The Acadiana Advocate 01-25-2026 by The Advocate

WINTER STORM BRINGS SNOW, COLD ACROSS MUCH OF U.S. 3A

executivedirectorofHopefor opelousas LorenCarriereaddresses thecrowd gathered for the groundbreaking for the newHopefor opelousas Centerinopelousas on thursday.

Acadiana nonprofit expandingservices

organization breaks ground on newhighschoolcenter

BY JOANNA BROWN staffwriter

Recently dozens of people gatheredinthe parking lot ofanOpelousas shopping center thatiscurrently home to aFamilyDollar,an Arc of Acadiana resale shop and not much else.

That will all changein the coming weeks and months, asthe center is slated to be completely redesigned and transformed as the homeof Hope for Opelousas’ newhigh school center

The commercial spaces and a planned food truck kiosk will be maintained as an ongoing revenue source for the nonproﬁt,which intends to double the amount of students it can serve through tutoring enrichment, ministry and internship and entrepreneurshipopportunities.

Hope for Opelousas is structured as awrap-aroundsupportorganization that works closely with students in the program and their families. Founded in 2008 with the goalofhelpingchildren livingin poverty,the Opelousas campus is clusteredinseveral homes at 330E Madison St., right across from the shopping center that willbecome Hope Plaza.

At the recent groundbreaking,

Hope of opelousas staff, along withfamily and friends, attend the groundbreakingfor the newHopefor opelousas Center on thursday.

“Our existing spaces were already full.We needed more space. We needed more funding.Wehad leads on spaces that would accommodate growth forelementary and junior high, but the final pieceofthe puzzle wasto figure outwhat to do for high school.” LoreNCarrIere, executivedirector of Hope for opelousas

executive director Loren Carriere saidthatthe acquisitionwas the result of years of planning around how to grow the program and serve more students. Currently, more

than 300 Opelousas students are on the organization’swaitlist. Once accepted, studentstend to stay with

ä see CENTER, page 6A

Jail escapesinSt. Landry sparkconcerns

sheriff,parish presidentdispute cause, responsibility

BY JOEL THOMPSON staff writer

Aweathered cinder block sits on ashelf in St. Landry ParishSheriff Bobby Guidroz’sofﬁce— areminder, he says, of deteriorating conditions at the parish jail and aDecember escape

MINNEAPOLIS

Feds shoot, kill manduring protests

BY JACK BROOK,STEVE KARNOWSKI and REBECCA SANTANA associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS Afederal immigration officer shot and killed aman Saturday in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigid streetsand ratcheting up tensions in acity already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier Family members identified the manwho was killed as Alex Pretti, a37-year-old intensive care unit nurse who had protested President Donald Trump’simmigration crackdown in hiscity. After the shooting, an angry crowd gathered and protesters clashed with federal immigration officers, who wielded batons and deployed flash bangs. The Minnesota NationalGuard wasassisting local police amid growing protests at the direction of Democratic Gov. TimWalz, officials said. Guard troops were sent to both theshooting site and to afederal building where officials have squared off with protesters daily Information about what led up to the shooting was limited,Minneapolis PoliceChiefBrianO’Hara said. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in astatement that federal officers were conducting an operation and fired “defensive shots” after aman with ahandgun approached them and“violently resisted” when officers tried to disarm him. Theofficer whoshotthe man is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran, federal officials said.

ä Man killed in Minneapolis wasICU nurse, family says. PaGe 5a

In bystander videos of the shooting that emerged soon after,Pretti is seen with aphone in his hand but none appearstoshow him with avisible weapon O’Hara said police believe the manwas a“lawful gun owner with apermit to carry.”

ä see MINNEAPOLIS, page 4A

35 positionslostamid university financial crisis

BY KEVIN FOOTE staff writer

by threeinmates who chipped through awall. Guidroz said the escape exposedlongstanding problems at thejail in Opelousas, whichopenedinthe mid-1980s. “Wehave 13 cells without functioning locks. There areholes in the ceiling. Toilets don’twork.Air conditioning units don’twork. It’s amess,” Guidroz said.

In caseofdelivery

Theescape andthe jail’scondition have sparked apublic disputebetween Guidroz andParish President JessieBellardoverresponsibilityfor jailmaintenance, staffing and the use of taxpayer money dedicated to jail operations. At issueare competing claims about whether deteriorating infrastructure or inadequatesupervision led to the escape —and which office is accountable for fixing problems at the aging facility

ä see CONCERNS, page 6A

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’sathletic department is facing one of its mostchallenging ﬁnancial years in recent memory.Stafﬁng and programshave been reduced as the university works to close abroader budget gap.

Athletic director Bryan Maggard said the department begantrimming expenses early,even before campus directives were issued.

“Weare all in this together,” Maggard said. “We absolutely know we’re one team, as auniversity,and we’re working very hard to try to meet our ﬁnancial goals.”

ä see UL, page 9A

PHotosByroBINMay

Guidroz

Trump says Maduro raid used ‘discombobulator’

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said U.S. military forces used a weapon that he referred to as “the discombobulator” during the U.S. operation in Caracas to remove former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power earlier this month

“The discombobulator I’m not allowed to talk about it,” Trump said in an interview with The New York Post. He said the weapon made enemy equipment “not work.”

“They never got their rockets off,” Trump said, according to the Post. “They had Russian and Chinese rockets, and they never got one off. We came in, they pressed buttons and nothing worked. They were all set for us.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for additional information about the weapon.

In the hours after the raid, dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve, the president alluded to a technical capability in a news conference after the raid

“It was dark, the lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have, it was dark, and it was deadly,” Trump said after the operation.

U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife, Celia, in an earlymorning raid on Jan. 3 and sent him to the U.S. to face criminal charges.

Suicide bomber strikes wedding, kills 7 people

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest among guests at a wedding ceremony in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing at least seven people and wounding 25, police said The attack took place at the home of Noor Alam Mehsud, a pro-government community leader in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said local police chief Adnan Khan. He said officers transported the victims to a hospital, where some of the wounded were listed in critical condition. The ceremony was underway, with guests dancing to the beat of drums, when the bomber struck. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, who have carried out numerous attacks in the country in recent years. The group is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban. TTP has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021 when U.S and NATO troops left the country after 20 years of war Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover there

Apartment building gas explosion, fire kills 1

A gas explosion sent fire racing through the top floors of a high-rise apartment building in New York City early Saturday, killing one person and injuring 14 others as temperatures plunged into the single digits overnight, authorities said Firefighters responded shortly before 12:30 a.m. to the 17-story building in the Bronx, where people were seen leaning out of windows calling for help as flames engulfed parts of the top floors, officials said.

Chief of Department John Esposito said firefighters were investigating reports of a gas odor on the 15th and 16th floors when the explosion occurred. He said there was major structural damage to about a dozen apartments and fires in 10 apartments on the 16th and 17th floors

Ofﬁcials said the building had been undergoing renovations, and work on the natural gas system had been completed and inspected.

Iranian general warns Trump

revolutionary Guard commander says his forces are ‘more ready than ever’

BY ELENA BECATOROS associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The commander of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which was key in putting down recent nationwide protests in a crackdown that left thousands dead, warned that his force is “more ready than ever, ﬁnger on the trigger.”

Nournews, a news outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reported on its Telegram channel that the commander, Gen. Mohammad Pakpour warned the United States and Israel “to avoid any miscalculation.”

“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard and dear Iran stand more

ready than ever, finger on the trigger, to execute the orders and directives of the Commander-inChief,” Nournews quoted Pakpour as saying.

Tension remains high between Iran and the U.S in the wake of a bloody crackdown on protests that began on Dec. 28, triggered by the collapse of Iran’s currency, the rial, and swept the country for about two weeks.

Meanwhile, the number of people reported by activists as having been arrested jumped to more than 40,000, as fears grow some could face the death penalty

Trump’s warnings

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran, setting two red lines for the use of military force: the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the mass execution of people arrested in the protests.

Trump has repeatedly said Iran halted the execution of 800 people

detained in the protests. He has not elaborated on the source of the claim, which Iran’s top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, strongly denied Friday in comments carried by the judiciary’s Mizan news agency

On Thursday, Trump said aboard Air Force One that the U.S. was moving warships toward Iran “just in case” he wants to take action.

“We have a massive ﬂeet heading in that direction and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said.

A U.S. Navy ofﬁcial, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements, said Thursday that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships traveling with it were in the Indian Ocean.

Trump also mentioned the multiple rounds of talks American ofﬁcials had with Iran over its nuclear program before Israel launched a 12-day war against the Islamic Republic in June, which also saw U.S. warplanes bomb Iranian

Syria extends ceasefire with Kurdish-led force

BY GHAITH ALSAYED associated Press

RAQQA, Syria Hours after the expiration of a four-day truce between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led fighters

Saturday Syria’s defense ministry announced the ceaseﬁre had been extended by another 15 days.

The defense ministry said in a statement that the extension was in support of an operation by U.S. forces to transfer accused Islamic State militants who had been held in prisons in northeastern Syria to detention centers in Iraq.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension. “Our forces afﬁrm their commitment to the agreement and their dedication to respecting it which contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and the creation of the necessary conditions for stability,” the group said in a statement.

Over the past three weeks, there have been intense clashes between government forces and the SDF, in which the SDF lost large parts of the area they once controlled

Earlier in the day, the Kurdish-led force called on the international community to prevent any escalation.

The end of the truce came as government forces have been sending reinforcements to Syria’s northeast.

Syria’s interim government signed an agreement last March with the SDF for

it to hand over territory and to eventually merge its ﬁghters with government forces. In early January, a new round of talks failed to make progress over the merger, leading to renewed ﬁghting between the two sides.

A new version of the accord was signed last weekend, and a four-day ceaseﬁre was declared Tuesday. Part of the new deal is that SDF members will have to merge into the army and police forces as individuals.

The SDF said in a statement Saturday that military buildups and logistical movements by government forces have been observed, “clearly indicating an intent to escalate and push the region toward a new confrontation.” The SDF said it will continue to abide by the truce.

On Saturday state TV said authorities on Saturday released 126 boys under the age of 18 who were held at the al-Aqtan prison near the northern city of Raqqa that was taken by government forces Friday. The teenagers were taken to the city of Raqqa where they were handed over to their families, the TV station said.

The prison is also home to some of the 9,000 members of the Islamic State group who are held in northeastern Syria. Most of them remain held in jails run by the SDF Government forces have so far taken control of two prisons while the rest are still run by the SDF

Earlier this week, the U.S military said that some 7,000 IS detainees will be transferred to detention centers in Iraq.

China’s top general under investigation

By the associated Press

BEIJING — The Chinese military’s top general is being investigated for suspected serious violations of discipline and law the Defense Ministry said Saturday, Zhang Youxia, the senior of the two vice chairs of the powerful Central Military Commission, is the latest ﬁgure to fall in a long-running purge of military ofﬁcials.

Analysts believe the purges are designed both to reform the military and to ensure loyalty to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who also chairs the military commission They are part of a broader anti-corruption drive that has punished more than 200,000 ofﬁcials since Xi came to power in 2012.

Another member of the commission, Liu Zhenli, has also been placed under investigation by China’s ruling Communist Party a Defense Ministry statement said. Liu is the chief of staff of the com-

mission’s Joint Staff Department. The commission is the top military body in China.

The statement did not provide any details on the alleged wrongdoing.

Zhang, who is 75, joined the People’s Liberation Army in 1968 and is a general from its ground forces.

The Communist Party expelled the other vice chair of the commission, He Weidong, last October and replaced him with commission member Zhang Shengmin.

The Trump administration released a new National Defense Strategy on Friday acknowledging China as a military power that it said needs to be deterred from dominating the U.S. or its allies.

“This does not require regime change or some other existential struggle,” the strategy said. “Rather, a decent peace, on terms favorable to Americans but that China can also accept and live under is possible.”

nuclear sites. He threatened Iran with military action that would make earlier U.S. strikes against Iranian uranium enrichment sites “look like peanuts.”

Rising death toll and arrests

Although there have been no further demonstrations in Iran for days, the death toll reported by activists has continued to rise as information trickles out despite the most comprehensive internet blackout in Iran’s history

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency on Saturday put the death toll at 5,200, with the number expected to increase. The group’s ﬁgures have been accurate in previous unrest and rely on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths. The activist agency on Saturday also increased the total number of people arrested to 40,879 — a significant jump from the more than 27,700 people in its previous update.

Heavy

BY ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan Heavy snow and rainfall over the past three days have killed more than 60 people and injured over 100 across Afghanistan, the country’s disaster management authority said Saturday, as authorities in the impoverished country struggled to open roads and gain access to cut-off villages. National Disaster Management Authority spokesman Yousaf Hammad said 61 people had died and 110 were injured, while 458 homes had been completely or partially destroyed and hundreds of animals had died in 15 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. The numbers, he said, could change as authorities gathered more information from the provinces. Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, with snow and heavy rain that triggers flash floods often killing dozens, or even hundreds,

of people at a time. In 2024, more than 300 people died in springtime flash floods. Decades of conflict coupled with poor infrastructure, a struggling economy, deforestation and the intensifying effects of climate change have amplified the impact of such disasters, particularly in remote areas where many homes are built of mud and offer limited protection against sudden deluges or heavy snowfall. The country’s eastern provinces are also still struggling to recover from devastating earthquakes that struck last August and again in November destroying villages and killing more than 2,200 people. Those displaced by the quakes are particularly vulnerable to the extreme cold and bad weather conditions In December, UNICEF said an estimated 270,000 children in the areas affected by the quakes were at “severe risk of life-threatening diseases related to the cold.”

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assoCIateD Press PHoto By BaDerKHaN aHMaD

Kurdish fighters with the syrian Democratic Forces are cheered by local residents ahead of the end of a four-day truce with the syrian government in Hassakeh, northeastern syria, on saturday.

Winter storm sweeps across U.S., grounding flights

BY THOMAS PEIPERT, JEFF AMY and DAVE COLLINS associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY

Thousands

of ﬂights across the U.S. set

to take off over the weekend were canceled as a monster storm started to wreak havoc Saturday across much of the country, knocking out power and snarling major roadways with dangerous ice.

Roughly 140 million people, or more than 40% of the U.S. population, were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast widespread heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain from Saturday to Monday, stretching from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England. It warned people to brace for a string of frigid days.

“The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away any time soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

President Donald Trump had approved emergency declarations for at least a dozen states by Saturday, including Louisiana, with more expected to come.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency prepositioned commodities, staff and search and rescue teams in numerous states, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

“We just ask that everyone

would be smart — stay home if possible,” Noem said

As crews in some southern states began working to restore downed power lines Saturday, ofﬁcials in some eastern states issued final warnings to residents

“We are expecting a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in years,” New Jersey Gov Mikie Sherrill said Saturday while announcing restrictions on commercial vehicle travel and a 35 mph speed limit on highways. She added: “It’s a good weekend to stay indoors.”

Power outages hit Texas

Forecasters say the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane.

Around 120,000 power outages were reported in the path of the winter storm

Justice Dept. says Smith’s report on Trump ‘belongs in the dustbin of history’

BY ERIC TUCKER associated Press

WASHINGTON A report by former special counsel Jack Smith on his investigation into President Donald Trump’s hoarding of classified documents belongs in the “dustbin of history” and should remain sealed, the Justice Department said in a sharply worded court ﬁling Friday

“The illicit product of an unlawful investigation and prosecution belongs in the dustbin of history The United States will leave it there,” prosecutors wrote.

The department’s position echoes that of Trump, whose lawyers this week asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to permanently block the release of the Smith report. It adds to the likelihood that a detailed report on a criminal investigation once seen as posing significant legal peril to Trump might continue to remain hidden from public view Smith and his team produced a two-volume report on investigations into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election after he lost to Biden and his retention of classiﬁed documents at his Mar-aLago estate in Palm Beach, Florida after he left the White House following his ﬁrst term.

Both investigations produced indictments that were abandoned by Smith’s team after Trump’s November 2024 election win in light of longstanding Justice Department legal opinions that say sitting presidents cannot face federal prosecution

The volume on the election investigation was released in the ﬁnal days of the Biden

administration. But Cannon, a Trump-appointed judge in Florida who issued multiple favorable rulings for Trump and his two co-defendants in the classiﬁed documents case, last year granted a defense request to at least temporarily halt the release of the report dealing with that case. That edict meant that Smith could not discuss the substance of that investigation when he testified Thursday before the House Judiciary Committee.

The injunction is set to lift on Feb 24.

But Jason Reding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, where the case was filed, said in a three-page court ﬁling that the report should remain sealed. He and another prosecutor in that ofﬁce, Manolo Reboso, wrote that Smith’s investigation was “unlawful from its inception.”

They also wrote that Attorney General Pam Bondi had determined that the report was “an internal deliberative communication that is privileged and conﬁdential and should not be released” outside the Justice Department.

“Smith not only weaponized the Department of Justice against a leading presidential candidate in pursuit of an anti-democratic end, but he did so without legal authority and while targeting constitutionally protected activity,” the prosecutors wrote.

Smith, during his testimony Thursday, defended his investigations of Trump and insisted that he had acted without regard to politics and had no second thoughts about the criminal charges he brought.

Saturday, including about 50,000 each in Texas and Louisiana, according to poweroutage.us.

In Shelby County Texas, near the Louisiana border, ice weighed down on pine trees and caused branches to snap, downing power lines. About a third of the county’s 16,000 residents lost power on Saturday

“We have hundreds of trees down and a lot of limbs in the

road,” Shelby County Commissioner Stevie Smith said from his pickup truck. “I’ve got my crew out clearing roads as fast as we can. It’s a lot to deal with right now.”

Airplanes are grounded

About 13,000 ﬂights were canceled Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

All Saturday ﬂights were canceled at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City, and all Sunday morning flights also were called off, as ofﬁcials aimed to restart service Sunday afternoon.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub, saw more than 700 departing ﬂights canceled on Saturday and nearly as many arriving flights called off. Disruptions were also piling up at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

By late Saturday afternoon, nearly all departing flights scheduled to leave

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Sunday

had already been canceled.

Georgia worries about ice

Officials in Georgia advised people in the state’s northern regions to get off the roads by sundown Saturday and be prepared to stay put for at least 48 hours.

Will Lanxton, the senior state meteorologist, said Georgia could get “perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade” followed by unusually cold temperatures.

“Ice is a whole different ballgame than snow,” Lanxton said. “Ice, you can’t do anything with. You can’t drive on it. It’s much more likely to bring down power lines and trees.”

Crews began treating highways with brine after midnight Saturday, with 1,800 workers on 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said.

“We’re going to do what we can to keep the ice from sticking to the roads,” McMurry said. “This is going to be a challenge.” After sweeping through

the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted.

The Midwest saw windchills as low as minus 40, meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes. The minus 36 reading in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on Saturday morning was the coldest in almost 30 years.

College cancellations

Schools superintendents in Philadelphia and Houston announced that schools would be closed Monday Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the

MINNEAPOLIS

Continued from page 1a

Trump weighed in on social media by lashing out at Walz and the Minneapolis mayor Trump shared images of the gun that immigration officials said was recovered and said: “What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Ofﬁcers?”

Trump, a Republican, said the governor and mayor are “are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric.”

Pretti was shot just over a mile from where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ofﬁcer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good on Jan 7, sparking widespread protests.

Video shows shooting

In a bystander video of Saturday’s shooting obtained by The Associated Press, protesters can be heard blowing whistles and shouting profanities at federal ofﬁcers on Nicollet Avenue.

The video shows an ofﬁcer shoving a person who is wearing a brown jacket, skirt and black tights and carrying a water bottle. That person reaches out for a man and the two link up, embracing. The man, wearing a brown jacket and black hat, seems to be holding his phone up toward the ofﬁcer

The same ofﬁcer shoves the man in his chest and the two, still embracing, fall back.

The video then shifts to a different part of the street and then comes back to the two individuals unlinking from each other The video shifts focus again and then shows three officers surrounding the man.

Soon at least seven officers surround the man. One is on the man’s back and another who appears to have a canister in his hand strikes a blow to the man’s chest. Several ofﬁcers try to bring the man’s arms behind his back as he appears to resist. As they pull his arms, his face is brieﬂy vis-

ible on camera The ofﬁcer with the canister strikes the man near his head several times

A shot rings out, but with officers surrounding the man, it’s not clear from where the shot came. Multiple ofﬁcers back off of the man after the shot More shots are heard. Officers back away and the man lies motionless on the street.

The police chief appealed for calm, both from the public and from federal law enforcement.

“Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands,” the chief said “We urge everyone to remain peaceful.”

Gregory Bovino, of U.S.

Border Patrol, who has commanded the administration’s big-city immigration campaign, said the officer who shot the man had extensive training as a range safety ofﬁcer and in using less-lethal force.

“This is only the latest attack on law enforcement Across the country, the men and women of DHS have been attacked, shot at,” he said.

Walz said he had no conﬁdence in federal ofﬁcials and that the state would lead the investigation into the latest fatal shooting.

Drew Evans, superin-

tendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said during a news conference that federal officers blocked his agency from the shooting scene, and when they returned with a signed judicial warrant, they were still blocked.

Protests continue Protesters converged at the scene of the shooting despite dangerously cold weather

At midday Saturday, the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but the temperature was still -6 degrees. The Arctic blast hadn’t deterred thousands of protesters from marching downtown Minneapolis on Friday afternoon to call for ICE to leave the Minnesota.

After the shooting an angry crowd gathered and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them “cowards” and telling them to go home. One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: “Boo hoo.”

Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car Protesters dragged garbage dumpsters from alleyways to block the streets, and people who gathered chanted, “ICE out now,” referring to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

“They’re killing my neighbors!” said Minneapolis resident Josh Koskie.

Lafayette GrandmotherSurvives Halloween Accident in Care of LourdesBurnCenter

An extensivesupport network of family andfriends helped JosephaBoudreaux beginasuccessfuljourney of healing after an accident on Halloweennight left herwithsevereburns covering 60% of herbody. Many lined thehalls of FMOL Health |Our Lady of Lourdesinearly December to cheerher on as Boudreauxheadedhome following 40 days in theOur Lady of LourdesBurnCenter.

Eleven seconds. That’s howlongittookfor JosephaBoudreaux’s life to change forever LastHalloween,Boudreauxwassurrounded byherchildrenandgrandchildrenontheporch of herLafayette home,everyoneincostumes inspired by TheAddams Family.Trick-ortreatingstarted in less than 15 minutes– just enough time to take pictures before heading outforafunevening.Boudreauxstoodbeneath mounds of hula skirthay sheskillfullycrafted to resemble Cousin Itt.

In that moment afterthe picturewas taken, a“hair”fromBoudreaux’s costumeslipped inside alantern on theporch andtouched the ﬂameofacoin-sizedvotivecandle.Thesudden blazewas so powerful that someoneinside thoughtthe home wasonﬁre andcalled911

“I immediatelyfeltsomething,thenI looked down andsaid, ‘OhmyGod.I’m on ﬁre,’” Boudreaux recalled.“We were huddled together on thefront porch. Thenextthing I knew,Iwasinmyson’sarmsinthelandscaping. Icouldn’tmove.

JosephaBoudreaux andher family dressedas“The Addams Family”for Halloween. Thefamilyis shownincostume posing on thefront porchoftheir Lafayettehomeseconds beforeBoudreaux’s Cousin Ittcostume ignited, leaving herwithsevereburns covering 60% of herbody.

Boudreaux’sfamilyimmediately sprang intoactionwithout thoughtorconcern for theirown safety.Her husbandJuderemoved thetop portionofthe costumeand flungit aside, amovethatlikelyprevented severe facialburns.Heandtheiradultchildrenbegan pattingBoudreaux down with bare handsina desperateattempttoputouttheintenseﬂames. They each sustainedﬁrst- andsecond-degree burnsinthe process.

“The ﬁrewas just so hot,”Judeexplained “Seeingthepersonyouloveonﬁre,youhaveno choice buttodowhatyou gottodowithwhat you have in themoment.

TheBoudreauxfamilywasrushedtoFMOL Health|OurLadyofLourdesRegionalMedical Center,hometosouthwestLouisiana’sonlyburn center.Judeand theirchildrenweretreated andreleasedthe same night. Thestory wasn’t thesamefor Boudreaux.Doctors determined shehad sustainedburns to more than 60 percentofher body.She wouldspend 40 days in thehospitalenduringseven surgeries, 15 skin grafts andmultipleblood transfusions Thepainwas oftenunbearable. Herwounds neededaround-the-clockcare.Yet,Boudreaux wasthankfulfor her“burn whisperers,” who anticipatedevery need andrarelylefther side

Faith,familyand friendshelpedJosepha Boudreaux navigate thedarkest momentsinher recovery.Here, Boudreauxholds aRosaryinside herroomatthe FMOL Health |Our Lady of LourdesBurnCenter. By Amanda McElfresh,amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This articleisbrought to youbyFMOLHealth|Our Lady of Lourdes.

Boudreauxsaidshe wasnervous when doctorstoldher shewas readytogohome, but wasreassuredbytheirconﬁdencethatthiswas thenextstepinher path toward resuming a normal life.Three months later, shestill has regularappointmentswiththe Burn Center’s outpatientteamandseesaseparateoccupational therapistthree timesa week “Myleftarmsustainedmostofthethird-degree burns, andthe majority of it is nowgrafted,” Boudreauxexplained.“It’sstilldifficulttomove that arm, but Isee improvementevery day. I’m amazed by what theoccupationaltherapists areabletoget me to do. My body stillwants to tighten up,but Idon’t want that to happen.I have toomuchIwanttodo.

Today, Boudreauxismorehumbleand gratefulforthosearoundher,shesaid,including herfourchildren, sevengrandchildren and numerous friends –manyofthemlined the hallstocheer BoudreauxonthisDecember as shemadeher wayoutside thehospitalfor theﬁrsttimeinmonths. Lovedonesdonated more than 180units of bloodinher name at theOur Lady of LourdesBlood DonorCenter, andothersﬁlledherhospitalroomwithsaints’ relics,rosaries–one blessedbythe Pope –and endlessprayers

“Weknewwewereneveraloneinthatroom, even when no oneelsewas there,”she said “Inthe beginning, Iasked Godifitwas time for me to go,and allI couldhearwas ‘no.’It wasamazing to feel that wayand realizehow many people want me here anddidn’twantme to give up.Mysupport system hasgoneabove andbeyond.

“I know they savedmylife,”she said.“If anythingfeltwrong or different, they always knewthe rightpersontotakecareofit. Iwas amazed at howtheynever letanythingslipby. It wasintuitive to them.Theyknewexactly what to do at everymoment.

Dr.JoeyBarrios,Our Lady of LourdesBurn Centermedicaldirector,saidthecenter’shighlytrainedteamincludessurgeons, physicians nurses,physicaltherapists,psychologists,social workers, dietitians andotherswho specialize in theuniquecareneeds of burn patients

“Thecareinvolvesalotofpaincontrol,wound management,removingunhealthy tissue and preventinginfectionasweworktowardgetting thewoundstoheal,”Dr. Barriosexplained “It’sauniquesituation becausemostofthese patients areveryhealthy oneminute, and, within seconds, they immediatelybecomeone of thesickest patients in thehospital.”

Josepha Boudreauxisshown with Dr.JoeyBarrios, FMOL Health |Our Lady of LourdesBurnCenter medicaldirector,during herstayatsouthwest Louisiana’sonlyburncenter.

Theexperienceand hercontinued healing journeyinspiredhealing in others,Boudreaux said.Sheoftenhearshowherstrength,resilience andthe blanketofprayerthatenshroudedthe familyinspiredotherstomendbrokenaspects of theirlives andrelationships.And,ithad anotherunexpectedoutcome PaigeSegura,Boudreaux’sfuturedaughterin-law,completed anursing degree while Boudreauxwas in thehospital. Theincident inspiredSegura,nowaregisterednurse,tojoin theOurLadyofLourdesBurnCenterteamand work alongsidethe people whomadesucha difference forher family

“I wasthe oneburned, butthisimpacted so many families in such positive ways,” Boudreauxsaid.“It’swhathelpsmegetthrough thedarkest moments.”

Boudreaux hopestodomoreinthe future to help other burn patients at Lourdes, shesaid, particularly as they transition from inpatient careto anoutpatientsetting.Dr.Barriosnoted thatseeingthosepatientsrecoverwithgratitude andresilienceiswhatcontinues to make the work so rewarding.

“I seepatients forthe ﬁrst time when they areoften ﬁghtingfor theirlives andcoping with alot of physical andpsychological pain,” he said.“It’s amazingevery time to seethem walkingunder theirown power, smiling, huggingthe nurses andshowing us whothey were beforethe injury.There have been alot of closefriendships developedbetween former patients,and betweenthemand ourstaff.It’s incredible to seehow people continue to turn a negative experience into somethingpositive.”

OurLadyofLourdesispartofFMOLHealth theleading Catholic health system delivering thebestcarepossibleacrossLouisiana and Mississippi. We areone system connectedby mission, driven by people, andcommitted to delivering care that is both clinicallyadvanced anddeeplyhuman.Thisishow we healthcare Discover more at fmolhealth.org/healthcare.

assoCIateD Press PHotos By aBBIe Parr

Federal agents stand near the site of a shooting in Minneapolis on saturday.

Federal agents stand near the site of a shooting in Minneapolis on saturday

Man killed in Minneapolis was ICU nurse, family says

BY MICHAEL BIESECKER, TIM SULLIVAN and JIM MUSTIAN associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS Family mem-

bers say the man killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Saturday

was an intensive care nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital who cared deeply about people and was upset by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in his city

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed getting in adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog who also recently died. He had participated in protests following the killing of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs ofﬁcer on Jan. 7.

“He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset,” said Michael Pretti, Alex’s father “He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests.”

Pretti was a U.S citizen, born in Illinois. Like Good, court records showed he had no criminal record and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a handful of trafﬁc tickets

In a recent conversation with their son, his parents, who live in Colorado, told him to be careful when protesting.

“We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically,” Michael Pretti said. “And he said he knows that. He knew that.”

The Department of Homeland Security said that the man was shot after he “approached” Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not specify if Pretti brandished the gun. In bystander videos of the shooting that emerged soon after, Pretti is seen with a phone in his hand but none appears to show him with a visible weapon.

Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota. They said they had never known him to carry it.

Family struggles for details

The family ﬁrst learned of the shooting when they were called by an Associated Press reporter They watched the video and said the man killed appeared to be their son. They then tried reaching out to ofﬁcials in Minnesota.

“I can’t get any information from anybody,” Michael Pretti said Saturday “The police, they said call Border Patrol, Border Patrol’s closed, the hospitals won’t answer any questions.” Eventually, the family called the Hennepin County Medical Examiner who they said confirmed had a body matching the name and description of their son.

Alex Pretti grew up in Green Bay Wisconsin, where he played football, baseball and ran track for Preble High School. He was a Boy Scout and sang in the Green Bay Boy Choir After graduation, he went to the University of Minnesota graduating in 2011

with a bachelor’s degree in biology, society and the environment, according to the family He worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse.

Had protested before Pretti’s ex-wife, who spoke to the AP but later said she didn’t want her name used for fear of retaliation, said she was not surprised he would have been involved in protesting Trump’s immigration crackdown. She said she had not spoken to him since they divorced more than two years ago and she moved to another state She said he was a Democratic voter and that he had participated in the wave of street protests following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, not far from the couple’s neighborhood.

alex J Pretti was shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis on saturday

She described him a someone who might shout at law enforcement officers at a protest, but she had never known him to be physically confrontational.

She said Pretti got a permit to carry a concealed ﬁrearm about three years ago and that he owned at least one semiautomatic handgun when they separated.

Pretti had ‘a great heart’

Pretti lived in a four-unit condominium building about 2 miles from where he was shot. Neighbors described him as quiet and warmhearted.

“He’s a wonderful person,” said Sue Gitar, who lived downstairs from Pretti and said he moved into the building about three years ago.

“He has a great heart.”

If there was something suspicious going on in the neighborhood, or when they worried the building might have a gas leak, he would jump in to help.

Pretti lived alone and worked long hours as a nurse, but he was not a loner, his neighbors said, and would sometimes have friends over

His neighbors knew he had guns he’d occasionally take a riﬂe to shoot at a gun range but were surprised

at the idea that he might carry a pistol on the streets.

“I never thought of him as a person who carried a gun,” said Gitar

Passionate about outdoors

A competitive bicycle racer who lavished care on his new Audi, Pretti had also been deeply attached to his dog, who died about a year ago. His parents said their last conversation with their son was a couple days before his death. They talked about repairs he had done to the garage door of his home. The worker was a Latino man, and they said with all that was happening in Minneapolis he gave the man a $100 tip.

Pretti’s mother said her son cared immensely about the direction the county was headed, especially the Trump administration’s rollback of environmental regulations.

LouisianaOffice of Tourismhelps take NewOrleans MardiGrasglobal with live parade camcoverage

MardiGrasissynonymouswithNew Orleans– thesights, sounds and pageantryofCarnivalseasonare embedded in thecity’sculture.And formillionsofpeoplearoundthe worldwho can’t traveltoLouisiana, thecelebration is within reach. Throughthe MardiGrasFor AllY’all initiative, sponsoredthisyearbythe LouisianaOffice of Tourism, viewers canexperiencethe magicofthe season in real time vianola.com’slive Parade Cam. TheParadeCam will airfootage of 2026 paradesthisyearatwww.nola. com,www.facebook.com/MardiGras.nolaandwww.youtube.com/@NOLAtp

Here's thefullbroadcast schedule:

•FridayFeb. 6(begins at 5:30 p.m.): KreweofOshun,Krewe of Cleopatra

•SaturdayFeb. 7(begins at 11:30a.m.):Krewe of Pontchartrain, LegionsofMars, KreweofChoctaw

•SaturdayFeb.7(begins at 5p.m.):Krewe of Freret,Knights of Sparta, KreweofPygmalion

•SundayFeb. 8(begins at 11 a.m.): TheMysticKrewe of Femme Fatale,Krewe of Carrollton,Krewe of King Arthur

•Wednesday Feb. 11 (beginsat6:15p.m.):Krewe of Druids

KreweofAlla

•ThursdayFeb. 12 (beginsat5:30p.m.):Knights of Chaos, Knights of Babylon, KreweofMuses

•FridayFeb. 13 (beginsat5:30p.m.):Krewe of Hermes,Krewe of d’Etat,Krewe of Morpheus

•SaturdayFeb.14(begins at 11 a.m.): KreweofIris, KreweofTucks

•SaturdayFeb. 14 (beginsat4p.m.):Krewe of Endymion

•SundayFeb. 15 (beginsat11a.m.):Krewe of Okeanos, Krewe of Mid-City

•SundayFeb.15(begins at 12 p.m.): KreweofThoth,Krewe of Bacchus

•MondayFeb.16(begins at 5:15 p.m.): KreweofProteus, KreweofOrpheus

•Tuesday Feb. 17 (beginsat8 a.m.): KreweofZulu, KreweofRex

Throughthe MardiGrasFor AllY’all Parade Cam, viewerscan seeeach of theseparades roll down St.Charles Avenue from theLCMCStreaming Stage.Thisyear’sMardi Gras ForAll Y’allbeveragesponsor is Dr Pepper Each year,individuals sharecommentsabout howthe footagemakes them feel like they areright therewithother revelers, whethertheyare former Louisianaresidents whonow live outofstate,longtimeadmirers of MardiGrasfromafarorlocalswho prefer to enjoythe festivitiesfrom thecomfortofhome.

“Mardi Gras in NewOrleans is acelebration foundnowhere else in the world. It’s wherecenturies of culture, creativity, musicand tradition come together,and it’s oneofthe most powerful expressionsofwho we areas acityand as astate,” said LieutenantGovernorBilly Nungesser. “Every parade,every krewe, andevery moment alongthe parade routetells the storyofNew Orleanstothe world. TheMardi Gras ForAll Y’allParadeCam allows us to take Louisiana’sgreatest celebrationfar beyond ourborders andmakeeveryonefeelliketheyhave afront-row seat in NewOrleans.”

In addition to showcasing theCrescentCity, theLouisiana Office of Tourismisalsoproud to supportthe dozens of paradesand MardiGras events taking placethroughoutthe statethrough FatTuesday on February17, 2026.Fromfamily-oriented paradesinLafayette andAlexandria to traditionalCajun courirsinEvangelineand St.LandryParishesto dog-centriceventsinShreveport, Lake Charlesand BatonRouge,there’s somethingfor everyone

“While NewOrleans maybethe most famous stage, MardiGraslives in everycornerofLouisiana.Carnivalseasonreﬂects thediversity,hospitality andpride of ourcommunities statewide. No matter whereyou celebrate, MardiGrasinLouisiana is authentic, personal,and unforgettable.”

Visitwww.explorelouisiana.com/mardigras to learnmore.

ProVIDeD PHoto

TheKrewe of Endymionrolls in NewOrleans,Saturday, March1,2025. Theparadefeaturedmorethan3,200 riders and37ﬂoats on theirtraditionalroute throughMid-Cityand downtown NewOrleans (Staff photobyBrett Duke,The Times-Picayune)

the program for their entire educational careers —leaving limited space to welcome more kidsand teens.

“Our existing spaces were already full. We needed more space. We needed more funding. We had leads on spaces that wouldaccommodate growth for elementary and junior high, but the ﬁnal piece of the puzzle was to ﬁgure outwhattodofor high school,” said Carriere.

“It’snot my job to make anything happen.It’smyjob to pray and then to work, and then to watch God make things happen. And so Iremember walking out, walkingdown thestreet,and seeing the shopping center for the ﬁrst time. Ithought, ‘Well, could that work?’ It could. He got in touch with owner Jared Brown, whose father, Herbert Brown, built the shopping center at 718 S. Union St.in the 1950s. As it turned out, Jared Brownwas happy to throw his support behind Hope for Opelousas by selling the building, andeven contributing to the revitalization project.

Hope for Opelousas community members and funders were also excited to supportthe work, which as of November was fully

CONCERNS

Continued from page1a

Maintenanceand staffing

The jail is supportedbya dedicatedproperty taxthat generates about$800,000 annuallyfor maintenance expenses. Guidroz has said the money is not being spent properly and that the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce does not control the funds.

Bellard disputes that claim, arguing the escape wasthe result of staffing and supervision failures, not inadequatemaintenance spending.

“Ifthe deputywas watching like they’re supposedto be, they never would have gotten on top of that bunk,” Bellard said. “They didn’tdo this in aday or two. It happened over time. Proper cell checks would have caught it.” Bellard also said the jail is understaffed despite what he said is aroughly $14 million reserve held by the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

“One deputy on aﬂoor with around 100 inmates is impossible,” Bellard said. “The previous administration had two deputies and arover making regular checks. We didn’thave people breaking out of the jail.”

Abroader dispute

The disagreement over the jail is the latest ﬂashpointin abroader political standoff betweenthe two elected ofﬁcials, who have clashed publicly over budgeting, inmate housing and oversight responsibilities.

funded at over $2 million.

Construction on the front façade hadalready begun duringthe Jan.15groundbreaking, and the brandnewhigh school space in-

The dispute has, at times, spilled into public meetings and mediaappearances.

“Frankly,he’sanidiot,” Guidroz said of Bellard during aDecember meeting. “He doesn’t know how to manage abudget.”

Bellard responded earlier this week, saying, “Hetalks about things he doesn’tknow anythingabout.”

While both havecriticized each other sharply in recent months, officials on both sides saythe underlying disputesare rooted in longstanding questions about authority and accountability rather than personal animosity

After the December escape, Bellard pointed toan earlier inspection that found no structural deﬁciencies in thejail building. Guidroz said that argument mischaracterizes his concerns.

“I neverclaimedthe building was going to collapse,” Guidroz said. “I’m saying they don’tspend the money to ﬁx what’s insideofit.”

The jail dispute unfolds againstthe backdrop of an ongoing legalbattle between the Sheriff’s Ofﬁceand parish government over the housingofSt. Landry Parish inmates outside the parish.

Thelawsuit,ﬁledlast year, centers on who has authority —and ﬁnancialresponsibility —for inmateplacement and jail operations.

Since thelawsuit was ﬁled, thenumberofparish inmates housed outside St Landry Parishhas dropped to three, according toofficials, while the Sheriff’s Ofﬁcehas expanded agreementstohouse state inmates in parish facilities.

Multiple deficiencies

ALouisianaDepartment

side willbetransformed with classrooms, hangout spaces,acomputer lab and more.

“HFO is thegold standard, anda best-kept secret,” said

of Health inspection conducted Jan. 12 cited multiple deﬁciencies, including toilets in disrepair and the lack of written approval for arenovation project.

Wall damagewas listed as arepeat violation but classiﬁedasnoncritical to inmate health andsafety

Bellard said many maintenanceissues are addressed when theyare reported but saidaccesslimitationsslow repairs.

“Whenthey report aproblem, we ﬁx it,” Bellardsaid

“Our maintenancestaff can’t access most floors withoutadeputy present, and sometimes there aren’t not enough deputiesavailable.”

Guidroz countered that relyingonone maintenance worker for athree-storyjail is insufﬁcient.

More than200 maintenance requestsremain unresolved,thoughmostwere submittedDec. 17 and 18, according to Sheriff’sOfﬁce Chief Information Ofﬁcer Shane Garrard.Garrard said earlierrequests were canceled and reentered into the parish’ssystemafter officials determined some completed repairs hadnot been properly documented

Parish officials said they received 111 maintenance requestsbetween Jan. 24 andNov.14, 2025. Because all open requestswere canceledinmid-December,officialssaiditisdifficult to determine how many were addressedbeforethe reset.

Guidrozalso contends that the jail’sdedicated tax revenue is being improperly spentonexpenses such as salaries, food andclothing rather than building repairs. Bellard said maintenance

Todd Mouton, executive di-

rector of thePugh Family Foundation, which provided support for theHope Plaza campaign.

“Theyalmost have their

and repair costsare paid from theparishgovernment’sgeneral fund.

Guidroz said the Sheriff’s Ofﬁceispreparedtoact if

ownrecipe. The stuff they do in the summer, with the adventure programs it’s just what every child needs, wants and deserves. Whenthe kids come from school and gettheir snacks andhead to theirdifferent housestoget tutoring, you see how it feels so natural andjust so high quality.”

Anothersupporter, Chuck LaGrange,ofthe Stuller Family Foundation, noted that investing in HFO’s work is away to invest in the success of Acadiana’s future workforce.

“They are actually closing those opportunity gaps and putting these kids in aplace where they become part of the talent pipeline and can have gainful employment. That creates asupport structure for their own family stability.Overall, that just strengthens the economic resilience of us as astate in alot of these rural communities,” LaGrange said.

Forthe students and alumni of the program, Hope for Opelousas has offered somethingthat’shard to putina strategic plan. They say that their involvement in the program went beyond tutoring and trips —HFO gave them asense of hope, belonging and support foreach season of their lives.

“I thinkit’sthe environment when youwalkin,” said HFO alum and current LSU Eunice nursing stu-

conditions do not improve.

“If they’re not going to ﬁx it, we will,” he said. “The conditionofthisplace is unacceptable.”

dent Maiya Robertson, who ledthe opening prayer at thegroundbreaking. “Even now when I’m not astudent there, Iwalk in and they still treat me like Ibelongthere.” Another alum,Jaylen Boyd, said that Hope for Opelousas helped him enter LSU’sindustrial engineering program through study support, ACTprepand the collegeapplication grind. He said that the program’s impact on his life went well beyond academic bolstering —and now he likes to pay it forward.

“Without Hope,I wouldn’t have even been exposed, I maybe wouldn’thaveeven been in college at LSU. They broadened my horizons, showed me the collegiate experience. Igot to travel and go to both coasts with Hope, and they’re still there if Ineed adviceabout stuff in college.

“You get out of Hope was you put in. Nowthat I’m in college in Baton Rouge, Igo back and forth, and Ialways stop by to just try to pour into the kids as muchasI can.Talktothe guys, make sure they’reonthe right track.I just want to make sure thatthe kids down there are getting that advice from somebodythatwas in their position.”

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

As of publication, it was unclear what maintenance work, if any, the Sheriff’s Office plans to undertake independently

National Carnegie designationhighlights FranU’scommunity impact andcommitmenttoservice

AtFranciscanMissionariesofOur Lady University (FranU), communityservice is much more than an extracurricularopportunity or aresumebuilder Rather,itisa core responsibility wovenintoevery aspect of life at FranU– onethatshapesacademic programs,campusculture andthe waystudents preparefor life aftergraduation.

That philosophy hasearnedFranU national recognition throughthe 2026 Carnegie Elective Classiﬁcation for CommunityEngagement. Awardedbythe AmericanCouncil on Educationand theCarnegie Foundation forthe AdvancementofTeaching, the designationplaces FranUamong just 277collegesand universitiesnationwiderecognizedfordeep,sustained andinstitutionalized communityengagement. The classiﬁcationisvalid through2032.

“We’re asmall institutionthatismakinga big impact.I thinkthisrecognitionisatestament to the fact that everything we do is mission-driven,” said Dr RhodaReddix, FranUDirectorofService-Learning.

“We’re intentionalinwhatwedo, andour work has both breadthand depth.”

That intentionality stoodout in FranU’sCarnegie application,withanemphasisonrelationship-building andlong-term impact rather than one-time volunteer efforts.Dr. Reddix said FranUnow partners with approximately160 organizationswho areworking throughout Louisianatoassistthe elderly, localyouth themedically underserved, individualswithspecial needsand thoselivinginpoverty

“Thisrecognition reflects ourcommitmentto forminghighlyskilled professionalsand integrated thinkerswhounderstandthattheireducationismeant to serveothers. Throughcommunity engagement ourstudents areformedtoleadwithexcellence, integrityand compassion in ways that transform both livesand communities,”saidFranU President andCEO Dr.David Bellar

Dr.Reddixsaidservice-learningatFranU means students work hands-on with organizationsand individualsacrossthe state. That caninclude helping performblood pressure checks andhealth screenings at area nursinghomes,conductingguided interventionswithchildrenonthe autism spectrum mentoringyouth andencouraging them to pursue higher education, packingmeals at localfoodbanks andparticipating in kidney diseasescreening and educationathealthfairs

Dr.Reddixsaidshe hasseenservice-learning transformstudents’ livesaswell. OneFranU student whowas struggling in herfaith wasassigned a projecttohelpa spirituallygroundedseniorcitizen create amemorybookfor herfamily. Throughthat experience,Dr. Reddix said thestudentregainedher faithand resumedher relationship with thechurch. In anothersituation,Dr. Reddix said aFranU studentplanned to becomea physical therapist, but facedunexpectedacademic challenges.Her service-learningproject involved workingwith children on theautismspectrum. As sheworked with anonverbalkindergartner at alocal school,the childbegan to speak for theﬁrsttime.

“The teachers kept tellingher that shetruly has a gift.She washired by aschooland todayher entire career is workingwithchildrenwithspecial needs. That wassomethingshe hadnever considered before,” Dr.Reddixsaid. “Her service-learning experience at FranUcompletelychanged herlife.

Dr.Reddixsaidthe service-learningexpectation is setatFranU from theverybeginning,fromstudent orientations andadmissionstothe staffhiring process. Gruntz notedthatbecause this expectation is so interwoven into life at FranU, shehas seen students andfaculty create newopportunities to help others.For example, theStudent Government Organizationled an efforttoprepare meal kits for more than 50 students in need last Thanksgiving, with staff memberscontributing monetarily “Ourfacultyandstaffareoftenouttherevolunteering as well.Whenthe opportunityarises, they areready to serveside-by-sidewithour students,” shesaid. Learnmoreatfranu.edu

“AllFranUstudentstakeanintroductiontotheology classwitharequiredservice-learningcomponent They cansearchfor opportunities amongour partner organizationsthatresonatewiththem,” explained RebeccaGruntz, FranUDirectorofFranciscan StudentLifeand ServantLeadership. “Oncetheyare in theirprogram of study, they determineasagroup wheretheyare goingtoserve.I’veheard from many students that themostimpactful part of theirFranU experience is theservice opportunities. Gruntz addedthatleaders from partnerorganizationsoften pointout that FranUstudentsgoabove andbeyondtohelpthose in need “Through service-learning, we seeour students trulyserve theLordand others.Thatsetsusapart They areabletoshowcasetheir servantleadership heartand learnhow they cancontinuethatwork aftergraduationwhentheyare in theirprofessional ﬁelds,”she said

PHoto By roBIN May

By Amanda McElfresh| amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youbyFranU

Trumpthreatens Canada with 100% tariff

PrimeMinister Carney recently announced trade deal with China

BY MICHELLEL.PRICE and ROBGILLIES associated Press

WASHINGTON— President Donald TrumponSaturday threatened to impose a100% tariff on goods imported from Canada if America’s northern neighbor went ahead with its China trade deal, intensifying afeud with Prime Minister Mark Carney,arising voice in the West’spushback to Trump’s new world order Trump said in asocial media post that if Carney “thinks he is goingtomakeCanada a‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken.”

It was unclear when Trumpmight impose the threatenedtariff. He said in the post it would happen “immediately” if Canada made adeal with China, whichCarneydid aweek earlier The White House did not offer any additional details.

While Trump haswaged atrade war over the past year,Canada forged ahead with its owndeal to lower tariffsonChinese electric vehicles in returnfor lower import taxes on Canadian farm products. At the time, Trump said that agreement was what Carney “should be doing and it’sagood thing for him to signatrade deal.”

DominicLeBlanc, Canada’s ministerresponsible for trade with the UnitedStates, said Canada and China had resolved “several important tradeissues” but there was no pursuit of afree-trade agreement.

Trump’sthreat came amid an escalatingwar of words with Carney as the Republican president’spush to acquire Greenland strained the NATO alliance. Trump hadcommentedwhile in Davos, Switzerland, that “Canada lives because of the United States.”Carney shot back that his nation can be an example that the world doesnot havetobendtowardautocratic tendencies. “Canadadoesn’t live becauseofthe UnitedStates. Canada thrivesbecausewe are Canadian,” hesaid Trump later revoked hisinvitationtoCarney to join the president’s“Board of Peace”

gloves are off.”

Carney hasemergedasa leader of amovement for countriestofind ways to link up and counter the U.S. under Trump. Speaking in Davos before Trump, Carney said, “Middle powers must act together because if youare notatthe table, you are on the menu” and he warned aboutcoercion by great powers —without mentioning Trump’sname.

key sectors of the Canadianeconomy.But Canada has been protected by the heaviest impact of Trump’s tariffs by the Canada-U.S.MexicoAgreement. That trade agreement is up for a review this year

that he is forming to try to resolve globalconﬂicts

Trump’spushtoacquire Greenland hascomeafter he has repeatedly needled Canada over its sovereignty and suggesteditalso be absorbed intothe United States as a51st state. He posted an altered image on social media this week showing amap of the United States that includedCanada, Venezuela, Greenland and Cuba as part of its territory In his message Saturday, Trump continuedhis provocationsbycalling Canada’s

leader “Governor Carney.” Trump had used the same nicknamefor Carney’spredecessor,Justin Trudeau, and his ﬁrst use of it toward Carney was the latest mark of their soured relationship. Daniel Béland, apoliticalscience professor at McGill University in Montreal, said “there was asense Trump showed more respect for Carney than for Trudeau. Now,after Carney’svisit to China and, even more, his widely celebratedDavos speech, which clearly outshined and upset Trump, the

The primeminister received widespread praise andattention for his remarks, upstaging Trumpatthe World Economic Forum. The primeminister even spoke of a“rupture” between the U.S. under Trump andits Western alliesthat would never be repaired.

Trump, in his Truth Social post Saturday,also said that “China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including thedestruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life.” In alater post, the president said: “The last thing the World needsistohaveChina takeoverCanada. It’sNOT going to happen, or even come close to happening!”

Carney has not yet reached adeal withTrump to reduce someofthe tariffs that he hasimposed on

Canada had initially mirrored the United States by putting a100% tariff on electric vehicles from Beijing anda 25% tariff on steel and aluminum. China had responded by imposing 100% import taxes on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25% on pork and seafood. But as Trump’spursued pressure tactics, Canada’s foreign policy has been less aligned withthe U.S., creating an opening for an improved relationship with China. Carney madethe tariffannouncement earlier this month during avisit to Beijing. Carney has said that Canada’srelationship withthe U.S. is complexand deep and that Canada and China disagree on issues such as human rights. Canada is thetop export destination for36U.S. states. Nearly$2.7 billion worth of goods and services cross the border each day About60% of U.S. crudeoil imports are from Canada.

Trumpheaps praise on U.K. troops afterAfghanistan comments

BY PANPYLAS associated Press

LONDON U.S. President

Donald Trump heapedpraise Saturday on Britishsoldiers whofoughtinAfghanistan, in apost on social media that represented apartial reversal of comments he made this week that drewa cascade of criticism in the U.K., particularly from families of those killed and seriously injured in the conﬂict.

In the wake of aconversation earlier with British Prime Minister KeirStarmer,Trump said on TruthSocial that the “great and very brave soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United Statesof America.”

He described the 457 British servicemen and women who died in Afghanistan and those that were badly injured,as“among the greatest of all warriors.”

Trump addedthat the bond between the two countries’ militaries is “too strong to ever be broken” and that the U.K. “with tremendous heart and soul, is secondto none (except for the USA).”

Trump’scomments follow an interview with Fox BusinessNetworkonThursday in Davos, Switzerland, when he said he wasn’tsure the other 31 nations in NATO would be there to support the United States if and when requested and that troops fromthose countries stayed “a little off the front lines.”

Trump did not apologize directly for those comments, nor retract them, as Starmer hadsuggested in hisinitial response on Friday when he described the words of the president as “insulting and

frankly appalling.”

Starmer’sofﬁce in No.10

Downing Street said theissuewas raisedina conversationbetween thepairon Saturday, in which othertopics were discussed, including the war in Ukraine and security in theArctic region

“The prime minister raised thebrave and heroic Britishand American soldiers whofought side by side in Afghanistan,many of whom never returned home,” Downing Street said in astatement. “Wemust neverforget their sacriﬁce.”

Trump’sview as expressed in theFox Business interviewstands at odds with thereality that in October 2001, nearly amonth after the9/11 attacks,the U.S. led an international coalition in Afghanistan to destroy alQaida, whichhad usedthe country as its base, and the group’sTaliban hosts. Alongside the U.S. were troops fromdozensof countries, including from NATO, whose mutual-defensemandate had been triggered for the ﬁrst time after the attacksonNew

York andWashington. More than150,000 British troops served in Afghanistan in the years after the invasion, the

largestcontingent after the American one. The Italian and French governments also expressed their disapproval Saturday at Trump’scomments, with both describing themas“unacceptable.”

As thenumberofchildrenenteringfostercare in Louisianacontinues to climb, theneedfor Court AppointedSpecial Advocates, knownasCASAvolunteers, remainsmoreurgentthanever. “Oneofthebiggesttrendswehaveseenstatewide is that children need care because oneorbothoftheir parentsare facing substanceabuse-related issues,” said Amanda Moody, LouisianaCASADirector. “The demographics do notdiscriminateatall.Wesee kids from allareas of thestate,all agegroupsand allsocioeconomic backgrounds.

CASAvolunteersaretrainedcommunitymembers whoseroleistoadvocateforthebestinterestsofchildren whohaveexperiencedabuseorneglect.Onceavolunteer isassignedtoachild,theybecomeaconsistentpresence inhisorherlife.CASAvolunteersmustmeetwiththeir assigned childatleast once amonth.Inbetween visits theyareexpectedtobeinconstantcommunicationwith thechild’sfosterfamily,statecaseworker,teachersand others.Thevolunteersthenturnthoseobservationsand communicationsintowrittenreportsthatarereviewed byjudges,whoultimatelydeterminethebestnextsteps for thechild

“WhatsetsCASAapartisthatweareestablished by statestatute andare an integral part of thecourt system,”Moodysaid.“CASAvolunteershaveunprecedented access to achild’s life andtruly arethe eyes and ears of thejudge.The true role of aCASAvolunteer is to actonbehalfofthe courttoobserve thechild’s life andprovide fact-based recommendations. That best interest advocacy andthe fact that we arespeciﬁedin statelaw makesusunique.”

DenaéHebert,the2025LouisianaCASAAdvocate oftheYear,hasworkedwithfourchildrenasavolunteer Hebertsaidthatwhileitwasinitiallyabitintimidating to have to presentobservationstoa judge in courtand workalongsidetrainedprofessionalsinthelegalsystem thosefeelingseased as sherealizedthateveryoneis workingtowardthesamegoal–givingachildconsistent positive reinforcement anda stable foundation “I’velearnedalotabouthowtoworkwithdifferent peopleindifferentroleswhoallwanttoﬁndpermanence for thekids,”Hebertsaid. “I’veseenhow much the judgesrespectCASAasaprogramandtakeourreports

seriously. It’s very clearthattheyare readingthem and areaskingquestions basedonour observations.It’sa good feelingtoknowthatpeoplerespect ouropinions andknowthatweare thereasvolunteerstoadvocate forthe child.”

MoodysaidCASAvolunteersgenerally work on achild’s case for10to20hours permonth.Hebertsaid thatinherexperience,theworkloadﬂuctuates.Thereare slowerweekswheretherearecalls,textsandcheck-ins withthechild’sfosterfamily,mixedinwithbusiertimes forin-person visits,draftingreports andappearing in courthearings.

“Oneofthebiggestconcernswehearisthatpeople feeltheydon’thavethetimeorbandwidthtovolunteer However,alotofourvolunteersareworkingprofessionals andparentswhoareabletomanageitwithnoproblem,” Moodysaid.“Themostimportantthingwearelooking forare people whohaveaheart forchildren. Yes, it is a time commitment,but it is doable.”

Hebertsaidsheintentionallyscheduleshervisits with children for theweekendssoshe candedicate plenty of time forthem. Theactivitiesvarydepending on thechild’s ageand interests.

“I letthekidsleadwithwhattheyenjoydoing.While we’redoing an activity,Iask afew questionsand then justletthemtalk,”shesaid.“I’vefoundthatifIletthem talk long enough,theywillsay somethingthatcreates an openingfor me to digdeeper. Ilet them organically bringupthatanchorpoint,and theconversationﬂows from there.

BothMoodyandHebertemphasizedthatnoCASA volunteerworksinavacuum.EachvolunteerhasaCASA supervisorwhoprovidescoachingandanswersquestions Training,tools,resourcesandtechnicalassistanceare availableatany pointfromboththe stateassociation andlocalchapters. “Weunderstandthatsomecasesaremorecomplex thanothers,andwetrytoappropriatelypairchildrenand volunteers,”Moodysaid.“Weworkwitheachvolunteer to make sure that this work is meetingtheir needsas

Thedepartment’sreductions come amid a universitywidefinancial crisis. Interim President Ramesh Kolluru told faculty and staff last fall that the university had cutmillions from a $50million total deficit through spending freezes, position eliminations and contract cancellations. Departments were then asked to reduce spending by 10% to help close aremaining $10.5 million gap.Athletics, like other departments, has felt the impact.

“Goingintonextfall,we cannot operateeffectively with the current staff numbers,” Maggard said. “We would certainly be at risk of losingquality people, becauseour current staffingmodel is not sustainable long term.”

Those reductions have extended beyond staffing andinto student-athleteservices.

The department’s expanded nutrition program was scaled back, saving about $800,000

eration without institutional support ($14.6million) and seventhintotal expenses ($46.1 million).

Butwhen it comes toinstitutional support,ULdrops to No. 12 outof14at$18.9 million —only better than Southern Miss and UL Monroe.

The gap leaves UL nearly $9 million below the Sun Belt average of $27.7million in institutional support.

“You can do thequick math, that doesn’t equate to avery high number,”Maggard said.

to have concerts on Cajun Field,”hesaid. “We’re also exploring facility lease agreements andpublic-privatepartnerships.” In other words, trying to takefull advantage of the new stadium other than just six home games in the fall. He emphasized that the new OurLady of Lourdes Stadium funding is self-sustaining and does not affect the athletic budget. “This year has shown that some levelofreductioncan work if carefully managed,” Maggard said. “Weneed to continue to ﬁnd ways, working with campus, to see where additional support canberealizedifwewant to operate within abalanced budget.”

He also stressed that postseason travelfor football, baseball,softball andother spring sports will remain within NCAA-provided resources. “And if we gettoNCAA postseason play, we’ll absolutely do everything we can to makesure we work within whatever resources we’re provided,” he said.

“When we were building areduced budget for this year,wedid so without any request from campus back in April,” Maggardsaid.

“Wewanted to be proactive in an attempt to see how we could be more efﬁcient ﬁnancially.”

Athletics initially reduced expenses from $46 million to $42.7 million by leaving vacant positions

unﬁlled and cutting operational budgets. Scholarships, which cost about $9 millionannually, were preserved.

The department is currently operating with roughly 25% fewer staff, about 35 positions lost.

“We’ve got people pulling double and sometimes triple duty,” Maggard said “Our ticketing staff is doing their jobs, plus in-venue marketing, with support from Learfield staff who aren’teven employees of the athletic department We’re band-aiding all this with the hard work of extremely dedicated staff.”

He added that many ﬁxed costs cannot be reduced,including scholarships, travel, event management, ofﬁcials, custodial duties, and student-athletemedical and insurance expenses.

The ultimate goal is for the university to end the ﬁscal year on June 30 with abalanced budget.

“That was one of themost painstaking decisions in this process,” Maggard said. “Wedidn’t backﬁll any of the nutrition positions and we significantly reduced snacks that we are allowed to provide perNCAA rules

“Getting the snacks back to the athletes is ahigh priority,because howthey fuel their bodiesiscritically importanttotheirathletic and overall success.”

SunBeltcomparisons

UL reported a$12.6 million deficit in athletics for the 2024 fiscal year,which mirrors financial challenges across the university. According to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor,deficits of this size are notuncommon in Division Iathletics; for comparison, theUniversity of Texasreporteda $23 millionloss in 2025. The department’sfinancial strainisalso evident when compared to its SunBelt peers.

In the 2024 ﬁscal year,UL ranked seventhout of 14 Sun Belt schools in revenuegen-

For the record, James Madison leads the way in that category at $59.9 million, or $41 million more than UL’s $18.9 million. That huge difference is primarily becauseofstudent fees, which Maggard hasnoexpectations will change any time soon in Lafayette.

UL’s last studentfee was added about 20 yearsago, contributingroughly $10 perstudent persemester to athletics. The Sun Belt’s average in student fees is $13million.UL’slastreported total was “just under $500,000.”

“We’re working within theuniversity’soverall financial realities,” Maggard said. “Institutionalsupport is limited, andthere’s little appetite to adda student athletic fee any time soon.”

Lookingahead

To help bridge the gap, Maggard said the department is exploring alternative revenue streams, including concerts at Cajun Fieldand partnerships with other sports organizations.

“We’re starting to hone in on what it might look like

By Amanda McElfresh| amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Themission at SouthLouisiana Community Collegehas neverbeenabout chasingrecognition.SoLAcc’sprimary focushas always been closer to home –creatingpractical,effective andsustainablesolutions forthe people and employersofAcadiana. That locally-grounded approach is drawingnationalattention,with tworecenthonorsthatunderscorethe results SoLAcc is delivering andthe systemsbehind them

STORE.ADVOCATE.COM

SoLAcc wasnamed amongthe Top200 communitycollegesinthe nation eligible for the2027Aspen Prizefor CommunityCollege Excellence,marking thefifthconsecutive cycle in whichthe collegehas earned this distinction. Atthe same time,SoLAccisaTop 10 national finalistfor the2026BellwetherAward in the category of planning,governanceand finance SoLAcc’s Bellwether submission centered on itsCampusAdvisoryBoard (CAB)model, whichensures each campus is connectedand responsive to itssurrounding community.

“There arenot alot of institutions doingwhat SoLAcc is with quitethe same approach,” said Dr.Maggi Bienvenu,directorofbusinessand educationconnections for OneAcadiana. “It’s interestingtohearlocal leaderstalkabout how SoLAcc serves differentpurposesindifferent cities.Somereallywantittobesimilar to a juniorcollege –a ﬁrst step to higher degrees. Others aremorefocused on gettingpeopleinto theworkforce immediately. I’ve seen SoLAcc lean into better understandingwhattheycan offer,the role they play in each communityand theneeds they canmeet.

Data speaks to strong studentoutcomesand real impact

feedback on what wasworking,whatwasn’tand howthe collegecould meet localneeds Theresulthas been eightCABs–one in each parish in SoLAcc’s footprint. Each board includes localleaders from business,education andpublicservice.LanaFontenot, SoLAcc Vice Chancellor forInstitutional Advancementand ExternalRelations,saidtheboardsmeetmultiple timesayeartodiscuss workforceneeds,barriers to studentsuccessand communitypriorities. As aBellwetherﬁnalist,SoLAccwillpresent itsmodel at national assembly in February amongother topcollegesvying for theBellwether Award.

Unlike many awards,community colleges do notapply foranAspenPrize.Officialswiththe Aspen Institute’sCollege Excellence Program review criteria such as certiﬁcate anddegree completion,educational access, thequality of teachingand learning,workforce success amonggraduates andhow students perform academically if they transfer to afour-year institution.

SoLAcc nowmoves forwardinthe Aspen Prizeapplication process. Thefinal winner willbeannounced in spring 2027

“Inthe threefull yearssince we implemented theCABs, ourrural campus enrollment has growndramatically,”Fontenotsaid. “Dr. June oftensaysthatnotwo parishes arealike,and he is absolutely right. Thereare differences in industries,demographics, workforce participation andcommunity challenges.The CABs allow us to treateachcampusinacustomized way. Fontenotadded that SoLAcc launched community surveysaroundthe same time as theCABsbegan.The scores have regularly beeninthe 80s, indicating that residentssee SoLAcc as avaluableasset andone they would recommendtoothers.

TheAmericanRed CrossinLouisiana serves4.65millionresidentsacrossall64parishesandextendshopeto communitiesacrossthenationandaroundtheworld.Whenyousupportyour localRedCross,youmakeadirectimpactinyourcommunity Poweredbygenerosity. TheRedCrossisnotagovernmentagency.Wearea501(c)(3) nonproﬁtthatreliesonthepowerofvolunteersandthegenerosity ofdonorstocarryoutourhumanitarianmission. RedCrosssupportersprovideabeaconofhope.Fromhelping duringdisasters,toprovidinglifesavingtrainingandsupporting militarycommunities,theRedCrossistherewhenhelpcan’twait.

“Thefactthat wehavebeenrecognizedduring thelastﬁve cycles indicatesthatweare doing theright things consistently,” said Dr.Charles Miller,SoLAccProvost andViceChancellorof Academic andStudentAffairs.“Ithinkthese positive outcomes aredriveninlarge part by ourstrategic plan.We’re workingonthe next ﬁve-year iterationofthatright now. Student successisatthe heartofeachofthose plans.

TheSoLAccnumbersspeakforthemselves.Dr. Miller said SoLAcc hadabout 2,100completers in the2021-22 academic year.Lastyear, the number of completersrosetoapproximately 4,100.

“Thatspeakstothe qualityand relevancy of theeducation we’reproviding, as well as thefact that we areverycognizantoflooking at what additional supportstudents need beyond what occurs in theclassroom,” he said.“Many of our students areminorities, ﬁrst-generationcollege students and/or classified as economically disadvantaged. Having wraparound supports to help them be successfulisingrained in what we do everyday.” ALocalized Approach to Educationand WorkforcePlanning Afterbeing namedSoLAccChancellorin 2020,Dr. VincentJuneembarkedonaseries of meetings with communitystakeholders. During asession in Crowley, alongtimeresident suggestedaboardthatcouldgiveSoLAccofficials

“The CABmeetingsinclude alot of conversationaboutSoLAccprogrammingandwrapround services,but thereisalsodiscussionabout challenges forprospectivestudents, such as transportationand affordability,” Dr.Bienvenu said.“By talkingabout thoseissuesand ﬁnding ways to addressthem, theCABsare helpingto increaseenrollmentandshowpeoplethatSoLAcc canbeanoptionfor them or theirfamilies. Recognitions Create Positive Momentum ForSoLAccleaders,the Aspenand Bellwether recognitions arenot endpoints, butguideposts to inform future planningand goals.

“These areindications that we areonthe rightpath. Thepurpose nowistocontinue that momentum,” Dr.Millersaid. “The demand is higher than ever,somuchsothatwe’ll be openinga newSoLAccbuildinginLafayette to addressour spaceneeds.We’re excitedto usefeedbackfromthese awardcommitteesto help us educatethose students andcontinueto be strategicabout howweapproachthe entire process.

Dr.Bienvenu addedthatthe distinctions are an additional sellingpoint to help market the Acadiana region to companies, whichhas the potentialtospurfutureeconomicdevelopment “Weare alreadyacompetitive area that has advantages formanydifferenttypes of businesses.Havinga strong communitycollege partnerinSoLAccshows that we also have theresources to work with companieswho want to trainemployees quickly,”she said “Whencompanies seethe kind of alignment andfocus that we have,thatdeﬁnitely works in Acadiana’s favor.

Maggard

EDUCATION

Education officials opening fewer sexual violence probes

reduction comes as trump administration dismantles department

BY COLLIN BINKLEY

education writer

WASHINGTON Before President Donald Trump’s administration started dismantling the Education Department, the agency served as a powerful enforcer in cases of sexual violence at schools and universities. It brought the weight of the government against schools that mishandled sexual assault complaints involving students

That work is quickly fading away The department’s Ofﬁce for Civil Rights was gutted in Trump’s mass layoffs last year leaving half as many lawyers to investigate complaints of discrimination based on race, sex or disability in schools. Those who remain face a backlog of more than 25,000 cases. Investigations have dwindled Before the layoffs last March, the ofﬁce opened dozens of sexual violence investigations a year Since then, it’s opened fewer than 10 nationwide, according to internal data obtained by The Associated Press.

Yet Trump’s Republican administration has doubled down on sexual discrimination cases of another kind Trump officials have used Title IX a 1972 gender equality law, against schools that make accommodations for transgender students and athletes The Ofﬁce for Civil Rights has opened nearly 50 such investigations since Trump took ofﬁce a year ago.

Even before the layoffs, critics said the ofﬁce was understaffed and moved too slowly Now, many firms that handle Title IX cases have stopped filing complaints, calling it a dead end.

“It almost feels like you’re up

against the void,” said Katie McKay, a lawyer at the New York ﬁrm

C.A. Goldberg.

“It feels like a big question mark right now,” she said “How are we supposed to hold a school accountable once it has messed up?”

An Education Department spokesperson said the office is working through its caseload, blaming President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration for leaving a backlog and rewriting Title IX rules to protect LGBTQ+ students. Trump officials rolled back those rules.

“The Trump Administration has restored common sense safeguards against sexual violence by returning sex-based separation in intimate facilities,” spokesperson

Julie Hartman said “OCR is and will continue to safeguard the dignity and safety of our nation’s students.”

The layoffs have slowed work at the Ofﬁce for Civil Rights across the board, but it has an outsize impact on cases of sexual violence.

Students who are mistreated by their schools including victims and accused students alike — have few other venues to pursue justice.

Many are now left with two options: File a lawsuit or walk away

One woman said she’s losing hope for a complaint she ﬁled in 2024. She alleges her graduate school failed to follow its own policies when it suspended but didn’t expel another student found by the school to have sexually assaulted her. No one has contacted her about the complaint since 2024.

The woman recently sued her school as a last resort. She said it feels like a David and Goliath mismatch.

“They have all the power, because there is no large organization holding them accountable. It’s just me, just this one individual who’s ﬁling this simple suit,” the woman said The AP does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission.

The civil rights office is supposed to provide a free alternative to litigation. Anyone can ﬁle a complaint, which can trigger an investigation and sanctions for schools that violate federal law

In 2024, the agency received more than 1,000 complaints involving sexual violence or sexual harassment, according to an annual report.

It’s unclear how many complaints have been filed more recently Trump’s administration has not reported newer ﬁgures. In conversations with the AP, some staffers said cases are piling up so quickly they can’t track how many involve sexual violence.

In December, the department acknowledged the civil rights backlog and announced dozens of downsized workers would be brought back to the office amid a legal challenge to their layoffs. The workers’ return offers some hope to those with pending civil rights complaints. Department of-

We’re asKING eXPerts aCross tHe state HoW to taCKLe tHe BIGGest CHaLLeNGes FaCING LoUIsIaNa

ﬁcials have vowed to keep pushing for the layoffs.

Before Trump was elected to his second term, the ofﬁce had more than 300 pending investigations involving sexual assault, according to a public database. Most of those cases are believed to be sitting idle as investigators prioritize easier complaints, according to staffers who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

The details of past cases underscore the urgency of the work.

In 2024, the office took action against a Pennsylvania school system after a girl with a disability told staff she had been sexually touched by a bus driver She was put back on that driver’s bus later that afternoon, plus the next two days. The district was required to designate a Title IX coordinator for its schools, review previous complaints and consider compensation for the girl’s family

That year, the office demanded changes at a Montana school

where a boy was pinned down by other students and assaulted after a wrestling practice. The students had been suspended for three days after school ofﬁcials treated it as a case of hazing instead of sexual assault.

In another case, the ofﬁce sided with a University of Notre Dame student who had been expelled over accusations of sexual misconduct. The student said the college never told him precisely what he was accused of and refused to interview witnesses he put forward.

Cases that get attention from the federal ofﬁce are being handled under federal rules created during Trump’s ﬁrst term. Those rules were designed to bolster the rights of students accused of sexual misconduct.

Lawyers who work with accused students see little improvement.

Justin Dillon, a Washington lawyer said some of his recent complaints have been opened for investigation. He tells clients not to hold their breath. Even before the layoffs, cases could drag on for years, he said.

Others gave up on the office years ago. The LLF National Law Firm said it stopped filing complaints in 2021 in favor of suing schools directly Lawyers at the ﬁrm said the ofﬁce had become incapable of delivering timely outcomes, which was only worsened by the layoffs.

Complaints can be resolved several ways. They can be dismissed if they don’t pass legal muster Many go to mediation akin to a settlement. Some end in voluntary agreements from schools, with plans to rectify past wrongs and prevent future ones.

In 2024, under Biden, the office secured 23 voluntary agreements from schools and colleges in cases involving sexual violence, according to a public database. In 2018, during Trump’s first term, there were 58. Since Trump took office again last year, there have been none.

assoCIateD Press FILe PHoto By Jose LUIs MaGaNa

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

JohnsonstartsweekinU.K., ends it passingbudgetbills

WASHINGTON —Byany measure, House Speaker Mike Johnson had apretty good week.

The Republican ﬁreﬁghter’sson from Benton started the week in London, where Johnson hobnobbed with parliamentarians, peers,and prime ministers and ate with silverware older than the U.S. at aspecial dinner

He topped it off Thursday night with the passage of all 12 bills that set spending for federal agencies after overcoming signiﬁcant opposition from both Republicans and Democrats.

In Washington, Democrats continue to rail against funding of the masked Immigration and Control Enforcement agents whose violence has attractedheadlines.Despite opposition to the Trump administration’sharsh immigration crackdown, the bill covering the Department of Homeland Security narrowly passed the House. It also includes an extensionofﬂood insurance until Sept. 30.

The appropriations bills still need to clear the Senate this week or the federal government will partially shut down as Friday night turns to Saturday —the day Louisiana attracts national attention for staging a carnival ball that caps four days of Washington Mardi Gras festivities.

Johnson linked the spending bills, many of which Democrats support, in a way the Senate can likely

House candidates join 2026 race

approvethem. The 53 Senate Democrats will need to ﬁnd atleast seven Republicanstojoin them to stop the legislation.

House Appropriations Committee Chair TomCole, R-Okla., said Thursday he thought theHouse was sending the Senatelegislation “they think they can pass.” He praised Johnson as themain reason thebills passed.

Avisitto‘calm thewaters’ Johnson on Tuesday was the ﬁrst U.S.Speaker of the House in history to address Parliament in the United

Twopeople announced their candidacies this week for the5th congressional district seat that U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,R-Baton Rouge,isvacating to trytounseat U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge.

One is stateSen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge. AChristian conservative who is a pastor,Edmonds has served in the Legislature for a decade

“I have spent my life ﬁghting for children, families, and personal liberty,and Iam prepared to bring that ﬁght to Washington, D.C.,” Edmonds said in a statement.

The other is Misti Cordell, who was appointedbyGov.Jeff Landry last year to chair theLouisiana Board of Regents, which sets policies for the state’s colleges and universities.

Cordell lives in Monroe andhas been aclose friend of Landry’s for decades. She has hired the

Kingdom. He was invited in October by U.K. House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to speak as part of America’s250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

“Wehad achance to chat over acup of tea about our ﬁrst trade dispute, the Boston TeaParty,” Hoyle said when introducing Johnson.

“Whilst it (theU.K.-U.S. relationship) began in conﬂict, over time we have rebuilt trust and developed one of the world’sclosest and most enduring partnerships,”Hoyle said. “The special relationship we

in the state House.

know and celebratetoday is based on our shared values of democracy and the rule of law and built on defense and security cooperation.”

The “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom recently comeunder strain when President Donald Trumppromised to raise tariffs by10% for theeight European nations that won’t join his effort to procure thesemiautonomous nation of Greenland, which is a member of theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was established in 1949 as guarantee of mutual

defense against aggressive nations that moved against any one of 30 European nations, Canada or the U.S. U.K. Prime Minister KeirStarmer criticized the tariffs and efforts to undermine Greenland’s sovereignty

“Any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone,” Starmer said Monday.“The use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong.”

Trumpwrote Monday on social media that Great Britain acted with “great

governor’smedia consultant, Brett Littleﬁeld,towork for her campaign.

“Our district feeds America and fuels Louisiana’seconomy,” Cordell said in anews release.

“Our farms, ourinfrastructure, andour working families whether in Baton Rouge neighborhoods orrural NortheastLouisiana —need astrong voice.” Larry Davis, amember of the LivingstonParish Republican Parish Executive Committee, has alreadyannounced.

About half the district includes Baton Rouge and Livingston Parish, and it also includes the Florida Parishes and parishes alongthe Mississippi River up to Monroe.

In another race, Paul Sawyer haswon the endorsement of U.S Sen. John Kennedy,R-Madisonville, in the race to replace state Rep.Paula Davis, R-Baton Rouge,

“I’ve known Paul along time and can tell you this:he’sastough as athree-dollar steak and wakes up every day determined tomake thelives of Louisianafamilies better than they were yesterday,” Kennedy said in astatement.

Sawyer served as chief of staff to then-U.S. Rep.Garret Graves and is now theexecutive director of the Amite River Basin Commission.

Lynne Coxe Graham,amember of the Republican StateCentral Committee, is also running for theseat.

“She will bring Common Sense Conservatism to her legislative service, emphasizing creating efﬁciencies in the areas of state government that most often interface with thepublic, such as LDR and the DMV,” Graham said in a Facebook post

With Davis resigning her position this month, the primary to replace her will be held on March 14 in what will be alow-turnout special election. Early voting in that race will take place from Feb.28toMarch 7.

The district includes theneighborhoods of Old Goodwood, Tara, Broadmoor and includes neigh-

borhoods south of Interstate 12 and north of Old Jefferson Highway Landry uninvitedfrom dogsleddingrace

As President Donald Trump ratchets up his campaign forthe U.S. to take control of Greenland, Louisana Gov.Jeff Landry, Trump’senvoy to the territory, has been uninvited from the island’smost prestigious dog sledding race.

“KNQKhas been informed that thetourism company that invited Gov.Jeff Landry from the United States has unilaterally withdrawn its invitation,” the Greenland Dog Sledding Association,orKNQK, wrote in arelease Sunday.“This is reassuring forKNQK, and we takenote of it.”

Aspokesperson forLandry did not return arequest forcomment.

KNQK organizes the annual race, known as theAvannaata Qimussersua, andthe organization previouslyshared concerns after learning the governor had been asked to attend.

“The KNQK Board ﬁnds it unacceptable that political pressure is being exerted from outside,”

stupidity” over its returning control to Mauritius an Indian Ocean island that includes aBritish military base where Americans are also stationed.

When Trumpspoke Wednesday before the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he ruled out seizing Greenland by force, then walked back threats of increased tariffs Trumpstill wants to work out someway to dominate the icebound island nation with about 57,000 people for security reasons. In his Tuesday speech before the House of Commons and Lords in Westminster Johnson said, “I told the president that Ifelt that my mission here today was to encourage our friends and help to calm the waters, so to speak, and Ihope to do so.” He also said he generally supported Starmer’s speech.

Johnson applauded the twonations’ shared respect forlaw and forprotecting individual freedoms. He name-checked prominent conservatives in the U.S. and U.K.,including Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.

“Wehave always been able to workthrough our differences calmly as friends. We will continue to do that. Iwant to assure you this morning that that is still the case,” Johnson said. “As proud Americans, it is as though we have returned to the spiritual birthplace of our own nation. And the history here, the weight of it is palpable.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

the organization’searlier statementsaid earlier this month.

“The board is currently working closely with patrons to determine whosent invitations to foreign actors.”

Trump appointedLandry as special envoytoGreenland in December,tohelpwith the president’smissionofacquiring the island. The appointment roiled ofﬁcials in Denmark and Greenland, asemiautonomous Danish territory.Theyhave made it clear thatthe territory does notwish to become part of the United States.

Trumprecently threatened tariffs against countries that don’t support his goal of acquiring Greenland. European leaders say his actions could shatter NATO, the 32-country military alliance that includes the United States and Denmark.

In anews conference Tuesday,Trumpwas asked how far he would go to take Greenland.

“You’ll ﬁnd out,” he said. But in aspeech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday morning, he said he will not use force to take the island. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Play young, stay young, at TheVincent. Tour our unique neighborhood today!

TheVincent believes everyday is an opportunitytogrow. It’s more thanjustqualityofcare; it’squalityoflife. Our signatureSouthernHospitalityprovides ourresidents a modernenvironment that transcends thetypical, invigorates, encourages social interaction andensuresresidents thrive in comfortand style. We offeracontinuum of carefrom cottages & independent living to expertly staffedassisted living apartments andmemory caresuites.

PHoto ProVIDeDByUNIteD KINGDoM HoUse oF CoMMoNs

House speaker Mike Johnson, r-Benton, right, standsnext to U.K. House of Commons speaker LindsayHoyle as Johnson visitsthe Parliament in London last week.

Mark Ballard

Capitol Buzz staFF rePorts

Edmonds Cordell

TexasBlack manexonerated70years afterexecution

Prosecutorsnow saycasewas basedonfalse evidence,riddled with racial bias

BY JUAN A. LOZANO associated Press

HOUSTON Nearly 70 years after aTexas Black man was executed in acase that prosecutors now say was based on false evidence and was riddled with racial bias, ofﬁcials have declared that he was innocent in the killing of aWhite woman in Dallas Tommy Lee Walker was executed in the electric chair in May 1956 for the rape and murder of 31-yearold Venice Parker At the time of the trial, prosecutorshad alleged Walker attacked Parker,a store clerk who wasonher way home, on the evening of Sept. 30, 1953. Parker’skilling took place during atimeofpanic and racial division in theDallas area as therewerereports that apeeping Tombelieved to be aBlack man was terrorizing women, according to the Dallas County CriminalDistrict Attorney’s Ofﬁce.

But an extensive review of Walker’sconviction by the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’sOffice, along with the help of the Innocence Project of New York and Northeastern University School of Law’s

DaLLas HIstory &arCHIVes DIVIsIoN

PHoto ProVIDeD By

tommy Lee Walker,a Blackman from texas, attends his March1954 trial in Dallas for therapeand murder of Venice Parker,a Whitewoman.

Civil Rights andRestorative Justice Project, foundmultiple problems with Walker’s case. The review found problems withstatements from aDallas police officer who claimed that Parkerhad identifiedher attacker as a Black man. But multiple witnesses denied that Parker “did anything outside of convulse andhemorrhage exorbitantamountsofblood,” after being attacked, Dallas County DistrictAttorney John Creuzot saidduring a Wednesday meeting of Dallas County commissioners that was held to askthe officialstodeclare Walker innocent During the nextfew

months after Parker’skilling, hundreds of Blackmen were rounded up by authorities and fourmonths later Walker,then 19 years old, was arrested.

Walker was subjected to threateningand coercive interrogation tactics by Will Fritz,aDallas police captain whohad been amemberof theKuKlux Klan, Creuzot said.

Walker later testified he confessed to the killing because he was afraid for his life, Creuzot said.

At his trial, Walker’slawyers presented 10 witnesses who testiﬁed that at the time of the murder,they were with Walker andhis girlfriendwhenshe gave birth

HowLCTCS institutionsare building job-readytalentpipelines forkey industries in Louisiana

By Amanda McElfresh,amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

articleisbrought to youbythe

As keyindustries across thestate face retirements,technologicalchangeandgrowing competitionfor skilledtalent, theLouisiana Communityand TechnicalCollege System (LCTCS)isrespondingwithjob-focused trainingdesignedtomoveresidents into sustainablecareers whilehelping employers keep pace with demand. Rather than relying onone-size-ﬁts-allacademicmodels,LCTCS institutions like BossierParishCommunity Collegeand SouthLouisiana Community Collegeare building programs shaped by industryadvisoryboards,regionaleconomic partners andreal-time labormarketdata. AtBossierParishCommunityCollege(BPCC) thesix-weekEmploymentPreparednessand Workforce Readiness (EMPWR)program wascreatedwiththe NorthLouisiana Economic Partnership to help individualswithout abackground in skilledtradesget theirfootinthe door

year,SoLAcchas launched threenew short-term workforcecredentialprograms–IndustrialMaintenance Technician,AviationSheet Metaland most recently Certiﬁed LogisticsTechnician.

to their son, Edward Lee Smith, at alocal hospital, accordingtothe Innocence Project.

“But this carried little weight in Jim Crow Dallas,” theInnocence Project said.

Walker was convicted by an all-White jury in 1954.

“The prosecution in this case presentedmisleading and inadmissible evidence,” Creuzot said.“This case, while it has undeniable legal errors, was riddled with racial injustice during atime when prejudice and bigotry were woven throughout every aspect of society, including the criminal justice system.”

Creuzot credited thework of journalist Mary Mapes, who ﬁrst began investigating Walker’s case 13 years ago.

“He paid with his life for acrimehecould not have committed,” Mapes told commissioners.

During an emotional moment at Wednesday’smeeting, Smith, Walker’snow 72-year-old son,and the victim’s son, Joseph Parker, hugged each other

“I’m so sorry for what happened,” Parker told Smith

“And I’m sorry for your loss,” Smith replied.

Smith had earlier told commissioners that his father’swrongful execution was very hard for him and his mother

“I’m 72 years old and Istill missmydaddy,” Smithsaid as he cried. “She said, ‘Baby, they give your father the electric chair forsomething he didn’tdo.’” Joseph Parker told com-

missioners he hopes that Walker’sexonerationwill help prevent wrongful convictions in the future.

“If nothing else comes fromthis situation …it’s that we learntotry not to makethe samemistake again. The mistake being what? The mistake being the injustice, the taking of an innocent life,” Parker said. At the end of Wednesday’s meeting, Dallas County commissioners unanimously passeda symbolic resolution declaring that Walker waswrongfully convicted andexecuted andwhat happenedtohim represented “a profound miscarriage of justice.”

“EMPWR wasintentionally designed to be aSwiss Armyknifeoftrainingandgivestudentsatasteofdifferent industries so that employers canthentrain them on theirspeciﬁc processes,”explained Joseph Brownlee BPCC Dean of Science,Technology, Engineeringand Mathematics. “Weintroduce them to thebasicsof manufacturing, safety techniques andthe proper use of toolsand personal protective equipment. We also introducestudentstoindustrypartnerstostartplanting theseeds that they couldbeworking at thesecompanies in as little as sixweeks.”

Brownlee said that in developing EMPWR, BPCC officialsalsoheard from companiesthattheywant employees whoare reliable,communicative andableto meetallemploymentrequirements.Therefore,EMPWR is designed to mirror areal-worldworkenvironment Students must pass adrugtestbeforebeing admitted They then attend classesfrom8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each weekday for thedurationofthe program.

“Weexpectthemtoarriveatleast 15 minutesearly puttheir phones andpersonaleffects in theirassigned lockers, punchinatthe time clockand be sittingattheir desk readytobegin at 8a.m.,”Brownlee said.“We hear fromemployersthatjobattendanceamongourgraduates is notanissue,and we credit that to thestructure of the program. It is atimeinvestmentonthe students’part, buttheyknowtheyhaveguaranteedinterviewswith industry partners.Thatreallyresonates with them and showsthemthe valueofthe program.

Meanwhile,BPCCisalsorespondingtoworkforcegaps in thetransportationindustry throughits commercial driver’s license(CDL) programat itsNatchitoches campus.Thatprogram wasrevived last summer andis nowinitsfourthcohort.Thesix-week,240-hourprogram blends classroominstruction with extensivetraining on drivingsimulatorsand behind-the-wheelpractice. “Wefeelfortunate that we were able to bringthis programtoNatchitoches, becausetransportationis such acriticalindustry, andwecontinued to hear from industry partners that more people areretiringevery year,” Brownlee said.“There’sbeenconcern that there won’t be enough skilleddrivers to meet transportation anddistributionneeds.That’sled to incredible interest from both employersand students.” SouthLouisiana CommunityCollege (SoLAcc) is taking asimilarly agileapproach. Over thepastﬁscal

Theresultshavebeenimmediate.AllofSoLAcc’srecent Industrial MaintenanceTechniciangraduates secured employment, andthe next cohort willlaunchinMarch

“Short-term, workforce-focusedcredentialsoffer employersa hiring pool of qualifiedcandidatesin a shorterperiodoftime,allowingthemtoreachnewlevels ofproductivity.Forstudents,theseprogramsoffertraining in aspeciﬁc industry so they canfocus theirlearningon thecareerpathoftheir choice,allowingthemtoenter thejob market sooner andwiththe skills they need to succeed,”saidNancy Roy, SoLAcc InterimExecutive DirectorofWorkforceStudentServicesandOperations

Dr.TiffanyHoward, SoLAcc InterimVicePresident of Economic WorkforceDevelopment andContinuing Education, said theCertified LogisticsTechnician (CLT)credentialemergedfromfeedbackfromAcadiana companieswho emphasized theneedfor employees who seehow driving, warehousing, inventory, technology andbusinessoperationsconnect

“The CLTprogram responds directly to that need by giving students acomprehensive understanding of transportationsystemsandpreparingthemtocontribute acrossmultipleroles within theindustry,”Dr. Howard said,addingthatstudents with aCLT credential will have opportunitiestoworkinindustries such as energy healthcare,manufacturing andretail.

“These employersconsistentlyneedworkers who understand howgoods move across warehouses,ports highways andlast-mile delivery systems,”she said “The CLTprogram addressesthatgap by preparing students for rolesadjacenttodriving,including logistics coordination, inventorycontrol,warehouse operations andtransportationsupport–positionsthatareessential to keepingregionalcommercemoving. With retirementsaccelerating andtechnology reshapingnearlyevery sector,Louisiana’s abilityto competewilldependonhow quicklyitcan develop skilledtalent. Acrossthe state, LCTCScollegesare workingalongside employerstodeliver trainingthat is faster,targetedand builtfor immediateworkforce demand— ensuring residentscan access careersthat supportfamiliesand industry canaccessthe workers needed to grow

By Amanda McElfresh,amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

touchthatmakes them feel at home

TheVincent Senior Living hasreached asigniﬁcant milestone:200 unitsare nowleasedasaround230

residents –including many couples–are choosing to age gracefully in placeinThe Vincent’sIndependent Living,AssistedLivingandMemoryCareenvironments. ExecutiveDirectorCodyBegnaudsaidtheachievement representsthe fact that residents andtheir lovedones trust TheVincent,especiallyinLafayette’s competitive seniorlivinglandscape

“Our residentscan remain in afamiliar, supportive environment even as theircareneeds evolve.This continuitybringspeace of mind to both residents and families, knowingthatcomfort,dignity andstability remainatthe center of theirexperience,”Begnaud said Ourgrowthhas notjustbeenabout numbers, but about buildinglastingrelationshipsandcreatingaplacewhere residents feel respected,valuedand secure.” Duetothe increaseddemand, TheVincent nowhas limitedavailabilityandencouragesprospectiveresidents and theirfamiliestoreach outsoonfor atourbycalling 337-345-4105orvisitingvincentseniorliving.com

Begnaudalsoattributed TheVincent’s successtothe factthatits team continuestoadapt to evolving resident needsandexpectations.Inadditiontoqualitycare,more seniorcitizensare lookingfor acommunity that offers meaningfulengagementandcomfort,allwithapersonal

“Wetakeresidentandfamilyfeedbackveryseriously. From food preferences to entertainmentchoices,we work hard to tailor ourservicestowhatmatters most to ourcommunity,” Begnaudsaid. “Weholdregular councilmeetingstogatherinput on staff performance, activities andoverall communityexpectations. While no communityisperfect,webelieve in continuous improvement. By giving ourresidents avoice,weensure they feel respected,involvedand trulyathome. Anyorganizationthatreaches amajor milestonehas to overcome challenges to do so,and that hasbeentrue at TheVincent.Begnaud said thecommunity todayhas strong leadership andstability amongits management team,while staffing levels have been adjusted to meet residents’ needs.

“Asour communityhas expanded,wehaveadded team memberstoensurewemaintainhighstandards of care,service andsafety,”hesaid. “Thisallow us to providepersonalizedattention,respond promptly to resident needsand continue offering asupportive, nurturingenvironment.Wetakethe time to gettoknow theresidents,listentotheirstoriesandunderstandtheir preferences.Whether throughdaily conversations, shared activities or simple acts of kindness,our team makessureevery resident feelsseen, heardand valued.” While200-plusresidents is anotable achievement, BegnaudsaidThe Vincentteamhas no planstorest on itslaurels.Futureplans for thecommunity include expandedamenitiesandenrichmentactivities,improved serviceand exploring newwaystosupport residents physically,emotionally andsocially.

“Our goal is to ensure TheVincent remainsa place whereresidents feel comfortable, respected andproud to call home,” he said TheVincent Senior Living is locatedat2201Verot School Road in Lafayette. Availableservices include physical therapy,housekeeping, laundry, ﬂexiblemeal plans, access to afull-servicebeautysalon,gamearea libraryand theater,plusawidearray of social activities Independent Living, Assisted Living andMemoryCare optionsare available.

THE GULF COAST

Miss.chefracks up JamesBeard,Michelinnods

BY POET WOLFE staff writer

Eight hours before opening on an overcast Wednesdaymorning in Gulfport, Mississippi, Austin

Sumrall was already at work inside Siren Social Club, preparing for a day that would stretch across two cities and two kitchens.

He treated the day like any other, moving between his restaurants and accepting interviews likethis one. But it wasn’t. Earlierthat morning, Sumrall had been named one of two Gulf Coast chefs selected as semiﬁnalists for Best Chef in the South by the James Beard Foundation —the second time he hasbeen nominated in that category

Sumrall is part of abroader culinary shift taking shapealong the Mississippi Coast and the U.S. South. He opened his ﬁrst restaurant, White Pillars in Biloxi, in 2017 with arotating farm-to-table menu that was —and remains— rare in the region. Ingredients are sourced from the Gulf of Mexico and local farms; meats arecured in-house, tomatoes blended into ketchup, dough shaped byhand into strips of pasta. Asimilar process guides Siren Social Club, a speakeasy-stylerestaurant Sumrall opened with his wife, Tresse, in 2024. Both spots wererecently recommended by the Michelin Guide in its ﬁrst considerationsof Gulf Coast restaurants.

Sumrall shrugs off any suggestion that his approach is newor revolutionary.Food, he says simply,comes from farms. Still, the philosophy stands out in aregion where butter,red gravy and frying oil might as well have their own places on the food pyramid.

Along the Coast, however,the food culture is evolving and beginning to claim aplaceonthe national culinary map. Chefs and restaurateurs like Sumrall aredrivingthat evolution, with accolades like the James Beard recognition offering reassurance that the region is moving in the right direction That said, none of it seemedtoalter Sumrall’sWednesday.His work continued through the afternoon.

By 2p.m., he was at White Pillars, giving atourand scarcelymentioningthe nomination as he trailed throughthe neoclassical white mansionoverlooking the Gulf.

“This is, and always will be,my baby,” Sumrall said.

Zigzagging through hallways, dining roomsand even abasement, the tour stretched on for nearly half an hour as hechronicledthe building’shistory.Originally constructed in 1905 by an infectious diseasedoctor who treated patients on ShipIsland, its details spancenturies, states and families.

Behind the barsits astructure commissioned in the mid-19thcenturyfrom Chicago’sBlackstone Hotel, where Al Capone was once afrequent guest. Nearby, above a grand piano, hangs an oil painting from 1650depicting anude woman clutchinga plate of gold coinsand grinning at the viewer.The oldest pieces —bronze menuholders datingback to 1599 —stand at the front,still in use.

The walls are covered in paintings and portraits of former proprietors, including Virginia Mladinich, who opened theoriginal White Pillars in1969with entreeslike stuffed crabs and seafood gumbo —family recipesonce servedtoan older generation of coastresidents buthave becomeantiquesthemselves, preserved in ﬁne print on manila paperand framed in one of the dining rooms.

The restaurant closed in 1989, not because of natural disasters like many assume, but because “20 years in the restaurant businessisa longtime,”Sumrallsaid. Thebuilding sat vacantuntil 2017 when Sumrallgaveita new lifewithWhite Pillars.

Given its nameand decor,White Pillarsmight be mistaken fora posh, white tableclothrestaurant.

Sumrall shook his head and pointed to the bare tables. There is not adress code, andthe restaurant is known for its monthly brunch where drag queens ﬂip, dance and split. Sumrallisevenknown to dance atop at the bar at the end of service, doling out shots of Jagermeister

Likeanavid antique collector

he prefers to preserve everybit of the past —oratleast triesto— reﬂecting thesameway he treats cooking: arefusal to cut corners Sumrall has followed that principle throughout his entire culinary career,beginning at the Universityof Mississippi.

He wasstudying mechanical engineering butalwaysknewhebelonged in restaurants. It was in his blood —his maternal grandfather owned restaurants in New Orleans andSumrall grewupcooking with his family.Changing hismajor became an omnipresent thought until he ﬁnally committed,a decisionhe described as his“light bulbmoment.”

His parentsfully supported him pursuing adegree in hotel and restaurantmanagement, under one stipulation fromhis father: he had to get ajob at arestaurant.

Sumrall worked under chef John Currence in Oxford three days a week.Onhis days off, he hosted dinner parties at his house.

“At that point,Ijust never,never

look back,” Sumrall said. “It was full steam ahead.”

After graduating college, he went to theCulinary Institute of America in New York, then worked at Cochon Restaurant in NewOrleans Sumralllater movedtoBirmingham and worked at Hot &Hot Fish Club, acity staple.

He paused,jogging his memory, then listedhis mentorsover the years: Currence in 2009; Stephen Stryjewski in 2011; and Chris Hastings in 2012. Twohavewon Best Chef in the South —byhappenstance. “Thatwas notaplan,”Sumrall said. “It just worked out like that.”

PHoto ProVIDeD By tresse sUMraLL

south

James Beard awards.

staFF PHoto By PoetWoLFe White Pillars,a Biloxi restaurant, is housed

Zelenskyy says trilateral talks ended constructively

BY SAMYA KULLAB, ELISE MORTON and MICHELLE L. PRICE associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Two days of talks involving representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States wrapped up Saturday with “constructive” discussions on “possible parameters” for ending the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Negotiators will return to the United Arab Emirates for the next round on Feb. 1, according to a U.S. ofﬁcial who described the meetings as upbeat and positive.

The talks are the first known instance that officials from the Trump administration have sat down with both countries as part of Washington’s push for progress to end Moscow’s nearly 4-year-old invasion.

“All parties agreed to report to their capitals on each aspect of the negotiations and to coordinate further steps with their leaders,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

The meetings covered a broad range of military and economic matters and included the possibility of a ceasefire before a deal, said the official. There was not yet an agreement on a final framework for oversight and operation of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is occupied by Russia and is the largest in Europe.

The power generated from the plant will be shared “on an equitable basis,” according to the ofﬁcial, but control of it was still undecided.

Zelenskyy meanwhile, said there was “an understanding of the need for American monitor-

ing and control of the process of ending the war and ensuring real security.”

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner participated alongside Ukrainian ofﬁcials, including chief negotiator Rustem Umerov

and military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov Russia sent military intelligence and army representatives, according to Zelenskyy Certain sensitive sticking points — most notably those related to territorial issues — remain unre-

solved. The U.S. ofﬁcial said Russian and Ukrainian officials likely would need to hold further talks in Russia or Ukraine before there was a chance of Zelenskyy meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, or even a joint session with President Donald Trump. There seemed to be momentum to reach the stage of leader meetings, according to the ofﬁcial, who spoke to reporters in Washington on condition of anonymity to describe the private talks in Abu Dhabi.

The Kremlin insists that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but has not fully captured.

The second day of talks came as Russian drone attacks killed one person and wounded four in the capital, Kyiv, according to Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko. In Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv, drone attacks wounded 27 people, Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov said Saturday

“Cynically, Putin ordered a brutal massive missile strike against Ukraine right while delegations are meeting in Abu Dhabi to advance the America-led peace process,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. “His missiles hit not only our people, but also the negotiation table.”

Trump stirs talk of ‘new world order’ with his treatment of allies

BY STEVEN SLOAN associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump gives. And he takes away.

Offended by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s increasingly assertive posture toward the U.S., Trump revoked an invitation to join his Board of Peace. Many Western allies are suspicious of the organization, which is chaired by Trump and was initially formed to focus on maintaining the ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas but has grown into something skeptics fear could rival the United Nations.

Appearing at the World Economic Forum, Trump spoke of imposing tariffs on Switzerland which he ultimately lowered — because the country’s leader “rubbed me the wrong way” during a phone call.

Before shelving sweeping tariffs on multiple European countries, Trump pressed Denmark to “say yes” to the U.S. push to control Greenland “and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no and we will remember,” he said, imperiling the NATO alliance.

Over his decades in public life, Trump has never been one for niceties. But even by his standards, the tumult of the past week stood out because it crystallized his determination to erase the rules-based order that has governed U.S. foreign policy — and by extension most of the Western world — since World War II.

The president and his supporters have dismissed that approach as inefﬁcient, overly focused on compromise and unresponsive to the

needs of people contending with rapid economic change. But in its place, Trump is advancing a system that is poorly understood and could prove far less stable, driven by the whims of a single, often mercurial, leader who regularly demonstrates that personal ﬂattery or animus can shape his decisions.

Returning to the U.S from Davos, home to the World Economic Forum, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said the phrase she heard “over and over” was that “we are entering this new world order” as she described a sense of confusion among allies.

“It may be you just had a bad telephone call with the president and now you’re going to have tariffs directed at you,” she told reporters.

“This lack of stability and reliability, I think, is causing what were traditionally reliable trade partners to be saying to other countries, ‘Hey, maybe you and I should talk because I’m not sure about what’s going on with the United States.’”

Trump-centric approach

The Trump-centric approach to governing is hardly surprising for someone who accepted his first Republican presidential nomination in 2016 by declaring that “I alone can ﬁx” the nation’s problems. As he settles into his second term with a far more confident demeanor than his ﬁrst, he has delighted supporters with his “to the victor goes the spoils” style.

Steve Bannon, Trump’s former adviser, recently told the Atlantic that Trump is pursuing a “maximalist strategy” and that he must keep going “until you meet

resistance.”

“And we haven’t met any resistance,” Bannon said.

That’s certainly true in Washington, where the Republican-controlled Congress has done little to check Trump’s impulses. But leaders of other countries, who have spent much of Trump’s administration trying to ﬁnd ways to work with him, are increasingly vocal.

Carney is quickly emerging as a leader of a movement for countries to find ways to link up and counter the U.S. Speaking in Davos ahead of Trump, Carney said, “Middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”

“In a world of great power rivalry, the countries in between have a choice: to compete with each other for favor or to combine to create a third path with impact,” he continued.

“We should not allow the rise of hard powers to blind us to the fact that the power of legitimacy, integrity, and rules will remain strong — if we choose to wield it together.”

Trump did not take kindly to those remarks, responding with threats in Davos before yanking the Board of Peace invitation.

“Canada lives because of the United States,” Trump said. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

Some leaders push back Carney, however, was unbowed, speaking of Canada as “an example to a world at sea” as he crafted a potential template for other world leaders navigating a new era. “We can show that another way is possible, that

the arc of history isn’t destined to be warped toward authoritarianism and exclusion,” he said in a speech before a Cabinet retreat in Quebec City Trump’s tactics have raised fears that he is imposing long-term damage on the U.S. standing in the world and encouraging countries to rethink their alliances and deepen their ties with China.

“China’s leadership watched an American president ﬁght with allies, insult world leaders, and engage in bizarre antics, and thought to themselves — this is nothing but good for us,” Jake

Sullivan, former President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, said in an email.

The administration is showing no sign of backing down. The Pentagon released a defense strategy late Friday telling allies to handle their own security Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee was in Davos and participated in a bipartisan delegation to Denmark with Murkowski that was intended to show unity amid Trump’s bid for Greenland. Recalling his conversations with other leaders, he told

reporters on Friday that Trump has shown he only backs down when countries like China “showed toughness and a resiliency.”

“Those who were accommodating and who negotiated in good faith, like the EU, which did not impose retaliatory tariffs, seemed to have not won any of his respect,” Coons said. “They can reach their own conclusions, but it would seem to me that trying to ﬁnd a way to accommodate him when the foundation of his demands about Greenland is unhinged seem to me to suggest a course of action.”

Family of father missing more than 500 days continues to hope

BY JA’KORI MADISON staff writer

It has been more than 500 days since Sandy and Scott Easterling have seen their son. Samuel Easterling, also known as “Saint” or “Sammy,” a Lafayette native, was last seen on Aug. 29, 2024, around 4:44 a.m. in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, leaving Poor Boys Bar At the time, he was wearing a black shirt, camouflage pants, white slides and black socks, according to his family For the Easterlings, the last time Samuel returned home to Lafay-

ette was in May 2024, when he picked up some of his belongings

His parents say nothing seemed out of the ordinary

“He was himself,” Scott Easterling said. “Cool, calm, collected

He actually seemed content, which was always him.”

In the weeks that followed, Scott Easterling remained in contact with his son. He recalls receiving messages from Samuel that reflected how great things were going in his life in New Orleans, giving no indication that anything was wrong. Sandy Easterling says she also stayed in touch, unaware that those conversations she had

with him would be their last.

The family did not know Samuel was missing until days later On Sept. 2, Sandy received a message while she was at the hospital with her daughter

“I got a message on Facebook from one of his friends from Bible college,” Sandy said. “She said, ‘Miss Sandy I think you need to see this.’ It was a missing-person ﬂyer.”

That message marked the moment Samuel’s parents learned their son had not been seen since late August.

According to his parents, Samuel’s life had been shaped by his

free spirit and curiosity Over the years, he lived in places such as Austin, Texas, and Portland, Oregon, continuing his creative work in photography while raising his daughter, who is now 8 years old. His parents say he never liked staying in one place for long.

Six months before he went missing, Samuel moved to New Orleans. The family did not believe the move was meant to be permanent, but rather another chapter in life that he wanted to explore. “He loves to travel and is such a people person,” Sandy Easterling

Police oppose planned sports bar

Proposed

BY ADAM DAIGLE acadiana business editor

A request to open a bar in a vacant spot in downtown

zoning commission The request is on the agenda for the commission’s 5:30 p.m. Monday meeting. Their plan, according to documents ﬁled with LCG, is to open a small sports bar that also offers togo drinks in the

BY MIKE SMITH staff writer

ABOVE: From left, Acadiana High students Dylan Blanchard, 16; Audrey Gautreau, 15; and homeschool student Mackenzie Begnaud, 15, show their pigs Friday during the Lafayette Parish 4-H/FFA Livestock Show & Sale at Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette. BELOW LEFT: Acadiana High student Noah Dupont, 16, blow dries his jersey cow after a bath. BELOW RIGHT: Sebastian Oubre, 3, the son of Acadiana High agriculture teachers, helps haul out manure.

Versailles museum director tours St. Louis Cathedral

BY BOB WARREN staff writer

ProVIDeD PHoto samuel easterling, a Lafayette native, was last seen on aug. 29, 2024, in New orleans after leaving Poor Boys Bar

staFF PHoto By LesLIe WestBrooK

ä see MISSING, page 2B ä

SNAPPER, page 2B

staFF PHoto By Brett DUKe Laurent salomé, director of the National Museum of the Palace of Versailles and trianon, tours the st. Louis Cathedral in New orleans on Friday.

but also revealed some of its problems. The cathedral, which dates to 1851, still dominates the French Quarter landscape like no other structure But as it approaches 200 years old, the cathedral is showing its age in some spots. Supporters, led by Saints owner Gayle Benson, have embarked on a fundraising campaign to cover an ambitious, 36-month-long renovation that will be both complicated and expensive.

Wiseman estimated the cathedral work will cost around $45 million.

But Salomé, who has watched any number of restoration projects sputter and churn at one of the world’s iconic palaces, knows the devil is in the details — especially those details that don’t reveal themselves until midway through a project.

“It always is lasting a few more years and costing a few more millions,” Salomé said with a knowing grin. “It is a permanent job. It is never ending. You ﬁnish one and you start another.”

Wiseman said the renovation work could begin as soon as this summer The expectation at this point is 18 months of work on the exterior followed by 18 months of work on the interior

N.O.’s most famous building

Few structures in New Orleans compete on the world stage as well as St. Louis Cathedral.

The seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in New Orleans and the oldest continuously operated cathedral in the U.S., the building’s three-story façade, central steeple, Doric columns and arched windows are a beacon to tourists and Catholics alike Flanked on one side by the Cabildo and on the other by the Presbytere, the trio of historic structures are a commanding presence across from Jackson Square

The building that is so recognizable now the popular backdrop to untold thousands of photos — is actually the newest church building on the site. The story goes that Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, after founding the city touched his sword to the ground in what is roughly now the location of St. Louis Cathedral, Wiseman told Salomé, noting the historical uncertainty of the story

An early church was at the location by 1722, but it was destroyed by a hurricane. It was replaced by the ﬁrst permanent church in 1727, the archdiocese says That church was also destroyed, consumed by the French Quarter ﬁre of 1788. A new church was completed

MISSING

Continued from page 1B

said. “He loves to thrift, or anything vintage. He also loves music and spending time with his daughter.”

Samuel was a photographer, videographer and musician who taught himself how to play guitar and how to tell stories through a camera lens. He grew up in Lafayette as the middle child

RED SNAPPER

Continued from page 1B

The 2025 red snapper season quota for private recreational anglers was 894,955 pounds, the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says. An estimated 947,103 pounds were caught during the season, which means 52,148 pounds will have to be subtracted from this year’s quota. Last year’s season allowed anglers to ﬁsh for 200 days, from May 1 through Nov 16, the department says A limit of four ﬁsh per day, per angler at a minimum size of 16 inches, was in effect.

BAR

Continued from page 1B

it not be allowed to operate as a bar or nightclub due to the size of the venue, the nature of the planned business model and the existing demands of police in that block of Jefferson Street. If commissioners approve the CUP police recommend anyone under the age of 21

and consecrated in 1794. But population growth spurred an ambitious renovation in the 1840s that, complicated by construction mishaps, resulted in the church being substantially rebuilt. The new church was completed in 1851.

It was designated a basilica by Pope Paul IV in 1964, but the formal name “Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis, King of France,” never resonated among New Orleanians, Wiseman noted.

As Wiseman led Salomé on Friday’s tour, he acknowledged the building’s trouble spots aren’t always obvious.

“That’s one of the things that hurts us (in gaining awareness),” he said. “It looks pretty good But there are problems.”

Those problems range from water damage and plaster damage to cracks in walls. According to the fundraising website ourcityyourcathedral.org, the restoration work will include masonry and stucco repairs, enhancing lighting and security, and extensive improvements to the roof, which is covered in slate tiles.

The repairs and restoration work won’t only be enormously expensive, it will also require a delicate touch, Wiseman said. All the stained glass will be restored and the main ceiling will be redone,

between an older brother and a younger sister His parents say creativity came naturally to him.

The absence has been especially painful for Samuel’s daughter, Sandy Easterling said.

“She’s old enough to understand,” she said “At ﬁrst, she thought maybe his phone was broken. But as time went on, she started asking questions.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Samuel’s dis-

“We could not be happier about how this year’s red snapper season turned out,” state Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Tyler Bosworth said in a statement. “We would like to thank all offshore anglers in Louisiana who have actively contributed to conservation and a very successful red snapper season by participating in the LA Creel process.”

The yearly red snapper quotas are divided up between commercial and recreational ﬁsheries. Commercial fisheries are granted 51% and recreational the remainder The recreational quota is further divided among private anglers and charter boats.

not be allowed entry according to the report submitted by Lt. Scott Rummel. It is also requesting it close every day at midnight and have a uniformed law enforcement ofﬁcer outside at all hours of operation. According to LPD data, ofﬁcers have responded to calls in the 500 block of Jefferson Street 258 times since 2021, a total that is more than twice the calls in the 400 block and three times the amount as

which includes carefully extracting and then reinstalling the murals, the website noted.

Wiseman said the mural on the ceiling, which dates to the late 1800s, was originally painted directly onto the plaster “And that just didn’t work in New Orleans,” he told Salomé, noting the region’s off-the-charts humidity.

A couple decades later, Wiseman said, another painter lined the ceiling with a type of canvas that was then painted on. Removing that

appearance, his parents say the support from the community has been overwhelming. Friends, radio stations, advocates, and churches have helped spread his story. Billboards displaying his image appeared between Lafayette and New Orleans candlelight vigils were held, and social media continues to play a critical role in keeping his name visible.

“He loves Instagram,” Sandy said. “So, people

The Gulf’s red snapper population declined rapidly in previous decades and hit a low point in 1990, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Population numbers have since gradually improved but remain below a target number for rebuilding the stock.

Louisiana anglers target red snapper offshore, including around oil and gas rigs that act as artiﬁcial reefs.

Email Mike Smith at msmith@theadvocate. com. His work is supported with a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, administered by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

the 600 block. “These figures demonstrate that the immediate area already places a signiﬁcant demand on police resources,” Rummel’s report read. LCG’s Community Development and Planning staff is recommending commissioners approve the CUP with recommendations that no one under 21 be allowed inside, it has a maximum capacity of 49 people and that it

canvas on which the mural is actually painted, he said, will be an exacting task.

Benson, who has pushed the campaign to restore the iconic building, brought together a host of historians, architects and engineers to form a plan and ﬁnd the resources that plan will require.

In 2023, Benson took a group of experts to Paris to get an up-close look at the massive restoration of the 700-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral that had been devastated by a ﬁre in 2019.

pushing his story there or any socials means a lot.”

The family also credits several organizations and individuals for their continued support, including the Missing in America Network, Our Savior’s Church in Lafayette, Charlene Shunick, Devin and Missing, and Award Masters in Lafayette.

“They’ve been amazing,” Sandy said. “When we didn’t know what to do next, they’ve helped guide us.”

Notre Dame was reopened in 2024 and has returned to hosting thousands of tourists each day

Importance of buildings

Though expensive, the care and upkeep of places like Versailles and St. Louis Cathedral is vitally important, Salomé said. “The history The passion The uniqueness,” he said.

Salomé said his visit to New Orleans included a few presentations on Versailles and lots of museum visits and sightseeing. “We have stories to tell,” he said of his efforts to entice more people to make the trip to France for a visit to Versailles.

Pat Morrison, a New Orleans resident and cathedral supporter who helped coordinate Salomé’s visit, said exposing the “magnificent building” to someone of Salomé’s stature can only help its cause. Rebecca Mackie, director of the Louisiana State Museum who provided Salomé a tour of the Presbytere before his cathedral visit, said an application has been made to UNESCO to designate St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and the Cabildo as a World Heritage Site. Perhaps Salomé will have some inﬂuence there, Morrison said. “Museum directors have a strong voice,” Morrison said.

When asked what they would say to Samuel if he could hear them now, both parents answered saying, “We just want him home, please come home,” Scott said.

“We love you,” Sandy added. “We miss you.”

Samuel may have a mustache and a tattoo on his forearm. He is 6 feet tall, weighs approximately 150 pounds, and has light brown, shoulder-length hair His family asks if any-

one may recognize him or have information about his whereabouts to come forward.

Anyone with information about Samuel Easterling is asked to contact the New Orleans Police Department at (504) 658-6229 or the Missing in America Anonymous Tip Line at 1-844-MIALOST (1-844-642-5678).

Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.

FILe PHoto

Louisiana private recreational anglers caught an estimated 947,103 pounds of red snapper in 2025.

closes at midnight if it were to operate only as a to-go business.

The report also noted that Haynes also owns the Rooftop 116 bar at 116 E. Vermilion St., which has been the site of “several undesirable activities,” without citing past incidents. Yet Haynes was also approved for a CUP for that location. Attempts to reach Figaro and Haynes were unsuccessful, but Haynes referenced

the business in a Facebook post last month and how it will offer “great vibes and an amazing chill spot In the downtown Jefferson Street area.” The building already has exterior signage installed. The site has been empty since Le Grenadier closed in April after the business owner cited the building’s deteriorating condition, including several areas where the roof leaked and electrical issues.

staFF PHotos By Brett DUKe

Laurent salomé, center, director of the National Museum of the Palace of Versailles and trianon, tours the st. Louis Cathedral in New orleans on Friday. an application has been made to UNesCo to designate the famous building along with the Presbytere and the Cabildo, as a World Heritage site.

People light candles Friday at the st. Louis Cathedral in New orleans.

Strengthened N.O. Carnival security back this year

road barriers, National Guard, drones part of law enforcementplan

BY JAMES FINN staff writer

Thespecter of theBourbon Street terrorist attack loomed over last year’sCarnival season. Armored vehicles flanked parade routes. St. Charles Avenue’s Uptown-bound lanes featuredan obstacle course of road barriers. Drones buzzed overhead, and agents in tactical gear kept watch on the ground.

This year,New Orleans officials say that levelofsecurity is here to stay At least severalhundred federal agents, local officers, state troopers and deputiesfrom a slew of Louisiana sheriff’soffices will fan out on street cornersand along parade routes citywideduring the peak of Carnival in February.The expanded law presence will include Coast Guard patrol boats on the Mississippi River, police dogs, nuclear andbiological weapon detection teams and drones.

The stiff law enforcement presence will be most visible for a six-day period in mid-February when the feds have granted New Orleans aSpecial Event Assessment Rating 1, the city’sinterim Homeland Security director,Richard Chatman, said this week. The designation unlocks the greatest amount of resources andmost involved federal planning that local municipalities can receive for big events.

“You’re likely going to seesome armored vehicles staged,” said Eric DeLaune, former special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations‘ New Orleans Field Ofﬁce, who led the federal planning for last year’sCarnival season.

“You’ll see tactical personnel,” DeLaune said. “Drones in the air You’re going to see canines out, bomb-sniffing dogs, in different locations. You’re probably going to see aheavier uniform presence from LSP,NOPD and partner state

andlocal agencies.”

Auniquesecuritychallenge

With its multiple,miles-long routes for large float parades, smatteringofsmallerneighborhood walking parades and infusionofvisitors, allofitlasting for weeks,New Orleans’ Carnival season has long presented ofﬁcials with aunique securityplanning challenge.

Though the New Orleans Police Department has built astrong reputation for handlingmajor events, there was anew urgency —and an expansionoffederal help —during the2025 Carnival season as ofﬁcials worked to ensure residents andvisitors felt safe following the BourbonStreet attack weeks before.

Afterthe attack, the federal government designated Mardi Gras SEAR 1— adesignation that had already been in place for Super Bowl LIX in February,but which hadnever before been invoked for Carnival.

The massing of federal resources alreadyintownfor the big game continued to intermingle with Carnival sights and sounds until Ash Wednesday.

This year,the federalDepartment of Homeland Security, which leads coordination by federal agencies forSEAR-designated events, is

putting the SEAR 1inplace from Feb. 13 to 18. While the rampedup law enforcement presence will be most visibleduringthose days, residents will likely see signs of it before that as federal resources begin arriving intotown.

Some longer-standing measures, such as turning to other local law enforcement agencies to supplement theNOPD’sranks,are alsoin the works

TheCity Council this week advanced acontract of up to $3.7 million to fund extra dispatches of OrleansParish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce deputiesfromFeb. 1through March 31. The deputies are meant to supplement theNOPD’son-the-ground presence.

“Thatadditional manpower helps us secure the blocksbetter; it lets us securethe backside and the front side (ofthe parade routes), anditletsusbetter engage thecrowd and community,” NOPD Capt. Anthony“Buddy” Micheu told theCityCouncil this week.

Thecontract willpay for about 175 deputies perday for theﬁrst major weekend of parades, Micheu said. He said thenumbers will go up “slightly” forthe weekend before Fat Tuesday

An NOPD spokesperson declined requests this week to interview Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpat-

rick about Mardi Gras planning, saying the agency would provide updates closer to Carnival.

At anews conference earlier this month, Kirkpatrick describedhow thecity had sought the SEAR 1 designation forall of Carnival season —though she said the heightened federal involvement during theseason’sﬁnal days was still appreciated.

“You’re going to see alot of presence,” she said. “You’re going to see what Icallmysea of blue, whichisour police cars will be lit up with blue lights. And that’sa strategy, folks. That is astrategy of the community knowing we are outthere and the bad elements know we’re outthere as well.”

National Guardhelp

Louisiana National Guard troops sent to the city at Gov.Jeff Landry’srequest in recent weeks will remain positioned throughout the downtownarea, too, adding to theuniformedpresence. Guardsmen patrolling in downtownareas have been wearing largeblack nameplates afﬁxed to their body armor reading “National Guard.”

ANational Guard source who was notauthorized to speak publicly said the agency learned during operations in Washington, D.C. —one of several places where the

Trumpadministration dispatched federal agents and troops to Democratic-ledcities— that wearing suchnameplates could be beneﬁcial so they would not be confused with Immigration and Customs EnforcementorU.S.BorderPatrol.Border Patrol agents recently sweptthrough theNew Orleans region on aweekslong immigration enforcement operation.

TheLouisiana National Guard hadtoget thenameplatesspecially made, and troops makeapoint to tell people in New Orleans that they are local, the source said.

National Guard unitsinother states have takensimilar stepsin recent months.

At an eventatGallierHallthis week, Mayor Helena Moreno said she’shopeful that NationalGuard personnelcan be enlistedtohelp erect parade barriers.

“Ordinarily,” she said, “it’sthe Department of Public Works folks who have to do that, and I’d much rather have them out there ﬁxing oursidewalks andpaving streets and things like that, instead of putting outall of thispublic safety equipment.”

Other safety measures employed after the Bourbon Streetattack will remain in place this year,too. For instance, the “serpentine” barriers will be installed again along St. Charles from Calliope Street to Napoleon Avenue in the Uptownbound lanes to slow trafficduring parades, while still allowing neighborhood access, Chatman said Thursday

Though Carnival festivities play out across the region, the rampedup federal presenceislargely focused on NewOrleans.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Brandon Veal said the agency would operate “same as usual” during Mardi Grasseason this year andwon’t have anyNational Guard troops crossing over the parish line. The only notable change this year is that partsof Veterans Boulevard will closeon Feb. 6and 7for Family Gras. If anything, Veal said, JPSO deputies will travel to New Orleans to assist with security,asexternal lawenforcementagenciesoften do during Carnival. Staff writersDoug MacCash, Andrea Gallo and LaraNicholson contributed to this report.

staFF PHotoByDaVID GrUNFeLD

Concrete barriers line lowerst. Charles avenue in Neworleans on Friday. City officials saythe heightened security that came afterlast year’sBourbon street attack are here to stay.

TheComite

River Diversion Canalis overdue, but welcome

We are heartened to seethatthere may be a real finish line for the ComiteRiverDiversion Canal project, acritical piece of capital-region flood-prevention infrastructurethat, according to theU.S.ArmyCorps of Engineers, could be finished in mid-2028.

The canal, once operational, will divert floodwater from the Comite River througha300-foot wide, 50-foot deep channel eightmilesbeforeit travels another four miles through bayous and overland to eventuallyfind itsway into theMississippi River.The flow down thecanal will be controlled by astructure at theComite River, and water will onlybediverted when riverlevels are high. If it works as planned, it will help prevent flooding of tens of thousands of residents.

But any optimism about thenew timelineis tempered in no small part by the longand torturous process it took to get it to this point.

The projectwas ﬁrst conceived in the 1960s, but no federal approval happened until 1993. Still, though, the subsequentyears broughtonly halting progress.

Fast forward to 2016, nearly ageneration after that approval, when heavy rainsacross southeast Louisiana caused record ﬂooding in the Amite and Comite River basins. Thousands of homes were destroyed andmanyresidents were out of their homes for months.

That disaster injected sense of urgencyinto the project and work really got goingin2019. Butthen came months and years of delays, roadblocks and holdups. Some of thosewere due to the project’scomplexity: It requires a number of new railroad andhighwaybridges, as well as designing and buildingintersections with at least three other bayous.

Otherswere more man-made: Several dozen pipelines and utilities needed to be moved, and negotiationswiththe owners of those sometimesdraggedon. One of the last ones,the relocationoftwo gaspipelines, was recently completed, paving theway forreal progress.

If it is finished on the currenttimeline, the35 years it will have taken to go from approvalto completionwill rival thatofthe interstate highway system, which officially kickedoff with the Federal-Aid Highway Actof1956 and wasdeclared “completed” in 1992, about36yearslater It will easily outstrip the length of time it took to dig the 51-mile Panama Canal, whichbenefited from eight years of French work in the1880s but began in earnestin1904 and opened about a decade later

We know that the people whocould beneﬁt from the Comite River Diversion Canalare anxious to seeitcompleted andoperational.We are, too. And while we would like to seethe time required to completesuch projectsreduced,we are nonetheless glad to see that when we focus on large, ambitious infrastructure projects,we can still get them done. The need forforward thinking and ambition, especially when it comes to managing Louisiana’srivers, is only likely to increase.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence theadvocate |the times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the editor,the advocate, P.o. Box 588, Baton rouge, La 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. to seND Us a Letter, sCaNHere

ALEXANDRIA Roaming among tables in an expansive event room on aconverted Air Force base earlier this month,Chris Masingill was certain of one thing.

“Wewill get our opportunityfor adata center,” he said with theconviction of a revivalist preacher “It’sjust amatter of time.”

The recent rush across thesouth to build sprawling new server farmstofeed the ravenous AI beast has set off asilicon-rush of sorts, with each state and region competing to makeitself themost attractive to massive technology development ﬁrms.

Masingill’senthusiasm has been on display anumber of times in thelast three months, as the newly minted economic development leader for a10-parish region across the state’smiddle embarked on atour that was part pep-talk, part community relations and part listening tour His message has been simple: Yes, Central Louisiana has been an economic laggard. Butaturnaround is possible if theregion unites behind asingle vision.

Partofhis message involves toutingthe region’s broad potential, but right now,heknows there are two magic words that folks want to hear: datacenter

Plenty of folks in CenLa sure hope he’sright.

Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate. com.

The hope, of course, is to land aproject like what is coming to Richland Parish, where asubsidiary of Metaisbuilding a$27 billion datacenter.That project, in the less than two years since itsannouncement, has already transformed a sleepy agricultural parish into ahub of construction and economic activity Central Louisiana’sleaders hunger for that sort of project Butthe economics of such projectsare changing. The really big companies, like MetaorGoogle or Amazon, are not building as many of their own data centers like theone in Richland Parish, Masingill told me. Instead, it’ssmaller companies purchasing land, building the centersand then offering them up to the bigger companies on acontract basis, he said. That’swhat appears to be happening in West Feliciana Parish, where acompany called Hut 8isbuilding a$7 billion data center Hut 8recently announced a 15-year deal with Anthropic, the company behind popular AI chatbot Claude. Central Louisiana’sturn may be coming sooner than somethought. Last month, acompany named Applied Digital purchased about 670 acres near Boyce in Rapides Parish. Applied Digital is a Dallas-based ﬁrm that describes itself as “constructing the epicenter of AI”on its website. Masingill alluded to the news in his talk to those business leaders. “You all saw the news with the land transaction, that’snosecret,” he said. Masingill told me that Central Louisiana has plenty of the things that data center developers are looking for: available land, water and power generation potential. So, even if this project doesn’tpan out, one eventually will.

We like to keep thingsfresh on the Opinion pages because we like to think our readers are eager to engage in the world of ideas. Yousee new features on these pages when we see opportunities to give fresh perspectives or if we see content we thinkdeserves awide audience. Recently,wefeatured abook excerpt in our new feature, “From the Bookshelf.” We will be periodically publishingsuch excerptswhen we see topics that are worthwhile. We know ourreaders likely have so many sources of information at their disposal, but we like to highlight content that may ﬂy under theradar.And when we can spotlight local issues or local authors, that’s even better.Inthe case of thebook excerpt, we were also able to tell readers about an opportunity to meet theauthors at aQ&A at alocal

bookstore. So hopefully,aswecontinue this feature, it can encourage readers to ﬁnd new spaces to makeconnections in their communities and support local booksellers as well. This week, we are also starting aseries of essays in honor of the 250th birthday of our country Throughout the year,wehope to spotlight interesting insights from writers, thinkers, civic leaders and others about what this milestonemeans forour country.Many feel that we are at acrossroads in our history,sowhat better time to look back at our founding principles and assess how they are holding up today?

We are also going to be discussing how to engage more with you online, as we know manyofyou follow our websites closely.You may be wondering how we decide what to do next. When

looking fornew ways to keep our audience engaged, we get ideas from everywhere. We look to what other Opinion pages are doing, we talk with other reporters and editors about what they are seeing, and we of course listen to your suggestions. We know someofyou like the predictability of the Opinion pages, and we are committed to keeping your favorite content, but mixing it up every once in awhile can be good too.

Looking at ourLetters inbox for the week of Jan.15-22, immigration was the toptrending topic, prompting six letters. Next, some of you were concerned aboutPresident Donald Trump’sthreat to take over Greenland, leading to four letters. Lastly,there were threeletters commenting on our Opinionpages

Email Arnessa Garrett at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

Arnessa Garrett

Faimon Roberts

ProVIDeD PHoto Crews work at the Meta aI data center site in richland Parish.

COMMENTARY

Trumpseeks to make U.S. Senate race abouthim

There are 2,965,470 registered votersin Louisiana, and last Ichecked, Donald John Trump was not one of them. Yetthe question before those actual voters is nowthis: To what extent does the president get to determine who represents the state in the United States Senate?

Last week, U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow won Trump’scoveted nod in the Republican primary,but it wasamost unusual entry into amajor race.

Trump led, by announcing on Truth Social that he’d support her if she decided to challengethe twoterm incumbent of their own party, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy —reportedly without giving her aheads-up.

She’s also anarguably imperfect avatar forTrumpism. Letlow votes with the president and compliments him whenever she gets the chance. But she is also professional and polished, not pugnacious and certainly notvulgar.

Letlow followed dayslater when she broke the news that wasbythen not news at all: She would indeed be acandidate

This timeline positions Letlow not just as the Trump-endorsed candidate, but the Trump-branded candidate. Sheisthe instrument of his vengeance against the gastroenterologistfrom Baton Rouge who, despite ayear’sworth of cringycapitulations to the president’sinsatiable ego and terrible judgment in hiring Robert F. Kennedy Jr.toleadthe Healthand Human Servicesdepartment, will alwaysbethe guy who (rightfully) voted to convictTrump for inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol at impeachment. That’snot to say that she wouldn’t be a legitimate contender on her own. Letlowentered Congress following acareerasa highlevel university administrator,and in the most sympathetic way possible: She won thenortheast Louisianaseat after her husbandand thefather of her twoyoung children was elected but died aftercontracting COVID. In Congress she’s advocated for young families and focusedonrural issues important to her district, and sits on the important Appropriations Committee.

Now that she’s tied herself so closely to him, howwill she respond when asked about Trump’stransgressions and unpopular policies? Will she go after Cassidy personally,asstate Treasurer John Fleming and state Sen. Blake Miguez, who are also running under the MAGA brand, have already shown themselves willing to do? What will she do if they stay in the race —we’ll know once qualifying comes around next month—and they aim theirﬁre at her too?

Forhis part, Cassidy said that Letlow was polite in informing him that she’d decided to jump in.

“Congresswoman Letlow called me this morning to say she was running. She said sherespected me and thatI had done agood job,” he posted.

If that’sanaccurate portrayal of their conversation, she wouldn’tbethe only major Louisiana Republican to feel that way Consider thereaction of Baton Rouge business leader Eddie Rispone, whoseplatform in his2019 gubernatorial campaign basically boiled down to “I’mwith Trump.”

“I don’tunderstand the president’s deal, Rispone told my colleague Tyler Bridges afterTrump issued his preemptive endorsement.“Ithink it’s pretty ridiculous. You have agreat guy making adifference. He chairs amajor committee and is on the FinanceCommittee. She’sobviously asmart person, but she’snot even aseasoned congresswoman.”

On apreliminary basis, some other GOP bigwigs have also touted Cassidy’srecord and hisseniority, and said they’ll stickwith him. The stateparty, which was quick to

U.s. rep. Julia Letlowanswers aquestion while attendinganevent at the

rougeonoct. 21, 2024, in Baton

censureCassidy after his impeachment vote, may not endorse in this intraparty showdown, LaPolitics Weekly is reporting. Cassidy is also reaching out to nonparty voters who can participateinthe GOP primary—many of whom arefurious over his RFKvotebut some of whom might think aTrump-sponsoredchallenger would be worse In fact,now thatit’sclear thatkissing up didn’twork, Cassidy has one more chance to assert his independence, hold his head up high, continue to support Trump whenhe genuinely agrees but also act as aguardrail againstthe president’s —and, importantly, Kennedy’s—worst behavior.

It may not be enough to overcome Trump’sdecision to put his ﬁnger on the scale on Letlow’sbehalf, not to mentionher own performance on the campaign trail in her ﬁrst genuinely contested election. That’suptoLouisiana’svoters, at least those able to participate in anew primary system that was designed to empower Cassidy’scritics.

But at least it would give those voters a clear choice. Because ultimately,this decision really is theirs, not Trump’s, to make.

EmailStephanie Grace at sgrace @theadvocate.com.

Cassidyrightly pressuresNEA on left-wingorthodoxy

In giving the National Education Association aJan. 29 deadline to answer pointed questions about “allegations of antisemitism” he calls “deeply troubling,” Republican Sen. BillCassidy,ofLouisiana, is showing that his watchdog role extendsbeyond health policy Cassidy also is showing that the NEA is acting far more as aleftwing power group than abargaining agent for school workers, much less agroup whose ﬁrstpriority is helping students excel in reading, writing and arithmetic.

in 1948 during the establishment of the State of Israel,” thus adopting an extreme anti-Israel viewpoint devoid of the context that Israel was created by theUnited Nationsand that it offered almost all those 750,000 the option of remaining in place.

Cassidy is chairman of theSenate Committee on Health, Education, Labor,and Pensions. It is the “education” and “labor” parts of the committee’spurview that precipitated his lengthy Dec. 18 letter to NEA President Rebecca Pringle. Therein, he cited four major categories of alleged NEA antisemitism. Several involvedresolutionsapprovedby vote at the 2025 NEA RepresentativeAssembly or by the NEA board. One pushed aboycott of the Anti-Defamation League, which for decades has provided widelyadmiredHolocaust educationmaterials.Anotherapproved something called “Palestinian Nakba Education,” which teaches students about the so-called “forced,violent displacement and dispossession of at least 750,000 Palestinians from theirhomeland

One example involved an Oct. 8email to some 3million membersthat celebrated “indigenous lands” which —get this —literally erased Israel from themap and replaced it with a territory it called “Palestine.” “Even worse,” Cassidy wrote, the emailed material “recommended resources linked to terror-supporting organizations, who have expressedsupport of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israeli civilians.”

Cassidy also cited widespread complaints ofharassment and abuse experienced byassembly delegates who happened to be Jewish. In doing so, he referenced aletter to theexecutive committee from the NEA’s Jewish AffairsCaucus that outlined ahost of examples of hateful behaviors that union ofﬁcials allegedly did nothing to rein in, including clothing that advocated “verbal and physical violence against Jews.”

And much, much more.

In all, Cassidy demanded answers from Pringleto31speciﬁc questions, mostof which also included several sub-questions.

He noted that the NEA is speciﬁcally chartered by Congress, and wrote, tellingly, that “the NEA has lost sight of its original purpose, becoming entrenched in political and activist causes far outside its area of expertise and failing to advance our children’slearning. In essence, Cassidy is limning twodifferent issues. Oneisthe importanttopic of antisemitism, an evil which has no place in any decent universe. The second is the left-wing political activism of the NEA in realms far removed from education. Cassidy asked why an education union is veering so heavily into“foreign policy,and environmental and social justice causes.”

His point is valid. Aperusal of NEA’s website and its links to recommended (and presumably endorsed) other sites and materials leadsone down various rabbit holes of left-wing causes ranging from transgender advocacy toclimate-change activism to endorsement of the13principles of Black Lives Matter that —inthe cause of embracing “villages” of “collective care” —explicitly says “we are committed to disrupting theWestern-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement.”

Again and again, the website,NEA handbook and NEA 2024 strategic plan focus on political activism, on how to “build power”and how to advance “racial and social justice” while adopting an “of-

fensive strategy to counter and defeat right-wing social attacks.” This includes “partnering” anddonating lots of money to ahostofoutside groups —including the “terror-supporting organizations” mentionedinCassidy’sletter.These documents do contain occasional statements against antisemitism, but theyare usually anodyne andalmost always paired with warnings against “anti-Muslim” bias, whereas the more numerous expressions of,and advocacy for,what critics call antisemitism arealmost never leavened by anyexpressedsympathy for Jews. I did askNEA President Pringle, via direct email, forcomment, but did not hear back by this column’sdeadline.

In sum,it’sone thing forapolitical action group to take voluntary donations forideological activism. It’s another foraneducation association chartered by Congress to use union dues forpower plays faroutside the educational realm.Especially when, as Cassidy noted, American schools continue to perform terribly on academic measurements —aproblem the NEAshould focus on, not on foreign policy It is unclear what Cassidy would do if he doesn’tlike NEA’sanswers. For now,it’s good that he’sasking relevant questions.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer @theadvocate.com

In anation as diverse as ours, immigration enforcement inevitably testswhether equal protection means what it says.Some tribal leaders in theUpper Midwest say that test is being failed in thewakeofthe killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. By the end of the week,claims of aggressive immigration enforcement actions, including door-to-door operations in some neighborhoods, pouredinofagents not onlytracking down those without legal status to reside in the U.S. but also questioning and detaining others, whether they werelegal residents or citizens or not. Social media platforms were ﬁlled with videoclips notonly of Good’skilling but also of federal agents doing sidewalk and parkinglot interrogations of Black, Latino and other non-White residents. Masked and kittedout forcombat, the agents give the impression of being law unto themselves as they demandto seeidentiﬁcationpapers

ing recentevents that took place in Minneapolis, and around the country involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents.” That vigilance was not misplaced.

On Jan. 10, the tribal governingboardof theLac Courte Oreilles BandofLakeSuperior Chippewa Indians,based in northern Wisconsin, stated it was “closely monitor-

On Jan.9,Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Outstated on Facebook that ICE had detained four homeless membersofhis tribe in Minneapolis,asCBS reported. The DepartmentofHomeland Security disavowed any knowledge of detaining members of theSioux nation, and Star Comes Outdid not give the full names of thedetained men. DHS told The Wall Street Journal it could notverify that any tribe members were arrested. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reportedthat JoseRoberto “Beto” Ramirez, 20, adescendant of the Red LakeNation of Ojibwe in Minnesota, was pulled out of acar in aTwin Cities suburb, roughed up, handcuffedand detained at ICE’sheadquartersinMinneapolis.

Last year at this time, Navajo Nation ofﬁcials were reporting that tribal citizens were being detained in Arizona and New Mexico.

For me, this reporting is not abstract. As an African American man,ithas hit me like ablast from America’spast: the bad old days of Jim Crow segregation. It also reminded me of thebad old days of being areporter in South Africa in the mid-1970s during the era of racist apartheid before Nelson Mandela wasreleased and elected president.

As areporter who looked undeniably Black,Iprudently carried my U.S passport in my pocket just in case Iwas stopped by theauthorities for the crime of reporting-while-Black.

Worse, as alongtime police beat reporter, Iamappalled by thebehavior of somefederal agents Ihave seen. The worst appear to be moreinterested in fulﬁlling quotas than ﬁghting crime.

Andthen there’sthe gaslighting by the Trumpadministration. Leave aside the question of whether ICE agent Jonathan Rossfelt he was in danger when he pulled thetrigger to kill Good. Administration ofﬁcials immediately set about characterizing Good as aterrorist, portraying other activists monitoring ICE actions as “paid,” and claiming that the door-to-door raids are really about investigating “fraud, hu-

man smuggling and unlawfulemployment practices.”

Racial proﬁling has long been afeature of law enforcement in the United States, and it persists despite periodic attempts to root it out. Idon’tneed to detail here the stress, anxiety and other ill effects it is knowntocause (including post-traumatic stress disorder). These are well known. What needs to be said is that these psychological wounds —the fear,alienation and mistrust they inspire in the victims— appear to be acentral objective of Trump’s Department of Homeland Security at the moment. Civil-rights advocates argue that the SupremeCourt’sstay in Noemv.Vasquez Perdomo effectivelyallowsimmigration agents to resumepractices that critics call racial proﬁling, intensifying concerns about unchecked enforcement.

Such raids are agrave threat to half a century of progress toward racial peace and understanding in this country,and an insult to the people whowere on this land ﬁrst.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail.com.

staFF FILe PHotoByMICHaeL JoHNsoN

City Club of Baton

rouge.

Stephanie Grace

Quin Hillyer

Clarence Page

SPORTS

Hogs too much for LSUmen down stretch

BY TOYLOYBROWN III staff writer

Aroad win is difﬁcult to come by in the Southeastern Conference

It was especially challengingfor LSU, which faced back-to-back ranked opponents away from homethis week. In the second contest, the Tigersbattled butfell to No.20 Arkansas 85-81 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Dedan Thomas had 18 points and ﬁve assists; Mike Nwokohad 17 points andfour rebounds; andPablo Tamba registered 12 points and 10 rebounds for theTigers. LSU maintained asingle-digit lead forthe majority of the ﬁrst half, leading by asmany as eight points. Arkansas heated up thanks to its star Darius Acuff, who had acareerhigh 31 points and six assists. The freshman took over with 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting in the second half.

Thomas re-entered the starting lineup in his second game back from aleft lower-leg injury he suffered on Jan. 2.

LSU started the game energized, forcing more turnovers than normal. After Thomas intercepted abad pass on Arkansas’ ﬁrst possession, he fed Nwoko forafastbreak

staFF PHoto By BraD KeMP

UL forward Marina artero showedmoreofan offensivepunch with six pointsinthe paint during Friday’slosstoappalachianstate

Cajuns can’t winsecond in arow

BY KEVIN FOOTE staff writer

The UL women’sbasketballcouldn’tdeliver an encore performanceFriday evening after itsﬁrstSun BeltConference win of theseason The result was a68-48 loss to Appalachian State at the Cajundome to drop the Cajuns to 2-18 overall and 1-9 in league play

5P.M.tHUrsDay

“Wegot outrebounded by 20,” UL coach Garry Brodhead said. “That always hurts. That’sgoing to be a big thing. We talked aboutitinthe locker room.” TheMountaineers improved to 9-10 and 2-7. The Cajuns now will travel toJames Madison on Thursday App State’sshooting touchprovedtobean issue for the Cajuns throughout the game as it made 57.1% in the ﬁrstquarter and then 63.6% in the third quarter to ﬁnish 52.1% for the game.

As thetransferportaldustsettles, gettoknowthe newLSU football roster

Name tags,please

BY WILSON ALEXANDER staff writer

Earlier this week,head coach LaneKiffin claimed thatonceLSU wasfinishedadding transfers, it wouldhave “the best portalclass in the history of college football.” That can be debated,but Kiffin has support for hisargument

LSU signed theNo. 1class for thesecondstraight year,according to 247Sports. It has three of thetop players at their position with quarterback Sam Leavitt, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and defensive end Princewill Umanmielen.Italsohas depth, and LSU’s transfer classreceived thesecond-highest pointtotal from 247Sportsbehind only Southern Cal in 2022, aclassthatincludedfuture Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams.

“There’salot of worktodoonce they get here,” Kiffin said at an event hosted by theGreater Baton Rouge Business Report,“but to assemble that talent, you could not do that anywhere else.”

Aftersigning Seaton lateFriday night, LSU is notexpected to add anymoretransfers. It brought in 42 newplayers as theroster underwent amakeover,especially on offense. LSU had 34 players transfer out, and16others eitherexhausted their eligibility or entered theNFL draft.Only 10 players are returning on offense. Youmay be wondering who’son

the team after so much change,so we broke down every position heading into next season:

Quarterback

Transfers: Sam Leavitt (Arizona State, R-Jr.), Husan Longstreet (Southern Cal, R-Fr.), Landen Clark (Elon,R-Soph.)

Earlierthismonth,LSU didn’t have ascholarship quarterbackon the roster.Thatwould be adisastroussituation in thepre-transfer portal era, but now teams can reﬁll entire positions within acouple of weeks. LSU, which had not signed ahigh school quarterback in either

of the past tworecruiting cycles,is suddenly in good shape. It landed oneofthe toptransfers regardless of positionwith Leavitt, andit found its potential quarterback of thefutureinLongstreet, aformer ﬁve-starrecruit with four years of eligibility.Clark adds an intriguing developmental option.

Runningback

Returning players: CadenDurham (Jr.), Harlem Berry (Soph.)

Transfers: Dilin Jones (Wisconsin, R-Soph.), Raycine Guillory (Utah, ä see LSU, page 3C

BY MATTHEW PARAS staff writer

The NewOrleans Saints seem to have found their quarterback. Now they need better playmakers around him Tyler Shough had success throwing the ball to wide receiver Chris Olave and tight end Juwan Johnson, while wideout Devaughn Vele emerged as an important contributor,too. But general manager MickeyLoomisand coach KellenMoore wouldn’tbeblamed if they conclude the offense needs more juiceheading into next season. With practices forthe Senior Bowlnext week, draftseason is just around the corner —and findingnew weaponstoboost Shough’s supporting cast should be atop priority As well as Shough playeddown thestretch,the offense lacked the explosiveness that’sneeded to become one of the league’sbetter units. When Shough took over as the starteroverthe back half of the season,13.6% of the Saints’ completionsendedinan “explosive”—definedasa pass of 16 yardsormore. That ranked only 17th in the NFL. For the year,the Saints finished with an explosive pass percentagerate of 10.2% —the third-worst markinthe league.

That’snot theonly way the Saintslacked juice, either.Let’sdig in.

staFFFILe

PHoto By HILary sCHeINUK

6 p.m

3 p.m.

NBatV NFL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS

2 p.m. aFC: New england at Denver CBs

5:30 p.m. NFC: L.a. rams at seattle Fox NHL

12:30 p.m.Colorado at toronto NHLN

6 p.m. Florida at Chicago NHLN SKIING

4 p.m. alpine World Cup NBC

SKIING/SNOWBOARDING

3 p.m. Freestyle World Cup NBC MEN’S SOCCER

5:55 a.m. southampton at Portsmouth CBssN

8 a.m Chelsea at Crystal Palace Usa

8:55 a.m. Celtic at Hearts of Midlothian CBssN

11:15 a.m.al Hilal at riyadh sC Fs2 WOMEN’S SOCCER

4:50 p.m. Haiti vs.antigua & Barbuda Fs2

6:50 p.m. Costa rica vs.Virgin Islands Fs2 TENNIS

6:30 p.m. australian open esPN2

2 a.m.(Mon.) australian open esPN2 UNRIVALED BASKETBALL

Noon Mist vs.Vinyl trUtV

1:15 p.m. Phantom vs. rose trUtV X GAMES

Noon X Games aspen 2026 aBC

5:30 p.m. X Games aspen 2026 esPN

David Thibodaux beats Ascension Episcopal

Bulldogs forward continues scoring blitz with 2 goals

BY NEAL MCCLELLAND Contributing writer

If David Thibodaux forward Koen Jones keeps this scoring pace up, he might set a school scoring record before the end of the season in the next two weeks. A day after scoring four goals in a win over Acadiana Renaissance on Thursday, the Bulldogs’ junior forward added two second-half goals to keep a comfortable lead in a 3-1 road win over Ascension Episcopal on Friday

“Koen Jones is so big and so physical,” David Thibodaux coach Derek Menard said. “He’s the fastest guy on the ﬁeld. When he gets going, he’s unstoppable. He’s been on ﬁre the past two nights.”

Jones’ two goals gives him 15 on the season as the Tigers improved to 11-5-1. The Bulldogs will try to stay in the top half of the bracket in the quest to get at least one home playoff game when the postseason begins in two weeks.

Jones admitted he was a little more motivated against Ascen-

sion Episcopal. “Last year they beat us and I wanted to return the favor this year,” the Bulldogs’ star forward said. “I really don’t remember that ﬁrst goal I scored tonight but that second goal, I got a good through ball from Jackson Pratt and I just

tapped it past the goalie.” Pratt’s goal in the game was special as well. Not only did it give David Thibodaux the early lead, which is something the team has struggled with lately, according to Menard, but it was also his ﬁrst

MEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP

varsity goal.

“He really stepped up,” Menard said. “We had a couple of seniors out tonight and he was able to get into the game as he did with that ﬁrst goal.”

About 10 minutes later, Jones’ second goal gave the Bulldogs a little cushion.

Ascension cut the lead in half about ﬁve minutes later when a goal from Lane Girouard made it 2-1.

“That goal didn’t bother us,” Jones said. “We knew that we were still in control.”

Jones finished off the scoring about 10 minutes later with his second goal to give David Thibodaux a 3-1 lead as the Bulldogs were able to close it out from there.

“”We’ve had some good wins this year and we are having a pretty good season,” Menard said. “We’ve had some losses that we should have won, but overall we’ve having a good season.

“We still have some work to do and some things to clean up, but we’ve talked about it for the last couple of weeks that we have to get into playoff mode. That’s how we have been playing, and we need to continue playing that way.”

Toppin, Texas Tech end Houston’s win streak

By the associated Press

LUBBOCK, Texas — JT Toppin had 31 points and 12 rebounds for his 44th career double-double and Donovan Atwell hit consecutive 3-pointers late to put No. 12 Texas Tech ahead to stay in a 90-86 win over No. 6 Houston on Saturday, ending the Cougars’ 11-game winning streak. Freshman Kingston Flemings had a season-high 42 points with six assists for the Cougars (17-2, 5-1 Big 12), who had won their past 16 true road games — all conference games — since a loss at No 8 Kansas two years ago. That was a school record and the nation’s longest active streak.

Texas Tech (16-4, 6-1) had 10 made 3s in the first half when scoring 55 points against a Houston team that coming in ranked second nationally allowing only 60.1 points. The Red Raiders made only two from beyond the arc after halftime, Atwell hitting the goahead 3 with 5:55 left and adding another 34 seconds later Emmanuel Sharp had 20 points for Houston. Toppin’s 44 career double-doubles are the second most for active players behind Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg (48). Toppin has 32 in 52 games with Tech since transferring from New Mexico after his freshman season.

NO 1 ARIZONA 88, WEST VIRGINIA 53: In Tuscon, Ariz., Brayden Burries scored 22 points, Koa Peat added 17 and top-ranked Arizona remained undefeated.

The Wildcats (20-0, 7-0 Big 12) dominated the Mountaineers (137, 4-3) while building a 20-point halftime lead and didn’t let up for the program’s best start since opening 21-0 in 2013-14.

The Wildcats are one of three remaining undefeated teams, with No. 7 Nebraska and No. 25 Miami (Ohio).

Chance Moore led the Mountaineers with 12 points.

NO 2 UCONN 75, VILLANOVA 67: In Hartford, Conn., Solo Ball had 24 points, including a key 3-pointer in overtime, and Alex Karaban had all of his 17 after halftime for UConn. Silas Demary and Tarris Reed each ﬁnished with 10 for UConn

(19-1, 9-0 Big East), which won its 15th game in a row Matthew Hodge hit a 3-pointer with 1:06 left in the second half to give Villanova a two-point lead but Reed tied it on a tip that bounced off the rim a couple of times. Villanova’s Tyler Perkins opened overtime with a 3-pointer, but that was the Wildcats’ only ﬁeld goal in the extra period. Perkins and Duke Brennan had 16 points apiece for Villanova (15-5, 6-3).

NO 11 ILLINOIS 88,NO.4 PURDUE 82: In West Lafayette, Indiana, Keaton Wagler scored a career-high 46 points, making nine 3-pointers, as No. 11 Illinois beat No. 4 Purdue. Wagler, a freshman guard, shot 13 for 17 overall, 9 of 11 from 3-point range and 11 of 13 on free throws. David Mirkovic added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Illini (17-3, 8-1 Big Ten).

NO 5 DUKE 90, WAKE FOREST 69: In Durham, North Carolina, Cameron Boozer scored 32 points to lead fifth-ranked Duke’s dominating interior play that helped the Blue Devils beat Wake Forest.

The star freshman big man made 11 of 20 shots to go with nine rebounds and four assists. And with the 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward in charge, Duke (18-1, 7-0 ACC) outscored its longtime instate league foe 48-16 in the paint.

NO 7 NEBRASKA 76, MINNESOTA 57:

In Minneapolis, Pryce Sandfort scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half and grabbed 10 rebounds for No. 7 Nebraska, help-

ing the Huskers remain unbeaten by surging past Minnesota.

Sam Hoiberg had 14 points and seven assists and Jamarques Lawrence added 14 points for the Huskers (20-0, 9-0 Big Ten), who maintained sole possession of ﬁrst place in the conference and matched the program’s best start in conference play since the 1965-66 team began 9-0 in the Big Eight.

NO 9 IOWA STATE 84, OKLAHOMA STATE 71: In Stillwater, Oklahoma, Milan

Momcilovic scored 29 points, and No. 9 Iowa State defeated Oklahoma State.

Momcilovic made 8 of 12 ﬁeld goals, including 5 of 9 3-pointers, and all eight of his free throw attempts Joshua Jefferson added 20 points for Iowa State, (18-2, 5-2 Big 12), which led by 30 at halftime. Kanye Clary and Jaylen Curry each scored 19 points for the Cowboys (14-6, 2-5).

NO 10 MICHIGAN STATE 91, MARYLAND

48: In East Lansing, Michigan, Jeremy Fears had 17 points and a career-high 17 assists and Coen Carr scored 14 points while adding to his highlight reel of dunks for Michigan State. The Spartans (18-2, 8-1 Big Ten) jumped out to a 24-4 lead and didn’t let up in the second half, scoring 15 straight points to lead

71-34 with 11:11 to play

NO 13 BYU 91, UTAH 78: In Provo, Utah, AJ Dybantsa scored 43 points to break BYU’s freshman scoring record, leading the No. 13

Ramírez agrees to $175M extension with Guardians

All-Star third baseman and American League MVP finalist José Ramírez has agreed to a seven-year, $175 million deal to remain with the Cleveland Guardians, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday The 33-year-old native of the Dominican Republic has played his entire 13-year career in Cleveland. He was signed through the 2028 season. He had three years and $69 million remaining on the extension he signed in 2022, but will now average $25 million over the next seven years.

The extension also includes a notrade clause and performance bonuses related to his finish in MVP balloting. Ramírez has finished in the top five six times. He was third last year and fifth in 2024.

Pitino savors 900th win as a college head coach

CINCINNATI St. John’s rallied from a 16-point deﬁcit in the second half to defeat Xavier 88-83 on Saturday as Rick Pitino reached a career milestone.

The 73-year-old Hall of Fame coach became the fourth Division I men’s basketball coach to reach 900 victories. He is 900-316 overall in 38 seasons as a head coach in college. It began with six games as an interim at Hawaii in 1976. He is the only coach to win an NCAA title at two schools (Kentucky and Louisville) and the ﬁrst to take three schools to the Final Four (Providence, Kentucky and Louisville).

Win No. 900 came at the expense of his son, Richard, who is in his ﬁrst season coaching the Musketeers.

Reed leads by 4 shots at Dubai Desert Classic

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Patrick Reed will take a four-stroke lead into the ﬁnal round of the Dubai Desert Classic after shooting 5-under 67 on Saturday, as Rory McIlroy’s chances of a recordextending ﬁfth title virtually disappeared.

Reed, the former Masters champion who now plays on the LIV Golf circuit, tapped in at No. 18 for his seventh birdie of the third round at Emirates Golf Club to move onto 14-under 202 for the week.

Cougars over Utah. Dybantsa went 15 for 24 from the floor and 9 for 10 from the free throw line for his first 40-point game. He surpassed Danny Ainge’s record for points in a game by a BYU freshman and added six rebounds, three assists and blocked a shot.

NO 22 NORTH CAROLINA 85, NO. 14 VIRGINIA 80: In Charlottesville, Virginia, Caleb Wilson scored 20 points, Jarin Stevenson added all of his 17 in the second half and No. 22 North Carolina rallied for a big ACC road victory Trailing by two with 3:50 to play, Carolina got three-point plays from Stevenson and Seth Trimble to build a 78-74 lead, then hung on. The Tar Heels outscored the Cavaliers 18-9 over the ﬁnal 5:25. NO 15 VANDERBILT 88, MISSISSIPPI STATE 56: In Starkville, Mississippi, Tyler Tanner scored 24 points and Duke Miles added 17 as No 15 Vanderbilt snapped a three-game losing skid.

Tyler Nickel scored 13 points and Devin McGlockton 10 for Vanderbilt (17-3, 4-3 SEC).

AUBURN 76, NO. 16 FLORIDA 67: In Gainesville, Florida, Keyshawn Hall scored 24 points, including 22 in Auburn’s dominant and stunning ﬁrst half, and the Tigers upset No. 16 Florida for the program’s first win in Gainesville since 1996.

Reigning national champion Florida (14-6, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) tied the game twice in the second half, but Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford hit a driving layup with 4:24 remaining to push the lead to 62-56. The Tigers (137, 4-3) held on from there for their third consecutive win.

NO 18 CLEMSON 77, GEORGIA TECH 63: In Atlanta, Jake Wahlin and Nick Davidson scored 13 points apiece and No. 18 Clemson got hot from long range, beating Georgia Tech. TEXAS 87, NO. 21 GEORGIA 67: In Austin, Texas, Dailyn Swain scored 26 points, Tramon Mark added a season-best 23 and Texas overwhelmed No. 21 Georgia. NO 23 LOUISVILLE 85, VIRGINIA TECH 71: In Louisville, Kentucky, Mikel Brown returned from an eightgame absence and scored 20 points to lead No. 23 Louisville to a victory over Virginia Tech.

Leading the chase was David Puig, another LIV player, who shot 66 to jump to second place. A further shot back was Viktor Hovland, who had a 65 that tied the lowest round of the day and Andy Sullivan (71).

Shiffrin finishes third in World Cup giant slalom

SPINDLERUV MLYN, Czech Republic Mikaela Shiffrin is back on a World Cup giant slalom podium after two years.

And she could have hardly picked a better moment to do so.

The American star ﬁnished third on Saturday in the last GS before the Milan Cortina Olympics. Reigning Olympic champion Sara Hector held on to her opening run lead for her ﬁrst victory since January 2025.

Shiffrin, the 2018 Olympic GS gold medalist, trailed Hector by 0.23 seconds. In second place was American Paula Moltzan, who was 0.18 off the pace in a strong showing by the U.S. team.

Shiffrin holds the women’s record for most career World Cup GS wins with 22.

Pairs champs show what U.S. could be missing

U.S. pairs champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov underscored exactly what the American team could be missing at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Saturday when they rallied to win the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Beijing. Efimova and Mitrofanov were in third place, nearly five points back of China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, after the short program. But they rallied to win the free skate and finished with 205.34 points, while Sui and Han — who will be trying to defend their Olympic title when they get to Milan in less than two weeks — slipped to second with 200.99 points.

Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi of Japan fell from second to third with 197.46 points.

assoCIateD Press PHoto By aNNIe rICe texas tech forward Jt toppin looks to pass while Houston center Chris Cenac, right attempts to guard on saturday in Lubbock, texas.

staFF PHoto By BraD KeMP David thibodaux forward Koen Jones, right, and ascension episcopal’s Cameron Foret battle for the ball during the Bulldogs’ road win Friday.

R-Fr.), Rod Gainey (Charlotte, RSoph.), Stacy Gage (Central Florida, R-Soph.)

After Kewan Lacy re-signed withOle Miss, LSU persuaded Durham to withdraw from the transferportal. That was probably the best decision for both sides basedonwhat was available at the time. Durham and Berryare both talented players, and they could have breakout seasons on abetter offense. It was apriority to keep Berry.Meanwhile, LSU added much-needed depth from theportal. The most proven transfer is Jones, who rushed for 300 yards and two touchdowns last season

Wide receiver

Returningplayer: Phillip Wright (R-Fr.)

Transfers: JayceBrown(Kansas State, Sr.), Jackson Harris(Hawaii, R-Jr.), TreBrown (Old Dominion, R-Jr.), Eugene Wilson (Florida, R-Jr.), Malik Elzy (Illinois, R-Jr.)

Roman Mothershed (Troy,R-Jr ), Tyree Holloway (West Florida, R-Jr.), Josh Jackson (McNeese State, R-Soph.), Winston Watkins (Ole Miss, Soph.)

Incoming freshmen: Jabari Mack, Corey Barber,Brayden Allen Wright is the only returning LSU wide receiver,and he had one catch for 2yards as afreshman. The rest of the position is completelynew Kifﬁnand his staff seemed toprioritize two traits: length and explosiveness. All of the receivers now except for Wilson and Watkins are at least 6-foot, aclear shift after LSU lacked muchheightonthe outside the past two seasons.And ﬁveofthe transfers averagedmore than 14 yards per catch last year

Tightend

Returning players: Trey’Dez Green (Jr.), JD LaFleur (R-Fr.)

Transfers: Malachi Thomas (Pittsburgh, Jr.), Zach Grace (Oregon, R-Jr.)

Incoming freshman: JC Anderson

Greenwas one of thefew offensive players that LSU needed to keep, and it re-signed him to a new deal entering his junior season. Green had asolid year with 33 catches for 433 yards and seven touchdowns, but he has the potential to reach another level. LSU added Thomas and Grace to complement him. Thomas caught13passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns last season, and Grace primarily blocked as afullback and tight end.

Offensiveline

Returning players: Braelin Moore (RSr.),Weston Davis (R-Soph.),Solomon Thomas (R-Fr.), Bo Bordelon (R-Sr.), BrettBordelon (R-Fr.)

Transfers: JordanSeaton(Colorado, Jr.),Aliou Bah(Maryland, R-Sr.) Sean Thompkins (Baylor,R-Jr.), DevinHarper (Ole Miss, Soph.), William Satterwhite(Tennessee, R-Soph.),Darrin Strey (Kentucky, R-Fr.), JaKolby Jones (CopiahLincoln CC, Jr.), Ja’Quan Sprinkle (NC Central, R-Jr.), Ja’Mard Jones (Nicholls State,Soph.)

Incoming freshmen: Brysten Martinez, Ryan Miret The significance of adding Seaton cannot be overstated. LSU got aplug-and-play left tackle who’sathletic and uses his hands well to move defensive ends. It’s now easy to see Seaton at left tackle, Moore at center andBah at guard. Bah started 24 consecutive gamesatMaryland. LSU will need to ﬁgure out the othertwo spots, but it has options aftersigning

SAINTS

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Longdrivesstall

The Saints and Dallas Cowboys led the league in drives of at least 10-plus plays with39. But there was akey difference between the two teams. TheCowboys, who had two elite wideouts in CeeDee Lamb and GeorgePickens, scored touchdowns on 17 of those drives, third-mostinthe NFL. The Saints? They had just 12, putting them in the middle of the pack(tied with six teams for 14th). On one hand, being able to string together lengthy drives highlights Moore’s sharpplay-callingand quarterback play.But too often, the Saints didn’thave the difference-makers who could finish those long series in theend zone. The Saints ended up kicking 16 ﬁeld goalsondrives that lasted at least 10 plays, thesecond-most in the league. Long drives aren’tnecessarily abad thing.The Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans finished right below the Saints, Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals and still made the playoffs. But breaking up those series every now and then with an explosive play can changeagame, and that was missing from the 2025 Saints

assoCIateD Press FILe PHoto By Gary MCCULLoUGH

Florida wide receivereugene Wilson runs withthe ball after acatch against Kentucky on oct. 19, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. Wilson signed withLsU during the transfer portal period.

so many newoffensive linemen. While it could have pieced things together without Seaton,landing himsolidiﬁed one of themostimportant positions on theﬁeld.

Defensivetackle

Returning players: Dominick McKinley (Jr.),Shone Washington (R-Sr.), Brandon Brown (R-Fr.)

Transfers: Stephiylan Green (Clemson, R-Jr.), Malik Blocton (Auburn, Jr.),Achilles Woods (South Alabama,R-Soph.)

Incoming freshmen: Richard Anderson, Deuce Geralds

Afterlosingfour of its top ﬁve snap-getters at defensive tackle, LSU needed to add some experience to go along with its young talent. Green andBlocton did not stuff thestatsheet at theirprevious schools, but they both played more than 300 snaps last season and have madedouble-digit career starts. McKinley,aformer ﬁve-star recruit, needs to be ready for abiggerrole.LSU willbeingood shape if thehighlyranked freshmen can contributeright away,but there are someunprovenplayers here.

Defensiveend

Retuningplayers: Gabriel Reliford (R-Soph.),Damien Shanklin (RFr.), Kolaj Cobbins(R-Soph.), Dylan Carpenter (R-Jr.)

Transfers: Princewill Umanmielen (Ole Miss, Sr.),Jordan Ross (Tennessee, Jr ), Jaylen Brown(South Carolina, R-Soph.)

Incoming freshmen: Lamar Brown, Trenton Henderson Last year,LSU signedthree transfer defensive ends with one more season of eligibility.That meant LSUwould need to go back into the transfer portal, and it did. Umanmielen was the No.1defensivelineman on the market after recording nine sacks and131/2 tacklesfor loss last season. He gives LSU an immediate upgrade to its pass rush, and Ross has potential as aformer ﬁve-star recruit. With apromisinggroup coming back and twohighlyrankedfreshmen, there’salot to like about thepresent and future of the position.

Linebacker

Returning players: Whit Weeks(Sr.)

Davhon Keys (Jr.), Tylen Singleton (R-Soph ), Charles Ross(Soph.), Jaiden Braker (R-Fr.), Keylan Moses (R-Fr.), Zach Weeks (R-Fr.)

Transfers: TJ Dottery (Ole Miss, R-Sr.), Theo Grace (North Dakota State,R-Fr.) LSU accomplished one of its

Lack of 3-pointers

Throughout Moore’sfirst season, the coach loved his basketball analogies. Moore wanted his team to play with pace, similar to the NBA’s IndianaPacers. Quarterbacks weretoldtotake “3-pointers and layups,” which were basically deepshotsoreasycompletions. But in this analogy,the Saints weren’ta very good 3-point shootingteam Early in the year,defenses were cautiousofOlave and Rashid Shaheed beating them over the top, leaving quarterback Spencer Rattler to takewhat was in front of him.Though Shough showed more aggressionafter taking over andOlavestarted to torch defendersanyway,the Saints stilldidn’t hitondeep shotsatthe rate that Moore would havepreferred. Shough was excellentonintermediatethrows of 10-19 yardswith acompletion percentage of 67.9%, but he was just9of36onthrows that traveled at least20yards through theair,according to Next GenStats.That 25%completion rate ranked ﬁfth-worst among33 qualiﬁed passers. Although Shough needs to improveinthatarea, some data suggests he coulduse additional help. Therookiewas pressured on 47.2% of hisdeep throws,the seventh-highest rate in the league.

CAJUNS

Continued from page1C

“Westarted offkind of slow, trying to go to our man (defense), and we couldn’t,” Brodhead said.

“So we went to our 1-2-2, and I thought we did abetter job in the second quarter.Itkind of created alittle bit of offense forus.”

The Cajuns kept things close in the first half, thanks mostly to the 3-pointshooting of Kahlen Norris She drained all four of her 3-pointers in the first half to keep UL within 32-29 at intermission.Norrisfinished witha team-high 15 points.

The only other double-figure scorer for the Cajuns was Mikaylah Manley with 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting.

Manley’sshort jumper in the lane kept UL closeat34-31with 8:11 in the third, but the Mountaineers responded witha14-6 run to putthe gameaway.

land in the ﬁrst half, App State limited the Cajuns to 0-of-5 shooting in the second half

“That matchup zone kind of took us out,” Brodhead said. “We scored 11 points the ﬁrst quarter, and Ithink we were just stagnated.

“Wedon’t have agreat passing team and that kind of hurts.” Daisia Mitchell led all scorers with 17 points and four rebounds, along withAddie Biel with14 points in the paint and Emma Smithwith11fromthe perimeter UL committed 12 turnovers in theloss, comparedto17for the Mountaineers. That gave theCajuns a19-10 advantage in points offofturnovers, but AppState’s benchdominated 23-6. The Mountaineersoutreboundedthe Cajuns 38-18. Although shedidn’treach double ﬁgures, abright spot for UL wasMarina Artero showing more scoring punchwithsix pointson 3-of-6 shooting.

top goals by bringing back Whit Weeks, but it needed astarting linebacker from the transfer portal to pair with him. It found one in Dottery,who led the SEC with 98 tacklesthis past season forthe Rebels. Keys will have arole after leading the team with 92 tackles lastyear,and therest of the linebackers could continue todevelop behind those top three.

Cornerback

Returning players: DJ Pickett (Soph.), PJ Woodland (Jr.), Ja’Keem Jackson (R-Jr.), Michael Turner (RSoph.),Aidan Anding (Soph.)

Incoming freshmen: Dez Ellis, Havon Finney,EmariPeterson

LSUdid not see theneed to target any transfer cornerbacks with Pickettand Woodland returning next season.Theyboth played morethan 500 snaps last year,and they’ll be the projected starters after star cornerback Mansoor Delane exhausted his eligibility

Safety

Returningplayers:TamarcusCooley(RJr.), Dashawn Spears (Jr.), CJ Jimcoily (Soph.), Jhase Thomas (R-Fr.)

Transfers: Ty Benefield (Boise State, Sr.), Faheem Delane (Ohio State, Soph.), Mason Dossett (Baylor,R-Soph.), Treylan James (Southern, R-Jr.)

Incoming freshmen: AidenHall, Isaiah Washington, Jackson Williams Benefield was oneofthe top defensivebacksinthe transfer portal. He hasstarted 33 career games, made ateam-high 107 tackleslastseason and earned ﬁrst-team All-Mountain West honors.With him,Cooley and Spears, LSU has asolid topthree heading into the spring. Delane, aformer top-100 recruit, also could ﬁnda role after playing in 13 games his freshman year at Ohio State. Specialteams

Returning players: Grant Chadwick (P,Jr.)

Transfers: ScottStarzyk (Arkansas, K, Soph.);Hayden Craig (Florida, P, R-Fr.); Mack Mulhern (LS, Florida, R-Fr.)

Chadwick stuck around even though LSUbrought in another punter,sotheycan compete going into next season. Craig has not puntedina game yet, while Chadwick averaged 45.7yards per punt in his ﬁrst year at LSU. Starzyk went 14 of 18 as afreshman lastseason withtwo ﬁeld goals of morethan 50 yards. LSU also could have some other long snappers on the roster.

“I mean, we can play a1-2-2 or whatever,but if we don’thelp, it won’twork,” Brodhead said. “Defensive help is big in basketball We’reinposition to help, and our help is just so weak. Ithink that’s why our defense is struggling no matter what.

“Wegavethemtoo many layups. Imean easy layups.”

AfterULshot 50% from 3-point

LSU

Continued from page1C

dunk. Acouple of plays later, NwokostrippedArkansasbig man Trevon Brazile as he had a pathfor aslam With Thomas running the offense, theTigers resembled the versionofthemselvesthathad one loss during nonconference play.They played with afaster tempo on offensive sets and attempted ahigher percentage of looks around the hoop. LSUhad fiveplayers make at leasttwo field goals in the first half and scored 20 of its first 30 pointsinthe paint. What also helped the Tigers lead for the majority of the first half, entering halftime with a 37-33 lead, wastheirfocus on rebounds. The biggest reason for LSU’s18-point loss to No. 16 Florida on Tuesday was itsfailure to crash the glass, losing that battle 50-30. Fifth-year seniorMarquelSuttonand Tambaled thechargeon theglass early against Arkansas. Tamba reeled in seven first-half rebounds, including three on the offensive end. Sutton had three of his four rebounds come on offense as well. LSU outrebounded Arkansas21-14 at halftime and wonthatbattle 36-28for thegame Thomas moved nimbly,not showing any ill effectsfromhis injury.However,hewas cold from the field, finishing the first halfwith twopoints on 1of7 from the field. He finished the game7-of-20 shooting. A5-0 run by Arkansas cut its deficit to 18-15 with 12:36 left in the first half. The Razorbacks grabbed three offensive rebounds that resulted in acorner 3-pointer forD.J. Wagner

On thenextplay, Meleek Thomas intercepted aNwoko pass and threwanalley-oop dunk to Malqiue Ewin to take a20-18 lead, forcing LSUcoach Matt McMahon to callhis ﬁrst timeout. Max Mack-

Rattler was abovethat, facinga pressure rate of 51.7% (ﬁfth) on deep throws. Shough’scompletion percentageonthose throws was 12.5 percentage points worse than expected, behind only Atlanta quarterbacks MichaelPenix and Kirk Cousins. An explosive passing game is instrumental for ateam’ssuccess The New England Patriots (18.4%, first), Seattle Seahawks (16.9%, third) and Los Angeles Rams (15.9%, sixth) all ﬁnished top six in explosive pass play percentage. Those three are playing in conference championships thisweekend Runtonowhere Astrong running gameobviously helps aquarterback. The Saints didn’thave one in

“She passesupa lotofshots,” Brodhead said of Artero.“She can pass the ball. That’sone of her things. She misses alot in practice, so she doesn’thave alot of conﬁdence.

“Allthe coaches are on herto shoot whenshe gets an open shot. ‘You can hit ashot,’ so she did a little bit.”

innon scored promptly after the timeout.

LSU could not ﬁndits range on 3-point shotasitclosed the ﬁrst half 0of8from beyond the arc. That cold stretch was snapped by 3-pointers from Mackinnonand Tambaearly in the second half Arkansas showed why it’sone of the mostlethal offenses in the countryinthe second half.Itentered the game14th in points per game (89.8) and 16th in 3-point shooting percentage (38.5%).

The Razorbacks fought back thankstoAcuff, who averages 19.6 pointsand 6.2 assistsper game. The freshman point guard made four of his ﬁrst ﬁveshots in the second half to get his team ahead 55-54 with 12:06 left.

LSUleaned on Thomas, who enjoyed his own scoring forays. He madethree of his ﬁrst four shots after halftime, includinganandone runner with his nondominant right hand.

With thegame tied 66-66, LSU played a2-3 zone defense for the ﬁrst time with seven minutesremaining. Thatdidn’tbotherAcuff, who drained a3-pointer.Hesped to the hoop for alayup the next time down, and that wasfollowed by an and-one ﬁnish by guard Billy Richmond for a74-66 Arkansas edge with 5:49 remaining.

LSUcontinued fighting as Nwoko got athree-point play on aputback.The next time down, Thomas madeapull-up 3-pointer, his ﬁrst in conference play,tocut his team’sdeficit to 79-75 with 3:47 left.

Thomasbrought the team within twopoints at 81-79 after a mid-range shot over Acuffwith a little morethan 90 seconds leftin the game.

Thomas buriedanelbow jumper to cut LSU’sdeﬁcit to 8481 with 36 seconds remaining, and Acuff missedapair of free throws. But with achance to tie the game, Thomas missed ashot. LSU’snextgame is againstMississippi State at 6p.m Wednesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

2025.

Beyond ranking 28th in rushing yards and 31st in expected points addedper rush,there was alack of explosiveness in NewOrleans’ rushing attack. Just 8.1% of the Saints’ runs wentlonger than 12 yards, which countsasan“explosive.” Thatnumbercrept up to 10.1% whenShough became the starter,but it was still below the league average of 10.7%.

The Saints had just ﬁveruns that gained at least 20 yards, ahead of only the Raiders, 49ersand Kansas City Chiefs.

Shough and Taysom Hill —two quarterbacks— accounted for three of those ﬁvebig gains. Devin Neal, asixth-round rookie,and Audric Estime,who didn’t receive a carry until December,had the other two.

Alvin Kamara,the normalstarter,had his longest run of the season in Week 1—an18-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. Kamaramissed the last six games of the season withakneeinjury.Kendre Miller,akey backup, was lost to atorn ACL on Oct. 19.

The Saintsnot only need arunning back withnoticeable burst but also an offensive line that can create the holes for the runner to sprint through.

Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com

staFF FILe PHoto By DaVID GrUNFeLD

saints quarterback tyler shough, center,calls aplayfrom the huddle during the second half of agameagainst the tampa BayBuccaneers on oct. 26 at the Caesars superdome.

Teurlings girls celebrate ‘huge win’ vs. Northside

BY ERIC NARCISSE staff writer

Teurlings Catholic girls basketball coach Alyssa Credeur didn’t downplay the signiﬁcance of Friday’s game at Northside.

It was only the District 4-4A opener, but considering the Vikings are among the top contenders for the district championship and that’s a title the Rebels hope to claim, Credeur refused to minimize the importance of the outcome.

When the Rebels escaped with a 58-57 win over the Vikings, Credeur was understandably ecstatic.

“This is a huge win,” said Credeur, whose Rebels have defeated the Vikings in back-to-back seasons. “Northside is one of the toughest teams in our district The girls knew it was a big win. They knew how important it was, and we got our win.”

the fourth quarter

“Yeah, that’s usually how it goes pretty much,” said Credeur, whose Rebels extended their winning streak to six games. “They are our two main scorers. They usually score most of our points.

“Ja’Nia is just such a great ballhandler She’s hard to press. You can throw two or three people at her, and she will ﬁnd a way to move the ball down the ﬂoor I think both of their games (Friday) was just smooth. They played smart and they play hard.”

Northside received a big game from guard Jamaria Senegal. The Vikings’ ﬂoor general scored 18 of her team-high 24 points in the ﬁnal two quarters.

Kayla Fox scored eight points and Skilyn Joseph chipped in with seven for the Vikings, who fell to 12-7 on the season.

“Again, I just think this win is huge for us,” Credeur said. “Northside is one of our toughest competitions in our district. I really think knowing that we beat them, we should have the confidence that we can beat anybody in our district.”

“I’m just so proud of them,”

The Rebels (18-7) picked up the win in the same fashion they’ve won all year with the dynamic duo of Ja’Nia Senegal and Justyse George leading the way Senegal was spectacular against the Rebels. George, who battled foul trouble, affected the game when opportunities presented themselves as they combined to score 52 of Teurlings’ 58 points

Credeur said of her two leading scorers. “They handled the game well. They didn’t fold under the pressure.”

Senegal led all scorers with 27 points, while George ﬁnished with 25. George was 15 of 22 from the charity stripe, including 9 of 13 in

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

Northwest boys pick up overtime win over David Thibodaux

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

A pair of local boys teams ranked near the top of their divisions met in a nondistrict game Friday at Northwest High School, and it took two overtimes to decide a winner

The host Raiders, who are No. 5 in the LHSAA Division II nonselect power ratings, never trailed in the second overtime of a 72-68 win over David Thibodaux Senior Courtlon Young’s three-point play put Northwest (14-6) ahead 15

seconds in into the second extra period.

“I felt pretty good,” said Young, who ﬁnished with 19 points. “I felt confident We’ve been working hard for this. It was a good win overall. A good team effort. We played hard.”

When Ja’Nathan Dalcour (26 points) answered Young’s threepoint play with a steal and layup to make it 65-64 with 2:30 left, Young responded with a bucket. Markez Davis (15 points) added another two points, and Young and Hartlee

Richard (nine points) hit free throws in the ﬁnal minute.

“This is big time,” Northwest coach Mark Cassimere said. “I told my kids it’s going to be a playoff game tonight, and it deﬁnitely was. We kept ﬁghting and attacking the rack and found a way to win.”

Reginald Lavergne, who scored 13 points for the Raiders, tied the game with a follow from an offensive rebound with 2:05 left in regulation. Kortlan Williams (10 points) put the Division II select No. 6 Bulldogs ahead 54-52, but

PREP REPORT

Young answered to tie it up.

“Lavergne has definitely been grinding,” Cassimere said of the senior, who was in a walking boot before the game. “He’s playing a little limpy but still tries to go back in the game when I take him out He’s hard to stop and has had double-doubles almost every night.”

Bryston Sledge added 22 points for David Thibodaux (17-4), which had an eight-game winning streak halted. His bucket put the Bulldogs up 52-50 with 2:10 left in the fourth quarter

“It’s no secret, we’re spearheaded by our senior Ja’Nathan Dalcour, junior Kortlan Williams and junior Bryston Sledge,” Bulldogs coach Christopher Cane said.

“We’re trying to make it a threeheaded monster with our guards where teams have to guard all three of them, and then we have two guys sitting in the corner who can shoot the ball in Caden Barton and Kamon Davis.”

The Raiders made 18 of 24 free throws with Richard sinking 5 of 6. David Thibodaux was 9 for 13.

3-pointers – STM: Tasman 1, Cook 1, Robertson 3; SOU: Armstrong 1, Herbstler 1, Jackson 4. Total Fouls – SOU 16, STM 11. Northwest 72, David Thibodaux 68 DAVID THIBODAUX (68) Karlton Williams 10, JaNathan Dalcourt 26, Kaden Banton 4, Boston Sledge 22, Kamon Davis 6. Totals: 19 (7) 9-13 NORTHWEST (72) Reginald Lavergne 13, Markez Davis 15, Mhykel Richard 1, Jonryon Freeman 7, Cortlon Young 17, Justin Chavis 5, Hartlee Richard 9. Totals: 18 (6) 18-24. David Thib1313121614—68 Northwest1117131318—72

3-pointers – DT: Dalcourt 3, Sledge 2, Davis 2; NOR: Davis 4, Freeman 1, Chavis 1. Total Fouls – NOR 11, DT 14 Girls basketball Acadiana 38, Sam Houston 36 Carencro 65, Southside 56

53 BREAUX BRIDGE (58) Nelson Borel 11, Ryker Noel 15, L. Garodon 19, Dahmeon Celestine 11. NORTH VERMILION (53) Mason Dauterive 8, Eli Dubois 4, Jose Sotomayor 21, RJ Conway 5, Zarian Gage 14. BBHS8141917—58 N. Vermilion1312151353 3-pointers – BBHS: Garodon 3, Noel 2; NV: Z. Gage 1, Conway 2, Dauterive 2, Sotomayor 2. Total Fouls: BBHS 13, NV 14. St. Thomas More 40, Southside 39 ST. THOMAS MORE (40) LG Carbo 1, Mack Tasman 5, Kyle Guillot 2, Matthew Cook 3, Ryan Robertson 23, Xarian Babineaux 6. Totals: 8 (5) 5-8. SOUTHSIDE (39) Jon Armstrong 12, Christopher Herbstler 3, Jonathan Armstrong 1, Ryder Jackson 16, Tanner Jones 7. Totals: 9 (7) 3-11 STM9111010—40 Southside106121139

Lafayette High 69, New Iberia 43 David Thibodaux 40, Comeaux 33 North Vermilion 66, Westgate 31 Teurlings 58, Northside 57 Opelousas 56, Livonia 47 St. Thomas More 64, Rayne 42 Abbeville 55, Erath 23 LaGrange 60, Church Point 22 Northwest 62, Crowley 19 Iota 51, Mamou 32 Catholic-NI 30, Delcambre 9 Midland 44, Lafayette Christian 38 Lafayette Renaissance 45, Patterson 13 Dunham 49, Ascension Episcopal 13 JS Clark 51, Catholic-PC 17 Highland Baptist 46, Westminster-Lafayette 24 St. Edmund 69, Opelousas Catholic 38 Sacred Heart-VP 66, Westminster 51 Reeves 78, Northside Christian 36 Teurlings 58, Northside 57 NORTHSIDE (57) Delaila 4, Kayla Fox 8, Jamaria Senegal 24, Madison Dennis 2, Ekilyn Joseph 10, Alaya Harris 7. TEURLINGS (58) Marlie Juneau 3, Ja’Nia Senegal 27, Justyce George 25, Ashtyn Stein 3, Ella Taylor 2. Northside917121957 Teurlings6172015—58 3-pointers – TEUR: Juneau 1, Senegal 3; NOR: Goodbier 1, Fox 1, Senegal 1. Total Fouls – TEUR 22, NOR 23. Acadiana 38, Sam Houston 36 ACADIANA (38) Brea Moncada 1, Brooklyn White 7, Jayla Carmouche

4-9 0-0 8, Fears 4-10 2-2

0-0 6. Totals 46-99 28-33 133. MEMPHIS (127) Jackson Jr. 7-18 10-11 26, Wells 4-7 2-3 11, Landale 11-18 0-0 24, Coward 5-11 0-0 13, Spencer 7-9 3-4 21, Jackson 6-10 0-0 15, Caldwell-Pope 1-9 2-2 4, Konchar 0-1 0-0 0, Small 2-2 2-2 7, Williams Jr. 2-7 0-0 6. Totals 45-92 19-22 127. New Orleans30303340133 Memphis30353626—127

3-Point Goals—New Orleans 13-36 (Bey 6-9, Fears 2-4, Murphy III 2-7, Poole 2-7, Matkovic 1-3, Jones 0-3, Peavy 0-3), Memphis 18-47 (Spencer 4-6, Jackson 3-4, Coward 3-7, Landale 2-5, Williams Jr. 2-6, Jackson Jr. 2-8, Small 1-1, Wells 1-3, Konchar 0-1, CaldwellPope 0-6). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds New Orleans 49 (Williamson 11), Memphis 47 (Jackson Jr. 12). Assists—New Orleans 29 (Jones, Queen 5), Memphis 34 (Spencer 11) Total Fouls—New Orleans 20, Memphis 23. A—14,174 (18,119) College basketball

Men’s state schedule

Thursday’s games Appalachian State 72, UL 58 Marshall 115, UL-Monroe 60 Friday’s game Louisiana Tech 82, Kennesaw State 76

Saturday’s games Nicholls 67, Southeastern 61 McNeese 82, UNO 63 Arkansas 85, LSU 81 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 75, Southern 74 East Texas A&M at NW State, ppd. Mississippi Valley State at Grambling, ppd. UL at Old Dominion, ppd. Sunday’s games None scheduled. No. 20 Arkansas 85, LSU 81 LSU (13-7) Nwoko 5-9 4-5 14, Sutton 2-6 7-7 11, Tamba 4-4 3-4 12, Mackinnon 4-12 5-6 14, D.Thomas 7-20 3-3 18, Reece 2-3 0-0 4, King 2-5 0-0 4 Miller 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 28-61 22-25 81. ARKANSAS (15-5) Brazile 3-6 0-1 7, Knox 2-5 0-2 5, Pringle 2-3 0-1 4, Acuff 13-19 1-4 31, M.Thomas 6-9 0-0 14, Richmond 4-7 3-4 11, Wagner 2-4 1-2 7, Ewin 2-7 2-4 6. Totals 34-60 7-18 85. Halftime—LSU 37-33. 3-Point Goals—LSU 3-15 (Tamba 1-1, D.Thomas 1-3, Mackinnon 1-7, King 0-1, Reece 0-1, Sutton 0-2) Arkansas 10-22 (Acuff 4-7, M.Thomas 2-3, Wagner 2-4, Brazile 1-2, Knox 1-4, Ewin 0-1, Richmond 0-1). Rebounds—LSU 32 (Tamba 10), Arkansas 25 (Brazile 7). Assists—LSU 14 (D.Thomas 5), Arkansas 18 (Acuff 6). Total Fouls—LSU 19, Arkansas 20. Women’s state schedule Thursday’s games Southern 69, Mississippi Valley State 46 McNeese 72, Southeastern 30 Stephen F. Austin 70, Northwestern St. 63 Grambling 65, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54 Louisiana Tech 60, Missouri State 51 Nicholls 67, UNO 49 James Madison 72, UL-Monroe 68 Texas A&M 75, LSU 72 Friday’s games Appalachian State 59, UL 43 Saturday’s games Nicholls 69, Southeastern 66 Louisiana Tech 74, FIU 59 McNeese 77, UNO 41 Rice 70, Tulane 60 Mississippi Valley at Grambling, ppd. Southern 80, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 65 East Texas A&M at Northwestern State, ppd. Sunday’s games None scheduled. Pro football Wild-card Playoffs

Saturday’s games L.A. Rams 34, Carolina 31 Chicago 31, Green Bay 27 Sunday’s games Buffalo 27, Jacksonville 24 San Francisco 23, Philadelphia 19

(NBC/Peacock) Pro tennis

Australian Open results

Saturday At Melbourne Park Melbourne, Australia Purse: AUD111,500,000 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Men’s Singles Third Round Luciano Darderi (22), Italy, def. Karen Khachanov (15), Russia, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Lorenzo Musetti (5), Italy, def. Tomas Machac, Czechia, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. Jannik Sinner (2), Italy, def. Eliot Spizzirri, United States, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Ben Shelton (8), United States, def. Valentin Vacherot (30), Monaco, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (5). Taylor Fritz (9), United States, def. Stan Wawrinka, Switzerland, 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Novak Djokovic (4), Serbia, def. Botic Van de Zandschulp, Netherlands, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4). Jakub Mensik (16), Czechia, def. Ethan Quinn, United States, 6-2, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). Casper Ruud (12), Norway, def. Marin Cilic, Croatia, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. Women’s Singles Third Round Jessica Pegula (6), United States, def. Oksana Selekhmeteva, Russia, 6-3, 6-2. Madison Keys (9), United States, def. Karolina Pliskova, Czechia, 6-3, 6-3. Amanda Anisimova (4), United States, def. Peyton Stearns, United States, 6-1, 6-4.

staFF PHoto By BraD BoWIe

teurlings Catholic’s Ja’Nia senegal drives to the basket during the rebels’ win over Northside on Friday.

Louisiana Crossroads series amonth of musicand conversation

“Keep taking deep breaths,” Ikept telling myself. “It’ll slow my heart rate.”

Usually interviewing musicians on stage is as easy as eating cake and ice cream. But this interview was with Irma freakin’ Thomas. In my decades as amusic writer,Inever met the Soul Queen of New Orleans, easily one of my favorite artists.

Four songs into her set at Louisiana Crossroads in Lafayette,toppedoff by the hand-holding, belly-rubbing classic, “It’sRaining,” Queen Irma was ready.Myshaking legs brought me to her side, as she sat center stage before a sold-out audience.

Iturned into afull-ﬂedged fanboy.I begged friends inthe audience—anyone— to take our picture.

Ithanked Queen Irma for her music, her voice and quipped, “’It’sRaining’ is responsible for my children!” The audience roared. Queen Irma even blushed. And Nov.14, 2024, will forever reign as acareer highlight.

staFF FILe PHoto By DaVID GrUNFeLD Irma thomas performs the national anthem before the saints host the Giants at the Caesars superdomein2025.

Ipromise not to turn into a fanboyagain in the new season of Louisiana Crossroads. This music and conversation series with homegrown music legends takes place at theAcadiana Center for theArtsin downtown Lafayette.

This year kicks off my third season as host. There’snoIrma Thomas encore, but the lineup remains stellar There’smore New Orleans ﬂavor in the Jan. 29 opener with John Boutté.The Crescent City singer carries the soul, jazz,gospel and blues music of his hometown in his voice, which the world experienced in the HBO series “Treme.”

Guitarist Chris Thomas King, still enjoying fame as bluesman Tommy Johnson in thehit movie “O Brother,Where Art Thou?,” visits Feb. 20. King son of Baton Rouge blues icon Tabby Thomas, raised some eyebrows regarding the music’sorigins in his 2021 book, “The Blues: The Authentic Narrative of My Music and Culture.”

ä see SERIES, page 4D

Behind sagging bulkheads, the leveesloughs off into the river at the site of ‘cave’at the head of elmira avenue in algiers in this file photo taken on Nov. 20, 1892, 20 years after the amish settled in and around this location. FILe PHoto

Homegrown

BY COLETTEDEAN

Contributing writer

TheLouisianaNative Plant Society is celebrating amilestone more than 500 landscapesacross thestate have been designated as a“LouisianaCertiﬁed Habitat.”

TheLouisiana CertifiedHabitatprogram recognizes the efforts of Louisianaresidents, schools and organizationsthathaveincreased and protected the ecological value of their landtobenefit wildlife and natural systemsbyplanting native plants. The society is astatewidenonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, educating andpropagating the state’sdiverse nativeflora.

Residents concerned aboutthe environmentare learning they can act in their own yard.

PhyllisGriffard andTammany Baumgarten, LNPS board members, helpedspearheadthe certiﬁcation project. Since2020, individual homeownersfrom all areas of the statehave applied on the LNPS web-

site to have theiryardscertiﬁed. Habitat certiﬁcation levels are determined by the numberofnative plantspecies on aproperty: Bronze level is 25 native species or 25% native plants,silver is 50 native species or 50% native plants, andgold is 75% native species or 75% native plants. Certification levels can be upgradedfor freeat anytime by resubmitting an up-

STATECONFERENCE

the 2026 Louisiana Native Plant society state Conference is scheduled for8 a.m. March 6-8 at acadian Baptist Center, 1202 academy road, eunice

dated species list via email.

Afterasite visit by aLNPSvolunteer to identifyplants and answer questions, homeowners are bestowed a9-inch-by-12-inch metal sign with the appropriate bronze, silver or gold decal for display.The designations allow opportunities for both small patios and large acreages to qualify for certiﬁcation.

“Like manyofus, we wereinspired by themessageofDoug Tallamy,thathomeownerseverywherecould plant native plantsto help our environment and promote wildlifehabitats,” Griffard said. Tallamy,anentomologyprofessor,author and conservationist, wrote “Bringing Nature Home” over adecadeago in which he discussed theimportance of native plants. In his follow-up book,“Nature’sBest Hope,” he urged private homeowners to take environmental

ä see GARDENS, page 4D

BY ROBIN MILLER staff writer

Almosteveryone has thesame reaction when hearing about it:“No way!”

This also was Christy Jarreau’sreply when someone told her that New Orleansonce had its own Amish settlement.

“That was hard for me to wrap my head around,”

Herman Fuselier

Griffard

Baumgarten

staFFPHoto By CHrIs GraNGer

aLouisiana NativePlant society NativeHabitat certified yard on allentoussaint Boulevard in Neworleans

staFF PHoto By LesLIe WestBrooK Indian blanket blooms at the Lafayette home of stephen and Jen Fournet on Jan. 15.

Lights,Camera, Action!Rio rollsout redcarpet

TheKrewe of Carnivale en Rio blasted into the MardiGras season with all the pageantry and pizazz we’ve come to expect from this high-energy group. Hundreds of krewe members, revelers, and guests packed the Convention Center ball on Saturday,Jan. 10 for “Now Showing,” amovie themed night of dancing and festivities.

The annual ball and pageant celebrated thestart of the Carnival season and honored this year’sroyalty,KingDom Pedro XXI John Slaughter,and Queen Isabel XXI Monique Rachal

Talk about “lights, camera, action!” Thecostumes blew away any major movie production we’ve seen inyears. Rio is always big on entertainment,but they also welcome those who share their loveofall things Mardi Grastocome along for the ride.

We love the friendly vibe we get from this fun-loving krewe. Even though Mardi Gras is followingright onthe heels of Christmas and New Year celebrations, the Krewe of Rio showed they can get everyone up on theirfeet andready to roll. And,don’tforget the RioParada, or grandparade. Thisevent is the ﬁrst parade of theseason. So, let’s roll Rio! Lafayette cannot waittosee what you do next.

AcAhostsscreening andreception for ‘Ratified’documentary

The Acadiana Centerfor the Arts recently held ascreening and reception for the documentary, “Ratiﬁed,” which details the century-long effort to pass theEqual Rights Amendment. The event took place on Friday,Jan. 16.

The PBSIndependent ﬁlm was directed by Deborah Riley Draper.Draper said her work highlights the women who fought to move the ERA forward, including the triumphs, setbacks, and continuing effortstosecure equalityfor women. An opening reception was heldprior to theﬁlm, followed by acommunity conversation with Draper and local leadersand attendees. Topics included Lafayette’scurrent and future progress on equal rights issues

LFT Fiber sponsoredthe screening at aunique timeinAcadiana’shistory.Ofﬁcialssaid they believe the region is experiencing measurable growth in women-owned businesses, women in civic leadership, and women shaping the cultural and economic direction of Acadiana.

Most people know AcA is the place to go for art, music, and culture. It is also asource for learning about important historicalevents. Many of those in attendance have made great contributions to the Acadiana community. Through eventslike these, they are also helpingothersgain awareness about critical issues in our communities.

John Breaux and KingDom Pedro XXI John slaughter

PHotosByKrIs WarteLLe King Dom Pedro XIX Carl rachal and Queen IsabelXXI Monique rachal

sethaymond and Julie Cummins

Cameryn Nezat and Brian Crutchfield

tommy Miller and Christiana Dayries

Forest Moodie and Christl Mafouz Moodie

Kayla reaux andsusan Quebedeaux

Brandi olivier and Curtis Logue

Codyand rachel Junot, Malaryand James Gautreaux

Kelly Burge, Cobyand aimee Duplechin

andrewJohnson, samantha, Dustin and anya slaughter

Lakyn and Peyton Primeaux

tracy and ed Godeaux

Carolyn French, amber Carter,Deborah rileyDraper and Kristi anderson

Mike Draper and Don Jemison

Monique Boulet and rose Hoffman Cormier

angelique Guilloryand Lucretia shelvin

Charlotte arceneaux, Madelinearceneaux, Vivian arceneaux, sheila roberts and Hayley roberts

Melanie thomas, roslynWilliams and anastasia riddell

ashleyMuddand Holly Howat

PamZuschlag,Ladiopaluwa and Nanette Heggie

amy armstrong,MaryGuidry, Becky Gogolaand susan owen

aimee Barber,Kristi and timanderson andMandi Mitchell

Kris Wartelle

TRAVEL

Bransonafun travel destinationfor allages

BY ELIZABETHDEAL staff writer

Looking for aplace to escape for along weekend? Don’tmiss Branson, Missouri. The cityand the surrounding area has something that will interestjust about everyone. Ithought visiting Branson would be all about seeing nostalgic shows of live music, but Iwas surprised. The area has evolved into amecca of indoor and outdoor entertainment for all ages. The city’sreputation as the place for live entertainmentwas born in 1959 by the Mabe brothers,who called themselves the Baldknobbers. In 1963, another local musical family, the Presleys, began playing shows and built the ﬁrst live music theatre on Highway 76 in 1967 —Branson’s original country music theater This area is now the heart of the Entertainment District and generations of Presleys still perform at Presleys’ Country Jubilee. But there is more than country music in Branson —there’sa huge variety of live music from the 1960s to the 1980s to “SIX” to “MJ” to “Legends in Concerts,” which is promoted as the world’s greatest livetribute show. In addition to music, there’sentertainment like the Shanghai Circus Amazing Acrobats, DollyParton Stampede, magicians, comedians and award-winning dance troupes.

The region is more spread out than Iexpected, stretching from historic downtownBranson to the entertainment district andfurther to Table Rock Lake. Historic downtownBranson has afree trolley for exploring the quaint streets and shopping, including the long-running Dick’s 5and 10 generalstore at 103W Main St., overﬂowing withretro toys, old-fashioned candy and more. The Branson Landing is full of retail stores and restaurants and sits along Lake Taneycomo. There is amoderately priced Hilton Promenade in thispart of town.

The entertainment and theater district, “the strip,” is West 76th Country Boulevard, lined with restaurantsand attractions like the Titanic Museum, Hollywood WaxMuseum, The Track Family Fun Park featuring the Branson Ferris Wheel and The Butterﬂy Palace rainforest adventure.

The city is also home to Branson’sWild World animal adventure park and aquarium andThe Shepherd of the Hills adventure park featuring Missouri’s highest and fastest zip line, the Inspiration Tower scenicoverlook, indoor and outdoor shows and restaurants. There are several

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By Christopherelliott

economy-priced hotels along the strip.

In Branson, the food options are limitless, from donuts to diners, family-friendly to steakhouses, locally owned places to familiar chains.Ifound an authentic Indian restaurant —one of my favorite cuisines —and had lunchatthe India ClayOvenFine Indian Cuisine at 2005 West 76th St.Iorderedmy favorite dish:lambkorma with rice, naanbread and raitasauce. It was someofthe best Indian food I’ve eaten For outdoorrecreation, Table RockLake is great forboating, ﬁshing, waterskiing, tubing and more. Boat and other rentals are available atvarious marinas. Lodging options include private rentals and afew resorts. Bransonhas plenty for thegolfer.There are at least adozen golf coursesinthe city,several courses designedbyrenowned golfers like TomFazio,TigerWoods, Arnold Palmerand Jack Nicklaus. For anupscale experience any time of year,Big Cedar Lodge, about15minutes south of Branson, is your best bet. The Osage RestaurantatTop of theRock on theproperty is phenomenal, with ﬁne cuisine, awarm setting and scenic views of the valley and the lake. They have aspecial sunset

and

ceremony,where aCivil Warcannon eruptsand everyone raises their glass for atoast. The lodge bills itself as “America’sPremier Wilderness Resort” and offers cabins, cottages and lodge rooms. Some of the amenities include swimming pools, a ﬁtness center,spa, marina, lake cruise, six golf courses, several restaurantsand Fun Mountain, 50,000 square feet of actionpacked activities. Child care is

available.

AlsoatBig Cedar is the Topof theRock Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trailand the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum, which has one of the mostsigniﬁcant collections of Native American and Civil Warartifacts, plus awoolly mammothfrom Siberia. Big Cedar Lodge is located at 190 Topofthe Rock Road, Ridgedale, and for afee, non-guests can take advantage of someofthe ameni-

Simple carrentalcancellationturns

ties.

Helpfultipsfor visiting Branson

n Determine how you want to spend your timeinBranson, whether that be outdoor recreation, theatre showsand attractions or shopping, etc. before choosing your lodging to limit travel around the city

n Be prepared for traffic. There are main routes through the city, but with all of the attractions, it can become quickly congested. n Wear or carry comfortable walking shoes. Once landing in an area like the Branson Landing, historic downtown Branson or the entertainment district, you’ll likely park and walk around to shops, restaurants and attractions. ExploreBranson.com is the official website of the Branson Convention and Visitors Bureau, where those interested can find information to shows and attractions and purchase tickets. Be aware that the numerous brick-andmortar businesses with “visitor center”type signage are not affiliated with the official visitors center but are independently owned travel agencies.

Email Elizabeth Deal at elizabeth.deal@theadvocate. com.

Irecently booked aHertz rental car through Expedia for pickup at FargoAirport. The reservation clearly stated that Icould cancel at anytime before pickup with no penalty

Christopher Elliott

Three days before my rental, Icanceled the reservation through Expedia and received an email confirming my cancellation with no cancellation fee. Imagine my surprise when, a week later,Hertz charged me a$52 no-show fee. Iimmediately contacted Expedia and arepresentative told me that my reservation did not include acancellation fee. But then the responses gotconfusing: One Expedia agent claimed there wasacancellation fee in my reservation (which Iknow isn’t true), another told me to deal with Hertz directly,and yet another said Hertz had agreed to refund me but the refund never arrived.At one point, Expedia even issued arefund to my credit card, only to reverse it and sayitwas amistake. I’ve followed all the advicefrom your columns, including appealing to the executive contacts listed on your site.The only replies Igot weregeneric and didn’tanswer my specificquestions. Iasked Expedia to provide written proof that my cancellation wassent to Hertz before the pickup time, so Icould appeal to Hertz directly,but they never provided it. Ieven visited the Hertz counter atFargoAirport, but the manager nevergot backtome, and the staff there said it looked like Expediadidn’tsendthe cancellationintime.

How can Iget my $52 back? Todd Brueshoff, Chicago Let’s get one thing straight: When you book a rental car through an online travel agency like Expedia, it’sthe online travel agency’sjob to makesure your cancellation goes through andthat you’re not penalized for followingthe rules. Expediashouldhave promptly processed your cancellation,conﬁrmed it with Hertz, and provided youwith written proof that the cancellation was received by Hertz before your scheduled pickup. If yourreservation terms allow for afree cancellation,and youcancel within theallowed window,you should not pay ano-show fee. If Expedia failed to transmit your cancellation to Hertz in time, that’s on Expedia— not you. Ireviewed yourcorrespondence with Hertzand Expedia,and it looks like youdid this by thebook. Youcanceled in advance, kept all thedocumentation, and escalated your case throughthe proper channels, even appealing to executivecontacts. Ipub-

lish the names, numbers and email addresses for the higher-ups at Expedia and Hertzonmyconsumer advocacy site, elliottadvocacy org. Youmaintained adetailed paper trail, which is exactly what Irecommend. If this happens to anyone else, I’d add: Alwaysdouble-check that you receive acancellation confirmation email and, if possible, contact therental agency directly to confirm receipt —especially if you’re close to the cancellation deadline. Youdid everything right, and you even went the extramile —literally —by visiting theHertz counter at Fargo Airport.The staff there suspected that Expedia didn’tsend the cancellation in time, which would explain why Hertz saw you as ano-show.Expedia, meanwhile, bounced you between departments, issued and then reversed arefund, and ultimately failed to provide thedocumentation you needed to resolve theissue withHertz It turns out there was moretothis story.After Expedia issued acredit and then withdrew it, you filed a credit card dispute, which you lost.Once your bank sides with amerchant, you only have two realistic op-

tions: an outside advocate or atrip to small claims court. Youchose me andI contacted Expedia on your behalf.

Expedia issued afull re-

fund of your $52 no-show fee.

Christopher Elliott is thefounderofElliott Advocacy,anonproﬁt

organizationthat helps consumers solvetheir problems. Email himat chris@elliott.org

the Hollywood WaxMuseum is partofBranson’sentertainment

theater district.

agiant octopus welcomes visitors to the Branson aquarium in Branson,Mo.

WHY GROW NATIVE PLANTS?

Planting native plants supports local ecosystems by providing essential food and habitat for wildlife, conserving water and money due to low maintenance needs like less watering fertilizer and pesticides.the effort also helps combat climate change by sequestering carbon, ultimately creating healthier, more resilient landscapes.

Native plants are the primary source of nectar, seeds, fruits and shelter for native insects, birds and animals that have co-evolved with them.

GARDENS

Continued from page 1D

action into their own hands by turning their yards into wildlife corridors.

He explained if American landowners would make it a goal to convert half of his or her lawn to productive native plant communities — approximately 20 million acres — this restored ecosystem would be larger than all United States national parks combined. He calls this the “Homegrown National Park ” Griffard said there are other states that offer types of habitat certiﬁcations, but one unique goal for the Louisiana certiﬁcation is to include personal connections with native plant gardeners in their area.

Louisiana

“We decentralized the program, so there is opportunity for gardeners to continue to connect with like-minded people who live near them” she said.

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D

The chapter on New Orleans is short but well-researched.

Weather is a hazard

As Ohio historian and journalist Kevin Williams points out, the Amish’s short-lived time in New Orleans had more to do with climate than conﬂicting lifestyles.

“The biggest thing that keeps the Amish from settling in Louisiana and Mississippi for that matter and anywhere in the South — is the heat, because they don’t have electricity, and it’s just stiﬂing in the summer,” Williams said.

“That’s why you have the largest concentration of Amish in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, because you don’t want be where it’s either too ice cold or too stiﬂing hot.”

An even bigger problem in 1846 was the lack of money Luthy writes that the Amish left their native Alsace and Lorraine in France in 1840 and migrated to the U.S. through the Port of New Orleans.

“Many of the numerous Amish immigrants who migrated from Europe to central Illinois after 1840 landed in America at the Port of New Orleans,” Luthy writes.

“There they boarded steamboats for the rest of their journey up the Mississippi River and into the Illinois River.” Others didn’t have the money to move forward.

“Perhaps, too, some had not even been able to completely pay for their ocean passage,” Luthy writes. “Thus, a small community of stranded Amish settlers is said to have existed in New Orleans. Of course, at that time it was not the huge city it is today However, it was not a farming community either.”

Spoke the same language

Still, the Amish didn’t feel completely out of place.

The residents of New Orleans were mostly French speaking, and the Amish migrated from France, so it’s possible that they felt more at ease in Louisiana than at the

Conservation partners with the LNPS program who help provide the volunteers to assist in certifying yards include the Native Plant Initiative of Greater New Orleans, the Acadiana Native Plant Project and LSU Hilltop Arboretum. Peggy Coates has been helping to certify yards through Hilltop.

“It’s been so wonderful to meet all these gardeners,” she said. “Some of them start with the very minimum and after that, they get the bug and want to get the gold. It’s very exciting for them.”

Photos and stories of homeowners who have received certification are celebrated and are posted on the Facebook pages of LNPS and conservation partners, as well as chapters of Wild Ones, a national organization promoting native landscapes. Wild Ones chapters are in Baton Rouge, the Pontchartrain Basin and Western Gulf Plain.

A statewide map on the LNPS website pinpoints where the

certiﬁed habitats are located.

“We continue to grow our database for organizations and resources that advocate for native plants in Louisiana,” Baumgarten said.

So far the largest number of certiﬁed yards are in the New

Orleans area, closely followed by Acadiana and Baton Rouge. Griffard and Baumgarten said they were recently honored to share the success of the Louisiana program at a national conference in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

“We do have several yards in the far western and northern parts of the state,” Baumgarten said. “We look forward to seeing more. It gets to be competitive.”

For more information visit lnps.org.

English-speaking ports of New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

“At any rate, New Orleans was an unusual place for an Amish community to exist,” Luthy wrote. “And that it did, indeed, exist as evidenced by just enough bare facts to make us very curious.”

Luthy traced the community through letters, along with written accounts by traveling out-of-state Amish who were readily welcomed by the New Orleans community He also gathered stories from some of the New Orleans Amish’s descendants.

One letter revealed that New Orleans’ Amish settled along Elmira Avenue at Algiers Point.

“An Amishman, Christian Oswald, who likely emigrated from Alsace, is said by his descendants to have crossed the ocean with his family ‘with just enough money to land in New Orleans,’”

Luthy writes. “The family stayed there seven or eight years during which time Christian undoubtedly found a job, and his wife ‘would bake fancy cookies, cakes, and bread, then sell them to the people around New Orleans.’ By about 1860 they had saved enough money to continue their migration to central Illinois.”

Then there was an account by Amish bishop Peter Naffziger,

who told his family that he twice walked from his settlement in Butler County, Ohio, to New Orleans to minister to its small Amish congregation. Another Amish bishop, Joseph Maurer, emigrated from Alsace in 1855. Luthy wrote that, in 1856, Maurer settled in the Partridge Creek settlement in Woodford County, Illinois. On his way to New Orleans in 1867 he died and was buried along the banks of the Mississippi River in an unmarked grave.

Finally, Luthy cites a Christmas Day letter written to Mennonite periodical Herald of Truth detailing the visit of Jacob Kauffman of the Melvern Amish community in Osage County, Kansas. It was published in 1871, the year before the New Orleans community faded out of existence.

“They undoubtedly by that time had lost many of their traditions by exposure to urban life,” Luthy wrote. Amish in Louisiana today

These days, no Amish communities exist in Louisiana, though there is a longstanding Mennonite community in DeRidder

But there is an Amish community that exists in Texas, according to Kevin Williams, a historian and reporter for CNBC and The New

York Times. In his July 18, 2025, article, “Where Are the Amish In Louisiana?” for Amish 365 (amish365. com), Williams not only explores why there are no settlements in the state but also what the state would have to offer the Amish, including agricultural opportunities, religious freedom and family values.

“I consider myself a journalist ﬁrst, but I spent a number of years researching Amish culture before I dove back into journalism full-time,” Williams said, speaking from his home outside of Cincinnati. “I spent years visiting Amish settlements, literally from Maine to Montana, and I learned a lot during that period about them.”

Through his research, Williams discovered that hurricane season often creates a strong Amish presence in Louisiana. The Mennonite Christian Aid Ministries in Ohio send teams of Amish and Mennonite volunteers to help in disaster relief and recovery Williams says they are often known as the last to leave a disaster area.

He points to Hurricane Rita, which hit southwest Louisiana only weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. For years after Hurricane Rita, Amish teams settled in Louisiana and brought their traditional cooking and food styles.

And, Williams said, they often learn and incorporate local cooking traditions into their own.

“There’s a lot of culinary exchange, so you better believe they brought gumbo back to Ohio with them,” he said.

Williams predicts a return of the Amish to Louisiana.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see the ﬁrst settlement in Louisiana within the next three years,” he said. “There’s a growing Amish population in Arkansas, and northern Louisiana is very rural and affordable, so it has a lot to offer.”

Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

SERIES

Continued from page 1D

“The Medicine Show Legacy” on March 19 celebrates the 15 years of the Tommy Comeaux Chair in Traditional Music at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Slide guitar wizard Sonny Landreth and friends, who helped establish the fund in a series of legendary concerts, return for the anniversary On May 14, the Atchafalaya Reunion assembles original members of the legendary Cajun rock band. In its heyday, Atchafalaya entertained legions of fans from Thibodaux to Turkey After a summer break, Crossroads returns Oct. 1 with “The Creole Continuum: Transcending Tradition,” featuring Terrance and Marcella Simien. Terrance is a two-time, Grammy-winning zydeco musician whose daughter Marcella performs her own spiritual and cultural interpretations. Crossroads wraps up Nov 19 with “Twenty Years of Valcour Records,” at musician Joel Savoy’s studio near Eunice. Savoy turned the spot that held his grandfather’s outdoor kitchen into a recording destination with multiple Grammy nominations, including the heralded “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco.”

Again, I pledge no fanboy behavior this year But I can’t wait to eat more musical cake and ice cream at Louisiana Crossroads.

Herman Fuselier is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. A longtime journalist covering Louisiana music and culture, he lives in Opelousas. His “Zydeco Stomp” show airs at noon Saturdays on KRVS 88.7 FM.

staFF PHoto By LesLIe WestBrooK

Fannie raber, left, and Verna yoder prepare a meal inside a temporary kitchen used by amish volunteers as they aid in hurricane recovery in 2022 in Lake Charles.

staFF PHoto By LesLIe WestBrooK a native blueberry bush grows in stephen and Jen Fournet’s Lafayette garden.

staFF PHoto By CHrIs GraNGer a

Native Plant society Native Habitat certified yard on allen toussaint Boulevard in New orleans

the yard of Cheryl and William reinhardt in Baton rouge features swamp sunflower, boneset and goldenrod, among other native plants.

ProVIDeD PHoto

LOUISIANACOOKS

Soul-satisfyingbut simple family hit

Ground beef andpotatoesaheartyfavorite

BY DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN Contributing writer

“Momma, I’m coming home,” said my daughter who lives in Houston. “Can you please cook?” No sweeter words have been spoken to this Cajun momma.

“What are you hungry for?” I asked “I just want something soulsatisfying. Make it simple,” she said. “Weate so many rich foods during the holidays, and Ijust want simple, delicious home cooking.”

Well, that is exactly my style of cooking, so this was an easy task. Ithought back to my farm days and tried to remember what my momma would cook when we just wanted that soulsatisfying, hearty meal with no pretense —simple but good. Our go-to was ground beef and potatoes. In other parts of the country this might be

Serves

considered apotatohash. We grew our own potatoes on the farm and stored and used them throughout the year

My momma threw this simple dish togethertofeed her hungry family.Ihave carried on this tradition and itisthe dish my family requestswhen they return from traveling,have justrecovered from an illness, or justwant an uncomplicated meal. Iusually serve it over rice with asimple salad,and we usually pair it with saltine crackers or sliced whitebread

My children, grown now and with their own families, have modiﬁed this recipe to today’s cooking trends. My son likes to swap the beef and white potatoes for ground turkey and sweet potatoes. Give the recipe atry and put your own spin on it.It’sglutenfree, inexpensive and generally enjoyed by even the pickiest eater

GroundBeefand Potatoes

undisturbed until beef is deeply caramelized. Stir and continue cookinguntil all beef is caramelized.

4. Addchopped onion and chopped bell pepper.Cook 5 minutes. Addminced garlic and cook for 2minutes.Add potatoes andcook for 5minutes.

2cloves of

1. In a5-quart Dutch oven,

2. Add ground beef and break up into large chunks.

3. Sprinkleseasoning onto the ground beef. Allow to cook

5. Add1cup ofwater.Bring to aboil, reduce heat to mediumlow andcover.Cook for approximately 20 minutes. Check for doneness andadd more water if needed until the potatoes are fork tender

6. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Readingthe newspaperisnot thesameonlaptop

Dear Heloise: Iagree wholeheartedly about reading physical newspapers! My city had amorning and eveningpaper; Isubscribed to the evening paper.Then they decided to start publishing just one paper: the morning edition. Then the paper cut out the Sunday edition and combined it with Saturday’s. Long storyshort, I’m now on aroute that has the paper delivered through the United StatesPostal System due to the lack of aroute driver So, Ireceive the morning paper in the afternoon when my mail comes and when USPS is on aholi-

day.I’m supposed to get it withthe next mail delivery,but it doesn’t always happen. Or the newspaper delivery person who drops the bundles off doesn’tactually drop then off. But Ienjoy reading aphysical paper.I’m waiting on afew editions to come back! Reading the newspaper isn’tthe same on my laptop!

—Vicki,in FortWayne,Indiana

Identifyingsocks

Dear Heloise: My solution to identifyingnavysocksversus black socks is to always turn black socks inside out. Just remember: “Blackout!” Thanks for all your hints! —Dean, in BatonRouge Shopping safety

Dear Heloise: Iread ahint about

what alady did with her purse when she went shopping. Iwanted to add one additional safety measure. When Igoshopping, I usually carry anotebook with a pen attached that has my shopping list.Ialso carry my phone, which has amagnetic case and amagnetic wallet attached that carries my ID, acouple of credit cards, and $20; this all ﬁts in a jean pocket If Imust carry apurse, Ihave it in acart in front of me. Iuse thechild safetybelts to strap in my closed purse. If someone decides that they want my purse enough to walk off with it, they won’tget too far without my noticingbecause they cart will be going along withthem and make

Yellingatstrangers rarely theanswer

aracket. Ilove reading your hints daily —Janet Kumm, in Sioux City,Iowa Immediatestain removal

Dear Heloise: Like manyothers, I have enjoyed andused the hints from your column. Afew years ago, while we wereeating at our local sushi restaurant, my husband dripped somesoy sauce on his whitedress shirt. The sushi chef noticed it and told my husband to take alemon slice and rub it on thestain. It “erased” thestain immediately.Wewere amazed. —KathyMudrak,via email Avoiding drybread

Dear Heloise: When removing bread slices from abagged gro-

By the associated Press

cery store loaf,it’sbest to leave the heels in place and only take regular slices. The heels protect the rest of the loaf from drying out. —Jim R., in Houston Newuse forturmeric

Dear Heloise: To get rid of unwanted facial hair,Indian womenrub their faces with adiluted paste of turmeric powder before taking ashower.There’snoneed forrazors or harsh chemicals. —Vittal P., in Berwyn, Pennsylvania Vittal, does turmeric stain the skin? I’ve never heard of this method of hair removal before. Heloise

Sendahinttoheloise@heloise com.

Judith Martin

MIss MaNNers

Dear Miss Manners: Elevators have been in existence, Ibelieve, for more than 150 years,but there does not seem to be asystem of accepted manners related to them. It is true that we no longer dance around in the elevator so as to allow all the women to get out before the men. There is, however, pandemonium on first floors, when people wishing to board will not wait for occupants to get off. The expressions on their faces indicate they are astonished to find that the machine contains passengers!

Iamgoing to give you my solution and petition you for approval of my actions,which Ibelieve will correct the problem over time.

Iama6-foot man, and when I stick out my elbows, Ipretty much ﬁll the space between the doors. When the doorsopen, if Inote any inclination for those outside to crowd in, Ispread my armsand say in aloud voice, “It is not polite to crowd in when people are coming out.” Do Ihave your approvalfor this behavior,and do you thinkitwill

prove to be effective?

Gentle reader: Youdonot —ﬁrstly, because you are going to elbow some unsuspecting person in the face, and secondly, because it is rude to correct another’smanners. Bothproblems can be avoided if you instead say,“Excuse us, people coming out, please.”Ifthe announcement is made in abooming voice, it will besurprising enough to render the physical barrier of sticking out your arms unnecessary

Evenso, Miss Manners does not see this solving the problem everywhere and for all time, unless you plan to spend an awful lot of timein elevators.

Dear MissManners: Onceamonth, my grandmother hosts agroup of friends at her house for achat andanafternoon tea. She loves the company and the catch-up, as they are all older and can’tget out much, especially since COVID. Inoticed one guest is very snippety and degrading to the rest of thegroup, but my grandmother says it isn’ther place to say anything.

Inoticed the group declining in numbers and coming up with reasons not to come. My grandmother is angry at her friends for not coming over.I gently hint that

if someone is being rude, and the hostess does not ask them to be more mindful, thenyes, people will stop coming. However,she tells me Iam wrong and thata hostess doesn’t tell anyone to,inmygeneration’s words, “stay in their lane.”

How can Iget my grandmother to understand this before she loses the friends altogether?

Gentlereader: Forgive this grandmotherfor not understanding what you are asking yours to do. Miss Manners hopes it is not to commit the unpardonable rudeness of calling out aguest’srudeness to her face. (The guest’sface, that is. Oncethe guest is gone, you are free to try to convince your grandmother thatthis guest is scaring away her other friends.)

Youmight be moresuccessful if you say thatthat person is not to everyone’staste,and perhaps Grandmamacan socializewith her one-on-one and convene amore like-minded group for afternoon teas

Email questions to dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St Kansas City,MO 64106.

Today is Sunday,Jan. 25, the 25thday of 2026. There are 340 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Jan. 25, 2004, NASA’s Opportunity roverlanded on Mars and sent its ﬁrst pictures of theplanettoEarth; originally planned as a90-day mission, the rover remained operational for over 15 years, traveling atotal of 28 milesacrossthe planet’s surface. Also on this date: In 1924, the ﬁrst WinterOlympic GamesopenedinChamonix, France.

In 1945, the World WarII Battleofthe Bulge ended as theGerman army concluded its ﬁnal offensive on the Western Front; approximately 19,000 U.S. soldiers were killedduring theﬁve-week campaign.

In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first city to add fluoride to its public water supply In 1961, President John F. Kennedy held the first live televised presidential news conference. In 1971, Charles Manson and three of his followers were convicted in LosAngelesofmurder

andconspiracy in the 1969 slayings of sevenpeople,including actor SharonTate.

In 2011, Egyptians began nationwide protests that forced longtime autocrat Hosni Mubaraktostepdownamid the ArabSpring uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa.

In 2021, President Joe Biden signedanorderreversing a Pentagonpolicythatlargely barredtransgenderpeople from military service.

In 2024, Alabama conducted the nation’sﬁrst execution using nitrogengas,putting to deathKenneth Eugene Smith for his conviction in the 1988 murder-for-hire killing of apastor’swife Today’sbirthdays: Football Hall of Famer Carl Elleris84. Actor Leigh Taylor-Young is 81.ActorJeniferLewis is 69.Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios is 64. ActorAna Ortiz is 55. Actor Mia Kirshner is 51.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is 48. Soccer manager and former playerXaviis46. SingersongwriterAlicia Keys is 45. Football Hall of Famer Patrick Willis is 41. Actor-singerAriana DeBose is 35. RapperLil Mosey is 24.

PHoto By DeBra taGHeHCHIaN

Ground Beef and Potatoes can be servedoverrice with asimple salad and paired with saltine crackers or sliced white bread.

Hints from Heloise

BETWEEN THEPAGES

Plotting suspense in southLa. shreveport author brings twists andturns

BY JOYHOLDEN staff writer

Monroe native Ashley Elston

author of six young adult novels andtwo adult novels,lives in Shreveport with her family Elston was aweddingphotographer who started writingbooks as acreative outlet after pausing her photography business when her third son was born. She published her ﬁrst book, “Rules for Disappearing,” in 2013.

Her last book, “First LieWins,” gained national acclaim through Reese Witherspoon’sBook Club. Her new book, “Anatomy of an Alibi,” cameout Jan. 13 andis available at all local bookstores.

“Anatomy of an Alibi” is asuspenseful mystery that is set in St. Francisville and Baton Rouge. One woman, Aubrey Price, agreestotake on Camille Bayliss’ identity for aday so Camille can investigate her husband Ben’sunusual behavior.The plan involves muchmore than what is originally agreed upon when Ben turns up murdered the next morning.

The two women get caught up in adecades-old secret that involves them both.

This conversation was edited for length and clarity

What drew you to Baton Rougeand St. Francisville as the setting for your new book?

All of my books have been set in Louisiana, and I’ve done some in Shreveport and some in madeup towns. We weredown in St Francisville acouple of years ago. It was just so cute, so quaint,so fun. And Iwas like, “I shouldset something here.”

Then we ended up going tothe Angola rodeo, and Ithought I had to use this in abook somehow.That’show Iwanted toitbe in St. Francisville. Then Ineeded

ProVIDeD PHoto

ashleyelston is the shreveport author of ‘First Lie Wins’ and ‘anatomyofanalibi.’

abig town, and Baton Rouge is the closest bigtown,sothat worked to allbe what Ineeded it to be

What wasyour process in getting to know the area?

I’ve been to Baton Rouge aton.

Ifelt pretty comfortable with Baton Rouge, andI do feel like, in general,there’salot of similarities between Baton Rouge and Shreveport Icame back toSt. Francisville last year when Iwas editing it, justtoride around again and makesure that what Iwas saying felt right for the place. Then Imade some tweaks and changes. That’sthe fun partofwriting.

“Anatomy of an Alibi” hasmanycomplicated twists and turns, involving legaland business issues. How did you develop a plot likethat?

It takesalot of different drafts for me. Idon’treally think of all thatatthe start. The ﬁrst draft

is typically abit morestraightforward. When Iknow whereI’m trying to go, what I’m trying to do, Iask,“How can Igotwist it up?”Then Iusually go back in and really look at each sceneand go, “How can Imake this better and dig alittlebit deeper?”

The characters in “Anatomy of an Alibi” are complex. What inspires you to create ambiguous characters?

That’swhat Ilove when I’m reading. When I’m writing, I hope to get acrossthat everybody’sabit complicated. Everybody is not just black or white.

Sometimes you’rebad, but you have good qualities,and sometimes you have great qualities, but you have acouple bad moments. Ithink that makes it so much more realistic and natural.

Ienjoy acomplicated character,and Ilike that you can’t decide whether youlike them or not

Just as the characters are multidimensional, the plot has manylayers. How did you getthat deep into the weeds of what the actual truth was?

Ispent alot of time thinking about those characters and how they would react, thethings they would do. Alot of it is just editing, revising, digging deeper, thinking pastthe surface to motivations

That’swhy it takes me along time between books —because Idospend alot of time trying to get as deep as Ican.

“First Lie Wins” received alot of national recognition. Were there anyexpectations for ”Anatomy of an Alibi”?

It’scrazy,especially because they’re my seventh andeighth books,and alot of people think it’s my ﬁrst and second. I’ve had books that come outthat nobody knew about —noattention and sales were abysmal. Istill think they’re as good as these books They just didn’tget the marketing dollars.

Ithink also,though, thatallowed me to really appreciate what Idid get, because Ihave been on thatotherside.I’m so verywell awareofwhat that other side feels like,soitjust made this even sweeter

What are you most proud of with“Anatomy of an Alibi?” Finishing it. It wasextremely hardtowrite abookafter all of theattentionof“First Lie Wins.”

Ifelt like “First Like Wins” was

like lightning in abottle. And I just thought, “Why would Ieven attempt to try to write something else?” So,I struggled, just wondering if it wasgoodenough. I secondguessedmyself in away thatIhad neverdonebefore. So,Iammostproud thatI actually ﬁnisheditbecause it was the book Iwas most scared to write.

Email Joy Holdenatjoy holden@theadvocate.com.

La.poetDavid Middletonshinesin‘Time Will Tell’

In the author photo for“Time Will Tell,” his newly collected poems, David Middleton greets readers with apen in his left shirt pocket, which reminded me of his fellow poet, Wendell Berry of Kentucky

I’ve seen many pictures of Berry in which he, too, totes a pen above his heart, poised to record whatever he seesbeyond his desk. For both of these poets, the work of words is aportable enterprise —acallinginwhich inspiration is more likely to strike in aﬁeld or along aroadway than withinthe cloister of a writer’sstudy Middleton, apoet-in-residence emeritus at NichollsState University in Thibodaux who’snow in his 70s, also invites comparisons with Berry becausethey’ve both been hailed as champions of the Southern Agrarian literary tradition. It’sasmuch asensibility as aphilosophy,evident in poems deeply informedbyearth and sky One notable example is “The Farmer’sAlmanac,” aMiddleton poem in which he muses on those

at raNDoM

old-fashioned farm and garden manuals that bloom from store shelves at this time of year.With their quaint etchings evoking an ancient past,the covers of these almanacs depict apioneer culture in which land promised not only practical wealth, but emotional and spiritual sustenance, too.

Middleton, with typical grace, puts it more succinctly: “Such pictures bear fair witness to atime /When heart and mind could know the world as one. But for Middleton, almanacs offer more than mere nostalgia In their scrupulous attentionto the seasons, thesehumble texts still provide “news of what’s too precious to be news.”

In other words, the kind of

truth one is unlikely to ﬁnd on cable TV “Time Will Tell” is necessarily aretrospective book; any volumethat collects more than 300 pages of poemsfrom several decades cannot help indulging a backward glance.

But these manypoems, mostly inspired by Louisiana locales,

PHotoByDeBoraH LILLIe Louisiana poet DavidMiddleton has anew book,‘time Will tell,’that collects hispoems fromseveral decades. Middleton is poet-inresidence emeritus at Nicholls state University in thibodaux.

still crackle with the vitality of agreen and evolving world yet within our grasp —ifonly we take the time to look. These

poems help us see what endures, even among the ravages of change.

They’re shaped as muchbythe eye as the ear,and for good reason. Middleton describes himself as “a poet who paints with words,” the result of achildhood in his father’sart studio.

“Tomethe smell of oil paint is an aromaofthe soul, and my love of vivid images in poems comes from that art,” he writes in abrief afterword.

Examples of Middleton’spainterly eye abound. In “Toward North Louisiana,” he recounts a long drive past old farms: “Beside whose lonely houses lately placed /Satellite dishes whiten toward Orion.”

It’svintage Middleton, the commonplace and the cosmic keeping close company Time,welearn in this collection, does tell. These poems afﬁrm that for both Middleton and his readers, the years have been arevelation.

Email DannyHeitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

“The Housemaid” by Freida McFad-

The God of theWoods” by Liz

5. “The 2026 Old Farmer’s Almanac” by Old Farmer’s Almanac

“The Atomic Habits Workbook”

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in‐cludeengineering,pro‐

construc‐tion

ABRAHAM, FERICKA WILLIS ABSHIRE, STEPHANIE

ADAMS, LYNETTE M ADANIA, ELIZABETH VANWAY

AGUILLARD, JENNIFER KELLER

ALFRED, ODYSSEY NIKOLE

ALLEMAN, ANGELA THERESA

ALLEMAN, RENA M

ALLEMAND, AARON JOSEPH ANDERSON, LAUREN ASHLEIGH

ANTOINE, SHONTAVIA JENEE

ARBIE, STEPHENIA ANNE

ARCENEAUX, QUESHEKA

ARDOIN, AMY DANIELLE

ARIASHENAO, CAMILO ANDRES

ASFOURA, ELIA

AUCOIN, CODY NICHOLAS

BARNES, JALEN JERMAINE

BEAUCHAMP,CARL R BEAVERS, DERRICK LEON

BEGNAUD, COBY DEAN

BENTLEY,GRAHAM MICHAEL

BERIDON, MARYM BERNARD, BLAKE RAY

BERTRAND, THOMAS

BEST,HOLLYANN BIENVENU, TYLER EDWARDS

BILLA, SWAPNA

BOLES, CHARLES WINDLES

BOLING, SHELBY THERESA

BONEY,MICHAEL JAMES

BONNER, TRELLNESHA JULAY

BONVILLIAN, CIERA SAMON

BORDELON, ANNEMARIE B

BOURG, MARGARET MACY

BOURLIEA, DEANNA B

BOURQUE, MADISON LYNN

BRAQUET,AMY MICHELLE BRASSEAUX, MORGAN CHRISTINE

BROUSSARD, LILYD

BROUSSARD, REBECCA A BROUSSARD, BENNETT JAMES BROWN, ANTHONY BRUENN, WILLIAM ALEX CAIN, JEFFREY RONALD CAMEL, JORYWADE CARMON, MICHELLE STACEY

CARMOUCHE, CAMILLE ALYSE

CARPENTER, MICHAEL BRIAN

CASTROAVILA, RONALD CHAISSON, NANETTE ANN

CHAMPAGNE, LAUREN E CHAPPELL, AMANDA BEAM CLARK, MICHELLE ARDOIN CLARK, MICHAEL RAY CONN, ROGER WILL CORMIER, CARL J CORMIER, CRISTY VERRET

CORMIER, CATHEY A CORTEZ, DEBORAH GRACE CRADER, TEFANY LANAE CRESANTI, MARK JAMES CROCKETT,LAUREN ELIZABETH DARBONNE, ARLENE BRASSEAUX

DARJEAN, CHRISTINE MARIE DAVIDSON, TIMOTHY EUGENE DEBAILLON, GEORGE PAUL

DERISE, AMANDA ARCENEAUX

DEVILLIER, RUSTINCHANCE

DEVILLIER, TARA MARIE

DORE, KEVIN TODD

DOUCET,MIRANDA LEIGH

DOUET,LELANYAG

DRAKES, NATOSHA RENEE

DRONET,SHIRLEY H DUBOIS, RAYWOOD LOUIS

DUBOSE, JAICE

DUHON, DOMINIQUE MICHAEL

DUHON, KACEY ELLIOTT

DUPUIS, DEREK JOSEPH

DUPUIS, MICHAEL JAMES

DUPUIS-MACK, JESSICA LYNN

EDMOND, MARKEIL JARE ELDERTON, JOSHUA

ELLIOTT,MICHAEL THOMAS

EVERITT,HEIDI LYNN

FAULK, ACHAIA MARIE

FILER, LAURA P FLEMING, MATT ANDREW

FONTENOT,JESSICA LYNN

Electrical Building/Control Room Warehouse/Maintenance Shop,Administration ildi d h i l p Building,and Mechanical Equipment Room to theextentasin‐dicatedonthe drawings andspeciﬁed in theCon‐tractDocuments.Con‐tractor’sscope of work canbebestdescribed as “anchorbolts up”with buildingfoundations andbuildingslabs being designed,furnished and installedbyothers. Key scopes of work include: Architecturaland struc‐turalsupport steel,ma‐sonryand above-grade concrete,buildings plumbing andpiping, heating,ventilation,and i di i i ( )

FONTENOT,ANTHONY FORRESTIER, BLAKE JAMES FRANCIS, ARIANNA NICOLE

FREDERICK,GWEN D GEORGE, JULIE ANNA GERARVE, KAREN P GORAYA,SHUJAUR RAHMAN GRANGER, JOHNNY GREEN,MARKITA MARIE

GUIDRY,CYNTHIA MARIEHEBERT GUIDRY,JUDEMICHAEL GUIDRY,MEGAN ELIZABETH GUILBEAU,DICKY GUILLORY,ATTICUS GLENN

HANKS, FELICE D HANKS, AMANDA ROCHELLE HANNIGAN, KENDRA ANN

HARRIS, CHRISTIAN FRANK TYREL

HARRIS, TYLER WADE HARRISON, KHALILMALIK

HARTMAN,BRANDI ROSE

HEBERT, JODY SCOTT

HEBERT, JANET ANN HEBERT, KATELYN RAE

HEBERT, KASEY MARIE

HERPIN, JOSEPH O HILL, ALBERTLEE

HOWARD, LOUIS ODETES

HUSSEY,JEANNINE CGUIDRY

IDEN,CORRINE MARIE

JAMES, MIKEISHACOLEMAN

JAMES, ERICE

JOHNSON, LARRYDARNELL JONES, DEARREO RAYSHAWN JONES, SHAYLA RENEE

JOUBERT, BRYANKEITH

KAY, WILLEM JUSTINUS

KELEHAN,EDNALEANNE KEYES, ERICKAL

LABAUVE, WILLIS

LAGRANGE, JILL M

LALONDE, NATHALIEMARIE

LANDO, KEVIN JAMES

LANDOR, SHEREL RENEE

LANDRY, ALEX MICHAEL LANDRY, MORGAN JADE

LANDRY, RACHELM LATIOLAIS, MARGOI

LEBLANC,JON T LEBLANC,SOFE MADALYN

LEBLANC,SHARELLE RENE

LECOMPTE, BRYANANTHONY LEE, ANDREA K

LEJEUNE, MELISSA ANN

LIVINGS, SHIRLEY MP LOGAN,ROGER B LOUVIERE, BARRY

LOUVIERE, MICHAEL SHANE

LOVVORN, BRIDGET BREAUX

LUNA, TRINITY MARIE

LUSBY,JANET C MADERA, PAULA L MAI, KRYSTLE DIEM KHA

MAIDEN,BRALYN DEON

MALAGARIE, NICHOLAS BRETT

MALLIA, JAMES STEPHEN

MANUEL, MYAM

MARSHALL, GORDON L MARTIN, DANIELJOSEPH

MARTINEZ, ROBERT

MASON,JANNAHNICOLE

MASSE, JACOB CHRISTIAN MAYEUX, SEAN

BENJAMIN

MCLEMORE, MARY W

MCMILLAN, REBECCA LEIGH

MCNABB, GLENN ALLEN

MCSHERRY, DAVIDCHARLES

MCZEAL, BRIKINYAMARIA

MELANCON,ANTHONY S

MENARD, APRILMARIE

MILLER, JOEL N

MILLER, LANCE RYAN MILLS,SERENAALEXIA MINIX,COURTNEYDEANN

MISITA, STEPHANIE L MITCHELL, TYREN JUSTIN

MOORE, RACHELMARIE

MORALES, MELISSA MARLINE

MOREAU,KLENTSCOTT MOTON,ANASTASIAA

MOUTON,SHERRYLYNN

MOUTON,AMANDAROSE MOUTON,MICHAEL A

g q tionsrelated to theelec‐tronic biddingprocess, please call Morgan Broussardat337-2918263. Biddersmay re‐questthe electronic bid packagefromMorgan Broussardat mcbrous‐sard@lafayettela.gov Bidders submitting bids electronically arealsore‐quired to providea copy of theirbidswithinfortyeight(48) hoursfrombid opening. Only abid bond,certified checkor cashier’scheck shallbe submittedasthe bidse‐curity Electronic copies of both thefront and back of thecheck or bid bond shallbeincluded with theelectronicbid Bidders wishingtosub‐mittheir bidelectroni‐callymust firstberegis‐teredonlinewith Lafayette Consolidated Government as apoten‐tial Contractor at the websitelistedabove Bidders submitting bids electronically shallin‐cludeall documentsin one(1) combinedPDF file with bookmark(s)and arerequiredtoprovide one(1) hard copy within forty-eight(48) hours from bidopening throughthe mail.Bidders providingbidsbymail, shallinclude one(1) hard copy with alldocuments in one(1) combined PDF file with bookmark(s) andare required to pro‐vide an electronic copy in one(1) USB flashdrive Only abid bond,certified checkorcashier’s check shallbesubmitted as the bidsecurity. Electronic copies of both thefront andbackofthe checkor bidbondshall be in‐cluded with theelec‐tronic bid. SUBMISSION OF CONFI‐DENTIAL, PROPRIETARY, OR TRADESECRETINFOR‐MATION (SEE LA.R.S.44:3.2(D) As apublicentity, Lafayette Consolidated Government is subjectto theLouisiana Public RecordsLaw,which may requiresubmissions of Bidders to be apublic record.PursuanttoLa. R.S. 44:3.2(D), Bidders who submit documents or informationtheybe‐lievetobeproprietary,or tradesecretmustclearly mark each page or piece of informationwhich is, in theBidder’sopinion proprietaryortrade se‐cret andmustalsosub‐mitwithsuchinforma‐tion acover sheet that readsasfollows in bold type: DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL PROPRI‐ETARYORTRADE SECRET INFORMATION La.R.S.44:3.2(D) requires Lafayette Consolidated Government to make a determinationasto whether

MOUTON, KALIN ELIZABETH MUNTNER, ALEXIS BYRNES MURDOCK, FRANK G MURPHY, HANNAH THERESE ALLAIN MURRAY, AMANDARHEAL MUSSO, MONICAANN MUTTSCHELER, HEIDI MICHELLE NARCISSE,JAILA RAI NGUYEN, OANH OLIVER, HEATHER LEE PARKER, KATHLEEN M PARRISH,MELISSA CHAUVIN PATIN, JASON CLARK PECORARO, DOMINIC JOSEPH PERERO, SHANE M PEREZ, IRIS M PETE,DOMINICK JKWON PHILLIPS, COREYMATTHEW PICOU, IVAMAE MARIE PIERSON,PAIGE LEE PLUMMER, SARA ANN PORCHE,AVERYCHARLES PORCHE,ERIS A PRINCE,ESSENCE ARIEL RAYMOND,WAYNE CHRISTOPHER RICHARD, SETH PAUL DEAN RICHARD, CHRISTOPHER HA RICHARD, BRIANMICHAEL ROBERT, OUIDA ROBERTSON, BRIAN KEITH ROBINSON, CASEYANGELLE ROBINSON, ANNA LYNN ROBINSON, ESTHER S ROCHE,KEVIN JAMES RODRIGUEZ, CARMEN VANESSA ROGERS,AMBERRAE ROMERO, LESLIE ANN ROMERO, LISA JANE ROY,TRICIA M RUBIN,QUARDELL J SADREDDINI, YASAMIN SALOOM, DANIELJ SANDERS,JESSICA NEAL SANTOSJERONIMO, JUSTINIANO SAPERGIA, SUSAN JANE SAYLOR, ELIZABETH SCHEXNAILDER, CAROLINE ELIZABETH SCHILLING, MICHAELL SEAY,EMMA ALY SELLERS, BENJAMIN JAMES SENEGAL,MICHAEL DONELLE SIAS, DARLENEM SIMON, PALLAVI DUTTABARUAH SIMONEAUD,JESSICA PAIGE SIPPS, JOCELYN LOZANO SKIPPER, RONNIE J SMITH, DARRIANMICHAEL SONNIER, KRISTIN MICHELLE STELLY, LACY LANETTE STEVENSON, DONALD HUNTER STEWART,BRANDON GABRIEL STONE,BRENNAN GREGORY STRACENER, DANIELLE G STREEPER, JOANN E STRENGE,ERIN ELIZABETH SZCZEPANIAK, ELEONOR M TALLEY, DENISE RENEE TAUZIN, TIFFANY NICHOLE GRAYSON TAYLOR, BROOKE GENEROSE TERRELL, KAREN FITZMORRIS THIBEAUX, MARKUSANDREW THIBODEAUX, SHELTON JOSEPH TRAN, TUAN ANH TURPEN, RICHARDG TYRRELL, BENJAMIN JAMES WALTER VARGAS-BEITIA, JACKIE ANN VENABLE,JENNILEEMARIE VIATOR, ROBALEEKATHERINE VIDRINE, ASHLEYANN VISSARAPU, NAGARJUNA WARE, MALLORY J WEAVER, LEEA WEDDLE, AUGUSTIN BOYD WHITE, WILLIAM JOSEPH WIGGINS, KATHRYN NICOLE WIJAYASURIYA, KYLENELISE WILLIAMS, ALIYAMONAY WILTZ, DYLAN RAY ZHANG, TIANYI

‘Everybody throws aparty now’:Growing cultural event hasbecomeanetworkingﬁxtureinthe nation’s capital

BY RICH COLLINS staff writer

On aweekday evening in early February 2023, RickyTempletwas visiting with friends and colleagues in the lounge of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington,D.C Templet,then aJeffersonParish Council member,and his wife, Christine, had checked into the hotel thatday to attend events related to Washington Mardi Gras, an 8-decade-old celebrationofLouisiana culture that now draws more than 3,000 people to the nation’s capital to mingle with Louisiana’sfederal, state andlocal leaders

aboutanartiﬁcial reef project in hisdistrict.

IDeas INNOVATION &

As he waited for Christinetojoin him, Templet struck up aconversation withDavid Cresson, then the head of the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana,

The discussion lasted only afew minutes, but it paid offbig. Templet said Cresson connected him with acorporatepartnerthatultimately pickedup most of the reef project’snearly $500,000 tab It might have been achance encounter, but in many respects, thatconversation—and countless others like it —are the reason that Washington Mardi Gras has become abigger andbigger draw for anyone doing business in the state.

“It’s the premier networkingevent forthe state of Louisiana,” Templet said in aphone interview last week. “It’sachance for all 64 parishestomeet with representativesand

ä see WASHINGTON, page 2E

ABOVE: U.s. rep troy Carter,D-New orleans, chairofthe 2025 Washington Mardi Gras, passes through acrowd of revelersonacart drivenbyJefferson Parish sheriff Joe Lopinto at athursday night party leadingup to last year’sevent.

LEFT: the rebirth Brass Band leadsa second-lineatthe 2022 Washington Mardi Gras. ProVIDeD PHotos

BY ANTHONY McAULEY staff writer

For more than acentury, Fidelity Bank has been a fixture of New Orleans’ financial landscape, acommunity institution that weatheredwars,recessions and the long decline of the American savings and loans industry.Now,after agreeing to sell the mortgage subsidiary that onceanchored its expansion ambitions, the 115-year-old bankﬁnds itself at apivotal moment, with investors and industry observersasking athorny question: Does Fidelity still have agrowthstrategy,or is it positioning itself to be acquired? The uncertainty comes just over ayear after Fidelity completed one of the most consequential changes in its history. In October 2024, the bank converted from a member-owned mutual savings institutioninto apublicly traded company,FB Bancorp Inc., with shares listedonthe Nasdaq under

FBLA. The conversion was billedasa waytounlock capital, expand strategically and compete

Ferris

Both newand used cars areexpensive debt traps

The affordability crisis in America

is not ahoax. Just ask anyone in the market for acar

obviously“shocking,”Yoon said. “But

their peers, hear aboutthe best new ideas and move projects along.”

Whether it’snew or used,landing avehicle with amanageable monthly payment is increasingly difﬁcult.

Michelle Singletary

tHe CoLor

oF MoNey

According to the car-shopping site Edmunds, more than 20% of new-car buyers are locked into monthly payments of $1,000 or more. That’s1in5 and an all-time high.

But here is the truly troubling part: Holding down car ownership costs used to be arelatively simple call buy used, not new —but that advice is losingutility as prices for pre-owned vehicles soar

According to Edmunds,6.3% of used-car buyers face monthly payments of at least $1,000 based on fourth-quarter data. Shoppers,onaverage, are ﬁnancing nearly $30,000 of that purchase, stretching thosepayments out over 70 months.

For most Americans, acar isn’ta luxury; it’sarequirementtoget to work and keep the lights on, food on the table and aroof over their heads. But these numbers show that buying acar —new or used —has become adebt trap for many.The average monthly payment in the fourth quarter was $772 for new and $570 on used with interest rates of 6.7% and 10.6%, respectively “Combine super-high prices of these vehicles with interest ratesthat we haven’t seen since 2007, 2008, and we have this perfect storm of where you’re borrowing alot of money, expensively,” said Joseph Yoon, aconsumer insights analyst for Edmunds If you’re looking for avehicle, be realistic about what you can afford. Here are some critical questions you should ask yourself long before you start shopping.

What is the total cost of ownership?

Dealers want you to focus only on the monthly payment to deﬂect from the high interest rates available now and an extended loan term.But you have to look at the interest paid over the life of the loan, money that could be invested for retirement. Remember that new cars typically carry higher insurance premiums And keep in mind that the higher the car’sprice, the more salestax you will pay. Tools like Edmunds’scar affordability calculator can be incredibly helpful. Use the calculatorbefore you start any car shopping.

What’smymonthly budget?

It used to be that housing or rent was ahousehold’sbiggest expense far exceeding any vehicle-related cost, Yoon said. “But now thosethings are neck and neck for alot of people.”

If your monthly car payment is starting to look like your rent or mortgage check, you’re probably overextended. To maintain ahealthy ﬁnancial balance in your budget, aim to keep it between 10% and 15% of your net pay

“Your total budget for transportation, including the loan and insurance payments, gas, and maintenance costs, should not exceed 20% of your net monthly income,” according to advice from Kelley Blue Book, which also has an affordability calculator How long can Iafford to go?

Afour-digit monthly payment is

FIDELITY

Continued from page1e

shareholder value,” Ferris said in an emailedresponse to questions. He described the transaction as “strategic,” allowing Fidelity to concentrate on business lending, which he said offers better longterm proﬁtability than mortgage origination.

Cuttingcosts,jobs

The terms of the NOLA Lending sale are yet to be set. Fidelity said the ﬁnal value of the transaction will be determined by an independent evaluation by the Feb. 28 closing date. NOLA Lending’sassets primarily consist of eight leased, stand-aloneofﬁcesand anetwork of roughly 85 mortgage brokers, along with whatever value is assigned to the brand.

The sale also comes as Fidelity works to stabilize its ﬁnancial performance following its public debut. Despite modest loan growth, the bank has posted net losses sincegoingpublic. FB Bancorp reported anet loss of $6.2 million for 2024. Results improved somewhat last year,with the loss narrowing to $2.7 million for the trailing 12 months ending Sept. 30. Cost cutting has been acentral part of that effort, including job cuts. TwoFidelity employees with knowledge of the situation who

you have to realize we have that number becausethe average monthly payment is almost$800. And we’re not talking about extravagant, luxurious vehicles.Weare talkingabout cars that familiesare buying.”

Four-year auto loans wereoncethe norm. Now,toease the ﬁnancial sting of steep vehicleprices andhigherauto-loan interestrates, car buyers are extending theirloan terms to seven years or longer.Willwesoon have a 10-year autoloan?

The larger the loan payment, the more likely it will compete with other essentialsaving goals. Keep theloan term as short as possible. Don’tjustdefault to the longer termsthe dealer may suggest to get you into the car

If you havetoextend the loan past sixyears, which is already along time, it’saclear sign youprobably can’taffordthe car

Will Ibecar poor?

An increasingnumberofconsumers with auto loans wereupside-down, meaning they owed more on the vehicle than it was worth.

According to the latest report from Edmunds, 28.1% of trade-ins applied toward anew-vehiclepurchase had negative equity,arecord high. The average amount owed on an upsidedown loan reached an all-timehigh of $6,905 in the third quarteroflast year. More alarmingly,24.7% of these drivers owed more than $10,000, and 8.3% owed morethan $15,000.

Here’swhy this can become aproblem. Borrowers who lack thecash to payoff their previous loan often roll that negativeequity into the new one. That’show somecar buyers endup with monthlypayments of more than $1,000.

“Ifyou have avehicle right now, and you’re shopping for another car forwhatever reasonitmay be,please, please, please, make sure that you’re not underwater,” Yoon said.

Can Ikeep my current car longer?

Your car’satthe repair shop. The service agent calls with an estimate that makes you wanttoscream.

After the initial shock, you might look up yourcar’s value andsee it’s less than the repairbill. Youstart wondering whetheritwould be better to just replace it.

But is it better?

A$2,000 transmission repair is far less expensive than borrowing for a $30,000 used car

However,atsome point, if your car is becoming unsafe or so unreliable that you areconstantlystranded, replacing it makes ﬁnancial sense

In this case, Yoon said, be sure to get an independent quote for thevalue of your vehiclebefore yougotothe dealership.

Is the purchase awant or aneed?

Be honest withyourself

Do you really need to buy a$60,000 SUVwhen a$25,000 used sedan with the samesafetyfeatures will do?

Do you need that third roworextended cargo space for theoccasional times you need to move furniture?

Affordability is increasingly difﬁcult in today’scar market because so much is out ofyourcontrol.But by doing the math, youcan ensure your next vehicle purchase doesn’t become aﬁnancial anchor that weighs down your budget for thenextdecade.

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost.com.

were not at liberty to speak on the record said roughly40positions —justover 10% of the workforce —have been eliminated since the conversion. Ferris declined to commentonspecific joblosses, saying they were notyet public information, but acknowledged the broader push for efﬁciency “We’ve taken deliberate steps to improve efﬁciency across the organization,” he said. “These actions allowustooperatemore effectively while continuing to invest in our clients and the value we deliver to shareholders.” Despite its long history,Fidelity remains small by modern banking standards. FB Bancorp’s market capitalization is about $224 million, and Fidelity Bank holds nearly $1.3 billioninassets.Byway of comparison, Hancock Whitney often considered amidsized Gulf South regional bank —has roughly $35 billion in assets.

That imbalance reﬂects anational trend.Since theearly 2000s, the number of Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.-insured banks in the U.S. has fallen sharply,asrising regulatory costs, technology investments and competitive pressures have favored scale. While there are occasionalsuccess stories —such as TABBank of Utah, which evolved from aniche “mobile bank”for truckers into atechforwarddigital lender —those cases are rare. Academic research led by LSU

At this year’sD.C.MardiGras, Tuesdaythrough Feb. 1, there will be moreofthose business networking opportunities than ever beforeasmore groups host receptions, schedule panels and setuphospitality suites in the hopesofcapturing more of that deal-making magic.

It’s all happening because recent history showsthat, despitethe event’sboozyand festive atmosphere,it’sa timeand place wherea critical mass of decision-makers gettogether to make dealshappen.

“If you madealist of thethousand most inﬂuentialpoliticians and privatesector leaders in Louisiana —CEOs, elected ofﬁcials, lobbyists, subject matter experts, you name it —they areall there,” said Susan Bourgeois,secretary of Louisiana Economic Development,a state agencythat is increasing its presenceatD.C.MardiGras this year.“There’s no denying the effectiveness of attending.

‘Target-rich environment’ Templet’s coastalrestoration windfallisfar fromthe only successfuldeal to come outofspurof-the-moment conversations at Washington Mardi Gras.

What could become the biggest outsideinvestment in Louisiana history,the MetaHyperion data center in north Louisiana, was partially conceived during interactions at the2024 gathering, when executives from Entergy, thestate’sbiggestutility, tipped off leaders at LEDthatMeta was on thehunt for alocation for its massive project.

On asmaller scale, but still transformational, the$200 million redevelopmentofthe former CortanaMall site in Baton Rouge into an Amazon distribution center also traces itsroots to Washington Mardi Gras when execs of thetech company struckupa dialogue with members of theBaton Rouge Area Chamber,according to Adam Knapp, the chamber’sformer CEO who now leads Leaders for aBetterLouisiana, the state’s business roundtable

“Wescheduled ameeting in the hallways at the Hilton to brainstorm siteselection,” Knapp said. “They had some fulﬁllment centers at that pointbut hadn’t yetbuilt large distributionfacilities in the state.”

Hoping to createmoremoments like that, Louisiana business champions are creating more opportunities fornetworking. That means an event that began in 1945 as aparty for homesick politicos has evolved into amore decentralized business gathering that has programming for plenty of people whomay not even attend eventsproduced by The MystickKrewe of Louisianians, the private social organizationthathosts theSaturday-night ball andother parties.

In the WashingtonHilton —the event’sepicenter —businesses,

ﬁnance professor Rajesh Narayanan has shown thatdeclining relianceonphysical branchesand the growing efficiency of large bankingnetworkshaveaccelerated consolidation, particularly since 2010. As digital banking reduced the economic valueof dense branchfootprints, larger institutions gained astructural advantage.

Louisianahas followed the same trajectory.FDIC data show asteady decline in thenumber of banks headquarteredinthe state over thepastdecade, with mergersfar outpacingnew charters and leaving asmaller group of institutions controlling alarger share of assets.

GuyWilliamson, CEO of Gulf CoastBank &Trust, said theconsolidation mirrors broader economic realities in Louisiana.

“The banking sector reﬂects the underlying economy,” Williamson said. “Louisiana has faced alot of challenges in recent years.”He pointedtoimproving momentum froma newcity administration in New Orleans and recent state tax reforms, but said those positives are counterbalanced by higher interest rates and persistently high insurance costs.

Fidelity’sown history mirrors many of those broader shifts.

Founded in 1908 as FidelityHomestead Association, the institution was created to promote thrift and homeownership, amission typi-

nonproﬁts,chambers andothers payfor hospitality suitesthat welcomevisitorsand meetings throughout the week. AFriday economic development lunch has become aparticularly indemand gathering.

“Everybody throws aparty now,”saidRuthLawson,president of the Jefferson Chamber, which has hosted events for nearly twodecades. “You could be at adifferent event every 10 minutes.”

Threeyearsago,Greater New Orleans Inc., the south Louisianaregionaleconomicdevelopment nonprofit, began co-hosting events at the Hilton as well.

Jasmine Brown DeRousselle, who oversees GNO Inc.’sannual brunch, said she’sseen an increaseinbusiness events just in the four yearsshe’s attended.

“That’swhy we started ourseries,”she said. “A lot of people didn’tknowhow to be apart of the momentwithout being in the krewe.”

LED is revving up new programming this year,too, debuting what Bourgeois calls a“hospitalitysuiteonsteroids” at the Hilton. The space, modeled after atent theagencyset up in downtown NewOrleans before last year’sSuperBowl,will host panels on the energy and logistics industries, andaconversation focusedoninnovation

Bourgeois, who plans to spend the entire week in D.C., said most of her senior staff is attending the eventaswellbecause “there is no moretarget-rich environment for theworkwedo.”

Beyond theHilton WashingtonMardi Grasprogramming has long since outgrown the Hilton, where one of the lounges is temporarily renamed “The 65th Parish” forthe occasion and rumor has it that the weekendsetsrecords forliquorsales For the last three years, the New Orleans Chamber has hosted ahospitalitysuiteand reception across the street at The Churchill Hotel. The chamber hasa 40-room block to accommodate anyone who wants to be close but nottoo closetothe action across the street. The Thursdaynight reception,expected to draw several hundred people, attracts elected officials and businessleaders from allover the state who wanttomakeconnections withtheir counterparts in New Orleans.

A10-minute drive away,The Willard Hotel hasbeen home to D.C. Mardi Gras-related events for more than adecade. There, Leaders foraBetter

cal of early savings and loans. For decades, it was closelyassociated with the Andry family,which guidedthe bank across multiple generations through muchofthe 20th century.Overtime,Fidelity evolved alongside the industry, changing itsname, expanding its productofferings and ultimately shedding the“homestead” designation altogether

The 2014 acquisition of NOLA Lending marked one of its most ambitious growth bets. Adecade later,the decision to sellthat unit underscoreshow much the banking environment has changed.

Sharebuyback rationale

Forinvestors, oneofthe most tellingsignalsmay be how Fidelityisdeploying its capital. Shares of FB Bancorp have mostly traded above their initial $10 offering price andwere around $12.50 in mid-January.Gavin Magor,ananalyst at Weiss Ratings, noted that the company has spent about $25 million buyingback roughly10% of its own shares at an average price of $12.725.

“Typically,whena company buys back its own shares, it’ssaying it would ratherreturn money to shareholders than invest it in growth,” Magorsaid. FB Bancorp is categorized as an “emerging growth” company on Nasdaq, but Magor said its behavior suggests otherwise.

“Banks of this size nowadays

Louisiana (formerly the Committee of 100 andCouncilfor aBetter Louisiana) hosts amembersonly conference of the state’stop CEOsonWednesday andThursday before the Washington Mardi Gras ball. Severalhundred membersattenddaytime policy briefings, meetings on Capitol Hill andplentyofparties

“Credit to my predecessors, who saw an opportunity to do more thanthe economicdevelopment lunch,” said Knapp. “So many business leadersare there alreadythat it’sanopportunity to give them more contentabout big issues.”

Throughout the week,other businessesand organizations host events in Capitol Hill ofﬁces, corporate lobbies, embassies and other locations around town. Entergy is afrequent host, as are trade groups representing the state’senergy,petrochemical andportindustries.

It all can test the average human’scapabilityfor schmoozing, but GrayStream, the Lake Charles-basedbusinessmanwho is serving as the ceremonial king of this year’sevent, said he’s making apoint to attendas many events as possible to help promote thestate.

He’salso spending bigtohost aking’slunch of his own, meaning he andhis family have been planninginvitations, menus and other details formonths.

“My wife is calling the whole thing ‘Gray’s wedding,’” he said. Newperspective BryanJones,anexecutive at thenational infrastructure ﬁrm HNTB,has anew perspective on the event that he’s attendedfor roughly 15 years.

Amember of the krewe that hosts it,Jones said he andhis wife usedtotreat the gathering likea weekendgetaway,leaving the kids home with their parents. Nowthat he’sbeen promoted to HNTB’sWashington, D.C., ofﬁce, where he oversees thecompany’sMid-Atlanticfootprint,he has to balance the party with getting home in time to make lunches andhelpwith homework, but he sees thebusinessvalue more than ever “Washington Mardi Gras allows forpeople to gettogether outside of Louisiana,haveconversations about business and politics, build those relationships and then come back home andsee thosedealsthrough,”he said. “Someofmyclosest business relationships over the years have been forgedthere.”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

are either going to be acquiring or they’re waiting to get acquired,” he said. “Clearly,they’re not in a position to be acquiring andseem more likely to be positioning themselves to be acquired.”

Fidelity has indicated it plans to continue repurchasing shares.

“A buyback allowsustodeploy excess capital in away that enhances long-termshareholder value,” Ferris said. “Just as important,itunderscores ourconﬁdence in Fidelity Bank’sstrategy and future growth.”

Big investment groups, including Principal Global Investors and BlackRock, ownlarge chunks of FB Bancorp shares, though the majority is owned by small investors. Fidelity employees own just under10% andseniorexecutives, including Ferris, ownabout 4%. Ferrissaidthatgrowth remains part of the bank’sstrategy.Fidelity recently opened anew ofﬁce in Lafayette, andhesaidearly results there have been encouraging.

“The early success of our new Lafayette ofﬁce reinforces our belief that our community-banking model travelswellwhen we stay focused on what we do best building local relationshipsand delivering personalized service,” Ferris said. “At the same time, we will continue to evaluate opportunities to expand geographically.”

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

Bourgeois

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ASK THE EXPERTS

Networking group helping founders become better leaders

BY RICH COLLINS staff writer

Marie Powell’s art degree

WItH

MarIe PoWeLL

helped prepare her for the creative demands of running her 15-year-old advertising ﬁrm, Brew Agency, which has created campaigns for clients that include Delgado Community College, The Boot and a new state-funded nonproﬁt.

But, as Powell’s Baton Rougebased venture has grown, she has had to learn on-the-job the business skills required to run a company that now has more than 10 employees and annual revenues of more than $1 million. For help, she’s turned to networking groups and training opportunities like the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and the CEO Roundtables organized by the Louisiana’s economic development agency

But, Powell said, she found something uniquely helpful after joining the local chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a global, peer-to-peer network designed to help business founders learn to be better leaders and grow their companies.

Powell joined the group in 2021 and, four years later, became president of its Louisiana chapter, which includes more than 80 local business owners, some of them among the region’s most high-proﬁle startup founders. The group includes Franziska Trautmann, co-founder of the recycling company Glass Half Full; Conway Solomon, whose tech company WRSTBND was acquired by a huge entertainment company two years ago; and Christa Cotton, owner of the El Guapo brand of cocktail bitters and syrups, which just made it onto Walmart shelves. In this week’s Talking Business, Powell explains how Entrepre-

“Running a business is hard. It’s not for the faint of heart. (Entrepreneurs’ Organization) offers a community and support system for business leaders to learn and grow together.”

MarIe PoWeLL, founder of Brew agency and president of the Louisiana chapter of the entrepreneurs’ organization

neurs’ Organization works, why she signed on to lead it and how the group’s business accelerator program is designed to create future members. This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity

You’ve run the Brew Agency for more than a decade. What is one of your notable campaigns?

We ran the public launch of LA Wallet, which made our state the ﬁrst in the U.S. to fully launch a digital ID At the time, no one

knew what it was There were zero users We had to get the public and businesses to understand how it worked and that it was a legally accepted form of identiﬁcation. To date, more than 75% of Louisiana drivers use the app. We were responsible for strategy and execution of the initial marketing campaign.

What is Entrepreneurs’ Organization and how did you get involved?

EO is a nonprofit, global community of nearly 20,000 members

in more than 80 countries. There are individual and regional chapters. We’ve got about 90 people in Louisiana, all with businesses that make at least $1 million in annual revenue.

Running a business is hard. It’s not for the faint of heart. EO offers a community and support system for business leaders to learn and grow together

How and why did you join?

I got involved because I was a business owner and was looking for a community and network of other business owners that I could talk to. I was recruited by Mark Lewis, who runs the CEO roundtables for Louisiana Economic Development.

No one ever really taught me how to run a company I just knew how to do the work and slowly got clients and continued to grow

I started doing a variety of different networking groups, but there is nothing like EO, which focuses on the whole of the entrepreneur It’s not just about business strategies, growth, HR and legal issues. It actually gets into the personal side of the entrepreneur as well.

EO produces local educational events, and members have the option to attend big national and international gatherings, but it sounds like the most important work happens at your regular “forum” meetings. What are those about?

There are usually seven or eight members in a forum and within that group we share experiences talk about the highs and lows and share what’s going on in our personal lives because, as entrepreneurs, our business lives kind of bleed into everything that we do. We take the work home with us.

There’s training that’s involved. They teach us how to communicate. We don’t give advice; we don’t tell each other what to do. But we share experiences that resonate. It sounds like therapy.

We say it’s not therapy, but it’s therapeutic And we say forum is a gym, not a spa. You’re there to

work, and the stuff we talk about, it’s pretty deep. You’re with these people once a month for years.

Why don’t you give advice?

Most people, and especially entrepreneurs, don’t like to be told what to do. They know their company better than anybody else. It’s a leadership skill to be able to have a conversation with somebody and have them express what they’re going through and then not immediately give advice.

What’s the EO vibe? Who joins?

If you are the smartest person in the room, you don’t belong in EO.

If you are somebody who can use every circumstance and every situation to learn and grow from the people around you, that’s a good ﬁt.

Conﬁdentiality is hugely important. We’re talking about very personal things about our businesses, so trust and respect is essential. We’re all a little eccentric. Everybody’s got big personalities and are somewhat fearless. I think that’s a commonality among people who start businesses and are able to be successful.

I think the median age is probably in the early 40s, but there also are younger people and there are certainly some that have approached retirement and that have even sold their businesses.

Do you talk about challenges that are specific to being entrepreneurs here in Louisiana in 2026?

We talk about anything and everything that’s relevant to our businesses, including tariffs, other issues and how we’re working to get through them.

Within one forum, there may be people that have very different political views, might have very different religious views, might have very different styles of communication. But all the things you think we might disagree on, all that goes out the window and we really just truly connect on a fundamental level.

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

ProVIDeD PHoto By Bret LoVetro

ACROSS THE REGION

Robots to do ‘dull,’ ‘dangerous’ jobs, developers say

st. Bernard-based company to build humanoid welders for industrial uses

BY RICH COLLINS staff writer

Humanoid robot welders are coming to St. Bernard Parish.

On Thursday, Louisiana’s economic development agency and St. Bernard-based SSE Steel Fabrication announced an agreement with Houston-based tech startup Persona AI to launch a pilot program at SSE to develop humanoid robotics for industrial uses. Greater New Orleans Inc., southeast Louisiana’s economic development nonproﬁt, also is participating.

The pilot program is scheduled to begin in the ﬁrst quarter of this year at SSE’s Violet facility, about a 30-minute drive from downtown New Orleans. The company is a woman-owned steel fabrication contractor that specializes in structural fabrication for commercial, industrial and municipal projects across the United States.

Under the terms of the nonbinding agreement, Louisiana Economic Development will commit up to $50,000 to cover the cost of Persona employees traveling to Louisiana from the company’s headquarters in Houston and its ofﬁce in Pensacola, Florida If performance thresholds are met, LED also will negotiate in good faith for a lease of two humanoid robots from Persona for operational testing and deployment at SSE.

Persona views the pilot as a chance to collect data and gain real-world validation ahead of wider deployments of the machines. For local business champions, it’s a chance for the state to get ahead of technological changes that could affect legacy industries and a ﬁrst step toward becoming a proving ground.

“The only way to see if technology is a net positive or negative is

ProVIDeD

uses.

to test it,” Josh Fleig, LED’s chief innovation ofﬁcer, said in a phone interview. “We want to get our hands dirty and ﬁnd out of these things can weld effectively in a Louisiana steel fabrication facility If it works, we’ll try to capture some of that value.”

The memorandum of understanding, signed last week, lays out a three-phase rollout of the machines in Louisiana. First, Persona will send engineers to SSE to study the behavior of human welders, some of whom will be wearing motion capture suits as they work. The goal is to gather data that will help the company build hardware and software, which will be deployed slowly and incrementally until it can eventually take over tasks, working alongside tradespeople.

In the second phase, LED will lease two of the robots for testing

at SSE under Persona’s supervision. If the robots are a success, the state could lease more robots to use at other facilities around the state.

“This collaboration allows us to explore emerging technologies where they matter most, on the shop ﬂoor not in a lab,” Justin Airhart, chief operations officer of SSE Steel Fabrication, said in a statement.

‘Declining’ jobs?

Launched in 2024 by Nicolaus Radford, Jerry Pratt and Jide Akinyode, Persona aims to develop intelligent humanoid robots designed for industrial use.

After working for nearly eight years in NASA robotics labs and founding a separate venture, Nauticus Robotics, Radford said he created the new company to ﬁnd realworld uses for the machines He

Beyond Boundaries.

Thehealthcareindustryhas asingle constant:change.

As thefastest-growing sector of theAmerican economy, thehealthcareindustryisalwaysinastate of change in response to macroeconomic forces, thepublic’sdemand forhigh-quality andaccessible healthcare,and ﬁscal constraints. We help ourclients successfullynavigatea challenging andconstantly evolving business andregulatory landscape as they create andrespond to newdeliverymodelstomeet thesenew challenges.

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201St. CharlesAvenue NewOrleans,LA70170-5100 joneswalker.com

thinks industrial applications make more sense than the “household” prototypes that have drawn laughs on social media and late-night talk shows as they are seen in videos struggling to load a dishwasher or washing machine.

Persona’s rugged humanoid platforms are being designed to operate in environments originally built for humans rather than the existing ﬁxed industrial robots that operate in settings purpose-built for automation. The hope is that the humanoid machines will be able to use existing tools, navigate uneven terrain and adapt to changing conditions the same way a person would.

Radford and his co-founders are building machines to perform what they call “dull, dirty dangerous and declining” jobs. Radford said the machines will augment, not replace, human workers as they take

on high-risk or hard-to-staff tasks while experienced tradespeople move into supervisory and quality assurance roles.

“Three or four years ago, humanoids were still just really research things you’d see in YouTube videos,” Radford said during an interview recently after a signing ceremony at SSE. “Now, with modern AI, they are becoming really usable and something you can build a business around. That’s why there’s a gold rush.”

Last May, Persona signed an agreement with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Robotic with the goal of delivering prototype humanoid robots capable of performing complex welding tasks by the end of this year The deal says Persona will develop the hardware and artiﬁcial intelligence software, while another company creates the welding tools.

The Louisiana pilot program that will precede that project came together when SSE’s Airhart, whose wife, Mindy Nunez Airhart, is SSE’s CEO, reached out to Persona to suggest a collaboration after seeing stories online about the company

On Jan. 16, Radford, the Airharts and state and local ofﬁcials gathered for a photo opportunity and signing ceremony at SSE. A couple of Persona employees carried a foam mockup of the welding robots across the facility’s gravel parking lot as stakeholders hopped into cars to drive to downtown New Orleans for a second signing ceremony The pilot comes as tech companies are making progress developing humanoid robots worldwide, though the machines still aren’t in widespread use.

“Our position is not AI is good or AI is bad, but AI is coming so we’d better jump in and ﬁgure what kind of value it brings to Louisiana,” said LED’s Fleig. “We’re dispassionate about it, although I personally geek out on the tech.”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com

DigitalHealthcareinFlux: Innovation ThrivesAmid RegulatoryUncertainty

Although pandemic-eraflexibilities have largely expired, telemedicine anddigitalhealthremain integral to thecountry’s healthcare delivery. Regulatory uncertainty, fundingcuts, and fragmentedstate laws create compliance pressure,while artificialintelligence(AI) integrationacceleratesdiagnostics and workflowoptimizationbut raises apprehension around bias,liability,and cybersecurity. However, global initiativesreinforce digital health’s importanceworldwideand venture capitalremainsstrong forclinicallyvalidated solutions,signaling resilience despiteeconomic volatility.Ultimately, success hingesonrobust complianceframeworksand balanced regulation to sustain access,efficiency,and qualityinanevolvingtelemedicine and digitalhealthcarelandscape

Ourﬁrm is proudtohelpleadthe wayforwardfor Louisiana healthcare providersand supportcompanies as they undergo digitaltransformationand adapttoa dynamicand intricatelegal andregulatoryenvironment.

PHoto

Grady Fitzpatrick, from left, chief business development officer at Greater New orleans Inc.; Madeline trudeau Kawanaka, Louisiana economic Development’s director of innovation programs; Josh Fleig, LeD’s chief innovation officer; Nic radford, founder of Persona aI; Justin airhart, chief operating officer at sse steel Fabrication; Mindy Nunez airhart, sse Ceo; and Jonathan reichel, Persona’s principal marketing architect, take part in an announcement of a pilot program to develop humanoid robotics for industrial

Nadiadela Houssaye

Butch Oberhoff,senior director of governmental affairs for Acadian Ambulance, was elected to the American Ambulance Association Board of Directors for athree-year term. Oberhoff started as an emergency medical technician in 1989 and became aparamedic soon after. He has held numerous roles at Acadian, from operations and education to business development and advocacy

BUILDINGPERMITS

Issued Jan. 14-20

Commercial alterations

Five people were selected to the Opelousas General Health System Hall of Fame andwill be recognized during the eighthannualHallofFameGala on April 16. Inductees include Debbie ClaryDeshotel,senior administrative leader;

SCHOOL: 805 Teurlings Drive,description, gymnasium addition at David Thibodeaux STEM Academy; applicant, Grace Design Studios; contractor, Trahan Construction; $4.5 million.

OFFICE: 2000 Kaliste SaloomRoad, description, Compass Real Estate ofﬁce improvements; applicant and contractor, Gleason Ledet Construction;$250,000.

Newcommercial

MEDICAL: 1715 CamelliaBlvd., description,new ofﬁce for Camellia Orthodontics; applicant, Ritter Maher Architects; contractor, Benchmark Builders; $2 million.

MEDICAL: 1715 Camellia Blvd.Building 3, description, civil and landscapework forCamellia Orthodontics; applicant, Ritter Maher Architects; contractor, Benchmark Builders; $250,000

BANK: 1800 CamelliaBlvd., description, newbranch bank ofﬁce; applicant, RedRiver Bank; contractor, Triad ConstructionServices; $2.25 million.

Newresidential

113 ST.PASCAL ROAD: Jesse Marceaux, $212,500. 732 LAFITTESLANDING PASS: Manuel Builders, $358,375.

512 LAURENCE AVE.: Kara Marcantel,$594,750.

201 OAKSPRINGS LANE, CARENCRO: Lagneaux’s Construction, $225,000.

212 IKE BST.: Lafayette Habitat for Humanity, $186,500.

216 IKE BST.: Lafayette Habitat for Humanity $185,625.

217 CAMERONS COVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders, $231,875.

212 CAMERONS COVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders, $227,250.

411 RUE GAMBETTA: Manuel Builders, $358,375.

116 BERTILLOCOURT: DSLD,$326,750.

728 LAFITTES LANDING PASS: Manuel Builders, $315,000.

303 EASTMOOR LANE: Manuel Builders, $312,750.

107 ELMWOOD MEADOWS DRIVE: DSLD,$433,250.

301 PORCH VIEW DRIVE: Manuel Builders, $353,625.

213 GUN RUNNER DRIVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders, $301,750.

102 WINDSWEPT LANE,YOUNGSVILLE: Devyn Enterprises, $650,000.

110 GREENHOUSE ROAD,YOUNGSVILLE: McLain Cos., $225,000.

ACADIANA INBOX

Owen Florence

Fool’sTake: Powering

artificial intelligence

ardTate,internal medicine. In ductees were selected by aspecial committee of thehealth system board.

SherriWells,operations manager for Acadian Air Med, was promoted to director of operationsfor Acadian Air Med.

Wells will work closely with Vice President of Air Services Michael Sonnier and is responsiblefor shaping strategic direction, championing clinical andoperational excellences. Wells joined Acadian Ambulance in 1997 as an EMT in Hammondand became aparamedic in 2001.

Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA)may be the mostwell-known artiﬁcial intelligence and semiconductor stock on the planet.The tech giant makes the graphics processing unitsthat fuel topAItasks such as the training of large language models,orinferencing —when an AI model applies that training to answer aquestion or solve aproblem. Nvidia’searly entrance into the AI market gave it ahuge advantage, and itsfocus on innovation has kept it in thetop spot. All of this has led to enormousgains in earnings, withrevenue and net income climbing by double digits year over year in recent quarters. Nvidia has powered the early phases of the AI boom, but the company is alsowell positioned to drive the next chapters. This is because it has tailored its chips to serve inferencing —seen as the next big growth area for AI —and expanded its offerings into avarietyofproducts and services to suit customers’ AI needs. Nvidia has alsomade smartstrategic moves,such as partnering with Nokia to develop AI for telecom.Just recently,itacquired the inferencing technology of chip startup Groq.

Nvidia is likely to continue growing briskly as the AI storyunfolds. With a reasonable valuation at recent levels, it’swell worth consideration by longterm investors. (TheMotley Fool owns sharesofand recommends Nvidia.)

Fool’sSchool: Expect volatilitywith stocks

Investors can get rattled when the stock market —oraparticular stock

pulls back sharply.But if you’re going to invest in thestock market, you must expect volatility Fortunately, volatility is generally not abad thing,aslong as youexpect and prepare for it.After all, over many decades,the stock market has kept going up and setting new records —despite occasional big and small pullbacks.

Per Hartford Funds, over the 88 years including 1937 through 2024, stocks advanced in 67 years and retreated in 21. Overthe 84 ﬁve-year holding periods in that same time frame, stocks wereup90% of the time —and 97% of the time for 10-year holding periods.

Meanwhile, thestock market, as measured by theS&P 500 index of 500 of America’sbiggest companies, has averaged annual total returns of close to 10% over nearly 100 years. Those returns vary widely,though: The S&P 500 advanced by double digits each year from 2019 through 2025, except for a double-digit loss of more than 19% in 2022. In any given year,the stock market could jump by 30% or plunge by 35% or postagain of 1%.

This unpredictability is why you shouldn’tput any money you might need within ﬁve years (or 10, to be moreconservative) into the stock market. But for long-termdollars, it’shard to ﬁnd abetter way to build wealth than alow-fee index fund; youjust need to invest meaningful sums regularly and staythe course from year to year.Like the broader market,individual stocks in great companies can have bad years —but as long as they remain promising, if you hang on for many years, you can do well. Market pullbacks tend to last just afew months, and relatively fewlast morethan ayear (though amultiyear slumpisalways possible). So expect volatilityand don’tpanic. Instead, try to grab some shares of great companies

when they’re on sale —ormore shares of solid index funds.

Ask the Fool: Yeaornay?

AcompanyI’m invested in wantsshareholders to approve it issuing morestock.Whywould Isupport that? —E.C., Brooklyn,New York

Those who oppose companies issuing more shares of stock worry about the value of existing shares being diluted.

To understand dilution, imagine that the Three-Legged Chair Co. (ticker: OOOPS) has 100 shares of stock outstanding, and you own 10 shares, or 10%. If it issues 20 more shares, it will have anew total of 120 shares, and your 10 shares will nowmake up only 8.3% of the company.The value of your

LilerFlorence,nursing assistant;

Whyte OwenIII,family medicine (posthumous); Dr.Creighton Shute,general surgeon (posthumous);and Dr.Rich-

Wells

Deshotel

Shute Tate

BY JONAH MEADOWS staff writer

Family-owned businesses form

the backbone of Louisiana’s economy, from agriculture to manufacturing to retail to hospitality

Many of the state’s longest-lived companies are family affairs that have passed down a shared culture and institutional knowledge from one generation to the next.

But running a business with relatives also presents potential pitfalls, as personal relationships intersect with day-to-day management, long-term strategy and ﬁnancial decisions

In this installment of One Big Question, we ask: What is the key to managing the unique challenges of running a family-owned business?

JUSTIN ALFORD

Co-owner, Benny’s car wash and convenience stores, Baton Rouge (third generation)

It can be very tough and challenging. Everybody has their own opinions of how things should be done. It’s not that one is right and the other wrong. Everybody has the good of the company in mind. But a lot of times they can go in different directions.

The key to getting through it is communication. We try to have meals together and talk things out. We’re also really focused on the next generation. My daughter Helen, a CPA, is now the fourth generation to join the business, along with my father and brother and I. I have a niece and nephew, still in high school, who may want to be a part of it, too. So we are trying to do a lot of succession planning now and really think about how we can hand this off to the next generation, as long as they are willing to do it.

HUGH RAETZSCH

President and CEO, Lyons Specialty

Co., Port Allen (third generation)

From a very young age, I put a lot of pressure on myself to set an example, because I felt like ev-

ONE BIG QUESTION

ily business, then maybe you’re not approaching it the right way, because you should feel like you are being graded differently until you earn the respect from the other team members.

BETTY CHENIER

Co-owner, Chenier Farms, Opelousas (ﬁfth generation)

going to sell it.

TODD ANDREWS

CEO, Tasc Performance, New Orleans (co-founded with parents and siblings)

The most important thing is communication — sharing financial information and strategy, as it relates to the entire business, from inventory to operations to overall marketing.

Also important is to be fully transparent to everyone — our family and our investors — as to our strategy and where we’re applying investments across the board to support growth for each channel of our business. They’re all involved, they have the opportunity for input and ideas, so it’s more of a conversation.

CHRIS TUCKER

President, Chauvin Brothers, Chauvin (ﬁfth generation)

It’s kind of a weird dynamic. Me and my father ran the lumber portion of our business, and for a long time, we were in our own building. So unless it came to stuff like, “Hey we need more money for this,” I’ve never really had issues with anyone since I’ve been there, which is going on 35 years. We’ve always gotten along.

erybody was watching what I was doing as a family member coming into the business. If you don’t feel the pressure of working in a fam-

A lot of people require their kids to go work other places before they come work in the family business. I didn’t do that, but I did require them to graduate from college. I never wanted the family business to be a fallback. The other key part to family businesses succeeding is everybody having a role and each person respecting that role. I’ve been fortunate with my kids coming in that they all have different interests in the business. That helps because you’re not stepping on top of each other It’s also important to make sure each person is pulling their weight. Things start to unravel when one person feels like they’re doing more than the other

You deﬁnitely have to treat it like a business. You have to lay out all the rules and regulations, just like as if it were Walmart or any other company, and everyone needs to be on board, whether it’s your son, your sister-in-law, whoever You have to have the right family members involved in the business. You just can’t have family members that don’t like this type of work, especially with farming because it’s so different and labor intensive.

In our case (my husband, son and myself), we’ve been doing it for so long, we know what to expect and what not to expect — from each other I’m 64, my husband’s 71, but he works like he’s 25 or 30 out in the ﬁeld. I am the one who’s kind of like the boss. I’m more or less the manager of what to plant, how much to plant and where we’re

My cousin Tommy Chauvin, (now an adviser) just retired as president the ﬁrst of the year He was really from the old school. I have a lot of that in me, but I can stay away from the ofﬁce more. I can bring a laptop to a hunting camp, where he probably wouldn’t.

My wife, she’s my general manager She came from another industry, and she kind of has to watch out for our employees, point things out to me She’ll say, “You’re not noticing this because you were brought up in this business — this is all you’ve truly ever really done and you’ve got to worry about their feelings.” Tommy and I never had that issue because we’re just from the same mold — you get up, you go to work. And me and him made it work. Email Jonah Meadows at Jonah. Meadows@theadvocate.com.

Gallagher: LessonsinResilience

On the recent 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Gallagherteam has been looking backat theexperienceand howitshaped today’sinsurance industry.

NancySylvester is an area executive vice presidentatGallagher,based in Baton Rouge. Sherecentlysharedher story of Hurricane Katrina, the challenges the insuranceindustry facedand howresilienceshaped the path forward.

With damages exceeding USD200 billion, Katrina notonly altered the city’sphysical landscapebut alsoreshaped global perspectives on disasterpreparednessand response.Today, 20 yearsafter Hurricane Katrina struck NewOrleans, its impact remains deeply felt acrossthe affectedcommunities as the costliestand one of the ﬁvedeadliesthurricanes in US history.

Q: Take us back to Augustof2005. Howdid youexperience the landfall of the hurricane?

IliveinBaton Rouge,70milesfromNew Orleans. That weekend, my oldestson wasﬁshing in the Gulf of Mexicoand when we urged him to come back inland, whatshould have been an hour’s drivetook about 12 hoursdue to the worseningconditions. The news reports initiallysaid things were under control, butby lunchtime on Monday, the levees began breaking and things quickly spiraled out of control.

Q: What were the ﬁrstdayslikewhen family andfriendssought shelter at your home,far from the mostaffectedareas?

Iwelcomed my family from NewOrleans,expectingittobe manageable,but soon found myselfhosting 26 people.Islept undermydining room table,the only privatespaceleft. Wandering into the kitchenatnight, I’dmeetstrangers saying, “I work foryour cousin. He said it would be OK.”Ireassured everyone,“Yeah, everything’s ﬁne.”

Q: Howwas daily lifeimpactedinthe aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?

My usual 15-minutedrivetothe office would takehours due to the crowds seeking refuge in BatonRouge and justtrying to get somewhereelse. Schools also faceda suddensurge in students, andthe schoolofficeswould announcewherepeople could ﬁnd food.

Blackhawk helicopterswereconstantly ﬂying overhead, transporting the injured from NewOrleans to Louisiana State University(LSU), where the athletics departmentbecame a makeshift emergency hospital. TheLSU studentbody even donatedclothingtothose in need, and youcouldsee people wearing purple andgold, thecolorsofthe university. It wasa touching displayofhumanity after Hurricane Katrina, with everyone welcomed and cared forasbestaspossible

Q: Howhaveyour clients’ perspectives on extremeweather risks evolved since Hurricane Katrina?

BeforeKatrina, redundancies were oftenviewedasunnecessary expenses. Today, having backups is understood as essential. Clients nowprioritizestrengthening buildings to ensuretheir facilities can enduresevereweather,addressing all potential exposures on supply chains or backup power, forexample Everyoneisfocused on preventing businessinterruptionclaims and avoiding closingtheir doorsbecause, once theydo, theymay neveropen again. We knowthatFEMA [Federal Emergency ManagementAgency] has stated 40%ofcompanies don’t reopen after adisaster, and another 25% fail within oneyear

As acommunity, we’realso massively investing in roof resilience to withstand strong winds and preventpiercings. When damage or lossoccurs, my clientsaren’tinterestedinjustrebuilding what wastherebefore; they’refocused on constructing to newercodes and following thehighestbuildingstandards

article from Gallagher

CREATIVE HEALING

BY MARGARET DeLANEY staff writer

Aruna Moudgil has always loved art

She crochets. She paints She draws. She makes things.

“Anything you can give me, I’ll make something out of it,” she said. In 2019, Moudgil lost her husband to an aggressive cancer Before he died, he was in and out of the hospital for a year — sometimes weeks at a time They often spoke about art.

“In the hospital, observing all that was going on around us, made us feel sad and down. We needed something to uplift us,” Moudgil said. “That’s why we talked about — when he got better we would do art together.”

But Moudgil’s husband died before they had the chance to create together Moudgil now has a new life mission. As a volunteer she leads the art therapy program at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center, creating art and prints for cancer patients to color during chemotherapy treatments.

The focus is on mindfulness, reﬂection and expression, not artistic skill

ancient art practice quiets the mind, reduces stress for cancer patients

‘Healing powers’ of mandala art

When Monica Mullooly received chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer this year, while sitting in a comfortable blue chair with an IV drip in her arm, she picked up a white sheet of paper The paper had circles

and squiggly lines and suns and ﬂowers and triangles. She started to color inside the lines. Without knowing it, Mullooly was participating in Moudgil’s goal: to help cancerpatientstaketheirmindofftheir

La. expert: New food pyramid ‘confusing’

BY MARGARET DELANEY staff writer

New dietary guidelines ﬂipped the food pyramid upside down, making changes to the recommended American diet including smaller portion sizes, more protein and fewer whole grains.

On Jan. 7, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins issued the 2025-2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, required by law to be updated every ﬁve years. The guidelines provide the foundation for federal nutrition programs and policies. The new, inverted pyramid is made up of three sections, rather than the six from the previous food pyramid. The new food groupings include:

n Protein, dairy and healthy fats: targeting 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day that’s around 80 to 100 grams of protein for a 150-pound adult.

n Vegetables and fruits: targeting three servings of vegetables per day and two servings of fruits per day

n Whole grains: targeting two to four servings a day

“In my opinion, the (original) food pyramid never caught on I think people were confused and could never really grasp what they should eat,” said Catherine Champagne, a nutritional expert at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge and developer of the acclaimed DASH diet. “It’s going to be even more confusing for people upside down.”

Rather than a pyramid, Champagne prefers the MyPlate because it is simple and easy to follow showing people how much of a plate should be filled with fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein.

“My overall take on this is that the pyramid is not a good educational mechanism to teach people how to eat,” Champagne said. “But, I am happy that we are talking about making whole foods a part of the diet and decreasing the consumption of ultra-processed foods.”

A clear message: Eat real food

The guidelines take a new stance on “highly processed” foods, and refined carbohydrates, urging consumers to avoid “packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat or other foods that are salty or sweet, such as chips, cookies and candy.”

That’s a different term for ultraprocessed foods, the super-tasty, energy-dense products that make up more than half of the calories in the U.S. diet and have been linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity

“We’re not talking about all processed foods,” Champagne said. “Even cheese has to be processed from milk.”

ä see FOOD, page 4X

Volunteer aruna Moudgil talks about her program at ochsner MD anderson Cancer Center

staFF PHotos By HILary sCHeINUK a coloring sheet and array of colored pencils

MD anderson Cancer Center recently in Baton rouge.

Champagne

HEALTH MAKER

Mental health support essential for Olympians

sleep strategies crucial for athletic performance

BY STEPHEN WADE associated Press

If winning gold medals were the only standard, almost all Olympic athletes would be considered failures.

A clinical psychologist with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Emily Clark’s job when the Winter Games open in Italy on Feb. 6 is to help athletes interpret what it means to be successful.

Should gold medals be the only measure?

Part of a 15-member staff providing psychological services, Clark nurtures athletes accustomed to triumph but who invariably risk failure.

The staff deals with matters termed “mental health and mental performance.” They include topics such as motivation, anger management, anxiety, eating disorders, family issues, trauma, depression, sleep, handling pressure, travel and so forth.

Clark’s area includes stress management, the importance of sleep and getting high achievers to perform at their best and avoid the temptation of looking only at results.

“A lot of athletes these days are aware of the mental health component of, not just sport, but of life,”

Clark said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“This is an area where athletes can develop skills that can extend a career, or make it more enjoyable.”

Redefining success

The United States is expected to take about 235 athletes to the Winter Olympics, and about 70 more to the Paralympics. But here’s the truth.

“Most of the athletes who come through Team USA will not win a gold medal,” Clark said. “That’s the reality of elite sport.”

Here are the numbers.

The United States won gold medals in nine events in the last Winter Games in Beijing in 2022. According to Dr Bill Mallon, an esteemed shoulder surgeon

and Olympic historian, 70.8% of Winter and Summer Olympic athletes go to only one Olympics. Few are famous and successful like swimmer Michael Phelps, or skiers Mikaela Shiffrin or Lindsey Vonn.

Clark said she often delivers the following message to Olympians and Paralympians: This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Focus on the process. Savor the moment

“Your job is not to win a gold medal, your job is to do the thing and the gold medal is what happens when you do your job,” she said.

“Some of this might be realigning what success looks like,” she added “And some of this is developing resilience in the face of setbacks and failure.” Clark preaches staying on task under pressure and improving through defeat.

“We get stronger by

pushing ourselves to a limit where we’re at our maximum capacity — and then recovering,” she said “When we get stressed, it impacts our attention. Staying on task or staying in line with what’s important is what we try to train for.”

A few testimonials

Kendall Gretsch has won four gold medals at the Summer and Winter Paralympics. She credits some of her success to the USOPC’s mental health services, and she described the value this way

“We have a sports psychologist who travels with us for most our season,” she said. “Just being able to touch base with them and getting that reminder of why are you here. What is that experience you’re looking for?”

American figure skater Alysa Liu is the 2025 world champion and was sixth in

the 2022 Olympics. She’s a big believer in sports psychology and should be among the favorites in Italy

“I work with a sport psychologist,” she said without giving a name. “She’s incredible — like the MVP.”

Of course, MVP stands — not for Most Valuable Person or Most Valuable Player for “Most Valuable Psychologist.”

“I mean, she’s very helpful,” Liu added.

‘I just did it myself’

American downhill skier Vonn will race in Italy in her sixth Olympics. At 41 she’s coming off nearly six years in retirement and will be racing on a knee made of titanium.

Two-time Olympic champion Michaela Dorfmeister has suggested in jest that Vonn “should see a psychologist” for attempting such a thing in a very dangerous sport where downhill skiers reach speeds of

80 mph. Vonn shrugged off the comments and joked a few months ago that she didn’t grow up using a sport psychologist. She said her counseling came from taping messages on the tips of her skis that read: “stay forward or hands up.”

“I just did it myself,” she said. “I do a lot of self-talk in the starting gate.”

On sleep

“Sleep is an area where athletes tend to struggle for a number of reasons,” Clark said, listing issues such as travel schedules, late practices, injuries and life-related stress.

“We have a lot of athletes who are parents, and lot of sleep is going to be disrupted in the early stages of parenting,” she said. “We approach sleep as a real part of performance. But it can be something that gets de-prioritized when days get busy.”

Clark suggests the following for her athletes and the rest of us: no caffeine after 3 p.m., mitigate stress before bedtime, schedule sleep at about the same time daily sleep in a dark room and get 7-9 hours. Dani Aravich, a twotime Paralympian — she’s been in both the Summer and Winter Games will be skiing in the upcoming Paralympics. She said in a recent interview that she avails herself of many psychological services provided by the USOPC. “I’ve started tracking my sleep,” she said, naming Clark as a counselor. “Especially being an athlete who has multiple jobs, sleep is going to be your No. 1 savior at all times. It’s the thing that — you know — helps mental clarity.”

Ditto Clark.

“Sleep is the cornerstone of healthy performance,” she added.

LSU Health New Orleans to study stimulant disorders

staff report

The Integrated Health Clinic at University Medical Center New Orleans with LSU Health New Orleans is one of only six teams nationally to participate in the American Hospital Association Health Research and Educational Trust’s Opioid Use Disorder, Stimulant Use Disorder Linkage and Retention Learning Collaborative.

The award includes a $20,000 grant that will aid in expanding the medical center’s life-saving services and “strengthening referral pathways for patients,” the hospital said in a release.

Pennington welcomes interim executive director

Rood

Dr Jennifer Rood, who began her career at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in 1993, began her term as interim senior vice chancellor and executive director of the center Jan 1. Rood is working closely with LSU leadership to identify and search for a new executive director in an international search.

A new full-time leader is expected later this year according to a release from Pennington.

Ochsner researches new cancer detection test

Ochsner is testing the perfor-

HEALTH NOTES

mance of a new research study: the Galleri multi-cancer early detection test. This innovative blood test analyzes DNA patterns in healthy individuals to detect cancer signals and predict their origin — offering a transformative approach to early cancer diagnosis.

FranU opens renovated health professions building

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University celebrated the completion of its newly renovated School of Health Professions Building, a $2 million venture for the university

The updated building includes student-centered classrooms, advanced laboratories, a rehabilitation gym, a Research and Innovation Laboratory and collaborative study spaces that support holistic student formation

Tulane pioneers gene therapy for hemophilia

The Louisiana Center for Bleeding and Clotting Disorders is the first facility in the state to administer gene therapy for hemophilia A, treating Jacob Beard, 26, at its Metairie clinic. Located within the Tulane University School of Medicine, the center holds clinics at University Medical Center-New Orleans, Lakeside-Metairie, Villas at Angel Point-Lafayette and Alexandria This new blood disorder therapy offers the potential for a life free from the risk of spontaneous bleeding and the need for frequent intravenous infusions of clotting actor

Gene therapy for hemophilia works by

PHoto ProVIDeD By FraNU

Franciscan Missionaries of our Lady University recently celebrated the completion of its newly renovated school of Health Professions Building, a $2 million venture for the university

assoCIateD Press FILe PHoto By LUCa BrUNo

olympic rings are seen in the snow at the stelvio ski Center the venue for the alpine ski and ski mountaineering disciplines at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter olympics, in Bormio, Italy

Icomfortably then that Living lessons and curiosity, who earned appreciate Ay And test and 50, about We can take how to follow-up at takeaway sure your tell what long “Year accomplishm quieter would making. should,” not

BY THENUMBERS

1IN20aDULtsINtHe U.s.

rePort CoroNary HeartDIsease

Coronaryheartdisease is the most common heart disease in america. It killed 371,506 people in 2022 with about 1in20adults over 20 reporting coronaryheart disease.

Coronaryheartdiseaseis atype of heartdiseasethat occurs when the arteries of the heartcannot deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle due to narrowing from the buildup of fatty deposits called plaque. In 2023, Louisiana had the fifth-highest death rate for heartdisease in the U.s., according to data from the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention. In Louisiana, the averagepercentageof adults whoreporteverbeing told by adoctor,nurse or other

healthprofessional that they hadanginaorcoronaryhearth disease in 2023was 6.9%. these parishes had the lowest percentageofadults withanginaorcoronaryheart disease in 2023, according to data from the CDC: n ascension,st. Charles and st.tammanyparishes at 5.6%; n West Baton rougeParish at 5.8%; n east Baton rouge, Lafayette and st.James parishesat 5.9%; n Bossier andJefferson parishes at 6%; n Cameron, Livingston, orleans,Plaquemines and West Feliciana parishes at 6.1%; n Calcasieu and st.John the Baptist parishes at 6.2%; n and Beauregard, east

Feliciana and Lasalle parishes at 6.4% these parishes had the highest percentageofadults with angina or coronaryheart disease in 2023, according to data from the CDC:

n east Carroll Parish at 9.5%;

n Claiborne Parish at 8.7%;

n Madison Parish at 8.6%; n tensas Parish at 8.1%; n Bienville and Concordia parishes at 8%; n avoyelles and Morehouse parishes at 7.8%; n Caldwell and Webster parishes at 7.7%; n Catahoula, Franklin and red river parishes at 7.6%; n evangelineand st. Landry parishes at 7.5%; n and allen and st. Helena parishes at 7.4%

BY MARGARETDELANEY staff writer

The largest artery in the body the aorta, begins at the heart and runs through the chest and abdomen. This one artery is responsible for supplying oxygenatedblood to the rest of the body

But, this artery canalso burst without warning, often referredto as a“silent killer” in thevascular medical community

An aortic aneurysm is aballoonlike bulge that canoccur anywhere in the aortic artery.These bulges increase the risk of atear in the inner layer of the wall of the aorta. Whenthese bulges burst, it causes sudden, intense pain leading to massive internal bleeding.

“You can imagine, when aballoon gets too big —you blow it up too

much —itcan pop,”said Dr.Dean Yamaguchi, director of the aortic center at Ochsner Health. “That’s the majorproblemthat we’re trying to avoid with aneurysms. There are two types of aortic aneurysms abdominal aortic aneurysms(in the belly) and thoracic aortic aneurysms (inthe chest).

Abdominalaortic aneurysms are significantly more common, with 200,000 people in the U.S. diagnosed each year— the 15th leading cause of deathinthe country and the 10th leading cause of death in men older than 55, according to the American Societyfor Vascular Surgery

In many cases, aortic aneurysms are slow-growing and asymptomatic, often coming as asurprise and when it is far too late for address.

Treatments for aortic aneurysms are possible,ifthe conditionis caught early

Care options for patients tend to vary: some patientsneed surgery immediately, others are monitored for growthofthe aneurysm.

“Once (the aneurysms) gets around ﬁveorﬁve and ahalfcentimeters, or if it’sgrowing rather rapidly,wetendtooffer repair to those patients,” Yamaguchi said.

Open surgery to treat aortic aneurysms involves apolyestergraft sewn intothe part of the aorta that has dilated, or blown-up slightly Since this option is alarger operation,involving more healingand hospitalstay,Yamaguchi says he recommendsthisprocedurefor younger patients. Advanced vascular surgery,and the surge of noninvasive proce-

dures, led the way for stent grafts to treat arteries. These fabric-coated stents, delivered via acatheter, create anew channel in the aorta andprevents excess bloodflow from going into blood vessels including leg arteries, kidney arteries and more.

“Withstents, we can treat a whole broader range of patients withshorter hospital stays, less intensive care unit time andquicker return to daily activities,”Yamaguchi said. Finding an aorticaneurysmbeforeitruptures offers the best chance of recovery, but themedical community is still at aloss as to how,and why,these aneurysms develop.

As an aorticaneurysm grows, although thesymptoms often go unnoticed, possible warnings include:

n difﬁculty breathing or shortness of breath, n feelingfull even after asmall meal, n pain wherever the aneurysm is growinginthe neck, back, chest or abdomen, n painful or difﬁcult swallowing, n and swellingofthe arms, neck or face.

“While (the symptoms) are not causative, they are associated with aneurysm growth,” Yamaguchi said. “Weoften times counsel our patients to do the best they can to monitor therisks.”

Both family history and lifestyle can play arole in the risk of developing an aortic aneurysm.Aortic aneurysmsoccur most often in people whoare over the age of 65, are male,are smokers or have high blood pressure or hypertension.

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

CREATIVE

Continued from page1X

treatments.

“I’m hoping while I’m drawing that my hair is going to come back,” Mullooly said. “I still have alot of things I’m working on as a patient.” Mandala art is acircular design symbolizing balanceand focus. The repetitive patterns help quiet the mind andsupport meditation offering acalming activity during stress, anxi-

FOOD

Continued from page1X

Champagne saysone primary concern are snacks, like chips and other ultraprocessed items “thathave ingredients lists that take up half the page.”

Ultra-processed food: What is it and how bad is it?

These foods are typically high in energy density due to their sugar and fat content, according to CandidRebello, director of the nutrition and chronic disease program at PenningtonBiomedical Research Center.Processed foods lead to excesscalorie intake within and across meals.

“The guidelines promote an inadvertent reductionin calorie intake, an approach that hasbeenclearly shown to lower overall food intake andbodyweight,” Rebello said.

Proteinand more protein

Thenew guidance backs away fromrevoking longstanding advice to limit saturated fats, despite signals from Kennedy and Food and Drug CommissionerMarty Makary that the administration wouldpushfor more consumption of animal fats to end the “war” on saturated fats. Instead, the document suggests that Americans should choose whole-food sources of saturated fat —such as meat, whole-fat dairy or avocados —while continuing to limit saturated fat consumption to no more than 10%of daily calories.

Theguidancesays “other options can include butter or beef tallow,” despite previous recommendations to avoid those fats.

The previous recommended dietary allowance called for 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, about 54 grams daily for a150-pound person —the equivalent of about one large 10-ounce steak. The new recommendation is 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein perkilogramofbody weight, 108grams daily for

ety or longtreatmentdays. Mandalas are ancient, dating backtoﬁfthorsixth century B.C.E. They represent theuniverse in its ideal formand have long beenusedtorepresentand inspire healing.

A2024 study inthe NationalLibrary of Medicine looked at 84 male veterans diagnosed withposttraumatic stress disorder

Oneveteran groupcolored mandala designs, the other group colored squares freely.The study concluded that the happiness scores were “signiﬁcantly higher”

in the mandala coloring group.

Moudgildraws allofthe designs herself, oftenstaying up late or waking early whena design ideastrikes. Each symbol within the circle design means something. An upward triangle is good energyand good ac-

tion. Acircle is wholeness, integrity andconnectivity

Dots are focal points of one’sconsciousness. Bells are the openings of the mind. Spirals are changes andgrowth.

Jenny Delgado began creating art after spotting Moudgil in the hallway

while she was receiving her treatment.

“It is veryhelpful,” Delgado said. “It takes your mind offthe 50,000 things that youmight have.You worry unnecessarily during thetreatments —and the hearthelps.”

Moudgil hosts abimonth-

theold (1995) and new(2026) food

recommendation for americans.

a150-poundperson —that’s nearly twice the previously recommendedlimit —the equivalent of about four hamburgerpatties or about 12 ounces of peanut butter or more than five cups of cooked lentils, according to protein contentestimations from Johns Hopkins Center for Bariatric Surgery

Champagne hasa problem with the emphasis on protein

She saysthe real number to reach the new recommendedprotein levels is be toomuch. Proteins require more energy to metabolize than sugars. Increasingprotein intake mayput unneeded stress on metabolism.

“(Americans) are probably alreadygettingenough protein,” Champagne said. New guidelines also stress theconsumption of red meat. However,according to Champagne, the saturated fat associated withred meat can be arisk for cardiovascular disease.

“Some of that high-level historicalresearch isnot being addressed in saturated fat and animal proteins, par-

ticularly red meats,” Champagne said.

Theguidelines additionally adviseavoiding or sharply limiting added sugars or nonnutritive sweeteners, saying “no amount” is considered part of ahealthy diet

No onemealshouldcontain morethan10grams of added sugars, or about 2teaspoons, thenew guidelines say.Ingeneral, most Americans consume about 17 teaspoons of added sugarsper day, according to the U.S. Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention.

Alcohol limits removed

Thenew guidelinesroll back previous recommendations to limitalcohol to one drink or less per day for womenand two drinks or less per day for men

Instead, the guidance advises Americans to “consume lessalcohol for better health.” They also say that alcohol should be avoided by pregnant women, people recovering from alcohol use disorder andthosewho are unable to control the amount

they drink.

Changing over 45 years

The dietary guidelines, required by lawtobeupdated everyﬁve years, provide a templatefor ahealthy diet. But in acountry where more than half of adults have adiet-related chronic disease, few Americansactually follow the guidance, research shows.

The new document is just 10 pages, upholding Kennedy’spledgetocreate a simple,understandable guideline.Previous editions of the dietary guidelines

have grown over the years, from a19-page pamphlet in 1980 to the164-page document issued in 2020, which included afour-page executive summary: n The first threefederal dietary guidelines, 1980, 1985 and 1990 n ,encouraged eating avariety of foods, avoiding saturated fats and cholesterol, getting adequate fiberand limiting “too much” sugar and sodium. They included how manycalories per hour aperson loses forvarious physical activities —including ballroom dancing, clean-

ly arttherapy session at 10:30a.m.to3 p.m. on the ﬁrst and lastWednesdays of everymonth at the Ochsner MD AndersonCancer Center in Baton Rouge. Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

ing house,cross-country skiing and shoveling snow

n The n 1995 n dietaryguidelinesintroduced the “food guide pyramid” with an emphasis on bread, cereal, pasta and rice. Grains were recommendedasthe “foundation” of all meals.

n In n 2000, 2005 and 2010 n ,the guidelines mentioned obesity as an “epidemic” for the first time. Thesethree guidelinesalso put significance on measuring body mass index, or BMI,and how to use the ﬁguretoadjustdietary needs with an emphasis on counting calories.

n In n 2015, the dietary guidelinesaddressedunhealthy beveragesand sugary drinks. In 2020 n ,the guidelines took “budgetary” and “cultural” choices into consideration in the recommendations.

n The guidance will have themostprofoundeffecton the federally funded National School Lunch Program, which is required to follow the guidelines to feed nearly 30 million U.S. children on a typical school day n The Agriculture Department will have to translate the recommendations into specific requirements for school meals, aprocess that can takeyears, said Diane Pratt-Heavner, spokespersonfor theSchoolNutrition Association.The latest school nutrition standards were proposedin2023 but won’tbefully implemented until 2027, she noted.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

theLouisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.this sectionlooksatmedical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to livewell.

Health editions will also profile people whoare advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do youhavea health story? We want to hear fromyou. email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

GraPHICs ProVIDeD By U.s. DIetary GUIDeLINes

pyramids showa transition from ahigh-carbohydrate diet to ahigh-protein diet

staFF PHotosByHILary sCHeINUK

Patient Guillermo Delgado worksonacoloring sheet at ochsner MD anderson Cancer Center recently in Baton rouge.

Patients Monica Mullooly,left, and JennyDelgado talk about their experiences at ochsner MD anderson Cancer Center recently in Baton rouge.

Ochsner’sessential list: Tophealth screenings adults need to schedule in 2026

By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This storyisbrought to you by OchsnerHealth.

As2026 begins,Ochsner Health physicians recommend adults takeaproactive approach to preventivecarebyscheduling health screenings designed to detect diseases early,often beforesymptoms appear.Fromcardiovascular and metabolic assessments to cancer and age-relatedexams,manyevaluations play a critical role in improvinghealth outcomes

“Wewanttoﬁnd anyunderlyingissues so we candotimely interventions with medications,lifestyle changes or a combination,beforea person experiences seriouscomplications,”said Tyler Perrin-Bellelo,MD, FACP,D-ABOM, a primary care and obesitymedicine specialistatOchsner LafayetteGeneral Internal Medicine. “It’sokayifsomeone hasn’tbeen to adoctor in awhile. We want to motivate them and support them in theirhealth journey.”

Heart Health

Dr.Perrin-Bellelosaid screeningsfor blood pressure,cholesterol and A1C givedoctorsabaseline foreach individual. Ideally,thesescreenings beginatage 20,although they are recommendedfor peopleofall ages,and especially forthose age40and over. Thesemeasurements helpphysicians identifyearly signsofhypertension,heart diseaseand diabetes,which cancause damageifleft undetected.

eata healthydiet, maintain theirroutines andtakepart in activities thatwork the brain.

Visionand Hearing

Routine vision exams areimportantfor all ages,but acomprehensiveeye exam should be done yearly forpeoplewith diabetes or high blood pressure.Adults over 65 shouldhave avision exam everyone to twoyears to screen forcataracts glaucomaand macular degeneration

Abdominalaorticaneurysmscreeningisaone-time screeningultrasoundformenbetweentheagesof 65-75whohaveahistoryofsmoking.

TylerPerrin-Bellelo,MD,FACP,D-ABOM

“Manypeople don’trealizetheyhave high blood pressurebecausetheydon’t have anysymptoms.Their ﬁrst symptom maybeastrokeora heart attack. That’s whyit’ssoimportanttoget those baselines and setgoals so we canintervene earlier,” Dr.Perrin-Bellelo said. “Everyone has adifferentcardiovascular risk profile. We look at their family history andother conditions that mayput them at ahigher risk forheart disease. We alsolook at whetherthe patient has obesity or smokes.Iftheyhaveany of thoserisk factors, ittells me we need to be alittle more aggressive.

Genetic Wellness Assessment

Ochsner also offersa GeneticWellnessAssessment —a quick questionnairethatreviews your personal and family cancer history to help determine whether youcould beneﬁt from agenetic consultation or testing.

With your family history on hand, thisquestionnaire should takeyou lessthan 10 minutes to complete.Adults interested in taking the assessment canvisit Ochsner.org/ GeneticWellnessSurveytocompleteit at no cost

Brain andbonehealth

Older adults mayalsosuffer from hearing loss, which is a leading causeofdepression as we ageand canbemistaken for anumber of other conditions.Avisit to the audiologist to test hearing candetermine if thereisablockagesuch as waxor sensorineuralhearingloss,whichisrelatedtonervefunction

Cancer Screenings

Forpeople of all ages,cancer screeningsremain one of the most impactful components of preventivecare, offering the opportunitytodetect disease at its earliest and most treatable stages

National guidelines recommend thatadults of average risk begin colorectal cancerscreeningsatage 45,reﬂecting an increaseincases in younger adults. However, individuals withafamily history or other riskfactorsmay needtobegin screenings earlierorhavethem more often, said Lingling Du, MD,ahematologyoncologist at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in NewOrleans

Dr.Dusaidacolonoscopyisthe best screening method becausedoctorscan often remove anypolyps,thereby immediately reducing therisk of cancer

Prostatecancerscreeningisrecommendedatage45, andmenshoulddiscussavailableoptionswiththeir primarycaredoctororurologist.Screeningusually consistsofabloodtestthatmeasuresbaseline prostate-speciﬁcantigen(PSA)levels.

Forwomen Mammogramstoscreenforbreastcancerbegin atage40,orsoonerifthereisapersonalorfamily historyofbreastcancer

Cervicalcancerscreeningbeginsatage21.Thetypical screeningintervaliseverythreetoﬁveyearsbased onage,riskfactorsandpastpapsmearresults. Bonemineraldensitytest(DEXA)startsatage65or earlierbasedonriskfactorssuchashysterectomy, steroiduse,tobaccouseorhypothyroidism.

LinglingDu,MD Hematologyoncologist

As adults age, preventivecareexpands to include screenings thatcan help preservemobility, independence and brain health. Joseph Heneghan, MD,a primary care physician at Ochsner Health Center –Prairieville, said bone densityexams arerecommended forolder adults,particularly smaller womenage 65 andup with fair skin and blue eyes as well as men with certain risk factors, such as having a shorter than averagestature

“In general, acolonoscopyisrecommended every10years. If one polypisremoved, the doctor may suggest anothercolonoscopyinfiveyears. If there aremanypolyps,theymay recommend the screening again in oneorthree years,”Dr. Du explained.

JosephHeneghan,MD Primarycarephysician

“Our bones and teeth become brittle as part of the normal aging process,”Dr. Heneghan said.“Thedensityscans give us abetterpictureofthe skeletal structure and allowusto giverecommendationstopatients.”

Dr.Heneghan said regular exercise, especiallywalking, canhelp improve bone density, as well as eating ahealthy diet high in vitamin Cand calcium, using over-the-counter supplementsortaking aprescriptionmedicationifthe bones areespecially thin.

“Wewanttopreserveasmuch bone density as we canto preventfalls, becausethosecan have dangerousoutcomes especially if someonebreaksahip,” Dr Heneghan said. “Health often declines greatly as we losemobility. That puts us at ahigher risk of bloodclots. We want to step in before anythinglikethathappens.”

Cognitivescreeningsare equally important, as memory changes canbesubtle.Dr. Heneghan said Ochsner uses astructured evaluation to determine if thesechanges are part of the normal aging processor a sign of aserious condition,suchasAlzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Each patient is also screened fordepression, whichcan affectmemory and concentration.

“Theseevaluationshelp us discern what is goingonand create apersonalized treatmentplan,”Dr. Heneghan said. “Nomatterwhatthe screenings show,theseare agoodopportunityfor us to remind patients to get plenty of sleep,

Consistencyisalsokey formammograms,which should begin at age40for women of averagerisk, said Melanie Sheen, MD,abreast medical oncologist at Ochsner MD AndersonCancer Center in NewOrleans While monthly self-exams canhelp womenunderstand their physiologyand stayalert forany changes,yearly mammogramsgo much deeper,often detecting small cancersthatareotherwiseinvisibleandcause no symptoms

“It’ssoimportant to not skip amammogram becausethe breastschange and become lessdenseovertime,”Dr. Sheen said.“Somethingthatwasnot visibleayearagomaybecome visiblenow.Ifyoumissayear thatabnormalitymay notbe detecteduntil it is larger and potentially more dangerous.”

Ana Valente,MD, agynecologic oncologist at Ochsner MD Anderson CancerCenterinNew Orleans, said womenshouldalsodiscussroutinecervicalcancerscreenings with theirprimarycarephysician or OB/ GYN.Theseare recommended forwomenaged21and over, while thefrequency depends on each patient’srisk factorsand health history.Dr. Valente said thatinrecentyears, the addition of an HPVtest with aPap smear has madetheseexams more comprehensive.

“We’re nowable to detect abnormal cells as well as the presence or absence of HPV, which is the driving factor in most

Wewantpatientswhocometo Ochsnertofeellikethisisanojudgmentzone,”Dr.Perrin-Bellelo added.“Weknowtheseconditions arenottheirfault.Whenwecan treatthem,wecanavoidfurther complications.I’mencouragedto seemorepatientswhowantto focusonwellness.Thegoodnews isthattherearetoolstohelp thembesuccessful.”

TylerPerrin-Bellelo,MD,FACP,D-ABOM Primarycareandobesitymedicinespecialist OchsnerLafayetteGeneralInternalMedicine OchsnerHealthistheleadingnonproﬁthealthcareproviderinLouisiana,MississippiandacrosstheGulfSouth, deliveringexpertcareatits47hospitalsandmorethan370healthandurgentcarecenters.Tolearnmoreabout howOchsnerempowerspeopletogetwellandstaywell,visitochsner.org

cervicalcancers,”Dr. Valente said. “Morethan 50 percent of women will have HPVatsomepointintheir lives.Some peoplecancleariteffectivelyandneverdevelopcancer.Other patients cannot,soHPV resides in thosecervical cells fora prolonged period of time and causes changes thatcan lead to cancer.” Across all specialties,Ochsner physicians emphasize thatpreventivecareworksbestwhen patients feel supported and empowered. Dr.Valente encourages women to ﬁnd an OB/GYN with whom theycan have an openand honest relationship,especially when discussing sensitiveareas of the body.Similarly,Dr. Heneghan has found thatpatients are moreforthcoming about health concerns when theybuild a rapport with theirdoctor andunderstandthatthe goal is to improvetheir overall health andhelp them livelonger.

CheyenneA. | OrthopedicPatient

OchsnerLafayetteGeneralUrgentCareoffersmorethanjust treatmentforcutsandcolds.Withorthopediccareinourlineup, patientscanreceiveX-raysandtreatmentforsprains,strainsand fractures—allwithouttheERwait.Whetherit’saweekendwarrior mishaporaweekdayworkoutinjury,OchsnerLafayetteGeneral UrgentCareisheretohelpyoustayactiveandstrong.

Visitochsner.org/lafurgentcaretoﬁndalocationnearyou.

Roomsthatremember

L. Kasimu Harrisand theworkthatbrought ‘Vanishing Blackbars’ into theframe at MoMa

BY JANRISHER staffwriter

In 2025, when the Museum of Modern Art acquired photographs forits permanent collectionbyNew Orleans-based artistL.Kasimu Harris, the moment carried institutional weight. Not because Harris was an outlier,but because his work reﬂects abroader,overduecorrection in how American photography is seen and valued.

Fordecades, photographyfromthe American South, especially work rooted in Black communities, lived largely outside thewallsofmajor museums Harris’workhas been featuredin MoMA’s “New Photography 2025:Lines of Belonging,” the show closed Jan. 17, 2026.

Journalism,Katrina andethics

Harris was in graduate school studying writing and journalism at the University of Mississippi whenKatrina hit his hometown in 2005. He workedon campus as awriter at the Daily Mississippian.

Atripbackhome45daysafter Katrina, combined with pressure from an Ole Miss professor to returnto campus withworkinhand, launchedhis focus and ultimately his career

“Anything that would catch my eye while Iwas at homeduring thebreak Iwould stop and photograph,” Harris said. Over time, he startedpayingcloserattention to what was happening in New Orleans, particularly withBlack bars and the gentriﬁcation happening as the city rebuilt itself. He decided he wanted to talk to Whitebar ownersand Black bar owners for his graduation project, but none of the White bar ownersagreed to participate.

“The way Isaw it was Iwanted to tell afair and balanced story,” Harris said With access to Whitebars denied, he decided to focus solely on Black bars.

“It almost felt likeIwas an investigative journalist,”Harrissaid. “I felt that it was alot of parachutejournalism that happened afterward.Mylonger-term project was aresponse to that—like, let’sdoadeep dive in that. …IfI’m doing something in journalism, it’sgonna be facts. But when I’m doing art, Ican arrive at the truth in anumberofways.

Preserving what disappears Harris is aphotographic culture bearer.His “Vanishing Black Bars and Lounges” photographyseries is about more than Black barsclosing. It is about more than New Orleans

“Even when Istartedthis project, even thoughNew Orleans was the inspiration,

Ialways saw it as something bigger,” Harrissaid.“So theﬁrst place Igot to do this work outside New Orleans was Pittsburgh.”

He continued photographing Black bars in Clarksdale, Mississippi, then Chicago, Detroit,Los Angeles and South Africa. One thing, he says, is certain.

“You can tell aBlack bar from aWhite barbywhat they drink,” he said.

He says he can recognizeaBlack bar simply by thesignage outside —and that thereare other subtle and not-sosubtle cues. White bars generally do not sell pints, astaple of older New Orleans Black bars, according to Harris.

“The pints are for the setup. Asetup is, youget your pint —you can share it, you can drink it and you get abucket of ice and you get some chasing,” he said.

His familiarity with New Orleans culture gives hima shorthand of understanding that does not always translate elsewhere. Thatfamiliarity didn’tease his nervesinDetroit, even though people

hadtold him it was alot like NewOrleans. He comparesentering unfamiliar Black bars in new cities to starting school in January instead of August —hehas to walk adelicate balance. Deeper than it seems Harris’ wife, ArielWilson-Harris, sees the layered approach her husband takes as centraltothe work’spower “You wouldn’tnecessarily thinkabout allofthis when youthink abouta bar,” she said. “Tojust go so much further and deeper into thecommunity andthenit connecting on aglobal scale —I think thatiswhy this work is so important, not only to the cityofNew Orleans, buttothe African diasporaasa whole.” BrianPiper says he ﬁrst became acquainted withHarrisand his photography in 2018 when the New Orleans Museum of Art showed some of Harris’ work in an exhibition called, “Changing

JanRisher

Singing praisesof roller bag

On morethan one occasion last week, Isounded alot like an infomercial.

As I’ve brought up the object of my admiration multiple times, several people in the newsroom have asked where the studio audience is —and whyI’m not pointing at atoll-free number Ironically,all my cheerleading is forsomething Ididn’teven know Iwanted. My over-the-top enthusiasm is foranitem that I bought formyolder daughter for Christmas and didn’treturn. Granted, Ididn’treturn it because Itried it and could tell that this thing had the potential to be life-changing. Iwas right. She had asked foraroller bag forChristmas —not asuitcase, but abag that she could use to roll her groceries from her car and up the elevator to her apartment, or downthe street to the corner store. She broke her right arm about ayear ago. Even though it’smuch better,she is limited on what she can carry.She thought the rolling bag could be agreat solution.

So, Iresearched roller bags and found that abag by acompany called “Hulken” wasgenerally considered to be among the best. The bags are not cheap —even on sale. On Black Friday,I bought amedium-sized one for$97 which is still alot of money,but this daughter rarely asks for anything. Iwanted to give her something that would makedaily lifealittle less tiring, alittle easier and maybe alittle less frustrating. On Christmas morning, she opened the giftand seemed delighted. Later,I learned that she had already bought adifferent (less expensive) rolling bag. Itold her Iwould give her the money and send this one back.

And, like Isaid, then Iused it. This is where the story turns, morally speaking.

It has changed my life. For all of my days, I’ve had a problem of forgetting to bring things with me in the morning on my way to school or work. With this giant, impossible to miss bag, whenever Ithink of it, Ijust place the item inside. The bag, which holds up to 66 pounds, is so lightweight that Ihave no problem transporting it up and down stairs —after all, this is the stuff Iwould typically be carrying in my arms.

What Ididn’trealize until now is how much low-grade stress I carry around trying not to forget things —and how much lighter lifefeels when that stress rolls beside you instead of hanging from your arms.

And the rolling! Honestly,sometimes Iﬁnd myself smiling because it rolls so smoothly Irealize the absurdity of my enthusiasm forthis product, but when Iﬁnd something like this that improves the quality of my lifetothe extent that this one has, Iwant to share it.

Yes, there are dupes and copycats —and Ican’tspeak to them Idon’tknow if their wheels are madeofwhat must be acombination of fairy dust and butter.If NASA ever needs help moving equipment, Ihave asuggestion. With alittle research, Ilearned that the bag wasinvented by the father of aSwiss musician named Yoni Sheleg —aman whospent a lot of time schlepping gear from place to place.

staFF PHotosBysoPHIaGerMer

L. KasimuHarrisreflects into aphotograph on the wall of his studio recently in Neworleans.

Harris’ work reflects abroader,overdue correction in howamerican photography is seen and valued.

INSPIREDDISCUSSIONS

ASK THEEXPERTS

Runningthe show at La.’sOld Governor’s Mansion

BY JOYHOLDEN staff writer

In 2024,Sinella Aghasi was named the executive directorof the Old Governor’sMansion, a museum under SecretaryofState Nancy Landry that preserves and showcasesLouisiana’spolitical history and architecturalheritage.

Aghasi partners with statewide tourism and economic development agencies to increase the impact of the historic landmark.

Born in Iran,Aghasi moved to California in 2010 to attend university andstudy the violin. She moved to Baton Rouge in2016 to pursue her doctorate. She serves on several boards and foundations in her pursuit to support and uplift the community

This interview has been edited for lengthand clarity How did you getinvolved with the Old Governor’sMansion?

Icame to LSU to get my doctorate degree in music and nonproﬁt management. For so long, Iwas teaching, performingand involved witha lotofnonproﬁts. Iwould seethe success and the challenges, but Ireally didn’t know what makes adifference for one to be successful and the other not. This is my calling.

Ifollowed that journey with a lot of nonproﬁt organizationsin the arts sector.Iwasn’tthinking that my next journey would be in amuseum,but Iknow myself as a capacity builder who’svery passionate about education andcreat-

HARRIS

Continued from page1y

Course:Reflections on NewOrleans Histories.”

Piper is the Freeman Family Curator of Photographs, Prints and Drawings at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

“One of the things that has always impressed me is how it (Harris’ photography) transcends what we might call traditionalgenres of photography,” Pipersaid. “It blends documentary.Itblends storytelling. It blends sort of atheatrical view of things.”

Piper says that Harris has evolved in as “a picture maker,” using his eye for story and for narrative to get at the essenceofasubject or place and distill it downtoa powerful image.

“He is very attuned to the importance of African-American culture andhistory here in New Orleans, as ason of the city,but also assomeonewho has looked at these things around the world, especially when it comes to Black social spaces,” Piper said. “In his ‘Vanishing Black Bar’series, he’sthinkingabout similarities, both in terms of the vibrancy of those spaces and in the threats to them from factorslike gentriﬁcation.” Michelle Schulte, chief curator of collections and exhibitions atLSU Museum of Art in Baton Rouge, says that since 1998 there hasbeen more emphasis on people of different backgrounds telling their stories.

“But we’re still missing thatview of people fromAfricanAmerican

ingaccessibility. When Isaw the opportunity, it seemed likeawonderful ﬁt, and this is the happiest thatI’ve ever beeninmyprofessional life.

What is it that makes the Old Governor’s Mansion afulfilling job and place?

It’sabeautiful mansion and historic landmark, butI see it as an opportunitythat has been underutilized. There aresomanypeople that don’tknow aboutitorhave only visited foranevent,when we have our museum side closed.

It’sbeen avery fun andwonderful opportunityto slowly but surely change that perspective.

We have almost nearly doubled our attendance from last year.We are working closely with VisitBa-

ton Rouge and other leadership communities.Wehave joined First FreeSundays, which is a wonderful opportunity that has shiftedavailabilityfor locals andvisitors. We are doing more outreach and targeting different grades and school groups for educational programming.

With that comes alot of opportunityand weightthat Itake seriously to makesurethat it is preserved in the best possible way Since it was built in 1929, we are almost getting close to our100year mark.

What can youtellusabout thenew “Three Decades of Change” exhibit that focuses on the tenures of nine Louisiana governors?

I’m proud of it. My ﬁrst days at this jobwereatthe Southeastern Museum Conference, so Ihad the opportunitytointeractwitha lot of museum professionals. Iasked afew of them to come to the mansion andgive me theirthoughts, and one really sticks with me. Thereare nine governorswho have livedinthe mansion, and some livedherelongerthanothers,sowehave more items on displayormore information on them, but that is our focus

Oneperson broughttomyattention that we shouldconnect these stories —toeach other and to the people thatare living within the community.That talkstayed with

&Lounges’ series at his

backgrounds,”Schulte said.“For amuseum like MoMA to recognize Kasimuand this photography from New Orleans —that’sa big deal. He’sreal —anationwide voice.”

Learning thesystem

Harris’understanding of institutions has also been shaped by service.

He has servedonthe board of the OgdenMuseumofSouthernArt for several years, an experience he says taught him as much about howmuseums functionasabout art itself.

“Theart is paramount, but museums can’toperate without money,” Harris said. “Being on the board, you start to see howthings really work —capital campaigns, strategic planning, evenbasic things like what happens when theair conditionergoes out.”

He acknowledges the tension between the ﬁnancial realities of museums and the desire to make them more accessible and less intimidating.

That institutional fluency has helpedhim navigate hisown career moredeliberately

“When MoMA askedfor ahold, Iknewwhat that meant,” he said “That’s an intent —aproposal. Like,‘Iwanttomarry you’ —an intent to buy.All those things have helped me navigate my artistic career moreseamlessly.”

That awareness has also sharpened his understanding of how intimidatingmuseumscan feel to peoplewho do notknowthe rules or whohaverarelyseen themselves reﬂected on the walls

Rootsand responsibility

Harris’ mother,Eartha Har-

me as we were looking at the gaps that we have not told and want to make sure that we’re accurately telling the history

Our curator,JosephRicci,created “ThreeDecades of Change,” which focuses on 1929 to the early 1960s. Alot of things happened inside and outside of Louisiana that truly affected people around the nation, like the Great Depression, WorldWar II andthe Civil Rights Movement.

How does your musiccareer as aconcert violinist transfer into your currentrole?

Iplayed with the symphonies in Baton Rouge, Acadiana and Lake Charlesuntil afew years ago. I was constantly driving back and forth, but my boardengagements have increased substantially over the last couple of years. Iplay smallgigs here andthere,but I decided Iwould dedicate more time to this job and community work.

Part of the way it transfers is perfectionism.Idon’tgive up. There is adrive for excellence that Ithink sometimesdrives my staff crazy.There’s never a“No.” We have to ﬁgure outhow to do it, if not now,later.Ifnot this way, then another way.”

Also,teamworkand beinga good listener. Let’s tune in on what people are wanting to see and adjust. Just as amusician adjusts

ris, grewupuptown on Chestnut Street in NewOrleans. She died in 2015, but herfascination with culture continuestoinform his artistic practice.

“My momwas just atenacious person,” he said. “Like she got firedfrom ajob on Friday and showed back up to the same job on Monday.Theywerelike, ‘What areyou doing?’ And she’slike, ‘I gotkids.’”

She later owned Le Earth Flowers, aﬂoral shop that Harris says waswell-known in the Black community.

Work before recognition

Ben Hickey,now executive director of the Center forExploratory and Perceptual Arts in Buffalo New York, says Harris’ work reflects advocacy andcultural awareness.

Previously, Hickey was curator and interim director at The Hilliard Museum in Lafayette, where he curated asoloexhibitfor Harris called “Vanishing Black Bars and Lounges” at the Hilliard Art Museum in 2022.

Hickey says Harris’ work comes from aplace of love.

“It exudes it in every pixel, in every drop of ink in aprint,” Hickey said. “Thatinherent qualityiswhat drew me to him.”

Whetherworking inside institutions or photographing spaces far fromthem, Harris approaches both with the same concern: understandingthe rules well enough not to mistake them forthe point.

His photographs are shaped less by outcome than by intention —by choices madebefore the shutter is ever released.

with the conductor with the flow, being flexible enough to shift and say, “How canwerespond to the growing needsofthe BatonRouge downtown? And as amuseum?” is important. What would you saytoyourself as alittle girl growing up in Iran, that oneday you would be leading amuseum in an almost 100-year-old mansion in Louisiana? One thing that always pushed me forward was my hope and my faith. As an Assyrian in Iran, I was areligious minority.With that comes alot of limitedopportunities as amusician and as awoman. We learned from very early ages to always fight forwhatistaken for grantedina lotofplaces. And from that, Ithink Igot alot of resiliency.

Inever envisioned that Iwould notbeinmycountry.All Iknew was studying music.Ididn’tthink of myselfasleading an organizationorbeing even in amuseum space. Moving in different cultures, leaving so much behind and starting from absolutely ground zero in acountry that you don’t knowmanypeople andbarely speak the language, develops ﬂexibility,visionand drive to make a difference

Itruly want to makesomething that shows that, through all of these hardships,there wasareason. I’m making an impact, wherever Iam. BatonRouge is home, so I’m proud to make it here

Email Joy Holdenatjoy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

RISHER

Continued from page1y

His father built him arolling bag to makelifeeasier.During COVID, Sheleg and his wife, Alex Schinasi, turned that solution into acompany The sweetness that it wasa father whowas trying to make his son’slifeeasier is not lost on me.

Iget that my excitement about this thing may makelittle sense to those whohaven’t had the pleasure of pulling one of these bags. But the delight is real. This week, I’ve said to people —including acomplete stranger whocommented on my oversized rolling bag: “You have to pull it to see how smooth it glides!”

Then, Iconvince them to try rolling it so they can share in my awe.

Maybe part of getting older is recognizing when brute force isn’tthe best option anymore—when there’sasmarter,kinder way to movethrough the world. Ididn’tbuy this bag formyself,but it turns out Ineeded it. And if you see me smiling while pulling an oversized silver rolling bag downthe street —noneed to worry.I’m ﬁne. I’ve just discovered the quiet joy of not carrying everything the hard wayanymore.

Email Jan Risheratjan. risher@theadvocate.com.

staFF PHoto By soPHIa GerMer

L. KasimuHarris’sshows photos that are part of his ‘Vanishing Black Bars

studio recently in Neworleans.

Lafitte Greenway to get a little more green

Volunteers plant pockets of forest to provide eventual shade

BY SAM KARLIN staff writer

It’s been more than a decade since workers cleared out space for the Lafitte Greenway in New Orleans, a nearly 3-mile long multiuse path connecting Mid City with the French Quarter

Next to a city sign and signal facility, a clearing alongside the path sat empty for years.

On a recent Saturday, 50 volunteers waited out torrential rain before descending on the site They hacked through clay and rock and got to work planting 100 trees.

“We realized there was a big beautiful bioswale here,” said Jason Neville, head of the Laﬁtte Greenway Partnership. “We should do something with it.”

When complete the site will serve as a small but key example of what Neville and the nonproﬁt Saving Our Urban Landscape (SOUL) want the greenway to become. In recent years, the group has planted a wide variety of trees, creating pockets of forest that should eventually create a canopy for parts of the path.

Susannah Burley, head of SOUL, said the group has already amassed over 800 trees along the greenway By the end of the year, they’ll reach 1,000.

The trees provide obvious beneﬁts for users of the greenway: shade, beauty and eventually a canopy expected to shape the greenway’s appearance. But Burley and Neville are hoping their efforts will do more. They hope rainwater that pools on nearby streets will eventually be funneled into bioswales like this one, alle-

viating ﬂooding.

As New Orleans gets hotter because of climate change the trees should cool the span. They expect ongoing experiments with many of the trees will help determine which root-manipulation techniques help trees grow stronger

“We want to build a big canopy,” Burley said New Orleans has few trees in several pockets of the city that are barren and blanketed in concrete, making summers especially hot. Summers in the city are getting dangerously hot due to climate change, and trees are an obvious solution — and also can help soak up ubiquitous stormwater

Funding and difficulties coordinating who plants and cares for trees have long caused problems for the groups working on reforesting the city

Neville and Burley see the greenway effort as a way to demonstrate how simple solutions like planting trees can help New Orleans become more livable.

About 50 volunteers worked for several hours planting the trees, with funding support from Entergy and Parks and Parkways through the Greater New Orleans Foundation Among the volunteers was Mike Karam, head of the city’s Parks and Parkways department. Karam previously said the city and nonproﬁt partners are about halfway to a 40,000-tree goal laid out in the city’s climate action plan, though certain pockets of the city have been developed with narrow streets and concrete that makes planting difﬁcult.

Neville, of the Laﬁtte Greenway Partnership, took a break from hacking through old stumps to drive his golf cart down the greenway, waving at regulars walking their dogs.

The rain had cleared up, and hundreds of trees plant-

ed at various points over the past three years soaked up the water next to the path.

Neville pointed out a burgeoning forest between the path and a playground. Further down, saplings planted a few months ago lined the greenway Behind a new football ﬁeld, cypress trees were slowly rising to form what should eventually be a barrier shielding the sprawling urban park from the interstate and its pollution.

SOUL is testing out various methods when planting the trees, including scoring and rubbing the roots to stimulate better growth, as well as enriching the soil when planting. They’re monitoring which trees had

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which method, and in the coming years they’ll be able to tell what works best.

A nonproﬁt called Louisiana Green Corps has put its students to work planting many of the trees, part of a broader effort to improve the prospects of underserved young people in the city

With many large-scale efforts to build green infrastructure languishing with bureaucratic delays, Neville said he’s embraced smaller projects on the greenway as a way to show what can be done at a larger scale.

“The new strategy is to do smaller scale stuff that demonstrates the concept,” he said.

HelpingSmall Businesses Thrive

Wellness at Work: FrancesLove Is BringingWellness to theWorkplace

For FrancesLove, thejourneytoentrepreneurship began with a single, unexpectedgift: aspa certiﬁcateshe receivedasa high schoolsenior.“From themoment Iwalked in, Iwas blown away,” she recalled.“IfeltlikeIwas in adifferent dimension.”

That sparkstayedwithher as she movedthrough college and into thehospitalityindustry. In 2016, she left hercorporaterole, became alicensed massagetherapist, and openedthe ﬁrst iteration of Peace of Serenity Massage&Wellness.

Duringthe COVID-19 pandemic,Francesnoticedagrowing demand forwellness in theworkplace and she sawan opportunitytobring massagetherapy into corporatespaces.

Theshift from serving individual clientstopartneringwithbusinesseswas already underway when she joined theShell LiveWire program, but the programgaveher theclarity, conﬁdence,and strategy to go all in. Frances then made thebold decision to close her physical location and operatefully onsite at client properties. “Itwasn’teasy,”she admits. Butitworkedout.Her advice to futureentrepreneursentering theLiveWire program? “Be open. Trust theprocess.”

Applications forthe 2026 ShellLiveWireLouisiana program areopen throughJanuary26, 2026 forbusinessesfromAscension,Assumption, East BatonRouge,WestBaton Rouge, Iberville,Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, St.Charles,St. James, St.John theBaptist, St.Mary, and Terrebonne Parishes. All industrieswelcome Applynow at www.shell.us/livewire.

staFF PHotos By saM KarLIN

Mike Karam, director of the city’s Parks and Parkways agency, right, helps volunteers as part of a project to plant 100 trees along the Lafitte Greenway.

soUL’s Molly Powell, program and field coordinator, left, and ellen rogers, communications and volunteer coordinator prepare a tree to be planted.

FAITH & VALUES

Quieter vigils are a growing voice of protest

Demonstrators find a way to avoid campus limits

BY TANYA RAGHU Contributing writer

Judith Lynn, who has lived close to Columbia University for two decades, marched beside pro-Palestinian students when campus protest against the war in Gaza erupted two years ago. “I was right there yelling with those beautiful students, but to see that squashed,” she said. “I’ve been finding ways to go beyond the protest.”

She has found her voice, she said, in silent vigils. On either side of Columbia University’s main entrance on Broadway and 116th Street in Manhattan, Lynn, 74, stands with a large group dressed in black. Some of the group hand flyers to the steady foot trafﬁc in and out of the campus. Others hold a steady gaze into the middle distance. On this day, Lynn clutches a black-and-white portrait of Yunseo Chung, an international student from Korea detained by immigration agents in March “It is solemn and elegant,” Lynn said. “It is a direct statement, but because it is silent it is very powerful.”

The vigils, organized by CU Stands Up, have taken place every Monday at noon for more than nine months, drawing dozens of faculty and staff in addition to students and Upper West Side neighbors. “By being silent, we are maintaining the spotlight on the portraits we are holding,” E.Y Zipris, a doctoral student and adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College, said. “The focus is on the fate of these students.”

Across the United States, vigils have been adopted as a way to build community around a principle or to grieve outside of expressly political or religious gatherings organized by institutions While religious language or symbols are not necessarily present, the rituals are unmistakably spiritual.

In Rio de Janeiro in 2013, an estimated 2 million people inundated Copacabana Beach for a Saturday night vigil before Pope Francis said Mass on Sunday In South Korea three years later, some 12,000-30,000 marchers held a candlelight vigil in the streets in Seoul to protest government corruption, leading to the president’s impeachment. On New Year’s Day, hundreds gathered near the Constellation bar in the Swiss resort village of Crans-Montana to mourn those who died in a ﬁre.

Improved well-being

BY MICHAELA HAAS

Contributing writer

Editor’s note: This story, created by Michaela Haas for Reasons to be Cheerful, is part of the Solutions Story Tracker from the Solutions Journalism Network a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about responses to social problems Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world As soon as John Seigel-Boettner invites passengers onto his black trishaw a three-wheeled electric bicycle with two extra seats upfront, downtown Santa Barbara, California, seems to smile. Pedestrians wave and call out greetings. Children stop midstride. With his silver mustache, a cheerful “Mr Rogers” T-shirt and his favorite motto on his chest — “Believe there is good in the world” Seigel-Boettner is a familiar sight in this coastal city

He has been coordinating the local chapter of Cycling Without Age (CWA) since 2019. Effortlessly charming and still ferociously ﬁt at 70 years-old, he gives rides at least twice a week

Though the people who ride upfront don’t pedal, he doesn’t call them “passengers” but “riding partners” to emphasize the program’s spirit of companionship

“Cycling Without Age is about connection,” Seigel-Boettner says. “It’s about the conversations between pilot and partner and the connection with everyone we meet along the way.”

On this particular morning, his front-seat companion is 97-yearold Elizabeth Wright, a spry and witty resident of a local senior home who has been riding with him for many years.

“My name means I’m always right,” she says as she introduces herself Winding past palm trees, through a leafy neighborhood, and out toward the beach, she waves to her favorite street musician and recalls moments from her long life as a caregiver, activity coordinator, poet and writer

“This is where I bartended,” she says with a broad grin, pointing to a coastal pub, and tugs her blanket close in the morning breeze, her thin hands knotted with age. The ocean glints ahead. For a moment, she seems to fold

CU Stands Up, the vigil organizers at Columbia conceived of its protest in April, when students began to be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Faculty and staff felt a sense of urgency, according to Jennifer Hirsch, a professor at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, who co-founded CU Stands Up. The group considered several responses but was inspired to hold a weekly vigil in part by the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in Argentina, who for years held silent vigils holding photos of sons, fathers and others who had been imprisoned by the government. Rules about organizing on campus did not allow the group to register the event as a vigil; without a religious ﬁgure present, it could only be a protest.

But they kept the vigil format, said Hirsch, because it would attract more people. “It was pow-

erful because people who came wouldn’t have necessarily come for an action they saw as more explicitly political,” Hirsch said. “People showed up just to express our horror, dismay, and lack of institutional action.”

Charmaine Willis, a political science professor at Old Dominion University who has studied vigils as a form of protest, said that candlelight vigils especially have become an important part of the protest repertoire because, as opposed to a traditional march or protest, vigils can be “softer.”

“Vigils not only boost your numbers in terms of the protest, but also get more support from people that are not typically protesting,” Willis said, adding that the recent interest in candlelight vigils could be attributed to their power and ubiquity on social media.

The earliest vigils can be

traced back to the Greco-Roman era. The Rev James Sabak, a Franciscan friar who is director of divine worship for the Diocese of Raleigh, in North Carolina, and the author of a book on vigils, said the classical-era rituals were celebratory, all-night affairs. As the former Roman Empire was Christianized, vigils were absorbed into the Christian tradition but retained their joyous, dusk-to-dawn outlines.

That changed during medieval times, when vigils became reserved for the priestly class, said Sabak. “We lose out on what that festive nature of a vigil is; it becomes this solemn, evening moment that you begin to endure. It kind of destroys the real powerful nature.”

The Middle Ages are also when vigils gained power as a way to remove sins In many ways this is the version that gets adopted by modern society

“Whether it be Christian or not, society and culture adopts the word as something that is done at night and has a seriousness to it and is connected with something sad,” Sabak said. “It gets connected to these moments of grief and tremendous suffering or pain experienced in society.”

But the somber tone of vigils is also an effective way to get people to focus on an issue, said Hirsch.

“It’s funny to get people’s attention without talking, because ordinarily you would yell at them to get their attention,” Hirsch said. “Particularly, a bunch of faculty not talking — that’s what we do. For faculty and staff to be out there in silence, it’s supposed to be arresting as you walk by You see the juxtaposition of faculty standing in silence and these dark portraits and you think to yourself, ‘What is going on in my country right now?’”

and

social connections from bicycle outings

into her younger self.

CWA was born in Copenhagen in 2012, when Danish management consultant Ole Kassow borrowed a rickshaw on a whim and offered an elderly gentleman from a care home a ride. Kassow had watched his father, who lived with multiple sclerosis, grow increasingly isolated. As his formerly extrovert father’s world shrank, so too did his sense of connection. When Kassow later worked in a care home, he saw a lot of the same issues his dad had been struggling with.

“Elderly people come into a nursing home,” Kassow says, “and their world gets smaller and smaller and smaller until they just sit inside within their four walls.”

From that one act of kindness a movement spread, first across Denmark and then across the world. Today the nonprofit CWA spans more than 3,600 chapters and 50,000 volunteers in 41 countries, including in 25 U.S. states. It works in bike-friendly Copenhagen as well as in New York City Each chapter operates somewhat differently according to local needs, but all share five

guiding principles: Generosity, slowness, storytelling, relationships, without age. A visually impaired passenger called the initiative the “right to wind in your hair.” The trishaws cost anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 each, some modiﬁed to ﬁt wheelchairs. “When you consider the impact of one trishaw and think about how much money people otherwise spend on elder care — beds and wheelchairs and what not — it’s actually not a lot,” Kassow points out. He calls each ride “a bubble where magic happens.” Some chapters operate with support from their municipal communities, but most depend entirely on local fundraising and volunteers. While anybody can ride for free, CWA prioritizes riders with limited mobility SeigelBoettner’s youngest rider was a 5-year-old boy on a feeding tube who wanted to ride to school with his friends. “We provided that,” he says, “and it made him very happy.”

Seigel-Boettner loves cycling so much that he spent his honeymoon cycling with his wife, and he pedaled his newborn sons

home from the hospital. He used to be a middle school teacher and took his students on long bike rides across the country At least once a week, he still pairs a middle schooler with a senior for a ride on a trishaw, to spark conversations across generations that wouldn’t otherwise happen:

“They talk about life, music, what’s changed. The bike isn’t the end, the bike is the means to see the world from the riding partner’s perspective.”

Now he doesn’t consider himself retired, but “rewired for new experiences.” While people might think he’s feeding his karma bank by doing something good, he explains, “I come back from each ride completely changed. Society is missing a bridge between older people and everyone else — and this,” he says, tapping the trishaw frame, “is that bridge.”

Sometimes, his riders have lost their ability to speak at all. When Seigel-Boettner rides with someone experiencing memory loss, the words might fade away, but not the emotional resonance. The vibrations, the breeze, watching the passing world together become their shared language.

“They see a ﬂower, or the ocean, or a bird, and suddenly a memory surfaces,” Seigel-Boettner says.

CWA is much more than a lovely idea. A 2020 study found that participants experienced measurable improvements in mood and well-being after rides. In Canada, a 12-week observational study of long-term care residents showed that cycling signiﬁcantly increased immediate happiness and maintained overall quality of life without causing fatigue or pain. Another evaluation in Scotland of a pilot program linked CWA rides with reductions in social isolation and noted beneﬁts for both residents and volunteers. The most comprehensive evidence comes from the “When Movement Moves” study, a three-year multi-method evaluation by the National Institute of Public Health and University of Southern Denmark. Researchers measured a striking shift in before-and-after self-rated life satisfaction — an improvement greater than that of the world’s happiest nations. The study also noted lasting gains in emotional resilience, social connectedness and sense of purpose. Beyond data, thousands of personal stories reveal the pro-

gram’s subtle transformations, cross-generational exchange and renewed agency During the pandemic, SeigelBoettner trained caregivers to become pilots, ensuring residents could still feel the sun on their faces. Some care homes have since incorporated rides into their regular activities “It changed their relationships,” Seigel-Boettner attests. “Caregivers became companions again and also experienced much more appreciation from the families.” CWA has since participated in memorials, weddings and Christmas parades. The trishaws roll wherever community life unfolds.

As Seigel-Boettner navigates a gentle stretch of coastline road and divulges a local’s secret spot for buying the freshest ﬁsh, Wright leans forward, her blue eyes bright. A soft wind tugs at her white, chin-length hair under her straw hat. A jogger gives her a thumbs-up; a toddler waves. “I had my birthday picnic on the beach here,” she remembers, pointing to the sand. She is no longer bound to her walker, but ﬂying along the coast, reconnecting with her own narrative.

Seigel-Boettner pedals steadily, electric-assist humming beneath his seat. He listens as she talks about a childhood holiday in her native Illinois, her children and grandchildren. The city drifts by in slow motion, laughter from a passing cyclist, birdsong, the surf’s distant roar In this unhurried space, conversation ﬂows across decades. The pilot becomes a companion; the rider a storyteller The trishaw excursion is a chance to be seen again, not as a diagnosis but a person, not a burden but a being alive in the world. For pilots, each ride is a mirror, a reminder of what it means to age, to hope, to connect. For both, it’s a moment when time loosens its grip. At the end of the ride, SeigelBoettner helps Wright from her seat. She lingers at the threshold, turning to him. “Thank you,” she says. “That was the best part of my day.” He waves and she waves back before she heads inside.

For Seigel-Boettner, the ride was the best part of his day, too. “I’ve ridden through downtown 5 million times, but with Elizabeth it was completely new,” he says. “Carpe diem seize each day like it’s your ﬁrst.”

ProVIDeD PHoto By taNya raGHU

silent vigil near Columbia University in New york City

ProVIDeD PHoto By BaroN sPaFForD

John seigel-Boettner a lifelong cyclist, heads out on the road with a riding partner

SUNDAY, JANUArY 25, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — oBeisAnce: oh-BEsens: A movement made in respect or submission.

Average mark 43 words Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 58 or more words in OBEISANCE?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

goren Bridge

Where is the king?

West’s heart lead was most annoying. The slam would be cold on any other lead, making 12 tricks regardless of who held the king of diamonds. A losing diamond finesse would still create a discard for dummy’s losing heart. Now declarer had to use his best judgment and hope that was enough. Who was more likelytoholdthekingofhearts?If West has it, South should play the queen from dummy at trick one But is that likely? Leading from a king against a slam might be a good idea when the opponents stretched to reach the slam. You might need to set up a trick for your side before it’s too late. This however,wasapowerslam North clearly has a very good hand and leading from a king would be dangerous South decided to play East for the king of hearts

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

super Quiz

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

SUBJECT: BRITISH AUTHORS

(e.g., Preacher and author of the allegory “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” Answer: John Bunyan.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

1. His works include “A Christmas Carol,” “Oliver Twist” and “A Tale of Two Cities.”

Answer________

2. She created Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

Answer________

3. Author of “Pride and Prejudice,” “Emma” and “Mansfield Park.”

Answer________

4. She created Harry Potter

Answer________

5. His novels and short stories are about Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.

Answer________

GRADUATE LEVEL

8. His books include, “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Answer________

9. Scottish novelist of “Treasure Island” and “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.”

Answer________

10. His most famous novel was “Brave New World.”

Answer________

PH.D LEVEL

11. His “Women in Love” and “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” were the subject of censorship trials.

Answer________

12. Called the “Father of Science Fiction,” he wrote “The War of the Worlds.”

Answer________

13.

South played low from dummy at trick one, winning in hand. He drew trumps in two rounds and cashed his three top clubs, discardingalowheartfromhishand. He ruffed dummy’s last club and then exited with a heart and was pleased to see East win the trick. East had to lead a diamond or give up a ruff-sluff 12 tricks eitherway regardless ofwhoheld the king of diamonds. Had West shown up with the king of hearts, South could still try the diamond finesse. Very well judged!

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. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Take your time. You may feel anxious to reach your destination but the risk of overlooking something essential is high if you neglect the details. Protect your possessions and be wary of scams PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Muster up energy and ingenuity and bring aboutchange.Attendeventsthatcan open doors to greater opportunities. Follow your intuition and market yourself astutely, and an interesting offer will come your way ARIES (March 21-April 19) Be careful what you offer Someone will take advantage of you if you are too

accommodating. Say no to temptation and indulgent behavior Protect your home, possessions and reputation.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Observe, assess and adjust your life to fit your needs. Make choices that help eliminate emotional distress and anger Feed your intelligence, and do whatever serves your mind and keeps your body strong.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) You’ll solve problems and initiate change, but you’ll also attract interference and people who try to take advantage of you. Make yourself clear and get what you want in writing.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Overreaction and exaggeration will tempt you Be careful not to overextend yourself or to promise more than you can deliver Focus more on personal growth.

6. His works include “The Jungle Book.” His poems include “Mandalay” and “Gunga Din.”

Answer________

7. He is best known for his James Bond series of spy novels.

Answer________

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You have more wiggle room than you realize. Keep the momentum going, and generate the excitement and enthusiasm needed to get everyone on board.Youcanmakeadifferenceby stepping up and doing your part.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Tidy up and move along. Cut your losses, abandon what isn’t working and channel your energy and enthusiasm into something that excites you. You are overdue for a change and will benefit from trying new things.

LEO(July23-Aug.22)Choosegoalsand push forward. A change of attitude about certain people will encourage decisions about who you spend time with. Align yourself with those who have as much to contribute as you do. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Be inquisitive. The more interest you show in how and what others are doing, the easier it will be to get the help you require to get what you want. A show of admiration will help you gain acceptance and support.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Consider what’s essential to reaching your goal. A lifestyle change will put you inabetterfinancialpositionandhelp you attract interest in your plans.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Choose your battles carefully Get your facts straight and don’t let your emotions cost you in the heat of the moment. Strive to remain calm and ask direct questions.

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?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Alot of people like snow.Ifind it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.—Carl Reiner

1. Charles Dickens. 2. Agatha Christie.3.Jane Austen. 4. J.K. Rowling. 5. Arthur Conan Doyle. 6. RudyardKipling. 7. IanFleming.8.Roald Dahl. 9. Robert Louis Stevenson. 10. Aldous Huxley 11. D.H. Lawrence. 12.H.G. Wells. 13. C.S. Lewis. 14. Joseph Conrad. 15. G.K. Chesterton. Crossword