BY JON GAMBRELL, DAVID RISING and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates A frag-
ile ceasefire between Iran and Israel appeared to hold Tuesday after initially faltering, and U.S.
President Donald Trump expressed frustration with both sides, saying they had fought “for so long and so hard” that they do not know what they are doing.
But even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had brought Iran’s nu-
clear program “to ruin,” a new U.S. intelligence report found that the program has been set back only a few months after U.S. strikes over the weekend, according to two people familiar with the assessment
The early report issued Monday by the Defense Intelligence Agency was described to The Associated Press by two people familiar with it. They were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The report also contradicts statements from Trump, who has said the Iranian nuclear program was
“completely and fully obliterated.”
The White House called the assessment “flat-out wrong.”
After the truce was supposed to take effect, Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, and the Israeli finance minister vowed that “Tehran will tremble.”
The Iranian military denied firing on Israel, state media reported, but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel, and a military official said two Iranian missiles were intercepted.
Decades after playing in the NFL, Duriel Harris started selling Angus beef pasture-raised in Ville Platte. All of his customers last year were schools across 10 different parishes, ‘from Shreveport to New Orleans,’ he said.
Push to serve local food in La. schools faces funding challenges
State losing millions in federal government cuts
BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer
Over three decades after Duriel Harris left the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas native settled in Acadiana and became a cowboy in his own right.
The former wide receiver bought two dozen Black Angus heifers in 2016, and since then, his Ville Platte operation has only grown Last year, Harris Cattle
Company had its best year yet, grossing nearly $400,000. His success is largely thanks to a market niche he found: a federal program that pays for schools to source food from local farms. After learning about the program, he started selling to schools in Alexandria, then Baton Rouge and St. Tammany Parish. All of his customers last year were schools across 10 different parishes, “from Shreveport to New Orleans,” he said. “If there was ever a win-win-win situation, that was it,” said Harris, known to
some football fans for a 1982 hook-andlateral play while with the Miami Dolphins. “Good for the economy, local producers and good for the state.” But whether Harris can keep selling his Angus beef to schools hangs in limbo. While the push for more local food in schools has gained broad support — from “Make America Healthy Again” backers in Louisiana’s Legislature to traditional nutritionists — government cuts and a lack of long-term funding are major stumbling blocks.
ä See FOOD, page 6A
Some EBR teachers unhappy with new start times
6 public schools part of pilot program
BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
Just before they left last month for summer break, teachers at six Baton Rouge public schools were called into meetings to hear some surprising news: When they return in August, their schools would likely have new start times.
files 3 lawsuits against CVS
Attorney general alleges ‘unfair and deceptive acts’ in text campaign
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Louisiana Attorney General
Liz Murrill, backed by Gov Jeff Landry, said Tuesday she had filed three different lawsuits against CVS, claiming the company used its position as both a major pharmacy chain and a pharmacy benefit manager to abuse its market power and accusing it of “unethical and deceptive acts” in its use of customer data for political lobbying.
The three lawsuits filed in the 27th Judicial District Court in St. Landry Parish “detail in great length all of the ways that these manipulative tactics are used to drive our prices up and to drive the independent pharmacists out of business,” Murrill said at a news conference announcing the court action on Tuesday Landry at the media event called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, “corporate profiteers” that don’t actually lower prescription drug prices despite claiming to do so.
In addition to irritation at the late notice, Smith and several of her colleagues say the change will be a hardship for them on several fronts: picking up their own children from school; transporting
ä See TEACHERS, page 5A
“To be told at the last minute, on the last day of school, in the fourth quarter, that’s unrealistic and very unfair,” said Ahrianne Smith, a special-education teacher at Glen Oaks High. Glen Oaks High and Capitol High are the most affected. Students will start classes at 8:50 a.m., 100 minutes later Classes will end 100 minutes later, at 4:05 p.m. Both are “F”-rated schools with high rates of student absenteeism. They also have difficulty recruiting and keeping staff and can ill afford losing more. The other four participating schools — Capitol, Glen Oaks Park, Melrose and Merrydale elementary schools are not as impacted. They will start at 8 a.m., 25 minutes earlier than at present, and end at 3:15 p.m., 10 minutes earlier Their instructional day will be 15 minutes longer.
In a statement, CVS denied wrongdoing and said its system of PBMs and pharmacies helps make it easier for patients to afford and pick up their medicine. “CVS Pharmacy remains the lowest cost pharmacy and a critical partner in lowering prescription drug costs for Louisianans,” the company said.
All three cases allege that CVS violated Louisiana’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law
ä See CVS, page 4A
Murrill
Landry
STAFF PHOTO By JOSIE ABUGOV
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BERNAT ARMANGUE
Israeli soldiers work Tuesday amid the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Beersheba, Israel
Firefighters battle wildfire on Greek island of Chios
ATHENS Greece Hundreds of firefighters backed up by aircraft were battling a wildfire burning out of control for the third day on the eastern Aegean island of Chios Tuesday, with authorities issuing multiple evacuation orders.
Towering walls of flames tore through forest and agricultural land on the island, where authorities have declared a state of emergency and have sent firefighting reinforcements from Athens, the northern city of Thessaloniki and the nearby island of Lesbos.
By Tuesday morning, the fire department said 444 firefighters with 85 vehicles were tackling the blaze on scattered fronts.
Eleven helicopters and two water-dropping planes were providing air support.
Emergency services have issued evacuation orders for villages and settlements in the area since Sunday when fires broke out near the island’s main town.
The fire department has sent an arson investigation team to Chios to examine the cause of the blaze
“We are faced with simultaneous fires in multiple, geographically unconnected parts of the island a pattern that cannot be considered coincidental,” Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said Monday from Chios. Authorities, he said, were “very seriously examining the possibility of an organized criminal act, in other words arson.”
Japan conducts first missile test on own land
TOKYO Japan’s army announced Tuesday that it conducted a missile test for the first time on Japanese territory, as the country accelerates its military buildup to deter increasingly assertive China.
The test-firing of the Type 88 surface-to-ship, short-range missile was conducted Tuesday at the Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido
About 300 soldiers participated in Tuesday’s exercise by the Ground Self-Defense Force’s 1st Artillery Brigade, using a training missile targeting an unmanned boat about 24 miles off the southern coast of Hokkaido, officials said.
Officials were still examining the results of the test, the GSDF said.
Due to space limitations and safety concerns, Japan has previously conducted missile tests in the territories of the United States, a treaty ally, and Australia, a top Japanese defense partner where vast training grounds are available.
Tuesday’s first domestic missile test underscores Japan’s push toward a more self-sufficient military and its acquisition of strike-back capabilities as a deterrence to China’s increasingly assertive naval activity in regional seas.
Brazilian tourist dead after falling from volcano
SAO PAULO — A young Brazilian hiker who fell hundreds of meters from the ridge of a towering Indonesian volcano and was trapped there for almost four days was found dead on Tuesday, Brazil’s government said. For days, millions of people in Brazil had watched, posted and prayed as rescuers tried to locate her
The tourist, 26-year-old Juliana Marins, began summiting on June 21 Mount Rinjani, an active 12,224-foot volcano on the Indonesian island of Lombok, with a guide and five other foreigners when she fell some 1,968 feet, Indonesian authorities said “No signs of life were found,” said Mohammad Syafii, head of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency Marins’ family in Brazil confirmed her death
The Indonesian rescue team said it found Marins’ body beside a crater using a thermal drone after four days of intensive searches complicated by extremely harsh terrain and weather
The difficult conditions and limited visibility delayed the evacuation process, Syafii said, as the rescue team climbed carrying Marins’ body to Sembalun basecamp but would have to wait until Wednesday for transport to a police hospital.
NATO’s chief praises Trump ahead of summit
Rutte says president will make Europe ‘pay in a BIG way’
BY MOLLY QUELL, LORNE COOK and MIKE CORDER Associated Press
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — NATO Secretary-
General Mark Rutte praised President Donald Trump for making Europe “pay in a BIG way,” as leaders gathered in the Netherlands on Tuesday for a historic summit that could unite them around a new defense spending pledge or widen divisions among the 32 member countries of the security alliance.
The U.S. president, while en route, published a screenshot of a private message from Rutte saying: “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.
“Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win,” Rutte wrote. NATO confirmed that he sent the message.
Rutte appeared unconcerned that Trump aired it, telling reporters: “I have absolutely no trouble or problem with that because there’s nothing in it which had to stay secret.”
Trump arrived early in the evening after injecting uncertainty over whether the U.S. would abide by the mutual defense guarantees outlined in the NATO treaty. “Depends on your definition,” he said. Rutte said he has no doubt about the Article 5 guarantee, which says an armed attack on one member is an attack on all.
On Wednesday, the allies are likely to en-
dorse a goal of spending 5% of their gross domestic product on their security, to be able to fulfil the alliance’s plans for defending against outside attack. Trump has said the U.S. should not have to.
Spain has said it cannot, and that the target is “unreasonable.” Slovakia said it reserves the right to decide how to reach the target by NATO’s new 2035 deadline.
“There’s a problem with Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them, frankly,” Trump told reporters. In 2018, a NATO summit during Trump’s first term unraveled due to a dispute over defense spending.
Ahead of the meeting, Britain, France and Germany committed to the 5% goal.
The Netherlands is also on board. Nations closer to the borders of Ukraine, Russia and its ally Belarus had previously pledged to do so.
Trump’s first appearance at NATO since returning to the White House was supposed to center on how the U.S. secured the historic military spending pledge from others in the alliance — effectively bending it to its will.
But the spotlight has shifted to Trump’s decision to strike three nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran that the administration says eroded Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, as well as the president’s sudden announcement that Israel and Iran had reached a “complete and total ceasefire.” Ukraine has also suffered as a result of that new conflict. It has created a need for weapons and ammunition that Kyiv desperately wants, and shifted the world’s attention. Past NATO summits have focused almost entirely on the war in Ukraine now in its fourth year
Russian attacks kill 26 civilians in Ukraine; Zelenskyy
BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drones, missiles and artillery killed at least 26 civilians and injured more than 200 others in Ukraine, officials said Tuesday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought guarantees at a NATO summit of further Western help to repel Moscow’s invasion.
Russian forces have relentlessly struck civilian areas throughout the 3-year-old war More than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, according to the United Nations. Ukraine has also launched long-range drones against Russia, hitting residential areas
Zelenskyy joined Western leaders at a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, and is keen to lock in additional military support for Ukraine, as recent direct peace talks have made no progress on a settlement.
Key U.S. military commitments to Ukraine left over from the Biden administration are expected to run out within months, according to analysts, and there is uncertainty over whether U.S. President Donald Trump is willing to provide more.
A Russian ballistic missile attack on Dnipro hit multiple civilian sites in the central Ukrainian city
Extreme heat wave consumes most of eastern U.S. states
BY SETH BORENSTEIN AP science writer
NEW YORK Extensive
triple-digit heat, broken temperature records and oppressive humidity piled up into a steaming mess as the heat dome crushing the Eastern half of the nation sizzled to what should be its worst Tuesday New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit a little after noon, the first time since 2013. Then Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston joined the 100 club. More than 150 million people woke up to heat warnings and forecasters at the National Weather Service expected dozens of places to tie or set new daily high temperature records Tuesday The dangerous heat sent people to the hospital, delayed Amtrak trains and caused utilities to urge customers to conserve power
“Every East Coast state today from Maine to Florida has a chance of 100 degree actual temperature,” said private meteorologist Ryan Maue, a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist. Fryeburg, Maine, also hit 100, for the first time since 2011.
“Getting Maine to 100 degrees is infrequent,” Maue said.
Tuesday’s heat came on top of 39 new or tied heat records Monday But just as dangerous as triple digit heat is the lack of cooling at night, driven by the humidity
“You get the combination of the extreme heat and humidity but no relief,” said Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center “It’s kind of been just everything stacked on top of itself. It just speaks to how strong this heat wave is. This is a pretty pretty extreme event.”
Asherman and Maue said Tuesday is the peak of the high pressure system that sits on top of the Mid-Atlantic and keeps the heat and humidity turned up several notches.
seeks more help
around midday Tuesday, killing 17 people and injuring more than 200 others, officials said. “The number of casualties is constantly being updated,” Dnipro’s regional administration head Serhii Lysak wrote on Telegram.
In the nearby town of Samar, an attack killed two people and injured 14, he said.
The barrage damaged 19 schools, 10 kindergartens, a vocational school, a music school and a social welfare office, as well as eight medical facilities, according to Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov Schools are closed for the summer break.
One of the blasts blew out the windows of a passenger train carrying about 500 people. Filatov declared Wednesday to be an official day of mourning. In a post on Telegram, Zelenskyy said Russia
needs foreign components to build its ballistic missiles and he urged countries to crack down on Moscow’s “schemes” to obtain them. “Sanctions against Russia must also be significantly strengthened,” he said. Russia also shelled residential neighborhoods and critical infrastructure across Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, killing four civilians and wounding at least 11 others, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional military administration.
In the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine, a drone attack late Monday killed three civilians, including a 5-year-old boy, and injured six others, local authorities said. Among the injured were two 17-year-old girls and a 12-year-old boy according to officials.
“Nobody is immune to the heat,” said Kimberly McMahon, the weather service public services program manager who specializes in heat and health.
Heat turns dangerous
Dozens attending outdoor high school graduation ceremonies in a northern New Jersey city on Monday were treated for heat exhaustion and related problems, including 16 taken to hospitals. The Paterson school district held ceremonies in the morning and the afternoon as temperatures soared to nearly 100 degrees. Officials halted the second ceremony about an hour after it had started due to the heat. And in New Hampshire, two 16-year-old hikers were rescued from a mountain in Jaffrey late Monday afternoon, overcome by the heat, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said. They were described as being in and out of consciousness and taken to a hospital. The heat hit New York City as residents headed to the polls for the city’s primary election. In the Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Rekha Malhotra was handing out flyers in support of Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani while wearing a pink electric fan around their neck.
“It’s 90 bazillian degrees and here I am,” said Malhotra, an event DJ. “I could have been phone banking.”
“I have all the things — hat, ice and this,” Malhotra added, pulling out a commercial-grade spray bottle from their bag.
Utilities across the Midwest and East braced for the surge of extra demand in the heat, at times asking people to cut back on air conditioning when it felt like it was needed the most. In Memphis, Tennessee, residents were asked to turn off unnecessary lights and electronics, wait until nighttime to use dishwashers, washing machines dryers, and raise thermostats a few degrees, if health allows.
POOL ROyAL PHOTO By MISHA SCHOEMAKERS
President Donald Trump, from right, is welcomed by Netherland’s King Willem Alexander, Netherland’s Queen Maxima and Netherland’s Crown Princess Amalia as he arrives for a formal dinner at the Paleis Huis ten Bosch ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday.
PHOTO PROVIDED By RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRy PRESS
Russian soldier prepares a Giatsint-B 152 mm field gun to fire on an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Tuesday.
ThefirstaccusesCVS of improperly using its customers’ data to sendtext messages urgingthemtotell their legislators to oppose a bill pendingduring thefinal days of the recent legislative session.
CVS “misusedhealth-related informationofLouisiana citizens for political lobbying, in violation of Louisianalaw and fundamental principles of confidentiality and trust in the pharmacist-patient relationship,” the state’s court filings allege.
The text messages were “inaccurate, misleadingand deceptive”and were “intended to incite fear among vulnerable people”togenerate political support, court filings say The bill in question, House Bill 358, which Landry supported, would have barred companies like CVS from owning both PBMs, which are supposed to negotiate lower drug prices from manufacturers, and drugstores themselves.
CVS sent abarrage of text messages to customers warning the bill could force the company to close down all of its pharmacies in Louisiana.
Murrill on Tuesday said she received atext message
from CVS about the legislation,and Landry said his wife, Sharon,did, too. The measure ultimately failedtopass after the Senatedid not take it up, though the Legislature did approve another bill putting tighter restrictionsonPBMs.
CVS has argued the texts werelegal and were an important way to alert customerstothe legislation, which emerged abruptly in the last daysof the session.
“Our communicationwith CVScustomers,patients and members of the community wasconsistentwith the law,” thecompany said The second lawsuit alleges thecompany has used its sizeand vertical integration design —meaning its control of insurers, PBMs and drugstores —tosqueezeout competition and drive up drug costs, among other practices.
CVScontrols “the flow of prescription drugsfrom formulary design and pricing negotiations to pharmacy reimbursement,health insurance coverage, anddrug dispensing,” the lawsuit says “That influence has been wielded not to lower drug costs or enhanceaccess,but instead to manipulateprices,restrict competition,and channel profits internally.”
CVS argues it delivers value to patients by providingbetter care andeasier access.
“By combining health care delivery,pharmacy, health care benefits, and pharmacy benefit management,we make it easier for people to have what they wantthe most: aconnected careexperience,” the company said in astatement.
The thirdlawsuit accuses CVS of abusing itsmarket power to “inflict economic harm” andimpose unfair fees on independent pharmacies “underthreat of being expelled from theCVS network.”
CVS disputesthose claims.
“Fortoo long,big drug middlemen called PBMS, have inflateddrug prices and taken advantage of Louisianans,”Landry said in astatement. “I’m proud to stand with Attorney General LizMurrill in holding them accountable.”
Simmeringcontroversy
Thepolitical battle over PBMsburst intopublic view on thesecond-to-last dayof Louisiana’sregular legislativesession, when CVS sent the text messages saying the proposed legislation threatened to close all CVSpharmacies acrossLouisiana.
“Last minute legislation in Louisiana threatenstoclose your CVSPharmacy —your medicationcost maygoup andyourpharmacist may lose their job,” one such text said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BERNAT ARMANGUE
Israeli soldiers fromthe search-and-rescue unit work Tuesdayamid the rubble of residential buildingsdestroyedbyanIranianmissile strike in Beersheba, Israel.
CEASEFIRE
Continued from page 1A
Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for aNATOsummit that, in his view,both sides had violatedthe nascent agreement. He had particularly strong words for Israel, aclose ally,while suggesting Iran may have fired on the country by mistake. But later he said the deal was saved.
“ISRAEL is not goingto attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing afriendly “Plane Wave” to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefireisin effect!” Trump said in his Truth Social post. Indeed, Netanyahu’soffice said he held off on tougher strikes against Iran after speaking to Trump. Theconflict,now in its
12th day,began with Israel targetingIranian nuclear and military sites, saying it could notallow Tehran to develop atomicweapons and that it feared the Islamic Republic was close. Iran has long maintained that its program is peaceful. If the truceholds,itwill provide aglobal sense of relief after the U.S. intervened by dropping bunker-buster bombsonnuclear sites— a move that risked further destabilizing the volatile region.
Trump phoned Netanyahu after the American bombingonSunday and told him not to expect additional U.S. military attacks andthat he should seek adiplomatic solution with Iran, asenior White House official said.
Trump’sposition wasthat theU.S. had removed any imminentthreatposed by Iran, according to the official, whowas not authorized to commentpublicly about
sensitive diplomatictalks andspoke on conditionof anonymity
Israel followed up theU.S. air attacks by expanding the kinds of targets it was hitting.
AfterTehran launched a limited retaliatory strike Mondayona U.S.military base in Qatar,Trump announced theceasefire.
Aprotracted conflict could have abroad economicimpact if Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, amajor shipping channel.
China, which is Iran’slargest trading partner and only remainingoil customer, condemned the U.S. attacks and said it was concerned about a“spiral of escalations” withouta ceasefire
Trumpsuggested the ceasefire would allowIranianoil to continue to flow,saying on social media that China couldkeeppurchasing crude from Iran.
That day,Landry sent a letter to Murrill asking her office to investigate CVS for what he said were “mass textmessages to itspatients about pending legislation” and for “improperly” using thecontact information of stateemployees.
The next day,the final day of the legislative session, Murrill held anews conference to announce that she would look into whether CVSengaged in “unfair and deceptive trade practices by improperly using people’s personalinformation in a waythatthey didnot permit.”
The attorney general that day also sent CVSaceaseand-desistletter,demanding the companystop “the unlawfuluse of Louisiana citizens’ personalinformation”and threatening possible legal action.
Apolitical fight
CVSHealth is apublicly traded company that owns health insurer Aetna, drugstore chain CVS Pharmacy,
and pharmacy benefit manager CVSCaremark.
Aprovision tacked onto a bill in the afternoon of the second-to-last dayofthe legislative session would have prohibited PBMs from owning pharmacies in the state —a policyCVS said was an existential threat to itspharmacies in Louisiana.
CVS said the restriction would have forced it to close 119 Louisiana pharmacies, affecting 1million patients. It criticizedthe last-minute push to pass thebillwithout committee hearings.
But Rep. Dustin Miller, DOpelousas,who sponsored House Bill 358, said that it was timefor businesses to choosebetween operating as apharmacy or aPBM
He saidthatcurrentstate of affairs hasled to independent pharmacies getting reimbursedlessand less while PBMs“make theirown pockets fatter.”
The bill diedonthe last day of session,however,after senators raised concernsthat it had skippedthe standard
public vetting process. In thefinaldaysofsession, Landry publicly pressured the Legislature to get behindMiller’s bill.And when it failed, he promised to call aspecial session on theissue. At the news conference Tuesday,asked aboutcalling aspecial session regarding PBMs, the governor said that, “weare convening agroupof someofthe best and brightest regarding PBMsand vertical integration.”
That group, along with the attorney general, he said, is going to reviewstate lawto determine whether it’spossible to exercise “authority unilaterally” to exert greater controloverPBMs through action by the executive branch
“If we can’t,thencertainly we intend to bring the Legislature in so that we can put the laws in place to protect ourpeople,” he said. “As soon as Ifind outwhenIcan act, we will act.”
Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse pfeil@theadvocate.com.
their kids to after-school activities; second jobs that they work; and scheduling doctor’s appointments for themselves, children and elderly parents.
“I haven’theard anybody say they like it,” said Laura Efferson, ascience teacher at Glen Oaks High. “I’ve had colleagues that say they won’tbeable to do this becauseoftheir kids.”
The district’sannual employee transfer period was long over by the last day of school, making it hard for staff members unhappy with the start time shift to change schools.
Three weeks after the surprisenews, Smith shared the concerns of Glen Oaks staff publicly.Minutes later,the East BatonRouge Parish School Board votedunanimously to approve the new start times.
“It’sprobably not going to be the easiest transition both for families and for staff, but Ithink that the benefits are going to be great to our community,”board member Nathan Rust said.
Pilotprogram
The six schools are piloting apotentially districtwide initiative to better match when children learn with research on their sleeping patterns East Baton Rouge Parish schools Superintendent LaMont Cole said he will share findings from the pilot this fall. Those findings will be based largely on five measures: student attendance, staff attendance, school disciplinary data, student achievementdata, androuting and transport timesfor buses.
Cole also plans to hold more extensive public“conversations”onthe topic. Nevertheless,hemade it clear that he strongly supports the change.
“There has been overwhelming support for an initiative like this, and we want to be aggressive,” Cole said. Teachers areobliged to be at school longer thanstudents, typically arriving 15 minutes before the first bell and leaving 15 minutes after the final bell.
The later end time at Glen Oaks High means that Smith and her colleagues won’tbe able to leave until 4:20 p.m. each day.And under arecently approved policy change, principalscan direct their staff to show up 30 minutes early or stay 30 minutes late. Teachers at Capitol and Glen Oaks high schools may not be able to leave school until 4:35 p.m. at the earliest.
The late end times for middle and high schools give Rust pause.
“If you look at the times, especially at our secondary schools, you’re pushing school buses directly into the heat of rush hour traffic in Baton Rouge,” he said.
Differingviews
School officials argue that the new start times have severalpotential benefits: fewer children waiting for and riding buses in the dark, teenagers getting abetter night’ssleep, increased stu-
“I
LAMONT
dent achievement, less truancy andabsenteeism, and improved student transportation.
In apresentation June 5, Cole also addressed common concerns with changing startingtimes, namely disruptiontoathletics, impact on student out-of-school jobs andimpacts on families.
Cole, however,saidlittle about theimpact on school employees. To the contrary, he suggested that the greater goodshould prevail.
“I recognize and know folks have gotten comfort-
able with the way things are,” Cole said. “But we cannot be comfortable with our students notbeing successful, cannot be comfortable with them failing. And we have to think aboutwhat we can do to improve. And this is our efforttomake those adjustments.”
Smith, of Glen Oaks High, said that in addition to second jobs, some staff are enrolledincollege themselves and have classes to attend after school.
Caringfor olderparents is also common. Smithsaid until afew months ago when her mother died, she“would have to go right to the dialysisfacilityand pick herup because sometimes she was sick andwould have to go to the hospital or to theemergency room.”
Smith’scolleague, Efferson, said her days will end even later than theydonow thanks to theschool schedule changes. She sometimes does private tutoring after school. And she often stays late to finish gradingbefore hopping in her car
“I’ve learned after Iget home I’m notgoing to do anything,” she said. Efferson is alsodubious
that her studentswill actually sleep longer.She worries they will just stay up even later, playing gamesor
wasting time on their phones.
“There’s nothing to say that ourkidswon’t just stay up that muchlater,” she said.
Later start times, though, can also be attractive.
Board memberCarla Powell-Lewis, aveteran high school social studies teacher used to work in East Baton Rouge Parish schoolsbut left to work in West Baton Rouge Parish.
“One of the reasons whyI accepteda role in Port Allen was because Igot achance to go to work an hour later thanIwas working in EBR, because in EBR Ihad to be at workfor 6:45 a.m. andIwas tired,” Powell-Lewis said.
Board memberCliff Lewis said it is smart to try out new start timesina pilot —“We can’tjust rush into it like a bull in achina shop and think we’re going to get results” but, he said, he’sprepared to pursue change andthat “somepeopleare goingto have to come alongkicking and screaming.”
“It’sall about children,” he said. “It’snot aboutus.”
Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate. com.
TheTrump administration eliminatedthe U.S. Department of Agriculture program in March, as part of cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency
Louisiana spent about $3.4 million on the farm-toschool program this fiscal year,according to information on the USDA website that has since been deleted.
The state willlose out on over $18 million due to cuts to the local food in schools and child care programs, Louisiana Department of Agricultureand Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said in aMay Senate committee meeting.
The administration also ended another USDA programthatreimbursed food banks for local purchases. Acrossthe country,the two federal programs provided around $1 billion to schools andfood banks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture did notrespond to arequest for comment.
Louisiana officials have pushed back, including Republican supporters of the president. State Senator Patrick McMath, R-Covington, authored aresolution urging Congress to bring back the federal program. He also sponsoreda sweeping nutrition bill, which awaits Gov.Jeff Landry’ssignature after unanimous passage, alignedwith the “Make America HealthyAgain,” or MAHA, movement of Health andHuman Services SecretaryRobertF Kennedy Jr.While Senate Bill 14 is largely focused on restricting or notifying people about ingredients like artificial sweeteners or seed oils, it also seeks to expandlocal food in schools.
For McMath, access to local food, such as through theBiden-era program that the Trump administration cut, is central to the MAHA movement. The push for healthiereating is nota new idea, McMath noted, mentioning the work of former first lady Michelle Obama, only now the phenomenon has gained prominence with right-wing podcasters and pundits like JoeRogan andTucker Carlson. Kennedy is set to visit Louisiana on Friday for a“MAHA LA official bill signing.” McMath said bringing backthe farm-toschool program is the first thing he’sgoing to talk to thehealth secretary about “The further away from a farmyou are, the less nutrient rich the food,” he said. “You have to have this local farm infrastructure built in,harvesting lettuce in the morning and hitting kids’ plates at lunch.”
Skeptics of MAHA
SB14 will change how food manufacture rs, schools and restaurants provide and sell food. McMath’smotivation for sponsoring it stemmed from his ownexperiences, he recounted during legislative debates. He said he taught himself
about wellness and “the effectsofultra-processed foods” afterhis wife faced health problems. Thelegislationwas also written with inputfrom Casey Means, a holisticdoctor and wellness influencer who is Trump’s pick for surgeon general. Companies selling food with certainartificial ingredients, such as sweeteners in diet sodaand additives in white frosting, willbe required to include aQR code that links to awebpage warning ofpotential harms. Restaurants must alert customers if they use seedoils, like canola oil, in their food.
Doctorsand nurses will also need to complete a one-hour trainingonnutrition andmetabolic health The various measures will begin to takeeffect as early as 2026 through 2028. When it comes to schools, Louisiana districts will not be allowed to servecertain additives and artificialcolors in breakfasts and lunches (after-school snacksand concession stands are exempt). Many of theseingredients are found in cereals, candies and colorfuldrinks.
Jacqueline Richard, the president of the School Nutrition AssociationofLouisiana, isvocal in her opposition to the legislation. A registered dietitian and the school nutrition director forCalcasieu Parish,she saidthe soon-to-be banned ingredients are “seemingly random” and not well researched.
“I hated the wholething,” Richard said of the legislativeprocess. “It was so very performative.Those things will do very little to help the health of children. There are other things that would.”
‘Thatmeans nothing’
Butasthe billmadeits way through the Legislature, she found herself agreeing with the lawmakers on theidea of increasing local food inschools.
As she and otherspoint out, localingredients canbe healthier than food transportedfar distances, as it is often fresher andless processed. Theshort travel and typically smaller-scale, sustainable operationsalso meanbuying localfood is better for the environment
The Legislatureadded an amendment that would require all schoolsthat receivestate fundstopurchase at least 20% of their food from Louisiana farmers. But there was aproblem: No additional fundingwas granted.
Complying with it in the absence of theUSDA program wouldbea nightmare, Richard said. So the nutrition association urged lawmakers to remove the specific number and providefunding forlocal food in schools.
Instead,the final draftof the bill states that schools “shallpurchase foodproduced in this state to the extent practicable.”
There is no funding attached.
“That means nothing,” Richard saidofthe bill’s vague language.
Buying local food in many districts was only possible becauseofallocated money,she stressed. The local ground beef Richard procured for Calcasieu Parish schoolswas three times more expensivethan national alternatives,asisthe case with the vast majority of locally sourced meat and produce.
In theabsence of longterm funding, schools likely will forgolocalfoodentirely or buy cheaper commodities grown at alarger scaleinLouisiana, like rice and sweet potatoes, said Marguerite Green, the director of the Louisiana Food Policy Action Council and an urban farmer in New Orleans. Previously, thefederal program had allowed schoolstobuy more expensive,specialty crops and protein common in Louisiana cuisine, like okra, tomatoes andshrimp.
“The more localfood items on theschool lunch tray,the better,”saidCatherine Carmichael, aregistereddietitian at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center.“Iloveit when my kids come home from school and tell me they’ve hadsweet potatoes or satsumas for lunch.”
The center hasworked withthe state and USDA to help schoolsoffermeals like shrimp étouffée,catfish fresca, and grits and grillades
“When students know where their food comes from, they will be more likely to develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime,” shesaid.
Farmersunsure
Farmers involvedinthe USDA program are struggling to preparefor an uncertain school year
Richard said that growers who sold food to schools in her area feel uncomfortable committing to the program with “funding so wishy-washy.” The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry,which dispersed thefunds to local schools,has told farmers and educatorstoplan on nothavingthe funding for theupcoming school year, Richard said.
“At this time, we have not been informed of any changesfrom ourUSDA partners,”said Jennifer Finley,press secretary for agriculture commissioner Strain.
Harris, the football star turned cattle farmer,is hopeful that there will be some funding for local food in schools next school year The impact of theprogram for him was far morethan economic.
Both his parents were educators, he said, and providing food toschools broughthim back to his roots.
“If (thefunding) doesn’t materialize,thenI have no choice but to process my beef and end up selling to wholesale markets and restaurants,” Harrissaid.
“I prefer the schoolbusiness.”
Email Josie Abugov at josie.abugov@ theadvocate.com.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Duriel Harris beef patties were sold to schoolsacross Louisiana as part of afederal program that pays for schoolstosourcefood from local farms
BYMARKBALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON Afterweeks of staying mostlyquiet about Health Secretary RobertF Kennedy Jr.’sremakingof an influential committee that advises the federal government on vaccinations, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy on Monday night voiced concerns about the new members and called for postponing its scheduled two-day meeting slated to begin Wednesday Cassidy,astrong promoter of vaccinations over his30 years as amedical doctor, was initially reserved in his
reaction to Kennedy’sJune 9“retiring” of 17scientists on the federal Centers for DiseaseControland Prevention’sAdvisory Committee on ImmunizationPractices.
Kennedy,a longtime skepticofvaccinations,saidthe Trumpadministration wanted members more closely aligned with thepresident “A clean sweep is needed to reestablish public confidenceinvaccine science,” he stated.
Kennedy named eight new members, includingsome who have used conservative mediaplatformstovoice skepticism about vaccines.
Cassidy, R-BatonRouge, said June 10 thathewould reservecomment untilhe completed research on the backgrounds of Kennedy’s picks.Hedid not comment
8deadfromboat capsizeonLakeTahoe
BY OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO Four members of afamily from Northern California who were celebrating abirthday were amongeight people killed when aboat capsized on Lake Tahoe in California over the weekend during a sudden and fierce thunderstorm.
Josh Pickles, 37, of San Francisco, his parents, 73-year-old TerryPickles and 71-year-old Paula BozinovichofRedwood City,and his uncle, 72-year-old Peter Bayes, of Lincoln, died Saturday,according to afamily statement.
“No words can express the pain and anguish we feel knowing their lives were lost during what was meant to be ajoyful time on the lake,” Josh Pickles’ wife, Jordan Sugar-Carlsgaard,said in the statement Tuesday.“Our
heartsgoout to thosewho tragically lost their lives and thetwo survivors of thisunexpected anddeadlystorm on Lake Tahoe.”
Twopeople were rescued immediately after theboat flippedover. Theiridentitiesand conditions were not known Tuesday
Thegroup was celebrating Paula Bozinovich’sbirthday on her son’sboat, which he bought about ayear ago, said Sam Singer,afamily spokesperson.
Josh Pickles’ wifehad stayed at home taking care of their7-month-old daughter, Singer said. The couple,who married in 2023, bothworked at tech companiesinSan Francisco Josh worked at DoorDash and Jordan at AirBNB, Singer said.
Theysplit their time between homes in the Bay Area andLake Tahoe, where they hadused their boatonly twicebefore.
much publicly untilMonday night.
“Althoughthe appointees to ACIP have scientific credentials, manydonot have significant experience studyingmicrobiology, epidemiology or immunology,” Cassidy wroteonX.“In particular, some lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines,and may even have apreconceived bias against them.”
Cassidy added that robust scientific discussion rooted in evidence is anecessary component of the panel’sadvice.
“Wednesday’smeeting should not proceed with a relatively small panel, andno CDC Director in place to approve the panel’srecommendations. The meeting should be delayeduntil the panel
is fully staffed with more robustand balanced representation— as required by law —including thosewith more direct relevant expertise,” Cassidy wrote. “Otherwise, ACIP’srecommendations couldbeviewed with skepticism, which will work against the success of this Administration’sefforts.”
Cassidy said Tuesday his position supports the Trump administration “tohelp them get something which is more credible and something which is morestandard.”
The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to arequest for comment Kennedy has named eight people so far to fill the17vacancies. Cassidy said the department is vetting othersto fill those positions.
“I have actually submitted severalnames to be considered,sothey’re actively interviewing,” Cassidy said. But none of those new candidateswill be appointedin time for Wednesday’smeeting. The committee’smeetings involve presentations by the CDC of detaileddata concerning vaccines and their uses. The draft agenda for the meetings on Wednesday and Thursday include discussionsabout theeffectiveness of COVID-19 andRespiratory SyncytialVirus vaccines, whichisakey issue for antivaxxers.
As chair of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions committee, many GOP senators looked to Cassidyonwhether to confirm Kennedy,President Donald
Trump’scontroversial pick to lead theU.S.Departmentof Health andHumanServices. Kennedyhas made acareer out of questioning the need and safety of thevaccinations used to treatand ward off disease. In addition to thehealth care providers who rely on vaccinations, enough Republican senators werewary of confirming such awell-knownanti-vaxxer to lead the nation’shealth department.
Cassidy,who is running for reelectionnextyear,backed the confirmation afterwhat he saidwere Kennedy’sassurances not to spread antivaccination stances into government programs.
Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate. com.
TenCommandmentsrulingpaused
Case mayget review by full 5thCircuit
BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
Afederalappeals court decisionblocking Louisiana’sTen Commandments law has been paused,creating an opening for thefull courttorehear the highstakes case.
Athree-judge panelof the 5thU.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that thelaw,which requires public schools to post the TenCommandments,isunconstitutional and cannot be enforced. On Monday,an unnamedjudge on the 5th Circuit stopped the ruling from being sent to thelower courts,effectively putting it on hold.
Thepause gives the defendants an opportunity to request that the case
be reheard by the full 5th Circuit,widely considered thecountry’smostconservative federal court of appeals. Aspokesperson for state Attorney General Liz Murrill, whoseoffice is representing the defendants, said the officeplans to submit arequestthis week for afull court, or “enbanc,” review
“Weare encouraged to see that one 5th Circuit judge already has held the mandate in this case, signaling interestinenbancproceedings,” said spokesperson Lester Duhé, referring to the judge who on Monday ordered the case not be returned to thelower courts.
The TenCommandments case has been closely watchedasatest of whether the courts will uphold the traditional divide between church and state or allow religion to play alargerrole in public institutions.
If thefull courtagrees to rehear the case, it could lead to avery different out-
come than Friday’sruling. Twoofthe threejudgeson the panel were appointed by Democrats, while 12 of 17 active judges on the full court were appointed by Republicans, with six selected by President Donald Trump.
The process leading to afull court review can be lengthy,with judges arguingbehindcloseddoors for or against the move before conducting apoll. In the meantime, alower court’s preliminary injunction will stand barring fiveschool districts —EastBaton Rouge,Livingston, Orleans, St. Tammanyand Vernon parishes —from putting up the TenCommandments postersand state officials from enforcing the law
The 5th Circuit panel’sdecision on Friday upheld the lowercourt’sruling, calling the law “plainly unconstitutional.” The panelwrote that“unwanted exposure to government-sponsoredreligious displays” would violate students’ First Amend-
mentright to religious freedom. The ACLU of Louisiana, one of several groups representing public-school parents whosuedtoblock Louisiana’slaw,praised Friday’s ruling.
“Religious freedom —the righttochoose one’sfaith without pressure —isessentialtoAmericandemocracy,” said Alanah Odoms, thegroup’sexecutivedirector, in astatement.
But First Liberty Institute, alegal advocacy group thatsupports Louisiana’s law,condemned the panel’s decision.
“The TenCommandments are part of the history and traditionofour country, and we hope that the full Fifth Circuit will stepinto correct this grievous error,”Kelly Shackelford, the group’spresident andCEO, said in astatement.
Email Patrick Wall at patrick.wall@theadvocate. com.
Louisiananslobby forOne BigBeautiful Bill Act
Business owners head to U.S. Capitol
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
—AsU.S. Sen-
WASHINGTON
ate leadership struggles to get avote this week on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, House leaders broughtin Louisiana constituents to lobby forthe sweeping budget legislation that alsoincludes much of President Donald Trump’sdomestic agenda.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, remains hopeful that the bill, much changed since the House passed it by asingle vote in May,will clear the Senate over the next fewdays. TheHouse would then havetoapprove the changes, with the goalof delivering the bill to Trump for his signaturebythe July Fourth holiday But Johnson acknowledges the long slog ahead.
“Why do you think Ilook so tired,” he said Tuesday “I’vebeentalking to individual senators ad nauseam and sharing with them the conversations and the deliberations and the negotiations andthe conclusions that we reached together here in the
House.”
Into thefray,Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, brought twoconstituents to stand before aportrait of GeorgeWashingtonto tell the Capitol press corpshow important facetsofthe bill are to them personally Paul Danos, headofhis family’sDanos LLC in TerrebonneParish, said the bill would bring stability to the energy industry
“This bill is alifelinefor American energy and restores the kind of predictabilitythatbusinesses like ours need to invest and to grow,”Danos said. Yousee, offshore projects take years to build.Theyare multibillion-dollar investments,and without clarity and consistency with lease sales, businessescan’tmake the longterm investment decisions thatare needed to grow their workforce andacquire equipment.”
The company beganalong BayouLafourche in 1947 when hisgrandfather rented atugboattoGulf Oil. The firm now has more than
2,600 energyproduction employees. The part of the Danosfamily affiliatedwith the companyhas donated nearly $1 millionduring the past five years to Republican causes and candidates
Toni McAllister works in her family’sMcManus TimberInc.inWinnParishand listed the bill’stax changes andregulatoryobligations, such as doubling the deductionfor immediate business expensesthatshe says would help grow small businesses.
“InLouisiana,timber is notjust what we do,it’swho we are,”McAllister said.“It is vitaltothe survivalofso many rural communities across our state and across the South. This bill recognizes the impact of smallbusinesses just like mine.”
McAllister also praised the tighter immigration laws included in the bill.
“This will protect our communities and support our law enforcement officers and agencies by keeping dangerous illegals out of our country,” she said.
Winn Parish, according to the Census Bureau had 13,216 residentsin2023, of whom 673 wereforeign-born. Winn Correctional Center,
whichisone of thelargest U.S. Immigration andCustoms Enforcement detention facilitiesinthe nation,holds about 1,500 detainees on any given day
“As the wife of aLouisiana sheriff, knowing that this administration is working hard to standbehind law enforcement gives mea peace of mind,” she added.
‘Happy thoughts andspit’
The Senate versionofthe bill is still in flux.
Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, said Tuesday he is combing through and negotiating the language for thebit overseenbyHealthEducationLabor and Pension Committee, which he chairs.
“It’sstill awork in progress,”Cassidy said. “If you make too many changes, too quickly, in howhealth care is financed, it’s difficult for our healthcaresystem to
adjust.”
“The bill is held together with happy thoughts and spit,” Sen. John N. Kennedy, R-Madisonville,told reporters Monday night. “We’ll eventually pass something. I just can’ttell you when.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday the vote will be by Friday,maybe even over theweekend, but the senators will stay in town until its done.
The massive bill includes awhole litany of Trump’s legislative goals that includes extra money to finish building thewallalong the U.S. border with Mexico, moremilitary armaments and sweeping tax breaks, including higher standard deductions and credits for tips and overtime wages only partially paid forby spending reductions, mostly to Medicaid.
Some senatorscriticized the House-passed version for not cutting Medicaid enough, so theyaddedmorereductions. Other senators already were teed off by howmuch Medicaidwas reduced by the House and now are more so.
Also, Senate ParliamentarianElizabeth MacDonough hasruledthatsome of the language in the GOP megabill doesn’tconform with the Senate’sByrd Rule.That means some sections can’t be passed with a51-49 majority but will need at least 60 votes to winapproval. Given the narrowGOP majority and Democratic opposition, thatdoesn’tseem likely Republicansare deciding whether to rewrite or removethose sections.
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.
BY MARYCLARE JALONICK and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Trump administration on Tuesday postponed classified briefings for Senate and House members as lawmakers look for more answers about President Donald Trump’s directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend and his announcement on Mondaythat the two countries had reached a ceasefire agreement. The Senate briefing has been rescheduled for Thursday so that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio can attend, according to multiple people with knowledge of the scheduling change who would only discuss it on the condition of anonymity House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said on social media thatthe House briefing will now be held on Friday,“details to follow.”
Trump proclaimedonsocial media that Israel and Iran had agreed that there willbean“Official END” of their conflict. That tentative truce briefly faltered Tuesday when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, but Trump later declared it was “in effect!”
The separate briefings for the Houseand Senate were to be led by CIADirector John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, along with Gen. Dan Caine, chairmanof the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and deputy secretaries of state Christopher Landau and Steve Feinberg.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. DanCaine speaks during anews conferenceatthe Pentagon in Washington on Sunday after theU.S.militarystruckthree sites in Iran, directly joining Israel’sefforttodestroythe country’snuclear program
Democrats in Congress, alongwithsomeRepublicans, havemany questions about Trump’sunilateral decisionto launch military action, arguing he shouldhave gone to Congress for approval— or at leastprovided more justification for the attacks. Congress hasnot received any new intelligence since Gabbard told lawmakers in March that theU.S. believedIran was not building anew nuclear weapon, according to two people familiarwith the intelligence.The peopleinsisted on anonymity to share whatCongress has beentold.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer saiditis “outrageous” that the administration postponedthe briefings.
“There is alegal obligation for the administration to inform Congress about precisely what is happening,” Schumer said. “What are they afraid of? Why won’t theyengage Congress in the critical details?”
California Rep. Pete Aguilar,chair of the HouseDemocratic caucus,said that lawmakers “needevidence, we need details and we need to know themnow.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, defendedthe administration’shandling of the information,saying the briefings were postponed because “the situation is still developing” amid the recent ceasefireannouncement
Many lawmakers feel they have been left in thedarkon what led to the strikes and amidescalating tensionsbetween the White House and Congress over therole of the United States internationally —disagreements that don’t always fall along party lines Democrats have been generally suspicious of the Republican president’sstrategy, andhis motivesabroad, but somebelieve the U.S. could have arole in supporting Israel against Iran. Others strongly believe theU.S. should stayout of it.
By ALEX BRANDON
Pope offers message to seminarians
BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
ROME Pope LeoXIV
kicked off aweeklong celebration of Catholic clergy
Tuesday by encouraging seminarians to be joyful and honest, offeringanuplifting message after Pope Francis frequently castigated priests and decried what he called the sin of “clericalism.”
History’s first American pope pres ided over arollicking encounter with thousands of young men who were in Rome for aspecialJubilee week celebrating seminarians, priests and bishops.
Tuesday’sencounter turnedSt. Peter’sBasilica into something resembling aconcert venue, with seminarians waving their national flags, interrupting Leo frequently with applause and shouts of “Papa Leone” and straining against barricades to kiss his ring as he passed. In his remarks, Leo thanked the seminarians for agreeing to devote their lives to the church and said that with their energy “you fuel theflame of hope in the life of the church.” He urged them to be brave joyful, truthful and not hide behind masks or live hypocritical lives.
“You also have to learn to give aname and voice to sadness, fear,anxietyand indignation, bringing everything before God,” the Augustinian pope told them. “Crises, limitations, fragilities aren’ttobehidden, but are rather occasions for grace.” Francis also frequently
met with seminarians, priests and bishops. But he often had amessage of tough love, railingagainst what he called clericalism, or the tendencyto put priestsand clergy ona pedestal. For Francis, clericalism wasthe rootofmany of the church’sproblems, especially the clergy sex abuse and cover-up scandal, given how he said it can contribute to abuses of powerand authority
While offering amore positive message, Leo cited many of Francis’ concerns in urging seminarians to accompany thepoor and lamenting today’s“throwaway culture.” The seminarians interrupted him with applause when he cited Francis by name. The message of encouragement may also have beenaimed at addressingthe Catholic Church’s chronic hemorrhaging of the number of clergy
According to thelatest Vatican statistics, the numberofseminariansworldwide continued to drop even as theCatholicpopulation grew
Therewere108,481seminariansatthe end of2022, compared to 109,895 the previous year.Only Africa andOceania registered increases and the church registered steep declines in the traditionally Catholic Americas and Europe,and amoremodestdecline in Asia.
Over the coming days, Leo is expected to hold similar encounters with priests and bishops before presiding over aJubilee Massthis weekend. This week marks something of thehalfway mark of the Vatican’s2025 Holy Year,a celebration of Catholicism held once every quarter-century that hasbroughtmillionsofpilgrims to Rome
Bill wouldeaseregulations on gunsilencers
BY MARYCLARE JALONICK Associated Press
WASHINGTON The massive tax andspending cuts packagethatPresident Donald Trump wantsonhis deskby July 4would loosen regulations on gun silencersand certain types of riflesand shotguns, advancing alongtime priorityofthe gun industry as Republican leaders in the House and Senate trytowin enough votes to passthe bill.
Thegunsprovision was first requested in the House by Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde, aRepublican gun store owner who had initially opposed thelarger taxpackage. The House bill wouldremovesilencers —called “suppressors” by thegun industry —from a1930s lawthatregulates firearms thatare considered themostdangerous, eliminating a$200 tax while removing alayer of background checks
The Senatekept the provision on silencersinits versionofthe bill and expanded upon it,adding short-barreled, or sawed-off, rifles and shotguns.
Republicans whohave long supported the changes, along with the gun industry, say the tax infringes on Second Amendment rights. They saysilencers are mostly used by huntersand target shooters for sport.
“Burdensome regulations and unconstitutional taxes shouldn’t standinthe way of protecting American gun owners’ hearing,”said Clyde,who owns two gun stores in Georgia andoften wears apin shaped like an assaultrifleonhis suit lapel.
Democrats are fighting to stopthe provision, which wasunveiled days aftertwo Minnesotastate legislators were shotintheir homes, as thebill speedsthrough theSenate. They argue that loosening regulations on silencerscould make it easi-
er for criminals and active shooters to concealtheir weapons.
“Parents don’twantsilencersontheir streets, police don’twantsilencers on their streets,” said Senate Democraticleader Chuck Schumer,D-N.Y
The gun language has broad support amongRepublicans and has received little attention as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, andSenateMajority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., work to settle differences within theparty on cuts to Medicaid and energytax credits, amongother issues. But it is just one of hundreds of policy and spending items included to entice memberstovotefor the legislation that could have broadimplications if the bill is enacted within weeks, as Trump wants.
Inclusion of theprovision is also asharp turn from the
climate in Washingtonjust three years ago when Democrats, like Republicans now, controlled Congress and the White House and pushed through bipartisan gun legislation. The bill increased background checksfor some buyers underthe age of 21, made it easier to take firearms from potentially dangerouspeople and sent millions of dollars to mental health services in schools.
Passed in the summer of 2022, just weeks after the shooting of 19 children and twoadultsataschoolin
Uvalde, Texas, it was the most significantlegislative response to gun violence in decades
Three yearslater,asthey try to take advantage of their consolidated power in Washington, Republicans are packing as manyof their longtime priorities as possible, including thegun legislation, into the mas-
sive, wide-ranging bill that Trump has called“beautiful.”
“I’mgladthe Senate is joining the House to stand up forthe SecondAmendment and our Constitution, and Iwillcontinue to fight forthese prioritiesas the Senate works to pass President Trump’sOne Big Beautiful Bill,” said Texas Sen. JohnCornyn,who was oneofthe lead negotiators on the bipartisangun bill in 2022 but is nowfacing a primary challenge from the right in his bid for reelectionnextyear
If the gun provisions remain in thelarger legislationand it is passed, silencersand the short-barrelrifles and shotguns would lose an extra layerofregulation that they are subject to underthe National Firearms Act, passed in the 1930s in response to concerns about mafia violence.
BY MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRYNEUMEISTER Associated Press
NEW YORK Sean “Diddy” Combs told thejudgeathis sex trafficking trial that he’s doing an “excellent job”as he confirmed Tuesday that he won’ttestify Combs made the comment to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian afterbeing asked about testifying. The question was posed by the Manhattan jurist after the prosecution rested following amore than sixweek-longpresentation of evidence against thehiphop maven. Later in the afternoon, the defense rested without calling any witnesses. In aroutine occurrence after prosecutors rest at criminal trials, Combs’ lawyers made arguments to toss
out thecharges, arguingthe charges weren’tproven. Thejudge saidhe’ll rule at alater date.
Prosecutors have called 34 witnesses to try to prove sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges that resulted in Combs’ September arrest, including twoex-girlfriends of Combswho testified they felt coerced into marathon sex events with male sex workers that were called “freak-offs” or “hotel nights.”
Defense lawyers,though, say they were consensual sexual encounters consistent with the swingerslifestyle.
Combs,55, has pleaded notguilty andhas remained incarceratedwithout bail in afederal lockup in Brooklyn after multiple judgesconcluded last fall that he was adanger to thecommunity
It is standard practice at federal criminal trials for thejudge to directly question the defendant about the decision to testifyornot, in part to ensure that thedefendant knows it is his decision, regardless of what his lawyers have told him.
Whenitcame time for Subramaniantoquestion Combsafter prosecutors rested,the judge asked him how he’sdoing.
“I’m doinggreat, your honor,” the BadBoy Entertainment founderanswered, beforevolunteering acompliment tothe judge before another question could be posed.
Combs said he “thoroughly”discussed the matter with his lawyersbefore deciding not to testify
Authoritiessay Israel killed 44 waitingfor aid
BY WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip
Israeliforces and drones
opened fire toward hundreds of Palestinians waiting for aidinseparate incidents in southern and central Gaza early Tuesday, killing at least 44, witnesses and hospitals said, as health authorities announced the number of Palestinians killed in the war has risen above 56,000.
Palestinian witnesses andhealth officials sayIsraeliforceshaverepeatedly opened fire on crowds heading toward desperately needed food, killing hundreds in recent weeks. The military says it has fired warning shots at people it saidapproached its forces in asuspicious manner
In centralGaza, three witnessestoldThe Associated Pressthat Israeli forces opened fire as people advanced east toward aid trucks south of Wadi Gaza.
“It was amassacre,” said Ahmed Halawa. He said tanks and drones fired at people, “even as we were fleeing. Many people were either martyred or wounded.”
Hossam Abu Shahadasaid drones were flying over the area, watching the crowds, then there was gunfire from tanks and drones as people were moving eastward. He described a“chaotic and
bloody” scene as people triedtoescape.
He said he saw at least three people lying motionless and manyothers wounded.
Israel’s military said it was reviewing the incident, which took place near the Netzarim corridor,aroad that separates northernand southern Gaza
The Awda hospital in theurban Nuseirat refugeecamp, which received thevictims,confirmed 25 deaths and said 146others were wounded. It said 62 were incritical condition and transferred to other hospitals In the centraltownof Deir al-Balah,the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital said it received the bodies of sixpeople fromthe same incident In thesouthernmost city of Rafah, witnesses said Israeli troops opened fire as crowds tried to reach a food distributionsite run by theGazaHumanitarian Foundation. At least 19 were killed and 50 others wounded, according to Nasserhospital andGaza’s HealthMinistry. The newdistribution sites run by an American contractor,with U.S. and Israeli government support,have beenplaguedbyscenes of violence and chaos since opening last month. The GHF sitesare in Israelimilitary zones where independent media have no access
Danae,Landon, and Riley; sisters,Ivy Mae Murrill, and VirginiaBernard and husband William; brother, Tony Martinezand wife Rose; brother-in-law, Johnny Williams and wife Ann; sisters-in-law, Wilma Collins and husband Jerry, PatriciaWilliams, and Lisa Garvin; numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his greatgrandson, Triton James; parents, Anthony and VirginiaRuiz Martinez;sisters, Hilda Chattham, TechlaDavenport, Marina Imphang, Dot Glenn, Anna Mae McGowen, and IsabellKlein; brothers, Larry and Pat Martinez;and mother and father-in-law,Shirley Allen andJohnny Williams. Pallbearerswillbehis grandsons. Special thanks to Comfort Care Hospice and his sitters, Susan and Rosiefor their loving care.
Vu,Kieuoahn
Aresident of Baton Rouge, and anativeof Vietnam, Kieuoanhwas warmlyknown as Oanh.
Shepassed away on Monday, June 16, 2025, peacefully at herhomeatthe age of 62. When lookingfor her, therewerealways four places you could find her: as aseamstress at School Time, as an auntat hersibling'shomes, adevoutChristian at St.Anthony Catholic Church,orasa frequentshopperata local Albertsons.Skilledin sewing, Oanh leda 31-year career at School Time, whereshe tirelessly prepared uniformsfor students across Baton Rouge ensuring eachone looked theirbest year after year. As amember of St.Anthony andLeVan Phung Parish,she wasanactive participantinher prayer group, "Khu ManCoi" and "Hoi Legio." Shelit up everyroom with hersinging, herlaughter, herjokes, andher love forpeople. Because shedid nothave a familyofher ownorchildren,she lovedtobring joy to everychild that shemet No matter whoa person was, onecould always countonOanhtohave fruit to share with everyoneshe met. Herabsence leaves adeep void in the hearts of family, friends, andcoworkers—one that cannevertruly be filled.
Butshe canrest in peace, knowing shewill live on in all,forever remembered. Sheissurvived by sisters, Kieuhanh ThiVu, ThanhnhanThi Vu,Long-KhanhAi ThiVuand Toan-Thuong Than Vu;brothers, Hoan Cong Vu andLuan Cong Vu;brothers-in-law, Hoan QuangDinh and CanhVan Nguyen;and sisters-in-law, Ngoc-HueThi Nguyen and NhungThi Pham. Sheis preceded in death by her father,Han VanVu; mother,Nhiem ThiTran; and brother, An Cong Vu.Visitationwill be at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge,LA, on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 6pm to 8pm, with a prayer service from 7pm to 8pm. Herfuneral mass will take place at St.Anthony of Padua &LeVan Phung Catholic Church,2305 Choctaw Dr., Baton Rouge, LA, on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at 10am, with avisitationfrom9am to 9:45am. Intermentwill immediately follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park.
BY CHRISTOPHER WEBER and ALANNA DURKIN
RICHER Associated Press
LOS ANGELES AWashington state man who was charged with aidingthe bomber of afertility clinic in Southern California died Tuesday in federalcustody just weeks after his arrest, prison officials said Daniel Park, 32, was accusedofsupplying chemicals to Guy EdwardBartkus of California, the bomber, who died in the May 17 explosion. Park, of suburban Seattle, was found unresponsiveat theMetropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles Tuesday morning and was pronounced dead at ahospital, the BureauofPrisons said in astatement. No cause of death was provided. The two men connected in fringe onlineforums over their shared beliefs against human procreation, investigators said. Theblast gutted the clinic in Palm Springs,eastofLos Angeles, and shattered the windows of nearby buildings, with officials calling the attack terrorism. The facility was closed, and no embryos were damaged.
Park shipped 180 pounds
of ammonium nitrateto Bartkus in January and bought another 90 pounds and had it shipped to him days before the explosion, investigators said. Park purchased ammonium nitrateonline in several transactions between October 2022 andMay 2025, according to afederal complaint Authorities saidPark traveled to Twentynine Palms, California,near PalmSprings, to experiment with explosivesin Bartkus’ garage months before theattack. Three days before Park visited him in January Bartkus asked an AI chat application about explosives, detonation velocity, diesel and gasoline mixtures, the complaint said. Thediscussioncentered on howtocreate themostpowerfulblast.
Park was taken into custody at New York’sJohn F. Kennedy Airport on June 3, afterhewas extradited from Poland, where he fled four days after the attack. Park had been charged with providing and attempting to provide materialsupport to terrorists. He hadbeen at Metropolitan Detention Center since June 13,federal prisonofficials said.
SherrylMilnerVerdugo 80, abeloved figure of Lafayettefor many years, went to meetour Lord on June 22, 2025. She wasborn in JenningsonDecember 6, 1944. She graduated from Jennings High School in 1962. She receivedher bachelor's degree from Louisiana Tech in 1966 and laterwent on to receive her master's degree, also in education. Sherrylwas an educatorinLouisiana for 30 years, 22 of those in Lafayetteparish. She retired in 1998 from Edgard Martin. Her 6thgrade students willremember her as Mrs. Wilson. For 27 years, she was aloyal member of First Baptist in Broussard. She also enjoyed teaching Sunday schoolclassesinwhich she was always well preparedtoshare thegospel. Ourprecious Sherryl is survived by her devoted son, Dirk Odom; siblings, Wayne (Marti) Milner, Carol (Mike) Regan, and Jerry(Cindy) Milner; many nieces and nephews; 10 grandchildren; and her first husband, Jack Odom. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wilson and Louise Milner; her second husband,Doug Wilson; and her beloved husband, Jesus Verdugo Jesus was theloveofher life Visitationservices will be held on Friday, June 27, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Delhomme Funeral Home in Lafayette. Afuneral servicewillbeheld at FirstBaptist in BroussardbyPastor, Weldon Moak on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM with visitation beginning at 8:00 AM until timeof service. In lieu of flowers,donations may be madetothe American CancerSociety. Sherrylwillberemembered as aloving, beautiful,generous, and most of allfaithful woman of God. She lovedand enjoyed her family and friends almost as much as her chocolate Special thanks to Dr. Cain, Oncologist;Patricia Ledet, caregiver; and Hospice of Acadiana.
Thi 'Oahn'
Verdugo, Sherryl Milner
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Councilto vote on steelmillrezoning
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
Three months ago,President Donald Trump stepped up to alectern in the White House and announced a$5.8 billionHyundaiinvestment in Ascension Parish. Flanked by Louisiana officials, including Gov.Jeff Landry and Parish President Clint Cointment, the announcement followed months of
work and an October trip by officials to South Korea. Before it proceeds, however,the Ascension Parish Council will face avote this week on whether torezone properties at thelocation justnorth of Donaldsonville, on both sides of La. 1, centeredaroundthe small communityofMcCall. Submitted by Evan Belle Corp andBelle Sod Corp.LLC by ownerDave Hartman, therezoningrequest cov-
St.George OKs$2.9M purchase of new City Hall
BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer
St. George took another step forward Tuesday in building Louisiana’sfifth-largest city, as leaders chose alocation that will serve as the hub for the new government.
City Council members approved a$2,915,000 purchase of abuilding that will serve as St. George City Hall.
The site, at 11207 Proverbs Ave. near Coursey and Sherwood Forest boulevards, will also serve as the city’sMunicipal Services building forcontracted provider the Institute for Building Technology and Safety
The city will pay $8,728.50 per month on amonth-to-monthlease for nearly 6,000 square feet of spaceduring the inspection and closing period as the purchaseis finalized.
“In order to get our administrative services andstaff in there sooner than later,we also agreed on this temporary lease forthatsite, which would potentially move all of our staff in there as early as next week,” Mayor Dustin Yatessaid Tuesday
After that period, the entire 20,000-square-footproperty will be owned by the city ofSt. George.
The seller and currentlandlord is Provco Holdings LLC, acompany owned by James S. Usher Thebuildingserves as an office park, with various businesses holding space. Some remodeling of thebuilding may take place to fit thecity’s needs, said St. George council member Richie Edmonds, who calledthe price of thebuilding and the furnishings included a “good deal.” Council member Patty Cook jokedthat the city’scontracted service provider,IBTS, will finally have “a good space withmore than one bathroom.”
While thelocation of St. George’sCity Hall may change down the line, Edmonds said this site currently functions well as a unified base for the city’sgovernment.
“Thismay not be thelongterm future location for aSt. George City Hall, butitmeets our needs without muchremodeling,” he said. “It’s basically move-in ready with office furniture. Plus, we allcan be at one locationinstead of spread out.” For more than ayear,the new cityhas been renting space from thelocal firedistrictatthe St.George Fire Department’s headquarters on AirlineHighway for its council, planning
ersroughly 3,413 acres and seeks to allowindustrial uses on the land.
At the Ascension Parish Zoning Commission’sJune 11 meeting, the area was officially identified as the Hyundai sitebyCommissioner Wade Schexnaydre.
“Hyundai is coming, and that’s what’s goingtobein this area,” he said. “This is better than anything that’s happening in the whole country right now.”
Hartmandid notattend the meeting or respondtoa request for commentTuesday Thecouncil will vote on the zoning at 6p.m. Thursdayinthe Ascension Parish Courthouse in Gonzales. Vocal disagreement aboutthe proposalemerged earlier this month at the commission meeting, during which Schexnaydre said he took “great offense” tocommentsmade by Louisiana Bucket Brigade Director
PAVEMENT PERFECTION
Livingston Parish seeksbig industries
Leadersreinstate developmentboard
BYCLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
Livingston Parish is bringing backits industrial development board in hopes of attracting major industries
TheParish Council reinstated theboard at itsJune meeting. Themove cameout of efforts from Livingston Parish Economic Development Council PresidentMelody Lockwood, who has been spearheading efforts since she started on the job in the fall. Theboard has been dormant since the early 1980s. Lockwood said it was important to reinstate theboard because the parish has no local incentives tooffer industries, unlike surrounding parishes “It’shard forustocompete when we can’toffer thesame
benefits thattheyhave in other parishes,” Lockwood told the council.
Thegoal of the board is to help attract new industries by negotiating local incentives with businesses that are interested in coming to the parish.The goal is to create more local jobsand ease tax burdens on residents, according to Parish PresidentRandy Delatte
Theboard will have eight appointees:four from theParish Council, one from the Sheriff’s Office, one from the parish president, onefrom the school systemand onefromthe LDEC, Delatte said.
Once board members are appointed, the next step is to install apayment-in-lieu-of-taxes program, Delatte said.
Governmentscan enter payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT programs, with companies.Itis
Contractor Dwayne Merrell restores parts of the brick ground outside City Hall in Baton Rouge on Tuesday
DeltaUtilities says Entergycustomers will need to reenroll accounts
BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
More than 96,000 Baton Rouge residents will soon receive naturalgas fromanew company as Entergy transfers its natural gas distribution operationstoenergy company Delta Utilities. Theswitch, set for July,will mark the closing of a$484 million deal between Entergy and DeltaUtilities,which is headquartered in NewOrleans and backed by the private equity firmBernhardCapital Partners.
No immediate action is required by customers, accordingtoa lettersent to residents datedJune 17. However,when their accounts are officially
transferred to DeltaUtilities, natural gas users will need to reenroll in severalprograms, including paperless billing, automaticpayments, level billingand pick-a-date billing.
Customers must alsocreate a new online account with Delta Utilities, as their previous Entergy account will notcarry over,according to the letter Moreinformation will be sent to customers at thetimeof sale.
“Entergy andDelta Utilities are working together to make this transition as seamlessaspossible,” the letter said.
Ahandful of programs will automatically transferwhen the switch occurs and require no action fromenergy users: deposits, landlord automatic turn on,advanced metering opt out, medical emergency certification and collective
STAFFPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
ä See STEEL, page 2B
Fair Groundsowner confirms racing season
ChurchillDowns sets datesafter backing down
BY ANTHONYMcAULEY Staff writer
The owner of the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots officially confirmed on Tuesday that it will proceed with anormal horse racing season this November,after backing down on athreat to pull out of Louisiana if it wasn’tgranted apublic subsidy Cathy Beeding, Fair Grounds general manager, told ameeting of the Louisiana StateRacing Commission that the upcoming season would begin as previously planned,onNov 20. Fair Grounds parentcompany Churchill Downs had threatened in May to pull
STEEL
Anne Rolfes.
Rolfes said it was the commission’sduty to “create some order in the parish.”
“If 10 people in Pelican Point gettogether and say, ‘Oh, we want to put an incinerator on ourproperty collectively …and we just want you to rezone it,’you would never let that happen,” she said,referencing ahearing held an hour earlier on proposed changes to the Pelican Point community’smaster plan. “It’s not anappropriateuse for that area. So, Ithink it’salittle bit disingenuous to say,‘Well, it’sthe property owner. They get to choose what they want to do.’” After she spoke, Schexnaydre directly addressed Rolfes and said sheshould “take that back.” “I take great offenseto youcominguphereand calling me disingenuous.
ENTERGY
Continued from page1B
out of Louisiana, where it also owns adozen off-track betting outlets aswell asthe Fair Groundstrack and casino, if thestate didn’tgrant it amultimillion-dollar subsidyto make up forrevenue lost when acourt bannedit from using one type of slot machine
“We’re just happy there’s going tobea racingseason this year,”Beeding said on the sidelinesofthe meeting. Racing commission chair EdwardKoehl thanked Gov Jeff Landry for his help in resolving the issue. Commenting after theboard meeting, he said there had been no concessionofany kind made by the state The climbdown by Churchill Downs averts a crisisthathad threatened horse racingatthe historic Fair Grounds, which has beenoperating at the site in oneform or another since
the 1830s In March,the Louisiana Supreme Court hadruled that Historic Horse Racing machines —which allow betting on anonymized previously run races —are effectively anew type of slot machine rather than an extension of live horse race betting. That meanta 2021 lawallowing the slots was invalid and users would need voter approval in each parish before they could be allowed.
Churchill Downs argued that banningthose machines would nearlyhalve itsrevenue in Louisiana, which would make it unprofitable and unable to subsidize horse racing in the form of purses. It originally asked for apublic subsidy of around $20 million but reduced thatconsiderably in later negotiations. The companydidn’tget
I’ve served on the zoning commissionand planning commission for close to seven years,” he said. “I actually livehere.”
Residentsopposechanges
For both rezoning applications,the commission recommended 5-1torezone the site to heavy industrial,with Commission-
er MaxNasser abstaining. Ahandful of residents from the west bank spoke against the application.
AshleyGaignard, the founder of Rural Roots Louisiana in Donaldsonville, said she wanted to preservethe rural nature of the area and doubted the economic benefits would be seen by nearby
transfer, the website said. Untilthe time of sale,customers can call (800) 9688243 for natural gas emergencies
anysupport from Landry’s administration or from state and local legislators.
On thecontrary,the New Orleans City Council and the state quickly passedmeasures to ensure that zoning restrictions anda historical designation would make it difficult forChurchill Downs to abandonhorseracing and trytosell or redevelop the145-acre Fair Grounds site
Also,Saintsand Pelicans owner Gayle Benson had made it knownshe would be interested in buying Fair Groundsifitcameonthe market in order to preserve itshistoricplace in theannual American horse racing calendar
Several of the races run at the course each year,including the Louisiana Derby, count towardqualifying for the Kentucky Derby andthe other Triple Crown races.
residents
After the first rezoning hearing, Schexnaydresaid he agreed withsome concernsraised by Gaignard “Myparents’ house, it was movedfrom Modeste, so I’m familiar with your area,” he said. “I’m alifelong resident of Ascension Parish.Myparents have hadbusinesses in Donaldsonville, and my father was arepresentative of thewestbankfor 12 years, so you’ve got somebody who does care aboutwhat you’re saying. Ijustalso see… other potentials.
McCall resident Ellen Guillot said she thought thereshould have been betternotice of thehearing for residentsliving near the site.
“Theonly reason why I’m here is because my daughterreceiveda certifiedletterabout this meeting, and her property is adjacent to mine, and Inever received aletter,” she said.
Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher cartwright@theadvocate. com.
Trialdateset for ex-wildlifesecretary
Montoucet accusedin briberyscheme
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
Atrial date has been set for former Louisiana DepartmentofWildlife and FisheriesSecretary Jack Montoucet for his alleged involvement in akickback scheme thatled to hisresignation
Afederal grand jury in Lafayette indicted Montoucet in May, charging him with one count of conspiracytocommit bribery and wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in ascheme to award aLafayette businessman aLDWF contract
Montoucet, 77, pleaded not guilty June 12 andwas released on an unsecured bond.
Federal Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst, of Louisiana’swestern district in Lafayette, on Mondayset Montoucet’s trialdatebefore federal Judge David Joseph for 9a.m. May 11. Montoucet, aformer state legislator from Acadiana, served as LDWF secretary from January 2017 until April 2023, whenheabruptly resigned aday after The Times-Picayune |The Advocate identified him as the high-ranking departmentofficial who signed acontract that implicated himina kickback scheme.
The indictment alleges Montoucet and Dusty Guidry, aYoungsville man andunpaid appointee to the Wildlife and FisheriesCommission, conspired to award astate contract to DGL1,a company run by Lafayettebusinessman
CITY HALL
Continued from page1B
and zoning, transition district andother public meetings
“Fiscally this is just a much, much better option forthe city …instead of essentially paying somebody else’snote on apiece of property that we’ll never own,” Yates said.
The mayor said City Council meetings won’tbe held at the new building for at least60days
Email Patrick SloanTurner at patrick.sloanturner@theadvocate.com.
LOTTERY
MONDAY,JUNE 23, 2025
PICK 3: 9-9-1
PICK 4: 7-6-1-8
PICK 5: 5-3-5-2-3
POWERBALL: 5-25-42-4465 (20) Unofficial notification, keep your tickets billing. Entergy announcedthe sale of its natural gas operations to Delta Utilities in October2023.The deal aligns with Entergy’s“strategic focus on electric utility services,” according to an FAQpageonthe company’swebsite. Entergy will still be able to respond to naturalgas emergencies through the
Email Haley Miller at haley.miller@theadvocate. com.
LIVINGSTON
Continued from page 1B
Leonard Franques,toprovide online educational boating and hunting courses, some of them taken by sportsmen to resolvecitations received from LDWFagents.
In aMay 21 news release, the U.S. Attorney’sOffice allegedthatGuidry“was placed on the (LDWF) commission by andwould take actionsasdirected by Montoucet.”
Fromabout May2020until June 2022, the three menallegedly conspired in akickback schemeinwhichDGL1 wouldallegedly reserve for Montoucet and Guidrysome of the moneyitreceived from those taking the online courses. The indictment alleges $122,508was held as akickback for Montoucet until he completed histerm as LDWF secretary.After Montoucet’s retirement, Franquesand Guidryallegedly were supposed to hire Montoucet and pay hiskickbacks as apurported “signing bonus,” in order to conceal thetrue nature of thefunds.
Franques pleaded guilty in January in aplea deal with federal prosecutors to one felony count of conspiracy to defraud theUnited States. Guidry pleaded guilty in April of 2023 forhis alleged involvement in the LDWF scheme andanother involving the pretrial diversion programinthe 15thJudicial District Attorney’sOffice in Lafayette. Neither hasbeensentenced.
an incentive used to attract newbusinesses to an area. Under the program, abusiness would get an exemption on annual property tax payments,which would allow them to pay smaller amounts to the government if they meet thresholds for jobcreation and economic impact Neighboringparishes, like Ascension andEast BatonRouge, already take advantage of the incentive. APILOT was usedto develop an Amazon fulfillmentcenter at the former CortanaMall site in Baton Rouge. Delatte saidthe parishlost twobusinesses last month because it doesn’thave an established PILOT program that wouldhavehelped providelocal incentives, like lower taxes, to those businesses.
son to the state’s Industrial TaxExemption Program, which is more ironclad and can’tbechanged by parishes.
“With aPILOTyou at least have aseat at the table,”she said.
“Everyone else around us has it;we’reata disadvantage,”hesaid. Lockwood said that usinga PILOT program over othertax incentives would give the parish morepower when making dealswith newbusinesses. She said aPILOT allows the parishtoactually negotiate with acompanyand offer changes in order to close adeal.Thatisincompari-
Once Lockwood has appointees forthe board,she will present them to the Parish Council sometime in the next fewmonths to move forward in the process.
Email Claire Grunewald at claire.grunewald@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Ascension Parish Sheriff BobbyWebre speaks at the announcement of aHyundai steel mill at the PACE Center on March 24inGonzales.
BUSINESS
BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS
Stocks near all-time high, oilprices tumble
U.S. stocks rose towardtheir all-time high on Tuesdayafter oilprices eased furtheronhopes that Israel’swar with Iran will not damage the global flow of crude. The S&P 500climbed 1.1%, followinguponbig gains for stocks across Europe and Asia, afterPresident DonaldTrump said late Monday that Israeland Iran had agreed to a“complete and total ceasefire.” The main measure of Wall Street’s health is back within 0.8% of its record set in Februaryafter falling roughly 20% below duringthe spring.
The Dow JonesIndustrial Averagejumped 507points, or 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.4%.
The strongestaction was again in the oil market, wherea barrel of benchmark U.S. crude fell 6% to settle at $64.37. Brent crude, the international standard,had asimilar drop The fear throughout theIsrael-Iran conflict has been that it could squeeze the world’ssupplyofoil, which wouldpumpup prices for gasoline and hurt the global economy.
Oilprices beganfalling sharply on Monday after Iran launched what appeared to be alimited retaliatory strike to the United States’entry into the war,one that did nottargetthe production or movementofoil. They kept falling evenafterattacks continued past adeadline to stop hostilities early Tuesday Consumer confidence drops on concerns
U.S. consumer confidence unexpectedly declined in June, underscoring lingering anxiety aboutthe potential impacts on the economy and job market from higher U.S. import duties.
The Conference Board’s gauge of confidence decreased 5.4 points to 93, data showed Tuesday.The figure was below all estimates in aBloomberg survey of economists.
Ameasureofconsumerexpectations for the next six months dropped 4.6 points, as the share of respondents anticipating better business conditions fell by the most in more than two years Thegauge of present conditions fell 6.4 points.
The retreatinconfidence erased nearly half of the prior month’srebound that was due to atemporary agreement between the U.S. and China to roll back extreme tariffs. This month’s retreat suggests consumers will remain guarded about their spending
“In this kind of environment, it’snot surprising that consumersare hesitant to make big purchases,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy FederalCreditUnion, saidinanote. “They are sitting on the sidelines andonly buying homes, cars and appliances if they absolutely must. This is an ‘abundance of caution economy.’
The cutoff date for the Conference Board survey wasJune 18, fivedaysafterIsrael launched aseries of strikes on Iranian targets. References to geopolitics increased only slightly in write-in responses, according to the survey. Tariffs remain top of mind among those surveyed.
Waymo’srobotaxis expand to Atlanta
Waymo’srobotaxis begancarrying passengers through parts of Atlanta on Tuesday in an expansion of apartnership with Uber’sride-hailing service that began earlierthis yearinAustin. The robotaxis willinitially covera65-square-milearea withinthe Atlanta marketbeforeexpanding to alarger stretch.
Waymo’sdriverless march into Atlanta comes just days afterTesla finally launched alimitedrobotaxiserviceinAustin, more thanfive years after CEO Elon Musk promised the electric automaker would quickly overtake Waymo as the leader in autonomous driving technology
Fedratecut on hold,Powellsays
Trump, chairatodds over reductions
BY CHRIS RUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve will continuetowait and see howthe economy evolvesbefore deciding whethertoreduceits key interest rate, Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday,astance directly at odds with President Donald Trump’scalls for immediate cuts.
“For the time being, we are wellpositioned to wait to learnmore about the likely courseofthe economy before considering any
adjustments to our policy stance,” PowellsaidintestimonyTuesday before the House Financial Services Committee.
Several Republicans on the committee pushed Powelltoconsider reducing borrowing costs more quickly,assoon as its next meeting at theend of July.But on the whole,the hearing wasuniformly polite and Powell did not face sharp criticism over theFed’s decision to leave its rate unchanged.
Membersofboth parties thanked Powell for maintaining his focus on the Fed’sdual mission of controlling inflationand supporting maximum employment. Powell hasoften cited hissupport
in Congress as abulwark against Trump’sattacks.
next couple of months before making any changes.
Trump lashed out again early Tuesday, posting on hissocial media site: “I hope Congress really worksthisverydumb, hardheadedperson, over We will be paying for his incompetence for many years to come.”
Several Republicans asked Powellwhy the central bank hasyet to lower borrowing costs. Powellresponded that mosteconomists,inside and outside the Fed, still expect tariffs to push inflation higher,and Fed policymakers want to see what happens over the
“Wedoexpect tariff inflation to show up more,” Powell said. “Wereally don’tknow how much of that’sgoing to be passed throughthe consumer.We have to wait and see.”
Under questioning, Powell acknowledged that tariffs might notpush up inflation as much as economists forecast. That,hesaid,could lead the Fed to reduce rates more quickly. Asharp rise in theunemployment rate could also spur the Fedtocut borrowing costs more quickly,hesaid.
EPAhints at planstoshut down Energy Star offices
BY CALEIGHWELLS Associated Press
TWINSBURG, Ohio WhenJudySautner recently walked into Power Appliance,a store in asoutheastern suburb of Cleveland, she had one goal in mind: replace her daughter’s broken dryerwithsomething that worked and didn’tbreak the bank.
“I wasn’treally worried aboutall the bells and whistles,”said Sautner Jay Buchanan, the store’s owner,said many customers are like Sautner,and what theyare looking for frequently ends up beinganappliancewith the Energy Starsymbol.
The U.S.-based program claims that its blue sealofapprovalonefficientappliances saves households an averageof$450 on their bills per year.Sinceits launch in 1992, Energy Star appliances have alsoprevented 4billionmetric tons of greenhouse gasemissions, the main cause of climate change. Butthe program’sfuture is unclear. The Environmental Protection Agencyhas announcedanagency reorganization planthat would eliminateits Energy Star offices. That would make it more difficult forcustomers to find energy-efficient appliances.
Company must face trialonpirated books
BY MATT O’BRIEN AP technologywriter
In atest case for the artificial intelligenceindustry,a federal judge has ruledthatAIcompany Anthropic didn’t break thelaw by trainingits chatbot Claude on millionsofcopyrighted books. But the companyisstill on the hook and must nowgototrial over how it acquired those books by downloading them fromonline “shadow libraries”ofpirated copies U.S. DistrictJudge William Alsup of SanFranciscosaid in aruling
Energy Star is avoluntary labeling program. The EPAsets energyefficiencystandards for various machines,and then companies that producethemcan trytohit or exceed those standards. If they do, they get theEnergyStarsticker certifyingitworks as well as astandardproduct and usesless energy.
Companies are incentivizedtomake products thatearn that stickerbecause state and local utilityrebate programs, along with federal taxincentives, base qualifying appliances on theprogram.Consumerswho want to save moneythroughincentives andlower gas and electric bills know to look forit. And according to the program’swebsite, roughly 90% of households recognize the symbol. Qualifying specifications varydepending on theappliance,but requirementsinclude theamount of energy consumed whena machine is turnedoff, theinclusion of alowpower or “sleep”modeand aminimum efficiencyrating when it’soperating. Finding andbuying energy-efficient productswithout that certification wouldn’tbe impossible, just difficult,said Elizabeth Hewitt, associate professor of technology andsociety at Stony Brook University
“You have to become areally savvy shopper,”she said. It would mean consumers searching for, say, adishwasher,would have to put together alistofoptions,gather specifications that
filedlate Mondaythatthe AI system’sdistilling from thousandsof writtenworks to be able to produce its own passagesoftextqualifiedas “fair use”under U.S. copyright law because it was “quintessentially transformative.”
“Like any reader aspiring to be awriter,Anthropic’s(AI large language models)trainedupon works not to race ahead and replicateor supplant them —but to turn ahard corner and create something different,” Alsup wrote.
But while dismissing akey claim made by the group of authors who suedthe company for copyright infringement last year,Alsup also said Anthropic muststill go to trial in December over its alleged theft of their works.
come with eachproduct, compare them,and recognize whichnumbers indicate that the dishwasher is energy efficient.
Specifications for awashing machine, for example, might include how many clothes can fit in aload, the gallons of water per load and the electricity required to run acycle, while afurnace’sspecs focus on how good it is at converting energy into heat, how much of that heat leaks andhow well itsfan does at blowing hot air into the house.
Converting all those numbers into asingle seal of approval would be complicated.
“Unless they’re deep into analytics, they’re notgonna freakin’ know,”saidBuchanan.
Buchanan said his customersusually ask forhelp finding energy-efficient appliances. So if that seal of approval disappears, it’ll change his life more than the lives of his customers. He said he’ll have to do the work to figure outwhichappliances will saveon energy bills.
The concern, said Executive Director Ben Stapleton with U.S. Green Building Council California, anonprofit focused on sustainablebuilding,isthatextraset of steps will deter people from prioritizing energy efficiency
“Ifwe’re justrelying on the manufacturer and relying on peopletogothrough the manual to see what the power draw is,it’shard to imagine that being effective,” he said.
“Anthropic had no entitlement to usepirated copies for its central library,” Alsup wrote. Atrio of writers —Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeberand Kirk Wallace Johnson —alleged in their lawsuitlast summer that Anthropic’s practices amounted to “large-scale theft,” and that the company “seeks to profit from strip-mining the humanexpression andingenuity behind each one of those works.” As the case proceeded over the pastyear in San Francisco’sfederal court, documents disclosed in court showed Anthropic’sinternal concerns about the legality of their use of online repositories of pirated works.Sothe companylater shifted itsapproach andattempted to purchase copies of digitized books.
“ThatAnthropic later bought a copy of abook it earlier stoleoff the internet will not absolve it of liabilityfor thetheft but it may affect the extent of statutory damages,” Alsup wrote.
The ruling could set aprecedent for similar lawsuits that have piled up against Anthropic competitor OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT,as well as against Meta Platforms, the parentcompany of Facebook and Instagram. Anthropic —foundedbyexOpenAI leaders in 2021 —has marketeditself as themoreresponsibleand safety-focused developer of generative AI models that can compose emails, summarize documents and interact with people in a natural way
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Obituaries
Claus,Bodo
Bodo Claus passed away peacefully at home on Monday, June 23, 2025 surrounded by his family after abrief illness. He was born in Berlin, Germany and immigrated to America at the age of 19, arriving on Staten Island by shipin his lederhosen, eventually settling in BatonRouge, Louisiana. With only a middle school education, he passed the LSU entrance exam with atranslator and attended the LSU School of Architecture where he met and married the love of his life, Kitty Roy. They attended classes and completed their architecture degrees together then worked alongside each other at their architectural firm, Claus & Claus, AIA Architects, where the project calendar was scheduled around fishing tournaments and summers on the high seas. Together with their three children, they continued this spirit of adventurous living throughout their lives, spending their summers on their beloved boat, the "Good Tidings", exploring the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Keys in every way imaginable. Bodo acquired his love of fresh water fishing from Kitty, which later evolved into apassion for deep sea fishing and his position as President of the Baton Rouge Big Game Fishing Club for 10 years. His wife and children were the only crew he ever needed. Life was aseries of grand family adventures, often quite risky perhaps down right insane, approached with fearless confidence and alust for fun in the sun. No concept was out of reach and all boundaries were gleefully ignored.
Bodo is preceded in death by his soulmate and wife of 59 years, Kitty Roy Claus, and survived by their three children, Heidi Claus, Laura Claus Franks (Michael), and Michael Claus (Sarah), 6grandchildren, Cole Cardenas, Katie Rooney (Alex), Camille Stone (Patrick), Jake Fisher, and Caroline and Bodo Claus, 2great grandchildren, la Achee by (Tom)
He was also precededin death by his parents, Margretand Paul Claus of Berlin, Germany, and his two brothers, Gunter(Leni) and Weiland (Margie), and sister, Mausi (Tom). Bodo adoredhis numerous nieces, nephews,and lifelongfriends,the "Ski Group" turned "Tailgate Crew". Following aprivate service on Friday,June 27th, a celebration of hislifewill be held for friends and family at the home of Heidi Claus, 11131N.Oak Hills ParkwayinBaton Rouge at noon.Inlieuofflowers, memorialdonations would be appreciatedtoSt. James Episcopal Church of
D'AmicoJr., Thomas Charles'Tommy' Thomas (Tommy) CharlesD'Amico, Jr. passedawaypeacefully surrounded by his family at Our Lady of the Lake HospitalonJune 22, 2025at the ageof78years old. He wasborn in NewRoads, LA, and residedinMorganza, LA. most of his life. Tommy retired from Tem Bec Paper Mill after 42 yearsofemployment.He raised horsesand cattle. He was an active cattleman until illness restricted him in 2025. Hewas amechanicand enjoyed working on his equipment.Tommyloved riding on the levee with his dog, T-Boy to checkhis cattle. He was the proud husband of Linda DayriesD'Amico, and cherished their 55 yearsof marriage.Heleavesbehind his cherishDaughter, Cherie D'AmicoReich,Sonin-Law,DaleReich; Son, Jeremy D'Amico,Daughterin-Law Bridget SmallD'Amico; Sisters, Helen Jarreau, Mary Neil; Grandchildren, AustinDaleReich,Brodie Charles Reich, Bella Dale Reich, KristianPaige Westbrook,Madison D'Amico Murry,Cade; Great Grandchild,BrynnleighPaige Murry;Special Friend, Kevin Belizeard. Hisfive grandchildrenwerespecial to him and he leftthem with many memories.He was closetohis cousins, nephews, and nieces throughout his life and valued their relationships Tommy was precededin death by his parents, Parents Thomasand Iola D'Amico, Sister Antoinette LeBlanc, Brothers in Law Huey Dayries, Gerald Jarreau, Larry LeBlanc, Grandparents,Phillip and Antonia D'Amico, Walter and Leah Webre. Avisitation willbe held at Niland's Funeral Home in New Roads on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 from 6pmuntil 8pm. and on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 from 8amuntil 10:30 am. AMassofChristian Burial willbeheldat11am at St.Ann'sCatholic ChurchinMorganza, wherehewas alongtime member. The services will be conductedbyRev.Babu Vareeth and the entombment willbeheld in the church mausoleum. Pallbearers willbeKevin Belizeard,John Curtis Dayries, Gerald Jarreau, DamianJarreau, Daniel Langlois,Paul LeBlanc, Dr. Brian LeBlanc, Kelly Rivet Caleb Vavasseur;Honorary pallbearerswillbeJohn Beaty, LarryBueche, John Cannon, GreenDavis,GeraldGrantham, Joshua Grantham, Michael Hebert, Willie Hess,Bobby Jarreau, Simon Landry, Allie Webre. Aspecial thankyou to Dr. Gerald Miletello, Nurse Kim and his stafffor theirmany yearsofexcellent care and to Dr. Brian LeBlanc for all
Garrido,Louis Alberto
Louis Alberto Garrido age100, passed peacefully on June 18, 2025, surrounded by his loving family BorninColombia S.A., he earnedhis Civiland Structural Engineering degree fromLSU in 1957 and retiredin1989 as Chief Bridge Design Engineer for theLouisiana Department of Transportation and Development. He later managed an engineering firm in Tampabefore returning to Baton Rouge.A devoted husband, father, grandfather,and great-grandfather,Louis was known for his kind spirit,disciplined nature, wisdom, and joyful presence. He was alongtime member of Our Lady of Mercy Church, lovedsalsa dancing,LSU football storytelling, and time with family.Heissurvivedby his wife Gloria of 65 years; childrenLuisGarridoand Angelina (Bobby) Hamilton; twograndchildren Blake (Naomi) Marretta and Olivia (Brendan) Jones; sixgreat-grandchildren Paul, Eva, Beatrice ElizabethMarretta, Liam and "baby to come" Jones. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings. Visitation at Our Ladyof Mercy Church, 445 MarquetteAve.,Baton Rouge, LA willbeheldonFriday, July11from 9:30 a.m. until serviceat10:30 a.m. Inurnment willfollow at the OLOM GardenofPeace Columbarium. Friends and family are invited to an informal receptionatthe Hamiltonhome immediately following.
Erick James Gilmore was bornonNovember 24, 1981 in B.R.,LAtoMarie Gilmore and A. J. Ward. He passed away on Saturday, June 14, 2025 in Houston, TX whereheresided. Visitation Thursday, June 26, 2025, NewGideon B.C., 2552 BalisDr.,B.R LA from 9:00 am until religious service at 11:00 am. Interment Louisiana National Cemetery Zachary, LA.Rev SamuelLofton, officiating ServicesEntrustedtoHall Davis and SonFuneralServices.
Visitation forGlenn An‐thony Goudeauwillbeheld from2:30to5:30p.m Fri‐day,June 27, 2025 by MelanconFuneralHomeat Kilpatrick’sRose-NeathFu‐neral Home,334 Acton RoadinMarksville. Afu‐neral servicewillimmedi‐ately follow at thefuneral homebeginning at 5:30 p.m.A "Glenn Goudeaustyle CelebrationofLife", including live music, din‐ner,and “drinky-poos”will followatthe home of Jacques andMelissa Goudeau.Inurnment will takeplace at alater date in St. Joseph Cemetery #2 in Marksville. Arrangements are under thedirection of MelanconFuneralHome, Bunkie.Mr. Glenn, 86, of Marksville, Louisiana, died peacefullyonJune 21, 2025 inBaton Rouge. Glennwas borninCottonportin1939 Hemarried Priscilla“Jo Morgan, of Alexandria, Louisiana,onMay 11, 1974 atSt. FrancisXavierCathe‐dral, andsettled in Marksvillefor theremain‐der of hislife. Glennwas raisedon(andin) thebay‐ous of Cottonport. He grad‐uated from St.Mary’sAs‐sumption gradeschool and thenCottonportHigh School in 1957. He gradu‐atedfromLSU BatonRouge inIndustrialTechnology in 1961, andservedinthe Na‐tionalGuard as aPrivate First Classfrom1961 to 1967. Glennreturnedfrom college to Cottonportto workathis family’s amusement companyfor 50years,whenheretired in2011. During that time, heskillfully managedthe company throughmany hurdles,especially in weatheringthe recession ofthe 1980’sbyrestructur‐ing thebusiness. When the 50-employee tobacco and amusement companywas downtoonly13, he risked everythingin1990 to save itbyinvesting in adiffer‐ent direction, videopoker His earlyand aggressive entry into thenew andun‐provenindustryproved successful, as thecom‐panystill operates 35 years later andwillforever be the firstcompany in Louisiana to turn on video poker machines.His career was neversolelyabout work, though,asservice to community waspara‐mount to Glenn. He wasa foundingmemberof: Grand Lake Rodand Gun Club, AvoyellesCountry Club, LesTheatre DesBon Temps,AvoyellesEn‐tourage (Wagon Master), AvoyellesEducation Foun‐dation, AvoyellesPublic Charter School,Avoyelles Early Childhood Develop‐mentCenterand FirstTee Avoyelles. In allofthese, hewasn’tsimplya board memberattendingmeet‐ings. He putinthe work, blood,sweat,tears,(and often hispersonalmoney) toget theorganizations off the ground andopera‐tional. He also served as President of theCottonport Service Club,Cottonport JayceeChapter,and the MarksvilleHighQuarter‐backClub. Always avision‐ary,and oftentoo far ahead of histime, Glenn had avisionfor qualityed‐ucation in AvoyellesParish going back to the1970s and 1980s whenheunsuc‐cessfully ranfor represen‐tativeand school board. It wasn’tuntil 1998 that he began to gain traction with hisvisionfor qualityedu‐
cation from birththrough 12thgrade,bybuilding great teamsthathelped him follow throughwith foundingAvoyellesPublic Charter School andthe AvoyellesEarly Childhood Development Center.He didn’trelax in retirement Around 2015, Glennbegan working to modernize AvoyellesParishgovern‐mentbyrestructuring it fromonlytwo branches of governmentintothree, which is more typicalof federal,state,and local governments across the UnitedStates. He setupta‐blesatvarious locations throughoutthe parish and spoke to anyone who would listen to buildsup‐portfor theeffort. It took years of starts,stops,per‐sistenceand determina‐tion, butin2024 enough signatureswerecollected ona petition.Heeventually evenhad to go to courtto see theinitiativethrough Finally,after 10 yearsof timeand energy expended itwillbeonthe ballot for voterslater this year.Early inlife, Glennlearned the art of conversation grow‐ing up in hisdad’s general store in therural Dora Bendarea, between Cot‐tonport andEvergreen.As a boy, he spokewiththe local farmers andpeople who wouldcomeintothe store,and later, themen who came fora drinkinthe bar.Thatskill served him wellthroughoutlife, as he looked at everystrangeras anopportunity to con‐verse,and perhapslearn something new, make a businessconnection, share a laugh, andjustmaybe, makea “new best friend.” One of thosenew best friends washis beloved wife, Jo,who remained to‐getherthroughouttheir lives andweremarried for 50years.Theymet at the Briar Patchwhile on adou‐ble date,and danced the night away together be‐cause theirdates didn’t wanttodance.Together, theyembracedlifetoan extentweall dreamof, but few ever do.Theyloved great restaurants, great bars, greatmusic,and great times. He didn’t mind breakingsocialnorms,and would oftenwanderinto the kitchentostart acon‐versation with thechef while dining out. When
they weren’tout celebrat‐ing,theyoften threwleg‐endarydinnerparties at home. Glennwas also known to be an outstand‐ing cook.Moreofa “camp man”thana hunter,he loved cookingbig meals duringhuntingseasonor for Sunday lunchwiththe family. He couldbaketoo and oftenmadewonderful homemadebread and beignetsfor hisgrandkids, whomhecherished dearly Sodearly, in fact, that they asked fora blueberry bush and insteadheplanted an entirefruit orchardwhen hewas 82 yearsold.He was abeloved familyman tohis wife,sons, andsib‐lings,and wasalways passing alonglifelessons and wordsofwisdom. Any‐one who knew Glennknew heexpectedquality work and effort from everyone; hewas driven,demanding but also fair, andoften wentout of hisway to qui‐etlyhelpfriends,family, employees,orwhomever whentheyneeded help the most. He also expected those around himtotreat everyoneequally and fairly. He cherishedhis em‐ployees,who were more likefamilytohim.Remark‐ably, Glennwas diagnosed withdyslexiawhile in his 30s. Duetogeneral lack of awareness andremaining undiagnosed,hestruggled withreading andtest-tak‐ing hisentirechildhood and earlyadult life.His doctorwas surprisedto learn he finished college. Everthe businessman, he spent most of hiscommu‐nityefforts where society would seethe greatest benefitfor hisinvestment oftimeand money: namely intothe betterment of chil‐drenand theireducation Hevehementlybelieved thatevery childcould learn,and if they weren’t there wasa reason.Glenn was predeceasedbyhis parents,Leonard Joseph Goudeau andMamie Chatelain Goudeau; his brother Stuart Leonard Goudeau,Sr.;and his beloved wife Priscilla “Jo” MorganGoudeau.Those lefttocherish hismemory include hissister, Cheryl Goudeau of Metairie;his two sons,BeauGoudeau of Lafayette andJacques Goudeau andwife, Melissa SmithGoudeau of
Gilmore,Erick James
Marksville andhis four grandchildren,Andre and Henri GoudeauofLafayette and Remy andJolie Goudeau of Marksville.All childrencan learntoread, and dyslexia is most treat‐ablewhendiscoveredearly inlife. It is estimatedthat 15% of allschoolchildren havedyslexia, anditrepre‐sents thevastmajorityof all learning disabilities. Early diagnosisisalways important.Because of in‐urnment at alater date,in‐stead of flowers, Glenn would have preferreddo‐nations to offerfreediag‐nosis andtreatment of dyslexiainAvoyelles Parish. Donationstothis effort canbemadein memoryofGlenn Goudeau tothe “Avoyelles Education Foundation,”and sent to the foundation account heldatthe Central Louisiana Community Foundation, P.O. Box7432 Alexandria, LA,71306. All funds will go to treat dyslexiainAvoyelles Parish. http://www.mel anconfunerals.com
Patricia "Pat" Puderer Decell Irwin passed away peacefully at her home on Monday, June 23, 2025,at the age of 91. Pat was born on August 4, 1933, in Natchez, Mississippi to Patrick Puderer and Alyce Barland Puderer. It wasin Natchez that she met and married Ralph Clark ("Mickey")Decell in 1953 They welcomed their first 5 children in Natchez before relocating to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1960, where they had 4more children AfterMickey's premature death in 1984, Pat married George Irwin in 1992. The Decell family was blessed to have had George in the family for 24 years before hispassing in 2016 and will forever cherish having had two amazing father figures in their lives. Pat did not passively watch life go by She fullyembraced time with family, traveling, watching pretty much all sports, particularly professional tennis and golf, and attending live theater and symphony performances. We're not sure how she found the time to learn to cook while raising 9kids but thank God she did. She blessed her family, friends, and the St. George Church community with her amazing food, most notably her famousseafood gumbo At one point in her life, she prepared and froze her gumboand other delicious entrees, and sold them from her home, along with her gifted calligraphy work, through her business called, "Pat Decell's Pots and Pens". Pat was a longtime active member of Al-Anon, where she learned to lovingly detach from the potentially crippling grasp this disease can have on family members.Many yearsafterseveral ofher family members became sober, she continued to practice the principles of Al-Anon in all areas of her life. This brought her much peace and serenity to deal with the many other trials she would face, including the deaths of two husbands and two sons.By practicing her strong faith in God and the principles of Al-Anon, Pat was awonderful example to so many of howtolive life with Love, Grace andAcceptance. Pat was preceded in death by her parents; both of her loving husbands; her sons, Ralph C. Decell, Jr. and Drew Decell; adaughter-in-law, Karen Cline Decell; agrandson Blake Foreman; agreatgrandson, Clark David Decell; and her sister, Mary Estelle ("Stella") SanguinettiofNatchez. Pat is survived by seven children; Don (Kay) Decell Anne Decell,Steve (Becky) Decell, Keith (Lauri) Decell, Kay (David) Foreman, Louis Decell, and Mary (Richard) Joseph; three daughters-in -law, Darlene White Decell, Sherry Furnish Decell and Kay Roach Decell; and three stepchildren, Cindy (Terry) Boudreaux, Timothy (Maria) Irwin and Allison (David Keith) Smith. She is survived by sixteen grandchildren, Jennifer (Brandon) Istre, Ryan (Melissa) Decell, Heather Decell, Amy Decell, Courtney (Roger) Clement, Lacey (Shaun) Bruce, Matthew (Kristen) Decell, Hunter (Amanda)Decell Chelsea (Scott) Nichols Brandon (Amy Lynn) Foreman, Elizabeth (Collin) Webster, WillForeman, Max Decell, Mickey Decell, Caroline (Jayme)Taylor, d h l h d
and Rachel Joseph;and eight step-grandchildren, Andre (Megan) Boudreaux, Renee(Robert) Arroyo Amelia (Kevin) Goding, Gabriella (Jacob) Pugh, Antonina (Kyle) Wilson,Giulia Irwin, David(Lauren) Smith and ChristopherSmith. Sheisalsosurvived by twenty-threegreat-grandchildren, elevenstepgreat -grandchildren, and one great-great granddaughter. Pallbearerswill be her grandsons. Avisitation willbeheldSaturday, June 28, 2025, at St. George CatholicChurch, 7808 St. George Dr Baton Rouge from 9:00 am until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00am. The Rev. Paul Yi andthe Rev. JonKoehler willofficiate. Entombment will be in the St. George CatholicChurchMausoleum. Areception will followinthe KleinpeterActivity Centernextdoor to the sanctuary. In lieu of flowers, memorial donationsmay be made to St Joseph Hospice,St. George CatholicChurch, or acharity of your choice. TheDecell family wishes to extendtheir most sincere thanks to Terri "Dimple" Owens,Lynette Sharper and Julie Jenkins fortheir lovingcareprovided to Pat over the past year, or so. We also wouldlike to thankSt. Joseph'sHospice forthe wonderful services provided to her and the entirefamily.
Shyam"Sam" Iyer passedawayonSunday, June 22, 2025,inBaton Rouge, Louisiana, at the age of 81. He was bornon January 24, 1944, in Mumbai, India,toParameshwaran and Bhaghirathi Iyer.Sam graduated from Missouri University of Scienceand Technology in Rolla,Missouri with aMasters in chemical engineering,which led himtoa devoted career at Albemarle Corporationasa chemical engineer. Samhad alove of musicand cherished the time spent with hisfamily and friends. He took particular joyinplaying with his grandchildrenand participated actively in family gatherings,spending alot of quality time with his brothers. Aregular at the YMCA,heembracedanactive lifestylethat reflected his vibrant spirit. Additionally,hewas known for his quiet wisdom, drywit and deep love forhis family. He is survived by hisdaughter, Sarita Evans (Darren); son,SureshIyer(Ramya);; sisters-in-laws, NinaIyer and Soni Iyer;his cherished grandchildren, Vikram Evans, Meena Evans, Anika Iyer, and Anya Iyer; and many nieces and nephews. Shyamwas precededin death by his spouse of 39 years, Sita Iyer; hisparents,Parameshwaranand Bhaghirathi Iyer; and his siblings, Janaki R. Sharma, Rami Iyer, and Mani Iyer. Visitationwillbeheldat ResthavenGardens of Memory& Funeral Home in Baton Rouge onFriday June 27, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, followed by a
Funeral Service from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM for immediatefamily
Johnson Jr., Raymond 'Ray
Raymond“Ray” John‐son,Jr. departed this life onTuesday,June 17, 2025 atThibodaux Regional Medical Center.Hewas 58 a native andresidentof Napoleonville,LA. Visita‐tiononWednesday,June 25, 2025, at Williams & SouthallFuneralHome from2:00pmto4:00pm. VisitationonThursday June 26, 2025, at St.Bene‐dictthe Moor Catholic Church from 9:00 am to MassofChristian Burial at 11:00 am.Burialinthe church cemetery.Arrange‐ments by Williams & SouthallFuneralHome, 5414 Hwy. 1, Napoleonville, LA70390, (985) 369-7231. To signthe guestbook or offercondolences,visit our website at www.william sandsouthallfuneralhome. com.
Kontos, Theresa Wilkerson
TheresaWilkerson Kontos (75) passedaway peacefully on June 20, 2025 in Tallahassee,Florida. She wasborn on August 31, 1949 in Orlando, Floridato parents Rudolph "Rudy" Wilkerson and Aletha Doke Wilkerson and her 9older siblings.Theresa attended Leon High School prior to attending FloridaState University.She would later graduatewith her Masters in Marriageand Family Therapyand beginher career as alicensed therapist,remaining steadfast in her workuntil just days prior to her passing.Theresa receivedgreat respect fromthe community for her ground-breaking work with individuals andfamilies facedwith family systems crises. Her passion formental health awareness and treatment touched every aspect of her life
Theresamarriedher husband, The Reverend GeorgeD.Kontos, in Savannah, Georgia on August 15, 1970 and wouldeventuallycallvarious placesand parishes across Georgia, Floridaand Louisiana their home throughout his nearly 50 years of ministry prior to his passing in 2014. At that time she movedfrom BatonRouge back to Tallahasseetobecloser to her childrenand grandchildren Theresa's faith was her anchor. Whenshe wasn't raising her family or serving others through her workand ministries,she was passionate about cooking,fishing,any beach and everything family She embraced theKontosgreek heritageasher own. Survivorsincludeher
belovedchildren, Elizabeth Hightower (Hilton), Anastasia "Tassie"Sheridan (Mike) and Jimmy Kontos (Ashley);grandchildren Sophia, Avaand Lily Hightower and Georgeand William Kontos, and AmeliaSheridan. She is also survivedbyher siblings, Bob and TomWilkerson and Margaret Androff alongwith ahostofextendedfamily members whom she loveddearly. Theresaalso leavesbehind many friends, colleagues and clientswhom she impacted greatly throughout her career. Amemorial service will be held at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church of TallahasseeonFriday, June 27 at 10:00am. Areception willbeheldinthe parish hall at Holy Comforter following theservice. In lieu of flowers,memorial contributions may be madeto The Trevor Project at give.thetrevorproject.org The Trevor Project:This nonprofitis"theworld's largestsuicide prevention and crisis intervention organizationfor LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,queer, and questioning) youngpeople, according to its website. Donations help fund its free-to-use, 24/7 crisisservices includinga hotline and text line,aswellas training for volunteersand worktocreate laws to protect youngLGBTQ people Breanna Green of Bevis Funeral Home (850-3852193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting thefamily with their arrangements
Floral Marjorie Shirley
“Penny” Lanier passed awaySaturday, May24, 2025, in TheButterflyWing ofthe HospiceofBaton Rouge at theage of 93 BornonDecember21, 1931, inMeridian, Mississippi she wasthe fifthchild in a familyofsix children born toAndrewEugeneShirley, Srand FloraGradieStrange Shirley.She wasa beloved mother,aunt,Mimi, Great
Grandma Penny, and friend. Beinga womanof great determinationall her lifeand educated in book‐keeping, sheheldjobs through theyears that werea credit to hertal‐ents. Everyone who knew her celebrated heractive mindand enjoyedher feistyspirit. Shetotally en‐joyed familygatherings and sharingher delicious cookingand baking.She delighted in allthingsgar‐dening, LSUsports, and shopping. Sheissurvived byher devotedchildren, JeffPennington(Lynn) and daughter, Marjorie Pen‐nington;grandson, James Pennington; step grand‐son,Michael Kern (Debo‐rah)and four great-grand‐children, Logan, Owen, Evan, andGavin Kern whomshe lovingly called hergreat grandbabies” Alsosurviving is onesister, GlendaWilkinson of Lucedale, Mississippi,and several nieces and nephews,friends,and ex‐tendedfamilywho will cherish hermemory. In ad‐ditiontoher parents, sheis precededindeath by her siblings, Irma,Vera, Dorothy,and Andrew Eu‐gene, Jr.“Sonny”.Alsopre‐cedingher in deathwas her husband, Jack Penning‐ton.The familywishesto extendheartfelt thanks to the entire staff of Land‐markSouth andthe Hos‐piceofBaton Rouge, But‐terflyWing. Therewillbea celebration of life forfam‐ily andfriends,ata later date. Church FuneralSer‐vices entrustedwith arrangements.
Huey Vincent Martinez, Sr.was born to Anthony andVirginia Ruiz Martinez on January 22, 1935, and peacefully enteredeternal rest on June 22, 2025, at his home surrounded by his loving familyatthe age of 90. He was born at Belle AllianceinDonaldsonville,LA andwas theninthof twelve children. Huey served in theUSNavy in hisyoungeryears, thenhe marriedthe love of hislife on February 18, 1962, Delores"Peach"Ruth
Williams Martinezand moved to Bayou Sorrel wheretheyraised their threesons, Huey "Tugar", Jr., Michael andClint.Together they started and ran theircrawfish business Huey'sSeafood for 50 years untilhis retirement when his youngestson took over to continuehis legacy. Hueyloved running hisdogs, rabbit hunting with familyand friends, camping on hishouseboat in thespillway andriding in his1928 ModelA,and dancing at familyweddings. He wasfamous for hissuper high kicks and telling jokes. Visitation will be held at Wilbert Funeral Home, Plaquemine on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 8:30am to 12pm with Mass of Christian Burial at St.Johnthe Evangelist Catholic Church,Plaquemineat1pm. Entombment will follow at GraceMemorial Park, Plaquemine Huey is survived by his wife of 63 years, Delores "Peach"Martinez; children,Huey"Tugar" Martinez, Jr.and wife Tammy, Michael Martinezand wife Christine,and Clint Martinezand wife Tonya; grandchildren, TrentMartinezand wife Chasity, WadeMartinezand wife Crystal, Brooke Martinez, Brandon Martinezand wife Casey, Haylie Martinez Alskafy and husbandAhmad, Hannah MartinezMajor andhusbandCody, Michael Martinezand wife Cannon, Brooklyn James, ErinMartinezRandazzo andhusbandColbey, and HarleyJames; great grandchildren, Madison, Brady, Isabella, Lillian,MJ, Trevyn, Bennett, Cale,Briar, Nora, Vivian,Lennon, Layla,
working life,through employer-provided benefits.When those benefits endwithretirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock,leading people to put off or even go without care
Simply put— without dentalinsurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.
Medicare doesn’tpay for dental care.1
That’sright. As good as Medicare is, it wasnever meanttocovereverything. Thatmeans if you wantprotection,you need to purchase individual insurance.
Early detection canprevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.
The best waytopreventlarge dental bills is preventivecare. TheAmerican Dental Association recommends checkups twice ayear.
Irwin,Patricia Puderer Decell 'Pat'
Lanier,FloralMarjorie Shirley'Penny'
Iyer, Shyam 'Sam'
Martinez, Huey Vincent
We have tracked the gains in Louisiana students’ educational achievement with asense of pride, noting how the statebecameastandout across the nation in fourth gradereading scores afterthe pandemic. We have lauded the evidence-based strategieslaid outbySuperintendent of Education CadeBrumleyand others that focus on basics and emphasize increased support for those lagging behind. But there is agroup that is notbenefiting from this rising tide. And those are students whoare chronicallyabsent from school. We arepleased to see that the state is addressing this problem with anew program called “Power of Presence” thatseeks to reduce chronic absenteeismby2% each year.Ifsuccessful, that would mean 45,000 more children regularlyattending school by the 2027-28 school year The initiative gives districtsguidelinesto boost attendance using simple strategiesfor prevention and intervention at thecommunity level —actions like sending notes home aftera student has several absences andsitting down with at-risk students to work on solutions. It was piloted fortwo years byBakerHigh School, which saw its share of chronically absent students decline by 13 percentage points That’s impressive, and we hope it will work in other schools. Louisiana, forall its education success in recent years,is oneofthe few states that has seen an uptick in chronic absenteeism. Last year,nearly1in4studentswere classified as chronically absent, up threepercentage points from the previous year,statedatashows. Bringingthese studentsback to the classroom on aconsistent basis is key to our continued educational success. We are glad to seethatstate leaders are not simply resting on their laurels and instead are constantly seekingout ways to serve our students well. High rates of absenteeism and truancy can lead to lower test scores and put students on apath that ends up in the criminal justice system, studies show The“Power of Presence” guidelinesgive districts aframework they can use to attack the problem by engaging with studentsand parents, not just punishing them. Andwhile no district is required to use the guidelines, state officials say they will be actively working with districts facing high rates of absenteeism. It alsohelps putdistricts on the same page when it comes to tracking absences, using the samecriteria on when to label absences excused or unexcused. This uniformity should help the stateidentify where problems are most acute We cannot highlight thework of the state Department of Education enough. Brumleyand his team are showing daily what adifferenceit makes to have competent leadershiplaser-focusedonsolving issues ourstate hasstruggled with for decades. Toooften in Louisiana,weresign ourselvestobelievingthat this is just how it is, change will never come. That’s onelesson we need to unlearn.
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OPINION
Former governor’s forum asuccess
The citizens of St. George should consider giving back to their community before breaking from it Republican St.George voters believe passing theschool bill will address the issue of poor-qualityeducation in Baton Rouge. However,anew school district will have detrimental fiscal impact on theEast Baton Rouge School District and could separate students from schools they are familiar with. This would harm alarger portion of Louisiana’seducation system
The separation of St. George from the EBR school system would only worsen thelack of educational support. This directly contradicts St.George’sclaimed goal of improving educational outcomes for students.The estimated $60 million in legacy costs is just one potential example of the negative impact thenew district would have on EBRschools If St. George is concerned about the declining stateoflocal schools and infrastructure, anew district would only deepen that decline. Similarly,residents of St. George
Steve Cochran’sguest columnonthe
Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion
nailed thereasons why Gov.Jeff Landry is attempting to stop this project.It appears Landry is more interested in moving the funding for thediversion to his projectsand their contractors, rather than implementing the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan Imagine the“good will” Landry will generatefor himself by awarding billions of dollars in construction contracts. The Louisiana Coastal Master Plan,developed by thestate’sown Coastal Protection andRestoration Authority,isanchored in 20 years of science-based research. The plan was
would be effectively cut off from EBR’s schools, including schools that students and families are already familiar with.
StateRep.Edmond Jordan,aDemocraticrepresentative in District 29, and many others in EBR oppose crossdistrict enrollment into popular magnet schools like Baton Rouge High. If this were allowed, St. George would reallocate funds from East Baton Rouge while benefiting from itsbest schools. Therefore, theEast Baton Rouge School Board could theoretically reject students coming from St. George, isolating them from theschool system. Amove that claims to prioritize studentswould ultimately harm students in bothSt. George and East Baton Rouge. If St. George truly cares abouteducation,itshould invest in improving the community rather than breaking from it. With thefunds it has, it is capable of making apositive difference if it chooses to do so.
LAILA MCCOY Baton Rouge
approved by theArmyCorps of Engineers and supported by three previous governors and by every environmental organization in Louisiana. At this point, we have not heard what makes up Landry’scoastal plan and whether or not it will be developed through atransparentpublic process. We call on our Louisiana legislators to stop Landry from dismantling the Mid-Barataria SedimentDiversion developed by theCoastal Protection and Restoration Authority.How manymore years must Louisiana wait before we begin rebuilding ourcoast?
R. LARRYSCHMIDT NewOrleans
TheMcLeod Lecture Series at McNeese State University recently hosted “Two Governors: Getting Results Against the Odds,” which featured former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Louisiana’sformer Democratic Gov John Bel Edwards, whoshared their experiences and lessons learned from working with legislatures across party lines. This program wasarousing success, and we would like to thank the community forcoming out to support it. We send our heartfelt appreciation to the people and organizations whohelped host and promotethe event in the community: The McNeese Banners Series, led by Dr.Brook Hanemann and Randy Partin, McNeese President Wade Rousse and McNeese Administration fortheir work to produce the program,and McNeese Athletics V.P. Heath Schroyer and his team forhosting the gathering of student athletes with Edwards, and Charlie Baker in his role as president of the NCAA. We very much appreciate the media coverage throughout the state provided by the TimesPicayune |Advocate newspapers. We particularly thank Stephanie Grace, editorial page director and columnist forthe newspapers for serving as program moderator, and Baker and Edwards foraccepting our invitation to come to Lake Charles and giving of their timeand insights so freely
For anyone interested is seeing the program,C-GOV Community Television did an excellent job of videoing the program,and it is now available on their YouTube channel
Thank you to everyone involved!
PAUL HARTMILLER
SARA MCLEOD JUDSON McLeod committee co-chairs
Isaw video of U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla being wrestled out of HomelandSecurity Secretary KristiNoem’snews conference and then forced to the ground. His crime? Padilla was attempting to ask a question. Aquestion! Let me repeat that. AUnited States senator was dragged out of anews conference and forced to theground for attempting to ask aquestion.Why? Isn’tthis why we hold news conferences in this country? To clarify
matters? To ask and answer questions? Is this thefate that awaits U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy if they ever need information from Noem? Iamsick. Ihonestly thought Ilived in theUnited States of America. Do Ineed to stop sending tax money to the IRS and the Department of Revenue? Should Isend it to the Kremlin instead?
ELIZABETH BROOKS Slaughter
To discover and eradicate waste, fraud and abuse, one needs to look no further than 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C. ROSE MARYWILLIAMS Baton Rouge
An exampleoffaith in Iraq
“It’samazing to see people living the Christian faith —and especially when they don’thave to.” That’swhatChaldean Paul Thabet Habib Yousif Al Mekko of Alqosh in Iraq told me during an interview two years ago.Asoft-spoken man, he knew why he and his people werefollowing Christ. They were given an ultimatum by ISIS: Convert or die. So they left their homes, and Bishop Thabet helped lead his people to afuture with Christ, in a church rebuilt.
and sisters in Iraq. We did, after all, have something to do withthe interventions that made their lives worse, creatingthe instability that made the Islamic terrorism that sought to eliminate Christianity in the regionpossible.
Just short of 50, BishopThabet has now died after along illness that had been slowly wearing him down.Hehas been buried near his friend,the Rev Ragheed Aziz Ganni, who was martyred by Islamic extremistsonthe Sunday after Pentecostin2007. It would be appropriate to consider them both icons of freedom.
Iremembertalking withBishop Thabet at the annual Knights of Columbus convention, at which Thabet expressed hisgratitude for global Catholic fraternal organization’shelp in rebuilding the Catholic community in Karamlesh after the ISIS genocide. Of course, that’sthe least American Christians could do for their brothers
What wowed him was our desire to love and serve God, even when it might be abit of amishmash in our minds, hearts, and practice.
Thabet was apriest who pouredhimself out tohis people. But for him, that’sjust what you do.
Sitting with him in ahotel backroom, Iknewhewas prepared in some spiritual way to be martyred. It madesense to himthough, to be ready to give all when called to live in aland where Christianity is necessary,even if not alwayswelcome.
When Iasked Thabet to essentially download his wisdom and experience to us relatively spoiled and untroubled people, he probably thought Iwas silly.But he humored me. He modeled authenticity,albeit not explicitly,but by radiatingitwith his words and demeanor He said that what the genocide did was make clearthat aChristian’sidentity is in Christ and nothing else. So you
“fix your eyes on Christ.Inhis suffering. In his resurrection.” Thabet faced whole new levels of challenges on top of the violence and upheaval of recent years. Butitdidn’tdampen his spirits. “Wecan do it with Christ. We can rebuild. We can face new problems. With Christ. That’sgot to be your vision,”he said. AndThabet wanted me—us —to understand somethingfundamental: He may have prayed in Aramaic and Arabic, and his English might have been sketchy,but we spoke thesame language: Christianity.It’sone the world comes to understand when they see that people believe it so much that they actually live it.
PopeFrancis often talked about how theBeatitudes are the identity cards of Christians. Bishop Thabet, by every testimonyI’ve heard over the years, lived the Beatitudes. If Iwere asked what to put on his tombstone, it might be: “Here are theearthly remains of a Christian.” As Christians do all kinds of non-Christian things, it is good to be reminded theChristian life is still possible. Thanks be to God for Bishop Thabet who reminded us.
Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.
Juneteenth came andwentThursday, but curiously,something seemed to be missing from the annualcelebration: acordialsalute fromthe president of the United States.
Well, sure,you might sayatthis point in ourpolitical history,after all, he’s Donald Trump. Whatdo we expect?The only timeswhen the master of Mar-a-Lago brings up adelicatetopic like America’s troubledracial history is when he can use it to bludgeon Democrats andotherliberals.
But it wasn’tlongago thatTrump regularly made apoint to mark Juneteenth, the holidaythathonorsthe freeing of enslavedAmericansbyhis Republican predecessorAbraham Lincoln. As The NewYorkTimesreported, Trump invokedJuneteenth in each of his first four years as president, before it wasa federalholiday.
It commemorates June 19, 1865, the dayUnion soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Texas, letting themknowtheyhad been legally freed by Lincoln’ssigning of the proclamation two yearsearlier.
Betterlatethannever.Muchbetter.
WhenaskedonThursdayabout Trump’sintentions to mark the holidayinthe traditionalpresidentialmanner, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answeredevasively,“I’mnot tracking his signature on aproclamationtoday.”
Thatwas strange,because by Leavitt’sown admission, Trump hadinthe past week issuedproclamations commemorating Father’sDay,FlagDay andNationalFlagWeek,and the 250thanniversary of the Battle of BunkerHill —noneofwhich areamong the 11 annualfederal holidays. Why does Trump feel differently aboutthe holidaynow?
Without mentioning Juneteenth by name, Trump bellyached on Truth Social:“Toomanynonworking holidays in America. It is costing ourCountry $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep allofthese businessesclosed. The workers don’twantiteither!”
Ah, yes, workers andtheir well-known aversion to paid holidays. He continued: “Soon we’ll enduphaving aholidayfor everyonceworking dayofthe year.It must change if we aregoing to,MAKE AMERICA GREATAGAIN!”
Thatsounds ominous. Is Trump planning to claw back paid holidays fromhard-working government employees?
It occurredtome, as adescendant of freed slaves, thatperhaps Trump simply wants to downgrade ourday of jubilee.
True,back in his first term, Trump lavishly boasted: “I made Juneteenth very famous. It’sactually an important event, it’sanimportant time But nobody hadheardofit. Very fewpeople have heardofit.”(Thatwould be news to the millions of “nobodies” who spent yearseating soul food and pounds of traditional“redcake” to celebrate the day.)
Trump even spoke favorably aboutJuneteenth as afederal holiday, but he didn’tget around to making it officialbeforeheleftoffice. It wasJoe Bidenwho completedthattaskin2021.
Whichmay explain Trump’snewfound hostility to the holiday. Whereas Joe Bidensought to mend the nation’sracial divisions afterthe George Floyd protests, Trump built his revanchist secondpresidencyonthe demonization of diversity
In ordering the bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran, PresidentDonald Trump did the right thing, for theright reason, and at the right time. As usual, some in the major media gotitwrong. The New York Times initially headlined: “U.S Enters WarAgainst Iran.” A Washington Post editorial said: “Trump did not prepare America for his war with Iran.”
theMiddle East, and around the world have died asa direct result of their hate. So many werekilled by their general,Qassim Soleimani. Idecided a long timeago that Iwould not let this happen. It will not continue.”
The U.S. has effectively been at warwith Iran since 1979, when “Iranian students” seized the American EmbassyinTehran and held 52 Americanshostages for 444 days before releasing them, apparently fearing what incomingpresident Ronald Reagan might do. Trump turned that fear into areality. In abrief Saturday night address, thepresident said all of Iran’snuclear capabilities were “obliterated,” though theextent of the damage has not yetbeen confirmed. He then warned any retaliatory strikes on Americans would be met with even more disaster forthe regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei has reportedly retreated to abunker,asdid Adolf Hitler at the end of World WarII.
Addressing the “are we, or are we not at war with Iran,” the presidentsaid: “For 40 years,Iranhas beensaying deathtoAmerica, death to Israel. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off theirlegs, with roadside bombs. That wastheir specialty.Welost over 1,000 people and hundreds of thousandsthroughout
The difference is that Hitler committed suicide fearing capture by the Allies while Khamenei is said to be naming his successorsshould he be killed and is reported to have said he is willingtodie as amartyr.This is another majordifference between the two leaders. The defeat of Hitler squashed Nazism in Germany.Should Khamenei be toppled, it won’tcompletely defeat radical Islamism. That’sbecause it is avirus that does not respond to adiplomatic “vaccine.” Still, the bombing mayhave set back Iran’snuclear bomb capabilities for avery long time, hopefully forever Some feckless European leaders were still pushing the diplomatic track, despite violations by Iran of previous agreements, until thebombing began. Afew still are.
Democrats are talking impeachment again (yawn). They ignore that their Nobel Peace Prize president,Barack Obama, bombed targetsinseven countries during his two terms without congressionalauthorization.
The isolationists have again been isolated. As former Israelidiplomat Yoram Ettinger has correctlystated in his newsletter: “Thewell-intentioned wish of Isolationists to militarily disengage from Islamic terrorism, establish peaceful coexistence, and be preoccupied withthe domestic agenda, must be based on global and Middle Eastreality; not on alternative reality. Thus, since theMuslim Barbary pirates of theearly 19th century,irrespective of U.S. policy,Sunni and ShiiteIslamic terrorism has been determined NOT to disengage from —but to intimidate, terrorize andsubjugate—the ‘infidel’ West, and especially the ‘Great American Satan,’ while establishing Islam as theonly legitimate, divinely ordained religion on earth.”
An act of war is atough decision for any president, but when the world is already at war with Islamic terrorism, there can be no compromise. Failure to have attacked those nuclear sites would have put not only Israel at risk of destruction, but theU.S. in greater peril. Trump’sbold decision to end the talking and act against an evil menace could change the entire dynamic of theMiddle East. Others have tried and failed. Trumpmay have just succeeded.
Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@ tribpub.com
Considerthatuntil recently,the following message could be read on the Army’sofficialwebsite, Army.mil: “Juneteenth is an integralpartofArmy life.Itisa time to reflect on the crucialrolethe Army playedinthe EmancipationProclamation andending segregationinthe U.S.” It calledonreadersto“honorthose who fought andsacrificed to ensure the Constitutionfulfilled its promise to allAmericans.”
As an Army veteran, thatsentiment makes me feel proud.
However, if youGoogle those words today, and clickonthe link in the search results, youreach an errorpage. The Army scrubbedthe message. Why? Perhaps forthe same reason,Trump’s secretaryofdefense orderedArlingtonNational Cemetery to delete webpage memorials of Blacks, Latinosand womenwho defendedour country And the same reason he restoredConfederate names to military basesand dismissedseveral Black generals. It’shardtothink of aholidaybettersuitedtouplift ourmulliganstewofanation thanJuneteenth, when ourarmedforces finally broke the shacklesofa profoundly unjust institution, beginning aprocessofliberationand reconciliationthatwecarry on Sadly,suchhistorical good news is being suppressedtoo oftenintoday’s classrooms andbypolitical opportunists who would ratherbuild unity in their own ranks by turning us against each otherlike so many political interest groups. Some, including ourpresident, it seems,would ratherhide ourtroubledpastthantry to use it to learnhow to work togetherand truly make Americagreat Say,tell me again: What was the U.S. Civil War about?
Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail. com.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI
PresidentDonald Trump speaks with reportersbefore boarding Marine One at the White House on TuesdayinWashington.
Clarence Page
Kathryn Jean Lopez
Cal Thomas
BY RODWALKER Staff writer
The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t wait until the NBA drafttomake their first majormove this offseason. Theydid it on Tuesday,the eve of the draft.
The Pelicans are tradingCJMcCollum,Kelly Olynyk and afuture secondround picktothe Washington Wizards, according to areport by ESPN. In exchange, the Pelicans will receive Jordan Poole, SaddiqBey and this year’sNo. 40 pick in the second round.
McCollum spent 31/2 seasons in NewOrleans after being acquired in atrade with the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. He played in 223 games and averaged21.1 points and 5.0assists with thePelicans. McCollum had one year remaining on his contract at $30.7 million for 2025-26. McCollum is the franchise’sall-time leader in made 3-pointers with 692 He scored 50 points last season against the Wizards, the team he’snow joining.
He is one of just three players in franchise history to score 50 points in agame, joiningAnthony Davis(three times) and Jamal Mashburn. Olynyk was acquired by thePelicans from the Toronto Raptors in February as part of the Brandon Ingram trade. He averaged 10.7 points and5.9 rebounds in his20games with
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
OMAHA, Neb. When Josh Pearson’sfly balltoright field was caught to end the 2024 Chapel Hill regional, LSU found itself at acrossroads.
Yes, theTigershad wontheir seventh nationalchampionship just 12 months earlier,but there were many questions to answer heading into the offseason.
Howwould they replace Tommy White?
With LukeHolman and Gage Jump off to probaseball,who wouldreplacethemat the topofthe rotation?Would Jared Jones and Griffin Herring return?
It’ssafe to say that coach Jay Johnson found the right answers.
Twelve months later,LSU wonanother national championship, securing an eighth title andsecondringinthree years
Sunday at Charles Schwab Field after defeating Coastal Carolina 5-3 in Game 2of theCollege World Series final
“I’msoproud right now,” Johnsonsaid.
“It’snot to be taken for granted being here two years ago. That was special Greatest night of my life.
“This is equal and maybe even tops in someways.
Sunday’swin capped aremarkable first four yearsunderJohnson, whobecame thefastest coach in college baseballhistory to win multiple national championships at the same school.
The latest crowning achievement might
not be the last forLSU under Johnson. LSU’s2023 national championship, unlike this year’steam, was aroster that Johnson mostly inherited. Dylan Crews, TreMorgan, JordanThompson, Cade Beloso, Gavin Dugas, Hayden Travinski, Alex Milazzo and Ty Floyd were champions with Johnson, but players whoprimarily were recruitedbyhis predecessor,Paul Mainieri.
Johnson added the likes of Paul Skenes, Tommy White and Thatcher Hurd out of the transfer portal, but the makeup and core of LSU’sfirst title under the secondyear skipper wasthe opposite of the 2025 team
ä See LSU, page 3C
BY RODWALKER Staff writer
Forty years ago, the Detroit Pistons selected a 22-year-old guard from Natchitoches with the 18th pickofthe NBA draft. It was the beginning of aHallofFamecareer for Joe Dumars, who went on to win NBAtitles as botha player and president of basketballoperationsinthe Motor City Now Dumars, in hisfirst season asNew Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, gets achance to try to duplicate that successasthe main decision-maker,thistime for the NBA team in the state he was born and raised.
Dumars made his first major decisions back in Maywhen he announced thatZionWilliamson would remain the centerpiece of the team and that Willie Green will returnascoach Dumars’ second bigdecision cameTuesday when he traded guard CJ McCollum, center Kelly Olynyk and afuture second-round picktothe WashingtonWizards in exchange for guard Jordan Poole, forward Saddiq Bey andthe No. 40 pick in this year’sdraft. His next moves come Wednesday with the NBA draft, where he’ll add his first new,young pieces What Dumars did Tuesday and what he will do Wednesday and Thursday couldgoalongway in determining the future of ateam comingoff
BY AARON BEARD
It wasn’ta huge risk: With all the cashflowing in college, the number of early entrants to the NBA draft has continued to shrink. This year’s draft starts Wednesday night with itslowesttotal of those prospectsinat least10years.
“Now you can play the long gamea littlebit more,”said Wade,referring to how college players can look at their futures. “Look, Ican get paid thesame I would get paid in the GLeague, the same Iwould get paid on a two-way (contract). Some (college) guys are getting first-round money.” And more money is on theway
It’sbeen four yearssince college athletes were permittedto profit off the useoftheir name, image and likeness(NIL), opening the door for athlete compensation that was once forbidden
by NCAArules.July1marks the official start of revenue sharing where schools can begin directly paying athletes after the $2.8 billion Houseantitrustsettlement. ForWade, thatled to signing former Texas Tech player Darrion Williams after 247Sports’ fifth-ranked transfer withdrew from the draft. “Basically now if you’re an early entryand you’renot atop-20, top-22 pick —where themoney slots —you can pretty much make that in college,” Wade said.
McCollum
Olynyk
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER
Pelicans executivevice president of basketball operations JoeDumars will have twopicks in the first round of Wednesday’sNBA draft.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO Former McNeese State coach Will Wade calls to hisplayers during an NCAATournament game on March20inProvidence, R.I. NBA DRAFT ORDER
Poole
Bey
STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
SU left fielder Derek Curiel makesa running catch against West Virginia to end the seventh inning of Game 2oftheir super regional series on June 8atAlex Box Stadium. Curielisexpected to returnnext season.
LOUISIANA SPORTS HALL OF FAME
Scheuermann walks in father’s shoes
Delgado baseball coach helped save program in 2006
BY LENNY VANGILDER Contributing writer
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.
Joe Scheuermann was a 27-yearold assistant baseball coach at Tulane when he came to Natchitoches in June 1990 to present his father, “Rags,” for induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Curveballs are a part of baseball, and “Rags” delivered a dandy one that night. During his acceptance speech, he announced his retirement as the Delgado Community College baseball coach Thirty-five years after following in his dad’s footsteps on City Park Avenue and with 1,207 victories on his record, Joe Scheuermann will join his dad to become the fourth father-son combination in the LSHOF That culminates with the Class of 2025 induction ceremony in Natchitoches on Saturday.
While most assume it was a done deal that Joe Scheuermann would replace “Rags” at Delgado, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The younger Scheuermann came back to New Orleans and soon met with then-Delgado president James Caillier
“I don’t want to have this job because I’m Rags Scheuermann’s son,” Joe Scheuermann told his future boss. Later that summer, he became the second head coach of what is now the oldest junior-college program in any sport in Louisiana. Joe Scheuermann was preparing for his 16th season at Delgado when his program and the entire city of New Orleans — was dealt a blow from Hurricane Katrina’s devestation.
The Scheuermanns, with their house and campus under water evacuated to New Roads. A few days later, in Baton Rouge, he met with Delgado’s chancellor, Alex Johnson.
With the college in financial straits after a lost semester and significant rebuilding costs, the
message about the spring 2006 season was simple: “We can’t fund it.” The only way to have a season and save the program started three decades earlier by his father — was to raise the money himself.
Scheuermann got that programsaving donation from a longtime supporter and friend, and the task of resuscitating a season — and a ballpark, since Kirsch-Rooney Stadium also had been inundated with several feet of floodwaters — began.
“I was looking at whether I should transfer,” said Kyle Beerbohm, a sophomore on the 2006 team
“We came back late in the fall and helped with cleanup and putting the field together Pitchers were putting up a fence during (batting practice) It was definitely a wild fall and early spring.” Added Scheuermann: “The fact we played the year after Katrina is probably my proudest moment. It would have been easy for Delgado not to have athletics, but it made them realize how important athletics is for the college.”
One year later, the Katrina
freshman class would lead Scheuermann to his first-ever trip to the Junior College World Series, 22 years after “Rags” made his only trip.
“If you ask that ’07 team, they expected to win,”
Sc heu erm an n said. “If you expect to win, you win You can’t hope for anything.” Omaha, Nebraska, is the goal each year for LSU and other NCAA Division I programs. On the NJCAA Division I level, it is Grand Junction, Colorado.
“Once we got to the World Series, people bought into our program,” Scheuermann said. “Your kids remember the experience and they pass it down the line. Our expectations became Grand Junction.”
Delgado rattled off three straight trips to Grand Junction from 2014-16, then returned for a fifth time under Scheuermann in 2023, finishing fifth.
In May 2024, Scheuermann won
his 1,178th game to pass the late Tony Robichaux, a 2022 LSHOF inductee, to become the winningest college coach in Louisiana history That’s not how he sees it, though.
“I broke the junior-college record for wins in Louisiana,” said Scheuermann, who played at Tulane at the same time as Robichaux played at then-USL “Every game I’ve won was at the juniorcollege level. Tony Robichaux did it at the Division I level. That’s not the same.”
On April 13 of this year, Scheuermann registered his latest milestone, career win No. 1,200.
As much as Joe Scheuermann has followed in his father’s footsteps there’s one thing he won’t do go on stage at the Natchitoches Events Center and announce his retirement.
“I get asked all the time, when are you going to get out?” Scheuermann said. “I’m 62, I feel great, I enjoy coaching.
“I remember my dad saying, ‘You’ll know when it’s time.’ I really don’t feel it’s time yet. It’s an occupation, but I do it more for the kids and the school.”
Skenes to face NL’s newest rookie phenom on mound
BY STEVE MEGARGEE
AP sportswriter
MILWAUKEE There’s going to be plenty of hard throwing Wednesday in the first pitching matchup between Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes and Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski.
Just don’t expect too much hard contact.
Skenes, the 2024 NL rookie of the year, didn’t allow a hit the last time he pitched in Milwaukee. Misiorowski doesn’t have Skenes’ track record, but he has given up just one hit over 11 innings in his first two career starts. The 23-year-old flamethrowing right-handers meet as opposing starters for the first time Wednesday at Milwaukee.
“I think it’s going to be really entertaining to watch,” Misiorowski said. “Two really good prospects – I mean, he’s not a prospect anymore, I guess. Two guys that are at the top of their game right now. So I think it’s cool. It’s going to be fun.”
Statcast says Skenes has an average four-seam fastball velocity of 98.1 mph that ranks him behind only Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene (99.3) among starters who have thrown enough pitches to qualify In his first two starts, Misiorowski had an average four-seam fastball velocity of 99.7 mph. While those numbers are similar, Brewers manager Pat Murphy said it’s far too soon to start grouping Misiorowski with Skenes.
“(Skenes is) one of the best in the game,” Murphy said. “Miz is in his third start. It’s unfair to compare them, for sure. Unfair to Skenes, you know what I mean? It should be exciting. Miz is going on
four days rest for the first time.”
But this showcase should give Misiorowski a chance to measure himself against the game’s best.
Skenes indeed has long since graduated from prospect status to solidify himself as one of the game’s top pitchers. The No 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft finished third in the NL Cy Young Award voting last year and has gone 15-9 with a 1.91 ERA and 276 strikeouts over 235 innings in his young career
“It’s like everything just flows off his back,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He never lets anything affect him too much, the way that he’s able to adjust and adapt not just start to start, from inning to inning, batter to batter understanding his stuff, what’s
working and what’s not.” In his two previous appearances against the Brewers, Skenes has struck out 19 while allowing only four hits and one run over 13 innings The last time he pitched at Milwaukee, Skenes pitched seven innings of no-hit ball before departing as the Pirates limited the Brewers to one total hit in a 1-0 victory last July Misiorowski has been equally effective in a significantly smaller sample size. He made his major league debut June 12 and held St. Louis hitless for five innings before departing the Brewers’ 6-0 victory with cramping and his right calf and quadriceps. He threw 14 pitches at least 100 mph and reached a top speed of
Diamondbacks OF Carroll out with a chip fracture
Arizona outfielder Corbin Carroll has a chip fracture in his left wrist and his timeline for a return is unknown, manager Torey Lovullo said.
Lovullo told reporters Monday night after a 10-0 win over the Chicago White Sox that Carroll would “continue to get some opinions just to find out what that official diagnosis means and what the time frame will be.” Carroll hasn’t played since a pitch hit him in the left hand last Wednesday in Toronto X-rays at the time showed no fracture He was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, and outfielder Jake McCarthy was recalled from Triple-A Reno. Carroll is batting .255 with 20 homers and 44 RBIs this season. He was the NL rookie of the year and an All-Star in 2023.
Rangers LHP Bradford to have elbow surgery
Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford will have elbow surgery Wednesday after a setback during his rehab from a left elbow sprain that has kept him out all season.
Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations, said Tuesday that Bradford felt something in his elbow when he resumed throwing after a recent flu bug. He then saw team physician Dr Keith Meister, who will do the surgery
The 27-year-old Bradford is 10-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 34 games (21 starts) for Texas the past two seasons. He was expected to be part of the starting rotation this season, but was shut down during spring training in mid-March because of elbow soreness.
QB Rodgers says ’25 season likely his last
Aaron Rodgers is “pretty sure” the 2025 season will be his last in the NFL, the 41-year-old quarterback said Tuesday
The four-time MVP signed a oneyear deal with Pittsburgh earlier this month after two injury-marred seasons with the New York Jets Rodgers’ base salary is $13.65 million and he could earn up to $19.5 million with incentives, according to Spotrac.
Rodgers agreed to sign with Pittsburgh after regular conversations with coach Mike Tomlin over a few months during the Steelers’ minicamp. On the field, Rodgers hopes to provide stability — at least for one year — for a franchise that has cycled through several quarterbacks since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.
NBA allows $1.5B sale of Timberwolves, Lynx
102.2 that night.
Misiorowski came back Friday and had a perfect game going until he walked Byron Buxton and allowed a homer to Matt Wallner in the seventh inning of a 17-6 triumph at Minnesota. Both teams are eager to see what happens as Misiorowski gets to measure himself against one of the game’s most dominant pitchers in Skenes.
“Good luck to the hitters,” Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff said. “It’s 100 mph every pitch. It’s kind of crazy in terms of how the game has changed that way. It seems like everybody throws 100 now It’s cool. It’s good for the game. It’s two young guys who are obviously really good.”
Although the two pitchers hadn’t met until Monday, Misiorowski nearly preceded Skenes at LSU. Misiorowski committed to LSU but decided to start his pro career after the Brewers selected hm out of Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri, in the second round of the 2022 draft.
One year later, Skenes led LSU to a College World Series title in his lone season with the Tigers. Skenes transferred to LSU after spending two seasons at Air Force. Now, they’re finally in a ballpark together only as opponents rather than teammates.
“We know what Paul can do,” Kelly said. “I’m excited to see their guy out there. It’s going to be a good pitching matchup Just really looking forward to that one.”
The $1.5 billion sale of the Minnesota Timberwolves from Glen Taylor to an investment group led by e-commerce entrepreneur Marc Lore and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez gained NBA approval on Tuesday, finalizing more than four years after the deal was reached. The deal, which is expected to close this week nearly 51 months and more than 1,500 days after the initial agreement, includes the Minnesota Lynx.
The Timberwolves are planning an introductory news conference for Lore and Rodriguez next month in Las Vegas, with Lore as Timberwolves governor and Rodriguez as alternate governor the league announced. For the Lynx, Rodriguez will serve as governor and Lore as alternate governor
Krejcikova gets first-round win at Eastbourne Open
EASTBOURNE, England Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova saved two match points on British opponent Harriet Dart’s serve before rallying to win her opening match Tuesday at the grass-court Eastbourne Open.
Dart was 40-15 up on serve leading 5-4 in the decisive third set of a rain-affected round-of-32 match that second-seeded Krejcikova went on win 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-5.
It was just the second victory this year for the 17th-ranked Krejcikova, whose season didn’t start until May because of a back injury The 29-year-old Czech player came to Eastbourne for her final warmup before beginning the defense of
STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHy
Delgado Community College baseball head coach Joe Scheuermann gives instruction during practice May 18, 2021, at John Ryan Stadium.
Scheuermann
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PAUL SANCyA
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes throws against the Detroit Tigers during a doubleheader on Thursday in Detroit.
Misiorowski
Tigers becomingkingofthe mound
BY ERIC OLSON AP sportswriter
OMAHA, Neb During its rise as anational power in the 1990s, LSU builtits identity on prodigious home run numbers, astyle coined “Gorilla Ball.”
The game changedover the decades, and so did the Tigers. They still have plenty of offense, but pitching is the name of the game on the bayou nowadays.
LSU’spitching prowess was omnipresent in the College World Series as the Tigers wontheir second national championship in three years with atwo-game sweep of Coastal Carolina in the finals.
The Tigers posted aCWSbest 2.60 ERA over five games, and opponents batted .205 and just .145with runners in scoring position
Most Outstanding Player Kade Anderson, who threw athree-hit shutout in Game 1ofthe finals, had an 0.56 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 16 innings over two starts.
Anthony Eyanson turned in astrong start in Sunday’s 5-3 win in Game 2, striking out nine over 61/3 innings.
been pitchers. That includes two of four in 2022, eight of 13 in 2023 and eight of nine in 2024.
Three of the four LSU players listed amongMLB com’stop 85 prospects for next month’sdraft are pitchers. Anderson’sperformances in Omaha could put him in line to be the second No 1overall pick in three years forLSU
The Tigers have maintained consistency on the mound even though they’ve hadthree pitching coaches in four years. The first was Jason Kelly,who left to become head coach at Washington. WesJohnson was in charge in 2023 and left to becomehead coach at Georgia. NateYeskie just finished his second year afterbeing hiredaway from Texas A&M.
Chase Shores made four relief appearances, earned twosavesand retired seven of the Chanticleers’ last eight battersinthe titleclinching win.
that’s three dudes that pitched in the seriesthat are all going to be in themajor leagues within 18 months.”
“If you’re apitcher and youdon’twanttocome here right now,you reout to lunch,” Tigers coach Jay Johnsonsaid. “You’re not thinkingclearly,because
The2023 championship team hadone of themost potent offenses in the countrywith Dylan Crews and Tommy White, but it didn’t overshadowthe pitching staff.
BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer
For the second consecutive season the Las Vegas Aces have gotten off to a slow start.
The team snapped athreegame losing streak Sunday with avictory overIndiana. Las Vegas sits at6-7, arare time they are under .500 since the team came to the Nevada city in 2018. The victory over Caitlin Clark and theFever wasone of their best efforts of the season. (It also was ESPN’sthird mostwatched WNBA regularseason game, averaging 1.7 million viewers.)
Coach BeckyHammon is hoping for more consistency moving forward.
“It’shard to build trust when you’re not consistent. Every day.You gottoshow up. Yougot to be who you are and be the best version of yourself,” she said. “And we haven’tgot that yet. We’ve got it in pieces, which makes me optimistic. And then we have, you know,where we falltopieces, which enrages me. So, you know,wehave to find away to show up and put a40-minutegame together.”
The Aces look to string somewins togethernow with Connecticut and Washington coming to Las Vegas for back-to-backgames this week. The team then goes on afive-game road trip that will go along way to determining where they are heading into the All-Star break Hammon is hoping to get Jewell Loyd going on offense. She’saveraging just 11.4 points this season —her
lowest total since her rookie year in 2015.
Clark’sshootingwoes
Clark isn’tworried about her recent shootingslump over the past two games when she’sgone1-for-17 from behind the 3-point arc.
She’sacareer 35% 3-point shooter,withmany of her shotscoming from waybehind the3-point line.
“I mean, there’sgoingto be stretches that are really good and stretches that aren’tasgood,” shesaid.
“Obviously it’sfrustrating. Youwant them to go in and even tonight there were a fewthat felt really goodoff my hand that just didn’tgo down.”
Clarkhasn’tlostfaith in hershooting.
“The challenge for myself going forward is just continue to pour into every other aspect of thegame and Ican continuetohave an impact in those other areas.”
Earlyvotingreturns
Clark and Napheesa Collier are leading fan AllStar voting through Friday
Three of Clark’s Fever teammates are also in the top10 of the voting that will close Saturday.There have been ahuge numberofvotes cast so far which hasimpressed Clark
“It seems like it’scertainly goingtoset some sort of record for theamountofvotes cast compared to last year, if I’m not mistaken. Ifeel like we’re on track for that,
which just showshow much engagement we’re driving across theleague for all different sortsofplayers and teams,” she said.
“And, you know,that’sexactly what the league needs, is people are excited about that type of stuff and wanting to be involved, feeling like their votereally counts, andfeeling like they can makeanimpact on All-Star Games. So, it’sreally exciting to see, andhopefully as we continue to grow here year after year after year.”
Powerpollrankings
Minnesota leadsthe way as the No. 1team in the power poll with Phoenix moving up to secondafter beating New York last week. The Liberty are third with Seattle fourth. Atlanta, Golden State and LasVegas are the next three. Indiana is eighth. Washington,Los Angeles and Dallas follow the Fever Chicagoand Connecticut round out the poll.
Player of theweek
NnekaOgwumike of Seattle earned Player of the Week honors for the first time this season.The Storm forward averaged 25.7 points,eight rebounds and 2.3 steals to help the team winall threeofits games last week.
Game of theweek
Chicago at LosAngeles, Sunday.The Sparks will retire former star Candace Parker’sjersey
Paul Skenes, theCWS
Most Outstanding Player was the No. 1pick in the MLB amateur draft, right ahead of Crews.
Ty Floyd, theTigers’ No. 2starter,alsowas afirstrounder
Since2022, Johnson’sfirst season at LSU, 18 of the Tigers’ 26 draftpicks have
“He always says he’s coaching us for the player he thinks we’regoing to be ratherthanthe playerwe are right now,” Shores said. “So just holding us to the higher standard just allows us to go outthere andjust work really hard and do our job.” Johnson said he was happy Shores was on the mound
“This was different,”Johnson said. “I mean, the first one was the first one. And Ifelt like in coming here to LSU,I felt like Icould help thatgroup of players in the second year.”
Losing the majority of the starting lineup and the top two starting pitchers proved to be toomuchfor the2024 team. Andwith11 players entering the transfer portal, Johnson had to build this season’steam nearly from scratch.
Only 12 playerswho played in agamein 2024 returnedtothis year’steam. Johnson added13transfers, three junior-college transfers and 10 freshmen to fillout hisroster Froma constructionstandpoint, it was Johnson’sbusiest offseasonsince he took thejob in 2021.
“I knew we had really good players coming back,” Johnsonsaid.“It just wasn’ta lot of volume.”
Despite so manynew faces, LSU won another national championship. On thesurface, going for title No. 9next seasonwon’t be as treacherous, at least from arosterbuilding standpoint
Freshman Derek Curiel, and sophomores Steven Milam and Jake Brownare expected to return next season.Juniors Chris Stanfield andEthan Frey also could return, depending on their draft prospects.
Afew positions in the lineup are open, namely second base and first base,with Daniel Dickinson and Jared Jones offto probaseball. Seniors Luis Hernandez, Pearson and Michael Braswell also create holes at catcher,the outfieldand third base, respectively For most of these questions, Johnson already has found answers. KansasState infielder Seth Dardar and High Point third baseman BraydenSimpson are new additionsout of the transfer portal.
Many of theanswers areonthe roster already.Freshman Cade Arrambide is a natural replacement for Hernandezbehind theplate. Junior Tanner Reaves has another year of eligibility,whether that be at second baseorthird. Sophomore Ashton Larson, after starting as afreshman, could slide intoPearson or Stanfield’srole.
“I’m really proud of the freshman season that (Cade’s) had, andI have greatpeace
whenLSU locked down the championship.The 6-foot8, 252-pound right-hander was aweekend starter to open 2023 andinjuredhis rightarm sixweeksinto theseason.Hehad Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2024 season. He wasthrowing 100 mphashe closed out Coastal Carolina on Sunday “He had to go through the 18-monthrecoveryrehab and persevered through all of that,” Johnson said. “And there’snobody Iwould have ratherhad finish the game tonight for the secondnationalchampionshipthan Chase Shores.” Shores originally pledged to Oklahoma State before flippingtoLSU three years ago. Johnson laid outaplan for him and told him he would make arun at anational championship if he went to LSU. Shores won two.
“Coach Johnson just made me feel wanted,” he said. “He was persistentinthe way he was recruiting me. “Onceyou gettocampus, he keeps recruiting you, because that’sjust the coach he is.I’m really thankful I ended up coming to LSU.”
next
to be aweekend
that that’sthe guy forus,” Johnsonsaid. “And he may end up being the best player in the program next year at somepoint.” Pitching-wise, LSU again is losing its top startersinsophomoreleft-handerKade Anderson and junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson. The difference this season is that the Tigers already have the pieces in place to replace their twoaces. Freshman right-hander Casan Evans was astar all year and junior right-hander Zac Cowancould return. Freshmanrighthander William Schmidt, left-hander Cooper Williams and right-hander Mavrick Rizygive theTigers adeepwellofyouth behind them
That’sbeforementioning juniorrighthander Gavin Guidry and sophomore righthander Deven Sheerin returning from injury,orthe possible return of sophomore right-hander Jaden Noot.
Adding more left-handed pitchers may be apriority,but LSU’s recent track record when it comes to pitching development should makethe Tigers apopular destination forlefties in the portal.
“Ifyou’re apitcher and you don’twant to come here right now,you’re out to lunch,” Johnsonsaid. “You’renot thinking clearly.” Include afreshman class that heading into next month’sdraftisthe No.1 recruiting class in the nation, according to Perfect Game, and the Tigers go into next year as afavorite to win their third national title in four years. And to think this is where LSU would be after an offseason filledwith so many questions.
“Maybe that’swhy I’msoproud of this thing,” Johnson said. “This is acompletely different team.”
STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
LSUpitcher WilliamSchmidtcouldcontend
starter
season.
STAFF PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK
LSU redshirtsophomoreChaseShores pitches against Coastal Carolina in Game 2ofthe theCollegeWorld Series final on Sunday in Omaha, Neb
Las VegasAces guardChelsea Gray shoots over Seattle Stormforward
Clark during the second half of their game Friday in Las Vegas.
NBA
Headedtothe BigD
BY BRIAN MAHONEY AP basketball writer
NEWYORK Cooper Flagg and his Duke teammates were together celebratinga victory over NorthCarolina the night of Feb. 1when one of them saw the newsthat had rocked the basketball world.
The Dallas Mavericks were trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Wejust all startedgoing crazy,” Flagg saidTuesday. “It was such ashock. Like, it wascraziness.”
Now Flagg is set to take Doncic’splaceasthe franchise superstar in Dallas.
Flaggisexpected to be selected by the Mavericks with the No. 1pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night after asensational one-season stopover with the Blue Devils.
Everybody but Flagg seems certain he is the Mavs’ man —“Ihaven’thad that conversation at all,” he insisted —and there’sreally no reason for the team to look otherwise. Flagg was the consensus college player of the year,onlythe fourth freshman to win the Wooden Award after averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds whileleading Duke to the
“I wouldn’t lookatanythingaspressure. Ithink me going into whatever situation Igointo, I’m just going to trytobemyself allthe time and I’m going push myself to be better and better everysingle day.”
COOPERFLAGG,formerDukeforward
Final Four. Alittle more than amonth later,the Mavericks turned just a1.8% chance into a lottery victory,giving them theright to pickfirst for the secondtimeinfranchise history.They brought Flagg in for what he felt was agood workout that lasted more than an hour,though he said they never said he would be their pick.
He’ssurelyone ofthe few who might believe there’s reason to wait until commissioner Adam Silver announcesthe selection at BarclaysCenter in Brooklyn
“I mean, my whole family is in Dallasand they’re stoked to be able to go to Mavs gamesand watchCooper. He’spartofthe family,” said UConn forward Liam McNeeley,Flagg’steammate at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. Flagg’sselection would return the NBA draft to the way it was for so long, with a one-and-donecollegeplayer starting it. Afreshman went
first for 13 straight years from 2010-22 before the past twoNo. 1picks, Victor Wembanyamaand ZaccharieRisacher,were both from France.
TheNo. 2pick could be Wembanyama’steammate, as the Spurs are set to draft at No. 2. Philadelphia, Charlotteand Utah roundout the top five, with NBA champion OklahomaCityholding two first-round selectionsand the Brooklyn Nets owning four It’salreadybeen abusy NBA offseason, with Kevin Durant and Jrue Holiday beingtraded. It’s unlikely the Mavericks would consider trading the rights to Flagg, especially notafter theuproar from their fanswhen they dealt away the beloved Doncic.
The No. 3pick in 2018 from Slovenia led theMavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals and hadbecome aperennial All-Starand MVP candidate. Flagg saidhe’s not concerned about the pressure that would come
PELICANS
Continued from page1C
the Pelicans. Poole, a6-foot-4 guard, is entering his seventh NBA season. He played hisfirst four seasons withthe Golden State Warriors, who he won an NBA titlewith in 2022, and his last two with the Wizards. Poole averaged acareerbest 20.5 points and 4.5 as-
sists this past season. He scored acareer-high 45 points ina losstothe ClevelandCavaliers. Poole also set aWizards’ record for made3-pointers in aseason (235), eclipsing therecord held by Bradley Beal. Poole hastwo years remaining on his deal.Heis set to make $31.8 million this upcoming season and $34million in the 2026-27 season. Bey, a6-7 forward, last
played in an NBA game in the 2023-24 season. He tore his ACL in early 2024 while playing for the Atlanta Hawks. He signed with the WizardsinJulybut didn’t play The Pelicansnow have threepicks in thisyear’s draft, which will be held Wednesday andThursday nights.
In addition to the 40th pick, the Pelicans also have two picks (No. 7and No. 23) in the first round.
NIL
Continued from page1C
It’sall part of aseismic change that has rippled through college athletics since thepandemic,its effect touching the NBA. Players willing to “test the waters” in the draftbefore returning to school now have alucrative option to consider against uncertain proprospects Anditshowsinthe numbers.
“Withall themoney that’sbeing thrown around in NIL, you’re having a lot less players put their namesin,”Detroit Pistons president of basketball operationsTrajan Langdon said.
“You’re having pretty good players pulling their names out.”
Early-entrantdecline
This year’sdrop is significant whencompared to the yearsbeforeanyone had heard of COVID-19. There was aspike of college playersjumping into thedraft in thepandemic’s aftermath, whenthey were granteda free eligibility year to temporarily make even afourth-yearsenior an “early” entrant.
them to analyze: ‘Am I actually ready forthis or not?’ Wheremoney doesn’t have to be the deciding factor. Because if money’sthe deciding factor,that’swhy you seekids not stick. The NBA’s cutthroat. It justis.” The Blue Devils are expected to have three playersselectedinthe first round Wednesday,including presumptive No.1 pick Cooper Flagg alongside top-10 prospects Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. They alsohad players sorting through draft decisions Freshman Isaiah Evans —aslender wing with explosive scoring potential —withdrew instead of chasing first-round status through thedraft process. Incoming transfer Cedric Coward from Washington Staterapidly rose draft boards afterthe combine and remained in the draft.
“There’snosubstituting themoney you’re going to make if you’re atop-15, top-20 pick,” Scheyer said. “Butifyou’renot solidified as afirst-round pick, why risk it whenyou can have asolid year and achance to go up or be in thesame position the following season?”
Reshaped draftpool
with stepping intoDoncic’s shoes.
“I wouldn’tlook at anything as pressure,” Flagg said. “I think me going into whatever situation Igointo, I’mjust going to try to be myself all the time and I’m going push myself to be betterand better every single day and make the mostout of everyday.I’m not worried aboutlivinguptocertain players’ expectations or thingslike that.”
Flagg hasalreadyshown he isn’tafraidofachallenge He could have still been in high school last season, but decided to reclassify so he couldenter college, andsubsequentlythe NBA,ayear earlier
“I think aquote my mom likestosay alot, if you’re thebestplayer in thegym then you need to findanew gym,” he said in explaining that decision. “So for me, it was thinking about what I had left to do in high school, how much thatwould push me to becomea betterplayer “I felt it wastimefor me to kind of gettoanew environment and push myself to higher levels.”
On Wednesday,hereaches thehighestone in basketball.
DUMARS
Continuedfrom page1C
the No. 7overall pick after falling from No. 4toNo. 7 in the lottery.They added theNo. 23 pick in atrade withthe Indiana Pacerslast week. Now they have theNo. 40 pick as well.
ThePelicans should be able to get aquality player with their first pick. Draft analystsrave about the depth of this class. TheDallas Mavericks certainly will take Duke’s Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick, and the San Antonio Spurs almost certainly will choose Rutgersguard Dylan Harper second.
“There are three different tiers,” ESPN draft analyst BobbyMarks said Tuesday during adraft Q&Apanel. “Where Cooper is.Where Dylan Harper is.And then there is agroup of five or six players in that Tier 3, and it’s justa matter of what you like and who you think fits.”
Dumars and senior vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver should have plenty of viable options at No. 7. With Olynyk now gone, DukecenterKhaman Maluach seems like he could fill aneed with bothsize and
Butthosenumbershad fallen as thosefive-year players cycled out of collegebasketball,and they’renow below prepandemic levels.That decline coincides with NIL’s July 2021 arrival, from athletes doing paid appearances or social-media endorsements to boosters forming collectives offering NIL packages amounting to de facto salaries
As aresult:
■ Eighty-two playersappeared on the NBA’s list of early entrants primarilyfromAmericancolleges with asmattering of other teams, down 49% from 2024 (162) and nearly 47% compared to the fouryear average from 2016-19 (153.5);
■ Thirty-two remained after withdrawal deadlines, downfrom 62 last year and 72 from 2016-19;
■ Adding international prospects,109 playersdeclared for thedraft, down from 201 lastyear and 205 from 2016-19;
■ Andonly 46 remained, downfrom 77 in 2024 and 83.8 from 2016-19.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer understands draft dynamics,both for no-doubt headliners and prospects facing lessclarity.Hesees college athletecompensation as a“legitimate gamechanger.”
“Hopefully it allows players to decide what’s truly bestfor their game,” Scheyer said. “Itallows
athleticism. Guards suchas Ace Bailey of Rutgers or Jeremiah Fears of Oklahoma also could be available.
Dumars had this to say when asked abouthis draft philosophy when it comes to best playeravailable vs. fulfilling aroster need:
“I don’tthink youwantto pass on abestplayer,” Dumars said. “But if allthings are equal, then yougofor the need. But if thereisa gap between two players, you’ve got to takethe best player
Youneed acertainamount of talent in this league, so you can’tpass on that talent. Talent in basketball hasmore impact. There are only five peopleout there on thecourt. So that talent gap can make adifference. That’swhy you really want to take the best player.”
Finding thattalentiswhy DumarshiredWeaver.Dumars describes Weaver as “elite” when it comes to evaluating young players. That’snot just at the top of the draft. Back in 2008 when Weaver was in his first season with theOklahoma City Thunder, they drafted Serge Ibaka with the No. 24 overall pick. Ibaka became akey piece on theThunder team thatreached theNBA Finals in 2012. The Pelicans hit on afirst-round pickin
Trajan Langdon, himself aformerDuke first-rounder,sees the evolution, too. The DetroitPistons, which he runs as the president of basketball operations, had their first playoffappearance since 2019 but lack afirst-round selection and ownasingle pick in Thursday’ssecond round.
Fewer candidates could make thealready imperfect science of drafting eventrickier in this new reality
According to theNBA’s 2024-25 rookie scale, a player going midway through the first round would make roughly $3.5 million in first-year salary. That figure would drop to about $2.8 million at pick No.20, $2.3 million at No 25 and $2.1 million with the 30th and final first-round draftee.
Aminimum first-year NBA salary? Roughly $1.2 million.
“These NIL packages are starting to get up to (between $3 million and $6 million),” Langdon said. “These guys arenot going to put their nameintobe the 25th pick, or even the 18th pick. They are going to go back to school in hopes of being alottery pick next year.Withthat pool of players decreasing, it kind of decreasesthe odds of thelevel of player we get at No.37, just the puremathematics.”
the 20s last season, drafting center Yves Missi at No. 21. Missi flourishedand was voted NBAAll-Rookiesecond team.
NBAdraft analyst Jay Bilasbelievesthere couldbe some similargems in this class at No. 23. “It’sapretty deep draft,” Bilassaid during Tuesday’s panel. “Once youget past 8 or 9, there is alot of reasonable disagreement. ‘I like thisbetter or Ilike that better.’ There are alot of things to like about these players.
“But howmany times over the yearshave we had players outside the lottery who turned into All-Stars or truly great players? That’ssorta the humility of this process. Youdon’tknow.You just have beliefs andtry to gather as much intelligence as youcan.”
The prediction here is the Pelicans take Maluach at No. 7and Florida guard Walter ClaytonatNo. 23. Theupside for both of thoseplayers seemshigh, much likethe upsidelooked 40 years ago foraNatchitoches native who starred at McNeeseState beforemaking his mark forthe Pistons. Nowits up to that firstround pickfrom the 1985 draft to makehis mark in New Orleans.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ERICGAy
Duke’sCooper Flagg shootsoverHouston’sTerrance Arceneaux during their national semifinal game at theFinal Four on
April 5inSan Antonio. Flagg is expected to be chosen by the Dallas Mavericks withthe No. 1overall pickinthe NBAdraft
STAFF FILEPHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
NewOrleans Pelicansguard CJ McCollum celebratesafter sinking a3-pointer against theLos Angeles Clippers on March 11 in the Smoothie King Center.McCollum made a Pelicans record 692 3-pointers during his career in NewOrleans.
MICHAEL DWyER
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Holiday traded from CelticstoTrail Blazers
BY BRIAN MAHONEY
AP basketball writer
Jrue Holiday’sacquisition from Portland helpedspark the Boston Celticstotheir NBA-record 18th championship lastseason Holiday is being sent back tothe Trail Blazers by aBoston team that could now be in transition,aperson with knowledge of the details said early Tuesday
ESPN reported that the Celtics would get Anfernee Simons and two second-round draft picks from the Trail Blazers.
The departure of Holiday,who made his sixthcareerAll-Defensive team selection in his first season in Boston, was confirmed to The Associated Pressoncondition of anonymity because thedeal is not yet official.
Holiday wastraded by the Milwaukee Bucks to PortlandinSeptember 2023 when the Bucks acquired perennial All-Star Damian Lillard. Holidaywas then dealt days later to the Celtics, movingright into the starting lineup and eventually earning his second career titlelast June. But the Celtics now have lost a second member of thatstarting lineup for at least part of next season, with All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum having surgery after an Achilles tendon injuryinthe loss to theNew York Knicks in the Eastern Conferencesemifinals.
Simons could provide someof the scoring punch the Celtics have lost, having averaged 19.3 points last season after goingfor acareer-best 22.6 per game in 2023-24. Butthe Celticswill miss thede-
fenseand leadershipthatHoliday provided. The two-time Olympic gold medalist’sscoring was down, though, with the 11.1 points he averaged last season hislowest since his rookie season in 2009-10, andmore than eight points lower than the19.3 he put up in 2022-23 with the Bucks, when he was an All-Star
More than that, the Celtics were likely motivatedtotrade Holiday because ofthe $104.4 million owed to him over the remainingthree seasons of the contract extension they gavehim last year,ontop of the huge dealsfor Tatumand Jaylen Brown. Holiday, whohelped the Bucks win the2021 NBA title, hasaveraged 15.8 points in a16-year career that also includes stintswith Philadelphiaand NewOrleans.
Before tradingHoliday,the Celtics’ payroll nextyear was slated to be around $225 million, creating a tax bill of almost $280 million.The combinedpotential $500 million totalprice tagwould have been a league record. The larger concernwas that figure wouldhave exceeded not only theprojected luxury tax threshold of $155 million, but also thefirst penalty apron projected of around $196 millionand the second penalty apron of around $208 million. Both barriers carry restrictive penalties including limitsontrades and what teams are allowed to do viafree agency
And thatwas allontop of the lack of clarity onifthe team’s incoming ownership wouldwanttokeeppayingsuch hefty penalties to maintain the current roster after agreeingtoa purchase in March that is
expected to have afinal price of a
minimum of $6.1 billion.
TradingHoliday suggests that newownership wantsatleast some reduced spending before thestart of nextseason.That’sespecially truewithTatum out for at least a huge portionofnextseason and Brown coming off knee surgery
Tatumsigned an NBA-record five-year,$314 millioncontract last July thatwill begin next season and payhim $54million.Brown is playing undera five-year,$304 million deal thatkicked in thispast season. He willmake $53millionnext season. That is followed by Kristaps Porzingis($30 million), Derrick White ($28 million) andSam Hauser ($10 million).
Porzingis seemingly would be the next potential playerthe Celtics would consider moving, with $60 million total left in his deal before he is eligible for free agency again in the summer of 2026.
But there are questions about his health after he missed asignificant number of games in the second half of the regular season and was limitedinthe playoffs because of a nagging respiratory illness.
No matter whichdirection the Celtics decide to go,Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens acknowledged last month after his team was eliminated from theplayoffsthat it’s unclear whetherso-calledchampionship windowsare becoming smaller becauseofthe currentrules governing thesalary cap.
“That’sagood question. Idon’t know,” Stevens said. “I think certainly it is morechallenging in certain circumstances for sure.”
One-and-done playershighlight pool of guards up forgrabs
BYAARON BEARD AP basketball writer
There’sadeep set of high-end guard prospects in Wednesday’s NBA draft. Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper is positioned to be the first name called after projectedNo. 1pick Cooper Flagg, while Baylor’sVJ Edgecombe, Texas’ TreJohnson, Oklahoma’sJeremiah Fears and Illinois’ KasparasJakucionis are possible top-10 picks as one-and-done prospects.
Here’salook at the guards entering Wednesday’sfirst round: DylanHarper, Rutgers
STRENGTHS:The 6-foot-5, 213-pound son of formerNBA guard Ron Harper has size at the point and two-way potential. The lefty thrived as a scorer (19.4 points) with athleticism to finishatthe rim, scoreonstepbacks and hit catch-and-shoot looks. Notably,hewentfor 36 pointsinan overtimewin against NotreDame, then37more aday later in aloss to then-No. 9Alabama during the Players Era Festival in November Harper is aplaymaker with good court vision, averaging 4.0 assists. He also averaged 1.4 steals, including six against Southern California and four more against aranked Illinois team in February CONCERNS:Heshot 33.3% on 3-pointerswhile launching5.2 per game, though shot selection against contested looks didn’talways help. There’salso the optics of being the NBA-bound floor leader on ateam that finished with alosingrecord despite featuring asecond one-and-
done talent inforwardAce Bailey
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
STRENGTHS:Explosive athleticism stands out at both ends,notably as an above-the-rim finisher who creates highlight-reel moments. The 6-4, 193-pound Edgecombe finished in the combine’stop 10 witha38.5inch max vertical leap, had seven gameswithatleast threemade3s and 11 games with three-plus steals.
CONCERNS:Edgecombe shot just 34% on 3s, thoughBaylor coach Scott Drew said Edgecombe could seegains after refining his shot mechanics. He also couldimprove in shot creation, such as makingjust 25% (13 of 59) in off-dribble jumpers, according to Synergy’sanalytics rankings.
TreJohnson,Texas
STRENGTHS:The 6-5, 190-pound Johnson averaged 19.9 points to lead allDivision Ifreshmen, as well as being the SoutheasternConference’soverallscoring leader.The highlight was Johnson going for 39 points against ArkansasinFebruary to break Kevin Durant’sLonghorns freshman single-game record. He thrived off screens (shot 52.1% in those scenarios to rateinthe 91st percentile in Synergy) andshot 39.7% from 3-point range, including 12 games with at least four made3s. He also shot 87.1% at the foul line.
CONCERNS:The 19-year-old could use some bulkonaslender frame to helphim holdupagainst bigger and stronger opponents at both ends.
Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma
STRENGTHS:The combo guard pres-
Severalbig menindraft couldanchorthe paint
BYAARON BEARD AP basketball writer
Duke’sKhaman Maluach anchored the interior for an elite defensive team that reached the Final Four.Maryland’sDerikQueen was the offensive focal point for ateam thatreached the NCAA Tournament’ssecondweekend.
Those freshmen are theheadliners amongbig men in the upcoming NBA draft.
While there’sadeep well of highend guard prospects, the bigs have asmaller list andcould produce Maluach and Queen as thelonelottery picks.
Here’salook at the position entering Wednesday’sfirst round: Khaman Maluach, Duke
STRENGTHS: He has the length and size of an eliterim-runner whocan impact games as ashot blocker and lob threat
The 7-foot-1, 253-pounder from SouthSudan —hejoined NBA Academy Africa in 2021 —showed ability to defend on the perimeter in Duke’sswitch-heavy approach andhad thecombine’s biggest wingspan at 7-63/4 Maluach runs the floor well for transition potential beyond finishing those pick-and-roll chances, where he rankedinthe 99th percentile by shooting 89.4% (42of 47),accordingtoSynergy’sanalytics rankings
He shot 76.6% from thefoulline and made four 3s, indicators that he can develop his touch CONCERNS: Maluach,who turns 19 in September,isa relative newcomer to the game and is stilldeveloping araw offensive skillset. His 71.2% shooting largelycame on dunks and putbacks, andhegot to the line just twiceper game. Taking away those in-close opportunities can blunt Maluach’simpact (fornow,anyway). That was on display in Duke’sFinalFourloss to Houston;hestruggledagainst older and morephysical players while managingsix points on 1-for2shooting withzerorebounds in 21 minutes
DerikQueen,Maryland
STRENGTHS: The 6-9, 248-pound Queen is askilled big who averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while ranking among Division I leaders with 15 double-doubles with his ability to score in postups or off theoffensive glass. He was also asolid passer (1.9 assists) and shot 76.6% on free throws while getting to the line 6.1 times per game, indicatinghis willingness to attack defenders.
The 20-year-old claimed his place in March Madness lore by bankingina buzzer-beating runnerto beat Colorado State and reach the NCAASweet 16. CONCERNS: Queen isn’tthe biggest of bigs noranelitedefender There’salso uncertainty on how he might fare againsta bigger or quickerdefenders, while he must
improve his range after making just 7of353-pointers (20%).
He also didn’tmeasure wellat thecombine;hetiedfor last among all players in standing vertical leap (23.5 inches) and tied for secondlowest in maxvertical (28.0), as well as last or next to last in lane agility,shuttle run and three-quarter court sprint testing.
AsaNewell, Georgia
STRENGTHS: The five-star recruit and first-round prospect helped the Bulldogs return to the NCAAs forthe first time in adecade, with the19-year-old capable of playing as asmall-ball center or powerforward.
His athleticism helped him thrive on the offensive glass (22nd in Division Iat3.33 rebounds per game)and as arim finisher, along with showing potentialasa versatile defender
CONCERNS: Newell needs bulk on his 6-9, 224-pound frametohandle physical, stronger opponents. He also needs to enhance his outside shotafter shooting 29.2% on 3-pointers (26 of 89).
Thomas Sorber,Georgetown
STRENGTHS: The freshman has the frame to tussleamid bumpsinthe post (6-9, 263) and in traffic. He averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and2.4 assists while shooting 53.2% overall, including 57.1% in post-up chances, according to Synergy. The first-round prospect hasdefensive potentialwith a7-6 wingspan (tied for second-longest at the combine)that helped him average 2.0 blocksand 1.5 steals.
CONCERNS: The 19-year-old must improve his 3-point shot (6 of 37, 16.2%). There wasalimited samplesizeof24games before afoot injury ended his season, though the Hoyas lost seven of 10 without him to illustrate his value
Others of note:
RASHEER FLEMING: The6-8, 232-pound juniorfromSaintJoseph’sisa first-round prospect who averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5blocks last year.Hehas a better than 7-5wingspan,and went fromshooting31.3% on 3s in his first twoseasons to 39% last year
DANNY WOLF: The6-11, 252-pound junior thrived in moving from Yale in the Ivy League to the Big Ten’s Michigan. The first-round prospect averaged 13.2 points and 9.7 rebounds while also making 38 3s in 37 games to go with 15 doubledoubles.
MAXIMERAYNAUD: Stanford’sfourthyear senior from France is askilled 7-footer who averaged 20.2 points and10.6rebounds while making 67 3-pointers in 35 games last year His rangy skillset could land him late in thefirst round.
JOANBERINGER: The 6-11, 230-pound Frenchman turns 19 in November and couldbeafirst-rounder as a mobile threatworking in thepickand-rolland as alob threat.
suresdefenderswith his ballhandling and space creation, averaging 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He got to the line 6.3times per gameand ranked tied for 11th among all Division Iplayers by making 183 free throws
CONCERNS:Heneeds to get stronger (6-3, 180) and improve his outsideshot.Hemade 28.4% of his 3s, including nine games of going0 for 3orworse.Reducing turnovers(3.4) would help, too.
Kasparas Jakucionis,Illinois
STRENGTHS:Jakucionis brings size (6-5, 205)and an all-around floor game to the perimeter.Heaveraged 15 points,5.7 rebounds and4.7 assists with four double-digit rebounding games andeight games withat least seven assists
CONCERNS:Jakucionis shot just 31.8%on3s,including5of22(22.7%) in four bright-spotlight gamesduring the Big Tenand NCAA tournaments. He averaged 3.7 turnovers sixth-most in Division I, most among freshmen —and had 13 games with at least five turnovers.
Others of note
EGOR DEMIN: The BYU freshman from Russiaisapossible lottery prospect as aplaymakerwithsize (6-8, 199) known for elite passing andvision. He averaged 5.5 assists to rank second amongall Division I freshmen.
JASE RICHARDSON: TheMichigan State freshman and son of former NBA guard Jason Richardson is small (6-1,178), though the firstroundprospect is a41.2% 3-point shooter
BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketballwriter
Kristaps Porzingis is being tradedbythe Boston Celtics to the Atlanta Hawks, and part of what will be athree-team deal gives the Brooklyn Netsanotherselection in Wednesday’sfirst round of the NBA draft, according to aperson withknowledgeofthe agreement.
Porzingis is going to the Hawks, while Georges Niang and asecond-round pickwill be acquired by Boston, and Brooklyn will wind up with Terance Mann and the No 22 pick that is held by Atlanta in Wednesday’sdraft, saidthe personwho spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity becausethe tradeisn’t expected to be finalized until the start of the new league year on July 6. ESPN first reported the trade, which was later confirmed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The moveisthe secondmajor one by Boston of the week, after theteam agreed to trade Jrue Holiday to Portland. The combination of those moves stillhas Boston pastthe taxline for next season but out from under the second apron, whichgives the Celtics—who will be without Jayson Tatumfor,atminimum,a significant portionofnextseason because of an Achilles tear—
more flexibility moving forward. Getting underthe second apron is important; that threshold, once exceeded, limitsways that teams can trade for or sign players. Porzingis who,like Holiday, was part of the team that helped Boston win the 2024 NBAtitle will make $30.7 millionnext season on an expiring contract. He wasslowed by illness at times in thesecondhalfofthis past season, as well as in Boston’splayoff run this spring. But he intends to play forLatvia at EuroBasketthis summer, agood sign. “Thanks forall thesupport and questions about my health,” Porzingispostedonsocialmedia this week. “I’ve been feeling excellent alloffseason and look forwardto ahealthy and strong European championship tournament.” Porzingis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 reboundsand 2.1assistsin42 games this season. The Nets nowtechnically have five picks in Wednesday’sfirst round.
Theyown theNos.8,19, 26 and 27 selections already,and the Hawks will essentially be picking for the Nets nowatNo. 22, as well.
Porzingis
Southern football brings in 26 offseason transfers
BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer
Roster overhaulisthe norm in college football, even at theFCS level.
Southern is no different as the Jaguarsstarted theprocess of transforming its 2025 team assoon as it couldafterits 41-13 loss to Jackson State in the SWAC championship game on Dec. 7.
Every returning and new player on the roster is expected to possess one thing coach Terrence Graves prioritized throughout spring practice —competitiveness.
“Everybody has to compete for aposition andtheyknowthat, Graves said in April. “Wedid a great jobofrecruiting because we wanted to increase the level of competition to the point where aguy can’tjust sit back andthink, ‘Hey, I’m the guy.’
“No, you gonna hate to miss anything because the person behind you is just as good, if not better.”
The hunger to earn playing time in the Southwestern Athletic Conference has escalatedsince the Jaguars broughtinmore players to fill spots that thinned out significantly,such as at running back. Since April, they’ve added running backs Princeton Cahee from
Southernwide receiver Malachi
Louisiana Tech, Zacharius Cooper from AlcornState and Mike Franklin from JacksonvilleState. Southernalso beefed upits defensive line with players who have size and experience.
Thecoaching staff understands how important it is to gather the right playerswho notonly have the
requisitetalent but also fit thesystemitwill employ for itsfirst game against North Carolina Central on Aug. 23.
“The only thing about the transfer portal (is) youcan’t miss,” secondyear defensive coordinator Henry Millersaid. “Ifyou miss, then that blows everything up in thewater.”
SOUTHERN FOOTBALL OFFSEASONTRANSFERS
Offense Raul Aguilar: The6-foot-3 offensivelineman transferredfromGarden City Community College. Malachi Bingham: The 6-7 offensivelineman transferredfromPresbyterian College. Princeton Cahee: The 5-10 running back transferredfromLouisiana Tech Zacharius Cooper: The 5-10 running back transferred from Alcorn State. Maurice Evans: The 6-4 offensivelineman transferred from East Central Community College. MikeFranklin: The 6-1 running back transferred from Jacksonville State. Malachi Jackson: The 6-3 wide receiver transferred from NavarroCollege. Jamari Jones: The6-3 quarterback transferred from EastMississippi Community College. Cam’RonMcCoy: The 6-1 quarterback transferred from Jackson State. Connor Perritt: The 6-2 long snapper transferred from Millsaps College. Jeremiah Valdry: The 5-9 wide receiver transferred from ConcordUniversity Michael Washington: The 6-4 offensive lineman transferred from Iowa Central Community College. Xavier Werrell: The 6-6 offensive lineman transferred from Tyler Junior College. Defense Austin Appiah: The6-2 defensive tackle transferred from Coffeyville Community College.
SCOREBOARD
(9), Thomas (2), Manzardo (12).SB—Clement (3). SF —Jones(2).S—Martínez(3) IP HR ER BB SO Toronto LauerW,4-1 5 1 51 13 5 FisherH,2
LA Galaxy at San Jose, 9:30 p.m.
Austin FC at Seattle, 9:30 p.m.
Sunday’s Games Philadelphia at Columbus, 5p.m. Vancouver at LosAngeles FC,8:30p.m.
Tennis
WTABad HomburgOpen
Tuesday At BadHomburgTennisClub Hamburg, Germany Surface: Grass Seedings in parentheses Women’s Singles Round of 32 Beatriz Haddad Maia, Brazil, def. Ashlyn Krueger, UnitedStates,6-1,6-4
Women’s Singles Round of 16 JasminePaolini(2),Italy,def. Leylah Annie Fernandez,Canada, 7-6(8),7-6 (6) Jessica Pegula(1),United States,def. Katerina Siniakova, Czechia, 6-2, 6-3. IgaSwiatek (4), Poland,def. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 6-4, 6-4. Emma Navarro(5),UnitedStates,def. Naomi Osaka, Japan, 6-4, 6-4. Women’s Doubles Round of 16 AlexandraPanova,Russia, and Hanyu Guo, China, def. IrinaKhromacheva, Russia,and FannyStollar, Hungary, 6-3, 6-4. Xu Yifan and Zhaoxuan Yang, China, def. TayisiyaMorderger and Yana Morderger, Germany, 7-6(4),7-5 Nicole Melichar-Martinez, United States and Nadiia Kichenok, Ukraine, def. Asia Muhammad, UnitedStates,and Demi Schuurs (3), Netherlands, 4-6, 7-5, 10-6. Timea Babos,Hungary, and LuisaStefani (4), Brazil, def. OliviaNicholls,Britain, and Tereza Mihalikova, Slovakia, 6-3, 7-6(4). Quarterfinals Lyudmyla Kichenok, Ukraine, and Ellen Perez(2), Australia, def. Hao-Ching Chan, Taiwan, and ClaraTauson, Denmark, 4-6, 6-4, 10-7. ATP-Mallorca Championships Tuesday At Santa Ponca-Mallorca, Spain Surface: Grass Seedings in parentheses Men’s Singles Round of 32 BernardTomic, Australia,def. Rinky Hijikata, Australia, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Brandon Holt, UnitedStates,def. Benjamin Bonzi, France, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Roberto BautistaAgut (7), Spain, def. Tomas Martin Etcheverry,Argentina, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. Men’s Singles Round of 16 Hamad Medjedovic, Serbia, def. Roman Safiullin, Russia,6-4,3-6,7-6 (4). TallonGriekspoor (4), Netherlands, def Ethan Quinn, United States, 7-5, 6-4. Gabriel Diallo (6), Canada, def. Laslo Djere, Serbia, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Felix Auger-Aliassime (2), Canada, def. Arthur Rinderknech, France, 7-5, 6-3. Men’s Doubles Round of 16 Santiago Gonzalez, Mexico, and Austin Krajicek, United States,def. Alexander Erler, Austria, and Constantin Frantzen, Germany, 6-4, 7-6(4) Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni (3), Argentina, def. Lucas Miedler, Austria, and Francisco Cabral, Portugal,7-6 (5), 6-4. Alex Michelsen and Learner Tien, United States, def. Nikola Mektic, Croatia, and Skander Mansouri, Tunisia,6-2,7-6 (5). Guido Andreozzi, Argentina, and Theo Arribage, France, def. Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori (1), Italy,6-7 (5), 7-6(6), 11-9.
LOB— New York 7, Cincinnati 9. 2B —Steer (13) Encarnacion-Strand (4). 3B —Volpe (3). HR —Rice(14).SB—Peraza(1) IP HR ER BB SO New York Rodón 64 00 15 Loáisiga BS,0-2 ⁄3 33 31 0 Cruz 2⁄3 00 00 0 Weaver 11 00 02 Williams 10 00 00 LeiterL,4-4 13 21 10 Cincinnati Burns 56 33 08 Gibaut 10 00 00 Suter 12⁄3 00
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Jackson juggles the ball after taking ahit
Spencer in the Jaguars’ spring game on April
restaurants releasehot summer specials
Bon vi·vant /noun/ asociable personwho has cultivatedand refined tastes, especially with respect to food and drink
Newfood,drinksonthe block
Mid City Beer Garden,3808 Government St., Baton Rouge, launched itssummer cocktail/ mocktail menu, including The Pepper Stepper with banana peppersand tequila,the One in aMelon with house-squeezed watermelon juice and liquor and more.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Trythe summer cocktail/ mocktail menu at Mid CityBeer Garden in BatonRouge.
Summer has also arrived at Eliza Restaurant,7970 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, in the form of soft shell crab gnocchi, shrimp and watermelonsalad and afried fish sandwich.
Trythe new drinks at City Roots Coffee,1509 Government St., Baton Rouge, including the berries and cream energy, coconut shaken espressoand strawberry matcha-colada. In theknow
Food trucks at Oak Grove:4 p.m to 8p.m. Friday,June 27, and 10 a.m. to 7p.m.Saturday-Sunday,June 28-29, at Food Trucks at OakGrove, 17198Old Jefferson Highway,Prairieville Cousin’sMaine Lobster is back at Oak Grove. To avoid waiting hours for alobster roll, we recommend downloading the Cousin’sMain Lobster app to order ahead and skipthe line.
Wine andspirits
The Summer Spritz:6p.m. to 7:30 p.m. July 10, at Martin’s, 6463 Moss Side Lane, Baton Rouge
Taste an array of sparkling wine cocktails, along with aselection of ready-to-drink beverages. The lineup includes a limoncello spritz, pink pamplemousse and more. Ticketsare $23.18 per person, available for purchase at eventbrite.com. Opening night wine dinner:July 10 at The Mallory,5747 N. Commerce St., St. Francisville
Guests will be treated to a cocktail hour at 6p.m. with live music, complimentary champagne and an exclusive first look at theartwork at The Mallory.At7p.m., guests will be seated for afour-course dinner from Restaurant 1796with wine pairings from Uncorked Tickets are $115 per person, available for purchaseatbontempstix.com/events/art-showpreview-dinner
If you have an upcomingfood event or akitchen question, email lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com. Cheers!
‘Built on love andkindness’
CookiesbyFreddie food trucktoopeninBR
BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer
The stress testofagood
baker is thechocolate chip cookie,according to Frederique“Freddie” Bekale, whichiswhy she spent so long trying to perfect hers.
“Chocolatechip is thestaple flavor, so you gotta get that right,” she said.
Since 2018, Bekale has tested countlesscookierecipes,and this week,she’llopenher newcookie food truck in theparking lot of the Acadian ShoppingPlazaonPerkins Road in Baton Rouge with her homemade cookies
She’s calling it “Cookies by Freddie.”
The opening will be noon to 6p.m.June 28. Fromthen on, she’ll be parked right by Crawfish on the Geauxfrom noon to 6p.m. Saturdays and 1p.m. to 5p.m. Sundays.
Bekale has aday job as an insurance claims adjuster,but she’spassionate about baking and sweets
The best part of anychurchor family gathering growing up, she said, was seeing what wasonthe dessert table.
Butin2018, when shebecamea mother,she was struggling andfelt really lost
“I turned to baking,” she said. “It became my therapy— just my way to copewith feeling overwhelmed.”
Seeing her friends’ and family’s reactions, she decidedtomake it into abusiness but spent along time perfecting the recipe.
“It was alot of just repetition,” shesaid. “Then testing different sugars andchocolate with it and addingmyown twist to it until I landed the perfect one.”
Thechocolatechip cookie she landedonisano-frills, classic
cookie that featuresmini chocolate chips, three different kinds of sugar anddoughthat’s been chilledfor 24 hours. Other tricks she’slearned along the way are asecret, but she says they take the cookie from “basic to extraordinary.”
Forfouryears,Bekalehas cateredparties andparticipated in pop-up events like farmers markets. She doesn’tknow how many recipe variationsshe’s gone
STAFFPHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS
Frederique‘Freddie’ Bekale showsoff abox of cookies in front of her Cookies by Freddie food truck.
Dear Harriette: Retired licensed psychotherapist specializing in children and families here.With regard to “Out-of-Control Toddler,” the parent struggling with atoddler who has started hitting, there is now much empirical evidence to suggest that the “gentle parenting” that your advice reflects is ineffectual, especially for toddlers and especially withregard to hitting others. The goal is not only to extinguish these behaviors but to concurrently teach conscience development,personal accountability and responsibility for one’s actions, which in turn develops empathy for others and aids in emotional regulation. With all due respect, in the case of hitting others, what triggers the hitting behavior is irrelevant. Children need to learn quickly that no matter what anyone does to make them angry hitting another person is unacceptable and, if left unchecked, can result in serious legal issues if achild goes home with bruises or a bloody nose. First of all, Iamassuming that there are no other
die in the line of duty
By The Associated Press
children in thehouse. In interactions with others, especially siblings, children learn that hittingothers is off-limits as parents are usually present to observeand intervene. When thereare no siblings,I would highlysuggest that this parent invite other same-age children to thehouse for supervised playdates. In this way,the child can learn coping mechanisms at home. For example, if thefriend takes atoy away from the child and thechild hits in return, the parent should take their child aside and say,“We don’tever hit other people.” Thechild might say,“Well, they took my toy,”and theparent should reply with,“Iknow that makes you angryand what they did wasn’t nice, but whenweare angry, we never hitanyone.Weuse ourwordstotell them that it wasn’tnice —but we never,everhit.” Then let the kids work it out under parentalsupervision. After the other child goes home,the parent should talk to thetoddler.Let them knowthat when someone doessomething mean or
hurtful to them, it is OK and normal to feel hurt and angry,but no matter what they did, it is never OK to hit them. Say,“Let’sthink and practice how you can use your words next time instead of hitting, because hittingisunacceptable.” This will taketime, of course, but repetition is key If this behavior continues, it could have serious legal ramificationsfor the child and family —Professional Insight Dear Professional Insight and others who wrote in about this scenario: This is such an important topic and such a poignant response that Idecided to give it space rather than shorten your input. Teaching children not to hit or fight is essential in our culture and may be difficult for somechildren. Your modelingadvice is helpful. Aparent’sjob is critical in asituation like this as thechild must learn proper behavior.Partnering with the teacher and other school leadership is also important so that the child’s behavior can be addressed in the moment. Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com.
‘Freddie’ Bekale grabs cookies to fill up thedisplaycase at
COOKIES
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through. After 20 batches of cookies, shestopped counting. The cookie truck provides her with some flexibility and relatively low overhead while also givingher amobile set up that she can park at festivalsand events.
For the cookie truck, customers can expect three or four flavor offeringsatany given time. She plans to rotate the flavors every two weeks, but her core flavors are cookies and cream, lemon whitechocolate,chocolate chip and white chocolate macadamia nut. Bekale also plans to have deluxe flavors such as peanut butter jelly
praline,brownie-stuffed chocolate chip and s’mores.
Cookies by Freddie hosted asoftopening forfriends, family and local foodies on June 14. Local foodie and Instagrammer Francheska Underwood (@frandfoodie on Instagram)saidthatshe gravitated toward the cookiesand cream cookies because it was the first time she saw one with actual Oreo piecesinside. She addedthat she liked thelight andairy texture of the cookies.
“It’s really good,” Underwood said. “It’snot too sweet.”
Bekale hopes that the cookie business will take offand shecan eventually do this full-time. Until then, she’ll be working seven days aweek to chase herdream. She also plans to take one weekend
Today is Wednesday, June 25, the 176th day of 2025. There are 189 days left in the year Todayinhistory
On June 25, 1950, war broke out in Korea as forces from the communist North invaded the South. The conflict would last for over three years and would be responsible for an estimated 4million deaths, an estimated 3million of whom were civilians.
On this date:
In 1876, theBattle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’sLastStand, began in southeastern MontanaTerritory.Asmany as 100 Native Americans were killed in thebattle, as were 268 people attached to the7th Cavalry Regiment, including George Armstrong Custer and Mark Kellogg, thefirst Associated Press reporter to
In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which set aminimum wage, guaranteed overtimepay and banned “oppressive child labor,” wassigned into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In 1947, “The Diary of a Young Girl,” the personal journal of Anne Frank, a German-born Jewish girl hiding with her family from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World WarII, was first published.
In 1973, former White House Counsel John Dean began testifying before the Senate Watergate Committee, implicating top administration officials, including President Richard Nixon as well as himself,inthe Watergate scandal and cover-up.
In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Cruzan v. Director,Missouri Department of Health, its first “right-
to-die” decision, ruled 5-4 that family members could be barred from ending the lives of persistently comatose relatives who hadnot made their wishes known conclusively
In 2021, former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin wassentenced to 221/2 years in prison forthe murder of George Floyd, whose death led to the biggest outcry against racial injustice in the U.S. in generations.
Today’sbirthdays: Actor June Lockhart is 100. Civil rights activist James Meredith is 92. Singer Carly Simon is 82. Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 78. Musician Tim Finn is 73. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is 71. Actor-writercomedian Ricky Gervais is 64. Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour is 62. Author Yann Martel (“Life of Pi”) is 62. Actor Angela Kinsey (“The Office”) is 54.
by
off every other month to keep burnout at bay
“You can expect good, oldfashioned comfort cookies,” shesaid. “The business is built on love and kindness. What started out as away to cope withnew motherhood blossomed intoall of this.”
Cookies by Freddie will be parked at 3655 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, near Crawfish on theGeaux on the weekends starting Saturday,June 28. On opening day,Bekale plans to have lemon white chocolate, cookies and cream,chocolate chip and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
Email Serena Puang at serena.puang@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Frederique
Cookies
Freddie.
Keepingrecipecards clean, tidy
Dear Heloise: In response to AvaD., in Denver,who installed asmall magnet under her kitchencabinet to hold recipe cards, Iput atiny nail there instead. Ican hang small, cheap bag clips there to hold recipe cards. Some of the bag clips don’t have magnets. It keeps recipes clean and away from a busy food-prep counter —Gloria, in Mission Viejo, California Gloria, Icalled to see if Avaused amagnet “under” her cabinet, and she said her magnet wasinstalled on the inside of her kitchen cabinet. She usuallyused a magnetic bag clip to clipon the recipe,then attached it to the magnet on her cabinet door.Ibelieve this is a very clever hint. —Heloise Collegechoices
perhaps do even better When mygrandmother passed away, Ifound out that she left me agood amountofmoney for college. Ialso work part-time and save my money,sofundingcollegewon’t be aproblem. However, I’m not entirely sure what to look for in a college. Where doI start? —Jason, in Denver Jason,congratulations on your scholastic achievements andyour ambition to earn acollege degree! I’m glad you’re looking at various colleges two years aheadof graduation. By the timeyou graduate, you’ll probably have finalized which collegeis thecollegeofyour choice. When you are scouting for acollegetoattend, there are several factors to consider:
asmall campus withfewer students.
n Work out amonthly budget that includes books, tuition,lab and other miscellaneous fees, transportation,phone bills, and whatever else you might need or use. Trytostick to your budget as much as possible.
n Check out theprograms offered by thecolleges. Ask yourself if thecollege can prepare you for thefield you want towork in for manyyears.
n Think about thelocation.Will you live on campus or live at homeand commute? If you commute to classes, you’ll need acar, gas, insurance and possibly maintenance.
Dear Miss Manners: To prevent partyguestsfrom driving impaired, Icame up withafun gameusing a $21 Breathalyzer Ibought online. Icall it “Have IHad TooMany?”
Guests who are at, or even close to, thelegal limit get a prize —afree ride home!
Dear Heloise: In only two years, I’ll be heading to college. My grades have put me in the top 10%ofmyclass so far,and I’m working hard to maintain this average or
n First, what are youracademic strengths? Look for acollegethat specializes in these subjects
n Consider the college size. Some people like abig school,while othersprefer
n And my last hint is to learn to say“no.” There will be times when you’ll want to skip studying for an exam and go to aparty instead. But the partywon’thelp you as much as studying will. My best wishes to you in whatever field or endeavor you chose! —Heloise
Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
Chicken club sandwich
BEST
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house chili oil sauce, which, for me, teeteredthe line perfectly of hot but not too hot. Ieven requested some for my leftover vermicelli bowl that Iorderedfor an entree. Served withlettuce and cabbage, the wontons arealso topped with sesame seeds, chives and cilantro. They’rerefreshing, punchy and perfect foracrowd.
—Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator Chicken club sandwich n Bin 77 Bistro&Sidebar, 10111 Perkins Rowe,Baton Rouge
What’sbetter than afried chicken sandwich on aFriday? Nothing. The chicken club at Bin 77 is available blackened or fried, but fried chicken between two buttered pieces of Texas toast just does something for me. Other
than the tender chicken thighs, the sandwich is made with hickory-smokedham, applewood-smoked bacon, bibb lettuce, tomato, house honey mustardand roasted red pepper aioli. Everything comes together on asandwichthat creates one hellof acrunch when bitten into It’ssmoky.It’sfilling. It’s maybe themost satisfying chicken sandwich I’ve had.
—Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator Korean taco
n Grace Yum, Lafayette Farmersand Artisans Market, 2913 Johnston St., Lafayette When I’m at the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market, Imakea beeline for Grace Yum, avendor offeringKorean specialtyitems like kimchi,dumplings and noodles and something I find irresistibly delicious beef andkimchi tacos. It’sahearty,filling taco absolutely burstingwith flavor, but fermented cabbage isn’t the solitary note here. The kimchi, gochujang-flavored beef, fresh vegetables and
house-made saucedrizzled on topcreate the perfect medley of ataco thathas a saucy, savory and slightly sweet taste. One taco just isn’tenough. Bring home a jarofGrace Yum’shomemade kimchi for good measure,and start adding it to everything. Now we know —Korean flavorsmake a great addition to taco night
—Joanna Brown, staff writer
Everything was going great until one guest tested at well over twice the legal limit, but then refused thefree ride. He used somepretty strong language, shoved me aside and was almost out the door with his equally impaired plus-one when Isaid, “Don’tdrive or Iwill be forced to call the cops!” Well, he did, Idid, and he was arrested. Needless to say, it ruined theevening. Acouple of
guests leftsaying that I overreacted, as he is an adult and appeared fine.
Miss Manners, what should Ihave said or done differently? My guests know that Itake this seriously,asI was the victim of ahead-on crash by an impaired driver The crash caused me to undergo manysurgeries. Iknow many people must face this challenge guests whoinsist on driving when they really shouldn’t.
Gentle reader: Interesting approach. And Miss Manners is using “interesting” in the sameoff-dictionary wayyou appear to use “fun.”
Whatever you wanted people to think, your game framed drunken driving as
ajoke. And if you have an explanation about whythat wasnot your intent, remember that it would have to be understood by people you know to be alcoholimpaired. In future, let’sexercise better judgment: Youcould limit the amount of alcohol you serve. If you see a guest who worries you, you could involve another guest who lives nearby to help get the impaired one home safely.(And that person will be farmore helpful if they are not distracted by worrying about whatyou are going to do next.) And of course, if this is atruly unmanageable problem in your circle of friends, you should not be serving alcohol at all.
Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www.missmanners.com.
STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN Akimchi taco by Grace yum at the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market in Lafayette
STAFF PHOTO By LAUREN CHERAMIE
from Bin 77 in Baton Rouge
Hints from Heloise
Judith Martin MISS MANNERS
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Keep an open mind, but don't believe everything you hear. Agreements are likely to fall short of your expectations. You'll gain respect if you stand up for yourself and your rights.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Communication is your path to change. Listen, ask questions and formulate a plan regarding how you choose to move forward. Don't let others lead you astray; follow your heart and believe in yourself.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Expand your mind, interests, qualifications and connections. Once you know your worth, it will be easier to negotiate your way forward personally, financially and professionally.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Take a breather, sit back and rethink what's important to you. Take a walk down memory lane and revisit your aspirations. It's never too late to pursue what makes you happy.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) A lifestyle change will be energizing. Whether it's a physical move, a professional change or spending more time with someone you love, whatever you choose will lead to personal growth and peace of mind.
sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stick close to home and do your best not to overspend or overindulge. Too much of anything will lead to trouble. Take care of matters succinctly to avoid penalties.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Prioritize partnerships, places and pastimes. Concentrate on looking and feeling
your best, spending time with those you love and respect, and having fun. Romance is in the stars.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pay attention to how you earn your living, what's new and exciting in your line of work and how you can position yourself for success. Take an innovative approach to how you market yourself.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Doors will open if you knock. Don't hesitate to pursue your goals and approach those in a position to help you advance. In every aspect of life, there is a silver lining.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Get up and get moving. Turn up the dial and let your creative imagination lead the way. Innovation and discipline combined will help you navigate your way throughout your day.
TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Adjust your surroundings to meet your needs. You'll feel much better and gain a clear vision once your goals are underway. Set boundaries and a budget to ensure success.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Refuse to let anyone talk you out of your cash. Spurof-the-moment decisions will leave you in an awkward position. Communication is a two-way street. Know when to say no.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
ToDAy's cLuE: W EQuALs K
CeLebrItY CIpher
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
LAGoon
bIG nAte
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
Richard Gough was born in Sweden, raised in South Africa, played soccer in Scotland and now resides in San Diego. He said, “There are a lot of things to weigh up when a soccer transfer happens, and money is a big factor.”
There are a lot of things to weigh up when a bridge transfer bid happens, too, and fit for partner’s major is a big factor.
We are looking at responder’s transfers into the major suits when opener has a balanced hand. Almost all of the time, the opener completes the transfer, even with a low doubleton. But when he has four-card support, a maximum and a doubleton, he may jump in responder’s major — a superaccept.
The South hand in today’s diagram is textbook. After North responds two hearts, showing five-plus spades, South rebids three spades. (He must not jump to four spades, since responder might have no points at all.) This persuades North to take the push into four spades (although passing is conceivable.)
After West leads the heart ace, how should the play proceed?
First, East should drop his queen under partner’s ace, showing the queen and jack. Probably West will continue with a low heart, and East will shift to a diamond, but declarer wins with his ace, draws trumps, and plays on clubs. He will discard two diamonds from the board on his long clubs and lose only two hearts and one club.
Note that if South rebids only two spades, North will pass, his hand not being strong enough to invite game with a two-no-trump rebid.
Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying,
Previous answers:
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 — InADEQuAcy: in-AD-ih-kwih-see: Insufficiency.
Average mark 22 words
Time limit 40 minutes
Can you find 33 or more words in INADEQUACY?
yEsTERDAy’s WoRD — VAGRAnTs
wuzzles
loCKhorNs
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
hidato
mallard fillmore
Ownermay awardthe contract to the lowest responsive,re‐sponsibleBidderorre‐ject anyorall Bids for theProject TheHOUMA-TERRE‐BONNE AIRPORTCOM‐MISSIONreservesthe righttorejectany or all Bids in accordance with theprovisionsofLARS 38:2214A Advertisementdates in theNew OrleansAdvo‐cate as follows: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Monday,June 30, 2025 Monday,July7,2025 ENDOFADVERTISEMENT FORBIDS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 146431-jun25-30-jul7-3t $634.20
PUBLIC NOTICE Northshore Technical Community Collegeis seekingsealedbidsfor Electrical LinemanEquip‐ment forthe Livingston Campus.Anyoneinter‐estedinplacing abid mayobtaina bidpacket from:https://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/OSP/ LaPAC/pubMain.cfm, in person at 65556 Center‐pointBlvd.,Lacombe,LA 70445 Room 148, or by email: RichardButler@ northshorecollege.edu. Bid# 40023-S25025. 146446-JUN25-26-2T $12.68
MUSEUM CLEANING (RENEWABLE CONTRACT) Bids will notbeaccepted by thePurchasingOffice after theabove specified time anddate. Access to full informa‐tion,specifications, and bidforms maybeob‐tained from theUniver‐sity Purchasing Office by e-mailingyourrequest to purchasing@louisiana edu; or by visiting theOf‐fice of StatePurchasing &Travel’sLaPAC website at https://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/osp/ lapac/pubMain.cfm. The Purchasing staff is work‐ingremotelywiththe fol‐lowing (virtual)Purchas‐ingOffice hoursofopera‐tion:Mondaythrough Thursday -7:30AMto 5:00PM,and Friday7:30AM to 12:30PM Thepublicbid opening will take placeon Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 10:00AM on Zoom whichisavailable for viewingbyregistering at https://ullafayette.zoom us/meeting/register/Tws xZTJiSYCKERBunuM8IQ
Evidence of authorityto submit thebid shallbe required in accordance with R. S. 39:1594. The University of Louisianaat Lafayette reserves the righttorejectany andall bids UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANAAT LAFAYETTE MarieC.Frank MPA, CPPB AssistantVPfor Administration andCPO 146541-jun25-1t $21.20
Optional Pre-bidMeet‐ing: 9:00AM Wednesday, June 18, 2025 Bids will notbeaccepted by thePurchasingOffice after theabove specified time anddate. Access to full informa‐tion,specifications, and bidforms maybeob‐tained by:
PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE Invitation to Bid ADAAccessible BusStop Improvement Project Solicitation #2025-AD‐Abuspads-003 TheCapital Area Transit System (CATS),a politi‐calsubdivision of the StateofLouisiana,oper‐atingthe public transit system in EBRParishis acceptingProposals for ADAAccessibleBus Stop Improvement Project. Sealed bids aredue to CATS ProcurementDe‐partment by July 31, 2025, at 10:00 am (local time) at 2250 FloridaBlvd. BatonRouge,LA70802. A copy of this ITBcan be found on CATS andState Procurementwebsites at:http://www.brcats. com/page/procurement andhttps://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/osp/ lapac/deptbids.cfm.and Official BidDocuments areavailable at Central Bidding(www.central bidding.com).Electronic Bids maybesubmitted at CentralBidding (www centralbidding.com). For questionsrelated to the electronic bidding process, please call Cen‐tral Biddingat225-8104814. Biddersmay submit writ‐tenquestions to:cat‐sprocurement@brcats. comuntil Friday,July 11, Bidd Unless
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS Bids will be received by emailat ULLafayette‐Bids@louisiana.edu up to 2:00PM on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, by thePurchas‐ingOffice at theUniver‐sity of Louisianaat Lafayette forthe follow‐ing: File No.26009 –UL LAFAYETTE SCIENCE
1. Visiting theOffice of StatePurchasing& Travel’s LaPACwebsite at: https://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/osp/ lapac/pubMain.cfm. Youmustfollowinstruc‐tionsleading to theUni‐versityPurchasingOffice websiteat: Public Works, Construction,and Reno‐vation Solicitations(Title 38) /Office of Purchasing (louisiana.edu)
2. Visiting theUniversity Purchasing Office web‐site at: Public Works, Construc‐tion,and Renovation So‐licitations(Title38) /Of‐fice of Purchasing (louisiana.edu)
3. E-mailingyourrequest to theUniversityPur‐chasingOffice:bidques‐tions@louisiana.edu. In‐cludeBid Number and BidName.
Site Visits: June 16, 2025 –June 30, 2025.Monday –Thursday,7:30AM –5:00PM ContactPhilDuplechin 337-254-6868 Deadline to submit ques‐tionsfor this solicitation is Monday,June 30, 2025, at 5:00PM ThePurchasingstaff is workingremotelywith thefollowing (virtual) Purchasing Office hours of operation:
forthe follow‐ing: RFxNo. 3000024906, WhiteT-Shirt Material for DOC- PE,7/8/25 RFxNo. 3000024815, Ditch WitchBNIndustrial Equipment, 7/23/25 RFxNo. 3000024827, Cim‐line BN Industrial Equip‐ment,7/23/25 Bidproposal forms, in‐formationand specifica‐tionsmay be obtained by accessingthe bidnum‐berinLaPac at www.doa Louisiana.gov/osp or from theprocurement sectionlistedabove.No bids will be received after thedateand hour specified.The rightisre‐served to reject anyand allbidsand to waiveany informalities. TomKetterer Director of State Procurement FAX(225) 342-8688 146597 June 25, 1t $13.20
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO PROPOSERS SP#803 Sealed proposalswillbe received by theOffice of
1.
2. OPENING PRAYER
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Chairman Denstel recognized Mr.Chance Stephens who led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.
4. LOG ATTENDANCE
The following members wererecorded as being present: Messrs. Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker,Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Alan Crowe, Gary Joseph, and Mrs. Katherine Andre.
Also present were, Mr.Jason Manola, Parish President, Mr.Phillip Bourgoyne, Executive Assistant, Mr.Chance Stephens, Director of Finance, Mr.Brandon Bourgoyne, Director of Public Works and Mrs. Michelle Tullier,Council Clerk.
5. MINUTES APPROVAL
A. Approval of Minutes from the Regular Meeting of May 8, 2025.
Amotion was made by Council Member Kirk Allain, seconded by Council Member Alan Crowe to approve minutes from the Regular Meeting of May 8, 2025.
The vote was recorded as follows: YEAS: 9(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker,Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph)
NAYS: 0(None)
ABSENT:0(None)
ABSTAIN: 0(None)
As aresult of the votes, the motion Passed.
6. CONSIDER ANY AMENDMENTSTOTHE AGENDA Therewerenoitems to consider at this time.
7. PARISH PRESIDENT’S REPORT Parish President Jason Manola was recognized and covered the following items: Recent accident with aWBR Parish vehicle and train; Attended WBR Day at the Capital hosted by Senator Kleinpeter; Spoke brieflyonthe John Foster Event.
8. PUBLIC COMMENTS Therewerenocomments from the public at this time.
9. COMMUNICATIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND/OR ELECTED OR APPOINTED OFFICIALS
A. Dr.Chandler Smith, WBR Parish Schools Superintendent, Presentation On Cohn/Early College Academy Project.
10. PUBLIC HEARING ON PREVIOUSLYINTRODUCED ORDINANCES
A. An Ordinance Adopting the 2025 Council Amendments to the Community Center Fund for the Fiscal Year beginning January 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2025.
The Chairman opened apublic hearing for the purpose of receiving comment regarding the aforementioned item.
Mr.Chance Stephenswas recognized and explained the reason for the aforementioned budget adjustment, showed pictures to demonstrate the issue, and offeredtoanswer any questions. No public comments for or against said ordinance werepresented. No written protests opposing the ordinance werereceived. The Council Chairman at this point declared the Public Hearing closed.
Amotion was made by Council Member Kirk Allain, seconded by Council Member Katherine Andretoapprove An Ordinance Adopting the 2025 Council Amendments to the Community Center Fund for the Fiscal Year beginning January 1, 2025, and ending December 31, 2025.
The vote was recorded as follows:
YEAS: 9(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker,Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph)
NAYS: 0(None)
ABSENT:0(None)
ABSTAIN: 0(None)
As aresult of the votes, the motion Passed. Ordinance 28 of 2025 can be found at the end of these minutes.
11. CONSIDER STATUS REPORT, CHANGE ORDER AND/OR OTHER
MATTERS AS REQUIRED ON CURRENT PROJECTS
A. Accept/Reject Bid Recommendation for 25 Complete SelfContained Breathing Apparatus Units and 25 SpareCylinders.
MSA G1 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Product Specifications for FireDepartment
Mr.Chance Stephens was again recognized and reviewed for the Council the items which this bid included, explaining the budget would need to be amended in the future. Mr.Stephens recommended awarding this bid to Casco Industries, Inc. in the amount of $206,900.00.
Amotion was made by Council Member Daryl “Turf” Babin, seconded by Council Member Gary Joseph to approve the Bid Recommendation of Casco Industries, Inc. in the amount of $206,900.00 for 25 Complete Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Units and 25 SpareCylinders. MSA G1 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Product Specifications for FireDepartment
The vote was recorded as follows:
YEAS: 9(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker,Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph)
NAYS: 0(None)
ABSENT:0(None)
ABSTAIN: 0(None)
As aresult of the votes, the motion Passed.
12. RESOLUTIONS
A. Resolution Of The West Baton RougeParish Council Approving Issuance Of BondsByThe Capital Area Finance Authority Pursuant To Section 147(F) Of The Internal Revenue Code Of 1986, As Amended Ms. Kristen Delahoussaye, and Ms. Bridgette Homer,ofCapital Area Finance Authority (CAFA), wererecognized and asked the Council to support this resolution, and offered toanswer any questions they may have. Mr.Chance Stephens was recognized and asked if this resolution was for bonds for first-time home buyers and veterans. Ms. Delahoussaye and Homer confirmed this, noting this program was only for first-time home buyers and veterans.
Amotion was made by Council Member Atley Walker,seconded by Council Member Kenneth Gordon to approve the Resolution Of The West Baton Rouge Parish Council Approving Issuance Of Bonds By The Capital Area Finance Authority Pursuant To Section 147(F) Of The Internal Revenue Code Of1986, As Amended.
The vote was recorded as follows:
YEAS: 9(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker,Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Alan Crowe, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph) NAYS: 0(None) ABSENT:0(None) ABSTAIN:0(None) As aresult of the votes, the motion Passed. Resolution 12 of 2025 can be found at the end of these minutes.
B. AResolution Expressing The DesireOfThe West Baton Rouge Parish Council To Implement AMoratorium On Carbon CaptureSequestration Storage (CCSS) Projects In The Unincorporated Areas Of The Parish Chairman Denstel opened this item by letting the audience know the speaking policy,noting that due to time restraints, we would allow 4different people to talk beforea brief presentation by Mr Barry Hugghins who was invited to attend by Vice Chairman Alan Crowe.
Ms. Desiree Lemoine was recognized and spoke brieflyonthe reasons that Carbon Captureshould be embraced in West Baton Rouge Parish, presenting ahandout to the Parish Council titled “Louisiana’sEnergy Development: Leading Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage”.
Mr.Patrick Riley,onbehalf of the Louisiana Chemical Association, was recognized and thanked the Council for communication, and asked that morebelearned about CCS and its storage. Mr.Riley offered to answer any questions and concerns over this process, and asked that the Council defer action for morecomplete
dialogue with industry Mr.James Lee representing the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, was recognized and noted his opposition to this moratorium and pointed out the Economic Development benefits of these projects.
Mr.Michael Smith, Public and Stakeholder Engagement Lead with ExxonMobil, was recognized and brieflyexplained the ongoing projects already in the Parish, and the benefits to the Parish due to the pipelines operating here. Mr.Smith covered the engagement with the FireDepartments and the training that is offered to them in regardtoCO2. Mr.Smith reads the resolution as not allowing projects which areongoing to exist.
Mr.Barry Hugghins was recognized and gave abrief presentation on the Why,What is it, the Why Not and the Consequences of Carbon CaptureStorage. Parish President Manolawas recognized and asked that the Council consider deferring this moratorium until the session is concluded.
Vice Chairman Alan Crowe was recognized and noted that he was not in support of this Carbon CaptureStorage, noting it is only for financial gain and made amotion to approve the resolution.
Councilman Brady Hotardwas recognized and pointed out that maybe atimeframe was needed for this moratorium, noting that this wouldbeatemporary pause and not along-term resolution, pointing out the Council wouldlike to look at oversight, and the long-term safety of these projects.
Councilman Atley Walker noted this was apublic safety issue and in his opinion moreinformation is needed on this item.
Councilman Kirk Allain pointed out that moreinformation is needed on this item, and asked that we get professionalsfrom both sides to help.
Chairman Denstel explained the reason for this moratorium, taking apause to learnmoreinformation on this storage of CO2 in our grounds due to the potential impacts on the approximately 28,000 residents of WBR Parish. In closing, Chairman Denstel instructed the Council Clerk to read the complete resolution into the record. Amotion was made by Council Member Alan Crowe, seconded by CouncilMember Atley Walker to approve AResolution Expressing The DesireOfThe West Baton Rouge Parish Council To Implement AMoratorium On Carbon CaptureSequestration Storage (CCSS) Projects In The Unincorporated Areas Of The Parish. The vote was recorded as follows:
ABSTAIN: 0(None) As aresult of the votes, the motion Passed. Resolution 13 of 2025 can be found at the end of these minutes.
13. INTRODUCTIONS
Mrs.Tullier,Council Clerk read by title the below proposed ordinance/s being introduced and publicized by title, and considered for adoption following apublic hearing as specified below,at5:30 pm in the Council Chambers, located at 880 North Alexander Avenue, Port Allen, La.:
A. Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 19.1 of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, that the Parish Council,acting as the governing authority, of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “Parish”) at its regularly scheduled meeting on June 26, 2025 at its regular meeting place, West Baton Rouge Governmental Building, 880 NAlexander Avenue, Port Allen, Louisiana, at 5:30 p.m.,will discuss and consider adopting aresolution ordering and calling an election to authorize the renewal of two ad valorem taxes, which will be used for the purposes of: (i) maintenance, operation and capital expenditures necessary for the drainage works within and for the Parish, and (ii)maintenance, operation and capital expenditures necessary for the West Baton Rouge Parish Library and its branches.
B. An Ordinance Amending Chapter 104 Zoning To Incorporate Amended Zoning Designation Map (Zoning Plan) Under Section 104-3 Establishment Of Districts, Official Zoning MapFor Rezoning Request Of Waring Oil Company,LLC, representing Yellow Transportation Inc. Regarding 956 Hwy 190 West, Port Allen, La 70767. File #2025-15: Described by the WBR Assessor as P/O TRACT E-22 &TRACTE-6 CONT 5.88 AC BEL AIR INDUSTRIAL PARK 50A-12A. Rezoning From I-1 (Industrial Small Scale) to I-2 (Industrial Moderate Scale). PublicHearing Date: June 26, 2025
14. CONSIDER SUBDIVISION PLATS, CONDEMNATIONS, WAIVERS AND MATTERS RELATED THERETO Therewerenoitems to consider at this time.
15 CORRESPONDENCE REPORT Correspondence Report from Council Clerk, Mrs. Michelle Tullier included the following items: •Next Planning &Zoning Meeting June 3, 2025 at 5:30pm. •Next Council Meeting Thursday,June 12, 2025 at 5:30pm.
16. ADJOURN Therebeing no further business, amotion to adjournwas made by Vice Chairman Alan Crowe and was adopted by acclamation at 06:32 AM
ALL MEETING INFORMATION INCLUDINGMINUTES AND VIDEOS CAN BEFOUND ON OUR WEBSITE WBRPARISH.ORG UNDER THE AGENDA AND MINUTES TAB.
ORDINANCE 28 OF 2025
As Introduced by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council At the Regular Meeting of May8,2025 And Adopted on May22, 2025
An Ordinance Adopting the 2025 Council Amendments to the Community Center Fund for the Fiscal Year beginning January 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2025.
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana in regular session convened that:
SECTION 1:The attached detailed 2025 Council budget amendments to estimate of expenditures for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2025.
SECTION 2:The attached detailed 2025 Council budget amendments to estimate expenditures for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2025 be and the same is hereby adopted as budget of expenditures for the Parish during the said period.
SECTION 3:The adoption of these 2025 Council budget amendments to the Community Center Fund expenditures budget and the same is hereby declared to operate as an appropriation of the amount thereinset forth within the terms of the budget classification.
SECTION 4:Amounts areavailable for expenditures only to the extent included with the 2025 amended budget as attached hereto.
NOWTHEREFORE BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Parish Council of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that this ordinance shall become effective pursuant to Section 2-12 (C) of the Home Rule Charter
NOW THEREFORE BE IF FURTHER ORDAINED by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council,that all other ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith arehereby repealed in their entirety
NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Parish Council of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that if any provision or item of this ordinance or the application thereof is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions, items or applications of this ordinance which can be given effect without the invalidprovisions, items, or applications of this ordinance arehereby declared severable.
THE FOREGOING ORDINANCE AFTER PUBLIC HEARING WAS CONSIDERED, AND UPONMOTIONBYCOUNCIL MEMBER
KIRK ALLAIN, WHICH WASSECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KATHERINE ANDRE, AND AVOTE BEING TAKEN, THE FOLLOWING
RESULTWAS HAD:
The foregoing ordinance having been submitted to avote was adopted by the following vote:
ABSENT:0 (NONE) ABSTAIN: 0(NONE) WHEREUPON,the ordinance wasdeclared to be adopted on the 22nd Day of May,2025.
and (viii) The
Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana on April 23, 2025, and WHEREAS,incompliance with the requirements of the Code, the public
of said Bonds washeld on
with
at 10:00 a.m.,
to the
at 601 St. Ferdinand Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, and simultaneously held by teleconference using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9940303250?omn=88470185621 or by dialing US toll-free: (833)928-4610; meeting ID: 994 030 3250 in accordance with Rev.Proc. 2022-20 after due notice thereof was published in the official journal of the Authority and in the aforementioned publications sufficient to inform the public within the geographic area of the Participating Jurisdictions of the subject, date and place of said public hearing; and WHEREAS,noobjections wereraised by any person present at the said hearing or by any person participating by teleconference relative to the issuance of the Bonds; and WHEREAS,the undersigned, Approving Representative of the Participating Jurisdiction, desires to approve the issuance of the Bonds for the purposes of the Code; NOW,THEREFORE,the undersigned does hereby certify that the governing authority of the Participating Jurisdiction, hereby approves and confirms the issuance of the Bonds. The Authority,and its officers, are authorized to cause this certificate to be filed of recordinthe transcript of proceedings for the Bonds and to file acopy thereofwith any State or Federal agency,boardorcommission as may be required by any applicable State or Federal laws, rules or regulations. The foregoing resolution has been read and considered, upon motion by Council Member Atley Walker,which wasseconded by Council Member Kenneth Gordon, and avote being taken, the following result washad:
ABSENT:0 (None) And the resolution was declared adopted on this the 22nd day of May, 2025.
ATTEST:
RESOLUTION 13 OF 2025
AResolution Expressing The DesireOfThe West Baton Rouge Parish Council To Implement AMoratoriumOnCarbon CaptureSequestration Storage (CCSS) Projects In The Unincorporated Areas Of The Parish WHEREAS,the West Baton Rouge Parish Council feels that thereare certain items in theZoning Appendix whichneed to be updated; and WHEREAS,the West Baton Rouge Parish Council has the right, power and authority to enact moratoriums vital to promote, protect and preserve the general welfare, safety,health, peace and good order of the Parish; and WHEREAS,due to the increase in inquiries regarding the development of CCSS projects and the potential for those facilities to impact the longterm developmentofthe Parish, caremust be taken whenconsidering approval of such facilities; and WHEREAS,the West Baton Rouge Parish Code of Ordinances currently does not fully address the developmentofCCSS facilities; and WHEREAS,beforeconsidering the developmentofCCSS facilities for approval under the land use ordinance, the West Baton Rouge Parish Council needs additional information to properly evaluate the immediate and long-term cumulative benefits, damages, and/or impacts of such facilities; and WHEREAS,the West Baton Rouge Parish Council finds that it is in the best interest of the Parish, its employees, citizens and taxpayers to implement amoratorium on any Carbon CaptureSequestration Storage projects until such time as the Council votes to lift this moratorium. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the West Baton Rouge Parish Council does hereby express its desiretoimplement amoratorium on any Carbon CaptureSequestration Storage projects in West Baton Rouge Parish, until such time said Council votes to lift this moratorium. NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this moratorium be effective upon its adoption by amajority vote of the West Baton Rouge Parish Council. The Foregoing Resolution WasConsidered, And, After Public Discussion, AMotion To Approve WasMade By CouncilMember Alan Crowe, Which WasSeconded By CouncilMember Atley Walker The resolution having been submitted to avote, the vote thereon was as follows: YEAS:8 (Crowe, Walker,Allain, Babin, Denstel,Gordon, Joseph, Andre) NAYS: 1(Hotard) ABSENT:0 (None) ABSTAIN: 0(None) AND the resolution wasdeclared adopted on this 22nd Day of May,2025. CERTIFICATE I, Michelle Tullier,Council Clerk of the West Baton Rouge Parish Council do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is atrue and correct copy of aresolution adopted by said body at its Regular Meeting of May 22, 2025 at which meeting amajority of the members werepresent and voting.
