Jeffrey Holmes is reflected in his impromptuinstallation, called ‘Toxic Art,’assembled just days after Hurricane Katrina fl
galleryonSt. Claude Avenue. It is thought to be the first public artwork that wascreated in reaction to thedevastation.
BY DOUGMacCASH |Staff writer
It was just 30 days after Hurricane Katrina marauded across New Orleans when artist Jeffrey Holmes and his then-wife Andrea Garlandhauled the waterlogged furniture outoftheir art gallery on lower St. Claude Avenue. They piledthe moldy debris on the neutral ground, webbeditwith yellow caution tape andsprayed it with graffiti, including the inscription“RIP Lower Ninth Ward.”
Here and there, the couple placed mirrors in thedebris so onlookers would see themselves in the devastation. Thoughthere waslittleaudience in theevacuated cityto appreciate the exhibit, the media discovered the display and it appeared everywhere from The New York Times to CNNtoAlJazeera. Holmes said he had the urge to create something in reaction to the cataclysm, because “that’s what artists do when they’re suffering.”
See NEW ERA, page 8A
‘What does it mean?’ James Jones asks aloud as he walks past the Prospect.1art installation called ‘Safehouse’ withhis daughter Corian Florence, 3, on NorthVillere Street in 2008.
Lawyer suingBig Oilisnotreehugger
John Carmouchejust wona$745M verdict againstChevron
BY ALEX LUBBEN |Staffwriter
yearsintocrisis, little progress evidentin reducing rates
BY SAM KARLIN |Staff writer
While Louisiana lawmakers debated auto insurance this spring during their legislative session, sky-high home insurancepremiumscontinuedtocrush residents along the state’scoast.
Homeowners insurance rates keep rising, forcing someresidents out of their homes, while the state waits for the free market to look morefavorably on Louisiana. So far,the approach has not led to lowerrates formosthomeownersinthe state. Many sawtheir insurancepremiums climbtounaffordable levels after aseries of hurricanes in 2020 and 2021
ä See INSURANCE, page 6A
promising fast networkfalters
EAST CARROLL PARISH When the internet is iffy in Lake Providence, as it often is, Brittany Lyons, the owner of an in-homecare service, has abackup. She drives ahalf mile to the hospital where her sister works and asks to use their network, which is abit morereliable. At the local U-Haul rental outlet, manager Kyla Richardsonisused to pulling out her smartphone to help customers when the store’s internet falters. To host arecent
page 4A
ä See CARMOUCHE, page 7A
John Carmouche isn’twho you think he is. The Baton Rouge lawyer,who just won a$745 million verdict against Chevron for damaging wetlands,istakingonBig Oil in Louisiana and winning. But he’sno tree hugger.Nor,hesays, aheadline-chasing trial lawyer Through three governors’ administrations, he and his firm have navigated political headwinds to keep theirlawsuits against oil companies alive. Carmouche has helped quash bills and candidacies that would have threatened his efforts. While his work seeks to makeoil companies pay billions for damage they’ve done to theenvironment,heinsistshewants the oil industry to thrive in Louisiana, as long as it doesn’tleavebehind amess. “I have aDemocrat’s heart but I’m aRepublican, because Iunderstand business,”Carmouche
John Carmouche, right, speakson recent litigation alongside hisfather and colleague, DonaldCarmouche, on May22at their firm,Talbot, Carmouche & Marcello, in Baton Rouge.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By KATHyANDERSON
STAFF FILE PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER
ooded his
BY JENNA ROSS |Staff writer
STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS
Russia kills 2inOdesa; Ukraine hits helicopters
KYIV,Ukraine Russian drones struck the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, killing twopeopleand injuring at least 17, Ukrainian authorities said on Saturday.Meanwhile, three attack helicopters and an anti-aircraftmissile system were destroyed in the Russianoccupied Crimean Peninsula Ukraine’sSecurity Service agency deployed special drones to attack the Kirovske military airfield, aUkrainian security official said on Saturday
“Available data indicate the destruction of multipurpose and attack helicopters Mi-8, Mi-26 and Mi-28, as well as the selfpropelled anti-aircraft missile andgun complex Pantsir-S1,” according to the official,who spoke about the operation on condition of anonymity In Odesa, adrone slammed into aresidential tower block in the city,causing damagetothree floors and trapping residents, emergency services said. The two killed in the attack were a married couple, according to regional Gov.Oleh Kiper,who added that three childrenwere among the injured.
There was no immediate commentfrom Moscow.According to Russia’sDefense Ministry,over 40 Ukrainian drones wereshot down overnight and on Saturday morning over western Russia and Kremlin-occupied Crimea.
100K defy ban,march in Budapest Pride event
BUDAPEST,Hungary— About 100,000 people defied agovernment ban and police orders Saturday to march in what organizerscalled thelargest LGBTQ+ Pride event in Hungary’shistoryinanopenrebuke of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’sgovernment.
Marchers gambled with potential police intervention and heavy fines to participate in the 30th annual Budapest Pride, which was outlawed in March by Orbán’sright-wing populist governing party The march began at Budapest City Hall and wound through the city center before crossing the capital’sErzsébet Bridge over the Danube River.Police diverted the crowd from its planned route to keep it separatedfrom asmall group of far-rightcounterprotesters, whilemembersof Hungary’sLGBTQ+ community and massesofsupporters danced to music and waved rainbow and anti-government flags. The massive size of the march, which the government for months had insisted would no longer be permitted in Hungary, wasseen as amajor blow to Orbán’sprestige,asthe European Union’slongest-serving leader’s popularity slumps in thepolls where anew oppositionforce has taken the lead.
U.K. seizes cocaine worth over $130M
LONDON British authorities seized 2.4 metric tons of cocaineina ship arriving in Englandfrom Panama, authorities said Saturday,calling it one of the U.K.’sbiggest drug bustsin years. The drugs, valued at$132 million, were found under containersonavessel at London Gateway port, east of theBritish capital. The shipment was discovered after what officials said was an intelligence-led operation.
Britain’sinteriorministry, the Home Office, said it was the sixth-largest cocaine seizure on record.
U.K. Border Force Maritime director Charlie Eastaugh said the seizurewas “justone example of how dedicated Border Force maritime officers remain one step ahead of the criminal gangs who threaten our security.”
City
Israelistrikes kill at least72inGaza
Ceasefire prospects move closer
BY WAFAA SHURAFAand SAM MEDNICK Associated Press
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight and into Saturday,healthworkers said, as ceasefire prospects were saidto be improving after 21 months of war
Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on atent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said.
“What did these children do to them?
What is their fault?” said thechildren’s grandmother, SuadAbu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Someplaced red flowers into the body bags
Also among the dead were 12 people nearthe Palestine Stadium in GazaCity which was sheltering displaced people, andeight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. Morethan20 bodies weretakentoNasser Hospital, accordingtohealth officials.
Amidday strike killed 11 peopleon astreet in eastern Gaza City,and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital.
Another strike on agatheringineastern Gaza City killed eight including five children, the hospital said. Astrike on a gathering at theentrance to the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed two, accordingtoAl-Awda Hospital.
President Donald Trump saysthere could be aceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters on Friday,hesaid, “We’reworking on Gaza and tryingtoget it taken care of.”
An official with knowledge of thesituation told The Associated Press that Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer will arriveinWashingtonnext week for talks on aGaza ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. Theofficial spoke on condition of anonymity because they werenot authorized to speak to the media.
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas havebeen on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its militarycampaign in Gaza andfurthering the territory’sdire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than halfbelieved to still be alive. They were
among251 hostagestaken whenHamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023,sparking thewar
“Whatmoreisleft to do in Gaza that has not already been done?Who else is left to eliminate?” Yotam Cohen, brother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, said Saturday evening as weekly ralliesbyfamilies and supporters resumed following Israel’s ceasefire with Iran.
Thewar haskilled over 56,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry whichdoes notdistinguish between civilians and combatants. It saysmorethan half of the dead were women and children. It said thedead include 6,089 killed since theend of the latest ceasefire.
Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas,accusingthe militants of hiding amongcivilians because they operate in populated areas.
There is hope amongfamiliesofhostages that Trump’sinvolvement in securingthe recent ceasefire between Israel andIran might lead to more pressure for adeal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is riding awave of public support for the Iranwar andits achievements, andhecould feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners oppose.
Hamas hasrepeatedly saiditisprepared tofree all the hostages in exchange for an end to thewar in Gaza. Netanyahu sayshewill end thewar only once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has rejected.
Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring acatastrophic situation in Gaza. Afterblocking all food for 21/2 months, Israel hasallowed only atrickle of supplies into theterritory since mid-May
More than500 Palestinians have been killed andhundreds more wounded while seekingfood since the newlyformed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry
Palestinian witnesses say Israelitroops have openedfire at crowds on roads heading towardthe sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and that it was investigating incidentsin which civilians had been harmedwhile approaching the sites.
Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones.
Dozens of anti-government protesters detained in Serbia
BYJOVANA GEC Associated Press
BELGRADE, Serbia Dozensofanti-government protesters were detained during clashes with riotpolice in Serbia’s capital on Saturday during amassive rallyagainst populist President AleksandarVucic demanding an early parliamentary election. Theprotest by tens of thousandsof demonstrators washeld after nearly eight months of persistentdissent ledbySerbia’s university students that have rattled Vucic’sfirm grip on power in the Balkan country
The huge crowdchanted: “Wewant elections!” as they filled the capital’scentral Slavija Square and several blocks around it, with many unable to reach the venue.
Police handcuffed detained protesters, andanofficer was seen injured on the groundduring streetbattles in central Belgrade that lasted several hours.Six police officersand an unknown number of citizens were injured, police said.
“Serbia always winsinthe end,”President Vucic said in an Instagram post Vucic, aformer extreme nationalist,has become increasinglyauthoritarian since comingtopower more than adecade ago.
Though he formally says he wants Serbia to jointhe European Union, critics say Vucic has stifled democratic freedoms as he strengthened ties with Russiaand China.
As the protestformally ended, the demonstrators threweggs, plastic bottles andother objects at riotpolicewho were preventing the crowd from approaching adowntown park. At the park, hundreds of Vucic’s loyalistshavebeen camping for months to form ahuman shield in front of his headquarters in thecapital.
Serbia’s Interior MinisterIvicaDacic said participantsinthe protest attacked the police. He said police used theirpowerstorestorepublic order and “arrest all those who attacked the police.” Police later said dozens of “hooligans” weredetained but did not provide the exact number
Some demonstratorsworescarfs and masks over their faces as they clashed withlaw enforcement, using garbage cans as protection againstbaton wielding police. Police usedpepperspraybefore pushing protesters withtheir shields. Tensions were high before andduring the gathering as riot policedeployed around government buildings
Crowds mourn slaincommanders, nuclearscientists
Iranian figures killed in Israeli strikes
BY DAVID RISING Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets of downtown Tehran on Saturday for the funeral of the head of the Revolutionary Guard andothertop commanders and nuclear scientists killed during a12-day war with Israel. The caskets of Guard chief Gen. Hossein Salami, theheadofthe Guard’s ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh and others were driven on trucks along the capital’s Azadi Street as people in the crowds chanted: “Death to America” and“Death to Israel.” Salami and Hajizadeh were both killedonthe first day of the war,June 13, as Israel launched awar it said was meant to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, specifically targeting military commanders, scientistsand nuclear facilities.
State media reported more than 1million people turned out for the funeral procession,whichwas impossible to independently confirm,but thedense crowdpacked the main Tehranthoroughfare alongthe nearly 3mile route.
Therewas no immediate sign of Iran’sSupreme Leader,Ayatollah AliKhamenei,inthe state broadcast of the funeral. Khamenei, whohas not made apublic appearance sincebeforethe outbreak of the war,has in past funerals held prayers forfallencommanders over their caskets before theopenceremo-
nies, later aired on state television.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wason hand,and state television reported that Gen. Esmail Qaani, whoheads theforeign wing of the Revolutionary Guard, theQuds Force, andGen.Ali Shamkhani were also among the mourners.
Shamkhani, an adviser to Khamenei whowas woundedinthe first round of Israel’sattack and hospitalized, was shownina civilian suit leaning on acane in an image distributed on state television’sTelegram channel.
LateronSaturdaynight, state TV showed Shamkhani saying he and other generals knew they would be targets before Israel initiated the warearlier this month. Themorning of the strike on his residence, he said he woke up fordawn prayer when suddenly everything around himhad become ruins. He initially thought thatanearthquake had taken place, and it took search and rescue teamsat least three hourstofind him in the rubble.
Shamkhanisaidmost of his injuries wereinternal, including achest fracture.
Iran’sRevolutionary Guard was created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Since it was established, it has evolved from aparamilitary,domestic security force to atransnational force that hascome to the aidofTehran’s allies in the Middle East, from Syria andLebanon to Iraq It operates in parallel to the country’sexisting armed forces and controls Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the Israel-Hamas war in theGaza Strip.
Peoplemourn
Saturday in Tehran, Iran, over the flag-draped coffins of Iranian nuclear scientists whowere killed in Israelistrikes.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByVAHID SALEMI
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI
Palestinians dig through sandSaturday looking for belongingsafter an Israeli strike hit adisplacement tentcampinGaza
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
Aparticipant in aPride march cheers SaturdayinBudapest, Hungary.
Senators launch weekend of work on tax, spending bill
BY LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Senate was taking a key procedural vote that dragged on for more than two hours during a rare Saturday evening session as Republicans struggled to advance President Donald Trump’s package of tax breaks, spending cuts and bolstered deportation funds by his July Fourth deadline.
The proceedings came to a standstill and Vice President JD Vance arrived at the Capitol to break a potential tie. Tense scenes were playing out in the chamber as senators huddled in negotiations.
Several Republican senators were registering their opposition to proceeding to open debate on the bill.
Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks.
“It’s time to get this legislation across the finish line,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. as the session was underway
Ahead of the expected roll call, the White House released a statement of administrative policy saying it “strongly supports passage” of the bill that “implements critical aspects” of the president’s agenda. Trump himself was at his golf course in Virginia on Saturday with
FLORIDA
Groups protest building of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
BY MAKIYA SEMINERA Associated Press
A coalition of groups, ranging from environmental activists to Native Americans advocating for their ancestral homelands, converged outside an airstrip in the Florida Everglades Saturday to protest the imminent construction of an immigrant detention center Hundreds of protesters lined part of U.S. Highway 41 that slices through the marshy Everglades — also known as Tamiami Trail as dump trucks hauling materials lumbered into the airfield Cars passing by honked in support as protesters waved signs calling for the protection of the expansive preserve that is home to a few Native tribes and several endangered animal species.
Christopher McVoy, an ecologist, said he saw a steady stream of trucks entering the site while he protested for hours Environmental degradation was a big reason why he came out Saturday But as a South Florida city commissioner, he said concerns over immigration raids in his city also fueled his opposition.
“People I know are in tears, and I wasn’t far from it,” he said. Florida officials have forged ahead over the past week in constructing the compound dubbed as “Alligator Alcatraz” within the Everglades’ humid swamplands.
The government fasttracked the project under emergency powers from an executive order issued by Gov Ron DeSantis that addresses what he views as a crisis of illegal immigration. That order lets the state sidestep certain purchasing laws and is why construction has continued despite objections from Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and local activists.
GOP senators posting about it on social media.
But as the day stalled, billionaire Elon Musk lashed out, calling the package “utterly insane and destructive.”
“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” the former top Trump aide said in a post
The 940-page bill was released shortly before midnight Friday, and senators are expected to grind through the days ahead with all-night debate and amendments. If the Senate is able to pass the bill, it would need to return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House.
With the narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate, leaders need almost every lawmaker on board in the face of essentially unified opposition from Democrats.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, said Republicans dropped the bill “in the dead of night” and are rushing to finish the bill before the public fully knows what’s in it. He is expected to call for a full reading of the text in the Senate, which would take hours.
The weekend session could be a make-or-break moment for Trump’s party, which has invested much of its political capital on his signature domestic policy plan. Trump is pushing Congress to wrap
it up, even as he sometimes gives mixed signals, allowing for more time.
At recent events at the White House, including Friday Trump has admonished the “grandstanders” among GOP holdouts to fall in line. The legislation is an ambitious but complicated series of GOP priorities. At its core, it would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Trump’s first term that would otherwise expire by year’s end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit $350 billion to national security, including for Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
But the cutbacks to Med-
icaid, food stamps and green energy investments, which a top Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden, of Oregon, said would be a “death sentence” for America’s wind and solar industries, are also causing dissent within GOP ranks.
The Republicans are relying on the reductions to offset the lost tax revenues but some lawmakers say the cuts go too far, particularly for people receiving health care through Medicaid. Meanwhile, conservatives, worried about the nation’s debt, are pushing for steeper cuts.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who said he spoke with Trump late Friday explaining his concerns, announced Saturday he cannot support the package as is, largely because of the changes to health care that he said would force his state to “make painful decisions like eliminating Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands.”
Sen. Rand Paul, of Kentucky has been opposed to the bill’s provision to raise the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion And GOP Sen. Tim Sheehy, of Montana, said he would agree to proceeding only after being assured a provision for public lands sales he opposes would be taken out with an amendment.
The release of that draft had been delayed as the Senate parliamentarian reviewed the bill to ensure it complied with the chamber’s strict “Byrd Rule,” named for the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va. It largely bars policy matters from in-
clusion in budget bills unless a provision can get 60 votes to overcome objections. That would be a tall order in a Senate with a 53-47 GOP edge and Democrats unified against Trump’s bill.
Republicans suffered a series of setbacks after several proposals, including shifting food stamp costs from the federal government to the states or gutting the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were deemed out of compliance with the rules. But over the past days, Republicans have quickly revised those proposals and reinstated them.
The final text includes a proposal for cuts to the Medicaid provider tax that had run into parliamentary hurdles and objections from several senators worried about the fate of rural hospitals. The new version extends the start date for those cuts and establishes a $25 billion fund to aid rural hospitals and providers.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said that under the House-passed version of the bill, some 10.9 million more people would go without health care and at least 3 million fewer would qualify for food aid The CBO has not yet publicly assessed the Senate draft, which proposes steeper reductions.
Top income-earners would see about a $12,000 tax cut under the House bill, while the package would cost the poorest Americans $1,600, the CBO said.
A calm voicewalks youthrough applying for SNAPandMedicaidandtellsyouwheretogoto immediatelypickupfreefoodprovidedbyyour localfoodbank. Within weeks, groceriesare on thetable againand your baby sees adoctor withoutpayingout-of-pocket
This is what SNAP andMedicaiddoevery dayinLouisiana
ButifCongresspassesharmful changesto theseprograms–likethose proposed in the “One BigBeautiful Bill Act” –stories like this couldhaveaverydifferentending.
Acollege studentinthe middle of herclinicals calledFeedingLouisianaforhelp.Shewasstudying tobecomeanurse,butherclinicalschedulemade it impossible to hold afull-time job.Withrecent changestostudentSNAPeligibility,she wasnot sure if shequalified.
Ourteamhelpedherunderstandtheguidelines andwalkedher throughthe SNAP application process. Thegrocery assistance shereceived enabledher to focusonfinishingher education. Withoutit, shewould have hadtoconsiderabandoningherdreamsoffindingsteadyandfulfilling employment.
Forthisbrightyoung woman, SNAP provided
temporarysupportthatallowed hertocompleteherdegree.SNAP served herwhenshe needed it so that shecould serveothers throughher career
PatR.VanBurkleo,Executive DirectorofFeedingLouisiana states:“SNAP andMedicaid make it possible forpeopleto work,stayhealthy,carefortheir families,andbuildsuccessfulandproductivelives That’snotaluxury.That’sthefoundationthatwe alldeserve to standon.”
Nearly 18%ofour state’sresidents rely on SNAP.Morethan1.4millionLouisianansreceive healthcare throughMedicaid. Theseprograms arelifelines,particularlyduringtoughtimes.Yet they arenow on thechoppingblock
If Louisianaisforcedtopickupa larger share of theseprogram costsasproposedinthe “One BigBeautiful Bill Act,”the ripple effectcould be devastating. Fewerpeoplemay qualify. Redtape couldincrease. Benefitsmight be delayed. Other essentialstate services maybescaledback. Foodbanks–whicharealreadystretchedthin –would be left to fillthe gaps
Ourfoodbanks can’tfillthe gaps that changesand cuts wouldcreate.
Food banksacrossLouisiana areworking tirelessly everyday to help families face hunger andchallengeourstatusasthestatewiththe4th highestfoodinsecurity in thenation.
Louisiana’sfoodbanksconnectpeopletosocial
safety netresources anddistributefoodfor more than 60 millionmeals annually throughmore than 1,000community partners,faith-based organizations, andfoodpantries.
However,ourfoodbankshavelimits.Louisiana’s food banksare pillarsofhope, buttheycannot replacethevitalsafetynettheseprogramsprovide Patexplains:“IfSNAPandMedicaidarecutor harder to access, more families willbeturning to us forhelp. That meanslongerlines,fewer resources,and an overwhelmedemergency food systemstrugglingtofillgapsitwasnotdesignedto handle.IfwelosegroundonSNAPandMedicaid, theburdenwilllikelyfallonourfoodbanks,which arealready workingatcapacity.”
What YouCan Do:Protect Louisiana Families
ManyLouisianafamiliesarejustonecrisisaway fromneedinghelp.Socialsafetynetprogramslike SNAP andMedicaidoffer thesupport that keeps them steady in uncertaintimes
We know that Senators John Kennedyand Bill Cassidyare proudLouisianians. Rightnow they have apowerfulopportunity to standupfor Louisianafamiliesand protectthese essential programs
“Pleaseconsidercalling or emailing to your lawmakersandurgingthemtoopposetheproposed cuts andchanges to SNAP andMedicaid,”Pat continues.“Tellthemthattheseprogramsarenot extras –they’re part of thefoundationthathelps families stay healthy, stable,and strong.”
Learnmoreatfeedinglouisiana.org.
FeedingLouisiana:64parishes, 5foodbanks,1 mission.FeedingLouisiana’snetworkincludesthe FoodBankofCentralLouisiana,theFoodBankof NortheastLouisiana,theFoodBankofNorthwest Louisiana, theGreater BatonRouge Food Bank, andSecond Harvest Food Bank of GreaterNew Orleansand Acadiana
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By J SCOTT APPLEWHITE
sought
University of Louisianasystemchief to getpay raise
Contract extension includes newgoals
BY MEGAN WYATT
Staff writer
After ayearand ahalf on thejob, University of Louisianasystem
President Rick Gallot will get asalary increase and new benchmarks under anew contract extension through June 2028
The amended contract comes after an evaluation Thursday by the system’sboard of supervisors, who met for more than an hourin executive session to discuss the president’sperformance. Board members did not share specifics after returning to the public meeting, but voted unanimously to amend Gallot’scontract witha salary increase, new performance goals and aone-year extension.
The Advocate requested acopy of the new contract,but stafffor
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trainingsession, the district attorney’s office borrowed a personal Wi-Fi hot spot from the library Glenn Dixon, an investigator with the District Attorney’soffice,flipped through apaper calendar earlierthis month, shaking his head. The office manager scrawls “No internet,”ondays that their line-of-sight wireless service is down.
May 2024: Out for three days. June 2024:out for five.
“Storm,” shewrote in August 2024. Out for 10 “Wecan’t go paperlesslike many offices aredoing now,” Dixon said, his desk covered in folders,loose sheets and sticky notes. “Wejust can’t.”
For years, residentsofthis town of 3,600 have pushed forfaster, more reliable service —the kind that comes via fiber-optic cables. The kind that residents in most U.S. cities and suburbstake for granted. They were set to get it. But aproject that would have extended fiber across townwas canceled after the Trump administration announced new rules this month for anational $42 billion broadband build-out passed under the previous administration. Republican lawmakers have long criticized the slow rollout of the bipartisan Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, known as BEAD, created under the Biden administration in 2021. This month’s sweeping changes rid the program of unnecessary mandates, according to the Commerce Department, and take a“technology neutral” approach that will “guarantee that American taxpayers obtain the greatest return on their broadbandinvestment.” But the rewrite also pushes things back, leaving communities such as Lake Providence waitingonceagain Louisiana was the firststate to secure federal approval of BEAD funds. Internet provider Conexonhad planned to start buildingin Lake Providence this summer.Now,the company’s co-CEO Jonathan Chambers isn’tsure the project will qualify Because many people rely on wireless internet, a storm here,inthe far northeast corner of the state, can weakenorwipeout their signals— and with it, online billing software, patient portals and YouTube. Butit doesn’ttake astorm, residents said. Internet can be spotty on an average afternoon. “The fiber is just sitting there, on theedgeoftown, Nathaneal Wills, organizer with Delta Interfaith, a group pushing for broadband as one solution to knotty problems in the area. In the meantime, those in town lean out windows, refresh pages and grittheir teeth.Sometimes, they pray ‘It’srural rural’
Lifelong Lake Providence resident WandaManning gets annoyed when, watching asermon on YouTube, her screen turns white. “Low wireless signal,” her Roku told her on arecent late night.
the UL system said Friday it’sstill beingrevised. “Theboard is pleasedtoreport afavorablereview of President Gallot’sperformance,” said Board ChairMarkRomero in astatement on Friday.“This extension reflects our confidence in his continued leadershipand allows us to buildonthe progress we’ve made together in serving the people of Louisiana.”
Gallot,aformer state lawmaker and past president of Grambling State, became president of the UL system at thestart of 2024. His original four-year contract included an annualsalaryof$475,000, annual housing allowance of $54,000 and eitheranannual auto allowance of $24,000 or the use of astate vehicle. The original contract also said it could be extended to five years if he received afavorable review fromthe board during his second year.
An attorney from Ruston, Gallot
Butthe retired teacher began pushingfor broadband because of the kids. Afew years back, amid the coronavirus pandemic, Manning was trying to keep her students’ attentiononline, but some wouldn’tstayconnected.She fussed at thembefore learning the truth: They couldn’tstay connected.
After retiring, she pledged to them: “If Idoanything, I’m going to make sure you have good, sustainable, reliable internet.”
Rural kids deserve that, too, Manning said. And East Carroll Parish isn’t just rural, as the 61-year-old likestosay: “It’s rural rural.”
So she joinedDelta Interfaith’s work. She conducted speed tests, discovering that residents were often getting slower speeds than advertised. She wrote membersof Congress, encouraging them to letthe BEADplanmove forward.
“People here believed this administrationwoulddeliver forrural America,” Manning wrote in an open letter to U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,who representsthe area, that ran this month in the East Carroll Banner,the weekly newspaper. “Thatitwould cutred tape, not bury usin it. We need your voice in Washington to helpmake that promise real ”
Aspokespersonfor Letlow declinedaninterview request but provided astatement, saying that “the goal of federal broadband programs should be to ensure high-speed internet access to people who currently have none, and I’m pleased to see the Trump Administration knocking down regulatory barriers so we can get the job done.”
In itsfirst iteration, BEAD prioritized fiber.Now,Chambers argues that the new rules are “written to beso favorabletosatellite, specifically”that fiber networks, long considered the height of speed and reliability,need not apply
“Peoplehaveusedthis rhetoric aboutbeing ‘technology-neutral,’ right? This is not technologyneutral. Thenew rules are decidedly one-sided.”
Starlink, the satellite internet company owned by Elon Musk, is already available in Lake Providence, which straddles the oxbow lakeof thesame name, cypress trees wading along its shoreline. Buttree cover can preclude satelliteaccess. And at around$120 amonth,the service is pricey in aplace where themedian income is just $25,000. Thereare also cable-basedservices and a line-of-sight wireless option. Cellphone providers such as Verizonand AT&T areavailable, too. But none of these services is as fast or reliable as fiber, residentssaid.
PHOTO PROVIDEDBySLU
University of Louisiana system
PresidentRick Gallot speaks at SoutheasternLouisiana University winter 2024 commencement ceremonies
led Grambling from 2016 to 2023. He also served as aDemocratic state legislator,inthe House from 2000 to 2012 and the Senate from 2012 to 2016.
In addition to Grambling, the UL system includes Louisiana Tech University,McNeese State Uni-
Theyknowitbecause they’ve seen it: With the help of an earlier grant, known as GUMBO, Kansas-City-based Conexon built anetwork in 2024 bringing 325 miles of fiber to 1,400 households andbusinessesinEast Carroll, outside of town.Connexoncharges$60 amonth for 200 megabits-per-second residentialservice and $80 a month for 1gigabit service. Suddenly,residents accustomed to seeing an “SOS” signal at the topoftheir cellphone screens got internet service speedyenough to power not only their phone conversations but their virtualdoctor’s visitsand video games.
Fibercables, installedunderground, consistently meet the Federal Communications Commission’sbroadband requirements of 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. This month, anationalspeed analysis foundthatjust 17.4%ofStarlinkusers got speeds consistent with those minimum requirements. That study,byOokla, a private research company, showed that Louisiana users fared even worse:Only 9% of thestate’sStarlink users got those speeds. AStarlink spokesperson did not respond to arequest for comment.
The fiber projects’ starts and stops have been hard on Manning, who fields questions at churchabout whetherthe long-discussed network will ever arrive.She could imagine spending her retirement differently —in herart room, painted two shades of purple, drawing.
But partlybecause of her faith, she feels called to improve the lives of young peopleinthe community ‘Justnoway’
The lack of reliable broadband isn’tjust an inconvenience, according to local officials. It has slowed upgrades of somepublic services.
Aprinter hissed, spitting outasheet of paper, as Debra Hopkins described the problem. East Carroll Parish needs anew 911 system. Its equipment, meant to be replaced every five years or so, is now 12 years old. But Hopkins, director of theEast Carroll Parish Communications District,can’tgodigital.
“There’s just no way,”Hopkins said.
Anext-generation 911 system runningonhigh-speed internetwould do away with paper. It would give dispatchersand respondersa caller’s location. Andit would cost half as much as the current system. Hopkins anticipates that in adecade, companies won’teven offer analog options. Hercurrent provider is already begging her to switch.
“But we’vegot to have
versity,Nicholls State University Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University,the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of LouisianaatMonroe.
The University of New Orleans hasalso been part of theULsystem since 2011, but state lawmakers voted this spring to transfer the school back to the Louisiana State University system. Thelaw, which Gov.JeffLandry signed, says UNO’spresident should send aletter by Aug. 1with notice of intent for thetransfer to theSouthernAssociation forColleges and Schools.
During Thursday’sULsystem meeting, theboard also approved afive-year strategicplan. The plan outlines four priorities: n Leverage operational efficiencies,standardize administrative processes and strategically invest in shared services thatreduce costs, increase institutional capac-
someredundancy,” Hopkins said.
The internet simply isn’t reliable, and$600-a-month satellite serviceisn’tinher budget.Sincethe Sheriff’s Officeturned itsadministrative phone lines digital, the department often turns to her when its internet is out.
“My analog phone is how theyhave to answer their phones—with this onelittle bitty analog phone right here.”
Astreet over,atthe local library,astaff member called alifelong resident with good news: An internet hot spot wasavailable.Afriend had
ity and uphold fiscal responsibility across all institutions.
n Leverage the system’scollective voice to championthe value of higher education, expand student access, improve outcomes and support talent retention across Louisiana.
n Position thesystemasthe state’sleading source of applied, industry-aligned research and innovation while equipping students with the skills,experiences and opportunities needed to thrive in rapidly evolving industries.
n Leverage the system’sstatewide presencetoadvancestrategic priorities through advocacy, policyengagement, public affairsand stakeholder alignment —buildingtrust, influenceand support amonggovernment leaders, industry partners, media and communities.
Email MeganWyatt at mwyatt@ theadvocate.com.
toldTammy Wilsonabout awork-from-home job, but Wilson needed alaptop and abetterWi-Fi connection From the library,she borrowed both.
“It’sablessing,” she said. Six years ago, Kris Sanders, the library’sdirector, nabbed agrant to purchase five “mi-fi” devices. Often, all five are checked out.
The library,its windows adorned withwhitestring lights, is “a hub, so we should have thebestinternetinthe parish,”she said. Atalltower stands beside the building.
“But right now, when the weather is about to get bad,”
she continued, gesturing up toward thesky,“that means our internet is going to start glitching.” Sanders has worked in East CarrollParish allher life.It’s abeautiful community, with elders such as Manning, who “want to see people grow.” But it’salso “in this little bitty corner of nothing,” an area that gets overlooked She lives in neighboring West Carroll, where herfiber internet is solid. She doesn’t understand why providers, why governments can’tcover the whole area. “How do you skip over people? That perplexes me.”
LCTCS: Powering Louisiana’s SkilledWorkforce Through Industry-AlignedTraining
By Amanda McElfresh| amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
This articleisbrought to youbythe LouisianaCommunity andTechnical CollegeSystem.
IneveryregionofLouisiana,theLouisiana Community andTechnical CollegeSystem (LCTCS)isworkingtogetherwithemployers to buildastronger, job-ready workforce, one skilledtrade at atime.
As demand forelectricians, welders, commercialdrivers,healthprofessionals,and line workersjusttonamea fewgrows across thestate,LCTCScollegesarerespondingwith targeted,career-focusedtrainingprograms that give students fast,affordableaccessto high-wage, high-demandjobs.
“Ourmissionistoconnectpeopletopurpose througheducation that leadsdirectlyto meaningful work,” said Dr.Jimmy Sawtelle, Chancellor of CentralLouisiana Technical CommunityCollege (CLTCC). “Wetrain students notjustfor jobs, butfor careerswith roomtogrow—careersthatpowerLouisiana’s economy.”
CLTCC, with fivecampusesacrosscentral Louisiana,isakeyplayerindeliveringhands-on traininginfields like healthcare, advanced manufacturing,forestry,businesstechnology, andHVAC. In just over ayear, CLTCChas graduatedmorethan400alliedhealthprofessionals,includingpracticalnurses,pharmacy technicians, andother front-line caregivers into aregionhungryfor talent
Short-term credentialsare also helping students quicklyreenter theworkforce Forexample,CLTCC’s commercial driver’s license(CDL) programtakes just sixweeks to complete,and graduatesoften startwith salaries in the$35,000 to $40,000range Welding, machining, andconstructioncraft programs providesimilar rapidpathwaysto skilledtradesinhigh-demand sectors.
“Our students areoften adults lookingfor afresh start,”Sawtellesaid. “Theymay have families,ortheymay be changing careers. We’reheretohelpthemmatchtheirinterests withrealjobopportunitiesandtoremovethe barriersintheir way.”
That same commitment to career connection drives theworkofFletcherTechnical
Community College(Fletcher)inSchriever whereprogramsarebuiltinclosepartnership with localmaritime, energy,and agriculture industries
“Ourstudentsarenotjustenrolling,they’re enrollingwithpurpose,”saidFletcherChancellor Dr.KristineStrickland. “Wetakethe time to understandeachperson’slifecircumstances, goals,andchallenges,whetherthat’stransportation,childcare,orneeding ajob rightaway. We meet them wheretheyare andhelpthem getwhere they want to go.”
helicopter airports in theworld,” Strickland said.“Companiesare hiring from outofstate becausewedon’tyethaveenoughlocaltalent. That’sexactlythekindofgapweexisttoclose.”
AllLCTCScollegesofferstackablecredentials that allowstudentstostart with short-term trainingandbuildtowardtechnicaldiplomas andassociate degrees, or even transfer to four-yearuniversities. This flexibility makes it easier for Louisiananstoupskill over time andriseintoleadershiproles in theirfields With12collegesstatewideandmanylocations servingallcommunities,LCTCSisLouisiana’s enginefortrainingtheskilledworkforcethat industries need andcommunities dependon.
“Weencourage everyLouisianantoinvest in themselves,” Sawtelle said.“Come visit acampus. Explore your options. There’s a high-demandcareerwaitingforyouandwe’ll help youget there.
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Louisiana.
upended the market.
Home insurance rates rose by 16% in 2022 and by 14% in 2023, on average, according to data from the Louisiana Department of Insurance. A dozen insurers went belly up.
Last year, homeowners insurance rates rose by 6.6%, on average. And so far this year, rates are up 1.2%. If the trend holds through the end of the year, it would be the smallest jump since 2018, according to state data.
Not everyone is seeing relief. In May, an insurance group for teachers raised rates by an average of 14%, according to rate filing data. A month earlier, two insurers from another group raised rates by 12.5%. A handful of insurers cut rates by varying levels, from 2% to 11%.
State lawmakers made a few attempts to scale back those increases by passing legislation this spring that strengthens incentives and grants for homeowners who put fortified roofs on their homes. The changes to the law come as Louisiana has reentered hurricane season, and storms have grown more extreme from climate change.
Insurance Commissioner
Tim Temple touted several bills he supported that became law, including measures on fortified roofs, giving customers more notice when their policy is canceled and requiring parishes to permit and inspect new roofs. Temple also supported several bills that didn’t pass, including proposals to set up deductible savings accounts and requiring coastal areas to mandate fortified roofs.
Temple said it’s too soon to know whether the new laws will affect rates, but said many of the proposals will “bring competition, reduce risk, increase insurability and support consumers.
“I am encouraged by the early positive trends we are
seeing, like insurers filing fewer, less costly rate increases, and even beginning to file more rate decreases than in recent years,” Temple said in a statement.
Political fight
The Republican-controlled Legislature sidelined bills that would have taken a more direct approach to the crisis, including proposals to give homeowners tax breaks to offset weighty premiums and requiring insurers to deliver certain discounts to residents who put stronger roofs on their homes.
Instead, they largely continued to embrace Temple’s favored free-market approach. He has embraced policies that loosen rules on insurers, making it easier for them to drop policyholders and charge customers as they see fit.
The Legislature did pass bills that set up a dedicated source of funding for the state’s fortified roof grant program, though only a fraction of homeowners who apply will be able to benefit from it. The program gives homeowners $10,000 to
put stronger roofs on their homes, and many have reported significant savings on insurance after installing them.
And Gov Jeff Landry recently signed a bill by state Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, to give people a $10,000 tax credit if they put fortified roofs on outside the grant program The credit must be used against tax liability
— it’s not a check
— and it is capped at about 1,000 people per year on a first-come, first-served basis. That means people who file their taxes earlier will be first in line.
Talbot said he’s telling constituents to shop their insurance quote to try to find a better rate, and to put a stronger roof on if they can afford it.
“We’re trying to deal with things we can control,” Talbot said. “We obviously can’t control storms and all that, but we can control these other things.”
Landry was front and center on the car insurance de-
bate that took up most of the oxygen in the Capitol this spring, and sparred publicly with Temple over high auto insurance rates. But he has not championed a package of bills so far focused on the rising cost of homeowners insurance.
One bill he supported, House Bill 148 by Rep. Jeff Wiley, R-Maurepas, gives Temple more power to reject rates for home and car insurance that he deems “excessive.” But Temple has all but vowed not to use the authority, saying it would upend the market by arbitrarily setting rates. It’s unlikely to have any immediate impact on lowering rates.
In a statement Friday, Temple railed against the bill as a “red flag,” saying it destabilizes the market by “giving one politician the power to reject rate changes without clear rules or reasons.” He said he’s meeting with a “major national insurer” next week to talk about how it will impact the company’s operations in
Landry’s spokesperson, Kate Kelly, touted the governor’s signing of bills to strengthen the fortified roof program and said the state can reduce homeowners insurance costs through “other structural improvement programs that have already proven effective in coastal states.” She didn’t respond to further queries about those programs.
“The governor continues to engage directly with insurance companies to discuss other avenues that can bring relief to Louisianans,” Kelly said in a statement.
State Rep. Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, was less optimistic. He said the Legislature did nothing to reduce home insurance costs this session, saying members were sidetracked by the yearslong fight between trial attorneys and insurers over “tort reform,” or changing the legal system to help insurers avoid big payouts when sued.
“The best you should expect is for the rate to stabilize and not go up,” Willard said. “That’s just me being honest. I have no indication to tell people otherwise. I’m not going to sell them false hope. The state has done that for long enough.”
Global business
In January, the reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter published an obscure but crucial statistic: The cost of reinsurance was expected to drop by 6.6% this year
Insurers take premium dollars from homeowners and promise to pay if they have a covered loss. But they don’t keep all that risk. Instead, they spend billions of dollars buying their own form of protection — reinsurance from a more loosely regulated network of companies around the world, many based in Bermuda.
After 2017 wildfires in California caused billions in damages, reinsurance costs soared for seven straight years. Those effects reached insurance companies in Louisiana, who faced huge cost
hikes and passed them along to homeowners in the form of higher premiums. Many rely heavily on reinsurance because they are smaller and have less money than giants like State Farm. Rising reinsurance is a big reason Louisianans have seen rates rise. And the projected drop this year could be good news. The drop is likely the result of investors flooding the reinsurance market to take advantage of massive profits tied to the years of cost increases by reinsurers. A recent report by Howden Re, a reinsurance adviser, said insurers were finally able to take advantage of competition in the market this year
“Rate levels remain historically high but are now outpacing loss trends in many areas,” wrote Kyle Menendez, managing director of Howden Re, North America, in a recent report.
The dynamic with reinsurance also underscores a hard truth for Louisiana: Even if state lawmakers make a host of changes, the global insurance industry could be upended by a storm in Miami or wildfire in California, like happened earlier this year Late in Louisiana’s legislative session, more than 30 lawmakers of both parties signed onto a resolution by Willard, the New Orleans Democrat, urging Congress to step in and provide solutions. Some insurance advocates and members of Congress have pushed for a federal intervention into the reinsurance market, which they say could stabilize costs for homeowners amid increasingly devastating natural disasters.
Willard’s resolution doesn’t have the force of law, but he said he hopes it will encourage federal lawmakers to “step in and provide some relief.”
“We’re in a precarious situation where our rates are affected by any natural disaster that happens across the globe,” he said. “Given that, I think it’s worth Congress at least exploring some type of national program.”
CARMOUCHE
said, seated at aconference table in his Baton Rouge office, amosaic of photos of the Louisianamarsh on the wall behind him. “Wewant the state to thrive. We’re tired of our kidsleaving. To bring this state back, we have to take away the oil companies’ liability.”
That means suing them, and getting them to pay forthe damage they’ve done to the coast, he says Not quite Republican nor Democrat. Neither fullyproindustry nor environmentalist. In Louisiana,taking on oil companies doesn’tjust take legal know-how.Carmouche is walking apolitical tightrope. He’s about as farfroma Birkenstock-wearingenvironmentalist as anyone could be. He’sbuilt like asmall tank with afittedsuit anda Panerai wristwatch. During the recent trial in Plaquemines,he carried aplastic can of Zyn, the trendy nicotine pouches popularized by conservative social media influencers.
“They’re very skilled politically.And they’re very skilled in the courtroom,” John Barry,the Tulane historian and author who led an unsuccessful effort to sue oil companies over coastal damage, saidof Carmouche and his law partners. “They’ve gone through hell to get where they are.” Carmouche, 57,and his firm have been suing oil companies for decades. But the April verdict in Plaquemines Parish,a historic winagainst theoil and gas industry, marks the beginning of anew phase of hisfight.
al for environmental enforcement. “Carmouche is making them pay.”
The oil companies see it differently.Theyfeel that they re being blamed for land loss that should be attributed to the levees along the Mississippi, which have starved coastal wetlands of sediment. Climate change-driven sea level rise has also played a role,they admit.
Beyond that, theysay such lawsuits threaten to put a chokeholdonthe industry in Louisiana, hurting employment and energy production in theprocess. The companies point out, too, that some of theoperations in question occurred before alaw they are accused of violatingtook effect in 1980.
“It’stimetostop incentivizing trial lawyers to pick industry’spocketsand start protecting the future of both our state and the 306,750 people working in and alongside the oil and natural gas industry here every day —because in Louisiana, they’reone and thesame,”Tommy Faucheux, president of theLouisiana Mid-Continent Oil &Gas Association, said in astatement this month.
‘Friends alongthe coast’
Thestory of the Carmouche practice starts with his father, Don, who has been practicing since 1966. Does he plan to retire? “No way,” he said.
Johnargues the cases now —it’sayoung man’sgame, Donsaid—butthe84-year-old looks sharpenoughto have prosecuted the Plaquemines case himself.
The elder Carmouche served as districtattorney in the23rd Judicial District, which covers Ascension, Assumptionand St.James
July 2013: NewOrleans leveeauthority fileslawsuit seekingtorecoupdamages from oil firmsfor thedamagetheydid to coastalwetlands. Thelandmarklawsuit is the firstofits kind to seek restitutionfromoil companiesfor coastallandloss.
Nov. 2013: Plaquemines fileslawsuit,represented by Talbot,Carmouche and Marcello,against oilcompanies.They're immediately 'removed'tofederal court.
Jan. 2023: Oilcompanies appeal ruling to theU.S.Supreme Court, whichdeclines to take thecase, settingthe stagefor thetrial in PlaqueminesParish.
Dec. 2023: Oil firmssettlewithCameron Parish,the firstofthe 42 lawsuits to settle.Details of thesettlementare notmadepublic.
Mar.2025: Trialbeginsinone of thelawsuitsbrought by PlaqueminesParish, the firsttrial in the42cases filedsince 2013
on the politicalconnections Don forged as districtattorney “I had alot of friends along the coast that I’ve known in my 60 yearsofbeing alawyer,”the elderCarmouche said. “It really wasn’tdifficult forany elected officialalong the coasttoclearly see that something shouldbedone, and the state and the parishes just don’thavethe funds to do it.”
“And why shouldn’tthose companiesthatdestroyed it payfor it? It really wasn’t a difficult sell.Theyembraced
“Wewere getting ready to file these coastal lawsuits when the levee district filed their lawsuit,” Carmouche said, referring to the lawsuit thatthe Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection AuthorityEast filed in 2013. Carmouche would file 42 separate lawsuits related to locationsthathealleged were damaged by oil and gas production by specific companies. The flood protection authoritywouldfile asingle suit, against about100 companies, alleging broad damage to the Louisiana coast.
He cut Landry’scampaign large checksin2023; last year,Landryappointed Carmouche to the LSU board of supervisors, aplum gig that comes with free season tickets to sit in the board suite at all LSU football games. Landryhas spoken of wanting to reducethe number of such lawsuits through negotiated settlements, “where everyone works together to protect our coastal communities.”
“By going to small communities in Louisiana and promising thembillions, they’ve been able to keep communities motivated,” Faucheux said of Carmouche’slawsuits. “That, in turn, keeps policymakers, even at the statewide level, motivated.” But what,ultimately,motivates Carmouche? He’ll sayhe’snot in it just for the money,though themoney doesn’thurt. He says he’sa sportsmanand lovesthe outdoors, but that doesn’tseem like the main thing.
Perhaps the most convincing theoryofwhatmakes Carmouche tick is that he is legitimately fired up by a fight, and the oil industry is giving him one.
“It took us 15 yearsfighting in court, filing motions to compel, finally getting theresearchtheyhad going back to the 1940s,” he said. He describes himselfas motivated by righteous anger, fueled by “knowing whattheyknew,and how they went about destroying the coast, and how they got away with it.”
EmailAlex Lubben at alex.lubben@theadvocate. com.
In many ways, theoil and gas industry has pursued similar political strategies. It hashad to workwith vastly different presidents over the last decade, said Faucheux of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil &Gas Association.And the industry has also made substantial political donationsinLouisiana over the same time period. Landry tappedFaucheux’s predecessor,Tyler Gray, to run the Department of Energy and Natural Resources.
Staffgraphic
HURRICANE KATRINA: 20 yEARS LATER
Today,helooks back on the installation, which he dubbed “Toxic Art,” as an early sign of the golden era of creativitythatwas to come.
“The flowers were already coming throughthe cracks,” he said.
Artcapital
Nobody could have guessed that the destruction wrought by the 2005 hurricane would leadtoone of themost significant periods of artistic expressionin New Orleans’ history,one that still reverberates 20 yearslater
But that’swhat happened. The nation was acutely conscious of its southernmost city on the Mississippi after the disaster.And for a time, New Orleans became an art capital Truth is,ifyou addup the ever-evolving music scene, the long-entrenched community of bohemian painters, poets, writers and actors, plus the artistry of Carnival, New Orleans had always been an art capital. But starting in 2007, a wave of Katrina-related works surged forth, capturing the city’sanguish and fueling its drive to rebuild “NewOrleans is the most important city in America —this poor place,” said local visual artist Willie Birch. “There ain’tnoplace like this.” Legendary filmmaker Spike Leewouldcreatea 4-hour HBO documentary about the storm’saftermath, titled “When the Levees Broke: ARequiem in Four Acts,” and enlist frequent collaboratorand composer Terence Blanchard to create adeeply personal score. The New Orleans-borntrumpet player would go on to create aGrammy-winning jazzalbum based on that work.
Another famous local, WendellPierce, wouldstar in ahaunting outdoor production of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” staged in the flooded wasteland near the collapse of the Industrial Canalfloodwall. Even Hollywoodleading man Brad Pitt got in the act Pitt set out to do nothing less
than rebuild an entire neighborhood by enticing some of the world’sbest architects, including Frank Gehry Thom Mayne and Shigeru Ban, to design earth-friendly,affordablehouses for residentsofthe obliterated Lower9th Ward.Eventually Pitt’snonprofitorganization, known as Make It Right, built 109 strikingly modernistic dwellings, though not withoutsome controversy Visual arts blossom
All artistic endeavors seemed to take on anew energy and importance. But nowhere was the creative explosion more powerful than in the visual arts, where sculpture, painting and performance particularlysignaledthe city’s struggle.
“Artists were pushing themselves to makeradical, boldwork,” largely because the very survival of thecity was at stake, said Miranda Lash, who at 24 was serving as the New Orleans Museum of Art’scurator of contem-
porary art It was “a momenttomake acase for self-preservation,” she said. “There was a lot of momentumfor artists to play arole in the community,”and “there was adeep sense of purpose.”
In thefirst two years after thestormand flood, New Orleans artistsaddressed the tragedy head-on.
NOMA lined thewalls of agallerywith hundreds of photos of the destruction by local photographers.
Artist Eden Gass created ablack American flag, embroidered with black stars and bars, which sheceremonially burned in protest of the federal government’s slow response tothe crisis.
Other artists produced installations insideofformerly flooded homes,built sculpture from debris, recorded scenes of theruinin paintings, and likewise used their creativity as catharsis. And thatwas just the beginning.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Ronald Jackson walks in the rain past Banksy’s‘Umbrella Girl’ in NewOrleans on Dec.13, 2018.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETTDUKE
Artist Willie Birch sits in achair that once belonged to his mother,near an unfinished drawing, in his studio in New Orleans on Nov. 29, 2023
STAFF FILE PHOTOByCHUCKCOOK
The play ‘Waiting forGodot’ was presented by Creative Time, Paul Chan and The Classical Theatre of Harlem in the Lower 9th Ward on Nov. 1, 2007.
STAFF FILE PHOTOByJOHNMcCUSKER
on the St. ClaudeAvenue neutral ground on Sept. 27, 2005.
HURRICANE KATRINA: 20 yEARS LATER
Prospect is born
By 2008, the city was aboil with art.
‘New frontier’
On the third anniversary of Katrina, as another monster storm named Gustav barreled toward south Louisiana, one of the mostfamous artists in the world stalked the streets of New Orleans.
The British graffiti artist known as Banksy had made the walls of the city his canvas, secretly creating asuite of small murals devoted to the population’sseemingly endless recovery struggle. His wistful artworks captured the mood of the moment.
The best of Banksy’s works depicted ayoung girl holding an umbrella over her headinanunsuccessful attempt to stay dry.Asa coy reference to the failed levee system, Banksy had equipped her with an umbrella that not only leaked, but it seemed to be the source of the deluge.
OgdenMuseumofArt curator Bradley Sumrall said “the larger art world”may have been more interested in the superstar’svisit than the resident population, which was otherwiseengaged. There also was some resistance to the intrusion.
“Locals were alittle tender to anotheroutsider coming into their city and interpreting their stories,” he said.
Still, the out-of-town artists kept coming,said New Orleans artist Terrence Sanders-Smith, who founded Artvoices magazine to document the post-catastrophe art scene.
“Artists saw this place as the new frontier,” he said
California-born curator Kirsha Kaecheletransformed ahandfulofunoccupied houses in the St.Roch neighborhood into an experimental art laboratory
Energetic sculptors Michael Manjarrisand Peter Lundberg installed scores of modernsculpturesalong the roadways.
New galleries poppedup on St.Claude Avenue, and established galleries and museums seemed more preciousand popular thanever
Thenthere was the dawning of anew art festival, which promised to become the visual art equivalent of the Jazz Fest.
Dan Cameron, the former curator of the New Museum in New York and alongtime Jazz Fest fan, founded an ambitious, multimilliondollar art festival called Prospect.1, which featured worksby acast of 80 internationalstars in 24 scattered locations acrossthe city.The contemporary art triennial continues to be held in New Orleans.
Thecenterpiece was a three-story Noah’sArk, fashioned by Los Angeles artist Mark Bradford in the Lower 9thWard.The landlocked boat,which wasbuilt from recycled plywood and coated in tatteredmovie posters, was an ironic symbol ofthe uncertainty of survival.
As the L.A. Times art critic sardonically wrote at the time: “If only FEMA had been this prepared.”
Birchwasalsofeatured in thefestival at theNew
Last traces
Orleans Museum of Art.
His huge, black-and-white cityscapedrawings depicted churches, homes and street corners in various stages of rebuilding, as well as therealities of everyday life after thestorm.
The artist contends that the greatest form of creativity is culture, which is why the city, in particular, ignited with so many inspired works.All formsof New Orleans expression were part of themix, he said, from papier mâché MardiGrasmasks,toyard artsculpture, to second-line parades and blues,jazz and rap music.
“The culture, that’s our enrichment,that’s our food,” Birch said. “That’s what nurtures us.”
Today,evidence of postKatrina artworksare almost as scarce as the aerosol X’s left behind on houses by first responders.
Erica Larkin, ametal sculptor andmeticulous welder, began conceiving of her minimalistresponse to Katrina shortlyafter thestorm
It would simply be aseries of uniform, 10-foot-tall poles, with glass rings —made by Larkin’shusband Mitchel Gaudet —tomark theheight of the2005flood.Elysian Fields Avenue, which bisects thecityfromLakePontchartraintothe MississippiRiver, seemed theideal place to
install aseries of the telltale markers.
Larkin feared that even in the wild west atmosphere of 2008, no one wasgoing to permit hertoerect an art project on apublic neutralground. So, she and her husband decided “it was guerrilla art time.” As they made plans to produce and install the poles on thesly,agenerousart funder, the Joan Mitchell Foundation, offered to sponsor and managethe project. In the end, 12 “Watermarks” rose on Elysian Fields as one of the most effective documentary artworksinspired by the disaster.Itstood for17years, becoming oneof the very last public artworks devoted to storm Butthis spring, thepoles were gone. They’d beenremoved for renovation by Arts New Orleans, anonprofitthat supports arts and culture in thecity. The “Watermarks” are expected to be back in place by Aug. 25 to mark the20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina “I’m proud we did them,” Larkin said.
EmailDoug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate. com.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By TED JACKSON
Los Angeles artistMark Bradford poses withthe 3-story ark he built in the Lower9th Ward forProspect.1 NewOrleans on Oct9,2008
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MATTHEW HINTON
Deborah Luster,a conceptual photographer,made aseries of landscapes taken at NewOrleans homicidelocations for Prospect.1. Sheisseen here on Nov. 10,2008
ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By CHERyL GERBER
Artcritic and curator Lara Taubman, of Phoenix,Ariz.,reads a map beneaththe ‘Fireworks from Heaven’ piece by CaiGuo Qiang at theProspect.1New Orleans exhibit in 2008.
LOUISIANAPOLITICS
RFKJr.’s movesonvaccinescause problems forCassidy
Mark Ballard
WASHINGTON —Actions by avaccine advisory panel hand-picked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.are putting Louisiana U.S. Sen.Bill Cassidy’sreputation on Capitol Hill in aprecarious position. For 30 years, Republican Cassidy,once aphysician at Baton Rouge’scharity hospital, advocated the safety and efficacy of vaccines to treat disease and save lives. During that same time, Kennedy raised doubts about these inoculations.
It was Cassidy,more than any other senator,who is responsible forconfirming such awell-known anti-vaxxer to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which holds the reins to the nation’svaccination program. Cassidy said he did so based upon Kennedy’sassurances that, as the nation’shealth chief, he would not undermine federal vaccination programs —promises some say have been breached
On Tuesday,Kennedy said he’d withdraw the $1.2 billion the U.S. uses for global immunization programs. Critics contend themove would endanger the lives of children aroundthat world.
On Wednesday,Kennedy’snewly reconstituted Advisory CommitteeonImmunization Practices met for the first time. Earlier in June, Kennedy had fired all 17 sitting members and named eight new ones, some of whom have vaccine-skepticism histories.
Cassidy noted that few of Kennedy’spicks had the proper scientific backgrounds for their important ACIP roles and suggested postponing the meeting.
In opening Wednesday’smeeting, ACIP’snew chair Martin Kulldorff said, “Secretary Kennedy has given this committee a clear mandate to use evidence-
Landryvetoes bill on portcommission
BUZZ staff reports
Gov.Jeff Landry has vetoed abillthat would have required theBoard of Commissioners for the PortofNew Orleans to be approved by the Louisiana Senate. Senate Bill 9, by Sen. Joseph Bouie Jr., D-New Orleans, passed both the House and the Senate unanimously But, in his veto message, Landry said it would “add an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy to an already rigorous appointment system.”
The seven-member board includes four members from Orleans Parish, two from Jefferson Parish and one from St. Bernard Parish. Members are nominated by acouncil of business,industry,higher education and labor organizations.
“This process ensures ap-
based medicine whenmaking vaccination recommendations.”
Thenew group also released astatement: “Wecame to this meeting with no predetermined ideas andwillmake judgments as ifweare treating forour own families.”
Among otherdecisions Thursday,ACIP set anew schedule for seasonal flu shots —provided they don’tcontain the mercurybased preservativethimerosal —rollingback long-standing government policies. Vaccination skeptics suspect thatthimerosal, which isincluded in only 4% of
flu vaccines, causesautism despite dozens of studiessaying it does not.
The committee also plans to review the childhood vaccine schedule.
The ACIP provides guidance to the Centers forDiseaseControl andPrevention,whose decisions require the federalgovernment to provide vaccinesfor lowincomefamiliesand informs statesonvaccination schedules forstudents.
Cassidy hadnothing to say Fridayabout the panel’sactions But in avideotaped message
pointmentsare locally driven, carefully vetted, and rooted in industry expertise and community representation,” Landry wrote.
“Adding aSenate confirmation requirement would complicate asystem that alreadyincludes substantial input,oversight,and
welcoming Kennedy to avisit in Louisiana Friday, Cassidy said: “I thank youfor coming, Bobby And thank youparticularlyfor going to the Pennington BiomedicalResearch Center,anLSU institutionstudying nutrition. And Iknow howpassionate you are —and Iam—about having good nutrition to Make America Healthy Again.
But many in thehealth care community feared ACIP’s decisions are aharbingerofthe federal government’s embrace of Kennedy’sskepticism.
The American Academy of Pe-
structure.”
The port, amajor economic engine for Louisiana, is under particular scrutiny because of asignificant but controversial expansion.
The port is adding amultibillion-dollarcontainerterminal in St.Bernard Parish, downriver from theCrescentCity Connection
The new terminal is necessary, portofficials say, to compete for businesswith international shipping firms using larger vessels that can’t go up to the main port.
Butthe newterminal hasgenerated backlash from many St. Bernard residents andofficials who fear it could clog their roads with trucks, disrupt the local way of life and damage the environment.
Sen.Kennedy mocks
Putin over Iran
U.S. Sen. JohnKennedy,RMadisonville, gave aspeech on theSenate floor on Wednesday, mocking RussianPresident Vladimir Putin, saying he has abandoned ally Iraninthe face of bombings by Israel andthe U.S.
diatrics on Thursday criticized Kennedy’sAFIPand announced it would publishits own recommendations andschedules.
“Whatweheard in this meeting wasreally afalse narrative that thecurrentvaccine policiesare flawed andthattheyneed fixing,” Sean O’Leary,aphysicianwho chairs thegroup’sCommittee on InfectiousDiseases, said in a statement.
On Capitol Hill, somelawmakers sayKennedy took advantage of Cassidy In an April18party primary, Cassidy faces GOPchallengers who contendheisnot supportive enough of President Donald Trump.
OneofCassidy’sbig plusesfor election to athirdterm is that, as chairofthe powerful Senate Health Education Labor and Pensionscommittee, he helped Trump’spickwin confirmation Whenasked Tuesday if he felt dupedbyKennedy,Cassidy said:
“The agreementwithSecretary Kennedy on theACIP wasabout process, notabout membership. So,I’lljustleaveitatthat.”
Acouple hourslater,during a Housebudgethearing, Rep.Kim Schrier, aDemocraticpediatrician from Washington state, accused Kennedy of lying to Cassidy She noted that Cassidy hadsaid Feb.4onthe Senate floor that Kennedy would maintainthe AFIP“without changes.”
“Did youlie to Sen. Cassidy whenyou toldhim youwould not change this panelofexperts?” Schrierasked
“I nevermadethatagreement,” Kennedy replied. “If he said that Iagreed to it,itwould be inaccurate. I’mcomplying withall the agreements that ImadewithSen Cassidy.”
Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.
“Where’s Russia?Where’sPresident Putin? Youcouldn’tfind eitherone of themwith asearch party,” Kennedy said. “Dogthe Bounty Hunter, all of asudden, couldn’tfind President Putin. All of asuddeneven Google can’t find Russia.” Kennedy noted that, when Russia invadedUkraine, Iran helpedby sending ammunition, artillery shells anddrones.
“On Mondayofthis week, Iran’stop diplomat metwith President Putin andasked for help,” Kennedy said. “Do you knowwhatPresident Putin said he would provide?Nothing. Zero.Zilch. Nada.Somekind of friend.”
Russia hasabandoned other alliesaswell, Kennedy said. For example,whenSyrians revolved against Basharal-Assad, the dictator“went to Mr.Putin andsaid ‘help me,helpme’ and Mr.Putin said no.”
“I saythis to everycountry in the world thatmight be thinking aboutpartnering with Russia With friends like Russia, who
CAPITOL
Kennedy
STAFF PHOTO By JILLPICKETT
Gov. Jeff Landryspeaks during abill signing event at Cyber Innovation Center in Bossier City on Wednesday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, left, greets SecretaryofHealth and Human Services RobertF.Kennedy Jr before he testifies before aSenate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing at the U.S. Capitol on May14.
EDUCATION
LSU interim president wants to keep winning
BY PATRICK WALL
Staff writer
For Matt Lee, LSU’s interim president, summer break is not a thing.
He started in the role June 1 after former President William Tate IV’s surprise announcement that he was leaving to lead Rutgers University Lee, who most recently was LSU’s vice president for agriculture, traveled to Omaha last weekend to watch LSU’s baseball team win its eighth national championship, then returned to Baton Rouge this week for his first board meeting as system leader
As Louisiana’s flagship university prepares to search for a permanent leader Lee is tasked with continuing the system’s gains in enrollment and research while navigating headwinds, including federal funding cuts and restrictions on international students. Just this week, federal immigration agents detained two Iranianborn LSU students; it’s unclear why they were targeted.
We spoke with Lee earlier this month, just days into his new role, about the challenges and opportunities ahead. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Can you start by talking about what the past few days have been like for you?
The list of issues and projects that are in play (across the LSU system) at any given time are in the dozens, maybe over 100. There’s just a whole range of issues that this position deals with and it’s like a chess game — they’re all at different points on the trajectory So it takes time
ASKING
Q&A WITH MATT LEE LSU INTERIM PRESIDENT
left and right, and that’s because we have a brand that frankly is unbeatable.
However, while we actually do quite well with student retention and graduation, we can always do better That’s going to be front and center in pretty much every conversation I have.
And then, we just passed a milestone with our collective research expenditures well over half a billion dollars. We are not gonna let up on the gas pedal there.
Is LSU bracing for cuts to its federal research funding?
I think we’ll expect, over the coming six months, to continue to see some possible changes in the way the federal granting agencies are operating. But that doesn’t mean we’re just gonna walk away from our mission.
federal level to make sure that they are fully educated on the importance of federal funding.
Another is being really thoughtful about making sure that we are appropriately aligning our expertise with the priorities of the funding agencies. Those tend to shift a little bit from administration to administration. That just means that if they’re interested in topic X and that’s really a priority for them, that we’re not wasting our time submitting proposals on topic B, which they’ve already declared is kind of a nonstarter for them.
I recently spoke with some LSU faculty members who are concerned that the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity equity and inclusion programs in higher education are threatening academic freedom. How would you respond?
that an arts professor or a physics professor would not be protected if they discuss the political climate?
It depends on the circumstances. Everybody has First Amendment rights for sure. But of course, you know, this is America, everybody also has First Amendment responsibilities.
As international students come under new scrutiny, can you talk about what they contribute to LSU?
International students add a layer of additional vibrancy to our organization.
Students who are from small hometowns in Louisiana and come to the flagship for them to get to sit in classrooms and live in dormitories with students from other parts of the world is a transformational experience. It opens their eyes, it gives them exposure to and development of cultural capital that is really, really valuable.
to get up to speed on each one of those.
In addition to getting an information download, I’m connecting with the appropriate portfolio of external stakeholders. This includes our legislative colleagues, industry partners, key alumni, donors.
This is a very, very significant responsibility Nobody in their right mind would take it lightly and there’s a lot at stake.
What are a few of the top priorities that you’re going to focus on in this period?
Well, there are two things that we are always, unrelentingly focused on: student success and growing our research impact.
We have eight institutions within the LSU system, six of which have students, so we are going to continue aggressively discussing student success. We’ve been setting enrollment records
What it means is we’re gonna huddle up, talk about our strategy, and figure out how it is that we remain in the top in terms of being competitive for federal funding.
The federal funding landscape is a violently competitive place and we’ve been succeeding. We’re gonna continue that. Sometimes you gotta roll with the punches — but that’s what the big dogs do.
What are some possible strategies for dealing with funding cuts?
Part of it is assessing our collaborative relationships. Is LSU just trying to submit proposals in isolation, or are we trying to stitch together a network of regional institutions?
The value in a strategy like that is it telegraphs to the funding agency that they could have a stronger impact for their funding investment.
Another part of it is working with our elected officials at the
First and foremost, we’re a public organization, so we are always ensuring that we are following all federal, state and local laws and regulations.
As a public higher education institution whose founding principles include academic freedom, we are always going to continue to ensure that our faculty that are tenured have the appropriate tenure protections and enjoy their ability to work under the umbrella of academic freedom, which gives you the protection to speak freely in your area of expertise.
Of course, we’re going to balance that with ensuring that our students are embedded in classroom learning environments that are appropriate and that their own civil rights are being appropriately protected.
When you say that tenured faculty are protected when they talk about their area of expertise, does that mean, for example,
So we are always keeping an eye on what current federal policy is that governs the international student experience and we make sure we’re in compliance with that.
And we welcome the top talent from around the globe because they benefit from us and we benefit from them being here.
Last question: As you deal with all these big issues as interim president, do you think you’ll apply for the permanent job?
I’m flattered that you would ask that. And frankly everybody is asking that same question. Honestly, I’m just not speaking to it right now What I know is, I’m an LSU guy through and through. This institution
THE GULF COAST
Food trucks getsamescrutinyasrestaurants
BY MARYPEREZ
The Sun Herald
Food trucks are everywhere in South Mississippi —inparking lots, at festivals, food truck events and outside the shipyardsand factories during meal breaks.
Customers who appreciate the variety of food the trucks offer also want to know that buying a meal or snack from atruck is as safe as eating at abrick-and-mortar restaurant.
Abig “A” is posted in thewindow of Hand MHibachi and Burger,a food truck set up in the parking lot of Burnham Drugs along Mississippi Highway 57 in Vancleave.
The Ameans the inspector found no violations and every restaurant and food truck is required to display the latest grade.
Just like restaurants, food trucks get inspected onceortwice ayear, according to the Mississippi Department of Health,dependingon therisk level determined when the license is issued.
“Every single thing inhere is new,” said Michael Nguyen as he stood beside his shiny food truck.
The inspectors still went through the entire truck, he said, tomake sure the operation was clean and up to the health code. He also had to enroll in acertified foodsafety management course, which is required of the owner or manager at all Mississippi restaurants.
Surprise!
The same inspectors who drop in at all the restaurants and commercial kitchens in South Mississippi also visit food truckslooking for proper hot and cold holding temperatures, safe food handling and clean food preparation areas.
“They can show up unannounced anytime,”said Sara Pasquale, of
Food trucks can be inspected at the point of daily operation, at the servicing area where they are cleaned and loaded with food,orattemporary events.
ADAM FOLLETT,retail food protection directorfor Mississippi Health Department
Gulfport.
She sets up herPure Acai Bowls food truck —complete with tables, chairs andaccessories— along Ocean SpringsRoad in the Rouses Market parking lot. On other days,she movesoutside Memorial Hospital in Gulfport or is invited to festivals, such as theupcoming Fourth of July celebration in Ocean Springs. She just gotapproved to sell on Keesler Air ForceBase, andas thorough as the state health inspection is, she said the military baseregulations areeven more stringent. She carriesaportable generator to power thefood truck that has aseparate water andwastewater
supply and holding tanks.
Keeping the interior clean isn’t aproblem, she said, because she wipes thecountersafter every order. Screensonthe windows keep flies out and bring cooler airin.
“Itcreates abreezeand makesit nice,” she said.
Sincemanyrestaurants have take-out windows and outdoor dining, it’s notthatdifferent keeping bugs away in afood truck.
“Open windows arenot unique to mobile units as brick-and-mortar restaurants can have drive-thru windows,” the health department said.
Less expensive, more specialized It’s his dream to have his own restaurant, Nguyen said, but that wouldrequire $150,000to$200,000 in startup fees.
He spent about $60,000 to buy andequip his foodtruck, andhis theme of “East meets West”combines Asian and American cuisine. Burgers with achoiceoftoppings andhibachifried rice with chicken, shrimporsteak are the bestsellers on themenuthatalso features chicken tenders, hibachi vegetables and egg rolls.
He has aplug-in on thepower
pole where he parks the truck, so it’s quieter and powers allhis appliances. This lets him put in longer hours—H and Misopen 10:30 a.m. to 8p.m. six days a week —close to theirhome in Vancleave. Sundays, the family goes to church, shops forfood forthe next week anddeep cleansthe hood,fan and entire food truck.
“It pays the bills,” he said.
“It’s agreat way to start without the huge overhead,” Pasquale said. Food trucks are “a little morehip” andcultural, she said, and in her case, healthierthan typical fast food. Customers build theirown bowl withabase like acai or coconut, addpeanut or almond butter for protein, choosethree toppings and adrizzleofhoney or Nutella.
She communicates withher followers on Facebook andInstagram to let them know where she’ll be set up each day,Pasquale said. Nguyen has embraced technology,inviting regulars to scan acode he haspostedonhis trucksothey can order ahead.Heaccepts credit cards and Apple Pay
Inspectors work thelist
Food trucks in Mississippi are requiredtoget amobile foodfacility permit and apublic health permit/license fromthe health department and some cities also require apermit. Fees are the same formobile and brick-andmortar restaurants, from $40 to $264.50.
Food trucks can be inspected at the pointofdaily operation, at the servicing area where they are cleaned and loaded with food, or at temporary events, according to Adam Follett, retailfood protection director for Mississippi Health Department.
Permits aren’t needed foronedayevents. Allother temporary events are inspected.
Food trucks typically must meet the same requirements as restaurants. The major differencesinvolve mobile water and wastewater supply andstorage.
“Most mobile units are not equipped to operate morethan a
few hours at atime,” he said, “so access to water and approved wastewater disposal is absolutely something that we address. Some mobile units have interchangeable water tanks that can be carried or rolled in and out. Others must return to their servicing area to be replenished. There are also some situations where water hookups areavailable, butwastewatermust still be disposed of in an approved manner.”
These trendy eateries are the new version of momand pop restaurants —onwheels.
havedental coverage fortheirentire 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.
STAFF PHOTO By JUSTIN MITCHELL
Aline of people wait to tryJamaican food at Waveland’s Food Truck event on Coleman
MINNESOTA
Biden, Harris,Walzattendfuneral forslain lawmaker
BY STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS Democratic
former Minnesota House
Speaker MelissaHortman was honored for her legislative accomplishments and her humanity during afuneralSaturday where former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris joined over 1,000 mourners.
Hortman was fatally shot two weeks earlier by aman posing as apolice officer in an attack that Minnesota’s chief federal prosecutor has calledanassassination. It andanothershooting also left her husband, Mark, deadand astate senator and his wife seriously wounded.
“Melissa Hortman will be rememberedasthe most consequentialspeaker in Minnesota history. Iget to rememberher as aclose friend, amentor,and the most talented legislator I have ever known,” Gov.Tim Walz said in his eulogy.”For seven years,I have had the privilege of signing her agenda into law. Iknowmillions of Minnesotans gettolive their lives better because she and Mark chose public service and politics.” Neither Biden nor Harris spoke, but they sat in the front row with the governor, who was Harris’ running mate in 2024. Biden was also one of more than 7,500 peo-
ple who paid their respects FridayasHortman, herhusband, Mark, and their golden retriever,Gilbert, lay in state in theMinnesota Capitol rotunda in St. Paul. Gilbert was seriously wounded in the attack and hadto be euthanized. Biden alsovisited the wounded senatorina hospital.
Dozens of current andformer state legislators from both parties and other elected officials whoworked with Hortman also attended. Hortman, whowas first elected in2004, helped pass an expansive agenda of liberal initiatives like free lunches for publicschoolstudents during themomentous 2023 session as the chamber’s
speaker,along with expanded protections for abortion and trans rights. With the House split 67-67 between Democrats andRepublicans this year,she yieldedthe gavel to aRepublican under apower-sharing deal, took the title speaker emerita, andhelpedbreak abudget impasse that threatened to shut down state government.
Walz saidHortman saw her mission as “to get as much gooddonefor as many people as possible.” Andhesaid herfocusonpeople was what made her so effective.
“She certainly knewhow to get her way.Nodoubt about that,” Walz said. “But she never made anyone feel that they’d gotten rolled at ane-
WASHINGTON Chief Justice John Roberts, speaking at amomentwhenthreats against judges areonthe rise, warned on Saturday that elected officials’ heated words about judges can lead to threats or acts of violencebyothers.
gotiating table. That wasn’t part of it for her,orapart of who she was.She didn’tneed somebodyelsetolosetowin for her.”
The governor said thebest way to honorthe Hortmans would be by following their example.
“Maybe it is this moment where each of us can examine the way we work together,the way we talk about each other,the way we fight for things we care about,” Walz said. “A momentwhen each of us can recommit to engaging in politics andlife theway Mark and Melissa did —fiercely,enthusiastically,heartily,but without ever losing sight of our common humanity.”
The Rev.DanielGriffith, pastor and rector of the Basilica, wholed the service, said the country is in need of deep healing. He said it seemsasifthe U.S. is living in the “dystopianreality” described at the beginning of William Butler Yeats’ poem, “The Second Coming.”
“Here in Minnesota, we have been the ground zero place, sadly,for racial injustice,”Griffithsaid. “The killing of George Floyd just miles from ourchurch today.And now we are the ground zero place forpolitical violence and extremism. Both of these must be decriedinthe strongest possible terms, as they are, respectively,athreat to human dignity and indeed, our democracy.”
But the priest also said Minnesota could also be “a ground zero place forrestorationand justiceand healing.” He added that the presenceofsomanypeople wasa sign that that work can succeed.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese offered his condolences to the Hortman family
Aprivate burialwillbe held at alater date.
TheHortmanswereproud of their adult children, Sophie and Colin Hortman, and the lawmaker often spoke of them
In avoice choked with
emotion, Colin said his parentsembodied the Golden Rule, and he read the Prayer of St. Francis, which his mother always kept in her wallet. He said it captures her essence. It starts, “Lord make me an instrument of your peace.” After the service, Walz presentedthe children with U.S. and Minnesota flags that flew over the Capitol on the day their parents were killed. The manaccused of killing theHortmans at their home in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn ParkonJune14, andwounding Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home in nearby Champlin, made abrief court appearance Friday.He’sdue back in court Thursday VanceBoelter,57, of Green Isle,surrendered near his homethe night of June 15 after what authorities called thelargest search in Minnesota history Boelterremains jailed and has not entered aplea. Prosecutors need to secure a grand jury indictment first. Hislawyers have declined to commentonthe charges, whichcould carry the federal death penalty Friends have described Boelter as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views. But prosecutors have declined so far to speculate on amotive.
Without identifying anyone by name, Roberts clearly referencedRepublican President Donald Trump and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York when he said he has felt compelled to issue public rebukes of figuresin both parties in recent years.
Roberts said at agathering of lawyers and judges in Charlotte, North Carolina. “And the danger,ofcourse, is somebody might pick up on that. And wehave had, of course, serious threats of violence and murder of judges just simply for doingtheirwork. So Ithink the political people on both sides ofthe aisle need to keep thatinmind.”
Roberts
“It becomes wrapped up in the political dispute that a judge who’sdoing his or her job is part of the problem,”
Roberts appeared at the 4thU.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judicial conference on the day after the Supreme Court issued the final decisions of its term, including amajor victory for Trump that limits judges’ ability to use court orderswith nationwide reach to block his agenda. C-Span carried Roberts’ conversation with
SUNDAY NEWS SHOWS
ABC’s“This Week”: Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C.;Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y
NBC’s“Meet the Press”: Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and ChrisMurphy,D-Conn.; Zohran Mamdani,Democraticcandidate for New York mayor
CNN’s“State of the Union”: Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala.,and Mark Warner,D-Va.; Rep.Riley Moore, R-W.Va
Judge Albert Diaz,the 4th Circuit’schief judge. Roberts first took issue with Trump’scomments in 2018, when Robertsresponded to Trump’sdescription of ajudge who rejected hismigrant asylumpolicy as an “Obamajudge.” In March, Roberts rejected calls for impeaching judges, shortly after Trumpdemanded the removal of one whoruledagainst his deportation plans In 2020, Roberts called outSchumerfor remarks that Roberts termed inappropriate andthreatening after thesenator said Trump-nominated Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch “will paythe price” for votes in athenpending Louisiana abortion case. Schumer later saidhe should not have used those words.
CBS’ “Face the Nation”: Warner; Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas;International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi; former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner ScottGottlieb “Fox News Sunday”: Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., andJim Banks, R-Ind.
TheAssociated Press
TOKYO— Japan on Sunday successfully launcheda climate change monitoring satellite on its mainstayH-2A rocket, which made its final flight beforeitisreplaced by anew flagship designed to be morecostcompetitive in the global space market.
The H-2A rocket lifted offfromthe Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan,carrying the GOSAT-GW satelliteaspart of Tokyo’seffort to mitigate climatechange. The satellite was released intoa planned orbit about 16 minutes later.
The launchfollows several days of delays because of malfunctioning of the rocket’s electrical systems.
By The Associated Press
NEWYORK Famed investor
Warren Buffettisdonating
$6 billion worth of hiscompany’sstock to five foundations, bringing the total he hasgiventothemsince 2006 to roughly$60 billion, based on their value when received.
Buffett said late Friday thatthe shares of Berkshire
Sunday’slaunch marked the 50thand finalflight forthe H-2A, whichhas served as Japan’smainstay rocket to carry satellites andprobesintospace with anear-perfectrecordsince its 2001 debut. After its retirement, it will be fully replaced by the H3, which is already in operation, as Japan’snew main flagship.
“Eventhough ourlaunches seemed stable, we have run into difficulties and overcome themone by one to come this far,” said Iwao Igarashi, seniorgeneral manager of the space systems divisionatMitsubishi Heavy Industries, which operatedlaunchservices
“As we nowmove on to the H3 launch service, we will firmly keep up the trust we
gained from H-2A.”
The GOSAT-GW,orGlobal ObservingSATellite for Greenhouse gases and Water cycle, is athird series in the missiontomonitor carbon, methane and other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Within oneyear, it will start distributing data such as seasurface temperature and precipitation with much higher resolution to users around theworld, including the U.S. National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration,officials said. The liquid-fuelH-2A rocket withtwo solid-fuel sub-rockets developed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has so far had 49 flights with a98% success record,withonlyone failure in 2003.
Hathaway will be delivered on Monday.Berkshire Hathaway owns Geico, Dairy Queen and arange of other businesses, and Buffett is donating nearly 12.4 million of the Class Bshares of its stock.Those shareshavea lower and easier-to-digest pricetag than thecompany’soriginal Class Ashares, and each of the Bshares was worth $485.68 at their most
recent close on Friday
The largest tranche is going to theBill& Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which will receive 9.4 millionshares. The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundationwill receive 943,384 shares, and the Sherwood Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation and NoVoFoundation will each receive 660,366 shares.
STAR TRIBUNEPHOTO By JEFF WHEELER
Attendees take their seatsSaturday before funeral services for Mark and Melissa Hortman at the BasilicaofSt. Mary in Minneapolis, Minn.
Bezos weddingstirs controversy in Venice
‘Kissesyes, Bezosno,’ protesters say
BY ANTONIO CALANNI and GIADAZAMPANO Associated Press
VENICE, Italy
Hundreds of protesters marched through Venice’scentral streets on Saturday to say “No” to billionaire Jeff Bezos, his bride and their much-awaited wedding extravaganza, which reached its third and final day amid celebritycrowded parties and the outcries of tired residents.
On Friday,the world’s fourth-richest man and his bride Lauren Sanchez Bezos tied the knot during aprivate ceremony with around 200 celebrity guests on the secluded island of San Giorgio.
The wedding, however,angeredmany Venetians, with some activists protesting it as an exploitation of the city by the billionaire Bezos, while ordinary residents suffer from overtourism, high housing costs and the constant threat of climateinduced flooding.
As the two newlyweds
prepared for the final party
Saturdayevening,hundreds of Venetians and protesters from across Italy filled Venice’stinystreets with colorfulbanners reading“Kisses Yes, Bezos No”and “No Bezos, noWar.”
Thedemonstration contrasted with theexpensive weddingbonanza, seen by critics asanaffronttothe lagoon city’sfragile environmentand itscitizens, overwhelmedbythrongs of tourists.
“Weare here to continue ruining the plans of these rich people, who accumulate money by exploiting many otherpeople…while the conditions ofthis city remain precarious,” said Martina Vergnano, one of the demonstrators.
Theprotest organizers claimed avictory after Saturday’swedding party, which wasinitially to be heldincentral Venice but whichtheysaidwas later movedtoaformer medieval shipyard, the Arsenale.
Activists stageaprotest SaturdayinVenice, Italy,denouncing the three-daycelebrations for the weddingbetween Jeff Bezosand hiswife Lauren Sanchez Bezos, which took place Fridayinthe city,asasymbolofrisinginequality and disregard for the city’s residents.
Bezos donated 1million euros ($1.17 million) each to threeenvironmental research organizations working to preserve Venice, according to Corila,the Venetian environmental research association.
But many protesters blasted themove as aclear attempt to appease angry residents.
“Wewant afree Venice, which is finally dedicated to its citizens. …Those donations arejust amisery and only aimed at clearing Bezos’ conscience,” said
Details of the exclusive wedding ceremony Friday night were aclosely guarded secret, until Sánchez Bezos posted toInstagram aphoto of herself beaming in awhite gown as she stood alongside atuxedo-clad Bezos.
Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leadersconverged to revel in extravagancethatwas as muchatestament to the couple’s love as to their extraordinary wealth.
The star-studded guest list included Oprah Winfrey and NFLgreat TomBrady,along withHollywood stars Leon-
ardo Di Caprio andOrlando Bloom, tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates and top socialites, including the Kardashian-Jenner clan Ivanka Trump, herhusband Jared Kushner,and their three children also joined the celebrations.
The bride andgroom stayed at the Aman Venice hotel on the Grand Canal, whereBezos posed forphotosand SanchezBezos blew kisses to the press.
“The planet is burning but don’tworry,here’sthe list of the 27 dressesofLauren Sánchez,” read one protest slogan, areference to the bride’sreported wedding weekend wardrobe. It featured amermaid-lined wedding gown by Dolce &Gabbana and other Dolce Vitainspired looks by Italian designers, includingSchiaparelli and Bottega Veneta.
Thecityadministration has strongly defended the nuptials as in keepingwithVenice’stradition as an open city that has welcomed popes, emperors and ordinary visitors alike for centuries.
Zampano reported from Rome. Associated Press journalist Niccolò Lupone in Venice contributed to this report.
Democratswrestle with howtoconduct oversight
BY MATT BROWN Associated Press
WASHINGTON Justhoursafter she pleaded not guilty to federal charges brought by the Trump administration, New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver was surrounded by dozens of supportive Democratic colleagues in the halls of the Capitol. The case, they argued,strikes at the heart of congressional power
“If they can break LaMonica, they can break the House of Representatives,” said New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Federal prosecutors allege that McIver interfered with law enforcement duringa visit with two other House Democrats to an Immigration and CustomsEnforcement facility in Newark, New Jersey.She calls the charges “baseless.”
It’sfar from the onlyclash between congressional Democrats and the Republican administration as officials ramp up deportations of immigrants around the country Sen. Alex Padilla, of California, was forcibly removed by federal agents while attempting to speak at anews conference for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. At least six groups of House Democrats have recently been denied entry to ICE detention centers. In early June, federal agents entered the district officeof Rep. Jerry Nadler,D-N.Y., and briefly detained astaffer Congressional Republicans have largely dismissed Democrats’ behavior as inflammatory and inappropriate, and some have publicly supported the prosecution of McIver Often in the dark about the Trump administration’s moves,congressional Democrats are wrestling with how to perform their oversight duties at atime of roiling tensions with the White House and new restrictions on lawmakersvisiting federal facilities.
“Wehave the authorityto conduct oversight business, and clearly,House Republicans arenot doing that oversighthere,” saidNew Jersey Rep. Rob Menendez, one of the House Democrats who went with McIver to the Newark ICE facility
“It’sour obligation to continue to do it on site at these detention facilities.And even if theydon’twant us to, we are goingtocontinuetoexert our right.”
The prospectof facing charges for once routine oversight activity has alarmed many congressional Democrats who never expectedtoface criminal prosecution as electedofficials. Lawmakers in both parties were also unnerved by the recent targeted shootings of twoMinnesotalawmakers and thenation’stensepolitical atmosphere.
“It’samoment that calls forpersonal courageof members of Congress,” said Rep.SummerLee, of Pennsylvania. “I wishthatwe had more physicalprotection. Ithink that’sone ofthose harsh realities that members of Congress who are not in leadership recognize: that oftentimes, we do thisjob at our own peril, and we do it anyway ”
The arrests and detentions of lawmakers have ledsomeDemocratstotake precautionary measures Severalhave consulted with the Housegeneral counsel about their right to conduct oversight. Multiple lawmakersalsosoughtpersonallegal counsel, while others have called for areview of congressional rules to provide greaterprotections
“The CapitolPoliceare the security force for members of Congress. We need them to travel with us, to go to facilities and eventsthat the president may have us ar-
restedfor,” said Rep. JonathanJackson of Illinois
As the minorityparty in theHouse, Democrats lack thesubpoena power to force theWhiteHouse to provide information.That’sa problem,they say,becausethe Trump administration is unusually secretive about its actions
“There’s not alot of transparency. From day to day, oftentimes, we’re learning aboutwhat’shappeningat thesame time as the rest of thenation,” said Rep.Lucy McBath, D-Ga., who led a prayer forMcIveratthe Capitol rally
Democrats, to amplify theirconcerns, have turned to public letters, confronted officials at congressional hearings and digital and media outreach to try to create public pressure.
“We’ve been verysuccessful whenthey come in before committees,”said Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, who added that shebelieved thepublic inquiries have “one hundred percent”resonated withvoters.
Congressional Democrats saythey often rely on local lawmakers, business leadersand advocates tobetheir eyes and earsonthe ground.
Ahandful of Democrats saytheir best sources of informationare acrossthe political aisle, since Republicans typically have clearer lines of communication with the White House.
“I know who to call in Houston with the chamber.I think all of us do that,” said Texas Rep.Sylvia Garcia of
how business leaders are keeping her updated.
GarciasaidDemocrats
“need to put morepressure” on leading figuresinthe agriculture, restaurant and hospitalitysectors to taketheir concernsabout the immigrant crackdown to Trump’s White House.
“They’re the ones he’ll listen to. They’re the ones who can addthe pressure.He’s not going to listen to me, a Democrat who wasanimpeachment manager,who is on thebottom of his list,if I’m on it at all,” Garcia said.
Rep. Jason Crow,ofColorado, forinstance, had a working relationship with a for-profit ICE facility in his districtuntil DHS in February ended reports as part of an agencywidepolicy change.Amember of Crow’s staff nowregularly goes to thefacilityand waits, at times for hours, until staff at the Aurora facility respond to detailed questions posed by the office. Still, many HouseDemocratsconcedethattheycan conductlittleoftheirdesired oversight until they are back
in the majority Rep. Marc Veasey,D-Texas, said that “real oversight power andmuscle”only comes “when you have a gavel.”
“Nothing else matters. No rousing oratory,notours, no speeches, no social media or entertainment, none of that stuff,”Veasey said. “Because the thing thatkeeps Trumpupatnight more than anything else is the idea he’s goingtolose this Houseand there’llbereal oversight pressure applied to him.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByANTONIO CALANNI
Hospital leaders warn of Medicaid cuts
Proposals would have dire consequences,
BY CHAD CALDER Staff writer
The heads of seven major hospital systems and health care organizations in Louisiana penned an open letter to the U.S. Senate on Saturday warning that proposed Medicaid cuts would be devastating for patients, the industry and state and local economies.
The letter says the cuts proposed in the current Senate version of the massive reconciliation
Crescent Park oversight draws criticism
Negotiations underway for Audubon to manage space
BY JONI HESS
Staff writer
Several times in June, the entrance gates to Crescent Park in the Bywater remained closed hours after the park’s scheduled opening time. And near sundown, a preferred time for joggers and visitors put off by the day’s stifling heat, many were made to leave early by park security
Those changes have been an adjustment for those who frequent the vibrantly landscaped linear park, as Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration takes over the park’s management amid ongoing negotiations between the city and Audubon Nature Institute to operate the space. In May the city began providing maintenance and security for the 20-acre park after longtime operator French Market Corp. relinquished control.
“The city is exploring options for how to best manage and operate Crescent Park moving forward,” city spokesperson Leatrice Dupre said Thursday French Market Corp., a public benefit organization that returns a portion of its revenues to the city each year manages six blocks of city-owned property in the French Quarter and has overseen Crescent Park since it opened in 2015. Under the contract, the agency reimbursed the city for use of its Grounds Patrol services through New Orleans’ Office of Homeland Security The division is charged with patrolling and securing cityowned properties, including public parks.
French Market Corp. representatives did not respond to requests for comment, but offloading the park came as Audubon’s efforts to manage Crescent Park have picked up steam. Those efforts are part of broader discussions among city leaders to give Audubon control over the downtown riverfront from the foot of Canal Street to the Bywater, creating 2.4 miles of continuous downtown riverfront access In addition to the aquarium, the institute manages Woldenberg Park and the old Esplanade Avenue and Gov Nicholls Street wharves at the edge of the French Quarter As construction begins on Audubon’s riverfront for a plan to renovate the wharves into a public park and recreation space, Audubon spokesperson Melissa Lee said Audubon returned a draft
package working its way through Congress — known as the One Big Beautiful Bill — would be “historic in their devastation and warrant our shared advocacy to protect our patients and the care we provide them at our hospitals and clinics.”
The letter says the cuts threaten rural communities in particular because their hospitals are already in a precarious financial state.
The Senate bill was dealt a blow this week when the body’s parliamentarian ruled it doesn’t adhere
open letter states
to the rules Republicans want to use to approve it without Democrats. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy says he disagrees with those calling to fire the parliamentarian; while the state’s other senator, Bill Cassidy has said he feels the House bill is superior
The cuts proposed in the Senate bill — several billion per year in Medicaid funding to Louisiana healthcare providers would likely force hospitals to consolidate services, reduce staff and
close facilities. This would “adversely impact our collective ability to provide care, train the next generation of physicians, employ tens-of-thousands of people, and it would stifle the billions in economic impact we generate each year,” the letter says.
Signing the letter were Rock Bordelon, president and CEO of Allegiance Health Management; Greg Feirn, CEO of LCMC Health; E. J. Kuiper, president and CEO of FMOL Health; Randy Morris,
chair of the Louisiana Rural Hospital Coalition board; Pete November, CEO of Ochsner Health; Rene Ragas, president and CEO of Woman’s Hospital; and Paul A. Salles, president and CEO of the Louisiana Hospital Association. “Together, we employ more than 100,000 people and generate billions in annual economic impact,” they wrote. “Hospitals account for 5.7 percent of total employment in Louisiana. Louisiana hospitals generate $38.4 billion in business transactions, $14.2 billion in
ä See MEDICAID, page 2B
SIGNING OFF
BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
The historic Tujague’s restaurant sign that hung for decades over one of the city’s oldest French Quarter restaurants has been removed by the building’s owners and appears headed to a new home at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. The sign’s removal earlier this month came after the Vieux Carré Commission in May approved a request by the building’s owner real estate developer Mike Motwani and members of his family, to take it down.
The Motwanis said through an attorney that they intend to give the sign to the museum, whose executive director said she welcomes the addition to the collection of historic restaurant memorabilia. But it’s not clear who will pay for repairs to the 75-year-old sign, which is currently sitting in the yard of a neon repair shop in Central City
“We told them we would love it, but we need to discuss a donation,” said the museum’s executive director Connie Jackson.
The removal is the latest development in a yearslong saga over the fate of the neon blade sign and, more broadly, the building at 823 Decatur St., which was home to Tujague’s for more than 150 years before the restaurant closed during the pandemic and later reopened in a new location.
The Motwani family is currently renovating the building and is in talks with a new restaurant tenant, ac-
bleau State Park in Mandeville, a proposal that some St. Tammany Parish residents shouted down during a boisterous town hall meeting in 2020.
Nungesser,
Historic Tujague’s sign comes down, and is likely headed to museum
cording to an attorney for the family, Rob Mouton, who declined to identify the restaurant. As for the sign, Mouton said late Thursday that the family will “reach out to the restaurant to discuss the scope of the repairs.” The former Tujague’s building and its sign long an iconic part of the Decatur streetscape — has become a focus for preservationists and neighborhood activ-
Nungesser again floats idea of hotel in Fontainebleau He argues it would drive tourism, but area residents worry about impact
revenues in St Tammany Parish.” Nungesser said the proposal is in the early stages, without a specific site or design in mind. But he knows it will draw intense scrutiny and, likely, some vocal opposition. In late 2019 and early 2020,
BY BOB WARREN Staff writer
Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser is again floating the idea of a hotel-conference center for the busy Fontaine-
STAFF PHOTOS By BRETT DUKE
The historic Tujague’s sign lies in a lot off Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard in New Orleans on Tuesday.
The former Tujague’s Restaurant property at 823 Decatur St.
MEDICAID
Continued from page 1B
annual payroll, and $1.7 billion in net state and local tax collections.”
And the economic consequences, they write, “pale in comparison to the harm that will be caused to residents across the state, regardless of insurance status, who will no longer be able to get the care that they need. The House version, while it presented challenges, is a more workable solution which would help to avoid many of these effects.”
The signatories say they are grateful that Gov. Jeff Landry and the state Legislature passed a budget that fully supports the Medicaid program, but more work is needed.
“Louisiana and our healthcare delivery system are at a crossroads,” they wrote. “We face the largest cut
to healthcare in our state’s history Will our leaders in Washington choose to protect the health of our people, hospitals and economy? We are counting on them to do so.”
Email Chad Calder at ccalder@theadvocate. com.
Continued from page 1B
agreement to City Hall in May but they have yet to receive a response.
Lee didn’t say how much the move would cost, but retired Audubon CEO Ron Forman estimated last year it would require $3 million annually from the city to maintain Crescent Park, upgrade its landscaping and provide security
“It makes no sense to have 2.3 miles of riverfront with different managers, different security services, different grass cutters,” Forman said in November When asked about the status of the agreement, Dupre said the city intends to have “unified operations and management of the Mississippi riverfront, to ensure that the costs of that management are appropriate, and to ensure that our riverfront parks are managed and programmed as world class assets and amenities to residents and visitors alike.”
In the meantime, parkgoers say the city’s management has led to shortened park hours.
ists. They say it symbolizes the ongoing struggle to balance the character of the city’s most historic neighborhood with the need for new development.
“We have been working on this sign issue for years,” said Erin Holmes, executive director of the Vieux Carré Property Owners and Residents Association. “People do not like to remove classic signs They’re a nod to the past.”
In 2020, Tujague’s closed during the pandemic and moved out of its longtime home. Mark Latter, the restaurant’s owner, said at the time that his lease was expiring and he and the Motwanis, who had purchased the property in 2013, couldn’t come to terms on an extension.
Latter later reopened his restaurant up the street in the 400 block of Decatur
seek new life for the sign in some kind of museum or private collection as opposed to the sign being simply disposed of.”
In May, Jackson said an architect for the Motwanis asked her if she would write a letter to the VCC telling them the museum would accept the sign as a donation. It wasn’t the first she had heard about the offer — the idea had been floated months earlier to her predecessor Liz Williams — so she willingly complied.
“We actually had a picture of the Tujague’s sign in our historic sign gallery, so we wanted the sign,” she said. “I was under the impression that they were going to pay to clean it up. Last time I looked at it, it needs some work.”
It’s too soon to say what that work might entail and what it will cost, according to Mike Ricks, the owner of Signworx, which removed the sign over several days in mid-June and brought it to one of his subcontractors last week.
“It feels like closing time has gotten earlier and earlier That’s hard, especially this time of year when it’s a little more pleasant to be out later in the day when it’s a bit cooler,” said Marigny resident Sarah Harms, who runs a loop through her neighborhood and Crescent Park several times a week. Dupre said while park hours have not changed, “there were a few evenings over the last several weeks when park security began the closing process earlier than usual Some visitors were asked to leave earlier than the 7:30 p.m. closing time.” She did not provide a reason for that decision
HOTEL
Continued from page 1B
agency to commission a feasibility study That study showed the parish’s hotel supply generally outstripped demand, but concluded that a hotel-conference center for Fontainebleau would be successful. But the proposal also stoked intense debate and often loud opposition. At a public meeting in Mandeville in January 2020, for instance, the proposal — and Nungesser were battered by many in the standing-room-only crowd.
Some in the crowd that night demanded environmental impact studies. Others noted that the area in and around Fontainebleau is considered sacred ground by Native American tribes and also contains the graves of people who were slaves on what once was a large plantation. Others said a hotel and conference center would ruin the peaceful ambience of the park. Still others claimed the hotel-conference center was a Trojan horse to bring a casino to the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, which Nungesser denied. The Mandeville City Council followed a month later with a resolution opposing
Others pointed to deteriorating park conditions they said reflects, in part, a large community of homeless residents that has been living beneath the wharf.
“I’ve seen needles on the
ground. The trash (cans) are overflowing. I feel like it’s only going to get worse,” said Stacy Richard, a St. Roch resident who regularly walks her dog there.
Richard echoed past criticism of a major sweep last year that cleared people living inside the abandoned former Naval base nearby Some worried then that the NOPD’s planned sweep of the building at the intersection of Dauphine Street and Poland Avenue would push unhoused people into the surrounding neighborhood. Since the park changed hands, Dupre said there’s been a coordinated effort
a hotel and conference center in Fontainebleau
Nungesser said this week that he understands there will be opposition
“There’s some people in Mandeville that are against anything I get it,” he said
“You’re never going to make everybody happy,” he added
The 2,800-acre Fontainebleau State Park stretches from U.S. 190 to Lake Pontchartrain, just east of the city of Mandeville, on the former sugar plantation of Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville. It features a beach, camping sites, rental cabins, access to the Tammany Trace and a network of trails through the woodlands and marshes.
One of the state’s busiest parks, it has drawn more than 251,000 visitors for fis-
cal year 2025, which ends this month. It drew nearly 237,000 visitors in fiscal year 2024, and nearly 249,000 the year before that.
Nungesser said the tourist commission, Visit the Northshore, has commissioned a new study that should be done in the coming weeks
Katie Guasco, chief marketing officer for Visit The Northshore, said that study is part of an overall tourism master plan the agency is undertaking.
Nungesser promised to open the process to public input as it gets further along. He said he’s looking at something in the neighborhood of 150 rooms, with meeting space. He said the state owns land adjacent to the east side of the park, but which he said is not actually inside the park, that could accommo-
by Parks and Parkways, which maintains a regular grass cutting schedule to prevent overgrowth, the Office of Economic Development, the Office of Homeless Services and the city’s partners at the Port of New Orleans and Public Belt, to ensure Crescent Park is effectively managed.
Dupre said the city and park security have also adjusted closing procedures to ensure that visitors can remain in the park until the 7:30 p.m. closing time.
Staff writer Stephanie Riegel contributed to this report.
date the development.
He said the hotel-conference center can be built in a way that is friendly to the environment. “We’re not building a high-rise on the lake,” he said. “No, it’s not going to be a casino.”
Margie Vicknair-Pray, a Lacombe resident and conservation projects coordinator with the Sierra Club, said she recently spoke with Nungesser about an unrelated issue and the hotel-conference center, which she had been hearing rumors about, came up. She said she plans to meet with Nungesser in August to discuss his idea.
“I don’t know how big his plans are,” she said. “Or how much land.”
Vicknair-Pray said she told Nungesser “If you do it right, maybe it’s something I could support.
“If he could build an ecolodge that is sustainable, doesn’t destroy the area around it, it could be a positive. But if it’s done the Louisiana way I’ll fight it.”
Even if Nungesser can convince some that the development would be built in a way that is environmentally friendly and won’t trample any sensitive areas, VicknairPray thinks it will be a hard sell.
“There are a lot of people out there who say ‘Hell no!’” she said.
The Motwanis kept the original Tujague’s sign and also its famed mahogany bar, which was later removed when the Motwanis began renovations of the building. The family has since said the bar is in storage.
In the meantime, the Motwanis asked the Vieux Carré Commission for permission to alter the neon Tujague’s sign — first, for a potential Cajun restaurant and, later, for the Portland, Oregonbased Voodoo Doughnut chain.
Preservationists fought both efforts, citing the city’s historic sign ordinance, which aims to protect nearly three dozen classic neon signs around the city
The law prevents property owners from changing historic signs in any way, though it does not prohibit a building owner from removing a historic sign altogether
Citing that provision in the ordinance, the Motwanis, through an architect, sought approval from the VCC earlier this spring to allow them to remove the sign.
VCC staff experts said in a report that the owners had the right to remove the sign. The report noted that VCC guidelines “encourage the retention of historic signage,” in the neighborhood and said the group would “encourage the applicant to
That firm, Big Sexy Neon, specializes in historic neon signs and is evaluating the sign to determine what it would take to clean it up and get it functional, Jackson said.
Ricks estimated that restoring the sign to its pristine, 1950s condition could cost several thousand dollars, though simply cleaning it and getting it functional would likely cost much less. Jackson said she is optimistic the repairs will not be too costly and that the museum and Motwanis can come up with a solution to get the sign to its new home.
“We don’t think we need a lot of money,” she said. “We don’t want to restore it to look like new We just want it cleaned up and safe.”
Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Fontainebleau State Park connects to the Tammany Trace near Mandeville.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration has taken over the management of New Orleans Crescent Park amid ongoing negotiations between the city and Audubon Nature Institute to operate the space.
STAFF PHOTOS By DAVID GRUNFELD
A skateboarder rolls by in New Orleans Crescent Park on Wednesday
Augello,Lucy
Evans, Harold JacobSchoen
Beyer, Leslie Beyer, Leslie BlairSr.,Donald Lake Lawn Metairie Cadow,Mary Cadow,Mary Constanzi,Amanda Kammer, Helen Curren,Timothy River Parish Evans, Harold HC Alexander Finley,Joelle Friloux Sr., Floyd Friloux Sr., Floyd GardereSr.,Dennis St Tammany Gegenheimer, Dorothea EJ Fielding Constanzi,Amanda Graham,Bettie Gegenheimer, Dorothea Haskin,Karen Hebert,Whitman Statton, Barbara Helmstetter, Brian Obituaries Kammer, Helen Augello,Lucy Ann Loria
Lamkin,Aline
McClung, Daniel
McDaniel,Gary
Nachod, Katherine
Oberschmidt, Paul
Pujol, Jill
Robertson,Arthur
Statton, Barbara
EJefferson
Garden of Memories
Lamkin,Aline
Oberschmidt, Paul
LA Muhleisen
Hebert,Whitman
Leitz-Eagan
Curren,Timothy
Graham,Bettie
Pujol, Jill
Robertson,Arthur NewOrleans
Lucy Ann Loria Augello, age 91, passedaway on Monday,June 23, 2025. She was born in Tickfaw, LA., residedfor anumber of years in Hammond, then moved the familyto Marrero, and upon her husband's retirement 26 years ago, movedinto her home in Loranger; ahome she took great prideinthat her son's designedand built. Lucy was anexceptionally sweet woman, witha heartofgold. She had thewarmestsmile, a gentle voice, and she wouldmakefriends everywhereshe went. Lucy was dedicated as one of Jehovah's Witness;her baptismtook place in August of 1961and she sharedher faith with whomever wouldlisten.. Herfamilyalways came first.Her homemade Italian foodwas absolutely the best. She was known
for her generous hospitality;her family was always well-fed,along witheveryone who visitedtheir home. Lucy was aloving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt,and friend who is already dearly missed by allwho knew and lovedher. Lucy is survivedbyher children, Frank Anthony and wife Susan, Joseph Edward (JoEddie)and wife Janet, Patrick Emile and wife Laura, Anthony Frank, Jr. and his wife Angela, and Sara AnnAugello; her grandchildren, Jared, Nicholas, Gino Augello, Nina Wright,Trey and ChaseRichard, Stacey Richard and Natalie Webb and numerous great grandchildren; along with one precious greatgreat grandchild
Lucy is preceded in death by her loving husband of 73 years, Anthony Frank Augello,Sr.,parents, Josephand RosieLoria; sisters,Sarah Vallo,Rose Ovalasti, Ann Lombardo, and MaryKurtz; and brothers, Ben Loria, and Mike Loria. The family wouldliketo extend aspecial thanks to BrittanyBlum and allthe staff from Interim Hospice. Relatives and friends of thefamily are invitedtoattend aCelebrationofLife with Memorial Service at theKingdom Hall of Jehovah Witness, 48440 Hwy 51, Tickfaw, LA.70446 on Sunday, July6,2025 starting at 5:00 p.m. A memorial servicewillbe held at 5:00 PM on 2025-0706 at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witness, 48440 Hwy 51.
Leslie DavidBeyer passedawayonJune 16, 2025, at theage of 75. Ana‐tiveofNew Orleansand a residentofJefferson,LA. Leslie wasbornonNovem‐ber 4, 1949, the fifthof seven children to thelate RobertF., Sr.and Lois Ger‐ard Beyer, andwas the beloved husband of 33 years to KarenUsner Beyer. BrotherofSusan B.
Sternberg(thelateTed), Roy M. Beyer(Denise), and ThomasS.Beyer (Susan). Brother-in-lawofJulie Meese, LindaBeyer and Terry Hawkins, Brenda Usner Prater (Jim), andBill Usner (Jackie).Hewillbe fondlyrememberedby manynieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives and friends. In addition to his parents, Leslie is also precededindeath by his brothers, BobBeyer,Jr. and Gerard(Jerry)Beyer,sister JeanB.Hawkins andsisterin-lawSharonT.Usner After high school he en‐tered theUnitedStates Navywhere he served dur‐ing theVietnam Warfrom 1969-1973. He wasa com‐municationstechnician and served over 31/2 years overseas. He wasa com‐mercial insuranceagent for over 35 years. Relatives and friendsofthe family are invitedtoattend the funeral. AVisitationbegin‐ningat9am on Tuesday, July1,2025 at Jacob Schoenand SonFuneral Home3827 CanalSt.,New Orleans,LA70119, followed bya Mass of Christianbur‐ial at 11AMhonoringthe lifeand legacy of thelate Leslie DavidBeyer.Anin‐terment will follow imme‐diately after theMassat St. LouisCemeteryNo. 3, at 3421 EsplanadeAve New Orleans,LA70119. Arepast willfollowthe Intermentat SchoenFuneral Home Pleasevisit www SchoenFH.com(http:// www.schoenfh.com/)to signthe online guestbook, share memories andcon‐dolenceswiththe family.
GuidedbyGod's loving hand,Hehas gone upona journey To adistant, brighterland. Visitation9am- 10 am, Service 10 am -11am, July 11, 2025, at Professional Funeral Home,1449 N. Claiborne Ave., New Orleans, La.
Mary Katherine Poirier Cadow passedawayon Thursday, June 26, 2025 at the age of 97. Shewas a native of NewOrleans Mary waspreceded in death by herloving husbandof56years, William A. Cadow, Jr.and herson, Gary J. Cadow.She is survivedbyher sons and daughters-in-law,William A. CadowIII (Karen), KennethM.Cadow (Antoinette) andDaniel G. Cadow (Missy); Shewas theloving grandmotherof EricM.Cadow andKenneth M. Cadow Jr (Gaylyn); and great-grandmother of Baylor Cadow; sheisalso survived by many nieces andnephews. The family wouldliketoexpress their deepestappreciation to thestaff of Heartof Hospice andthe staff of Agape CareHomes. Relativesand friends are invited to attendthe Funeral Mass at Lake Lawn MetairieFuneral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd NewOrleans,LAon Thursday, July 3, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be from9:00 a.m. untilthe Mass begins. Interment will follow in Lake Lawn ParkMausoleum. In lieu of flowers, familyasks you to considera donation to an Alzheimer'sorDementia researchand care organizationofyourchoice
Constanzi, Amanda Whitney
Amanda WhitneyCon‐stanzi, age85, of Bush, Louisiana,passedawayon Sunday, June 15, 2025. She was born on February 25 1940, in Thibodaux, Louisiana.She is survived byher children,Robert Constanzi,Cecil Constanzi (Rose), Michelle Parker (Ken),Audra Phillips (Dan), and Darrin Constanzi (Dawn);daughter-in-law, Elizabeth “Libby”Con‐stanzi; grandchildren, Ryan Pierre(Kristen), Kayman Gassen(Alyssa), Katlin Gassen(Brittany), Victoria Maxwell, Hailey Maxwell, KendraConstanzi-Miley (Claudia),Darrin“D. J. Constanzi,Jr. (Lindsey), AshleyConstanzi-Farrar (Nikki), Olivia Serignet (Troy), andSam “Billy Constanzi,III (Chelsey); and 22 great-grandchil‐dren. Sheisalsosurvived byher brother, David Charles “Dave” Whitney; and many extended family members andfriends.She was preceded in deathby her parents, D. C. Whitney and EdithMarie DuBois Whitney; children,Melinda Constanzi andSam Con‐stanzi, Jr.; thefatherofher children, SamAlexander Constanzi,Sr.;son-in-law, Gregory Maxwell; daugh‐ter-in-law, Judy Constanzi; sister-in-law,BrendaWhit‐ney.Amandawas born and raisedinThibodaux, Louisiana,and attended BrookfieldHighSchool in Brookfield, Wisconsin, be‐foremovingbacktothe New Orleansareaafter graduation. Sheworked clericaljobsinNew Or‐leans fora fewyears be‐foremeetingand marrying the love of herlife, with whomshe hadseven chil‐dren. Afterthe children weregrown, shereturned tothe workforce, working for many yearsatK-mart until her firstgrandchil‐drenwereborn. Shelater workedasanadministra‐tiveassistant at Three Riversand GreenbriarPsy‐chiatricHospitals in Cov‐ingtonuntil herretirement. Her hobbiesincludedread‐ing, genealogy, andcook‐
Cadow,Mary Katherine Poirier
Beyer, Leslie David
BlairSr.,Donald James'Duck'
4B ✦ Sunday,June 29,2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ TheTimes-Picayune ing, buther life ultimately revolvedaroundher family She lovedspendingtime withthemand making memoriestogether.She loved them,and they loved her.She will be dearly missed. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Ms. Constanzimay be madetothe Children’s MinistryofLee’sCreek Baptist Church.Relatives and friendsare invitedto attendthe memorial ser‐viceonSaturday, July 5, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Lee’s Creek BaptistChurch,1803 Lee’sCreek Church Road, Bogalusa,Louisiana,with visitationbeginning at 9:00 a.m.Interment will follow inSt. Joseph Cemetery,949 MenardStreet,Thibodaux Louisiana.E.J.Fielding Fu‐neral Home of Covington, Louisiana,ishonored to be entrusted with Ms.Con‐stanzi’sfuneral arrange‐ments.Her familyinvites you to sharethoughts, memories, andcondo‐lencesbysigning an online guestbook at www.ejfield ingfh.com
TimothyBarlowCurren passedawaypeacefully on Sunday, June 22, 2025 in Jefferson,Louisiana.He was preceded in deathby his parentsRowenaDuffy CurrenRichardsand John GerardCurren, Sr., both of New Orleans. He is sur‐vived by hisson Timothy BarlowCurren, Jr.and his brothersJohnGerardCur‐ren,Jr. (Joanne Landrieu), DennisPatrick Curren (Mary Snellings) andhis formerwifeElizabeth Blum Curren. Timisalsosur‐vived by hislovingniece and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.Tim at‐tendedbothLSU andTu‐laneUniversityand wasa proud member of Delta Kappa EpsilonFraternity. Hereceivedhis MBAfrom TulaneUniversity’sA.B Freeman School of Busi‐ness. He wasa co-founder ofBarlow, Ltd.,workedin the business department ofStandardSupply, Inc. for manyyears followed by manyyears as a financial advisor andplanner.Asa retreatantand then acap‐tainofGroup 50 at Man‐resaHouse of Retreats in Convent,LAhehelpedmen ofall ages experience the spiritual exercisesofSaint Ignatius Loyola andthe serenityofquiet reflection for many years. He volun‐teered at Bridge House/Grace Houseas well, nevermissing an op‐portunity to offera helping hand. Volunteeringat CASA, Timhelpedguide our youngestand most vulnerableaswell. Maybe mostproudly,beginning August30, 1989, he was partofatwelvesteprecov‐ery program learning not onlytohelphimself,but manyothersoverthe fol‐lowingyears.A funeral masswillbeheldatLeitzEagan FuneralHome on July2,2025, with visitation beginning at 9:00 AM,with a mass followingat11:00 Intermenttofollowwith familyand closefriends at LakeLawnMetairieCeme‐teries. In lieu of flowers, memorialdonations canbe madetoManresa or Bridge House/Grace House. https://www.manresala org/retreats/donations# memorial-gifts https:// www.bridgehouse.org/ donate/
Evans, Harold
Harold Evans, 79, passed awayonJune 16, 2025, at his home.Hewas born on July18, 1945, in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana,tothe late Louis andPearl Evans. A proud graduate of Joseph S.Clark High School,Class of1963. Harold went onto earna bachelor’s degree and served honorablyin the U.S. AirForce.Hededi‐cated 37 yearsofservice asa mental health coun‐selor with thestate of Louisiana. Beyond hispro‐
fessionalcareer, he wasa passionateactor,actively involvedinlocal theater and featured in numerous televisionand film produc‐tions.He is survived by his two daughters: Jamila and Adama Evans; four grand‐children: Jase Patterson, DillonDixon,Terry Coakley, Jr.,and Danica Mills; one brother,DonaldEvans;and two sisters: ShirleyEverett and DoloresEvans Harold’slifewas marked byservice,creativity, anda deep love forhis family. He leavesbehinda legacy of compassion, strength,and artisticspirit. He will be re‐memberedwithgreat af‐fection andhonored by all who know him. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditi onbegins.com(504) 2820600. DonavinD.Boydand LinearBrooksBoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors
JoelleJ.Finley,aged78, of Lakeview, New Orleans, lovingwifeofKen Harris. She passed awayathome on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Joelle was born November 25, 1946inHotel Dieu.Her parents were Carl and Lois Finley, also of New Orleans
Joellegraduated from Riverdale High School, Jefferson, Class of 1964. She earned both her Bachelor of Science(1969) and MasterofSciencein Biological Sciences (1977) from the Louisiana State University at NewOrleans Joelle went on to manage the Cell CultureLab at the LSUHealthSciences Center,retiring with 28 years of serviceafter Hurricane Katrinain2005.
Aworld traveler and birder,Joelle had veryactive leadershiprolesinlocal and regional environmental organizations. In particular, Orleans Audubon Society,Crescent City Bird Club, Louisiana Ornithological Society and the Greater New Orleans Louisiana Master Naturalists Association. Wildlifephotographer and raconteur at these and other organizations.
Joelle's request was "no service,noflowers". Her ashes to be interred in the family vault
In lieu of flowersplease consider donationstoThe Children's Heart Foundation: www.children sheartfoundation.org
FrilouxSr.,Floyd Joseph
FloydJosephFriloux,Sr., a lifelong resident (self-ti‐tledMayor of New Sarpy) and apillarofhis commu‐nity, passedawaypeace‐fully at hishomeonJune 24, 2025, at theage of 94 He endedhis journeylov‐ingly surrounded by his family, Jill Campo, "Rock" Hymel,Deborah Weber, and MaidaBrown. Born on September 26,1930, to LeonPaul“Bud” andDe‐lores Zeringue Friloux, Floyd wasa mandefined byfaith,duty, andunwa‐veringdevotiontohis fam‐ily.A graduate of St Charles Borromeo Elemen‐taryand DestrehanHigh School Classof1947. He honorably served hiscoun‐try in theUnitedStates ArmyinFrancewiththe 28thGeneral Hospital Uponreturning home,he began ashort employment atNorco Gasand Fuel,fol‐lowed by 38 yearsasa lab technicianatShell,retiring in1991. He helped estab‐lishthe East St.Charles Volunteer Fire Dept as both a firemanand performing the duties of treasurerof the organization.Healso established FloydFriloux RealEstateinNew Sarpy, LA. He generously created manychalicesand other religious ceramics that he respectfullysharedwith the community.Healsoes‐tablished an Army reunion group,bringingtogether all who served with the 28thGeneral Army.Floyd was adevoutparishioner of St.Charles Borromeo
Catholic Church andanac‐tivememberofthe Red Church Council3634, Amer‐icanLegionPost366 and 4th Degree Knightsof Columbus, Archbishop Blenk Assembly.Hewillbe rememberedfor hischeer‐ful "Happy Monday"greet‐ingsand hissteadfast faith,often saying "Lord willing."Heperformed withthe church choir. He proudly participated at the LentenFishFry andBingo nightsatthe KC hall in Norco.Hewas thebeloved husband of thelateElva Hymel Friloux, thelateJen‐nie TroxclairFriloux,and the late Audrey Guidry Mi‐randa Friloux.Floyd is sur‐vived by hisdevoted son, Floyd J. Friloux, Jr.and his wife, Anne;his grand‐daughter, Evonne Friloux Nesbit(Chris);his greatgrandchildren,Emilie Lucas (David), Christopher Nesbit, Jr andNathan Nesbit; andhis greatgreat-grandson, DavidJ Lucas,Jr. He waspreceded indeath by hisparents;his Brides"; hisinfantdaugh‐ter,MaryAnn Friloux; and his sister,Jeanette Friloux Keller(Don).Familyand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe services at St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church,13396 RiverRd, De‐strehan,LA, on Wednes‐day,July2,2025. Visitation willbeheldfrom10:00 AM followedbya Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 AM. Intermentwithmili‐taryhonorswillfollowin the church cemetery.In lieuof flowersdonations can be made to theArthri‐tis Foundation
DennisLeo Gardere Sr, a proud Creole native of New Orleans' historic7th Ward passed away peacefully on June 23, 2025, in Dallas, Texas,surrounded by the love of his family and friends. He was 75 years old. Borntothe Late-Leo & AnnetteGardere, LateGrandparents: Steve& Lillian Bordenave on January15, 1950, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dennis embodiedthe vibrant culture and spirit of his hometown throughout his life He was adevoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend—deeply rooted in family,tradition, and community. He is survived by his devoted wife, Lorie Gardere-Stepdaughter Kira Cornish- Step-granddaughterKylie Bolivar &Cornish Family,Children: Dennis (Keshia)Leo Gardere JrGrandaughters: Denise Garcia,Danae'Gardere, Grandson:DennisLeo Gardere III. Son: Kevin Gardere-Granddaughter: Kerione Gardere-GreatGranddaughters: Kinsleigh &Zuri Gardere. Daughter: Cherell Gardere -Granddaughter Tylar Alonzo. Brother: Derek (Cynthia) Gardere, Nephew-Lamar (Ashleigh)Gardere, NieceRica' Gardere, Aunt:Levia Bordenave. Devoted Cousins: Late-Lawrence GalleSr, Lawrence GalleJr, Lisa (Rodney) Frazier,Gail Gardere, Charmaine Powell. He leaves behind countless friendsand neighborswho became like family over the years—each one touched by his generous spirit, his gift forstorytelling, and thelasting memoriesthey shared together just to name afew:Constant J Saulet Sr,Susane R. Gallerson,Larry Sceau, Troy AFiffie,Angelo Gonzales, Jimmy Hamilton, Glen DeGruy, Antoine Temple,Eddie Myers, Reginald Jones, Milton Miller,,MichaelGordon, AnnieMarieMiller, Cornell (KnucK)Thompson,Jeffrey
Vappie, Sherry Perkins, Nick, Edna,Chloe, Nicolette Nelms, Skylin Tunac. Denniswillberemembered forhis strength of character, and hisdeepconnection to his Creole heritage. His stories, wisdom, and laughter willliveoninthe heartsofthose who knew and lovedhim. Andone of his most famous quotes "Spend some savesome Slick" Gone from oursight, butnever fromour hearts.
Gegenheimer,Dorothea Sheppard
Dorothea Sheppard Gegenheimer,age 75, of Covington,Louisiana passedawayonWednes‐day,June 25, 2025. Shewas bornonOctober 10, 1949, inNew Orleans, Louisiana. She is survived by herlov‐ing husband of 22 years, Henry F. “Fred” Gegen‐heimer; children,Nicholas James Laird(Brenda), Sarah Jane Sunderman (Jarrod), andMatthew Henry Gegenheimer; grandchildren,Joseph, Es‐ther, Stella,and Wyatt; and manyextendedfamily members andfriends.She was preceded in deathby her parents, JamesHarper Sheppard, Jr.and Dorothy Bernadine KeeseShep‐pard; anda sister,Judy SheppardDriskill. “Thea” grewupinNew Orleans, graduated from Alcee Fortier High School,and earneda bachelor’s degree atNorthwesternState Uni‐versity in Natchitoches She taught Kindergarten at various schoolsthrough‐out theNew Orleansarea for 13 yearsbeforetransi‐tioning to acareer in real estate. Herlifelonghob‐biesincluded fishing, trav‐eling, bird watching,and photography.A longtime faithfulmemberofWald‐heimChurch,Theaserved the church in variousways, coordinating thechurch’s mission projects at the Methodist Children’s Home ofSoutheast Louisiana, foundingthe blessing box ministry, andserving as a memberofthe church board.She wasa loving wife, mother,grand‐mother, andfriend, and she will be dearly missed byher family, friends, church,and community.In lieuof flowers, contribu‐tions in memory of Mrs. Gegenheimer maybemade tothe Waldheim Church BlessingBox by mail to 77067 Highway21, Coving‐ton,Louisiana,70435, or in the form of cannedgoods, toiletries, or othernonper‐ishablesbrought to the church.Relatives and friends areinvited to at‐tendthe eveningwakeon Wednesday,July2,2025, from5:00PMuntil 8:00 PM atE.J.FieldingFuneral Home, 2260 West 21st Av‐enue,Covington,Louisiana Relatives andfriends are alsoinvited to attend the funeral serviceonThurs‐day,July3,2025, at 11:00 AMatWaldheimChurch 77067 Highway21, Coving‐ton,Louisiana,withvisita‐tionbeginning at 10:00 AM atthe church.Interment willfollowinthe Waldheim Church Cemetery.E.J FieldingFuneralHomeof Covington,Louisiana,is honored to be entrusted withMrs.Gegenheimer’s funeral arrangements.Her familyinvites youtoshare thoughts, memories,and condolences by signingan onlineguestbook at www ejfieldingfh.com
Graham,Bettie MaeCaldwell
Bettie MaeCaldwellGra‐ham passedpeacefullyat the ageof91onFriday, June 20, 2025, at herlongtimehomeinMetairieClub Gardens.Bettiewas born inBatesville, Mississippi onDecember22, 1933, to Elizabeth HendersonCald‐welland Herman Meek CaldwellalsoofBatesville, Mississippi.Bettiewas the eldestofthree children, along with younger broth‐ers Herman MalloryCald‐wellofGrenada,Missis‐sippi andCharles “Charlie” Henderson Caldwell of Vicksburg,Mississippi Duringher high school years Bettie wasanactive memberofdance teams including Ballet Corps, Choir,Student Council, and Theater in addition to being alife-long Sunday school teacher. In Batesvilleshe metHomer Devon "Von"GrahamJr. and they begandatingin the 8thgrade.After high school Vonstudied at Mis‐sissippi StateUniversity while Bettie pursuedher degreeinHomeEconomics atMississippi StateCol‐legefor Womenwhere she flourished andmademany ofher enduring friend‐ships.Being nearby,Bettie and Voncontinued theirre‐lationshipand marriedin 1956. Having never flown onanairplanebefore, Bet‐tie movedwithVon to Stuttgart, Germanyin1957 while Vonservedinthe armyand in 1958 they wel‐comed theirson Homer Devon "Von"GrahamIII, now adoctoratOchsner Hospital. Vonand Bettie moved to Houstonafter his service wasoverand in 1962 Bettie andVon added their daughter,Elizabeth Grace Graham to thefam‐ily.Theylived in Houston until 1968 whenthey moved theirfamilytoNew Orleans andwhere Bettie has livedeversince Throughouther life Bettie remainedactiveinher church andalsovolun‐teered with theNew Or‐leans Symphony,WYES, and Metairie Park Country Day School where both her childrenattended. Bettie’s trueloveand gift in life however,was beinga fan‐tasticmother, grand‐mother, andgreat-grand‐mother. Although shehad manytalents shewas most especially afabulouscook, entertainer,teacher,en‐courager, andsupporter and sheloved herfamily unconditionally.Bettie’s faith meantsomuchtoher and sheshowedthat through herloveofChrist and hercommitmenttothe teachings of Jesus. She was patient, kind,nonjudgmental, loving and generous. Sheoften put her familyabove herself and wasfaithfultoGod throughouther life in her service to Himaslongas her body allowed. Bettie is precededindeath by her parents andtwo brothers, her husbandof60years at his deathin2016 Homer Devon “Von”Graham, Jr and grandson Sean Patrick Giroir. Sheissurvivedbya son HomerDevon “Von Graham, III (Peggy)and daughterElizabeth Grace Grahamalong with four grandchildren;Devon Gra‐ham (Ellie), IanGraham (mother Connie LeBlanc); and Tucker Graham (mother Nicole Graham); and Virginia Chan (Mal‐colm)and threegreat-
grandchildren. Shealso leavesbehindmanytrea‐sured nieces,nephews,sis‐ters-in-law,and life-long friends.The Graham Family would like to especially thank thecaregiverswho showedsomuchlove, kindness, andpatienceto Bettieoverthe yearsand her wonderfuldoctors at Ochsner Hospital.There willbeaninformalburial at10amonJuly25, 2025, at MagnoliaCemeteryin Batesville, Mississippi.In lieuof flowersthe family requestsdonations go to Parkinson’s Foundation at 5757 WaterfordDistrict Drive,Suite 310, Miami, Florida 33126 or online at Parkinson.org in memory ofBettieGraham. Fond memoriesand expressions ofcondolences maybe sharedatwww.leitzeaganf uneralhome.com.
Karen May Haskin,81, of NewOrleans,Louisiana, passed away peacefullyon June 14, 2025 in Durham, North CarolinaatDuke University Hospice,surroundedbyfamily. She wasbornonOctober 27, 1943 at St.Joseph's Hospital in Chamberlain, SouthDakota and grew up on afarmnearKimball, South Dakota.Karen moved to Omaha, Nebraska andacquiredher diploma in nursing with a specialization in anesthesia. Shebecame adedicated nurse anesthetist and moved to NewOrleans, Louisiana in 1975. In New Orleans, she spent themajority of herlife, marriedto herhusband, JerryRichard Haskin MD,and raising their twochildren, Ashley andJason. Shewas also a devoted member of the RomanCatholic Church livingher faiththrough both service andcompassion.She took mission trips to Nicaragua with her church to support communitiesinneed, andshe also gave generouslyofher time and hearttohelp those in herown local community. Beyond herpersonal and professional achievements, Karen was known for herlove of tennis and herenthusiasm forwatchingsportsofall kinds. She especially enjoyedwatchingher NewOrleans Saints. Karen is survived by herchildren, Jason Haskin (Zara Stepanyan) andAshley Haskin Cho (TaraCho); hergrandchildren,Scarlett Haskin Elliott Cho, and WhittCho; herstepchildren,Barbara Haskin andDaniel Haskin; hersiblings, Norm Konechne (Sandee Konechne),Anne Konechne Richards (DennisRichards); Leonard Konechne (Linda Konechne);and Chuck Konechne (Susan Konechne);and many nieces andnephews. She waspreceded in death by herparents, Ellen and Charles Konechne; her husband, JerryRichard Haskin;and hersiblings, Raymond Konechne, MargeKonechne Todd, and Mary Konechne Calvin In accordancewith her wishes, Karen wascremat-
Haskin, KarenMay
Finley, Joelle J.
Curren,Timothy Barlow
GardereSr.,Dennis Leo
ed at City of Oaks Funeral Home. ACelebration of Life will be held in Kimball, South Dakota, during the annual family hunting gathering, where she will be laid to rest alongside her husband, parents, and siblings. In lieu of flowers, please make adonationto the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Hebert,Whitman A.
WhitmanA.Hebert, 96 years of age, passed away onFriday, June 13, 2025 Whitmanwas born in New Orleans andresided in Metairiethe past 69 years. Hewas preceded in death byhis daughter,Karen Spangler(thelateDavid Spangler);son,David Hebert(Mary Ann);grand‐son,Austin; parents, Louis Rex Hebert andMolda De‐cateau; brothers,Clement, Louis Jr andRalph;and sisters,JaniceAbadieand JeanneLacoste.Heissur‐vived by hisbeloved wife, SylviaT.Hebertafter a happy marriage of 71 year; son,Phillip Hebert (Toby); grandson, Daniel Schwab (Via);great granddaugh‐tersJuliette, Aria and Avery;and ahostofnieces and nephews. He gradu‐atedfromMater de la Rosa, St.JosephSeminary and NotreDameSeminary. Heservedinthe United StatesArmyduringthe Ko‐reanWar.A founding parishioner of St.Benilde Church. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe visitation and Catholic Mass at St.Be‐nilde Catholic Church,1901 DivisionStreet,Metairieon Tuesday,July1,2025. Visi‐tationwillbeheldfrom 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. fol‐lowed by aFuneralMassat 1:30p.m.Interment to fol‐low at Hope Mausoleum, 4841 CanalSt.,New Or‐leans
Helmstetter, BrianG
BrianG.Helmstetter, 58, passedawayonMay 8, 2025 in Lakewood, CO
Son of Inez N. Buttone and GusHelmstetter, Jr. Father of Nicholas, Riley, Rory and Austin Grandfather of Oaklynn and Ezra. We alllovedhim very much and he will be missed. Servicewas private.
Kammer, Helen Barkerding
NewOrleans native Helen Barkerding Kammer 74, passed away on Thursday, June 19, in North Carolina. Helen was born on September 16, 1950,at Touro Hospital, the youngest of three children of Robert and Frances (Senter) Barkerding. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Charles "Chiggy" Rhodes, her second husband, Richard "Dick" Noel Kammer, and her parents. Helen is survived by her sister,Reid Barkerding Noble; her brother, Robert Russell (Rusty) Barkerding, Jr.; a daughter, Aimée Rhodes Dunaway and her husband, Roger; ason Noel Richard Kammer and his wife, Christina; three grandchildren, Brady Noel Kammer, Lucy Helen Kammer and Charles "Charlie" Christopher Dunaway; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Helen was a proud graduate of the Louise S. McGehee School and Newcomb College. She worked as arental agent and property manager for Audubon Brokers and Latter &Blum for over 25 years. Helen was an avid reader, enjoyed needle-
point,gardening, ridingher bikearound her beloved city and could often be found sitting in "salesman corner"inTurchinStadium cheering on the Green Wave baseball team. She also loved the many pets that roamed herhouse. Relatives and friendsare invited to attend Helen's Celebration of Life, which willtakeplace from 11 a.m. to 2p.m. on Monday,June 30, at Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home.Burial services willbeprivate. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to the Louisiana ASPCA (1700 Mardi Gras Boulevard,New Orleans, LA 70114) or the Friends of Tulane Baseball (333 Ben WeinerDrive,New Orleans, LA 70118).
Lamkin,AlineKain
AlineKainLamkin, born May 24,1939, passedaway peacefullyathomeonJune 18, 2025 at 8:21 am.She was thebestmotherinthe world to Nadine Lamkin Douzart andshe adored her son-in-law,Barry Douzart.She waspreceded indeath by herbeloved husband,Solon "Dede" H. Lamkin; herparents,Mar‐tin A. Kain Sr.and Leona Baldo Kain;and hersib‐lings:Anthony J. Kain Sr., Anna MayJeanfreau,Mer‐lin M. Kain,ErnestJ.Kain Sr.,JohnE."Jackie" Kain, Chester L. Kain,EstherR Quatroy,Jules B. Kain Sr., and Martin A. Kain Jr.Pri‐vateserviceswereheldat GardenofMemoriesFu‐neral Home &Cemetery, 4900 AirlineDr. Metairie,LA 70001. Online condolences may be offeredatwww.gar denofmemoriesmetairie com.
McClung, Daniel
DanielFrederick McClung of New Orleans Louisiana died at age82. The son of agrocerand the youngest ofeight, Danwas bornonJuly 5, 1942 in Summersville, West Virginia. Caught up in the waveofexcitement surrounding John F. Kennedy's 1960 campaign forpresident,Dan pursued alifein politics. Anatural talent his meteoric rise would see him advising powerful governors, senators, mayors and membersofthe United StatesCongress all before turning40. After attending West Virginia University,hebeganhis careerasWest Virginia Deputy Secretary of State, then served under UnitedStatesPostmaster General LawrenceO'Brien in President Lyndon Johnson'sadministration. The lure of political consulting, arelatively new profession, captured his imagination and he joined consulting pioneer Matt Reese at Matt Reeseand Associates.
An opportunity to manageMoonLandrieu's campaignfor mayor brought DantoNew Orleans,which he wouldcallhome forthe rest of his life. After helping Mayor Landrieu win, Danbecame assistant to the mayor at 28. Steppingout on hisown, Danran U.S. House Majority Leader Jim Wright's successful reelectioncampaign in Ft Worth, Texas. He formed his own political consulting firm, Campaign Strategies, Inc., and built a client roster of the state's leading Democratic office holdersincluding U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, U.S RepresentativeJack
Brooks and Governor Ann Richards. He also advised agenerationofmayors in Houston over 20 years, including thecity'sfirst femalemayorand first black mayor Dan is survivedbyhis wife Barbara McClung, his son MattMcClung and partner Tara Faircloth, his son Deegan McClung and wife Maura Whang, along with their daughter and Dan's granddaughterOona Louis. The family willbeholdinga privategatheringto celebrateDan'slife. In lieu of flowers,the family requests thosewho wish to express sympathy considerdonating to their favorite charityinDan's name
Ahomegoing memorial servicefor Gary Dean McDaniel willbeheldin Shreveport, Louisiana on Friday, June 27, 2025, at 11:00 am at Shreveport Community Church. Visitationwillbefrom 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Officiating willbePastor Quinton Light and Frances Duron.
Agraveside service will be held on Monday, June 30, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. GardenofMemories in Metairie, Louisiana. Pastor Frances Duronwillofficiate.
Gary was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 26, 1956, and passed away peacefullyon May 29, 2025, surrounded by his loving family
Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Walter E. McDaniel and Claire BradleyMcDaniel Nolley,and step-father Reverdy Nolley. He is survivedbyhis sister, Gail McDaniel Lubasand her husband,David.Heisalso survivedbycousins Adrian Pitreand her husband, Bob Pitre, Rusty Ennis, Madge Ennis and Mark Blann alongwithnumerous other family members and friends.
Gary graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1974. Later, Gary studied to be ahairdesigner.Hewas aworld renownedhair stylist who traveled theworld and taught thelatest in hair styles. Gary's life was defined by thestrongbonds he formedwith those around him. Whether at a lively gathering or aquiet moment outdoors, his presence brought warmth and connection. The memoriesmadewithhim will continue to bring smiles and comforttoall who were fortunatetoknow him. The family extendstheir heartfelt gratitude to Eagle Creekand Willis Knighton staff who provided carefor Gary In lieu of flowers,the family suggests donations may be madeto: Eagle CreekRecovery Center, 10425 FM 134, Karnack, TX 75661.
Katherine Bates 'Katie'
Katherine Bates Nachod (Katie), age73, passed away peacefullyather home in NewOrleans on June 9, 2025. She wasborn on February 12, 1952, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Katie was preceded in death by her mother, Sallie Cuming Nachod,and her niece, LydiaKatherine GuionCox
She is survivedbyher sister, Anne P. Nachod; her cousin, Edward Dent (Christy); and hissons, WesleyDent,Steven Dent and Christian Dent.Katieis also survivedbyher greatnephews, Kingston Barnes, Dominic (Nico)Garcia, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Cox. The nephews' favorite place was "K.T.'s Kitty
Kottage",asher home was fondlynamed.Katiewillbe deeplymissedbyher many devoted friends.
At theage of 9, Katie moved from Philadelphia to NewOrleans with her mother and sister, Anne She oftenspokeofher discovery of allthingsNew Orleans, including the streetcars, Hansen'ssnowballs, and "Nawlin's" linguistics. Katie was afierce warrior forequal rightsfor all, no matter what your race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, or status in life.She always said, "My Momma told us, 'Do unto others as youwouldhave them do untoyou.'"Katie livedbythe GoldenRule. She had devotedfriends fromchildhood, college, her career as aMaster Librarian, and thosefortunateenoughtoencounter her in life.Her career encompassedthe New Orleans PublicLibrary, Tulane Law School, the Fifth CircuitCourt of Appeals, Port of Call Restaurant,and employment by an attorney as he was preparing to retire.
Katie was alover of animals. Her dogs, Gypsy and Django, and her cat,Dinkle, will havemet her at the Rainbow Bridge.Mamou, Vincent,and Blaise willno doubtjointhemonthe day they leave this worldbehind.
Katie wasa devoted caretaker to many, including theNew Orleans artist GeorgeDureau and Mr. and Mrs. Bywater. She spent her life caring for others whileleaving afootprint of unwavering love, acceptance, and living life to thefullest. She wasa shining light to her family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and allwho were fortunateenough to cross her path.
Katie wasanabsolute inspirationand enriched many liveswith her stories,her warm laughter, her antics, her wisdom, and her insight.Her love forliterature and poetry was known by allwho encounteredher. In thespirit of her love forthe written word, we remember her with astanzafrom Mary Oliver'spoem, "When Death Comes":
When death comes Like an iceberg between theshoulderblades.
Iwant to step through thedoor fullofcuriosity, wondering: What is it going to be like,thatcottage of darkness?
Paul August Ober‐schmidt born on January 18, 1947, in NewOrleans passedawaypeacefully and surrounded by loved onesonJune 23, 2025. He leavestocherish hismem‐ory,his wife of 55 wonder‐ful years, DeborahOber‐schmidt, hisdaughters Brigitte Toupsand Heather Grytza, hisdevoted sonsin-lawMichael Toupsand ThomasGrytzaand his beloved grandchildren HannahToups,Abby Toups,and Paul Grytza.He issurvivedbyfamilyand friends who lovedhim dearly. Gerry Ricks, William Pfaff, Paulaand James Kelly who comfortedhim until theend.Alsosurvived byhis sister Henrietta Bar‐baraShepardsonand a hostofextendedfamily and friends. He is preceded indeath by hisparents Williamand Antionette (Garofalo) Oberschmidt and brotherWilliam Ober‐schmidt Jr.Paulwas aded‐icatedand hardworking man,who retiredafter 44 years from BohBros. Con‐struction Co.where he made numerous lifelong
friends. Thefamilyis gratefulfor thekindness and compassionatecare providedbyCompassus in the last days of hislife. His celebration of life will be heldinprivate with close familyand friends.
Jill NormaPujol,born April 16, 1995, gained her angel wingsonJune 20 2025, at theage of 30. She was thebeloved daughter ofJosephM.Pujol (Judy) and thelateStephanie G. Pujol andthe sister of Jes‐sicaR.Billiot (Mohamed). She wasanadoring aunt to two nieces,Sofiaand Car‐men,whomshe loved dearlyand thegreat niece ofNancy K. Ray. Sheisalso survivedbymanyaunts, uncles, cousinsand friends.She waspreceded indeath by hergrandmoth‐ers,PatriciaK.Garnerand Norma K. O’Hara,her grandfathers, Jesse E. Gar‐ner andJeanB.Pujol Sr and herstep-grandfather, JohnO’Hara. AMemorial Service will be held at a later date.Fondmemories and expressionsofsympa‐thy maybesharedatwww LeitzEaganFuneralHome com.
Robertson, Arthur V. 'Artie'
Arthur “Artie”V.Robert‐son,79, alifelongresident ofNew Orleanspassed awayonJune 24, 2025, at homefroma long-term battlewithcancer. He was bornonNovember18, 1945, inNew Orleans, LA to Bor‐landand Yvonne Robert‐son.Hewas marriedtohis soulmateLinda Airhartof New Orleansfor 53 years. Arthur wasa craneopera‐tor formostofhis life.He loved to tell storiesofall of the unique experienceshe had in hiscareer.Hewas a Mason,and aproud mem‐ber of theIUOELocal 406 Operating EngineersUnion Hewas an Army veteran, serving histimeinthe ser‐viceprimarily in Germany duringthe VietnamWar Heenjoyed campingand the outdoors, good food, and taking walksaround his neighborhood to make small talk andwatch the childrenplay. He wasan avidanimallover.Mostof all he lovedbeing “Grandpa” to hisonly grandchild. He is preceded indeath by hisparents Borland andYvonne Robertson,his brother Bobby Robertson, andhis son Jake Robertson. He is survivedbyhis wife Linda Airhart Robertson, sonand daughter-in-law Blakeand Brandy Robertson, grand‐
sonTrace Arthur Robert‐son,sisters Leia Gale and Yvette Blancher,brotherin-lawand sister-in-law Glenand Gail Airhart, and numerousniecesand nephews.There will be a Celebration of Life Gather‐ing at Leitz-EaganFuneral Home, 4747 Veterans MemorialBlvd.,Metairie, LAonSundayJuly13, 2025, from1:00PMuntil 3:00 PM In lieu of flowers, thefam‐ily is requesting that dona‐tions be made to theAmer‐icanCancerSociety’s ProstateCancerResearch Fund or theNew Orleans SPCA. Fond memories and expressions of condo‐lencesmay be shared at www.leitzeaganfuneralho me.com
BarbaraJoBryan Stat‐ton,age 87, of Covington, Louisiana,passedawayon Friday, June 27, 2025. She was born on September19, 1937, in Rogers,Arkansas, tothe late Jeff andMildred MooreBryan.She is sur‐vived by herchildren, Diana StattonBrown of Yulee, Florida, Larry Stat‐ton andwifeAlisonofMur‐ray,Kentucky, Deborah Statton Perkinsand hus‐bandWayne of Oceola Arkansas, andJom Statton and wife Judy of Galveston, Texas;grandchildren Melea Sawyer,Becky Franzese, Dana Thompson LeahStatton,AutumnStat‐ton,Chris Perkins, andTori Statton;six great-grand‐children; andmanyex‐tendedfamilymembers and friends. Shewas pre‐ceded in deathbyher lov‐ing husbandof64years, James Wendell“Jim” Stat‐ton;and grandchildren, Madison Stattonand Jew‐eliaGans. Barbaragrewup inRogers, Arkansas,and graduated from Rogers HighSchool.She worked asa clerkinthe Benton County, Arkansas,Tax As‐sessor’sOffice formany years before spending the majorityofher life caring for herfamily. Shewas a lover of thebeach with a particularfondnessfor seashells andturtles Known as “Barbs”tomany ofher friends, shewillbe rememberedfor heroutgo‐ing,lovingpersonality,and she will be dearly missed. In lieu of flowers, contribu‐tions in memory of Mrs. Statton maybemadeto the St.Timothy on the NorthshoreChurch Memor‐ial Garden at https://www sttimothyns.org/give.Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend thememor‐ial serviceonMonday, June 30, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. at St Timothy on theNorthshore Church Memorial Garden, 335 Asbury Drive, Mandev‐ille, Louisiana. E. J. Fielding FuneralHomeofCoving‐ton,Louisiana,ishonored tobeentrusted with Mrs. Statton’s funeralarrange‐ments.Her familyinvites you to sharethoughts, memories, andcondo‐lencesbysigning an online guestbook at www.ejfield ingfh.com
Pujol, Jill Norma
McDaniel, Gary Dean
Statton, BarbaraJoBryan
Oberschmidt, Paul August
Nachod,
OPINION
NOLA.COM/opinions
OUR VIEWS Committee
should cast a wide netfor next LSU president
The committee that the LSU Boardof Supervisors has chosentoselect theLSU system’snext presidenthas abig jobaheadofit.
The outgoing president,William Tate IV,accomplished much during his fouryearsinBaton Rouge. LSUhit record enrollmentsand spentan eye-popping $543 million in research funding last year
Outside of the classroom, Tate’stenure saw majorathleticsuccesses,including national championships in baseball, gymnasticsand women’sbasketball, amongothers
But it hasn’tbeen all smooth sailing.Tateinheritedthe effects of the COVID-19pandemic when he tookthe job in 2021. LSU wasalso dealingwiththe fallout of nationwide racial justice protests and accusations that some university officials had downplayed allegationsofsexual assault.
More recently,several of his toplieutenants have left for other jobs, and he’sbeenforced to institute ahiring freezeamid questions about the stability of federal research funding.
That’swhy it’simportant that the19members of the new committee, whocome fromavarietyofmostly business butalsosome academic backgrounds, put the wealthoftheir collective experience together in pickinga newleader
They will face some serious questions: Should the candidate come from inside the system, like Matt Lee, currently the interim president, who has been at LSU for twodecades?Orwould it be better to go outside thesystem butstay with an in-state academic administratorlike with McNeese State University PresidentWade Rousse, as some have suggested?Orshouldthe new leader come from the politicalrealm, like U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow —who also hasuniversity administration experience —asothers have proposed?
Scott Ballard, the Board of Supervisors chair who is also on the committee, has said that members plan to conductanational search. That sounds like agood idea. Apropersearch will include arigorous look at candidates local andnationalwho have therequisiteacademic andadministrative experience,aswellasthe vision to move the system forward.
It’s far too early to anoint anyone contender at this point, but we can say this:The committee’sactionswill reverberate acrossthe system’seight campusesand thousands of employees and students. The new leaderwill have to navigate the state’sthorny politics, guide the impending absorption of theUniversity of New Orleans into the LSU system and maintain the level of excellencethat theLSU communitydeservesand hascometoexpect Given the weight of that burden,weurgethe committeetoworkhardtoidentify the best candidatepossibleand rejectovertlypolitical considerations. After all, the choice isn’t important just to those who bleed purple and gold. LSU is the state’sflagship university,and its success or failure affects all Louisianans.
LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE
WELCOME. HERE AREOUR
GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence
TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.
TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE
AfterIsrael took out at least twoof Iran’stop scientistsbehind the development of nuclear weapons (and promised to kill more), my high school fight song came to mind. At football games after atouchdown we sang, “Hit ’em hard and hit ‘emagain. Show ’em now thatwe’re gonna win...”
That is precisely what Israel has done in several strikes againstits mortal enemythat has threatened to exterminate the Jewishstate, renegedon past agreementstocurtail its enrichment of uranium and made statements about itsreligious motivationfor attacks on Israel and support of various terrorist proxies. Why shouldn’tIsrael be expected to defend itself against thestated aims of theIslamic fanatics in Tehran?
The diplomatic “rope-a-dope” strategy used by Iran to string out negotiations in ordertocontinue pursuing uranium enrichment with anuclear weapon —its likely outcome—has worked over severalU.S. administrations Mossad managed to penetratedeep into Iran withadrone base and other weapons which took out many,but not
Donald Trump recently wrote on Truth Social: “Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisurebusiness have been stating that our very aggressive policyonimmigration is taking very good, longtime workersaway from them,with those jobs being almost impossible to replace.”
Let’s get theobvious out of the way.Trumpisheavily invested in two of thosethree businesses. He’sprovenhimself very good at looking out for No. 1.
all, of Iran’smissile launchers. Some missilesgot through and hit parts of Tel Aviv,wounding scoresand killing some civilians President Donald Trump has declared thatifIran doesn’treturn to negotiations, it will suffer far worse attacks. That should not be the goal, because there is no evidence thatIran would behave any differently if previously failed negotiations resume. The goal should be regime change. The current Iranian regimecame to power in 1979, thanks to Jimmy Carterundermining the shah, who kept the fanatics now running and ruining the country at bay.The shah had his problems, but was pro-West. Since then, the Islamic regimehas sustained itself with guns, crooked elections,bysuppressing protests and jailing or killing those opposed to the ayatollahs. The Middle East —indeed the world —would be better off and asaferplace if the regime were to fall. The important questioniswho would take their place? It can’tbearepeat of 1979 with different faces but thesame objectives.
There is political opposition in Iran and we occasionally hear voices that claim support for human rights, free elections and other things appealing to Western ears. There have been street protests, which the Revolutionary Guard quickly extinguished. In atelevised address after the bombing began, Israeli PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Iranians to effectively overthrow their government: “Israel’sfight is not against the Iranian people. Our fight is against the murderous Islamic regime that oppresses and impoverishes you. The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around its flag and its historic legacy,bystanding up for your freedom from the evil and oppressive regime. .” That would be the ideal outcome, but fear keeps many people from acting on their beliefs and goals. Overcoming fear takes courage and awillingness to sacrifice even your own life. Are there enough Iranians prepared to stand against the power and weapons of the ayatollahs?
Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com
That’smuch easier than formulating an immigration policy to meet the needsofemployers while ensuring decentwages forall workers. Many of these “very good” workers would have been admitted to this countrylegally,if we had carefully written immigration policy.The lack of said policyisa major driver of illegal immigration. Consider also theweirdnessof singling out two industries for lax immigration enforcement. Suppose an undocumented worker tending almond trees in California’sCentral Valley chooses to start awindow-washing business in Bakersfield. Is he now slated for deportation?
BorderczarStephen Miller is putting on ashow of force that is both nasty and ineffectual. The wannabe warlord says he wantstoarrest 3,000 migrants aday,apparently any migrants. His enforcershave been pulling people withpending asylum cases and valid work permits off worksites. Few will argueagainst booting out undocumented aliens who have committed crimes, other thanbeing here illegally.Barack Obama did abetter job of that thanTrumphas. MAGA’s obsessionwith the Southern border, already calmed by Joe Biden before leaving office, ignoresnearly half the dilemma. An estimated 42% of undocumented immigrants now in the U.S. arrivedlegally but overstayed their visas. Meanwhile, organizers of the “No King” rallies did amasterful job. They broadly named the event to take much of the focus away from the sometimesabusive activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. That combined with Trump’stoxic personality and chaotic politics resulted in small crowds honoring the U.S. Army’s250-year anniversary.That was toobad. Trump set the scene by holding that
unseemly political rally featuring himself at Fort Bragg. The Trump brand of vulgarity further diminished the Army’sparade by including an official broadcast shouting out “Special thanks to our sponsor —Coinbase.” Coinbase operates ahuge exchange for cryptocurrency,one of Trump’sshadowy avenues for amassing more wealth.
The “No Kings” planners, who put together big gatherings in every state, wisely kept the protests outside Washington. That avoided conflict with the Army/Trump birthday parade. Afew hours after calling to exempt farm and hospitality workers from harsh immigration enforcement, Trump blamed Biden for the problem Biden went farinsolving. Trump himself has employed an illegal workforce, most famously the construction workers who built Trump Tower. Americans don’twant open borders. They also recognize that many of the people who camethrough these open borders without the proper documentation are, indeed, otherwise very good people. Don’texpect sane immigration reform in the Trump era.
Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop.
Froma Harrop
Cal Thomas
COMMENTARY
In CVSsuit, Murrill is wrongonfreespeech
At least one of the three lawsuits that Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has filed against the CVS drugstore chain is not just wrongheaded but constitutionally dangerous. She should withdrawit, forthwith.
Murrill is particularly angry with CVS for successfully convincing the state Legislature to reject abill that would have prohibited companies from owning drugstoreswhile also owning outfits called “pharmacy benefit managers.” PBMs serve essentially as middlemen to negotiate drug prices from manufacturers. Itake no position on whether PBMs are more beneficial than harmful —except to note that plenty of conservative-freemarket advocates are supporters of PBMs, so it’sodd to see Murrill and some other Republicansoppose them. Ialso take no position on whether PBMs and drugstores should be owned by the same corporation, and no position on themeritsofMurrill’ssecondand third lawsuits against CVS,which accuse the drugstore giantof “unfair competition” and(essentially) monopolistic practices. Murrill’sfirst lawsuit, though, is outrageous. It seeks to punish
CVS for contacting customers to express its political opposition to thelegislation she favored. It says CVS “illegitimately” used customers’ “contact information obtained under the guise of prescriptionand health notifications” to send text messages that were“inaccurate, misleading, and deceptive” in order to “incite fear among vulnerable peopleregarding their medicalneeds.”
Murrill should read the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution In case she forgot, that amendment guaranteesthe right to free speech.That right, as the Supreme Court repeatedly and emphatically has reminded us, is particularly strong in protecting speech of apolitical nature. Amongthe casesthat recognizedthat corporate speech is included under these protections was thefamous Citizens United v. FEC, which conservatives such as Murrill tendnot just to support but celebrate.(Iknow whereof I speak: Iliterally was one of the three other peopleinthe room whenCitizens United President David Bossie gavethe go-ahead to hislawyer to file that lawsuit.) In her public explanation of this suit andinthe suit itself, Murrill
explicitly notes that CVS’ messages wereintended to“serve its own political agenda.” Well, of course: That’sthe whole point of political speech protections. Wondering if Iwere missing something,Icalled one of the nation’stop free-market think tanks, theCompetitive Enterprise Institute, to get itsexpertiseon business-related law.Its attorney David McFadden —who, by the way,isa Tulane Law grad who practiced his profession in New Orleansfor manyyears —expressed surprise at the suit McFadden said CVS“will have astrong defense on the First Amendment.”
The key question, McFadden said, is this:“Is the[nature of Murrill’s] complaint contentbased? Would theauthorities have to examine the content of the messages?”
Of course it is content-based, he said. And, he added, it usually is aclear violation of First Amendment law if government authorities seek to penalize speech (unless it is defamatory or physically threatening) based on thespeech’scontent.
Case law says thegovernment can limit First Amendment political speech only if the limitation is “narrowly tailored” to meet a “compelling” stateinterest.
PHOTO By PATRICK WALL La. AttorneyGeneral LizMurrill
“This is not commercial speech [which enjoys slightly less constitutional protection]; it’score political speech,” McFadden said. “What would the state’sinterest be? That theopposing side of a bill can’tbepresented? That is not even alegitimate state interest, much less a‘compelling’ one.”
And: “There’snoexception for arguments that [the state believes] are invalid or mistaken. That’sfor each citizen and the Legislature to decide.”
In other words, Murrill has no proper authority to decide if she thinksCVS’ message was“deceptive.”
Even apart from the constitu-
tional protection, Murrill would be hard-pressed to prove anything CVS said was deceptive, anyway
The messages sent by CVS all said aversion of the following: “Legislation in Louisiana threatens to close your CVS pharmacy —your medication cost may go up and your pharmacist may lose their [sic] job.”
As it happens, that is the standard argument, nationwide, against the sorts of legislation Murrill is pushing —not just from the PBMs, but from free-market analysts aplenty who do not get major funding from drugstore or pharmaceutical giants. Indeed, some of those analysts say the practice of PBMs and drugstore chains being concurrently owned is a“market-based response” to the Obamacare law passed in 2010. And Vince Ginn, aformer chief economist in the first Trump White House, agrees that the law Murrill backed likely would have forced closures of up to 100 CVS stores with “2,700 jobs at stake.”
Let Murrill fight her other two lawsuits. But forher to push this suit against CVS’ text messages is, on multiple grounds, way, way out of line.
Quin Hillyer canbereached at quin.hillyer@theadvocate.com.
Dropping thef-bombwon’t avoida war
When Donald Trump was apresidential candidate visiting Louisiana afew years ago, he made a promise.
His promise came after he caught alot of flak for calling Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz a“p” noun, another word for cat, but when used as profanity means someone is acoward or a weakling.
tango foxtrot.”
andTotalCEASEFIRE,” he said on socialmedia.
Small problem: BothIranand Israel fired after the announcement
“I won’tuse foul language. I’m just not going to do it,” he told acrowd in Baton Rouge at the Raising Cane’sRiver Center in February 2016.“I’ll neverdoit again, actually ” Never,hesaid. That was alie.
I’m sure many of you heard whatIheard when Trump was being interviewed by journalists as he was about to start histrip from the White House to the NATO summit.
If you missed it, this wasa moment when the president rightly so —expressed anger, exasperation and frustration with Iran and Israel after he hadannounced aceasefire. “Complete
“I’mnot happy with them,” Trump toldagroup of reporters. “I’mnot happy with Iraneither.” That wasn’tenough for Trump.
Whetheritwas anger, off-the-cuff or intentional, the president of these United States, in apositionrespected across theglobe no matter who occupies it, letloose an f-bomb. “Webasically have two countriesthat have beenfighting for so longand so hard that they don’t knowwhat the f*** they’redoing, youunderstandthat?”
The president and Imake different choiceswhen it comes to emphasizing something. He, some Republicans, some Democrats andsomeothersprefer using that four-letter—and some five- and six-letter— cusswords. Instead of sayingwhathechosetosay earlierthis month, Imight’ve said “what the heck,”or“whiskey
If Iwerepresident and Ihad been relying on Iran and Israel to commit to aceasefireand they both disappointed me,it’slikely I might’ve said “I’m deeply disappointed thatthe agreement,our agreement,was violated. There is toomuch at risk. The world deserves apeaceful resolution without additional strikes—and certainly not nuclear warfare.”
If Iwerereally feeling salty, I might add, “If they don’tknow how serious this is, theycan go to the nearest pay phone and call me.” “Oops. Forgive me. I’m chronologically gifted. Iguess theycan pick up the hotline.”
On June 13, Israel attacked key facilities in Iran and killed top generals and scientists to deter Iran from developing anuclear bomb. Iran retaliated, striking centralIsrael, killing civilians Trump abruptly left theG7summit June 16 to focus on the Iran-Israel conflict.Then, on June 21, the U.S. strucknuclear sites in Iran Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan —with bunker-buster bombs delivered by
sevenB-2 stealth bombers. During his January inauguration speech, Trump asked that he be judgedbased, in part, on his military moves. “Like in 2017, we will again build the strongest military the world hasever seen,” he said. “Wewill measure our success not only by thebattles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps mostimportantly,the wars we never getinto.”
Is/was what happened in IranIsrael abattle,aconflict or awar?
Unfortunately,world leaders, prominent politicians, people withhuge television and social media platforms and news media have confused the public about what this action should be called.
The U.S. Constitution divides the authorityand responsibility for militaryinvolvement and entering war.The WarPowers Resolution of 1973 further defineswho can do what. Only Congress can declare war.The president can direct military operations.
Democratic representatives said the president had violated the War PowersResolution. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton,
said the WPR is unconstitutional. Democratic and Republican presidents have used the act to justify military actions, so that debate will continue. Meanwhile, however our nation handles the Biblical land of Persia, it’sgood to remember that the Bible and the West continued to call the area Persia while the people living there have called it Iran for centuries. Most of the world acknowledged their preference in 1935. The revolution in 1979 solidified the cultural preference when the nation became the Islamic Republic of Iran.
When candidate Trump was in Baton Rouge, the crowd egged him on, encouraging him not to demur and showered him how with colorful language as he spoke. Perhaps Louisiana helped rubberstamp him cussing at world leaders as many worry about starting World WarIII.
We don’tneed four-letter words as apart of “diplomacy.”
Just use Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.
ExplodingU.S.indebtednessmakes afiscal crisis almost inevitable
Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase,was more tantalizing than illuminating when herecently said, regarding thenation’s fiscaltrajectory,“Youare going to see acrack in the bond market.” Details, even if hypotheticals, would be helpful concerning the market where U.S. debt is sold.
powerfully prod foreign investors to diversify away fromTreasury, which would raise the cost of U.S. borrowinganunpredictable amount.
Twenty-five percent of Treasury bonds, about $9 trillion worth, are held by foreigners, who surelyhave noticed aprovision in the One Big Beautiful Bill (1,018 pages).Unlessand until it is eliminated,the provision empowerspresidents to impose a20% taxoninterest payments to foreigners. The potential applicability of this to particular countries and kinds of income is unclear.Itcould be merely America First flag-waving.
Concerning which, Kenneth Rogoff is alarmingly plausible. Beforehebecameanintergalactically famousHarvard economics professor, and a peripatetic participant in global financial affairs, he was aprofessional chess player. Hence, hispenchant for thinking many moves ahead.
“I have observed that, although thefinancial system evolves glacially,” hewrites in his new book, “Our Dollar,YourProblem,” “the occasional dramatic turn is to be expected ” What is expectedisconsidered probable.The nation’s exploding indebtednesscouldpresage a “dramatic turn.”
But foreign bond purchasers, watching the U.S. government scrounge for money as it cuts taxes and swells the national debt in trillion-dollar tranches, surely think: What theprovision makes possible is possible. Such a significant devaluation of foreignpurchased Treasury bondswould
“The amount of marketable U.S. government debt,” Rogoff says, roughly equals “that of all other advanced countries combined; a similar comparison would hold for corporate debt.”Furthermore, when in 2023 Silicon Valley Bank and some other small and medi-
um-size banks becameactuarially bankrupt because of rising interest rates, theFederal Reserve created afacility that implicitly backstopped potential capital losses of all banks, estimated to be morethan $2 trillion. The facility has gone away, but thementality that created it remains. Therefore, so does another potential large increase in government debt. “The U.S. government has continually increased the size and scope of its implicit bailout guarantees,” Rogoff writes, “creating what might be termed ‘thefinancial welfare state.’”
Those of the“lower forever” school of thought regarding interest rates are serene about thechallenge of servicing the national debt.Rogoff, however notes that when Ben Bernanke left as Federal Reserve chair in 2014, Bernanke, then 60, “reportedly began tellingprivate audiences that he did not expect to see 4% short-term interest rates again in his lifetime.” Eight years later,such rates reached 5.5%, and long-term rates have risen significantly Rogoff thinks today’shigher
rates are likely the new normal, resembling the old normal, for manyreasons, including “the massive rise in global debt (public and private).” And “if the worldwide rise in populism leads to greater incomeredistribution, that too will increase aggregate demand, since low-incomeindividuals spend ahigher share of their earnings.” This would be an inflation risk. Rogoff warns that manybelievers in “lower forever” interest rates express the human propensitytobelieve in a“supercheap” way to expand “the footprint of government.” The nation is, however,“running deficits at such a prolific rate that it is likely headed for trouble.” He rejects “lazy language” about U.S. government debt obligations being “safe.” Debt is atemptation forinflation, which is slow-motion repudiation of debt compiled in dollars that are losing their value. (Ninetypercent of U.S. debt is not indexed forinflation.) When President Franklin D. Roosevelt abrogated the gold standard backing the currency,the Supreme Court ruled it adefault.
Also, holders of U.S. bonds were not safefrom significant losses during this decade’spost-pandemic inflation, or from huge losses during the 1970 inflation.
Investors watching U.S. fiscal fecklessness might increasingly demand debt indexed to inflation. “How sure are we,” Rogoffwonders, “that no future president would seek away to effectively abrogate the inflation link out of frustration” that it impeded “partial default through inflation.” A president could call this putting America first.
Projecting the exact arrival of an economic crisis is, Rogoff writes, “extremely difficult,” an uncertainty shared with medicine.
Physicians can identifyfactors that increase risks of heart attack in patients whonevertheless escape them. And low-risk patients can sufferattacks after being deemed fit as fiddles. Still, today reasonable fiscal physicians discern not just arisk but ahigh probability of adebt and/or inflation crisis.
Email George Will at georgewill@ washpost.com
Quin Hillyer
George Will
Will Sutton
NewOrleans Forecast
Roomies Nussmeier, Manning sharea lot
Arch Manning and Garrett Nussmeier
made apit stop at agrocery store Thursday night to pick up supplies for their weekend at the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux.
Jeff Duncan
As you can imagine, it didn’ttake long before thestar quarterbackswere discovered. It’snot every day that the local Walmart sees two Heisman Trophycandidates and future NFL quarterbacks walking down thebedding aisle together Soon, cameras emerged and selfies were taken —mainly of Manning, which proved to be arare and humbling turn of events for LSU’sstarting quarterback.
“This is the first time in Louisiana where this has happened to me,” Nussmeier joked, raising his hand for effect.“I’mlike ‘Hey,guys, remember me?’
In away,Nussmeier asked for this.
When Archie Manning reached out to him earlierthisyear to see whether he wasinterested in returning to theManning Passing Academy for athird consecutive summer, Nussmeiernot only confirmed his commitment but also added aspecial request.
“Mr.Manning, I’m goingtocome to the camp,” Nussmeier said, “butonlyif Ican room with Arch.”
So goes the story of how two of college football’smost heralded quarterbacks found themselves sharinga dorm room on the Nicholls State campuswithBlake Shapen of Mississippi Stateand Drew Pyne of Bowling Green.
If any roommates at the prestigious passing camp can rival the quartet of Archie, Cooper, Eli and Peyton for fame,it’sthatofManning and Nussmeier.They are early frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy and the leaders of projectedtop-10 powerhouse programs. Manning is entering his first season as a starter at Texas but already is projected as atop-5 pick in the 2026 NFLDraft. Despite his inexperience, Manning hasbeen installed by Vegas oddsmakers as the +550 favoritetowin the Heisman Trophy. Nussmeier’searly Heisman oddstrail only Manning. He is poised for amonster senior yearafter leading LSUtoa9-4 record and producing the most prolificdebut starting campaign of any quarterback in LSU history.Hehad more passing yards (4,052),completions(337), attempts (525), passingtouchdowns (29) andtotal offense
ä See DUNCAN, page 5C
STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE Texas LonghornsquarterbackArchManning gives instructions to campersduring the Manning Passing AcademyonFriday at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux.
SP TS
BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer
The night of June 6, LSU athletic officials and staff membersexpected tohave acasual Friday evening.
Someofthem relaxed at their homes. Anotherwas on vacation,celebrating his dad’sbirthday. TaylorJacobs, whooversees name,image andlikeness withinthe department, had gone to dinner withher family at Modesto Luckily forJacobs, they were already paying the bill when the House settlement was approved alittle after 8p.m. She headed home to take calls. NIL deals did not havetobeapprovedbyanew clearinghouse if they were finalized by midnight,sothe rest of the night was spent checking on contracts with LSU’s collective.
“Wedid work up until midnight that night to just make sure everything was completelybuttonedup,” LSU executive deputy athletic director Keli Zinnsaid. “It wasa
late night forour folks, but really pleased where everything ended up forus.”
That nightmarkeda monumental shift in college sports. Under the settlement, Division Ischools now can pay players forthe first timestarting July 1. Similar to other major programs, LSU plans to pay its athletes themaximum $20.5 million during the upcoming school year,$2.5 millionofwhich will comefrom the creation of 65 new scholarships.
As aresult, LSU officials projected ausually profitable athletic department to have an $8 million deficit during the upcoming fiscal year.ZinnsaidLSU “willwork aggressively to mitigate that” andcouldbalance itsbudget by the 2027 fiscal year.According to the most recently available figures, LSU reported a$1.73 millionsurplus during the 2024 fiscal year
Rookie classaimstoplotnew course forPelicans
BY RODWALKER Staff writer
While New Orleans Pelicans rookiesJeremiah Fears and Micah Peavy dressedalittle more casual for their introductorynews conference, fellow rookie Derik Queen sportedasuit.
Queen also wore achip on hisshoulder, one that he’ll likelywear this entire season He has heard all of the talk. He knows the criticism and skepticism about Joe Dumars’ decision to trade up 10 spots in the draft to select him while giving up a2026 first-round pick
So will those doubters motivate the 6-foot9forward from the University of Maryland?
“Definitely,”Queen said.“Idon’t think anybody in thatclass ever is goingtobebet-
ter than me. Iblock all the noise out.Joe has got alot of faithinme. Most of these guys (in thedraft), Ibeat in high school.
“It doesn’treally matter.Iknow theNBA is awholedifferent level. Don’t gettoo big headed.Don’tget toolow.And just beat on them next year when they come in, and make Joe look like agenius.”
Years from now,Dumars’ first draft class as Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations inevitably will be graded on what type of player the20-year-old Queenbecomes.Does he become aperennialAll-Star? Or does he flame out, leaving the people criticizingthe tradesaying “I told you so”? Dumars isn’tlistening to what others are
Fromleft, Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears, guard Micah Peavyand forward Derik Queen answer questions during theirintroductory news conference on Saturday at the team’s training facility
2p.m.Friendly: U.S. vs. Ireland TNT WNBA
3p.m.Chicago at Los Angeles ESPN 5p.m.Las VegasatPhoenix NBATV XGAMES noon XGames 2025 ABC
Opportunityknocksfor Djokovic
Wimbledon mightbehis best chance at winningrecord25thGrand Slam
BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer
LONDON It’sbecome partof Novak Djokovic’sroutine now, particularly at Grand Slam tournaments: He shows up and gets asked —atthe start of the event, during the event, after the event or sometimes all three —whether this will be his final appearance there.
Happened again Saturday at Wimbledon, andhis response was the same it tends to be, which essentially amounts to: Who can tell?
“Whether it could be my ‘last dance,’ ”the 24-time major champion began, repeating the phrase used by the reporter who posed the question, “I’m not sure —as I’m not sure about Roland Garros or any otherSlamthat Iplay next.”
And then Djokovic continued, offering something of amix of seemingly trying to quiet any talk aboutwhether he truly is ponderingretirement at age 38 while also being realisticabout where things stand.
“My wish is to play forseveral more years. Iwould love to be healthy physically and alsomentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level,”hesaid. “That’sthe goal. But you never know at this stage.” What Djokovicdid concede is that the All England Club might offer the likeliest spot for him to gather one more Grand Slam singles title, which would allow him to raise his career haul to25 —a number that no tennis player ever has reached.
“I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance, because of the resultsI had, because of how Ifeel, howI play in Wimbledon,” said Djokovic, who faces Alexandre Muller in the firstround Tuesday.“Just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level.”
Djokovic has won seven championships at the grass-court majorand comeoh-so-closetomaking his total eight —the number Roger Federer won, and one behind Martina Navratilova’srecord nine women’strophies —but lost in the 2023 and 2024 finals to Carlos Alcaraz
All told, Djokovic has appeared in the title match the past six times the tournament was held (it
NovakDjokovic
2024 finals.
ä Wimbledon, first round, 6A.M. MONDAy,ESPN
was canceled in 2020 amidthe COVID-19 pandemic), winning it in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Hislast Wimbledon lossbeforethe final came in 2017, when he lost in the quarterfinalstoTomas Berdych.
As for the persistent questions about Djokovic’sfuture,it’sthe sametype of topic that was presented to Federer,Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams as those greats neared theirfarewells. Now it’sjust Djokovic’sturn. But justbecause he hasn’twon
aGrand Slam trophy in morethan 11/2 years— he collected three in 2023, capped by the U.S. Open that September —don’tthink that Djokovic isn’tcapable of grabbing another
As he reminded anyone listening Saturday,hemade it to the semifinals at the Australian Open this January before stopping after one set because of ahamstring injury,and gottothe final four at theFrenchOpen this month before losing to No. 1Jannik Sinner
Afterthat one, Djokovic took time as he left the court to kiss his hand and lean down to touchthe clay then saiditcould have been his
last match at Roland-Garros. Therealso wasthe not-so-small achievement of claiming agold medal for Serbia at the Paris Olympicsless than ayear ago by beating Alcaraz, no less.
“These tournaments give me the biggest drive, still,” Djokovic said.
“I like the way Ifeel right now, physically.Tennis-wise, I’ve been playing good on thepractice sessions. Obviously completely different when you startatournament. I’ll try to haveavery good tournament andgoasfar as I can.” And maybeeven return in 2026.
Gauff alreadythinkingabout life aftertennis
BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer
LONDON To be clear,Coco Gauff didn’tbring up the word “star” during arecent interview with The Associated Press; the reporter did. So as Gauff beganto answer aquestion about balancingher life as aprofessional athlete with her off-court interests, she caught herself repeating that term.
“I definitelydidn’t knowhow it would look like,” she began with a smile,“before Igot to be, Iguess, astar —feels weird to call myself that —but Idefinitely didwant to expandoutside of tennis.Always. Since Iwas young.” She still is young, by just about any measure, and she is areally good tennis player —Gauff owns the two Grand Slam titles and No 2ranking to prove it as sheheads into Wimbledon, whichbegins Monday —but the 21-year-old American is also more than that. Someone unafraidtoexpress her opinions about societal issues. Someone who connects with fans via social media. Someone who is the highest-paid female athlete in anysport,topping $30 millionlast year,according to Sportico.com, with less than athird of thatfrom prize money and most via deals
withcompaniessuchasUPS, New Balance, Rolex and Barilla Someone whorecently launched her own management firm. And someone whowants to succeed in the business world long after she no longer swings a racket on tour
“It’sdefinitely something that I want to start to step up for postcareer.Kind of start building that process, which is why Iwanted to do it early.Because Ididn’twant to feel likeIwas playingcatch-
up at theend of my career,” said Gauff, who will face Dayana Yastremskainthe first round at the AllEngland Club on Tuesday
“On thebusinessside of things, it doesn’tcome as natural as tennis feels. I’m still learning, andI have alot to learn about,” Gauff said. “I’ve debateddifferent things and what paths Iwanted to take when it came to just stimulating my brain outside of the court, because IalwaysknewthatonceI
Baseball America names3 LSU playersAll-Americans Three LSUplayershavereceived 2025 All-America recognition from Baseball America magazine. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson andjuniorrighthanded pitcher AnthonyEyanson were first-team All-Americans, and junior first baseman Jared Jones was asecond-team AllAmerican. Anderson was namedthe Most Outstanding Playerofthe 2025 College World Series. He finished 12-1 with a3.18 ERA and180 strikeouts in 119.0 innings.
Eyanson(12-2) finished this season with a3.00ERA and152 strikeouts in 108 innings.
Jones batted.323this season with15doubles, 22 homers, 76 RBIsand 66 runs.
Former Pirates slugger Parker dies at age74
PITTSBURGH Dave Parker,ahardhitting outfielder whowas setto be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Famenext month, has died. He was74.
ThePittsburgh Pirates announced Parker’sdeath on Saturday,and no further details were immediately available.
Nicknamed“theCobra,” the 6-foot-5 Parkerplayed19major league seasons, 11 forthe Pirates. He was the NL MVP in 1978, won aWorldSeries withPittsburgh a year later and then won another championship in 1989 with the Oakland Athletics. Parker won back-to-back batting titlesin1977 and’78. He finished his career as a.290 hitter with 339 homers and 1,493 RBIs. Parker was elected to the Hall of Fame by aspecial committee in December.The induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York, is set forJuly 27.
Source: Bulls trade Ball to Cavs for forward Okoro CLEVELAND The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to acquire guard Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls for forward Isaac Okoro, according to aperson with knowledge of the agreement. The person spoke to The AssociatedPress on condition of anonymity Saturday because the trade cannotbefinalizeduntil the start of the new league year on July 6. Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 35 games this past season after missing the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns because of aleftknee injury. Okoro averaged 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds this past season andisa strong defender
Peña missesgame after being hit by pitchinribs
HOUSTON Houston shortstop JeremyPeña wasnot in the lineup Saturdaybut was feeling better after leaving theAstros’ victoryoverthe Chicago Cubs on Friday night in the fifth inning because of rib soreness, manager Joe Espada said. Peña was hit in the ribs by Cade Horton’spitch duringthe second inning of the Astros’ 7-4 win. He remained in the game forthree innings until being removed for a pinch hitter
finished high school that Ineeded to put my brain into something else.”
In acampaign announced this week by UPS, which first partnered with Gauff in 2023 before she won that year’sU.S. Open, she connects with business coach Emma Grede —known for working with Kim Kardashian on Skims, and with Khloe KardashianonGoodAmerican— to offer mentoring to three smallbusinessowners.
“Coco plays akey role in helping us connect with those younger Gen-Z business owners —emergingoryoungerentrepreneurs,”
Betsy Wilson, VP of digitalmarketing andbrand activation at UPS, saidina phone interview.
“Obviously, she’svery relevant in social media and in culture, andworking with Coco helps us really connect with that younger group.”
While Grede helped the entrepreneurs, Gauff also gotthe opportunitytopickuptips.
“It’sreally cool to learn from someone like her,” Gauff said.
“Whenever Ifeel like I’mready to makethatleap,Ican definitely reach out to her for advice and things like that. This will help me right now and definitely in the long term.”
Imaging done Friday did not reveal afracture. Peña played in the Astros’ first 82 games of the season.
The 2022 ALCS and World Series MVP is enjoying the best year of his career,batting .322 with 11 homeruns and 40 RBIs.
After battling knee pain, Stroman will pitch Sunday NEWYORK— Marcus Stroman feels readytoreturntothe moundfor the NewYork Yankees, able to manage pain in his left knee stemming from atorn ACL adecade ago.
The34-year-old right-handeris set to start Sunday against the Athletics. Stroman hasnot pitched for the Yankees since allowing five runs in two-thirds of an inning against San Francisco on April 11. In three rehab appearances with Double-A Somersetthat began June 11, Stroman was 0-1witha 6.97 ERA. Stromanstarted theseason0-1 with an 11.57ERA in three starts. He rejoins arotation missing ace Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery), AL Rookie of the Year LuisGil (strained right lat) and left-hander RyanYarbrough (strainedright oblique).
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByJOHNWALTON
has wonseven Wimbledonsingles championshipsbut lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 and
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIN CHEUNG
Coco Gauff goes intoWimbledon withthe No.2 ranking in theworld.
OUTDOORS
Friends, fireworks, fishing: It’s rodeotime
Fourchon saltwaterevent setfor Fourth of July weekend
BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing writer
For decades, the Fourth of July celebration has meant family,friends, fireworks, fishing —and, the Golden Meadow-Fourchon Tarpon Rodeo.
Sure, years ago, it was the Golden MeadowTarpon Rodeo, but that was before the folks in Lafourche Parish decided to move the holiday gathering to farther south to The Fourchon, where more and more anglers were gathering to spend days on the water pursuing shallow-and deepwater fish.
This year’srodeo,believed to be the75th,begins at sunrise Thursday with the big hoop-de-do coming Friday with the annual King of the Catch cooking contest at the weigh station at Fourchon Marina. It runs from 1-7 p.m. Friday, then, 1-4 p.m. Saturday for the children’sdivision and 1-5 p.m.for allother anglers
The celebrationends witha 4-7 p.m. shrimp boil Rodeo tickets are $35 and moneyraised supports college scholarships for Lafourche Parish students. Ticketsare availableupand down Bayou Lafourche. The rodeo raised $21,000 in scholarships from the 2024 event. For the bluewater fishermen, there’sabig game tag & release division for blueand whitemarlin and sailfish, and atarpon tag &release category to share the leaderboard with inshore, shoreline, kayak spearfishing and children’s divisions
Need more? TheGMFTR websiteatfourchontarpon.
com
The bonus here is an angler can win anew pickup truck if they bring in astate record jack crevalle, black drum,gafftopsail catfish, cobia, tarpon or broadbill swordfish.
Inshoreshrimp
With increasingnumbers of small white shrimpshowing up in our state’sinside waters, Wildlife andFisheries announced astatewide closure of the springinshore shrimp season at sunset Monday.
The exceptionisthe open watersofBretonand Chandeleur sounds remaining open alongwith all state outsidewaters.
Snappercount
Thelatest recreational red snappercounthit 337,649 pounds through Wildlife and Fisheries estimates on June 8. That’snearly 38% of Louisiana’s894,955-pound annual allotment.
Newreef
CCA Louisiana and state Wildlifeand Fisheriesin partnershipwith Danos, and Reefmaker-WalterMarine set anew reef in the West Delta 79 block CCA’s announcement indicated the reef material consisted of 12 15-foot tall and 24 8-foot tall all-natural, pyramid-shaped Reefmakerdesigned “super reefs” set down in six separate clusters.
Danos, CCA’s Reef Louisiana Program and Wildlife and Fisheries’ Artificial
TUESDAY LA. OUTDOORS FOREVER TECHNICAL ADVISORYBOARD MEETING: 9a.m., state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, 2000Quail Drive Baton Rouge.
RODEO: Fourchon Marina& Pavilion, Port Fourchon. Benefits SouthLouisianahigh school students. Fishingbeginsatdaylight Thursday. Weigh-in open Friday/Saturday. King of the Catch cookingcontest. Inshore, Big Game, Shoreline, Kayak, Spearfishing &Children’s divisions. Website: fourchontarpon com
JULY6-10—NRA NATIONAL PRECISIONPISTOL CHAMPIONSHIP: Cardinal Shooting Center, Marengo, Ohio. Also: NRA National Smallbore Championship Website:thecardinalcenter.com
Reef TrustFund provided funding.
All artificial reefs in CCA’s program are listed on website: ccalouisiana.com/conservation/artificial-reefs. Coordinates listed therefollowthe Google Earth WGS84 map format.
Forhunters
TheNational RifleAssociation has partnered with state Wildlifeand Fisheriestooffer NRA’sfee-freeHunterEducation onlinecourse.
“The NRAdeveloped this
free online course with one main goal in mind: to make it easier for new huntersto get intothe field,” NRA’s Josh Savani said. Louisiana is the 15th state to have theNRA course.
Others are Alabama,Connecticut,Florida, Kansas, Kentucky,New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. These states will accept NRA huntereducation as a prerequisite for ahunting
license.
“This partnership expands access to this required course, giving morepeople the opportunitytoget certifiedconveniently and at no cost,” Wildlifeand Fisheries secretary Tyler Bosworth said.
The course follows a 15-chapter,sequential format featuring videos,graphics, diagrams, interactive modules, audio recordings andactionphotos to give young hunters afirst step into safe, responsible and ethical hunting.
The course is offered on theagency’swebsite:wlf louisiana.gov/page/hunterand-trapper-education. Wildlife and Fisheries also announced anew online bowhuntereducation course.There’s a$35 fee. Louisiana does not require abowhuntereducation certificate, butmanystatesrequire this certificate to hunt with bows. The course is offered on theagency’swebsite:wlf louisiana.gov under the education and events tab.
JULY8—LA. WILDLIFE&FISHERIES COMMISSION MEETING: 9:30a.m., JoeHerring Room, state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive,Baton Rouge.
JULY9—BUGS &BEERS: 6:30 p.m.,Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois Street, New Orleans. Fly tying. Open to the public. Email A.J. Rosenbohm:ajrosenbohm@gmail.com. Website: neworleansflyfishers.com
JULY10—JUNIOR SOUTHWESTBASSMASTERS
MEETING: 7p.m., Seminar Room, BassPro Shops, Denham Springs. Boys &girls agegroup bass tournaments for ages 7-10, 11-14 & 15-18 anglers.Call Jim Breaux (225) 772-3026.
JULY10-12—BASSMASTER COLLEGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP; CHEROKEE LAKE, JEFFERSON CITY,TENNESSEE. Website: bassmaster.com
JULY12—FLYFISHING 101/THE SURF: 9-11 a. m., Orvis Shop, Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge.Fee free. Basics of casting, rigging, fly selection. Equipment furnished. All ages, adults to accompany15-and-younger. Preregistration required. Call Shop(225) 757-7286. Website: orvis.com/batonrouge FISHING/SHRIMPING
SHRIMP: Spring inshoreseason to close at sunset Monday(June 30). Breton/Chandeleur sounds&all outside waters remainopen
OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Redsnapper,flounder; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers& wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath &Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.
CLOSED SEASONS: Gray triggerfish,greater amberjack, bluefin tuna and gag,goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.
LDWF UPDATES
CLOSED: Pearl River WMA (Old U.S. 11 gate & shooting range; flooding); Hope Canal Road/ boat launch(Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction); roads/trails, RichardYancey WMA (except Sunk, Shell, Yakey, Wycoff &SilverLakes roads, flooding); GrassyLakeWMA all roads &trails (flooding), except South BayouNatchitoches Road is open
This painting by Stephanie Donaldson, left, of atarpon leaping fromthe waters offthe Louisiana coast wasselected to represent the 2025 Golden Meadow-Fourchon Tarpon Rodeoset for Thursday through Saturdayatthe Port Fourchon Marina. Donaldson was joined by the rodeo’sadmiralChett Chaisson in the dinner kicking off the 75th annual rodeo in lowerLafourche Parish.
Harrington, Cink, Hensby tied at U.S. Senior Open
By The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. After leaving one chip in the rough and losing a bit of trust on the greens, Padraig Harrington was looking for something to give him hope heading into what figures to be a tumultuous final day at the topsy, turvy Broadmoor
A chip-in from 20 yards for birdie on No. 18 did the trick It gave Harrington a share of the lead, a spot in the final group and left him one more good round away from winning the U.S. Senior Open for the second time in four years.
Harrington’s chip-in Saturday pulled him into a tie with Stewart Cink and Mark Hensby, same as he was heading into the day Playing in the same threesome, all three shot 2-under 68 to finish at 8-under 202. Only one walked away with that extra pep in his step that comes from making a shot like that.
“It was special to hole out on the 18th, with everybody watching, the anticipation,” Harrington said. “It was very exciting and very nice that I didn’t have to hit another shot.”
One shot behind was Thomas Bjorn, whose 66 matched the best round of the day and set up what appears to be a four-man fight for the title.
Steve Flesch (67) was another three shots back at 4 under and Steven Alker’s 66 left him at 3 under, tied with Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Paul Stankowski (67).
One more shot back was Billy Andrade (70), he of the ailing back who collapsed in agony after his approach on No. 17, yet somehow still made par there It was fitting picture given all the pain and confusion the heavily tilted Broadmoor causes, especially when it’s set up for major-championship conditions.
“It’s what you do on those last four or five holes that are fairly tough and ask some big questions,” Bjorn said. “I’m quite sure the pin position tomorrow is going to have more questions for us. That’s where you win the golf tournament.”
PGA Tour
LONG-HITTING POTGIETER HAS TWO-SHOT
LEAD: In Detroit, Aldrich Potgieter, standing on the practice green at
Padraig Harrington hits from the first tee during the third round of the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor on Saturday in Colorado Springs, Colo. H
Detroit Golf Club, said the most challenging part of his life was moving to Australia when he was 8 and returning to South Africa at age 17 because the COVID-19 pandemic limited his opportunities to compete.
Potgieter is about to face another test.
The PGA Tour’s youngest player and biggest hitter is going into the final round of the Rocket Classic with a two-shot lead, hoping to hold off a pack of players, including Collin Morikawa, for his first victory on the circuit.
“The l ead erboard’s so stacked,” Potgieter said after he had five straight birdies in a 7-under 65 to surge into the lead Saturday
The 20-year-old tour rookie started the week averaging 326.6 yards off the tee — several yards longer than Rory McIlroy and credits his multi-sport childhood.
“I played a lot of sports, rugby, wrestling,” the 5-foot-11, 211-pound Potgieter said. “Kind of did everything as a kid. Didn’t just focus on golf, so that kind of helped me build that strong foundation.”
Max Greyserman (66), Jake Knapp (66), Mark Hubbard (67), Andrew Putnam (67) and Chris Kirk (69) were two shots back. Three more players were another stroke behind.
“As long as you’re kind of hanging around on Sunday, that’s what counts,” Greyserman said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDy CROSS
Collin Morikawa, the highestranked player in the field at No. 5 in the world, shot a 68 to start the final round four shots back.
Two years ago in Detroit, he was outlasted by Rickie Fowler in a playoff. Morikawa, a two-time major champion, has not won on the tour since October 2023 at the Zozo Championship in Japan.
“Look, I know what’s at stake,” Morikawa said. “I want to find a way to get it done.”
In a nod to his native country, Potgieter’s white golf shoes have the South African flag on the outside of his heels.
He won the British Amateur at the age of 17 and became the youngest Korn Ferry Tour winner
Purse: $4 million Yardage: 7,247; Par: 70 Third Round Stewart Cink
68-66-68—202 -8
Padraig Harrington 67-67-68—202 8 Mark Hensby 67-67-68—202 8 Thomas Bjorn
68-69-66—203
Golf Club Carrollton, Texas Purse: $20M (Individual); $5M (Team) Yardage: 7,533; Par: 72Second Round Patrick Reed 67-68--135 -9
Abraham Ancer 69-69--138 6 Paul Casey 71-67--138 6
Harold Varner III 67-72--139 -5
Richard Bland 70-69--139 5
David Puig 70-69--139 -5
Tyrrell Hatton 74-65--139 -5
Jon Rahm 68-72--140 4
Louis Oosthuizen 71-71--142 -2
Tom McKibbin 71-71--142 2
Jinichiro Kozuma 72-70--142 2
Anirban Lahiri 70-73--143 -1
Charles Howell III 72-71--143 1
Ben Campbell 73-70--143 1
Graeme McDowell 70-74--144 E
Dustin Johnson 70-74--144 E
+1
last year, paving the way for him to become the second-youngest player to earn a PGA Tour card through the minor league just after his 20th birthday The youngest was Jason Day, who was 19 in 2007.
LPGA
SCHMELZEL-VALENZUELA TEAM LEADS AT DOW CHAMPIONSHIP: In Midland, Michigan, Sarah Schmelzel and Albane Valenzuela took the thirdround lead Saturday in the Dow Championship, shooting a 2-under 68 in alternate-shot play to move into position for their first LPGA Tour victories. Schmelzel and Valenzuela had a 13-under 197 total at Midland Country Cup heading into the better-ball final round They opened with an alternate-shot 68 on Thursday and had a best-ball 61 on Friday
“You’re kind of on pins and needles most of the day, just hoping you don’t get your partner in trouble,” Schmelzel said. “Just super solid. I feel like we had really good attitudes throughout the entire day I think both of us took every single shot as it came.”
The teams of Jin Hee Im-Somi Lee (68) and Manon De Roey-Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (69) were a stroke back.
Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire, the second-round leaders after a 60, birdied the final two holes for a 72 that left them tied for fourth at 11 under with Lauren Hartlage-Brooke Matthews (66) and Sung Hyun Park-Ina Yoon (67).
LIV Golf
REED BUILDS THREE-SHOT LEAD: In Carrollton, Texas, Patrick Reed shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead at LIV Golf Dallas in a bid for his first victory on the Saudi-funded tour
Tied for the first-round lead with 4Aces teammate Harold Varner III after an opening 67, Reed had six birdies and two bogeys to reach 9-under 135 at Maridoe Golf Club. The 34-year-old Reed won the 2018 Masters and has nine PGA Tour victories.
Paul Casey (67) and Abraham Ancer (69) were tied for second. Varner shot 72 to drop into a tie for third at 5 under with Tyrrell Hatton (65), Richard Bland (69) and David Puig (69).
J.Kupcho/L.Maguire
PELICANS
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saying. Queen is whom he wanted, Queen is whom he went and got
“I’ve been doing this way too long to give credence to naysayers,” Dumars said. “We’re going to chart our own paths here. We’re not going to go by anyone else’s playbook. These are the guys that we really wanted as Pelicans.”
Those three guys are relishing their first few days as NBA players. You could see the joy on their faces Saturday in the team’s practice facility when they got a chance to don their NBA jerseys for the first time.
Fears recalls wearing a Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade jersey when he was kid, but he said it felt surreal to put on one with his name on the back. Truth be told, Fears sort of still is a kid. He’s only 18 and is the first athlete in team history to be born after Hurricane Katrina.
But he’s also talented and confident, which is why the Pelicans
DUNCAN
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(308.8 yards a game) than any first-year starter in program history His 4,052 yards passing ranked fifth nationally and second in LSU history
Manning and Nussmeier, though, share more in common than just sleep quarters and Heisman hopes. Both are products of football families with rich quarterback legacies.
Nussmeier’s father, Doug, was a standout quarterback at Idaho who spent five years in the NFL before going into coaching He’s in his first season as the Saints offensive coordinator
Manning is the son of football royalty His father, Cooper, is a former Newman and Ole Miss wide receiver His grandfather is Archie, a Saints legend and Hall of Famer And his uncles are Eli and Peyton, one a current and one a future NFL Hall of Famer As the sons of pedigreed fathers, Manning and Nussmeier are natural leaders who have embraced
LSU
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“We’ve really had to identify — and we’re continuing to identify new revenue streams that could potentially come to the athletic department to make up for that,” deputy athletic director for revenue generation Clay Harris said In addition to schools directly paying players, the settlement led to several significant changes. The College Sports Commission was created to oversee the system, and new rules are designed to limit spending by boosters. Different roster sizes also replaced scholarship limits. Zinn and several others involved in LSU’s operations spoke to The Advocate about the school’s plans. They discussed paying players, the murky future of LSU’s collective, how third-party NIL could let them exceed the cap, their search for more money and why they feel confident in the future.
“I think what you’ll find,” Zinn said, “is the House settlement being really, really favorable to LSU.” How LSU will pay players Over the first half of the year, booster collectives nationwide front-loaded lucrative NIL deals They understood their agreements could be denied by the clearinghouse, so they pushed out millions of dollars before the House settlement took effect. LSU’s collective, Bayou Traditions, planned to spend at least $10 million on the football roster
Those deals rolled into revenue sharing, and once the settlement was approved, LSU began issuing contracts to players The deals, which vary in length and compensation, pay athletes for the non-exclusive right to use their NIL instead of making them employees. Players have to participate in social media posts, autograph signings and other promotional materials in exchange.
“You’ve got a combination of agreements out there now,” Zinn said. “Some that have come from Bayou Traditions, some that have come from us.”
The cap was calculated by taking 22% of the annual ticket sales, media rights and sponsorship revenue among the power conference schools and Notre Dame The cap will increase annually by 4% and be reevaluated every three years. LSU plans to meet the cap as it rises throughout the 10-year settlement. When determining how to distribute the money, LSU followed the formula the NCAA used to pay
selected him with the No. 7 pick.
“We are going to bring a lot to New Orleans and it’s going to be a show,” Fears said.
While Fears is the youngest player on the team, Peavy is the oldest rookie. He’ll turn 24 in about two
and mastered the requirements of playing the quarterback position.
Both traveled similar roads in college, albeit in opposite directions. Manning, a Louisiana kid, crossed the border to play for the state school in Texas. Nussmeier attended high school in suburban Dallas, then defected to Louisiana’s flagship university
Likewise, both patiently waited their turns to start, eschewing the temptation to transfer to another school with more readily available playing time.
“I love Garrett,” Manning said.
“He’s the man He’s a coach’s kid, so he knows ball. He’s kind of had the same situation as me, just sitting for a few years, then going to play, and he played well. I’ve watched a lot of his film. He’s a good player, so it’s fun to look up to him. I’m glad I’ve built a good relationship with him.”
Nussmeier said he wanted to room with Arch, in part, because of their shared backgrounds and upbringings.
“I love spending time with Arch,” Nussmeier said. “I love watching him play He has a swagger and is a great dude off the
$2.8 billion in back damages, which gave the majority of the money to football and men’s basketball players because they generated the most revenue.
LSU will allocate 75% to football, which equals $13.5 million in the first year; 15% to men’s basketball ($2.7 million); 5% to women’s basketball ($900,000); and 5% to the rest of its sports ($900,000).
Zinn said schools could be hit with fines, coaching suspensions and a reduction in transfers for violating the cap.
Every LSU team will receive some money, Zinn said. She believes the ones that aren’t getting as much still will have what they need financially to compete. LSU is not cutting any sports.
“There is enough,” Zinn said.
“Our ability to do this and also to support that decision, in big part, is our fan base and how much they have embraced and celebrated sports beyond basketball and football. And as long as they continue to do that, they’re going to see us work aggressively to make sure those sports are well-positioned for the highest of success.”
Schools can lower their cap by spending up to $2.5 million per year on Alston payments, which previously allowed them to give individual athletes up to $5,980 per year But LSU has not taken that route The one exception, Zinn said, could be for international players if they are not able to earn revenue-sharing dollars, which is a lingering question.
The settlement also replaced team-specific scholarship limits with roster limits. LSU plans to create 65 new scholarships, a number that Zinn said could increase. Most of them (42) will go to women’s sports.
Zinn said LSU baseball has a “significant increase” now that it can offer 34 scholarships instead of 11.7, but she declined to specify how many, saying “herein lies the competitiveness of things.”
As LSU prepares for revenue sharing to begin, it is in the process of finalizing deals with athletes.
Agents have been reviewing the contracts and negotiating certain terms. However, with college athletes still not considered employees, there are questions about how a buyout could be enforced if someone transfers to another school.
“Instead, what you’ll see us do is work through it in a way where student-athletes are expected to meet their obligations of those agreements,” Zinn said. “And in the event that they don’t, there’s some opportunity there to react while
PELS’ SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE IS ANNOUNCED
The New Orleans Pelicans’ Summer League schedule in Las Vegas is set. The Pelicans’ first game is July 10 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m.The Pelicans play the Los Angeles Lakers on July 12 at 7:30 p.m.
On July 15, the Pelicans will play the Portland Trail Blazers at 9 p.m.That’s followed by a July 16 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 8:30 p.m.
The time and date for their fifth game will be determined based on how the Pelicans fare in the first four games.
It’ll be the first glimpse of the Pelicans’ draft class.The Pels had three draft picks in the NBA draft that concluded Thursday. Rod Walker
final season at Georgetown.
weeks. Unlike the two players sitting beside him Saturday, Peavy wasn’t a one-and-done player in college. Peavy taken in the second round, spent five years in college and played at three different schools: Texas Tech, TCU and his
field, as well, somebody that I can hang out and just chop it up with.” Because of their family connections and relative logistical proximity, Manning and Nussmeier have known each other for years. They frequently traded text messages last season, Manning’s sophomore campaign at Texas and Nussmeier’s redshirt junior year at LSU. They also crossed paths in 2023, when Nussmeier was an underclassman at LSU and Manning was being recruited by the Tigers as a heralded prep prospect
they’re here at LSU versus trying to seek money after the fact if they transfer or leave the institution.”
What now for Bayou Traditions?
During a speech at the Baton Rouge Rotary Club last week, Zinn mentioned Bryce Underwood. Not by name, but she described a quarterback who decommitted from LSU last fall “to get a very high dollar from another institution.”
Later, when an attendee referenced “the guy who went to Michigan for $6 (million) or $8 million” during their question, Zinn interjected.
“10,” Zinn said.
Zinn used the example to illustrate what the settlement is trying to stop. After booster collectives paid for rosters in recent years under the guise of endorsements, especially in football and basketball, every NIL deal over $600 must be reviewed by a Deloitte-run clearinghouse called NIL Go.
The commission said it will judge deals on whether or not they serve “a valid business purpose and do not exceed a reasonable range of compensation.” If the deals are rejected, athletes can revise the contract, cancel it or appeal to neutral arbitration They face potential penalties if they continue anyway
“These bidding wars that schools have found themselves in will no longer be the case,” Zinn told the crowd, later adding her belief that the biggest question mark in college sports over the next year will be how to define a reasonable range of compensation.
LSU officials think this system could be an advantage for the school instead of relying on donors to support Bayou Traditions. The collective fell behind other major programs financially until a fundraising push took place over the past year, which gave the football and men’s basketball teams money to be aggressive in the transfer portal.
What happens next with the collective is unclear The Tiger Athletic Foundation, LSU’s third-party fundraising arm, is not expected to extend its partnership with Bayou Traditions, which began last summer However, Zinn said Bayou Traditions would serve a purpose if collectives can strike deals with high school players.
“I believe what you’ll see now,” Zinn said, “is an opportunity for us to work with those donors in the future, with Bayou Traditions specifically, to come up with an opportunity for high school funding in a way that we can be really competitive out the gate, not find
“I’m going to be able to play whatever role this coaching staff has me playing,” Peavy said. “I’m ready to impact winning at a high level right away It’s a dream come true to be able to play for the New Orleans Pelicans and thanks to this whole organization taking a chance on us. We can’t wait to play in Summer League to show the fans what we’ve got.”
Dumars believes he has three guys who are smart, tough and possess a high basketball IQ. All three hope they can do what it takes to
at Newman. But this is the first time they’ve roomed together at the MPA or spent extended time in each other’s company
“Our families have been close for a while, and I’ve always been rooting for him since he was little,” said Nussmeier, who is two years older than Manning.
Despite the close ties, Manning and Nussmeier never have competed against each other on the field — until Friday night, when they indirectly squared off in the annual Air It Out and Friday Night Lights quarterback skills competition at the camp. (Manning elected to not compete in previous years while serving as a camp counselor because of his backup status at Texas.)
All eyes were on Manning and Nussmeier during the two-hour event but neither stood out in the competition, which was waged among the 40 college quarterbacks at the camp and attended by thousands of fans at John L. Guidry Stadium. Nussmeier did close the competition with an exclamation point by sinking a midfield pass through a basketball hoop in the end zone.
ourselves in a place where we’re playing catch up.”
Way to exceed the cap
Five days after the settlement was approved, the NIL clearinghouse launched. Jacobs and her staff met with the football, men’s basketball, volleyball and part of the women’s basketball teams that day for a previously planned educational talk. Because of the timing, they also took players through the new NIL process.
Athletes or a designated representative must submit their deal for review Once that happens, Jacobs has to answer questions about the payer or the deal As of June 18, LSU athletes had one deal cleared and several in review The one that was approved happened within minutes.
Though athletes can still find sponsorships on their own, LSU has shifted its focus toward finding third-party NIL for them. LSU believes its brand value will make a difference. Not only for football and basketball players but also for Olympic sports athletes who won’t make as much from revenue sharing. Outside NIL deals don’t count against the cap.
“When you look at the amount of resources that’ll go directly to our student-athletes starting in the upcoming year and thereafter, we expect that to be pretty well beyond $20.5 million,” Zinn said.
Earlier this year LSU launched a program through Playfly Sports, its longtime multimedia rights partner, designed to find endorsement deals for athletes. Two Playfly employees now work within NILSU Max. Along with Jacobs, they have spent the past few months lining up deals, which will be submitted to the clearinghouse July 1.
“There is an ever increasing need for third-party NIL,” said Mary Claire Logue, the executive director of NILSU Max. “That’s our main prerogative. We do already have several businesses that we’ve contracted with to work on their behalf to contract student-athletes to fulfill those obligations.”
LSU’s search for money
This fall, there will be advertisements on the 25-yard lines in Tiger Stadium.
Schools were allowed to sell space on playing surfaces for the first time last year and Cox had a logo on the floor at LSU basketball games. Now, sponsorships are coming to the football field.
LSU officials declined to identify the company that will appear in Tiger Stadium. Harris said the
flip the script for a team coming off a season when it had the secondworst record in franchise history “I know they struggled a little bit,” Fears said. “When I talked to the (front-office people), sounds like they had big plans on turning things around. They want to build a culture that’s remembered for winning. So they brought in us three guys to come help and shape the new culture.”
Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.
“Anytime you get a bunch of quarterbacks together you’re always going to compete,” Nussmeier said at the MPA media session earlier on Friday “But it’s really about just having fun and going out to have a great time.”
While LSU and Texas are not scheduled to play this season, it would shock no one if Manning and Nussmeier found themselves competing for much higher stakes later this season, perhaps in the SEC championship game or even a College Football Playoff game. Expectations are that high for both quarterbacks and their respective teams. Manning’s Longhorns are being projected as the No. 1 team in the nation in many preseason polls. LSU is a consensus top-10 team.
“I hope that that’s the case,” Nussmeier said. “If it’s not us (LSU), I want it to be them (Texas). And I’m always rooting for him, so I’m very excited for him and the season he’s about to have. I hope he does well.” Exactly what you’d expect one roommate to say about another Manning and Nussmeier might be rivals on the field, but off of it, they are clearly brothers in arms.
ads produce “multiple millions of dollars a year.” There will not be any advertisements at midfield or on the back line of the end zone, which are both permissible under NCAA rules. Harris added the design will incorporate LSU’s colors. At the same time, LSU hopes the NCAA will allow schools to sell patches on their jerseys, something Harris said also generates “multiple millions of dollars a year.” LSU has identified a partner, which officials declined to name, if the rule changes.
LSU has mapped out where the patches would go on every jersey, from cross country to football. Most of them would appear on the chest in purple and gold.
“We don’t want to have this as some crazy, NASCAR-like situation,” Harris said. The advertisements have come at a time when major schools like LSU are trying to come up with more money LSU cut $3 million in expenses, Zinn said, but officials emphasized the need to bring in additional revenue instead of slashing spending.
“We are very careful not to put ourselves in a competitive or recruiting disadvantage compared to our peer institutions and those that we compete against,” Zinn said. “And so you have to be really careful about trying to cut your way out of an issue because if you get behind in that, then you’ve got some real significant challenges that then ultimately do impact your revenue.”
Other than the sponsor logos, there are other ways to make up the deficit. A billion-dollar rights deal between ESPN and the College Football Playoff will generate more money, and LSU can renegotiate its Nike contract. Former head football coach Ed Orgeron’s buyout also comes off the books at the end of the year, and TAF can continue to assist. Zinn said LSU is not considering private equity Still, there will be some adjustments. Zinn said LSU is going to make more regional schedules to reduce the cost of travel, especially for Olympic sports It may not refill certain positions when people leave the department.
Entering this new era, LSU officials projected confidence about what the school can accomplish as it begins to pay players. The Tigers will meet the revenue-sharing cap, and they think they can arrange lucrative NIL deals that will pass through the clearinghouse, helping their athletes earn even more. “I don’t just like where we’re at,” Zinn said. “I love where we’re at.”
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
From left, Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears, guard Micah Peavy and forward/center Derik Queen pose with their jerseys during their introductory news conference on Saturday at the team’s training facility
STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier gives instructions to campers during the Manning Passing Academy on Friday.
ALL-METROTRACK AND FIELD
GIRLS MOST VALUABLE PERFORMERS
Destrehan’s MarleyRichard competes in the triple jump during aregional meet on April 30 at Hahnville High School in Boutte. Richard, an LSU signee, went on to win the long jump and triple jump at the state meet in addition to claiming the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
MARLEY RICHARD DESTREHAN, SENIOR JUMPS
MarleyRichard kept abusy schedule at the state track and field championships in May.
The Destrehan senior finished first in the 100-meterdash and then quickly hustled to thejumpsarea so she could completeher turninthe triple jump —another event thatshe won. Indeed,itwas alongday
“I just really want to getitoverwith,”Richard said midwaythrough the meet
Selected by The Times-Picayune as the AllMetro girls field athleteofthe year,Richard ended her high school careerasasix-time state winner in the jumping events —twiceindoors and twice outdoors in the triple jump,and twice outdoorsinthe long jump
All told,she had nine podium finishesoverthe past three outdoor state championships.
Emma Aldana learned somethingabout herselfaftershe wonthe 1,600 metersat the Class 4A stateoutdoortrackand field meet in May.
“I belong here,”she told herself.“I can race here. It was an especially strong statement foraseventh grader from TheWillowSchool who raced againstgirls five years her senior Selected by The TimesPicayune as the All-Metro girls track runner of the year,Aldana went on to become athreeevent champion when she wonthe 800- and 3,200-meter races on the waytohelping the Lions win ateam championship Willowand West Feliciana tied for the team title
Richard began running when her parents signed her up for track at age6,and she began to believe shecouldwin at ahigh levelwhen shewas around 12 or 13
“My time started dropping in the 100,”she said. Next, Richard will compete in collegefor LSU At first, shewas not sure shewanted to attend LSU because she had been to theschool so manytimes for the indoor and outdoor state track and field championships. Shethought she might want to go someplace different.
“But as soon as Itook the visit and sawthe actual atmosphere and the culture,”Richard said,“I was like,‘yeah, I’m definitelygoing to come here.’”
ChristopherDabe
with 51 pointsapiece, and Aldana had ahand in 34 of those points —10points for each of her individual event titles plus another four points on a4x800 relaythat finished fourth.
“Definitely alot of pressure,”Aldana said about howshe felt goinginto theday.“Allofthesegirls have beendoing this afew years.They’re all mostly older.I knowI fitinhere. Ijust knowthat these are my competitors, and Ican be running with themaswell.”
Aldana posted times that ranked in the top three among area runners at the state meet, puttingher on the All-Metro team in all three events. She finished thestate meet with a perspectiveofsomebodywho has potential to winmore titles.
“It’smy first year,” shesaidabout competing at the state meet.“I have five more years.
ChristopherDabe
GIRLS COACHOFTHE YEAR
LORENZAWINN WILLOW SCHOOL
Willowwon the Class 4A track and field girls team championship and could be on the brink of something special
“Weonlyhad one senior,” said Willowcoach Lorenza Winn, whotold her teambefore the meet that “if we can place really highthis year,it
400: 1. Madison Bailey, Hahnville 53.85. 2. Jahanna McGinnis, John Curtis 56.44. 3.Tatum Duncan, Ben Franklin 58.59
800: 1. Grace Keene, Northshore 2:12.13. 2. Emma Aldana,Willow2:18.27. 3.Anna Joubert, Mount Carmel2:21.88
1,600: 1. GraceKeene, Northshore 4:59.93. 2. Catalina Reichard, Mount Carmel 5:01.68. 3. Emma Aldona,Willow5:03.94.
3,200: 1. Catalina Reichard, Mount Carmel 10:59.8. 2. Emma Aldana,Willow11:12.42. 3. Stella Junius, Mount Carmel 11:20.89.
100 hurdles: 1. Joelle Adegboye,Mandeville 14.54. 2. Emma Prieto, St. Scholastica 14.89. 3. Keia’ly Thompson,AOL 14.96.
300 hurdles: 1. Shia Harlan, Patrick Taylor 43.91. 2. Brooklyn Baham, Covington 45.24. 3. Dihlynn Mitchell Hahnville 46.00.
4x100relay: 1. Ben Franklin 48.36. 2. Kennedy49.96. 3. McMain51.84. 4x200relay: 1. Ben Franklin 1:40.82. 2. Hahnville 1:44.41. 3. Kenndy1:44.94.
has achance to be the startofsomething big.”
Three-event winner Emma Aldana accounted for most of the Willowscoring,but sophomore Brooklyn Perkins also chipped in with apairof podium finishes in the 100and 200.
Gionni Wiltzcameout forthe track and field team after acoach saw him trying to dunk over his friends during aP.E. class.
Two-plus years later,WiltzbecameaClass 5A state champion.
Selected by TheTimes-Picayune as the All-Metro boys field athlete of the year,Wiltz wonthe high jump at 6feet,91⁄2 inches and placed second in the long and triple jumps. Hisheight anddistances in those three events were the best among NewOrleansarea field athletes.
He alsoran on the 4x200-meter relay that finished sixth at state Wiltz, also an indoor state champion in the high jump, competed at theoutdoor state meet in twoevents as ajunior when he placed second in the high jumpand
Josh Brown wantedtowin for his teammates.Already the100-meter dash champion at theClass 5A state meet in May, theHoly Cross senior beganthe anchor leg of the4x100-meter relayin thirdorfourth place.
“WhenI caught up, it was over,”Brown said.“I had it fromthere.”
Selected as the All-Metro boys track athlete of the year, Brown completed his high school career as an eighttime state winner He wonthe 100 and 200 at theoutdoor state meet the past twoseasons. He ran on the winning 4x100-meter relaysasa sophomore and as asenior.Hewon two indoor titles in the 60 as asenior and the
fourth in the triplejump.
jump at 6feet, 91⁄2 inches and placed second in the long and triplejumps
He decided late in hissenior season to try threejumping events at state
“I was feelingreally good doing all three events,”saidWiltz, whousedthe District 7-5A championshipstotesthis endurance
“My bodywasn’taching.AndthenIwas still abletodothe (4x200 relay)and (get a personal record).
“I think afterthat Iwas like,‘yeah, let’sdo it.’
Next,Wiltzwill compete in college at ULMonroe
“Absolutely not,”Wiltzsaid when asked if he wouldhavethought twoyears agothat he couldbecome acollege athlete.
“I didn’teventhink about it until sometime last year when Ihit 6-10 (inthe high jump).”
ChristopherDabe
4x200 as asophomore
His final relaybrought him themost joy. Brown wasa sophomore when he raninthe 4x100 relaythat setaschool record.The next year,injuriestoothersprinters kept Holy Cross from defending its relaytitle at state Then came this year.Brown came out of the curve and pulled even with LSUfootball signeePhillip Wright on thestraightaway and edged the Destrehan speedster by twohundredthsofa second “Being able to getour title backand seta record (40.87 seconds)was great,”Brown said of the relaythat included Jabaree Monday, Finn Martin and Ky’Rynn Smith. Catholic League football coaches selected Brown as an all-district defensivebacklast season, but he will be atrack-only sprinteratTexas Southern ChristopherDabe
BOYS COACHOFTHE YEAR
NICK ACCARDO
JESUIT
Jesuit earned what wasthought to be its highest placement at the state meet in roughly 60 years when the Blue Jays finished second to Catholic-Baton Rougebyone point.
Mullen continued hisdominance in the3,200 on theway to scoring60pointsatthe meet Accardo,a former LSU distance runner, completed his firstseason as head coach with thehigh teamplacement ChristopherDabe
Slidell’sGionni Wiltzclears the bar during the high jump at the LHSAA Class 5A outdoor track and field championships at LSU’s BernieMoore Stadium. Wiltz wonthe high
STAFFFILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Aldana
Brown
WHAT’S COOKING:
DannyHeitman AT RANDOM
Retiring a faded OldGlory showsloveof country, too
After Imounted an American flag on our frontporch severalyears ago to mark the Fourth of July,the Stars and Stripes looked so grand that my family andIdecided to keep them up for good. Seeing Old Glory as we come and go each day has been ablessing, though full-time service is hard on aflag.
Within ayear,the stripesand stars had faded, their colors dimmed by the bright sun and damp air of my Louisiana neighborhood. We’ve worn out two flags since our household tradition began, replacing them each time with bright new versions from the corner hardware store
Icarefullyfolded the old flags and tucked them intoa dining room drawer,not quite sure how I’d bid them goodbye We’re approaching another Fourth of July,aspecial occasion to celebrate the U.S flag and revisit the rituals for respecting the red, white and blue. There are some customary rules for honoring theflag, and one of them is thatold flags shouldn’tsimply be thrown away
One preferred method is burying worn flags, but at the rate our family wears them out, Icouldn’tsee turning our lawn into agraveyard. Another popular alternative is ceremonial burning, in which old flags are reverently retired in asmall gathering. Starting a fire seemed impractical in my yard, and Iwondered if folks nextdoormight get the wrong idea if they peekedover the fence and spotted asolitary man setting the star-spangled banner alight. Itabled the matter by stowing our old flags out of sight Some of my neighborsapparently faced the same quandary.OrsoIdiscovered whenJacob Smith, alocal Boy Scout, issued acallfor old American flags so that he and fellow members of Troop 136, chartered through St. George Catholic Church, couldinclude them in aflag retirement ceremony.Hecollected several bags of faded flags, including two of mine.
Iwas out of town duringthe ceremony that Smithhelped organize, but Ireachedhim later to ask him about his project “The reason Iheld this ceremony was because the flag is apowerful symbol of our country and the values it stands for,sowhen it’snolonger in good condition, it deserves to be retired with honor instead
ä See AT RANDOM, page 9D
May 3, 2024 TheRolling Stones performedat the2024 New OrleansJazz& HeritageFestival theprevious day
“Hetakesajob very seriously. His work ethic andattention to detail ... impeccable.”
Lafayette guitarist and record producer C.C Adcock, left,talks with Rolling Stones guitaristKeith Richards atthe Hit Factory recording studio in New york onDec 13, 2024 Adcock produced the Rolling Stones recording of the CliftonCheniersong ‘Zydeco Sont Pas
BY POET WOLFE Staff writer
With abreathy voice, platinum curls and sheath attire, she became aHollywood sex symbol. Butbehind the image was afar more complex life —one cut short by acar crash near Slidell. The documentary,“My
Howand whythe RollingStonesdid ‘Zydeco Sont Pas Salés’ on newClifton Cheniertribute
FOR THE KING
BY KEITH SPERA | Staff writer
The Rolling Stones don’tcontribute to tribute albums. They don’trelease recordings billed as “The RollingStones featuring …” someother artist. And Mick Jagger doesn’tsing in Creole French. But they did forClifton Chenier
TheRolling Stones recorded “Zydeco Sont PasSalés”for “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” which commemorates the 100th anniversary of Chenier’sbirth. On the newalbum, “Zydeco Sont PasSalés”iscredited to “The Rolling Stonesfeaturing Steve Riley,” an acknowledgement of the southwest Louisiana accordionist’sextensive contribution to the track. Jagger sings in “perfect midcentury Creole French, not Parisian French,” notes C.C. Adcock,the Lafayetteguitaristwho produced the Stones’ first zydeco recording. “He does his homework.”
The Stones’takeon“Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” opens“ATribute to the King of Zydeco,” which the Eunice-basedValcourRecords released Friday as both aCDand avinyl LP
Thesongisalsoavailable as astandalone 7-inchvinyl single issued jointly by Valcour, SmithsonianFolkways Recordings andArhoolie Records. The single’sflip side features Chenier’s1965 recording of “Zydeco et Pas Salés.”
That this unique Rolling Stones recording
ä See STONES, page 8D
theglobe andstaysinher 40-room palatial pink mansionin PalmSprings.Beyondher acting career,Mansfieldwas themother of five children from three marriages, mostnotably to bodybuilder-turned-actor MickeyHargitay “My lifeisjust one long
PROVIDED IMAGE
Lafayette guitaristand record producer C.C. Adcock, left, saxophonist and artist Dickie Landry and Rolling Stones singer Mick Jaggerpose during a lunch at Antoine sRestaurant in NewOrleans’ FrenchQuarter on
PROVIDED IMAGE
Salés.’
DINING SCENE
Texasbarbecuepitmaster behind Buc-ee’s brisket
Recipes, methods crucialtopit-stop’s success
BY POET WOLFE Staff writer
To HoustonianpitmasterRandy
Pauly,Texas barbecue is more than food —it’sasacred craft
His team of novice smokers proved it recently on theopening day of the convenience chain Bucee’sinPass Christian, Mississippi. Adozen employees in cowboy hats, trained by Pauly,moved in rhythm. They slid fresh breakfasttacos under aglowing lamp, chopped brisket intomessy cubes and occasionally belted,“Fresh brisket on the board!”
Wearing afeathered cowboy hat and abelt buckle featuring the Buc-ee’smascot outlined in sparkling rhinestones, Pauly often glanced at the employees withthe admiration of aproud parent.
“Likeany artist, youcreatea product and hope everyone likes it,” he said as customerscleared theshelves of brisket sandwiches and tacos.
The spread of Texas barbecue, particularly smoked brisket, reflects alarger shift in American culinary culture, where regional specialties are no longerbound by their origins.Using Pauly’s recipes and methods, the Buc-ee’s chain has played acrucial role in expanding Texas barbecue beyond the state, offering it in 52 stores acrossthe Gulf Coast.
“It’sablessing to be able to bring Texas barbecue acrossthe U.S.,” Pauly said.
Despite smokedbrisket reachinga corporatescaleatBuc-ee’s, where employees sell thousands of pounds per day,Pauly remains centered on quality and attention to detailwhileteachingmethods that took him decades to master Thepitmaster’s persistence
His methodscaught the eye of Don Wasek —the quiet business partner of Buc-ee’sfounder and CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin —in
RandyPauly,creator of the brisket
2018. At the time, Pauly was a Houston firefighter and leading his team, Holy Cow Cookers, in barbecuecook-offs. WhenPauly accepted Wasek’s offertobethe director of barbecue
operations for the chain, he had a résumé that began taking form in his teen years. At age 15, after his father died in acar accident, Pauly was introduced to barbecuebyhis neigh-
bor and cousin. What started as a distraction fromgriefwas transformed into apassion treated with persistence.
At cook-offs and countyfairs in Houston, ateenage Pauly would approach competitive teams and offer to be theirbottlewasher, aimingtobreak into the world of Texas barbecue. And by 1993, he was doing just that —scrubbing dirtybottles forateam named Regroup Cookers.
The next year,while the team was competing in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the chief cook overslept one night, prompting Pauly to take the initiative and makeribs forthe contest. Hisrecipe carriedthe team to the finals.
By 1995,Pauly —athen-college student with adry bank account founded HolyCow Cookers. Using discounted ribs from the grocery store, his team competed in the rodeoand won first place.
“Wewere living off adream,” he said. “Weweren’tliving off of money.”
Holy Cow Cookers spent years taking homeawards for their ribs and chicken, but when Wasek soundedhis offer,hewantedBucee’stosell its own brisket —acategory that Pauly hadyet to compete in.
After their meeting, Pauly spent hundredsofdollars on wagyu brisket, afar more arduous cutofmeat to cook due to its high fat content, and competed in the category for thefirst time. Thenext time he met with Wasek, Pauly rolled out a banner that showcased his brisket winning eighth place in the world.
Notayear has gone by in the last three decades without Pauly and his team competing in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Today, they are eight-time world barbecue champions.
‘It’sthe details’
After working opening day at Buc-ee’sinPass Christian,Pauly boarded aplane that night andflew to Georgia to teach another set of employees, who had 21 days of training ahead of them. Though he was running on less than five hours of sleep, it was hardly noticeable.
“Today is the day you get to rebrand yourselfasbeing the person you wanted to always be,” Pauly recalled saying to some of the employees at the store location in Georgia.
He spoke of Texas barbecue the same way apaintermight speak aboutputting brush to canvas, describing theideal ratiobetween bark, fatand meat on aslice of brisket.
“It’sthe details where Buc-ee’s wins ...” Pauly said. “It’s those details. Once you lock thosedetails in, you’re gonna have anything and everything you need in life.”
Email Poet Wolfe at poet.wolfe@ theadvocate.com.
Ian McNulty is on vacation. His column will returnnext week.
Dear Annie: Ihave been married to my husband, “Dave,” for 22 years. We met in college, and back then he was funny,attentive and full of life. We built alife together,raised two kids, managed careers, took family vacations, hosted holidays andalways tried to be aunited front, even during hard times. Ihave always thoughtof our marriage as steady and loyal, not overly romantic, but rooted in deep friendship.
Now the kids are grown and out of the house, and suddenly the si-
lence between us is deafening. We sit across from each other at dinnerand talk about errands, bills or the dog, but never anything deeper. Itry to startreal conversations, but Dave either brushes me offwith ajoke or getsdefensive andsaysIamalways making problems. Hespends more time on hisphone or watching TV than engaging with me. And when I suggested we trycouples therapy, he laughedand said, “Whatfor?
We’re not likethose people on talk shows.”
Ifind myselfcrying when Iam alone, even thoughnothing is wrongonthe surface. Ifeel more aloneinthis house with him than Ieverdid when he traveled for
work. Idon’tknow if we are just in arut or if the connection we once had is gone for good. Is this normal after so manyyears? Am Iexpecting too much, or is it time to face thepossibility that Dave and Ihave grown too far apart?
Feeling Invisible in My Own Marriage Dear Invisible: Youare not alone —many long marriages hit this silent wall once the kids are grown and the distractions fade. Butlove cannot survive on autopilot.You’ve reached out, and he’s brushing you off. That’s not partnership; that’savoidance.
Marriage is atwo-way street. If one person is doing all the reaching, all the caring and all the hurting, it’stime for awake-up call.
Tryone more honest conversation. If he still refuses to engage, considercounseling foryourself and try to askfor marriage counseling one moretime. Youdeserve connection, not just company Dear Annie: My adult son barely calls or visits anymore, and when he does, he seemsdistracted and impatient. Iraised him with love and always tried to be there for him.Now Ifeel forgotten. Should Isay something or just give him space? —Feeling LeftBehind Dear Left Behind: I’msosorry you’re feeling this way. When children grow up and build their own lives, it can sometimes feel like we’ve been leftinthe shadows. But try not to take his
distance personally; it may have moretodowith the pace and pressures of his own lifethan with how he feels about you. That said, your feelings matter Agentle, honest conversation might help. Let him know you miss him and would love to hear from him moreoften —not out of guilt, but because you care and enjoy his company Give him the giftofgrace, but also give yourself the comfort of connection. Sometimes asimple reminder is all it takes to bring someone back alittle closer
Send your questions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators. com.
PHOTOSByJUSTIN MITCHELL
recipe for Buc-ee’s, speaks with employees in Pass Christian, Miss.,atthe store’sgrandopening earlier this month.
The brisket recipeused for Buc-ee’ssliced brisket sandwichcamefrom Houston pitmaster RandyPauly
LAW, LADIES &LEGACy
Nell Nolan SOCIETY
Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com
n Fame’sthe Name
The Windsor Court hotel was thelocation for happy hobnobbing when theTulaneLaw School Hall of Fame held alateafternoon reception and awards ceremony. In consultation with the dean, an alumni committeeselected the Hall of Fame laureates based on “their distinguished professional achievements and enduring dedication to themission andstudents of Tulane Law School.”
Sally
The program opened with thepresence of formerTulane UniversityBoardof Trustees Chair DarrylD.Berger, L’72; past Tulane Alumni Association President Christopher K. Ralston,L’99, and Hall of Famecommitteechair; andDean and Mitchell Franklin Professor of Law Marcilynn A. Burke.
The figurative spotlightthen turnedtothe awardees,the new Hall of Famemembers,starting with Judge Nannette JolivetteBrown, L’88, L’98, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana;posthumous honoree Joseph A. Ettinger, L’56, attorney,co-founder,mentor andbenefactor of Tulane Law School’sIntersession Boot Camp; Mishthi “Grace” Hanson,NC’83, L’87, co-founder and CEO of Elysian; Rose “Rosie” McCabe LeBreton,NC’73, L‘76, former shareholder and former senior counsel at Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin &Hubbard; R. King Milling,L’65, retired partner and former President of Milling, Saal, Sanders, Benson&Woodward (now Milling Benson Woodward),former PresidentofWhitney National Bank and Whitney Holding Company,and leaderincoastal protectionand restoration; and Lisa Ryan, L’94, senior partner at Fragomen,and President on the Board of Directors for the Humane Society of Sonoma County.
Those tapped last year were David L. Campbell,L ’60; the recently deceased (May 16, 2025) Judge John Malcolm DuhéJr.,L’57; Louis Y. Fishman,B’63, L’65; Catherine P. Hancock; and Joseph K.West,L’86 After the tributes to the2025 notables,the hotel’sLaChinoiserie buzzed with felicitations and fraternizingasattendees savoredappetizers, libations and the links of the law
n Stepping Away from Spring
Shortly before the seasonal change to summer, the Louisiana Colonials convened in the NewOrleansCountry Club at midday for the2025 SpringLuncheon. Members and guests hailed the club’sfounding in 1917, sipped bloody marys during the social time,and relishedthe luncheon fare of turtle soup, CrescentCity seafood salador chicken Marsala, and peppermintice cream in an almond tuile. The hostess and event chairmanwas Gayle Ehrensing. This was also the occasion forachanging of theguard Installed as the new LouisianaColonials officerswere president LoraMcDaniel,who succeeded Cielle Clemenceau; vice president Lee Pitre Lynch with husband Pat,anew LC member; recording secretary Mary Engler;and chaplain Judy Ahrens, apast president, as were attendees Arthemise Gros (also an honorary life member) and Lynda Moreau. Breaking bread, as well, were Christine Zazulak, Nanette Davis, Ninette Edmiston, Marcia Baird,Lynn Kirby,Hattie McElroy, BarbaraRoth, Kathryn Labat, Brenda Ricks,and John McNamara.Remembering the April 3, 1917, foundingdate, it wasclear fromthe turnout that history loves company
n Chromatic Capers
The LeadingLadies Guild of the Jefferson Performing Arts cordially invited ahappy host to theParasol Promenade Luncheon. Titled “Colors around the World,” it was the cue for the crowd to ditch the darks and go forbright looks. Metairie Country Club was thelocation; the beneficiary was the Jefferson Performing Arts; and the top sponsors were Angel Wings Foundation, Gibbs Construction, NOEL (New Orleans Education League of the Construction Industry), and Travel Central
Included among thetop nameswere luncheonco-chairs JoleneRyan and Linda Watson (and their committee of 19); JeffersonPerforming Arts President David L. Haydel Jr ;LLG president
Amy Carbonette Cioll and fundraising vicepresident Melinda Bourgeois;mistress of ceremonies
PeggyScott Laborde;and also from JPA, founder and artistic director Dennis G.Assaf and executive director RobertDeViney with spouse Allison.In2009, adynamic group of six women formed the guild to support the cultural endeavors of Jefferson Performing Arts. They were GingerCrawford, Marian Gibbs,Valarie Hart, Jane Cagan Miller,Veronique Molaison and Sybil White. The doors to theluncheon opened at 11:15 a.m., on arecent Friday.Following were the reception withlive music, the welcome, lunch and moreentertainment, the Ladies Promenade (quite lively,and done second-line style), announcements, and closure. Chopped iceberg lettuce, pork or Gulffish, and acheesecake dessert were the palate pleasers. Aspectrum of colors was the theme of the day and “ladies and gentlemen arrived in gorgeous attire with decorated parasols.” The tablescapes furthered that idea with handpainted silk umbrellas. They were placed in iridescent vases atop mirrors that reflected theroom’sshimmering colors. Providing theentertainmentwere violinist Sam Craft of Frize; JPAYouth Performers Taylor Nguyen and Sammy Palumbo;and stars of “HONK! Jr.,” arecent production. Suzanne Scott was the top bidder for thethree-day stay at the Marriott in Salt Lake City,Utah, while the raffle winners were Bunnie Emery (on two items), Marian Gibbs, and Darlene Cavalier.Alice Reese, the winner of the 50/50 Raffle, donated her share back to the guild.
The Hat Contest is always alot of fancy fun. Triness Kuhn,Tricia Lincoln and Laurie Lee Blackburn huddled as judges, tapping as winner and honorable mention forBest Cultural Attire Darlene Rudiger (Japan) and Raven Palmer (Spain). The Most Elegant Hat winner wasSuzanne Scott, and honorable mentions, GerriValene and MaryAnderson;Best Decorated Parasol, Joy Eskew Kampen;and as BestGroup-Themed Parasol, and rendering “Countries from Around theWorld,” were winners Faye Thomas (leader), Patricia Delatte, Cindy Burkemper,KathyFolse, Carolyn Stolz, CathyKenny,Arlene Goldincastle,Connie Rodgers, Diana Lewis and Robin Lunsford. The honorable mention for theBest Group-Themed Parasol wentto“Raining Cats and Dogs” and participants Valarie Hart (leader), Faith Peperone, Nancy Davis, Jeanne Duhe, SherriGrace, Paulette Stewart, SandraHermn and Jolene Ryan.
They were applauded by dozens, including Cindy and RonPaulin with sister Joann, LarryGibbs with Marian, KathyWeidner,Suzanne Parker, and Carrel Epling with Carrel Montalbano,Connie Baer and PatWilliamson And, Myrle Wiggins, JanetSchwary,Tonia Aiken,Shirley Rappold, JanetDuhe,Sammy Steele, Connie CowartYoung,SaundraLane, Lisa Beyer, Laura Lee Blackburn and scores more. All joined in the colorful spirit of the day when parasols were hoisted and spirits lifted.
JanelleSharer,JudyBarrasso, Mishthi GraceHanson, JudgeNghana Lewis
Debbie Marx,Olivia Philipp, Dean Marcilynn Burke
KingMilling,Lisa Ryan
Richardson, SusanTalley
PHOTOSByJEFFSTROUT
Linda Watson, Jolene Ryan, Myrle Wiggins
Marian Gibbs, DennisAssaf,Melinda Bourgeois, CindyPaulin
PeggyScott Laborde, Valarie Hart
Rob DeViney,Amy Carbonette Cioll
Arthemise Gros, Gayle Ehrensing, Lynda Moreau
Christine Zazulak, Lynn Kirby, Mary Engler
BY LESLIECARDÉ
Contributing writer
If you’re looking for two funfilled, culturally rich destinations —one that’shad adirect flight from New Orleans for ayear,and the other with nonstop flightsbeginning in September —consider Charleston and MyrtleBeach, South Carolina
The nonstop flights, courtesy of low-cost carrierBreeze Airways, let you avoid delays or cancellations at any connecting airport. And, both direct flights are under two hours.
Our first stop is Charleston, a city reminiscent of New Orleans. Hollywood has long loved the city’sbeauty and style, anddozens of films have been set here, including the Nicholas Sparks tearjerker,“The Notebook,”utilizing its lush marshes andquaint cobblestone streets.
The city has its own French Quarter,with the largest concentration of art galleries. Charleston has something for everyone, whether it’shistorical, cultural, or artistic in nature, or defined by its ownunique Lowcountry cuisine.
If you really want to soak up Charleston’sunusual architecture, from towering churches to stately and well-preserved private homes, take one of the many walking tours offered.
For important history,visit the OldSlave Mart Museum, once the site of commercefor the slave trade. Charleston was the mainpoint of entry into America for enslaved people in the 18th and 19th centuries.The museum provides visitors with adetailed telling of the experiences of those who crossed its ominous threshold.
Brought here by those kid-
TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER
By ChristopherElliott
TRAVEL
napped from West Africa are sweet-smelling baskets, woven by hand from plants that line the Lowcountrymarshes and one of themost popular tourist purchases. Theintricate carryalls are sold bysidewalk vendors throughout the city.
Regional cuisine
Charleston’sfood is defined by theocean andcreeks which surround the city,soshrimp, oysters and fresh fish are always on the menu, alongwith thecity’sfa-
mousshe-crab soup, Charleston’s answer to New England’sclam chowder
Be adventurous and try some of theregional cuisine. We enjoyed Hoppin’ John, consisting of abowl of black-eyed peas, rice, pork and ahealthy helping of mouthwatering cornbread. This comfort food can be traced back to theGullah Geechee people of West African descent and comes with aside of superstition. Similar to theNew Orleanstradition,it’sbelieved that if you eat
this dish on New Year’sDay,you will have luck and prosperity for therest of the year
There is plenty of fine dining in thecity as well. Notable among thecity favorites, Fig, which has produced twoJames Beard Best Chef of the South winners, is known for its fresh-off-the-farm ingredients.
If you love Italian food that pushes the boundaries, Frannie and the Fox serves decadent pizzas, including one with taleggio and burned honey.Or, try their delicious blue crab fritters.
And, don’t leave Charleston without trying the much soughtafter coconut cake dessert. The Peninsula Grill is knownfor having the best in town.
Harbor views, sunset vistas
The city’slandmarks include thePineapple Fountain in Joe Riley Waterfront Park, where you can relax in the gardens overlooking Charleston Harbor.Or, foran even better view of the waterfront, hop on the Ravenel Bridge which connects Charleston to neighboring Mount Pleasant.
There you’ll find awaterfall fountain anda1,250-foot-long pier that stretches into the water Grab amilkshake at the River Watch Café and enjoy the best sunsetsfrom your high perch.
For shopping, King Street has everything from high-end Rodeo Drive-style shops to hip local boutiques intermingled with sidewalk cafes. Stroll along the mileslong street as horse-drawncarriages pass by
If you’re looking forawardwinning golf courses, Charleston is less than two hours away from either Hilton Head or Kiawah Island.
Breeze flies nonstop between New Orleans and Charleston on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Beachfrontsbeckon
Up the coastisMyrtle Beach,
notonly home to hundreds of golf courses, but amusement parks, an aquarium, awater park, andthe Grand Strand, a60mile stretchofpristine beaches. Myrtle Beach is atwo-hour drive fromCharleston, but Breezewill kickoff direct flights from New OrleansonThursdays andSundays beginning in September Along the Myrtle Beach boardwalk, if you’re notafraid of heights, enjoythe amazing views from the Sky Wheel, one of the largest Ferris wheels in the United States at 187 feet tall. Each spoke of the wheel is over six football fields long. We went on awindy day(probably notrecommended) which meant ourgondola wasdoing quite abit of rocking and rolling —a real thrill ride!
Myrtle Beach is also home to Brookgreen Gardens, where more than500 works from American artists areset among 250-year-old oaks, palms, and flowers in America’soldest sculpture garden. Beaches areeverywhere, but if you’re looking for something a bit less crowded, try the more remote fine-sand beaches of North Myrtle,like Windy Hill Beach. Flankedbyhigh-rises, beach cottagesand oodles of cute restaurants andboutiques just blocksaway,some are sitting right alongside the Intracoastal Waterway, where paddlewheelersare aconstant presence. Every Mondayinthe summer giant fireworks displays light up the night sky over the Atlantic Ocean Whetherit’sfamily-friendly Myrtle Beach,orhistoric Charleston, there’s something for everyone alongthe eastern shoresofSouth Carolina. And, it’snow easierthan ever to get there
Email Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@gmail.com
Cruise canceled reservation, then refusedtorefundmoney
Ibooked an 11-daycoastal cruise on the Majestic Princess from Seattle to San Diego.I made the reservation online and gave Princess my credit card information for the fare andtravel insurance.
Christopher Elliott
Princess confirmed my booking,charging my card for the fare but not the insurance.The next day, Ireceiveda “shortfall notice” that the travel insurancecharge must be paid by the end of the day. Since it was10p.m., Icalled the provided number,but only reachedvoicemail with no option to leave amessage. At 12:24 a.m. the next morning, Ireceived a“cancellation notification.”When IcalledPrincess, arepresentative said the
reservationwas canceled and couldn’tbe reinstated. Princess also charged me a $3,718 cancellation fee. Idisputed the fare chargewith my credit card company, butPrincess contested thechargeback. Can youhelpmeget this feeremoved? —DouglasBerry,Sumner Washington
Princess CruiseLinesshouldn’t have canceledyour reservation andcharged youacancellation fee.Ithink youdid everything right by providing your credit card information for both thefare and the insurance.Itseems their system failed to process theinsurance payment.That’snot your fault. Youfollowedthe instructions in
the shortfall noticebut were unable to reach anyone becausethe cruiseline’soffice was closed. It’s unacceptable for thecruise line to cancel your reservation just afew hours later,without giving you the chance to rectify the situation
When you disputed the charge withyour credit cardcompany, Princessunfairly contested thereversal, claiming you had canceled the reservation.How absurd. What went wrong? It looks like Princesswas trying to process your card but couldn’t.Credit cards usesophisticated but fallible fraud detection algorithms to pick up any problematic charges. It’s possible thatyour credit cardallowed the first Princess charge but
blocked the second one, believing it was fraudulent.
Youcan ensure that doesn’thappen by calling your bank to let themknow that you’re about to make abig purchase that could potentiallyget flagged. Youcould have appealed to a manager at Princess. Ihave alist of contacts forPrincess Cruise Lines executives on my website, Elliott.org. IcontactedPrincess Cruises on your behalf, and it agreed to waive thecancellation fees and refund your money. So what happened? Although the cruiseline wouldn’ttell me, you heard from arepresentative who offeredyou afew details.
“When they finally looked at what happened with our reservation, it was obvious the problem wastheir automated reservation system,” you told me It’sashame that it took my intervention to get Princess Cruises to do the right thing. If this ever happens to you, don’taccept acancellation fee. Escalate your case to asupervisor or executive and stay with it until they return your money
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.
PHOTOSByLESLIE CARDÉ
AT THE TABLE
5tipsfor asuccessfulbackyardJuly4barbecue
BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer
Hosting asummer barbecue?
Having family over for the Fourth of July? While hosting a large event may seem daunting, it is very accomplishable.
In Louisiana, the first thing to consider is always the weather Rain or shine, folks still know how to have agood time, but it’s important to keep the weather in mind.
This year,the National Weather Service is predicting record highs.
So, keep agathering wellstocked with cold drinks, ice, frozen treats, cold towels and open access indoors.
For the food, the meat is one of the most important things to get right when hosting abarbecue.
Dr.Daryl Marx, aBaton Rouge robotics surgeon, has recently become abarbecue enthusiast. He regularly cooks for friends, family and neighbors and caters to small events around town.
“My latest obsession is smoking meat,” Marx said. “Not just simple stuff but really complicated cooks and small catering events.”
His 250-gallon offset smoker sits in the back of his driveway and brings him back to his Boy Scout days —areal sort of Texas style.
“It’sfun to sit out by the pit and watch the fire,” Marx said. “It’savery nurturing experience with the fire, getting it to perform the way you want and control temperatures perfectly as you tenderize and flavor meat at agrand scale.”
Whether using abackyard grill, acharcoal grill, an open fire or an advanced smoker choosing the right meattocook and serve is paramount to barbecue success.
Here are some tips to get started:
n Choose the right meat: For rich flavors, go with rib-eye, porterhouse or T-bone steaks For leaner meats, put on aflank steak, top sirloin, chicken or turkey.For maximum tenderness, atenderloin or flat iron steakis the best bet.
n Understand the heatzones of the grill or smoker: Use direct heat for quick-cooking foods like burgers or vegetables andindirect heat (to the side of the heat source or flames) for slowercooking foods like roasts
n Preheat the grill: While often forgotten when aslew of party guests are arriving, preheating the grill is an essential step to get agood sear on the food (and it prevents sticking). Allow10to 15 minutes of preheating for gas grills and 20 to 30 minutes for charcoal grills.
PROVIDED PHOTOS
Whether using a backyard grill, acharcoal grill, an open fire or an advanced smoker, choosing the right meat to cook and serve is paramount to barbecue success.
Barbecued Prime Rib
Serves 10 to 20 depending on size of primerib
Recipe is from David G. Fourrier,ofBaton Rouge
7-to 15-pound beef prime rib
1(4.5-ounce)jar TexJoy steak seasoning
2Tommy Bryson (14-inch) hand-cut pecan logs
1. Sprinkle the rib roast with a healthy coating of TexJoy.Place in aself-sealing bag or otherwise wrap andput in the refrigeratorovernight forthe seasoning to disseminate. Early the next morning, take the meat out of the refrigeratorand allow it to come to room temperature while getting the fire ready.
2. Properfire is the secret.Soak the pecan logs in water overnight andplace themonone side of the grill’sfire tray. The charcoal is lit in achimney. Whenthe coalsare ready, theyare pouredoverthe wet logs leaving onehalfofthe trayfire free.
3. While the coalsare still flaming, the meat is slowly turned on the grill so thatall sides arebrowned. The roastisthen placed on ameat rack in alarge aluminum panonthe side away from the fire.Close the lid of the pit. The wetlogsgive the meat areal smoky flavor.Bythe time the coalsgoout, the pecan wood logs areburning. This allows the meat to cook at about 350 Fto 400 Ffor 31/2 to 4hours without having to open the lid or add more charcoal
Note: The prime rib usually comes outwelldoneonthe ends, medium next to the ends and rare in the center. There is usually apiece of meatfor every taste
ShallotSageButter
Makes ahalf cup Recipe is excerpted from “The Brisket Chronicles” by Steven Raichlen Shallot Sage Butter brings a Mediterranean note to asmoked meatwith deep American roots. Allium loverscan substitute garlic for the shallots.
8tablespoons(1stick) unsaltedbutter 2to3largeshallots, peeled and minced (1/2 cup)
2tablespoonschoppedfresh sageleaves (plus an optional handful of whole leaves) 1. Melt the butterinasauce panovermedium heat.Add the shallots andsageand cook until just beginning to brown, 3minutes.
n Rest the meat: Let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes (maybe evenmore, depending on how big the cut is) to allow juices to redistribute, resulting in amoretender and juicierfinal product.
n Monitor the temperature: Although it sounds like just another implement to buy for grilling, ameat thermometer can go along way to ensure food reaches the proper internal temperature —for both safety and deliciousness. Ground meats should be cooked to 160 degrees, while chicken and turkey need to reach 165 degrees.
“Cooking is alot like surgery
Whenyou prepare ameal for somebody,you’re showing apart of yourself,” Marx said. “Inthat respect, it’svery fulfilling, and it’schallenging.”
Safety is alwayssomething to consider when grilling. Be mindful of childrennear open flames. Another component to consider is when temperatures rise, beingnexttoasmoking hotgrill for up to four hours can make
someone overheat quick. Remember to keep hydrated, using cold towels and fans to keep the grillmaster cool.
“It’sgreat to eat!” Marx said.
“I may put four racks of ribs and abrisket on, so Ineed acrew to come have it.”
Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.
2. Remove from the heat and keep at room temperature until readytouse.Reheat the butter gently if it solidifies.
Note: Foranextra hit of flavorand an irresistible crackly crunch, adda handful of fried whole sage leaves to the steaks alongwith this butter. To make them, fry the fresh leaves in olive oilovermedium-high heat for afew seconds until crisp. Drain on papertowelsuntil ready to use
Dr.Daryl Marx uses his
SOAKING IN THE SUMMER PAGES
Top recs for the best books to beat the heat
BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer
Between beach reads and road trips, summer is prime reading time. See what these booksellers recommend for their favorite page-turners for the sunny season Cavalier House Books co-owner Michelle Cavalier
114 N. RANGE AVE., DENHAM SPRINGS
n ”When the Tides Held the Moon,” by Venessa Vida Kelley: This queer cozy fantasy is a perfect summer read. Two characters fall in love, but how long can they stay together when one is a merman in captivity and the other is trying to break him out? Read this for a dose of forbidden romance and self-love.
n ”The Knight and the Moth,” by Rachel Gillig: Cavailier says this novel is “Nothing short of enchanting.
Rachel Gillig’s writing has a way of transporting me alongside her characters and holding me in a trance in a world with a dreamlike, mythical atmosphere that promises something sinister just beneath its surface. This story is one that’s going to linger inside of me for a long while.”
n ”Sunburn,” by Chloe Michelle Howarth: Howarth’s book is a sun-drenched coming-of-age story that uses lush prose and vibes to explore the growing pains of discovering one’s sexuality.
n ”The Black Girl Survives in This One,” by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell: Cavalier says reading this book made her want to circle up around a campfire with her friends and share each story with them. “Prepare to be terrified and left breathless by the pieces in this anthology,” Cavalier said. “Desiree S. Evans has curated a truly spine-chilling collection full of great writing, spooky stories and the power for Black girls.”
The Conundrum owner Missy Couhig 11917 FERDINAND ST., ST. FRANCISVILLE
n ”The River Knows Your Name,” by Kelly Mustian: Set in two timelines, the 1930s and 1970s, this novel tells the story of two sisters, Nell and Evie, and the memories they hold of their mysterious childhood. When the two girls find a birth certificate belonging to their mother, they are very confused. It lists a stranger as Evie’s mother The girls decide to keep it a secret. Decades later, when clues start piling up and memories fall together, the whole story is revealed.
n ”Gus and Glory,” by Sarah Guillory: From the awardwinning Louisiana author that brought us “Nowhere Better than Here,” this new story tells the tale of a young girl who finds herself sent to small-town Louisiana to live with her grandparents. Feeling lonely and confused, she goes for a walk and meets a slobbery sweet bloodhound. She finds friends, purpose, happiness and more family It’s perfect for the 8- to 12-year-old set.
n ”The Knights of Wade,” by Michael Strecker: Couhig says the moment she saw the cover of this Louisiana book, it reminded her of “A Confederacy of Dunces.” In this debut novel by two-time Tennessee Williams Festival finalist and standup comedian Michael Strecker, an unforgettable cast of characters are at times funny, and at times ridiculous set in a story simultaneously outland-
ish, relatable and even poignant.
Red Stick Reads owner Tere Hyfield 3829 GOVERNMENT ST., BATON ROUGE
n ”The Wedding People,” by Alison Espach: Fans of Liane Moriarty or Emily Henry will enjoy Alison Espach. This book is ideal for readers who enjoy characters undergoing emotional introspection at a crossroads in their lives. Phoebe arrives at a luxury hotel with the intention of ending her life. However, her plans are disrupted when she is mistaken for a guest at a lavish wedding taking place at the hotel, and she becomes entangled with the wedding party, particularly the bride, Lila.
La. governor, song are eternally bound
Tale of ‘you Are My Sunshine’ intertwined in life of Jimmie Davis
BY DOUG GRAHAM Staff writer
“You Are My Sunshine: Jimmie Davis and the Biography of a Song,” by Robert Mann, Louisiana State University Press, 216 pages
“You Are My Sunshine” is one of the most popular songs in the world. It has been recorded by more than 300 artists, and it twice carried one man to two terms as Louisiana’s governor But much of the song’s lineage is not so sunny
n ”Atmosphere,” by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Taylor Jenkins Reid has written about a variety of very different worlds, and each time she manages to fully immerse her readers in the intricacies of these worlds. This time, the focus is on NASA’s space program set in 1980s culture. Two astronauts form an unlikely friendship and challenge each other’s notion of what they thought they knew about love and space exploration.
n ”We Were Liars,” by E Lockhart: The TV series for this book just premiered on Amazon Prime, so it’s a perfect time to read the book and then binge the series. The young adult novel “We Were Liars” tells the story of a beautiful and powerful family during a summer on a private island. A group of friends, the Liars, have an incredibly close friendship that turns destructive. There’s an accident, there are secrets, lies and more lies.
TBR Books & Tea owner Jamie Freeman
7276 HIGHLAND ROAD, BATON ROUGE
n ”Today Tonight and Tomorrow,” by Rachel Lynn Solomon: This young adult romance takes place at the brink of summer It’s the last day of senior year for Rowan and Neil, who have been rivals throughout their entire high school careers The two characters keep bumping into each other, and even sometimes teaming up, for their high school’s senior tradition: a scavenger-hunt type game called Howl that takes them on missions all around Seattle.
The tune’s chorus is often sung in a happy and hopeful tone, presenting a picture of bright days ahead. At its heart, though, the song carries a much deeper emotional weight as a tale of lost love and regret. In some ways, that contradiction fits the story of the man who claimed to have created “Sunshine.”
Mann
spoke only in short bursts during breaks between songs and rarely addressed the issues. The candidate also avoided mudslinging, despite the fact his opponents were trying to smear him over bawdy songs he had recorded in the early 1930s. In the end, Davis won in a runoff.
Serving as governor didn’t slow Davis’ entertainment career very much, Mann writes. The governor was out of the state for more than 200 days during his term. As Davis and his band performed, he recorded songs and found time to make a movie based on his life, titled “Louisiana.” The state managed to keep running in his absences, and his time in office did manage to quell the state’s political turmoil, if only for a while. Meanwhile, “Sunshine” continued to grow in popularity with the public, getting a boost when Nat King Cole became the first Black artist to record it. Mann notes how the arrangements of the song were evolving, with Lawrence Welk turning it into swing music and R&B artists giving it a more upbeat presentation. Ray Charles reinvented the song with his 1962 recording, Mann writes, which some saw as an attack against segregation but Charles said was just a new approach to an old song.
n ”My Friends,” by Fredrik Backman: Freeman says Fredrik Backman is “one of my all-time favorite authors. His latest novel, “My Friends,” is no exception to Backman’s greatness. He somehow knows how to write what’s at the core of all of our souls, using words that are stark and spare, yet beautifully prosaic.” This is a novel in translation, as Backman resides in Sweden. He draws upon the strong bonds of friendship among characters past and present. He explores found family and tragic loss.
n ”Battle of the Bookstores,” by Ali Brady: This recent release was just pure fun, especially for me as a new bookstore owner,” Freeman said. Josie is the manager at Tabula Inscripta, a bookstore filled with serious, literary tomes. Next door, Ryan manages a bookstore that sells romance only appropriately named Happy Endings.” Their clientele doesn’t mix until the landlord decides to combine their spaces into one. The two bookstore managers must compete for a single position, while also battling their feelings for each other
Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@theadvocate. com.
In “You Are My Sunshine: Jimmie Davis and the Biography of a Song,” Robert Mann examines the song’s history and how it shaped the life of Davis, who owned the rights to the song and used it as a focal point in his campaigns to win two terms as Louisiana governor Mann, author of 10 books and a longtime faculty member of LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication, opens the dual biography by following the origins of the song. Although Davis told several versions over the years about how he wrote the song, Mann shines a light on the tune’s roots among “hillbilly” artists. Mann explains how Davis and bandmate Charles Mitchell purchased the rights to the music in late 1939 for $35 from a musician who was growing through some hard times. That contract stated that Davis and Mitchell would be credited as writers of the song, and the pair copyrighted it the next month. It was not unusual for people to purchase the rights to songs written by other artists, and “Sunshine” was not the only time Davis bought a song and claimed to the original composer, Mann writes. But it certainly became the biggest song he owned the rights to and opened a spigot of royalties over the years.
Getting his start
Davis was born near Beech Springs and got his musical break on Shreveport radio station KWKH in the late 1920s. From that start, he rose to become one of the biggest stars in what would become known as country music.
Mann details how Davis built his career, recording dozens of songs and eventually appearing in movies, all the while serving in the Shreveport city government.
During that time, “Sunshine” was becoming a hit for other artists, too, ranging from Bing Crosby to Ernest Tubbs, and the song received a boost when Davis sang it in several movies. Having been elected to the state’s Public Service Commission, the singer began dreaming of bigger things for his political career, Mann writes.
Davis entered a crowded field for the Louisiana gubernatorial election of 1944 and put his music front and center at his campaign stops. Mann describes how Davis
Davis continued his singing career after leaving office, eventually turning to gospel music, but the lure of politics pulled him into the 1960 race for governor This time, Davis found it harder to distract voters with music at his rallies, so he had to address the issues. Once in the scrum, the former “Peace and Harmony” candidate embraced the fight against school segregation, saying he supported it “one thousand percent” and that there would be “no retreat and no comprise” in fighting it, Mann writes. He won the Democratic nomination and the general election, and then he presided over a term that not only saw the fight against segregation reach full boil but also saw its share of corruption.
Davis continued his singing career after his term ended and eventually was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame. After much debate, the Legislature named “Sunshine” one of two “state songs” in 1977, and later it was named the sole state song.
The singer/governor continued to assert over the years that he wrote “Sunshine,” and it remained his greatest claim to fame. But after reading Mann’s enjoyable review of the life and times of both the song and its greatest benefactor, you might ask which benefited the most from their connection: Jimmie Davis or “Sunshine”?
Email Doug Graham at doug. graham@theadvocate.com.
by
AppalachianTrail hikers take on oneadditionalchallenge
Afterhiking
BY MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
GARDNERS,Pa. Sam Cooper had just trekked 7miles through a rain-sodden stretch of the Appalachian Trail when he sat down outside alittle country store in Pennsylvania to take on its ice cream challenge.
Nearly 40 minutes and2,500 calories later,the dairy farmer from Chapel Hill, Tennessee, was polishingoff the final titanium sporkful of chocolate chip cookie dough and adding his name to the list of “thru-hikers” who have celebrated the trail’shalfway point by downing ahalf-gallon of ice cream.
By the end, Cooper,32, whose trail name is Pie Top, was calling the experience “pure misery.”
“I don’tthink anybodyshould be doing this,” Cooper said cheerfully.“This is not healthy at all.”
The ice cream challenge is thought to have begun more than four decades ago at the Pine Grove Furnace GeneralStore in Gardners,a few miles north of the current true halfway point on the 2,197-mile trail.
Thru-hikers, as they’re known, are the fraction of the trail’s3 million annual visitorswho attempt to walk its entirelengthin asingle, continuous trip.
As they slog theirway north through Virginia and Maryland, the ice cream challenge is aregular topic of conversation among thru-hikers at shelters and campfires, said StephanBerens, 49, a psychiatric nurse from Nuremberg, Germany Berens, whose trail name is Speedy,polished off his black cherry and vanilla in about 25 minutes after completing 17 miles on the trail that day —and with seven more to go that afternoon.
‘The most free I’ve ever felt’
Trail experts say hikers can need up to 6,000 calories aday, apractical challenge when food needs to be carried up and down rocky terrain.
The slender Berens figures he’s lost about 20 pounds since starting April 8.
“I thought it would be worse, but
it’sOK,” said Berens, smiling and pattinghis stomach after finishing the half-gallon. “Such acrazy idea.”
ing theirphotosposted on astore bulletin board.
beat was about9 minutes.
Thru-hikerswho want to attempt the record may only allow the $12 worth of ice cream to start to melt in the sun fora few minutes. Theymust be timedbya store employee.
“It’s calledthe half-gallon challenge,” Cooper said. “Veryappropriately named.”
Bragging rights andaspoon
Bruce Thomas, a41-year-old disability support worker from Medicine HatinAlberta, Canada, passedonthe icecream challenge,opting instead fora breakfast sandwich and another one for the road
“It’searly morning and I’m pretty sure Icannot do it,” said Thomas, trail name NotLazy.
Those who do finish in asingle sitting are awarded acommemorative wooden spoon —and bragging rights for the rest of their hike
Some people getsick. Others wash down theice cream with a hamburger
The ice cream challenge is one of several quirky traditions and places along the trail. There’sa shelter in Virginia where hikers confess their sins in alogbook,a two-hole outhouse in Maine with a cribbage boardbetween the seats anda free canoeferry across the Kennebec River that’sconsidered an officialpartofthe trail. And at Harriman State Park in Tuxedo, New York, hikers encounter the renowned “Lemon Squeezer,” a narrowrock formation.
About 1in3people who launch athru-hike take the roughly 5millionstepsrequiredtogothe distance.
They mostoften walk from south to north, starting in Springer Mountain, Georgia,and wrapping up 13 states later at Maine’s Mount Katahdin.
The trek typically takes six months but the current speed record is about 40 days, according to theAppalachianTrailConservancy.
Meddock said there’stalkthata man on the trail behind him may be on pace to break it.
So farthis year,about 50 thruhikers have finishedthe challenge, earning the honor of hav-
Zeke Meddock, trailname Petroglyph,didn’tbothertiming himself but finished his choice of aquart and ahalfcarton of chocolate chip cookie dough and apint of strawberry.The diesel mechanicfrom North Amarillo, Texas, beganhis hike on March 27,two monthsafterfinishing a stint in theU.S. Army
In anotebook to record their thoughts, Chicken Louise wrote on May 24: “Life choices?” The next day,Seagull weighedinwith, “I feel bad,” and Hyena issued a cry for help: “It wasvery fun for the first 15 minutes. Now,I(and my family) want to die.”
The ice cream challenge record, less than 4minutes,was settwo years ago by aman with the trail name Squirt. Twodecades ago, themarkto
There’salso been alot of discussion amonghikersabout theextensivedamagealong thetrail in southern states from September’s HurricaneHelene. But mostly they think andtalkabout walking. “It’salways hard,” Thomas said. “It’sgoing to be hard. Inever think aboutquitting. Ionlythink abouthow Ican do it.”
Hershey’sIce Creamdelivery driver SamSattazahn delivers icecream to the Pine Grove FurnaceGeneral Store, home of the half-gallon
exists is testament to Jagger and company’sdecades-long fascination with American roots music in general and Chenier in particular —and to Adcock’sproximity to British rock royalty Stones’zydecoconnection
Charles “C.C.”Adcock released his self-titled debut on Island Records in 1994. He’stoured and/or recorded with BuckwheatZydeco and other zydeco bands,withhis own Lafayette Marquis and with the southwest Louisiana all-star ensemble Lil’ Band O’ Gold
He’scomposed music for films andTVand producedalbums including 85-year-old swamp pop legend Tommy McLain’sacclaimed 2022 release “I Ran Down EveryDream.”
He’salso aconduit forBritish rockers looking to work and have fun in south Louisiana.
Lil’ Band O’ Gold backed Robert Plant on “It Keeps Rainin’,” from the 2007 album “Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino.”Years later,Lil’ Band O’ Gold toured with Plant’sSensational SpaceShifters. Adcock’sinfamous all-nighter with Florence Welch during the 2012 New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival inspired thesong “Morning Elvis” from Florence +the Machine’s2022 album “DanceFever
In the 1990s, he befriended severalRolling Stones progeny,then became acquainted with their famous dads.
When Valcour Records founder Joel Savoy askedAdcock who he could possibly recruit fora Clifton Chenier centennialtribute, Adcock didn’thesitate: Howabout the Rolling Stones?
The Stones have long admired Chenier,who died in 1987atage 62 Jagger has said he first picked up aChenier recording in New York in the late 1960s. That Chenier’s music drew heavily from the blues was likely part of the attraction
In 1978, south Louisiana saxophonist and visual artist Richard “Dickie” Landry —later amember of Lil’ Band O’ Gold —tookJagger to aChenier concert at aLos Angeles high school gymnasium. For years, Landry told the story of how Chenier thought Jagger wasfrom Rolling Stone magazine.
When the Stones headlined the Superdome in 1994,Jagger and drummer Charlie Watts spent an off night at Rock ‘n’ Bowl watchingBeau Jocque &the Zydeco Hi-Rollers.
During the Stones’ 2024 New Orleans Jazz Fest performance, zydeco accordionist Dwayne Dop-
sie sat in on “Let It Bleed.”
To Adcock’sears, Watts’ drumming on the 1966 Rolling Stones single “19th Nervous Breakdown” hasazydeco flavor
The zydeco connection even extendstoJagger’syounger brother Chris,who titled his 1995 album “Rock the Zydeco.”
Given all that, Adcock thought theStones “just might bite”onan invitation to contribute to aChenier tribute. He first broached the subjectwith Richards’ son Marlon.
“I’dnever askedhim to triangulate anything, not even (concert) tickets,” Adcock said. “I thought,
‘I can’tbelieveI’m going to use the Bat-phone.’
“Therein beginsthe very interestingtutorialonhow theStones work. That was almost as fascinating as getting in the studio and making music withmyheroes.”
Antoine’slunch with Jagger
On May 3, 2024, theday after theStones performed at JazzFest, Adcock hosteda lunchatAntoine’s Restaurant in the French Quarter Jagger attended, as did Dickie Landry Before Landryarrived, Adcock asked Jagger aboutgoing to see ChenierinL.A. in 1978. “Mick goes, ‘I remember Clifton thought Iwas from Rolling Stone magazine.’ He corroborated (Landry’s) punchline.”
After lunch, Adcockpopped the question:WouldJaggerwant to
sing on aChenier tribute album? He would.
Weekslater,Jaggerrequesteda list of songs chosen by the album’s other participants.Hewas surprisednoone hadclaimed “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés,” thesong that essentially gave thegenre its name.
Jagger asked Adcock to make a demorecording of “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” withsome “Lafayette boys.”Adcock assembled aband thatnight with Steve Riley and Lil’ BandO’Gold bassist Dave Ranson, rubboard player Curley Taylor, and longtime Chenier drummer Robert St. Julien.
By the next morning, Jaggerhad their “Zydeco Sont PasSalés” demo in his inbox. He liked it so much that it would be used on the final album Jaggerlaiddown his harmonica partsand vocals in Paris.Adcock checked in via Zoom —not that Jagger needed much coaching. “He takesajob very seriously,” Adcock said. “His work ethic and attention to detail impeccable.”
Richards’fullmoonfever
Having Jagger on “Zydeco Sont PasSalés” wasa coup in andofitself. Butitwouldn’tbethe Rolling Stones without Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood.
Adcock was told to meet Richards at The Hit Factoryrecording studio in New York on Friday,Dec. 13, afull moon. Adcock had gumbo andjambalayadelivered from a
Soho restaurant that was “legit,” even though thebread pudding was “a bit off.”
Traditionally,guitarisn’tprominently featured in azydeco band; Chenier usually performed “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” with only accordion, rubboard and drums. So Adcock wasn’tsure exactly what Richards would contribute.
At the HitFactory,the star pulled outhis iconic butterscotch Telecaster,the same guitar he deployed on “Brown Sugar” and “Start Me Up.
“The track starts and he does every damn thing you can do to get fired from azydeco band,” Adcock recalled. “Hestartedbefore the accordion, (played) louder than everybody else, just cutting it all up.
“The kid in me thathad always wanted to try that experiment and never had the guts was like, ‘Yes!’
It immediately sounded like rock ‘n’ roll, just killer.His instincts were, of course, dead-on.”
The endresult “still sounds like a great south Louisiana dance track, but it sounds like the Stones. Keith is the first thing you hear.”
A‘momand pop’ organization
Ronnie Wood would later record his guitar parts in London. With the deadline looming, Adcock added backing vocals from Zachary Richard, the “Mick Jagger of southwest Louisiana,” and Ivan Neville.
Jagger and company recorded a second Cheniersong, “One Step At
aTime,” thatisnot on “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco.” Adcock isn’t sure when it might be released. Meanwhile, he’sthrilled that “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” came out so well. Despite layers of managers, agents, attorneys and publicists,Rolling Stones Inc. is ultimately “a mom andpop organization,” Adcock said. “Keith and Mick are Mom and Pop.
“There’salot of handlers, but I’mhere to tell you that it wasmusic first and business later.They were just really into Cliftonand really intothe music andsogoodwilled and so graciousand no B.S.” Whencontractsweredrawn up “they expressed to their team that they didn’twant any special treatment. They just wanted the same deal as everybody else on the record. They were super cool and really respectful.”
With “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés,” Jagger,Richards and Wood showed how“the Stones can assimilate into any style, especially American styles. They put it through their own road-tested prism “It’snot pastiche. They’re not trying to makeanexact zydeco record. When those guys get together,they’re there to make aStones record.”
Sometimes even one by way of south Louisiana.
Email KeithSpera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILE PHOTOByCHRISGRANGER
RonWood, of the Rolling Stones,leans in as zydeco musicianDwayneDopsiejoinsthe
Dogbiteinterferesincousin’srelationship
Dear Harriette: OverMemorial Day weekend, Ihosted asmall get-together at my home with my extended family. My cousin brought her 1-yearold son, who’sjust starting to walk and explore the world around him. He’sa sweetlittle boy and was especiallyfascinated by my dog. The problem is that my dog has never been great around small children. He’sanxious by nature and tends to get overstimulated easily.I usually keep him awayfrom kidsfor that reason, but in the chaos of the day,Ilet my guard down
At one point, before anyone could intervene,the baby startled
CURIOUS
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honeymoon,” Mansfield
once told reportersinNew Orleans, where she frequently visited.
But the tumultuous chapters of Mansfield’slife —divorces, cheating scandals, custody battles —and her glamour were at the center of tabloids.
Becoming astar
The entertainment industry’sfixation on Mansfield’s curvaceous figure and platinum hair often overshadowed hertheatrical talents, typecasting her as a“dumb blonde.”
On the contrary,Mansfield studied at the University of Texas and Southern Methodist University while frequently appearing in plays at the Austin Civic Center.She eventually enrolled in the drama program at the University of California, Los Angeles.
After walking into apublicist’soffice and becoming his client the same day,multiple movie studios sought out Mansfield. Of the four that made offers, she decided on Warner Brothers.
“I want to be known as an actress —not as agirl with a big bust. How can Iget producers and columnists to realize this?” she said in a1955 interview with The TimesPicayune, after being cast in her first film as aseductive nightclub singer Needless to say,Mansfield —billed by news outlets as the most photographed woman since Marilyn Monroe —was well aware of the public’sperception of her. And eventually she played into that bombshellimage, posing in risqué photos for Playboy magazine and boasting about her male appeal to magazines.
“Oh, Idoabreathlesssort of thing, abit like Eartha Kitt,” Mansfield once said of her feathery voice. “I invested ayear on Broadway exploiting myself with Hollywood in mind.”
Thecostoffame
The public eye was as focused on Mansfield’spersonal struggles as it was on her allure.
In November 1966, ayear and ahalf after her divorce from Hargitay,Mansfield was posing for paparazzi at aCalifornia zoo when her son was mauled by alion
AT RANDOM
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of just thrown away,” Smith told me. “This ceremony shows respect for what the flag represents and for those who served under it.”
In pictures of the ceremony on social media, about half adozen Scouts are solemnly gathered around asmall fire in an iron pit, slowly commending each flag to the flames.
Seeing the pictures,Iwas moved to think that true patriotism, so often embraced as loud, bold and even boisterous, can sometimes be aquiet and tender thing, too. Those are the virtues that will endure, one hopes, long after any flag turns to ashes.
Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.
my dog, and my dogreacted by biting him. It wasn’t just anip, either.It was ahard bite, and it left amark.Thankfully, theinjury wasn’tsevere, but it was enough to cause alot of distress, especially for my cousin and her husband. My cousin was understandably upset, and while she tried to be civil aboutit, Icould tell she was angry and hurt. Ifeel so much guilt about thebite, but I’m alsoworried aboutwhat this meansfor our relationship moving forward andfor my dog.I don’tknow how to makethings right.Should I have done more toprevent the situation? How do Iapproach
and nearly died
In June1967, days before her death, Mansfield’s 16-year-old daughter,covered in bruises andwelts, reported to Los Angeles police that her mother’smale companion had beaten her Her final months revealed that thelifelong dream of becoming afamed actress came with onerous costs— sexualization, scrutiny and ahigh-profiledeath Mansfield’s‘date with God’
On June28, 1967, hours before the fatal car crash claimed her life, Mansfield performedtwo shows at Gus Steven’s Supper Club in Biloxi, Mississippi. Employeestold Times-Picayune reporters it was her best showyet After theconcert, Mansfield,three of her children, fourdogsand her attorney, Samuel Brody,got in a 1966 Buick Electra driven by RonnieHarrison. They were en route to New Orleans, where sheplanned to stay at The Roosevelt Hotel and beinterviewed bythe local news station WDSU TheBuickwas traveling on anarrow U.S.90, west of the Rigolets Bridge, when it rammed into and plunged underneathatractor-trailer
my cousin now and expresshow sorry Iamwithout making things worse? —Dog Bite
Dear Dog Bite: Follow up withyour cousin to make sure her sonis OK. Apologize again for what happened. Assure her that in the future, you will put your dog on aleash or otherwise ensure that your dog is nowhere near the child when they visit.
Chances are, they won’tbevisiting anytime soon. In time, they might if you can guarantee that their child will be out of harm’s way.Some people cage their dogs or shut them in another room when they have visitors.
Dear Harriette: Afriendkeepsselfsabotaging herfuture,but Ican’t quite figure outwhy or howtohelp.
At onepoint, she was doing really well in school. She wasa stellar student and hada sharp mind. We were bothsupposedtograduate two years ago, but halfway through oursenioryear,she decided to switch hermajor completely, which set herback aboutthree years. Sincethen, she changedher major once more andthendecided schooljust wasn’tfor her. Since leaving school, my friend has had long periods of unemployment or short periods working here, there and everywhere. This is someone whoused to have her whole lifeplanned out. Do you think it is pressure that caused her to change so drastically? Did Imiss something major that happened to her? —Complete 180
Dear Complete 180: Your friend might be suffering from depression or another mental illness that hasderailedher.Perhaps atraumatic experience occurred that she is notdealing withdirectly. If you think shewill talktoyou,ask her what’s going on.Gentlytry to get hertotalktoyou abouther choices andher desires forthe future. Do your best to be there forher without judgment as sheweathers this period of uncertainty, but don’t beat yourselfup. Your friend is living herlife.You mustlive yours.
Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o AndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
that had slowed down for a mosquito-spraying truck. Mansfield, Brody,Harrison and two of the dogs were instantly killed. The children, asleep in the backseat, survived withminor injuries.
Hargitay arrived at Ochsner Foundation Hospital, where his children were receiving treatment,onthe day of the crash. With his tie loosened, staring blank-
ly ahead, he addressed reporters in the hospital’s library
“Little Mickeyaskedme what happened to Mother,” said Hargitay,holding back tears. “I told him she hada date with God. That she will be with God from here on.”
Theaftermath
The fatal crash prompted authorities to recommend the installation of “underride
guards” on therear of tractor-trailers to prevent vehicles from slidingunderneath them in collisions.Years later,these guards, commonly known as “Mansfieldbars,” became mandatory Mansfield’sdeath also sparked rumors, with many speculating that she was decapitated after seeing aphoto of her blonde wig resting on the dashboard.
“She wasfully intact,”
said James Roberts, of Bultman Funeral Homein the Lower Garden District, where Mansfield’sbody was taken after her death. “I know.I embalmed her.”
Twodaysafter the crash Mansfield’s body was flown from New Orleanstothe smalltown of Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania,where she livedduring earlychildhood. Despite her family’sefforts to avoid apublicized funeral, nearly 1,000 people cluttered the cemetery,creating what The Times-Picayune described as a“circus atmosphere.” Somebroke through the police lines to snap photos of Mansfield’s bronze casket blanketed in pink roses.
“I wish the whole world would remember her as I do,” Hargitay told reporters. “She wasaremarkable womanand agreat mother Iamreally sorry nobody knowsthe real Jayne.”
Do you have aquestion about somethingin Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email yourquestionto curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include yourname, phone number and thecitywhere you live.
PHOTO By KATE GABRIELLE/CREATIVE COMMONS
Actress Jayne Mansfield died in acar accident on La. 90 near the Rigoletsin1967 on her wayfrom Mississippi to NewOrleans.
Today is Sunday,June 29, the180thday of 2025. There are 185 days left in the year
Today’shighlight in history:
On June 29, 2007, the first version of the iPhone went on sale to thepublic; over2.3 billion iPhones have been sold to date
Alsoonthisdate:
In 1520, Montezuma II, theninthand last emperorofthe Aztecs, died in Tenochtitlanunder unclear circumstances (some say he waskilled by hisown subjects; others, bythe Spanish) In 1613, London’soriginal Globe Theatre, where many of Shakespeare’splays were performed,was destroyed bya fire sparkedbya cannon shot during aperformance of “Henry VIII.”
In 1767, Britain approved the TownshendRevenue Act, which imposed import dutiesonglass, paint, oil, lead, paper and teashippedtothe American colonies. (Colonists bitterly protested,prompting Parliament to repeal the duties on each of the products —except fortea.)
In 1776, theVirginiastate constitution wasadopted, and Patrick Henrywas madethe state’s governor In 1967, Jerusalemwas reunified asIsrael removed barricades separatingthe Old City from theIsraeli sector
In 1970, the United States ended atwo-month military offensive into Cambodia.
In 1995, the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis docked with Russia’sMir space station as theyorbited Earth. In 2006, the Supreme Court ruled, 5-3,that President George W. Bush’splan totry Guantánamo Bay detaineesinmilitary tribunals violated U.S. and international law
In 2009, disgraced financier Bernard Madoff received a150-year sentence for his multibillion-dollar fraud. (Madoff died in prisoninApril 2021.)
In 2022, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 yearsin prison for using his R&B superstardomtosubject youngfans to sexual abuse. Thesingerand songwriter was convictedofracketeering and sextrafficking the previous year
Today’sbirthdays: Songwriter L. Russell Brown is 85. Singer-songwriter GarlandJeffreysis 82. Actor Gary Busey is 81. Former actor and politician Fred Grandy is 77. Rock musicianIan Paice(Deep Purple) is 77.Singer DonDokken is 72. Rock singer Colin Hay (Men At Work)is 72. ActorMaria Conchita Alonso is 70. Actor Sharon Lawrence (“NYPD Blue”) is64. Actor Amanda Donohoe is 63. Actor Judith Hoag is62. Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter is62. Producerwriter Matthew Weiner is 60. Actor Melora Hardinis58. ActorBrian D’Arcy James is 57. Rap DJ andrecordproducerDJShadow is 53. Actor ZuleikhaRobinsonis48. Rock musicianSam Farrar (Maroon 5) is 47. Actor LukeKirby is 47. Singer and TV personalityNicole Scherzingeris 47. Comedian-writer Colin Jost is 43. ActorLily Rabeis43. NBA forward KawhiLeonardis34. Actor Camila Mendes (TV: “Riverdale”)is31. Soccer player Jude Bellingham is22.
Let’slosethe cancer ‘battle’ lingo
Dear Miss Manners: Three years ago, Iwas diagnosed with cancer.Iwas extremely fortunate: My tumor was removed and Idid not require radiation or chemo. I havemyscreenings yearly and all has been well.
Am Ia“cancer survivor”? Inever want to take anything away from someone who had a much moredifficult battle than I did. Idon’twant to use theterm incorrectly
Gentle reader: First of all, Miss Manners would like to say how fortunate it is that you are now well. Even themildest forms of cancer are frightening. Now for theadmonishment: Are you (andthe rest of the world) under the impression that cancer is acompetition?Orworse, awar to be fought?
Judith Martin MISS MANNERS
Metaphors like “losing,”“fighting,” “succumbing” or even “surviving” the “battle” add astigma to asituation that was never afair contest.
Miss Manners would prefer that any such label be dispensed withaltogether If it comes up in conversation, you simplysay that you had cancer,and that
now,thankfully,you are doing well. That is as much of adescription as is necessary Dear Miss Manners: We have a1-year-old grandchild who lives 90 miles from us. Ourfrustration comes from their parents advising us to purchase gifts onlyfrom their curated wish list. They strongly defend the list as their “knowing what’sbest” for their child. Ihave twice been rebuked for varying from said items, once by brand and once by color.It’snearly impossible to get theexact item requested, given theendless choices of children’sproductsout there. When receiving athankyou, theitems that weren’tfrom the list are not mentioned.
LastChristmas,wewere forced to keep an item that cost $100 when we were toldthat they had bought their own version for their child, and it wastoo late for us to return ours. Youcan imagine our surprise when we visited them and saw our grandchild playing with someplastic toys, which we had been told wereunacceptable.
Safe airinthe house
We feel the joy of shopping forour young grandchild has been completely usurped, and we don’trelish having to do so formany years to come. Should we accept this disheartened feeling and follow the list to keep the peace?
Gentle reader: No, please resist. Miss Manners does not wish to live in aworld in which the registry bullies win. Youmight tell the parents, “Weenjoy getting things forGraham,and while you know what’sbest forhim,welike to have alittle funwith it, too. Perhaps while he is young, we will just stick to experiences —like taking him to the park when we are in town—instead of giving him presents.”
As he gets older,Graham will surely start to have his own opinions about what he likes to play with. And you can start to form your ideas moredirectly from the toddler’smouth.
Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite,www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@ gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106.
Spring cleaning
Dear Heloise: Iread your hint about how to unclog spray paint nozzles. Yearsago, I found an easy solutiontoprevent clogging. When you have finished using the spraypaint, turn the can upside down so thatthe nozzle is on the bottom and the can is above. Then press the spray nozzle until the paint in theinside tube and nozzle is expelled. Youwill know when to stopbecause the paint will stop coming out and just pressurizedair will come outofthe nozzle. Since the paint is now expelled, there is little, if any, paint to dry out in the nozzle. I hope this helps other readers. Ilove “HintsFromHeloise” andlook forwardtoreading it every day. —GlenC., in Cleveland
Dear Heloise: Air qualityin thehome is very important. Black mold growing anywhere in thehouse should be treated like ahazmat situation
Daily,you should place the plastic bathmat upside down on the side of the tub. Once aweek, take aminute to rub themat with apaper towel soaked in bleach. As themat ages, tiny cracks will appear in theplastic. When the bleach no longer works, it’s time to throw it out. Never put anything with mold in the washing machine. Appliance engineers admit that the best-case scenario is about 70% of dirt and debris gettingremoved during the average washing load. Furnace filters should never be used to transmit any kind of scent material, such as essential oils. The ductwork of
an HVAC system will soon becomecontaminated with whatever you add to the filter
It’sbetter to turn the kitchen vent fanonhigh while cooking and open one or two windows.
Remember to wash your kitchen metal vent filter whenever you see it is dirty
Thank you foryour informative and often new waysto solve aproblem —TonyElia, in Mission Viejo, California
Graphite forlocks
Dear Heloise: Youshould be aware that mostbig-box or hardware stores have little tubes of graphite lock lubricant forsale. This is perhaps slightly moreexpensive than grinding up apencil, but for many people with morethan oneold lock, the packaged product will be easier to use andstore. —David Jackson, via email
Dear Heloise: Regarding spring cleaning, Ilearned this hint from my motherin-law after Iasked how she kept her house so nice and tidy.She told me she cleaned one room at atimeand made it like new.She had asmall homeand avery limited budget, but her house wasimmaculate.
So, Imade alist and divided each room and chore
style Lasting
Edwin Neill II’sdecision in 1991 to launch Parker Paris salons, named for daughter Paris Parker Neill, has been among the keys to NeillCorp.’s growth. The 80-year-old distributor of high-end salon products has also built areputation for being abusiness coachand consultant, and it has more than 600 customers in sevenSouthernstates.
Generationshavegrown northshore-based NeillCorp. into asalon empire
BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer
When the pandemicshut down Vivian Yeh’sHouston hairsalonsinMarch 2020, she turned to the Neill Corp.for help. Within weeks, theHammond-based company had devised astep-by-step plan to help Yehweather theCOVID-19 crisis and keep her family-owned business, Josephine’sSalons and Spas, afloat
“They went through pandemic plans with us every week,” Yehsaid. “They recommended alternative revenue streams, like sellingtake-home hair colorkitsfor clients,
and helped us navigate paperwork.”
nualconference in New Orleans —tocreate networking and education opportunities. Neill Corp. also is asalon owner itself.Its eight Paris Parkerlocations area familiar site across Louisiana, andtheyserve as labs for finding out what works so that Neill’s distribution reps can make recommendations to its salon customers.
Louisiana’sforestry industryis in disarray afterthe sudden closure of one of the state’sremaining papermills.
Before shuttering in April, International Paper’sRed River mill in Natchitoches Parishpurchased 1.6 million tons of pulpwood per year, equivalent to about 250 truckloads aday Now,according to loggers, foresters and industry leaders, there’s nowherefor that type of
forestry product to go,and the result is an industry that’sscrambling to adjust.
“It’sput thewhole logging industry in chaos,” said Bradley McDowell, whose company,Pineland Contracting, based in Jena, sold pulpwood to the mill andisdown about$38,000 amonth in sales. To stayafloat,McDowell said he’ll likely havetocut hislogging crew in half.
“Wehave to do something,” he said. “Wecan’tjust keep doing business asusual.” International Paper’sannounce-
Yehwasn’tthe only salonownergetting advice from the south Louisiana company NeillCorp. —a nearly80-year-olddistributorofhigh-end salonproducts— has built adecades-old reputation for being a businesscoach and consultant, a“salon whisperer” of sorts, to its morethan 600 customers in seven Southernstates. It helps owners do everything from negotiate leases to design floor plans and train stylists.
To meet the ongoing demand for salon employees, thecompanyalsoownsanationwide networkofbeauty schools. And it hosts industry events —including an an-
This holistic business model hasenabledthe oncesmallbeauty storetogrow, topping $100 million in annual revenue last year,asit continues to carve aniche in the nation’s$60 billion beauty industry
“The way we make money is by selling products to salons,” Edwin Neill III,Neill Corp.’s CEOsince 2016, saidduring an interviewatthe company’s ä See NEILL, page 2E
among the largest producersof corrugated-cardboard packaging in the world, said the move was necessary to make its operations moreefficient.
“International Paper is undergoing atransformational journey to become astronger sustainable packaging solutions company,”the companysaidina news release. “A critical step in this journey is to streamline IP’sfootprint to focus investments on facilitiesthatwill best serve customers and accelerate strategic initiatives
NeillIII
STAFFPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
NewOrleans
Carol Markowitz was named CEO of SBP,the New Orleans-based national disaster recovery nonprofit
She previously worked for Loyola University New Orleans as chief operating officer andsenior vice presidentoffinance. She also served as the founding executive director of
the New OrleansCulinary and Hospitality Institute. Deidre Boulware was hired as chief human resources officer She was managing director and head of corporate functionstalent and inclusion for Citi. She also held senior HR roles at American Century Investments, Capital One, Ally Financial and Wachovia Securities.
McConell, left, amaster colorist, worksonthe hair of Allison Stouse at the Paris Parker Salon on Prytania Street in NewOrleans. Parent companyNeill Corp. uses the familiar salon with locations across Louisiana as labs for finding out what works so that Neill’sdistribution reps can makerecommendations to its salon customers.
NEILL
Continued from page1E
downtown Hammond headquarters. “But the way we grow our business is by growing the salons.” NorthLouisianaroots
Neill Corp. datesbackto1947, when Abner and HarriettNeill founded Magnolia BeautySupply in Shreveport to sell productsand equipment to local salons at atime when the industry was taking off in postwar America.
TheNeillsmoved their company’sheadquarters to Baton Rouge in the 1950s and opened storefronts statewide throughout the 1960s.
But the company began expanding dramatically in the 1970s, after the Neills’ son Edwin Neill II (father of the current CEO and named for his grandfather) took the reins. Under his leadership, it became aregionaldistributor of several high-end beauty brands: first Redken, then PaulMitchell and Aveda, the latter ofwhich was one of the first “all-natural” brands to hit the marketinthe late ’70s.
He moved the company’sheadquarters to Hammond in 1977 to benefit from proximity to New Orleansand easy access to interstates 55 and 12.
He also enhanced the services the company offered to its customers, providing training and support designed to make the salons, like Yeh’sinHouston, more successful, which, in turn, would boost their demand for shampoos, hair dyes and styling products.
“My dad pioneeredbusiness education for salon owners,” Neill III said. “Despite skepticism from old-school distributors, he believed salon owners were fantastic entrepreneurs, and you could bring value to them by helping them hone their skills.”
Neill II made other strategic moves, too. His family credits him with launching an ahead-ofits-time software division in the 1980s and licensing the Aveda name to open an Aveda Arts& Sciences Institutein1994.
Aveda used to have dozens of distributors globally,but now the Minnesota-basedbusiness which was purchased for$300 million in 1997 by the conglomerate Estée LauderCos. —handles more of that work internally, and NeillCorp. is the largest of its three remaining indie distributors in the U.S. Today,Neill Corp. owns and operates 18 Aveda co-branded schools nationwide, including a flagship location near Aveda’s headquarters.
Those facilities employ more than 500 of Neill Corp.’snearly 800 employees.
When Neill II died in 2004, his widow,Debra NeillBaker,began a12-year tenure as CEO and still serves as chair of the board of Neill Corp. Today,six of Neill II’s seven children are active in the thirdgeneration family business.
In anticipation of asteep loss in revenue after the closure of the International Paper Mill,the Natchitoches Parish School Board voted to close Goldonna Elementary/Junior High School in Goldonna.
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Continuedfrom page1E
at which point, it can be harvested for lumber or plywood. To make roomfor those trees to grow and to prevent forest fires and disease, smaller,crooked trees need to periodically be thinned. Those trimmings are sold to papermills as pulpwood.
The International Paper mill opened in 1974.Itwas thelargest taxpayer in Natchitoches Parish andemployedmore than 400 workers, many of whom hadspent their entire careers there. Itsabsence is alreadybeing felt.InMarch, the Natchitoches Parish School Board voted to close anearby elementary and junior high school in anticipation of asteep drop in tax revenue.
‘Whentheygrow, we grow’
Neill Corp. operatesa 40,000-square-foot distribution center in Hammondthat employs dozens of people and ships tensof millions of packaged and bottled shampoos, hair sprays,curl enhancers andother products annuallytocustomers in theU.S.and Canada.
The company has additional distribution repsinthe field, as well as the hundreds more employees at its beautyschools and salons.
It also has consultants on staff, including an in-house real estate adviser,who helps salon owners negotiate leases,and an interior designer to offer guidance on optimal salon layouts.
“A lot of people think that we’re afranchise model,but it’s not,”
Garrison Neill, thecompany’s vice president, said. “There are no purchaserequirements. We just know that if we can help salons have agood business model, then they will grow.”
In May alone, the companyproducedalmost 40 in-salon educational events, he said.
Revenuesare split amongthe schools, the distribution business andthe Paris Parker salons. Garrison Neill said his father’s decision in 1991 to launch those salons, named after Garrison Neill’ssister,Paris Parker Neill, hasbeen another key to the company’sgrowth.
“We’ve always seen ourselves as atesting ground and someone who can provide best business practices,” hesaid.
Despite the success, Neill Corp.’sindustryfaces aconstant challenge in finding enoughpeople to cut hair.That’swhere the schoolscome in.The faculty not only teaches studentsabout hair but aboutthe business of running asalon
“Hairdressers are like abusiness within abusiness,”Garrison Neill said. “We’re teaching them how to recruitclients and how to educate them aboutproductsversus selling them.”
Thecompany alsotrainssalon owners how to hire and keep stylists.
“Having agood recruiting strategy is really important for salons becausewhenyou lose someone, youlose $100,000 in annual revenue,” Garrison Neill said.
Jared Landry, center,a master stylist, works on the hair of Lauren Donofrio at the Paris Parker Salon on Prytania Street in New Orleans. ‘People don’t realize how great acareer in beauty can be, said Edwin Neill III, Neill Corp.’s CEO.
NewOrleans a‘huge draw’
Each January, Neill Corp.hosts an annual industry gathering called Serious Businessatthe Saenger Theatre and the RooseveltHotel.Roughly 2,000 salon ownersand managersgather for speakers and performances. Past presenters include authors Malcolm Gladwell, Deepak Chopra and Brené Brown. Theevent promotes the industry and generates revenue. Attendee tickets for the 2026 events are in the $600 range, and exhibitorspay to promote their wares.
“NewOrleansisahuge draw,”
Edwin Neill III said. “It’sreally a strategic advantage.”
AnotherNeill marketing initiative is Elevate Hair,acommunityled by Tatum Neill —brother of Edwin III and Garrisonand the company’ssocial media director Elevate Hair has 259,000 followers on Instagram and hosts live hair events nationwide. The project is designed to boost thefamily business by promoting the art of hair styling in general.
While it continues to createopportunities, Neill Corp. sees challengesahead,including further consolidation in the distribution business. Tariff uncertainty also hasmadeitharder forittoget supplies like themannequinheads used for training at the beauty schools.
But the industry’sbiggest challenge, by far,isfinding and retaining employees who can provide theincreasingly sophisticated salon services customers are seeking. Neill III said it’spartly because of aperception problem.
“People don’trealize howgreat acareer in beauty can be,”hesaid.
“Remember the song ‘Beauty School Dropout’ from the movie ‘Grease’? There’sstill that image, but the realityiswework with lots of hairdressers that make six figures.”
The Neill siblings say they plan to continue providing solutions while promoting avocation they believe in.
“Wemakepeople look good whichmakes them feel better,” NeillIII said.“What otherindustryhas that kind of impact?”
Economic development officials are optimistic that mostofthe laid off workers will eventually find new work. Less certain is how the forestry sector will adjust.
“As an industry,everybody’s scrambling trying to figure out what to do with theirloggers,” said David Cupp, aforester with Walsh Timber Co., which manages timberland in Texas and Louisiana.
“Wehaven’tseen the whole impact yet,” Cupp added. “We’re in themiddle of it.”
‘Noway to fill that void’
ForestryisLouisiana’slargest agricultural sector,contributing around $3.8billiona year to the state’s gross domesticproduct and directly supporting around25,500 jobs, according to a2023 study from theLSU AgCenter It’salsoanimportant economic driverfor large swaths of rural Louisiana.
“When you lose an employer like that,and aplace that took so many logs,ithas atrickle-down effect,” said Walter “Donny” Moon, an agent with the LSU AgCenter based in Winn Parish,where 90% of the land is forested.
“Timber is critical to my parish’s livelihood,” he said.
Pulpwood production peaked in the U.S. South in the late 1990s, according to Richard Vlosky,anLSU Agricultural Center professor.In 1998,there were 11 pulpmillsin Louisiana, accordingtothe U.S. Forest Service. But demand for pulpwood plungedthanks in part to the digital revolution, Vlosky said. Some papermills have also stoppedbuying pulpwood and instead areturning to recycled materials
Today,there are around ahalfdozenpapermillsinoperation in Louisianathat still purchase pulpwood from loggers.
The Red River mill in Campti purchased around $100 million worth of pulpwood per year,according to Buck Vandersteen, executive director of the Louisiana ForestryAssociation.
“Unfortunately,you have some loggers outthere saying, ‘I can’t make it in business anymore,’ ” Vandersteen said. “That’ssmall businesses going out of business.”
The ripple effects extend beyond centralLouisiana.Tosell their wood, loggers whoonce reliedonthe Red Rivermill are having to drive farther.Thatincrease in supply to other mills has pushed down the price suppliers can get fortheir wood
“There’snoway to fill thatvoid,” said state Rep.Jack McFarland, a Jonesboro Republican whoowns alogging company based in Winn Parish.“Theeffectsare farand wide.”
“I’mdown$20,000 amonth, and Ididn’tdeliver everything there. It’sthe pressure that’sbeing put on the othermills that’saffecting me,” he said.
McDowell used to be able to give his employees production bonuses,amountingtoabout $12,000per year.But withthe drop in revenue, thosebonuseshaveall butevaporated.
“Twelve thousand dollars in Jena, Louisiana,isquite abit of money,” McDowell said.
‘Timber’sready to sell’
The closure of the Red River mill is also creating challenges
Natchitoches
in
forthe nearly148,000 landowners in Louisiana withtimber investments. With theindustrychanging, finding loggers that will perform that workisbecoming more difficult
McDowell’scompany focuses on clear-cutting timberstands once they reach maturity. Around12% of the timber it harvests is pulpwood. But with the next closest papermill around 100 miles away, McDowell said it doesn’tmake financialsense forhim to transport it So,McDowellsaid, they’re leaving thepulpwood behind.
“That’smoney that’ssitting in thewoods,” he said.
Oneofthe more urgent questionsafter theRed Rivermill shut down waswhere to send thewood chips, sawdust and bark that it purchased from nearby sawmills
Those byproducts from turning logs intolumberaren’tallowedto accumulate at sawmills because of thefire hazard
In June, the state Legislature appropriated $1.5 million to the Natchitoches ParishPortCommission, which plans to use some of themoney to expand itsinfrastructure so it can export more of those chips Vandersteen saidhehopes that the Red River mill canberepurposed into asite for turning pulpwood intobiofuels
That’swhat’sinstore forthe long-dormant, 1,300-acreInternational Paper mill in Pineville. Houston-based SunGas Renewables in 2023 announced a$2billion plan to turn the site into a “green”methanol plant
The project reliesoncarboncapture and sequestration,a technology that has faced local opposition in parts of rural Louisiana andhas yet to be permitted for industrial use. As of last month, theSunGas project,known as Beaver Creek Renewable Energy,was still in the design phase At facilities located in LaSalle and Morehouse parishes, the UK-based Drax Groupisturning pulpwood into wood pellets that it ships to England and burns for electricity
As forthe Red River mill, a small contingent of workers are still on hand to help decommission the site. According to Amy Simpson, an International Paper spokesperson, “no decisions have been made” regarding itsfuture. Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said in astatement that the state remains in close coordination with International Paper “to locate a buyerthatwill bring thesiteback intoproduction.”
Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.
Boulware
G. Neill
T. Neill
STAFF PHOTOSByJILL PICKETT
STAFF PHOTOSByCHRIS GRANGER
Amanda
TALKING BUSINESS
ASK THE EXPERTS
HRI investment chief: ‘It’s really interesting times for hotels’
BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer
HRI Hospitality, the hotel acquisition and management wing of the sprawling New Orleans-based real estate empire founded by Pres Kabakoff and Edward Boettner in the early 1980s, has become a major hotel operator in its own right in recent years. With its latest deal — taking a 20% stake in the Hilton New Orleans on St. Charles Avenue, along with 80% owner Certares, a New York private equity investor — HRI Hospitality owns and or manages 32 hotels across 13 states. With a portfolio of nearly 6,000 rooms, it now ranks as one of the largest midbracket operators in the country
That gives Michael Coolidge, HRI Hospitality’s chief investment and development officer, a good perch from which to keep tabs on a hotel sector that has been rapidly evolving, especially since the coronavirus pandemic.
Coolidge, 52, has been in his HRI role for over a decade, a period that has seen significant expansion for HRI’s hotel interests. He’s been in hospitality investment since graduating from Cornell University in the late 1990s and now splits his time between Denver and the Crescent City Here he discusses plans for the Hilton and its historic, gothic-style building in the Central Business District, as well as the broader trends he sees in the hotel sector.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity Sunstone Hotel Investors,the former owner of your latest acquisition, the Hilton New Orleans on St. Charles Avenue, said they had decided to take a loss on the property rather than make the needed investment to upgrade the hotel.What made you want to buy into the 252-room property and take on management?
We’ve actually spent some time on that property Being local and being invested in the market, we’re staying attuned to the the opportunities when people maybe are motivated to get out. We had brief
Q&A WITH MICHAEL COOLIDGE
conversations with the seller postCOVID, but they decided to hold at that time. We took another look in the fall. I spent a bunch of time on what the capital needs of the property were. Then they decided to do a public process and market it fully with a broker. So, we went through that and we had done a lot of due diligence on the building.
What’s the plan for capital spending? What kind of “refresh,” as you say in the business, does it need and what new features, if any?
There’s always just the normal refresh of buildings, especially in hotels: carpet and furniture fix-
tures, etc. But then there’s also the kind of larger-scale mechanical requirements that need to be continuously updated and redone, including elevator systems and so forth. So, we will be doing updates to the elevators, some of the major mechanical systems in the building, and then a full refresh of the guest rooms and the public space. We’re planning also to add a lobby bar We are happily maintaining the great relationship with Luke (a well-established Creole brasserie operated by BRG Hospitality, formerly chef John Besh’s group, which occupies a ground-floor corner of the hotel)
But we’d like to add a little bit more activity level within the lobby
We’ve seen some significant hotel sales in New Orleans: the Ritz-Carlton on Canal connected to the Courtyard by Marriott,for maybe around $200 million; the New Orleans Marriott Courtyard & SpringHill Suites last year, for $73 million; before that,the Bourbon Orleans for $81 million.What’s going on?
It’s really interesting times for hotels and the whole commercial real estate market. It feels like everything had been very frozen for a long time. Now, you’ve got owners, similar to the seller of the Hilton on
St. Charles, that have been in assets for a long time, it’s in need of capital investment and they’re asking, “Do I want to double down or do I want to sell?” We’ve seen a wave of properties that all of a sudden have hit the market. An unusually high number in New Orleans, though I think not really tied together other than just a lot of it in the same category, just needing a refresh or capital investment. So, you’ve seen about a half dozen major assets on the market around the same time.
Talk a bit about how HRI — originally Historic Restoration Inc. has evolved?
It started in the early ’80s with Pres Kabakoff and Ed Boettner and conversion of warehouses into apartments and multi-family We did our first hotel deal in 1992, the Hyatt Centric in the French Quarter, a conversion of the old D.H Homes department store building. It grew from there throughout the Gulf, Southeast into the 2000s. Around 2014, we started really pushing more of a national footprint into top 40 metros. So, markets like Nashville, Tampa, Austin, Philly, Minneapolis, etc. The company now operates as indepen-
dent units? After COVID, we spun the company out into divisions. HRI Hospitality is primarily focused on hospitality but does also focus on larger-scale, mixed use of hotel and multi-family within buildings. HRI Communities is our sister company that focuses solely on (low income housing tax credit) and affordable housing. So, we operate separately but with some crossovers and some shared synergies. (HRI Communities projects include, for example, the Blue Plate Artists Lofts in New Orleans and The Industrialist Hotel, a conversion in Pittsburgh’s Central Business District).
What do you think are the main trends for hotel brands and independent operators in the post-COVID market?
There are a lot of moving pieces. It’s been an interesting time for the industry, coming out of COVID. Group travel as a whole — leisure and business — was slow to recover and is slowly coming back You’re starting to see in ’25 an uptick in larger convention and corporate travel. Markets such as Orlando, obviously New Orleans, Seattle, Nashville — those with larger convention centers are seeing recovery Also, seeing it in the transient leisure side. The industry is moving toward what is called “select service lifestyle” brands. The Marriott has the AC brand, Hilton has the Tempo brand, Hyatt has Select. Travelers are looking for aesthetically pleasing properties but ones which are really “full service light.” They are able to operate maybe at better margins because they’re not offering as much. We’re big on that segment. You’re also seeing more “soft brand” hotels, unaffiliated, independent properties such as Autograph (Marriott), Curio (Hilton), Tapestry (Hilton), Tribute Portfolio (Marriott), catering to travelers seeking unique, localized and upscale or boutique-style experiences. Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.
is brought to youbythe Louisiana CommercialFishing Coalition LLC
Premium pet food is abooming industry Whatmanydon’trealizeisthatone of its keyingredients—Gulf menhaden—starts its journeyinLouisiana,supporting jobs,local economies, and coastalcommunities The Local Catch Behind aGlobal Industry Menhaden oil and fishmeal arevital to premium pet food formulations,appearing in homes from BatonRougetoBeijing. But their economic story begins on Louisiana’s working coast.The menhaden fishery generatesover$419 millioninannual economic output and supportsmorethan 2,000jobsacross32parishes
This makes it one of the largest and most importantcommercial fisheries in the U.S., yetfew consumersunderstand therole it plays in products theyuse every day. Investing in Local Communities Companies likeWestbank Fishingand Daybrook Fisheries and their counterparts from western Louisiana,OmegaProtein and Ocean Harvesters, areanchorsofLouisiana’s fishing economy. Theydon’tjust catchfish theyinvest in the people and places that makethe fishery run. In 2023alone, these twocompanies contributed roughly $60 million in employeecompensation.
“This isn’tjust about fishing—it’s about building strong communities,”saidFrancois Kuttel, PresidentofWestbank Fishing. “Fromthe deckhands on our boatstothe
families relying on thesejobsinPlaquemines and beyond,the menhaden industry is a powerful forcefor economic stabilityand local opportunity. We’reproud thatwhatwe do hereinLouisiana helps feed the world’s petswhile supporting the peoplewho call this coast home.
Much of thatmoneygoestoworkers from multigenerational fishing families, especially in Plaquemines and Vermilion Parishes and other underserved areas.These jobs paywell, offer stability, and help sustain rural communities thatoften face limited economic opportunities Keeping the ValueLocal Unlikesomeindustries thatexport rawmaterialsand import finished goods, Louisiana’smenhaden fishery adds value at
home. Fish areprocessedlocally into refined oil and high-protein fishmeal forpet and animal nutritionmarkets
Thatmeans moreofthe economic benefit stays in Louisiana—from payrolland taxes to capital investmentand community development. This model supports both economic resilience and long-term industry health.
Global Demand, LocalRoots
As demand forfunctional pet food ingredients growsworldwide, the Gulf menhaden fishery is uniquelypositioned to meet it.The fishery is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council forsustainabilityand operatesunder tightregulations to ensureit remains viable forfuturegenerations
Thatgives international brands confidence in sourcing from Louisiana,and it gives localworkerspride in knowing their labor contributes to global markets
AStory ThatDeserves More Recognition Behind the bagsofkibble and cans of wetfoodisa powerful story of localgrit and global impact.Gulf menhaden might not be well-known outsidethe fishing industry,but its role in the economy is anything but small.
“Our crewsunderstand thatevery fish we harvest carries responsibility—with the environment, with the community, and with the global brands thatcountonus, said Ben Landry,a representativeofOcean Harvesters. “The Gulfmenhaden fishery is proofthataworking waterfrontcan alsobea model of sustainabilityand globalrelevance.
It’salocal story with international reach, and it deserves to be told.”
Petfoodbrands areproud to source from a clean, well-managedfishery.Consumersare increasingly curious aboutwheretheir pet food comes from. And Louisiana continues to lead the waywith amodel that’ssustainable, scalable, and rooted in community.
Warring Middle East’s effectson gaspriceswaning
BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer
In decades past, turmoil in the Middle East would send crude oil prices soaring, pushingupthe cost of gasoline for driversand incentivizing Louisiana producers to boost their output
Butwhile global oilpricesrose after Israel attacked Iran’snuclear facilities earlier this month and Iran retaliated, they didn’t stay high for long.
In fact, on Tuesday,the U.S. benchmark crude oil prices dipped to $64.37a barrel, lower than when the conflict began.
“What we’ve seen is that these geopolitical conflicts have actually had less and less of an impact on oil prices in recent decades,” said Greg Upton, executive director at LSU’sCenter for Energy Studies.
One reason for that, Upton said, is the United States is much less dependent on foreign oil than it used to be. Over the last two decades, the United States has seen an enormousincrease in production, thanks to fracking technology that unlocked previously untapped oil and gas reserves.
That propelled the United States into becoming theworld’s top producer of crude oil in 2018, aposition it’sheld ever since. In 2020, for the first time in 70 years, the U.S. also became anet exporter of petroleum.
“Twenty years ago, if we had the sort of things going on in the Middle East that are going on now,prices would be skyrocketing,” said Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute.
“But people forget, 20 years ago, we didn’thave shale oil,” he said. “Wewere an oil importer, and now we export significant amounts of oil.
Also helping to keepprices low are countries like Saudi Ara-
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Since2018, the United States is theworld’stop producer of crude oil. In 2020, for the first time in 70 years, the U.S. also became a net exporterofpetroleum.
bia and Russia, members of the OPEC Plus oilcartel, whichhave increased oil production in recent months, in part, analysts say,to appease President Donald Trump, who promised to lower energy costs,including gasprices, for consumers.
Still, the conflict is far from resolved, and prices could spike again.Iran has threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, akey shipping routefor oiland gas, though thatcould alienate trading partners like China,which purchases thebulk of Iranian oil exports.
Before Israel struck Iran, U.S. oilprices werehovering around $65 abarrel. They rose to around $76 abarrel after theU.S. targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend. But after aceasefire was announced on Tuesday,the priceofWest TexasIntermediate crude, theU.S. oilbenchmark, retreated.
“You’ve seen alot of volatility.That’snot surprising,”Upton said. “Uncertainty leads to volatility.”
Withoutasustainedincrease in prices, oil producers in Louisiana areunlikely to boost production, Upton said EmailBlake Patersonat bpaterson@theadvocate.com.
Is
Ifrequently talk about my grandmother,Big Mama. She was my go-tofor financial wisdom.
increase by 8%.
Michelle Singletary
THECOLOR OF MONEy
When I’m faced with amoney issue, Ithink about what she might say.Over theyears, I’ve tried to be like my grandmother andbecome theperson with the answers for alot of readers.
Each week, Ianswer readers’ personal finance questionsinthe Color of Money newsletter.Here’s afew Itackled recently,including questions about when to take Social Security, aspousewho hides money,and how to help an adult child build agood credit history
Whatisthe ideal agefor acouple to start Social Security?
My husband and Ihave been debating this issue for several years. He thought he would start collecting afew yearsago, when he turned 62. Isuggested that we bothwait until 70, when we’d get themaximum benefit.
He argued: “Why wait all those years when we could use the money to travel or do whatever we want during our healthier years?”
My husband created aspreadsheet showing that delaying until 70 would net us more money yearly.Our break-even point —where we would catch up to all thecash we missed by startingat62with lower monthly payments— was about 79.
“Tomorrow isn’tpromised,” he said. “There’snoway to tell about our vitality at that age.”
He retired and has changed his mind. He may now wait until his full retirementage of 67.
Why?
Turns out we don’tneed the money right now.I’m still working, and by paying off our mortgage early, we have eliminated our largest monthly expense. By improving our cash flow,wecould afford to delay claiming our Social Security benefits.
If you claim early,at62instead of waiting until your full retirementage (66 to 67 depending on your birthyear), your monthly benefit may be reduced by as much as 30%. Butfor every year you delay benefitsbeyond full retirement age, your monthly payment will
If you need the money now,claim it now.Ifnot, consider your health and other income sources before deciding whether to delay There is no one-size-fits-all answer.The right time to take Social Securitydepends on your personal financial situation.
Is it OK to hide money if my spouse is a spendthrift or doesn’tagree withmysavings plan?
For this question, it helps to have morebackground. Here’swhat the reader shared:
“I’m asaver,and Ilike to have designated accounts for designated purposes,” he wrote. “One for if Ilose my job. One for costs that exceed cash flow,such as new tires, burst pipes, or other house/ car repairs. And anew car fund. My spouse thinks having money specifically in case we lose our jobs is dumb; she says it is unlikely and rolls her eyeswhen she talks about it.I’m not atotal miser. We eat out afew times amonth. We have nice things,and go on nice vacations (I even have an account just so we can spend freely on vacations!). When Ihave extra, Iput it in an individual account and keep my mouth shut.”
When Iread this, Iflinched.
In amarriage, even if you are going to keep separate bank accounts, Ithink it’simportant to have complete transparency.You have to be honest.
If you find yourself in asimilar situation, counseling can help you come up with strategiestodeal with your different spending and saving styles. But hiding money doesn’tsolve your problem and could create new issues if your spousediscovers you’ve secretly been squirreling away money
At itscore, hiding money is lying.
To get on the same page, it’s importanttoopen the lines of communication. Have the difficult conversation, figure out whether there is room for acompromise. Instead of several savings pots, maybe just one or two?
I’m amultiple pot person, too, and believe that having an emergency fundwith several months of living expenses is prudent. But maintaininghidden reserves won’t address the fundamental issue that you don’tagree about having money set aside in the case of ajob loss or alarge unexpected expense
Most importantly,building wealth and security as acouple is not just about the numbers; it’s about trust, transparency and a shared vision for your financial future together
How do Ihelp my daughter buildcredit? She’sgoing through adivorce and has no credit history.
Here’sthe frustrating thing about building acredit history.You have to have credit to get agood credit score. But don’tget discouragedon behalf of your daughter.Building good credit doesn’trequire as muchtime as you maythink. Here are some strategies:
n Have her apply for asecured credit card backed by funds deposited in asavings account. The money in the account then becomes her credit limit. Shop around to avoid cards with high fees, and make sure the issuer is reporting to all three credit bureaus —Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Bankrate.com regularly profiles the best secured card offers. If your adult child has abank or credit union account, check out their offerings.
n Once she has asecured card, she should just make small-dollar purchases and pay off the monthly balance before the due date. After about ayear,she can apply for a general-purpose credit card. This will test whether her credit history has improved enough to qualify for anon-securedcard.
n Youcould make her an authorized user on your credit card. This allowsthe authorized user to benefit from the primary cardholder’s positive credit history.However, it’simportant to note that such access does not make her responsible for paying any charges she incurs on the card. Therefore, exercise caution when utilizing this approach. In fact, you can add your adult child and not even give her acard.
My husband andI followedall these stepstohelpbuild oureldest daughter’scredit.After using the secured card forthree months hercredit score increased to the mid-700s.She eventually wasable to getageneral credit card andhas maintainedascore in thehigh 700s. Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost com.
BeyondtheHeadlines
As oneofthe largest lawfirmsinLouisiana,Jones Walker LLPishonored to partnerwith TheTimes-Picayune |New Orleanstosupport theexpandedbusinesssection.
This in-depth reportingwillexplore what businesses aredoing to achievetheir goals, avertthreats, addressopportunities,and advancetheir business objectives.Welook forwardtothe thought leadership andconversationthissection will inspire.
Since1937, ourfirm hasbeencommitted to workingwithcommunity leaders to developbusiness opportunitiesacrossthe state. We aresteadfast in continuing our dedicationtogobeyondinadvising clientsand supportinginitiatives andorganizations that make Louisiana abetterplace to live andwork
William H. Hines,ManagingPartner bhines@joneswalker.com 504.582.8000 201St. CharlesAvenue NewOrleans,LA70170-5100
Thomas E. Jorden and Erica Washington have been appointed to the Board of Tulane.
Jorden is chair, presidentand CEO of Houston-based Coterra Energy.Before that, he served as CEO and president, as well as chair of the board for Cimarex Energy,which merged with Cabot Oil &Gas to form Coterra in 2021. Jorden is also the former chair of the boardoftrustees forthe Colorado School of Mines, where he earned abachelor’sand master’singeophysics.
sociated infections program. Washington is an emeritus member of the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine’sAlumni Association Board of Directors and apast presidentofthe TulaneAlumniAssociation Board of Directors. She earned abachelor’sinbiological sciencesfrom LSU and amaster’s in public health from Tulane University
Jorden Washington
Washington is the regional and clinical operations director for the Louisiana Department of Health. She joined the health department in 2009 as aregional epidemiologist and the coordinator of the health care-as-
Fool’sTake:
Just do it?
Paul Arrigo,former CEOand president ofVisit Baton Rouge,has been honored with the2025Hallof Fame designation by Destinations International, the world’slargest membership association for destinationorganizations.
Arrigo
The hall of fame is Destination International’shighest honor and goes to people who demonstrate outstandingleadership, vision and contributionsto the travel and tourism industry
the company is forced todiscount merchandisetosellit.
Arrigo worked in the hospitalityindustry for nearly 50 years, before he retired from Visit Baton Rouge in 2022. Duringhis 20-year tenure with theorganization, he has made anumber of transformational moves, such as purchasing Visit Baton Rouge’s current office, overseeing the name change of the organization and hosting events like theMissUSA pageant, Miss Teen USA, the United States Bowling Congressand Bayou Country Superfest.
Dr.Janifer Tropez hasbeennamed to theboard of directors of Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana.
Tropez, anative of New Orleans, is the assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Tulane University’sSchool of Medicine.This is hersecondstint at theTulanemedical school,she was an assistant clinical professor
from 2008 to 2016 and clerkships director for thedepartment of obstetrics and gynecology
Sheearnedher undergraduate degreefrom XavierUniversity and medical degree from LSU School of Medicine.Tropez completed her residency at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.
Encore CO2 and FarmSmarter.AI were thetwo big winners at the 2025 Nexus Technology Cup in Baton Rouge, heldearlier this month.
Baton Rouge-based Encore CO2, foundedbyJordan Losavio and William McGehee, earned first place in the Open Track and was honored with theMostInnovative Award, garnering $45,000 in prizes.
The company is leading efforts to build acircular carbon economybytransformingcaptured carbon dioxide into high-value consumer products— including pharmaceuticals, vitamins, clothing, shoes and eyewear—while supportingzero-emission polymermanufacturing throughthe
use of clean energy FarmSmarter.AI,astudent team from LSU, wasawarded first place and a$15,000 prize in the college competition for developing an artificialintelligence-poweredassistant that helps farmers identify plants, diagnose issues and make data-driven decisions. The team Grant Muslow,Colin Raby,Julius Pallotta and Cole Lacombe —was mentored by FahimehAbbasi,of the Stephenson Department of Entrepreneurship and Information SystemsatLSU Twohigh school teamswere also recognized with $2,500 in prizes. Hexlio,developed by Benjamin Namikas, of Baton Rouge Magnet High School,isa productivityapp that helps users focus by merging task management and distractionelimination tools.
POSEIDON is afully custom-built robotdesignedand engineered by Ren Hopkins,Aiden Bass and Brady Afeman, of West Monroe High School. The robot demonstrated advanced automation and robotics skills.
Motley Fool
Nike (NYSE: NKE) is the leading brand of athletic apparel in the world, but the companyisgoing through arough time, with slumping sales sending the stock down to multiyear lows. The recent dip in sales is uncharacteristic —the athletic apparel industryhas been growingfor years, and Nike has beenaresilient brand. Nike can return to growth, butitwill take time to turn acompanyofthis size around. Revenue fell again in the fiscal third quarter (reported in March), down 9% year over year; revenue is likely to be down in the fourth quarter,too, in part due to tariff-related factors and other economic challenges.
Problem areas have included classic footwear franchises like Air Force 1and the Jordanbrand of sportswear.Demandhas fallen off for these lifestyle products, leaving Nike with too muchinventory. This can hurt earnings, as
Meanwhile,Nike is seeing growing demand for performance products.Management is aiming to bring downsales of classic franchisestoalower percentage of its footwearbusinessinfiscal 2026. This should laythe foundation for areturn togrowth, though it could take afew years In themeantime, patient believers can collectits dividend, recently yielding 2.6%, while they wait. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Nike.)
Fool’sSchool: Get your children investing
One of the best things you can do for your childrenisraisethem to be financially savvy.You want them to grow up to be smartshoppers, touse ahousehold budget andtolive belowtheir means Turn them into long-term investors, too.
Youcan pique their interest about investing when they’re quite young, talking about companies they knowand like —such as The Walt Disney Co., Starbucks, Hasbro orSpotify Technology —and
letting themsee how you investin stocks yourself. They can startinvesting themselvesrather early on, via special accountsfor children. Here’sa quick introduction to some types
Custodial brokerageaccounts: With a custodial account, the money in it belongs to theminor (with some taxbenefits), but theadult serves as the custodian until the child is old enough to fully own the account.(That happens between the ages of 18 and 25, depending on whereyou live and whether you extend the transfer.)These are often labeled as UGMA (Uniform GiftstoMinors Act) or UTMA (Uniform TransferstoMinors Act) accounts.
Youth brokerageaccounts: Some brokerages offer special investing accountsfor teens.The young personowns the account, but aparent or guardian is able to monitor activityinit.
RothIRAs: Anyone with earned income (suchasfrombabysitting or mowing lawns,but not from an allowance or holiday gift) can invest it in aRoth IRA; withdrawals in retirement can be tax-free.
CoverdellEducation Savings Accounts: These accounts let families save
and invest for future educational expenses
”Paper” accounts: Several brokerages,such as Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers, offer platforms where you can use pretend money to practice investing. These accounts are often free, and theycan help young people get used to placing orders and dealing withmarketvolatility
Read up on any or all of these accountstosee whichisbest for you and your young person.
Ask theFool:
How riskyare bonds?
Howrisky are bonds? —C.L.,Warren, Rhode Island Bonds are typically regarded as safer investments than stocks and areoften recommended to diversify aportfolio. Still, muchdepends on the particular bonds and stocks in question. Like stocks, bonds carry some risks.
For example,there’sthe risk of default. Bonds backed by the United States government are generally seen as least risky,while bonds with poor credit ratings areconsidered “junk bonds,” with much higher risk. (You can look up
credit ratings from agencies such as S&P Global, Moody’sand Fitch.)
There’salso interest rate risk: If rates rise, bond prices usually fall. And inflation risk: If you’re promised, say,a3%interest rate on abond but inflation is 5%, your purchasing power shrinks. Moreover,ifyou want to sell abond and there’slittle interest from buyers, you have “liquidity risk” and may have to sell at adiscount. There are some other risks to consider as well.
What’s Keynesian economics? —L.N Erie, Colorado
It’saneconomic theory named for John Maynard Keynes, who suggested that government intervention is needed, especially during recessions, to stimulate demand and try to stabilize the economy. Measures to spur the economyinclude tax cuts and government spending, which can boost consumer spending and reduce unemployment.
Noteveryone is on board with Keynesian economics, though. Some, for example, favor keeping the government out of the economy, letting businesses thrive or falter in accordance with the laws of supply and demand.
Tropez
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Immaculate 4Bd, 4Ba, 5,000sf Ranch-StyleRetreat on Golf Course! Welcometoyourdream home,ona wide,beautifully manicuredlot Meticulously maintained,move-in readylivingspace thoughtfully updated& upgraded over theyears.Quality finishes thru out. From agourmet kitchen, luxuriousprimary suitetoa wholehouse generator!Don’tmissyourchancetoownaone-of-a-kindsanctuary!
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METAIRIE
WE’REMORETHANA TOPPLACE TO WORK —
we’reyourneighbor, your network, andyourpartner in progress.
Fordecades,you’vetrusted us to innovate andadapt right hereinthe heartofNew Orleans. Today, that meanshelping businessesprotect andsecuretheirdataand theirfuture. Thanks to sweepinginvestmentsinour network,we’re deliveringnew technologies andexpanding ourportfolio to meet your changing needs. With AI andmachine learning, we’regivingGreater NewOrleans businessestools andinsights to make smarter, faster decisionswhile stayingprotected from cyberthreats.Because this isn’tjustabout tech—it’s aboutpeople. Ourfocus is simple:secureyourdata, power your growth andpavethe wayfor asmarter,safer city.We deeply valueevery business partnership andtakerealpride in supportingyourorganization’sgrowthand stability. No matter your team’s size,we’re here to keep youconnected, supported, andready forwhat’snext.
Here’show acompanyearns TopWorkplaces honors
BobHelbig• Energage
Ifyou want to really knowwhat’s happening at work, ask the people on the frontlines.
That’sthe foundation of the TopWorkplaces award. Forthe 11th year,employeesurvey companyEnergagehas partneredwithThe Times-Picayune to honorthe best placesto work in GreaterNew Orleans.
This awardcan’t be bought;ithas to be earned, basedonemployeefeedback. Winners arechosenthrough ascientific survey process. Positiveemployeefeedback equals recognition. Workplaces thatdon’t have strong feedback areexcluded from the winners list.
Energage crunchesthe data basedon a25-questionsurveythattakes just a fewminutes to complete.The survey asksemployees fortheir feedback on such factorsaspay and benefits, direction, leadership,meaningfulness, and appreciation. Energagescorescompanies basedonthe responses
Organizations do notpay anyfees to survey employees or to earn aTop Workplaces designation. If theychoose, organizations can purchase the survey data. There is no obligationfor winners to purchaseany product or service.
Forthe 2025 winners list, 1,309 organizations were askedtosurveytheir employees,and 103 agreed to do so.Based on the survey feedback, a74haveearnedrecognitionas GreaterNew Orleans TopWorkplaces.
“Top Workplaces awards area celebration of good news,” said Eric Rubino,CEO of Energage. “Theyexemplify the significance of apeople-firstworkplaceexperience, reminding us thatemployees arethe heart of anythriving organization.”
The winners listisintendedtoreflecton the regional workforce. To qualify forTop Workplaces recognition, employers must have at least35workers in the region Surveyresults arevalid only if 35%ormore employees respond;employers with fewer than 85 employees have ahigherresponse
Employers earn TopWorkplaces recognition if their aggregated employees feedback scoreexceeds national benchmarks. Employers aregroupedintosimilar sizes to best comparesimilar employee experiences.Energagehas established those benchmarksbasedonfeedbackfrom about 30 millionemployees over 19 years. Theyare ranked within those groups based on the strength of the survey feedback.
Whymight aparticular employernot be on the list?Perhaps it chosenot to participate, or perhaps it didand employeefeedback scores were notstrongenough. Energage alsoruns testsonsurvey feedback and in some casesmay disqualifyanorganization if,for example,a highnumberofemployees said theyfeltpressured to answerpositively. To participate in the 2026 TopWorkplaces awards,orfor more information, go to the nominationpageat https://www.nola.com/ topworkplaces/.
Whatare your organization’s core mission and values?
Gulf CoastBank &Trust’smissionisrootedin delivering relationship-firstbanking,grounded in localtrustand empoweredbymodern financialtools. We believeindoing right by ourcustomers,supporting ourcommunities, and creating long-termvaluefor everyone we serve. Our valuesreflecta commitmenttotrust, transparency,and genuine connection, both insideand outsidethe bank.
Howdoyou work to meetemployees’ personal and professionalneeds?
We takea holistic approach to employee support. Thatincludes competitivebenefits likehealth coverage,paid timeoff,and an EmployeeStock OwnershipPlan (ESOP),but
ThisarticleisbroughttoyoubyGulfCoast Bank&Trust.
also leadership developmentopportunities, mentorshipprograms, anda culturethat encourages internal mobility.Whether it’s throughformalprogramslike“Next Wave”or everyday encouragementfrommanagers, we help ourteamgrowintothe next versionoftheir professionalselves.
Howare youable to hireand retain strong employees?
We attract talent by staying truetowhat makesGulfCoast Bankunique: apurposedriven mission, alocal-firstmindset, and a culturewhere people areseenand supported We retain greatpeople by giving them real ownership, throughour ESOP andthrough aworkplace that values inputatevery level. Employees stay because they knowtheir work mattersand theirideas areheard
Whatwords would youuse to describe your organization’s culture?
Collaborative. Purposeful. Grounded. Evolving We’d describe ourcultureasone where people areempowered to do meaningful work and build somethingbigger thanthemselves. It’s a team-firstenvironmentwhere service isn’tjust apart of the job, it’spart of who we are.
Whatadvicewould yougiveto organizations who want to improvetheir ownculture?
Culture isn’tbuilt in the big moments;it’sbuilt in thedaily decisions. Invest in your people Listen often. Lead with empathy. Alignyour values with your actions. Andmostimportantly, create an environment where trustisearned, andinnovationisencouraged. Whenyourteam feelssupported and inspired, culturetakes care of itself
SELECTED A TOPWORKPLAC
NOENMCC celebrates acultureofexcellence andcontinued growth as 2025national TopWorkplacewinner
The NewOrleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has been named oneofthe best in thecountry with its recognition as a2025 USAToday national TopWorkplacewinner. Theawardsare basedonemployeefeedback, which means this honorreflects the NOENMCC’s commitmenttoa positive work environment anda supportiveculturefor all. Senior leaderssharetheir thoughts about whatthis recognition means andthe keys to the NOENMCC’scontinuedsuccess.
Howdoyou define your organization’s mission and values?
“Our missionistodeliver unrivaledresults forour internal and external customers in safe,hospitable,exceptionally wellmaintained facilities throughinnovative and collaborativeefforts thatcontribute significantbenefits to theNew Orleans and Louisiana economy,”said AlitaCaparotta, InterimPresidentand CEO. “Through innovationand collaboration,wehelp driveeconomicopportunitiesacrosslocal, regional andstate levels while championing the vibrantcultureofNew Orleans.” Howwould youdescribeyour organizationalculture?
“Our cultureempowersour teamsto executeour vision:tobea leading-edge organizationknown forinnovative delivery of exceptional eventexperiences in aworldclass destination,”Caparotta said. Whatadvicewould yougiveto other organizations whowanttoimprove their ownculture?
Caparotta notedthatenhancing workplace culturerequires both acommitmentfrom leadership andactiveengagementfrom employees.One good starting pointisfor organizational leaderstoclearly define and communicate their core values, thenensure
those arereflectedin daily operations and decision-making
“Investing in professional development, recognizing achievements and promoting work-lifebalanceare alsokey to maintain apositiveculture,” she said.“Encouraging collaborationand teambuilding strengthens connections and enhances overall workplacesatisfaction. By prioritizing these aspects, organizations can cultivateanenvironment where employees feel fulfilled, motivated andcommitted to long-termsuccess.” Howdoes your organization work to meetemployees’personaland professional needs?
the NewOrleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute, ensuring thatemployees and aspiring professionals have access to valuable learning opportunities,”
Tumminello said Howare youabletohireand retain strong employees?
“Wetakeprideinhiring dynamic individuals –big personalitieswho embody the spirit of NewOrleans and big thinkers who bringfresh ideastothe table,” said Tim Tumminello,SeniorDirectorofPeople Services and Innovation. “In return,we strivetoprovideanenvironmentwhere employees can thrivebothpersonally and professionally.Our cultureisdedicatedto fostering apositiveand inclusiveworkplace, while ouriCollab innovationlab offers employees aplatformtoexplore newideas and takeboldcreativerisks.”
Tumminello added thateventslikethe SPICE-tacular Crawfish Cook-off bring employees togetherinaspirit of fun and camaraderie while strengthening team bondsand celebrating success.
Beyond workplaceculture, NOENMCC is committed to broader workforce development, investing $12 millionin educationand training programs
“This includes supportinginstitutionslike
Tumminello said the work of NOENMCC requires adedicatedand skilledworkforce
The venue has more than 1.1millionsquare feet of space, more than 780,000 annual visitorsand hostsmorethan 100events peryear. To attract and retain toptalent to meetthe demandsofthatscale of operations, NOENMCC offersdynamic career opportunities, professional growth pathwaysand acompetitivecompensation and benefits packagethatincludes paid timeoff,paid holidays, lifeinsurance, longterm disabilitycoverageand parking
“Werecognizethatour success depends on ourteam, and we arecommitted to providing themwith the support and resourcestheyneedtobuild fulfilling, long-termcareers with us,”Tumminello said.“In additiontoprofessional growth, we prioritizeour employees’personal wellbeing,ensuring theyhaveaccesstothe toolsand support necessary to thriveboth insideand outsidethe workplace.”
Workersworry foreconomy but keep faith in employers
KinseySmith •Energage
Fromgrocery bills to gasprices,market headlinestorentincreases, theeconomy sendssignals we all feel in ourday-to-day lives.But howare those signalsshowing up at work, where confidence— or alack of it —can directly influencemorale,retention, and performance?
The EnergagePeopleScience Team went straight to thesource, asking thousands of employees across organizations nationwide to weighin by respondingtothis statement: “I feel confidentinthe current stateofthe economy.”
Here’swhatthe data, gathered from 125,000 workersovera six-month period ending in April, told us andwhy it matters fortoday’sleaders.
In the pastsix months, employee confidence in theeconomy brieflypeaked in January before starting asteadydecline in the three months thatfollowed. This is significantbecause adeclineisnot typical forthe firstmonthsofthe year,basedon previous years’ data Team members(a.k.a. individual
contributors) expressthe leastconfidence in the economyingeneral, and as such, the drop in positiveresponses through April to the statementismorelimited (a difference of 6pointsfrompeaktonadir). Managers still tend to have slightly more confidence in the economythan team members, but their scoredecline has been pronounced –an 11 pointdropinpositivity since January.
Seniormanagersgenerally have the most confidenceinthe economyacrossall job levels.While their scores were relatively strong lastquarter, theyexperienced a dramatic drop of 21 points since their peak in December
Together, this suggests ashared sense of uncertaintyinthe currentstate of the economy. Buthere’swhere things get interesting.Evenasconfidenceinthe overall economydeclines,employees arestill backing their ownorganizations Our People ScienceTeamasked workers to respondtothis statement: “I believe my companywill achieveits goals in the upcoming months.”
The response?Surprisingly steady.Overthe past six months,favorable scores stayed above 78 percent, showingthatwhile the outside world mayfeel uncertain, many employees still trusttheir leadership and believe in the directionoftheir workplace.
This is aclear signal: internal confidence can hold strong even when external conditions don’t.
Seniormanagersreportthe strongestbelief thattheir organizations will hit their goals, averaging astriking 90 percentfavorability Butit’snot justleadership: managersand individual contributorsare also holding steady,with no downward trends in the pastquarter.
So,while economic uncertainty looms large on the nationalstage, employees across levels seem to feel farmoreoptimistic about their owncompany’sfuture.
Forjob seekers, it’smoreimportantthan ever to look forcompaniesthattakeculture seriously.One whereleadership is trusted, communicationisclear,and people feel connected to purpose.
Foremployers,now is the moment to lean into transparency.Yourpeople are navigating economic headwinds,and they’re watching howyou respond. Communicate openly.Prioritizestability And,mostimportant, listen. And thenlisten some more.
Proofbeats promotion. Jobseekerswant morethan marketing spin. Theywant evidence.Showthem(and your customers, too!)thatyou lead with apeople-first culturethatfuels people and performance. In uncertain times,confidenceiscurrency And trustishow youearn it.
Sinceits foundingin1991, Globalstarhas been at the forefrontofconnectivity. The Covington-basedcompanynow has operations around the world to provide mobile and data satelliteservices to customers including governmentagencies, businessesand individualsinremoteor disaster-proneareas.
The technology has evolvedsteadily over the pastthree decades,but what hasn’t changed is Globalstar’scommitmentto retaining the best talent and helping people grow their careers withongoing training and support. Those aresome keyreasons whyGlobalstar has been named a2025 national TopWorkplacebyUSA Today. Here, Globalstar employees sharetheir thoughts about what therecognitionmeans andthe factorsthatcontributetothe company’s ongoing success.
Howwould youdescribe Globalstar’s companyculture?
“A lotofcompanies saytheycareabout employees,but Globalstaractually does It’s probably thebestplace Ihaveever worked,”said Chris Gardiner, SeniorDirector of North American Sales. “People really careabout their work. We all reach outto oneanotherand make sureweunderstand the company’splans and howwe fitwithin those.It’sateamculture where everybody stepsupevery day.”
Alisa Moloney, SeniorDirectorofGlobal Marketing,said thatcollaboration has been apparenttoher from thetimeshe started with Globalstar less than ayearago “People aresothoughtful andhelpful, which makesiteasytoget thingsdone,”she said. “If youhavea questionbut don’tknow whotoask, everyone is happy to pointyou in the right direction. When youcombine collaborationwithinnovation, it createsa foundationfor alot of success. ”
James Cathcart, Director of GatewayOperations,has experienced this firsthand, as he hasbeen with Globalstar since June 1999.
“The fact thatweare asmaller companyprovides alot of greatopportunitiesfor people to grow andexcel in multiple roles,”Cathcart said.“It’sa family environmentwhere everyone is forthcoming withinformation. We have severalknowledgebases and training platforms thatare accessible to all employees.Ifsomeone is in one departmentand is interested in moving into something else,wewelcome that initiativeand try to support opportunities acrossthe company. ”
With employees working in officesand at home across theworld, howdoyou keep everyoneconnected?
“There’s alot of intentionality there,” Moloneysaid.“My team comestogether on aweekly basis,not only forstatus meetings,but to justspend some time gettingtoknoweach other. We’vecreated plansfor face-to-face meetingstohelp facilitatethatteam-building as well. Ithink it’s important to create those opportunities forpeople to gettoknoweach otherand understand thatwe’re all working toward thesamegoals.”
What qualities areyou looking for among applicants when youare hiring?
Gardinersaid he alwayskeepsaneye outfor people who aremotivated and results-oriented.
“A lotofpeople can writea plan but don’t have examplesofthe actions they have taken as aresult of it,”hesaid.“I’m
looking forpeople whocan showhow they implementeda plan and what theylearned if somethingdidn’tworkquiteright.That helps me think about howwecan scale that person forthe long-term. I’malso looking forpeople withgood ethicsand astrong understanding of ourbusiness.”
Cathcart said he looksfor people who communicate well and areeager to learn newskills.
“It’salwaysa plus when people cansharea lotabout their previous experiences and are willing to admitmistakes they’vemadeor thingstheydon’t know,”hesaid.“Thattells me theyare open to learning and growing, which is something we really look for.”
Whatadvicewould yougivetoother businesses that arelooking to improve their owncultures?
Moloneysaid apositiveworkplaceculture starts with those in the highest levels of leadership
“There is nothing morevaluable than from your employees to hear directly from you so that theyunderstand what is going on at ahighlevel and the role theyplay in the company’ssuccess,”she said.“I’ve alwaysbeen impressedthatmydirect manager takes timetomeetwith his departments regularly to sharestrategic messaging so thatwefeelconnected.It goes back to being intentional about your communicationand making sureeverybody knows their role in the company’ssuccess.”
WoodwardDesign+Build named a2025 national TopWorkplacewinnerasithelps employees achieve their highestgoals
By Amanda McElfresh •amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
ThisarticleisbroughttoyoubyWoodwardDesign+Build.
Since1923, Woodward Design+Build has significantlyinfluenced the New Orleans skyline. Today, the firm offers comprehensive services in construction management,pre-construction, developmentsupport,architecture and engineering across the Gulf Coast. Whetherthe projectcalls forspace for healthcare, education, lite industrial, hospitality,ormix use,the Woodward team is readytoserve with integrity and quality. WoodwardDesign+Build has been named anational 2025Top Workplace winnerbyUSA Todayfor thatunwavering commitmenttoqualityaswellascreating acompanyculturethatattracts and keeps the best people in the business. WDB PresidentKen Flowerand Director of Organizational DevelopmentRileyKennedy shared their thoughtsabout the keys to the company’ssuccess.
Whatdoes thisnationalrecognition mean to WoodwardDesign+Build?
Kennedy said the honorisvalidation of the company’sefforts to ensure employeesare engaged, challenged and feel rewarded in their work. While WDBis in the constructionbusiness, it’s firstand foremostinthe business of serviceand helping people achieve theirgoals,whether theyare clients or WDB employees looking to grow their skills.
“Everything we do is people-driven,” Flowersaid.“Throughoutthe lifeofa project, everybody is working toward creating ahigh-qualityproduct that theycan pass on to the next team in the process. Thatonly workswellifeveryoneis committed to doing the best theycan and communicating withone another. It
really comesdowntohaving greatpeople around you.
”Whatare some of the company’scorevalues or philosophies?
“One of ourmain focusesisto beginwiththe endinmind Thatmeans we providea lotof support to the people on the frontlinesofour work –the laborers, carpenters, electricians and otheremployees that yousee on ajob siteevery day,”Kennedy said.“Thatgives us afocal pointtoput ourattention and make sureweare serving them. It’s important to us thatthe people putting in the work everyday arethe starsofshow, and we’re here to give themwhattheyneed to do their jobs well.”
Howdoyou attractand retain quality employees?
success forthe clientand forus, and if we have developedthe employees who worked on it,” he said.“We look at whether they have advanced their skills andbecome even better at what theydo. Aproject for us isn’t completely successfulifthat doesn’thappen.”
Whatadvicedoyou have forcompanies that want to improve their ownculture?
Kennedy notedthatthree WDB employees have been withthe companyfor more than 50 years, and many more have at least15years of service. Severalofthem continue to attend in-house training sessions to furtherhonetheir skills and leadership abilities.
“If youkeep giving people opportunities to grow,theywill want to stay witha company,”she said.“People stay here because they feel challenged, appreciated and likethere is alwayssomething next forthem.”
Flowersaid employeegrowthisconsidered oneofthe hallmarks of the successful completion of aWDB project.
“I consider aproject successful if we have metthe client’s goals and theywantus to do theirnextproject,ifitisa financial
Flowerand Kennedysaid astrong culturebegins with communication, transparency and creatinghigh expectationsfor everyone.
“If youset the bar high, you’ll seepeople excelevery time. Theywanttorisetothe occasion,”Kennedy said.“People really respond whenyou show youbelieve in them and trust themtodogood work.”
Flowersaid ahealthymeetingrhythm, whetheramong teams, departments or theentirecompany, is alsoa wayfor leaderstoreinforce acompany’svision and core valueswhile highlighting individuals’key successes.
“You can neverovercommunicate how youwantyouremployees to behave and feel,aswellasacknowledge when people do really greatwork,”Kennedy added.
“Thatgoesalongway toward making people feel valued.”
U G TRUST
To ouramazing team:thank youfor bringing your passion, your talent,and your trust to workeachday. Youare the reason we’rehere. Youare what makes this placemorethanjusta workplace.
We’reproud to be recognized as aTop Workplace-but even proudertoworkalongside thepeoplewho made it possible: ouremployees
This honorisa reflectionof your dedication,passion, and beliefinwhatwe do together everyday Youbring ourvaluesto life, create aculture of collaboration and care,and make this notjusta great placetowork-butthe right placetogrow. ThankYou forchoosingus.
THE HEART, YOUBRING
Gootee is proudtoberecognizedasa TopWorkplace forthe 6thconsecutiveyear, thankstothe incredible people whobring theirbestevery day. As a100%employee-ownedcompany,our success is driven by thosewho take prideintheir work andshare in ourfuture. Honoredfor excellence in leadership andemployeetraining, we believethatinvesting in people from dayone createsa lasting impact.AtGootee, it’s notjusta job. It’s aplace to lead,grow, andbuild thefuturetogether.
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We’rehonored to be recognizedasa topworkplace -and it’s allbecause of you. Your passion, dedication,and commitment to ourmission make Strykeranincredibleplace to work andgrow.
THANK YOU
Here’s to continuing to make STRYKER aplace wherepeoplethrive.
Thankyou forchoosingtobepartofour team Thisrecognition is areflection of your hard work andthe exceptionalculture we’vebuilt together
The 2024 presidential election served as alightning rodfor bigger issuesin the workplace. NewresearchbyEnergage shows asilent divide where employees face challenges discussingpolitical and social issues on the job
In apre-electionsurvey, while 82 percent of employees saytheir coworkersrespect differing values, only 65 percentthink that respect extendstopolitical beliefs. Even moreeye-opening,lessthana quarter of employees feel comfortable sharing their political opinionsatwork–and only 21 percentagree that most of theircoworkers sharetheir political beliefs
This uncertainty leaves HR leaders, managers, andteamleaders witha critical challenge:breaking thesilenceand fostering an environmentwhere open, respectful dialogueisn’t justallowed but encouraged.
Energagecollected feedbackfrom9,000 respondersnationwideinAugustand September 2024. Many(41 percent) said
employees don’traisecontroversialtopics.
Another24percent said employees discuss topics with those who sharesimilar views
Where there is fear or uneaseabout discussing certain topics,the national elections and LGBTQ+ arethe most prominent source.
“It’shardtocreatea safe placewhen thereare so many differentissues and conflicts happening outinthe world at the sametime,”one responder said.“It’stobe expected thatemployees will bring some of thatanxiety with themeverywherethey go,including into the workplace.”
Here arekey takeaways from the survey:
• 35 percentoforganizations have experienced issues with incivility among employees at work
•21percent of responders were concernedthe 2024presidential election caused discordornegativelyimpacted relationships at their organization.
• 53 percentare concernedabout other societal conflicts and issuesnegatively impacting employees’emotional and mental well-being
•14percent indicatedemployees vocally sharetheir opinions on contentious, nonwork-related topics. (This maysuggest thatasmall portionofemployees are stirringthe potwith incivility.)
• 74 percentbelieve their organization is diverseinterms of politics, race/ ethnicity,LGBTQ+, etc.
•43percent believe some people in their organizationmight feel isolatedor excluded duetoone or more aspects of their identity,suchaspolitical beliefs, religion, and race/ethnicity
When it comes to addressing conflict, employees reported awiderange of approaches. Most (76percent of
organizations) invest in conflictresolution training,but not everyone is receivingit. Training forall employees (42percent), managers(40 percent) and human resources(38 percent) were mostcommon
“Weare providingguidancefor leaderson howtodefuse contentiousconversations, and we areoffering all associatesa series of sessions to encouragecivilityand respect in allconversations,” oneresponder said Howdoorganizationsaddress non-work issues? Most take arelativelypassive approach, emphasizing theimportanceof respect and values. Fewactivelyfacilitateor encouragedirectconversations, andeven fewerbar conversations
Most (69percent)emphasized showing mutual respect. Others (58 percent) emphasized stickingtothe organization’s valuesand mission. Only 19 percent said theyfacilitateconversations on contentious issues
Barriers to civility in the workplaceinclude:
•Lack of leadership commitmentand accountability. Leadersneedtoleadby
“
“ It’shardtocreateasafe placewhenthereare so many differentissues and conflicts happening outinthe world at the sametime.
example and hold people accountable for their actions.
•Workplacedivision and polarization. Political and social divisions create tensionamongemployees.These differencesfuelworkplacefrictionand strainedrelationships.
•Communication challenges. Many survey responseshighlighted issues such as unclear expectations,limited open dialogue, and challenges in delivering the right informationatthe right time.
•Remote work and social isolation. When people don’tworkinthe same space, it can create problems building trust, allowing casual interactions,and assessingemployeewell-being.
•Bias,preconceived notions, and misinformation. This is particularly true regarding race,politics,and differing communicationstyles.
Tips forfosteringa civil and psychologically safe workplaceare:
• Train on inclusivity,diversity,equity,and managementtoequip employees and
leaderswith the skills necessary to foster arespectful environment.
• Encourage open communicationand discussions. Foster acultureofcandor and curiosity through open discussions and listening sessions.
• Create employeeresourcegroups (ERGs). These can providea platformfor employees from diversebackgroundsto shareexperiences and support each other.
• Provideteambuilding and collaboration opportunities. These canbuild trustand camaraderie,which areessential fora psychologically safe space.
• Promote respect and organizational values. By aligning actions and behaviors with organizational values, companies can create aculturethatpromotesboth civility and safety
BobHelbigismediapartnershipsdirector at Energage,a Philadelphia-based employeesurvey firm. Energage isthe surveypartnerforTopWorkplaces.
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Employees saytheirbenefits package isgoodcompared to othersintheindustry.
Is it ajob or acareer? These 6steps can help
Gary Markle •Catalytic Coaching
“Howmanyofyouhaveacareer?”
Ilove asking this question in workshops with employees.While afew raise their handsimmediately,the majority often look at each otherasifunsure. Even when working is donevirtually,you can feel that cautious pause.But here’sthe truth:justby choosing to work, you’ve setyourselfona career path
Acareer isn’t justajob;it’sajourneywith purpose,meaning, and direction. It’s a jobwith time-basedcontext,reflecting both history and growth.A fulfillingcareer doesn’tonly define what youdofor aliving —itdefineswho youare
The comedian Chris Rock once said,“With acareer,there is neverenoughtime. With ajob,there is always toomuchtime.”It’s asentimentthatresonates,especially for those who feel stuck in what they consider “justajob.” Foremployers and managers, this distinctionholdsimportant insights. Most organizations rely on amix of routine, even menial, work —tasks that are repetitive, physical, andoften demanding But does thatmeanitcan’t be meaningful? Ibelieve we can elevatealmostany work conversationfromjob to career by understandingwhatdrives each individual and connecting withtheir purpose. Take Hector, ourneighborhoodwindow washer. Aman in his 60s, he’s worked sixto sevendaysaweekfor decades,handling laddersand scrubbingwindows, rain or shine.But what standsout aboutHector is his smile and the genuine joyhe finds in his work.Heknows hisclientsbyname and treats everywindow he cleans with the samepride. Forhim,it’snot just about washing windows—it’s aboutgiving familiesafresh perspective.Hector’sjob is cleaning;his career is building community. My fatherspent over 30 yearsinthe automotiveindustry, initially loving his work as abusiness manager forGeneral Motors.But afterleadership changes, those final yearsfeltmorelikeanendurance test toward retirement.Hereached his pension goal, but his true purpose emerged only
afterretiring:toreadevery book that mattered to him—a “career”inlifelong learning thathepursued passionately to the endofhis days
Ilearned from my father’sexperience. Watching him grind through those last years, Imadea vowtonever stay in a positionthatdrainedmysoul. When my jobatExxon startedfeeling less like a career and morelikea job, Imoved on.That decisionset me on apathtoa role that’s givenmealmostlimitless room to grow
Howcan youkeepyourcareer on track, moving toward your goals? Hereare some stepstoconsider:
1. Do aHappiness Check: Areyou genuinely happyand growing?Orare youjustcovering the bills?Ifitfeels like adeadend,it’stimefor achange.
2. Find aCareer Coach: If youhaveaccess to Catalytic Coaching,you’reahead of the game. Your direct manager acts as acoach, guiding youthrough development. If youdon’t,consider hiring an executivecoach to help chart your path forward.
3. Begin withthe End in Mind:Look deeply and askyourselffundamental questions like, “WhatdoI really want to achieve?”
Imagine the path to getthere,and start taking steps.
4. FindYourSpecial Purpose: Aim for work that aligns with your talents and whatyou enjoy. Toolslike Gallup’s CliftonStrengths and Marcus Buckingham’s StandOut Assessmentcan help youidentifywhatdrives you.
5. Strategizefor Progress: If your current jobdoesn’t support your career aspirations, plan apathforward.Even small stepsinthe right direction—like moving to adifferentdepartment—can setyou on track.
6. Executethe Plan: Everyjob that doesn’tcontributetoyourgoals is just procrastination. So,takeaction and make it count.
If you’re ever in an audiencewhere I ask, “How many of youhavea career?” I hope you’ll raise your hand proudlyand confidently.Let’s all work toward careers, notjustjobs, and build futures thatmake us proud.
GaryMarkleisChiefCatalyst at Catalytic Coachingandseniorbusiness partnerwith Energage.Energage isthesurveypartner forTop Workplaces
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Pete and Garey Alimia circa 1969
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SOIL SAFETY
BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer
Dig into your yard in New Orleans and you’re likely to find more than dirt: bricks, oyster shells, rusted nails, chunks of concrete, even the occasional talismanic jar The same holds true in just about any Louisiana city old enough to carry layers of history, where the ground may hide remnants of old homes, debris from demolished buildings, or earth added to raise the land above flood levels.
What’s less visible are the contaminants that may be lurking in that soil. That concern has grown as more Louisianans take up backyard gardening.
Home gardening exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The LSU AgCenter’s 2023 report estimates there are more than 625,000 home gardens in the state.
According to Joe Willis, a horticulture extension agent with the AgCenter, pandemic demand spurred the creation of a free 10-week online gardening course. Step one in the course: soil.
“If you take care of your soil, and your soil is in good condition, and of course, your garden is located in the right place, your plants are going to grow,” Willis said. But gardeners should also make sure their soil is safe for humans. Urban soil can carry invisible hazards, particularly in areas with a history of industrial or commercial use
“Especially in older neighborhoods, we recommend people do a soil test,” Willis said.
For about $11, the AgCenter’s test can measure pH, nutrients and levels of heavy metals like lead, mercury and cadmium. Lead is the most common contaminant in soil.
See SOIL, page 2X
BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer
“When
start.”
“For
At this point, it’s a good time to check in on the running gear needed to succeed. If the trainers in the closet look like they’ve seen better days, it’s time to upgrade
“Get a new pair of shoes because, in the long run, those will save your joints,” Franks said. “They’ll also help you become a more efficient runner.”
Watch for the weather Franks has a constant eye on the weather
“In Louisiana summers, when our cross-country athletes train, we have to get up really early to get our long workouts in,” Franks said.
PROVIDED PHOTO By
HEALTH MAKER
Mapping the brain in search for answers
Tulane researchers take a close look at Alzheimer’s
BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer
Tulane University researchers
created a first-of-its-kind subcellular map of an area of the brain commonly affected by Alzheimer’s disease, a key step toward unraveling the mysteries of how the degenerative brain disease develops.
The Center for Biomedical Informatics and Genomics at Tulane, a large research center established in 2011, were groundbreakers in national osteoporosis research with over 17,000 medical subjects involved Since then, the center has been sought out for growing technologies and studies across the country — its latest venture is the brain.
Led by Dr Yu Gong and Dr Hui Shen, the study applied nanotechnology to analyze specific tissues in the brain in order to map differences in the “normal” brain and the Alzheimer’s brain. In this study, the pair looked at six brains from Alzheimer’s patients between the ages of 70 and 90 years old — the late-onset classification of the disease
The researchers used stereo sequencing to examine a small sec-
RUNNING
Continued from page 1X
Avoiding heat stress, a common illness in Southern states during the summer, is essential to staying healthy and preventing burnout Franks advises all runners, both novice and professional, to avoid running outdoors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Training before and during sunrise and training right before and during sunset, are the best times to get an outdoor run in,” Franks said. “It also works for a lot of people’s schedules.”
tion of the prefrontal cortex — the region responsible for decisionmaking and emotional control at varying stages of Alzheimer’s.
The study, published in Nature Communications, looked at genetics that cause the loss of brain cells that allow the disease to progress. The study also identified a key protein as a potential target for treatment.
This technology allowed them to “map” the brain tissue at nearly 250 times the resolution of older tools, essentially zooming in to reveal genetic interactions within a single cell and how those shift as the disease progresses.
More than 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, with Alzheimer’s accounting for 60% to 70% of those cases.
Despite the prevalence, little is known about its cause and existing medications can only temporarily ease symptoms, not prevent the disease from progressing.
Gong, an instructor at the Center for Biomedical Informatics and Genomics at Tulane University in New Orleans, received both his master’s and doctorate degrees from Tulane and was the lead author of the groundbreaking study
What was significant about this study?
The most important thing is that we’ve identified several interesting interactions at the molecular level that work to protect neurons under stress, and these interactions disappeared in Alzheimer’s patients.
If we can find a way to target a protein in the brain called ZNF460 that could be essential for treatment, in a way that keeps these modules functioning, then we might be able to inhibit the progression of Alzheimer’s.
In another surprising discov-
ery, the study found that layered structure of the brain disappears as the disease advances, a phenomenon had not been observed before.
Going forward, how do you hope to expand the study?
There’s another area that we’re working on right now for the hippocampus, a smaller part of the brain primarily responsible for forming memories, navigation and processing emotions.
We’re working to map this area of the brain next.
What makes this research important for all brain diseases?
After mapping of the brain, we can understand what is going on there. We can compare the normal brain to the Alzheimer’s disease brain and what the difference is between them.
Once we understand the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s
disease, in the future, we can develop targets. We can create drugs based on the mechanisms we identified so that we can maybe cure, or maybe just postpone, the progression of Alzheimer’s. What’s next for Alzheimer’s research?
The most important part of Alzheimer’s is the diagnosis, especially the early diagnosis. not only the Alzheimer’s disease, but there is a specific stage of the Alzheimer’s disease, the precursor stage, that only identifies one particular Alzheimer’s genetic mark — but we cannot identify another one. When we identify this stage, we can start the therapeutic interventions that may help to postpone the progression of the disease. I think that is what we’re going to be looking at in the future.
Another study that is ongoing at the center is trying a “drug repur-
posing study.”
This study will look at brains after using currently available Food and Drug Administrationapproved drugs to see whether any of them have beneficial effects on the Alzheimer’s disease on the molecular level.
This will be an alternative way to develop drugs, because we know developing a new drug is very expensive and time consuming. The “drug repurposing” is a cost efficient way to identify alternative drugs and identify new treatments for the disease.
How did you come across this research, this technology?
The technology we used is called stereo sequencing — a cutting-edge technology
Spatial transcriptomics, a technology that maps gene patterns in specific locations within a tissue sample, is a very hot area in the medical world right now
We don’t have that technology here at Tulane yet, but we use data from the University of Kansas Medical Center When we attended the national conference for the American Society of Human Genetics, we met with the company that develops this technology and applied for a pioneer project.
We got selected and spent a half a year to figure out different pipelines and algorithms to analyze the data.
We applied this novel technology on the human brain to understand what is going on in our brains and what happens in the brain from the individuals with the Alzheimer’s disease.
Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.
SOIL
Continued from page 1X
“The soil from those lead paints 50, 60 or more years ago, it’s still in that top 1- to 2-inch layer of soil,” Willis said. “It is persistent.”
Dr Julie Neumann, a foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon at Ochsner Health and triathlete, also emphasized the importance of beating the heat. Additionally, Neumann advises all Louisianans to hydrate — that includes electrolytes — before a run.
“People should also consider that in the summer it gets too hot to train in the afternoon — the effectiveness of training is going to decrease with the heat,” Neumann said. “A morning run also sets the tone for the day.” Invest in a coach
Neumann, a former LSU soccer player turned Ironman racer, sought out help when it came to training.
“Coaches are a really good option that can help tailor your workouts and your training to something that’s reasonable,” Neumann said “They can help tailor it based off what body parts are hurting, or what complaints you have.”
Neumann’s coach, Jessica Jones, specializes in training triathletes and Ironman runners Jones helps Neumann with pacing her runs, diversifying her workouts and sometimes what stretches work best for her body Franks is responsible for coaching over 100 athletes, tailoring workouts for their specific needs.
“The most important thing to work out is a good schedule that aligns with your distance goals,” Franks said. “Pushing yourself too hard and not listening to your body can be damaging to yourself, and your running.” People can also have regular appointments with a physical therapist if something is bothering them while exercising.
“There’s a number of therapists in town that specialize in running and distance events,” Neumann said. “That’s helpful to keep chronic issues at bay.” Neumann recommends speaking
with a coach, or staying accountable, about recovery days as well.
“Whether that looks like Advil or just getting off your feet, or using ice, or stretching,” Neumann said.
“I think just listening to your body and scaling back activities when you need to is important.”
Consider cross-training
Cross-training is an essential part of any long-distance running program. It helps the body to make it across the finish line injury-free.
“Running is a high-impact exercise,” Franks said “Cross-training is for any fitness level, and it’s essentially a day not running where you complete a non-high-impact exercise to either strengthen weaker muscles or stretch tight ones.”
Successful cross-training can be any low-impact exercise that helps sustain anaerobic capacity and strengthen the core — including biking, swimming, running, weightlifting, yoga and Pilates.
The activities should focus on increasing strength, improving flexibility and core strength, and maintaining muscle mass. Franks emphasizes that cross-training should be used to correlate running.
“I think weight training is a great supplement to building a base of endurance,” Neumann said “It’s important in injury prevention. It’s important for diversifying training and building muscle mass. I think of it as like a supplement to cardiovascular training.”
Stretching is essential
According to Harvard Health, stretching keeps the muscles flexible and healthy The human body
needs that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight, according to Harvard Health. That puts runners at risk for joint pain, strains and muscle damage.
Stretching should happen before and after a race, according to both Neumann and Franks Most longdistance runners choose to do light jogs before the race to help the body warm up, and a light jog after the race to help the body cool down.
Stagnant stretches like the hamstring stretch (folding at the waist and touching the toes) and the standing quad stretch (holding the ankle to the backside) help to relieve tension in the legs, and dynamic stretches like leg swings and high knees help to prepare the body to use the full range of motion needed for long runs.
Using ice and even more stretching after a race is also good for all runners, new and experienced, to “help prevent or treat injuries that already exist,” according to Neumann.
Remember to enjoy it
Although the early mornings and putting pressure on the body can be intimidating, long-distance running can be fun too. Joining a run club, making it a social event or even listening to some good music can make long-distance runs more fun.
“At the end of the day the bottom line for all of these training events is to have fun,” Neumann said.
Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.
Soil is likely to contain high levels of lead if it is near any structure built before 1978, when lead-based paint was taken off the market, or if an old building was demolished on the site. Pesticides containing lead were often used on fruit trees, so land close to old orchards is also of concern. Soils near heavily trafficked roadways can also be laced with contaminants. Yards near old dry cleaners, which used harmful chemicals and any site with industrial fill or construction debris may also pose a risk.
The primary concern with gardening in contaminated soil is exposure by stirring it up, said Willis. But food grown in the soil may also absorb it.
Vegetables vary in how much they absorb metals. Plants like sunflowers are known to draw lead from soil and are sometimes used to clean up contaminated areas.
Fruiting crops like tomatoes, peppers and squash tend to be safe in mildly contaminated soil.
But root vegetables and leafy greens carry a higher risk. Roots can absorb lead from the soil, and leafy greens are easily contaminated by soil splashing or contact during gardening.
Results from the AgCenter’s soil test can be used with guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency to decide what kind of plants are safe to grow there.
Container beds are typically safer, and can also offer the benefit of controlling the quality of soil and the amount of water your plants get, Willis said. But what kind of container you use also matters, said Melissa Gonzales, an exposure scientist and chair of
contaminated soil.
environmental health sciences at Tulane University Gonzales once stopped to warn to a neighbor who was building raised beds out of old railroad ties, which are commonly treated with chemicals to prevent decay
“I just had to stop and tell him,” Gonzales said. “I told him, ‘Please, don’t eat those vegetables.’”
When in doubt, both Gonzales and Willis recommend raised beds constructed from materials such as plastic wood, metal or lumber you know has not been treated with harmful chemicals. It should also be filled with soil you know is free from contaminants.
“You don’t want to have chronic, low-level lead exposure, even if it’s below detectable, for children, pregnant women, anybody really,” Gonzales said.
The AgCenter recommends a minimum of 8 inches of soil in raised beds to prevent roots from growing into the native soil below For most vegetables, 12 inches is more ideal, and 18 inches is what Willis recommends for root vegetables.
Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.
DO YOU HAVE A HEALTH
The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and re-examining tried and true methods on ways to live well.
STORY?
Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.
Shen Gong
Neumann
PHOTO PROVIDED By TULANE UNIVERSITy
Tulane University researchers created a first-of-its-kind subcellular map of an area of the brain commonly affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BILL FEIG Fruiting crops like peppers tend to be safe in mildly
STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
Members of Happy’s Running Club take the ‘scenic route’ through downtown Baton Rouge on a hot and humid 2024 run. Avoiding heat stress, a common illness in Southern states during the summer, is essential to staying healthy and preventing burnout, experts say.
Perserving:260calories,23gramsfat,11 gramssaturatedfat,180mgsodium,8grams carbohydrate(7gramsnetcarbs),1gram fiber,3gramssugar(0addedsugar),7grams protein
LA.RANKS 25TH FORRATIO OF REGISTERED NURSES TO PATIENTS
Louisiana ranks 25th in the nation forits registered nurse-to-patient ratio with 9.3 RNs per 1,000 patients, just belowthe national averageof9.6 RNs per1,000.
In 2023, Louisiana had 66,594 registered nurses with activelicenses to practice.
Nurse.org,aneducational site for nurses, foundthe current RN-to-patient ratios per state by comparing data from the BureauofLabor and Statistics (2021) andstate populations from the U.S. CensusBureau (2022).
Utah currently has the lowest ratio, with 7 RNs per 1,000people. Utah is followedinthe rankings by,in ascending order: n Georgia andTexas with 7.2 RNs per 1,000 people in each state, n Idaho with 7.4 RNsper 1,000 people, n Hawaii, Nevada and Virginia with 7.7
5books
BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer
We asked doctorsacross Louisianatogive us their top book recommendations —and they delivered: “Delay,Don’t Deny” by GinStephens
In his second edition of his 2016 book, Gin Stephens further explores the importance of intermittent fasting. In this book, published in 2024, readers will learn the science behind intermittent fasting, the importance of the clean fast and how to develop an intermittent fastingplan that works for each lifestyle.
RNs per 1,000 people in eachstate South Dakota has more than double Utah’sratio, with 15.5 nurses per 1,000. South Dakota is followedinthe rankings by,indescendingorder: n North Dakota with 15.2 RNs per 1,000 people, n Massachusetts with 12.6 RNsper 1,000 people, n Minnesota with 12.1 RNs per 1,000 people, n Delaware and Pennsylvaniawith 11.5 RNs per 1,000 people.
Registered nurses nationwide have gone through many changes—with theCOVID-19 pandemic,a slewof retirements and aplague of burnouts RNs areprojectedtohavesignificantly depleted numbers by 2030.
Nurse.org predicts that 42 of 50 states will be shortnurses in 2030, with agap of 206,553 nurses nationally
“The Artist’s Way” by JuliaCameron
This book, published in 1992, was written to help people with artistic creative recovery by teaching techniques andexercises toassist people in gaining selfconfidence in harnessing their creative talentsand skills —Recommended by Caroline Helm, alicensed therapist and creative counselor in Lafayette
Bestselling author and former Fortune 500 executive James A. Autry reveals the servant leader’s tools, aset of skills and ideals that will transform the way business is done. It helps leadersnurture theneeds and goals of those who look to them for leadership. —Recommended by Dr.Steve Nelson, the chancellor of LSU HealthSciences Center New Orleans
“Parenting with Love andLogic” by Foster W. Cline
This parenting book shows parents how to raise self-confident, motivated children who are
readyfor the real world. Learn how to parent effectively while teaching children responsibility andgrowing their character
Establish healthy control through easy-to-implement steps without anger, threats, nagging or power struggles.
—RecommendedbyKatie Fetzer,amental health counselor in Baton Rouge
“The Creative Habit” by TwylaTharp
Allittakes to make creativity apart of life is the willingness to make it ahabit. It is theproductofpreparation and effort, andiswithin reach
of everyone.The Creative Habit provides32practical exercises basedonthe lessons Twyla Tharp haslearnedinher remarkable 35-year career
—RecommendedbyCaroline Helm, alicensedtherapist and creativecounselorinLafayette
Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.
BRO UGH TT OY OU BY
Molly Kimball RD,CSSD
As cannabis users age, health risks appear to grow
BY PAULA SPAN KFF Health News
Benjamin Han, a geriatrician and addiction medicine specialist at the University of California-San Diego, tells his students a cautionary tale about a 76-year-old patient who, like many older people, struggled with insomnia.
“She had problems falling asleep, and she’d wake up in the middle of the night,” he said. “So her daughter brought her some sleep gummies” — edible cannabis candies.
“She tried a gummy after dinner and waited half an hour,” Han said. Feeling no effects, she took another gummy, then one more a total of four over several hours.
Han advises patients who are trying cannabis to “start low; go slow,” beginning with products that contain just 1 or 2.5 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive ingredient that many cannabis products contain. Each of the four gummies this patient took, however, contained 10 milligrams.
The woman started experiencing intense anxiety and heart palpitations. A young person might have shrugged off such symptoms, but this patient had high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation, a heart arrhythmia Frightened, she went to an emergency room.
Lab tests and a cardiac workup determined the woman wasn’t having a heart attack, and the staff sent her home. Her only lingering symptom was embarrassment, Han said. But what if she’d grown dizzy or lightheaded and was hurt in a fall? He said he has had patients injured in falls or while driving after using cannabis. What if the cannabis had interacted with the prescription drugs she took?
“As a geriatrician, it gives me pause,” Han said. “Our brains are more sensitive to psychoactive substances as we age.”
Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia now allow cannabis use for medical reasons, and in 24 of those states, as well as the district, recreational use is also legal. As older adults’ use climbs, “the benefits are still unclear,” Han said. “But we’re seeing more evidence of potential harms.”
A wave of recent research points to reasons for concern for older users, with cannabis-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations rising, and a Canadian study finding an association between such acute care and subsequent dementia. Older people are more apt than younger ones to try cannabis for therapeutic reasons: to relieve chronic pain, insomnia, or mental health issues, though evidence of its effectiveness in ad-
dressing those conditions remains thin, experts said.
In an analysis of national survey data published June 2 in the medical journal JAMA, Han and his colleagues reported that “current” cannabis use (defined as use within the previous month) had jumped among adults age 65 or older to 7% of respondents in 2023, from 4.8% in 2021. In 2005, he pointed out, fewer than 1% of older adults reported using cannabis in the previous year
What’s driving the increase? Experts cite the steady march of state legalization — use by older people is highest in those states while surveys show that the perceived risk of cannabis use has declined.
One national survey found that a growing proportion of American adults 44% in 2021 erroneously thought it safer to smoke cannabis daily than cigarettes.
The authors of the study in JAMA Network Open, noted that “these views do not reflect the existing science on cannabis and tobacco smoke.”
The cannabis industry also markets its products to older adults.
The Trulieve chain gives a 10% discount, both in stores and online, to those it calls “wisdom” customers, 55 or older Rise Dispensaries ran a yearlong cannabis education and empowerment program for two senior centers in Paterson, New Jersey, including field trips to its dispensary
The industry has many satisfied older customers. Liz Logan, 67, a freelance writer in Bronxville, New York, had grappled with sleep problems and anxiety for years, but the conditions grew particularly debilitating two years ago, as her husband was dying of Parkinson’s disease. “I’d frequently be awake until 5 or 6 in the morning,”
she said “It makes you crazy.”
Looking online for edible cannabis products, Logan found that gummies containing cannabidiol, known as CBD, alone didn’t help, but those with 10 milligrams of THC did the trick without noticeable side effects. “I don’t worry about sleep anymore,” she said. “I’ve solved a lifelong problem.”
But studies in the United States and Canada, which legalized nonmedical cannabis use for adults nationally in 2018, show climbing rates of cannabis-related health care use among older people, both in outpatient settings and in hospitals.
In California, for instance, cannabis-related emergency room visits by those 65 or older rose, to 395 per 100,000 visits in 2019 from about 21 in 2005. In Ontario, acute care (meaning emergency visits or hospital admissions) resulting
older people are using
from cannabis use increased fivefold in middle-aged adults from 2008 to 2021, and more than 26 times among those 65 and up.
“It’s not reflective of everyone who’s using cannabis,” cautioned Daniel Myran, an investigator at the Bruyère Health Research Institute in Ottawa and lead author of the Ontario study “It’s capturing people with more severe patterns.”
But since other studies have shown increased cardiac risk among some cannabis users with heart disease or diabetes, “there’s a number of warning signals,” he said. For example, a disturbing proportion of older veterans who currently use cannabis screen positive for cannabis use disorder, a recent JAMA Network Open study found.
As with other substance use disorders, such patients “can tolerate high amounts,” said the lead author Vira Pravosud, a cannabis researcher at the Northern California Institute for Research and Education. “They continue using even if it interferes with their social or work or family obligations” and may experience withdrawal if they stop.
Among 4,500 older veterans (with an average age of 73) seeking care at Department of Veterans Affairs health facilities, researchers found that more than 10% had reported cannabis use within the previous 30 days. Of those, 36% fit
the criteria for mild, moderate, or severe cannabis use disorder as established in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
VA patients differ from the general population, Pravosud noted. They are much more likely to report substance misuse and have “higher rates of chronic diseases and disabilities, and mental health conditions like PTSD” that could lead to self-medication, she said.
Current VA policies don’t require clinicians to ask patients about cannabis use. Pravosud thinks that they should. Moreover, “there’s increasing evidence of a potential effect on memory and cognition,” said Myran, citing his team’s study of Ontario patients with cannabis-related conditions going to emergency departments or being admitted to hospitals.
Compared with others of the same age and sex who were seeking care for other reasons, research shows these patients (ages 45 to 105) had 1.5 times the risk of a dementia diagnosis within five years, and 3.9 times the risk of that for the general population. Even after adjusting for chronic health conditions and sociodemographic factors, those seeking acute care resulting from cannabis use had a 23% higher dementia risk than patients with noncannabis-related ailments, and a 72% higher risk than the general population.
None of these studies were randomized clinical trials, the researchers pointed out; they were observational and could not ascertain causality Some cannabis research doesn’t specify whether users are smoking, vaping, ingesting or rubbing topical cannabis on aching joints; other studies lack relevant demographic information.
“It’s very frustrating that we’re not able to provide more individual guidance on safer modes of consumption, and on amounts of use that seem lower-risk,” Myran said. “It just highlights that the rapid expansion of regular cannabis use in North America is outpacing our knowledge.”
Still, given the health vulnerabilities of older people, and the far greater potency of current cannabis products compared with the weed of their youth, he and other researchers urge caution.
“If you view cannabis as a medicine, you should be open to the idea that there are groups who probably shouldn’t use it and that there are potential adverse effects from it,” he said. “Because that is true of all medicines.”
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces indepth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism
Older adults increasingly dying from unintentional falls
BY MIKE STOBBE Associated Press
NEW YORK Older U.S. adults are increasingly dying from unintentional falls, according to a new federal report published Wednesday, with White people accounting for the vast majority of the deaths.
From 2003 to 2023, death rates from falls rose more than 70% for adults ages 65 to 74, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate increased more than 75% for people 75 to 84, and more than doubled for seniors 85 and older
“Falls continue to be a public health problem worth paying attention to,” said Geoffrey Hoffman, a University of Michigan researcher who was not involved in the new report. “It’s curious that these rates keep rising.”
The CDC researchers did not try to answer why death rates from falls are increasing. But experts say there may be a few reasons, like gradually improving our understanding of the role falls play in deaths and more people living longer — to ages when falls are more likely to have deadly consequences. More than 41,000 retirement-age Americans died of falls in 2023, the most recent year for which final statistics based on death certificates are available. That suggests that falls were blamed in about 1 of every 56 deaths in older Americans that year
More than half of those 41,000 deaths were people 85 and older, the CDC found, and White people accounted for 87% of deaths in the oldest category Falls can cause head injuries or broken bones that can lead to permanent disability and trigger a cascade of other health problems
A number of factors can contribute to falls, including changes in
From 2003 to 2023, death rates from falls rose more than 70% for adults ages 65 to 74, according to a report from the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
hearing and vision and medications that can cause lightheadedness.
Death rates varied widely from state to state. In 2023, Wisconsin had the highest death rates from falls followed by Minnesota, Maine, Oklahoma and Vermont
Wisconsin’s rate was more than five times higher than the rate of the lowest state, Alabama. Ice and wintry weather may partly explain why fatal falls were
more common in states in the upper Midwest and New England, but experts also pointed to other things at play, like differences in how well falls are reported and to what extent they are labeled a cause of death.
“We’ve yet to unravel why you see such differences in state rates,” said Hoffman, who studies falls among the elderly Researchers also can’t yet explain why White seniors die of
falls at higher rates than people in other racial and ethnic groups. In the 85-and-up age group, the death rate for White Americans is two or three times higher than any other group, while older Black people had the lowest fall-related death rate.
“Kind of a flip of the traditional disparity lens,” Hoffman said, referring to the fact that for most other rates of illness and injury people of color are disproportionately affected. Staying active can help people avoid falls, experts say The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
PHOTO PROVIDED By KFF HEALTH NEWS
More
cannabis products, like edible gummies, regularly Research suggests their cannabis-related health problems are also on the rise.
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RISBERG
Ochsner Health celebrates 50,000+robot-assisted surgeries as pioneer in patientcare
By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
Thisstory is brought to you by OchsnerHealth.
Ochsner Health hasreached asignificant milestone: performing more than 50,000 minimally invasive robot-assistedsurgeries across itssystem. ThisachievementunderscoresOchsner’s longstanding commitmenttosurgical innovation,patient-centered care and excellence inadvanced medical technology.Ochsner patientsinBatonRouge, Lafayette,New Orleans and beyond arebenefitingfromfasterrecoveries,fewer complications andan overall bettersurgicalexperience thanks to this cutting-edgeapproach.
Ochsner MedicalCenter- NewOrleans andOchsner MedicalCenter- BatonRouge were the first hospitals in Louisiana to offer robotic-assisted surgeries.Today,thistechnologyisavailableacrossthe entire Ochsner system and in multiplespecialties, including gynecology, urology, transplant surgery colorectal surgery,orthopedics,thoracic surgery,ENT,surgicaloncology, bariatric surgery,and general surgery procedures Ochsner surgeons’ comprehensive adoption ofdiverse robot-assisted techniques is adistinctiveapproach that translatesto better care formorepatients.
“When we talk aboutminimallyinvasive surgery,wetalk aboutdoingthe surgeries through smaller incisions, whichtypically meanslesspain withthe surgery,lesspain postoperativelyand quicker recoveries wherethereislesstimeinthe hospitals,” saidKyleJakob,MD, general surgeon,Ochsner MedicalComplex-The Grove.“Butit’s stillusdoing thesurgery.When peoplehear ‘roboticsurgery,’ they thinkthismachineis going to do my surgery.We’re still in control of all of theinstrumentsand doingthe procedure with our ownhands; the robotissimply atool.”
OchsnerLafayetteGeneralOrthopedic Hospital has garnered national attention andisranked by U.S. News &World Report forexcellence in orthopedic care, particularlyinhip andknee replacement surgery.Itwas among thefirstlocations in the nationtooperatewiththree orthopedic roboticsystems,becoming aCenterofExcellenceknown forembracing innovation. Thiscontinued commitment hashelped transform even complexproceduresinto routineoperations
Paul Buzhardt,MD, orthopedic surgeon, Ochsner LafayetteGeneral OrthopedicHospital, said nearlyevery hipand knee replacement at thehospital involves robotics
“When we do these surgeries,weare recreating thepatient’s native anatomy,and whatwecan do robotically is infinitelymore exact thanwhatany surgeon candomanually,” said Dr.Buzhardt “You canmakeadjustments within aquarter ofamillimeter or halfa degree. What we have found is that it means patientsbounce back quickerand return to theirnormal rangeof motion muchfaster.”
In fact,Dr. Buzhardt said most patients who undergo total hip and knee replacements using robotics aremoving around within afew hoursofthe operation, and many areable to go home thatsame day. That’safar cry from 15 yearsago,when such an operation usually meant ahospital stay of at least three to fivedays.
At Ochsner Medical Center -New Orleans,Michael Maddox, MD,urologic surgicaloncologist,has alsoseen the transformativepowerofrobot-assisted surgery firsthand. Since joining Ochsnerin2015, Dr. Maddoxhas beenpart of abusyrobotics practice to help treatand manage conditions such as prostate,kidneyand bladder cancer,aswell as applications to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) -anenlargedprostate -and urinary reconstructiveprocedures
“The robotic technologymeans we have lesssoft tissue exposureand disruption, less bloodlossand lesspain,”Dr. Buzhardt said. “It’svery common formetosee apatienttwo weeksafter an operation without acane, a crutch or awalker.Usually,I’m having to tell themtotakeiteasy. Theyare going back to work faster and getting back to their social activities faster.”
“Robot-assisted prostate andbladder surgeries aredelicate procedures thatcan be life-savingfor people with cancer. In addition, with the help of robot-assisted surgery,wecan perform apartial nephrectomy -removing the tumor while preserving the healthypart of the kidney-tomaintain as much kidneyfunctionaspossible even when removing the most complexrenal tumors,”Dr. Maddox said. “The technology provides 10 times magnification, wristed instruments and elimination of tremor The capabilities are vastly better. Ithink all of thattranslates intoabetterpatientexperience.
Ochsner surgeonsspendextensive time masteringthesetools. While benefiting from the high-tech natureofthese systems,surgeonsremain fully in controlduring eachprocedure. Thesurgeons use advanced preoperativeimaging and testing to create personalized surgical plans and sometimes three-dimensional modelstoprepare foreach operation well ahead of time.
“Wetaketime to template and plan the surgery so we knowthe sizeofthe implant thatwill best fit the patientand anything thatweneedtowork around in the person’s anatomy,such as platesand rods from aprevious accidentorfracture,”Dr. Buzhardt said. “Fromasurgical standpoint, it means we just executethe plan we have devised once we gettothe operating room. Thereare no real surprises.”
Dr.Maddoxsaid interactive, patient-specific 3D models createdatOchsner using cross-sectionalimaging have proveninvaluable forintraoperativesurgical planning, particularly in complexcases with unique orabnormalanatomy.These3Dmodels have alsobeen helpful in the preoperative counseling of patients,who have uniformly enjoyedbeing able to seetheir anatomy and problem in amoredigestible visual model.
“Ochsner wasanearly adopter of robotic technology. We continue to seethe benefits, and the system continues to believe and invest in it,” he said. “I think the newest generation of this technologyisgoing to continue to unlockdifferentand unique capabilities and have positiveimplications forphysi-
cians and patients.”
Dr.Jakob said he is proud to work fora health systemthatcontinues to be at the forefrontofmedical innovation. In his recentworkwith the da Vinci5,one of the newest robot-assisted models from industry leader IntuitiveSurgical, Dr.Jakob said he has noticed abettersenseoffeel, giving surgeons an increased senseofhow much pressuretheyare exerting.
“We’ve been at the beginning of it and still we’reatthe forefrontofit. We areleading Louisiana in robotic surgeries,and we areproud to have the latest technology,”he said. “This is the latest and greatest robot that’scome out.”
The futureofrobot-assisted surgery at Ochsner looksevenmorepromising. With ongoing advancements on the horizon such as robot-assisted shoulder replacements and expanded useoftools forscrew placementand spinal procedures Ochsner surgeons arepoised to offer even safer, moretailored care.For patients across the Gulf South, this means the highest quality of care grounded in both technologyand human expertise.
N.O. summer camp forkidswithdisabilities celebrates 40 years
BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer
His eyes wide withwonder,Kenneth followed the path of the Gulf sturgeon, tracing his hand along its tank as his two counselors hovered nearby.Afew seconds later,his interestwas piqued by a glass enclosure of crawfish,and Kenneth made his way to try to spot one before zipping into the blue-hued room with stingray tanks to catcha glimpseofthe sharks.
“He told me not to worry because the sharks are in the tanks,” said Carolanne VanZandt, aCovingtonnative and firstyear medical studentatLSU whowas one of Kenneth’scounselors.
Kennethwas one of about 75 participants in Camp Tiger,asummercamp for New Orleans-area children aged 6to15 with arange of mental and physical disabilities.
Founded 40 years ago by two LSU medical students,Camp Tiger is entirely run by incoming first-year or rising secondyear medical students under the supervision of ahandful of facultyphysicians. For decades, Camp Tiger has offered children with disabilities in the greater New Orleans area aweek of classic summer camp experiences, from tripsto
the zoo and the arcade to making new friends.
“Allowing achild to be achild, to go out into the city and go to thezoo gives them asense of normalcy,abreak from their daily routine,” said Dr.Kyle Fulton, faculty adviser and medical director of the camp. “Our job is to makeitthe mostfun week for them.”
Asense of normalcy
This year’scamp, which took place the thirdweek of May,included atriptothe Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium. At least two counselorsaccompaniedeach camper around the aquarium, some mesmerized by thesharks,othersbraving the shallow pool to pet thestingrays.
Afew campers—exhausted from the day’searlierexcursion to thearcade— took breaks on benches throughout the aquarium, including Walker,acamper with Down syndrome, who sat on his counselor’slap and alternated between snatching his baseball cap off his head andhugging his counselor tightly
“This camp gives kids withdifferent abilitiesthe opportunity to attend aday camp when they otherwise mightnot be able to,” Fulton said.
Sometimes it canbedifficult for families to find camps willing to accommodate their child’sneeds, he said.
On the flip side, counselorsget firsthand experience with thefirstpatients of their medical careers. Fulton saidhe helps students understand the meaning of thecampers’ diagnoses, whichcan range from autism to cerebral palsy to
kidneyand heart disease. Fulton is on standby to take care of anymedical issues that might arise, from askinned knee or nausea from theTilt-a-Whirl.
“Just being able tosee the work we can do in thecommunity,it’sreally inspiring,”saidPatrick Schwing, asecond-year medical student who was one of Walker’s counselors.
Overthe course of aweek, counselors form close bonds with theircampers and practice clinical skills, as well as patience.
Charlie McKenzie, arising secondyear medical student who servedasthis year’s camp director, saidpreparations for camp begin around Septemberwith planning for the auction,the main fundraiser for the camp. This year,the group raised $145,000, enough to cover thecosts of attendance for each camper
“It puts aface to thediagnosis,” McKenzie said,describing thesmile and laughterofone camper —who uses a wheelchair —asshe rode the Ferris wheel. “They’re still just kids being kids.”
Astoried history
Camp Tigerwas thebrainchild of Dr Kevin Conrad, who co-founded the camp hisfirstyearofmedical school with his now-wife Dr.Marianne Maumus. Conrad said the camphad humble beginnings itsfirst year,when about 20 medical studentsand 40 campers participated. Thecamp was born from conversations with fellow medicalstudentsabout how
ä See TIGER, page 2Y
The 100-Item Challenge is back. Andthe need is as great if not greater —than ever
The challenge is simple: We askreaders, whether as individuals or groups,todonate alistof 100 items(in total) to their local food banks,specifically: n 10 cans of tuna n 10 jars of peanut butter n 10 bags of drybeans n 10 cans of canned meat n 10 cans of vegetables n 10 cans of chili n 10 cans of soup n 10 bags or boxes of pasta n 10 cans of tomato sauce n 10 boxes of cornbread mix.
One of the beautiful things about this challenge is that if gatheringall 100 itemsfeels overwhelming, you’re encouraged to split thelist with afriend, your family,your neighbor or your book club. Youdon’thave to do it all alone —and the ripple effect can be powerful. One act of generosityoften leads to another
The challenge runs through Sept. 22 and is designed to help food banks acrossLouisiana through the summer, atime when donations typically decreaseand need increases Over the pasttwo yearsin particular,the hunger crisis in Louisiana has grown increasingly dire.
Last year,Iwrote that challenges like this work because most people aremorethan willingtohelp, but they need someone to say, “Let’sdothis —that’swhereyou comein. Consider this your challenge to be that person. Last year,readersdelivered tons of canned and bagged nonperishables to food banks acrossLouisiana. Even people in other states took part. From Sunday school classestoexercisegroups,they took the initiative to donate food, driven by basic generosity,compassion or adesiretofeel more connected in world that sometimes feels overwhelming and lonely
The 100 itemsinthe challenge add up to about 82 pounds.I originally imagined tracking a specific number of tons donated, but with so many food banks involved —and no way to tag which donations were partofthe challenge —itjustisn’t possible. Butthat’snot really the point, is it?
Anditdoesn’ttake away from the power of what we’re doing together
PROVIDED PHOTO
The 10 a.m. AquaFit class at the PaulaManshipy in Baton Rouge committed to the 100 food item challenge —and succeeded. They call themselvesWomen of the Water
The point is to help feed the hungry. To whom much is given, much is required.
Iinvite readerswho participate to email me apictureof themselves with their 100 items. I’ll do my besttoshareasmany as possible in the coming weeks. There is alot of hurttohelp heal in this world. Rarely can we
ä See RISHER, page 2Y
STAFF PHOTOSByBRETT DUKE
Camp TigercounselorsCarolanne VanZandt and Cade Harkrider walk withKenneth,9,astheytour theAudubon Aquarium and Insectarium recently in NewOrleans. The visit waspartofaCampTiger field trip
Camp Tigercounselors Christopher Gillen,left, and Patrick Schwing, right, sit withWalker,10, after asnack.
Carolanne VanZandt, aCamp Tigercounselor,dances with Aiden, 8.
INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS
ASK THE EXPERTS
BR engineer teaches free tai chi classes
Practice can benefit whole
body, mind
BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer
Jie Gu is an engineer by day and passionate tai chi advocate. She believes the best way to promote something is not by talking but by offering.
In 2023, Gu founded the Tai Chi Club to provide free, in-person classes in the Baton Rouge area at least four times a month with community support. She also publishes tutorial videos to make learning accessible online.
Gu began practicing tai chi in 2018 to improve her well-being. The ongoing health benefits inspired her to keep practicing and keep growing In 2024, she achieved her dream by winning a world champion title in the demonstration group’s 32-movement Tai Chi Sword event at the 4th World Taijiquan Championships in Singapore. Now her students are following in her footsteps — not only experiencing the healing power of tai chi but also winning competitions. Some will represent the United States at the Pan American Championships in Mexico this November For more information on how to get involved, visit taichiclub.net/ about/. What do you wish more people knew about tai chi?
Tai chi is still a niche sport, and people may think it’s a weird thing, but I’m so glad I got to meet so many nice people who really put their energy, time and trust in me. One lady told me she would monitor her blood sugar before and after the class, and it made a difference.
Q&A WITH JIE GU
CHI TEACHER
I want to promote tai chi to a wider audience so that more people can benefit from it. Other sports are expensive, and they need equipment, or you need a partner For tai chi, you don’t need anything, just yourself I teach you a few movements, and then you can practice on your own at your home.
You don’t need to practice at a studio or with a teacher You just need to calm down, focus on yourself, and do the movement. Only you can connect your mind with the movements. The breath control increases your self control and self awareness.
How can people attend your tai chi classes?
The East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library at 7711 Goodwood Blvd. has class at 6 p.m. on the following days: n July 6 and 20 n Aug. 3 and 17
n Sept. 7 and 21
n Oct. 5 and 19
n Nov 2 and 16
n Dec. 7 and 21
Can you tell me more about the 17th Golden State International Wushu Championships?
That was in California. There are five ladies in the class who worked so hard. They didn’t know each other before the class We met together, and they also had self practice without me. I offered weekly training once a week, but they said that wasn’t enough, so they met on their own. They are all best friends now We competed as a team and flew to California together at the end of May We impressed the whole audience. We are se-
nior ladies; maybe our group is the oldest group, but we are so graceful. Each lady won a medal in their individual events, and six of us together won the first place trophy in the group event.
How has the tai chi group helped to form a sense of community? You can practice tai chi individually, but it is more fun to practice as a group. Our movements feel just like we are the wave in the ocean. When we move together, the energy field is enhanced. And you want to work harder in a group since you see other people working hard. It really enhances the connection. We want to meet more often. What are some of the health benefits of tai chi?
Other sports focus are localized, focusing on one part of the body Tai chi movements involve the whole body I had anemia, and my blood cell count is lower than others. The movements improve my blood circulation We have self-healing capacity as a human, so we need circulation so the bad things can be removed faster Tai chi also helps to relieve mental stress. It’s a very good community sport, and we have a common goal that keeps people motivated. I hope anybody can benefit from it, and it’s a no-harm solution to improve your health. This interview was edited for length and clarity
Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@theadvocate. com.
26 states remain in 2025 Postcard Project
BY JAN RISHER Staff writer
One month into the fourth annual Postcard Project, we have received 66 postcards representing 24 states and 11 countries.
Ten of those postcards came from within the borders of Louisiana, including one from Jane S., who suggests that we try to see how many towns in Louisiana we can receive postcards from it’s a good idea. I like it! At this point, we’re missing Arkansas, Colorado Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Alan Krouse, of Gonzales, sent a postcard from Iowa en route to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. He took a detour and visited the Field of Dreams in Iowa on his way to watch his beloved Tigers.
In a postcard from Matthew T. from Rossendale in the United Kingdom, he recommends the book, “Mrs. Palfrey at the Clare-
mont,” by Elizabeth Taylor (not that Elizabeth Taylor) I’m not sure why he recommended it, but with a bit of research, I think he may be on to something. It seems like a book I might enjoy It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1971 and set in London in the 1960s. I think I may check it out.
Martha Panzeca, of New Orleans, sent a postcard from New York City She wrote, “The last time I was in NYC (1970), I visited the Guggenheim. I walked up the spiraling ramp, huffing and puffing.
I barely made it Five days ago, I visited the Guggenheim, took an elevator to the top and floated down the ramp, having a glorious time, letting gravity do its thing. Duh! It was amazing!”
The goal of the Postcard Project is to receive postcards from all 50 states and as many countries as possible — a goal achieved in previous years. To participate, send postcards to: Jan Risher, The Advocate, 10705 Rieger Road Baton Rouge, LA 70809.
The 2025 Postcard Project will end Labor Day weekend.
Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com
TIGER
Continued from page 1y
they would spend their time after finishing up their first year. They wanted to put their medical knowledge to use in the community, and “it just grew from there.”
Since then, though the budget has grown, the format of the camp has remained the same with daily excursions to local attractions. The camp has been handed down year-to-year to first-year medical students who run the logistics for the week and put on a fundraiser to ensure the experience can stay free for kids and families.
“We thought it would go on for a year or so and had no idea it would go on many decades later,” Conrad said. Conrad added that for medical students, exposure to what the families and caregivers of children with disabilities go through on a daily basis can foster instrumental lessons for future doctors.
“You get a lesson in patience,” Conrad said, “and you learn about the simple pleasures of being a child.”
from page 1y
Jie Gu and her Tai Chi Club team perform at the Lantern Festival in the LSU Ballroom on Feb 22.
PROVIDED PHOTOS
Jie Gu performs the 32-movement
Tai Chi Sword routine at the 4th World Taijiquan Championships in Singapore on Aug. 27.
Jie Gu instructs a hand form tai chi class at the East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library on Jan. 19.
STAFF PHOTOS By JAN RISHER
ABOVE: The tenth Louisiana postcard received for the 2025 Postcard Project
BELOW: Postcard from Alan Krouse, of Gonzales, who took a road trip to Nebraska for the College World Series.
NewOrleans preschoolbringsdatatoplaytime
Facility focuses on kindergarten readiness
BY ANNETTE SISCO Staff writer
In alight and airy classroom at Early Partnerspreschool, in arenovated firehousein New Orleans’ LowerGarden District,three little boys are playing with blocks.
Towers and walls risefrom the carpet, and small vehicles are pushed between them. There’sanongoing, low conversation among the playmates.
where only 60% of students overall are prepared for that step.
And even as she watches her students beat theodds one at atime, theHarvard-educated preschool director’seye is on something much bigger
“Wewant to change the game.We want to raise the bar, be ademonstration site, for(other educators) to learn from us,and for us to learn fromthem,” Frusciante said Measuringmilestones
Research showsthatsmall children learn through play
Manker and other teachers watched the2-year-oldclass in theWild Space, awide, enclosed lawn that opens unexpectedly from theback doors of the preschool. Here, childrenplay whileteachers observe and quietly adjust activities to challenge the students’ skills.
“Weopen those gates, and it’sanacre of land that has natural materials. We’ll be bird watching, we’ll be running freely.There’sbamboo in the corner.They can choose several different areas and build with things, roll over logs,” Manker said. Such activities can be correlated with important benchmarks toward school readiness.
STAFFPHOTO By
Allison Manker works with2-year-oldJojo Knaps at a sensorytable at Early Partners recently in NewOrleans.
their moment in the sun.
State Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, calledon Louisiana to rethink its priorities, usingprograms like the nonprofit, inclusive preschool as amodel.
“This year,we’re spending over $100 million on juvenile detentioncenters. Imagine the impact if even afraction of that went toward high-quality early childhood education instead,” Duplessis said. Andthere were somebig announcements.
Frusciante
From across the room, Kim Frusciante, founder and executive director of Early Partners, sees morethan a game. She sees progress among three newer students who might not have played so calmly together a year ago. She sees cooperation, focus and imagination. She sees building blocks —ofsuccess in school and life.
Early Partners is an innovative, nonprofit early learning center for about 100 children from 1to5years old, focused on data-driven preparation for kindergarten. To make Early Partnersaccessible to families of all income levels, theschoolpartnerswith local employerswho sponsor their workers’ child care, leveraging public funding to help pay for community seats. Donors, grantsand tuition bringin other revenue. The result is astudent body that mirrors the diverse demographics of New Orleans by design and is helping solve the vexing problem of children arriving in kindergarten unprepared.
Fruscianteisproud to say that 100%leave the program kindergarten-ready, aremarkable achievement in astate
Sustained, imaginative play develops the attention span andcuriosityneededtoexcel later in school. Research also showsthat data-driven analysisofstudents’ skills can help teachers pinpoint potential problem areas.
At Early Partners, both play and data are crucial.
While 2-year-olds can’t check off answerstomultiplechoice word problems,they can be evaluated by atrained teacher for the important milestones of brain development, said Allison Manker, lead teacher of the2-year-old group at Early Partners.
“Weasteachers are teacher researchers,”said Manker, whostudied anthropology and environmental science at NorthwesternUniversity andcame to Early Partners threeyears ago fromLouise S. McGehee’sLittle Gate preschool.
“It’sincumbentupon us to take notes. How are they walking? How do they take stairs?” When the children scribble,“we takenotes on the marks theyare making. Are they sophisticated letters or full-handed swirls?” Attention spans and the abilityto continueaconversationare other important markers.
Collecting data“allowsus to keep track based on developmental milestones that are state-based or nationally based. We tailor our activities or play,and they can surpass what we think they are capable of,” Manker said. On arecent sunny morning,
In arecent video interview, Michael Hecht, president and CEOofGreater NewOrleans Inc., observed of Early Partners: “The data focus is somethingwe’ve seen in higher grades. The fact that it’sbeing applied in pre-K is revolutionary.”
Growingyoung brains
Ninety percent of thebrain is formed before kindergarten, according to theNational InstitutesofHealth.Those earlyyears are crucial to developing the neural connections forreasoning, as well as the social and emotional skills that allow students to thrive in elementary school and beyond.
AgraduateofTulane University,Frusciante taught high schoolinDallasbefore returning to NewOrleans to teach at Collegiate Academies, acharter school network. She helped lead the network’sfirst expansion school andlater aided with school startups, instructional design, data-driven improvement and talent development. Along the way, shehad herfirst child, Edith.
“I learneda lotabout brain development in young children afterI had my daughter andstarted to draw parallels with the high school students Iwas seeing,”Frusciantesaid. “Wehad studentsentering
high school at the third and fourth grade reading levels.” Edith recently turned 10 Thecouple has ason as well, Andy,who is 6.
Becoming amother,and confronting the obstacles that frustrated success in her high schoolers, sparked Frusicante’s decisiontogoback to the roots of education: preschool. She returned to theclassroom as astudenttoearn a Master’sinEducational Leadership at HarvardGraduate School of Education, where she graduated with tophonors. While there, she dreamed of apreschoolwhere the science of early childhood development would meet equity and inclusion.
Today,the nonprofit Early Partners continues to collaborate closely with Harvard through research and leadership development.
‘Itdoesn’t seem likework’
Shada Lassaiwas working as an applied behavior therapist for students withautism at the Chartwell Center in NewOrleans threeyears ago and was looking for day care for her daughter,Gianna, then 1. She found Early Partners online and realized it would be agood fit —for mother and child alike.
Lassai’sstrong background in evidence-based ABA therapy,coupled with the method’s positive, child-ledapproach, complemented theEarlyPartners philosophy
“Having it be child-led, it is easier todeliver material,”
“It doesn’t seem like work,” saidLassai. “They are learningthrough play.Likemy daughtersays, ‘Wehad so much fun.’”
Kindergarten will require the ability to work in groups and share.Being able to enter agroup, beingabletoplay with friends and payingattention for longerperiodsare all essential.
“Some kids are notable to enter agroup properly,” Lassai said. “Weteach those skills.”
This year Gianna, now4,isa student in Early Partner’s innovative Forest School, where classes andactivitiestake place outdoors, whatever the weather.Logsserve as chairs and the floor of the “classroom” is grass and earth.
“She’sdoing awhole different experience of preschool,” Lassei said.
Partnershipsand more
If “ittakes avillage to raise achild,” it might also be said thatittakes partnerships to educate amodern-day classroom full of children. The first partnersare those children’sfamilies. Early Partners also hasjoineda powerful array of others, including fellow nonprofits, philanthropists,educators and child advocates. At arecent cocktail-hour eventcalledConvergence, manyofthose partners looked on as EarlyPartners’ progress was celebrated anddonors got
Theschoolunveiledplans for amajor expansion that will nearly doubleits size over the next three years, as well as a partnershipwith ThriveKids Student Wellness, aprogram of Manning Family Children’s Hospital, for programming thatwill support studentswith developmental delays anddisabilities.
Alocal donor,Tania Hahn, announced that she wouldforgive aloan to Early Partners for $100,000. Another donor pledgeda $25,000 matching gift
Just afew days later,a $250,000 grant wasconfirmed, courtesy of the New OrleansRedevelopmentAuthoritythrough Agenda for Children.
Andwhile the financialcontributions are vital, Frusciante might be just as excited about the preschool being the first early childhood education centerinthe nationrepresented at All MeansAll, a15-month leadership development partnership that brings together school leaders, superintendents andcharter networks committed to inclusiveeducation All Means All is abig pond for the smallnonprofitpreschool. Frusciante described AllMeans Allas“generally folks whoare more in charge of multiple schools,” like the superintendent of adistrict serving 17,000 kids.
“And thenIstand up and say,‘Iamthe founderofEarly Partners, and Iserve 100 kids. But we arejust getting started.”
FAITH & VALUES
Millennial saint inspires next generation
Carlo Acutis known as ‘God’s influencer’
CLAIRE GIANGRAVE
Contributing writer
In a low-definition video, sitting behind a desk in front of a blue, plain backdrop, the 15-year-old Carlo Acutis looks straight into the camera: “I am destined to die,” he says, followed by a smile, an enigmatic roll of his shoulders, and a clap. Two months later, on Oct. 12, 2006, he died of acute myeloid leukemia. The curly haired Italian kid could not have known at the time that he would become the first millennial saint who would inspire thousands of believers of all ages to venerate “God’s influencer.”
Initially scheduled for April 27, Acutis’ canonization at the Vatican was postponed when Pope Francis died on April 21 Pope Leo XIV announced June 13 that Acutis will be sainted Sept. 7, along with another young person, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Acutis’ “reputation of holiness,” part of any saint’s cause, has taken the church by storm. He is referred to by many names: the saint in sneakers, the patron of the Internet, God’s jester or — as Pope Francis described him the saint next door
The unique aspect of the first millennial saint is that his life is not buried in history books or hidden in dusty archives; people can grasp who he was by talking to those who knew him, watching pictures and videos of him and even tracing the few footprints he left on the internet.
His family, friends and teachers describe him as a kid like many others, someone who was always up for a laugh, failing at math but sought after by girls and keen on video games and movies. They describe him as a good person who helped those in need and went out of his way to be kind. Some also describe his devotion to the Eucharist, his daily visits to church and his timid yet resolute defense of his Catholic faith.
Acutis is proof that anyone can become a saint in the Catholic Church, an aspiration that any believer is encouraged to achieve. But the church’s process of canonization, with its many steps and investigations, rules and rituals, pilgrims and relics, exists in a separate reality that few fully grasp. The machine of Acutis’ sainthood process, spread in every continent and across all media, has overshadowed the reality of Carlo’s life. In some respects, Acutis was not your average 15-year-old boy Born in London on May 3, 1991, into a very wealthy family, he enjoyed a life of privilege. His father, Andrea Acutis, runs a prominent Italian insurance company, Vittoria Assicurazioni and his mother, Antonia Salzano, came from a near-aristocratic family with ties to the publishing industry
Acutis spent his short, sheltered life in Milan, carefully attended to by babysitters and attending private Catholic schools in the Ital-
ian financial capital. Miraculously enough, Acutis’ friends say that he was down to earth and empathetic.
“Carlo lived his privilege in a very normal way One felt at home in his house. He was a boy who didn’t put up walls — some people we knew had a much more snobbish attitude, but he was able to befriend anyone,” said his best friend from middle school, Federico Oldani. “But he also saw wealth as a responsibility, a means to help others.”
Oldani said he knew about Acutis’ religious beliefs, but that it wasn’t something he openly shared.
Some who knew him said they weren’t struck by Acutis’ faith in fact many didn’t even know he was Catholic
“He was a very reserved person, very curious, always asking questions, but at the same time very private meaning that I only learned certain things about him later,” said Fabrizio Zappa, who taught Acutis religion at Milan’s Leo XIII Institute, a Catholic high school, from 2005 until Acutis’ death.
Zappa described Acutis as “always smiling” and willing to help others but had only a few hints of his spirituality Acutis was the only one in his class to voice an interest in spiritual discussion groups and defended Catholic teaching on abortion during a classroom debate.
But Zappa said he was surprised when he heard that his former student would become a saint “I didn’t want to believe it initially, in the sense that there could have been so many others just like him, the saints next door,” he said.
Others had the chance to see Acutis’ charity and faith up close. His parents, who described themselves as only culturally Catholic, claim that they were converted by their son’s zeal and love for Christ. His guardian and housekeeper Rajesh Mohur, a Hindu Brahmin from Mauritius, claims he was converted by Acutis, whom he referred to as his “little catechist.”
According to reports from those who knew him, Acutis volunteered to help the poor and marginalized, and he worked as a catechist in his parish.
Acutis is best known for his devotion to the Eucharist Monsignor Gianfranco Poma, the parish priest of his church, Santa Maria Segreta in Milan, wrote in an article on the diocesan paper about the “honest and smiling” teenager who would come almost every day to pray and adore the Eucharist.
Oldani, who today is an aerospace engineer, said Acutis taught himself how to code and used his knowledge to create a website detailing Eucharistic miracles, saying often, “The Eucharist is the highway to heaven.”
Some who knew him found the idea of Acutis’ sainthood confusing.
Oldani and some other friends were surprised when people flocked to Acutis’ funeral Mass, recounting stories of his holiness, and even more surprised when a growing number of followers be-
gan posting religious content on the Facebook group his friends had created after his death.
“I quickly realized that he would become a saint,” Oldani said, “because I immediately realized that there was an immediate interest and attention to him.”
But his friend said he was surprised by how quickly Acutis’ sainthood process went
“In my mind, I thought it would happen when I was 80 years old and an old man,” he said.
Centuries ago, it was not uncommon for saints to be proclaimed by popular acclamation, until, in the 1600s, the Vatican ruled that at least 50 years had to pass before a person could be proclaimed a saint, according to Kenneth L. Woodward, author of “Making Saints: How the Catholic Church Determines Who Becomes a Saint, Who Doesn’t, and Why.”
Under Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, the canonization process was sped up to avoid losing precious information about the candidate to time, Woodward explained, but what matters most “is creating a story to be told” — a model for faithful to aspire to.
Two miracles have been attributed to Acutis: the miraculous healing of a Brazilian child suffering from
a pancreatic disease in 2013 and the sudden recovery of a Costa Rican woman suffering a head injury in 2022.
“You can study a person’s life, but that is a human endeavor,” Woodward said. “You need a sign confirming that the person is actually a saint.”
But canonization remains “a very human process,” Woodward added. There is a considerable sum of money involved, as much as 1 million euros to pay for lawyers, postulators, researchers and paperwork. As a result, criticism has been weighed against the Vatican’s increased saint-making zeal, which earned the department the title of “the workshop of saints.”
Francis reformed the Vatican department charged with dispensing halos in 2022, simplifying procedures and imposing rigid controls on the management of funds.
Woodward believes that it’s unlikely for people to be able to influence canonization causes today, but he did admit that the creation of the “reputation for holiness,” through books, media and movies leaves ample space for well-connected and wealthy Catholics to further the sainthood of their preferred candidate.
Acutis’ fame quickly grew far
beyond the confines of the small neighborhood in Milan where he lived and studied. Official reports stated that hundreds of thousands come to see his resting place in the town of Assisi in central Italy, where they can see him wearing a sweatshirt and sneakers, with an uncannily realistic wax mask that resembles his face while sleeping.
The disarming simplicity of Acutis’ holiness has drawn young people to the Catholic Church, which has long struggled to connect with new generations.
His life has been explored in dozens of books, podcasts, articles and films, many created with younger audiences in mind. In this, Acutis shares something with the medieval St. Francis of Assisi, whose first biography was written soon after his death in 1226 by a close companion, Thomas of Celano. “The Little Flowers of St. Francis,” a later collection of legends and stories, became one of the most beloved books of the Middle Ages and helped spread Francis’ fame across Europe. He was canonized just two years after his death.
Acutis’ body was moved to the Sanctuary of the Renunciation in 2017, the location where St. Francis renounced all his worldly possessions.
“Carlo is a translation of sainthood in modern and contemporary terms,” Sorrentino said. “Carlo puts us with our backs against the wall in our call to holiness and says: ‘listen, if you can’t do what Francis does, at least do what I do.’”
Today, Sorrentino said, more pilgrims come to Assisi to visit Acutis’ tomb than St. Francis’.
Many of Francis’ earliest followers were his wealthy friends, and after his death, thousands of young men joined the Franciscan order he founded. His emphasis on preaching and public conversion played a key role in this growth.
In a society overflowing with noise and competing voices — especially for the attention of the young — the “Roadmap to Reality” film suggests Acutis offers something different: a faith that shines inward, inviting believers to look within.
Beekeepers, researchers team up to track bees’ diet
Washington experts strive to keep insects healthy
BY RISA SCHNEBLY Contributing writer
Editor’s note: This story, created by Risa Schnebly for Cascadia Daily News, is part of the AP Storyshare. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world
As honeybee colonies are collapsing at devastating rates, solutions for keeping bees healthy are in high demand. One Washington State University researcher has come up with a unique one: tracking what bees are eating.
“Just like humans, bees are what they eat,” said Priyadarshini Basu, a recently hired assistant professor at the university’s Honey Bees + Pollinator program.
Basu is building a national database that tracks what food sources bees have access to at different times of year
Having that knowledge, she believes, will help both commercial beekeepers and hobbyists keep their colonies healthy. And no, the goal isn’t making a calorie-counting app for bees. Rather, Basu hopes to help make sure colonies are getting a diverse set of nutrients.
“Keepers are spending anywhere between 44 to 47 million dollars annually providing supplemental feeding to their colonies, and protein supplements are a huge part of that,” Basu said. “So, if a beekeeper is able to know what is in bloom in their region… or if they have nothing blooming at a particular time in the year… they can be better prepared.”
Basu has been building the database by enlisting local beekeepers to collect the pollen their bees bring home. To do that, beekeepers use a device that narrows the hive entrance so bees have to wriggle through a small hole to get inside. In the process, all the pollen that stuck to a bee’s body as it zipped between flowers gets knocked off.
The beekeeper can then collect that pollen and mail it to Basu’s lab, where she and a team of graduate students meticulously sort through it, categorizing the tiny
pollen particles by color
Each pollen color comes from a different plant. So, Basu’s lab can tell which plants bees are getting the most pollen from by seeing which color is the most common. By collecting that kind of data throughout the year, Basu and her team can start to tell when bees in a region will have access to plants with different kinds of essential nutrients.
Basu believes giving beekeepers
that information will help them anticipate how to best feed their colonies: “[A beekeeper] could look at the database and say ‘Alright, this is the time of year when I must feed my bees these protein supplements because there is no pollen in the landscape.’”
She hopes hobbyist beekeepers will help collect data from across the state. Additionally, she hopes to eventually publish the database online for anyone to access.
Basu has found one enthusiastic volunteer in Dawn Beck, who serves as the vice president of both Skagit and Whatcom counties Beekeepers Associations and as a board member of three more local beekeeping clubs.
“I wanted a hobby when I retired, and I tend to go pretty deep into my hobbies,” Beck laughed, “and so here we are.”
Beck spends her Saturdays driving her truckload of beekeeping tools across Skagit and Whatcom counties to check on more than 50 beehives that she helps manage, inviting curious locals to join her and learn about beekeeping while she’s at it.
In the 10 years since Beck retired, she’s mastered the beekeeping basics. Most of her colonies survive the cold winters, and some have survived for years. But she recognizes that these days, most other beekeepers aren’t so lucky
“It’s harder to keep bees alive now than it used to be,” she lamented.
That’s why Beck is excited to help Basu collect data, and to rally other beekeepers to do the same.
“Hopefully, in time, we’ll learn more about the bees so we can keep them healthier and stronger.”
PHOTO PROVIDED By ‘CARLO ACUTIS: ROADMAP TO REALITy’ young pilgrims view the body of Carlo Acutis at the Santa Maria Maggiore Church in Assisi, Italy
PROVIDED PHOTO By SANTIAGO OCHOA
Dawn Beck uses small wire cages to isolate honeycomb
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
An image of 15-year-old Carlo Acutis is unveiled during his beatification ceremony, celebrated by Cardinal Agostino Vallini in the St. Francis Basilica, in Assisi, Italy, on Oct. 10, 2020.
SUNDAY, JUNe 29, 2025
CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley
SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr
GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne
MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters
ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson
ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis
directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.
word game
instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
todAY's Word — cHAuVinist: SHO-vihnist: One who exhibits an attitude of superiority toward members of the opposite sex. Average mark 41 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 58 or more words in CHAUVINIST?
ken ken
instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner
instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally
Sudoku
goren Bridge
A fine duck
South’s two no-trump bid in this balancing position is a wideranging bid. South could have had much less for the bid. North had to raise with his hand, hoping South could find nine tricks.
South had 17 points, but he had his hands full with this one.
wuzzLes
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
Quiz
Many would cover the jack of hearts lead with dummy’s queen. South saw that he would need a trick or two from the diamond suit If he played the queen of hearts at trick one and East had the ace of diamonds, East would win the ace at some point and return his remaining heart and the contract would fail. Should West have the ace of diamonds, he could not also have the king of spades for his weak two bid, so the contract could not be made whatever South did. South decided to play low from dummy on the opening lead and he also played low from his hand. West continued with the ace and another heart South won with the king and led a spade to dummy’s jack. East took the king and shifted to a club. Declarer won in hand with the ace and led a spade to dummy’s ace. A low diamond to his
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Avoid letting outside influences distract you from finishing what you start. Change is difficult, but once you adopt a simpler lifestyle, you can engage in what makes you happy. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Focus more on learning, expanding your circle and challenging your mind and the creative process. Refuse to let outsiders force manipulative tactics on you, causing inconsistency and emotional setbacks that can be costly
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Emotional energy is building and requires an outlet to push you in a positive
king won the trick. South cashed the king of clubs, led a club to dummy’s queen, and cashed the jack of clubs while discarding a low spade. A diamond toward his queen got him his ninth trick Well played!
direction. Take the initiative, volunteer to help a cause and be the one to make a difference.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Stop and assess what’s happening from afar If you are too close to an emotional situation, you will get sucked into something you find taxing. Direct your energy toward home and professional enhancements
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) A change will influence your emotional outlook regarding partnerships and who you trust and value. Trying something new will show you the path to personal happiness and money management.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Activities that require mental and physical agility will keep you out of trouble. Avoid situations that allow others to back you into an emotional corner CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Avoid unsavory situations that disrupt relationships with friends or relatives. A physical change that updates your image will boost your morale and give you the confidence to share your thoughts
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You want to strive to stabilize your life, not disrupt it. Set a budget, and refine and design how you see your space
changing to suit your lifestyle and the modifications you want to pursue.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) You have more clout than you realize. The impression you make will be gratifying and fetch support from friends and lovers alike. A change of scenery will spark your imagination and invite interesting encounters
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Too much, too far, too many; avoid excessive behavior in all aspects of life. Your best path forward is the one that engages in discussions that broaden your perspective.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) When you feel your anger mounting, remove yourself from the situation quickly A change of heart will lead to new beginnings.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Aim to please and to help bring about positive change. Protect yourself from situations that threaten your physical and emotional well-being. Trust your instincts.
SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?
Saturday's Cryptoquote: I've got sunshine on a cloudy day.—The Temptations
jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly
