The Acadiana Advocate 06-30-2025

Spotty internet an ordeal in rural areas

Federalprogram

promising fast networkfalters

BY JENNA ROSS |Staff writer

EAST CARROLL PARISH When the internet is iffyinLakeProvidence, as it often is, Brittany Lyons, theowner of an in-home care service, has a backup. She drives ahalf mile to thehospital where her sister works and asks to use their network, which is abit more reliable.

At the local U-Haul rental outlet, manager Kyla Richardson is used to pulling out her smartphone to help customers when the store’sinternet falters.Tohost arecent training session, the district attorney’soffice borrowed apersonal Wi-Fihot spot from the library Glenn Dixon, an investigator with the District Attorney’soffice, flipped through apaper calendarearlierthis month, shaking his head. The office manager scrawls “No internet,” on days that their line-of-sightwireless service is down.

May 2024: Out for three days. June 2024: out for five.

“Storm,” she wrote in August 2024. Out for 10.

“Wecan’tgopaperless likemany offices are doing now,” Dixonsaid, his desk covered in folders, loose

Manning,a retired teacher, has been pushingfor broadband in LakeProvidence. As program director for the Together for Hope House she organizes drives for diapers and school supplies

Robert‘Bob’ Neilson was appointed by the state to run the Washington Parish city and fix Bogalusa’s financial problemsafter MayorTyrin Truong was arrested.

FOR THE KING

BY KEITH SPERA |Staff writer

The Rolling Stones don’tcontribute to tribute albums. Theydon’t releaserecordings billedas “The Rolling Stones featuring …” someother artist. And Mick Jagger doesn’tsing in Creole French. But they did forClifton Chenier TheRolling Stones recorded“Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” for“ATributetothe King of Zydeco,” which commemorates the 100th anniversary of Chenier’sbirth.

On the new album, “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” is credited to “The Rolling Stones featuring Steve Riley,”anacknowledgement of the southwest Louisiana accordionist’sextensive contribution to the track.

Jagger sings in “perfect midcenturyCreole French, not Parisian French,” notes C.C. Adcock,the Lafayette guitarist who produced the Stones’ first zydeco recording. “He does his homework.”

TheStones’ take on “Zydeco SontPas Salés” opens “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” which the Eunice-based Valcour Records released Friday as both aCDand avinyl LP

The song is also available as astandalone 7-inch vinyl single issued jointly by Valcour, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and Arhoolie Records. The single’sflip side features Chenier’s1965 recording of “Zydeco et Pas Salés.”

See STONES, page 3A

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

STAFFPHOTO By JENNA ROSS

Wanda

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Lafayette guitaristand record producerC.C Adcock left saxophonist and artist Dickie LandryandRolling Stones singer Mick Jagger pose during alunch at Antoine’s Restaurantin New Orleans’ French Quarter on May3,2024. The Rolling Stonesperformedatthe NewOrleans Jazz& Heritage Festival the previous day

Lafayetteguitarist and

ä See INTERNET, page 4A

Russia launches biggest aerial attack of war

KYIV Ukraine Russia launched its biggest aerial attack against Ukraine overnight, a Ukrainian official said Sunday part of an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the 3-year-old war Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said. Of these, 249 were shot down and 226 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.

The onslaught was “the most massive airstrike” on the country since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, taking into account both drones and various types of missiles, Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine’s air force, told The Associated Press. The attack targeted several regions, including western Ukraine, far from the front line. Poland and allied countries scrambled aircraft to ensure the safety of Polish airspace, the country’s air force said.

Three people were killed in each of the drone strikes in the Kherson, Kharkiv and the Dnipropetrovsk regions, according to the three governors.

Another person was killed by an airstrike in Kostyantynivka, local officials said. In addition to aerial attacks, a man died when Russian troops shelled the city of Kherson, and the body of a 70-year-old woman was found under the rubble of a nine-story building hit by Russian shelling in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Iran releases death toll of Israel’s prison attack DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Dozens of staff members, two inmates and a bystander were among the casualties of Israel’s attack last week on Tehran’s Evin prison, a notorious facility where many political prisoners and dissidents have been held

The death toll from the strike was released Sunday by Iran’s judiciary and confirmed by human rights groups as the oneweek mark of the ceasefire between Israel and Iran approaches, despite suspicions on both sides about whether the truce will hold.

Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir posted on the office’s official Mizan news agency website that at least 71 people were killed on Monday, including staff, soldiers, prisoners and members of visiting families.

While officials did not provide a breakdown of the casualty figures, the Washington-based Human Rights Activists in Iran said that at least 35 were staff members and two were inmates. Others killed included a person walking in the prison vicinity and a woman who went to meet a judge about her imprisoned husband’s case, the organization said.

The June 23 attack, the day before the ceasefire between Israel and Iran took hold, hit several prison buildings and prompted concerns from rights groups about inmates’ safety

Thousands set up street blockades in Serbia

BELGRADE, Serbia Thousands of people Sunday set up street blockades in Serbia, angry over the arrest of anti-government protesters who clashed with police at a massive rally a day earlier demanding early elections.

Protesters put up metal fences and garbage containers at various locations in the capital Belgrade, also blocking a key bridge over the Sava river Protesters in the northern city of Novi Sad pelted the offices of the ruling populist Serbian Progressive Party with eggs.

Serbian media said similar protest blockades were organized in smaller cities in the Balkan country Protesters on Sunday demanded that authorities release dozens of university students and other protesters who were jailed for attacking the police or for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government at the rally Saturday in Belgrade.

Tens of thousands of people attended the rally held after nearly eight months of persistent dissent that has rattled populist President Aleksandar Vucic

Democrats force reading of bill

Measure read for 16 hours before debate began in Senate of Trump’s tax, spending bill

BY LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

WASHINGTON Hours be-

fore a tumultuous nearingmidnight vote on President Donald Trump’s package of tax breaks, spending cuts and increased deportation money, a Republican senator stood on the chamber floor and implored the plan’s critics, Read the bill.”

After the dramatic 51-49 roll call late Saturday, Senate Democrats did exactly that.

Unable to stop the march toward passage of the 940page bill by Trump’s Fourth of July deadline, the minority party in Congress is using the tools at its disposal to delay and drag out the process.

“If Senate Republicans won’t tell the American people what’s in this bill, then Democrats are going to force this chamber to read it from start to finish,” said Senate Democratic Leader

Chuck Schumer By Sunday midafternoon some 16 hours later, the clerk’s reading of the nearly foot-high bill was done.

And within moments, the Senate launched debate But it’s still going to be a while, at least 10 hours of speeches stretching late into the night. The slowwalking tactic points to difficult days ahead.

“It’s taken a while to get here,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the Budget Committee chairman, “but we’ll have a debate worthy of this great country.”

Republicans, who have control of the House and Senate, are closer to passing Trump’s signature domestic policy package, yet there is political unease. Democratic lawmakers immediately launched fresh challenges against it, decrying the way they say Republicans are hiding the true costs by using unusual budgeting.

A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget office Sunday estimates the Senate bill would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034, a nearly $1 trillion increase over the House-passed bill. It also found that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law, more than with

After Democrats forced a 16-hour reading of President Donald Trump’s package of tax breaks, spending cuts and increased deportation money, debate on the measure has begun in the Senate.

the House’s approach. Republican holdouts remain reluctant to give their votes, and their leaders have almost no room to spare, given their narrow majorities. Essentially, they can afford three dissenters in the Senate, with its 53-47 GOP edge, and about as many in the House, if all members are present and voting. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, had sent his colleagues home for the weekend.

Trump, who has at times allowed wiggle room on his deadline, kept the pressure on lawmakers to finish. But the tense scene as voting came to a standstill for more than three hours Saturday night let the internal discord play out in public.

In the end, Republicans

Sen. Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, and Rand Paul, of Kentucky, opposed the motion to move ahead, joining all 47 Democrats. Trump noticed. He threatened to campaign against Tillis, who was worried that Medicaid cuts would leave many without health care in his state. Trump badgered Tillis again on Sunday morning, saying the senator “has hurt the great people of North Carolina.”

Later Sunday, Tillis issued a lengthy statement announcing he would not seek reelection in 2026.

Republicans are using their majorities to push aside Democratic opposition, but 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. Renewed pressure to oppose the bill came from Elon Musk, who criticized it as “utterly insane and destructive.”

If the Senate is able to pass the package in the days ahead, the bill would return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House.

At its core, the legislation 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 Medicaid, food stamps and green energy investments are also causing dissent within GOP ranks. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said the environmental rollbacks would amount to a “death sentence” for America’s wind and solar industries.

Trump calls for ceasefire deal in Gaza war

Some Palestinians skeptical

BY TIA GOLDENBERG, SAMY MAGDY and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday urged progress in ceasefire talks in the 20-month war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, though some weary Palestinians were skeptical about the chances Israel issued a new mass evacuation order for parts of northern Gaza

Ron Dermer, a top adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was set to travel to Washington this week for talks on a ceasefire, an Israeli official said, and plans were being made for Netanyahu to travel there in the coming weeks, a sign there may be movement on a deal.

Netanyahu was meeting with his security Cabinet on Sunday evening, the official said on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that hadn’t been finalized.

“MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!” Trump wrote on social media early Sunday Trump raised expectations Friday by

Displaced Palestinians flee Jabalia Sunday after the

orders in Gaza City.

saying there could be an agreement within the next week.

An eight-week ceasefire was reached as Trump took office earlier this year, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps.

“Since the beginning of the war, they have been promising us something like this: Release the hostages and we will stop the war,” said one Palestinian, Abdel Hadi Al-Hour “They did not stop the war.”

Israeli attacks continued. An airstrike Sunday evening hit a house sheltering displaced people in the Jabaliya al-Nazla area, killing at least 15, according to Fares Awad,

head of the Gaza’s Health Ministry’s ambulance and emergency services in the territory’s north. He said women and children made up over half the dead.

Israel’s military did not comment on the strike, but the area fell under the latest evacuation order

During a visit to Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, Netanyahu said that the Israel-Iran war and ceasefire have opened many opportunities: “First of all, to rescue the hostages. Of course, we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both tasks.”

But talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over a major

Trump says he’s not planning to extend global tariffs pause

BY DAVID KLEPPER and ALI SWENSON Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump says he is not planning to extend a 90-day pause on tariffs on most nations beyond July 9, when the negotiating period he set would expire, and his administration will notify countries that the trade penalties will take effect unless there are deals with the United States. Letters will start going out “pretty soon” before the approaching deadline, he said.

“We’ll look at how a country treats us — are they good are they not so good — some countries we

don’t care, we’ll just send a high number out,” Trump told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” during a wide-ranging interview taped Friday and broadcast Sunday Those letters, he said, would say, “Congratulations, we’re allowing you to shop in the United States of America, you’re going to pay a 25% tariff, or a 35% or a 50% or 10%.” Trump had played down the deadline at a White House news conference Friday by noting how difficult it would be to work out separate deals with each nation. The administration had set a goal of reaching 90 trade deals in 90 days. Negotiations continue,

but “there’s 200 countries, you can’t talk to all of them,” he said in the interview Trump also discussed a potential TikTok deal.

A group of wealthy investors will make an offer to buy TikTok, Trump said, hinting at a deal that could safeguard the future of the popular social media platform, which is owned by China’s ByteDance.

“We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way I think I’ll need, probably, China approval, and I think President Xi (Jinping) will probably do it,” Trump said. Trump did not offer any details about the investors, calling them “a group of very wealthy people.”

sticking point whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire agreement. Hamas official Mahmoud

Merdawi accused Netanyahu of stalling progress on a deal, saying on social media that the Israeli leader insists on a temporary agreement that would free just 10 of the hostages. About 50 hostages remain, with less than half believed to be alive.

Netanyahu spokesperson Omer Dostri said that “Hamas was the only obstacle to ending the war,” without addressing Merdawi’s claim.

Hamas says it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war in Gaza Israel rejects that offer, saying it will agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something that the group refuses.

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Israeli army issued evacuation

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

That this unique Rolling Stones recording exists is testament to Jagger and company’s decadeslong fascination with American roots music in general and Chenier in particular — and to Adcock’s proximity to British rock royalty Stones’ zydeco connection

Charles “C.C.” Adcock released his self-titled debut on Island Records in 1994. He’s toured and/or recorded with Buckwheat Zydeco and other zydeco bands, with his own Lafayette Marquis and with the southwest Louisiana allstar ensemble Lil’ Band O’ Gold.

He’s composed music for films and TV and produced albums, including 85-yearold swamp pop legend Tommy McLain’s acclaimed 2022 release “I Ran Down Every Dream.”

He’s also a conduit for British 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’s Sensational Space Shifters.

Adcock’s infamous allnighter with Florence Welch during the 2012 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival inspired the song “Morning Elvis” from Florence + the Machine’s 2022 album “Dance Fever.”

In the 1990s, he befriended several Rolling Stones progeny, then became acquainted with their famous dads.

When Valcour Records founder Joel Savoy asked Adcock who he could possibly recruit for a Clifton Chenier centennial tribute, Adcock didn’t hesitate: How about the Rolling Stones?

The Stones have long admired Chenier, who died in 1987 at age 62. Jagger has said he first picked up a Chenier 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 a member of Lil’ Band O’ Gold took Jagger to a Chenier concert at a Los Angeles high school gymnasium. For years, Landry told the story of how Chenier thought Jagger was from Rolling Stone magazine. When the Stones headlined the Superdome in 1994, Jagger and drummer Charlie Watts spent an off night at Rock ’n’ Bowl watching Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers.

During the Stones’ 2024 New Orleans Jazz Fest performance, zydeco accordionist Dwayne Dopsie sat in on “Let It Bleed.”

To Adcock’s ears, Watts’ drumming on the 1966 Rolling Stones single “19th Nervous Breakdown” has a zydeco flavor The zydeco connection

even extends to Jagger’s younger brother Chris, who titled his 1995 album “Rock the Zydeco.”

Given all that, Adcock thought the Stones “just might bite” on an invitation to contribute to a Chenier tribute. He first broached the subject with Richards’ son Marlon.

“I’d never asked him to triangulate anything, not even (concert) tickets,” Adcock said. “I thought, ‘I can’t believe I’m going to use the Bat-phone.’

“Therein begins the very interesting tutorial on how the Stones work. That was almost as fascinating as getting in the studio and making music with my heroes.”

Lunch with Jagger

On May 3, 2024, the day after the Stones performed at Jazz Fest, Adcock hosted a lunch at Antoine’s Restaurant in the French Quarter Jagger attended, as did Dickie Landry

Before Landry arrived, Adcock asked Jagger about going to see Chenier in L.A. in 1978. “Mick goes, ‘I remember Clifton thought I was from Rolling Stone magazine.’ He corroborated (Landry’s) punchline.”

After lunch, Adcock popped the question: Would Jagger want to sing on a Chenier tribute album?

He would.

Weeks later Jagger requested a list of songs chosen by the album’s other participants. He was surprised no one had claimed “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés,” the song that essentially gave the genre its name.

Jagger asked Adcock to make a demo recording of “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” with some “Lafayette boys.” Adcock assembled a band that night with Steve Riley and Lil’ Band O’ Gold bassist Dave Ranson, rubboard player Curley Taylor, and longtime Chenier drummer Robert St. Julien

By the next morning, Jagger had their “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” demo in his inbox. He liked it so much that it would be used on the final album.

Jagger laid down his harmonica parts and vocals in Paris. Adcock checked in via Zoom not that Jagger needed much coaching

“He takes a job very seri-

ously,” Adcock said. “His work ethic and attention to detail impeccable.”

Richards’ full moon fever

Having Jagger on “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” was a coup in and of itself. But it wouldn’t be the Rolling Stones without Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood.

Adcock was told to meet Richards at The Hit Factory recording studio in New York on Friday, Dec. 13, a full moon Adcock had gumbo and jambalaya delivered from a Soho restaurant that was “legit,” even though the bread pudding was “a bit off.”

Traditionally, guitar isn’t prominently featured in a zydeco band; Chenier usually performed “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” with only accordion, rubboard and drums. So Adcock wasn’t sure exactly what Richards would contribute.

At the Hit Factory, the star pulled out his 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 a zydeco band,” Adcock recalled. “He started before the accordion, (played) louder than everybody else, just cutting it all up.

“The kid in me that had 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 end result “still sounds like a great south Louisiana dance track, but it sounds like the Stones. Keith is the first thing you hear.”

‘Mom and 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 Chenier song, “One Step At a Time,” that is not on “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco.” Adcock isn’t sure when it might be released.

Meanwhile, he’s thrilled that “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” came out so well. Despite layers of managers, agents,

attorneys and publicists, Rolling Stones Inc. is ultimately “a mom and pop organization,” Adcock said. “Keith and Mick are Mom and Pop.

“There’s a lot of handlers, but I’m here to tell you that it was music first and business later They were just really into Clifton and really into the music and so goodwilled and so gracious and no B.S.”

When contracts were drawn up, “they expressed to their team that they didn’t want 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 roadtested prism.

“It’s not pastiche. They’re not trying to make an exact zydeco record. When those guys get together they’re there to make a Stones record.”

Sometimes even one by way of south Louisiana.

Email Keith Spera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

BY ALI SWENSON and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, said Sunday he will not seek reelection next year an abrupt announcement that came one day after he staked out his opposition to President Donald Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts package because of its reductions to health care programs.

His decision creates a political opportunity for Democrats seeking to bolster their numbers in the 2026 midterm elections, creating a wide-open Senate race in a state that has long been a contested battleground. It could also make Tillis a wild card in a party where few lawmakers are willing to risk Trump’s wrath by opposing his agenda or actions. Trump had already been threatening him with a primary challenge, and posted Sunday that Tillis’ announcement was “Great News!”

Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate. Trump, in social posts, had berated Tillis for being one of two Republican senators who voted on Saturday night against advancing the massive tax bill.

The Republican president accused Tillis of seeking publicity with his “no” vote and threatened to campaign against him, accusing the senator of doing nothing to help his constituents after last year’s devastating floods in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene. “Tillis is a talker and complainer NOT A DOER,” Trump wrote.

“In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” Tillis said in a lengthy statement. Tillis said he was proud of his career in public service but acknowledged the difficult political environment for those who buck their party and go it alone.

“I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability,” Tillis said in a statement.

The announcement from the two-term senator surprised senior Republicans with its timing, but not necessarily the substance. Tillis had planned to announce his reelection plans later this year likely September at the latest, but had been heavily leaning in favor of retiring, according to a person close to the senator In the hours before his announcement, Tillis was weighing two questions: whether Trump and the White House would give him freedom to campaign with some independence, and whether Tillis would have the full protection of Senate Republican leaders, said the person, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. The GOP leadership’s decision to forge ahead with cuts to Medicaid that Tillis repeatedly warned would devastate North Carolina, and the president’s Truth Social post calling for a primary challenger to the senator made it clear to him that the answers to those two questions were no.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Ron Wood, of the Rolling Stones, leans in as zydeco musician Dwayne Dopsie joins the band onstage at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

sheets and sticky notes. “We just can’t.”

For years, residents of this town of 3,600 have pushed for faster more reliable service — the kind that comes via fiber-optic cables. The kind that residents in most U.S. cities and suburbs take for granted. They were set to get it. But a project that would have extended fiber across town was canceled after the Trump administration announced new rules this month for a national $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 broadband investment.”

But the rewrite also pushes things back, leaving communities such as Lake Providence waiting once again. Louisiana was the first state to secure federal approval of BEAD funds. Internet provider Conexon had planned to start building in Lake Providence this summer Now, the company’s co-CEO Jonathan Chambers isn’t sure the project will qualify

Because many people rely on wireless internet, a storm here, in the far northeast corner of the state, can weaken or wipe out their signals — and with it, online billing software, patient portals and YouTube. But it doesn’t take a storm, residents said. Internet can be spotty on an average afternoon.

“The fiber is just sitting there, on the edge of town,” 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 grit their teeth. Sometimes, they pray ‘It’s rural rural’ Lifelong Lake Providence resident Wanda Manning gets annoyed when, watching a sermon on YouTube, her screen turns white. “Low wireless signal,” her Roku told her on a recent late night. But the retired teacher began pushing for broadband because of the kids. A few years back, amid the coronavirus pandemic, Manning was trying to keep her students’ attention online, but some wouldn’t stay connected. She fussed at them before learning the truth: They couldn’t stay connected.

After retiring, she pledged to them: “If I do anything, I’m going to make sure you have good, sustainable, reliable internet.”

pleased to see the Trump Administration knocking down regulatory barriers so we can get the job done.”

In its first iteration, BEAD prioritized fiber

Now, Chambers argues that the new rules are “written to be so favorable to satellite, specifically” that fiber networks, long considered the height of speed and reliability, need not apply.

“People have used this rhetoric about being ‘technology-neutral,’ right? This is not technology neutral. The new rules are decidedly one-sided.”

Starlink, the satellite internet company owned by Elon Musk, is already available in Lake Providence, which straddles the oxbow lake of the same name, cypress trees wading along its shoreline

nications Commission’s broadband requirements of 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. This month, a national speed analysis found that just 17.4% of Starlink users got speeds consistent with those minimum requirements.

That study by Ookla, a private research company, showed that Louisiana users fared even worse: Only 9% of the state’s Starlink users got those speeds. A Starlink spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

improve the lives of young people in the community

‘Just no way’

The lack of reliable broadband isn’t just an inconvenience, according to local officials. It has slowed upgrades of some public services.

tem. Hopkins anticipates that in a decade, companies won’t even offer analog options. Her current provider is already begging her to switch.

“But we’ve got to have some redundancy,” Hopkins said. The internet simply isn’t reliable, and $600-a-month satellite service isn’t in her budget. Since the Sheriff’s Office turned its administrative phone lines digital, the department often turns to her when its internet is out. “My analog phone is how they have to answer their phones with this one little bitty analog phone right here.”

A street over at the local library, a staff member called a lifelong resident with good news: An internet hot spot was available. A friend had told Tammy Wilson about a work-fromhome job, but Wilson needed a laptop and a better Wi-Fi connection. From the library, she borrowed both.

Rural kids deserve that, too, Manning said. And East Carroll Parish isn’t just rural, as the 61-year-old likes to say: It’s rural rural.”

So she joined Delta Interfaith’s work She conducted speed tests, discovering that residents were often getting slower speeds than advertised. She wrote members of Congress, encouraging them to let the BEAD plan move forward.

“People here believed this administration would deliver for rural America,”

Manning wrote in an open letter to U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, who represents the area, that ran this month in the East Carroll Banner, the weekly newspaper

“That it would cut red tape, not bury us in it We need your voice in Washington to help make that promise real.”

A spokesperson for Letlow declined an interview request but provided a statement, 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

But tree cover can preclude satellite access. And at around $120 a month, the service is pricey in a place where the median income is just $25,000. There are also cable-based services and a line-of-sight wireless option. Cellphone providers such as Verizon and AT&T are available, too.

But none of these services is as fast or reliable as fiber, residents said. They know it because they’ve seen it: With the help of an earlier grant, known as GUMBO, KansasCity-based Conexon built a network in 2024 bringing 325 miles of fiber to 1,400 households and businesses in East Carroll, outside of town. Connexon charges $60 a month for 200 megabits-per-second residential service and $80 a month for 1 gigabit service. Suddenly, residents accustomed to seeing an “SOS” signal at the top of their cellphone screens got internet service speedy enough to power not only their phone conversations but their virtual doctor’s visits and video games. Fiber cables, installed underground, consistently meet the Federal Commu-

The fiber projects’ starts and stops have been hard on Manning, who fields questions at church about whether the long-discussed network will ever arrive She could imagine spending her retirement differently — in her art room, painted two shades of purple, drawing. But partly because of her faith, she feels called to

A printer hissed, spitting out a sheet of paper, as Debra Hopkins described the problem. East Carroll Parish needs a new 911 system. Its equipment, meant to be replaced every five years or so, is now 12 years old. But Hopkins, director of the East Carroll Parish Communications District, can’t go digital.

“There’s just no way,” Hopkins said.

A next-generation 911 system running on highspeed internet would do away with paper It would give dispatchers and responders a caller’s location. And it would cost half as much as the current sys-

“It’s a blessing,” she said. Six years ago, Kris Sanders, the library’s director nabbed a grant to purchase five “mi-fi” devices. Often, all five are checked out. The library, its windows adorned with white string lights, is “a hub, so we should have the best internet in the parish,” she said. A tall tower stands beside the building. “But right now, when the weather is about to get bad,” she continued, gesturing up toward the sky, “that means our internet is going to start glitching.” Sanders has worked in East Carroll Parish all her life. It’s a beautiful community, with elders such as Manning, who “want to see people grow.” But it’s also “in this little bitty corner of nothing,” an area that gets overlooked. She lives in neighboring West Carroll, where her fiber internet is solid. She doesn’t understand why providers, why governments can’t cover the whole area. “How do you skip over people? That perplexes me.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER Lake Street in Lake Providence on Nov. 9,

The city is still waiting for a high-speed internet rollout.

STAFF PHOTO By JENNA ROSS

from a white legal pad with notes on all he’s done in the past three months.

On the table behind his desk was a framed letter from former President Jimmy Carter to Neilson’s grandparents — “we knew many, many people in our lives,” Neilson said and a five-shot pistol he said he keeps with him at all times. An AR-15-style rifle leaned against his office’s fireplace untouched, he said, until “somebody comes here, creating a problem.”

Parked out front was Neilson’s lime green Camaro, one of about 15 cars he owns. Cars are the only things he really cares about, he said, and not the power or influence that comes with his current position. He has a 1957 Thunderbird once owned by Bruce Springsteen’s drummer and his 1936 Auburn Boattail Speedster is the only pink one ever made.

Cars run in the family: His father founded a Chevrolet dealership on the West Bank, where he grew up. From his accounting offices, where photos of his face with the caption “Make Bogalusa Great Again” were tacked above some desks, Neilson has been essentially running the city since a court appointed him in February after the state found Bogalusa was careening toward financial chaos. The appointment came at a time when the city was still overcoming the shock of Truong’s arrest stemming from a drug trafficking investigation.

Truong has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Though he was arrested, formal charges have not been filed.

“I thought I could fix it, and I thought I could fix it quickly,” Neilson said of why he took the job managing the city

“They elect this young man to run the city and he’s not capable,” he said of Truong. Neilson said he now ignores all communication from Truong. Though their homes are right next door, and Neilson contributed money to Truong’s mayoral campaign, Truong said, there is no longer any relationship to speak of.{p dir=”ltr”} Truong initially welcomed a state-appointed administrator to help with the city’s finances, but strongly opposed appointing Neilson, who had been the city’s auditor until Truong took office He compared Neilson’s rule to a political coup and accused Neilson of acting like a strong man. Truong now spends some of his free time gardening and collecting house plants like philodendrons and a Monstera Thai Constellation — a far cry from two and a half years ago, when, at the age of 23, he won a surprising landslide victory over the incumbent mayor, Wendy Perrette.

Truong was one of the youngest mayors in state history and the youngest ever in Bogalusa. He is the first Black male mayor in

a city that gained national prominence in the 1960s for its clashes between violent White supremacists and civil rights activists Since then, its population has significantly declined to about 10,000 and about a third of residents live in poverty. When Truong came into power, the city had been facing a rash of gun violence and the death of a Black man in police custody Truong, a Democrat, wanted to open up government and create more opportunities for youth. He created a summer youth program that he said employed around 70 kids in the summer, as well as a teen lounge with food and games where students could work. He appointed the city’s first Black police chief, encouraged police to patrol more, and tried to start a bus line

Criminal charges

“This is a small, racist town at the end of the day,” Truong said at a coffee shop on La. 21 south of Bogalusa during a recent interview

families in town.

His first two years were also marred by financial woes, a deteriorating sewer system and recurring conflicts with the City Council.

A July report from the state Legislative Auditor’s Office found missteps under both Truong and Perrette’s administrations. The city still has not completed its 2022 audit.

Then, the Legislative Auditor’s Office found the city owed over $1 million in federal and state payroll taxes, which Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack said in an interview was the primary trigger for Neilson’s appointment.

Truong argued that Neilson’s 20 years of doing the city’s audits posed a conflict of interest, while Waguespack saw it as an asset. Neilson’s proximity to city hall would also cut down on travel expenses, Waguespack said.

“He’s connected to the prior administration? Yeah, Bogalusa is not that big of a city, so everyone is going to have a connection to everyone,” Waguespack said, adding that Neilson’s work will later be reviewed by an independent auditor

Truong wore a gray suit with a city of Bogalusa pin and was fresh from the state courthouse in Franklinton, where he had just learned the state had still not filed a bill of information or an indictment against him in connection with his arrest in January for transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses, unauthorized use of moveable and soliciting for prostitutes.

Truong said Bogalusa was like America: Neilson was sort of like President Donald Trump, which made his administration sort of like former President Barack Obama’s. He said like Trump, Neilson was trying to undo what he had accomplished. He said some might question how the town can be racist when it elected him, but, he said, “Just because we elected Obama, did racism go away?”

It is not clear if, when or what charges will ultimately be filed.

Elaborating on the charges in January northshore District Attorney Collin Sims said Truong allegedly “organized entertainment with a prostitute” at an Airbnb in Atlanta, where he attended a mayor’s conference. Sims also said Truong purchased drugs in Louisiana.

In a recent interview, Sims said the matter remained open and under investigation.

Neilson said he thought Truong’s arrest was further evidence in favor of the need for his appointment.

“I’ve never been arrested,” he said.

But Truong contends that his arrest and Neilson’s appointment are politically and racially motivated, in part spurred by his efforts to cut down on city contracts with politically connected

Truong posted two audio recordings this spring on his Facebook page, which is public. In the recordings, a person uses a racial epithet in reference to Truong and other Black Bogalusa residents. On Facebook, Truong states that the person speaking is Bryan Genco, a Washington Parish business person, and says the recordings were made by a former employee of Genco’s.

In an interview, Genco strongly denied that it’s his voice on the recordings and raised questions about their authenticity “None of that is true,” Genco said, adding that he has long had an upstanding civic reputation in the community Genco hosted Truong’s election night victory party but said their relationship soured soon after that.

The appointment

“I’m actually working with the City Council,” Neilson said. Last December, the

council adopted a resolution seeking a fiscal administrator

Council member Mark Irvine agreed that Neilson has generally worked with the council, but in a recent interview also said he’d gone a month without speaking to Neilson. Council President Gloria Kates did not respond to requests for comment.

As for Truong?

“He sends me emails and I just throw them away,” Neilson said, adding, “I don’t take advice from somebody that doesn’t know what they’re doing.” Neilson said he has also stopped attending city council meetings.

The city’s last fiscal administrator, who served between May 2019 and June 2021 when Perrette was mayor charged $158,480, city records show Neilson has charged the city $35,392 for his first three months — about $200 an hour, he said. Truong’s proposed fiscal year 2025 budget calls for $21.4 million in spending.

Neilson has honed in on payroll expenses, saying he thought some people were in the wrong positions. He said his terminations would save over half a million dollars annually in payroll cuts — before his appointment, he said he would save $1 million in payroll. At the same time, he has also paid four new contract employees, including at least one from Perrette’s administration, about $26,395 total for work in May and April, city records show He’s hired a fifth person full-time to work on the city’s ailing sewer system.

Neilson said he is trying to avoid paying employee benefits and similar expenses while “straightening out the ship.” Truong questioned the legality of Neilson having contract workers work with city equipment. Meanwhile, some employees fired by Neilson have argued their terminations were more political than budgetary

Malarie Hamilton, who worked in IT and public information, said she was told she was fired for budgetary reasons, but said she thought she was actually fired after she couldn’t figure out how to hand off control to the city’s Facebook page.

Neilson called that a lie.

“She had decided she was going to control that part of the city, and of course, like I told you here — they don’t tell me ‘no.’” The budget was another reason, he added. Though Neilson expressed some regret about taking the job, which he said has taken much more time than he expected, he said he plans to stay on until the end of Truong’s term — January 2027. Next month, partly in honor of his work as fiscal administrator, Neilson will serve as the “Grand Marshal” of the city’s July 4 parade. Truong, meanwhile, said, “My main concern now is just beating these criminal charges and winning reelection.” Email Willie Swett at willie.swett@theadvocate. com.

La. police allowed to take down drones

‘We Will Act’ law seeks to mitigate threats in the sky

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

As sheriff of East Feliciana Parish, Jeff Travis sometimes gets complaints about unidentified drones.

“Oftentimes, these drones come over, and you never know who it was or what it was,” he said “That’s a problem — that’s a big problem.”

That’s why Travis praised a new state law, championed by Gov Jeff Landry, that gives local and state

1920s Delta Queen steamboat up for sale

Owner lacks money to repair landmark linked to WWII

BY JULIA GUILBEAU

Staff writer

After years of trying to repair the 1920s-era steamboat to her former glory the owners of the Delta Queen, a National Historic Landmark, are putting the vessel up for sale.

Delta Queen Steamboat Co. announced in a social media post that after exhausting all of its options attempting to transform the legendary boat into an overnight passenger ship, it is hoping to find someone else to complete the restoration.

“It remains DQSC’s goal and mission to see the DELTA QUEEN preserved and the best solution is one that opens the vessel to the public to generate the revenues necessary to sustain its maintenance and long-term preservation. Whether this means as a cruising vessel, or in the manner her identical twin, the DELTA KING has enjoyed as a stationary attraction; the DELTA QUEEN needs to be saved,” the post read.

The Delta Queen and her twin the Delta King were built in 1927 as luxurious passenger steamboats that doubled as shipping vessels. They operated in California for years, commuting between San Francisco and Sacramento each night. When World War II commenced, the Delta Queen was commissioned by the U.S. Navy to ferry troops in the San Francisco Bay It was purchased by Captain Tom Greene and returned to its former job carrying paying passengers up and down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, stopping at more than 80 ports. The boat has been docked in Houma since 2015, after it was saved from the scrapper and towed south from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Owners have been working for a decade to revive the boat, lobbying for federal funding from Congress to get the job done.

In 2018, President Donald Trump signed a law allowing the boat to operate on water again and setting out funding to refurbish the boat so it could once again carry passengers. Repair costs, which included replacing the boat’s boilers and adding generators, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, were estimated to be around $10 million to $12 million But the owner says funding for the project never materialized The boat’s restoration faced another setback in 2021 when it was damaged in Hurricane Ida The Category 4 storm’s strong winds damaged the roof and several doors and windows.

law enforcement the power to take down drones.

“The governor was right He’s right about the fact that we need to be able to do something about it,”

Travis said.

House Bill 261, now Act 170, was sponsored by state Rep. Jay Gallé, R-Mandeville. Gallé chairs the House Select Committee on Homeland Security Act 170, also called the “We Will Act” Act, allows “a law enforcement

officer or agency” to “take reasonable and necessary mitigation measures against a threat posed by an unmanned aircraft system operating within this state in a nefarious manner.”

Such action could include detection, tracking and identification methods, or it could involve “the interception or disabling of an unmanned aircraft system through legal and safe methods, including but not limited to jamming, hacking, or

physical capture,” the act says. The new law also bans drones from being flown over parades, unless they are being used for film production. Violating that rule would carry a fine of between $2,000 and $5,000, or a prison sentence of up to one year

Gallé said the parade rule was added to the law out of concerns that parades could be targeted for mass casualty events.

In Louisiana, it was already illegal to fly a drone over a correctional facility or the Governor’s Man-

sion. Nor may drones be used to surveil facilities without a facility owner’s written permission, according to Louisiana Revised Statutes 14:337.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s website, drones are prohibited from flying over national landmarks, certain military bases and certain critical infrastructure such as nuclear power plants. Drones also are not allowed in the controlled airspace around an airport.

State set to limit services amid federal deportations

Among new laws is mandating cooperation with ICE

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

New Louisiana laws aimed at bolstering federal immigration enforcement and ending state benefits for immigrants living in the country illegally are set to take effect after winning easy passage by the Legislature’s Republican supermajorities and swift signatures from Gov Jeff Landry

Five bills approved this spring tamp down the state’s ability to provide services to immigrants without legal status, mandate cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies, and allow for criminal penalties for government

workers and others who interfere with immigration enforcement.

Though some Democrats from urban areas questioned the impact of the new rules Republican state lawmakers faced little friction in passing the new restrictions. And they did so against the backdrop of an intensifying ramp-up of federal immigration detention and deportation, one of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises.

Tia Fields communications and policy advocacy associate for the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants, said the package of Republican legislation mimics national political trends, and it furthers “harmful rhetoric” that is causing national division. She argues the new laws fail to acknowledge immigrants’ humanity and societal and economic

FRESH PARTy

ABOVE: Residents attend the Fifth Birthday Bash on Saturday for free barbecue and watermelon at Fightingville Fresh in Lafayette. The farmers market on Lafayette’s north side sells fresh local produce.

LEFT: Children make bubbles at an activity station.

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

Youngsville Chief of Police Jean Paul “JP” Broussard is asking the city to consider raising the pay of police officers. The Youngsville City Council introduced a plan Thursday that would raise the department’s starting pay from $42,600 a year to $45,000. Broussard, who refused a pay increase for himself, said the change is to keep up with other departments in the parish.

The new payment plan would cost the city around $300,000 a year Police officers would see their average pay raise by 11.3%, sergeants by 16.1%,

lieutenants by 9.5% and deputy chief by 2%.

“This is huge,” council member Matt Romero said. “This is probably one of the biggest changes we’ve made.” On top of the base salary increase, Police Department employees see an annual 2% increase based on continuous years of service. The last increase was in 2022, with starting pay raised from $36,000 to where it sits

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

Greaux Healthy investsin Louisiana’s children

Louisiana’schildren have a powerful new ally in their journey toward better health and brighter futures. The recent launch of Greaux Healthy marksamajor milestone that will empower families and strengthen communities across our state. Every child deserves the chance to thrive. Greaux Healthy makes that vision real. Led by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical ResearchCenter,inpartnership with the state of Louisiana, Greaux Healthy is an evidence-based publicservice initiative focused on preventing and treating childhood obesity in Louisiana. It’sapragmatic approach that combines decadesof research with practical, familyfriendly tools parents can use every day.This initiative reflects our shared values that investing in our children today builds astronger, healthier tomorrow.It’sasmart use of research that will payoff for generations. The program’sinnovative design offers something for everyone. Families will find resources that make healthy living fun and doable. The colorful Healthy Moves bus will bring hands-oneducation straight to communities statewide. The Pennington Generation research study gives familiesa chance to contribute to groundbreaking science —while gaining personalized insights about their own child’s health. Healthcare providers get better tools to guide young patients. Communities gain programs that make healthy choices easy choices. This is about realizingLouisiana’sfull potential.Healthy kids learn more, move moreand dream bigger.They grow into the leaders our state needs.

Greaux Healthy represents Louisiana at its best: where worldclass research meets community spirit. Every family that joins and every community that participates becomes part of amovement creating lasting change.

Our children’sfutures are bright, and Greaux Healthy is helping light the way Get involved today at www greauxhealthy.org. Together, we can build ahealthier Louisiana one child, one family, one community at atime.

JOHN KIRWAN

executivedirector,Pennington Biomedical Research Center

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

AREWELCOME.HEREARE

YOUR VIEWS

Glad to seeCajun,zydeco musicisstill goingstrong

After reading thearticle about Cajun and zydeco music, “AnEvolution, not aRenaissance” (June 10), Irecalled that Iexperienced theactual renaissance in theearly 1980s. Growing up in New Orleans, Idid not hear Cajunmusic in my youthexcept on the radio when my dad drove us to Lafayette to visitcousins. In my late 20s, Iheard Cajun music with some friends on Canal Street after we ran arace. Therhythm just made me want to dance.Going to Acadianatothe dance halls allowed me to learn thesteps. Once Ifound that theMaple Leaf Bar on Oak Street offered aCajunband on Thursdays, Iwas a patron. We had to movethe tables and chairs outofthe way to create adance floor Then the Cajun/zydeco music scene exploded. Before too long, only thebenches on thesides remained. But none of the guys

knew how to dance. To solve that problem,I would show them

Andthen one night,aguy saidhewanted to have privatelessons in his homefor six people. Ibecame the city’sfirst Cajun dance teacher

Someofmycreditsinclude teaching the primary actorsand dancing in “The Big Easy,” dancing on theDolly Parton show and gigs withbands such Dewey Balfa, Beausoleil, Bruce Daigrepont, Clifton Chenier,Le Freres Michot,Rockin’ Dopsie and many others. The joyous memories of being apart of the continuing Cajun/zydeco music tradition livewith me to this day

Thanks to Joanna Brown for the article. I am so pleased that the music still resonates on anational level.

PEGGY USNER Mandeville

ThankstoLandry, legislators forprotecting educatorsinbill

As executive director of A+PEL, Iamglad Gov.Jeff Landry signed into law House Bill 674, which revises theLouisianaEthics Code. We appreciate the governor’soffice andlegislators from both parties for their collaborativeefforts in addressing critical issues of government overreach.

As chair of alegal foundation for educators, Iwholeheartedly support therecent bill andspecifically commend its provisions that directlyimpact educators.

tored ACT or SATexams for supplemental income. More recently,lawmakers stepped in to protect educators coaching youth sports in their communities as well as protect educators providing tutoringservices outside their primary jobs.

Reporters, CVSdeserve credit for alerting public to last-minute PBMbill

“Pharmacy bill killed on last day of session” wasthe headline on the front page of the newspaper on June 13. Iwhispered, “Thank you, God,” to myself

This bill came to the floor on the second-to-last day of the legislative session. I’dlike to publicly thank Alyse Pfeil, Matthew Albright and Meghan Friedmann and the Advocate staffmembers whogave the public front-page articles, addressing this.

And, athank you to my in-network drugstore, CVS, for the text on my phone, alerting me to this bill. Iimmediately called my senator —it had already passed the House. This bill, had it passed, had the potential to cause CVS to close 119 of its stores in the state of Louisiana, affecting about 1million patients across the state, and 22,000 patients whoreceive high-cost specialty drugs that smaller pharmacies could find it difficult to handle.

I’dalso like to thank all the senators, especially Senate President Cameron Henry,R-Metairie, whorefused to steamroll this bill through during the night, before the citizens weregiven timefor public hearings. Henry said, “There’sa legislative process forareason. This amendment did not have one ounce of public testimony through the process.”

Gov.Jeff Landry threatened to call aspecial session and supports an investigation of CVS foralerting its customers with atext. Why would he be annoyed that the public was able to receive information about abill that affects the supply of our lifeline, our prescription drugs?

Ivoted forLandry,but I’mvery disappointed with the way this was handled. In fact, it’sscary.What else do we have to watch for?

CYNTHIA LITZ Baton Rouge

Angola inmates don’tdeserve special consideration

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone 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 ALETTER, SCAN HERE

Over thepast decade, legislative intervention hasrepeatedly been necessary to shield hardworking educatorsfrom unwarranted ethics investigations. We’ve seen this when educators received stipends for professional development from theNational Mathand ScienceInitiative and even when theyproc-

This year,thanks to thethoughtful consideration of those involved in drafting House Bill 674, we yet again safeguard Louisiana educators. The opposition to this bill in traditional media misrepresented its intent. In fact, nearly every single legislator supported this bill, and Irecall only asingle organization puttinginanote of opposition during public testimony.

KEITH COURVILLE executivedirector,Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL)

Church historyshows womenplayedarole

In her letter of June 7, Linda Watrous claimed that womenshould not be ordained because Jesus chose12men as apostles. As aCatholic scripture scholar,Ibeg to differ Apostle means one who is sent. Allfour gospelsbear witness that women were the first to be senttoproclaim the good news of the resurrection. They were sent to tell the men who were cowering in the upper room. Tradition has proclaimed Mary of Magdala as the first apostle, the apostola apostolorum Accordingtothe New Testament,Jesus didnot ordain anyone, and priests are not

mentioned.Paul’sletters, which are much older than the gospels, note the woman Junia, who was prominent amongthe apostles, and Phoebe, who was adeacon, among other women. In the early church, womenserved in all ministries. There is afresco in the church of St. Praxides in Romedepicting “Theodora Episcopa,”Theodora the bishop. It is time for thechurch to stop denying its own history and ordain women whom God is calling to sacramental ministries.

ELISABETH TETLOW

NewOrleans

This is arebuttal to the editorial on June 4, “Angola prisoners deserve protection from the heat.” First and foremost, millions of honest hard-working farmers, roofers, electricians, etc., not only work in sweltering heat but in cold and rain, too.

All Louisiana has to offer is to makeanhonest living. The men at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola are there forareason: murder,child molestation, rape and much more. They chose the wrong path. Let’sreward them with air conditioning, three hot meals, acot and color TV? Isay no. No tents, no fans, no TV.And it’sright forthem to grow their own food. Honest men and women workto support themselves and their families. They are not guaranteed the same. If you don’twant to do the time, don’tcommit the crime.

JEANNETTE HUESCHEN Lacombe

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

ChubbyCarrier performs during the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival at Louis Armstrong Park in NewOrleans in 2022.

Walt Handelsman’s contestistaking the week off. He’ll be backnext Monday, July 7.

CanDonaldTrump be trusted?

Can Donald Trump be trusted? Can we relyonhis judgmentinacrisis? Those core questions have been raised by the president’sdecision toreverse his campaignpledges and attack Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

Much remains unknown and uncertain How badly has Iran’s nuclear capacitybeen crippled? Is Tehran planning further retaliation? Will serious negotiations follow?

But we do know this: President Trump broke the promise he made in his inaugural address—“We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end —and perhaps most importantly,the wars we never get into.”

Most prominent Republicans have rallied around the president, but in anew CNN poll, 58% say his actions have increased the threat from Iran, while only 27% say security has improved Afew Trump supporters have been willing to call out the president’s deception. Former Fox News star Tucker Carlson told radiohost Steve Bannon, a key Trump adviser,that thepresident is risking “world war.” Bannon replied, “This thing has not been thought through. It does not have the support of the American people.” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene accused Trump of pulling “a complete bait and switch” on his supporters.

These criticisms raise alarger issue: How does Trump make decisions? Is he capable of long-range strategic thinking? He’salways been amercurial character,responding topeople or events or what he sees on Fox News. He’seven bragged, “I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due.”

That approach works well on reality TV —always keep them guessing! but it works badly as an approach to governing.

Trump failed the biggest test of his first term, the COVID-19pandemic, andhedrove the financial world crazy with his erratic behavior during the first months of his secondterm. Global markets, like global leaders, value stability,not chaos.

“Donald Trump’spresidency is oftencompared to areality TV show,” writes The Spectator World, aTrumpfriendly conservative magazine. “Yet that conceit barely captures the radical strangeness of his leadership. Trump is ahypnotist, amaster of persua-

COMMENTARY Democrats miredin infighting

sion who tries to shapeworld events through CONFUSION, BIG BOMBS and CAPITAL LETTERS.”

That “radical strangeness” is severely aggravated by Trump’sincessant habit of posting anything at any time on social media. With afew taps on his cellphone, he can instantly alter nationalpolicy.One militaryofficial told TheNew York Times that as the raid on Iran unfolded, Trump jeopardized operational security by posting hints about possible plans.

Trump’sposts are often untethered to evidence, and reflect theconcept of “alternative facts.” The Washington Post documented more than 30,000 “false or misleading” statements during his first term, and as CNN reports, his rate of fabrication continues: “President Donald Trump filled his first 100 days back in office with thesame relentless lying and inaccuracy that was ahallmark of his first presidency and his 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns.” That penchant for “relentless lying” can put him at odds with his own appointees, when they try to adhere to more rigorous standards of veracity. In one striking example, Trump’sown director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, told CongressinMarch that professional analysts continue “to assess thatIran is notbuilding anuclear weapon.” But when he wanted to make the case for military action, Trump called his own adviser “wrong.”

Trump alsoinsists that theraid “totally destroyed”Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but aleaked report from his own Defense Intelligence Agency directly contradicts the president, saying the damage will only impede Tehran for several months.

Trump has illuminated another reason to distrust his leadership: his relentlesscampaign to exile any Republican who dares to cross him. After Rep. Thomas MassieofKentucky suggested Trump’sraid was illegal because he had not consulted Congress, the president immediately announced support for amove to defeat thelawmakernext year The president has alsoassembled aWhiteHouse staff of loyal lackeys. There’snoone likeJohn Kelly,the former Marine general who served as chief of staff during Trump’sfirst term and continually reminded thepresident about the legal limits to his power

“He certainly prefers the dictator approach to government,” Kelly told The New York Times. Trump “never accepted the fact that he wasn’tthe most powerful man in theworld —and by power,Imean an ability to do anything he wanted, anytime he wanted.”

After theIran raid, Kelly’swords, and fears, have been strongly reinforced.

Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@ gmail.com.

Environmentalpoliciesleave La.ailing

When assessing patients’ health,doctors distinguish between “symptoms” and “signs.”

Symptoms are subjective, thefeelings apatient has indicating something’s wrong.

studies show It’sTrump’sopinion that protection for humansshould not interferewith business profits. Butheknows regulations can only become law if they are basedonthe factual findings from scientific research.

mate change —including thebillions Congress authorized two years ago— may be rolled back. Trumphas already ordered morethan 100 climatestudies to be shut down.

Signs are objective, the results of X-rays and scans, and call for immediate action.

Now,five months into President Donald Trump’sreignofterror on our environment,the symptoms of troublethat were flooding Louisiana have been joined by signs requiringurgent action.

First, arespected environmental researcheratTulane Universityfelt compelled to resign,claiming theschool hadplacedher and her work under gag ordersbecause statepoliticians andthe petrochemicalindustry didn’t like the results.

Next, researchersatSoutheastern Louisiana University foundalarming levels of toxic metals and pollution in Lake Maurepas.

Finally,for the second year in arow, U.S. News and World Report declared Louisiana the worststate to livein, a finding heavily influenced by ourranking as the second most polluted state. Each of those signs result from Trump’sunprecedented two-pronged assault on America’senvironment. He has issued 145 orders rolling back or killing regulations currently protectingAmericans. Those changes could lead to premature deaths of more than 200,000 over the next 25 years duetoincreasedheart and respiratory illnesses,

So, like theautocrats and dictators he admires and wants to emulate, King Donalddoesn’twant his subjects to know the truth. That’swhy he’strying to make those facts disappear and prevent any futurefindings

Thus, he has ordered environmental agencies to remove results of studies from their websites, and proposed dramatic cutbacks in their funding that includes shuttering entire sections This includes reducing funding at the National Science Foundation (57%);the National Institutes of Health (40%); NASA’s science budget (47%); theDepartmentofEnergy’sOffice of Science (14%)and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (28%). Amassive40% reduction for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was no surprise. NOAA hasbeen at the forefront of research explainingthe current and future catastrophic impacts of climate change such as sea level rise and larger hurricanes —all of which are caused largely by fossilfuelemissions.

Butthe cuts at NOAA —designed to protect oiland gas from being blamed fortheirrole in climate change would also leave Louisianaand other coastal states without some of thelifesaving information on hurricanes the agency provides.Maybe he’ll use his Sharpietochange their paths? In fact, any program related to cli-

Andheisusing themassive power of the federal purse to reach outside federal agencies and into theworld of academia because America’suniversities conduct much our environmental research using federal grants.

Someofthe nation’selite universities, such as Columbia, have folded to his demands.

Others, notably Harvard, are fighting for academic freedom.

Tulane has chosen to wave thewhite flag. It’s worried funding from petrochemical giants could be jeopardized. It apparently believes in that old saying, “The problem with tainted money is “‘Tain’tenough of it!’”

Butthe real problem is that Trump’s war on science and universities is really awar on the freedom of truth, the kryptonite feared by all autocrats.

Andthe truthfor Louisiana is that Trump’swar on science is setting our stateupfor apermanent place at the bottom of the list of best places to live in the United States. He is doing all of this with the support of Louisiana’sGOP congressional delegation.

The signs have already moved Louisiana into the intensive care unit. Unless he is stopped, we’ll eventually be in hospice care.

Bob Marshall, aPulitzer Prizewinning Louisiana environmental journalist,can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com.

This column is about the current dreadful state of the Democratic Party.But begin with this extraordinary fact: At this timeeight years ago, in the first year of Donald Trump’s first term as president, the Russia special counsel, Robert Mueller,had already been appointed and had been investigating Trumpfor amonth. What Trumpcalls the Russia hoax dominated media coverage. Commentators slandered Trumponadaily basis. Trump’sjob approval rating fell into the high 30s in the RealClearPolitics average of polls. In the White House, the new president was distracted and on the defensive, knocked back on his feet from his first moments in office.

On the other side, the Democratic strategy wasattack, attack, attack. They had alot of help; major newsorganizations and ahost of cable newsproducers gave them an opportunity to speculate about Trump-Russia every hour of every day.Russia dominated politics in 2017, 2018 and much of 2019. Trumplost a lot of what could have been his mostproductive timeaspresident.

The point of bringing this up is to contrast the situation then with the situation today Nowitisthe Democrats whoare distracted and back on their feet, with the party engaged in bitter infighting and struggling to come up with aunified strategy to oppose Trump. Meanwhile, Trumpispushing forward on all fronts, setting the agenda and putting together one of the mostconsequential presidencies in years.

Part of the problem is that Democrats are still in astate of shock. Go back to last summer,when an internal coup resulted in President Joe Biden’sdeparture from the reelection race. Then go to November,when the party was stunned to lose to Trump. Then go to January-February-March of this year when they wereoverwhelmed by Trump’saudacious use of executive authority in his first months in office. Democrats are still playing catch-up.

Perhaps their biggest problem is that they don’thave abig, unifying cause, like the Russia narrative, to use as acudgel against the Trumpadministration. It is hard to overstate the daily damage the Russia affair did to Trumpin2017, and its absence today has left Democrats in afar weaker position than they were back then.

Of course, Democrats are trying. Some have adapted the lawfare they perfected during Trump’stimeout of office; just this year, Democratic proxies have sued Trumporhis administration around 300 times. The idea is to find afriendly judge —not too hard to do —toissue anationwide injunction to stop Trumpfrom doing whatever it is that Democrats oppose. The party has had agood deal of success so far, but it’sashort-term strategy, especially when they file preposterous cases that will lose in the courts of appeal.

Recently,we’ve seen anumber of Democrats pursue anew effort to use 1960s-style civil disobedience to get themselves detained, arrested, handcuffed or otherwise in trouble while bringing attention to what they say are the administration’slawless ways.

It’s kind of funny,but not really —it’smore an indicator of the Democratic Party’simpotence in the face of the Trumppresidency First, it has fallen behind in the money race —according to recent reports, the Democratic National Committee has $18 million in cash-on-hand compared to $67.4 million for the Republican National Committee.

Finally,Democrats are still on the wrong side of anumber of issues, like immigration, wokeism and national security.Atany moment, they seem in danger of taking another turn in the wrong direction —another criminal to embrace, another toxic cause that could, in the words of Politico, “further set back the party’salready beleaguered national brand.”

Back in 2017, in Trump’sfirst months in office, Democrats, even though they had just suffered adevastating defeat in the 2016 presidential election, didn’tspend as much timeworrying about their brand. They had Russia to use against the new president, and a willing press to megaphone every wild accusation they could find. Of course, in the most fundamental sense, the Mueller investigation went nowhere when the special counsel could not establish that collusion ever occurred, much less that it involved any top Trump campaign officials. But that didn’thappen until 2019, giving Democrats and their media allies ample time to cripple Trump’snew presidency.Now,Democrats have lost again to Trump, but this time, they are still searching forthe magic issue to use against him Byron York is on X, @Bryon York

Byron York

Bob Marshall

PROVIDED PHOTO By THE WHITE HOUSE

President Donald Trumpsits in the White House SituationRoom on June 21 during theair strikes on Iran.

Steve Roberts

CAPTION CONTEST

contributions.

Fields said that the number of noncitizens applying for state andlocal benefits is nearly “nonexistent” because they don’tqualify,for the most part.

But in cases where parentsmay not qualify for benefits but their U.S.-born children do, the new laws will deter some from applyingout of fear of deportation and could“break families apart,” she said.

Lawmakers, however,argue thenew rules are amatterofputting Louisianans first.

“Wewant to take our taxpayerdollars and prioritize Louisiana and U.S. citizens,” Sen. Blake Miguez,R-New Iberia, said of legislationhe sponsored.

Checking citizenship

House Bill 307, sponsored by Rep. Chance Henry,RCrowley,requires Louisiana state agencies and local governments to verify the citizenship or immigration status of anyone who requests public benefits, like food stamps or unemployment.

Should aLouisiana agency or local government learn that someone applying for benefits is here illegally, it must refer that person to ICE. It must also end any previous benefitsand report the person’sinformation to the secretary of statetoassist with maintenance of voter lists.

The legislation defines public benefit as “any retirement, welfare, health, disability,public or assisted housing, food assistance,unemployment benefit,orany other similar benefit.”

That broaddefinitionis meant to encompassall possible public benefits that may be offered to residents, Henry said.

The legislation is intended to “make sure citizensof Louisiana are the ones benefiting from taxpayer dollars” andnot people who are here illegally and “trying to leverage the system,”he said.

Henry said the idea for the bill came from the Foundation for Government Accountability,anational conservative policy think tank basedinFlorida.

FGA works in over 30 states on policies that “promotework” and “reduce government dependency,” Allen Cambon, state governmentaffairs director for the organization, told Louisiana lawmakers during the session. He said HB307is meant to address instances when “illegal-immigrant households” use publicwelfareprograms.

Rep. Mandie Landry,DNew Orleans, said thepolicy is “cruel” to those who are merely looking for help. She said that parentsorpregnantwomen living in the U.S. illegally who apply for benefits for theirchildren who are U.S. citizens will face deportation under the new rules. HB307 takes effect Aug. 1

Newcrimescreated

Senate Bill 15, sponsored by Sen. Jay Morris, R-Monroe, creates two new crimes for intentionally hampering federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Anypublicemployeein Louisiana could be charged with thecrimeofmalfeasance inoffice for taking an action or failing to take an action in an intentional effort to hamper immigrationenforcement by ICE or other federal agencies,or forreleasing from custody someone in the country illegally without notifyingICE.

The measure also requires compliance withICE detainers andrequests from other federal immigrationagencies to release someoneinto federal custody.

The crime of obstruction of justice will now apply not just to criminal proceedings, but to civil immigration proceedingsand to cases involving an “official act of an agent or employee of a governmentalentity.”

In casesinvolving acivil immigration proceeding, someone could be charged with thecrime of obstructionofjustice for“knowingly committing any act intended to hinder, delay prevent, or otherwise interfere with or thwart federal immigrationenforcement efforts.”

Morris has saidthe legislation is needed to deterofficials and otherswho have publicly promoted effortsto stymiefederal immigration officers.

Some New Orleanslawmakers raised concerns that the new law could conflict with a2013 federal consent decreethat the OrleansParish Sheriff’s Office is subject to as aresult of thecase Cacho v. Gusman.

Under that agreement, the Sheriff’s Office is required to decline “all voluntaryICE detainerrequests” except in casesinvolvingserious violentcrimeslikemurder, rape, andarmed robbery

However,Louisiana Attorney General LizMurrill earlier this year initiated legal action seeking to end the consent decree

Askedfor comment about SB15, OPSO in an emailed statement said:

“Weare waitingonarulinginthe Cacho v. Gusman litigation related to intervention by the La.Attorney General. Until that rulingor any other court ruling impacting the consentdecree, we are stillsubject to the mandates of Cachowhich has thefulleffect of federal law.Notwithstanding, we stay committed to working in collaborationwith our law enforcementpartners to provide asafer Orleans Parish for ourcitizens.”

Morris said his bill doesn’t conflict with theconsent decree andthose who claimit does “do so as apretext to keep thesoft-on-crimeportionsofthe consentorder in place.”

SB15 takes effect Aug. 1. Reportsonstate spending

SenateBill 100, sponsored by Miguez, requires several state agencies to verify the immigrationstatus ofanyoneseekingany kind of ser-

vices from the agency and implement a“standardized process” for doing so

The agencies will be required todetermine the services andthe value of services that have been provided to noncitizens who don’thave legalstatus and provide ayearlyreport of that information to thegovernor,attorneygeneral and Legislature.

Thenew rules apply to theLouisiana Department of Health, Department of Education, OfficeofMotor Vehicles, Governor’sOffice of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Department of Children and FamilyServices, Department of Revenue and Louisiana higher education institutions.

As long as theLegislature allocates funding for the newimmigration verification and reporting requirements, the agencies must comply or risk having other funds withheld.

Miguez said the bill will give appropriatorsmore information about howstate dollars have beenspent on servicesfor immigrants who are in thecountry without legalpermission in Louisiana.

He also said it codifies an executive order Landry issuedlast year titled“identifying, quantifying, and mitigating the adverse effectsofillegal immigration in Louisiana,” andit’sinline with Trump’sdirectiveto make sure taxpayer dollars don’tincentivizeillegal immigration.

SB100 took effect June 20. Newdriver’slicenses

House Bill 554, sponsored by Rep.Dixon McMakin, RBatonRouge, prohibitsthe LouisianaOffice of Motor Vehicles from issuing an ID or adriver’slicense to anyonewho is in the country illegally

Under current OMV rules, there are certain categories of immigrantswho are allowed to apply for an ID or licenseand providedocumentation of legal immigration status to do so.

The OMVisnow alsorequired to createanew restrictioncode for IDs and licensesthatindicate when someoneisnoncitizen.

And the office must issue noncitizens aformal notice that it’s against the law to voteinLouisiana elections andshare noncitizen data with the secretary of state for voter list maintenance.

“This billcombats theexistence and perception of voter fraud and offers clarity to aliens seeking driver’s licenses thatthese IDs are not voting credentials,” McMakin said.

HB554 takes effect Aug. 1. Noncitizen lawsuits

House Bill 436, sponsored by Rep. Gabe Firment,RPollock,prohibitsthe award of general damages or past and future wages to noncitizensinthe country illegally in lawsuits that stem from car accidents.

Firment said the measure was aimed at addressing Louisiana’s auto insurance crisis and encouraging legal immigration.

HB436 takes effect Aug. 1.

STAFFFILE PHOTOByEMMA DISCHER

The historic DeltaQueen steamboat sits moored in Houma as it waits forrepairs in 2016. The owner of the historic1920s-era steamboat is putting it up forsaleafter years of trying to make renovations.

STEAMBOAT

Continuedfrom page1B

It wasnot immediatelyclear what thecost

DRONES

Continuedfrom page 1B

Gallé said the law aims to protect Louisianans from possible threats posed by drones.

“From an all-around homeland security standpoint, drones are becoming cheaper and more efficient. They can carry explosives. Abig enough drone can flyinto critical infrastructure and cause great damage, cause power outages,” said Gallé. “Those are the things that we’re really trying to guard against.”

The state representative also said Louisiana prisons have had problemswith drones being used to drop contraband behind prison walls.

To date, the Department of Public Safety&Corrections has encountered 51 “drone incidents” at its state-run facilities, according to astatement from Derek Ellis, deputy corrections secretary

Those incidents include some cases involvingcontrabandbut also encompass all other sightings of nondepartmental drones at state prisons, he said.

“The We Will Act law gives the Louisiana Department of Public Safety andCorrections’ staffa way to neutralize, interceptordisable drones through any legal and safemethods, including but notlimited to jamming, hacking or physicalcapture to prevent illegal or harmful activity,such as individuals attempting to drop contrabandinto prisons,” Ellis said.

Drone sightings at Entergy’sRiver Bend Station nuclear power plant early this year marked another driving force behind the new law,Gallé said.

of the Delta Queen’s lingering repairs was. No price waslisted for the steamboat in the post, but DQSCsaid they are seeking offers and

Officialsatthe time did not identify the drones as apublicsafetythreat. But they’ve also never gotten aclear answerastowhere those drones came from, according to Gallé and Sheriff Brian Spillman,ofWest FelicianaParish

Those sightings prompted Landry in January to say the state ought to have away to mitigatedrones. At the time, he said he’d been askingthe Federal Aviation Administration to grant Louisiana that authority.

Now, Louisiana’snew law puts the state“on the front linesofdrone defense,” Landry said in astatement.

It is unclear how Louisiana’slaw willinteractwith federal rules andregulations.Generally,under federal law, it is illegal to damage,destroy,disable or wreck anyaircraft

TheAdvocate |The TimesPicayune asked the FAA whether it accepted Louisiana’snew law

“The FAAisasafety regulatornot asecurity agency,” aspokesperson said in response. “Ourrole is to ensure drones operatesafely within the broader National Airspace System. Congress gavecertainfederal agencies authority to countercredible threats from drones.”

Law enforcement has so far been mum on howtheir agencies would take down drones if theneed arose.

Gallé saidthe preferred method would be by electronic means.

“In some instances, you can intercept the drone, take over thecontrols andthen removeitfrom the area and land it safely,” he said “That’sthe primaryway thatlaw enforcement wants to do it.”

State Troopers are pre-

giving priority to plans that would not involve dismantling the ship.

Email Julia Guilbeau at jguilbeau@theadvocate. com.

pared to counter drones being operated unlawfully, according to astatement from Capt. Russell Graham, aState Police spokesperson. Theagency wouldnot provide details on howitwould intercept adronebecause it “does not divulgeinvestigative methods,law enforcementtactics, or technological capabilities for safety andsecuritypurposes.”

ButGraham emphasized “thatall counter-droneactivity would be done safely andlawfully.” The departmentwould notbeshooting dronesout of the sky, he said.

Thecorrectionsdepartment said it had “several staff members whoare trained and certified as drone pilots for detectionand counteraction purposes.”

Spillman,the West FelicianaParishsheriff, said he had discussed adronetakedownmethod internally but was not ready to divulge it publicly “Wewouldtakethe necessary steps, I’ll just leave it at that. Andthose necessary steps would include at all times that we were not putting anybodyelseinjeopardy,”hesaid Joe Gebbia Sr., founder and CEO of State Shield, a national nonprofitthatsupports state-level lawstoprotect against possible interference from China, called the bill “historic.” “It’s thefirst time that a state passed legislation givingitself the right to do what it needs to do to protect its people,” he said. Gebbia plans to lobby other states to pass similarlegislation next year,headded. Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan. friedmann@theadvocate. com.

Afan of grass, Spaniard champion

BY HOWARDFENDRICH AP tennis writer

LONDON Carlos Alcaraz’sfirst match on agrass court came just six yearsago

He’sobviously aquick study

When Wimbledon gets started Monday, the 22-year-old fromSpain will playinthe first Centre Court matchofthis fortnight, an honor reserved for the previous year’s men’schampion. The contest against Fabio Fognini will open Alcaraz’sbid for athird consecutive championship at the place.

That’ssomething only four men have achieved in the Open era, which began in

1968: Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Not bad company Alcaraz already is 5-0 in Grand Slam finals, which includes going 2-0atthe French Open —whichhewon threeweeks ago via acomeback from two sets down against No 1Jannik Sinner in thefinal —and 1-0 at the U.S. Open.

Last year,the No. 2-ranked Alcarazbecame the youngest man to win amajor trophy on each surface: grass,clayand hard courts.

But he’sgot afondness forthe green stuff.

“The mostbeautiful tennisthat we can

watch is on grass. The style that the people bring to the court when they play on grass. The sound of the ball,”saidAlcaraz, who will go into Monday on acareer-best 18-match winning streak, including atitle at the Queen’s Club tournament on grass last weekend. “The movement is really tough, but when you get it, it’skind of (as though) you’re flying.”

He loves that it allows him to show off the variety in his game and all of the skills he possesses.

Few players smile as muchasAlcaraz does while in thethickofthings, no matter what challengesmight be presentedbythe

Kentucky native earned 15 Triple Crownvictories

BY STEPHENWHYNO Associated Press

D. Wayne Lukas, theHallofFamer who becameone of the most accomplished trainers in the history of horse racing and aface of the sport for decades, has died. He was89. Hisfamily saidSunday that Lukas died Saturday nightathis Louisville,Kentucky, home. Lukas had been hospitalized with a severe MRSA bloodinfection thatcaused significantdamagetohis heartand digestive system and worsened pre-existing chronic conditions.

“Wayne devoted his lifenot only to horses but to the industry —developing generations of horsemen andhorsewomenand growing the gamebyinviting unsuspecting fans into the winner’scircle,” his family said in astatement. “Whether he wasboasting aboutamaiden2-year-old as thenext KentuckyDerby winner or offeringquietwords of advice before abig race, Wayne brought heart, grace, and grit to every corner of the sport. Hisfinal days were spentathome in Kentucky,where he chose peace, family, and faith.” Lukas won 15 Triple Crownraces, including the Kentucky Derby four times. Only good friend BobBaffert hasmoreTriple Crown victories, andLukasowns arecordtying 20 in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

Twenty years after the New OrleansHornets drafted Chris Paul with the fourth pick of the draft, it’s time to consider bringing him back.

The Pelicans and the other 29 NBAteams can start negotiating with free agents on Monday at 5p.m. If I’mPelicansexecutive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, one of the first calls I make is to CP3.

No,thisisn’t just somefeel good gesture to create anostalgic full circle moment. Bringing Paul back to NewOrleanswould fill aneed fora franchise needing to get back on track after adisastrous season. Pelicans should consider

CJ McCollum,the locker room leader the past 31/2 seasons, was tradedtothe Washington Wizards last week. His leadership (and the $30.7 million remaining on his 1-year contract) are now in D.C.

So there’savoid there.

And who better to fill that void than one of the best leaders, both on andoff the court, than Paul?

Yeah, Paul just turned40inMay, which is ancient in NBAyears.

But Paul knows he’snear thefinish line of his Hall of Fame career. He won’t be expecting to break the bank with whatever team he signs with.

But it would be achance forhim

“The whole secret of thisgame, Ithink, is being able to read the horse: Read what he needs, what he doesn’tneed, what he can’tdo, what he can do,” Lukas said in May before his 34th and final Preakness Stakes. “That’sthe whole key.Everybody’sgot the blacksmith, everybody’sgot to the same bed available, thefeed man. We all can hire a good jockey.Weall can hire apretty good exercise rider if we’ve got the means, so what the hell is the difference? The horse is the difference andwhat we do withhim in reading him.” Lukaswas affectionately known around

to finish his career where he started it while bringing some much needed veteran presence to theteam.

The Pelicans are as young as they’ve ever been.

Kelly Olynyk —who was also traded to the Wizards —and McCollum were the oldest two players on theroster Dejounte Murray,who turns 29 in

September,isthe next oldest.But he will most certainly missthe first part of the season rehabbing the Achilles hetoreinJanuary After Murray,the elders who play significant minutes on the team are now Jose Alvarado (27) and Herb Jones (26). Paulcould instantly step in and play in Murray’sabsence. The Pelicansplan to decline theteam option on point guard Elfrid Payton, according to areport on Sunday by The Athletic, makingthe team even thinner at point guard. Even moreimportantly,Paul could

AP FILEPHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL Trainer D. Wayne Lukas watches aworkout at Churchill Downs on May1inLouisville, Ky Lukas’ family saidSundayhedied Saturday night at hishome.

See LUKAS, page 3C

AP PHOTO By KIRSTy WIGGLESWORTH

San AntonioSpurs guardChris Paul drives to thebasketina game againstthe

PRESS FILE PHOTO By DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

Longtime BR sportswriter retiring

Fambrough covered high school sports for 34 years

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

For more than three decades, Baton Rouge residents have had one surefire way of knowing whether the prep sporting event they were attending was the biggest one on the docket that night If Robin Fambrough was there, then you were in the right place. Now the veteran journalist — a dogged, meticulous reporter whose encyclopedic memory and zeal for storytelling shined through the copy she filed has decided to retire, ending a legendary 34-year tenure as The Advocate’s prep sports beat writer Her last day on the job is Aug. 1

“I had a great career because of the people I’ve covered and the stories I’ve gotten to write,” Fambrough said. “I’ve had to cover a lot of really great athletes and meet a lot of really great coaches.” Fambrough, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, fell in love with sports around childhood stops at college basketball games and trips to Churchill Downs. She played on her high school’s first girls basketball team, then covered its first win two years later A decorated sportswriting career followed, whisking her from western Kentucky to Thibodaux, to Alexandria, then Hollywood, Florida, and finally to Baton Rouge. There, Fambrough encountered

all-time greats — think Warrick Dunn, Marcus Spears and Seimone Augustus, to name a few — and wrote the earliest chapters of their careers. Since 1981, she’s covered her fair share of stars, but not at the expense of the everyday athletes, the ones whose playing careers ended in high school.

She mined every sport — in every classification for their stories, then told them the only way she knew how — with grace, precision, care and an exacting consideration for detail.

“She did an article on me,” Augustus said, “and I was a shy little kid, and most of my answers were ‘Yes’ and ‘No,’ and I just remember how caring she was, how she pulled the information out of me without overwhelming me, with it being my first interview And that’s basically how we got started, and throughout my high school career, college career, Robin was the same person She interviewed me the same way.”

Fambrough is the first reporter who wrote about Augustus.

The two met when the future LSU and WNBA great was just a gangly 9-year-old still growing into her Chuck Taylors.

Fambrough covered her storied career at Capitol High, then watched her star ascend in college and the professional ranks She even flew to Springfield, Massachusetts, in 2024 to document Augustus’ induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“I would credit her a lot for helping me with my ability to in-

terview,” Augustus said, “with how genuine she was and how thorough she was throughout that process.”

Every week for three decades, Fambrough mixed event coverage with collections of news and notes while sprinkling in feature stories — some inspiring and triumphant, others tragic and heart-rending. Sometimes, she’d encounter chances to hold power to account and decide not to let them slip away, penning columns that untangled thorny issues facing the LHSAA.

“She brought credibility to what we were doing,” LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine said. “She got it. She understood, and she was old-school in that regard, but she changed as the times changed.”

What never changed was Fambrough’s commitment to covering every sport.

On Friday nights, she’d finish her story on a football game and drive home late at night only to wake up early on Saturday morning so she could cover a swim meet or a cross country event.

Fambrough watched the highprofile recruits. She’d also look for diamonds in the rough, then give them the spotlight she thought they deserved.

“She covers our sports,” Zachary girls basketball coach Tami McClure said. “She really takes into consideration that girls’ sports are important. It’s not just about the boys but everyone. It’s not just the girls. Every sport is important to her and to this community, and then she gets it across

to everyone and covers everyone as everyone should be covered.”

Said longtime Episcopal coach Claney Duplechin: “She was the reason that cross country, I would say, gained popularity in Baton Rouge and grew at the level it grew over the last 30 years.”

Fambrough, 68, was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (2020) and the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame (2019). She’s also a seven-time winner of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Prep Writer of the Year award, recognition she earned in four different decades. In 2000 — about a dozen years after she moved to Baton Rouge with her husband, Kevin, and her daughter, Megan — she was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s first female president. Then, in 2022, Fambrough became the first woman to receive the National Sports Media Association Louisiana Sportswriter of the Year award.

“I consider her the mother of high school sports,” said Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards, a former longtime prep football coach. “In order for high school sports to work, in order for it to have any juice, it’s got to have a Robin Fambrough. She’s one of one, in my opinion.”

Fambrough wants everyone to remember her work for one reason, above all else.

“What I hope people take from me is that I think everything matters,” Fambrough said. “All sports matter I like to think I tried to balance it as best I could.”

Potgieter wins Rocket Classic on 5th playoff hole

BY LARRY LAGE AP sportswriter

DETROIT Aldrich Potgieter

4 16th, where both Greyserman and Potgieter missed 16-foot putts with a chance to win.

At the par-5 14th, Greyserman hit is drive 361 yards — his longest of the week — and was just 2 yards behind Potgieter’s blast. Potgieter hit his approach from 195 yards to 19 feet and he pulled his putt. Greyserman two-putted from from 29 feet for birdie.

Back at No. 15 for a second time in the playoff, Greyserman twoputted from 34 feet and then Potgieter finally ended it. Michael Thorbjornsen (67) and Jake Knapp (68) finished a stroke out of the playoff.

U.S. women shut out

Ireland 4-0 in friendly

Izzy Rodriguez scored in her first appearance for the national team and the United States shut out Ireland 4-0 on Sunday

Lynn Biyendolo, Yazmeen Ryan and Alyssa Thompson also scored for the United States, which beat Ireland by an identical score in Commerce City, Colorado, on Thursday

The United States went up early when Biyendolo took a cross from Emma Sears and calmly scored her 25th international goal in the 11th minute.

Left back Rodriguez started in her debut and scored on a rebound goal to make it 2-0.

Sears kept the ball in play and sent it to Olivia Moultrie, who crossed to Ryan for the goal in the 66th minute.

Sparks retire two-time

MVP Parker’s jersey

LOS ANGELES Candace Parker’s No. 3 Los Angeles Sparks jersey was raised to the rafters of Crypto. com Arena before Sunday’s game against the Chicago Sky

After being the No. 1 pick in the 2008 WNBA draft out of Tennessee, Parker had a standout 16-year career, winning championships with three teams — the Sparks, her hometown Sky and Las Vegas. She was MVP of the WNBA Finals for LA in 2016.

The 39-year-old Parker is the third Sparks player to have her jersey retired, joining Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie (No. 9) and Penny Toler (No. 11). This was the first of two jersey retirement ceremonies for the five-time All Star Parker Chicago will retire her jersey later this summer

Hop to it: Rabbit throws out ceremonial first pitch

It’s been 90 years since Hall of Famer Rabbit Maranville roamed the infield for the Boston Braves. Perhaps the Reno Aces have found his successor The minor league team had a rabbit throw out the ceremonial first pitch Saturday, with some help from a pitching machine. The rabbit, named Alex the Great, has become a bit of a sensation on social media According to MLB. com, he was rescued from a meat farm in California and adopted by Josh Row and Kathreen Kei Koc. Alex has since become the only certified therapy rabbit in the country visiting hospitals and charity events. With his friendly demeanor and 30 pounds of fluff, he is always eager to lend an ear to those in need.

Clark, Collier voted WNBA All-Star Game captains

NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier will captain the WNBA All-Star Game on July 19 the league announced Sunday Clark received 1,293,526 votes from fans while Collier had about 100,000 fewer The Indiana Fever star, who is sidelined with a groin strain, is averaging 18.2 points and a careerhigh 8.9 assists per game. Collier leads the league in scoring at a career-best 24.5 points and is fourth in rebounding at 8.4 a game.

The 10 starters were selected from across the WNBA without regard to conference affiliation. Current players and a media panel joined fans in selecting the All-Star starters. Fans voting accounted for 50% while the players vote and the media choices each account for 25%.

Pirates’ Santana begins three-game suspension

each had opportunities to win end it on the 72nd hole at Detroit Golf Club, but couldn’t convert on birdie opportunities to break a tie at 22 under with Kirk. Potgieter, two strokes ahead entering the round, closed with a 3-under 69, and Greyserman and Kirk each

shot 67. Greyserman missed a 12-foot putt and Potgieter came up short on an uphill, 42-foot putt. That set up Kirk with an opportunity to win it, but he couldn’t take advantage. After Greyserman two-putted from 39 feet for par and Potgieter did the same from 20 feet, Kirk

had a chance to win it with a 9-foot putt only to push it to the right of the cup to extend the playoff. The trio then went to the par-3, 158-yard 15th and Greyserman was the only one who was accurate off the tee and didn’t take advantage. The trend continued on the par-

Collin Morikawa, meanwhile, is still waiting to end his drought. He shot a 68 to finish 19 under and in an eighth-place tie. The two-time major winner, who was the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 5 in the world, has not won the PGA Tour since October 2023 at the Zozo Championship in Japan.

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who rose to No. 7 in the world after winning the Travelers Championship last week, closed with 67 to tie for 41st at 12 under

PITTSBURGH Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana will serve a three-game suspension, reduced from four for an altercation with a fan during a game at the Detroit Tigers on June 19. The suspension went into immediate effect, beginning Sunday with the finale of a threegame home series against the New York Mets. Santana will also sit against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday and Tuesday before being eligible to return Wednesday Santana, in the second game of a June 19 doubleheader was seen in videos posted on social media pointing out the fan to a police officer before jumping and swinging at the person who was in the front row above Pittsburgh’s bullpen at Comerica Park.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Guest speaker Seimone Augustus talks to the athletes during a sit-down with sportswriter Robin Fambrough at The Advocate’s Star of Stars High School sports awards ceremony at the L’Auberge Event Center on May 22, 2023, in Baton Rouge.

ASSOCIATED PRES PHTO By PAUL SANCyA

Aldrich Potgieter, of South Africa, hits from the fourth tee during the final round of the Rocket Classic on Sunday at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit.

ALL-METROTRACK AND FIELD

GIRLS MOST VALUABLE PERFORMERS

NotreDame’sMaryEllen Trahan, left,clears ahurdle ahead of NorthlakeChristian’s Mackenzie Hayesinthe 100-meterhurdles at theClass2Aoutdoor championshipson May9atLSU.Trahan was the statechampion in both the 100 and 300 hurdles.

MARY ELLENTRAHAN NOTREDAME, JR HURDLES

One year ago, as asophomore,Notre Dame’sMaryEllen Trahan accepted the challengeofrunning the hurdlesfor the Pioneers.

Despite her lack of experience, Trahan claimed aregional championship andqualified forthe state meet. But Trahan was far from satisfied withher success. She wanted more.

As ajunior,Trahan gotmore as she returned to the state trackmeetand came homeas the Class 2A champion in both the 100-meter hurdles (14.78 seconds)and 300 hurdles

Trae’lyn Frederick knewifshe wasgoing to gettowhere she wanted to be,she would have to put in the work.

And she did.

Frederick’s determination provedtobe vital toher becoming more consistent in her field events for the Jeanerette girls track and field team.

“I wasn’t the best last year,” said Frederick, who finished sixthinthe shot put at state as an eighth grader in 2024.“I improvedalot. I just worked hard, kept practicingand went out there to do the best that Icould.” As afreshman, Frederick sawher hardwork rewarded at the state meet, reaching the

(44.81).

“I was very proud of myself, because Iwasn’t expecting tobeonthe podium,”saidTrahan, whobegan running the hurdles at midseason of her sophomore year.“Iwas very surprised to winstate because Iamnot the fastest. Going into the finals, Ihad the third-best time. Ijust went outand did my best.”

For herefforts,Trahan was named the Acadiana Advocate’sAll-Metro girls most outstandingtrack performer “It’sdefinitelyanhonor,”Trahan said.“I’m flattered and excited.

EricNarcisse

podium in both the javelin and the shot put.

Frederick wonthe Class 1A state championship in the javelin (122 feet, 10 inches) andplaced third in the shot put (36-63/4). She was ranked first in the javelin and thirdinthe shot put in the Acadiana area duringthe season.

“I was surprised to winstate,”Frederick said.“Atthe state meet, Iwas nervous at first becauseIwas competing againstmostly seniorswho had been there before and had been practicinglonger than me.

For her efforts, Frederick was named the AcadianaAdvocate’sAll-Metro most outstanding field performer “That’sshocking,”Frederick said.“I’m very grateful.

GIRLS COACHOFTHE YEAR BRAD TAYLOR TEURLINGSCATHOLIC

Teurlings Catholic girls track and fieldcoach Brad Taylor would have preferred tohave brought home one of the twoteamtrophies following the state meet. Nevertheless, the Rebels did return with some individual hardware.

At the state meet, the Rebels’ 4x400 and 4x800 relayteams were Class 4A state

GIRLS ALL-METRO TEAM

TRACKEVENTS

100-meter dash: 1. Khia Williams,Lafayette High, 11.90 seconds; 2. Diamond Bossier, Lafayette Renaissance, 12.17; 3. Kylie Norbert,Acadiana, 12.26. 200: 1. Ja’Nylaynn Washington,New Iberia, 24.52; 2. Khia Williams, Lafayette High, 24.62; 3. Kylie Norbert,Acadiana, 24.83 400: 1. RileySiner,Lafayette High, 57.30;2 Tay’lee Crump, Lafayette High, 57.37;3.Myah Trahan, Midland, 57.70. 800: 1. RileySiner,Lafayette, 2:11.87; 2. Abigail Leger,Teurlings, 2:18.01; 3.Aaryam Saleh,Teurlings, 2:19.85.

1,600: 1. Camryn Haik, St.ThomasMore, 5:05.16; 2.AbbyKate Mendoza, St.Thomas More, 5:14.99; 3.Abigail Leger,Teurlings, 5:15.30. 3,200: 1. CamyrnHaik, St.Thomas More, 11:13.14; 2. Ella Blake, Highland Baptist, 11:35.71; 3. Bella Biggerstaff,Ascension Episcopal, 11:43.52.

100 hurdles: 1. MaryEllen Trahan, Notre Dame, 14.78; 2. KelseyBomersback, Vermilion Catholic, 15.31; 3. KayleiBrown, Beau Chene, 15.62.

300 hurdles: 1. MaryEllen Trahan, Notre Dame, 44.81; 2.Addison Meynard, St Thomas More, 47.0; 3. Kaylei Brown, Beau Chene, 47.08.

4x100 relay: 1. Comeaux 48.81; 2. Acadiana Renaissance, 48.83, 3. Lafayette High 48.92.

BOYS MOST VALUABLE PERFORMERS

Ithasn’tbeen easy,but Highland Baptist’s Tyler Blissett is makingitlook that way.

Blissett has been nothing shortof spectacular since joiningthe Bears’ varsity roster as an eighthgrader.

Ayearafter he swept the Class 1A distance races at the stateoutdoor meet,the junior accomplished thefeatagain —repeating as the state champion in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters “I’veworked hard allseason,”Blissett said.“It is good to see the results. My mindset is really to just go win. My motivation is to be thebest that Ican be.”

NEricNarcisse

champions, while members of those teams —AbbigaleLandry(400) and AaryamSaleh (800)— finished as state runners-up en route to leading Teurlings to athird-place finish.

Forhis efforts and the success of his team Taylorwas namedthe Acadiana Advocate’sAllMetro girls track and field coachofthe year EricNarcisse CURTIS

4x200 relay: 1. Lafayette High1:39.89; 2. LafayetteRenaissance1:43.27; 3.Acadiana 1:44 07.

4x400 relay: 1. Lafayette High 3:53.60; 2. Teurlings4:03.48; 3. Midland 4:04.32.

4x800 relay: 1. Lafayette High9:42.77; 2. Teurlings9:49.72; 3. Kaplan 10:02.34. FIELDEVENTS

Highjump: 1. Emma Smith, Delcambre, 5feet,9 inches; 2. MarvelPotier,St. Thomas More, 5-2;(tie) KamiFrancis, David Thibodaux, 5-2. Longjump: 1. Quinasha Robertson, Northside, 17-8; 2.Virginia Blanchard,St. Thomas More, 17-6; 3.Treasure Matthews, Acadiana Renaissance, 17-41/2

Triple jump: 1. Quinasha Robertson, Northside, 37-2; 2.AlaysiaTitus, Lafayette Christian, 37-21/2;3.Bethany Long,Lafayette High, 36-9.

Pole vault: 1. Olivia Woods, St.Thomas More, 13-1; 2. Scarlett Petticrew, Lafayette High, 120; 3. Rachel Owens,Acadiana Renaissance, 10-6. Discus: 1. BreaBailey, Lafayette High,1419; 2. London Thi,Cecilia, 127-7; 3. Leilani Hudson, Lafayette Christian, 120-5. Javelin: 1.Trae’lyn Frederick, Jeanerette, 12210; 2.Aubree LeJeune, St. Edmund, 120-10; 3. BrayleeDeRouen,Loreauville, 118-0.

Shot put: 1. London Thi,Cecilia,37-4; 2. Nevaeh Redditt, JS Clark, 37-3.25; 3.Trae’lyn Frederick, Jeanerette, 36-111/2

Baptist junior

repeated as state champion in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters at the LHSAA outdoor championships in May. Blissett has woneightstate championships during hiscareer

For his effortsand success, Blissett was named the Acadiana Advocate’sAll-Metro boys most outstanding track performer

“It’sanhonor,” Blissett said.“It feelsgood to receivethis honor

“It’sgood to getrecognition.”

Although he has woneight state championships during the outdoor track and fieldseason since his freshman year,Blissett has remainedhumble.

“There is no point to being cocky,” he said. “There is always someone out therewho is fasterthan you.”

EricNarcisse

orthwest High School’sCurtisHarrison entered the outdoor track and field season having not wona state championship in the shot put. Considering it was hisseniorseason,the 6-foot3, 300-poundHarrison wantednothing more than to accomplish that feat in his final opportunity

Harrison didjust that, throwing50feet,31/2 inches to win the Class 3A state title.

“It was my first state championship in the shot put,”Harrison said.“Winning the state championship meant that all of the hard work Iput in paid off.

That hard work is reflected in postseason accoladesaswell, as Harrison wasnamed the Acadiana Advocate’s All-Metro boys most outstanding fieldperformer

“I’m thankful,”Harrison said of winning the honor.“It’sanothersign that all of my hard work has paid off.”

Harrison, whoisset to be amember of the Coffeyville Community College football and track and fieldteams,said the keytohis success washis ability to utilize theentirering when throwingthe shot.

“I learned to use theentire ringand not stop in themiddle,”saidHarrison, wholed theAcadiana area in theshot putwith atoss of 54-1. EricNarcisse

BOYS COACHOFTHE YEAR LOGANDUPLECHIN CECILIA

The Cecilia Bulldogs established themselves as one of the best track and fieldteams during the outdoor season.

While the Bulldogsfellshort of their goal of winning the boys Class 4A state outdoor championship, coach LoganDuplechin and his team enjoyedanother successful season.

BOYS ALL-METROTEAM

TRACKEVENTS

100-meter dash: 1.Ty Thomas,Acadiana, 10.65 seconds; (tie) Braylon Moore,Abbeville, 10.65; 3. BraylonWalker, Lafayette Christian, 10.66. 200: 1.Ty Thomas,Acadiana, 21.30; 2. Syrian Joseph,Acadiana 21.61; 3. Jaboryan John, Breaux Bridge, 21.71. 400: 1. JaboryanJohn, Breaux Bridge, 48.13; 2. Jay’lan Babineaux, Carencro, 48.69; 3. Brian Broussard,St.Thomas More, 49.74.

800: 1. Jackson Jarrett, DavidThibodaux, 1:58.74; 2.Tyler Blissett, Highland Baptist 1:59.70, 3. Barrett Richard, DavidThibodaux, 1:58.78. 1,600: 1.Tyler Blissett, Highland Baptist, 4:20.53; 2.Anderson Frank, ESA, 4:23.70; 3. Jackson Jarrett, David Thibodaux, 4:23.10. 3,200: 1.Tyler Blissett, Highland Baptist 9:31.12; 2. Jackson Jarrett, DavidThibodaux, 9:33.72; 3. Emerson Cullen, DavidThibodaux, 9:43.94.

110 hurdles: 1. Conner Stewart,New Iberia, 14.30; 2. Sean Herrington, Erath, 14.69; 3. TerryMatthews,Acadiana Renaissance, 14.82.

300 hurdles: 1. Brent Gordon, Cecilia, 38.52; 2.AliCarrier,Beau Chene. 39.43; 3. Conner Stewart, NewIberia, 39.71. 4x100 relay: 1.Acadiana 41.38, 2.Westgate 42.37, 3. Cecilia 42.64. 4x200 relay: 1.Acadiana 1:25.25, 2. Lafayette Christian 1:27.06, 3.Westgate 1:28.56.

The Bulldogs, who finishedfourth at thestate meet,wereregional champions and qualified forstate in eight events.

For his effortsand the success of his team,Duplechin wasnamed theAcadiana Advocate’s All-Metro boys track and field coach of the year

EricNarcisse

4x400 relay: 1. Cecilia 3:25.85, 2.Westgate 3:26.86; 3. Breaux Bridge3:26.90. 4x800 relay: 1. DavidThibodaux 8:10.76, 2. St.Thomas More 8:22.10; 3.Acadiana Renaissance 8:23.96.

FIELDEVENTS

Highjump: 1.Warren Walker,Comeaux, 6-6; (tie)Dylan Nelson, Catholic-NI, 6-4; 3. Brayhlon Artholee. Opelousas, 6-2; (tie) Eric Buddecke, Southside,6-2; (tie) Kyle Guillott, St.Thomas More, 6-2; (tie) Trey Carmouche, Comeaux, 6-2; Xarian Babineaux, St.Thomas More 6-2. Long jump: 1. Jermaine Davis, Cecilia, 22-0.5; 2. Ellis Stewart, Cecilia, 22-2.75; 3. ShawnPitts, Midland, 21-10.5. Triple jump: 1. JaiJoseph, Northside,459; 2. Quinton Goodie,Acadiana 45-7; 3. Jermaine Davis, Cecilia, 45-0. Pole vault: 1. Elijah Parich, Catholic-NI, 15-3; 2. Beau Domengeaux,Ascension Episcopal, 14-8; 3. Lucas Owens,Acadiana Renaissance, 14-0. Discus: 1. KevinSmall, Kaplan, 166-10; 2. Michael Cunningham,Westminster,161-0; 3. Justin Suire,Highland Baptist,155-3. Javelin: 1. Branon Mitchell,Ascension Episcopal, 192-2; 2. Channing Berard, Teurlings, 191-5; 3. Peyton Renfro, Iota, 180-3. Shotput: 1. Curtis Harrison, Northwest, 541; 2. Javonte Williams, Jeanerette, 50-10; 3. CoreySassau, Cecilia, 49-6.

TYLERBLISSETT HIGHLAND BAPTIST,JR. DISTANCE

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Frederick

Harrison

Track

Track

Field

Field

Highland

TylerBlissett

FILE PHOTO By MATT LOUVIERE

In caring forloved one, don’tforget thefeet

How important is proper foot care for someone with Alzheimer’sordementia?

As we age, our feet flatten and become wider and the fatty padding wears down, leaving bonesand joints more exposed to wear and tear.Injuries can occur from asimple blister to bunions and calluses and conditions such as neuropathy,ingrown toenails and skin breaks can compromise other health conditions.

Foot disorders can lead to a diminishing gait and apotential fall risk in people with Alzheimer’s, which is why proper foot care should not be ignored.

Since most people with Alzheimer’scannot verbalize if they are experiencing foot discomfort, it is helpful for the caregiver to be observant in any changes in physical or emotional well-being. The caregiver should watch the pattern of their loved one’s walking; i.e., do they seem unsteady,walking more slowly,or even shuffling while walking.

Since skin on the feet becomes more fragile with aging, bunions,corns andcalluses can form on the feet, in addition to being prone to ingrown toenails or fungal infections. These conditions can cause soreness and discomfort, making the affectedindividual reluctant to walk. Additionally,if the individual with Alzheimer’s is also adiabetic, the caregiver should be vigilant in proper foot care because even asmall cut on the foot can lead to a severeinfection which could become very serious.

Comfortable,well-fitting shoes can make all the difference in the affected person’s mobility so agood pair of walking shoes that are precisely measured and fit for the individual is recommended. Oftentimes, older adults andaffected individuals are inclined to wear slippers all day,which encourages shuffling rather than walking and can alsobe the root cause of slips and falls. Caregivers can make aregular habit of washing theirloved one’sfeet nightly with warm soapand water, drying the feet fully,thenapplying moisturizer andfinishing by covering the feet with breathable cotton socks for comfort and warmth

ä See FEET, page 6C

thLivingedream

BY KYLE WHITFIELD | Staff writer

Next time.

We kept sayingit. Year after year

Next time. The next time LSUmakes the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, my dad and Iwould make thetrip there.

Next time, when work slows down. Next time, when flights aren’tsoexpensive.

Next time wentfrom apromise to aplan on theTigers’ 20th CWSappearance in the past40years.

My dad, Rick, 69, and Icrammed oursuitcases with every piece of LSUgear we owned and flew out of town the day before Game1ofthe championship series against Coastal Carolina.

Next time was oneofthe bestdecisions in my 38 years. Not just because LSU won it all, its eighth national championship in program history

Realityshowtofollow NOPD homicide unit

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

Crime and investigation show“Homicide Squad New Orleans” will return to the A&Enetwork fora second season.

The show follows detectives in the New Orleans Police Department homicide unit. Each episode focuses on adifferent case, includingfatal home invasions, drive-by shootings andphysical altercations.

Season 2has seven one-hour episodes. StartingJuly 17, an episodewillair everyThursdayat8 p.m. Central time on A&E. After premiering, episodes will be available to stream on A&E’swebsite and app

Seasonone beganits release in January.The show is produced by Wolf Entertainment and44Blue Productions for A&E.

SONG OF THESUMMER

Sabrina Carpenter performs during the Times Square Newyear’sEve celebration on Dec.31, 2023.

INVISION/AP FILEPHOTO By ANDyKROPA

BY MARIA SHERMAN AP music writer

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSUcelebrates on the field after defeating Coastal Carolina 5-3onJune 22 in game twoofthe CollegeWorld Series finals in Omaha, Neb

DREAMS

Not just because we got to see Kade Anderson throw only the third completegame shutout in the CWS finals. And not just because LSU took care of business quickly —just 17½ innings in less than 24 hours —and sparedusthe coronary-inducing drama of apotential winner-take-all Game 3. The experience was all of it. And the time before, during and after it. My dad and Ispent three days together in Omaha, just the two of us. The trip was the second time we’ve hit the road together to watch LSU play in any sport outside Louisiana. The other time was our trek to Pasadena, California, afew days after Hurricane Ida, to watch LSU football play UCLA in the Rose Bowl At The Drover in Nebraska, awelcoming Omaha steakhouse famous for its whiskey-marinated steaks, we had dinner twice during our stay becauseitwas so delicious.Weate about 48 ounces of steak in two nights. That alone was historic for me. Idon’tthink

I’ve seen my dad eat that much red meat.

At Barrett’sBarleycorn, where Irish green and orange were taken over by Tiger purple and gold, dad and Iate lunch together.The scene waslike watchinga magic show.Hardly anyone left their tables, but asteady stream of LSU fans kept pouring into the pub. Dad and Iroamed the streets together.Wetalkedto random LSU fans together

MUSIC

Continued from page5C

Boy Brian Wilson composed them so expertly,anyway?

It very well may be subject to the eye (well, ear) of the beholder,but The Associated Pressviews the song of the summer as the one that takes over those warm months between June and August,the kind that blasts out of car speakers and at beachbarbecuesinequal measure. And that means many different things for manykinds of listeners So here are AP’s2025 song of the summer predictions across categories, with past victors forreference. Find your song of the summer and then listentoour Spotify playlist, here.

SONG OF THE SUMMER THATINEXPLICABLYCAME OUT IN JANUARY:

‘NUEVAYoL,’Bad Bunny

Asong of the summer doesn’tactually have to arrive in summer,orevenin spring. History has proved this time and time again, lest anyone forget Olivia Rodrigo’s“driverslicense” hit at the top of theyear in 2021. But this summer,like every summer,isabout Bad Bunny.Onhis latest album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio pulls from Puerto Rico’s rich musical history and hybridizes it. He does so from the very opener,“NUEVAYoL,” which samples the fittingly named 1975 salsa hit from El Gran Combo, “Un Verano en Nueva York” (“A Summer in New York”).

Past champion: “Boy’s a Liar PT.2,” PinkPantheress, Ice Spice (2023)

SONG OF THE SUMMER FOR THE GIRLS AND ALL THOSE WHO LOVE THEM:

‘Gnarly,’KATSEYE KATSEYE, the global girl group born out of K-pop development techniques, are “Gnarly,” and they’d like you to be,too.The songis asymmetrical pop witha cheerleading cadence and extensive,expensive product placement. You’re here for thegirls, or you’re not. Gnarly! Past champion: “Bills, Bills, Bills,” Destiny’sChild (1999)

SONG OF THE SUMMER FOR THE CHRONICALLYONLINE:

‘Tonight,’ PinkPantheress

An internet hero releases

We shared countless Uber rides together.Wewaited in linestogether.Westood shoulder-to-shoulder in the stadium concourse behind home plate for all 105 outs in those twogames together There were high-fives Cheers. Claps. And afew phrases we’renot allowed to publish here There’snobigger andbetter hug than the one with your dad after yourfavorite team makes the last out to win achampionship. When atrip ends, oftentimes peoplegoback to souvenirs to remember avacation. But a$45 T-shirt has nothingonthe memories

another super hit:PinkPantheress’ “Tonight” is an undeniable good time; all bassline house meetshyperpop vocals with anaughty chorus. The24-year-old British singer-songwriter has proved she’sgot so much more to offer than afew viral hits —but herhuge songs that blow up online? They tendtostay.That’smore than can besaidabout past winners in this category

Past champion: “Million DollarBaby,”Tommy Richman(2024)

BIGGEST SONG OF THE YEAR,AND THEREFORE THE DEFAULT SONG OF THE SUMMER: ‘Luther,’Kendrick Lamar andSZA

Is asongreleased in November too dated to qualify for song of the summer? Perhaps. Buthere’s the rub: Kendrick Lamarand SZA’s “Luther”heldthe No. 1spot on the Billboard Hot100 for 13 weeksin2025— over half the yearsofar Popularity makes the contender.Itdoesn’t hurt that “Luther”isalso one of thebest songs of both this year and last, atender R&B ballad that samples Luther Vandross andCherylLynn’s 1982 renditionof“If This World Were Mine.” “Luther” has since been dethroned on the charts, butnoother song has come closetoits run this year Past champion: “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen (2023)

my dad and Ihave together from our trip to Omaha.

It would’ve been easy to say next time again. LSU has thelook of starting another Skip Bertman-esque championship streak.

Maybe there are plenty moreopportunities for next time.

Next time for you might be withyour dad, your mom, your brother,your sister,your spouse, your best friends, whomever For me, next time was one of the best times with my dad.

Follow KyleWhitfield on Twitter,@kyle_whitfield.

—and it doesn’thurt thatit interpolates “Lollipop” by Lil Waynefeaturing StaticMajor and “Chulin Culin Chunfly” by Voltio featuring Residente. Pastchampion: “Buy Ua Drank(Shawty Snappin’),” T-Pain featuring Yung Joc (2007)

THE TIKTOK-APPROVED,BLAST-OFDOPAMINE SONG OF THE SUMMER: ‘Boots on theGround,’ 803Fresh

Social media is thewild westand inevitably sources its own song of thesummer. Usually,there’s an element of humor in thetrack like 2023’s“The Margarita Song” by That Chick Angel, Casa Di &Steve Terrell. This year is abit different: 803Fresh’s“Boots on the Ground” is an organichit that centers akindofsoulfulline dance —it’scountrypop with trap hi-hats andfun forthe whole family

Pastchampion: “The Spark,” Kabin Crew &Lisdoonvarna Crew (2024)

SONG OFTHE SUMMER FOR IT GIRLS: ‘FameIsAGun,’ Addison Rae

Sprained ankles need time to heal

Dear Doctors: Itwisted my ankle playing soccer,and thecoach said it’ssprained Igot it taped and sat out for afew days. It felt better,soIasked to play,but he said no, it still needed time to heal. What happens if Igoback too soon?

Dear readers: When you have asprained ankle, it means you stretched or tore one or moreofthe ligamentsthathelp stabilize the joint.There can also be damage to the joint capsule.Sprains happen when something causes your foot to turn, twist or roll, flexing the joint beyond its normal limits. Ankle sprains are common in sportslike soccer,where players move at topspeed, making sudden and frequent spins and turns. Youcan alsosprain your ankle doing something as simple as walking on an uneven sidewalk. Your coach is correct you do have to takeyour sprainedankle seriously and let it completely heal. The ligaments that support and stabilize the joint are made of ropelike bands of collagen. Although theyare tough and flexible, their abilitytostretchislimited. Movement thatforces a ligament beyond itsnormal range can causedamage.

Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THEDOCTORS

Due to limited blood supply ligaments heal slowly

The degree of damage determinesthe severity of thesprain. In amild sprain, also known as grade1,the ligament hasstretched too farbut haslittleorno tearing. Symptoms include minor swelling, alongwith pain andtenderness. You can typically bear weighton theinjured ankleand walk, but morestrenuous activity is uncomfortable. Agrade2 sprainmeansthe ligament is partially torn. This results in pain, swellingand maybe minor bruising. It can be hard to bear weight on your foot, anditmay feel unstable.Agrade3 sprainisthe mostsevere. The ligament hastorn completely, andthe joint capsule may be injured too. Grade3sprains cause considerable pain andswelling, as well as visible bruising. In agrade3 sprain, you can’t support anyweight on thejoint

Youcan treat grade 1 and 2sprains at home. You can stabilize your ankle, use over-the-counter antiinflammatories to manage pain and swelling, and rest. Typically,icing sprained joints to reduce swelling has been recommended, but this advice is changing. Icing reduces blood flow to the region and may slow the process of healing. A grade 3sprain is asevere injury.Seek immediate medical attention fordiagnosis and treatment. Gradual andtargeted physical activityisimportanttohealingfrom a sprain. Exercises should focusonstrength, stability andrange of motion. Aprematurereturn to rigorous activitycan worsen theexisting sprain, leave youvulnerable to hurting yourself againand lead to chronic instabilityinthe joint.In asking youtowaitlongerto return to thesoccer field, your coach is protecting you from amore seriousinjury. Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet. ucla.edu,orwrite: Ask the Doctors,c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 WilshireBlvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

Keepingyourbrain nimble

Dear Heloise: Folkswho like to do thedaily newspaper crossword puzzles know that they grow in difficultyasthe week passes. The Monday puzzles are childishly easy with clues such as: “Hints[blank] Heloise” (four letters). They’re no fun at all. So, as ameans of upgrading the difficulty,aswell as improving the challenge and enjoyment, just turn

By The Associated Press

BREAKUP SONG OF THE SUMMER:

‘WhatWas That,’ Lorde Lorde’sfirst new singlein fouryears recalls theclever synth-pop of her 2017 album “Melodrama,” casting aside the folk detour of 2021’s“Solar Power.” “What WasThat” is reserved revelation, introspectiveelectropop that takesa measured look at a relationship’sdissolution. It feels good, and bad, which is the point. Past champion:“How Can YouMend aBroken Heart,” Bee Gees (1971)

SONG FOR SINGLES READYTO MINGLETHIS SUMMER:

‘WASSUP,’Young Miko

Flirting iscentral to these hotmonths; no other season has afling named after it Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko knows this better than most, and hertrack“WASSUP” is allabout charisma

Charli xcxfans, fearnot. Louisiana native Addison Rae’sdebut album is stuffed withbejeweled, hypnotic pop songs for thepost-“BRAT” crowd. Bestofall is the Grimes-esque “Fame Is a Gun,”asunglasses-in-theclubbangerwithsyntheticvocal textures and an unignorable chorus.For fashionable listeners, and those who aim to become more fabulous.

Pastchampion: “Bad Girls,” Donna Summer (1979)

SONG OFTHESUMMEROFREVENGE: ‘Manchild,’ SabrinaCarpenter

Doesitsoundstrikinglysimilar to “Please, Please, Please” at times? Sure.But hasSabrina Carpenter cornered the market on country-tinged, satirical pop songs about heterofatalism,aninternet neologismfor those who find heterosexuality embarrassingand hopeless? Also,yes. Butyou know,with awink, vengeance and adanceable quality. Amen,hey men!

Past champion: “Before He Cheats,” CarrieUnderwood (from her2005 debut album, butreleased as a single in 2006)

from Heloise

the puzzle upside down. Youcan read the clues upside downand teach yourself to print the answer letters upside downintheir squares. This can makea Monday puzzle just as hard as Saturday, and it’smerely another simple thing that seasoned citizens can do to keep their minds nimble. —Jim R., in Houston Jim, you’re all about keeping our brains nimble!

TODAYINHISTORY

In 1958, the U.S. Senate passed the Alaska statehood bill.

Today is Monday, June 30, the 181st day of 2025. There are 184 days left in the year Today’shighlightinhistory: On June 30, 1934, Adolf Hitler launched his “blood purge” of political and militaryrivals in Germany in what came to be known as the “Night of the Long Knives.”

Also on this date:

In 1918, labor activist and socialist Eugene V. Debs was arrested in Cleveland, charged under theEspionage Act of 1917 for aspeech he had made two weeksearlier in which he denounced U.S. involvementinWorld WarI.(Debs was sentenced to prison and disenfranchised for life.)

In 1921, President Warren G. Harding nominated former President William Howard Taft to be chief justice of the United States, succeeding the late Edward Douglass White.

In 1936, Margaret Mitchell’snovel “Gone With the Wind” was released.

FEET

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This practice can promote relaxation before sleep. Additionally,keeping toenails trimmed is another important element of foot care, and if trimming toenails causes the affected individual to experience fear or anxiety,the caregiver can try creating a spalike environment,using lavender aromas, soft music, and possibly giving somethingtothe affected person to distract him or

In 1971, the Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that the government could not prevent The New York Times or The Washington Post from publishing the Pentagon Papers.

In 2009, American soldier Pfc. BoweR.Bergdahl wentmissing from his base in eastern Afghanistan, and waslater confirmed to have been captured by insurgents after walking away from his post. (Bergdahl wasreleased on May 31, 2014, in exchange for five Taliban detainees; he pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy,but wasspared aprison sentence by amilitary judge.)

In 2016, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that transgender people would be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military,ending one of the last bans on service in the armed forces.

In 2020, then-Mississippi Gov.Tate Reeves signed a landmark bill retiring the

her.Ifthe caregiver is uncomfortable or is having difficulty trimming toenails, he or she can go to a local nail care clinic that specializes in caring for senior feet or seek apodiatrist that offers these types of foot care services.

Lastly,caregivers should monitor any foot sores. The heels of the feet are a common location forbedsores because the affected individuals are resting their feet on afootstool, mattress or other surface that leads to tissue breakdownfrom skin irritation and pressure on the heels.

Sleep and ahealthy diet also help, as do things such as reading, exercise, puzzles, and social contact with family and friends. Somedoctors believe that apet may also help keep us busy and makeour brains stay active because we need to take care of our furry friends, feed them, and walkthem.They serve as companions formany people. —Heloise Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

last state flag bearing the Confederate battle emblem.Boston’sarts commission voted unanimously to remove astatue depicting afreed slave kneeling at Abraham Lincoln’sfeet. In 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in to the U.S. Supreme Court, shattering aglass ceiling as the first Black womanonthe nation’shighest court. Today’sbirthdays: Actor Lea Massari (“L’Avventura”) is 92. Actor Nancy Dussault is 89. Olympic track champion Billy Mills is 87. Oceanographer Robert Ballard is 83. Singersongwriter Glenn Shorrock (Little River Band) is 81. Jazz musician Stanley Clarke is 74. Actor David Garrison (“Married …with Children) is 73. Actor-comedian David Alan Grier is 69. Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen is 67. Actor Vincent D’Onofrio is 66. Actor Deirdre Lovejoy (“The Wire”) is 63. Actor Rupert

To prevent this type of condition, caregivers can prop the ankles on afoot rest so that the heels of the feet are not touching anything. In any case with foot conditions, avisit to the podiatrist or primary care physician is recommended.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’sadvocate and authorof“What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’sDisease.” She hosts “TheMemory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

SZA Lamar

Hints

STAFF PHOTO By KyLE WHITFIELD

Kyle Whitfield, left, and his dad, Rick, soak in the scene at Charles Schwab Field after LSU defeated Coastal Carolina 1-0 on June 21 in Game1atthe College WorldSeries in Omaha, Neb.

CANCER(June 21-July 22) Explore your options,but avoid letting anyone confuse youorlureyou down apath that doesn't fulfill yourneeds. Consider partnerships and shared expenses if they help you reach your target.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Draw conclusions from what you see, not what you hear. Getting it right the first timewill give youconfidence and helpyou gainthe supportyou require to make adifference.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Let your passion lead the way, and your strength andcourage help you reach your goal. Invest time and moneyintoexpandingyourinterestsand encouraging a healthy lifestyle and better prospects.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Run atight ship. You'llfallbehind if you spend too much time analyzing or reconfiguring every detail. You must act on your feet,be decisive and focus on your endgame.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Pick up additional skills, do some research and prepare to go after yourdesired position. Don't fear the competition; embrace the challenge andoutmaneuveryour rivals. Aspecial connection looks promising.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Anger will slow you down; investinginyourself will push you forward. Joint ventures will disappoint you. Rely on yourself and your attributes to reach your goal.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Protect your money, possessions and home from

anyone wanting to take advantage of youorlead youastray. Avoid lavish temptationsand people promising the impossible.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Change will require your undivided attention if you want to be successful.Your strength and determination will raise your appeal and encourage others to offer moresupport.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Open-mindedness will lead to positive change. Love, romance and homeimprovements are in thestars and will helpyou acquire the lifestyle you long for.

ARIES(March 21-April 19) You'llachieve more if you attend functions that allow you to share your plans and bring about change. Participating in events dealing with the community will encourage you to do your best.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Choose peace and love over discord. Know what you can get away with before you enter the ring. If you want to go up against someone, do someprep work wellahead of time.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Refuse to get angry when keeping acool head will help you get your way. Make positive personal changes, and address issues that make your life easierand more fulfilling.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Celebrity Cipher cryptogramsare created from quotations by famouspeople, past and present. Each letterinthe cipherstands for another.

CLUE: SEQUALSK

TODAy'S

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

peAnUtS

zItS

FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

SALLYForth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothat each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontainsthe same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Two weeks ago, we looked at Stayman sequences. Last week, we turned to transfers into the majors. Thisweek, let’s cover howtoshowthe range of major two-suitersopposite aone-notrump opening. Let’s start with oneno-trump -two clubs (Stayman) -two diamonds (no four-cardmajor)- two of amajor. In pretransfer days, atwo-heart or two-spade rebid showed afive- or six-cardsuitand game-invitational values. Using majorsuit transfers, Staymanfollowedbya two-heart rebid indicates aweak major two-suiter, in principle 5-5 (as wasnoted in thecolumnonMay 16).Incontrast, rebidding two spades shows five spades, four hearts and game-invitational values —see South’shand in today’s diagram. North, with such good major-suit holdings,raises to fourspades. How shouldSouth planthe play after West leadsthe club king?

The Southhandhas fourpotential losers: onespade,two hearts andone club. There aretwo ways to gethome. First, win with dummy’s club ace andplay three rounds of hearts. Then,whenback in hishand, declarer ruffs his lastheart on theboard. Alternatively,Southcanplayadummy reversal. Suppose he ducks (loses) the first trick, and West shifts to atrump. Declarer finesses, East taking hisking and returning aspade. South wins on the board, cashesthe clubace, ruffs the last club, unblocks his top diamonds, and usesdummy’s two heartentries to get two diamond ruffs. Declarer takes two spades, two hearts, two diamonds, one cluband those threeruffs. Yes, an initial trump lead is fatal, but that is hard for West to find. ©2025 by NEA,Inc.,dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles

Each Wuzzle is aword riddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON

Previous answers:

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

ToDAY’s WoRD GLucosE: GLU-koze: Acrystalline sugar.

Averagemark 13 words

Timelimit 20 minutes

Canyou

sATuRDAY’s WoRD —sHILLELAGH

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard