During his long stay at the Orleans Parish lockup before he escaped last month, detainee Lenton Vanburen had racked up criminal charges in six cases for jail violations in less than twoyears, prompting authorities to label him an “extreme security risk.”
As recently as mid-January,Vanburen wascharged withbattery againstacorrectional officer,his third such case since September In many jails, Vanburen’srecord would have qualified him forstricter supervisionina more secure tier,aprocess known as segregation that’ssocommon the American Correctional Association issues guidelines for it. But the Orleans Justice Center abandoned the practice years ago, shortlyafter Sheriff SusanHutson took office in May 2022, records and interviews show Federal monitors flaggedthatdecision shortly afterward and have continued to describe it as acritical misstep, one that spawned a subset of detainees “who repeatedly do not follow the rules of OJC.” Among them: More than half the 10 detainees who brazenlyescaped the jail last month, who had recent disciplinary problemsorhad previouslyescapedcorrectionalfacilities
“It is of concern that thepractice of limiting themovementofhighsecurity inmatesand thepractice of placing them in specialty housing was eliminated,” monitors wrote in their most recent report, which came 11 days after the May 16 escape. Hutson’scorrections chief, Jeworski “Jay” Mallett, said the agency is now working to reopen itssegregation unit and to add Hutson
nuclear and military sites, joining Israel’sefforttodecapitate
Vance, SecretaryofState Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary
BY SAM MEDNICK, AAMER MADHANI and DAVID RISING
Associated Press
WASHINGTON The U.S.militarystruck three sites in Iran early Sunday,directly joining Israel’swar aimed at decapitating the country’snuclear program in arisky gambit to weaken alongtime foe amidTehran’sthreat of reprisalsthatcould spark a wider regional conflict.
Addressing the nation from theWhite House, President Donald Trumpsaid Iran’s keynuclear siteswere“completelyand fully obliterated.” He also warned Tehran against carrying out retaliatory attacks
‘A tremendous ambition to achieve’
Joseph Canizaro,realestatedeveloper who reshaped NewOrleans skyline, dies at 88
BYJOHN POPE |Contributing writer
against the U.S., saying Iranhas achoice between “peace or tragedy.”
Iran’snuclear agency confirmed that attacks hit itsFordo,Isfahanand Natanz atomicsites, but insisted that itswork will notbestopped.
“Wehave completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow,Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trumpsaidina post on social media.“All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was droppedonthe primary site, Fordow.All planes are safely
ä See STRIKES, page 7A
The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than aweek of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country’sair defensesand offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S.and Israeli officialshave said that American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound bunker-busterbombthey alonecan carry offered thebest chance of destroying heavily fortifiedsites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.
“Joe’simpactondowntown reflectedhis bullish, confident spirit at atime when manyold guard business leadersdid not understand his vision. History has proved Joeright.” MARC MORIAL, NewOrleans mayorfrom1994 to 2002
ä See CANIZARO, page 4A
Joseph C. “Joe” Canizaro, aprolific real estate developer who thought and built big, resulting in aseries of projects that changed the skylineof downtown New Orleansand afortune he dedicated to philanthropy and support for Republican politics, diedFriday night at his Metairie home.Hewas 88. His death, which followed aseries of strokes,was confirmedbyclose friend Boysie Bollinger Canizaro’stime developingproperties coincided withaperiod of
Joseph C. Canizaro, NewOrleans real estate developer,philanthropist and major GOP donor,died Fridaynight at his Metairie home. He was 88. FILE PHOTO
ä Republicans in Congress praise Trump after strikes in Iran. PAGE 7A
REUTERS PHOTO By CARLOS BARRIA
President Donald Trumpspeaks from the East Room of the White House on Saturday in Washington after the U.S. militarystruck three Iranian
the country’s nuclear program, as, from left, Vice President JD
Pete Hegseth listen.
BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS
Sunken superyacht
lifted from waters
PORTICELLO Italy A British-
flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, was lifted from the water Saturday as salvage recovery crews completed the complex operation to bring it ashore for further investigation.
The white top and blue hull of the 184-foot Bayesian, covered with algae and mud, was visibly clear of the sea in a holding area of a yellow floating crane barge off the Sicilian port of Porticello.
“The hull of the superyacht Bayesian has today been successfully and safely recovered from the sea off the coast of northern Sicily,” said TMC Maritime, the company conducting the recovery “This follows a delicate lifting procedure that began early today.”
TMC added that the hull will continue to be held “in an elevated position to allow expert salvage personnel to complete checks and preparations” ahead of its transportation into the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese on Sunday The floating crane platform will move the Bayesian to the port where a special steel cradle is waiting for it. The vessel will be then made available for investigators to help determine the cause of the sinking.
Man arrested after Utah rally shooting released
A man who brought a rifle to a “No Kings” rally in Utah prompting an armed safety volunteer to open fire and accidentally kill a protester has been released from jail while the investigation continues.
Salt Lake District Attorney Sim Gill’s office said Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Arturo Gamboa, 24, who had been jailed on suspicion of murder following the June 14 shooting.
Salt Lake City police had said Gamboa brought an assault-style rifle to the rally and was allegedly moving toward the crowd with the weapon raised when a safety volunteer for the event fired three shots, wounding Gamboa and killing a nearby demonstrator Arthur Folasa Ah Loo Gamboa did not fire his rifle and it is unclear what he intended to do with it. His lawyer, Greg Skordas, said Gamboa was lawfully in possession of the rifle at the rally and was walking with it unloaded pointed at the ground before he was shot in the back by the volunteer Skordas said he does not believe that Gamboa heard anyone tell him to drop the weapon.
“There was never any raising of the gun, any brandishing of the gun, any pointing it toward anyone at all,” Skordas said. Gamboa had been attending the rally as a supporter, Skordas said, adding that he was not entirely sure why Gamboa brought the rifle.
Indians stretch for yoga celebration
NEW DELHI Tens of thousands of people across India stretched in public parks and on sandy beaches Saturday to mark the 11th International Day of Yoga
The mass yoga sessions were held in many Indian states, where crowds attempted various poses and practiced breathing exercises. Indian military personnel also performed yoga in the icy heights of Siachen Glacier in the Himalayas and on naval ships anchored in the Bay of Bengal. Similar sessions were also held in countries including Malaysia and Indonesia.
“I feel that yoga keeps us spiritually fit, mentally fit and helps us manage stress. That’s why I feel that people should take out at least 30 minutes every day for yoga to keep themselves fit,” said Rajiv Ranjan, who participated in an event in the Indian capital of New Delhi.
Yoga is one of India’s most successful cultural exports after Bollywood. It has also been enlisted for diplomacy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has harnessed it for cultural soft power as the country takes on a larger role in world affairs Modi persuaded the U.N. to designate the annual International Day of Yoga in 2014. The theme this year was “Yoga for One Earth, One Health.”
At least 3 killed in N.D. tornado
By The Associated Press
ENDERLIN,N.D Powerful winds including a tornado — that swept across parts of the upper Midwest left three people dead and a regional airport heavily damaged, while nearly 150 million Americans were under a heat advisory or warning as the weekend warmed up in much of the U.S.
A complex storm system wreaked havoc in parts of North Dakota, northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, with reported tornadic activity, large hail and strong wind gusts, according to Brian Hurley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center
Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner said at a news conference Saturday that two men and a woman were killed late Friday at two locations around the town of Enderlin, about 40 miles southwest of Fargo. Thousands of households lost power Hours earlier the National Weather Service in Grand Forks said on the social platform X that two deaths were attributed to a tornado that hit a home.
Tornado confirmed
Timothy Lynch, lead forecaster with the NWS office in Grand Forks, said the storm was confirmed as a tornado but crews were still working to determine its strength and highest wind speeds. He said the storm impacted the neighboring counties of Cass and Ransom.
“We still have people out investigating and gathering information on what happened It was a pretty major event,” Lynch told The Associated Press.
Gov Kelly Armstrong said in a statement that the NWS confirmed a second tornado touched down near Spiritwood, which is about 80 miles west of Fargo.
Armstrong issued a statewide disaster declaration to respond to the damage
Heavy winds also swept across localized areas of Minnesota, and the NWS reported wind gusts of up to 106 mph at Bemidji Regional Airport overnight.
“I cannot ever recall hearing a rushing wind like that!” Bemidji Mayor Jorge
Prince posted on Facebook in the early hours Saturday “Emerged from our basement to find our neighborhood with lots
of trees down and several homes with severe damage.”
Prince also said officials were responding to many knocked down power lines and several gas line leaks. Localized torrential rain flooded the city’s downtown and stalled vehicles, Beltrami County Emergency Management Director Christopher Muller said.
Many Bemidji-area businesses posted on social media to say they were without power and closed for the day Muller warned people to prepare for “long-term power outages” because of damage to infrastructure.
Hurley said that same storm moved on in a weakened state to parts of Michigan. It was expected to cross over lower Ontario, Canada, and back into the United States to hit upstate New York on Saturday night into Sunday
“Still wind and hail threat,” Hurley said of the enhanced risk to upstate New York. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to be as robust perhaps as we saw last night.”
Extreme heat
Almost 59 million Americans were under an extreme heat warning Saturday, Hurley said, as the high temperatures combined with humidity pushed an aboveaverage heat index for the Northern Plains and the Midwest Parts of Nebraska, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa could face temperatures “easily 20 degrees above normal,” according to Hurley, with some areas reaching the triple digits. That kind of heat may be expected in July he said, but it’s rare to see in June.
“A lot of these areas have been pretty cool with rain over the last month or so, so it’s going to be a little bit of a shock,” Hurley said.
Cooling centers were open in cities including Omaha and Minneapolis.
An additional 84 million people were under a heat advisory with the extreme weather expected to migrate east toward the Great Lakes, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, where the “heat risk category is a 4 of 4” into early next week, Hurley said. Meanwhile parts of the Great Basin and the Southwest were expected to see below-normal temperatures.
Belarus frees dissident, 13 others after rare visit from U.S. envoy
BY YURAS KARMANAU and JOANNA KOZLOWSKA Associated Press
TALLINN Estonia Belarus has freed Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a key dissident figure and the husband of exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and 13 others following a rare visit by a senior U.S. official, Tsikhanouskaya’s team announced on Saturday Tsikhanouski, a popular blogger and activist who was imprisoned in 2020, arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania, alongside 13 other political prisoners, his wife’s team said. The release came just hours after Belarusian authorities announced that authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko met with President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine in Minsk Keith Kellogg became the highest-ranking U.S. official in years to visit Belarus, Moscow’s close and dependent ally
A video published on Tsikhanouskaya’s official Telegram account showed Tsikhanouski disembarking from a white minibus, smiling broadly despite his shaved head and emaciated frame. He pulled his wife into a long embrace as their supporters applauded “My husband is free. It’s difficult to describe the joy in my heart,” Tsikhanous-
kaya told reporters. But she added her team’s work is “not finished” while over 1,100 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus.
Tsikhanouski, known for his anti-Lukashenko slogan “stop the cockroach,” was jailed after announcing plans to challenge the strongman in the 2020 election. Following his arrest, his wife ran in his stead, rallying large crowds across the country Official results of the election handed Lukashenko his sixth term in office but were denounced by the opposition and the West as a sham.
Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets in the aftermath of the August 2020 vote, in the largest protests in the country’s history. In the ensuing crackdown, more than 35,000 people were detained, with many beaten by police. Prominent opposition figures either fled the country or were imprisoned. Tsikhanouski was sentenced to 19½ years in prison on charges of organizing mass riots.
Lukashenko has since extended his rule for a seventh term following a January election that the opposition called a farce. Since July 2024, he has pardoned nearly 300 people, including imprisoned U.S. citizens, seeking to mend ties with the West.
Hot-air balloon catches fire and crashes in Brazil
Authorities say 8 people killed and 13 injured in incident
BY ELÉONORE HUGHES Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO A hot-air balloon caught fire and tumbled from the sky on Saturday in Brazil ’s southern state of Santa Catarina, killing eight people, firefighters said.
Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon, which was in flames as it hurtled toward the ground in the municipality of Praia Grande
On a video on social media, two people can be seen falling through the air as the fire spread onboard the aircraft.
Thirteen people survived and were taken to hospitals, Santa Catarina’s military fire brigade said adding that 21 people were on board including the pilot. The crash happened at around 8 a.m. local time, said Lt. Col. Zevir Cipriano Jr., a military firefighter. A fire started in the basket prompting the pilot to try to land the balloon.
Thirteen people, including the pilot, managed to jump out but eight were unable to. Without the weight of the others, the balloon began rising again.
“These people ended up dying — four charred and another four jumped out of the balloon when it was falling,” Cipriano Jr said.
Three people died hugging each other, said Ulisses Gabriel, chief of Santa Catarina’s civil police force, on X. “It hurts the soul.”
“We are in mourning. A tragedy has happened. We will see how it unfolds, what happened, why it happened. But the important thing now is for the
state structure to do what it can,” Gov Jorginho Mello said in a video on X. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with victims’ families and said he was placing the federal government at the disposal of victims and local authorities.
Authorities have opened an investigation and the results will be made public within 30 days, Santa Catarina’s public safety secretary Col. Flávio Graff told journalists. According to the civil police, the pilot has given testimony and they will also gather statements from survivors, Graff added.
G1 reported that the balloon’s expected flight time was 45 minutes, with the balloon reaching 3,280 feet, and cost about $100 per passenger Sobrevoar the company responsible for the multicolored balloon, said it complied with all regulations and had a clean accident record before Saturday
“Despite all necessary precautions and the efforts of our pilot — who has extensive experience and followed all recommended procedures in an attempt to save everyone on board the balloon — we are suffering from the pain caused by this tragedy,” it said in a statement Sobrevoar added that it was suspending all operations for an indefinite period.
Praia Grande is a common destination for hotair ballooning, a popular activity in parts of southern Brazil. The area is famous for its dramatic canyon landscapes and is known as the “Brazilian Cappadocia,” a reference to a region in central Turkey famed worldwide for stunning hot-air balloon rides.
Last Sunday, a balloon came down in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 other people, G1 reported.
BISMARCK TRIBUNE PHOTO By TANNER ECKER
Casey Fiest uses an electric chain saw on Saturday to
broken tree lying in a yard from the previous night’s severe thunderstorms in Bismarck, N.D
Mahmoud Khalil vows to keep protesting Gaza war
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 Peruvianbased 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.” Ugaz and a Sodalitium victim, Pedro Salinas, have
faced years of criminal and civil litigation from Sodalitium and its supporters for their investigative reporting into the group’s twisted practices and financial misconduct, and they have praised Leo for his handling of the case.
Activist home after months jailed in La. immigration facility
BY HOLLY RAMER and ARON RANEN Associated Press
NEWARK, N.J A Palestinian ac-
tivist who was detained for more than three months pushed his infant son’s stroller with one hand and cheered as he was welcomed home Saturday by supporters including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mahmoud Khalil greeted friends and spoke briefly to reporters at New Jersey’s Newark International Airport a day after leaving a federal immigration facility in Louisiana. A former Columbia University graduate student and symbol of President Donald Trump ’s clampdown on campus protests, he vowed to continue protesting Israel and the war in Gaza.
“The U.S government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide,” he said. “This is why I will continue to protest with every one of you. Not only if they threaten me with detention Even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine.”
Joining Khalil at the airport, Ocasio-Cortez said his detention violated the First Amendment and was “an affront to every American.”
“He has been accused, baselessly, of horrific allegations simply because the Trump administration and our overall establishment disagrees with his political speech,” she said.
“The Trump administration knows that they are waging a losing legal battle,” Ocasio-Cortez added. “They are violating the law, and they know that they are violating the law.”
Khalil, a 30-year-old legal 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 a citizen, an immigrant, anyone in this land, you’re not illegal That doesn’t make you less of a human,” he said.
Khalil was not accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. However the administration has said noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the country for expressing views it considers to be antisemitic and “proHamas,” referring to the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Khalil was released after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it would be “highly, highly unusual” for the government to continue detaining a legal resident who was unlikely to flee and had not been accused of any violence. The government filed notice Friday evening that it was appealing Khalil’s release.
Texas governor signs Ten Commandments law
BY JIM VERTUNO Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas Texas will require all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments under a new law that will make the state the nation’s largest to attempt to impose such a mandate.
Gov Greg Abbott announced Saturday that he signed the bill, which is expected to draw a legal challenge from critics who con-
sider it an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church and state.
A similar law in Louisiana was blocked when a federal appeals court ruled Friday that it was unconstitutional. Arkansas also has a similar law that has been challenged in federal court.
The Texas measure easily passed in the Republicancontrolled state House and Senate in the legislative session that ended June 2.
“The focus of this bill is to look at what is historically important to our nation educationally and judicially,” Republican state representative Candy Noble, a co-sponsor of the bill, said when it passed the House. Abbott also signed a bill that allows school districts to provide students and staff a daily voluntary period of prayer or time to read a religious text during school hours.
The Ten Commandments
laws are among efforts, mainly in conservative-led states, to insert religion into public schools.
Texas’ law requires public schools to post in classrooms a 16-by-20-inch poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the commandments, even though translations and interpretations vary across denominations, faiths and languages and may differ in homes and houses of worship.
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.SNAPdollars 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 starting in 2028 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 community health programs
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’sa ripple effectwe 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, leading to worsehealth 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 andSecond Harvest Food Bank of GreaterNew Orleansand Acadiana
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG
Mahmoud Khalil, second from left, alongside Rep Alexandria OcasioCortez D-N.y. prepares to speak Saturday at a news conference upon arriving at Newark International Airport in Newark, N.J
Leo XIV
transformationfor New Orleans. City leaders were eager to compete with other growing southern cities, where skyscrapers were rising and big infrastructure investments wereunderway One New Orleans project in the early 1960s, the International Trade Mart at the foot of Canal Street, served as inspiration.Canizaro visited it while it wasbeing built, he told Biz New Orleans Magazine in a2014 interview,and when he looked down after climbing 26
flights of stairs, he saw the point where Canal and Poydras streets almost converge near the Mississippi River
“I remember thinking, ‘This is where Iwant to construct agreatbuilding —a modelfor what the future of New Orleans can be,’”he said in the interview
He
first turned to apiece of property slightly farther up Poydras, developing the Lykes Center in 1966. At the time, Poydras Streetwas an undistinguishedthoroughfare, but the 276-foot building at 300 Poydras, constructedtoserve as the home of the Lykes Bros. Steamship Co. (and now home to the Loews Hotel), established Canizaro as a visionary builder,according to developer Darryl Berger
“He saw the potential long before others did that movement would be toward the river,” said Berger
“I think he was probably the most creative,energetic and accomplished developer of our generation in New Orleans,” Berger added. “Few, if any, achieved morein termsofprojectsand changingthe landscapethanJoe did. He had atremendous ambition to achieve.”
He followed the Lykes Center with abuilding at the location he had looked down on from the Trade Mart: One Canal Place, acomplex containing an office tower, ahigh-rise hotel and an upscale shopping center on the edge of the French Quarter Canizaro partneredwith the Shah of Iran on the project; after he was overthrown in 1979, Canizaro paid $50 million to buy out his share, according to The New York Times. One Canal Place opened in 1983. Canizaro continued to developdowntownbut also completedprojects across the New Orleans metro area and the region. Hisprojects included the First Bank Center (formerly known as the Galleria) in Metairie; the Information TechnologyCenter Office Complex,which is in the University of New Orleans Researchand Technology Park; and acombination of office buildings, hotels and mixed-use projects throughout the southern and southwestern United States. MarcMorial, who was mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002,called Canizaro “one of the most influential and impactful New Orleanians of the past 50 years,and one of the most important business leaders in thecity’s
terevent startedat$3,300 per person. The Canizaros have contributed at least $833,000 to Trumpand the GOP since2017.
For these big-ticket events, Canizaro teamed up with Bollinger,who said it wasn’tbusiness interests that attracted his friend to high-stakes politics.
“It was ideology,” Bollinger said. “I don’tever remember discussing business with Joe on these occasions.”
U.S. Sen.John Kennedy, aRepublicanfrom Mandeville,saidCanizaro was “a force of nature, with a heart as big as Lake Pontchartrain. Iwillmisshim We allwill.”
NewOrleans. The commissionreleased an 86-pagemaster planfor theeconomic, civic andcommunity revitalization of NewOrleans followingHurricane Katrina.
history.”
Morial, whoisnow president andCEO of the NationalUrban League, said he appointed Canizaro to theboardofthe Housing AuthorityofNew Orleans, where Canizaro worked with public housingresidents to transform the city’saging public housingstock
“Joe’s impacton downtown reflected his bullish, confident spirit at atime when manyold guardbusiness leaders did not understand hisvision ”Morial said in a statement Saturday.“History hasprovedJoe right.”
Bollinger,a philanthropist andformer CEO of BollingerShipyards, described Canizaro as “a workaholic” and“avery intense human,” adding, “I don’tknow any hobbies he has unless you would call work his hobby.”
Inaddition to real estate development, Canizaro was also aforce in local banking. In May 1991, he ledaninvestor group thattook over the failed First City Bank, renaming it First Bank and Trust.Itwas eventually sold to BankPlus.
GreenDot controversy
Canizaro also served as a New Orleans civic leader and was named to an advisory commissiononthe rebuilding the city after HurricaneKatrina.Inrebuildingthe city,“thecitizensin theneighborhoodsroseto theoccasion,” Canizaro said
in an interviewwith the Urban LandInstitute.
Butthe roledrewcriticismfrom someresidents because thecommittee he led, known as the Bring New Orleans Back Commission, recommended againstrebuilding in themost severely damaged neighborhoods. Thoseareas were marked on mapswith large green circles, resulting in intense oppositionand the description of theproposal as the Green Dot plan.
The planwentnowhere and Canizaromoved on to other endeavors. Canizaro and his wife, Sue Ellen, had to rebuild too. Their home in Metairie,completewith achapelwhere the devout Roman Catholic prayed regularly,took on roughly 2feet of floodwater andwas heavily damaged.
Politicalprominence
Berger said Canizaro favored Democratic politicians in his younger years, especially Moon Landrieu, whose time as mayorfrom 1970 to 1978 coincided with Canizaro’srise as amajor developer
“He became very close withMoon, so close that when Moon steppeddown as HUD secretary (in 1981), Joe hiredhim,”Berger said, “but that didn’tlast.”
President Ronald Reagan, aRepublican, tookofficein 1981, and the GOP started to gain strength. Canizaro
identifiedmore with RepublicansthanDemocrats, Berger said,“and he really wentinto overdrive to becomeaplayer on thenational scene.”
He was amajor donor to Republican candidates, mostnotably President Donald Trump, forwhomhe held two fundraisersinhis home. Tickets for the lat-
Canizaro,who lived in New Orleansfor more than six decades, grew up in Biloxi, Mississippi. His father,Dr. Vito Canizaro, was asurgeon. The oldest of eight children, Joe Canizaro graduated from Notre Dame High School.He attendedseveral collegesbut did not graduate. Joe Canizaro credited his father for showing him the way to succeed.
“He taught me to be aconfident person,” he said in the Biz NewOrleans interview “Early on, Ilearned the value of working hard and making sure Ihad all of the facts before moving ahead with the next step in my life.”
One of Joe Canizaro’sfew unsuccessful ventureswas his ownershipofthe New OrleansBreakers, aUnited States Football League team he bought in 1983. It lost about$17 million over three seasonsinthree differentcities and folded in 1986.
Still, Joe Canizaro’smost visible legacy is in downtown NewOrleans, where in addition to OneCanal Placeand the Lykes Center,hebuilt the Texaco Center(now the 400 Poydras Tower), the Holiday Inn CrownePlaza and the LL&E Tower (now the First Bank and Trust Tower).
All were imposing buildings in theirown right.But Berger said Canal Place made the public aware of the riverfront’spotential,
leading to arenewed interest in the area. And the office towers along Poydras —the Lykes Center,the Texaco Center andthe LL&E Tower —helped turn that street into New Orleans’ premier office corridor
Major philanthropic gifts Joe Canizaro served as the founding president of the local chapter of Legatus, an international organization of Catholic business executives. He and his wife gave $5 million to LoyolaUniversity to establish the Canizaro Centerfor Catholic Studies and an unspecified amount to setupthe Canizaro Library at AveMaria University in AveMaria, Florida. He and Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston,aMedal of Honor recipient, founded theCanizaro/Livingston Gulf StatesCenterfor Environmental Informatics at the University of New Orleanstoapplyinformation sciencetoenvironmental issues.
Among the honors he receivedwerehonorarydoctorates from OurLady of Holy Cross College (now the University of Holy Cross) andNotreDame Seminary, the Mayor’sMedal of Honor, the Louisiana Italian-American SportsHall of Fame Award, theGoldenPlate Awardfromthe American Academy of Achievement and aLifetime Achievement AwardfromJuniorAchievementofGreater New Orleans.
In addition to his wife,survivors include two daughters, JoellenCanizaro,of Metairie, and Jill Canizaro Randle,ofNewport Beach, California;two brothers, Vito CanizaroJr.,ofOcean Springs, Mississippi, and Roy Canizaro,ofHattiesburg, Mississippi; twosisters,AnnaRose Canizaro Bacas,ofPicayune,Mississippi, and Vita Canizaro, of Kingwood,Texas;a grandchild and two great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Contact JohnPopeat pinckelopes@gmail.com.
NouveauMarcbyBarclay Houseiskicking off the summerwithanafternoon of island-themedfun at our Luau!JoinusonJune26thfrom4:00to6:00 PM to enjoyliveentertainment anddelicious tropicalrefreshmentsthatwill take your senses on a journey. Island attire is encouraged!Calltoday to RSVPand experience theexcitementoflifeat Nouveau Marc!
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ROGELIOSOLIS
Alden McDonald, left, and Joseph Canizaro
unveiled on Jan. 27, 2006, in
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL DEMOCKER
Joseph Canizaro wasinspired early in his career by aproject near where Canal and Poydras streets almost convergenearthe Mississippi River.Helater built OneCanal Place there.
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a second one, totaling 120 beds, typically enough for roughly 10% of the jail’s population. That tier is scheduled to open in midJuly, Mallett said.
Throughout Hutson’s first term, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office has dealt with some of its most problematic detainees another way, by transferring them to be held pretrial — at state prisons, monitors wrote. It’s not clear how many
Before he broke out, Vanburen, 27, and five of the other escapees who previously faced criminal charges for jail violations remained among the jail’s general population on the first floor
Two of them had previously escaped from other correctional institutions.
Eight of the 10 escapees have been recaptured, including Vanburen, who’s now being held at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. But the state’s manhunt for the remaining two has now gone on for more than a month.
Escapees previously found guilty of infractions did spend time in a temporary disciplinary pod at the Orleans Justice Center, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Gary Scheets said, though those were likely brief stints, for as little as five days. The Sheriff’s Office declined to release other information on the escapees’ disciplinary histories or records tracking where they’d been housed in the jail, pending several probes of the escape.
Old problems
Last month’s jailbreak ex-
ploded many of the troubled parish lockup’s problems into public view
Chief among them: Though the jail was built as a $145 million facility just a decade ago under a federal judge’s watch as part of a decade-old consent decree, the Sheriff’s Office has struggled to safely house its highest risk and special needs populations from Day One.
Some contend it’s partly because of the facility’s homogenized design 24 housing units, 60 beds per unit, almost all of them designed for two detainees per cell.
Jail-hired consultants in 2014 recommended the Sheriff’s Office remodel parts of the lockup into smaller units, with some of them putting one man to a cell, court documents show That setup would be more suitable for severely mentally ill detainees, people in protective custody, juveniles charged as adults, or detainees who required segregation, consultants said.
The proposed changes never happened. And just as Hutson’s administration abandoned the segregation unit, they were hobbled by other circumstances.
She’s repeatedly requested and been denied — more
money from the New Orleans City Council to boost her badly understaffed department City Council members have said in the past that Hutson has not provided enough details about her plans to use additional money, while the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office said recently that Hutson could tap an $8 million reserve for jail repairs.
And even though violent crime is down 20% in New Orleans, it’s Hutson’s jail that shoulders the burden of the slow churn of criminal cases among the jail’s detainees, many of whom can’t afford bail.
The average length of stay at the jail among the 10 escapees, eight of whom were being held pretrial, was more than a year
Hutson has also fought to oppose the construction of a long-planned 88-bed mental health addition to the jail, which she’s said is too expensive and unneeded. After years of court delays, the building is expected to open next year
Safety risks
The jail does have dedicated tiers for its most severely mentally ill detainees. But others with known security
risks or more minor mental health problems often end up housed alongside everyone else.
On pod 1D, where the 10 escapees dislodged a toilet before escaping through a hole in the wall, the population included 20-year-old Kendell Myles. He made headlines after he escaped from the Bridge City Center for Youth in 2022, before he was accused of carjacking and shooting an Uptown man, critically injuring him. Those charges were later dropped after prosecutors missed a deadline to file indictments.
Six weeks before Myles escaped the Orleans jail, he was charged with battery for a jail fight, which prosecutors dropped at the request of the other party, according to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.
Also on pod 1D was Antoine Massey, 32. He had already escaped correctional facilities twice — once from a youth center when he was 15; once in Morehouse Parish in 2019. The Sheriff’s Office declined to say whether the jail was aware of those prior escapes. Massey remains on the
run, along with 28-year-old convicted murderer Derrick Groves.
As for Vanburen, before he ended up on 1D, he had “been in and out of” the jail’s temporary disciplinary unit, according to the Sheriff’s Office, while he racked up six criminal charges for alleged jail violations between 2024 and 2025. In a November hearing, the Sheriff’s Office deemed him to be an “extreme security risk,” court minutes show Vanburen’s lawyer, Michael Kennedy, stressed in an interview that Vanburen hasn’t been convicted of any of the jail-related charges.
District Attorney Jason Williams’s office dismissed four of the six cases each because the Sheriff’s Office failed to properly document the violations or preserve evidence, Williams said.
“These were allegations against Mr Vanburen by a sheriff’s department that has proven repeatedly that it lacks the capability of administering the jail,” Kennedy said, adding that the district attorney “clearly found these claims to be baseless.”
Security questions
As to why the Sheriff’s Of-
fice closed its segregation unit just after Hutson took over for former longtime Sheriff Marlin Gusman, officials gave varying accounts. Hutson’s office said the decision was made by the jail’s warden at the time, Astrid Birgden, an Australian psychologist. Birgden denied that allegation in an email. She said a stand-alone segregation unit had already been dropped by the time Hutson took office and had been replaced with a tier that combined detainees held in long-term segregation and for disciplinary write-ups.
“When I arrived — two weeks after (Hutson) commenced — there was no administrative segregation unit,” Birgden said. Gusman, in an interview, said he always maintained a segregation unit.
Federal monitors noted the opening of the segregation unit in 2016 and flagged its closure in a report covering April to September 2022, which coincided with Hutson’s first few months in office.
Segregation or high-security units typically limit detainees to one person per cell. They are only released, in restraints, for one or two hours a day The practice’s critics say it can be overly punitive and can worsen conditions for detainees with mental health problems.
Segregation units can be effective in certain circumstances, said James Austin, a leading corrections researcher who has consulted for the city on the jail for more than a decade. Those include when jail officials follow through on plans for a detainee’s reentry into the less-restrictive general population as a reward for good behavior, typically after 60 days, he said. “There has to be a way they can earn their way out,” Austin said.
The Orleans Parish jail, seen on May 16, eliminated a more secure, disciplinary tier years before 10 inmates escaped in a jailbreak. The jail abandoned the practice around the time Sheriff Susan Hutson took office.
Vanburen
Gusman
Mallett
Many witnessing immigrationarrests for firsttime
BY JULIE WATSON, JAKE OFFENHARTZ and CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press
DIEGO
SAN
AdamGreenfield was homenursing acold 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 boltedout the door barefoot, joining ahandful of neighbors recording masked agents raiding apopular Italian restaurant nearby,asthey yelledat the officers to leave. An hour later, thecrowd had grown to nearly75 people, with manyinfrontofthe agents’ vehicles.
“I couldn’tstay silent,”Greenfield said. “It was literally outside of my front door.”
More Americans are witnessing people being hauled offas they shop, exercise at the gym,dine out and otherwise go about theirdaily lives as President Donald Trump’s administration aggressively works to increase immigration arrests. As the raids touch the lives of people who aren’timmigrants themselves, many Americanswho rarely, if ever,participated in civildisobedience 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 thecrowdback andthen drove off withfourdetainedworkers,he said
“Todothis, at 5o’clock, right at the dinner rush, right onabusy intersection with multiple restau-
BY SAMYAKULLAB
Associated Press
KYIV,Ukraine Ukraine’s president said that Russia repatriated at least 20 of its own deadsoldiersin recent exchanges with Ukraine, describingitasaresult of Moscow’s disorganization in carrying outlarge swaps of wounded POWs and remains of troops.
rants, they were trying to make a statement,” Greenfield said. “But I don’tknow if their intended point is getting acrossthe way they wantit to. Ithink it is sparking morebacklash.”
Previously,manyarrests happened late at night or in thepredawnhours by agents waiting outsidepeople’shomes as they left for workoroutside their worksites whentheyfinishedtheir day.When ICE raided another popularrestaurantinSan Diegoin2008, agents did it in the early morning without incident.
White Houseborder czar Tom Homan has said agents arebeing forced to make more arrestsin communities because of sanctuary policiesthat limit cooperation with ICEincertaincities and states. ICE enforces immigration laws nationwide but seeks state and local help in alerting federal authorities of immigrantswantedfor deportation and holding that personuntil
federal officers takecustody Vice President JD Vance, during avisit to Los Angeles on Friday,said those policies have given agents“a bit of amorale problem because they’ve hadthe localgovernment in this communitytellthemthat they’re not allowed todotheir job.”
“Whenthat Border Patrol agent goes out to do theirjob, they said within15minutes theyhaveprotesters,sometimesviolent protesterswho areintheir face obstructing them,” he said.
Melyssa Rivashad justarrived at her office in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, California, one morning last week when she heard thefrightened screams of young women. Shewentoutside to find the womenconfronting nearly a dozen masked federal agentswho hadsurrounded aman kneeling on the pavement
“It was like ascene out of amovie,” Rivassaid. “Theyall hadtheir faces covered and were standing
over this man who was clearly traumatized.And thereare these young girls screaming at the top of their lungs.”
As Rivas beganrecording the interaction, agrowing group of neighbors shoutedatthe agentsto leavethe man alone. Theyeventually drove offinvehicles, without detaining him, video shows.
Rivasspoke to the manafterward, whotoldher theagentshad arrived at thecar wash wherehe worked thatmorning,thenpursued him as he fled on his bicycle. It was one of several recent workplace raids in the majority-Latino city Thesameday,federal agents wereseen at aHomeDepot, aconstructionsiteand an LA Fitness gym. It wasn’timmediately clear howmany people hadbeen detained.
“Everyone is just rattled,” said Alex Frayde, an employee at LA Fitnesswho 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 agentsnever camein.
Arrests at immigration courts andother ICEbuildings have also promptedemotional scenes as maskedagentshaveturnedupto detain people going to routine appointments and hearings.
In thecity of Spokane in eastern Washington state, hundreds of people rushed to protest outside an ICE building June 11 after former citycouncilorBen Stuckart posted on Facebook. Stuckart wrote that he was alegalguardianofa Venezuelanasylum-seeker whowent to check in at the ICE building, only to be detained. His Venezuelan roommatewas also detained. Both men hadpermission to live
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that an Israelicitizen was amongthe dead Ukrainehad received in recentexchanges. He spoke to journalists on Friday but hiscomments were embargoed until Saturday. Officialsdid not disclose the identities of the bodies “They threw the corpses of their citizens at us. This is their attitude towardwar,toward their soldiers. And this is already documented. Sometimes thesebodies even have Russianpassports,”hesaid. He said the Russian side insisted the dead were all Ukrainians. Journalists were shown aRussian passport andIDbelonging to oneof the 20 dead Russians.According to thedocument, theman came from the Moscow region. The exchangesofthe dead and wounded soldiers are the only tangible result of direct peace talks in Istanbul. In June, Ukraine and Russiaagreedtoexchangethe bodies of fallen soldiers in a6,000-for-6,000 format during thesecondround of negotiations. Ukraine wasconcerned that the number was too high andthe sides didnot have enough timefor forensicexaminationsand checking theidentities of the dead.
andwork in the U.S. temporarily underhumanitarianparole, Stuckart told The Associated Press.
“I am going to sit in front of the bus,” Stuckart wrote, referring to the vanthat wasset to transport the two mentoanICE 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’scaregiveramong the demonstrators.
“She was just like, ‘I’m here because Ilove your mom, and Ilove you, and if you or your friends need help, then Iwant to help,’”hesaid through tears.
By evening, the Spokane Police Department sent over 180 officers, with some usingpepperballs, to disperse protesters. Over 30 people werearrested, including Stuckart whoblocked the transport van with others. He was later released.
Aysha Mercer,astay-at-home mother of three, said she is “not political in any way, shape or form.”
Butmanychildreninher Spokane neighborhood —who play in her yard and jumponher trampoline —comefrom immigrant families, and the thought of them being affected by deportations was“unacceptable,” she said.
She said she wasn’table to go to Stuckart’sprotest. But she marched for the first time in her life on June 14, joining millions in “No Kings” protests across the country
“I don’tthink I’ve ever felt as strongly as Idoright this here second,” she said.
Zelenskyy said he suspected Russia’splan was to play along with peace talks to appease the U.S. and stave off more sanctions butwithout ending the war that Russian President Vladimir Putin believes he is winning. He said that because of this, Ukraine would be “in areally difficult situation” of deciding whether to continue the talks in Istanbul.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAMIAN DOVARGANES
Melyssa Rivas stands Fridayata location where shewitnessed masked federalagents detain aperson earlier this month outsideOur Ladyof PerpetualHelp Catholic Church in Downey,Calif.
Members ofLSU search committee named
Grouptasked with finding next president
BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
LSU’sboard announced the members of its presidential search committee Friday,a crucial first step in the process of finding anew leader of Louisiana’sflagship university
The 19-member committee includes health care executives, business leaders, two professors, one LSU student and several members of LSU’sBoard of Supervisors, which oversees the LSU system. Five of the seven LSU board members on the committee were appointedby Gov.Jeff Landry
The committee will hire areplacement for former
LSU BoardChair Scott Ballard, whom Landry appointed, saidinaninterview this month thata consulting firm will help thecommittee begin identifying candidates this summer with thegoal of selecting anew president during the fall.
“This distinguished andengaged group brings deep expertise,institutionalknowledge,and asharedcommitment to identifying the next transformative leader for ouruniversity system,” Ballard said in astatementFriday
chair,LSU Board of Supervisors
n James Williams, past chair,LSU Board of Supervisors
n John Carmouche, supervisor,LSU Board of Supervisors
n Blaise Zuschlag, supervisor,LSU Board of Supervisors
n Ben Bordelon,president and CEO, BollingerShipyards
President William Tate IV, who stepped down this month to lead Rutgers University in New Jersey.LSU’snext presidentwilllead asystemthat includes campuses in Baton Rouge, Alexandria,Eunice and Shreveport, along with
an agriculture center,biomedical research center and medical schools in New Orleans and Shreveport.The UniversityofNew Orleans is also poisedtojoin the system under anew bill that Landry is expected to sign intolaw
Here are thecommittee membersand their affiliations, as provided by LSU: n Ballard, chair,LSU BoardofSupervisors
n LeeMallett, vicechair, LSU BoardofSupervisors n Valencia Sarpy Jones, pastchair,LSU Board of Supervisors n Rémy Voisin Starns, past
n Clarence Cazalot, immediatepastchair, MD Anderson; former chair/president/ CEOMarathon Oil; past chair LSU 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 FoundationBoard of Directors n Emily Otken, medical student,LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport;formerstudent member,LSU Board of Supervisors n Kenneth Schafer,Boyd Professorand Ball Family DistinguishedProfessor n Ryan Theriot, executive vice president/COO of Parish Construction; former LSU and MLB player n Daniel Tirone, LSU A&M Faculty Senate president; associate professor,LSU A&M College of Humanities &Social Sciences n Bill Windham, Shreveport-Bossierbusiness and industry leader
EmailPatrick Wall at patrick.wall@theadvocate. com.
Summer solstice at Stonehenge drawsrevelersfor sunrise
BY BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press
LONDON As the sun rose Saturday on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere,a crowd erupted in cheers at Stonehenge where the ancientmonument in southern England has clocked the summer solstice over thousandsof years
The orange ball crested the northeast horizon behind the Heel Stone, the entrance to the stone circle, and shone its beam of light into the center of one of theworld’s most famous prehistoric monuments. The solstice is one of the few occasions each year when visitorsare allowedtowalkamong the stones, which are otherwise fenced off.
The crowd gathered before dawn at the World Heritage Site to mark the start of summer in the Northern Hemi-
sphere,beating theheat during the U.K.’sfirst amberheat-health alert issued since September 2023. Temperatures later topped91.4 degrees in Surrey,80miles east of Stonehenge, the hottest temperature recorded in the U.K. sofar this year.
About 25,000 sun devotees and other revelers, includingdruids, pagans, hippies, locals and tourists, showed up,according to English Heritage, which operates thesite. More than 400,000 others aroundthe world watched alivestream
“This morning was ajoyousand peaceful occasion with the most beautiful sunrise,” saidRichard Dewdney,head of operations at Stonehenge. “It is fantastic to see Stonehenge continuing to enchantand connect people.”
Stonehenge wasbuilt in stages 5,000 years ago on the flat lands of Salisbury
Plainapproximately 75
miles southwest of London.
The unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C.
Someofthe so-called bluestones areknown to have come from thePreseli Hills in southwest Wales, nearly 150 milesaway,and the altar stonewas recentlydiscovered to have come from northern Scotland,some460 miles away
The site’s meaning has been vigorously debated. Theories range from it being acoronation place for Danishkings, adruidtemple,a cult center for healing, or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events.
The most generally accepted interpretation is thatitwas atemple aligned withmovementsofthe sun —lining up perfectly with the summer and winter solstices.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByZHANNA MANUKyAN People gather SaturdayatStonehenge, England,during sunrise on the summer solstice, the longest dayofthe year
EDUCATION
Foreignstudentsfeeltargetedinschools
Anxiety, insecurity have made them cautious,theysay
BY JOCELYN GECKER
AP education writer
To attract the brightest mindsto America, President Donald Trump proposed anovel idea while campaigning: If elected, he would grant green cards to allforeign students who graduate from U.S. colleges.
“It’ssosad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT,from the greatest schools,” Trump said duringa podcast interviewlast June
“That is going to end on Day One.”
That promise never cametopass. Trump’sstance on welcoming foreign students has shifted dramatically.International students have found themselves at the center of an escalating campaign to kick them out or keepthem from coming as his administration merges a crackdown on immigration with an effort to reshape higher education.
An avalanche of policiesfrom the Trump administration —such as terminatingstudents’ability to study in the U.S., halting all new student visa interviews and moving to blockforeign enrollmentat Harvard —have triggered lawsuits, countersuits and confusion.
Foreign students saytheyfeel targeted on multiple fronts. Late Wednesday,Trump himself took the latest action against international students, signinga proclamation barring nearly allforeigners from entering the country to attend Harvard. Afederal 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 insecuritythat have made them more cautious in their daily lives, distracted them from schoolwork and prompted manytocancel trips home
For many,the last fewmonths have forced them to rethink their dreams of building alife in America.
Student feels‘expendable’
Markuss Saule, afreshman at Brigham Young University-Idaho, took arecent trip home to Latvia and spent the entire flight back to the U.S.inastate of panic. Forhours, he scrubbed his phone,uninstallingall social media, deleting anything thattouched on politicsorcould be construedas anti-Trump
“That whole 10-hour flight, where Iwas debating, ‘Will they let me in?’ —itdefinitely killedmea little bit,” said Saule, abusiness analytics major.“It was terrifying.”
Sauleisthe type of international student the U.S. has coveted. As a
high schooler in Latvia, he qualified for acompetitive, 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 nowhis fiancee. He just endedhis freshmanyear in college with a4.0 GPA.
But the alarmhefelt 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 getmarried,find agreatjob here in the U.S.and start afamily,” said Saule, who hopes to work as abusiness data analyst. “Those plansare not applicable anymore. Ask me now,and the plan is to leave this place as soon as possible.”
Saule andhis fiancee plantomarry this summer,graduatea year early and move to Europe.
This spring, theTrumpadministration abruptlyrevoked permission to study in theU.S. for thousands of international students before reversing itself. Afederal
judge hasblocked further status terminations, but for many,the damage is done.Saulehas aconstant fear that he could be next.
As astudent in Minnesota just threeyears ago, he felt likea proud ambassador forhis country
“Now Ifeel asense of inferiority. Ifeel that Iamexpendable,thatI am purely an appendage that is maybe getting cut offsoon,” he said. “The policies, what they tell me is simple. It is oneword: Leave.”
Dreams to ‘doomscrolling’
Aconcern forattracting the world’stop students was raised in the interview Trump gave last June on thepodcast “All-In.” Can you promise, Trumpwas asked, to give companies moreability “to import the best and brightest” students?
“I do promise,” Trump answered. Greencards, he said, would be handed out with diplomas to any foreign student whogets acollege or graduate degree.
Trump said he knew stories of “brilliant” graduates who wanted to stay in theU.S. to workbut 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.”
HadTrump followedthrough with that pledge, a24-year-old Indian physics major named Avi would not be afraid of losing everything he has worked toward.
Aftersix yearsinArizona, where Aviattendedcollege andis now workingasanengineer,the U.S. feels like asecond home. He dreams of working at NASA or in anational 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.
WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THESTATEHOW TO TACKLE THEBIGGEST CHALLENGES FACINGLOUISIANA SCHOOLS.
“DoI risk seeing my family or risk deportation?”saidAvi,who asked to be identifiedbyhis first name, fearing retribution. Aviisone of about240,000 people on student visas in the U.S. on Optional Practical Training —apostgraduation period where students are authorized to work in fields relatedtotheir degrees forupto three years. Akey Trumpnominee hassaidhewould like to seeanend to postgraduate work authorization forinternational students. Avi’svisa is valid until next year but he feels“amassive amount of uncertainty.”
“I drive to work every morning, 10 miles an hour under speed limit to avoidgetting pulled over,” said Avi, who hopes to stay in the U.S. but is casting awider net. “I spend alot of time doomscrolling job listings in India and other places.”
Collegeoverwar
Vladyslav Plyaka cametothe 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 avisa.Hedoesn’tknow when that will be possible now that visa appointments are suspended, and he doesn’tfeel safe leaving the country.Hefeels grateful for the education, but without renewing his visa,he’ll be stuck in the U.S. at least two more years while he finishes his degree. He sometimes wonders if he would be willing to risk leaving his educationinthe United States —something he worked for years to achieve —if something happened to his family “It’s hard because everyday I have to think about my family,if everything is going to be allright,” he said.
SHIPPINGNOW!
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOSE LUIS MAGANA
VladyslavPlyaka came to the U.S. from Ukraine as an exchangestudent in high school. As war broke out at home, he stayedtoattend the UniversityofWisconsin.
GOP’sfoodstamp plan foundtoviolate 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 aproposal to shift some food stamps costs from thefederal government to states —acenterpiece of GOP savings efforts —would violatethe chamber’srules.
While the parliamentarian’srulings are advisory, they are rarely,ifever, ignored. The Republican leadership was scrambling on Saturday,days before voting is expected to begin on President Donald Trump’s packagethathewants to be passedinto 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 savingsfrom the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, to help offset the costs of the $4.5 trillion tax breaks plan. The parliamentarian let standfor now aprovision that would impose new work requirements for older Americans, up to age 65, to receive food stamp aid.
“Wewill keep fightingto protect families in need,” said Sen. AmyKlobuchar,of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, whichhandles the SNAP program.
“The Parliamentarian has made clear that Senate Republicans cannot use their partisanbudgettoshift ma-
Activistswiththe Poor People’sCampaignprotest on
2outsidethe
Washington against spending reductions across Medicaid,food stamps and federal
President DonaldTrump’sspendingand
jor nutrition assistancecosts to the states thatwould have inevitably ledtomajor cuts,” shesaid
Thecommittee chairman, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., saidina statement that his team is examining options that would comply with Senaterules to achieve savings and “toensureSNAP serves those who truly need it while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
Theparliamentarian’srulingisthe latest in aseries of setbacks as staffworks through the weekend,often toward midnight, to assess the 1,000-page proposal. It all points to serious trouble ahead for thebill, which was approved bythe House on a party-linevote 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 extendtax cuts from Trump’sfirst term that would otherwise expireifCongress fails to act. It also adds new ones, including no taxes on tips or overtime pay.Tohelp offset the costs of lost tax revenue, the Republicans are proposing cutbacks to federal Medicaid,health care andfood programs —some $1 trillion. Additionally,the package boosts national security spending by about $350 billion, including to pay for Trump’smass deportations, which are running into protestsnationwide.
California Gov.Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of encouraging violent immigration protests as he usedhis 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
Vance also referred to U.S. Sen.Alex Padilla, the state’sfirst 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 SecretaryKristiNoemon immigration raids.
“I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,” Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem’sevent. “I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’ta
theater. And that’sall it is.” “They wantto be able to go back totheir far-left groups andto say,‘Look, me, Istood up againstborder enforcement. Istood up against Donald Trump,’”Vance added Aspokespersonfor Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in asocial media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and said that Vance should know better. “Heshould be more focused on demilitarizing our city than taking cheap shots,”Oswald said Vance’svisit to Los Angeles to tour amultiagency Federal Joint Operations Center and amobile command centercame as demonstrations calmed down in the city and acurfew was lifted this week. Thatfollowed over aweekof sometimes-violent clashes betweenprotesters and police and outbreaks of vandalism and looting that followed immigration raids across Southern California.
Trump’sdispatching of his top emissary to Los Angeles at atime of turmoil surrounding the Israel-Iran war and the U.S.’sfuturerole in it signals the politicalimportance Trump placesonhis
hard-line immigration policies.Vance echoed the president’s harshrhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protestsinthe city
“Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass,bytreatingthe city as a sanctuarycity,have basically saidthat this is open seasononfederal lawenforcement,” Vancesaidafter he toured federalimmigration enforcement offices
“Whathappened herewas atragedy,” Vanceadded.
“You had people whowere doingthe 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 whythe president hasrespondedsoforcefully.”
Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in astatement, “The Vice President’s claimiscategorically false. The governorhas 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 thepeace,” Bass said.
jority in Congress, to deliver on his topdomestic priority, but thedetails 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’sred ink over the decadeand leave10.9 million more people without health carecoverage. Additionally, it would reduce or eliminate food stamps for morethan 3 million people.
Theparliamentarian’s office is tasked withscrutinizing the bill to ensure it complies with the so-calledByrd Rule, whichisnamed after thelate Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., andbars many
policy matters in the budget reconciliation process now being used.
Late Friday,the parliamentarian issued its latest findings.Itdetermined that Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee’sproposaltohavethe states pickupmore of the tab for covering food stamps —whatRepublicanscalla newcost-sharingarrangement —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, whichhas long been provided by the federal government. They warned many would lose accessto SNAP benefits used by more than 40 million people.
Initially,the CBO had estimated about $128 billion in savings underthe House’s proposal to shift SNAP food aid costs to the states. Cost estimatesfor the Senate’s version, which madechanges to the House approach, have not yet been madepublicly available.
The parliamentarian’soffice rulings leave GOP leaders with severaloptions. They can revise the proposalstotry to comply with Senate rulesorstrip them from the package altogether.They can also risk achallenge during floor voting, which would require the 60vote threshold to overcome. That would be unlikely in thesplit chamber with Democratsopposing theoverall package.
The parliamentarian’s latest advice also said the
committee’sprovision to make certain immigrants ineligible forfood stamps would violate the rule. It foundseveral provisions from the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, whichisled by Sen. TedCruz, R-Texas, to be in violation. They include onetoprovide $250 million to Coast Guard stations damaged by fire in 2025, namely one on South Padre Island in Texas. Still to come are some of themost important rulings fromthe parliamentarian. Onewillassessthe GOP’s approach that relies on “current policy” rather than “current law” as the baseline fordetermining whetherthe bill will addto the nation’sdeficits. Already, theparliamentarian delivereda serious setback Thursday,finding that the GOPplan to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, whichwas a core proposal coming from the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, would be in violation of the Byrd Rule.
The parliamentarian has also advisedofviolations over provisions from the Senate Environment and Public WorksCommittee that would rollback Environmental Protection Agency emissionsstandards on certain vehiclesand from the Senate Armed Services Committee to require the defense secretary to provide a planonhow the Pentagon intends to spend thetensof billions of new funds.
CornerstoneChemicalCompany,LLC celebrated thepower of educationand thepromise of thenext generationatits annual CornerstoneScholarship BanquetonJune5,reaffirmingits deep commitment to communitydevelopment andworkforce readiness across JeffersonParish.
Thebanquet,heldtohonor recipients of the2025 CornerstoneScholarship Programand Louisiana YouthSeminar Sponsorships,showcased the company’sstrongbelief that investinginstudents is keytostrengtheningthe region’s future
“There are47,000 children in JeffersonParish, andwe’re honoring you,”saidJeffersonParishSchool BoardMemberDerrick Shepherdinhis remarks to students.“Be kind,bepresent,and be grateful.” JacquesByrd, CornerstoneVicePresidentofSite Development, told recipients,“We need youbecause as we continue to grow anddevelop ourfacilities, we need people like youtostayathomeorcomeback home andbea part of ourCornerstone family.”
“Withthe moneythatI’vereceivedfrom Cornerstoneand thescholarshipsI’vereceived from othersources,I’llbegraduatingdebtfree,” said Ella,Class of 2026.Mia,Class of 2027,added “The scholarshipisgoing straight to my tuition. I’ll be graduating debt free also.” In addition to theSTEMscholarships, Cornerstonesupportslocalhighschoolstudents throughits sponsorship of threeattendees to the LouisianaYouth Seminar, aweek-long summer programfocused on leadership development. This seminarequipsstudentswithkey skills such as effectivecommunication,goalsetting problem-solving,and team building.Bysponsoring participation, Cornerstoneensures that more students have accesstothese career-shaping extracurricularexperiences,regardlessof financiallimitations
Theeveninghighlighted thestories of exceptional students whohavedemonstratedacademicsuccess, leadership potential, andadesiretomakea difference throughscience,technology, engineering, and mathematics(STEM)careers
Each year,Cornerstone’s scholarshipinitiative awards $1,000 one-time scholarships to 10 eligible localstudentspursuingSTEMdegrees at accredited universities or communitycolleges. Theprogram is open to graduating high school seniorsand current collegeorgraduatestudents. Some scholarships arereservedfor applicants whoare children of Cornerstoneemployees,and otherscholarshipsare awardedtoapplicantsfromnearbycommunities such as Waggaman,Kennedy HeightsinAvondale, andOld Kenner
“For me,after financialaid andmyacademic scholarships throughSoutheastern, this $1,000 wasthe last that Ineededfor my collegetobe completely paid for,” said MadisonAvery,a Nursing majoratSoutheasternUniversityand oneofthis year’s recipients “Tuition is definitelythe most expensivepartof my schooling, andthe CornerstoneScholarship will covera decent chunkofmytuition,” addedEthan Pittari, apre-pharmacy majoratthe University of LouisianaatMonroe. SistersEllaand MiaGuillot,bothmajoringin toxicology at theUniversityofLouisiana at Monroe, expressedsimilar gratitude.
“I’m really excitedfor this opportunity. It’s really big, andI’m eagertogrowwithany opportunity,”said LouisianaYouth SeminarSponsorship recipient EmilyMontufar, an upcoming senior at Joseph A. Cullier Career Center studying cosmetology. Cornerstonebelievesthatleadership development is critical to long-termsuccessfor both individuals andtheir communities. Thecompany’s commitment to providesupport forstudentswishing to attend theyearlysummerseminar is oneway it cultivates afutureworkforce prepared to lead in both professional andcivic arenas
TheLouisiana YouthSeminar Sponsorship recipients areEvanComeaux,Emily Montufar and Cotton Stewart CornerstoneScholarship Programrecipientsare anonymouslyselectedbya paneloflocal community leaders. LouisianaYouth SeminarSponsorship recipients areselectedbyleadershipattheir respectiveschools Applications for the2026scholarship cyclewill open in January. With each newclass of recipients Cornerstonecontinues to buildbridges between education, leadership,and thefutureofJefferson Parish’s workforce To learnmoreabout Cornerstone’scommunity initiatives,visit www.cornerstonechemco.com
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE
Supreme Courtin
aid in
LOUISIANAPOLITICS
Cassidyhas an idea to save moneyonMedicare
Plan gets some support, butwill Congress take it up?
WASHINGTON —Ever since U.S.
Mark Ballard
senators got their hands on the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, fiscal conservatives agonized over how betterto cover the trillions of dollars the proposed tax cuts would add to the nation’s$37 trillion debt. 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 agenda and proposed tax cuts.
The entire bill could be killed either by senators who want to roll back proposed Medicaid cuts and by senators who 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 Advantageplans, which would appease budget hawks seeking more spending cuts in the megabill.
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 BeautifulBill Act’scosts.
Cassidy’sNoUPCODE Act was not integrated intothe 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 oppose Medicaid reductions or some other policy in thethousand-page budget reconciliation bill Trump wants passed
“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
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, has aplan that could generate an estimated $100 billion in savings enough to placate some of the concerns that Medicaid reductions don’tcover the One BigBeautiful Bill Act’s costs.
THE GULF COAST
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.
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
PHOTO By JOHN FITZHUGH
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.
of the Battle of Bunker Hill in Gloucester,Mass.
Americacelebrates 250thanniversary of Battle of Bunker Hill
BY HILLEL ITALIE AP national writer
NEW YORK As theU.S. marks the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, it might take a moment —ormore— to remember why Start with the very name.
“There’ssomething percussive about it: Battle of Bunker Hill,” said prizewinning historian Nathaniel Philbrick, whose “Bunker Hill: ACity,ASiege, A Revolution” was published in 2013. “What actually happened probably gets hazy for people outside of the Boston area, but it’spart of our collective memory and imagination.”
“Few ‘ordinary’ Americans could tell you that Freeman’sFarm, or Germantown, or Guilford Court House were battles,” said Paul Lockhart, aprofessor of history at Wright University and author of aBunker Hill book, “The Whites of TheirEyes,” which came out in 2011. “But they can say that Gettysburg, D-Day and Bunker Hill were battles.” Bunker Hill, Lockhart adds, “is the great American battle, if there is such athing.”
Much of the world looks to the battles of Lexington and Concord, fought in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, as the start of the American Revolution.But Philbrick, Lockhart and others cite Bunker Hill and June 17 as the real beginning, the first time British and rebel forces faced off in sustained conflict over a specific piece of territory
Adaylong reenactment of the battle got underway Saturday morning with the seaside city of Gloucester standing in for Charlestown. Organizers chose a state park some 35 miles from Bostonto stage the battle because such activity is prohibited at the actual site.
Hundreds of onlookers watched as sharpshooters positioned on arocky outcropping fired upon red-coated British sailors landing in the harbor.During the actual battle, British soldiers responded by
setting afire to drive them offand used thesmoketo mask their movements.
“We’reina volatile period, but this is away that we can really celebrate our heritage and our diverse creation of what became America,” said Andrew Lyter,areenactor whowas overseeing thesmaller vessels.
“I teachhistoryata college, andthisisreally neat to engage with an audience that’svery interested in being here and learning about their history,” he said.
Bunker Hill was an early showcase for two long-running themes in American history —improvisation and how an inspired band of militias could hold their ownagainst anarmyof professionals
“It was ahorrific bloodletting, and provided the Britishhigh command with proof that theAmericans were goingtobealot more difficulttosubdue than had been hoped,” said thePulitzer Prize-winning historian RickAtkinson, whose second volume of aplanned trilogyonthe Revolution, “The Fate of the Day,” was published in April.
The battle was born in part out of error; rebelswereseeking to hold off apossibleBritish attack by fortifying Bunker Hill, a110-foot-high peak in Charlestown across theCharles Riverfrom British-occupied Boston. Butfor reasons still unclear,theyinstead armed a smaller and more vulnerableridge known as Breed’s Hill, “within cannonshot of Boston,”Philbrick said. “The Britishfeltthey had no choice but to attack and seize the American fort.”
Abigail Adams, wife of future President John Adams, andson JohnQuincy Adams, also afuture president, were among thousands in the Boston area who looked on from rooftops,steeples and trees as the two sides fought with primalrage. ABritish officer would write home about the “shocking carnage”left behind, asight “that never will be erased out of my mind‘till theday of my death.”
DEATHS continued from of theband. She was also Worthy Advisorofthe Orderofthe Rainbow for Girlsduring highschool DixiemarriedHerbert L. Williams, Jr.ofNew Orleans in 1959. After completing his service in the U.S. AirForcetheyreturned to NewOrleans wheretheir threedaughters were born: Mary Alice DeCoursey,Betsy Sterkx and LillyWilliams. In 1967 Dixiereturned to work as a travel consultant.During her years in thetravel industryshe mentored and trained many people and traveled allover theworld. In 2005 Dixiewas asked by her parish St.Stephen on Napoleon Avenue (now GoodShepherd Parish) if she wouldconsiderthe position of office manager. She gladly accepted, and this workbecame her vocation. Dixieshared her love and kindness with all who came to thechurch. She treasured thepastors, deacons, volunteers, parishioners and visiting priests. Dixieretired from Good Shepherd Parish in 2017. Throughout her life Dixie was involvedinhelping others. She was aGirl Scout leader, aCatholic Youth Organizationleader, and adevoted volunteer at
newaltoSt. DominicParish asParochial Vicar, working torebuild thechurch com‐munity after significant hurricane damage.His dedicationled himtoserve asDirectorofCatholic CampusMinistryinMem‐phis. WhileinMemphis,he alsoheldthe rolesofRec‐tor andWebmaster at the NationalShrineofSt. Mar‐tin de Porres.One of Fr Paul’sgreatestjoyswas teaching. He served as a beloved professoratChris‐tianBrothersUniversityfor nearly11years,where he inspiredbothundergradu‐ate andgraduatestudents withhis wisdom,faith,and intellect.Healsoserved the Church as aProvincial Councilor,a member of the Board of Directors, and mostrecently, as aSpiri‐tualConsultantand Web‐masterfor Catholic Jour‐neys. Fr.Paulhad azestfor lifeand aheart full of joy. Hewas atalentedphotog‐rapherwho captured mo‐ments of beauty andcon‐nection,a passionate chef whose mealswereanex‐pressionoflove, andan avidtravelerwho found spiritual depth in places likeRome, theHolyLand, Medjugorje,and through‐out Europe.A naturalde‐bater andteacher,hede‐lighted in thoughtful con‐versation andalwaysen‐couragedotherstothink deeply andtruthfully.Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to celebratehis life and legacy at avisitation onThursday,June 26, from 9:00to10:00 a.m. at St.An‐thony’s Catholic Church, 4640 CanalStreet,New Or‐leans,LA, followed by aFu‐neral Mass at 10:00 a.m. A secondcelebration will be heldinMemphis on Satur‐day,June 28, beginning witha 10:00 a.m. Mass and interment at theColumbar‐ium,followedbya recep‐tionatSt. Peter’sChurch 190 AdamsAve.Inlieuof flowers, donationsinmem‐ory of Fr.Dr. Paul D. Watkins canbemadeto the Southern Dominican Province, 1611 Mirabeau Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70122. Arrangements by Jacob Schoen &Son Fu‐neral Home,3827 Canal Street,New Orleans, LA 70119. Condolencesmay be leftatwww.schoenfh.com.
DixieLogan Williams passed away peacefully on November 25, 2024. She was 88 years old. Thisis our family's favoritepicture of Dixie,and her daughters and granddaughters imitate this pose frequently!Dixiewas known to allasloving, forgiving, patient and kind She saw thebestineveryone. She made the most delicious salad youever had and was asked to bring it to everyfamily party. She lovedtoeat dessertatany time of the dayand therewas always abox fromMcKenzie's Bakery on her kitchen counter with fresh treats foreveryone.
Dixiewas born in Oakland, California, and she graduated from Dixon HighSchool where she was theco-editor of boththe schoolnewspaper and the yearbook, and amember
theNew OrleansMuseum of Artfor decades, being honored as volunteerof theyear in 1997. Dixie was awarded theOrder of St Louis Medallion by Good Shepherd Parish in 2009, andshe enjoyedvolunteer work at St.Clare's Monastery and St.Joseph RebuildCenterafter herretirement.Dixie's last actof kindness was to donate herbody for medical researchtohelp others Dixie is survived by her daughters; sons-in law Greg DeCourseyand Charles Sterkx;her grandchildrenMary Elise DeCourseyNolan (Jerrod), Camille DeCoursey, Jude Sterkx and JimSterkx; her great-grandchildren Katy, Pennyand Emma Nolan; hersister-in-law Mary Jane Phelan, andmanynieces andnephews whom she loveddeeply: Karen CharbonnetCarter Michael Charbonnet (Beth), Marc Charbonnet, Craig Charbonnet (Sheila), Anne Charbonnet Osoinach (Anton), John PaulCharbonnet (Suellyn), Mickey Phelan (Lysle), AireyPhelanPizzini (John), and DannyPhelan(Ellen). Dixie commentedfrequently howblessed she wastohave them in her
life. Dixie is preceded in death by herex-husband Herb,sister-in-law Jean AnnCharbonnetand her brother-in-law Edward SoulierWilliams. We are grateful to the loving staff at Covenant NursingHome for their care of Dixie duringthe last 16 monthsofher life andtruly appreciate the residents and staff at The ApartmentsatMater Dolorosa, herpreviousresidence Relativesand friends are invited to attenda memorial mass at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at the Basilica of St Stephen in Good Shepherd Parish,1025 Napoleon Avenue, NewOrleans,LA 70115. Visitation will be held from9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers please considera donation to Lantern LightMinistries, 1803 GravierStreet, New Orleans, Louisiana70112.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLES KRUPA
Colonialsoldiersprepare toface the British on Saturday during areenactment celebrating the 250thanniversary
Williams, Dixie Logan
NOLA.COM | Sunday, June 22, 2025 1Bn
St. Tammany to seek pier repair bids
Long-delayed work could begin at end of year
BY BOB WARREN Staff writer
It’s been a long time since anyone has cast a line from St. Tammany Parish’s popular fishing pier beneath the Interstate 10 twin spans in Slidell.
The pier, a repurposed westbound section of the old I-10 twin span left over from Hurricane Katrina, was closed in late 2020 for a $1.2 million upgrade.
But before it could reopen in late August 2021, Hurricane Ida blew across Louisiana and wrecked it.
It’s been closed ever since.
On the western side of the parish, in Mandeville, Ida also made a mess of the city’s fishing pier that runs 400 feet into Lake Pontchartrain It, too, has been shut down since the storm
Application for new Plaquemines terminal withdrawn
Venture says it wants to focus on expansion of existing LNG facility
BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer
Venture Global, the Virginia company that has spent billions of dollars building liquefied natural gas export terminals across south Louisiana, has withdrawn its application with federal regulators for a new terminal in Plaquemines Parish, saying it wants to focus instead on expanding an existing facility
Venture Global had proposed building its Delta LNG terminal on a 1,100acre site near Mile 54 of the Mississippi River next to its Plaquemines LNG terminal.
But in a letter sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week, the company said, “pursuing the Delta LNG project at this particular time would not be the best use of its corporate resources or the resources of the Commission’s staff.”
Instead, Venture Global said it wants to focus on an $18 billion expansion of its Plaquemines LNG terminal, saying it will produce “approximately the same quantities of LNG” as the Delta LNG project, “but on a faster schedule.”
Venture Global’s “investment is being shifted, not lost, and will remain in Louisiana,” Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said in a statement.
“In fact, we believe this strategic decision will allow the capital to come to fruition even faster and drive economic development more quickly than originally anticipated,” Bourgeois said.
Officials from President Donald Trump’s administration and Gov Jeff Landry visited the Plaquemines LNG site in March to tout the expansion, which will make the facility the largest in North America.
“Louisiana is going to become a larger exporter of liquefied natural gas than any nation on earth,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said during that visit.
LNG exports from the U.S. have skyrocketed over the past decade, growing from around 16 billion cubic feet in 2014 to nearly 4.3 trillion cubic feet in 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration
Louisiana has emerged as a major player in that export market In 2023, more than 60% of the nation’s LNG exports traveled through Louisiana.
In addition to Plaquemines LNG, Venture Global also operates Calcasieu Pass LNG in Cameron Parish. And last month, the company began construction nearby on a third terminal, Calcasieu Pass 2. The technology at the terminals converts natural gas into liquid form by supercooling it, allowing the fuel to be loaded onto tankers and exported worldwide. Calcasieu Pass LNG began production in 2022 and Plaquemines LNG in December
LNG has been billed as an important
But now, nearly four years after Ida blew across the region with damaging winds and disastrous storm surges, work could finally be starting on repairs to get both piers up and running again, officials say
The parish government expects to receive bids in July for repair work to the Slidell-area pier, a project expected to cost around $3 million, St. Tammany Parish gov-
ernment spokesperson Michael Vinsanau said. Construction work could begin sometime in the fall, Vinsanau said.
“We don’t want to just replace it. We want to make it better,” he said.
Vinsanau noted that the repair work will concentrate on better stormproofing the parish pier, which parish officials hope will give it a better chance of withstanding the next hurricane. The parish has previously said improvements will include a rock
jetty to protect the new pier from storm surges, a fortified entryway and repairs to the parking lot.
“We had hoped by now to be under construction,” Vinsanau said. But securing funding for the project has
FEW RECRUITS
NOPD struggles to attract new officers
BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer
Michella Buchanan is picking up plenty of local knowledge at the New Orleans police training academy
Most of her fellow cadets in Class 205 are homegrown, said Buchanan, 36, who spent 12 years as a probation officer in Pima County, Arizona, her home state.
“Everyone’s been teaching me certain terminology Lots of slang,” she said. “Lakebound or riverbound — that’s huge.”
Visiting with a friend on the New Orleans Police Department and watching her engage with the public, “laughing with each other,” is what drew Buchanan to move east to New Orleans, she said, and the only police force to which she applied.
Out-of-state candidates like Buchanan have become the exception for the NOPD, which has kept close to home to replenish its ranks with little success over the past two years, civil ser-
vice data shows.
Tens of millions in bonuses and incentives helped stanch a three-year run of losses that left the NOPD with about 25% fewer officers. The department has yet to add any back.
The NOPD stood early this month at an even 900 officers, the same level as in August 2023, when Mayor LaToya Cantrell brought officer recruiting in-house after a decade under the nonprofit New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation. At that point, the number of officers had sunk to its lowest since the 1940s.
Cantrell announced the change shortly before she named Anne Kirkpatrick to lead the NOPD in September 2023. The new chief made turning around those losses one or her top priorities setting a target of 1,200 officers. But hiring has gone cold, the data shows.
Last year, 1,603 people applied to be NOPD officers, the fewest in a decade by a significant margin. Applications have ticked up this year, on pace for about 2,000 at year’s end. By comparison, a low of 2,600 candidates applied in 2022, when the NOPD managed to hire just 22 new officers. The same year, more than 150 left.
Since Kirkpatrick arrived in September 2023, the city has hired just 35 new police officers, while rehiring another 17, the data shows.
“They forgot how to fish,” said Rafael Goyeneche, president of the watchdog Metropolitan Crime Commission
“They got out of that business, then took it back, and they’re struggling to gain traction.”
The department’s hiring challenges mirror those at urban police forces across the U.S. in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis five years ago. The exodus of cops from
Washington Mardi Gras names king and queen
W. Gray Stream, Sarah Heebe 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, and Yale University student Sarah Louise 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’s event, 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 reign over the royal court in what has become one of our nation’s premier social events that highlights Loui-
siana’s unique culture and joie de vivre!” said Scalise in a news release. Created more than 75 years ago by Louisiana congressional staffers to bring a taste of the state’s famed Mardi Gras celebrations to the nation’s capital, Wa shington Mardi Gras has become a gathering of
STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER
New Orleans Police Department recruits stand in formation in the parking lot of the Police Training Academy in New Orleans on
New Orleans Police
Heebe
Man shot by police dies, officials say
Mandeville incident under investigation
BY CHAD CALDER
Staff writer
A Mandeville man taken to a hospital after being shot by police Friday afternoon has died, authorities say
The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office said deputies shot the man after he fired at them outside his home on Jasmine Street. They found the body of a woman inside the residence shortly after the exchange of gunfire.
The bodies of the man and the woman, neither of whom has been identified, have been taken to the Coroner’s Office and “no more information will be known until after autopsies are completed,” the Sheriff’s Office said Friday night.
The Sheriff’s Office received a call about a woman being shot and the man came out of the house as deputies arrived. The Sheriff’s Office said deputies tried to get the man to put down his weapon, but he would not.
The incident is still under investigation, and no other information was made available.
PIER
Continued from page 1B
FEMA notified the city and parish last July that it would pay for the work
“We could have spent our own money and rebuilt it like it was, then worked to get reimbursed,”
Mandeville Mayor Clay Madden said of the city’s pier
But Madden said the city, like the parish, wanted to work on improvements to harden the structure.
Making it more resilient, he said, will make it “last longer and hopefully survive another Ida.”
The additional time in getting work started, he said, “is kind of a trade-off.”
Madden has previously said the new pier will be higher than the old one, and the decking material will feature a metal grid, rather than wooden planks.
The work in Mandeville is expected to cost around $3.5 million, and FEMA will cover 90%, Madden said.
Madden said he understands the frustration of having it take so long.
“I’ve been getting asked a lot by the (city) council members,” he said.
Principle Engineering is working on designs for the Mandeville pier, and the city will update the council and the public on the project during the City Council’s June 26 meeting, Madden said. Madden said he hopes construction will begin by year’s end.
MARDI GRAS
Continued from page 1B
Stream to lead the Louisiana Economic Development Partnership, which advises state officials on attracting new businesses
Heebe is a sophomore at Yale, where she is majoring in envi-
TERMINAL
Continued from page 1B
way to help developing nations transition away from dirtier sources of electricity like coal as the world moves toward renewable energy But LNG is also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, and critics argue that building new export terminals will lock in gas consumption for decades to come and undermine efforts to transition away from fossil fuels.
Venture Global has also faced criticism from environmental advocates for a multitude of alleged permit violations from its Calcasieu Pass terminal.
Last year President Joe Biden’s administration paused export permits for LNG plants, in part to study the facilities’ impact on global warming.
After taking office in January, Trump signed an
executive order lifting that pause, and in March, the U.S. Department of Energy granted Venture Global’s CP2 conditional approval to export LNG to countries that don’t have free trade agreements with the United States.
The e xpa nsio n of Plaquemines LNG — which will allow Venture Global to produce an additional 18.6 million metric tons of LNG per year — has yet to be approved by the energy commission.
In May, Venture Global hosted open houses to discuss the expansion, which drew around 100 people, according to a commission filing. Most of the comments were related to transportation Venture Global said it’s “considering mitigation measures to improve traffic” for the expansion.
Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate com.
ronmental studies with a certificate in energy studies. She is on the executive board of the Yale Student Energy Association, is co-president of the Renewable Future Alliance and worked in a lab creating catalysts to reduce CO2, among other work She is the daughter of Fred Heebe, the New Orleans businessman who owns the River Birch landfill, and Jennifer Heebe, a former state representative and Jefferson Parish Council member Fred Heebe was king of Washington Mardi Gras in 2023. The centerpiece of Washington Mardi Gras is the ball, open only to members of the Mystick Krewe of Louisianans But that event is surrounded by meetings, an economic development luncheon and events sponsored by various major Louisiana companies and organizations.
NOPD
Continued from page 1B
New Orleans helped stall plans for the NOPD to leave court oversight two years ago, with U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan pumping the brakes.
Two years later, the plan is back on. Morgan has placed the NOPD into the final phase of oversight, while concerns about officer strength have ebbed as violent crime dropped across the city
The declines in shooting and killing also have helped lift public perception of the NOPD to its highest mark in years. The latest survey by Faucheux Strategies found satisfaction with the NOPD rising from 31% to 47% since Kirkpatrick took office.
The department cited the poll as a signal of a “turnaround in interest in joining the department.”
Change at the top
In response to questions, the NOPD also pointed to a new leader over recruitment, Capt. Gwen Nolan, who is “working to devise a new overall marketing plan which will include regional/ national advertising to attract applicants from other cities/states.”
At its height in 2017, the foundation’s national recruiting efforts drew 7,450 applicants. Now more than 3 in 4 applicants hail from within Louisiana. Since the start of last year, almost 4 in 10 listed New Orleans addresses.
The event also raises money for a charity selected by the king; last year, King Rico Alvendia, a New Orleans attorney, selected the Mars Hero Fund, which supports veterans and families of active-duty members of the military
Email Matthew Albright at malbright@theadvocate.com.
need,” Blonder added.
“The initiative has to happen at some point. There’s going to be a massive swing in retirements. The other shoe is about to drop. You’re probably in a worse position than you realize.”
Blonder confirmed that the NOPD has reached out to the firm but said it hasn’t yet asked the company to help.
A political equation
Whether the NOPD can, or should, increase the ranks figures to be an issue that bubbles up in a mayoral election year
“That is a question that the police chief should heavily weigh in on, but ultimately the chief must strengthen our force to guarantee immediate response times to emergencies, ensuring our communities feel safe,” said council member Helena Moreno, the mayoral race front-runner
court judge, said in a text message.
“We also need to invest in education and training so officers can better investigate crimes, clearly present their cases in court, and build trust with the communities they serve.”
Paying a price
Meanwhile, the tab for losing so many rank-and-file officers appears to be coming due for the city
An East Baton Rouge Parish judge ruled Tuesday that the Municipal Police Employee Retirement System can begin collecting on a massive fine for letting the NOPD become “partially dissolved.”
$2 million in back fines and is slated to pay more than $200,000 monthly going forward unless it can replace those lost officers.
“They can shave it off by getting back to the number they were before they dissolved. If they get back to the number in five, six years, it would stop those payments,” Huxen said.
The NOLA Coalition, a group of hundreds of New Orleans businesses and nonprofit groups that formed amid the police hiring crunch, has projected that to reach 1,200 officers by 2030, it would take five recruit classes a year with 35 graduates each.
The department has labored to maintain classes half that size through graduation. Buchanan’s class has 21 cadets.
Sources said the NOPD’s latest plan to juice interest in the department among job seekers includes a slate of local billboards and talk of hiring a national consultant
A 2018 state law requires municipalities that lose a significant number of officers to make up for losses to the pension fund. According to the retirement system, the number of NOPD officers paying into the system slid from 1,185 to 981 officers over two years.
A spokesperson for the NOPD said the department hasn’t abandoned Kirkpatrick’s target number, at least in theory
One police hiring consultant said it can take five years to hit stride with a hiring campaign.
“Every agency is feeling the squeeze right now What we advise our clients to do is modernize the mechanics,” said Sam Blonder, CEO of Arizona-based EPIC Recruiting, which recently received an inquiry from the city
“It’s not inexpensive. A lot of agencies have spent zero dollars on recruiting and have skated by and are now realizing, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ If your agency is struggling, it’s because they haven’t put this energy on what they
“Achieving this means not only increasing recruitment efforts for commissioned officers but also attracting trained professionals who can effectively address noninjury car accidents and minor property crimes,” Moreno added in a statement. “In my opinion, when we accomplish this, we’ll know we’ve reached the right staffing level.”
Council member and mayoral candidate Oliver Thomas, who heads the criminal justice committee, was less nuanced: “Yes, they need more officers,” Thomas said by text message.
“We need more officers, more civilian support staff, and technology that actually works,” mayoral candidate Arthur Hunter a former NOPD officer and criminal
The New Orleans Office of Inspector General has calculated the city’s debt to the fund at up to $38 million over 15 years.
Cantrell’s office stopped paying one of those bills last year and sought an injunction. But 19th Judicial District Judge Wilson Fields sided with the fund, agreeing that it can garnish the money from the state treasury
A spokesperson for Cantrell’s office said the city was “unable to comment at this time regarding pending litigation.”
Ben Huxen, executive director and general counsel for the system said Friday that the city owes close to
“The timetable for doing so is not set in stone,” the department said. “The work continues towards increasing the department size with each and every academy, also with reinstatements and lateral hires.”
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
New Orleans Police Department recruits run inside for classroom training at the Police Training Academy in New Orleans on Friday.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
The Sunset Point Fishing Pier on Lake Pontchartrain in Mandeville has been closed off since damage from Hurricane Ida.
AlonzoJr.,Earl
Berner,Daniel
BertoniereSr.,August
Borges,Mary Brown, Michael Cancienne Sr., Emil Claverie,Keith Cobb, Brian Cohn, Brigette Collins, Michael
Cunningham, Gayle
Dalton, Sheila
DuplechinIII, Robert
England, Shane
Husserl,Fred
Juneau Sr., Wayne
LopezSr.,Conrad
Manthey, Frederick
Martina, Mary
Mocklin,Bruce Morgan,Johnnie
Oswald Jr., John
Pazos, Merle
Rezza, Karen
RichardSr.,Joseph Sam, Lois Stanley, Howard
Varnado,Ashley
VonDullenJr.,Philip
Watkins, Paul Williams,Dixie EJefferson
Garden of Memories
Cunningham, Gayle
Pazos, Merle
RichardSr.,Joseph Leitz-Eagan
Borges,Mary
Manthey, Frederick
Rezza, Karen
NewOrleans
Greenwood
BertoniereSr.,August
Earl Paul "Chug" Alonzo, Jr., age 78 years, anative and resident of Baton Rouge, diedSaturday, June 14, 2025,inThe Butterfly Wing of The Hospice of Baton Rouge after lengthy complications following cancer surgery. He is survived by his brother Dennis L. Alonzo of NewOrleans, his devoted sister who took lovingcare of him for years Janet KayAlonzo Fulmer,and her husband Kenneth R. Fulmer, Jr.of Baton Rouge and his nephewTylerPaul Fulmer of The Hague, Netherlands. Paul was precededin death by his parents Ida MaeRome Alonzo and Earl P. Alonzo, Sr., grandparentsIda OubreRome and UlyssesJ.Rome, Sr., and CorineFalcon Alonzo and AnatoleA.Alonzo anduncles Ulysse J.Rome, Jr ClarenceJ.Alonzo and Lester M. Alonzo. In highschool Paul was the Wolf mascotat Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge. He also attendedSacredHeart of Jesuselementary,St. Ben's Seminary and the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette. He was aveteran of the United StatesArmy. Formost of his lifePaul workedinthe hospitality and restaurant industry in New Orleans and in the Caribbean. He lovedto cook, especiallyclassic South Louisiana cuisine, celebrate holidays, and listen to classical music. He spent several of hisretirement yearscaringfor his parents and unclesand maintaining family property. In his final yearshe faithfully watched televisedCatholicnewsand Masses from around the U.S. and the worldand was adedicated fanof European soccer. The family wouldlike to thankall of the doctors and medical personnel for the years of care, thestaff of The ButterflyWing for their kindness in his last days, as well as allthe many friends and relatives fortheir prayers.
Visitationwillbeat Sacred HeartofJesus CatholicChurchinBaton Rouge beginning at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 25. Afuneral Mass willbecelebrated at 11:00a.m.conductedbyReverendJerry Martin. Intermentwill follow in the family plot in Greenoaks MemorialPark. Memorial donations may be made to Sacred HeartofJesus Catholic ChurchinBaton Rouge or St. Ben'sSeminary in Covington.
Claverie,Keith Berner, Daniel Charles 'Danny'
Martina, Mary Mocklin,Bruce JacobSchoen
VonDullenJr.,Philip
Watkins, Paul
Lake Lawn Metairie
Berner,Daniel
Cohn, Brigette
Collins, Michael
DuplechinIII,Robert
Husserl,Fred
Oswald Jr., John
Stanley, Howard
Majestic Mortuary
Morgan,Johnnie
Varnado,Ashley St Tammany
Audubon
Cobb, Brian
EJ Fielding
Cancienne Sr., Emil
Juneau Sr., Wayne West Bank
Robinson FH
Sam, Lois
Danny's "bonus" Baton Rouge family:sister-inheart,Willena Herbert and brother-in-heart, Alton Haynes; Ochsner Smoking Cessation Counselor and friend,April Seneca; and thedoctorsand staff of North BatonRouge Behavioral Health, Baton Rouge Cardiology Center, Vascular Specialty Center, OchsnerMedical Center, Baton Rouge General Hospital, and St.Joseph Hospice-The Carpenter House.
Thiskindand gentle old soul willbegreatlymissed. Rest in peace, Danny. Danny willbeprivately laidtorest with his parentsinLake Lawn Park In lieu of flowers,please considera donation to the National Alliance on Mental Health, PO Box 1509 Baton Rouge,LA708211509 or theLA-SPCA, 1700 MardiGras Blvd,New Orleans, LA 70114. To view and signthe family guestbook, please visitlakelawnmetairie.com
“The Legend”August MarshallBertoniereSr., cameacrossanobstacle hecouldn’t fixfor the first timeinhis life,his big heart finallygaveout at the VA Hospital on June 12, 2025, at theage of 82. He was born in NewOrleans, LAonFebruary28, 1943, to the late Rene andAnna Bertoniere. Preceded in death by hisparents,his son,AugustBertoniereJr. brothers, Rene Jr., John, Maurice andsisters,Sylvia Castayand MarilynMen‐doza. He wasbornand raisedinBucktownand workedasa fisherman. Au‐gusthad alifetimeoflove for thewater.Heattended EastJefferson High School and then wasdrafted into the Army during theViet‐nam Era. August is sur‐vived by hislovingwifeof 57years,ChristleCarey BertoniereHis greatest joy inlifewerehis children TaraBeckmann(Paul), BradBertoniere(Tara), and grandchildren,Zachary and Hannah Beckmann and Cameron, Aubrey, Jonah andReneBertoniere. Hewillbeforever missed byhis nieces,nephews great-nieces, greatnephews,and cousins. Familyand friendsare in‐vited to attend thevisita‐tionat11:00 am,onTues‐day,June 24, 2025, at Greenwood FuneralHome, 5200 CanalBlvd. NewOr‐leans,LA70124, followed bya mass at 1:00 pm.Bur‐ial will be at Greenwood Cemetery. Forcondo‐lences, visitwww greenwoodfh.com
Daniel "Danny" Charles Berner passed away on May29, 2025,inBaton Rouge, Louisiana,atthe ageof66. He was born on May5,1959,inNew Orleans,Louisiana.Inhis free time, he loved listening to music and reading He was an animal lover and adoredcats,especially Mike the Tiger. Danny also likedtocheer on the New Orleans Saintsand the LSU Tigers. Danny was very proud to be anonsmoker of 13 months after defeating the habitthat plagued him forfifty years. In the last 3years of his life, he was much healthier and happier as hisdependenceontobaccolessened and finally stopped. He wasprecededin death by his parents, Paul L. Berner,Sr. and Mary Louise A. BilliuBerner; brothers,Paul L. Berner,Jr. and Lawrence"Larry" M. Berner;and the motherof Paul's children,Marie Messa Berner. Danny is survivedbyhis sisters, Julia A. Berner and Cecile M. Berner;nieces, April Berner Madden, Lauren Berner Orebaugh, and Dana Berner Brown; nephew,Richard P. Berner; and the motherofLarry's children,Marie Chancey Berner. The family wouldlike to give special thanks to
mother to;Stephanie Rodgers Robbins(Ryan), StaceyRodgers Griffin (Chris),Kelly Lauro, and Frank AllenLauro (de‐ceased).Her great-grand‐childrenwillalwaysre‐membertheir “Mawmaw” withlove; Brandon, Blake, Kyle, andEthan Robbins; Megan andMackenzie Grif‐fin; Stella andCampbell Mallary.Marywillbe missedmorethanwords can express, andher legacywillliveoninthe heartsofall who knew and loved her. Funeralservices willbeheldatLeitz-Eagan FuneralHomeonFriday, June 27, 2025, at 4747 Veter‐ans Memorial Blvd Metairie, Louisiana. Visita‐tionfrom9 -11amfol‐lowed by amassat11am. Intermentwillbeatthe GardenofMemoriesCeme‐tery, 4900 AirlineHighway, Metairie, Louisiana.
Devoted Military Service Member, Husband, Father, and Grandfather. He died June 16th, 2025, at 81 years of ageinhis HaymarketVA home surrounded by family.Michael was born September1st,1943, to John and Arlene Brown in GloverWV. He served 29 years in the Army. During his timeinthe Army he served in theVietnam War, was part of thespecial forces,a ranger, and achieved therank of Lt. Colonel. He then became theDeputy Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security forthe StateofLouisiana. Michael lovedtotravel theworld withhis belovedwife Pamela Brown, enjoyed golfing,loved military history and collecting World War II memorabilia. He was amember theSpecial Forces Decade Club. He is survivedbyhis wife Pamela Brown, his son Michael Brown II and spouse KarieBrown, his son Brian Brown, his daughter AshleyBrown, his grandchildrenAustin Brown, Ethan Brown, Collin Brown, Jordan Brown, CameronBrown, and his sisterSharonBrown. He was preceded in death by his brothers Johnathan Terry Brown, and Ronald Brown. He was formerlya residentofSt. Francisville LA.Funeral serviceswillbe held at Culpeper Virginia National CemeteryFriday June 27that10am. In lieu of flowers,pleasedonate to WoundedWarrior Project.Special thanks to Heartland Hospice
Borges,MaryPancamo
With hearts full of love and sorrow,weannounce the passingofMaryPan‐camoBorges, who went hometobewiththe Lord onJune 16, 2025. Mary was a womanofdeep faith,im‐mense warmth,and unwa‐veringdevotiontoher fam‐ily.She wasprecededin death by herbeloved hus‐bandof52years,Allen ManuelBorges, with whom she shared alifetimeof laughter, love,and partner‐ship. Mary wasalsoprede‐ceasedbyher cherished parents,LenaTripoli Pan‐camo, andRussell Pan‐camo; as well as herdear brother,Aurelius“Ray” Pancamo.A faithfulChrist‐ian,Maryfound greatcom‐fortinprayerand neverlet a daypasswithout saying her rosary.Her joyfor life shone brightly at thecard table -whether playing poker or anykindofcard game, Mary broughtbotha competitive spirit anda contagioussmile.She leavesbehinda legacy of loveinher daughters; Con‐nie Rodgers(Randy) and Donna Lauro(wife of the lateFrank Lauro).She was aproud andlovinggrand‐
vent prayer.Manylives weretouched,mentored and ministered to through his life that wasdedicated toChrist. Relativesand friends areinvited to the MemorialService at E.J. FieldingFuneralHome, 2260 W. 21st Avenue,Cov‐ington, LA 70433 on Friday June 27, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. withvisitationfrom1:00 p.m.until servicetime. In‐terment will follow theser‐viceatPinecrest Memorial Gardens,Covington,LA. PleaseShare aMemoryon the TributeWallatwww.ejf ieldingfh.com
Emil Joseph Cancienne, Sr. passedawayon Wednesday,June 11, 2025 surrounded by familyin Covington,LA. He wasborn onJuly14, 1935 in Race‐land, LA to thelateNorman Cancienne,Srand Heloise Hernandez Cancienne.Emil was preceded by his beloved wife of 61 years, ElaineVollenweiderCanci‐enne,and hissister, Garnet Cancienne.Hewas thelov‐ing father of DeborahC Tourres (Donald),EmilJ Cancienne,Jr. (Dawn) Bryan M. Cancienne (Jeri), Donna Cancienne Ippolito, and DoreeC.Kelly (Robert). He wasthe proud grandfather of Ashlee Wessman (Auburn),Gerald Pennington(Cathy),Caleb Tourres,EmilJ.Cancienne, III(Lauren), WhitneyWhit‐tington (Trey),Cheseré C. Mahler(Troy), DesireéC Barado(Walter), Micah Galy, Matthew Kelly (Al‐isha),MarkKelly,Maci Kelly,Mia Kelly,and Molly Kelly.Emilwillbetremen‐douslymissedbyhis 14 great-grandchildren anda hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,and friends, and alsosurvivedbyhis brother Norman Canci‐enne,Jr. We areconfident thatheheard,“Well done thy good andfaithfulser‐vant” from hisLordand Savior, JesusChrist, that heservedthroughouthis life. If youknewEmil, you knew he wasa manoffer‐
KeithA.Claverie– cher‐ished husband, father grandfather,friend, and HolyCross Man– went to his eternalrestonJune 12 Hewas 75. Born in NewOr‐leans in 1949, Keithwas ed‐ucatedatHolyCross (’68) beforereceiving aBachelor ofBusinessAdministration fromNichollsState Univer‐sity(’73).Heservedinthe ArmyNationalGuard from 1971-77. An avid athlete, Keith excelled at baseball inhighschool,achieving All-Legionstatusin1968, and college, letteringin 1972. Laterinlife, Keith was aproficientgolfer, be‐cominga mainstay at the CityParkand Eastover courses.Professionally, Keith enjoyedsuccess at Boh Brothers Construction beforemovingintothe au‐tomotive field. Consis‐tentlynamed “Salesmanof the Month”,Keith served manyyears as NewCar & Truck SalesManager at LamarqueFord. Keithen‐joyed spending weekends working in hisbeloved yard, attendingvarious artsand cultural events, and relaxing with hisfam‐ily.Precededindeath by fatherClifford L. Claverie motherEvelynR.Claverie, brothersClifford L. Claverie, II andDavid C. Claverie, Keithissurvived bywifeof52years Judy DiBenedetto Claverie,chil‐drenKathryn Claverie Matherne(Craig),Kelly E. Claverie, KeithD.Claverie (Leslie)and grandson DanielP.Matherne. Funeral MasswillbeheldFriday, June 27 at 1:00 pm at Greenwood FuneralHome (5200 CanalBoulevard) withvisitationat11:00 am Private intermenttofollow. In lieu of flowers, dona‐tions maybemadetoHoly Cross School baseball Pleasedirectyourgiftto the generalfundinmem‐ory of KeithClaverie‘68 Gifts maybemadeonline atHolyCrossTigers.com. Wealsoinviteyou to share yourthoughts, fond memo‐ries, andcondolences on‐lineatwww.greenwoodfh com.Yoursharedmemo‐rieswillhelpuscelebrate Keith’s life andkeep his memoryalive
BrianKeith Cobb, aman who livedhis life with the samestrategyand enthu‐siasm as he played World ofWarcraft,embarkedon his finalquest from this world on June 17, 2025 BorninNew Orleans, Louisiana,onMarch 10 1967, he grew up to be a man of many talentsand anevengreater heart, passing away in thepeace‐ful surroundings of Slidell, LA, at theage of 58. Brian was thekindofguy who could troubleshoot acom‐puter issuewiththe same easeashecould navigate the treacherousland‐scapesofplaying hiscom‐puter games. Hiscareer as a WindowsSystemAdmin‐istratorand SubjectMatter ExpertatDC2HS,partof NIWCSystems Center At‐lanticNew Orleans, LA was more than just ajob itwas atestament to his intelligenceand hiscre‐ative approach to problemsolving.His nickname at workwas “Google” since hewas agreat source for the answerstomanyques‐tions.Brian's interests weredetailedasthe metal miniatureshelovingly painted.Eachtinywarrior orfantastical creature he brought to life with his brushstrokeswas areflec‐tionofhis attentiontode‐tailand thegentletouch of his hand.Itwas in these small,quiet momentsof concentration that Brian's creativitytruly shone. In the realmoffamily, Brian was acherished brother, uncle,and friend.His sis‐ter,JeanneA.Nash, and her celestial-boundhus‐band, RichardW.Nash, helda specialplace in his heart.Kim F. Cobb-Cain and herhusband,Tom Cain Jr.,stood by himaspillars ofsupport,while hisnieces and nephews, Samantha L. Alb,William Alb, W. Brant‐ley Alb, TheresaA.Hub‐bard, Jordan P. Hubbard, OliviaL.Hubbard,RitaM Cain, andTammieM.Cain, werethe sparks of joythat brightenedhis days.He tackled thechallengesof Pleural Lung Cancer with the same graceand humor ashedid life's otherhur‐dles. Hisspiritwas un‐yielding, hismindever-cu‐rious,and hisheart perpet‐ually open.Tosay Brian willbemissedisanunder‐statement.Hewas thekind ofman wholeftanindeli‐ble mark on theheartsand harddrivesofall who knewhim.Let us honorthe memoryofBrian Keith Cobbbylivingashedid withcreativity, gentleness and intelligence,witha laugh readyata moment's notice, andwiththe courage to faceeachnew challenge as if it were just another leveltobeat. Goodbye fornow,Brian, until we meet again. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend avisitation onFriday, June 27, 2025 from9:00a.m.to11:00 a.m. atAudubon FuneralHome inSlidell. Afuneral service willbegin in thechapelat 11:00 a.m. Brianwillbelaid torestinAudubon Memor‐ial Gardensacrossthe street,and allare wel‐come. In lieu of flowers, donations to theSMH Foundation(this supports the SMHRegionalCancer Center) https://www.sli dellmemorial.org/smhfoundationare appreci‐ated. Memories andcondo‐lencesmay be expressed atwww.AudubonFuneralH ome.com
AlonzoJr., Earl Paul
Claverie,Keith A.
Brown,MichaelLynn
Bertoniere Sr., August Marshall
Cancienne Sr., Emil Joseph
bike guy at mikethe-
Brigette Cymbal Cohn passed awayonJune 16, 2025 at theage of 85.
Beloved wife of the late Julius (J.M.) Meyer Cohn, devoted mother of Lisa Cohn Noel (Rob), Jeffrey David Cohn (Shelly), stepmother of Leslie Cohn Tatar (Brett). Proud and loving grandmother of Madelyn Claire Noel, Hannah GraceNoel Morel (Keith), Robert Charles "Chase" Noel, Jr. (Morgan), Skylar Sophia Cohn, Amelie Silmon Lemon, Bryan Geoffrey Tatar and Rachel Megan Tatar Brigette Cymbal Cohn passed away on June 16, 2025 at the age of 85. Beloved wife of the late Julius (J.M.) Meyer Cohn, devoted mother of Lisa Cohn Noel (Rob), Jeffrey David Cohn (Shelly), step-mother of Leslie Cohn Tatar (Brett) Proudand loving grandmother of MadelynClaire Noel, Hannah Grace Noel Morel (Keith), Robert Charles "Chase" Noel, Jr (Morgan), Skylar Sophia Cohn, Amelie Silmon Lemon, Bryan Geoffrey Tatar and Rachel Megan Tatar Almeida.Blessed with many great-grandchildren, Oliver Charles Morel, ReidHarper Noel, RiggsHardy Noel, Kennedy Grace Almeida and Alastor Rei Tatar. Daughter of the late Jacob and Helene M. Cymbal. Mrs. Cohn was born in Lens, France, raised in Monroe,LAand has lived in New Orleans/ Metairie since 1961. She was apast president of Touro Synagogue Sisterhood, apast board memberofTouro Synagogue, Willow Wood theWomen's Division of the Jewish Welfare Fund, a past Vice President of the National Council of Jewish Women, amember of the Isidore Newman School Parents Association, and a graduate of the LemannStern Leadership Council. Private graveside services were held at Hebrew Rest Cemetery #3 on June 20, 2025, officiated by Rabbi Todd Silverman of Touro Synagogue. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts to Jewish Children's Regional Services, Touro Synagogue or acharity of your choice.
Collins, Michael Gerard
Michael Gerard Collins passed away on Friday, June 20, 2025, at the age of 82. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 28, 1943. He is preceded in death by his parents John James Collins and Audrey McCann Collins, her sister Theresa Rose McCann Mele and her husband Roy Mele of New Orleans. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Kathleen O'Brien Collins; sons Michael Gerard Collins, II (Melissa) and Sean Michael Collins (Joann); grandchildren Michael Gerard Collins,III, Nicholas Patrick Collins, Molly Katherine (Katie) Collins, John Louis (Jack) Collins, Erin Kathleen Collins, and Colleen Patricia Collins; brother John Patrick Collins.
Avisitation will be held on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, beginning at 11:00am at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, followed by aFuneral Mass at 1:00pm. Interment in Lake Lawn Park andMausoleum. Reception to follow at Ralph's on thePark. To viewand sign the family guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairi e.com
Cunningham, Gayle Guarino
March23, 1945June 8, 2025. Gayle GuarinoCunning‐ham, age80, passedaway peacefully on June 8,2025, at Edgewood Mis‐soula Memory Care in Mis‐soula,Montana.Bornin New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 23,1945, Gaylewas the daughter of Lester Guarino Sr.and Ruth Gle‐ber Guarino. Shewas raisedinNew Orleans, a cityshe loveddearly, and she found greatjoy in walking itsneighborhoods and striking up conversa‐tions with everyone she met.Mardi Gras wasprob‐ablyher favorite time of year— acelebration she embraced. Gayleloved everythingabout New Or‐leans —the food,the music,and thespiritofthe city. Shewas preceded in death by herhusband JohnT.Cunningham, and her parents. Gayleissur‐vived by herfourchildren: Amy Westereng(Fred), PaulCunningham(Julie), Julie Martinez (José),and JenniferCunningham(Ian); her belovedgrandchildren: Abe Westereng, EmilyCun‐ningham,CollinMartinez, and Luke Martinez;her sib‐lings:LesterGuarino Jr., Janet Ruffino,and Brad Guarino;aswellasmany nieces, nephews, andex‐tendedfamilymembers and friends. Gaylespent the finalyearofher life at Edgewood Missoula Mem‐ory Care,where shere‐ceivedlovingcareand reg‐ularvisitsfromher family. Her daughter,Amy,was by her side often, offering love, joy, andsupport dur‐ing herjourney.Her final resting placewillbeinthe GardenofMemoriesin Metairie, Louisiana, near her parents. Thefamily kindlyasksthatthose wishing to honorGayle's memoryconsidermakinga donationtothe Alzheimer's Association, a cause dear to herand her loved ones
Dalton, SheilaRobertson
SheilaKay Robertson Dalton, lovingmother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother, passed awaypeacefully surrounded by her familyonJune 10, 2025atthe ageof81. Shewas bornonJanuary 4, 1944 in New Orleans, Louisiana to the late WilliamMilton Robertson and KatherineSheila Robertson. She was precededindeath by herhusband,WilliamJoseph Dalton. Sheila was adevoted and supportive motherto Katherine"Kathi" Lowrance (Jeff)of Oklahoma City, OK,and Kenneth "Kenny"Steven Tassin (Chandra) and Kristin "Kristi" Tassin, both of NewOrleans; grandmothertoJared C. Ransom, Kara S.Lowrance, and Jenna E. Lowrance, of Oklahoma City, OK;and great-grandmother to Aedan and MayberrySky. Shehad one brother the late WilliamRudolph Robertson; and is alsosurvived by his children:Todd Robertson, Kim Robertson, Beth Cardenas, and James Robertson. Sheilawas agraduate of East JeffersonHighSchool and DelgadoCommunity College. She retired from the U.S. PostalService after37years of service. She held severalpositionsduring her employment,including postal clerk and supervisor of the office of Business Mail Entry, and was an active participant in the American Postal Workers Union, servingas president. She wasa member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and enjoyed volunteering, reading, gardening, genealogyresearch, travel music, animals,and spending time with close friends and family -and alovely cup of tea. Aservice willbeheldat St. Paul'sEpiscopal Church, 6249 CanalBlvd.,
NewOrleans, LA 70124 on Saturday, July19at 10:00am. Visitation willbeginat9:00am.Following theservice, please join the family fora celebratory gathering at The Crab Trap Room at The Blue Crab Restaurant,7900 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans. She had aheart for thoseinneed. Therefore, in lieu of flowers,please considera donation to Second HarvestFoodBank at nohunger.org,asyou lovingly remember her.
DuplechinIII,Robert Moise
Robert Moise Duplechin III(AKALekoma Akate, "Rouge"& "Sleaux") passed away peacefully on May 22, 2025, at his home in Mount Dora, Florida, at theage of 69. Bornon August 13, 1955 in New Orleans, Robert liveda vibrantand meaningful life touching theheartsof those around him withhis warmth, creativity, and spirit
He graduated fromEast JeffersonHighSchool,and in Boy Scoutsachievedthe rank of Eagle(his father was troopleader). At LSU, he earneda B.S. in Animal Husbandry (1977) and an M.S. in Horticulture (1979). He served as St.Bernard Parish Cooperative ExtensionAgent as well as longtime leader in the Master Gardeners of Greater NewOrleans (both viaLSU AgCenter), promoting sustainable methods and spearheading amajor local conference on the subject. In 1985, he was injured in adiving accident,which necessitatedthe use of a wheelchair for thenext 40 years of his life Undaunted,hehelpedreactivate theNational Spinal Cord Injury Association in LA,became certifiedasa Rehab Counselor(UNO), and workedfor theAdvocacy Center forthe Elderly & Disabled (now Disability Louisiana), notably achieving access forthe disabled at AMC Theatres as theresultofa discrimination lawsuit.
Robert was known for hislifelong Green Thumb, for his red hair and for beingbornwithmany planetsinFireSigns, for his harmonica-playing of blues and other popular music, and for his ceaseless pursuitofvarious aspects of Spiritual Enlightenment. He formally changed his name to Lekoma Akate,reflecting his individuality, unique presence and zest for life In 2008, post-Katrina,he moved from Metairie to join friendsinCentral Florida, wherehegrew much of his own food and pursueda largelyraw, vegan diet He is survivedbyhis brother Michael "Ronnie" Duplechin, sister-in-law Susan, theirchildren Crystal, Jeanne, and Chase, and ahost of cousins. He was preceded in death by his father Robert Moise Duplechin, Jr.and his mother Winnie Mae Smiley Duplechin.
Robert's memory will live on in theheartsofhis family,friends, and allwho had theprivilege of knowing him. Amusical celebrationofhis life will be held Saturday, October 4(3 -6 pm) at 131 Lafitte St. in Mandeville,LA, reflecting thejam sessions that were held during his visits to Louisiana.
England, ShaneMichael
Shane Michael England passed unexpectedly on Monday, April 14, 2025. Shane waspreceded in death by his parents MarionBunney England and Ronald S. England, Sr., and his grandparents Marion Ostarly Bunneyand Harry D. Bunney, Sr. He is survivedbyhis siblings, Ronald S. England, Jr. (Penny),Devin J. England, and Charisse E. Deidrich, and hisnephew and nieces Blake A. England,Ashley Deidrich and Abby Deidrich. Shane may havebeen best known as theother
bikeguy since 2008, spending every MardiGras with friendsasfamily on Magazine Streetinfront of theshop.Mike and Shane were best friends of 41 years, and worked as colleagues formorethan30 frombagging groceriesat theRealSuper Storeon Airline as teens in the 1980s, to first working on bikes at theBikesmith on Freret in 1991, then at GNO Cyclery for14years. Growing up in Harahan, Shane lovedtoplaysports and ride bikes in theneighborhood withhis friends. He was thebest2-on-2 football player in Harahan and Jefferson. He lovedhis family and living next door to his grandmothergrowing up,who was therock of their family.Shane and his family were always very welcoming to his less fortunatefriendsand neighborhood kids.Shane enjoyed beach vacations to Pensacola, playing pool, and spending timewith friends. Shane willbegreatly missed by many dear friendsand his family. Respectswillbeshown in acelebrationoflife on his birthday, July21, at 5pmat mikethebikeguy, followed witha toast at his favorite pool spot,Ms. Mae's.
Our beloved father, Fred HusserlGemmingen, passed away peacefully at OchsnerHospitalonJune 14, 2025, at theage of 79, held in acircle of light, love,family,and friends. Ochsner was home. He is survivedbyhis wife, Maria Consuelo;his children, Alexander Husserland Elizabeth Husserl (ZayinCabot); and hisgranddaughter, Ixchel Marie Cabot Husserl, as well as so many in the Rubiano Rozo and Husserl clan. He is lovedbyso many. He was born in Bogotá, Colombia, on March 7, 1946. His childhoodin Colombia instilled alifelong passionfor medicine, and he lovedtospeak aboutitwithanyone who wouldlisten. He spent 38 years at Ochsner Hospital as aprominent nephrologist and had thegreat fortune of retiring in 2016. He lovedhis patientsand his colleagues, both in New Orleans and in Colombia, and left amark in his field. When not practicing medicine,you wouldfind him behind acamera lens working on aphoto book, traveling,thinking about family,orindeepconversations with awidenetwork of friendsand family. Hisgenerosityofspirit knew no bounds. He is remembered as apowerhouse,straightshooter, photographer extraordinaire, foodie, and organizer—as well as for his mentorship, his curiosity, his honesty, his guidance, his desiretoalways help others, his love forfriendship, his humor, and hiskindness. He gave us unconditional love MariaConsuelo was the love of his life.They met in Cali, Colombia, andwere able to celebrate52years of commitment,hard work, and marriage. Together, their relationshipinspired so many with what was possible when marriage was met with communication, commitment,and deep love.They lovedeach othersomuch they gotremarriedfivetimes. He was preceded in death by WalterHusserl, his father; NataliaHusserl vonGemmingen, hismother; Teresa Rubiano,his mother-in-law; Eduardo Rubiano, his father-in-law; and Jamesand Myrian Husserl, his twofirst cousins.
In thewords of his granddaughterIxchel, "He lovedtoshow howmuch he lovedyou." He was a Papa Bear with avery sweetheart.Hewas the most loyal of friends.
The funeralwillbeheld on Wednesday, June 25th, at St. Clement of Rome, 4317 Richland Ave, Metairie,LA70002. All friendsand family are welcome. 9:30 AM -Visitation. 11:00 AM CT -Mass.
The family asks that, in lieu of flowers,donations be madetoone of Fred's four favoritecharities: TobiasEmanuel (Colombia),ADSUV -The Alumni of the División de Salud of the Universidad delValle (Colombia), PuentesdeSalud(USA),
and theNationalKidney Foundation (USA). To view andsignthe online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m
Juneau Sr., Wayne Anthony
WayneAnthony Juneau Sr.,a cherishedhusband, father, grandfather, greatgrandfather,brother,and friend, passedawaypeace‐fully on June 18, 2025, at the ageof84. Anativeof Marrero,Louisiana,Wayne was aresidentofCoving‐ton,Louisiana.Hewas pre‐ceded in deathbyhis beloved parents, Curry Juneau,Sr. andPearl Stansbury Juneau;his brothers, Curry Juneau,Jr. and TerryJuneau;and his sister, Mary Lynn San‐nasardo.Wayne wasthe beloved husbandofGayle DaigleJuneau,withwhom hesharedmanyyears of loveand companionship. Hewas alovingfatherto Wayne AnthonyJuneau Jr (Kara)and adotinggrand‐fathertoAllie Elizabeth, Sarahbelle Katherine, and Wayne AnthonyIII. He was alsoa proudgreat-grand‐fathertoCliveThomas. Wayne is survived by his devoted siblings,Connie Chauppette (Sam)and Kevin Juneau (Giselle), and his sister-in-law, Joanne Daigle(Paul), alongwith manynieces, nephews, great-nieces, andgreatnephews who lovedhim dearly. He will be pro‐foundly missedbyhis fam‐ily andcountless friends. A proud alumnus of Redemp‐toristHighSchool,Wayne excelledinbothfootball and baseball. Hisathletic prowess earned hima scholarship to Louisiana State University in 1958 where he played on the freshmanfootball team as a runningbackonthe leg‐endaryLSU National Cham‐pionshipteam. Beyond his athleticachievements, Wayne hada vibrantlife filled with passions.Heen‐joyed playinggolfwithhis buddies andwas adevoted fan of hisbeloved LSU Tigers, especially enjoying tailgatinginTouchdown Village with familyand friends.Hecherished tak‐ing hisRVonroadtrips to other collegecampuses and hada greatlovefor travel, exploringother countries with hiswifeand family. Professionally, Wayne retiredfromSunpro Solar andpreviouslycon‐tributedhis talentsto AmericanCan Company, TaylorFortune,All Temp Refrigeration,G.E.and Lin‐colnHeritageInsurance The familyextends heart‐feltgratitude to themany dedicated healthcare pro‐fessionalsatOchsner,MD AndersonCancerCenter, and thecaringnursesand workers with Egan's Hos‐picefor theircompassion‐ate support. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe memorial mass on Tuesday,June 24, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at E. J. Fielding FuneralHome, 2260 West 21st Avenue,Covington, Louisiana,withvisitation beginning at 9:00 a.m. In‐terment will follow in the adjacentPinecrest Memor‐ialGardens.E.J.Fielding
FuneralHomeofCoving‐ton,Louisiana,ishonored tobeentrusted with Mr Juneau’s funeralarrange‐ments.His familyinvites you to sharethoughts, memories, andcondo‐lencesbysigning an online guestbook at www.ejfield ingfh.com
Conrad A. LopezSr. bornonJune 12, 1930, in New Orleans, Louisiana, passedawaypeacefully on his 95thbirthday, June 12, 2025. He wasprecededin death by hisbeloved wife, Elsie BroyardLopez;his parents,Amancio Lopez and IdaEsnardLopez;his brothers, AlvinLopez and Alden Lopez; andhis grandson, Conrad A. Lopez III. He leaves to cherishhis memoryhis threesons: ConradLopez Jr.(Denise), RonaldLopez,and Don Lopez (Deidra);two grand‐children: Andrew Lopez (Carolina)and Albert Lopez;and four greatgrandchildren:Evelyn, Leonardo, Lucia, andLilly Heisalsosurvivedbya hostofextendedfamily and friendswho lovedhim dearly. Conrad wasa proud U.S.Armyveteran whodur‐ing theKoreanWar.A dedi‐cated andhardworking man,hewas thelongtime ownerofRoman Cleaners where he became awellknown andrespected fig‐ure in thecommunity.The familyextends heartfelt gratitude to thedoctors and staff at theVAHospi‐tal,Envoy HospiceCenter, and GenesisUnlimited Re‐sources,Inc fortheir com‐passionatecareand sup‐portduringConrad’s final days. Hiscelebration of life willbeheldata future date andtime.
Manthey, Frederick William'Fred
FrederickWilliam Man‐they, October22, 1943- May 29, 2025. Frederick“Fred WilliamManthey,age 81, passedawayMay 29, 2025 withhis devotedwifeAli‐cia Mendez Mantheybyhis side. He is preceded in death by hisparents Mr and Mrs. Edward Thomas Manthey,and brothers Tommy,Terry,Timmy and Tracy.Hewas thelovingfa‐therofTroyMichael Man‐they(Jill), TristanEdwards Manthey (Melissa), Tisbee JaneDantin(Dirk)and Ta‐tiana delPilarManthey.He was theproud Papa Fred to Lindsey Easley (Ross),Gra‐cie MaeManthey,Jack Manthey,Grant Manthey, Patrick Manthey, Maddux Dantin, BrittonDantin, Louis Cyrand aGreat-Papa FredtoBeauEasley. He is alsosurvivedbyhis sisters Jan Dugan, Jill Purkey,June Bristol,Joy Mantheyand JayeManthey.Hewas a proud AirForce Veteran who served hiscountry as
LopezSr.,ConradA.
Husserl,Fred
an AirTrafficControllerfor four(4) years. Upon com‐pletion of hisservice com‐mitment,Fredservedasan AviationMeteorologist for the FederalAviationAd‐ministrationfor over 25 years in NewOrleans, Louisiana,San Juan Puerto Rico, and finally, DeRidder, Louisiana.Hewas aunion rep forNAATS forDeridder Airport.Fred’spassion for Mardi Gras wasun‐matched.Fredwas an avid paradegoer, andwould often catchparades in Chalmette,Metairieand downtowninthe same night.All theneighborhood kidswereinvited to pile intothe car. Fred wasalso a member of numerous pa‐rades including: Endymion, Jason, Romulus & Remus, Venus, Elks and Freret. Fred also enjoyed marchinginSt. Patrick’s Day paradeswithTerrance Corner. When he movedto DeRidder, Louisiana, Fred becamea true “country boy.” Over severalyears Fredbuilt hishouse virtu‐allybyhimself.Fredbe‐camea greathorsemanat one time amassing as manyasthirteen horses Frednever rode hishorses; hejustenjoyed being around them.Uponretire‐ment, Fred worked hisland and fedhis horses daily. It was afulltimejob,but kepthim active.Heloved walking hispropertywith his faithfuldog -Max.We would like to thankThe Blake andCAREHospice for theirgreat care of Fred inhis last year of life.A celebration of life will be heldinhis honorbyfamily and friends. In lieu of flow‐ers,donations canbe madetothe Alzheimer’s Associationwww.alz.org in Fred’sname. #endalz
Mary Margaret Keenan Sansovich Martinapassed awayonTuesday,June 10 2025, threemonthsshy of her 95thbirthday. Beloved wifeofthe late Norman F. Martina,and thelateLucas C.Sansovich,Jr. (by first marriage).Motherof Danny (Karen), thelate JosephC., SusanS.Ricks (Charles),Jimmy (Caro‐line),and Margaret S. Sansovich.The proud “MiMi”toher grandchil‐drenLaurenP.Sansovich Emily Sansovich, Mark Ricks (Rebecca), Nicole Calkins (Kyle),Christine Ricks,LukeSansovich, James Sansovich(Hattie) Sarah Sansovich, andgreat grandchildren Eliand Dylan Prats, andEaston and Olivia Calkins. Sheis alsosurvivedbymany niecesand nephews. Mary Margaretwas thedaughter ofthe late Arthur J. Keenan and Margaret Flynn Keenan.She wasprede‐ceasedbysiblingsArthur J. Kennan, Jr., Elaine K. Lyon, RoseMarie K. Dauzat,and JohnB.Keenan. Mary Mar‐garet wasbornand raised inNew Orleans, butspent mostofher life in Metairie She wasa proudgraduate ofAcademy of Holy Angels, and an equallyproud grad‐uateofLoyolaUniversity witha Bachelor’s of Music degree. Shewas blessed withanamazing voiceand oncesangwithlocal opera legendNormanTregle. However,she ironically alsohad stagefrightand sharedher singinggift withher children while singing around thehouse orbyher participationin churchchoirs, whichshe did formuchofher life.Her loveofFaith andFamily guidedMaryMargarether entirelifeasa devoted wifeand mother.She was a devout Catholic andtruly lived alifeguided by Christ. In keepingwithher faith,MaryMargaretwas a firm believer in “the right tolife” of everychild God allows to be conceived. She neverrefused to help otherswhenasked,and frequentlyhelpedwithout being asked, while at the sametimebeing humble and rarely asking forhelp orfeelingworthyofhelp upuntil herlastdays. She often putthe needsofoth‐ers before herown needs and didsowithgrace and compassion. Shewas the definition of resilience, havingfaced andover‐comemanyserious trials and tribulations formuch ofher life.Inspite of these difficulties, shealways pointed outhow blessed she was, atrueherotoall those who lovedher.She was very fond of garden‐ing,traveling,familyre‐unions, goingtothe the‐ater, andcould cook a meanroast.She always looked forwardtoher prayergroup.She wasan activememberofwhat‐ever church parish she
livedin, from choirmem‐ber to EucharisticMinister. In theend though,she will alwaysbe“MiMi”tothose who were blessedtoknow and love her. Though Mary Margaretloved them,in lieuof flowers, shere‐quested that youconsider donations to Bridge House, orthe Alzheimer’sAssocia‐tionofNew Orleansinher memory. Shewas also very proud of herIrish heritage and youcan shareinher lovebywearing something Green.Relatives and friends areinvited to visit Greenwood FuneralHome, 5200 CanalBlvd.,New Or‐leans,LA70124, on Thurs‐day,June26, 2025, starting at 9:00 a.m. AMemorial Masswillfollowthe visita‐tionat11:00 a.m. Thein‐urnment will be in Green‐wood Cemetery.Wealso inviteyou to shareyour thoughts, fond memories and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com Your shared memories will helpuscelebrate Mary Margaret’slifeand keep her memory alive.
BruceEdmund Mocklin, a retiredsupervisorof UnitedParcelService anda veteran of theArmyNa‐tionalGuard,diedpeace‐fully and surrounded by familyonSaturday, June 14, at theage of 62.Hewas borninNew Orleansand graduated from St.Charles HighSchool.A devotedfa‐therand lifelong fan of the New OrleansSaints, he en‐joyed boating, riding mo‐torcycles,and spending timewithhis family Bruce’s greatest quality was always beingjusta phone call away forany‐one,anywhere,anytime Heispreceded in deathby his father,GregoryIvan Mocklin,Sr.; mother, JacquelineDrouetMocklin; and brother, GregoryIvan Mocklin,Jr. He is survived byhis son, GregoryMock‐lin;sister, Vanessa (Steve) Caldwell; brother, Do‐minick(Rebecca)Mocklin; uncle,AlbertDrouet; aunt, PatriciaGabb; nieces Robin (Jordan) VanGuilder, SaraMocklin,and god‐daughter, Olivia Mocklin; and nephew,Phillip Cald‐well. Friendsand relatives are invitedtoattendVisita‐tionServicesatGreenwood FuneralHome, locatedat 5200 CanalBlvd.,New Or‐leans,onFriday, June 27,at 8:00a.m followed by a Catholic FuneralMassat 11:00 a.m. Intermentwillbe atGreenwood Cemetery.In lieuof flowers, thefamily kindlyrequeststhatdona‐tions be made to theVeter‐ans Affairs or theALS As‐sociation in Bruce’shonor Wealsoinviteyou to share yourthoughts, fond memo‐ries, andcondolences on‐lineatwww.greenwoodfh com.Yoursharedmemo‐rieswillhelpuscelebrate Bruce’s life andkeephis memoryalive
Morgan,Johnnie Ruth Parker
On Wednesday, June 11 2025, theLordcalledJohn‐nie Ruth Parker Morgan to her heavenly home.She was born on January11, 1936, to thelateJohnand TheoParkerinHeidelberg, Mississippi.Sweet memo‐riesofJohnnie will be held byher treasuredhusband MelvinMorganSr. and beloved children,Carol MorganWheeler,Jacque‐lyn Morgan Weber, Melvin MorganJr.,Alvin Mercadel and TimothyConerly.John‐nie also leaves behind 4 younger brothers,Thomas ParkerSr.,WillieLee Jones Sr.,Billy RayParker, and CurtisRay Parker,15 grandchildren,8 great grandchildren,a host of nieces, nephewsand other familyand friends. Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtothe Celebration of Life Service onMonday, June 23,2025, atPleasantValleyMission‐ary BaptistChurch,located at5919 MorrisonRd.,New Orleans, LA 70126. Visita‐
tion will beginat10:00 a.m. withthe servicetofollow at11:00 a.m..The officiat‐ing pastor will be Reverend ReginaldVarenado. John‐nie anda host of family and friendswillproceed to her birthplace of Heidel‐berg, Mississippi on Tues‐day,June 24, 2025 fora mo‐mentofprayerand burial servicesatShady Grove MissionaryBaptist Church Cemeterystartingatnoon Professionalarrangements entrusted to Majestic Mor‐tuary ServiceInc (504) 523-5872.
OswaldJr., JohnC.
John C. Oswald, Jr passed away at hisresidence on Friday, June 13, 2025, at theage of 94 surrounded by his loving family.Hewas bornon November 20, 1930, in New Orleans and graduated fromFrancis T. Nicholls SeniorHighSchool.He was aDrum Majoraswell as an exceptional Trumpet Player. He received amusic scholarship to LSU, where he methis loving wife, Joy. They were married on June 3, 1951, at St. Anthony Church. John served in the United States Navy and Navy Reserve as Chief Warrant Officer IV for over 50 years. He served a tour of duty in the Korean War. He was an Engineer at theTelephone Company for43years and was a Commanderinthe American Legion Post 137. He was known as Mr. Iris of theKrewe of Iris. Known as "Papa Johnny"toeveryone,hehad akindand paternal spirit.Hetravelled worldwide,taking 68 cruises in his lifetime and loved visiting Europe.Johnwas preceded in death by his belovedwife of 71 years, Joy Brechtel Oswald; and hisparents, John C. Oswald Sr.and Laura Meyers Oswald. John is the loving father of Joni O. Delaney, Jayne O. Guillot (Carl) and Jodi Oswald (Dawn Wolkens).Adoring grandfather of Kristin Danflous, Derek Delaney Jr., David Guillot(Erin) and thelate Jeana Guillot Great-grandfather of Bailey, Riley, and Will Danflous. Relatives and friendsare invited to attend thevisitation on Thursday,June 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. immediatelyfollowedbya 1:00 p.m. service in the chapel of Lake Lawn MetairieFuneral Home at 5100 PontchartrainBlvd.New Orleans, 70124. Interment willbeinLakeLawn Park Mausoleum. The family invitesyou to share fond memories and condolencesonline at www.lakel awnmetairie.com
MerleLandryPazos,a retired cosmetologist,died fromnatural causes,at Peristyle ResidenceSenior Housing,onJune 18, 2025 She was101 yearsofage She wasbornonJuly1, 1923 in Garyville, La but was aresidentofOr‐leans/JeffersonParishes
forthe past 90 years. She was preceded in deathby her belovedhusband,Paul E.Pazos,Sr.,and is sur‐vived by theirthree chil‐dren: Margaret P. Fias‐conaro(Paul), Paul E. Pazos,Jr.,(Marsha), and Linda P. Bruggers (Barry); 10grandchildren:LisaMit‐ternightHartline, Lauren FiasconaroHaro(Drew), MonicaFiasconaroRohling (Daniel), ChrisPazos (Shannon),Tim Pazos (Toni), StevePazos (Kitzi), Paula PazosRoark (Adam) JenniferBruggers(Isaac Winters),Jessica Bruggers (Sean Chaney)and Josh Bruggers. Sheisalsosur‐vived by 16 greatgrand‐childrenand 1great great grandchild. Merlewas an amazing womanwho raisedher children while working andhandlingthe administrativedutiesof her husband's business She lovedtosew.Merle and herbestfriendNeva would spentthe daymak‐ing dressestowearthat evening.She learnedheir‐loom sewing andmade clothes forher girlsand granddaughters. Merle alsotaughther daughter and daughter-in-lawthe art of sewing.Merle wasa charter member of St Agnes AltarSociety and madeseveral hundred bap‐tismalclothsfor the church.Serviceswillbe heldonMonday, June 23 2025 at Garden of Memo‐riesFuneralHome& Ceme‐tery, 4900 AirlineDr., Metairie, LA 70001. Visita‐tionwillbegin at 9:30 am witha Mass starting at 11:00 am followed by bur‐ial.Onlinecondolences may be offeredatwww.gar denofmemoriesmetairie com.
KarenJaniceAllain Rezza passedawaypeace‐fully on June 14, 2025, sur‐rounded by lovedones. BornonJune 5, 1956, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Karen wasa devoted daughter, sister,mother, aunt,and friend.Her life was marked by deep com‐passion,unwavering strength, andthe joyshe brought to everyone she met.A graduate of Arch‐bishopChapelle High School,Karen went on to build asuccessfulcareer asanAdministrativeAssis‐tantatNorthwesternMu‐tual, where shewas re‐spected forher dedication professionalism,and kind‐ness. Shewas an active memberofseveral organi‐zations that reflectedher faith,values, andlovefor community,including the LaureateXIChapter of BetaSigma PhiSorority, the Archbishop Chapelle HighSchool Alumni Associ‐ation,DivineMercy Chil‐dren'sMinistry, andthe Beginning Experiencegrief ministry. Througheachof these,Karen touchedlives withher caring heartand steadfastsupport.Karen had avibrant spirit andan adventurous heart. She loved to travel andfound truehappiness exploring new places with familyand friends.Disneywas herfa‐voritedestination—a sourceofcountless cher‐ished memories filledwith magic,laughter, andwon‐der.Karen wasprecededin death by herbeloved mother, Anna MaeAllain; father, Sherwood Allain; husband,NicholasP Rezza;and son, Nicholas J. Rezza.She is survived by her loving sister,Marilyn Allain Poret(Andre'); her brother,Wayne Allain (Cathy);and many adoring niecesand nephewswho willalwaysrememberher warmth, laughter,and boundless love.Karen’s legacylives on in the heartsofall who knew her. She will be remembered forher selflessness, joyful
spirit,and theuncondi‐tionalloveshe gave so freely. Amemorialvisita‐tionfor Karenwillbeheld Monday, June 30, 2025 from9:00a.m.to11:00 a.m. atLeitz-Eagan Funeral Home, 4747 Veterans MemorialBlvd.,Metairie, LA. AMemorialMasswill becelebratedinthe chapel at11:00 a.m. Inurnment willfollowinGreenwood Cemetery, NewOrleans, LA. In lieu of flowers, pleasedonatetoLa. Lions Camp, 292 L. Beauford Dr., Anacoco,LA71403.
RichardSr.,Joseph M. 'Joe
Joseph M. “Joe”Richard Sr.,a proudveteran,skilled mechanic, anddevoted fa‐ther, passedawayonJune 5,2025, in Metairie Louisiana.Hewas 66 years old.BornonJune 11, 1958 inNew Orleans, Louisiana, Joe grew up with adeeprootedsense of service and ingenuity. Thesequali‐tieswould define hislife’s workand passions.He servedhonorably in the UnitedStatesAir Forcefor 12years,dedicatinghim‐selftohis countrywithdis‐cipline andpride.Following his military service, Joe continued to servehis community as abus driver for JeffersonParish Schoolsfor twodecades His commitment to safely transportinggenerations ofstudentsreflectedhis steadypresenceand relia‐bility. Joewas known among thosewho knew him as an avid inventor and tinkerer who believed inhelping people when‐everpossible. Whetherit was abrokenapplianceor a complexengineissue, he had therareability to ei‐ther fixitorcreatesome‐thing even better.A life‐longmechanicatheart,he workedoneverythingfrom small enginestoschool buses with skilland pas‐sion. He is lovingly remem‐bered by hisdaughter, Chelsea M. Richard, and his son, Joseph M. Richard Jr.,along with Joseph Jr.’s wife, Janeé. He also leaves behindhis siblings:Ernest J.“Jimmy” RichardJr., Betty R. Castillo,MaryC Richard,and Robert G. Richard.Joe waspreceded indeath by hisparents, ErnestJ.Richard Sr.and IreneU.Richard.His legacy lives on throughthe many lives he touched—with every person he helped, every engine he repaired every studenthetrans‐portedsafely home,and every inventionthatbore the mark of hiscreativity. Joe's friendsand family are invitedtoa memorial gathering on Sunday,June 29, 2025 from 11:00 am to 4:00pmatLafreniere Park'sPicnicIsland(Shel‐ter #2)inMetairie. Online condolences maybeof‐fered at www.gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.com
Sam, Lois Theresa Anderson
Lois TheresaAnderson Sam,bornonJanuary 27, 1938, at CharityHospitalof New Orleans, wasa beloved wife,mother, and friendknown forher infec‐tious humor, kindness, and devotiontoher family. Lois was thedaughterofMrs LeothaJulienAnderson Williamson andFreddie JosephAnderson. Step‐daughterofJames Williamson.She wasthe wifeofHarry SamJr. of Gretna, Louisianaand had six children.The beloved motherofSheilaT.Samuel (Tillis).ClintonD.Sam, Karen C. Sam-Dishman, RodneyP.Sam,DarrenA Sam,and BlainM.Sam.She attended AllSaints Catholic Church andwas baptizedand confirmed by Rev.JohnCallery,SSJ.She leavestocherish hermem‐ory:6 children-daughters SheilaT.Samuel(Tillis) Karen Sam-Dishman, sons Clinton D. Sam, Rodney P. Sam,DarrenA.Sam,and Blain M, Sam. 1son-in-law TillisSamuel, 18 grandchil‐dren: Tayquail Rhea (Tajuan)LamondFranklin, LaKária Sam-Green (Mario),Shaun Jones (Magan),KateriMcKnight, Kriselette Sam, Jasmine Sam Onyemauioa (Melody), KiaraHolmes, Ahmad Sam(Clarissa), DwayneJenkins,Jarmarris Sam,ClintonStokes, BiancaSutton, JaneeSam, Caleb &Carlton Celestine. 32great grandchildren: Ta'lynn Belle White(Cur‐tis), Londrell Franklin,Kalil Cox,Tja Rhea,SeanJones AllisiaRhea, Simone Rhea, NaTasia Jefferson, Kaylee Skipper, Ky'Ree Sam, Chelsea Sam, AmyraSam AmyreeSam,D'Myron Johnson,Christian Hen‐nings,Zia Calvaria,Zana Calvaria, Skylar Jones, Djer Jones,NinaJenkins,Love Stokes, Legend Stokes, KingSam,DevontaeJohn‐son,JaKhyrenSam,Peace Onyemauioa, Dwayne Jenk‐ins Jr., EsmeraldaOnye‐mauioa, Tamyra Sam, KingsleySam,Jamerrell Sam,JumeriahSam,Khaza Mario Green.6 great-great grandchildren:KarterSkip‐per,TerriyahSimmons TerajèSimmons,Telayia Simmons,LillianaCox,and Jameson White. 4sisters: ArseanAlexandera, Pearl Edmonson, Sharon Edmon‐son,Beverly Beauvais,& Stacy Williamson.2 sis‐ters-in-law Lavern Williamson andMaryAnn Henderson,3 Godchildren: VerlinDampiere, Gwen‐dolyn Henderson, and Brian Turner.Hostof nieces, nephews, and cousins.Precededindeath byher mother Leotha JulienAnderson Williamson,fatherFreddy JosephAnderson, 3great grandchildren:KelseaSam, JaRielSam,Denzel Claverie, son-in-law Larry R.Dishman,sisters:Leonell Andersonand Floreen An‐derson, andbrother Harold James Williamson.Lois's legacyisone of love, laughter, andunwavering support.Her familyand friends cherishthe memo‐riesofher warm smile and generousheart.She leaves behinda legacy of re‐silienceand compassion,a testament to thebeautiful lifeshe lived. Shewillbe dearlymissedbut fondly rememberedbyall who hadthe privilege of know‐
Mocklin, BruceEdmund
Rezza, KarenJaniceAllain
Martina, Mary Margaret Keenan Sansovich
Pazos, MerleLandry
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. HERE AREOUR
GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence
TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.
Canwebegin to talk aboutabortion?
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Arnessa Garrett
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
Stephanie Grace Quin Hillyer
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
Will Sutton
tribal chief whose village included families whorelied on each other.Theydid things together Even work 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.
NewOrleans Forecast
ingher.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend thecelebra‐tionoflifeservice which willbeheldonTuesday June24, 2025, at AllSaint Catholic Church locatedat 1441 TecheStreet,Algiers, LA70114. Father Freddie Kaddeeofficiatingand en‐tombmentwillfollowat WestlawnMemorialPark. Funeralplanningentrusted toRobinsonFamilyFuneral Home, 9611LA-23,Belle Chasse,LA70037, (504) 208-2119. Foronlinecondo‐lences, please visitwww robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com
Stanley, Howard Cromwell
Beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather andall-around greatest of gentlemen, U.S. Navy Captain Howard Cromwell Stanley, 86, died peacefully on June 18, 2025 in Covington, LA surrounded by his family. As he said just before passing, he looks forward to rejoining the love of his life, his wife of 40 years Stephanie Arculeer Stanley who preceded him in death 20 years ago. Raised in Atlanta and New Orleans, Howard started his adventurous life as ayoung Naval officer sailing the oceans on aircraft carriers in theearly 1960s, visiting thegreat cities of the world, followed by 30 years in the Navy Reserve. After earning his law degree from Tulane University, Howard spent his career as apatent attorney for Monsanto, againtraveling the globe defending the company's most valuable patents. After retirement, he became asculpture artist and world traveler again, continuing his love of Salvador Dali, Antoni Gaudí,Inca architecture,
likely stretch intoJuly
sailing,fishing, going to the symphony, jazz clubs, great restaurants,golfing, reading, grits, steel drum music, champagne,sitting on the beach in Emerald Isle,NC, picking crabs, and tending to his flowergarden. He neverlosthis voracious curiosity about why the world is the way it is, historical figures,science, and current events.Hecarried aminiature copy of the U.S. Constitution in his pocketupuntilthe end. But most importantto Howard was his family who werehis top priority and the true center of his world. He dearlyloved all the peopleinhis circle, and theylovedhim. Known unanimously as agentle giant of nearly unlimited kindness, generosity, intelligence, patience, wisdom, and goodspirits, Howard leaves behind many brokenheartswho allwishwe could have moretime in his company. As one of his grandchildrensaid,"Ijust think it'simportantthat the world knows it lost one of the most kind and gentle people it had." The cause of death was complications aftera routine surgery. Howard issurvived by his daughters, Eve ArculeerStanley(ex-son-in -law, JonLondo), StephanieStanley(son-inlaw, DavidEick),Enid Poole Gorringe (son-in-law, Shane Gorringe), and Erin M. Poole; grandchildren, Quinn Edward Londo,Kael Ariel Londo, Jackson Eick, David N. Eick,Alexander Eick, Thomas Gorringe, Zoe Gorringe, Benjamin Gorringe, BaileyBlossman Champagne (grandson-inlaw, Joel Champagne Jr.), and Brennan Blossman; great grandchildren, Finn Charles Gravolet and Joel CareyChampagne III; siblings John Allen Stanley (wife, Else Stanley) and Susan Warren; nephew DavidCarter; andmany beloved cousins and dear friends. He waspreceded indeath by his wife, his parents, Elizabeth Cromwell Stanleyand John Stanley Sr.,and hissister, Shirley Carter. The services willbeonThursday, June 26, 2025 at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 PontchartrainBlvd. New Orleans,LA70124. The visitation willbegin at 1:00 p.m. until the memorial service at 2:00 p.m. The interment willfollow at GreenwoodCemetery. To join the livestream of the service or to leave afond
Ashley MoniqueVar‐nado, age26, wasbornto MedinaVarnado andStan‐ley Varnado, Sr.onJanuary 9,1999 in NewOrleans,LA. She enteredintoreston June 2, 2025. Ashley began her educationwithOrleans ParishSchoolsand was continuingher education inSAISD in SanAntonio, TX. Ashley is preceded in death by both grandfa‐thers,ThaddeusBraud,Sr. and AmealVarnado,Sr., grandmother LeolaVar‐nado, andbestfriends Ti‐wuanna Martin andKelvin Stevenson.Ashleyleaves behinda sevenyearold daughterMelodySkyeVar‐nado-Russ, onesister, Der‐ranisha Braud, twobroth‐ers,Dedrick Braudand Stanley Varnado, Jr one niece KholieeJohnson,one nephewKingBraud,grand‐motherYvonne Howard, and ahostofcousins other relativesand friends. A FuneralService will be heldonSaturday, June 21st,2025 at 11:00 am at MajesticMortuary, 1833 OrethaC.Haley Blvd., New Orleans,Louisiana 70113 Visitationwillbegin at 10:00 am.Burialwillbein HoltCemetery. Dueto COVID-19, everyone attend‐ing is encouraged to wear masks andadheretosocial distancing. Professional arrangementsentrusted to MajesticMortuaryService, Inc.,(504) 523-5872.
Philip Adam VonDullen Jr. of Metairie,Louisiana diedpeacefully at home on June 12, 2025, at theage of 94. He wasbornNovember 27, 1930, in Jefferson, Louisiana to Philip Adam Von Dullen Sr.and Clara BordesVon Dullen.Hemar‐riedhis wife,ElaineHerty Von Dullen,onJune 14, 1959, at St.Theresa theLit‐tle Flower of theChild Jesus Catholic Church in New Orleans. Shepreceded him in deathonJune 1, 2017. They aresurvivedby their twosons, Philip Von DullenIII (Darla Pascal) and DavidVon Dullen;his sisters,Merle Monroe and ElaineBrophy; nieces, nephews,cousins,and friends.Philipgraduated fromJefferson High School in1947 andcompleted an associate's degree in Air‐craft &EngineMechanics atDelgado TradeSchool in 1950. He hada lifelong in‐terestinairplanes,sail‐boats,and powerboats.As a boy, he enjoyedbuilding flying modelplanesand he built aSnipe Classsailboat withhis father that he raced at Southern Yacht Clubinthe early50's. His remarkablemechanical ability andknowledge would enable himto fix, re‐pair, andbuild almost any‐thing.Hefreelysharedhis expertise with hissons, family, andfriends.Hewas our YouTubeinstructional video before andafter YouTube existed. Philip was amemberofthe Louisiana AirNational Guard 122ndBomb Squadronfrom1951 to 1954. Hisunitwas puton activedutyasa training squadronatLangley Air Force Base Virginia from 1951 through1952 during the Korean War. He was the Crew Chiefona Dou‐glasA-26Invader while stationed at Langley. After discharge from theAir Na‐tionalGuard,heobtained a commercialpilot'slicense through theGIBillin1955 Philipworkedasa sea‐plane pilotfor Chevron USAInc.for 34 yearsuntil
hisretirementin1990, amassingover33,000 flight hours.After retirement,he was an active member of the 122ndBombSquadron VeteransAssociationand Restoration GroupatJack‐son Barracks.The group was founded in 1992 with the purposeoflocating and restoringanA-26In‐vader forstaticdisplay at the JacksonBarracksMu‐seum'sAirpark.The group ofveteranscompleted nu‐merousrestoration pro‐jects forthe museum in additiontothe A-26. Oneof Philip'sand Elaine’s joys was traveling. They took roadtrips with theirsons all over theUSthrough the years.In1995, they drove fromNew Orleansto Alaskaand back on an epic 6-week trip.Theyspent manyOctobersatthe Eden CondosinPerdido Key, Florida.Theytravelledwith their sons anddaughter-inlaw to Germany, Italy, France, Austria, and Switzerland from 1998 to 2005. Although becoming wheelchairdependent in 2017, Philip enjoyedone lasttriptoMunich, Ger‐manyin2019 with hissons and daughter-in-law. He particularlyenjoyed the airplaneand transporta‐tionmuseums andregaled his familywithdetails about everything on dis‐play. Although we aresad for hisloss, hisfamilyis leftwithfondmemoriesof his long life,welllived.The familythankshis faithful, long-time aide,Deedy Smith;his “daughter,”Jill Patent; hisniece and nephew, Jo-Ann and Michael Tusa;and his neighborCarolyn Kieffer for alltheir companionship and support. We also thank Sarah Sisung,RNfor her careand assistance.A pri‐vateinterment servicewill beheldatSt. LouisCeme‐tery#2.
Fr.Dr. Paul David Watkins,O.P.A Faithful Ser‐vantofGod.Fr. Dr.Paul David Watkins, adevoted Dominican priest and beloved servantofGod, was called Home to the LordonMay 6, 2025, while leading apilgrimagealong the sacred Camino de San‐tiago in Spain. Born in Santa Monica,CAand first son to Robert Alvin Watkins andMaryLouise CurleyWatkins,who pre‐ceded himindeath,Paul was oneoffourchildren and is deeply missedby his siblings:JohnWatkins (Joni), Jeanette Watkins Kissee(Greg), andMolly Watkins Ellzey (Brendan). Healsoleavesbehinda lovingextendedfamilyof nieces, nephews, and great-nephews who cher‐ished hispresenceand guidance. Fr.Paulan‐sweredGod’s call to the priesthood as aDominican Friar,serving theChurch faithfullyfor over 35 years. His intellectual curiosity and love of learning were evident throughout hislife. Heearneda B.A. in Philoso‐phy from Tulane University and aMasterofDivinity fromthe DominicanSchool ofPhilosophyand Theol‐ogy.His theologicalpur‐suits continuedwithpost‐graduatestudies at the Catholic University of America.Everthe lifelong learner,healsoobtained anMBA in Marketingand Entrepreneurshipfromthe UniversityofVirginia'sDar‐den School of Business and later completeda Doctor‐ate of Educationatthe Uni‐versity of Memphis. His ministrywas as diverseas itwas impactful, with nu‐merousassignments in At‐lanta,New Orleans, and Memphis.Fr. Paul utilized his entrepreneurialtalents toestablish Boudreaux Foods,creatingpopular productsunder the Boudreaux andSugar Busterbrandsbeforesell‐ing thebusinessin2002. In the yearsthatfollowed, he broughthealing andre‐
VonDullenJr.,Philip Adam
Varnado, Ashley Monique
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
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.
Arkansas shortstop Aloy wins Golden Spikes Award CARY, N.C. Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy won the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the nation, USA Baseball announced Saturday Aloy is the third Arkansas player to take home the prize, joining Andrew Benintendi in 2015 and Kevin Kopps in 2021, and the 12th winner from the Southeastern Conference — most of any league. Aloy the SEC player of the year started all 65 games this season and led the Razorbacks in almost every major offensive category, including slugging
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABBIE PARR
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.
OUTDOORS
What astory
Tristan Rude shows offthe 9.65-pound largemouth basshecaught to wowthe crowd at last weekend’sBrother Dardis Fishing Rodeo in NewOrleans.The rest of the storyfor theJesuit High student is how, when fishing with his motherand battling this lunker largemouth, he tipped overthe canoe,losteverything in the boat, butkept his rod and reel in hand and landed the fish. Naturally,his catch wonthe rodeo’s Division II category.
Wherehavethe fish gone?
Fishing GrandIsle surf hasbeen lacking foryears
BY JOE MACALUSO
Contributing writer
Here’shoping this doesn’t raise alarms like other instances like this have over the years.
Fact is, there are few,ifany, fishinthe Grand Isle surf, not just this summer but for many summers. For years, fishing off the beach at Grand Isle was an adventure.Speckled trout, redfish, jack crevalle,Spanish mackerel, an occasional flounder —and sharks —were in the shallows and between the sandbarstoprovidenonboaters with sport and achance to put wholesome food on the table.
Guessing there are several reasonstoexplain this dilemma.
Guessing violent hurricanes and storms are first on the list. Then, to repair storm damage to the berm protecting the island, sand was pumped several timesfrom thefrontofthe island. Shrimping, through not in theshallows, is another disruptive force. But what about behind the island? In Caminada and Barataria bays?
During the past handful of years, catches of speckled trout and redfish are down despite the efforts to rebuild several of the fish-producing reefs that have disappeared in our state’sbattle against subsidence. Or,could this be along-longering effect of the BP oil-spill disaster Again, there’snosimple explanation, and the reason for this writing is to save you the time and effort of fishing the surf along Louisiana’sonly inhabited barrier island Wahoo
Our state’snew regulations
BY DANGELSTON AP sportswriter
LONG POND,Pa. Pocono Raceway paints its signature black rocks outside the garage in gold lettering with alastname and race car number highlighted to honor some of NASCAR’sgreats.Jimmie Johnson hasone So does Richard Petty, among others. So where’sthe celebratory boulder for Denny Hamlin, who holdsthe track record with seven wins and saw an-
on thetakeofwahoo is in effect: alimit of five per person daily and possession limit.
TheWildlife andFisheries Commission set the limit in advance of apotential move by federal fisheries managerstoimposerestrictions on this offshore species after theGulfCouncil learned of large numbers of wahoo taken on the Flower Garden National Banks were showingupinTexas ports. Wildlife and Fisheries suggested thefive-per-angler take after LA Creel dockside surveys.
The state agency’sfisheriesmanagers can notify the GulfCouncilthatLouisiana has put awahoo management planinplace.
Francine’s kills Hurricane Francine,the Category 2storm that made landfall in Terrebonne Parish on Sept.11, left dead fish across nearly two million acres in our state.
The report, issued Friday by Wildlife andFisheries (LDWF),cataloged widespread areas with low dissolved oxygen thattriggered 89 documented fish kills, of which39werereportedby the public and 50 identified by theagency’sfisheries biologists in bayous and canals
Thereport also stated Francine’seffect on fish populations were said to be moderate compared to 2021’sHurricane Ida.
Newlaws
Amajor bill passed in the recent legislative session and signedinto lawprovides broad protectionfor thefirearmsand relatedbusinesses.
The new law gives liability protectiontofirearms manufacturers andsellerswhen they have transferred afirearm in compliance with federal and statelaw to anyone whomight use thatfirearm in acriminal activity
And, another new law gives thesame liability pro-
tection to makersand distributors of ammunition.
Need nominations
The CoalitiontoRestore Coastal Louisiananeedsnominations for its annual Coastal Stewardship Awardstorecognize individuals, companies, organizations and communities “whoseachievements in coastal restoration and protection are exemplary.”
Winners will be honored at CRCL’s annualbanquet on Nov.13inBaton Rouge. Nominations should come from letters of support, an explanation why this person or group deserves consideration, news stories, photos and/or videos. Submission deadline is Aug. 3.
For details, call James Karst at (504) 220-7899.
Good news
The reauthorization of the Dingell-JohnsonSportfish Restoration Act has been introduced in the U.S. House. If passed, this important fundingmechanism would carry through 2031.
This act collects excise taxes up to 10% in thesale of mostfishing tackle and equipment, then, through federal disbursing, is sent to states, tribes and territories to fund habitatrestoration, fisheries research and access improvements, and provides major funding for Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries.
Disbursement is based on the number of fishing licenses sold annually,and has provided more than $12 billion since first enacted in 1950.
Acentury of hooks
If you fish freshwater or saltwater, then it’s likely you’ve used an Eagle Claw hook,or that’s company’sLazar Sharp and/or Trokar hooks.
Well, this month, Eagle Claw celebrates its 100th year of made-in-Americahooks. Congratulations for making it this long andmakingtheminthe USA.
JesuitHigh Rodeo
The final leaderboardfromthe two-dayBrother Dardis Family Fishing Rodeo with anglers and weight of their catches in pounds. Division, 19 &older; Division II, 18-and-younger anglers: DIVISION II Speckledtrout: 1, Will Fernandez, 4.05 pounds.2,Rollins Leopold, 3.9. 3, James Campo, 3.3. Redfish: 1, Brandon Burke,7.35. 2, Sam McEnery,6.75. 3, James Breaux, 6.65. Redsnapper: 1, AnthonyAmadeo, 20.15. 2, Hunt Charvet, 19.1. 3, Hudson Puckett, 18.7. Sheepshead: 1, Connor Discon, 6.7. 2, HayesStavinhoa, 5.7. 3, Charlie Cusimano, 5.6. Blackdrum: 1, Carl Giffin IV,8.15. 2, Campbell Levy 7.35. 3, Stephen Danna, 7.05. Flounder: 1, Jude Campo, 2.65. 2, Nash Leingang, 1.35.
3, Michael Pulazzano, 1.2.
Bass: 1, Tristan Rude, 9.65. 2, Martin Breaux,1.9. 3, Blaine Wilbanks,1.4. Freshwater catfish: 1, Cael Howerton, 9.3. 2, Howerton, 7.15.
3, Howerton, 7.0. DIVISION I Speckledtrout: 1, Stephen Peterman, 3.9. 2, John Lagarde, 3.15. 3, Michael Meier, 3.1.
Redfish: 1, Christopher McMahon, 7.0. 2, David Boyd 6.85. 3, ChrisPetty,6.65.
Redsnapper: 1, W. Desenhart, 17.9. 2, C. Puckett, 17.7.
3, Joe Piacun, 14.85 Sheepshead: 1, Msgr. Christopher Nalty,5.5. 2, Casey Stavinohoa, 5.55. 3, Gared Discon, 5.3. BlackDrum: 1, Carl Giffin, 7.4. 2, KennyPrados, 6.8. 3, Jeff Levy,5.65. Flounder: 1, KennyPrados,1.4. 2, Richie Donnes, 0.9. 3, Prados, 0.75. Bass: 1, William Rau, 3.45. 2, ColleenRude, 1.4. 3, Kerry Redmann, 0.95. Freshwatercatfish: 1, Gene Simons, 15.95. 2, K. Cusimano, 3.05. 3, Cusimano, 2.95. SPECIAL Father/daughter: Seth &LucyShute. Biggestfish: AnthonyAmadeo III, 137.0 (grouper). 5-troutstringer: Team Puckett, 21.05. Junior Southwest Bassmasters FERRIDAY Age-group resultsfromthe two-dayJunior Southwest Bassmasters-Denham Springs’ Maytournament heldduringFather’s Dayweekend on Lake Concordia with anglers, theirhometowns,number of bass weighed in parentheses (five-bassdaily limit), total weight in pounds and big-bass winners: FIRST DAY 15-18 agegroup: 1, Evan BurrisWalker(5) 11.63 pounds 2, Grant Brouillette, Baton Rouge (3)5.05. 3, Ayden Albarez, Addis (2) 4.09. BigBass: Burris, 3.26.
MONDAY RED STICK FLYFISHERS FLYTYING: 7p.m.,
Orvis Shop, 7601 BluebonnetBlvd. Open to public. Hands-on clinic covering basics of fly tying. Materials and tools provided. Website: rsff.org
THURSDAY ACADIANA BUGS&BREWS: 6p.m., Pack & Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook,Lafayette. Open to the public. Email Flip Siragusa: redfish452@ gmail.com. Website: www.packpaddle.com
SATURDAY FLYFISHING 101: 9-11 a. m.,Orvis Shop Bluebonnet Boulevard,Baton Rouge.Fee free. Basics of casting,rigging, fly selection Equipment furnished. All ages,adultsto accompany15-and-younger. Preregistration required. Call Shop(225) 757-7286.Website: orvis.com/batonrouge ONGOING
CCASTATEWIDE TOURNAMENT &ANGLERS’
RODEO/S.T.A.R.: Summer-long fishing contest through Sept. 1. Multiple species categories. CCAmembership required. Website: ccalouisiana.com AROUND THE CORNER
JUNE 29—SOUTH LOUISIANA HIGHPOWER CLUB MATCH: 8:30 a.m.,Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Range, St.LandryRoad,Gonzales. CMP GSSM, NRA match rifle or service rifle 200-yard/50-rounds match course &Prone matches. Fee$15 members, $20 nonmembers, $5 juniors. $25 annual club (first match free) &Civilian Marksmanship Program membership (allows purchases from CMP) Call (337) 380-8120. Email Mike Burke: SouthLaHighPower@hotmail.com
JULY2-6—NRA NATIONAL HIGHPOWER LONG-RANGECHAMPIONSHIP: Alliance Rifle Club,Malvern, Ohio. Website: alliancerifleclub.org
other victory thrown out in 2022 becauseof adisqualification? Hamlin laughed when he said Pocono officials told himthe requirement was, “either retire or die.”
At 44 years old, Hamlin —who just welcomed ason with fiancee Jordan Fish should have the prime of his life ahead. As for retirement? What, and miss outonall thefun?
Even without aCup championship on his resume, Hamlin remains adominant force in the sport and he showed again Saturday why he’sthe driver to beat on the 2 1/2mile tri-oval track. Hamlin skipped last week’s race in Mexico City following his son’sbirth and returned without missingabeat, turning alap of 172.599 mph to take the topspot in Sunday’srace. “Truthfully,I’m on arun,” Hamlin said. “I don’tknow how else tosay it.”
JULY3-5–75TH GOLDEN MEADOW-FOURCHON TARPON RODEO: Fourchon Marina &Pavilion, Port Fourchon. Benefits South Louisiana High students. Fishing begins daylight July 3. Weigh-in July 4-5. King of theCatch cooking contest. Inshore, BigGame, Shoreline,Kayak, Spearfishing &Children’s divisions. Website: fourchontarpon.com.
JULY6-10—NRA NATIONAL PRECISION PISTOL CHAMPIONSHIP: Cardinal Shooting Center Marengo, Ohio. Also: NRA National Smallbore Championship Website: thecardinalcenter.com FISHING/SHRIMPING
SHRIMP: Spring inshoreseasonand outside watersopen statewide.
OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Redsnapper,flounder;lane, blackfin, queen andsilk snappers &wenchmen among othersnapper species; all groupersexcept closed for goliath& Nassau groupersinstate/federal waters.
CLOSED: Woodworthshooting range through June 22 (berm maintenance); Pearl River WMA (Old U.S. 11 gate&shooting range; flooding);HopeCanal Road/boat launch (MaurepasSwamp WMA, leveeconstruction); roads/trails, RichardYancey WMA (except Sunk, Shell, Yakey, Wycoff &Silver Lakes roads, flooding);GrassyLakeWMA all roads &trails (flooding),except SouthBayou Natchitoches Road is open
DRAWDOWNS: underway on Saline &Kepler lakes.
REOPENED: South Farm (Sherburne WMA). EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com
Rattler, Shough making casestoSaints
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
Kellen Moore looks primarily at two areas when evaluating his quarterbacks at this time of year
The 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 lineofscrimmage, with how the quarterback reads the defense and dictates the outcome.
Everything else is awork in progress.
“The execution, just the consistency,isgoing 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’ three-man quarterback battle resembled more of atwo-man competition.
SpencerRattler and Tyler Shough have gotten the majority of reps with an injured Jake Haener (oblique) working to get healthy
So, who will winthe battle?
Moore obviously isn’t anywhere close to naming avictor.But through their play,both quarterbacks made acompelling argument for why they could win the job. Let’stake a closer look at why each man realistically could start Week 1.
Case forRattler
Rattler publicly has said he doesn’tfeel 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’sbeen quick and decisive, looking much faster than ayear ago. As much
as hestruggled in his seven gamesasarookie, it’s apparent that experience benefited the24-year-old in the long run.
Thecoachingstaff isn’t oblivioustothe challenging circumstances that Rattler faced last year,too. Injuries decimated the lineup, particularly along theoffensive lineand at wide receiver
That doesn’tgive Rattler apass on his play from that stretch —hefailed to win a game,after all —but it does explain whyhelooks better with afullsupporting cast, and whyitispremature to write himoff after one season.
Rattler’sbest moments as arookie came when he was on themove, and if he winsthe job, his mobility mayprovetobea deciding factor.But whathas been impressive abouthim this offseason is that his top throws have come fromthe pocket
Some ofthat can be explained bythe fact the Saints have stuck to 7-on-7 work in practices —meaningthere hasn’tbeen atrue pass rush to force Rattler outsideofit. Butagood throw is agood throw.And Rattler has needled some of these passes to histargets ForRattler to win the job, he’ll havetobebetter in areas that have yettobe measured this offseason. He was pressured on astaggering 39.2% of his dropbacks lastseason,and while it can be temptingto blame that on thehealth of the offensiveline, he was also under duress in college. A ProFootball Focusstudy from 2019 indicated that pressurerateisone of the moreconsistent metrics to carry over from collegeto thepros for quarterbacks. The two other worrying trends for Rattler as arookie were hissplits between thefirst and second halves, and his tendency to turn the ball over.His eight turnovers (fiveinterceptions,
three fumbles) were the league’sthird-most across theweeks 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 thepreseason, will be a testfor Rattler to show he’s learned from the past. But remember,Rattler was not afinished product when theSaints drafted him 144th overall in 2024. They were intrigued by Rattler’s potential, especially given his background as ahighly 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 forShough Shough hasn’tlooked overwhelmed at all in this competition, and he said there’sa good reason for that.
Thequarterback is usedto fighting for astarting 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’tfeel as pressed to force thedeep ball, for instance, because he’slearned that taking thecheckdown can be the smarter option.
“I know thebest 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 alearning curve was to be expected. Rattler underwent asimilar experience as arookie last year,when he seemed hesitantoncertain throws especially before training camp. It has been evident Shough is still adjusting to thespeed of NFLdefenses and the rate that he must go through his progressions.
Still, Shough has improved over the last few weeks, and that bodes well heading intotraining camp next month.Hewas much sharper during mandatory minicamp, with theball zipping out on certain throws.
Shough’sarm talent is undeniable. His deep passes rocket downthe field, and he’shit the fast receivers in rhythm.Beyond that, Shough’sarm talent results in impressive placement. He’sable 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’scomfortable against apass rush. Several draftanalysts noted how his gamecan 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 facing pressure, he was sacked on only 9.3% of those plays —third-best in the nation. He also had only six interceptions in 2024, good fora1.5% intercep-
tion rate.
Draft status, meanwhile, won’tautomatically win Shough the job, but it is worth mentioning. The 25-year-old was the Saints’ highest-drafted quarterback since 1971, and this coaching staffplayed an active role in wanting him Shough, fairly or unfairly, is seen as Moore’squarterback compared to the two signal-callers whom the coach inherited. If the competition is close, it’sfair to wonder whether the Saints will lean toward starting Shough because of that. And there’s an argument that it may be morebeneficial forthe 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.Ormaybe it’sRattler.The answer is coming this summer
EmailMatthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com
It’sthat time of year
Thibodaux again will be the center of the quarterback universe next weekend as the Manning Passing Academy kicks off at Nicholls State on Thursday
The 29th edition of the prestigious camp will be the biggest ever, with a record 1,450 campers and 44 of the nation’stop collegiate quarterbacks, including 11 of the projected starters in the Southeastern Conference.
“We’ve got another great group coming in,” said ArchieManning, whospearheads the recruitment of the college quarterbacks to the camp. “Wehad such great demand that we couldn’ttake allofthe quarterbacks that wanted to come. That’sagood problem to have.”
Among the headliners this year are Arch Manning, the third generation of the camp’snamesakes, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier,Cade Klubnik of Clemson and LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina. The college quarterback group includes seven of the top 10 quarterback prospects in Pro Football Focus’ 2026 NFL Draft rankings, although it’spossiblethat Manning will bypass next year’s draft and stay at Texas for afourth year.Other projected first-rounders
are Nussmeier,the son of Saints offensivecoordinator Doug Nussmeier,and Sellers.
Twoother projected firstround quarterbacks, Drew Allar of Penn Stateand Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, were scheduled to attend but recently informed MPA officials they willnot make the camp because of scheduleconflicts
making areturn appearance at the Manning Passing Academy
The highlight of theweek again will be theFriday Night Lights competition, pittingthe college quarterbacks in aseries of skill competitions. The event begins at 8p.m. Friday at Guidry Stadium.
As usual, thecamp will feature several high-profile guests, including former CBS college football analyst Todd Blackledge, former ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay,and former Carolina Panthers tight ends Wesley Walls and Greg Olsen,who is bringing his son, T.J. Acouple of special guests will work at theManning Passing Academy this year
Email Jeff Duncanat jduncan@theadvocate.com. QBsManning andNussmeier headlineManning
Duke quarterback Darian Mensah, who transferred from Tulane this offseason, is also scheduled toattend. It will behis first local appearance sinceheleft Tulane in December Quarterbacksfrom three in-state colleges also will serve as counselors: Carson Camp,Southeastern Louisiana; Deuce Hogan, Nicholls State;and Walker Howard, UL. Nussmeier and Klubnik are among13quarterbacks
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden will speak to thecampers and coach them on the field, Archie
Manning said. Gruden has not coached since being fired by theRaiders in 2021. He served as aconsultant with the Saints in 2023. Tyler Shough is also expected towork the camp, albeit in an unknown capacity. The Saints rookie attended the 2023 Manning Passing Academy and asked Archie Manning whether he could work it this year while staying in New Orleansfor theoffseason.
“I’ll find something for him to do,” Manning quipped. “The only difference is this time we’ll give him an upgrade. He won’t have to sleep in the dorms or make the sheets on his bed. Buthestill gets just $300 aday,just like everyone else.”
STAFFPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Saints quarterbacks, from left, Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler,Hunter Dekkers and JakeHaener taketurns throwingthe ball during aminicamp practice on June 10 in Metairie.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETTDUKE
Jeff Duncan
Broussard glad he nixed brotherly advice
St. Thomas More coach ranks sixth nationally in wins
Editor’s note: This is an entry in a profile series of inductees for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The induction ceremony is set for Saturday in Natchitoches.
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
Sometimes it’s a good idea to listen to the advice of your older brothers.
There was one particular decision, though, St. Thomas More boys basketball coach Danny Broussard is glad he didn’t.
After graduating from Meaux High School in rural Vermilion Parish in 1977, Broussard’s first thought was to become a coach After all, his 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?’
Broussard spent his freshman year at then-USL in Lafayette in
PELICANS
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Washington Wizards
“Troy has a unique skillset,” Dumars said. “His ability to identify talent in this league is elite. He has a long track record of being able to identify players at an elite level.”
Weaver gets his first test in New Orleans on Wednesday when the NBA draft begins. The Pelicans own the No. 7 pick and the No. 23 pick (acquired in a trade on Tuesday) in this year’s draft.
This is familiar territory for Weaver Seventeen years ago, he was hired as assistant general manager with the Seattle SuperSonics as they were relocating to Oklahoma City His team then, just like this year’s Pelicans, had a top-10 selection (No. 4) and a pick 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 a certain player whose draft profile wasn’t overly impressive — especially for a No. 4 pick.
“Because of his defensive ability, he is unlikely to be a bust, although he probably won’t develop into a bona fide superstar,” read one 2008 draft profile on the prospect.
The player was Russell Westbrook, who went on to become an MVP and is a likely Hall of Famer “In terms of evaluation, Troy’s ability to see players for what they can be and not for who they are right now is a major strength,” said Will Dawkins, the general manager of the Wizards. Dawkins worked with Weaver this season in Washington. The two of them also arrived in OKC together back in 2008 under Sam Presti, arguably the best executive in the NBA.
“The way Sam Presti leads, he allows everybody to have a voice,” Dawkins said. “He allows people to listen and then makes the best informed decision Troy had a loud voice in (drafting Westbrook), and he consistently spoke up for the guys who he thought weren’t necessarily the best players now, but would be the best players moving forward.
“With Troy in Oklahoma City, we were able to build something pretty special based off the talent It wasn’t just about identifying the players. It was also grooming them once they got there, and Troy played a big part in that.”
In addition to Westbrook, the Thunder drafted Serge Ibaka with the 24th pick that year. Westbrook and Ibaka became key pieces for a Thunder team that reached the NBA Finals four years later
Weaver wasn’t available for an interview for this story, but the draft philosophy he talked about when the Pistons hired him as general manager in 2020 likely still holds true today
“I just feel like my philosophy is we don’t draft players, we draft people,” Weaver said five years ago. “We want to make sure we get
general studies, hoping to decide what his future would hold.
He thought about being a pharmacist.
“The only problem with that was pharmacy school was in Monroe and I didn’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 a decision.
With no other favorable options in mind, Broussard said, “I’m going to education.”
More than four decades later, Broussard is entering the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as one of the nation’s most successful coaches in high school basketball history The induction ceremony is set for Saturday in Natchitoches.
It wasn’t that his brothers didn’t think young Danny could coach In fact, he had already proven he could.
As a senior at Meaux, Broussard coached the school’s 4H basketball team to a tournament title in Kaplan.
“I found guys at Meaux,” he said.
“We put together a little team of fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders and we won That’s kind of when I got hooked. I remember thinking, ‘This is fun. I love this.’
March 15.
Getting them together and preparing them and then seeing the results.”
the person right. If you get the person right, the basketball will take care of itself. Drafting high, getting the person right is more important to me. You draft in the 20s, you might want to take a swing on some talent or maybe a position.”
Weaver’stimeinDetroitdidn’tgo well ThePistonswentjust54-192in his three seasons running the show
But he drafted some of the key pieces that helped the Pistons turn things around this season to finish sixth in the Eastern Conference after winning a combined 31 games the previous two seasons.
“When we showed up, the cupboard wasn’t bare,” first-year Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff told the Detroit Press in an interview
“There was a ton of talent in that locker room.” Credit Weaver for that.
Can he bring that type of talent to the Pelicans’ locker room?
Dawkins believes he can.
“First and foremost, Troy is as consistent as a person and as a evaluator as anyone I’ve been around,” Dawkins said. “He has a great combination of hard work and humility. Believe it or not, that’s hard to find He does the work and is really in it with you.
He’s a true day one type grinder
As a leader, he’s inclusive, he’s flexible and he’s confident ”
That confidence comes from Weaver’s path to becoming an NBA executive He isn’t a Hall of Famer like Dumars, the man he’s now working with for the first time. Heck, Weaver never stepped foot on an NBA court as a player His basketball playing days ended after one season playing at a community college. After that, he helped start and coach an AAU team in the 1990s. His success at finding talent there led him to landing college assistant coaching jobs at Pittsburgh, New Mexico and Syracuse.
It was Weaver who first noticed Carmelo Anthony before he became one of the top recruits in the country Nailing that evaluation early gave Weaver a head start in the recruiting process, and he ended up getting Anthony to sign with Syracuse and eventually lead it to a national championship as a freshman.
“Troy’s years of experience at the youth level and the college level and the pro level are hard to match compared to a lot of evaluators out there right now,” Dawkins said. “He can see the game as an evaluator, but through a coaching lens. He’s spent so much time coaching and being around players. All of that combined is what makes him Troy Weaver.”
Big brother Rickey wasn’t surprised by those early signs of success.
“I never had any doubt that Danny could accomplish great things,” said Rickey, who led Nicholls State to two NCAA Tournament appearances. “There was just something about him.”
Upon graduating college, young Danny faced another big decision.
He got an offer from Hanson Memorial in Franklin to be basketball coach. Broussard asked for the weekend to ponder his options. Once again, his older brother had other ideas. While Danny was communicating with Hanson, a math teacher at a new school, St. Thomas More where Rickey was the head basketball coach, decided to run the math department at Fatima instead just weeks before the start of
school.
So Rickey implored Danny to talk to STM’s administration before accepting the Hanson job.
“They offered me $3,000 to $4,000 more a year to be a freshman baseball, basketball and football coach,” Broussard said. “That’s a lot of money to a kid right out of college, so I took it.”
Danny, then 22, quickly moved into the spot as the Cougars’ top basketball assistant, and about a year later Rickey joined the Ragin’ Cajuns staff.
“I remember asking Rickey, ‘So who is going to coach St. Thomas More?’ and he said, ‘You are.’ ” Fast-forward 41 years and Broussard ranks as the No. 6 coach nationally in wins with 1,162 that’s 171 from being the winningest coach ever He’s led the Cougars to six state championships, five state runners-up, 20 Top 28 appearances, 27 district championships and 18 30-win seasons.
“It’s a testament to his longevity and consistency and success,” former player Lyle Mouton said of Broussard’s Hall of Fame induction. “The way he tells it, he became a coach by default. I guess sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. He has proven it was a great decision and it wasn’t luck.
“You don’t do it for this long with so much success if it was just luck all the way.”
Duke’s Flagg, Rutgers’ Bailey headline NBA draft’s forwards
BY AARON BEARD AP basketball writer
Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey were the first two names mentioned last summer when it came to college basketball’s top incoming freshmen. Now they’re the headliners among forwards in the NBA draft. Flagg led Duke to the Final Four and became only the fourth freshman named Associated Press men’s national player of the year Bailey put up quality numbers at Rutgers, though in a losing season. Flagg and Bailey were ranked 1-2 in the 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports, Rivals, On3 and ESPN. Now Flagg is the projected No. 1 overall pick, while Bailey is a likely top-five prospect. Here’s a look at the position entering Wednesday’s first round: Cooper Flagg, Duke
STRENGTHS: The 6-foot-8, 221-pound Maine native has a versatile allaround game far more advanced than his age, with room to develop as he turns 19 in December He led Duke in scoring (19.2) rebounding (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.4). He shot 38.5% on 3-pointers and 84% from the line.
He proved he can thrive as a scorer such as when he had an Atlantic Coast Conference freshmanrecord 42 points against Notre Dame. That included ranking in the 85th percentile or better in converting as the ballhandler in pick-and-rolls, on post-ups and in transition, according to Synergy’s analytics rankings.
He also thrived as a playmaker, while his length allows him to alter shots, get into passing lanes and finish at the rim — sometimes over a defender And then there’s his competitive edge, with multiple examples of Flagg’s willingness to take on big moments and receptiveness to firm coaching. That included coach Jon Scheyer lighting into Flagg during a first-half timeout in January for playing soft (in so many words) against N.C. State, then Flagg responding with 23 of his 28 points after halftime. Flagg also went for 30 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three blocks as Duke held off Arizona in a shootout win in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, a performance Scheyer called “one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of.”
CONCERNS: Not many He can always get stronger though he checked in at the combine 16 pounds heavier than his listed weight at Duke (205). He could also cut down on turnovers considering he had 15 games with at least three, though only two came after Feb. 1. Ace Bailey, Rutgers
STRENGTHS: The 6-8, 203-pound Bailey is a versatile shotmaker with athleticism. He averaged 17.6
points and 7.2 rebounds with stepback skills, a good midrange game and the ability to shoot off the dribble or on the catch. Notably, he ranked in Synergy’s 94th percentile for contested catch-and-shoot looks (39 of 81, 48.1%).
Bailey can attack the paint and stretch defenses with his range. He had five January games with at least four made 3s while shooting 34.6% from behind the arc on the season. The versatility and athleticism indicates defensive potential, too. He averaged 1.3 blocks and had six games with at least three blocks in Big Ten play
CONCERNS: Adding strength would help him against bumps and physical play by stronger defenders, such as improving on finishing just 42.1% of layups in the halfcourt at Rutgers. There’s a streakiness in his shot, such as making 12 of 31 free throws (.387) over a sixgame midseason stretch or 7 of 39 3-pointers (.179) after January
There’s also the awkward question of Bailey’s impact beyond stats considering the Scarlet Knights had a losing record despite Bailey teaming with another one-and-done prospect in likely No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper Kon Knueppel, Duke
STRENGTHS: The 6-7, 217-pound Knueppel was an efficient wing scorer with size and defensestretching range. The freshman lottery prospect made 40.6% of his 3s and ranked in Synergy’s 98th percentile when it came to overall spot-up shooting (52.9%), with nearly three-quarters of those attempts coming from behind the arc. He also ranked sixth in Division I by shooting 91.4% at the foul line, and stood out as ACC Tournament MVP when Flagg was sidelined by injury And Knueppel had 10 games with at least four assists as a secondary playmaker
CONCERNS: Knueppel isn’t an elite athlete, so there’s a question of matching up against quicker or
more explosive opponents. Colllin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
STRENGTHS: The sophomore lottery prospect has a strong 6-7, 240-pound frame and a nearly 7-1 wingspan. He thrived in the halfcourt (shooting 57.9% to rank in Synergy’s 88th percentile), and has contributed as a scorer (16.8) and rebounder (8.3).
He also averaged 1.3 blocks and 1.5 steals, indicating the potential for him to defend multiple positions.
CONCERNS: His shooting touch is a major question after he went 0 for 5 from 3-point range as a freshman, then just 9 for 34 (.265) as a sophomore. He also made just 69.5% of his free throws in two college seasons. There’s also the risk of being the “tweener” who is too slow to guard outside and too small to defend in the paint.
Others of note: CARTER BRYANT: Arizona’s 6-7, 215-pound freshman reserve shot 37.1% on 3s and a block per game despite playing just 19 minutes a night. Throw in a 39.5-inch max vertical leap, and he’s a possible lottery pick.
NOA ESSENGUE: The lanky 6-9, 194-pound Frenchman is a potential late lottery pick. Essengue, who turns 19 in December, has been honing his versatile skillset with Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany
LIAM MCNEELEY: The freshman jumped right in as a starter for two-time reigning national champion UConn. He’s a first-round prospect as a floor-stretching wing with size (6-7, 215) and shotmaking ability, highlighted by him going for 38 points against then-No 24 Creighton and 22 points in the NCAA Tournament against eventual champion Florida.
WILL RILEY: Illinois’ 6-8 freshman from Canada is a first-round prospect with the potential to play as a guard or as a wing forward. He showed potential as a scorer and passer at Illinois, though he needs to develop physically with a 186-pound frame.
AP PHOTO By PAUL SANCyA
Troy Weaver is in his first season as senior vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans.
FILE PHOTO By KIRK MECHE
St. Thomas More coach Danny Broussard reacts to a foul call during the LHSAA Division I select championship game in Lake Charles on
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON Duke forward Cooper Flagg celebrates after scoring against Houston in the national semifinals at the Final Four on April 5 in San Antonio. Flagg is the projected No. 1 pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft.
ALL-METROBASEBALL
CLASS5A, 4A MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Holy Cross shortstop Dom Pellegrin,a standout defensive player during his career,had a big year at the plate, batting .462 with a.565 on-basepercentage.
DOM PELLEGRIN HOLYCROSS,JR. • SHORTSTOP
Dom Pellegrin became the starting shortstop for Holy Cross when he was in the eighth grade, but it was his junior season when he had abreakout at the plate
Selected by The Times-Picayune as the All-Metro higher classification (5Aand 4A) baseball playerofthe year,Pellegrin had what coachKal Bonuracalleda five-tool season” as he helped the Tigers reach the semifinals of the LHSAA Division Iselect playoffs.
“Weall knewitwas in there, to kind of have a breakout year with powernumbers, beingthe onewerelied on to driveinthe runs and get thebig hits,”Bonura said.
Alreadynoted as asmooth defensiveplayer from his first three seasonsplaying varsity baseball, Pellegrin shined at the plate with a.462 batting averageand a.565 on-base percentage.Among his 49 hits, he had 16 doubles, twotriples and six home runs. Beyond that were his 26 stolen bases. His uptick in numbers was the result of hard work during the offseason.Pellegrin, aTulane commitment, trained himself to seethe ball betterout of the pitcher’shand while also learning howtohit better in various stages of the load phase of hisswing.
“My goal is to getone percent betterevery day,”Pellegrin said.
COACHOFTHE
YEAR
JEFF LUPO BROTHER MARTIN
Brother Martin wonthe Catholic League for a second time in three seasons and reachedthe state finals for the first time since 1996.
TThe Crusaders reached the state finals with a cast of pitchers and alineup of unselfish hitters
PITCHERS
WILL ANDRADE
Holy Cross, Sr
14-2, 1.69ERA, 114 Ks in 87 innings
CARSON MALASOVICH
Northshore, Sr
12-0, 1.02 ERA, nine CGs for semifinalists
COLE NAVARRO
Brother Martin, Sr
11-2,2.13 ERA for state finalists, .390 avg.
OWEN STEMPEL
Hannan, Sr
7-2, 1.04 ERA, 88 Ks in 5823 innings
CATCHER
LENNYCLINE
Rummel, Sr No passed balls, 20 caught stealing,.351 avg.
INFIELDERS
RYAN DARRAH
Brother Martin, Sr Third baseman with .382 average
KENYON HUGHES
St.Augustine, Sr
Had .496 on-basepct., 42 steals
DOM PELLEGRIN
Holy Cross, Jr Smooth fielder at shortstop,.462 average
KOAROMERO
Hahnville, So. Had .484 average, eight homers
OUTFIELDERS
NATE ALARIO
John Curtis, Jr
Leadoff hitting CF,.367 average, 27 steals
He started the season with abang,homering in theseason opener against Chalmette on an off-speedpitch that went deep into the strike zonebeforeheblastedthe ball over the fence.
“For him to trust his handsand let the ball getdeep and hita home runtoput the game away,you could see he had achancetohave abreakout year,” Bonura saidabout how Pellegrin hitthe first pitch of that at-bat.
While in the field at shortstop, Pellegrin ended the season with more doubles plays turned(six) than errors (four).Among his more impressiveplays, Bonurarecalled the barehanded pickup of agrounder that deflected offthe pitcher’sglove and the quick throw fromPellegrin to the third baseman for an out in a3-2 victory against John Curtis “Probablythe best play I’veseen himmake,” said Bonura,who notedthat most high school players would have thrown to first base to get thesureout.“It just showedhewasn’tscared. He trusted his ability.”
Pellegrin will conclude hishighschool career next seasonasa five-yearvarsity starter,a rarity among schoolsinthe Catholic League. “Next year,asclose as we allwere as ateam, Pellegrin said,“we’ll have another great year.” ChristopherDabe
willing to put down abunt wheneveritwas needed.
Brother Martinhas wonthe Catholic League three times in eight seasons with Lupo as head coach
ChristopherDabe
TROY GREEN
Slidell, Sr
School-record 143 Ks, .353 average
CODY KROPP
BrotherMartin, Sr Had.482on-base average
UTILITYPLAYERS
BRAYDENCALAMARI
Slidell, Sr
Catcher with .413 avg.,six HRs,1.41 ERA
DALTON DAVIDSON
Shaw, Sr 7-3, 1.34ERA,114 Ks in 63 IP,.381 average
TREY DAVIS
Higgins, Jr
7-1record, .470 average, 53 steals
CONNOR DONNELLY
Jesuit,Sr.
7-3record, 1.66 ERA, .393 average
BRAYDENNETTERVILLE
KennerDiscovery,Sr. .461 average, 25 steals, 2.75 ERA
GAVINPANKS
Covington, Sr
Catcher with .434 average,10doubles
ALEX RICHARDSON
Belle Chasse, Jr 1.44 ERA, 101 Ks in 5813 IP,.409 on-base
BRYCEWAGUESPACK
St.Charles, So. 6-1, 1.21 ERA, 68 Ks in 52 innings
BRYCEWILSON
Chalmette, Sr 1.06 ERA, 112 Ks and 16 walks in 66 IP
RiversideAcademy pitcher JayceRuizhelped the Rebels reach the semifinals of the DivisionIVselect playoffs. The junior right-hander posted a1.74 ERA and had 93 strikeouts in 6013 innings.
Jayce Ruiz did plenty to advance his baseball team to Sulphur forthe state tournament.
Selected by The Times-Picayune as the All-Metro lowerclassification (Class 3A and below) baseball player of the year,the junior fromRiverside Academywas on the mound for the twoplayoff wins that advancedthe Rebels to the state semifinals for the firsttime since theywon astate title in 2017.
The hard-throwing right-hander ended the season with 93 strikeouts over601/3 innings anda1.74 ERA. He also playedinthe infield and batted .405.
Ruiz’smost impressive outing mayhave been in the state quarterfinals against No.3 Opelousas, when he fanned 11 with one walk and twohits allowedina 3-0 victory.
Among the 80 pitches Ruiz threwinthat game,64ofthem were strikes
“He wasn’tjust throwing fastballs,”coach Jade Falgoust said.“He was throwing changeups in fastballcounts, leading guys off with breaking balls. Not necessarily something he always has to do, but when thetime called forit, he was able to do it.”
Ruiz’scontributions in the playoffs went beyond standout pitching.Inthe first game of the playoffs,the No. 11-seeded Rebels
COACHOFTHE YEAR
defeated No.6Ascension Catholic 6-2 as Ruiz went 3for 4with asolo homerun and three RBIs. He also pitched in that game and struck out eight overseven innings. The season also includedsomehardship. Ahand injurycausedhim to missabout two weeks of games,keeping him out of thelineup until the pain subsided. He did, however, return to pitching soonerthan expected.
That put Ruiz back on the mound foran 11-inning win against St. Martin’sthat decided the District 10-1A championship, when Ruiz fanned14and walked one withfour hits allowedover10innings in a1-0 victory. He pitched until the LHSAA pitch-count limit required the use of anotherpitcherfor the final inning
Ruiz said he learned from his father,former Riverside pitching standout Robbie Ruiz, the importanceofastrong lowerbodywhen pitching
“My freshman year,sophomore year,I wasn’t using my legs,” said Ruiz, whostarted arunning and stretching routine that helped strengthenhis legs while also creating more flexibility He alsoisgetting stronger.Ruiz has afastball that recently topped out at 93 mph. He hopes to reach95for the high school season nextyear ChristopherDabe
BRIANBABIN POPE JOHN PAUL II
Pope John Paul II had its longest postseason runinmore than twodecades when the Jaguars reached the state semifinalsinthe LHSAA Division III select playoffs.
PJP lost in the quarterfinals thepast two
seasons beforeabreakthroughsweep of Episcopal.Babin,who started coaching baseball at PJP in 2022, previously coached Salmen to the state semifinalsin2017. ChristopherDabe
CLASS3AAND BELOW ALL-METROTEAM
PITCHERS
CADENAMIE
Pope John Paul,Jr.
7-1, 0.87 ERA, 78 Ks in 5613 innings
JAYCERUIZ
Riverside, Jr
7-2, 1.74 ERA, 93 Ks in 6013 IP,.405 avg.
CHRISTIANSAUSKA
Newman, Jr
5-3, 1.73 ERA, 88 Ks in 5213 innings
COOPER WAKEFIELD
St. Martin’s, So.
5-2, 2.20 ERA,50Ksin6013 IP,.464 on-base
CATCHER
TY POOLE
De La Salle, Sr Catcher with .326 average, five homers
INFIELDERS
AYDENBULLOCK
Riverside, Jr
Had .379 average
JEREMY GIBSON
Patrick Taylor, Jr .481 average, 35 of 35 on steals, 3.37 ERA
BLAZERODRIGUEZ
Pope John Paul,Sr.
Shortstop with .458 average forsemifinalist
LUCASSURCOUF
Haynes,Jr.
.481 average, 41 RBIs, 84 Ks in 5813 IP
OUTFIELDERS
KADENBRUMFIELD
Riverside,Sr. Zero errors, clutch hits in runtosemifinals
ALEX SCHEURMANN
St.Martin’s, Jr Outfielder with.390 average
ALTONSHORTS
De La Salle,Sr. .358 average, 7-4 record, 3.70 ERA
UTILITYPLAYERS
NATE BABIN
Pope John Paul, Sr 1.54 ERAin5423 innings, .322 average
HAYDEN CHASTANT
Patrick Taylor,Sr.
CHARLESWILSON
STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRETTDUKE
JAYCERUIZ RIVERSIDEACADEMY,JR. • PITCHER
PROVIDED PHOTO
2025 COLL WORLDSERIES LEGE W
LSU
Continued from page1C
The Tigers (52-15) areone win away from their eighth national championship with two shots at getting it. The first one is set for 1:30 p.m. Sunday against Coastal Carolina on ABC.
“That necessarily wasn’tto end the College World Series,” Anderson said about his performance. “We’ve gotone more that we’re preparing for.We’ll go back to the hotel and start preparingfor that one as well.” Coastal Carolina (56-12) made Anderson work for his gem. The Chanticleersdrew fivewalks and were hit by two pitches. They put arunner in scoring position in the first, third, fourth and seventh innings. Anderson had thrown 54 pitchesthroughjust threeframes.
But Anderson got better as the game went on. After walking three batters through thefirst two innings, he escapedajam in the third, struck out the side in the fourth and cruised through the next two innings.
He allowed asingle in the seventh inning and awalk in the eighth, but nothing else as he entered the ninth after throwing 115 pitches. In the final frame, he struck out first baseman Colby Thorndykeand forced agroundout to third base before walking pinch-hitter Domenico Tozzi with twoouts.
Pitching coach Nate Yeskie met with Andersonafter thewalk. Whatever he said must have worked, as Anderson forced afly out to right field to end the game.
“He’s thebestplayerinthe country,” Johnson said of Anderson.
“There’snobody closer to the major leaguesthan that rightnow
“I don’tthinkyou can quantify it —Paul Skenes, Joe Burrow,that type of deal.”
The weather was expected to be afactor in Saturday’s outcome, with temperatures in theupper 90s with blistering winds at 15-20 mph. But Anderson said the conditions weren’tnearly as tough as they were during the Baton Rouge super regional, when he allowed six earned runs in seven innings in his Game 1start.
“Yeah, Ithink that’s the real benefitinplaying in Louisiana. Growing up there, this washonestly not nearly as bad as it was in the
HBP —byAnderson (Bodine); by Anderson (Bodine). PB —Bodine (3); Hernandez (8). Umpires—HP: Brian deBrauwere1B: Jeff Head 2B: Gregory Street 3B: CaseyMoser Time —2:35. A— 25,761.
super regional,”Anderson said. “And it wasn’t even comparable, honestly.”
Playing an even biggerrole in thewin than theweather was the LSUdefense. The Tigers didn’t commitany errors as Anderson forced groundballafter groundball.
Senior third baseman Michael Braswell, despite his struggles at the plate,cleanly fielded atough bunt in the seventh inning and made an expert play ranging to hisleft in theninth.Junior second baseman Daniel Dickinson and sophomore shortstop Steven Milam fielded trickyshort hops on the ground with ease. Braswell led the Tigers with four assists on groundball putouts. Giv-
en Coastal Carolina’stendency to hit pull-side groundballs, Braswell wasprepared for the extra action.
“I was veryhyperfocused, very hyperactive out there,”Braswell said. “I am in every game, but especially withthem.”
The only run between the two sides came in the first inning when Milam shot asingle up themiddle to drive in freshman Derek Curiel from second base.
Milam wasn’tdoneafter his single. TheNew Mexico native doubled and reached third base in thethird inning and walked tolead off the sixth. Besides Dickinson’s second-inning single,Milam was the only Tigerwith ahit through thefirst 52/3 innings.
“He made acouple of mistakes to me in my at-bats,” Milam said. “First at-bat, (I)got threeheaters and Iwas able to get one down and putaswing at it.
“Second at-bat, he hung three spinners, and Iwas able to put another good swing on it.Hewalked me in thelast at-bat.Ijust sawhim well.”
After Milam’swalk, senior Luis Hernandezrippeda singletoput runnersonthe cornerswithtwo outs for junior Chris Stanfield. But Stanfield,who is now2for 15 in Omaha, grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.
Hernandez’ssingle had achance of beingarun-scoringhit after right-handedpitcherCameron Flukey’spickoff throwtofirst base went haywire. But instead of the ball squirting away from Thorndyke,ithit first-baseumpireJeff Head anddidn’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 for left-hander Dominick Carbone.
“He’sa good pitcher,” Dickinson said of Flukey. “He’s94to98(mph) with 20-plus inches of ride.”
LSU finished withsix hits but went just 2for 14 with runners on base. Milam was the only Tiger with multiple base knocks.
“I thought (Flukey) had multiple pitches in thezone for strikes,” Stanfield said. “He wasgetting ahead, and he has good stuff.
Butnot as good as Anderson on this night.
Email Koki Rileyat Koki.Riley@theadvocate.com.
RABALAIS
Continued from page1C
had to leave Charles Schwab Field mighty frustrated. They were 0for 9—and 0for Anderson —with runners in scoring position.Inall, Coastal had 10 baserunners to LSU’s nine. The Tigers did just afraction of abit better of making it count. Here is the scoring summary for you forSaturday’sgame, broughttoyou by the company making afortune making JellOshotsacross the street at Rocco’s: Derek Curiel led off thegame forLSU with awalk, workingback from an 0-2 count by Flukey.Ethan Frey then hit a grounder to short, but somehow Curiel was basically on top of thebag at second by the timeTy 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 madethe lead stand up the entire gamewas aminor miracle. The wayhe started thegame, he clearly didn’thave his best stuff.Bythe time he got through the second inning, he’d already tied his season highfor walks with three. The breaking ball wasn’tbreaking like he wanted. But theusually opportunisticChanticleers couldn’t capitalize on the shiny lures Anderson dangled in the water Meanwhile, he got stronger as the game went on, seemingly unfazedbythe oppressive Nebraska heat (first-pitch temperature: 97). No big deal forakid from Madisonville whohas pitched in 97 degrees and 95% humidity plentyoftimes.
“I think that’sthe real benefit to playing in Louisiana,” he said. “This was honestly not nearly as bad as it was in the super regional (against West Virginia). It wasn’teven comparable.” Now the heat’sonCoastal Carolina going onto the coffee bean roaster of Sunday’s1:30 p.m Game 2. There’sachance, a good chance, theChanticleers are unburdened mentally from that monstrous winning streak that they’ve been lugging around fortwo months now The problem is, they aren’t
ON DECK
WHO: LSU (52-15) vs.Coastal Carolina (56-12)
WHEN: 1:30 p.m., Sunday WHERE: Charles Schwab Field TV: ABC
PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate com/lsu ON X(FORMERLYTWITTER): @KokiRiley
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: LSU will likely turntojunior right-handerAnthony Eyanson to startonthe mound Saturday. Eyanson startedLSU’s second game of the CWS against UCLA, but onlylastedthreeinnings because of aweatherdelaythat lasted throughout the night and into the next morning.Coastal Carolina will turntoMorrison, whoallowedjust one earned runin72/3 innings in his first startinOmaha against Oregon State. Koki Riley
playing Game 7ofa championship series here Sunday like they will in the NBAFinals south of here between Oklahoma City and Indiana. It’s best twoof-three, 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 lost 3-0 to LSU coach Jay Johnson’sArizona team, then came back to win the title with a pair of one-run squeakers. The Tigers are halfway there, yes, but Johnson knows as well as anyone how little that gets you. It will be LSU’s co-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 LSUsports updates, signupfor ournewsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter
LSU shortstop StevenMilam connects with theballduring Game 1ofthe CollegeWorld Series finals against Coastal Carolina on SaturdayatCharles SchwabField in Omaha, Neb
LSUthird baseman Michael Braswell tags out Coastal Carolina left fielder Sebastian Alexander at third baseonSaturday at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb
LSU coach JayJohnson speaks with right fielder JakeBrown,left, and first basemanJared Jones near the dugout on SaturdayinOmaha, Neb
STAFF PHOTOSByHILARy SCHEINUK
From left, LSUsecond baseman Daniel Dickinson, center fielder Chris Stanfield, third baseman Michael Braswell,left fielder Derek Curiel, firstbaseman Jared Jones, shortstop Steven
Milam and right fielder Jake Brownleap in celebration afterthe Tigers defeatCoastal Carolina 1-0 on SaturdayinOmaha, Neb.
-6
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68-73-63—204 -6
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67-71-67—205 -5
68-70-67—205 -5
Yu 68-73-64—205 -5
An 69-68-69—206 -4
Fitzpatrick 71-72-63—206 -4
Griffin 67-70-69—206 -4
69-68-69—206 -4
Jaeger 68-70-68—206 -4 MichaelKim 68-71-67—206 -4 Maverick McNealy 70-70-66—206 -4 Adam Scott 72-72-62—206 -4 Daniel Berger 71-71-65—207 -3 LukeClanton 67-72-68—207 -3
TomKim 67-72-68—207 -3
Collin Morikawa67-71-69—207 -3
Akshay Bhatia 70-70-68—208 -2
BudCauley 70-70-68—208 -2 Ryan Fox69-71-68—208 -2 Adam Hadwin 66-71-71—208 -2
Robert Macintyre71-67-70—208 -2
Ludvig Aberg71-69-69—209 -1 Xander Schauffele 69-72-68—209 -1
Gary Woodland 67-75-67—209 -1 Cameron Young 65-73-71—209 -1 Ryan Gerard70-71-69—210 E Max Homa68-71-71—210 E Andrew Novak70-71-69—210 E Matthieu Pavon71-71-68—210
Kaulig Companies Championship Saturday At Firestone CountryClub—South Course Akron, Ohio Purse: $3.5 million Yardage: 7,248; Par: 70 ThirdRound Steven Alker
TomPernice 70-75-71—216 +6
KenTanigawa 75-70-71—216 +6
Padraig Harrington73-72-72—217 +7
Jeff Maggert75-74-68—217 +7
Y.E. Yang 74-70-73—217 +7
Alex Cejka77-71-70—218 +8
Kirk Triplett 73-75-70—218 +8
Boo Weekley 71-72-75—218 +8
Stuart Appleby73-73-73—219 +9
Billy Mayfair70-76-73—219 +9
Dicky Pride 77-72-70—219 +9
DavidToms 75-74-70—219 +9
Woody Austin 76-69-76—221 +11
Michael Allen72-76-74—222 +12
Billy Andrade 76-73-73—222 +12
Shane Bertsch 77-75-70—222 +12
Chris DiMarco 77-75-70—222 +12
John Daly76-74-73—223 +13
Rocco Mediate73-73-77—223 +13
John Senden 77-72-74—223 +13
Brian Gay80-72-72—224 +14
Corey Pavin75-70-79—224 +14
Stephen Dodd 82-72-71—225 +15
Scott Dunlap 78-69-78—225 +15
Mike Weir 76-75-74—225 +15
Paul Broadhurst75-73-78—226 +16
LeeJanzen 82-74-74—230 +20
TomLehman 77-76-WD
Tennis
Cinch Championships Results
Saturday At The Queen’s Club
London Purse: €2,522,220 Surface: Grass LONDON ResultsSaturdayfromCinch Championships at The Queen’s Club (seedings in parentheses): Men’s Singles Semifinals Jiri Lehecka,Czechia,def.JackDraper (2), Britain, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Carlos Alcaraz (1), Spain, def. Roberto Bautista Agut, Spain, 6-4, 6-4. Men’s Doubles
Semifinals Michael Venus, New Zealand, and Nikola Mektic, Croatia, def. CameronNorrieand Jacob Fearnley,Britain, 6-3, 7-5. Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash (4), Britain def. Harri Heliovaara, Finland, andHenry Patten (2), Britain,7-6 (3), 3-6, 10-6.
TerraWortmann OpenatGerry Weber Stadium (seedings in parentheses): Men’sSingles Semifinals Daniil Medvedev (3), Russia,def. Alexander Zverev (2), Germany, 7-6(3),6-7 (1), 6-4. AlexanderBublik, Kazakhstan, def.Karen Khachanov(8),Russia,4-6,7-6 (5), 6-4. Men’sDoubles Semifinals Kevin Krawietz and TimPutz (1), Germany def. LucasMiedler, Austria, andFrancisco Cabral,Portugal,7-6 (6), 6-4. RothesayOpen Nottingham Results Saturday At Nottingham TennisCentre Nottingham, GreatBritain Purse:$275,094 Surface: Grass NOTTINGHAM, GREATBRITAIN Results SaturdayfromRothesayOpenNottingham at Nottingham TennisCentre(seedings in parentheses): Women’s Singles Semifinals Dayana Yastremska, Ukraine,def. Magda Linette (6), Poland, 6-4, 6-4. McCartney Kessler, United States, def. Rebecca Sramkova, Slovakia,6-4,6-2. Women’s Doubles Semifinals Anna Danilina, Kazakhstan, and Ena Shibahara(4),Japan, def. HsiehSu-wei, Taiwan and Zhang Shuai (1), China, 5-7, 6-4, 10-4. LauraSiegemund, Germany, and Beatriz Haddad Maia (3), Brazil, def. IrinaKhromacheva, Russia, and FannyStollar(2)
BY JOSH DUBOW AP sportswriter
SAN FRANCISCO For Rafael Devers, his first home run for SanFranciscofelt similar to the 215hehit for Boston —evenifthisone came againstthe RedSox just sixdaysafter hissurprising trade to theGiants.
Devers delighted his new fansinSan Francisco when he connected for atwo-run homer against his former team on Saturday to help fuel a3-2 win for the Giants.
“Nothing more special than any other home run that Ihit,” he said through an interpreter.“I’m just here and happy that I was able to contribute forthe team’s win.” Devers began his first series against the Red Sox by going 0for 5onFridaynight and grounding out in his first at-bat Saturday. He then deliveredjust what hisnew team had been expecting when he hit an opposite-field drive off BrayanBello over the left-field fence for atwo-run homerinthe thirdinning.
“That’skind of typicalhim too, justlet it travel and catch it late andblock it out to
left field,” managerBob Melvin said.“He’s doneitsomanytimesinBoston.Thispark kind of playsthatway to leftiesaswell. I think to get that one off his back, feels good aboutthat, obviously being incrediblyimpactful in the outcome of the game. Now he can settle in and do his thing.”
Devers got loud cheers fromthe Oracle Park crowd of 39,027 as he rounded the bases for his216th career home run that just happened to be caught by afan in aRed Sox T-shirt.
“Assoonashehit it, youkindoffeel almost alittle weight fell off his shoulders when he hit that ball,”Giants starterLanden Rouppsaid. “You could just see it.Weexpect many more from him in that area. Really excited to have him on the team and he will be ahuge help.
Devers became the 10th playertohomer forand against the same team in aspan of seven days or fewer,according to Sportradar. Thelast playertodoitwas Abraham Toro, who homered for Houston against Seattle on July 26, 2021, and then for the Mariners against theAstrosthe next day
Stuckin themiddle with you
Butwhere, exactly, is the geographical center of La.?
BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
Louisiana’shighest geographical point is Driskill Mountain near Arcadia in the northwest part of the state. Its lowest elevationisNew Orleans at 8feet below sea level.
But where is the state’sgeographical center? That’sthe question Megan Smith has been pondering.She lives in Pollock, which is located in central Louisiana,the region that covers the state’smidsection.
“But where 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?”
The Centre de la Louisiane sign, marking the geographic center of Louisiana, stands on Old River Road inMansura, about 5miles southeast of Marksville in Avoyelles Parish
Easy answer,secludedpath
Theanswer to Smith’squestion is easy,because the Avoyelles Commission of Tourism commemorated what it calls Centre de la Louisiane —the center of Louisiana —witha marker lastOctober
The not-so-easy part is that it’soff the beatenpath, so finding it can be abit of atreasure hunt for out-of-townerswho are unfamiliar with the parish But that hasn’tdeterred people from finding it.
“We’ve placed kiosks with QR codes around the parish,” said Wilbert Carmouche, tourismdirector. “You useyour iPhone or smartphone to click on this code, and it takes you to asite that tells you how toget there.” Visitors are indeed finding the site, and they’re taking photos with the sign for social media, Carmouche said.
Those who don’twant to seek out aQRcode 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 alittle more
See CURIOUS, page 8D
BY JANRISHER Staff writer
Poppy Tooker knows what she wants and isn’tafraid to askfor it
SIT. STAY.
AT THIS DOG PARK ANDRESTAURANT, HUMANSCAN BRING FURRYFRIENDS ALONG
BY MATTHEWHAINES Contributingwriter
When Kelly Robinsonlivedin
Dallas, sheand herblondelabradoodle, Krewe, sharedafavorite restaurant.Itfeatured aplace for caninesto play while humans socialized over food and drinks.Now,she has brought the ideatolife in New Orleans, at her Mid-City business, The Dog House.
“Big dogs, small dogs, humans with dogs, humans without dogs —we’re all there,” said Natalie Taylor,who works next door andwas excited to have aplace to relax andeat with her pups
Robinson created andcoownsThe Dog House on Banks Street with her former graduate school classmate Samantha Chodyla. It’s part dog park, part bar,part restaurant and part event space.
Chodyla,a member of the founding team of Vals on Freret Street,brings her expertise opening and growing arestaurant, while the dog-forward vision was Robinson’s.
“I loved the ideaand, when Imoved to New Orleans for
“So Iwant it to be adark pink not apale pink. OK? No ice, no fruit —and in astemmedglass. Got it?” she said, as she ordered what she calls “Poppy’sPink drink” at Antoine’s. It’sher signature drink, and she’shappy to teach others howtomake it. That generosity sums up much of thespirit with which Tooker approaches life. (For the record, to make Poppy’sPinkdrink, shake 10 shakes of Peychaud’sbitters into astemmed glass, top with 8 ouncesofsparkling water.Garnish with lime, if desired.) The bitters’ distinctive New Orleans flavor is no accident. Tooker describesherselfasold-school
Speciality drinks are on the menu for humans at The DogHouse.
business school,Inoticed we didn’thave anything like it here,” Robinsonsaid. “I just wanted aplace to hang out with my dogafter my 9-to-5job.I didn’tthink this was actually going to become my job.”
Looking around The Dog House on aweekday evening or weekend afternoon,itis clear how successful Robinson has been bringing her vision to life.
Derby, aGreat Dane, plays with aChihuahua mixnamed Gimlet within thefenced,
Orleans, which, in local parlance, meansthat thenext sentence should be about where she went to school. “I was alifer at Ursuline, kindergarten all the way through,” she said, eventually explaining that it was almost all the way through. In her senior year in 1975, she left Ursuline amidst
page
Humans and canines enjoy happyhour at The Dog House in NewOrleans. The restaurant has a witty dog-themed menu forhumans, plus dog-friendly drinksand snacks
STAFFPHOTOSBy CHRIS GRANGER
Dogslounge and sniff by the pool during happy hour at The Dog House.
Ialways jokedwith my friends that Ijust wanted aplace where Icould drink with my dog. It turns out alot of people in New Orleans feel that way, too.”
KELLyROBINSON, TheDog House creator and co-owner
Antoine’swaiter Alvin Ross delivered the restaurant’s classicbaked Alaskafor dessert.
STAFF PHOTO By ROBINMILLER
DINING SCENE
Lakefrontdiningand barscene growsinMandeville
Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING
As afternoon slipped into evening on the Old Mandeville lakefront, the breeze picked up, the waves near the seawall danced more sprightly, and the time felt right for an aperitif, aspritz of aromatic spirits and bubbles to set the mood and raise the curtain on the meal to come
It was also prime time at the new waterfront restaurant called Aperitif Spritz +Bites (1943 Lakeshore Drive, 985-778-2045), and soon the view it offers of the lakehad drawn peopleto the umbrella-shaded seats against the porch rail. Others were jostling at the door for atable inside or seat at the bar.These were in demand.
Aperitif, which opened in the spring, has become ahot spot, with afeel somewhere between abeach house dining room and clubhousebar
The Old Mandeville restaurant and bar scene has been growing. Between new and different spots and the golf cart traffic shuttling between them, it can resemble asomewhat quieter version of the buzz around waterfront towns down the Gulf Coast. On arecent weekend, Iused dinner at Aperitifas theanchor for aone-night staycation from my New Orleans home to explore.
Old Mandeville is not a resort, it’saneighborhood, aLouisiana one, and that means it has character and this will change from one stop to the next, from polished to languorous, as afun bar hop following dinner proved in unexpected ways. It was just the kind of quick weekend adventure that helps the New Orleans summer sail past abit more smoothly
For lodging, Ifound the charming de la Bleau (see delableau.com), arambling modern house, elevated with upscale tree fort vibes and lake views. It has the heart of an old-school B&B, right down to the homey, self-serve breakfast spread provided in the shared kitchen.
Like everything on the circuit we would undertake, it was just afew blocks to the next stop.
Aperitif to start
Aperitif is the latest from Cayman Sinclair,wellknown in the northshore
food scene. His catering company,The Lakehouse, fields gigs from weddings to disaster relief tofeasts for celebrities. These days, you’ll likely find him bounding around the Aperitif dining room, shuttling dishes from the kitchen, making introductions between familiar faces and being the host, arole in which he excels.
Aperitif brings some of the same energy of his last restaurant,alsocalled The Lakehouse (it didn’treopen after Hurricane Ida).But here it’sdistilledtoamore refined format.Infact,the “spritz +bites” part of its name somewhat undersells akitchenthat is upping the antefor dining in Mandeville Fried oysters arrive in avintage tray with shellshaped cups, each one its own composed bitewith a crinkle of fried spinach, hollandaise and crumbled bacon over the burst of the bivalve.
Afew specials this night showed the kitchenatits best, with velvetysalmon crudo paired withadash of tuna tartare and just a touchofponzu, and also arare appearance of soft shell crawfish fried in tempuratucked intoairy profiteroles (from Tournesol Bakery in Covington). These would be winners on the regular menu rotation. For entrees, there’sa steak au poivre and short ribs, though seafood is the specialty Athick cut of snapper was perfectly cooked, flaking apart intoits creamy sauce. The Creole classic shrimp Clemenceau gets
deluxe treatmentwith pancetta-wrapped scallops and royal red shrimp over theroasted potatoes, mushrooms and crisp snap peas. For dessert, theprofiteroles return filled with individual gelatoscoops, with ababy-sized copper pot of hot chocolatesauce for dunking.
While thesmall restaurantisbusy, is does not feel frantic, an admirable feat of noise abatement worked in between thecool contemporary design. That’s key for alakefront wind down, though we wereon theway up.
Aperitif sits right next to Donzonthe Lake (1951 Lakeshore Drive), alongtime waterfrontwatering hole that’sbeen spruced up abit but deep down is still adive. It would be our final destination, but first, we had awildly different range of stopstomake. Aview, somethingnew
The setting suncan beautifully paint thelake in changing soft hues,and agreat perch to watch this show is arocker on the porch at Pat’s Rest AWhile (2129 Lakeshore Drive)
What had been acluster of historic but disintegrating camp cabins has been turned intoamodern cam-
pus of dining rooms and barsaround acentral patio. Elevated, you get thebest of the breeze and aview that putsyou on the lake, not just by it,asifyou’re aboard aboat.
Sophie Tavern, itssometimes raucous, always adults-only bar just off the family-friendly patio, feels like having drinks in the crow’snest.
When it turned solidly dark, we wereoff to Noir Bistrot (2032 Woodrow St.), anew lounge that adds a dashofart deco flair to theMandeville Trailhead, by theplaygroundand pavilion, looking like it was dropped herestraight from Magazine Street.
The kitchen serves smallplates and thebar brings acheeky streak to thedrinks.You can add smoketoany cocktail, for instance. Andacross the healthy listofwines by theglassand beer,you can add asalted caramel rimto your glass.
Iwas not exactly craving this flavor combination. Butwhen in Rome, try the salted caramel on your IPAand Portuguesewhite, Ireasoned. Let my path show you adifferent way: Stick to theunadulterated adult beverages and enjoy thetwilight ambiance of
the room.
The fun of bouncing around to different places is seeing howtheyroll, and thatappliedtothe next stop.
The Grapeful Ape (2013 Jefferson St.)startedout as awine shop, andthe list remains astrong point, especially fora bottle,while it hasevolvedinto more of acocktail lounge,with a tavern-casualfeel around adecidedly upscaledrink list.
The Houdini manifested as abulbous wine glass brimming with vodka and tonic,turnedlavenderwith butterfly peasyrup; the more understated Interviewisa floral, delicate gin cocktail.
We sippedthese at the barunderaninstallation of faux grapevines that seemed to crawlacross the ceiling, in yetanother sceneI didn’texpect to find in Old Mandeville Dippingintoa dive
The old reliable, of
course, wasDonz, right next to Aperitif where we started. Youcan’tsay the namewithout hearing the “z” in its spelling, acue not to take anything too seriously.Dives are dives. Arock band, Jay B. Elston, was riffing high and heavy in the back room,and the view outside of moonlight on the lake and alive oak rustling in the breeze wasprecisely right to end this romp.
The next morning, the coffee provided at our lodging wasnot quite kicking hard enough. So it was over to Tandem Coffee&Cocktails (424 Girod St.), which wasbuzzing with excitement forthe North Shore Pride parade later that day We stuck with the coffee part of the program fora change, and wereready for further northshore explorations, about which moreto come.
Email IanMcNultyat imcnulty@theadvocate.
STAFF PHOTOSByIAN McNULTy
People takeinthe lakefront view on the porch at Aperitif Spritz +Bites, an upscale casual restaurant and bar in Old Mandeville.
NoirBistrot
Fried oysters aretopped with hollandaise and bacon over spinach at Aperitif Spritz +Bites.
“Ladies and gentlemen, les Jeunes Filles!”Such was the hearty announcement made by Mark Romig,the master of ceremonies at Le Début des Jeunes Filles de la Nouvelle Orléans, when the 21 limelighted young ladies were all positionedonthe stage. Before each one was presented withher father,emcee Romig asked the audience to refrain from individual applause. Saved until the end, arobust ovation occurred as the coterie of 21 made acollective curtsy.Announced, too, was the reserved first dance for the fathers and daughters,who paired to the traditional favorite, “Thank Heaven for Little Girls.” Shortly afterward, the debutantes and their parents received at their named tables. Congratulations flowed. Hosted by Le Début, thegala presentation took place, as it has for years, in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton New OrleansRiverside Hotel, and became the“opening act” for many of the debutante season. It set the tonefor the young adults involved,along with their families,concerning the customs, traditions and comportment of the season, which culminates at the conclusion of Carnival.
For hours, the Grand Ballroom was filled with the delights associated with any debutante year Close kin and kith assembled, as did afew Le Début alumnae, future debs, and board members.With anod to the summer socializing, guests wereasked to don formal wear befitting the occasion. Light colors, alongwith white linen suits for the men and pastels for women, dominated the dress. Once the ballroom’sdoors were opened, the guests —most of them attending at the invitation of parents of the honored 21 found their tables to await the presentation. Post curtsies, and the impressive collectivecurtsy, the attendees mingled and then queued up at the food tables for the tasty breakfast fare. Bars were closed during the presentation, and cellphone photos (or other types) were strictlyprohibited throughout the evening.
The mothers of the debutantes had reserved seating on the ballroom floor.Asalot, and divided in half, they flanked the central aisle used for the presentation. Later, as they processed with their fathers, the daughters effected ademi-curtsy in front of their mothers as aloving tribute.
With everyone seated, the 8:30 p.m. presentation was ready to unfold. The Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra, which was led bythe late Jimmy’sson Robert, struck up “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Then emcee Romig introduced the four young men, who would be the final escorts,calling on them as “les Jeunes Messieurs.”
During the formalities,the fathers strode the floor to admiring glances with their daughters.
SHOWCASING CURTSIES
Right after each debutante turned to curtsy to the audience —and there were some lovely graceful curtsies! —aJeune Monsieur stepped forward to nod to the father and escort the presentee to her place on thestage.
The hailed foursome for 2025 were Messieurs MichaelShepherd Baumer, son of Mr.and Mrs. Kristen Michael Baumer;Lynton Guy Cook IV,son of Mr.and Mrs. Cook III; John McDonald Currence II, son of Mr.and Mrs. Richard Morrison CurrenceJr.;and Walker McCall Montgomery, son of Mr.and Mrs. Richard Bullard MontgomeryIV. Now for the young ladies! Leadingoff thelovely lot was Miss Cameron Sinclair Andrews, daughter of Mr.and Mrs.ToddMichaelAndrews. The song shechose to accompany her as she andher father processed was “RingofFire.” The next twosome were Misses Patricia Randle Aucoin and Emma Rose Baumer, whose parentsare Mr.and Mrs. Leonard Henry Aucoin Jr andthe above Mr.and Mrs. Baumer, andwhose songs were “Here Comes the Sun” and “How Sweet It Is.”
Then cameMisses Kate Faulkner Bensel, daughterof Mr.and Mrs. GregoryCharles Bensel, to “Right on the Money”; Ashley Conner Ellis, daughter of Mr.and Mrs.William Conner Ellis III,
to “Intothe Mystic”; Eliza Brandon Favrot, daughter of Mr.and Mrs.TimothySemmes Favrot, to “Sweet Home Alabama”; and KelseyGrace French, daughter of Mr WilliamDarwin French and Ms. KaraVan de Carr, to “When theSaints Go Marching In.”
The next were Misses Sarah Crusel Henry,daughter of Dr.and Mrs. Edmund RuffinHenry,to“Margaritaville”; Caroline LeBonHenry,daughter of Mr and Mrs. Gerard Edward Henry, to “Sweet Caroline;” Lillian Lair Hooper, daughter of Mr.and Mrs.Andre von Kurnatowski Hooper, to “Isn’tShe Lovely”; CarolineGrace LeBourgeois, daughter of Mr and Mrs. CharlesClaiborne LeBourgeois Jr., to “Shining Star”; and Catherine Carlisle Martin, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. HamiltonLoftin Martin,to“Tupelo
Lynton Cook, Jack Currence, Michael Baumer Walker Montgomery
Honey.” Then came Misses Lucile McGlincheyMonsted,daughter of Mr.and Mrs. CharlesNiels MonstedIV,to“Dancing Queen”; Lucy Claire Perschall, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Clement Francis Perschall III, to “Whatever Will Be, Will Be —Que Sera, Sera”; Caroline StaplesPicou, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. David Louis Picou,to“My Girl”; BrookeColemanReiss,daughter of Mr.and Mrs. James Joseph Reiss III to “Lovely Day”; Elizabeth Kathleen Robert, daughter of Dr.and Mrs. Kearny Quinn RobertIII, to “September”; Elizabeth McLundieBolton Schmidt, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Justin Burton Schmidt,to “Dancing in the Moonlight”; and Helen Claire Thompson,daughter of Mr and Mrs. Charles David Thompson Jr., to
“Miss You.”
The final twowere Misses Charlotte SydneyWirth, daughter of Mr.and Mrs.Adam RoyWirth;and Lucie Ellann Williamson, daughter of Mr GeorgeTaylor Brodnax WilliamsonJr. and Mrs. James Russell Kelly Their respective songs were “Dixieland Delight” and “Can’tTake My Eyes OffYou.” That song, which soared to the top of the charts as sung by Frankie Valli applied to all 21 debutantes. In addition to the white-gowned coterie, summertimedecorations caught the collective eye. Designed by Paul Lacour, there was black drapery as the stage back drop, white lattice-work panels, and pedestals on which small urns were placed. They contained amixture of white flowers, while the table centerpieces added pink posies to the white ones that sat atop crisscrossed green ribbons. As the evening moved along, so did the musical momentum within the three-generational gathering. Revisiting Lucile Monsted’s song, “Dancing Queen,” the band had areal hit. Enthusiasm was contagious as apack of young guests, Le Début presentees, and parents gloried in the bounty of the beloved beat, which madeall of them dance floor royalty
Cameron Andrews, Emma RoseBaumer,Tricia Aucoin
Charlotte Wirth, Lucie Williamson
Caroline Henry, NinaLeBourgeois, Lilly Hooper,Sarah Henry, Cate Martin
Kate Bensel, Eliza Favrot, Kelsey French, Ashley Ellis
What doesittake to be ahuman kangaroo mom? ForChristinaCooper,executive director at Global Wildlife Center and mother to Popcorn, 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 Popcornto 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 theGlobal Wildlife Center now 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 thekangarooencounter,the center addeda capybara encounterlast year,where people can paint with capybara, anda tortoise encounter is in the works for the end of June.
‘Weprotect what we love’
These opportunities to meet the animals must be purchased separately from the traditional safari wagon and Pinzgauer tours, but they offer the chance to get up close and personal with the animals —rather than just drivingby or seeing them from adistance. As aformer tour guide at thecenter, Cooper said these experiences allow kids or people who might be
TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER
By ChristopherElliott
alittlenervousorscaredaround
animalstohave acomfortable experience
”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.”
Cooper worked for Global Wildlife Center after she gotout of college in 1996 until2010. When founder Ken Matherne passed away in 2021, his daughter,Maci, became the new owner/CEO and asked Cooper to return.
Cooper said her return presented an opportunity to make some of thedreamsand goals shehad for thecenter areality.
Part of that visionwas to acquire capybaras, which they’ve done Another goal, she said, was to hire afull-time, on-site veterinarian, Dr.Kanyon McLean. Thecenter
last spotted, but it’sreally one big game of hide andseek on the 640 acres of open land where the animals can roam free.
documented giraffesinthe world, just celebratedher 32nd birthday Matherne, 35, says that she and Kameelgrew up together.Though she andher fatherhad adifficult relationship at times, she admires the unique place he wasable 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.
has installed agiraffe chute that allows giraffes to safelyreceive voluntaryveterinary care and collaborated with other academics and organizations to do noninvasive research. TheGlobalWildlife Center runs approximately eight large safari wagon tours and aselection of private/semi-privatePinzgauer tours every day.The beautyofthe tours is that anything can happen. Tour guides stay in touch via walkietalkieabout where animals were
On board aPinzgauer tour,rhea birds chased afterthe vehicle, evoking“Jurassic Park.” Giraffes come right up andstick theirheads into the vehicle,and cows make the silliest faces while 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).
‘Wholenew era’ Macie Matherne grew up spendingsummersand weekends at Global Wildlife Center and feels apersonal connection to theanimals.Kameel, oneofthe oldest
“I’ve got nothing but good things to say,” he said. “They’ve continued to improve and get better and better and better every time Igo there.”
On the consumer side, they were voted the No. 3Best Safari Park in USA Today’s10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
“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.
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 thepaperwork Ihave, butThrifty’s third-party claims company, PurCo, won’t listen. It claims that Thriftylost 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. Can youhelp me? —Natasha Bird, Beaverton,Oregon
Thrifty shouldn’thave charged youadime —and not just because you had already noted the damage. I’llget to the other reason in aminute. This is another instance of a companyblaming its customer forsomethingthat wasn’ttheir fault. When yourent acar,itisessential to carefully document any preexisting damage to avoid beingheldresponsible for it later It soundslike you did everythingbythe book. Youpaid for Thrifty’s damage waiver.And younoted the damage on the paperwork when you checked out thecar.But Thrifty’sthird-party
claims company,PurCo, is claiming that Thrifty lost thepaperwork. 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. Ididn’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 was a slam dunk. Notonly did you have written proof of the preexisting damage, butyou also had asecond defense. The dates of your rental didn’talign 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.
HOLLYWOOD SOUTH
N.O. couple tellsstories in lightagainst adarkstage
LightwireTheater travelsacrossthe globetopresentits electric ballet performances
Their electrifying stage productions are knownall over the world,and yet most New Orleanians have never had the chance to seethe eye-catching performances of the Lightwire Theater company
Leslie Cardé
The performances tell stories through camouflaged dancers you will never see, prancing onstage in an incredible light show.Founder Ian Carney and his co-owner and wife Eleanor,both career ballet dancers, hail from New Orleans, and still live Uptown when they’re not touring the world.
Recently,they gave ashowat the Lafon Performing Arts Center in Luling, but often they are in distant places, and that canmean as far away as China.
At
first glance, their stage act may look like computer animation, but in fact, it’sballet dancers wrapped in scaffolding and “El” wire —short for the glowing electroluminescent wire theywear
In adarkened theater,intheir black ninjaclothes, the stage transforms intonothing butilluminated characters who become apart of reimagined stories about everything from “The Ugly Duckling” to “The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen.” Subtleties in musicand action
But this isn’tashow just for kids. It’safamilyshow.The references and the music can hit children on one level and adults on quite another.
“This works because we may use the music from ‘Stray Cat Strut’ and the adults will get all the pop culture references, but the kids will just love the music,” Carney said.
It’sakin to watching Robin Williams in Disney’s“Aladdin”and seeing a40-year-old and akid
PROVIDED PHOTOS
A fight scene with Darwin and Brutus from Lightwire Theater’sproduction of ‘Dino-Light,’one of sixdifferent shows thecompanyperforms.
bothlaughing,but at different things, Carney said. Since there is no speaking in aLightwire performance, these subtleties come throughmusicand action.
Thecollaboration began in 2007 when Carney met another dancer namedCorbin Popp. Both were dancing on Broadway in the acclaimed TwylaTharp-choreographedproduction of “Movin’ Out” with Billy Joel.
Popp showed Carney the“El” wire,normally used for rave paraphernalia andparty hats.
Popp loved the glowing wire that attached to batterypacks, thought it was acool medium, and wondered how,asdancers, they might rethinkitinto aproduction of some sort.
First, they built alittle man, like amarionette, then slowly they built biggerthings,leading up to alargegreen dinosaur
Erasethe people,see thelight
“Wehad to figure out how adinosaur walkedand put weight on things,” Carney said. “Erasing the peoplewas anatural progression, so when the lights went out,you only saw thefigures.
“The idea was to get rid of the humans, as you can say so much
Outsidelooking in
morewhen you’re adinosaur There’snotalking, so it’sall acted out and wordless,”hesaid. “That way,the audience can interpret freely what everything means.”
Carney had been married to fellow Broadway ballet dancer Eleanor Bernard since 1998. She began creating characters and choreography for the company and has been part of the team ever since.
Co-founder Popp, on the other hand, left thecompany many years ago, when he and his wife
LightwireTheater director Eleanor Carneyhas her ‘Ugly Duckling’ rigging checked by husband and fellowLightwire Theater director IanCarney.
found out they werehaving twins and couldn’tmanage touring, too. He is now an oral surgeon.
ButIan Carney and Eleanor Bernard had ahistory long before their dancing careers took off. Her first ballet teacher as ateenager in NewOrleans was none other than Carney’smother She would bring young Iantothe studio occasionally,where he met 14-year-old Eleanor They didn’tmeet again until they were both out of college. She was dancing with the Indianapolis
Ballet Theatre and Carney came through there that summer.By then, they were both 23.
‘Wedon’t usecomputers’
“Since Corbin leftthe company, Ianhas becomethe electrician,” Eleanor Carney said. “He can build anything or fix anything. He sculpts and creatively puts everything together
“Ifyou think about it, the hard part is, we don’tuse computers. Every person therefore operates his own costume, so we as dancers can control our own destiny.”
Controlling their own destiny also meanschoosing where and when they perform. Lightwire has performed in the Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Russia and China, and just performed for7,000 kids in Anchorage, Alaska.
They’ll perform in Baton Rouge in January
Although they had asold-out run at the Contemporary Arts Center years ago, and performed aChristmas show at the Orpheum Theater once upon atime, getting aregular schedule is important forthe dance troupe. However, they said there have been requests recently to add shows again in New Orleans.
It’s aquestion, they say,ofwhat theater best suits this type of performance.
In the meantime, the couple will continue to pick up teddy bears and other stuffed animals postMardi Gras, since much of what they use to create their characters comes from everyday life, whether it’sdryer hoses, used skateboards or even discarded election signs around New Orleans.
With her seamstress background and his mechanical prowess, creative costumes just come together
“Everything you see on the stage in Lightwire Theater is madebyus,” IanCarney said. “We’ve engineered it, put it together and are dancing it. When audiences applaud, we know it’s foreverything we’ve done.” Check out performance videos and upcoming theater dates at lightwiretheater.com.
Email Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@gmail.com
DearAnnie: Ihave always felt likethe odd one out in my family.Ilove them deeply but Icannot ignore the quiet, persistent feeling that Ido not quite belong. My two younger brothers, “Tom” and “Michael,” are closewith each other and with our parents, especially our mom. They talk every day,goontrips together and always seem to be in sync. I, on the other hand, have always felt different. Iwas sensitive, more artistic and more emotional growing up. While theywere into sports andfixing things with Dad, Iwas reading, journaling or by myself. Iwas teased for being “too dramatic” or “too much,” and Ilearned early to keep feelings to myself. Now that we are adults, not much has changed. Family group chats go on without me. Ifind out about birthdays or get-togethersafter thefact. When Itry to bring it up gently,Iget told I’m
imaginingthingsortaking things toopersonally.My mom says she loves me just as much, but Istill feel like I’m standing on theoutside lookingin. Iwant to be part of the family,not just in name but in heart. Iwant to feel seen, heard and valued —not like the extra piece thatdoesn’tquite fit. Is there anything Ican do to shiftthis dynamic? —Outside in My Family Dear Outsider: Your feelings are real, and you are not “too much.” Wanting to feel included by your family is natural —and painful when it doesn’t happen. Family dynamics can be hard to change, especially when they’ve been this way for years. Still, it’sOKto speak up gently.Let them know being left out hurts, not because you’re overly sensitive, but because you care. At the same time, start investing in relationships where you feel seen and valued. Sometimes the family we build can give us what the one we were born into cannot. Youare enough, just as you are.
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 socialelements of being Creole inside andoutsideofLouisiana.
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 Louisianaand 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
We look at each other
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. So, they find their place, and they fit into whatever that place is.
PROVIDED PHOTO
WendyA.Gaudin, Xavier University historyprofessorand authorof ‘Sunset Limited: An Autobiography of Creole’
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
Iwas speaking to these Creoles whoare my grandparents’ generation,and Iama younger generation. They may be judging me based on how Ilook, how Ispeak as a
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 wayofunderstanding 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.
FILE
AT THE TABLE
Pork jambalayawas once astapleonwedding menus
Country-stylerecipecan easily feed aJunecrowd
BY DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN
Contributing writer
June has long been considered thebesttime of year to get married.
In today’sworld of elaborate weddings, Itriedto think back to atime whenthe focus wasnot so much about spending large amounts of moneybut instead was atime when arelative made your dress, andthe reception was held at thechurch hall.
Iremember attendinga weddingwith my mother andgrandmother longago. My great-aunt’sdaughter was gettingmarried at asmall Catholic church in rural Rayne. The church wasa white wooden building, theinterior was filled withrows of wooden pews and sparselydecorated, even fora wedding.
The wedding ceremonywas afullMassand lasted at least an hour.Guests were theninvited to the church hallfor ameal. This was not thekind of wedding with dainty finger sandwiches or vegetable trays and deviled eggs. We were servedaplate of food, and guests sat at long tables,communal style
The couplewho got married andmost of theguests were hardworking Cajun folks. Theyhad little interestinfinger foods but ratherpreferreda“stickto your ribs” kind of repast.Wejoined theline with others and received aplateofpork jambalaya,blackeyed peas, cabbage slaw dressed with white vinegar, salt and pepper and asliceofwhitebread.
“Do you need me to bring in more jambalaya?” shouted the cook from thekitchen door
The jambalaya had been cooked outsideinalarge black cast-iron pot. Tray bytray,the jambalaya was broughttothe kitchen andserved to guests.
“Yeah, bring in more. We got more people coming,” answered theserver
We made our way to theempty spotsatthe table andhad aseatnext to distantrelatives.Webegan our hearty meal,and Itold my mom,“Look, Igot some of thecrispyrice!”
“Yeah,you didget some of thecrispy ricefromthe bottom of the pot, you luckygirl!”she replied.
That crispy rice was aprized bite. After the meal, the music started. Therewas a three-piece Cajun band, and couples danced thetwostep. Next came the bride and groom.
Everyone cleared the floor,and they slowly danced to their favorite song. Then,one by one, guests took a turn dancing with the brideorgroom. Each new partnerpinnedmoney ontothe bride’sveilorthe groom’s lapel. By the end of afew songs, thenewlyweds had collected asizable amount of moneytospend on their honeymoon.
Not all weddings are meant to be grand affairs. Regardless of the sizeorlevel of fanfare,family and friends who help to support thebride andgroom as they embark on alife togetherare whatmakethe celebration truly meaningful, turninga single day into thefoundation of apartnership
This Louisiana, country-style jambalaya is agreat crowd pleaser
Pork Jambalaya
Serves 6-8
2pounds pork shoulder meat, cutinto 2- to 3-inch chunks
2stalks of celery, mediumdiced 2clovesofgarlic, finelychopped 2teaspoons red cayenne pepper
1tablespoon salt
1tablespoon granulated garlic
2cups raw,long grain rice
3-4 cups of water or chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1. Cut pork meat into chunks and season withred pepper,salt and granulated garlic.
2. In aheavy-bottomed 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or cast iron pot, heat oil over ahigh to medium-high heat.
3. Addhalf of the pork and brown themeat well on both sides. Remove browned meat and add remaining pork. Brown on both sides and remove from the pot.
4. Adddiced onions, diced bell peppers and diced celery.Sauté vegetables until they just begin to brown. Add chopped garlic and cook for1minute.
5. Return browned meat to the pot. Addenough water tocover the meat Cover thepot and reduce to medium heat.Cook for about 30-45 minutes or until themeat is tender,adding more water as necessary.Cook until the liquid has thickened to agravy consistency
6. Add raw rice and stir.Add water or chicken broth and stir again. The amount of water added will depend on the gravy with the meat.Ifthere is a lot of liquid, add less water or broth. If your gravy is really reduced, add the 4 cups. As arule of thumb, forevery cup of rice, you will need 2cups of liquid.
7. Over medium heat, bring to a gentle boil. When the water has been absorbed and is even with the rice level, cover the pot with atight lid and reduce heat to medium-low
8. Cook for about 20 minutes. Check for the doneness of the rice. Remove from heat and set aside with the lid on. This resting time allowsfor the moisture to be absorbed by the rice.
9. Uncover jambalaya, add chopped green onions and gently fluffthe rice.
PHOTO By DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN
Pork Jambalaya
AstroTurf dog park as their owner watches from the bar,whichoffers localbeer and themed cocktails with names like Odie’s Revenge, Canine Saline and Red Rover Under acovered cafe,humans nosh on Corndawgs, Jack Brussels or sandwiches. Beside them,their faithful pups enjoy arotating set of treats like dog-safe ice cream, pizza and even Bowser Beer
Every day,Robinson said, isdifferent at The Dog House
“Some days, it’saprivate doggy birthday party with 30 of their doggy friends and adoggy cake and other days it’s aNew Year’s tennis ball drop,” she said. “We have human triviaand burlesque nights which bring in abunch of people, but sometimes it’s justour regulars chilling out here because their dogs feel comfortable.”
“I always jokedwithmyfriends that Ijust wanted aplace where Icould drink with my dog,”Robinson said. “It turns out alot of people in New Orleans feel that way,too.”
Apassion forpuppies
Robinson was born and raised in Mississippi by twodog-loving parents.
“Gumbo, our schnauzer,was there before Iwas,” she said.“And when my parents divorced, they each had dogs. Ithink Ihad eight at one time.”
Apparently,eight wasn’tenough according to aletter Robinson wrote in elementary school, which read, “When Igrow up, Iwantto own 15 dogs, because 16 seems like alot!’
Her love for canines continued into high school. As asenior,she completed aproject on training
CURIOUS
Continued from page1D
than 5miles southeast of Marksville. Visitors driving north on La. 1should turn right on La.107, locally known as Cocoville Road, upon approaching Marksville After about amile, turnright on OldRiver Road, which eventuallyfollows an oxbow lakecalled Raccourci Old River,a curveleft behind by the Mississippi River after it changed course. Alittle more than three miles down this road, the marker stands on the left, surrounded by itsown crushed stone parking lotinthe
emotional support animals, going to thehospitaltoshadow theanimals and their handlers.
In college, the momentshe moved into off-campus housing, sheadoptedher dog, Krewe. They have beeninseparable duringthe 12 years since, including their move to New Orleans for Robinson to pursuea business degree program at Tulane University,which she completed in 2020.
Ruff going
“I was workingathome in consulting, sales and business development, and Ihated it,” Robinson said. “I couldn’tget excited about selling something it felt likenobody wantedorneeded.”
It was out of this frustration that Robinson was reminded about the Dallasdog parkand restaurant she wanted forNew Orleans. Maybe, shethought,others wanted it, too.
That is when she approached Chodyla,her business school classmate
midst ofprivate fishingcamps bordering former waterway “CLECO put up asecurity light for usinthe parking area,” Carmouche said. “So this is asafe spot.”
Marked by ametal sign
The sign is alarge, metal cutout of Louisiana, where visitorscan frame themselves within thestate forphotos. “Avoyelles Centre de la Louisiane”bordersthe top in blue andred letters, and abubble noting “You arehere” marks thelocation on amini outline of thestate.
Theexact coordinates of this location are 30.5191 degrees north, 91.5209degrees west.Carmouche andassistant tourism director
The duo had no clue how difficult their journey wouldbe, or that it would take afull four years to open.
Afterpurchasing alot in March 2021 and hiring architects anddesigners laterthat summer,ittook morethanayearfor thecity to approve the necessary building permits.
Robinson was disheartened.
“I was waitressing at the WWII Museum andI remember acustomeryelling at me because I hadn’trefilled their Dr Pepper fastenough,” sherecalled.“We had been waiting for almost ayear for ourpermits at that point, and Ithought maybe Ijust needed to give up and find another job Icould live with.”
But every time she thought about giving up, Robinson was reminded why she was doing this in thefirst place.
“I could tell this was something people wanted,” she said. “They kept asking when it was opening or
Mary Guillory pinpointed these numbers after extensive research.
“Westarted working on this in September of 2024,” Carmouche said. “Welooked at maps in the Assessor’sOffice and discovered that the center was not where it was previously marked.”
Guillory said aconcrete marker once declared thestate’sgeographic center as being 40 yards northofwhere thenew marker stands.
“Welooked at the maps, and we knew that wasn’tright,” Guillory said. “Wewere doing arebranding of Avoyelles Parish at the time, and we knew this would be theperfect identity for us, be-
Patrons keep
with dogsand having drinksat
The Dog
suggesting some fun dog-related idea. Their enthusiasm helped me hang on.”
Anything is paw-sible
Oncepermits were finally approved, construction was completed swiftly.The city took some timetoapprove alcohol permits, butonce they did, The DogHouse was ready.Opening daywas Feb. 23,2024.
In the15months since, Robinson said shehas enough great memories to fill abook.
“Oh my gosh, we’ve had adoption nights, doggybirthday parties with doggy-safe carrotcake, splash padsfor dogsand humans on hot days, and an amazing New Year’s Eve party,” Robinson recalled. “Tulane’s tennis team donated 500 tennis balls, and we dropped them for about 40 very confused dogs.It was great!”
This summer is certain to create more unforgettable moments with apacked event schedule. Every
cause though we have good food and friendly people, we aren’tthe only parish in the state that has these things.”
Butnot every parish can claim to be theexact center of the state, bringing together north and south Louisiana, along with adiversity of cultures and traditions where where French and English are equally prevalent.
Avoyelles Parish is also home to theTunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana.
“I Googled Avoyelles Parish, and the center of the state came up in theresults,” Guillory said.
“The assessor’sland mapping program verified this, so we’re calling it our own.”
Tuesday is trivia night. “Wash and Wine Wednesdays” feature an onsite specialist ready to bathe and groom your dog.
Every other Thursday starts with music by the Canine Crooner —donations forTakePaws encouraged instead of acover charge.
Also Thursdays, visitors can enjoy “For the Bitches,” afemmefocused comedy show.The burlesque show, “Tittiesand Pitties” has also been amainstay at The Dog House.
Membershiphas itsprivileges
With so many events and new dogs playing in close proximity to one another,Robinson pridesherself in having neverhad anypuppy violence at the business. She said that the team is trained to spot and deescalaterising tensions between dogs, and TheDog House has a membership process.
To enter the park, dogs must have aday pass ($5), monthly pass ($20), or annual pass ($150) which confirms the pets are up to date on vaccinations and that adult dogs have been spayed or neutered.
Canine vaccinationinformation can be provided by theowner online in advance or in-person via paper or electronic copies.
But if you want to check out The DogHouse withoutgetting your dog amembership just yet, Robinson says not to worry,there is a place forthem,too.
“Theycan sit with youinthe cafe and bar,which is what somedogs prefer anyway,” she said.
Dog-free humans arewelcome, too.
“Wehave plenty of human customers who comewithout dogs,” Robinson said. “Wehave agreat shaded area to come hang outand meet somenew friends.
“Nothing brings people together like booze, dogs and an awesome chicken sandwich, it turns out.”
“Weknew it be the right thing us to do,” Carmouche added. Dare to drive the twisty-turns of Avoyelles Parish’sbackroads forachance to stand right smack in the middle of the state. While there, take aselfie or group photo. And don’tforget to tag Avoyelles Parish Tourism when posting them For more information, visit travelavoyelles.com
Do you have aquestion about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phonenumber andthe city where you live.
Flying to El Paso fora passport oneSunday
BY PAUL CLIFTON Contributing writer
It was ahot 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 Ihopped into ataxi and headeddowntown to my hotel. I had neverbeen to El Paso, never had an inclination to visit.Until a few days prior,that is. On aFriday evening. Icame home from work and my wife was on the phone. She was distraught, pacing. “Wehave aproblem,” she mouthed to me, hand over the phone. “Passport.”
She hung up the phone andtold me that my passport would expire on Sept. 10. We weretoleavefor Scotland to attend my oldest son’s wedding on Sept. 4. It was Aug.
27. Icould flytoIreland but I could not return Panicked, Igoogled expedited passports. TheU.S. Department of State website noted that one couldmakeanappointment at a passport agency/office for aquick turnaround under certain circumstances. Icalled thenumber and
waited, held captive to dreadful, soulless hold music.
As Isat, sporadic skitterings emanated from our attic.
Beinganenvironmental consultant, Iknew well the black hole that is bureaucracy.Finally,an angel came on the line and Itold her our story
“OK, let’s seeifwecan get you into theNew Orleansoffice,” she said. Ilistened, her keyboard clacked, each stroke aspike to my skull.
“Hmmm, thereisanopening …inNovember.Well, that’snot gonna work, is it?Hold on.”
Andthen she said something I will never forget “Don’tworry,weare going to get you to your son’swedding.”
After moresearching, she came up withanopen 8a.m. slot the following Monday …inElPaso.
That night, Ibooked aflight for Sunday
By thenext evening, the thumping and skittering in the attic had
becomelouder,bolder.I climbed theattic steps, cleared the top and shone aflashlight into the dusty darkness. The beam exposed two neon eyes, perfectly still.
The raccoon assumed an indignant posture on its hind legs as if Ihad interrupted something. I had read somewhere that light, sound and scent can run them off, so Ifilled ahuge bowl with white vinegar,grabbed aportable radio (tunedtothe most annoying country music station Icould find), left the light on and hoped for the best.
“Yep, it’s araccoon,” Itold my wife, trying, and failing, to be nonchalant. Now to Sunday.I got on aplane and left my wife at home, alone, with araccoon banging around in the attic and the specter of an expired passport hanging over thefamily like Damocles’ sword.
Once Ichecked into the hotel, I walked five blocks to the passport office to recon.
Ihad the requisite documents
wasn’texclusive.
proof of travel and receipts, birth certificate, on and on. All night, I obsessed over what else could go wrong. Then Ifound it. Asign on the office door stated cash only,so Iwandered around downtownEl Paso searching foranATM. At 8a.m. Monday,the passport office wasquite busy but well-run with helpful staffand, unbelievably,I was out of there by 10 a.m., crisp new passport in hand. Icalled home. The raccoon had fled.
Igot on aplane bound forBaton Rouge first thing Tuesday.I could finally breathe; all was well. Scotland and the wedding were beautiful.
—Clifton lives in Baton Rouge. HumanConditionsubmissions of 600 wordsorfewer may be emailedtofeatures@ theadvocate.com. Stories will be kept on file and publication is notguaranteed.There is no payment forHumanCondition
bit of drama.
She finished at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts —abrief detour that, 50 yearslater,came full circle.
Even so, she did eventually become Ursuline’s alumni president,which she considers one of the greatest feathers in her cap.
Alovelanguage
Tooker is the award-winning host and producer of the radio show “Louisiana Eats,” which is broadcast weekly on NPR affiliates 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 a community affair —a running conversation with staff, friends and family
She credits her paternal great-grandmother for her deep interest 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 —sothat food became my love language and my vehicle for showing you how much.”
Iasked Tooker to choose arestaurant forour lunch that she felt best represented classic New Orleans. She said it was atough call, but ultimately, for her, there was only one answer: Antoine’sRestaurant.
Located at 714 St. Louis St. in the FrenchQuarter, Antoine’sdates 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 familycustodian of Antoine’s. He’sthe fifth generation of the family to run the iconic establishment. He stopped by the table to chat, too. As he describesit, “Our family’sbeen 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’sfood 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 Iagreed that the Ronquille —new to Antoine’smenu and aspecialty of chef Ralph Pausina was arevalation.
On a first-name basis
Tooker knows the incredible vastness of Antoine’s
and its historywell. Afew years ago,she had the chance to helpcatalogthe contents of some of the restaurant’sroomsthathad beenlockedfor decades. In 2019,she facilitated the donationofthe ephemera to the Historic New Orleans Collection, which has an ongoing cataloging projectof the artifacts
“Have you ever beenin theJapanese room on the second floor?” sheasked.
Isaid Ihad not.
Tooker,by theway,is on afirst-name basis with Antoine’sfamily members, including those who ran the place 150 years ago.
“It’sawonderful room in and of itself. Jules (Alciatore, son of Antoine) created it in thelate1890s when Japanese art wasso in.Itwas one of his first really big banquet rooms,” sheexplains. “WhenDec. 7 happened in Pearl Harbor, they literally locked the doors andnever wentback in there for like 40 years. They never used thespace
Isn’tthat thewildest 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 therestaurant through the Prohibition era and World WarII.
“Roy really brought this place intoits 20th-century fame,” she said. “He planned the100th anniversary and marketed that so successfully that it really put them on the map.”
She explained that Roy Alciatoredidn’tthink that there should be atelephone that people could call for reservations. Instead, he believed people should write aletter “So, every letter that Roy received was there,” she said. “The original was there, but even better,he meticulously madeacarbon copy of his response to every letter,attached to theoriginal. Imean, what a writer’sdream.”
The treasure trove of Antoine’sand 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’siconic potato puffs served with Bearnaise sauce mighthave been the best thingonthe 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 Alaskaatthe end of the meal was over thetop. Its meringue was perfectly charred and tasted just as good.
The overall experience felt fancy.Even so, Antoine’sdoes agreat job of keeping thedishes affordable. If you haven’tbeen to Antoine’sina while (or forever), takethis as your sign to go. We had apeek behind thescenes, thanks to Tooker,but themagic
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’tshy away from the hardest parts of life. Earlier this year,she becameawidow.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 wasthe love of her life. The pair reconnected in 2015 and married in 2022.
“The disease raced through his body.Wehad only been married about twoyears at that point,” she said.
After she buried him,she wanted to moveawayfrom the homewhere 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 foraplace in the French Quarter.Asithappened, he had one. She took it, and, in the months since, the twohave fallen in love. Tooker is aware that the timing may seem unconventional, but she is in love. She’shappy and grateful foranother chance.
“I just keep singing. I feel like Julie Andrews,” she said. “When Iburst into song, which Idooften, Iwill sing, ‘Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.’”
Whether ordering adrink, sharing the history of a place she adores or falling in love again, Tooker lives with the sameintensity she brings to the table —all heart, all flavor,all in. Email Jan Risheratjan. risher@theadvocate.com.
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.
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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.
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.
In my opinion, some of the women look as though they should be turning on the TV and getting abowl of popcorn.
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-
Self-defense
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
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.
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
Many Americansare fortunate to havedental coverage fortheir entire working life, through employer-provided benefits.Whenthose benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to putoff or even go without care. Simply put —without dentalinsurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.
When you’re comparingplans ...
Look forcoveragethat helps pay formajor services. Some plans may limitthe numberof procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.
Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans mayrequire you to payhundredsout of pocket before benefits are paid.
Shop forcoveragewithnoannual maximum on cash benefits. Some planshaveannual maximums of $1,000.
dental work canwear out Even if you’ve had quality dental work in thepast, you shouldn’ttakeyourdental health forgranted.Infact, yourodds of having adentalproblem only go up as you age.2
Early detection canprevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.
The best way to preventlarge dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice ayear.
Treatment is expensive— especially theservicespeople over 50 oftenneed.
Consider these national average costs of treatment. $222 fora checkup .$190 for afilling. $1,213 fora crown.3 Unexpected bills likethis can be arealburden especially if you’re on afixed income.
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.
Hints from Heloise
thousand Batting a
But firm rents couldsignalrecovery on theway
BY ANTHONY McAULEY
BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer
with all theother cities in thestudy —generally have been rising nominally for decades But it’sa different picture when inflation is taken into account. In Johnson’sstudy,New Orleans andBaton Rouge are among only 10 U.S.cities that have seen inflation-adjusted house prices sliding downward since2000. It’seven worsenews for thecurrent marketinNew Orleans, where prices are14% beloweventhatdownward trend—putting thecityonthe bottom of the list.
STAFF PHOTOSByMICHAEL JOHNSON
New Orleans
Sion James has joined Son of a Saint as an ambassador James is a former standout Tulane University and Duke University basketball player He previously was co-CEO of Ryan’s Giving Tree, a New Orleans nonprofit focused on improving community health, housing and economic outcomes.
He earned a bachelor’s in management from Tulane Freeman School of Business James was honored with the Freeman School Dean’s Service Award and the Newcomb-Tulane College Student-Athlete Award after logging nearly 350 community service hours.
Son of a Saint is a nonprofit devoted to uplifting fatherless boys through mentorship, mental health support and educational guidance.
Baton Rouge
Claire K. Spencer has been hired as a vice president by Crown Crafts and will take over as chief financial officer on June 30.
Spencer replaces Craig J. Demarest, who is retiring after four years as CFO. Spencer has spent the past six
MARUCCI
Continued from page 1E
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 co-founder 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
years with H&E Equipment Services, handling U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings and compliance. She also worked for HRI Properties and KPMG in financial reporting and audit roles.
She earned a bachelor’s and master’s in accounting, both from Southern Methodist University
Dr. Quentin Alleva has been named regional medical director of Ochsner Baton Rouge, effective June 30. Alleva joined Ochsner Baton Rouge as a staff radiologist in 2008 at Ochsner Medical Complex-The Grove. Since 2012, he has served as regional chair of radiology In 2018, he was named associate medical director of medical specialties for the Baton Rouge region.
He earned a medical degree from Yale School of Medicine. Alleva completed an internship and residency at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans and a fellowship in body imaging at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
Dr Jamie B. Patterson has joined the breast cancer care team at Woman’s Hospital
Patterson is a surgical oncologist who has more than a decade of expertise in breast-conserving
surgery, skin and nipple-sparing mastectomies.
She most recently served as medical director for The Breast Center at Kent Hospital, affiliated with Brown University
She earned a medical degree from the University of Nevada and completed her residency at the University of California, Irvine.
Off The Hook Restaurants has added three members to its management team.
John Lush is chief operating officer Lush has a background in scaling up multi-unit restaurant brands.
Bailey Richard is director of marketing, communications and compliance.
Randy Gross is director of operations.
Off The Hook was founded in 2012 and has eight locations across south Louisiana.
Dr Maria Velez, a pediatric hematologist oncologist at Manning Family Children’s, has been named president of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Velez’s appointment was recently announced at the organization’s annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky She earned a medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. Velez completed her residency at the University Pediatric Hospital in Puerto Rico and a fellowship at the National Cancer Institute.
Thomas M Hayes III is the recipient
of the 2025 Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Curtis R. Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy Award. Hayes practiced until 2023 with Hayes, Harkey, Smith & Cascio in Monroe, primarily in representation of civil litigants in state and federal courts. Since 2023, he has worked exclusively as mediator and arbitrator
He was honored as the foundation’s 2016 Distinguished Attorney and by LSU Law in 2018 for Distinguished Achievement. Hayes serves as chair and immediate past president of the Louisiana State Law Institute.
SCORE to hold small business workshops on insurance, social media
Staff report
SCORE will hold free small business workshops on business insurance and how to use video content on social media Saturday at the Main Library branch, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., in Baton Rouge.
The insurance workshop will be at 9:30 a.m. and cover issues such as the types of business coverage
Lab, a 16-year-old venture that provides golfers with quantitative data designed to help improve their game.
“Now, it’s like we’re bringing golf to baseball,” Gibbs said. In the facility Marucci helps batters gain insights and choose equipment aimed at improving their performance no matter what they’re facing on the field. When the site is 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.
recommended for small companies. Meagan Faulk, a local insurance agent with State Farm will be the speaker At 10:30 a.m., there will be a workshop on how to plan, film and use engaging video content on social media that drives measurable results.
To register, go to score.org/batonrougearea.
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.
Alleva
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.
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
is a musician, inventor and businessman who cofounded PreSonus
Q&A WITH JIM ODOM
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
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This in-depth reportingwillexplore what businesses 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
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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.
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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
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“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
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“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
a kidney to her stepbrother, Hampton Burnside. She said their compatibility is not as improbable as winning the lottery, but it’s still rare.
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.
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
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. The
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.
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
SUNDAY, JUNe 22, 2025
CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley
SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr
GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne
MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters
ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson
ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis
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?
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.
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
