said.

Sincegraduating theprogram, Millerhas workedonseveralprojects with local creatives and even filmeda production at alocal school through the Arts Council.

For more experienced peoplein the cohort such as Antione Lacey, who has adegree in film production, the program was an opportunity to learntoworkwitha team,operate newequipment and formulate budgets.Lacey is ateacher and aims to eventually transition into adirector of photography andfilm full time. With theskills and connections he made during the program, he

believesthis is possible when he’s ready

Everyyear, LukeSt. JohnMcKnight, chief operations officer at the Arts Council, said artists and filmmakers move away fromLouisiana because that’swhatit’ll take for them to gain recognitionorget established in thefield. But it doesn’t have to be that way.Hebelieves the Talent Advancement Program is a way to change that.

“Webelieve thatLouisiana produces some of the most cherished andvalued art in our entire country,”hesaid. “There is aneed regionally to continue to support and cultivate the folks who are already here.”

Email SerenaPuang at Serena. Puang@theadvocate.com

Talent Advancement Program cohortfellowsMoon Muhammad and Dante Matthews capture headshots.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’sTalent Advancement Program’s video production course is taught by instructor Christopher Jeansonne.

DorcasBrandongathersfootagefor

a2024 Talent Advancement Program commercial.

A2024 video production cohortwith Baton Rouge’sTalent Advancement Program gathers b-Rollfor their group project, acommercialfor the program

Joseph Brierre,MD Hematology and Oncology

FAITH & VALUES

Pilgrims cross the wilderness in Spain

Voyage to honor the Rocío Virgin

BY GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Contributing writer

Their faces, hats and flamenco dresses caked in dust, hundreds of pilgrims gathered around an oxdriven carriage with their icon of the Virgin Mary after slogging on foot, horses and wagons through dirt roads for nearly 12 hours.

The festive flamenco music stopped, the ubiquitous beer bottles and wine glasses were put down, and the Catholic faithful prayed an evening rosary by pine trees in the wilderness a few miles from the hamlet of El Rocío.

“One can drink and hang out Our best friends are here. But it’s essential to pray,” said Meme Morales, who’s been doing this pilgrimage since the early 1990s, this year with her two grown daughters. “The Virgin is something that forms part of our life.”

Venerating the Rocío Virgin has been a tradition since the main icon was discovered near this village in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia around the end of the 13th century

It has grown into one of world’s largest, most unique Catholic pilgrimages. For days before Pentecost weekend, about a million people do the “romería del Rocío” in swirling clouds of dust that’s as pervasive and natural as the faithful’s devotion.

Feast and faith

It looks like a rolling, wild party, even among the religious brotherhoods, more than 130 of whom participate, taking different paths from around the region and as distant as Brussels. Morales’ group is the Triana brotherhood.

From when they break camp around dawn until well into the night, they sing flamenco songs, many specific to each brotherhood — accompanied by guitar and rhythmic clapping Homemade food and copious amounts of water, beer and sherry are shared with friends and strangers alike.

But there are prayers at every break along the country paths, priests to hear confession at day’s end, conversations about the pope, mission trips and social outreach, even solemn Masses in the fields.

“Without that, this wouldn’t make any sense. It would be a picnic,” said Patricia Rodríguez Galinier who oversees liturgical celebrations for the Triana brotherhood. Based in a neighborhood by the same name in Seville, about 50 miles away, it’s one of the largest and oldest, founded more than 200 years ago.

Rodríguez had just helped set up Mass by the Triana “simpecado” — meaning “without sin.” It refers to their version of the icon of the Virgin, carried by an ox-driven cart covered in silver and fresh flowers. At each night’s camp, wagons are set in a circle

and people gather to worship through the night With the oxen tied to small trees and some riders still on horses in the 90-degree weather more than 700 faithful listened to the homily by their spiritual director, the Rev Manuel Sánchez.

He quoted Pope Leo XIV’s first public words about God’s love for everyone — adding, to laughter, that love included those at that moment receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation behind the wagon still grasping their beer bottles.

“There’s a profound sense of spontaneity in El Rocío just like in the Gospel when Jesus goes to have dinner with folks,” Sánchez said later “We have a lot of time to come to God crying in life, but that’s not El Rocío.”

Popular devotion

One reason for the pilgrimage’s down-to-earth nature is El Rocío’s location, in the wetlands and sand dunes of the Guadalquivir River’s estuary, said Juan Carlos González Faraco, a University of Huelva professor who has studied the pilgrimage.

Until the last few decades, when large-scale greenhouse farming and natural protected areas have taken over, it was a malaria-prone wilderness frequented mostly by cattle and horse ranchers.

That’s allowed the centuries-old pilgrimage tradition to continue without the strictness of other

places of devotion to Mary It has stayed in the hands of the brotherhoods instead of the institutional church, said González.

He’s a member of the main brotherhood from Almonte, the closest town to the sanctuary that manages its white church filled with golden images and orange sand from the pilgrims’ footsteps.

Its president, Santiago Padilla, spent hours at the sanctuary’s doors Saturday, solemnly welcoming each brotherhood as they arrived.

“They come laden with intentions, supplications, prayers. And it’s the moment we shake their hands, we hug and we give thanks to the Virgin for this pilgrimage they made,” said Padilla, whose family has been pilgrims for generations.

A return to countryside roots

Padilla wore an impeccably white jacket and formal riding kit, like many members of the brotherhoods who do the pilgrimage on horseback. Women wear shawls and long, flaring dresses or skirts — to better ride sideways on horses and protect themselves from the brush and the sun.

Such outfits might look like Spanish stereotypes, but they pay homage to the working traditions of many families from the area.

“Everything that has a good presence takes us a bit closer to God,” said Ignacio Sabater Wasaldúa, the Triana brotherhood

leader He rode horses this year alongside his son, helping lead the dozens of wagons and thousands of pilgrims on foot.

The brotherhoods stress that their commitment to Christian life transcends one yearly pilgrimage — though it draws inspiration from it and they wouldn’t consider missing it.

“El Rocío should be a model for society, with affection and solidarity,” Sabater said.

Triana, for instance, maintains a chapel with daily Masses and brings nearly 200 youth from marginalized backgrounds to the brotherhood’s house in El Rocío for a summer camp.

“I’m a rociera the whole year,” said Macarena Ruíz, who started participating in the late 1980s and whose three children are camp counselors.

Despite Spain’s growing secularization, youth remain involved in the pilgrimage, whether to maintain a family tradition, make new friends or live out their faith.

This year, Triana’s youth group organized Eucharistic adoration late into the second night at camp.

“That’s the assurance that this will not be lost,” said Esperanza García Rivero, whose grandfather took his wagon on the pilgrimage in the 1940s.

Sweat and tears before Mary Hidden beneath the traditions and the festivities, many pilgrims are motivated by promises they

made to the Virgin.

After a double mastectomy for breast cancer, Paloma Maria had a large Mary tattoo designed between her shoulders.

“It’s her who takes care of me. My Rocío Virgin is everything for me,” said the young woman from Cordoba.

Maria Mendoza also came to give thanks when, together with García and her close Triana friends, she walked into the sanctuary Saturday after the brotherhood was formally received in front of it.

More pilgrimage events awaited, culminating overnight Sunday into Monday with the final procession of the Rocío icon to visit every brotherhood in town. It’s a massive scrum that lasts hours, after which the faithful make their long return journeys, on foot, horses and carts.

But this was the first moment when the women were finally face to face with their Virgin. Tears quickly mixed with sweat and dust on their faces.

“So many thoughts swirling, for you, for your friends it’s just an explosion,” Sara de la Haza whispered.

Then someone in the crowd intoned the Triana’s salute to the Virgin. The friends wiped their eyes and started joyfully singing — “You are the white dove, you are what I’ve loved the most since the day I was born.”

Republicans, Democrats agree that wetlands need action

BY KENDRA CHAMBERLAIN

Contributing writer

Editor’s note: This story, created by Kendra Chamberlain for Columbia Insight, 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. Each year, hundreds of bird species take flight through the Pacific Flyway Stretching from northern Alaska to Patagonia, it’s one of the main migration routes for waterfowl and other bird species in the western Americas.

Now U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at supporting wetlands habitat restoration across the entire Columbia River Basin and along the Oregon and Washington coasts. The bill calls for $10 million for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030 to carry out the pilot program.

The aim is to ease the journey for birds moving through the Pacific Northwest by creating and sustaining pockets of wetlands

habitat across an area that, over the last century or so, has been drained and put to use through agriculture or commercial development

“Most waterfowl and migratory birds in our region fly from Alaska to Mexico, sometimes further,” Matt Little, western region director of public policy at Ducks Unlimited, told Columbia Insight.

“They’re dependent on water being put on farmers’ fields and ranchlands, even temporarily, during the migration.”

Little has been working on the bill on behalf of Ducks Unlimited for the last three years.

“There’s a lot of concern that there’s not enough funding to do good, on-the-ground, restoration work,” said Little. “And there are needs of water infrastructure and fish-friendly water infrastructure, especially along the coast. That’s where the idea [for the bill] came from.”

The Northwest Wetlands Voluntary Incentives Program Act offers grants and technical assistance to government agencies, Tribal entities, farmers, ranchers and nonprofits for wetlands restoration and enhancement projects. The bill would also provide assistance to farmers and ranch-

ers for water infrastructure projects that support migratory birds as they make their seasonal journeys.

Bipartisan conservation bills are a growing rarity in Congress, but Little said he believes this bill is popular enough to get momentum in Congress.

“All bills take a while, and in this environment where everything’s being cut, I think it will take longer,” said Little. “But this is a huge, big step, and to make it a bipartisan bill, with these two senators, is a huge step forward.”

The bill has backing from groups like the Idaho Wildlife Federation, Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture, Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts and Oregon Agricultural Trust.

“Preserving critical wetland habitat is vital to protecting open landscapes for the diverse species — including numerous varieties of birds and fish that call Idaho home,” Crapo said in a statement “Investments in public-private partnerships in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest will help keep wild spaces wild.”

“Restoring our wetlands is about more than just providing habitat for birds and other

PROVIDED PHOTO

A group of pilgrims with faces, hats and flamenco dresses caked in dust ride together on a pilgrimage to Rocío, Spain to pay homage to the Virgin Mary

PROVIDED PHOTO By JURGEN HESS

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

grams

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 — diriGiBLes: dih-RIJih-buls: Airships.

Average mark 42 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 58 or more words in DIRIGIBLES?

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

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

By CHrisTina iVerson

Impregnable?

Most American players we believe, would open the South hand two no-trump. Today’s deal is from a competition in China where strong club systems are very popular Our guess is that the North-South one-notrump range was 16-18 and the twonotrump rebid showed 19-20. We can see that the diamonds are splitting 3-3 and the jack of spades is favorably placed for declarer Three no-trump looks impregnable. What could go wrong?

super Quiz

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and

What famous leader was killed in the Battle of Little Bighorn?

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

South won the opening club lead in hand with the king. South didn’t know about the favorable diamond split, so he tried the reasonable play of leading the king of hearts from his hand. If he could set up two heart tricks it wouldn’t matter how the diamonds split. Can you see what happened to him? East captured the king of hearts with the ace and shifted to the king of spades! He continued with a low spade and South had to guess the position. South reasoned, as most of us would, that East wouldn’t play this way from a spade holding that included the jack, but he might well play this way from a holding that included the ace. South rose with his queen of spades and lost four spade tricks to go with the ace of hearts and finished down one. Nice defense!

LEO

LIBRA (Sept.

23) Confusion will result if you take others literally. It’s OK to be different and to follow your heart instead of joining the crowd. You’ll get the highest return from home improvements if you work alone.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Get in the zone, do your thing and live in the moment. You have plenty to gain if you trust in yourself. Leave nothing to chance; follow your path and make things happen.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Let your creativity run wild and make changes at home that suit your needs. Convenience will encourage you to get things done and make your responsibilities more manageable. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan 19) Test your skills, engage in competitive activities and set high standards for yourself and others. A chance to show off and gain support will pay off. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Embrace change instead of backing away Uncertainty will remain until you deal with the issues you face. What you achieve will make you feel good and impress others. PISCES (Feb 20-March 20) Put your energy into something positive. Concentrateondomesticissuesand helping loved ones The rewards will surpass your expectations and position you for change. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Stick to your game plan regardless of temptation. Venturing out will lead to expenses you don’t need or want. Focus on what you can do. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Pay attention to what’s happening. Your insight and suggestions will win the favor of someone close to you. Follow your heart and seek out romance. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Do your research before you make a change at home. Expect someone to try your patience, and know enough to walk away before you say something you will regret.

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

goren Bridge

1. George Armstrong Custer.2.Pearl Harbor

3. France. 4. Niña,Pinta and SantaMaria 5. China. 6. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill,JosephStalin. 7.Germany, Italy, Japan. 8. Adolf Hitler,Benito Mussolini, Emperor Hirohito. 9.Abraham Lincoln,James Garfield, WilliamMcKinley,John F. Kennedy 10. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt,AbrahamLincoln 11. Augustus, Tiberius,Caligula, Claudius, Nero. 12. Caesar,Pompey,Crassus. 13. George Washington,JohnAdams, ThomasJefferson. 14. Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon,Gerald Ford. 15. The freedom of speech, the freedom of worship,the freedom from wantand the freedom fromfear

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Give every day the chance to becomethe most beautiful day of your life. —Mark Twain