The Times-Picayune 07-13-2025

As newparents,teachers in La.facetough choices

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Erika Musgrove held her youngest son Matthew foronlythe briefest of moments last Augustbefore nursesat Baton Rouge Generalwhiskedhim to thehospital’sneonatalintensive care unit.

It was abittersweet moment for Musgrove, aspecial-educationteacher for East Baton Rouge Parish schools

The joy of seeing her newborn, who arrived four weeks early,came with worry over his care and the choice she’d soon need to make: earning apaycheck or spending enough time with herbaby in those first crucial monthsoflife.

East Baton Rouge Parish,likemany Louisiana school districts, doesn’toffer paid parental leave.Thatmeant Musgrove’stwo months at homewith Matthew,even under astate lawthat allows teachers to take extended sick leave for aportionoftheir pay, would end up costing her more than $4,000in lost wages.

Musgrove needed to get back to work, but she and her husband struggled to find day care. Her little boy was still so tiny two months after hisbirth that workers initially assumed he was too young to be left in theircare.

“There was so much stress justmak-

ingsurehewould be OK,” Musgrove said.

Formany Louisiana teachers, taking extended parental leave without sacrificingpay is difficult if notimpossible financially.Asofthis year,just one public school district out of roughly adozen whose policieswere easily

accessibleonline— Orleans Parish —offered any fully paid time off for new parents. In other districts, only extended sick leave as required by state law is available, which allows teachers to receive 65% of their payfor 30 days.

HowwillTrump taxcutsimpactstate’s residents?

Complexchanges embedded in wide-ranging bill

BYMARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON —After narrowly

the

July 4codi-

fiesmuch ofPresident Donald Trump’sagenda, like building a wall alongthe Mexicanborder But mostly,the legislation is about tax cuts —about 50 different ones.

HouseSpeakerMike Johnson, R-Benton, says preventing existingtax breaks from expiring and adding new ones will energize the nation’seconomy

“It’sgoing be jet fuel,”Johnson told Fox News Sunday and anybody else who asked. “Small

business owners,entrepreneurs, risk-takers, the people thatprovide thejobs, manufacturers, farmers getassistance here,and thatwill lift theeconomy.” “Waiters and waitresses with no tax on tips. We getrid of all taxes on overtime pay for bluecollar workers.It’sgoing to lower inflation, create higher wages for families,”added House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, RJefferson, in avideo released on X.

The rub for Democrats is that thenew law pays forthe tax cut’sdrop in federal revenues —about $4.5trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office —mostly with reductions in spendingonMedicaidand food stamps. Republicans say the changeswill protect those programs for those who truly need them.

City on pace for fewest murders in 50 years

Violentcrime rate shifts from record high to 1970slow

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

Early this year,asheartache and controversy trailed the bloody New Year’sattack on Bourbon Street, New Orleans experienced aremarkable lull in themorefamiliarkinds of carnage, mostly by guns, that have plagued the city fordecades. In February,two people were killed in the city,the fewest of any month since 1970, according to crime analyst Jeff Asher. Murders remained in single digits in March and again in April, with seven each month. For acity that averaged 200 murders annually over the past five years, and as recently as 2022 had recaptured the moniker of the U.S. murder capital those respites have helped set New Orleans on aremarkable path. When it comes to killings, the city is on pace forits safest year statistically since the early 1970s. Preliminary NOPD data shows 53 murders in 2025 as of Thursday.That count includes the 14 revelers slain in the Jan. 1terrorist attack, when Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove aFord F-150 Lightning downBourbon Street hours into the year

Landry’s

second year stirsmore conflict,even within GOP Governor says passing seriousreforms requires ruffling‘alot of feathers’

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Gov. Jeff Landry got mostofwhat he wanted in Baton Rougein2024, his first year in office. He took advantage of the Republican supermajority in the Legislature to draw Louisiana’s congressionalboundaries, lock up more criminals and revamp the state tax system in waysthat he says will generate moreinvestment. Landry has had abumpier ride this year In March, voters overwhelmingly rejected constitutional amendments whose approval had been the next item on his conservative agenda. Then, during thetwo-monthlegislative session

Landry

STAFF PHOTOSByMICHAEL JOHNSON

Erika Musgrove,a special-education teacher forEast Baton RougeParish schools, sits down to playthe card game Rainbow Pirates with her daughter Olivia and son Theodore as her husband,Tyler,holds their son Matthew recently in BatonRouge.

Erika Musgrove laughs as her son Matthew giggles at his siblingsmaking faces

Threats over cartoon force event postponement

BUFFALO N.Y An event in support of local reporting was postponed after death threats against a journalist for his newspaper editorial cartoon about the catastrophic flooding in Texas, according to a union

An online fury erupted this week over an editorial cartoon in The Buffalo News by Pulitzer Prize-winner Adam Zyglis showing a man in a MAGA cap being swept away by the Texas floodwaters. Nose deep in the water, the man is holding up a sign that reads “Help” and a speech bubble floating downstream says: “Gov’t is the problem not the solution.”

At least 120 people were killed in the Texas flooding and more than 170 were missing.

The Buffalo Newspaper Guild said a happy hour event Thursday at the Buffalo History Museum called “Drawing Support for Local Journalism” was postponed amid the backlash. The free, public event was planned to highlight the need for local journalism at a museum exhibit of Zyglis’ work.

But the guild said plans to protest and confront Zyglis at the event led to death threats against the cartoonist “and a deluge of other direct threats to hurt him and his family.”

Arizona resident dies from plague

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A resident of northern Arizona has died from pneumonic plague, health officials said Friday Plague is rare to humans, with on average about seven cases reported annually in the U.S., most of them in the western states, according to federal health officials.

The death in Coconino County which includes Flagstaff, was the first recorded death from pneumonic plague since 2007, local officials said. Further details including the identify of the victim were not released Plague is a bacterial infection known for killing tens of millions in 14th century Europe Today, it’s easily treated with antibiotics

The bubonic plague is the most common form of the bacterial infection, which spreads naturally among rodents like prairie dogs and rats.

There are two other forms: septicemic plague that spreads through the whole body, and pneumonic plague that infects the lungs.

Turkish president hails militant disarmament

ISTANBUL Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday hailed start of a disarmament process by militant Kurdish separatists as the end of a “painful chapter” in Turkey’s troubled history

Erdogan told a meeting of his ruling AKP party in Ankara that the more than 40-year-old “scourge of terrorism” for which the Kurdistan Workers’ Party — or PKK — was responsible is on its way to ending.

Erdogan’s remarks came a day after male and female members of the PKK in northern Iraq cast rifles and machine guns into a large cauldron where they were set on fire. The symbolic move was seen as the first step toward a promised disarmament as part of a peace process aimed at ending four decades of hostilities

The move came after PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, urged his group in February to convene a congress and formally disband and disarm. In May the PKK announced that it would do so. The PKK had waged an armed insurgency against Turkey since 1984, initially with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state in the southeast of the country. Over time, the objective evolved into a campaign for autonomy and rights for Kurds within Turkey.

The conflict, which spread beyond Turkey’s borders into Iraq and Syria, killed tens of thousands of people. The PKK is considered to be a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Previous peace efforts between Turkey and the PKK have ended in failure most recently in 2015.

59 Palestinians in Gaza killed by airstrikes, shot

BY WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip At least 31 Palestinians were fatally shot on their way to an aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, while Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 Palestinians including four children, Palestinian hospital officials and witnesses said.

There were no signs of a breakthrough in ceasefire talks following two days of meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Trump had said he was nearing an agreement between Israel and Hamas that would potentially wind down the war

The 31 Palestinians shot dead were on their way to a distribution site run by the Israeli-backed American organization

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation near Rafah in southern Gaza, hospital officials and witnesses said.

The Red Cross said its field hospital saw its largest influx of dead in more than a year of operation after the shootings and that the overwhelming majority of the more than 100 people hurt had gunshot wounds.

Airstrikes in central Gaza’s Deir alBalah killed 13 including the four children, officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said. Fifteen others were killed in Khan Younis in the south, according to Nasser Hospital.

Israel’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Intense airstrikes continued Saturday evening in the area of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.

Israelis rallied yet again for a ceasefire deal. “Arrogance is what brought the disaster upon us,” former hostage Eli Sharabi said of Israeli leaders.

Attempt to pick up food ends in death

The 21-month war has left much of

Gaza’s population of over 2 million reli-

ant on outside aid while food security experts warn of famine. Israel blocked and then restricted aid entry after ending the latest ceasefire in March.

“All responsive individuals reported they were attempting to access food distribution sites,” the Red Cross said after the shootings near Rafah, noting the “alarming frequency and scale” of such mass casualty incidents.

Israel’s military said it fired warning shots toward people it said were behaving suspiciously to prevent them from approaching. It said it was not aware of any casualties. The GHF said no incident occurred near its sites.

Abdullah al-Haddad said he was 655 feet from the aid distribution site run by the GHF close to the Shakoush area when an Israeli tank started firing at crowds of Palestinians.

“We were together, and they shot us at once,” he said, writhing in pain from a leg wound at Nasser Hospital.

Mohammed Jamal al-Sahloo, another witness, said Israel’s military had ordered them to proceed to the site when the shooting started.

Sumaya al-Sha’er’s 17-year-old son, Nasir, was killed, hospital officials said.

“He said to me, ‘Mom, you don’t have flour and today I’ll go and bring you flour, even if I die, I’ll go and get it,’” she said. “But he never came back home.”

Until then, she said, she had prevented the teenager from going to GHF sites because she thought it was too dangerous.

Witnesses, health officials and U.N. officials say hundreds have been killed by Israeli fire while heading toward GHF distribution points through military zones off limits to independent media. The military has acknowledged firing warning shots at Palestinians who it says approached its forces in a suspicious manner

Report: Fuel to Air India plane cut off moments before crash

BY SHEIKH SAALIQ Associated Press

NEW DELHI Fuel control switches for the engines of an Air India flight that crashed last month were moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position moments before impact, starving both engines of fuel, a preliminary investigation report said early Saturday.

The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, also indicated that both pilots were confused over the change to the switch setting, which caused a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff.

The Air India flight — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed on June 12 and killed at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground, in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Only one passenger survived the crash, which is one of India’s worst aviation disasters.

The plane was carrying 230 passengers — 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian along with 12 crew members. According to the report, the flight lasted around 30 seconds between takeoff and crash. It said that once the aircraft achieved its top recorded speed, “the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transi-

tioned from RUN to CUT-

OFF position one after another” within a second. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped to the cutoff position during the flight.

The movement of the fuel control switches allows and cuts fuel flow to the plane’s engines.

The switches were flipped back into the run position, the report said, but the plane could not gain power quickly enough to stop its descent after the aircraft had begun to lose altitude.

The report stated: “One of the pilots transmitted ‘MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY’.”

Aviation expert and former airline pilot Terry Tozer said the engine cutoff switches being switched

Colo. dentist

accused

of poisoning wife’s protein shakes going on trial

BY COLLEEN SLEVIN Associated Press

DENVER Just days before she died after suffering symptoms that mystified her doctors, Angela Craig confronted her husband, James, in their suburban Denver kitchen over his lack of support.

In that 2023 argument captured on home surveillance video, she accused him of suggesting to hospital staff that she was suicidal, court documents show

Prosecutors say James Craig caused the ailments that ultimately killed his wife by poisoning her protein shakes and trying to make it look as if she killed herself. His trial on murder and other charges is set to begin Monday with the questioning of potential jurors.

Angela Craig, 43, died in March 2023 during her third trip to the hospital that month.

Toxicology tests later determined she died of poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient that is found in over-the-counter eye drops. The couple were married 23 years and had six children.

Craig has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder solicitation to commit murder and solicitation to commit perjury

The 47-year-old dentist allegedly bought arsenic online around the time his wife began to experience symptoms like dizziness and headaches for which doctors could find no cause, prosecutors say. At the time of his arrest, police said Craig was trying to start a new life amid financial troubles and appeared to be having an affair with a fellow dentist.

Prosecutors said he had affairs with two other women, but they have not detailed a motive in his wife’s death.

Craig’s attorneys have argued police were biased against him and claimed testing of his wife’s shake

containers did not turn up signs of poison. They’ve questioned the reliability of a jail inmate who said Craig offered him $20,000 to kill the case’s lead investigator an alleged plot for which Craig is also on trial. To avoid being held accountable, prosecutors said, Craig tried to fabricate evidence to make it appear his wife killed herself.

He tried to get another fellow inmate to plant fraudulent letters at Craig’s home to make it look like his wife was suicidal, prosecutors said. Then, in the weeks before Craig had been set to stand trial in November, prosecutors said he also sent letters to the ex-wife of the inmate he allegedly tried to get to kill the investigator, offering her $20,000 for each person she could find to falsely testify that his wife planned to die by suicide, they said. As jury selection was about to begin, his lawyer at the time, Harvey Steinberg, asked to withdraw, citing a rule allowing lawyers to step down if a client persists in actions considered criminal or that they disagree with.

Another attorney for Craig, Robert Werking, later argued that investigators did not look into whether Craig wrote the letters or check them against his handwriting Werking also said that the inmate and his ex-wife were prosecuted for forgery for their roles in an alleged fraud ring in 2005, suggesting they could not be trusted.

We rking withdrew from the case himself this month after being charged with arson of his own home, leaving his wife and law partner, Lisa Fine Moses, to defend Craig. Werking’s attorney David Beller, said he was getting mental health treatment and asked the public to show him grace. Moses did not immediately return telephone and email messages seeking comment.

to off only seconds after takeoff was “absolutely bizarre.”

“Unfortunately, the altitude was so low that the engines were only beginning to recover and they didn’t have enough time,” Tozer told Sky News.

The report also indicated confusion in the cockpit moments before the crash.

In the flight’s final moment, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. “The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” the report said.

The preliminary report did not recommend any actions for Boeing, which said in a statement that it “stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ODED BALILTy Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip attend a rally demanding their release from Hamas captivity and

U.S Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, points out that most of the tax benefits for working people expire in four years and include provisions that limit the breaks available to employees who work for tips, rely on overtime, or Social Security

“All they care about is making sure Trump doesn’t hurt their reelection campaigns and giving a handout to their wealthy donors,” Carter said.

Keeping the 2017 cuts

The biggest reduction isn’t a new tax cut. The new law makes permanent Trump’s 2017 tax cuts that were set to expire, staving off a tax increase that would have affected most taxpayers

“If we hadn’t passed this bill, taxes on the American people would have gone up $4.3 trillion,” U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy, R-Madisonville, said Thursday in a floor speech. “Our economy would have gone down like a fat guy on a seesaw.”

About 85% of U.S. taxpayers will see lower taxes in 2026, mostly from extending the 2017 tax cuts, according to an analysis from the Tax Policy Center, a joint venture think tank by the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution, based in Washington. Had the bill not been approved, Louisiana taxpayers would have seen a $2,135 increase, on average, in federal taxes next year

But that’s the average. Lower income filers taxes would save about $150 from what they would have paid had the bill not passed, according to the Tax Policy Center

Middle income filers, making $66,801 to $119,200 annually would see about a $1,750 tax reduction. Those earning over $217,100 annually would save about $12,540 in taxes — almost 60% of the tax benefits, calculates the Tax Policy Center Deductions for tips

The most talked-about other changes will temporarily allow workers to deduct tips and overtime pay About four million workers across the nation rely on tips to help pay their rent, according to the National Restaurant Association. About 198,400 Louisiana taxpay work in food service. The law allows those tipped occupations — Treasury Department pick the exact categories they presumably will include waiters, bartenders, and like to deduct on their f eral tax returns up to $25,00 of their tips through 202 they make less than $150,00 a year or $300,000, if mar and filing jointly ZipRecruiter, a natio employment website, esti mates that servers in Ne Orleans earn about $27,059 per year while those fayette make an avera $26,908 annually At those income levels standard deductions alre will relieve the average isiana server or barte from paying most fed taxes. The change applies to voluntary tips, meaning that service charges applied by restaurants caterers cannot be inclu Though applying to 202 come, any tax savings be seen until the worker federal income tax return which are due by Ap 2026. Employees still must port their tips if they more than $20 per month. Employers still must hold Social Security Medicare fees, along state income taxes, from income.

up to $12,500 for workers making less than $150,000 annually, $300,000 for those who are married and filing jointly The benefit expires in 2028.

The provision only applies to the “half” portion of the “time and a half” usually paid for overtime. The “time” part — the worker’s regular hourly rate is to be reported and taxed as annual earnings.

The legislation doesn’t take into account some of

the practices used by businesses that routinely have their employees work more than 40 hours per week, said Louis Reine, president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO, the largest organized labor group in the state. Many employers, particularly in the distribution industry, don’t follow the timeand-a-half practice.

“If your salary is $400 for a 40-hour week and you work 50 hours, instead of figuring your overtime at $10 an

hour, they divide the $400 by the 50 hours and that gives you a reduced rate. Your ‘half’ isn’t calculated on your regular $10 per hour, it’s figured on an $8 rate,” Reine said. “You really don’t get true time and half.”

Social Security deduction

During last year’s presidential campaign, Trump promised to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits. The rules Republicans used to pass the One Big Beauti-

ful Bill Act without Democratic input, however, forbid such a change. Republicans came up with an additional $6,000 deduction on federal tax returns for Social Security recipients older than 65. The deduction applies for 2025, to be factored into 2026 tax returns and expires after 2028.

Almost all the seniors who rely solely on Social Security won’t pay federal taxes on those benefits, according to the White House.

Many seniors augment their Social Security benefits with other income, most notably from private 401(k) plans. Seniors with more than $75,000 annual income, $150,000 for married filing jointly, may not see a tax reduction.

Other tax breaks

Some other major tax breaks include:

n Increase the child tax credit to $2,200 for every qualifying child.

n Make permanent the $750,000 principal limit for home mortgage interest deductions.

n $10,000 deduction for interest on loans to buy a new car assembled in the U.S.

n Eliminate $7,500 tax credits for electric vehicles starting Sept. 30.

n Eliminate $3,200 tax credits for energy-saving improvements on homes.

n $100,000 cap on Grad Plus loans for graduate students

n $200,00 cap on loans for medical and law school students The impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act varies depending on who is asked. The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, the Baton Rouge business advocacy group, had warned that 76,000 jobs in the state would have been lost had the 2017 tax breaks not

“Small businesses need go beyond the talking and read the fine print ‘no tax on overtime o section of the bill if they tipped employees or emplo ees who qualify for overtime pay,” said Karen Phillips, eral counsel for the Louisiana Small Business Associat “Under the bill, these emp ers have new recordke and W-2 reporting require ments that start right

PRESS

PHOTO By

VUCCI

Donald Trump pounds a gavel presented to him by House Speaker Mike Johnson,

that followed, an independent-minded Senate killed two of Landry’s key initiatives and failed to accept a third one.

In the end, though, propelled by strong, bipartisan backing in the House, the Legislature handed Landry important political wins by approving measures that aim to make people healthier and stem the rising cost of auto insurance.

“We have kept our word and proved that bold reform is not aspirational — it’s possible,” Landry said in a statement immediately after the session ended.

Along the way, Landry has engaged in a series of highprofile fights with an array of fellow Republicans, including Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, state Sen Alan Seabaugh, of Shreveport, and state Treasurer John Fleming. Conservative talk radio host Moon Griffon accused Landry of being too close to trial lawyers.

Post-session, Landry has held four bill signings over the past three weeks to burnish his achievements and has appeared on two conservative talk radio programs.

“The good news is that the Legislature has gone home,” said Bernie Pinsonat, a veteran pollster and political consultant in Baton Rouge.

“He primarily has the stage to himself. He has the bully pulpit. He gets to go across the state and tout his successes with the Legislature and what it means for voters.”

In recent days, Landry has also penned a column for the conservative website The Hayride, where he explained away his troubles during the legislative session by writing that he confronted “powerful special interests.” He said he took on trial lawyers and insurance companies over how to stem rising rates, adding, “We ruffled a lot of other feathers this session but passed serious reforms.” Said New Orleans-based

pollster Ron Faucheux: “He is putting his markers down and saying what he accomplished. He’s doing exactly what he should be doing postsession.”

Landry declined to be interviewed for this article

“We worked every single day during session for the people of Louisiana,” Kate Kelly, the governor’s spokesperson, said in a statement. “We were focused on passing real reforms that continue to move our state forward — and we got historical results. All of our polling reflects that.”

Pinsonat believes that Landry is trying to boost his less-than-stellar results in polls taken earlier this year

“The polling numbers I’ve seen show he has to repair the damage,” said Pinsonat “Being visible all around the state, taking credit for this and that, is something I would be doing to try to improve my poll numbers. You don’t want low approval ratings to stay for a long period of time. It becomes the way you’re viewed.”

Landry received middling results in a survey of likely voters conducted immediately after the March amendment defeats, by Pinsonat and Greg Rigamer for conservative business owner Lane Grigsby As many voters 45% offered favorable views as unfavorable views, while 45% said Louisiana is heading in the wrong direction. Only 38% said the state is heading in the right direction.

A survey taken two weeks later by Baton Rouge pollster John Couvillon for attorney John Carmouche, a foe of oil and gas companies, gave the governor worse marks Only 32% of likely voters gave Landry a favorable rating, while 48% gave an unfavorable rating.

Fights with Republicans

During the two-month legislative session that began April 14, Landry kept a low public profile, rarely appearing before the press to push his initiatives. He became mired in legislative fights, with the Senate

ultimately blocking three of his initiatives. In one case, he sought to roll back anti-equity and inclusion programs at universities. In another, he wanted to prevent CVS from owning drugstores while also owning pharmacy benefit manager companies. In a third case, he sought to nearly double spending on his LA GATOR school voucher program, but senators insisted on maintaining last year’s lower amount For the first time during his time as governor, a sizable number of House Republicans rebelled, dividing over his top legislative priority, House Bill 148. Critics said Landry pushed it so he could blame Temple if insurance rates continue to soar Griffon frequently blasted Landry for promoting the bill and said the governor sided too often with trial lawyers, who tussle with insurance companies every year over proposed changes that would make it harder for injured people to sue and win big paydays. Trial lawyers contributed heavily to Landry’s campaign when he was elected governor in 2023. Landry pushed back on Griffon’s narrative when he appeared on Griffon’s show

DearTexas, TwentyYearsAgo,YouHeldUsinYourPrayers. Today, Camp Mystic Is in Ours

“MygoldenwingsaresoftestdownAhalonowbecomesmycrown FromhereIseemyfriendsatplay, Arriveatcampandstarteachday. Yougavemelife,IgaveyouloveIwatchyounowfromhighabove. AndI’llbethereonyourdarkestday Togentlywipethetearsaway.”

-Kevin Fountain With love from theentire Pete Fountain Family

on June 26, saying the insurance industry in 2020 had identified seven measures that needed to pass in Louisiana to hold down insurance rates by reducing their legal payouts. All seven measures passed this year, Landry said.

“I just took them to the woodshed,” the governor said of trial lawyers. “We railroaded them.”

But Landry vetoed one proinsurance bill by Seabaugh. Griffon responded by playing a clip from a Reba McEntire song, “You Lie,” interspersed with audio where Landry told legislators one day during the legislative session that he would sign every pro-insurance bill they sent him.

When Landry appeared on Griffon’s program on June 26, the two talked over each other while the governor defended his decision, saying it was actually an anticonsumer bill. Landry also took a shot at Seabaugh, saying that Seabaugh stood to benefit personally from the bill because he is an attorney who defends insurance companies.

Seabaugh has become the most prominent critic of Landry among the 144 state legislators.

On Griffon’s program last week, Seabaugh criticized Landry for issuing line-item vetoes of infrastructure projects sponsored by legislators who had voted against HB148, the Tim Temple bill.

“He’s not vetoing bills because of what they say,” Seabaugh told Griffon. “It’s because of who is the author.”

A Supreme Court decision on June 27 ignited complaints that Landry misled state legislators in pushing them last year to create a seat for U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, at the expense of U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge.

Landry told lawmakers then that they had to create the second Black-majority district in Louisiana to satisfy the federal courts. But the Supreme Court has yet to determine that, announcing it would put off a decision on whether to accept the redrawn districts until next year

“A Republican district was flipped to a Democratic district,” Treasurer John Fleming said. “It’s clear that that was not necessary.”

Landry has gained a foe in Fleming after news reports held that the governor is trying to entice U.S. Rep. Julia

Letlow, R-Start, to join Fleming in challenging U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy in next year’s Republican primary Fleming said Landry has made a habit of making enemies of people who don’t side with him.

“He tries to put fear in people he’s supposed to be working with,” Fleming said.

Landry hits the road

Landry launched his postsession public relations campaign on June 24 in Baton Rouge by signing a bill that he said would lower prescription drug costs by reining in pharmacy benefit managers, who act as middlemen.

A day later, he held an event with the press in Bossier City “on reining in big government and bringing folks from dependence to independence.”

Two days later, Landry hosted a pep-style rally as he signed a bill in Baton Rouge with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr that mimics President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again movement.

On that day Landry also appeared on the talk radio program of conservative host Brian Haldane. There, in answer to friendly questions, Landry extolled what happened during the legislative session.

“Every day becomes a better and better day in Louisiana,” he told Haldane. “We have signed some monumental bills.”

On June 30, Landry held another bill signing in Baton Rouge, this time for bills that he said would stem car insurance rate increases and another that he said would accelerate road repair and building projects by the state Department of Transportation.

Couvillon, the pollster, said he believes that Landry is making a smart decision by stepping up his public profile.

“This is part of the accessibility you need to have if you’re an incumbent governor,” Couvillon said. Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.

Wildfiresforce evacuationsat national parks

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM

Associated Press

Wildfires have forced evacuations for visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West as thesummer monsoon season brings increased lightning to the arid region.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles southwest of Denver,closed untilfurther notice after lighting strikes sparked blazes on both rims, park officials said.

The Grand Canyon’s North Rim in Arizona also closed because of awildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake.

The wildfire on Black Canyon of the Gunnison’sSouth Rim ignited Thursday and has burned 2.5 square miles, with no containment of the perimeter.The smaller blaze on the North Rim was out as of Friday,according to an incident map.

The conditions there have been ripe for wildfires with hot temperatures, low humidity,gusty winds and dry vegetation, the park said, adding that weather remained aconcern Friday Fire danger has ramped up in the West as drought conditions have worsened across several states. While monsoon season can drop much-needed moisture on theareafromJune through September,itcan also bring dust storms and thunderstorms like those that ignited the wildfires in the Colorado and Arizona parks.

Firefighters saved Black Canyon’svisitor center

along the SouthRim by removing dryvegetation and coating the building in alayer of protective material, fire officials said. Small aircrafts from Colorado’sDivision of Fire Prevention andControl dropped retardant fromthe skyFriday while ground crews tried to contain the burn.

Some park equipment and sheds were damaged, the park said.

In Arizona, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said it helpedevacuate people fromanarea north of Jacob Lake and campers in the Kaibab National Forestnearby.

The fire began Wednesdayevening after athunderstorm moved through thearea, fire officialssaid.

“Gusty anderratic winds” spread the flames Thursday afternoon and inhibited firefighters from containing the blaze, Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Rachel Carnahan said. By Friday afternoon ithad burned about 17 square miles withzero containment, and dark clouds of smokesettled over the Grand Canyon.

About500 visitors who planned to stayinthe park overnight were evacuated Thursday night, Grand Canyon spokesperson Joëlle Baird said. Employees and residents on theNorth Rim were told to shelterinplace.

Melinda Rich, whose family owns the 102-yearold Jacob Lake Inn known for its homemade cookies, evacuated75employees Thursday and guests in about35cabinsthat were rented out at the time.

Records: FEMA removeddozensofbuildings from 100-year floodmap before expansion

BY RYAN J. FOLEY, CHRISTOPHER L. KELLER, and JIM MUSTIAN Associated Press

Federal regulators repeatedlygrantedappealstoremove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as thecamp operated and expanded in adangerous flood plain in the years before rushing watersswept away children and counselors, areviewbyThe Associated Press found.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency included the prestigious girls’ summercampina“Special Flood Hazard Area”inits National Flood Insurance map for KerrCounty in 2011, which meansitwas required to have flood insuranceand faced tighterregulation on any future constructionprojects.

That designation means an area is likely to be inundated during a100-year flood —one severe enough that it only has a1%chanceofhappening in any given year

Located in alow-lying area along the Guadalupe Riverin aregionknown as flash flood alley,Camp Mystic lost at least27campers andcounselors and longtimeowner Dick Eastland when historic floodwaters tore through itspropertybefore dawn on July 4.

The flood was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by FEMA, experts said, and moved so quickly in the middle of the night thatit caught many off guard in a countythat lacked awarning system.

But SyracuseUniversity associate professor Sarah Pralle,who hasextensively studied FEMA’s flood map determinations, said it was “particularly disturbing” that acamp in charge of the safety of so many young people would receive exemptions from basic flood regulation.

“It’samystery to me why they weren’ttaking proac-

tive steps to move structures away from therisk, let alone challenging what seems like avery reasonable map that shows these structures were in the100-year flood zone,” she said.

Camp Mysticdidn’trespond to emails seeking comment and calls to it rang unanswered.The camp has called the floodan“unimaginable tragedy” and added in astatement Thursday that it hadrestored powerfor the purpose of communicating withits supporters.

FEMA exempted buildings In responsetoanappeal, FEMA in 2013 amended the county’sflood map to remove15ofthe camp’sbuildings from thehazardarea.

Records show that those buildings were part of the 99-year-oldCampMystic

Guadalupe, which was devastated by last week’sflood. After furtherappeals, FEMA removed15more CampMystic structures in 2019 and 2020 from the designation. Those buildings werelocated on nearby CampMystic Cypress Lake, asistersite that opened to campers in 2020 as part of amajor expansionand suffered less damage in the flood.

Campers have said the cabins at Cypress Lake withstood significantdamage, but those nicknamed “the flats” at the Guadalupe River campwere inundated.

Expertssay Camp Mystic’srequests to amend the FEMA map could have been an attempt to avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, to lower the camp’s insurance premiumsorto

pave the way forrenovating or adding newstructures under less costly regulations. Pralle said theappeals were not surprising because communitiesand property owners have used them successfully to shield specific properties from regulation. Regardless of FEMA’s determinations, the risk was obvious. At least 12 structures at Camp Mystic Guadalupe were fully within FEMA’s 100-year flood plain, and afew more were partially in that zone, according to an AP analysis of data provided by First Street, a data science company that specializes in modeling climaterisk. Jeremy Porter,the head of climate implications at First Street,saidFEMA’sflood insurance map underestimates flood risks.

Fatal shooting incidents fell by nearly half through June, while carjackings declined by a third over the same period last year the preliminary data shows.

To Asher, the New Orleans-based founder of AH Datalytics, which provides analysis on criminal justice for police forces and other clients, the data echoes a national trend. A number of other hard-hit U.S. cities are also seeing steep declines in murders, he said. The common feature in New Orleans and elsewhere: a flood of attention and money — from the American Rescue Plan Act and other sources, public and private — aimed at reversing the surge.

“The best explanations I can think of have to do with dramatic increases in funding, for city government, state government, philanthropic nonprofits,” Asher said. “We’ve just done a bunch of stuff in the last three or four years.”

Advocates for reducing gun violence in the city have responded with caution, given New Orleans’ recent history They point to a familiar cycle: falling violent crime; dimmed public focus on gun violence prevention, intervention and enforcement; a change in political leadership; and flat feet when the killing rebounds.

And Asher noted that it still means dozens of New Orleans families will end the year with loved ones killed at the hands of others

“You have to always caveat that with the fact you’re still talking about one of the highest murder rates in the country,” Asher said of the positive trends. “To decline is great. You’re still talking about 100 tragedies.”

A whipsaw in crime stats

Over the past several years, New Orleans has experienced a whipsaw in violent crime like few others. From a 47-year low of 120 reported murders in 2019, an

eruption of violence peaked in 2022 with 265 murders, a post-Katrina high

Since then, violent crime has fallen steadily in most categories, NOPD data shows. Those reductions straddled the arrival of Troop NOLA, the dedicated Louisiana State Police squad that began patrolling city streets a little over a year ago.

Murder fell by 35%, and nonfatal shootings declined by 40% in 2024. Preliminary figures show further reductions in the first half of 2025, with murders sliding 27% from the same period last year

Nonfatal shootings declined at a slower pace, down 16% from the first half of last year

“Year-to-date does not do a good job of explaining what’s clearly a long-term trend that started in 2023,” Asher said

A flood of resources

In a statement, a spokesperson for NOPD said the department was “encouraged” by declines that have come as NOPD struggles to increase its ranks above about 900 commissioned officers. The department cred-

ited “smart deployment and community collaboration” for an impact.

“This progress reflects strategic, intentional strategies, strong partnerships at every level, and the hard work of the men and women of the NOPD,” it said.

Rafael Goyeneche president of the nonprofit Metropolitan Crime Commission, credited a focus on violent offenders by police.

“This isn’t just a fluke,” he said “What’s been happening in New Orleans is going back to the last quarter of 2022 The police department reengaged in proactive policing. Law enforcement has done a better job not just identifying the offenders, but arresting the offenders.”

The city’s response to heading off violence came through the Health Department under the Office of Violence Prevention, which took the helm in building programs, funneling millions of dollars to prevention and interventions.

With University Medical Center and researchers from Tulane University they developed a traumacentered model that begins at the hospital with bedside

visits to shooting victims.

The Seeds of NOLA program offers free therapy among other services Community-based services have received a jolt of local and federal dollars, as well.

“When you encounter a victim or family plagued by violence, you uncover a lot of other disparities that exist,” said Ernest Johnson, director of Ubunto Village, nonprofit service provider with a caseload of scores of shooting victims and others that it steers to services.

With city funding, the group of more than a dozen “peace ambassadors” who fan out to stave off retaliatory violence in Central City, the 7th Ward and elsewhere.

A similar program of vio-

lence “interrupters,” developed under former Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s “Nola for Life” initiative, was dropped early on in Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration before being revived under a different banner

Still, there are areas where improvement is still desperately needed. The good news on falling homicides comes with a caveat for rapes, an area in which the NOPD has struggled to clear cases and to accurately report data.

Last year, the department was forced to correct two years of rape data, increasing the numbers after an advocate flagged a pattern of underreporting.

Annual NOPD data shows rapes as the only category

of persons crimes to rise last year in New Orleans Firstand second-degree rapes increased 25%. Preliminary data for 2025 shows a decline.

Meanwhile, the 7% rape clearance rate that NOPD reported to the FBI for 2024 places the city near the bottom for U.S. cities with 100,000 or more people, local advocates have found.

Johnson also noted that the overall declines in violent crime don’t leave much space to exhale, particularly with a mayoral election adding a peril that a different administration might go a different direction.

“We can’t allow trends to dictate our sustainability,” he said.

Johnson cautioned that the steep declines in murders and shootings over the past year have come with the city under a massive law enforcement watch, perhaps unrivaled in New Orleans since the aftermath of Katrina.

The Jan. 1 attack spurred a new level of security even for a city in full preparation to host the Super Bowl. That effort got underway before pop sensation Taylor Swift’s descent on New Orleans in late October It included a state-led clearing of the homeless from downtown; DEA-led drug sweeps along Canal Street; a campaign to boot unlicensed vendors from the French Quarter; and a swirl of state and federal agents.

“Essence came, and we didn’t see that,” Johnson said of last week’s celebration of Black culture. “It goes back to, how do we define safety, and how do we define safety for everyone?”

Terrebonne General specialist combines endocrinology and obesitymedicinefor better patientoutcomes

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Formanypeople, weight loss is oftenframedas amatterofwillpower –a simple equation of exercising regularlyand eating ahealthy diet.But,Dr. Sindhura Bandaru, an endocrinologist whoisalso board-certified in obesitymedicineatTerrebonne GeneralHealthSystem,knows that thereality is oftenmuchmorecomplex “Thereare so many hormones that aresecreted by fattissue, andthose hormones areinvolved in regulatingmetabolism, energy expenditure, appetite andother behaviorsthataffectaperson’s weight,” Dr.Bandaru explained. “Obesity is both a causeand aconsequence of many endocrinedisorders.Ifa patientisobese,Iwanttogotothe root of theproblem.Byhavingthese dual specialties, it helpsmetohaveamorecomprehensive andpersonalized approach that includes nutritionstrategies, pharmacologicaltherapy andhormone treatment. At herpracticeinHouma andGrayinTerrebonneParish, Dr.Bandaru treats patients with awiderange of endocrinedisorders, including diabetes,thyroid conditions,polycysticovary syndrome (PCOS),Cushingsyndrome, pituitary andadrenal disordersand reproductive hormone imbalances.Withher additional specialization in obesitymedicine, Dr.Bandaru is able to evaluate theseand otherendocrine disordersinapatient andhow theirweightmay be affected. Theresult is ahighlypersonalizedholistictreatmentplan. “WhenIsee apatientfor thefirsttime, Istart with acomprehensive assessment andadetailed medicalhistory,” Dr.Bandaru said.“We talk aboutany medicationstheyare taking.I look at parameters like theirBMI,bodycircumference andblood pressure.Ilookfor signsofsleep apnea, non-alcoholicfatty liverorosteoarthritis. Ilike to do basiclab work andblood teststosee if there areany underlying endocrinedisorders that could be contributingtothe weight gain.IfIsuspect a specific disorder,Ican orderadditionaltesting to evaluate thepatient for that.”

Understandinghormone function is key, Dr Bandarusaid. Forinstance, patients with hypothyroidism,orlow thyroidhormone production, oftenstrugglewitha slower metabolism.Similarly, womenwithPCOSmay have insulinresistanceand irregular fatstorage patterns that make weight loss especially difficult.Patients with Cushing syndrome oftengainweightinthe abdomen, face andupper back duetoelevatedcortisollevels— changesthatare frequentlymisattributedtopoor lifestylechoices

“Whenweare lookingata person’s weight,we need to examinewhatisgoing on.Isitfluidretention?Isthere somethinginthe body composition that is leadingtoweightgain? We need to understandthe underlying problems,”Dr. Bandarusaid.

“Not allweightgainisdue simplytoovereatingora lack of exercise.Manytimes,hormone imbalances canbeatplay. We need to recognizethese nuances when treating therootcause of weight issues,rather than just lookingatthe surface.

Once allunderlyingissuesare identified, Dr Bandarudevelopsacustomized treatmentstrategy andworks closelywithother specialiststoprovide amultidisciplinary approach.Ifweightlossisa part of that plan,Dr. Bandarulikes to seepatients lose onetotwo pounds aweek, sincemorerapid weight loss cancause furtherphysicalproblems. “Wewanttolooknot just at aperson’sweight, butatother metricsliketheir energy levels,sleep quality, mood andoverall fitness. It’s notjustabout relyingonthe scale, becausethatcan sometimes be discouraging,especially if thenumberisnot moving as quicklyasexpected,”she said.“Iliketo celebratethe smallwinsand reinforcethatresults arenot immediate. In more recent years, Dr.Bandaru hasadded a newclass of medicationstoher repertoire –GLP-1 drugssuchasOzempic,Wegovyand Mounjaro Thesehavebeenwidelyusedtomanagetype2 diabetes andhaveemerged as an effective tool in weight-losstreatment. Themedications help regulate aperson’sappetiteand bloodsugar,and Dr Bandarusaidshe sees them as away to bridge the gapbetween medication andsurgery.However,she notedthattheydoneedtobetaken long-termand in conjunctionwithahealthy lifestyleinorder to be trulyeffective If Dr.Bandaru feelsa GLP-1may work well for a patient, shefirstdoesacomprehensive evaluation to ensure it willnot have anyharmful effects “Somepatientsmay have conditions in which aGLP-1 mayactuallymakethemworse.This includes patients with certainforms of diabetes,a historyofgallbladder diseaseorgallstones, pancreatitis,ora personal or family historyofcertain typesofcancer. We arealsocautiousifa person haskidneydisease,”she said In addition to herclinicalpractice, Dr.Bandaru haspublished several case reportsand research articles in peer-reviewedjournals, furthercementingher role as aleader in thefieldofendocrinology andobesity medicine “I always encouragepatientstohaveamindset focusing on progress,not perfection,” shesaid. “I want them to be on aholisticregimen that is consistent andsustainable.”

Dr.Bandaru sees patients at Terrebonne General EndocrinologyCareinHouma andthe Multispecialty ClinicinGray. Formoreinformation or to schedule an appointment, call 985-873-3484 or visitwww.tghealthsystem.com/find-a-physician/ sindhura-bandaru-md/

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

New Orleans Police Department recruits stand in formation on June 20 in the parking lot of the Police Training Academy in New Orleans.

Health System.

That can be a major financial burden for Louisiana teachers, who earn average salaries that are about $5,000 below their peers in other Southern states. As a result, teachers who think they might want a child someday spend years saving up limited paid time off, preemptively take out disability insurance policies or, in some cases, find compassionate colleagues willing to “donate” unused sick days. Paid parental leave for teachers is still a relatively new in the U.S. but conservative-leaning states, where lawmakers often talk about the importance of supporting families, are leading the way when it comes to offering the benefit. Alabama most recently joined the list, passing a bill that went into effect this month that offers eight weeks of paid parental leave for mothers and two weeks for fathers.

Louisiana lawmakers introduced a bill last year to provide six weeks of paid leave for teachers, a benefit that state workers already receive, but pulled the proposal due to cost concerns. In studies, paid family leave has been attributed to lower chances of postpartum depression, increased breastfeeding rates and improved financial stability. For teachers it’s been linked to better work-life balance and less stress. A 2023 report from the Qatar Foundation, an international nonprofit focused on education and community development research, analyzed 67 studies on teacher wellbeing from around the world and found that such policies often translate to improved academic performance, social skills and student engagement.

Of course, the benefit includes an upfront cost for school districts, many of which already struggle to pay teachers competitive wages. But as Louisiana political leaders work to retain and recruit educators with plans to raise their pay and improve their working conditions, teachers and advocates say the state should make it easier for them to care for their own families.

“We care for everybody else’s babies,” said Cassidy Tackett, a special-education teacher in Caldwell Parish “But we get 65% pay or none at all when we stay home with our own.”

Imperfect solutions

Under federal law, employees are entitled 90 days of unpaid family and medical leave. In Louisiana, workers have access to extended sick leave, but paid policies are largely determined by employers. No state body keeps a full list of district parental leave policies, and determining what benefits are available in individual parishes can be difficult.

Of the school boards who have made their policies public, many follow the minimums set by state law, saying only that employees

shall be granted leave without pay “for a reasonable period of time” following the birth of a child depending on how long an employee is “disabled on account of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.”

Most teachers receive 10 sick days per year which they are generally required to exhaust before using any other state or district leave policy Once those days are used, many teachers must accept a pay cut and apply for the state’s extended medical leave.

Because of this, teachers look for other ways to cobble together the time they need.

Bitsy Aymond, a firstgrade teacher in Iberville Parish, is due to give birth this month. She and her husband, a high school art teacher in the district, have spent the past nine months trying to maximize the time they’ll get with their newborn.

Like most districts, Iberville Parish allows employees to take up to 30 days of extended leave with partial pay in a six-year period once they’ve used up their sick days. But between a miscarriage Aymond suffered last year, a chronic illness that requires frequent medical care and regular prenatal checkups, she said she knows she’ll have no sick days left once the baby is born If she or her baby fall ill, she’ll have to take unpaid time off until her sick bank replenishes in August 2026.

Her husband, Kyte, donated some of his time to her under a district policy that allows teachers to give a portion of their unused leave to a colleague, and Bitsy, in anticipation of becoming pregnant, took out a short-term disability leave insurance policy through the district two years in a row, which could allow her to take up to six months with partial pay But the Aymonds worried it still wouldn’t be enough

“We don’t have a lot of extra money,” Bitsy Aymond said. “Even getting that 65% pay is a big blow, in addition to the new child we’re already paying for.”

For Musgrove, ongoing health issues related to her son’s premature birth meant that she was slated

to return to work before she felt ready. Thankfully, she said, a group of co-workers stepped in to donate 10 of their unused sick days, allowing her to stay home with Matthew through the end of Thanksgiving break and extending the total time she was able to spend with him to three months.

Aymond and Musgrove both said they considered leaving the profession after they realized that they were also expected to do some work — provide lesson plans, complete paperwork and keep track of student progress — despite being out on leave.

“If I spent time doing anything work-related, I felt like I was squandering the little time I had,” Musgrove said. “I was failing no matter what decision I made.”

Representatives with East Baton Rouge and Iberville school districts did not respond to a request for clarification regarding the districts’ leave policies.

Is La. behind the curve?

As of July eight states have some form of paid family leave policy in place for educators: Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Some say they’ve already seen a payoff. Tennessee reported a 22% reduction in turnover and a 25% reduction in retirements two years after approving paid leave for state workers, including teachers.

Carmen McCoy, a staff attorney at A Better Balance, an organization that advocates for women in the workplace, said that whether a job offers family leave can play a big role in hiring and keeping educators. More than a quarter of teachers nationally who recently left education reported “personal life reasons,” like health, pregnancy and child care, or caring for family, as the most important reason that factored into their decision to quit, according to federal data.

State Sen. Sam Jenkins, a Democrat from Shreveport, said Louisiana should join other Southern states in providing some form of paid leave for its teachers. He

authored a bill introduced in 2024 that would have given educators six weeks of paid

leave following the birth or adoption of a child.

The Senate Education Committee unanimously passed the proposal, but Jenkins ultimately pulled it over concerns it wouldn’t pass the full Legislature due to its $15 million projected cost, which is how much the state would pay to hire substitutes while teachers are on leave.

Instead, the Legislature approved a study group to collect data on how many teachers are likely to use the benefit and determine a more precise cost estimate.

The group is expected to begin meeting this summer, said Jenkins, adding that he plans to reintroduce a revised version of the bill next year

While some lawmakers worry about financial impact, McCoy pointed out that less turnover can translate to more savings in the long run.

However, questions remain about whether such a move would be feasible for

districts. Jarod Martin, superintendent of schools in Lafourche Parish, said that while he supports a statewide parental leave policy for educators, the state’s ongoing teacher shortage remains a cause for concern for district leaders.

“More often than not, when a teacher is out for six weeks, we’re unable to adequately backfill (their position) with a qualified substitute,” he said. “As a former principal, I was always very aware of the impact on children when teachers are not at work.”

Still, Jenkins believes better parental leave options will only become more important, particularly as the state tries to keep younger teachers in the profession.

“We want to make sure we’re decreasing turnover,” he said, “and retaining good employees.”

Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@theadvocate. com.

STAFF

PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Teacher Erika Musgrove recently watches as her daughter Olivia picks up little brother Matthew in his nursery in Baton Rouge.

Trump announces 30% tariffs to begin Aug. 1

BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

BRIDGEWATER, N.J President

Donald Trump on Saturday announced he’s levying tariffs of 30% against the European Union and Mexico starting Aug. 1, a move that could cause massive upheaval between the United States and two of its biggest trade partners.

Trump detailed the planned tariffs in letters posted to his social media account. They are part of an announcement blitz by Trump of new tariffs aimed at allies and foes alike, a bedrock of his 2024 campaign that he said would set the foundation for reviving a U.S. economy that he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades.

In his letter to Mexico’s leader President Claudia Sheinbaum, Trump acknowledged that the country has been helpful in stemming the flow of undocumented migrants and fentanyl into the United States. But he said the country has not done enough to stop North America from turning into a “Narco-Trafficking Playground.”

“Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough,” Trump added.

Trump in his letter to the European Union said that the U.S. trade deficit was a national security threat.

“We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with The European Union, and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent, Trade Deficits, engendered by your Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies, and Trade Barriers,” Trump wrote in the letter to the EU “Our relationship has been, unfortunately far from Reciprocal.”

The letters come in the midst of an on-and-off Trump

threat to impose tariffs on countries and right an imbalance in trade Trump in April imposed tariffs on dozens of countries, before pausing them for 90 days to negotiate individual deals. As the three-month grace period ended this week, Trump began sending his tariff letters to leaders but again has pushed back the implementation day for what he says will be just a few more weeks

If he moves forward with the tariffs, it could have ramifications for nearly every aspect of the global economy

Responses

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded by noting the bloc’s “commitment to dialogue, stability, and a constructive transatlantic partnership.”

“At the same time, we will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required,” von der Leyen said in a statement.

Von der Leyen added that the EU remains committed to continuing negotiations with the U.S. and coming to an agreement before Aug. 1. Trade ministers from EU countries are scheduled to meet Monday to discuss trade relations with the U.S., as well as with China.

European leaders joined von der Leyen in urging Trump to give negotiations more time and warnings of possible new tariffs on Washington.

“With European unity, it is more than ever up to the Commission to assert the Union’s determination to resolutely defend European interests,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement posted on X. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office said “it would make no sense to trigger a

trade war between the two sides of the Atlantic.”

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told broadcaster DR that Trump was taking a “pointless and a very short-sighted approach.” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson warned in an interview with SVT that “everyone loses out from an escalated trade conflict, and it will be U.S. consumers who pay the highest price.”

Trump, as he has in previous letters, warned that his administration would further raise tariffs if the EU attempts to hike its own tariffs on the United States.

The Mexican government said it was informed during high-level talks with U.S. State Department officials Friday that the Trump letter was coming. The delegation told Trump officials at the meeting it disagreed with the decision and considered it “unfair treatment,” according to a Mexican government statement.

Sheinbaum, who has sought to avoid directly criticizing Trump in the early going of her presidency, expressed a measure of confidence during a public appearance on Saturday that the U.S. and Mexico will reach “better terms.”

“I’ve always said that in these cases, you need a cool head to face any problem,” Sheinbaum said.

With the reciprocal tariffs, Trump is effectively blowing up the rules governing world trade For decades, the United States and most other countries abided by tariff rates set through a series of complex negotiations known as the Uruguay round. Countries could set their own tariffs, but under the “most favored nation” approach, they couldn’t charge one country more than they charged another

BY HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea Russia’s foreign minister on Saturday warned the U.S., South Korea and Japan against forming a security partnership targeting North Korea as he visited his country’s ally for talks on further solidifying their booming military and other cooperation.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke at North Korea’s eastern Wonsan city, where he met the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, and conveyed greetings from President Vladimir Putin.

Relations between Russia and North Korea have been flourishing in recent years, with North Korea supplying troops and ammunition to support Russia’s war against Ukraine in return for military and

economic assistance. That has raised concerns among South Korea the U.S and others that Russia might also transfer to North Korea sensitive technologies that can increase the danger of its nuclear and missile programs.

Speaking with reporters after a meeting with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui, Lavrov accused the U.S., South Korea and Japan of what he called their military buildups around North Korea.

“We warn against exploiting these ties to build alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea and, of course, Russia,” he said, according to Russia’s state Tass news agency.

The U.S., South Korea and Japan have been expanding or restoring their trilateral military exercises in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear

program. On Friday, the three countries held a joint air drill involving U.S. nuclear-capable bombers near the Korean Peninsula, as their top military officers met in Seoul and urged North Korea to cease all unlawful activities that threaten regional security North Korea views major U.S.-led military drills as invasion rehearsals. It has long argued that it’s forced to develop nuclear weapons to defend itself from U.S. military threats. Lavrov said Russia understands North Korea’s decision to seek nuclear weapons.

“The technologies used by North Korea are the result of the work of its own scientists. We respect North Korea’s aspirations and understand the reasons why it is pursuing nuclear development,” Lavrov said, according to Tass.

Russian drone, cruise missile, bomb attacks kill 6 in Ukraine

By The Associated Press

Russia pounded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and missiles overnight and Saturday as part of a steppedup bombing campaign that killed at least six people and wounded dozens, officials said.

Two people died and 26 were wounded when Russian forces overnight attacked the Bukovina area in the Chernivtsi region of southwestern Ukraine with four drones and a missile, regional Gov Ruslan Zaparaniuk said Saturday He said that the two died from falling drone debris.

Another drone attack in Ukraine’s western Lviv re-

gion wounded 12 people, regional Gov Maksym Kozytskyi said.

Poland’s air force scrambled fighter jets in areas bordering Ukraine in response to the overnight attacks, which targeted again a region that is a crucial hub for receiving foreign military aid.

Three people alsos were wounded in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine when the city was hit by eight drones and two missiles, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

Russia fired 597 drones and decoys, along with 26 cruise missiles, into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine’s air force said Of these, 319 drones and 25

cruise missiles were shot down and 258 decoy drones were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Two people were killed Saturday morning in a missile strike in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to regional Gov Serhii Lysak. Two other people were killed Saturday in the Sumy region by a Russian guided bomb, local officials said. Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Earlier this week, Russia fired more than 700 attack and decoy drones, topping previous nightly barrages and targeting Lutsk near the border with Poland in western Ukraine.

BY MORIAH BALINGIT

AP education writer

WASHINGTON — The impact of the massive spending bill President Donald Trump signed into law on Independence Day is expected to filter down to infants and toddlers — a segment of the population that’s particularly vulnerable to cuts to the federal social safety net. Many middle-class and wealthy families will see benefits from the legislation, but programs that help low-income families keep babies healthy have been cut back.

While state money funds public schools and preschool in some cases, programs supporting the youngest children are largely backed by the federal government.

The law extends tax cuts Trump passed during his first term and pours billions more dollars into border security as he seeks to broaden his crackdown on immigration.

To pay for these initiatives, the law cuts Medicaid and food stamps — programs relied upon by poor households with children — by more than $1 trillion.

The legislation Republicans called Trump’s “big beautiful bill” is set to deliver some gains for families with children.

It increases tax credits, including one that now allows parents to deduct up to $2,200 per child from their tax bills. And it introduces investment accounts for newborns dubbed “Trump Accounts,” each seeded with $1,000 from the government.

Still, advocates say they don’t make up for what children are likely to lose under the law And they fear what comes next, as the next Trump budget proposes more cuts to programs that help

EDUCATION

parents and babies.

Strain on families

More than 70 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health care.

About 40% of births are covered by Medicaid. Newborns, too, qualify for it when their mothers have it.

The new law doesn’t take little kids or their parents off Medicaid It institutes Medicaid work requirements for childless adults and adults with children over the age of 13.

But pediatricians warn the cuts will be felt broadly, even by those who don’t use Medicaid.

The Medicaid cuts are expected to put a financial strain on health care providers, forcing them to cut their least profitable services. That’s often pediatrics, where young patients are more likely to use Medicaid, said Lisa Costello, a West Virginia pediatrician who chairs the federal policy commit-

tee for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The ripple effects could exacerbate an existing shortage of pediatricians and hospital beds for children.

“Any cuts to that program are going to trickle down and impact children, whether that’s pediatric practices who depend on Medicaid to be able to stay open or children’s hospitals,” Costello said.

States also use Medicaid to pay for programs that go beyond conventional medical care, including therapies for young children with disabilities Under the law, states will foot a greater portion of the bill for Medicaid, meaning optional programs are at risk of getting cut.

While parents of young children are exempt from the work requirement, recipients must verify they’re in compliance or exempt from the requirement every six months. Critics fear eligible adults will lose their coverage because of

the new reporting requirements.

If an adult loses Medicaid coverage, it could ratchet up household stress and make it more difficult for parents to make ends meet, both of which can negatively impact youngsters. And parents who lose their health insurance are less likely to take their children to the doctor

“When parents lose their health insurance, they often think that their children also are no longer eligible, even if that’s not the case,” said Cynthia Osborne, a professor of early education and the executive director of the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University

Increased tax credits

The law increases the child tax credit to $2,200 per child, up from $2,000. But parents who don’t earn enough to pay income tax will still not see the benefit, and many will see only a partial benefit.

The measure also contains two provisions intended to help families pay for child care, which in many places costs more than a mortgage.

First, it boosts the tax credit parents receive for spending money on child care. It also expands a program that gives companies tax credits for providing child care for their employees.

Both measures have faced criticism for generally benefiting larger companies and wealthier households.

“It’s a corporate business tax break,” said Bruce Lesley, president of the advocacy group First Focus on Children. “It makes their child care dependent upon working for an employer who has the credit.”

‘Trump Accounts’

The law launches a program that

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THE STATE HOW TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LOUISIANA SCHOOLS.

creates investment accounts for newborns. The “Trump Accounts” are to be seeded with $1,000 from the government, and children will be able to use the money when they become adults to start a new business, put the money toward a house or go to school.

Unlike other baby bond programs, which generally target disadvantaged groups, the federal program will be available to families of all incomes.

The program’s backers have pitched the accounts as a way to give young people a boost as they reach adulthood and teach them about the benefits of investing. Critics argue families in poverty have more immediate needs and their children should receive a larger endowment if the goal is to help level the playing field. Cuts to food assistance program

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program faces the largest cut in its history under the law It will, for the first time, require parents to work to qualify for the benefit if their children are 14 or older. But even households with younger children could feel the impact. The law kicks some immigrants — including those with

SNAP

Concerns rise over osprey numbers

BY PATRICK WHITTLE and ALLEN G. BREED Associated Press

GLOUCESTER POINT, Va Step-

ping onto an old wooden duck blind in the middle of the York River, Bryan Watts looks down at a circle of sticks and pine cones on the weathered, guano-spattered platform. It’s a failed osprey nest, taken over by diving terns.

“The birds never laid here this year,” said Watts, near the mouth of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay “And that’s a pattern we’ve been seeing these last couple of years.”

Watts has a more intimate relationship with ospreys than most people have with a bird — he has climbed to their nests to free them from plastic bags, fed them by hand and monitored their eggs with telescopic mirrors.

The fish-eating raptor known for gymnastic dives and whistle-like chirps is an American conservation success story. After pesticides and other hazards nearly eliminated the species from much of the country, the hawk-like bird rebounded after the banning of DDT in 1972 and now numbers in the thousands in the U.S.

But Watts has documented an alarming trend. The birds, which breed in many parts of the U.S., are failing to successfully fledge enough chicks around their key population center of the Chesapeake Bay The longtime biologist blames the decline of menhaden, a small schooling fish critical to the osprey diet. Without menhaden to eat, chicks are starving and dying in nests, Watts said.

Environmental indicator Watts’s claim has put him and environmental groups at odds with the fishing industry, trade unions and sometimes government regulators. Menhaden is valuable for fish oil, fish meal and agricultural food as well as bait.

U.S fishermen have caught at least 1.1 billion pounds of menhaden every year since 1951. Members of the indus-

June 30 in Virginia Beach, Va.

try tout its sustainability and said the decline in osprey may have nothing to do with fishing. But without help, the osprey population could tumble to levels not seen since the dark days of DDT, said Watts, director of the Center for Conservation Biology at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

“The osprey are yelling pretty loudly that, hey, there’s not enough menhaden for us to reproduce successfully,” Watts said “And we should be listening to them to be more informed fully on the fisheries side, and we should take precaution on the fisheries management side. But that hasn’t won the day at this point.”

Decline linked to menhaden Watts, who has studied osprey on the Chesapeake for decades has backed his claims of population decline by publishing studies in scientific journals. He said it boils down to a simple statistic to maintain population, osprey pairs need to average 1.15 chicks per year

Osprey were reproducing at that level in the 1980s, but today in some areas around the main stem of the Chesapeake, it’s less than half of that Watts said In particularly distressed areas, they aren’t even reproducing at one-tenth that level, he said. And the decline in available menhaden matches the areas of nesting failure, Watts said. Also called pogies or bunkers, the oily menhaden are

especially important for young birds because they are more nutritious than other fish in the sea. Osprey “reproductive performance is inextricably linked to the availability and abundance” of menhaden, Watts wrote in a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Marine Science. Conservationists have been concerned for years, saying too many menhaden have been removed to maintain their crucial role in the ocean food chain. Historian H. Bruce Franklin went so far as to title his 2007 book on menhaden “The Most Important Fish In The Sea.”

Industry pushes back Menhaden help sustain one of the world’s largest fisheries, worth more than $200 million at the docks in 2023. Used as bait, the fish are critical for valuable commercial targets such as Maine lobster They’re also beloved by sportfishermen.

The modern industry is dominated by Omega Protein, a Reedville, Virginia, company that is a subsidiary of Canadian aquaculture giant Cooke. The harvesting of the menhaden is performed by an American company, Ocean Harvesters, which is based in Reedville and contracts with Omega, which handles processing. The companies pushed back at the idea that fishing is the cause of osprey decline, although they did acknowledge that fewer menhaden are showing up in some parts of the bay

23rdAnnual

Tales of the Cocktail® 2025 to exploreindustry evolution through education, communityand culture

By Amanda McElfresh

This article is brought to youbyTales of theCocktail

The world’sleading cocktail conference returns to NewOrleans July 20-25 with morethan 400 events and atheme of “Evolve” in recognition of an international spirits industry thatisgrowing with intention and celebrating progresswhile creating space fornew ideas,voices and communities.

Nowinits 23rd year,Tales of the Cocktail® has grownfromasingle walking tour in 2002 into aglobally-recognized gathering thatunites bartenders, distillers, educators and cocktail enthusiasts from the world over. As the industry,sodoes the conference. This year’s programming reflects thatevolution morethan ever while staying true to the event’snonprofit roots and the organization’s continuing mission to educate,advance and support the global hospitalityand cocktail industry

“Wedoour very best to evolvewith the times,spur newideas and encourage growth forthe industry andour community, said Lola Thomas,Tales of the Cocktail® Program Director.“We’vealwaysbeen aplace of networking, butthis year,thatconnection and networking and coming together of communityfeels particularly special. We have an incredible lineupofseminars, tasting rooms,tours and off-siteevents.”

Thomas said one of the major educational trends at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail® is adeeper focus on technique and skill developmentfor industry professionals, with sessions designed to elevate both the artistry and the sciencebehind tasteful cocktail creation.

“Wehaveanincredible lineup of superstar presenters talking aboutimportantevolving techniques forthe industry,” she said.

“The topics will include cocktail dilution, fermentation, extraction, cocktailsontap, garnishes,mineralityand much more.

In addition, the ever-popular walking toursremain akey part of Talesofthe Cocktail®,honoring the event’sorigins while blending hands-on education with NewOrleans’ rich cocktail history

This year’s walking tour lineup includes:

•The Ramos RealityTour: Diveinto the myth and history behind the iconic Ramos Gin Fizz, one of NewOrleans’ most belovedcocktails

•The Big GayBar Tour: Explorethe vibrantand complexqueer bar cultureof NewOrleans,fromthe 1930s to today.

•Brandy/Bourbon/Bitters/Ice: An ideal tour forfirst-time visitors,offering a deep dive into the city’s signaturedrinks and cocktail heritage.

•Louche: The French Quarter

Absinthe Tour: Learn about the mystiqueand historicaljourneyof absinthe through the streets of the French Quarter

Each tour not only educatesparticipants but alsosupports local barsand restaurants

boosting foot trafficduring atypically slow time of the year forhospitalityvenues

“Whatmakes awalking tour unique is thatitisa seminar,but youare literally walking and experiencing the information youare hearing,”Thomas said. “It’sfun to pointout barsand restaurantsthatare so historic andnotable. The walking toursare an opportunityfor thoseplaces to bring in newguests and tell them whythey should stop in again.We arealwayssopleased and proud to share thesespots with our attendees.”

Some otherkey eventsduring the2025 Talesofthe Cocktail®are: ·TOTC2025Keynote: Rethinking Labor Standards: NewBusiness Models for aFinancially Sustainable Future (11 am, July 21) Industry leaderswill discusshow the current systempreventsbarsand restaurants from generating sustainablesuccess, shareinsights and perspectives from both bar ownersand operators as well as employees and discussalternative solutions ·Mob of Mentors: WhyInvesting in Hospitality’sFutureMatters, presented by PATRÓN Tequila (12 pm, July 21) Diveintothe powerof mentorship,shared knowledgeand innovation in crafting abold, forwardthinking hospitalityindustry.Designed to inspireand igniteaction, it showcases howcultivating expertiseacross generations drives inclusivity, creativity and progressinthe drinksbusiness. ·Breaking the Algorithm: Developing and Delivering EffectiveCreativity and Innovation (10 am, July 22) Creativeprofessionalswill explore howtoescape acycle of repetitiveideas and produce work thattruly stands out.Discoverthe powerofintentional creativity, the cultural significance of ideas and the importance of seeking inspiration beyond your comfortzone. ·FutureofCulture: HowGlobal Shifts Will Reshape Identity, Influence,and Community (12 pm, July 22) Learn howbrands and businessescan crediblytap into cultural nuances to become and stayrelevant and adapt forgrowth in aworld of rapid technological advances,accelerated marketing and commerce innovation. ·The Global Bar Design Revolution (1 pm, July 23)Industry experts will coverthe past,present and futureofbar design, from technical drawingsand equipmentinnovation to fabrication and installation. Whether you’re designing your ownbar or looking to collaborate moreeffectively,this session is foryou

Although some industry conferences rotate locations,New Orleans continues to remain the permanenthome of Tales of the Cocktail®, adecision Thomas said is deliberate and essential to the event’s continued success.

“There’ssomething so special about the cityand its atmosphere, especially when youbring in bartendersand operatorsfrom alloverthe world,”she said. “Giving them the opportunitytoexperience NewOrleans and cocktail cultureisa really keypiece of our conference and part of our mission to giveback to communities.”

To makethe events as accessible as possible, avarietyofTalesofthe Cocktail® passesand ticket options areavailable, including daypassestosample beverage selections and $10festival passesthat provide accesstonumerous events.Tickets areavailable forthe entireweek, or for specific events

“Our options arevery budget-friendly depending on whatyou want to do,” Thomas said. “Thereare plenty of opportunities to takeadvantageofthe events,whether youworkinthe industry or areacocktail enthusiast.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH

An osprey flies with a half-eaten fish in its talons above the Lynnhaven River on

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Medicaid cuts an issueinmidterm congressionalelections

Democratstouse cuts againstGOP whileJohnson says, ‘Bring it on’

WASHINGTON —With B-2s flying overhead during an Independence Day ceremony,President Donald Trump signed the Republicans’One Big BeautifulBill Act into law

With that signature, Trump created one of the main battlefieldsin the fight to control Congress, where Republicans can afford to losenomore than three seats in the House and four in the Senate.

Mark Ballard

Looking at aseries of polls that indicate the bill’sunpopularity nationwide, Democrats haveresolved to make the 2026 midterm elections about cuts to Medicaid Even in Louisiana,where Republicans dominate the statewide political scene, both parties are gearing up to argue the merits and faults of the billthatcodifies much of Trump’sagenda.

House SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Benton, and other Republicans have been talking up how they believe the legislation’stax breaks will help working Americans and will energize the U.S. economy Democratic officials arecounting the number of rural hospitals they say will closeand the number of people they say will lose health care to pay for those tax cuts.

On Fox News Sunday,Johnson pooh-poohed Democraticopposition and challenged the minority to “bring it on.”

“Our Republicans are going to be out across the countrytelling the simple truth, and guess what?,” Johnson said, “Everyone

Kennedystumps for Trump spending cuts

The U.S. Senate is running out of time to approve President Donald Trump’sproposaltoax about $9.4 billion in spending on variousfederalprograms, including public broadcasting and HIV prevention programs abroad.

CAPITOL BUZZ staff reports

crats are looking forchallengers with certain skills in four of the six House districts with Republican incumbents, said Randal Gaines, chair of the state party He wants to find seasoned candidates whowon’tbuckle under the national scrutiny sure to accompany races in astate that is hometothe top twoGOP House leaders and amember of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

Gaines wants candidates who have ahistory of public service and of getting things done. Someone whocan articulate in kitchen table termsthe coming, but not yet arrived, impact of the new law on Medicaid.

Republican incumbents represent about 848,400 Medicaid constituents whowere part of Trump’s58% to 60% Louisiana wins in three presidential elections.

Louis Reine, whose state AFLCIOcomprises asignificant block of Democratic voters, says the midterm elections will increase the conversation in Louisiana but likely won’tchange the roster of Republican congresspersons.

Sen. John Kennedy,RMadisonville is among the senators pushing to approve what’s called a“rescissions” package, which rescinds funding Congress had previously authorized.

In speeches from the Senate floor andop-eds, Kennedy has said the bill slashes “spending porn,” or programs he believes are awaste of taxpayer resources approved during the Biden administration.

“If my colleagues still think this spending is necessary,they should vote no on [Trump’s] re-

will havemore take-home pay They’ll have morejobs and opportunity.The economy will be doingbetter.And we will be able to point to that as theobvious result of what we did.”

Party campaign organizations and theirsupporting issue groups are alreadyrollingout advertisingthat either blasts or exalts the bill. Theconservativegrassroots group AmericansFor Prosperity,for example, paid for acommercial that called the tax cuts a “historic win.” House Democrats launched adstargeting 35 Republicans for backing reductions to Medicaid, according to New Jersey Spotlight News.

“Elections have consequences, and this bill is an example of what Republicans will do with unchecked power,” said Rep.Troy Carter,D-New Orleans. “I’m going to makesure Louisianians know exactly what this bill does, so that they can be informed voters in the 2026 midterms.”

Carter was speaking prior to hosting aThursday night town hall on the Xavier University campus in New Orleansthat featured top Democratic chiefs, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The New York Democrat made anumber of appearances last week, from news shows on MSNBCto“The View,” adaytime talk show

ASSOCIATED PRESS

By MANUEL BALCECENETA Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, listens to fellowlawmakers speak duringthe SenateAppropriations full committee markupofbills Thursday in Washington.

quest,” Kennedy wrote in aNew York Post op-ed. “But hereon planet Earth, the American people know they could be spending this moneyfar better than the deeply weird, woke bureaucrats they’ve already voted out of office.”

Kennedy has highlighted foreign aid programs he thinks are wasteful, such as “$3 million on circumcisions and vasectomies in Zambia, $500,000 on electric buses in Rwanda and $67,000 to feed insect powder to children in Madagascar.”

“Weare going to do everything we can, no matter how long it takes, to reverse the damage being done to the American people,” Jeffries said Thursday night. Democrats will have to contendwith the new law’s timing. Most voterswill see lower tax bills when they file their federal income tax returns by April 15, 2026. Butthe restrictions Democrats fear —and someexperts predict —will lead eventually to closed rural hospitals and millions losing their health care coverage won’tbegin until January 2027 and 2028 in somecases. Midterms conclude in November 2026. That’swhy Louisiana Demo-

Buthe’salso amongthe most prominent senators calling for Congresstoaxfunding forthe Corporationfor Public Broadcasting, whichsupports NPR and PBS.

“Theremay have been atime decades ago whenAmericans needed public broadcasting to get thenews. Today, Americans have thousands of free news and entertainment options —yet only NPR andPBS get$1.1billion from taxpayers,” Kennedy wrote. “When acountry has racked up more than$36 trillion in debt,choosing to fund unneeded and biased public broadcasting is cell-deep stupid.”

Butthe cuts to public broadcasting have alarmed other senators, including ahandful of Republicans who have expressed uneaseatapproving the rescissions package.

Others areuneasywith slashing funding forPEPFAR, an international program aimed at fighting the spread of HIV that was apriorityofformer President George W. Bush.

Trump haspublicly threatened to withhold endorsements from any senator who doesn’tvote to approve the package.

“I don’tsee it happening in a very,very red state” like Louisiana, where Republicans hold all the statewide posts and the Legislature, Reine said Thursday However,inswing districts that could go either way,Democratic pressure on the Trumpbill could makeadifference, he said. Though Republicans did winand did embarrass Democrats last year,Trumpwon the election by only 1.5% of the vote nationwide. “Ifthe Democratic argument resonates in the congressional districts that are not really blue or really red and that swings four or five districts, it could totally change the balance in Congress,” Reine said.

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

Feds designate Ouachita River

The U.S. DepartmentofTransportation hasdesignated the OuachitaRiveraU.S.Marine Highway,whichmakes governments, industries andshipping companies on the605-mile waterway eligible fornew categories of infrastructure grants.

“The OuachitaRiverisawonderful natural resource withvast economicpotential,especially in a regionbuilt by commoditieswhich relyonreliablemodes of transportation,” U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,the Start Republican who represents thedistrict. “This designation will spur rural economicdevelopment andincrease opportunities for infrastructure improvements and job creation.”

The riverhas been designated Marine Highway M-167.

“This is actually pretty huge!” saidBrandon Waggoner,vice president of theOuachita River ValleyAssociation,inanews release. “The Ouachita Riverbrings so much to thepeoplewithinthe OuachitaRiverBasin, andweare excited to announce this major development. It is amajor step in the revitalization of theriver.”

PHOTO

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.y.,from left, joined Democratic congressional colleagues Rep. DebbieWassermanSchultz of Florida, Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois and Rep. Nanette Barragan of Californiaata healthcare town hall with Rep Troy Carter,D-NewOrleans, on ThursdayatXavier University in NewOrleans.

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THE GULF COAST

New law means seafood restaurant menu changes

Establishments must say if shrimp are imported or domestic

BY LILLIAN FOSTER Sun Herald

Mississippi’s new seafood labeling law went into effect Tuesday, forcing some Coast restaurants to make changes Passed on June 10, an expansion of House Bill 602 requires all seafood and crawfish sold in the state to be labeled as either “domestic” or “imported” on all signage, menus, packaging and online listings.

A task force composed of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce will ensure that wholesalers, processors, retailers and food service establishments comply with the law.

MSDMR Executive Director General Joe Spraggins said the law is meant to give consumers more transparency when purchasing seafood

“When people come to South Mississippi and walk into a restaurant, they’re expecting to get Gulf seafood or something that’s grown in America,” Spraggins said “You don’t know what you’re getting when you buy the import, but you know what you’re getting when you buy domestic because the United States has laws and domestic seafood is processed the right way.”

Violations begin with a threeday notice and can result in civil fines of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to six months. Anyone who violates the law due to good faith reliance on wholesaler documentation will not be penalized.

“As long as you show me intent, we’ll work with you until you can correct whatever you need to correct,” Spraggins said.

Industry support Bethany Fayard, vice president and director of operations

at Ocean Springs Seafood Inc., said she’s been looking forward to the law ever since a similar one was put into effect in Louisiana in January

“I’ve been fighting for this change for a long time because I saw what a big difference it made in Louisiana,” Fayard said.

“I would like to see it done nationally.”

Fayard said she expects domestic shrimp sales to increase following the implementation of the law

“Restaurant owners don’t want to admit that they’re selling imports,” Fayard said.

“Our economy needs to support our fisheries and our shrimp fac-

tories.”

Sean Desporte, owner of Desporte Seafood, said his company has always clearly labeled its seafood for customers.

“We do the right thing — the way it’s supposed to be done,” Desporte said. “I think it’s great, because I want everybody to do the same thing we do.”

Frank Miller, a manager at Desporte, said complying with the law hasn’t been a challenge so far

“Most of my time is going to explaining this to my customers because they’re more freaked out than we are,” Miller said.

Confusion, concern over new law

Not everyone is in support of

the law Thomas Genin, owner of Butcher Block Steakhouse and The Blind Tiger restaurants, questioned the law’s necessity

“At the end of the day, nobody really cares where it comes from,” Genin said. “This is all a bunch of noise starting and coming from a few commercial lobbyist groups.”

The law expands on a previous country of origin seafood labeling requirement for crawfish and shrimp, but its name initially caused confusion, leading many to believe they would need to list the specific country of origin in addition to labeling products as “domestic” or “imported.”

Under House Bill 602, anyone

selling or processing seafood is only required to indicate whether the product is “domestic” or “imported.”

The label must be in a font size equal to that of the product name, and any item containing a mix of domestic and imported seafood must be labeled as “imported.”

Genin said he hopes officials will provide restaurants with clarity regarding labeling requirements.

“Nobody has reached out to any restaurant that I know of to tell us exactly what we’re supposed to do,” Genin said.

Shane Bernard, the owner of Rags to Riches bar and restaurant on the Bay St. Louis beach, echoed concerns about confusion regarding the law, but said he supports the overall concept.

“I’m all for it, because I think that there should be truth in advertising,” Bernard said “Most people, given the option, would not want to pay the upcharge for the domestic shrimp, but we’re still going to try to give them that option.”

Some imports lack in quality

David Gautier, owner of Gautier’s at the Harbor, said he believes more consumers would be willing to pay higher prices if they better understood the quality differences in most imported seafood.

“The consumer has been duped for years with imported products that do not match the quality of what they’re being sold,” Gautier said.

According to Fayard, many imported products are a result of aquaculture — a practice of farming aquatic animals that often involves the use of antibiotics and hormones.

“It’s not a natural process, and the water is disgusting,” Fayard said. “They have to use all these supplements to raise them, and you’re putting that in your body as opposed to a naturally wild-caught product.”

“By no means are all imports bad, but some of them — they’re not fit for landfill,” Gautier said.

DOGE sproutsinred states

BY MARC LEVY Associated Press

HARRISBURG,Pa.—

Thebrash

and chaotic first days of President Donald Trump

‘s Department of Government Efficiency,onceled by the world’srichest man Elon Musk, spawnedstatelevel DOGE mimicry as Republican governorsand lawmakers aim to show they are in step with their party’s leader.

Governorshavealways made politicalhay outof slashing waste or taming bureaucracy,but DOGE has, in some ways, raised the stakes for them to show that they are zealously committed to cutting costs

Many drive home the point that they have always been focused on cutting government, even if they’re not conductingmass layoffs

“I like to say we were doing DOGE before DOGE was athing,” Iowa Gov.Kim Reynolds said in announcing her own task force in January

Critics agree that some of these initiatives arenothing new and suggest they are wasteful, essentially duplicating built-inprocesses that are normally the domain of legislative commit-

tees or independent state auditors.

At the same time, some governors areusing their DOGEvehiclestotake aim at GOPtargets of the moment,suchaswelfare programsordiversity, equity and inclusion programs. And some governors who might be eyeing aWhite Houserun in 2028 arerebranding their cost-cutting initiatives as DOGE, perhaps eagertoclaim the mantle of the most DOGE of them all.

At least 26 states have initiated DOGE-style efforts of varying kinds,according to the Economic Policy Institute based in Washington, D.C.

Most DOGE efforts were carried out through agovernor’s order —including by governors inFlorida, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, New Hampshire and Oklahoma —orbylawmakersintroducing legislation or creating alegislative committee. Thestate initiatives have amarkedly different character than Trump’sslashand-burn approach, symbolized by Musk’schainsawbrandishing appearance at aConservative Political Action Committee appearance in February

Sonsentenced to life for shooting andbeheading father in Pennsylvania

BY MARK SCOLFORO and MIKE CATALINI Associated Press

APennsylvania man who posted avideo of his father’s severed head on YouTube was convicted of murder Friday and sentenced to life without parole.

Bucks County Judge Stephen A. Corr found Justin D. Mohn, 33, guilty in the January 2024 shooting deathof his father at their homein thePhiladelphia suburb of Levittown.

After the sentencing, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn told reporters Mohn had exhibited a“complete and utter lack of remorse,” calling it an “unimaginable, unfathomable crime.”

“Weare satisfiedthat this wasthe right outcome to guarantee that the community at large is safe fromJustin Mohn,” Schorn said His defense attorney called it an “undoubtedly difficult case to preside over.”

“Cases involving the loss of life are always the most difficult, and that difficulty is compounded when the prosecution seeks the death penalty.The commonwealth originally sought the death penalty in this case, and basedonthe defense that waspresented on behalfof Mr.Mohn, my client will not face that penalty,” said Mohn’slawyer,Steven M. Jones, in an email. He de-

clinedtocomment on whether Mohn will appeal. Prosecutors said Mohn shot his father,Michael F. Mohn, 68, withanewlypurchased pistol,then decapitated himwith akitchenknife and machete. The 14-minute YouTube video he posted was live for severalhoursbefore it was removed. Mohn testified duringthe trial that he shot his father while tryingtoarrest him on what he said were falsestatements and treason but his father resisted, so he firedat him. He said he severed his headtosend amessageto federal workers to meet his demands, which included their resignation among other things. In victim impact statementsread in court Friday, family members and others recalledMichael Mohn as a lovinghusbandand father,a man of humility andhumor who enjoyed reading, exercisingand playing the guitar JustinMohn was arrested lateronthe dayofthe murder after scaling afence at Fort Indiantown Gap, the state’sNational Guard headquarters. Prosecutors said he calledfor others tojoinhim in attemptingtooverthrow the U.S. government. Mohn hadaUSB device containing photos of federal buildings and apparent instructions for making explosives when he was arrested, authorities said.

Governors are tending to entrust their DOGE bureaus to loyalists, rather than independent auditors, andare often employing what could be yearslongprocessesto consolidate procurement, modernize information technology systems, introduceAItools, repeal regulationsorreduce car fleets, office leases or worker headcounts through attrition Steve Slivinski, asenior fellow at thelibertarian CatoInstitute who researches state government regulatorystructures, said that a lotofwhathehas seen from state-level DOGE initiatives are the “same stuff youdo on apretty regular basis anyway”instate governments.

States typically have routine auditing procedures andthe ways states have of saving money are“relatively unsexy,” Slivinski said Andwhile thestate-level DOGE vehiclesmightbe useful over time in finding marginal improvements, “branding it DOGE is more of apress op rather than anything new or substantially differentthanwhatthey usually do,” Slivinski said Analysts at the pro-labor EconomicPolicyInstitute say that governors andlaw-

makers, primarily in the South andMidwest, are using DOGE to breathe new life into long-term agendas to consolidatepower away from state agencies and civil servants, dismantle public services and benefit insiders andprivatization advocates.

“It’snot actually about cutting costs because of somefiscal responsibility,” EPIanalyst Nina Mast said Louisiana Gov.Jeff Landry rebranded his “Fiscal Responsibility Program” as Louisiana DOGE andpromoted it as thefirst to team up with thefederal government to scrub illegitimate enrollees from welfare programs. It hasalreadynetted$70 million in savings in the Medicaid programinan“unprecedented” coordination, Landry saidin June

In Oklahoma, Gov.Kevin Stitt—who saysina blurb on theOklahoma DOGE website that “I’ve been DOGE-ing in Oklahoma since before it was cool” —madeaDOGE splash with the first report by his DivisionofGovernment Efficiency by declaring that the state would refuse some $157 million in federal public health grants.

U.S. sanctionsCuban presidentfor human rights violations

BY ANDREARODRÍGUEZ Associated Press

HAVANA The United States government announced Fridayitwas sanctioning Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and other top officials for human rightsviolations andrestrictingaccessto visasonthe anniversary of the biggest protestsonthe island in recent decades.

U.S.Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media platformXthat theState Department also would imposevisa restrictions on Cubanjudicialand prisonofficials“responsiblefor,orcomplicit in, the unjust detention and torture of theJuly 2021 protesters.”

The protests, which werenot led by an oppositiongroup, developedJuly 11 and12, 2021, drawing attention to the depths of Cuba’seconomic crisis

“The U.S. will continue to stand for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Cuba,and makeclear no illegitimate, dictatorial regimes are welcomeinour hemisphere,” Rubiosaid in the statement.

The Trumpadministration hastaken aharder line against Cuba’sgovernment thanthe Biden administration

In addition to Díaz-Canel, theU.S. sanctioned Cuban

Defense Minister Álvaro López Miera andInterior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas. Shortly after the announcement, Johana Tablada, deputy director of the U.S. department in the CubanForeign Ministry,lashed out at Rubio, calling him a“defender of genocide, prisons and massdeportations.”

The rare protests in 2021 came about after repeated blackoutsinHavanaand other cities.One man died andsome marches ended in vandalism.

Groups supporting the government responded along withauthorities to repress the protests.Human rights groups estimated there were more than 1,000 arrests but the government gave no official figures.

At the time,the Cuban government said it was the result of aU.S.media campaign anddecades of U.S. sanctions.

In 2022, Cuban prosecutorssaid some 790 people were investigated for acts related to theprotests ranging from disorder to sabotage and vandalism.

The advocacy group 11J, whose name alludes to theprotests,said late last year there were 554 people serving sentences related to theprotests, but some were given conditional release in January after an appeal from Pope Francis

DEATHS continued from qualitytimeenjoyingand celebratingtheir lives together

Zeringue Sr., Robert Anthony

Robert Anthony Zeringue, Sr., adevoted husband, loving father and grandfather, brother, and cherished friend passed away peacefullysurrounded by hisboys on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Covington,Louisiana. He was86yearsold.

Born in St.James, Louisiana on December 6, 1938, to thelateJoseph andMarguerite Zeringue, Robert,known as "Pops," "BigRob," and"Bob" (to a select few), lived afulland vibrantlife. He served his countryinthe United States Navy as ahurricane hunter.During hiscivilian career,heheld multiple positions,froma vacuum salesman to adedicated maintenance man at several companies, including theAmerican Can Company. He foundhis finalprofessional callingas abus driverfor theSt. TammanyParish School Board, from whichheretired.

Robert's greatest joy was hisfamily. He is survivedbyhis beloved wife of 53 years, Sandra WoessnerZeringue; his threesons, Robert Anthony Jr.and hiswife,Stephanie, Christopherand his wife, Jill,and Brandon andhis wife, Lauren. He was a proudand doting grandfather to Gabriella, Landon, andIzzy Zeringue, whohe loveddearly.Heisalso survived by hisdaughter Debbieand hissiblings: Reginald,Phillip, Madeline, Kitty, andGwendolyn.

Robert and Sandy hada long happy life together, neverbeing apartfor any length of time.Their enjoymentinlifewas mainly in raising theirthreesonsto become thefineyoung men they are. In later years theyhad the opportunity to traveltogether extensively andspend

Atruejack-of-all-trades Robert hada story for everysubject anda smirk that could light up any room. He possessed a quirky sense of humor that will be missed by all who knew him. He foundimmense pleasure in thesimplethingsinlife, especially beingoutdoors.Hehad a passion for planting trees, fruits, and vegetablesand couldoften be foundriding or fixing his tractor.A loyal fan, he spent many seasons cheering passionately for theLSU footballand baseballteams. Robert wasaman of unwaveringstrength,wisdom, andlove for hisfamily. Hislifewas areflection of integrity, hard work, and kindness. He willbedeeply missed andlovingly rememberedeveryday.

NOLA.COM | Sunday, July 13, 2025 1Bn

Letters secured woman’s release

Many missives came from Trump voters

the woman’s release.

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Adrian Bruneau considers him-

self a tried-and-true conservative.

But after hearing last month about an Iranian woman taken by ICE from outside her Lakeview house, Bruneau felt that government officials were penalizing someone who’d done “everything they ever asked.”

He reached out to U.S. Rep.

Steve Scalise, a Jefferson Republican and Trump ally, to vouch for

The Lakeview resident and former Republican National Committee delegate has supported President Donald Trump since 2016. He sits on the Orleans Republican Parish Executive Committee. He’s a staunch supporter of Trump’s push to expel people without legal residency from the United States.

Slidell ponders purchase of mall

Council expands economic district to revitalize northshore area

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

As Slidell elected officials have racked their brains in recent years to come up with ideas to revitalize the largely shuttered North Shore Square Mall, one alternative has often been discussed: The city buying the beleaguered site. Now, in the most definitive sign yet that such a purchase is a serious consideration, the city government has set in motion a plan that could ultimately generate the money it would need to buy the mall.

The Slidell City Council this week agreed to expand the boundaries of a 10-year-old special economic development district that encompassed the mall Now, the

“If somebody is doing exactly what the federal government is telling them to do, I think it’s a terrible message to just go pick those people up,” Bruneau said.

His testimonial, along with hundreds of others from people within Scalise’s congressional district, yielded a remarkable result this week. The woman, Mandonna Kashanian, walked out of ICE de-

tention in Basile Monday after Scalise contacted Department of Homeland Security officials and suggested she be allowed to live at home while she files fresh residency applications.

“There were people stepping up and letting my office know all kinds of the wonderful things she’s done over the years,” Scalise, the second-ranking House Republican, said in an interview earlier this week. “She’s just done so many wonderful things for so many people, and that ought to be

included in her record, and that wasn’t in her record.”

ICE agents in plainclothes arrested Kashanian, a New Orleans resident since the 1970s who is married to a U.S. citizen, while she was gardening outside her home in Lakeview on June 22. She had applied for residency several times, regularly paid her taxes and never missed an appointment with immigration authorities, her family said.

‘No value of life’

Man helps build ‘culture of reading’

Metairie Kiwanis club visits

Jefferson schools

BY COURTNEY LUCIUS Staff writer

As he strode up to the podium at the Jefferson Parish School Board’s June meeting, Mel Dussel asked everyone to join him for a pledge.

“I promise,” Dussel said, as board members and the audience repeated after him “Over the summer holidays I will read at least five books.”

It’s a pledge he says in every elementary school across the parish every year As chairman of the Rewards for Reading program at the Kiwanis of Metairie Dawn Busters, the 77-year-old retiree finishes every presentation with those words. After 18 years, the program now touches 56 schools and Dussel has presided over it since the beginning. It’s sponsored by Metairie’s Kiwanis Club, which has “Dawn Busters” as part of the name

ä See SLIDELL, page 2B ä See READING, page 2B

New Orleans effort to crack down on slumlords hits obstacles

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

In November, Angela Thompson filed a complaint under New Orleans’ new Healthy Homes program, which requires landlords to maintain apartments to basic standards.

She told them about the water leaking from a giant hole in her bathroom ceiling, the mold spreading across the walls, the empty spot in her kitchen where a refrigerator should be, and the faulty air conditioning A month later, a city inspector confirmed violations at her apartment in The Willows, a notoriously neglected New Orleans East Apartment complex. At a code enforcement hearing in April, the owner, Tennessee-based Ministry Outreach Foundation, was slapped with a $1,200 fine.

But a year and a half after the city launched its signature effort to ensure habitable conditions for the city’s renters, Thompson and other tenants in the city’s worst-kept properties are still struggling.

Data shows that landlords across the city have been cited and fined under the Healthy Homes program since it launched last year But without tools to compel landlords to make repairs or money to help relocate tenants from problem properties, the benefits of the new initiative for residents are limited, advocates say Thompson said her landlord replaced her fridge after receiving a citation, but did nothing else.

“There’s no value of life,” said the 53-year-old, who has suffered from strokes and upper respiratory infections that she believes have been triggered by the mold in her apartment. “There’s just none.”

Raquel Black, a spokesperson for the

Ministry Outreach Foundation, said the company has no record of receiving a notice about Healthy Homes violations. Rampart Multifamily Management, which took over management of the complex in May, was unaware of the condition of Thompson’s unit, but will assess it in the coming weeks, said Mike Ricci, principal and director of Rampart-Wurth Holding Inc.

Thompson said when she filed her complaint with the city, she thought “they were going to force this man to do something at these apartments,” or at least help tenants move out.

Instead, Thompson applied on her own to move into another apartment complex, which she was approved for last week. Successes, challenges

The Healthy Homes program launched in January 2024 after years of advocacy by local housing groups and months of delays getting it off the ground.

As of late May, 439 complaints had been filed by tenants, prompting 241 inspections. The city has conducted 344 hearings, with another 40 scheduled. Landlords have been fined more than $600,000 altogether City data shows that the Willows and the Parc Fontaine Apartments in Algiers — also owned by the Ministry Outreach Foundation — have received the highest number of Healthy Homes complaints, but apartments throughout the city have been inspected and their owners fined through the program. The program, approved by the City Council in 2022, also created New Orleans’ first rental registry requiring landlords to register their units with the city and agree to maintain units to certain standards. As of late May, landlords had registered around 50% of the city’s estimated rental properties, said Dupre. The majority of unregistered units were those with between one to three units, whose owners had until June 15 to register under the program’s phased rollout.

To maintain their registration, landlords must equip units with working electrical

systems, fire and smoke alarms, and airconditioning systems that can maintain a maximum bedroom temperature of 80 degrees. At least one shower toilet and kitchen sink must be in good working order, and units should be mold and pest-free. If property owners fail to meet those standards, renters can call 311 to inform the city’s Department of Code Enforcement, which can issue fines.

Housing advocates who pushed officials to launch Healthy Homes for years say that in some ways, the program has been a success. “The city, for the first time, is investigating how tenants are living and what they’re suffering from in terms of slumlords,” said Y. Frank Southall, organizing and community engagement man-

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

The Willows Apartments are seen in New Orleans on June 26. In November, Angela Thompson filed a complaint under New Orleans’ new Healthy Homes program, which requires landlords to maintain apartments to basic standards.

PHOTO PROVIDED By ANGELA THOMPSON Angela Thompson fi

LETTERS

The outcry over her arrest came from a broad swath of New Orleanians, both Republicans and Democrats, according to state and local officials who fielded hundreds of testimonials on her behalf.

The response illustrates a dynamic appearing in some in places touched by Trump’s immigration crackdown. Even in areas where people support tougher immigration policies, arrests of neighbors have prompted residents from both sides of the political divide to rally for their release.

Kashanian’s arrest came as national views on immigration appear to be shifting. The share of U.S. residents who want less immigration fell from 55% in 2024 to 30% today, according to results of a Gallup poll released Friday

A record-high 79% respondents said immigration is a good thing, according to the poll of 1,402 U.S adults conducted in June.

The poll results come as Trump’s policies have led to a steep decline in illegal border crossings but have also raised concerns about draconian tactics to deport people in the U.S. Deep roots

After Kashanian’s arrest, the letters poured in.

State Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, a Republican who represents Lakeview, saw her inbox fill with emails from Democrats and Republicans saying they were outraged that ICE agents had taken their neighbor Dozens more emailed Joe Giarrusso, Kashanian’s Democratic New Orleans City Council representative.

On Monday, eight past and pres-

SLIDELL

Continued from page 1B

district will also take in the land and more commercially successful stores across Northshore Boulevard and extend to the stores north of Interstate 12.

And with that expanded district, called the North Shore Square Economic Development District, officials also adopted a resolution “providing notice of intention to levy and collect” new taxes to generate money that could be used for a potential mall purchase in the future.

The council’s action follows its agreement in January to pony up $100,000 for a consultant’s study of the best possible uses for the old mall site. While the results of that study aren’t yet ready, Mayor Bill Borchert said the consultant, Colliers, has made one thing clear: “They recommend that, for any real development, the city should have ownership of the mall.”

Asked if the city has negotiated a possible purchase with Morguard, which owns North Shore Square, Borchert, who became mayor in January with Greg Cromer’s resignation, declined to get into specifics.

“We have, quote unquote, nego-

READING

Continued from page 1B

because of their early morning meeting time and the early morning radio show ”Dawnbusters with Henry Dupre.”

The club’s Rewards for Reading program was created to help kids learn to read, and improving literacy has become a focus of policymakers since the pandemic.

As of May, 23% of Louisiana third graders scored “well-below” target reading levels on an end-ofyear assessment, an improvement from 27% in 2024. And a new state law requires students to pass the state reading test before advancing to fourth grade.

A car full of prizes

Here’s how Rewards for Reading aims to solve the problem: A child reads a book and takes a test on it For each test they pass, they get a ticket that goes into a prize drawing. Then, twice a year, Dussel brings a car full of prizes including Walmart gift cards, gift certificates for food or games and other donated items to all 56 elementary schools in Jefferson Parish for the children who entered the drawing. The boy and girl who read the most books are rewarded with bikes. Over the years, the program has given away between $18 million and $20 million in prizes.

Julie Broussard, a former Jefferson Parish school system librarian, saw firsthand how the program motivated kids to read. She had to

ent leaders of the Lakeview Civic Improvement Association all but two of them Republicans — drafted an essay they sent to Scalise and planned to publish in local news outlets calling for Kashanian’s release.

“We write with one voice, putting aside our political differences, because we all know Donna personally,” the authors wrote. “It is time to safely return Donna to her family — and to her Lakeview neighborhood.”

Giarrusso noted the conservative politics of some who protested Kashanian’s detention.

“You tend to have more moderate to even conservative views (in Lakeview),” Giarrusso said. “One of the things that got my attention was the number of Republicans who were upset about what had happened to Donna.”

Connie Uddo, an organizer and friend of Kashanian’s family, credited former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu for initially drawing attention to Kashanian’s case.

But dozens of letters written in her support by “staunch conservatives” were crucial, too, Uddo said.

Though they came from people across the political spectrum

Hilferty said none of the letters struck a particularly partisan tone. “They were focused on Donna, on how she had connected to these people in all these different ways,” she said Future unclear Kashanian’s long-term freedom is not ensured. Federal officials agreed to let her live at home while she files fresh asylum and green card petitions processes whose outcomes Scalise said he can’t guarantee.

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokes-

tiated with them for a number of years,” he said.

Hard times

The 621,000-square-foot mall, which opened in 1985 and quickly became a regional shopping hub, now sits nearly empty in a highly visible location at Northshore Boulevard and Interstate 12. Only two anchors remain: a popular Dillard’s Clearance Center and At Home.

Slidell officials have pressed Morguard, a Canadian company that manages more than $17 billion in real estate across North America, to breathe new life into the site. But no plans have emerged.

Slidell City Council President Nick DiSanti, who has been involved in the effort to revitalize the mall, said a purchase is one option that would be explored.

It’s been mostly vacant for far too long,” DiSanti said “Buying is one of the potential outcomes.”

When the council created the North Shore Square District in 2014, it imposed a half-cent additional sales tax on purchases made in the district. The intent was to build revenue that could aid Morguard’s revitalization efforts

But little apparently came of those efforts Efforts to reach Morguard

person for the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that “the facts of this case have not changed.”

“Mandonna Kashanian is in this country illegally,” McLaughlin said. “She exhausted all her legal options.”

Scalise said he has handled Kashanian’s case as he would that of any constituent seeking assistance navigating the federal bureaucracy He said he hopes Kashanian’s asylum and green card claims will be handled more fairly than applications she filed under those programs in the 1980s.

Nancy Lytle, one of the Lakeview Civic Association leaders who penned the joint letter, is a longtime Democrat who switched her party affiliation to Republi-

officials for comment were not successful.

Though the council — sitting as officers of the economic development district — adopted a resolution providing notice of potential new taxes, Borchert said a decision on how much extra to levy would come later, after the city has a better idea of how much it needs.

The resolution says the city can levy up to 2% sales tax, up to 5 mills of property tax and up to 2% for a hotel occupancy tax — or any combination of those additional taxes.

Borchert said the extra halfcent levied in the original district brought in around $100,000 annually He said an additional half-cent in the expanded district would bump that to around $1.2 million to $1.4 million annually

Negotiations

Borchert declined to say how much money he thinks the mall is worth. He said Morguard owns most of the approximately 55-acre site, but Dillard’s and a self-storage business have separate owners. The city would have to negotiate with each owner, he said. Slidell isn’t in a unique position in trying to revitalize a mall. In Kenner, for instance,

start arriving to school 30 minutes early so kids could go to the library to check out books. Now, as the Bridgewater Elementary School principal and as a Jefferson Parish parent herself, Broussard sees how the program continues to get children excited about reading “Some students haven’t had experiences with literacy and literature in their homes, so school is their first experience with just fun reads,” Broussard said. “It just became something that was a fun incentive, but just built this culture of reading in the school.”

Dussel boasts that the reading program’s participation through-

out the years is 99%.

‘You gotta do this’

The bike giveaway is the highlight of the Rewards for Reading program, and it has been since Dussel visited his first school, A.C. Alexander in Kenner

That first year, Dussel had two bikes with him, but he planned to give away only one. He picked two names out of 600 kids, and by happenstance both children had parents who had died within the past 6 months. Dussel gave away both bikes — and found his calling.

“To me, the man upstairs said ‘Hey Mel, you gotta do this,’” Dussel said.

ager with Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative. But Southall and other advocates have repeatedly said that without funding to help tenants move out of unsafe apartments, the new effort can only be so effective. An “anti-displacement fund,” established by the council for this purpose in 2022, was never funded.

In at least one recent instance, Rampart Multifamily Management agreed to put a Willows tenant, Dijon Terricks, into a hotel while it made repairs to Terricks’ apartment, WVUE television reported. That was after City Council Vice President Helena Moreno showed up at the apartment with city code inspectors and contacted the property’s manager, the station reported.

can several years ago. She voted for Trump last fall.

Lytle is torn on the issue of immigration frustrated by the sense that borders became too porous under Biden, yet alienated, she said, by the Republican Party’s more extreme factions.

She thinks people who’ve lived here for years, paid taxes and carved out lives in their communities people “like Donna,” she said — deserve easier paths to securing legal residency.

“I don’t believe in raising an issue on something unless I feel there’s really an injustice that’s been done to somebody,” Lytle said. “That’s what I felt happened with Donna.”

Email James Finn at jfinn@ theadvocate.com.

officials have struggled mightily to come up with a workable redevelopment plan for the Esplanade Mall site, which was purchased by a new company for $10 million in 2023 but remains closed.

Chris Masingill, CEO of the St. Tammany Economic Development Corp., said Slidell’s purchasing of the mall merits serious consideration if the city wants to be the driver of any revitalization.

“It’s often more of an advantage if the public entity has control over it,” he said.

Possible new uses run the gamut, Masingill said, ranging from recreational facilities to office space to warehouse operations. That’s where the consultant’s study will come in, he said.

“What is the art of the possible? Let’s not be constrained,” Masingill said. “Maybe it’s a total teardown.”

Borchert, meanwhile, said he expects any mall plan to generate some pushback from residents. But he said the community wants something done with the site

“We know that nothing has been done over there for 10 years,” he said. “And we know the community has told us that something has to be done with the mall.”

At that point in 2009, the program was in 14 schools. But 10 years later it was in every school in the parish.

“I got to know the principals and librarians, and they said ‘Mr Mel, what you’re doing is great, but you’re coming to a school where you got 500 kids. They’re waiting to see you and, 10 minutes later, you go on, and you give away two bikes and 498 kids are upset because they read a book and they didn’t win anything,’” Dussel said. “So I started going out and getting sponsors.” Now, every child can get a prize, Dussel said. Cici’s Pizza gives the program 30,000 certificates a year; Adventure Quest Lazer Tag in Elmwood provides 30,000 free games; Game on Social Hub in Kenner supplies 30,000 certificates and different prizes for the top boy and girl readers. The impact of rewarding children for reading, instead of punishing them, goes a long way, Broussard said.

As a parent, Broussard notices her own children are more excited about reading for fun They’ve even been asking to go to the library consistently this summer, she said.

Dussel makes this magic happen at the Rewards for Reading presentations, a schoolwide assembly where Dussel gives away prizes to the entire school. With mascots and more, the presentations are carefully designed to entertain and excite children.

When Dussel first started as chairman for the program, the presentations lasted 3 minutes. Now,

Leatrice Dupre, a spokesperson for Mayor LaToya Cantrell, did not respond to a request for comment on how many repairs have been made as a result of the program. It is unclear whether the administration tracks that information.

Advocates have also argued that a proactive inspection process, rather than one triggered by renter complaints, is essential, along with expanding anti-retaliation protections to all tenants, regardless of whether they are up-to-date on their rent. A provision mandating regular inspections for large landlords was dropped from the Healthy Homes ordinance by the measure’s sponsor, council President JP Morrell, at the last minute, in a move that advocates said left it

“gutted.”

Monet Brignac, a spokesperson for Morrell, said the council member has been working to build consensus to “either secure temporary funding or a revenue stream” for assisting tenants with relocation.

“While there are certainly ways the Healthy Homes program can continue to grow, there is no doubt that the city is better off with the Healthy Homes program than without,” she said.

Council member Oliver Thomas, whose district includes The Willows, said the sheer fact that tenants remain in slum properties is evidence that there is more work to be done.

“When you look at The Willows, when you look at properties in Algiers and Central City,” he said “A lot of these blighted properties, and people are still living in them. That’s proof that it’s not working for them.”

Thomas, who is running to replace Cantrell when her term is up at the end of this year, did not say whether he would continue to operate the Healthy Homes program if he were elected mayor, but said that he would work with state legislators to change regulations to allow the city to more quickly claim blighted properties with unpaid tax bills.

Council Vice President Helena Moreno, who is also running for mayor, did not respond to a request for comment.

Email Sophie Kasakove at sophie.kasakove@theadvocate. com.

they’re as long as 45 minutes to an hour

“Everything that we say in front of these kids has been carefully thought of. I got them jumping up and down, I get them screaming, I get them dancing. You know, their attention span is roughly three minutes,” Dussel said. “So every three minutes I’m changing things.”

Dussel says he dedicates at least two and a half months a year to this program, planning the presentations, gathering sponsors and visiting every school. But he isn’t traveling alone. His fellow volunteers from the Dawn Busters Kiwanis Club take a month and a half off of “everything they do in life” for this program. But the results make the sacrifice worth it for Dussel and the Dawn Busters Kiwanis Club, he said.

“It’s our job, as adults,” Dussel said. “These are our kids and the future of Jefferson Parish depends on what these kids do as they grow up. And if they can’t read, they can’t succeed.”

LOTTERY FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2025

PROVIDED PHOTO

Mel Dussel, right and the Dawn Busters Kiwanis Club won the Signature Club Award for their reading program in 20 elementary schools at the 2018 LaMissTenn Kiwanis conference. Dussel is seen with Lee Ayo, left.

PHOTO PROVIDED By KAITLyNN MILNE

From left to right, Kaitlynn Milne, Mandonna ‘Donna’ Kashanian and Russell Milne photographed the day after Kashanian’s release from ICE custody in Basile on Tuesday.

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Popic, Kate

John

Dr.John“Johnny” Ed‐ward AllenSr.,D.D.S passedawayonThursday, July 10, 2025. He wasborn in Columbus,Texas on Sep‐tember 7, 1943. He is sur‐vivedbyhis wife of 59 years, RobertaDevoe Allen; hischildren, Matthew (Kim),Donald (Carolyn), Ethan, andJohn Jr.(Katherine);his grand‐children Ashley,Katherine, Morgan,Alex, George,Mar‐ilyn, Lily,Blythe, Annabelle andCecilia;and great grandsonsTorin andSe‐bastian. He is also survived by hissibling Mary Margret AllenHaydel, numerous nieces,nephews,cousins andmanywonderful life‐long friends. He waspre‐cededindeath by hispar‐ents,Clark EustaceAllen andMargaretRusselAllen; siblings,DonaldRussel “Boy”Allenand Russel ClarkAllen;and son, Clark Potter Allen. Johnny, of Covington, Louisiana, lived a life marked by quiethu‐mility,unwaveringkind‐ness, anda deep commit‐ment to servingothers. A dedicateddentist forover 40 years, he treatedevery patientwithcompassion andrespect,earning a placeinthe hearts of gen‐erations of localfamilies

An outstandingathlete throughout hislife, Johnny wasa belovedswimming andtenniscoach,sharing notjusthis skills buthis encouragementand joy with future generations. He neverlosthis childlikeen‐thusiasm forthe things he loved, especially family, friends, nature,and time spentoutdoors. More than hisaccomplishments, Johnnywillberemem‐beredfor theway he lived: with gentleness, integrity, anda deep reverencefor life.Hegavegenerously, lovedfully,and left the worldbetterthanhefound it.Inlieuof flowers, contri‐butionsinmemoryof JohnnyAllen maybemade to theThe Northshore Food Bank,125 W30thAvenue Covington, LA 70433; 985893-3003; https://northsh orefoodbank.org and Northshore Riverwatch 13058 MajorLaneFolsom, LA 70437; 985-590-1385; https://www.nsriverwatch. orgtosupport thecommu‐nity andriversheloved Relativesand friendsare invitedtoattendan eveningvisitationatE.J Fielding FuneralHome2260 West 21st AveCovington, LA 70433 on Thursday July 17, 2025 at 5:00PM until 7:00 PM.E.J.FieldingFuneral Home hasbeen entrusted with funeralarrangements. TheAllen familyinvites youtoshare thoughts, fondestmemories, and condolencesonlineatE.J Fielding FuneralHome GuestBookatwww.ejfield ingfh.com.

Bermudez,Ronald Edward

Ronald Edward Bermudez passedawaypeace‐fully on Monday,July7, 2025 at theage of 76. He was anativeand resident of NewOrleans,LA. Belovedhusband of the late PhyllisBermudez. Lov‐ingfatherofRonaldE Bermudez Jr.(Debbie), NavisA.Bermudez(James Finn Jr.),AlexisB.Vicknair (Brandt).Grandfather of Benjamin C. Bermudez, Eliza B. Vicknair,and Jack A. Finn.Son of thelateCyril HenryBermudezand the Aileen McCormickBermudez.Brother of DustyH Bermudez,Jr. (Patsy), SandyB.Yuratich(Andy), andPeggy B. Fullmer (David). Also survived by nieces andnephews.Rela‐tivesand friendsare in‐vitedtoattend theVisita‐tion andCelebration of Life ServiceatL.A.Muhleisen &Son FuneralHomeon Thursday July 17, 2025. Vis‐itationfrom12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. followedbya Cel‐ebration of Life Serviceat 1:30 p.m. Intermenttofol‐lowinSt. LouisCemetery No.3,New Orleans, LA.To

Bessie Bourgeois Beroular,devoted wife and mother,passedaway peacefully on themorning of July 4, 2025 in Kenner LA.She was97years old. Bessie wasbornonApril 13, 1928inCut Off, LA to MaleeAdams and Theophile Bourgeois, Sr Shewas oneofelevenchil‐dren.Ata young age, she movedtoAlgiers andlived with familymembers.She worked at Elmer'sCandy FactoryinNew Orleans where shemet and mar‐ried theloveofher life, John Beroular,Sr. in 1945. In 1952 they movedtoMar‐rero where they resided until herhusbandspassing in 2014. Bessieloved her familyand herchurch.She served foryears in The Ladies AlterSociety at Visi‐tation of OurLadyChurch in Marrero. Shewould wash andironthe church linens weekly formany yearsand help at therec‐tory.Duringthe annualVis‐itation Parish church fair, shecould be found in the kitchenwithher brothers andother familymembers preparingmeals.She was awonderful cook who wouldpassonthe family recipestoothers. She lovedvisitingThe Smokey Mountainstoenjoy the magnificent scenery. In lateryears sheenjoyed tripstothe casinos. Sheis survived by four children, John, Jr.(Valerie),Robert, (Shirley)Susan Henry (Bob), andTed Beroular Also grandchildren Michelle Smyth(Michael), ElizabethLively(Frank) andRobertHenry IV (Michelle), step grandchil‐dren DebbyComegys (Tim), Ed Kline, andRev DavidKline(Alice),great grandchildrenErikand Hunter Lively;Brysen, Oliver,Quinn andEvelyn Henry; Jayneand Jesse Smyth; Tiffany, Kristina, Andrew,and GabrielCom‐egys.Alsobysisters-inlaw HelenBourgeois andMar‐garetBourgeois andnu‐merous cousins, nephews andnieces. Preceded in deathbyher 10 siblings, Sidney,Inez, Annie, Louis, Beulah,Bernice,Irvin, Eddie, Camille, and Theophile,Jr. Relativesand familyfriends areinvited to attend theMassof ChristianBurialatVisita‐tion of OurLadyChurch 3500 Ames BIvd., Marrero, LA on Tuesday, July 15 2025 at 12 p.m. Interment will follow at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, 1225 WhitneyAve Gretna LA.Parlors will be open from 9a.m.until 11:30a.m at MotheFuneral Home 7040 LapalcoBlvd.,inMar‐rero.The familywould like to thankthe doctorsfrom West JeffersonHospital who caredfor Bessie dur‐ingher finalyears.Masses preferred. Please visit mothefunerals.comtoview andsignthe online guest‐book

Blue II, KaaF

KaaF.BlueII, age79, passedawayonMonday, July 7, 2025, at home sur‐rounded by hisfamily. He wasa life-longresidentof theNew Orleansarea. Kaa wasbornJune 10, 1946, in NewOrleans to George and ElizabethBlue. Kaamar‐ried SusanWakefield, his devotedwifeof53years, on April1,1972. Kaaat‐tended Metairie Park CountryDay School and graduatedin1964. He was an active alumnus anden‐joyedgoing to hisreunion each year,which he re‐cently attended his61st. Kaacontinued hiseduca‐tion at LSUearning aBach‐elor of Scienceand gradu‐atingin1969. He worked hisentirecareer as adedi‐catedinsurance agent. He also served in theArmy

National Guard. Kaawas an active member of the Southern YachtClubfor many yearswhere he was an avid sailor andwon many trophies racing in re‐gattas.Heenjoyed wood‐workingand fixing just aboutanythinghecould gethis handson. He com‐pletelyrebuilt hisfamily’s home from theground up after HurricaneKatrina Kaalived to eatand loved allfoods, especially sweets andice cream. Kaaissur‐vivedbyhis wife,Susan WakefieldBlue; hisson, ChristianWagner; his daughter,CourtneyBlue Comeaux; hisson-in-law, BrettComeaux:two grand‐children,Caden andMarlee Comeaux; hisbrother-inlaw, DouglasWakefield (Faith); hissister, Leslie Blue Stephens (Tony) and many nieces andnephews Kaawas preceded in death by hisson,Kaa “Kasey”F Blue III; hisparents,George andElizabeth Blue;his brother, George R. Blue,Jr.; hisbrother-in-law, Robert T. Wakefieldand hisinlaws,Tom andMaryJane Wakefield. Relativesand friendsare invitedtoat‐tend thevisitationatLeitzEaganFuneralHome, 4747 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie,LAonThursday July 17, 2025, beginningat 11:00 a.m. with afuneral servicetofollowat1:00 p.m. in Leitz-EaganFuneral Home’s chapel.Burialat Metairie Cemetery will im‐mediatelyfollowKaa’sser‐vice.Inlieuof flowers, memorial contributions maybesenttothe LouisianaCancerFounda‐tion.Fondmemoriesand expressionsofcondo‐lences maybesharedat www.leitzeaganfuneralho me.com

BeverlyCantrelle

Brooks, acherished mother,grandmother,sis‐ter, andfriend, passed away peacefully on July 7, 2025, at theage of 87 in her belovedhometownofNew Orleans, Louisiana. Born on April22, 1938, to thelate IraJ.and Thelma Nicholas Cantrelle,Beverly liveda full life with deep devotion to herfamilyand faith.She is survived by herloving children George JEdwards III (Vanessa) andAnita E Jackson; stepchildren Martha Brooks(Brent), Thomas Brooksand Nadine Dix(Marc); herdevoted siblings IraJ.Cantrelle,Jr. (Marian) andPearl Cantrelle;11grandchil‐dren,16great-grandchil‐dren,and ahostofnieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, anddearfriends Sheisprecededindeath by herhusband,Almiro Brooks; herson Ronald Ed‐wardsand son-in-law RickyJackson;her parents, IraJ.Cantrelle andThelma N. Cantrelle;and herbroth‐ers, EllisCantrelle,Victor Cantrelle andDavid Cantrelle.Relatives and friendsofthe family, also Priestsand Parishioners of OurLadyofGuadalupe Corpus Christi-Epiphany andSt. Martin de Porres Catholic Churches;Mem‐bers of the50PlusClub; andOur Lady of Wisdom Community Care Center areinvited to attend a Mass of ChristianBurialon Monday,July14, 2025 at OurLadyofGuadalupe Catholic Church,411 N. RampartSt.,New Orleans, LA 70112. Visitation is scheduledat9:00amwith mass beginningat10:00 am.The intermentwillbe held privatelybythe family at St.Louis No.3 Cemetery on EsplanadeAve.The familywould like to thank thestaff of OurLadyof Wisdom Community Care Center forthe care pro‐videdtoBeverlyduringher illness. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to theAmericanCancerSo‐cietyinher honor. Profes‐sional arrangements en‐trustedtoMajesticMortu‐aryService,Inc.(504) 5235872.

Evelyn Mann Cahill,age 96, passedawaypeacefully on Thursday,July3,2025. Shewas born in Roby,TX on December 16, 1928. She is survived by herson, Kelly Theron Cahill (Mar‐sha);her grandchildren, Dr Kelly Theron Cahill,Jr. (Kelly)and Ashley Cahill Noto (Christopher); and greatgrandchildren,Pay‐tonNoto, AveryNoto, WilliamCahill, Audrey Cahill andBennett Cahill Sheisalsosurvived by her brother, JamesMann. She wasprecededindeath by herhusband,Gerald “Jerry”Cahill; herdaugh‐ter, LauraGlynn Cahill;her parentsMarvinand Vera Mann; andbrother,Glenn Mann. Shewillbemissed by allwho knew andloved her. Thefamilyextends its heartfeltgratitude to Brookdale Assisted Living includingthe wonderful staff andcompassionate caregivers.Theyall were trulya blessing.Relatives andfriends areinvited to attend thememorialser‐vicesatE.J.FieldingFu‐neralHome, 2260 W21st Avenue,Covington LA 70433 on Monday,July14, 2025, at 2:00 PM with visita‐tion on Monday beginning at 1:00 PM.Interment will follow in PinecrestMemor‐ialGardens.E.J.Fielding FuneralHomehas been en‐trustedwithfuneral arrangements.The Cahill familyinvites youtoshare thoughts,fondest memo‐ries,and condolenceson‐line at E. J. Fielding Funeral Home GuestBook at www ejfieldingfh.com

Champagne, Joanna Spring

In loving memory of Joanna P. SpringChampagne. Celebratingthe life of alovely, sweet,dignified ladydefinedbylove and family. Joanna passed away at theage of 104 at Lambeth House/St. Anna's, NewOrleans,onJune26, 2025.

Born in St.Martinville, Louisiana, shespent her childhood in Lafayette but most of herlifeshe lived in Baton Rouge raising her children. In later life at 75 years old shemet &married Godfrey "Guy" Champagneand spent 10 years in Baton Rouge enjoying eachother,playingbridge dinner parties, traveling andaddingthe Champagnefamilytoher life. Joanna's last years were spent in NewOrleans at Lambeth HouseSt. Anna's whereshe couldbeclose to herdaughter. Preceded in death was herhusbandof40years SheffieldC.SpringSr.;her adored son S. Clarke SpringJr.; herdaughter-inlaw,Mary KateOliver Springwith whom she had aloving relationship;her second husband Godfrey "Guy" Champagne. Joanna is survived by herdaughterDianna S. Marks, NewOrleans;son Richard H. Spring(Debbie), Tennessee; stepson George R. Champagne (Nancy), Texas; stepson Robert "Bob" (Karyn), New Orleans; stepdaughter JulieC.Boucher (Dennis). Sheissurvived by many grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren; step grandchildren; nieces and nephews. Shehad aspecial love andthank you for her3 oldest grandsonsLadd C. Spring, Baton Rouge;Davin O. Spring(Jennifer), Baton Rouge;Mark B. Spring (Kristen),Baton Rouge for theirlovingdevotion and support andstepson George R. Champagne (Nancy) Texas for hiscaringand assistance Special thanks to St.Anna's at Lambeth House NewOrleans,third Floor skilledcarefor theircare andkindness.

Servicesare underthe direction of McDonald Funeral Home. Anative of Algiers, LA. Stanley wasa residentof Bush,Louisiana for40 years. He wasa United States AirForce Veteran he retiredfromChevron as aLab Technician He wasprecededin death by hisparents, StanleyJoseph Daul, Sr andMatildaLawson Daul Brown;wife,Virginia C. Daul. Left to cherish hismemoryare hisloving anddevotedsister,Wanda J. Daul; hisbrother,ArthurJ Daul; nephew, Stanley Womack; great nephews, Aiden Womack, Bishop Womackand Stanley Womack, Jr

DavisSr.,JohnA.'Buck'

John A. Davis, Sr., affec‐tionatelyknown as “Buck,” passedawayonSunday, July 6, 2025, at theage of 93. Born April3,1932, in his home in Lacombe, LA,he wasa life-longresidentof Lacombeand Slidell, LA Buck wasmarried to the love of hislife, Lenell O. DavisofSlidell, LA,for 68 years, andtogetherthey builta familylegacyof love that liveson. In addi‐tion to Lenell, Buck is sur‐vivedbyhis four children: John A. “Chip” Davis, Jr (Vicki,) D. ScottDavis (Deb‐bie,)DawnMcCormick (Michael Dee,)and Karen Rewerts(Carl.) Buck adored hiselevengrand‐children:Katie Papasan (Brett,)Mallory Onarecker (Tim,) Trey Davis, Jason Davis(Lauren,) Will Mc‐Cormick, ChrisDavis,Lau‐renPetit (Pierce,)Claire Quintana (Michael,) Stuart Davis(Madison,)Glendon Rewerts(Lucy,) andLydia Rewerts; andhis twelve great-grandchildren: Davis Papasan, ElisePapasan EleanorOnarecker,Ben Onarecker, Elizabeth Onarecker, Elle Davis, Cole Davis, MylesQuintana, Harper GraceQuintana, Callum Quintana,Margot Petit, andPiercePetit,Jr. Buck is survived by hissis‐ter-in-law,Peggy Davis, brother-in-law Charles O’Neill(Ruthie,) special nieceElaineJackson,and numerous nieces and nephews. Buck waspre‐cededindeath by hispar‐ents,William H. Davis, Sr., andMargaretThomDavis; hissisters,MarjorieMoran, DorisWherritt, Juanita Love,Eleanor Storm, Lucy Lockwood,Frances Pear‐son; andhis brother, WilliamH.“Billy”Davis,Jr. Buck enlisted in theU.S Army on May5,1953, and served hiscountry state‐side andinGermany, achievingthe rank of Sergeant E-5, andbeing honorablydischargedon April19, 1956. Buck’s ser‐vice is memorialized at the National WWIIMuseumon theHonor Roll of Charter Members. Buck graduated from LouisianaState Uni‐versityin1960 with aBach‐elor of Sciencedegreein Mechanical Engineering. He wasanavidLSU fan andenjoyed engaging his grandchildreninlivelyde‐batesoverthe superiority of LSUoverall other uni‐versities. Buck enjoyeda successful career in facil‐ityengineeringand man‐agementatthe NASA Com‐puterComplex in Slidell. He lovedworking in the aerospaceindustryand wasselectedtoparticipate in andobserve thelaunch of theNASASpace Shuttle Discovery(STS-53) at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Buck hada specialinterestin forestry,and wasa longtime member of boththe LouisianaForestryAssoci‐ationand theSt. Tammany Forestry Association. Buck’s favorite things in life were hisfamily, coach‐inglittleleagueteams,at‐tendingathleticeventsand dancerecitals, leadingBoy Scouts,participating in missiontrips,assisting with innumerablepiano recitals,gardening at an expert level, repairingthe irreparable, andfeeding andcaringfor animals, most fondly hislong-time friend andcompanion, Boudin.Whenlifegot hard, Buck’s usualadvicewas “Goget aCokeand a candybar.” In lieu of flow‐ers, memorial giftsmay be made to St.Tammany Recreational District #4 at 61100 North12thStreet,La‐combe, LA 70445. Relatives andfriends of thefamily areinvited to attend the FuneralService at Alders‐gate United Methodist

Cahill,EvelynMann

AllenSr. D.D.S.,Dr.

Edward 'Johnny'

Beroular,Bessie Bourgeois

Brooks, BeverlyCantrelle

Daul, Stanley Stanley Joseph DaulJr., age 90, of Bush,LA, passed away peacefullysurrounded by hisfamily, Wednesday,July 9, 2025.

4B ✦ Sunday,July 13,2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ TheTimes-Picayune ansCemeteryinSlidell, Louisiana. Please visit www.honakerforestlawn. comtosignguest‐book.Arrangementsby HonakerFuneralHome, Inc.,Slidell, LA

Doussan, Msgr.Douglas Aloysius

Reverend Monsignor DouglasAloysiusDoussan enteredeternal life on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 90 yearsofage.Hewas born on September11, 1934 in NewOrleans,tothe late Lester Joseph Doussan, Sr andRuthAline Williamson Doussan. Hisbrothers were thelateThomas HenryDoussan,Sr. and Lester Joseph Doussan, Jr He attended elementary school at OurLadyofLour‐desinNew Orleansand secondary school at St Aloysius in NewOrleans andJosephSeminaryinSt. Benedict.Heattended St Joseph Seminary Collegein St.Benedict. Hisseminary educationwas at Notre Dame Seminary in NewOr‐leans, he received hisMas‐ter'sDegreeinLiturgy from NotreDameUniversityin SouthBend, IN.Hewas or‐dained to thepriesthood on June 4, 1960.Fr. Doug served as AssistantatSt Lawrence theMartyr Church in Metairie,Our Lady Star of theSea Church in NewOrleans and OurLadyofGood Counsel Church in NewOrleans.His pastorates were at St Philip theApostle Church in NewOrleans,St. Joseph theWorkerChurch in Mar‐rero,and St.Gabriel the ArchangelChurchinNew Orleans. Fr.Dougreceived thePrelate of HonorbyHis Holiness, Pope St.John Paul II on July 18, 1988. In addition to hispastoralas‐signments, Father Doussan served as aNotaryinthe Tribunal, wasAssistantDi‐rector of theVocations Of‐fice,Secretary of theArch‐diocesan Liturgical Com‐mittee, CathedralDeanery Director forVocationand YouthPrograms, Assistant Vicarfor Religious, Repre‐sentativeonthe Priest Per‐sonnel Board, theDirector of thePriestPersonnelOf‐fice andDirectorofContin‐uing Formation. Msgr Doussanretired in 2015 andresided at theCenacle on theLakeRetreat Center formanyyears,serving as Chaplain.Far beyond any of hismanyacademic qualificationsoreduca‐tional trainingsGod graced Fr.Dougwithextraordinary pastoral sensibilities. He emergedintohis priest‐hood in thedaysofVatican II. He deeply compre‐hended thecallofthe 1960'sChurchfor renewal of theveryhierarchical structures it hadembraced forthe priorhundredsof years. Liberatedhimself in understandinghis role as beingone amongequals, as pastoral leader he led thevarious communities with whomheministered, to be open to theSpiritof Godalive within them.By pushinghardfor ongoing educationofthe laityand hisfellowpriests he sought to sharethatlibera‐tion with others.Educa‐tion/formation were needed so that each could embracehis/her role as Godwishes. Fr.Doug's well-prepared homilies promoted an understand‐ingofthe priesthood of all believersthrough Baptism, buthealsopractically im‐plementedit. He hada unique wayofdrawing out thebestinothers. Those Communities fortunate enough to come under his leadership knew that their giftsand wisdom were necessaryand welcomed forthe good of allinthe Body of Christ,especially forthose on themargins of society. In Fr.Doug'sworld synodality wasa livedex‐perience before Pope Fran‐cisinitiated arenewal of thebasic underpinning of VaticanII. He hada special love forPopeFrancis. Al‐though he hada great breadth of vision,Fr. Doug nevermadea majordeci‐sion withoutfulland active consultation with hiscom‐munity.InFr. Doug's world everyone wasvaluedand unique, andnomatterthe economic circumstances of thecommunity we must always shareour littlewith theneedy, butmostimpor‐tantly actively addressthe injustices of which we are awarein ourenvironment With St.James,Fr. Doug preached of abalance of faith andgood works. Strengthened andmis‐sioned in theEucharist we go forwardtobethe hands

andfeetand heartof Christ,outstretchedin mercyand love to asuffer‐ingworld.Inthe post Kat‐rina daysSt,.Gabriel Church wasa placewhere Mass wascelebrated, but it wasalsoa placewhere people were fedand could getpieces of sheetrock to mend theirdamaged homes. Fr.Dougissurvived by Tommyand Laurie Doussan, TommyDoussan IIIand Nicole andDanielle. Michelle andDanielPipkin, Madeline Pipkin,Allyand Shelby White, Shelly Pip‐kin, John Pipkin III. Debbie andCharlie Kirtland,Travis andMarcy Kirtland and Kira Kirtland,Hannah Henososa, LillyKoenig, Luke Hinojosa,LaurenKirt‐land.DennisDoussan Adam,Allaire, andPaul. Denise DoussanAlbert, Joey Molere (Stephanie), JimmyMolere, Jesse Mol‐ere, andBen Albert.He wasresidinginNew Or‐leansatthe time of his death. Well done,good and faithful servant. Relatives, friendsand brotherpriests anddeacons areinvited to attend avisitationonTues‐day, July 15, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.,followedbya Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. at St Martin de PorresChurch, 5621 ElysianFieldsAvenue NewOrleans.Burialwill take placeinthe priest tomb at St.Louis #3 Ceme‐tery

James Coulter Faust passed awaypeacefully at his home on Saturday June 28, 2025, at theage of 94. Jimmy wasborn on November 16, 1930to Melusine Modinger Faust and Frank Lawrence Faust. He ispreceded in deathby his wifeof61years,Jewel MarcotteFaust; histhree brothers, William David Faust,Robert Lawrence Faust, Frank Lawrence Faust, Jr.; and grandson, Matthew Coulter Kirkwood. He was adevotedhusband, father, grandfatherand greatgrandfather and is survivedbyhis daughters, Catherine Kirkwood (the late Jerry), Lyn Ballay (John), and Ellen Schully (Barry) as wellas 10 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and many niecesand nephews. Jimmy graduatedfrom Fortier High School in 1947 andTulane University in 1951.Heservedhis country as afirst lieutenant in the United States Army during the Korean War. Following his militaryservice, he joined his father at Audiphone Hearing Instruments in 1953, where he helped the hearing impaired for over65years. In additionheserved as President of the Louisiana Society of HearingAid Specialists. He was alifelong member of Christ Church Cathedral wherehe servedasanacolyte, usher,lay reader, vestry member,lay Eucharistic minister and adevoutparishioner.Jimmy's lifewas markedbya deeplove of family and service to others. The family is grateful for the kindness and compassionate care givenby Sarah, Edith and Blanca. A funeralservicewillbeheld at Christ ChurchCathedral on Friday, July 18,2025at 10:00amwith visitation beginning at 9:30 am. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to ChristChurch Cathedral 2919St. CharlesAvenue NewOrleans, LA 70115. Interment to follow with family at Metairie CemeteryinNew Orleans

6, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He was99 yearsold.BornonNovem‐ber15, 1925, in NewOr‐leanstoJosephand Lena RouseFotoSr.,Joe was raised in theheart of the French Quarterbyhis Sicil‐ianparents on Bourbon andDumaine.His early yearswereshapedbythe family’sfruit stand, Stall #1 in theFrenchMarket, where he learnedthe val‐uesofhardworkand per‐severance. In 1932, the familyopeneda newstand at 834 BourbonStreet.Joe graduatedfromHolyCross High School in 1943, where he lettered in basketball andhelpedleadthe team to city andstate champi‐onships in 1942 and1943. Answeringthe call of duty, Joeenlistedinthe U.S. Army AirCorps in Decem‐ber1943. As an aerial gun‐nerand photographer on a B-24 in the15thAir Force, 459BombGroup.Sergeant Joseph Foto flew 18 com‐batmissionsoverGer‐many,Italy,and Poland.On his13thmission,his plane wasdisabled, forcinghim to bail outoverYugoslavia. Missinginactionfor 50 days,hesurvived ahar‐rowing trek across the snow-covered DinaricAlps to safety.Joe laterre‐turned to combat duty until thewar’s end. Hisin‐credible storywas fea‐turedinthe book Lost Air‐menbyCharles Stanley. Afterthe war, Joeusedthe G.I. Bill to earn aBachelor of ScienceinEducation from Loyola University in 1950. When theKoreanWar brokeout,heonceagain served hiscountry, this time as aStaff Sergeant at theLouisiana Military Dis‐trictHeadquarters. Throughout hislife, Joe wore many hats.Heowned andoperatedHarry’s Place andFoto’sLoungeinArabi, served as aJustice of the PeaceinSt. BernardParish from 1960to1964, andlater retiredasa District Admin‐istrator forthe Office of Rehabilitation Services in NewOrleans in 1987. Joe marriedhis high school sweetheart, Mary Jane Ruffino,who also grew up in theFrenchQuarter.To‐gether,theyraised five children andshared50 yearsofmarriagebefore Mary Jane’s passingin 2000. Joelater movedto theNorthshore, where he marriedhis second wife, AgnesBaudier.Theyspent thelasttwo decadesto‐gether in Mandeville.Asa devout Catholic,Joe wasa parishionerofMostHoly TrinityCatholic Church where he donateda beau‐tifulmosaicofthe Blessed Mother,a parishionerof OurLadyofthe Lake Catholic Church andfor‐merlyservedasanusher at St.RobertBellarmine Catholic Church in Arabi. He wasalsoactiveinthe Mandeville Councilon Aging, where he organized monthlydances, andwas a proudmemberofthe Con‐tessa EntellinaSociety, which honoredhim as Man of theYearin 2007. Age neverslowedJoe down. He competed in theSenior OlympicGames,winning a goldmedal in tabletennis at theSt. TammanyTour‐nament in 2007 andlater capturingthe statecham‐pionship in BatonRouge in the80–84 agegroup.Tosay Joelived afulllifeisanun‐derstatement.Hewas a devotedhusband,father, grandfather, andgreatgrandfatherwho cherished hisfamilyabove all. He lovedgolf, dancing, and sharingstories from alife well-lived.His legacy of courage, resilience,and love will live on in allwho knew him. Joewas pre‐cededindeath by hispar‐ents,Josephand Lena RouseFotoSr.;his first wife of 50 years, Mary Jane Ruffino Foto;and hissib‐lingsPhilip, John, Louis, Angelia,Rosalie,and Conchetta.Joe is survived by hiswifeof20years AgnesFoto; hischildren Charles(Gwen)Foto, Lynn (Gene) Gurtner, FrankFoto, Joseph Foto III, andTerri (Chad) Williams;his grand‐children JessicaFoto, Erica Foto (Sammy Rodriguez) Kayla(Thomas)Cato, CaleighFoto(Anthony Mocklin),Brett (Kathleen) Thorne Jr andAlexandra (Austin) Merz;and his great-grandchildrenKate‐lynne Plaideau,Charlotte Cato,Lillian Cato,Madison Cato,AudreyMerz, and Aubrey Thorne As well as Agnes’ children,Susan (Greg) Igleharte, Lisa (Chip) Estopinal, Gretchen (Joe)Gristina, Chip (Torri) LaBruzzo,Joby(Rachel) LaBruzzo,Stacey(Chris) Monaghan,John(Brandi) LaBruzzo,and Jami LaBruzzo;her 21 grandchil‐dren,and 11 greatgrand‐children.Healsoleavesbe‐hind ahostofextended familyand dear friends who will forevercherish hismemory. Visitation will be held July 17,2025 from 10:30 am -12:00 pm at Most Holy TrinityCatholic Church,501 Holy TrinityDr. Covington, LA 70433. A Catholic Mass will follow from 12:00 to 1:00 pm GravesideServiceswith MilitaryHonorstofollowat

St.Bernard Memorial Gar‐dens she studied child psychology at TulaneUniversity. After earningher bachelor'sdegree she dedicated manyyearstoher family's business, TwiRoPa Mills on Tchoupitoulas St,founded by hergrandfatherGeorge PalmerSr. Carolyn met JamesPatrickGuste,son of William andDorothy Guste Jr., in 1988 at Faith Church.Theyweremarried December 17 of the same year, beginning ajoyful andloyal unionthat would span thirty-six years. Togethertheybuilta life of faith, family, anddevotion—raising theirtwo children,JoshuaJames Patrick andJoy Juliette Marie together in ahomefilled with steadfast love,music andhumor. Aboveall, Carolyn lovedthe Lord, her family, andserving others—especially children. Her Christian faithwas the quiet currentbeneathall she did. Whethershe wasenjoying classical music, cheering on heralma mater or delightingina Saints victory,Carolyn broughta warm, gentle joy to everyroom andgathering. Shenow joinsher dear father,Jared Palmer Sr andbrother,JohnPalmer, in heaven.She will be missed tremendously by herhusbandand children, many nieces andnephews, herdevoted mother, Carolyn Palmer; andher brothers, Jared PalmerJr. andGregoryPalmer;who will carry hermemory,accomplishments, and enduringlove forward. Carolyn's entryintoeternallifewill be honored Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd.New Orleans, LA. Visitationwith be from9:00-11:00 AM and servicestofollow.Inlieuof flowers, the familyinvites you to honor Carolyn's generous heartwith acontribution NAMI,The NationalAlliance On Mental Health. DIRECT LINK: https://donate.nami. org/give/197406/#!/donati on/checkout?utm_source =HPButton&utm_medium= website&utm_campaign= DonationTracking&c_src= WEBHPButton "Eternalrest grantunto her, OLord, and letperpetual lightshine upon her. Mayshe rest in peace."

WalterJoseph Gardere, Jr., passed away on Sunday, June 29, 2025, at theage of 86, surrounded by his devoted family.Born in NewOrleans on March 11, 1939, Waltergraduated fromDeLaSalleHigh School in 1957 and attended LouisianaState University. Aftermarrying his wife, thecouple moved to Metairie,raising their five children in theAirline Park Subdivision. Walter workedinthe grocery and foodindustry for over 50 years, starting his career at National/CanalVillere, continuing his profession at SpecialitySalesand Marketing, and ending his serviceinthe food business at Howcott Sales,Inc. He had adeeplovefor horse racing,a profound passionfor raising snakes and vehemently cheered on theLSU Tigers and the NewOrleans Saintsevery chance he got. And while his workand pastimes were important,Walter's family was his ultimate passion. He was always happiest surrounded by his big,beautiful crew. His jovial spirit and his awardwinning smileshined bright to allthose around him, and Walternever failedtoleavea party, familygathering,ora simple visit without shouting his infamous send-off, "KeepSmiling." He leaves behind hiswife of 66 years, Melusine Gardere;his children, Lynne Comeaux (Ronnie), BethLambert (Richard), Keith Gardere (Colleen), Gwen Bianchini (Ray), and Kevin Gardere (Rochelle);his grandchildren,BrandyLuminais (Brad), Ryan Comeaux (Erin), Courtney Gardere, ElizabethConnor(James), Katie Ledet (Arthur), Emily Lambert(Emerson), Kurt Gardere (Kendall), Blake Bianchini (Mallory), Brandt Bianchini (Carly),Ellen Lambert, Grace Gardere, and GageGardere;his great-grandchildren, Brady Luminais, Beau Luminais, ColinComeaux,Kora Ledet,William Connor ArtieLedet, Lyle Lambert, Catherine Connor, Adair Lambert, Andy Ledet, Brooks Bianchini and Kinsley Labat;his sister, CherylFelton;his brother, EdwardGardere (Kay); and ahost of belovednieces, nephews, and friends. Walterispreceded in death by his parents, Walter, Sr.and Marie Gardere;his grandson, Greg Comeaux; and his grandson-in-law, Brad Luminais. Relativesand friends are invitedtoattend funeralserviceson Saturday, July19, 2025, at St.Mary Magdalen CatholicChurch, 6425 West Metairie Avenue,Metairie, Louisiana, with visitation beginning at 9:30 AM and a mass to follow at 12:30 PM Aprivateinterment willbe held at alaterdate. In lieu of flowers,donations can be madeinWalter'sname to Bridge House, 4150 Earhart Boulevard,New Orleans, Louisiana70125.

With tenderbut gracefilled hearts, thefamily of CarolynConway Palmer GusteonJuly 5, 2025, at her home in Lakeview, surrounded by her beloved family.BorninNew Orleans on October 25, 1958, to Jared and Carolyn Palmer, known affectionatelyas'DeeDee,' Carolyn attended Edward Hynes Elementary as achild. Later,along withher two younger brothers, she attended St. Martin's Episcopal School. Then,

andthe Elements!Lynnis survived by herhusband Jim; herson,Col.Derrick Sean Vincentand hiswife Colleen ElderVincent;two grandchildren, AvaShan‐nonVincent andParker ChaseVincent;her sister andbrother-in-law, Laura LewisCarsonand Lane An‐derson Carson;her niece, Rebecca Carson Parks; nephew,Christopher Bar‐rowCarson; hersister-inlaw, Laurie Gail Gayno Lewis; andher nephews: WeslyAshtonLewis,III and John ScottLewis.Lynnwas preceded in deathbyher brother, Wesley Ashton Lewis, Jr.A Celebrationof Life will be held at the American Legion Hall,1225 HickoryAve., Harahan, La 70123, on Sunday,July20, 2025 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm Dressiscasualand guests areencouragedtowear somethingcolorfuland bright.Lynn’spersonalfa‐vorite waspurple. In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to Divers AlertNet‐work’s medicalservicesin memory of Lynn Kendall. Your contribution will help supportvital emergency medicalassistanceand health services for divers in need.Todonate, please visit: www.dan.org/donate, call 919-684-2948, or mail to:DiversAlert Network, 6 W. Colony Place, Durham, NC 27705. Thankyou for honoring Lynn’smemoryin this meaningful way. On‐line condolencesmay be offeredatwww.gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.com.

Kendall, Lynn Lewis

Lynn LewisKendall was born in NewOrleans,LAon March4,1957 andpassed away on May1,2025 at the ageof68. Shegraduated from GraceKingHigh School in 1975. Sheat‐tended theUniversityofSt. Francisreceiving aBSin RadiationTherapy in 1989 anda MS in Health Ser‐vicesAdministrationin 1998. Lynn tended patients at East JeffersonGeneral Hospital andthe Ochsner MedicalCenter. Lynn mar‐ried Dr.James “Jim KendallonSeptember 11, 1993. In 2000, thecouple movedtoNorthernVirginia where Lynn took care of patients at Reston Hospital in Reston,VA. In 2001, while in Virginia,their son DerrickS.Vincent,gradu‐ated from theU.S.Air Force Academy. In 2011, Lynn and Jimmoved to the49th State, Alaska,makingtheir home in Anchorage. In 2022, they movedbackto Lynn’shomestate of Louisiana, settlingin Metairie.Lynnwas an avid internationaltravelerand took everyopportunity possible to visitwithher sonand hisfamilywher‐ever hismilitaryassign‐mentstook him. Shetook greatpride andcomfort in watching hergrandchil‐dren grow andexcel as they traveled theworld Heradventurous spirit led hertobecomeanavid scubadiver,wellknown andloved by theLouisiana diving community.Her div‐ingadventuresare leg‐endary andinclude the Gulf,Caribbean,Mediter‐ranean,Red Sea, SouthPa‐cific, Asia,and even the frigid waters of Alaska Lynn wasalsoa self-pro‐claimed“dogmom”witha particular fondness for Golden andLabradorRe‐trievers.DuringAlaskan winters, shewas often found in hersnowshoes blazingtrails in almost waistdeep snow to create walkingpaths forher and herneighbors’caninecom‐panionsand forseniorciti‐zens,sotheywereableto getoutside.A Louisiana Girl who embraced Life

Yasmeen Niambi Lipscomb (47) of New Orleans, LA born July 30, 1977 and departed this life on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Relatives, friends andcoworkers of the familyare invited to attendthe funeral servicesonMonday, July 14th, 2025. Visitation at 12:00pm, Funeral Service at 1:00pm. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Professional Funeral Services1447 N. Claiborne Ave.New OrleansLA70116. Pastor Lionel Roberts, Officiating (Holy Anointed HouseofPrayer) Intermentwillbeprivate Visit www.professionalfun eralservices.com to view full obituary, sign guestbook andshare memories.

Celli

On July 7, 2025, at the age of 93, Jean CelliMatkin peacefully joined herlate husband of 49 years, singer and broadcaster, Charlie Matkin, in the HeavenlyKingdom.She was thedaughter of the late Dr.Ernest Celliand Mrs. Margaret"Peggy" Celli. Jean is survivedby herson, JudgeMark Doherty (Ret.); his wife, Frances Olivier Doherty; hergrandchildren, Meaghan Doherty, M.D. (Steven Fielkow, M.D.), JohnF.Doherty (Luren Kim), Catherine Doherty (Paulina Balder); and her great-granddaughter, Claire PearlFielkow.She is also survivedbyher sister, MargaretAnn Celli Tamberella; hernieces, ErinTamberella, Christy Tamberella Wright, Melissa Tamberella; grandniece,Kayla R. Tamberella; andgrandnephew, Caleb J. Tamberella. Additionally, sheissurvivedbyher niece, ConniePearceof Mobile, Alabama;grandnephews, Danner and BenjaminPearce; and grandniece,Amy Pearce As alifelongNew Orleanian, Jean's personal andprofessionallifewas devotedtomusic, the arts, andthose she loved. She graduatedwith Honors from Newcomb College andattendedColumbia Universityfor hermaster's degree. Shebegan hercareer in modellingbefore going into radio and television.She became New Orleans' first female weatheranchor on WWLTV in 1968 with abroadcast called"The Weather with Jean"that ranfor two years. Agifted musician sheservedasResident Harpist at theMariott Hoteland was an accomplished pianist. In herlater years, sheand Charlie

Gardere, Walter Joseph

Faust, JamesCoulter

Lipscomb, Yasmeen Niambi

Matkin,Jean

Guste, Carolyn Conway Palmer

Foto Jr.,

owned and operated the Old World Inn, entertaining international visitors with their musical talents, intelligence,and humor. Aclassically trained concert pianist, she mesmerized her audience with her musicality and beauty. Family events often ended with Jean and Charlieleading songswith Jean on the piano playing in whatever key was needed to accommodate the limited ability of the others. She will be missed. The family would like to thank MelanieUrsin, Ciba Goodich, Genelle Thomas, andCathy Woodard who generouslyand lovingly cared for Jean in her final years, as well as the kind Hospice doctors and staff at Ochsner. Aservice was heldonFriday, July 11, 2025. The burial was private Thefamilyrequests that donations be made to the Newcomb School of Music. Please email chayes2@tulane.edu or call (504) 865-5271.

Gerry Michael McClure, age 76, passed away on June 18, 2025, in Aurillac, France. Born on February 18, 1949, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Gerry was the son of Allen W. McClure and Isabell Franz McClure. He was predeceased by his parents and brothers Robert C. McClure (Rosalie), Allen W. McClure (Sadie), Patrick J. McClure, WayneR.McClure, and Darryl E. McClure. He is survived by his wife Francoise and brother Donald F. McClure (Carolyn) and several nieces and nephews. Gerry "Mike" was raised in New Orleans, where he attended St. Dominic School and Jesuit High School. He went on to study at the University of New Orleans, where he alsoplayed basketball.Gerry worked as aspecial education teacher at Deckbar andWest Jefferson High School. He later became a full-time caregiver for both his father and youngest brother, Darryl. He was married to Francoise Lapauze. Following Hurricane Katrina, Gerry relocatedtoSulphur, Louisiana, but remained closely connected to his Lakeview community. In 2022, he and Francoise moved to Aurillac, France. Gerry will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, and unwavering loyalty. Adevoted brother, he spent much of his life caring for his family. He enjoyed gardening, sailing, swimming, and spending time along the Gulf Coast in Mississippi. A man ofdeep Catholic faith, Gerry was alifelong parishioner ofSt. Dominic in NewOrleans and attended daily Mass throughout his life, including during his years in Sulphur and France. Gerry was laid to rest on June 23, 2025 in Aurillac, France. Gerry requested thatfriends and familyattend amass at their convenience and say aprayer for him. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Jade Marie Meynard en-

tered eternal rest on July1 2025,after abrief illness. Born on December 15, 1936, she was 88 years old. She is pre-deceased by her parents Nestor and Edith Foret along with her sister, Mona Pitre. She is survived by her devoted children Melody Hasselland Dr. Ronnie Deniger (Susan) along with her grandchildrenAshlee Walker, Adam Deniger (Erica), and Dr. Lauren Deniger (Adam Meyer). Jade was alife-long residentofMetairie, LA. She worked in downtown New Orleans for Murphy and North accounting firm for

over forty years. Funeral arrangements willbehandled by Garden of Memories Those whom we love go out of sight, But neverout of mind; Stillcherished in the lonely hearts Ofthose they leave behind. Avisitation willbeheld from 11:00AMto12:00PM on2025-07-18 at St. Philip NeriCatholicChurch,6500 Kawanee Ave.

PeacockSr.,Raymond Lee

RaymondLee Peacock, Sr., passedawaypeace‐fully on Monday,June 30 2025, at 5:15 am sur‐rounded by loadsoflove. Raywas a‘good ole’ coun‐tryboy’fromMansfield, LA born on November 28, 1941, to H.L. Peacockand Louise JacksonBickham,with whomheshareda birth‐day. Left to cherishhis memory includehis wife, Gail RussellPeacock,pre‐ciousPenny Lane,daugh‐ters D’Anna Looney (Troy) andKyndelPeacock-Mc‐Curley,sisters,Brenda Fleniken (Joe Craig) and TabathaSparks(Greg). He wasa proudPawPawPea‐cock to Christopherand Jeffrey(Abby)Bell, Timo‐thy(Adine) Looney,Luna Looney,and Richard‘Kai’ McCurley.Great-grandchil‐dren includeTucker, Brady, andMadelineBelland Tallen,Jade, andAna Looney.Hewillalsobe missedbyhis many nieces andnephews,present and past employees andcount‐less friends. In addition to hisparents,hewas pre‐cededindeath by hischil‐dren,Stacy Gayand Ray‐mond LeePeacock,Jr.,and Woodrow‘Buddy’Bell (Lori),along with hissib‐lingsGlenn (LoraFaye) Linda, Marlin,Sheila, and WilliamHines Peacock, andson-in-lawRichard ‘Ricky’ McCurley.A Gradu‐ateofMansfieldHigh School,helater attended Northeastern University where he wouldgamble away hisweekly al‐lowance. Raywas also a veteranofthe United States AirForce,stationed in Biloxi,MS, teaching slide rule to up andcomingpi‐lots.After theAir Force, he commandeered acorvette andhightailedittoNew Orleansonthe road to re‐alizingthe startofhis illus‐trious dreams Certainly, he couldnot fathomthe rangeofhis impact throughoutthe City of New Orleansand hersurround‐ingparishes. From beauti‐fulhotels and fine restau‐rantstoauction galleries andantique jewelrystores, he puthis personal touch on everyproject he com‐pleted,all while demon‐strating apassion forcre‐ativity. As acreativevi‐sionarywhose mind was like no other, he wasal‐ways optimistic aboutthe future andseeingopportu‐nities where others saw obstacles. As an avid skier (inshorts),heenjoyed his tripstoLakeTahoe where he couldnot only skihis heartout on blackruns but spendthe remainderofhis dayinthe Sportsbook eat‐inghotdogs with chiliand cheesewithhis puppy Sierra bettingevery Super‐fectaatAmerica’s race‐tracks,sometimes suc‐cessfully, sometimesnot so much.Anavidtennis player (also in shorts), he enjoyedmanySunday mornings drinking mi‐mosaswithhis less fortu‐nate tennis partners (de‐pendingonwho tellsthe story).His favorite part of theday wasdropping them offontheir doorstepsfor familytotakeover. Happy Hour will be forever changedinHeaven: Mi‐mosasand BloodyMarys foreverybody!Despite all theentertainingtimes,he wasthe consummategen‐tleman,holding thedoor open until theveryend.He lovedhis work.Heloved hisfriends.But,above everything else,heloved hisfamily. Thefamily wishes to express asin‐cere thankyou to hiscar‐ingand compassionate personal caregivers,Lindy, Daisy, andElizabeth,and hisnurse Joy, who cared forhim andhis familYin his finalmoments.A Cele‐brationof Ray'smemo‐rablelifewillbeheldon Saturday,July19, 2025, at Leitz-Eagan FuneralHome, 4747 Veterans Blvd.in Metairie,LA. Visitation will be held from 2:00 pm -4:00 pm with a servicetofol‐low. Memorial donations canbemadetothe Alzheimer’sAssociation, https://www.alz.org.Fond memories andexpressions of sympathy maybe

shared at www.LeitzEa ganFuneralHome.com.

Kate Agneza Popic, a belovedmatriarch and cherishedmemberofher community,passedaway peacefully at herhomein Belle Chasse,LAonJuly7, 2025, at theage of 91.Born on September11, 1933, in Brijesta,Croatia,Kate broughtwarmthand love to allwho hadthe pleasure of knowingher.Through‐outher life,Katewas knownfor herpassion for cookingand baking,shar‐ingcountless meals filled with love forher family, particularly forher grand‐children andgreat-grand‐children.Her abilitytocre‐atememorable culinary experienceswas matched only by herlovefor tending to hergarden, where she found greatjoy.She also cherishedwatchingher fa‐vorite Croatian television programs, always with a glassofwineinhand. Kate's legacy is carriedon by herchildren,Mario Popich (Tihana),Ivan Joseph Popich (Wanda), andEduardPopich(Ce‐cilia). Shewas blessed with sixgrandchildren: NatashaMarie (Robbie) Eduard Andrew (Erin),Jen‐niferLynn, Nickolas An‐thony(Rami), AnaMarie, andAdamSkobelj.Addi‐tionally,she embraced her step grandchildren Kristofer,Kristina, Jose, Rolando, andRoberto alongwithher greatgrandchildrenCarter, Mila Kate,Brooklyn, Cameron, Ellie, Luka,Arden,Graham, andLeo,all of whomwere asourceofimmensepride andjoy.Kateisalsosur‐vivedbyKatija, Frances, Ivana, as well as many othernieces, nephews, rel‐atives andfriends who will fondly remember her warmth andkindness. She waspredeceased by her belovedhusband of 62 years, AntonNedjeljko Popich,her parentsAntun Popić andKateBažalo Popić, andher siblings Nikola Popić,AntoPopić, Mato Popić,GrgoPopić, andIvanPopić,and Marija Popić Prlaguzić.Inlieuof flowers, please consider donationstothe Croatian American Society, P.O. Box 367, BelleChasse, LA 70037. Avisitationwillbe held on July 14,2025, from 9a.m.to11a.m.atMothe FuneralHomes,2100 West‐bank Expy.,inHarvey, LA FuneralMasswillbegin at 11 a.m. Interment will fol‐lowimmediatelyatOur Lady of PerpetualHelp Cemetery in BelleChasse, LA.KatePopic's spirit and love will be greatlymissed by allthose whose lives shetouched.Her legacy of love,family, andtradition will continue to inspire thosewho knew her. Please visitmothefuner‐als.comtoviewand sign theonlineguestbook

JamesStevenReisig, af‐fectionately knownas “Jim”passedawaypeace‐fully on July 8, 2025, at the ageof69after alongand courageous battlewith cancer.BornonNovember 27,1955, in NewOrleans, LA,Jim wasa lifelong resi‐dent who cherishedthe city’s uniqueculture and thehistoricalcharm of his uptown neighborhood.The belovedson of thelate Norman W. Reisig Jr.and Rosita GarciaReisig(of Mugardos,Spain), andlov‐ingbrother to Norman W. Reisig,III (Lacombe,LA), Jimwillbemisseddearly by many cousinsand all who were fortunate enough to know him. Jim made hismarkasanalum‐nus of LSUand adedicated business ownerofSouth‐ernCoating &Waterproof‐ing, LLC. Throughhis work in construction,hecon‐tributed to thecareand preservation of NewOr‐leans’buildings,a reflec‐

tion of hisdeep apprecia‐tion forthe city’s charac‐ter. Jimwas admiredfor hisone-of-a-kindsense of humor andthe warmth he extended to familyand friends. He couldoften be seen cruising happily in his classicBuick convertible, sharinglaughsand stories with thoseheloved most Family andfriends arewel‐come to attend theFuneral services at JacobSchoen& SonFuneral Home 3827 CanalStreet on Friday,July 18, 2025. Visitation will beginat11:30am followed by achapelservice at 1pm. Burial will follow at Hope Mausoleum, 4841 Canal Street.Arrangementsby JacobSchoen& SonFu‐neralHome. Condolences maybeleftatwww schoenfh.com

Resor, Deborah Peperone 'Debbie'

Deborah“Debbie Peperone Resor, age72, of Covington, Louisiana, passedawayonSunday, July 7, 2025. Born in New OrleansonJune 22,1953, shewas adevoted daugh‐ter, sister,cousin, and friend who touchedcount‐less liveswithher gentle spirit andready smile.She is survived by herbrother ChristianPeperone(Karla); cousins, KarinCrouch Blackburn(Roy),Kathy Crouch St.Pierre(Todd) Kelly Crouch Magee (Terry), KarolCrouchMc‐Govern (Keith), Kristy Crouch Ellzey,and Kaye Crouch Lataxes(Stephen); nephews, Marx Giroir (Lisa) andDeanGiroir (Robyn); second cousins, JamesBlackburn (Mallory), KatherineBlackburn,and Jordan Ellzey;third cousins, Fitz andStella Blackburn; great-nephew, DominicGiroir; andmany otherbeloved familymem‐bers andclose friends. She wasprecededin deathby hermother, Melanie Crouch Peperone.Debbie earned herB.S.inMicrobi‐ology from Southeastern LouisianaUniversitybefore pursuing graduate studies at Tulane University in New Orleans. Aftercompleting hereducation,her meticu‐lous attentiontodetailand quietcompetencedistin‐guisheda decades-long career as aparalegal with ShellOil CompanyinNew Orleans, where sheworked until herretirement. Throughout herlife, shein‐dulged herloveoftravel, exploringmanyinterna‐tional cultures,and keep‐ingtravelogues of herad‐ventures.Those who knew Debbie will remember her as asoft-spoken encour‐ager,everready with alis‐tening earora word of comfort. In lieu of flowers, contributionsinmemoryof Ms.Resor maybemadeto acharity of your choice Relativesand friendsare invitedtoattendthe memorial services on Fri‐day, July 18, 2025, at Mary Queen of PeaceCatholic Church,1501 West Cause‐wayApproach,Mandeville, Louisiana, with visitation commencing at 10:00a.m andmassat11:00 a.m. In‐termentwillfollowin Metairie Cemetery,5100 PontchartrainBoulevard NewOrleans,Louisiana.E J. Fielding FuneralHomeof Covington, Louisiana, is honoredtobeentrusted with Ms.Resor’s funeral arrangements.Her family invitesyou to share thoughts,memories, and condolencesbysigning an online guestbook at www ejfieldingfh.com

Sehulster, James

Jim(April16, 1938- July 1, 2025) was thedevoted husband of Gail Caulfield Sehulster for 49 years. Loving fatherofMichelleS Myers (Grant) of Baton Rouge, LA and EileenS Bode (John) of Naples, FL. Proud grandfather of Jackson Bode,Ryan Myers, William Bode,and Allyssa Myers. He is also survived by sisters-in-law (Jeanne

C. Gammilland DianneC Wattam), nieceand nephews, cousinsand friends. He hadstrong convictionsand atenderheart embodying the virtues of a disciplined militaryofficer anda truly goodman.He wasa life-longCatholic, deeply lovedand will be greatly missed. He wasa graduate of Seton Hall University (BS) and Salve Regina University (MBA) Jimproudly served in theUnited States Marine Corpsfrom1960-1990. A decorated combat veteran, histoursincludedVietnam (2 tours), Panama (Executive Officer, Marine Barracks), Germany (HQ USEUCOM), Lebanon (Senior Military Advisorto Ambassador PhilipHabib) andOkinawa(Chiefof Staff for the3rd Marine Division). Hismilitarycareer concludedatTulane University (Commanding Officerand Professor of Naval Science, NROTC).

After retirement,Jim continued hislifeofservice as acivilian in fundraising at TulaneUniversity and with law enforcement education programs at University of NewOrleans In hisfreetime, Jimenjoyed hisdaily crossword puzzles (in ink) andmeticulouslymanicuring his yard.Asa life longer learner,hewas an avidreader Addinganother dimension of service,Jim took pride in rescuingGerman Shepherdsensuring they were as well-behaved as they were cherished Nothing made himhappier than being at home with Gail and his family, sitting on the"patio bar"with music blastingand thegrill smoking

Thefamilywishes to extend heartfelt thanks to the wonderfulcaregivers at theNew Orleans VA Hospital and Serenity Hospice at Home. AMemorialMass will be offered on Saturday, July 26, at 11:00 am at St.Rita Church,2729 Lowerline Street,New Orleans, with visitation startingat10:00 am. The familyrequests brightcolors be worn to celebrate alifewell-lived. In lieu of flowers, contributionsmay be made to the WoundedWarrior Project, honoringJim'scommitmenttofellowveterans.

It is with heavy hearts that we an‐nouncethe passing of aloving, hard‐workingmom and wife.Dianne W. Smith, age75, passedaway on Sunday,July6,2025. She wasbornand died in New Orleans, LA.She wasa faithfulmemberofFranklin Avenue Baptistchurch and wasalwaysready to lend a hand or have areally good laugh. Shewas preceded in deathbyher parents, Cur‐tisand Loretta Watson and her loving husband,Ferdi‐nand Smith. Sheissur‐vivedbyher twochildren, Larry Reed Jr andThiyonka Brown; abrother,Essex; four sisters, Linda, Brenda Jacquelynand Kiminaddi‐tion to grandchildrenand a host of nieces,nephews, greatniecesand great nephews. ACelebration of Dianne's life will be held on Saturday,July19, 2025, at Leitz-EaganFuneral Home 4747 Veterans Memorial Blvd.inMetairie, LA.Visita‐tion will beginat10:00 am followed by aMemorial Serviceat12:00 pm.Fond memories andexpressions of sympathy maybe shared at www.LeitzEa ganFuneralHome.com.

Smith, Josephine Caraccioli

Mrs. Smith wasborn JosephineAmelia Caraccioli on June 29, 1928 in La Ceiba, Honduras. She spent herearly childhood thereuntil1940, when her parents, Philip and JosephineCaraccioli, decidedtoenroll herinthe conventboarding school, St.Mary of thePines in Chatawa, MS.WhenWorld War II began,all civilian transportation across the Gulf of Mexico wassuspended,preventingher from being reunited with herfamilyuntilthe endof hostilitiesin1945. Ayear after peacewas declared, shegraduatedfromSt. Mary'sand returnedtoher Honduras home until1950, when herfamilydecidedto seekthe American dream andpermanentlymove to NewOrleans,LA. It was therewhere she met and marriedher husband, Donald C. Smith.In1953, theymoved to Metairie, LA, wheretheyraisedtheir familyoftwo girls and threeboys, and were active members of theSt. Angela Merici Catholic community. Sheand her husband were deeply involved in theCatholic Charismatic movement; giving presentations of theirspiritual lives as a Catholic couple. During herworkingcareer, Mrs. Smith hadbeen employed as aprivate secretary with thePan American Oil Co. andwithThe Clarion Herald Catholic newspaper untilher retirement in 1996. Sheand herhusband then retiredtothe quiet communityofCovington LA andweremembersof theSt. PeterCatholic Church community. Shewas preceded in death by herbeloved husband of 68 years, Donald C. Smith, herparents, Philip andJosephineCaraccioli, twobrothers, Philip and Louis Caraccioli, anda grandson, Jason A. Hicks. Sheissurvived by herfive children, DonnaL.Savoy of Hammond,LA, Brett J. Smith (Cindy) of Covington,LA, Damian P. Smith (Jackie) of Mandeville,LA, Gregory S. Smith of Slidell,LA, and Jennifer S. Moosa (David) of Youngsville,LA. Sheis also survived by hergrandchildren, Jessica Aymami (Thomas) of Metairie, LA, KyleSchaferkotter (Rita) of Metairie, LA, Breton Smith of St.George,UT, Bristie Smith-Hussain (Amir) of Dallas, TX, Amber Shuta (Ben)ofValparaiso, IN, AshleySmith of Mandeville,LA, ChristopherSmith (Nicole) of Modesto, CA, andStory Moosa of Bowling Green, OH. Mrs. Smith hasseven great-grandchildren,Reed andTravis Aymami,Skye andMeadow Schaferkotter,Joon Hussain, William Shuta, andCharlieRoseSmith. Sheisalso survivedbyher brother, Paul Caraccioli of Metairie, LA andmany nieces andnephews. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare invited to attend thevisitation at Lake LawnMetairieFuneral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd.inNew Orleans, on Thursday, July 17 from 12:00PM until 1:00PM. The Funeral Mass will begin at 1:00PM in thechapel. The interment will follow the Mass at Lake LawnPark Mausoleum.

Thefamilyinvites you to share fond memories and condolencesat lakelawnmetarie.com.

Popic, Kate Agneza

McClure, Gerry Michael

Smith, Dianne W.

Reisig,James Steven 'Jim'

Meynard, Jade Marie

Will Big BeautifulBill mean La. boom or bust?

Much of the commentary thus far about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reminds us of the tale of the blind men touching an elephant who cannot agree on what the creature is.

Certainly,the nearly 900-page legislation is a behemoth, stuffed with changes to everything from health care to border security. Andmuch of one’sperspective on it depends on which part one has grabbed ahold of. That has led to competing narrativesonwhat Louisiana and the nation can expect. But before we come to blows like those fabled blind men, we should look carefully at what the law actually does, rather thanwhatis speculated or feared.

First, we must acknowledge that the passage of this legislation marks asingularachievement for the Trump administration, and it would not have been possible save for the tireless work of two Louisiana Republicans

—House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Despite athinmajority skeptical of changes made by the Senate, they managed to keep their restive caucus focused andbring the bill across the finish line in time for President Donald Trump to have asigning at the White House on July 4. If there are still any doubts about whether the man from Benton has the savvy needed tobeasuccessful speaker, they should be put to rest once andfor all. So back to the question at hand: What does the law do? Some of its provisions will have a delayedimplementation. The most significant of these is the $1.1 trillion cut over the next decade in federal spending on Medicaid, which doesnot go into effect untilafter the 2026 midterm elections. In Louisiana, where one-third of our population isenrolled in Medicaid, tens of thousands could lose coverage. We have expressed deep concern about what this could mean for health outcomes and for rural hospitals. But we are cautiously optimistic thatthe cuts won’tbeasdeep as expected and that the state Legislature will have enough time to figure out aplan. The law also extends the Trump tax cuts that were set to expire at the end of the year.Some workers will see additional savings as it enacts Trump’scampaign promise toeliminate taxes on tips and overtime. However,those deductions last only from 2025 to 2028. In Louisiana, where tourism and hospitalityare big employers, we are sure the change will be felt On clean energy,the bill raises issues for companies that have already invested heavilyinLouisiana. Itphases out taxbreaks for wind and solar projects so any that don’tbreak ground within the next year could lose out. We are disappointed to see that the state’sembrace of new industries could be in peril.

There were also somebig wins for our state tucked into the bill. We are thrilled that the Stennis Space Center,which employs thousands in our region, will get $120 million in infrastructure upgrades when just months ago its NASA funding was on the chopping block. And in one of the most substantial victories Louisiana has won in Congress in decades, the state will finally receive more proceeds from offshore oil and gas production tohelp save ourcoast. Thanks to the effortsofScalise, language in the bill allowsanadditional $50 million annually for the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, which has been the work of a long line of Louisiana lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. These are only some of the highlights. We share concerns about the law’simpact on the deficit and the poorest Americans. We’re sure that there’smuch more initthat we will learn as time goes on. But we caution those who are quick to judge based on its outlines. The fuller picture may not be visible just yet.

OPINION

Drunkand defiantistopsonthe charts

Everyyear,there’sasong of summer.It’soften something to argue over when conversation lags at the barbecue.

In 2013, feminists attacked Robin Thicke’s“Blurred Lines”for allegedly glamorizing sexual violence. “Blurred Lines” was ahugehit.According to Rolling Stone, “It held thewhole world in its slightly skeevy grasp all summer long.”

This year’s summer sensation is asong titled, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”byShaboozey This hip-hop-meets-country songisabout drinking and drinking alot.

and liquor

Theserigid denunciations of alcohol are dredging up badmemories of Prohibition. Opponentsargue that lonelinessisanother serious health hazard that meeting friends over abeer can lessen —atleast until the withdrawal. Alcohol is adepressant, after all. Moderateorevenheavier drinking at timesofcelebration,however,can be apartof life (assuming the drinkeris not an alcoholic or driving).

“excuse” for allthatharddrinking containedinthe opening verse: “My baby want aBirkin, she’s been tellin’ me allnight long /Gasoline and groceries, the list goes on and on /This 9to5ain’tworkin’, why the hell do I work so hard?”

This comes at atime when some medical researchers have given booze an absolute thumbs down, witness the headline, “Even aLittleAlcohol Can Harm Your Health.” Not everyone is buying that argument

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.holds the view that no amount of alcohol is safe. He wants America’s official dietary guidelines to lower alcohol consumption limits. That displeases states that produce beer,wine

Butanyone who hasobserved thecurse of alcoholism can attest that those addicted shouldn’tbedrinking at all. It happens that manyrecovering alcoholics do just fine enjoying aCokewith friends at abar

Others may feel unable to sit in that environment without consuming alcohol. Thereare other places for camaraderie —coffee shops, forinstance —that shouldn’ttrigger drinking.

In this year’s song of summer,some may take issue with its defense of getting stupid sloshed.

The partthat Idislike most is the

HermesBirkin bags price out most of the uppermiddle class. Youdon’t have to be poor to suffer adaily grind or financialpressure.Ineithercase, drinking is notgoing to cure it —certainly notafter the temporary high. There’s onegroup for whom “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” mayactually boost incomes:bar owners. Part of the song’ssuccess surely comes from its frequent playing at these establishments.

As we can see, songs of summer oftenrebel against The Moment. “BlurredLines” wasaccused of downplaying rape.“ABar Song (Tipsy)” raisesa fist of defiance in whatseems an eraofpressuredsobriety.How aboutmoderatedrinking, if any drinking, andleave it at that.

Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com

Personal storiesbring news to life

Readers sometimes share personal stories in their letters to us.

Andthosestories give us apowerful first-person perspective on issues of theday When big news happens,it really hitshome when you hear from people directly affected in theirown voice. Decisions made in Washington or in Baton Rouge affect our everyday lives

ly’sexperience of coming to America.

Often,thesestories highlight how theexperience of more recentimmigrants differsgreatly from those whose families came decades ago. We’d like to hear more from recentimmigrants who have successfully navigated the system.

someone areason to question their ownassumptions.

So thanks to allwho share their experiences with us.

And, of course, politicians make all kinds of claims about how they will benefit theordinaryAmerican. But readers talking about their experiences can show areas that need more attention or exposewherereality doesn’tmatch the rhetoric.

Readers also tell us about theirexperience with government agencies. Moreoften, it is to criticize, but we encourage you to write if you have agood experience as well.

It’simportant to recognize examples of where the government is working. Toomany people don’trealize whatan agency does until they need it.

Going to ourletters inbox, for the week of June 19-25,wereceived48 letters.

On some of the big issues in Louisiana, like insurance, readers have had much to say.Autoinsurance was the focus of sweeping reform inthe last legislative session, so tellusyour stories if you are seeing theeffects. Andonnational issues like immigration,readers have shared their fami-

As journalists, we knowthat personal anecdotes aren’t the whole story Oneindividual’sexperience, after all, can be outside of the norm. But Iwould say your experiences are an importantpart of the story When you share themwith our audience, it might open some eyes or give

During this week, immigration was the topissue on your minds. Six letters mentionedimmigrationenforcement, particularly the case of Mandonna Kashanian, aNew Orleans resident from Iran who was arrested outside herhome and put in detention despite having lived in the country for 47 years. She hassince been released Most of the letters supported her release. The next most popular topic was the U.S. bombing of nuclear sites in Iran. Afterthat, you were also talking aboutthe budgetbill (three letters) andliberalism on college campuses (threeletters).

Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | OpinionPageEditor.Emailher at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

Arnessa Garrett

Froma Harrop

COMMENTARY

What NORD canlearn from Arthur Ashe

So, what does Wimbledon tennis have to do with aNew Orleans inspector general’s critical report about the New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission and its supporting foundation?

Not much, really,except in my own mind. But bear with me, because NORD is really important. Many of you may be reading this on Sunday morning as the Wimbledon men’sfinal is on TV in the background. The former sports writer in me really wanted to write about the50thanniversary of the great Wimbledon drama of 1975, wherein AmericansArthur Ashe and Jimmy Connors competedinone ofthe great grudge matches of all time. It made ahuge impression on me. At the time, Ashe was the captain of the U.S. squad in the DavisCup, the international competition wherein the players compete as ateam, representing theircountry.Connors refusedto playinthe Davis Cup, choosing

instead to play in lucrative exhibition matches. Ashehad responded by callingConnors “unpatriotic,” after which Connors suedAshe for defamation —news that broke just before Wimbledon began. When both reached the finals, Ashearrived on court in a“USA”sweat jacket —and proceeded to thoroughlyout-think Connors fora 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 victory.

Watchingasan11-yearold,Iwas impressed. Here was Ashe, aBlack, motherless child (she died when he was six) who grew up amidnasty segregation in Confederate-revering Richmond, Virginia, fiercely and proudlyexpressing love of his nation. Connors, aWhite, privateschool child of relative privilege, wasthe one more interested in cash than country Andthe patriot— theman who concentrated on theblessings of America rather than theway it treated him for his first quartercentury as asecond-class citizen —was theone whowon. Andhe

did it on July 5, 1975, the first official day of the yearlong countdown towardthe U.S. bicentennial. Ashe’striumph taught agreat lesson of classiness and grace.

But… let’s get back hereto Louisiana in thehere and now (Trust me, there is atopical connection here.) For months, I’ve tracked (andwritten acolumn about) the situation at NORD, which had allowed some of its facilities to deteriorateembarrassingly and which was late in paying itssummer lifeguards,all as an inspector general analyzed itsoperations. This pastWednesday,Inspector General Ed Michel released his report, and it made NORD, its foundation and thecityofNew Orleans all look pretty bad.

The IG called out NORD and theNORD Foundation “for failure to meet their legal obligations to obtain audits and sworn financial statements.” The city, meanwhile, was tardy in its own audit and failed to hold NORD accountable for its failure to audit.

So, NORD suffers yet another

black eye, even as, theIGnoted, thecity provides NORD with morethan $22 million to operate “playgrounds, athletics, and leisure activities throughout the city.” As the IG wrote, NORD “play[s] acrucial role in the lives of many” NewOrleanians, as it is intended to “advance[e] the physical, mental, and social well-being” of city residents. If NORD isn’toperating well, that should be heartbreaking for us all. Personally,NORD played ahuge roleinmychildhood, both in terms of its recreational opportunities and, importantly,as afirst major instigator of happy, seamless racial integration in days when legal segregation was outlawed but social integration still was quite rare.

As it turnsout, it was the organized public playgrounds of Ashe’syouth —alas, segregated at the time —that gave Ashe the venue and boost that otherwise he would have been denied.

Ashe’sfather,you see, was a handyman andcaretaker for Richmond’srecreation depart-

mentwho motivated his son to shine in both scholastics and sports. Far too skinny forfootball, Ashe began playing tennis at the public courts on whose grounds he literally lived in acottage with his father and brother Ashe is therefore one of this nation’sforemost examples of the good that can be done, the opportunities that can arise, via apublic recreation department led and wellmaintained by caring adults. Ascholar,Armyofficer, gentleman and sports superstar, Ashe was the epitome of the ideal of opportunity meeting diligence to form excellence. The opportunity part came from the facilities of organized public recreation. Here at home, NORD is far from atotal travesty,but it clearly needs improvement. By rights, its management and future ought to be abig topic in this year’s campaign formayor.The future of the next Arthur Ashe might depend on it.

Quin Hillyer canbereached at quin.hillyer@theadvocate.com.

Scalisewas righttohelpdetainedLa. woman

I’m here today to say something Ihaven’t had occasion to say nearly enoughinrecent years.

Good for you, Steve Scalise. By multiple accounts, theHouse majority leader from Metairie played a keyrole in securing the freedom of alongtime, well-known andwidely loved resident of his Republican district, Donna Kashanian,who’d been carted awaylast month from her front lawn in Lakeview toan ICE detention facility.

Kashanian came to the U.S. on a student visa and applied forpermission to stay several times after forces hostile to her father’sally,the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran, overthrew her country’s government in 1979.

She was denied asylum, andlater denied agreen card due to abrief marriage when she was young thatthe government deemedfraudulent, but she was toldshe could stay in the country if shekeptin touch with authoritiesand followed the law That she did, for decades. She marrieda U.S. citizen and raised their daughter, rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, volunteered in the communityand lived life as aNew Orleanian.But thenthe Trumpadministration, without notice, changed the rules and rounded herup.

The outcry was quick andfurious, andso loud that it reachedthe ears of oneofthe few people in aposition to do something about it. Scalise has always been asteadfast de-

fender of President Donald Trump, even when his actionsare indefensible.This time, though, he heard thecall from his constituents, checked his conscience and used hisloftyperch to get theDepartment of Homeland Security to let Kashanian come homewhile her status is reconsidered. His takeonthe situation, he told my colleagueJames Finn after reviewing Kashanian’s file, was that she had never gotten a proper hearing. “The more Igot involved, the more Irealized that, No. 1, Ithink they madeamistake in the ’80s when they rejected her asylum claim,” Scalise said. “And Ithink they should look at her case again based on the totalityof thedecades in which she’sserved in this community.”

And then he went further

While declining to criticize theadministration,Scalise acknowledged that its black-and-whitenarrative is false, that Kashanian’sstoryisfar from unique and that there are people all over thecountry beingtargeted whose cases are also complicated andnuanced.

“You have tens of millions of people here illegally,some of them are bad people who are committing violent crimes …Those people, by theway,are beingdeported. AndIdon’tthink anybody has aproblem with that,” he said. “But then what do you do with the people who are here illegally but aren’tviolent criminals? And by the way,how do you know thedifference?”

The answer,hesaid, is that “we will have

and moreeasily maneuvered immigration system

Their stories are getting wide play.The high school athlete in Massachusetts. The California landscaper and father of three U.S. Marines. The mother of anewborn married to aformer Marine in Baton Rouge. The farmworkers whose bosses are begging Trumpfor relief so they’ll have people to pick their crops.

to change the law in Congress.”

Well, amen to that.

It’strue that there’swidespread support for removing bad actors, but that’sclearly not what’s happening here. Instead, armed and often masked immigration agents are being ordered by WhiteHouse aide Stephen Miller to makemass arrests.

In fact, according to astunning new report in The Atlantic, ICE is so driven by Miller’squotas that agents are being told NOT to pursue themost dangerous, complicated cases —drug, child exploitation and human trafficking —and instead pick thelow-hanging fruit. That meansthe far morenumerous people going to work or just minding their own business, whocame here to escape oppression or violence or to chase economic opportunities that generationsofimmigrants have pursued, even as Congress has refused to create afairer

And it seemsthat Americans, not just in Lakeview,are listening. Anew Gallup poll suggests that they largely reject both the policies that led to Kashanian’sdetention and the ugly,underlying premise. It found that 62% disapprove of the administration’shandling of immigration, including 45% whostrongly disapprove. It also found that only 30% of Americans wantimmigration decreased, a steep decline from ayear ago, when 55% did, and that huge majorities —78% and 85% respectively —want apath to citizenship forthose here illegally or whose parents brought them to the country illegally as children. What all this points to is ahard shifttoa morehumane immigration stance, one that considers people’sactual circumstances and character rather than sweeping them up in amean-spirited ideological crusade to fulfill an increasingly unpopular agenda. I’mglad Scalise is advocating forthat, even if it meansbreaking from the president he so often acts like he serves. Email StephanieGrace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

The EssenceFestival of Culture has abright future —inNew Orleans, Louisiana. It might not seem thatway with some of the sharp criticism, menacing vitriol and painful ugliness in recent days. I’ve been partly responsible for lifting this conversation in this newspaper and on radio —because things were different this year.This wasn’tthe same litany of complaints. The convo reached afeverpitch. And it went national. Even the Breakfast Club talked aboutit. Iknew we Black folk love Essence Festival, but Ididn’trealize how deeply we love it until this year. Essence loves us, too. Just read its online recap. The loud feedback Essence leaders heard came from acollective heart of Black love. As at any major event, not everything goes well. That definitely happened, in spades, this year. Late daytime and nighttime scheduleannouncements. Poor audio. Programs started late. Concerts went into the wee hours. Big sponsors, including recently controversial Target. But seemingly

not enoughtocover the cost of enoughstaff to make things work.

“Every signal that we have says it’sstronger Ithink the vibe is very strong,” Richilieu

So when we need to have these conversations, we’ve got nowhere else to go,”hesaid.

Dennis, executivevice chairman of Sundial Media Group, which owns Essence Ventures, which operates the Essence Festival, told me late on the second full day of theevent. “The vibe is still there, and it’sstronger than our critics want to give us credit for.”

Dennis said vendors

“must develop andgrow” tokeep up with theconsumers walking the floor and their expectations. Repeatedly disobey therules, like puttingadisplay in the middle of theaisle, and vendors don’t getasked back. If someone had along-term relationship and that partnershipdissolved,perhaps it was because the arrangement didn’tmeet requirements.

Dennis spentmore than an hour on WBOK 1230 AM’sGood Morning Show with hosts Dr.Ashonta Wyatt andmetalking about the festival, concerns andproblems.

“This is aBlack-owned station.

...It’s the oldest, and it’sthe only

Irespect Dennis for knowing where alarge base of his audience and potential customers are. With my newspaper interview and his radio interview,along with what I’ve heard from many of you, Inow can answer the question I’ve been asked multiple times:“What do YOU think should be done?” These are some of thosethings: CONSISTENT ESSENCE LEADERSHIP We haven’tknown who toexpect, who to listen to, whowemight consider following. Even if that person doesn’tlive here, someone should be here six to eight times ayear

ESSENCE HOUSE. Open an Essence House, an Essence Family Center or something called The Essence Vibe as ayear-round operation. It can become ameaningful part of OUR Black culture with activities and programs coordinated with existing culture bearers.

ESTABLISH ALOCAL COMMITTEE Alocal-regional-state committee with representatives from the stateof Louisiana, New Orleansmayor’s office, New OrleansCity Council, theLouisiana Black Legislative

Caucus, our arts and cultural communities, the NewOrleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce andthe Urban League of Louisiana. Consider having anobusiness, no-contracts guideline. No one on this important task group couldreceive financial remuneration

CREATE AN ESSENCE COALITION. We have boots-on-the-ground sisters who are apart of sororities, social clubs, membership clubs, groups and krewes whose members can voluntarily provide feedback and ideas from aBlack women’s perspective.

ENGAGE BLACKMEDIA. We have a community rich with Black media that providenewsand information as theychallenge us. Include WBOK 1230 AM; the Louisiana Weekly; The NewOrleans Tribune and theNew Orleans Data News Weekly

INVOLVE BLACKYOUTH It’s clear festival leaders have pivoted from a one-day event focused on Black women to amultiple-day event with more of afamily focus. If I’m right, say it with your full chest. Either way,our youth who are teens, in their 20s and 30s must be apart of this. Essence

Festival must be sure to have age and family diversity

Like all families, we have to makeadjustments as “our” baby, “our” child has becomeanadult capable of making decisions of her own. Iama NewOrleans native, resident and taxpayer.I love my city Ilove the Essence Festival. Ilove my people. ALL of my people. New Orleans peeps as wellas those from all 50 states and territories from across the African diaspora.

We have aclash of cultures. Our New Orleans culture is something special, akey reason people visit. Our global Black culture is larger moreinclusive and not all Black folk are like other Black folk. Most of us love all and anything and any one Black. We say that, but we have to stretch ourselves, grant grace and be open to learning and accepting those whocome from apart of the culture that is not our own. Working together,inall of our Blackness, we can get through this —and makethings better

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

PHOTO PROVIDEDByKAITLyNNMILNE

From left to right, Kaitlynn Milne, Donna Kashanian and Russell Milneafter Kashanian’srelease from ICEcustodyin Basile on July 8.

Quin Hillyer

Stephanie Grace Will Sutton

We will continue with

Stelly, John Ray

John Ray Stelly, of Metairie, Louisiana, passed away on Monday, July 7, 2025. He was 81. John is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Beverly Frey Stelly; his two daughters, Lisa Anne Stelly and Denise Stelly Albaral (Randy); his two sons, John Ray Stelly, II (Melissa) and Nicholas Joseph Stelly (Sherri); his sister, Dianne Stelly Fields; his two brothers, Harry Stelly (Mary Ellen "Bubbles") and Dale Stelly (Christine); and his four grandchildren, Nicholas Joseph Stelly, Jr (Evyn), Kyle Patrick Albaral, Tyler Christopher Stelly, and Katelyn Rose Albaral. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dolphie and Eloise LaFleur Stelly. John was born in Eunice, Louisiana on September 24, 1943. He graduated from Loyola University, where he received amaster's degree in education. His career began as an educator in the Jefferson Parish Public School System, which spanned over 20 years. He also worked in automobile sales and financing for 50 years. John was a50+ year parishioner of St. Edward the Confessor in Metairie. He was also amemberof the Louisiana Retired Teacher's Association. John enjoyed grilling on Sundays for his family, woodworking, watching LSU, and cheering on the New Orleans Saints. The family would like to extend their gratitude to the ICU team at East Jefferson General Hospital for their care and compassion. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visitation at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in New Orleans, on Wednesday, July16, 2025, from 11:00AM until 1:00PM,

end of theweek, aslug of tropical moisture will fling toward us with abroad lowpressuresystem over

This will likely translate into afew rainyand less hot days from Thursdayinto next weekend. TheNational Hurricane Center is highlighting thelate-week system with a lowchance of tropicaldevelopment. Models are not aggressively organizing it so far

with the Funeral Mass to immediately followinthe chapel. The interment will follow the Mass at Lake LawnParkMausoleum. To view and signthe online guest book,please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Troxclair, Gail Wool

GailWoolTroxclair passedawayonSunday, July 6, 2025 at the age of 81. Shewas precededindeath by herparents,Sam and MildredWool;her husband LewisO.Troxclair, Jr.; She is survivedbyher children, Melissa AngelleTroxclair Holladay (Ricky)and Bradley AlanTroxclair (Heather); grandchildren, Hannah Elizabeth Troxclair, IsabelleAmelia Troxclair, LilaAlice Troxclair, Holly Elizabeth Troxclair;great grandchildren, MariahAlexandra Pavon and Malayna Elizabeth Pavon; her brother,WarrenWool (Katherine); and several niecesand nephews. She was agraduate of Dominican High School and LSU.Gailhad an undergraduatedegreeineducation and taught at Chapelle;but her most important accomplishment was raisingher twochildren. Services will be held on Monday, July 14, 2025 at Lake LawnMetairie FuneralHome, 5100 PontchartrainBlvd New Orleans,LA70124. Visitationwillbegin at 10:00AM followed by a Mass at 11:00AM. Interment willbeatLake LawnPark.Toview and signthe guestbookplease

Washington,Georgine 'Jean'

On July 3, 2025, Georgine Jean”Washingtonwas calledhometodwell with our Heavenly Father in par‐adise.Georginewas born August26, 1934 in Tyler‐townMississippi,and was raisedinNew Orleans, Louisiana.She movedto Chicago, Illinois where she met herlifetimelove, ErnestWashingtonJr. They shared67years of devo‐tionuntil hisdeath.To their union twodaughters wereborn. Yvette (Lloyd) Dickerson,and Cheryl (Johnny) Williams.She re‐tired from JeffersonParish School Boardafter 45 years ofservice.Devoted wife mother, grandmotherand friend. Hergenerousheart and kind spirit made her easytolove. Georgine was proceeded in deathbyher husband Ernest Washing‐ton Jr mother Mazie LuddBradford, brothers,John. L. Ludd, andSmith Earl Ludd and son-in-law LloydVin‐centDickerson.Inaddition toher daughters, Georgine alsoleavestocherish her memory, threegrand‐daughters KristinaDicker‐son of Dallas,Texas,Torrie (Devin) Rogers,New Or‐leans,Louisiana andLau‐ren (Paul) Carter,Gretna, Louisiana.Seven greatgrandchildren Jeremy, Joshua,and JadynHolt, Devin II,and TorrinRogers, Logan, andClark Carter Brother-in-lawLaverne (DeAnna)Washingtonof Brooklyn, NewYork, God daughterLorrieJones-San‐difer,GodsonTyroneJef‐ferson, as well as ahostof nieces, nephews, extended family, andfriends.The familywould like to extend special thanks to Georgine’scaregivers, Bru‐enicka Thomas,Demetria

Berry,Annette Stevens, and Donna Frazier. Theen‐tirestaff at Wynhoven Community Care Center, and NotreDameHospice Relatives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend a gravesidememorialhon‐oring Georgine’s life and legacyatWestLawn Cemetery, 1225 Whitney Ave Terrytown, Louisiana 70056, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 10:00 am.Arrange‐ments entrustedtoD.W RhodesFuneralHome, 1020 VirgilStreet,Gretna, LA 70053. Please visitwww rhodesfuneral.comtosign the online guestbook, share memories andcon‐dolenceswiththe family. A repasswillbeheldimme‐diately followingthe memorialatThe White House,209 Lafayette Street,Gretna, Louisiana 70056.

ConnieBarrois Whittle, age 67, of Lacombe, Louisiana,passedawayon Tuesday,July8,2025. She was born on March14, 1958, in NewOrleans, Louisiana.She is survived byher loving husband of 47 years,Jerry Whittle; sister, DebbieBarrois Martinez (Eric); brother-in-law,Ben Whittle(Frani);aunt,Betty Alberts;nieces& nephews, Jessica (Jason), Adam (Mariana),GeriAnn (Chris),Megan,Matthew Brad(Jessica),and Kyle (Beverly);great-nieces& nephews,Madison,Mag‐gie,Molly,Andrew, Ellie, Peter,and Paige; cousins, Scott (Terri), Emily (Lerenzo),Zack, Trish(Don‐ald), andHeather (Russ); faithfulcaninecompan‐ions, Jake &Sam;and manyextendedfamily members andfriends.She was “Nanny” to many Aunt Connie” to all, “Maw Maw”toMax andLuke, and “CoCo” to Duke and Brooks. Shewas preceded in deathbytwo sons

JasonPaulWhittle and Michael DavidWhittle;par‐ents, AnthonyVernonBar‐roisand FrancesCecile Booksh Barrois; and brother,TonyBarrois.Con‐nie hadfew passions in her lifegreater than herfamily and friends. Hergreatest attributes were hercom‐passion forothersand loy‐altytoall who knew her. Her husbandJerry de‐scribes Connie as his greatestsupporter,most trusted friend,and thelove ofhis life.Conniehad manyinterests butjust loved life in general. She was an avid reader,cook‐book author,and deer hunter,and wasabletoex‐periencebig game hunting inSouth Africa.She loved totravel, attend French Quarter Fest andFood and Wine Fest,and wasknown tooccasionally enjoya glass of white wine.Al‐thoughshe regularlyat‐tendedLSU andSaints football games, herone and only sports passion was LSUbaseball, espe‐cially at theCollege World Series. Connie dreamedof havinga placetoescape the rigors of everyday life, a retreatofsorts,where she couldunwindwithher husband andentertain familyfriends.Thatdream was realized in 2016 when JericoRanch wasborn. Her mostfulfillingmoments at Jericowere“Thanksgiving atthe Cabin”,her and Jerry’s annualcelebration withfamilyand friends. Connierelishedher role as matriarch of Jerico Ranch. She held courtinthe same spot, where shecould be found snugglingwithher pupsorlittleones, playing Pokémon,enjoyinganorig‐inalLifetimemovie on LMN,orsatisfyingher fas‐cinationwithforensicsci‐encevia theIDChannel Conniewas an accom‐plished interior designer, operating Connie Whittle Interiorsfor severalyears beforetakinga leap of faith with herhusband Jerry to form aconstruc‐tionbusiness. Connie quickly took thereins of the administration side of the newbusinessand left anindelible mark for15 years.She wastough when she hadtobebut always in a nurturingway—she val‐ued andrespected every employee. Youalways knewwhere youstood withConnie. Connie’s laugh wasinfectious, her compassionprofound,and her kindness unwavering She wasloved andwillbe sorelymissedbyall who knew her. In lieu of flow‐

ers, contributionsinmem‐ory of Connie maybemade tothe American Lung As‐sociation at lung.org/ donateortothe American BreastCancerFoundation atabcf.org/beat-breastcancer. Relatives, friends, and employees of ShaversWhittleConstruction, LLC are invitedtoattendthe evening wake on Tuesday, July15, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at E. J. Field‐ing FuneralHome, 2260 West21st Avenue,Coving‐ton,Louisiana.Relatives, friends,and employees of Shavers-Whittle Construc‐tion, LLCare also invitedto attend thefuneral mass on Wednesday,July16, 2025 at11:00 a.m. at E. J. Field‐ing FuneralHomewithvisi‐tationbeginning at 9:00 a.m.Interment will follow inMandevilleCityCeme‐tery, 1609 Montgomery Street,Mandeville, Louisiana.E.J.FieldingFu‐neral Home of Covington, Louisiana,ishonored to be entrusted with Mrs. Whit‐tle’s funeralarrangements. Her familyinvites youto share thoughts,memories, and condolencesbysign‐ing an online guestbookat www.ejfieldingfh.com

Whittle, ConnieBarrois

Anderson’s case to go No.1

MLBscoutsweigh in on LSUleft-hander

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Scott Servais knows what abigleague pitcher looks like

As the manager of the Seattle Mariners for nine seasons and as acatcher in the major leagues for 11, what he saw on April3 was a performance worthy of the highest level of baseball. Complete game shutouts are rare, especially inan era of baseball when starters don’t go as long and relief pitchers are asked to pick up the slack Servais wasn’tatanMLB game. Paul Skenes, Tarik SkubalorLogan Gilbert —his ace pitcher in Seattle —wasn’tonthe mound.

Servais was in Norman, Oklahoma, watching asophomore left-handed pitcher fromLSU by thenameof Kade Anderson.

“He (Servais) said that was, if not the most,one of the most impressive pitching performances he’sseen at any level,” said one scout who also attended that game and spoketoThe Advocate on the condition of anonymity. “I think that said alot to me.”

Thekid who dazzled Servais on that cold andwindy night —strikingout 14 batters in theshutout against Oklahoma —has achance to become the No.1overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday (5 p.m., ESPN). If selected by the Washington Nationals,Anderson would becomethe second LSU playerpicked No. 1inthree years.

“His next pitch should be for someplace in the Washington Na-

ä MLB draft rounds 1-3, 5P.M.SUNDAy,ESPN

tionals organization. It’s notclose,” LSUcoach Jay Johnson said. “And they usually draft really well. And he’sthe best player in thecountry There’snobody closer to the major leagues than that right now.”

Anderson’s pathwasn’taconventional one. He underwent Tommy John surgery during his junior year of high school, which wiped out his senior season.Instead of signing aseven-figuredealwithan MLBclub out of high school, the injury set him on acourse for at least two seasons in Baton Rouge. Anderson showed potentialin his freshman year withthe Tigers. He had a13-strikeout performance against Southeastern Louisiana before finishing the year with59

punch-outs anda 3.99 ERAin381/3 innings.

Another scoutwho sawAnderson during an intrasquadscrimmage before hisfreshmanyear believed then that he wasa firstround player

“I didn’tsee him in high school. Didn’tknow he had Tommy John yet. At that point,I was just like, well, this is an easy first-rounder,” said thesecond scout, on condition of anonymity.“But to me,Ijust saw four pitches and theability of command andhow easyofan operation he did it, and you’re still projecting on thebody

“So Imean,thatone was really kind of ano-brainer.”

Anderson built upon his promising freshman campaign with an historic sophomore season. He led

TOEING THELINE

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

The New Orleans Saints took twodifferentapproacheswhen addressing their defensive line this offseason

For the edge group, New Orleans fo-

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer

LONDON For years, Iga Swiatekneverfelt comfortable on Wimbledon’sgrass courts, never thought she could add atrophy there to her other Grand Slam triumphs. Oh, did that turn out to be wrong. NotonlyisSwiatek nowthe champion of the All England Club, she did it witha 6-0, 6-0 victory over Amanda Anisimova on Saturday in the firstwomen’s final at the tournament in 114 yearsinwhich one player failed to claim asinglegame.

“It seems,” said Swiatek, a 24-year-old from Poland who is now 6-0 in major title matches, “super surreal.”

That’salso agood waytodescribe the way things unfolded at asunny,breezy Centre Court against the 13th-seededAnisimova, a23-year-oldAmerican in her first Grand Slam final.

cused on retaining itsown. The Saints re-signed ChaseYoung to athree-year, $51 million contract. Andthe team also brought back Cam Jordan on areworked contract for a15th season.

The interior of theline, meanwhile, underwent amorefundamental change.

“I was abit frozen there,with my nerves. Maybe the last two weeks Igot abit tired or something,” said Anisimova, who skipped practice Friday because of fatigue and felt pain in her right shoulder while warming up before the match. “It was a bit tough to digest, obviously,especially during andright after.I was alittle bitinshock.”

The whole thing took just 57 minutes. The previous 6-0, 6-0 Wimbledonwomen’s finalwas all theway back in 1911.

“Honestly,Ididn’teven dream (of this), because for me, it wasjust, like,way toofar,you know?” Swiateksaid.

Maybe, Swiatek said, the lower expectations she and plenty of other people heldfor her at Wimbledon helped. For once, she wasn’tthe top seed.Her name was not listed by many among thetitle contenders.

“I couldreally focus on getting better and developing as a

Though the Saints also brought back starting defensive tackles Khalen Saunders andNathan Shepherd on reworked deals, NewOrleans traded forDavon Godchaux and drafted third-rounder

See SAINTS, page 3C

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy

LSUstarting pitcher Kade Anderson pitches in the CollegeWorld Series against the Arkansas Razorbacks on June 14 at CharlesSchwab Field in Omaha, Neb

Saints musical celebrates family, football

The anthology of New Orleans Saints tributes is an extensive one.

Over the years, the team has been celebrated in literature and song, and just as often in film and documentary format.

Now, the canon of tributes has anew addition: amusical.

Jeff Duncan

“Our City of Saints,” acelebration of New Orleanians’ love affair with the Saints, will debut next month during athree-day run (Aug. 29-31) at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center in Metairie.

The brainchild of Paul Soniat, aveteran New Orleans songwriter and lifelong Saints fan, the twohour show is atribute to the symbiotic relationship between the city and its wonderfully idiosyncratic NFLteam.

“It’sagreat story,” Soniat said. “There are somesad parts, some funny parts and someemotional parts, just like living in NewOrleans.”

“Our City of Saints” is atrue homegrownproduction. Chalmette native Scarlett Saizan-Lancon is making her main-stage directorial debut with the show.Her longtimefriend, Aleen LeBoeuf, wrote the script.

LeBoeuf’s story followsthe lifeof Henry Sinclair,aNew Orleans native and diehard Saints fan, as he navigates the journey from youth to adulthood while traversing the emotional peaks and valleys of Saints fandom along the way

As the subtitle —“Where Faith, Family and Football Keep the Spirit Alive” —suggests, the show is less about football than it is about the powerful familial and cultural bonds the sport engenders, particularly in provincial Southern towns like New Orleans.

“It’sastory about family and community and this city that we all know and love,” said LeBoeuf, whohoned her script-writing skills during her teaching tenure at Chalmette High, where she taught theater.“It’s what we do here. We love each other and take care of each other.And when our boys (the Saints) lose, we stick with them and pick them up and rally behind them.”

“It’spure New Orleans,” added Dennis Assaf,the founder and artistic director of the Performing Arts Center Nineteen of Soniat’soriginal songs highlight the show,accompanied by ascore arranged by veteran Baton Rouge composer Mike Esneault, atwotimeEmmy Award winner

The audience also will be treated to appearances from afew familiar faces. Superdomepublic-address

SCHEINUK

STAFF FILEPHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints defensivetackle Vernon Broughton smiles after falling down while performing adrill during rookieminicamp on May10.

2:30

2

6

Cardinals 3-time Pro Bowl

left tackle Sharpe, 65, dies

TEMPE,Ariz. — Luis Sharpe, a threetime Pro Bowl selection at left tackle for the Cardinals during the franchise’s time in both St. Louis and Arizona, has died. He was 65.

The Cardinals confirmed Sharpe’s death through his family, a team spokesman said Saturday Sharpe’s wife, Tameka WilliamsSharpe, also posted about her husband’s death on social media.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Sharpe played all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Cardinals, spanning from 1982 to 1994. He made three straight Pro Bowls from 1987-89 and was a second-team All-Pro selection in 1988 and 1990.

WIMBLEDON

Tennis’ ‘Big 2’ meet again

Alcaraz, Sinner play for singles championship in replay of French Open

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer

LONDON It’s fitting that the Wimbledon final

between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on Sunday represents the first time the same two men meet for that title right after playing for the French Open trophy since a couple of guys named Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal did so every year from 2006-08.

That’s because the only real competition the No. 1-ranked Sinner and the No. 2-ranked Alcaraz face at the moment comes from each other not anyone else currently on the men’s tennis tour — and the only comparisons that feel somewhat appropriate come by measuring them against the greatness of the Big Three.

Let’s be clear: It’s too early to put Alcaraz or Sinner in a class with Federer and Nadal — each retired with at least 20 Grand Slam titles or Novak Djokovic, who is still going at age 38 with 24 majors. But as Djokovic himself put it: “We know they’re the dominant force right now.”

Major force

They have combined to win the past six majors, a streak that will grow to seven on Sunday Go further back, and it’ll be nine of the past 12 Slams (the others in that span went to Djokovic). Alcaraz, a 22-year-old from Spain, already owns five such trophies; Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy, has three. Their combined age is the lowest for Wimbledon men’s finalists since Federer, just shy of 25, faced Nadal, 20, in 2006.

“We are still really young So I just hope (we) keep doing the right things for, I don’t know the next, I don’t know five, 10 years,” Alcaraz said, “just to (put) our rivalry (on) the same table as those players.” Alcaraz on a roll

He is on a 24-match unbeaten run currently, plus has won 20 in a row at Wimbledon as he pursues a third consecutive title.

Sinner is participating in his fourth consecutive major final, including victories at the U.S. Open and the Australian Open.

“The anticipation for this final is big, is amazing,” Djokovic said.

Alcaraz vs. Sinner demands attention.

When Alcaraz fought back from a two-set deficit and erased three championship points to defeat Sinner in five sets spread across 5 hours, 29 minutes at Roland-Garros last month, there were immediate comparisons to what many consider the greatest men’s tennis match ever: Nadal’s win over Federer in five sets at the All England Club in 2008.

Good for tennis

“It’s good for the sport,” said Sinner, who

TENNIS

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produce merely 10 winners. Anisimova was shaky from the start, put only 33% of her first serves in during the first set and finished with 28 unforced errors

Certainly the pressure she was under from Swiatek’s near-perfect play was a factor Swiatek delivered serves at up to 121 mph, got 78% of her first serves in and used deep groundstrokes to grab 16 of the 20 points that lasted five shots or more.

“She definitely made it difficult for me,” Anisimova said. Swiatek already owned four titles from the French Open’s red clay and one from the U.S Open’s hard courts, but this is the first one of her professional career at any grass-court tournament. She is the eighth consecutive first-time women’s champion at Wimbledon, but this stands out because of just how stunningly dominant it was.

OF THE TAPE

said his right elbow that was hurt in a fall in the fourth round and was covered by tape and an arm sleeve in his semifinal victory over Djokovic won’t be an issue Sunday “The more rivalries we have from now on, the better it is, because people want to see young players going against each other.”

Like Federer and Nadal, these two go about winning differently

Sinner boasts metronomic precision with his pure and powerful groundstrokes generated by his long limbs, force-blunting returns and a serve that might be the most dangerous on tour Alcaraz is a master of creativity and ver-

Anisimova won her first-round match less than two weeks ago by a 6-0, 6-0 score and eliminated No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals, but she never looked like the same player this time. Not at all. When it was over, Anisimova sat on the sideline crying, while Swiatek climbed into the stands to celebrate with her team.

Swiatek was the Wimbledon junior champion as a teen in 2018 but never had been past the quarterfinals on the All England Club’s grass as a pro. Her only other final on the slick surface came when she was the runner-up at a tuneup event in Germany right before Wimbledon began Swiatek spent most of 2022, 2023 and 2024 at No. 1 in the WTA rankings but was seeded No. 8 at Wimbledon. She served a onemonth doping ban last year after failing an out-of-competition drug test; an investigation determined she was inadvertently exposed to a contaminated medical product used for trouble sleeping and jet lag.

satility with speed to spare, able to hammer shots from the baseline or charge the net or end a point with a well-disguised drop shot.

“They bring out the best in each other It’s going to come down to just the big moments.

It’s so tough to call it,” said Taylor Fritz, the runner-up to Sinner at Flushing Meadows and beaten by Alcaraz on Friday. “They both generate a lot of just raw power. But I think for me, it’s a little more uncomfortable to play Carlos, just because of the unpredictability of what he’s going to do.”

Will the French Open matter?

How will what happened in Paris just five weeks ago affect things?

Will Alcaraz carry extra confidence from his fifth straight win over Sinner? Will Sinner bear a mental burden from the way he let one get away or figure out what went wrong and correct it?

Alcaraz doesn’t think that loss will affect Sinner this time.

Sinner said he rested and relaxed for a couple of days following that setback, eating barbecued food with family and playing pingpong with friends, before getting back to business. If he truly were devastated, he argued, he wouldn’t have reached his first Wimbledon final so soon after

“Let’s hope it’s another beautiful match played at a very high level,” Sinner said, “and may the best man win.”

Anisimova was a semifinalist at age 17 at the 2019 French Open; her father died shortly after On Saturday Anisimova’s mother arrived in England for a rare chance to be at one of her daughter’s matches.

“My mom is the most selfless person I know, and she’s done everything to get me to this point in my life,” Anisimova said through tears, then spoke to her mother directly, saying: “Thank you for being here and breaking the superstition of flying in.”

And then, with a chuckle, Anisimova added: “It’s definitely not why I lost today.” She took time away from the tour a little more than two years ago because of burnout. A year ago, she tried to qualify for Wimbledon, because her ranking of 189th was too low to get into the field automatically but lost in the preliminary event. On Monday, she’ll be ranked in the top 10. “I wish,” Anisimova told the crowd, “that I could put on a better performance for all of you.”

Sharpe was born in Havana and played in college at UCLA. He started all 189 games he played in the NFL.

Atkins, Reese, Cardoso lift Sky to victory against Lynx CHICAGO Ariel Atkins scored 27 points, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso each had a double-double and the Chicago Sky beat the Minnesota Lynx 87-81 on Saturday Reese had 19 points and 11 rebounds — her eighth consecutive double-double and 14th of the season and Cardoso finished with 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Rachel Banham hit three 3-pointers and finished with 12 points for the Sky Napheesa Collier hit a 3 that made it 82-79 with 2:42 to play but Atkins answered with a pullup jumper and the Lynx got no closer Chicago (7-13), which is 1-10 this season against teams that are .500 or better, has won back-to-back games for just the second time this season.

Reds OF Fraley will try to finish year with torn labrum CINCINNATI Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jake Fraley was activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday

The former LSU star had injured his right shoulder while trying to make a diving catch June 23 against the New York Yankees. An MRI revealed a partially torn labrum that will eventually require surgery Fraley received a cortisone shot and will try to play through it for the rest of the season.

The Reds were 7-4 in his absence.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who hasn’t played since Noelvi Marte returned from the IL on July 4, was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.

Red Sox RHP Dobbins out for season with torn ACL BOSTON Red Sox right-hander Hunter Dobbins said on Saturday he knew his season was probably over when he felt a familiar feeling in his knee.

He was right. Dobbins was diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, his second ACL tear in his right knee.

Dobbins tore the same ACL playing high school football.

Covering first base in the second inning of Boston’s 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, the 25-year-old Dobbins stepped awkwardly and limped after recording an out by making a catch on a throw from first baseman Abraham Toro.

Dobbins took one warm-up toss before manager Alex Cora stopped him from attempting any more.

Milan’s late attack nets stage win at Tour de France LAVAL, France Italian rider Jonathan Milan timed his attack perfectly to win the eighth stage of the Tour de France in a sprint finish on Saturday Milan overtook Australian Kaden Groves on his left and held off Belgian rider Wout van Aert to beat him by about half a bike length. Milan won Olympic gold with Italy in team pursuit at the 2021 Tokyo Games and this was his first Tour stage win to go with four on the Giro d’Italia.

Reigning champion Tadej Pogacar kept the yellow jersey after finishing in the main pack.

After Friday’s tough grind,

AP PHOTO By BEN WHITLEy

Kate, the princess of Wales, presents the Venus Rosewater Dish to Iga Swiatek after her Wimbledon victory Saturday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By THIBAULT CAMUS

Winner Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, right, and Jannik Sinner of Italy hug after the French Open final on June 8 in Paris. The two players have combined to win the past six Grand Slam tournaments.

Sweden lookstoshedlabel of bridesmaid

BY DANIELLA MATAR AP sports writer

ZURICH Sweden put down a statement 4-1 win overGermany at the Women’sEuropean ChampionshiponSaturday and secured a potentially easier route to the final.

This couldbethe yearSweden shakesoff itsbridesmaid reputation

Sweden won the first Women’s Euros in 1984 and has finished as runner-up three times since then. In coach Peter Gerhardsson’s eight-year tenure, Sweden was twice aWorld Cup semifinalist, took the silver medal at theTokyo Olympics and reached the Euro 2022 semifinals.

“We’ve always been doing good in the tournaments before but never gone all the way,” midfielder

Johanna Rytting Kanerydsaid. “I have areally good feelingand you can see that in the squad, its just something different this year.” Record eight-time champion Germany wasdominated, and Sweden’stask was made easier after German forward Carlotta Wamser was sent off —barelyhalf an hour

DUNCAN

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announcer Mark Romig serves as the emcee, moving the show from scene to scene. Legendary Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert appears in ashort, recorded segment. Leroy“Whistle Monsta” Mitchell and other superfans will make cameo appearances.

“This project is the first time that songs and narrative come together to tell the story of the strong bond between acity and their football team,” said Soniat, who will make his acting debut as the older of the three Henry Sinclair characters. “It’snice for New Orleans to be first in something positive.” Soniat speaks from experience. He was born and raised in New Orleans’ Uptown neighborhood, not far from Tulane Stadium, where the Saints played their first eight seasons.He used money from grass-cut-

SAINTS

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Vernon Broughton. Those two moves, in particular, account for the differences in scheme under new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley Together,the Saints hope to get more out of the line that underwhelmed last season.

The Saintsranked21stin quarterback pressure percentage and 20th in sacks with 39 —and only 28 of those came from the defensive line. They were even worse against the run, allowing the second-mostrushingyardsper game andthe second-most rushing yards per play

Best case

Start with the investment the Saints made toward stopping the run. If that happens, the defensive lineshould be significantly better thanit was last year Besides the obvious need to cut down on the amount of yardagegiven up on the ground, stopping the run could helpput the defense in more favorable situations on third down. Last year, the Saints faced an average third-down distance of 7.1 yards —good for around league average (17th). That’s not terrible, but New Orleans then generated pressure on only 35.6% of its third downs.That was the thirdworst rate in theleague. In general, the Saints need more out of their pass rush. That area improved over thelast eight games of the season, when then-interim coach Darren Rizzi had Brian Young oversee the defensive line rather than Todd Grantham. In that span, the Saints had 20 sacks after registering19inthe first nine outings. Young wasretained on staff when Kellen

MARTIN MEISSNER

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By

Sweden’sSmilla Holmberg,right, celebrates after scoringher second goal during the Women’sEuro 2025 Group Cmatchbetween Sweden and GermanyatStadion Letzigrund on SaturdayinZurich.

in —for swattingaball away from thegoal-linewith herarm

By that pointSweden was up 2-1after goals from Stina Blackstenius and teenager Smilla Holmberg canceled JuleBrand’searly opener for Germany

Fridolina Rolfö calmly slotted thepenalty after Wamser’sred

tingjobstobuy season tickets, which,inthose days, sold for $1.50 aseat.Heattended the team’sinaugural game in 1967, when John Gilliam famously returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.

“Everyone was aSaints fan back thenand excited about the games,” said Soniat, aDeLaSalle High School and ULgraduate.

“Unfortunately,the Saints didn’twin alot back then. The halftime showswere more fun than the games.”

The years have blurred the memories from the games, but the nostalgia from thosemagical Sunday afternoons remains stronger than ever.That sentiment is infused throughout Soniat’s catalog of songs, among them:“All Saints Day”; “Dark Days”; “A Girl from Kenna”; “Sweet Monday”; “Back Home in the Dome”; and“Sweet Brees.”

Fittingly, “WeAre One Town”closes the show, its clever lyrics celebrating the unifying powerof

cardand substitute Lina Hurtig wrapped up thescoring to cap amiserable night for Germany, which conceded four goals for the first time in any Euromatch, including qualifiers.

It also was thefirst time Sweden beat Germany at the Euros and ensured it topped Group Cwith

Saintsfootball: “Living our days, in separateways (But) we are one town,one town when the Saints come around. The haves and the have nots, criminals and cops, republican and democrats,uptown anddowntown yats, we are one, one town when the Saints are around.”

“Our City of Saints” will debut on the20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, acoincidence Assaf said he hopeswill bolsterthe emotion of the performance. Organizers hope to make the show an annual affair to kick off football season.

“I really think this show is going to appeal to alot of different people, not just football fans,” Saizan-Lancon said. “I’m terrified, and Ialways say,when you’re scared, you’re on the brink of something amazing. It’s going to be something beautiful.”

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate. com.

DEPTH CHART

Moore was hired, although JayRodgers now coaches the team’sedge rushers and Brian Daviscoaches thedefensive line. If this season goes right for the line, it’ll likely be because the Saints found more consistency inthat regard. NewOrleanshasn’thad a rusher earn double-digit sacks since Jordan in 2021. Thebest person to break that streak this year might be Chase Young —who, despite recordingonly 51/2 sacks in 2024, ranked sixth in quarterback pressures with 73.

If Young can just convert more of those into sacks and granted,that’sbeen the knockonhim for most of his career —then theline will be better off for it.

Worstcase Whenever there’sa scheme change implemented, it can take at least ayear for the coaching staff to find theright pieces for its defense. That might be the case for New Orleans this year Even with ChaseYoung’s re-signing, theSaintsdon’t

have aton of star power on theedge. The team chose to take offensive tackleKelvin Banks in thefirst round instead of an edge rushersuch as Jalon Walker or Mykel Williams. The Saints prioritized the offensive line, and while that’scertainly reasonable, it could come at acost on defense.

The worst-case scenariois that, in additiontothe potential lack of pressure fromthe edge,the changes intended to stop therun don’twork, either.The interioriscrowded right now.And though that should be sorted outintrainingcamp, there’sapossibility the Saintsare still searching for aviable rundefender over the course of the season, andplayers suchas Breseeand Broughton don’t make as much of an impact as theteam would hope Apredictionin 10 wordsorless Saintsmake strides but still draft edge rushernext year

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.

maximum points and avoided the possibility of facing WorldCup champion and Euro 2025 favorite Spain in the semifinals.

Sweden will face therunner-up of Group Dinthe quarterfinals,with Germany facing the team that tops that group. That will be France, England or the Netherlands.

“Wewanted to finish first in the group, so nowwehave to analyse thatwith the players, but don’tforget we were outnumbered for60 minutes,”Germany coach ChristianWück said. “Weare downat themoment but we will shake that offand we areveryhappy to play thequarterfinals, no matter who theopponents are.”

Germany and Sweden already hadqualifiedfor the knockout stagesbut their match was decisive for thetop spot in the group, with adraw being enough for Sweden thanks to abetter goal difference.

There werefourgood chances in the opening five minutes, and Germany took the lead in the seventh when Brand ran ontoasmart throughball from Wamser and fired in.

It was the first goal Sweden con-

The ‘Our CityofSaints musicalwill makeathreedayrun at the Jefferson PerformingArtsCenter in Metairie on Aug. 29-31. The showfeatures 19 original songs by NewOrleans songwriter Paul Soniat.

ceded in thetournament but it recovered fromthatsetback just five minutes later.Arapidcounterattack saw Blackstenius collect the ball near the halfway line and race intothe area before slottingcalmly past Ann-Katrin Berger POLAND 3, DENMARK 2:InLucerne, Switzerland, Natalia Padilla scored one goal and set up the others for Poland’sfirst-ever Women’sEuropean Championship winbydefeating Denmark. Poland is appearing in the tournament for the first timeand the Spanish-born Padilla got the country’sfirst-ever goal when she opened the scoring in the 13th minute, pouncing on arebound to firepast Maja Bay Østergaardafter Ewa Pajor’sinitial effort was blocked at the right post. “Wewaited along time forit,” Poland coach Nina Patalon told UEFA.“We wanted to score that one goal, and we scored three. Today Iamsoproud of my girls and just so, so happy.” Padilla followed her goal by crossing forPajor to head in the second in the 20th.

COURTESy OF JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Former NewOrleans Saints quarterback BobbyHebert, left, poses foraphoto with director Scarlett Saizan-Lancon, center,and Superdome public address announcer Mark Romig.All are partofthe ‘Our City of Saints’ musical.

VanGisbergen mastershitting brakes

BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racing writer

SONOMA, Calif. Shane van Gis-

bergenprovedinhis NASCAR debut to be an elite roadand street courseracer bywinning in his first career outing.

Twoyears later,his rivals have gotten agoodlook at theNew Zealander’stechnique and have declared him the favorite to win Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.He will startfrom the pole for the second consecutive weekand third time in five races.

“It’spretty awesome. We’ve had areally cool couple of weeks,” the Trackhouse Racing driver said

“It’ssocoolhow stoked everyone is and you feel the energy in the shop when you walk in. It’sjust a cool atmosphere in the shop, everyone is lifted up.”

VanGisbergen is on atwo-race winning streak on the specialty courses after victories on the road course in Mexico City (where he won by 16.6 seconds from the pole) and last Sunday on the streets of Chicago (again from the pole). He has five consecutive finishes of seventh or higher dating back to Watkins Glen International last September

“He’ssogood and it’srare that you see somebody stand out like that and distance himself from the competition,” said Kyle Larson, last year’swinner at Sonoma.

“He’sway,way,way better than us at the road course stuff.”

The secret, his rivals have learned, is atoe-heel braking technique that none of them can master

“If Itried to learn what he’sdoing, it would take me until Iretire,” Kyle Busch said.

Added Larson: “You can’tteach an old dog new tricks. There’szero chance Ican learn how to dothat.”

VanGisbergen, whowon at Sonoma in his Xfinity Series debut last year and started from the pole Saturday in that race, will be making his Cup debut Sunday on

Shane vanGisbergendrives to VictoryLaneafter winning aNASCARCup Series auto race at the Grant Park 165 on July 6inChicago.

ä ToyotaSaveMart350. 2:30 P.M.

SUNDAy,TNT SPORTS

the picturesquetrack in Northern California’swine country

He is beatable, said Denny Hamlin, but it won’tbeeasyfor any drivertostopvan Gisbergen’s dominance.

“I think you are going to need things to not go hisway,and then someone is going to have toreally hitit,”Hamlinsaid. “That, to me,is probably going to be challenging. Cautions could turn things upside down. He is beatable, on speed alone, but Iwould say outright pace?No.”

In addition to the way van Gisbergen brakes, Hamlin commended the waythe Kiwi approaches

Chevrolet, 95.161. 14. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford,95.047.

thecourses.

“His approach tohow he attacks certain corners seems to be the thingwhere we’re morereactive,” Hamlin said. “I’m more reactive to

McIlroystartingtofind footingatScottishOpen

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland Masters

champion Rory McIlroy took another step toward emerging out of the doldrums with two big shots at the end of his round Saturday that led to a4-under 66 that gave hima share of the lead with Chris Gotterup in the ScottishOpen.

McIlroy kept in range of Gotterup on another gorgeous day of sunshinealong the Firth of Forth, then came into everyone’sview in the middle of the back nine at The Renaissance Club.

After a15-foot birdie on the par-314th, his shot from agreenside pot bunker hit the pinfor a tap-in par to keep his momentum. McIlroy was in trouble again on thepar-5 16th; in just ahorrible lie he could advance it only some 70 yards. With the wind at his back and wispy grass beneath the golf ball,hehit sand wedge from 173 yards to 10 feet for birdie.

Twoclosing pars put him at 11-under 199. That was enough to catch Gotterup, abig athlete with big power who had gone 34 holes without abogey until the second hole Saturday.Hefell into atie with athree-putt from 60 feet for bogey on the 14th and failedto birdie the 16th.

Gotterup, who tied thecourse record with a61onFriday,had to settle for a70. He will be in the last group with McIlroy

“I think I’m prettyclosetobeing backtothe levelIwas at going into the Masters,” McIlroy said. “I think I’ve hada little bit of alull, which Ifeel is understandable. So I’m justgetting back to the level that Iknow that Ican play at.” Wyndham Clark had a66and will join McIlroy and Gotterup in the final group. Teetimes are being moved up slightly to account for aforecast of heavy fog, which threatened to move in at various times Saturday but stayed offshore Clark was at 9-under 201 along with Jake Knapp, who forthe longest time was the closestchallenger to Gotterup until awild finishof birdies on the closing par 3s and bogeys on the other holes for a68.

Matt Fitzpatrick and Marco Penge also were at 201, with both

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MALCOLMMACKENZIE

Rory McIlroyofNorthernIreland tees off at the Scottish Open on SaturdayatThe Renaissance Club in NorthBerwick, Scotland

English players postinga69. Gotterup and Knapp also are in prime position to extend their stay of links golf. Theleading three players notyet eligible will earn a spot at Royal Portrush next week for theBritish Open.

McIlroy hasn’tlooked thesame since the greatest day of his career that Sunday at Augusta National, where hewon aplayoff to finally claimthe Mastersgreen jacket andjoined the exclusive group of five other players with the career GrandSlam. He has not seriously come close to winning since then. He arrived in Scotland off atwo-week break anddescribed his game at 80%.

McIlroy had few complaints aboutitafter Saturday

“Even though Iscored better yesterday (a 65),Ifeel like I played my best golf of theweek today,” McIlroy said.

Gotterup,for thelongest time, lookedcollectedonSaturday After arough start, including a

bogey from afairway bunker on thesecond hole, Gotterup drove into abunker on the short par-4 fifththat led to bogey,and then nearly hadahole-in-one on the par-3sixth with ashotthatlipped out of the cup. Butthat was the last of his birdies. He failed to convert on thetwo par 5s on the back nine. He ran out of par-saving putts when he threeputted the14th. Buthe’sstill there with achance to add to his Myrtle Beach Classic title he won last year “I’m pleased, but definitely feel like Ileft one or two out there that would have been important,”Gotterup said.“After 61, it doesn’t feel as easy.I hung in there tough and put myself in agood spotgoing into tomorrow

“I knowwhat I’m capable of. I’ve won before —obviously differenttournament. So Iknowwhat it takes. It’sgoing to take agood round for sure, and I’m going to go give it my best.”

er,hethenrefineshis technique and goes even faster.”

No apologyoffered

Joey Logano had little to offer on his current feud with Ross Chastain. It heated up last weekatChicagowhenChastain spun Logano in aretaliatory movethat sent Logano to NASCAR to demand punishment foradeliberate action.

NASCAR did not penalizeChastain, andthe twodrivers havenot spoken since Sunday’spostrace confrontation.

“Wehaven’t talked,” Logano said Saturday.“It is what it is.”

Logano didn’twant to talk about Chastain, anyway

“He made his choices. I’m just going to go race my car,” Logano said. As forChastain? He maintained that “there’s threesidestoevery story.”

“I think that alot of people were allrunning into each other for the last couple of laps,” Chastain said. “That’swhat Isaw.”

Bubbaand Bowman

Bubba Wallace tried to fix his frayed relationship with Alex Bowman as soon as they arrived in California earlier this week.

15. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet,95.003. 16. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 94.967.

17. (8)Kyle Busch,Chevrolet,94.919.

18. (42) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, 94.866.

19. (99) DanielSuárez, Chevrolet, 94.808.

20. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford,94.776.

21. (6)BradKeselowski, Ford,94.732.

22. (22) Joey Logano, Ford,94.726.

23. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 94.679.

24. (2)AustinCindric, Ford,94.594.

25. (21) Josh Berry,Ford, 94.467.

26. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet,94.222.

27. (41) Cole Custer, Ford,94.112.

28. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 93.949.

29. (7)JustinHaley,Chevrolet,93.929.

30. (23) BubbaWallace, Toyota, 93.923.

31. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 93.896.

32. (4)Noah Gragson, Ford,93.894.

33. (3)AustinDillon, Chevrolet, 93.695.

34. (47) Ricky StenhouseJr, Chevrolet, 93.497.

35. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford,93.364.

36. (51) Cody Ware,Ford, 92.465.

37. (78) KatherineLegge,Chevrolet, .000.

seeing how someone approaches a corner to go fast. He’s proactive andknowshow to approach it, so he’s betterand faster before Iam. Andbythe timeIstart to get clos-

The two had an incident at Chicagofor thesecondconsecutive year and have had other run-ins in the past. After the latest dustup, Bowman expressed surprise that the twowere still having issues.

“I thought we had squashed our beef, but clearlywehave not,” Bowman said in Chicago.

To prove to Bowmanthat they had moved on, Wallace said he saw Bowman in aNapa Valley restaurant, approached him from behind andwrapped him in abear hug. He laterpaidfor Bowman’s dinner.

“I toldhim Imessed up likean idiot,” Wallace said of his driving at Chicago. “I apologized. Iwas downfor acouple days about it. So Ibought him ameal. It felt right.”

Tennis lovers sharelead at EvianChampionship

The Associated Press EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France Golf wasn’tthe first love of Cara Gainer or Gabriela Ruffels, whogrew up wanting to be professional tennis players andcame closeto making it.

Now they’re in sight of becoming an unlikely major winner in their adopted sport.

Gainer,a No. 129-rankedEnglishwoman, andRuffels, a71strankedAustralian,will be in the finalgroup at theEvianChampionship on Sunday after powering through the fieldinthe third round of the fourth major of the year in women’s golf On aglorious Saturday at Evian Resort Golf Club, Gainer shot 7-under 64 to move to 11 under for the week and was soon joined in theleadbyRuffels,who shot 66

They’ve got plenty of high-quality company on the leaderboard.

No. 6-rankedMinjee Lee, the recent winner of theWomen’s PGA Championship, shot 66 and was astroke off the co-leaders in herbid to become thefirstwoman sinceInbee Park in 2013 to capture back-to-back major titles. No. 2-ranked Jeeno Thitikul (67), whohas yettowin amajor, was tied at 10 under with Lee, along with second-round leader Somi Lee (71) and Grace Kim (70).

They’ll all be applying pressure on Gainer and Ruffels, whohave kept akeen eye on the Wimble-

dontennis championships taking place this week and finished their third rounds just before the start of the women’ssingles final between Amanda Anisimova and IgaSwiatek.

“Tennis was, Iguess, my first love,” said the29-year-old Gainer,who tried her hand at golf for the first timeatthe age of 14 and quickly became ascratch handicapper.“Idostill really enjoy it. Idon’treally play anymore but I love to watch it. Obviously,Wimbledon is on this week so that’s my evening.”

Like Gainer, Ruffels had atennis coach —and former player —for afather.Ray Ruffels was athree-time Australian Open singles semifinalist, and he reached the Wimbledonand U.S. Open mixed doublesfinals withBillie Jean King in 1978.

Gabriela Ruffels wassogood —asthe No. 1juniorinAustralia— thatshe wonmanyITF junior events in Europe, but she also turned to golf around the age of 14 and wasthe U.S. Women’s Amateur champion in 2019. Before coming to the French Alps,she stoppedoff at Wimbledon with her boyfriend as aguest of retired Australian doubles great Todd Woodbridge.

“It was such acool experience,” the 25-year-old Ruffels said. “It was great to relax and not touch the clubs for afew days and getoverjet lag. Seems to have worked this week.”

ASSOCISATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIN HOOLEy

MAJOR LEAGUEBASEBALL

Multiple choices

BY DAVID BRANDT AP baseball writer

The WashingtonNationals are at apivotal pointintheir rebuild to relevance, owning the No. 1overall pick in Major League Baseball’s amateurdraft that begins Sunday night in Atlanta.

Thereare multiple intriguing prospects they can choose from, including prep shortstop Ethan Holliday,the son of seven-time AllStar Matt Hollidayand brother of Jackson Holliday,the No. 1overall pick in 2022 and is now in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles. But, Washington lastSunday fired longtime general manager MikeRizzo and managerDave Martinez.

Bold choice.

The Nats’ peculiar move— more for the timing than the actual decision —injected another layer of uncertainty to adraft that might be one of the most unpredictable in recent years. The first three rounds of the 20-round draft will take place on Sunday with the rest of the selections on Monday WashingtonpromotedMikeDeBartolo to interim general manager,and he’ll supervise the team’s selections. He was previously the team’sassistant general manager and has been with the franchise since 2012.

DeBartolosaid he’llleanonthe evaluations of the team’sscouting department butalsohas hisown opinionsabout the process and will be the decision-maker.Money will also be afactor,asteams have to work within their bonus pool.

The Orioles are at thehighend this year with more than $19 million to spend. The Yankees —who don’tpick until No. 39 —are at the bottom

ANDERSON

Continued from page1C

LSU to its eighth national championship in June, tossing another complete game shutout in Game 1ofthe College World Seriesfinal against Coastal Carolinaina1-0 victory

He finished the season with a3.18 ERA in 19 starts, striking out 180 batters in 119 innings. Only Skenes and Ben McDonald have recorded more strikeouts in asingleseason in LSU history

“He’sdone everything afirstround pick —ahigh first-round pick —needs to do to go there,” the second scout said.

Anderson made afew obvious improvements to hisgame heading into his sophomore season, most notably adding aslider to his repertoire. The new weapon diversified an arsenal that already includeda strong fastball, changeup and curveball.

With four plus pitches, Anderson became more nasty against hitters on either side of the plate. Andhis ability to throw each offering for astrike made him an even rarer commodity in the eyes of scouts.

“Pretty much anyone that’s throwing four plus pitches for strikes is in the big leagues al-

with roughly $5.3 million.

“They’ve been working hard for this moment, almost even before the last draftended,” DeBartolo said. “So, I’ll bring my own voice to thatprocess, and I’ll work collaboratively with them,and take what they have to say and ultimately be responsible formaking the picks.”

Thereislittle consensus about whom the Nats might select at No. 1, though someofthe topprospects are apair of left-handed pitchers —LSU’sKade Anderson and Tennessee’sLiam Doyle —along with Oregon Stateshortstop Aiva Arquette and prep shortstops Holliday and Eli Willits.

“There areseveral reallytalented players that are going to be in the mix for us,” DeBartolo said.

“Wehave to decide how to strategize with our bonus pool money and what theplayer bonus pool demands are andrun through all thosescenarios over the coming days.”

After theNationals, theLos Angeles Angels have theNo. 2selection. TheSeattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies and St.Louis Cardinals round outthe top five.

ready,” athird scoutsaidonthe condition of anonymity.“So to see aguy doing it in college,it’salmost funny.It’slike, ‘Oh,thisguy’sjust way better than his peers.’“ What allows Anderson to command theball consistently is his simpleand repeatable delivery.

He’s agood athlete who arrived at LSUasatwo-way player,atrait scoutssee in his approach on the mound.

“The easethat he (threw the ball), it was kind of like a(Tom Glavine),” the second scout said.

“The names that startpopping in your head when you see him. It’s justlike,OK, those are all the right namestobecompared to.” Anderson’sdelivery is what a fourthscout saw him improve uponbythe endofthe season.

“I remember that gameinBaton Rouge (against Missouri), he was kind of fighting his delivery at two differentpointsinthe game,” the fourthscout said under the condition of anonymity.“Andthen when Isaw himagain in the SEC Tournament,itwas likehemaybe fell out of rhythm three or four pitches the entire start and they were spaced out.

“He felt whatever it wasthat was going awry,and he made the adjustment. He fixed it like on the very next pitch.”

Thescouts also saw progress

Managers defend All-Star addition of pitcherMisiorowski

TheAssociated Press

SAN FRANCISCO The addition of Milwaukee Brewers rookie phenom pitcher Jacob Misiorowski to the National League All-Star team drew mixed reactions around Major League Baseball.

Some players and fans quickly took to social media to express theirfrustrations over aplayer with only five starts in themajors being added to the NL roster instead of other players who have putupasgood, if not better, numbers during the first half of theseason.

Dodgers manager DaveRoberts, who will manage the NL squad Tuesday in Atlanta, is on theopposite end of the spectrum Roberts madeitclear that he had no voiceinselecting Misiorowski but sees the move as a positive, given the entertainment value of theMidsummer Classic.

“The All-Star Game is about thefans,” Roberts said. “Yes, this kidhasn’tpitched awhole lot in thebig leagues, butIdothink it sparks some more excitement, seeing thevelocity.”

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowskireacts to strikingout Pittsburgh’sOneilCruzfor the third out in the fourth inning on June 25 in Milwaukee.

Judge homered to right-center on ahigh 0-2 fastball from Brad Keller,atwo-run shot acouple of rows into the right-center field seats.

He reached 350 in his 1,088th game. McGwire hit No.350 in his 1,280th game, against Detroit’s Brian Moehler on June 2, 1997, bettering Harmon Killebrew in his 1,319th game.

CollegeLHPscoveted

Severalofthe topprospectsare left-handed college pitchers, including Anderson, Doyle and Florida State’sJamie Arnold. Anderson helped LSU win the College World Series titlelast month,throwing acomplete game shutout in Game 1ofthe championship series. He finished 12-1 with a3.18 ERA with 180 strikeoutsin 119 innings.

Doyle rocketed up mock drafts with aterrific season forthe Vols, finishing 10-4 witha3.20 ERA and 162strikeouts in 952/3 innings. Arnold was abreakout star for Florida Statein2024 before regressing abit last season,but he still finished 8-2 with a2.98ERA and 119 strikeouts.

“Obviously, college left-handers are kind of apremiumright now,” Marinersvice presidentofamateur scouting Scott Huntersaid “There’sa few of those at the high end of the draft.”

Corona stars

Corona High School —about 45 miles from Los Angeles —could have three players drafted in the first round.

The high school powerhouse is led by right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez,regarded as apotential top-fivepick in thedraft

ShortstopBilly Carlsonisalso expected to be selected earlyin thefirst round.

Third baseman Brady Ebel isn’t quite as highly regarded—he’sthe No. 64 prospect, according to MLB. com —but there’spotential that he could still sneak into the opening round.

AfourthCoronaplayer,Ethin Bingaman, is atwo-way player committedtoAuburn but could be drafted in the top-five rounds.

from Anderson’schangeup. The fourth scout observed flashes of a plus pitch when he saw Anderson throwagainst Missouri. By the timehewatched himagainatthe SEC Tournament,the offering had becomeaweapon.

“It had come along way over the course of the spring,” he said. “He’sgot zero issuethrowing it to both lefties andrighties.Sothat was the pitchI thought took the further step forward.”

For as polished andimpressive as Anderson is as aprospect, there’snoguaranteethathe’ll be the first pickSunday. Oklahoma high school infielder Ethan Holliday,Tennessee left-hander Liam Doyle and California high school right-hander Seth Hernandez, among others, are also candidates. Anderson is projected to be the No. 1pickinThe Athletic andESPN’slatest mock drafts,but there’s still plenty of uncertainty regardingwho theNationals will choose, especially after they decided to fire general manager Mike Rizzo a week before thedraft Andersonalso isn’t aperfect prospect. He’shad Tommy John surgery already andhis fastball velocityisn’toverwhelming, often sittingbetween 91-94 mph.

“I don’tknow,”the third scout said when asked whether he thought Anderson would go No.

The 23-year-old, whois4-1 with a2.81 ERA, quickly gained attention when he threw a100.5 mph fastballfor his first pitch in the big leagues.

Brewersmanager PatMurphy said he understood the backlash from around the league but sees it as giving fans what they want.

“People want to see Miz pitch,” Murphy said. “He’sthe new shiny toy in the league.It’snot deserving, that has nothing to do with it. He’sbeengiven this opportunity It’snot his fault.

“This wasn’taflybynight decision. This is something they thought through. Ithink it would be reallytough forthe kid to say no to that.”

Murphy likenedMisiorowski to former Detroit Tigers pitcher Mark “The Bird” Fidrych. He was an All-Star hisfirst twoseasons in the majors, an entertainingplayer who would often talk to his glovewhile on the mound.

Fans embraced Fidrych and his eccentricities because he had the stuffonthe mound to back it up. He pitched 24 complete games as arookie in 1976, including backto-back games when he logged 11 innings each time.

“Fromwhat Iknowof‘The Bird,’itjust seems that he was really authentic and really super talented,”Murphy said. “There’s someparallels there, forsure.”

Yankees

JUDGE FASTESTTO HIT 350HRS:Aaron

Judge didn’tjust become the fastest player to hit 350home runs, he did it in 192 fewergames than Mark McGwire.

“I justthink he’s playing in adifferent league,” Yankees managerAaron Boone said afterJudge’sninth-inning drive in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

1. “I think the unique thing about MLBiswith all the draftrules and stuff, it always seems like it comes down to money.Like, Henry Davis went No.1 afew years agobecause he took less money than someother guys.

Theconsensus among draft experts is that Anderson will get selected at least in the top 5. The Los Angeles Angels own the second pick andthe SeattleMariners will have theNo. 3overall selection.

Morethan onescout whospoke with The Advocatebelieves the first pick will be either Anderson or Holliday,the son of former AllStar outfielderMattHolliday and the younger brother of Baltimore Orioles infielder and former No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday

“I could definitely see ascenario which(the Nationals) do (pick Anderson),” afifth scoutsaidon thecondition of anonymity.“Because they’ve got apretty good young core of players in the majorleagues that Ithink are on the brink of being pretty good. Ithink it’sgoing to be either him or Ethan Holliday.”

“You could pretty much mark those twodown as one and two,” thefirst scout said. “I’d go to Vegas on that one.”

Both Holliday and Anderson are advised by Scott Boras, an agent who has ahistory of making deals

“Big Mac did alot of great things in this game, and he’sdefinitely alegend,” Judge said. Judge, whoturned 33 in April, debuted withthe Yankees at age 24 in 2016. The two-time AL MVP also doubled twice andishitting amajor league-leading .358 with 35 homers and 81 RBIs.

“Would have been great if we got awin today,” Judge said. “I’ve been surrounded by alot of great teammates,been on some good teams, so they really put me in thebestpositiontogoout there and perform at my best.” McGwire finished in 2001 at age 38 with 583 homers, currently 11th on the career list. He admitted in 2010 he used performanceenhancing drugs and has been denied entry to baseball’sHall of Fame.

Twins

BUXTON HITSFOR CYCLE:Minnesota Twins All-Star center fielderByron Buxton admitted to feeling a little added pressure before Saturday’sgameagainst the Pittsburgh Pirates. It washis bobblehead day,meaning the first 10,000 fans to walk through the gates at Target Field would receive areplicaofBuxton doing his “Buck Truck” homerun celebration.

“I’d be lying if IsaidI wasn’t nervous before the gamestarted, just knowing it was bobblehead day,” Buxton said. “Obviously youwanttocome outand do something good.” Buxton did more than something good.Hebecame the first playertohit forthe cycle at TargetField sincethe ballpark opened in 2010, helping ignite the Twins to a12-4 win over the Pirates.

It was the12thcycleinTwins history andthe first since Jorge Polanco had one in 2019.

with Rizzo and the Nationals. But even with Rizzo no longer at the helm,the fourth scout believes the move probably won’taffect who Washington picks first.

“The scouting department worked the whole year putting the draftboard together so it wouldn’t be normal really to just blow the whole thing up right now and go withsome off-the-wall pick,” the third scoutsaid. “Especially with (interim general manager Mark DeBartolo) already being in the office.”

There is little doubt about who the mostMLB-ready prospect is thisyear.The fourth scoutrecognizedthatwhenhewatched Anderson strike outeight of thefirst nine batters he saw against Texas A&M at the SEC Tournament.

“It felt like there was abigleague starting pitcher on the mound,” the fourth scout said. Anderson has done everything in hispower to impress MLB organizations. Nowit’suptothe Nationals to determine whether he will follow in Skenes’ footsteps as aNo. 1pick.

“I don’tknow if they should pick him No.1,” the fourth scout said. “But he probably is the safest pick in the draft.”

Email Koki RileyatKoki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By WADE PAyNE

Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle is among thecandidates whocould go No.1 overall to the Washington Nationals in Major League

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO

OUTDOORS

STAFF FILE PHOTO By

Aredfish is readied to be weighed during the 13thSt. Thomas More fishing rodeoonAug.6,2022, in CypremortPoint. Amenhadenbycatch studybythe LGL Ecological Research Associatesrevealed22,000 breeding-sized

Studyonmenhadengives answers, leavesquestions

Report:22,000breedingredfish killed as result of bycatch

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

While the menhaden industry is touting the findings with regard to redfish mortality from the LGL Ecological Research Associates menhaden bycatch study,conservation folks say the number of dead redfish go beyond the findings. The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition issued arelease identifying its fishery killed 30,142 redfish in the LGL study conducted on 518 of the menhaden operations’ reported 13,144 sets in 2024.The report showed about 22,000 breeding-size redfish were among that number

The menhaden industryofficials said that number is “a tinyfraction of overallred drum losses from all causes,” which include the recreational take of thisspecies, which is Louisiana’sonly saltwater gamefish. The conservationists’ side is that the 22,000 redfishfigure represents the size of fish banned from the recreational take in amajor change in Louisiana redfish regulations in 2024. The new regulation prohibitsrecreational anglers from keeping redfish measuring 27 or more inches long.

The report also identified 61 species in the bycatch study.Bycatch is aterm applied to any nontargeted species. In this case any species other than menhaden.

The report found bycatch makes up 3.6% of the totalcatch,which was recorded as an average of about 500,000 metric tonsper year from the Gulf, of which nearly 94% of that catch comes from Louisiana waters.

LGL’s study also showedthe incidence of bycatchofcoastal predator species decreasedwhen nets were set in deeperwater,depths from 16-20 feet according to the chart. With that finding, there will be more questions than answers about the future of this commercialfishery.Will there be amove to the one-mile barrier off the Louisiana coast, amove sought beforeGov Jeff Landry ordered both the industry and conservation organizations to settle on ahalf-mile barrier?

Advocate reporter MikeSmith wrote the follow-up story Wednesday to the presentation madeduring Tuesday’s Wildlife and Fisheries meeting. ATuesday release from Wildlife and Fisheries contains information from the entire study on the agency’s website: wlf.louisiana. gov, then find“Recent News”for the Tuesday posting.

Abig net

Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement teamed with State Police

NOTEBOOK

andthe Coast Guard to workwaterways across the state during the Fourth of July holiday.Patrols resulted in the arrestof19for DWI violations during Operation Dry Water

Huntingseasons

With hunting season less than twomonthsawayfor doves Sept. 6statewide —and theteal seasonopening Sept.20, hunters can gotothe Wildlife and Fisheries website for the 2025-2026 hunting regulations pamphlet

All season dates, bag limits and regulations are posted in the pamphlet along with season dates and other rules forhunting wildlife management areas and on our state’sfederal lands.

To findthe pamphlet, go to:wlf louisiana.gov/page/seasons-andregulations

Printed copies will be available in August at allWildlife and Fisheries offices and at most places wherehunting and fishing licenses are sold

Waterfowl

Wildlife andFisheries’ waterfowl study leader Jason Olszak presented thefindings from therecent waterfowl hunters survey during Tuesday’s commission meeting.

The study came after 11,636 responded to a37-question surveyconductedin advance of the commission setting waterfowl hunting zones andsegments to present to the U.S.Fishand Wildlife Servicebythe Aug. 31 deadline

These zones and season segments will be effective through the2029-2030 hunting seasons.

Olszak reported hunters liked the two waterfowlzones —East andWest —with almost no consensus for either two or three segmentsinthe 60-day season.

Other preferences included a mid-November opening day,splits openingonSaturdays,and hunting until Jan. 31,the last date allowed by theUSFWS Forspecklebelly geese, thepreference was for continuing a74day, three-per-day season.

An honor

Senior agent DustinBarton received the annual Theophile Bourgeois Memorial Awardduring Tuesday’s commission meeting.

Barton was honored for his work in leading an investigation on a manposing asa fishing guide on Toledo Bend without alicense nor insurance.

The Louisiana Charter Boat Association presents the award for theagent who promotes“professionalism within the Louisiana charter-for-hire industry.

Gags

The Gulf Council announced a Sept.1-14 season on takinggag grouper from federal waters. Most Gulf states adopt the same season. The reason for the short season stemsfromlandingsexceeding 2024’sallowed catch by 88,991 pounds.That number was subtracted from the 2025 allowed catch,whichresulted in a“2025 recreational annual catch limit of 310,009 pounds guttedweight and a2025 recreational annual catch target of 230,009 pounds gutted weight,” according to thecouncil’s release.

Snakes alive!

Most of us know about Shark Week on TV

Now getreadyfor Snake Week (July 13-19).Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana Amphibian andReptile Enthusiasts will host aseminar on snakesatthe HeymannRecreational Center,1500 S. Orange Street in Lafayette beginning at 6:30 p.m.Monday

World Snake Day will be celebrated July 16, so to find out more about it go to this website: snakeweek.org

Hikers beware

Learning more andmoreLouisiana folksliketoget away from the heat andhike in the hills and mountains during thesummer And that means more contact with ticks.

The Center for DiseaseControl already is reporting arecordbreaking spring and summer for tick-related visits to emergency rooms—and the CDCfolks tell us July stacksuptobethe worst month for these reports since 2017. The CDC best advice includes:

n Wear long, light-coloredpants tucked into socksorboots, and long-sleeved shirts to keeps ticks from reaching theskin. This also makes them easier to see ticks before they get to your skin;

n For folks living in tick country, youneed to create what theCDC calls a“tick moat” by using gravel or wood chips along property edges to discourage tick migration from wooded areas;

n Removing leaf litter, prime tick hiding spots;

n And, storing firewood on elevated surfaces toprevent tick-carrying rodentsfromusing stacks of firewood as ashelter

Ticks are notorious for transmitting diseases like Lyme disease, RockyMountain spotted fever, Heartland virus and Bourbonvirus —yeah, we know somefolks with bourbon virus but not from ticks —and ticks can also leave victimswith alpha-gal syndrome, which, according to the CDC“is a potentiallylife-threateningfood allergy to red meat.”

CALENDAR

SUNDAY ADVANCED FLYCASTING/THE DOUBLE HAUL: 3-4 p.m., Orvis Shop, BluebonnetBoulevard,Baton Rouge. Feefree. Bring your own rod. Call Shop (225) 757-7286.Website: orvis.com/batonrouge

MONDAY

RED STICKFLY FISHERS MEETING: 7p.m., Regional Branch Library, 9200 BluebonnetBoulevard,Baton Rouge. Open to thepublic. Email Brian Roberts: roberts.brian84@ gmail.com Website: rsff.org

TUESDAY LAFAYETTE KAYAKFISHINGCLUB MEETING: 6p.m., Pack &Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Call (337) 232-5854. Website: lafayettekayakfishing.com

WEDNESDAY FLIES &FLIGHTS: 7p.m., RallyCap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Avenue, Baton Rouge.Fly tying. Open to public. Sparetools,materials for novices. Email Chris Williams: thefatfingeredflytyer@gmail.com

THURSDAY

ACADIANA FLYRODDERS PROGRAM: 6p.m., Pack &Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Email Darin Lee: cbrsandcdc@ gmail.com. Website: acadianaflyrodders.org.

SATURDAY FLYFISHING101: 9-11 a. m., Orvis Shop, BluebonnetBoulevard,Baton Rouge. Feefree. Basics of casting,rigging, fly selection. No fee. Equipmentfurnished. All ages, but 15-and-youngermustbeaccompanied by an adult. Preregistration required. Call Shop (225) 757-7286. Website: orvis.com/batonrouge

FLYCASTING CLINIC: 9a.m., Perkins Road Park, 7122 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge.Red Stick FlyFishers event.

ONGOING

CCASTATEWIDE TOURNAMENT & ANGLERS’ RODEO/S.T.A.R.: Summerlong fishing contest through Sept. 1. Multiple species categories. CCA membership required. Website: ccalouisiana.com

HUNTING

LOTTERYDOVEHUNTDEADLINE: July 27 for Elbow Slough WMA. $8.50 application fee. Applications website:louisianaoutdoors.com/ lottery-applications.Call David Hayden (318) 487-5353. Email: dhayden@wlf.la.gov

LOTTERYTEAL HUNT DEADLINE: July 27 for White LakeWetlands Conservation Area. $8.50 application fee. Applications website: louisianaoutdoors.com/lotteryapplications. Call Lance Ardoin (337) 536-6061. Email: lardoin@wlf. la.gov

AROUND THECORNER

JUNE 20-22—MLF BASS INVITATIONAL: James River,Richmond, Virginia. Website: MajorLeagueFishing.com

PORTFOURCHON Final leaderboard from three-day, 75thannual Golden Meadow-Fourchon Tarpon Rodeo with anglers, their hometowns (whenavailable), weight of catchinpounds and ounces and divisionalawards. Club nameslistedfor winners in Scuba Division (totalweight of catch determines tie-breakerfor outstanding fishermen awards). The KayakDivision’s Cajun Slamisthe combinedweights of redfish, speckled trout &flounder: INSHORE DIVISION Gafftopsail catfish: 1, Brian Bouzigard, Golden Meadow, 6.4 pounds.2,Ava Plaisance, Cut Off, 6.2. 3, Ali Plaisance, Cut Off, 6.0. Flounder: 1, Lachon Boudreaux,Cut Off, 2.8. 2, Sebastian Willis, Cut Off, 2.4. 3, Blake Broussard, Thibodaux,2.4. Drum: 1, Kelsey Davenport, 35.2. 2, Davenport, 33.2. 3, Lynne Duet, GoldenMeadow 20.2. Rat redfish: 1, Al Waguespack, Thibodaux

8.0. 2, Kevin John Terrebonne Jr., Cut Off, 8.0. 3, Kelsey Davenport, 7.2. Redfish stringer: 1, Kevin John Terrebonne Jr., Cut Off, 28.2. 2, Kelsey Davenport, 27.4. 3, Ryan Bagala, Cut Off, 25.2. Sheepshead: 1, Brady Griffin, Larose, 4.0. 2, Lauren Plaisance, Cut Off, 2.2. 3, Anaka Compeaux, Larose, 1.6. Speckled trout: 1, Trey Ourso, Baton Rouge, 4.0. 2, Travis Dardenne,Plaquemine, 4.0. 3, Dardenne,3.6. Outstandingangler: Kelsey Davenport, 8 points SHORELINE DIVISION Tarpon: 1, Simone Robichaux,Larose, 160.2. Bonita: 1, Cole Dubois, Cut Off, 16.0. 2, Andrew Lefort, Cut Off, 15.4. 3, Ali Plaisance, Cut Off, 15.2. Cobia: 1, RenCheramie, 46.2. 2, Britton Comeaux, Larose, 43.6. 3, Cole Dubois, Cut Off, 42.8. Grouper: 1, KarsenSmith, Cut Off, 41.2. 2, JakeSanamo, 22.6. 3, Heather Hill, St Louis,Missouri,16.6. Jack crevalle: 1, KasonGilbert, Luling, 28.4. 2, KevinJohn Terrebonne Jr., Cut Off, 28.0. 3, Karsen Smith, Cut Off, 27.4. Mangrove snapper: 1, Rustie Charpentier, Cut Off, 9.8. 2, Charpentier, 9.6. 3, Drew Suffrin, Destrahan, 8.2. Spanish mackerel: 1, Kevin Bankston, Baton Rouge, 2.8. 2, Monica Gisclair, Cut Off, 2.6. 3, Lane Gisclair, Galliano, 2.4. Redsnapper: 1, Oksana Patt, Baton Rouge 18.2. 2, Heath Callais, Cut Off, 17.8. 3, Callais,17.2. Outstandingangler: Rustie Charpentier, 5points No entries in Tarpon/Tag& Release nor King Mackerel KAYAKDIVISION Cajun slam: 1, Davie Breaux,Cut Off, 6.0. 2, Jody Cheramie, Golden Meadow, 4.0.

JULY24—ACADIANA BUGS & BREWS: 6p.m., Pack &Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to thepublic. Email Flip Siragusa: redfish452@gmail.com. Website: www.packpaddle.com

JULY23-25—BASSMASTEROPEN/ DIVISION 1: ChesapeakeBay,North East, Maryland.Website: bassmaster.com

JULY24-26—GRAND ISLE TARPON RODEO: Grand Isle Marina &Otto CandiesPavilion, Grand Isle. Website: tarponrodeo.org.

JULY25-27—DUCKHUNTERS EXPO: Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Delta Waterfowl event. Includes Grand Duck HuntersBanquet, July 25. Vendors,Duck Dogs, Callmakers&Calling championships, decoycarving, Field-to-Table stage. Website: deltawaterfowlexpo.com

JULY26—BAYOUBLAST/NSCA REGISTERED EVENT: CoveyRise, 58256 CoveyRiseDrive, Husser 100-targetmain event, 50-target Super Sport, 5-Stand&12-gauge true pair. Fees $45-475. Call Covey Rise (985) 747-0310. Website: scorechaser.com

JULY26—SACK UP FORCLEAN WATER: 9a.m., Howell Park, 5509 Winbourne Avenue,Baton Rouge RSFF/NoWakeOutfittersconservation, environmental &habitat enhancement days.Email Almeida Robinson: almeidarob38@gmail com

JULY26-27—BASSMASTERKAYAK SERIES: LakeChamplain, Plattsburgh, NewYork. Website: bassmaster.com

JULY27—SOUTH LOUISIANAHIGHPOWER CLUB MATCH: 8:30 a.m., Ascension ParishSheriff’s Range, St. Landry Road,Gonzales. CMPGSSM, NRA match rifle or service rifle, 200-yard/50-roundsmatch course &Prone matches. Fee$15 members, $20 nonmembers, $5 juniors $25 annual club (first match free) &Civilian Marksmanship Program membership (allows purchases from CMP).Call (337) 380-8120. Email Mike Burke: SouthLaHighPower@hotmail.com

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Spring inshoreseason closed except in Breton/Chandeleur sounds. All outside waters remain open OPEN RECREATIONAL

SEASONS: Redsnapper,flounder;lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers & wenchmenamong othersnapper species; all groupersexcept closed for goliath &Nassau groupersin state/federal waters.

CLOSED SEASONS: Gray triggerfish, greater amberjack, bluefin tuna and gag, goliath& Nassau groupersinstate/federal waters.

LDWF UPDATES

CLOSED: Hope Canal Road/boat launch (MaurepasSwamp WMA, leveeconstruction);Dobbs Bay Road &all roads on theMississippi River batture east of La. 15 (RichardYancey WMA, flooding)

DRAWDOWNS: underway on Saline, Kepler,Iatt LakeBlack &Clear lakes. EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com

RESULTS

3, Davenport,

2,

Leger, 1.6. 3, Willis, 1.6 Gafftopsail catfish: 1,

1.8. 2,

Ockmond, Vacherie, 5.6. 2, TraveLeblanc,Cut

5.4. 3,

Comeaux,Larose, 5.4. Rat redfish: 1, Kambree Davenport, Golden Meadow, 6.4. 2, Davenport, 6.2. 3, Davenport, 6.2. Sheepshead: 1, Dawson Lirette,Houma, 4.2. 2, Jon Paul Danos, Galliano, 3.8. 3, Danos, 3.8. Speckled trout: 1, Luke Besson, Thibodaux 3.6. 2, Besson, Thibodaux,2.8. 3, Dawson Lirette,Houma, 2.8. Leopardredfish: 1, Kambree Davenport, Golden Meadow, 7spots.2,Davenport, 7 spots.3,Davenport, 6spots Outstanding anglers: Kambree Davenport, 10 points &LukeBesson, 5points SPEARFISHING DIVISION Barracuda: 1, George Ansardi,Hell Divers, 43.2. 2, RobbieSchmidt, Hell Divers, 30.6. 3, Ansardi,29.2 Cobia: 1, Paul Cozic, Hell Divers, 45.8. 2, MikeAucoin, Hell Divers, 43.0. 3, Troy Donaldson, Git ‘Em, 40.4. Grouper: 1, Joe Rizzuto, Hell Divers, 21.4. 2, RobbieSchmidt, Hell Divers, 18.6. 3, Jason Guitreau, Git ‘Em, 17.8. Jack crevalle: 1, MikeAucoin, Hell Divers, 31.4. 2, Paul Cozic, Hell Divers, 24.0. 3, Jason Guitreau, Git ‘Em, 11.4. Mangrovesnapper: 1, Troy Donaldson, Git ‘Em, 13.8. 2, Joe Rizzuto, Hell Divers,9.6. 3, Garret Bible, Hell Divers, 9.2. RedSnapper: 1, MikeAucoin, Hell Divers,

GOLDEN MEADOW-FOURCHONFISHING

BRADKEMP

-7

Kevin Yu,Chinese Taipei 67-67-69—203 -7

N. Hojgaard,Denmark 68-69-67—204 -6 Francesco Laporta, Italy 71-64-69—204 -6 Kristoffer Reitan,Norway 71-65-68—204 -6

S. Scheffler, United States 67-68-69—204 -6

Andy Sullivan, England 68-66-70—204 -6 Bud Cauley,United States 67-70-68—205 -5 Harry Hall, England 67-64-74—205 -5

Viktor Hovland, Norway 66-72-67—205 -5

R. Langasque, France 71-67-67—205 -5

M. McCarty,United States 69-65-71—205 -5 Taylor Pendrith, Canada 67-69-69—205 -5

Victor Perez, France 64-70-71—205 -5

X. Schffele, United States 68-66-71—205 -5

Jorge Campillo, Spain 68-71-67—206 -4

Ugo Coussaud,France 68-71-67—206 -4

Grant Forrest, Scotland 67-68-71—206 -4

M. Kim, UnitedStates69-67-70—206 -4 Justin Rose, England 70-68-68—206 -4

JordanL.Smith, England 71-67-68—206 -4

Nick Taylor,Canada 67-66-73—206 -4

C. Bezudnht,South Africa 70-68-69—207 -3

AlejandroDel Rey, Spain 67-67-73—207 -3

Si WooKim, South Korea70-69-68—207 -3

K. Mitchell, United States 66-67-74—207 -3

John Parry,England 71-68-68—207 -3

Yannik Paul, Germany68-66-73—207 -3

Aaron Rai, England 69-67-71—207 -3

Adam Scott, Australia 69-68-70—207 -3

S. Soderberg, Sweden 69-66-72—207 -3

Matt Wallace, England 71-68-68—207 -3

Laurie Canter, England69-69-70—208 -2

N. Echavarria, Colombia 64-72-72—208 -2

T. Fleetwood, England 70-67-71—208 -2

B. Harman,United States69-65-74—208 -2

A. Smalley,United States70-69-69—208 -2

J. Svensson, Sweden 73-64-71—208 -2

J. Vegas, Venezuela 67-71-70—208 -2

G. Woodlnd, United States 69-69-70—208 -2

D. Brown, England 70-66-73—209 -1

J. Kruyswijk,South Africa 70-68-71—209 -1

RichardMansell, England 69-67-73—209 -1

M. McNealy,United States67-71-71—209 -1

KeitaNakajima, Japan 73-65-71—209 -1

MarcelSiem, Germany65-71-73—209 -1

ElvisSmylie, Australia 67-71-71—209 -1

Sami Valimaki, Finland70-69-70—209 -1

J. Bridgemn, United States71-68-71—210 E Sam Burns, United States 67-71-72—210 E Corey Conners, Canada70-69-71—210 E Ryan Fox, New Zealand 66-70-74—210 E

J. Thomas, United States69-70-71—210 E Sam Bairstow, England 70-66-75—211 +1

D. Berger,UnitedStates68-71-72—211 +1

Thomas Detry,Belgium68-70-73—211 +1

P. Harrington, Ireland 69-70-72—211 +1

R. Macintyre, Scotland 68-71-72—211 +1

T. Olesen,Denmark 67-70-74—211 +1

S. Stevens, United States 72-67-72—211 +1

Connor Syme, Scotland 68-71-72—211 +1

L. Clanton, United States 72-66-74—212 +2

MartinCouvra, France 70-68-74—212 +2

R. Gerard, United States 67-70-75—212 +2

H. Norlander, Sweden 67-72-73—212 +2

DaleWhitnell, England 70-68-74—212 +2

B. HunAn, SouthKorea 67-72-76—215 +5 Paul Waring, England 69-69-WD

Evian Championship

Saturday At Evian Resort Golf Club

Evian-les-Bains, France Purse: $8 million Yardage: 6,504; Par: 71 ThirdRound

-8

JennyShin 69-68-68—205 -8

AditiAshok 67-69-70—206 -7 Jennifer Kupcho 65-69-72—206 -7 Andrea Lee65-70-71—206 -7 Ruixin Liu 72-71-63—206

LottieWoad 68-69-70—207 -6

Celine Boutier68-70-70—208 -5 Mary Liu67-71-70—208 -5 Mao Saigo67-72-69—208 -5 Miyu Yamashita 69-71-68—208 -5

-3

Sarah Schmelzel 70-71-69—210 -3

Pajaree Anannarukarn73-70-68—211 -2

AllisenCorpuz 76-67-68—211 -2 Perrine Delacour 70-71-70—211 -2

Megan Khang 68-75-68—211 -2 Auston Kim 69-68-74—211 -2

HyoJoo Kim 71-70-70—211 -2 Paula Reto 69-71-71—211 -2

Shannon Tan73-68-70—211 -2

Brianna Do 76-68-68—212 -1

BrookeHenderson 73-71-68—212 -1 Jin HeeIm70-72-70—212 -1 Nelly Korda67-70-75—212 -1

Stephanie Kyriacou 70-68-74—212 -1 Rose Zhang 71-70-71—212 -1

AyakaFurue 67-72-74—213 E Jeong Eun Lee5 74-69-70—213 E Gigi Stoll 72-70-71—213 E Jasmine Suwannapura72-68-73—213

Hataoka70-68-76—214 +1

Education-EasyPost, 03:51:07.

97. Sepp Kuss, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease aBike, 03:51:37. 135. William Barta, United States, Movistar Team, 03:52:47. 160. Quinn Simmons,United States,LidlTrek, 03:55:05. Overall Standings 1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia,UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 29:48:30. 2. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium, Soudal QuickStep, 29:49:24. 3. KevinVauquelin, France, Arkea-B&B Hotels, 29:49:41. 4. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Team Visma ‘ Lease aBike, 29:49:47. 5. Mathieu vander Poel, Netherlands Alpecin-Deceuninck, 29:49:59. 6. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘Lease aBike, 29:50:04. 7. Oscar Onley,Great Britain, Picnic PostNL, 29:51:19. 8. Florian Lipowitz,Germany, RedBull— BORA —hansgrohe,29:51:32. 9. PrimozRoglic, Slovenia,Red Bull—BORA —hansgrohe, 29:51:36. 10. Mattias Skjelmose, Denmark, LIDL-TREK/ USA, 29:52:13. Team Standings

1. Team Visma‘ Leasea Bike,89:29:39.

2. UAETeam EmiratesXRG, 89:35:12.

3. Groupama-FDJ, 89:35:03.

4. Arkea-B&B Hotels, 89:44:13.

5. Decathalon AG2R La Mondiale Team, 89:46:33.

6. RedBull —Bora—Hansgrohe, 89:50:32.

7. Ineos Grenadiers, 89:53:38.

8. EF Education—EasyPost, 89:55:55.

9. Total Energies, 89:58:08.

Marin 75-69-73—217 +4

£19,414,000 Surface: Grass LONDON

Singles

onship

(8), Poland, def. Amanda

mova (13),United States, 6-0,6-0. Men’s Doubles Championship Lloyd Glasspool and JulianCash (5), Britain, def. David Pel, Netherlands,and Rinky Hijikata, Australia, 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Cycling Tour de France Saturday 8th Stage A106 mile ride from Saint Meem-LeGrand to LavalEspace Mayenne

1. Monathan Milan, Italy, Lidl-Trek, 03:50:26

2. Wout VanAert, Belgium,Lease aBike, same time. 3. Kaden Groves, Australia, Alpecin-Deceuninck, same time. 4. Pascal Ackermann, Germany, Israel-Premier Tech,same time. 5. Arnaud De Lie, France, Lotto, same time. 6. Tobias Lund Andresen, Denmark, same time.

7. BryanCoquard, France, Cofidis, same time. 8. Alberto Dainese, Italy, Tudor ProCycling Team, same time. 9. VincenzoAlbanese, Italy, EF EducationEasyPost, same time. 10. Stian Fredheim, Norway,Uno-XMobility, same time. Also 39. Matteo Jorgenson, United States,Team Visma ‘Lease aBike, 03:50:26 64. Neilson Powless, United States,EF

10. Team Picnic PostNL, 89:58:16. Soccer USL Championship Western Conference WLTPtsGFGA New Mexico8 51 25 21 15 San Antonio 75 3242221 El Paso 64 5232422 Tulsa 63 4221711 Monterey BayFC6 74 22 18 21 Sacramento 54 5201912 Phoenix 55 5202425 Las Vegas 57 3181020

NUMBER’S UP!

Bingo nightatSt. Anthony’s (the sequel)

This was not my firstbingo!

Errol Laborde STREETCAR

Actually,itwas my second, at least in modern times. On both occasions, the setting was bingo night at theSt. Anthony Church auditorium on Canal Street near the cemeteries. Bingo is the sort of game that most people have played, but usually not in a long time. The first recent time was aFriday night during thispast Lent, and bingo was the perfect sideshow for the fundraising dinner of fried fish on thatmeatless fasting day.To me, playing the game was like spring training, fresheningthe hearing skills so as to be sure that the game caller said Band not G, and most of all honing attention abilities so as not to be distracted when anumber you need is called.

Ileft that night more fulfilled by the catfish thanthe game, but not so discouraged as to avoid the next bingo night. That would be June 13; by luck or by calculation, it was also the feast day of St. Anthony himself.

Hotdogs, chilionthe menu

Without the need for Lenten fasting, the menu allowedfor meat, featuring hot dogs and chili. There were alsonachos with cheese, giving the buffet amore international flavor.I tried to explain to the people seated near me that the menu wasarecreation of what St. Anthony was served in Padua for his feast days, but the popcorn machine made my claim dubious.

Amuch more believable authority on mattersoffaithand bingo was the church’spastor, the Rev.Augustine “Auggie” DeArmond, aDominican friar tasked with calling the numbers this night. He was machine-like in his efficiency as he sat behinda desk on the auditorium’s stage announcing numbers until a voice from the crowd yelled “Bingo!” inevitably accompanied by groans from players who were just one lucky square away

ABOVE: In 1834, Bernard de

wouldbepublic spaceforeverfree of structures, for people to enjoythe

and

water.Today, the Mandeville lakefront is still arestful place to enjoywater and sky.An1851 HS Tanner map, INSET,shows the linkfrom NewOrleans to Mandeville.

BY RICHARD CAMPANELLA Contributingwriter

Few communities in our regiondiffer

morethan theNew Orleans neighborhood of Faubourg Marigny and theSt. Tammany Parish city of Mandeville.

The Marigny neighborhood sits upon adeltaic natural levee frontingthe Mississippi River,abounds in Creole architecture dating to theearly 1800s,and today exudes aBohemian, if gentrified, air Mandeville, 27 miles straight north, sitsatthe edge of the pinecovered Pleistocene Terrace fronting Lake Pontchartrain, and embodies morestaidcharms amongits arrays of modernsubdivisions.

Yetthe two places werecausatively connected, to thepoint that there would be no city of Mandeville without the Faubourgof Marigny.Even theirnames were linked.

ent (legal documents) of nobility forPierre Philippe, Sieur de Marigny de Mandeville.

The Marigny namefirst appears in Louisiana documents as early as 1699 and 1704, but it is not until 1714 that Normandy-born François Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, Chevalier de St. Louis assumed amilitary command at Mobile. Tenyears later,heserved at New Orleans.

Prominentfamily,married well

Members of the Marigny de Mandeville family becameprominent as geographers, mapmakers, regional explorers, devout Francophiles and ardent supporters of the Bourbon monarchy

“In thechronicles of the old Creole families of New Orleans,” wrotehistorian Grace King in 1921, “the name of Marigny de Mandeville stands first.”

The two surnames had been united well before 1654, when King Louis XIV signedletters pat-

They also becamebig property owners as wellasslaveholders, with aknack formarrying into the landholding elite, thus consolidating wealth and power

The Marigny de Mandeville clan lamented the 1763 transfer

BY RACHELMIPRO Contributingwriter

What wasthe MyraClark Gaines case and is it true that it wasthe longest-running lawsuit in the historyofthe United States SupremeCourt?

Adead father,ahidden will and ajailed husband: Meet MyraClark Gaines,a19th-centurycelebrity whosenow-historic

PHOTO By RICHARD CHAMPANELLA AND IMAGE FROM THELIBRARy OF CONGRESS

Marigny stipulated that Mandeville’slakefront

fresh air

balmy

PHOTO By RICHARD CAMPANELLA

The stone at the Marignytomb beneath St.Louis Cathedral in New Orleans

ILLUSTRATION By ARTHUR NEAD

Myra Clark Gaines, photographed between 1855 and 1865,

DINING SCENE

Palace Café wasCanal Street at itsbest

The rightrestaurantcan be an anchor for its block, maybe even its neighborhood. That’swhy the closure of Palace Café this week leaves Canal Street feeling more adrift.

Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING

Canal Street needs adozen more restaurants in a leaguewith Palace Café, not one less. For its 34-year run, PalaceCafé was aleading example of what is possible on Canal Street, withits supply of historic buildings andits central place between the French Quarter and the CBD.

This main drag makes the first impression for millions of visitors and is still thick with memories for generations of locals. It deserves the best. Palace Café showed the high end of its potential

That’swhy the suggestionthat Palace Café could potentially reopen in the same address, or try to reinstallitself in anew location, offers aglimmer of uplift to the gut punch of the closingnews

ParisonCanal

Palace Café was the adaptive reuse of abuilding with its own rich history as the former Werlein’s the city’spremier music store for decades. It was thoroughly renovated to become arestaurant that tasted like modern New Orleans, with andouille-crusted fishand shrimp Tchefuncte, andthat felt like a glimpse of belle epoqueParis between the brass and tile,the swooping staircase and views of passing streetcars.

The name Palace Café was a reference to the Brennan family restaurant Commander’sPalace It opened in 1991 as amorecasual, next-generation lens on the contemporary Creole cuisine Commander’spioneered.

It was initially managedby Dickie Brennan, his sister Lauren Brower and their cousins Ti Martin and Brad Brennan (“Cousins

City Café”was oneearly proposal forits name,according to anewspaper report at the time).

In 1997, when thefamily’s elder generation split up restaurants between the next generation, Dickie Brennan partnered with hissister and managingpartner Steve Pettustotakeonownership of Palace Café, and thenew company Dickie Brennan & Co. was born. That ownership was for the restaurant, though, not the property Flash forward to today PalaceCaféwas nearing the end of a35-yearlease,which includeda purchase option. DickieBrennan&Co. pursued thatwith theproperty owner,Philip Werlein, Ltd., acompany from the music store family Negotiations faltered on a questionofimprovements the restaurant company had made through the years; essentially,theywanted thoseinvestments cutfrom theprice, and theowners assertedtheir lease agreement stipulatedotherwise. The matter

landed in court,and in lateJune, a judge ruledfor the propertyowners. While the restaurant closed, that courtdecision is under appeal.

That’swhy Dickie Brennan & Co. is keeping open the possibility of returning; and alternately saying Palace Café could relocate if the right opportunity comes along.

In the balance, an important New Orleans restaurant sits in limbo, its broad windows now covered over,another blank spot on Canal Street. Bright spotsonCanal

Between alternating grandeur and neglect, Canal Street is dotted with bright spots, including in the food and drink realm. When aStarbucks outpost closed in 2023, the local brand FrenchTruck Coffee opened anew location (700 Canal St.) in its place right across from clothierRubensteins, bringing adose of modern New Orleans coffee culture. Afew blocks away,local brand Ruby Slipper Café (1001 CanalSt.) revived the thenforlorn former McCrory’sdepartment store, scene of alunch countersit-in during the Civil Rights Movement. After enduring a

lengthy closure from the adjacent Hard Rock Hotel construction site disaster,itreopened by doubling down, expanding next door to create amuch larger brunch restaurant. The Sazerac House (101 Magazine St.) transformed whathad been adormant corner of Canal Street into aworld-class museum around the city’scocktail culture, and abrand showroom for the Sazerac Co. spirits giant.

It’snot just the big players. Just look at Cleo’s(940 Canal St.), serving quality Middle Eastern food into the weehours, building back to an almost 24-hour schedule.

Through decades, though, Palace Café made an unmistakable statement as part of the Canal streetscape with its intricate, fourstory beaux-arts façade topped with neon, its windows glowing, its revolving door ready to usher you into asplendid space for New Orleans hospitality ‘Classyfun’

The property was the flagship location for Werlein’sfrom 1905 until 1990, at which point Werlein’s relocated to Metairie, amove that cameafter adrumbeat of closings for other Canal fixtures.

But this one camewith asilver lining, because the building would become arestaurant led by the city’sleading food family

“Bouquets to the Brennans for injecting new life into Canal Street,” concluded art critic Roger Green, writing on the new restaurant’s“elevated, tasteful design” in The Times-Picayune in 1991. Afew months later,TimesPicayune restaurant critic Gene Bourg called Palace Café “an indispensable stop on any tour of New Orleans’ contemporary restaurant scene,” praising its sense of “classy fun” and the “labor of love” of its renovation from music store to restaurant.

Will this property see another comeback? Acourt ruling and deal-making will likely dictate that. In the meantime, though, with Palace Café shuttered, New Orleans is missing more than its crabmeat cheesecake and white chocolate bread pudding.

Email Ian McNultyat imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

SUMMERSUMMITS!

Michelle, Nicholas and Richard Martin Woodfork

n Beautillion

Honoring young men! “In

Times Like These….” titled the formal doings when Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,Inc.,Alpha Beta Omega Chapterheld the 35th Beautillion, asignature program of the sorority’s chapter.Recognized and hailed was the “excellence, promise, and resilience embodied in these remarkable young men.” Through the program, the community manifested belief in their future.

Chapter president Troave Profice opened the formal program that unfolded at Crystal Events and featuredthe sorority’scolors of salmon pink and apple green. The presentation began with the entrance of the Belles and the escorts of the mothers of Beaux. The Rev. Aristide Marshall gave the invocation and BryanL.Fulton served as master of ceremonies. Mr Beau of 2023, Malcolm Ferrouillet then entered and presented his mother,Dr. Alexis Ferrouillet,a bouquet of long-stemmedpink tea roses. The next to be introduced were the 2025 Beaux and Junior Beaux. Within the former group, the Beaux, the respective first andsecond Runners Up were William Peoples II and Jonathan Ashford.Seven Beauxwere also limelighted: Stephen Black Jr., XanderBrady, Aiden Boykins, Noah Henderson, Nick Hodges,Troy McGowan and Alexander G. Sewell Jr They escorted theirmothers intothe ballroom. Dalton Louis and Donovan Louis were the Junior Beaux.

Ahighlight, among many, wasthe entrance of Mr.Beau 2025 Nicholas Martin Woodfork,who escorted his mother, Michelle Woodfork, to whom he also presented longstemmed roses. Yetanother notable was Tyronne Walker, the toastmaster Three waltzes then followed for, in turn, the Beaux and their mothers, the mothers andescorts, and the Beaux and Belles. Scholarships and awards, the Beaux Dance, andopendancing closed the formalities. Served appetizers and general milling followed.

Spearheading the Beautillion committee were chairman Sherae M. Hunter,co-chairman Elyse Harrison and committee members EduraBaham, BrooksBenjamin, BarbaraBrown,Valinda Carmon-Walker, Evelyn Francois, Dr Brenda Jackson,Ruth Cookie”Jean, Cheryl Jones, Kristyna Jones, StephenieJosephMarshall, Christine Mitchell, Michael Moore,AnJanette Perkins, Glener Sylvester,Cecily Vallot and MaryWilliams Thanks to them and multiple others were profuse.

Ms. Hunter’stribute in the printed programresonated.She expressed the worthiness of this rite of passage for the young men, the unwavering support they’ve receivedfrom countless sources, and the celebration of atradition of achievement, legacy and promise.

Lorene Chesley, Michael and Elizabeth Newcomer Miriam Hollar

Nell Nolan SOCIETY

Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

n Plaudits for Pillars

The Southeast LouisianaCouncil Boy Scouts of America, aProud Partner of United Way, held its2025 Pillars of Scouting Luncheon at the Audubon TeaRoom andhonored Leon Cannizzaro,former judge, retired Orleans Parish district attorney,and then,Criminal Division for Louisiana; FrancisExposito,aretired X-ray technician, carpenter,Scoutmaster for 40 years, and father and grandfather of Eagle Scouts Jonathan and Jonathan II; Dr RobertA.“Bobby” Savoie, who, after a28-year career as an engineer and CEO, completed a doctorateinengineering andnow serves as the DeanofLoyola’sCollege of Business; and Marian Hodges Wallis,who had an early investment banking background and worked in Paris for Sir James Goldsmith handling mergers and acquisitions. Her executive-level leadership aligns with companies focused on delivering high-technology products and financial services.She is along-term developer of products forthe Department of Defense.

The 2024 accolades went to David Kerstein, Kenneth M. Klemm and DennisLauscha. Emcee Jeff Crouere opened the 2025 Pillars of Scouting Luncheon program,local Scouts presented the Opening Flag andScott Oath Jim Schoen gave the invocation, Eagle Scout and Scoutmaster Dr AndrewTodd delivered theCouncil President’sremarks, and then, with Jim Letten,presented the awards to the above foursome, who spoke in turn. Each oneexpressed gratitude for thehonor and related theimportance on the role of Scouting. “You are the guardians of tomorrow,” said Leon Cannizzaro.

The menuconsisted of salad, fish and apre-set dessert,which was served at tables centered with floral arrangements of yellow daisies, red roses and accent touches of green and purple.

Prior to thebenediction by Jim Schoen, Torrey Hayden of the Southeast Louisiana Council (which is more than acentury old) addressed “Scouting in Our Area” and issued gratitude to those assembled.

Topping thelists of investors in Scouting’syouth development programswere Sue and Ed Zinni, Life Scout category; Boysie Bollinger,Frank B. Stewart Jr John and Colleen Kotts,and Todd Graves, individual Star Scout investors; and Jim Tucker,Lori andBobby Savoie,Lynne Burkhardt, Marian Wallis, PatDenechaud,and Suzanne and GregRusovich,asindividuals in the 1ST Class Scout listing. More individual supportive names were Cassie Alsfeld, Jeff Bush, Gregory Morey, Chuck Bourque, DekeCarbo, JayLapeyre,Anne Longman, Holly McCollum, JoeLopinto, and MuffinAdriance

They and dozens more, especially family members and close friends of the honorees, gathered to recognize the programsthat provide youth development and leadership —available for boys and girls, and young women and men (aged 14-20) —for “approximately 3,500 young people in 9parishes through Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Exploring.”

n The Play’sthe Thing

Crescent City Stage has been opening doors and nights. Fairly recently,supporters gathered at the Crescent City Stage Studio on Magazine Street,abrand-new space Uptown, for light bites and drinks and theannouncement of the 2025 season.The actors course theboards of Marquette Theatre on theLoyola campus.

“Tiny BeautifulThings,” the first production of this new season (which concludes with “A Christmas Carol” in December), opened with social pizazz, as well as a sold-out audience, including someofthe top names in local theater.Libations, a charcuterie display and other tasty treats

invited partakers an hour before show time. Post play,aChampagne toast furthered the buoyancy.Chatter then concerned the Aug. 28-Sept. 14 “Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson –Apt 2B,” “a feminist twist on the world’s greatest detective duo.”

Among the luminaries at the “TBT” opening night socializing weredirector Michael Newcomer,co-founder and executive director of CCS, and spouse Elizabeth “Liz” Elkins Newcomer, co-founder and creative director —both act and direct; and Miriam Hollar, whochairs the board that includes as directors the Newcomers, Cindy Beerworth, Michelle Goehring, PierreVillere III,artistic ambassador John Goodman,and LoreneChesley, whowill sleuth as Ms. Holmes in the August production.

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

Dalton Louis, Stephen Black, Donovan Louis

Troy McGowan, Jonathan Ashford, Nick Hodges, William Peoples II

Sharon Sheridan, Sherae Hunter, Elyse Harrison

AlexanderSewell, Noah Henderson, Xander Brady

PHOTOSByJEFFSTROUT

Francis Exposito,Marian Wallis,BobbySavoie, Leon Cannizzaro

James Letten, Ken Klemm, Chuck Bourque

Betseyand AndrewTodd

Chad Dufrene, Torrey Hayden

STAFF PHOTO By NELL NOLAN

TRAVEL

Visitors to Lake Charleswillfind arevitalized city

BY CHERE COEN

Contributing writer

As if hiding inside during the first pandemic of most people’s memories was bad enough,Hurricane Laura came barrelinginto Louisiana in August 2020, slamming into the Lake Charles area with Category 4intensityand a brutal storm surge.

Laura was the 10th strongest U.S. hurricane on record, and it left the region reeling.

Some Lake Charles residents imagined atarget on their backs after that fatal year,asLaura was followed by another hurricane, then arecord-breaking winter and adevastating flood in 2021.

Signs still existofthe damage nature left behind, but for the most part, Lake Charles is experiencing aremarkable renaissance.

Businesses and homes have been rebuilt, many stronger than before, and new attractions debut this summer,including arejuvenationofthe lakefrontalong Interstate 10 which includes two new museums and ariverwalk. Vendors have emerged to get people outside, and by the Gulf’s edge, Lighthouse Bend offers a marina and RV sitesalong with arestaurant and market in Cameron.

Twoattractions in one

The newly-openedPort Wonder off I-10 (next door to the Lake Charles Visitor Center) sharesits

32,000-square-foot building with the Children’sMuseum of Southwest Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Nature &Science Center Children —and adults as well— may learn about everything from Louisiana’secosystems with live marine creatures to broadcasting the news while having loadsof fun.

The Children’sMuseum features four galleries with interactive exhibits, explaining health, the media and retail outlets suchasgrocery stores. There are alsoyear-

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

round programs and activities, birthday partiesand field trips.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Nature & ScienceCenter includes large freshwaterand saltwater aquariums, interactive displays and an open pool wherevisitors may touch marine life

Both museums face thelake and include outdoorplay areas, acovered fishing pier,analligator pond (don’tworry,theyaren’tfree to roam)and walking trailsthatconnecttothe Lakefront Boardwalk Promenade.The walkway will eventually extend miles around the city

Getoutdoors

Lake Charles contains vast waterways and aflat terrain, so it’s idealfor paddling enthusiastsand bikers.

Jerry “Sarge” Antoine went home to Lake Charles after servinginthe Marinesand wanted to spend hisretirement sharing his love of the outdoors with others. Antoine offers guided kayak tours with his Lake AreaAdventures, includinglaunching from Prien Lake Park into Indian Bay,the

eastern shore of Prien Lake.

Donnie Glyenn hostsguided bicycle tours through Lake Charles. We’retalking fun wheels with music and lights through historic neighborhoods and along the lakefront withhis company Biking Through The Lake.

The Creole Nature Trail continuestobeaLouisiana gem. Nicknamed “Louisiana’sOutback,” the horseshoe routewinds south

through wetlands and bayous from I-10 to the Gulf, along Gulf beaches and Cameron and then back up north toward Lake Charles. It was the first in the nation to be designedaNational Scenic Byway

There are numerous ways to accessthe trail, including hiking through marshes at the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge south of Hackberry,shell hunting at Holly Beach and Rutherford Beach

along the Gulf —and bird and gator watching at the 3-mile driving loop at Pintail Wildlife Drive. Newtothe trail is Lighthouse Bend at literally the end of the road in Cameron, atown and region that has seen its own fair share of destruction in the past 20 years. The new Lighthouse Bend RV resort offers ways to camp near the Gulf at Cameron, use a 14-slip marina with fueling and fish-cleaning stations, pick up supplies at the market and dine at its restaurant with water views. Be sure to look for Pinky,the pink dolphin sighted along the Cameron waterways.

What’s newindining

For years, residents loved The Bekery for its fresh baguettes, scones, coffee and other delectable treats, not to mention its adorable patio. The Bekery still attracts patrons but now in alarger space in the Walnut Grove planned neighborhood.

Inside the new restaurant, visitors will feel like they’ve been transported to France, enjoying The Bekery’sbest with marble tables, crystal chandeliers, outdoor seating and abistro-styled bar serving wine and Champagne. Everything here is delicious, but we especially loved the lavender latte and fresh croissants.

Coming soon

Lake Charles owns avibrant Carnival scene. The Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu showcases the state’sunique celebration with displays of opulent headdresses and gowns wornby the morethan 65 krewes in southwest Louisiana and the costumes of the nearby Cajun courirs de Mardi Gras.

The museum is on hiatus as it moves from its previous home in the Center School Arts and Humanities Center into anew expanded space in the Nellie Lutcher Cultural District at 641 Enterprise Blvd. It plans to reopen later this year

Christopher Elliott

Ireserved avilla in Alicante, Spain, through Booking.com and paid infull.Three days before my trip, Booking.com canceled the reservation and offered little helpin getting an alternative. Ifound anew property on Booking.com, but it cost $1,000more. Booking.com agreed to refund the difference and credited the amount to my Booking.com wallet. However,without my authorization, it then transferred thefunds to an unknown credit card Despite numerous emails and phonecalls, Booking.com ignored my requests for an explanation. Can you help? —Elaine Treacy, Commugny, Switzerland Booking.com should have done

everythingitcould to help you find an alternative whenithad to cancelyour reservation. Transferring your refund to the wrong account just addedinsult to injury Youdid the right thing by documenting your communications with Booking.comand persistently seekinganexplanation.

Here’s what should happen: If an accommodation provider cancels your reservation,which is what appeared to have happen, then Booking.com should have notifiedyou as soon as possible —not threedays beforeyour trip. It also shouldhave triedtofind suitable alternative accommodation.

If it wasn’t available, thenBooking.comshould have given you a

full refund. Additionally,insome cases wherethe cancellation is the provider’sfault, Booking.com should have offered additional compensation, especially if there’s apricedifference between the canceled vacation rental and the replacement. Booking.com didn’tgive you enough time, and you had to negotiate the$1,000 compensation (it should have just offered it). And, of course,itshouldn’thave sent your refund to amysterious third party

Youcould have triedcontacting amanager at Booking.com for help. Sometimes escalating the issue can lead to afasterresolution. Ipublish the names, numbers and

email addressesofBooking.com’s executives on my consumer advocacy site,Elliott.org.

In cases like this, where acompany ignores alegitimate complaint, sometimes involving athird party, like aconsumer advocate, can help.

Icontacted Booking.com on your behalf. After weeksofback and forth, Booking.com claimed they found no suspicious activity on your account. In other words, the company believedyou had transferred your refund from your Booking.com wallettosomeone else’scredit card.

Youthencontacted executives at Booking.comand threatened to report them to the National Cyber

Security Centre and Interpol. Booking.com then contacted you directly and issued afull refund to your bank account.

It’sunfortunate that it took such extrememeasures to get your refund. This situation highlights the importance of staying vigilant and persistent whendealing with travel companies. Remember to always document your communications and escalate the issue if you hit adead end.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Jerry‘Sarge’ Antoine shares his love of the outdoors withhis Lake Area Adventures kayaktrips

PHOTO By CHERÉ COEN

The Children’sMuseum features four galleries with interactive exhibits.

AT THE TABLE

Stuffed crabswereafavoriteatlegendary inn

BY CATHERINE S. COMEAUX

Contributing writer

My father’sboyhood summers were filled with legendarily large turtles, man-sized fish and overflowingshrimp nets threatening to sink the boat when he worked for the Anchor Inn, asmall family-run restaurant at Intracoastal City Folks traveled from miles around to the edge of Vermilion Parish to enjoy the fresh-caught seafood dished up on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Stuffedcrabs were afavorite.

Owners Lennis and Leontine Moss ran the businessfrom1949 until 1957. Leontine Mossserved as cook, kitchen manager and food purveyor.Lennis Moss and his crew of fishermen, including my father and his brothers, caught the seafood. Their granddaughter Marsha Frederick, who Imet via social media,was barely walkingwhen Hurricane Audrey sweptthe Anchor Inn away,but shehad pictures, stories and recipes to share. She and her husband recently joined my father and our family to swap stories overstuffed crabs —ataste of the past Iattempted to recreate. Inspiration for the restaurant’s name came at the end of aday of trawling when Moss hit asnag that threatened to tip his boat. With help, he pulled up an anchor taller than aman, an impressive size for Vermilion Bay He sandblasted, paintedand hung it to mark the Anchor Inn, a small wood-sidedbuildingwitha screened porch facing thecanal.

The restaurant attracted guests from near and far.One afternoon, after afried fish dinner,acouple of historians from New Orleans

Stuffed Crabs

stepped outtohave acloser look at theimpressiveanchor.There were nomarkingsonitwhich was asuresign, according to Lennis Moss,who often regaled customers with tall tales, that it was an outlaw anchor With sketches in hand, thehistorians traced the origins of the anchor to Lafitte’sBlacksmith Shop in New Orleans. According to my father,the pirate’sanchor nowmarks an international mooringbusiness located on U.S.90. Frederick isn’tsosure it’sthe same anchor,but no one in thefamily can verify Theoriginal anchor might be lost, but Ifelt lucky to put my eyes on oneofLeontine Moss’ original recipes. Since it was succinctly written in portions to feed asmall restaurant full of patrons, following it was achallenge. Frederickhadn’t madeitin

ed as an alternative to homemade. Perhaps the restaurant goers of 1950s Vermilion Parish liked their stuffedcrabs roux-rich.

As much as Iwanted to recreate the flavor of the original recipe, I couldn’tbring myself to add the full amount of roux, partly owing to my personal taste and partly forfear of ruining agood-sized portion of high-priced crab meat

However,inreducing the roux, my stuffed crabs came out alittle dry

Roux adds flavor and moisture as it helps hold the crab meat together.When Imake this recipe again, Imight channel the spirit of Leontine Moss and add the full amount or add an egg to help bind the meat

What kind of crab meat would Moss have used?

She likely used freshly picked crab, amixture of dark sweet claw meat,smoothbuttery lumps from the body,and tasty chunks from the back fins. Perhaps she mixed in alittle bit of the flavorful“fat.”

Iwould have preferred to use fresh-picked crab but my timing wasoff. Iwas able to score aset of crab backs from afamily crab boil which Iscrubbed clean and froze until Ineeded them, but for the stuffingI used frozen crab meat,four parts lumptoone part claw

1. In a4-quart lidded Magnalite or Dutch oven, stirand heat the roux over medium-high heat.

2. Add onions and cook a few minutes, then add celery and bell pepper

3. Cook on mediumheat about 15-20 minutes, until oilstarts to separate.

4. Add ground shrimp andgarlic, simmer 15 minutes.

5. Add enough water to reservedshrimp liquid to make 11/2 cups of liquid, then pour into pot and simmer 1hour,stirring frequently.This should be cooked down thick.

years, so Ifound myself calling on the spirit of her grandmother to help me. Frederick had shared an image of the nicely dressed, gently smiling lady standing at acounter at the Anchor Inn, her nails done, looking like she was ready toserve acold Jax beer (or perhaps answer myquestions about her recipe).

Iwasn’tconvinced the crab-to-

crab shells or small ramekins

6. Add seasonings salt, red pepper,Kitchen Bouquet, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, red hot sauce, parsley and onion tops.

7. Gently fold in the crab meat

8. If mixture is dry,add small amount of water

9. Gently mix in about 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Crab mixture can be refrigerated overnight at thistime.

10. Preheat oven to425 F. 11. Stuff mixture into crab shells/ramekins and topwith remaining breadcrumbs (mix withmelted butter if desired)

12. Bakeuntil breadcrumbs are toasted.

Recipe notes:

n The larger amountof darkroux is what the original recipe called for

n If using thelesser amount of roux, consider adding an egg to help hold themeat together

n For added flavor,substitute chicken or seafood stock for water

n Kitchen Bouquet is found in most grocery stores near thebrothsand stocks. It provides color and minimal flavor

n Both red hot sauce and Tabasco werecalled for in

roux ratio was correct. Wouldn’t thedark, jarred roux overpower thedelicate crab meat?Moss, who passed away in the ’60s, madeher own roux (jarred roux didn’tbecome available until 1975). Perhaps something was miscommunicated in relaying the recipe across generations, especially when jarred roux wasadd-

We enjoyed the stuffed crabs with fresh corn maque choux, and sliced cucumbers splashed with cane vinegar and sprinkled with salt. Jax beer,astaple at the Anchor Inn, was served, thanks to the Port Orleans Brewing Company.Itrecently revived the brew after it had been discontinued in 1974.

The Anchor Innhas been gone for68years now but you can get a taste of its history in this recipe.

theoriginal recipe. Iused a few dashes of Tabasco and omitted the

n Iusedbutteredbreadcrumbs fortops. Mix 1-2 tablespoons meltedsalty

sprinkling on top.

red hot sauce.

butterinwith the remaining breadcrumbs before

PHOTO By CATHERINE S. COMEAUX

Leontine Moss’ Stuffed Crabsservedwith maque choux, shrimp fettuccineand fresh-picked cucumbers.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Swappingstories over stuffed crabs recently were,front row, Catherine S. Comeaux and her father Harold Schoeffler;back row, Paul and Marsha

Frederick, whose grandmother Léontine Moss was well-known forher stuffed crabs. The crabswere afavorite menuitematthe Anchor Inn restaurant, owned by the Mosses.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Léontine Moss and her husband, Lennis, owned the Anchor Inn from 1949 until 1957.

Hurricane Katrinauprooted environmentalprofessor’s life

Butlater,she

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Sometimes natural disasters have away of rerouting aperson’slife. In Trish O’Kane’scase, she transformed from acivil rights journalist to an ornithologist and environmental activist,a journey she recounts in her nonfiction book, “Birding to Change the World.”

O’Kane, currently an environmentalstudies professor atthe University of Vermont, moved to New Orleans to teach journalism at Loyola University with her husband on Aug. 1, 2005. Three weeks later,Hurricane Katrina hit, and everything they hadwas underwater

When she returned in January 2006, O’Kane put up bird feeders in the yard of her rented house, and she began to watch the birds, becomingfascinated with house sparrows. This “birding fix” grew and helped her heal. Inspired by her newfoundlove for nature, she applied to and completed aPh.D. program in environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During this time, she made Warner Park, alarge park with wetlands and arichlydiverse natural environment, acrucial piece of her dissertation.She started an activist group called “Wild Warner” and began aprogram, “Birding toChange the World,” which partnered college students with middle school students for asemester to learn about birds and experience wildlife.

O’Kane,

As we approach the 20th anniversary of Katrina, can you describe the transformation that happened in your life because of the hurricane and the events that followed?

Ithink alot of people whowent through Katrina feel this way:I felt like Idied. That person who was acertain kind of person died, and anotherpersonwas born afterward. It just took a long time for that person tofind outwho shewas. Iwas 44, and I wanted to make achange.

As acivil rights journalist,I was in Central America for 10 years, and Iwas in Alabama at the Southern Poverty Law Center,soIdon’tfeel like Ibecame atotally different person. Ifeel like the seeds of those experiences cameout and could grow in anotherway that Ihadn’texpected.

Bill Moyers helped reintroducepoetry to Americans

Ihad thoughtofsocial justice very rigidly,and then, because of Katrina, Iwas able to make the connection with environmental justice —but it was still justice. Iwas very lucky and privileged that Iwas able to go back to school in my mid-40s. Iwas the first one in my family to get aPh.D. The transformation was because ofour education system When Iemailedthisprofessor in Madison, he answeredand changed my life. He changed my husband’s life. He changed the history ofWarner Park.

How did yourexperience with Hurricane Katrinaand teaching the Warner Park kids help you to connect environmental justice with social justice?

DuringKatrina, it was playingout rightinfront of us. If we hadn’t connected the dots before, it was very obvious all of asudden. If youdidn’thave acar or if you didn’t have acar that worked, how were you going to get out ofthere?

When Iwas researching the book later,readingabout people with disabilities who had no transportation, I’d ask, “What happened to them?”“Did they getout ofthe city?” Thosethings for uswere visceral. They were notjuststatistics. We lived it. We saw it.

Iwasn’t from New Orleans. I had just moved there. ButIhad ajob,Ihad money,and Ihad a friendwho found me aplace to live. Iwas reading about these NewOrleanians stranded all over thecountry,people who camefrom generations of families. It was just wrong. The accumulationofexperiences of that time was justa wake-up call. When Iwent to Madison with the kids, Ihad lived in Central America. I’d seen alot of poverty

and injustice, but because I hadn’tlived in acold climate, I didn’tknow what was required to be outside.

All of asudden, there are all these little kids in our program on aFebruaryday with 2feet of snow on the ground in their little sneakers and cotton socks, and it was acatastrophe. Irealized Icouldn’tdothis if these kids don’thave proper clothing, but their parents couldn’tafford the clothing.

So we started clothing drives, and we do that now in Vermont, too. My college studentsdoclothing drives for the kids, but that doesn’taddress thefundamental injustice of living in acold place with children who have aright to be outside. It’s essential for their physical and mental health, but you can’tafford apair of Smartwool socks because you’re a cashier at the grocery store who doesn’tget paid enough.

The injustices are so baked in to our systems, and we don’t even see them.Suddenly,itwas right in front of me. Acrying child turning blue.

Those kids were great teachers. What wouldyou likefuture readers to know about this book?

Ilearned while living this book that we can’tdoitalone. Everythingthat happened to me here was because people were kind and helpful and opened doors during theworst time in their lives. Ifound aflock in Madison. Ifound agroup of people who believed and wanted to help protect this place, Warner Park. We all can find common ground in what we love.

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

“MarkTwain” by RonChernow

Bill Moyers, whodied last month at 91, will be remembered forhis workasatop aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson and alater career in broadcasting. But Moyers shaped my life mostvividly in his championship of poetry,aform of readingthat fewofusembrace these days. I’d been obliged to study poetry in college, but once I started acareer and looked toward new roles as ahusband and father,poems seemed far removed from what Iconsidered “real life.” But hearing an Elizabeth Bishop poem on a public TV show several decades ago nudged me to give poetry a secondlook. Meanwhile, Moyers had embarked on aseries of PBS projects aimed at reintroducingpoetry to new readers. Those programs, “The Power of theWord” and “The Language of Life,” helped reawaken my interest in poetry,too. Modern poetry has areputation for being arid and abstract, something eked out by scribes wearing turtlenecks and berets in agrungy cafe. But Moyers, who’d grownupjust across the Louisiana border in Marshall, Texas, seemed like someone Imight know.His twang was comfortably familiar to anyone who’sgrownupinthis part of theworld, and as ajournalist, his eye wenttoward the real and concrete rather than the remoteand ethereal. His love of poetry moved me to think that Imight also like it. The poets that Moyers interviewed for his TV shows didn’t seem stuffy and detached, either.Iespecially enjoyed his talks with Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon, two poets who had marriedeach other and built alife

in rural New Hampshire. Their shared household seemed much like that of any other family: gardens to weed, bills to pay, some health struggles, the question of what to cook for dinner

The couple’sconversations with Moyers pointed to poetry’s power to illuminate everyday experience, making small moments shine. Those glints of revelation appealed to the same sense of curiosity that drew Moyers to journalism

“Poetry is news—news of the mind, newsofthe heart —and in the reading and hearing of it, poet and audience are fused,” he pointed out. “Strangers converge but community emerges, the shared experience of being present when poetry reveals a particular lifetobeevery life— my life, your life, you, me, us.” Through television, Moyers connected Americans with poets at street level, an especially valuable giftsince fewofusget to know poets firsthand. In my own work as ajournalist, I‘ve been lucky to know quite afew, including Louisiana poets Ava Leavell Haymon and Catharine Savage Brosman. Their work resonates because it’sapart of, not apart from, daily concerns. With the arrival of Marie Howe’s“Newand Selected Poems” on my nightstand, poetry continues to be on my reading list this summer.I have Bill Moyers to thank for getting us together

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com

NewOrleans Book Fest expandsFamilyDay

Fullday dedicatedto kid-friendly reading

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University will expand itspopularFamily Day in 2026 to Sunday,March 15, as a dedicated day of literary fun just for children and families to wrap up theweekend. Previously held on Saturday alongwith otherBook Fest events,FamilyDay will now takecenter stage at 10 a.m.on Sunday forexclusive family programming. The day will feature kidfriendly author readings, book signings, interactive performances, costumed characters andcrafts. Book lovers will find readings of all levels, backgroundsand interests.

“This move gives us the chance to elevate Family Day even further,” Cheryl Landrieu, festival co-chair,said in astatement. “By

extending the festival into Sunday, we’re creating more space forfamilies to explore, connect and celebrate the joy of reading without competing with other programming.”

Last year’sFamily Day welcomedmorethan 20 children’s authors and distributed over 5,000 free booksinpartnership with Scholastic.

The free, four-day NewOrleans Book Festivalbegins the eveningofThursday, March12 followed by three full days of programming from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. on Friday,Saturday and Sunday

Theauthorlineup will be announcedinNovember2025, andthe full schedule will be announced in the weeks before thefestival. Registration for attending thefestivalisnot required but strongly encouraged. Guests canregister ahead of timeonline.

“Family Day is one of the most joyful and inclusive parts of the festival,” Landrieu said. “We’re thrilled to give it the spotlight it deserves.”

TRADEPAPERBACK

1. “One Golden Summer” by Carley Fortune

“Severed Heart” by Kate Stewart 3. “The Tenant”byFreidaMcFadden

4. “Caught Up” by Navessa Allen

5. “Sandwich” by Catherine Newman

6. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby VanPelt

7. “Problematic SummerRomance”by Ali Hazelwood

8. “LightsOut”byNavessa Allen

9. “The Spellshop”bySarah Beth Durst

10. “FourthWing” by Rebecca Yarros

PROVIDED PHOTO

Trish

author of ‘Birding to Changethe World,’and environmentalstudies professor at the University of Vermont

Danny Heitman AT RANDOM

Moyers

HOLLYWOOD SOUTH

La.documentary filmmakers face challengingeconomy

When the documentary ”Trouble theWater,” aNew Orleansbased film about Hurricane Katrina, was nominated foran Oscar in 2008, the landscape for nonfiction motion pictures was different.

Leslie Cardé

Even by 2020, when the locally produced film “Time” was nominated for an Academy Award,making documentaries was far less arduous than it is today At atime when there arequestions about everything in our democracy from social justice and due process to massive spending cuts and even the existence of climate change, documentarians who unravel these stories are finding it harder to get them produced and distributed.

Documentaries have traditionally not been big moneymakers, but that was never their raison d’être.

They were oftenthoughtofas the pearls in astudio’scatalogue of films, among amix of moneymaking blockbusters, rom-coms and dramas, even art films.

Documentaries that raised social awareness about vital issues were considered anecessary part of filmmaking, never expected to pay the bills.

Payoff wasprestige

The payoff was often the Oscars and other prizes that these films garnered, giving thestudios and production companies behind them acertain prestige.

But that philosophyhas been changing, and in recent fallout, the entertainment company A24 shuttered its documentary division in May.Inachallenging marketplace, the clear message is that documentaries are dragging down the bottom line.

That’sbeen evident forover a decade now

The streaming services just ramping up in the2010s were hungry for independent docs made by filmmakers with apoint

of view.But, by the 2020s, production and acquisition spending sharply declined. Studios realized that onlyasmall number of documentaries were pulling in the kind of numbers they needed to continue production anddistribution.

According to BoxOffice Mojo, owned by IMDB,in2018, only four documentaries made more than$10 million domestically: “Won’tYou Be My Neighbor” about Mister Rogers; “RBG,” a profile of Supreme CourtJustice Ruth BaderGinsburg; “Three Identical Strangers,” dealing with identical triplets separated at birth; and “Free Solo,” the story of aprofessional climber scaling Yosemite’sElCapitan.

And, since movie theaters reopened after the pandemic, only one documentary has passed the $10 million mark: “Angel Death,” about near-deathexperiences Next in line was popular chef Anthony Bourdain’s profile “Roadrunner,” coming in at $5.3 million, and it’sdownhill from there.

Pivoting to independence

Documentary filmmakers have

decided it’s time to pivot

Fox Rich’s“Time,” filmed over two decades ago, dealt withthe fight to get her husband, Rob, released from Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Rich has been reading thetea leaves for some time.

“I cameinto this arena at atime when people like Davis Guggenheim (Oscar winner for “An Inconvenient Truth” about climate change) and Laurene Powell Jobs (president and founder of Emerson Collective, which investsin entrepreneursand innovators) believed in these important stories toldthrough documentaries,” said Rich,co-founder of Rich Time Productions.

“Ourfilm ‘Time’ was bought by Amazon throughour partner Concordia for $5 million at the Sundance Film Festival and can still be seen on Amazon’s streaming service.”

The landscape, however,has changed, Rich said. Now,it’s importantthat documentarians become independent,arranging theirown distribution channels and marketing their own films.

“Welaunched ‘Time II: Unfinished Business’ on Juneteenth

2025 with asocial awareness campaign, thinking ahead to thefilm’sreleaseinthe fall on a pay-per-viewplatform,” the filmmaker said.

“It’sthe story of Rob’srelease from prison —because it didn’t happen via pixie dust.”

The new catchphrase studios usewhenpresented with documentary projects is “risk averse”: They arewilling to finance or distribute documentaries if the subject matter is sports or it’scelebrity-driven.

That doesn’tleavea lotofroom forfilms about prison reform, thehomeless, mental illness, bullying or domestic abuse, just to name afew documentary topics that provide critical information to people attempting to navigate society’sills.

An example of arisk-averse documentary is the recent “Bye ByeBarry,” aboutrunning back Barry Sanders’ startling exit from football. It is now the most popular documentary on Prime Video.

Earlywarning

The warning bell sounded on socially conscious docs last year

when Participant Media, owned by eBay billionaire Jeff Skoll, closed its doorsinBeverly Hills.

The companywas behind 86 Oscar nominations and21wins, andapart fromdocumentaries did socially engaging features, like Oscar winners “Green Book” and“Spotlight.”

But the companywas losing tens of millions of dollars ayear With no viable buyers, Skoll pulledthe plug.

“Thatplatform maybegone, but if youthink your story is worth telling, thenitisequally important to figure out whatyour distribution will be before the cameras ever start rolling,” said RobRich, co-founder of Rich Time Productions.

“Use the toolsatyour disposal to find an aggregatorwhich can lead youtovarious platforms. Thenyou figure out who would be most interestedinyour film andmarkettothose people,” he said.

“That’sexactly whatwe’re doing for‘Time II,’ which will begin streaming on Amazon’sTVOD space come the fall. That stands for transactionalvideoondemand andgivesyou the ability to getyourfilm up on certain platforms, if your film is approved. It’sa profit-sharing model, which is usually 50/50.”

Barterand tradefor film?

There’s certainly more than oneway to skin acat in this ever-changing environment.

This year’s Oscar-nominated film “Sing Sing” aboutthe arts programatSing Sing prison was essentially abarterand trade programinwhichpeople donated their services But everyone,including the janitor, gota piece of the profits on the back end. This new model givespeople powerinownership while providing affordability for filmmakers.

“AuthorWilliamGoldman noted in ‘Adventuresinthe Screen Trade’ thatnoone really knows anything, because no onecan really predictthe success of any project,” FoxRichsaid.

“The documentary isn’tdying,” she said, “it’sjust evolving.”

Email Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@gmail.com

of French Louisiana to Spain and agonized over the 1789 revolution in France, but neither political upheaval slowed the growth of their real estate empire.

The new patriarch of the family, François’sgrandson Pierre PhilippedeMarigny de Mandeville, would become the richest man in New Orleans, with properties spanning both the east and westbanks, upriver, downriver andbeyond.

According to the historian King, “(Pierre Philippe de) Marigny purchased also aprincelytract of magnificently wooded landonthe opposite shore of Lake PontchartrainfromNew Orleans which, in honor of its growth of trees, he calledFontainebleau,” for the famous forest estate outside Paris.

In 1798, Pierre Philippe acquired the plantation immediately below today’sEsplanade Avenue, perhaps the most valuable of his portfolio on account of itsproximity to the city proper Twoyears later,Pierre died at Fontainebleau and was interred beneath St. Louis Cathedral.

Ateenage heir to thefortune

Pierre’sdeath in 1800 made his 15-year-old son Jean-Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville heir to the family fortune. Bernard came of age during the interregnum period when Spain retroceded the Louisiana colony to France, which soon sold it to the UnitedStates.

Foreseeing that NewOrleans would soon expand under American dominion, Bernard Marigny in 1805 hired engineer Nicholas de Finiels to design afaubourg (inner suburb) upon the plantationhe had inherited justbelow the city.In1806, he contracted with surveyor Barthélémy Lafon to lay Finiels’ plat to become the FaubourgMarigny Finiels and Lafon had arranged the neighborhood so thatitwould straddle apreexisting sawmill canal along which they traced a central artery named Champs Elisées—today’sElysian Fields Avenue.

That trajectory,ifextended across the backswamp, pointed toward asection of the Lake Pontchartrain shore that lay closest to the Mississippi River.Continuing

that line northwardacrossthe lake pointedtothe Fontainebleau property Bernard hadalso inherited. New Orleansdid indeed expand. By 1810, its population had doubled, andthe Faubourg Marigny filled with Creole and immigrant families. By 1820, thecity had surpassed 27,000 in population, andby1830, nearly doubled to 50,000.

Builders look across thelake Urban expansion called for building materials —timber,clay for bricks, shells for mortar,tar as sealant— which could be acquired across Lake Pontchartrain. How to get them into thecity? With an excitingnew technology: therailroad Where to put the tracks? Along Elysian Fields Avenue, being the shortest route from river to lake. Bernard Marignycould not have beenmore fortunate, as such a conveyance would raise thevalue of his properties at both ends.

In January 1830, agroup of Creole investors secured astate charter to form thePontchartrain Railroad Company.They set aboutacquiringland for the rightof-way,whichincluded apayment of $25,000 to buyout Bernard’s canal (now theElysian Fields Avenueneutral ground).

Workers then shored up the track bed throughthe Gentilly swamp, laid down the tracks, and built stations as well as aloading pier at“Port Pontchartrain,” near the present-day campus of UNO.

On Saturday,April 23, 1831, the horse-drawn Pontchartrain Railroad madeits inaugural run as thefirst railroad west of the

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Appalachian Mountains, and first in the nation to complete its rail system

Seventeen months later,the company introduced steam locomotion to thecity,“to thegreat admiration and wonder of avast concourse of our citizens,” reported the Louisiana Advertiser,“who were assembled …towitness this novel and interesting sight.”

Marignymeets NewMarigny

Soon, thePontchartrain Railroad was hauling cargo and passengers daily,bringing economic rigor and raising real estate values in theFaubourg Marigny Elated, Bernard had moreofhis land subdivided farther up Elysian FieldsAvenue, dubbing it theFaubourg Nouveau Marigny (New Marigny)

Realizingthat the railroad had also catalyzed arecreational communityonthe lakefront land of his colleague Alexander Milne today’sMilneburg —Bernard had another idea: Why not create a resort on his own lakefront land?

Back in 1829, Marigny had added to his cross-lake inheritance by purchasing ashoreline promontoryknown as Green Point,which he madeintothe Fontainebleau Plantation.Enslaved workers were part of the transaction.

While theregion’sclay soils did not suit thecultivation of sugar cane, Marigny nevertheless acquired morelakeshore land between Bayou Chinchuba and Bayou Castine, now that the Pontchartrain Railroad coupled with steamboat service put them within easy reach of urbanites.

The demand was there: New Or-

leanians itched to escape the congested city in steamysummers, especially when yellow fever epidemics threatened.

Gift of theMandevillelakefront

In 1834, Marigny had aportion of his land subdivided as Mandeville, in honor of the other branch of his family tree.

Knowing that its appeal would be as natural resort, he stipulated that Mandeville’slakefront would be public space forever free of structures, forpeople to enjoy the fresh air and balmywater Properties in Mandeville sold briskly,abetted by the ferry service Marigny provided from Milneburg —once pleasure-seekers arrived there on the Pontchartrain Railroad from the two faubourgs bearing his name. Incorporated as atown in 1840, Mandevillebecame popular for its hotels, eateries and recreational facilities.

Its proximity to Bayou Chinchuba gaverise to asister communityknownasLewisburg, while the convenient new access to New Orleans helped grow the preexistingSt. TammanyParish communities of Madisonville and Covington.

Entrepreneurs connected the dotsand co-marketed the various attractions through asteady stream of newspaper advertisements.“For Mandeville and Madisonville,” headlined atypical ad in the Daily Picayune in August 1841. “Wetake this opportunity to announce …that the steamboatsMazeppa and Walker will leave this afternoon forthe above pleasant places of resort. Now, any of you whowish to put out, must be at thePontchartrain Railroad by 4o’clock, P.M., or you’ll missout.”

Marigny’ssuccessful Mandeville gambit demonstrated that St.Tammany Parish could turn its aseptic environs into moneymakers. With lake breezes, piney woods, clear rivers and cool springs, theundulating countryside seemed theantithesis of pestilential New Orleans.

City dwellers of meansfled in droves every August through October forMandeville, Madisonville, Covington and Christy Springs,where ajournalist in 1855 raved of “the sparkling liquid that gushes from the springs” and “the bracing air,impregnated with theodor of the pine,” recommending the spot for“the healthy

as wellasthe invalid.” By 1856, Christy Springs changed its nametothat of a nearby river,itself said to be named forNative inhabitants, becoming today’sAbita Springs. Tourismbooststhe OzoneBelt Soon, St. TammanyParish would becomeknownasthe “Ozone Belt,” ahealth destination based on the perception that pine balsam formed asort of ozone which cleansed the air of malignant organisms, while clear artesian springs and lake breezes offered other salubrious benefits. Marigny’sMandeville had catalyzed anew tourism industry

Aiming to get moreNew Orleanians up to the Ozone Belt, Mandeville-based investor George Ingram in 1870 established the New Orleans &Northeastern Railroad, which in timewould give rise to Slidell and other communities in eastern St. Tammanyand Washington parishes, while providing direct rail access to Mandeville. Bernard Marigny did not live long enough to see these and other outcomes of his 1830s Marigny-Mandeville connection; he died at age 82 in 1868 and was entombed in St. Louis No. 1Cemetery

Despite its influence, the Marigny namefaded from public recognition over the course of the 20th century,tothe point that even the term “faubourg” had dropped out of use.

In the 1970s, history buffs and preservationists revived the toponym “Faubourg Marigny” as they restored the neighborhood’s aging housing stock. In doing so, they reintroduced NewOrleanians to Jean-Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, and by nature of his dual French surname, to his connection to that other,very different place he created across Lake Pontchartrain —now acity of 13,000 people, and still with a beautiful open public lakefront. Richard Campanella,a geographer withthe Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment, is theauthor of “Crossroads, Cutoffs, and Confluences,” “Draining New Orleans,” “BourbonStreet: AHistory,” and other books from LSUPress. He may be reached at richcampanella com, rcampane@tulane.edu ,or @nolacampanella on X.

Many Americansare fortunate to havedental coverage fortheir entire working life, through employer-provided benefits.Whenthose benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to putoff or even go without care. Simply put —without dentalinsurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.

When you’re comparingplans ...



Ask about the

PHOTO FROM GOOGLE STREETVIEW

Aglimpse of Mandeville Street in NewOrleans.

Give friend spaceindifficult time

Dear Harriette: My best friend and her fiancé have decided to call it quits. They’ve been togetherfor nineor 10 years and have been engaged for the past two. They had evenbegun building their first home together after moving to a new state. About a month ago, we had a bridesmaids’ get-together, so to my understanding, they were still on the same page in terms of getting

CURIOUS

BINGO

Continuedfrom page1D

Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

Continued from page1D

rightful heir to this, she was not going to back down.

“Even after her firsthusband died and she got remarried, there were times that she was in there arguing for herself. She was not going to let anything get in her way.And Ithink that was her just wanting to prove that she means something and that this is hers.

Childofasecretmarriage

Gaines was born in New Orleans in the early 1800s to Clark and aFrenchwoman named Zulime Carrière. The two had been married secretly.After they split, Clark destroyedevidence of the relationship when he wanted to remarry,Dunn said.

Gaines was raised by friends of Clark and kept ignorant of her real parentage until around 1832, when she was going through her adoptive father’spapers. Clark’s1811 will bequeathed hisvast tracts of New Orleans land to his mother, administered by his business partners, extremely influential power brokers Beverly Chew and Richard Relf. The two would benefit heavily from the will,Dunn said, allowing them to receive much of his fortune and land.

Gaines found evidence of another will, made in 1813, that declared her his heir and left her all his property and fortune —estimated then at $35 million. Dunn said Gaines unearthed evidence that the two business partners had destroyed this willfor personal gain. As anewlywed, she filed the first lawsuit with the help of her husband, William Whitney, since women weren’tallowed to sue on their own. Elizabeth Urban Alexander,author of “Notorious Woman: The Celebrated Case of Myra Clark Gaines,” talked about New Orleans’ response to her case.

“Those questions were not particularly wellreceived by the New Orleans community,because if Myra Gaines was right, then the legal titles to a fairly large portion of New Orleans were being called into dispute,” Alexander said. “So the wholepower structure of New Orleans gathered together to support the executives of Clark’swill who were still alive, and to oppose this young couple.”

Sued andjailedfor libel Chew and Relf sued Whitney forlibel, landing him in jail for athree-week stint. When Whitney died of yellow fever three years later,Gaines blamed the imprisonment for weakening him. After her first husband died, she remarried, and her second husband also supported her cause. In 1858, the Louisiana Supreme Court finally nullified the 1811 will and upheld the validity of the 1813 will. But by this time, the original estate had been split up and sold off, with much of Clark’sformer land now belonging to the city.Gaines then had to sue the city for her land, enduring decades more of legal troubles. Alexander described

married. Sometime after that, Irealized they each removed photos of the other from their social media accountsand have since canceled their wedding.It was heartbreaking receiving an update like thatvia email. I’ve called and textedmyfriend, but she has not been responding to me.Other friends are saying the same. How can Isupport my friend through such a

Gaines as savvy,bucking social norms that expected women to stay quiet andunseen. Alexander said she’d dress fashionably—inone case showingupincourt in blackvelvet,with diamonds in herhairand asilk hat with bird of paradise feathers. She’d haveher second husband,a general,stand beside herinfulluniform and introduce her before she’d talk

“In other words, she’sa picture offemininitywhile she’sdoingsomething that women are not supposed to do,” Alexandersaid. “She wanted to be part of her lawsuit, and shewas.

“She argued her case by herselfincourt,” Alexander said.“Shewas able to manipulatethissort of classification system of a woman as alady,without completely violating it.”

Settingthe trailfor women

The final tally was 57 years in court, withGaines’ litigation pending in atleast onecourt every single year, Alexander calculated. The lawsuit was heard 17 times before the U.S.Supreme Court and hadover70court filings in various probate anddistrict courts.

After the case was finally settled in Gaines’ favor her heirs wereawarded $923,788, butyears of dragging litigation hadincurred

difficult change that Idon’t even understand? —Breakup Mystery Dear Breakup Mystery: Give your friend space. She has a lot to process.Text her once aweek telling her you love her and are there for her in any way she needs. But don’tpush.

Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

heavy legal fees, Dunn said. In theend, her heirs were left with just over $60,000 after these costs were paid.

“She didn’tget to really reap the benefits,” Dunn said. “But thelegacy of this,she really set thetrail for women to be able togo on and have amuch bigger role in their personal lives and society.”

Do you have aquestion about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your questionto curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and thecitywhere you live.

Oneofthe great inventionsofthe 20th century was the bingo board, an electronic marvel on which each called number is posted so that players can check what they might have missed. (Of course, it helps clarify the inevitable “B”or“G” question.)

DeArmond was atireless number caller.Fortunately, there was abriefbreak which allowed timefor another round of hot dogs and alsogave the priestafew minutes to walk his dog, aschnauzer named Friar Gus.During thegames, Gus satquietly on stage behind his master,perhaps sniffing the nearby essence of boiled wieners.

Loyaltoone card

To win, aplayer needed to be thefirst to cover arow on the game card either horizontally or diagonally or to cover the corners. Some people have manycorners to cover because they rent astash of game cards at $1 each. Around me, there were three players withsix cards and one with four I, on theother hand, was loyal to my one card. It did not produce any wins, but neither did themultiple cards of the players around me.

To sweeten the competition, Imade an offer to my table neighbors that I would personally award a bonus of $1 to anyone who got abingo. Later,when I realized my offer wasnot creating much excitement, Iincreased the offer to $2. The excitement doubled, but the numbers remained unfriendly Ialso tried to add spirituality to the strategies. It occurred to me that this would be the first St. Anthony bingo night ever during which apope with NewOrleans roots could be afactor.So, Isuggested an impromptu prayer saying, “Oh Leo XIV,please help your disciples in New Orleans get rich and wina giftcertificate forcannolis from Brocato’s.” It didn’twork. And then I realized there wasatactical flaw.Such prayers are madetosaints, and Leo, though he may be one day is not there yet. Maybe we will have to save that prayer forthe future.

CheckinwithSt. Anthony

However,someone pointed out, there is abona fide saint in the mix —St. Anthony,and we were in his namesake church on his feast day.Furthermore, Anthony is the saint to pray to for finding lost items.

(I know of someone who prayed to Anthony when he lost his hearing aids and found both shortly after.)

If we were losing at bingo, would that fit the definition of having lost something? We never had achance to test the question because it was timefor the finale —the blackout gamein which the winner had to be the first to cover all the spaces on the card. It is adaring, exhaustive gamereaching atension level comparable to the Indianapolis 500, enriched by acash prize of $250. Igot off to afast start with numbers on my card being called rapidly,but then the action slowed, only to start again. This wasgetting serious. There wereonlytwo spaces left to fill. Iwas anticipating my newwealth,but then from the back of the room came thedreaded yell, “bingo!” Adifferentperson hadthe nervetowin.

That’swhen Irealized that of allthe days of theyear, June 13 is not theday to pray to St.Anthony.That’s theday he is busy feasting Errol Labordeisa producer and panelist on WYES Channel12’s “Informed Sources.” Contact him at elabordenola@gmail.com.

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,July 13, the194thday of 2025. Thereare 171 days left in theyear

TodayinHistory

On July 13, 1985, the “Live Aid”benefit rock concerts were held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, raising millions for faminereliefin Ethiopia

Also on this date:

In 1793, French politician,physician andjournalist Jean-Paul Marat was assassinatedbyCharlotte Corday,who stabbed him to deathinhis bath

In 1863, deadly rioting against theCivil Warmilitary draft erupted in New York City. (Theinsurrectionwas put down three dayslater.)

In 1923, asign consisting of 50-foot-tall letters spelling out “HOLLYWOODLAND” wasdedicated in the Hollywood Hills to promote asubdivision (the last four letters wereremoved in 1949).

In 1930, the first FIFAWorld Cupbegan in Uruguay In 1960, John F. Kennedy wonthe Democratic presidential nomination on the first ballotathis party’sconvention in Los Angeles.

In 1973, former presidential aideAlexanderP Butterfield revealed to SenateWatergateCommitteestaff members theexistence of President RichardNixon’ssecret White Housetaping system.

In 1999, Angel Maturino Resendiz, suspected of being the “Railroad Killer,” surrendered inEl Paso, Texas.

In 2013, ajury in Florida cleared neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman of allcharges in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, theunarmed black teenager whose killingunleashedfurious debate over racial profiling, self-defense andequal justice.

In 2018, agrand jury indictment, sought by special counsel Robert Mueller,allegedthatthe Russian government was behind asweepingconspiracy to interfere in the2016 U.S. presidential election.

In 2020, Washington’sNFL franchisedropped the “Redskins” name and logoamidpressure from sponsors; the move followed decades of criticism that the name and logo were offensivetoNative Americans.(Theteam was eventually renamed theCommanders.)

Today’sBirthdays: GameshowannouncerJohnny Gilbert (TV:“Jeopardy!”)is97. Authorand Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka is 91.Actor PatrickStewart is 85. Actor Harrison Ford is 83.Singer-guitarist Roger McGuinn (The Byrds) is 83. Rubik’sCube inventor Erno Rubik is 81. Actor-comedianCheech Marin is 79. Actor DaphneMaxwell Reid is 77. Actor Didi Conn is 74. Actor Gil Birmingham is 72. Singer Louise Mandrell is 71. Formerboxing champion Michael Spinksis69. Actor-director Cameron Crowe is 68. Comedian TomKenny is 63. ActorKen Jeong is 56. Singer Deborah Coxis51. Actor AyaCash is 43. Former St. Louis Cardinals catcherYadier Molina is 43. Actor ColtonHaynes is 37.Actor Steven R. McQueen is 37. Soul singer Leon Bridges is 36. ActorHayley Erin(TV:“General Hospital”) is 31.

In praise of thehumblehandkerchief

Judith Martin

MISS MANNERS

Dear Miss Manners: What is your opinion on handkerchiefs? Iprefer them to tissues. Ihave seen brides,at weddings that cost thousands of dollars, crying intowadded-up tissues. If they really find it so disgusting to reuse a soiled handkerchief, they could investafew dollarsinamulti-pack and get afresh one each time.

Also, Ibelieve that it is better for the environment.

Gentle reader: Why would anyone prefer aflimsypiece of paper to an all-purpose little cloth for mopping up life’sfrequent spills,including those from noses?

MissManners suspects it is the fussy name and theembellishments such as embroidery,floral motifs and monograms —that condemn handkerchiefs as frivolous. So yes,she loves them.

Remind her to give large lacy ones to prospective brides who areknown to be emotional.

Dear Miss Manners: Twoteachers at the school where Iteach had babies. The school had separate baby showers for each of them, and Igave agift at each

shower Neither one has offeredany thanks to anyofusfor the giftsthey received. I’m rather surprised. Is this the norm these days?

Gentle reader: As you areateacher,you probably subscribe to the idea that normal behavior —which is to say, that behavior in whichmany people indulge —could standimprovement. That ingratitude is commondoes not make it acceptable.Nor is being busyanexcuseyou would accept from studentswho didn’tturn in their assignments.

ButMissManners presumesthat you arealso familiar with failure to complete atask. Are you sure that each of the packages included asecurely fastenedcard identifying thedonor?

Dear Miss Manners: Many of my soonto-be in-laws areupsetthat we don’t have awedding registry,and also that they don’thave my phone numberto complain.

Nobody bothers my fiancé, but his mother,“Noreen,” gets alot of calls from theextended family.I’ve given my blessing for hertoshare the truth: We are putting togetherphoto walls in thefronthallway of ourhome, andwill happily include anyone who sends us pictures

Eventhis highly personal gift idea isn’tcutting it, andNoreen is getting frazzled as the date draws nigh. Directing relatives to my fiancé’sphone numberisn’tworking.

I’m tempted to make aregistry that is allsockstobedonated to acharity, but thatwould probably just make things worse for Noreen.

Pleasetalkmedown.

Gentle reader: Presumably youknow thatMiss Manners has long been railing exhaustively —and ineffectually —against the customofgiving one’s shopping list to guests. Nevertheless, when she calms down, she realizesthatthere really are people who would like to pleasecelebrants andyet don’tknowthemwell enough to knowhow.Tomakethatpalatable,itshould be done indirectly and in generalterms. Whatyourfiancé’smother needs is suchananswertothe relatives: “They love kitchengadgets,” “Their house is in tonesofblue andgray” or “They travela lot.”

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to heremail, dearmissmanners@ gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106.

Amarkerhelps in restocking pill bags andboxes

Dear Heloise: When it’s time to restock your pill dispenser from your personal pharmacy,itcan be challenging to remember which time of day to take them or how many pills to take. To make this processeasier, consider using amagic marker to write when to takeeach pill on top of the cap, such as “a.m.,” “p.m.,” or whatever time you need them. For medications that need to be taken multiple times aday,you can write “a.m./ p.m.” For medications that need to be taken at acertain quantity, you can add the

quantityonthe cap, such as “2x”or“1/2.” These markings should only be made on your “active” bottles. When you receive arefill for amedication, place it in your pill bag/box without marking thecap. This helps keep the“new” bottles withoutcap markings easily distinguishable from the“active” ones. Once an active bottle is empty,simply transfer the cap from the empty bottle to thenew bottle andreturn it to thebag/box. The cap from thenew bottle should then be placed on the old empty bottle. Removethe label and recycle.

Iuse two bags;one is stored inside theother.The inner bag contains active pills,and thenew pills are

placed between the outer andinnerbags. Ihopethis helps some of your readers.

—MichaelFloeser,inRochester, New York

Peelingpotatoes

Dear Heloise: Ilove your columnand have been afaithful reader fordecades. This is a tip on peeling potatoes. After having agarbage disposal backup due to putting potato peelings into it, the plumber suggested not to do this in the future.

Now,after washing the potatoes forpeeling, Iopen afew sheets of newspaper to cover the sink.

Then you can peel away When you’re done, just fold up the newspaper with the peelings, and you can safely dispose of the messinto the

THANK YOU forCelebrating CanalStreet with Us!

We extend our deepest gratitude to the seven incredible locations, thetalented participatingartists, andthe vibrant New Orleans community foryour supportofthe CelebrateCanal: Windows On Canal project. Your creativity, collaboration, andenthusiasm helped bring these windows to life,transforming Canal Street into apublic gallery of inspiration and imagination.Thank youfor makingthis project atrue celebration of art, place,and possibility

garbage.

No moreclogged drains! Jodi Fidler, via email

Move it to junk

Dear Heloise: Iamresponding to Steve W. about unsubscribing. Ihave spent timeunsubscribing to unwanted emails. If it’salegit company,then I’ll consider it. But I’mfinding that most of them are probably just phishing to find live email addresses. Recently,I read an article that suggested to instead movethese unwanted emails to “junk.” Then your phone will start sending them there directly —Mark Hadley, via email

Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Don’t miss your chancetoexperience Windows on Canal Today, July 13, is thefinal day to walk the block, explore theart installations,and celebrate thecreativespiritshaping the future of Canal Street.

Seeitbefore it’sgone! SUPPORTED BY

Hints from Heloise

MUSIC THAT MOVES THEM

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

The Crowe Boys went viral last year Brothers Ocieand Wes Crowe filmed themselves performing their country folk song“WhereDid I Go Wrong?”one evening in January2024 in apark near Ocie’s Arabi home They postedthe videoon TikTok and watchedin amazementasitgathered more than amillionviews overnight. The post ultimately racked up 20 million views andcaught the attention of musicindustry executives lookingfor thenext big thing. Aftertalking to dozens of record labels, the brotherssignedwiththe Nashville, Tennessee, division of industry giant MCA, which released their debut album, “Made to Wander,”inJune. In a few weeks, they embark

Struggling school systems, churches weigheddownbysurplus properties

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

tionsspeak to thechallenges of turning old real estateparcels into cash. While such properties may be worth millions on paper, demand for themistepid at the moment, according to experts, who sayeconomic uncertainty,higher interest rates and soaring insurance costs

The Crowe Boys —brothers Ocie and WesCrowe performatthe FarOut LoungeinAustin, Texas.The duo recentlygarnered national attention after posting their song ‘Where DidI Go Wrong?’onTikTok.

on theirfirst European tour The experiencehas made Ocie Crowe afirm believer in the power of asong.

“If you make something real forpeople,your

ä See MUSIC, page 2E

or

Stegall, Benton &Associates. “An

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

The former L.E. RabouinMemorial School is among sevenproperties the Orleans Parish School Board has been trying to auction off.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Producer andengineer Misha Kachkachishvili mixes music by local musician Brian Stoltz with the help of internSandro Iezhava at Esplanade Studios in NewOrleans.

PROVIDED PHOTO

audience will find you,” he said.

It’saninspiring story, demonstrating how modern digital platforms can help musicians find an audience quickly

But the Crowe Boys’ breakthrough also underscores achallenge for Louisiana: When promising music acts emerge from its fertile ground, they often are forcedtolook elsewhere for the professional support needed to launch and maintain their careers.

That’s because NewOrleans, despite being the birthplace of jazz andhome to amazing musicians, never built arobust musicindustry ecosystem —the major labels talent agencies or music publishers —tomatch those in rival music cities like Los Angeles, New York and Nashville.

Over time, those cities have benefittedfrom critical mass that attracts the music creatives and businesses. That leaves New Orleans as atownknownprimarily for its live music scene.

“Wedonot have arecording industry; we have ahospitality industry that caters to musicians,” said Misha Kachkachishvili,owner of EsplanadeStudios, ahighend recording studio in Mid-City whose client list ranges from local brass bands to Taylor Swift. “If there’snofestivals, hotels, bars or restaurants, the whole thing will die immediately.”

This dynamic is something local industry champions have lamented for decades. The latest torchbearers tout solutions that include new business initiatives, changes to public policy and afresh focus on songwriting, the music industry’score intellectual property.

“Wehave to make it easy for businesses to come,” said PJ Morton, afive-time Grammy-winning soul and R&B artist from New Orleans who moved home in 2016 to start arecord label. “Wehave an advantagebecause people love to be in NewOrleansand create here.”

‘Welet it fly’

Dating backacentury agotowhen LouisArmstrong left his hometown to launch his global jazz career,New Orleans has tended to export its musical talent to bigger industry hubs. Afew decades later,Fats Domino recorded hits in New Orleans for the benefit of out-of-town record companies.

Fans dance as Son Rompe Pera performs at the Cultural ExchangePavilion Stageduring the 2025 NewOrleans Jazz&HeritageFestival. New Orleans is atownknown primarily for its livemusic scene, but many musicians leave in pursuit of amore robust music industrywithmajor labels, talent agencies or music publishers.

whocontributed material to one of LilWayne’sbig albums.“You never know who you’d runintoat aclub or amansion in Eastover.”

But those labels eventually fizzled or left town for bigger cities, which music attorney TimKappel said was amissed opportunity.

“Weweren’table to build an industry around it,” he said. “Welet it fly.”

‘Constantsupplyand demand’

Allen Toussaint flipped the script for awhile in the 1960s and ’70s with hisNew Orleans-based label and recording studio. And in the 1990s and early 2000s, several homegrown hip-hop labels scored big hits and introduced stars like Lil Wayne and Juvenile to the world, raising hopes that NewOrleans could becomean enduring hub of hip-hop and R&Bmusic.

“When Cash Moneywas here, we had famous people in townall the time,” said Raj Smoove, aDJ

PROPERTIES

Continued from page1E

Widespread issue

Other institutions in Louisiana are facing the same issuesasthe NewOrleans school system. TheEastBaton Rouge Parish system closed nine schools at the end of May,leaving six buildings vacant. Superintendent LaMont Cole has said he wants to explore converting at least one former school into rent-reduced housing for district teachers

Last summer,after demolishing theformer Haynes Academy in Metairie and listing it for sale, the Jefferson Parish School Board took the property off the market. School Board members said at the time that they were concerned the 8.3-acre campus wouldn’tfetch a fair price.

Thepropertyhad initially appraised for $12.3 million, anumber much lower than expected. Asecond appraisal came in even lower, at under $10 million. The Archdiocese of New Orleans,one of thelargest landowners in the New Orleans area, has also come up against the issue. In 2008, the Roman Catholic diocese closed 27 churches amid apostHurricane Katrina decline in the area population. In the nearly two decades since, only 15 have been sold. Of those, just five fetched $1 million or more. More recently,asithas begun selling additional properties to raise money to compensate survivors of clergy sex abuse in its ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. The archdiocese has listed several properties for sale and, in

Today, theLouisianamusic industrycontributes an estimated $1.4billion to the state’s annual gross domestic product,alongwithroughly 31,000 jobs.But much of that economic activity comes from music-based tourism—the state’smany festivalsand eventsthat employ musicians, sound engineers andother production personnel on agig basis.

Nashvillehas plenty of live music,too. Butits $7.4 billion music industry is driven primarily by recording and songwriting.

On the city’sMusicRow, songwriters gather daily in roomswith acoustic guitars and laptops todream up hit tunes They workfor music publishers, who helpsellthe songs. The town’srecord labels, meanwhile, look for the best compositions for their artists.

“There’sconstant supply and demand next to each other,and that’swhat churns the town,” said Jim McCormick, aNew Orleans-

born songwriter who has worked in bothcities for two decades

An ecosystem has developed to support that churn —professional services along withrecording studios, rehearsal spaces, trucking companiesand caterers. Altogether,the industry is responsible for about67,000 jobs.

Many local music insiders think buildingsimilarsongwriting activityinLouisianacould boost the state’sbusiness overall.

“Our musiciansput all their effortinto their gig on Frenchmen Street to makea hundredbucks,” said Reid Wick,aNew Orleansnative and executive at the RecordingAcademy,the national trade group that produces the Grammys. “But the real money is taking the intellectual property of songwriters andputting it into commerce.”

Teamsbehindthe scenes

Behind everybig-time musicact in the nation’s$200 billion music industry,there’s ateam of professionals working outside the spotlight.

Musicmanagers negotiate businessdeals with help from specially trained lawyersand accountants. Talent agents screen potential gigs andendorsements. Record labels distributemusic on streaming platforms. Publishing companies sell songs.

Wheneconomicdevelopmentofficials talk aboutbuildingthe city’s industry,these are thewell-paying jobs they’re talking about.

New Orleans isn’thome to theofficesofany national labels, talent agencies or music publishers. But

it does have asmallbut influential group of national music industry executives who are based here and travel as necessary

The community includes Patrick Templeman, abusinessmanager for A-list stars who in 2015 set up a15-person NewOrleans office of his global firm PS Business Managementand last year partnered to buy Mid-City music club Chickie WahWah

Amy Davidson,whose firmM

Theoryprovidesservices formusic managers, and Reeves Price, who produces festivals for concert industry giant AEG, also work from New Orleans, as does Ryan Chavez,founder of NewOrleansbasedentertainment industry tech platform Imprinted.

Along with afew music lawyers andother pros serving high-profile New Orleans artists, these industry executives lend credibility to the city’s music scene. They also model, in an increasingly decentralized music industry,how the business of music can be done outside of the major hubs, which raises hopesthattheir presence will attract others.

Aloose-knit coalition of local music industry champions is working to growthat community

After working for Austin, Texas’ famed South by Southwest conference formore than twodecades, Melissa and Kirk O’Brien moved to the New Orleansarea in 2018 and afew years later,launchedNOLA MusiContocreate educational and networking opportunities. It returnsfor itsthird year in October, twomonths after thedecades-old

The Elysian Bar servesdinner and brunch in the event space at the Hotel Peter &Paul,within the former Sts Peter andPaul church in the Marigny in NewOrleans. In 2008, Archdiocese of NewOrleans, one of the largest landowners in the NewOrleans area, closed 27 churchesamid apost-Hurricane Katrina decline in the area population. In the nearly twodecades since, only 15 have been sold.

some cases, has lowered its asking priceseveral times before getting any offers.

Some,likethe former Catholic Bookstore and its adjacent parking lot on South Carrollton Avenue, sold quickly.Others, like theformer Sacred Heart Church on Canal Street, have been on the market for years

‘Whole differentclimate’

Part of the problem, real estate watchers say,isthe nature of old,

institutional buildings.

“Old churches aretough because they werebuilt for specialized uses,”saidBaton Rouge-based developer and architect Dyke Nelson, whohas done historic conversion projects around Louisiana and out of state.“If you are going to use historic building tax credits, you’re constrainedinwhat you can do so it becomes alot moredifficult.”

Some of thepropertiesare also in older neighborhoods, where developers are less interested in

renovating them fornew uses. Institutions have had better luck with some of their buildings, of course. The formerOur Lady of Lourdes Church on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleanswas purchased in late 2022 after agroup of developers that hadpurchased it from the archdiocese in 2016 ran into financial trouble. Arenovation is underway to turn it into an event venue. Developers also successfully converted theformer Sts. Peter

Cutting Edge Music Business Conference.

Another October event, NOLAxNOLA, was launched during the pandemic to promote local venues. And the Metronome music business accelerator offers training, mentorship and networking to founders of music tech companies.

RecordingAcademy’sWick, meanwhile, is focusing on policy issues that affect the industry.He recentlycreated Louisiana Music Partners, astatewide trade association.One of itsfirst officialacts was to criticize Gov.JeffLandry’s recent veto of an extension of the state’s20-year-old music industry tax credit program.

Landry said the programwas underused. Music businessesthat had participated claimedred tape was theproblemand said changes made during this year’slegislative session would have improved it. “The veto eliminates the state’s only investment in the music industry and shows acomplete lack of regard forthe Louisiana music community,” astatement from the trade association said.

Fighting headwinds like that, Wick and others believe it’simportant to pursue multiple strategies, including building music business literacy statewide.

Ocie Croweislearningwhy that matters in real time. Said Crowe: “Why play for four hoursfor $50when asongI made adds twozeros to that every month?”

EmailRich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

and Paul Catholic Church in Faubourg Marigny into aboutique hotel and an old convent on the edge of the French Quarter into highend apartments.

But Sts. Peter and Paul Church and the convent were sold and renovated years ago, when interestrates were more favorable and construction costs were much lower

“It’sawhole differenteconomic climate now,” Benton said. “Financing is more difficult. So is everything else.”

In the case of the Orleans Parish School Boardproperties, the auction format, required by state law,also likely dampened interest from prospective buyers, said Paul Richard, the commercial broker with NAI Rampart whomarketed the properties.

“Ittakes time to put together the kind of financing needed to buy ahistoric building if you plan to renovate it,” he said. “Thatruns up against the short-term nature of an auction.”

Baudouin said the board may trytoauction theproperties off for athird time this fall. By law, the board would not be required to set aminimum bid, potentially offering the properties forsaleata lower price.

“Weare looking at what the best strategic decisions to make. And we are feeling the samepressure as others,” she said.

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

Morton

Smoove

STAFFFILE PHOTOByCHRIS GRANGER

STAFF FILE PHOTOByIAN McNULTy

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

LSU innovation leader predicts an energy renaissance

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

Q&A WITH BRAD IVES

With a $25 million donation from Shell, LSU three years ago created a new institute to support research aimed at issues facing the energy sector Since then, the Institute for Energy Innovation has awarded grants to LSU scientists studying extreme winds and their impact solar installations, the risks and benefits of carbon sequestration, the best places to locate wind farms in coastal Louisiana and new forms of battery storage.

At the institute’s helm is Brad Ives, a North Carolina native who arrived at LSU in 2023 after a three-decade career that included stints as a Wall Street lawyer, investment banker, renewable energy executive, assistant secretary of the North Carolina natural resources agency and university administrator

The institute’s goal, Ives said, is to figure out how to decarbonize the energy sector and do so in a way that’s “fair and just.” That includes funding research into technology, public policy and economics, as well as engaging in community outreach and education.

In this week’s Talking Business, Ives discusses how the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will affect the energy transition, why he thinks it’s important to partner with industry on solutions and how he thinks Louisiana can become a global energy leader

This interview has been edited for length and clarity You arrived at LSU at a time when

over

Brad

executive director of LSU’s Institute for Energy Innovation in 2023

the federal government was investing heavily in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many of those programs were scaled back as part of the domestic policy bill that President Donald Trump signed earlier this month. What does that mean for the energy transition in Louisiana?

The transition will be slower You’re still going to see solar projects built in Louisiana after all the tax credits are gone, because it makes financial sense.

But the big driver of what’s happening is not the U.S. domestic market. It’s the global markets. The EU is putting in what they call a carbon border adjustment mechanism that’s effectively a carbon tariff that will kick in in 2026, and it’s initially going to track steel, aluminum, cement and fertilizer This is not woke, lefty, green, whatever buzzword you want to use: This is global competitiveness.

We have the world’s largest ammonia plant here for fertilizer, CF Industries For that plant to continue to be com-

petitive globally, they need to be the lowest carbon intensity producer of that product. Critics, including environmentalists and activists, have said they’re skeptical that the institute is committed to lower carbon future given that its main benefactor is a fossil fuel giant. How do you respond to that?

The analogy everybody goes for is Phillip Morris paying Harvard researchers to say that smoking wasn’t harmful. We’re not absolving the oil and gas industry for climate change. I will tell you that burning hydrocarbons has led to climate change. That’s settled science. I don’t think there’s any taint of the money on the work that we’re doing.

If you want to look at the moral hazard of taking money from people who’ve contributed to it, I might flip it around and say, you know, this is a great sign that companies realize they’re part of the problem, and they’re looking for solutions and funding groups like ours, and they’re

willing to hire somebody like me. I mean, I got fired at the University of North Carolina over my efforts to shut down their coal plant, and I’m the guy that they sought out to run this thing.

What’s amazing is if you go to these refineries and chemical plants and talk to people, they want to change it They want to be lower carbon. This is just the job they have, and it’s how they pay their bills, and it’s what they do. They’re looking for better ways to do it.

One of your goals is to make sure that the energy transition is “fair and just.”What does that mean and how do y’all plan to accomplish that?

Twenty percent of Shell’s gift is targeted towards environmental justice, which, when I got contacted by the search firm for this position, and heard that, I was like, seriously? That really resonated with me. It’s not only to do the energy transition and to look towards future, but how do you do that the right way

The right way has two aspects. One is, here in Louisiana, you’ve got this history of people, the fenceline communities, that when you really dig deep back into it, these are the descendants of slaves that lived on properties that then became these big industrial facilities. So you’ve got long-term justice and equality issues there. But then you also have all of these people who worked in the oil and gas industry and see that as the thing that’s been driving Louisiana’s economy for at least the last century and they’re worried about their futures.

So, the institute’s trying to figure all this out and do it the right way

Your career has spanned the globe and included stops in New York City

and London.What did you see in Louisiana that made you want to work at LSU?

I looked at Louisiana, and as a Southerner had been like, “How the hell is Louisiana not the wealthiest state in the Southeast?” You’ve got the oil and gas and the mineral resources, the mouth of the Mississippi River Why did Atlanta and Houston beat out New Orleans? We’re seeing all this economic activity coming here as part of the energy transition. Isn’t this the great opportunity for Louisiana to be the leader that it should have been?

To be at a flagship university like LSU and a state like Louisiana, these are the types of places that can start to solve these problems. The potential here is unreal.

What do you see as the most promising path in Louisiana to reducing global emissions?

I think carbon sequestration is the single most important technology humankind is working on. It’s the big bridge. If we can capture a meaningful amount of emissions we’re making, then we’re going to slow global warming.

We’re doing a lot around carbon sequestration and trying to figure out, how do we do it safely? Where do you do it? Some of the stuff is public policy. How do we reward communities that have these facilities? How do you pay the individual landowners that the carbon is going to be sequestered underneath them? Then there’s the safety aspect. How do you make sure that it stays underground? How do you tell if it leaks?

Measuring success to me is can we enable good carbon sequestration projects here in Louisiana the next three

to five years, and make sure that they’re safe and effective.

If we see solar and wind growing at a reasonable rate in Louisiana, too, that’s a win.

The institute announced its latest round of grant funding in June, including for a project to examine public perception of the energy sector through statewide surveys and focus groups. What’s the goal of that effort? There’s a lot of misinformation, especially around solar power I was talking to somebody pretty high-ranking in the community here about solar and they said, “But what happens after the land gets poisoned by these solar panels? You can’t farm on it anymore.” And I’m like, “It’s a piece of glass. There is no poison.” You find that misinformation seems to spread much more quickly than accurate information.

The institute recently offered scholarships for Louisiana teachers to attend a course at LSU on energy fundamentals.Why was that important for you?

The more content we can get out to teachers, the better My parents were middle school teachers when they met, so education has always been important. It changed my life. Is the next Neil deGrasse Tyson in some public school in rural Louisiana and just waiting to have that moment of inspiration, you know? How do we reach the teachers who are going to expose that kid to some concept that then leads them down that a path? Could they end up going to LSU and coming up with the thing that make nuclear fusion work at an affordable level? Maybe. Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate. com.

NewStudy DebunksRed DrumCrisis Claims: Louisiana’sGulfMenhaden FisheryNot to Blame

Thisarticle is brought to youbythe Louisiana CommercialFishing Coalition LLC

Alandmark Louisiana-funded study confirms whatdecades of fisheries science have long suggested: the Gulf menhaden fishery is not amajor contributor to reddrum mortalityinLouisiana waters

The comprehensivebycatchassessment, conducted by LGL Ecological Research Associatesand administered through the Gulf StatesMarine Fisheries Commission, found thatcommercial menhaden harvesters were responsible forjust 3.4% of reddrum removals by number statewide in 2024.In contrast,96.6% of removals were from the recreational sector

Thesefindingscome at atime when misinformation about reddrum bycatchhas fueled public pressurefor newrestrictions on commercial harvesters. But the data tells aclear story: Louisiana’smenhaden fishery is both sustainable and responsible —and not a threattored drum populations

Backed by IndependentScience

Thestudy wasfunded through a$1 million appropriation by the Louisiana Legislature and carried out during the 2024fishing season. It is the most extensivebycatchstudy ever conducted in the Gulfmenhaden fishery, with data collected from 418 purse seine sets

—3.2% of total effort,exceeding theoriginal sampling goal by morethan50%.

Observersand electronic monitoring systems were used to gather and verifydata. The study employedadvanced techniques such as ReflexActionMortalityPredictors

(RAMP) and24-hour live holding tanksto assess fish survival.

Keyresults include:

•Menhaden harvestersaccounted forjust 30,142 reddrummortalities in 2024—only 3.4% of statewide removals

•Anestimated26,847red drum were released aliveafter incidental capture, with an 84% survival rate in rolloverreleases

•Overall, the fishery remained well below Louisiana’s5%bycatchlimit by weight, with acombined bycatchrate of just 3.6%.

ProactiveConservation in Action

The study alsoclarified howred drum mortalitycan be reduced through better handling practices.When fish are retained in thenet and released after pumping, mortality drops sharply —akey operational takeaway thatis nowbeing applied across the fleet

In responsetothe study’s findings, the Louisiana menhaden industry has proactively standardized anew hose-end cage design acrossits fleet prior to the 2025fishing season. This design, shown to significantly improve the survivability of reddrum and similar species,isalready delivering results.Fleetwide upgrades reflect an ongoing commitmenttoconservation and demonstrate howscience candrive improvements in real time.

Putting Croakerand SeatroutinContext

The report also documentedAtlantic croaker and sand seatrout (whitetrout) in the retained catch. While some critics have highlighted thesefiguresfor political gain scientists notethat:

•Thesespecies are not overfished or undergoing overfishing, per federal and state assessments

•Theyare short-lived forage fish with high natural mortalityand would not be expected to survivetoadulthood even withoutfishing pressure.

•Their retention is primarily due to small size, not gear inefficiency

This context is importantto accurately interpret the data and avoid mischaracterizing the fishery’s overall impact

AModel of RegulatedSustainability

The Gulf menhaden fishery is among the most tightly regulatedinthe state,overseen by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Gulf StatesMarine Fisheries Commission, the Louisiana Wildlifeand Fisheries Commission, andthe Louisiana Department of Wildlifeand Fisheries

It is alsocertified as sustainableby the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) —the gold standardfor global fisheries certification. According to the 2024stock assessment, Gulf menhaden stocksare healthier thanatany pointinthe past 40 years, with spawning stock biomasshaving morethantripled since the 1990s. Fishing mortalityhas declined to just one-thirdof 1990s levels

The fishery harvests lessthan 2% of the total Gulf menhaden biomass, leaving ample resources in the ecosystemfor predators such as reddrum, speckled trout,and marine mammals

An Economic Engine for Coastal Louisiana

In addition to its environmental track record, the menhaden industry plays a critical economic role in Louisiana’scoastal communities.The sector:

•Generatesmorethan $419 millionin economic output annually

•Supports over2,000 jobs across 32 parishes

•Paysmorethan $25million in state and local tax revenue

•Provided roughly$60 millioninemployee compensation in 2023alone Menhaden also contribute to global food systems.Rich in omega-3s,protein, and essential nutrients,theyare used in aquaculturefeed, pet food, and human nutritional supplements

Letting Science Lead

The findingsofthis independentstudy offer aclear conclusion: theGulf menhaden fishery is operating responsibly,within regulatory limits,and with minimal impact on reddrum and other species of concern. Gear innovation and betterhandling are already helping to drivemortalityevenlower Forthe thousands of Louisianans whose livelihoods depend on this fishery —and for policymakerscharged with overseeing its management— this newresearch provides a firm foundation fordecisions rooted in data, not speculation.

COURTESy OF DON KADAIR

Ives took

as

5financialliespeopleshould stop tellingthemselves

reducing your debt.

Youdon’tmean to, but you lie about your money habits.

Fool’sTake: Dip into these chips

decline —which has happened even with shares of great stocks

Michelle Singletary

THE COLOR OF MONEy

Me: “Do you eat out alot?” You: “Not really.” If Isuspectthis isn’ttrue because the revolving credit card debt or lack of savings says otherwise, I channel Jack Nicholson in “A Few Good Men” when he bellowed: “You can’thandle the truth.”

The truth: Here’sanillustration of what one monthly bank statement might list: $7 daily Starbucks stops (can’tstartthe day without aventi caramel macchiato); $120 for lunches out with co-workers; $47 for Taco Tuesdays; several deliveries using Uber Eats or Grubhub (because there wasn’tanything in the fridge even though it was stocked with food); and afew hundred dollars spent on Friday dinners and happy hour drinks because “we deserve it after aweekof hard work.”

Many people unintentionally misrepresent their spending, naively believing their ownnarratives about where their money goes until they are confronted with the undeniable evidence of their bank statements.

This financial amnesia shows up constantly during my workshops and radio call-ins. Here’s what happened when two callers got caught in their money mistruths.

Iasked the first caller whether she had abudget. She paused and then gave a hesitant yes. When Ihear brief silence or abreak in the conversation followed by an “um” or “uh,” it usually indicates that the truth may be otherwise.

Experience told me to press her.Turns out, the woman didn’t haveabudget. She was, however, trying to pay off debt. Budgeting will help you identify expenses you can cut and, as aresult, the savings you will need to devote to

Another caller was fretting because shecouldn’tkeep up with her bills and was losing hope.She earned agood salary.She said she had cut out every possible luxury —cable, dining out.ThenI asked her what percentage of her monthly take-home went toward her mortgage.

She quickly answered 30% comfortably below the36% of net pay that many experts sayshould be the ceiling. But something didn’tadd up. If her expenses were low and she didn’thave any debt excepther mortgage, why was shecrying broke?

Iaskedagain: “Areyou sure your mortgageisjust 30% of your take-home pay?”

She confidently repliedyes again.

But then, with additional probing, Ifoundout she hadlost the part-time income that she had used to qualify for the mortgage.

Ipointedout that if herincome had dropped, then the percentage of her net pay going toward the monthly mortgage would be more than 30%.Itwas obvious to me that the woman wanted to clingtothe belief that she could still afford that.

By getting her to face thereality that her financial situation had changed, Ihelped hersee that she needed to find another part-time job, take in aboarder or moveto amoreaffordablehome. She said shewas willingto considerboth the job and roommate options. Here are five of my favorite financial fibs:

Ihaveabudget. Keepinga mental tally of yourspending is usually not enough. You’ll have better control over money if youtrack your expendituresina notebook, spreadsheet or budgeting app. Ihaveanemergency fund. People will swearthey have arainy-day fund, but they raid it so regularly that it becomes just another spendingaccount.Icallthisthe emergencyfundfallacy

Imanagemyspending better witha credit card. Monthly statements show where money went, but

research reveals thatpaying with plastic— credit or debit —increases howmuchpeople spend. AFederal Reserve Bank of Boston report found that consumers spend an averageof$22 pertransactionwhenpaying with cash,compared with $112 when using cards. Idon’tdineout alot. This is typically nottrue. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the averageAmerican household spent nearly $4,000 on food away from home in 2023, an 8% increase from theprevious year When Ireviewpeople’s bank records, they’re often shocked at howmuchtheyspend dining out each month.One couple (a family of four) discoveredtheyhad spent $1,500 on restaurants in a month.

Idon’tunderstand whyI’m always broke. This is perhaps the most common financialfibpeople tell themselves. If yougenuinely reflected on your spending habits andcombed through your bank or credit unionstatements, you’d quickly uncover thereason your budgetisn’tbalancing —meaningyou are spending more than your take-home payevery month. Or people overlook howsmall, frequent purchasesadd up. It often comes down to needsvs. wants. Be honest: You’ve probably classifiedtoo manywants as needs. This distortedviewof your finances prevents youfrom seeingwhatshould or could be cut. Stopfooling yourself.It’stime for areality check Grab your bank statements from the past six months. Use differentcolored highlightersto mark your spending categories: restaurants, shopping, entertainment and whatever else appears. Youcan start making fundamental changes once youare truthful about where your money goes. Youcan handle the truth. But you can’t fix what youwon’t face.

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

Nvidia is one of the world’slargest semiconductor companies. It once generated most of its revenue from gamingfocused graphics processing units, which can also be used to mine certain cryptocurrencies. But now 89% comes from data center graphics processing units, whichare especially well-suited for processing complex artificial intelligence tasks.

Nvidia’s sales of data center GPUs surged in 2023 (fiscal 2024) after OpenAI’slaunch of ChatGPT in late 2022 sparked aglobal artificialintelligence infrastructure race. That year,Nvidia controlled about98% of the data center GPU market. From fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2028, analysts expect the company’srevenue and earnings pershare to expand at compound annualgrowth rates of more than 30% and28%, respectively,asthe AI market continues to expand. But those estimates could be too conservative —since Nvidia has comfortably beat Wall Street’s top- andbottom-line expectations for manyquarters. Because it’s the top seller of the picks and shovels for the AI gold rush, its revenue and profits maykeep crushing analysts’ expectations.

Nvidia’s sales in China were recently throttled by U.S. export curbs, but it can easily offset that pressure with its stronger chip sales in other markets. Simply put, Nvidia has plenty of ways to keep growing. (The Motley Fool ownsshares of and recommends Nvidia.)

Ask the Fool:

The 7% rule

What’s the7%rule in stocks? —T.L.,Anchorage,Alaska It’sarule addressing when to sell; it says you should sell out of a stock if it dips by 7% or so below your purchase price. So if you bought shares of Old MacDonald Farms (ticker: EIEIO) at $100, and they dropped to $93, you’d sell all of them. This can happen automatically if you set a“stop-loss” order with your brokerage. The benefit of this rule is that it can minimize your losses. If, for example,a stock begins a30%

—you’d be out of it before your investment lost any more value. Of course, no one knows exactly when astock will go up or down, so if that stock pulled back alittle before immediately beginning a big climb, you might end up missing out on muchofthat. It can be good (and easier) just to hang on to shares of great companies through ups and downs, aiming to hold for many years. I’ve saved abit of money and want to buy some stocks.What do Ido first? —O.A., BrokenArrow,Oklahoma Before investing, pay off any high-interest-rate debt and have an emergency fund that can pay at least several months’ worth of living expenses. Read and learn more about investing, too, perhaps with John C. Bogle’s“The Little Book of Common Sense Investing,” “The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need:Revised Edition” by Andrew Tobias or Joel Greenblatt’s“The Little Book That Still Beats the Market.” Read up on brokerages at fool.com/money My Dumbest Investment: A$37 feeontop of aloss Oneofmymost regrettable investing moves wasbelieving

that have more cash than debt. And when choosing between brokerages, check their fee schedules and favor those with low fees.

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Motley Fool

JRE Capital moves into N.O. market with Elmwood site

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

JRE Capital, a Baton Rougebased real estate investment company, has purchased the Jefferson Business Center in Elmwood for $11.4 million, marking the firm’s first foray into the Greater New Orleans area.

JRE Capital Managing Partner Trey Williams said the 104,000-square-foot building, which has suites with office and warehouse or “flex” space, was attractive because it’s a “solid piece of real estate in a highly desirable corridor.”

The firm bought the property from the Ludwig Family, which had purchased it in 2019 for $6.2 million. In the years since, the family invested in upgrades to the building and increased its occupancy from 60% to more than 90%, according to Leon Audibert III, a broker with Property One who will continue to handle leasing for the center

The deal underscores the strength of the industrial subsector, one of the few bright spots in a real estate market that has been chilled by high interest rates and insurance costs. While many office, retail and residential deals are on hold, activity in the industrial sector continues to grow, Audibert said.

“A lot of it is driven by e-commerce and service type companies,” he said. “There’s also a lot of activity up and down the river, and if you need industrial space, you

New Orleans

Leibe

Chad Leibe has been promoted to general superintendent at Ryan Gootee General Contractors As the Ryan Gootee senior superintendent, Liebe focused on quality control, trade partner relations, safety initiatives, and on-site project coordination. Liebe has a background in operations and

pretty much have to based in Elmwood, Kenner or the St Rose area.”

Exceeding expectations

JRE Capital is an arm of Jarreau

Real Estate, which also does commercial brokerage, development and property management.

Founded in 2020 by Williams and Donnie Jarreau, JRE Capital solicits investments from accredited investors and offers them opportunities to buy into individual proper-

finance management and over 15 years of experience in managing multi-million dollar projects.

Liebe earned a bachelor’s from Capella University

Baton Rouge

Prashanth Cannanbilla and Jay Balden have been named as senior-level leadership team members for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Cannanbilla is senior vice president, chief enterprise delivery officer He has more than 25 years of ex-

ties — mostly shopping centers or small office complexes — at whatever level they want. Investors in the deals typically put up anywhere from $25,000 to $1 million Jarreau said.

JRE targets cash flowing commercial properties primarily in mid-sized markets in the southeast, though most of its deals so far have been in south Louisiana. After raising enough equity for a particular deal, the firm goes

PEOPLE IN BUSINESS

perience in finance, banking, informatics and technology

He earned a master’s in computer science, software engineering and artificial intelligence and a master’s in finance and strategy,

out and secures whatever debt is needed to close the sale. It then manages the property for two to five years, on average, before trying to sell.

In the years since its founding, JRE Capital has raised more than $42 million from more than 125 investors and has nearly $119 million in assets in its portfolio, a modest number that the firm hopes to continue growing.

So far two of the 13 properties

both from the University of Pittsburgh. Balden was promoted to vice president, chief customer experience officer He has been with Louisiana Blue for more than 20 years For the past five years, he has led the company’s digital product management team.

He earned a bachelor’s in information systems and decision sciences from LSU.

Matthew Rachleff has joined Penning-

in JRE’s portfolio have been sold. Both have “far exceeded expectations,” according to Williams, who said the exits netted average return for investors of more than 25%.

One of those properties was a warehouse and distribution facility on La. 30 in Geismar that JRE developed on vacant land it purchased in 2022 for Baton Rouge bat maker Marucci Sports. JRE raised the money for the 200,000-squarefoot facility and developed the site, then leased half to Marucci, which had outgrown its Baton Rouge distribution site, and the other half to two other tenants.

Earlier this year, the warehouse sold for $34.5 million, a 26% return for JRE’s investors in the deal.

“That was a good one,” Jarreau said. “They don’t always do that well.”

Williams and Jarreau believe Jefferson Business Center will also prove to be a good investment. Lease rates for the building’s suites average around $9 per square foot, below the market average of $12 per square foot, and several of the tenants have leases that will be expiring soon, creating an opportunity to bring the center’s

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

ton Biomedical Research Center as the inaugural chief of staff. Rachleff has more than 20 years of experience in strategic consulting, innovation leadership and public health initiatives.

He earned a bachelor’s from Cornell University a master’s of philosophy from Cambridge University and a law degree from Columbia Law School.

Cannanbilla Balden

Rachleff

PHOTO BR-based JRE Capital purchased the Jefferson Business Center, a 104,000-square-foot building in Elmwood with office,

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ASPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION |SUNDAY,JULY13, 2025

Inside thisissue of BayouBloom:

✜ Learning aNew Language

✜ Become aMentor

✜ Travel Tips forSeniors

✜ Finding Volunteer Opportunities

✜ Regular Exercise HasManyBenefits

✜ Rejoining theWorkforce

✜ Home Projectsto MakeLifeEasier

Learning anew Language

Learninga second (oreventhird) language isn’t justfor kids in school. Older adults can pick up a newlanguage,too,aswell as some health benefits.

The evidence clearlydemonstratesthatthere is no critical period forsecond-language learning, no biologicallydetermined constraint on language-learningcapacity that emergesataparticularage,nor anymaturational processwhichrequires that older language learners function differentlythanyoungerlanguagelearners,”saysProfessor CatherineSnowatthe HarvardGraduateSchoolofEducation

Trainingthe brainto speakanother language is aworkout foryoursynapses. It opensnew pathways, keepingyourgray matter nice andhealthy,possibly delaying dementiaand othercognitive illnesses. Older adults mayalsohavealeg up on youngerlearnersbecause they have establishedstudy techniques that work for them and, especiallynowadays, accessto technologythatcan make learninganew language asnap.

TheBritish Council, theUnitedKingdom’s

internationalorganization forcultural relationsand education, says it mayhelp olderlearnerstouse visual andauditory mnemonic devices, examples andmemory associations,and to systematicallyrepeatand recyclegrammar,vocabularyand expression. Olderstudentsofanew language should be encouragedtouse their wealth of experience to help them learnthe newlanguageand to usetheir newskillsuninterruptedfor as long as possible.

Whiletechtools such as RosettaStone

or Duolingo aregreat,and often available from thepublic libraryand othersources, classesare agreat wayfor seniors to practice their language skills. Classes, whichmay be availablefor free or at alow costat localcommunity centers,libraries and universities, offer professionalinstruction andthe abilitytoconnect socially,which addsanother layertoimproving senior living

Aimtopractice alittlebit everyday in shortspurtsratherthancramming. It didn’t work in highschooland it doesn’t work now. Tryusingstreaming services to find televisionshows, news reportsand otherprogramming in thelanguageyou’re learningifyou can’tspeak it with someone or useanapp

Become a Mentor

SKILLS NEEDED

Mentor.org says most of us hada teacher, coachorco-workerwho took us under their wing at some point. Thinkabout that person andthe skillstheyhad andsharedwith you. Thewebsite says good mentorsshould have adesiretohelpyoungerpeople, active listeningskills, empathyand flexibility.

FINDINGA PROGRAM

Mentor.org says to consider at leastthree differentorganizations when lookingto become amentor. Startbytalkingto the organization’s volunteercoordinator about your experienceand theorganization’s needs. Be honest aboutthe amount of time youcan commit,the typesofactivities you’re comfortablewithand thenumberofpeople you’dliketomentor.

With age comes wisdom,often enough, and plentyof life skills. Sharethose lifeskills with younger people to passonsome of that knowledge andmakesocialconnections that can keep youmovingand healthy. Visit www.mentor.org

Askabout theprocessthe organization uses to match mentorsand menteesand be sure youunderstandthe process. Also make sure youknowthe typesofmentorship relationshipsthe organization offers. Youmay be comfort- able with one-on-one mentoring, butnot groupmentoring,for example. Findout aboutany trainingopportunities that maybeavailable andhow frequentlynew trainingcomes up or mayberequired

APPLYING TO BE AMENTOR

Talk to thecoordinator aboutthe mentoring applicationprocess, includingany screening andbackgroundchecksthatneed to take place.You mayneed to submit awritten application, whichmay include personal and professional references andaninterview. Don’tbediscouraged if your firstopportunity

doesn’t panout. Thereare plenty of programs outthere that canuse your skills.

CONCERNS

It mayseemdauntingat first, especially if theorganization workswithyoung people that mayhavehad badexperiences in the past.

Don’tbeworried if it takestimetocultivate alasting andproductiverelationship. Learn what to do if anythingserious comesup during thementoring relationship,suchas anythingthatmay necessitate reportingto authorities.

forSeniorsTravel Tips

Manyolder Americans plan to spend their goldenyears traveling, which is great. It keeps people physically and mentally healthy, improving brain function,and it’sfun.

Ingeneral, traveling, goingtonew places andmeeting up with family andold andnew friends is really vitalfor ourmentalhealth,”saysKathleenCameron,formerseniordirector of theNationalCouncil on Aging’sCenterfor HealthyAging.

STAYING HEALTHY

TheCenters forDisease Controland Prevention maintainsalistoftravelhealth notices forcountries around theworld

Thesenotices inform travelersofall ages or outbreaks, naturaldisasters andother events that canaffecthealth.

Thesenotices arecategorizedintofour levels. The first, Level 1,isfor travelersto practice theusual precautionsfor their destination,suchasconsumingbottled water.

Level2 includes enhanced precautionsand mayalsoidentify specificriskpopulations.

Level 3 urgestravelerstoreconsider nonessential travel andLevel 4cautions travelersthere is an extreme health risk. If your trip includes along flight,NCOA says planes areusuallylesshumid than the normal environment, whichcan puttravelers at higherriskofdehydration andrespiratory disease. Drinklotsofwater andwalk in the aisletoprevent bloodclots.

STAYINGSAFE

As exciting as tripsare,avoid posting travel plansonsocialmedia. TheNCOA says thievesuse social mediatotarget

homeswhere theoccupants areout of town

Consider asking afriendorfamilymember to checkinonthe houseperiodically, turninglightsoff andonand grabbing any mail or packages.

On theroad, useyourhotel room’s safe for passports,jewelry andcash. Double check that thecodeworks before placinganything inside.Lookfor bags andwallets that guard againstpickpockets. Look forjackets and pantswith magnetically sealed pockets, insidepockets andother storageoptions to foil thieves.

Before leaving, call credit card companies andbanks to letthemknowyour destinations.Takeatleast oneback-up card in case theworst does happen,and also make sure you’re carrying cash safely.

Opportunities

Even if you’reout of the workforce,you canstill givetoyour communities through volunteer opportunities.

Researchers foundthat80% of volunteers over theage of 55 reported having good,verygood or excellenthealthversus 50% of non-volunteersofsimilaragesand backgrounds, Silver Sneakers says

“Volunteershavelower mortalityrates, lowerrates of depression, increasedstrengthand energy,and fewerphysical limitations than thosewho do notvolunteer,” says Samantha Jo Warfieldwiththe Corporationfor National andCommunity Service.

Here aresomeopportunities to give back in your community.

SENIOR CORPS

SeniorCorps is agovernmentagencythathelps seniors find volunteeropportunities. Throughthe Foster Grandparentprogram, seniors canserve as role models to children andanother program, SeniorCompanion, connects seniors with people whoneedhelpwith dailytasks such as groceryshoppingand paying bills. Theagency matches more than 143,000 seniorvolunteerswithopportunities everyyear. More than 47 millionhours have been served by Senior Corpsvolunteers.

Volunteer Finding

NATIONAL OR STATEPARKS

National andstate parksalwaysneed volunteers to help take care of public landsbygreetingvisitors, leadingtours,handingout information andmore. Youcan even turn your volunteerism into aseason-long trip by becominga campground host (you getafree campsite). Lookfor opportunities posted on volunteer.gov or with the state parksagencyinyourstate.

MEALS ON WHEELS

MealsonWheelshas 5,000 independentlyrun localprogramsto provide mealstohomebound seniors.Volunteerspickupmeals at a centrallocationand deliverthemalong apredetermined route. Meals on Wheels spokesperson JennyBertolette YoungtoldSilverSneakers that avolunteer maybethe only person thehomebound seniorsees that day. Andasthe U.S. population ages, more volunteers will be needed

CANINE COMPANIONS FORINDEPENDENCE

This organization connects expertlytrained service dogstopeople with disabilities. It has six trainingcenters across thecountry and more than 40 volunteerchapters. Volunteers raisepuppies from eight weeksto18months, taking it to puppyclasses, teachingitbasic commands andsocializingthe dog.Ifyou can’thelpthisorganization, butstill love animals, consider volunteering with alocal animal shelterwalking, playingwithand socializingthe animalsthere

Visit www.volunteer.gov

Regular Has Many Exercise Benefits

Seniorsshould get 150minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity andtwo days of musclestrengthening activities every week,the National Institute of Aging says.

Itdoesn’t have to be all at once.Aim for smallamounts of exercise throughout the daytonet thetotal amount of minutes.

STAYING HEALTHY GO SLOW

Don’tjumpinall at once.Increasephysical activity gradually over aperiodofweeks or even months.And neverstart exercising before talkingto your medical professionals aboutwhether it’s safe foryou to do so

Whenever there’sabreak in your new fitness routine, graduallyworkyourway up againto avoidinjury.

SETGOALS

Setrealistic, specific fitnessgoalsfor yourself Theinstitute suggests goalssuch as a10-minutewalk threetimes perweek. Review thesegoalsregularlyas youmake progress.Considerusinganapp or other

waytotrack your progress,orevenkeepa writtenlog.Celebrate your successesand thinkabout exercisingwithfriends and family formoreaccountability.

VARY YOUR ACTIVITIES

Trytovarythe typesofexerciseyou get. Include acombination of aerobic, strengtheningand balance activities. Some examples to getinyour150 minutes may include:

•Takingthe stairs insteadofanelevator (use thehandrails!).

•Working in theyardorgarden.

•Swimmingorwater aerobics.

•Dancing

•Playing alow-impact sport, such as pickleball.

Look forindoorand outdooractivities and, when youcan,try to buildmorephysical

activity into your dailylife. Identify any barrierstophysical activity,suchaspoor weather, andplanfor what to do when that happens. Plan your activities forthe parts of theday when youhavethe most energy. Youmay find youget aboost of energy after some physical activity

GEAR

Work outinclothes andshoes that arecomfortable andsafe.Shoes should supportyourfeet, have non-skidsoles and appropriateheeland arch support. Change them outregularlyasyou become more physically active

Clothesshouldallow forafull range of movement andbeappropriate foryour climate. Look forfabrics that pull sweataway from theskinand dryquickly.

Rejoining the Workforce

While manyseniors have worked theirwhole liveslooking forwardto retirementand nothaving to work everyday,T.Rowe Pricesaysmillions of retirees have rejoined the work force, especiallysince theCOVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic forced theretirementofabout 2.4 millionpeople, theFederalReserve of St.Louis says. Many of thosepeoplehavesince unretired,returningtothe workforce post-pandemic.

Abouthalfofthose returningtoworksay they’rereturning to work dueto financial reasonswhile another45% saythey’re comingbackfor social andemotional benefits. Retirees workingfull-timeagain saytheyare most often motivatedfor mental stimulationand professionalfulfillment. Otherreasons to return to work,Forbes says, arebenefits such as medical insurance, challengeswithrelationships, andlife disruptionssuchasareduction in retirement income

Thinkofyourage andexperience as apowerfulasset, TheSeniorSource, a

resource forre-entering theworkforce,says. Showcase your accomplishmentsinstead of making achronological list of your jobs.Highlight what youwill bringtothe organization,includinganinventory of the skills youdeveloped before retirement and howtheywould best applytothe jobs you’re considering. Look to roles whereexperience is valued,suchascaregivers, health care, educationand nonprofits. Consider improvingyourtechnologyskills. Take aclass at alocal college, community centerorlibrary to getuptospeed on computingskillsthatmay have evolved since

youleft theworkforce.

Whileunretirementhas itsbenefits, there arealsosomedrawbacks. Forbes says these mayinclude reducedSocialSecuritybenefits, Medicaresurchargesand highertax burdens. If you’re in asituation whereyou’reforcedto return to work,you mayresentneedingtogo to work and find yourself gettingmoretired than youdid before youretired Preparefor thesepotential obstaclesbefore signingonthe dotted lineand accepting anynew joboffer.Talktoa financial plannerabout theconsequences of gettinga paycheck again, especially if it wouldaffect retirement income you’ve been relyingon.

HOMEPROJECTS

TO LIFE Easier Make

Moreand moreseniors areopting to ageinplacein theirhomesrather than downsizeormovetoassisted living facilities. With alittlework, seniors canstayin their familyhome forlonger.

LIGHTING

TheU.S.doesn’t have height requirements forelectricaloutlets or switches, so they couldbeatany height in thehouse.For comfortableaging in place,consider raising theoutlets andloweringthe switches so they areeasier to reachfromaseatedposition, such as in awheelchair. Optfor paddlestyleswitches rather than traditional toggle switches as they areeasier to usewitha knuckleorelbow.Consider installingmore lightingthanyou thinkyou need.Asseniors losevision, extralightingcan helpthembe independentlonger.

WINDOWS ANDDOORS

Widendoorframes, when youcan This will make your home more accessible if youneedtotransitiontoawheel-chair or scooterfor mobility.Alsochoosedoorknobs andother hardware that caneasily be turned Thinkabout using them withoutthe full useofhands or arms Thereshouldbeatleast oneway to getinto andout of thehomes withoutusingsteps.

Visit www.aarp.org

KITCHENSAND BATHS

In thekitchen,opt forvarious height countertopssothere’s aplace forthe standingand seated cook.Choosestorage optionsthatdon’t requireliftingorexcessive pullingorbending. Look forpull-out drawersand traysthatcan increase usability. Situateappliancessohazardsare eliminated. Forinstance, look at rangeswithcontrolson thefront so youwon’t have to reachoverhot pots to adjust thetemperature.Keepmicrowavesand dishwasherswhere they canbe used by people sittingorstanding. Securely mounttoilets to thewall at the proper heightstobeuseful. Mind where doorsopenand closeand make sure thereis plenty of room forpeopletouse them with amobilityaid.While ahot bath is greatfor achingmuscles, ashowerisgenerallymore usable andsaferthana bathtub. Eliminate anysteporlip to theshowerentry and, if possible,choosealarge enough shower to accommodateaseatedtransferorroll-in use.

Hereare some projects recommended by the AARP.

In the newEvoke spine stimulator AI-monitored model, the devicesenses pain signals going to thebrainand blocks them by givingelectric stimulations.

PHOTO PROVIDED By OCHSNER HEALTH

‘GAMECHANGER’ FORPAINRELIEF

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staffwriter

Joseph Jeanmarie has had back problems since the1980s,when he injured his back and had surgery.Although his chronic pain was sometimes debilitating, he continued his work as an insurance investigator For the past 40 years, he’s dealt with the pain, mostlyworking at apain level of eight out of 10. His chronic back pain sent him to amyriad treatments and doctors over the years including medicines, physical therapists and electricstimulationtreatments.

spine from reaching the pain —not afixto his chronic back pain, but amanagement method to improve his lifestyle.

In 2004, Jeanmarie metDr. Maged Guirguis, an interventional pain specialist and system chair at Ochsner Health Guirguis put Jeanmarie on aspine stimulator that blocks pain receptors in the

This radiofrequency ablation was approvedfor medical use in the 1970s, according to Guirguis, and is used in patients with painfularthritis in the lower back andneck.The minimally invasive procedure delivers thermalenergy or heat signals through needles to affected nerves, temporarily disconnecting the nerve’s ability to communicate with thepain processing center in the brain.

“It managed the pain,” Jeanmarie said. “It was tremendous.”

Jeanmarie continued the RFAtreatmentforseveralyears,visitingGuirguis’s office whenever thepaincame back,until anew AI-powered spine stimulator came on the market.

This newer treatment, althoughstill using smallsignals to block pain receptors in the spine,utilizesaclosed-loop system and artificial intelligence to continuously distribute treatment andtrack the patient’sresponse. The Evoke System spine stimulator is like apacemaker for the back,according to Guirguis. It is an implantable device that doctors put in the spine in twostages: atemporary trialofelectricwires to test theeffectiveness and pain relief over seven days and the finalprocedure to place the device on the spine

Saluda Medical,the companythat created thenew device,had an ongoing clinical trial acrossthe United Statesin 2021,including NewOrleans. Guirguis thought Jeanmarie was the perfect candidate.

ä See SPINE, page 2X

Strategies canhelp manage ADHD at work

eyeturning condition into astrength

BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ Associated Press

NEW YORK Jeremy Didier had takenher sontoa psychologist for apossible ADHD evaluation when she spotted an article about women with the condition. As she read it in the waiting room, she thought to herself: They’re describing me

“Lots of risk-taking, lots of very impulsive behavior growing up,” Didier said.Asthe magazine described, she’d excelled in school butgotten in trouble for talking too much. She’d amassed too many speeding tickets as an adult. She turned to her husband and said, “I think Imight have ADHD.” Didierisnow the board president of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder,anonprofit advocacy and support organization.Her realization mirrors the experiences of other adults whowonder if they have ADHD after achild’sdiagnosis. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is aneurodevelopmental condition characterized by inattention, hyperactivity or acombinationofthe two. Common symptoms such as trouble concentrating or sittingstill cancreate challenges at work.

People with ADHD areoften passedoverfor promotions, said Andrew Sylvester,a psychiatrist at UCHealth, ahospital in Longmont, Colorado.Difficultieswith attention maylead the mind to drift during meetings, and cause someone to miss important discussion nuances. The disordermay interfere with organization, planning and remembering details.

Yetsome adultsthink of having ADHD as asource of personalitystrengths andwaysofthinking thatbenefitemployers. Diagnostic manuals maycall it adisorder,but it also can be asuperpower,they said.

“Our brains work differently,and so we’re more likely to be able to think outside thebox andcome up with different things, and sometimes that’sbecause we’ve had to do that in order to survive,” Didier said. Here are some ways to cope with andchannelADHDinthe workplace.

Getting diagnosed with ADHD doesn’talways lead to aquickfix. While doctors often recommend medication and therapy,not everyone can take medication, and those routes don’tnecessarily eliminate all symptoms.

Didier floundered with amessy house and lots of yelling as she and four of her five children were diagnosed with ADHD

ä See ADHD, page 2X

Guirguis

HEALTH MAKER

BR massage therapist teaching self-care at home

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Susan Jones, with The Muscle Manipulator of Baton Rouge, is passionate about teaching people to practice self-care at home.

Jones studied massage therapy with an associate degree in natural health in Miami. In 2007, Jones and her husband, a Baton Rouge native moved to Louisiana to work with Hurricane Katrina relief. Since then, Jones has dedicated her days to teaching with a goal of starting her own business.

She opened The Muscle Manipulators in Baton Rouge in 2018 as a massage therapist office that provides care for all ages and walks of life.

“Personal trainers, MDs, PTs and chiropractors that have recognized that the combination of techniques can help people improve faster and have a better quality of life with less pain and more ability to do what they love,” Jones said.

Jones works with babies, kids and adults of all ages. She has also worked with dogs and cats (for fun). Her goal is to help people get better and feel better with noninvasive techniques. Tell me about teaching people to treat themselves at home. How can people do it safely?

The cupping therapy classes basically give people guidelines and show them how to use massage tools like scraping and cupping therapies. It also includes general safety, so they don’t get hurt or hurt other people.

Typically, I do give my clients homework after their own massage. I recommend that almost everybody gets a set of cupping tools and scraping tools.

I had a client that came to me that had pain for about 10 years. They went in for a surgery that left him with a painful 12-inch incision from his abdomen to his

SPINE

Continued from page 1X

“It’s not a particularly new device,” Guirguis said. “The problem with the older model is that we did not know how everybody reacts in pain, and we had no feedback if the electric signal was working or not, except when the patient came back after a couple of days.”

In the newer AI-monitored model, the device is sensing the pain signals going to the brain and adjusting the levels of treatment by giving a certain electric stimulation. The stimulator is looking at the different needs when a patient, like Jeanmarie, is walking, running, resting golfing, swimming, etc.

“I was fortunate enough to get involved,” Jeanmarie said. “It’s been a game changer for my whole life moving forward.”

Jeanmarie was the first patient in Louisiana to receive this treatment, and four years later, his life is back to playing golf, riding bikes, swimming and going to the gym — with significantly less pain in his back.

“Before the device, I was at a pain level averaging around an eight, and in really bad times a 10,” Jeanmarie said. “Now my pain level, on average, is probably around a two Even though the stimulator hasn’t totally taken away all the pain, it’s just made the pain where it’s more manageable, especially in my activities.”

Who qualifies for treatment?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved this pain management treatment for those who have tried multiple other methods, including medication and surgery, and have experienced chronic pain for more than six months. According to Guirguis, there are studies that suggest a second or third surgery for spine pain management is “extremely unsuccessful.”

“When you do a second (spinal) surgery, there’s no ‘go-back’ after the surgery They have to take some piece of bone and put in hardware,” Guirguis said. “Once they drill that in the bone, it’s very, very hard to take the hardware out unlike the surgery for the spinal cord stimulator.

There’s not a lot of surgeries that you have a chance to try it out for seven days.”

Although Jeanmarie has the nerve stimulator on his lower

side, across some of the ribs and lower ribs.

So, when he came to see me, we found that he felt some relief from the cupping, from some of the fascia work and the scraping tools. I asked him to bring his wife, and if she was willing to learn a technique. She came and I showed her some basics. We used a manual pump cup — a little hose that you squeeze and it takes the air out of the cup. The cupping creates a vacuum on the back to relieve tension in the soft tissue muscles. The improvement that he had was leaps and bounds compared

PHOTO PROVIDED By OCHSNER HEALTH

The Evoke System spine stimulator is like a pacemaker for the back according to Dr Maged Guirguis. It is an implantable device that doctors put in the spine in to relieve chronic pain.

back, the FDA has approved the use of the device to relieve pain in the arms, legs and upper back.

The stimulator is also FDA-approved for patients with diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that can happen when a diabetic has high blood sugar over time, most often damaging nerves in the legs and feet.

“There’s a lot of indication coming up for use in headaches and other local nerve problems in the body as well,” Guirguis said.

In Europe, the technology is approved for patients with cardiovascular disease, especially people who have problems with blood supply in the legs or the heart. There are also other indications in the research and clinical trial stages for using the pain stimulator device for abdominal pain and pelvic pain.

These future applications would use the same technical concept but are peripheral nerve stimulators, rather than centered around the spinal chord nervous system.

“Even though this stimulator hasn’t really fixed my problem, it does help me with dealing with that chronic pain. It did mask it,”

Jeanmarie said “It’s amazing how it’s helped me move forward in my life.”

Ochsner has treated thousands of patients with the device, both in the national clinical trial and after it was approved by the FDA on Jan. 23.

“There are a lot of other pain doctors in Louisiana that utilize this technology,” Guirguis said.

“And once it’s available commercially in Louisiana, our patient numbers might reach the millions.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com

to what he could have gotten from just coming to see me once a week or once a month.

I’m huge, huge advocate for people doing self care at home, and I don’t think that that hurts me or my business — or any other massage therapist. There’s plenty of people in pain, and they deserve to feel relief at home too.

I have also had some really beautiful experiences working with newborn babies and my oldest clients in their 90s.

More recently I have been able to teach some moms the techniques to help babies with colic, reflux and apnea. It’s not a magi-

ADHD

Continued from page 1X

She experimented with medicine, diets and reward charts, and discovered what helped her the most: a community of parents who had children with ADHD.

“There’s nothing like talking to other people who are going through what you’re going through to help you feel that you’re not alone,” she said.

Didier eventually became a social worker and now runs support groups for adults with ADHD, teaching skills they can use at work.

Some organizations have employee resource groups organized around neurodiversity to provide camaraderie and support to adults with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other conditions.

GPS of the brain

People with ADHD often struggle with executive function, which Didier describes as “your brain’s GPS” for navigating your day Executive function is a set of mental skills that includes making plans, managing time and flexible thinking. It also includes working memory, which helps us keep track of what we’re doing.

To keep from getting derailed, experts recommend breaking large tasks into chunks, writing detailed to-do lists and taking breaks.

Personal chef Bill Collins, 66, who was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago, writes structured lists when he’s making a meal for a client. He creates categories for kitchen areas — counter, stove and oven and then lists tasks such as “chop carrots, boil water for pasta” underneath each category Then he numbers each task so he knows exactly what to do, where and when.

“That’s how I got around my unknown ADHD early on, just making lists,” Collins said. “If it’s something I don’t want to do, I put it at the top of the list so I can be done with it.”

Another technique is called “body doubling,” which involves a pair of work colleagues meeting over Zoom or in-person to focus on completing projects The two may choose to perform separate tasks one might build a presentation deck while the other files tax reports — but help each other stay accountable.

“You’re just sitting there during that dedicated time, getting things done,” Didier said.

floor muscles that are tight with trigger points that may be causing incontinence for women or pain with nerves that are in those areas. You can be a 70-year-old person and rehabilitate your knees, or you can be a teenager who’s having growing pains and wants to play basketball. These are all things that are accessible to you. I really find that soft tissue works for exercise and mobility

Massage guns are great. Just know how to use them properly — let the gun do the job. You don’t have to dig in with the massage gun because when you dig in, you actually stop the mechanism that helps.

What’s next in massage therapy?

Most of the innovation is happening with soft tissue work. As massage therapists, we are more aware of how much information the body is actually giving us. More people are aware of how emotions affect their soft tissues. We’re more aware of how scar tissue and surgeries and traumas can keep tension and emotions locked in the tissues.

As far as massage tools, technologists are coming out with a new gadget here or there. But in the end, those gadgets are supposed to be an extension of the therapists hands.

cal fix but it’s empowering to have a tool that can gently help the body to release restrictions. How can people get started at home?

A great place to start is online. We have access to so much free education and apps that can help us get started. As far as equipment, a foam roller is always good, but I prefer a ball more for at-home exercises — something the size of a softball. Instead of laying on the ground for exercises, because not everybody can do that, I recommend people find an empty wall that they can lean against and use the ball. You can release pelvic

Insurance company Liberty Mutual provides an AI tool that helps break down large projects into manageable tasks and provides reminders about deadlines to help employees with ADHD stay focused and organized, said Head of Benefits Verlinda DiMarino.

Getting through meetings

Meetings can be difficult for people with ADHD if their minds drift or they feel an urge to get up out of a chair They also may struggle with impulse control and find it hard to wait their turn to speak.

Nicole Clark, CEO of the Adult and Pediatric Institute, a mental health practice in Stuart, Florida, suggests asking for meeting topics in advance and writing up talking points. If you think of questions during the meeting, write them down.

Some employers use a voiceto-text service, projecting what a speaker is saying on a screen, which helps people with attention difficulties stay focused, Clark said.

Sylvester, the psychiatrist, recommends practicing active listening by repeating in your head what someone just said, or taking a brief timeout from a meeting to reset. Tell them, “‘I need five minutes. I’ll be right back.’ Get up and walk out. Do what you need to do,” he said.

Mariel Paralitici-Morales, chief medical officer of the Adult and Pediatric Institute, who has ADHD, sits close to whoever will be speaking to help sustain attention.

“Having something in my hand helps,” said Paralitici-Morales, who sometimes holds a fidget spinner “If we have to talk, I found it’s easier for me to be the first one and break the ice” to keep herself from second-guessing what she planned to say

As many people as we touch on a daily basis, it’s like we’re training our hands to feel specifically what is the norm and what is outside of the norm, and how to bring the body back to the norm.

The longer-form therapy in massage treatments gives the body more time to calm itself down, to process some of the changes that need to happen for the tissues to really release — and for the benefit to last longer for the patient.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

Seek accommodations

People with an ADHD diagnosis can request accommodations at work through the Americans with Disabilities Act Noise-canceling headphones may help Consider asking for the ability to take a break every 20 minutes, Sylvester said

“Set a timer for five to 10 minutes. Get up and walk around. Make some coffee. Go play with the dog,” he said. “When that timer goes off, go back to a 15- to 20-minute hard productivity cycle.”

Employees can also request a flexible schedule or ability to work from home, which can enable time for therapy or self-care.

Antoinette Damico, 23, who coordinates events at an executive search firm in San Francisco, said she practices meditation, writes daily goals in a journal and stays off short-form media to improve her concentration.

Celebrate your strengths

Having ADHD can be an asset in the workplace, and many CEOs and entrepreneurs are neurodiverse, Didier said.

“We bring all kinds of unique talents to our workplaces. Hyperfocus, lots of energy, resilience, the ability to multitask,” she added. “There’s something about people with ADHD that seems to unmask or give us a greater capacity for creativity and innovation.”

Damico also thinks her ADHD provides advantages. When she’s interested in a topic, she can be extremely focused, reading extensively and talking about the topic nonstop, a trait others with ADHD report. “It can generate a real passion in you that is a bit unique,” she said. “It really creates this grit in me in terms of when I really want to accomplish something, there’s this boost of energy.”

DO YOU HAVE A HEALTH STORY?

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and re-examining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

PHOTO PROVIDED By SUSAN JONES

A young boy Susan Jones treated had apnea from having fascia restrictions from before birth. Jones treated him with cupping therapy.

IEat Fit LiveFit

Justpeachy: No gluten, no addedsugar —justadelicious low-carbpie

tisofficiallypeakpeachseasonin

Louisiana.Thatmeansthisbeloved stonefruitisextrasweetandjuicy rightnow—andasaffordableasitwill beallyear.

Toenjoytheflavorful,refreshing goodness,allyouneedtodoistakea biteorsliceandserve.Butforthoseof uslookingfordessert-relatedwaysto harnesstheseasonalbounty,peachpie canbeespeciallyappealing.

Arealpeachofatreat

Ilovethisbetter-for-youspinon classicpeachpiecreatedbyBen McLauchlin,lowcarbbakingaficionado andunofficialEatFitambassador. Naturallyglutenfreewithnoadded sugar,thepieistoppedwithdeliciously creamywhippedgoatcheesethat providesanicecontrasttothe sweetnessofthepeaches.

Along-timefriendandpartnerin crime,Bengrewupaself-professed “PaulaDeen-style”bakerinrural Alabama.Backthen,hewasallabout flour,butterandsugar.Overtheyears —ashelearnedaboutandexperienced firsthandthebenefitsofnourishinghis bodywithmorenutritiousfoods—Ben becamepassionateaboutreinventing hisfavoritechildhoodandfamily recipeswithbetteringredients.

Thecrustatthecrux

Sincethecrustisthedefinitive featurethatmakesapastryapie, gettingitrightisvital.Ben’sspot-on gluten-freecrustrecipeusesamixof almondandcoconutflourstokeepnet carbslowandaddasubtlenuttiness thatplaysnicelywiththepeaches’ naturalsugars.

Wanttomixitup?Youcanusethe samecrustrecipeandfillingtechnique withapples,cherriesorberries. Enjoy!

PeachPiewith WhippedGoat

Cheese EatFitCollection Makes12servings

FortheCrust: 11/4cupsblanched almondflour 1/4cupcoconutflour 3/4teaspoonxanthan

gum

1/4cupSwerveBrown SugarReplacer 3tablespoonsunsalted butter,melted 2-4tablespoonscold water

FortheFiling: 1/2cupSwerveGranular

1/4cupSwerveBrownSugarReplacer

41/2cupsslicedpeeledpeaches 1/4teaspoongroundnutmeg

1/4teaspoongroundcinnamon 1/8teaspoonsalt 2teaspoonslemonjuice 2tablespoonsbutter 1freshpeach

FortheWhippedGoatCheese: 4ouncesgoatcheese,roomtemperature 6tablespoonsheavycream 11/2tablespoonsSwerveConfectioners 1/4teaspoonpurevanillaextract

Preheatovento325degrees. Greasea9-inchpiepanandsetaside.In amixingbowl,combineallalmondflour, coconutflour,xanthangum,andSwerve BrownSugarReplacer.Addbutter,and withafork,mixintodryingredientsuntil well-combined,withacornmeal-liketexture. Graduallyaddwaterbythetablespoon untilmixturestickstogetherbutisnot toowetorgummy

Pressdoughevenlyintopiepan.Bakefor 10-12minutes.Removeandletcoolbefore addingfilling.

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THENUMBERS

Inalargebowl,combine SwerveGranularandSwerve BrownSugarReplacer.Add peachesandtossgentlyto coat,thencoverandletstand for1hour.Drainpeachesina colanderplacedoverabowl, reservingthejuice. Inasmallsaucepanover mediumheat,combinethe nutmeg,cinnamon,andsalt; graduallystirinreservedjuice andbringtoaboil.Stirfor2 minutesoruntilthickened.Stir inlemonjuiceandbutterthen whisk.Setasidefor7minutes. Pourmixtureoverpeachesin separatelargemixingbowl andgentlyfoldin.Pourinto preparedpiecrust.

Cutthefreshpeachintothinslicesand arrangeoverthetopofthepieinacircular pattern.

Whilethepeachessoakinthesweetener blend,preparetheWhippedGoatCheese: Inalargebowlorstandmixer,mixthegoat cheese,heavycream,SwerveConfectioners andvanillaonhighspeedfor5minutes, scrapingthesidesasnecessary.Coverand refrigerateuntilreadytoserve.

Increaseovento350degreesandbakefor 30minutes,coveredlooselywithfoil.After 30minutes,removefoilandbakeuncovered foranother10minutes,untilcrustisgolden brownandfillingisbubbly.Removefrom ovenandcoolonawirerack.Servewarmor atroomtemperature,toppedwithadollop ofchilledWhippedGoatCheese.

Perserving:200calories,16gramsfat, 7gramssaturatedfat,80mgsodium,11 gramscarbohydrate(7gramsnetcarbs), 3gramsfiber,7gramssugar(0addedsugar), 5gramsprotein

LOUISIANAISTHE THIRD-MOST STRESSED STATEINAMERICA

Compared to the nation,Louisiana ranked the third-most stressed state with an overall stress score of 56.21, according to data gathered byWalletHub That’ssignificantly higherthan the national averagestress score of 44.85

Stress can come from many sources: work,traffic,friends,money,children and more.But chronic stress can be detrimental to health,according to the American PsychologicalAssociation,with women and young peopleexperiencing the most stress.

Continued stress can cause wear and tear on the bodyincludinganxiety,muscle tension,headaches,heartdisease,high blood pressure,stroke,sleep problems and much more.

The most stressed states include,in descending order: n NewMexico with astress score of 60.52, n Nevada with astress score of 59.9, n Louisiana with astressscore of 56.21, n WestVirginia with astress score of

55.28, n and Mississippi with astress scoreof 54.66.

The least stressedstates include,in ascending order: n Nebraska with astress score of 31.83, n Minnesota with astress score of 32.32, n NewHampshire with astress scoreof 32.49, n South Dakota with astress score of 32.66, n andIowawith astress score of 35.69 WalletHub,anonline tool to compare financialproducts,determined each state’s“stress score”by combining 40 differentdata points in four different categories: money-related stress,familyrelated stress,health and safety-related stress and work-related stress. Data used included averagehours worked per week,job security,credit scores,costofchild care,divorce rates, mental health rates,physical activity rates, insufficient sleep rates andmore.See the fulllist of data points at wallethub.com.

HowstressedisLouisiana?

Stress scores combinenationalwork-related,

Source:WalletHub

Electrolytes play greaterroleinbody’sfunctions than just hydration

Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

ATLANTA— You’veseen them on nightstands, in gym bags and probably even in your groupchat: electrolyte powders are gaining momentum in the wellness world

But beyond the pretty packaging and promises of hangover cures, do you actually need them?

If you ask Patrick Russell, cofounder of Decatur,Georgia-based hydration brand Oasis, the answer is asalty yes.

“Sodium is as essentialtohydration as water,”hesaid. “You can drink 3gallons of water,but if you have no salt, that waterwill just joyride your bloodstream until you

peeitout.”

Electrolytes aretinycharged minerals your body uses toabsorb and regulate water,according to the AmericanHeart Association.

Thefive keycomponents are sodium, potassium, magnesium,calciumand chloride

“You have about 37.2 trillion cells in your body,and all of themneed water to perform,” Russell said.

“Water has to get into your cells through the membrane, but it can’t do that alone. It needs an electrical charge —and that’swheresodium comes in.”

But electrolytesaren’tjust about hydration. They are critical in nerve function, musclecontractions andmaintaining fluid balance.

Afterdigging intothe science, Russell; his twinbrother Thomas; andco-founder Nicolas Terwindt launched Oasis, ahydration powder with800 milligrams of sodium perserving —whattheycall their “saltiloxzone.”

“It’sthe perfect amount between nottoo much salt where it would taste like seawater,and not toolittle whereit’snot effective,”Russell said. Thebrothers credit Allulose,a sugarfound in figs and raisins that tastes sweet but isn’tmetabolized by the body,for their brand’staste.

So who needselectrolytes? Athletes, of course, but there’smore variabilitythanyou might think,according to the AHA. Anyone spendingtimeinthe heat,recovering

from ahangover or taking weightloss medications can benefit. The AHA also states that while electrolytes can give your body a “charge,” it is importanttoavoid consumingtoo much. Excess sodium raises blood pressure, so consult withyour doctor

If you’re ready to start your own hydration journey,here are some other buzzy picks that dietitians recommend: n Coco5: This coconut water-based hydration drink was originally developed in the Chicago Blackhawks locker room to support athlete recovery.Now backed by Devin Booker, D’Angelo Russelland Charles Barkley,it’sloaded withpotassium,magnesium and calcium

n Nuun SportPowder: This hydration powderpromises no fizz, making it agood option for anyone on the go.The packets come in several flavors, each containing 300 milligrams of sodium, along with potassium and magnesium.

n Transparent Labs:Thiseco-friendly tubprovidesmultiple electrolytes and other nutrients like taurine Each serving contains 500milligrams of sodium, with no artificial colors or sweeteners.

n LMNT: The salt bomb wellness influencers love.With1,000 milligrams of sodium perpacket,this keto-friendly mix is intense but effective. Bonus: The company has a page on its website that teaches you how to DIY it at home.

BRO UGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Photo by AnnieKent

Althoughwecan’tcontrolthingslikegeneticsandthe wourskinlooks.Thatincludessunexposure,smokingand

severalfoodshavebeenstudiedfortheir

unscreen,helpingtodefendyourskinagainstsun-related ourskin’snaturalresilience.Examplesinclude:

Cranberries Blackberries Redbeans Pintobeans

Artichokehearts

linesacrosstheforeheadareanaturalpartofaging.Sun alongwithenvironmentalandlifestylefactors,cancause theselinestoappearearlierandbecomemorepronounced. Forsomepeople,easingthelookoftheselinestohaveamore youthfulappearanceisthetopgoal.Butforallofus,maintaining healthyskinisanimportantpartofouroverallwellness. Herearesomewaystoslowdownthoseforeheadwrinklesandbea healthieryou:

Protectyourskineverydaywithawater-resistant,broad-spectrum sunscreenwithatleastSPF30

Whenoutdoors,wearabroad-brimmedhatandsunglassestoreduce sundamage,squintingandthewrinklestheycancauseovertime.

Ifyou’reasmoker,oneofthebestthingsyoucandoforyourhealthis toquit.Smokingisamajorcauseofcancerandheartdisease—butitalso takesatollonyourlargestorgan—yourskin.Quittingnotonlybenefits yourheartandlungs,butyourskinwillthankyou,too

Collagenandelastinareproteinsthathelpkeepskinfirm,smooth,and youthful—butsmokingbreaksthemdown.Italsodehydratestheskin, acceleratingtheformationofwrinklesandmakingyoulookolder,sooner.

Vapingisjustasbad.Notonlydoesitdehydrateskinanddamagecollagen andelastin,butitcanalsoleadtoskinirritationandredness.

Whileyoucan’tfullyreversetheeffectsofsmokingonyourskin,quitting canboostcirculationandimproveyourskin’sappearance.Studiesalso showthatcollagenproductionbeginstorecoverwithinmonths.

Lookingtoquitsmoking?TheOchsnerSmokingCessationprogramoffers personalizedplanscombiningmedicationandcounselingtohelpyou reachyourgoals.Learnmoreatochsner.org/quit.

Botox,aregisteredtrademarkforaspecificbrand ofneurotoxins,worksbyimmobilizingmusclesthat surroundfinefaciallines.Theresultisdiminished wrinklesandsmootherskin.Otherneurotoxinsusedfor treatingwrinklesincludeDysport,XeominandMyobloc.

Beselectivewhenchoosingahealthcareprofessional toadministertheseproducts.Theinjectorshould

UVexposurefromtanningbedsandthesuncanageyourskinand raiseyourriskofskincancer.Ifyou’relookingforahealthierway togetthatgoldenglow,tryaself-tanner.They’vecomealongway sincetheorangehuedformulationsofthepast.

Eatplentyofantioxidant-richfruitsandvegetables.

Avoidsmoking.

Drinklessalcohol,whichdehydratesyou.

Exercisemostdaysoftheweek.

Cleanseandmoisturizeyourskindaily.

If,despiteyourbestefforts,youstillnoticeforeheadwrinklesthat botheryou,askyourhealthcareproviderabouttreatmentssuchas BotoxorDysportinjections,chemicalpeels,andlaserandlighttherapies.

understandfacialanatomy,whichiscomplex.They shouldhaveextensivetrainingandunderstandthe musclesofthefaceandhowtheyreacttoneurotoxins. Botoxinjectionsarenottoopainful.Topicalanesthesia canhelp,andsocanusingicepacksafterward. Youmaystarttoseeresultswithinonetothreedays, withfulleffectstypicallyvisiblebytwoweeks.Ifthe

resultsappearuneven,letyourproviderknow—you mayneedafollow-upappointmentforadjustments. Botoxnormallylaststhreetofourmonths.Commonand usuallytemporarysideeffectsincludebruising,eyelid droopingandheadaches.

LOUISIANA

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

On aregular Thursday when colleges areinsession in New Orleans,between 40 and 60 volunteers come together to package hot meals for poor residents at Trinity EpiscopalChurch in the Lower Garden District.

WhileTrinity’sLoaves andFishesministry is fueled by the good hearts of their volunteers, food and other resources require money,and grantshavebecome more competitive with more nonprofits serving greater needs.

To helpwith the funding, theministry has implemented unique fundraisingefforts.

“I’ve had the thought over the years that Ireally need to figure outfundraising without going after grants all the time,” said AaronTaylor,executive director of Trinity Loaves and Fishes.

So, Taylor considered ways to fundraise that appealed tothe widercommunityzeitgeist. In 2023, there was nothing as monumental as Taylor Swift andher ErasTour,and the ministrycame up with asuccessful first-in-the-stateraffle for two tickets.

“Nonprofits are really going to have to start thinking outside the box for ways to develop fundraising events,” Taylor

said. “Ifyou can catcha wave,that’sone of the most important things that you cando.”

This year,the ministry is organizing amahjong tournament with over 300 players.

Over 1,000 people aweek

TrinityLoaves andFishes was founded in 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, after then-BishopCharlesJenkins met with volunteers of Mobile Loaves and Fishes of Austin, Texas,who were feeding residentsthat weregetting their livesback together after the devastating storm.

Jenkins decided he wanted asimilar program in New Orleans and now serves over 1,000 people aweek in the city and givesout 800 weekly sandwichbags, operating arefrigeratorand ahot food truck, according to the organization.

TheEras Tour raffle was the result of Taylor’syearslong consideration of the possibility of araffle,but was looking forthe right item to basearaffle around.

“I wantedsomething marketable, something that people really wanted that was hard to get for the average consumer,” Taylorsaid.“Iremember beinginthe shower,where Idoalot of my thinking on how Icould raise money,and wondered, ‘Whatifwebought Taylor Swift tickets.’

From Taylor Swift ticketstomahjong tournaments, this N.O. church findsunique ways to fundraise

program director Aaron Taylor holdsa boxwith food and mahjong tiles to promote asoldout mahjong night in at Christ Church Cathedral in NewOrleans.

While Taylor saidittook some convincing to go forwardwith an over $3,000 investment, andsome back-and-forth with the Louisiana OfficeofCharitable Gaming to work out the laws around such a raffle, theministry completed allthe paperworkand was able to host the raffle. Along withsetting up the Loaves and Fishes raffle, Taylor said their fundraiser helped thestate learnwhat to do with other organizationswho laterhosted theirown Eras Tour sweepstakes. Media coverage of the rafflehelped Loaves and Fishes makeover$10,000 in the first days

The $3,000investment in the raffle resulted in over $40,000 for Loaves and Fishes, according to theministry,though Taylor said he now wishes they keptthe raffle going intothe days leading up to theOctober 2024 concerttoraiseeven more money

“It’sreally good to volunteer and see the full circle of preparing the meals, delivering the meals and seeing them in the hands of people who need them,” said Ben Williamson, president of the board of TrinityLoaves and Fishes. Williamson was effusive in the work Taylor did to runthe nonprofit as well as his fundraising plans.

“Aaron’sreally done agreat job with coming up with these creative and innovative ideas to raise money,”Williamson said. “He took abig chancewith the Taylor Swift raffle. and it really paid off in abig way.”

The raffle also helped theministry recruit more volunteers whofound out aboutthe food program through the ticket giveaway,including youngervol-

ä See COMMUNITY, page 2Y

Atestfor theTikTok generation

Twenty-somethings surround me in the newsroom. As expected, they use their phones for everything.

Iuse my phone, too —just differently.Most of my colleagues are digital natives. We work toward the same goals using different systems. My desk is covered in business cards, reader postcards, receipts, sticky notes and avariety of notebooks. Each is chock full of my hybrid cursive/shorthand scratch and scrawl —and it works forme. Their desks appear almost sterile to me —tidy,neat, no handwritten notes in sight. Other people closer to my age do have notes like my own. Even without knowing who sat where, Icould estimate each occupant’sage by whatwas —orwasn’t—ontheir desks. Different generations have different systems. What feels essential to me can feel unnecessary to them, and vice versa. Few use spiral-bound reporter’snotebooks like the ones I’ve collected for decades and stored in my attic. Their lack of pen and paper usage inspired me to run asmall experiment.

Iwrote asimple note in cursive in asmall reporter’snotebook. I walkedaround the newsroom and asked each journalist to read it. The note explained my mission and asked the readers when they learned to read and write in cursive, and if they remember who taught them.

Some of them struggled to read the full note. Ideliberately included the words “easy-peasy,” so there would be something unexpected.

Ilearned that acouple of them write in cursive often. However, the rest of them said they only use cursive to sign their names.

Reporter Haley Miller said Mrs. Strehle taught her cursive when she was in the second grade in Indiana, but she never writesinit now

Quinn Coffman says reading the note “took abit,” but he learned cursive in the second grade in St. Louis, Missouri, from Mrs. Broughten and Mrs. Miller.Still, he said he can’tread most adults’ cursive and can’twrite it beyond his signature.

Aidan McCahill, 23, learned cursive in fourth grade in Michigan from Mrs. Radecki. Does he write in it?

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I couldn’tifIwanted to.”

Deanna Narveson, 30, says she always writesincursive. She learned in fifth grade.

“Teachers said we could write faster in cursive. Iwas acompetitive student,” she said.

Alayna Ford, a21-year-old intern, said she uses cursive only for her signature, but she learned it in second grade in Georgia.

Javier Gallegos, aphotographer struggled to make out ahandful of words in my note. He said that he never writes in cursive other than his signature. Ihope that Mrs. Rodriguez, his fourth grade teacher in El Paso, Texas, would not be disappointed to hear this news.

Caitie Zeilman, who is 25, said reading the note “took an extra second,” but eventually,she was able to decipher it. Not read, but solved —like apuzzle.

To them, cursive is something to be decoded.

My colleagues’ efforts and responses fascinated me.

Idecided to take alook back at the history of teaching cursive in America and how the art of penmanship is tied to the very start of the country with three famous words, “Wethe People...”

RISHER, page 2Y

Trinity Episcopalfood program chef Kelly Williams, volunteer Jan Hutchison and Belinda Long,ofBethlehemLutheran Church hand outmeals to peopleonthe sidewalk outside the church.

Trinity Episcopal food

STAFF FILE PHOTOSBySOPHIAGERMER

Hunter Key, 13, helps box food for the TrinityEpiscopalfood program at Christ Church CathedralinNew Orleans on April17.

INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Helping find permanent housing for the homeless

Native New Orleanian gives back to the city by advocating for at-risk populations

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Donna Paramore, a New Orleans native, has dedicated 20 years of her life to nonprofit leadership and fund development, advocating for at-risk populations. She has served as the executive director of the Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans, the oldest, nonsectarian social welfare organization in the country, for five years Her entire career has been centered on giving back to the Greater New Orleans community Since Paramore has been with the Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans, the organization has quadrupled in employees, the services they provide and the people they are able to serve.

What is the mission atTravelersAid Society of Greater New Orleans, and what communities do you serve?

We’ve been in existence for 116 years, and our mission is that we work to end homelessness. Our vision is that everyone in New Orleans would have a safe place to call home.

We work with individuals who are either currently homeless or unhoused, or those who have formerly been homeless or unhoused. We have outreach workers that go in the streets each and every day to actually connect individuals to services and get them qualified for permanent housing. We also have permanent supportive housing for more than 200 people, and we provide extensive case management services We work with these individuals with holistic services to get them to a level of self-sufficiency, as many of our clients will have disabilities,

anywhere from physical to mental disabilities. We keep working with them to help them restart their lives.

Can you explain what “fair housing” truly means and why it’s so important?

Fair housing really means that every person has the legal right to choose where they live without discrimination based on race, color, national origin, disability or family status. It’s foundational to create equitable, inclusive communities.

Fair housing is so important because it helps ensure that all people, especially those who’ve been historically marginalized, can access safe, affordable housing in neighborhoods of their choosing.

So that’s where we really work with clients to give them choices.

So although they’re coming from the streets, we don’t just put them in any first apartment that would be available We want to put them in areas that they will be comfortable with, that they can access different resources.

Tell us about the recent tiny house collabo-

ration that Travelers Aid was a part of in May.

We partnered with Louvis services, which is a nonprofit developer, and they’ve partnered with Tulane University students to help build the house. This is actually the second tiny home that we’ve been a part of with Louvis services

We provide the clients and the supportive services for the client. This is a perfect example of why it’s so important for different nonprofits to partner together to provide great resources in the community This partnership, not only does it provides affordable housing, but it also provides the case management that clients need and the rental assistance that clients need. The tiny home is beautiful. And although it says tiny homes, it has everything in it that an individual would need to restart their lives. The units are 500 square feet. They come fully furnished. They have beautiful porches It’s just great to be a part of something like that,

Last reminder to nominate a person

Submit someone over 60 years old for the ENCORE awards: Deadline July 14

Jan Risher

It’s the last chance to nominate someone over the age of 60 who is doing extraordinary things. Nominate them for the Louisiana Inspired ENCORE Awards here. The awards will celebrate Louisianans aged 60 and over who continue to lead, serve and inspire. The awards will recognize

COMMUNITY

Continued from page 1y

unteers from colleges who may not have otherwise heard of the ministry

“It definitely got our message out to a broader audience. We’ve had donors now from different states, and it was because of the Taylor Swift raffle,” Taylor said First Taylor Swift, now mahjong Following the raffle, Taylor wanted to come up with another idea that could be a shake-up from regular fundraising activities that New Orleans organizations put together He was thinking about a spin on a golf classic fundraiser, one that could especially appeal to women, who tended to be the largest donors to philanthropic programs.

“I saw all these men’s golf tournaments, all the time And I thought, ‘There needs to be a mirror for women that is similar to a golf tournament,’ ” Taylor said. Sally Cockerham, a ministry volunteer who passed away had told the ministry about her love of playing mahjong with her friends, which planted the idea about the appeal of the tile game to women. Taylor said his research leads him to believe the Loaves and Fishes’ New Orleans Mahjong Classic will be the largest philanthropic mahjong tournament in American history Tourna-

individuals who prove that purpose and passion don’t fade with age — they evolve. Whether they launched a business, wrote a book, earned a degree, created art, led community initiatives or made a lasting impact in any field, we want to recognize those who keep going, keep learning and stay engaged with their communities. The 2025 ENCORE Awards will highlight those who have taken on bold new challenges, lifted up others and made a measurable impact in their communities or beyond, challenging outdated ideas of aging by shining a light on people whose second (or third!) acts are meaningful, powerful

and creative. Nominations for the 2025 ENCORE Awards can be made here. (FOR PRINT: https://www nola.com/site/forms/encore_ awards/encore_awards_imported-20250605122916/ Submissions will close July 14. Award recipients will be announced in late summer For more information, email Jan Risher at jan.risher@theadvocate.com.

ment tickets — 340, in fact — which include three rounds of mahjong, sold out within nine days and include players from 22 states. The waitlist is now over 200 people as of June. The tournament is being organized in partnership with popular mahjong Dallas-based mahjong instructor and influencer Molly Hardy, who will speak at the tournament “Mahjong really is a great way to create community, and I think it’s a game that involves strategy,” Taylor said I think people,

especially women, want more than just tea parties and galas. They want something that gives them the opportunity to use strategy.”

The tournament will take place Nov 8 at the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter.

Along with the raffle and mahjong tournament, Taylor said Loaves and Fishes hosted its second gala for fundraising and to celebrate their volunteers.

Email Marco Cartolano at Marco.Cartolano@theadvocate. com

Q&A WITH DONNA PARAMORE

so we know that we’re creating affordable housing and we have clients that will be in those houses and off the streets.

How does a partnership like this address the larger homelessness crisis in New Orleans?

When we look at homelessness, it’s such a complex issue, so it requires collaboration across different sectors for it to be successful. Partnerships like this allow us to pair safe, quality housing with wraparound services, which are evidence-based and proven to reduce homelessness.

We realized that there’s only one solution for homelessness, and that’s permanent housing. This is actually solving part of that problem by providing permanent, supportive housing. By us working together, we can scale solutions more effectively and reach people who are often left behind. Every unit that’s created, every person that is housed, is a step towards a broader systemic impact.

What do you hope the community takes away from this project?

We want the community to know that homelessness is a solvable problem when we have partnerships and individuals that invest in the work that we do.

The tiny home project demonstrates what’s possible when we move beyond temporary fixes and embrace long term, compassionate solutions. A temporary fix is to put someone in a shelter for a few months, or put them up in a hotel. That’s a very temporary solution. But when you can build affordable housing, and then you give individuals the services that they need, then we look at that as a permanent solution to the homelessness problem.

As a New Orleanian, what does this position mean to you?

My family has been in New Orleans for generations, like dating back to the 1800s. Growing up, I was always taught that we should give to the world and not take from the world. So, being in this position, I feel like I’m doing a little point of making New Orleans a better place.

We have to do something. We can’t always complain about New Orleans. We have to do something to make it better I feel like I’m doing a small part in terms of helping individuals who have probably been forgotten by society, maybe forgotten by their families because of different issues, such as mental health issues.

By helping one person I’m doing something to contribute back to the city that has essentially raised me and formed me into the person that I am.

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

RISHER

Continued from page 1y

From our country’s early days, penmanship was a valued element of a basic education. When keyboards and computers became more prevalent, cursive instruction began to wane. In 2010, the Common Core Standards seemed to spell the end of cursive when schools across the country were no longer required to teach the style of writing. These days, about 24 states have reinstated legislation requiring cursive to be taught at public elementary schools so maybe it’s making a comeback? Louisiana was an early adopter of the callback to cursive. In 2016, Louisiana passed legislation requiring public and charter schools to teach cursive. Last year, legislators passed “Let Teachers Teach” legislation that repealed “certain student instruction and teacher training requirements.” Ultimately, the legislation asked the BESE Board to review the many requirements on schools and teachers to decide which ones

needed to stay in place and which ones needed to fall by the wayside.

For now, the jury is still out on cursive’s curlicues and uncertain future. In the meantime, the 2016 legislation that requires public and charter schools to teach cursive is still in effect — though by my brief investigation, I’m not sure how many schools are doing that.

If you’re fluent in cursive, the National Archives needs your help. They’re looking for volunteers to help transcribe historic documents. Volunteers watch an 8-minute video and then are invited to download documents and transcribe a variety of records — including Revolutionary War pension files, JFK Assassination Records (1964), Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Records (1947-1959), Department of State Records from 1947-1952 and more. The truth is, I love working with this latest generation of journalists. They are fun. They are smart. They are hardworking. I’ll keep my cursive sharp, just in case one of them ever needs help reading a birthday card from their grandma. Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

The Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans and its supporters unite on the steps of the state capitol building to rally support for their cause of ending homelessness in New Orleans.

Donna Paramore, Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Jan Risher quickly wrote this note to see if fellow journalists, particularly the younger ones, could read cursive.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Trinity Episcopal food program chef Kelly Williams serves meals at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in New Orleans on April 17.

LargestMinnesota tribal transitstation underconstruction

11 tribes on WhiteEarth Reservationto seesupport

BY JODI RAVE SPOTTED BEAR

Contributing writer

Editor’snote: This story, created by Jodi Rave Spotted Bear for Buffalo’sFire, is part of the AP Storyshare. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happeninginother places and in our own communities —solutions that can be adopted around the world. Native peoplesoften experience the worstroad conditions and havethe highest need for transportation. After about adecade of envisioning an expansive transit hub for the White Earth Nation, Tribal leaders and administrators officially broke ground for the White Earth Transit Station

On Friday,May 30, White Earth Nation Chairman Michael Fairbankssat and sang with alocal drum group, signaling the cultural and spiritual importance of the tribe’stransit station groundbreaking. In the background, heavy equipment operators cleared the ground andmoved earth for the 18,000-square-foot transit hub, which is expectedto be completed in July 2026. When done,the hub willbe the largest tribal transit facility in Minnesota.

“It’sa really good day here in White Earth to see the project movingforward,” said Rep. LauraLee Erickson, White Earth’s District 3leader,who joined Fairbanks and fellow White Earth Nation tribal leaders, staff and citizens who gathered at the construction site andlater held symbolic gold shovels.

The White Earth Transit Station is greatlyneeded

forcitizens living on the largest of Minnesota’s 11 reservations. With 1,300 square miles of land, the White EarthTransportation Department is responsible for 150 miles of rural roads.

White Earth Reservation land is situatedamong lakes, trees andmore than ahundred miles of dirt and gravel roads, plus 50 miles of bituminous roads. Areliable transit system ensures the safety of all citizens, particularly women and young girls.

“Withlimitedaccessto cars —and few,ifany,auto mechanics in rural reservation communities —Native women and girls resort to hitchhiking, which places thematrisk,” according to atransportation research report by TRNews. “The forms of travel for tribal people are sometimes affected bya lack ofaccess to reliable mode choices providedbythe tribaltransportation agencies, such as public busesorother ridesharing and transit for rural communities.”

Numerousstatistics underscore theurgent need for reliable transportation in Native communities, where public transitoptions are frequently limited. The WhiteEarthNation is poised to change these national dynamicswith the constructionofthe $7 million WhiteEarth Public Transit Station.

The hub will house 12 buses currently in the tribe’s transit fleet, along with 18 employees.

“We’re running alittle short on drivers, so we’re hoping to add afew more andthen we do expect to expand and add some more routes,” said Kenneth Bakken, WhiteEarth public transitmanager In addition to transporting people acrossthe reservation, the tribe’s bus routes extend to some nearbytowns,such as Detroit Lakesand

Bagley

“It’sbeen along road,” Bakken said. “I’ve been with transit for16years, been amanager here for 10, and that’skindofwhen we started theproject. We gottogether with theLand Office, working on securingthe property here.And thenonce we did that, we went and workedwith FTA, which is the Federal Transit Administration, working on securing funding with them to do the project.”

While the recent groundbreaking was years in the making through the efforts of manypeople,including theReservation Business Committee, or RBC,and theMinnesotaDepartment of Transportation. U.S. SenatorsAmy Klobuchar and Tina SmithfromMinnesotaled acampaign to support transit needs for Native communities. On Aug. 18, 2022, the senators announced $5.9million in federal grants to Minnesota Native nations, including $3.6 millionfor WhiteEarth public transit facilities.

“Thisfunding will help modernize public transit in Tribalcommunities, while improving air quality and helpingcombat climate change,”said Sen. Smithin astatement. “I am proud of ourwork to help make these grants more accessible for Tribal communitiesand will continueworking to support public transportation across Minnesota.”

Smithchaired afieldhearing in summer 2022 in Minnesotaaimed at elevating the infrastructurepriorities of Minnesota’sTribal Nations and raising awareness amongTribal Nations for the funding opportunities available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed at the end of 2021.

In 2022, American Indian and Alaska Native adults were 17.1% more likely to

As asign of community cohesiveness, adrumgroup opened the groundbreakingceremony on May30for the White Earth Transit Station. In the background, heavy equipment operators were busyclearing the ground to beginbuilding construction.

lack reliable transportation for dailyliving in the past12months compared with Asian, whiteand Hispanic populations,accordingtothe National Center for Health Statistics. This hinders people in numerous ways, including their abilitytoseek medical attention.

“On behalf of myself andthe other members of the RBC,weare proud to be oneofthe recipients of such agenerous grant from theFTA,” said Fairbanks in astatement. “Our goal is to always ensure that our systems, processes, and decisions worktoserveour community and families of the White Earth Reservation to thehigheststandard possible. This grant will aid in the continuance of providing excellency of White Earth’sTransit system as wellasbeing at the forefront of improvingair quality and combating climate change.”

Rep.Laura Lee Erickson, White Earth Nation District 3leader,looksatarchitectural designs during the groundbreakingfor the tribe’stransit station.

PROVIDED PHOTOS By JODI SPOTTED BEAR

FAITH & VALUES

Jewish weddings seeing change for gender equality

Shifts affect the marriage contract, breaking the glass under the chuppah

BY SAMIRA MEHTA Contributing writer

Traditional Jewish weddings share one key aspect with traditional Christian weddings. Historically, the ceremony was essentially a transfer of property: A woman went from being the responsibility of her father to being the responsibility of her husband.

That may not be the first thing Americans associate with weddings today, but it lives on in rituals and vows. Think, in a traditional Christian wedding, of a bride promising “to obey” her husband, or being “given away” by her father after he walks her down the aisle.

Feminism has changed some aspects of the Christian wedding.

More egalitarian or feminist couples, for example, might have the bride be “given away” by both her parents, or have both the bride and groom escorted in by parents. Others skip the “giving” altogether.

Queer couples, too, have reimagined the wedding ceremony During research for my book “Beyond Chrismukkah,” about Christian-Jewish interfaith families, many interviewees wound up talking about their weddings and the rituals that they selected or innovated for the day to reflect their cultural background. Some of them had also designed their ceremonies to reflect feminism and marriage equality something that the interfaith weddings had in common with many weddings where both members of the couple were Jewish.

These values have transformed many Jewish couples’ weddings, just as they have transformed the Christian wedding. Some Jewish couples make many changes while some make none And like every faith, Judaism has lots of internal diversity — not all traditional Jewish weddings look the same.

Contracts and covenants

Perhaps one of the most important places where feminism and marriage equality have reshaped traditions is in the “ketubah,” or Jewish marriage contract.

A traditional ketubah is a simple legal document in Hebrew or Aramaic, a related ancient language. Two witnesses sign the agreement, which states that the groom has acquired the bride. However, the ketubah is also sometimes framed as a tool to protect women. The document stipulates the husband’s responsibility to provide for his wife and confirms what he should pay her in case of divorce. Traditional ketubot — the plural of ketubah — did not discuss love, God or intentions for the marriage.

Contemporary ketubot in more liberal branches of Judaism, whether between opposite-or same-sex couples, are usually much more egalitarian documents that reflect

the home and the marriage that the couple want to create. Sometimes the couple adapt the Aramaic text; others keep the Aramaic and pair it with a text in the language they speak every day, describing their intentions for their marriage.

Rather than being simple, printed documents, contemporary ketubot are often beautiful pieces of art, made to hang in a place of prominence in the newlyweds’ home. Sometimes the art makes references to traditional Jewish symbols, such as a pomegranate for fertility and love. Other times, the artist works with the couple to personalize their decorations with images and symbols that are meaningful to them.

Contemporary couples will often also use their ketubah to address an inherent tension in Jewish marriage. Jewish law gives men much more freedom to divorce than it gives women. Because women cannot generally initiate divorce, they can end up as “agunot,” which literally means “chained”: women whose husbands have refused to grant them a religious divorce. Even if the couple have been divorced in secular court, an “agunah” cannot, according to Jewish law, remarry in a religious ceremony

Contemporary ketubot will sometimes make a note that, while the couple hope to remain married until death, if the marriage deteriorates, the husband agrees to grant a divorce if certain conditions are met.

This prevents women from being held hostage in unhappy marriages.

Other couples eschew the ketubah altogether in favor of a new type of document called a “brit ahuvim,”

or covenant of lovers. These documents are egalitarian agreements between couples. The brit ahuvim was developed by Rachel Adler, a feminist rabbi with a deep knowledge of Jewish law, and is grounded in ancient Jewish laws for business partnerships between equals. That said, many Jews, including some feminists, do not see the brit ahuvim as equal in status to a ketubah. Building together

Beyond the ketubah, there are any number of other changes that couples make to symbolize their hopes for an egalitarian marriage. Jewish ceremonies often take place under a canopy called the chuppah, which symbolizes the home that the couple create together In a traditional Jewish wedding, the bride circles the groom three or seven times before entering the chuppah. This represents both her protection of their home and that the groom is now her priority

Many couples today omit this custom, because they feel it makes the bride subservient to the groom. Others keep the circling but reinterpret it: In circling the groom, the bride actively creates their home, an act of empowerment. Other egalitarian couples, regardless of their genders, share the act of circling: Each spouse circles three times, and then the pair circle once together In traditional Jewish weddings, like in traditional Christian weddings, the groom gives his bride a ring to symbolize his commitment to her — and perhaps to mark her as a married woman. Many contemporary Jewish couples exchange two rings: both partners offering a gift

The ketubah is a binding document in Jewish law that traditionally spells out a groom’s responsibilities toward his wife — but that many couples adapt to be more egalitarian.

to mark their marriage and presenting a symbol of their union to the world. While some see this shift as an adaptation to American culture, realistically, the dual-ring ceremony is a relatively new development in both American Christian and American Jewish marriage ceremonies. Finally, Jewish weddings traditionally end when the groom stomps on and breaks a glass, and the entire crowd yells “Mazel tov” to congratulate them. People debate the symbolism of the broken glass. Some say that it reminds us that life contains both joy and sorrow or that it is a reminder of a foundational crisis in Jewish history: the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E Others say that it is a reminder that life is fragile or

that marriage, unlike the glass, is an unbreakable covenant Regardless of what it means, some contemporary couples both step on glasses, or have one partner place their foot on top of the other’s so that the newlyweds can break the glass together The couple symbolize their commitment to equality — and both get to do a fun wedding custom. There are many other innovations in contemporary Jewish weddings that have much less to do with feminism and egalitarianism, such as personalized wedding canopies or wedding programs. But these key changes represent how the wedding ceremony itself has become more egalitarian in response to both feminism and marriage equality

SCORE helps business owners through knowledge, experience

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

A little advice can go a long way when starting a business, but new business owners don’t always know where to find it. This is where the Service Corps of Retired Executives can help The nonprofit organization, known as SCORE, has been advising up-and-coming business owners through volunteer mentors since it was chartered by an Act of Congress in 1964. And as clientele increases, the organization’s Baton Rouge chapter is seeking out more volunteer mentors.

“Primarily we look for mentors that have their own business, meaning we’re looking for volunteers that have been on an entrepreneurial path,” said Clarence Lawson, a certified mentor for SCORE Baton Rouge. “We also look at those who have actually been in business, maybe working for an employer But pretty much what we look for is a person that lived the experience to help the entrepreneur.” SCORE is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration and receives

through a congressional grant, as well as from workshop fees and contributions. Its written mission is to “foster

And the best part? All of these services are offered free to SCORE’s clientele. Meanwhile, SCORE Louisiana counseled 721 unique clients and conducted 47 free business education workshops in 2024. Still, maintaining, or even increasing, those numbers means recruiting more mentors. “We’re looking for mentors who are knowledgeable and able to pro-

vide counsel while walking these new entrepreneurs along the journey,” Lawson said. “So we look for a person who is empathetic toward the entrepreneur, knowing exactly what that journey looks like. They will basically be walking alongside the entrepreneur when it comes to developing their business plan and at the same time have the knowledge to what it takes to be successful in that journey.”

For Lawson, SCORE is a chance to give back to a nonprofit that mentored him when he was developing his own consulting business.

“I had a mentor that let me look over his shoulder, which helped me understand what a business looks like,” he said. “He helped me figure out things like cash flow and the tools I would need in my business, and he helped me understand that no every day is going to be sunshine.”

But the most valuable lesson Lawson learned though SCORE was knowing his numbers.

“It’s not enough to have a great idea, because at the end of the day, you’re in business to be profitable,” he said. “So you need to know the cost of being in business.”

Lawson learned these lessons not only through one-on-one mentor counseling but also by attending workshops hosted by the nonprofit These workshops usually are conducted online. In the Baton Rouge

area, they are coordinated by Nesha Brown.

“My job is to recruit subject matter experts and presenters to be able to offer tangible tools and resources in support of small businesses,” she said. “I recruit presenters, I facilitate the workshops, I select the topics and make sure that they’re relevant to the small business needs within Louisiana. And we plan out an entire schedule of workshop programming for people to participate in free of charge.”

It’s not unusual for more than 100 entrepreneurs to sign up for a single workshop.

“These are people who are just starting out,” Brown said. “And since the workshops are virtual, you can take part in them no matter where you are.”

“SCORE is the most effective source of small business mentoring in the U.S. and we are proud to be making a positive difference right here in our local community,” added Bob Shaver, district director of SCORE Baton Rouge Area Chapter “SCORE data shows that entrepreneurs who receive three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased business growth.”

To learn more about volunteering to become SCORE mentor visit score.org/batonrougearea.

PROVIDED PHOTO

GETTy IMAGES PHOTO By URIEL SINAI

yulia Tagil and Stas Granin celebrate their union on July 25, 2010, at a square in Tel Aviv. The couple held a public wedding to protest Israeli marriage guidelines set by the chief rabbinate.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Clarence Lawson, of SCORE, in the meeting room at the Main Library where those in the program meet in Baton Rouge

SUNDAY, JUlY 13, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

grams

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — dAMnABLe: DAM-nuhbul: Liable to or deserving condemnation; detestable

Average mark 40 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 53 or more words in DAMNABLE?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Lead directing double works!

Today’s deal was played recently in Europe, where players experiment with bidding ideas not usually seen in North America. North’s one-spade response, denying a major suit, is one such idea. North-South bid to a normal contract only to be doubled by East This was a leaddirecting double, asking for the lead of dummy’s first bid suit, in this case spades. North, with a huge unknown club fit with partner, ran to four clubs and South raised to game. West duly led the four of spades to East’s ace, and East continued with the queen of spades to South’s king. South cashed the ace and king of clubs, then cashed two high diamonds and led a diamond for a ruff in his hand. East could do what he wanted with the master trump, but he could not defeat the contract.

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

super Quiz

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

SUBJECT: DISASTERS

(e.g., In 1984, this city in India was the site of the world’s worst industrial disaster Answer: Bhopal.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

1. In 1912, this ocean liner sank with the loss of over 1,400 lives.

Answer________

2. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it “a date which will live in infamy.”

Answer________

3. In 1986, this space shuttle broke apart, killing all seven crew members.

Answer________

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency

Looking at the effect of the double, three no-trump can be made on a spade lead, but the winning line is far from clear and declarer might have gone down. Without the double, however, West would probably have led the queen of diamonds, and three no-trump would have romped home, perhaps with an overtrick. In this case, the leaddirecting double did no worse than break even for East-West and might have gained a little bit.

what’s best for you, and everything will fall into place Love is in the stars VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Movement is necessary for your health, but overdoing it will set you back. Moderation is the key to satiating your body, mind and soul. Embrace what fulfills you. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Talks can be fortuitous if you are willing to meet halfway and contribute equally to the outcome. Don’t miss a romantic opportunity or a chance to don a new look. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Count your money, protect your possessions and invest smartly. Concentrate on revamping your resume or looking for new outlets to apply your skills, experience and knowledge.

nessandencouragenewfriendships. Chase your dreams and enjoy what life can offer CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Once you have your mind set on something and your plan ready, you will find it easy to parlay your preparation into somethingthatgivesbackmorethan you anticipate. What you contribute, you will get back twofold.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Distance yourself from anyone using persuasive tactics to promote indulgence. Temptation will surface and emotions will swell. Choose a pastime you enjoy, and head in a direction that offers gains and growth.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23-Dec 21) Travel, reunions and doing or learning something new will promote happi-

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your money and possessions separate Dismiss joint ventures, shared expenses and untrustworthy offers. Concentrate on your living space; make changes that add to your comfort.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Reconsider your options before you move forward with a home improvement project, move or change. Acting on impulse will lead to regret, but biding your time and negotiating will lead to peace of mind.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Stick to what you know and do best. Making a change to appease someone will cost you, but putting your time and energy into self-improvement will make you feel better GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Live in the moment, enjoy life and turn your surroundings into a playground. Put the people and the things you love most at the forefront and enjoy the peace and gratitude they provide.

goren Bridge

1. RMS Titanic. 2.Pearl Harbor attack on Dec.7, 1941.3.Challenger. 4. RMS Lusitania.5.Chicago. 6. San Francisco. 7. Ireland. 8. Abubonicplague epidemic. 9. Pompeii. 10.ThreeMile Island. 11. Spanish influenza.12. London.13. Tenerife Airport (CanaryIslands,Spain). 14. Chernobyl. 15. Lockerbie.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Give like the sun and thewhole world grows tall.

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly

FoXtrot/ by BillAmend

/bySteve Kelley&JeffParker