The Advocate 06-30-2025

La. changing illegal immigration laws

Enforcement

bolstered, state benefits end

BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer

New Louisiana laws aimed at bolstering federal immigration enforcement and ending state benefits for immigrants living in the

Police in state allowed to bring 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 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.

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 govern-

ment 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 contributions.

Fields said that the number of

noncitizens applying for state and local benefits is nearly “nonexistent” because they don’t qualify for the most part. But in cases where parents may not qualify for benefits but their U.S.-born children do, the new laws will deter some from applying out of fear of deportation and could “break families apart,” she said.

ä See LAWS, page 3A

Spotty internet an ordeal in Louisiana’s rural areas

Federal program promising fast network falters

House Bill 261, now Act 170, was sponsored by state Rep. Jay Gallé, RMandeville. 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

ä See DRONES, page 3A

Robert ‘Bob’ Neilson was appointed by the state to run the Washington Parish city and fix Bogalusa’s financial problems after Mayor Tyrin Truong was arrested.

BY JENNA ROSS | Staff writer

EAST CARROLL PARISH When the internet is iffy in Lake Providence, as it often is, Brittany Lyons, the owner of an inhome care service, has a backup.

She drives a half mile to the hospital where her sister works and asks to use their network, which is a bit 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’s internet falters. To host a recent training session, the district attorney’s office borrowed a personal Wi-Fi hot spot from the library

Glenn Dixon, an investigator with the District Attorney’s office, flipped through a paper calendar earlier this month, shaking his head The office manager scrawls “No internet,” on days that their line-of-sight wireless service is down. May 2024: Out for three days June

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

2024: out for five.

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

“We can’t go paperless like many offices are doing now,” Dixon said, his desk covered in folders, loose 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,

ä See INTERNET, page 5A

‘I have the ultimate authority in town’ Bogalusa accountant

takes on city overhaul

BY WILLIE SWETT | Staff writer

Across from Bogalusa City Hall on Arkansas Avenue, behind a white picket fence, up three steps and through a side door are the of-

fices of Robert “Bob” Neilson, an accountant who may have more power than Mayor Tyrin Truong or the City Council combined. Since being appointed by the state in February to oversee Bogalusa’s troubled finances, Neilson has rapidly overhauled city government from inside the walls of his accounting firm. He’s spent

over $150,000 in contracted emergency sewer repairs. He’s hired staff from the previous mayor’s administration. And he has fired 10 or 12 city employees — he didn’t have the specific number “I have the ultimate authority in town,” Neilson said, looking up

ä See BOGALUSA, page 4A

STAFF PHOTO By JENNA ROSS

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

The residents of Lake Providence, an East Carroll Parish town of 3,600, have been for years pushing for faster, more reliable internet service — the kind that comes via fiber-optic cables.

Gallé

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Trump not planning to extend tariffs pause

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

CIA chief says Iran nuke program set back years

WASHINGTON CIA Director John Ratcliffe told skeptical U.S. lawmakers that American military strikes destroyed Iran’s lone metal conversion facility and in the process delivered a monumental setback to Tehran’s nuclear program that would take years to overcome, a U.S official said Sunday The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Ratcliffe laid out the importance of the strikes on the metal conversion facility during a classified hearing for lawmakers last week.

Details about the private briefings surfaced as President Donald Trump and his administration keep pushing back on questions from Democratic lawmakers and others about how far Iran was set back by the strikes before last Tuesday’s ceasefire with Israel took hold.

“It was obliterating like nobody’s ever seen before,” Trump said in an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” ”And that meant the end to their nuclear ambitions, at least for a period of time.” Ratcliffe also told lawmakers that the intelligence community assessed the vast majority of Iran’s amassed enriched uranium likely remains buried under the rubble at Isfahan and Fordo, two of the three key nuclear facilities targeted by U.S. strikes. But even if the uranium remains intact, the loss of its metal conversion facility effectively has taken away Tehran’s ability to build a bomb for years to come, the official said.

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 one-week 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.

Senators start debate on big bill

Overnight voting delayed for Trump’s tax, spending measure

BY LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

WASHINGTON Debate is underway in the Senate for an all-night session Sunday, with Republicans wrestling President Donald Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts over mounting Democratic opposition — and even some brake-pumping over the budget slashing by the president himself.

The outcome from the weekend of work in the Senate remains uncertain and highly volatile, and overnight voting has been pushed off until Monday GOP leaders are rushing to meet Trump’s Fourth of July deadline to pass the package, but they barely secured enough support to muscle it past a procedural Saturday night hurdle in a tense scene

A handful of Republican holdouts revolted, and

it took phone calls from Trump and a visit from Vice President JD Vance to keep it on track.

GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, announced Sunday he would not seek reelection after Trump badgered him for saying he could not vote for the bill with its steep Medicaid cuts.

A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law It also said the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade.

But other Senate Republicans, along with conservatives in the House, are pushing for steeper cuts, particularly to health care, drawing their own unexpected warning from Trump.

“Don’t go too crazy!” the president posted on social media. “REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected.”

All told, the Senate bill includes some $4 trillion in tax cuts, making permanent Trump’s 2017 rates, which would expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act, while adding the new ones he campaigned on, including no taxes on tips.

The Senate package would roll back billions in green energy tax credits that Democrats warn will wipe out wind and solar investments nationwide, and impose $1.2 trillion in cuts, largely to Medicaid and food stamps, by imposing work requirements and making sign-up eligibility more stringent

Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion for border and national security, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged to immigrants.

If the Senate can pass the bill, it would need to return to the House. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, has told lawmakers to be on call for

a return to Washington this week.

Unable to stop the march toward passage of the 940page bill, the Democrats as the minority party in Congress is using the tools at its disposal to delay and drag out the process.

Democrats forced a full reading of the text, which took some 16 hours. Then senators took over the debate, filling the chamber with speeches, while Republicans largely stood aside.

“Reckless and irresponsible,” said Sen. Gary Peters, of Michigan. “A gift to the billionaire class,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont.

Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump’s first term are now “current policy” and the cost of ex-

tending them should not be counted toward deficits.

“In my 33 years here in the United States Senate, things have never — never worked this way,” said Murray, the longest-serving Democrat on the Budget Committee.

She said that kind of “magic math” won’t fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books.

“Go back home and try that game with your constituents,” she said. “We still need to kick people off their health care that’s too expensive. We still need to close those hospitals we have to cut costs. And we still have to kick people off SNAP because the debt is out of control.” Sanders said Tillis’ decision not to seek reelection shows the hold that Trump’s cult of personality has over the GOP

“We are literally taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids,” Sanders said, while giving tax breaks to Jeff Bezos and other wealthy billionaires.

Firefighters ambushed battling blaze in Idaho

Authorities say at least 2 killed by sniper fire

BY REBECCA BOONE and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho Firefighters were ambushed by sniper fire while responding to a blaze in a northern Idaho mountain community Sunday, killing at least two people and unleashing barrages of gunfire over several hours in an attack the governor called a “heinous” assault.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d’Alene about 1:30 p.m., and gunshots were reported about a halfhour later

Sheriff Bob Norris said officials believe the two people killed were fire personnel. He didn’t know if anyone else was shot.

to surrender,” the sheriff said. An alert by the Kootenai County Emergency Management Office asked people to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain Trailhead and Nettleton Gulch Road, about 4 miles north of downtown Coeur d’Alene.

The fire was still active, Norris said.

“It’s going to keep burning,” he said. “Can’t put any resources on it right now.”

The FBI has responded to the scene with technical teams and tactical support, Deputy Director Dan Bongino said.

“It remains an active, and very dangerous scene,” he wrote in a post on X.

“We don’t know how many suspects are up there, and we don’t know how many casualties there are,” Norris told reporters at a 4:30 p.m. news conference “We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak.”

People are still coming off the mountain, the sheriff said, so it “would be safe to assume” that others were still up there.

Gov. Brad Little said “multiple” firefighters were attacked.

“This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” Little said on the social platform X. “I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.”

Norris said it appeared the sniper was hiding in the rugged terrain and using a high-powered rifle. He said

Trump calls for ceasefire deal in Gaza Strip 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 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 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.

he instructed deputies to fire back.

“I’m hoping that somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralize, because they’re not at this point in time showing any evidence of wanting

The Idaho House Republican Leadership said in a statement: “We are horrified by the murder of two firefighters in Coeur d’Alene, and shocked by such a vicious attack on our first responders. We are praying for them, the injured, their families and their colleagues.”

PHOTO PROVIDED By MARK LATHROP

A blaze burns Sunday in a community near Canfield Mountain, north of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where a sniper ambushed firefighters

Lawmakers, however, argue the new rules are a matter of putting Louisianans first.

“We want to take our taxpayer dollars and prioritize Louisiana and U.S. citizens,” Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, said of legislation he 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 a Louisiana 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 benefits and report the person’s information to the secretary of state to assist with maintenance of voter lists.

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

That broad definition is meant to encompass all possible public benefits that may be offered to residents, Henry said.

The legislation is intended

DRONES

Continued from page 1A

to fly a drone over a correctional facility or the Governor’s Mansion. 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.

Concerns about drones 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 A big enough drone can fly into 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 problems with drones being used to drop contraband behind prison walls To date, the Department of Public Safety & Corrections has encountered 51 “drone in-

to “make sure citizens of Louisiana are the ones benefiting from taxpayer dollars” and not 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 a national conservative policy think tank based in Florida.

FGA works in over 30 states on policies that “promote work” and “reduce government dependency,”

Allen Cambon, state government affairs director for the organization, told Louisiana lawmakers during the session. He said HB307 is meant to address instances when “illegal-immigrant households” use public welfare programs.

Rep. Mandie

Landry, D-New Orleans, said the policy is “cruel” to those who are merely looking for help. She said that parents or pregnant women living in the U.S. illegally who apply for benefits for their children who are U.S citizens will face deportation under the new rules.

sance in office for taking an action or failing to take an action in an intentional effort to hamper immigration enforcement by ICE or other federal agencies, or for releasing from custody someone in the country illegally without notifying ICE.

The measure also requires compliance with ICE detainers and requests from other federal immigration agencies to release someone into federal custody

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

In cases involving a civil immigration proceeding, someone could be charged with the crime of obstruction of justice for “knowingly committing any act intended to hinder, delay, prevent, or otherwise interfere with or thwart federal immigration enforcement efforts.”

Under that agreement, the Sheriff’s Office is required to decline “all voluntary ICE detainer requests” except in cases involving serious violent crimes like murder, rape, and armed robbery

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

Asked for comment about SB15, OPSO in an emailed statement said:

“We are waiting on a ruling in the Cacho v. Gusman litigation related to intervention by the La. Attorney General. Until that ruling or any other court ruling impacting the consent decree, we are still subject to the mandates of Cacho which has the full effect of federal law Notwithstanding, we stay committed to working in collaboration with our law enforcement partners to provide a safer Orleans Parish for our citizens.”

services and the value of services that have been provided to noncitizens who don’t have legal status and provide a yearly report of that information to the governor, attorney general and Legislature.

The new rules apply to the Louisiana Department of Health, Department of Education, Office of Motor Vehicles, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Revenue and Louisiana higher education institutions.

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

Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles from issuing an ID or a driver’s license to anyone who is in the country illegally Under current OMV rules, there are certain categories of immigrants who are allowed to apply for an ID or license and provide documentation of legal immigration status to do so. The OMV is now also required to create a new restriction code for IDs and licenses that indicate when someone is a noncitizen. And the office must issue noncitizens a formal notice that it’s against the law to vote in Louisiana elections and share noncitizen data with the secretary of state for voter list maintenance.

HB307 takes effect Aug. 1.

New crimes created

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

Any public employee in Louisiana could be charged with the crime of malfea-

cidents” at its state-run facilities, according to a statement from Derek Ellis, deputy corrections secretary Those incidents include some cases involving contraband but 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 and Corrections’ staff a way to neutralize, intercept or disable drones through any legal and safe methods, including but not limited to jamming, hacking or physical capture to prevent illegal or harmful activity, such as individuals attempting to drop contraband into prisons,” Ellis said. Drone sightings at Entergy’s River Bend Station nuclear power plant early this year marked another driving force behind the new law, Gallé said.

Officials at the time did not identify the drones as a public safety threat. But they’ve also never gotten a clear answer as to where those drones came from, according to Gallé and Sheriff Brian Spillman, of West Feliciana Parish.

Those sightings prompted Landry in January to say the state ought to have a way to mitigate drones. At the time, he said he’d been asking the Federal Aviation Administration to grant Louisiana that authority.

Now, Louisiana’s new law puts the state “on the front lines of drone defense,” Landry said in a statement.

Morris has said the legislation is needed to deter officials and others who have publicly promoted efforts to stymie federal immigration officers.

Some New Orleans lawmakers raised concerns that the new law could conflict with a 2013 federal consent decree that the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office is subject to as a result of the case Cacho v. Gusman.

It is unclear how Louisiana’s law will interact with federal rules and regulations. Generally, under federal law, it is illegal to damage, destroy, disable or wreck any aircraft.

The Advocate | The TimesPicayune asked the FAA whether it accepted Louisiana’s new law

“The FAA is a safety regulator not a security agency,” a spokesperson said in response. “Our role is to ensure drones operate safely within the broader National Airspace System. Congress gave certain federal agencies authority to counter credible threats from drones.”

Intercepting drones

Law enforcement has so far been mum on how their agencies would take down drones if the need arose.

Gallé said the preferred method would be by electronic means.

“In some instances, you can intercept the drone, take over the controls and then remove it from the area and land it safely,” he said. “That’s the primary way that law enforcement wants to do it.”

Troopers are prepared to counter drones being operated unlawfully, according to a statement from Capt Russell Graham, a State Police spokesperson.

The agency would not provide details on how it would intercept a drone because it “does not divulge investigative methods, law enforcement tactics, or technological capabilities for safety and

Morris said his bill doesn’t conflict with the consent decree and those who claim it does “do so as a pretext to keep the soft-on-crime portions of the consent order in place.”

SB15 takes effect Aug. 1.

Reports on state spending

Senate Bill 100, sponsored by Miguez, requires several state agencies to verify the immigration status of anyone seeking any kind of services from the agency and implement a “standardized process” for doing so.

The agencies will be required to determine the

security purposes.”

But Graham emphasized “that all counter-drone activity would be done safely and lawfully.” The department would not be shooting drones out of the sky he said.

The corrections department said it had “several staff members who are trained and certified as drone pilots for detection and counteraction purposes.”

Spillman, the West Feliciana Parish sheriff, said he

Miguez said the bill will give appropriators more information about how state dollars have been spent on services for immigrants in Louisiana.

He also said it codifies an executive order Landry issued last year titled “identifying, quantifying, and mitigating the adverse effects of illegal immigration in Louisiana,” and it’s in line with Trump’s directive to make sure taxpayer dollars don’t incentivize illegal immigration.

SB100 took effect June 20. New driver’s license

House Bill 554, sponsored by Rep Dixon McMakin, RBaton Rouge, prohibits the

had discussed a drone takedown method internally but was not ready to divulge it publicly

“We would take the necessary steps, I’ll just leave it at that. And those necessary steps would include at all times that we were not putting anybody else in jeopardy,” he said Joe Gebbia Sr founder and CEO of State Shield, a national nonprofit that supports state-level laws to protect

“This bill combats the existence and perception of voter fraud and offers clarity to aliens seeking driver’s licenses that these IDs are not voting credentials,” McMakin said.

HB554 takes effect Aug. 1.

General damage awards

House Bill 436, sponsored by Rep. Gabe Firment, R-

against possible interference from China, called the bill “historic.”

“It’s the first time that a state passed legislation giving itself the right to do what it needs to do to protect its people,” he said Gebbia plans to lobby other states to pass similar legislation next year, he added Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

Landry

from awhite legal pad with notes on all he’sdone in the past three months.

On thetable behind his desk was aframed letter fromformer President Jimmy Carter to Neilson’s grandparents —“we knew many,many people in our lives,” Neilson said—and afive-shot pistol he said he keeps with him at all times

An AR-15-style rifle leaned against his office’sfireplace —untouched, he said, until “somebody comes here, creating aproblem.”

Parked out front was Neilson’slime green Camaro,one of about15cars he owns. Cars are the only things he really cares about,hesaid, and not the power or influence that comes withhis current position.He has a1957 Thunderbird once owned by BruceSpringsteen’sdrummer and his 1936 Auburn Boattail Speedster is theonlypinkone ever made. Cars run in thefamily: Hisfather foundedaChevrolet dealership on theWest 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 acourt appointed him in Februaryafter the state found Bogalusa was careening toward financialchaos

man to run the city and he’s notcapable,” hesaid of Truong Neilson saidhenow ignores all communication from Truong. Though their homes are right next door, and Neilsoncontributed money to Truong’smayoral campaign, Truong said, there is no longer any relationship to speak of.

Truong initially welcomed astate-appointed administratortohelpwiththe city’s finances, but strongly opposed appointing Neilson, whohad been thecity’sauditor until Truong took office. He comparedNeilson’s ruletoa political coup and accused Neilson of actinglikea strong man. Tr uong now spends some of his free timegardening and collectinghouse plantslike philodendrons and aMonsteraThaiConstellation —afar cryfrom two and ahalf years ago, when, at theage of 23, he won a surprisinglandslide victory over theincumbentmayor Wendy Perrette.

Truong was one of the youngestmayorsin state history and the youngest ever in Bogalusa. He is the first Black male mayor in acity thatgained national prominenceinthe 1960s for its clashesbetween violent White supremacists and civil rights activists. Since then,its populationhas significantly declinedtoabout 10,000and about athird of residents live in poverty

his arrest andNeilson’sappointment are politically and racially motivated, in part spurred by his efforts to cut down on city contracts with politically connected families in town. Truong posted two audio recordings this spring on his Facebook page, which is public. In the recordings, a person uses aracial epithet in reference to Truong and other Black Bogalusa residents. On Facebook, Truong states that the person speaking is Bryan Genco,aWashington Parish business person,and says therecordings were made by aformer employee of Genco’s.

The appointment came at a time when the city was still overcoming the shock of Truong’sarrest stemming from adrug trafficking investigation.

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

“I thought Icould fix it, and Ithought Icould fix it quickly,” Neilson said of why he took the job managing the city “They elect this young

When Truong came into power,the city had been facing arash of gun violence andthe death ofaBlack man in police custody Truong, aDemocrat,wanted to open up government and create more opportunities for youth.Hecreated a summer youthprogramthat he saidemployed around 70 kids in thesummer, as well as ateen lounge withfood and games where students could work.Heappointed thecity’sfirstBlack police chief, encouraged police to patrol more, andtriedto start abus line.

His first two yearswere also marred by financial woes, adeteriorating sewer system and recurring conflictswith theCityCouncil.

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

Then, the Legislative Auditor’sOffice found thecity owed over $1 million in federal andstate payroll taxes, whichLegislative Auditor Mike Waguespack said in an interview was the primary triggerfor Neilson’sappointment.

Truong arguedthatNeilson’s20years of doingthe city’sauditsposed aconflict of interest, while Waguespack saw it as an asset. Neilson’sproximitytocity hall would also cut down on travel expenses, Waguespack said.

“He’sconnected to the prior administration?Yeah, Bogalusa is notthatbig of acity,soeveryone is going to have aconnection to everyone,”Waguespack said, adding that Neilson’swork will later be reviewed by an independent auditor

Criminal charges

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

Truong worea gray suit with acity of Bogalusa pin

andwas fresh from thestate courthouse in Franklinton, wherehehad just learned the statehad still not filedabill of information or an indictment against him in connection with his arrest in January for transactionsinvolving proceeds from drug offenses, unauthorized use of moveable and soliciting for prostitutes.

Truong said Bogalusawas like America: Neilson was sort of like President DonaldTrump, which madehis administrationsortoflike former President Barack Obama’s. He said like Trump, Neilson was trying to undo what he had accomplished. He said somemight question howthe town can be racistwhenitelectedhim,but, he said, “Just because we elected Obama, didracism go away?”

It is notclear if,when or whatchargeswill ultimately be filed.

Elaborating on thecharges in January,northshore District Attorney Collin Sims said Truong allegedly “organized entertainment with aprostitute” at an Airbnb in Atlanta,where he attended amayor’s conference.Sims also saidTruong purchased drugs in Louisiana. In arecent interview, Sims saidthe matter remained open andunderinvestigation. Neilsonsaidhethought Truong’sarrest was further evidence in favor of the need for his appointment. “I’ve neverbeen arrested,” he said.

But Truong contends that

In an interview,Genco strongly denied that it’shis voiceonthe recordings and raised questionsabout 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 electionnight victory party,but said theirrelationship soured soon after that.

Theappointment

“I’m actually working with the City Council,” Neilson said. LastDecember, the counciladopted aresolution seeking afiscal administrator Council member Mark Irvine agreed that Neilson has generally worked withthe council, but in arecent interview also said he’d gone amonth without speaking to Neilson.CouncilPresident Gloria Kates did not respond to requests forcomment.

As forTruong?

“He sends me emails and I just throwthemaway,” Neilson said, adding, “I don’ttake advicefromsomebody that doesn’tknow what they’re doing.”Neilson saidhehas also stopped attending city council meetings. The city’slast fiscal administrator,who served between May 2019 and June 2021 when Perrette wasmayor,charged $158,480,cityrecords show.

Neilson has charged the city $35,392 for his first three months —about $200 an hour, he said.

Truong’sproposed fiscal

year 2025 budget calls for $21.4 million in spending. Neilsonhas honed in on payroll expenses, saying he thought some people were in the wrong positions. He saidhis terminations would save over half amillion dollars annuallyinpayroll cuts —beforehis appointment, he said he would save $1 million in payroll. At the sametime, he has also paid four newcontract employees, including at least onefrom Perrette’sadministration, about $26,395 total for work in May and April, city records show.He’shired afifth person full-time to work on the city’sailing sewer system Neilson saidheistrying to avoid paying employee benefits and similar expenses while “straightening out the ship.”Truong questioned the legalityofNeilsonhaving contract workers work with city equipment. Meanwhile,some employees fired by Neilsonhave argued their terminations were morepolitical than budgetary

Malarie Hamilton, who worked in IT andpublic information, said she was told she wasfired forbudgetary reasons, but said she thought she wasactually fired after she couldn’tfigure out how to hand off control to the city’s Facebook page. Neilson called thatalie. “She had decided she wasgoing to control that part of the city,and of course,likeItold you here —they don’ttell me ‘no.’”The budgetwas another reason, he added.

Though Neilson expressed someregret about taking the job, whichhesaid has taken muchmore timethan he expected,hesaidheplans to stay on untilthe end of Truong’sterm —January 2027. Next month, partly in honor of his work as fiscal administrator,Neilson will serve as the “Grand Marshal” of the city’sJuly 4parade. Truong,meanwhile, said, “My main concernnow is just beating these criminal charges and winning reelection.” Email Willie Swett at willie.swett@theadvocate. com.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS

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 communitiessuchasLakeProvidence waiting once again. Louisiana was the first state to secure federal approvalof BEAD funds. Internetprovider Conexon had planned to start building in Lake Providence this summer

Now,the company’sco-CEO

Jonathan Chambers isn’t surethe project will qualify

Because many people rely on wireless internet, astorm here, in the far northeast corner of the state, canweaken or wipe out their signals and with it,online billing software, patient portals and YouTube. But it doesn’ttake astorm,residents said. Internet can be spotty on an average afternoon

“The fiber is just sitting there,onthe edge of town,” Nathaneal Wills, organizer with Delta Interfaith, agroup pushing for broadband as onesolution to knotty problems in the area.

In the meantime, thosein town lean outwindows, refresh pages and grittheir teeth. Sometimes, they pray ‘It’srural rural’

Lifelong Lake Providence resident WandaManning gets annoyed when, watching asermon on YouTube, her screenturns white.

“Low wireless signal,” her Roku told her on arecent late night.

But the retired teacher began pushing for broadbandbecause of thekids Afew 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 learningthe truth: They couldn’tstay connected. After retiring, she pledged to them: “If Ido anything, I’m going to make sure you have good, sustainable, reliable internet.”

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

So she joined Delta Interfaith’swork. She conducted speed tests, discovering that residents wereoften 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 thatpromise real.”

Aspokesperson for Letlow declinedaninterview request but provided a statement, saying that “the goaloffederal broadband programs should be to ensure high-speed internet access to people whocurrently have none,and I’m pleasedtosee the Trump Administration knocking downregulatory barriers so we can getthe jobdone.”

In its first iteration, BEADprioritizedfiber Now, Chambers argues that thenew rules are“written to be so favorable to satellite, specifically” that fiber networks, long considered theheight of speed and reliability,need not apply.

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

Starlink, the satellite internet company ownedby Elon Musk, is already availableinLake Providence, whichstraddles the oxbow lake of the same name, cypress trees wading along its shoreline.

But tree cover can precludesatellite access. And at around $120 amonth, the service is pricey in aplace where the median income is just $25,000. There are also cable-based services and aline-of-sight wireless option. Cellphoneproviders such as Verizon and AT&T areavailable, too.

But none of these services is as fast or reliable as fiber,residentssaid They know it because they’veseen it: With the help of an earliergrant, 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 amonth for 200 megabits-per-second residential service and $80 amonthfor 1gigabit 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 andvideo games

Fibercables, installed underground, consistently meet the Federal CommunicationsCommission’s broadband requirements of 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. This month, anational speed analysis found that just17.4% of Starlink usersgot speeds consistent with those minimum requirements.

Thatstudy,byOokla, a private research company, showed that Louisiana usersfared even worse:Only 9% of thestate’s Starlink users got those speeds. A Starlink spokesperson did not respond to arequest for comment.

The fiber projects’ starts andstops have been hard on Manning, who fields questionsatchurch about whether the long-discussed network will ever arrive. She could imagine spending her retirement differently —inher art room, painted two shades of pur-

ple, drawing.

But partly because of her faith, she feelscalledto improve the lives of young people in thecommunity ‘Justnoway’

The lack of reliable broadband isn’tjust an inconvenience, according to local officials. It has slowed upgrades of some public services.

Aprinterhissed, spitting out asheet of paper, as Debra Hopkins described the problem. East Carroll Parishneeds anew 911 system. Its equipment, meant to be replaced everyfive years or so, is now 12 years old. But Hopkins, director of the East Carroll Parish Communications District, can’tgodigital.

“There’s just no way,” Hopkins said.

Anext-generation 911 system running on highspeed internet would do away with paper. It would give dispatchers and responders acaller’slocation. And it would cost half as much as the current system. Hopkinsanticipates thatina decade, companies won’tevenoffer analog options. Her current provider is already begging her to switch.

“But we’vegot to have some redundancy,” Hopkins said

The internet simply isn’t reliable, and $600-a-month satellite service isn’tinher budget.Since theSheriff’s Office turned its administrative phonelines digital, the department often turns to her when itsinternet is out. “My analog phone is howtheyhavetoanswertheirphones—with this one little bitty analog phone right here.”

Astreet over,atthe local library,astaff member called alifelongresident with good news: An internet hot spot was available. Afriend had toldTammy Wilson about awork-fromhome job, but Wilson needed alaptop anda better Wi-Fi connection.From the library,she borrowed both.

“It’sablessing,”she said.

Sixyears ago, KrisSanders, the library’sdirector, nabbeda 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 bestinternetinthe parish,” she said. Atall tower stands beside thebuilding.“Butright now,when theweather is about to get bad,” she continued, gesturing up toward the sky,“thatmeans our internet is going to start glitching.”

Sanders has worked in EastCarroll Parishall her life. It’sabeautifulcommunity,with elders suchas Manning, who“wanttosee people grow.”

But it’salso “in this little bitty corner of nothing,” an area thatgetsoverlooked. She lives in neighboringWestCarroll, where herfiberinternet is solid. She doesn’tunderstand why providers, why governmentscan’t cover the whole area. “How do you skip over people?Thatperplexes me.”

BY ALISWENSON and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON Republican Sen. Thom Tillis,ofNorth Carolina,said Sundayhe will not seek reelection next year,an abrupt announcement that cameone day after he staked out his opposition to PresidentDonald Trump’stax breaks and spending cuts package because of its reductions to healthcare programs.

wild card in aparty where fewlawmakers are willing to risk Trump’swrath by opposing his agenda or actions. Trump had already been threatening himwith aprimary challenge, and posted Sunday that Tillis’announcement was“Great News!”

His decision creates apolitical opportunityfor Democrats seeking to bolster their numbers in the 2026 midtermelections,creating awide-open Senate race in astate thathas long been acontested battleground. It could alsomakeTillis a

“In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders whoare willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” Tillis said in alengthy statement.

Tillis said he was proud of his career in public service but acknowledged the difficultpolitical environment forthose whobucktheir

party and go it alone.

“I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as Isee fit andrepresenting the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability,” Tillis said in astatement. Republicans hold a53-47 edge in the Senate. Trump, in social posts, had berated Tillis for being one of twoRepublican senators who voted on Saturday night against advancing the massive tax bill.

The announcement from the two-term senator surprised senior Republicans with its timing,but notnecessarily thesubstance. 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, accordingtoa person close to the senator

Tillis

METRO

Program for Black students catches lift

Airport encourages youth to consider careers in aviation

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

The gates and seats of the abandoned southern terminal of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport became lecture halls and desks on Saturday for over 100 high school students from across Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

The lesson plan: often-overlooked career opportunities in aviation, delivered by industry professionals, airport administrators and record-breaking pilots.

The activities were part of Project LIFT an educational initiative from the Airport Minority Advisory Council, which is holding its 40th annual airport business conference in New Orleans this week.

Kevin Dolliole, director of aviation for the airport, said when he asks high schoolers about careers in the airline industry, he hears back only two possibilities: pilots and flight attendants.

“We need to open young people’s minds to the full umbrella of aviation opportunities available to them,” said Dolliole, who was surrounded by teenagers doing just that as they learned to put rivets

Man indicted in killing outside hospital

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury this week indicted the Iberville Parish man accused of killing an Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center employee outside the Baton Rouge hospital earlier this year. The special grand jury panel handed down indictments against Roland Domino on charges of second-degree murder and illegal possession of a stolen firearm on Thursday according to 19th Judicial District Court records.

According to the indictments, Domino shot and killed 58-yearold Patricia Jackson on March 19. Police said he confronted the woman as she was leaving work and shot her multiple times in the parking lot of the medical campus near Essen Lane. Investigators say the midafternoon shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute.

The status of Domino’s relationship with Jackson at the time of the shooting is not clear, but 19th JDC records show he shared at least two children with her Domino, 60, faces a mandatory life sentence if he is convicted of the murder charge. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday by 19th JDC Commissioner Kory Tauzin

Questions have been raised about Domino’s sanity, and during a May 28 court hearing, District Judge Tarvald Smith appointed doctors to conduct psychological evaluations to determine if Domino is mentally competent to stand trial.

Baton Rouge police said Domino waited at Jackson’s car in the parking lot outside the hospital and began arguing with her shortly after 3 p.m. Following a brief verbal exchange, he opened fire and shot the woman multiple times She was taken into the hospital to be treated but died from her wounds. Coworkers told police Jackson had been receiving threats from a former partner and witnesses reported seeing a man that matched Domino’s description at the scene of the shooting. Baton Rouge officers captured the Grosse Tete man four hours later walking across the Mississippi River bridge carrying a handgun and threatening to kill himself.

The court has appointed a public defender to represent Domino in his ongoing proceedings

through sheet metal in the hallways of the New Orleans airport’s former terminal.

These are the same rivets that “hold the entirety of an airplane together,” one instructor told the students.

Cleve Dunn Jr., who serves District 6 on the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council, hosted Project LIFT, introducing speakers and bringing in capital region schools to be involved. Dunn has served on the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport Commission for over a decade and is also a board member for the Airport Minority Advisory Council.

He said he first became interested in the aviation industry when he worked to add more Black-owned small businesses as vendors at Baton Rouge Metro Airport.

Project LIFT introduces students to lesser-known fields of aviation: aircraft maintenance, airport development, architecture and business operations

The look at future careers comes as the nation grapples with shortages of air traffic controllers, pilots and aircraft technicians.

“Aviation is going through a

massive shortage. We need over 700,000 technicians for the country,” said Barrington Irving, a pilot who broke world records as the youngest pilot to fly around the globe solo and the first Black pilot to do so.

Irving said that if every technical aviation program at every university in the country graduated 100% of their enrolled students, it would still amount to only 11,000 additional techs each year

Not only that, but workers in the field tend to be older and planning for retirement in the coming years, Irving said.

His two educational programs, the Flying Classroom for elementary students and the BITTS technical training school for high schoolers and older hope to fill that gap.

“Our students don’t know about these opportunities,” Irving said. “Earlier, I had the chance to share with them some job postings in aviation. Some of them had $175,000 or $200,000 signing bonuses. That’s not the salary, that’s the bonus.”

He added that many previous requirements for four-year degrees have been walked back by employ-

ers in the industry His own technical school offers 12- and 16-week courses that award students with “micro-credentials” upon graduation.

Irving agreed with older professionals that aviation hasn’t sold itself well to young women and Black students in the past, even though these students often have airports near the neighborhoods where they grew up.

He said for many, their only interaction with the industry is watching takeoffs and landings over their homes.

“The airport is always in the backyard of someone, and what our industry overall is struggling with is, how do we pull people from right next door, cultivate them, get them interested,” he said.

Irving’s own interest in flying came at age 15 when he spoke with an airline pilot who encouraged the teenager to look into flight schools. Eight years on, he was circumnavigating the globe in his plane, dubbed the “Inspiration.”

Another speaker, Johnny Jackson, represents Tuskegee Next, a free pilots’ school based at DuPage Airport in the Chicago area.

The school’s goal is to create a new generation of pilots, inspired

by the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, whom Jackson said struggled to land commercial aviation careers after their military service due to racism in the industry

The program is free, offering the entirety of the $35,000 flight curriculum to a select class of high schoolers during a summer program where the students live and train together, eventually earning a pilot’s license by graduation.

“That first year, we had students that were 15, and when they graduated and turned 16 they didn’t yet have their driver’s license, but they already had a pilot’s license,” Jackson said.

The Tuskegee Next program’s application window is now open.

Some students, including Zachary High junior Destanee Aron, also got to tour one of the New Orleans airport’s operating air traffic control towers.

The students described the intense atmosphere of the rooms, each lined with blinking radar monitors and terminals with hundreds of buttons.

Aron said that before the program, she didn’t have any specific career path in mind for when she graduates next year

“But now I do,” she said with confidence. “I wanna be a pilot.”

FAR, FAR AWAy

Man booked a year after threatening BR school

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

More than a year after allegedly terrorizing a middle school, a 24-year-old Baton Rouge man was arrested in an incident that forced the school into lockdown and left a teacher injured. Elijah Morris was taken into custody Saturday after East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputies discovered an outstanding arrest warrant tied to the March 11, 2024, incident. It remained unclear on Sunday why it took so long to arrest Morris. Arrest documents indicate that a day after the 2024 incident, staff at the school, which is not named in those records, told authorities that Morris gained unauthorized entry into the school’s main office about 10:45 a.m. and immediately began threatening the staff. The records don’t indicate if Morris had a weapon. Morris reportedly confronted

staff about a supposed altercation between his little sister, who attended the school at the time, and other students. Documents say he soon became belligerent. After leaving the main office, Morris started running through hallways and screaming, which was later seen on the school’s video camera. According to arrest records, staff and students told investigators that he threatened to shoot up the school and attempted to charge several students in the cafeteria before staff intervened. Multiple witnesses reported hearing Morris yell, “I’ll f*** this school up” and “I’ll shoot this motherf***** up.” The assistant principal later told deputies that Morris said, “People get shot for doing this to my sister.” Students panicked, records say, and began calling their parents. Staff placed the school on lockdown. The assistant principal told investigators that at some point,

Morris left the building, went to his vehicle, then attempted to reenter the school multiple times. Video footage shows Morris aggressively pulling on the school’s front doors, the arrest records say As a school employee worked to secure the attendance office, Morris began violently banging and shaking the door before forcefully pushing it open, striking the staff member and causing an arm injury According to official documents, the injury was severe enough to require the employee to miss work for medical treatment. Morris had also made multiple threats to the school on social media, and since the incident, the school has taken extra precautions to ensure student safety the records say A witness, who reported calling 911 during the incident, told investigators Morris had attended the school with her several years ago Morris was booked Saturday into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on counts of terrorizing and battery of a school teacher Terrorizing is punishable by up to 15 years in Louisiana, while battery of a school teacher by a nonstudent can carry one to five years. The affidavit for Morris’ arrest was filed on March 12 2024 the day after the incident.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

yoga students follow instruction from Leslie Emden, a local instructor who teaches at several studios, during a session of yoga Under The Stars at the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium on Sunday in Baton Rouge.

BrandyHorn.

11817

Mockler, Rita

St.GeorgeCatholicChurch (7808St. George Dr BatonRouge,LAat11am.

Nolan,Juanita

ResthavenGardens of Memory 11817 JeffersonHighway,at10:30 a.m.

NorsworthyIII, James JacksonUnitedMethodist Church 1727SycamoreStreet in Jackson, at 11 a.m.

Villars,Margarett

OurLadyofMount Carmel Catholic Church,11485 FerdinandStreet,St. Francisville,LAat10am.

Obituaries

Keller, DeloresSmith

Delores Smith Keller left our loving armstoenter the eternal embrace of our Lord Jesus Christ on Friday, June 20, 2025. She was 77 years old and aresident of Zachary, LA. She leaves to live out her legacy her two daughters Debra Keller &Tammalla Keller both of Zachary, LA.Visitation will be held at Cedar Grove Temple C.O.G.I.C 19984 Pride-Baywood Road Baywood, LA 70739 Tuesday, July 01, 2025, from 10:00 am until homegoing celebration at 12:00 Noon conducted by Bishop Elza E Shannon. Intermentwill follow at RogersLane Cemetery. Arrangements by Richardson Funeral Home Clinton, LA. Afuneral service will be held from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on 2025-07-01 at Cedar Grove Temple C.O.G.I.C.,19984 Pride-Baywood Road.

Moran, Deborah 'Debbie' Guerin

Known for her vibrant personality and compassionate heart, Deborah "Debbie" Guerin Moran passed away Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Gonzales, Louisiana. Debbiewas born on October 1, 1951,in New Roads, Louisiana,and was the first childofJames Douglas Guerin,Sr. and Virgie Hebert Guerin.

Raised in Morgan City, she attended Central Catholic High School. After graduation in 1969, Debbie moved to BatonRouge where she worked for the State of Louisiana.In1973, she married, her rock and warrior, Reynolds James "Jim" Moran, Jr.ofGonzales. Whilethey had three children, Sydney Lynn, Reynolds "Reyn" James III, and Garrett Douglas, Debbie's big heartedness made her amother figure to many, especially to her most treasured niece,

An avid LSUfan,she was amemberofThe BengalBellesand dedicated her time to many causes Debbie was on the royal court of The Governor's Ball (now Krewe de Louisiane)which supports cancerresearch, education andindigent patient care in the Baton Rouge area. Shechairedthe St. AloysiusFair,was aconsummate room motherand volunteer forher children's variousactivitiesand could always be counted on to run carpool or cook forateamofkids.

Debbie owned and operated VEC Solutions with Reyn, Garrett and Brandy. Shedid everything from bookkeeping to raising money for those in need. It wasn't justthatshe was capableofdoinganything she put her mind to, it was that she was willingtodo whatever it took to make thingsbetter or easier for others.

Shewas amasterat cooking and throwingparties, but hergreatestjoy came from being amom. Her friends and family knew that when Debbie arrived, so did the entertainment. Shejust hada way of bringinglifeinto aroom that willbetrulymissed.

Debbie is survived by her husband, Jim, theirtwo sons, Reyn and Garrett; sister, Denise Mendoza (Cary) of Berwick; and niece,BrandyHorn of Gonzales.

Shewas precededin death by herdaughter, Sydney Lynn; motherand father, James Douglas GuerinSr. and Virgie Hebert Guerin; two sisters, Charmaine Hedrick and Leslie Guerin;and one brother,JamesDouglas Guerin, Jr

Visitationwillbegin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 1, 2025,atResthaven Funeral Home,11817Jefferson HighwayinBaton Rouge. Funeral Services willbeat11:00a.m.Interment willfollow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory.

In lieu of flowers, donationscan be made in honor of Debbie to acharity of your choice

Family and friends may

signthe online guestbook or leave apersonal note to thefamily at www.resthav enbatonrouge.com

Stanly, HughDavid Hugh David Stanly peacefully left hisearthly home surrounded by his family on June 21, 2025, at theage of 78. David was a proud graduateofLSU and was retired fromthe State of Louisiana and theCity Parish of BatonRouge with acombinedserviceof50 years. He was also aretired E-8 Master Sergeant from theU.S.Army Reserve.Heissurvived by his wife of 48 years Gaye Strickland Stanly; his sons Jason B. Stanly(Ainsley) and Landon H. Stanly; grandchildrenLanny Stanly and partner Jake Stockstill, Gage H. Stanly and James B. (Shaw) Stanly; sisters in lawMarsha S. Brown (DonaldT.), Wanda S. Braswell (Jerry), Joan Stanlyand EvelynStanly as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents HughT.Stanly and Doris StracenerStanly as well as his brothers WalterDouglas Stanlyand Michael J. Stanly. David was ahumble man who, in his ownwords "liked living life sub-rosa, flying unseen under the radar."Heshied away from thanksand praise, finding them embarrassing.Hedid thethingshe didbecause he wanted to and becausehefeltthey were theright things to do Hisfavorite pastimewas listening to thebluesand themusic of James Taylor, and he hopes that you'll remember him withtheir musical performances. Visitation willbeheld from9:30 -11:00 on Wednesday, July2,atSt. Alphonsus Catholic Church in GreenwellSpringswitha memorial mass to follow at 11:00. In lieu of flowers please considerdonations to St. JudeChildren's Hospital or acharity of your choice. The family wouldliketo offerspecial thanks to the staff of The Crossing/Clarity Hospice,especially nurse Terri who traveled and guidedusthroughthe entire21month journey.

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.

“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-

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. 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 interfere with business profits.But he knows 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-raysand scans, and call for immediate action.

Now,five months into President Donald Trump’sreignofterror on our environment, the symptoms oftroublethat 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 and the petrochemicalindustry didn’tlike the results.

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

Finally,for the second year in arow, U.S. News and World Report declared Louisiana the worststate to live in,a finding heavily influenced by our ranking 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. Thisincludes 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

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SPORTS

Fambrough

Veteranjournalistcovered high school sports in BR area for34years

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

For more than three decades, Baton Rouge residents have hadone surefire way of knowing whether the prep sportingevent they were attending was thebiggest one on the docket that night.

If Robin Fambrough was there,then you were in the right place.

Nowthe veteran journalist —a dogged meticulous reporter whose encyclopedic memory and zeal for storytelling shined through the copy she filed —has decided to retire, ending alegendary 34-year tenure as

The Advocate’sprepsports beat write last day onthe job is Aug. 1. “I had agreat career because of the p I’ve covered and thestories I’vegott write,” Fambrough said. “I’ve had to c alot of really great athletes and meet of really great coaches.” Fambrough, anative of Louisville, K tucky,fell in lovewith sports arou childhood stops at college basketb games and trips to Churchill Downs. S played on her high school’sfirst gir basketball team, then covered its firs win two years later Adecorated sportswriting career followed, whisking herfrom western Kentucky,toThibodaux, to Alexandria, then Hollywood,Florida, andfi nally to Baton Rouge.

r. Her eople en to over alot ennd all he ls t -

ä See FAMBROUGH, page 3B

BelovedsportswriterFambrough is retiring

ON ST RI ?

should

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

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 makeistoCP3.

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

CJ McCollum,the locker room leader the past 31/2 seasons, was tradedtothe Washington Wizards last week. His leadership (and the $30.7 millionremainingonhis 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 and off the court, than Paul?

Yeah, Paul just turned 40 in May, which is ancient in NBAyears.

But Paul knows he’snear thefinish line of his Hall of Famecareer He won’tbeexpecting to break the bank with whatever team he signs with.

But it would bea chance for him

native earned 15 Triple Crownvictories

BY STEPHENWHYNO

The Associated Press

D. Wayne Lukas, the Hall of Famer who became one of the most accomplished trainers in the history of horse racing and aface of the sport fordecades,has died. He was 89.

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 hislife notonly to horses but to theindustry —developing generations of horsemen and horsewomen and growing the gamebyinviting unsuspecting fans into thewinner’scircle,” hisfamily saidina statement. “Whether he was boasting aboutamaiden 2-year-old as the next Kentucky Derbywinner or offering quiet words of advice before abig race, Waynebrought heart, grace, and grit to everycornerofthe sport. His final days werespent at home in Kentucky,where he chose peace, family,and faith.” Lukas won15Triple Crownraces, including the Kentucky Derby four times. Only good friend BobBaffert hasmoreTriple Crown victories, andLukasowns arecordtying 20 in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

“The whole secret of this game, Ithink, is being able to read thehorse:Read what he needs, what he doesn’t need, what he can’t do, what he can do,” Lukas saidinMay before his 34th and final Preakness Stakes. “That’sthe whole key. Everybody’sgot the blacksmith, everybody’sgot to the samebed available, the feed man. We all can hire agood jockey We all can hire apretty good exercise rider if we’vegot themeans, so what the hellisthe difference? The horse is the difference and what we do withhim in reading him.”

See LUKAS, page 2B

Rod Walker

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 theoldest 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

San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul drives to thebasketina game againstthe DenverNuggets on Jan. 3inDenver.

STAFF FILE PHOTOS

GOLF ROUNDUP

Potgieter wins Rocket Classic

BY LARRY LAGE AP sportswriter

DETROIT Aldrich Potgieter made an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole, outlasting Max Greyserman to win the Rocket Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title.

“I finally got one to the hole,” Potgieter said after missed opportunities on the green by three players led to the longest playoff of the season on the PGA Tour

The 20-year-old from South Africa is the youngest player on the tour and its biggest hitter He became the ninth player to win for the first time this season. Chris Kirk was eliminated from contention after missing a 4-foot putt on the second playoff hole after pushing a 9-foot putt past the cup on the first extra hole with a chance to win.

Greyserman and Potgieter 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 par4 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.

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 twotime 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

LUKAS

Continued from page 1B

Lukas was affectionately known around the barns and the racetrack as “Coach” because he coached high school basketball before his professional career with horses began. Even with months to go before his 90th birthday, he would get up on his pony in the early morning hours and go out to the track himself, rather than letting his assistants do the day-to-day work.

Born Darnell Wayne Lukas on Sept 2, 1935, in Wisconsin as the second of three children he rose to prominence in the sport with quarter horses in races that are effectively sprints. He moved into thoroughbreds in the late 1970s and won his first Preakness with Codex in 1980. Lukas has 4,967 documented victories in thoroughbred racing, with his horses earning more than $310 million from more than 30,600 starts.

“Today we lost one of the great champions of Churchill Downs and one of the most significant figures in Thoroughbred racing over the last 50 years,” Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said. “We will miss his humor his wisdom and his unmatched ca-

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 LPGA

SOUTH KOREAN DUO WINS DOW CHAM-

PIONSHIP:: In Midland, Michigan,

Somi Lee poured in an 8-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to team with fellow South Korean Jin Hee Im to win the Dow Championship on Sunday, denying Lexi Thompson her first LPGA title in six years.

Thompson’s partner, Megan Khang, had a chance to extend the playoff, but she missed a 5-foot birdie putt that was on the low side of the hole from the start.

Thompson made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-3 18th hole, with Khang still facing a 6-foot birdie attempt, as the American duo closed with a 10-under 60 in the fourballs format. They were the first to post at 20-under 260.

Lee made a 10-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead on the 17th. Im and Lee missed birdie chances on the 18th in regulation for the win.

The playoff switched to foursomes. Thompson hit the tee shot on the 18th to just 5 feet right of the cup. Im went nearer the pin but 8 feet long, setting up Lee for the winning putt.

“Bummer to miss the last one in the playoff to force another hole, but very happy how we played,” Khang said.

Thompson has not won since the ShopRite LPGA Classic in 2019 and decided last summer to no longer play a full schedule.

The Dow Championship was her eighth tournament this year

Im and Lee are in their second

year on the LPGA Tour and this

was their first title in America, though both were prolific winners on the Korea LPGA. Im has won six times on the KLPGA, while Lee has five KLPGA titles.

“I can’t believe it,” Lee said after making her winning putt.

Lindy Duncan and Miranda Wang had a 59 in the better-ball format and tied for third, two shots out of the playoff. They were joined by Manon De Roey and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, who teamed up for a 64.

Albane Valenzuela and Sarah Schmelzel, who had the 54-hole lead, closed with a 66 and failed to make birdie over the final seven holes. They finished fifth, three shots behind. Thompson did not indicate when she would play again. Next on the LPGA schedule is the Evian Championship in France, a major Thompson has skipped every year dating to 2019.

The Dow Championship is the only official team event on the LPGA schedule.

LIV Golf

PATRICK REED FINALLY WINS ON LIV

GOLF TOUR: In Carrollton, Texas, Patrick Reed lost the lead with a 3-over 75 and then atoned for it by making a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a four-man playoff Sunday to win LIV Golf Dallas, his first title since joining the Saudi-funded league in 2022. Reed, who started the final round with a three-shot lead, fell behind late in the day at Maridoe Golf Club until Jinichiro Kozuma made bogey on the 18th hole and then made par on his final hole at No. 1 for a 68. That got him into a playoff with Reed, Louis Oosthuizen (68) and

Paul Casey (72). On the first extra hole, Oosthuizen drove into the water and Casey took four shots to reach the green on the par-4 18th. Kozuma missed his 25-foot birdie try, setting the stage for Reed.

Reed said it was a relief to get his first win in his home state of Texas.

He won the Hong Kong Open last year on the Asian Tour but he had gone 0 for 41 on LIV Golf.

“To get my first win here, part of LIV, it means so much to me,” Reed said. “I tried to mess it up.

After making birdie on the first, I seemed to leave every putt short.”

U.S. Senior Open

HARRINGTON HANGS ON TO WIN U.S

SNEIOR OPEN: In Colorado Springs, Colorado, Padraig Harrington’s decision when he walked down the 18th fairway Sunday was whether to play a safe approach and take a chance with the Broadmoor’s curling, curving greens, or be aggressive and not leave the putting to chance.

He picked the second option, knocked his shot to 8 feet, and the only big decision over the next few minutes was whether he should wait for the man he beat by one, Stewart Cink, to putt out before he tapped in to claim his second U.S. Senior Open title.

Harrington came out on top in a major that felt more like match play, parlaying the approach into an easy two-putt par to seal his second title over the last four years in senior golf’s most prestigous event.

Harrington shot 3-under 67 to finish at 11-under 209, edging Cink, who shot 68, on their fourth straight round in the same group.

pacity to thrill the fans with the performances of his horses on our sport’s biggest days.”

Achieving something of a career renaissance over the past decade, one he credits to finding the right owners willing to spend money on horses, Lukas won the Preakness last year with Seize the Grey Asked what motivates him to keep doing his job well into his late 80s, he gave a pep talk fit for a locker room before a big game. “If you have a passion, you

IN BRIEF FROM STAFF AND WIRE

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

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

for

eliminate all the excuses,” Lukas said “That’s how it works You get up early You go without a meal. You drive. You go without sleep as long as you got the passion. Don’t let that sofa pull you down. It’s a little easy when that alarm goes off to say ‘Oh my God, I don’t know if I really want to do this today.’ Erase that The most important decision you’ll ever make in your life is your attitude decision Make it early and make the right one.”

“Today we lost one of the great champions of Churchill Downs and one of the most significant figures in Thoroughbred racing over the last 50 years.” BILL CARSTANJEN, Churchill Downs, Inc. CEO

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.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO B y CHARLIE RIEDEL

Trainer D Wayne Lukas watches a morning workout

the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1 in Louisville, Ky.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO 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.

CHEUNG

Alcaraz has fondness for playing on grass

BY HOWARD FENDRICH

AP tennis writer

LONDON Carlos Alcaraz’s

first match on a grass court came just six years ago.

He’s obviously a quick study

When Wimbledon gets started Monday the 22-yearold from Spain will play in the first Centre Court match of this fortnight, an honor reserved for the previous year’s men’s champion. The contest against Fabio Fognini will open Alcaraz’s bid for a third consecutive championship at the place.

That’s something 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 2-0 at the French Open — which he won three weeks ago via a comeback from two sets down against No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final — and 1-0 at the U.S. Open.

Last year the No. 2-ranked Alcaraz became the youngest man to win a major trophy on each surface: grass, clay and hard courts. But he’s got a fondness for the green stuff.

“The most beautiful tennis that 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,” said Alcaraz, who will go into

Monday on a career-best 18-match winning streak including a title at the Queen’s Club tournament on grass last weekend. “The movement is really tough, but when you get it, it’s kind 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 much as Alcaraz does while in the thick of things no matter what challenges might be presented by the foe across the net or the tension of the moment. He is as creative as it gets with a racket in hand, sometimes to his own detriment, and admits enjoying seeing replays on arena video screens after some of his best deliveries (that technology isn’t used at the All England Club, but perhaps it should be).

“I really want to hit slices, drop shots, going to the net all the time, playing aggressively,” said Alcaraz, who said he lost to two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray during a round of golf early in the week. “I think on grass it’s the style that you have to play, so that’s what I like the most.”

Other Grand Slam champions in action on Day 1 when the temperature is expected to be around 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) include No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka against a qualifier making her Grand Slam debut, Carson Branstine; No 6 Madison Keys,

the Australian Open champion in January against Elena-Gabriela Ruse; 2023 Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova against No. 32 McCartney Kessler; and 2021 U.S. Open champ Daniil Medvedev against Benjamin Bonzi. Others in action: 2024 Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini, 2024 U.S. Open runner-up Taylor Fritz, and three-time major finalist Alexander Zverev

It’s instructive to hear what Djokovic had to say about Alcaraz after a straight-set loss in last year’s final at the All England Club.

“He just was better than me in every aspect of the game,” Djokovic said. “In movement, in the way he was just striking the ball beautifully, serving great. Everything.”

Those words carry weight. Djokovic has won seven of his men’s-record 24 Grand Slam trophies at Wimbledon but was the runner-up to Alcaraz in 2023 and 2024.

When it comes to the idea of joining an elite group by completing a three-peat two weeks from now, Alcaraz insisted that isn’t the sort of thing he really cares about or spends time considering.

He wants the title, yes. But where it would place him in history? Leave that to others.

“I really want to lift the trophy,” Alcaraz said. “But right now I’m not thinking about who I could join if I win three Wimbledons in a row.”

Qualifier Branstine not intimidated by Sabalenka

BY HOWARD FENDRICH

AP tennis writer

LONDON There are plenty of tennis players who might be daunted by the prospect of making their Grand Slam debut against someone ranked No. 1 and in a big stadium — in this case, Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon’s No. 1 Court. Carson Branstine, though, is embracing the circumstances she’ll find herself in Mond ay Branstine, 24, is a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen — she was born in California and represents Canada, where her mother is from — and helped Texas A&M win the 2024 NCAA title. She is ranked just inside the top 200, but made it into the women’s bracket at the All England Club by winning three matches in qualifying last week.

“It’s not like I’m a beginner This is my job, too. We’re playing the same tournament right? It’s just exciting. It’s cool. And I love that for myself,” Branstine said “You never know what can happen. And I like it.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way This is the coolest

nis, more than just playing. You never know what can be happening on each side, behind closed doors. It’s Wimbledon. It’s (Sabalenka’s) first round; you’ve seen a lot of players have tight matches in their first rounds against players that you’d never imagine that (it) would be close,” Branstine said.

Branstine credits her big serve and confidence to match with driving her recent success

When Sabalenka — a three-time Grand Slam champion and the runnerup to Coco Gauff at RolandGarros three weeks ago was asked Saturday what she knows about Branstine, her playing style was not what came to mind.

BY DAVE CAMPBELL

AP sportswriter

MINNEAPOLIS Damion

Downs scored in the sixth round of a shootout after three saves by Matt Freese, sending the U.S. to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 4-3 penaltykicks win over Costa Rica after a a 2-2 tie in regulation on Sunday night

The U.S. advanced to a Wednesday matchup in St. Louis against Guatemala, which upset Canada on penalty kicks in the opener of the quarterfinal doubleheader Mexico plays Honduras in the other semifinal on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California. The championship is in Houston on July 6.

The U.S. has reached the semifinals in 17 of 18 Gold Cups, including 13 straight since a quarterfinal loss to Colombia on PKs in 2000. Diego Luna and Max Arfsten scored in regulation for the U.S., which faced its highest-ranked opponent of the tournament in Costa Rica (54th) after breezing through the group stage

FAMBROUGH

Continued from page 1B

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

with an 8-1 goal differential.

Alonso Martinez scored the tying goal for the Ticos in the 71st minute with a left-footed shot after Carlos Mora split Luca de La Torre and Arsten to take a shot on Freese and seize the rebound to set up Martinez.

CONCACAF changed the rules for this edition of the biennial championship for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, eliminating extra time ex-

Hall of Fame.

“I would credit her a lot for helping me with my ability to interview,” 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 high-profile 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

thing.” Besides, facing, and eliminating, the top seed is becoming routine lately for her: This is the third consecutive event this month where Branstine is going up against a foe seeded No. 1. She beat Liudmila Samsonova at a grass-court tournament in the Netherlands, then started off Wimbledon qualifying by defeating Loïs Boisson, who was coming off a surprising run to the French Open semifinals.

“Well, of course I go out with: Why not? Because there’s a lot of factors in ten-

“I know that she’s super pretty,” Sabalenka replied with a laugh. “The other day, I opened social media, and she was giving an interview I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this girl is so beautiful.’ That’s all I know so far.”

Sabalenka planned to discuss tactics with her team and watch some of Branstine’s past matches to familiarize herself with what to expect on court.

“It’s not easy to face someone you’ve never seen before,” said Sabalenka. “I know that I’ll be prepared for her game.”

cept for the

John

Freese

denied Andy Rojas with a diving hand, climbing to his feet while nodding his head and sticking out his tongue toward his cheering teammates at midfield. That set up the winner by Downs.

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 MayorPresident 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.”

Branstine

AP PHOTO By KIN CHEUNG Aryna Sabalenka plays a return to Coco Gauff during a practice session ahead of the Wimbledon championships on Friday in London.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIN

Carlos Alcaraz makes a return during a practice session ahead of the Wimbledon championships on Friday in London.

championship game.

Tolkin had the first chance to win the shootout for the U.S. Keylor Navas knocked down his try in the fifth round.

then

AP PHOTO By ABBIE PAR

Rica midfielder Carlos Andrei Mora Montoya, left, and United States midfielder Diego Angel Luna battle for possession of the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal on Sunday in Minneapolis.

Pelicans guard Elfrid Payton dribbles the ball up the courtagainst the MiamiHeat on April 11 at theSmoothie King Center.Payton’steam optionwas declined by thePelicans.

VeteranPayton’steam option declined by Pels

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

Gretna native Elfrid Paytonwill be looking for anew team

The New Orleans Pelicans plan to decline the $3.15 millionteam option on the veteran pointguard, according to areportbyThe Athletic.

Payton will now become an unrestrictedfree agent, meaning he can sign with any team hewants.

NBA teams can start negotiating with free agents on Monday Payton, who played at John Ehret High School in Marrero and then the University of Louisiana, began his NBA journey in 2014 when he was drafted in the first round by the Orlando Magic.

He played with the Pelicans in the 2018-19 season and returned this past season in two different stints. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged

4.4 points and 8.1 assistsinthe 18 games he played for the Pelicans this season. Hisseason includeda game in November against theIndiana Pacers when he dishedout 21 assists. That’sthe second-most assists in franchisehistory,trailingonlythe 25assists by Rajon Rondoagainst theBrooklynNets in 2017.

Payton’sperformances this season drew high praise from Pelicans’ head coach Willie Green.

“I’ll say it again,” Green said during theseason. “Thereisno way he shouldn’tbeona roster

He is that good. He canpassthe ball. He knows howtothrowyou opensometimes. Evenwhen you don’tknow you’reopen, theball is hitting you right in your hands on time andontarget. He’sanexcellent defender andfloor leader.”

Payton spoke this season about how much he enjoys playingjust afew miles away from where he

was raised.

“I love being here,” Payton said during the season. “This is the best thing ever.Igrew up less than 10 minutes from here. AnytimeIcan be playing here, it’s love.”

Payton’sdeparture seemed inevitable last week when theteam selected Oklahoma point guard Jeremiah Fears with theNo. 7 overallpickinthe draft. The team still hasguardJose Alvarado on the roster.Jordan Poole, who the Pelicansacquired last week in atrade with theWashington Wizards, can also handle some of theballhandling duties

The Pels traded CJ McCollum in the deal for Poole.

Now Payton will be looking for a new homeagain. In addition to his first 31/2 seasons with the Magic, he hasalso suited up for thePhoenix Suns, New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets.

Reeseextends double-double streak,leads SkypastSparks

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES— Angel Reese scored aseason-high 24 points and became the firstWNBA player with 15 or morereboundsinfour straight games, finishing with 16 boards and leading the Chicago Sky to a92-85 victory on Sunday over the Los Angeles Sparks,who retired Candace Parker’sNo. 3jerseyathalftime.

Reese had 11 points in the fourth quarter and gave the Sky an 8574 lead on athree-point play with 21/2 minutes to go. The former LSUstandout had 19, 17 and 18 rebounds in her previous three games. She also had seven assists andtwo blocks on Sunday. Entering the game, Sparks coach Lynne Roberts praisedReese as “elite,” underscoring her high mo-

Continued from page1B

help groom Pelicans’ first round draft pick Jeremiah Fears. Paul could do for Fears what he did this past season for Spurs’ guard Stephon Castle, who was namedthe NBA’s Rookie of the Year Fears, 18, wasn’teven born when Paul was drafted by New Orleans. Who better to teach Fears the ins and outs of being apro than aguy like Paul, whose nameshould be hanging in the Smoothie King Center rafters one day

For those wondering if thepiece would fit,here’s whatDumars had to say about his philosophyon getting players to fit in general.

“You get guys who want to win,” Dumars said. “You get high IQ guys. Guys with real basketball character.Those guys fit in with anybody.When you get that you don’thave to worry about who they are going to fit with. Gethigh character,smart tough guys who want to win.” Paul, one of the smartest players to ever play the game, checks all those boxes.

torand physicality,adding that the Sparkswould need to be the aggressorstoslow her down. Parker,atwo-timeMVP and Chicago native,played 13 seasons for the Sparks, two for the Sky and one for the LasVegas Aces. She won titles with theSparksin2016, the Sky in 2021 and theAcesin2023, herfinal season. The Sky will also retireher jersey later this summer.

Reese had abasket as Chicago got thelast fourpoints of the third quarter to pull within 62-61. She scored six straight points earlyin the fourth to help Chicagotakethe lead for good

ArielAtkins added 20 points for Chicago (5-11), Kia Nurse scored 14 off the bench, Rachel Banham had 13and Elizabeth Williams 12.

Kelsey Plum ledthe Sparks (5-12) with 22 points and Dearica Hamby

The Pelicans have only won two playoff seriesinfranchisehistory

One was withPaul.The otherwas in the 2017-18seasonwhen the team had commanding floorgeneral, Rajon Rondo, on itsroster Those type of players are needed. Oh, and Paul is durable, aplus for ateam that often getsbitten by the injury bug like the Pels. Paul played in all 82 games last season for the Spurs, making him the first player to do that this late in acareer ThePelicanshaveother needs in free agency,too. They could usemore help on the inside, especially with rim protecting and rebounding.

“It’simperative that you have bigs,” Dumars said. “I’m not sure that we are done. Youlook at these teams andthey are running two bigs out there. If you can’t matchup, you’reintrouble. We want to make sure that’sa strong suit for us as well.”

The Pels could also stand to getbetter in defending on the perimeter. Thoseneeds should be addressed

But if youcan bring back aguy whoaveraged8.8 points and 7.4 assists last season withPaul’sleader-

Jamesformallyopts in fora23rdseason

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

LeBron James is exercising his $52.6millionoptionwith the Los Angeles Lakersfor 2025-26, further confirming that he will becomethe first player in NBA history to playa 23rdseason,a person with knowledge of the decision said Sunday Thepersonspoke to TheAssociated Press on condition of anonymitybecause neitherJames nor theteam announced the decision publicly ESPN andThe Athletic were amongthose to first report the decision.

James, who recently returned to on-court workouts after taking severalweeks to recover after sprainingaknee ligament in the Lakers’ final game of this past season’splayoffs,told the AP earlier this month that he expected to be ready for training camp. That was an obvious sign he planned on returningfor a23rdyear, onein which he’ll break atie with Vince Carter for longest NBAcareer by aplayer

“I havealot of time to take care of my injury,myknee, the rest of my body and makesure I’m as close to 100% as possible when training camp begins in late

September,” James said in thatinterview

If anydoubt existedevenafter that about James, theNBA’s oldestcurrent player,comingback for at least one moreseason, it’s gone now. He haduntil Sunday afternoon to make his decision on the option, one that pushes his career on-court earnings to about $580 million.

This coming season will be his first full year with Luka Doncic as ateammate. Doncic was traded to the Lakers from Dallas in February,but the team —which entered the postseason as the No. 3seed in aloaded Western Conference —still fell in Round 1to Minnesota.

James turns 41 in December

He’sbeen an All-NBA pick in 21 of his 22 seasonsinthe league, including asecond-round nod this past season. No other player has morethan 15 All-NBA selections.

He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists this past season.The NBA’s all-timescoring leader has appeared in 1,562 regular-season games, 49 behind Robert Parish’s mark of 1,611 —the most in league history.If healthy,James would obviously figure to break that mark this coming season.

Angeles.James is

his$52.6 million option with the Los Angeles Lakers and will be first NBAplayertoplayfor a23rd season.

added20points and10rebounds.

AzuraStevens scored 17 points and Emma Cannon had 15 off thebench

“It’sachoicewhenyou’re hit withadversity or you lose, when youdon’t perform the way you want to,” Roberts said on learning lessons from losses. “It’s achoice as to how you approach it, and there is no magic formula.”

The Sky took a40-34 halftime lead. Parker then took to the court to address the crowd before her jersey was raised to therafters, next to those of Sparks greats Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler

TheSparksshot 31% in thefirst half.

Athree-point play by Reese early in the third quarter gave Chicago a48-36 advantage, but the Sparks responded with a17-3 run to take aseven-point lead.

ship skills, youshould go for it.It’s probably alongshot, considering there arereports that Paul would prefer to play somewhere close to his home in Los Angeles.

It’sworth atry though.

Monday is theone-year anniversary of Paul signing aone-year, $11 million deal with the Spurs. The Spurs are theeighth team Paulhas played for

“Every team that he goes to, it seemslike he impactsthat group in apositive way,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said in March when Pauland theSpurs were in town

Green and Paul were former teammates in New Orleans.

Now seems like agood time to bring them back together.Green as the coach. Paul as the coach on thefloor in the city that gave him his start.It’sa city he still loves.

“After 20 years, thelovefor this city hasnever changed!” Paul wrote on Instagram after playing the PelicansinMay.“The journey started here,and I’ll alwayshavegratitude forthe city of New Orleans.”

Who says thejourney can’tend here, too?

Email RodWalker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

BY LARRYLAGE AP sportswriter

DETROIT NBAfree agent Malik Beasley is underinvestigation by theU.S. DistrictAttorney’soffice regarding gambling allegations tied to league games, aperson familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Sunday The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to commentonthe matter

“Weare cooperatingwith the federal prosecutors’ investigation,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass saidinastatement released to the AP and other outlets on Sunday ESPN wasthe first to report on theinvestigation.

“There have been no charges against Malik,” Steve Haney, Beasley’s attorney, told the AP

“It’s just an investigation at this point. We hope people reserve judgement until he’s charged or if he’scharged. It’s not uncommonfor theretobeafederal investigation.”

The probe into Beasley comes 14 months after the NBAbanned Toronto’sJontay Porter,who was linked to aprop bet investigation andeventuallypleaded guilty to committing wire fraud.

This pastseason, The Wall Street Journal was first to report that Terry Rozier— thenofthe Charlotte Hornets —was under investigation for activityrelated to unusual betting patternssurrounding him in aMarch 2023 game.

Rozier,now of the MiamiHeat, hasnot been charged with any crime, nor has he faced any sanction from the NBA.

Porter’s ban came afterasimilarinvestigation intohis performance and “prop bets” —wagers where bettors can choose whether aplayer will reach acertain statistical standard or not during agame. The Porter investigation started once the league learned from “licensed sports betting operatorsand an organization that monitorslegal betting markets” about unusual gambling patterns surrounding Porter’sperformance in agame on March 20,

2024, against Sacramento. The league determined that Porter gave abettor information about his own health status prior that game and said that another individual —knowntobean NBAbettor— placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would not hit the numbers set for him in parlays through an onlinesports book. That bet would have won $1.1 million.

Beasley signed last year with the Pistons, taking aone-year contract for $6 millioninthe hopes of cashing in this summer as afree agent. Asecond person, speaking to AP on condition of anonymity because no deal was announced, said Detroitwas “very interested” in re-signing Beasley to amulti-year contract this summer.Those talks might be in jeopardy,given the uncertainty regarding the federal probe. He madeasingle-season, franchise-record 319 3-pointers in theregularseason.Hehelped Detroit makethe playoffs forthe first time since2019 andend an NBA-record 15-game postseason losing streak in the first round against the NewYork Knicks. Beasleyaveraged16.3 points last season and has averaged 11.7 points over his career with Denver,Minnesota, Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee and Detroit. He scored acareer-high 19.6 pointsagame during the2020-21 season with the Timberwolves.

AP FILE PHOTOByJULIANIKHINSON

Former DetroitPistons guard

Malik Beasleyreacts

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

HAMPTON, Ga. Chase Elliott

couldn’thave picked abettersetting for adrought-breakingwin Fans roared in approval after Elliott, the home-state favorite, passed Brad Keselowski onthe finallap to end a44-race drought by winning the NASCAR CupSeries at Atlanta on Saturdaynight.

Elliott’s20th career victory pushed him to second place in the Cup Series points race, putting himinprime positiontoreturnto the top of the NASCAR world after winning his first championship in 2020.

Elliott earned aspotinthe NASCAR playoffs with his first victory since April 2024 at Texas. He said he’ll alwaysremember thewin as a career highlight, in part becauseof the ovation from fans who chanted “Chase! Chase! Chase!” Elliott, aDawsonville, Georgia, native, climbed into the stands at EchoPark Speedway,formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway,to celebrate with the fans.

“It was, truthfully,apretty surreal moment,” Elliott said. “Something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Saturday night under the lights, beena while sincewewon, just getting ourselves awin and advancinguponthe playoff thing.” It washis first Atlanta win since 2022. Elliott has 594 points, 37 behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, who has 631. A third Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson, is third. Another Hendrick driver,Alex

BY JAMES ELLINGWORTH AP sportswriter

After days of speculation he might leave Red Bull for Mercedes, MaxVerstappen got acloserlook at aMercedes car than he wanted. The reigning Formula 1champion’sAustrian Grand Prix lasted less than half alap as he wasknocked out of the race by Mercedes driver and potential future teammate KimiAntonelli.

“I think we try to do ourbest always. My mentality doesn’tchange

Elliotthas ‘surreal’lastlap in winatAtlanta

Driver Chase Elliottcelebrates with the trophyinvictorylane after winning aNASCARCup Series race on SaturdayinHampton, Ga

Bowman, played akey role in Elliott’scomeback win. Bowman, whofinished third,gaveElliott a push and thenhelped block Keselowski on the final lap.

“I’m happy for the 9team,” Bowmansaid. “It’sa bigwin for himin his hometown. I’m glad to have a Hendrick car in victory lane.I wish it was us.”

Elliott saidhe’ll try to repay the favorbyhelping Bowman join the other three Hendrick driversinthe playoffs.

“I recognize that he gave me a

great shove,” Elliott said. “I recognize thathetook his run on Brad, too, to try to gethimself to second, which ultimatelyhelped me as well. “Yeah, those are all things that I remember.”

Elliott advanced to the second round of NASCAR’snew In-Season Challenge, afive-race, bracketstyle tournament. With thefield cutfrom32to16drivers,Elliott will be pairedagainst JohnHunter Nemechek when theCup Series moves to the Chicago Street Race

next Sunday

A$1million prize awaits the winner,and Elliott’s odds improved after Atlanta wrecks knocked out the top twoseeds,DennyHamlin andChase Briscoe.

Elliottwouldn’tbethe first family member to win a$1million bonus. In 1985 his father,Bill Elliott, became the first winnerofthe Winston Million as areward for claiming wins in threeofthe circuit’stop four races at the time. The bonus earnedthe elderElliott the nickname “Million Dollar Bill.”

Now theyoungerElliott is a strong contender to become first in line for another $1 millionprize.

“It’d be areally cool thing to win for sure and hope it works out that way,” Chase Elliott said.

Elliott’svictory drought came after he needed surgery to repair a broken tibia in his left leg suffered in asnowboardingaccident and missedsix races in 2023. He said the support of longtime crew chief Alan Gustafson was “in large part” responsible forhelping him retain his confidenceand reclaimhis winning form.

Gustafson said the win was more important forthe 2025playoff race than for ending the victory drought.

“The points weregetting tight for the playoffs, for sure,” Gustafson said. “I think that’sprobably the biggest thing. Ithink allthe cars contending to win, Idon’tthink any of them had won. Ithink that’s probably thebiggest thingwe needed was that cushion.”

Saturdaynight’swin wasElliott’s third consecutive top-five finish.

“When you’re fortunate enough to climb the mountain and be able to stand at the top of the mountain with someone,that’sanincredible achievement, right?” Elliott said. “That’ssomething that (Gustafson) andI will always cherish and rememberthat we did that together

“For me it’sreally,really important to climb that mountain with the same people thatwedid the first time and know that we never quit on each other.That’sjust areally important piece of the puzzle for me.”

We have wonalot in thepast. Sometimes you have to accept that you are not winning, and we just try to do the best we can,” Verstappen told Britishbroadcaster Sky Sports. Asked about what theincident meant for his titledefense, he said: “Hopefully then maybe people will not mentionittoo much any more.” It followed an eventful week for the four-timechampion, who blamedalack of grip forbeing off thepace in qualifying andseventh

on thegrid. Antonelli’steammate George Russellhad suggested Thursday Verstappen maybe holding talks with Mercedes on a possible futuremove. Verstappen remains thirdin thestandings but is 61 pointsoff leader Oscar Piastri. In past years, Verstappen and RedBull have produced some of their best performances at the team’shome race. It attractsthousands of orange-cladDutchfans andVerstappenhas wonatthe Red Bull Ring fivetimes

It was arare mistake in an otherwise impressive season for 18-year-old Antonelli. He braked late, locked his rear wheels and dived deep into atight right-hand corner,spinning Verstappen round andending both of theirchances “I’m out, Igot hit like crazy,” Verstappen told Red Bull over the radio. Verstappenwaved to the crowd as his car waslifted away by atractor and chatted with Antonelli as they walkedawaytogether It was the first time Verstappen

failed to score anypointsina race in more than ayear, sincethe Australian Grand Prix in March 2024. It ended aweek of strugglesata track where he’swon five times in F1,and cappeda disastrous home Grand Prix for Red Bull. Rounding out anightmarehome race forRed Bull, Yuki Tsunoda hit Alpine’sFranco Colapinto while fighting for13th place andhad to pitfor areplacementfrontwing. The Japanese driver finished last and hasn’tscored apoint in four races.

Zoo. PartsofRosenblatt Stadiumwereused to build a memorial tothe belovedvenue.

thLivingedream

Thestory behind LSUbaseball, Omahasteaks andone unforgettabletripwithmydad

Next time.

BYMADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

BY KYLE WHITFIELD | Staff writer

We kept sayingit. Year after year

Next time. The next time LSUmakes the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, my dadand 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 CWS appearance in the past 40 years

My dad, Rick,69, and Icrammed oursuitcases with every piece of LSU gear we ownedand flewout of town theday beforeGame 1ofthe championship series against Coastal Carolina.

Next time was one of the best decisionsinmy38years. Not just becauseLSU wonit all,its eighth national championshipinprogram history.

Notjust because we gottosee Kade Anderson throw only the third complete-game shutout in the CWS finals.

SONG OF THESUMMER

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

In caring forloved one, don’tforget thefeet

Howimportant is properfoot care for someone with Alzheimer’sordementia?

As we age, our feet flatten and becomewider and the fatty padding wears down, leaving bones and joints more exposed to wear and tear.Injuries can occur from asimple blister to bunions and calluses and conditions such as neuropathy,ingrowntoenails 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, whichiswhy proper foot care should not be ignored. Since mostpeople 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 moreslowly,or even shuffling while walking.

Since skin on the feet becomes morefragile with aging, bunions, corns and calluses 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 affected individual 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 severe infection which could becomevery serious.

Comfortable, well-fitting shoes can makeall the difference in the affected person’s mobility so agood pair of walking shoes that are precisely measured and fit forthe individual is recommended. Oftentimes, older adults and affected individuals are inclined to wearslippers all day,which encourages shuffling rather than walking and can also be the root cause of slips and falls.

Caregivers can makearegular habit of washing their loved one’sfeet nightly with warm soap and water,drying the feet fully,then applying moisturizer and finishing by covering the feet with breathable cotton socks forcomfort and warmth.

BYMARIA SHERMAN AP music writer

NEW YORK What makes agreat song of the summer? Is it an uptempo popbanger? Something with an earworm chorus? Does it need to feature the words “summer,” “sunshine,” or another synonym —“California”— in thetitle?How could anyone attempt asong of the summerafter thelate, greatBeach

PROVIDED PHOTO

Kyle Whitfield, right,and his dad, Rick, stand in the infield of the former site of the JohnnyRosenblatt Stadium, which, today, is aparking lot for Omaha’sHenryDoorly

DREAMS

Continued from page 1C

And not just because LSU took care of business quickly — just 17½ innings in less than 24 hours — and spared us the coronary-inducing drama of a potential winner-take-all Game 3. The experience was all of it. And the time before, during and after it. My dad and I spent 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, a few days after Hurricane Ida, to watch LSU football play UCLA in the Rose Bowl At The Drover in Nebraska, a welcoming Omaha steakhouse famous for its whiskey-marinated steaks, we had dinner twice during our stay because it was so delicious. We ate about 48 ounces of steak in two nights. That alone was historic for me. I don’t think I’ve seen my dad eat that much red meat.

At Barrett’s Barleycorn, where Irish green and orange were taken over by Tiger purple and gold, dad and I ate lunch together The scene was like watching a magic show Hardly anyone left their tables, but a steady stream of LSU fans kept pouring into the pub.

Dad and I roamed the streets together We talked to random LSU fans together We shared countless Uber rides together We waited in lines together We stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the stadium concourse

MUSIC

Continued from page 1C

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 Press views 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 beach barbecues in equal measure. And that means many different things for many kinds of listeners. So here are AP’s 2025 song of the summer predictions across categories, with past victors for reference. Find your song of the summer and then listen to our Spotify playlist, here.

SONG OF THE SUMMER THAT INEXPLICABLY CAME OUT IN JANUARY:

‘NUEVAYoL,’ Bad Bunny

A song of the summer doesn’t actually have to arrive in summer, or even in spring. History has proved this time and time again, lest anyone forget Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” hit at the top of the year in 2021. But this summer, like every summer, is about Bad Bunny On his 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 song is asymmetrical pop with a cheerleading cadence and extensive, expensive product placement. You’re here for the girls, or you’re not.

Gnarly! Past champion: “Bills, Bills, Bills,” Destiny’s Child (1999)

SONG OF THE SUMMER FOR THE CHRONICALLY ONLINE:

‘Tonight,’ PinkPantheress

An internet hero releases

behind home plate for all 105 outs in those two games together

There were high-fives. Cheers. Claps. And a few phrases we’re not allowed to publish here. There’s no bigger and better hug than the one with your dad after your favorite team makes the last out to win a championship When a trip ends, oftentimes people go back to souvenirs to remember a vacation But a $45 T-shirt has nothing on the memories my dad and I have together from our trip to Omaha.

another super hit: PinkPantheress’ “Tonight” is an undeniable good time; all bassline house meets hyperpop vocals with a naughty chorus. The 24-year-old British singer-songwriter has proved she’s got so much more to offer than a few viral hits — but her huge songs that blow up online? They tend to stay That’s more than can be said about past winners in this category

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

BIGGEST SONG OF THE YEAR,AND THEREFORE THE DEFAULT SONG OF THE SUMMER:

‘Luther,’ Kendrick Lamar and SZA

Is a song released in November too dated to qualify for song of the summer? Perhaps. But here’s the rub: Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks in 2025 — over half the year so far Popularity makes the contender It doesn’t hurt that “Luther” is also one of the best songs of both this year and last, a tender R&B ballad that samples Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 rendition of “If This World Were Mine.” “Luther” has since been dethroned on the charts, but no other song has come close to its run this year

It would’ve been easy to say next time again. LSU has the look of starting another Skip Bertman-esque championship streak. Maybe there are plenty more opportunities for next time. Next time for you might be with your 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 Kyle Whitfield on Twitter, @kyle_whitfield.

— and it doesn’t hurt that it interpolates “Lollipop” by Lil Wayne featuring Static Major and “Chulin Culin Chunfly” by Voltio featuring Residente. Past champion: “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’),” T-Pain featuring Yung Joc (2007)

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

Social media is the wild west and inevitably sources its own song of the summer Usually there’s an element of humor in the track — like 2023’s “The Margarita Song” by That Chick Angel, Casa Di & Steve Terrell. This year is a bit different: 803Fresh’s “Boots on the Ground” is an organic hit that centers a kind of soulful line dance — it’s countrypop with trap hi-hats and fun for the whole family

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

SONG OFTHE SUMMER FOR IT GIRLS: ‘Fame Is A Gun,’ Addison Rae

Charli xcx fans, fear not. Louisiana native Addison

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday, June 30, the 181st day of 2025. There are 184 days left in the year

Today’s highlight in history:

On June 30, 1934, Adolf Hitler launched his “blood purge” of political and military rivals 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 the Espionage Act of 1917 for a speech he had made two weeks earlier in which he denounced U.S. involvement in World War I. (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’s novel “Gone With the Wind” was released.

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

In 1971, the Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that the government could not prevent The New York Times

FEET

Continued from page 1C

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 something to the affected person to distract him or

or The Washington Post from publishing the Pentagon Papers.

In 1971, a Soviet space mission ended in tragedy when three cosmonauts aboard Soyuz 11 were found dead of asphyxiation inside their capsule after it had returned to Earth.

In 1994, the U.S. Figure Skating Association stripped Tonya Harding of the national championship and banned her for life for her role in the attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan.

In 2009, American soldier Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl went missing from his base in eastern Afghanistan, and was later confirmed to have been captured by insurgents after walking away from his post. (Bergdahl was released on May 31, 2014, in exchange for five Taliban detainees; he pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, but was spared a prison sentence by a military 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 2019, Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in

her If the 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 a podiatrist that offers these types of foot care services. Lastly, caregivers should monitor any foot sores. The heels of the feet are a common location for bedsores because the affected individuals are resting their feet on a footstool, mattress or other surface that leads to tissue breakdown from skin irritation and pressure on the heels.

North Korea, meeting Kim Jong-un at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. In 2020, then-Mississippi Gov Tate Reeves signed a landmark bill retiring the last state flag bearing the Confederate battle emblem. Boston’s arts commission voted unanimously to remove a statue depicting a freed slave kneeling at Abraham Lincoln’s feet. In 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in to the U.S. Supreme Court, shattering a glass ceiling as the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court. Today’s birthdays: 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

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

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

Past champion: “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen (2023)

BREAKUP SONG OF THE SUMMER:

‘What Was That,’ Lorde

Lorde’s first new single in four years recalls the clever synth-pop of her 2017 album

“Melodrama,” casting aside the folk detour of 2021’s “Solar Power.” “What Was That” is reserved revelation, introspective electropop that takes a measured look at a relationship’s dissolution. It feels good, and bad, which is the point.

Past champion: “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” Bee Gees (1971)

SONG FOR SINGLES READY TO MINGLE THIS SUMMER:

‘WASSUP,’ Young Miko

Flirting is central to these hot months; no other season has a fling named after it Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko knows this better than most, and her track “WASSUP” is all about charisma

Rae’s debut album is stuffed with bejeweled, hypnotic pop songs for the post-“BRAT” crowd. Best of all is the Grimes-esque “Fame Is a Gun,” a sunglasses-in-theclubbangerwithsyntheticvocal textures and an unignorable chorus. For fashionable listeners, and those who aim to become more fabulous. Past champion: “Bad Girls,” Donna Summer (1979)

SONG OFTHE SUMMER OF REVENGE: ‘Manchild,’ Sabrina Carpenter

Doesitsoundstrikinglysimilar to “Please, Please, Please” at times? Sure But has Sabrina Carpenter cornered the market on country-tinged, satirical pop songs about heterofatalism, an internet neologism for those who find heterosexuality embarrassing and hopeless? Also, yes. But you know, with a wink, vengeance and a danceable quality Amen, hey men!

Past champion: “Before He Cheats,” Carrie Underwood (from her 2005 debut album, but released as a single in 2006)

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 Game 1 at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb

SZA Lamar

CANCER (June 21-July22) Explore your options, but avoidletting anyoneconfuseyou or lure you down apath that doesn't fulfill your needs. Consider partnershipsand 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 time will give youconfidence and help you gain the support you require to makeadifference.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Let your passion leadthe way, and your strength and courage help you reach your goal Invest time and money into expandingyour interestsand encouraging a healthy lifestyle and better prospects.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct.23) Runatight ship. You'll fall behind if you spendtoo much time analyzing or reconfiguring every detail. Youmust act on your feet,be decisive andfocusonyour endgame.

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

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Angerwill slow you down; investing in yourself 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 takeadvantage of you or lead you astray. Avoidlavish temptationsand people promising the impossible.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.19) Change will require your undivided attention if you want to be successful. Yourstrength anddetermination will raise your appeal andencourageothers to offer more support.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Open-mindedness will lead to positivechange. Love, romance and home improvementsare in the stars and will help you acquire thelifestyle you long for.

ARIES(March 21-April19) You'll achieve more if youattend functions thatallow youtoshare your plans andbringabout change. Participating in events dealing with the communitywill encourage you to do your best

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Choose peace and love over discord. Know what you can getaway with before youenterthe ring. If you want to go up against someone, do some prep work wellahead of time.

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

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

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Cipher cryptograms are created from quotationsbyfamouspeople, past and present. Each letter in thecipherstands for another

For better or For WorSe

bIG nAte

SALLYForth

beetLe bAILeY

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box containsthe same number only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

Hi and LoiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Twoweeks ago, we looked at Staymansequences. Last week, we turned to transfers into the majors. This week, let’scoverhow to show the range of majortwo-suiters opposite aone-notrump opening. Let’s startwith one no-trump-two clubs (Stayman) -two diamonds (no four-card major) -two of amajor. In pretransferdays, atwo-heart or two-spade rebid showed afive- or six-cardsuit and game-invitationalvalues. Using majorsuit transfers, Staymanfollowedbya two-heart rebid indicates aweak major two-suiter, in principle 5-5 (as was noted in thecolumn on May 16).Incontrast, rebidding two spades shows five spades, four hearts and game-invitational values —see South’s hand in today’s diagram. North, withsuch good major-suit holdings, raises to four spades. Howshould South planthe playafter West leads the club king?

The South hand has four potential losers: one spade, two hearts and one club. There are two ways to get home. First, win with dummy’s club ace and play three rounds of hearts. Then, when back in his hand, declarer ruffs his last heart on the board. Alternatively,Southcanplayadummy reversal.Suppose he ducks (loses) the first trick,and West shifts to atrump. Declarer finesses, Easttaking hisking andreturning aspade. South wins on the board, cashes theclub ace, ruffs the last club, unblockshis top diamonds, and usesdummy’stwo heartentries to get two diamond ruffs. Declarer takestwo spades, two hearts, two diamonds, one club and those threeruffs. Yes, an initialtrump lead is fatal, but thatishardfor Westtofind.

©2025 by NEA, Inc.,dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previousanswers:

that

InsTRucTIons:

ToDAY’sWoRD GLucosE: GLU-koze: Acrystalline sugar.

Average mark13words

Time

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles hidato

mallard fillmore

the Ordinanceconsidered, on motion by __Kershaw_________, seconded by ___Chustz to adopt the Ordinance, arecordvote was taken and the following result was had:

YEAS: Kershaw,Daigle, Tassin, Chustz

NAYS: None

ABSENT:Young

Whereupon, the presiding officer declared the above Ordinance duly adopted on the 9th day of June 2025.

Blaine Rabalais, Clerk Scot Rhodes, Mayor

Budget

Miscellaneous Income

$10,100.00

Section1.The

Section2.Funds

Section3.For

Section4.The sums in the attached budget or so much thereof as maybenecessary arehereby appropriated out of any monies in the Town Treasury from the sources

Section5.This

SaidOrdinance

YEAS: Tassin, Chustz, Kershaw,Daigle NAYS: None ABSENT: Young

Supplies & Expense/Admin

Building Maintenance

($10,000.00) $7,340.00 ($10,000.00) Lower Publishing Cost, Changed Official Journel

$24,400.00 ($8,000.00) $16,400.00 ($8,000.00) No AddisParade, Low Town Functions

$36,000.00 ($14,000.00) $22,000.00 ($14,000.00) No TH Locks &Software, lowcamera maintenance

Supplies & Expense/Maint $105,000.00 ($30,000.00) $75,000.00 ($30,000.00) No Derelict Demolish, low Fuel Cost, No RepublicBulk

Exp-Street & Drainage

Salaries-Maint.

Retirement expMaint

Cap Expenditures/ Police

Police Communications

$164,000.00 ($115,000.00) $49,000.00 ($115,000.00) Drainage Improvements Incomplete, no New Sidewalks

$278,302.00 ($10,000.00) $268,302.00 ($10,000.00) LowOvertime

$33,358.00 ($4,000.00) $29,358.00 ($4,000.00)

$160,905.00 ($10,000.00) $150,905.00 ($12,000.00) Low RadioCost, Low New Unit Outfitting

$37,150.00 $18,000.00 $55,150.00 $18,000.00 PowerTime HR Software, Laserfiche, Eforce

$181,069.00 ($16,000.00) $165,069.00 ($16,000.00) StaffShortage Salaries-Police

$539,180.00 ($35,000.00) $504,180.00 ($35,000.00) StaffShortage Police Vehicles

Training/ Conventions Police

Workers CompPolice

$66,750.00 ($2,000.00) $64,750.00 ($2,000.00) Low fuel Cost

$26,500.00 ($8,000.00) $18,500.00 ($8,000.00) StaffShortage

$30,998.00 ($8,000.00) $22,998.00 ($8,000.00) StaffShortage Animal Control

Special Projects/ Roads, etc

Special Projects/ Drainage

Special Projects/ Miscellaneous

$34,000.00 $6,000.00 $40,000.00 $6,000.00

$200,000.00 ($9,000.00) $191,000.00 ($9,000.00)

$15,000.00 ($1,800.00) $13,200.00 ($1,800.00) Culvert Program Projects

$19,900.00 ($5,000.00) $14,900.00 ($5,000.00) No Book Project,Plaques, Reception, Interviews

Total Expense Adj. ($204,800.00)

TOTAL BUDGET ADJUSTMENT $191,300.00

ORDINANCE NO. 3OF2025

TO AMEND THE APPROPRIATIONS ORDINANCE OF 2024-2025; TO PROVIDE RELATIVE TO APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE INCOME AND EXPENSES OF THE BRUSLYSEWER SYSTEM.

Be it ordained by the Town Council of the Town of Brusly,for the Sewer System of the Town of Brusly Louisiana that:

Section 1. The Appropriations Ordinance for the year commencing July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025 is amended and reenacted to provide that the sums in the attached budget adjustment document, or so much thereof as may be necessary,are hereby appropriated out of any monies in the sewer treasury from the sources specified; from federal funds payable to the sewer; or from funds belonging to the sewer and /or collected by boards, commissions, departments, and agencies thereof, forpurposes specified thereinfor the year commencing July 1,2024 and ending June 30, 2025.

Section 2. This Ordinance shall become effective June 1, 2025.

Said Ordinance having been introduced on 12th day of May,2025 by Council Member Tassin, notice of public hearing having been published, said public hearing having been held, the title having been read and the Ordinance considered, on

YEAS: Daigle, Tassin, Chustz, Kershaw

CoastalManagement (OCM)has received

questtoextendfor the referenced CoastalUse Permit in accordance with theState andLocal CoastalResources Man‐agementAct of 1978, as amended, (Louisiana R.S. 49:214.21-214.41),and the rulesand regulationsof theCoastal Resources Program. Applicationfor theproposedworkmay be inspectedat617 North 3rdStreet,Room 1078, BatonRouge,LAoron theOCM webpageat: http://dnr.louisiana.gov/ index.cfm?md=pagebui lder&tmp=home& pid=591. Copies maybe obtained upon payment of cost of copying. Writ‐tencomments, including suggestionsfor modifi‐cationsorobjectionsto theproposedworkand statingthe reasons thereof, arebeing so‐licitedfromthe public Commentsmustbere‐ceived within 10 days of thedateofpublication of this notice.The sole rea‐sonfor notallowingex‐tensionbased upon pub‐liccomment shallbethat therehas been achange in theconditionsofthe area affected by theper‐mitsince thepermitwas originally issued.Com‐mentsshouldbeup‐loaded to ourelectronic record,but maybe mailed, faxed or emailed to thedesignatedOCM Reviewer.All comments must containthe appro‐priate applicationnum‐berand thecommenter's full name andcontact in‐formation.OCM,P.O.Box 44487, BatonRouge,LA 70804-4487, Phone: (225) 342-9083, Email: melissa sherman2@la.gov, OCM Reviewer:Melissa Sher‐man, CUPNUMBER: P20230624 (Extended) Name:Cameron Parish GravityDrainageDistrict No.4,c/o K&MProject Services,Llc 1000 Coun‐tryClubRoadLake Charles, La 70605 Attn: MitchThomasLocation: CameronParish, LA;Lat 29-49- 06.18N,Long-9300-36.05W;See platsfor additional coordinates; Section20T14S R06W; Description: Perform maintenancedredging along4,002 linear feet of drainage lateral. Approx 4,181cyofmaterialwill be excavatedand placed onsite 147765 June 30, 1t $53.21

Recquisition 11297673 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY CARMALETAPATE, JEREMY PATE,CHAVIS BOOSIE DUNCAN, AND JAMARCUS SMITH THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THEFOL‐LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATEDIN EAST BATONROUGE PARISH,LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ERATIONOFLAW IF YOU DO NOTTAKEFURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot171, Colonial Hill Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐nicipalNo. () N. ACADIAN THRUWAYWEST. By virtue of theprovi‐sionsofLouisiana Re‐vised Statute47:2201 et seq. andMetropolitan CouncilOrdinance num‐ber19526, theParishof East BatonRouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐catedproperty. Youhave been identified as a partywho mighthave a vested or contingent in‐terest in said property which wasassessedin thename(s) of JOSEPH C. PATE,etal, andwas adju‐dicatedtothe Parish of East BatonRouge in the year of 1987 forunpaid taxesfor theyearof 1986. Thesalewilltake placeinaccordancewith the provisionsofLAR.S i

IF YOU DO NOTTAKEFURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot19Square38, SOUTHBATON ROUGE Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐nicipalNo. () GEORGIA STREET By virtue of theprovi‐sionsofLouisiana Re‐visedStatute 47:2201 et seq. andMetropolitan CouncilOrdinance num‐ber19523, theParishof East BatonRouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐catedproperty. Youhave been identified as a partywho mighthave a vested or contingent in‐terest in said property whichwas assessedin thename(s) of USCS CAPITALLLC,etal, and wasadjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rougeinthe year of 2021 forunpaidtaxes forthe year of 2020. Thesalewill take placeinaccordance with theprovisionsofLA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your interest in theproperty will be terminated if you do notredeemthe prop‐erty by making allre‐quired payments to the taxcollector listed below or file alawsuit in accor‐dancewithlaw within SIX(6) MONTHS of the date of the firstpublica‐tion of this notice,orthe recordingofanact trans‐ferringownership,if later. Taxcollector: East BatonRouge Parish Sheriff 222 St.Louis Street 2NDFloor BatonRouge,Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 146113 June 23, 30, 2t $84.40 PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE Recquisition 11297673 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATEDPROPERTY VIVIAN FAYCARTER THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THEFOL‐LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY