

Second in aseries
BY MIKE SMITH | Staff writer
LETTSWORTH Thegiantsteeldoors below Russell Beauvais’ feet are holding back water that can determine the future of south Louisiana —and far beyond.
On one side of the elaborate complex in this remote cornerofthe statelined with sugarcanefields is theMississippi River.The otherside leads to theAtchafalaya River
Allowing the two to merge —asnature would prefer —would be nothing short of epochal.
“Without this, thenation and the state of Louisiana wouldn’texist like it is today,” the 61-year-old Cajun from the nearby town of Morganza says of the Old River Control Structures, where he serves as operationsmanager
Of all the levees, gates and walls keeping the Mississippi Riverinplace across the length of America’s spine, Old River Control may be the most consequential. Without it, rivershipping, industry along the lower Mississippi, the region’sdrinking waterand communities alongits banks —including New Orleans —wouldbeforever changed.
But the structure’soperations were
designedinanother era, and anew set of pressing problemsacross thelower river have emerged. They range from saltwater intrusion movingupriver from the Gulf to how flood control systems along theMississippi are operated
Changing conditions related to the riverbed and intensifying rainfallare also stoking some concern aboutthe possibility of the structure being over-
powered one day, and whether the nation is underestimating that catastrophic risk.
Thosequestions andmore are demanding the country investigate how Old River can be adapted to deal with them.Despitethe structure’svital importance, that task is proving to be problematic, beset by competing
ä See RIVER, page 10A
OrleansParishdetainees jammeddoors with Scrabbletiles,debris
BY JOSEPH CRANNEY |Staff writer
By the time 10 detainees escaped the OrleansParish jail in May,the doorsand locksonholding cells acrossthe facility were failing so frequently that maintenanceworkers were scrambling to fix them at arate of around twice aday,according to records.
“NONEOFTHE DOOR(s) WANT TO CLOSE,” worker Stephen Carter wrote May 15 when he serviced the top level of pod1Conthe first floor,according to maintenance logs.
Just one day later,the escape happened on the samefloor,atier over Easilycompromised sliding-cell doors were among the many security breaches that helped to facilitate the escape.They are used to house thejail’sgeneral population on the first floor,even though the Orleans Parish Sheriff’sOffice has since
3hopefulsagree keytocity’s growth is fixing basicservices
BY
ANTHONY McAULEY |Staff writer
For thepastthreedecades,Noah Lewis has run his property and casualty firm from offices in NewOrleans East. The
ä See LOCKS, page 7A ä See CANDIDATES, page 6A
Congo says rebels killed 80 in recent weeks
KINSHASA, Congo Rwandabacked rebels have killed at least 80 people in eastern Congo in recent weeks, Congolese authorities said, despite the ongoing Qatar-led peace process aiming to end the conflict.
A decadeslong conflict ravaging eastern Democratic Republic of Congo escalated earlier this year when the M23 rebel group seized two key cities with the help of neighboring Rwandan forces. Congo has long been wracked by deadly conflict in its mineral-rich east, with more than 100 armed groups active.
The continuing violence could threaten the efforts to get Congo and the rebels to sign a permanent peace deal by Aug. 18 as hoped for One of the deal’s conditions is the protection of civilians and the safe return of millions of displaced people
The Congolese army said in a statement late Friday that it is “fiercely condemning” what it described as a series of mass murders of civilians in South Kivu. It said that 80 people were killed on Aug 4 in the village of Nyaborongo, and that six civilians, including two minors, were murdered on July 24 in the village of Lumbishi.
It blamed the RDF/M23-AFC coalition, which includes the rebel groups M23 and AFC backed by the Rwanda Defense Force.
4 killed in attack on boat off Ecuador
QUITO, Ecuador Dozens of gunmen have attacked a boat off Ecuador’s southwest coast, killing several people after opening fire on its occupants and launching explosives at the vessel, according to local news reports.
The attack occurred Friday evening in the troubled region of El Oro. Extra, a local newspaper, quoted witnesses as saying that about 60 armed men approached the boat, killing at least four people with more than a dozen believed to be missing.
At least two victims have been identified, according to the newspaper An official with Ecuador’s navy told The Associated Press that the suspects tried to leave the scene aboard three boats, but were blocked by the coast guard. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity, because he wasn’t authorized to talk about the case.
One boat was able to flee, while the occupants of the two other boats jumped into the water and disappeared into the mangroves. No suspects were arrested, the official said, adding that munition was found aboard the two abandoned boats.
South Korea: North removing speakers
SEOUL,South Korea South Korea’s military said Saturday it detected North Korea removing some of its loudspeakers from the interKorean border, days after the South dismantled its own frontline speakers used for anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts, in a bid to ease tensions.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t disclose the sites where the North Koreans were removing speakers and said it wasn’t immediately clear whether the North would take all of them down.
In recent months, South Korean border residents have complained that North Korean speakers blasted irritating sounds, including howling animals and pounding gongs, in a tit-for-tat response to South Korean propaganda broadcasts.
The South Korean military said the North stopped its broadcasts in June after Seoul’s new liberal president, Lee Jae Myung, halted the South’s broadcasts in his government’s first concrete step toward easing tensions between the war-divided rivals. South Korea’s military began removing its speakers from border areas on Monday but didn’t specify how they would be stored or whether they could be quickly redeployed if tensions flared again.
North Korea, which is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its authoritarian leadership and its third-generation ruler, Kim Jong Un, didn’t immediately confirm it was taking down its speakers.
BY SAMYA KULLAB and ELISE MORTON Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday rejected the idea that his country would give up land to end the war with Russia after President Donald Trump suggested a peace deal could include “some swapping of territories.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine
“will not give Russia any awards for what it has done” and that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.”
Later Saturday, European and Ukrainian officials met with Vice President JD Vance in England to discuss how to end the more than three-year war The talks came after Trump said he would meet with Vladimir Putin even if the Russian leader would not meet with Zelenskyy
Representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany Italy Finland and Poland attended the meeting in Kent, Zelenskyy said in a post on X, calling the talks constructive.
“I have not heard any partners express doubts about America’s ability to ensure that the war ends,” Zelenskyy said. “The President of the United States
has the levers and the determination.”
Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy dismissed the planned Trump-Putin summit, scheduled for Friday in Alaska, warning that any negotiations to end Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II must include Kyiv
“Any decisions that are without Ukraine are at the same time decisions against peace They will not bring anything. These are dead decisions. They will never work,” he said.
Ukrainian officials previously told The Associated Press privately that Kyiv would be amenable to a peace deal that would de facto recognize Ukraine’s inability to regain lost territories militarily
The Trump-Putin summit
The Trump-Putin meeting may prove pivotal in
a war that began when Russia invaded its western neighbor and has led to tens of thousands of deaths, although there’s no guarantee it will stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace.
“It seems entirely logical for our delegation to fly across the Bering Strait simply, and for such an important and anticipated summit of the leaders of the two countries to be held in Alaska,” Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov said Saturday in a statement posted to the Kremlin’s news channel.
In his comments at the White House Friday, Trump gave no details on the “swapping of territories.” Analysts, including some close to the Kremlin, have suggested that Rus-
sia could offer to give up territory it controls outside of the four regions it claims to have annexed.
Trump said his meeting with Putin would come before any sit-down discussion involving Zelenskyy
His announcement that he planned to host one of America’s adversaries on U.S. soil broke with expectations that they’d meet in a third country
Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told the AP that the “symbology” of holding the summit in Alaska was clear and that the location “naturally favors Russia.”
“It’s easy to imagine Putin making the point. We once had this territory and we gave it to you, therefore Ukraine had this ter-
ritory and now should give it to us,” he said, referring to the 1867 transaction known as the Alaska Purchase when Russia sold Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million.
Reactions in Kyiv
On the streets of Kyiv, reactions to the idea of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia ranged from skepticism to quiet resignation.
“It may not be capitulation, but it would be a loss,” said Ihor Usatenko, a 67-year-old pensioner, who said he would consider ceding territory “on condition for compensation and, possibly, some reparations.”
Anastasia Yemelianova, 31, said she was torn: “Honestly, I have two answers to that question. The first is as a person who loves her country I don’t want to compromise within myself,” she told the AP “But seeing all these deaths and knowing that my mother is now living in Nikopol under shelling and my father is fighting, I want all this to end as soon as possible.” Svitlana Dobrynska, whose son died fighting, rejected outright concessions but supported halting combat to save lives.
“We don’t have the opportunity to launch an offensive to recapture our territories,” the 57-year-old pensioner said, “But to prevent people from dying, we can simply stop military operations, sign some kind of agreement, but not give up our territories.”
BY JEFF AMY Associated Press
ATLANTA
Investigators identified a 30-year-old man from suburban Atlanta on Saturday as the person who opened fire on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, killing a police officer and spreading panic through the health agency and nearby Emory University
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the shooter was Patrick Joseph White, of Kennesaw, Georgia. DeKalb County
Police Officer David Rose was mortally wounded Friday while responding. No one else was hit, although police said four people reported to emergency rooms with symptoms of anxiety Many CDC employees sought cover in their offices as bullets strafed the agency’s headquarters.
CDC’s Atlanta campus that took the life of officer David Rose,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr said Saturday “We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,” his statement said.
Some laid-off employees rejected the expressions of solidarity Kennedy made in a “Dear colleagues” email, and called for his resignation.
“Kennedy is directly re-
sponsible for the villainization of CDC’s workforce through his continuous lies about science and vaccine safety, which have fueled a climate of hostility and mistrust,” Fired but Fighting said.
The group also called for the resignation of Russell Vought, pointing to a video recorded before Trump appointed him Office of Management and Budget director with orders to dismantle much of the federal government.
Disease Control and Prevention.
The attack prompted a massive law enforcement response to one of the nation’s most prominent public health institutions.
A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the shooter had been turned away by guards when he tried to gain access to the campus, and then drove to a spot near the pharmacy and started firing He was armed with a long gun and authorities recovered at least three other firearms at the scene, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.
Police say White opened fire at the campus from across the street, leaving gaping bullet holes in windows and littering the sidewalk outside a CVS pharmacy with bullet casings.
The suspect’s father
reached out to authorities and identified his son as the possible shooter the law enforcement official said. The father told authorities that his son had been upset over the death of his dog and seemed depressed because of the COVID-19 vaccine.
At least four CDC buildings were hit, Director Susan Monarez said in a post on X, and dozens of impacts were visible from outside the campus. Images shared by employees showed bullet-pocked windows in offices where thousands of scientists and staff work on critical disease research.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at
BY MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
Four astronauts returned to Earth on Saturday after hustling to the International Space Station five months ago to relieve the stuck test pilots of Boeing’s Starliner Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Pacific off the Southern California coast a day after departing the orbiting lab. “Welcome home ,” SpaceX Mission Control radioed.
Splashing down were NASA’s Anne McClain
and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov. They launched in March as replacements for the two NASA astronauts assigned to Starliner’s botched demo. Starliner malfunctions kept Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams at the space station for more than nine months instead of a week.
NASA ordered Boeing’s new crew capsule to return empty and switched the pair to SpaceX. They left soon after McClain and her crew arrived to take their places. Wilm-
ore has since retired from NASA. Before leaving the space station on Friday, McClain made note of “some tumultuous times on Earth” with people struggling. “We want this mission, our mission, to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together,” she said.
McClain looked forward to “doing nothing for a couple of days” once back home in Houston. High on her crewmates’ wish list: hot showers and juicy burgers.
BY WAFAA SHURAFA, SAM METZ and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip International condemnation grew Saturday over Israel’s decision for amilitary takeover of Gaza City,while tens of thousands of Israelis rallied in what local media called one of the largest anti-government protestsin recent months following 22 months of war
Ceasefire efforts appeared to be reviving with Israel’s announcement. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to meet with Qatar’s prime minister in Spain on Saturday to discuss anew proposal to endthe war,accordingtotwo officials familiar with the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’tauthorized to speak with the media.
Mediators Egypt and Qatar are preparing anew ceasefire framework that would include the release of all hostages —dead and alive —in one go in return for the war’s end and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, two Arab officials have told The Associated Press.
Health officials said that 20 Palestinians seeking aid were shot dead Saturday and 11 adults died of malnutrition-related causes in the past 24 hours, as the
criticismofIsrael camewith pleas to allow far more food to reachpeopleinthe besiegedenclave.
‘Shutthe countrydown’ Hostages’familiespressuredPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’sgovernment amidnew fears for the50remaininghostages, with 20 of themthought to be aliveand struggling.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held in Gaza, called on Israelis including thepowerfulHistadrut labor unionto“help us save the hostages, thesoldiers and the stateofIsrael” and appeared to call for ageneral strike: “Shut the country down.”
Ajointstatement by nine countries including Germany,Britain, France andCanadasaidthatthey “strongly reject” Israel’sdecisionfor the large-scale militaryoperation, saying it willworsen the “catastrophic humanitariansituation,” endanger hostages andfurtherrisk mass displacement.They saidany attempts at annexation or settlementinGaza violate international law
Aseparatestatement by more than20countries including ceasefire mediators Egypt and Qatar along with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates called Israel’sdecision a“dangerous and unacceptableescalation.” Meanwhile,Russia said Israel’splan will aggravatethe “already extremely dramatic situation” in Gaza.
The U.N. Security Councilplanned an emergency
Relatives and supporters of
TelAviv,Israel, calling for their
Killed whileseeking aid
Officials at Nasser and Awda hospitals said that Israeli forces killed at least 11 people seeking aid in southern and central Gaza. Some hadbeen waiting for aidtrucks,while others had approached aid distribution points.
Israel’s military denied opening fireand said that it wasunaware of the incidents. The military secures routesleading to distribution sites run by theIsraelibacked and U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which didn’timmediately respond to arequest for comment.
Twowitnesses told the AP thatIsraeli troopsfired
toward crowdsapproaching aGHF distribution site on foot in the Netzarim corridor,amilitaryzone that bisects Gaza. Onewitness, Ramadan Gaber,said that snipers andtanks firedon aid-seekers, forcing them to retreat
In the north, Israelifire killedatleast nine and wounded over 200 as people sought aid entering Gaza through theZikim crossing, said Fares Awad, head of the Health Ministry’sambulance and emergencyservice in thearea. Therewas no immediateIsraeli comment
In Deir al-Balah in central Gaza,someaid-seekers cheered the latestairdrops of aid. Hundreds of people rushed to grab what they could. Aidorganizations
have calledairdrops expensive,insufficient andpotentially dangerous forpeople on the ground.
Israel’smilitary said that at least106 packages of aid were airdroppedSaturday as Italy and Greece joined the effortfor thefirst time Footage from Italy’sdefense ministry showed packages parachuted over Gaza’s dry and devastated landscape.
Barefoot children collected rice, pasta and lentils that spilled from packages onto the ground.
“This way is not for humans, it is for animals,” said one man,Mahmoud Hawila, who said he was stabbed while trying to secure an airdropped package.
Israel alleges, without giving evidence, that Hamas
systematically diverts aid fromthe existing U.N.-led system,whichdeniesit. That system has called for more of the trucks waiting outside Gazatobeallowed notjust into the territory,but safely to destinations inside it for distribution.
With temperatures reaching above 90 degrees in Gaza, familiesfannedthemselves with pieces of cardboardor metal trays and slept on the ground outside their tents, while some women collected water well before dawn.
“My childrencry dayand night. My son scratches his body because of the heat,” said Nida Abu Hamad, whose displaced family shelters in Gaza City
More deaths from hunger Gaza’s Health Ministry said thenew adult deaths from malnutrition-related causes over the past 24 hours brought the totalto 114 since it began counting suchdeaths in June.It said that 98 children have died of malnutrition-related causes since the warbegan withthe Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, with militants killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251. Israel is “forcing Palestinians into astate of nearstarvation to thepoint that they abandon their land voluntarily,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told anews conference in Egypt. The toll from hunger isn’t included in the ministry’s death toll of 61,300 Palestinians in the war.
BY DANICA KIRKA Associated Press
LONDON British police said they arrested 365 people in central London on Saturday as supporters of arecently banned pro-Palestinian group intentionally flouted the law as part of their effort to force the governmentto reconsider the ban.
Parliament in early July passed alaw banning Palestine Action and making it a crime to publicly supportthe organization. That came after activists broke into aRoyal Air Force base and vandalized two tanker planes to protest against Britain’ssupport for Israel’soffensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Backers of thegroup, who have held aseries of protests around the U.K. over the past month, argue that the law illegally restricts freedomof expression.
More than 500 protesters filled the square outside the HousesofParliament on Saturday,many daring police to arrest them by displaying signs reading“Ioppose genocide. Isupport Palestine Action.” That was enough for police tostep in.
But as the demonstration began to wind down, police and protest organizers sparredover the number of arrests as the organizers sought to show that the law
ter theactivists broke into aBritish air force base in southern England on June 20 to protest British military support for the IsraelHamaswar.The activists sprayedred paint intothe enginesoftwo tankerplanes
at theRAF BrizeNorton base in Oxfordshire and caused further damage with crowbars.
Palestine Action had previously targetedIsraelidefense contractors and other sites in the United Kingdom
that they believe have links with the Israeli military Supportersofthe group are challenging the ban in court, saying the government hasgonetoo farin declaring Palestine Action a terrorist organization.
wasunworkable “Thepolicehave only been able to arrest afraction of those supposedly committing ‘terrorism’ offenses, and most of those have been given street bail and allowed to go home,”DefendOur Juries, whichorganized the protest,saidina statement “Thisisamajor embarrassment to (the government), further undermining the credibility ofthis widely ridiculed law,brought in to punish those exposing the government’sown crimes.” London’sMetropolitanPolice Service quickly hit back, saying this wasn’ttrue and that many of thosewho gath-
ered in the square were onlookers, mediaorpeople who didn’thold placards supporting the group.
“Weare confident that anyone who came to Parliament Square today to hold aplacardexpressingsupport for Palestine Action waseither arrested or is in the process of being arrested,” the police force said in astatement.
On Friday,police saidthe demonstration was unusual in that theprotesters wanted to be arrested in large numbers so as to place astrain on policeand the broader criminal justice system.
Thegovernment moved to ban PalestineAction af-
BY ASHRAF KHALIL and LINDSAYWHITEHURST Associated Press
WASHINGTON About 2a.m.,
noisy revelers emerging from clubsand bars packed the sidewalks of UStreet in Washington, many of them seeking alate-night slice or falafel.Arobust but not unusual contingentofcity police cruisers lingered around the edges of the crowds.At other late-nighthot spots, nearly identical scenes unfolded.
What wasn’tapparent in Friday’searliest hours:any sort of security lockdownby amultiagency flood of uniformed federal law enforcement officers. That’swhat President Donald Trump had promised Thursday,starting at midnight, in the administration’slatest movetoimpose its will on the nation’s capital.
In short, that law enforcement surge to take control of the District of Columbia’s streets did not appear to unfold on schedule. Atwo-hour city tour,starting around 1a.m. Friday,revealed no overt or visible law enforcement presenceother than members of the Metropolitan Police Department, the city’spolice force.
That still might change in thecoming evenings as Trump puts into action his long-standing plans to “take over” acapital city he has repeatedly slammed as unsafe, filthy and badly run. According to his Thursday declaration, the security
lockdown will run forseven days, “with the optionto extend as needed.” In an online post Saturday, theRepublican president said the Democratic-ledcity wouldsoon be one of the country’s safest and heannounceda White House newsconferencefor Monday,though he offered no details.
On Friday night,a White Houseofficial saidThursday night’soperationsincluded arrests for possession of two stolen firearms, suspected fentanyl and marijuana. The officialwas not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on conditionofanonymity.The officialsaidmore than 120 members of various federal agencies —the Secret Service, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service —wereto be on duty Friday night, upping the complement of federal officersinvolved.
“This is the first step in stopping the violent crime that has been plaguing the streetsofWashington, D.C.,” WhiteHouse press secretaryKaroline Leavitt said in astatement.
Mayor Muriel Bowser,who publicly faced off against Trump in 2020 when he called in amassive federal law enforcement response to disperse crowds of protesters, hasnot said apublic word since Trump’s declaration.The police department hasgone similarly silent.
The catalyst for this latest roundoftakeover drama was theassaultlastweekend on ahigh-profile member of the bureaucracy-slashing
Department of Government Efficiency by agroupof teenagers in an attempted carjacking.
Police arrested two 15-year-olds and were seeking others. Trump quickly renewed his calls for the federal government to seize control.
“If D.C. doesn’tget its act together,and quickly,we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City,and run this Cityhow it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get awaywith it anymore,” Trump wrote in apost on Truth Social. He later told reporters he was considering everything from repealing Washington’slimited “home rule” autonomy to “bringing
in the National Guard, maybe very quickly.”
Thethreats come at atime when Bowser’sgovernment can legitimately claim to have reduced the number of homicidesand carjackings,both of which spikedin2023. The number of carjackings overall droppedsignificantlythe followingyearin2024, from 957tojustunder 500, and is on track to decline again this year,with less than 200 recorded so far more thanhalfway through the year
Theportion of juveniles arrested for carjacking, though,has remained above 50%, and Bowser’sgovernment hastaken steps to reign in anew phenomenon of rowdyteenagers causing disarray and disturbances in
public spaces. Emergency legislation passedbythe D.C. Council this summer imposed tighter youth curfew restrictions and empowered PoliceChief Pamela Smith to declare temporary juvenile curfew zones for four days at atime. In those areas,a gathering of nine or more underthe ageof18is unlawful after 8p.m Trump is within his powers in deploying federal law enforcementassets on D.C. streets. He could deploy the National Guard, although that is not one of thedozen participating agencies listed in his declaration. The first Trump administration called in the National Guard during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and again on Jan. 6,
2021, when hissupporters overran the Capitol. Furthersteps, including takingover the police department, would require a declaration of emergency Legal experts believe that would most likely be challenged in court. Such an approach would fit the general pattern of Trump’ssecond term in office, when he has declaredstatesofemergency on issues ranging from border protection to economic tariffs.Inmanycases, he moved forward while the courts sorted it out.
Imposing afull federal takeover of Washington would require acongressional repeal of the Home Rule Act of 1973. It’sastep that Trumpsaidlawyers are examining. That law was specific to Washington, not other communitiesinthe United States that have their own home rule powers but generally retain representation in their state legislatures, said Monica Hopkins, executive director forthe American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia.
Signedintolaw by President Richard Nixon, the measureallowed D.C. residents to elect their own mayor,council and local commissioners. Thedistrict hadbeenpreviously runby federally appointed commissioners and members of Congress, someofwhom balked at having to deal with potholes and other details of running acity of 700,000 residents.
By The Associated Press
BY ADITHIRAMAKRISHNAN AP science writer
NEW YORK An executive ordersigned by President Donald Trump late Thursday aimstogive political appointees power over the billions of dollars in grants awardedbyfederal agencies.Scientists say it threatens to undermine theprocess that has helped make the U.S. the world leaderinresearch and development
Theorder requires all federal agencies, including FEMA, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, to appointofficials responsible for reviewing federal fundingopportunities and grants, so that they “are consistent with agency priorities and the national interest.”
It also requires agencies to make it so that current and future federal grants can be terminated at any time —includingduring the grant period itself.
Agencies cannot announce new funding opportunities until the new protocols are in place,according to the order
The Trump administrationsaid these changes arepartofaneffortto “strengthen oversight” and “streamlineagency grantmaking.” Scientists say the order will cripple America’s scientific engine by placing control over federal research funds in the hands of people who are influenced by politics and lack relevant expertise
“This is taking political control of aonce politically neutral mechanism for funding science in theU.S.,” said Joseph Bak-Coleman, ascientist studyinggroup decision-making at the University of Washington.
The changes will delay grant review and approval, slowing “progress for cures andtreatmentsthat patients andfamilies across the countryurgently need,” said the Association of American Medical Colleges in astatement.
Theadministration has alreadyterminated thousands of research grants at agencies like the NSF and NIH, including on topics like transgender health, vaccine hesitancy,misinformationand diversity, equity andinclusion.
NEW YORK Atop official at the Federal Reservesaid Saturday that this month’s stunning, weaker-than-expected report on the U.S. job market is strengthening herbeliefthatinterest rates should be lower
Michelle Bowman was one of two Fed officials who voted aweek and ahalf ago in favor of cuttinginterest rates.Sucha move could help boost theeconomy by making it cheaper for people to borrow money to buy ahouse or acar,but it could also threaten to push inflation higher Bowman and afellow dissenterlost out after nine other Fed officials voted to keep interest rates steady as theFed hasbeen doing all year.The Fed’schair,Jerome Powell, has been adamant that he wants to wait for moredata about how President DonaldTrump’s tariffs are affecting inflation before theFed makes itsnext move.
At aspeechduring a bankers’ conference in Colorado on Saturday,Bowman said that “the latest labor market data reinforce my view” that theFed should cut interest rates three times this year.The Fed hasonly three meetings left on theschedulein 2025.
Thejobsreportthatar-
rived last week, only a couple of days after the Fed voted on interest rates, showed thatemployers hired far fewer workers last monththaneconomists expected. It also said that hiring in priormonthswas much lowerthan initially thought
On inflation,meanwhile, Bowman said she is getting moreconfident that Trump’s tariffs “willnot present a persistent shock to inflation” andsees it moving closer to theFed’s2%target. Inflation has come down substantially since hitting apeak above 9% after the pandemic, but it hasbeenstubbornlyremaining above 2%.
TheFed’s job is to keep thejob market strong, while keepinga lid on inflation. Itschallenge is thatithas one main tool to affect both those areas, and helping one by moving interest rates up or down often means hurting the other
AfearisthatTrump’s tariffs could box in theFederal Reserve by sticking the economy in aworst-case scenario called “stagflation,” where theeconomy stagnates butinflation is high
The Fed has no good tool to fix that, and it would likely have to prioritize either the jobmarketorinflationbefore helping theother
On Wall Street, expectations are thatthe Fedwill have to cut interest ratesat
BY LILIT MKHITARYAN
YEREVAN,Armenia Residents and politicians in Armenia and Azerbaijan responded Saturday with cautious hope — and skepticism in some cases — after their leaders signed a U.S.-brokered agreement at the White House aimed at ending decades of hostilities
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the agreement on Friday in the presence of President Donald Trump, who stood between the leaders as they shook hands — a gesture Trump reinforced by clasping their hands together
While the agreement does not constitute a formal peace treaty, it represents a significant diplomatic step toward normalization of relations. The two countries remain technically at war, and the deal does not resolve the long-standing dispute over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. It does, however, reflect
the shifting power dynamics following Azerbaijan’s 2023 military victory, which forced the withdrawal of Armenian forces and ethnic Armenians from the region. Among the agreement’s provisions is the creation of a new transit corridor, dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” highlighting a changing geopolitical landscape amid declining Russian influence in the South Caucasus.
Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the heart of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict since the Soviet Union’s collapse. Although internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, the mountainous region was controlled for decades by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia. Two wars — in the early 1990s and again in 2020 — left tens of thousands dead and displaced. In 2023, Azerbaijan regained control of most of the territory in a swift offensive.
gering challenges, including Armenia’s economic dependence on Russia and some 2 million Azerbaijanis living in Russia.
“Russia will continue to use these factors as levers of pressure,” he said.
“We have been waiting for a long time for this agreement to be signed,” a resident of Baku, Gunduz Aliyev, told The Associated Press. “We did not trust our neighbor Armenia. That’s why a strong state was needed to act as a guarantor Russia couldn’t do it, but the United States succeeded.”
of the agreement.
“I feel uncertain because much still needs clarification. There are unclear aspects, and although the prime minister of Armenia made some statements from the U.S., more details are needed,” Edvard Avoyan said.
But entrepreneur Hrach Ghasumyan could see economic benefits.
Ali Karimli, head of the opposition People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party, wrote on Facebook that the signing of the agreement “has undoubtedly brought Azerbaijan and Armenia significantly closer to peace,” and noted that it delivered “another blow to Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus,” while deepening ties with the U.S. Arif Hajili, chairman of Azerbaijani opposition party
Musavat, said he believed that “the most positive aspect of the initialing in Washington was the absence of Russia from the process.”
He said lasting stability in the region hinges on the continual dwindling of Russian power which “depends on the outcome of the Russian-Ukrainian war.”
Hajili also warned of lin-
“The U.S. is taking full responsibility for security This will bring peace and stability,” said another, Ali Mammadov “Borders will open soon, and normal relations with Armenia will be established.”
Abulfat Jafarov also in Baku, expressed gratitude to all three leaders involved.
“Peace is always a good thing,” he said. “We welcome every step taken towards progress.”
Some people in Yerevan were unsure of the meaning
“If gas and oil pipelines pass through Armenia and railway routes are opened, it would be beneficial for the country,” he said. “Until now, all major routes have passed through Georgia, leaving Armenia sidelined and economically limited.” Others were skeptical that peace could be achieved, and expressed discontent with the terms of the agreement.
“That declaration is unlikely to bring real peace to the region, and we are well aware of Azerbaijan’s stance,” Ruzanna Ghazaryan said. “This initial agreement offers us nothing; the concessions are entirely one-sided.”
BY GIADA ZAMPANO Associated Press
ROME Thousands of people marched in the Sicilian city of Messina on Saturday to protest a government plan to build a bridge that would connect the Italian mainland with Sicily in a massive $15.5 billion infrastructure project. Protesters staunchly oppose the Strait of Messina Bridge project over its scale, earthquake threats, environmental impact and the specter of mafia interference. The idea to build a bridge to connect Sicily to the rest of Italy has been debated off and on for decades but always delayed due to these concerns. The project, however, took a major step for-
People
ward when a government committee overseeing strategic public investments approved the plan this week.
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, the project’s main political backer, called it “the biggest infrastructure project in the West.”
Salvini cited studies estimating the project would create up to 120,000 jobs annually and help stimulate economic growth in economically lagging southern Italy as billions more are invested in surrounding road and infrastructure improvements.
Opponents are not convinced by these arguments. They are also angry that about 500 families would have to be expropriated in order for the bridge to be built.
“The Strait of Messina can’t be touched,” protesters shouted as they marched in Messina. Many
carried banners that said “No Ponte” (No Bridge). Organizers estimated crowd size at 10,000 people
The proposed bridge would span nearly 2.2 miles with a suspended section of more than 2 miles. It would surpass Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge by 4,189 feet to be-
come the longest suspension bridge in the world. Preliminary work could begin as early as late September or early October, pending approval from Italy’s Court of Audit. Full construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion targeted between 2032 and 2033.
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part of the city steadily deteriorate. The population has been roughly halved since themid-1990s, to around 75,000. Themedian household income level is less than half that in Orleans Parish, which itself is about 30% below the national average, and trails.And home values there have trailed the city average.
“Weare kind of that forgotten place on the other side of the High Rise,” Lewis said.
Though the challengesin the East have been more striking, they mirror New Orleans’broader struggles to revitalize its economy, and Lewis is one of many residents who want the next mayor to do more to support local businesses and attract new ones: to create jobs, build wealth and spur investment.
There’sbroad consensus among the threeleading mayoral hopefuls that New Orleans needs swift action and that the East and other struggling areas will be a litmus test of whether economic progress reaches those who need it most.
State Sen. Royce Duplessis, District ECity Council member Oliver Thomas, and City Council Vice President Helena Moreno also agreed in recent interviews that the next mayor can help the city achieve broader economic wins by ensuring that basic city services —storm drainage, streetlights and street repairs —are functioning. Afourth candidate, Arthur Hunter,onThursday bowed out of the contest to endorse Duplessis. All will face off on an Oct 14 ballot for the city’stop political office.
Thebasics
Economic development in anymajor city is adelicate partnership between the public and private sector Behind the broad ambition to create jobsand foster long-term prosperity liesa complex, often politically charged ecosystem of strategy,negotiation and collaboration.
But if lights don’twork and streets aren’tsafe,a city can kiss any real economic prospects goodbye, Michael Hecht, the longtime headof Greater New Orleans Inc., the economic development agency for the 10-parish metro area, has told each candidate. (Hecht contemplated arun for mayor himself but stayed out of the racefor family reasons,he said.)
Duplessis, Moreno and Thomas saidthey each agree with Hecht’s “topline” priorities: crime and public safety; the city’schronic infrastructure problems; and removing roadblocks for localbusinesses,especially
gettinginthe way.” Moreno saidshe’s heard thesame from business owners.
“If you’re arestaurant and dealing with constant poweroutages and other infrastructure issues, it’s a tough, tough environment here,” she said. “IfIgointo office, my main laser focus is to really get the basic servicesright.”
Fixing the basics extends to wholesale reform of City Hall’sSafety and Permits department, achokepoint thatfor years has stymied everythingfrom big construction projects to taxi drivers seeking alicense, the three candidates said.
Anew model
Hecht and Cantrell’s economic development czar, Jeff Schwartz, and other critics also agree that City Hall’sapproachtoeconomic development hasbeen dysfunctional.
While NewOrleans’latest budget set aside $500 million for police, jails and thecriminal courts —about 28% of a total $1.8 billion —the city’s Office of EconomicDevelopment,run by Schwartz,gets just $1.4 million, or less than apercentagepointofthat.
Other than Schwartz, the office has adeputy director, asecretary and four specialists to handleissues like tax incentives.
“We’ve tried to be strategicwith limited resources, butthe idea that we should be spending alot more on economic development should not be controversial,” Schwartzsaidinan interview
While Jefferson hasthe Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, an independent entity that focuses on business recruitment and retention, no simi-
mostsuccess have set up well-funded, semi-independent bodies with clear missions. Take the NewYork City Economic Development Corporation, which is widely cited as the “gold standard” of suchagencies in theU.S. It has attracted billions of dollars of investment for high-profile projects like Manhattan’sHigh Line and Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island.
Other similarpartnerships in North Carolina and Nashville have boosted jobs in those areas. But those plansrequiredlong-term vision over multiple administrations, said Rob Lalka, a professor at Tulane University’sAlbertLepageCenter for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
If asimilar entity returns to NewOrleans, the mayor must kick-start it, thecity must partnerwiththe privatesector and they all need to focus on key industries, suchashealthcare, aerospace, energy and technology,Hecht said in his briefing to the candidates. Any planshave to prioritize the $650 million redevelopment of CharityHospital, a linchpin in theproposal for BioDistrict NewOrleans, ayears-in-the-makinghub for universityresearch and entrepreneurship alonga swathofdowntown New Orleans neighborhoods.
The City Council, including Moreno and Thomas, in July overturned Mayor LaToya Cantrell’svetoofa $20million city paymentto Tulane that would help fund
Charity’sredo.
Duplessis alsobacks the BioDistrict and saidthe city’suniversities are an underutilized resource. “The amount of intellectual capacity thatwehave in the city of New Orleans, we should not have thenumber of young people whograduate from these universities andthendon’t see New Orleans as aplace where they can remain,” he said.
Thomas and Duplessis said they plan to lean heavily on the private sector for direction.
Thomas saiditisall about “getting people in aroom,” andpointed to progress on developments in New Orleans East sincehewas elected to representitand the9th Ward in 2021. Longstalled projects, such as the demolitionofthe oldSix Flagssite and the revitalization of Lincoln Beach,have moved forward, he said.
Duplessis said he wants to beef up theOffice of Economic Development but also
rely on an external advisory council of business leaders and academics.
The group would allow him as mayor to be “surrounded by the people who understand business and who knowwhatittakes to get businesses to invest in the city,” he said. Moreno has floated expanding the New Orleans Building Corporation,one of the city’spublic benefit corporations thatmanages Union PassengerTerminal and Duncan Plaza among other sites, as well as swaths of undevelopedland in New Orleans East and elsewhere
Last year,the City Council approved ahigh-profile land exchange brokered by the corporationthatconsolidated stewardship of Duncan Plaza back to the city,paving the way to replace the aging City Hall on Perdido Street with anew headquarters on Poydras Street. The corporation would be a“not-quite-in-government entity that is working and
negotiating on different deals, which is very similar to what theNew Orleans Building Corporation already does,” Moreno said.
Some progress
To be sure, New Orleans hashad somedevelopment wins in recent years. They include the $530 million transformation of the old World Trade Center into the Four Seasons, and the first work, after decades of talk, on the $1 billion new River District neighborhood.
In New Orleans East, the Six Flags and Lincoln Beach redevelopments are moving ahead,asisthe Port of New Orleans’ planned $1.8 billion LouisianaInternational Terminal —which all three major mayoral candidates back.
Thetransportation corridorbeing built to funnel 1,000 or more trucks aday from thecontainerportat Violet, in St. Bernard Parish, to the interstate system in the East could spur awave of investment in light manufacturing, warehousing and logistics, boosters say The city alreadyhas commissioned aPhiladelphiabasedconsultancy, U3, to lay the groundwork for creating an innovation district in part of the East, which has the working titleofthe Higgins Innovation District, after Higgins Industries, which designedboats in NewOrleans used in World WarII operations.
Lewis,aboard member of the Greater NewOrleansEastBusiness Alliance, said the group and the 12,000-memberFranklin Avenue Baptist Church are brainstorming development opportunitieswith the new terminalinmind. The churchsits on 23 acres of land thatitplans to develop formixedresidentialand commercial use, he said.
“I honestly think we are, we areataninflection point to really change things, turn things around,”Lewis said. Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate. com.
Continued frompage1A
acknowledged the doors are the facility’smost proneto tampering.
Now,Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson wantsto replace all of thejail’s locks with expensive, electromechanical terminals made by an Alabama company that mountdirectly to the door,which expertssay are amongthe most tamperproof on the market.
The Sheriff’s Office declined to answer questions about how much the project wouldcosttaxpayers.The total is likely somewhere betweenthe $5.1 million the agencypreviouslyestimated for “locking system” improvements and the $15 million in bonds that the Sheriff’s Office issued lastmonth for security upgrades.
In Carter’smissive, he wrote that “doors are jammed constantly,” adding that management ought to address the “monetary consequences of constant servicing of these slider doors.” Attempts to reach Carter failed.
The sliding doors have long tracks that require routine lubrication and can easily be gunked up when detainees stuff them with foreign objects.
In the60daysuptothe escape, records show case after case of locks jammed with tissue paper, towels, socks, latex gloves, playingcards —even deodorantcapsand Scrabble tiles. Maintenanceworkersnoted doors that weren’t“locking at all,” allowingdetainees to “pop out” of their cells In the wee hoursofthe day following Carter’swarning, surveillance footage later showed escapees ripping open alocked slidingdoor before escapingthrougha hole in the wall of aholding cell, behind atoilet Nine escapees have since been recaptured.The manhunt for the10th, convicted murderer Derrick Groves, could enter its fourth month by the endof theweek
The OrleansJustice Center is far from being theonly jail that’s dealtwithchronic lock tampering. Andexperts say sliding-cell doors can still be found in most jails across the country,though corrections officialsin otherstates have continued to flag them as particularlyproblematic
Still, moving toward surface-mounted locks would bring the Orleans jail in line with othersthat have recently opted for maximum-security upgrades, saidMarkAdger, whowas the chief jailerin Fulton County,Georgia, for
nearly 35 years and has studied locking mechanismsin local jails.
Adger’sjailinthe early 2010s had daily problems with alocksetthatdated to the late 1980s. His jail was the first to install the so-called “wedge” locks madebyAlabama-based WilloProducts, which house the lock’slatch bolt in reinforced steel.
“Wesurveyed the entire region on what (jails) were using —electronics, electromagnetic, hydraulics —inmates found away to defeat every last oneofthem,” Adger said in an interview “Theyweren’tabletodefeat the Willo.”
Twoofthe Sheriff’s Office’s 24 pods have been outfitted withthe Willo wedge so far,a Sheriff’sOffice spokesperson said.
TheWillo lockshaveindicator lights affixed to their hood, whichcan connecttoa control panel for remote monitoring. By design, if adoor is locked properly,the lights glow green. If they’re open or jammed, theyglow red.
Gary York, aformer jail officer and Florida-based corrections analyst, said the lack of those lights in the Orleans lockup was another problem withits sliding doors.
“The slidersmakeiteasy forthe inmate to jam becausethere’s no indicators to thecontrol room,” York said. “Itdoesn’treally have any
signsfor theofficer unless they physically go to every cell door and check. With the sliding door,you must do constant, constant, surveillance.”
The jail’sdoorsare alsobeing fitted with hinges thatrun the length of the door, which are “much more difficult to access from the inside of the acell, makingthemharder to damage or manipulate,” a Sheriff’sOffice spokesperson said.
‘Major design flaws’
Up forreelection, Hutson continues to face questions aboutbroken locks. She told CBS News in an interview Thursday thatfaultylocks wereevidence thatshe inherited abrokenjail when she took office in 2022.
“There are major design flaws in it thatmakeitunsafe forthose whoare housed here andmakeitunsafefor those who work here,” Hutson toldCBS News, including “the locks and other mechanisms.”
Hutson never mentioned sliding doors, specifically.In an email, the jail’sarchitect, Jerry Hebert,defended his design’s inclusion of sliding doors.
Hebert, also the former chairofthe Design Committeeofthe American Correctional Association,said he forbade the project from including “chain driven” sliders, notorious within the
industry fortheir lack of security
ASheriff’s Office spokesperson didn’trespond to questions about the types of sliding doors used at the jail. The facility opened in 2015.
Fortifying andhardening
Facing rock-bottomapproval ratings and ahost of challengers in her reelection campaign this fall, Hutson in recent weekshas sought to make the case that the jail’s security failures boil down to alack of money At acandidate’sforum in late July,Hutson told acrowd of nearly 100 that it costs “$500,000 apod,” to change the locks, money she said the New OrleansCityCouncil has denied her agency.“And there’s24pods,” she added. The City Council has said Hutson failed to present detailedline items in her budgetrequests.Theyrejected Hutson’s latestask in early July to help cover whatthe Sheriff’sOffice says is $19 millioninneeded upgrades for the jail’ssecurity,includingadding fencingtorecreational yards, razor wire for perimeter walls and locks. Most of those costs will be covered by the $15 millionin issuedbonds, which the State BondCommissionsigned off on in mid-July.Hutson has vowed that “every dollar from the bond will go directly toward fortifying and hardening the jail.”
BY MAYUKO ONO and MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press
NAGASAKI, Japan
The southern Japanese city of Nagasaki on Saturday marked 80 years since the U.S. atomic attack that killed tens of thousands and left survivors who hope their harrowing memories can help make their hometown the last place on Earth to be hit by a nuclear bomb.
The United States launched the Nagasaki attack on Aug. 9, 1945, killing 70,000 by the end of that year three days after the bombing of Hiroshima that killed 140,000. Japan surrendered on Aug 15, 1945, ending World War II and the nearly half-century of aggression by the country across Asia.
About 2,600 people, including representatives from more than 90 countries, attended a memorial event at Nagasaki Peace Park, where Mayor Shiro Suzuki and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba spoke, among other guests. At 11:02 a.m., the exact time when the plutonium bomb exploded above Nagasaki, participants observed a moment of silence as a bell rang.
“Even after the war ended, the atomic bomb brought invisible terror,” 93-year-old survivor Hiroshi Nishioka said in his speech at the memorial, noting that many who had survived without severe wounds started bleeding from gums and losing hair and died.
“Never use nuclear weapons again, or we’re finished,” he said.
Doves released
Dozens of doves, a symbol of peace, were released after a speech by Suzuki, whose
parents are survivors of the attack. He said that the city’s memories of the bombing are “a common heritage and should be passed down for generations” in and outside Japan.
“The existential crisis of humanity has become imminent to each and every one of us living on Earth,” Suzuki said. “In order to make Nagasaki the last atomic bombing site now and forever, we will go hand-in-hand with global citizens and devote our utmost efforts toward the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of everlasting world peace.”
‘A world without war’
Survivors and their families gathered Saturday in rainy weather at Peace Park and nearby Hypocenter Park, located below the bomb’s exact detonation spot, hours before the official ceremony
“I simply seek a world without war,” said Koichi Kawano, an 85-year-old survivor who laid flowers at the hypocenter monument decorated with colorful origami paper cranes and other offerings. Some others prayed at
churches in Nagasaki, home to Catholic converts who went deep underground during centuries of violent persecution in Japan’s feudal era.
The twin bells at Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed in the bombing, also rang together again after one of the bells that had gone missing following the attack was restored by volunteers.
Despite their pain from wounds, discrimination and illnesses from radiation, survivors have publicly committed to a shared goal of abolishing nuclear weapons. But they worry about the world moving in the opposite direction.
Passing down lessons
Aging survivors and their supporters in Nagasaki now put their hopes of achieving nuclear weapons abolition in the hands of younger people, telling them the attack isn’t distant history but an issue that remains relevant to their future.
“There are only two things I long for: the abolition of nuclear weapons and prohibition of war,” said Fumi Takeshita, an 83-year-old survivor “I seek a world where
lives of others who are still alive.
The number of survivors has fallen to 99,130, about a quarter of the original number with their average age exceeding 86. Survivors worry about fading memories, as the youngest of the survivors were too young to clearly recall the attack.
“We must keep records of the atomic bombing damages of the survivors and thier lifetime story,” said Yokoyama, whose two sisters died after suffering illnesses linked to radiation.
Her organization has started to digitize the narratives of survivors for viewing on YouTube and other social media platforms with the help of a new generation.
or even participate in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as an observer because Japan, as an American ally, says it needs U.S. nuclear possession as deterrence.
nuclear weapons are never used and everyone can live in peace.”
In the hope of passing down the lessons of history to current and future generations, Takeshita visits schools to share her experience with children.
“When you grow up and remember what you learned today, please think what each of you can do to prevent war,” Takeshita told students during a school visit earlier this week.
Teruko Yokoyama, an 83-year-old member of a Nagasaki organization supporting survivors, said that she thinks of the growing absence of those she had worked with, and that fuels her desire to document the
“There are younger people who are beginning to take action,” Yokoyama told The Associated Press on Friday “So I think we don’t have to get depressed yet.”
Nagasaki hosted a “peace forum” on Friday where survivors shared their stories with more than 300 young people from around the country Seiichiro Mise, a 90-year-old survivor said that he’s handing seeds of “flowers of peace” to the younger generation in hopes of seeing them bloom.
Japan’s security dilemma
Survivors are frustrated by a growing nuclear threat and support among international leaders for developing or possessing nuclear weapons for deterrence.
They criticize the Japanese government’s refusal to sign
In Ishiba’s speech, the prime minister reiterated Japan’s pursuit of a nuclear-free world, pledging to promote dialogue and cooperation between countries with nuclear weapons and non-nuclear states at the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons review conference scheduled for April and May 2026 in New York. Ishiba didn’t mention the nuclear weapons ban treaty “Countries must move from words to action by strengthening the global disarmament regime,” with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT, at the center, complemented by the momentum created by the nuclear weapons ban treaty, said U.N Secretary-General António Guterres, in his message read by Under-SecretaryGeneral Izumi Nakamitsu in Nagasaki. Nagasaki invited representatives from all countries to attend the ceremony on Saturday The government in China notably notified the city that it wouldn’t be present without providing a reason. The ceremony last year stirred controversy because of the absence of the U.S. ambassador and other Western envoys in response to the Japanese city’s refusal to invite officials from Israel.
By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi|
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Thesystem uses three structurestodistribute a70%-30% water flow betweenthe Mississippi and Atchafalayariversrespectively.But changes to theMississippi River andconditions related to it have ledthe Army Corps of Engineerstoconsider altering the structure’soperations acontroversial topic because of howmuchthe region dependsonthe twowaterways.
Staffgraphic by DANSWENSON
Continued frompage1A
interests and the Trump administration’sdecision to halt funding forawide-ranging study on the lower river’sfuture.
The difficulty has only underscored how much the region depends on the Mississippi —and howthe needs of the nation and the world intertwine with it. It connects nearly allaspects of southLouisiana’sexistence, and any change in the nation’svast plumbing system can have cascading effects ranging from the tiniest communities nexttoittothe oceangoing vessels carryinggrain acrossthe globe
The seemingly simple idea of altering the amount of water flowing through Old River —akey change being considered by the U.S. Army CorpsofEngineers—has ignited awide-ranging debate involving port officials,cityleadersand even crawfishermen setting trapsfrom their small skiffs, among others.
The structure is so integral to river management that the amount of water allowed to flow throughit is mandated by federal law. And there should be no illusion that it is invincible: Areminder of the damage that canbeinflicted by the river’spower occurred five decades ago, in 1973, when historically high waters caused oneofits walls to collapse.
“Without the structure, it’sgoingtobevery difficult for us in south Louisiana,” said Yi-JunXu, an LSU hydrology professor who has closely studied conditionssurrounding Old River.“So this structure, yes,isthe most important structure in the lower Mississippi River.” Wilderpast, complicatedfuture
The pieces that make upthe Old River Control complex are situated in acorner of Louisiana that tells tales of awilder past. It was not so long ago, in the early 1950s, thatthe Mississippi threatenedtoshift course through
adistributary known as Old River due to aseries of natural and human-caused phenomena. That would haveconverted the Atchafalaya into the main stem of the Mississippi —shorteningits route to the Gulfbymore than half.
Larger-scaleshiftsinthe Mississippi’spath have playedout repeatedly throughout history literally creating south Louisiana through the river’sgradual buildup of sediment
Butinthe modern era, allowing it to change course would be disastrous.
TheOld RiverControl complex comprisessix main pieces, including adam, gates,alock and a hydroelectric plant, that work together to keep that from happening. They ensure that only 30% of the combined flow of theMississippi and Red rivers makes its waydownthe Atchafalaya.The remaining 70% flows down the Mississippi.
Those were theflowrates in 1950, before the structures were built, and the intent at the time was to keep them steady at those amounts.
Federal law allowsfor slight fluctuations throughout the year as long as the average amount hits the 70/30 target.
But while the lower river is now confined toits path by levees and floodwalls, thatdoesn’t mean the Mississippi remains static and predictable.
Beneaththe surface, it churns with change as it carries outits immense task of draining more than40% of the continental United States and two Canadian provinces, running from Minnesota to theGulf, collecting theMissouri and Ohio Rivers along theway Alist of concerns has emerged since the structures were built, and the changing climateislikely to cause further fluctuations as future years unfold. For one, rainfall is projected to intensify and may lead to significantly increased flows down the Mississippi.
Another developing issue involves how the bottom of the Mis-
sissippi is accumulating sediment belowOld River —raising the height of its bedand effectively causing theriver’s surface to rise with the same volume of water
According to Xu,the LSU professor,accumulation has occurred along a20-mile stretch downstream of OldRiver —and the highest point hasincreased by about 40 feet over the past three decades, essentially acting as an underwater dam to trap further mud. Asection of the river in that area has also sharply narrowed. The problemsthat can create are multi-fold. For one, it can increasethe height of the wall of water pressing againstone of OldRiver’s key pieces, the LowSillStructure Restrictions related to that were alreadytightened duetosafety concernsafter the1973floodand related wall collapse.
Butfor Xu, theoverridingquestion involves sediment accumulationbothbelow and above Old River.Inadditiontothe increase below it, he estimates hundreds of millions of tons of coarse sand hasalso collected abovethe structures up to Vicksburg.
In the case of acatastrophic flood, sand above thestructure could be pushed down and combine with the sediment below it, causing water tobackup, he says, potentially leadingtothe structure being overpowered. That raises thethreat of the Mississippichangingcourseto theAtchafalayaatsome point in theyears ahead, saysXu.
He is concerned that thesituation is being “underestimated” by theCorps and the country at large. He argues that in thecaseofa completeavulsion—the technical word for the river changing course— New Orleans could be without drinking water in amatter of abouttwo weeks. The problem would only worsen as time passes.
On theAtchafalayaside, communities would face severe flooding risks, including Morgan City The Port of Morgan City, which
handles billions in business, wouldnot be preparedfor theinflux of waterand sediment.
“Itisveryurgent, actually,at aminimumtodoa risk assessment,” said Xu. “How can we evacuate people? And to where?”
The Corps readily acknowledges the problem of the build-up, conducts analysis of it andsays it constantlymonitors the issue, including sampling sediment.
It notes that the control structures allowfor flexibility in managinghighwater,especially with the construction of an additional, auxiliary set of gatescompleted in 1986. The nearby Morganza Spillway canalsoserve as asupplementary option.
That permits the Corps to “shift theflow from onestructure to the next dailyifneeded,” it said in a statement
“This combination of the system’soverall resiliency and redundancy in featuresand operational adaptabilitygivesusconfidence that we cansafely manage future high-water events,” the Corps says.
It added that “inany case, the levelofactivitythattakes place by (Corps) personnel on adaily basis would warn us of anypotential problems, allow us to take proactive measures andrespond to emergencyevents shouldany occur.”
In 1973, theCorps usedpilesof rockstofill the hole being scoured at the structure as ashort-term fix
IoannisGeorgiou, director of coastal and deltaicsystems at The Water Institute, aBaton Rougebased research nonprofit, says he trusts that theCorps hasadequate monitoring systemsinplace, but points out that newchallengesare emerging.
“A future where unseen precipitationinthe MississippiRiver valley will pose new and unknown challenges to the receiving rivers thatlead to our homeofNew Orleansisafuture that we need to preparefor andplan for,”hesaid in an email exchange.
“Shiftsinthe climate because
The Overbank Structure works with other pieces of the OldRiver Control complexto regulate flowsbetween the Mississippi and AtchafalayaRivers when waters are high.
of greenhouse gas emissions have been shown to produce unstable weather,with unforeseen andunexpected consequences.”
‘Navigatethose changes’
Otherrelated issuesinclude demands, particularly fromMississippi state officials, that the Corps limit theuse of theBonnetCarre Spillway near New Orleans during high-water years. The spillway is needed to relieve pressure on thelevees andprevent catastrophic flooding.
Concerns fromMississippi officials and others involve the damagetofisheries andwaterfront tourism that theinflux of fresh water and nutrient pollution through the spillway causes. The Corps hasbeen sued over it.
Diverting more waterdownthe Atchafalaya, either through Old River or the Morganza Spillway, could help with that problem but lead to deep concerns down theAtchafalaya, particularlyin the MorganCity area.
Separately,increasing the amount of water flowing down the Mississippi when levels are lowcould help deal with the problemofsaltwaterintrusion upriverfrom theGulf—which can threaten drinking water supplies and infrastructure, including in the New Orleansarea. Butdoing so reduces theamount of water flowing down the Atchafalaya, potentially causing ecological andfisheries issues.
Loomingoverall of it arethe flashing warning signs of recent years. While the Bonnet Carre Spillwayhad to be opened only eight times from its construction in the 1930s to the endofthe century,ithas already been needed seventimessince2000, including twicein2019.
On theother end of thespectrum, low-water years requiring the Corps to build asill in the Mississippi to block saltwaterintrusion formerly occurred about once adecade. It happenedthree yearsina rowfrom2022 to 2024. It is unclear if these areshortterm trends or longer-term
changes as a result of more extreme drought and rainfall. It may well turn out to be a collision of both as the warming climate throws a wrench into natural weather variations.
If the issues seem complicated, that’s because they are — so complicated, in fact, that the Corps was until recently engaged in a five-year “mega-study” on the future of the lower Mississippi, including operations of Old River
That study has however been paused since early June, with the Trump administration declining to continue funding it.
Before that, the Corps was investigating whether a more dynamic management of flow through Old River could be beneficial — the idea that its knobs could be adjusted seasonally when river levels are either high, low or in between In other words, instead of a fixed 70%-30% flow rate, could those numbers change depending upon conditions?
No final decisions had been made before the study was paused, but Corps officials were considering variable flows ranging anywhere from 80% down the Mississippi and 20% down the Atchafalaya to 60% and 40%, said Katelyn Costanza, the study’s lead engineer Those kinds of changes may require Congressional approval.
“We’ve learned from past flood events, and we also know that the system has changed over the past 100 years,” said Constanza, referring to when the lower river’s modern shape took form with the construction of the vast flood protections now in place.
“We have a pretty good idea of what those trends will look like in the future. So having more flexible operations of Old River Control will help us kind of navigate those changes that we’ll see in the future.” Regarding the “mega-study,” Constanza expressed hope that it could be restarted soon.
‘Severely impacted’
A drive across the Old River structures, strung along La. 15 at the spot in the Louisiana “boot” where the ankle meets the top of the foot, gives little indication of the important role they play, appearing not unlike the rest of the state’s flood defenses or navigation locks. The initial pieces were completed in 1963, followed by later additions.
The list of reasons for why they are needed is long and frightening.
The Mississippi has become a vital artery for global shipping, and New Orleans owes its history to it. But that’s not all.
Over time, the river would essentially become a saltwater estuary, the Corps notes, and more than a million people in the New Orleans area would have to find a new source of drinking water Baton Rouge, too, would eventually see saltwater seep into the underground aquifer system where it pulls its drinking water, says Xu. Electricity and industrial plants that draw from the river would have to shut or somehow adapt. Ports along the lower Mississippi would have little reason to exist as they do now That includes the Port of New Orleans and the Port of South Louisiana, which handles more than half of the nation’s grain exports. At the same time, the Atchafalaya and communities downriver would be overwhelmed with water and sediment.
Beauvais, standing atop Old River’s Low Sill Structure, a series of 11 gates that can be adjusted to control the flow between the two waterways, spoke of the dangers that would play out over the course of several decades.
“If for some reason these structures fail, or if the river would have changed course to that of the Atchafalaya River at any time, the economics of not only south Louisiana — of the nation would be severely impacted,”
Beauvais says.
The structures’ necessity generates no serious argument. Adapting them to shifting environmental circumstances certainly does.
‘Could lose billions’
Raymond “Mac” Wade once planned to spend his life as a high school football coach. He ended up here, near the end of the Atchafalaya River in Morgan City, overseeing its port.
The 73-year-old retains the bearing of a coach from another era, eager to reel off the circumstances of his port’s dilemma related to Old River and the billions of dollars and thousands of jobs he says could be at stake.
He keeps a cigar perched between his fingers that he occasionally chews on, but never lights. Smoking’s bad for you, he says.
“What happens on the Mississippi, it affects the Atchafalaya,” Wade said recently at his Morgan City office, occasionally using a map and an infrared pointer to illustrate his points. “If you flood us out, we could lose billions for the economy.”
Later, during a boat tour of the port’s sprawling facilities, about 130 miles by road from Old River Control, Wade points out the drydocks, fabrication yards and vessels of various types under construction or repair Yellow cranes rise above the site where seven-story structures will be built for the mammoth Venture Global LNG plant in Plaquemines Parish. Suction piles
Wade’s port. During the spring and summer, they pull up to processing facilities in pickup trucks, their boats on trailers behind them laden with sacks of wild mudbugs.
But even farther up the Atchafalaya, there isn’t enough sediment, with the northern end of the river having deepened.
Corps officials say they will take all of that and more into account before any change is made, with the aim of anticipating and preparing for any residual consequences.
They are even going beyond the lower Mississippi to potentially study changes along the lock and dam system on the Ohio, for example, viewing the system for what it truly is: a connected whole.
that serve as anchors for offshore oil rigs lie on their sides like disassembled rockets. Barges and dredge ships sit idle as workers ready them for a return to the water Defense contractors work on U.S. Navy living quarters.
It has been quite a transformation for this part of central Louisiana’s coast, once known for its shrimping industry, then as the site of the first offshore oil well out of sight of land, drilled in 1947.
The change can be seen in Morgan City’s signature annual party: Formerly the Shrimp Festival, it later became the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival.
The Port of Morgan City has taken advantage of its strategic location to attract industry It sits at the intersection of the Atchafalaya and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and it offers deep enough water to allow larger vessels to make their way to its docks.
Dredging allows the port to maintain a 20-foot deep channel at a cost of around $40 million per year When faced with the contin-
ual problem of lighter sediment piling up where the Atchafalaya meets the Gulf, Wade sought an innovative solution and said he convinced the Corps to agree.
The so-called “agitation dredge,” operating 24 hours a day, stirs up that lighter sediment and allows it to resume its journey out to the Gulf instead of clogging up the passage — at a fraction of the cost of a traditional dredge, Wade says. But he’s worried that his efforts may be in vain. If the Corps changes operations of Old River to significantly increase the amount of water flowing down the Atchafalaya, more sediment will arrive with it, threatening to silt up his port. More extensive dredging — and more money to pay for it would be needed, says Wade.
“It’s like a balance sheet. If you put something here, well, this has got to change over here,” he says during the boat tour “This creates lots of jobs. These are goodpaying jobs.”
In addition to extra sediment, Wade is also worried the extra water will cause more closures of the recently built Bayou Chene floodgate — billed as the largest of its type in the world which prevents backwater flooding in a range of nearby communities. But its closure also blocks larger vessels from traveling in and out of the port’s facilities.
In Morgan City itself, flood protections are much stronger than during the 1973 flood, including a 21-foot wall.
But city officials wonder how well they’ll hold up if lots more water flows down. Offshorelinked businesses outside the walls could also be flooded.
“The water table is going to go higher, so we’re going to be fighting higher water probably more often and longer than ever before,” said Charlie Solar, the city’s chief administrative officer Farther north, around Cajun communities like Belle River, the problem has at times been low water and too much sediment. Atchafalaya Basin crawfishermen have occasionally pushed for the Corps to allow for more water down through Old River to help their businesses — often without success. Their small skiffs are a far cry from the vessels traversing
“When you move water one place, you’re moving it somewhere else,” said the Corps’ Costanza. “So we are looking at both systems (Mississippi and Atchafalaya), whether that be benefits and impacts.”
‘A major impact’
Back at Old River, Russell Beauvais describes his short commute to work.
He grew up in nearby Morganza and still lives there today and he notes that his drive to his office takes him through only three caution lights and a stop sign.
He lived in Baton Rouge while studying civil engineering at LSU, then worked for a time in the Lafayette area before quickly realizing he preferred the country life back home.
“I can leave my house right now at any time, go fish, hunt, and it don’t cost me $1,” Beauvais said at Old River’s Auxiliary Structure, where fish splashed in the whirlpool of water in front of the steel gates below “So I’d rather be out in the country.”
He’s a local guy, but knows well the wider importance of the structures he manages.
At the nearby Low Sill Structure, he describes the complex work to repair the wall that collapsed in the ’73 flood.
He tells of the changes that led to reductions in how much water can be allowed to push against it. He also explains the build-up of sediment near the complex, causing the river’s surface to rise.
Perhaps most importantly, he details all the calamities that could befall the region if the Mississippi changed course. It would not be an overnight shift — more likely playing out over several decades — but the effects would be historyaltering.
There would be emergency options — utilizing the other structures and rapidly constructing a rock dam while repairs take place, for example — but Corps officials, and many others, hope to never arrive at that moment.
“The Old River Control Structure is either the most or one of the most important control structures within the Corps of Engineers or to the nation,” he says.
With the white noise of river water churning below Beauvais adds: “It would be a major impact if something would happen here.”
Email Mike Smith at msmith@ theadvocate.com.
BY CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press
WASCO, Ore. — Oregon Sen.
Ron Wyden is in his fifth decade in Congress and showing no inclination to step aside even as pressure builds on aging Democratic officeholders to give way to a new generation.
He says he plans to seek another term in 2028, when he will be 79 years old. He has traveled to all 36 Oregon counties every year he has been in the Senate and intends to keep doing so.
After a recent town hall in Wasco in conservative Sherman County Wyden said questions about age are “fair game for debate” but that he is still up to the job and the fight against Republican President Donald Trump’s policies.
“I believe you ought to be held accountable,” he told The Associated Press in an interview. “But I think that the Founding Fathers wanted a results-oriented, commonsense approach to government, and that’s what I’m trying to do. And I’ve got the energy.”
Many Democrats have lingering anguish about Joe Biden’s decision to seek a second White House term despite persistent concerns about whether he was up to the job at age 81. He dropped out in July 2024 and Trump went on to defeat then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I’ve consistently called for all elected officials over the age of 70 to make this
their final term to step down with dignity and make room for the next generation of leaders,” said Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something, a group that supports progressive young candidates.
Many Democrats feel Biden withdrew too late and cost the party the presidency Multiple Democratic senators have announced this year that they won’t seek reelection, including 80-year-old Dick Durbin of Illinois. Durbin’s career in Congress began in 1983, two years after Wyden joined the House.
Litman said she hopes another Democrat emerges to challenge Wyden
“I think competitive primaries in particular are how we as a party decide what we believe,” she said Wyden continues to travel across his state engaging with voters of all political stripes. The Wasco town hall was the 23rd he has held this year, and the 1,125th town hall of his career Some 20 people gathered at a former grade school nestled among wheat fields and wind turbines.
“Every Oregonian counts, no matter where they live,” Wyden told them.
As other Democrats grapple over strategy, the senator says the old-school town hall tradition has become a key communication tool in an era of deepening division.
“I believe the town meetings are more important now than ever, because they allow for an opportunity in a community to chip away at some of the polarization and the mistrust,” he told the AP. That stands in contrast
to congressional Republicans, who in recent months have largely avoided town hall meetings, where they often face protesters. The National Republican Campaign Committee recently encouraged GOP lawmakers to promote the new tax breaks and spending cuts law, but in smaller settings they can control.
Some 75% of Sherman County’s voters cast ballots for Trump last November, and Wyden hasn’t carried the county of about 2,000 people since 2004. Yet the small town hall gathering stood out for its civility, compared with the raucous crowds faced recently by other members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans.
Meeting with a small group of Democrats, Republicans and independents in Wasco, Wyden talked at
length about health care, trade and democracy While some pressed Wyden, they waited to be called on and thanked him for coming.
Charlie Hogue, 71, asked a question that went to the heart of Democratic concerns that leaders aren’t pushing back hard enough against Trump.
“I thought we had checks and balances in this country, and I’m beginning to lose hope because the current administration ignores court orders,” he said. “So are the Democrats planning to just message for the next elections or do you have a plan?”
Wyden cited examples of how he had challenged Trump: a recent trip to Canada, where the senator spoke with the prime minister about trade, and discussions with Oregon wheat farmers about tariffs.
T.L. Fassbender, 76, wondered why it seems that Democrats support immigrants who entered the country illegally Wyden responded that he believed the immigration system was “broken” and noted that a bipartisan border bill collapsed in the Senate last year after thencandidate Trump came out against it.
In the ensuing exchange, Fassbender said he didn’t think Wyden had answered his question, so the senator tried again.
“If somebody has committed a crime, for example, I don’t think that should be something that is protected as part of legislation,” Wyden said “What’s been going on, unfortunately, is we have some government agencies coming and swooping up people who’ve done nothing wrong.”
When immigration came up again later, Wyden noted that his parents were fleeing Nazi Germany when they came to the United States.
“I believe that legal immigration makes our country better and stronger,” he said.
Recently, Wyden has emerged as a leading Democratic voice in pressing for more information on the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case. He isn’t new to the effort, which has become a political crisis for Trump.
The president’s supporters are angry that his administration didn’t keep promises to release records from the investigation into the wealthy financier’s exploitation of underage girls for sex. The Justice Department and FBI recently said there was no Epstein “client list,” walking back a notion that the administration had previously promoted.
As the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Finance Committee, Wyden had been pressing for Epstein’s financial records long before the scandal resurfaced.
“We spent three years following the money,” he told the AP after the Wasco town hall. “And we’re going to stay at it until the facts come out.”
Wyden said Democrats agonizing over low voter morale and party strategy should hold more meetings in conservative areas, where they might learn something from the people they represent.
“The old saying is, ‘most of life is just showing up,’” he said. “But it’s especially important in government because there is a sense that this is rigged.”
BY DOUGLASS K. DANIEL Associated Press
WASHINGTON — William H. Webster, the former FBI and CIA director whose troubleshooting skills and integrity helped restore public confidence in those federal agencies, has died, his family announced Friday He was 101. Webster led the FBI from 1978 to 1987 and the CIA from 1987 to 1991, the only person to guide the nation’s top law-enforcement agency and its primary intelligence-gathering organization.
wrong,” Webster said after he agreed to lead the spy agency
Former President George W. Bush said in a statement Friday night that Webster’s “passion for the rule of law and for the greatness of America made him a model public servant.”
By the time he came to Washington, at age 53, Webster had practiced law for nearly 20 years, had served a stint as a federal prosecutor and had spent almost nine years on the federal bench in his native St. Louis. Those who opposed him in court or disagreed with his rulings acknowledged that his honesty was beyond question.
“Every director of the CIA or the FBI should be prepared to resign in the event that he is asked to do something that he knows is
President Jimmy Carter selected Webster a Republican, for a 10-year term as FBI chief as the bureau sought to improve an image tarnished by revelations of domestic spying, internal corruption and other abuses of power Demanding but fair of his agents, he was generally credited with developing its ability to handle new challenges such as terrorism.
President Ronald Reagan chose Webster to replace CIA chief William J Casey, who had been criticized for being too political, ignoring Congress and playing a part in the arms-for-hostages scandal known as Iran-Contra.
Webster, again in the role of outsider with no political agenda, quickly sought to ease tensions with Congress. He reported regularly on the
CIA’s activities to lawmakers charged with intelligence oversight and avoided the appearance of trying to shape policy Retiring from federal service in 1991, he joined a Washington law firm but still served on a variety of policyrelated boards and commissions.
In 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission selected Webster on a partisan vote, to lead a board created by Congress to oversee the accounting profession in the wake of scandals involving Enron and other corporations.
Before the board’s first meeting, however, Webster resigned amid questions about his role as head of the audit committee of U.S. Technologies, a company itself accused of fraud. The controversy over his role in Webster’s appointment contributed to the resignation of SEC Chair Harvey Pitt.
William Hedgcock Webster was born on March 6, 1924, in St Louis. He was raised in the suburb of Webster Groves, Missouri, his father the owner of ranch and farm land and the operator of small businesses. He served as a Navy lieutenant during
World War II and returned to active duty for two
WASHINGTON —The U.S. Supreme Court wants to know if, by creatinga second Black majority congressional district, Louisiana violated theU.S. Constitution. The nine justices focused on mechanics when they first heard the case —called Louisiana v. Callais —inMarch.They’re now asking an ideological question some critics saymight lead to furtherweakening of theVoter Rights Act of 1965, oneof the legislativecornerstones of the Civil Rights era.
Ballard
“Obviously,the courtis divided,” said U.S. Rep.Cleo Fields, the Baton Rouge Democrat whowon the newly created seat inthe U.S. House. “I don’tthink eithersidehas five votes. Ithink they’re trying to seehow they get there.”
Thehighcourt announced in Junethat it would hear more arguments. On Aug. 1, it asked lawyers to argue whether Louisiana’ssecond minority-majoritydistrict violates either the 14th Amendment,which forbids districts based on race, or the15th Amendment, whichforbids abridging the right to vote because of race.
The Voting Rights Act’s Section2 requires minority-majoritydistrictsifthe population lives close enough together, shares similar political goals, andisina state, like Louisiana, where Whitemajority districts have never elected aBlack candidate.
State Attorney GeneralLiz Murrill had asked the justices to sort outhow astate could draw district mapswithout running afoul of the often-conflicting laws. She said Wednesday she won’t comment until the state files its new brief before the high court.
John Bisognano, president of the National Redistricting Foundation, aWashingtonbased nonprofit affiliated with the Democratic Party,noted the high courthad never found aconflict between the EqualProtection Clause andthe VotingRights Act.
“If the Court decides to nowundo that precedent, it wouldbeahead-spinning reversal of itself,” Bisognanosaid in astatement.
Though Black residents make upa third of the state’spopulation, the Republicanmajority Louisiana Legislature in 2022 approved congressional mapsafter thelast U.S. Census count that assured theelections of five White Republicans and one Black Democrat.
Acadre of Black voters sued,and afed-
Kennedypresses NATO on defense spending
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, RMadisonville,ispressing for NATO, the allianceofEuropean andNorth American countries, to keep acommitment to increase defense spending, sayingsome nations appear to be trying to “weasel their way out” of the promise.
CAPITOL BUZZ staff reports
PresidentDonald Trump has long complained that the U.S. has shouldered too much of the financial burden of protecting the 32 member states in NATO. At a summit in June, NATO members committed to spending at least 5% of their gross domestic product on defense spending by 2035.
eral district court in Baton Rouge ruled asecondminority-majority district was neededtocomply with theVoting Rights Act. The newly elected Republican-supermajority Legislature in January 2024 created two districts in which aBlack candidate hadachance of winning.
Initially,Black voters recommended the second minority-majority district center in depopulating northLouisiana. Butlawmakers didn’t want to undermine HouseSpeaker MikeJohnson, R-Benton,orRep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, and chose instead to remap the 6th Congressional District
The result links predominantly Black precinctsfrom Baton Rouge to Lafayette to Shreveport. Though stretched thinly across thestate, the district is smaller than Letlow’sand takes less time to traverse than Johnson’s Louisiana argued that politics played an
important role in how the district came out.
The Callais group of self-described “nonAfrican Americans” filed alegal challenge in Monroe, arguing legislators improperly decided first to draw aBlack-majority district and then chose which White Republican to sacrifice.
Twoofthe three judges agreed with the Callais side, but theSupreme Court ruled it was too late to sort out the competing lower court decisions and the 2024 electionsproceeded using thelegislative map with two districts that favored Black candidates.
“The issue thehigh court seems to want to tackle further is whether applying Section 2continues to be Constitutional, at least as applied to Louisiana,” said Michael Li, aredistricting expert with the Brennan Center for Justice in New York.
The VotingRightsAct automatically
But Kennedy, amember of the Senate Appropriations Committee, argues some countries are already showing signs of reneging on that deal. He points to astatement from Spanish PrimeMinister Pedro Sánchez saying hiscountry would only spend2.1% of GDP on defense because “It is thelegitimate right of every government to decidewhether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices.”
“Toclarify: Sánchez expects the American people to makesacrifices to contributetoour shared defense,but he doesn’twant anyoneinSpain to missa single siesta for thecause,” Kennedy wrote in aNewsweek op-ed. “Does that sound like someone who would ride with you into battle?” Kennedy has introduced a resolution urging NATO member countries to keep to the5%commitment.
“The world needs to know we have each other’sbacks, and that startsbyputtingyour money where your mouth is,” Kennedy wrote in the op-ed.
Reps. Higgins,Fields sponsor crawfish bill
When adrought shriveled up Louisiana’s2023 crawfish season, farmers were able to get federal help through theU.S. Department of Agriculture and theSmall Business Administration.But those who caught wild crawfish had fewer options.
Now,U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, and U.S. Rep.Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, are sponsoring abill that would specifi-
sunsets when astate no longer engages in discriminatory election practices. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in acase about college enrollments: “The Court has long said that race-based remedial action must have alogical end point.”
Louisiana no longer requires Black voters to pass onerous tests in order to register and Black voters are no longer violently intimidated not to vote. But legislators initially drew amap that diluted minority voter strength. How does that count?
“It’snot 1965 anymore, but the idea that Louisiana has moved beyond racism in its election laws, in its election maps…seems to defyeven acursory understanding,” Li said. “IfSection 2doesn’tapply in Louisiana, it’shard to think of manyplaces in the country where it might.” Email Mark Ballardatmballard @theadvocate.com.
cally add wild-caught crawfish to thelist of fisheries that are eligible for disaster relief from the Department of Commerce.
“This is an important step to bring parity across the entire industry,” Higgins said in anews release.
The Secretary of Commerce could declare adisaster forfisheries of the red swamp crawfish and white river crawfish. That could be because of anatural disaster,failure of water management infrastructure or other major decreases in stock and revenue.
“Louisiana’scrawfish harvesters are avital part of our state’s economy and heritage,” Fields said in therelease. “This legislation not onlyrecognizes that legacy,but it also ensures that when future disasters hit, they won’t be left behind.”
Louisiana ports team up for marketing strategy
Louisiana’sfive deep-water
ports on the Mississippi River have collectively agreed to launcha marketing strategy to bring newbusiness and foreign investment. About half abilliontonsofcargo pass through the ports each year roughly 20% of the volume in the United States. The ports will engage Polaris Analyticsand Consulting to developa marketing strategy that pitchesall five together,potentially opening up more and biggerbusiness.
“By speaking with one voice and leveraging shared strengths, these ports are not only enhancing Louisiana’s global trade presence —they’re creating high-wage jobs, driving investment and positioning Louisiana to win on the world stage,” said Susan Bourgeois, secretary of the Louisiana Economic Development.
BY JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writer
Mississippi Coast locals are speaking out and accusing an aspiring North Mississippi food influencer of “rage baiting” after he slammed several restaurants in a series of videos posted on social media in late July
“Dear Gulf Coast Mississippi, the food scene down here has been ass,” Kartavis Buchanan, known on social media as Big Tae Eats, said in a video introducing his series on the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s dining scene. He said he only liked a handful of the 12 restaurants he tried while visiting The reviews, mostly done inside of a car, often include his wife. Creating social media food reviews can be a lucrative job, and influencers like Keith Lee can get 4-6 million views per video. Buchanan adds #keithlee as a hashtag to many of his reviews, which can reach 100,000 views or more.
In a series of videos, Buchanan complained about the quality pricing and taste of several restaurants on the Coast.
Big Daddy’s, a Black-owned soul food buffet in downtown Gulfport, is known for its portions and affordable prices. The restaurant has hundreds of 4-5 star reviews on Google, with many praising the meat-and-three style spot.
Buchanan, however, was not impressed.
Rosita-Maria Zaldivar’s tacos and Mexican fare has had a cult following for years. In 2022, she was able to expand from her food truck into a stand-alone restaurant in St. Martin, where the lines can be long
She specializes in tacos, birria ramen and tres leches cakes. The menu is affordable, with most items costing less than $20, and Rosita’s has a 4.8-star ranking on Google.
“The tacos were great! The street tacos were great! The people were friendly and inviting,” Chip Kerr said in a Google Review last week “You want to go here, you really do.” Once again, though, Buchanan was not happy
Buchanan’s wife, however, enjoyed her meal and loved the strawberry tres leches cake. Both of them said the customer service was exceptional.
Buchanan also gave negative reviews to restaurants including The Shed in Vancleave and Tay’s BBQ in Jackson County
He gave positive critiques to Cheryl’s Steakhouse in Ocean Springs, Dem Damn Burgers in Biloxi, Trina’s Sweets in Pascagoula and Nana J’s Soul Food in Ocean Springs, calling many of them hidden gems and praising the homemade pastries, well-seasoned protein and flavorful side dishes.
Many locals didn’t buy Buchanan’s hot takes.
Matthew Bounds, known online as Your Barefoot Neighbor, is a Gulfport-based influencer who gained a massive online following while cooking recipes during the pandemic His videos, which often receive 2 million views or more, are meant to show people that cooking isn’t as hard as it looks.
Bounds took aim at Buchanan’s review in a viral Facebook post, accusing him of “rage baiting” for clicks or
just being unnecessarily critical if he did not like the dish.
“There’s a way to create food reviews with honest feedback, both good and bad, in a constructive, respectful way Big Tae ain’t it,” he said.
Bounds noted that small-business owners often pour their time, creativity and money into their work, and one bad review that goes viral can make or break their future.
“You couldn’t pay me enough to sit in my car and scream and my audience and trash their hard work, type HORRIBLE in all caps in the captions, even if I didn’t care for their food.”
His post was shared hundreds of times, including by many restaurant owners in the area who were not featured in Buchanan’s videos.
Brad Elliot, who owns Lost Pizza Co. in Ocean Springs and Hattiesburg, said he appreciated Bounds’ perspective.
“As a restaurant owner myself, you have eloquently stated the truth!” Elliot said on Facebook.
Rosita’s also gave Bounds a shoutout, complete with a teary-eyed emoji: “This is why we LOVE you!”
BY POET WOLFE Staff writer
A historic Victorian home in Bay St. Louis crumbled in the storm surge of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Twenty years later, it’s resurfaced, though in a way that left some on the Gulf Coast disappointed.
The house, once perched on North Beach Boulevard, appears on the cover of “Hurricane Katrina: A Race Against Time,” a five-part documentary series recently released by National Geographic
The series revisits the deadly catastrophe, highlighting how it reshaped New Orleans.
The movie poster which appears to be illustrated, features a more animated version of the Bay St. Louis home submerged in floodwaters as an adult and child stand on the roof, overlooking the desolate landscape near a sign that reads “HELP.”
On social media, Hancock County residents have questioned why the image was used, considering the series focuses exclusively on Katrina’s aftermath in New Orleans.
The acrimonious responses also point to a broader frustration among residents who feel like the storm’s impact on the Mississippi Coast has long been overshadowed.
“How disrespectful that our story isn’t worth sharing, but our images of loss are perfectly fine to attach to New Orleans!” one Facebook user wrote.
“There is no excuse for the
fake photo,” another commented. “Plenty of real (New Orleans) homes that could have been used for the film itself!”
Though destroyed by Katrina, the house remains listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Hancock County Built in 1889 by Charles Sanger, the home was believed to be built on the highest waterfront elevation on the Gulf, according to a 2003 article by The Sun Herald. Sanger, a prominent builder and architect, built the estate for Raoul Telhiard, a New Orleans resident who stayed in Bay St. Louis in the summer. Telhiard referred to the vacation home as “Ada Villa” until
Living with chronicpainisn’t just frustrating— it canbelife-altering.Whether it’s backpain, sciatica, neck discomfort,ordisc-relatedissues, it canstopyou from doingthe things youlove Maybeyou can’tplaygolf, getthrough a workday,orevensit comfortablyinthe carfor 30 minutes. Youcan’t remember thelasttime youhad arestful night’ssleep.You feel great mentally,but your body is holdingyou back. Most people don’trealizethatspinaldiscs are often therootcause of this pain Thesediscs act as cushions between thespinalbones andcreate thenecessaryspacefor nerves to exit thespinal column.But when discsare injured, worn down,orbegin to degenerate,theybulge or herniate —pressingonnerve rootsand triggering pain in theback, legs,neck,and arms This pressuredoesn’t just causepain. It canlead to numbness,tingling, weakness,and even issueswithbalance andmobility
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Surveillance software used by districts
BY SHARON LURYE Associated Press
Lesley Mathis knows what her daughter said was wrong. But she never expected the 13-year-old girl would get arrested for it.
The teenage girl made an offensive joke whilechatting online with her classmates, triggeringthe school’ssurveillance software. Before the morning was even over,the Tennesseeeighth grader was under arrest. She was interrogated, strip-searched andspent the night in ajail cell, her mother says. Earlier in the day,her friends had teased the teenabout her tanned complexion and called her “Mexican,” even though she’snot. When afriend asked what she was planning for Thursday,she wrote: “on Thursday we kill all the Mexico’s.”
Mathis said the comments were “wrong” and “stupid,” butcontext showed they were not athreat.
“It made me feellike,isthisthe America we live in?” Mathissaid of her daughter’sarrest. “And it was this stupid, stupid technology that is just going through picking up random words and notlooking at context.” Surveillance systems in American schools increasingly monitor everything students write on school accounts and devices. Thousands of school districtsacrossthe country use software like Gaggle and Lightspeed Alert to trackkids’ online activities, lookingfor signs they might hurt themselves or others. With the help of artificialintelligence, technology can dip into online conversations and immediately notify both school officials and law enforcement.
Educatorssay thetechnology has saved lives. But critics warn it can criminalize children for careless words.
“It has routinized law enforcement access andpresenceinstudents’ lives, includingintheir home,” said Elizabeth Laird,a
director at the Center forDemocracy and Technology
Vigilancefor threats
In acountry weary of school shootings, several states have taken aharder line on threats to schools. Among them is Tennessee, which passed a2023 zerotolerance law requiring any threat of mass violence against aschool to be reported immediately to law enforcement.
The 13-year-old girl arrested in August 2023 had been textingwith friends on achat function tied to herschool email at Fairview MiddleSchool,which uses Gaggle to monitorstudents’accounts. (The AssociatedPress is withholding the girl’sname to protect herprivacy. The school district didnot respondtoarequest for comment.)
Taken to jail, theteen wasinterrogatedand strip-searched,and her parents weren’tallowed to talk to her until thenext day,according to alawsuitthey filed against theschool system.She didn’tknow why her parents weren’tthere.
“She told me afterwards, ‘I thought youhated me.’ That kind of hauntsyou,” said Mathis, the girl’s mother Acourt ordered eight weeksof housearrest,a psychological evaluation and 20 days at an alternativeschool for thegirl.
Gaggle’sCEO, Jeff Patterson, said in an interview that the school system did not use Gaggle the way it is intended.The purpose is to findearly warningsigns and intervene before problems escalate to law enforcement, he said.
“I wish that was treated as a teachable moment, not alaw enforcement moment,”said Patterson.
Unexpected scrutiny
Students who think they are chattingprivatelyamong friends often donot realize they are under constant surveillance, saidShaharPasch, an education lawyer in Florida.
Oneteenage girl she represented made ajoke about school shootings on aprivateSnapchat story
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of digitalsurveillance software.
Snapchat’sautomated detection software picked up the comment, thecompany alerted theFBI,and thegirlwas arrested on school grounds within hours.
Alexa Manganiotis, 16, said she was startled by howquicklymonitoringsoftware works.WestPalm Beach’s Dreyfoos School of the Arts, whichshe attends, last year piloted Lightspeed Alert, asurveillanceprogram. Interviewing a teacher for her school newspaper, Alexadiscoveredtwo students once typedsomething threatening about that teacher on aschoolcomputer then deleted it. Lightspeed picked it up, and “theyweretaken away like five minutes later,” Alexa said.
Teenagersface steeperconsequences than adultsfor what they write online, Alexasaid.
“Ifanadult makesa superracistjoke that’sthreatening on their computer,they candeleteit, and they wouldn’tbearrested,”she said.
Amy Bennett, chief of stafffor Lightspeed Systems, saidthat the software helps understaffed schools “be proactive rather than punitive”byidentifyingearly warning signs of bullying, selfharm,violence or abuse.
The technology canalso involve law enforcement in responses to mental health crises. In Florida’s
Many Americansare fortunate to have dental coverage fortheir entire workinglife, through employer-providedbenefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocketcan come as a shock,leadingpeople to putoff or even go without care. Simply put —without dental insurance,there may be an important gap in your healthcarecoverage.
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Even if you’vehad quality dental work in thepast, you shouldn’ttakeyourdental health forgranted.Infact, yourodds of having adentalproblem only go up as you age.2
Treatment is expensive— especiallythe servicespeople over 50 oftenneed.
Consider these national average costs of treatment. $222 fora checkup. $190 for afilling. $1,213 fora crown.3 Unexpected bills likethiscan be arealburden especially if you’re on afixed income.
Polk County Schools, adistrictof more than 100,000students, the school safety program received nearly 500 Gaggle alerts over four years, officerssaidinpublic Board of Education meetings. This led to 72 involuntary hospitalization cases under the Baker Act, a statelaw that allows authorities to require mental health evaluations forpeople against their will if they posearisk to themselves or others.
“A really high numberofchildrenwho experience involuntary examinationremember it as areally traumatic anddamaging experience —not something that helps them with their mental health care,” said Sam Boyd, an attorney with theSouthernPoverty Law Center.The Polk and West Palm Beach school districts did not provide comments.
High rate of falsealarms
Information that could allow schools to assess the software’s effectiveness, such as the rate of false alerts, is closelyheldbytechnology companies and unavailable publicly unless schools track the datathemselves.
Gaggle alerted more than 1,200 incidents to theLawrence, Kansas, school district in arecent 10-month period. But almost twothirds of those alerts weredeemed
by school officials to be nonissues —including over 200 false alarms from student homework, according to an Associated Pressanalysis of data receivedvia apublic records request. Students in one photography class werecalled to the principal’s officeoverconcerns Gaggle had detected nudity. Thephotos had been automatically deleted from the students’ Google Drives, but studentswho hadbackups of the flaggedimages on their own devicesshoweditwas afalse alarm District officials said they later adjusted the software’ssettings to reduce false alerts.
Natasha Torkzaban, who graduated in 2024, said shewas flagged forediting afriend’scollege essay becauseithad thewords“mental health.”
“I think ideally we wouldn’tstick anew and shiny solution of AI on a deep-rooted issue of teenage mental health and the suicide rates in America, but that’swhere we’re at right now,” Torkzaban said. She was amongagroup of studentjournalists and artists at Lawrence High School who filed alawsuit against the school systemlastweek,alleging Gaggle subjected them to unconstitutional surveillance.
School officials have said they takeconcerns aboutGaggle seriously,but also saythe technology has detected dozens of imminent threats of suicide or violence.
“Sometimes youhavetolook at the trade forthe greater good,” said Board of Education member Anne Costello in aJuly 2024 board meeting.
Twoyears after their ordeal, Mathis said her daughter is doing better,although she’sstill“terrified” of running into one of the school officers who arrested her One bright spot, she said, was the compassion of theteachers at her daughter’salternative school They took time every day to let the kids share their feelings and frustrations, without judgment.
“It’slike we just want kids to be these little soldiers, and they’re not,”saidMathis. “They’re just humans.”
Ask
fora
BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press
A baby boy born last month to an Ohio couple developed from an embryo that had been frozen for more than 30 years in what is believed to be the longest storage time before a birth
In what’s known as embryo adoption, Lindsey and Tim Pierce used a handful of donated embryos that have been frozen since 1994 in pursuit of having a child after fighting infertility for years. Their son was born from an embryo that had been in storage for 11,148 days, which the Pierces’ doctor says sets a record.
It’s a concept that has been around since the 1990s but is gaining traction as some fertility clinics and advocates, often Christian-centered oppose discarding leftover embryos because of their belief that life begins at or around conception and that all embryos deserve to be treated like children who need a home.
“I felt all along that these three little hopes, these little embryos, deserved to live just like my daughter did,” said Linda Archerd, 62, who donated her embryos to the Pierces.
Just about 2% of births
BY JACK DURA Associated Press
MINOT, N.D High atop a massive grain elevator in the middle of Minot, North Dakota, artist Guido van Helten swipes a concrete wall with a brush that looks more appropriate for painting a fence than creating a monumental mural.
Back and forth van Helten brushes, focused on his work and not bothered by the sheer enormity of his task as he stands in a boom lift, 75 feet off the ground, and focused on a few square feet of a structure that stretches over most of a city block.
“When you use these old structures to kinda share stories and use them as a vehicle to carry an image of identity, it becomes part of the landscape,” he said. “I’ve found that people have really adopted them and become really super proud of them.”
The work on the former Union Silos is van Helten’s latest effort to paint murals on a gigantic scale, with earlier projects on structures ranging from a dam in Australia to part of a former cooling tower at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine. Although he has created murals throughout the world, grain silos in the U.S. Midwest have been among his most frequent sites.
“I do enjoy the opportunity to uncover stories that are often kinda considered out of
in the U.S are the result of in vitro fertilization, and an even smaller fraction involve donated embryos.
However, medical experts estimate about 1.5 million frozen embryos are currently being stored throughout the country, with many of those in limbo as parents wrestle with what to do with their leftover embryos created in IVF labs
Further complicating the topic is a 2024 Alabama Supreme Court decision that
said that frozen embryos have the legal status of children. State leaders have since devised a temporary solution shielding clinics from liability stemming from that ruling, though questions linger about remaining embryos.
Archerd says she turned to IVF in 1994. Back then, the ability to freeze, thaw and transfer embryos was making key progress and opening the door for hopeful parents to create more embryos
the way or flyover communities,” he said. Van Helten has been creating murals for years, working increasingly in the U.S. over the past seven years and around the world. The 38-year-old Brisbane native’s interest in regional communities began in earnest after a mural he created years ago on a silo in an Australian town of 100 people. The new idea, he said, drew interest, and he began a series of commissions around Australia and the U.S.
He uses a mineral silicate paint formulated to absorb and bond with concrete, and it lasts a long time He mixes tones specific to the color of the wall and subtly layers the work so it blends in.
“I love the coloring of these buildings, so I don’t want to fight with them, I don’t want to change it, I don’t want it to be bright. I want it to become part of the landscape,” he said.
It’s not a quick process, as van Helten initially meets with residents to learn about a community and then spends months slowly transforming what is usually the largest structure in a small town.
He began painting in Minot in May with plans for a 360-degree mural that combines photography with painting to depict the people and culture of an area.
The Minot elevator and silos were built in the 1950s and were an economic center for years before they ceased operations around the early 1990s.
Van Helten isn’t giving too much away about what his Minot mural will depict, but said he has been inspired by concepts of land and ownership while in North Dakota, from ranching and the oil field to Native American perspectives. Minot is a city of nearly 50,000 people.
“It is really when you boil down to it in many ways about land and how different cultures interpret that and connect with it, and I feel it’s really interesting in North Dakota because it is really such a big, open land,” the artist said.
Much of the mural is still taking shape, but images of a barn and female figures are visible.
Property owner Derek Hackett said the mural is “a great way to take what is kind of a blighted property and be able to give it a facelift and kind of resurrect its presence in our skyline.”
Soon the mural will be visible from almost anywhere in town, he said.
The mural project is entirely donation-funded, costing about $350,000, about 85% of which is already raised, said Chelsea Gleich, a spokesperson for the project
By The Associated Press
PARIS About 1,400 firefighters were deployed Saturday in France’s southern Aude region to prevent the country’s largest wildfire in decades from reigniting, as all residents were allowed to return to their homes.
Aude prefect Christian Pouget said the fire has been contained since Thursday after burning this week more than 62 square miles in the wooded region, known for its wineries All roads have been reopened but authorities issued a strict ban on accessing the forest, Pouget said at a news con-
ference on Saturday “The fight is continuing, firefighters are still working on (fire) reignition,” he said. The blaze left one person dead and 25 people have been injured, including 19 firefighters, Pouget said High temperatures in the coming days are expected to complicate firefighters’ efforts.
“The fire won’t be extinguished for several weeks,” Col. Christophe Magny director of the Aude fire department, said, pointing to several “hot spots” that are being closely monitored France’s national weather agency Meteo France placed
the southern half of France on a “high vigilance” alert for heat wave, with temperatures expected in the Aude region of up to 102 degrees on Saturday In neighboring Spain, firefighters continued to battle a wildfire in Avila province, over 62 miles west of Madrid. Víctor Fernández, a technician at the advanced command post, told reporters Saturday the fire was being contained but warned the next hours would be “critical.” Extreme temperatures are expected to continue until at least next week according to Spain’s national weather service.
PROVIDED PHOTO
and increase their chances of a successful transfer She wound up with four embryos and initially hoped to use them all. But after the birth of her daughter Archerd and her husband divorced, disrupting her timeline for having more children.
As the years turned into decades, Archerd said she was wracked with guilt about what to do with the embryos as storage fees continued to rise.
Eventually she found Snowflakes, a division of Nightlight Christian Adoptions, which offers open adoptions to donors from people like Archerd. She was also able to set preferences for what families would adopt her embryos.
“I wanted to be a part of this baby’s life,” she said.
“And I wanted to know the adopting parents.”
The process was tricky requiring Archerd to contact her initial fertility doctor in Oregon and dig through paper records to get the proper documentation for the donation. The embryos then had to be shipped from Oregon to the Pierces’ doctor in Tennessee. The clinic, Rejoice Fertility in Knoxville, refuses to discard frozen embryos and has become known for handling embryos stored in outdated and older containers. Of the three donated embryos the Pierces received from Archerd, one didn’t make the thaw Two were transferred to Lindsey Pierce’s womb, but just one successfully implanted.
According to Dr John David Gordon, the transfer of the nearly 31-year-old embryo marks the longestfrozen embryo to result in
a live birth. He would know: Gordon says his clinic assisted in the previous record, when Lydia and Timothy Ridgeway were born from embryos frozen for 30 years, or 10,905 days.
“I think that these stories catch the imagination,” Gordon said “But I think they also provide a little bit of a cautionary tale to say: Why are these embryos sitting in storage? You know why do we have this problem?” In a statement, Lindsey and Tim Pierce said the clinic’s support was just what they needed.
“We didn’t go into this thinking about records — we just wanted to have a baby,” Lindsey Pierce said. For Archerd, the donation process has been an emotional roller coaster Relief that her embryos finally found a home, sadness it couldn’t be with her and a little anxiety about what the future holds next, with possibly meeting the Pierces and the baby in person.
“I’m hoping that they’re going to send pictures,” she said, noting that the parents have already sent several after the birth. “I’d love to meet them some day That would be a dream come true to meet — meet them and the baby.”
BY COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press
DETROIT It was September 2012 and dozens of residents looked on as police cordoned off the area around a shed just northeast of Detroit.
Low whispers about what — or who — officers were searching for grew to more excited chatter when the name Jimmy Hoffa started floating around the normally quiet street.
By that time, the name had become sort of mythical in and around Detroit.
July 30 marked 50 years since the iron-fisted former Teamsters union boss disappeared from a restaurant about 10 miles north of the city Presumed dead long before being legally declared deceased in 1982, Hoffa’s remains were not found beneath the concrete shed floor in Roseville in 2012. Nor were they uncovered eight years earlier, below floorboards in a Detroit house. Neither were they found in 2013 at a horse farm miles northwest of the city
In 2013, digging equipment found mostly dirt as authorities excavated a field in Oakland Township, about 25 miles north of Detroit. And no signs of Hoffa were found in 2022 during a search of land beneath the Pulaski Skyway in New Jersey
Hoffa, the son of a coal miner who died when he was 7, was born in Brazil, Indiana, but moved with his mother to Detroit while still a boy He quit school at 14 and went to work, landing a job on a grocery warehouse loading dock.
In 1932, Hoffa led a workers’ strike over poor labor conditions and unfair treatment of workers by the store, according to a post about him on the International Brotherhood of Teamsters website.
He joined the union a year later and became a business agent for Local 299 in Detroit, the website said. Hoffa was elected the local’s president in 1937 and would become a union organizer He often found himself on the other end of the law In 1937, he was convicted of assault and battery In 1940, he pleaded no contest to charges of conspiring with unionized waste-paper companies to prevent non-union competitors from selling their products. Seven years later, he was arrested for attempted extortion. Each time, Hoffa only received fines.
He continued to rise in the union’s ranks. From 1957 to 1971, he served as the Teamsters general president.
Hoffa had a history of associating with organized crime.
In the late 1960s, he was convicted of fraud, conspiracy and jury tampering. He was sent to federal prison in 1967.
President Richard Nixon commuted Hoffa’s 13-year sentence in 1971.
On July 30, 1975, Hoffa, now 62, was to meet reputed Detroit mob enforcer Anthony “Tony Jack” Giacalone and alleged New Jersey mob figure Anthony “Tony Pro” Provenzano at the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Oakland County’s Bloomfield Township.
Hoffa called his wife, Josephine, about 2:15 p.m. from a pay phone to tell her no one showed up for the meeting. He has not been seen or heard from since despite scores of tips and multiple searches spanning several states.
A grand jury later was convened in Detroit, but no one ever has been directly charged in Hoffa’s disappearance or death.
The FBI’s Detroit office last month said the Hoffa case “remains one of the most well-known missing person investigations in FBI history.”
Whomever is responsible went to great lengths to keep such information hidden, even after five decades.
“I think it confirms in my mind somebody did a pretty good hit job on him,” Wayne State University educator Marick Masters said of Hoffa.
Masters, professor emeritus at the university’s Mike Ilitch School of Business in Detroit, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Hoffa was considering getting back into Teamsters’ leadership at the time of his disappearance.
“He still, obviously, was very much passionately involved in the union and he wanted to find a way of moving forward in it,” Masters said. “Whatever the circumstances were, he was tragically prevented from doing that.” Hoffa was inducted into Labor’s International Hall of Fame in 1999, according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which refers to Hoffa on its website as “a worker’s hero.”
“He was viewed as a very passionate champion of the Teamsters,” Masters said. “On the other hand, he had problematic associations which besmirched the image of organized labor He was a very controversial figure. He was capable of accomplishing things and also capable of having associations that raised questions about his integrity.”
“Regardless of the age of the case, the FBI Detroit Field Office remains committed to following all credible leads and is seeking information to assist in moving this case forward,” the agency said in a release. “The Hoffa investigation remains active, and our office continues to urge anyone with information to come forward.”
The Red Dress Run blazed a crimson trail through the French Quarter and Marigny in New Orleans on Saturday. The annual charity event is organized by the New Orleans Hash House Harriers. Participants dress in red attire and enjoy a day of fun, food, drinks and live music in support of local charities
ABOVE: Runners, joggers and walkers participate in the event.
LEFT: Participants wear dresses of different lengths, styles and shades of red.
Projects lacked any formal bids, binding agreements
BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer
The city of Harahan paid an unlicensed contractor about $882,000 last year for various jobs — including more than half a million dollars for one project — without any formal bids or binding agreements, according to documents obtained by The Times-Picayune. Under Harahan Mayor Tim Baudier, the city paid about $563,000 to Galaforo Companies LLC, owned by Paul Galaforo, for the construction of a Park of Heroes, a veterans’ memorial featuring a concrete walking trail, Japanese zen garden and water wall fountain next to the Harahan Playground.
Another $125,000 went to Galaforo for renovations to Harahan’s emergency operations center, according to the city’s check register, and $84,000 for wooden awnings, renovations and roof repairs at the Harahan Senior Center City Council members said they had not known about the money spent with the unlicensed contractor until after the work was completed, and said the expenditures raised questions about the mayor’s spending practices.
Meanwhile, the awnings that the contractor built have fallen apart and put seniors at risk, according to council member Paul Johnston, and the council has already discussed replacing the pump on the park’s water feature due to frequent algae blooms.
“I’ve been in government for 30 years I’ve never seen anything like the situation the city is in and the way the city is run now,” said Johnston, a former Harahan mayor Baudier on Friday posted a statement on Facebook, saying the veterans memorial park plan evolved over four years into the rehabilitation of Harahan Playground while honoring 16 veterans who died during their service, with plans to add another memorial later this year for 17-year-old Salvador Rando, who died in a noncombat accident in 1956. He said the entire plan was split into several smaller projects, like the walking trail, the displays and the drainage system, and that the memorial had garnered international support and donations from private and public sources. He added that the memorial park’s development was “pretty open and transparent,” and that the city has “used and continue(s) to use multiple contractors and vendors doing a number of completely separate projects.”
“To challenge any of these outcomes, to challenge the integrity of our donors/contributors/supporters, and to feature our Park of Heroes in a negative light is a sad way to present what are honorable stories of courage and sacrifice,” he wrote.
Galaforo did not respond to phone calls or
Group may serve as model for state
BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer
Every weekday for five weeks this summer, Andria Gilmore woke up early, pulled on scrubs and headed to work at the hospital.
Gilmore, a high school senior in New Orleans, made sure patients in the phlebotomy lab waiting area at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center were checked in, restocked supplies for drawing blood and assembled home-collection kits.
“It definitely expanded my knowledge of different aspects of the lab and just health care in general,” said Gilmore, who
attends Walter L. Cohen High School and wants to become a medical professional. Gilmore was one of 275 New Orleans high school students who completed summer internships through YouthForce NOLA, a nonprofit organization that for a decade has connected high schools, businesses and workforce training programs. Internships give students real-world job experience, an opportunity to develop skills like problem-solving and exposure to possible careers. YouthForce says 99% of students who participate in its internship programs continue their education or get a job after high school.
Statewide, only 5% of high school students graduated with internship credits in 2023. But last year, Louisiana’s state board
of education adopted a new school-rating system that incentivizes high schools to connect students with paid internships.
Now schools across the state are looking at YouthForce’s summer internship program as a possible model. The organization has fielded an uptick in calls from districts and organizations seeking guidance in establishing their own internship programs, a laborious process that involves cultivating relationships with businesses and helping them develop workplace learning activities for teens who can’t do specialized work, said Youth Force CEO and president Cate Swinburn.
“There’s work to convince employers,” she said.
Wave producing disorganized showers, thunderstorms
BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer
A tropical disturbance taking shape in the eastern Atlantic could gradually develop in the days ahead as it moves westward, forecasters said Saturday, the latest sign of hurricane season reaching its peak.
The wave off the west coast of Africa is producing a large area
of disorganized showers and thunderstorms, the National Hurricane Center said.
“Environmental conditions appear favorable for gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression could form by the middle to latter portion of next week while it moves west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic,” forecasters said.
The disturbance has a 40% chance of cyclone formation over the next seven days, they said.
A second disturbance in the central Atlantic had a 20% chance of formation over the next seven
days. That disturbance appeared headed north to northwestward, well away from the Gulf Coast.
NOAA updated its hurricane season outlook on Thursday maintaining its forecast for above-normal activity as the peak of the season arrives.
The updated forecast was roughly in line with its preseason prediction, putting the number of expected named storms at between 13 and 18. Of those, NOAA says five to nine could become hurricanes, while two to five of them could become major hurricanes of Category 3 or above, meaning winds of at least 111 mph.
The Atlantic season, which runs from June 1 to Nov 30, has seen four named storms so far They have included Tropical Storm Chantal, which hit the Carolinas over the July Fourth weekend.
Tropical Storm Andrea, the first named storm of the year, dissipated over the Atlantic; Tropical Storm Barry made landfall just south of Tampico, Mexico, as a tropical depression and dissipated; and Tropical Storm Dexter eventually moved away from the United States into the North Atlantic.
Email Mike Smith at msmith@ theadvocate.com.
Uncle rescued
4-year-old nephew from Metairie blaze
BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer
Relatives of a Metairie man who remained hospitalized in critical condition Friday said he was severely burned while rescuing his 4-year-old nephew from the two-alarm fire that ripped through their fourplex Tuesday evening.
according to Jefferson Parish spokesperson Rachel Strassel.
The resident carried the drawer outside and began shuffling around the materials in an effort to extinguish the smoldering cloth.
The resident left the drawer outside, believing the burning materials were out. But about 4:50 p.m., home security video shows smoke and then flames coming from the drawer, Strassel said.
Jefferson Parish officials have also released the cause of the fire: burning incense sticks that dropped onto some cloth.
Duglas Edgardo Turcios, 25, suffered burns on 40% of his body, including his face, neck, chest, arms and feet, according to his stepmother, Stacy Turcios, 58.
“My son has a long recovery ahead of him,” she said Friday
His nephew and Stacy Turcios’ grandson, 4-year-old Darién Jahziel Martínez Turcios, was also still hospitalized Friday at Manning Family Children’s hospital in New Orleans after suffering burns to his legs, back, neck and hands
“He’s a very strong little boy,” Stacy Turcios said. “He is doing really good.”
Burning incense
Jefferson Parish officials on Friday released additional information about the fire that started outside an apartment building in the 4400 block of West Napoleon Avenue in Metairie.
A resident on the first floor had been burning incense sticks on a countertop when the sticks fell onto cloth material in a drawer,
The resulting blaze destroyed the building and injured nine people, including five firefighters, according to authorities and residents.
Flaming staircase
Stacy Turcios and her famly lived on the building’s second floor, though she said she was not home when the fire occurred In addition to her stepson and grandson, her daughter and Darién’s mother, Areli Turcios, 29, as well as her granddaughter, Brithany Bustella Turcios, 12, were in the apartment.
Duglas Turcios was asleep in an upstairs loft bedroom when flames erupted outside. The fire very quickly spread across the building’s front balcony and staircase, the only exit down from the second floor
Desperate to help his nephew escape, Duglas Turcios made his way down the flaming stairs.
“He wrapped a blanket around my grandson, and he got him out,”
Stacy Turcios said.
But Duglas Turcios was concerned that his stepmother, sister and niece were still inside.
“He ran back into the flames to try and save everybody,” Stacy Turcios said.
The rising fire and thick, black smoke prevented Areli and Brithany Turcios from escaping through the front door as Duglas Turcios had done. Instead, they moved to a bedroom in the rear of the apartment where they were forced to shatter a window because it had been nailed shut, Stacy Turcios said.
BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer
Actor John Goodman’s storied Garden District mansion has a buyer But Goodman isn’t leaving New Orleans, his Realtor said.
Months after lowering the asking price from $5.45 million to $4.75 million, the Coliseum Street house is under contract, according to the real estate website Zillow Goodman, 73, and his wife Anna Beth, who met at Tipitina’s, bought the 1850s home in 2005 from Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor for $1.8 million. The couple raised a daughter in the Joseph Merrick Jones House and were interested in “downsizing a bit,” said Hyatt Hood, broker for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. He declined to comment on whether he helped the couple find another property in the city but said that they “expect to maintain a home in New Orleans.” “They consider New Orleans home,” Hood said. The 4-bedroom, 5-bathroom home they listed in February features a stately staircase, a saltwater pool and a dining room adorned with handpainted hardwood floors, according to the listing. It sits in the Garden District two blocks south of St. Charles Avenue. A St Louis native Goodman has lived in the Crescent City since the mid-1990s. Best known for playing Dan Connor in “Roseanne,” Goodman was also the heart of “Treme,” David Simon’s HBO series set in post-Katrina New Orleans. In a 2014 interview with “Garden & Gun,” Goodman said he first fell in love with New Orleans in 1972, on a trip down for Mardi Gras with college friends. “I just flipped for the city, and I’m too lazy to define what it is, exactly,” he said. “After that, every time I’d get a couple of bucks, I’d go down.”
Speeding cameras in areas still shut off
BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer
in Metairie on Tuesday. Six people were hospitalized including an infant.
“A neighbor put a ladder up for them to climb down,” she said.
Areli Turcios didn’t know that her brother had already gotten Darién out of the apartment She frantically screamed that her baby was still inside, according to Stacy Turcios and Jordan Lord, an off-duty Westwego firefighter who stopped to help when he spotted the smoke and flames.
Lord, another passerby and firefighters climbed the ladder to search the burning apartment for the little boy, all unaware that he was already safe outside.
See something, say something
The Turcios family lost everything in the fire, but they are grateful that Duglas and Darién Turcios survived.
“Material things we can always get back,” Stacy Turcios said.
Other relatives, friends and members of the community have organized a GoFundMe to try and raise money for the family to cover medical bills, food, clothing and other basic needs. Those who wish to donate may do so at https://shorturl.at/KkMCw
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Creating a career path
YouthForce was born out of a problem: Students were leaving high school unequipped for the workforce.
In the decade after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans students posted higher ACT scores, graduation rates and state test scores than ever before. Yet the city also had one of the country’s highest per-capita rates of young people ages 16-24 who were neither working nor in school, according to a 2016 report by the Cowen Institute, a Tulane University-based education research group. Two-thirds of those unemployed young people had at least a high school degree.
“Our young people were coming to us and saying, ‘I wasn’t ready for what came next,’ ” Swinburn said.
Enter YouthForceNOLA, a collaboration between education advocates and business and civic leaders that aims to provide students with job training that most high schools don’t offer and establish a pipeline of welltrained workers for local businesses. The group partners with schools, employers and organizations like Operation Spark, a software training center and the New Orleans Career Center, a nonprofit that offers credentials for industries such as building trades and health care, to prepare students for high-demand, high-paying regional jobs.
The goal is for New Orleans youth to “join these companies and excel in these companies and one day lead these companies,” Swinburn said.
East Bank Consolidated Fire
Chief Charles Hudson said the fire got a big head start because of a delay in reporting it to 911.
Video shows the flames first started about 4:50 p.m., but the department didn’t receive calls until 5 p.m. Hudson wanted to remind residents that if the see something, they should say something.
“Fire spreads so quickly and every second matters,” Hudson said. “The outcome of the fire could have been a lot worse.”
Authorities suspect the delay may have been due to the fire’s location outside the building. Residents inside their apartments and even passersby didn’t notice until the flames were raging.
“Our firefighters did a great job attacking this fire in an offensive manner that stopped it from extending to the several structure exposures surrounding this property,” he said. “I’m very proud of the civilians that helped and the heroes that wear the gear.”
Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.
To that end, YouthForceNOLA launched a high school internship program in 2015 with 17 interns from 12 New Orleans high schools. Since then, the operation has scaled up. This summer 275 interns worked at 90 sites — from Ochsner Health and Entergy to small businesses like ricRACK, a nonprofit textile store, and Baldwin and Co., a Black-owned independent bookstore. Trained coaches who are usually teachers on summer break spend a few weeks teaching the interns “soft skills” like how to dress for work, compose professional emails and read a paystub. Interns complete assignments and give a capstone presentation at the end of the summer They receive tax-exempt stipends of $2,240 through an allocation from the City Council, which this year was $850,000.
Swinburn said YouthForce aims to have 10% of high school seniors graduate with a rigorous paid internship.
Connecting students
Imani Flowers, a senior at Booker T. Washington High School, is enrolled in a medical assistant training program at the New Orleans Career Center This summer, she was posted in the cardiology department at Ochsner’s main campus in Jefferson Parish. Flowers, who has wanted to be a NICU nurse since her younger brother spent a few days there as a newborn, said the internship opened her eyes to what it’s like to work in health care.
“Hopefully I can come back to work for this department when I’m a certified (medical assistant),” she said in July,
“especially because of the bonds I’ve created within these five weeks.”
Coordinating job-site placements like that for hundreds of high schoolers is no small feat.
YouthForce has to convince businesses to bring high schoolers on board for a few weeks and create meaningful learning experiences for them.
“A business’ job is to do whatever their mission is,” Swinburn said. “Their job is not to train 17-year-olds.”
Tamara Warren, who supervised Andria Gilmore at Ochsner Baptist, said she had the student shadow different technicians in the chemistry and hematology labs.
“You really can’t do too much in the lab because you need proper training,” she said, “but I wanted her to come away with something this summer.”
Gilmore said she learned how to identify fibroids in a uterus and pick out cancerous tissue. The experience made her rethink her aspirations to become a travel nurse and instead pursue a career as an anesthesiologist assistant.
State promotes internships
The new state accountability system incentivizes high schools to create or expand internship programs. In the school ratings that will be released next year, schools will earn additional points when students complete internships.
“Louisiana is leading the way on this,” said Swinburn.
The state also bolstered requirements for internships: Students must be paid, work 106 hours on the job and receive 26 hours of classroom instruction where they learn
New Orleans crews are adding new road markings in school zones across the city to comply with a state law that went into effect this month — but speeding cameras in those areas are not yet activated. The markings include 2-foot yellow traverse stripes and 1-foot letters reading either “ENTERING SCHOOL ZONE” or “SCHOOL ZONE AHEAD,” the city’s Public Works Department said Friday in a news release.
Speeding cameras in school zones remain shut off, according to the city “This advisory is being provided in advance no enforcement is taking place at this time.”
Those cameras are turned off as Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration works to comply with Act 107, new legislation that bans enforcement cameras in areas other than school zones and at red lights. That same law requires the city to paint road stripes to alert drivers that they are nearing or entering school zones.
The city is also trying to hash out a deal with the Orleans Parish School Board to split camera revenues.
Crews will be painting the stripes and messages at the following locations, according to the news release: n 2700 block of S. Carrollton Avenue n 3100 block of Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard n 1500 block of Broadway Street n 2400 block of Orleans Avenue n 11100 block of Lake Forest Boulevard n 4500 block of Wilson Avenue n 5000 block of Bullard Avenue n 3800 block of St. Bernard Avenue n 2300 and 2200 blocks of St. Charles Avenue n 1400 block of Magazine Street n 3000 block of Canal Street (on hold due to paving).
career navigation, financial literacy and soft skills.
“It’s not just a student with a part-time job they picked up in the fast-food industry,” said Ken Bradford, chief of staff for the Louisiana Department of Education.
The new system has led to an uptick in schools in New Orleans and across the state turning to YouthForce for help, Swinburn said. In 2024, the state authorized YouthForce to train certified teachers to oversee state-recognized work-based learning programs. Since then, the organization has trained 75 instructional leaders from 44 schools, 15 districts, and nine charter management organizations across Louisiana on how to run an internship program.
Last year, the state Legislature allocated $2 million toward internships, providing $1,000 to schools per student intern to offset costs associated with internships, such as equipment. With the new accountability system and funding said Bradford, “we are going to see a significant increase in the number of student internships that are completed.”
Documentary shows intimate look at the
BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer
If life in southwest Louisiana was ahighlight reel, zydeco would be the soundtrack.
From backyard boils to graduation parties, no Louisiana celebration is complete without the music of local legendslike Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band, or Buckwheat Zydeco Jr and his legendary Ils SontPartis players. When the good times are rolling, there’sprobably azydeco musician somewhere in the scene keeping theenergy dialed up but the thing about ahighlight reel is thatitrarely shows the effort it took to get the party going in the firstplace.
In “Built on Zydeco,” anew documentary from Lafayette filmmakers Milton Arceneaux and Dustin Cravins, three zydeco stars pull back the curtain on their lives. Terrence Simien,Reggie Dural Jr.and Keith Frank are larger-than-life on stage, but in this film, they areworking musicians balancing family,business and the grind of life on the road
“It’saglimpse into the lives of these zydeco artists that are world-renowned, and happen to be friendsofmine,” said Cravins. His father,Don Cravins, founded the Zydeco Extravaganza music festival in the 1980s to highlight thevibrancy of theregion’s Creole culture and music.
“A year ago, we were promoting Zydeco Extravaganza with a‘get to know you’ series on social media, showcasingmusicians with documentary-style interviews,” said Dustin Cravins. “It was a
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text messagesseeking comment.
What therecords show
The city paid Galaforo for each project overthe course of several phases, each costing $50,000 or less
For thePark of Heroes, the city paid Galaforo in 13 phases between June and August of last year before switching to Thoth Construction, which is licensed, for the remaining seven project phases, accordingto invoicesobtained through a public records request.
Funding for the memorial, which opened earlier this year,includes$405,000in state funds and $200,000 in private donations, Baudier wrote, along with at least $50,000 in city funds.
TheTimes-Picayune also requested all planning documents for the Park of Heroes, including requests for proposals, and citycontracts with Galaforo. The city said there are noneexcept for quotes. State law requires that projects costing $50,000or more have alicensed contractor,and public works
level of access that fans weren’t used to getting and went over really big in thezydecoand Creole community.Tome, that said there wasa need for adocumentary thatwould be more thansomebody fromthe outsidecomingin to film aweekend theycameto town.”
Last month, “Built on Zydeco” received a$25,000 French culture film grant from#CreateLouisiana and TV5MONDE, aglobal French-languageentertainment network. The grant is awarded once ayear to aLouisiana film project that highlights stories of Francophone culture in the state.
In addition to highlighting zydeco artistsatthe zenith of their careers, thefilm will also showcase interviews with rising artists and other well-known playersinthe genre. According to co-director Milton Arceneaux, viewersshould expect to see a more intimate side of their favorite musicians —who they are as people, as well as performers.
“KeithFrank is abig, 6-foot-
something guy,and he’ssogoofy We showthat side of him,” said Arceneaux. “WeknowReggie (Reginald Dural Jr., or Buckwheat Zydeco Jr.) as someone who inherited this torchfromhis dad,and we show how he’sfinding his own way.Terrence(Simien) had to fight to build his own name; he wasn’tbornintoalegacy.”
“Wejoke, laugh and the wall comes down. It’s asense of connectionthatexposeswho these people really are.”
“BuiltonZydeco”isalso about theimpact these artists have through theirwork. Zydeco is big business, part of amusic and entertainmentecosystem that significantly impacts the state’s tourism economy.Zydeco stars like Simien, Dural and others are more thantouring musicians they are essentially ambassadors, exporting asound and way of life that makespeoplewanttoexperience Louisiana for themselves.
“These guys areoftentimes the soundtrack to our lives,and we takefor grantedthe sacrifices
they make to provide us with that quality of life,” saidCravins
“People may not know their favorite musician has apart-time job to get by.They have to function, raise families, deal with illness.
“The weightand theburden of what they do makesthis project a little different from most of what we’veseen. It’ssuch arich story aboutthe reachthat they’ve created for this music andthis state.
projectsworth $250,000 or more undergoaformal bidprocess with advertisements. Italsoexplicitly prohibits the splittingof projects into multiple phases for the sake of avoiding contract bids.
Baudier didobtain quotes from two other companies, All American Construction Management LLC and AMR Enterprise LLC, for each phase of the park.Most of the quotes are dated within
afew days of Galaforo’sinvoices for completed work.
AMR Enterprise LLC is not licensed by theLouisiana Licensing Board for Contractors, and arecent unrelated lawsuit filed againstGalaforo alleges that AMR’sowner,Allison Romaguera, has achild with Galaforo and lived with him from 2021 to June 2024.
“That’sabout as weird as it can possibly be,” council member Michael Ricks
said. “I can see easily why that’saproblem, andIthink any person could see that.” Romaguera did not respond to arequest for comment.
Contractor’s history
Galaforo had his contractor’slicense for 10 years until it was suspendedin 2019 after allegedlyfailingtopay ajudgment against him, according to his Louisiana State Licens-
The film should leave thosewithin the community feeling agreat sense of pride in the culturethey come from, andthe torch bearers standing in the gapfor it.”
“BuiltonZydeco” is currently in production andwillpremiere to audiences earlynextyearat the2026 New Orleans French Film Festival.
Email Joanna Brownatjoanna. brown@theadvocate.com.
ing Board for Contractors record.
In 2021, Galaforo was ordered to pay morethan $3 milliontoanindemnity company after both the city of Westwego and Plaquemines Parish terminated contracts with him forfailingtocomplete work in atimely manner and for failing to pay subcontractors andsuppliers.
He is also currently in litigationagainst theowner of aproperty in Gretna, who he says owes him about $120,000 forworkperformed in 2023.
The defendant, 272 Properties LLC, denied contracting withGalaforo Companies andfiledacounter lawsuit last month, saying Galaforo lived there with Romaguera andtheir child and fabricatedaninvoice for “shockingly close” to theamount of rent he paid while living there
‘How didwenot know’
Harahan City Council members said they were largely kept in the dark on the projects and Galaforo’s involvement. The council hasclashedwith the mayor in recent meetings over his transparencyoncity finances Ricks said that Baudier
told him Galaforo lied to him about his contractor status.
“I was like, ‘How did we notknowhewas lying when we were paying thatkind of money?’”Ricks said. Council member Paul Johnston said Baudier has “been there long enough” to know “what rules he’s got to follow.”
Baudier, 56, is serving his second and final term as mayor,having unseatedincumbent Tina Miceliin2018 and winning reelection in 2022 againstPeteSchneckenburgerIV. Before his mayoral tenure,heservedonthe City Council for eightyears.In 2015, Baudier voted in favor of posting city finances and contracts online in an effort to promote transparency Councilmember Jason Asbill saidthe “council doesn’tdeal in contracts” and that the veterans’ memorial“came out to be awonderful project.” He declined to comment further Council members Tommy Budde and Eric Chatelain did notrespond to requests for comment.
Email Lara Nicholsonat lnicholson@theadvocate. com.
Baumann, Sandra BrumfieldAshley, Shannon
Catanese,Rosemary
Daume, Linda
Delord Sr., John
Dixey, Edgar
Durand, Eva
Etheridge,Julian
Farrell,Shirley
Hezeau,Curtis
Jensen,Jeanne
Kayser,Elsie
LeDuff,Darryl
Morton, Carolee
Niemeyer, Janet
Perkins, Jay
Powell, Harlin
Quintana Jr., Robert
Schuster, Kathleen
VanHoose, George
Wirth, Henry
Powell, Harlin
Leitz-Eagan
Baumann, Sandra
Daume, Linda
Schuster, Kathleen NewOrleans
Greenwood
Catanese,Rosemary
Jensen,Jeanne
JacobSchoen
Wheelstothe elderlyand was an active member at Atonement Lutheran Church.She enjoyeda vari‐ety of social clubsinclud‐ing Spring Fiesta,Les Amies,GardenClub, Bridge Club, andthe Kreweof Rhea, servingasMaidin 2006. Herfamilywould like tothank thecaregiversat Inspired Living Kenner for the wonderfulcareshe has receivedoverthe last few years.She will be dearly missedbyall who knew her.Funeralserviceswill beheldatLeitz-Eagan Fu‐neral Home in Metairie,LA onAugust15, 2025 at 1:00 pmwithvisitationbegin‐ningat11:00 am.Private burialwillfollow. Fond memoriesand expressions ofcondolences maybe sharedatwww.leitzeaganf uneralhome.com.
Brumfield Ashley, Dr. Shannon Maureen With deep sorrow and immense love, we announce the passing of our belovedDr. Shannon Maureen BrumfieldAshley who passedawayJuly22, 2025 at the ageof78. The daughter of Dr. FredOrlan Brumfield and Mary Kathleen Maloney Brumfield, she wasborn in NewOrleans in 1946. Shannon graduated at the top of her class from CountryDay School,received herundergraduate degree from LSU,her Master's Degree from Temple University, and her Doctorate from the UniversityofFlorida Shannon'slifewas defined by herextraordinary kindness, tireless resolve, and deepcommitment to the well-being of others. Shewas agifted educator and clinician. Shannon devoted hercareertosupporting individualswith learning disabilities and communication disorders. Herlife'swork centered on helping others overcome challengestoachievesuccess and lead fulfilling, joyful lives
thoughts, and prayers. Shannon, we willmiss you and always love you. Please visit www.milamfh.com to share memories,photos, and tributes in their online Guest Book forShannon.
Catanese,Rosemary Muscemeci
Wisconsinwhere shegrad‐uated from high school She beganher undergradu‐ate studiesatMississippi College before transferring tothe University of New Orleans where sheearned her Bachelor of Arts de‐greeinEnglish.After trav‐elinginEurope, Lindare‐turnedtoNew Orleans where sheworkedasa Reservations/SalesAgent atDelta airlines until the reservationsoffice in New Orleans wasclosed. Linda resumed heracademicca‐reer at Holy CrossCollege where sheearnedher Mas‐ter’s Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling Linda lovedtravel, fine din‐ing,and room service. She issurvivedbyher husband William, andher sons Stephen andMichael.In lieuof flowers, please send contributions to Public Broadcastingand NPR. Dearreader, please sparea pleasantthought forLinda She wasa good kid. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend aCelebra‐tionofLifeGathering at Leitz-Eagan FuneralHome, 4747 Veterans Memorial Blvd.,Metairie, LA on Sat‐urday,August16, 2025 from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM Fondmemoriesand ex‐pressions of condolences may be shared at www.lei tzeaganfuneralhome.com.
Lake Lawn Metairie
Delord Sr., John
Dixey, Edgar
Kayser,Elsie
Morton, Carolee
Quintana Jr., Robert West Bank
Mothe
Wirth, Henry
Obituaries
Sandra Taylor Baumann passedawaypeacefullyin her sleep on August 3, 2025 atthe ageof88. Shewas borninFairbault,MNtoher lovingparents,Jessand Alice Taylor andgrewupin Sioux Falls, SD with four siblings, Mary,Thomas, Barbara,and Kathleen.She was preceded in deathby her loving husband of 24 years,Henry J. Baumann, Jr.,her firsthusband TheodoreV.Fish, Sr., as wellasher brother, Tom, and sister,Kathy.She was a loving Momtofourboys, TheodoreV.Fish, Jr (Karen),ThomasT.Fish (Emma), RandallG.Fish, and BrianJ.Fish(Helen) She wasalsoa caring Grandma to nine grandchil‐dren, Kaitlynn West (William),MadelynnVar‐nado(Dylan),Carolyn Hemry (Charles), Brandon, Brandy, Haley, BrianJr. Travis, andLauren, andtwo great-grandchildren,Grace and Montana. Sheearneda B.A.degreeinSociology fromLindenwood College inSt. Charles, MO,after‐wards workingas a teacher andsocialworker inSt. Louis. Shemoved to Metairie, LA in 1971and began asuccessful decades long career as a realtor,serving on the ethicsboard andcherish‐ing thefriendships with her realtorcolleagues. She married hersecondhus‐band, Henry, in 1982, and theyenjoyed awonderful life filledwithfamily, friends,and travel.She vol‐unteered formanyyears delivering MealsOn
Shannonwas an extraordinarily gifted speech and language pathologist As asupervisor at the University of Florida's Dyslexia Clinic and Communication Disorders Clinic, Shannon played a pivotal role in guiding and mentoring students pursuing careers in speech-language pathology.Her wisdom, patience, and passioninspired countless future clinicians while changing the lives of the many childrenand adults she served. Her colleagues and students willalways rememberher as asource of steady support, knowledge, and heartfelt encouragement.
Shannonwas apassionate lover of the arts, finding joyand inspiration in reading, and creating beautiful works of art that reflected her vibrant spirit. Shewas adedicated supporterand active member of the Orléans Club and the New Orleans Country Club Shannon was also passionately involvedwith the New Orleans Historic DistrictPreservation efforts. Beyond herpersonal interests and professional accomplishments, Shannon willberemembered mostfor theway she lived—with grace, empathy, laughter, anddeep love forthose around her. Her absence leaves a spacethatcan neverbe filled.
Shannon is survivedby her devotedhusbandDr. RobertGradyAshley Jr her lovingsisterMary KathleenDavies, and her beloved brother, Fred OrlanBrumfield Jr. Shealso leaves behind her adoring nieces -Keely, Courtney,and Jennifer, nephews Robert and Spencer,godson Jeremy, and beloved greatnieces and nephews who brought hergreat joy. Herlegacy willliveoninthe many livesshe touched, and the work she championed with such care and compassion. Acelebrationof Shannon'slifewillbeheld on September27, 2025 in New Orleans at St. Pius X, 6666 Spanish Fort Blvd. at 10:00AM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Humane Society,orthe charity of one's choice in honor of Shannon's lifelongmission to help others. We wouldliketoextend our deepest gratitude to the exceptionaldoctors, nurses, and hospice team who cared forShannon with such compassion, and unwavering dedication. Their kindness and tireless efforts ensuredthatshe was surroundedbypeace andlove in her final days and forthat, we are profoundly thankful. Shannon willremain forever in our hearts,
Rosemary Muscemeci Catanese, belovedwife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother,sister, and friend,was called to her heavenly home on Au‐gust4,2025, at theage of 93. Shepassedpeacefully and wassurrounded by the loveofher familyand friends during her final days. Born on May16, 1932 inNew Orleans, Louisiana, Rosemarywas thecher‐ished daughter of thelate Philipand Josephine Muscemeci.She is also precededindeath by her infantdaughter, Karen Catanese. Sheissurvived byher devotedhusband of 73years,Charles J. CataneseSr.,and theirlov‐ing children:Geralynn Phillips(Charles),Charles CataneseJr. (Cindi), and Phyllis Giffin(Glenn).She was theproud grand‐motherofCharles “Chip” CataneseIII (Aaron), Jes‐sicaPhillips, Barrett Phillips(Julianne), Erin Szekely (Tyler), JacobGiffin (Jordan), andChloe Catanese, andthe adoring great-grandmother of Ella Phillipsand Roman Phillips. Sheisalsosur‐vived by herbeloved sister, JoAnn D’Antonio(John) along with numerous nieces, nephews, anddear friends.Rosemarywas deeply lovedbyall who knewher.She treasured timespent with family, es‐peciallyher grandchildren, eachofwhomshareda uniqueand specialbond withher.Her love forher familywas fierce,uncondi‐tional, andunwavering She delightedinfamily gatheringsand wasa loyal friendtomany. Shefound great joyinsimpleplea‐sures—playing cardswith friends,visitingthe casino withher cousin andsister, and enjoying herdaily lunchesatrestaurants throughoutNew Orleans and Metairie.Rosemary was awoman of faith and service.She wasa devout Catholic,a graduate of Sa‐credHeart High School, and aparishioner of St Louis King of France.She was also amemberofthe Third OrderLay Carmelite Community.She served faithfullyasa longtime memberand Presidentof the KnightsofColumbus GentillyCouncil Ladies Auxiliary,where sheforged lifelongfriendships and madea meaningful impact onher community.Profes‐sionally, sheworkedfor 32 years at PanAmericanLife InsuranceCompany,where she createdlasting bonds. Rosemaryand herbeloved Charlie were lifelong resi‐dents of NewOrleans and had called Metairie home for thepast20years.Fu‐neral services will be held onMonday, August 11 2025, at Greenwood Funeral Home, 5200 CanalBlvd. New Orleans, LA 70124
Dorado, AR, andfinallyreturned to hisfavorite home of NewOrleans when he retired. Rustywas anative NewOrleanianwho enjoyed livinghereimmensely. He lovedhis time at Jesuit and Tulane, andhe workedinthe oilfieldfor Shellduringhis younger days. He hada large,lovingpersonalityand awonderfulsense of humor. His passion for cooking was like no other, andhealways hada comment on howYOURcooking could be better. He was partofa large,lovingfamilyand will be deeply and profoundly missed by his many brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, friends, andespecially hisbest friend, hisson Miles. Oh, anda very obnoxious cat namedSmudge.Avisitation will be held at Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd.inNew Orleanson Thursday, August 14, from 10am to 12:30pm. Aprivateburialwill follow whereheand Miles's mother, Tammye Jane Hoover DixeyofNatchez MS,will be laidtorest next to theirdaughterinthe historical section of MetairieCemetery.The familyinvites you to share your thoughts, fond memories,and condolences online at www.lakelawnmetai rie.com
nieces &their children & grandchildrenonthe Shipp sideofthe family. Shewas also preceded in death by parents Howard Hairston Biggs &BerthaMorgan Pugh Biggs, sister JoeAnn Pugh Shipp,Elmo Shipp & nephew Joseph Shipp, belovednieceMelinda Pugh,brother WalterStone Pugh (survived by his cherished wife of 72 years Mary Carolyn Pugh Mcmurtray). Shirleywas born in Mobile, Alabama &grewupona farminthe beautiful Mississippi Deltain Belzoni. After she received herBAinEducationfrom TheUniversity of Southern Mississippi, she then took hergraceful,southernlady demeanor to NewOrleans in 1965 whereshe later became ateacher at Edna KarrJuniorHigh School for 22 years. Hergentlebut no nonsense southerncharm earnedher enormous respect with herstudents andcolleagues. Her love of teachingSpeech, English & Drama wassecondto none.She especially loved beingthe Director for school plays. Shirleyalso lovedElvisPresley,taking special care of hermany plants &watching old black &whitemovies. Shirley& Lauren's mutual love of sailingbecame a treasured pastime throughout theirlives They created special memoriesLauren will cherish untiltheymeetagain.
John Paul Delord, Sr.,a native andlifelong resident of New Orleans, passed away at hishome on August 3, 2025 at theage of 99. Beloved husband of 70 years to the late Betty"Butz" Cazalot Delord. Sonofthe late Maurice Delordand Edna Ybos Delord. Loving father of Jean DelordZiegler (Johnny) and John Paul Delord, Jr.Adoring grandfather of Lauren Ziegler Bufkin (Nick) and Shelly Ziegler Williams (Ryan). Great grandfather of SkylarE.Bufkin, Nicholas P. Bufkin, Jr.and Deklin Asher. Brother of the late Lorraine DelordTheard and Lois DelordFos. He was part of the United States Coast Guard -Merchant Marine in WorldWar II in which he enlisted May 1944 until he was Honorably Discharged on August 15, 1945. Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend the funeral services at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home,5100 Pontchartrain BlvdinNew Orleans, on Friday, August 15, 2025. Visitation willbegin at 10 AM with aMemorialMass following at 12 PM.John willbelaid to rest beside his wife in Lake Lawn Park immediatelyafter the Mass has concluded To view and sign the family guestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com
Eva Lena Durand (93 years), thelight of our lives,with familybyher side, went to ourLordon July 23, 2025. Preceded in death by herbeloved husband EmileDurand Jr.(73 years wed). Beloved mother of Deborah A. Durand, Donald J. Durand (Cheryl), Rose M. Wade Grandmother of 5, greatgrandmother of 19, greatgreat-grandmother of 9. Please join us to honor herpassing with your presence. Saturday August 16, 2025 at St.Charles Borromeo Church Destrehan,La. Visitation at 10:30 to 11:00 with amass to follow. Isaiah 41:10 Do notfear,for Iam with you,donot be afraid for IamyourGod. Iwill strengthen you:I will surely help you:I will uphold you with my righteous righthand.
CurtisJosephHezeau, 82, of Anacortes,formerly of Dallas andNew Orleans, passed peacefullyon December 28, 2024 in Seattle,Washington.For full obituary andinformation on his Memorial CelebrationofLife,please visit www.evanschapel.com/ obituary/curtis-hezeau
Niemeyer, Janet Jensen,Jeanne Meyers 'Sis'
Familyand friendsare in‐vited to attend visitation beginning at 11:00 a.m.,fol‐lowed by aMassofChrist‐ian Burial at 1:00 p.m. Bur‐ial will follow in Green‐wood Cemetery.A recep‐tionwillfollow. To honor Rosemary’sdeep faith,the familyrequestsMassesin her memory insteadof flowers. We also invite you toshare your thoughts, fondmemories, andcon‐dolencesonlineatwww greenwoodfh.com.Your sharedmemorieswillhelp uscelebrate Rosemary’s lifeand keep hermemory alive
LindaLittelDaume,78, ofNew Orleans, Louisiana passedawayonAugust6, 2025 at St Joseph of Hara‐han.She wasbornMay 28th, 1947 in NewOrleans, Louisiana to Robert and Edith Littel.Linda moved withher parentstoher fa‐ther’s hometown, Madison,
RustyDixeyofNew Orleans, Louisiana passed away suddenlyasa result of afire in his home in the early morning hours of August 2, 2025. Bornon October27, 1950, Rusty was theeldestchildofthe late Edgar Bright and JosephineJamison Dixey. He is survivedbyhis son, Edgar Miles Dixey, from NewOrleans and preceded in death by his daughter, Janey O'Neal Dixey, and his sister, Delane Dixey Taylor. Cherished brothertoDiane Dixey, Deborah Dixey, Deirdre Dixey Cootes (Randy), MingeDixey (Tami), Devin Dixey, and Robert Dixey, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Rustyattended Jesuit HighSchool in New Orleans and received his master's degree from Tulane University. He spent his life living and working in Lafayette, LA, El
Etheridge, Julian Baylor 'J.B.' J.B. is survived by his wife, Marsha; oneson Jerry; onesister,Mary Ellen Brinkley; onebrotherin-law,BillStudson; two sisters-in-law Melinda Etheridge andElaine Etheridge;daughter-inlaw,Kim Kimmel; one granddaughter, Julie Cowart; twogreat grandsons, Jacob,and Jordon Weir;and twogreat granddaughters, Ellaand Addi Cowart. Numerous nieces andnephewsand family celebrate hislife. Preceding J.B. in death were histwo sons Julian "J.B."III andJeffand granddaughter Elizabeth Weir.Siblingsand parents have goneontowelcome J.B. in hisnew realm. A memorial service will be held from1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on 2025-08-16 at New Buffet City, 781 Memorial Blvd,Picayune,MS39466
Farrell,Shirley Biggs
ShirleyMae Biggs Farrell March1,1943December 19, 2024 Beloved mother& educator Shirley MaeBiggs Farrell entered into eternalrest on December 19, 2024. She waspreceded in death by hercherishedhusbandof 20 years, Dennis Seibert whopassed away on January 8, 2024. Shirleyis survived by herdevoted daughterLauren Anne Farrell, first husband Michael Farrell &3 generationsofnieces and nephewson thePugh sideand 2
Jeanne “Sis”Meyers Jensenpassedawayon August3,2025 at theage of 96. Shewas born on Au‐gust28, 1928 in NewOr‐leans,daughterofthe late JohnJ.MeyersSr. and Anna Marchese Meyers She wasprecededindeath byher husband Conrad T. Jensen. Sheissurvivedby her sistersMaryLinam, Pauline King (Larry)and Camille Scallanand many niecesand nephews. She was preceded in deathby sisters Elaine Vodanovich Anna Laux,Genevieve Pa‐ternostro andbrother John MeyersJr. Sisgraduated fromRedemptoristHigh School in 1945. Shewas a secretary at LykesBros Steamship Co.for over 39 years.Sis wasa funaunt who likedsharing adven‐tures with nieces and nephews.She lovedwatch‐ing sports especially foot‐balland baseball.Sis wasa devoted fan of theNew Or‐leans Saints andhad sea‐son ticketsfor over 50 years.She wasa lifelong bowlerand played in a leaguewithher friends and sistersuntil sidelined byillness. Siswas thankful for allher familyand won‐derfulfriends that Godput intoher life alongwithall the blessing bestowed uponher in herlifetime. Relatives andfriends are invited to attend avisita‐tionfrom10:00 am to 11:00 amonTuesday,August12, 2025, at Greenwood Funeral Home, 5200 CanalBlvd., New Orleans, LA 70124. In‐terment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery.We alsoinviteyou to share yourthoughts, memories and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com
Kayser, Elsie C.
Elsie C. Kayser passed away on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at the ageof 90. She was born in Lexington, KY to the late Walter and Mattie Clark Elsie was ahomemaker who loved shoppingfor others, cooking, sewing Christmas stockings, slot machines and mostly spending time with family and friends.She was also a proud friend of Bill Wfor 49 years. Elsieissurvived by her daughters, Lisa Kayser and Mary "Terre" Kayser Grimm (Mike); son, Ken Brister; grandchildren, Leigh Brister, Ryan Brister (Katie), Ross Brister (Angelle), Alexandra Kayser, Elizabeth Kayser T.J. Kayser, Lauren Grimm, Natalie Grimm and Olivia Grimm; great-grandchildren, Kailyn Kayser, Roman Brister and Emerson Brister; niece Kathleen Kayser; nephew, Greg Kayser; as well as numerous other nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 41 years,Theodore "Ted" A. Kayser; sons, Steven C. Brister and Theodore A. Kayser II (Jane); grandchild, Kay Brister; parents; sister, Nita Foley (Olin) and brother, Roy Clark (Doris). The family would like to give special thanks to Karen Acosta for all that she has given for the last 16 years and being part of our family. Relatives and friends are invited to attend services held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 PontchartrainBlvd. New Orleans, LA on Thursday, August14, 2025. Visitation will be from 10:00am until the service begins in the chapel at 12:00pm. Interment will follow in Lake Lawn Park. To view and sign the online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m.
LeDuff, Darryl Peter
Darryl Peter LeDuffFresno, California -August 1, 2025. Darryl PeterLeDuff peacefully passed awayon August 1, 2025,inFresno. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thelma DeCuir LeDuff and FerdinandLeDuff, and brothers, AltonLeDuff and Ferd Gerard LeDuff. Survived by his wife, Safiya LeDuff; children Michelle LeDuff Collins, Eric Wallace, Abi Hicks and Tony Hicks, Malik LeDuff and AngelaCrossley; grandchildren Daveon Hicks, Stephen Rodrigues, Destiny Hicks, and Amani Hicks; great-grandchild Cashius Williams-Hicks; and nieces, nephews, relatives, colleagues, and friends. AU.S. Air Force veteran, Darryl studied at theUniversity of New Orleans, The Ohio State University, The New School for Social Research, the California Institute of Integral Studies, and the Siddha Yoga Path Institute. Agifted writer with apassion for Creole culture,he will be remembered for his love of family, learning and heritage.
cherisheddaughter of Irvin Dussom and Margaret Vieages Dussom. She is survived by her twosons, Eric Morton (Zhanna)and DanMorton (Allison) and her grandchildren;EJ, Juliana,Bennett, Ella, Brynn, and Bryan.She was the sweetest sisterof Peggy Dussom Roberts (Nash), and Irvin Dussom, Jr. (Joy).She is also survived by her loving niece Margaret, Gretchen, Marissa, Holly, and Maggie,aswellasher nephews, Nash, Paul, Grant, and Robert. Shewas the rock of our family and willbemissed by usall CaroleegraduatedfromSt. JamesMajor Elementary, Mt. CarmelAcademy,and LSUNO.She worked at The United Fruit Company as an interpreterand secretary. After moving to Daphne, Alabama she worked for Hunter Securities whereshe was truly loved. Her secretarial and managerskills were outstanding. Carolee was so kind, helpful, and compassionate to allwho knew her.Her loveoffamily and friends willbeinour heartsforever.Relatives and friends areinvited to attend the Memorial Mass on Saturday,August 16, 2025, at 12:00 noon at Lake LawnMetairieFuneral Home. Visitationwill begin at 11:00am. Interment in Lake LawnParkand Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your favorite charity in her name.
JanetElliott Niemeyer
beloved mother,grand‐mother, educator,and friend, danced into heaven onJuly28, 2025, at theage of88withher children holding herhands,leaving behinda legacy of love kindness, andunwavering dedicationtothose she helddear. Thefamilywill receive guests on Friday August15, 2025 from 11:30 AMto12:00 PM with fu‐neral servicebeginning at 12:00 PM at Christ Episco‐pal Church,Bay St.Louis Mississippi.BornJanet LouiseElliott on June 29 1937, in East St.Louis,Illi‐nois, shewas thedaughter ofDonaldHenry Elliottand FayeMarie Burton Elliott. Known affectionatelyas Jan and fondly as “Janma the Grandma,”she wasthe hardest-working person manyevermet.Jan gradu‐atedasvaledictorian from EastSt. LouisHighSchool but wasnot permittedto deliver the addressbe‐cause shewas awoman After graduating from Uni‐versity of Wisconsin,Jan began herlifelongpassion and hercareerineduca‐tionteachingEnglish at BellevilleTownshipHigh School and then at BellevilleTownshipJunior College,earning Teacherof the Year in 1963. Jantaught English andspeechat River Oaks Academyin Belle Chasse,Louisiana from1974 to 1981. Though she took time away from teachingtoraise herchil‐drenand help runthe fam‐ily printing business, she alwayslongedfor the classroom which provided joy andpurpose.Fiercely protectiveand loyal, Jan had amamabearap‐proachtoraising herown children andsupporting other children and teenagers. Shereturnedto teachinginthe early2000’s until just shyofher 80th birthday, teaching English asa Second Language (ESL) andhelping older studentsearntheir GEDs at College of theMainlandin Galveston County. Withher sharp wit, generous spirit and passionfor learning, Jan touchedthe livesof countless students.Mar‐riage andfamily, support ofher husband Jim’sca‐reer,and asense of adven‐tureled Janand JimtoNew Orleans in 1967 with two young sons,Kirkand Scott. Soon aftermoving, Susan was born.Thougha North‐erner by birth, Janproudly called herselfa Southerner bychoice. Shefully em‐bracedthe cultureand cui‐sine- learning howtopeel crawfish, mastering Louisiana seafood dishes and recreating recipeslike Oysters Bienvilleand Rock‐efeller,CrabmeatAu Gratin, andShrimpCreole. She studiedcookbooks and asked questions, as any good studentwould do. Janmadenightly fam‐ily dinner acornerstone of home life -which wasnon-
years as his companions.
negotiablefor herkidsbut often shared with neigh‐bors, friends, andevenun‐expectedguests. Shewel‐comed allwiththe warm expression, “There’s al‐waysroom foranother pair ofshoes under ourtable.” Quietly andcreatively, Jan would miraculously stretch the pre-planneddinners to accommodate andfeed everyoneatthese "loaves and fishes"dinners.Any factual disagreementsat the tablewerenot resolved byarguments,but rather byconsultingthe World Book Encyclopedias- per‐mission to leavethe table had to be granted first, of course! Whilebothteach‐ing andsupportingthe familyprintingcompany comprised much of herca‐reer,caringfor andraising quarter horses satisfied Jan's childhood dreams and gave herpeace.Jan LOVED horses ever since she wasa child. Caring for her horses by sourcing special feed,bedding them infresh wood shavings maintaining corralsand paddocksather ruralprop‐ertyaffectionatelyknown as“thefarm” provided mostwelcomedoutdoor therapy andjoy.Jan was known forher distinctive sense of humor,often call‐ing herself“fat andsassy despite herslender frame. She wasa womanofgreat strength, deep wisdom, and steady faith.A de‐voted Christian, Janstud‐ied theBible,servedher churches,and taught Bible classesthroughouther life She loveddancing at wed‐dings andfamilyparties and delightedinevery cel‐ebration. Hercolorfuland vivacious personalitywas reflectedinthe expres‐sions sheusedand the zanycostume jewelryshe collected,declaring that everything comesbackin style sooner or later” -and ifnot,she’d bringitback herself.She enjoyedread‐ing TheFar Side comics working theJumble, sewing, gardening, hearing a joke or even apun, drink‐ing aglass of redwine, and eatingmostanything chocolate.Jan is preceded indeath by herparents and herbrother,DonaldEl‐liott. Janissurvivedbyher sisters,Dorothy Needlesof St. Louisand LindaEader (Randy) of League City; and herthree children,Kirk EvanNiemeyerand Scott Arthur Niemeyer of New Orleans,and Susan NiemeyerGelpi (Gus)of Bay St.Louis -all of whom she wasimmenselyproud Jan’s five grandchildren, OliviaGelpi Davies (Joshua), Isabelle Marie Gelpi,MargueriteClaire Gelpi,Julia Yvonne Gelpi, and Mattia Richardson, werethe lightofher later years,and shecherished every meal,conversation, and shared moment with her family. Hermemory lives on throughthe many lives shetouched,with selflessness, apassionate heart,and thedeep endur‐ing rootsshe plantedin her family, herstudents, and hercommunity.The familyextends sincere thankstothe staff and nursesatWestJefferson Hospitaland Dr.Edmund Kerut forsuchpersonal care. In lieu of flowers, do‐nations maybesenttothe ProfessionalAssociationof Therapeutic Horsemanship International(PATH Intl.) at pathintl.org, in supportof equine-assisted services thatreflectJan’s love of horsesand helpingothers.
JayPerkinsled a charmed life.Hewasn't that smart buthewas witty and people mistookhis wit for intellect. He wasn'tthat good looking butthree beautiful, intelligent and accomplishedwomenstill spent
He wasn't rich buthe found ways to travel to Europe and Africa
And his ideaoflong term planning usually ended at theupcoming weekend Perkins died July20, afteraccumulating 82 years worth of experiences.
He spent 11 years in Washington, D.C.covering politics and then somehow lucked intoa jobteaching journalism to collegestudents at Louisiana State University.
He quicklyfound he was much betterattelling students how to reportthan he ever had been doing it himself. He moved to BatonRouge and LSUin1982 and his studentsbegan a seven year trendofdominating national student reporting competitions.
Those were his favorite years becausehealso was advising thestudent newspaper,The Daily Reveille, as well. He enjoyed talking aboutinvestigative reporting but relishedshowing how to do it in real life
He gothis first jobin journalism because he wrotea storyinhis college newspaper at Oklahoma StateUniversity abouthis college roommateattempting to set aworld recordfor sittingina running shower (never mind that he and afriend talked his roommateintodoing it.) He moved to thenewspaper in Wichita, Kan.,aftergraduationand then to theAssociated Press in Oklahoma City on theadvice of afriend.Hewas transferred to theWashington D.C.bureauofAPbecause thepersonneldirector of AP likedthe way he liked women (well,that's what thedirector told him). He ended up at Louisiana StateUniversity teaching journalism despite aspotty academicrecord and no qualifications beyond his experience.
Hisfirst real breakat LSUcame when atrain derailed in Livingston Parish. He walked into thestudent paper newsroom to find hisstudentsall talking aboutit. He listened for a whilebeforeasking them why they weren'tcovering it."But professor, one student replied,"we're acampusnewspaper so we cover thecampus. "Exactly," he replied. "And this campus is talking about nothing except this derailment."Two student reporters won national recognition later that year for theirmonthsofreporting on that derailment. But thepayoff was thestudentsfrom then on refused to be limitedtocampus events.
Hissecond bigbreak came when afriend from hisWashingtondays, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter JimPolk,suggested he take afew studentsto theseminars Polk organized in various cities each semester on investigative reporting.Hedid, onlyto find theseminars featured 8to9Pulitzer winners talking to hundredsofstudents. Those trips became routine road tripsfor years.
Perkins was luckywith women. His wife, Pam Miller, was agraduateof LSUand theGeorgeWashingtonUniversity law schoolwho spent most of her careerasthe general counsel for theLouisiana DivisionofAdministration. After she died,hemet his new companion,Kathy Kolb, agraduateofWellesleyCollege witha doctoratefrom YaleUniversity. Kathy was aretired professorofFrench and German at Southeastern Louisiana University and had an international reputation as a scholar of French composer Hector Berlioz. When she died,his companion in life forhis last years was PamCurtiss, aretired professor and graduateschool administrator who had taught in universities ranging fromPortland, Oregon to Wilmington, Del. His luck was so plentiful that when he and his wife decided late in life to have achild, she produced twins -a boyand agirl. ChristianPerkinswas a nurse in Richmond VA, Mackenzie Perkins Ellis
In loving memory
JORDAN G. McFAULL
Takenfromusfar toosoon... In loving memory of Jordan G. McFaullwho wastaken from us far tooearly,atage 26,on August 10,2015. We are blessedand grateful for thetimewehad Jordan in ourlives.His light stillshinesbright; and we arebetterand wiser becauseofhim
With much love,Dad andbrother,John
was an entrepreneur and farmer whosuspended both careerstoget her son, Tatum off to agood start. Hisbiggest regret was thelackoftimehehad as agrandfathertoTatum Carter Ellis. Perkins bought asecond home on Capitol Hill in Washington after hisretirement from LSUand spent agreat portion of his time thereinhis last years. He lovedtotraveland spent 12 years organizing andleadingsummerstudy abroad tours of eastern EuropewhileatLSU.His travelbug continuedafter he retired. He particularly likedtovisit Prague, Split andHvarinCroatia, Istanbul, Edinburgh,Scotland andLondon. Even in death hisluckheldout long enough for himtowrite his ownobituary(sorryabout that, longsuffering reader). He is survived by hisson Christian, daughter Mackenzie, son-in-law Josh Ellis, all threeofRichmond, Va.and threebrothers, Ken (and Sherry) of LaFeria, Tx., Phil (and Martha) of Sapphire,N.C., andKeith (and Sandy) of Duncan, OK Acelebration of life will be held at The Loft at Cecilia in Baton Rouge on September 13th at 4:00 p.m. Therewill be food and beverages andthe vibe anddress codewill be casual. We hope you will all come outand mingle and share stories.Inlieuof flowersweinstead ask that you donate to theJay Perkins scholarship for study abroad.
Powell, Harlin Bruce Harlin BrucePowell passedawayonSunday, July20, 2025 at theage of 78. He wasbornin Semmes, AL anda resident ofKenner, LA.Beloved hus‐bandofthe late Marina Cox Powell. Loving father ofTheresa Powell Orellana (Charlie) andWalter GeorgePowell(Jenn). Grandfather of Joshua Orellana, EmilyManbeck and Ryan Powell. Sonof the late Alma Gertrude Powelland VaudyGeorge Powell. BrotherofRay‐mondPowell, GlennPowell, GeorgeneKilliam,and Faye Adams.Alsosurvivedbya hostofniecesand nephews.Heisproceeded indeath by hisparents,his beloved wife,and hissib‐lings;Blanche Smith, Norma McGee, Lilian Howard, John Powell, Frances McRaney, Wayne Powell, MaeByrd, Donnie Powell, EdithPowell, and MaryPowell. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tendhis celebrationoflife onSaturday, August 16, 2025 from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.atBucktownHall. (310 Ash St,Metairie, LA 70005) Toshare memories or con‐dolences, please visit www.muhleisen.com
Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at the age of 87. Knownas"Bob" or "Bobby" to friends and "Pops" to hisgrandchildren,hespent most of his life in NewOrleans and Mandeville,LA. Bob wasa proudgraduate of theclass of 1955 at Jesuit High School in New Orleansand recentlycele-
bratedhis 70th reunion. Devotedtohis faith, he began hispost-high school yearsinformationasa Jesuit before ultimately leaving to starta family. He furtheredhis education at SpringHillCollege, TulaneUniversity, and Loyola University earning threeseparateMaster's degreesinPhilosophy, Social Work,and Education.Hetaught Latin andGreek at Jesuit High in theearly 1960s. Bob enjoyed41yearsof marriagewith hiswife Caroline("Mimi"),raising theirfourchildreninNew Orleans. Athleticsand competition were central to thefamily, with running beinga particular passion of Bob's. Many memories were created runningat CityParkwith friends and cheering on children and grandchildrenatraces. Throughouthis life, Bob's Catholic faithwas a cornerstone. He wasan active parishioner at Resurrection of OurLordin NewOrleans andlater at OurLady of the Lake in Mandeville.Hetook joyin sharing andteaching his love of God with others including serving as asponsor for convertsto Catholicism in theRCIA program. He deepened his faiththrough pilgrimages to Israel and Italy andannual retreats at Manresa. Bob spent34yearsof hiscareeratFamily Service of Greater New Orleansincluding thelast 24 serving as Executive Director.Hededicated his life to serving andhelping others In theearly 2000s, Bob's faithwas tested as he caredfor hiswife, Caroline, during herbattle with early onset Alzheimer's. For adecade, he lovingly stood by her sideasshe slowly succumbed to the disease, and he was with heruntil herpassing in February 2012. WhileCarolinewas hisfirst love,herediscovered love and companionship when he married Paulette ("Gigi") in December 2021. Bob quickly bonded withPaulette's familyand siblings, comingtolove eachofthem duringvisits up anddown theGulfCoast. Paulette wastruly an "angel" to Bob, as he often shared with hischildrenduring check-in calls. Shewas by hissidewhenheultimately passed. Bob enjoyed87yearsof excellent health, andhis passing wasquick and peaceful. Faith, family, and friends were thecornerstonesofhis life.His wisdomand the"life lessons" he shared will always be cherished He is preceded in death by hisparents,Robert ("Fuzz") andClara ("Muzz"), andhis first wife, Caroline. He is survivedbyhis wife, Paulette, histwo daughters Pam (Todd) Masson, Kristin (Bryson) LeRibeus, two sons Robbie (Rachel),Don (Melanie), and their eleven children: Blake, Megan, andBrock Masson; Aidan andMason LeRibeus; Joshua,Lucy, David, Mary, Owen andClara Quintana. Through hismarriagewith Paulette,his familyonly grew largerwith herson Carl(Robin) Garton,two daughters Lynn(Daniel) Hooker,Natalie(Tripp) Wardand theirchildren: JamesRussell (Lauren) Garton andtheir daughter Rosalee,Elan Garton; Hannah Kate, Reed Campbell, andJulia Hooker;Emma and Hampton Ward. He is also survived by hisdevoted brotherRon andmany beloved nieces, nephews andfriends.
The SuperDoom. The StuporDome.
Those were among the monikers that critics used for the Louisiana Superdome early on. Amid all the well-deservedplaudits forthe Dome as it celebrates the 50th anniversaryofits Aug. 9, 1975,opening, it is worthremembering just how controversial the arena oncewas For plowing forward amid all the blowback, the visionaries who proposed and built it deserve even more credit. The Dome expandedand anchored what had threatenedtobecome amoribund downtown, even as it permanently put New Orleans on the map,very much for the better,as a“big event” city
Yetinthe early years, thedetractors were many.Some who loved fall afternoons in grand old Tulane Stadium resented being forcedindoors. Many complained that the costshould be borne by private interests, nottaxpayers, and further complained when the outlays rose from aprojected $35 millionto$165 million. The first management company forthe stadium was subjected to repeated allegations ofmismanagement, as the Superdome was amoneyloser in its early years And some folksdidn’tlike the aesthetic. Famed Louisiana writer Walker Percydescribeditinan essay as looking like the top of a“giant BanRollOn” deodorant.
In the big picture, though, idea-man Dave Dixon, Gov.John McKeithen, mayors Victor Schiro andMoon Landrieu and other Superdome supporters were overwhelmingly right. The Dome remains an architectural marvel andanunparalleled event space. And few buildings in thehistory of the United States have proved asvital and valuable, both economically and psychologically as the Superdome has been for New Orleans and thewhole state.
Credit also goes to those,including Gov.Kathleen Blanco and the Superdome Management Group’sDoug Thornton, who insistedonand spearheaded the Dome’samazingly rapid rehabilitation after HurricaneKatrina, not just as an economic necessity butasamassivesymbol of hope to aregion still reeling from the storm’s aftermath.
Elsewhere, this newspaperhas commemorated theastonishing array of big events the Dome has hosted: 13 NCAA football championships, eight Super Bowls, six Final Fours, world boxing title matches, mega-concerts, anationalpartypresidential nominating conventionand more.
The economic impact of theseevents hasbeen well beyond enormous. For just the mostrecent example, LSU economists say this year’sSuper Bowlgenerated$1.25 billioninstatewideeconomic activity
And it’s not just big events: The Superdome’s presence has made the PoydrasStreet corridor a thriving hub year-round,while ensuring our beloved Saints remain in New Orleansfor decades to come. While so many other domedstadiums —in Houston, Minneapolis, Seattle,Detroit, Atlanta and Indianapolis —were demolishedyearsago, the Superdome continuestoflourish, betterthan ever.
Walker Percy at least had the second part of his phraseright:The Superdome’s legacy rolls on, a blessing to the state whose citizens dreamed and built it.
LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR
GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of
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Adear millennial friend and Ionce had afraught conversation. It came back to me upon reading that the demographic mostreceptive to socialist candidates and their far-left agenda was the urban “downwardly mobile elite.”
My friend, theson of hardworking immigrants, possessed an Ivy League degree. He was miffed that acouple he knew struggled to pay for child care.
professionals would put their children in atruly diverse day care with kids of impoverished single mothers. After all, their resentment centers on not feeling upwardly mobile.
At acertain point in this story of injustice, Itried to ascertain theextent of his friends’ need for government-sponsored child care. Iasked my friend about the couple’scombined income. He responded with silence. Iasked again. Again, silence. He knew that the answer would not help his case. The father and mother were both employed in tech, as was my friend. Their combined income was probably well northof$200,000.
Listen,I’m not averse to government-sponsored child care extending up theeconomic ladder.Itwould be socially useful for children of collegeeducated parents to sit in the same classes as poor kids. ButIdoubt these
The concern among manyDemocrats is that this scary-sounding ideology turns off the American mainstream. The radical agendas get alot of attention and hurt theDemocratic brand. That they almost never come to fruition is no skin off the back of their supporters.
The people paying aprice are theless affluent. Politics thatoffend working-class values help elect politicians who take away health benefitsfor those who need them.Go ahead, you downwardly mobile elitists, and say that these modest folk are voting against their own interests. That might be true, but by nominating candidates that majorities find toxic, you are also voting against their interests.
Onerecalls arally Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders held in Queens during the 2020 presidential campaign. It wassurely no accident that they chose aworkingclass neighborhood overwhelmingly populated by “peopleofcolor.”
The crowds wereenthusiastic and big.Over 20,000 people attended, according to Bernie. The participants represented every shade of White people. There is widespread angst over the cost of housing, and it is understandable that the downwardly mobile elite would share it. But this group does manage to put aroof over their heads. It maynot match the grandeur featured in their social media feeds, but honesty demands acknowledging that in the quest for“affordable housing,” they are pricing the non-elite out of theirs.
The government services that some of these elites wantand imagine the leftcan provide do cost money.The potentially bad newsfor them is that they have, to the outside world, rather impressive earnings. The taxing authorities don’treally care whether you feel downwardly mobile or not. And so eyes are mostly dry over the struggling professionals’ lot. Alook in the mirror should tell them that whether upwardly mobile or downwardly mobile, an elite is still an elite.
Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com
We review our letters for accuracy and clarity,ofcourse, but on the horizon is an additional check that may need to be made.
We trust allwriters are expressing their own opinions and writing in theirown voice.
Butincreasing useofchatbotsand AI could undermine that assumption
papersunder theirown name. Often, these efforts are apparent, and when we get more than one letter worded theexact same way,it’seasytoweed them out.
where else
Turning to ourletters inbox, for the week of July 17-24, we received78 letters.
Today,it’scommon to hear of studentsusing AI to write papersand job applicants using it to write emails to potential employers. So it can’tbelong before we see AI used to write letters to the newspaper
We trust ourreaders to represent theiropinions using theirown words, but there have always been effortsto manufacture letters to the editor that arenot authentic.
Activistgroups sometimes circulateform letters to their supporters, urging them to submit these to news-
AI presentsamorecomplex challenge though, since it can respond to unique prompts from auser to create unique content.
Thereissoftware that can detect AI-generated text, but it is not always accurate.
For now,wetrust that the readers who take the trouble to sendinaletter are readers who are engaged in the issues and want their opinions known. Ourreaders often have keen insightsand expressthem in ways that are by turnsfunny, caustic,thoughtful and sincere. Iwould hate to lose that. Newspapers around the country are continuing to discuss the impact of AI on the work we do. We know our readers value us because we produce original content they can’t find any-
Readerswerefocused on the cuts to public broadcasting. We receivedeight letters on the topic,with most readers opposing Congress’ decision to claw back funding forpublic radio and television. The warinGazawas the subject of four letters, with readers focused on storiesabout Palestinians getting killedastheysought food aid. Issues surrounding the planned LSU arena also drewreaders’ attention, with four letters on thattopic So there is awide range of local and nationalstoriesour readers are following. And Ibelieve that it creates aweekly mix thatnoAIwill ever top. Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | OpinionPageEditor.Emailher at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.
Are you gearing up for next summer’ssemiquincentennial the 250th anniversary —ofour nation’sbirth?
Youshould be. So, too, especially, should teachers andstudents during the new school year that’s about to begin.
Louisianan Jay Lapeyre is adriving force behind an effort to make it easier and more fulfilling to do so. Lapeyre, CEO of New Orleans-based Laitram Industries and chairman of the national Cato Institute, will be explainingthe projectatlength when theState Policy Network, anational associationofconservative thinktanks, holds its annual meeting Aug. 2528 in New Orleans.
tennial and beyond
Lapeyre is one of three cofounders —along with David Kelley,founder of the AtlasSociety, and John Aglialoro, atrustee of both Atlas and of Philadelphia’s Museum of the AmericanRevolution—ofFree Society Coalition, which is dedicated to deeper appreciationfor theidealsofthe Declaration of Independence in the lead-up to the semiquincen-
The effort began at aconference in July 2024 when they and several others adopted what they call “ThePhiladelphia Declaration for Freedom andResponsibility.” The new declaration asserts that “the morality of political freedom [is] thetrue habitat for humanity.” And it insists that Americans of somewhat different worldviews still “share values that allow us to cooperate for mutualbenefit. These values have madeAmerica greatand have inspired millions worldwide.”
Thenew declaration is well worth reading as awhole (it’son the website of Free Society Coalition), but it is just astartingpoint
The coalition also is promulgating abrochure that serves essentially as an initial study guide both for classroomsand for all interested individuals to ponder American values as outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
“Remember that this Declaration was thefirst in human history to establish agovernment with themoral premise of respect for
thedignity and rights of individuals,” it says. And, it avers that by its very nature, “a free society is themost productive, progressive, and inclusive form of society in human history.”
Yetwith that freedom comes responsibility to act as citizens with character,which “depends on theexercise of rationality, honesty, responsibility, gratitude, courage, and benevolence —and those are the traits that enable our pursuit of happiness as individuals.”
of all this. Part of the central character and ethics of afree society, he said repeatedly in ahalf-hour conversation, is an insistence on “civil discourse.”
When Iwas growing up, almost all of this was both taught and learned with pride as the U.S. spent morethan ayear revving up, withmuch more focus and excitement than today,for 1976’s bicentennial celebration. Lapeyre and his cohorts are absolutely right that all schools across the country,and all good citizens who need arefresher,should be doing similar things this year
For Lapeyre, thecharacter aspectsofit, theethics —“which are upstream from politics,”he told me —are “the essential part
Respectful dialogue in aworking republic, he said, is aimed at “seeking truth, rather than mereloyalty to a tribe.”
Lapeyre cited an upcoming book from afellow New Orleanian, the distinguished historian Walter Isaacson, whose title refers to the most famous formulation from theDeclaration of Independence as “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written.”
“Can we lean into the values that united the founders,” Lapeyre asked, “and go from there?”
Lapeyre is right.
Indeed, it will be an absolute tragedy if the upcoming semiquincentennial doesn’trenew in us, nationwide, afierce commitmenttothose values. Yes, as theDeclaration of Independence said, we do have “unalienable rights.” Thegovernment’sentire reason for being is to “secure
these rights.” Government can be valid only if it relies on “the consent of the governed.”
And all of this is worth the commitment of “our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
The State Policy Network’s meeting at which Lapeyre will speak is still twoweeks out, but the dissemination of Free Society Coalition’sbrochure —its combined manifesto and study guide —cannot come soon enough. It’s not too late forteachers, especially of junior high and high school students, to incorporate all this into their lesson plans.
Lapeyre said he particularly hopes people think about “what would this kind of thing look like in Louisiana.”
The last words here go to Free Society Coalition’sbrochure itself:“The Founders expected citizens to ponder,toquestion and challenge, to consider how the principles they wrote about might apply to future events and issues.”
At that task, let’sget started. Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com
These are tough times for those who think having checksand balances is one of those American ideas that’s worth preserving.
Stephanie Grace
Up in Washington, President DonaldTrump is pursuing what’s known as the unitary executive theory —the novel idea that the president has sole constitutional authority over all that happens in the executive branch —asCongress is behaving notasa coequal branch of government but awholly owned White House subsidiary.It’sno typo that Time magazine’snew cover story identifies U.S. Rep. MikeJohnson of Bentonnot as “Speaker of theHouse” but as “Trump’sSpeaker.” In Baton Rouge, the Legislature has shown some encouraging signs of independence, from blocking Gov.Jeff Landry’sdrive to hold aquickie constitutional convention to sensibly limiting how much the state is spending on private school vouchers. But, as my colleague Quin Hillyer pointed out in arecent column, lawmakers still declined to call themselves into aveto override session when Landry punitively vetoed abunch of important local projects in the districtsoffellow Republicans who’d crossed him. There is agovernmentseat
NewOrleans City Hall
where the spirit of separation of powers is on display daily, though, and that’sNew Orleans City Hall.
Indeed, much of thelast four years has played out as an ongoing tussleoverwhere executive authorityends and legislative power begins —driven somewhat by the City Council’sagenda to be more independent and also largely by Mayor LaToya’s Cantrell’sshortcomings.
Iam not alone in noting that it hasn’talways been pretty
Some identifiable good governance has arisen from some of thecouncil’sactions.
It’sbeen good to see members ask hard questionsabout infrastructure and budgetary matters. Andacouncil-initiated charter amendment to give itself approval over top mayoral appointments like thepolice chief makes sense, even if it came off as a reaction to specific bad hires. Certainly,many residentssupportthe council’smoves to keep IV Waste picking up trash in the
French Quarter,even though Cantrell triedtohand the jobto Henry Consulting in aconvoluted fight that’sbeen in court for months. Even several of the mayor’stop aidestold the council they agreed thatHenry was not readytostart work this month, as Cantrell wanted.
Butcouncil members haven’t always resisted grandstanding, like whenthey tried to bar Cantrell, anoted frequent flyer, from traveling in the midst of a fight over financial payments to theschool system—bothmatters that also wound up in court.
The frequent litigation is one reason the council recently passed aproposed charter amendment to prevent the city attorney’soffice fromrepresenting eitherthe mayor or the council in cases pitting the two branches against oneanother Cantrell vetoed it, andthe council unanimously overrode her veto. It goes on andon.
The leveloftensionisalready becoming an issue in the race to replace Cantrell, where one of thearchitectsofthe newly assertive council, Vice President Helena Moreno, is running. Her take is thatshe’s shown leadership in standing up when Cantrell is wrong, and in doing so, she’sadvocating for the voters.
Butstate Sen. Royce Duplessis, another candidate, said at a
recentforum before the Young Leadership Council that all the “finger-pointing” hashurt citizenmorale, andpromisedtobe more collaborative.(He didn’t name names, but his criticism appeared aimed more at Moreno thanfellowcouncil memberand mayoral hopeful OliverThomas, whose relationship with Cantrell hasbeen less contentious).
Duplessis’ similarcomments at an earlierforum hit anerve with Moreno ally andCouncil President JP Morrell, who is running for reelection.
“The City Council does not work for the mayor.Our role is nottorubber-stamp or do what she says,”Morrell said in one of his regularsocial media videos. It’soften dispiriting to seethis leveloffighting. But it’sjust as dispiriting to watch an administrationthathas invitedthe sort of criticism that the council heapsonit, often for very legitimate reasons. If the council doesn’tdosomething, thenwho will?
That’sthe questionfor those seeking the properbalance at all levels.
The NewOrleansCity Council may nothaveprecisely found it, but you’ve gottogive it credit for trying. It’smorethanyou can sayfor some otherlegislative branches we know.
Email Stephanie Graceat sgrace@theadvocate.com.
Let’stake atour of the 13th congressional district in Illinois. It starts in East St. Louis and then moves steadily north. By the time it gets to Springfield, home of Abraham Lincoln, about 90 miles away,ittakes asharp turn to the east, reaching Decatur and finally Champaign, itself about 80 miles away from Springfield.
It’sajagged, narrow strip of territory with no obviousrhyme or reason as it traverses six counties. It’s less acongressional district than aroad trip, and bears a resemblancetothe original gerrymander, along, salamander-like state senate district in Massachusetts in 1812. The only point of the new 13th district lines, fashioned with the redistricting after the 2020 census, was to gather together far-flung Democrats to createanother Democratic congressional
district. Mission accomplished The13th district went from being acompetitivedistrict long held by aRepublican to flipping to the Democrats in 2022. Overall, Illinois lost one district afterthe 2020 censusand managed to draw lines that changed the congressional ratio from a13-5 Democratic advantage to a14-3 Democratic advantage. The political analysis website 538 called the newmap “the worstgerrymander in the country drawn by Democrats.”
This makes it especially inapt that acontingentofTexas Democrats fleeingthe Lone Star State to try to stop what they consider unfairnew congressional boundaries founda safe harbor in Illinois.Next time, their travel agent should do ahypocrisycheck before bookinga destination. Illinois Gov.JBPritzker welcomed theself-exiling Democrats
and hailed their courage. He told them that he and other top Democrats in the state were pleased “to stand in solidarity with you and send aclear message to all Americans.” His conscience showed no sign of being pricked by thefact that he signed off on the redistrictingthat saw Republicans in 2022 win nearly 44% of the popular vote in Illinois congressional races and only about 17% of the congressional seats.
Aspecial session of the Texas Legislature is considering new lines that could net Republicans another five seats. Texas Gov Greg Abbotthas cited aDepartmentofJustice letter saying that someofthe current districts need to be redrawn because they represent unconstitutional racial gerrymandering (the Biden Justice Department had been fighting Texas because, in itsview,the current lines didn’treflect enough racial gerrymandering) The Supreme Court is taking
upaLouisiana case that should clarify the extent to which states can consider race in drawing so-called majority-minority districts. In the meantime, the partisan effect of thenew Texas lines before the 2026 midterms is unmistakable. If Republicans were likely to lose five seats from theredistricting, there’snodoubt that the state’sRepublican governor and Republican legislature wouldn’tbeundertaking it. Drawing district lines is an inherently political enterprise, and parties tend to give themselves thebest of it. When Democrats controlled the Texas legislature, they maintained congressional lines in their favor.Itwasn’tuntil Republicanswon the state house for thefirst timesince Reconstruction in 2002 that the GOP could redraw the congressional map andRepublicans subsequently won amajority of Texas congressional seats in 2004, also for thefirst timesince Reconstruction.
Since Democrats gerrymander too, they have limited options for retaliating against Texas. Pritzker says he may redraw his state’s lines, but this would require gerrymandering on top of his current gerrymander.California Gov Gavin Newsom is making similar noises, but the California map is already tilted toward Democrats. Republicans wonnearly 40% of the congressional vote in the Golden State in 2024, but only about 17% of the seats. If the Texas plan goes through and all else remains equal, the Lone Star State will have about the samepartisan skew as California.
Less gerrymandering would be better rather than more, but Democrats like Gov. Pritzker, whoblessed his state’smeandering 13th district, have no standing to makethe case.
Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass in the chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in New Orleans, on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at 12:00PM. Avisitation will be held at the funeral home beginning at 10:00AM. The interment will follow the Mass at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum.
In lieu of flowers, please consider adonation in Robert's memory to the Carmelite Nuns, CovingtonCarmel.org, or to Manresa House of Retreats, Jesuits.org. To view and sign the online guest book, please visit LakeLawnMetairie.com.
Schuster, Kathleen June
Kathleen June Merrigan
KaulSchuster, affection‐ately knownbyher family and friendsasKassieand affectionately knownby her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as Kaki, wasbornonJuly20, 1930, andpassedawayon August5,2025, at theage of95. Mother of Dr.Bonnie KaulNastasi,BobbieKaul Blackerby (Robert),Billie KaulBarbier (Stephen), BrendaKaulHarris, Bridget KaulMorange (AJ).Grand‐motherofLauri Blackerby Price (Billy),Dr. Heather Barbier (Chris), Timothy Harris, Jr.(Amy),Michele Barbier Hallinan (Thomas), Shannon MorangeCuccia (Anthony),JenniferHarris Mitchell(John),Matthew Barbier (DanRae),Tracy Blackerby,Jay Morange (Brittany). Great-Grand‐motherofLenny Price, Jhett andJoulesMitchell, Silas Barbier, Anthony, Cooper,and ChristianCuc‐cia,Benjamin, Bradley, and AdalineMorange.Pre‐
DEATHS continued from cededindeath by herpar‐ents, Robert MichaelMerri‐gan andMagdalene Bensel Merrigan, sistersShirley Perez andMarlene Mire Also, preceded in deathby her firsthusband,Marvin James Kaul and, second husband,Isadore Paul Schuster. Relativesand friends areinvited to the visitationatSt. Clementof RomeCatholicChurch, 4317 Richland Avenue Metairie, LA on Saturday, August16, from 9:30 a.m. to11:30 a.m.,followedbya MassofChristian Burial Interment at Jefferson MemorialGardens,inSt. Rose, LA.Ifyou prefer,in lieuof flowers, please do‐natetoyourfavorite char‐ity
Hoose,George Lee
George LeeVan Hoose September7,1943 -June 18, 2025
George VanHoose was born in Paintsville, Kentucky on September7, 1943.Heispredeceased by his parents Ray andLura (Blanton) VanHoose.Heis survived by his sister Janet VanHoose and hisbrothersEdwardand Joseph VanHoose.Georgereceived his bachelor's degree in medical technology from EasternKentucky University. Followinga stint in the Navy in the Medical Corp,hefound his way to New Orleans in medical sales. He would remaininNew Orleans for the rest of his life While there in 1984,he met DanielWeilbaecher who becamea closeand inseparable friend.In2017 George and Daniel married and remained so until George'sdeath.Heisalso survived by his former wife Velvet VanHoose Those of us fortunate enough to have known George willremember him forhis charm, sense of style, his special sense of
humor and love of life in general. He was very generous and thoughtful of others. He lovedhis home and itsgardens. He was an avid reader. He lovedmany types of music fromclassical to country. He enjoyed agoodwalk, golf, good food,and especially his cats.
Georgehas been cremated and,according to his wishes, there willbeno memorial service.
Affectionately knownas Henry to hisfamilyand friends,Henry Wirthre‐turnedtohis Lord andSav‐ior on August 3, 2025, at 92 BornonMarch 21, 1933, to JosephH.Wirth,Sr.,and Marie Guillory Wirth, he was preceded in deathby his belovedwifeof58 years,JeanMacaluso Wirth. Henryattended St Theresa of Avilagrammar school andJesuitHigh School,graduatingwith honorsand earninga full scholarship to Loyola Uni‐versity,where he gradu‐atedwitha sociology de‐greein1954. He served as a FirstLieutenantinthe U.S.Army, laterachieving Captain in theactivere‐serves. His41-year career atthe LouisianaDepart‐mentofLabor culminated inhis role as Metropolitan AreaDirectorfor Orleans, Jefferson,St. Bernard, and St. Tammanyparishes. He was instrumental in estab‐lishing four new fieldof‐ficesacrossthe greater New Orleansarea, andfa‐cilitatingjob placementfor over2,000 individualsat the 1984 World’sFair. A memberofthe NewOr‐leans ChamberofCom‐merce,hewas appointed tothe PrivateIndustry Council by four mayors and received theCharles DunbarAward in 1984 for outstanding servicetothe citizensofLouisiana Henry marriedthe love of hislife, Jean,in1960, and
they raised threechildren: Jeanne Gallagher(Shawn), JosephH.Wirth,III (Suzanne), andJuliette Gla‐viano (David). He wasa de‐voted grandfatherto Nicholas(Carson), Ryan (Amy),Collin(Camryn), Patrick,Kevin (Nataly), Alexandra,Kathryn,and Joseph. Aman forothers, asguidedbythe Jesuit motto Ad MajoremDei Glo‐riam, Henrylived hisfaith inChristthe King Parish in Terrytown forover50 years,serving as aEu‐charistic minister,lector, principal of theelementary school of religion for16 years,teacher in thehigh school of religion forpublic school children,marriage preparation leader,host for Confirmationcandi‐dates,leaderofa Renew group,prayergroup facili‐tator,and RCIA instructor His dedication earned him the OrderofSt. Louis Medal from theArchdio‐ceseofNew Orleans. Henry coachedlittleleague baseballfor eightyears proudly leadinghis teams tothree playground cham‐pionships.Henry andJean loved to travel including memorable tripsacross Europe. Henrywas also an avidtennisplayer, where heearnedseveral trophies The familywould like to thank thestaff of The SuitesatAlgiers PointAs‐sistedLivingfor theirdedi‐cated supportand care overthe yearsand during thisdifficult time.Inlieuof flowers, donationsmay be madetoJesuitHigh School.Serviceswillbe heldonTuesday,August 12, at Holy Name of Mary Church,400 Verret St., New Orleans,LA70114, with publicvisitationfrom9–11 a.m followed by aMassof Christian Burial.Private burialwillfollowat LakelawnMetairieCeme‐tery. Please visitmothefu‐nerals.comtoviewand signthe online guestbook
LSUquarterback participates in everydrill during Saturday’s practice
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
Garrett Nussmeier rolled to his left to escape the pressure.
Asmall cadre of defenders was on the precipice of squeezing thefifth-year senior out of the pocket. But before they could get to him,LSU’sstarting quarterback aborted the rush.
Nussmeier found enoughspacetorun for an extra few yards before duckingout of bounds.
ButasNussmeier left thefield
exitingthe field for sophomore quarterback Michael VanBuren and the second team offense —hedeparted slowly,and with alimp.
As coach Brian Kelly revealed, Nussmeier is dealing with apreexisting case of patellar tendinitis. Kelly reportedly took him out of practice early on Wednesday after he aggravatedthe issue, but he threw Friday and practiced fully on Saturday
Onlinerumors suggested that Nussmeier had suffered aseason-ending injury.Kelly says that is far from the truth.
“This is like a1.5 on the scale of 1to10,” KellysaidonFriday.“Andthat’s just being honest with you.”
Nussmeier wore ablack sleeve on his left knee and participated in every drill on Saturday.But his limptoward the end of practice was areminderthatthe starquarter-
back may not be 100% yet
“Tendinitis is managed every single day around the world for all kinds of different ailments,” Kelly said. “Just like abad ankle that you’re going to come back in (for), he’ll be back out (there soon)
“This is preexisting, and he probably just planteditthe wrongway.There’snothing really to see on film with it. He aggravated it alittle bit, but he’sgood to go.”
Offensestruggles in redzone
The offense had two sessionsofinstallingred zone playsbeforefacingthe defense in 11 on 11 scrimmaging inside the 20-yard line, but the extrawork did not pay off.
Position battlestowatch in preseasonopener
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
IRVINE,Calif. Anyone who follows theNew OrleansSaintswillbepaying attention to theteam’squarterback competition in Sunday’spreseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. That’sobvious. But there’salso plenty else to monitor Here are six players —insix separate position battles —who could benefit from astrong performance to begin the preseason VelusJones •running back When told running backs coach Joel Thomas called him the fastest running back on the roster,Jones declared he was the fastest player on the team. Period. Will that speed help him land aroster spot? The former wide receiver turned running back has had an impressive camp, but running back might be the team’smost competitive battle —even when including the quarterbacks.
Torricelli Simpkins •offensive line
his players on July 27
BYLUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
IRVINE, Calif. After just about every day of New Orleans Saints training camp so far,anew player stands up to face the cameras and adds to what is becoming acommon refrain for this team.
“This is the best I’vefeltthrough three days of camp in along time,” said tight end Juwan Johnson. They’re saying this stuff often enough to notjust brush it off.
“This is probably thebest my body has felt Day 4into(training) camp since high school, maybe?”said centerErikMcCoy
And it’sall comingtothem naturally when asked about theschedule implemented by first-year head coach Kellen Moore, one strongly influenced by theteam’snew director of sports science, TedRath.
“This is the best training camp I’ve been apart of,” said defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, nowinhis ninth NFLtraining camp. “Coach Kellen, how he’sapproachedit, the training staff, the staff in general taking care of the guys. This is the besttraining camp I’ve been apart of ” That’sonlypartofthatGodchaux quote, by the way.He used that “best training camp”bit four timesinhis answer Several factorshave goneinto these answers, but the one thing tying it all together is the way Mooreismanipulating time to his team’sadvantage. From the team operations side,
Moore has full control of the Saints’ schedule, andhehas crafted an intelligentand efficient approach that is rooted in sportsscience.
“Wespend alot of time trying to be as detailed as we possibly can, get the drills to be really clean,operate at a really high level,”Moore said. “We’ve got to maximize every chance we get out here to put theseguys in areally goodposition to be successful.
It’sapparentinthe practices themselves. There is verylittle wasted time where players andcoaches are milling around, taking abreak to gather themselves for the next drill. The practices feel like afootballversion
of aperpetual motion machine. On the mostambitious day of Saints training camp so far,the team ran 126plays from scrimmage.
But it’sjust as evident when speaking to the players about the things that happen behind closed doors. Between theend of practice andthe first round of teammeetings, Moore gives his players alengthy break, often stretching out more than two hours. Though it’sbeen hard to nail down howthis compares to other operations around the league, the general consensus is that the break is longer
The Saints have begun crosstraining several offensive linemen up front, and these changes have resulted in Simpkins moving from guard to center.That could strengthen the undrafted free agent’scase to makethe roster.Simpkins has looked good at center,aspot that had been shaky behind starter Erik McCoy
Jonathan Bullard• defensiveend Bullard has familiarity with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley,
See SIX, page 4C
Departing members sue Mountain West Conference
Three departing members of the Mountain West Conference are suing the league, alleging it improperly withheld millions of dollars and misled them about a plan to accelerate Grand Canyon’s membership. Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State filed an updated lawsuit in the District Court of Denver arguing the conference and Commissioner Gloria Nevarez willfully disregarded the league’s bylaws by “intentionally and fraudulently” depriving the schools of their membership rights.
Scheffler, Rose pull closer at St. Jude Championship
The Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn Tommy Fleetwood had a three-shot swing go against him early and a two-shot swing cost him on the final hole Saturday in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He did enough right in between for a 1-under 69 and a one-shot lead over Justin Rose as he goes for his first PGA Tour title.
If that wasn’t enough, Scottie Scheffler had a huge presence only two shots back.
Still, those two holes were a reminder to Fleetwood that 18 holes can feel a long way off at the TPC Southwind. There figures to be plenty of pressure at the top and scattered among the rest of the field trying to advance in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
“It’s just another opportunity for me to go out and try and have the best round of golf I can enjoy being in that position,” Fleetwood said. “The more I put myself there, the more chance there is of it happening, and just go out and keep learning from every experience. But tomorrow might be my day, it might not, but being there is the most important thing, and I’ll continue to try and do that.”
Fleetwood, who has won plenty on big stages around the world but not on the PGA Tour, started the third round with a three-shot lead over Rose, who had to finish his storm-delayed second round in the morning.
On the par-5 third, Fleetwood’s second shot came up short and into the water He took his penalty drop, and then hit wedge over the
green into a bunker Fleetwood said he noticed his golf ball move ever so slightly on his swing with the wedge.
Rules officials studied the video and determined that if it moved — they couldn’t determine if it did because it was so slight Fleetwood didn’t cause it and no penalty was issued. He made double bogey, and Rose ran off three straight birdies to take the lead.
“The third was just such a kerfuffle and such a mess,” he said. “It was not that bad of a second shot,
but it’s obviously a terrible shot if it’s in the water From there, drop, sort of felt like the ball had moved when I hit it, thinned it over the back, just made a double for nothing really.” Fleetwood rebounded to not only regain the lead but build it back to three shots. But on the 18th hole, he drove into the rough, couldn’t reach the green and made bogey to finish 54 holes at 14-under 196. Rose hit out of the rough to 5 feet from the front pin for his first birdie since the seventh hole.
That gave him a 67 and put him in the final group with his Ryder Cup teammate. Scheffler, meanwhile, put together six birdies in his round of 65 and was two shots behind. He made his lone bogey on No. 10, and Scheffler avoided another when his bunker shot on No. 12 hit a sprinkler that kept it from going on the green. He holed a 25-foot putt from the fringe.
Scheffler, already assured of keeping the No 1 seed in the FedEx Cup playoffs, is going for his fifth win of the year He has not finished out of the top 10 since March.
U.S. Open champion J.J Spaun (65) and Andrew Novak (67) were three shots behind.
Sunday is one of the more critical days on the PGA Tour, and not just for Fleetwood. The top 50 in the FedEx Cup advance to the second playoff event at the BMW Championship and are assured of getting into all the $20 million signature events next year
Rickie Fowler and Chris Kirk each had a 66 and were projected to move into the top 50, along with Bud Cauley and Jhonattan Vegas.
Among those who could get bumped out are Jordan Spieth, who had to settle for another 70.
Key for the players like Fowler and Cauley are staying high on the leaderboard because those are worth more points and they have more room to make up.
For Fleetwood, it’s about winning.
He is No. 15 in the world. He has starred in two Ryder Cups for Europe and won against strong fields. But the lack of a PGA Tour title is becoming a burden. He had a oneshot lead on the final hole at the Travelers Championship in June until taking three putts from just off the green and losing to Keegan Bradley’s birdie.
BY NATE RYAN Associated Press
On the NASCAR tracks with the most circuitous sequence of turns, Shane van Gisbergen has shown a remarkably sublime sense of direction
But the Trackhouse Racing driver still needs help navigating his new life in the United States — such as the recent announcement of a 2026 street race in San Diego.
“I don’t even know where that is,” the Auckland, New Zealand, native said with a laugh “I had to find it on a map. It’ll be cool to go. I’ve never been there and get to experience all new things.”
The Cup Series rookie is an old hand on road courses, which he mastered with 80 victories and three championships from 2007-22 in Supercars (the top racing series in Australia and New Zealand). Those results caught the eye of Trackhouse founder Justin Marks, who took a flier on putting van Gisbergen in a Cup car for the inaugural Chicago Street Race in July 2023.
After stunning NASCAR at Chicago as the first driver to win his Cup debut since Johnny Rutherford in 1963, van Gisbergen relocated to NASCAR last year He has won at Mexico City, Chicago and Sonoma this season, securing a playoff berth for the No. 88 Chevrolet and a multiyear extension at Trackhouse.
With a victory Sunday at Watkins Glen International, a 2.45mile road course in New York the 36-year-old van Gisbergen would join 2020 champion Chase Elliott and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon as the only drivers to win four consecutive Cup races on road or street courses.
Though van Gisbergen has only 37 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series, his four victories already rank third among active drivers on street or road courses.
“These guys have egos, and they are not OK with this,” NASCAR on NBC analyst Steve Letarte said after van Gisbergen’s win at Sonoma last month. “When we go to Watkins Glen, I think it’s basically 35 against one, because they’ll be like, ‘What can we do to bury this guy?’”
It starts with getting close enough to rough up van Gisbergen, who has qualified first in his three wins.
He won at Mexico City by 16.567 seconds, the Cup Series’ largest margin of victory in more than 15 years and the largest gap on a road course in more than 45 years.
He faced more pressure at Sonoma on multiple late restarts, but runner-up Chase Briscoe raced him cleanly (and then compared van Gisbergen’s road course skills with Michael Jordan in his prime).
“I feel like everyone races really well, and I really love the racing here,” van Gisbergen said. “I don’t feel like anyone targets me on the track and tries to take me out, but I feel like we’re the benchmark, which is really awesome. But the best thing on the road course is I’ve never really raced the same guy Every week, there’s someone different. The spread of talent is quite high here.”
Chris Buescher is the only Cup driver to have gotten the best of him. Racing at Watkins Glen last year in a part-time Cup schedule, van Gisbergen missed a corner entry “by centimeters” and lost to the Roush Fenway Keselowski driver on a last-lap pass.
“I studied it a lot, and that was painful,” van Gisbergen said. “I’m quite self-analytical, and even when I think of it now, it frustrates me.”
He also is a humble perfectionist in addressing his inexperience on oval tracks, which comprise the bulk of the NASCAR schedule. On the advice of 2014 Cup champion Kevin Harvick, van Gisbergen has
spent his summer racing Tuesday nights at Charlotte Motor Speedway against preteens in miniature stock cars on a quarter-mile oval. He recently earned his first win on the short track, whose four turns encourage the full-contact racing that largely is absent on road courses.
“I had 12-year-olds bump me and know exactly how to place their car, and I’d never hit anyone on purpose to pass them,” said van Gisbergen, who made his oval debut only two years ago. “It’s a skill that we don’t get taught because you’re not allowed to do it (in Supercars). So yeah, it’s been really beneficial and a lot of fun. It’s just more racing and more combat.”
He figures to be battle-tested when the Cup playoffs begin in three weeks. The first round is held exclusively at ovals, where van Gisbergen has an average finish of 26.7, but he will start the playoffs with a points cushion because of his wins.
He is confident of advancing to the second round simply by avoiding mistakes at tracks located in Darlington, South Carolina, subur-
ban St. Louis and Bristol, Tennessee — while also enjoying their divergent cultures.
“Australia is the same size country, but from one side to the other, there’s not much difference in the accents,” van Gisbergen said. “Here, it’s very diverse and the way people talk is so different. Every part of the country feels like a different country It’s been an awesome experience just trying to learn about it.”
Odds and ends
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, van Gisbergen (+125) is the favorite, followed by Connor Zilisch (+500), Christopher Bell (+1200) and Kyle Larson (+1200). With his 63rd start on a road or street course Sunday, Kyle Busch will tie Terry Labonte for most in Cup Series history Both of Busch’s top-five finishes this season have been on a road or street course (fifth at Circuit of The Americas and Chicago). Three-time and defending series champion Joey Logano will become the 13th Cup driver to make 600 consecutive starts.
The three schools, which are all headed to the Pac-12 after the 2025-26 school year, are seeking damages for millions of dollars of alleged harm caused by the Mountain West, including the withholding of money earned by Boise State for playing in last year’s College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame loses TE, RB to season-ending injuries
Notre Dame announced on Saturday that sixth-year tight end Kevin Bauman and second-year running back Kedren Young suffered season-ending knee injuries in practice this week.
Notre Dame already was without Charles Jagusah, its projected right guard, after he was injured in an accident in Wyoming last month. Jagusah had surgery to repair a broken humerus bone in his left arm, and coach Marcus Freeman said he’s hopeful Jagusah will play this season.
But Bauman won’t play this year because of an articular cartilage injury in his left knee, which will require surgery He also announced on social media this is the end of his football career
Raducanu advances to third round of Cincy Open
Emma Raducanu is through to the third round of the Cincinnati Open after a straight-sets win over Olga Danilovic.
The British No. 1 marked her first match since Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francis Roig joined her team with a confident 6-3, 6-2 victory After four breaks of serve between the pair in the opening six games, Raducanu came from 30-0 down to grab another for 5-3.
She had won seven points in a row to bring up three set points and took the first with an ace. In the second, Raducanu gave her Serbian opponent nothing for free, drawing out errors and eventually earning a break for 3-2. She did not drop another game, wrapping up a fine victory in an hour and 20 minutes.
Louderbaugh reaches U.S. Women’s Amateur semis
BANDON, Ore. — Kansas junior Lyla Louderbaugh reached the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur on Friday by losing a 2-up lead with two holes to play against topranked Kiara Romero and then keeping her composure to win in 20 holes at Bandon Dunes. Louderbaugh, a two-time Kansas Women’s Amateur champion, advanced to face Brooke Biermann, a 3-and-2 winner over Arianna Lau of Hong Kong. Stanford senior Megha Ganne held off Eila Galitsky of Thailand, 2 and 1, and next has a semifinal match against Ella Scaysbrook of Australia, who had the shortest match of the quarterfinals with a 5-and-4 win over Canadian Taylor Kehoe.
Cook declines to play in Bills preseason opener
ORCHARD PARK,N.Y Bills coach Sean McDermott was able to convince running back James Cook to suit up and take a couple of handoffs in pregame warmups on Saturday When it came to having him play in Buffalo’s preseason opener against the New York Giants, Cook declined as part of a contract standoff now reaching its first full week.
Cook, the NFL’s co-leader with 16 touchdowns rushing last season, is conducting a “hold-in” by being with the team but refusing to practice in an escalating bid to secure a contract extension on the final year of his rookie deal. Cook made a surprise appearance on Saturday by taking the field during warmups, but come game time, he watched the game from the sideline.
BY LARRY LAGE Associated Press
DETROIT Detroit Lions safety
Morice Norris shared a social media post Saturday, saying he’s OK and thanking people for their support after he was taken off the field in an ambulance late in a preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Norris reposted a screenshot about being grateful along with a Bible verse, adding a message of his own.
“Amen Amen,” he posted on his Instagram story
“I’m all good man don’t stress,” he said, adding he appreciates all of the check-ins and support Norris was in stable condition late Friday night after he was attended to for about 20 minutes by medical personnel and taken to an Atlanta hospital.
The 24-year-old Norris was hurt with 14:50 left in the preseason game after hitting Falcons running back Nathan Carter. He hit Carter with his facemask facing the running back’s midsection and his head snapped back after assisting on the tackle.
When play resumed, Atlanta quarterback Emory Jones snapped the ball as players from both teams stood at the line of scrimmage as the clock continued to run.
“Usually you see a couple trainers out there,” Lions quarterback Kyle Allen said. “It’s never good when they bring out the stretchers.”
With 6:31 remaining in the fourth quarter, an official announced the game had been suspended “per New York” with the Lions leading the Falcons 17-10. Detroit coach Dan Campbell and Atlanta coach Raheem Morris made the decision to not finish
the game.
“Raheem Morris is a class act,” Campbell said “He’s the ultimate class act We agreed it just didn’t feel right to finish that game.” Norris, a former Fresno State standout, played in eight games last season after earning a spot on the team as an undrafted rookie. NFL preseason games ended early in consecutive weeks two years ago.
New England’s game at Green Bay in Week 2 of the 2023 preseason was called off when Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden was carted off in the fourth quarter Bolden appeared to collide with teammate Calvin Munson while attempting to make a hit on a pass completion to Malik Heath of the Packers. Bolden was taken to a hospital and released the next day A week later, a game between Miami and Jacksonville was not completed after Dolphins receiver Daewood Davis was carted off in the fourth quarter Davis was
hurt when he ran a slant route and was attempting to catch a pass when he was hit by Jaguars linebacker Dequan Jackson Davis was released from the hospital a day later
The two frightening injuries happened some eight months after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field during a regular-season game at Cincinnati in January 2023. Hamlin has enjoyed a remarkable recovery and resumed football the following season and spent last year as a Bills starter
“You sign up for football and you understand the risk, you understand the injury risk,” Allen said. “You never think something like that is going to happen. At the end of the day we’re all out here as football players. We may be on 32 different teams, but we’ve all played football our whole lives and had our own injuries and been through it.”
BY CHARLIE GOLDSMITH
Associated Press
CINCINNATI Instead of conducting a joint practice against another NFL team, Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor is prioritizing action in the preseason games while also creating some more intrasquad competition.
In between the Bengals’ preseason opener and the Aug. 18 Monday night game against the Washington Commanders, where the starters are expected to play again, Taylor said the Bengals will have some scrimmage-style competition between the offense and defense during six practices this week.
The Bengals are one of three teams that are not having a joint practice this year
“I’m thankful this year we’re not doing that (joint practice),” Taylor said. “It’s really good for us to continue to install stuff and tweak some stuff, as opposed to locking in on X opponent that you know that we’re gonna spend three days preparing for and practicing for and reviewing.
“We just get to spend that on ourselves. And I think that’s really needed right now for this group. That’s the way that this camp hit us this year with no practices against anybody else, just focusing on ourself. I’m excited about it.”
In the preseason opener, a 3427 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Thursday starting free safety Geno Stone left the game on the
Olympian also wins floor, rings, vault; Richard places second
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
Nothing or no one, it seemed, would be able to pry a second men’s all-around title in the US. Gymnastics Championships out of Asher Hong’s hands.
But when the Olympic bronze medalist failed to grip the high bar on a twisting pass Saturday night, stunning himself and everyone inside the Smoothie King Center as he crashed to the mat, it seemed at least possible that he could have taken himself out of the running for the gold medal.
“It was like I got hit by a flash grenade in ‘Call of Duty.’ ” Hong said. “I fell and heard some ringing in my ears. I got up and said, ‘OK, I’ve got to lock in and finish strong.’ You can’t let that first event effect the rest of your performance.
“That’s what I did.”
In the moment, Hong was afraid he might be taken aside by the event’s medical staff for a concussion evaluation.
“They probably would have pulled me out,” he said, smiling.
“But it ended up being OK.”
More than OK. Hong came back in the next rotation and posted a brilliant 15.259 on vault, the best score of the entire meet in that event. After two rotations, Hong, who started the night with a huge 4.48-point lead over Oklahoma’s Fuzzy Beneas from Thursday’s session, the largest lead in the U.S. men’s championships since the current scoring system started in 2006, was back to 3.6 points ahead of his closest pursuer, 112.693109.055.
From there, Hong built and built on his lead, posting a two-day total of 170.020 to finish miles ahead of the rest of the field. Beneas wound up with the bronze medal with a total score of 162.310, nipped at the end by two-time NCAA all-around champion and 2024 Olympic team bronze medalist Fredrick Richard of Michigan (162.555).
In addition to the all-around crown, Hong also took home the gold medal on floor (30.016 combined score), vault (30.318) and still rings (29.286).
“I’m glad the training paid off,” Hong said. “It was a grueling five weeks in the gym. One of the mottos on our team is ‘Leave no doubt.’ I wanted to do that this week here competing. I felt I did and accomplished my goals.”
Other individual event champions included Patrick Hoopes of Air Force on pommel horse (31.300), Brody Malone of Sarasota, Florida, on parallel bars (28.150) and Taylor Burkhart of Stanford on high bar
first drive with what Taylor described as a soft tissue injury
Taylor said Stone is week to week. The Bengals don’t have a set backup at Stone’s position, and Taylor said that Tycen Anderson and Daijahn Anthony will be in the mix.
“That’s a group that we’re looking to make sure we’re deep enough,” Taylor said. “They’re going to continue to get a lot of opportunities, certainly with Geno being out. It’s a good chance to really see where they’re at in their development. They’ve got to contribute on special teams. They’ve got to prove that they can walk in there and help us on defense, as
well. Those are guys that these next six practices will be really good for.”
Taylor said it will be another important week for the Bengals offensive line competitions. Right guard has been between Lucas Patrick and Cody Ford. The Bengals have been mixing in different second-unit offensive linemen all summer
“(It’s) very open,” Taylor said.
“I think nothing is set in stone right now There’s still a lot of opportunity There are eight true practices and two games, so we’re going to utilize every one of them to gain all the information we can out of it.”
(28.960).
For Malone, like Hong a member of the U.S. bronze medal-winning team in the Paris Olympics, it was his eighth U.S. championships title overall. Malone was the 2024 U.S. national all-around champion but did not compete this year on floor or vault. He did a seven-week crash course of training leading up to the championships after getting married two months ago.
“It was time to grind,” Malone said. “I locked in on my diet and my training. It was my first competition (since Paris). There were obviously some competitive jitters and rust to knock off, but I’m happy with how it went.”
In Saturday afternoon’s junior session, Maksim Kan of Muskego, Wisconsin, and Jakson Kurecki of Nokomis, Florida, won the men’ s 17- and 16-year old all-around titles, respectively Kan, who won the 16-year-old division in 2024, had a two-day score of 157.693. He also won four of the six individual titles: vault, pommel horse, bars and floor Kurecki won with a score of 155.228 and also took gold on high bar
The championships conclude Sunday with the women’s junior and senior sessions at 12:45 and 6 p.m., respectively LSU commitment Hezly Rivera, a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. team at last year’s Paris Olympics, goes into the final with a slim 55.60055.400 lead in the all-around over Arkansas’ Joscelyn Roberson. Florida’s Leanne Wong is third at 55.100.
The junior division all-around title chase is also a close one between Caroline Moreau (53.700), Charleigh Bullock (57.200) and Isabella Anzola (51.900). Sunday’s senior women’s final will be televised live on NBC.
Asher Hong competes in the senior men’s finals of the U.S Gymnastics Championships on Saturday. Hong captured his second all-around title in the championships and also got wins on floor vault and rings.
show
BY MARK ANDERSON Associated Press
HENDERSON, Nev Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith and defensive end Maxx Crosby were captured on videos making obscene gestures toward Seattle Seahawks fans as they entered the field before their preseason game Thursday night. Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was fined $10,128 for making a similar gesture to Green Bay Packers fans last November, according to Pro Football Talk. Several videos of the actions by Smith and Crosby made the rounds on social media Friday One video showed the team gathered as it was ready to enter the field. Crosby is seen bouncing on his feet and appears to be talking to fans and tries to grab a sign. Then Smith joins Crosby in jumping up and down and looks in the direction of those fans. As the team begins to run onto the field, Smith makes an obscene gesture to the fans with Crosby immediately following with his own. At least one fan appeared to be taunting the players before the gestures were made. One sign read: “Bigger Bust Geno Or JaMarcus Russell?” The then-Oakland Raiders drafted Russell first overall in 2007, but he went 7-18 as the starting quarterback played only three seasons.
Smith was the Seahawks’ starter the past three seasons before failing to come to terms on a new deal.
ByTheAssociated Press
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y Promising but
far from perfect was rookie firstround draft pick Jaxson Dart’s assessment of making his preseason debut at quarterback in the New York Giants’ 34-25 win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday
“There’s definitely moments where I feel like I did some good stuff, but I’m excited to look back on the tape and look at the things I can clean up,” the 22-year-old said following an outing in which he led three scoring drives on four first-half possessions, which led to two field goals and a touchdown.
“I just felt like the only reason that we stopped ourselves from scoring touchdowns were just some of those third downs and not converting,” Dart added. “I feel like personally I’m really hard on myself so in those moments I want to capitalize on that.”
The outing, overall, provided the Giants an encouraging glimpse into not only their future, with Dart, but also their present with veteran Russell Wilson also making his playing debut.
The 36-year-old Wilson New York’s anticipated season-opening starter was efficient in running the Giants’ quick-strike passing attack by going 6 of 7 for 28 yards in an opening drive ending with Graham Gano’s 53-yard
field goal.
Dart — New York’s starter in waiting closed the half by displaying his arm strength and mobility He finished 12 of 19 for 154 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey, while adding three carries for 24 yards.
Coach Brian Daboll said very little surprised him about Dart’s poise and decision-making because he’s seen it already in practice.
“That’s about what I thought he would do. Efficient, effective, ag-
gressive, confident in the pocket,” Daboll said. “Some stuff we can work on, but he’s doing good.”
The outcome was decided with the teams trading leads four times in the second half of their respective preseason openers.
VIKINGS 20, TEXANS 10: In Minneapolis, J.J. McCarthy made a solid return for the Vikings, completing 4 of 7 passes for 30 yards in a preseason win over Houston. McCarthy led a scoring drive in his only series. The first-round pick missed last season due to a
knee injury He completed his first four passes, including three to Jordan Addison, and ran for a first down.
Backup Sam Howell took over and led the Vikings to a 13-7 halftime lead. Houston’s Davis Mills threw a touchdown pass, but the Texans struggled with interceptions late in the game
RAMS 31, COWBOYS 21: In Inglewood, California, Stetson Bennett passed for 188 yards and two touchdowns in a strong start to the preseason, leading the Los Angeles Rams to a victory over the Cowboys on Saturday night in new Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s debut.
Blake Corum rushed for short TDs to cap the Rams’ first two offensive drives behind Bennett, the two-time national champion at the University of Georgia attempting to secure his job as the Rams’ third-string quarterback for another season.
Looking much sharper than he did a year ago against the Cowboys, Bennett went 16 for 24 and hit Cody Schrader and Brennan Presley for touchdowns in the second half. Bennett’s only interception resulted from an exceptional play made by Dallas’ Israel Mukuamu on a long pass.
Joe Milton passed for 143 yards before injuring his elbow in the fourth quarter of a solid debut with the Cowboys, throwing a touchdown pass to Rivaldo Fairweather with 8:48 to play The second-year pro, who had
one interception while going 17 for 29, is looking to cement his job as Dak Prescott’s backup. Will Grier replaced Milton for the final series and rushed for a TD with 2:31 left.
Both teams rested as many key players as possible, with Prescott and CeeDee Lamb headlining a host of Cowboys starters on the sideline. Micah Parsons attended the game with his Dallas teammates even after requesting a trade last week during his seemingly interminable contract negotiations with owner Jerry Jones.
STEELERS 31, JAGUARS 25: In Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville’s Cam Little made a 70-yard field goal to end the first half against Pittsburgh, a kick that would have broken the NFL record had it happened during the regular season. Little and the Jaguars celebrated widely as the half ended with the Steelers leading 14-9. Rookie sensation Travis Hunter was one of the first to greet him on the field, body-bumped each other in midair
Baltimore’s Justin Tucker holds the NFL mark, having made a 66-yarder at Detroit in 2021. Little, a sixth-round draft pick from Arkansas in 2024, made 27 of 29 field-goal attempts as a rookie and all 27 extra points. His long was 59 yards. He seemed to know his latest one was good from the onset. He watched intently and pumped his fist as it slid a little left and cleared the crossbar by several yards far enough that the ball boy caught it in the air
BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter
CLEVELAND Less than 24 hours after Shedeur Sanders’ impressive NFL debut, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski still wasn’t ready to answer the question most on the mind of Cleveland fans.
Will Sanders start working with the first-team offense leading into next Saturday’s second preseason game at Philadelphia?
“We need to get through the next couple of days from an injury standpoint and see where everybody is,” Stefanski said Saturday “I’m really focused on all of our quarterbacks’ development and every single one of these reps last night, how important they are. So that’s what I’m focused on more than anything.” Sanders played nearly three
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than what the players are traditionally used to.
The important thing is not the break itself, but what the players are doing with it.
“When we get done with practice, we’re all tired, you’re beat up, you might have something that is nagging you,” said offensive lineman Landon Young. “And it’s like, what better time to do it than right now?”
That window of time belongs to the players. It does not come with strict instructions from Moore and his staff for how it is to be spent. But the players are using the break in the schedule mainly for two things: Recovery and camaraderie.
“It forces you to recover,” Johnson said. “It treats us as pros like we’re supposed to be. We don’t have to go outsource the recovery; it’s all in house. I’ve even brought some of my own equipment in here to help some guys, like, ‘Look, this is what you can use so we can be great.’
“It’s been the best thing about it. Having guys in there, getting the opportunity to be in the cold tub and the recovery room and honestly (to) connect.”
Offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz, who missed four games with a knee injury last season, intuitively understood the purpose of that empty part of the schedule the moment he saw it.
“My job is to maximize that break and utilize that break and in a way be an example for the guys who are younger and don’t really understand what a routine is, or don’t have a routine,” Ruiz said. “If they’re just sitting around, it’s like, ‘Hey, come get in the cold tub, come get some (cupping therapy), if anything’s bothering you, you can always work on something because it won’t hurt you.’”
The recovery side of things is important to consider, and it goes beyond the time allowed for players to work on their bodies after practice.
quarters and had 45 snaps in Friday night’s 30-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He directed three touchdown drives in 10 series (including a kneel down at the end of the first half) and completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two TD passes. The stat that pleased everyone the most though is that the Browns didn’t have a turnover Sanders is listed as the fourthstring QB and has not seen any snaps with the first string during the first three weeks of practices. He got the start and received extended playing time in the preseason opener because of Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel sidelined with hamstring injuries. Joe Flacco got most of the work during last Wednesday’s joint workouts. However Sanders made a strong case in showing he should get op-
portunities to see how he fares against starters. The Browns’ next practice is Monday at their team facility They travel to Philadelphia on Tuesday before joint workouts with the Eagles on Wednesday and Thursday For his part, Sanders continues to stay patient with the process the Browns have set out for his development. It is the same mentality he has had since dropping to the fifth round and the 144th overall selection in April’s draft.
“I just don’t think that deep into everything because there’s nothing you’re going to be able to control.,” Sanders said when asked if he is being given a fair chance in the Browns four-way quarterback competition. “The most you can do is when you get your opportunity, when your number is called,
Saints coach Kellen Moore watches as quarterbacks participate in minicamp practice on June 10 at the team’s practice facility Moore and the Saints are taking a science-backed approach to keep players healthy during training camp.
“The approach of the staff taking care of players is the right approach, and I think everybody should follow it. The players have to stay healthy, because you can have great coaches, but if you don’t have great players, you’re nothing without your players.”
DEVON GODCHAUX, Saints defensive tackle
Last year, the Saints were among the most injured teams in football.
Theirlonglistofplayerswhomadea triptoinjuredreserveplayedalarge part in the team collapsing to a 5-12 last-place finish in the NFC South.
New Orleans devoted significant attention to injury prevention this offseason, hiring Rath to oversee the team’s sports science department. While there is always some degree of luck involved, Rath has an impressive track record when it comes to getting teams to the finish line relatively healthy
“There’s a lot of analytical information, it’s a lot of load management, a lot of assessment of each individual player,” said general manager Mickey Loomis. “It’s really a lot of things, a lot of variables. But so far it’s been really, really positive. (Rath has) had a good history of effective results in
the places he’s been.”
Moore and Rath developed what could be called a stoplight schedule that is based on load management and building the players up to peak condition. There are red, yellow and green days on the schedule. Red days are recovery days, when players do little to no work. Green days are meant to be hard.
There are two clear benefits to this. The first is that it is a scientific approach that does not put overt stress on players’ bodies or minds. To illustrate this point, Rath had an analogy
“You unfortunately fall, you get a scrape, what happens? You develop a scab,” Rath said. “There’s a fine line between a scab and a callous. If you have a scab and you’re constantly picking the scab, what happens? It never heals.”
The Saints, therefore, are look-
perform, at least do the bare minimum and win the game. That’s what I feel like we did today and definitely things I’m able to grow off of.”
In addition to seeing how he would fare in the red zone and a variety of third down scenarios, the coaching staff also got to see how Sanders would fare on a couple of series where the Browns started inside their 10 yard line.
For the most part, Stefanski was able to run through a lot of different game situations.
“You don’t want to show much, but also you want to put your players in positions where you can evaluate them. We kind of did it all last night, including a jet sweep to Gage (Larvadain) for the touchdown,” Stefanski said. “We want to win because they’re keeping score but you also want to vary your run
ing to callous the players. They gradually build, ease back, then build again. Another way to think of it is progressive overload, allowing the body to adapt and acclimate to strain before testing it again. And the best part about that, Rath said, is that you can then push harder the next time you are scheduled to go hard.
It is the antithesis of the oldschool approach, in which routinely tough practices supposedly beget tough players.
“When you continue to peck away at the same high load, high intensity, eventually something is going to break,” Rath said.
The second benefit of the stoplight schedule is a little more subtle, but the players and the assistant coaches have picked up on it especially for the harder “green” days.
“It’s been awesome for the guys, because it’s clear,” said offensive line coach Brendan Nugent. “On days we’re going, we’re going. That way you optimize the players’ work ethic, because they know it’s not just a suggestion on this type of day.”
Nugent said he first got the inkling that this sort of thing was coming when he was an assistant under Moore during their one year together with the Los Angeles Chargers. Moore was still two years away from landing his first head coaching job then, but he’d already begun formulating a plan for how he’d run the show when he got his shot. Now that he’s gotten to see the plan in practice, Nugent said he’s bought in on Moore. And from the sound of it, he’s not alone.
“The approach of the staff taking care of players is the right approach, and I think everybody should follow it,” Godchaux said. “The players have to stay healthy, because you can have great coaches, but if you don’t have great players, you’re nothing without your players.”
Staff writer Matthew Paras contributed to this story
Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
types, vary your pass types so you’re learning more about each one of your players.”
According to the NFL’s Next Gen stats Sanders was pressured on 12 of his 27 drop-backs. He was 5 of 9 for 81 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown to Kaden Davis to put the Browns up 14-7 in the second quarter Sanders was sacked twice, but also avoided trouble a couple of times on scrambles where it could have been a 15 to 20-yard loss. Many considered Sanders to be one of the most accurate quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. He showed that off on a couple of plays Friday — the second touchdown pass to Davis and a 30-yard completion to Luke Floriea where he layered it over four Carolina defenders and Floriea made a onehanded grab near the sideline.
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but he’s seemed to fall down the depth chart of late. When he first signed late last month, the Saints gave him a heavy dose of first-team reps to begin camp. But recently, he’s been supplanted by Nathan Shepherd pretty consistently, and now Bullard appears to be fighting for a roster spot.
Jayden Price cornerback
Is Price this year’s Rico Payton? Payton made the 53-man roster a year ago thanks to his feisty play and special-teams prowess. Price, a 5-foot-11 corner fresh off a UFL stint, has shown a similar scrapiness in both areas. Like Payton, who’s also still in the mix, he’ll need to show out in the preseason to make his case.
Kai Kroeger punter
The Saints cut incumbent Matthew Hayball earlier this week, before the team departed for California. That leaves undrafted free agent
James Burnip to compete against Kroeger, who also went undrafted this past spring but signed with the Saints this month following a stint with the New York Jets. Kroeger impressed coaches in his workout to land a contract. Can he impress again?
Mason Tipton • wide receiver
For the second straight year, Tipton has been a training camp All-Star But will his practice productivity translate to the games? The Yale product had a quiet rookie season with only 14 catches for 99 yards in 11 games. And in five of those contests, he played more than 50% of the snaps.
Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com
BY GUERRYSMITH
Contributing writer
Tulane’sfirst scrimmage of preseason camp looked nothing like the last scrimmage of spring practice.
Brendan Sullivan and Jake Retzlaff, the quarterbacks who played the opening two possessions, were not even on the rosterwhen the Green Wave conducted itsspring game in April. The success they had on Saturday night at Yulman Stadium also was completely different than what happened on that day
Sullivan,who transferred from Iowa in late May,completed all three of hispasses on theinitial series, converting third downs on the first two, including a16-yard strike to Omari Hayes on acrossing route. Those plays set up an 18yardtouchdown run by Maurice Turner,who cut to the outside and raced around the cornertobeat the defense to the end zone.
Retzlaff, who arrived from BYU alittle more than two weeks ago, connected on all three of his opening-possession throws as well, including a33-yardlaser to ZycarlLewis on aseamrouteto the defense’s2that converted a third-and-11. The drive stalled after afalse-start penalty,ending in 40-yard field goalbyPatrick Durkin, but the productivity provided quite the contrast.
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Both thefirstand secondteam offenses struggled to move the ball against either defense. Neither offensive line could generate running lanes for the runningbacks.Sophomore tight end Trey’Dez Green failed to haul in awalk-in touchdown grab and was called for holding on what would’ve been atouchdown for senior wide receiver Zavion Thomas.
Even the new wrinkles offensive coordinator Joe Sloantried to installbefore the scrimmage didn’t go as planned. The offense worked on avariety of plays involving sophomore running back/quarterback Ju’Juan Johnsonthroughout practice, in which Johnson would receive the direct snap. During those plays, Nussmeier would either line up at wide receiverormotion out to the perimeter
TheTigersalsohad avariation of the concept involving sophomorerunning back Caden Durham receiving the snap directly instead of Johnson. The offenseran aplay with Johnson receivingthe ball and Durham getting asnapagainst the first-team defense, but neither sequence turned into asubstantial gain. The most success theoffense found in the red zone came when Nussmeier or VanBuren went undercenter. When LSUwentto those alignments, Durham had atouchdown run and VanBuren had aplay-action touchdown pass to Green.
O-linehighs andlows
LSU’soffensiveline has struggled against the defense for much of camp as the Tigers attempt to replace three starters up front.However,Saturday in some wayswas astep in the rightdirection for the unit.
In one-on-one drills against the defensiveline, theoffense won nine of the first10reps. Sophomore defensive tackle Dominick McKinley rushing past redshirt
In thespring game, quarterbacks KadinSemonza and Donovan Leary failed to producetwo first downsonany of thefirst 10 drivesasthe defense dominated from start to finish
“It’s nightand dayfromthe spring,” Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said.“If Ireflectbacktolastyear’s scrimmage1,man, Ifeel like we knewwhatwewere doing on offense tonight. At times it looked like we were pretty far ahead from where you usually are in training camp.”
The defense improved after theslow startonSaturday.Nickelback TJ Smith intercepted a pass Semonza threw offhis back foot under heavy pressure on the third series, and the offense did not score another touchdown until Retzlaff’s 4-yard pass to Tre Shackelford to finish a65-yard drive in atwo-minute drill.
This was an evenly matched affair
“Itreallywasn’ta terrible throw,” Sumrall said of Semonza’s interception. “It was maybe a touchlate and he was just trying to get theball out. If we protect right there, he’sprobably completing thepass.”
Lewismade aterrific contested catch for 42 yards on adeeppass down thesidelineonSemonza’s second series, setting up a34-yard fieldgoal byDurkin.
The scrimmage began with six
possessionsthatstartedfrom the offense’s25. Sullivanoperated threeofthem, with Semonza gettingtwo andRetzlaff one. Retzlaff and Sullivan had one each that startedatthe offense’s 1- or 2-yard line before apairof red-zone series with Sullivanand Semonzabehind center.Sullivan’s ended in afield goal, while Semonza threwtoo late for Garrett Mmahat on fourth-and-4 from the 14 and had it broken up by safety Kevin Adams.
Sumrall insisted no one had pulledahead in the quarterback race.
“It’sagreat competition right now,” he said.“Ireally likewhere all three are. This is achallenge to work through because allthree guys Ican see leading ourteam andushaving ashottowin.It’s about what makes the team best and who plays themostconsistent. We’re notanywhere near naming a guy yet.”
Tight endTyThompson, recovering from aknee injury he suffered in the spring, played after Sumrall said he probably would be held out. He was credited with a14-yard catch to the 5when he fumbledout of bounds after the reception.
Donovan Leary,the fourth quarterback,played withthe backups at the end of the scrimmage and threw for atouchdown, also drawing praise from Sumrall.
The unit also had trouble containing the defense in therun game. On thelast play of the scrimmage forbothsecond-team units, redshirtfreshman linebacker Tylen Singleton was able to break loose into thebackfield and force afumble from freshman running back Harlem Berry Changestorunning backsroom
BY PATGRAHAM AP sportswriter
BOULDER, Colo. Deion Sanders appreciates the “how are you doing?” questions. The small talk hitshome even moreafter his healthscare.
“I’mhealthy,I’m vibrant,” the Colorado coachsaidFriday at the school’smedia day. “I’m my old self.” Sanders has hit the ground running since recentlyreturning to theteamafter treatment for bladder cancer.There’salot of work to be done before the season opener on Aug. 29 against Georgia Tech at sold-out Folsom Field. At thetop of the listissettling thequarterback situation, where highly touted freshman Julian “JuJu” Lewis and Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter are contending to take over for Shedeur Sanders.
It’s the first timeina whilethatDeion Sanders will coach ateam without hisson at QB. Shedeur Sanders is nowinClevelandand will start the Browns’ preseason opener against theCarolina Panthers.
No matter who wins the starting job, it will be acompletely differentstyle of offense —and that’sOKwith Deion Sanders.
“We’re going to win differently,but we’re going to win,” said Sanders, whoseteamwent9-4 last seasonand earneda spotin the AlamoBowl. “I don’tknow if it’s going to be the Hail Marys at the end of the game, but it’sgoingtobehell during the game. Because we want to be visible We want to runthe heckout of the football. So it’sgoing to be alittle different, but it’sgoing to be fun. For Sanders, there’snoparticular time crunch to pick aQB. He’s content evaluatingone practice at a time as longtime NFLquarterback Byron Leftwich workswith them.
“Creamofthe crop will rise,” said Sanders, who signed ahigh school student withleukemia as an honorary member of theteam Friday.“It’s not urgency thatwe’ve got to name thisorname that. Both these guys can play.Ithink we can play well with either one of them.”
As forhis health,Sanders said he’s walking at leasta mile around campus every dayafter practice.Sanders, whoturns 58 on Saturday,was away from the team over the summerfor personal reasons. Last month, he disclosedhe had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer But after surgery his oncologist considered him cured.
“I’m loving liferight now,” said Sanders, who’sdrawn headlines forhis health in the past, but with the focus largely on two toes he’s had amputated and concerns over blood clots. “I’m trying my best to live it to the fullest, considering what transpired.”
His coach’s determination inspired lefttackle Jordan Seaton.
“It’slike, ‘OK, my health, Ican possibly die from this but I’mgoing to fight this to get back to you all, Seaton said. “He’s the most selfless person Iknow.Sofor me, it’sjust take it and do what Ican on the field and pay it forward.”
One thing Sanders has learned heading into his third year with theBuffaloes is to trusthis instincts.
“Year one, Iwould be on the sideline and Iwould feel something, and Ididn’tgowith my instincts,” Sanders said. “Year two, Iwent with my instincts, and now I’mgoing to even go more with with my instincts.
“But Ifeel like ourstaff gets better andbetter andbettereveryyear.I feel like the rostergets better andbetter and betterevery year.”
TheAssociated Press NEWYORK— Hall of Famer Mariano RiveratoreanAchillestendon while going after aflyball at the New York Yankees’ Old-Timers’ DaygameonSaturday and needs surgery Agent Fern Cuza said the 55-year-old closer,baseball’scareer leader in saves, will have the operation within aweek.
ALONSOHITS 252NDHOME RUNTO
sophomore guard DJ Chester on thesecondrep against oneanother was the onlytime afirst-team defensivelineman got the best of a first-team offensive lineman. Standouts in thedrill included Virginia Tech transfer center Braelin Moore, who appeared to dominate sophomore defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux on two reps. Northwestern transfer guard Josh Thompson took care of business against South Florida transfer defensivetackleand camp standout Bernard Gooden, defeating him twice Redshirt sophomore left tackle TyreeAdams also held his own versus redshirt freshman edge
rusher CJ Jackson andsophomore edgerusher Gabriel Reliford Where matters became rocky for the line came during 11-on-11 scrimmagingtoward theend of practice.Upfront, the Tigers’ offense had numerous penalties during the full-team periodasredshirt
freshman Weston Davis, freshman Carius Curne (twice) andredshirt freshmanOry Williams werepenalizedfor false starts.
After his arrest on Friday and subsequent suspension, freshman running back JT Lindsey was not at practice on Saturday, leaving LSUwith just threescholarship running backs (not including Johnson) His absence meant more carries for juniorKaleb Jackson and freshman Harlem Berry.With relatively little room to run, Jackson had aquiet practice, but Berry had twostrong runs during the scrimmage periods, even if thesecond run was calledback due to holding. Lindseywill remain suspended untilhis accessory chargeisresolved, his attorney confirmed to The AdvocateonSaturday Linebacker depthflashes
With junior Whit Weeks still working back from abroken fibula anddislocated ankle, LSU’syoung corps of linebackers has been able to getonthe field more, even during full-team scrimmages. And on Saturday,theytookadvantage of that extra time. Besides Singleton’sforced fumble,freshman Keylan Moses earned some reps withthe first team during the final scrimmage period. Freshman CJ Jimcoily— whoisplaying at the Starposition behind redshirt junior Harold Perkins —madean athletic passbreakup on aNussmeier throw meant forfifth-year senior tight end Bauer Sharp.
The linebacking corps was aclear strength for the Tigers’ defense headingintothe fall. Saturday proved thatthe unit isn’tjust filled withstars, it’salso deep with young talent.
Staff writer Wilson Alexander contributed to this report
Email Koki Rileyat Koki.Riley@theadvocate.com.
In hisloneat-bat, Rivera singled offformerteammate Andy Pettitte andeasilyran to first base.During an at-batbyWillie Randolph, Rivera took astep and fell to theground in shallow center field behind second base.
The Yankees restored the OldTimers’ Day game for the first time since 2019.
“It wasafun day until we heard aboutMariano. Mariano hurt his Achilles,” seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens told WFAN broadcaster Suzyn Waldman. “I don’tknow what was going on. We all thought it was a hamstring, but Ithink it’salittle worse than that. Ithink he’satthe hospital now.Unbelievable.”
Rivera wasthe second player to get hurt in the event since 2017. Eight yearsago,former outfielder andcurrentYES Network analyst Paul O’Neill straineda calf running to first base.
Rivera tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in May 2012 while shagging fly balls in batting practiceinKansasCity He returnedfor hisfinalseason in 2013 andfinished as baseball’s career saves leader with 652 and posted 42 postseason saves.
In 2019, the 13-time All-Star became the first player unanimously inducted into the Hall of Fame by getting all425 votesinballoting conductedbythe Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He helped the Yankees win five World Seriestitlesand seven American League pennants. Rivera took part in theOldTimers’ Game, played before the Yankees beat the Houston Astros 5-4, for the second time. He hit an inside-the-park homer in 2019.
The eventcommemorated the 25thanniversary of the 2000 championship team, the last team to win three straight WorldSeries titles.
MATCH STRAWBERRY’S METS RECORD: Pete Alonso hit his 252nd career home runSaturday night,tying the NewYorkMetsrecordheldby Darryl Strawberry for 37 years. The 30-year-old Alonso connected against Milwaukee BrewersstarterTobiasMyers leading off the second inning forhis 26th homer this season, giving the Mets a1-0 lead. The 413-foot shot to left-center cameona1-2 fastball at the top of the strike zone. It wasAlonso’sfourth homer in eight games, since he went deep Aug. 1againstSan Francisco to end an 0-for-19 slump. The record-tying drive came in the same ballpark where Alonso launched the biggest home run of hiscareerlastOctober —although that one didn’tcount toward his regular-season total. The slugger’sgo-ahead,threerun shot in the ninth inning off All-Star closer Devin Williams saved New York’sseason and rallied the Mets to a4-2 victory over the Brewers in the decisive Game 3oftheir NL Wild Card Series. The only other active players wholead their current franchise in home runs are Manny Machado (Padres) andMikeTrout(Angels). Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees, holdsthe Miami mark with 267 for the Marlins. Strawberry broke the previous Mets record with his155th home runonMay 3, 1988, passingDave Kingman. Thesweet-swingingoutfielder hit 252 in 1,109 games for NewYork during his first eight major league seasons from 1983-90. Alonso played his 963rd game Saturday night. The durable first baseman has appeared in 370 straight games —ateam record.
Twins
MINNESOTA OFWALLNER PLACED ON PATERNITY LIST: TheMinnesota Twins placed outfielder Matt Wallner on the paternity list on Saturday and recalledCarson McCuskerfrom
A new observation platform is open on the South Farm area of the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area and is open to the public. Construction came through a partnership between state Wildlife and Fisheries and the Corps of Engineers. The platform overlooks this moist-soil area which is home, at various times of the year, to migratory birds and waterfowl and other wading birds. A note to anyone visiting the Sherburne WMA is that all of age needing licenses or permits must have one of these: a senior hunting/fishing license, a Louisiana Sportsman’s Paradise license, a lifetime hunting/fishing license or a WMA access permit.
MONDAY RED STICK FLY FISHERS MEETING:
7 p.m., Regional Branch Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Email Brian Roberts: roberts.brian84@gmail.com Website: rsff.org
WEDNESDAY
BUGS & BEERS: 6:30 p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois Street, New Orleans. Fly tying. Open to the public. Email A.J. Rosenbohm: ajrosenbohm@gmail.com. Website: neworleansflyfishers.com
THURSDAY
DEEP-WATER GROUPER MANAGEMENT PUBLIC HEARING: 6 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, 1101 U.S. 231, Panama City Florida. Gulf Council hearing on yellowedge, warsaw, snowy grouper and speckled hind due to overfishing and overfished species. Virtual hearing set Aug. 19 via webinar. Website: gulfcouncil.org
JUNIOR SOUTHWEST BASSMASTERS
MEETING: 7 p.m., Seminar Room, Bass Pro Shops, Denham Springs. Boys & girls age-group bass tournaments for ages 7-10, 11-14 & 15-18 anglers. Call Jim Breaux (225) 7723026.
ONGOING
CCA STATEWIDE TOURNAMENT &
ANGLERS’ RODEO/S.T.A.R.: Summerlong fishing contest through Sept 1. Multiple species categories. CCA membership required. Website: ccalouisiana.com
HUNTING BLACK BEAR LOTTERY: Aug. 28 deadline. 26 permits for Dec. 6-21 hunts. Limited to properly licensed Louisiana residents. Applications ($50 fee) on Wildlife & Fisheries’ website: louisianaoutdoors.com/lottery If drawn, must attend Bear Hunting Training Course. Call David Hayden (318) 487-5353 or email: dhayden@ wlf.la.gov.
Come Monday coastal waters will have more boats on the water, the increase because of the statewide opening of the fall inshore shrimp season.
Opening times vary with a 6 a.m. start in waters from the Louisiana/Mississippi line west to South Pass of the Mississippi River and from the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel west to the Louisiana/Texas line. Then, at 6 p.m., the season opens on waters from South Pass to Atchafalaya River Ship Channel.
Why the difference? Several years ago, commercial shrimpers working in the Barataria and Terrebonne basins asked for the late-in-the-day time, and got it. Joe Macaluso
AROUND THE CORNER
AUG. 19—LAFAYETTE KAYAK FISHING CLUB MEETING: 6 p.m., Pack & Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Call (337) 232-5854. Website: lafayettekayakfishing.com
AUG. 20—FLIES & FLIGHTS: 7 p.m., Rally Cap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Ave., Baton Rouge. Fly tying. Open to public. Spare tools, materials for novices. Email Chris Williams: thefatfingeredflytyer@gmail.com
AUG. 21—ACADIANA FLY RODDERS PROGRAM: 6 p.m., Pack & Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Email Darin Lee: cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: acadianaflyrodders.org
AUG. 21-24—BASSMASTER ELITE
SERIES: Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Website: bassmaster com
AUG. 24—CLEAN OUT YOUR FREEZER
DAY: 1-4 p.m. most sites, Hunters for the Hungry statewide collection for frozen meats & fish. Locations website: cleanoutyourfreezer.com
AUG. 24—SOUTH LOUISIANA HIGHPOWER CLUB/REDUCED COURSE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: 8:30 a.m., Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Range, St. Landry Road, Gonzales. CMP GSSM, NRA match rifle or service rifle, 200-yard/50-rounds match course & Prone matches. Fee $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $5 juniors. $25 annual club (first match free) & Civilian Marksmanship Program membership (allows purchases from CMP). Call (337) 380-8120. Email Mike Burke: SouthLaHighPower@hotmail.com
FISHING/SHRIMPING
SHRIMP: Spring inshore season closed except in Breton/Chandeleur sounds. All outside waters remain open. Fall inshore season opens Aug. 11(Monday) statewide.
OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Red snapper, gray triggerfish, 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: Greater amberjack (opens Sept. 1), bluefin tuna and gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.
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: Begins Monday on Lake Bistineau. Underway on Henderson Lake (through Nov. 2), Saline, Kepler, Iatt, Black & Clear lakes and Wham Brake impoundment.
EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com
Wildlife commission approves plan similar to past five seasons
BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing writer
The more than 50,000 Louisiana duck hunters will have the same zones and similar splits as they’ve had for the past five seasons.
Notebook
During Thursday’s meeting in Baton Rouge the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved two zones, labeled East and West, with the option of having as many as three open-season segments in each zone.
State waterfowl study leader Jason Olszak made a point to note the word “segment” in the presentation as opposed to the more familiar name of “splits” used in past years. The “splits” will be the days between the “segments.”
The vote was needed to forward the state’s preference for the 2026-30 waterfowl hunting seasons to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The 2025-2026 duck and goose seasons were set earlier this year
Olszak’s presentation included the recommendation for the two-zone/three-segment seasons based on responses to this year’s Waterfowl Hunter Survey
There was an objection to the recommendation from guide Ryan Lambert, who asked the commission to consider a third zone, a Coastal Zone. Lambert hunts areas east of the Mississippi River near his base in Buras. He said the winter’s negative tides reduce the number of days hunters can access blinds in tidal areas.
Snapper count
Through July 27, the LA Creel estimate of this year’s recreational red snapper catch stands at 576,261 pounds, leaving 318,694 pounds remaining in our state’s annual 894,955-pound allocation.
Red grouper
While offshore anglers don’t catch too many red grouper, deep-water fishermen can take note of the Gulf Council’s request to extend the catch of red grouper through Dec. 31.
The council noted a recent population assessment to show an increased catch of this species can be taken “without harming the population.”
On CWD
When a deer taken earlier this year on private land in Catahoula Parish was found to be infected by Chronic Wasting Disease, it triggered an emergency declaration to expand the CWD Control Area throughout Tensas Parish and parts of seven other parishes. State deer study leader Johnathan Bordelon outlined the expanded
control area which now includes portions of Caldwell, Catahoula, LaSalle, Ouachita, Richland, Madison, Franklin and Concordia parishes.
The commission voted Thursday to accept the notice to replace the emergency declaration. CWD was found first in 2022 near Tensas Parish, and the deer found in Catahoula Parish this year means some 40 whitetail deer have tested position for the fatal disease.
For deer hunters, the notice bans supplemental feeding, baiting, placement of bait and hunting over bait in the control area labeled the “Enhanced Mitigation Zone.”
Supplemental feeding and baiting will be allowed in a part of the control area identified as the “Buffer Zone, but only by nonstationary, mechanical or electronic broadcast methods.”
And, the move bans the movement of any deer carcass or part of a deer carcass taken inside the control area including head and spinal column, except for cutand-wrapped, boned-out meat and quarters meat along with clean skull plates with antlers, cleaned/tissue-free skulls, capes, tanned hides, cleaned teeth and finished taxidermy mounts.
Rahab changes
Despite objections from as many as 10 wildlife rehabilitators, the commission approved a notice to change regulations in the Wildlife and Fisheries’ Wildlife Rehabilitation Program. Objections centered around including coyotes and armadillos in the “Outlaw” species category Rehab folks said they see few coyotes in any year, and coyotes are vital to the Louisiana outdoors. The Louisiana Farm Bureau countered with the statistics showing the numbers of livestock killed by coyotes annually The notice will be open to public comment through Oct. 1, and can be sent to Bradley Breland, LDWF, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA, or by email to bbreland@wlf. la.gov
Spiny lobsters
Knowing of an increasing number of Louisiana divers who venture to Florida to take the tasty crustaceans, the Sunshine State has opened the season Wednesday and will keep it open until March 31 next year
Rules and regulations can be found on website: GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, and there’s FishRulesApp.com.
Think you’re good?
Registration is open for the Sept. 30-Oct. 4 NRA World Shooting Championship, a competition that takes in 12 stages of all shooting sports disciplines. It’s set for Camp Atterbury in Indiana. The registration website: competitor.nra.org.
BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter
ATLANTA Jen Pawol felt love and support from fans, family peers and players as she made history as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the major leagues.
“It was amazing when we took the field,” Pawol said. “It seemed like quite a few people were clapping and calling my name. That was pretty intense and emotional.”
Pawol’s much-anticipated debut came as the first base umpire for Saturday’s first game of a split doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. It was a smooth debut.
“She did a good job,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “You can tell she knows what she does.” Pawol said she had a group of about 30 friends and family members, including her father at the game and she immediately identified a major difference of working in a major league stadium Those familiar faces were not so easy to find at Truist Park.
“When I looked up they weren’t in the lower tier like in the minor leagues,” Pawol said. “When I looked up it took me a while. Whoa, they’re up there! I’ll never forget that. That was just awesome.
“The dream actually came true today I’m still living in it. I’m so grateful to my family and Major League Baseball for creating such an incredible work environment I’m just so thankful.” Pawol’s first real test came in the third inning of Atlanta’s 7-1 win when she called Braves catcher Sean Murphy safe on a close play.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough did not challenge the call. Pawol also showed she will make animated calls When Miami’s Xavier Edwards grounded into a double play in the third inning, Pawol pumped her fist and lifted her leg when she called Edwards out. Pawol couldn’t help but notice her debut was being watched
closely Fans responded with a warm ovation when the video board focused on the umpire between innings, forcing her to take a quick glance at her image. Pawol was scheduled to work third base in Saturday night’s second game of the doubleheader She will be in the spotlight when she calls pitches behind the plate in Sunday’s final game of the series.
As a rover, she’ll then be waiting for her next assignment. While she waits, the umpire cap she wore in her first game will be on the way to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“This is one of the proudest moments in all my career,” crew chief Chris Guccione said. “I’ve been blessed with working playoffs, I’ve worked two World Series, All-Star games, and this is right up there. It gives me chills even thinking about it. And the magnitude, it just hit me just now the magnitude of this thing and how hard she’s worked.
“This is just a great role model for girls and women out there and I’m just so proud of her This is a special moment. I’m so proud of her.”
There was much anticipation for her historic debut on Saturday. A crowd of photographers gathered while waiting for the umpires to
walk onto the field from their entry ramp near the Marlins dugout. McCullough and Braves bench coach Walt Weiss greeted Pawol when lineups were exchanged at home plate before the game Pawol then jogged down the first base line She shook hands with Marlins first base coach Tyler Smarslok before taking her position on the right field line for the first pitch. Pawol said Thursday she was “overcome with emotion” when notified she would make her Major League Baseball debut this weekend.
Pawol, 48, has been working in the minor leagues since she was assigned to the Gulf Coast League in 2016. She was assigned the Triple-A championship game in 2023 and worked spring training games in 2024 and again this year
“Anytime anybody grinds their way through the minor leagues, I don’t care who it is, that’s a tough thing,” Snitker said. “I’m happy for anybody who grinds it out.”
Asked if she is prepared for a confrontation with a manager upset about a call, including some known to kick dirt onto umpires, Pawol said it wouldn’t be the first time.
“More than dozens of times,” she said. “It doesn’t go very well for him. The night is usually over for him. It’s just part of the game.”
BY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer
Louisiana’songoing heat wave has sent residents racing to beachesalong the Gulf Coast just in time for alucky few to spot packs of mobula rays, also known as ”devil rays,” dappling the oceanfront.
Resembling asynchronized swimmer troupe, the diamondshaped creatures often travel in schools —gliding togetheras they look for plankton.
With their graceful, wing-like fins, they often leap and skim just above the water’ssurface, making aray sighting even more mesmerizing.
“These larger rays actually fly through water,and so they live more in athree-dimensional space, much like birds do,” Dr Deby Cassill, integrative biology professor at the University of South Florida, said.
Like sharks,Cassill said rays areconstantly on themove looking for prey like crustaceans and are especially active near shores during the summer months.
“This is the season to be finding them,” Cassill said, adding that it’snot uncommontosee giant manta rays off the Gulf Coast near St. Petersburg, HoneymoonIsland and St. Andrews Florida State Park.
‘Puppies of thesea’
The devil ray’sname might be alittle misleading, according to Dr.Prosanta Chakrabarty,director and fish curator of the LSU Museum of Natural Science, who instead likes to call them “the puppies of the sea.”
There are two types of rays— the mobula birostris and mobula hypostoma.
The mobula birostris, widely known as the giant manta ray, is the largest ray in the Gulf,according to Chakrabarty,adding that they can grow up to bewell over 20 feet long.
“They are famous for jumping outofthe water and shocking people by theirsize, but they’re completely harmless.
The mobula hypostomaisa considerably smaller ray, measuringapproximately 5feet in length.
“(The rays) are like an icon of gentle-natured fishes,” Chakrabarty said, noting that
ä See RAYS, page 8D
BY ROBIN MILLER
IMAGE PROVIDED By THEU.S.GEOLOGICAL SURVEy Marrero emerged in alateral fashion, without anyone nucleus having been established at anyone moment.
BY RICHARD CAMPANELLA Contributingwriter
INthehistorical geography of our metropolis,various spatial patterns have shaped urban expansion.
Some neighborhoods grew outwardly from an initial nucleus Others expanded linearly along an axis or artery.Still othersurbanized laterally,weaving together adjacent communities like fabric. Manyexhibited all three processes in sequence. Places like theFrench Quarter, Gretna and Kenner all developed from anucleus.Inthe caseofthe French Quarter,the nucleus was the Jackson Square area, starting in 1718; in thecaseofGretna, it was aferry landing, where service began in 1836; and in thecase of Kenner,itwas arailroad station, opened in 1855.
Places like Metairie and Gentilly beganalong linear arteries, namely aridgetop pathway that became today’sMetairie Road andGentilly Boulevard. Many older riverfront communitiesemergedfromstops or landings along thepublic road,
Originally Amesville,
formed as streets and were patched in laterally south of the 4thStreet tracks.
including today’sTchoupitoulas Streetand RiverRoad. Carrollton is an example of a neighborhood that germinated at anucleus (today’sRiverbend)and expanded along St. Charles and SouthCarrollton avenues.The lower faubourgs germinated at thejunction of Esplanade and Elysian Fieldsavenues and expanded down Chartres and St.Claudeand
then lakeward, forming today’s 7th, 8th and 9th wards. Then there are those areas with no discernible nucleus or axis. Rather,they took shape as developers “patched in” lateral streets from abutting settlements. Perhaps the best example is Marrero.
No downtown,nofoundingdate
Identified by the federal government as aCensus Designated Place, this unincorporated West Jefferson community of approximately 32,000 residents has an older section closer to the Mississippi, and straddles acentral artery (Ames Boulevard) extending away from the river.But Marrero has no historic “downtown” —noiconic core, no central square, no Main Street. Relatedly,Marrero has no agreed-upon foundation date. Marrero traces its colonial origins to aFrench long-lot
They pull up in family minivans and work trucks. Some scan the parking lot for signs that they’re in the right place, though most know the drill and beeline to the right door of the strip mall. Some tote cooler bags. Afew have spoons at the readyback in their cars
Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING
They’re all here for ice cream in flavors not found in the grocery freezer,maybe one based on achildhood craving or inspired by amovie scene or even run through abarbecue smoker
These are creations of alocal maker who has swiftly built a cultlike following. Even the name sounds alittle spooky,though really it’snot.
Super Witch Ice Cream sells an ever-changing roster of flavors by the pint. It also gives ataste of the creative collaboration running through the local food scene,which is fueling expansion plans coming soon.
Briggs Barrios created Super Witch two years ago for his fellowice cream obsessives. Just like them, the New Orleans native hasgone to lengths to sample different iterations of his obsession,tracking down small makers and having pintsshipped to his home from around the country
Then he tried his hand at making ice cream, in the usual gatewaystyle, with acountertop home ice cream machine.
That’swhen compulsion turned to calling, and in 2023, theonetime securities trader spun together the ice cream brand that’s now his livelihood, though also, of course, still his obsession.
“The first time Iturned ice cream out of the house, Iknew Iwanted to do this for aliving, Ifelt an immediate connection to it,” Barrios said.“It’sbeen an incredible experience so far.We just wanted to make as many people happy as we can.”
Flavor drops, nostalgiccues
Super Witch remains atiny, hands-on operation, but it’s developed into awell-oiled machine, packing more than 1,000 pints a week. This inventory usually sells out.
People order online, watching the Super Witch Instagram page for the next flavorsto drop.Then they roll in for regularly scheduled pickups through the week.
At $14 apint, they’re paying apremium. But they’re getting somethingspecial SuperWitch Ice Cream earns its following on ice cream made no more than afew days before it’ssold, and packed by hand, layering the promised flavors for robust bites top to bottom.
This is ice cream without eggs, for what aficionadosknow as Philadelphia style, prized for its intense dairy essence.
Just about any other ingredient seems fair game.
Barrios’ approach to flavor developmentstartswith that singularly powerful emotion of flavor: nostalgia. Ice cream is thevehicle; flavors hit thetaste memory buttons.
“Airline Skate Center” is ariff on roller rink birthday partycakes, donewithvanilla ice cream and funfetti cakebatter.Another ice cream made with weddingcakebatter and toasted almondslivers tastes like acreamy version of acake slice pulled fromthe freezeronananniversary Instead of breaking Oreos up for cookies and cream, Super Witch makes an ice cream that tastes like all the cookies and all thecream in everyspoonful.
Now mix in more Oreo chunks andpeanut butter and you have a
flavor called “Parent Trapped,” a nod to aplot device in the movie
“Parent Trap” (the 1998 version with Lindsay Lohan).
“People tell us they build family traditions around our ice cream, and that’sa great feeling,”Barrios said.
Collab connections
Ice cream has been themuse for other small specialty producers, atrend that revved up in the pandemic as people turned hobbies intofinancial pivots.
The frozen product, however, can be trickytomaintain in the typical pop-up environment of outdoor markets and sidewalk sales.
Onemaker,Lucy BooneIce Cream, grew into abrick-andmortar scoop shop Uptown at
3918 Baronne St., next to Zee’s Pizzeria (for intuitive pizza-ice cream pairings).
The 7th Ward IceCream Speakeasy sells pints at pop-ups, keeping as low aprofile as the speakeasy name suggests (you can request to join aFacebook group for updates).
LaoziIce Cream is another maker of deeply flavorful pints. Planstodevelop adessert café in Mid-Cityare now up in the air,but Laozicreator Sam Caruso continues to make ice cream, posting details on availability at instagram.com/laozi.ice.cream. Meanwhile, from his homebase in Harahan, Barrios has been making new connections through collaboration with the broader food scene. Someare teammates on the
Hogs forthe Cause charity barbecue cook-off team called Pork Belly Cartel. That’show he ended up putting Oreos on the smoker at Gonzo’sSmokehouse, the Luling barbecue shop where people queue up forTexas-style brisket and barbacoa boudin. Imbued with campfire-smoky flavors, the cookies wentinto amarshmallow flufffor agraham cracker ice cream called Gonzo’sS’mOreo.
Another member of that Hogs forthe Cause team is Marlon “Chicken” Chukumerije, founder of Chicken’sKitchen, the Gretna plate lunch phenom.That led to Chicken’sPeach Cobbler,with yellow cake crunchies and peach, based on one of his desserts.
Soft servesideline
Through principally about pints, rather than aparlor for scoops and cones, Super Witch is developing asideline in softserve ice cream, with the samebase as the other ice cream. Youcan get a cup at the shop during Thursday pint pickup hours.
Now, Super Witch is working to bring its softserve full-timetoIl SupremoPizza, the new Old Metairie pizzeria at 619 Pink St. Barrios sees the potential to expand the concept at other restaurants too, essentially outsourcing adessert option.
So what’swith the name?
Super Witch wasanicknamefor Barrios’ late grandmother,Gladys Isabel (who also went by “Gladybel”). She had aseemingly supernatural ability to know what the kids were up to at all times. Think Samantha from “Bewitched.”
“She wasariot, apiece of work, and that person whowas just there foryou all the time,” Barrios said, surely describing the waymany agrandmother would like to be known.
There’smemory built into the brand name, and nostalgia swirling through these pints.
Get flavor updates and how to order at instagram.com/superwitchicecream and hotplate.com/ superwitch.
Email IanMcNultyat imcnulty@theadvocate.com.
n Famous
Just five years short of a centennial, the Famous GClub hasasits motto “Pleasure Through Friendship and Service.” Certainly the initial friends no longer flock, but the spirit of amity hasnot waned, nor has that of pleasure and service
“What aWonderful World”themedthe 95thannual ball of the Famous GClub, whichwas held in the Grand Salon of the Omni Royal Orleans hotel. The summerball is acelebratory culmination of the club’sefforts during the previous year.Appropriately,the anniversary year played into aspects of the decor: Tables were outfitted with centerpieces that had the number95cut out in beautiful gold lettering. Cleverly,and alignedwith the dress code,a Champagne bottle fashionedasatuxedo bedecked each table,aswell. Underneaththe 95 numbers and the bottles weresparkling greentablerunnersatop acream-colored satin embossed tablecloth. Male attendeeswore formal white jackets andladies donned floor-length gowns. “Truly anelegant affair”noted one member about the look of the levity As members and guests mingled, theyalso headedtothe bar services —and to the evening’sfavorite libation, rum punch —and to the food stations. Roastbeef and ham carving stations, acharcuterieboard,amashed potatobar “with all the fixings,” and the sweet touch of adelicious almond creamcakesatedthe collective appetite.
One of the highlights of the summer ball is the callout.Doing the 2025 honors was mistress of ceremonies Kendall Jones, whomadethe presentations and added an identifying fact about each member.Among those participatingwere Michael Dianda and Whitney Carter,AlBevins and spouse Ynez,James Williams with Deborah Montrell, retiredJudge Calvin Johnson and spouse DeidraHayes, Elvin Martin and Faye,club recording secretary Tracy Dickerson with Michele Burnett,parliamentarian CarlV.Williams with Karen Thomas, and event co-chairs Gerald Spellman and Michael Roussell with theirwives, Denise and Jami.The former is the men’s club’ssergeant at arms,while MichaelRoussell alsoanswers to treasurer and scholarship committee chair. Thencamevicepresident Sylvester K. Johnson with Takira,and president DarrylHarrison and wife Eurydice Bush-Harrison.
Yetanother highlight was the announcement offive high school scholarships,which are named in honor of Evelyn Williams, the late wife of member James Williams.The recipients and the high schools from whichtheyjust graduatedwere Jeremy Badon and Tatianna Wilkins,New Orleans CharterScience &Mathematics; BethanyJacobs,Ben Franklin; Angel Jefferson,Slidell; and Gabrielle Thigpen, De La Salle. Notable guests included Charlene and Theodore Sanders, Daria and LukeRussell,Tamara and Wineski Thigpen, the AnthonyJohnsons, Marva and ManceTutt, Samuel Walker,Melissa Peyton, SelicaTaylor, and Velma and Gregory Clincy To mention afestivefew.All dancedtothe sounds of Clark Knighten and 4X4 Connection Band with vocalist Rachel Cook.Their mix of contemporary numbers, blues, jazz and line dancing thrilledthe assembly.And if anyone needed atutorial in line dancing, DJ Gravy provided group training.
New officers were dubbed when the Rotary Club of New Orleans held its annual Installation Dinner at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute: NOCHI. The gathering spot was the handsome wood-paneled Drink Lab
After cocktails, Rotary past president Michael Bourg served as emcee for the program and the recognition of immediate past president Dr Kelleigh Payne and grant chairman Ernesto Carballo for their accomplishments. Then new officers were tapped, led off by TomMcAlister as president and Chuck Mutz,president-elect. Their wives, Nora and Deanna,accompanied them. And secretary Lucas Morehouse,treasurer Jeremy Hunnewell,sergeant at arms Shelby McIntosh,executive secretary Tara Knowles, and immediate past presidentPayne. In addition toCarballo, the new board members are Peter Waring,Anne Kiefer,AnthonyDiNatale, Angele Thibodeaux Burns, Charles Neyrey,and Dr Neil Baum.Following their installation, incoming
Most of us get one birthday, our natal day ButHis Majesty King CharlesIII can claim two (as did his mother, beloved Queen Elizabeth II, and their forebears). There’sthe actual one for Charles, Nov.14, 1948, which may occur during inclement weather.Tohonor theday in better weather, June has been chosen, going back to 1748, to officially celebrate the monarch’sbirthday along with the Trooping the Colour parade. As it has done for years, theEnglishSpeaking Union New OrleansBranch held athemed brunch in honor of His MajestyCharles. It was heldatthe New Orleans Country Club, where the John Parker Jazz Band purveyed scintillating sounds; theladies’ annual Hat Contest produced Constance CowartYoung as awinner; passed appetizers and amenu of Bibblettuce salad, grillades and grits, scrambled eggs, and peppermint ice cream in an almond tuile pleased the gussied-up assembly; and anew branch president was installed. The outgoing one, David Grissett —who now resides in New York with spouse Shauna —was in attendance and received astanding ovation forhis manyyears of service. His new position is liaison to ESU National. During the brief business session, Bruce Gordon (with Melissa) was elected to the post. President Bruce then paid tribute to predecessor David and Shauna “who have given 11 years of their lives to ESU,” concluding with “our thanks and our love.”
Afurther installation was that of Ben Karp as secretary.Noted as board members were brunch chair Mimi Schlesinger (with Claude), HaydeeMackey(with Kevin)and Dr Rennie Culver.Preston Valois is the membership chair; Leonard Caruso (with Jane), the treasurer; and Claire and HenryStahel are national patrons. Others had positions within the area organization
Enjoying brunch and lively banter were Courtney-Anne Sarpy, Sammy Steele, Katherine de Montluzin,Terry and Rand Voorhies, MariaEtkind, Erin and John Paul Fleming,Bonnie and John Boyd,Anne Abbott, Susan Bell, and Rosemonde and Carlo Capomazza di Campolattaro. Others slated to attend were the CharlesZatarains, Beth Goddard, LauraFrancesJordan, Ben Bagert, Diane and Charles Dupin, Harold Young (with Constance), WilliamM.Long, Jane and Austin Sumner, and Kenand Naomi Mann.
Participation came through several channels, including the hat contest, toasts, singing of anthems, and aquiz that matched up names connected with the “Gilbert &Sullivan” theme of the brunch. Winners at individual tables took homethe pretty parasol centerpieces inspired by the duo’scomic opera “The Mikado” and John Magill copped BestEnsemble accolades for his “Pirates of Penzance” costume.
On theeve of the brunch, anumber of the ESU attendees wished ThomasSands a hearty“Happy Birthday” as he embraced anew decade. Spouse Barbara helped orchestrate the three-generational funthat took place at their favorite restaurant, Boucherie.
president McAlistergave ashort speech expressing gratitude and outlining initiatives.
The passed hors d’oeuvres of taco bites, jackfruit crabcakes and chicken satay bites,and dinner menu ofCaprese salad, lemon chicken picatta, andlemon cheesecakerated raves.Savoring the socializingand theRotary spirit, as well, were Janel Waring (with Peter) Bonnie and JayAronson,
Janie and Billy Rippner,Margene and AllenEickelmann, NormanRobinson, Sarah Dickerson, Bradley Spedale, Ellenand Marc Yellin,Douglas Bristol, Stephanie McCain, Jane and HenryLowentritt, MichaelDuPplantier,Susan and Barry Simon, Emily Starr,Angel Chung Cutno, and DennyEbersole.History reminded them that theRotary Club of New Orleans, which meets every Wednesday at noon, is the12th oldest one in the world.
Staff report
We surveyed our editorialstaff, asking for their thoughts on underrated museums across Louisiana —and they delivered. Enjoy the first installment of recommendations below: Wedell-WilliamsAviation& CypressSawmill Museum, Patterson
118 Cotten Road, Patterson
Located in PattersoninSt. Mary Parish, about 90 minutes southwest of New Orleans, the Wedell Williams Aviation Museum tells the story of Jimmy Wedell, afearless barnstormer,and Harry Williams, heir to awealthy cypress mill-owning family
The men teamed up in the late 1920s, at atime when tiny Patterson barely had paved roads, to build some of the fastest airplanes in the world.
The planes built by the company they founded broke many world records. They also provided the first commercial flights between New Orleans and Houston. Alas, both died in separate plane crashes in the 1930s, about thesame time Patterson lost its prominence as aregional aviation hub thanks to the new Shushan AirportinNew Orleans.
But what afascinating and largely forgotten piece of Louisiana history —Stephanie Riegel AbitaMystery House, Abita Springs
22275 La. 36, Abita Springs
Is it amuseum, aroadside attraction, an art installation or maybe all of the above bundled together? Perhaps that is the mystery of the Abita Mystery House.
Also known as the UCM Museum, the mystery house was founded by John Preble, whose
TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER
By ChristopherElliott
motto is: “One man’strash is another man’streasure.” The attractionislocated in the center of the historicdistrict on the Tammany Trace bicycle trail. It’safolk art environment with thousands of found objects and homemade inventions. Some of the attractions are old arcade machines, avintage service station, a100-year-old Louisiana Creole cottage and the Houseof Shards. —Ian McNulty
Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, Monroe
2000 Riverside Drive, Monroe
The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens is asmall complex, but that doesn’tmake it less fascinating. Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola, built his homeinMonroe. In 2008, the Coke Museum opened and showcases two exhibit rooms full of Coca-Cola memorabilia and his-
torical items.
Alsoatthe Bienharm Museum is the Bible Museum —for Christians, authors, book fans, collectorsand historians.
Emy-Lou Biedenharn wasinspired by an 1854 facsimile of the Wycliffe Bible to begin aBible collection. Today,the collection features an original 1611 King James Bible, art Bibles and a page from the 1454-55 Gutenberg Bible.
“The collection celebrates the contribution of the Bible and biblical literature to the enrichment of Western Civilization; the Bible Museum exhibits demonstrate theimportance of the Bible in American culture,” the museum’s website states.
There’smuch moretoexplore at the museum. —Will Sutton
EddieG.RobinsonMuseum, GramblingUniversitycampus
126 Jones St., Grambling For college football fans, the Eddie G. Robinson Museum at
Grambling University looks at the lifeand legacy of the winningest coach in NCAA Division Ihistory
After learning about Robinson’s football career and personal philosophy,some visitors are left with asense of awe.
Robinson coached at Grambling from 1941 to 1997, accruing 408 wins, 45 winning seasons, 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships and nine Black college football national championship victories. Over 200 of his players went on to play professional football. Someofthe exhibits include recreations of Robinson’soffice, the football team’slocker,a“Hall of Honors” and aroom with professional football jerseys from notable Grambling alumni. There’s even footage of the national commercial spots that Robinson starred in.
For those whowent to HBCUs, as well as forthose whodidn’t, there’ssomething to learn about this coach. —Arnessa Garrett
you please help? —Jean Michielli-Pendl, Dunkirk, N.Y
Christopher Elliott
JetBlue lost my all-important bag for 43 days as Ileft on my 50th anniversary tripto Greece with my children and grandchildren The bag contained necessarymedications for our 30-daystayalong with my hearing aids, clothes, wedding dress for my vow renewaland heirloom items for the ceremony. The loss of this bag caused extremestress and ruined whatwas supposed to be the epic trip of alifetime. My husband calledalmost everyday and sent 26 emails throughtheir messageboard.
JetBlue has offered $181, and that doesn’teven cover the clothes and medications (not all were able to be filled) we had to scramble to find before our cruise.Can
JetBlueshould have found your lostluggage quickly andreturned it. Whydidn’tit? Ican see that you had abusy itinerary in Greece. Based on your correspondence with JetBlue, it looks like the airline had ahard time coordinatingadelivery Still, JetBlue offered you only $181, which did not even cover the costs of theclothes and medications that you had to purchase while you wereinGreece. It should have done better Your right to arefund is outlined in the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that established rules and limits regardingairline liabilityfor baggage.
When dealing withaloss on an international flight, you’ll want to refer directly to the convention textifyou think your airline isn’t compensating you appropriately Article 22 of the convention sets theliability limit for damages associated withdelayed passenger baggage at about $1,700. JetBlue’s offer was well below that.
Yousay that the loss of thebag caused extreme stress and ruined your trip,and that you are seeking reimbursement for the $2,445 you spent trying to survive in Greece for amonth. Youprovided adetailed timeline of your communications withJetBlue, which included requests for the bag to be delivered to your hotel in Athens and then later to your home.
JetBlue asked you to submit receiptsfor your out-of-pocket expenses and you also provided a list of the contents of the bag. So what went wrong?
You’ve repeatedly mentioned that losing the bag caused you distress. Unfortunately,there’sno provision in the Montreal Convention for pain and suffering. You also mentioned that you lost an heirloom —your wedding dress. Airlines often exclude itemslike heirloomsfrom their liability, which may have caused some confusion during your claims process. And never,ever check essential medications or hearing aids. Always put those in your carry-on luggage. Ihave moreon luggage reimbursement in my
free guide to finding your lost luggage. Youmight have appealed this to one of the executive contacts at JetBlue. Ipublish the names, numbers and email addresses of the JetBlue customer service managers on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.
Icontacted JetBlue on your behalf.The airline agreed to review your claim and revised its offer It offered you an additional $900 with a$400 JetBlue credit.
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.
“Debs’ Universities” was the theme for the Young Ladies of NOLA’s annual ball recently at the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette, where 19 debutantes were presented. The nonprofit provides high school seniors the opportunity to debut. This year’s group hails from various schools throughout the greater New Orleans area. Young Ladies founder Lakisha Rogers received the debutantes and guests in the pink-decorated ballroom, followed by awelcome and prayer by Chantyle Jones and aprocession by the debutantes’ mothers. The members of the coterie represented auniversity or college London Nikole Andrew, representing the University of Louisiana Lafayette, is the daughter of Brandon and Dawn Andrew.She graduated from Warren Easton Charter High School and was amember of the National Honor Society Cluband Senior Committee. She was escorted by her father Representing the North Carolina A&T State University was Cameryn Amari Breaux, daughter of Ciara Harris and Terry Breaux. She graduated from Edna Karr Senior High, where she was amajorette and active in student leadership She was escorted by her father
Representing Emory University was Talia Monay Brown, daughter of LaToya Monique Brown. She graduated from McDonogh 35 Senior High School and was co-captain of 35 Cheer, and co-captain of the track team. She served as asenior representative for the Student Government Association. She was escorted by Andy Brown Jr Representing Louisiana State University was Deja
Catchings-Clark, daughter of Derrick Clark Sr.and ShantaCatchings. She graduated from McDonogh 35 Senior HighSchool and was captain of boththe volleyball andtrack teamsand vicepresidentofthe Student GovernmentAssociation. She was alsoa memberofthe National Honor Society.She wasescorted by her father. Mia Simone Fountain, daughter ofEddieand TremikaFountain,represented Tulane University. Shegraduated from AcademyofOur Lady andwas in the Music Honor Society and served as junior class president. She wasescorted by herfather. Representing Grambling State University was Savannah Madisyn Gould, daughter ofRobertand Kristal Gould. Agraduate of Warren Easton Charter High School, sheparticipated in STEM programs andearned variouscertifications. She wasescorted by herfather
Representing AlcornState University was Morgan Amari Greathouse, daughter of Martin Greathouse and Ariane Thipado. She graduated from New OrleansCharter Science and Mathematics High School where she was an honor student in thetop 10 of her class. She also was dual-enrolled at Southern University at New Orleans and took pre-college courses at Tulane University.She was escorted by her stepfather,Charles Thipado.
Representing Xavier University was Geornya Jaliyah Jones, daughter of George Bennettand Georzette Jones. Agraduate of Warren Easton Charter High School, she was a member of theBig Sister Little Sister organization. She also attended the New OrleansCareer Center where she gainedher certification as aclinical medical assistant. She was escorted by Richard Jones. Saige ShanteLaCour, daughter of Jermaine LaCourand Shameka Vigne, represented Southeastern Louisiana University She graduated from St
CAMAN queens gather formidsummer luncheon
Former queens of theKrewe of CAMAN recently gathered for aluncheon at Café Degas. The military-based organization, whichstandsfor CoastGuard,Army, Marines, Air Force andNavy, holds aball during the Carnival seasonannually.Inattendance were, from left, Janet Nagelin, Eileen Hofricheter (2025), MarthaWhitehead,Tammy Prine, Emily Davenport Trehubenkoand yvette LeMaire.
Katharine Drexel PreparatorySchool, where she served as the captain of the Letter Carriers,anambassador,amember of the National Honor Societyand was Student of the Year She was escorted by her father Representing Loyola Universitywas E’Mari London Love, daughter of Elliott and I’Jale Love Jr.She graduated from Academy of OurLady High School, where she rantrack, participated in the culinary and photography clubs and was amember of the National Honor Society. She also earned her dental assistant certification from Penn Foster.She was escorted by her father
Representing Howard University was Kennedi Elyse McCurdy,daughter of Marketa Andrews. She graduated from Edna Karr High School where she served as amember of the student leadership team. She was escorted by her stepfather,Briant Isidore. Mahisai Mitchell, daughter of Michael Mitchell and Courtney Picard, represented the University of California Los Angeles. She attended Frederick A. Douglass High School where she was amember of the National Honor Society. She
wasescorted by her father
Representing Alabama State University wasJahmilya Zahara Picard, daughter of Tara Picard and Jerome Thompson. She graduated from McDonogh 35 College Preparatory High School where she was apart of the girls flag football and volleyball teams. She was escorted by her father Representing Southern University was Cayden Cynthia Robinson, daughter of Jody and Randon Robinson I. She graduated from NewOrleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School and wasin Beta Club, Rho Kappa, National Honor Society,Student Council, the Ambassador Program and Media Club. She was escorted by her father Representing Spelman College is Aliyonna X-zailey Briel Ruffin, daughter of Antoinette Ruffin. She graduated from University View Academy, where she was amember of the National Beta Club and the DECA Club. She was escorted by her uncle, Maurice Gasper Sanaa Casey Stockman, daughter of Frank and Ashley Mitchell Stockman, represented Prairie View University.She graduated from NewOrleans Creative Center For Performing
Arts where she wasamember of the National Dance Honor Society,Black Culture Club, Student Council and the dance department. She was astudent teacher forArt In Motion Dance Academy. She wasescorted by her father Representing Clark Atlanta University,was Caché Kendall Vance, daughter of Kendall Vance and Celeste Davis. She attended Cabrini High School and participated in track, cross country, Campus Ministry,Natural Hair Club and Medical Professions. She was escorted by her father Representing Villanova University wasJa’Niya Jonea Williams, daughter of Kevin Harris Jr.and Yolanda Williams. She graduated from L.B. Landry High School where she was homecoming queen, captain of the track team and amember of the National Honor Society.She was escorted by her father Representing Texas Southern University was Rayne Amore Williams, daughter of Raymond and Johnell Williams. She graduated from McDonogh 35 College Preparatory High School and was in student government, choir,step team and National Honor Society.She was escorted by her father Debutantes and their escorts also performed a waltz choreographed by Karen Davis Jones. Following the presentation, Chosen Vessels Dance Company performed. Former debutante Quentyria Watson and Dr.Chelsi Watson RoweofThe Upper Room Bible Church spoke, with Chantyle Jones concluding the presentation. The guests enjoyed dinner and dancing in the ballroom and concluded with the Zulu Tramps and a brass band.
‘Hamilton’ coming to bigscreeninSeptember
BY ANDREAFLORES
(TNS)
Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES The hit
Broadway musical “Hamilton” is making itsway to the big screen on Sept.5
Lin-Manuel Mirandaannounced the theatrical release date for the Tony Award-winning musical during an interviewon“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
“Wealways wanted to release it theatrically, but then thepandemic hit and so we decidedtorelease it on streaming, so thateveryone could see it at home whenever they wanted,” Miranda said on theshow “[Soon] you will be able to see‘Hamilton’ in movie theaters nationwide and in Puerto Rico.”
The show’scinematic release marks amajor milestone: It’s been nearly10 yearssince theoff-Broadwaypremiere of “Hamilton,” whichwas basedon the life of Alexander Hamilton, afoundingfather of the United States. Created by Miranda, whoalso composed the music,lyrics and book, the hip-hop- and R&B-inflected musical used sourcematerialfrom“Alexander Hamilton,” a2004 biography written by Ron Chernow.The musical went on to win 11 Tony Awards, including best musical, and the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2016. The film wasshotinJune 2016, duringa live performance at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, andfeaturesmuchofthe
original cast. This includes Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Leslie Odom Jr as Aaron Burr; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler and Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton. The film was originally slated for release in movie theaters in October 2021. Disney paid $75 millionfor worldwidemovie rights in 2020 andreleaseditlater that year exclusivelyonits streaming platform; the film went on to win two Emmy Awards in 2021. The“Hamilton”anniversary is being celebrated in moreways than one. Prior to Miranda’s“Tonight Show” interview,Madame Tussauds New York unveiled awax figureofMiranda dressed as Alexander Hamilton.
BY BARBARA SIMS Contributing writer
“The Colonel and the King”byPeter Guralnick; Little, Brown and Company;624 pages
When Colonel TomParker approached Sam Phillips in 1955 with aproposal to arrange arecording contract for alittle-known, but promising singer named Elvis Presley,Phillips was not only exasperated with the man’snerve, he was indeed insulted.
Phillips responded with something like, “He records for me, Sun Records, and he’snot for sale!” Phillips had already released five singles by Presley that had gained some regional success, but it was the fanatical response to Presley’s in-person shows at the LouisianaHayride andsmall venues in the area that had so impressed the Colonel. Never one to give up, ultimately Parker told Phillips to name his price and was told $35,000. Never before had amusician’scontract been sold for such alarge sum. But the Colonel had made adeal that Steve Sholes at RCA in Nashville could accept, and in January 1956, RCA introduced theirfirst Presley recording, “Hound Dog,” and thus an entertainer the likes of which the world had never seen was launched. It placed No. 1onthe Billboard Top100 and also No. 1onits Country &Western chart, both for months. With this explanation of how thePresley-Parker relationship began, Parker’spersonal and professional life story,and it’s along and amazingone, can begin. As a young teenager,Dreis van Kuijik stowed away on aship leaving his native Holland and ended up in New Jersey for anew life. Soon after arriving, the futureColonel found an ideal (for him) job with acircus.
He was fortunate to be taken in by aDutch family in New Jersey, but soon he headed west, spending several months as ahobo working his way to Los Angeles. There, he worked briefly with the Aimee Semple McPherson evangelistic temple, learning some of the tricks of promotion thatwouldserve himwellinshow
business.
Soon, though, he was again on theroad,ending up in Huntington,West Virginia, where he was befriended by afamily named Parker thatallowed him to work with their pony ride concession in asmall circus.
When he moved on again, he began identifying himselfasTom Parker,contending that the Parker familyhad adopted him, thus providing him with his new name. Inventing adate of birth in Huntington, he established himself, in time,asanAmerican citizen by registering with Social Security and later serving inthe military
Thetitle of Colonel came much later,bestowed upon him by Louisiana Gov.Jimmie Davis
Upon receiving amedical discharge from the military (depression according to the Army,a knee injury according to Parker), thefuture Colonel was again working as an advance man with acircus, next for atour of then-
singing star Gene Austin, and later as head of the Tampa, Florida, Hillsborough CountyHumane Society.Guralnick provides quotes from newspapers and employers attesting to his impressive performance as apromoter with all three ventures Moving to themanager/promoter role for various Grand Ole Opry acts, he had outstanding success in helping Eddy Arnold become theacknowledged No. 1country act of his day.Parker also launched asuccessfulpromotion of another country singer, Hank Snow With this background established, Guralnick launches into thestory thebook’stitle promises,“The Colonel and theKing.” Guralnick devotes approximately half of this 624-page book to discussing the character of Colonel Parker,especially as related to theshaping of Elvis’ career,and theother half to Parker’sletters and commentary on their context.
The letters tell muchabout thepromoter’s inner as well as professional life,but the most interesting ones are to Presley andhis parents. These reveal the role he played as adviser,almost afather figure, always showing concern for his client’swelfare and the importance of goodchoices in his career as well as his personal and financiallife.
Guralnick brings adepth of knowledge of Presley from his previous publication of atwovolume biography of Presley and abiography of Sun Records founder Phillips. Upon Presley’srelease from his Sun contract,the first major effort was the famous “Hound Dog” recording sessions at the Nashville studiosofRCA. Next came roadbookings and media appearances, for whichColonel had all the right contacts. The most memorable of Presley’sinitialintroductions to a wide audienceishis famous debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which setoff anational debate about Presley’sanimated performance, whichmany decried aslewd andnot suitable for TV Presley’sstardom, demontrated by the near-riots of his ans during his live shows and heresulting deluge of publicty, meant it wastime forHolywood.
Hisfirst movie, “Love Me Tener,” was quickly completed and eleased in 1956. In the same ear,Presley made his Las Veas debut as an add-on to ashow by other performers. Movies and recording consumed most of his time until 1968, with atotal of 31 movies,mostofthem less than memorable. By thetime his final film was shot in 1969, Presley wasfed up withthe movies andwanted to refocusonsinging. His comeback TV special at Christmastime 1968 signaled his return to live performingand resumption of the “hillbilly cat”identity with which his career began. The next phase of Presley’scareer began immediately when the Colonel set him up for aheadline show at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.Itwas adifficult schedule —two shows aday,seven days aweek.Taking abreak now and then, he made occasional one-nighters, which were becoming more andmoreattractive to Presley
As theletters show,during the entire time with Presley from 1956, Parkerhad juggled the negotiations forcontracts, sched-
In 1968, young Stanley Plumly came to LSU’sBaton Rouge campus to teach creative writing. He stayed only a couple of years, but the connection changed his life. LSU Press published two of Plumly’searly poetry books, “In the OuterDark” and “Giraffe,” attracting critical acclaim. Numerous collections followed. Then came along and distinguished academic career including many years as a professor at the University of Maryland. Meanwhile, Plumly’s stature as apoet continuedto grow When Plumly died in 2019 at 79, the world of letters took note, with The New York Times rememberinghim as apoet
who used richlanguage imbued with precise syntax in 11 volumes of poetry that often touched on aspects of his life, including growing up poor in rural Ohio; his alcoholic father,who became amuse; and the polio epidemic thatstrucksome of his classmates after World WarII.” Now,his legacy is getting renewed attention with “Collected Poems ofStanley Plumly,” recently publishedbyW.W Norton. This beautiful volume, supportedbya major trade publisher, is atestamenttoPlumly’s reputation asa stellartalent. In
an introduction, poet David Baker considers howPlumly’stime at LSU, where literarygeniuses Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren once held sway,might have influenced his poems. It’saninteresting question, although Plumly’sfavorite literary hero was amuchearlier figure,the 19th-century English poet JohnKeats. Plumly didn’t write likeKeats, whose period language,ifvoiced by modern bards, would seem like astrange riff on aJaneAustennovel
But Keats, who diedat25, gave Plumly an enduring sense of the quickness of life— andhow often beauty andfleetingness keep close company That sensibility ledPlumly to write more than afew poems about backyard birds, whose momentary presencenudgesus to stop and payattention. In a lovely poem called“Chickadee,” Plumly writes of these tiny,tux-
edoed birds with “their feathers fluffed,each of them so small Icould wrap one /inmyfist to keep it warm, alive, then suddenlygone.”
This wasone of Plumly’slast poems, and it can be read as a reflection on mortality as well as acelebration of wonder
An author photo on the back of “Collected Poems” shows an elderly Plumly at his typewriter, aholdoutinacomputer culture. He apparently liked the physical sensation this gave his work —a nod, perhaps, to his father’sskill with tools.
“Towatch him with an axe or hammer, the way his right hand swallowed the handle, was to be impressed,” Plumly writes in “Extremities,” along prose poem. Plumly recalls with affection working with his father on their “half-built house,” which was always awork in progress, prone
uling, song selectionwhen it involvedboththe movies and RCA, marketing, promotion and other aspectsofthe career of someone of the caliberand celebrity of Presley. Forall this, Colonel receiveduptoa50% draw for his various services.Presley wasa great moneymaker,not just for himself andhis manager,but for allthose with whom Parker negotiateddeals.
By the early ’70s,Presley was showing signs of disintegration. His heavy use of drugs was certainly afactor. Wife Priscilla Presleyhad left him. Those who had seen him early in his Las Vegas stint were concerned upon returning later to note the decline in the spirit andfun of his performance. Aftera seven-year run, his Vegas days ended.
Although he indicated he wanted to resume touring, there were signs thatPresleywas reluctant to commithimself to performances thatColonel was poised to arrange Presleywas spending more and more time in Memphis with the cadre of friends who constantly surroundedhim. Nicknamed “The Memphis Mafia,” they enjoyedPresley’scompany and the lifestyle they gained being with him.
Though Guralnickisnot one to assign blame, he suggests that Presley’sfriends were driving awedge between Colonel and Presley. Rumors that were false but nevertheless were widely circulated were asource of distrust that was seeping into the long relationships the two had, forthe most part, enjoyed. In 1973, it seemed inevitable that abreakup with Colonelwas coming because Presley neither accepted norreturned his calls andmessages.
Aconfrontation between Presleyand Colonelfinally addressed this issue,and Presley got to continue one-night bookings on a limitedbasis. Presley and Colonel remained friends, and Presley continuedworking almost until his death in 1977.
In considering allthe evidence, Guralnick concludes that the unflattering persona of Colonel Parkerthatisheld by many people is largely undeserved. His careful study of Colonel’sdealings with the stars he managed revealed to him no signs of neglect or exploitation. True, he hadassumeda name andidentity otherthanthe onehe wasborn with, but isn’tthatwhat alot of performers do? That’s showbiz!
to addition and elaboration. As apoet, Plumly had the same passion to get things right. “Collected Poems” is an enduring monument to his craft.
Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com
N.O. actorisalso nominatedfor twoEmmys
New Orleanian Anthony Mackie’scareer is firing on all cylinders. Not only does he have his ownCaptain America movie this year,“Captain America: Brave New World,” but his series “Twisted Metal,” of which he is both the star and executive producer, has just begun its second season on Peacock.
Leslie Cardé
Additionally,he’s been nominated for apair of Emmys —one for Outstanding Daytime Personality on “Shark Beach withAnthony Mackie: Gulf Coast” and another for his guest turn on Apple TV+’s popular series “The Studio,” about the behind-the-scenes machinations of the Hollywood film industry He’singood company withthat nomination, vying against Ron Howard, Bryan Cranstonand Dave Franco.
Mackie’s“Twisted Metal” series, which he oversees, isbased on avideo game releasedover 30 yearsago.
Mackie plays the lead as apizza deliverydriver sufferingfrom amnesiainapost-apocalyptic United States
There are alot of car chases, and actors are expected to become proficient behind thewheel. Although stunt coordinator Logan Holladay says Mackie drives like aprofessional, the actor credits his driving double Aaron Parker, who he says taught him to do figure-eightsaround cones.
Designingaworld
“You know,there wasnever really astoryline for ‘Twisted Metal,’ the video game,” Mackie said. “It was just abunch of weird characters driving around and
over 30 years ago.
shooting at each other.You didn’t knowwho they were, or where they camefrom. So,wehad this incredible opportunity to design aworld aroundthese characters, fleshed out with backstories we invented.”
Mackie has described the series as an action/comedywith gore. Whatever the formula, it has been ahit with Generation Z, mostof whom were not even born when theoriginal video game was released.
ShowrunnerMichael Jonathan Smith describesthe show as “Mad Max” meets“The Simpsons” and sings thepraises of his co-executiveproducer
“Anthony is agreat collaborator,” saidSmith.“From thesecond hestepsonset,hebrings this vibrant energy andsets agreat tone, making jokes with thecast andcrew andputting everyone at ease.
“But, beyond that, we’ve both
agreed to make the comedy even bigger,and since Anthony loves physical comedy,we’ve thrown moreofthat intothis season’s show.It’sbeen great having him throw his support behind ‘Twisted Metal’ and believe in it.”
AWarrenEastongrad
The 46-year-old Mackie was born and raised in New Orleans, theyoungest of six siblings, who went to Warren Easton High School.
It was there in his junior year that he starred as Edmund, the illegitimate sonofthe Earl of Gloucester in Shakespeare’s “King Lear.”
It was that play that he says propelled him intowanting to makeacting acareer
At theend of the play,ashis character is impaled in asword fight,three girls in theaudience screamed in anguish.
Knowing he could have that ef-
fect on theatergoers cemented his desire to becomeathespian.
After graduation, Mackie headed for NewYork and the famed Juilliard School.
He performed there in aproduction aboutAmerican rapper Tupac Shakurcalled “UpAgainst theWind.”
Adirector came to see the play, was impressed with his performance, and introduced him to Curtis Hanson, whowas directing the movie “8 Mile” starring Eminem.
Mackie was hired forasmall part in what would becomehis first film.Originally just four lines, the part becameaugmented as Hanson kept building up his character
That film becamethe launchpad for asequence of supporting roles in great films like Oscar-winner “Million Dollar Baby” and the critically acclaimed film “The Hurt Locker” in 2009.
Mackie continued to work every year in popular filmslike “The Adjustment Bureau” with Matt Damon,and “Man on aLedge” with Sam Worthington. But he struck gold when the Marvel Cinematic Universe came calling in 2014.
Theroleofa lifetime
He had been lobbying forapart in “Black Panther.” Although he got acall from the producers, it turned out they had another role in mind forMackie.
Following ameeting in Los Angeles, he was offered the role of Sam Wilson, becoming the new Captain America in the role of alifetime in “Captain America: Civil War.”
Being asuperhero has its share of perks, particularly forthe four sons, ages 8-15, Mackie is raising in New Orleans along with his ex-wife.
“When you think of this theater kid from NewOrleans, it’svery different than being acelebrity in this pop culture time we live in now,” he recently told NBC’sWillie Geist.
In fact, his kids got to meet Thor,scoring big points fordad. But, the mostimportant thing to Mackie is being asuperhero dad, above and beyond being asuperhero forMarvel.
Speaking of superhero adventures, his next Marvel movie, shooting now,isslated forDecember 2026, when “Avengers: Doomsday” is set to release. In the meantime, catch Mackie’sstarring role in “Twisted Metal,” currently streaming its first three episodes together on Peacock, with new ones dropping each Thursday night. Or,watch his guest-starring role in episode three of “The Studio” with Seth Rogen on Apple TV+.
The winner in his Emmy category will be awarded at the Primetime EmmysonSept. 14 on CBS.
Email Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@gmail.com
Dear Annie: Irecently moved into asmall building with only eight apartments. Just three daysafter moving in, Iwas in aseriouscar accident that left me hospitalized for two weeks. I’m now back home recovering and on medical leave from work. Unfortunately instead of aquiet, supportive environment, I’ve been met withhostility If Imake anynoise at all—walking around, watching TV —someonein the building responds by making loud retaliatorynoises. Ieven asked one of the neighbors if I was being too loud, and hecheerfully said, “No, everyone’snoisy,”
only to then come into the hallway and deliberately makemore noise. Eventually,Isnapped. Iyelled for one of myneighbors to shut up andmindhis business. Next thing Iknew, thepolice were at my door, claiming that children in the building were frightened Now patrol cars drive by frequently,and Ifeel watched and judged. Iplan to buy outofmy lease and moveassoon as I’m physically able.
Please tell me— am Itruly the villain here,ordid Ijust land in thetwilight zone? —Trying To Rest, NotRebel
Dear Rest, Not Rebel: Youare not the villain. Youare recovering from aseriousaccident anddeserve peace, not petty behavior from neighbors. It is no wonder you
snapped after repeated passiveaggressive noise.
Still, yelling back only fuels the fire. Until you can move, try to protect your space. Awhitenoise machine, rushing wave sounds or even afan can help drown out the nonsense and give you somerest. Someplaces just are not agood fit.Focus on healing and let this be ashort chapter,not the whole story
Dear Annie: Imet aman three monthsago, and at first everythingfelt wonderful. Ihad just come out of abreakup and wasn’t looking for anything serious, but he was kind, affectionateand mademefeel truly seen. He talked about marriage, called often and made me feel special.
Butover time, thingschanged. He started canceling plans last
minuteand rarely communicated when he did. When Igot upset, he said Iwas giving him red flags. Eventually,I discovered he lied about his name. He admitted it, and Iforgave him
Now he makes excuses not to takemeout, says Isound materialistic and accuses me of only caring about his money.Weargue a lot, and he rarely makes an effort to show he cares. Recently,I ended things because Ifelt unappreciated. He told me Iwas beneath him and that Ididn’tdeserve to go anywhere. But Istill love him, and Ican’tseem to let go. Is there any hope forthis relationship? Or am Ijust holding on to theidea of whoI thought he was? —Still Hoping
Dear Hoping: What you are holding on to is not love. It is the memory
of how he madeyou feel in the beginning, not how he treats you now This man has lied, withheld communication, canceled on you repeatedly,accused you unfairly and insulted you. That is not love, and it is not a relationship worth saving. Youdeserve respect, honesty and consistency,not excuses and emotional games.
Letting go is hard, especially when your heart is involved. But staying with someone whotears you downwill only keep you stuck. Grieve the loss, but move forward. Real love will never leave you questioning your worth. Send your questions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators. com.
Dear Harriette: My best friend and Iare roommates. No one told me this might be arisky decision, but Iguess I’m learning the hard way.Sometimes she can be moody,and when she getsthat way,everyone is subject to her heavy,somber,icy energy.Itcan be draining. If she has abad day she can’tconceal it. Maybe she thinks she is hiding it because she doesn’t exactly share or burden anyone withdetails, but her responses become short in afrustrated kind of way and she huffs, slams doors and sulks about. Idon’twant her to suppress her emotions when something is wrong, but Iwish she didn’t feel the need to wear them so proudly —and Iespecially wish she wouldn’tpunish everyone around her when she’sina mood. What can Isay to her aboutthis?
—Moody Roomie
do that, it would help you to knowhow to be with her
Continuedfrom page1D
plantation that fronted the river and extended 80 arpents (roughly 3miles) back to today’saptly named EightyArpent Road,beyond which lay swamplands.
Dear Harriette: Ihave fallen in love with aguy atwork. Ilove theway hesolves problems and howhepays attention to me, even when others do not. He is so kind, and Ifind myself deeply attracted to him. Irecently learned that he is gay. He hadn’t told me before.Itcame up when Iasked him out Iwas bold enough to say that Ithought theremight be something special between us, and Iasked if he would like to go out with me.Hethanked me for the invitation and then informed that he is gay.Iamsodisappointed.How can Idial back my feelingssince they are not reciprocated? —Justa Friend
Dear Moody Roomie: Although your roommate’smoods are difficult for you, at least you can see that her behavior is not personal. She is dealing with somethingseparate from you. If possible, be compassionate. Tell her you love her and hope she can find peace. Youcan also acknowledgethat it is hard for you to be around her when she is in adark place. Youdon’thave asense of when these moods are going to hit her and her behavior does impact you and everyone elsearound her.Ask her if she has the awareness to tell you thatshe’s having ahard day.Ifshe could
Dear Just aFriend: Treat this situation as you would any time you are interested in someone who isn’tinterested inyou in the same way.It’snot that this man doesn’tlikeyou. It is that he is notromantically attracted to you. Sure, it can be hard to accept, butyou can do it. Be willingtosee thetruth for what it is. If you canallow yourself to release your heart from your feelingsofattraction and learn to be just friends, who knows what kind of delightful bond you two can form?
Send questions to askharriette@harriettecole. com or c/oAndrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106.
Continued from page1D
rays belong in the same family as sharks But without atop fin,rayscan bit more difficult to spot in the water, unless you see them jumping. What to know if youspotthem Rays will wander throughout different habitats and ocean depths, but Chakrabartysaid sightings are more common in the Gulf’s deeper waters andfurther east from the end of theMis-
sissippi River
“They sort of prefer clean water,sowhat’s pouring outofthe Mississippi into the Gulf is generally not that,” Chakrabarty said.
That’s becauseofthe Dead Zone, alow-oxygen area that develops alongthe coast every summer that often forces animals to venture into deeper waters.
It’s not uncommon for boaters to encounter the sleek animals, butit’sbesttoleave them alone, Chakrabarty said Their size may be intimidating, but theserays don’tsting.
“They are gentle giants,” Chakrabarty said
Onerecord from 1732 indicates aman of mixed race named Simon came into possession of asection of this land, partly by working it, and partlybypurchasing it from afree man of color named Scipion.
By thelate 1700s, much of future Marrero came into the possession of the Villarsand later theBouligny family,the latter of which would operate one of the largestplantationsinthe vicinity, using enslaved labor
By the1830s, the Harang, Fazende and Millaudon plantations dominated the area. They were bounded on the west by theBarataria &Lafourche (B&L) Canal dug along the Zeringue Plantation,and on the east by theplantation of Nicholas Noël Destrehan, who in 1840 had asimilar navigation canal dug on his holding.
In time, theB&L Canal would becomeknown as the Company Canal and serve as the main axis for Westwego, while Destrehan’s waterway would become theHarvey Canal, themain axis of Harvey —or“Cosmopolite City,” as Destrehan grandly envisioned it.
AJefferson Parish tycoon
The main holding in between pertained toLaurent Millaudon, aFrenchman born in Avignon in 1786, who became one of the richest men in Louisiana. Millaudon lorded over 3,700 acres on both banks of Jefferson Parish, including 1,800 acres in what is now Marrero.
In 1850 alone, his workforce of over 400 enslaved persons produced 272 hogsheads (barrels) of sugar,12,500 gallons of molasses, 10,500 bushels of corn and grazed $3,800 worthoflivestock. Millaudon was also an amateur scientistwho tinkered withbetter ways to refine sugar and distill rum.His operation became all themore valuable in 1853 when workers built theNew Orleans, Opelousas &Great Western Railroad along what is now Fourth Street,providing freight and passenger transportation to the plantation.
In April 1858, asluice gate in thelevee of the adjacent Bell Plantation ruptured, creating an epic deluge that swamped nearly theentire West Bankfor months. The crevasse scoured ahalf-milelong trench between what is now Avenue AtoAvenue EinMarrero, 5to40feet deep, leaving a bankside indentation for years to come. The Bell Crevasse may have dissuaded or delayed urban development in what would eventually become OldMarrero.
After theCivil War, emancipation forced planters to seek new ways and means to extract value from their land. All around New Orleans, landowners subdivided their holdings into small vegetable farmstobeleased out, usually to formerly enslaved families or immigrant workers. People called them “truck” farms, from the French troc, meaningbarter Enterthe Chineselaborers
The Millaudon Plantation by
now had come into the hands of A.B. Merrill, whoplanned to use it for commercial vegetable production. Toward that end, he hired Chinese laborers from San Francisco, the largest group of which (141 men)arrived via St. Louis in 1870. When the laborers felt they were being short-changed, they initiated what one journalist described as “The Cabbage Revolt.” Soon, mostofthe Chinese workers abandoned Merrill for new opportunities in downtown New Orleans, or to start their own farm in today’sTerrytown.
In 1873, Merrill sold his plantation to Oak A. Ames for$180,000. Scion of aBoston tool-making family,Ames was also amajor investor in Union Pacific, which in 1869 had completed part of thenation’sfirst transcontinental railroad.
Oak Ames had been instructed to buy up key properties foran envisioned southern transcontinental line. That effort became theTexas &Pacific Railroad, whose officials decided to establish amajor railyard just west of Ames’property.They named it “West-We-Go,” and along with theCompany Canal, the railyard would help trigger the founding of Westwego.
That left Oak Ames to team up withhis brothers Oliver and Franktoreturn other parcels to sugar cane production, this time with ahired Black workforce. They then subdivided their remaining land to lease as truck farms, under the names of Southside, Front Place and Estelle Farms.This put morefamilies on Ames’land, which gave rise to new houses, stores, and services.
Cane juicebecomes sugar Soon, peoplewere calling the place “Amesville,” and by 1894, wrote areporter forthe Daily Item, “some three and ahalf miles of truck farmsfill the space” near the river,while “the big mill” turned cane juice into sugar.“Ames is abig place and a busy one.”
At around this time, Louis Herman Marrero, an Isleño-AngloAmerican born in 1847 whohad risen to prominence in Jefferson Parish,purchased part of Amesville. He established the Marrero Landand Improvement Corporation,which proceeded to develop theriverfront forindustrial use, while laterally extending the street gridsalready established in Harvey andWestwego.
In 1909, the lower-lying lands to therear of Louis Marrero’sholdings were organized into the Second Jefferson Drainage District, and in the years ahead, drainage canals and pumps would be installed for additional truck farms to be laid outsouthward.
Now,folks began to refer to
parts of Amesville as “Marrero” or “the village of Marrero,” especially after the post office wasso named in 1916. Louis H. Marrero died in 1921, having served24years as Jefferson Parish sheriff and other positions. He andhis family’s companysucceeded in transforming this area from agrarian to residential land use.Industry boomed alongthe Marrero riverfront, andeconomic activity augmented furtherwith the 1935 opening of the Huey P. Long Bridge In this manner,Marrero emerged in alateral fashion, without any one nucleus having been established at any one moment. Because of this informal origin, where we understand Marrero to be today had three names acentury ago. According to a1939 U.S. Geological Survey map,the toponym “Marrero” implied the Avenues A, B, Cand Dsubdivisions west of Harvey and east of Barataria Boulevard, whereas the names “Amesville” and “Walkertown” wereascribed to areas to the west, closer to Westwego.
CommunityofAfrican Americans Walkertownbegan when “Corrine Degree Walker,awidowed mother of 12 purchased land in the area in 1921 to raise her family,” said local historian Diane Coleman in a2009 interview with The Times-Picayune. “Walker’s children eventually purchased property around her own, and they slowly built acommunity of African American professionals, entrepreneurs and laborers.”
After the Greater New Orleans Mississippi River Bridge opened in 1958, the West Bank Expressway becameapipeline foreast-bank urbanites to seek new suburban lifestyles in places like Marrero. Truck farmsbecame tract housing, and by 1966, according to an updated USGS map,the name“Amesville” had disappeared entirely in favor of Marrero. “Walkertown” has seen arecent revival, thanks to a“WelcometoWalkertown” sign installed across from astreet renamed WalkertownWay Despite its lack of ahistorical nucleus, Marrero retains relics of its past. The name“Ames” remains forthe community’s central boulevard (and you can still buy Ames shovels at homeimprovement stores). Fourth Street still hosts that circa-1853 railroad corridor,and someold train cars may be seen among historic structures in and around Old Marrero.
The Marrero Land &ImprovementCompany remains active in the community from its office on the West Bank Expressway There’seven one last familyowned truck farm in the heart of Marrero, on Berger Street, while the name“Estelle,” formerly Estelle Farms, still graces the map to the south.
Richard Campanella,a geographerwiththe Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment, is the author of “The West Bank of Greater NewOrleans,” “DrainingNew Orleans,” “Bienville’s Dilemma,”and other books. He may be reached at richcampanella com, rcampane@tulane.edu or @nolacampanella on X.
ByTheAssociated Press
Today is Sunday,Aug. 10, the 222nd dayof2025. There are 143 days left in the year Todayinhistory
On Aug. 10, 2020, apowerful derecho struck several Midwest U.S. states, causing four fatalities and an estimated $11 billion in damage, making it the costliest thunderstorm in modern U.S. history
Also on this date:
In 1792, during the French Revolution, mobs in Paris attacked the Tuileries Palace, where King Louis XVI resided.
(The king was later arrested, put on trial for treason, and executed.)
In 1821, Missouri became the 24th state admitted to the Union.
In 1945, aday after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Imperial Japan conveyed its willingness to surrender provided the status of Emperor Hirohitoremained unchanged. (The Allies responded the next day,saying they would determine the Emperor’sfuture status.)
In 1969, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were murdered in their Los Angeles home by members of Charles Manson’scult, one day after actor Sharon Tate and four other people were slain.
In 1977, postal employee David Berkowitz was arrested in Yonkers, New York, accused of being “Son of Sam,” the gunman who killed six people and wounded seven others in the New York City area.
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed ameasure providing $20,000 payments to still-living Japanese-Americans who were interned by their government during World WarII.
In 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn in as the second female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, serving untilher deathinSeptember 2020
In 2006, British authorities announced they had thwarted aterrorist plot to simultaneously blow up 10 aircraft heading to the U.S. using liquidexplosives made to look like soft drinks.
In 2018, Richard Russell, a29-year-old airline ground agent, stole a commercial plane from Sea-TacInternational Airport near Seattle; he flew for 75 minutes, performing dangerous stunts while being chased by military jets before crashing into aremote island in Puget Sound, killing himself.
In 2019, Jeffrey Epstein, accused of orchestrating asex-trafficking ring and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, was found unresponsive in his cell at aNew York City jail; he was later pronounced dead at ahospital. (The city’smedical examiner ruled the death asuicide by hanging.)
Today’sbirthdays: Actor James Reynolds is 79. Rock singer-musician Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) is 78. Country musician Gene Johnson (Diamond Rio) is 76. Singer Patti Austin is 75. Actor Daniel Hugh Kelly is 73. Folk singer-songwriter Sam Baker is 71. Actor Rosanna Arquette is 66. Actor Antonio Banderas is 65. Rock musician Jon Farriss (INXS) is 64. Singer Julia Fordham is 63. Actor Chris Caldovino is 62. Singer Neneh Cherryis 61. Singer Aaron Hall is 61. Former boxer Riddick Bowe is 58. Actor Sean Blakemore is 58. R&B singer Lorraine Pearson (Five Star) is 58. Singer-producer Michael Bivins is 57. Actor-writer Justin Theroux is 54. Actor Angie Harmon is 53. Country singer Jennifer Hanson is 52. Actor JoAnna Garcia Swisher is 46. Singer Cary Ann Hearst (Shovels &Rope) is 46. Actor Aaron Staton is 45. Actor Ryan Eggold is 41. Actor Lucas Till is 35. Reality TV star Kylie Jenner is 28. Actor Jeremy Maguire is 14.
Dear Miss Manners: When my husband and Iwent to aprofessional baseball game, part of our ticket packagegaveusaccess to aspecial club at the stadium that features alarge buffet
We got to the clubshortly after it opened,about anhourbefore the game started, and alargenumber of people were alreadythere. There weren’tmany placesleft to sit, butwewereable to find atall table withfour chairs. After we’d finishedeating, but were still enjoying our beverages and chatting,another couplecameupand asked if we were saving thetwo other chairs for anyone. We responded that we were not, andthey decided to join us.
comfortable option than going to our seats.)
As theother couple was finishing up their meal, andIwas hoping they’d be on theirway, they greeted some of their friends and said, “Please, comejoin us.”
Iwas alittle annoyed,since we’d madesure that we were at theclub in plentyoftime to get the table. But, as seatswere at apremium, I didn’tthink there was much Icould do.
My husband and Icontinued with our drinks, and occasionally got uptograb asnack. (I should note that ourseatsinthe stadium were directlyinthe sun, so staying in theshaded club area overlookingthe game seemed like amore
Dear Heloise: M.W.writes thatsecuring her purse in ashopping cart withthe child safety straps works “unless theyalsotake the cart.”
When Iwas young (a good many years ago),I was holding my infant son and looking at greeting cards. Iturned around to discover that my cart was no longer behind me! We found it at the back of the market.
On this day, my husband (who was elsewhere inthe store) had not yet given me his cash as he usually did, and there were no credit cards. (This was along time ago.)
So, the thief only got an empty wallet from asmall diaper bag, completewith adirty diaper.But since this day, Ihave never put my purse in the shopping cart
Here are my solutions to finding my walletinmy purse: Ieitheruse asmall cross-body or asling bag thatiseasy tohandle. If
Iwas furious. Not only had thecouple overstayed their welcome at our table, but now they were asking all of their friends to join them
As four other chairs were pulled up, I looked at thewoman and stated sarcastically,“No, please, by all means.Take my chair.Iwas justusing it.”
Luckily my husband and Iwere able to find another table (and we removed all extraneous chairs), but it took awhile. How would Miss Manners have handled the situation?
GentleReader: Youwould likely agree were Miss Manners to say that theclub’spolicy is first come, first served. Butinaworld withmore people than tables, she does not agree that arriving early absolves you of any obligation to consider others.
She mentionsthis because she cannot help no-
Ineed abigger purse,I have asmall card case that holds just onecredit card in my pocket so Ican easily accessit. Ialsoonce left my wallet on the shelf of apay phone (as Isaid, along time ago), so now I useastretch cord to fasten my wallet to my purse when Iuse abigger purse. Although Imake it apoint never to lay the wallet on themarket counter,on occasion Ineed two hands. Butthis way,Ihave never lost another wallet. —Leslie Ann, in Aiea, Hawaii
ment, which was whereI lived nearly 20 yearsago. Youcould use the address of where you grew up or where arelative lives. Just make sure no one else knows theaddress. —Jim S., in Hattiesburg,Mississippi Nonperishablefood
ticing that the second couple’sbehavior seems to have changed: When they politely asked to join your table, you took offense. Youdonot mention if this showed in your behavior,but it seemslikely,asthe couple then neglected to consult you when their friends arrived —after which you actively insulted them
To answer your question: Miss Manners might have been disappointed that space was limited, but she would have behaved politely and shared the table —or, to put it in termsrelevant to the occasion, been agood sport about it.
Dear Miss Manners: Ihave an elderly friend who is awidow.I truly love her,but she texts me too much: often four texts in arow,day after day
How can Itell her in anice way to stop?
Gentle Reader: By setting an example: Answer at your own pace.
Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St Kansas City,MO64106.
One keyfactor is where you’re storing these items. Acool,dry place is usually best, whichrulesout basements andattics. —Heloise
Hotsummerdays
DearReaders: During these hotsummerdays, it’salways wise take achild or petwith youinstead of leaving theminahot car
Password idea
Dear Heloise: Ihave an idea to help people withtheir passwords. Use an address as your password —but not your own address. For example, Iuse the address of my first apart-
Dear Heloise: Idon’tknow where else to go for alist of nonperishable foods. My husband wantsto stockpile additional supplies,and we need alistof foods that will lastfor a long time in storage. —Lorraine B.,inDubois, Wyoming Lorraine, you can simply type in “foodsthat last for along time when stored” in thesearch bar of acomputer.Oryou can check out this website: TasteofHome. com/article/long-term-foodstorage-staples-that-lastforever/.
Foods such as rice, dried beans,honey,salt and dried seaweed have been found in ancient burial sites and were still edible. (Not that you’d want to eat them!)
thecorner lot now occupied by theBaton Rouge Police Department. It was demolished in 1979.
Cue the soundtrack: “They paved paradiseand put up aparking lot .”
Because, really,for alot of movie fans, that’sexactly what happened. Even movie critic, screenwriter and actor Rex Reed, in a2012 interview with The Advocate, recalled spending his Baton Rouge childhood Saturday afternoons sitting in front of the Paramount’s big screen, then walking across the street to eat at Piccadilly afterward.
So, it’sunderstandable that the palatial venue overshadowed the smaller Louisiana Theatre down the street. The Paramount Co. even bought out the old 1913 movie house at one point.
Still, there’sirony in the fact that the more modest Louisiana Theatre is the one still standing —with “1913” and “Louisiana” engravedinits facade.
Considered state of the art when it first opened boasting modern features as its own electrical generator and ventilation system, the building is still popular these days as home to the Basin MusicRoom. The New Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge, in a July 18, 1913, feature story preceding the Louisiana Theatre’sgrand opening, states, “Most picture shows are remodeled store buildings. This one is an imposing structure designed and built specifically as apicture theatre.” This statement is true.
Some may argue that the Elks Theatre, which stood at 318 Third St., also showed movies. That’salso true, but it was builtasa venue for live theater,and its foray into cinema didn’t begin until 1916 with arun of the now controversial “BirthofaNation.”
The Elks burned in 1923,
but its stage played arole in the legacy of community theaters in Baton Rouge —eventually leadingto the formation of the Baton RougeLittle Theater in 1946, whose name was later changed to Theatre Baton Rouge, which closed earlier thisyear
Meanwhile, the Louisiana Theatrewas specifically designed with moviegoers in mind. Itsventilation system was designed to draw heat upward and outward, and in hotweather,the article states, “electric fanswill be usedtokeep freshair in circulation, andduring the cold months amodern steam heat system will keep thehouse at an even comfortable temperature.”
The walls were painted in neutral colorssothey wouldn’t distract from the movie screen,and the theater’ssimply designed chairs were madeofsteel and mahoganyupholstered in “real Spanish leather.”
“The Louisianawill be operated byits own electric generating plant,” thearticle states. “This will furnish currentinabundance to ensure perfectclearness
of the pictures.Simplex projectors, thelast word in picture machines, will be used in this new house. They are equipped with lenses madeespecially for this theatre on account of its long throw.”
The Louisiana Theatre was managed by P.E. Coe and built by Jason A. Petty, who had offices in both New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
Andthough thetheater opened before talkies knocked out silent films, the Louisianaadapted. It closed its doors in 1954, which allowed plenty of time for it to introduce patrons to the likes of Clark Gable and maybe even Marilyn Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Andlots of Hollywood magic in between.
Do you have aquestion about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your questionto curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and thecitywhere you live.
TALKING BUSINESS Agencyseeksto strengthen state’sworkforce with one-stop initiative 3E
Louisiana is set to see more Gulf oil revenue 5E
BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer
The Rising Oaks subdivision construction site in Terrytown was buzzing with activity on arecent Thursdaymorning. Under ablazing sun, workers swarmed aroundeightmidcentury-modern-style houses underconstructionina neighborhoodthatmay eventually grow to 150 homes. Some workers were usinga giant crane to unload stacks of drywallpanels. Others were installing layers of waterproof material on aroof in anticipation of afternoon showers. The Rising Oakshouses are athrowback to 1960s
&
design,but under their shingles and behind their walls theyfeature constructiontechniques and materials that are verymuch of the moment,all designed to makethe homes more resilient during extreme weather.Each house has multiple water barriers on theroof,metal connections bolstering thewood framing, impact-resistant windows and morewindproofing measures.
The project is an example of how five years after fourhurricanes smashed through south Louisiana —causing billions in damage and spiking insurance rates —stricter building codes,new technology and the insurance industry’svoluntary “Fortified” homes building program arechanging the way somehomes get built in thestate.
BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
TimWilliamson has spent decades talking up the entrepreneurial promise of New Orleans. In 2000, he co-founded Idea Village, abusinessincubator that helped create alocal startupculture and gave early supporttosome of the city’smostsuccessfultech founders. More recently,he’sbeen promoting The Nieux, avenue on St. Charles Avenue that seeks to connect entrepreneurs with opportunity. So it struckachordwhen
Williamson, ever the optimist, took to Substackrecently andposted that he was “sounding the alarm” aboutthe challenges of living and starting abusiness in New Orleans. “For founders with families tryingto buildinNew Orleans —the math doesn’t work,” he wrote. Housing costs, sky-high insurance rates, school tuitionand ever-present infrastructure issues are all making entrepreneurship “financially impossible in practice.”
“Unless we do something, we’re going to lose thevery peoplewho make this city’s
future worthinvesting in,” he said. The missive served as thelatest rallying cry from along-frustrated business communitythat says New Orleans needs to do something —and fast —todiversify itseconomy,attract andretaintalentand halt an exodus of businesses from thecity
It arrived as local civic leaders areexpressing a renewed sense of urgency as the city prepares to elect anew mayor.Some of New Orleans’ most prominent
ä See CLIMATE, page 2E
What’snot clear is if projects like Rising Oaks are asign that every builder in the state is going all in on construction methods that couldmake south Louisiana saferduring storms, bringing down insurance rates in the process. So far,most of the developers who areadopting these super-strong “gold” methods are nonprofits —like Habitat for Humanity,Rising Oaks’ developer —that qualify for subsidies and, in general, are building affordable or workforce housing.
Getting the private sector to consistently build better,stronger homes —and at scale— depends on whether developers follow stricter new state buildingcodes andconsumers show willingness to spendmore money up front to potentially save in the long run.
ä See FORTIFYING, page 2E
“More resilient housing can address the insurance crisis, but you need the stakeholders all aligned: insurance companies, housing developers, the state and the homeowners,” said Will Cotten, of general contractor RNGD, which is driving pilings for a new development on the Lafitte Greenway for Providence Community Housing.
Going for gold
The Rising Oaks homes are being built to “Fortified Gold” specifications, a designation created by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, an industry nonprofit that promotes resilient building standards to prevent damage during extreme weather events and reduce claims.
Many in south Louisiana have heard of the group’s Fortified roof standards because of a state grant program that has provided $10,000 checks to help offset the cost of the more expensive roof option for more than 3,600 homeowners. The Fortified Silver and Gold designations, less common, expand the resilience to the entire structure.
Homebuilders that “go for gold,” so to speak, use various methods to harden a structure against high winds, depending on the type of home and location. Walls and framing are rigidly bolted to the foundation. Metal straps are used to connect the walls to the ceiling. Special windows, with plastic layers in between panes of glass, prevent debris from penetrating a home’s envelope
“All that goes into making the homes more robust and more rigid, so it’s highly unlikely we’ll see minor roof tearoff and other damage in a typical storm,” said Brady Garrity, one of the architects at Rising Oaks.
About 80,000 homes across 32 states now have some kind of Fortified designations, more than half of those in Alabama, according to the Insurance Institute. An industry study released in May showed that, after Hurricane Sally in 2020, Fortified homes in that state had far fewer claims than their counterparts.
The number of Fortified designations in Louisiana is smaller, but certainly bigger than it was a couple of years ago. The Insurance Institute said there are more than 8,000 Fortified roofs in Louisiana and more than 1,000 homes with a gold designation. The state also has over 200 Fortified multifamily buildings to date.
“It’s not surprising that roof
Continued from page 1E
leaders say they’re having conversations on the subject almost daily and that this time, things feel different.
“I hear it in every boardroom and meeting I walk into,” said Greg Rusovich, CEO of Transoceanic Development and a longtime civic leader “It’s all anybody talks about.”
‘Have to be practical’ GNO Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht said the perception that the business community is on edge and desperate for solutions to the gnawing problem of affordability is very real.
“I hear it in my role as economic development leader-slash-therapist,” he said. “I hear a lot of people’s hopes and frustrations.” Williamson said he penned his
ABOVE: Habitat for Humanity is building homes in Terrytown’s Rising Oaks subdivision to ‘Fortified Gold’ specifications, a designation created by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety in which various methods are used to harden a structure against high winds.
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
LEFT: Workers drive pilings at the site of a construction project near the Lafitte Greenway in New Orleans. Providence Community Housing is building 45 new houses on the property RNGD is the contractor
By RICH COLLINS
according to industry estimates.
Local luxury homebuilders say clients often opt for Fortified roofs, but rarely build an entire home to Fortified Silver or Gold standards because installing wind-resistant windows and doors on a large, new high-end home is prohibitively expensive.
is half the rate, maybe there will be more of a market for Fortified Gold.”
“As people realize insurance is half the rate, maybe there will be more of a market for Fortified Gold.”
designations are far outpacing gold, given the much larger existing home stock to be retrofitted,” said Fred Malik, the program’s managing director “We expect gold designations to grow steadily as Louisiana contractors become more familiar with the program’s requirements and documentation process.”
‘Proving this out’
For now, mostly nonprofit developers are seeking Fortified Gold certification
In addition to Habitat’s Rising Oaks, New Orleans-based Colmex Construction just completed 17 gold single-family homes for two different nonprofit clients in Gray, Louisiana RNGD is constructing 45 single-family homes for Providence along a two-block stretch on the Greenway
post after learning that a longtime friend and successful local startup founder is packing up for a place with lower insurance rates and better public schools because, quite simply, he can’t afford to live here with a family and a house.
“It was a like a gut punch when he told me,” Williamson said by phone Monday morning. “What struck me was that all the work we’ve done will be for naught if we don’t figure out how to keep people here.”
Williamson isn’t alone. Hotel broker and developer Lenny Wormser has also been putting his ideas on paper, sharing them with anyone who will listen. He’s so frustrated with the local business climate he considered a long-shot bid for mayor until his children threatened to disown him.
Like Williamson, Wormser has long put his faith in New Orleans and was president of the Young Leadership Council in the early 1990s, when it launched its signature “Proud to Call it Home” campaign
These days, he’s concerned, among other things, about red tape at City Hall that slows the permit-
And People’s Housing Plus recently completed four gold homes in New Orleans East that also have stormwater gardens and French drains to control flooding.
“We like to think of these houses as beautiful tanks,” said Colin Felsman, People’s Housing Plus director of housing development.
Providence communications director Lori Wilken said though there is an upfront cost to building to higher standards, the savings from insurance deductibles and potential casualty losses makes it “very advantageous.”
Creating a tension
The private sector, on the other hand, isn’t fully on board, in large part because of the added expense of building to Fortified standards.
For one thing, better building materials cost more, at least 15%
ting process and zoning issues that he says hinder development.
“The City Council spends 90% of its time on property issues and variances,” he said. “I get that people don’t ever want anything to change. But we have to be practical.”
Longtime arts supporter and public relations executive Jeanne Nathan has been equally vocal though about addressing a different facet of the local economy — the creative industries. She’s been working on a plan with support from the Downtown Development District and recently hosted a panel at the Contemporary Arts Center to discuss ways to make it easier for artists and musicians to live here and create an industry around them.
“We must recognize the power of our creative human assets and our century-old branding as a seminal, influential creative force and build on it as never before,” a draft of Nathan’s plan says.
Mayoral candidates are taking notice.
At a forum Tuesday sponsored by the Young Leadership Council, City Council member Helena Moreno acknowledged housing
Labor costs are higher, too, because there’s a shortage of qualified builders and certified evaluators, who must sign off on the projects to ensure they meet regulations. Additionally, building a home to Fortified standards makes life more complicated for contractors, who have to document many stages of construction using a small group of evaluators that is stretched thin.
Dan Mills, CEO of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans, said it’s also important to note that Louisiana updated its building code in 2023, enacting tougher new regulations that are close to the Fortified standards in some ways and among the best in the country
COLIN FELSMAN, People’s Housing Plus director of housing development
“We want to tell that story accurately because we know we are in the top five resilient building codes in the country,” Mills said. “If we provide that data to insurance companies, they are going to want to come down here and do business.”
“The documentation has to happen at very specific moments,” Felsman said “This creates tension with the contractors, who want to work fast.”
So what can be done?
Experts say part of the key to getting the private sector to build to Fortified standards is to increase awareness of the long-term savings that come from building a better house. The insurance quotes for one of the new 1,350-squarefoot houses that People’s Housing Plus just completed came in between $1,600 to $1,800 year, according to Felsman.
“That’s at least half the price for a normal house that size,” he said. “As people realize insurance
affordability is one of the reasons people are moving out of the city saying, “New Orleans is at a tipping point.” City Council member Oliver Thomas said he believes it’s important “to create an economic foundation in this community that builds on entrepreneurial plans and grows our middle class.”
State Sen. Royce Duplessis, DNew Orleans, said it’s important to keep young professionals in the city and engaged, challenging them with the question, “Are you going to be a part of changing the narrative?”
Improvements to build on Hecht said it isn’t all doom and gloom though, and there are tangible wins that residents should look to for hope.
The NOLA Coalition, for one, was formed three years ago, when the city’s crime rate was climbing to alarming levels not seen in two decades. In the years since, in part because of the coalition’s efforts to bring in a new police chief and push for other public safety reforms, violent crime is significantly down. Similarly when business and civ-
But the key to getting more builders to follow the new regs is better enforcement, which isn’t always easy in a cash-strapped state.
A new law, passed earlier this year, requires permits for reroofing, which means builders will have to follow rules about creating multiple water barriers. An additional benefit of that change is that cities and the state will be able to gather more data to use as leverage with insurers.
But all of that hinges on whether or not builders comply with the new rules.
Said Mills: “Enforcement is always the challenge.”
Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.
ic groups worked with City Hall on a focused plan to clean up the city and address certain infrastructure problems ahead of the Super Bowl, the results impressed even the city’s most hardened critics.
“When we get into a rhythm of teamwork and daily task focus, we are able to slowly and steadily improve not only our environment but our feelings about the place we live,” Hecht said.
Rusovich said the next mayor needs to engage with business and civic leaders in that same way to tackle the broader challenges at hand.
“Every single movement cannot be citizen-led,” he said. “You need strong political leadership, even just leadership that will work cooperatively It’s not rocket science.” Williamson said he posted his blog to “reignite a conversation” around the issues. Hecht said he’s tired of conversations.
“The issue is not about ideas,” he said. “It’s about execution.”
Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.
BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer
Louisiana is in the midst of a major overhaul in how it approaches workforce development. Overseeing much of those changes is Louisi ana Workforce Commission Secretary Susana Schowen. Under new laws, which were signed by Gov Jeff Landry after passing unanimously in the Legislature, the Workforce Commission will eventually serve as a one-stop shop for Louisianans seeking services like SNAP or child care assistance in addition to workforce training and unemployment benefits.
The goal of the “One Door” policy, Schowen said, is to help Louisianans get access to the social services they need while also connecting them to employment opportunities. As part of the changes, the agency will be rebranded Louisiana Works in October Full implementation remains a ways away The Department of Children and Family Services isn’t slated to hand over management of the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds, which pays for a range of services, to Schowen’s agency until 2027.
In this week’s Talking Business, Schowen discusses how the “One Door” policy will work and Louisiana’s biggest workforce challenges. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Tell us about the“One Door”policy and how it will work. What we’re focused on is developing a case management system where when somebody needs assistance in the state of Louisiana they can come to one place meet with an employment counselor — so the focus is always on helping that person reach self-sufficiency — build
Under the leadership of Secretary of Louisiana Workforce Commission Susana Schowen, the Louisiana Workforce Commission will eventually serve as a one-stop shop for Louisianans seeking services like SNAP or child care assistance in addition to workforce training and unemployment benefits.
out a plan, and then provide them with the social services to get them over the barriers
Those supports might be access to child care, transportation, assistance with disabilities. They might need tuition paid so that they can attend a training program, or help with housing stability
A lot of our state agencies, particularly the federally funded ones, are built around programs, not around the people that we serve. So a lot of the work that we have been doing is trying to figure out who’s serving the same people and how can we serve them at the same time in the same place.
Louisiana’s unemployment rate in June was 4.5%. What does that mean for the work you do?
That’s a relatively low number and there’s a rule of thumb in economic development circles that an unemployment rate around 4% essentially constitutes full employment, meaning the people who are
currently unemployed are kind of moving between jobs and aren’t really available to necessarily take a brand-new job
We had 93,000 unemployed people in June. We also had 114,000 job openings.
We come fairly close to leading the nation in the number of job openings per capita and we do not tend to have enough unemployed people to fill those job openings. So, we have this issue where the math doesn’t work out
The question is then, like, what are we going to do about it? And we have to ask ourselves We’ve got low unemployment rates We’ve got all these jobs out there, and we are still one of the poorest states in the nation. And how do we have that grinding generational poverty that spurs so much of the misery and suffering in Louisiana at the same time that we’ve got all these fantastic jobs that are going unfilled.
The fundamental answer to that
question is the labor force participation rate.
That’s the percentage of the population that is either employed or actively looking for work.
Louisiana’s labor participation rate is around 58%. How do you improve that?
We are objectively doing worse with labor force participation than almost everybody else.
We overcome generational poverty by helping people become self-sufficient, earn good wages and support their families.
What are some of the biggest workforce needs?
We’re seeing a gigantic challenge in all of the skilled trades.
The Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance does a regular assessment of the skilled craft workforce. They projected they were going to need about 70,000 more skilled trade people over the next five years in just the Baton Rouge area.
The hub of industrial construction globally is here in Baton Rouge, and so we have a lot of support from the industry partners here.
You spent about 12 years helping Louisiana businesses train and recruit employees through Louisiana Economic Development’s FastStart program.What lessons did you learn from that work that you wanted to bring to the Louisiana Workforce Commission?
I came in with a lot of opinions of what we needed to do Under the Jindal administration, I spent so much time at the Louisiana Workforce Commission that people thought I worked here.
The first and most important thing that I wanted to do was really open this agency up to collaboration, with business partners, with other state agencies, with education partners and very much with our local areas.
We have 15 local workforce development boards. They don’t always get the recognition and the traffic that they need in order to really contribute to the communities in the way that they could We’re working on a lot of things with our local areas to help them get more recognition and to build standardization but foster local innovation
as well. The work of One Door really ties directly into our work with our local areas, because they are our on-the-ground service delivery operators.
What direction did Gov Landry give you when you took over as secretary?
The specific direction that he gave me was, “I want this to be a dynamic agency.”
This agency has not always had a reputation for being dynamic, change oriented, employer focused. He did have some specific guidance, a lot of which was really just around being more responsive to employers.
How can Louisiana better connect young people with employment opportunities?
We really do have a lot of excellent job opportunities in this state, but I don’t think we’re doing a great job of making sure that our young people know about them and we’re not doing a great job of connecting them to employers and industries in general in Louisiana.
The best way to connect young people with employers is with work-based learning programs, whether it’s internships or apprenticeships.
You’ve mentioned that there are lots of components of the Louisiana Workforce Commission that go unnoticed.Is there a program you want to spotlight?
As part of workers’ compensation, we have something called the Second Injury Board, which a whole lot of people are completely unfamiliar with.
The Second Injury Board is supposed to incentivize employers to hire people who have previously been injured on the job. Sometimes it is a bit of a concern for employers in hiring somebody who was previously injured because they’re worried that they may reinjure themselves.
The Second Injury Board provides some protections for employers. It’s almost like a reinsurance program for employers.
Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.
Thisarticle is Brought to youbythe Louisiana CommercialFisheriesCoalitionLLC
One of the most importantquestions in the Gulf is also, surprisingly,one thathasn’t had adetailed answer: whatexactly do predator fish eat? Species likered drum southern flounder,and spottedseatrout are importanttoboth the Gulf ecosystemand the recreational fishing economy, and knowing whattheyeat is keytomanaging them successfully Anew study from the Universityof Southern Mississippiishelping answer thatquestion with one of the most comprehensiveinvestigations of predator diets to date
Rethinking the Role of Gulf Menhaden
One of the headline findingsconcerns another importantspecies: Gulf menhaden Often viewedasthe keyfood source formany of thesepredators,the study finds theymay not be as central to thesepredatordietsas previously thought.
While menhadenare part of the mix, the study found no predatorspecies examined relied on them as aprimary food source. Instead, predatordiets were found to be incredibly varied and opportunistic, depending on whatpreyisavailable at differenttimes and in differentplaces Science Backed by Industry-Academic Partnership
The project wasfunded by the Science Center forMarine Fisheries (SCEMFIS),an academic-industry research initiativethat is part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry–UniversityCooperativeResearch Center program. SCEMFIS aims to reduce uncertaintyin
fishstock assessments and developtools for sustainable management–bringing together topresearchersand industry partnersto answerreal-world questions
InnovativeMethods Reveal NewInsights
Led by researchersDr. RobertLeaf and Dr Kevin Dillon, the studyusedatwo-pronged approach to analyzepredatordiets:
•Stomach contentanalysis based on a large databaseofpast fieldsamples,some dating back decades
•Stable isotope analysis, amodern technique thatexamines chemical signatures in predatortissues to reveal longer-term dietary trends.
This dual approach wasapplied to more than 30 predatorspecies,including reddrum, southern flounder,and spottedseatrout.
“When youlook at the information that we have,whatwefind is thatGulf menhaden areapreyitem—certainly,theyplayarole— but not to the extent of other prey items, which arealsovery important—in fact,more important,”said Dr.Leaf,who heads the university’sSchool of OceanScience and Engineering
According to Dr.Dillon, this method reveals “whether the fish waseating phytoplanktonorifitwas eating another fish thathad eatenphytoplankton,”helping scientistsbetterunderstand who eats what in the Gulf.
This studymarksthe first time thatstable isotope analysis has been used in astudy involving Gulf menhaden. An eight-minute YouTube video from the research team
bringsthe studytolife, taking viewers from fieldwork to lab analysis
Sustainable ManagementNeeds the BestScience Gulf menhaden support avital commercial fishery.They’re processed into marine ingredientsusedinaquaculture, pet food, and nutritional supplements while supporting hundreds of jobs in coastal communities
Ensuring their harvest is managed sustainably,based on the best science available, is essential forprotecting both ecosystemand the economy
No Silver Bullet in the Gulf Diet
The findingschallengethe idea of asingle “keystone” prey species –likemenhaden –dominating predatordiets in the Gulf Instead,the study reveals predators as opportunistic feederswhose diets shift withthe seasons,preyavailability, and environmental conditions.Crabs,shrimp, anchovies,and Atlantic croaker all emerged as importantcomponents of predatordiets often playing alargerrolethan menhaden. No predatorspecies overwhelmingly relied on asingle prey type. This has importantimplications forfisheries management, highlighting the complexity and resilience of food webinteractions rather than dependence on anyone link in the chain.
Thesefindingsarriveatacritical time for menhaden policy in the Gulf.Some advocacy groups have argued forharvest restrictions based on the assumptionthatmenhaden are aprimary food source forsportfish. Butthis newscience shows thatpredatorfish rely on abroad rangeofprey–and menhaden are just one piece of amuch larger puzzle. This suggests regulations shouldbebased on a comprehensiveunderstanding of the food web, not narrow assumptions
Science Driving Smarter Gulf Policy
This research comesonthe heels of Louisiana’s$1-million independentbycatch study, which found thatthe Gulf menhaden fishery is not amajor contributor to red drummortalityinstate waters.Together thesefindingsadd strong newdatatoguide fisheries policy.
As pressuremounts fordecisions rooted in solid science, this diet studyshows how modern research canchallengeassumptions andreshape ourunderstanding of the Gulf’s food webs “This study reinforces asimple truth— sound fisheries managementmustbe grounded in science, not assumptions, said BobVanasse,spokespersonfor the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition, acollective of menhaden fishermen, relatedbusinesses, andsupporting industries.“When research likethis is allowedtoguide policy, we getsmarter regulations,healthier fish populations,and stronger coastal economies. It’sproof thatdata-driven decisions work for both conservation and communities.”
look out for
Thebeach is my happy place, butIdoworry about encountering ashark while snorkeling or wading in the water Iknow from watching“Shark Week” programs that statistically it is unlikely Iwill be bitten by agreat white or any of its relatives, but Iam still fearful ofthe creatures when swimming.
Iwas thinking of these apex predatorswhile watching the Discovery Channel’smarquee event, and it occurred to me that while movies, documentaries and, yes, even “Dancing With Sharks” can be entertaining, you are far more likely to face afinancial predator. And considering the anti-consumer bend of the Trump administration,there will be numerous attacks that will bleed moneyfrom people’sbank accounts.
President Donald Trump has eviscerated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a once fierce watchdog that is now dropping consumer cases against companies and handling far fewer complaints. At the Federal Trade Commission, afederal appeals court recently blocked the agency’splans to makeiteasierto cancel recurring subscriptions or memberships. Here’salist of the most common land-based practices you should
Fool’sTake: Fizzy, snackydividends
Paydayloans: These are relatively smallloans intendedtoberepaid in full quickly,usually within afew weeks. Thelendingrequirements are relativelyminimal —typically just abank accountand proof of income. However,the loans often comewith fees thatcan effectively result in anannual interest rate of over 400% or more for atwoweekloan, trapping borrowersin avicious cycle of debt. Because many are still in afinancial bind afterpaying off theloan, theyend up taking out another loan.
Under Trump, the CFPB announcedinMarch that the agency would not “prioritize” aBiden-era rule that would have protected consumers againsta payday lender repeatedlytryingtowithdraw funds fromtheir depleted bank account,causingmultiple overdraft fees generatedbyinsufficient funds
Auto title loans: These are loans in whichyou use your car as collateral. If you fail to repay the debt, yourisk losingyour vehicle.These loans also carry high interest rates and impose short repayment periods.
Debt settlement: Watch out for companies that promise to work on your behalf, claiming theycan negotiate abetter deal to reduce your unsecured debts, such as what you may owe on acredit card. Forthose desperate to get out of afinancial hole, working with adebt settlement company can exacerbate the
situation. For example, borrowers are often told by these outfitsto cease communication withtheir creditors. But when you stop making payments to your creditors as apart of adubious debt-settlement plan, you are likely to triggerpenalties, higher interest rates and other fees.
This relief is not cheap. Ihave seen contractsinwhich borrowers werecharged several thousand dollars to settle their debt.Many consumersnever get the debt relieftheywerepromised. The debt-settlement industry has been plagued for decades by shady practices and outright scams that exploit consumers.
Zombie debt: Unscrupulous debt collectorscan trick consumers into paying off debtsthat are no longer legally enforceable.
Debt collectorshave alimited number of years in which they can sue someone for the past-due money.After thetime runs out,certain unpaid open-ended consumer debts, such as credit card debt,are considered “time-barred.”This statute of limitations means your old debt becomes uncollectible through the courtsystem. But if a consumer makes apayment, the “zombie debt”could be revived. Collection companies may tryto scareyou into paying when the debt is time-barred.
Pre-checked boxes: Youneed to look carefully for preselected options thatyou might not want, which add on extracharges, such as war-
ranty coverage Fake sales: This is when sellers advertise adiscount when the item has in fact been at that price for along time, or whenthey inflate the “original” amount to make the discount appear larger
Drip and surgepricing: They can alsohype alow initial price, then reveal additionalfees during the checkout process. With surge pricing, the cost spikes dramatically in response to demand, time of day or special events.
Afree trial that isn’t: Howmany times have youbeen offered something “free” but requiring a commitment, signing up for other services,orexpensive shipping and handling fees? Or when the company makes it nearly impossible to cancelthe free trial?
Negative option: Yousign up for a subscription —amagazine, consumer product or some service. Youlater decide it’snot worth the money.You try to cancel, but you can’tfind any contact information. Or youhave to call the company and you’rerouted to an automated telephone system that seems to have been specifically designed to wear down your resolve. The billing stops only after they take some action to cancel. That is where the “negative” part comes in.
Scams: There is so muchfraud draining people’sretirement funds and bank accounts, including the following: Ponzi, pyramid, affinity, pig butchering, romance, phishing andimpostorscams.
This is just apartial list. There are so many more ways consumers are hunted. With shark sightings, there are things you can do to reduce the chance of an attack, like being aware of your surroundings or avoiding the water at dawn, dusk or at night.
Following that logic, here are some steps you can take to avoid financial sharks. Avoid the wateratdawn, dusk or night: When afinancial crisis hits, it can take you to adark place where you are willing to try anything. Youmight see apayday loan as a lifesaver.However,these loans are atrap.
Don’t enter the waterifyou’re bleeding: Sharks can smell blood. Payday lending, for example, is an opportunistic business designed to prey on people who are financially flailing. Don’tget in this water Stay calm: Panicking in the water can signal distress to ashark. Similarly,financial sharks and scammers feed off your panic. You don’thave the money for abill, or you fear someone is trying to get into your bank account. Avoid making rash moves or taking the bait that forces you to act quickly Don’t swim alone: Ask for help if you don’tunderstand afinancial
Motley Fool
PepsiCo (Nasdaq: PEP) —a global beverage and snack giant with brands such as Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew,Quaker and SodaStream —islooking like a promising investment these days. The company has struggled lately,but its secondquarter earnings reportsurprised the market, beating analyst expectations. While growth was modest, it showed the company moving in the right direction.
Betterstill, PepsiCo is alongtime dividend-paying stock —one that has increased its payoutsfor 54 consecutive years. Those payouts have been growing at abrisk pace,too: The total annual dividend was recently $5.49 per share, up from$4.02 in 2020 and $2.76 in 2015.The dividend yield wasrecently ahefty 4.1%, meaning that investors will get paid asignificant sumwhile waiting for thecompany to more fully turn around. The yield is on the steep side because shares have slumped 20% over the past year,asPepsiCo faced near-term growth headwinds from tariffs and other factors. But over the long term, the company expects itscapital investments to deliver 4% to 6%
annual organic revenue growth and high-single-digit earnings-pershare growth.Additionally,PepsiCo has thefinancial flexibility to make strategicacquisitions as opportunities arise. For example, it recentlycompleted the purchase of functional sodamaker Poppi to accelerate the strategic transformation of its portfolio to healthier options.
Ask the Fool: Going public
What’sgoing on if acompanyraises $10 billion when it goes publicvia an initialpublic offering —when it’svalued muchhigher, sayat$50 billion? Whywouldn’tthe IPO raise $50 billion? —G.F., Canton, Ohio In many, if not most,cases, a
company will offer only aportion of its value to the public via an IPO. This is typically done to help early investors cash out some shares or because the company has plans for that money.The remainder of the shares will stay under theownership and control of insiders. If thecompany requires another cash infusion later,itcan sell more shares on the market via a “secondary offering.” Companies can also change their number of shares over time by issuing more shares or by buying back shares. When and whydocompaniesdecide to paydividends? —H.T.,Walnut Creek, California When companies are young and/ or growing rapidly,they often need to spend all their earnings in order to grow.Acompany might use its earnings to pay down debt, build morefactories, hire more workers, buy moreadvertising or acquire another company Over time, it may grow large and stable enough to have reliable excess earnings. At that point, management may decide to committopaying shareholders aregular dividend. Most often, that will be in the form of asum announced yearly and paid quarterly.Healthy and growing companies tend to increase their payouts over time, often annually.Tosee alist of promising stocks we’ve recommended, manyofwhich pay dividends, try our “Stock Adviser” service at fool.com/services.
Beyond isn’taplace —it’samindset. Andit’sabeliefthathas poweredusfor over80years We areJones Walker LLP,a firmdrivenbyanentrepreneurial spirit,adeepsenseofcommunity, and afierce determination to deliverexceptional serviceand valuefor ourclients
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
BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer
Oil and gas companies are bringing several new projects online in the Gulf, moves aimed at keeping production flowing offshore as older projects shutter and the Trump administration gives a stamp of approval to fossil fuels
The most recent project came online Monday when BP started production at three new wells connected to its existing Argos platform, expanding the amount of oil it can produce by as much as 20,000 barrels per day
Argos, BP’s first new platform in about 15 years, began producing oil in 2023 with the capacity to produce up to 140,000 barrels of oil per day, increasing the British oil giant’s output in the Gulf of Mexico by about 20%.
In January, Shell, the largest oil producer in the Gulf started production at its floating Whale development around 200 miles south of Houston. The facility has an estimated peak production of around 100,000 barrels of oil per day the company said.
Two other projects, in the Ballymore and Dover fields, started production in April, connecting new wells to existing platforms operated by Shell and Chevron. And in July, Beacon Offshore Energy said it began production at its floating facility in the Shenandoah field. The project has the capacity to produce up to 120,000 barrels per day
The Trump administration has sought to boost offshore oil and gas production across the U.S., including in the Gulf, which it renamed the Gulf of America, by easing regulations and ramping up the number of offshore lease sales.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump also signed an executive order repealing a Biden administration ban on drilling along most U.S. coastlines. The ban affected areas where drilling wasn’t underway and where drillers had few current prospects.
While the changes could increase output over time, they are unlikely to result in a significant near-term boost given how long it takes to begin production offshore, said Greg Upton, executive director of LSU’s Center for Energy Studies.
“Offshore production is a lot more stable, and there’s a lot longer time lags on things,” Upton said. “It’s not as nimble.”
The Trump administration has sought to boost offshore oil and gas production across the U.S., including in the Gulf, by
The Energy Information Administration said it expects crude oil production in federal waters in the Gulf to average 1.8 million barrels a day in 2025 and 1.81 million barrels a day in 2026. That’s an uptick
from last year, though lower than the peak of 1.89 million barrels a day in 2019. Even with a modest increase in production, Louisiana is expected to see a big increase in offshore oil and gas revenues from the federal government. That’s because of a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill that increases the cap on how much revenue Texas,
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama receive each year
Under previous law, 37.5% of offshore oil and gas revenue is shared among the four Gulf states, but the total amount is capped at $500 million per year Louisiana receives the most of the four amounting to $156 million for the past fiscal year
The change lifts the cap to $650 million for the next decade. The amount of revenue does not reach the cap every year, but it has done so for the past three years in row Louisiana could gain an extra $46
million per year, or $460 million over the next decade, if the cap is hit each of those years, according to estimates of revenues and production.
That funding must be used for coastal protection and restoration projects.
The law also requires 30 new offshore lease sales for the Gulf over the next 15 years.
Staff writer Mike Smith contributed to this report.
Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.
•42millionbarrels of liquidstorage capacity
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Gallagher,one of the world’slargestinsurancebrokerage,risk managementand consulting firms, has asignificantpresencein Louisiana, with arich history andadeep commitmenttothe local community. With roots in the statedatingback decades, Gallagher has grownintothe largest broker inLouisiana, providing awide array of services to businesses of allsizes acrossvarious sectors
“WhereIthink we areuniquelypositioned is thatwedon’t have that institutional mindset. We haven’talwaysbeen big.We’vealwayshad to be alittle morenimble, creativeand client-centric, said” Numa “Bumpy” Triche,regional president. “The result isthatwehavethe sizeand scale of anybody in the world, with robustdataanalytics and modeling capabilities. But our local operations arevery much integrated within the local market.”
Founded in 1927,Gallagher has expanded globally and reports $11.3 billion in total adjustedbrokerage andrisk managementrevenues in 2024 and amarket capitalization of $76.1billion as of January 30,2025.
Thecompanyhas aworkforce of nearly56,000 employees worldwide morethan 970officesglobally,and servesclients in over130 countries.
In Louisiana, Gallagher’s journeybeganwithanacquisition in Baton Rouge,which led to theestablishmentofofficesinNew Orleans and Monroe,Louisiana. Thecompanyhas strategically acquired local firms overthe years, integrating their employees and maintaining alocal focus. This growth has resulted in 18 officesstatewide and asignificant regional market share. Thecompanyhas grownits businessbyworking withpeople and organizations who sharecommon values and vision.
“Gallagher has one of thelargest operations within ourSoutheastregion in terms of our footprint acrossthe stateand the various markets, Triche said. “Atthe same time, we arealwaysclient-focused, withthe people in the statebeing the ones who work with the local teams and businesses. People work with us because we provide awhite-glove service experiencewitheasyaccessibilitytoour team and our broader tools and resources. We have invested heavily in areas relatedtodata analysis and forensicaccounting in order to provide the technical and detailed support to our teams.Whatwedoisoffer ourclients access to global expertise tailored to their needs.”
As proud as Gallagher is of its growth,theyare prouder to have been able to maintainits unique culture. This cultureissummed up in 25 tenets called TheGallagher Way, aset of shared values thatemphasize ethics, integrityand aclient-centricapproach. These values were articulatedbyRobert E. Gallagher backin1984and have sinceguided the company’soperations and relationships. Keyprinciples include providing excellentrisk managementservices,supporting and respecting colleagues, pursuing professional excellenceand fostering open communication. Thecompanyculturevalues empathy, trust, leadership and teamwork, with astrong emphasis on treating everyone with courtesyand respect
Gallagher’s commitmenttoLouisiana goes beyond business. The companyhas alocalpresence, with employees deeply embedded in the community.
“Our employees see theirclients at church on Sundays,play golf with them on Saturdays,and go to lunch with them on Wednesdays,” said William Jackson, ExecutiveVicePresidentof Gallagher’s SoutheastRegion and leader of the NewOrleans operation and the region’s specialtyproducts.Our local connection is akey differentiatorfor Gallagher,combining the resourcesand capabilities of alarge global firmwith the personalized serviceofa communitybroker.
“Weteam up withlocalpartnerstomakeevery communitywejoin a morevibrantone.Fromfundraisersfor localcharities to crawfishboils and hurricane relief,our officesgivebacktothe peopleand places in whichwelive. As we grow larger,wemaintain close ties to the communities we serve.
Gallagher serves adiverse range of industries in Louisiana,including manufacturing, agribusiness, public sector,higher education, aerospace, energy,entertainmentand lifesciences. Thecompanypositions itself as athought leader when it comes to riskmanagementguidance on topics suchascyber risks, healthcare,marine construction AI, social inflation and other influences thatimpactinsurance claim costs, leading to higher premiums and impacting the insuranceindustry’srisklandscape.The team prides itself on providing expertiseand insights on keyindustries and currenteventsimpacting this region.
WILLIAM JACKSON ExecutiveVicePresidentSoutheast Region, Gallagher
Gallagher is poised forcontinued success in Louisiana,driven by its strong values, localfocus and expertise in keyindustries. Thecompany’s emphasis on client-centric service, combined with its global resources, positions it as atrustedpartner forbusinesses andindividuals seeking insurance, risk managementand consulting solutions.AsGallagher continues to grow and adapttothe evolving needsofthe market its commitmenttothe local communities remains acornerstone of its identity
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Heavy rain, high humidity and poor drainage make mosquito haven
BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer
In Louisiana, even a stray bottle
cap can become a mosquito nursery
That’s because a mix of ideal conditions make the state one of the most mosquito-prone places in the country
“There are five reasons mosquitoes are really bad here: rain, humidity temperature, soils and the diversity of habitats,” said Kevin Caillouet, director of the St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement District.
Mosquito breeding conditions
Louisiana gets about 70 inches of rain each year. Its flat clay-heavy soil slows drainage, creating puddles and ditches where mosquito larvae can hatch. In warm weather, mosquitoes can complete their life cycle in as little as five to seven days about half the time it takes in cooler climates.
Those conditions, Caillouet said, create the perfect environment for a surge in mosquito reproduction as temperatures rise.
“The warmer it gets, the faster they develop,” he said.
A range of habitats
The state’s varied landscape supports around 60 mosquito species Coastal marshes pine forests, hardwood swamps and urban stormwater systems each offer different breeding environments. That means mosquitoes can thrive at different times and in different places throughout the year
On the northshore, aging septic systems sometimes leak into roadside ditches. That can kill mosquitoeating fish and allow mosquito populations to grow unchecked.
Among the most concerning species is Culex quinquefasciatus, the southern house mosquito, which thrives in polluted water found in ditches and is the state’s primary vector of West Nile virus.
West Nile is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito and can cause fever, headache and fatigue. In more severe cases, it can lead to inflammation of the brain or spinal cord, and sometimes longterm neurological complications or
death. The virus is typically passed to mosquitoes from infected birds.
As of mid-July, the state had reported five cases of neuroinvasive disease and four cases that presented with fever, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The number of human West Nile cases in Louisiana is second only to Arizona, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In St. Tammany, virus activity was three times higher than at the same point last year, said Caillouet.
A lengthy season
Climate change appears to be extending the mosquito season. In 2022, New Orleans recorded 275 “mosquito days,” when temperature and humidity levels fell within the insects’ ideal range, according to a report from Climate Central. That’s 11 more days than the average in the 1970s.
Although extreme heat can slow virus replication inside mosquitoes, warmer nights and an extended warm season means mosquitoes stay active longer, said Aaron Ashbrook, an entomologist with the LSU AgCenter Surveillance
The conditions create a “never-
ä See MOSQUITOES, page 2X
BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer
Nurse practitioner Anne Griepsma and her sister, Dr Alice Babst, have worked together in obstetrics and gynecology, taking care of women for years. The Lake Charles sisters’ dedication to their patients and health care is matched only by their caring bond for each other Now, they share organs too.
In the eighth grade, Griepsma was diagnosed with lupus and underwent kidney biopsies and chemotherapy to manage her symptoms. She was in remission for the next 25 years. Then, in March 2023, after going on vacation, 47-year-old Griepsma was having trouble breathing. She was dizzy on the plane and close to blacking out. Instead of going home like she wanted, her friends drove her straight from the airport to the emergency room.
“I went to the emergency room, begrudgingly,” Griepsma said. “I found out that I was in complete kidney failure — heart failure, too. I had COVID. I had pneumonia.” The doctors confirmed that her lupus was flaring up and Griepsma was sent home from the hospital. Two days later her hands and feet turned purple. She was soon on her way to Ochsner in New Orleans for treatment and emergency surgery for a perforated colon.
Griepsma started dialysis three days a week and still worked fulltime as a nurse practitioner at CHRISTUS Ochsner Lake Area Hospital, where the sisters work
ä See SISTERS, page 3X
BY EMMA NELSON
The Minnesota Star Tribune
MINNEAPOLIS Andrea Engdahl remembers the first time she said the words, 25 years ago.
“I want to be a midwife.”
She was pregnant with her first child at the time and exploring her health care options A nurse midwife, she discovered, was a registered nurse who delivers babies and cares for women from puberty through menopause.
Eighteen years later — after leaving her early childhood family education job, raising her kids and eventually earning a nursing degree to work as an RN, including in obstetrics — Engdahl graduated from midwifery school
Now 49, Engdahl sees patients at M Health Fairview Clinic-Riverside and delivers babies at Masonic Children’s Hospital.
In an interview edited for clarity and length, Engdahl shares what it’s like to be in her shoes. What does a nurse midwife do as compared to an OB-GYN?
We are not surgeons, first of all, and we are specialists in lowrisk pregnancy But in addition to pregnancy, we do full, well-woman care similar to what a women’s health nurse practitioner would do. We care for women from puberty through menopause, which I think is surprising to a lot of folks. They think that they can come and have their babies with us, and then they’re like, “OK, well, I’m never going to see you again, because I’m not having babies.” And we’re like, “No, no, please come back! We can take care of you.”
How is a normal day on the job for you?
I work in the clinic, and that’s just a regular 8-4 day where I am seeing patients for prenatal visits, for annual exams, for gyne-
cology visits. And then I also have a call day
Most midwives work either 12hour call shifts or 24 — we actually prefer 24 in my practice — but a call day is kind of a wild card.
We’re seeing the postpartum patients. So we go, and we round on our patients that had babies in the previous 12 to 72 hours to set them up and get them ready to go home. And then we are also, of course, triaging patients. So preterm labor patients who come into the hospital with severe nausea and vomiting and then also patients that are in labor
Why do you prefer a 24-hour shift?
I worked night shift for many years, so being awake for 24 hours was not something new to me when I came to this job. But there’s a lot of continuity of care for patients when you’re with them for a full 24 hours. If we have downtime, we can be in our own quiet space and take a nap or work on whatever projects we have going on.
Normally, we’re not on our feet, patient-facing, for 24 hours. I have had days like that, and they’re tough, but they’re pretty few and far between But also, you’re working on adrenaline at that point, and you’re just emotionally invested in your patients and the things that are happening It’s amazing how quickly 24 hours can go when you are actually working for the full 24 hours.
There’s no guarantee a patient’s OB-GYN will actually deliver the baby. Is it the same for nurse midwives?
We have seven midwives on our team, and we take turns doing 24hour call shifts. We encourage our patients to try to meet everyone throughout their pregnancy so that when they come to have their baby, they’ve got a familiar face there with them It’s pretty
rare that I go into birth with a patient that I haven’t met before. It does occasionally happen, and those days, I get to work really hard at relationship-building in a very short amount of time.
How is delivering with a nurse midwife different from an OB-GYN?
We just have fewer patients in our care, so we’re able to spend more time educating and getting to know our patients really well Not that OB-GYNs don’t do that: We work with a lot of amazing OB-GYNs who are able to really do that in a short amount of time.
You’ll find a midwife at the bedside more often, and we don’t run
in at the end, normally, to just catch the baby We are generally there with our patients through much of their active labor and are just able to be more present. What do you wish you’d known before your first delivery?
Having worked as a high-risk nurse, it was really important to me that I learned to trust normal, physiologic births. I want my patients to trust themselves and trust their body, but I needed to really learn that, as well, as a midwife — that truly, it is possible to have an uncomplicated pregnancy and birth.
Also, just the power and the re-
silience of birthing people is so amazing. From teenagers through women in their later birthing years, it’s amazing to me, always, how even when people don’t think they can do it, they step up, and they are amazing. I always say if I ever stop being amazed at this process, I would need to find a new job. How many babies have you delivered? I would guess it’s several hundred at this point, but I don’t keep a count. It’s something I always said I would do, and it just — at the end of the day you just want to go to sleep sometimes.
Five things to consider before mixing
BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer
Walk down the health aisle of any pharmacy or grocery store and shelves are packed with supplements promising everything from better sleep and stronger immunity to constipation relief and diabetes control.
With so many options, it’s easy to wonder: Is it effective? And is it safe?
The Food and Drug Administration defines dietary supplements as products that include dietary ingredients, such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and enzymes. These are often sold as pills, liquids powders, gummies and more. Doing the homework before adding a supplement to a daily routine takes a little extra time, but could prevent a variety of health issues. Here are five things to consider: Supplements aren’t regulated
Assuming that if a supplement is sold in a store, it must be safe and effective, is not necessarily the best course of action. Unlike over-the-counter and prescription
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ending battle” for Louisiana’s mosquito control experts, said Ashbrook, but the state has extensive local coverage through parish mosquito control districts and partnerships with pest management firms. Those programs use surveillance traps and virus testing to inform when and where to spray Experts say prevention starts by surveilling your property for any mosquito breeding grounds.
“Anything that can hold water can breed mosquitoes,” Ashbrook said. That includes clogged gutters, plant saucers, tarps, toys and birdbaths.
To protect against bites, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends using only insect repellents with an EPA registration number which means they’ve been tested for safety and effec-
drugs, supplements don’t undergo the same rigorous testing and approval process.
“Supplements are very poorly regulated. They’re not regulated by the FDA in any way,” said Dr George Therapondos, a Louisiana hepatologist and liver transplant surgeon. “We have to look at two things: whether they’re actually achieving what they claim to achieve, and whether they’re causing any harm.”
This lack of oversight and regulation means manufacturers aren’t required to prove their product is effective. This isn’t to say supplements never work.
“Vitamins, however, are definitely not dangerous unless taken into excess,” Therapondos said.
For instance, people who have undergone the weight loss procedure bariatric surgery may require a multivitamin and other supplements to prevent certain nutrient deficiencies And if blood testing indicates a deficiency in vitamin D, doctors may recommend taking a vitamin D supplement
Beware of bold claims
If a supplement claims to be a miracle cure, proceed with caution
“In reality, the majority of supplements probably underperform in terms of what they’re
tiveness. Products with ingredients like DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus and 2-undecanone are all proven to protect against mosquito bites. Oil of lemon eucalyptus and DEET in concentrations over 30% should not be used on children under 3. Loose-fitting clothing can provide an added barrier Mosquitoes have an easier time biting through tight-fitting clothes, said Ashbrook.
Common essential oil ingredients used to repel insects include citronella, geranium, peppermint, rosemary and soybean oil. These ingredients are typically deemed safe but have not been approved for effectiveness by the EPA. Essential oil-based repellents may provide some benefit but tend to wear off faster in heat and humidity, requiring more frequent reapplication, said Ashbrook.
Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.
trying to achieve,” Therapondos said. “In terms of causing harm, I would say most of them are probably relatively harmless, but because supplements are so prevalent — and so many people think that buying something easily over the counter is going to help them in their lives — it becomes harmful overall.”
By law, supplement labels cannot claim to treat or cure diseases. Instead, they promise vague improvements such as “promotes circulation” or “supports immune health.” These claims often simply allude to limited evidence about a specific ingredient rather than a proven health outcome.
“Just because the bottle says it’s natural doesn’t mean that it’s harmless, he said. “Snake venom is naturally occurring, but it’s not safe Don’t be fooled by this natural thing.”
Keep in mind that marketing buzzwords like “superfood” or “all-natural” can be misleading, too. Natural does not always mean safe.
“Things like turmeric can cause some injury Niacin can cause some injury Even green tea extract and green tea in general, is a safe thing. But if you take extract in very high doses, there is a potential to cause an injury,” he said. “And the injury actually is very unpredictable.”
medications
Supplements aren’t safe for everyone. Certain ones can interfere with medications in serious ways — either making a medication less effective or increasing its potency to a dangerous level.
“The only implication we see sometimes in transplants are some of the nonprescribed supplements interacting and reducing the efficacy of immunosuppression — the anti-rejection medicines for transplants,” Therapondos said.
For example, St. John’s Wort can make birth control and blood thinners less effective. And ginkgo biloba can interfere with blood thinners and platelet medications, increasing the risk of bleeding, according to Houston Methodist Hospital.
Not what they claim
Because supplements aren’t closely regulated, what’s on the label may not actually match what’s in the bottle.
For instance, a 2017 study tested over 30 different melatonin supplements and found that the actual melatonin content varied widely — some had 83% less than what was listed on the label. Others contained up to 478% more.
What’s more, one-quarter of tested melatonin supplements
contained ingredients other than melatonin.
Some supplement brands voluntarily seek third-party testing to verify their contents. If choosing a supplement, look for products that have been certified by an independent third-party laboratory such as ConsumerLab, NSF or USP Alert doctors
“From time to time, we do see supplements that cause liver injury that can range from a minor elevation in liver tests to high bilirubin to a lot of liver inflammation, and sometimes, very rarely, liver failure. Most of the supplements are close to impossible to predict how the body will react,” Therapondos said. “I think the majority of problems we see tend to be with supplements that are taken for performance enhancement.”
He also emphasizes the importance of keeping doctors informed of the supplements in a person’s diet — including how much — to ensure they don’t interfere with existing medications or health issues. If considering supplements, use the golden rule of medicine: consult a doctor first.
Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.
A story Sunday July 20 2025, misstated child life specialist Olivia Bourgeois’ place of work. She is employed by Ochsner Children’s The Advocate and TimesPicayune regrets the error
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and re-examining tried and true methods on ways to live well.
Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.
BROUGH TT OY OU BY
Thisweek’scolumniswrittenbyBrittanyCraft,RDN,LDN,wholeadstheEatFitnonprofitinitiativeatOchsnerHealth.
WhenmydaughterNorawas born,oneofthethingsIlooked forwardtomostwasintroducing hertorealfood.There’snothingsweeter thanthosefirsttastes—whetherit’saface ofsurprise,puckeredlipsorajoyfuldeath griponthespoonreachingformore.But babyhoodisfleeting.Beforelong,Ifound myselfnavigatingtoddlerhood,where strongopinionsaroundfoodcanemerge —andthepossibilityofraisinga“picky eater”becomesveryreal.
Asaregistereddietitian,foodplays abigroleinmylife.Ilovefood.Ilove talkingaboutit,cookingit,sharingit andIwantedmykidstoloveit,too.So,I begantoexplorewhatleadingpediatric dietitiansrecommendforraisinghealthy, adventurouseaters.I’veadoptedthose evidence-basedstrategiesinmyown home.
We’renotperfect.Noradoesn’teat everything,andyes,sometimeswebreak the“rules.”But,forthemostpart,our mealtimesarepeaceful,pressure-free andfilledwithgrowingcuriosityand enjoymentaroundfood.
HereareafewthingsI’velearnedto helpkeepfood-relatedstressoffthetable atourhouse.
Createalow-pressuremealtime environment Onekeytoavoidingfoodbattles iscreatingacalm,low-pressure environmentaroundeating.Registered dietitianandfamilytherapistEllynSatter developedthewell-knownDivisionof Responsibilityinfeeding,aframework widelyrecognizedasbestpractice forhelpingchildrendevelopahealthy relationshipwithfood.Inthismethod, parentsdecidewhenandwhattoserve formealsandsnacks.Childrendecide
BY
whetherandhowmuchtoeatfromwhat’s offered.
Inpractice,thismeansoffering structuredmealandsnacktimeswitha varietyofnutritiousfoods—includingat leastone“safe”foodyourchildusually enjoys.Iftheyaskforsomethingelse,a gentle“I’msorry,that’snotonthemenu today”isallthat’sneeded.You’reincharge ofthemenu;they’reinchargeoftheir appetite.
Toddlersareespeciallynotoriousfor eatingverylittleatsomemeals.Let them!Theirintakeusuallybalancesout naturallyovertime.Avoidpressuringwith commentslike“justthreemorebites or“finishyourvegetablesfirst.”Instead, encouragethemtotuneintotheirhunger andfullnesscues.
Sticktoasnackscheduletoavoid constantgrazing.Snacksshouldresemble minimeals.Ilikethe“protein+produce” formula:stringcheeseandsliveredgrapes, yogurtandberries,orhummuswithsliced veggiesasdippers,forexample.
Stayneutral
Keeplabels—aboutfoodandyourkids —outofmealtimeconversations.Instead ofsaying,“Noradoesn’teatthat,”wesay, “she’sstilllearningtolikeit.”Wealsoavoid “yucking”someoneelse’s“yum.”Ifwecan’t commentkindlyaboutsomeoneelse’s foodchoiceorcombinationoffoodsthat
weperceivetobestrange,we choosetostaysilent Whenyourchilddoestryanew food,staycalm.Youmaywantto doahappydanceinyourchair butresisttheurge.Instead,askfor theirthoughts:Howdidittaste? Isitsour,salty,sweet,creamy, crunchy?
Skipfood-basedrewards.Using dessertorsweetsasaprizecan makethosefoodsevenmore desirable.Instead,offertreats whenyoufeellikeit,without conditionsormorallabels.All foodscanfit.
Finally,ratherthancalling foods“good”or“bad,”focuson highlightingtheirnutritional benefitsinanage-appropriateway:This chickenhasproteintohelpyourmuscles growstrong!CarrotshavevitaminAto helpyoureyes!
familiaritywithnewfoods.Everyexposure counts!
Ifyouneedawaytoexplainwhysweets aren’tofferedasoftenasothermore nutrient-densefoods,considerusinglabels like“alwaysfoods”and“sometimesfoods.” Getkidsinthekitchen Yes,itcanbemessy,butgettingkids involvedinmealprepisoneofthebest waystogrowadventurouseaters.Handsonexperiencewithsomethingnewcan removebarrierstotryitandhelpscreate
MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.
In Louisiana, 41% of adults reported getting fewerthan7 hours of sleep per nightonaverage, according to Louisiana CountyHealth Rankings.
less than 7hours of sleep per night on average.
Childrenoftenneed10-15(ormore) exposurestoacceptanewfood.Offeritin differentformsandoccasionallyletthem helpdecidehowit’sprepared:Rawor roastedcarrotsfordinnertonight?Should wetrygarlicpowderorcinnamonontop? Keepservingthenewfoodwithout pressure,anddon’tforgettomodelthe behavioryouwanttosee.Aimforvariety inyourmealsandtrynewthingsyourself. Showyourkidsthatyou’restilllearning andexploringfood,too.
Bepatient
Feedingkidswellmeansplayingthe longgame.Youmightseesmallwins orsetbacks—daytoday,butprogress happensovermonthsandyears. I’velearnedthatmealtimescanbefun, interestingandevenjoyful.I’mexcitedto continueexploringtheworldoffoodwith mylittlefamily,onebiteatatime.
night on average, Rankings cientsleep,de nightonaverage, the bodyand its health. and injury,
Insufficient sleep, defined as getting less than 7hours of sleep per night on average, can severely impact thebodyand itshealth.
In the shortterm, alack of adequate sleep can affect judgment, mood, ability to learnand retain information, andmay increase the risk of serious accidents andinjury, according to Harvard Medicine’s Division of Sleep Medicine.
If lack of sleep persists, people are more likely to develop longlastingconditions including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even early mortality
Claiborne and Carroll have the highest
Claiborneand East Carrollhave thehighest rate of insufficient sleep among adults with 48% reporting
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together in Lake Charles
“It was very,very emotional,” Griepsma said.“I remember telling my sister, ‘I don’twant to do this anymore.’ Everything just kept happening over and over again.” Babst, however,onlyadmired her sister’scontinued strength.
“Who do you know that’s doing dialysis, working with an ostomy and going to Orangetheory?” Babst said. “She just kept persevering and pushing through it.” In April 2024, just over a year after starting dialysis,
Claiborne and EastCarroll are followedinthe rankings, in descending order,by: n Madison and Tensas parishes with 47% adults reporting lessthan 7 hours of sleep per night on average; n Morehouse Parish with 46% adults reporting lessthan 7hours of sleep per night on average; n Bienville, Red River and St. John theBaptist parishes with 45% adults reporting lessthan 7hours of sleep per night on average.
n Beauregard Parish adults, on average, getthe most sleep each nightwith just 37% of adults reporting fewerthan 7hours of sleep pernight.
with per night. the
Beauregard Parish is followedin theLouisiana rankings, in ascending order,by:
n Acadia, Lafayette and Livingston
Griepsma started the transplant process. With over 100,000 people in theUnitedStates waitingfor alife-savingorgan transplant, Griepsma turned to family.At Ochsner,about 30% of kidney transplant patients receiveorgans from living donors, either someonethey knowora total stranger.Ofthe family’sfive sisters tested for compatibility,Babst wasthe closest match “Mysisterhad alot of guilt thinking someone was going to have to do this for her,” Babst said. “Butasa sister, seeing your sister go through dialysisthree days aweek and being wiped out completely it’snot even a question.”
The morning of thesurgery in September2024, after 18 months of dialysis, thedoctorstook Griepsma to surgery first to determine whetherher body couldtake atransplant. She went under anesthesia not knowing if she was going to wake up with anew kidney
“Going into it,Iwas very anxious,” Griepsma said. “But Ifelt alittle bit of relief knowing that if they couldn’t do it,atleast we weren’tgoing to waste my sister’skidney.”
This is rare, according to Dr.Ian Carmody,akidney and liver transplant surgeon at Ochsner Health.Transplantsurgeons evaluate patientsbefore their recipient only in 1out of 100 or 1out
parishes with 38% of adults reporting lessthan 7hours of sleep pernight on average; n Allen, Calcasieu, Cameron,
of 150 transplants.
“In very few cases do we start therecipient operation and confirm thelanding zone and that everything we have to attach will be OK,” Carmody said. “Most of the time, we can evaluate before apatientand be very sure that we can go ahead.”
Oncesurgeons determined Griepsma was clear for the transplant, Babst was taken in for surgery The transplant was asuccess for both sisters. Babst was left with asmall scar on herleftsideand little pain She was back delivering babies in Lake Charles aweek later
After receiving her sister’s lifesaving kidney donation, Griepsma feltanimme-
and Vermillion parishes with 39% of adults reporting less than 7hours of sleep per night on
diate difference. “I didn’trealizehow greenish-grayIwas before,” Griepsma said. “My life is completely going back to normal —going to thegym and working full time.”
Carmody uses the case of the sisters to stress the importanceoflive donation,whichmakes up only 30 to 40% of all transplants through the United Network forOrgan Sharing or UNOS.
Louisiana is on the lower end of live donations, hovering at around 30% of all transplants, Carmody said. “Weneed to have moreand more live donors.The number of people waiting for a transplant is increasing,” Carmody said. “Live kidney donation is avery safeoper-
ation, often people are able to get out of the hospital the next day. They’re able to go back to work.” Babst wasn’tthe only family member Griepsma credits with herjourney to health. Her oldest sister,Mary,was Griepsma’s elected support person after surgery.Another sister took care of her twokids for twoorthreeweeksafter surgery.People brought her family meals. Friends stepped in to stay with her children when shewas in NewOrleans for over a month.
“It has brought our family —wewere always very, very close— but nowthere’s adifferent level of closeness,” Griepsmasaid.
7ways to protect yourselfand your family
Heatstroke,alsoknownas“exertionalheatillness,’’isaspecialhealth concernforathletesandforpeoplewhoworkoutsideinthesummer. Sweatingisourbody’swayofregulatingourtemperature.Buthigh humidity,likeweexperienceinLouisiana,makesithardertosweat.The goodnewsisthatwithsomesimpleprecautions,youcanhelpprotect yourselfandyourlovedonesfromthispotentiallydangerouscondition.
Followthese stepsto help prevent heat stroke:
Wearloose-fitting,cool,breathableclothing.
Planoutdooractivitiesduringcoolertimesoftheday,ideallyinthe morningandeveningwhenthesunisnotasscorching.
Drinkplentyoffluidslikewaterandlow-sugarsportsdrinksthat containelectrolytes.
Avoidalcoholasmuchaspossible,asitisdehydrating Protectyourselffromthesunwith“broadspectrum”or“UVA/UVB” protectivesunscreen,sunglassesandhatsthatprovidecoverage.
Knowyourlimits!Donotoverexertyourself,especiallyifyou’renot accustomedtoexercisingintheheat.Ifyoustartfeelingill,takea break.Don’tcontinuetopush.
Donot,underanycircumstance,leaveachildorapetinaparkedcar.
orfishing.
It’s
Ifyouhavethesesignsofdehydration,startdrinkingmorewaterand electrolytesuntilyoufeelbetter.Avoidalcoholandcaffeinateddrinks, whichcandehydrateyou.Ifyoudon’tfeelbetterwithin24hours,seeyour healthcareprovider.Andifit’sanemergency,call911
Canpickle juice help prevent muscle cramps?
affi
Weallknowweneedtodrinkplentyofwater,especiallywhenit’shotandhumid Butwhatifyou’reboredwithplainwater?Infusedwatercanmakestayinghydratedfunand delicious.Tryanyofthesecombinationsforrefreshinghydration.Addicefor achilleddrink
1tablespoonoffreshlemonjuice,6muddled blueberriesand1/8cupoffreshmint
16ouncesofwater;1/8cupofcucumber, peeledandthinlysliced;¼ofalemon,thinly sliced;and1/8cupoffreshmint
16ouncesofwater;1/8cupofcucumber, peeledandthinlysliced;3cubesofseedless watermelon;and1/8cupoffreshbasil
If youstill have upcoming summer travel plans,makethemmoreenjoyableby staying healthyusing these simpletips.
Usehandsanitizerontheplane,especiallybeforeeating.
Chewgumduringtake-offandlandingtohelpmitigateearpopping.
Didyouknowthatairplanecabinscanbedehydrating?Also,folkstendtodrinklesswater whilethey’reflying.Makesureyoubringabottleofwaterontheplanewithyou Iftheflightcrewallows,walkaroundontheplanetohelpavoidbloodclots.Avoidcrossing yourlegswhileflying,andconsiderwearingcompressionsocks.
Bringmedicationswithyouandsetalarmsonyourphonetoremindyouwhentotakethem. Bringover-the-countermedicationsontrips,suchasDramamineformotionsickness,ear plugsandeardropsforwater-cloggedears,dropsfordryeyes,firstaidkitsforcutsand scrapes,ImmodiumorPepto-Bismolfordiarrheaandupsetstomach,alongwithmedications forheadachesandseasonalallergies.
Manyathletespre-gamewithafewsipsofpicklejuicetohelpprevent musclecramps.
Drinkinganounceortwocanhelpstopcrampsfasterthanwateralone. Picklejuicehas20timesmoresodiumandeighttimesmorepotassium thantheaveragesportsdrink.Consideringthehighlevelsofsodiumand potassium,limityourselftojustafewsips.
Drinkingpicklejuiceshouldnotbeviewedasacure-all.Stretchingand hydratingaremoreimportant.
For the inaugural Louisiana Inspired ENCORE Awards, seven Louisianans over the age of 60 arebeing honored for their continued leadership, service to others, innovativeness andthe ways they inspire young and old.
Over the summer,readers across the state submitted nominations, highlighting neighbors, friends,family and mentors who hadn’tslowed down —people still doing meaningfulwork,still learning,still giving.
Areview panel consideredeach nomineeusing arubricfocusedoncommunity impact, innovation and service.
Theresult?Sevenindividualswhose lives remind us thatgrowing older doesn’tmean stepping back.Narrowingthe field of nomineestoseven wasa challenge. In thenewsroom,the exercise of learning so much about so many was
Encore Awards honorseven Louisiananswho provepurpose doesn’tretire
inspiring.The bigtakeaway: For many, purpose and passiondon’tfade.They expand.
The honorees arelaunching new projects, creating art, building things, mentoring others and teachingimportant skills. These people continue to take on fresh challenges, proving thatsecond and third acts can be just as richand rewarding as the first. In short,they continue to showup.
TheENCORE Awards aimtoshine a light on those who defy outdated ideas of aging —and in doingso, lift up the rest of us. These seven are reminders that curiosity doesn’tretire, and servicedoesn’t have an expiration date.
Each honoree will be profiled in Louisiana Inspired this week and next,with storiesthat explorethe workthey’ve done andthe livestheycontinuetotouch
The2025ENCOREAward winners are:
n Carol Fleischman, NewOrleans
n Eldridge(Butch) Gendron, St.Amant
n Sally Hebert, Lafayette
n Sal LaRock, NewOrleans
n JudgeCalvin Johnson, NewOrleans
n LoisKuyper-Rushing,Baton Rouge
n ShelleyThomas, NewOrleans
90-year-oldLouisiana life coachinspiresothers
BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer
Carol Fleischman did it big for her 90th birthday.Asshe should. She requested aglobal theme, from food down to decor,withthe Bruce DaigrepontCajun Band asentertainment at the DeutschesHausinNew Orleans. Herfriends and family followed tradition and brought pies for thecelebration.Pies have been Fleischman’sgo-tofor herchildren’s birthdayparties since shenever liked making cakes.
“I did my 90th birthday in grand style,” Fleischman said, “and people said, ‘Oh, well, invite us to the 100th.’ AndIsaid, ‘No, it’s one yearatatime andone day at atime.’ Idid not plan to have any more big celebrations. I thinkwedid it well enough.”
While the nonagenarian aptlycelebrated her birthday,she’smostly used to celebratingother people’slives as acertified life coach who helps individuals positively recall and live their lives. More than 200 people have par-
ticipatedinher Cycles of Life Legacy program, which includes afive-step process of recallingand recording life memories in seven-year cycles in groups of 6to12people.The approach is based on the 7-year cycle theory, which suggeststhatsignificantlife changestend to occur in seven-year intervals. Participants leave the program with awritten statement that illuminates thesignificanceoftheir lives
“People go away witha story that tells what their great strengths and qualities are —and also what contributions theyhavemade to the world,” Fleischman said. Susan Burge, whonominatedFleischman forthe LouisianaInspired Encore Awards,wrote thatFleischman’s No.1goal is to help others become optimistic
“She often asks, ‘What if everyone in the world operatedout of whatisgood in their lives?,’ ”Burgewrote. “Certainly,for anyone of anyage, being impacted by majorchange(s)and adjusting to newliving circumstances of anykind, recallingthe ‘best of times’
and living outofpositivity,which is thecore of Carol’s program, has proven tobea powerful, positive practice.”
From WisconsintoNew Orleans At 90, Fleischman is sharp as atack.
ä See LIFECOACH, page 2Y
JanRisher
Not long ago, Iwas reminded of an oldepisode of “This American Life”—one I’ve returnedto more thanoncesinceitoriginally airedin2013. In it, SarahKoenig, the episode’s producer,shares hermother’s“seven rules of conversation.”Her mother,Maria Matthiessen, admittedly broke herown rulesonoccasion and was generally forgiving with others, but she reminded her family of the rulesona regular basis. Matthiessendidn’tinvent the list. She learnedthe rules from aFrenchfriend, which, in Louisiana,makes the list feel even more official. The reasoning behind the rules of conversation, according to Matthiessen, is that, “Nobody cares”about these specific topics. The topicsaren’twhatyou might expect —not politics, religion, or death. Instead, they’re the everyday things many of us bring up without thinking. To each one, Matthiessen has the same reply: “Nobody cares.” Howyou slept? Your dreams? Your money? Your diet? Your health?
“Nobody cares,” says Matthiessen. According to the episode, Matthiessentakes the list seriously andaddedtwo items to the originallist —health and route talk (explaining whichroads one took to getsomewhere and that someone cuthim off on the exit or thatsuchand suchroad was closed,etc.)
Clearly,Iloved the episode —12yearslater,I’m still talking, thinking, andwriting about it, partly because the idea of a mother admitting she didn’tcare aboutsomething felt so revolutionary to me. Certainly,Icould notimagine my mother saying anyofthis.
At onepoint, herdaughter asks, “Wait, when Icall you and I’m sick, areyou saying you don’t care?”
Hermotherexplains that if she’s seriously ill, of course, she cares,but minoraches and pains? Notsomuch.
My ownmother,tothis day, hangs on everywordher childrensay.Idonot take this kind of love andlistening forgranted. Evenwith ourchildren now young adults, Istill find myself striving to be more like her.
But everynow andthen, Matthiessenbreaksinto my brain especially when route talk starts, herNo. 1conversational no-no.
EvenRobertRedford —yes, thatRobertRedford —wasn’t exempt.
In the episode,Koenig and Matthiessenreview the list and even tell aboutthe time Robert Redford drove to their home for avisit. Shortly after his arrival, he did the unthinkable. He told themabout his drive to Long Island fromManhattan. He gotlost. He got aticket. Someone recognizedhim.
Matthiessensaidthe drive takestwo hours andthatRedford practically took two hours to tell the story
“Was he dead to you after that?” Koenig asked.
“Pretty much,” hermother replied.
Perhaps this oldradio episode hasremainedtop of mind because ourfamily hashad a chronic route talk violator.Now thatour childrenlive in different statesand time zones, we often catch up on the phone during commutes.
With oneparticularfamily member,weoften get adetailed,
ä See RISHER, page 2Y
SalLarockturns passions into opportunitiestohelp community
BY COURTNEY LUCIUS Staff writer
Amite native Sal Larock has served his community as an educator,volunteer,gardener and more for decades. Starting in Jefferson Parish schools as aphysical education coach, Larock spent over 40 years working in Jefferson Parish schools as ateacher, principal, operations manager anddirector of community education.
Post-retirement, Larockremains active with the Caesars Superdome, is the sole caretaker of the 250 “knockout” rose bushes at Lafreniere Park and works with Concord Shore Servicesasthe voice welcoming people on Carnival Cruise Lines and aiding peoplein wheelchairs. As amember of Dawn BustersKiwanis Club, Larock volunteers with the Rewardsfor Reading program and created the mascot, Rockythe Rooster, to bring to presentations. Larock hascontinued to serve, lead and inspire his community, turning his passions into opportunities to help people around him.
This interviewhas been edited for length and clarity
How do you define aRenaissance man?
Wasityour goal to be one?
ARenaissance man has pride, passion and proper purpose giving back. Youwant to give back because there are so many opportunities because seniors don’ttake advantage of things. Ican show you wherea lotoffriendsdrink coffee in acoffee shop all morning talking about the past. Look at me, I’m talking about the future. We’re looking
Continued from page1y
Her voice is warm and light —much like her family’sfavorite raspberryapple pie. Her weekly schedule is consumed with Zoom meetings, phone calls and early morning exercise. Shecontinues to be,by all accounts, aforce to be reckoned with.
In her quest to help people positively age,she has done the same. She says that the key to aging well is to “do it with apositiveattitude, knowing that there’s hope and possibility in every day.” She added that taking care of yourself is important as well.
Through the trials and tribulations of her life, Fleischman’s daughter, Laurie Kramer,says her mother has always kept her positive attitude.
“As achild, it was always, ‘The futureisopen. The past is forgiven. Today is good.’ That was kind of my mom’smantra,” Kramer said.
Fleischman grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and attended aone-room schoolhouse with eight grade levels in the same space.
“By the time you graduated, you learned things eighttimes,” she said.
As achild, her favorite thing to do was read the National Geographic magazines that werestoredin herhouse. This practice inspired alifelong love of travel.
Butitwasn’t until her 40s that she traveled out of the United States for the first time. She parted ways with her husband and was the mother to ason and two daughters. At 45 years old, Fleischman attended Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio, to participate in an external degree program for two years. In 1978, she joined the Institute of CulturalAffairs and worked on community development projects in rural communitiesinIndia and Indonesia. To date, she has traveled to Italy Greece, Portugal, Chile, Ar-
to the future.You’vegot to make sure you get what youwant. Igot to take care of my grandkids
What do you do in the Superdome? What does that look like?
Iamincharge of the press box. Ihave 18 people working forme. We’re the top people here.You know, walking on the deck up in the press box, and theycomeupand do their work.
It’s aworking environment.No loud talking,nodrinking, no nothing. Yougot to have credentials to getuptous. As they come in,they’ll go ‘Hey Mr.Sal!,’and it’s so much fun. When they first gotstarted Ihelped them out, andnow we’re 10 to 20yearsinto it. They’revery successful, and Istill get to watch them grow.
You’re the voice of the cruise line. How did that happen?
Networkinggot me to Carnival, and at Carnival Iwas just working different positions —computer positions andthenaposition came up of the announcer.When it came up about theannouncer,I took it Guess what? Idevelopedit. ThenIsaw alot of seniorpeople, and I’mtalkingthem, and Isaw our young people pushing to help them. So Isaid,let me try that. So that’s howI gotthe announcer position, and that’show Igot thewheelchair position,and that’show Iwill continue to make adifferencefor however long.
As chair of Dawn Buster’sadopt-a-garden programand caretaker of Lafreneire Park’s knockout rose bushes, wheredoes your passionfor gardening come from?
Igrew up in avery,very small town ina povertysituation, and we were strawberry farmers. We made farming our living. Whatwe ate is what we grew, and so, my innate ability is to farm. WhenI came to the city andI started teaching,I would always go back to the country continually Whyknockout roses?
Knockout roses are drought resistant. They’ll bloom maybe two, maybe threetimes ayear.I don’t have to,like other roses, baby them as much. When adrought is bad, I’ve got abig tankIput in the back of my truck. And Igoaround, and Iwater themtokeep them going. Do you think that gardening strengthens the community?
Gardening strengthens community because it brings the community together on acommon cause.It creates an environmentoftranquility.Theycome, sitonthe benches, and theytalk about it,reaping men-
taland social benefits.
The color designs is aesthetic.
On apersonal level, they visit to recall their positive childhood.It strengthenscommunity because it gives those in their community an opportunitytocome to the park and reap the rewards of all the benefits.
Howhaveyou found different ways to strengthen community?
In anutshell, if you network, you stay active, youstayinthe flow, things will come to you— if you have avision of what you want to do,you’remotivated and you have integrity,integrity doingthe right
thing for the right reason. Whyhaveyou continued to work with children in Dawn BustersKiwanis? How have you seen theseprograms benefitkids over time?
During my education career,I wasdeeply involved in Kiwanis. Thewholetime Iwas involved with Kiwanis, Ialways had the belief of making adifference in my community.So, the answer to that question is, educationcontinuedfor me after Iretired because Kiwanis allowed me to continue nonprofit community involvement. Community involvementisthe nature of the game.
Agroupofindividuals participate in Carol Fleischman’sCycles of Life Legacy program,which includes a five-step process of recalling and recording life memories in seven-year cycles in groups of 6to12people.
gentina, Ireland, Germany, Mexico,Costa Rica,New Zealand,Australia, France and Hungary
Travel, she says, taught her howtotunein to people,even if shecouldn’t speak the language
“Every human being is unique,” she said.
Cycles of Life Legacy In 1981, Fleischman landed in New Orleans and worked at the Belle Chasse State Schoolfor twoand a half years.Thoughnot anative New Orleanian, Kramer saysthat her mother feels like she belongs in the CrescentCity Fleischman went towork at LSUMedical Center in theDepartment of Rehabilitation Counseling as a trainerand program developer in1984. After LSU, she did strategic planning with Trinity Episcopal Church, the NO-AIDSTask Force and other clients. In 1994, she became a
certifiedlife coach with Success UnlimitedNetwork, aglobal school that is accreditedbythe International Coaching Federation. Today, Fleischman facilitates retirementcoaching, groupand individual coaching andvocation transition, along with her Cycles of Life Legacy program, across Louisiana. While the legacy programisopento anyone, theprimary focus is on people who areexperiencing the second halfof life (age50and beyond)
“She’strying to impart to other people, ‘Stop looking at your lifeasaseries of mistakes andsuccesses Everything you go through hasmeaning, is purposeful and can be looked at positively,’ ”Kramer said. “She’sgot the story to back it up. She proves that you can do this.”
‘I want it to last’
WhenPatriciaSharpe attended one of Fleischman’s
courses at her church, she was estranged from her younger brother.She recounted thefirst seven years of her life witha partnerinthe group, and she had theopportunity to open up and talk about the impact of her childhood. After the program, she was able to find and meet her brother who she hadn’tseen sincehewas 3years old.
“I would not have been able to handle meeting him had Inot done that process,” Sharpe said.“And I wasable to share the way I felt with him.
She added that Fleischman’sprogram allowed hertolook at thefirst seven years of herlife with anew perspective
“It was life-changing for me to go throughher process,” Sharpe said.
In thefuture, Fleischman hopestotrain and certify more people in theCycles of Life Legacy process.A cadre of her
colleaguesiscurrently working to prepare the program and facilitators’ guidefor copyright and publication
“I have documented the process, andIneed to getit outthere andget it valued,” Fleischmansaid. “Because Iwantittolast.”
Through her years of facilitating people throughlifetransitions Fleischman says that people are really surprisedatthe value of their contributions
“A lotofpeople live their life and just plod on, or dance, whatever style is theirs, and don’treally realize the significance of what hasalreadyhappened,”she said. “And Ithink (documenting it) just adds great power and strength to going forward, no matter what ageyou are.”
Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com.
Continued from page1y
play-by-play account of her drive home
Thanks to Matthiessen’s rules, gentle route talk reminders have given us a way to steer the conversationtowardothertopics or askifshe needstofocus fully on herdriving and get offthe phone
At this point, ourdaily Denver traffic updatesare part of ourfamily lore. We gripe.Werollour eyes but, like my mother,we still listen.
Ifind acertain beauty in ruleslike Matthiessen’s— notbecause they’re rigid, but because theyforce us to think aboutand pay more attentiontowhat fills ourheadsand whatwords come outofour mouths. Maybe that’sthe deeper truth behind Matthiessen’s rules. Whenwestrip away the filler, what’sleftmight be real connection—conversationthatstays and reminds us to saythe important things andnot just what pops in ourheads.
EmailJan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.
BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer
The feisty 74-year-old inventor of the Eco Wonder Cloth lives in an Algiers home with sparkling hardwood floors and spotless countertops.
Born and raised in New Orleans, ShelleyThomas used disposablewipeattachments when mopping her floors, but she got fed up when they kept sliding off the base. That’swhen an idea popped into her head: a reusable, reversible microfiber cloth that attaches to the mop with Velcro.
She grabbed some towels, scissors, asewing machine —and she got to work on a prototype.
After an almost 10-year journey litteredwith trial and error,Thomas’ Eco Wonder Cloth hit the market in 2023 withits ownwebsite Now,it’salso available for purchase throughWalmart and Amazon.
“You spend about maybe three to four months buying those (disposable) sheets, and after that, when you keep buying sheets, my cloth is continually going,” Thomas said.“It’ll last hundreds of uses.”
Thomas specifically chose microfiber because research demonstrates its ability to pickupdirt and 98% of bacteria effectively.The Velcro made the cleaning process quick and simple.
Users can sweep with it or add water and mop, so there’snoneed to drag around abucket, she said. And it’seco-friendly because disposable sheets aren’tfilling landfills Thomas didn’tlet age stop her from doing something big. She also didn’tlet imperfect prototypes, dust or legalese get in her way either
Patent problems
Apatentmustbeuseful andunique, Thomas said, and the EcoWonder Cloth was just that. But not everybody seemed to think so.
Patentingthe product design wasn’teasy.Her patent attorney’s write-up didn’tproperly explain the product, so it kept getting rejected in its final stageby the patent agent, Thomas said. Back andforth. Rejected again. And again. “I said, ‘Ireallydon’tfeel I’ve exhausted allmyoptions,’ ”Thomas said. I think Imight want to try this on my own. Finish up.’”
At 66 yearsold in 2017, Thomas typed the application on her own and after submitting,the agent finally thought it was perfect “I’ll never forget. Iwas right there,” Thomas said, pointing to her living room. “And Iwas on the phone with (the agent) .‘How do Iknow if Ihave the patent?’ And she said, ‘Youhave the patent.’ AndI was like, ‘What? Ihavethe patent?’ She started laughing, she said ‘Yes, you do.’ She found amanufacturer
in China who did agreat job making the product and completed the entire business deal via email. The product hit themarket, and her life changed.
“Ifsomebodywould’ve told me Icould deal with someoneinChina through emailand getthe product finished, Iwould’ve said, ‘You out of your mind,’ ” Thomas said.
Family support
Thomas’family members chimed in to support the business.One of her sons came up withthe product’s name. Her daughter helped sell products from up in New York,and Thomas’sister did the same from her workplace at asalon.
Thomas heard aboutthe Encore Awards, and, like thego-getter sheis, she asked her daughter to nominateher
“I thoughtaboutit, and Isaid,‘Wait aminute,’ Thomas said.“’I better do thisbecause Imightbe dead next year.’”
Having people support you is important,Thomas said, so when you have down days, youcan keep going. Her daughter,Shannon Picou, 47, has observed the
entire journey
“It’sbeen along road,” Picou said. “I feel like shehas accomplished alot, especiallyfor someone herage, where you’resupposed to be winding down, and she’s revving up.”
Picou said hermotheris the type of persontostop and talk to everybody.She’s also independent,feisty and big on community,Picou said.
“My motherisareally good, great cook,” Picou said. “Let’ssay it was your birthday or something. She would find out all the things youlike,and shewould make aspecial dinner for you, like amenu that caters to what you like.”
Because of her background in technology software, Picou volunteered to design theproduct’s website (ecowondercloth.com).
Aftersome technology lessons, Thomas is able to tweak thewebsite here and therewhen needed, Picou said.
“I’m very picky abouthow things look andstuff like that,” Picousaid. “WhichI get from her.”
Next steps
When she’snot devising
thelatesttechnology for spotless floors, Thomas attends morning Mass at herchurch, readsAgatha Christie novels, weeds her gardenand cooksorbakes for loved ones
As she cooks wearing her pink “ChefShelley” apron, aframed photo sits on the kitchencounter. It was gifted by her friend, Edna, andit’sa picture of Thomas posing with the cloth on the WGNO NewOrleans set after her live interview in 2023.
“She took it upon herself and went and did that,” Thomas said. “I didn’teven know she was going to do that. She surprised me. She came oneday to church. Shesaid, ‘I toldyou. You
should’ve framedthis picture.’
Thomas keeps abin of her old prototypes in her laundry room, and yes, she still cleans with them.She also continues her daily research into the Eco Wonder Cloth’sfuture, like increasing product sales, advertising andreviews. Herdedication to pristine floors seems never-ending. EvenasTimes-Picayune photographerSophia Germer snapped photos forthis story,Thomas kept checking to make sure the floors looked flawless.
“It’snever too late if you have something youwant to do,” Thomas said. “You still can do it.It’snever too late.”
BY EVAN SUNG
Contributing writer
New York Zendo Shobo-ji was quiet on a Saturday morning in late June, far removed from the muted hum and chatter that lingers in Lenox Hill, in Upper Manhattan, even on rainy summer days.
Inside, a small group of young adults sat zazen as an ordained member of the Triratna order led them through a mindfulness meditation
“Be aware of the sounds around you, the quality of the air,” the practice leader said.
As if on cue, a bird began cooing in the temple’s garden.
The fact that everyone in attendance was on the younger side was by design: The practice is part of the Young Buddhist Initiative, a program designed to help those age 35 and under explore Buddhist teachings and meditation — no experience needed.
Previous sessions have covered topics such as mindfulness, the three poisons (greed, hatred and delusion, the root mental states that Buddhists say cause human suffering) and the meaning of enlightenment.
The initiative is run by the Triratna Buddhist Community of New York and New Jersey, part of the international Triratna Buddhist Community founded in 1967 by Sangharakshita, the British spiritual teacher born as Dennis Lingwood. “Triratna” refers to the Three Jewels or Three Refuges of Buddhism: the Buddha, Dharma (the Buddha’s teachings) and Sangha (the Buddhist community) The fellowship describes itself as bringing Buddhist traditions into the modern world in a way that suits contemporary lives.
In the United Kingdom, young people’s retreats can attract more than 100 attendees; in the United States, it’s just getting started.
While the New York-area branch doesn’t have a permanent headquarters, it runs regular Zoom events as well as in-person meetings and retreats at various locations, such as New York Zendo Shobo-ji.
Ananta, who goes by a single name and is CEO of the nonprofit Karuna USA, led the recent day’s practice, guiding the meditation from awareness of one’s breath, body and surroundings to a reflection and discussion on recent actions that participants felt either proud of or guilty about not to be deemed morally good or bad but to reflect on and let go.
“Experiences are preceded by mind, led by mind, and produced by mind,” he read from the Dhammapada, a collection of the Buddha’s sayings. “If one speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows even as the cart wheel follows the hoof of the ox.
If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow that never departs.”
The Young Buddhist Initiative began out of a desire to create a nurturing space where young people could support each other in their spiritual practice. Ananta came across Buddhism at age 18 through a meditation group at his university in London and knows the value of having a cohort of like-minded peers “There are people like you who also have spiritual aspirations and are interested in leading a particular lifestyle,” Ananta said. “That can be very supportive.”
Tamojyoti, an ordained member of the Triratna community who goes by a single name, agreed.
“We just have a different consciousness than young people And I think maybe why those young people groups work so well is because that consciousness can flourish,” she said.
One of the attendees at the session, Kizzy Joseph, a 28-year-old
therapist from Brooklyn, was seeking to have conversations about spirituality with people in her age group and had been looking for Buddhist spaces across the city Most groups she found took a too-intellectual approach to Buddhism, skewed older or were predominantly White.
Headed to her first meeting with the Young Buddhist Initiative, Joseph feared she would be the only Black person in the room “To my happy surprise, there were three other women of color and another person of color
I think they identify as nonbinary I was really surprised by how diverse the space was.”
According to the 2023 PRRI Census of American Religion, the average age of a U.S. Buddhist is 52, but survey numbers come with the caveat that gathering statistics about Buddhists is difficult, as many people, like Joseph, engage in Buddhist beliefs and practices without formally identifying as Buddhist Protestant by birth, Joseph became unhappy with the rigid religious structure she was raised in and began exploring different approaches to spirituality in her teens. She feels a “gentle calling” toward Buddhism and finds it less forceful than the faith of her childhood, but doesn’t define herself as a Buddhist. In her personal life, she also practices ancestor veneration and Reiki.
Still, the Young Buddhist Initiative provides something that she hadn’t found in other spaces: a feeling of connectedness and emotional safety.
“It’s first and foremost about creating an environment where people of all ages, including younger people, feel comfortable and welcome. One of the things I’m noticing is that we have a number of transgender people that are young, and so I think it feels almost like the environment is open and welcoming for
everyone,” said Michael King, a 58-year-old New Yorker who has been attending Triratna meetings and practices for four years. (Despite its name, New York’s Triratna practice attendee ages typically range from 40 to 60, hewing closely to PRRIs national average.)
The group tries its best to cultivate that environment. Those in attendance at the late June session spoke quietly but frankly about fights in personal relationships or embarrassing moments at work, receiving acceptance, not judgement, in return. A break for tea and cookies in the temple’s kitchen made room for casual conversation. When it was time to discuss karma and hypothetical moral situations, we were reminded that it’s not about a strict binary of “good” or “bad,” but “skilled” or “unskilled”: that is, aligned with Buddhist precepts and leading to either happy or unhappy results.
The five precepts of Buddhism — abstaining from killing living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct lying and intoxication were also interpreted through
a modern lens. Alcohol, for example, was considered not to be bad if used moderately; on the other hand, mindlessly scrolling through social media could become a form of intoxication. The group discussed white lies, supporting friends and power dynamics, never landing on an answer that was considered universally correct. For Tamojyoti, Buddhism can provide a way to transform the anxiety that many young people feel in response to the state of the world into action. “Young people want to stand for something, and Buddhism is all about your truth, your values, interconnection, compassion.”
“If we’re going to change the way this world is operating, it’s going to happen through young people,” King said, expressing a desire for young people to come to the Dharma and make an impact. “I think a lot of people in my generation have wanted to live more of a Dharmic life, meaning that we’re pulling away from those structures. But those structures can’t change unless we’re in there changing them.”
BY ZANO KUNENE
Contributing writer
The streets of Rwanda’s capital are packed with minibus taxis and cars, bumper to bumper It almost has the feel of a busy afternoon in downtown Johannesburg — but for the scores of motorcycles that jostle for space, and weave through the traffic.
But from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. two Sundays every month, there isn’t a single car in sight. That’s when the streets of Kigali go car-free. But the roads will still be busy City officials estimate that 10,000 people come out for those Sundays, getting on bicycles, strapping on skates, hopping on skateboards or slipping into tackies For the last two years, Remy Ishimwe, 24, has jogged with friends every car-free Sunday.
“It’s a breath of fresh air having no cars on the roads,” he said as a group of joggers passes, ululating and singing, on a recent Sunday Public health officials say the project which has been going on for the past nine years — is an attempt to keep the air, and those who live in the city, healthier
“From the beginning, it was a win-win collaborative initiative to help make Kigali green, improve air quality and promote physical activity,” said Joseph Mucumbitsi, chairperson of the Rwanda NCD Alliance at the NCD Alliance Global Forum, a global public health conference which was held in Kigali last week. “It’s a good example of how you can bring together prevention and early detection for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs, such as heart and lung disease), physical activity and clean air.”
Getting people moving
Every year cities around the world, from Jinja in Uganda to Vancouver in Canada, celebrate car-free days.
Projects like this, which includes international Car-Free Day, can help solve a worldwide problem. Nearly 1.8 billion people (a third of all adults worldwide) don’t get enough physical activity to keep them healthy, putting them at risk of developing conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. It can also help lower air pollution from vehicles, which contributes to climate change and
health problems, such as strokes, cancer and asthma.
“They’re a powerful way to change the behaviour and mindsets of citizens and policymakers by showing them what cities without traffic, noise or air pollution can look like,” said Carly GilbertPatrick, who leads the active mobility team in the sustainable mobility unit at the United Nations Environment Programme.
‘Local government buy-in is key’
In South Africa, Cape Town has also been experimenting with car-free Sundays for the past few months. With help from the city’s urban mobility directorate, the nonprofit Young Urbanists South Africa closes off Bree Street to traffic from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The experiment, which started in October and will end in March, draws about 1,000 people every week, according to Roland Postma, managing director of Young Urbanists. He said the project also has a healthy living element.
With the help of artificial intelligence cameras, they measure
the speed of people walking and cycling.
Mayoral committee member for urban mobility Rob Quintas said the city hopes to build on the experiment and help other parts of the city to organise similar days on their local streets
But it won’t be easy.
In 2015, some streets in city went car-free. At the time, the City of Johannesburg estimated that 120,000 commuters and 75,000 cars crammed through the district. The project brought down the number of cars on four main roads leading into Sandton by 8% compared to two years before the event, which can help lower air pollution in the area. But studies have also found that car-free days aren’t the only answer to clearing the air — it can just shift traffic and air pollution to another part of the city
Reginald Kgwedi, transport economist and founder of the Transport and Logistics Students Association, a networking platform that connects transport and logistics students, said part of the
problem is that there isn’t public transport infrastructure to support non-motorised transport like walking and cycling.
And South Africans love their cars.
“The culture here is that we drive from home to work and to the shops because there aren’t safe and reliable alternatives in the form of public transport,” he said. And safety, especially in Johannesburg is an issue when you tell people to walk the streets. “Is it safe in terms of crime and the accidents that can happen?”
But the bigger issue is that projects like the Sandton carfree month, aren’t a priority for the government making their solutions short-lived. “There are grants that local governments can apply for to implement such projects but there is no political will.”
Ariella Rojhani, director of the partnership for healthy cities at Vital Strategies, an international public health nonprofit that works with cities around the
world to roll out projects like carfree days, said that it isn’t just a South African problem — local government buy-in is key
“You have to engage local governments,” Rojhani said. “Mayors themselves are policy leaders and they have jurisdictions that maybe even national governments don’t.”
Hands-on health
Kigali has had the buy-in from city officials from the start. It started in 2016 with a once-amonth event and has spread to streets in four districts across the city; a few other cities around the country have also started their own car-free days.
On car-free Sundays, coaches lead warm-up sessions and residents kick around soccer balls or play table tennis in the streets. The health ministry takes an even more hands-on approach to improving residents’ health.
“We have screenings for high blood pressure and blood sugar,” said Francois Uwinkindi, division manager for NCDs at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre. “We’re also seeing other programmes like education campaigns on other health issues here, like HIV prevention and self-breast examinations for cancer.”
Between 2016 and 2020, nearly 50,000 people were screened for NCDs. Nearly a quarter of those tested had high blood pressure, 10% had high blood sugar and 11% were obese.
But the screening process still needs to be improved, said Uwinkindi. Some people are screened more often than they need to be, while some of those who are at risk don’t go for treatment.
“We tell them to go to their nearest health facility for confirmation and they can then get on treatment, but we don’t have a system to track the movement of them and that’s something we need to come up with a strategy to evaluate.” Ishimwe had his weight and blood pressure checked a few times. He knows he’s healthy “It’s good for the health of the citizens,” he said before rejoining the crowd. “You see how everyone is so excited to run?”
SUNDAY, AUgUSt 10, 2025
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.
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 — LiBretto: lih-BRET-
oh: The text of a work for the musical theater
Average mark 39 words
Time limit 60 minutes
Can you find 62 or more words in LIBRETTO?
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
By amanda CooK
goren Bridge
The declarer in today’s deal is not known to us. He deserves recognition for his efforts here.
East won the opening diamond lead with his ace, felling the king from South. East shifted to a low heart, ducked to West’s queen. A heart to the ace and another heart put South on play
Declarer played a spade to the ace, a spade back to his king, and another spade to East. East led a low diamond and South had to guess what to do. He could only afford one more loser Should East have the queen of diamonds, South could discard a club on this trick and then would only have to guess the club position, assuming it was guessable. South chose to ruff the diamond. He led a club, putting up dummy’s king when West played low South ruffed a diamond, felling the queen and leaving this position: NORTH
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Keep your finances, feelings and plans to yourself. Sharing too much information will make you vulnerable. Avoid emotional spending and trying to buy love or favors
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Spend more time with someone you love or people who are working toward a similar goal. Sharing will result in a better understanding of what you can accomplish.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Chase your dreams, secure your position and use your connections to advance You can be helpful without paying
South led a low club and the defense was helpless Should West duck his ace, East would win and have to give dummy the jack of diamonds. The ace from West would drop East’s queen and make dummy high. Beautifully done!
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
the price. Don’t take unnecessary risks with your reputation, health or finances.
SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 22) A physical change will lift your spirits and attract attention. Let your actions speak for you, and you’ll avoid a confrontation with someone trying to damage your reputation.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Carrying out some home improvements or preparing to host an event will encourage creativity Your insight into investments and situations will lead to awareness and change your perspective.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take nothing for granted. Shape your future by identifying opportunities that align directly with your goals and aspirations. Refuse to let outsiders interfere.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Take charge and get things done. Work to make a difference and stand up for people who need help. Someone will recognize your input, and an unexpected reward will follow.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Let your emotions play out and your feelings be known. Direct your energy into personal improvements, social
activity and spending time with someone you love.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Actively search for new ideas, concepts and ways to use your skills and experiences to get ahead. Networking events can pay off and provide connections A domestic change requires financial restrictions.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Arguing is a waste of time. Give others the same benefits you want for yourself Stick to people who share your agenda, do your best and send those heading in a different direction on their way
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Refuse to get involved in someone else’s drama. Separate yourself from situations that conflict with your ethical beliefs. Set high standards.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Take the guessing out of situations that appear to have hidden factors by asking direct questions. It’s up to you to gather sufficient information before participating.
The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication
1. Albany.2.New Jersey. 3. Missouri River 4. Philadelphia. 5. Alaska.6.Missouri. 7. Arizona
8. Colorado. 9. GeorgeWashington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt,Abraham Lincoln. 10. France. 11. Alaska. 12. Nevada and Arizona. 13. Idaho. 14. Sea-to-Lake. 15. Phoenix, Arizona.
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?
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