The Advocate 07-27-2025 by The Advocate

LONGINGFOR JUSTICE

‘Drowninginmurdercases’

BatonRouge’s courthas adoptedimprovements, butitstill facesfunding challenges

BY JILLIAN KRAMER |Staff writer

Kenneth Odom did not live to see his son’salleged killer brought to trial.

He died six years afterhis sonwas fatally shot at aBaton Rouge truck stop. Had 49-year-old truck driver Keith Odom been killedalmost anywhere else along hismorethan700mile delivery route from Jonesborough, Tennessee, the alleged murderer’s case almost certainlywouldhave resolved faster

Instead, it has stalled foreight years in the 19th JudicialDistrict Court in Louisiana’scapital city,one ofthe mostsluggishcourts in the country at closing homicide cases,according to an analysis by TheAdvocate of 578 murder andmanslaughter cases that have been active since 2018.

The court takes an averageofthree years toclose its homicide cases slowerthannearly everyother court in Louisiana and many in high-homicide cities nationwide.

Even before the pandemic, which strained courtsnationwide,Baton Rouge’shomicidedocket moved at a crawl. In 2018, the year after Odom’s death, the court averaged 1,180 days to resolve homicide cases —twice as long as courtsinnearly 100 other U.S. cities at the time.

stoponAug.8,2017.

By 2022,thatnumberhad climbedto 1,329 days.

Thedelayspostpone justice for victims’families —sometimes so long they neversee it at all. Defendants,legallypresumed innocent,may spend years in jail awaiting trial.

Thewait has been particularly hard on Odom’smother,PauletteOdom, 75, whonow faces theweight of the stalledcase alone.

“How,” she asked, “can theyjustify taking so long?” In thelast two years, thecourt’space has improved. By the end of 2024, the averagetime to close ahomicide case

ä For more on this series, go to theadvocate.COM

had dropped by 33% from itspeak two years before. Still, Baton Rouge trails nearly every other major Louisiana jurisdiction. Only New Orleans is slower

Thecourt has also recently implemented several recommendations from an efficiency studybythe National Center forState Courts. Those changes include the creation of acommissioner’scourt to relieve judges of bail-setting responsibilities,aswell as plansfor severalspecialty courts to streamline criminal cases, saidJudicial Administrator Diana Gibbens.

But ashortage of resources, mounting caseloads and ongoing dysfunction —including frequent judicial turnover —continue to slow the court. Statewide logjams compound the delays:defendantsdeemed mentally incompetent can wait months for abed at the state’s only psychiatric hospital, and prosecutionsoftenstall as DNAevidencelingers in crime lab backlogs.

Local leaderswarn thatprogress could unravel without urgent investment

“We’redrowning in murder cases,” said East BatonRougeDistrict Attorney Hillar Moore, whose ofﬁce faced abacklog of about250 open homicide cases as of April.

RedrawnBR School Board maps may be

BY CHARLESLUSSIER |Staff writer

Months after it received proposalsfrom demographers to redraw its election maps, the East BatonRouge Parish School Boardmay further delay creating the redrawnmaps to see whether voters create anew St. George school district. The upside of holding off for the board is to avoidthe potential hassle and expense of drawing new maps twice in ashort period of time. Opponents, however,argue that current election mapsviolate state and federal law and are overdue forreplacing. The mapuncertainty means potential candidates forSchool Board in fall 2026 remain in the dark about which district they would run in and whothey might face at election time. Qualifying begins July 29, 2026.

The new remapping proposals, both submitted in March, are the latest chapter in along-running ﬁght over how best to draw election boundaries forthe second largest traditional school district in Louisiana, home to almost 40,000 students.

See MAPS, page 9A

Ledbygovernor’sally, initiative stresses business-mindedapproach

BY ALYSE PFEIL |Staff writer

Gov.Jeff Landry says Louisiana government has alot to learn from private business. “We’re trying to turn the aircraft carrier,” he said.“It’s about shifting the culture.”

One of his strategies to do that is LA DOGE, an initiative that Landry begana decadeago as attorney general and revived late last year.Herebranded the program to echo President DonaldTrump’seffort, originally led by ElonMusk, to slash spending Landry tappedSteveOrlando,afriend and close political ally who built amajor business providing services to oiland gascompanies, as

See LA DOGE, page 8A

PHOTO By JESSICA TEZAK

Paulette Odom looksthrough old photos of her son, KeithOdom, in the kitchen where she and husband,Kenneth, raised him in Jonesborough, Tenn. Keith Odom, atruck driver,was working on his truck when he waskilledinBaton Rougein 2017. The suspected gunman has been in jailfor thepast eight years but has not yetgone to trial.

PROVIDED PHOTO KeithOdomwas confronted,robbed and thenshot and killed at aBaton Rougetruck

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Heat warnings issued in Southeast and Midwest

It’s always hot in the summer in the U.S. Southeast, but even by the standards of Florida and the Carolinas, the steamy heat wave on tap for the region Saturday into the coming week is a little extreme.

The National Weather Service issued heat advisories for a large swath of the East Coast from central Florida to Virginia through much of the weekend. Highs in the upper 90s were forecast for central Florida, with heat indexes reaching 105 degrees to 110 degrees. The outlook was similar up through Georgia and the Carolinas into Virginia.

Extreme heat warnings were out for much of eastern North Carolina, as far inland as Raleigh, and extending into a corner of South Carolina, including Myrtle Beach. Forecasters warned of dangerously hot conditions with temperatures approaching or exceeding 100 in some areas on Sunday and heat indexes up to 115 through Sunday evening.

The weather service said several major metropolitan areas in the Southeast including Raleigh and Charlotte in North Carolina, Greenville-Spartanburg in South Carolina, and Atlanta in Georgia — were expected to face an extreme heat risk for several days, with minimal overnight relief. It said over 30 million people would likely be affected at the peak of the heat wave through midweek.

A hot, humid weekend was also in store for the Midwest. Extreme heat watches were out for eastern Nebraska, western Iowa and southern Minnesota. Heat indexes were expected to reach 96 on Saturday and go even higher on Sunday in Minnesota.

And an extreme heat warning was out for the St. Louis area through Tuesday evening, with highs around 99 and heat indexes around 110 forecast for Monday and Tuesday

Vandals set fire to German mouse statue

BERLIN Vandals set fire to a mouse statue that’s a TV star and mascot for children’s programming at German broadcaster WDR, the television station said Saturday

The cartoon mouse, known only as “Die Maus,” is the eponymous star of “Die Sendung mit der Maus” (The Show with the Mouse) since it ﬁrst aired in West Germany in 1971. Each short episode features other languages and educational segments

The statue featuring the character’s famous orange body with brown ears, arms and legs — greets families and children outside a media building in Cologne, Germany

A receptionist for WDR saw several young people standing around the statue in Cologne on a camera feed overnight Friday into Saturday She then noticed flames and called the fire department, WDR said. The fire blackened parts of the mouse’s face and arm, images show The station said a police complaint had been filed against an unidentified person.

Matthias Körnich, head of children’s programming for WDR, said it’s not just a ﬁgurine that was damaged.

“A piece of childhood, a symbol of joy and togetherness has been attacked,” he said.

Gunmen kill 6 in attack on court building in Iran

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Unknown attackers launched a gun and grenade attack on a court building in southeast Iran Saturday, killing six people including a child and wounding 20, state TV reported.

The report said security forces killed three of the gunmen in the armed clash in the country’s restive southern province of Sistan and Baluchestan. It did not identify any of the victims.

State TV said the attack happened in the province’s capital city of Zahedan. Police and security forces immediately took control of the site, 700 miles southeast of the capital, Tehran.

A report by the semiofficial

Tasnim news agency believed to be close to security forces, blamed the attack on the militant group Jaish al-Adl, which wants independence for Iran’s eastern Sistan and Pakistan’s southwestern Baluchistan provinces.

Trump plays golf on Scotland trip

Protesters take to the streets and decry his visit

BY WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

EDINBURGH, Scotland President Donald Trump played golf Saturday at his course on Scotland’s coast while protesters around the country took to the streets to decry his visit and accuse United Kingdom leaders of pandering to the American.

Trump and his son Eric played with the U.S. ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, near Turnberry a historic course that the Trump family’s company took over in 2014. Security was tight, and protesters kept at a distance and unseen by the group during Trump’s round. He was dressed in black, with a white “USA” cap, and was spotted driving a golf cart

The president appeared to play an opening nine holes, stop for lunch, then head out for nine more. By the middle of the afternoon, plainclothes security ofﬁcials began leaving, suggesting Trump was done for the day.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the cobblestone and tree-lined street in front of the U.S. Consulate about 100 miles away in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital. Speakers told the crowd that Trump was

not welcome and criticized

British Prime Minister

Keir Starmer for striking a recent trade deal to avoid stiff U.S. tariffs on goods imported from the U.K.

Protests were planned in other cities as environmental activists, opponents of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza and pro-Ukraine groups loosely formed a “Stop Trump Coalition.”

Anita Bhadani, an organizer, said the protests were “kind of like a carnival of resistance.”

Trump’s late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland and the president has suggested he feels at home in the country. But the

protesters did their best to change that

“I don’t think I could just stand by and not do anything,” said Amy White, 15, of Edinburgh, who attended with her parents She held a cardboard sign that said “We don’t negotiate with fascists.” She said “so many people here loathe him. We’re not divided. We’re not divided by religion, or race or political allegiance, we’re just here together because we hate him.”

Other demonstrators held signs of pictures with Trump and Jeffrey Epstein as the fervor over files in the case has increasingly frustrated the president.

In the view of Mark Gor-

man, 63, of Edinburgh, “the vast majority of Scots have this sort of feeling about Trump that, even though he has Scottish roots, he’s a disgrace.” Gorman, who works in advertising, said he came out “because I have deep disdain for Donald Trump and everything that he stands for.”

Saturday’s protests were not nearly as large as the throngs that demonstrated across Scotland when Trump played at Turnberry during his ﬁrst term in 2018. But, as bagpipes played, people chanted “Trump Out!” and raised dozens of homemade signs that said things like “No red carpet for dictators,” “We don’t

want you here” and “Stop Trump. Migrants welcome.”

One dog had a sign that said “No treats for tyrants.”

Some on the far right took to social media to call for gatherings supporting Trump in places such as Glasgow

Trump also plans to talk trade with Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president. But golf is a major focus.

The family will also visit another Trump course near Aberdeen in northeastern Scotland, before returning to Washington on Tuesday The Trumps will cut the ribbon and play a new, second course in that area, which ofﬁcially opens to the public next month.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who is also set to meet with Trump during the visit, announced that public money will go to staging the 2025 Nexo Championship, previously known previously as the Scottish Championship, at Trump’s first course near Aberdeen next month.

“The Scottish Government recognizes the importance and benefits of golf and golf events, including boosting tourism and our economy,” Swinney said. At a protest Saturday in Aberdeen, Scottish Parliament member Maggie Chapman told the crowd of hundreds: “We stand in solidarity, not only against Trump but against everything he and his politics stand for.”

Israel says airdrops of aid will begin in Gaza

BY WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DEIRAL-BALAH,Gaza Strip Israel’s military announced that airdrops of aid would begin Saturday night in Gaza, and humanitarian corridors will be established for United Nations convoys, after increasing accounts of starvation-related deaths

The statement late Saturday followed months of experts’ warnings of famine amid Israeli restrictions on aid. International criticism, including by close allies, has grown as several hundred Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks while trying to reach food distribution sites.

The military statement did not say where the airdrops or humanitarian corridors would be. It also said the military is prepared to implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas. Israel’s foreign ministry said late Saturday the humanitarian pauses would start Sunday in “civilian centers” along with humanitarian corridors.

The military “emphasizes that combat operations have not ceased” in

Palestinians

Gaza against Hamas, and it asserted there is “no starvation” in the territory, where most of the population of over 2 million has been displaced into a shrinking area with little infrastructure. The majority of people rely on aid.

Witness accounts from Gaza have been grim. Some health workers are so weakened by hunger that they put themselves on IV drips to keep treating the badly malnourished. Parents have shown their limp and emaciated children. Wounded men have described desperate dashes for aid under gunﬁre.

The military statement

said airdrops would be conducted in coordination with international aid organizations. It was not clear where they would be carried out. And it wasn’t clear what role the recently created and Israelibacked Gaza Humanitarian Foundation meant as an alternate to the U.N. aid system — might play GHF chair Johnnie Moore in a statement said the group stood ready to assist Israeli airstrikes and gunshots killed at least 53 people in Gaza overnight and into Saturday, most of them shot dead while seeking aid, according to Palestinian health ofﬁcials and the local ambulance

At least 11 hurt in stabbing at Michigan Walmart, police say

Suspect in custody

By The Associated Press

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.

— At least 11 people were stabbed at a Walmart in Traverse City on Saturday with six in critical condition — in what the sheriff said appeared to be a random act. A suspect was in custody, authorities said.

“Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn’t more,” Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters. Emergency vehicles and

uniformed ﬁrst responders were seen outside the store following the incident Tiffany DeFell, 36, who lives in Honor, about 25 miles from Traverse City, said she was in the parking lot when she saw chaos erupt around her

“It was really scary Me and my sister were just freaking out,” she said. “This is something you see out of the movies. It’s not what you expect to see where you’re living.” Munson Healthcare said via social media that 11 people were being treated at the region’s largest hospital in northern Michigan. Spokesperson Megan

Brown said all were stabbing victims. Six were critical and five were in serious condition late Saturday, she said. Shea said the weapon involved appeared to be a folding-style knife Earlier in the day, the Michigan State Police said the suspect had been taken into custody Shea said the suspect is believed to be a Michigan resident but declined to share further details.

Gov Gretchen Whitmer said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”

service.

Deadly Israeli gunfire was reported twice close to the Zikim crossing with Israel in the north. In the first incident, at least a dozen people waiting for aid trucks were killed, said staff at Shifa hospital, where bodies were taken. Israel’s military said it fired warning shots to distance a crowd “in response to an immediate threat.”

A witness, Sherif Abu Aisha, said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from aid trucks, but as they got

close, they realized it was Israel’s tanks. That’s when the army started firing, he told The Associated Press. He said his uncle was among those killed.

“We went because there is no food and nothing was distributed,” he said. On Saturday evening, Israeli forces killed at least 11 people and wounded 120 others when they fired toward crowds who tried to get food from an entering U.N. convoy, Dr Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of Shifa hospital, told the AP

Obituaries:

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALASTAIR GRANT

President Donald Trump waves to reporters Saturday as he sits in his golf cart at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry Scotland.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen on Saturday in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip.

Housecommittee lookingintoEpstein investigation

Growingpressure

BY STEPHENGROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON Akey House committee is looking into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes, working to subpoena President Donald Trump’sDepartment of Justice for files in the case as well as hold adepositionof Epstein’sformer girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee acted just before House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, sent lawmakers home early for amonthlong break from Washington. The committee’smoves are evidence of the mounting pressure for disclosure in acase that Trump has unsuccessfully urged his supporters to move past. But they were also just the start of what can be a drawn out process.

Here’swhat could happen next in the House inquiry as lawmakers seek answers in acase that has sparked rampant speculation since Epstein’sdeath in 2019 and more recently caused many in the Trump administration to renege on promises for a complete accounting.

Subpoena forEpstein files Democrats, joined by three Republicans, were able to successfully initiate the subpoena from asubcommittee just as the House was leaving Washington for its Augustrecess. But it was just the start of negotiations over the subpoena.

The subcommittee agreed to redact the names and personal information of any victims, but besides that, their demand for information is quite broad, encompassing “unredacted Epstein ﬁles.”

As the parametersofthe subpoena are drafted, Democrats are demanding that it be fulﬁlled within 30 days from when it is served to Attorney General Pam Bondi. They have also proposed a list of document demands, including the prosecutorial decisions surrounding Epstein, documents relatedto his death, and communication from any president or executive ofﬁcial regarding the matter Ultimately,Republicans who control the committee will have more power over the scope of the subpoena, but the fact that it was approvedwith astrong bipartisan vote gives it some heft.

The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he told thespeakerthat “Republicans on the Oversight Committee were going to move to be more aggressive in trying to get transparency with the Epstein ﬁles So, we did that, and Ithink that’swhat the American people want.”

GhislaineMaxwell

Comer has said that he is hoping that staff from the committee can interview Maxwell under oath on Aug. 11 at or near the federal

prison in Florida where she is serving alengthy sentence forchild sex trafﬁcking. In acongressional deposition, thesubject typically hasanattorneypresent to help them answer —ornot answer —questions while maintaining their civil rights.Subjectsalsohave theability to declinetoanswer questions if itcould be used against them in a criminal case, thoughinthis instance that might notmatterbecause Maxwell has already been convicted of many of the things she will likely be asked about

Maxwell has theabilityto negotiate some of theterms of thedeposition,and she already conducted 1½ days of interviews with JusticeDepartment ofﬁcials this past week

Democrats, however,warn that Maxwell is not to be trusted

“Weshould understand that this is avery complex witness andsomeone that hascaused great harm and not agood person to alot of people,” Rep. Robert Garcia, thetop Democrat on the oversight committee, told reporters this week

Othersubpoenas

Committee Republicans also initiated amotion to subpoena ahostofother people,including former President Bill Clinton, formerSen.Hillary Clintonas well as theformer attorneys general dating backtoAlberto Gonzales, who served underGeorge W. Bush.

It’snot clear how this sweeping list of proposed subpoenas will actually play out, but Comer has said, “We’re goingtomovequickly on that.”

HowwillAGcomply?

Trump is no strangerto ﬁghting againstcongressional investigations andsubpoenas. And as withmost subpoenas, theJustice Department cannegotiate the terms of how it fulfills the subpoena. It can also make legal arguments against handing over certain information.

JoshuaA.Levy,who teaches on congressional investigationsatGeorgetownLaw Schooland is apartner at Levy Firestone Muse, said that the results of thesubpoena “depend on whether theadministrationwants to work throughthe traditional accommodation process with the House and reach aresolution or if oneorboth sides becomes entrenched in its position.”

If Congress is not satisfied with Bondi’s response —orifshe weretorefuseto hand over any information— thereare severalwayslawmakers can try to enforce thesubpoena.However,that would require avotetohold Bondiincontempt of Congress.

It’spractically unheard of for one political party to vote to hold one of its own members in contempt of Congress, but theEpstein saga has also cut across political lines and drivena wedgein the GOP

Ultimately,the bipartisan vote to subpoena the files showed how political pressure is mounting on the Trumpadministration to disclose thefiles. Politics, policyand the laware all bound up together in this case, andmanyinCongress want to see afull accounting of the sextrafﬁcking investigation.

“Wecan’t allowindividuals especially thoseatthe highest level of ourgovernment, to protect child sextrafﬁckers,” said Rep.Summer Lee, D-Pa., acommittee member

TheTrump administration is already facing the potential for even more political tension. When Congress comes back to Washington in September,abipartisan group of House lawmakersis working to advance to afull Housevote abill that aims to force the public release of the Epstein ﬁles.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Akey House committee is looking into the investigation of the late JeffreyEpsteinfor sex trafficking crimes.

That same month, Moore asked voters to approve a property tax to boost stafﬁng and resources in his ofﬁce, which he called chronically underfunded

He’s lost 20 attorneys in the past year-and-ahalf through attrition. The tax would have raised Moore’s budget by roughly $8 million.

Voters rejected the measure 60% to 40%.

“Now is really the time we need to step things up,” Moore said Dysfunction drives delays

Prosecutors and defense attorneys agree on one primary cause of delays: internal dysfunction, including instability on the court’s bench.

That’s one reason the case against Landry Michael Carter, the man accused of killing Keith Odom, has yet to go to trial. It began in Judge Christopher Dassau’s courtroom, but he died in 2022. Two retired judges ﬁlled in until voters elected Judge Gail Horne Ray more than two years later

Such churn slows the timeline of homicide cases. For example, temporary judges reset at least ﬁve trial dates in Carter’s case between Dassau’s death and Ray’s election

Some turnover from judicial misconduct investigations has also impacted homicide cases.

Judge Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts is under a Judiciary Commission investigation over allegations that she lied about her military service during her 2020 campaign and falsiﬁed claims about a burglary at her home. And in April, the Louisiana Supreme Court suspended Judge Eboni Johnson Rose without pay for six months, with all but two deferred, after the court found she had made repeated legal errors and exhibited racial bias.

Temporary judges, unfamiliar with the cases they inherit, are sometimes hesitant to make key rulings, slowing progress in already delayed dockets, attorneys said. And prolonged case disruptions can cost taxpayers. The National Center for State Courts has found delays translate into extra expenses — sometimes in the millions — for salaries, courthouse operations and jail costs.

In dissenting opinions arguing for stricter sanctions against Rose, three justices noted taxpayers funded salaries for Rose and two temporary judges while she was under investigation and temporarily disqualiﬁed from the bench.

One called it a “paid vacation” ﬁnanced by Baton Rouge residents

But the cost of delay isn’t driven by judicial turnover alone One of the most persistent and widespread drivers of stalled cases is the routine granting of continuances. The National Center for State Courts has found that continuances — postponements of scheduled court proceedings — are the single most signiﬁcant factor prolonging all criminal cases Nicole Waters, director of data, analytics and forecasting for the National Center for State Courts, which has widely studied court efﬁciency across the country, said the speediest courts reserve continuances for “exceptional circumstances.”

LONGING FOR JUSTICE

Continuances are sometimes granted for reasons outside the court’s control, such as missing witnesses, pending forensic evidence or the withdrawal of an attorney

Chief Judge Donald Johnson said the court’s partnership with the National Center for State Courts puts a growing emphasis on identifying the causes of delay through new data collection.

“We’re looking at why a case isn’t moving to trial in a reasonable period of time,” Johnson said. “In the past, we’ve never known what’s causing [delays] because no one was looking at it.”

Mental health bottlenecks

Mental health delays can also paralyze cases, as they have for accused serial killer Ryan Sharpe.

is a pine-box exit. You will die at Angola.

“Efﬁciency is an important goal,” she said. “A more important goal is justice.”

‘What if it’s all for nothing?’

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys say the system lacks the resources to handle the volume and complexity of homicide cases.

Moore said the failed tax bid would have funded higher salaries to hire new attorneys and retain existing ones to ease caseloads, and paid for faster DNA testing through a private lab. The private lab, he said, could supplement the state crime lab, where results often take more than a year

ond-degree murder case have added to her burden. Last year a judge threw out Carter’s indictment, after ruling that East Baton Rouge was among seven parishes that illegally excluded people with felony convictions from jury pools, compromising his constitutional rights.

Prosecutors reindicted him in January 2024, and the case remains pending.

Cases that drag on often outlast the prosecutors assigned to them. Successors may inherit the ﬁle, but not the urgency or commitment that once drove it forward.

“The prosecutor who first brings a case is going to be the most invested in it,” said Rebecca Dunlea, a University of Massachusetts Lowell criminologist who studies prosecution and case efﬁciency

Research also shows that, with time, witness cooperation tends to wane. Evidence deteriorates. Communities grow less willing to believe in the criminal justice system

“The more time that goes by, the worse it is for us, period,” Moore said.

Staff writer Jeff Adelson contributed to this report.

How we reported this story

The Advocate | The TimesPicayune reporters spent more than a year investigating how long it takes homicide cases to move through New Orleans’ criminal court — and why.

Authorities arrested Sharpe in three 2017 killings along rural roads in East Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes. One victim was Carroll Breeden Sr., who was gunned down in his Port Hudson-Pride Road front yard.

Seven years later, Sharpe’s Baton Rouge case remains unresolved.

His trial has been postponed at least six times. In April, his lawyer said Sharpe was rambling incoherently and questioned his sanity, triggering the most recent delay

Though court-appointed psychiatrists twice found Sharpe competent to stand trial, his attorney requested a third evaluation.

“This is an abuse of the system,” lead prosecutor Dana Cummings said at the time. “This case is never going to go away and the family will never get relief. It’s just not right.”

A severe bottleneck at the Eastern Lou isian a Mental Health System — the state’s sole hospital for incompetent defendants — has created an average six-and-a-halfmonth wait for treatment.

Judge Collette Greggs ruled Sharpe competent on May 20. But in an interview, Cummings said mental health delays remain a major barrier to resolving homicide cases.

“Defense attorneys have ﬁgured it out,” she said. “They walk in and say, ‘I think my guy’s incompetent’ and boom: Everyone gets scared, everything stops.”

Since his 2017 arrest, East Feliciana Parish prosecutors have tried Sharpe twice for another of the murders: the fatal shooting of Brad DeFranceschi The ﬁrst conviction, returned by a nonunanimous jury in 2019, was overturned. A retrial last August ended in another ﬁrst-degree murder conviction, and a judge sentenced him to life in prison.

Even so, Moore has refused to drop the Baton Rouge case. The Breeden family deserves their day in court, he said.

Breeden Sr.’s son, Carroll Breeden Jr., said he can also sympathize with defendants awaiting trial.

“You see a lot of people in jail for a long time,” he said. “What if the guy didn’t do it, or the case is dismissed? What impact does that have on them?”

As of May, defendants charged with murder, manslaughter or attempted homicide crimes made up nearly 14% of the East Baton Rouge jail population, according to the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

Kyla Romanach, the chief public defender for the 19th Judicial District Public Defender’s Ofﬁce, said defense attorneys may delay cases to protect their clients.

“I’m never rushing to a train wreck,” she said. “The penalty for second-degree murder in Louisiana is life without parole, which

In its second year, Moore’s plan included the creation of a homicide unit, similar to an effort in New Orleans that helped shorten prosecutions.

After the tax defeat, Moore asked the city for a 158% budget increase. In a June proposal to Mayor-President Sid Edwards, he called the ofﬁce’s current level of funding a “crisis.”

The public defender’s office, meanwhile, had a $6.1 million budget last year and $5.7 million this year, far less than public defense ofﬁces in similarly sized jurisdictions. Entry-level attorneys earn $50,000 annually, a wage that drives turnover, said Romanach.

“We can’t put a brand-new lawyer on murder cases,” she said.

“Both ofﬁces need experienced attorneys to get those cases moving. But neither of us has the funding to do that.”

To launch the commissioner’s court last year, the city-parish allocated $456,000. Two of the court’s four commissioners left the district attorney’s office to take the new posts.

Moore said the commissioner’s court has the potential to increase efﬁciency But without increasing the budgets of prosecutors and public defenders’ ofﬁces, “who’s going to staff it?”

While ofﬁcials debate funding and reform, family members like Paulette Odom continue to wait, unsure if justice will ever arrive.

With her son and her husband gone, Odom is tormented by one concern: the potential outcome in the case against Carter, her son’s accused killer

“What if it’s all for nothing?” she asked. “What if he [Carter] is guilty but he doesn’t get a long prison sentence?”

Recent delays in Carter’s sec-

As part of that effort, reporters examined how New Orleans’ case processing times compared to its neighbor, Baton Rouge, and discovered that homicide cases in Baton Rouge also move at an exceedingly slow pace.

Using records from the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court and the 19th Judicial District Court, reporters built a database of every person who faced a charge of murder or manslaughter from Jan. 1 2018, to Dec. 31, 2024, which included 578 defendants, to determine how long cases lingered in the court.

To put Baton Rouge and New Orleans’ case-processing times in context, reporters compared their findings with pre-pandemic data from nearly 100 jurisdictions compiled by the National Center for State Courts, and against more recent figures from large court systems in Louisiana and across the country.

To understand why cases stalled, reporters submitted public records requests to agencies throughout both cities’ criminal legal system.They analyzed data from the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab They reviewed court filings and transcripts, and interviewed dozens of people, including national researchers, prosecutors and defense attorneys.

To capture the human cost of delay, they also interviewed those most affected: victims’ families and the accused.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BILL FEIG

Law enforcement officials escort convicted killer Ryan Sharpe, center, from the East Feliciana Parish courthouse after his trial ended Friday Dec. 13, 2019, in Clinton. Authorities say he gunned down four people, killing three.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Baton Rouge police Detective Bryan Ballard, right, escorts Landry Carter from the violent crimes unit on Aug. 9, 2017, in Baton Rouge. Carter was arrested in the slaying of Keith Odom, a trucker from Tennessee, who was shot and killed after being robbed of his belongings

Moore

Cummings

Breeden Sr

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NON-SURGICALSPINAL DECOMPRESSION is a breakthrough,non-invasive treatmentthathas been proventoreverse disc herniationsand relievenerve pain in theneck andlow back.Duringthe procedure,aspinaldiscisisolatedand aseriesofdistraction andrelaxationphasesoccur at averyspecific angle, targetingthe source of pain.A vacuum can be createdinsidethe disc andthe negative pressure deliversnutrients,oxygen, and fluidfromsurroundingtissues,toassistwithrepairofthe damageddisc. Thetreatment is notpainful at all, andmostpatients read or even take anap whileontreatment!

PROOFTHIS TREATMENTWORKS There’splentyof researchtobackupthe claims of Spinal Decompression Therapyand itseffectiveness. Here arejusta few of thepublished scientificstudies

•“Patients reported amean88.9% improvement in backpainand better function .Nopatient required anyinvasivetherapies (e.g.epiduralinjections, surgery).”-AmericanAcademy of Pain Management

•“We thus submit that decompressiontherapy should be considered first, before thepatient undergoesasurgicalprocedure whichpermanently alters theanatomy andfunctionofthe affected lumbar spinesegment.” -Journal Of Neuroscience Research

•“86%ofthe 219patientswho completedthe therapy reported immediateresolutionofsymptoms. -OrthopedicTechnologyReview

•“Vertebralaxial (spinal) decompressionwas successful in 71%ofthe 778cases”-Journal of Neurological Research

•“Good to excellentreliefin86% of patients with Herniateddiscs”- TheAmericanJournal of Pain Management

•“Decompression Therapyreporteda76.5% with complete remissionand 19.6%withpartial remission of pain anddisability” -Rio Grande Hospital Department of Neurosurgery

At LeBlancSpineCenter, we utilizeadvanced, FDA-clearedtechnologythatisproventoeffectively alleviatepain.

It’s importanttonotethatnot everypatient is acandidate forSpinalDecompression,which is whywe

IcametoLeBlancSpine Center becauseIhad beensufferingwithsevereneckpain andlower back pain.I hadpreviouslytried otherback specialists,physicaltherapy,and MRI’s, butwas stillsufferingfor severalyears.Ibegan Spinal Decompression TherapytreatmentsinAugustof 2019,and sincethen, Iamnow 60%improved! I am nowabletodomydailyactivities, such as vacuuming, walkingand exercise-Iwas notable to do this withoutpain before my treatmentat LeBlancSpine Center.Myheadachesare almost completely gone, andIamalsoabletowalk3to4 miles perday.LeBlanc SpineCenterhas certainly helped me,wheneverywhereelseIwentinthe past didn’t helpatall.WhatIlikemostabout my care at is that it has greatly improvedmyproblems!

JenniferLee

(Retired Administrative Assistant) Hometown -Brusly, LA

prioritize athoroughindividual assessment foreachpersonwho wa throughour doors. Ourhighsuccess rate in pain relief stemsfromour commitment to only taking on patients whom we confidently believewecan help

Forthe next 7days, we areofferingaspecial “Decompression Evaluation”offer,atnocostto you! What does this offer include? Everything we normally do in ournew patientevaluations:

•Anin-depthconsultationabout your health andwellbeing wherewewilllisten. really listen to thedetails of your case.

•A complete neuromuscularexamination

•A full setofspecialized X-rays (ifclinically necessary)

•A thorough analysis of your exam andX-ray findings

Youwillsit with thedoctorone on onetogoover your x-rays,and you’ll gettosee everything first hand

At LeBlancSpine Center,weare honest with our patients andwegivepersonalized attentionand analysis to each case. We trulyenjoy meeting with patients to answer theirquestions andto help find outifSpinalDecompression treatments couldbethe answer to theirpain.

Thereisnochargeatall andyou don’tneed to buyanything. Youhavenothing to lose by taking us up on this specialoffer andyou will get answerstowhatiscausing your pain.Ifyou have seenour adsinthe past andhavethought about calling, don’thesitate. Youdon’t have to go on living in pain,missingout on activities andother part of life that youenjoy.Callustoday!

When I firstcametoLeBlancSpine Center, Ihad been sufferingfor over3 yearswithseverelower back pain,hip pain,and pain behind my rightkneearea. Ihad triedmultiple epidural injections andnerve blocks-but continuedtosuffer Istarted Spinal Decompression treatments with Dr LeBlanc, andIamnow 70%better! Ican garden forlongerperiods withoutpain, Ican move forlongdistances,and Iamgetting amore restfulsleep!Mypainismuchless, anditputsmeina better mood.I can’task forbettertreatment than the treatment Ireceive at LeBlancSpine Center. Thestaff treats me excellentand everyone is

IcametoLeBlancSpine Centerbecause Ihad been suffering with extremebackpainand legpainfor severalweeks.I hadtried other treatments,massage, NSAIDs andTylenol, butI wasstillinpain. Ibegan Spinal Decompressiontreatments in April2024, andInow feel 100% improved! What Ilikemostabout my treatmentisthatit is non-invasive anditeliminatedmypain. My treatmentappointmentsare notlong, and thetreatment is pain-free. Sincebeginning treatmentatLeBlancSpine Center,I am now able to do allofmypreviousactivitiesand work withoutpain. Ialsohavemorerange of motion.I wouldhighlyrecommend LeBlanc SpineCenter!

Dr.JohnBarksdale (Dentist) hometown -Baton Rouge, LA

Trump says Japan will invest $550B in U.S. at his direction

It may not be a sure thing

BY JOSH BOAK and MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is bragging that Japan has given him, as part of a new trade framework, $550 billion to invest in the United States. It’s an astonishing figure, but still subject to negotiation and perhaps not the sure thing he’s portraying.

“Japan is putting up $550 billion in order to lower their tariffs a little bit,” Trump said Thursday “They put up, as you could call it, seed money Let’s call it seed money.”

He said 90% of any proﬁts from the money invested would go to the U.S. even if Japan had put up the funds.

“It’s not a loan or anything, it’s a signing bonus,” the Republican president said, on the trade framework that lowered his threatened tariff from 25% to 15%, including on autos.

HOSHIKO

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EUGENE

A staff member distributes an extra edition of the yomiuri Shimbun newspaper Wednesday in Tokyo reporting that President Donald Trump announced a trade framework with Japan on Tuesday.

A White House ofﬁcial said the terms are being negotiated and nothing has been formalized in writing The ofﬁcial, who insisted on anonymity to detail the terms of the talks, suggested the goal was for the $550 billion fund to make investments at Trump’s direction. The sum is significant: It would represent more than 10% of Japan’s entire gross domestic product. The Japan External Trade Organization estimates that direct invest-

ment into the U.S economy topped $780 billion in 2023. It is unclear the degree to which the $550 billion could represent new investment or ﬂow into existing investment plans.

What the trade framework announced Tuesday has achieved is a major talking point for the Trump administration.

The president has claimed to have brought trillions of dollars in new investment into the U.S., though the im-

pact of those commitments have yet to appear in the economic data for jobs, construction spending or manufacturing output The framework also enabled Trump to say other countries are agreeing to have their goods taxed, even if some of the cost of those taxes are ultimately passed along to U.S. consumers.

On the $550 billion, Japan’s Cabinet Ofﬁce said it involves the credit facility of state-affiliated financial institutions, such as Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Further details would be decided based on the progress of the investment deals.

Japanese trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa, upon returning to Japan, did not discuss the terms of the $550 billion investment. Akazawa said he believes a written joint statement is necessary, at least on working levels, to

avoid differences. He is not thinking about a legally binding trade pact.

The U.S. apparently released its version of the deal while Japanese ofﬁcials were on their return ﬂight home.

“If we find differences of understanding, we may have to point them out and say ‘that’s not what we discussed,’” Akazawa said.

The U.S. administration said the fund would be invested in critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, computer chips and shipbuilding, among other industries. It has said Japan will also buy 100 airplanes from Boeing and rice from U.S farmers as part of the framework, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said would be evaluated every three months.

“And if the president is unhappy, then they will boomerang back to the 25% tariff rates, both on cars

and the rest of their products. And I can tell you that I think at 25, especially in cars, the Japanese economy doesn’t work,” Bessent told Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle.” Akazawa denied that Bessent’s quarterly review was part of the negotiations.

“In my past eight trips to the United States during which I held talks with the president and the ministers,” Akazawa said. “I have no recollection of discussing how we ensure the implementation of the latest agreement between Japan and the United States.” He said it would cause major disruptions to the economy and administrative processes if the rates ﬁrst rise to 25% as scheduled on Aug. 1 and then drop to 15%. “We deﬁnitely want to avoid that and I believe that is the understanding shared by the U.S. side,” he said.

BY JESSICA NIX and RACHEL COHRS ZHANG Bloomberg News (TNS)

Health and Human Servic-

es Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to oust members of the advisory board that decides which preventive health measures are covered by insurance, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday Kennedy is expected to remove the 16 members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force because he views them as “woke,” the Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter The task force makes rec-

ommendations about the best preventive services including cancer screenings, behavioral counseling and medications for the federal government based on a review of scientiﬁc evidence. The group was created in 1984 and is composed of volunteer physicians who are vetted for their conﬂicts of interest.

In 2010, the Affordable Care Act granted the panel the ability to determine which screenings should be covered by insurance companies.

“No ﬁnal decision has been made on how the USPSTF can better support HHS’

mandate to Make America Healthy Again,” Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for HHS, said in a statement to Bloomberg News.

Earlier this month, the Secretary’s Ofﬁce abruptly canceled a meeting of the task force. The group was set to discuss steps to prevent cardiovascular disease including healthy diet and physical activity, according to reporting from Axios.

A conservative media site urged Kennedy on July 9 to end the panel entirely, alleging it has “used that authority to launder left-wing ideological orthodoxy into its preventive care recommendations.”

Thailand,Cambodiatrade freshattacks andaccusations

BY JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI and SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press

SURIN, Thailand Thailand and Cambodia traded accusations of fresh attacks

Saturday as deadly border clashes entered athird day and international pressure mounted for aceaseﬁre. The ﬁghting has killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 168,000.

Artillery and small-arms ﬁre were reported near several border villages, expanding the area of the ﬁghting that flared Thursday after aland mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers.Cambodian and Thai officials blamed eachother for starting the clashes.

Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia.

Cambodian authorities reported 12 new deaths on Saturday,bringing its toll to 13, while the Thai militarysaida soldier was killed, raising the number of dead to 20, mostly civilians.

Cambodia’sInformation

Minister Neth Pheaktra said Saturday that the clashes have forced 10,865 Cambodian families, or 37,635people, in three borderprovinces to evacuate to safe locations. Thaiofﬁcials said more than 131,000 people have ﬂed their bordervillages. The 500-mile frontier betweenThailand and Cambodia has been disputedfor decades, but past confrontations have been limited and

brief. The latest tensions ﬂared in May when aCambodiansoldierwas killedin aconfrontation thatcreated adiplomatic rift and roiled Thailand’sdomestic politics On Saturday,President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he has talked with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would notconclude atradeagreement with

Judgeissuestemporary blockon cancellation of humanities grants

BY GARYFIELDS Associated Press

WASHINGTON Adistrict court judge in New York issued apreliminary injunction Friday night stopping themass cancellation of National Endowmentfor the Humanities grants to members of the Authors Guild on thegrounds that theirFirst Amendment rights were violated.

Judge Colleen McMahon of the U.S. District Court in the Southern Districtof New York stayedthe mass cancellations of grants pre-

viouslyawarded to guild members andorderedthat any funds associated with the grants notbereobligated until atrial on the merits of thecase is held In reaching her decision, the judge said the “defendantsterminated the grants based on the recipients’ perceivedviewpoint, in an effort to drive suchviews out of the marketplace of ideas. This is most evident by thecitationinthe Termination Notices to executive orders purporting to combat ‘Radical Indoctrination’ and ‘Radical …DEI Programs,’

and to further ‘Biological Truth.’”

One of thegrants was to a professor writing abook on the reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s and 1980s. On aspreadsheet entitled “Copy of NEH Active Grants,” thegovernment flagged the workasbeing connected to diversity,equity andinclusion efforts, McMahon wrote. The judge said several otherhistory projects on thespreadsheet were also canceled in partbecause of their connection to DEIrelated subjects.

Officialsfromthe two countries did not immediately conﬁrm any plan to meet.

Trump’scomments followedincreasing pressure on the Association of Southeast AsianNations to defuse the tensions between its two members.

During an emergency meeting on Friday,members of theU.N.Security Council called for ade-escalation and urged ASEAN to mediateapeacefulsolution. The council didn’tissue aresolution on thecrisis, butThai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Saturday that the group’s15members calledfor restraint, an end to hostilitiesand apeaceful resolution.

try’sforeign ministerwith mediating peace talks, but no concrete plans have been announced.

Maris said earlier Saturdaythathis country has agreed in principle to ASEAN’s ceaseﬁre proposal, but insisted Cambodia must ﬁrst ceasehostilities.Hesaid Thailand continuestoengage with Malaysia on the matter

“Thailand reaffirms its commitment to resolving the conﬂict peacefully and in accordance with international law,” he said, urging Cambodia to “return to the negotiating table withsincerity and in good faith.”

either country if thecrossborderhostilitiescontinued. He later said bothsides have agreed to meet to negotiatea ceaseﬁre.

The leader of Malaysia, ASEAN’scurrent chair,has saidThailand andCambodiaare open to aceasefire proposal.Malaysian media said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has tasked the coun-

Cambodia’sDefense Ministry condemned what it called an expandedThai offensive early Saturday after five heavy artillery shells were ﬁred into Pursat province. It said the attack was an “unprovokedand premeditated act of aggression.”

the state’s “Fiscal Responsibility Czar.”

Orlando, who is running LA DOGE as a volunteer, understands how to effectively run a business, Landry said

“That’s the value that this man has brought to the state of Louisiana,” he said.

“That’s why he’s here.”

At the federal level, DOGE has generated controversy by initiating major layoffs and gutting agencies

But Landry and Orlando say the goal of Louisiana’s DOGE isn’t slashing government jobs or services.

It’s using a business-minded approach to help agencies use taxpayer dollars wisely

For example, DOGE pushed the Health Department to more reliably ﬁnd out when Medicaid recipients had moved out of Louisiana, leading to over $73 million in savings

Like most Louisianans, “I just want to know that when I pay my taxes, my money is actually being put to good use,” Orlando said.

Fellow state leaders and government watchdogs welcome efforts to rein in bureaucracy, which has a natural tendency to balloon, but some have raised concerns Treasurer John Fleming, a fellow Republican, said he hasn’t seen or heard anything about LA DOGE since the very early part of the year, when Orlando helped him sort out a problem with Medicaid provider payments.

“We don’t even know if it exists,” he said.

Fleming is campaigning for

Earlier this year, LA DOGE faced scrutiny from open government advocates who said Orlando and the eight state lawmakers on his task force should follow open meetings laws.

“They are making plans about how state spending should be done,” said Steven Procopio, president of the Public Affairs Council, Louisiana’s long-standing government and policy watchdog organization. “That is state tax dollars, and so therefore the citizens have a right to be involved in that process, or at least to be informed.”

Landry says he doesn’t want LA DOGE to get bogged with process concerns and says Orlando can make results happen

“All I care about is saving the taxpayers money and creating efficiency in government,” he said. “If we send ourselves down a bureaucratic hole, we don’t save anybody a dime.”

Who is Steve Orlando?

During his first term as attorney general, Landry asked Orlando to helm a similar cost-savings initiative at the Louisiana Department of Justice.

Orlando, in the mid-1990s, founded Allison Marine Group, which services oil and gas production companies, according to an online biography He also founded Allison Marine Fourchon and JAB Energy Solutions. Orlando sold his business to a private equity ﬁrm but remains involved.

Fleming said he’s worried the program is “just a political entity” that doesn’t have a “real commitment to reducing spending.”

The treasurer has become a more vocal critic of Landry since news reports surfaced that the governor is encouraging U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow to run for U.S. Senate, a seat

Landry and Orlando live down the road from each other in the Lafayette Parish town of Broussard

Orlando chairs a PAC that backs Landry and another that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote a proposed constitutional amendment that Landry supported, campaign finance records show He was also a chair of Landry’s gubernatorial transition committee.

“Ther e’ s no boogeyman ,” Landry said of his decision to pick a political supporter to lead LA DOGE.

“People get involved in the political system in order to create a change,” he said. “And if the change is positive, then when you put yourself back up at the ballot, that’s the record that you run on.”

What is LA DOGE up to?

LA DOGE is focusing its initial efforts on the Louisiana Department of Health, one of the state’s largest agencies, Orlando said.

This year, the Health Department is getting $3.2 billion out of $12.2 billion from the state general fund, as well as $16.4 billion of federal funding.

To help with the costcutting effort, LA DOGE recruited Guidehouse, a Virginia-based consulting ﬁrm that is undertaking an agencywide study of the Health Department.

Under the contract, the ﬁrm has to create a “future state roadmap” for recommended changes at the Health Department and ﬁnish its work by Dec. 31.

Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack, who is working closely with LA DOGE, said his ofﬁce is in contact with Orlando and others on at least a weekly basis, playing a consulting role and providing data that

already exists in its volumes of audit reports.

“We’re tickled to death that the governor has really pushed his folks to dust off these reports and implement the recommendations that this ofﬁce has given to the executive branch,” Waguespack said.

In 2023, for example, the auditor found that the state’s Medicaid program failed to determine when recipients moved out of state.

At LA DOGE’s urging, the Health Department in April began using Office of Motor Vehicles data to help get those people off the rolls.

As of May, that led to about 9,000 fewer people on Louisiana Medicaid, worth about $73.8 million in savings annually the Health Department said in a letter to the auditor that month.

In addition to the Health Department, Orlando said he’s been “entrenched” with the Department of Children and Family Services for months, not to look at cutting costs, but “to try to transform that agency to be No. 1 in the nation.”

DCFS this week announced it’s adding a new group of over 50 secondshift child protective services investigators in the fall, a change DOGE had a hand in.

Orlando also said he’s also working with the state technology office to clean

up underutilized or unused IT contracts and user accounts, saving $4.5 million so far And he said he’s helping on a partnership between the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Health Department to use AI to detect Medicaid fraud.

The businessman said LA DOGE plans to review every department and agency across state government.

“We’ve already identiﬁed over $100 million in savings,” he said. “There’s real momentum, and we’re just getting started.”

Transparency concerns

In February, Landry and Orlando drew scrutiny over what they have described as informal meetings during which the panel vetted consultants to help with the DOGE program. Transparency experts said the task force is subject to open meetings laws, which require a “public body” to give notice of meetings that the public can attend.

Orlando maintains the gatherings were just informal meet-and-greets. But he said to avoid any problems, the members of the ﬁscal responsibility group no longer meet. Instead, they talk on the phone as needed.

Landry argued LA DOGE isn’t a board or commission that was conferred with actual power, nor is it a legal entity

“They’re simply people trying to discuss ideas and ways to create efﬁciencies in government,” he said.

But some attorneys, like civil rights attorney Bruce Hamilton, see the law differently Hamilton says the program passes the “duck test.”

“The ﬁscal responsibility program looks like a public body, acts like a public body and functions like a public body So to me, it’s public body, and it has to follow legal requirements for a public body, including holding open meetings,” he said.

Hamilton said under the Louisiana Constitution and state law, there is “a right

and an expectation for open government, and the public has a right to know what its government is doing.”

Landry said the public should follow the governor on social media for LA DOGE updates.

Other approaches

Jay Dardenne, a former state legislator, lieutenant governor and commissioner of administration, said government efﬁciency groups are “nothing new by any stretch,” but he nonetheless supports ongoing cost-saving efforts.

“There is always going to be a need to examine the efﬁciency of government,” he said. “It’s always a huge operation with huge dollars that belong to the people.”

For example, Louisiana saw two major efficiency initiatives in recent decades: one in the 1990s pushed by state business leaders and backed by Gov Mike Foster and another in 2009 under Gov Bobby Jindal meant to deal with a $1 billion budget shortfall. Both resulted in hundreds of recommendations.

Outside of Louisiana, at least 25 other states have announced some kind of DOGE initiative.

Still, Robert Hogan, a political-science professor at LSU, said Landry’s rebranding of the fiscal responsibility effort to LA DOGE was “brilliant” from a political standpoint.

“The essence of modern conservatism is that government is generally doing things that you don’t like,” said Hogan. He pointed to Ronald Reagan’s famous statement from his 1981 inaugural speech, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

For many conservatives, Hogan said, the DOGE concept demonstrates to voters that Landry is “implementing the ideology and worldview that they voted for.”

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@theadvocate. com.

PICKETT

Jeff Landry shakes hands with state Sen. Troy Hebert, R-Lafayette, after signing a bill at Cyber Innovation Center in Bossier City on June 25. Fleming

Waguespack

Opponents of a2022 board-approved map, known as Plan 22, want maps that better reflect the increasing racial diversification of East Baton Rouge Parish as evident in the 2020 U.S. census. Litigation filed in 2022temporarily halted the implementation of Plan 22, long enough to force the elections that fall to be conductedbased on aninemember map approved in 2014. That election ended up preserving a5-4 White/ Black racial balance on the board, though just barely Incumbent MarkBellue, whoisWhite,won reelection by only 21 votes, narrowlydefeating aheavily outspent challenger Kimberly Bainguel, who is Black.Bellue is term-limited and cannot run again in fall 2026.

Onlythree incumbents won reelection. Six new board members took ofﬁce in January 2023, and none participated in the creation of Plan22. The latest remapping proposals grewout of aNovember 2023 deal in whichthe School Board agreed to seek proposalsfor “the development of aboard reapportionmentand redistricting plan” as long as thestate lawsuitthathalted Plan 22 was dismissed, whichit was in June 2024. Afederal lawsuit, challengingSchool Board maps on different grounds,however, is still on file andpotentiallyrevivable. On Feb. 5, the school system issued a“request for qualifications”frominteresteddemographers. It set adeadlineofMarch 12,with awinner to be selected in April.

Aweek after that March 12 deadlinepassed,supporters announced the filing of legislationto create

aSt. George school district to matchthe new city of the same name. That bill clearedthe Legislature in June andisheaded to voters on April18, 2026. If voters say yes, the new St. George district would start operations in July 2027. Before aSt. George schooldistrictwould open its doors, East Baton Rouge Parish voters aregoing to the polls in fall 2026 toelect newrepresentativestothe parish School Board,including votersinSt. George. If nothing changes, Plan 22 will be the map relied upon for those School Board races.

Gwynn Shamlin, general counselfor theschool system, said he expects the School Board to consider the matter when it meets in August.One issue, he acknowledged, is whether to pursue redistricting right away or to wait until voters have spoken on St.George. Board President ShashonnieSteward said that some

staffmembersand board members have been away in recent weeks, delaying consideration of the issue.

“Consideration of board members being present wasimportanttoensure everyone be available for discussionand vote,” Steward said.

Thetwo ﬁrms that submittedproposals in Marchare Kenner-based Data Center, afirm led by former Jefferson Parish School Board member Cedric Floyd, andVirginia-basedCensusChannel, afirm led by Anthony Fairfax, who has been activeinLouisianaand across the country.Fairfax has engaged James Finney, amathematician andmath instructoratITI Technical College in Baton Rouge, as acontractor Neither Strategic Demographics LLC, of Baton Rouge, whichdrew the 2014 map, nor Geographic Planning &Demographic Services, of Duson, which oversaw the2022 mapping

process, submitted proposals. The twosubmitted proposalscost aboutthe same: $34,500 for CensusChannel and $35,500 forData Center Cost, however,isthe least important of the ﬁve criteria by which theproposals arebeing judged. More important factors are experience, credentials, “work strategy” and the clarity of the “description of activity.”

Fairfax, Finney and Floyd were all critical of Plan 22.

Fairfax analyzed Plan 22 at therequest of the Power Coalition, aNew Orleansbased civil rights organization. Floyd was twice passed over to draw the 2022 election maps that year and, even after that, continued to work with opponents.

Acting on hisown that year,Finney submitted severalalternative maps that struck adifferent racial balance, but alsowould haveexpanded theboard nine to 11 or 15 members, depending on theplan. An

11-member plan of Finney’s, known as Ware/Collins 1-11, received four votes, just short of amajority.Soon after,Finney became aplaintiff in both the state and federal courtcases challenging Plan 22. Finneyisurging the board nownot to delay. He noted that Plan 22 splits precincts —state law forbids precinct-splitting except in limited circumstances —and arguedthatit“flagrantly violates theVoting Rights Act, although that point has notbeen subject to litigation.”

As far as St. George,voters won’thave achance to pick aparish School Board that doesn’tinclude the city until, at earliest, fall 2030. “So there is nothing gained from delay,except potential political advantage to incumbent candidates,” Finney said.

EmailCharles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate. com.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Trump’sLa. nominees areheldupbyother

WASHINGTON —Itseems likely

that Kurt Wall willbeconﬁrmed as U.S. Attorney for the Baton Rouge region —eventually

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted again to recommend that the full chamber conﬁrm Wall’s nomination by President Donald Trump. The committee had done so the week before, but only after the panel’s Democrats stormed out of the meeting, bickering over another candidate and later questioning the absence of aquorum.

vote.The other four Trumpnominees with Louisianaroots are still going throughcommittee vetting.

Ballard

SenateMajority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, said he was “thinking about” keeping the Senate in Washington. Starting Monday at8 p.m., the upperchamber will do little but voteonconﬁrmations in hopes of clearing the pipelineenough that senators can go home on Friday as planned.

Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley,R-Iowa, ran asecond voteand Wall was again added to thelist of about 300 nominees of President Donald Trump awaiting conﬁrmation under the Senate’sadvise and consentrole. The secondvote bodes well for Wall’seventual conﬁrmation,said Carl Tobias, aUniversity of Richmond law professor who tracks federal judicial appointments.

“Nobody said anything negative about him,” Tobias said. “Nobody talked about him at all.” Nevertheless, Wall is collateral damage in apartisan fightthat prompted Trump to demand the Senate forego its summer vacation and confirm his nominees. Wall is now one of three Louisiananominees waiting for Democratic and Republican senators to reachagreement, as they usually do, to more efficiently confirm.

TwoNew Orleanians, Peter Thomson, who is up for CIA inspector general, and James Baehr,chosen as the nextgeneral counsel at the DepartmentofVeterans Affairs, sit on the Senate’s calendar awaiting aconﬁrmation

LaCerte nominated to utility regulator

The former head of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, David LaCerte, was nominated for aseat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, which oversees wholesale power markets that utilities use as well as the transmission of electricity and natural gas.

CAPITOL BUZZ staff reports

LaCerte, who graduated from Nicholls State University and the LSU Law School, is the White House liaison and senior adviser to the director for the U.S. Ofﬁce of Personnel Management, where he helped shepherd candidates through the nomination process and advised on personnel policyfor the

Citingproblems withthe quality of some nominations, the extreme ideologies of others, and smartingfrom GOP-only votes toslam throughthe spending bill and legislation to claw back already appropriated funds, Democrats aremakingtheir Republican colleagues gothrough timeconsumingprocedures that have slowed conﬁrmation of federal judges,U.S. Attorneys, and other ofﬁcials.

After the Senate adjourned Thursdaynight forthe weekend, thechamber’sGOP caucus noted that 107 Trumpnominees had beenconﬁrmed— almost double the number ready to taketheir jobs at this pointin2017, six months into the president’sﬁrst term.

This “despite unprecedented Democrat obstruction,” the online post stated.

The“obstruction”line was repeated by almost every GOP senator.

SenateMajority Whip John Barrasso, of Wyoming, said on the Senate ﬂoor: “Democrats are waging acoordinated campaign of obstruction.”

“President Trumpisthe ﬁrst president to not have asingle nomineepassedbyunanimous consent,which means you have to have avote,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge. “It’sfair at this pointtosay that stalling

agency that administers employment for the 2millionfederal workers.

Theﬁve FERCcommissioners serve ﬁveyear terms.

LaCerte, who was nominated last week by President Donald Trump, would be replacing FERC Chair Willie L. Phillips,who was tapped by President Joe Biden and resigned before his term expired on June 30, 2026. His nomination will be vetted, probably in thefall, by the U.S. Senate CommitteeonEnergy and Natural Resources.

Thepanel has nine Democratic members and 11 Republicans, including U.S Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge. If the committee recommends LaCerte, 45, thefull Senate will have to voteon his conﬁrmation.

“For this administration, if you’relooking for someone toreform something and cut red tape, that is

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune,

techniques by theDemocrats are hurting theabilities of gettingappointees through.”

Democrats haven’tallowed unanimous voice votes, thereby requiring on-the-record tallies for each conﬁrmation. Butboth parties have ahistory of interfering with the other’sefforts to conﬁrm nominees.

Back in 2018, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, then the majority leader,kept Democratic senatorsinWashington for two weeks during August to keep them from campaigning in November’selections.

Then there is Vice President JD Vance, who, as asenator from Ohio, held up theconﬁrmation of U.S. Attorneys. This go-around, Democratic senators are doing a little payback.

what David is known for,” saidMary-Patricia Wray,a Baton Rouge lobbyistwho has worked with LaCerte as alegal and regulatory expert on behalf of her clients.

ButLaCerte has very littleexperience in utility law and administration, wrote Dan Farber in Legal Planet, an environmental law policy collaboration of faculty at theUniversity of California Berkeley School of Law and UCLA School of Law

Higgins misses out on chairmanship

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins lostout on achance to become chair of the House Homeland Security committee when Republicans this week choseU.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, of New York instead Higgins,R-Lafayette, was one of four candidates to lead thecommittee that plays aleading roleinimmigration policy and enforcement.

Membersofthe GOP majority endorsed the Monday night voteofthe

In every Senate, opposition to controversial candidates slows thepace.

This time, former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, whoisupfor U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, and Emil Bove, who is line for aseat on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Philadelphia, have engendered considerable opposition. Democratic senators argue that Pirro is aprominent denier of the 2020 presidential election results, and Boveisaformer lawyer for Trumpwho has said the administration should ignore court rulings it doesn’tlike. Other nominees are opposed by GOPsenators.

PaulIngrassia, forinstance, is sailing against strong Republican headwinds in his conﬁrmation

House Republican Steering Committee.

House Speaker Mike Johnson,R-Benton,MajorityLeader

Steve Scalise, RJefferson, and Rep Julia Letlow,R-Baton ROuge, controlled seven of theSteering Committee’s 38 votes. Garbarino also is on the panel and is close to Johnson.

“House Republicans know that Rep.Garbarino will serveasasteadyhand at the helm of the House Homeland Security Committee as Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration continue our work to restore law and order at our borders,” Johnson saidinastatement

Tuesday Johnson also cited Garbarino’s“experience as a highly effective legislator at the state and federal level, his ability to build consensusinour Conference, and his impressive work heading theCybersecurity

to the Ofﬁce of Special Council, which protects whistleblowers and enforces lawsprohibiting political activity from federal employees. He has practiced little law but has associated with online extremists and madeantisemitic comments.

Agroup of Republicans, led by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, oppose conﬁrming Mike Waltz as ambassador to the United Nations. But he’ll likely be conﬁrmed Monday because the State Department agreed to release $75 million in foreign aid forHaiti and Nigeria, which someDemocrats sought. “It’slike the samething that Republicans did to Biden forfour years,” Tobias said.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

andInfrastructure ProtectionSubcommittee.”

Garbarino replaces Rep. Mark Green,R-Tennessee, who resignedfromthe House aftervoting on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Letlow touts aid for ranchersinbill

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow R-BatonRouge,has been touting herbill to help ranchers impacted by drought thatshe managed to slip in the massive legislation, signedinto lawJuly 4, thatcodiﬁedmuch of President DonaldTrump’s political agenda When lack of rain kills off grasslands on which livestock feed, the Livestock Forage Disaster Programgives payouts to help farmers. The monthly payments are calculated using aﬁnancing formula that, generally, considers ratesfrom $9.11 for each reindeer to $41.40

for beef cattle to $107.64 perdairy cow Letlow’sDrought AssistanceImprovement Act expands those payments: It would allowfor onemonthly payment whenaparish hasfourconsecutive weeks of aSevereDrought D2 rating (the lowest category of drought, belowthe extreme andexceptional levels) andtwo monthly payments foreight consecutive weeks of D2. “These reforms will strengthen disaster relief for livestockproducers by allowing more timely payments for producers who suffergrazing losses due to drought,” Letlow said. “The Big, Beautiful Bill providedsigniﬁcant support forLouisiana farmers, including through my Drought Assistance Improvement Act, whichwas includedinthe bill.” Letlowrepresents Monroeand parts of Baton Rouge.But the bulk of the 5thCongressional Districtisruralareas whose economies depend on agriculture.She is member of the powerful House Appropriations committee.

Mark

LaCerte

Higgins

Letlow

Childwho starvedtodeath weighedlessthanwhenborn

BY SAMY MAGDY and MARIAM DAGGA Associated Press

KHAN YOUNIS,GazaStrip A mother pressed aﬁnal kiss to whatremained of her 5-month-old daughter and wept. Esraa Abu Halib’s baby now weighed lessthan whenshe was born.

On asunny streetinshattered Gaza, the bundle containing Zainab Abu Halib represented the latest death from starvation after 21 months of war and Israeli restrictionsonaid

The baby was brought to the pediatric departmentof Nasser Hospital on Friday

She was already dead. A worker at the morgue carefully removed her Mickey Mouse-printed shirt, pulling it over her sunken, open eyes. He pulled up the hems of her pants to show her knobby knees. His thumb was wider than her ankle. He could count the bones of her chest. The girl had weighed over 6.6 pounds when she was born, her mother said. When she died, she weighed less than 4.4 pounds.

Adoctor said it was acase of “severe, severestarvation.” She was wrapped in a white sheet for burial and placed on the sandy ground for prayers. The bundle was barely wider than the imam’sstance. He raised

BYGARYFIELDS and JILL COLVIN Associated Press

Asenior State Department

official who was fired as a speechwriter during President Donald Trump ‘s first term and has ahistory of incendiary statements has been appointed to leadthe embat-

only six weeks before trying to feed her formula.

“Withmydaughter’s death many will follow,” she said.

“Their names are on alist that no one looks at. They are just names and numbers. We are just numbers. Our children,whomwecarried for nine months andthengave birth to, have becomejust numbers.” Her loose robe hid her own weight loss.

The arrival of children suffering from malnutrition has surged in recent weeks, alFarah said. His department, with acapacity of eight beds, has been treating about 60 cases of acute malnutrition.

Theyhaveplaced additional mattresses on the ground.

Another malnutrition clinic, afﬁliated with the hospital, receivesanaverage of 40 cases weekly,hesaid.

pliescompletelytoGazafor 2 1/2 months, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages.

Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May.Since then, it has allowed in around 4,500 trucks for the U.N. and other aid groups to distribute, including 2,500 tons of baby food and high-calorie special food for children, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said last week. Israel says baby formula has been included, plus formula for special needs. The average of 69 trucks aday,however,isfar below the 500 to 600 trucks aday the U.N. says are needed for Gaza. The U.N. says it hasbeenunabletodistribute muchofthe aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from its arriving trucks.

his open hands and invoked Allah once more.

Specialformula Zainab was one of 85 children to dieofmalnutritionrelatedcauses in Gaza during the war,accordingtothe latest toll releasedbythe territory’sHealth Ministry on Saturday.It said127 people haddied of malnutrition-relatedcausesoverall, with the adult deaths counted injust the past few weeks.

“She needed aspecial

baby formula whichdid not existinGaza,” Zainab’sfather,Ahmed AbuHalib, told The Associated Press as he prepared for her funeral prayers in the hospital’s courtyard in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Dr.Ahmed al-Farah,head of thepediatric department, saidthe girl hadneeded a special typeofformula that helps withbabies allergic to cow’smilk.

He said she hadn’tsuffered from any diseases,

but the lack of theformula led to chronicdiarrheaand vomiting. She wasn’table to swallow as her weakened immune system led to a bacterial infection and sepsis, and quickly lost more weight.

‘Manywill follow’

The child’sfamily,like manyofGaza’sPalestinians, lives in atent, displaced. Her mother,who alsohas suffered from malnutrition, said shebreastfed the girlfor

“Unless the crossings are opened and food and baby formula are allowed in for this vulnerable segment of Palestiniansociety, we will witness unprecedented numbers of deaths,” he warned.

Doctors and aid workers in Gaza blameIsrael’srestrictions on the entry of aid and medical supplies. Food security experts warn of famine in the territory of over 2million people.

‘Shortageofeverything’

After ending the latest ceasefire in March,Israel cut offthe entry of food, medicine, fuel andother sup-

Separately,Israel has backed the U.S registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centers distributing boxes of food supplies. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killedbyIsraeli forces sinceMay while tryingtoget food, mostly near those new aidsites, the U.N. human rights ofﬁce says.

MuchofGaza’spopulation now relies on aid. “There was ashortage of everything,”the mother of Zainab said as shegrieved “How can agirl like her recover?”

tledU.S. Institute of Peace. The move to installDarren Beattie as the institute’snew acting president is seen as thelatest step in the administration’sefforts to dismantle the embattledorganization, which was founded as an independent, non-profit think tank. It is funded byCongress to promotepeace and prevent and end conﬂictsacross the globe. The battle is currently being played out in court Beattie, who currently servesasthe under secretaryfor public diplomacy at the State Departmentand will continue on in thatrole, was fired during Trump’s first term after CNN reportedthathespoke at a 2016conference attended by Whitenationalists.Hedefended thespeech as containing nothing objectionable. Aformer academic who taught at Duke University, Beattie also founded arightwing websitethat shared conspiracies about the Jan. 6attack on theU.S. Capitol, andhas alonghistory of postinginﬂammatory statements on social media.

“Competent White men must be in charge if you want things to work,”hewrote on October2024. “Unfortunately,our entire national ideologyispredicated on coddling thefeelingsofwomen and minorities, and demoralizing competent White men.”

AState Departmentofﬁcial conﬁrmed Beattie’sappointment by the USIP board of directors,which currently includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. “(W)e look forward to seeing him advance President Trump’sAmerica First agenda in this newrole,” they said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARIAM DAGGA

EsraaAbu Halib shows to journalists

aphoto of her 5-month-old baby,Zainab,who died frommalnutrition-related causes according to the family and the hospital, as she stands Saturday outside the Nasser Hospital, in Khan younis, Gaza Strip.

Redistrictingcould change thegamefor Houseelections

BY LEAH ASKARINAM Associated Press

WASHINGTON Redistricting usually happens after the once-a-decade population countbythe U.S. Census Bureau or in response to a court ruling. Now,Texas Republicans want to break that tradition —and other states could follow suit.

President Trump has asked the Texas Legislature to create districts, in time for next year’smidterm elections, that will send ﬁve more Republicans to Washington and make it harder for Democrats to regain the majority and blunt his agenda. The state has 38 seats in the House. Republicans now hold25and Democrats 12, with one seat vacantafter the death of aDemocrat.

“There’sbeen alot more efforts by the parties and political actors to push the boundaries —literally and ﬁguratively —toreconﬁgure what the game is,” said Doug Spencer,Rothgerber Jr.Chair in Constitutional Law at the University of Colorado.

Other states are waiting to see what Texas does and whether to follow suit.

The rules of redistrictingcan be vagueand variable; each state has its own set of rules and procedures. Politicians are gauging what voters will tolerate when it comes to politically motivated mapmaking.

Here’swhat to know about the rules of congressionalredistricting:

When does redistricting normally happen?

Every decade, the Census Bureau collects population data used to divide the 435 House seats among the50 states based on the updated head count.

It’saprocess known as reapportionment. States that grew relative to others might gain aseat at the expense of those whose populations stagnated or declined.

States use their own procedures to draw lines for the

What do the courts sayabout gerrymandering?

In 2019, the Supreme Court ruledthatfederal courts should notget involvedin debates over political gerrymandering, thepractice of drawingdistricts for partisan gain. In that decision, Chief Justice John Roberts said redistricting is “highly partisan by any measure.

Butcourts may demand new maps if they believe the congressional boundaries dilute the votes of aracial minority group, in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

Couldother states follow suit?

respond across the country,” DelBene said. “We’re not going to be sitting back with onehandtiedbehindour back while Republicanstry to undermine voices of the American people.”

assigned number of districts.

Thesmallest states receive justone representative, whichmeans the entire state is asingle congressionaldistrict.

Some state constitutions require independent commissionstodevise thepolitical boundaries or to advise thelegislature.When legislaturestake thelead, lawmakerscan riskdrawing linesthat end up challenged in court,usually for violating the Voting Rights Act. Mapmakers can get another chance to resubmitnew maps. Sometimes,judges drawthe maps on their own. Is midcycle redistricting allowed? By the ﬁrst midterm electionsafter the latest populationcount, each state is ready with its maps,but thosedistricts do not always stick. Courts can ﬁnd that the political lines are unconstitutional. There is no nationalimpediment to astate trying to redraw districtsinthe middle of the decade and to do it for political reasons,suchas increasing representation by the party in power.

“Thelaws about redistrictingjust say you have to redistrictafter every census, Spencersaid. “Andthen

some state legislatures got alittle clever and said, well it doesn’tsay we can’tdoit more.”

Some states do have laws thatwould prevent midcycle redistrictingormakeitdifﬁcult to do so in away that beneﬁts one party.

Gov.Gavin Newsom, DCalif.,has threatened to retaliate against theGOP push in Texas by drawing more favorable Democraticseats in his state. That goal, however, is complicated by aconstitutional amendment that requires an independent commissiontolead the process. Is Texas’ effortunprecedented? Texas has done it before.

When theLegislaturefailed to agree on aredistricting planafter the 2000 census, a federal court steppedinwith its own map.

Republican TomDeLay of Texas, who was then the U.S. House majority leader, thought his state should have ﬁve moredistricts friendly to his party. “I’m themajority leader and we want more seats,”hesaid at the time.

StatehouseDemocrats protested by ﬂeeing to Oklahoma, depriving theLegislature of enough votes to ofﬁcially conduct any busi-

Washington Rep. Suzan DelBene, who leads House Democrats’ campaign arm, indicated at aChristian Science Monitor event thatif Texas follows through on passing newmaps, Democratic-led states would look at their own political lines.

“If they go down this path, absolutely folks are going to

In NewYork, Democratic Gov. KathyHochul recently joined Newsom in expressing openness to taking up mid-decaderedistricting. But state laws mandating independentcommissions or blunting the ability to gerrymanderwould come into play Among Republican-led states, Ohio could try to further expand the10-5edge that the GOPholds in the House delegation; aquirk in state law requires Ohioto redraw its maps before the 2026 midterms. Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis said he was considering early redistricting and“working through what that would look like.”

ness.But DeLay eventually got his way,and Republicans replaced Democrats in ﬁve seatsin2004.

EDUCATION

POLITICS IN SCHOOLS

Columbia settlement couldreshape higher ed

BY COLLIN BINKLEY AP education writer

WASHINGTON TheTrumpadminis-

tration’smilestone settlement with Columbia promises to bring stability to auniversity in crisis. It also delivers acrucial win to President Donald Trump in his campaign to reshape higher education.

And at colleges aroundthe country,the deal clariﬁes the stakesfor anyone weighing whether to ﬁght the administration’sdemands or concede.

ColumbiaagreedWednesday to pay more than $220 million to thefederal government to restore federal research money that was canceled in the name of combating antisemitism on campus. That decision offers acontrast to the path taken by Harvard University which has lost billions of dollars in government funding asits legal battle escalates with no end in sight.

Yetthe Columbia deal also raises questions aboutuniversity independence as the school submits to closer federal oversight.

No sooner had Trump announced the deal than he sent awarning: Numerous other universities, he said, “are upcoming.”

The deal is the first to settle a federal antisemitism investigation since Trump returned to office. It’s alsothe ﬁrst agreement with a university touching on so many elements of the president’s agenda, from admissions and campus protests to women’ssports and diversity,equity and inclusion programs.

Columbia agreed to some provisions similar to those that Harvard rejected and called adangerous precedent. The settlement requires the hiring of new faculty in Jewish studies and areview of academics to ensure “balance.” Columbia will

be placedunder the watch of an independent monitor and ordered to disclose hiring, admission and discipline data to be auditedfor compliance.

In what Columbia describedas avictory for university autonomy, the agreement includesaclause sayingthe government has no authority to dictatehiring, admissions decisions or the content of academic speech.ActingUniversity President Claire Shipman said it was “carefully crafted to protect thevalues that deﬁne us” while restoringthe university’sfederal researchfunding.

Pragmatism or capitulation

Some at Columbia calleditthe best feasible outcome. Some called it capitulation. Rep. Jerry Nadler, aDemocratfrom NewYorkand a Columbia graduate whosedistrict includes the Manhattan campus, called it a“cowardly” agreement Columbia has effectively waved “the white ﬂag of surrenderinits battle at theheart of the Trump Administration’swar on higher education andacademic freedom,” Nadlersaid

Columbia hadbeenthreatened with the potential loss of billions of dollars in governmentsupport, including more than $400 million in research grantscanceled earlier this year

David Pozen,alaw professor at Columbia, said thesettlement raises legal questions aboutTrump’s strategy of regulation by dealmaking. Instead of applying asingle standardacross all of higher education,Pozen said, Trump is relying on one-off deals withindividual universitiesasaconditiontoregain federal funding.

“In short,the agreement gives legal formtoanextortion scheme,” he said.

The American Council on Education, which representshundreds of university presidents,exhorted the administration to “return to following the rule of law.”

“This cannot be atemplate for the government’s approach to American highereducation,” said Ted Mitchell,the group’spresident “Columbia was put in an untenable position by the outrageous actions of the executive branch of the government.”

Lawrence Summers, aformer Treasury secretaryand former president of Harvard,calledthe settlement an “excellent template” for agreements with Harvard and other universities. He said it preserves Columbia’s independence while addressing antisemitism and renewing afocus on merit.

“This may be the best day higher education hashad in the last year,” Summerswrote on X. Federalinvestigations

With the deal,Trumphas new momentum in his expanding campaigntobring thenation’suniversities in line with his vision. Dozens of campuses are under federal investigation forallegations related to antisemitism, DEI and transgenderathletes in women’s sports. Trumphas saved his strongest rebuke for elite private universities, yet his administration hasalso recently turned attention to big public universitiesincluding George Mason University

AmongTrump’sbackers, the Columbia agreement is seen as aﬁrst step to counteract the liberal bias theysay has permeated college campuses.

EducationSecretaryLinda McMahoncalledColumbia’s reforms aroad map for universitieslooking to regainpublic trust. “I believe theywillripple across the higher education sector and change the course of campus culture foryears to come,” McMahonsaidina statement.

The settlementfollows smaller wins for the administration, including arecent deal with the University of Pennsylvania over transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Pennagreed to modify school records held by Thomas and to apologize to female athletes “disadvantaged” by Thomas’ participation.

Just daysearlier, the president of theUniversity of Virginia agreed to resign amid aJustice Department investigation over DEI policies.

Many university presidents have rallied behind Harvard in its ﬁght against the Trumpadministration, seeing their own independence jeopardized by thegovernment’s sanctions against the Ivy League school. Harvard, the nation’soldest and wealthiest university,isoften seen as abellwether for other institutions, and someregard it as the best hope to repel the Trump administration’s pressure campaign.

Now even more ridesonHarvard’scase. Earlierthis month, Trump said adeal with Harvard appeared imminent, only to lash out at the university this week following acourt hearing in oneof Harvard’slegal battles.

“A big part of it is going to be how muchHarvard gets in the future,” Trump told reporters. “And they’re not going to get very much.”

More pullingbackfromDEI

Even before Trump took ofﬁce, more universitieshad been pulling back on DEI andtaking othersteps to backtrack on what somesee as aleftward political drift. Yetifthe Columbia agreement becomes a model,itcould force an even deeper reckoning.

The agreementrequiresfull compliancewith the administration’sinterpretation of Title IX, the federallaw barring sex discriminationineducation. Trump ofﬁcials have used the law to force the removal of transgender athletes from women’ssports. The deal also requiresregularreports to ensure Columbia does not “promoteunlawfulDEI goals.”

On admissions, the settlement pushes Columbia to limit theconsideration of race even beyond the U.S. Supreme Court’s2023 decision ending affirmative action. Thatdecisionleftopen the possibility thatuniversitiescould consider an applicant’sdiscussion of how their race affected theirlife, including in college application essays. The Columbia deal appears to bar such considerations.

Early Hawaiian beach petroglyphs visible

Changing tides, shifting sands reveal history

BY JENNIFER SINCO

KELLEHER Associated Press

WAIANAE, Hawaii Hawaiian

petroglyphs dating back at least a half-millennium are visible on Oahu for the ﬁrst time in years, thanks to seasonal ocean swells that peel away sand covering a panel of more than two dozen images of mostly human-looking stick ﬁgures.

The petroglyphs are easy to spot during low tide when gentle waves ebb and ﬂow over slippery, neon-green algae growing on a stretch of sandstone. This is the first time the entire panel of petroglyphs are visible since they were first spotted nine years ago by two guests staying at a bayside U.S Army recreation center in Waianae, about an hour’s drive from Honolulu.

Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner Glen Kila, who traces his lineage to the aboriginal families of this coastal Hawaii community, said he believes the resurfacing of the traditional marvels are his ancestors sending a message.

“It’s telling the community that the ocean is rising,” said Kila, a recognized expert on the local culture and history of Waianae who is consulting with the Army on the protection of the petroglyphs Army ofﬁcials are trying to balance protecting the petroglyphs with their accessibility on a public beach.

John and Sandy Stone consulted tide charts and drove about 30 minutes from their home early Tuesday to get a glimpse after a watching a local TV report about the petroglyphs.

“It was so interesting to touch them,” said John Stone, who splits his time

between Hawaii and California. “It felt interesting to kind of have a connection with the past like that.”

It is difficult to date petroglyphs, but an archaeological site in the area is from about 600 years ago, said Laura Gilda, an archaeologist with U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. According to Kila, Hawaiians arrived in Waianae at least 1,000 years ago. The beach here fluctuates in size and profile each year with low-pressure weather systems that form in the eastern Pacific between May and November causing waves that cut away loose sand from shorelines and redeposit them further out, according to an Army report on the petroglyphs. That shift is likely what causes their temporary exposure.

Archaeologists identiﬁed a total of 26 petroglyphs Of the 18 anthropomorphic stick ﬁgures, eight are depicted with possible male genitalia and the remainder are of undetermined gender the report said. The entire panel stretches

about 115 feet long, Gilda said.

When the petroglyphs ﬁrst reemerged in July 2016, it was after late spring and early summer storms, including hurricanes, with a lot of wave action that swept the sand away, Gilda said. They remained visible for a period and then got covered again.

“So there’s been portions that have been exposed since then, but this is the ﬁrst summer that the whole panel has been exposed again,” Gilda said.

Based on the teachings Kila learned, the lineal petroglyphs appear to be telling a religious, ceremonial story He interprets the largest figure, which appears to include hands and ﬁngers with one arm raised and the other down, to represent the rising and setting sun.

Kila said that when the military in the 1930s took over the area and evicted Native Hawaiians, including his family who lived there for generations, his great-great grandmother re-

exchanged mountain lands with a coffee plantation so she could remain near the bay

In an interview included in the Army’s report, he recalled growing up in Waianae without television.

So “the ocean and mountains were our playground,” he said.

The Army recreation center was off-limits to the public, and the seawall was the barrier between Native Hawaiians and the military, Kila said.

Kila, now 72, recalled that if they walked on top of the wall, they were clubbed and pushed off by military police.

“We were proud and knew where we came from, so we never fostered any hatred for the military because one day we believed that the land will eventually return to us,” he said.

Kila, while visiting the petroglyphs earlier this week, told The Associated Press that the Army’s protection of them represents a shift in that community relationship.

Ofﬁcials have been grappling with how to share the petroglyphs with the community while also protecting them, Gilda said.

“How much attention do you want to bring to this area? You don’t really want people to go digging for them when they’re not exposed,” she said. “But they’re certainly awesome to come and see on the public beachscape.”

Donald Kaulia, a Native Hawaiian who was born and raised in Waianae, snapped photos of the petroglyphs last week Seeing them, he said, feels like “validation that our ancestors were from here.”

fused

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MENGSHIN LIN

Cultural practitioner Glen Kila walks around the petroglyphs carved into the rock at Pokai Bay during low tide in Waianae, Hawaii.

THE GULF COAST

Ruralresidents fighttoprotect ‘country life’fromgrowth

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Sun Herald

Down the two-lane roads where he built ahome three decades ago, Jerry Gathof sees change coming to the quiet countryside.

Developers keep asking Harrison County for permission tobuild new subdivisions in thedenseoak and pine. Asteady streamofcars now swarms the new Buc-ee’s Travel Center that opened nearby Neighbors are lamenting the new traffic and say front porch video camerasare capturing more petty theft and crime. In recent years, Gathof and his wife have put up “No Trespassing” signs Frustrated residents are packing local government meetings, pleading with leaders to block plans for development and to protect their forests and pastures from investors.

“They’re swinging alot of money around,” Gathof told hiswife, Paula, one recent afternoonasthey sat in the shade at the end of adirt road that leads deep onto their property.She shook her head. “It’s not right,” she said.

Longtime landownersacross the remaining ruralpartsofthe Mississippi Coast are expressing the same worry.And they are banding together to protect countrylife even as the region’spopulation rises and the need for new homes intensiﬁes.

“We’re in high demand for housing,” Thomas Ladner,adeveloper, told the Harrison County Planning Commission this month. “We’ve got to do something.”

In the largest county on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, developers have proposed around 5,000 new subdivision lots in the last five years. The county says it has rejected just under 1,000 ofthem.

The influx is part of aboom across South Mississippi, which is growing faster than almost any other part of the state.

The $50 million Buc-ee’siscreating jobs, more tax dollarsand has already spurred the birth of anew shoppingcenter acrossthe street.

Developers say amigration

north of Interstate 10 thatbegan after Hurricane Katrina is still strong, fueledbylowertaxes and insurancerates. County records from the lasthalf-decade show only200 subdivision lots have been proposed southofthe interstate.

The surge isalso fueling debate.

Harrison County is considering whether to adopt new zoning rules that could help leaders better manage the issue. Many landowners say they do not oppose all development but object to dense subdivisions they believe would ruin the spirit and character of their neighborhoods. Developers say the countyneedsmorehouses for its rising class ofnewcomers and are defending their plans against frustrated rural residents.

“They kind of rally against you,” said Jason Wooten, an engineer whose plan for asubdivision north of Buc-ee’swas rejected when residents foughtback earlier this year.“Sometimes Iget the feeling thatsome folks just don’twant it to change,” hesaid

Residentsdebatedevelopers

In heryouth, AngelKiblerMiddleton couldride herpony down Highway 53. Now she is a constablewho is organizing with neighborhoodgroupsopposed to congested subdivisions.

In churches andlivingrooms across theregion, she hasmet with worried neighbors and encouraged them to call county supervisors to politely explain their concerns. She also has apending courtcase over alleged procedural violations at a235-lot subdivision planned northofGulfport

“There’ssomething called smart growth,” Kibler-Middleton said last week. “You don’tput urban up against rural. That is horrible.”

Developers’ requeststobuild subdivisionsonlandthe governmenthas zoned as agricultural often windthrough thecounty Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, where leaders weigh the need for homesand decideif aplan is compatible with thearea.

The choices have high stakes forresidentsand theleaders they elect. Marlin Ladner,asupervisor whorepresents much of western Harrison County,recalled one incident in whicha newconcreteﬁlled subdivision suddenly drained rainfall intoalongtime neighbor’s yard.

“Naturally,they wereupset,” he said.

In meetingafter meeting, Wooten getsthe same complaints. He has heard them so much that he can nearly quotethem. Buthe tries to presentresidents with the

facts. Engineersand developers whosit through blowback during meetings also often stay behind to address neighbors’ concerns, Wooten said.

“I have never worked for adeveloper whojust wentinand tried to strong-arm the situation” with no thought for the neighbors, he said. “Everyone I’ve ever worked withhas tried to make sure we’re notpounding them over the head.”

Bobby Heinrich, aresidential andcommercial designer, spoke at aBoard of Supervisors meeting when residentsappealed another subdivision north of Buc-ee’sthis monthand said his request was common and reasonable.

“I come in here with a1-acre minimum lot subdivision and I still have opposition,” Heinrich said at the meeting. “You just cannot developalot much larger than this,” he added. “If you get the land cheap, that’sone thing. But it’sjust not feasibletodothat.”

Population growth

Not every subdivision gets resistance.

But othermishaps have raised some neighbors’ suspicions. The county rescheduled onesubdivision case hearing earlier this year because letters that weresupposed to notify nearby property owners were accidentally sent to Alabama.

The pace of growth can also feel startling for someincommunities whereeveryone once knew each other and all roads were gravel.

Censusdatashowsthe county now has morethan 98,000 housing units, up fromaround 91,000 ﬁve yearsago. Harrison County’spopulation has increased by almost 3 %inthatperiod, from208,000 to nearly 214,000 people.

“We’re at an impasse here,” Thomas Ladner told the Harrison County Planning Commission at its public meeting onenight this month. He hadcome to convince thecommissioners to let him build a28-unit apartment complex in theruralcommunity of DeLisle, whichhesaid badly needs affordable housing. “Itisimperative thatwedo

something,” Ladner said. Almost every seat in the room was taken.

“Do we have any opposition to this application?” the Rev.Eddie Hartwell,the commission’schairman, asked from the front of the room.Around adozen hands shot up.

“Wedonot want DeLisletobe Bay St. Louis,” said one neighbor Another said the community would be “radically changed” by multifamily homes.

Ladnerwalkedback to the podium,his voice calm butimploring “We’ve got to do something forthe population growth,” he said. Afew neighbors behind him scoffed. The Planning Commission denied the apartments to applause.

Change creeps north

FiretowerRoad winds away from Buc-ee’sand slopes over ﬁeldsand woodswhere bald eagles soar.Gathof and his wife live afew milesaway. PaulaWoodsideruns awildliferescue on their property andsaystheyhavenoproblem with development as long as it is reasonable.

Cruising theroadsinhis pickup truck one recent day,Gathof passedthe latest spot where he and his neighbors convinced the Board of Supervisors to stop asubdivision. He pointed to the forest.

“When Icametothe meeting that day,there were two deer standing outhere, right there at thewood line,looking at me,” he said. “I thought dang, it’salmost like they’re telling me —‘Help us, man!’”

He laughed and kept driving, past constructionfor newwater and sewer lines that will reach north like roots into land where residents have long used wells and septic tanks. Many see it as anothersign that growth is coming.

“I won’thave to live through it, I don’treckon,” said Gathof,71.

But some of his neighbors say if change keeps advancing, it will leavethemnochoice: They will retreat north, again, to land where trees still stand between them and the nearest property line.

BY GEOFF MULVIHILL and AMELIA THOMSONDEVEAUX Associated Press

Three years after the Supreme Court opened the door to state abortion bans, most U.S. adults say abortion should be legal — views that look similar to before the landmark ruling.

The new findings from The Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll show that about two-thirds of U.S. adults think abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

About half believe abortion should be available in their state if someone does not want to be pregnant for any reason.

That level of support for abortion is down slightly from what an AP-NORC poll showed last year, when it seemed that support for legal abortion might be rising.

The June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door to state bans on abortion led to major policy changes.

Most states have either moved to protect abortion access or restrict it. Twelve are now enforcing bans on abortion at every stage of pregnancy, and four more do so after about six weeks’ gestation, which is often before women realize they’re pregnant.

In the aftermath of the ruling, AP-NORC polling suggested that support for legal abortion access might be increasing.

prevent the child from surviving outside the womb, if the patient’s health is seriously endangered by the pregnancy, or if the person became pregnant as a result of rape or incest.

Consistent with APNORC’s June 2024 poll, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favor protecting access to abortions for patients who are experiencing miscarriages or other pregnancyrelated emergencies.

In states that have banned or restricted abortion, such medical exceptions have been sharply in focus.

pregnancy since they live in a state that bans most abortions after the ﬁrst six weeks of gestation.

“What if we needed something?” she asked. “We’d have to travel out of state or risk my life because of this ban.”

Florida’s law has exceptions, including to save the life of a pregnant woman or prevent irreversible impairment of bodily functions. But some patients, advocates and health care providers across the country have often said that restrictions still limit access to emergency care.

The new poll is closer to Americans’ views before the Supreme Court ruled. Now, 64% of adults support legal abortion in most or all cases. More than half the adults in states with the most stringent bans are in that group.

Similarly, about half now say abortion should be available in their state when someone doesn’t want to continue their pregnancy for any reason — about the same as in June 2021 but down from about 6 in 10 who said that in 2024.

Adults in the strictest states are just as likely as others to say abortion should be available in their state to women who want to end pregnancies for any reason.

Democrats support abortion access far more than Republicans do. Support for legal abortion has dropped slightly among members of both parties since June 2024, but nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and roughly 4 in 10 Republicans say abortion should be legal in at least most instances.

Seeing what’s happened in the aftermath of the ruling has strengthened the abortion rights position of Wilaysha White, a 25-year-

Last year, an AP-NORC poll conducted in June found that 7 in 10 U.S. adults said it should be available in all or most cases, up slightly from 65% in May 2022, just before the decision that overruled the constitutional right to abortion, and 57% in June 2021.

old Ohio mom. She has some regrets about the abortion she had when she was homeless.

“I don’t think you should be able to get an abortion anytime,” said White, who calls herself a “semi-Republican.”

But she said that hearing about situations including when a Georgia woman was arrested after a miscarriage and initially charged with concealing a death — is a bigger concern.

“Seeing women being sick and life or death, they’re not being put ﬁrst that’s just scary,” she said. “I’d rather have it be legal across the board than have that.”

Julie Reynolds’ strong anti-abortion stance has been cemented for decades and hasn’t shifted since Roe was overturned.

“It’s a moral issue,” said the 66-year-old Arizona woman, who works parttime as a bank teller

She said her view is shaped partly by having obtained an abortion herself when she was in her 20s. “I would not want a woman to go through that,” she said. “I live with that every day. I took a life.”

The vast majority of U.S. adults — at least 8 in 10 — continue to say their state should allow legal abortion if a fetal abnormality would

This is a major concern for Nicole Jones, a 32-yearold Florida resident.

Jones and her husband would like to have children soon. But she said she’s worried about access to abortion if there’s a fetal abnormality or a condition that would threaten her life in

There’s less consensus on whether states that allow abortion should protect access for women who live in places with bans.

Just over half support protecting a patient’s right to obtain an abortion in another state and shielding those who provide abortions

from fines or prison time In both cases, relatively few adults — about 2 in 10 — oppose the measures and about 1 in 4 are neutral. More Americans also favor than oppose legal protections for doctors who prescribe and mail abortion pills to patients in states with bans. About 4 in 10 “somewhat” or “strongly” favor those protections, and roughly 3 in 10 oppose them. Such telehealth prescriptions are a key reason that the number of abortions nationally has risen even as travel for abortion has declined slightly There have been legal challenges to telehealth abortions, including a lawsuit ﬁled this week by a Texas man claiming a California physician violated state and federal law by sending pills to the plaintiff’s girlfriend.

LSU’s BR campus could get its own ZIP code

House passes bill that would unify campus mail delivery

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

LSU could be in line to get its own ZIP code thanks to a bill the U.S. House of Representatives passed last week. U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow R-Baton Rouge, and the university say the change would make mail deliveries to the campus more efﬁcient.

community at LSU!”

“The House passed a bill I cosponsored and strongly supported to give Louisiana State University its own zip code,” Letlow said in a post on X. “It’s time for a unique campus ZIP code so we can ensure efﬁcient services for the growing

Most of LSU is contained in the 70803 ZIP code. But as the campus has grown, other departments — such as the Board of Supervisors, the Ofﬁce of Communications and University Relations and the LSU Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool — have fallen into other ZIP codes, according to Letlow’s ofﬁce.

“This has led to issues in deliver-

ing mail to the correct location in a timely manner which unifying the entire campus within one ZIP code would help ﬁx,” Letlow’s ofﬁce said. In a statement, Zach Labbé, LSU’s public relations coordinator, said having multiple ZIP codes can result in missorted mail, meaning time-sensitive items like checks and grant applications may occasionally be delayed. Having a single ZIP code would reduce that risk, he said.

“The measure allows USPS to modernize an outdated addressing system, ensuring that every LSU property shares the same ZIP code,” Labbé said. “Unifying the code will reduce mail errors, expedite emergency access, prevent ﬁnancial or research delays, and simplify campus visits for

Siblings Patrick and Madison Franks assemble a ﬂood model using mini sandbags during the Stormready Saturday at LSU AgCenter’s LaHouse.

BREC wants bird bite lawsuit tossed

Toddler’s finger nearly bitten off at aviary, family says

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

More than two years ago, the parents of a 2-year-old girl who had part of her ﬁnger nearly bitten off by a bird at the Baton Rouge Zoo ﬁled a lawsuit against BREC, the owner and operator of the wildlife park.

Attorneys for the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, or BREC, have denied the negligence claims in an answer to the petition ﬁled by plaintiffs Jessi and Urian “Ryan” Clements. But activity in the case ﬁle remained largely dormant until earlier this month, when BREC motioned for the lawsuit to be dismissed for lack of evidence.

In a series of July 8 ﬁlings, BREC attorneys argued the

LaTour de LaHouse

Abigail Hawkins, left, reaches for a scavenger hunt clue resting on top of a shingle display while her mother, Tamara, feels the weatherproof screen behind her during the Storm-ready Saturday at LSU AgCenter’s LaHouse. LaHouse features more than 250 exhibits on storm safety, energy efﬁciency, air quality, and more that are demonstrated within the structure of the house itself. Members of the public were invited to tour the home, meet with building science experts, and learn hands-on steps to make their homes more hurricane resilient.

LEFT: Patrick Franks, 10, colors a drawing demonstrating how elevated structures are protected from ﬂoods.

Iberville program offers food boxes

Distribution based on family income

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Food insecurity in Iberville Parish trends slightly higher than the national rate, according to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, at 15.5% compared with 13.5%.

Those experiencing food insecurity, or uncertain access to adequate food, might qualify for commodity boxes offered in the parish. Families in need in the Plaquemine area can receive free commodity boxes, containing meat, fruit and vegetables, on every fourth Friday of the month through a distribution

program with the Iberville Parish Council and Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.

Those who qualify must fall below a certain income threshold.

The maximum amounts a family can make each month based on household size to be eligible, according to Iberville Community Services Director Monica Edmond, are:

n One person: $2,413

n Two people: $3,261

n Three people: $4,109

n Four people: $4,957

n Five people: $5,805

n Six people: $6,653

n Seven people: $7,501

n Eight people: $8,349. People wishing to join the program can register on distribution

days. They need a driver’s license or ID, income veriﬁcation (which can be done verbally) and a utility bill.

“We register them at the car,” Edmond said “There’s a little quick application.”

Nearly 300 people are currently on the list in Plaquemine, Edmond said. The food is largely provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Distributions take place at the Carl F. Grant Civic Center, 24700 J. Gerald Berret Blvd., Plaquemine. More information can be found by calling the Iberville Parish Social Services ofﬁce at (225) 687-5243.

Email Haley Miller at haley miller@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

‘Hewas never ashamedof whohewas,’ brothersays

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Just afew weeks into his long-planned move to New Orleans, Michael Milam had hit the ground running.

Described by those who knew him as charismatic, compassionate and energetic, the awardwinning Houston bartender had recentlylanded ajob at Cafe Laﬁtte in Exile, ahistoric gay bar on Bourbon Street.

Along with his dog, Diesel, and his two close friends and fellow bartenders, Milam was living in ashort-term rental in the 9th Ward as the trio of roommatesworkedto renovate ahouse.

But as he commuted home on his bicycle from the French Quarter in the early morning hours of July 12, Milam wasstruck by amotorist on St. Claude Avenue as he tried to turn onto Alvar Street. The driver who hit him, 19-year-old St. Bernard resident Thomas Riggio, did not stop, according to police He was thrownfromhis bike onto the asphalt and pronounced dead about 15 minutes later

Adeadlycorridor Milam is oneofsevencyclists who havedied in the last ﬁve years while biking on St. Claude between St. BernardAvenueand the IndustrialCanal. And he is the second person killed by amotorist at the intersection of St. Claude and Alvar in less than 30 months. In that instance, longtime local musician John Patton was also allegedlystruck by a

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hit-and-run driver.

Twodays after Milam’s death, members of theNew Orleans cycling community rode to the intersection,lay down inthe road and droppedwhite ﬂowers on thestreet. On Saturday, they installed aghost bike in hismemory.Itisthe second bicycle,paintedwhite and locked at the site of afatal crash,tobeplaced there. Advocates of saferstreets have for years complained about theSt. Claude corridor’sdanger to pedestrians and cyclists. Drivers routinely reach speeds in excessof50milesper hour stop in trafﬁc to pick up and drop off passengers and park their cars in bike lanes or on the neutral ground, blocking sightlines. Another cyclist died Thursday after being hit by an18-wheeler at the corner of St. Claudeand Franklin avenues LauraHarris, education

commission should not be held liable because the bird showedno signs of threatening or dangerous behavior before attackingthe toddler the afternoon of Jan. 26, 2022. James Raines, BREC’s Baton Rouge attorney,saidthere’sno evidence the Victoria crownedpigeon posed an “unreasonable risk of harm” or that BREC should’ve had prior knowledge that the bird could be dangerous or aggressive and failed to take action to protect parkgoers.

BREC is askinga judge to dismiss the Clements’ case “on the groundsthat there is no genuine issue as to anymaterial fact,” Raines wrote in his motion for asummary judgment.

The plaintiffs ﬁled their lawsuit in January 2023 —nearlya yearto the day after the attack. According to the court records, Ashley Heller, afamily nanny,tookthe Clements’ daughter and two sons to the zoo for

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students, parents and partners.”

andpolicymanager of the nonproﬁt BikeEasy,said the data is strong thatSt. Claude is both heavily used and unsafe.

“Weneed to really honor allthe people who’velost their lives in this corridor andcommittonot losing another life of apersonbiking in New Orleans,” Harris said, presenting data about thestreet at ameetingof theCityCouncil’stransportation committee.

Council member Eugene Green emphasized that, as a state highway,St. Claude is under thejurisdiction of the LouisianaDepartment of Transportation andDevelopment,limitingthe power of city ofﬁcials to make signiﬁcant changes.

ButGreen, the sole council member to attendthe meeting, also pointedout that DOTD hasthe money,ifnot thewill, to makesafety improvements.

a“fun” outing. As thegroupwas walking through the zoo’sAsian Aviary bird enclosure, amediumsized bird with red eyes ran up to the toddler and, unprovoked, bitthe middle ﬁngeron her left hand.

Thebitewound was down to the tendon past the first knuckleonthe child’sfinger,and Hellerrushed her to the emergency room at Lane Regional Medical Center in Zachary.Doctors there performed surgery and reattached thetoddler’s nearlysevered fingertip.

The Clements are seeking damages and thousandsofdollars in medicalexpenses. But BREC says the plaintiffs must showproof that the bird had previously attacked someone or displayed signs of aggression, and that zoo ofﬁcials had knowledge of it in order to hold the park system liable for the attack. Their argument aligns with alegal principle known colloquially as the“ﬁrst bite rule,” which is typically appliedindog-bite lawsuits BREC’sdismissal motion cites language from a2016 4th Circuit CourtofAppeal ruling: “Ifananimal has not been shown to be pre-

“It’snot amatterofyou don’thave the resources,” Green said. “If youwant to do ahomeless transition center for the Super Bowl, you ﬁnd $27 million to do it. If you want to putlightson the Crescent City Connection, youﬁnd $30 millionto do it.Manytimes that’sjust by executive order that that happens.“

Memories of Michael When Milam didn’tmake it home from his shift at the bar,his roommates tried to ﬁnd him. They got abad feeling when they saw news about afatal bike crashon St. Claude thatmorning, so they contacted Milam’sfamilytocheck with theCoroner’sOffice, according to his brother,JeffryFaircloth. “I kind of just kind of hada feeling this is probably what has happened.He’sprobably in there,” saidFaircloth, who soon conﬁrmed Milam

viouslyvicious, theanimalgets the ﬁrst bitefree.”

In aJune 23 affidavit,Lee Schoen, BatonRougeZoo’s bird curator, said therewas no such reason to believe the bird was dangerous. BREC denies any video of the toddler’sencounterwiththe bird exists, according to court records. Schoen indicated therehad been no priorbiting incidents at thebird enclosure since the Asian Aviary was opened to the public in 2010.

BRECattorneys alsocontendthe commission hasimmunityfrom legal action under the Recreational UseImmunity statute. They say the state law shields landowners thatopen their propertytothe public for recreational purposes from liability claims, arguing “BREC does not offer any assurance to (the child) or anyone else that thezoo is safe for any purposes.”

Raines urged thecourts to toss theplaintiffs’ case unless they can showa“willful malicious failure to warn against adangerous condition, use, structure, or activity.

Ad hoc District Judge Johnell Matthews set an Aug. 11 datefor

wasatthe Coroner’sOfﬁce. Because of acity policy, Milam’sfamily wasprevented from seeing his body until it wasreleased to afuneral home, Faircloth said.

Due to apower outage at the Coroner’sOfﬁce, the autopsywas delayed fordays and conducted in Baton Rouge. Then, because of an incoming storm,the funeral homewas closed until the weekend.

“Quite frankly,I didn’t even need to touch my brother’sbody,” Faircloth said. “I just needed to be able to see, yeah, that’shim, andthis is it, we’reatthe end of the road.”

Milam,Faircloth said, was aborn performer,recalling showshis brother would put on during family gatherings as achild.

“That always kind of stayedpartofhis personality all throughout his life. And, you know,itreally

argumentstobemadeonBREC’s motion for dismissal.

Heller andfamily members who witnessed theattack have identiﬁed thebird as aVictoria crowned pigeon, describing it as abluishgray bird—about the size of a large shih tzu dog —with red eyes and asharp beak.

Baton Rouge Zoo records show BREC owned two Victoriacrowned pigeons on the day of the attack. One was amale that cametothe zooinMarch 2017;the otherbird is afemale housed at the zoo since April 2009. Schoen said neither had shown anysigns of aggressive activity toward aperson and there wasnohistory of any previous attacksoraggressivebehaviorby either bird in the Zoological Information Management System,the national record-keeping database on zoo animals.

More than three years later,the girl, now 5, still has lingering mental scars from the bird bite, both her parents said in depositions with attorneys last year.During testimony on Oct. 9, Jessi Clements told BREC’slawyers the child

served himasabartender because he had charisma,” he said. In 2023, Milam wasnamed Best Male LGBTQBartenderofthe Year by OutSmart Magazine,aHouston monthly.Healso worked with Houston Gaymers, an LGBTQ gamingcommunity group, and volunteered with PFLAG Houston, where one highlight was working as a guestbartenderfor afundraiser at the home of Houston’sthen-Mayor Annise Parker,his brother said.

“He was neverashamed of who he was, and if anybody had an issue with it, he was the kind of person that was like, ‘You know what, you got aproblem with it? Idon’t give adamn,’”said Faircloth. “Just really,that’s whohewas.”

Milamwas able to strike up aconversation with anyone, possessing an infectious energy that drew people to him whereverhewent, said his sister,Tiffany Gragg. She recalled herlast night outwith him, when he showed her around his new life in NewOrleans, introducing her to his co-workers and friends.

“I was just struck,” Gragg said, “by how big his community wasalready,how many people cared forhim.”

Anotherghost bike

Amemorial in Houston is planned for Aug. 2, and his family will be accepting donations in his nameatthe Montrose Center Gragg said she hopes her brother’sdeath will lead to safety improvements for cyclists in New Orleans, acity with one of the highest per capita rates of cyclist fatalities in the nation.

“Wehave so many people, like Michael, that bike to work. He hadn’tdriven a car in 14 years. That was his solitary mode of transportation to get to work,” she said. “And Idon’tknow if any good could comeout of it. Maybe it would be just taking abetter look at those things, because it happens a lot here.”

remains terriﬁed of animals and wasleery of using her left hand foralong time after theincident, according to transcripts.

“She is afraideverything is going to biteher.She does not play outside. …She’s deathlyafraidof birds,” the mother said. Heller recalled the bird squawking and making “almost territorial” noises, then fanning its wings out as if going “in attack mode,” she said during herdeposition Jan. 17.

“And it just —itran at herand grabbedher finger,” Hellertold attorneys. “Itwas being territorial. It was being aggressive in a way.And it just grabbed her. She started screaming.”

Heller said the toddler even verbalized that she was traumatized. For several weeks after the ordeal, she had nightmares and woke up screaming, “Bird bite!Bird bite!” The nanny also recalled the child running in thehouse in terror whenevera bird flewoutside. Heller said in thoseinstances, she pointed to her ﬁnger and said, “Bird bite.”

Labbé said LSU workedthrough Louisiana’scongressional delegation to try to get asingle ZIP code after trying for years to resolve the issue with the United States Postal Service. H.R.3095, sponsoredbyU.S. Rep.Lauren Boebert of Colorado, orders theUSPS to create single ZIPcodes for 74 communities across theUnited States.

The House passed the bill Mondaynightin a278-191 vote, with 31 representatives not voting. 75 Democrats and all 203 Republicans whovoted approved the measure.

In addition to Letlow,the yes votes includedfourother representatives fromLouisiana. They were Majority Leader Steve Scalise, RJefferson; U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette; U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans;and U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields,D-Baton Rouge House Speaker Mike Johnson, RBenton,did not vote.

The bill, which also would cre-

ate aunique ZIP code for Montz, needs to pass the Senate before it becomes law.Asimilar bill last year passed the House but did not make it through the Senate. Staff writer Mark Ballard contributed to this report.

Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Michael Milam’s brother JefferyFaircloth writes amessageonthe Ghost Bikememorial for Michael Milam at the intersection of St.Claude Avenue and Alvar Street in NewOrleans on Saturday.

Milam

DINO MIGHT

Cajundome events feature education, animatronics

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

Stepping into the Cajundome this weekend will be like stepping back in time 165 million years. The space is being transformed for “JurassicQuest,” arealistic dinosaur experience that brings attendees face-to-face with animatronic dinosaurs. And this year,the adventure includes

“Brick Fest Live,” aLegoinspired event.

Whilethe festivities are for everyone, thefocusistoeducate children andsparktheir curiosity forlearning more about science, history, math andengineering in ahandson way

Teaching children and families more about dinosaurs is afavorite part of the weekend for Brainy Beth, adinosaur trainer with “Jurassic Quest.”

“I wantfamilies to come with an open mind and alot of joy and beready forapositive experience,” she said. “Weattempt to make it as educational as possible and thedinosaurs as realistic as

we can.”

One of her favoritefacts to share is thatvelociraptors, which have beenthe starsofthe “JurassicPark” movies, were actually alot smaller than their on-screen portrayals withtheir fossils measuringabout 3feet tall and 5feet long. Smaller dinosaurs likely survivedthe mass extinction event and evolvedintotoday’s birds, Brainy Beth said.

While at “Jurassic Quest,” attendees will be able to become “certified” dinosaur trainers, pet baby dinosaurs, ride some Jurassic jeeps, popintoa bouncyhouseand learn about the creatures that used to roam the Earth.

During “Brick FestLive,” which is part of the same ticketed event, families will be able to checkout life-size brickmodelsand create their own unique builds. “Being hands-onallows families to create memories and enhance educational experiences while they’re here,” said Brainy Beth, whose favorite dinosaur is the planteatingtherizinosaurus.

The event is open from 9a.m. to 5p.m. Sunday.Tickets are available for 20% off withcode DINO20atjurassicquest.com.

Email Ashley White at ashley.white@theadvocate. com.

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Thomas E. Patterson, a Chicago lawyer,isthe author of anew biography of Huey Long published by LSU Press.It’scalled

“American Populist: Huey LongofLouisiana.”

Promotional materials describe it as “a profound reevaluationofhis life and legacy,recognizing him as an inspirational progressive thinker,populist hero, and radical inﬂuence on the New Deal before an assassin’sbullet ended his life in 1935.” This interview has been edited for clarity

Q: What prompted you to writethe book on Huey Long?

A: Igot interested in Huey with the (T.Harry) Williams biography andthe Ken Burns documentary,reading “All the King’sMen” and seeing the movie and followingthe subsequent scholarship after Williams where some people said Williams was too favorable. He (Huey Long) was afascinating character

of theplutocrats, therobber barons, World WarI,the Roaring’20s,then theGreat Depression. With all that goingfor me, if Iwrote abad book, it’s all my fault.

Q: Whyare we stilltalking about Huey Long today?

If you’re looking at abiography,you want an interesting guy or an interesting woman and interesting times. Huey’s fascinating He had faults andtalents, victories, defeats, comebacks, conflicts, all the things youlearn ineighth grade English. Hueyversus the bank. Huey versus his brother.Huey versus theNew Orleanspolitical machine. Huey versus the Louisiana oligarchy. Huey versus FDR. Then youhave interesting times, theage

A: Huey’sissues have resurfaced. They were buried for along time in the aftermath of World WarIIwhenwealth andinequalitywas lessofan issue in the 1950s and 1960s. Nowitseems to have been resuscitatedrecently.Huey is relevant today IthinkDonaldTrump has read quiteabit about Huey Long or someone close to him has. Youlook at his tactics —“Make America Great Again” versus “Every Mana King.” Thelengthy speeches,the demonization of his opponents, the appeals to thepeople. HueyLongand Donald Trump areopposite sides of the same populistcoin. If you want tounderstand Donald Trump, you’d do well to read mybook. If you want to learnhow to defeat Donald Trump, you’ddowell to read my book.

Q: Howare Huey and Trump similar?

A: Trump dominatesthe news media all the time, every day.He’smastered the

new medium of XorTruth Social.Hueymastered the new medium of radio. Hueyhad unparalleled reach andfrequency andunlimitedenergytodiscuss his proposals andhis ideas, and he always had aresponse. He always had aproposal. He always hada program.Donald Trumpisvery similarinthat way, although they seem to be working for oppositegoals.

Q: Do yousee anyconnectionin the ways that Huey used or abused themedia compared to what Trump does today?

A: Isee aconnection. Huey had unparalleled reach and frequency to the people of Louisiana when he was in power and was beginning to do that nationwide.Trump hasthe same reach and frequency.They bothengaged in harsh denunciations of their opponents.That’sa similarity.Thatcan be extremely disagreeablewhen theperson being attacked doesn’thavethe same platformthat thepolitician attackingthem has.

Both Trumpand Huey have done that.BothTrump and Huey understood salesmanship in completely differenttimes.Hueyunderstood right away thepower of the radio.Hecould, by giving radio speeches, avoid the cen-

soring effect of newspapers. He could talk directlytothe people through the radio.He would try to get them on his mailing list. Thatwas his big effort.

Trump understands social media andthe televisionmedia through “The Apprentice.” He’shelped quite abit by having Fox and those people ownabout half themedia stations in the United States. Trump has grasped that new media in away that Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warrenand allthe rest of them do not. He hassomething everyday.You can seeaconnection between Trump’s missteps on Day2 to bury themisstepsonDay 1. So they get buried.

Huey madenews so often that he could buryhis missteps, too, because he was so frequent. He had that blizzard of rumors, proposals, ideas, attacks and so on that dominated the media. Trump has the samething. He probably givesmoreinterviews than any other president in my lifetime.

The Democrats, either because (then-President Joe) Biden couldn’tdoitor wouldn’tdoit, didn’tgrasp the signiﬁcance of Trump’s actions in his first term Biden could have dominat-

ed the media, assuming he wasn’tdecrepit.But he didn’t Franklin Rooseveltdominated the radio. Kennedy dominated television, and so did Reagan. Now we have Trump, whodominates the new media,and he uses it morefrequently

Q: What do you see as Huey’s legacy today?

A: I’d like hislegacytobe his visionbothfor Louisianaand theUnitedStates. Underappreciated is that Huey had an appreciation of greatness solely apart from politicalpower andfame. Williams hasthisgreat point that Huey started with the band and the football team to rejuvenate or improve LSU That’saninstinctive politician’schoice, something people can see, something people can understand, something that wouldmake fans of the school itself Huey expanded LSU. They recruited terriﬁc professors, like Robert Penn Warren, to LSU.LSU wasexpanding whenall theother colleges and universities in the country were retrenching because of theDepression. Hueywas expanding. Huey had avision of excellence.

EmailTyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

Children reach overtopet avelociraptor Fridayduring ‘JurassicQuest’ at the Cajundome in Lafayette.

Children reach over to pet avelociraptor during ‘Jurassic Quest’ on Friday at the Cajundome in Lafayette.

UPPER LEFT: Samyah Williams rides adinosaur Friday during ‘Jurassic Quest’ at the Cajundome in Lafayette.

Voigt, Eve Rabenhorst FuneralHome, 825 Government Street,at2 p.m

Obituaries

Bonaventure, Laura Belle McMorris

LauraBelle passedaway onTuesday,July22at LandmarkSouth.She was 94years oldand anativeof Walker, LA.She worked in banking andthenat RabenhorstFuneralhome until shewas 89.She is survivedbyher sons,Ellis Jr. andRandall (Juli) and5 grandchildren.Kimberly (Wade)Wootan,Chris (Candace),Justin(Lind‐sey), Blake(Evy),and Stu‐art (Karmon) Bonaventure. She wasblessedwith12 great-grandchildren.Allie, Nolan,Layla,Anna Kathryn,Reese,AnaJane, MaryMims, Kooper,Merri Madden, Scotty and SawyerBonaventure and Eli Wootan.Laura waspre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐ents, Ezra andGolda Mc‐Morris, herhusband,Ellis, Sr.,5 brothers and1 sister and agranddaughter,Anna Leigh Bonaventure. There willbea gravesideservice atGreenoaks Memorial ParkonMonday, July 28 at 10:00 am.Ofﬁciatingis Charlie Surbeck(agood friend).Inlieuof ﬂowers, pleasedonatetoSt. Jude Children’sHospital.

John HenryCastello, 65, a lifelong resident of Ethel, La.,passedpeacefullysur‐rounded by hislovingfam‐ily on July 22, 2025. Visita‐tionwillbeatCharlet Fu‐neral Home,Inc Zachary onMonday, July 28, 2025 from9:00amuntil memor‐ial serviceat11:00 am.A private familyburialwillbe heldlater.Henry is sur‐vived by hislovingchil‐dren, MatthewHunter Castello,Holly Castello Whiteand son-in-law GeorgeWhite II. He is pre‐ceded in deathbyhis wife Edith QuinnCastelloand parents,HoraceHunter Castello andSallieLigon Castello.Henry wasa dairy farmer, cattleman, master carpenter andMobile No‐tary. He spentmanyyears working with theBoy Scoutsasanassistant troop leader forTroop 60 in Clinton,LAand aDistrict Commissionerwiththe IstroumaAreaCouncil. In retirement, he became a beekeeper andstained glass artist.Hewas an avid gardenerwho lovedcamp‐ing andtraveling.Special thankstoMissy Martin for her love andcompanion‐shipwithour father for several years. Also,the staff of AcadianAmbu‐lance andthe MICU at Our Ladyofthe Lake forall the special love andcare shown to ourfamilyinour timeofneed

Dawan, Deborah In Loving Memory of Deborah Dawan. Deborah Dawan, born on August 29, 1952, in Oakland, California, passed away on July 14, 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the age of 72. Adevoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, Deborah's life was a beautiful reflection of love, strength, and deep care for others. She is survived by her beloved husband of 51 years, James Dawan -their 52nd anniversary would have been celebrated this December. Together, they built alife full of warmth, kindness, and unwavering support fortheir family. She was the proud mother of Hashim Dawan, Fareed Dawan, and Nisreen Dawan, and the cherished grandmother of Elias Dawan, Evie Dawan, and Ryann Dawan. She also leaves behind her dear brother, Dr. Anthony Newton. For over 12 years, Debo-

rah dedicatedher talents to teaching elementary school,shaping the minds and heartsofcountless children. She retired proudlyafter thearrival of her grandchildren todevote her time fully to family -a roleshe treasured most. Shewas agiftedartist inevery sense:she sewed with care, crafted beautiful jewelry,and filled her home with creativity and comfort. An extraordinary cook, Deborah's meals broughther familytogether and left alasting impression on anyone lucky enough to sit at her table Herhomemade pies, cakes, and loavesofbread alwaysmade from scratch, were nothing short of legendary.She also loved to shop, with athoughtful eye for beauty and meaning. Above all, she created a home that radiatedlove, warmth,and welcome. Awomanstrong in her faith, Deborah found peace in herbeliefs and strength in prayer. Herfuneral serviceswereheldon Wednesday,July16th, 2025,atthe Islamic Center of Baton Rouge, followed by burial at Roselawn Memorial Park. "Indeed we belong to God, and indeed to Him we shall return." -Qur'an 2:156 Deborah was the heart of her family -the kindof mother, wife,grandmother,and sister who made everyonefeeldeeply loved. Shewillbemissed more than words can express and rememberedevery single day.

was alifelong resident of Baton Rouge. Her final years were marked withsacrificial care coordinated by her daughter, Farin. The family extends itsgratitudeto caregivers Doris, Denise, Tramesya, and Alberta. Margiewas preceded in death by her devoted husband, Clifton "Clif" Frank Fabre, with whomshe shared alovingand faithful marriage. Together, they created ahome filled with warmthand hospitality.Her parents also predeceasedher, as didher brothers, Calvinand Isidore "Buddy" Larguier, and her sisters,Sue LarguierSpaht and Billy LarguierHamilton.

Educated at Grand Coteau and Baton Rouge HighSchool, followedby Business College, Margie was awoman of diverse talents. She builta successfulcareer as aRealtor yether greatest achievement was her family role alongsideher belovedhusband, Clif. As cherished patriarch and matriarch, they offered guidance, comfort and home-cooked meals. Their College Drivehome known as "The Kool-Aid House," was avibranthub of acceptance, counsel, care, and community,leaving alasting legacy for family and friends.

Margie'szest forlife was matched by her love forentertainment. An avid singer,she never missed an opportunity to share her musical gifts. Whether leading askit withher sisteratFirst Presbyterian Church or entertaining at parties-anywhere amicrophone couldbefound

Margiewas amember of theArt Leage, Circle group and theLiterary Club.

lences, and memories online at www.wilbertservices.com.

son Sandifur;nieces, Darlene Larson, and Angela Edge andnephew,Bryan Sandifur.The familywould like to give special thanks to West TowneAssisted Living Communityand staff,particularly hisgirls, forthe love and care he received whileinresidence for thepast twoyears. In lieu of flowers, donations canbemade to the local Iberville Parish Animal Shelterorthe localfood banks. In keeping with Gary'swishesa private familyentombment will be held at GraceMemorial Park, Plaquemine. Please share sympathies, condolences, and memoriesonline at www.wilbertservices.com.

Delaune Jr., Eldon Joseph'Buck'

Eldon Joseph "Buck" Delaune,Jr. passedaway peacefully at his home with family by his side on Wednesday,July 23, 2025, at the ageof89. He was a retired owner and operator of West SidePools; residentofPort Allen and native of Marrero, LA.Eldon was aUSArmy Veteran havingserved forsix years. Visitation will be held at St. John the Baptist CatholicChurch, Brusly on Monday, July 28, 2025,from 10amuntil Mass of ChristianBurial at 12pm, with a rosary to be recited at 10:30am, celebratedbyFatherArunJohn. Entombment of his ashes willbe held at alater date. Eldon is survivedbyhis wifeof 69 years, Josephine "Josie" Lorena Delaune;daughter, Sharon Delaune Muraand husband Steve;sons, GeraldDelaune and wife Velvet,and Eldon Delaune, III; grandchildren, Michael Mura and wife Mandy, Matthew Mura, BrianDelaune,Courtney Delaune Elder and husband Will; great-grandchildren, Rosemary and Chloe Mura, Chance Toups, Annabelle Mura, Sydnee Hodges, KameranDelaune, Laiken Elder; sisters, MaryAnn Hebert, and LorettaLeFort; numerous nieces and nephews. Precededin deathbyhis parents, Eldon, Sr. and Lena Blanda Delaune;sister,Alice Mae Loupe; and brother,Raymond Delaune.Eldon was amemberofthe Third Order of Lay Carmalites, a member of St. Johnthe BaptistCatholicChurch, Brusly andwas aEucharistic MinisteratImmaculate Conception Marrero. In lieu of flowersmemorial donations may be made to St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Brusly.

Fabre, Margery Larguier 'Margie'

MargeryLarguier "Margie" Fabrewenthome to her Lord on July 19, 2025, at the age of 95, surrounded by thelove of her family inher longtime College Drive home in Baton Rouge,Louisiana.Born on February 16, 1930, Margie

Margie'slegacy endures throughher five devoted children, Clifton II "Kip, John Bradford (wife, Sandy), David Larguier (wife,Lauren ), Farin(husband, Martin Ware),and CalvinIsidore (wife, Melissa ), and twocherished "chosen daughters," Anna "Banana" Babin Neal and Jill Bressler. Her life lessons and unending support shaped them intothe individuals they are today. The family circle extends to her seventeen grandchildrenand 21 greatgrandchildren. She was very close to her nieces and nephews, who included Johnnie Sue Larguier Creel, Melissa Larguier Bouygues, Becky Larguier, BuddyLarguier, Fee Hamilton, Martha Hamilton Weaver, theSpahtsand Fabres.

Visitation willbeatFirst Presbyterian on Monday July 28th10:00am and service at 11:00am

Charles Warren Hutchinson was born Oct.2,1941, and passedaway peacefully on Friday, July 25, 2025, surrounded by his family at theage of 83. Charles retiredfromthe Advocate after64years of service. He was aresident of Port Allenand anative of Water Valley, MS. Charles willbe greatlymissedbyall that knew him, may his many words of wisdom live on in theheartsand livesthat he touched.Wewillalways remember his saying "all positive, no negative." James 4:10 "Humble yourself before thelordand he willlift youup."Visitation willbeheldatWilbert Funeral Home,PortAllen,on Tuesday, July29, from 9am until religious services at 11am, conducted by Steve Chadwick and SidCarroll Interment willfollow at RosedaleCemetery Charles is survived by his daughters, Lisa Rizzos, and Wendy Abuhajah (Akram); son, Michael Graves (Cory); fifteen grandchildren,Ronald Jr Jenice and Anthony Guidry; Taryn, Crystal, Michael Jr., Aaron andZoe Hutchinson; Latif, Aamenah, Halemah, Noor, Salma, Lutfi, and Basheer Abuhajah;thirty-five greatgrandchildren; eleven great-great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his wife, Carol Ann Hutchinson; daughter, Tina Crystal Hutchinson; grandsons, Elijah Hutchinsonand Shareef Abuhajah; parents, Randolph and Ehrman Hutchinson; and brothers, Randy and Ray Hutchinson. Special thanks to theDoctorsand Nurses at Our Lady of theLake and Bridgeway Hospicefor their loving care. Please sharesympathies, condo-

Pierre Joseph"Pete Landry, aresident of Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, passed away on Saturday, July19, 2025, in Holts Summit, Missouri. He was 66 years old. Pete was bornJune 6, 1959, in BatonRouge,Louisiana to Ronald JosephLandry and MaryAnn LeBlancLandry. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Deborah Barker. Pete is survivedbyhis devotedwife of 33 years, JudyLandry; his beloved children, Bryan Christopher LandryofAlbuquerque, NewMexico and Rachel ElizabethLandry and her wife Leigh-Anne of Bossier City, Louisiana; his brotherMichaelLandry and hiswife Sheliah;and his nephew Justin Landry; as wellasnumerous other family and countless friends. Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend the Funeral Service at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at Resthaven Funeral Home,11817 Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge AVisitation willbe held at thefuneralhome from5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July29, 2025, and beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. Interment, witha final bagpipefarewell,will follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory. Family and friends may sign theonline guestbook or leave apersonal note to thefamily at www.resthav enbatonrouge.com

GaryErnest "Deadeye" Larsona nativeofBayou Sorrel, passed away on Tuesday, July22, 2025, in Port Allen, Louisiana at the ageof76. Gary was born on October 20, 1948, in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana to Herman "Shine" and Mary ArmeadLarson. He graduated from Plaquemine High School and served in the U.S. Army where he served in Vietnam. While in the Army, he was awarded the marksmanship badges for Expert and Sharpshooter. After being honorably dischargedfromthe Army, Gary moved to the AtchafalayaBasinonBayou Chene to regroupfor some time,livinga simple life.Itwas outdoorsliving in itsrawest form having no running water or electricity. Out therehewas able to experience one of his greatest joys, nature and "The Basin". He later accepteda positionwith theArmyCorps. of Engineersand retired with 20 plus years of service as a Lockmaster. Gary was known throughout the community forhis excellent cooking skills. In particular,his homemadehot tamales were abig hit. Word gotaround and he was soon rolling tamales forseveral local businesses and friends. Gary's greatest attribute was his bigheart and giving nature.Healways had compassionfor those in need and gave willingly to family,friendsand strangers alike.Gary is survived by his sisters,LilaMae Larson Curry and JudyLarson Schouest; brothers, Larry Gene Larson, and Herman Huey Larsonand wife Elaine; and multiple cousins,nieces and nephews. He was preceded in deathbyhis parents, Herman "Shine" Larson and MaryArmeadCarline; brothers, RoyLarson, Jay Larson, EldridgeLarson, RonaldLarson, Sr.and CurtisLarson; sisters, Velma Lois Larson and Alcion Lar-

George Ray Pray, 78, of Denham Springs passed away Monday, July 21, 2025, at hishomewithhis wife of 54 years by hisside along with family. He was born in Crowley, Louisiana. He proudly served in the United States AirForce duringthe Vietnam War He workedfor Dillard'sfor many years. He is survived by his wife of 54 years Helen Pray; hisdaughter, Leslie (Cory) Mills; sons, Eric (Melissa) Pray, andDerek (Meryll)Pray; Grandchildren,BriannaMills, Caleb Mills, EricM.Pray, Kara Pray, Mitchell Pray, and Evan Pray. He is preceded in death by hisparents, George Clint Pray and VeniaMae Pray, andhis brothers; JamesPrayand Clint Pray. Avisitation will be held Tuesday, July 29th 2025, at 12:00 PM until the service begins at 3:00PM at Seale Funeral Home in Denham Springs.

Rabalais,Tacie Lane Goetting

TacieLaneRabalais, beloved mother,wifeand daughter, died peacefully inher sleep on Wednesday, July16, 2025. Shewas 49. A residentofPrairieville, Tacie wasbornonFeb.4, 1976 in BatonRouge.A 1994 graduateofSt. Joseph’s Academy,Tacie graduated fromLSU in 2001 with ade‐greeincivil engineering. Professionally,she worked for theLouisiana Depart‐mentofTransportationand Development,Ascension Parishand FedEx. Sheis precededindeath by her grandparents, Robertaand DeRooseGoettingand MaryLouiseand Howard Bourgeois.Tacie loved trips to thebeach with her familyand is survived by her husband, Jeff Rabalais, their son, BraedonRabalais and theirdaughter, Malo‐rie Rabalais,all of Prairieville; herparents, Linda andRobin Goetting ofBaton Rouge, andher sister, KristiGoettingof Baton Rouge. Sheisalso survivedbyher mother-inlaw,Kathy Rabalais of Baton Rouge, herbrotherin-lawScott Rabalais and his wife MichellRabalaisof Baton Rouge, andsupport animals Archie andMochi A specialthank yougoes tosomanyfriends and familyfor theirimmeasur‐ablesupport,particularly the Abruzzino, Addison, Ar‐boneaux,D’Antonio,Darce DeFrances,Drago, Lakey, LeGrange, Migliacio, Poche, Rhodes, Songy, Stafford and Vadnaisfamilies.Ser‐vices will be arranged at a later date.Inlieuof ﬂow‐ers,donations arepre‐ferredtoSt. Jude Chil‐dren’sResearchHospital at www.StJude.org

StacyN.Thomasen‐tered into eternalrestat Mid City Community Nurs‐ing andRehab Center on Monday, July 21, 2025. She was anativeand resident ofBaton Rouge, Louisiana. Viewing at Mt PilgrimBap‐tistChurch on Monday July28, 2025 at 9:00 am until CelebrationofLife Service at 11:00 am con‐ductedbyRev.RonaldSut‐ton;interment at Southern MemorialGardens.Sur‐vivorsinclude hermother, Diane T. Thomas;daughter, Amber Thomas;brother Isaac Thomas,Jr.;other relatives andfriends;pre‐ceded in deathbyher fa‐ther, Isaac Thomas,Sr. Arrangementsentrusted to Miller& Daughter Mortu‐ary

Baton Rouge,LouisianaJohn MarkUnderwood, a belovedfather, grandfather,and great-grandfather,passed away peacefully in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Monday July 14, 2025. He wasa proud veteran of theVietnam War and spent hislife working with hishands as askilledcarpenter and handyman. John was preceded in death by hisparents, Robert Walker Underwood andMargie Iola Wilson, andhis siblings, Patricia Gayle Underwood, GretchenAnn Underwood andRobertWalker Underwood Jr He is survived by his twodaughters, Rainee Dunham and herhusband Josh Dunham andRobin Talamo andher husband PatrickTalamo.Healso leaves behind seven grandchildren: Nicole Kieren,Terry JoeKieren, Brutus Rayburn,Jake Rayburn,LukeTalamo,Reagan Talamo,and Brennan Talamo;and wasblessed with twogreat-grandchildren,Elyana Rayburn and Caius Rayburn. He is also survived by hissisters, Margie Dale Underwood andShirleyUnderwood Fleniken. John hada deep love for animals, nature,our country, hisfamily, andthe LSU TIGERS! Hisgreat sense of humor broughtjoy to those around him. Whether fixing something, telling a story, or sharing alaugh, he made everyday alittle brighter for the people in hislife. He will be dearlymissed andlovingly remembered with love by all whoknew him. Abig thankyou to theLouisianaWar VeteransHome in Jackson,LA for taking goodcareofhim duringhis final months. John will be placed to rest in theLouisiana National Veterans Cemetery locatedat303 W. Mount Pleasant Rd., in Zachary, LA, on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at 1PMsharp. Militaryhonorswill be presented to honor John's sacrifice,service anddedication to theUnited States Army. Familyand Friends are welcome to join us in honoringhis life. Agravesideservice will be held at 1:00 PM on 2025-07-29 at Louisiana NationalVeteransCemetery ,303 W. MountPleasant Rd

Landry, Pierre J. 'Pete'

Pray, George Ray

Underwood, John Mark

Castello,JohnHenry

Larson,Gary Ernest 'Deadeye'

Hutchinson, Charles Warren

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Barataria projectisdead, butwetlands restorationwork must go on

In the annals of coastal protection efforts in Louisiana, progress has never been in astraight line. Periods of vigorous activity have been followed by periods of re-evaluation andassessment.

It seems that with the cancellation of theambitious Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversionproject, the state is now turningthe page on another erainits continuing battle to ﬁnd the bestways to restore its coast.

As this newspaper has longsupported the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, welament that we won’tsee the fruitsofthispainstakingly planned coastal restoration project. Butwerespectthat there were legitimateconcerns about theproject’s$3billion price tagand its potential effects on commercial oyster growers and shrimpers along the coast

Though this chapter is at an end,the state should not retreat from its wetlands-replenishment efforts, but instead should redouble them Fortunately,there’smore than justone wayto address our coastal issues

The state’sseries of successive, six-year MasterPlans for coastal rehabilitation have identifiednumerous means of successfully retarding andinsome cases, reversingmarshlandloss. Among them are the three big approaches of diversions, drainage and dredging,but alsoin the mix are oyster-reef reconstruction,manmade berms and breakwaters, andmore. The 2023 Master Plan has identified aplethora of possible projects worthy of implementation, often in specific locationsand witha highlevel of confidence. With the Mid-Barataria project now shelved, money originally slated for that huge project maybeavailable for repurposing indozensof smaller initiatives.Officials should quickly convene to decide which existingplansshould be sped up or expanded, which new projects can now be funded and what otherideasnew science or research may offer Alas, some $600 million alreadyhas been spent on the Mid-Barataria project. The Coastal Protectionand Restoration Authoritywill need to see if any of the workalready donecan be salvaged. Thestate saysithopes to build what’s known as the Myrtle Groveproject, adiversion around aquarter of the size, and alargescalelandbridge in the Barataria Basin using dredged sediment Whatever happens next, it also helps to know that language in the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act will direct as much as $50million in additional funds to Louisianafor coastal protection each year.Thismeans theCPRA happilywillhavemoretowork with than it could count on back when the 2023 Master Plan was adopted. Louisiana’slandlossisn’tgoing away,sowe must keep pressing forward. With theMidBarataria’sloss, ahost of other opportunities now arise, just as we want new wetlands to arise in areas previously lost to thesea. State officials should move smartly and expeditiously to seize the day

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.

It was asomewhat sad,quaint scene; Igot out of an Uber and noticed eyes on me immediately Ihad arrived at Planned Parenthood’sflagship Manhattan center.It’s supposed to close and be sold, but for now it’s still in operation. Saturday used to be abig day for surgical abortionshere, but in thedays of chemical abortions, things have changed. Theonly sign of life was asecurity guard, half in and half out of the back door,mostly looking at his phone. This Planned Parenthood is closed Saturdays now, and Ishowed up for aperfunctory “Defund” rally in advance of final passage of the so-called “Big, BeautifulBill” set to makehistory by cutting federal funding for Planned Parenthood for the first time. Congresscutting funding makes sense. After theDobbs decision upended Roe v. Wade, we’resupposedly astateby-state nation when it comes to abortion.Some of us would point out that leaving crucial life issues up to the states didn’twork so well for slavery,

but that’sfor anothertime. Besides thesecurity guard, Inoticed oneman dressedinblack on my side of the street (across from the clinic), hanging near acondo doorway,and another well-coifed man by another door Iassumed bothmight be extra Planned Parenthoodsecurity Istarted praying silently,and beforetoo long, afamiliar pro-life inﬂuencer popped by, with aphotographer. She had recentlybeen attacked by a woman shewas interviewing about abortion. They hadafew takers for engagement this time, but nothing too colorful. It turned out, by the way, the man in black was on the pro-life side, and so was the onewith the good head of hair The latter explained he felt called to standagainstabortionand help women when he can.

Around thesame time their side was identiﬁed, two shyyoung womenappeared and asked whyIwas there. I was happily in anonymous mode —if therosary beads didn’tgive me away

—and so Iturnedthe question on them, but onegiggledand said “Never mind. No worries.” Before toolong, theyrevealed their handwritten signs. “Roe v. Wade wasn’tbroken you just hate women.”

“PlannedParenthood=Health Care,” with ared heartasacloser Neither seemed interested in accusing anyactualperson of hating women, andthe conversations they hadwith supporters and detractors of their cause were mutedand brief. There were no ﬁreworks that Saturdaymorning. There was alittle prayer.Preciouslittle,but some conversation. There was an unintentional outing of the awkwardness of it all for the nonconfrontational, and agreat representationofwhatmost Americans areabout: Caring thatwomen have options. We might notmeet constructively there on aspeciﬁc street corner in Manhattan, but we owe humanity doing so in many painfully challenging circumstancesoflife.

Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

Amildprotest of abortion in Manhattan Sparking conversationsonour

We appreciate readers sending us letters on all sorts of topics, but we primarily view theletters section as a place where you can respond to thenews you see in our publication

We will occasionally choose to publish lettersthat reference subjectsthe writer has seen on television or in another publication,but writers should recognize that other readers may not be aware of that reporting and don’talways know that the source of thereporting is reputable. Andwhile we recognize that not all publications offer readers achance to comment on their reporting, we don’twant critiques of other news sources to dominateour letterssection.

Someinclude alink to astory they are referring to for our online audience, which is helpful. In print, it is better to quote directly from thesource if you can. It’s best to be clear aboutwhere you are gettingyour information, if not from this newspaper

Somereaders also wantto raise awareness of atopic that is important to them that may not be getting enough coverage, and we welcomethat. This forum can be away to give credit to thepeople and organizations whodon’t normally get attention forthe work they do. So please feel free to share your favorites. We want this communityconversation to include positive feedback as well as negative.

Beautiful Bill Act, which madesweeping changes to our national budget. We received seven letters on the act, making it the mostpopular topic. The next mostpopular wasthe case of Mandonna Kashanian, whowas taken into custody by Immigration and CustomsEnforcement but has since been released. We also received three additional letters about immigration enforcement.

Lastly,wereceived four letters on the content of our Opinions pages. Two had praise and two had criticism. But Iamprofoundly grateful for those of you whotake the time to write when you like or dislike something about our coverage. We do listen and try to improve. It makes adifference knowing that what we do matters to you.

Of course, we know that readers get news from manysources nowadays, especially on national politics, so we are open to readers citing their sources.

Going to our letters inbox, forthe week of July 3-10, we received 79 letters, abit morethan ourusual. That’slikely because it was during the ﬁnal debateover the One Bill

Want to seeyouropinion published in The Advocate |Times-Picayune? Submitaletter to theeditor

Arnessa Garrett

Kathryn Jean Lopez

COMMENTARY

Conservative journalism is notateamsport

“If you’re aconservative columnist, why do you often criticize conservative Republican politicians?”

Six months back into full-time writing for this newspaper,Ifrequently hear this question. Or close variations thereof, such as why Itackle issues not normally associated with conservatives, such as the plight of potentiallyinnocent death-row prisoners or the importance ofvarious local government services

Quin Hillyer

The ﬁrst answer is that ajournalist, even an opinion journalist, shouldn’tfeel afﬁliation for a political team. Instead, he should have principles that he applies evenly to everybody across the political spectrum.

The second answer is about the content of those principles:In the last decade, many of today’s self-proclaimed “conservative” polsare pushing maxims aliento ideals that for three-quarters of acentury deﬁned modernAmerican conservatism. Granted, the application of principles evolves, but the principles themselves should endure, and the labels (“conservative,” “liberal,” etc.) for those principles should not change meanings.

There’sanimportant third

answer,too. Namely,neither ideology nor governing philosophy (two different things) are as starklyimportant at local levels.One of the central principles of modern conservatism is that essentialgovernment functionsshould be carried outatthe mostlocal level competenttohandle them. Tasksthat no conservative believes the federal government should perform might nonetheless be entirely within theproper scopeoflocal government. Therefore,the questions become not the ideological ones about what should be done but instead the more practical ones of how to do them.

Forexample, the lateconservative Republican Gov.Dave Treen (1980-84) created astate Department ofEnvironmental Quality even amidnational conservative backlashagainstthe overly bureaucratic and centralizedEnvironmental Protection Agency He recognized that opposition to national, one-size-ﬁts-all environmentalpolicydoesn’tabsolve statesfromresponsibilityfor ecological stewardship. Now,let’s return to the second question, the content of conservatism. In 45yearsofverypublic advocacy for what once were uni-

versally considered conservative principles, I’ve been signiﬁcantly guided by the philosophies and examples of threeeminently successful politicians: American founder James Madison, President Ronald Reagan, and Congressman and idea man Jack Kemp. Absolutely crucial bothto conservatismand to Madison’s founding ideals is thebelief that power backed by compulsory authority should be dispersed, not overly concentrated.All too often today,atboththe stateand national levels, those who call themselves“conservative” support expansive accretion of power in executive (gubernatorial or presidential) hands. This runs against the foundational history of the American experiment, described by former Georgetown University ProfessorGeorge Carey (a favorite of conservative columnist George Will) as relying mostly on “the representative assembly deliberating …and committedto the process of searching” for the best approaches. (The wordemphases were Carey’s.)

In other words, the default guarantor of liberty is the legislature, not the executive —but only alegislaturecarefully observing the duly established constitutionalprocesses.

If Gov.JeffLandry,Attorney General Liz Murrill, or President Donald Trumptry to accruemore power at the expense of what legislatures or courts alwayshave enjoyed, aconservative columnist shouldraise yellowcaution ﬂags, even if many of the stated policy goalsalign withthe columnist’spreferences.

As for Reagan, he, likeMadison, was theepitomeofaprincipled pragmatist. Just as Madison moved heaven andearth to support the product of theconstitutional convention even though the Constitution’sdesign veered substantially from his original proposal, Reagan (for just oneexample) eagerly pushedthrough three-quarters of hisdesired tax cut (designed by Kemp) when he couldn’tget the whole thing.

As for Kemp,hemadeexplicit what had been an implicit conservative understanding sincethe days of thegreat capitalistAdam Smith, who literally wasaprofessorofMoral Philosophy: namely, thatalleviation of poverty is an essential concern of public policy And Reagan and Kemp both had little time for,orpatience with, demonization of political adversaries.

None of which, of course, precludes conservatives from

strenuously counteringwrongheaded ideas of thepolitical Left. Thenonsensical and ethically confused appeal to “democratic socialism,”the petty tyrannies of “wokeness,” and the habitofexcusing major public disorder in the supposed cause of “justice” are allproper targets of spirited (but still civil) opposition

Yetopposition andanger shouldn’tbeconservatism’s touchstones. In an excellent July 1treatise co-authored by former Vice President Mike Pence and HeritageFoundation founderEd Feulner —the latter of whom, alas, died on July18— the two political veterans explained at length how “conservatism once proudlyembraced apositive vision.”

Theonlyproper mission for public ofﬁcialsshould notbeaccumulation of power or punishmentofenemies; it should be the public good, accomplished through constitutional methods “Integrity,humility,charity, and courage —these are the qualitiesthat sustaincivilizations,” wrote Pence and Feulner. Those virtues, not pride and power,should be conservatism’s lodestars.

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

Stay woke as Trump, Landry aimtotakehigheredoff course

Gov.Jeff Landry and the governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texasplan to drastically change public higher education, and they don’twant to do it across several yearsora decade Days ago, our governor announced that the state would join these other stateswith conservative governors to support the Commission for Public Higher Education, astart-from-scratch accreditation organization recently founded in Florida witha business plan thatis speciﬁc aboutpart of its intent:

“CPHE will laser-focusonstudent outcomes, streamline accreditation standards, focus on emerging educational models, modernize the accreditation process, maximize efﬁciency without sacriﬁcingquality, and ensure no imposition of divisiveideological content on institutions.”

Iadded the emphasis because Iwantyou to be clear that the wordsare thecommission’s, notmine.

“Divisive ideological content?”There’s no need to guess what that might be.President Donald Trump laidout theplan in an April executive order.Init, he explicitly mentions the American Bar Association’s Council of the Section of Legal Education andAdmissions to the Bar,which accredits juris doctor programs; the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, whichaccredits medical doctor degree programs,

and TheAccreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, which accreditsallopathic and osteopathic medical residency and fellowship programs, as accreditation bodies that have gone off the rails becausethey have minimum diversity requirements as apart of ensuring abroad, inclusive and more thorough student education. “The standards for training tomorrow’s doctorsshould focus solely on providingthe highest qualitycare, and certainly not on requiring unlawful discrimination,” the order states Landry was clear as he stated his intention while announcing thecreation of a 13-member taskforce to evaluate the move.“This taskforce will ensure Louisiana’spublic universities moveaway from DEI-driven mandates andtoward asystem rooted in merit-based achievement,” he said in astatement.

There are six regional accreditation organizations, each serving private and public higher education institutions in a group ofstates in regions of theUnited States: New England, Middle States, North Central, Southern, Western and Northwest. They do much of thesame things, but they serve their regions withgeographic interests. Ourstate’sinstitutions are accredited in the Southern region by theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) every few years, checking to see that they are doing

what they say they do in their respective missions withathreshold of quality standards.

Anumber of conservatives thinkaccrediting bodies are too liberal, progressive, exclusionary and “woke.” Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis called them an “accreditation cartel.”

No one makes higher education institutionschoose accreditation. No one makes them maintain or pursue accreditation. They know and have reviewed the expectationsand standards when they sign up as membersand agree tobeassessed. It’s voluntary.But accreditation does open doors to federal funding.

If agroup of educators, education leaders, elected ofﬁcials or statesthink there’s abetter way,that they can do abetter job, I’ll open my ears and eyes to see what’sbeing proposed —aslong as it is forthe good of all faculty and students.

Landry and the other governors are starting from anegative position. They want to create an anti-DEI accrediting body as they continue to malign the true meaning and purpose of diversity,equity and inclusion. Why create something new when member institutions have helped shape changes in recent decades along with the Department of Education? Because they don’twant to work through any concerns or issues. They don’twant to create anew academic accreditation concept. They want to create anew organization

with new rules to weaken, then destroy, what’sbeen built. For 20 years, SACSCOC was led by Dr Belle Wheelan, anationally respected educator with multiple degrees, including amaster’sfrom LSU and adoctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. A longtimeeducation, diversity and student advocate, Wheelan served twocommunity colleges as president and she wasVirginia’seducation secretary before leading SACSCOC. She wastough, but equitable and fair.She announced her retirement last year

Amember of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., she has received numerous civic and educational awards and recognitions. She did her job with her staff, the DepartmentofEducation, different U.S. presidents and the presidents of the member institutions she represented with collaborative discussions and what’ssometimes called “negotiated rulemaking.” New developments. New directions. Newways of doing things. No surprises. Trumpand Landry aren’tinterested in that approach. They wanttoignore years of mostly peaceful negotiations and rulemaking by getting rid of the Department of Education and welcoming an accreditation body that is making things up as they go.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

TheWest urgently needs a deﬁnition of “the West.” Without this, it cannot understanditself, or current and future challenges If Ukraine is to be saved from dismemberment, and its nationhood not neutered, the nature and stakesofthe conﬂict need to be understood in Huntingtonian terms. Even when political scientist Samuel Huntington (1927-2008) was mistaken, he was penetrating. In 1993, he wrote that “the likelihood of violence between Ukrainians and Russians should be low.Theyare two Slavic, primarily Orthodox peopleswho have had close relationships with each otherfor centuries.” Huntington didnot foresee the West’smagnetic attraction, pulling Ukraine away from the civilization Vladimir Putin intends to enforce Huntington was, however, clear-eyed during post-Cold War euphoria. He argued thatthe West —individualism, constitutional protection of humanrights, democracy,the rule of law,free markets —was not destined to

George Will

Email George Will at georgewill@ washpost.com Do

become the planet’s“universal civilization.”Because it is not universalizable, the West is fated to exist with, and sometimes clash with,the rest. Warning against triumphalist complacency after the Soviet Union’sfall, Huntington said, “The fault linesbetween civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.” Yetagain. In the new book “The West:The History of an Idea,”scholar Georgios Varouxakis, of Queen Mary University of London, explains that thestraight line of “PlatotoNATO” is asubstantial oversimplification. At first, there was the“heliotropic myth” that progress of civilization mimics the sun’s progressoffromeastto west.Although the RomanEmpire and then Christendom (when Constantinople was“the New Rome”) had east-west fissures, in recentcenturiesthe West has been less ageographical thana cultural concept centered on Europe and its transatlantic progeny During theisolationist fever of the1930s,American colum-

nist Walter Lippmann inveighed against an idea alien to western civilization”: “the ideathatthe securityand happiness and glory of the individual man aretobefound in surrendering to the compulsion of massfeeling and the dominationofomnipotent states.”Today, the manufacturing of mass feeling in Putin’spropaganda state, and the omnipotence of Xi Jinping’ssurveillance state, should instill in the West aclarified sense of itself. Before 1945, shifting understandings of the West sometimes did not include Germany.Ten years after Germany’s1990 reunification, abest-selling history was titled“Germany: The Long Road West.”Only briefly after 1945 did lingering wartimesentimentality, forgetting the Nazi-Soviet pact of August 1939, regard Russia as Western. OftenRussia has been an sometimes the —“other”in contrast to which the West has understood what Varouxakis calls its “civilizational commonality.” Strengthening cultural bonds, especially withEurope, was the goal of the famous HarvardInter-

national Seminar begun by in the 1950s by,amongothers, ayoung European immigrant, Henry A. Kissinger. Huntington saidthe West is fated to live, perhaps dangerously,with different, powerful and assertive civilizations. In today’s clashofcivilizations, however the incomprehension between Moscow and Washington is not mutual. Putinunderstands the West and despises it forreasons rooted in acomprehensively antiWestern mentality. He rejects the Enlightenmentlegacy of individualism andthisRaymondAron ideal: “The true ‘Westerner’ is the man whoaccepts nothing unreservedly in our civilization except the liberty it allows him to criticizeit, and the chance it offers to improve it.” Putinembraces a thorough inversion of this:animmersive ethno-religious doctrine of group identity that must exist in irrepressible conﬂict withthe West. Donald Trump’sfrustration with Putin’srefusal to split differences like arational real estate broker ﬂows from Trump’sfailure of imagination. Trump’sincompre-

hension of Putin, his inabilityto understandPutinasPutinunderstands himself, is afailure to recognize the realityofdeep-rooted durablecivilizational conﬂicts. Varouxakis, citing U.S. scholars James Kurth and Michael Kimmage, says, “Norecent American president has shownhimself moreprepared to withdraw from ‘Western civilization’and ‘the West.’”And “there is truth in the statementthat during his20172021 presidency,Trumpwas ‘the ﬁrst non-Western presidentofthe United States.’” Speaking in Poland,however on July6,2017, Trumpused the phrase “the West” 10 times.He saidPoland’shistorical experience is areminder that “thedefense of the West ultimatelyrests not onlyonmeans but also on the will of itspeopletoprevail.”So, Trumpsaid, “The fundamental question of ourtime is whether the West hasthe will to survive.” What remains questionable is whether he meant thewordshe read.

Will Sutton

She scammed Medicare with cancer tests

BY EMILYWOODRUFF

Staffwriter

Afederal jury convicted aNew Orleans nurse practitioner Thursday for her role in a$12.1million Medicare fraud scheme involving cancer genetic testsordered for hundreds of patients she never met or examined, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Scharmaine LawsonBaker,58, wasfoundguilty of six counts of health care

Nursepractitionerconvicted in $12million fraud

fraud. According to the DOJ, Lawson Baker falsely diagnosedpatients to justify unnecessary cancer genetic tests,including labeling male patientswithcervical cancer.She did not review thetest results, even when they showed gene mutations linked to increased cancer risk.

“Lawson Baker shamelesslyexploited her medicallicenseand the trust of vulnerable patients to enrichherself through a multimillion-dollar genetic testingfraud,” said Acting AssistantAttorneyGeneral MatthewR.Galeotti. “The defendant peddledfalse promises of free cancer

screenings whilepocketing kickbacks for medically unnecessary tests.”

The tests, performed by patients with acheek swab froma mail-in kit, screened for inheritedgenemutations that may increase cancer risk.

From2018 to 2019, Lawson Baker worked as an independent contractor for acompanythat claimed to provide telehealth services Of the morethan $12 million in fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare, laboratories involved in the operation received over $1.5 millioninpayments. In exchange for signing the orders, Lawson Bakerac-

cepted kickbacks from the company,which she later failedtodisclose during bankruptcy proceedings.

Lawson Baker’sattorney, Clarence Roby Jr argued during trialthat she earned only $20 percallasanindependent contractor and had no roleinbillingMedicare, disputing the portrayal of her as orchestrating amultimillion-dollar scheme. Roby did not return messages requesting comment

The indictment and DOJ news release do not name the telehealth company, but defense filings reference Bronson Medical, a Utah-basedfirm listedon LinkedIn. Itswebsite is no

Newseafood restaurant setfor Gretna

Fourth-generation oyster farmer planseatery

BY COURTNEYLUCIUS Staffwriter

Afamily that’sbeen supplying oysters to southeast Louisiana restaurants for nearly 100 years is now planning arestaurantoftheir own in Gretna.

Tesvich Oyster Farms grows its“reef candy” oysters in the Chandeleur Sound, and the businessisbased in Buras, with its main oyster production in St.Bernard Parish’sHopedale Thefarmsuppliespopular New Orleansrestaurants like Sidecar Patio &Oyster Bar, Salvo’sSeafood Restaurant &Market, Porgy’sSeafood Market and others, as well as offering home delivery As afourth-generation oysterman with nearly 40 years of experience, Tony Tesvich is passionateabout bring Louisianans quality,fresh seafood.

“I just want to bring the freshest oysters out of the bayou,” he said. The Tesvich familyisoriginally from Croatia, part of a

wave of Croatian immigrants who traveled to the Gulf Coast seasonally in the early 1900s to supplycheaper labor to theseafood industry Tesvich’sgrandfather permanently settled in the state in 1931. “And my brother worked in the oysterbusiness,” Tesvich said.“My brother-in-law worked in the oyster business. Many cousins in the oyster business, so it’stradition for us.” Tesvich still relies on the

foundation his family built to supply theoyster demand. It takes Tesvich Oyster Farm boats almost four hoursto get to theoyster reefs they obtained through handeddown oyster leases or leases that Tesvich got over the course of his career

“Wealways strive fora betterquality oyster And we growtheminareas that are known for better quality.”

Now, Tesvichwants to see people enjoy their oysters ﬁrsthand andopenaneatery

called Captain Rallo’sOyster House &SportsBar.Tesvich said that thenameCaptain Rallo’shelps customers know that they are getting fresh, local seafood.

The Jefferson Parish Council in June approved arequest to resubdivide theland at the corner of Stumpf Boulevardand VanTrump Street, just north of the West Bank Expressway Blueprints showplans for an indoor bar, dining area and separateevent space, as well as shaded outdoorcourtyard dining.

Becauseoftheir dedication to local seafood, Captain Rallo’sisgoing to have alimited menu, Tesvich said.

“I’m gonna get theshrimp from theshrimpboats, shrimpdocks,and just right here locally,” said Tesvich. “Nothingimported, so I’m going to pride myself on that andstick to that. That’s why it’sgoing to be alimited menu.”

Theearliestvisitorscould hope to visitCaptain Rallo’s is September 2026, but with expected renovations it could be longer When construction is completed,CaptainRallo’s Oyster House &Sports Bar will be at 901 Stumpf Blvd. in Gretna.

longer active. The DOJ did notanswerquestions about the company’srole.

Lawson Baker is also an author of aseries of children’sbooks and guidesfor nurse practitionersstarting their own practice.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpsonfor the Eastern District of Louisiana saidthe scheme didmore than drain taxpayer funds. “Medicarefraudschemes suchasthese profoundly impact our society,not only because of the monetary loss sustained by our Medicare program, and the damages sufferedbythose who were victimized by the fraud, but also by the erosion of public

trust in ourinstitutions,” Simpson said. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. DepartmentofHealth and Human Services Ofﬁce of Inspector General andthe FBI. Trial attorneys Samantha Usher andGaryA.Crosby II, of the DOJ’s Fraud Section, along with Assistant U.S. AttorneyNicholasD.Moses,of the Eastern District of Louisiana, prosecuted the case. Lawson Baker faces up to 10 yearsinprisononeach count and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov.19. Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate. com.

Police sayshe gave gun to shooter

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Asecond arrest has been made following a shooting at theAmazon Fulfillment Center on Cortana Place in April, in which an 18-year-old shot andkilledhis former coworker Amyri Ross, 19, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish prison on Tuesday on acount of accessoryafter-the-fact to second-degree murder forher alleged role in the killing. Ross is believed to have given abag with a gun inside to the shooter, Carlgene Nash, 18, before operating the pair’s getaway vehicle. Shortly after 11 p.m thenight of April28, Nash gotinto averbal and physical fight with the victim, 21-year-old Daylon Anthony.Anthony was aformer employee at the samecenter Initially, Nash remained in the lobby at the Amazon facility,behind apair of secured doors, according to apolice afﬁdavit. According to surveillance video, Ross then joined him bringing him ablack bagthatdetectivesbelieve held aﬁrearm. Shortly after being given the bag, Nash shot and fatally wounded Anthony in the parking lotofthe facility Both Ross and Nash were then seen on running outofthe facility and entering Ross’svehicle together.Ross drove them away Nashhas sincepaida $125,000 bond and is now on ankle bracelet-monitored house arrest.

Email Quinn Coffman at quinn.coffman@ theadvocate.com. Womanarrested

Nitrogen oxide 93/77

PHOTO PROVIDED By TONy TESVICH Tony Tesvich sorts throughoysters on his boat, Legacy

Ex-LSU coachLes MilesdeservesCollege Football Hall of Fame consideration, wartsand all

Under new stipulations enacted in May, former LSU coach

Les Miles nowmeetsthe criteria for the College Football Hall of Fame STAFF FILE PHOTO

By TRAVIS SPRADLING

Upstairs at the CollegeFootball Hall of Fame in Atlanta,whereSEC media days was held earlier this month, there is abig round room linedwith all of the names of every great college football player and legendary coach who has been enshrined there.

Scott Rabalais

Recently,awrinkle addedtothe selection criteria for coaches opensa door to that room forformer LSU coachLes Miles. Whether Miles ever crossesthat literal and figurativethreshold is alongway frombeing decided. Let’sjust sayhe’sfacingfirst and10 at his own 20.But at least for Miles’ sake he’s on thefield, where until just recently it looked as thoughhewouldbepermanentlysidelined.

For along time, the criteria for acoach to be considered for the Hall of Fame was this: have coached at least 100 games over 10 years, be retired for at least three yearsand be at least 70 yearsold (or 75 and active) and, the clincher,have acareer winning

percentageof.600 or better The National Football Foundation, whose membership selects candidates for the Hall of Fame,inMay called an audible on the .600 winning percentage rule, lowering the threshold to .595. NFFpresident and CEO Steve Hatchell said at media days thatthe NFF determinedthat.595 is statistically still 60%. All’sfair when it comes to rounding up in football, apparently

It’scommon knowledge in thecollege football world that the NFF did this because of thegroundswell of support for thelate Mike Leach to become eligible. Leach was beloved for his brash and quirky personality,and he was widely respected as an innovator behind theproliﬁc Air Raid offense. Butthe former Mississippi State/Texas Tech/Washington State coach had a career win percentage of only .596.

“I believe that was done for my friend, Mike,” former

Highlights will not decide Saints QB tussle

“Who’sgoing to winthe Saints quarterback job?” If Ihad anickel forevery timeI’ve been asked that question, I’dbeable to buy the team.It’sthe talk of the town right now Everyone wants to know who’swinning the three-man competition among Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough.

Eventhe players can’t escapethe intrigue.

“My wife (Chanen) asks me every night —after she watches ‘Love Island’ —who is looking good,” tight end Juwan Johnson said. “And Itell her,‘Honestly,I don’tknow.’ Johnson is not being evasive. He truly doesn’tknow.And neither does anyone else. Not the coaches. Notthe players. Not even the quarterbacks themselves.

The Saints are three days into camp. It’s only the second timethrough the offense forthe quarterbacks since head coach Kellen Moore began the installation this

BYLUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

This wasasight forsore New Orleans Saints’ eyes: Rashid Shaheed catching a pass within 7or8 yards of the line of scrimmage, seeing aseam in the defense and then exploiting it, zapping through the secondary like alightning bolt.

The speed? Yes, it’sstill there for Shaheed, who hauled in three

Jeff Duncan

Former

qualifying for the U.S. Open and finishing 66th, the former LSU star shot the first sub60 score in PGA Tour Americas history on Saturday Barbaree’s 13-under 59 included 11 birdies and an eagle on the par-5 18th to rocket all the way from 43rd place to first after three rounds at the Ottawa Open at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Ottawa, Canada. He sits at 20 under entering Sunday’s final round. Jonathan De Los Reyes is two shots back at 18 under Barbaree entered the week 35th in the Fortinet Cup standings. The top 10 players in points at season’s end will earn Korn Ferry Tour cards.

NASCAR set for split-screen racing

BY MICHAEL MAROT AP sportswriter

INDIANAPOLIS — Brickyard 400

viewers will be tuning into pure split-screen racing Sunday

On one side, they’ll monitor

whether Kyle Larson can defend his Brickyard 400 title or if Denny Hamlin can charge from the back of the field to become the fifth driver to complete a career sweep of the Cup’s four crown jewel races. On the other side, they’ll see whether Ty Gibbs or Ty Dillon collects the $1 million prize that goes to the first In-Season Challenge champion. And, fittingly, this March Madness-like tournament concludes on one of the sport’s grand stages — Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s historic 2.5-mile oval.

It’s a made-for-television moment.

“This is going to be a special moment no matter what happens,” Dillon said before qualifying started Saturday “I do, ultimately want to win in the Cup series, and I hope (winning) feels as great as these ﬁve weeks have. I don’t know how to compare it because it’s the ﬁrst time anybody has really gone through this round by round.”

The concept comes straight out of Indiana’s other favorite sport, basketball.

Series ofﬁcials wanted a solution for the series’ midsummer blues and chose a combination of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament and college basketball’s single-elimination NCAA Tournament.

Race results at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono set up a 32-driver field. Head-to-head results in Chicago eliminated 16 drivers, which was down to the Elite Eight after Sonoma. Gibbs and Dillon advanced from last week’s Final Four and now they are here in Indy getting as much attention Larson, Hamlin and the array of other bigname drivers.

Larson and Hamlin spoke with reporters Friday Gibbs and Dillon waited until just before a brief,

rescheduled practice session took place at Indy

“This is race car country is what we would call it, so being able to race here is an honor,” Gibbs said.

“The main goal, of course, is to go win the race and we’re going to do everything we can to put ourselves in position to do that, and maybe if we don’t do that, try to finish as best we can and if that’s better than (Dillon), we’ll take it.”

The championship looks like a classic between Dillon, a 12-year veteran who is winless in 266 career Cup starts, and Gibbs, the 2022 Xﬁnity Series winner in his third full Cup season and the grandson of three-time Super Bowl champion and team owner Joe Gibbs.

Like so many NCAA Tournament brackets, the bracket results defied expectations. Gibbs went into the five-race challenge seeded No. 6. Dillon took on the role of Cinderella after starting No. 32. And Gibbs has an edge after qualifying fifth. Dillon starts 26th. Along the way some of the favorites such as Hamlin, William Byron, Chase Briscoe and Kyle Lar-

son fell out. Hamlin, who is seeking his ﬁrst Brickyard win in 17 starts, ﬁrst introduced the notion of a tournament on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast and gave the series good marks for how it’s played out

“I think you get more buy-in from drivers if, you know, they’re ﬁnancially motivated,” said Hamlin, who lost to Dillon in the ﬁrst round. “I know a lot of people kind of played it off this year, but everyone knew about it, everyone knew who they had to beat. Everyone did care about it. I feel like it was implemented fairly well this year. Hamlin faces an even bigger hurdle after crashing hard in qualifying. He’ll start 39th after Chase Briscoe claimed the pole.

Now the question becomes who will take home the big prize?

While Gibbs is trying to race his way into the playoffs and Dillon continues to chase his first Cup win, the two drivers also will be

paying attention to the race inside Sunday’s race. And so will the fans.

“It feels like the last three or four weeks, I’ve done enough media and talked to enough people and had fan growth like I’ve never seen before, that felt like I had won the last three weeks,” Dillon said. “So it’s a weird conundrum. It’s not a win, but it has felt so special to be a part of.”

When Bubba Wallace drove the No 23 car onto the track for his qualifying run Saturday, he didn’t have any expectations.

When he climbed out of the car, he had the provisional pole and it stayed there — until Briscoe’s late attempt. And while Wallace will start on the front row, he wasn’t satisﬁed with how it played out.

“It’s a weird feeling right now,” Wallace said. “I had no idea what kind of lap I put together and obviously man, so close. You know no one wants to ﬁnish second in motorsports or whatever it is I sure don’t want to. So if it’s qualifying, it’s a little kick in the groin but aside from that, a pretty good day.”

Woad keeps 2-shot lead in Scotland during pro debut

By The Associated Press

IRVINE, Scotland Lottie Woad had four birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn and posted a 5-under 67 on Saturday to maintain her two-shot lead in the Women’s Scottish Open as she closes in on victory in her professional debut Woad has such control of her game at Dundonald Links that she went 33 consecutive holes without a bogey until dropping a shot on the 15th. Her lead was down to one shot, but the 21-year-old from England responded with a short wedge she played perfectly on the 17th, leaving her an 8-foot birdie putt she converted. A closing par put her at 17-under 199. Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark, who caught Woad early with an eagle on the par-5 third hole, fell behind after Woad’s birdie streak. But the Dane rallied with three straight birdies and a couple of par saves for a 67. She was two shots behind, along with Sei Young Kim (66), who made a long eagle putt on the 14th and got up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 closing hole to get within two shots.

Nelly Korda played bogey-free, but the American managed only two birdies on another relatively calm day by Scottish standards.

Her 70 left her ﬁve shots behind Woad, who already has had a golden summer in Europe Woad, who won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2024 and rose to No 1 in the women’s amateur ranking that year, won

ASSOCIATED

Lottie Woad

and Nelly

embrace after completing the first round of the women’s Scottish Open on Thursday at Dundonald Links in Irvine, Scotland.

GOLF ROUNDUP

the Irish Women’s Open three weeks ago on the Ladies European Tour

Then she missed the playoff by one shot in the Evian Championship. But her tie for third in the LPGA major earned her a tour card, and she decided to skip her senior year at Florida State and turn pro. And now she has a chance to win in her debut.

“That’s the aim, to shoot as low as possible and keep giving myself chances,” Woad said. “If someone shoots lights out, fair enough. I’m excited for the opportunity I’ve got the experience and I’ll try to use that.”

Kim has 12 titles on the LPGA, including the Women’s PGA Championship in 2020 at Aronimink, though she is coming up on

ﬁve years since her last win. She will be in ﬁnal group Sunday with Woad and Madsen.

Korda, meanwhile, has a lot of ground to make up if she wants to end her surprising drought. She won seven times last season on the LPGA and still has yet to win this year

“Wasn’t hitting it probably as good as I was the ﬁrst two days,” Korda said “I made some really good par saves and just didn’t really capitalize on some of my good shots. But that’s golf. That’s OK. I still have tomorrow.”

PGA Tour Champions

HARRINGTON HAS SENIOR BRITISH OPEN

LEAD: In Berkshire, England, Padraig Harrington birdied the ﬁnal hole Saturday for another 5-under 65 for a two-shot lead over Justin Leonard going into the ﬁnal round of the Senior British Open as the

Irishman goes for his second senior major of the year

Harrington was among four players who had at least a share of the lead at some point during the round on the Old Course at Sunningdale. He seized the lead with birdies on the 13th and 14th hole, and a closing birdie added to his slight lead. Harrington was at 13-under 197. He has been in the United Kingdom the last three weeks for links golf, starting with the Scottish Open. He won the U.S. Senior Open in Colorado a month ago.

Leonard, the only PGA Tour Champions player to make the cut last week in the British Open at Royal Portrush, also had a second straight 65. Thomas Bjorn had a 67 and was three shots behind.

PGA Tour

OLESEN, BHATIA SHARE 3M LEAD: In Blaine, Minnesota, Thorbjorn Olesen aced the par-3 eighth and shot a 4-under 67 in the 3M Open for a share of the third-round lead with Akshay Bhatia.

Olesen, the 35-year-old Danish player who led after the second round, used a 6-iron on the 209yard eighth at the TPC Twin Cities. Bhatia had a 63 to post first at 18-under 195. Kurt Kitayama matched the tournament and course record with a 60, finishing before Olesen and Jake Knapp teed off in the final group, to get to 17 under Fellow Japanese player Takumi Kanaya (65) also was 17 under with Knapp (67) and Sam Stevens (66).

A Shreveport native and former Byrd High star Barbaree, 27, turned pro in 2021.

Falcons lose Mooney to an injury, sign Chark

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Darnell Mooney’s status for the start of the season is uncertain as the second-leading receiver in 2024 for the Atlanta Falcons is expected to miss several weeks with a shoulder injury

Mooney, a former Tulane star, suffered the injury in Thursday’s ﬁrst practice of training camp. The Falcons bolstered their depth chart at wide receiver by signing veteran D.J. Chark, a former LSU standout who joined the team for Saturday’s practice. Chark worked out for the Falcons on Friday

“That workout was already set up,” assistant general manager Kyle Smith said Saturday, referring to the visit from Chark being scheduled before Mooney’s injury

Yankees OF Judge headed to IL with elbow injury

NEW YORK Yankees captain Aaron Judge will go on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow, but a scan showed no damage to the ulnar collateral ligament of the two-time AL MVP Manager Aaron Boone said Judge will have 10 days to two weeks of no throwing and will be the designated hitter at first when he returns. Giancarlo Stanton, the team’s primary DH, will start to work out in the outfield.

Judge was sent for an MRI on Saturday morning and was out of the starting lineup for just the second time this season.

He leads the major leagues with a .342 batting average and 1.160 OPS.

Phillies pitcher Nola on track for rehab start

NEW YORK Philadelphia pitcher Aaron Nola threw 56 pitches to batters Friday as he ramped up his comeback from a sprained right ankle and fractured rib that have sidelined him since May

A 32-year-old right-hander the former LSU star could make his ﬁrst minor league rehab start next week.

“The ankle went a lot longer than I thought it was going to, but the ankle felt really good today and the rib felt really good today,” Nola said.

He hurt the ankle during agility drills on May 8. Nola made a pair of ineffective starts and was placed on the IL effective May 15. Nola threw a bullpen session June 1 and felt sore a few days later An MRI showed a stress fracture of a rib, Phillies manager Rob Thomson revealed June 10.

Kansas hoops coach Self released from hospital

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self was released from Lawrence Memorial Hospital on Saturday, the university announced. Self, 62, was admitted Thursday after experiencing “some concerning symptoms.” He subsequently had two stents inserted.

“The procedure went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery,” KU said in a news release. It is the second time in just over two years Self, 62, has had heart-related issues requiring a procedure. In 2023, he had two stents inserted to open clogged arteries that caused him to miss that postseason’s Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournament.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DARRON CUMMINGS

Ty Gibbs climbs into his car before a practice session for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday in Indianapolis.

PRESS PHOTO By STEVE WELSH

left,

Korda

Spitz 74-71-79—224 +8

The Associated Press PONTARLIER, France Tadej Poga ar closed in on a fourth Tour de France title after safely ﬁnishing Saturday’s penultimate stage and maintaining his big lead over rival Jonas Vingegaard. Australian rider Kaden Groves won stage 20 with a late solo breakaway, while Poga ar rolled over the line about seven minutes later in the same time as Vingegaard.

The Slovenian cycling star leads the two-time Tour winner Vingegaard by 4 minutes, 24 seconds, with German rider Florian Lipowitz 11:03 behind Pogacar in third overall Barring a heavy crash or illness, Pogacar was expected to celebrate Sunday and move level with British rider Chris Froome on four Tour titles. Victory also would give Pogacar a fifth Grand Tour after winning the Giro d’Italia in dominant fashion last year

“I am more or less sure of my overall victory, but I still don’t want to say anything about it. I want to stay focused until I have crossed the finish line in Paris,” Poga ar said “That’s one of the most beautiful parts of this sport. We are 180 guys who spend weeks riding in the mountains and in the end, all of a sudden, we come to the streets of one of the biggest cities in the world.”

Sunday’s final stage of this edition is not a largely processional one, as is usually the case, and could potentially prove somewhat problematic toward the end with three consecutive climbs.

“I am unsure of how the final stage will pan out,” Poga ar said. “The course is relatively short, and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By THIBAULT CAMUS

A smiling Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, crosses the finish line with Wout van Aert, left of Belgium during the 20th stage of the Tour de France on Saturday in Pontarlier, France.

that will make for a rather punchy effort.” On Saturday, the 184.2-kilometer route through eastern France featured three small climbs and a moderately difficult one up Côte de Thésy before ﬁnishing in Pontarlier But there was scant opportunity for Vinegaard to attack Pogacar

As the riders set off Saturday in driving rain, the yellow jersey group stayed safely at the front until breakaways formed. When the front group tackled the 3.6-kilometer Côte de Thésy, Frenchman Jordan Jegat launched a solo attack, but he was then overtaken by Australian rider Harrison Sweeny.

As rain fell heavily again with 40 kilometers, Sweeny opened up a 50-second lead, only to be reeled in shortly after The wet roads were treacherous at high speeds. Frenchman Romain Grégoire and Spaniard Iván

Romeo crashed taking a sharp turn and slid sideways off their bikes. Both continued.

Groves surged ahead 16 kilometers out and held on for his ﬁrst Tour stage win and 10th at major races. The 26-year-old has two at the Giro d’Italia and seven at the Spanish Vuelta. The final stage of the Tour de France is traditionally a largely processional one, with the overall leader all-but-guaranteed to win — barring mishap and only the sprinters contesting the stage win right at the end, following several laps around Paris.

But this year’s last stage is very different and could prove spectacular Breaking with decades of tradition, it features three ascents of Montmartre Hill, a short and sharp climb that was featured at last year’s Paris Olympics.

+3 Billy Mayfair 68-73-72—213 +3 Mikael Lundberg 74-66-74—214 +4

Euan Mcintosh 71-69-74—214 +4

Jeev M. Singh 71-69-74—214 +4 Anthony Wall 68-71-75—214 +4 Peter Baker

+5 Robert Coles

Matthew Cort

Cycling

Tour de France

Friday 19th Stage A 93-mile ride from Albertville to La Plagne 1. Thymen Arensman, Netherlands, INEOS Grenadiers, 2:46:06. 2. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 2:46:08. 3. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, same time

4. Florian Lipowitz, Germany, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 2:46:12.

5. Oscar Onley, Great Britain, Picnic PostNL, 2:46:53.

6. Felix Gall, Austria, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, 2:47:40.

7. Tobias Johannessen, Norway, Uno-X Mobility, 2:47:47. 8. Ben Healy, Ireland, EF Education-EasyPost, 2:48:25.

9. Valentin Paret Peintre, France, Soudal Quick-Step, 2:49:53. 10. Simon Yates, Great Britain, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 2:50:50. Also

33. Neilson Powless, United States, EF Education-EasyPost, 3:01:19.

37. Sepp Kuss, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 3:01:29. 48. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 3:08:31.

62. William Barta, United States, Movistar Team, same time. 81. Quinn Simmons, United States, Lidl-Trek 3:09:44. Overall Standings 1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 69:41:46. 2. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 69:46:10. 3. Florian Lipowitz, Germany, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 69:52:55. 4. Oscar Onley, Great Britain, Picnic PostNL, 69:53:58. 5. Felix Gall, Austria, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, 69:58:58. 6. Tobias Johannessen, Norway, Uno-X Mobility, 70:02:00. 7. Kevin Vauquelin, France, Arkea-B&B Hotels, 70:04:21. 8. Primoz Roglic, Slovenia, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 70:07:16. 9. Ben Healy, Ireland, EF Education-EasyPost, 70:09:48. 10.

‘Angry’ sea takes toll at Tarpon Rodeo

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

OK, where have you heard this?

“The sea was angry that day, my friend.”

Any of us who’ve read old ﬁshing tomes saw these words long before that memorable “Seinfeld” episode, and, yet, it applied to the waters off Grand Isle on Friday, the second day of the International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo.

While the storm-wrought breezes cooled the landlubbers, nearshore and offshore conditions were fraught with peril enough so that few showed up at the weighstation just outside rodeo headquarters inside the Otto Candies Pavilion.

Thursday’s ﬁrst day was better and produced the rodeo’s namesake and a descendant of Otto Candies a man who devoted hundreds of hours to this oldest continuing ﬁshing event in our country Cade Candies brought in a 170-pound-plus tarpon to earn the First Tarpon Award. He was with charter skipper Ross Eichorn aboard “America 1.”

It’s not unusual the Tarpon Rodeo should run afoul of foul weather but there have been years when midsummer conditions have been ideal and anglers flooded the weigh-masters with last-day catches to rewrite the entire leaderboard.

Weigh-master Marty Bourgeois said the “big wait” came from a Friday report telling of another tarpon boated and ﬁve of the silver kings released.

Shrimp special

The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has called a special meeting at 9:30 a.m. Monday at state headquarters on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge. The only agenda item is to consider a declaration of emergency to open the fall inshore shrimp season. You can view the meeting via Zoom.

MONDAY LA. WILDLIFE & FISHERIES COMMISSION SPECIAL MEET-

ING: 9:30 a.m., state headquarters, 2000 Quail Drive in Baton Rouge. For fall inshore shrimp season. Available through Zoom. RED STICK FLY FISHERS FLY TYING: 7 p.m., Orvis Shop, 7601 Bluebonnet Blvd. Open to public. Hands-on clinic covering basics of ﬂy tying. Materials and tools provided Website: rsff.org

TUESDAY

CWD PUBLIC HEARING: 6 p.m., Community Center, 1245 Fairgrounds Drive, Jena. For notice of intent to restrict supplemental feeding and deer carcass export from the Chronic Wasting Disease Control Area.

SATURDAY WOOD STORK/WADING BIRD

VIEWING: 7-10 a.m., South Farm, Sherburne Wildlife Management Area. Ponds drained exposing feeding opportunity for storks, wading and shore birds. No fee except 18 and older must have a WMA Access Annual or a Five-Day permits available on Wildlife & Fisheries website: louisianaoutdoors.com

FLY FISHING 101/REDFISH: 9-11 a. m., Orvis Shop, Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge. Fee free. Basics of casting, rigging. No fee. Equipment furnished. All ages, but 15-and-younger must be accompanied by

CCA’s response

Nearly two weeks after the report on menhaden bycatch was spelled out to the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, CCA Louisiana issued a response which the group said “exposes alarming realities that demand immediate attention.”

Item 1: “While the percentage of redﬁsh mortality may appear small in isolation, over 22,000 mature redﬁsh — our most productive breeding stock — are killed annually by an industry that faces no restrictions, even as anglers are prohibited from keeping any.”

Item 2: “More than 240,000 speckled trout, primarily in the critical Age 1 to Age 2 range, are destroyed each year This is the exact age group that triggered recent limit reductions for recreational anglers.”

Item 3: “The menhaden industry kills over 80 million croaker and over 24 million sand trout annually — species that serve as the foundation of our marine ecosystem.”

Item 4: “An additional 45 species were documented in the bycatch totals, revealing the true scope of this industrial-scale reward.”

Item 5: “Most tellingly, bycatch of important gameﬁsh like redfish and speckled trout increases as water depth decreases, providing undeniable scientific evidence for why current buffer zones remain essential.”

Sharks

Several conservation fishing groups lined up to support a move in the U.S. Senate to enact the Supporting the Health of Aquatic Systems through Research, Knowledge, and Enhanced Dialogue Act — the SHARKED Act

Earlier this year, the U.S. House approved this move and sent it along to the Senate.

Boiled down, this bill directs the Commerce Department to set up a task force to study, then mitigate shark depredation — the interaction between anglers

an adult. Preregistration required. Call Shop (225) 757-7286.Website: orvis.com/ batonrouge

FRIENDS OF NRA/NORTHSHORE BANQUET: 5:30 p.m., American Legion Post 16, 2031 Ronald Reagan Highway, Covington. Call Jeffrey Antwiller (504) 616-1140. Email: jeffreyantwiler@gmail.com

ONGOING

CCA STATEWIDE TOURNAMENT & ANGLERS’ RODEO/ S.T.A.R.: Summer-long ﬁshing contest through Sept. 1. Multiple species categories. CCA membership required Website: ccalouisiana.com

HUNTING LOTTERY DOVE HUNT DEADLINE: 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

LOTTERY TEAL HUNT DEADLINE: July 27 for White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area. $8.50 application fee. Applications website: louisianaoutdoors.com/lottery-applications. Call Lance Ardoin (337) 536-6061. Email: lardoin@wlf. la.gov

AROUND THE CORNER

AUG. 3—ADVANCED FLY

CASTING/THE DOUBLE HAUL:

3-4 p.m., Orvis Shop, Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge. Fee free. Bring your own rod. Call Shop (225) 757-7286.Website: orvis.com/batonrouge

OUTDOORS

PROVIDED PHOTO

Cade Candies, right, is all smiles after weighing in a 173.1-pound tarpon Thursday to raise the curtain on the 97th annual International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo. Pictured with Candies is rodeo admiral Jason Bergeron. Candies boated the silver king while fishing with Ross Eichorn aboard the ‘America 1.’ Candies’ tarpon ended up being the rodeo winner

and the increasing numbers of sharks eating their catches.

Proponents of this act are using a 2022 Amherst study showing more than 77% of anglers have had run-in with sharks on ﬁshing trips.

Punching

This month’s International Game Fish Association’s website presentation has a video of legendary bass angler Kevin VanDam showing his techniques for “punching,” a tactic of using heavier jigs to punch through heavy mats of grass and other veg-

etation.

It’s a practice used by savvy Louisiana bass ﬁshermen to entice strikes from bass laying under heavy grass during the hot summer months Heavy grass provides shade and cooler water temperatures more than the cover of trees and downed timber

To view the video, go to this IGFA’s website: igfa. org, then scroll down to the “Punching” to pick up on VanDam’s instruction on “quick tips for fishing heavy cover for largemouth bass.”

CALENDAR

AUG. 5—FRIENDS OF NRA/ SOUTH LOUISIANA BANQUET: 6 p.m., Evergreen Cajun Center, 4694 West Main Street, Houma. Call Jeff DeBlieux (985) 855-9619. Email: jeffdeblieuxiv@gmail.com

AUG. 7—LA. WILDLIFE & FISH-

ERIES COMMISSION MEETING: 9:30 a.m., Joe Herring Room, state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge.

AUG. 7—FRIENDS OF NRA/ FLORIDA PARISHES BANQUET: 6 p.m., Carter Plantation, 23475 Carter Trace, Springﬁeld. Call Marcell Parker (225) 229-5751. Email: la29friendsfp@gmail.com

AUG. 7-10—MLF BASS PRO TOUR: Saginaw Bay, Bay City, Michigan. Website: MajorLeagueFishing.com

AUG. 7-10—BASSMASTER ELITE SERIES: Lake St. Clair, Macomb County, Michigan. Website: bassmaster.com

AUG. 9—FRIENDS OF NRA/ CENLA BANQUET: 5 p.m., Randolph Riverfront Center, 707 Second Street, Alexandria. Call Rickey Parish (318) 3081419. Email: rickeyparish@ bellsouth.net

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Spring inshore season closed except in Breton/ Chandeleur sounds. All outside waters remain open. OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Red snapper, ﬂounder; lane, blackﬁn, queen and silk snappers & wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath & Nassau

groupers in state/federal waters.

CLOSED SEASONS: Gray triggerﬁsh, greater amberjack, blueﬁn tuna and gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/ federal waters.

Condolences

Newton Thomas was a man among men, seemingly always with a warm smile to greet friends and “newer” friends.

Met him through LSU baseball. He played for the Tigers many years ago and still remembered those “good ol’ days.” Thomas, 81, was founder of the Newton Group, but never forgot those days at the old Alex Box Stadium. Condolences to his family and many friends. He will be missed mightily missed.

LDWF UPDATES

CLOSED: Hope Canal Road/ boat launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction); Dobbs Bay Road & all roads on the Mississippi River batture east of La. 15 (Richard Yancey WMA, ﬂooding).

DRAWDOWNS: underway on Saline, Kepler,Iatt Lake Black & Clear lakes and Wham Brake impoundment. Lake Bistineau drawdown set to begin Aug. 11. EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvo-

NFL Ward tantalizes Titans with early camp work

BY TERESA M. WALKER AP pro football writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Fans clamored for Cam Ward’s autograph as he worked his way along the wall at Nissan Stadium.

Even with no pads and no tackling allowed, the Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback put on a show Saturday Ward connected early and often with his new favorite wide receiver Calvin Ridley, starting with a touchdown pass in a seven-on-seven drill, and Ward’s best play came on a scramble to his left and ﬁnding Ridley for a big TD catch as long as people ignore Jeffery Simmons likely would’ve had a sack.

Everything was fresh and new Saturday for a steamy, midday practice.

“I don’t even remember the record, but it was bad,” Ridley said during the session.

The veteran wide receiver looks to be the biggest winner from the Titans using the No. 1 overall draft pick on Ward out of Miami. Coach Brian Callahan put their lockers together this offseason, and the connection has been growing steadily Ridley laid out to put two hands on a pass from Ward in one drill, and he caught a handful of throws from the rookie Saturday

The Titans landed the No. 1 overall draft pick after going 3-14 last season and ﬁnishing on a six-game skid.

“We’re going to bring some fun to Nashville,” said Ridley, who had 1,017 yards receiving but only four TD catches in his ﬁrst season with the Titans. How Ward does as a rookie will be a big key for how much fun the Titans are responsible for this season. Ward is getting more work in training camp with the ﬁrst-team offense after Will

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

But he deﬁnitely still feels like himself.

“I feel great. I feel 100%,” Shaheed said Friday “... I worked hard to get to this point. I know that I’m healthy and ready to go.”

Since he had the time, Shaheed devoted some of it toward thinking about more.

More opportunities, for instance.

The Saints hired Kellen Moore as their head coach and offensive play-caller this offseason, and Shaheed sees that as a positive for both himself and the team. He’s seen the cut-ups of the Moore offenses, and he’s seen the way he is able to manipulate the ﬁeld to get the ball to his playmakers with the space to do something with it

As explosive as Shaheed is — and as demonstrably good as he’s been

DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C

spring. The players haven’t even put on shoulder pads yet for fullcontact work.

This is Round 1 of a 15-round fight. If this were the Kentucky Derby the field wouldn’t have reached the first turn.

“The mentality right now is let’s try to maximize reps, try to build a little bit of a library here and let’s just go play some ball,” Saints quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien said when asked about the competition. “Right now the competition is: How good we can improve ourselves as a group?”

What Tolzien is saying is the first week of camp is a little more than glorified flag football. The real competition will start Monday, when the Saints put the pads on and begin full-contact practices. It will get even more serious when they start playing other teams in preseason games. Then, and only then, should you start to take this competition seriously If you recall, the last time the Saints did this, the competition between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill wasn’t decided until after the second preseason game. We’re three weeks away from this year’s equivalent against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 17.

There are 10 padded practices scheduled between now and then.

Levis’ decision to have seasonending surgery Tuesday

The Titans used Saturday’s session to focus on third down, scoring when within 20 yards of the goal line and a silent count with fans trying to ﬁnd some shade doing their best to bring the noise.

Callahan said Ward has been impressive in handling the different calls to run third-down plays depending on how defenses line up against the offense.

“Every time he goes out, he sees something new and and makes an adjustment and gets better for it,”

Callahan said. “So as many thirddown periods and work that we can get for Cam is going to put him in a place where he should be ready to go for the regular season.”

The Titans could use that. They ranked 19th on third downs last season, converting 37.6%. Staying

in the open ﬁeld as a return man he still did a signiﬁcant amount of his damage before the catch.

Among receivers who were targeted at least 40 times last season, Shaheed ranked 30th in average yards after the catch per reception (5.3), according to Pro Football Reference. It’s not a bad number, but it’s an area where he can see himself improve under Moore.

“There’s a lot of wide-open opportunities for us to catch the ball and get up the ﬁeld — lots of big plays,” Shaheed said. “That’s what it’s going to take for us to take the next step, especially with my game. Yards after the catch, I feel like that’s a key that I need to focus on and that’s only going to help improve my game.”

More also refers to Shaheed himself. He’s aiming to play at 190 pounds this season, 10 pounds above his listed playing weight from 2024 and well above what he ever thought was possible.

With that in mind, it’s also important to not overreact to a single highlight-reel pass on social media or the daily practice reports, which have become a staple of today’s 24/7 NFL news coverage. While passing statistics from practice are not irrelevant, they often lack context. Unless you are privy to the practice script, play call and progression of the play, you really have no idea whether a play was successfully executed or not.

Jim Mora’s famous line applies here: “You think you know but you don’t know — and you never will.”

Former NFL star J.J. Watt called the reporting of practice stats “insane and ridiculous” on his social media account last week, adding: “You have no idea what the purpose of that period is, what the goals are, what the context is, etc.”

As Tolzien said, “Sometimes a throwaway is a plus (graded) rep that’s smart football.”

So having provided the proper context, let’s turn our attention to the task at hand. What the Saints are doing is extremely rare, if not unprecedented Not only are they trying to pick a starter from a three-man competition but they’re also trying to do it with three guys that have never won an NFL game and have combined to start seven career games in the league.

Cowboys say they like ﬁt with Pickens

BY DAN GREENSPAN Associated Press

OXNARD, Calif. — The Dallas Cowboys are conﬁdent George Pickens the player will be a problem for opponents because Pickens the person won’t cause problems in their own locker room.

That might be a surprise given Pickens’ three often tumultuous seasons playing wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers before he was traded to Dallas in May

on the ﬁeld is key for a team that was 27th in scoring with just 18.3 points per game last season.

Simmons said he’ll be the ﬁrst one to have Ward’s back on game day

“You can’t help but to rally behind him,” Simmons said.

Burks injured

Wide receiver Treylon Burks hurt his right shoulder on a diving catch out of bounds. He got up and immediately grabbed at his right shoulder before walking to the locker room with training staff.

Callahan said in a statement that Burks was being evaluated for a shoulder injury and the Titans will have an update at the appropriate time. NFL Network reported that Burks broke his collarbone.

Burks was the 18th pick overall in 2022. He has played 27 of 51 possible games because of injuries.

His offseason training regimen was built around increasing his muscle mass without losing the speed that has made him special And the weight gain was geared toward a speciﬁc purpose. After missing 11 games last season, Shaheed is focused on durability and staying power And the Saints brought in some in-house inspiration this spring to keep those goals top of mind when they added Brandin Cooks, who is entering his 12th NFL season and at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds has managed to stay healthy for much of his NFL career

“I told him early on once he got here that I’m going to be following him around, just because he’s played in this league for 12 years and that’s very impressive,” Shaheed said. “You’ve got to be doing something right to be playing for that long.

“He’s been nothing but helpful so far I love him, man, he’s great.”

“Like, I’ve seen what y’all seen on ﬁlm, like, trust me,” wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said. “I know what it looks like. But if you talk to this man and have a decent conversation, I guarantee you’ll understand that this man is kindhearted.” Pickens, 24, had multiple notable on-field incidents in Pittsburgh to create a questionable reputation. He had two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a Week 13 win at Cincinnati last season after having been involved in an altercation with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome the previous week.

Those occasions, along with sideline blowups at teammates and coaches, led Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to rebuke Pickens several times, memorably saying, “He’s just got to grow up, man,” after receiving two ﬂags but avoiding being tossed against the Bengals in December The reasons behind Pickens’ public persona, Dallas players insist, come from his desire to win

“He loves football, so that’s something that you cannot question about him,” wide receiver Jalen Tolbert said. “That speaks and jumps off the tape, obviously and jumps off the ﬁeld, and obviously in the meeting room, he can do the same thing.”

The Cowboys are working with Pickens to rein in his frustrations, but Lamb stressed how different Pickens is outside the lines.

“When we get on the field, it’s a different beast,” Lamb said. “I expect him to be an animal. But, like, we have an on and off button. Everybody on this field does. On any field, honestly It’s just, man, when you passionate about something, you don’t really care what the narrative is around you.”

Lamb and Pickens seemingly have become fast friends, often sharing information and dance moves on the practice field. They even worked up an elaborate handshake to celebrate touchdowns, which Lamb said took two days to fully choreograph.

“He’s a great receiver, he’s a great person,” Lamb said. “He’s everything that the people say he isn’t, and I feel like he don’t

“The mentality right now is let’s try to maximize reps, try to build a little bit of a library here … and let’s just go play some ball. Right now, the competition is: How good we can improve ourselves as a group?”

The trio’s limited body of work adds to the uncertainty of the competition.

SCOTT TOLZIEN,

Saints quarterbacks coach

When evaluating the race, it’s also important to consider the backgrounds of the decision-makers. Moore, Tolzien and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier are former NFL quarterbacks, but none was a high draft pick. Moore and Tolzien were undrafted free agents. Nussmeier was a fourthround selection. They can relate to Haener, Rattler and Shough because they were once in their shoes. When they say it’s an open competition, they speak from experience. It’s not just lip service. Accordingly, the race is wide open — as open as a quarterback competition can get.

The good news is the competition appears to have brought out the best in the trio. All three have ﬂashed during the ﬁrst week of camp. All three have shown strong leadership skills and good command of the offense.

A leader likely will emerge as the work intensiﬁes in the days and weeks ahead.

The competition will boil down to three main factors: Running the offense: This seems obvious, but there are ba-

get enough credit for being who he is. But you never know the situation that people are going though, so just being so quick to put a narrative on something that you don’t really fully understand yet, I feel like it’s kind of jumping the gun.”

Despite ﬂashing star potential while putting up solid statistics in Pittsburgh — amassing 2,841 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns even with subpar quarterback play in three seasons — Pickens was as ready as the Steelers were for a separation. As soon as he arrived in Dallas and met with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones after the trade, Pickens believed he was in the right place to redefine his career “I think I needed a fresh start just in terms of, like you said, people not knowing me,” Pickens said.

The challenge now is making sure quarterback Dak Prescott and Pickens can develop an understanding on the field. Their timing, or lack thereof, has shown up occasionally during the ﬁrst week of training camp, such as when Pickens couldn’t come down with an over-the-shoulder basket catch that hit him in the hands on a deep sideline route Saturday

But once those issues are addressed, Pickens expects to form perhaps the most potent one-two receiver tandem in the NFL.

“A lot of people over the years got different type of styles of play, but CeeDee’s a certain type of guy and then I’m a certain type of guy so when you mesh that together it’s like ‘Mario Bros,’ you see what I mean? So we can deﬁnitely do something special,” Pickens said.

eye: consistency, decision-making, leadership, poise. Who best handles adversity? Who learns from his mistakes? And perhaps most importantly, which guy do teammates respond to? Whom do they believe in?

With the trio being so similar in passing ability, the intangibles could be the difference-maker

sic, operational aspects to playing quarterback that are important. Little things, like breaking the huddle with urgency, getting in and out of the right play and throwing the ball to the right player at the right time. Another big thing is avoiding negative plays.

Moore’s offense is quarterbackfriendly When it’s ﬁring on all cylinders, he wants his QB to act as a point guard, orchestrating the attack and distributing the ball to his playmakers.

Situational football: Third down. Red zone. Two-minute and fourminute offense. Goal line and short yardage. These areas decide football games. They’re what separate elite quarterbacks from game managers.

As Moore said last week, there are going to be times when it’s third and long and everyone in the stadium knows you have to make a big pass. The quarterback who makes the most plays in those key situations likely will win the job.

Intangibles: When Moore talks about the evaluation of the competition, he stresses areas that aren’t conspicuous to the naked

So don’t be overly inﬂuenced by the highlight-reel passes that make the rounds on social media. Winston, if you recall, routinely made “wow” passes during his tenure in New Orleans. Those plays are fun to watch but won’t be as important as the above criteria in determining who wins the QB competition this fall.

“People don’t understand,” Haener said after a practice last week. “There’s been plenty of guys in this league that don’t have cannons. They’re going to execute (the offense). They’re on time (with their passes). They don’t have procedural penalties. They’re crisp up here (pointing to his head). They get their team into the right look, the right situation at the right time, and they throw the ball accurately and throw it on time.”

The Saints had one of those guys. His name was Drew Brees. I don’t know whom the next starting quarterback will be. But knowing what Moore and his staff are looking for, I’m betting it’s the guy who executes more like Brees than the one who generates likes on TikTok and Instagram.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward catches the ball during a practice at the team’s training camp Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.

AP FILE PHOTO By JESSICA TOBIAS Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens runs a drill during practice at minicamp on June 11 at the Cowboys’ facility in Frisco, Texas.

in Centennial, Colo

Feeling right at home

Broncos QB Nix more comfortable in community, with offense in year 2

BY PAT GRAHAM AP sportswriter

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The comfort

level of Bo Nix heading into Year

2 extends well beyond his knowledge of the playbook.

The Denver Broncos quarterback feels more at home just about everywhere, including the locker room, the cafeteria and venturing around the city

“I don’t have to worry about what certain looks are, or, as crazy as it sounds, where we’re going for the locker room, or where we’re going for the stretch. A lot of times as a rookie, you just don’t want to look like an idiot,” Nix said after practice on a sweltering Saturday

“Now you can go out there (and) look a lot better than an idiot. So excited for Year 2, excited for this football team.”

Nix is coming off a rookie season in which he helped the Broncos end an eight-year playoff drought. The 10 wins were the most by any Broncos team starting a rookie quarterback in franchise history (John Elway and Drew Lock each had four wins).

To take the next step, Nix spent time this offseason with Drew Brees in San Diego and ex-baseball pitcher Tom House.

With Brees, it was more of a chat about leadership than X’s and O’s. Brees helped current Broncos coach Sean Payton win a Super Bowl title when they were together in New Orleans.

“Your job is go out there and

complete passes and score points.

Everybody understands that,” the 25-year-old Nix said. “It’s the off the ﬁeld — how are you encouraging guys? How are you making sure guys are seen, and making sure guys are getting what they need and being put in a position to succeed so that we all can help each other?

“It’s all about those second-layer things that are deeper than just what’s on the football ﬁeld.”

With House, the 78-year-old throwing coach, Nix honed his mechanics. House has worked with quarterbacks throughout the years, including Tom Brady and Brees.

“We just want to tighten a few things up and get even more efﬁcient,” Nix said. “At this point, it’s tough to make big strides, so we want to ﬁnd all the little things that we can that may make a difference.”

Since his career ended at Oregon, Nix has been constantly on the move. First, it was to get ready for the 2024 draft. Then, after being taken at No. 12, it was to get up to speed with Payton’s intricate offense.

This offseason Nix took a break. He endeared himself to the community through his charitable efforts along with attending Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche games.

“My wife and I love being here,” Nix said. “We’re making this our place.”

In no time, he’s made this his

team, too. He’s gained respect through his work ethic and a season that saw him become just the ﬁfth rookie quarterback in league history to throw for at least 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns passes. He joined the company of Jayden Daniels (2024), Justin Herbert (2020), Baker Mayﬁeld (2018) and Peyton Manning (1998).

“For me, I just want to continue to show these guys that I’m willing to work, and ﬁnd every which way we can to ﬁnd wins,” Nix said. “I know I have a lot of growth left, a lot to be done, but these guys are going to help me get there.”

Nix was recently selected the 64th-ranked player on the latest NFL top 100 list. He found that both an honor and motivation.

“I want to continue to get higher, and not even for the ranking,” Nix said.

“It’s just an internal standard that I have that I want to be the best in the world.”

This season, he’s got more offensive playmakers at his disposal. His backﬁeld consists of J.K Dobbins and rookie RJ Harvey He’s got another option in tight end Evan Engram.

“He’s is not afraid to speak up. He’s not afraid to challenge you and he challenges himself at the highest level,” Engram said of Nix.

“I’m very impressed with him. Very blessed to be a part of his team and be his teammate. The sky’s the limit with that type of mentality.”

Karr has memorial service for Adams after deadly shooting

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Chantrel Bernhart had no way of knowing her son would not return home again Not after the 18-yearold came back for what turned out to be the ﬁnal time when the accomplished prep football star celebrated the Fourth of July holiday with friends and family.

“He spent so much money on ﬁreworks,” Bernhart said during a memorial service for her late son Saturday on the track that surrounds the Edna Karr football ﬁeld in Algiers

“Everybody had so much fun with him.”

Corey Adams, a two-time all-state defensive end at Karr who enrolled in January at Ole Miss so he could get a head start on preparing for his ﬁrst college season, died from a gunshot wound suffered July 19 in Cordova, Tennessee. An investigation is pending, according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce. Adams was at a pool party with about 100 attendees, according to police.

More than 40 riﬂe and pistol shell casings were found at the scene.

A gathering at Karr on Saturday brought together the Cougars football team along with coaches, friends, family and other community supporters.

With dozens of purple and red balloons — each to signify one school color for Karr and one for Ole Miss tied to the fencing behind the 10 rows of bleachers and to the handrails between each section of seating, Bernhart was among the four who spoke.

“The Karr family was his life,” she said. “His life was football.”

He also lived for his family

“As long as he was with family, nothing else mattered,” said Bernhart, who has two other sons at Karr Caden, a senior offensive lineman, and Cavon, a junior in the school band.

Other speakers included longtime Karr pastor Sherman Hughes, principal Tomika Washington and Karr graduate Ashonta Wyatt, who heads up the Mother2Mother nonproﬁt that works directly with mothers who have lost children to gun violence.

“Death shouldn’t be the thing that forces us to express our love for each other,” said Wyatt, a 1999 Karr graduate who added that people should express their love in other moments “so that we don’t always have to meet like this.”

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Corey Adams’ mother, Chantrel Bernhart, facing, is hugged by friends and community members during a balloon memorial for Adams at Karr High School on Saturday. Adams, a two-time all-state defensive end at Karr who enrolled in January at Ole Miss, died from a gunshot wound suffered July 19 in Cordova, Tenn.

Wyatt has spoken at memorials held for other victims of gun violence, including the late Tonka George, a former Karr quarterback who died soon after he returned home from his graduation at Alcorn State in 2016.

The Karr football program honors George annually with a “Long Live Five” game at which a player is awarded a jersey with the No. 5 that George wore. Adams’ death reminded Wyatt of when George was shot and killed.

“It makes you feel like you transcend back to that time and then the hurt is multiplied every time something like this happens,” she said. “And so, you can’t help but think about all the other kids we lost every time we lose another one.”

Washington said the Karr community always will offer support for Bernhart and the rest of her family

“We are with her forever,” she said.

Hughes said he has cried every day since Adams’ death.

“We’re going to miss Corey, man,” said Hughes, a 1978 graduate from when Karr was a middle school.

“We miss him now.”

49ers embracing youth movement

SF has undergone roster reset, creating chances for rookies

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers went into the past few training camps with one of the NFL’s deepest rosters ﬁlled with established stars that left little opportunity for rookies to contribute.

That’s far from the case this year as San Francisco underwent a roster reset in the offseason that has infused the team with more youth and the most opportunities for rookies to compete since 2019 when draft picks like Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel and Dre Greenlaw helped the Niners reach the Super Bowl. That’s especially true on defense, where at least ﬁve rookies are in the mix for starting roles on a unit that has been overhauled completely in the offseason.

“There’s a chance we could have six new guys starting. There’s a chance we could have eight, we’ll see how it plays out,” coach Kyle Shanahan said, referring to rookies, offseason additions and former backups. “Any time you say that, that’s different. That is a different team, that is a different side of the ball so that does take some time.”

The 49ers have had only four rookies start a season opener over the past five seasons, tied for the ﬁfth fewest in the NFL in that span. They could match that this season with ﬁrst-round pick Mykel Williams and fellow draft picks Alfred Collins, C.J. West, Nick Martin and Upton Stout all in the mix.

The Niners have started at least three rookies in a season opener just ﬁve times since the NFL-AFL merger, with the last time coming in 2006 when Vernon Davis, Manny Lawson and Melvin Oliver all got the nod. It also happened three times early in Bill Walsh’s tenure in 1980, the Super Bowl-winning season in 1981 and 1983. The most rookies to start an opener for San Francisco since the merger was four in 1978.

That’s a challenge to a coaching staff that also includes a new defensive coordinator, with Robert Saleh returning after a stint as head coach of the New York Jets from 2021-24.

“With youth, the challenge is that a veteran never makes mistakes, but sometimes they might be a step slow,” Saleh said.

“They’re not running that 40 time

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

Tulane assistant and current West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez said of the new .595 threshold.

The change may have been mainly intended to beneﬁt Leach, but it has collected a lot of other coaches in its net as well (Rodriguez also is currently at .596). That group also includes former Mississippi State/Texas A&M/Pittsburgh coach Jackie Sherrill (.595) — and Miles, who is at .597. There is one last requirement for a coach to be on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame: You must be nominated by a school where you coached. For Miles, 71, that would be LSU, Oklahoma State or Kansas (Michigan, where he was an offensive lineman, couldn’t nominate him because he wasn’t a ﬁrst-team All-American). And that’s where things could get sticky for The Hat.

One wouldn’t expect Kansas, where he went 2-18 over two rocky seasons, to help him out. Same for Oklahoma State, where Miles went 28-21 in four seasons but left for LSU in 2005. At LSU, Miles went 114-34, giving him an on-field career winning percentage in 18 total seasons of .665 (145-73). But LSU forfeited 37 wins on Miles’ watch, stemming from the Vadal Alexander improper benefits mess involving Our Lady of the Lake Foundation president/CEO John Paul Funes. That officially made Miles 108-73 for a winning percentage of .59668. Miles left behind a lot of baggage at LSU, making it at least questionable whether the school would want to go to bat for him to get him on the Hall of Fame ballot. He sued LSU over the 37 for-

that they ran back in the combine, right? Where a rookie is going to make a lot of mistakes, but he’s flat fast, and explosive. So, the trick is, how quickly can you get that football player to play like a veteran while he’s still connected to his 40 time that he ran back at the combine. So that youthful energy, that youthful explosiveness. With youth comes lumps because they’re learning.”

Saleh said even though his scheme isn’t overly complex, he might need to simplify some things initially to help the young players acclimate.

The problem is the opposing offenses won’t be doing the same and they will hope to confuse the rookies who aren’t used to dealing with NFL offenses.

“They don’t just stand there and make it easy for us,” Saleh said. “They’re motioning, they’re moving, they’re jetting, they’re doing all kinds of stuff pre-snap. So there are going to be some moments where it’s like, oh God. But, you prick your finger, you fight through it, you get them to a point where they see it over and over and over again, and your hope is that that youthful explosiveness comes out as they continue to gain experience.”

The 49ers have liked what they have seen so far, with the young players being attentive in meetings and knowing their assignments on the ﬁeld.

Shanahan said they have brought needed energy to the team starting in the offseason and the veterans have been impressed.

“I like the group,” Bosa said. “I think we have a lot of talent. I think when you look out on the field, you see NFL bodies out there that look impressive, which is a good thing. Obviously, we’re young, but I think just because nobody knows them now, if they play a good couple games, then the whole world will know them. It’ll be exciting.”

feited victories, though a judge dismissed the suit in March.

And he reportedly reached a secret settlement with a former LSU female student who accused him of sexual harassment, which came to light in 2021 as part of the infamous Husch Blackwell report. That report, by the way, gave Kansas a reason to ﬁre Miles that year as well. Documents in a state lawsuit ﬁled against LSU and Miles said that he “groomed, sexually and emotionally manipulated, and damaged” the student after recruiting her from an LSU sorority to work for him.

Despite his transgressions, there is still no question that Miles at least deserves Hall of Fame consideration if someone like Leach does, based on what he did on the ﬁeld. Leach, for all of his cleverness and offensive genius, never won a conference championship, much less a national title. Miles won a BCS national championship and played for another, and he led the Tigers to two SEC titles and played for a third. Believe me, there are plenty of coaches with lesser résumés than Miles already enshrined in Atlanta. And while his actual on-ﬁeld winning percentage without the forfeits can’t be considered, it also can’t be ignored.

Again, there is no telling whether LSU is willing to nominate Miles after all their history together, good and bad, but there is no indication that a nomination is off the table, either LSU ofﬁcials have time to ponder their position. The .595 rule doesn’t go into effect until the 2027 Hall of Fame nomination process.

Miles presents LSU and the NFF with a complex case, to be sure. But when you get to the essence of the man and his career, he’s earned the right to let the NFF voters decide his fate.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF CHIU San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Mykel Williams runs a drill during practice Wednesday in Santa Clara, Calif.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix passes

quarterbacks

coach Davis Webb looks on during Friday’s practice

As a rookie, Nix led the Broncos to the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

Ichiro set for Hall of Fame induction

C.C. Sabathia and Billy Wagner will join Suzuki as inductees

BY MARK FRANK Associated Press

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y Ichiro Suzuki was always known for his meticulous preparation during his 19-year Major League Baseball career

For his induction into the Hall of Fame? Not so much.

“Of course, I’m nervous and I probably should be preparing more, but this morning I actually went to the field, long tossed and kind of ran and did my workout, so I guess for me that was more important,” Suzuki said Saturday through an interpreter on the eve of his enshrinement.

Suzuki is the first Japanese player chosen for the Hall and fell one vote shy of becoming the second unanimous selection. He will be joined Sunday by CC Sabathia, a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, and relief pitcher Billy Wagner Dave Parker, who died a month before he was to be inducted, and Dick Allen will be honored posthumously. They were voted in by the classic era committee.

MLB has been profoundly impacted by Japan since Suzuki’s arrival in 2001. His induction coincided with the opening of an exhibit at the Hall on Thursday entitled Yakyu/Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game, which celebrates the ways Japanese and American baseball are interconnected. It honors not just Suzuki but also pitcher Hideo Nomoi and current two-way star Shohei Otani.

As interconnected as the two countries are, Suzuki does not

want Japanese baseball to become a carbon copy of MLB.

“I don’t think Japan should copy what MLB does. I think Japanese baseball should be Japanese baseball and the way they do things, and MLB should be the way they are I think they should be different and not the same,” he said.

Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%.

Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outﬁelder hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami.

He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a seasonrecord 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose’s MLB record of 4,256.

Suzuki visited the Hall seven times during his career, but this time is different.

“I had a purpose. I would come to the basement and look at some of the artifacts. This time around, though, I didn’t come to have one purpose to see something. I just wanted to experience Cooperstown, take it all in. That’s the difference this time around.

“This is the place where I’d come (during the season) and kind of cleanse myself and get a great feeling again,” he said.

For Sabathia, his induction represents a full-circle moment because his plaque will have him sporting a Yankees cap with the interlocking NY

A native of Vallejo, California, Sabathia “thought I wanted to be close to home,” but after “pretending” the Yankees didn’t offer him a contract on the ﬁrst day of free agency his wife persuaded him to sign with the Bronx Bombers fol-

lowing an in-home meeting with general manager Brian Cashman.

“My wife was the one that said:

‘You’re trying to do all these different things, ﬁgure out all these contracts. You need to go where they want you. All you talk about is you want to win, be a winner and all these things. How can you not go to New York? That’s the one place they try to win every single year.’ When she put it that way, it was like I was born to be a Yankee,” Sabathia said.

“And I think for the longest time I tried to run away from that because my father would always tell me I was going to play for the Yankees. He passed away when I was 23, so he wasn’t there to tell me it was OK if I failed. I think I was scared to go there and fail. But it ended up being the best decision I ever made. I ran from that decision for a long time. I thought

Kurtz of Athletics becomes 1st MLB rookie to hit 4 homers in a game

BY ADAM SPOLANE Associated Press

HOUSTON Nick Kurtz already had three homers and five hits with his parents and godparents in attendance as he began his ﬁnal at-bat with a chance to make history, but none of that was top of mind for the Athletics’ astonishing rookie slugger With a position player pitching for the Houston Astros, Kurtz just didn’t want to embarrass himself.

The 22-year-old did just fine, lining a 77 mph, 2-0 pitch from outﬁelder Cooper Hummel to the seats in left ﬁeld on Friday night for his fourth homer of a game that was, by any standard, one of the best ever by a Major League Baseball player

“Position player on the mound, I’m just trying to move the ball forward,” Kurtz said. “You don’t want to be the guy who strikes out.” Kurtz didn’t make an out all night. He became the ﬁrst rookie in major league history to hit four home runs in a game and matched the MLB record for total bases with 19.

“It’s arguably the best game I’ve ever watched from a single player,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “This kid continues to have jaw-dropping moments.”

Kurtz went deep in the second, sixth, eighth and ninth innings. He also doubled and singled on his 6-for-6 night to equal Shawn Green, who had four homers, six hits and 19 total bases for the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 23, 2002 at Milwaukee.

Kurtz’s double in the fourth inning hit just below the yellow line over the visitor’s bullpen, narrowly missing what would have been a ﬁfth homer

“Everybody was just like, laughing,” A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson said “How is he doing it? This is not normal. He’s playing a different sport than us right now It’s not baseball, it’s just tee ball what he’s doing right now.”

It was the 20th four-homer game in major league history and second this season. Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez did it on April 26 against Atlanta. Kurtz and Green are the only players with six hits in a four-homer game.

Kurtz ﬁnished with eight RBIs and six runs scored as the Athletics beat the Astros 15-3.

“This is the ﬁrst time my godparents have been here, so they probably have to come in the rest of the year,” Kurtz said. “My parents ﬂew in today They’ve been here a bunch, but it was cool to have some family here for that.”

The 6-foot-5 slugger has 23 homers in 66 games this season. The fourth overall pick in last year’s amateur draft out of Wake Forest, he made his major league debut on April 23 and hit his ﬁrst homer on May 13.

He is the youngest player with a four-homer game Pat Seerey of the Chicago White Sox was 25 when he hit four longballs on July 18, 1948.

Kurtz homered off each of the Astros’ four pitchers: Ryan Gusto, Nick Hernandez, Kaleb Ort and Hummel, who worked the ninth with

the game out of hand. His longest drive was his third, a 414-foot solo shot off Ort in the eighth. His fourth homer landed in the Crawford Boxes in left ﬁeld at Daikin Park.

“It’s hard to think about this day being kind of real it still feels like a dream,” Kurtz said in a postgame television interview “So it’s pretty remarkable. I’m kind of speechless. Don’t really know what to say.”

Kurtz has been the best hitter in the majors in July, ranking ﬁrst in batting average (.425), onbase percentage (.494), slugging percentage (1.082), runs (22), doubles (13), homers (11) and RBIs (27). With the baseballs from his last two homers inside a plastic bag at his locker, Kurtz signed scorecards from all four A’s broadcasters and a lineup card. One of the scorecards and a bat were bound for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

I wanted to play on the other coast, but I think I was born to play with the pinstripes.” Suzuki and Sabathia were teammates for more than two seasons, which makes their induction extra special.

“It feels like we’re teammates. Obviously, Ichi and I were rookies together I always say he stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001) so it’s great to be able to go in the HOF with him and Billy,” Sabathia said.

Sabathia went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Yankees. While Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their ﬁrst appearance on the ballot, Wagner made it on his 10th and ﬁnal try “Well, after seeing how a lot of

guys like Lee Smith and Ted Simmons and (other) guys had to wait their turn to get to this point and go through the veterans committee, and how hard it is to get in here, you know it’s well worth the wait,” Wagner said. Wagner, a seven-time All-Star, became the ninth pitcher in the Hall who was primarily a reliever after Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Mariano Rivera. Wagner is the only lefthander

Two others honored Saturday were longtime Cleveland Guardians broadcaster Tom Hamilton, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting, and retired Washington Post sports writer and columnist Tom Boswell, who received the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.

Mets SS Lindor looks to ﬁnd stride after slump

BY JANIE MCCAULEY AP baseball writer

SAN FRANCISCO Francisco

Lindor ran around the bases at Oracle Park with his right arm raised high after a third-inning home run. He celebrated the same way again when he doubled in the ninth as the Bay Area mist swirled just above. And who could blame the New York Mets star for showing some joy and emotion? Big hits have been hard to come by since before the All-Star break.

During his recent slump, Lindor leaned on everyone around him. He listened thoughtfully to anybody in his supportive village offering encouragement or opinions about what might be going on with his swing or approach.

So when the switch-hitting shortstop delivered three hits in New York’s 8-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night, it sure felt sweet.

“I got rhythm and I feel good,” Lindor said afterward. “I did what I wanted to do today.”

Now it’s a matter of building some momentum and repeating what worked. The 31-year-old Lindor ended a career-worst 0-for-31 stretch against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday that began with an 0-for-5 performance at Kansas City on July 13. It hasn’t been one single voice providing Lindor with advice during the struggles. He offered shout-outs to coaches Rafael Fernandez Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes for their important words.

“There’s a lot of people here supporting me and helping me,” Lindor said. “A lot of people have come around me and tapped me on the back and said, ‘Keep going.’ When we’re winning games and we’ve got little speeches at the end, it’s good.” Lindor ﬁnished 3 for 5 on Friday with his 20th home run, the double and three runs scored with a pair of strikeouts. His feel at the plate “was coming and going” during that sixgame funk. He hopes to rediscover some consistency for the second-half push after going 5 for 9 over the past two games heading

AP PHOTO By GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ New york Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the third inning against the San Francisco Giants on Friday in San Francisco.

into Saturday night against San Francisco.

“It was one of those where it’s just like, it would work and feel good and then it disappears,” Lindor said. “It’s just human nature when you go through tough times you rely on people around you and just hope that you get one or two hits. And if not, if the team wins, the nights are a bit shorter.” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is encouraged by Lindor’s progress. A sign for Mendoza is how Lindor hits to all parts of the ﬁeld, saying “that’s when he’s at his best.”

Lindor lined a single to center field off Logan Webb in the first inning Friday before pulling a 92.1 mph fastball to right for a 377-foot home run in the third. Lindor then doubled down the left-field line in the ninth against flame-throwing reliever Camilo Doval. That two-out hit kept the inning going, and New York tacked on two more runs.

“You look at that last at-bat against Doval and he’s able to drive the ball the other way like that, that’s when he’s at his best,” Mendoza said. “Some really good signs, and it’s good to have him feeling that way.” Lindor is far from content. So back to the batting cage he will go.

“You can only put your head down and work as hard as you can,” he said, “and see what happens.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ichiro Suzuki speaks to reporters during a news conference on Saturday in Cooperstown, N.y.

ASSOCIATD PRESS PHOTO By DAVID J PHILLIP Nick Kurtz of the Athletics celebrates after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning Friday in Houston. It was his fourth in the game.

Sabathia

Wagner

Lafayette alum joinsa distinguished classwith Emmy nod

The academic struggles of Northside High School in Lafayette, an F-rated school in 2015, have been long documented. Northside has an even longer historyofproducing renowned alumni, such as million-selling R&Bartist Cupid, two-time World Series champion Ron Guidry and UFC stars Justin Poirier and Daniel Cormier

But James Duhon, acinematographer whose work has been seen by millions, isn’t always mentioned withthe NHSfamous. Perhaps that’ll change with Duhon’s fourth Emmy nomination,this time for director of photography on “BBQ High,” aseries about Texas teens cooking in regional competitions.

Daytime Emmy winners will be announced Oct. 17. Duhon said the latest nomination,for Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series,came as “a shock.”

“Wedon’thave any control when the producersturn in these shows for awards,” said Duhon, who graduated from Northside in 2000. “You never know when they’re goingto say yes. This was one of those they said yes to.”

Duhon has heard many yeses in acareer that includes 125 TV shows, 100-plus music videos, 63 features ﬁlms and 35 documentaries. His four Emmy noms include awin for “Rap Trap: Hip Hop on Trail,” adebate on the use of rap lyrics in criminal cases.His two other nominations came for “Steve Gleason: No White Flags” and “Fear of the Black Quarterback.”

Duhon, who now lives near Dallas, credits his blue collar roots in Lafayette as the spark of his cinematic career.He tagged along when his mother, acity worker who became a volunteer at the Acadian Open Channel, apublic access outlet At the age of 13, Duhon became AOC’syoungest certiﬁed producer and camera operator The experience earned him

PROVIDED PHOTO

LAUGH TRACK

SBY JANRISHER | Staff writer

ophia Brazda hasn’tupdated her LinkedIn page yet. It still lists theLafayette native as Mainstage understudy at The Second City,the legendary Chicago comedy institution where the likes of Tina Fey,Bill Murray,GildaRadner,Chris Farley,Steve Carell, Amy Poehler,MikeMyersand Stephen Colbert got their start.

We all knew when she left forcollege that everyone would see what we saw: amazing talent, comedic timing and kindheartedness.”

Brazda has been busy.Ona self-described “off-day” in June, shehad aseries of coffee meetings anda grantdevelopment session for the theater company she and friends started in Chicago in 2023.

At 24, the Louisiana native is juggling meetings, rehearsalsand momentum —a full creative plate in the Windy City.With big comedy dreams, Brazda balances art, admin and ambition daily Her “breaking newsfrom last weekend” indicates that those aspirations could be falling into place.

“I wasinvited to audition for ‘SNL’(Saturday Night Live),” she said by phone Tuesday,“and Iamcurrently moving ahead in their process.”

From LSUtoChicago

That moment wasa long way from herﬁrststepsintoChicago —but notsofar from thepath she’sbeen paving sinceshe graduated from LSU in May2022. Sevenmonths later, she and four LSU theater friends loaded up aU-Haultruck andheaded north, arriving in Chicago on Jan. 1, 2023.

Within weeks, sheauditioned forThe Second City andwas immediately cast into the conservatory, then hiredshortly thereafter forthe mainstage which is impressive enough on itsown, but that’snot allshe did. She andher LSU theater friends also started atheater group, TwoChairsTheatre Co The name reﬂected their humble

Howhas N.O. City Park kept historic carousel going?

BY RACHEL MIPRO

Contributing writer

The bejeweled, hollow horses in New Orleans’ City Park have been whirling inside their pavilion for over 100 years. Given proper maintenance, carousel restorers and city residentsalike hope tosee the antique ride continuefor many generations. Reader Martin Audiffred was

reminded of the City Park Carousel, known to fans as “the ﬂying horses,” whenheread arecentarticle on carousels.

“There was an article about merry-go-rounds in the USA News and it reminded me of the beautiful one we have in City Park —which has avery attractiveenclosure, and it is so much apart of this historic city,” Au-

diffred wrote. His question: What is theage, history and status of the merrygo-round in CityPark?

Atreasured attraction

The carousel, one of an estimated 100 wooden carousels left in the United States, has been housed in thepark since1906, according to Casie Duplechain,

Xander Bemiss, 3, rides the carousel at the Carousel garden amusement park in NewOrleans City Park.

Herman Fuselier

James Duhon, aNorthside High alum and acinematographer whose work has been seen by millions, has receivedhis fourth Emmy nomination.

GERALD BROUSSARD founder of CyT Lafayette about Sophia Brazda

ä See BRAZDA, page 4D

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Sophia Brazda, aLafayette native, is amember of The Second City ensemble in Chicago.

ä See DUHON, page 4D

The Couyon Girls

The Couyon Girls hosted an elegant tea party at The Plantry Café on June 29. Gathered are, from left, front row, Susan Salario Pellegrin, Stacy Watts Parker Bonnie Bowen, Julie Crow, Trini Rhorer and Elaine Groner; Kara Baquet (on floor); back row, Denise Clause, Penny White Moulder Evita Marie Mosqueda, Lynn Coxe Graham Donna Hobbs, Allyson Eckman, Lorrie Watson Carpenter Audrey Houston, Aimee Dyess, Shasta Felton and Heather McCormick.

Dialogue on Race series to be held in August

FYI BR staff reports

Original Series: Unlock a pathway of understanding race through dialogue by joining Dialogue on Race Louisiana for the two-hour original series 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, at 2041 Silverside Drive in Baton Rouge. For four Thursdays — Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 28 — participants will unpack flawed narratives around race while engaging in complex and vital conversations facilitated by two trained Dialogue on Race Louisiana facilitators. This series is a weekly commitment designed to open space for participants to explore the many facets of race and racism. Attendance at the first session is required. Participants must commit to three out of the four sessions. The series is limited to the first 15 participants who register The cost to participate is $60 Visit the Dialogue on Race Louisiana website at dor.la or reach out directly via email at info@dialogueonracelouisiana. org

Advanced Series: The Advanced series is a virtual option. Participants must complete the Dialogue on Race Original Series before participating in the Advanced Series

This series is a weekly commitment designed to open space for participants to explore the many facets of race and racism. Attendance at the ﬁrst session is required. Participants must commit to three out of the four sessions. This series is limited to the ﬁrst 15 participants who register The cost to participate in the Advanced Series is $40. Classes will be from 6 to 8 p.m on Mondays, Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25.

Last month to apply to entrepreneurs academy

Calling all young, aspiring entrepreneurs: The deadline for applying for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy BR 20252026 class is Aug. 17. The academy is an afterschool program that helps high school students launch their own businesses. No business idea is required to apply Over the academic year, students are able to: create a business plan, pitch their startups to a Shark Tanklike panel for seed money ﬁle their businesses with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Ofﬁce and qualify for LSU credit. Experiential and interactive classes include area executives, guest speakers and mentors who share their experiences and insights with participating students. Learn more and apply at yeabr.org.

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

The Community column runs Sundays in the Living section and accepts submissions for news of events that have taken place with civic, philanthropic, social and religious auxiliary organizations, as well as academic honors.

Submissions should be sent by noon Monday to run in the upcoming Sunday column. Because of space limitations, organizations that meet monthly or more are limited to one photo per month. If submitting digitally, we prefer JPG files 300KB or larger Identify those pictured by first and last names as viewed from left to right, row by row.We prefer emailed Community column submissions to features@theadvocate.com.We also accept submissions by mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge LA 70821.A phone number must be included.

Exhibition a response to domestic violence

Artists to showcase art that raises awareness

Staff report

Kelwood Contemporary Art, 8202 Kelwood Ave., Baton Rouge, is showing “Reclaiming Your Voice: Artists Respond to Domestic Violence,” a compelling group exhibition, through Aug 3.

This powerful exhibition brings together the work of 11 artists — Loveday Funck, Claudine Diamond, Geeta Dave, Ali Sonnier, Linn Saffer, Lisa Murray, Yana Tymoshenko, Rosalie Torres, Talon, Sam Harty and Christine DuMouchel — who use their creative practices to confront the trauma of domestic violence and give voice to stories too often silenced. “Abuse thrives in silence,” curator Jennifer Carwile said “This exhibit aims to break that silence by fostering dialogue, reﬂection and community awareness. Through art, we create a space for empathy, healing and change.”

A closing reception is scheduled for 2 p.m. to 4 p.m Aug. 3, offering visitors the opportunity to meet the artists, hear their stories and engage more deeply with the work.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the gallery is hosting “Your Turn to Reﬂect: Activities with the Artist,” an intimate, hands-on art-making experience designed to encourage

PROVIDED PHOTO

Jennifer Carwile’s sculpture, ‘Silenced’

healing and personal expression through creativity

Also, the gallery will host the workshop, “Turning Fear into Hope: Painting & Collage,” from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. July 27. Cost is $15 per person. Space is limited to 10 participants. Reservations are required by calling Carwile at (225) 267-7358 or emailing KelwoodContemporaryArt@gmail.com.

Gallery hours are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday and by appointment. For more information, visit facebook.com/KelwoodContemporaryArt.

ON THE ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE

PROVIDED PHOTO Alexis Philips’ painting, ‘Hush, is featured in ‘Reclaiming your Voice: Artists Respond to Domestic Violence’ at Kelwood Contemporary Art.

Elizabethan summer show

The Elizabethan Gallery, 680 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, will host a summer art reception and an artists paint-out 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. July 30. Some of the artists participating in the paint-out are Carol Hallock, Keith Douglas, Kay Lusk, Andrea Phillips, Diego Larguia, Carol Creel, Kathy Daigle, Cheri Fry and Claire Pasqua.

Douglas will be doing caricatures on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-serve basis, and Larguia will do a watercolor demonstration that should appeal to artists as well as children and nonartists. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information call (225) 9246437 or visit elizabethangallery.com.

Encore at UpStage

UpStage Theatre’s July production of “The Old Settler” was so popular that the company will stage an encore performance at 3 p.m. Aug. 9 on its stage at 1713 Wooddale Blvd. Tickets are $25. Call (225) 924-3774 or visit upstagetheatre.biz.

At LASM

There’s still some time left to see “Discoveries on the Nile: Exploring King Tut’s Tomb and the Amin Egyptian Collection,” which closes Aug. 1 at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 Lafayette St. The museum is also showing “Threads of Evolution: Engineering a Community That Sparkles,” featuring the work of Jamie Glas Odom, through Nov. 9 Call (225) 344-5272 or visit lasm.org.

Endless summer

The Gallery at the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center of the Arts, 100 Lafayette St., is celebrating the laidback freedom of summertime with New Orleans artist James Michalopoulos’ exhibit, “Michalopoulos: Happy Times, Summer in The City.”

theater, 8849 Sullivan Road, Central. Tickets are $23-$29. Visit sullivantheater.com.

Irish film fest

Tickets are on sale for the Baton Rouge Irish Club’s 15th annual Baton Rouge Irish Film Festival on Aug. 2 in the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. All-day passes are available, giving visitors access to both feature ﬁlms, the shorts and the reception dinner.

The schedule is as follows: n 12:30 p.m. — Opening Film: “Four Mothers” n 2:30 p.m. — Wee Irish Shorts

n 5 p.m. — F’eis Dinne’ar — More than meat and potatoes. The event will include live music and Irish dancing. Food will be provided by Bacon and Fig. n 7 p.m. — Feature ﬁlm: “The Spin”

The show runs through Oct. 10, and admission is free. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call (225) 344-0334 or visit manshiptheatre.org.

‘Singin’ in the Rain’

Tickets are on sale for Christian Youth Theatre Baton Rouge’s production of the musical “Singin’ in the Rain,” opening July 31 in the Shaver Theatre in LSU’s Music and Dramatic Arts Building on Dalrymple Drive. Tickets are $19-$25. Visit cytbatonrouge.org.

‘Noises Off!’

Tickets are on sale for Sullivan Theater’s production of the comedy “Noises Off!,” opening Aug. 15 at the

The festival continues on Military Day at the U.S.S. Kidd Veterans Museum, 305 S. River Road, with a viewing of the Baton Rouge-filmed movie “Greyhound.” Visit the Irish Film Festival website, batonrougeirishfilmfestival.com, for a posting of the specific time. The festival wraps up at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 4, with a free Pub Night at Phil Brady’s, beginning with several shorts, followed by the comedy “Babs & Buns.” Individual Manship film tickets are $16.05. All day passes are $82.35. Call (225) 344-0334 or visit manshiptheatre.org.

At Glassell Gallery LSU’s Glassell Gallery in the Shaw Center of the Arts, 100 Lafayette St., is showing work by 31 artists in its “2025 Summer Contemporary: FELT,” running through Aug. 23. This year’s show was juried by New Orleans-based curator Emily Wilkerson from more than 300 submis-

sions. The selected work embraces the sensuous — touch, temperature, vibration, aura — and connects the haptic, emotional and somatic. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday and noon to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Admission is free. Call (225) 389-7180.

‘Footloose’ tickets

Tickets are on sale for Playmakers of Baton Rouge’s production of the musical “Footloose,” opening Aug. 15, in the Reilly Theatre, Tower Drive, LSU campus. Tickets are $20-$30. Visit playmakersbr.org.

At the Poydras Center

The Poydras Center, 500 W. Main St., New Roads, is showing “Plein Wild,” a collaboration exhibit between L. Charleville and Ellen Ogden, through Sept. 30. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. For more information, call (225) 638-6575 or visit pointecoupeehistoricalsociety org.

Choir enrollment

Enrollment is open for the fall semester of the Greater Baton Rouge Children’s Choir, a vibrant and inclusive youth choir dedicated to artistic excellence and community engagement. For information about times, fees and requirements, call (225) 4123021. To enroll, visit gbrccmusic.org.

Workshop Show

The Art Guild of Louisiana’s members “Workshop Show” will open July 10 at Independence Park Theater, 7800 Independence Park Blvd., Baton Rouge. The show runs through Sept. 11. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Baton Rouge U.S. Navy Submarine Veterans

Members of the Baton Rouge-area U.S Navy Submarine Veterans held a bimonthly meeting June 10 at Drusilla Seafood Restaurant. Shown are, from left, seated, Kevin Vizinat, Paul Barker, Stuart Dupre, Cmdr Bill Pedneau, James Powell, William Powell, John ‘Tiny’ Ruisch and Brian Watson; standing, Carl Walker, George Hima, James Fountain, William Hardin, Thomas Lacy, David Reynolds, Daniel Ross, Gilbert Thomas and Jimmy Campbell Present but not in the photo are Brien Dickson and David Voisin.

PROVIDED PHOTO By ELIZABETHAN GALLERy

Baton Rouge artist Kathy Daigle will be featured in the paint-out at Elizabethan Gallery on July 30.

TRAVEL

Cabins at CypremortPoint offersurprisingviews

BY CATHERINE S. COMEAUX Contributing writer

Catherine S. Comeaux

and her family spent three summers exploring state, national and provincial parks —from Louisiana to Alaska, to Nova Scotia and all along the Mississippi River in between. This year, she turns her attention to our Louisiana state parksto discover the natural beauty of the South less than a day’sdrive from home. For all the water skiing, ﬁshing and sailing that Cypremort Point has to offer,myjumping off place has always been various relatives’ camps. Recently, my family and Ispent the weekend at the state park cabins instead and were surprised by the beauty of this perspective change. Not only does the state park give you ready access to the water via the man-made beach and kayak launch, it is the only place at the point where, in addition to the gloriously dramatic sunsets overVermilion Bay,you have an unobstructed view of the sunrise over the marshland.

Betweenthe bays

Visitors approaching Cypremort Point by land will experience one of the best views to be had from astate highway.With a verticalclearanceof73 feet, the La. 319 bridge that spans the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is so high my children describe it as “the place where the world looks round.” From the top, one can simultaneously see West Cote

Blanche Bay,Weeks Bay and thenearbysalt domes. As visitors descendfrom thepanoramic view,beware of bear,deer and punny camp names like“Laissez Leblanc TempsRouler” and “Reel High.”

Thepark is located in St.Mary Parish on land that was formed in ancient times by aformer distributaryof the Mississippi River —now known as Bayou Cypremort,which runs parallel to themain roadway.Along thepoint, large dead oak trees jutout abovevivid greens, providinggraysculptural drama amid thelushlive oaks. But visitors won’tsee many deadcypress trees as the translation of the French words “cyprès mort”would suggest.

TheChitimachipeople who have lived in theregionfor millenniatell of alargeold cypress that once served as aboundary marker in the area, but itis

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

long gone.

Motor, paddle or sail

For added fun, bring a boat.Power boats big and small can readily put in at therecently renovated boat launch just outside of the park. Bewareifthe trout are biting, thelanding will be busy since it gives boaters access to both inshore options and offshore ﬁshing in the Gulf.

Kayaks and canoes can readily put in at alaunch located on the far end of the statepark, which leads to Shark Bayou, where they can maneuver the myriad offshoots to ﬁnd plenty of opportunities for nature watching and ﬁshing. The bayou’sproximitytothe Gulf results in brackish waters where one might encounter asmall shark, but alligators are the toothy critters more readily seen. Experienced paddlers looking for excitement beyond thepeaceful reptile-

infested waters of Shark Bayou can explore theCajunCoast Paddling Trails with options 26-36 miles in length. Signage posted at the large boat landing shows the open saltwater routes and warns paddlers “self rescue is amust!” Visit Cajuncoast.com to plan ahead for the conundrum of your self-rescue. When thewinds are just right,the statepark is a great place to takeadvantageofthe breeze. Small-tomedium-sized sailboats are

easily launched at the far end of the park. Kite surfers have ablast zig-zagging along the waters off the beach.

Relax

No boat? No problem.We took to the quarter-mile marshland boardwalk and experienced aclose-up view of these wild areas. We heard red-winged blackbirds, saw deer and met visitors from Washington state. My father,who uses a wheelchair as he recovers from astroke, appreciated the opportunity to be out in the marshland he loves.

Our weekend included a good amount of time relaxing on the cabin’sscreened porch, strolling the beach and cooking fresh shrimp we picked up in nearby Lydia.

All kinds of visitors enjoyed the twoﬁshing piers at either ends of the park where they werehoping to pull in supper.Astrong steady wind kept the bugs away as apair of largerthan-lifekites —a180-foot snake and an octopus with 70-foot tentacles —added joy to the skies that windy weekend.

No matter if you spend your day in aboat or on shore, turn your eyes to the west forsundown. If the skies are clear,watch for the green ﬂash. Cypremort Point State Park, with its unobstructed view of the horizon, is one of the fewplaces to experience this meteorological optical phenomena that occurs when the sun dips below the horizon and abright green light emanates for about two seconds. Clear skies or cloudy,you will be in the perfect place to enjoy the sun as it dips below Vermilion Bay.Do not miss it.

Know before yougo

n Cabins, tent camping and RV camping with full hook-ups are available. Check foravailability four to six months in advance.

n The cabins’ kitchens are stocked with basic utensils, crockery and appliances, plus arice cooker

n Cabins 1and 2are wheelchair accessible by elevator.Internet information is conﬂicting in regards to wheelchair accessibility forother cabins —call the park forconﬁrmation.

n The cabins are well elevated to prevent ﬂooding from high tides and hurricanes. The twoﬂights of steps might be achallenge forsome.

n The structural poles underneath the raised cabins are great forhanging a hammock —bring rope and practice aclove hitch knot.

n Groceries are available in Lydia.

n Twobathrooms with outdoor showers are provided forday visitors.

n Aportable bathroom trailer with laundry facilities and an indoor shower are available forcampers.

n Consider bringing food and drinks in durable containers to lighten the trash load at the state park. While not required, packing out your trash would be helpfulsince the park is often overburdened by overﬂowing trash cans. The habits of curious critters and Gulf breezes often makeamess of abeautiful location.

n The Louisiana DepartmentofHealth monitors the beach water weekly between May and October forenterococci bacteria. If necessary,swimadvisories are posted at the Louisiana Department of Health’s website, ldh.la.gov,and on the beach itself

for apassenger with adisability?

Christopher Elliott

My family and Ibooked flights from BerlintoSeattle on Lufthansa usingUnited Airlines miles. Our initial itineraryhad us flying from Berlin to Munich to Seattle. Lufthansa canceled the Munich to Seattle flight, rebooking us on a flight from Berlin to FrankfurttoSeattle, with astopover in Frankfurtofonly 1hour and 25 minutes. My daughter requires apowered wheelchair and aventilator.This connection time wasnot enoughtimeto makeour flight.

When Icontacted United to complain, an agent who had rebooked our flights had mistakenly canceled the Lufthansa direct flight,and becausetherewere no more awardseatsavailable, Unitedrebooked us on theconnecting flights.WhenI asked United to fixthe problem, the airlineonly offeredusa $75voucherper person, which is unacceptable

We need Unitedtoeitherbook us on the direct Lufthansa flight or provide us with adequatecompensation forthis mistake.— Brian Landmann,Woodinville,Washington

When an airline makes amistake, the airline must ﬁx it, not you. Andthiswas quite amistake, and an insensitiveone at that

Icontacted United, and they rebooked us on a flight from Berlin to Frankfurt, withan overnight stayinFrankfurttoensure we had enough time for our connecting flight from Frankfurt to Seattle. But then United Airlines changedthe flight, this time booking us with connecting flightsfrom FrankfurttoWashington Dulles to Seattle.Thisisa much longer flight duration —at least 5hours longer than the direct flight —and adds an extraconnection, which will beverydifficult for my daughter

Ican’teven makeaninternational connection in Frankfurt in less than 11/2 hours —atleast Icouldn’tthe last time Itried. How do they expect someone in a wheelchair to make it?

Your case raises several questions. For example, are you considered asecond-class citizen if you are redeeming miles for your ﬂight?You probably felt that way Butactually,the oppositeshould be true. Your airline should be treating you better because of your loyalty. Someone should have ensured that you were booked on ﬂightswith reasonable connection times —after all, you’re one of United’sbest customers. Another question: Should United have gone theextra mile

Clearly,yes. United has adedicated department forspecial-needs passengers that should have been able to help. Ididn’tsee any correspondence with that departmentinyourpaper trail, but that might have been ashortcut to a solution. Youmight have also tried reaching out to one of the United Airlines executives. Ipublish their names, numbers and email addresses on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. Ultimately, when Ilookatyour itinerary,I might have gone with an Icelandair flight with one stop in Reykjavik that would have gotten you to Seattle in about 12 hours. You could havesaved your points for another flight. Icontacted United Airlines on your behalf.After reviewing your case, the airline agreed to rebook you on aflight from Berlin to Newark with atwo-night layover in Newark, followed by adirect flight from Newark to Seattle. This new itinerary allows enough timefor your daughter to comfortably transfer between flights. The airline also issued you a$350 voucher per person as compensation forthe inconvenience caused by the changes to your itinerary While the new itinerary may not be perfect, it allows your family to travel comfortably and safely 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.

PHOTO By CATHERINE S. COMEAUX

marsh from the back porch.

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D

chief external relations ofﬁcer for City Park Conservancy.But it stood along City Park Avenue beforeitwas moved to itscurrent location in the 1920s, Duplechain said.

Currently,the carousel lives in the center of City Park’sCarouselGardens, encased in a10-sided pavilion. The carousel’sthree rows contain 30 jumping horses, 21 standing horses, agiraffe, a lion, acamel and two chariots. The carousel sees regularuse, especiallyinsummer when all rides in the park stay open on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

“It’sone of my favorite little hidden gems in the park,” Duplechain said. “It’sbeautiful. We realizedhow special it is, and it’s apriority,you know,amongst most things in the park for us as stewards, to make sure that we’re caring for it in away that preserves it over time.”

The history of New Orleans carousels is along and twisting one, as reporter MikeScott wrote for The Times-Picayune in 2024.

City Park’scarousel horses are the work of Bartholomewand Timothy Murphy,noted carousel creators who learned how to create the attraction in then-popular Coney Island style, under Charles Looff, atrailblazer of the craft.

Duplechain said the last major restoration done to the carousel was in 2013, when all the horses were taken down, stripped of paint, examined for cracksand damage,and then hand-painted to regain their original appearance.

‘Anantique to ride’

WRF Designs, afamily-owned carousel restoration company basedinPlainville, Connecticut, comes for aweek each year to maintain the carousel.Company founder Bill Finkenstein worked on the carousel for over 40 years, and his son, Gabriel Finkenstein, now leads theteam, making the yearly trip from Connecticut to Louisiana to examine the carousel.

“It’slasted, and it’sstill abeautiful piece,” Gabriel Finkenstein said. “It’sanantique that people get achance to ride, and thenext

DUHON

Continued from page 1D

ajob at the CBS afﬁliate KLFY TV-10 following graduation. After twoyears, Duhon enrolledinﬁlm classes at South Louisiana Community College. An instructor recommended him to BET when the network needed camera operatorswhile shooting “College Hill” in Baton Rouge. The reality TV work opened the door to Bullet Films and10 years of shooting non-scripted shows. Duhon later moved to New Orleans and Los Angeles, building aresume of more than 100 TV shows.

He has the scars to prove it

“A lot of people don’tknow holding acamera for 12-15 hours aday just wears on your body,” saidDuhon. “I went through some major injuries, like reallife sports injuries. Ihad my shoulder replaced, my knee replaced. Ihad nerve damage in my hand and elbow.This is all from operating so much “I was just so giddy about the shows, Ijust didn’tcare. But after all these injuries,Ijustmo-

Paynomindtowinesnob

friend whodoesn’t share

Dear Harriette: Ihave afriend who is awine connoisseur.She knows alot about it and spends alot of money on it. Idon’thave that kind of money,but Idoenjoy wine and like to serve it when guests visit. Iﬁnd my friend to be obnoxious about her wine tastes. I see her turn up her nose when she sees my selections. She hastaken to bringing her own bottles when she comes over to my house so that she can drink what she likes. Iﬁnd this to be rude —especially since she doesn’tshare her wine with others. She just drinks what she brought for herself. HowdoIget this to stop?

—Obnoxious Friend

generation getsa ride, and the next generation gets aride. Our main goal as bothrestorers and peoplewho really enjoy carousels is to make sure that it goes to that next generation.”

Finkenstein’screwblends paint by hand to match original colors. Thehorses’ tails, made from real horsehair,are restored by aprocessinwhich they are wettedand stretched out on wooden plugs. Finkenstein said the horses are hollow,built like barrels. The plugsfor these tails were drilled,sosome go into the empty space in themiddle.

“Wefound100-year-old coins, notesfromcarvers,sweepstakes tickets, all different thingsinside those figures,” Finkenstein said.“It works like atime capsule. If any kid could fit something somewhere, there’sa little hole that goes right through the horse. If akid can fit aride ticket or apiece of paper in through that hole, they will and then say 25,30, 40, 50, 100 years later,you findthose things.”

Keepingatradition going

Another unique feature are thehorses’ glass jeweled eyes. Workers used aspecial method to getasnug ﬁt between the socket andeye by ﬁtting theeye into place, then wrapping wet cloth aroundthe eye.

Thewater would be absorbed by wood, and asthe piece dried andshrunk, the wood contracted aroundthe eye, leaving the eyes ﬁrmly embedded in place.

Finkenstein said features like these contributedtothe overall style of the carousel—onethat has lasted throughout theyears.

“They can last,” Finkenstein said. “It just takes awhole community to makeanything work. So thefact that they (City Park staffers) work so hard to keep theirs goingiswonderful, and I hope it lasts as many moregenerationsaspossible.

“I said that my father started working on it. I’ve been workingonit. Andifmykids want to work on it in the future,I’ll have them comedown with me. I would love to just keep it going.”

Do you have aquestionabout something inLouisiana that’s got you curious?Emailyour question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com.Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

seyed my way back into feature ﬁlms. That’swhere Iamright now,feature ﬁlms and documentaries.”

As he moves into directing and producing, Duhon started 2AM MotionPictures, an independent company that haslanded work with actress andwellnesscoach PilarSanderswho’s interested creating Lifetime Christmas movies. He’sheading to LA for an eight-week job withwrestler/actor turnedproducer John Cena.

Duhon advises thenext famous NHS alum to never quit —and enjoy thejourney

“Earlier this year,I did aseries with Marc JohnJeffries in Brooklyn, NY called ‘Love &Brooklyn.’I’m ridingaround NewYork,the largest city in America, (thinking)they hired a kidfrom Northside High in this city with 20 million people.

“I’m riding on Broadway,looking at all the buildings. I’ve really comealong way.”

Herman Fuselier is awriter, broadcaster and tourism director living in Opelousas. His “Zydeco Stomp” radio show airsatnoon Centraltime Saturdays on KRVS8.7 FM and online at KRVSPublic Media.

travels with them so that they are self-sufﬁcient. Consider her to be her own one-man band, so to speak. Let her come with whatever she wants and stew in her own judgments while you continue to entertain your friends without allowing yourself to feel belittled by her

Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

Dear Obnoxious Friend: While your friend may be obnoxious about her wine selection, you can look past her behavior and allow her to bring what she wantstoyour house. Ihave seen this in practice in the South, where people visit friends and family with acooler full of whatever they like to drink —but there’snojudgment attached. Sometimes they offer to share. Other times it’sjust their self-contained minibar that

Dear Harriette: Irecently made ahuge mistake, and Ifeel sick about it. My best friend conﬁded in me that she’spregnant, which is something she and her husband have been trying for over two years to makehappen. When she told me, she was so happy and madeitclear that it was still asecret. They wanted to wait afew moreweeks before announcing it to everyone in acute and memorable way,which they had been planning formonths. Iwas happy forher,and Itruly meanttohonor her trust, but during acasual hangout with our group of friends, Iaccidentally let it slip. Nowshe’sunderstandably furious with me. She said she feels like aspecial moment has been stolen from her and her husband, andI completely get it.

I’ve apologized over and over,but she barely acknowledges me. I hate knowing Icaused her pain during what should be one of the happiest times of her life. How do Ieven begin to ﬁx this? Is there anything Ican do to makeitright, or did Ipermanently ruin our friendship?

—Broken Confidence

DearBrokenConfidence: Your friend feels especially hurt because you two are so close, which is why she confided in you in the first place. It feels like adeep betrayal. Only time can heal this wound. Back off for now,and let her calm down. See if she reaches out after a month or so. If not, try again. Offer to help her in any waythat she mayneed, but don’tpush. She will have to decide when she lets you back in the fold. Pregnancy is an interesting time because the mother’shormones are changing as the baby grows, and everything seems amplified. Youcannot force anything. Just let her know you love her and want to be there for her

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o AndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

BRAZDA

Continuedfrom page1D

resources— the idea being that any show could be done with nothing morethan two chairs.

Imitating Brazda’srising star withThe Second City,Two Chairs’ scrappy band of playwrights, directors, actors andartists from LSUwas voted Chicago’s“Best New TheatreCompany” in 2023 by “Chicago Reader,” after just their ﬁrst season.

Thesedays, TwoChairs is afullfledged 501(c)3 nonprofit with 20 resident artists, acreative team of sixand anonproﬁt board. According to its mission, the company focuses on “storytelling-first,” providing support to up-and-coming, underrepresented artists.

Growingupin thespotlight

Understanding Brazda’s work now requires going back to where it all began: home. Before Chicago, Brazda’sloveoftheater took root in Louisiana, starting in herhometown of Lafayette. As achild, she livedunderaspotlight as thedaughter of two veteran local television personalities, Scott Brazda andSuzanne Ferrara.

Beforemoving to Acadiana, Ferrara was with WWL and WDSU in New Orleans and WAFB in Baton Rouge. The couple met while working at KATC-TV in Lafayette.

Sophia Brazda remembers the days of shopping with herdad in Lafayette grocerystores as randomstrangers stopped to chat with him.

“He would talk toevery person,” she said. “I used to get so annoyed when Iwas alittlegirl, like,‘Do you have to talktoeveryperson? We’retrying to buy eggs.’

She says even as achild that her parents’ careers gave her asense of how big theworld was.

Watchingher parentstellhonest stories that elevated and lifted people in the community planted the seeds foralot of what Brazda does now

“Because everyday I’d have to watch either my mom or my dad for six to nine hours continuously improvise andwrite their own scripts,”she said. “My parents

taught me early about communicating and interacting withthe world and with their communities.”

Atriplethreat

Sophia Brazdaperformed with a variety of theater groups in Acadiana, including CYT,where she starred in anumber of shows between 2011 and 2018. As atriple threat —she acts, sings and dances —Brazda’searly theater days were focused on musicals.

“Sophia always had that special ingredient that made herdifferent/special,” saidGerald Broussard,founderofCYT Lafayette. “Whenshe ﬁrst came to CYT,we knew she could sing and act, but it wasn’tuntil the musical ‘Hairspray’ that the funny side of her came alive.”

Broussardsaideven back then Brazda had“that quirkysarcasm that audiences loved.”

Sophia Brazda says that role in “Hairspray,” her ﬁrst venture into comedy,launched herloveaffair with making people laugh.

“It was so wonderful.I wasn’t used to getting laughs like that,” she said. “I’m like 15, maybe 16 at this point. It wasa unique opportunitytobeable to improvise alot on stage, which Ihad never,ever been able to do before. AndIwas surprised at how easily it came or at leasthow comfortable Ifeltexploring that.”

Fromthat point on, she only wanted to play parts that were “at leasta littlefunny,” andcollege gave her abigger stage —and moreroom to experiment.

Her subsequent theatrical success hasn’tbeen asurprisefor those who watched her grow up on stage.

“Weall knew when she left for collegethat everyonewould see what we saw: amazing talent, comedic timing and kindheartedness,” Broussard said.

SophiaBrazda saysher comedy bug continued to grow untilshe “got thecomedy itch proper” when she landed at LSU in the fall of 2018, after graduating from Teurlings Catholic High School. At LSU, she became president of theUniversity Theatre Alliance andwrote “God Gun!: AHalf-

Written Play,” as her thesis forthe Ogden Honors College. She then directed “God Gun!” in the HopKins Black Box Theatre the ﬁrst act is written, but the second act is improvised and changes with everyperformance. LSU has continuedtoperform “GodGun!” since Brazda’sgraduation, with various students directing it and starring in it.

In high school and college, she performed with big bands in New Orleans, including being the lead singer forthe Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra.

“I sang foralot of weddings and Mardi Gras balls, New Year’scelebrations, that kind of thing,”she said.

‘You getwhere I’mfrom’ Remarkably,Sophia Brazda is not the only Lafayette product shaping The Second City.Kate Eddy,also from the Hub City,isthe organization’smarketing director However, thetwo hadnever met until their paths crossed at The Second City

“Sophia’sdad knows my dad. They both separately mentioned to each of us,” said Eddy. “I sawher last summer.She wasunderstudying forthe mainstage. Iwas there because we were working with ‘Sesame Street.’”

“Sesame Street” sent thereal Cookie Monster to play the third act of the show,afully improvised 30-minute set.

“Sophia played the setwith Cookie Monster.Itwas unreal,” Eddy said. “Lafayette powers they’re out there!” Eddy has high praise forBrazda and says being an understudy at The Second City is no small feat. She noted that having someone from Louisiana, and more speciﬁcally Lafayette,not only living in Chicago but working within the sameorganization was special.

“It’slike, ‘Oh you get it. Youget where I’mfrom.’ It’s acommonality,”Eddy said. “Moving fromLafayette to abig city can be scary When you’re in the same building with someone, it’sareminder that the world is big, but it’salso very small.”

Email Jan Risheratjan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

The distinctivebuilding housing the historic carousel in NewOrleans City Park showinspring 2020

PROVIDED PHOTO

Sophia Brazda, aLafayette native, performs as amember of The Second City ensemble in Chicago.

AT THE TABLE

Glazed figcakebringsbackmemoriesofthe farm

BY DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN Contributing writer

Istood at the kitchen sink looking out onto the backyard.

“Why is Daddy dressed like that?” I asked Momma.

It is July and already hot at 7:30 in the morning.Why on earthwould he be dressed in long pants, along-sleeved shirt, boots anda large hat?

“Hewent out to pick ﬁgs,” she said as she stood at the kitchen island witha 10-pound bag of sugar andher largest pot When pickingﬁgs, it is important to protect your skin.

The rough leaves and the ﬁg sap can make sores on your skin if you don’tcover well. After picking the ﬁgs, Iknew that Daddy would take ashower and use baking soda to scrub his skin toprotect himself from getting sores.

“Yes, that’sright! It is just about the Fourth of July and that is when the figs are ripe,” Isaid as Iremembered that the holiday signaled time for fig picking and the making of fig preserves.

Most people think of ﬁreworks, hot dogs, picnics, and red, white andblue.But, here on the farm, it was just another harvest time and this time it is ﬁgs.

The best thing about eating seasonally is that there was such anticipation and appreciation of the arrival of the different seasons and the bounty it brings. For us on the farm,figs were made into preserves andour yearly fig cake. Momma made it once ayear and we trulyenjoyed it. This year has not brought many figs on the trees. Most of the fig trees in south Louisiana have died because of the snow that fell earlier this year

Whenyou make your own preserves, you can store them for more than ayear If you don’thave agood crop one year,you can always tap into your reserved supplies. The recipe that follows calls for 1cup of ﬁg preserves. Now those preserves are precious. But, because it is aonce-a-year treat, we don’tmind using that 1cup for the cake.

Ihopethat you will give thiscake atry It has awonderful caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and clove ﬂavor and it is super moist due to the buttermilk glaze.

FigPreserve Cake

Buttermilk Glaze

PHOTO By DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN

HOLLYWOOD SOUTH

In 2020, domestic movie theaters were going gangbusters with $100 million in revenue the ﬁrst weekend of March.

Leslie Cardé

But just two weeks later, according to IMDB Pro’sBox Ofﬁce Mojo, weekend ticket sales had collapsed, to just $4,160. What transpired in those two weeks could be summed up simply —the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Wewere closed at least twice for multiple months at atime, starting in 2020,” said Brian Knighten, owner of The Broad Theater in New Orleans. “When we reopened the ﬁrst time, there was no business, so we closed again. We had done spaced seating, masks and played by all the rules, but it didn’tpacify people’s fears.” Hollywood was also panicked, because there was suddenly nowhere to release their expensive new ﬁlms.

The solution to the problem would begin anew trend: Brand-new movies, usually reserved for theaters, were suddenly coming to everyone’sliving room via streaming.

Although many studios pushedtheir blockbuster openings to 2021, industry strategies quickly moved to astreaming model. Meanwhile, ﬁlmmakers struggled with new COVID protocols on set, and moviemaking became much more expensive and timeconsuming, with fewer ﬁlms being turned out as a result. Reopen or go bankrupt

The pandemic affected everyone’sbottom line. By the summer of 2020, theater owners had to decide whether to reopen or face bankruptcy

But that wouldmean ﬁguring outhow to create new revenuestreams, since there was less inventory landing in theaters. Formega-chain AMC, that meant bringing aproduct to theaters that moviegoers couldn’t getintheirliving rooms.

“Wenegotiated adeal with celebrities that would

bring their live concerts into movie theaters,” said AMC Vice President Ryan Noonan, speaking from AMC’sheadquarters in Kansas. “For starters we partnered withbothTaylor Swift and Beyoncé for on-screen concerts, which turned out to be hugely successful for AMC, and thetheater landscape in general.”

When two Hollywood union strikes ended, theaters ﬁnally saw aﬂurry of new movies, giving moviegoers areason to venture

amultimillion-dollar merchandising business, and it’sbecome ahuge industry trend. Now, we have items from ‘Superman,’ ‘Jurassic World’ and ‘The Fantastic Four,’ and viewers leave the theater with acollectible.”

Specials on tickets, drinks

With concessions accounting for75% of revenues, according to Broad owner Knighten, it’simportant to provide enticements to bring the theatergoing clientele over to the refreshmentstand or bar

“Wewant our regulars to see every movie,” Knighten said.

“And our reasonably priced alcoholic beverages are an added incentive to come to the theater.We have the lowest priced mixed drinks in the city, and somespecial creations of our own which attract acrowd. And, with our special $6 Tuesday ticket prices, night or day,that’s becomeour busiest day of the week.”

out into amultiplex.

With electric recliner seats, Dolby projection and sound, and food delivered to one’sseat, it’sbecome moreofapremiumexperience.

According to AMC’s Noonan, people are now seeking more value.

“We’ve started providing innovative popcorn bucketsthat align with thebig titles —the ‘Ghostbusters’ car,‘The Fastand Furious’ Dodge Charger, and the ‘Dune’ popcorn bucket,” Noonan said. “It’s

The Broadside, the openair theater and concert venue next door to The Broad Theater that opened in September 2020, may have arisen out of apandemic when people felt safer outside, but it has been thriving ever since.

Nowthat property is hometoanupscale Japanese restaurant called Nikkei, presided over by the chefs whoused to run Carmointhe CBD

There are sushi deals on Tuesday night, which tie in with the bargain Tuesday ticket prices next door

During the hot, sticky months of summer,The Broadside becomes adivein: Audience members who buy tickets forevents like concerts in the outdoor

space can rent asmallpool, seating eight people, for$6. Abarrage of advertising

To supplement what is still adeﬁcit in revenues at theaters, manyofthe larger chains beginning twoweeks ago started running extensive ads before the movie. On arecent trip Imade to aRegal Theater in San Francisco, Icounted 35 ads before the trailers began. Brian Knighten, of The Broad, is familiar with this new concept and isn’ton board.

“Wewere offered $1,800 amonth to run just four to five minutes of ads before each show,” Knighten said. “Weopted not to do this. We do 10 minutes of trailers before the movie and advertise just 1minute forThe Broadside next door.” Knighten prefers to be a community resource, with The Broad seeing summer school and NORD groups twotothree times aweek forfield trips along with working with nonprofits that often show their own movies, or private groups (even bachelor parties) that ask to rent their own favorites fortheir friends.

Although domestic box ofﬁce numbers are still down almost 20% from aprepandemic 2019, 2025 has seen aboon with this year’s summer blockbusters, like the new “Mission Impossible,” “Superman,” “F1” and this week’s“The Fantastic Four.” With titles like “Tron,” “Wicked: For Good” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” debuting during the upcoming holidays, attendance is decidedly headed in the right

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,July 27, the 208th day of 2025. There are 157 days left in the year

TodayinHistory

On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed at Panmunjom, ending three yearsofﬁghting on the Korean peninsula that killed an estimated 4million people.

Also on this date:

In 1789, President George Washington signed ameasure establishing the Departmentof Foreign Affairs, forerunner of the Department of State

In 1866, Cyrus W. Field ﬁnished laying out the ﬁrst successful underwater telegraph cable between North America and Europe.

In 1909, during the first official test of the U.S. Army’sfirst airplane, Orville Wright flewhimself and apassenger,Lt. Frank Lahm, above Fort Myer,Virginia, for one hour and 12 minutes.

In 1940, Billboard magazine published its ﬁrst “music popularity chart” listing best-selling retail records. In ﬁrst place was “I’ll Never Smile Again” recorded by Tommy Dorsey andHis Orchestra, with featured vocalist Frank Sinatra.

In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted 27-11 to adopt the ﬁrst of three articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon, charging hehad personally engaged in acourse of conduct designed to obstruct justice in the Watergate case.

In 1980, on day 267 of theIranian hostage crisis,the deposed Shah of Iran died at amilitary hospitaloutside Cairo, Egypt,at age 60.

In 1981, 6-year-old AdamWalsh was abducted from adepartment store in Hollywood,Fla., and was later murdered (Adam’s father,John Walsh, subsequently became avictims’ rights activist and, in 1988, launched and hosted thetelevision show“America’s Most Wanted”).

In 1996, terror struck the Atlanta Olympics as apipe bomb exploded at Centennial Olympic Park, directly killing one person andinjuring 111. (Anti-government extremist Eric Rudolph later pleaded guilty to thebombing, exonerating security guard Richard Jewell, who had been

wrongly suspected.)

In 2012, Britain opened its Olympic Games in acelebration of Old England andnew, even cheekily featuring stunt doublesfor Queen Elizabeth II andﬁctional special agent James Bond parachutinginto Olympic Stadium

In 2013, security forces and armed men clashed with supporters of Egypt’sousted president, Mohammed Morsi, killingat least 72 people.

In 2015, the Boy Scouts of America ended its blanket ban on gayadult leaderswhile allowing church-sponsored Scout units to maintain the exclusion for religious reasons

In 2018, theWhite House announcedthat North Korea had returned the remains of what were believed to beU.S. servicemenkilled during the Korean War, with aU.S. military plane making araretripintoNorth Korea to retrieve 55 cases of remains.

In 2020, theworld’s biggest COVID-19 vaccinestudy began with theﬁrst of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created bythe National Institutes of Health and ModernaInc.

In 2021, American gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of the gymnastics team competition at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental well-being, saying she realized following ashaky vaultthat shewasn’tinthe right headspace to compete.

Today’sbirthdays: Singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry is 83. Actordirector Betty Thomas is 78. Olympicgold medal ﬁgure skater Peggy Flemingis77. Singer Maureen McGovernis76. Comedian-actor-writer Carol Leifer is 69.Comedian Bill Engvall is 68. Actor-martial artist Donnie Yen is 62. Jazz singer Karrin Allyson is 62. Rock musician Juliana Hatﬁeldis58. Former professional wrestler Triple His56. Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is 55. Comedian Maya Rudolph is 53. Rock musician Abe Cunningham (Deftones) is 52. Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn is 51. Former MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez is 50. Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyersis48. Actor/comedian Heidi Gardner (TV: “Saturday Night Live”)is42. Actor Taylor Schilling is 41. MLB All-Star pitcher Max Scherzer is 41. Golfer Jordan Spieth is 32.

Thehonorificsdebaterages on

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave discovered that my husband’s small business has been sending out birthday/anniversary cards addressed to clients by their ﬁrst names (i.e. Joe Smith).I believe that the envelopes should be addressed using atitle (Mr.Joe Smith). Ihave been informed by my husband, and his young receptionist,that using thetitle is too formal and omitting it is friendlier

what everybody is doing these days? She is merely curious, sincethe lines between the personal and the professional seem to be particularly blurred at your husband’splace of business.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

His clientsare professionals between the ages of 30 and 90. I believe that most of them were raised during atime of proper etiquette, and that my husband not using titles makes his correspondence appear uncouth. Am I just being too picky?

Gentlereader: “Mr.Joe Smith” would be Miss Manners’ preference. Butthen, she would also prefer not to receive birthday cards from her (for instance) dentist,who only knows her birthday from her privatemedical records —not because he is afriend.

Now MissMannershas aquestionofher own: Is this decision being made by theproprietor of the business, his wife or the receptionistwho claims toknow

Dear Heloise: Need more storage space in the garage or closet?

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave atremor in my hands, worse in my dominant hand, and it affects my table manners. In public, Itry to choose foods that are relatively easy formetohandle, but Ioften have to makeunconventional accommodations, such as holding my right hand with my left while eating, or putting my chin right over my bowl.

On occasion, if afood proves too difﬁcult, Iask the restaurant to wrap it up, telling them that Iamfull.Then Itake it home, where Ican eat it in whatever manner Ichoose.

Butperhaps Ishould forgo eating in public altogether?

Gentlereader: NotonMiss Manners’ account, nor forany rule of etiquette. Accommodations for physical necessity are an essential part of good manners. Sadly,the greatest proof of this lies in the now-rampant misuse of the rule. Why do you think we are discovering so manynew

intended to do! —Amy W.,inOhio

diseases and allergies every time someone decides they do not want to eat their peas?

Dear Miss Manners: What do you do if you say something pleasant to someone, or ask them aquestion, and they totally ignore you?

I’m talking about various situations: acashier or alibrary clerk, but also people Iwork with. I know they hear me,but they don’trespond. Iused to work with womenwho would ignore me at work if Isaid anything to them, but if they saw me out at astore, they would sayhitome. Should I have ignored them, like they did to me?

Gentle reader Deliberately ignoring someone who is speaking to you is ahigh insult, one that is tantamount to severing relations. For that reason, it is not something you should strain to see when it was not intended. Why would someone insult you at work but then later greet you at the store?

Youcan always repeat agreeting to makesure the person heard, but Miss Manners cautions that with morecasual acquaintances, it may be wiser to overlook such slights.

Send questions to Miss Manners to dearmissmanners@gmail. com.

Tryusing the empty ice chest that is just waiting for the next partyoranempty suitcase that is just waiting for the next road trip

B.T.A., in Lakewood, California

When to toss outatoothbrush

Dear Heloise: As adental hygienist, Ialways suggest getting anew toothbrush every three months.

Butaneven moreimportant way to determine when to toss abrush is when it begins to fan out. Once atoothbrush starts to fan out from its original shape, it’snolonger doing thejob it was

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 ...

 Look forcoveragethat helps pay formajor services. Some plans may limitthe numberof procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans mayrequire you to payhundredsout of pocket before benefits are paid.

 Shop forcoveragewithnoannual maximum on cash benefits. Some planshaveannual maximums of $1,000.

health forgranted.Infact, yourodds of having adentalproblem only go up as you age.2

Treatment is expensive— especially theservicespeople over 50 oftenneed.

Consider these national average costs of treatment. $222 fora checkup .$190 for afilling. $1,213 fora crown.3 Unexpected bills likethis can be arealburden especially if you’re on afixed income.

Ask about the

Baking soda on teeth

Dear Heloise: Somepeople are misinformed about the abrasiveness of baking soda when used for brushing your teeth.

Bakingsoda is less abrasive than most toothpastes and is also agood acid neutralizer.Itcan be used daily —MaryB., in Michigan

Recyclingnewspapers

Dear Heloise: Ilive in San Antonio, near aveterinary clinic. After Iread my newspaper,I accumulate apile of these newspapers andtake them to the veterinary clinic. —K.T., via email

Lost rings

Dear Heloise: Ihave ahabit of removing my rings when Iwash my handsinapublic place. To

keep from losing them,I do one of two things: Ieither put them in my pocket or thread them on the stem of my glasses.

Ilearned this the hard way when Iforgot to put my rings back on after Ihad leftarestaurant! Sadly,they were gone, and no one turned them in to the management. —Beverly T.,Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Toomanyeggs

Dear Heloise: We use alot of eggs in my home, so the only way Ican tell the fresh ones from the older eggs is to buy browneggs one weekand white the next week. It works well forme. —Patricia B., Tiverton,Rhode Island

Send ahinttoheloise@heloise com.

Hints from Heloise

From NewOrleans to the NorthCarolinamountains

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

“Makeyour wayhome,”byCarrieR.Moore,Tin House, 336pages

What makes aplace home? Is it the memories that took place there? Does it require living there a certain amountoftime? Is home where those you love reside? Or is it afeeling?

In “Make Your WayHome,” adebut collection of short stories byCarrie R. Moore, the authorexplores theconcept of home through akaleidoscopeof stories set across the American South, including New Orleansand Mississippi near the Gulf. In one, aman tries to win over the love of his life despiteafamily curse.

Another,writteninthe second person, follows alifeguard in Alabama. In Florida, ayoung woman is pregnantatthe same time asher mother,and theyoung woman is navigating conﬂict with her mom over next steps.

Regardless of where or who the story is about, Moore’swritingshines inthe details and the truths theyreveal. Her writing feels deeply grounded in place and emotional insightwhichfeels speciﬁc to the place.

She managestopull off acollection of non-interconnected stories that feel uniﬁed.The connection shines through in not just the places Moorepicks but the way the characters think within those settings. What the characters ﬁnd normal, their trauma andcultural back-

Carrie R. Moore, author of newdebut collectionofshortstories, ‘Makeyour Way Home.

grounds all feel true,and they’reclearly the result of thorough research.

When acharacter in the ﬁnal story wholeft Texas after ahurricane is asked why she’s movingtoMaine (“What’sinMaine, aside from crazy winters?”), she cycles through answers in her head:Permanence. Water.Greenery But sheanswers simply: “Well, what’s here?”

The “here” in each story of thebook is

thereal triumph of the collection.

In thestoryset in New Orleans, adeaconess named Sariah wrestles with both thefeeling that God is far away and that she’sfalling for anew church member

Unlike other books with short stories or chapters, Moore’sstoryisnot just vaguely set in thecity with some passing references to Mardi Gras or Bourbon Street.Instead, the setting is one particular church community and focuses on this one couple within it. Over the course of thestory, it’srevealed how different hurricaneshave displaced people, and the main character wonders aloud about future storms. Sometimes, living in the South feels like living in constant precarity: storms come, circumstances change, and life happens. “Make Your WayHome” is an ode to homes and those who make it so, even when they aren’tperfect, aren’t theones we’d choose and aren’tguaranteed to stay in. In these stories, Moore deftly conjures what it means to belong and what it means to long for that belonging. Whether it’s navigating complicated parent dynamics, romantic relationships, new places or medical care, Moore’sstories about survival and perseverance arelike takingaroadtrip in theSouth and being aﬂyonthe wallin different people’slives. Hercollection is avital exploration of how the past bothrecent and otherwise —shapes us into thepeople we are.

Email Serena Puang at serena.puang@ theadvocate.com. Followher on Instagram, @dear.yall.

Summer reading season brings its shareofjoy

Last December,asthe glad tidings of the holidays made“joy” amuch-mentioned word, acopy of Steven Petrow’s “The Joy YouMake” arrived in the mailand made its waytomyever-teetering pile of unread books, where it sat formonths.

Only now,inthe high heat of another Louisiana summer,have Icracked the spine of Petrow’slatest book, but there’s really been no harm in my delay.The point of his project is that joy isn’tjust something to warmyour hands around at Christmas or other special occasions.

At its best, of course, joy is adaily discipline.

Petrow stumbled into his subject during the pandemic, when he wrote aWashington Post essay on ﬁnding joy in tough times. He unpacks the topic morefully in “The Joy YouMake,” which makes the case that joy,though commonly viewed as an exercise in smiling radiance, isn’tquite the samething as happiness.

Joy is morecomplicated, as Petrow points out, and it can even coincide with sad events like helping aloved one through serious illness. Although asingle deﬁnition of joy is elusive, all joy seemsto point outward, connecting us with something beyond ourselves.

Petrow has found joy in cooking, writing and even volunteering at alocal cancer ward. The author offers acouple of chapters on reading as asource of joy,too. Having your head in abook might seem to work against the ideal of joy as athing with an open face. But reading, though often undertaken in solitude, isn’treally about isolation. Agreat book gives us meaning by joining us with someother mind, someother soul, someother experience that changes us, however imperceptibly,asweturn each page.

“I’d found my place, the beginnings of community,and asense of belonging,” Petrow writes of his early lifeinbooks. “For me, that has proven to be the ultimatejoy of reading.”

I’ve been thinking about all of this as I enjoy another summer reading season in my favorite living room chair.There’sa magnifying glass near my elbow in case I want to give any pictures Icome across a closer look. Ialso keep aset of binoculars handy to inspect the birds that arrive by the window Ilike having these things around because they enlarge how Isee my life. When abook is really good, it enlarges my vision, too.

I’ve just ﬁnished “The Bookshop,” a Penelope Fitzgerald novel about alittle woman, Florence Green, whodecides to open abookstore in asmallEnglish town. She seemsabit wispy to tackle such ajob, but in Fitzgerald’sstory,wecome to see how strong and deep Florence is on the inside.

In reading about her,I came to feel stronger and deeper,too. Iguess I’mdescribing joy,the abiding giftofany good book.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com

ny Heitm Danny Heitman

PROVIDED PHOTO By MATT VALENTINE

bumps Forthe way along the

In acitywhere residentsare challenged daily, entrepreneursuse theirskillstoquell aggravations

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Forsix years, Saleh Hamed made a living as ahairstylist.

Butabouta decade ago, he beganto notice,like alot of NewOrleanians,that the deplorable condition of city streets —with their cavernous potholes, uneven sections of roadway and scattered debris —were wrecking suspensions andripping through tires.

Andhesaw in the city’sbad roads a businessopportunity

So,in2017, he hung up his shears, shelved hisstyling products and opened

Tire SquadCo.,anautomotiveservice center now located on abusy stretch of Claiborne Avenue between Uptown and aheavily used Interstate 10 onramp.

The business took off, thanks, in part, to Hamed’s skilled useofsocial media and his eye-catching purple signs

Three years later,Tire Squadwent mobile, offeringemergency roadside services from aMercedes Sprinter van wrapped with stickers in thecompany’s signature shade Betweenthe shop andmobileservice, Hamed said his eight-personteam

ä See QUELL, page 2E

Auto dealersweigh buyerincentivesastari

BY BLAKE PATERSON

Staff writer

Louisiana auto dealersare seeing aslowdown in sales as consumers shy away from purchasing new vehicles amid tariff-induced price hikes and elevated interest rates. Hoping to lure back shoppers, however,both manufacturers and dealers are ramping up discounts and incentives,helpingtogrease the wheels on transactions but also eating into proﬁt margins. Carbuyersflockedto dealerships earlier this year to getahead President Donald Trump’s25% tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts,which he hasargued

are needed to encourage investmentsindomestic manufacturing.

Sincethen, thesticker price on new vehicles has steadily increased. In June, the averagemanufacturer’ssuggested retail price hit $51,124, nearing anew record, accordingtoKelley BlueBook Still, many carbuyers are paying less than the sticker price. The averagesalepriceonanew car last month was $48,907, suggesting that dealers and manufacturers areeating the rising costs instead of passingthemalong to consumers. Troy Duhon,the largest Louisiana-based car dealer,with 39 dealerships across eight states, said

manufacturersare offering more generous rebates tokeep products moving.

“You’re also starting to see brands offer,onselect vehicles, 0% interest for 60 months, which we haven’tseen in averylong time,” said Duhon,who owns Premier AutomotiveGroup.

Some brands arepassingthe cost of tariffs directly onto dealers. Volkswagen, for instance, has started adding atariff line item on its orders, Duhon said.

“What they’re doing is just passing the cost to the dealer who subsequently has to eat it or justpass

ä See DEALERS, page 4E

STAFF FILE

PHOTOByHILARy

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Ehab Ayyadchanges out atireonavehicle at Tire Squad Co.onSouth Claiborne Avenue.

Rulestoconsiderwhentakinginsomeone with moneyissues

My husband and Idecided that our house would be ahaven for loved ones facing ﬁnancial hardship

We have the space in our hearts andhome to be arefuge

In my newsletter,Iaddressed aquestion that Ireceive quite frequently,especially duringeconomicdownturns: When afamily member or friend is in aﬁnancial bind, how do youdecide whether to let them move in with you? Should you offer the help or wait to be asked?

The need for suchsupport is growing.

President Donald Trump’stariffs are starting to affect Americans’ pocketbooks through rising prices, and while unemployment remains low,some workers have been particularly hard hit by his administration’scuts. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with plans to layoff more than athird of theEducation Department’smore than 4,100 employees. Thousands of other federal workers have losttheir jobs. Amazon, Google and Microsoft have ﬁred thousands of workers overthe last fewyears

There have been several times when we have welcomed folks in ﬁnancial need to live with us, including arelative with her two children who stayed three years. Another young adult lived with us for nearly two years while she worked on getting out of debt, including paying off sometax liabilities.

Ibelieve that to whom much is given, much is required.

But your help needs to be pre-

QUELL

Continued from page1E

works on about 50 cars and sells about three timesthatmany tires daily

“The city doesn’tkeep up with the roads,” Hamedsaid. “So, whenit ﬂoods, water washes debris into the roadway,which puts tires at risk.”

Tire Squad is one of severallocal companies that has builta business by providing solutions to the challenges and frustrations that come with life in New Orleans, acity that is as charming andunique asitis exasperating.

These “aggravation entrepreneurs,” to coin aphrase, have created acottage industry around helping their fellow New Orleanians navigate the literal andﬁgurative potholes —and grid outages, termite infestations and frequent

ﬂooding —that are part of everyday life in The City That Care Forgot.

To be sure, every place has its problems, including climate crises, pests and power outages. But in a 300-year-old city,the challenges feel somehow unique,whichmakes theservicesprovided by the aggravation entrepreneurs that much more important to New Orleans’ sustainability

“Out-of-townerstell me our roads are the worst they’ve seen,” Hamed said. “I feelbad for people —but it’sgood for business.”

High-powered growth

In the mid-2010s, the Baton Rouge-based company now known as Optimize Generator People was trying to carve aniche in the renewable energy market by installing solar panels.

Butin2015, thestateended the Obama-era tax credits thathad incentivized homeowners to put the panels on their roofs. About that same time, the frequencyand duration of widespread power outages, long aproblem in Louisiana, started getting alot worse.

So, Optimize pivoted and became aGenerac dealer,sellingand installing whole house, natural-gas powered generators.

Although Generac has been around since 1959, the Wisconsinbased company has grown exponentially in recent years, andtoday, it has roughly 70% of the backup power market in the U.S The increased frequency and intensity of hurricanes has made the Gulf Coast aparticularly lucrative market over the past decade for the company’sproducts, and Optimize has capitalized on the demand.

Today,the ﬁrm is the largest of the more than 200 Generac dealers in Louisiana and is among the top ﬁve of all its dealersinthe U.S. Revenues have grown from less than $2 million in 2018 to more than$20 million.

“The whole business is growing like crazy now,” Optimize Managing Director Matthew Newman said. “When people worked from home during COVID, they couldn’t afford to nothavepowerbecause our lives are tethered to cellphones

Michelle Singletary THE COLOR OF MONEy

ceded by aplan. Here’swhat I suggest you do:

Don’twait to be asked. People in troubleare frequently told: “If there’sanything you need, just let me know.”

This is akind thing to say, but do you really want to help? Or is this justanempty promise that sounds nice?

It’shard for many people to ask for assistance. Pride gets in theway.Orthey may be worried about making things hard for you, so they suffer in silence. Moving into someone’splace can end very badly.Soitmight be up to you to make the ﬁrst move.

Butbecareful. Consider the extra costs for utilities or food if theycan’tafford to pay you rent right away

Are youwilling to forgo charging rent while the person looks for employment? Do you have the temperament to share your space with others?

Before opening your hometo someone in need, take timetoconsider the decision. Schedule ameeting to discuss youroffer Once youdecide you’re willing to take in aroommate, ask for a meeting. Make your offer Here’swhere things get tricky

Before youallowsomeone to moveinto your home, you need to know the full extent of their ﬁnancial situation.

They mayhave been in trouble long before arecent jobloss. You need to seebank statements. This isn’tsothat you can pass judgment, but so thatyou can see what happened and begin to plan how the person can recover and eventually move forward.

My motto,popularized by President Ronald Reagan: Trust, but verify Ask the persontobring their ﬁnancial information to the table, including pay stubs, bills and at least six months of bank or credit union statements. They should also be upfront about any longterm liabilities, such as credit card debt and student loans.

To protect their ﬁnancial information, have the person black out account numbers and other sensitive data.

Please do not rely on their memory or assurances of what’s going on.

Youshould also ensure thata computer is available if you need to access the internet and retrieve anymissing information.

If you’re concerned about your skills in assessing their finances, have your cash-strapped friend get help from anonprofit credit counseling agencythrough the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (nfcc.org).However you should be included in the discussion and attend the session. Iknow this sounds intrusive, but trust me:You need to have afull grasp of their finances. You’ll be roommates, and you have aright to know how muchthey can contribute and what the end game is.

Youmust see the numbers because you need to know how muchtimethe person might need

to live with you. The numbers will help you determine if you’re able or willing to let them live with you for as long as it takes for them to become ﬁnancially stable.

Then, after they set their budget, you can determine whether the person can afford to pay rent and whether they need to contribute to the household expenses. Forexample, when my husband and Iallowed the relative in debt to move in, we agreed that she wouldn’thave to pay rent as long as most of her income was allocated to paying offher liabilities, which included outstanding credit card debt and medical bills. We made it clear that the arrangement would change if she deviated from the debt-reduction plan. If she could afford to eat out, go on shopping sprees for things she didn’tneed, or take avacation, she could pay rent. Her choice. Fortunately,she chose to eliminate all unnecessary spending so thatshe could eventually move out once the debt was paid off Schedule aseparate meetingtodiscuss thelivingarrangements. Ialways felt it necessary to let people moving in feel it’s their home, too.

However,you should establish whatever ground rules you feel are necessary to ensure harmony

If you would like to share the cleaning duties for the communal space, please let them know.If you would like to receive notice of guests coming over,discuss that as well. Plan regular household meetings. With these types of living arrangements, it’sessential to communicate effectively

Set expectations. If you would like to receive rent and share expens-

es, then say that. For your protection, you should also draw up amonth-to-month rental agreement, even if you aren’tcollecting rent. Youcan ﬁnd an example on the legal site nolo. com

Initially,asyou’re getting the plan underway,meet weekly.If things are going well, you can transition to biweekly or monthly meetings to assess progress. Youmust see proof of progress. There has to be abudget. You need to see that goals are being met.

Youalso need asense of humor

When he was 18, my nephew moved in after graduating from high school. My husband wanted him to learn how to manage his money,sowecharged him rent. It wasn’tmuch, initially,just $100 a month.

Once, he cameupadollar short.

“Where’sthe rest of the rent money?” Iasked.

“What? Youwant the $1?” he asked incredulously

“Well, if you were living in an apartment, they would charge you alate fee if the rent wasn’tpaid in full.”

He left and returned with adollar in change. One year and three months after moving in, my nephew found agreat job and moved into his own apartment. Before he left, he showed me his handwritten budget. Inoticed he had crossed offa line item for cable.

Iwas so proud of him, Icried.

Today,he’sahomeowner

EmailMichelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

Ahmad Hamed and Ehab Ayyadreplace customers’

built abusiness by providing solutions

as it is exasperating

PROVIDED PHOTO

Arien Halland Luisa Abballe supervise alandscaping project in NewOrleans East. In an era of increasingly intense weather in a city with unreliable infrastructure, theowners of Mastodonte have led roughly 350 residential and commercialstormwater management projects.

andthe internet.”

Thecompany has installed more than 10,000 systems, and it has maintenance contracts on about 8,000. It installs about1,500 annually

Customers include out-of-townerswho are hesitant to move into the line of ﬁre.

“Weare very muchabout making feel comfortable moving to the Gulf Coast,” he said. “When we get acallfrom an out-of-state area code, we answer quickly.Someone might have gottena great joboffer, but they’re scared to death of hurricanes.”

NewmansaidOptimize customersskew olderexcept in New Or-

leans.

“New Orleans has the highest demand in the state, and it’s common to see a45-year-old shopping for one, whereinBaton Rougeof Lafayette, most customersare 65 to 75 yearsold.”

Protecting theirinvestment

While some ﬁrms are relatively newtothe aggravation entrepreneur economy, others have been around for decades

Tommy Sanchezwentinto the pest control business 30 years ago, openingHouse Call,which provides termitefumigation and other real estate services to needy homeowners.

Demandfor his services was clear New Orleans’ historic, woodframed houses arethe equivalent of athree-course meal at Commander’sPalace for one the city’s mostpernicious pests:the termites that serve avitalfunction in aforestecosystem but cause$7billion damage to structures in the U.S. annually

“In NewOrleans, housesare built on topofeach other,” Sanchez said. “Relativelyfew otherplaces have 4,000-plus-square-foot homes so closetogether like we do.”

That density means “a home’s infestation becomes aneighborhood infestation over time,” he said. Multiple local companies treat thetermite varietiesthatlive in the ground, but only two —HouseCall andTerminix —provide wholehouse fumigation services to eradicate “drywood” termites, smaller colonies thatstayinthe walls. These drywoods are the reason it

lookslike circushas come to town on any givenday in the city’solder neighborhoods. Crews cover homes and other structures with multicolored tents so they can fumigate.

Thetwo fumigation companies service about 900 homes throughout the state annually,with the work heavilyconcentrated in New Orleans’ older neighborhoods alongthe Mississippi River. That’s because drywood termites are attracted to theold-growth, celluloserich lumber used to build houses a centuryormore ago.

House Call’swork isn’tlimited to houses. The company has installed its colorful tents over restaurants, riverboats and one city building thatSanchez won’tforget.

“They brought us in to treat a massive infestation of brown reclusespiders,” he said.

Watermanagement

When south Louisiana’smassive downpours threaten to overwhelm city streets, low-lying areas and personal property,residents are the mercyofpumps and storm drains to keep them safe and dry

Butinanera of increasingly intense weatherinacity with unreliable infrastructure, the need for stormwater management solutions is an emerging sector

That’swhere Mastodonte comes in.The New Orleans-based construction company specializesin the installation of green infrastructure andstormwater management solutions.

Since founding their venture seven years ago, Mastodonte ownersArien Hall andLuisa Abballe have ledroughly 350 residential

and commercial stormwater managementprojects, ranging from the Laﬁtte GreenwayPlaza in MidCity to asix-ﬁgure contract to create green infrastructure at apublic school in Mississippi.

Hall said she and Abballe saw an opportunity to ﬁll agap in the marketplace by solving along-standing NewOrleans problem that’sonly getting worse.

“There were alot of folks doing design, but therewasn’taskilledlabor force that could actually install it,” she said.

As the sun wascoming up recently over the6000 block of Dwyer Road in New Orleans East, Hall and Abballeweresupervisinga team of severaldozen volunteersﬁlling two dumpsterswithweedsand trash from apatch of city-owned property

The work, paid for by grants acquired by alocal nonproﬁt, was thefirststep in abeautification and green infrastructure project designed to reduce the amount of rainwater overwhelming nearby streets,catch basins andpumps. The weedswill be replaced with specially designed landscaping designed to absorb water

For Hall and Abballe, it was just another dayatthe ofﬁceina city with endless opportunities for entrepreneurs committed to solving its unique challenges.

“If we want to preserve our land, our property and our homes, green infrastructure andstormwater management should be an everyday conversation,” Hall said.

EmailRich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Orleans. Tire Squad is one of several local companies that has

with lifeinNew Orleans, acity that is as charming and unique

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

NewCorp has been lending money to startups for 27 years

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Over the past 27 years, Vaughn Fauria has grown NewCorp from a small-business support program into an active lender that has provided capital and technical support to thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses

NewCorp was the “ﬁrst money in” for Dakar NOLA, the West African restaurant on Magazine Street that won a top prize at the 2024 James Beard Awards. Colmex Construction is another successful venture that got its start with a NewCorp loan.

Fauria is a New Orleans native who’s had special education, corporate and development careers before pivoting to ﬁnance. In this week’s Talking Business, she talks about her passion for using debt as an instrument to build communities and how the current political environment is forcing NewCorp to adapt.

This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

What is NewCorp and what is its mission?

We are a Community Development Financial Institution, which is a designation of the Treasury Department that was created in the 1990s that gives us the ability to borrow from banks at a special rate to serve a portion of the population they won’t or can’t.

People come to NewCorp for interim or mezzanine financing. We use the same “five Cs” that banks do as a framework for lending: cash flow, credit, collateral, capacity and character But when I look at your credit score, I don’t just look to see if you surpassed 700. I look at it to see what it is you didn’t pay for Your credit score might very well be low, but it might be because of student loans, illness or a divorce. Life gets in the way. That’s where character plays the primary part.

What’s your investment philosophy? We live in a space where most people are average or below aver-

Q&A WITH VAUGHN FAURIA

age income. That’s the space we want to operate in. And it’s difﬁcult. I want to give people access to money so they can move forward. Knowing that, I see our job as development. We come in ﬁrst and try to get people to the threshold where they can go to the bank or venture capital.

How did NewCorp begin?

It was created in 1995 by the New Orleans City Council and Harrah’s to help small businesses connect with contract opportunities at the casino, which was under development at the time.

In 1997, I was brought in as a consultant to make an assessment about the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, which was not yet designated as a CDFI.

It appeared to be winding down, so I proposed they use the remaining available funds to make small loans — $3,000 each — to qualiﬁed entrepreneurs. But when, lo and behold, these people all started paying us back, I felt this overwhelming need to go out and get some more.

I joined the organization full time in 1998. In the early 2000s, we earned CDFI designation and were named an SBA micro lender We were chosen to be one

Thank

of six intermediaries analyzing and deploying SBA loans after Hurricane Katrina. That was six months, seven days a week, 24 hours a day We were given all the hardest of cases because nobody wanted them.

NewCorp has administered loans on behalf of banks, the city of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana and the federal government.

If banks won’t lend to some of your customers directly, why do they lend to you so you can make the loans?

Their incentive to loan money to CDFIs is because the target market for CDFIs is a market they can’t lend to ordinarily because they are regulated and have to be the stewards of their depositories. NewCorp has a high level of compliance related to the Treasury Department but is not regulated by the FDIC.

We have a very low rate of default, less than 5% default If you don’t pay me in 30 days, I call you up and say do you want to come in and talk about this before you start incurring penalties.

What do people need to apply for a loan from NewCorp?

When you come to talk about your business, you don’t have to have a 15-page-long business plan,

but you do have to show you know what you want to do You also must explain how you’ll make the business work and who your competitors are, so you can look at their annuals to see if they’re prosperous. You can put all of this in a letter The most common reasons people don’t get a loan are insufficient cash flow, weak credit history, lack of financial documentation and an unclear business purpose. Our answer to any small business is almost always “not yet,” not “no.” Our responsibility is to get you prepared. We offer technical assistance or send people to Propeller the Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation or higher ed programs. Do you focus on certain industries? There are certain ones the banks don’t like, and that is our sweet spot. One is construction, which is important because it doesn’t necessarily require skilled labor when you go onto the job. We have so many people in need of employment. That’s an opportunity to learn a skill on the job and if they leave, they have something to take with them. We’ve also created a special “agripreneurial” loan program

Chef Serigne Mbaye folds a napkin at Dakar NOLA, a modern Senegalese restaurant he opened on Magazine Street in New Orleans with the help of a NewCorp loan.

for farmers with partners including Sprout Nola and the USDA. We want entrepreneurs to see the potential in this category

What kind of legacy do you want to leave?

We’re a mission-driven ﬁnancial institution, prioritizing impact over proﬁt. I don’t want to become so big that I leave my target market. There are other banks and CDFIs that can do that. NewCorp needs to stay focused on helping clients become bankable.

How does the current political environment — federal budget cuts and so forth — affect your work?

We have to adapt. It doesn’t mean that we compromise our values or our mission. NewCorp’s got work to do and I’m not going to stop doing my work the way that I do it. I get some money from the feds, but not the bulk of it. More important, our CDFI status gives us credibility and the fact that we’ve been in business for 27 years says that we’re not only viable but we’re a stand-up financial institution. We’re not going anywhere. It’s been difﬁcult, but these are obstacles that we have to overcome.

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

You, Governor Landry: AVictory for Louisiana’s Working Coastand the Families Who DependonIt

who maketheir living on the water, the Louisiana Commercial Fisheries Coalition extends our deepest gratitude to Governor Jeff Landry forhis decisive leadership in canceling the Mid-Barataria SedimentDiversion Project This decision is morethan apolicy shift—it’salifeline forthe families who have depended on Louisiana’sfisheries forgenerations.Byhalting aflawed and dangerous project,Governor Landry has chosen to protect the people, culture, and economythatform the heart of our working coast Foryears, commercial fishermen and coastal communities have raised the alarm about the threats posed by the Mid-Barataria diversion. The science is clear: unleashing trillions of gallons of freshwaterinto

productivesaltwaterestuaries would have devastatedLouisiana’scommercial fishing industry,upending the delicate balance that allows life—and livelihoods—to flourish in our coastal bays and wetlands The voices of shrimpers, oyster harvesters, menhaden processors,crabbers, and finfish fishermen were toooften overlooked in past discussions.But Governor Landry listened. He understood thataproject marketed as “restoration” would in fact destroy vital ecosystems andthe communities thatrely on them. He took abold stand forworking people and rural families when it mattered most Consider whatwas at stake: •Louisiana’s oyster industry, already battered by hurricanes,the BP oil spill and changingconditions,faced irreversible damage. The proposed diversion would have flooded keyoystergrounds with freshwater, wiping outentirereefs that takeyearstorebuild. Seventypercentof the oysterscaughtinthe U.S. arefrom the Gulf Coast.Louisiana’scommercial oyster industry,which accounts foralmost 4,000 jobs,has an economic impact of $317 million annually •Shrimpers, who harvest from brackish and saltwaterhabitats,would have seen their catchdisappear as salinitylevels plunged andnursery grounds were lost

The shrimp industry accounts for15,000 jobs and an annual impact of $1.3 billion forLouisiana

•Bluecrabs, which rely on the delicate balance of coastal estuaries,would have faced steep population declines as salinity dropped and critical nursery habitats were

inundatedwith freshwater. Louisiana leads the nation in blue crab landings, and the industry supports morethan 3,000 jobs and generatesanannual economic impact of $293 million.

•Menhaden fishing, one of Louisiana’s most valuable and sustainablecommercial fisheries,would have suffered from habitat degradation and spawning disruption— undermining afishery thatsupports hundreds of jobs and millions in economic output. Louisiana’sGulf menhaden fishery supports over2,000 jobs and generates morethan $419 million in annual economic impact

•Finfish species,including redfish, speckled trout, and other commercially and recreationally importantspecies would have been displaced or seen their populations collapsedue to sudden, largescale ecosystemshifts Rather than pursuing aproject that threatened to dismantle our fisheries in the name of unprovenoutcomes,Governor Landry made acommon-sensedecision to defend the industries thatalready sustain jobs,provide food security, and support local economies Let’sbeclear: Louisiana’s commercial fisheries arenot anti-restoration. We understand the value of protecting our coast We’vesupported marshcreation, shoreline stabilization, and sedimentpipeline projects thatrestore wetlands withoutharming the fisheries thatdepend on them. Real restoration canand should work in harmony with the people who live and work on the coast—not against them. Whatwecannot support aremassive

engineering experiments with billion-dollar price tagsthatgamble with our wayoflife. The Mid-Barataria SedimentDiversion wasnever the rightanswer—and Governor Landry had the couragetosay so Louisiana’scommercial fishing industry is the lifeblood of our coastal economy.We feed the nation, support thousands of jobs and preservearich cultural heritagepassed down through generations.And the seafood industry’s impact stretches well beyond the coast.According to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, one out of every 70 jobs in the state is tied to the seafood sector,which contributes over$2.4billion annually to Louisiana’seconomy. From coastal shrimp and oysterstofreshwater crawfish and alligator, manyofthesejobs arerootedinfamily-owned-and-operated businessesthathaveworkedfor generations to bring the finest seafood to tables acrossthe country and around the world. In canceling this project,Governor Landry has reaffirmed that the voices of working people still matter in this state—and that science, sustainability, and common sense must guide our coastal future. We thank the Governor not just forwhat he stopped, but forwhathesaved:a vibrant industry,a centuries-oldway of life, and the families who risebeforedawnevery daytofish the waters of this greatstate.His decision ensures thatLouisiana’sseafood industry cancontinue to provide jobs,feed families,and uphold atradition that is both economically vital and uniquelyours—for this generation and the next To Governor Landry: Thank youfor standing with us

By SOPHIA GERMER

Fool’sTake: Kraft Heinz’s dividend dollars

When food manufacturer Kraft merged withcondiments titan Heinz in 2015, it created Kraft Heinz (Nasdaq: KHC), one of the world’slargest consumer goods companies. The new company started off with astrong dividend plan, and payouts increased in each of the ﬁrst three years but then Kraft Heinzslashed them to the bone. Some of its splashy food-brand buyouts turned out to be less proﬁtable than expected, forcing the company to conserve cash with astricter dividend policy

Its quarterly payouts have been stuck at $0.40 per share since the start of2019. YetKraft Heinz’s yield has surged recently,despite that unchanging amount.Why?

Because the stock price has fallen in the last two years, even though the underlying business has seen freecash ﬂow —the lifeblood of those dividend checks —increase over that same period. The stock is arguably cheap for goodreasons. Inﬂationfears have limited Kraft Heinz’spricing power in recent years, and many store chainshave developed fresh competition in the form of high-quality store brands. But the share-price drop seems much too steep. The stock was recently trading at aprice-to-earnings ratio of 12.8,

DEALERS

Continued from page 1E

it to the customer,”Duhon said. “Dealermargins and manufacturer margins are being reduced.”

Used carpricesjump

As with new cars,the price of used cars is also on the rise. The average usedvehicleinLouisiana sold for $29,900inthe second quarter,up3.75% from the previous quarter,according toDavid Greene, principal analyst at Cars Commerce

“Part of the reason forthatis when new car prices go up, more buyers shift to the used vehicle market, and dealers respondto that demand with price increases,”

well below its ﬁve-year average of 21.6. Kraft Heinz isn’tgoing outof business anytime soon, and buying now could be asmart move, locking in astrongdividend yield (recently 6.2%)for thelong haul.

Fool’sSchool:Bonds,

demystified

It’s good to understand what bonds are and why you might want to own some. Bonds are essentially loansfrom investors to companies or governments. For example, the U.S. Department of the Treasury borrows money by selling bonds known as “Treasurys.” State and local governments issue municipal bonds, and businesses issue corporate bonds. Healthy companies can offer bonds with lower interest rates, while businesses with poor credit ratings must offer higher interest rates on their “junk” bonds to attract more risk-tolerant buyers.

Bondholders typically receive regular interest payments from the issuer at astated “coupon rate.” For example, a$1,000 bond with acoupon rate of 5% will pay $50 per year.When thebond matures, its “par value” of $1,000 will be repaid. Most bonds have maturities in arange of one year to 30 years. (Many bonds are “callable,” meaning that the issuer might opt to pay back the principal early.)

Youcan buy abond when it’sissued and hang on through maturity,but you don’thave to, as bonds

Greene said.

Buyers looking for anew vehicle that costs less than $30,000 may also run intotrouble.

Ninety-twopercent of new vehicles priced under $30,000 are built outsideofthe UnitedStates. Only two modelsinthat category —the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla —are built in the U.S, according to arecent report from Cars Commerce.

In Louisiana, dealership inventory of cars costingunder $30,000 droppedbyaround 18%inthe second quarter,suggestingthat fewer cars in that price range are being imported and that dealersare increasing their prices, Greene said.

Hittoautomakers

In earnings calls in recent days, aclearer picturehas emerged of

can be traded between investors. Bondprices change as prevailing interestrates change. The price of a4%bond will fall, for example, if interest rates rise and 5% bonds become available. When interestrates fall, existing bonds with higher interest rates will be in higher demand, so they’ll cost more to buy.

Your money is morelikely to grow faster investedinstocks than in bonds, but many people still buybonds (or bond funds)for diversiﬁcation. According to the folks at Darrow Wealth Management, between 1997 and 2024, theU.S. Aggregate Bond Index averaged annualgains of 4.1%, versus9.7% for theS&P 500 index of 500 stocks(both ﬁgures include reinvested dividends). Of course, thestock market is volatile, and those gains arenever guaranteed. If stockscrash, your bonds may keep your portfolio’svalue from falling too much (andprevent you from having to sellstocksfor retirementincome in adeclining market). Learn more beforejumping into eitherstocksorbonds.

Ask the Fool: Averaging down

One of my stocks has been falling. Should Ibuy moreofthe now lower-priced shares?

—C.J Dallas

If you do,you’ll be “averaging down,” meaningyou reduce the average price youpaid foryour shares by buying additional ones at lower prices. That can work well sometimes —perhaps in a

thetoll that tariffs are having on automakers.

Stellantis, the maker of Jeep and Ram vehicles, said Mondaythat preliminary estimates showed a loss of $2.7 billioninthe ﬁrst half of the year. ThecompanyinApril temporarily halted production at two plants in Canada andMexico, resulting in the temporary layoff of 900 U.S.employees.

General Motors, which manufacturerscarsinCanada, Mexico andSouth Korea that areexported to the United States, saidTuesday that its proﬁtsfellbymorethana thirdinthe secondquarter,with tariffs costing thecompany $1.1 billion. In June, GM announced plans to invest $4 billion to shift some production from Mexico to the United States. To be sure,the tariff landscape

big market pullback (when the stock has fallen through no fault of its own), or if the market has overreacted to somedevelopment concerning the company

Averaging down, also known as “buying the dip,” can be disastrous, though, if the stock has been dropping for good reason and isn’tlikely to recover any time soon.Dig deeper into the situation beforebuying. Youmight want to sellinstead, or perhaps just not buy any moreshares.

Are marijuana exchange-tradedfunds good investments? —B.V., Sebring,Florida Many marijuana stocks and funds have performed poorly.But if you’re bullish on the future of marijuana stocks and you’re not sure which companies will end up on top,investing in acannabis-focused ETF might be agood strategy.The ETF will distribute your dollars across multiple companies in or related to the industry,such as marijuana cultivators, retailers, owners of dispensary real estate and more. Research the industry ﬁrst, to determine how ﬁnancially promising you think it really is.

The cannabis industry is projected to grow from $44 billion in 2022 to $444 billion by 2030, according to Fortune Business Insights. Cannabis companies face regulatory risks and ﬁnancing challenges, though, so nothing is certain. There are multiple cannabis-focusedETFs to choose from, but mostare relatively young and small. Youmight consider other, less risky industries to invest in.

can change on adime. On Tuesday, Trump announced atrade deal with Japan that would place a15% tariff on imported goods from that country.American automakers, who are facing 50% tariffs on imported steel andaluminum and a25% tariff on parts and ﬁnished vehicles, have since raised concerns that the deal would give Japanese automakers acompetitive advantage. Not all dealerships arefeeling thesqueeze from tariffs.

Todd Citron, general manager at Hub City Ford in Lafayette, said tariffs have had “very little effect” on theirbusiness,aside fromraising the price of certain accessories they sell. He said high interest rates are posing more of aproblem than anything.

“We’re hopeful that thetariffs will be agood thing for us in the

college tuition

My smartest investment wasinvesting in prepaid college tuition. —N.W., online Well done! That’sasmartinvestment indeed for manypeople —but not necessarily everyone, as there are somedrawbacks to prepaying tuition. For those who don’tknow,there are two types of tax-deferred “529 plans” —one is asavings plan through which you can save and invest money for future educational expenses, and the other is aprepaid tuition plan. Prepaid tuition plans vary by state, and recently,only nine states offered them.They allow you to make payments toward tuition at aspeciﬁed college or college system at today’slocked-in cost. So while the cost of college tuition might surge (and it grew by around 900% from 1982 to 2024), you’ll only have to pay the lower cost that existed when youset up your prepaid tuition account. Key downsides to these plans are that they don’tapply to any college or university your child might want to attend, and they typically cover only tuition and fees —not room and board, books or other costs. Anyone interested should read up on the pros, cons and other details regarding these plans. They’re deﬁnitely worthwhile formany people.

Do you have asmart or regrettableinvestment move to share with us?Email it to tmfshare@fool.com.

end because it’sbeen an uneven playing field with the Japanese cars andSouth Korean cars,” Citron said.

Citron hopesaprovisioninthe

One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by Trump earlier this month, that allows Americans to claim atax deductionfor interest on their vehicle loanswill also boost sales. Thededuction only appliestonew vehicles assembled in the U.S.

Despite the hit to his business, Duhonsaid he also favors atrade policy that brings moreauto manufacturing back to America.

“It’s twoyearsofpainfor 30 years of gain,” he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.

Beyond isn’taplace —it’samindset. Andit’sabeliefthathas poweredusfor over80years

We areJones Walker LLP,a firmdrivenbyanentrepreneurial spirit,adeepsenseofcommunity, and afierce determination to deliverexceptional serviceand valuefor our clients. Since1937, our firmhas been committed to workingwithcommunity leaders to developbusiness opportunitiesacrossthe state. We aresteadfast in continuing ourdedicationtogobeyondinadvising clientsand supportinginitiatives andorganizations that make Louisiana abetterplace to live andwork

William H. Hines,ManagingPartner bhines@joneswalker.com 504.582.8000 201St. CharlesAvenue NewOrleans,LA70170-5100

|ARIZONA |DISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA|

Motley Fool

State funds granted for music museum project

Backers say approval first step in raising money

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

A new music museum in the River District, which backers have pitched as New Orleans’ answer to Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, will start construction next summer after the project was allocated millions of dollars of state funds in the latest legislative session that ended last month, the developer said Wednesday Chris Beary, the social entrepreneur leading the project, said the $28.5 million in so-called Priority 5 funding approved last month by the Legislature is the key to keeping the project on track so it can raise the additional $80 million in bonds and $56.5 million in private funding to get fully funded.

The museum’s backers had failed in two previous sessions to secure $75 million in state funds for the project, which they have argued would create 200 permanent new jobs and drive $150 million in economic activity for the city and state State lawmakers had encouraged the museum’s organizers to come back with a scaled-back request,

Baton Rouge

Ty Bofferding has been hired as executive director of public and government affairs for the Louisiana MidContinent Oil and Gas Association Bofferding is the senior adviser to U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy R-Baton Rouge, and serves as communications director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. He earned a bachelor’s in international affairs from The George Washington University, Elliot

The

will be located across from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans on state-owned land

which they approved this year Though Priority 5 funds are not immediately available, they are put in the pipeline for future allocation and help keep projects moving forward. Meanwhile, the state allocated another $1.5 million on top of last year’s $2 million to cover early stage design and planning.

The idea for the Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience, as the museum is known, was ﬁrst ﬂoated three decades ago but has taken tangible shape only in the last three years, after state and city lawmakers began to direct public dollars to the effort.

The project now has an ambitious design by Eskew Dumez Ripple for a 120,000-square-foot museum across from the Ernest N. Morial

Convention Center, which will tell the entire story of Louisiana’s music — covering jazz, blues, zydeco, Cajun, gospel, swamp pop, funk and hip-hop.

The museum organizers used

$418,000 of their funds to pay a deposit last month to secure a 1.6-acre site on Convention Center Boulevard, directly across from the complex and adjacent to the site where Shell Oil’s new headquarters will be built.

Funding progress

In addition to the $3.5 million from the state, the city also has provided $1 million for “planning and development” costs.

Beary said they are making progress on initiatives to direct tax

PEOPLE IN BUSINESS

munication.

School of International Affairs.

Tiffany Creel has been hired by Pennington Biomedical Research Center as assistant to the executive director Creel spent 13 years at the LSU Lab School, where she served as manager of office administration admissions coordinator and registrar Before that, she worked for 10 years at LSU Athletics Department as assistant director of ticket operations. She earned a bachelor’s from the LSU Manship School of Mass Com-

Guaranty Bank & Trust Co. has made the following leadership changes.

Kayren Owen is now chief executive ofﬁcer Owen has more than 30 years of management experience, including 16 with Guaranty Bank.

Eric Collette is president. Collette has been with the bank for 17 years. He earned a bachelor’s in ﬁnance from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and is a graduate of the Banking School of the South at LSU. Mark Major is executive vice president. Major has more than 46 years of

ﬂow to the museum, which will be needed to underpin the $80 million in state-backed revenue bonds that will be the “cornerstone” of the project’s ﬁnancing.

“Bond issuance is the key,” Beary said.

The museum needs approval from state and city ofﬁcials and from the River District Economic Development District to direct sales taxes toward paying interest and capital on the bond portion of its development costs.

All told, those approvals would allow for 8.5% of sales taxes on the projected $50 million in annual retail revenue to pay interest and capital on the $80 million portion of the development costs covered by revenue bonds, Beary said The state Bond Commission would need to approve that bond issuance.

The project is forecast to cost a total of $165 million, which includes the $28.5 million state allocation, the $80 million bond funding plus another $56.5 million in private donations.

To date, the project has $18 million of private donations pledged from the 70 members of the museum’s main and advisory boards, Beary said. Members include musicians and entrepreneurs like Irma Thomas, Percy “Master P” Miller and PJ Morton, as well as business leaders like Shelby Russ and Russell Shearer Also attached to the project are

curator Bob Santelli, who helped establish the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Hall’s former President and CEO Terry Stewart. Cultural focal point

In addition to the construction dollars set aside for the music museum, the Legislature separately allocated just over $25 million for a civil rights museum to be built in the River District. Just under $50,000 was made immediately available for planning, with another $5 million Priority 2 and the rest Priority 5.

The civil rights and music and heritage museum were the two cultural focal points that were at the heart of the River District concept for a $1 billion-plus new neighborhood when it was approved by the Convention Center just over four years ago.

The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, under whose jurisdiction the civil rights museum falls, couldn’t immediately say what’s next for the project.

Two years ago, a $2 million civil rights “inaugural experience” exhibit in a 5,000-square-foot space within the Convention Center was opened as a “placeholder” for the museum.

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

experience in agriculture lending and 39 years in banking.

He earned a bachelor’s in agriculture business from LSU and completed advanced programs at the LSU Graduate School of Banking.

Ella Dardenne is chief operations ofﬁcer She has worked in banking for 34 years.

Owen Thompson is senior lender trainee. Thompson has been with the bank for more than three years and is in charge of its agricultural portfolio.

New Orleans Tyronne Walker, vice president of policy, strategic partnerships and development for the Urban League of Louisiana, is leaving the organization. Walker is returning to full-time consulting. He has been with the Urban League of Louisiana for three years.

He earned a bachelor’s in business administration, with a concentration in ﬁnance and a minor in economics, along with a master’s in business administration, focused on management, both from Millsaps College. Thompson is attending the LSU Graduate School of Banking.

Bofferding

Creel

Walker

PROVIDED RENDERING

Louisiana music museum organizers expect

break ground next summer on a facility that

Gallagherhas Louisiana industries covered.

Gallagher is oneofthe largest insurance brokerage, risk managementand consulting ﬁrms in theworld. With roots in Louisianadatingback decades,we’vegrown to become the leaderinthe stateaswell.

Leading theway in Louisiana. Gallagher serves awealthofindustrieshere, including:

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As aglobal provider, Gallagher focuses heavily on data analytics and forecasting and benchmarking services,while offering thought leadership on such criticaltopics as cyber risk,social inﬂation and AI.Ifitaffects claimsand premiums, we areonit.

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JUDEBRIDWELL HANCOCKWHITNEY

GENERALHELP TheDiocese of B.R. ChildNutrition Pro‐gram is seekingFTschool Cafeteria Mgrs Cooks, &Porters.HSDiploma or Equiv. andBGCheck req. Applyat www.cnpbr.org/employment HEALTH CARE Hematologist/Oncologist:For place‐ment in BatonRouge,Louisiana.Med‐ical Degree (MD) or ForeignEquivalent; Completion of Internal Medicine Resi‐dencyProgram;B/C in Internal Medi‐cine;CompletionofHematology and Oncology Fellowship Program,B/E or B/CinHematology;B/E or B/Cinand MedicalOncology;and possessorbe eligible fora LouisianaMedical Li‐cense. Employment at multiple work‐sitesisrequired. Mail CVsto: Laura Broussard,Manager PhysicianRecruit‐ment,FranciscanMissionariesofOur Lady Health System,Inc 5959 S. Sher‐wood Blvd BatonRouge,LA70808. CEMETERY PLOTS Sellinga Tandem (space for2)at Greenoaks Memorial Park.Located in theWestInteriorofthe

PUBLIC NOTICE

in theOffice of theDirectorofPurchas‐ing, GRAMBLINGSTATE UNIVERSITY,Grambling, La.Toobtaina copy of thespecificationsfrom GramblingState Univer‐sity,call(318)-274-3280 or e-mail walkere@gram edu. Bids must be returned to thePurchasingOffice at purchasingbids@gram. edubythe duedateand time referenced.Bids must be submittedon theforms enclosed with thebid specification,and in strict conformity with theintentofsamewith‐outmodifications. Bids must be signed in ink, dated, andtitle of person signingthe bidshouldbe shownonthe bid. Evidence of GeneralLia‐bility Insurance, Auto Li‐abilityInsurance,and WorkersCompensation Insurancerequiredfor this contract No bidmay be with‐drawnafter thesched‐uled closingtimefor re‐ceiptofbidsfor at least thirty (30) days TheUniversityreserves theright to reject anyor allbids, andtowaive any informalities. Evidence of authorityto submit thebid shallbe required in accordance with R.S. 38:2212(B)(5) and/or R.S. 39:1594(C)(4). An EqualOpportunity Employer GRAMBLINGSTATE UNIVERSITY GRAMBLING, LOUISIANA Erin Walker Director of Purchasing TO APPEAR:7/16/2025 BIDDUE:8/5/2025 150515-jul20-23-27-3t $88.47

July 18, 2025 PUBLIC NOTICE INVITA‐TION TO BID Sealed bids will be re‐ceived by thePurchasing Department,GRAMBLING STATEUNIVERSITY, Gram‐bling, La.OnAugust8 2025 at 2:05 P.M. for: “50018-260006” Fire-Rated Door and FrameReplacement for Code Compliance MandatoryPer-Bid Meet‐ingisscheduled on July 30, 2025 at 10:00am,at thePurchasingConfer‐ence Rm,429 Main Street,Grambling, La 71245. At which time andplace thebidswillbepublicly opened andreadaloud Anybid received after closingtimewillbere‐turned unopened Copies of thespecifica‐tionsmay be obtained in electronic format by vis‐itingthe Stateof Louisiana, Office of State Purchasing,LaPAC Web Site,https://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/osp/ lapac/dspBid.cfm?sea rch=department& term=53Copiesofspeci‐ficationsare on file in the Office of theDirectorof Purchasing,GRAMBLING

STATEUNIVERSITY, Gram‐bling, La.Toobtain a copy of thespecifica‐tionsfromGrambling StateUniversity, call (318)-274-3280 or e-mail walkere@gram.edu Bids must be returned to thePurchasingOffice at purchasingbids@gram. edubythe duedateand time referenced.Bids mustbesubmitted on theforms enclosed with thebid specification,and in strict conformity with theintentofsamewith‐outmodifications. Bids must be signed in ink, dated, andtitle of person signingthe bidshouldbe shownonthe bid. Evidence of GeneralLia‐bility Insurance, Auto Li‐abilityInsurance,and WorkersCompensation Insurancerequiredfor this contract.Nobid may be withdrawnafter the scheduledclosing time forreceipt of bids forat leastthirty(30) days TheUniversityreserves theright to reject anyor allbids, andtowaive any informalities. Evidence of authorityto submit thebid shallbe required in accordance with R.S. 38:2212(B)(5) and/or R.S. 39:1594(C)(4). An EqualOpportunity Employer GRAMBLINGSTATE UNI‐VERSITYGRAMBLING LOUISIANA

Erin Walker Director of Purchasing TO APPEAR:7/18/2025 BIDDUE:8/7/2025 150811-JUL23-27-30-3T $86.76

PUBLIC NOTICE ADVERTISMENT

July 18, 2025 PUBLIC NOTICE INVITA‐TION TO BID Sealed bids will be re‐ceived by thePurchasing Department,GRAMBLING STATEUNIVERSITY, Gram‐bling, La.OnAugust7 2025 at 2:05,P.M.for: “50018-260007” Turn Key LaundryOperationsfor ResidenceHalls Per-BidMeeting is sched‐uled on July 31, 2025at 10:00am,atthe Purchas‐ingConferenceRm.,429 Main Street Grambling, La 71245 At which time andplace thebidswillbepublicly opened andreadaloud Anybid received after closingtimewillbere‐turned unopened Copies of thespecifica‐tionsmay be obtained in electronic format by vis‐itingthe Stateof Louisiana, Office of State Purchasing,LaPAC Web Site,https://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/osp/ lapac/dspBid.cfm?sea rch=department& term 53 Copies of speci‐ficationsare on file in the Office of theDirectorof Purchasing,GRAMBLING STATEUNIVERSITY, Gram‐bling, La.Toobtain a copy of thespecifica‐tionsfromGrambling StateUniversity, call (318)-274-3280 or e-mail walkere@gram.edu

Impact CharterSchool Requestfor Proposal Notice is hereby given that Impact Charter School is requesting sealed proposalsfor pur‐chased foodsfor the School Food Nutrition Program. Proposalsare duetoImpactCharter School (3750 HardingSt, Baker, LA 70714) on or before July 31, 2025 by 9:00am.Proposals may also be submitteddigi‐tally. Proposalsreceived after thedesignatedtime anddatewillbereturned unopened.ImpactChar‐terSchool reserves the righttorejectany andall proposalsand to waive anyand allinformalities in thebestinterestofthe SFA. Copies of there‐questfor proposalsare availablebycontacting LindaJackson at linda. jackson@impactcharter. org. This institutionisan equalopportunity provider 151090-jul24-31 $91.84

NOTICE TheLouisiana Depart‐ment of Culture, Recre‐ation& Tourism, Office of StateParks (State Parks) is issuinga Requestfor Information(RFI) to so‐licitany andall project ideastoadd or improve facilities,operations, or services at Lake Clai‐borneState Park (the Park)and/orincrease revenue or increase cost savingsand efficiencies forthe Park.The objec‐tivesinsolicitinginfor‐mation aretopromote theState Parksmission achieveproperbalance of preservation anduti‐lization of StateParks Properties while becom‐ingmore financiallyselfsustaining,and better servethe needsofciti‐zens andofvisitorsto Louisianathrough collab‐orationutilizingPublic PrivatePartnerships. TheRFI packet,which in‐cludes a timeline,in‐structions forproposal submission,and selec‐tion criteria,isavailable at http://www.opportu nitiesinlouisiana.com. It mayalsobepickedup between 9a.m.and 4 p.m. weekdays at theOf‐fice of StatePark, Capitol Annex, ThirdFloor,1051 NorthThird Street,Baton Rouge, LA,70802. Written Proposalsmustbere‐ceived by StateParks at this addressnolater than 4:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, October1 2025. StateParks will continue itscommitmenttoen‐sure allprojectspromote ourmission statement, have community sup‐port,and supportoflocal andstate electedoffi‐cials. StateParks also commitstonot proceed with anyprojectsthat will be detrimentaltothe localcommunity or any localbusiness. Allinquiries concerning theRFI should be submit‐tedinwriting to theIssu‐ingOfficer, BrettSan‐difer, at bsandifer@crt. la.gov 147610-JUL7-AUG 7-30T $672 PUBLIC NOTICE ADVERTISMENT

Bids must be returned to thePurchasing Office at purchasingbids@gram. edubythe duedateand time referenced.Bids must be submitted on theforms enclosed with thebid specification,and in strict conformity with theintentofsamewith‐outmodifications. Bids must be signed in ink, dated, andtitle of person signingthe bidshouldbe shownonthe bid. Evidence of GeneralLia‐bility Insurance, Auto Li‐abilityInsurance,and WorkersCompensation Insurancerequiredfor this contract.Nobid may be withdrawnafterthe scheduledclosing time forreceipt of bids forat leastthirty(30) days TheUniversityreserves theright to reject anyor allbids, andtowaive any informalities. Evidence of authorityto submit thebid shallbe required in accordance with R.S. 38:2212(B)(5) and/or R.S. 39:1594(C)(4). An EqualOpportunity Employer GRAMBLINGSTATE UNI‐VERSITYGRAMBLING, LOUISIANA Erin Walker DirectorofPurchasing

PUBLIC NOTICE

July 16, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE INVITATION TO BID

Sealed bids will be re‐ceived by thePurchasing Department,GRAMBLING STATEUNIVERSITY, Gram‐bling, La.On August 5, 2025 at 2:05 P.M. for: “50018-260002” Grounds Maintenanceand Land‐scapingServices. Per-BidMeetingissched‐uled on July 29, 2025 at 9:00am,atthe GSUWest Campus Site,2776 Hwy 150, Ruston,LA71270 At which time andplace thebidswillbepublicly opened andreadaloud Anybid received after closingtimewillbere‐turned unopened Copies of thespecifica‐tionsmay be obtained in electronic format by vis‐itingthe Stateof Louisiana, Office of State Purchasing,LaPAC Web Site https://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/osp/ lapac/dspBid.cfm?sea rch=department& term=53 Copies of specifications areon file in theOffice of theDirectorofPurchas‐ing, GRAMBLINGSTATE UNIVERSITY,Grambling, La.Toobtain acopyof thespecificationsfrom GramblingState Univer‐sity,call(318)-274-3280 or e-mail walkere@gram edu. Bids must be returned to thePurchasingOffice

Memory IN LOVING

APRIL–JUNE2025

Memory IN LOVING

Obituary&Remembrance TributeFeature

During afamily’s time of sorrow, we want to reﬂect on the livesofthose who haverecentlypassed. The Advocate oﬀers aspecial quarterlyfeature to commemorate andhonor those we have lost.

Memory IN LOVING

JuanitaAchee

Georgetown,TX 7/5/1939-5/16/2025

Cremation.Green -Round Rock FuneralHomein RoundRock, TX

JamesAdams Jr.

BatonRouge,LA 4/12/1948-5/18/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

IsabelAddison

BatonRouge,LA 9/26/1945-4/8/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

WilbertAdkins

BatonRouge,Louisiana 12/8/1935-6/11/2025

GreenoaksFuneralHome

MyrtleAlbert

BatonRouge,LA 4/9/2025

Miller &Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

EvelynAlexander

BatonRouge,LA 12/23/1951-3/31/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary

IsaacAlexander

BatonRouge,LA. 11/2/1952-4/1/2025 AHamiltonPlatinum

JudithAlexander

Denham Springs,LA 6/7/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

KarenAlexander

BatonRouge,LA 8/25/1949-4/6/2025

Neptune Society

HughieAlford

DenhamSprings,LA 10/10/1935-6/16/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

CarolAllen

Gloster, MS 10/18/1946-4/9/2025

AllFaithsFuneralService in Austin,TX

MaryAllen

9/6/1947-4/16/2025

Thompson FuneralHomein DenhamSprings

PaulAllen

Walker,LA 2/3/1942-5/6/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

SamuelAllen

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

SidneyAllison

BatonRouge,LA 2/7/1937-3/27/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

EarlAlonzo Jr

BatonRouge,LA 8/28/1946-6/14/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

GlynnAltazan

Erwinville,LA 11/30/1960-4/20/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

VernaArnold

BatonRouge,Louisiana 7/27/1928-4/8/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

WilliamAltenloh

Houston, TX 6/16/1948-4/3/2025

TheNeptune Societyin Houston, TX

ChristmanArnoldIII

Amite,LA 1/31/1945-6/25/2025

McKneelyFuneralHomein Amite

AnnaAmar

BatonRouge,LA 10/21/1975-4/1/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

JamesAustin

BatonRouge,Louisiana 9/7/1941-6/13/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

LynnAmedee

BatonRouge,Louisiana 8/3/1941-5/20/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

GregoryAuthur

BatonRouge,LA 7/22/1962-5/9/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

TravisAnderson

BatonRouge,LA 5/8/1988-4/13/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

DanielAvant

CedarHill, TX 2/12/1952-6/20/2025

Rose-NeathFuneralHome inArcadia

DaylonAnthony

BatonRouge,LA 4/29/2025

Pugh'sMortuaryin Plaquemine

WillieArceneaux

NewOrleans, LA 3/22/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Dr.WillieArmstrong

Baker, LA 4/1/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary

PaulAydell Sr.

French Settlement,LA 6/30/1943-6/12/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

SteveAyo

Port Barre,LA 9/20/1954-5/12/2025

Melancon FuneralHomein Opelousas

ElodiaAzuara

BatonRouge,LA 4/5/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Memory IN LOVING

Judy Badeaux

Denham Springs,Louisiana 11/12/1942-5/1/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Christie Baird

BatonRouge,LA 4/1/1939-5/5/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Darrel Baker

BatonRouge,Louisiana 7/24/1952-4/6/2025 ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Lena Balfantz

Maurepas,LA 6/16/2025

HarryMcKneely& Son FuneralHome

MarilynBalfantz

Gonzales,LA 9/9/1950-5/4/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

Tyre Banks

Labadieville,LA 5/16/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Dawn Bankston

Zachary, LA 10/28/1971-5/12/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Patricia Bankston

Plaquemine,LA 5/23/1943-6/14/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

DennisBanta

DenhamSprings,LA 1/11/1940-6/4/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHomeinDenham Springs

Kenneth BarbierSr.

PortAllen, LA 4/28/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

DonBanks

BatonRouge,LA 9/26/1949-5/18/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

ArshealBarnes

BatonRouge,LA 11/25/1936-6/7/2025

Winnfield FuneralHome

Mary Banks

BatonRouge,LA 5/15/1924-3/27/2025 Desselle's FuneralHome

James Barnett

PortAllen, LA 12/9/1956-5/1/2025

WilbertFuneralHomeof PortAllen

Pamela Banks

BatonRouge,LA 3/15/1955-4/23/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Thelma Barton

BatonRouge,LA 12/11/1962-5/11/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

KarenBellue

Lake Charles, LA 4/21/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

PaulineBartus

Albany,LA 3/10/1926-4/20/2025

Harry McKneely& Son FuneralHomeinHammond

ElouiseBenjamin-Lazard

Larose,LA 4/22/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

ArwinBascle

BatonRouge,LA 6/22/1955-4/17/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Baylor Battles

7/4/2004-4/24/2025

McKneelyFuneralHomein Amite

IdaBeauchamp

BatonRouge,La 9/3/1937-6/20/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

CynthiaBeaver

BatonRouge,LA 3/26/1941-5/17/2025

ResthavenFuneralHome

CharlesBecnel

BatonRouge,Louisiana 2/19/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Edward Barron

BatonRouge,LA 12/7/1935-5/30/2025

PellerinFuneralHomesBreauxBridge

Larry Bell

Napoleonville,LA 5/15/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

SandraBennett

Greenwell Springs,LA 7/3/1940-5/26/2025

McLin& Manley Funeral Home andCremation Service

Robert Benoit

Brusly,LA 3/30/2025

WilbertFuneralHomein Plaquemine

Virgil Bercegeay

Gonzales,LA 2/4/1928-4/15/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

Arthur Bercegeay

Geismar, La 10/20/1936-5/18/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

BarbaraBergeron

BatonRouge,Louisiana 6/25/1937-4/8/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

DorothyBergeron

BatonRouge,LA 10/1/2024

WilbertFuneralHomein Plaquemine

Memory

KayBergeron

Gonzales,La 10/4/1941-4/10/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Margaret Bergeron

PortAllen, LA 5/3/2025

WilbertFuneral Home

Alfred Berlin

BatonRouge,LA 11/23/1950-3/23/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Daniel Berner

BatonRouge,LA 5/5/1959-5/29/2025

Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home in NewOrleans

OctaviaBerry

Prairieville,LA 3/23/1929-5/2/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

DavidBerteau

Gonzales,LA 12/16/1961-4/8/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

LeeAnn Berthelot

Gonzales,Louisiana 6/20/1939-6/8/2025 Church FuneralServices

Ruth Berthelot

Walker,LA 6/24/1932-6/5/2025

SealeFuneral ServiceDenhamSprings

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Rev. Willie BerthelotSr.

4/12/1932-4/17/2025

BakerFuneralHomein Baker

Gerald Blanchard

Lake Rosemound, LA 1/27/1945-5/1/2025

CharletFuneralHome

BarbaraBeverly

Sugarland, Texas 11/13/1944-6/2/2025

PinecrestMemorialGardens

Jason Blanchard

Donaldsonville,Louisiana 8/3/1975-6/1/2025

OursoFuneralHomeDonaldsonville

JohnBillodeaux

St.Gabriel,LA 10/5/1945-6/20/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

WilliamBiossat

BatonRouge,LA 11/2/1945-6/19/2025

Church FuneralServices

Alex Black

BatonRouge,LA 6/23/1940-4/17/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

AnnBlair

BatonRouge,Louisiana 3/9/1944-6/8/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Jeanette Blaize

PortAllen, LA 11/2/1935-5/20/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Cheryle Blanchard

Napoleonville,Louisiana 4/4/1959-6/5/2025

OursoFuneralHomeDonaldsonville

JohnBossom

Gonzales,LA 1/5/1932-5/9/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

James BlanchardIII

Grosse Tete,LA 4/20/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Ruth Bolden

Paincourtville,LA 3/21/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

NancyBoley

Prairieville,LA 10/4/1936-5/13/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Mary Bordelon

Prairieville,La 6/20/1949-4/26/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

WilburnBordelon

Livonia, LA 5/25/1949-5/26/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

Marjorie Bosley

Plaquemine, Louisiana 8/20/1941-6/23/2025

Roscoe Mortuary

DorothyBoudinot

BatonRouge,LA 5/3/1934-5/26/2025

ChurchFuneralServices in St.Amant

Gerald Boudreaux

Napoleonville,LA 10/14/1940-5/31/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Donaldsonville

Walter Boudreaux

Roseland, LA 9/29/1945-4/6/2025

RabenhorstFuneralHome& Crematory -Government Street

Corinne Bouquet

Gonzales,LA 7/24/1931-6/17/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Argelie Bourgeois

St.Amant,LA 7/7/1934-5/6/2025

Ascension FuneralHome

Beldon Bourgeois

BatonRouge,Louisiana 4/5/1945-4/10/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

DorisBourgeois

Gonzales,LA 4/25/1935-4/7/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Memory

James Bourgeois

Denham Springs,LA 5/26/1956-6/6/2025 Bureau ofAnatomical Services

Virginia Bourgeois

BatonRouge,LA 11/21/1927-5/6/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

August BourgoyneJr.

Plaquemine,LA 10/30/1938-4/7/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Jason Bourque

Gonzales,LA 9/29/1967-6/10/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

JerauldBoyett

Gulf Shores,AL 6/7/1938-4/22/2025 PensacolaMemorial Gardens andFuneralHome in Pensacola,FL

ElizabethBozeman

BatonRouge,LA 4/30/1936-4/10/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Lisa Bozeman

BatonRouge,LA 1/10/1962-4/17/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

McArthur Branch Sr.

Clinton, LA 6/6/1947-4/13/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

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Lynne Branton

Baker, LA 9/23/1936-4/11/2025

BakerFuneralHomein

Baker

Patricia Brooks

BatonRouge,Louisiana 10/6/1944-2/27/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

RickyBraud

Zachary, LA 6/30/1953-4/10/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

GarlandBroussard

Labadieville,Louisiana 12/12/1940-4/1/2025

Landry'sFuneralHomeLabadieville

Tamera Braud

Gonzales,LA 2/24/1959-5/8/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

Wallace Braud

Prairieville,LA 8/27/1944-4/11/2025

Church FuneralServices

Donald Braud

Gonzales,Louisiana 1/29/1942-4/6/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Robert BridgesJr.

Albuquerque,NM 8/7/1961-2/25/2025

French Funerals & Cremations -Wyomingin Albuquerque,NM

Hubert Brignac

Lutcher, LA 5/20/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHome

Thomas Brignac

Gonzales,LA 5/27/1957-6/19/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

RufusBrown

BatonRouge,LA 12/28/1954-4/21/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Thomas BrownIV

Oscar,LA 12/18/1941-6/14/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Melody Broussard

BatonRouge,LA 1/26/1931-6/10/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Josie Brown

BatonRouge,LA 3/21/1933-4/23/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

MarilynBrown

BatonRouge,LA 4/18/1948-5/13/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

MichaelBrown

Haymarket, VA 9/1/1943-6/16/2025

Carewall Cremations in Fairfax, VA

MichaelBrown

Gainesville,GA 11/10/1960-2/19/2025

Memorial Park Funeral Homes& Cemeteries -Main

Lynn Browning

Greenwell Springs,LA 8/17/1941-4/20/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Durham,NC 1/12/1953-5/23/2025

Hall-Wynne FuneralHome in Durham,NC

Dana Brupbacher

St.Francisville,LA 10/4/1927-6/4/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Catherine BryantMuse

BatonRouge,La 9/28/1933-4/22/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

BonnieBuratt

BatonRouge,LA 4/29/2025

ResthavenFuneralHome

Chauncey Burns

Houma, LA 6/6/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

FuroniaBurns

PortAllen, LA 1/17/1925-4/10/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Joanne Bruce

Memory

Chance BurnsJr.

Houma, LA 6/6/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

DorothyBynum

PortAllen, la 9/26/1952-5/3/2025

Roscoe mortuary

JamesBynum Sr.

Plaquemine,LA 6/1/2025

Roscoe Mortuary in Plaquemine

ChristineByrnes

Ethel, La 8/8/1926-4/29/2025

Francis J. CollinsFuneral Home

Paul Cagle

Magnolia,MS 4/4/2025

CharletFuneralHomein

Zachary

PearlCamper

Plaquemine,LA 4/10/2025

Pugh'sMortuaryin Plaquemine

Patricia Cane

BatonRouge,LA 9/13/1952-5/15/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Faye Carbo

Donaldsonville,LA 2/1/1959-5/12/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Donaldsonville

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JohnCarpenter

BatonRouge,LA 4/3/1947-5/29/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

ChristineCarroll

Zachary, LA 8/13/1937-4/7/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Lloyd Carter Sr.

Belle Rose,LA 5/13/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

LauraCastille

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Albert Castrogovannie

Donaldsonville,LA 2/10/1930-5/17/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

Wilson Chaney

BatonRouge,Louisiana 1/3/1937-3/20/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Sylvia Chapple

BatonRouge,Louisiana 4/24/1940-3/26/2025

Church FuneralServices

CraigCharrier

BatonRouge,LA 11/10/1952-3/21/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

KamChee

9/22/1948-6/1/2025

Greenwood FuneralHomein NewOrleans

Walter Cochran

Plaquemine,Louisiana 11/14/1949-4/18/2025

Church FuneralServices

JosephChemin

Greenwell Springs,LA 4/23/1934-4/28/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Linda Chisholm

DenhamSprings,LA 10/20/1952-6/9/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

VerdaChristensen

BatonRouge,LA 9/24/1945-1/13/2025

Church FuneralServices

Bodo Claus

BatonRouge,LA 1/1/1936-6/23/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

James Clay

Baker, La 12/22/1945-5/31/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

ElmerClayton

BatonRouge,Louisiana 7/8/1931-6/25/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

SheronClement

Napoleonville,LA 11/28/1947-3/29/2025

Landry'sFuneralHomein Labadieville

Charlsie Coker

BatonRouge,LA 3/20/1930-2/2/2025

Ascension FuneralHomein Gonzales

Jeffery Coleman

White Castle,Louisiana 8/27/1980-4/27/2025

Roscoe Mortuary

Tressler Coleman

BatonRouge,LA 9/9/1965-4/10/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Warren Coleman

Thibodaux, LA 4/8/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Rev. Dr.JosephColeman Sr

Gonzales,LA 8/26/1950-6/16/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home

Mary Coles

BatonRouge,LA 9/4/1929-5/29/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

BerniceComeaux

BatonRouge,LA. 11/8/1934-4/5/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Memory IN LOVING

Clifford ComeauxJr.

Oscar,LA 1/10/1944-6/2/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

GusConiglio

Holden,LA 9/20/1929-5/17/2025

HarryMcKneely& Son FuneralHomeinHammond

Pamela Connolly

BatonRouge,LA 10/15/1946-4/2/2025

Church FuneralServices

Shelby Conti

LosAngeles, CA 5/20/1942-3/21/2025

Holy CrossMortuaryin Culver City,CA

Donald Cooper

St.Amant,LA 11/12/1955-6/1/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

JamesCourtney

BatonRouge,LA 9/26/1957-6/14/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Theressa Cowart

St.Amant,Louisiana 5/1/1991-4/23/2025 OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Marcus Cox

BatonRouge,LA 4/12/1953-3/19/2025

Church FuneralServices & Crematory

Rory Craft

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BatonRouge,LA 1/27/2002-4/19/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Candice Craig

BatonRouge,Louisiana 6/15/1984-4/24/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

TimothyCreswell

6/9/1938-4/2/2025

VincentFuneralHomein Abbeville

Otis Criss

Zachary, Louisiana 8/21/1938-4/28/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

CharlesCrockett

Addis, LA 12/16/1947-6/1/2025

Roscoe Mortuary

Denovas Crockett

BatonRouge,LA 6/6/1948-4/18/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

LanceCropper

Brusly,LA 2/8/1942-6/11/2025

WilbertFuneralService in PortAllen

CarolCurley

BatonRouge,LA 8/22/1940-5/30/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Marguerite Daigle

Pierre Part,LA 10/13/1941-4/18/2025

OursoFuneralHomeDonaldsonville

ConnieCutrer

BatonRouge,LA 8/15/1936-5/24/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Thomas D'AmicoJr.

Morganza, La 11/18/1946-6/22/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

AllenDabney

Labadieville,LA 5/4/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

StephanieDabney

Labadieville,LA 5/30/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

BarbaraDaggs

Belle Rose,LA 4/17/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Clarence Daigle

Belle Rose,LA 8/6/1942-6/10/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Donaldsonville

Russell Culotta

BatonRouge,LA 1/3/1934-6/18/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

GregoryDaigle

Plaquemine,LA 7/9/1959-6/8/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

RoyDaigleJr.

PortAllen, LA 5/4/1964-6/13/2025

WilbertFuneralService in PortAllen

LethaDaniel

4/28/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary

Brenda Daniels

BatonRouge,LA 12/29/1944-3/22/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Grosse Tete,LA 12/28/1950-6/10/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

JosephDavid

Janet David Lakeland, LA 1/23/1949-6/3/2025

Niland'sFuneralService in NewRoads

Gordon Davidson

BatonRouge,LA 6/29/1938-3/31/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

AnthonyDavis

BatonRouge,Louisiana 9/14/2003-4/5/2025

Carney andMackey Funeral Home

Memory IN LOVING

BeverlyDavis

BatonRouge,LA 10/3/1931-5/6/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

CharlesDavis

BatonRouge,LA 11/23/1934-4/11/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

FrancesDavis

Labadieville,LA 5/10/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

JasonDavis

Logan, UT 1/6/1976-3/22/2025

Joshua Davis

Houston, Tx 11/7/1997-4/28/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary

Mary Davis

BatonRouge,LA 12/13/1927-3/30/2025

Blount &Curry Funeral Home -Macdill Chapel

BeaDavis

Albany,LA. 10/3/1926-6/10/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHome- Hammond, LA

RonnieDavis

Plaquemine,LA 5/24/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

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Thomas Davis

BatonRouge,Louisiana 6/2/1953-5/13/2025

East BatonRouge Parish CoronerOffice

CharlesDavis

BatonRouge,LA 1/13/1950-3/13/2025

CharlesMackey

Elwood de Bessonet

Baker, LA 1/4/1933-5/24/2025

BakerFuneralHomein Baker

Dana Decuir

Slidell, LA 9/8/1980-6/4/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Mary Delage

BatonRouge,LA

6/14/1928-6/13/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

James DeLaune

Zachary, LA 1/19/1947-6/2/2025

Church FuneralServices

Robert Depew

Prairieville,LA 9/19/1948-6/18/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Damien Deshotels

DenhamSprings,LA 9/7/1946-4/9/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Veronica Desormes-Clay

Lafayette,LA 6/28/1948-6/1/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

DavidDoiron

Mobile,AL. 5/24/1962-6/16/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Frances DeVaull

Atlanta, GA 2/6/1952-3/25/2025

PatrickDooley

BatonRouge,LA 6/9/1952-4/18/2025

McLin& Manley Funeral Home andCremation Service

SlyviaWeishaupt

BatonRouge,LA 2/26/1935-4/30/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory

Victoria Dorsey

5/7/2025

MJRFriendlyService FuneralHome

MariaDiaz

Zachary, LA 12/7/1963-4/13/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Vernon Dorsey Jr.

Belle Rose,LA 5/25/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

JosephDiebold Jr.

Prairieville,LA 2/6/1939-4/22/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

ChristopherDilldine

BatonRouge,LA 12/30/1990-6/13/2025 Church FuneralServices

Billie KayDimattia

BatonRouge,LA 11/5/1944-6/16/2025 Church FuneralServices

Dominick Dinecola

BatonRouge,LA 10/4/1942-5/21/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

BatonRouge,Louisiana 2/1/1951-4/25/2025

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

DavidDoucet

Peggy WhiteDotteryAlbert Saraland,AL 11/9/1956-4/26/2025

Small'sMortuary

CharlesDuncan Sr

BatonRouge,LA 5/22/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary

Willie Dunn Sr.

BatonRouge,LA 7/22/1943-5/23/2025

Richardson FuneralHomein Clinton

Memory IN LOVING

Lori Dunphy

BatonRouge,LA 3/19/1961-5/18/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

DeloresDupuy

BatonRouge,LA 2/6/1948-4/10/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

MaudryDupuy

LaPlace, Louisiana 6/20/1931-4/29/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Emile Edwards

BatonRouge,LA 4/10/1941-4/21/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Clarence EdwardsJr.

Plaquemine,LA 5/14/2025

Pugh'sMortuaryin Plaquemine

Wilkes Elgiar

Carrollton, TX 8/8/1941-4/27/2025

Restland FuneralHome

FrankieDuvall

BatonRouge,LA 2/12/1956-5/13/2025

Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home

Arthur Ellis

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Ursula Escude

Mansura, LA 9/1/1938-4/26/2025 Escude FuneralHome

JanethEtheridge

BatonRouge,LA 3/13/1941-4/19/2025

Newman FuneralHomein Centreville,MS

IdaEvans

BatonRouge,LA 11/17/1925-4/6/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Shirley Evans

Austin,TX 10/30/1939-6/6/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

DorisFalkenheiner

BatonRouge,LA 6/6/1941-6/5/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Anne Fargason

BatonRouge,LA 1/21/1947-4/16/2025 Church FuneralServices

RichardFarmer

BatonRouge,LA 12/12/1958-6/1/2025 Church FuneralServices

THAILANFAVROTH

ROSEDALE, LA 4/20/2001-5/12/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

BatonRouge,LA 6/29/1950-5/26/2025

Neptune SocietyofNew Orleans

SharonEllison

BatonRouge,LA 10/15/1964-6/7/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Steven Everhart

BatonRouge,LA 4/16/1951-2/6/2025 ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

George FarrisJr.

BatonRouge,LA 5/3/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

CatherineEdgar

LindaEcker Lafayette,LA 3/14/2025

CypressFuneralHome

Leon Ellzey III

Zachary, LA 3/31/2025

CharletFuneralHome

JohnEwing

NewRoads,La 12/12/1953-4/9/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

Donald Faulkenberry

BatonRouge,LA 4/30/1944-5/28/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Alma Edwards

Plaquemine,Louisiana 6/2/1941-5/24/2025

Roscoe Mortuary

CarolynEdwards

Montgomery, TX 1/13/1945-5/7/2025

MetcalfFuneralDirectorsin Montgomery, TX

BatonRouge,LA 4/7/1946-4/13/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHomeEast

DarnellErwin

Robert Erie Jr. Watson, LA 8/6/1951-6/7/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Lois Ezeff

Baker, LA 11/6/1957-5/16/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

DianaFeduccia

BatonRouge,LA 3/19/1932-5/17/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Mary Falcon Johnson

Plaquemine,LA 8/20/1936-6/3/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Willie Ferdinand

BatonRouge,LA 4/15/1951-4/19/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Memory IN LOVING

Julia Fields

BatonRouge,LA 7/20/1970-5/11/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

MildredFine

BatonRouge,LA 11/13/1924-3/31/2025

WilliamFisher

BatonRouge,LA 9/20/1952-4/13/2025

CharletFuneralHome

TheHonorable BradyFitzsimmons

SantaRosaBeach,FL 7/17/1941-4/14/2025

Davis-WatkinsFuneral Home in MiramarBeach,FL

Antney Flowers

BatonRouge,LA 5/4/1946-4/25/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

AliceFogg

Prairieville,Louisiana 3/19/1931-4/8/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Dr.LaneFoil

BatonRouge,LA 6/16/1949-6/22/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Alrita Ford

BatonRouge,LA 1/29/1948-5/18/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

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SkylarFoster

Napoleonville,LA 4/2/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Warren Foster

Zachary, LA 6/20/1956-4/3/2025

CharletFuneralHome

MichaelFountain

BatonRouge,LA 9/12/1955-5/20/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

Debby Francis

BatonRouge,Louisiana 6/28/1962-4/18/2025 ProfessionalFuneral Services

Eugene Franklin

BatonRouge,LA 12/7/1935-4/1/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Patricia Fruge'

BatonRouge,LA 8/26/1961-4/15/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Leon Gant Sr.

Gramercy,LA 2/22/1965-5/21/2025

Bardell’sMortuaryinMt. Airy

ChristopherGarner

BatonRouge,LA 10/30/1969-6/1/2025

HartmanJonesFuneral Home

LouisGarrido

BatonRouge,LA 7/24/1924-6/18/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Nita Gaudin

Gonzales,LA 3/1/1928-6/3/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

Willie Franklin

Lafourche, LA 5/18/1935-5/26/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

DorothyGauthier

Prairieville,LA 6/9/1938-5/6/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

CarolynFreeman

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

ByronGautreau

Reserve, Louisiana 9/7/1931-6/20/2025 Church FuneralServices

Lawrence Frost

BatonRouge,LA 3/28/1947-4/4/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

RobinGautreau

6/25/1963-4/14/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHomein Lutcher

Zachary, LA 4/28/1928-3/30/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

Sylvia Gill

Isabelle George Baker, LA 12/14/1941-4/10/2025

BakerFuneralHome

ErickGilmore

Houston, TX 11/24/1981-6/14/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

RogerGodso

Gonzales,LA 12/18/1943-5/20/2025

ChurchFuneralServices

Sheila Gomez

BatonRouge,LA 7/2/1944-5/12/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

GretaGonzales

Ethel, LA 1/27/1940-4/24/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Johnny Gordon

4/29/2025

MJR FriendlyService FuneralHome

Glenn Goudeau

Marksville,LA 6/21/2025

Melancon FuneralHomein Bunkie

Memory IN LOVING

WilliamGouvier

BatonRouge,Louisiana 10/17/1953-5/9/2025

Best FuneralServices (North CentralChapel)

MarilynGrace

Hammond, LA 8/9/1939-6/9/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Laurence Graffeo

Brusly,Louisiana 12/20/1975-6/26/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

FrederickGrant

BatonRouge,LA 8/2/1926-4/20/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Walter GravoisSr.

PortAllen, LA 5/24/2025 GreenoaksFuneralHome

DorisGray

BatonRouge,Louisiana 6/8/1932-5/23/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Larry Green

Plaquemine,LA 6/1/2025

Pugh'sMortuaryin Plaquemine

AllenGreen Sr

NewOrleans, LA 4/13/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

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Louise Gremillion

Gonzales,LA 10/10/1934-4/5/2025 Resthaven

RodrickGremillion

PortAllen, LA 5/26/1962-6/2/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Kenneth Grider

BatonRouge,La 8/14/1928-4/24/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

RosalynGriffin

St.Amant,Louisiana 9/16/1940-6/22/2025 Church FuneralServices

Angela Griffith

Slaughter,LA 4/2/2025 CharletFuneralHome

RosiaGrover

BatonRouge,La. 70807 9/8/1937-4/6/2025 CharlesMackey Funeral Home

BruceGueho

BatonRouge,LA 1/1/0001-1/1/0001 ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

DaisyGuercio

BatonRouge,LA 10/30/1935-4/9/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

ShelbyGuillory Jr.

Greenwell Springs,LA 3/4/1938-3/30/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

DorothyGunby

BatonRouge,Louisiana 4/5/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

BruceHaik

Greenwell Springs,LA

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

LovieHall

BatonRouge,Louisiana 1/16/1940-5/20/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

KimGustin

NewRoads,LA 12/20/1955-4/3/2025 Niland'sFuneralService

Luther Hall

Ethel, LA

1/24/1942-1/2/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

JoyceGuy

Plaquemine,LA 8/12/1955-5/4/2025 WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

CrystalHall-Njepu

Pearland, Texas 11/20/1985-4/25/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Theodore Guyton

Dallas, TX 3/20/1941-4/24/2025 Croley FuneralHome

James Haas

Houston, TX 2/26/1933-6/12/2025 Memorial Oaks Funeral Home in Houston, TX

Mary Hagan

Zachary, LA 6/10/2025 CharletFuneralHome

RichardHagan

4/23/2025 CharletFuneralHome

AndreHamilton

BatonRouge,LA. 11/11/1968-5/12/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

HelenHarbourt

BatonRouge,LA 11/30/1923-4/25/2025 ProfessionalFuneral Services in NewOrleans

Peggy Hardenburgh

Gonzales,LA 8/29/1938-5/24/2025

Church FuneralServices & CrematoryinSt.Amant

KevinHardy

DenhamSprings,LA 5/29/1957-6/14/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

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DennisHarris

BatonRouge,LA 5/10/1940-6/10/2025

ProfessionalFuneral Services

Gene Harris

BatonRouge,LA 10/23/1937-4/13/2025

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Jermaine Harris

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

OdesterHarris

NewRoads,LA 8/20/1933-4/2/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

Patricia Harris

Abend, LA 1/28/1957-4/20/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home

Jessica Hartley

Denham Springs,LA 4/2/2025 CharletFuneralHome

ConnieHarvison

4/24/2025

CharletFuneralHomein Zachary

MildredHastings

BatonRouge,LA 11/14/1924-6/1/2025 GreenoaksFuneralHome

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LeolaHavard

BatonRouge,LA 11/1/1928-5/19/2025

Richardson FuneralHomein Clinton

Donna Hebert

Greenwell Springs,LA 12/20/1947-4/12/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

JoyceHawkins

PortAllen, LA 11/28/1950-4/7/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Jerry Hebert

BatonRouge,LA 5/23/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

James Hayes

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

SandraHebert

BatonRouge,LA 7/11/1940-6/22/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

SharonHayes

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

MichaelHeltz

BatonRouge,LA 6/4/1950-5/17/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Jeffery Haynes

BatonRouge,La 1/6/1961-5/30/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

MarilynHenderson

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Susie Hayward

BatonRouge,LA 7/18/1948-3/23/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

TRAVIS HENDERSON

ROSEDALE, LA 3/1/1969-4/18/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

AlvinHebert

BatonRouge,LA 2/7/1931-5/10/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Yvonne Henderson

BatonRouge,Louisiana 12/27/1941-5/31/2025

Carney andMackey Funeral Home

Chrystal Hebert

BatonRouge,LA 5/15/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

Robert Hernandez

DenhamSprings,Louisiana 3/6/1937-5/2/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Robert Herrington

BatonRouge,LA 10/16/1951-5/1/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Marsha Hickman-Pike

Anchorage,AK 2/8/1949-1/3/2025

Evergreen Memorial Chapel

JoelHilbun

BatonRouge,LA. 4/2/1929-5/10/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

LurlineHilbun

BatonRouge,Louisiana 8/4/1930-4/25/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

LishaHill

BatonRouge,LA 3/23/1961-5/5/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

CharlesHinton

Georgetown,Texas 2/21/1941-3/24/2025

APlusCremation

JosephHenry

Gonzales,LA 6/28/1952-5/29/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Adonis Hodge

Hobbs,New Mexico 5/10/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Memo

Mary Hogan

Lakeland, La 10/26/1935-4/30/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

MaeHogg

BatonRouge,LA 5/7/1931-6/6/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Melvin Holden

NewOrleans, LA 8/12/1952-5/14/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

LaverneHoliday

BatonRouge,LA 6/15/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

ElsieHoneycutt

BatonRouge,Louisiana 4/18/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Lacy Honore

BatonRouge,La 10/20/1944-3/31/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

Marshall Honoré Jr.

BatonRouge,LA 8/4/1924-6/17/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

PaulaHowat

Zachary, LA 7/1/1939-4/4/2025

ProfessionalFuneral Services in NewOrleans

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Sean Howell

BatonRouge,Louisiana 6/7/1966-6/19/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Linda Hudson

BatonRouge,La 11/28/1941-3/24/2025

Church FuneralServices

SarahIrving

BatonRouge,Louisiana 3/30/1928-5/6/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

Patricia Irwin

BatonRouge,LA 8/4/1933-6/23/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

WilliamHughes

PortAllen, LA 4/3/2025

WilbertFuneralHomein PortAllen

Robert Israel

BatonRouge,LA 4/11/1943-3/15/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

CharlesHumphreys

Hammond, LA 7/4/1958-6/20/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

ClarkHumphrey Sr.

BatonRouge,LA 4/15/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Shirley Hundemer

SanAntonio, TX 2/20/1932-6/24/2025

Neptune SocietyinSan Antonio, TX

Evelyn Hunt

BatonRouge,Louisiana 11/24/1929-6/1/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Adam HymelJr.

Destrehan, LA 5/6/1928-5/7/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHomein Lutcher

Willie Jackson

Donaldsonville,LA 5/18/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Donaldsonville

Clarence Jackson Sr.

Geismar, LA 9/9/1937-6/13/2025

Hambrick Family Mortuary in Gonzales

Mark Jackson Sr.

DenhamSprings,LA 6/4/1959-5/1/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Shyam Iyer

BatonRouge,Louisiana 1/24/1944-6/22/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

BarbaraJacobs

BatonRouge,LA 3/2/1935-6/19/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Andrew Jackson

Donaldsonville,LA 4/15/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Phillip Jacobs

9/7/1979-3/31/2025

CharletFuneralHomein

Zachary

DebraJackson

BatonRouge,La 12/21/1951-5/3/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Sylvia Jacobson

BatonRouge,LA 11/13/1940-5/13/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Gladys Jackson

BatonRouge,La 2/6/1953-4/29/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

Clarence Jarreau

Zachary, Louisiana 10/21/1942-6/5/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

JoyceJackson

BatonRouge,LA 2/15/1941-6/8/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralServices

JosephJarreau

BatonRouge,LA 10/20/1937-6/18/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Memory

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Oscar,LA 5/7/1928-6/25/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Rose Jarvis

Oliver Jarreau Jr. Baker, LA 6/12/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

Daphne Jefferson

Plaquemine,LA 1/15/1966-6/13/2025

Roscoe Mortuary in Plaquemine

WilliamJefferson Sr.

Plaquemine,LA 4/20/2025

Pugh’sMortuaryin Plaquemine

Betty Jeffrey

Covington, LA 9/2/1928-6/5/2025

Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home in NewOrleans

Adam Johnson

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

AnnieJohnson

Thibodaux,LA 4/2/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

ARTHUR JOHNSON

BATCHELOR, LA 6/9/1953-5/12/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

Clarence Johnson

Port Hudson, LA 4/4/2025

Millerand Daughter

Mortuary

DebbieJohnson

Thibodaux ,LA 4/3/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Jamie Johnson

Ethel, LA 4/21/1975-4/21/2025 CharletFuneralHome

Kelly Johnson

Walker,LA 6/2/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHomeinDenham Springs

Melvin Johnson

Thibodaux, LA 5/12/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Thibodaux

WilliamJohnson

Zachary, LA 5/17/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

RaymondJohnson Jr

Napoleonville,LA 6/17/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Jamie Johnson

Clinton, LA 12/12/1976-4/10/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

JalisaJoseph

BatonRouge,LA 3/27/2025

Pugh'sMortuary

DeborahJones

BatonRouge,LA 12/24/1929-4/8/2025 Church FuneralServices

AaronJosephSr.

Convent,LA 5/11/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Donaldsonville

LeoraJones

NewIberia, LA 12/8/1939-4/18/2025

Fletcher FuneralHomein NewIberia

JoyceJoubert

BatonRouge,LA 3/16/1932-5/4/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

LewisJones

BatonRouge,LA 11/3/1955-2/23/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

JuliusJuneau

BatonRouge,LA 9/17/1941-5/20/2025

RabenhorstFuneralHome& Crematory -Government Street

TedJones

BatonRouge,LA 12/27/1929-4/26/2025 ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Mary Jung

BatonRouge,Louisiana 6/1/1933-5/7/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Touanette Jones

BatonRouge,LA 5/15/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Thibodaux

EddieJordanJr.

Port Hudson, LA 7/7/1941-5/7/2025

Richardson FuneralHomein Clinton

Albert Johnson Sr.

BatonRouge,LA 2/27/1943-4/12/2025

CapitalFuneralHome

ErnestineJoseph

Donaldsonville,LA 5/22/1938-4/19/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home

CarrieJunot

BatonRouge,LA 1/29/1934-4/28/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

JosephJupiterIII

Napoleonville,LA 5/29/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

LindberghKaglear

Woodville,MS 2/17/1936-5/1/2025

Semien-Lewis Mortuary

IN LOVING MEMORY...

Memo

LOVING

Martin Kearns

BatonRouge,LA 12/28/1937-6/13/2025

Church Services Church Services

Eloise Keating

BatonRouge,LA 7/25/1933-5/24/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

CharlesKegler

BatonRouge,LA 12/25/1950-5/20/2025

Winnfield FuneralHome

Rosalie Kelleher

St.Amant,LA 8/13/1938-6/9/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

DeloresKeller

Zachary, La 9/14/1947-6/20/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

John Kelley

Denham Springs,louisiana 8/26/1939-6/13/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

HelgaKellnerPartenheimer

BatonRouge,LA 12/31/1935-6/2/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Arthur Kelly

BatonRouge,LA 9/24/1937-5/3/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

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JohnKendrick

BatonRouge,LA 2/15/1949-5/4/2025

Church FuneralServices

Susan Kenyon

BatonRouge,LA 9/22/1943-5/1/2025

Church FuneralServices

KevinKernan

Prairieville,La 10/29/1954-4/20/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

DarrylKerr

BatonRouge,LA 4/16/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

FloridaKilbourne

Clinton, Louisiana 6/14/1931-5/20/2025

MercyFuneralHome

Rita Kilshaw

BatonRouge,LA 7/28/1933-5/13/2025

Church FuneralServices

MichaelKing

BatonRouge,LA 9/3/1984-5/18/2025

Family Chapel

TheresaKontos

Tallahassee, Florida

8/31/1949-6/20/2025

BevisFuneralHome

Jackson, LA 10/1/1941-4/21/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton RayKing

Donald KozanSr.

BatonRouge,LA 4/18/2025

Church FuneralServices and Crematory

JonnieLuKleinpeter

BatonRouge,LA 2/23/1945-6/6/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Julia LaCaze

Grosse Tete,LA 5/27/2025

WilbertFuneralHomeof Plaquemine

SteveKnapps Sr.

BatonRouge,LA 12/19/1945-4/10/2025

Gilbert Lacey

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

RichardKimble

PortAllen, LA 7/8/1937-6/25/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Inez King

BatonRouge,LA 7/25/1925-4/1/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

LeeKnight

Greenfield, IN 6/8/1945-5/12/2025

Erlewein Mortuary in Greenfield, IN

Claudette LaCombe

BatonRouge,LA 11/9/1946-6/25/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Brenda Knockum

5/7/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

KyrenLacy

Thibodaux, LA 4/12/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Audrey KnollWest

BatonRouge,LA 10/18/1941-4/21/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

JoyceLambert

Gonzales,LA 7/19/1929-4/4/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

JakobeKnox

OklahomaCity,Oklahoma 12/13/2002-6/6/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

Joe Lamonica

4/9/2025

McKneelyFuneralHomein Amite

Memo

CarolLandry

BatonRouge,LA 6/12/1943-5/5/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Donald Landry

WhiteCastle,LA 10/27/1970-3/30/2025

Roscoe Mortuary in Plaquemine

Donna Landry

JeffersonCity,TN 6/8/1956-2/9/2025

FieldenFuneralHomein NewMarket, TN

JoAnnLandry

BatonRouge,Louisiana 7/18/1940-4/25/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

LouisLandry

BatonRouge,Louisiana 5/22/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Margaret Landry

BatonRouge,LA 9/13/1933-4/14/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Peggy Landry

Prairieville,Louisiana 9/12/1936-4/5/2025 Church FuneralServices

ShirleyLandry

Brusly,LA 9/14/1935-6/3/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

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Terry Landry

Donaldsonville,Louisiana 8/1/1958-6/7/2025

OursoFuneralHomeDonaldsonville

IsraelLandrySr.

St.James,LA 5/2/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home in Donaldsonville

Thomas Lane

BatonRouge,LA 8/14/1951-5/10/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Lillie Lang

BatonRouge,LA 12/6/1931-6/10/2025

CharlesMackey Funeral Services

Lillie Langley

Zachary, LA 4/21/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Floral Lanier

BatonRouge,LA 12/21/1931-5/24/2025

Church FuneralServices

Thomas LaPorteSr.

Walker,LA 11/16/1938-4/22/2025

McLin& Manley Funeral Home andCremation ServiceinWalker

Denise Latour

Hammond, LA 8/5/1962-4/11/2025

Harry McKneely& Son FuneralHome

GaylordLee Sr.

BatonRouge,LA 5/30/1958-3/31/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

George Lawson

DeSoto,TX 3/6/1935-3/30/2025

Schaffer Family Funeral Home in Rosedale

Mary Leger

BatonRouge,LA 12/10/1947-4/4/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Gerald Lawson

BatonRouge,LA 7/11/1964-5/25/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

BerniceLegier

BatonRouge,LA 8/26/1934-5/15/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

TracyLazard

BatonRouge,Louisiana 10/27/1964-4/7/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

StanleyLeJeune

Plaquemine,LA 8/21/1939-4/6/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Gerald LazarusSr.

Walker,LA 10/7/1943-4/23/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

YmaLemon

Prarieville,LA 7/14/1961-5/5/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

LouisLasserreJr.

BatonRouge,LA 9/18/1931-5/20/2025

Church FuneralServices

Gary LeBlanc

BatonRouge,Louisiana 8/9/1966-3/27/2025

Dembyand SonFuneral Home

Audrey LeTard

Zachary, LA 8/21/1941-6/18/2025

CharletFuneralHome

MichaelLeClere

BatonRouge,LA 6/29/1990-3/26/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

BrianLee

BatonRouge,La 2/22/1973-5/16/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

Warren Leteff Sr.

BatonRouge,LA 3/17/1945-4/10/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

LorieneLethermon

BatonRouge,LA 10/13/1962-4/3/2025

RestingPlace FuneralHome -Baton Rouge

Memory

CharlesLevy

Georgetown,Texas 10/26/1935-3/28/2025

Cook-WaldenDavis Funeral Home

Jeff Lousteau

Lafayette,LA 7/11/1943-3/30/2025

Delhomme FuneralHomein

Lafayette

Amanda Lewis

Plaquemine,LA 4/10/2025

Wilbert FuneralHomein Plaquemine

Lillie Lewis

BatonRouge,LA 10/21/1933-4/18/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Patricia Lewis

Lafayette,LA 5/17/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Thibodaux

HenryLocklar

BatonRouge,LA 7/27/1938-5/10/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Gloria London

BatonRouge,LA 7/24/1949-5/18/2025

Richardson FuneralHomein Clinton

Odessa Lovincy

Belle Rose,LA 6/7/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

CynthiaLupo

Zachary, LA 9/25/1953-3/11/2025

Dennard FirstNational FuneralHomeinWinnsboro, LA

Judith Lusk

BatonRouge,LA 10/8/1955-6/11/2025

Church FuneralServices

JoyceMajor

Ventress, La 8/30/1936-6/2/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

Kaylee Major

Ventress, Louisiana 5/17/1990-3/22/2025

Ascension FuneralHome

Shirley Major

Livingston, LA 7/24/1941-5/6/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

JacquesMajor Jr.

St.Amant,LA 5/5/1932-5/15/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Barry Lusted

BatonRouge,LA 2/25/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Penny Maldonado

Ruston, LA 8/18/2005-2/26/2025

Church FuneralServices

LilianLynch

BatonRouge,LA 9/27/1936-4/3/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Robert Mancill

Greenwell Springs, Louisiana 9/26/1927-5/12/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

JodyMann

BatonRouge,LA 11/22/2004-4/16/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Tyrone Maracalin

White Castle,LA 1/2/1955-4/23/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Mary JaneMarcantel

BatonRouge,LA 10/16/1947-6/21/2025 Fall Creek of Louisiana

RoyMarchand

Gonzales,LA 11/10/1930-5/13/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Susan Marino

BatonRouge,Louisiana 12/8/1948-4/27/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

ShanitraMarshall

Prairieville,LA 4/12/2025

Millerand Daughter

Mortuary

James Long

BatonRouge,Louisiana 12/27/1948-5/5/2025 GreenoaksFuneralHome

Maureen Madere

Laplace, LA

12/28/1935-4/27/2025

Millet-Guidry FuneralHome

Rose Mancuso

St.Amant,LA 2/15/1944-4/17/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

RosarioMartina

BatonRouge,LA 7/12/1923-6/9/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Joseph Long Sr

7/30/1941-6/20/2025

Bardell’sMortuary

BrandonMagee

BatonRouge,LA 12/5/1990-5/4/2025

James "Jim"Manley

BatonRouge,LA 10/26/1942-4/27/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Huey Martinez

Bayou Sorrel, LA 1/22/1935-6/22/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Memo

Henrietta Maryman

St.Francisville,LA 4/27/2025

CharletFuneralHome

CharlesMackey Funeral Home IvoryMason

AaronMaterre

Donaldsonville,LA 10/14/1964-5/4/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home in Donaldsonville

BarbaraMatherne

Greenwell Springs,LA. 1/11/1939-5/23/2025

GreenoaksFuneralHome

Lois Mathews

Thibodaux,LA 4/13/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Joseph Matirne

Park City,MT 2/11/1938-3/8/2025

Remington-LetcherFuneral Services in Laurel,MT

JacquelineMatthews

BatonRouge,LA 5/15/1959-4/15/2025

Roscoe Mortuary in Plaquemine

Terry Matthews

Thibodaux,LA 6/13/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Thibodaux

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

WilliamMaxwell

BatonRouge,LA 8/12/1946-4/5/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

MichaelMayer

BatonRouge,LA 1/12/1962-6/3/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

ChesterMazone

Maringouin, LA 3/3/1939-5/4/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

Mary McCallister-Thomas

Clinton, La 3/25/1937-4/21/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

SafariaMcFarland

BatonRouge,Louisiana 1/4/1981-5/7/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

Andrew McGee

BatonRouge,Louisiana 4/20/1962-6/9/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Rose McCarthy

Opelousas,LA 4/27/1931-4/23/2025

Lafond-ArdoinFuneral Home in Opelousas

Douglass McCaslandSr.

DenhamSprings,LA 11/20/1955-6/21/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Lucy McGoughBowers

BatonRouge,LA 1/15/1941-5/25/2025

Church FuneralServices

RichardMcGovern

Central, LA 7/20/1946-4/21/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

JuanitaMcGregor

BatonRouge,LA 6/3/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

JoyceMcIntire

BatonRouge,LA 8/6/1941-4/16/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Stokes McConnell

SullivansIsland, SC 8/4/1975-4/2/2025

CarolinaFuneralHome& GardensinNorth Charleston, SC

JoyceMcCoy

BatonRouge,LA 1/22/1942-4/18/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

AC McQuirterSr.

BatonRouge,LA 5/31/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

NorrisMelancon

NewRoads,LA 4/28/1928-4/1/2025

Niland'sFuneralService in NewRoads

WilliamMelancon

St.Amant,LA 1/17/1934-5/12/2025

Ascension FuneralHomein Gonzales

MichaelMelear

8/29/1952-4/7/2025

H.C.AlexanderFuneral Home in Norco

Joan Melvin-Owens

Baker, LA 6/18/1957-5/5/2025

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Janet Mendow

BatonRouge,LA 8/6/1933-5/28/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

FrankMcKnight

Zachary, LA 6/9/1926-4/27/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

Robert Merrick

NewOrleans, Louisiana 8/31/1944-4/28/2025

Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home

HenryMcKowen

Austin,TX 6/6/1956-5/18/2025

HeartofTexas Cremation andBurialService inAustin, TX

DorothyMilam

Zachary, LA 1/31/1931-6/6/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Memory

Jo-Ann Miller

Central, LA 12/5/1943-5/2/2025

Maureen Miller

BatonRouge,LA 1/10/1945-5/16/2025 Church FuneralServices

EddieMillerII

Napoleonville,LA 8/30/1957-5/11/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

LydiaMillet

10/4/1925-3/29/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHomein Lutcher

SonyaMillican

BatonRouge,LA 7/27/1951-5/15/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Vernon Millien

Gretna,LA 5/10/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Victor Mire

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Addis, LA 5/30/1938-4/19/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

TerickaMitchell

NewRoads,LA 9/10/1982-3/26/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

Earl Mix

Ventress, LA 1/5/1933-6/9/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

Rita Mockler

BatonRouge,LA 10/19/1940-6/23/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Marvin Moncla

Shreveport, LA 10/3/1937-5/9/2025

Rose-NeathFuneralHome in Shreveport

Mary Monson

BatonRouge,LA 2/18/1928-5/11/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

TheresaMims-Julien

BatonRouge,LA 9/6/1939-6/7/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Charlotte Moore

Greenwell Springs,LA 5/22/2025

CharletFuneralHomein

Zachary

Peggy Mire

Prairieville,LA 10/7/1926-5/15/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

GirleanMoore

Marksville,Louisiana 11/2/1947-5/15/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

JohnMorris, Sr.

Brusly,LA 7/10/1930-3/27/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

DeborahMoran

Gonzales,Louisiana 10/1/1951-6/25/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Wendell MorrisSr.

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

EdrieMoran

BatonRouge,Louisiana 9/14/1940-5/16/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Thomas Mott

Brusly,LA 1/7/1947-4/25/2025

WilbertFuneralHomein

PortAllen

NancyMorazan

BatonRouge,LA 6/2/1944-3/16/2025

Colligan Crematory& FuneralServices

BeverlyMougeot

Ventress, LA 7/2/1955-5/28/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Bertha Morel

McComb,MS 9/15/1932-4/27/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

DeborahMuller

BatonRouge,LA 2/26/1933-5/19/2025

Harry McKneely& Son FuneralHome

DorisMoore

Livingston, LA 7/15/1951-5/23/2025

McLin& Manley Funeral Home andCremation Service

Vivian Morgan

Lafayette,LA 12/23/1936-5/26/2025

McKneelyFuneralHomein Amite

Lucille Murphy

BatonRouge,LA 11/5/1945-3/18/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

BeverlyMorris

Gonzales,LA 7/24/1952-4/8/2025 Church FuneralServices

DorothyMurray

Seabrook, TX 5/22/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

CarolynMorris

BatonRouge,LA 1/1/0001-1/1/0001 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Larry Murray

BatonRouge,Louisiana 11/13/1989-6/17/2025 Church FuneralServices

Memo

LOVING

CarolynMurtagh

Lafayette,LA 4/24/1935-6/13/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

KortneyMyles

BatonRouge,Louisiana 11/17/1987-3/30/2025

MJRFriendlyService FuneralHome- Denham Springs

KatherineNadler

BatonRouge,LA 5/3/1935-5/13/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

RichardNajolia

BatonRouge,LA 2/7/1938-5/21/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Walter NaquinJr.

Thibodaux,LA 8/15/1944-4/7/2025

Landry's FuneralHomein Thibodaux

Glenda Nash

BatonRouge,LA 5/12/1954-6/13/2024

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Antoinette Neck

BatonRouge,LA 3/3/1934-5/20/2025 CentralFuneralHome

VincentNelson

Bertrandville,LA 6/8/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Florence Nereaux

Grosse Tete,LA 7/18/1943-6/13/2025

Niland'sFuneralService in NewRoads

JanaNero

BatonRouge,LA 12/31/1958-2/21/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

Carlie NesomSheffield

Ocean Springs,MS 7/8/1939-4/21/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Lois Nettles

BatonRouge,LA 5/15/1929-5/30/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Calvin Newsom

Lafayette,LA 9/22/1952-4/10/2025

CypressFuneralHomeand Crematory

AnnahNjepu

Pearland, Texas 1/4/2024-4/25/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

JuanitaNolan

BatonRouge,LA 6/25/2025 ResthavenFuneralHome

Clarence Nora

NewOrleans, LA 6/5/2025

Williams andSouthall FuneralHomein Napoleonville

Randy Normand

Plaquemine,LA 7/11/1949-5/26/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

James Norsworthy III

Jackson, LA 5/7/1950-6/26/2025 CharletFuneralHome

Martha Nosacka

Gramercy,LA 2/22/1931-6/7/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHome

Rev.A.W. O'QuinnSr.

Pine Grove,LA 8/17/1935-6/2/2025 McKneelyFuneralHome

Willie Odum

BatonRouge,Louisiana 3/29/1934-5/2/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Susan Olds

BatonRouge,LA 8/26/1951-4/6/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

JosephOrtego

Central, LA 8/24/1933-6/13/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Lynnette Ourso

BatonRouge,LA 5/20/2025

WilbertFuneralService in PortAllen

Pierre Part,LA 4/26/1944-6/19/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Donaldsonville

Wilbert Overton

JosephOurso Jr. Fordoche,LA 1/25/1946-5/25/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

WoodrowOverton

Clinton, LA 4/22/2025

CharletFuneralHome

BarbaraPace

Gonzales,LA 11/4/1943-6/20/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Thomas Pace

Clinton, LA 9/1/1966-5/26/2025

CharletFuneralHomein

Zachary

CharlesParker

BatonRouge,Louisiana 8/3/1942-6/15/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

MarilynParker

Belle Rose,LA 6/11/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

AlicePaynes

BatonRouge,LA 7/14/1951-5/7/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

IN LOVING

Memory

JanePetermann

Arkadelphia,AR 12/3/1948-4/21/2025

GrossFuneral Home & CrematoryinHot Springs, AR

JosephPeters

White Castle,LA 9/7/1934-6/16/2025

Roscoe Mortuary in Plaquemine

Julia Peters

BatonRouge,LA 10/31/1937-6/18/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

George Peterson

Gonzales,LA 8/27/1950-4/16/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Ruth Peterson

Zachary, LA 12/11/1942-5/4/2025 Church FuneralServices

RichardPetrieJr.

BatonRouge,LA 12/6/1946-4/23/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Bernetta Petty

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Gerald Phares Jr

BatonRouge,LA 9/18/1936-4/23/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Alfred Pickett

BatonRouge,Louisiana 5/20/1949-6/2/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

MavisPierre

Simmesport, La 1/19/1957-4/23/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

Mary Porto

Donaldsonville,Louisiana 7/2/1941-6/14/2025

OursoFuneralHomeDonaldsonville

JoycePoston

Thibodaux, LA 5/9/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Thibodaux

BarbaraPinsonat

Purvis,MS 8/23/1947-4/23/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Katherine PrejeanMouch

Addis, LA 5/28/1931-4/22/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Maxine Pittman

Tunica, LA 10/17/1937-4/27/2025

CharletFuneralHome

BonniePrice

BatonRouge,LA 5/30/1932-5/8/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Mary Pitts

BatonRouge,LA 8/7/1940-5/12/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

DorothyPrice

Thibodaux, LA 4/23/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

CarolynPogue

Denton, Tx 3/23/1940-5/27/2025

Dalton& Sons

Thomas Price

Prairieville,Louisiana 1/3/1961-6/3/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

OraPope

Greensburg, LA 5/28/2025

MJR FriendlyService FuneralHome

CharlesPortier

Hammond, Louisiana 7/21/1956-3/27/2025

Affordable funeralhomellc

AllanPursnell

BatonRouge,LA 1/29/1948-4/24/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

GeraldinePuyau

BatonRouge,LA 8/28/1930-5/13/2025

RabenhorstFuneralHome& Crematory -Government Street

Patricia Ragusa

BatonRouge,LA 8/18/1944-6/6/2025

RabenhorstFuneralHome& Crematory -Government Street

George Ramer

BatonRouge,Louisiana 7/12/1947-5/17/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Gertrude Ramirez

BatonRouge,LA 9/7/1930-5/1/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

BrianRansome

BatonRouge,La 10/20/1958-5/5/2025 Niland'sFuneralService

Dore Profet

BatonRouge,LA 10/23/1939-3/2/2025

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Annette Rapier

BatonRouge,LA 1/5/1947-5/15/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Harold Pugh

Albany,OR 5/12/2025

Neptune CremationService

CharlesRea

BatonRouge,Louisiana 4/26/1935-5/15/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

IN LOVING

Memor

John Redmond

Denham Springs,LA 7/18/1941-5/4/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

MichaelReid

BatonRouge,LA 4/5/1954-4/3/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Ronald Reine

Gonzales,La 11/6/1943-4/12/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Marc Reynerson

Louisville,KY 3/17/1945-4/11/2025

University of Louisville WilledBody Program

Elma Rheams-Primas

Baker, LA 7/15/1919-6/11/2025

MJRFriendlyService FuneralHomeinDenham Springs

CharlesRicard

BatonRouge,LA 11/3/1954-5/26/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

DebraRichard

BatonRouge,LA 1/31/1963-4/13/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Donald Richardson

BatonRouge,LA 10/6/1941-6/20/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Gail Richardson

Gonzales,LA 7/21/1919-5/19/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Marcie Richardson

6/1/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

Patricia Riddick

BatonRouge,LA 10/21/1939-5/5/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Regina Rivere

Gonzales,Louisiana 1/1/1958-4/23/2025

Church FuneralServices

Newman Roblin

BatonRouge,LA 2/27/1943-5/7/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

JohnRodney

NewRoads,LA 9/11/1936-5/23/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Robert Rodriguez

BatonRouge,LA 6/11/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

BrianRogers

Beaumont,Texas 3/9/1981-5/16/2025

Broussard's Mortuary

ElizabethRobbins

BatonRouge,LA 7/15/1940-4/7/2025 Church Services Church Services

Chiquita Rogers

PortAllen, LA 12/1/1982-4/14/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Harry Roberts

BatonRouge,LA 2/2/1940-3/26/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

HelenRobinson

BatonRouge,Louisiana 5/15/1946-6/16/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

HelenRobinson

Baker, LA 3/22/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

Matthew Romano

DenhamSprings,LA 4/4/1996-4/6/2025

Church FuneralServices

Brenda Romero

DenhamSprings,Louisiana 7/13/1945-4/21/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Jerome Romero

Lafayette,LA 4/22/1951-4/23/2025

Martin &Castille Funeral Home in Lafayette

TheophilusRose

Lafayette,LA 7/29/1949-6/19/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

Vivian Ross

BatonRouge,LA 10/14/1931-6/4/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Judy Roheim

BatonRouge,LA 12/8/1933-4/15/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

JosephRotolo

BatonRouge,LA 10/27/1930-6/21/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Ruth Rollins

Avondale,LA 4/10/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Donald Rougon

BatonRouge,LA 2/7/1942-6/10/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Billie Roman

BatonRouge,LA 11/27/1934-4/16/2025

St.Bernard Memorial FuneralHomeinChalmette

Joanne Roussel

Gonzales,LA 1/23/1948-5/25/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

Memory IN LOVING

TheReverend ChrisRoussell

Lynchburg, VA 1/14/1971-5/24/2025

CharletFuneralHome

JamesRowley

Denham Springs,LA 4/26/1949-6/6/2025

McLin& Manley Funeral Home andCremation Service

MarilynRoy

BatonRouge,LA 11/12/1929-3/26/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

MarilynRuckstuhl

BatonRouge,LA 10/30/1935-6/4/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Rita Russell

BatonRouge,LA 3/22/1935-6/4/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

SarahAnn Ruth

BatonRouge,LA. 7/21/1954-4/9/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

EddieRyland

Denham Springs,Louisiana 8/9/1950-5/9/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

ShamSachdev

BatonRouge,LA 12/21/1937-6/13/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Melvin Sadden

Erwinville,LA 6/7/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Dean Saia

PortAllen, LA 7/27/1961-4/9/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

James SaintJr.

Ponchatoula, LA 11/25/1932-6/12/2025

Harry McKneelyand Son FuneralHomein Ponchatoula

Noah SanchezJr.

Brusly St.Martin,LA 6/5/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Melvin Sanders

BatonRouge,LA 10/7/1940-4/20/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Rita Sanford

BatonRouge,LA 4/1/1950-5/20/2025

Hall Davisand SonFuneral Services

Donald Saunier

Prairieville,LA 12/13/1933-6/8/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

CarolScarborough Bowman

Woodville,MS 3/14/1943-5/27/2025

DHH Bureau ofAnatomical Services

Montez Schnebelen

BatonRouge,LA 3/14/1940-4/12/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHomesEast

CharlesSchonberg Jr.

Donaldsonville,LA 6/18/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home in Donaldsonville

NicholeScott

Maringouin, LA 5/24/1969-5/27/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

JohnSeeser

BatonRouge,LA 8/2/1942-4/9/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

BettieSensat

Crowley, LA 4/21/2025

CharletFuneralHome

StonewellSerrett

Gulfport, MS 11/25/1924-4/7/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

JaneShank

NewOrleans, LA 11/14/1945-6/7/2025

Neptune Society

AlbertaShannon

Zachary, LA 1/16/1943-6/6/2025

MercyFuneralHomein Clinton

Lura Sharp

BatonRouge,LA 8/11/1930-5/28/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

MarilynShepard

BatonRouge,LA 6/30/1936-4/21/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

BatonRouge,LA 3/15/2025

IrvinSettoon III

BatonRouge,LA 4/18/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

Edward Shank

Prairieville,LA 7/22/1941-4/2/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

Greenwood FuneralHomein

NewOrleans

Andrew Shrader

GraceShoop Holden,LA 8/21/1936-3/30/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHome- Hammond, LA

Gloria Simmons

Opelousas,Louisiana 3/4/1941-5/28/2025

Williams FuneralHome

JosephSimon

BatonRouge,LA. 2/4/1940-4/7/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Memo

WilliamSimon Sr.

Central, LA

8/16/1936-3/28/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Loubertha Sims

Belle Rose,LA 6/20/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home in Donaldsonville

Wanda Skipper

PortAllen, LA 4/14/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

Susan Small

BatonRouge,LA 1/27/1967-4/17/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Clay Smiley

Port Vincent, LA 12/28/1967-6/9/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

Calista Smith

Zachary, LA 11/19/1931-2/27/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Channing Smith

BatonRouge,LA 12/17/1979-5/16/2025

MJRFriendlyService FuneralHomeinDenham Springs

ConnieSmith

BatonRouge,LA 3/12/1934-6/17/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

DorothySmith

BatonRouge,LA 6/18/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

JohnnieSmith

Kentwood, LA 10/7/1939-6/9/2025

McKneelyFuneralHome

Smith

Fordoche,LA 8/17/1932-6/10/2025

Niland'sFuneralService in NewRoads

LouisSmith

Batchelor, LA 1/18/1951-5/28/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

Mary Smith

BatonRouge,LA 4/16/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

RoySmith

BatonRouge,LA 2/26/1941-6/1/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Eric Smith

Zachary, LA 7/21/1971-4/16/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

Lola Soileau

BatonRouge,LA 10/3/1927-5/19/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

LeonardSpearsJr.

Basile,LA 6/26/1934-5/28/2025

Rory SpearsJr.

BatonRouge,LA 12/30/2011-4/26/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Susie Smith

Maringouin, LA 11/28/1930-4/29/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

Tellis Smith

Lawton, OK 3/29/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Rosetta Spurlock

BatonRouge,LA 10/13/1938-6/23/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

Mary Spencer

BatonRouge,LA 5/12/1923-5/13/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

VincentSpitale

Independance, LA 2/23/1936-5/29/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHome- Hammond, LA

Catherine Spurling

BatonRouge,LA 12/5/1956-6/10/2025

A. Wesley FuneralHomein Maringouin

Catherine Spurling

BatonRouge,Louisiana 12/5/1956-6/10/2025

A. Wesley FuneralHome

Gonzales,LA 7/26/1937-3/8/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

JimmieStafford

Gerald Stafford Walker,LA 7/23/1933-6/13/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Hugh Stanly

BatonRouge,LA 2/16/1947-6/21/2025 ProfessionalFuneral Services

GeraldineStephens

BatonRouge,LA 7/6/1929-4/19/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Joseph"Steve" Stevens, II

BatonRouge,LA 12/6/1948-3/25/2025

Bradshaw-CarterMemorial &FuneralServices

JacquelineStewart

BatonRouge,LA 3/29/1943-4/17/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHomeinDenham Springs

Johnathan Stewart

BatonRouge,LA 2/3/1951-3/27/2025

Leonie

Memory IN LOVING

Montranette Stewart

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Selena Stewart

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Howard StewartJr.

Algiers, LA 5/10/2025 Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

James StewartSr.

BatonRouge,LA 2/5/1928-6/21/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

NatalieStiltner

BatonRouge,LA 7/14/1966-4/15/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Bessie Stockton

Baker, LA 12/5/1947-6/10/2025 BakerFuneral Home in Baker

CharlesStrickland

KeyWest, FL 4/15/1955-4/2/2025 Allen& Shaw

LauraStrickland

Kemp,TX 9/4/1961-5/24/2025 AscensionFuneralHome

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Elaine Stromeyer

DenhamSprings,LA 1/16/1929-5/24/2025

L.A. Muhleisen& Son FuneralHomeinKenner

AnnieJaneStuart

BatonRouge,LA 4/28/1935-6/18/2025 ProfessionalFuneral Services

AlfredoSuarez

BatonRouge,LA 7/24/1942-4/9/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

HelenSumrall

BatonRouge,LA 9/22/1926-5/3/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Rosalie Sweet

DenhamSprings,LA 2/27/1933-6/5/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

SamSylvester

BatonRouge,LA 4/28/1964-5/27/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

EthelTaylor

BatonRouge,Louisiana 1/30/1940-6/6/2025

Fred Taylor

Prairieville,LA 10/1/1949-5/28/2025

Lawson-RollinsPurple

Shield FuneralHomein Gonzales

Lois Taylor

DenhamSprings,Louisiana 10/6/1949-4/29/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

JonathanTemple

Baker, Louisiana 10/8/1932-5/10/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Angela Terrio

Zachary, LA 5/13/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Jerry Theriot

Paincourtville,LA 1/1/0001-1/1/0001

OursoFuneralHomeDonaldsonville

MicahTheriot

Plaquemine,LA 3/3/2006-4/10/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

JohnThibodeauxSr.

Prairieville,LA 9/8/1942-4/20/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

FannieTaylor

BatonRouge,LA 10/30/1938-5/19/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

JoyceThibodeaux

BatonRouge,LA Greenoaks FuneralHome

Brenda Thomas

BatonRouge,LA 11/18/1947-4/20/2025

AHamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

Elissa Thomas

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

FrankThomas

Gonzales,LA 1/28/1926-5/16/2025

Ascension FuneralHome

IsaiahThomas

NewIberia, LA 5/7/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

KimberlyThomas Coleman

BatonRouge,LA 4/14/1969-4/11/2025

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

RichardThompson

BatonRouge,LA 3/24/1942-4/3/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

JosephThibodeaux

BatonRouge,Louisiana 9/26/1943-6/25/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHomesEast

CorneliusThymes

Maringouin, LA 8/27/1938-4/7/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

Memory IN LOVING

Janice Tilley

BatonRouge,LA 5/26/1957-3/21/2025

Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home -Baton Rouge

Patricia Tilley

BatonRouge,LA 4/2/1976-6/22/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

SteveToliver Jr.

BatonRouge,LA 5/23/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

KimberlyTorres

Maringouin, La 2/7/1969-6/7/2025

Niland's FuneralService

RobertToups

Edina, MN 2/1/1942-4/22/2025

WashburnMcReavyEdina Chapel

Judith Trahan

BatonRouge,LA 3/4/1947-3/20/2025 Church FuneralServices

CorneliusTraweek III

Solon, OH 6/3/1943-4/5/2025

Kindrich-McHugh SteinbauerFuneralHomein Solon, OH

Marlin Troxell

BatonRouge,Louisiana 9/6/1934-4/10/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

MichaelTruly

BatonRouge,LA 6/12/1970-5/20/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

CarolynTugwell

BatonRouge,LA 12/4/1931-3/28/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

JaniceTullier

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Sympathy

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SUNO is afamily-orientedplace thatempowers me to learn, grow,and prepare for asuccessful futureinbusiness. TheHonoréCenter for Undergraduate Student Achievementhas brought structuretomylife and givenmethe tools to thrive-academically and professionally I’m proud to be partofa university thatinvests in my success and prepares me to lead.

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SouthernLab School ‘25 2024-2025Miss Southern Lab Baton Rouge, LA

As Miss Southern Lab,I encourage others to build their own legacy startingwith education. Southern Universityand the LabSchool shaped who Iambynurturing me and pushing me to be my best. Giving back helps provide students withthe resources and opportunities they need to thrive. Join me in supportingthe “Are You In?”campaign and Southern’scontinued success.

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Southern University empowersminority scholarship,championsacademic excellence, and fosters astrong sense of community.It’saplace wherediversity is celebrated and innovation is partofthe culture. I’vehad the opportunitytoconduct cutting-edgeresearch, and my professors have truly inspired me to push boundaries, pursue my goals, and believe in theimpact Ican make.

LOUISIANA

NOTHINGTO SNEEZE AT

Louisianansget no real breakfromallergies, butcan find ways to manage them,experts say

BY SHANTELLGOMEZ

ContributingWriter

Seasonal allergies in the South aren’t limited to ﬂowers and trees that bloom in the spring. Louisiana’smild winters mean there’snorealbreak from allergens.

Even when oneseason seems mild,the next can be asurprise with ﬂuctuations in rain, temperature andhumidity

Add to that thesummer plumes of Saharan dust drifting acrossthe Gulf,and there’saperfect stormfor irritated sinuses, itchy eyes andpersistent coughs.

While allergiescan beseen as aminor inconvenience, untreated allergies can lead to sinusinfections, disrupted sleep and areduced quality of life. This past spring was aperfect example —temperatures were back andforth well into May,which can throw off pollen cycles

That pattern can ramp up allergy symptoms. By June, it may be afullblown allergy spiral —but allergies in Louisiana don’tstop there. According to the LSU AgCenter, allergy season in Louisiana can start as early as January and last until November

Familyhistory canplaya role in allergy severity,but almost 50%of the population suffers from allergies or hay fever,according to LSU Health Shreveport.

Seasonal allergies are immune responses to airborne allergens such as pollen, moldand dust. Symptoms include sneezing,itchy eyes, nasal congestion,

postnasal drip and fatigue. Whenthe immune system identifies harmless particlesasthreats, it leads to the production of histamine —asubstance that causes inﬂammation and discomfort.

Dr.Henry Barham, arhinologist at Baton Rouge General, comparesseasonal pollen exposureinLouisiana to what collects on car windshields.

“The same way you wash your car when it’sgot the pollen all over it, people will startusing nasalsaline to clean their nose, so they don’tkeep that pollen that’s driving the inﬂammation in their nose,” he explained.

For some, it lasts two or threeweeks —long enough to make youquestion if it’smore than allergies. When postnasal drip lingers, it can travel into the chest andturnintoa nagging coughthat’shard to shake.

Antihistaminesmay slow the drip, only to ﬁnd they dry out thenosesomuch, trading one issuefor another.It’sadelicate balance —hydrating enough to thin the mucus while still taking something to calm the histamine response.

Sometimes, despite best efforts, allergies win.

Mosquito season arrives in La.

Bugsbring increased risk of West Nile

BY JULIA GUILBEAU Staff writer

Mosquito numbers peak every year during the summer months in Louisiana,and with more ﬂying around, residents are at an increased risk for contracting West Nile virus.

The Louisiana Department of Health announced on June 29 that the ﬁrst human case of West Nile virus in 2025 wasdetected in Livingston Parish. Louisiana hasmorethan60 species of mosquitoes, though themostcommoninthe New Orleansareaare the Asiantiger mosquito, the Southern house mosquito and the yellow fever mosquito. The Southern house mosquito is one of the primary species responsible forspreading the disease. Last year,Louisiana saw 3West Nile virus related deaths and 57 other reported cases, according to Health Department data. Here’swhat to know West Nile virusdangers West Nile is avirus that can cause neurological disease and death, and it is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the U.S. Humans, birds, mosquitoes, horses and someother mammals can contract the disease.

Between 80-90% of allWest Nile virus casesare asymptomatic, according to the Health Department.

About 1in5people infected maydevelop afever and experience other symptoms such as headaches,bodyaches,joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rashes, according to the Centers forDiseaseControl andPrevention. And 1in150 people infected with West Nile virus will develop asevere illness that affects the central nervous system like meningitis or encephalitis. No speciﬁc medicines treat the virus, but rest,fluids andpain medications may relieve existing symptoms.

Protecting yourself

The mostimportant waytoprevent mosquitoes is by dumping any standing water that could be collecting outside of your home, accordingtoNew OrleansMosquitoRat and TermiteControl Board Director Claudia Riegel. Riegelemphasized thatany little bithelps mosquito numbers as awhole and encouraged residentstospend even just 10 minutes aweek scanning their yard on trash day to see if there are anyitemsthatcould be collecting water

Even small containers with water inside, like soda cans, can be incredibly productive sites for mosquito breeding.

As forkeeping thebugs off your skin, bug spray,long sleeves

See MOSQUITO, page 3X

STAFF FILEPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Dr.David Kaufman, an otolaryngologist at LSU Health Shreveport, says that while allergies candevelop at anyage,adultsoften experience more intenseor lingering symptoms as theyget older

doctors say.

Barham

HEALTH MAKER

Ochsner Children’s CEO talks leadership, care

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Dana Bledsoe grew up in a small town in Montana as a rancher’s daughter

”I learned the meaning of hard work early on,” Bledsoe said.

She started her health career in college in Colorado and later received a doctorate of health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Bledsoe then started her career as a registered nurse at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Before her leadership stints in Orlando and Pensacola, she was an executive vice president and chief nursing ofﬁcer at Children’s Hospital of

Orange County, one of the country’s largest In November 2024, Bledsoe was plugged as Ochsner Children’s ﬁrst CEO as the hospital goes through major changes, the biggest, a new, ﬁvestory stand-alone children’s hospital building in Old Jefferson. At 343,000 square feet, the new building, which will be called The Gayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children’s will have more beds, a larger emergency department and enhanced spaces for surgeries and specialty care.

Why did you choose nursing?

My mom was a licensed practical nurse, or LPN, and I worked as a nursing assistant in high school — both inﬂuenced my career

New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson stands in front of an architectural rendering of the new Gayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children’s Hospital while speaking on April 29 during a groundbreaking ceremony on the Ochsner campus in Jefferson.

choice.

To me, nursing is a beautiful career with plentiful paths for a meaningful

career I was lucky to have wonderful mentors each step of the way who invested in me and pushed me to

do and be more. My experience as a nurse motivated me to go into administration. I felt that my experience understanding the insights of providing care and working sideby-side with physicians directly would guide my leadership and decision making in a valuable and unique manner Today I believe that to be true.

How do you see artificial intelligence intersecting with health?

The future of AI in health care is exploding and with appropriate governance and guardrails, AI can and will profoundly change health care in a positive way, including children’s health care. It has the potential to synthesis and tailor care to the individual in ways we could never have imagined.

What is it about Louisiana that drew you in?

What draws me to Ochsner Children’s is our vibrant culture, shared values and the passionate team united by an unwavering commitment to create meaningful, lasting impacts on generations of health. The people and the food are the best in Louisiana! The roads not so much. What advice would you give future leaders in health? Find a culture that ﬁts you. Invest deeply in your team. Commit to continuous personal growth, and stay true to your True North. Embrace the journey — especially the tough moments. They’ll shape you, and it does get better

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney @theadvocate.com.

Researcher harnesses uniqueness of space to advance medicine

Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)

JACKSONVILLE, Florida Mayo Clinic physician and researcher Dr Abba Zubair’s work combines two passions — medicine and space — for the benefit of astronauts and people on Earth. His research in space is yielding discoveries in cancer, stroke, bone loss and more. In this expert alert, Zubair answers ﬁve questions about his studies in microgravity.

What are you hoping to accomplish through your research?

“The goal is to harness the uniqueness of the space environment for the betterment of humanity, be it on Earth or in space,” Zubair says.”We wanted to take advantage of the environment at the International Space Station to study how it affects human physiology.”

The absence of gravity and the impacts of radiation and vacuum are three fundamental aspects of the uniqueness of space, adds Zubair, who has sent three research projects to the International Space Station since 2017, with more to come. As a regenerative biotherapeutics specialist, Zubair’s work focuses in part on adult stem cells — known as mesenchymal stem cells — and their use in future treatments for stroke. He noted that he uses stem cells in regenerative medicine and in supporting Mayo’s bone marrow transplant program.

“I also know how challenging it is to grow them in the lab. One of the first fundamentals is to see how the absence of gravity inﬂuences how stem cells divide and the growth rate,” Zubair explains. “We wanted to

ALLERGIES

Continued from page 1X

Allergies start at any age

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly a third of American adults report seasonal or food allergies. Immune systems evolve, and as people age, so do sensitivities. Moving to a new place, adopting a pet and aging can trigger new allergic reactions.

Harvard Health emphasizes that people can “grow into” allergies as time passes, but people can “grow out” of them as well.

Kaufman

Dr David Kaufm an, an otolaryngologist at LSU Health Shreveport, says that while allergies can develop at any age, adults often experience more intense or lingering symptoms as they get older

“You may not have had allergies when you were younger, but your immune

see whether cells grown in space are any better or grow faster than cells grown in the lab. When we did our ﬁrst space ﬂight, we had a really interesting finding, because we realized that the absence of gravity affects stem cells, but it depends on the type of stem cells.”

That led Zubair to another project on the ISS: studying how mesenchymal stem cells, the precursor for bone-forming cells, play a role in bone formation or osteoporosis, bone loss. He notes that astronauts tend to lose bone density despite rigorous exercise.

How might your research benefit people with cancer?

Zubair is also studying how leukemia stem cells, the cells that form the seed of this blood cancer, respond to the space environment

“We are also working to understand the impact of space radiation, from the angle of how we can mitigate the effect of radiation and prevent cancer,” Zubair says. “In the long run we really want to protect astronauts, especially during long-term space travel, such as to Mars, where they would be deep in space and away from any magnetic ﬁeld protection that we get from Earth.”

The research also may beneﬁt people on Earth by revealing how to protect stem cells or cells in general when there is radiation exposure, such as nuclear accidents, he adds.

In addition, Zubair’s space research could have implications for CAR-T treatment, bone marrow transplants or other therapies for cancer patients.

“If we can understand how

response changes with time,” Kaufman said Basic remedies can work

Here’s some tips for dealing with allergies:

n Start meds early

Don’t wait until the sneezing begins. Start taking antihistamines or nasal steroids a week or two before allergy season starts. Kaufman recommends using these during high pollen periods.

“The key is consistency,” Kaufman said. “Starting medication before symptoms hit can reduce the severity of your reaction.”

Saline sprays are your friend. Saline nasal sprays help ﬂush out pollen, mold, dust and other allergens that Louisiana throws at people. And they can offset dryness and irritation.

n Know the options Over-the-counter antihistamines like Zyrtec, Xyzal or Allegra are long-acting with minimal drowsiness. For congestion, Flonase or Nasacort can make a difference.

n Avoid peak triggers

Check pollen counts, keep windows closed, shower after being outside and use air

stem cells in space, especially hematopoietic stem cells (cells that live in the bone marrow and produce cells that function in the blood), expand and differentiate to make immune cells like T cells, microphages, we will learn how to make them more efficiently,” Zubair says. You’ve remarked that you can envision a time when people might go into space to receive certain medical treatments How would that work, and might it be possible to simulate microgravity for those treatments on Earth?

If cells proliferate more in space, for example if cancer cells go into what is called cell cycle and multiply abnormally when they proliferate, then chemother-

puriﬁers at home.

n Stay healthy Support the immune system. Get a good night’s sleep, stay hydrated and manage stress. A rundown system is more likely to overreact.

Allergies, treatments evolve Brain fog, headache and fatigue are the allergy symptoms some adults face. Taking Claritin and Flonase helps. Removing clothes and showering after being outside, a routine that is simple but effective — a good example of practical steps that help keep symptoms from spiraling.

If relying on over-thecounter meds and are still feeling miserable, it’s time to see a specialist.

At places like David & Eldredge ENT in Lafayette, patients can be tested for speciﬁc allergens and come away with a treatment plan that works — not just a guessing game of pills and sprays.

Allergies aren’t one-sizeﬁts-all.

Whether sneezing at 20 or suddenly feeling stuffy at 50, don’t dismiss symptoms as “just the weather.”

apy will be more effective, Zubair says.

“If that is the case, that absence of gravity can induce leukemia cells or other cancer cells to go into cell cycle, that makes them susceptible to chemotherapy,” he explains. “So instead of giving the chemo on Earth, you might go into space where the absence of gravity makes the cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy That would be one more reason to go to space. That is definitely something that I would love to explore.”

It would be difficult to create a comparable microgravity environment on Earth, but technically, it could be done, Zubair adds.

“Microgravity on Earth is basically like going into a swimming pool, a state of buoyancy where you are kind of in suspension; the gravity is canceled out by the effect of the water,” he says. “Now, obviously it wouldn’t be pleasant to be in water for quite some time. In the lab, we use a microgravity simulator where cells are suspended. It would be interesting if you could do the same for a human being.”

What attracted you to space research?

Zubair grew up in Kano, Nigeria, and remembers gazing at the night sky as a child.

“As far back as I can remember, I was always fascinated by what is out there in

space. Looking at the moon and all the stars, and really that ignites my passion for space and space exploration,” Zubair says. Zubair’s ﬁrst dream was to become an astronaut, but an adviser in high school counseled him to ﬁnd a more practical career, and he pursued medicine.

What’s next?

One of Zubair’s next two payloads to the International Space Station, not yet scheduled for launch, will examine whether umbilical cord blood cells, rich in stem cells and potential therapeutic value, can be expanded. Another study will explore different cell types that participate in bone formation and whether the problem of bone loss in space can be alleviated through use of a special compound.

“If it works, then deﬁnitely we will see how we can treat patients with osteoporosis, particularly women, cancer patients, or people who are bedridden for a long time and are not weight-bearing, which affects their bone,” Zubair says. Zubair notes that all of his space experiments are done in parallel on Earth with identical cells to compare the two results and validate the ﬁndings from space.

“I really think there is a lot out there that is just waiting for us to explore and use,” he says. “And that’s why I do what I do.” Zubair has been honored by NASA with the Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for demonstrating that human-derived mesenchymal stem cells grown aboard the International Space Station could be used for potential clinical applications.

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 reexamining 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.

GRUNFELD

Bledsoe

PHOTO PROVIDED By SHANTELL GOMEZ

Seasonal allergies in the South aren’t limited to flowers and trees that bloom in the spring

Even when one season seems mild, the next can be a surprise with fluctuations in rain,

FILE PHOTO PROVIDED By NASA

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly watches a bunch of fresh carrots float in front of him while preparing to eat in 2015 International Space Station. Mayo Clinic physician and researcher Dr. Abba Zubair says research on the effect of the environment of space on people can be used to help people on Earth.

Eat Fit LiveFit

Amongchickensaladlovers, therearetwotypesofpeople: thosewhoneverstrayfrom theirfavoriterecipeandthosewholike toexperimentwithnewﬂavorsand ingredients.Asyoumightguess,Iam verymuchinthesecondcamp.

AssoonasItastedthiscurrychicken saladbyRyanConn,formerFUELCafé ExecutiveChef(andstilladearfriend),it becameoneofthosedishesIcan’tstop thinkingabout.Ithasasweetheatthat makesitespeciallycravableand‘day brightening.’ Sweet,savoryandalittlebitspicy, ChefRyan’smangochutneyisthis chickensaladrecipe’ssecretsauce.It’s alsoaneasyadd-onthattakeseveryday favoritestothenextlevel.Spreaditonto sandwiches,serveitasadippingsauce ordrizzleitoverGreekyogurt,cottage cheeseoryourfavoritecreamycheese MangoescontainvitaminsA,Cand E,aswellaspotassium,ﬁberandfolate. Ifyoudon’thavefreshmangoonhand, frozenworksjustﬁneinthisrecipe.

Butit’sthechutney’scurrypowder thatgivesthechickensaladitssignature kick,alongwithalittlenutritionboost. Addingmorethanjustitsyellowhue, theturmericincurrypowdercontains curcumin,apowerfulantioxidantshown toreduceinﬂammation.Andpiperine intheblackpepperenhancesthe absorptionofcurcumin.

Althoughthesmallamountof turmericinthischickensaladlikely won’tmovetheneedlenutritionally,its proteincontent—32gramsperserving —issigniﬁcant.

Ihopeyouenjoythiscurrychicken salad.Personally,Ilovethedelicious, protein-providingconvenienceof havingacontainerofitinthefridge. It’sgreatformake-aheadlunchesand parties—orjustaquickscoopfora snackthatfeelslikearealtreat.

Day-BrighteningCurry ChickenSalad FUELCafé+Market Makes6-8servings

1wholechicken,roasted(orstoreboughtrotisseriechicken),toyield 4cupspulledchicken 1/2cuprawcashews,lightlytoasted 1greenapple,grated 1teaspoonchoppedcilantro 1batchofMangoChutney(recipe below)

Removeboththewhiteand darkmeatfromthebone,handshreddingandthenroughly choppinganylargerpieces.It shouldbeabout4cupsofpulled chicken,looselypacked.

Inalargemixingbowl,combine thechicken,cashews,greenapple, andcilantro.SlowlyaddtheMango Chutneyandmixuntilevenly combined.

ServeonanEatFitcroissant,grainytoast, atopmixedgreens,orsimplysoloasitis.It’s readytoeatrightaway–butChefRyansays (andweagree)it’sevenbetterafterafew hours(oradayorso)inthefridge.

Perserving: 310calories,13gramsfat,7 gramssaturatedfat,490mgsodium,17 gramscarbohydrate(14gramsnetcarbs),

BY THENUMBERS

LA.PARISHHAS 6TH-HIGHESTRATE OF ALZHEIMER’SDISEASE IN U.S.

An estimated 7.2 million Americans overthe ageof65are livingwith Alzheimer’sdisease —that’s one in nine people over65.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is agroup of symptoms associated with a decline in memory, reasoningorother thinking skills.Alzheimer’sdisease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80% of dementia cases.

In the United State’s3,142 counties, Orleans Parish had the sixth-highest rate of Alzheimer’s disease in people over 65.

Louisianahad the fifth-highest rate of Alzheimer’sdementia compared to other states in the country, with 12.4%.The state is preceded in the national rankings by Maryland (12.9%), Newyork (12.7%), Mississippi (12.5%)and

Florida (12.5%).

Louisiana parishes with the highest rates of Alzheimer’s dementia in people over 65 include, in descendingorder:

n Orleans Parish with 15.4%

n Bienville Parish with 15.1%

n East Carroll Parish with 14.9%

n Tensas Parish with 14.7%

n Claiborne Parish with 14.5%

n St. Helena Parish with 14.4%

n Caddo Parish with 14.1%

n St. James Parishwith 14.1%

n Lincoln Parish with 13.9%

n Iberville Parish with 13.8%.

Louisiana parishes with the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s dementia in people over 65 include, in ascending order:

n Livingston Parish with 9.6%

n St.Tammany Parish with 10.3%

n Cameron Parish with 10.6%

n Ascension Parish with 10.7%

3gramsﬁber,10gramssugar(0addedsugar), 32gramsprotein

MangoChutney FUELCafé+Market Makes1½cups

1/4cupliquidallulose 1/4cupunseasonedricewinevinegar 1/2teaspoonredpepperﬂakes

1/4teaspoonfreshlygroundblackpepper 1tablespooncurrypowder 11/2teaspoonsalt 1/2cupunsweetenedcoconutﬂakes,lightly toasted 1tablespoongratedfreshginger 1garlicclove,grated 1ripemango,grated(or1/2cupfrozen mangocubes,thawedandchopped) 1/2cupunsweetenedcannedcoconutmilk Addallingredientstoasaucepanoverhigh heat.Bringtoasimmerforﬁveminutes stirringthroughout.Removefromheatand allowthesaucetocool.

Perserving(2tablespoons): Perserving: 30calories,2gramsfat,1.5gramssaturated fat,140mgsodium,3gramscarbohydrate (3gramsnetcarbs),<1gramﬁber,2grams sugar(0addedsugar),0protein

n Beauregard Parish with 10.7%

n Grant Parish with 10.7%

n LaSalle Parish with 10.9%

MOSQUITO

Study details U.S. child health

American youths becoming increasingly unhealthy

BY LAURA UNGAR and JONEL ALECCIA Associated Press

The health of U.S children has deteriorated over the past 17 years, with kids today more likely to have obesity, chronic diseases and mental health problems like depression, according to a new study

Much of what researchers found was already known, but the study paints a comprehensive picture by examining various aspects of children’s physical and mental health at the same time.

“The surprising part of the study wasn’t any with any single statistic; it was that there’s 170 indicators, eight data sources, all showing the same thing: a generalized decline in kids’ health,” said Dr Christopher Forrest, one of the authors of the study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has brought children’s health to the forefront of the national policy conversation unveiling in May a much-anticipated “Make America Healthy Again” report that described kids as undernourished and overmedicated, and raised concerns about their lack of physical activity But the Trump administration’s actions — including cuts to federal health agencies, Medicaid and scientiﬁc research — are not likely to reverse the trend, according to outside experts who reviewed Monday’s study.

“The health of kids in America is not as good as it should be, not as good as the other countries, and the current policies of this administra-

The health of U.S children has deteriorated over the past 17 years, with kids today more likely to have obesity chronic diseases and mental health problems like depression, according to a new study.

tion are deﬁnitely going to make it worse,” said Dr Frederick Rivara, a pediatrician and researcher at the Seattle Children’s Hospital and UW Medicine in Seattle. He co-authored an editorial accompanying the new study Forrest and his colleagues analyzed surveys, electronic health records from 10 pediatric health systems and international mortality statistics Among their ﬁndings:

1 Obesity rates for U.S. children

2-19 years old rose from 17% in 2007-2008 to about 21% in 20212023

2. A U.S. child in 2023 was 15% to 20% more likely than a U.S. child in 2011 to have a chronic condition such as anxiety, depression or sleep apnea, according to data reported by parents and doctors.

3. Annual prevalence rates for 97 chronic conditions recorded by doctors rose from about 40% in 2011 to about 46% in 2023.

4. Early onset of menstruation, trouble sleeping, limitations in activity, physical symptoms, depressive symptoms and loneliness also increased among American kids during the study period.

5. American children were around 1.8 times more likely to die than kids in other high-income countries from 2007-2022 Being born premature and sudden unexpected death were much higher among U.S. infants, and ﬁrearmrelated incidents and motor vehicle crashes were much more common among 1- to 19-year-old American kids than among those the same age in other countries examined.

The research points to bigger problems with America’s health, said Forrest, who is a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“Kids are the canaries in the coal mine,” he said. “ When kids’ health changes, it’s because they’re at

increased vulnerability, and it reﬂects what’s happening in society at large.”

The timing of the study, he said, is “completely fortuitous.” Well before the 2024 presidential election, Forrest was working on a book about thriving over the life span and couldn’t ﬁnd this sort of comprehensive data on children’s health.

The data sets analyzed have some limitations and may not be applicable to the full U.S. population, noted Dr James Perrin, a pediatrician and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, who wasn’t involved in the study

“The basic finding is true,” he said.

The editorial published alongside the study said while the administration’s MAHA movement is bringing welcome attention to chronic diseases, “it is pursuing other policies that will work against the interests of children.” Those include eliminating injury prevention and maternal health programs, canceling investments in a campaign addressing sudden infant death and “fueling vaccine hesitancy among parents that may lead to a resurgence of deadly vaccine-preventable diseases,” authors wrote.

Ofﬁcials from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Forrest said risks highlighted by the MAHA report, such as eating too much ultra-processed food, are real but miss the complex reality driving trends in children’s health.

“We have to step back and take some lessons from the ecological sustainability community and say: Let’s look at the ecosystem that kids are growing up in. And let’s start on a kind of neighborhood-byneighborhood, city-by-city basis, examining it,” he said.

How to protect yourself from ticks year-round

BY CHRISTINA LARSON AP science writer

WASHINGTON — Ticks can be active in any season and it’s important to check for and remove the bloodsuckers as quickly as possible — especially after you’ve been outside hiking, gardening or enjoying nature.

“Humans are outside more in summer so we hear about more tick infections,” said Sam Telford, an infectious diseases expert at Tufts University But he urges caution year-round because “every season is tick season.”

While tick populations vary a lot regionally, some Northeastern states including Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are seeing “above average” numbers of American dog ticks this year, said Telford. And New York state is seeing a higher number of reported deer tick bites this year than last year, said Saravanan Thangamani, who studies tick-borne diseases at SUNY Upstate Medical University

How ticks spread disease

Ticks, like mosquitoes, need to feed on blood But instead of a quick prick, they are slow feeders — with hooked mouth parts that attach into the skin of deer, rabbits, dogs and people

There are many different species of ticks found globally and only some spread germs that can make people sick. A main worry is blacklegged ticks, also called deer ticks, which can spread Lyme disease.

Once found mainly in New England and pockets of the Midwest, the ticks are now present over a wider range

A tick bite doesn’t always lead to illness. “If you remove a tick within 24 hours of attachment, it’s fairly unlikely that you will get infected,” said Telford.

How to check for ticks

Ticks are usually found low to the ground, in leaf litter or grassy areas

Check your clothing for ticks and do a full-body check including under the arms and behind ears,

knees and hair

“If you’re out all day long, try to do a quick check for ticks every few hours,” said Bobbi Pritt at the Mayo Clinic. “When you go back inside, take a shower That will wash off any unattached ticks, and you’re also more likely to spot any other ticks.”

Use tweezers to remove the tick and grasp it as close to the skin as possible to pull from the head. If you don’t have them handy, you can also use your ﬁngernails, the edge of a credit card or any semi-sharp object.

How to keep ticks away

The best approach is to minimize tick exposure altogether Bug sprays containing ingredients such as DEET can be sprayed on exposed skin to ward off ticks and mosquitoes, said Telford. Wear long sleeves and pants, and you can also spray clothing with repellents containing permethrin, a chemical similar to a natural ingredient in chrysanthemums that makes ticks avoid the ﬂowers.

Protect your pets

Don’t forget to pay attention to outdoor pets. Medications can prevent ﬂeas and ticks from attaching to a dog’s skin. But it’s still a good idea to check the fur after being outside.

“Wherever pets can’t easily groom themselves, that’s where the ticks will be — on the ears, around the muzzle area, under the collar between the toes,” said Thangamani.

Dogs and cats roaming outdoors can also bring ticks into the house.

“If pets bring ticks in, a tick can live in the house for months until it ﬁnds its next blood meal,” which could be another household member, he said.

What to do after a tick bite

After removing the tick, keep an eye on the skin around the bite If a rash or ﬂu-like symptoms appear within several days or weeks, see a doctor The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend tick testing because results may not be reliable.

OLOL St. Elizabeth launches robotics services

Staff report

Our Lady of the Lake St. Elizabeth, 1125 La. 30 W, Gonzales, announced an expansion to include minimally invasive lung biopsies. The Ion endoluminal system, manufactured by Intuitive, allows for advanced maneuverability and navigation through narrow airways to nodules far into the peripheral lung. Tulane expands primate research center

The Tulane National Primate Research Center celebrated the completion of two major facility upgrades with a ribboncutting ceremony in early July marking the opening of a new 10,000-square-foot ofﬁce building and a 1,000-square-foot biosafety level two laboratory Ochsner names BR regional medical chief

Dr Quentin Alleva has been named regional medical director of Ochsner Baton Rouge In this role, Alleva will provide medical staff leadership and support provider engagement and growth — while advancing quality and excellence in patient care across the region.

Survivor support groups in Metairie

East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie hosts free monthly support groups for cancer, stroke and heart failure survivors.

n Stroke support group: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the last Wednesday of each month (next meeting is July 30), at 4200 Houma Blvd, Metairie, on the 8th floor n Cancer survivor support group: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month (next meeting is Aug. 6) in the EJGH Cancer Center at 4204 Houma Blvd., Metairie, in the third floor conference room. n Bosom Buddies support group, for breast cancer survivors, friends and caregivers: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month (next meeting is Aug. 20) in the EJGH Cancer Center at 4204 Houma Blvd., Metairie, in the third floor conference room. Health Notes is an occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Have something you’d like to share? Contact us at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

With more elderly choking to death, are devices the answer?

BY MIKE STOBBE AP medical writer

NEW YORK It was the scariest choking incident David Palumbo had ever seen.

The 88-year-old man had been dining at a Providence, Rhode Island, Italian restaurant in September 2019. Now he was unconscious, with a piece of bread lodged in his windpipe. Precious minutes went by as first responders were unable to help him with CPR or the Heimlich maneuver In an ambulance on the way to the hospital, the elderly man’s skin was blue, and firefighters worried he was going to die. Palumbo — a fire department captain used a scissors-like device called Magill forceps to pull the bread from the man’s throat.

“We get a lot of calls in the city for choking,” many of which are resolved before emergency responders even get there, Palumbo added.

“This was by far the worst one I’ve been on in my career.”

Fortunately, the man survived and made a full recovery he said.

But many elderly people do not. Each year, choking claims the lives of more than 4,100 Americans who are 65 or older It’s the most vulnerable age group, accounting for about three-quarters of U.S choking deaths,accordingtohealthstatistics

The death rate has been relatively steady, but the number has risen, as the size of the nation’s retirementage population grows.

In response, a number of companies are marketing antichoking devices to the elderly Medical professionals have been debating whether to endorse the products sold under the names LifeVac, SaveLix, VitalVac and the Dechoker Dr Nathan Charlton, a University of Virginia professor of emergency medicine who advises the American Red Cross on first aid, said there is limited evidence for the products and that the Red Cross is still evaluating them.

Here’s a look at choking and the best ways to prevent choking deaths.

Choking danger

Choking occurs when food or some other object partially or totally blocks the windpipe, preventing oxygen from reaching the lungs.

Telltale signs include someone reaching for their neck and losing the ability to speak normally Brain damage can occur after four minutes, and death can come just a few minutes later

Older adults are at higher risk for a number of reasons. As people get older, mouth and throat muscles can weaken. Older people also make less saliva Some chronic diseases and medications can make swallowing even harder Dentures can be a choking risk.

Ways to stop choking

Choking risk can be reduced by cutting food into small pieces, chewing food slowly, drinking

plenty of liquids with meals, and not laughing or talking at the same time you are chewing and swallowing.

When someone is choking, you can try perhaps the oldest form of ﬁrst aid: back slaps.

There’s also the Heimlich maneuver, named after the doctor credited with devising it in the 1970s. It involves standing behind the choking person, wrapping your arms around their abdomen and — with a balled ﬁst — thrusting inward and upward. The idea is that it forces air out of the lungs, and the obstruction with it

The American Red Cross recommends alternating back blows and abdominal thrusts in sets of ﬁve.

That’s for situations in which someone is around to help a choking victim. But what if they are alone?

It is possible for someone try to self-administer a Heimlich by thrusting their abdomen against the back of a chair, Charlton said.

Makers of some of the newer anti-choking devices say that’s where their products can make a difference.

“Elderly people probably are not capable of diving on a chair or counter,” said Arthur Lih, the founder and chief executive of LifeVac.

Antichoking device risks

They vary in design, but generally the devices look like a face mask attached to a tube or bellows, with a handle at the end They typically

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

A young girl practices the Heimlich maneuver

sell for around $30 to $100.

A choking person dons the mask, pushes down on the handle and then pulls up. That is supposed to create a suction that would pull out the blockage. Some research suggests at least certain devices can injure the tongue or cause bleeding and swelling in the throat. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reports that some products did not generate enough suction and left people with bruising around the face, lips, and mouth.

An injury report led the FDA to do an inspection and issue a warning letter to Dechoker in 2021.

Manufacturers note their products are registered with the FDA, but that’s not the same as an endorsement. Indeed, the agency last year issued a notice to consumers that said it has not approved antichoking devices sold over the counter, because their safety and effectiveness haven’t been established.

Lih said the FDA action was in response to the proliferation of antichoking devices entering the market that vary in design and quality

More research needed

Right now, the consensus — even among antichoking device manufacturers — is that back blows and abdominal thrusts should always be tried ﬁrst. (The forceps that Palumbo used are not recommended for the general public.)

Lih said thousands of nursing homes and emergency response agencies have purchased the newer antichoking devices.

Manufacturers claim the products have saved thousands of lives across multiple countries, but it’s tricky to document how well they actually work, said Dr Cody Dunne, a University of Calgary researcher who has tried.

The early evidence has come from case reports or small studies that used mannequins and cadavers.

“I think the case is deﬁnitely being built,” he said but more rigorous research is needed.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL

Screens, scrolling andstreaming: Break mid-summerdistractions with afamily digital detox

Thisstory is brought to you by OchsnerHealth.

Bythe midpointofsummer, manyfamilies ﬁnd the long, hot July days easily consumed with digital distractions—endless indoor scrolling, bingestreaming and virtual-only engagementongaming and social media platforms.The earlysummer optimism of planningpicnics and outings, pool time and playdates often provesnomatchfor the pullof electronic devices

Turning to screens,ratherthan each other,for entertainmentand interaction canlead to unhealthy consequences,including sleep disruptions,social withdrawal and higher stresslevels in kids and adults

But with intention and support,families canenjoythe second half of summerwith each other and limitdigital demands and distractions

Pulling back without pulling theplug

Suzana Flores,PsyD, alicensed clinical psychologist with Ochsner Health in Slidell, suggests families canincrease qualitytime and limitscreen time, starting withconversation rather than elimination. This approach, she says,avoids a technologypowerstruggle and instead helps parents and kids betterunderstand each other

“When Imeet with parents one of the comments Ihearoften is thattheywanttotakethe devicesaway,”Dr. Floressaid. “But that’snot really thebest approach, becausethis is their child’sworld. Kids willget that accesssomewhereelse.”

value limits on screen time. When kids seeothersenjoying lifewithout constantlyusing devices,itreinforces the idea thatit’sOK—and even fun to unplug.

Rules for healthy screen time

Becausebanning screens canbackﬁre, Dr.Flores recommends adigital detox approach that’snot so extreme or permanent. Evenafew small changes can help families feel moreconnected, more rested and lessreactive,she said. The goal is balance, not restriction.

Begin with conversations and choices Ask children howtheyfeel about their screen use. Set collaborative, ageappropriate boundaries and chooseactivities everyone enjoys offline.

Set an example. Kids learn from watching theirparents If adults areglued to their phones,kids will think that’snormal. Model breaksfrom screens by putting phones away during meals and being fully presentwhen spending time together.This includes not turning events or outingsinto photo-ops forsocial media postsand stories

Usescreens to learn and create Technologycan be atool fordiscovery and creativity. Encouragekids to make art,learn newskills or explore their interests online insteadofjust scrollingor watching passively Set boundaries around screen time. Avoidusing screens beforebed, during meals or as areward. Make surekids spend plenty of time being activeand social in the real world.

Usetechtogether. Adults cansharescreenexperiences with kids.Watchorplaytogether and talk about whatthey’re doing. This helps kids processavirtualexperiences and connect them to the real world.

Find the right balance

According to research by Common SenseMedia,accesstosmartphones in the U.S. is practically universalbythe time kids become teenagers. A2023study finds 43% of tweens (age8to12) and 88% to 95%ofteens (age13 to 18) have their own smartphone, and teens receiveanaverage of 237notifications on theirphones each day. Turning off notifications and finding lessinvasive alternatives canhelp break thiscycle of constantcontact.

SusanaFlores,PsyD

Go outside. Spending time in natureis oneof the best ways to unplug and recharge Take walksafter dinner to enjoy the sunset or look at the stars. Startthe morningatthe park or splash pad. Bike to asnowballstand foracool midday treat.

Encourageindependence Give kids opportunities to makedecisions and solveproblems on theirown. This builds conﬁdence and reducesthe temptation to escape with ascreen. Let them help plan afamily outing, cook ameal or explorea newhobby.

Find other tech-free people Build a communityoffriends and familywho also

Dr.Flores also recommends the following smartphone alternatives,which can help families ﬁnd their digital sweet spot

Smartwatches forkids offer calling, messaging and GPS tracking without social media apps or browsers.These wearable gadgets areastepupin connectivitywithout the distractions of afull smartphone.

Parental controls on tablets and laptops allowfor safe internet access while giving parents the tools to limit screen time, block contentand monitor usage. Thesefeatures create asafer digital environmentfor learning and entertainment.

Basic cell phones thatoffer only calling and texting canbeagreat choice foryounger kids who need to stayin

touch without apps or social platforms

“It’sabout understanding the devices and choosing the ones thatare most appropriate,” Dr.Flores said.“The more involved aparentisintheir child’s tech life, the moreempoweredeveryone feels.”

Tooyoung for tech

Flores adds thatage is alsoabig factor in determining the maximum time kids shouldbeonscreens.She said children under 2yearsold getvery little beneﬁt from screen time, and parents should opt forhands-on learning andsocial interaction to help toddlersdevelop languageskills,social-emotional skills and cognitiveskills

The American AcademyofPediatrics (AAP) recommends thatchildren under the ageof18months do not receive screen time. Research shows thatchildren under the ageof2havewhatiscalled “video deﬁcit,” or difficulty learning from twodimensional video representations

Forchildrenages2 to 5, the AAP recommendsonlyone hour of screen time per dayand emphasizes that screen time shouldinclude high-quality programming.

Forchildren6and older,itrecommends parents balancescreen time with social activities,play, learning and family time.

Signs of digital overload

Beingengaged with children’stech usagealsohelps parents identify warning signsthattheir child may be overstimulated, misinformed, experiencingbullying or developing onlinedependencies.Excessivetech usagecan makeitharder forkids to relax, focus or feel comfortable with quiet time, shesaid.

Redﬂagsindicating digitaloverload include: •Trouble sleepingorfallingasleep

•Lyingabout howmuch time they spendonline or on screens

•Declining concentration or motivation

•Increased anxiety, irritabilityor mood swings

•Avoiding face-to-face conversations or outdoor activities

Thesesigns oftenbecome more visible in the summer,when routines loosen andscreen useincreases.And it’snot just parentswho notice. It’sincreasingly commonfor teens who realizethey’re struggling with theseissues to turn to social media formental health information andadvice.

Social media, mental health and teens

According to research, the term “mentalhealth” has been searched on TikTok more than67billion times.This trend of self-diagnosis canbeaslippery slope. Most social media platforms areoperating from an algorithm that organizes content based on an individual’s searches

While some ﬁnd comfort andsupport in this content, the information on social media is traditionally not vetted by atrained professional. Ateenager whose feed gets ﬂooded with mental health contentcan experience increased anxietyand maybegin over-diagnosing themselves andtheir symptoms

Instead, consult trained professionals fordiagnosing andtreating mentalhealth concerns.Dr. Flores recommends having open, frequentconversations about mentalhealth —preferablyinreal-life settings, rather thanrelying on curated contentfound online.She says taking mentalhealth breaksbyescaping all electronic noise, even forbrief periods of time throughout the day, canalsohelp

“Weall need to realizethatweneed silence andperiods of time to practice introspection andtakeinthe world around us.”

Experienced CancerCare

ScottSonnier,MD HematologistandOncologist

OchsnerHealthandMDAndersonCancerCenterareclinicallyintegratedto provideadvancedcancercarerighthereinBatonRouge.Thismeansaccess tolife-savingclinicaltrialsforinnovativetherapies,morespecialistsandmore resourcesforourpatients.Throughthiscollaboration,Ochsneristheﬁrstand onlyproviderinLouisianawithafullyintegratedcancerprogrambasedon MDAnderson’sstandardsandtreatmentplans.

Learnmoreatochsner.org/EndCancer

LOUISIANA

‘HUNGRY forgoodemployees’

NewOrleans restaurantis training future generations

BY APRIL HAMILTON

Contributing writer

The corner of Euterpe Street and Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard in the heart of New Orleans’ Central City hosts amuch-anticipated lunch reservation

The star of this address, Café Reconcile, servesupmore than praise-winning food. It is ameeting place for lunchon weekdays (except Mondays).

Thelimited schedule allowstime for their primary focus —14-week immersive, job-readinessinternships for New Orleans youth ages 16 to 24. This summer,Café Reconcile announcedaSunday lagniappeseries to highlight their 25th year of service.

SUNdays at Reconcile are an extra offering, aleisurely four-course lunch of dinner-sized portions served family style.

The experience is ameal with amission. It is atable for apartyofsix or eight, or ameet-some-new-friendssharedtable featuring seasonal dishes prepared by executive chef Martha Wiggins and her kitchen team. The $80 ticket nourishes

mind, body andspirit, helping fund this innovative job trainingprogram.

At brunch in late June,staff welcomed diners with aglass of bubbly,iced tea or lemonade.Guests wereinvitedto explore thedining room before ﬁnding their seats to enjoy the photo portraits lining the walls —the purpose of this placeonprominent display.

Portraits of Reconcile’sinterns,the lifeblood of this organization, are featured on exposed brick walls with their personal statementsand goals fortheir next steps after completing the internship.

Future career goalsinclude:executive chef, mechanic, registerednurse, music producer,pastry chef and vet tech.One photographfeaturesthe late Rev.Harry Thompson,whose collaboration with brothers-in-law Craig Cuccia and Tim Falcon plantedthe seed forthe café and its missiontolift New Orleans’youth

“I say Ihaveafishing pole factory. Give them all ﬁshing poles,” Falcon says, expressing his sharedvisionwithhis cofounders. “Mybrother-in-law is an urban missionary.Father Harry Thompson had connections andwas instrumental in gettingfunding. We talked to the neighbors in the community to askwhatwas needed.”

Taylor Rodgers, left, and Geneya Brown participate in Reconcile’sinnovative Workforce Development Program, which is apositiveyouth development spacethat supports the career exploration and job readiness opportunities of young people 16 to 24 years old

The inquirypointed to arestaurant. They bought aﬁve-story building and decidedtoopenakids’ café to provide a dining experience in whatwas ablighted neighborhood25years ago.

Falcondescribesthe ﬁrst food service at theaddress, circa 2000, as “fundamental.”

“It was Tyrone’sSweet Shop. Tyrone, alocalina white shirt and bowtie witha coffee pot and box of doughnuts that he sold from afolding table on thecorner. We grew from there. It waspretty fundamental,”Falcon said.

The group started ajob training program for youth, partnering with big restaurants in town thattook them in as interns.

“These places were hungry for good employees,” Falcon said.“We got feedback from the employers that thementorship and training were areal beneﬁt. We would getthe kids in andteach them work skills and awork ethic andspirituality.”

Today,the building boasts wall-towallrenovations, afresh,bold logo and asecond-floor special events space, TheEmeril Lagasse Hospitality Room, named for its funder.Along with Lagasse, other families in the community have kept theprogram running,including the Brennan family of New Orleans’ Brennan’s, Commander’sPalace and Ralph’sonthe Park restaurants.

Recently,philanthropist MacKenzie

ä See HUNGRY, page 2Y

Perfect stranger and friend forlife

SometimesIthink about how tiny moments andrandom encounters can shape our lives.

I’m spending the weekend in Kansas City with Amy King, one of my dearestfriends. She and Imet on Jan.11, 1993, alongawaited, monumentalday for me.

Iwas ﬁnally going to Europe for the ﬁrst time

WhenIwenttocheck in for my ﬂight at the then Washington National Airport (nowRonald Reagan), the lady at the ticket countersaidmybagswere too heavy.

Right there in front of God and everybody,Iopened three suitcases andbegan triage —deciding whatIcould live without or cram into acarry-on. (This was when airlinesweremuch more lenient aboutcarry-onsizes.)

As Iwas having ashameless luggage therapy session in the middle of the airport, asvelte woman placed herseemingly tiny bags on the scales. Each came in just under the limit. Somehow Ioverheard her say where she was going andstruck up aconversation. We discovered we were both headed to different Slovak cities to teach English with aprogram called“Education forDemocracy.”

We’d just happened to arrive at the same place at the same time —weweren’t even on the same ﬂights to Europe.However,on the bus to Bratislava with the 30 or so otherEnglish teachers in ourgroup, she andI reconnected. Ithink Iknewthenthat we would be friends fora long time I’ve wondered if we would have found each otherhad we not met at the D.C. airport. On the other hand, she says she believeswe would have become friends eitherway Forher,itwas the Slovak welcome party at ourfour-dayorientationsession. On oursecond night there,abandappeared in full folk costumes. There was plenty of vodka,and the band playedthrough half the night. Amy andIcouldn’tspeak Slovak, but we jumpedinwith the musicians, triedtolearn the local dances andhad araucous time. It was the ﬁrst of many memorable nights together

Though Ilivedinavillage near the Ukrainian andPolish borders andshe lived in acity three hours away,wemanaged to see each otheroften. Almost every weekend brought anew adventure —sometimesseveral. Whenwearrived, Slovakia was only 11 days old—still ﬁguring outwhatitwas,just like we were. Communism had ended barely 13 months earlier.We were 28 yearsold. Theywere headydays.

Thatyear,Amy and Itook a midnight train to Budapest. We hikedtoaski “resort” where we gave up on skis anddecided to

See RISHER, page 2Y

PROVIDED PHOTOSByDARRIN DEFILLO

Chief CulinaryOfficer Chef MarthaWiggins leads Café Reconcile’straining kitchen. Wiggins is amentorwho is committed to creating an inclusiveand equitable hospitalityindustryfor the nextgeneration.

From left to right,Elijah Cobb,Jeremy Emilien and Mia Williams prepare dishes during their internship at Cafe Reconcile.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Amy Kingand Jan Risher in January1993 in Bratislava, Slovakia at an ‘Education for Democracy’ teaching orientation.

INSPIREDDISCUSSIONS

ASK THEEXPERTS

Nursery uses 24/7 self-checkouthonor system

Seehow aLafayette plantshop is creating solutions

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

Marcus Descant is aLouisiana native who cultivated apassionfor gardeningand environmentalsustainability in Lafayette.In2011, he founded the Urban Naturalist, asustainable nursery specializing in native and heirloom plants at 216Madison St., near downtown Lafayette. He focuses on creating holistic ecosystems that support local wildlife and feed people.

Descant has contributed to several public installations in Lafayette, including the Meche’s“Living Room” Garden, which transformed apublic space into athriving garden ﬁlled with native and edible plants, and the Lafayette Victory Garden.

His nursery has a24/7 self-checkout honor system in place, so it never closes.

Can you explain the honor system thatyou have in place at Urban Naturalist?

The honor system has really saved the business

There was atime when Ibasically had to close the business down because putting an employee behind the counter costs me thousands of dollars every month. It’svery expensivefor me to put someone backthere just to give out bad information and call to ask me the questions after all.

After awhile, Icame tothis crossroads where Ithought,“Do I actually need to be here to check people out? If this is sucha big thing, then let’s try self-checkout.”

Istarted to implement that in 2017, and it had some resistance at ﬁrst. COVID-19 was beneﬁcialingetting people to adoptit, because people are motivated by themselves.

An honor system requires alot of trust in humanity.Inasmall way, do you think the system makes people better?

People appreciatethe system,

and when othersdodefy thesystem, they take it very personal.

Youhavepeople who are obeying it to theT,and they getdeeply offended when someone is not obeyingit. They take it to heartthemselves, likethey’re being stolen from too.

Whenyou allow that amount of trust in society,you can get some really good effectsout of that.

How has the system evolved since 2017?

Over the years, I’ve addedcamerastounderstand thecustomer base and see if they’re enjoying the experience orifthey’re just getting back in their carsand leaving. Ihaveartiﬁcial intelligence cameras thatcan tell if it’sahuman, and if ahuman walks up, it starts turning on radios. Thatmotivates people to walk to theback.

I’ve usedlightsthatkickonat night.And I’ve added different ways to receivepayment:cash, check, Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, Apple Pay andevenBitcoin.

It’ssortoflikeyou’re running asocial experiment

It absolutely is asocial experiment.I getbored at work, and this is along social experiment. I’ve studied Marxian economics for the last threeyears,the history of capitalism and many different economists. It’s very much asocial experimentofmine.

How do you think the plant shop is creating solutions in Lafayette?

It provides avery good, honest service that people need. Food and entertainmentcosts are constantly going up, and gardening can ﬁt into bothofthose categories. Iopened this place in 2011, and I’ve never gone up on theprices of my plants sincethen.

I’ve fought for efﬁciency to make theﬁnancialaccessibility available to anyone.

We hear thatyou’repassionateabout native plants.What is theimportance of having native plantsinyourbackyard?

Being that Isellvegetables,the mostcommoncomplaint is, “We have no bees.” We’re focused on native bees. It’simportant for those pollinators, because if you’re

and

going to have avegetable garden, youshould focusonwhere the rubber hitsthe road. You’ve investedingood soil, builta bedthat’s very expensive andfound the bestplants. Some people don’tthinkabout howthese fruit plants are actually pollinated, so it’simportant to have native plantsfor the pollinators.

It’salso important for thegardeners’ morale. If they’re grabbing parts fromanother make and modelall over theworld, they’re going to come back and say, “Oh, I’m such aterrible gardener.I

don’thave agreen thumb.” But if your carbroke and youwentto aparts store that gave you apart foracompletelydifferentmake and model, it wouldn’tﬁtintoyour car The same thing is happening in horticulture every day.Some nurseries are selling plants from Russia,Asiaand Europe. You’re tryingtoput them in yourbackyardinsouth Louisiana, and it’sa totally different system. Here, we have heavy clay.Whenyou put native plants in thatclay,they shine. What are thepsychological benefits or

Continued from page1y

Scott gave Reconcile $4 million to help with financial security,Falcon said. After servingaschairman of the board for 10 years, Falcon is becoming less involved in the program. “It takes aspecial person to keep it going,” he said. Enter ateam of experienced nonprofitdirectors and fundraisers, four full-time social workers and chef Martha Wiggins, who has earnedcritical acclaim as executive chef at Sylvain and has served as chief culinary officer of the nonprofit since November 2020. At theSUNdaylunch, Wiggins emerged from the kitchen with awide smile and her tinted-greenhair

fashioned into apouf on top of her head. She checked in with the guests and assisted theinterns whowereservingsome of the courses. Theﬁrst bite, “Lagniappe from Chef,” was aclassic deviled eggwith diminutivecrawﬁsh tails perched on top. Next was thevegetablecourse of corn on thecob, cutintoserving sized sections and brushed with green garlicbutter, sea saltand awhisper of hot honey.The seasonal salad of peaches andtomatoes with pillowy ricotta and crunchy pecans and sesame wasdressedwith fresh basilvinaigrette, summer harmony in a bowl.

For anentrée,the fried ribswereserved with a side of habanero barbecue sauce. Passed bowls of house baked beansand herb-accented potato salad accompanied the dish.

“Absolutely everything is made from scratch,” chef Wiggins sayswith asmile. “Oh,except the bread. Idon’tbake bread. Leidenheimer Baking donatesall ourpo-boybread, andweget someofour other breads from Susan Spicer’sWildFlour Breads. Creole Creamery donates all our ice cream.”

Karissa Jackson prepared and servedindividual Key lime pies. Jackson is arecentNew Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute graduate. Saluting summer Wiggins passed slender watermelon wedges with a spicyaccent as aﬁnal palate cleanser

Blending hertalent for creative cooking and kitchen management with her newfound passionfor mentoring youth fuels Wiggins’ days.

“I love thefact that I

get to meet new youthall the time,” she said. “I get to teach them something theymight not know and reconnect themtothe food of their culture. Ilove the mentorship and social work aspectsofwhat I do.Teaching them to cook traditionaldishes featured on the café’smenu is ahighlight.Gumbo, red beans andsmothered chicken aresome of the favorites.”

This café on thecorner stands five stories tall in whathas becomeablossominglocation. The meal withamission has additional SUNdays coming up: July 27 and Aug. 24 —and ablock party plannedin September tocelebrate 25 years of growth andrvitalization.

Ticketsare available to purchase at cafereconcile. org/news-events/sundaysat-reconcile

gardening?

Thepsychological benefits are probably the best benefits, health wise. You’re definitely gonna get an endorphin rise whenever you have your hands in the soil, working with the plants and seeing growth. Also,the fact that you can look away from ascreen for alittle while is beneficial. We really need that. It’sjust good for ourpsyche

Email Lauren Cheramieat lauren.cheramie@theadvocate. com.

RISHER

Continued from page1y

sleddowna mountain. We floated down the Dunajec Riverona lashed-together wooden raft, the Polish borderjust astone’sthrow away One afternoon late that spring, we found ourselves with friends in the middle of nowhere. Unbeknown to us, there wasn’ta bus back until the next day. To earn dinnerthatnight, we hoed andhacked afieldalongside local farmers, helping themturn it into apotato patch. Thatnight, after a bowl of goulash around a large bonfire,weslept on adirt floor before finding a bus back to town the next day.

Our time in Slovakia was pre-Internet, precellphone.Coordinating schedules, making plans andmeeting times/places requireda trip to the post ofﬁcetomeet with an operator who connected along-distance call—or handwritten letters. It was only 32 yearsago,but it was acompletely different time andplace.

Tenyearslater,Amy andIwrote ascreenplay largely basedonour experiences teaching andliving in Slovakia. Lyle Lovett is a

running gaginthe story,as he wasthe soundtrack of thatyear for me. In afull-circle moment, this weekend Amy and I went to seeLovettperform at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City,her hometown. We were able to visit with him backstage after the show, andImentioned the screenplay.Weall agreed it might be time to dust it offand ﬁnally make it happen. He even agreed to make acameo. Some threedecades later, Amy andIare still doing life together —indifferent places,different rhythms, newstages. Istill think aboutthatairport moment —how something so ordinary ended up meaning so much. Sometimes, the most important people oftenenterour lives without fanfare —just strangers beside us, waiting to weigh their bags. Iremaingrateful for that dayand the many days of friendship since.

EmailJan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Marcus Descant is aLouisiana nativewho cultivated apassion for gardening and environmental sustainability in Lafayette. In 2011, he founded the UrbanNaturalist, asustainable nurseryspecializing

native

heirloom plants at 216 Madison St., near downtown Lafayette.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Jan Risher and Amy KinginBudapest, Hungary, in 1993.

PROVIDED PHOTO By DARRIN DEFILLO

Dinerssit to enjoythe SUNdaymeal at Cafe Reconcile

Tribal judgeaimstoIndigenizethe bench

BY BRIAN BULL Contributing writer

Editor’snote: This story created by Brian Bull for Buffalo’sFire, is part of the Solutions Story Tracker from the Solutions Journalism Network, anonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about responses to social problems.

Many leaders have found their mentors through school, work or the greater community Megan Treuer’smentor was arevolutionary trailblazer known to her simply as “Mom.”

“She was the second Native American attorneyin the state of Minnesota,” Treuer said of Margaret Seelye Treuer.“Shewas appointed as afederal magistrate in 1982. So she’sthe ﬁrst female Native American judge in the country.”

Like mother,like daughter.Treuer has also donned the robes and wielded the gavel. For 12 years, she’s been atribal courtjudge forthe LeechLakeand Bois Forte Bands of Ojibwe andthe WhiteEarth Nation. Before that, in 2005, she workedasanattorney forAnishinabeLegalServices, representing Native people from the Leech Lake and Red Lake Indian reservations.She then joined the Regional Native Public Defense Corporation in 2007, anonproﬁt that represents tribal members from across northern Minnesota. In 2009, she became the RNPDC’sexecutive director Earlyinfluences

As achild, Megan Treuer remembers her mother doinglegal work, sometimes in ahomeoffice. This included getting the tribal court system established at Leech Lake, an effort built on the backsofactiv-

ists and advocateswho had occupied federal buildings in the 1970s whilecalling forthe strengtheningof the government-to-governmentrelationshipbetween tribes and theUnited States.

Andthen there were the things sheobserved outside of herhome.One incident happened while ayoung MeganTreuerwas riding through Bemidjione day with herfamily.The city was near three of Minnesota’stribal reservations: White Earth,Red Lakeand Leech Lake.

Their car passed another one with Red Lake license plates, pulled over on the side of the highway with multiple police vehicles surroundingit.

“Allthe copcarshad pulledthem over,and there’sthislittle grandma,” recalls Treuer.“Shewas just crying hereyesout as they were dragging the guy off.I wasfeelingthat something wasn’tright, and Iwanted to advocate for my community since then.”

Treuer’s father,Robert, also inspired her. He was an Austrian Jewwho survivedthe Holocaust and waspassionate about tackling injustice.

“Comingfromthatlegacy,Ifeel aresponsibility to advocate and do what Ican to makethe world a betterplace,” said Treuer “Restore humanity to the world.”

Rising in theranks

In 2013, after several yearsheading the RNPDC opportunity knocked.

“The associate judge frommytribe,Korey Wahwassuck,was leaving to go to ajudicialappointment in the state court,” explained Treuer.And so needing areplacement, the chief judge calledher andasked if she’d apply

“She calledmeand Isaid, ‘Well, I’m only 35. Do you think I’m oldenough and wiseenough?’ And she kind of chuckled andsaid, ‘Yep.’”

For Wahwassuck, picking Treuer wasaneasy choice. She sawqualities in Treuer

that would help her rule fromthe bench effectively

“Megan listens. Notjust as acourtesy, buttotruly understand and to help people break out of destructive cycles,” Wahwassuck told Buffalo’s Fire. She said Treuer’ssteady,calm presenceand genuineness impressed uponher early “Weworked side by side on the Joint Jurisdiction Wellness Courts, and Isaw countless times where her insights and compassion forpeople helped them turnthe corner in their lives.”

Treuer said she’salways been called to serve the Leech Lake community as an advocate “I’m very passionatein advocatingfor my people Any people really that aren’t able to advocatefor themselves.”

Treuer successfully advocated for herself thispast year,making her case to the Bush Foundation that she was deserving of one of 29 fellowships granted for 2025. She’lluse hertwo years in the program to reduce herjudicial caseload andfocus on personal renewal and betterment She also plans to work on infusing morecultural and spiritual aspects to the tribal court system.

“I’m goingtocut my judicial caseload in half basically and take Ojibwe courses,” she explained. “AndI’m reallygoing to make focusing on the language my top priority during the fellowship, and try to learn as much as Ipossibly can in two years.”

Furthermore, Treuer planstospend part of her fellowship visitingdifferentIndigenous scholars, spiritualleaders andmentors that have worked in the area of Indigenous justice.This could include go-

ing to seethe Maoripeople of New Zealand, but Treuer says travel remains undecidedatthispoint.All of this is intended to make her astronger and more culturally grounded judge for her people.

“I deﬁnitely believe her Bush Fellowship goals will improve her leadership skills and help her on the pathofleading other Anishinaabe tribal judges in revitalizing and rekindling Anishinaabe justice traditions,”Kekek Starktold Buffalo’sFire.

An associate professor at the Alexander Blewett III School of LawinMissoula, Montana, Stark has known Treuer for 20 years, since theybothattended the Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“I think Megan consistently utilizes compassion, empathy and cultural awarenessinher role as atribaljudge,” Stark said. He believes Treuer will achieve her goals through the utilization of language, history and culture in thearticulation of tribal law

“Being ajudge is hard work,especially when presiding over cases in your own community,” adds Wahwassuck. “It takes its toll on the mind, body and spirit. Megan’s work will make her abetterleader because her work will strengthen her even morepersonally and professionally.Wewill all learn from Megan’sjourney and be better foritas individuals and in our own work.”

While Treuer regards Wahwassuck as an inspiration and supporter,that appreciation goes both ways.

“Weall need touchstones so we can do our bestinall areas of our lives,” Wahwassuck said. “I’ve told

people that Megan is my “rock.” Idrawstrength from her calm,steady presence, and she inspires me to dive deep and to never give up.”

Both of Treuer’s parents have died in the past decade. Robert Treuer in 2016, Margaret Seelye Treuer in 2020. Whilethey aren’there to see their daughter’sself-empowerment as aBush Fellow, Treuer says both —especially hermother— would be proud.

“I’m always hearingher voice,” shesaid, reﬂecting on howthe elderTreuer helped create theLeech Lake judicial systemfrom the ground up. She feels that today’syoung Native people needtoappreciate the history of self-determination and activism that hermother’s generation used to make gains for the tribe.

“I feel likeI have aresponsibilitytodocument for thefuture generations what they had to go through.”

Treuer says herpeople were fortunateenough to preserve the language andculture as muchas they have, despitecolonization andthe boarding school systemthat was intended to assimilate tribes. She feels that her timeasa Bush Fellow will ultimately help the Leech Lake court system “level up.” She will alsocontinue her duties as Chief Judge for the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe.

“I’m Minnesota’sfirst second-generation Native American attorney,soI’m really blessedinthat way,” said Treuer.“And Ididn’t have to look very far. My mother andI,we’re different personalities and definitely different skill sets, but Ijustfollowed her career.”

PROVIDED PHOTO Megan Treuer,RNPDC’sexecutivedirector

FAITH & VALUES

Faith-based relief groups offer supplies and support

Many providing a listening ear to Texas flood survivors

BY BOB SMIETANA Contributing writer

For the past month, Capt. Jenifer

Phillips, an emotional and spiritual care ofﬁcer with the Salvation Army, has been working out of a basecamp in Kerrville, Texas, as part of a team of eight chaplains responding to the deadly flash ﬂoods.

The spiritual care officers are part of a larger Salvation Army response to the Hill Country ﬂoods.

As of July 10, they served close to 6,000 meals and about 34,000 cold drinks out of four mobile food pantries to disaster survivors, emergency responders and other relief workers. They also distributed 998 clean-up kits and more than 1,400 hygiene kits and led a drop off-site for donations.

The chaplains have also been listening to survivors’ stories, said Phillips, who is usually based in East Texas.

“We want to be able to talk with people, hear their stories and be able to provide support,” Phillips said in an interview from Texas.

She said most of that listening happens naturally while volunteers are handing out supplies or while people are eating meals Phillips said folks want to talk through what they’ve experienced.

As a chaplain, Phillips said she doesn’t try to make sense of what happened but instead tries to be present and hear them. That’s part of providing emotional care — she said even those who aren’t religious need a human connection and a listening ear

“In such moments of deep despair, there are not words,” she

said. “We call it the ministry of presence. I think that being with people is the only thing we can do in these moments.”

As the immediate response to the disaster comes to an end, relief groups like the Salvation Army are making plans for long-term recovery efforts. Phillips said the best way to support both current and future needs is to give to disaster relief groups. She said groups like the Salvation Army are already running out of space to store some of the gift-in-kind donations they received

Those monetary donations, she

said, will go both to help survivors and fund rebuilding.

Aimee Freston, director of communications for Texans on Mission, a disaster relief ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, said volunteers have started to arrive in the areas affected by the ﬂoods and will begin working on clean-up efforts. The group also has chaplains on site as well as assessors looking at damage and making plans for how to best deploy volunteers in the upcoming weeks

Freston said getting cleanup teams on site has taken lon-

ger than usual because of the lengthy search-and-rescue process that followed the storms.

As of July 10, at least 120 people died as a result of the ﬂoods that began on the Fourth of July holiday and more than 170 were still missing, The Associated Press reported.

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention — one of two Lone Star State groups with ties to the Southern Baptist Convention — also has volunteers on site, distributing meals and starting clean-up efforts Additional volunteer teams from out of state are expected to

arrive in the weeks to come.

Phillips said she’s been struck by the scope of the disaster, passing by large oak trees with clothing and debris scattered in high branches or seeing metal wrapped around tree trunks showing the force of the ﬂoodwaters. She has also seen how ﬁrst responders, volunteers and local residents have pulled together

“On the people side, we’ve seen people trying to love on each other,” she said. “Lots of tears, lots of prayers, lots of hugs just trying to be there for one another.”

Sustainable shopping at Shreveport’s first ‘refillery’

mentally friendly Absolutely everything is totally camping safe,” says Hayes.

She says Shreveport’s harder water was a bit of a challenge.

BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer

Sunday was nonstop at

The Source. It was grand opening day at their new storefront at 3823 Gilbert Dr in the Madison Park Business Center in Shreveport. The concept — a refillery is a ﬁrst for northwest Louisiana. To owner Kelsey Hayes’ knowledge, the closest refilleries are in Dallas, New Orleans or Little Rock.

Customers were spilling out onto the sidewalk to shop vintage clothing, try on Texas-made jewelry repurposed from antique pieces, and learn the beneﬁts of beard oils and tallowbased beauty balms.

While the products are all part of Hayes’ sustainability ethos for the business, the centerpiece of her shop is her reﬁllery

While in school in Canada, Hayes became acquainted with stores that had reﬁll options for home cleaning and personal items

Customers bring their own containers and buy as much as they want.

She says she wanted to offer the service locally because of recycling or rather, the lack of it.

Until Shreveport offers recycling again citywide, she wants to give people a way to keep their homes and themselves clean without the negative plastic impact to the environment.

For now, she is offering reﬁllable hand soap, body wash, dish soap, ﬂoor cleaner, dry and liquid laundry detergent, and an all-purpose cleaner Other items with limited packaging include shampoo, conditioner, face wash and dish soap bars and mouthwash and toothpaste tablets

“Everything has to be closed loop, completely natural, organic and minimal ingredients, environ-

“But I tried and tested a lot of products, and I found ones that do really work,” she said. “And I have a very loyal client base, especially for dishwashing powder and laundry detergent and bar dish soap.”

Most of the products are 59 cents an ounce or less, says Hayes, “in the same ballpark” as the cleaning products made by national retailer Seventh Generation

“It’s not going to be as cheap as Tide or Gain,” she said, “but it’s in a similar wheelhouse.”

For now customers can either bring their own empty container for reﬁlls of products, get free empty jars from the store, or purchase matching containers at the store.

If you bring a clean dry glass to leave as a ‘community jar,’ Hayes says you will get 10% off your purchase.

“You can actually bring a clean pickle jar,” jokes her father Bryan Richardson.

“No,” laughs Hayes “Everything will smell pickley.”

“It’s such a positive inﬂuence to the dilemma of packaging and wastefulness and the environment,” says Lorraine Richardson. “We always taught them recycle as much as you can, reuse whatever you can.” Lorraine is Hayes’ mom and the artist behind the jewelry and the beauty balms in the store. Hayes’ sister Avery Richardson is one of the owners of The Lovely Lasso Vintage, along with friend Marley Clark and dad Bryan Richardson, is behind the Hvit & Svart line of beard products carried in the shop.

Texans on Mission volunteers deploy to San Angelo, Texas, to assist the Hill Country following deadly flooding

STAFF PHOTOS By LIZ SWAINE

and Lorraine Richardson at The Source grand opening

SUNDAY, JUlY 27, 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 — PuGnAcious: pugNAY-shuss: Having a quarrelsome or combative nature.

Average mark 35 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 60 or more words in PUGNACIOUS?

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

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

wuzzLes

No way out

South won the opening heart lead — an obvious singleton — with dummy’s ace. He had an inescapable heart loser, so he needed to dispose of his club loser He could do that several ways. He could take the club finesse through West, he could take the diamond finesse through East, or he could take a ruffing finesse for the king of diamonds through West. Which one should he choose? South found a line of play that let him avoid making that choice.

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: AMERICANA

(e.g., “GOP” is an abbreviation for Answer: Grand Old Party.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

In what sport did Red Grange excel?

What actor delivered the line, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”? Answer________ 3. Who was vice president under President Biden?

South drew trumps in three rounds and led a diamond to his ace He then led his remaining heart and played low from dummy. East won but found himself end-played in three suits. If he led a heart, either low or the ace, dummy’s queen of hearts would become a trick. A diamond lead would build a diamond trick for declarer regardless of who held the king. A club into dummy was an obvious disaster. East chose a low diamond, so South shed a club from dummy on his winning diamond and eventually ruffed his club loser in dummy

Nicely played! It is not often that a difficult problem has such an elegant solution. It’s a great feeling for a bridge player when you come up with one.

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

Answer________ 4. What TV show did Donald Trump host from 2004 to 2015? Answer________

Film stars place their foot/handprints in wet cement near this theater Answer________

GRADUATE LEVEL

In what battle did Pick-

Allow your creativity to take charge. VIRGO(Aug.23-Sept.22) Discovernew possibilities. Attend functions that allowyoutomarketwhatyoucando, and promote your beliefs, standards and skills to those who may requiret your services.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Keep your thoughts and emotions hidden. You require more time to flush out any imperfections before engaging in something that’s brewing. Focus on personal improvements. Romance is favored. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Share only what’s necessary Seek input from experts to ensure you don’t waste time and money An interesting connection will unfold if you participate in a social event or attend a reunion. Love is in the stars. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Anger and other stormy emotions will cause trouble. Pour your heart and energy into making your home a place that accommodates your needs. Rearrange your living area or designate a room in your home as a relaxation space.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) A strategic move will protect you from liabilities. Put more thought into how you phrase documents and deal with sensitive personal matters.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Set the tone for a fun day with family and friends. Intimacy and playful banter will help you put your life into perspective and give you a renewed sense of gratitude and good fortune.

PISCES (Feb.20-March 20) Takecareof your personal needs, nurture essential relationships and participate in enlightening events. Refuse to let anger surface due to a last-minute

change that disappoints you. Live in the moment.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Choose a diversion. Seek out something that brings you joy, offers peace of mind or brings you closer to someone you love Therightpeopleorattitudecan spark your creative imagination.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Avoiding conversations that can lead to instability at home will give you a chance to rethink how you want to handlethesituation.Attendanevent that interests you, and you will gain insight.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Dream big, but have a practical plan in place.

Keep your emotions under control and focus on facts when negotiating. Home improvements are likely to costmorethanyouanticipate.Leave wiggle room in your budget.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Explore the possibilities, but don’t act until you have the budget and the time to complete your mission. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don’t want or can’t afford.

goren Bridge

Answers to puzzles

1. Football. 2. Clark Gable (as Rhett Butler). 3. Kamala Harris. 4. "The Apprentice." 5. Grauman's Chinese Theater.6.Battle of Gettysburg. 7. Baseball. 8.Don Knotts. 9. Ava Gardner.10. "The Star-SpangledBanner." 11.Pete Seeger. 12. Penny loafer.13. Robert Ford. 14. "Give me liberty or give me death!" 15. Acomic strip.

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?

If people sat outside and lookedatthe stars each night, I'll bet they'd live alot differently.— Bill Watterson