Hut8plans waterwell, mains, fire hydrants in West Feliciana
BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer
West Feliciana Parish officials inked adeal for aslewofwater improvements to support a$10 billion data center now under construction. Under the agreement, data center developerHut 8willconstruct awater well, eight miles of water main infrastructure andadditional fire hydrants to support the project —and is footingthe bill.The River Bend data center will use aclosedloop cooling systemwhere the liquid recirculates, designedto lessen the amount of waterneeded
Upon completion, Hut 8will donate the infrastructure to the parish, intended to improve wateraccess and reliability for locals.
“Collectively, these investments are designed to strengthen the parish’s water system while supporting long-termcommunity growth.”
GAUTIER LEMyZE-yOUNG, Hut 8’sdirector of strategic communications
“Collectively,these investments are designed to strengthen theparish’swater system while supporting long-term community growth,”
Gautier Lemyze-Young, Hut 8’sdirector of strategic communications, said in astatement.
The companyhas used aclosedloop system in other projectsinclud-
ingthe Vega data center in theTexas panhandle, which reuses 120,000 gallonsofaglycol-water solution to cool equipment. TheTexas data center requires205 megawatts of power, less than the West Felicianaproject, which will require 330 megawatts enough to power morethan 270,000 homes. Water usage is aprominent point of concern for data centers, with many fearing thelarge sites that need water tocool equipment will strain resources forlocalsand result in expensive utilitybills. Meta’s massive Hyperiondata centerin RichlandParish—which will consume more than 23 milliongallons of water perday —will pull water
ä See WATER, page 4A
Officialspushbackagainst BREC plan to sell
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
Following strong pushback from electedofficials andresidents,a park committee decided to delay voting to advance aproposal to sell multiple BREC parksinnorth Baton Rouge. More than two hours into BREC’s Planning and Park Resources Advisory Committee meeting this week, committee member Christopher Toombsintroduced the deferral motion.Itapplied to fiveof the eight parksthat wouldbesold if the proposal moved forward andpassedina 7-2vote, withTim Gaines and Kimberly Powersvoting againstit. Thecommittee voted to recommend three parks —Alexander Street Park, Belfair Park and Blueberry Street Park —bedeclared
Bill callsfor livestream of EBR family court
BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer
Agroup of Louisiana lawmakers wants to force the state’sonly dedicated family court to livestream its hearings, in what would mark afirst foralower court in the state.
Since last year,Rep. Kathy Edmonston, R-Gonzales, has called formore transparency from the East BatonRouge Parish Family Court, which handlesdivorceand custody cases in the state’smost populous parish.
Edmonston helpedengineer astudy of the downtown Baton Rouge court by aretired judge in response to complaints from ahost of embittered parents. She argues the court is corrupt. Her name sits atop HB278, which would require the family court to livestream its proceedings for remote public access, which would be afirst forthe state. Public cameras are currently barred in Louisiana trial courts. Other listed authors include state Reps. Kellee Dickerson, PeterEgan, Kimberly Coates, Jerome Zeringue andDixonMcMakin, andSens. Regina Barrow and Valarie Hodges. The bill follows intense scrutiny around the East Baton Rouge Family Court over the past year from Edmonston and others who have lobbed allegations that acabal of judges and lawyers have corrupted the court to the detriment of kids.
After appointing aretired judge to study it, the Louisiana Supreme Court reported otherwise, though onejusticedisagreed. Justice Jefferson Hughes wrote that “the line has crossed to actual favoritism”atthe family court in Baton Rouge. “Those in the ‘club’ receive efficient service, while those not in the club …are treated as pariahs,” Hughes wrote. Underthe bill, judges could take aminor’stestimony in their chambers, but custody hearings would be livestreamed unless ajudge finds “good cause” basedonevidence, andeveryoneagrees to
ä See COURT, page 4A
obsolete andsold. Those plans now go to the BREC Commission, whichisset to introduceanordinance on the matter at its meeting next Thursday If that ordinance is introduced, a public hearing andfinalvote on the matter areplanned for April 23.
EastBaton Rouge Parish School
Boardmember Dadrius Lanus said
Edmonston
The basketball courtat
Blueberry Street Park has large cracks and holes.
STAFFPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Hut 8data center construction continues on Friday in West Feliciana Parish.
NYPD officer suspended in off-duty shooting
NEWYORK A New York City police officer who works security at the mayor’s residence and City Hall has been suspended after the department says he shot a man in the head while off duty, police said Wednesday Police said the shooting happened around 9 p.m. Monday in the Bronx after the officer interacted with several men about a stolen car. The officer has not been publicly named and has not been arrested or charged with a crime, police said.
The 30-year-old victim was hospitalized in critical condition. Police did not release the victim’s name.
Brazil police operation leaves at least 8 dead
RIO DE JANEIRO A Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro favelas on Wednesday killed seven presumed drug traffickers, including a gang chief, as well as a local resident caught in the crossfire, law enforcement officials said.
Claúdio Augusto dos Santos, a drug-trafficking boss and member of the notorious Red Command criminal organization, was among those killed in the operation in central Rio, Secretary of the Military Police Col. Marcelo de Menezes said in a press conference.
In retaliation, police said “criminals” set fire to a bus and blocked roads in Rio’s central zone. Some attempted to steal bus keys to use the vehicles to block the roads. Five people were arrested for acts of vandalism, police said.
Márcio Sousa, the driver of the bus set alight, reported that the attackers boarded the vehicle with two bottles of gasoline.
Union Pacific derailment causes ethanol leak
RICHMOND,Texas — More than two dozen cars of a Union Pacific train derailed Wednesday morning in a Texas town near Houston, causing an ethanol leak from two of the cars that officials said didn’t pose a threat to the public
The derailment happened around 5 a.m. in Richmond, a town of 13,000 people about 30 miles southwest of Houston. No injuries were reported, Union Pacific spokesperson Robynn Tysver said.
Two of the derailed cars began leaking ethanol after the accident, said Fort Bend County Fire Marshal Justin Jurek. Both leaks were later contained, he said.
Ethanol, typically made from corn, can be used as a fuel additive.
“It is not posing a current threat to the public and air monitoring is ongoing as a precaution. There’s no need for evacuation at this time,” Jurek said.
Hospital sues to evict patient who won’t leave ORLANDO, Fla. — The patient in Room 373 refuses to leave.
Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare earlier this month sued the patient, saying she has refused to depart her hospital room since being discharged last October The hospital also has asked a state judge in Tallahassee for an injunction ordering the patient to vacate the hospital room and authorizing the county sheriff’s office to assist if necessary The hospital said that resources have been diverted from helping other patients because of her occupation of the room.
Fee to renounce U.S citizenship cut by 80%
WASHINGTON The State Department has slashed by about 80% the fee for Americans to formally renounce their U.S. citizenship.
After years of legal battles with several groups representing Americans wanting to give up their citizenship, the department on Friday published a final rule in the Federal Register that reduces the cost from $2,350 to $450. The new fee, effective April 13, had been promised in 2023 but had never been implemented. The cost is now the same as it was when the State Department first started charging Americans to formally renounce their citizenship in 2010.
Mullin makes case as steady hand for DHS
Nominee faces Senate pushback over temperament
BY REBECCA SANTANA, LISA MASCARO and MEG KINNARD Associated Press
WASHINGTON Markwayne Mullin, the White House pick for Homeland Security secretary, made a case to fellow senators Wednesday that he would be a steady hand for a department roiled by controversy under Kristi Noem, but signaled he would follow President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration priorities and pushed back on concerns over his temperament for the Cabinet post.
The Oklahoma Republican faced questions from members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about his vision for a department tasked with carrying out the Republican administration’s push for mass deportations. Democrats have halted routine funds for the Department of Homeland Security in a weekslong standoff as they demand restraints on immigration officers after the death of at least three American citizens at the hands of federal agents. Throughout his confirmation
Labor
hearing, Mullin struck a soft tone on some of the administration’s most contentious policies, and he retracted his description of a Minneapolis man killed by federal officers as “deranged.” But his combative style, seen in a heated exchange with the committee chair, and loyalty to the president meant questions remained over how he might revamp a troubled department that is central to Trump’s deportation agenda.
“I can have different opinions with everybody in this room, but as secretary of homeland I’ll be protecting everybody,” Mullin said. “My goal in six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day.”
Mullin became emotional at some moments during the hearing and fought back at others, as he spoke of his family’s relationship with Trump and his own commitment to the president’s agenda.
The hearing was Mullin’s first opportunity since being nominated to present his plans in public for the government’s third-largest department. Noem was fired this month following mounting criti-
cism of her leadership.
Trump’s immigration agenda and Mullin’s plan to implement it are key issues for Democrats. Trump’s policy of mass deportations is at a crossroads, and Mullin will be under pressure to achieve Trump’s goals when the public mood has soured over aggressive immigration enforcement operations.
On whether DHS should meet a 3,000-a-day quota for the number of immigration arrests it makes, Mullin said none had been set for him.
He retracted comments he made about Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis man shot by federal immigration officers and whom Mullin had called “deranged.”
“I shouldn’t have said that and as secretary, I wouldn’t,” he said.
Mullin said officers would only use a warrant signed by a judge to forcibly enter homes to make arrests, except in limited circumstances. Federal officers have used administrative warrants to do so, raising concerns that constitutional protections are being skirted.
rights leader accuses Cesar Chavez of sexual abuse
Activist Dolores Huerta’s allegations spark call to change memorials
BY FERNANDA FIGUEROA
The Associated Press
Labor rights activist Dolores Huerta revealed she was among women and girls who say they were sexually abused by Cesar Chavez the long-admired Latino icon, while he led the United Farm Workers union.
The stunning allegations against Chavez, who died more than three decades ago, drew immediate calls to change events and memorials honoring the man who in the 1960s brought to light the struggles of field workers.
In a statement released Wednesday, Huerta said she stayed silent for 60 years out of concern that her words would hurt the farmworker movement.
Huerta described two sexual encounters with Chavez, one where she was “manipulated and pressured” and another where she was “forced against my will.”
“I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was life’s work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way.”
Earlier Wednesday, an investigation by the New York Times found that Chavez, groomed and sexually abused young girls who worked in the movement, including Huerta, who was in her 30s at the time.
Huerta said both sexual encounters with Chavez led to pregnancies, which
she kept secret, and that she arranged for the children to be raised by other families. “No one knew the full truth about how they were conceived until just a few weeks ago,” she said in her statement.
Huerta said she did not know that Chavez hurt other women and condemned his actions but reminded readers that the farmworker movement is bigger than one person.
“Cesar’s actions do not reflect the values of our community and our movement,” Huerta said in her statement. “The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual. Cesar’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people. We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.”
Concern, anger, hope mix in Cuba after Trump remarks
President calls for ‘imminent action’ against government
BY MILEXSY DURÁN Associated Press
HAVANA A mix of uncertainty, anger and hope simmered in Cuba on Wednesday following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump this week saying that Washington could take “imminent action” against the island’s government. Trump, whose government has come at its Caribbean adversary more aggressively than any U.S. government in recent history, has effectively cut Cuba off from key oil shipments in an effort to force regime change. The blockade has had devastating effects on the civilians Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio say they want to help, leaving many desperate.
Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospital and slashed public transport. Matilde Visoso, a single mother caring for a sick daughter, said she’s been left reeling by the island’s spiraling crisis, and wants change in the Caribbean nation.
“Cuba is waiting for Trump and Marco Rubio, because we can’t wait any longer It’s too much — there is a lot of repression, there is a lot of hunger,” the 64-year-old homemaker said. “Cuba is in tears.”
Trump has said he can do “whatever he wants” with Cuba. The administration is looking for President Miguel Díaz-Canel to leave as the U.S. continues negotiating with the Cuban government, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge of talks between Washington and Havana. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss sensitive talks.
No details have been offered about who the administration might like to see in power
ASSOCIATED
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., President Donald Trump’s pick for Homeland Security secretary, testifies Wednesday during a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TRAN NGUyEN
A statue of farmworker union leader
Cesar Chavez stands Wednesday in a plaza named after him in Sacramento, Calif.
LEGISLATURE
Bill would free more dying inmates
Eligibility
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
In Louisiana, sick inmates with less than 60 days to live are eligible for a special release program, but they sometimes die before their requests make it through the administrative process.
A proposal in the state Legislature aims to alleviate that problem and give more inmates the chance to spend their final days outside prison by expanding eligibility to people with less than 120 days to live The proposal could face pushback in a state that has recently focused on toughening its crime laws. But House Bill 399 by state Rep. Jerome Zeringue, R-Houma, is backed by a coalition of criminal justice advocates, religious leaders
and the state corrections department.
“If they are allowed to die in a bed with a family member next to them, it makes a big difference instead of dying in a hospital bed with a shackle next to you,” Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary Gary Westcott said during a March 10 House Appropriations Committee meeting.
Westcott, who said sick inmates typically no longer threaten public safety, says he has been signing off on releases at a higher rate than previous secretaries.
Releasing such inmates is also expected to save Louisiana money, Westcott said The state pays for inmates’ health care, and it is particularly expensive to house terminally ill prisoners. Releasees often become eligible for Medicaid.
“The problem right now with 60 days is, by the time the paperwork is processed, most of the individuals pass away before they even get the review finished,” Zeringue said.
Kate Kelly, a spokesperson for Gov Jeff Landry, said the governor would not yet comment on whether he would sign HB399 into law because it was too early in the legislative process. Louisiana takes a much stricter approach to the release of terminally ill prisoners than other states, according to Zeringue.
Much of the country makes prisoners eligible for release when they have a year left to live, and the nextshortest timeline, as compared to Louisiana’s, is six months, according to Molly Crane. Crane works for Families Against Mandatory Minimums, a prison reform group that advocates for second chances.
Because prognoses can be complex, many states do not require a specific life expectancy, Crane said.
The bill also has backing from the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops, which asked Zeringue to submit the proposal.
HB399 “affirms the dignity of every human person by expanding
compassionate release for inmates who are terminally ill, allowing them access to appropriate and humane end-of-life care,” the group said in a statement.
Another way sick inmates can get released is with the approval of the Board of Pardon and Paroles, which has different eligibility requirements. Westcott told the Appropriations Committee he has been encouraging the panel to approve those releases when possible.
“I don’t control what the parole board does, but I have discussions with them every day about how important it is to try to allow these guys to get out if they’re able to,” he said.
“There has to be some sense of common sense when it comes to letting some of these people out,” Westcott added. “They’re not going to harm anybody They’re not at a point where they’re going to cause any more damage. I mean, we’ve got guys that have been in prison 60-some years. They’re in their late
70s or 80s.”
HB399 does not deal with applications for release that are under the purview of the parole board, only with dying inmates who apply to the corrections secretary for release. The proposal comes as Louisiana faces rising prison costs and a growing state inmate population. Two years after lawmakers drastically reduced parole opportunities and cut how much credit inmates can get shaved off sentences for good behavior, the state’s prison population has increased by 2,000 people. Some state officials,
La. could prosecute more defendants without juries
Bill
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
Fewer defendants charged with misdemeanors in Louisiana would have the right to be tried by juries instead of judges under a bill that cleared its first hurdle Wednesday in the Louisiana Legislature.
Misdemeanor cases are not eligible for jury trials unless the maximum penalty for the crime exceeds a $1,000 fine or six months imprisonment. House Bill 52 by state Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Kenner, would change the law so defendants facing fines up to $2,500 would not receive jury trials. It would also let prosecutors de-
cide whether defendants should be allowed jury trials for misdemeanors that can be punished by more than six months imprisonment, so long as the prosecutor agrees from the outset to cap the penalty at six months and $2,500.
The Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, which Villio chairs, agreed without objection Wednesday to send HB52 to the full House for consideration.
In presenting the bill, Villio said raising the maximum fine was necessary to reflect inflation.
Meghan Garvey, a legislative advocate for the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, challenged that notion in an interview A higher fine can threaten a person’s livelihood, she said, and defendants facing that risk should have the right to face a jury
Villio also said HB52 would address issues with so-called “Duncan misdemeanors” — those that carry penalties of more than six months in prison. The term derives from the 1968 Supreme Court case known as Duncan v. Louisiana.
HB52 faced criticism from William Snowden, a law professor at Loyola and former Orleans Parish public defender Snowden, who said the Supreme Court has a history of striking down Louisiana jury laws, warned the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee that the bill could be deemed unconstitutional.
He worried about “how this particular bill takes away the jury trial right from an accused person without them waiving it,” he said. “That’s not how trials work. That’s not how rights work.”
Jury trials exist to protect defendants from corruption, “overzealous” prosecutors and biased judges, Snowden said.
Villio pushed back against Snowden, arguing the law would encourage prosecutors to seek lighter sentences.
“What we’re attempting to do in this statute actually is to make prosecutors less zealous,” she said, adding that she believed the law would not violate the Supreme Court’s decision in the Gary Duncan case. The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to a jury trial in criminal prosecutions. Supreme Court precedent has limited that right when it comes to petty crimes.
In Duncan v. Louisiana the court ruled that Louisiana violated the Constitution when it denied a jury trial to Duncan because the maxi-
mum possible sentence for that crime exceeded six months’ imprisonment, even though the crime was considered a misdemeanor Crimes are categorized as misdemeanors in Louisiana if they are not punishable by imprisonment with hard labor; if the punishment can include imprisonment with hard labor, the crime is considered a felony
The Louisiana State Law Institute recently found there are over 300 Duncan misdemeanors on the books in the state, Villio said. The law institute could not immediately be reached for comment. HB52 comes as legislators consider a separate proposal that would allow prosecutors to force jury trials in felony cases. That proposal, Senate Bill 97, would amend the state constitution and therefore require voter approval.
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Lemyze-Young declined to comment on the total cost of the water improvements and the amount of water the datacenter requires.
Parish President Kenny Havard said thedata center will not pull water from the parish aquifer, protecting residents from higher water bills. Construction on the well is expected to start next week “Wedidn’twant them pulling water out of our aquifer like they do in other places,”Havard said.
The data center in West Feliciana requires 2million to 2.6 million gallons of water,equivalenttoabout threeto fourOlympic-size swimming pools, forits initialcharge, according to Data Center Map.
Aside from cooling equipment, the data center will also require water for employeeneeds, like toiletsand sinks.
PARKS
Continued from page1A
“this is abad plan,” statingthatthe area has long been underserved, andthe sellingofthe parks would contribute to the neglect.
“These parks, they are in close proximity to the schools where these kids reside,” he said.“If you take theseparks out of thearea, what are they supposed to do?”
Part of alargerplan
The proposal is part of alarger plan to reduce the numberof BREC properties.
BrettWallace, the assistant director of planning anddevelopment at BREC, said the organization has identified 43 parks to sell out of BREC’s175 parks. Officials say the funds from the sales willbereinvested in the same communities.
Wallace said the identified sites were based on criteria including if there are nearby parksand how much the public uses them,which comes from aggregated cellphone data.
The three parks the committee pushed forward for saleare:
n AlexanderStreetPark: Located just north of Monte SanoPark, this is an undeveloped 8.83-acre patch of land. Approved via unanimous consent by the committee.
n Belfair Park: A0.93-acre park that sits on Fairfields Avenue. Approved via unanimous consent by the committee.
n Blueberry Street Park:A2.18acrepark on Ardenwood Drive. Officials said this will be replaced by asmaller “town square”-style park across the street. Approved via unanimous consent by thecommittee. The five parksthe committee deferred are:
n Fortune Addition Park:A roughly 10.2-acre park on Peerless Street. The committee initially approvedthis 9-1, with member Eric Brady voting against it, butit was added to the motion to defer n Wenonah Street Park: A0.1acreundevelopedpark located between Plank Road and Interstate 110.
n Dover Street Park: This 4-acre
COURT
Continued from page1A
close the court.
“Wehave had so many people between Justice Hughes and myself come to us with horrendous stories. …There seems to be some kindoffavoritism,” Edmonston said.
“Tome, if you’re doingwhat you need to do, judges andattorneys, you ought to be OK with” being livestreamed.
Edmonston described a grimy ecosystem endemic to family courts nationally thatfesters in Baton Rouge because it’shome to the state’sonly constitutionally required family court.
“We’re not doing this for oneperson,” she said of the livestreaming bill.
TheAdvocate reported last year that advocacy fromone embittered parent helpedbring aharsh spotlight to the family court, scrutiny from Edmonston and Hughes, and an order by the state’shigh court for an unusuallybroad review.
Pam Baker,aveteran judge on the family court who recently resigned while targetedinthat review, called the bill damaging to families.
“Nobody’sgoing to go to
Havard says as arural parish, West Feliciana has struggled to fund water improvements on its own. The parish received $4.24 millionfrom the state and federal government in 2023 to replaceagingwater lines andimprove pressure, adding anew water meter reading program in the process.
The Hut 8-funded improvements will allow the parish to use tax revenue thatwould normally be usedto improve thewater systemacrossthe whole parish, to focus on the areas that need it most, like improving flow andpressure in the northern side of West Feliciana. “This was alocal deal cut by the locals,” Havard said. “Wewerelooking out forus.”
The data center,which broke ground in August, is undergoing its first phase of construction, whichconsists of two, 450,000-square-footbuildingstobe completed by the end of this year.Construction is on schedule, Havard said. AI companies Anthropicand Fluidstack penned adeal to use the facility in December,with Google providing a financial backstop.
park is located near Greenwell Street
n Lanier Drive Park: Situated along Hurricane Creek on Lanier Drive, this 3.2-acre site includes a basketball court.
n Sharon Hills Park Outparcel: This is 0.27 acres of undeveloped land.
Officialswantpublicinput
As the meetinglengthincreased, some committee members saidthe voteswere only the beginning of the process and the public would have moreinput when it went to theBREC Commission. Power on the BREC Commission shifted last year following the passingofanew law whichgave theareas outside city limits more
seatsonthe board. The commission’sdemographics changed with the law,shifting from six Black commissioners and three White ones to two Black commissioners and seven White ones. Lanus arguedthat thecommittee had an important responsibilityin theprocess, even if it didn’tmake the final vote.
“I heard the comment thatyou all are just the advisory board. Iwant you to understand how important the advisory board is,”hesaid. “The decision that you maketonight is what your commissioners are going to follow up on and voteon.”
Members of thecommittee alsosaidthe proposal to declare parks obsoletehas beenpublic for some time, as it was included
pushed forward for sale.
in theImagine Your Parks 3plan approvedbytaxpayers. BREC officials conductedvariousmeetings across the parish as part of the plan over ayear and ahalf period.
Both Lanus andMetro Council member Darryl Hurst said those meetings did not include discussionsabout declaringparks obsolete, Hurst said.
“For you alltosit here and make adecision without information is disturbing to me. It really is,”he said. “It is very disturbing because …we’re telling you the public was not engaged.”
He called on the committeeto defer the remaining votes and said he could quickly organize informationalmeetings for residents in the area.
Committee member Tony King objected to the implication the committee didn’thaveinformation, citing the evaluation rubric and plans laid out by BREC officials. Hurst responded and said the committee still lacked public feedback about these plans. Committee member Eric Brady asked interim Superintendent Janet Simmonstoaddress the concerns. Simmons said shethought there should be more discussion on theissue, to whichseveral people in the audience clapped.
“I don’tknowinthe past how these items were brought forth,” she said. “However,Ithink listening to the people here, we need to have an opportunity to listen to what their concerns are.”
ciary Committee.
court,” Bakersaid. “This is going to affect what’s most important to them in their entire lives.”
Appeals courtsacrossthe country livestream hearings, while trial courts vary, said Bill Raftery,ananalyst with the Virginia-based National Centerfor State Courts.
State laws for remoteaccesstry to balance the public right to open courts with sensitivity around the privacy ofchildren in dependency cases,hesaid. As ageneral rule, “it comes down thejudge’sdiscretion,oraninherent power of thecourt to conduct its own business,”Raftery said. In 2024,the nationalcenter found 29 states generally closed child dependency proceedings, while 20 states generally kept them
open. Some family courts livestream now Baker painteda grim specterofthe proposed law in action. She envisions personal information spreadingonline, including sensitive testimony on family,income and taxes, where children attend school, or embarrassing details from an ill-fated marriage.
“Once you get on the stand andit’spublicized for the wholeworld to see, you’re nevergoing to be able to fix that relationship,” Baker argued. “Do you want everybody in the world to know how much moneyyou make and what your bills are?”
She called thebilla mistake and said it would deter victims of domestic violence from seekingcourt protection
“You’re just going to revictimizethem,” Baker said.
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UnderHB278, judges in thefamily court could close custody hearings if they find “good cause based on evidence and all of the parties agree.” Bakerarguedthat
perpetrators would never agree.
Edmonstonsaidshe’s heardthe criticism of the bill, which wasformally referred to theHouse Judi-
Belfair Park on Fairfields Avenue is one of three parks aBRECcommittee
CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Attacks on energy facilitiesincrease
Israel killsthird topIranofficial in twodays
BY JON GAMBRELL, SAMY MAGDYand JULIEWATSON Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates— Israel killed Iran’sintelligence ministerasitkept up its campaign againstthe Islamic Republic’stop leadership and reportedly attacked an Iranian offshore natural gas field Wednesday,as the warescalated pressure on the region’seconomic lifeblood: energy Irancondemned the strike on its massive South Pars natural gas field, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warning of “uncontrollable consequences that “could engulf the entire world.” Iran kept up attacks on its Persian Gulf neighbors’ energy facilities, strikinga major natural gas facility in Qatar,asitcontinued to squeeze the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel —through which one-fifth of the world’s oil travels.
Theprice of oilsurged another 5% to over $108 a barrel on international markets, increasing the price of gasoline and othergoods. The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, is now up closeto50% since the start of the war
As the Trump administration looks for ways to boost oil supplies and lower prices, the Treasury Department eased sanctions on VenezuelaWednesday,sayingU.S companies will be allowed to do business with the coun-
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By ODED BALILTy
Israeli authorities hang Israeli and U.S. flags Wednesday at thesite struck by an Iranian missile that killed twopeople in Ramat Gan, Israel.
try’sstate-owned oiland gas company Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz promised“significant surprises” to come afterIran’s intelligence minister,EsmailKhatib, was killed in an overnight strike. Aday earlier, Israel killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani and the head of the paramilitaryRevolutionary Guard’sBasij force, Gen. GholamRezaSoleimani Iran retaliatedWednesday by unleashing missile strikes againstIsrael, where two peoplewere killed near TelAviv. Iran also attacked Saudi Arabia’s vast Eastern Province, home to many of its oilfields,aswell as Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. TheUnitedStates was informed about Israel’splans to strikeIran’s massive
South Pars natural gas field, but did not takepartinit, according to aperson familiar with thematter. Theperson, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, would not say if theTrump administration agreed with theIsraeli decisiontoattack the gas field —part of the world’s largest suchresource and apillar of Iran’s energy supplies Iran has been targeting the energy infrastructure of its Gulf Arabneighbors, as well as militarybases,aspartofa strategytodrive up oil prices andput pressure on theU.S. and Israel to back down. QatarEnergy said on Xthat amissile hit its massive Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility,sparking afire that caused “extensive” damage before it was extinguished.
President Donald Trump arrivesWednesdayatDoverAir Force Base, Del., to attend the dignified transfer for thesix crewmembers of an AirForce refueling aircraft whodied when theirplane crashedinwesternIraq while supportingoperations against Iran.
Trumppaysrespectsto6 killed U.S. servicemembers
BYDARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. President Donald Trump paid his respectson Wednesday at aDelaware military base wherethe remains of six U.S. service members killed in the crash of arefueling aircraftwere returned to their families.
It was the second time since launching the war with Iran on Feb. 28 that the Republican president attended the solemn military ritual known as adignified transfer,which he once described as the “toughest thing” he has had to do as commander in chief Accompanying Trump were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Gen.Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and lawmakers including Sens.Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, both AlabamaRepublicans. All six crew members of
aKC-135 Air Force refueling aircraft were killedlast week in aplane crash over friendlyterritory in western Iraq while supporting operationsagainst Iran They werefrom Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky,Ohio and Washington state.
“Every person on that aircraft carried aweight most Americans will never see, and theycarried it with professionalism,courage, andalevel of quiet excellencethat deserves to be recognized,” retiredLt. Col ErnestoNisperos, afriend of one of those killed, said in atext message Wednesday The crashbrought the U.S. death toll in Operation Epic Furytoatleast 13 service members. About 200 U.S. service members have been injured, including 10 severely,the Pentagon has said.
Wednesday’sdignified transfer was closed tonews media coverage at the request ofthe families in
accordance with military policy.Trump spent just under twohours on the ground and didn’tspeak to reporters leaving Air Force One or returning to it
Trump last traveled to Dover Air Force Base on March 7for the dignified transfer of six U.S. service members who were killed by adronestrikeatacommand center in Kuwait. He saluted as flag-draped transfer cases containing theremains of thefallen service members were carried from military aircraft to vehicles waiting to take them to the base’smortuary facility to preparethem for theirfinal resting place.
“It’sthe bad part of war,” he told reporters afterward. Askedthenifheworried abouthaving to make multipletrips to the base for additionaldignifiedtransfers as the war continued, he said, “I’m sure. Ihate to do it,but it’sa part of war isn’tit?
BY ERIC TUCKER, DAVID KLEPPER and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press
WASHINGTON TheU.S. government’s topintelligence official told lawmakers Wednesday that Iran’s regime “appears to be intact but largely degraded” yet repeatedly dodged questions about whether President Donald Trumphad been warned about the falloutfrom the weeks-old war, including Iran’s attackson Gulf nations andits effective closureofthe vital Strait of Hormuz.
TulsiGabbard, thedirectorofnational intelligence, also stated in prepared remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee that U.S. attacks on Iran last year had “obliterated” Iran’snuclear program and thatthere had been no effort sincethento rebuild that capability
The statement was notable givenTrump’srepeated assertions that awar withIran was necessary to head off what he said was an imminent threat from the Islamic Republic. Gabbard pointedly saidthatconclusion was the president’salone to draw as she declined toanswer whether the intelligence community hadlikewise assessed that Iran’s nuclear system presented an imminent risk.
to determine what is andis notanimminentthreat,” she saidatone point.
DemocraticSen.Jon Ossoff, of Georgia, shotback: “It is precisely your responsibility to determinewhat constitutes athreat to the United States.”
The testimonycame at the first of two congressional hearings held eachyear to offerthe public aglimpse into the largely secret operationsofthe government’s intelligence agencies and the threats they confront.
The hearings this week take placeata time of scrutiny over the war with Iran andheightenedconcerns about terrorism at home after recent attacks at a Michigansynagogue and a Virginia university.Wednesday’shearing also camea day after the resignation of Joe Kent as director of the NationalCounterterrorism Center.Kentsaidhecould not “in good conscience” back the war and did not
agree that Iran posed an imminentthreat.
Butthe hours-long hearing offered fewrevelations from Gabbard, who repeatedly declined to discuss conversations withTrump, or other senior intelligence officials who testified.
“I am very disappointed,” said an exasperated Sen. Mark Warner,the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. “It’sthe only onetime of year the public gets to hear from you guys in thiskindofsetting.
Afrequent line of questioning forDemocrats: What intelligence, if any, hadbeen given to Trump about the war’spotential consequences? Trump, for instance, has said he was surprised that Iran responded to strikes from the U.S. by attacking Arab nations and has been contending with theeconomic impact of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, avital passageway foroil andgas.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREENIKHINSON
Democrats storm out of briefing
Lawmakers say they will push to force Bondi to testify on Epstein case
BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday stormed out of a closeddoor briefing on the Jeffrey Epstein files by Justice Department leaders, and said they would push to force Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer questions under oath about the case that has plagued the Trump administration.
Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche went to Capitol Hill to try to quell bipartisan frustration over the Justice Department’s handling of millions of files related to Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation.
But less than an hour into the briefing, Democrats walked out in protest of the arrangement and said they would press to enforce a subpoena for Bondi to appear for a sworn deposition.
“We want her under oath because we do not trust her,” said Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost.
Asked by reporters after the briefing whether she would comply with the subpoena, Bondi said, “I made it crystal clear I will follow the law.” She also defended the department’s handling of the Epstein files, saying officials are proud of their
work to release millions of documents to the public.
The committee’s Republican chairman, Rep. James Comer, accused Democrats of political grandstanding.
“This for us, for the Republicans, it’s about getting answers,” Comer said after the briefing. “For the Democrats, it’s a political game, and they just demonstrated that today There’s no reason for them to walk out and clutch their pearls and act like they were offended and outraged.”
Justice Department leaders had hoped the release of documents tied to the disgraced financier would put an end to a political saga that has dogged the president’s second term, but the agency remains consumed by questions and criticism over Epstein’s case and its management of the files.
Bondi has accused Democrats of using the furor over the documents to distract from Trump’s political successes, even though some of the most vocal criticism has come from members of the president’s own party
Five Republicans on the committee voted with Democrats to support the subpoena for Bondi to appear for a deposition on April 14.
Lawmakers have accused the Justice Department of withholding too many files and criticized the agency for haphazard redactions that exposed intimate details about victims.
The Justice Department has called the subpoena “completely unnecessary,” noting that members of Congress have been invited to view unredacted files at the Justice Department and that
department leaders have made themselves available to answer questions from lawmakers.
The department has sought to assure lawmakers and the public that there has been no effort to shield President Donald Trump, who says he cut ties with Epstein years ago after an earlier friendship, or any other high-profile figures close to Epstein from potential embarrassment. Justice Department leaders have also rejected suggestions that they have ignored victims and insist that while there is no evidence in the files to prosecute anyone else, they remain committed to investigating should new information come forward.
“I’m not trying to defend Epstein — I’m not,”
Blanche said in an interview with Katie Miller, who is married to top Trump adviser Stephen Miller. “I do defend the work that this department is doing today right now, which is going after every single perpetrator anyway, and if there is a narrative that exists that we are ignoring Epstein victims, that is false.”
The documents were disclosed under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted after months of public and political pressure that requires the government to open its files on the late financier and his confidant and onetime girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Investigations into the financier have long animated online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and others who have suspected government cover-ups and clamored for a full accounting.
Lawyers: Whitey Bulger writings show ex-FBI agent was framed
Motion seeks to overturn murder conviction
BY FREIDA FRISARO and LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Attorneys are drawing on statements from a handwritten manuscript by the late mobster James “Whitey” Bulger in an effort to overturn a former FBI agent’s murder conviction, saying the crime boss’s own words show that the agent was framed.
Lawyers for former FBI agent John Connolly filed a motion in Miami-Dade Circuit Court on Monday seeking to vacate his conviction, citing what they describe as newly discovered evidence that prosecutors failed to disclose for years.
The material includes FBI reports documenting Bulger’s statements and the unfinished handwritten
manuscript the FBI seized during a search of Bulger’s apartment after his 2011 arrest.
In their filing, Connolly’s lawyers say Bulger, who led Boston’s Winter Hill Gang, asserted in the documents that Connolly didn’t leak information to him that was used in the 1982 killing of businessman John Callahan in Miami, contradicting the prosecution’s case against Connolly Instead, Bulger identified another FBI agent, John Morris, as his mole, and described Connolly as a “sacrificial lamb,” according to the filing.
Connolly, now 85, was convicted in Florida of seconddegree murder and racketeering.
In the manuscript, Bulger wrote that he was a “criminal almost all of my life,” and described using inside tips to stay ahead of the law
“I never thought the day would come that I’d be writing a story about my criminal activity,” Bulger wrote.
The attorneys claim Bulger was writing the manuscript to help clear Connolly’s name. They also say Bulger’s writings and FBI statements made after the mobster’s arrest weren’t previously disclosed to the defense.
The material came to light after a longtime prosecutor involved in the Connolly case resigned from the MiamiDade state attorney’s office following reports of misconduct that included granting favors to witnesses and coordinating witness testimony.
In 2024, Connolly’s lawyers received a letter from MiamiDade Chief Assistant State Attorney Jose Arrojo informing them that a sealed envelope labeled “confidential” contained the Bulger manuscript and his statements to the FBI.
In their filing, Connolly’s lawyers accuse prosecutors of a general pattern of misconduct, arguing that they withheld evidence favorable to the defense in violation of constitutional requirements.
Luigi Mangione’s lawyers seek to delay his state and federal trials
BY MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press
NEW YORK Luigi Mangione’s lawyers asked a judge on Wednesday to postpone his federal trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson until early next year and said they will seek to have his state murder trial delayed until September In a letter to U.S District Judge Margaret Garnett, Mangione’s lawyers said that the current schedule the state trial in June and the federal trial in September — would put him “in the posi-
tion of needing to prepare for two complicated and serious trials at the same time.”
They asked Garnett to delay the federal trial until January 2027 so that they can have an opportunity to ask the state trial judge, Gregory Carro, to reschedule the start of that case from June 8 to Sept. 8. Mangione has pleaded not guilty in both cases. Carro previously raised the possibility of moving the state trial to September — but only if federal prosecutors appealed Garnett’s decision barring them from seeking the death penalty They declined to do so, leaving the June state trial and September federal trial dates intact. Keeping the current schedule would violate Mangione’s constitutional rights, his lawyers argued. Among other concerns, they said, preparations for jury selection in the federal case would overlap with the state trial, limiting Mangione’s ability to review questionnaires filled out by hundreds of potential jurors — infringing on his right to participate in his own defense.
BY FREIDA FRISARO Associated Press
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.
— The FBI said Wednesday that a suspicious package found outside a gate at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa earlier this week contained “possible energetic materials.”
An analysis of the material has not been completed, the FBI Tampa said in a statement posted on social media Wednesday afternoon. The FBI said the investigation is continuing and provided no further details.
Energetic materials store a large amount of chemical energy and can include explosive materials, fuel or propellants. The FBI did not respond to an email seeking clarification on what type of material was in the package found Monday outside
the MacDill Air Force Base Visitor Center
Earlier Wednesday, the base went on a shelter-inplace order after a threat was received
“We take all threats seriously and are taking appropriate measures to prioritize the safety and security of our installation. As a matter of policy, we will not release specifics on what security measures have been implemented,” MacDill officials said in a statement posted on social media
The order was lifted about two hours later, but the base remains on high alert, officials said. On Tuesday, the base began operating under Force Protection Charlie, referred to as “FPCON CHARLIE.” This is the second-highest military security level, and allows officials to “implement de-
liberate security measures proactively.”
The advisory said that all personnel at the base “should remain vigilant, follow the direction of security forces, and report any suspicious activity immediately.”
The U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, which is located at MacDill, is responsible for U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South Asia.
MacDill is one of the U.S. bases that has been on heightened alert since the war in Iran began.
Last week, all six crew members of a KC-135 refueling aircraft died in a crash while supporting operations against Iran. Three of the crew members were connected to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill, officials said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALLISON ROBBERT
Attorney General Pam Bondi attends a March 12 women’s history month event in the East Room at the White House in Washington
BRIEFS
FROM WIRE REPORTS
Wholesale prices rose by 3.4% last month
WASHINGTON U.S wholesale prices came in hotter than expected in February, driven partly by a sharp increase in food costs.
The Labor Department reported Wednesday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it hits consumers rose 0.7% from January, and 3.4% from February 2025. The year-over-year increase was the most since February 2025.
The price gains were bigger than economists had forecast, and they occurred before the U.S. and Israel attack on Iran pushed energy prices sharply higher Oil prices have surged nearly 50% since the Iran war began, and gasoline prices are following close behind.
The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. spiked again overnight, reaching $3.84. A gallon of gas last month, before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, was well under $3 Diesel prices, used heavily in transportation, are rising even faster
Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core wholesale prices rose 0.5% from January down from a 0.8% gain the month before but more than twice what economists had expected. Compared with a year earlier, core prices rose 3.9%, the biggest jump since January 2025.
Food prices rose 2.4% from January led by a 49% surge in vegetable prices and a 10% increase in fruit prices
Trade group forecasts
4.4% gain in retail sales
NEWYORK The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, is forecasting annual retail sales will grow at a faster clip this year than last year, citing consumers’ resilience despite lots of economic volatility
But the group said Wednesday that the repercussions of the Iran war on consumer spending are too uncertain to incorporate into its outlook
The National Retail Federation expects retail sales should rise this year by 4.4% over 2025 to $5.6 trillion, based on a new model developed in partnership with Oxford Economics, an independent economic advisory firm. In 2025, retail sales increased by 3.9% compared with the previous year, the group said.
The 2026 sales forecast exceeds the 3.6% average annual sales growth over the past 10 years, excluding the pandemic period from 2020 to 2022 when sales growth was outsized. The forecast excludes sales from auto dealers, gas stations and restaurants.
Regulators seek $2.6M for factory explosion
HARRISBURG,Pa.— Pennsylvania regulators asked an administrative law judge on Wednesday to make a gas utility pay
$2.6 million in civil penalties for a chocolate factory explosion three years ago that killed seven workers and sent flames shooting into the air
The Public Utility Commission filed a formal complaint against the UGI Utilities Inc. gas division, alleging the company’s distribution facilities serving the R.M Palmer Company in West Reading violated state and federal standards and regulations.
The commission says the deadly March 2023 explosion and fire destroyed one factory building and a nearby apartment building, causing about $42 million in property damage
Ten people were injured, including four who were seriously hurt, the commission said.
UGI issued a statement Wednesday that called the explosion a heartbreaking tragedy and expressed sympathy for the victims’ families, people in West Reading and others who were affected
The National Transportation Safety Board had previously concluded the plant lacked natural gas emergency procedures in place that could have resulted in an immediate evacuation.
Stocks slump as interest steadies
Inflation pressures deepened before war
BY STAN CHOE Associated Press
NEW YORK U.S. stocks slumped
Wednesday after a report said in-
flation was primed to worsen even before the war with Iran caused oil prices to spike. That and comments from the head of the Federal Reserve pushed Wall Street to see less chance of getting the lower interest rates that it loves.
The S&P 500 fell 1.4% and flipped to a loss for the week so far
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 768 points, or 1.6%, and the Nasdaq composite slid 1.5%.
The losses deepened after the Fed decided to keep its main interest rate steady instead of resuming cuts meant to give the job market and economy a boost. Fed officials are still penciling in one more cut by the end of 2026, but Chair Jerome Powell suggested those projections may be worth less than usual because of how much more uncertainty exists about inflation and the economy For oil, the price for a barrel of Brent crude has jumped from roughly $70 before the war to
$107.38 on Wednesday up 3.8% from the day before. The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude got to nearly $99 before settling at $96.32. If the disruptions keep oil and gas prices high for long, they could create a debilitating wave of inflation for the global economy A report released Wednesday morning showed inflation pressures were already building before the war began It said inflation at the U.S. wholesale level unexpectedly accelerated last month to 3.4%. Such numbers were likely factors in keeping the Fed on hold Wednesday A cut to rates would give the
economy and investment prices a boost, and Trump has been angrily calling for them. But lower interest rates would also worsen inflation. On Wall Street, Macy’s jumped 4.7% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. But General Mills fell 3% after the company behind the Pillsbury, Progresso and Wheaties brands reported a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. All told, the S&P 500 fell 91.39 points to 6,624.70. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 768.11 to 46,225.15, and the Nasdaq composite sank 327.11 to 22,152.42.
Federal Reserve leaves short-term rates unchanged, projects one cut
Powell vows to stay on until DOJ investigation is finished
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON Federal Reserve officials expect the Iran war will worsen inflation this year while having little impact on economic growth, but they still expect to cut their key rate once in 2026.
For now, Fed policymakers left short-term interest rates unchanged Wednesday for the second straight meeting at about 3.6%. In a statement, the central bank said that the “implications of developments in the Middle East for the U.S economy are uncertain.”
Still, by keeping their forecast for a rate cut this year and next — the same projections that they made in December — central bank policymakers appear to expect the gas price spike from the Iran war to have a largely temporary effect on inflation and the economy Policymakers also foresee unemployment remaining unchanged by the end of this year, a more optimistic outlook than most outside economists.
Whether that turns out to be true will largely depend on the length of the conflict in the Middle East. The officials expect inflation to fall back to 2.2% in 2027 and hit the Fed’s 2% target in 2028.
Speaking to reporters after the rate decision was announced, Fed Chair Jerome Powell maintained a largely optimistic outlook, pointing out that in recent years the economy has been hit with numerous shocks tariffs, the Fed’s own rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, the aftermath of the pandemic and has avoided recession all along.
“The U.S. economy has been doing really well through a lot of challenges,” Powell said. “It’s been amazing to see.”
Powell did clarify a key question about the Fed’s future: He said he has “no intention” of leaving the central bank until an investigation into his congressional testimony about the Fed’s building renovation is dropped. Last Friday, a judge threw out a pair of subpoenas that the Justice Department had issued to the Fed, dealing a blow to the investigation. But U.S. Attorney Jeannine Pirro has said she will appeal the ruling.
Powell’s term as Fed chair is scheduled to end on May 15 and President Donald Trump has nominated a former top Fed official, Kevin Warsh, as his replacement. Warsh’s nomination has been delayed in the Senate because key Republican senators are opposed to the DOJ probe.
After the investigation is resolved and even after Warsh is confirmed, Powell could elect to stay on the board to finish his term as a Fed governor, which lasts until January 2028. But he told reporters he had not yet made that decision.
With the economy’s future so uncertain, Powell underscored that any further cuts to rates this year were hardly locked in.
“The rate forecast is conditional on the performance of the economy, so if we don’t see that progress then you won’t see the rate cut,” he said.
In the Fed’s quarterly economic projections, also released Wednesday, officials only modestly raised their forecasts for inflation, and now expect it will end this year at 2.7%, up from their December forecast but slightly below the 2.8% it reached in January They expect core inflation, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, to also finish the year at 2.7%.
Fed officials slightly boosted their outlook for growth this year and expected unemployment to stay unchanged at 4.4%.
Tim Duy, chief economist at SGH Macro, said the forecasts were essentially “stale” as policymakers avoided fully taking into account the impacts of the Iran war on the economy
The Fed considers core prices a better measure of longer-run inflation. Consumer prices will spike higher in the coming months as gas prices have soared, but those increases could unwind by the end of the year, particularly if the conflict ends soon.
One Fed official, governor Stephen Miran, dissented in favor of a quarter-point cut. Miran was appointed by President Donald Trump last September
On Wall Street, losses for stocks deepened after the Fed’s decision. The S&P 500 fell 1.4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 768 points, or 1.6%.
Gas prices jumped Wednesday to a nationwide average of $3.84 a gallon, according to AAA, up 92 cents from a month ago. The increase will push inflation much higher in March, but core inflation, since it excludes
gas, could be much less affected.
Typically, the Fed would look past a supply shock like the disruption in oil supplies from the Middle East and its impact on inflation. Once it ends, any inflation it produces may fall back, without the Fed having to raise rates As a result, the Fed could leave rates unchanged or even cut them to boost weak hiring.
Yet as the economy emerged from the pandemic in 2021, inflation jumped as Americans sharply raised their spending, aided by stimulus checks and pandemic-era savings. Powell initially said that inflation would be “transitory” and would fade as the economy returned to normal. Instead it spiked to a four-decade high in June 2022. With inflation still elevated, many Fed officials are wary of repeating the mistake.
This week’s meeting will be Powell’s second-to-last, unless Warsh isn’t confirmed by May 15, at which point Powell could remain chair of the Fed’s rate-setting committee until a replacement is named.
Even before the Iran war, problems had cropped up in both the inflation and jobs data, putting the Fed in a tight spot. Prices rose more quickly in January than in recent months, according to the Fed’s preferred measure, with inflation excluding food and energy reaching 3.1% compared with a year earlier That is little changed from where it was two years ago, a sign that prices are still rising at a stubbornly elevated pace Yet hiring has also stumbled. Businesses and other employers shed 92,000 jobs in February, the government reported earlier this month, an unexpectedly weak showing that followed an encouraging gain of 130,000 in January The unemployment rate ticked higher to a still-low 4.4% from 4.3%.
U.S. eases Venezuela oil sanctions as Trump seeks to boost supply
BY FATIMA HUSSEIN and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press
WASHINGTON U.S. companies will be allowed to do business with Venezuela’s state-owned oil and gas company after the Treasury Department eased sanctions, with some limitations, on Wednesday as the Trump administration looks for ways to boost global oil supplies during the Iran war The Treasury issued a broad authorization allowing Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., or PDVSA, to directly
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MANUEL BALCE CENETA Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference on Wednesday in Washington. Powell said he has ‘no intention’ of leaving the central bank until an investigation into his congressional testimony about the Fed’s building renovation is dropped.
Pakistan, Afghanistan temporarily stop fighting
Ceasefire comes 2 days after deadly Kabul strike
BY ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan — Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday declared a temporary pause in escalating fighting, two days after Kabul blamed Islamabad for a deadly airstrike in the Afghan capital that it said killed hundreds of people at a drug rehabilitation hospital.
Both said they were suspending fighting before Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and at the request of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar
The three countries have been trying to mediate a cessation of hostilities since Afghanistan and
Pakistan renewed cross-border fighting in February, and had also been involved in helping broker a ceasefire between the two in October
The announcements came shortly after Afghan authorities held a mass funeral in Kabul for some of the victims killed in Monday’s strike.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the suspension of strikes on Afghanistan would take effect at midnight Wednesday and remain in place until midnight Monday
“Pakistan offers this gesture in good faith and in keeping with the Islamic norms,” Tarar said in a statement. However, he said “in case of any cross-border attack, drone attack or any terrorist incident inside Pakistan,” the operations will resume with renewed intensity Afghanistan’s government spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid,
didn’t specify a time frame for the pause on the Afghan side. But he said that his country “will respond courageously to any aggression in the event of a threat.”
Pakistan has rejected Afghanistan’s accusation that it targeted the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, insisting its strikes in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan Monday had been against military facilities. It has dismissed Afghan claims of hundreds of people killed as propaganda.
Monday’s attack in Kabul was the deadliest in a conflict that has been escalating between the two neighbors since late February Afghan officials have put the death toll at 408 people, with 265 wounded. The toll couldn’t be independently verified.
The fighting has seen repeated cross-border clashes as well as airstrikes inside Afghanistan, including several in the capital, despite international calls for a ceasefire.
Venezuela president ousts defense chief
By The Associated Press
CARACAS, Venezuela Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced a major Cabinet shake-up Wednesday with the appointment of a new defense minister to replace Gen. Vladimir Padrino López, who had been a cornerstone of the military’s long-standing support for former President Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez announced the transition on her Telegram channel, saying the appointment of Gen Gustavo González López to the role was effective immediately She also thanked Padrino López for his “loyalty to the Homeland” and expressed confidence in his future roles.
The announcement comes more than ten weeks after Rodríguez became acting head of state following the Jan. 3 U.S. military
operation that captured Maduro to put him on trial in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges.
The Trump administration has since ramped up pressure on the Maduro loyalists currently governing the oil-rich nation. González López has an extensive intelligence background and faced U.S. sanctions for his role in cracking down on 2014 street protests. Since Jan. 6, when Rodríguez reshuffled her security detail, he has served as commander general of the presidential honor guard and head of the military’s feared counterintelligence agency Padrino López was one of the longest-serving Cabinet ministers after Maduro took office in 2013 and one the country’s longest-serving defense ministers following his appointment in 2014.
BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
CAIRO UNICEF on Wednesday said it was launching an investigation into Israel’s allegation that tobacco products were smuggled into Gaza in one of the U.N. agency’s aid shipments heading to the territory COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of facilitating aid to Gaza, said Monday it found bottles containing tobacco substances hidden inside cartons of hygiene kits belonging to UNICEF It shared photos of several bottles, one with a visible label reading “Nicotine.” It said it had suspended the delivery of UNICEF aid to Gaza.
Israel has barred entry of cigarettes and other nicotine products since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which triggered more than two years of war The ban has led to a lucrative black market on to-
bacco products.
In a response to an Associated Press inquiry, UNICEF said the hygiene kits were being transported into Gaza by a commercial carrier, and that an investigation was opened into the claim.
“We take this allegation seriously,” it said.
It said that disruption of its operations risks further exacerbating an already dire situation in Gaza.
Though a shaky ceasefire announced last October has led to more humanitarian aid and other supplies entering Gaza, aid groups still say more of everything — from basic medical supplies to fuel is needed. Some Palestinians are hoarding food, with reports of prices rising sharply for basic goods such as bags of flour
The claims about UNICEF come amid accusations that Israeli soldiers are involved in Gaza tobacco smuggling.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SIDDIQULLAH ALIZAI
Taliban security personnel patrol Wednesday as people carry the remains of victims of a Monday airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Louisiana bill could force jury trials
Defense advocates pan legislation
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN
Senate Bill 97 by state Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, would give voters a chance to decide whether prosecutors should be required to approve before defendants can waive their rights to jury trials. The law would require a constitutional amendment, which would go on the ballot in April 2027. Defendants have a constitutional right to a jury trial, but they can waive that right and they sometimes do so to speed up the court process or if they believe they will get better treatment from a judge than a jury Backed by prosecutors but decried by defense advocates, SB97 was cleared by the Senate’s Judiciary C Committee on Tuesday It now heads to the full chamber — as does Senate Bill 81, a companion bill that would change state statute to align with the new rule. Morris, who is spearheading that effort, said he filed the bill at the request of the Louisiana District Attorneys’ Association. It also
comes amid a broader push to put more checks on judges.
Zach Daniels, executive director of the Louisiana District Attorney’s Association, told the Judiciary C Committee that the change would make the system fairer and “allow us to better safeguard the rights of victims when it comes to how decisions are being made and
ä See TRIALS, page 2B
ABOVE: Oliver Cox from Great Britain serves during a match in the Cajun Classic Wheelchair Tennis Tournament at the Paula G. Manship YMCA on Tuesday
LEFT: Ben Bartram from Great Britain reacts to hitting the ball out of bounds on Tuesday STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Kidnapping suspect awaits extradition from Oklahoma
A 38-year-old man is accused of misrepresenting his age online to a 17-year-old Zachary girl and taking her out of state, Zachary Police Chief Darryl Lawrence said Wednesday The suspect, Michael Jay, is in jail in Oklahoma and will face charges of kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, Lawrence said According to Louisiana State Police, the teenager was last seen Monday at her home and was discovered missing the next morning.
“We gather that she thought she was dealing with somebody younger,” Lawrence said. “Once
she gets to this guy, he transported her to Oklahoma.” The teenager was taken into protective custody late Tuesday night when Jay was arrested in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Jay, reportedly from Kentucky, is in the Carter County Jail. Lawrence said he didn’t yet have the timeline for Jay’s extradition to East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.
Police: Toddler was under truck for 10 seconds
The 1-year-old boy whose mother allegedly ran over him in a gas station was crushed under the wheel of her truck for 10 seconds before the woman reversed, according to the warrant issued for her arrest.
Nicholas Aguilar, 1, was unrestrained and fell out of the vehicle when his mother, Elizabeth Aguilar 22, allegedly made a left turn into the parking lot of the Murphy USA station at Cortana Place last month, police said The child fell onto the concrete and was crushed by the rear passenger tire of Aguilar’s Dodge truck, according to Baton Rouge police. Aguilar started to stop the truck when the door first opened, but didn’t stop in time. A passenger sitting in the front seat opened their door and realized the truck was on top of the child. The child suffered critical injuries and was taken to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, where he died. According to police documents, there were two children
in the back seat of Aguilar’s truck. Aguilar has another child, but police did not confirm if he was in the back seat. Neither child was in a car seat or a seat belt. Aguilar’s truck had child locks, but they were not in use at the time of the incident, according to police.
Detectives said that Aguilar “showed a complete disregard or lack of care for the safety of her children by not properly restraining the kids in the proper child safety seats, which is why this incident happened.”
Aguilar was arrested Tuesday and charged with negligent homicide, failure to use a childpassenger restraint system and lack of insurance and proper registration, according to Baton Rouge police.
BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer
Louisiana will spend $1.54 billion on coastal projects over the next fiscal year under a plan approved Wednesday that solidifies a controversial shift away from large-scale river diversions, a major change in strategy pursued by Gov Jeff Landry’s administration.
The plan, approved unanimously by the board of the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, now goes to the state Legislature. Lawmakers must give it an up-or-down vote, with no ability to change individual projects, and it is typically overwhelmingly approved. It lays out project spending for fiscal year 2027, which begins in July, and is separate from the CPRA’s operational budget. Funding for projects comes from a combination of state and federal money, along with proceeds related to fines and settlements from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
This year’s plan also includes $28 million from settlements with La. to spend $1.5B on coastal projects Plan represents a major change in strategy
ä See PROJECTS, page 2B
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
The Louisiana rapper Mystikal pleaded guilty Tuesday to third-degree rape in a 2022 case in Ascension Parish.
Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, was arrested in July 2022 by the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office for allegedly attacking a woman he had known for more than 20 years. He was charged with first-degree rape, simple robbery, felony domestic abuse battery by strangulation and other counts. The first-degree rape charge carried a possible life sentence.
Tyler, 55, pleaded guilty to thirddegree rape Tuesday at the 23rd Rapper Mystikal pleads guilty to rape He’s accused of attacking Prairieville woman
ä See MYSTIKAL, page 2B
Some oyster leases closed after LOOP spill
Oil sheen spotted off Terrebonne Bay
BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer
State health officials have closed private oyster leases in Terrebonne Bay and nearby marshes after oil spilled from a terminal 18 miles offshore last month and later reached the central Louisiana coast, including a fragile barrier island state wildlife refuge.
The Louisiana Department of Health said the closure is precautionary after oil sheen from the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port was spotted in the waters of an oyster leasing area near Terrebonne Parish, U.S. Coast Guard and state wildlife officials said Tuesday evening.
Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein and State Surgeon General Dr Evelyn Griffin issued the closure order Saturday, and it took effect at sunset.
Last week, in the same area along the coast, the Coast Guard and other agencies closed parts
of Terrebonne Bay and Lake Pelto near Terrebonne Parish to marine traffic due to the same spill.
The closed leasing areas incorporate six shellfish harvest areas around Terrebonne Bay and the marshes to the west, state health and environmental agency maps show The closed harvest areas are 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 21.
Taylor Brazan, spokesperson for the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said the closure affects 2,434 private leases, plus the public seed ground at Only Sister Lake.
The health department said it would use testing to determine when the leasing areas could be reopened but didn’t offer a timeline because it is contingent on the spill cleanup.
Amy Whitehead, a spokeswoman for the department, said sampling to show oysters are clear of contaminants can take about a week.
“However, LDH cannot dredge for oyster samples until the water is clear of oil,” she said.
Mitch Jurisich, a third-generation oysterman who is chair of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force and
Teacher put Band-Aids on students’ mouths, police say
Tammany incident involved students from ages 8-10
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
A teacher in St. Tammany Parish was arrested on Monday and accused of simple battery and cruelty to juveniles after putting Band-Aids on the mouths of students who were talking in class, authorities said.
George Serban, 38, was arrested by the Pearl River Police Department and booked into St. Tammany Parish Jail, the Pearl River Police Department said in a news release Pearl River police said on March 12, they were notified that a teacher at Riverside Elementary School had placed the bandage strips on students’ mouths because they were talking in class. The incident involved seven students who ranged in age from 8 to 10 years old, police said Meredith Mendez, a spokesperson for St. Tammany Parish Public Schools, said a teacher notified them of an incident, and the administration began an investigation and contacted law enforcement. However, she said she could not share more details since it is a personnel matter and part of an ongoing investigation.
“The safety and security of our students is our top priority,” Mendez said.
Robert Toale, an attorney for Serban, said Serban is a music teacher who was using the Band-Aids to help teach students musical concepts The technique was developed by the
TRIALS
Continued from page 1B
ensure that a full, fair presentation of the evidence is guaranteed in every case.”
Daniels gave a recent example of a case where he felt a jury trial was waived for “tactical” reasons.
A man who was accused of driving while intoxicated and hitting and killing an 18-year-old with his car had a long history of DWIs, Daniels said.
As the case made its way through the courts, the man was still abusing substances, and so waiving his right to a jury trial was strategic, Daniels said.
“He fell asleep on the stand,” Daniels said.
But Sarah Whittington, advocacy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana argued that the state’s court system is already stacked against defendants — and that SB97 would further disadvantage them.
In Louisiana, both district attorneys’ offices and public defenders often face severe budget constraints though public defense tends to be more underfunded.
“The state is already invested with significant power,” Whittington said, adding that some defendants may feel they will get a fairer shake from a judge. “Indigent individuals do not have those same resources.” A defendant may also choose to waive their right to a jury trial to speed up the judicial process
a spokesman for the $317 million industry, said the spill has gone from what seemed like a smaller leak to a “pretty big issue now” as the sheen has spread to coastal islands and marshes
“It seems like it’s grown from what we first heard when the spill first happened,” he said. “It’s like, ‘OK, hold on. What’s going on here?”
Jurisich said, to him, it seemed as if the original amount announced in the spill, more than 12,000 gallons on open water, should have been “an easy cleanup” but the oil has since reached islands and marsh that are more difficult to clean.
After issuing an early estimate, LOOP later disclosed the volume of spilled oil was more than twice as large as previously understood.
Jurisich said other oyster lease areas would be able to make up for the lost supply from closed leases and meet market demand, but he expects some customers will avoid Louisiana oysters, particularly west of the Mississippi River, over any chance they could be tainted.
“The scare amongst processors
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Continued from page 1B
Swiss musician and composer Emile Jaques-Dalcoze and suggests “placing a Band-Aid vertically across the lips to act as a physical reminder to keep your lips gently closed while humming,” Toale wrote in a statement to The Times-Picayune.
“The technique encourages feeling the vibration of humming on the lips, nose, and cheekbones and creates a greater awareness of internal resonance,” Toale wrote.
Toale said the bandages were easy to pull off.
He said he was shocked that Serban was booked with cruelty to a juvenile, which is a felony charge.
Simple battery is a misdemeanor
“I have been a criminal defense lawyer for 42 years and I have never seen a case as outrageous as this,”
Toale said He said the police did not attempt to speak with Serban before requesting an arrest warrant.
Pearl River Police Department
Major Francisco Dean said it was true they sought an arrest warrant before trying to contact Serban, but said police felt they had enough probable cause based on interviews with the victims and witnesses.
After communicating with the police through Toale, Serban surrendered Monday, police said.
The online roster for the St. Tammany Parish jail showed bail was set at $7,500 for cruelty to juvenile and $7,500 for simple battery
The investigation is now being turned over to the northshore District Attorney’s Office, police said.
The District Attorney’s Office recently prosecuted a well-known Slidell pastor who founded a Christian school in Slidell for offenses including taping students’ mouths shut
and avoid missing work or school, Whittington said.
“They may say that the efficiency in the system is more important to them than a jury of their peers,” she said. “They should not have to ask the state to consent to it when the state is the one prosecuting.”
Meanwhile, Daniels argued SB97 would bring Louisiana in line with the federal court system and many other states, which “require the prosecutor’s consent in some form or fashion prior to dispensing with that jury.”
But Meghan Garvey, a legislative advocate for the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said in a statement that it was not fair to make an “apples to apples” comparison between Louisiana and other states, because some of those states allow judges to dismiss cases before trial.
Louisiana does not give judges that power, though they can quash cases on certain grounds, such as when charges are brought in the wrong jurisdiction or a defendant is charged twice for the same crime.
And “federal felonies and many state felonies require the DA to present to a grand jury,” Garvey added. In Louisiana, charges are typically “brought by a simple form signed by an assistant DA called a Bill of Information,” she said.
The most serious felonies, such as murder and first-degree rape, require grand jury indictments, Garvey said.
and restaurants and everything is going to be, ‘Well, let’s go to Mississippi, Texas, the East Coast, the West Coast,’” he said.
The LOOP spill
The terminal, operated by an oil company consortium which goes by LOOP, released an estimated 31,500 gallons of oil when a cargo transfer hose sprang a leak on Feb. 26.
The spill reached land days later and has soiled the Isle Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge in Terrebonne Bay, an important coastal bird habitat and recreational fishing area. Through Monday, the spill response crews had collected 87% of the spilled oil — about 27,510 gallons, or 655 barrels, Coast Guard officials said.
About 667 responders and 114 vessels have laid out 29.5 miles of protective and collection boom to limit the impact of the spilled oil, the officials added.
Coast Guard officials said no dispersants have been used during the crude oil recovery Officials have said the volume of
oil released is a little more than a quarter of the size of the Well 59 blowout in Plaquemines Parish’s Garden Island Bay last spring, the largest spill off the Louisiana coast in the past few years.
LOOP is a deepwater facility that takes in crude from deepdraft tankers and sends it by pipeline to its onshore storage site in Galliano.
With 72 million barrels of oil storage onshore in above-ground tanks and underground salt dome caverns near Galliano, LOOP feeds refineries along the Gulf Coast, including several on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge
The terminal’s oil feeds half of the nation’s refineries and is the single largest point of entry for waterborne crude in the nation, the company says.
Formed in 1972, LOOP is a joint venture of Marathon Pipe Line LLC, Shell Oil Company and Valero Terminalling and Distribution Company
Email David J. Mitchell at dmitchell@theadvocate.com.
energy companies sued by Louisiana parishes over pollution and damage to the coastline Most of that money is allocated for coastal restoration and shoreline protection efforts in Cameron Parish, in the state’s far southwest.
The coastal authority’s projects range from levee building to marsh creation and ecosystem restoration, with the aim of protecting the state from intensifying storms while addressing Louisiana’s land loss crisis to as great an extent as possible. The state has lost around 2,000 square miles of land over the past century, about the size of Delaware, and sea level rise is projected to worsen the problem.
The authority’s mission has traditionally received broad support from across the political spectrum, though debate over two large-scale river diversions aimed at restoring lost wetlands in recent years proved to be a high-profile exception.
Landry’s administration has abandoned those plans in favor of a strategy that prioritizes restoring eroding barrier islands and rebuilding “land bridges” along vulnerable areas of Louisiana’s coastline, though actual construction on much of that approach remains far off.
The change has been lauded by commercial fishermen and their parish leaders who strongly opposed the diversions, but harshly criticized by a range of scientists and coastal advocates who saw them as key to a broader strategy of salvaging parts of the coastline. ‘Really moving forward’
But while debate over the nowcanceled Mid-Barataria and MidBreton Sediment Diversions has been front and center, the new annual plan includes a total of 143 active projects across the state’s coast. Of the $1.54 billion in total spending, proceeds linked to the BP spill account for about 27%, or $416 million.
“I think it is a reflection of the continued work that CPRA has been investing in for the past decade,” said Michael Hare, executive director of the coastal authority “And I think it’s unfortunate that a lot of people focus on ‘a project’ in ‘a place,’ and then forget to recognize the 143 active projects across the entire coast.”
CPRA Chair Gordon Dove said “this is really moving forward, from pump stations to the levee systems, to coastal restoration, to marsh recreation, to land bridges
MYSTIKAL
Continued from page 1B
Judicial District Court in Ascension Parish, according to court minutes. Prosecutors dropped all other charges He remains incarcerated at the Ascension Parish jail, according to the sheriff’s inmate database. His sentencing is set for June, records show The rapper was accused in 2022 of attacking a woman at his home in Prairieville. At the time of his arrest, investigators alleged he held the woman against her will and raped and choked her Tyler, a New Orleans native,
The completed Spanish Pass project near New Orleans is seen on June 3, 2023. The state has allocated $1.54 billion for upcoming coastal projects, shifting away from large-scale river diversions in favor of barrier islands and land bridges to address land loss crisis.
to barrier islands. ...”
The plan approved by the board represents an increase over the $1.27 billion draft initially presented in December That is due to the addition of coastal settlement dollars as well as a handful of projects being accelerated sooner than anticipated, said Hare.
Larger projects include continued work on the Morganza to the Gulf levee system for Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes as well as the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain levee system for St. Charles, St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes. It also includes funding toward restoring the disappearing Chandeleur Islands, among a long list of other projects.
Some coastal advocates noted the benefits that will occur from the annual plan, but lamented the diversions’ cancellations and pressed the Landry administration to provide details of workable, large-scale alternatives.
“Many of the investments in this year’s annual plan will help sustain communities, wildlife habitat and a working coast economy, and we are encouraged to see them move forward,” Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a coalition of national and local coastal advocacy organizations, said in a statement.
“However, the plan still falls short of what Louisianans deserve — a vision that matches the scale of the challenge, meaningful efforts to reconnect the river and restore natural processes, and regional restoration projects that deliver real benefits well into the future.”
‘Meaningful projects’
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, the state’s oldest coastal advocacy group and
rose to national fame in the 1990s and 2000s with hit songs such as “Shake Ya Ass” and “Danger (Been So Long).” His 2000 album “Let’s Get Ready” topped the Billboard charts and sold more than a million copies. In 2003, he was accused of forcing his hairstylist to perform oral sex on him and two bodyguards after Tyler said the woman stole $80,000 worth of checks He spent six years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual battery and extortion. The two-time Grammy Award nominee’s case attracted national attention. In 2023, his attorneys filed a gag order due to the “inordinate amount of publicity” the proceedings had received.
which also supported the diversions, said the new plan “represents meaningful projects across our coast, from Cameron Parish to St. Bernard.”
“We hope that the state continues to look for ways to leverage Louisiana’s economic boom to form fruitful public-private partnerships and to make beneficial use of dredged material,” said CRCL government affairs director Ethan Melancon.
The large-scale land bridges prioritized by the Landry administration would be built with dredged sediment in the Terrebonne, Barataria and Breton basins. Much of that could potentially be paid for with BP funding formerly set aside for the diversions, though significant work remains to evaluate the plans and gain approval from trustees overseeing the money Those favoring the diversions note that land-building projects using dredged material work better when infusions of sediment from the river maintain them. That’s because such rebuilding projects eventually erode and subside like the rest of the coast.
But commercial shrimpers and oyster farmers forcefully opposed the diversions because the fresh water that would accompany them would have forced them to move or go out of business.
The cost of the Mid-Barataria diversion, at more than $3 billion, was also criticized by Landry, who argued it was too much to spend on one project alone. More than $600 million had already been spent on it before it was canceled. Those favoring the project said it matched the scale of Louisiana’s land-loss crisis and that the BP funds provided a unique opportunity to build it.
Judge Steven Tureau of the 23rd Judicial District Court approved the order, which bars attorneys, law enforcement officials and potential witnesses from speaking to the news media.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Obituaries
Arruda, Laura Bond Garrison
Laura Bond Garrison Arruda died March 16, 2026 in Denham Springs, LA. Memorial service at Hebron Baptist Church in Denham Springs on Saturday, March 21 at 10AM Please see ChurchFuneralS ervices.com for full obituary.
Brou, Martha Ann McLaughlin'Marcy' Martha"Marcy" Ann McLaughlin Brou passed away on March 13, 2026,in Baton Rouge, Louisiana surrounded by family. She was 86 years old. Marcy was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Marie Till McLaughlin and Richard Paul McLaughlin. Her mother and siblings moved to Seattle in 1948, and she graduated from Holy Names Academy in 1958. After high school, Marcy joined the U.S. Army where she attended Nursing school in Tacoma, Washington, and then was stationed in Korea with her fiancé, Kenneth Brou. Marcy and Ken were married in 1963 in Seoul, and they moved to Baton Rouge soon afterward, where they raised 3daughters. Marcy worked as anurse at various hospitals and plants, and at LSU Student Health Center. Marcy is survived by her three daughters, Laura Brou (Jeff Butisbauch) of Edmonds, WA, Julie Singleton of Pooler, GA, and Elaine Brou of Central, LA; grandchildren, Spencer and MilesButisbauch, of Edmonds, WA; Ryan Singleton (Samantha) of Marine Corp Base Camp Pendleton, CA, Jason Singleton of Pooler,GA, Tyler Guillory of Reno, NV, and Tessa Guillory of Milwaukee, WI; great-grandson Carter Aaron Singleton; and sister, Dorothy Martin, of Seattle, WA. She is preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Kenneth Brou;brother Joseph McLaughlin, sisters, Jane Wing, and Rosemary McLaughlin. Marcy loved playing cards with her friends, traveling, and taking care of her family. Visitation at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70815,onFriday March 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., Service at 11:00 a.m. Private burial willbeat Port Hudson National Cemetery.
DavidMurlin Goff, 84, passed awaypeacefully on Saturday, February28, 2026
Born in Baton Rouge on February 25, 1942,David graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1959 and attended LSU.Hebeganhis career in journalismatThe Advocate. He later purchased the Clinton Watchman with hiswife Marilyn Meeks. During their 25 yearsofownership, the weekly newspaper became an award-winningpublication.
After sellingThe Watchman, Davidmoved to Abbeville where he continuedworking in the newspaperbusiness with the Moody Company, The Lafayette Advertiser,and the Council on Aging.
Davidmarried Janin Ryniker in 1985.Heloved to cook and collected cookbooks from aroundthe world. His signaturedish was "ChickenSurprise"—the surprisebeing that it usually wasn't chicken.
Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,David and Janmoved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where theyenjoyedthe slower pace of coastal life. They were activelyinvolved in prison ministriesand helped manageanAnglican church in Long Beach, Mississippi. The couplelater retiredtothe East Feliciana area to spend more time with their grandchildren.
Davidhad awonderful sense of humor. Each morning he faithfully read the obituaries—justto make sure his name wasn't listed.
Davidwas precededin death by his parents, Julie Hausey Goffand Ralph M. Goff.
He is survivedbyhis wife, Janin RynikerGoff; his sister,Julie Goff Karns of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; three daughters, Lauren Guttzeit (Albert Joseph "Goody") and Lucinda "Cindy" Kent, both of Jackson,Louisiana,and Brenda Julie Turcotte (Toby) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana;one son,Christopher Goff(Cecilia) of Fairfield, California;one stepdaughter, Ashleigh DavidVasquez (Ernest) of Denham Springs,Louisiana;eight grandchildren, Joseph Guttzeit, AnnieLaurie Guttzeit, KatherineKeller Guttzeit, DanielSherman Kent, Devin Jason Kent Caroline Camille Turcotte, Samuel Harris Turcotte, and Elizabeth Baudoin; and many nieces and nephews. Amemorialservicewill be held Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 11:00a.m.atSt. Patrick'sEpiscopalChurch in Zachary. Acelebration of life willfollow at the home of Lauren and Goody Guttzeit. The family extends heartfelt thank you to the nurses and staffofGolden Age Nursing Home in Denham Springs for their loving care, andtoLifeSource Hospicefor theircompas-
sion and support In lieu of flowers,please considermaking adonation in David'sname to: Kairos Prison Ministry of Mississippi,POBox 105, Batesville, MS 38606.
Ikerd,Charles Michael'Mike'
With Jimmy Buffett playing and aparrot decoration declaring it's5 o'clock somewhere, Charles "Mike" Ikerdordered his last call and pushed the boat back from thedock forthe final time—shortly after 5o'clock on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at The CarpenterHouse in Baton Rouge, LA.Hewas 71. Anative of Meadville,MS, he swappedhis redneck roots fora faux-Cajun twang, embarrassinglydropping a "dawlin into conversation with ease.His corn and shrimp soup and spaghettijambalaya rivaled that of any chef or weekend warrior. He volunteered and donated countless potstofundraising charities, school board functions, and family Sundaydinners. Born March 30, 1954, Mike was alifelong outdoorsman, enjoying fishing, hunting,and camping.Hewas aMississippiStatefan in afamily of LSUTigers. As he entered his 40s, he realized something abouthimself: he was "too stubborn and stuck in his ways to work for someone else,"sohe became theowner of LeBlancMechanical Inc., a commercial and industrial refrigeration company, until he retired in 2018, when he passedthe business on to his son, Chris, and business partner JasonBabin. Allfour sons had Ph.D.s from theMike IkerdSchool of Doing Things. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles "CB" BrantleyIkerd of Roxie, MS; his mother, Corrine "Co"Blanchard IkerdofNew Orleans, LA;and his wife, Connie St. Pierre Ikerdof Prairieville, LA.Heissurvivedbyhis sons, Chad (Whitney), Chris (Holly), Corey (Natalie), and Cody (Brent)Ikerd;their mother, BrendaWiggins; grandchildren,Dylan, Devin, John, Harper, Jackson, and Benjamin; sister, Linda Ikerd Hernandez; and niece, PaulaHernandez Mabile (Blaine). Visitation is scheduled from 12:30-2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Ourso's Funeral Home in Gonzales, LA,with services beginning at 2:00 p.m. Interment at Hope HavenCemetery in Gonzaleswillfollow. The family invitesfriendsback to Mike's house after theservices forone last partyand potofspaghetti jambalaya. In lieu of flowers, Mike supported St. JudeChildren's Research Hospital
Jones, Arthur Edward
Arthur Edward Jones, Jr. was born May16, 1947 in BatonRouge,LA. He departedthislife on March 11, 2026 at age 78 in Baton Rouge. Visitation Friday, March 20, 2026, 10 A. M. untiltime of Funeral Service at 11:00 A. M. at Greater Beach Grove B. C. ,5253 FordStreet,Baton Rouge, LA 70811. There willbeno public viewing, aclosedcasket ceremony. Burial immediatelyfollowing service at Southern Memorial Gardens, 3012 Blount Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70807.
Christine
Christine "Tina" Mathews, born December 9, 1959, passed away March 17, 2026. Loving wife,mother,grandmother, and sister, known for kindness and strength.Services March 22 at Ourso Funeral Home,Gonzales, visitation 11 a.m.,service1 p.m.
Gary Lynn McComas, a resident of Livingston LA entered eternal rest March 12, 2026 in Baton Rouge following complications from pneumonia. Gary was born November 7, 1956 to Billy and Cecile McComas, and was 69 years old. He was preceded in death by his dad, Billy. Gary had alove of reading,especiallyhistorical and discovery type books and articles.Healso was afan of LSUfootball and baseball.Hewas fiercely independent,and was proud to be aretired welder of UA Local 198. Gary is survivedbyhis wife of 38 years, Glenda McComas, his children Nickie Deshotel (Billy) and Amanda Summers, his five grandchildren, Tristin, Sean, Laine, Brayden &Ty, and hisfour great-grandchildren, Lizzy, Arabella Rayna& Laukas. He is also survivedbyhis mother, CecileMcComas, his brother Randy McComas (Renee)
and hissister Sheryl Ranatza (Michael), along with numerousuncles, aunts, nieces, nephews andcousins. Amemorial service willbeheld from 13pmonSaturday March 21, 2026 at Seale Funeral Home 1720 S. Range, DenhamSprings, LA.
Deborah "Debbie" Dean Dubois Seal passedaway on SaturdayMarch7th at theage of 74 after along battle with Alzheimer's Disease.Debbie wasborn on February 9, 1952, in Gonzales,Louisiana, as theonly daughterofMr. andMrs. Julius Dubois. Shewas marriedin1974 to the late Adler Berriman Seal and togethertheyhad three children. Debbie wasa devotedwife,mother and grandmother.She enjoyed working in heryard,having lunchwithfriends and spendingtimewithher family. Sheenduredmany hardships in herlifeafter tragically losingher husband and raising herthree young childrenwithout theirfather.She spent the latter partofher life devoted to thebrave pursuit of uncovering thetruth about herhusbandand righting thewrongsthatweredone to himbythe U.S. Government, CIA, DEA, FifthCircuit CourtofAppeals for theMiddleDistrict of LA andThe LouisianaState Police.Debbie wasloyal to herhusbanduntil herlast breath,and she believed that oneday truth andjustice wouldprevail. Shewas asymbol of great strength, perseverance andloyalty. Sheloved without conditionsand wasdeeply devotedtoher family. Debbie is survived by herthree children, Dean Berriman Seal of Slidell LA, Aaron ChristopherSeal of Baton Rouge,LA, andChristina Marie Seal of Slidell LA; grandchildren, CullenWarmackofSlidell,LA, Kael WarmackofSlidell,LA, and ElijahSeal of Walker,LA; two brothers, Tandy Dubois of Gonzales, LA, andTyler Dubois of Winston Salem,North Carolina;and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts &uncles fromSouthernLouisiana to Texas. Sheisprecededin death by herhusband, Adler Berriman Seal of Baton Rouge,LA; mother, DianaDecoteau Dubois of Gonzales, LA; father,Julius Dubois Jr., of Gonzales, LA; grandparents, LeeDecoteau of Gonzales, LA, Edna Decoteau of Gonzales, LA, Julius Dubois Sr., of Gonzales, LA andOctavia Dubois of Gonzales, LA. As perher wishes, aprivate ceremonywill be held for Debbie's immediate family. In lieu of flowersplease considermakinga memorial donation on herbehalf to theAlzheimer'sAssociation
Mary AnnSemien Ned departed this earthly life on March6,2026 at theage of 87 surrounded by family. Shewas adevoted woman of faithwho served the Lordand herchurch. She wasloved and cherished by familyand friends. Viewing: Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on Friday, March 20th, 6-8pm. Funeral Services: March 21st at 9am untilreligious service at 11am ImmaculateConception Catholic Church,Baton Rouge
It is with sadness that we announce thepassing of Charles W. (Billy) Smith at theage of 91. He wasa residentofJackson,LAand is predeceased by hisparents AlbertD.(Bud) Smith andThelmaL.Smith.Heis survived by his wife Patriciaof68years, two sons Lindsey and Lyleand three granddaughters: Sophia, Luciaand Camille Serviceswill be held on Friday, March 20th at Our Lady of PerpetualHelp Catholic Church in Jackson, LA. Visitationis scheduled for 10am, Mass at 11am followed by burial at OurLady of Mount Carmel Cemetery in Saint Francisville "Billy" was agraduate of McKowenHigh School, Louisiana State University and Pennsylvania State University. He wasaneducator havingservedasa teacher,counselor,principal,professor andDeanof theCollegeofEducation at LSUand Texas Tech University. He also served as theAssistant Superintendent for the State DepartmentofEducation.After retirement he served as Headmaster at Wilkinson County Christian Academy (WCCA). Before retirement, he wasanactive member of numerous professional educational organizations. Additionallyin1961 he was calledupbythe Louisiana NationalGuard to serve in theeventofneedduring theBerlinWall crisis. He wasa parishioner at Our Lady of PerpetualHelp Catholic Church in Jackson for many decades.
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Landry, Patty Greenoaks FuneralHome, 9595
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Moving school start timeslater a step in theright direction
Anyone who has lived withteenagers knows their prodigious capacity forslumber.
Those hours in adeep sleep help adolescents contend with the many changes their bodiesand minds areundergoing, and some have argued for years that early school startsput them at a deficit whenthe day beginsand setthemupfor struggles longer term.
That’swhy we are glad to see theEastBaton Rouge Parish School system expanding later starttimes for middle and high schools in a bid to reduce absenteeism, truancy and lowscores
Earlier thismonth, the School Board gave unanimouspreliminary approval to aplanby Superintendent LaMont Cole tostart shifting times later. Afinal approval could come this week. Several schools have already undergone the change, including Capitol HighSchool, which moved its start time from 7:10 a.m. to 8:50 a.m in August. Results of the pilot program have beenadmittedly “mixed,” accordingtoCole, but at Capitol and Glen Oaks, two of thehigh schools involved, there were reduced tardies, fewer studentsexpelled and better studentperformance Under the proposal, which would spread districtwide over the next three years, affected middle and high schoolswould begin theirdays between8:30 and 8:45 a.m., and end between 3:40 and 3:55 p.m. Middle and high schools not on the adjusted schedule currentlybegin at 7:10 a.m. and end at 2:25 p.m
Theprogram may also help theschoolsystem address an ongoing bus driver shortageasit looks to revampits transportation department.
Some students gave theprogram high marks, including Capitol High senior ChristianNixon, who noted that he used to have to wait in the dark for the bus to come some earlymornings. He no longer dreads gettingupfor school, he said.
“Now that Iget up at 8a.m., that’s agood time,” he said.
Another middle school studentrecalled how sheusedtodrink coffee in the mornings to stay awake during school’s early morning hours. We are sympathetic to theconcernsofschool faculty and staff, who won’t havethe same flexibility that they hadwith aday that endedearlier in the afternoon. Glen Oaksteacher Jyotibala North noted that now shehas to drive home in worsetraffic and must take time off for appointments and other things sheusedtodoafter schoolhad dismissed.
Nevertheless, we feel thisprogram is astep in the right direction. Thoughbeginningafter 8a.m. won’texactly allow studentstosleep in it could allow them to get therest they desperately need.
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
Locals should decide how renewables fit into ourmix
Louisianaeconomic development is transforming our state, and our communities are continuing togrow into thisnew era. Key to this growth is energy,and we need all the energy —and thecheapest and the fastest —wecan get it. In this, Iwear two hats.
I’m alandowner and aretired farmer who has grown sugar cane for decades. Iamalso under contract for asolar project. In addition, Iserve on the Avoyelles Parish Police Jury, where we have just completed astrong local solar ordinance.
Let me be clear: Iamnot opposed to reasonable oversight Butthere is adifference between oversight and overreach. Ourparish recently adopted an ordinance that includes reasonable setbacks for renewables. We believe that is balanced. What we cannot support are state proposals that effectively makeprojects unworkable. At some point,regulation becomes prohibition.
When you tell alandowner that a
Ibegan smoking cigarettes at about age 16. When Ibegan, back in theearly 1950s, it was considered “cool” and was not thought to be all that dangerous. At leastthat is what the tobacco industry told us. Today themarijuana peddlers are preaching thevery same thingabout their product to theterminally gullible of this generation. In hindsight,wemust have been really naive not to equate the nausea, vertigo and choking cough that attended the initial “smoking breaking-in period” with areally unhealthy activity.Over thepast few years, there has been an all-out push by several state governing bodies to makethe use and possession of cannabis for “recreational” purposes legal. At thesame time, millions of dollars extorted from tobacco companies are allegedly being used by these same governing bodies to dissuade their citizens from smoking tobacco products. According to our omniscient elected
stateagency gets to decide the “best use” of his land, that raises serious concerns. Farmersand property owners have always adapted to changing markets. Through history,one crop has given way toanother.Wemoved from cattle to soybeans, from rice to sugar cane. Today,some landowners see solar as another wayofharvesting thesun.
Whether we are growing cotton, rice, sugar cane or installing solar panels, we are harvesting the sun. That’swhat agriculture has always been.
In Avoyelles Parish, we believe local government is capableofsetting reasonable standards. We have done the work. We have written an ordinance that reflects our community’spriorities
This issue deserves abetter path forward —one that respects private property rights, recognizes local authority and avoids policies that unintentionally drive investment out of Louisiana. SAM PEARCE landowner and police juror,Avoyelles Parish
public servants, thehealth risks from smoking tobacco are just plain unacceptable.
Ignored in all of this is the undisputable fact that the very same“unacceptable health risks” apply equally to smoking rope. Actually,equally is not accurate.
Addtolung cancer,heart failure, stroke, et al, known to result from thebreathing of smoldering vegetation fumes, the inherent dangers of abunch of fog-brained “cool folks” plowing our interstates in ahempinduced state of grace, trashing innocents with their uncontrolled two-ton missiles,and the danger is multiplied. When thebody count gets to acertain level, some future guru will decide to sue thegrass industry and awhole gaggle of our “publicservants” will lead the charge to remove this horrible public blight,atasubstantial profit to themselves, Iwould imagine.
WILLIAM M. FAULKNER Slidell
It’s
Iget tired of people such as letterwriter Duke Truby of Mandeville who think that the world is divided up into “liberals” and “conservatives.”
Iamawell-over-50 print subscriber to this newspaper who proudly labels himself ano-party moderate. That means that ultra-conservatives think that Iama“liberal” and ultra-liberals think that Iama“conservative.”
Rather than making everything a political litmus test, Iammore interested in thinking intelligently about issues. Like constitutionality.Like freedom of speech and the press. Like the commonwelfare. Like all those other things in the founding documents of our country
In the very issue in which Truby accuses this paper of political bias, the entire facing page was devoted to examining the Louisiana Republican primary candidates for U.S. Senate. Iwould like to think that this paper will devote the same space to the Democrat candidates. There are as many registered Democrats in the state as Republicans. But Idoubt that it will.
It has thus far given little acknowledgement of them beyond dismissing them as not contenders. Looking at the issue critically,Ican say that this reflects the political reality in this state.
But if Ilook at it through the way Truby views things, Iwould have to decide that if this paper is biased at all, it is biased in favor of conservatives.
Ithink this paper does apretty good job of walking the line of political balance and of keeping us informed in a factual manner
Sure, if Iwanted to argue that it is biased, Icould cherry-pick articles as tending to support one extremeposition or the other
But anewspaper that runs both comic strips “Doonesbury” and “Mallard Fillmore” can’tbeentirely biased.
What began as the Funky Tucksis nowever closerto launching thegreatestmuseum of music in the nation —a cultural, educational and economic boostfor all of Louisiana.
The LouisianaMusic and Heritage Experience on March 4signed an official letter of intent with the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to build and operate a120,000-square-foot facility replete with interactive music exhibits, live music venues, training in the music industry, and educational offeringsto share with classrooms statewide. Oh, and good food, too,because Louisiana music and food go together like coffee and chicory
suggested they put alive band on the float and,said Beary, “produce it like a musicclub,” with“studio-qualitysound for 360 degrees all around thefloat.”
As acrucial adjunct to theneighboring River District, the new museum offers breathtaking possibilities for lovers of jazz, blues, Cajun, zydeco R&B, street funk and other musical forms that were birthed or crucially boosted here in Louisiana. As an economic driver,meanwhile, it could make it substantially easier for musicians and sound technicians to makea living at theircrafts, whiledriving tourism statewide.
Much of this, including details on financing the $165 million project and other numbers, has been ably recounted in these pages by reporter StephanieRiegel. But sometimes numbers don’ttell the whole story,and sometimes the “back story” can help explain why the numberswork so well.
The back story here has wonderful twists and turns, but the thumbnail sketch is this: Local entrepreneur Chris Beary is captain of FunkyTucks, asub-krewe of the Tuckscarnival parade.When Funky Tucks added a new float to the few it had,a friend
Thefloat, which debuted in 2018, was ahuge hit.That led to usingthe float year-round as a movable bandstand for fairs or charitable events, or whatever And that led, through other steps, to the Funky Uncle group, which,beginning during the COVID pandemic, raised more than $1 million for musicians andgig workers. Eventually,Beary said, he “started to realize that there was agiant cavern, if youwill, between how we as Louisiananslaud our affection for,and almost worship, our music culture, and how we actually treat it.” How, he pondered, could we better nurture our music industry?
“Things like Mardi Gras, things like Jazz Fest, they bring people in hereto spend real money for ashort window of time,” hesaid. “Weneed something that willbring people here every day ” From therecame, first,the NOLA Funk Fest, already ahugely popular October event, and now thedrive, with greatmomentum, to build amuseum andculture/education center second to none in the nation.
Onelesson we can take here is that, at each step of doing something bigger and better than theprevious iteration, the audience and popularity grew That, in turn,hints at theanswer to the onepressing question: Will amuseum andcultural center like this just rearrangethe spending of the tourists whocome to New Orleansannually anyway,orwill it act as aforce multiplier? Will it not justslice up the available pieinmoreways, but instead lead
to moreand better pies, and beyond New Orleanstoother Louisiana places where musical genres had their roots and where musicaficionados might be inspired to visit because themuseum promotes them?
Plenteousevidence from other major music museums—the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, for example, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville —indicatethat these places are indeed major, major force multipliers. That is certainly how area music-venue operators seem to see thecoming museum.
“I think this is something that this area really needs and deserves, at the caliber (Beary) is talking about bringing into fruition,” said Rachael Arrington, general manager of the Maple Leaf near New Orleans’riverbend, as she pronounced it “absolutely” promising. In just four years before the pandemic, from 2015 to2019, the number of visitors to New Orleansalone (not to mention therest of thestate) doubled from 9.78 million to 19.75 million —and in 2025, it again exceeded 19 million. Still, thehotel-motel occupancy rate statewide hovers down near 60%, leaving plenty of room for growth. Andsurveys show music, in boththe southand northofthe state, is significantly more of an attractant to visitors here than in other parts of thecountry In sum, themuseum-plus being developed by theLouisiana Music and Heritage Experience is close to asure thingasaproverbial win-win-win for thewhole state. As it moves through various phases of the approval and financing processes, it amply merits enthusiastic choruses of support. Email QuinHillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com
GOP’sepiphanyisa badlook
Throughout his second termas president, Donald Trump hasenjoyeda bounty of forgiveness from his MAGA constituents and Republicans generally No bad turn has goneunappreciated. Until now Suddenly,the White House and Republicans in Congress seem compelled to changethe party’stune to de-emphasizesome prized aspirations such as mass deportationand vaccine pullbacks ahead of the midtermelections They must have noticed that many voters, notjust Democrats,have been turned off by the administration’sdeportation and health policies as well as the killings of innocent Americans by out-of-controlimmigration agents. Even if many Americans supporta secure southern border,they’rehaving a hard time swallowing the mass removal of people who were not criminals but law-abiding folks with homes, families and jobs. They may be herewithout permission, but this isn’twhatwemean by “criminal,” and MAGA knowsit. Arguing that entering the country illegally ipso facto makes people “criminals” stretchesbeyond even what Trump means when he talks about getting rid of the worst of the worst More than half of the people deported by midsummer 2025 had no criminal conviction, according to aWashington Post analysis. Nearly 60% of Americans say Trump has gone too far with his immigration policies, according to aWashington Post-ABC News-Ipsospoll. And 62% oppose aggressivetactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Althoughone might wish for higher numbers, these figures showaccountabilityand voting remain important When askedbyThe Post last month what range of deportations he supports, Trump said: “I want to seeeverybody” deported, “but we’re focusing onthe criminals. We’re focusing on killers.” By this,one might assume he’sincluding the immigration agents who fatally shot two civilians in Minneapolis Iwouldn’tmind seeing the guys who killed Renée Good and AlexPretti perp walked into Alligator Alcatraz forsome time outwithother criminals.Maybe dog-killing cowgirl KristiL.Noem, whom Trump recentlyremoved as homeland security secretary,could join
them. Now that would be good TV It’s refreshing to hear aRepublican senator, ThomTillis of NorthCarolina, speak up againsta Trump appointee, demanding her exit.Tillis excoriated Noem at aMarch 3Senatehearing for killingher 14-month-old dog. Tillis called Noem’sleadership a“disaster” and slammed herbook’sframing of the dogkilling as a“leadership lesson.” Pleasemakemedictator for one day Whatmatters, of course, isn’tTrump’s policies, or the people —and puppy —who suffered under Noem.It’sthe midterms. And that meansRepublicans largely have to reinvent themselvesto win.It’shardtowin when you’re awful. Thus, congressional leadersmeeting in Florida for arecent retreat were instructed by party and WhiteHouse officials to avoid talking about mass deportationand focus instead on removing violent criminals from theUnited States. EvenTrumphas begun walking backhis campaign promise of deporting up to 20 million undocumented immigrants (more thanare actually here) andinstead is calling for protections for undocumented workers in hospitality andagriculture jobs.
In arelated matter,Republicans are also retreating from attacking the COVID-19mRNAvaccines,fearing that changes to vaccine policycould hurt them in the midterms. Members of a
federal vaccine advisory board handpicked by Healthand Human Services Secretary RobertF.Kennedy Jr.had been weighing aplan to no longer recommend the shots because of debunked claims thatDNA contaminants in the vaccines were harmful.
Rationally,ifImay so speak, pickingapolicy or altering aplan for such transparently political reasons should only undermine confidence in HHS and Republicans,rather than inspirevoters to race to thepolls and securemoreof the same. Such cynical messaging is hardly revolutionary strategizing. The goalis always to maintain power,and messaging is the means On thatscore, Democrats need only not screw up. Their messageshave already been toldbyRepublicans:the twodead Americans in Minneapolis, the 5-year-old boy detained by ICE agents in the freezing cold, mass deportations of non-criminals and now rising gas prices thatprobably will worsenfor weeks if not months It is pleasantly ironic that Trump, who has been attacking democratic institutions for years, is having to adjusttothe most basic institution, one thathecan’t get around: voting.
Email Kathleen Parker at kathleenparker@washpost.com.
AfterDorothy Parker’ssecond, or perhaps third, suicide attempt, afriend said, “Dottie, if youdon’t stopthis sort of thing, you’ll make yourself sick.” Someone should speak similarly to the Democratic Party Its 2024 presidentialdefeat wasaconsequenceofits selection of its 2020 candidate, who was the party’sidea of awise response to its 2016 defeat.Today,Democrats who evidently don’twant to stopthis sort of thing look longingly at Gavin Newsom. There is this to be said for the Californianaspresidential timber: He hashad eight years of executive experience governing acomplexstate with apopulationlargerthanPoland’s, andan economy largerthanJapan’s He hascoped with crises made by nature (e.g., wildfires) andeven worse ones made by policies(read on). To be said against him are: those eight years. Immigration is the sincerest form of disparagement of the place fledfrom. California, which has gainedcongressional seatsafter everydecennialcensus sinceattaining statehood in 1850, probably will lose four after2030. Texasprobably will gain four,thanks partly to disgust with the continuity of Newsom’sgovernancewith California’s“blue state model” of subservience to public-employee unions. Tesla andChevron are among the California companiesthathavemoved their headquarters to Texas. California’sfinest cultural institution—not Stanford; In-N-Out Burger —has expanded its offices to Tennessee California hasthe nation’shighest unemployment rate and, notcoincidentally,a$16.90 per hour minimum wage, 2.3timesthe federal minimum. California is tiedwith Louisiana for the highest poverty rate, taking account of the costofliving in both places. California’s highest-in-the-nationgas tax is more than double the median state tax. In 2024, California’s averageretailpricefor electricity was more thandouble the national average. Because of zoning andotherscarcity-producing regulations, the median sale price of aCalifornia home is approaching $900,000. This is asmall sample of California’spolicy-made problems. Nevertheless, Newsom is perceivedasthe front-runner for his party’snomination. As was Maine’s Democratic Sen. Edmund Muskie in January 1972. As was RepublicanRudy Giuliani as 2008 dawned. Both limped out of the New Hampshire primary and into the sunset. Vogue hasjust published an adoring profile of Newsom. The 5,317 words begin with these:“He is embarrassingly handsome, his hair seasoned with silver, at ease with his own eminence.” ThenVogue shifts into high-gear gush: “lithe,ardent, energetic, aglimmer of optimism in his eye; Kennedy-esque.” This is the most beyond-satire puff piece sinceVanity Fair’sApril 2019 coverstory on aTexas congressmanwho wasthe flavorof the month for aboutamonth amongthe tiny sliverofvoterswho think Vanity Fair is aprofound guide to U.S. politics. Remember Beto O’Rourke?Few do Emulating Donald Trump’sALL CAPS effusions on social media,Newsom has posted depictions of the president as Marie Antoinette in drag, andasgrotesquely obese, gorging himself on Big Macs delivered by swarms of drones. This is exactly what the nationdoes notneed:a Democratic presidential candidate bent on subtracting from whatever national decorum hassurvived the current president. Campaigning for president six decades ago, Alabama’sDemocratic Gov.George Wallace said, “Hell, we got too muchdignity in government now.”Wehavesolved that problem. And if 2028 voters want ajuvenile president, JD Vancewill more than suffice. Newsom’snonstopflaying of Trump is neitherbrave,nor interesting, nor pertinent: Elections areabout the future, which does notinclude Trump. Newsom’sTrump fixation panders to obsessed progressives, but identificationwith themisNewsom’s problem.He should try saying something anything surprising or witty
Forany Democrat with nationalaspirations, coping with the party’sprogressive wing is like holding awolfbythe ears: Canyou letgo without being mauled? Newsom is eithergoing to find out, or be mauled by the national electoratefor notletting go.Having made it in California,hefaces this possibility: If you can make it there,you can’tmake it anywhere else
Email George Will at georgewill@washpost. com.
Quin Hillyer
George Will
Kathleen Parker
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREENIKHINSON
President Donald Trumppauses after signing an executiveorder in the Oval Office on Monday
Well, apartlycloudyand mild Wednesdaywillbefollowedbya mostly sunnyand warmer Thursday.Temperatures thisafternoon will rise to the mid-70s, whichisjust about where theyshould be at this timeofyear.The calmwindswehavethis morning will pick up alittle speed and become southwesterly at 5mph this afternoon. Humidity willremainlow todayasrainchances stay at zero.Ifyou’re headed to Alex Box for LSUvsOklahoma, expect clear and chilly conditions tonight and almost80degrees tomorrow.
Southernguard D’Shantae Edwards drives into thepaint againstPrairie
The Southern women’s basketball team has been led by its defense this season, but coach Carlos Funchess said he thinks his team will need to step up its play on offense to have achance against in theJaguars’ First Fourgame against Samford.
Southern (19-13) will makeits eighthNCAA Tournament appearance when it faces Samford (16-18) in aFirst Four game on Thursday at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina
The tip is scheduled for 6p.m.and the game will air on ESPN2. At stake is achancetoplay Regional 4’sNo. 1seed South Carolina at noon Saturday
“They have areally good team,and they’replayingwell,
FormerNFL quarterback’s Louisiana-bredcoltcould be fastesthorse in America
BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer
OPELOUSAS —Jake Delhomme is used to people being starstruck.
The Breaux Bridge native was astar quarterback for 11 seasons in the NFL, earning spots in the Carolina Panthers Hall of Honor andthe Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He’sabig dealinjust about
LSUon brinkof tworecords ahead of tourneyrun
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
ä Jacksonville at LSU 5P.M. FRIDAy,ESPN
This LSU women’sbasketball team knows how to score. Coach Kim Mulkey has said it before, and she’ll likely sayitagain on Friday, whenher Tigers begin theirNCAA Tournament run. LSUhas played32games, and it’s still having ahistorically productive offensive season.Justask Oklahoma, the top-16 national seed that advanced to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on March 6and quickly found itself on the business end of a112-78 beatdown.
“I’ve got agroup,” Mulkey said that night, “they allcan score the ball, as you saw today.” That group has only afew contests leftto play,which meansit’snow on thevergeof breaking twolongstanding records. LSU is essentially guaranteed to finish its season with the best scoring average in SEC history.And if it can put up 100 points just one moretime, then it’ll tie Long Beach State’s39-year-old NCAA Division Irecord formost 100-point games in aseason (15).
See LSU,
especially offensively,” Funchesssaid of Samford. “It’s going to be achallenge just to slow them down. We’re going to have to be efficient offensively,ourselves, and score at least 65 points, Ithink, to have achance to win.”
Southern advanced to the NCAA Tournament with three wins in three days at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament as the No. 4seed.The biggest moment wasa 51-49 over Alabama A&M,the SWAC regular-season champion, in the semifinals.
Samford, likeSouthern,was alower seed in itsconference tournament. Seeded sixth, theBulldogs defeated the Southern Conference’stop threeteams to earn an automatic spot in theNCAA Tournament.
“It’sgoing to be abattle,but at least it’sona neutral
ä See SOUTHERN, page 3C
LSUguard Flau’jae
every corner of Cajun Country
So when Lonnie Brileyjumpeddown from hisperch overlooking the training track at theCopper Crowne Equestrian Center ona recentmorning and ambled over to see Delhomme outsidehis barn, theformer NFL star took it in stride.
“I’veonlyseenhim on TV,” Briley said with awide grin. “I’m excited to finally see him in person.”
It wasn’t talking Delhomme, though, that had Brileygobsmacked. It wasthe strapping brown colt loping by Delhomme’s side: Touchuponastar
“What’snot to like about him?”Briley
said, circling the handsome thoroughbred like he was sizing up anew car on the sales lot. “He’sthe best horse in Louisiana.” Brileyknows agood horsewhen he sees one. Theveteran trainer from Opelousas has won more than 350 races in his36-year training careerand saddled Coal Battle in theKentucky Derby last year. But he might be understating Touchuponastar’s credentials. An argument can be made that Delhomme’sspeedy Louisiana-bred is the fastest horse in America.
“Touch,” as he’s knownaround the
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
When it comes to hitting abaseball,no part of the process is more crucial than a batter’sability to see the ball.
Hittersare only granted asplit second to read and react to pitches. Sometimes they’re right, but oftentimes they’re not. It’swhy the best sluggers in the world only get ahit 30% of the time.
ä Oklahoma at LSU 7P.M. THURSDAy,ESPNU
Fordecades,evaluating the key skill of it all —how ahitter sees the ball —was purely subjective. But at LSU, that’snolonger the case. Since coach Jay Johnson arrived in Baton Rouge, LSU baseball —which begins athree-game seriesonThursdayagainst
ä See DELHOMME, page 5C ä See HITTERS, page 6C
STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
View A&M in the firstquarter on Jan. 1atthe F.G.
Clark Activity Center
page 3C
LEARNMORE
Chris Stanfield LSU Baseball, Outfielder
8:25
7
11:15 a.m.
11:40 a.m. Troy vs Nebraska TruTV
12:30 p.m. South Florida vs Louisville TNT
12:50 p.m. High Point vs.Wisconsin TBS
1:50 p.m. Siena vs. Duke CBS
2:15 p.m.
3:05
5:50
6:10 p.m.
5
Some stars missing from NCAA Tournament
BY JOHN MARSHALL AP sportswriter
Top-ranked Duke earned the No 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament behind star freshman Cameron Boozer and an overpowering inside game.
But as the Blue Devils embark on what they hope will be a deep March Madness run, coach Jon Scheyer is having to make some adjustments with two key players dealing with injuries
Point guard Caleb Foster suffered a broken right foot in the regular-season finale against No 21 North Carolina and likely will be out until the Final Four, should the Blue Devils get that far The news on big man Patrick Ngongba II is a little better He missed the ACC tournament with a foot injury, but could be ready to play in Thursday’s opener against No. 16 seed Siena.
“I can tell you he’s improving,” Scheyer said “I feel very positive about it, but I can’t say what that means as far as later in the week in terms of timing or readiness, because we have to take it step by step.”
Duke isn’t the only team dealing with injuries. Several teams, some with high seeds, will have to navigate March Madness without key players.
J.T. Toppin, No. 20 Texas Tech
Toppin was one of the nation’s best big men this season, earning first-team All-America honors from The Associated Press after being a second-teamer last year
Toppin’s torn ACL suffered against Arizona State on Feb 17 leaves a hole in the No. 20 Red Raiders’ lineup.
The 6-foot-9 junior averaged 21.8 points on 55% shooting from the floor and 10.8 rebounds while leading Texas Tech with 43 blocked shots. The Red Raiders went 3-3 without him, falling to a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tourna-
ment.
Texas Tech faces No. 12 seed Akron on Friday in Tampa, Florida, in its opener
Caleb Wilson, No. 21 North Carolina
The 6-10 forward was one of the nation’s best freshman the first part of the season, leading the Tar Heels with 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds while shooting 58% from the floor Injuries derailed his season. Wilson first broke his left hand and was close to returning when he broke his right thumb in a noncontact drill in practice. He had season-ending surgery in early March.
Wilson still was a second-team AP All-American, but his loss will leave North Carolina with a big hole as March continues.
The No. 6 seed Tar Heels play No 11 VCU on Thursday in Greenville, South Carolina.
Richie Saunders, BYU Freshman AJ Dybantsa led the nation in scoring and the sharpshooting Saunders kept opposing defenses from paying too much attention to him by hitting a team-leading 64 3-pointers. Saunders’ season came to an end when he tore his ACL against Colorado on Feb 14 and the Cougars lost three of their next four games. The 6-5 senior was BYU’s thirdleading scorer at 18 points on 48.9% shooting in 25 games. BYU went 4-5 without him and plays No 11 seed Texas in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday in Portland, Oregon.
L.J. Cason, No. 3 Michigan
Cason was the primary backup to point guard Elliot Cadeau before suffering a torn right ACL against Illinois on Feb. 27.
The 6-2 sophomore guard averaged 8.4 points in 18.5 minutes
per game and was the Wolverines’ best 3-point shooter at 40%.
Michigan still reached the Big 10 Tournament title game and is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. The Wolverines face Howard on Thursday in Buffalo.
Braden Huff, Gonzaga
The left-hander had been a tough matchup for opposing teams before needing surgery for a torn meniscus in mid-January Huff has started jogging and shooting, but coach Mark Few was not optimistic about him being able to play the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
A 6-10 junior, Huff was Gonzaga’s second-leading scorer at 17.8 points per game on 66% shooting and averaged 5.6 rebounds.
The Zags have advanced past the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend nine times since 2014, but will likely have to do it without Huff this time.
3-pointers up heading into March Madness
BY AARON BEARD AP basketball writer
No team has made more 3-pointers, nor launched more, than Alabama in the past four seasons. And nothing will shake coach Nate Oats from believing they’re at the core of building a winner in modern basketball.
Teams might struggle to match the Crimson Tide’s sheer volume heading into March Madness, but they’re leaning into those long-distance shots, too.
“Finding efficient shots is at the top of what we do,” Oats said recently “It’s at the top of what everybody in the NBA is looking at is generating efficient shots And if you’re not thinking about how to get open catch-and-shoot 3s, I don’t think you’re thinking about creating efficient shots.”
This marks the 40th season with the 3-pointer fully integrated into college basketball, an advancement that has transformed the sport since its 1986-87 introduction. Years of pounding the ball inside to bigs have given way to skilled players stretching defenses to create space for shooters to take those matchup-tilting shots. In the NCAA Tournament, the 3 is an equalizer capable of igniting seismic upsets like Middle Tennessee’s takedown of Michigan State in 2016 or the first-ever 16-vs-1 win with UMBC beating Virginia in 2018. Going cold can just as easily mean an abrupt end to the season. So the question remains: How much should a team rely on the 3 in March?
Division I teams fittingly have taken nearly 40% of their shots from behind the arc in this 40th season of the 3, yet a fraction of Fi-
Prairie View men defeat Lehigh in First Four DAYTON, Ohio Dontae Horne scored 25 points and Cory Wells had 19 as Prairie View A&M earned its first NCAA Tournament victory 67-55 over Lehigh on Wednesday night in the First Four Former St. Michael standout Lance Williams added 10 points for the Panthers (19-17), who are making their third tournament appearance. They advance as the No. 16 seed in the South Region to face top seed and defending champion Florida on Friday in Tampa, Florida. Lehigh leading scorer Nasir Whitlock went scoreless for more than 26 minutes and finished with five points. He was 2-of-15 shooting. The last time Whitlock did not reach double figures was Nov 9, when he had two points in a 69-47 loss at West Virginia.
NASCAR suspends Dye after mockery of driver
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR driver
Daniel Dye was suspended the second known major penalty of his racing career — for mocking IndyCar driver David Malukas during a recent livestream.
In the video, which circulated Tuesday on social media, Dye used voices that made inferences about Malukas’ sexuality He mimicked Malukas’ voice at one point.
Dye is a Truck Series driver for Kaulig Racing, which also suspended him. NASCAR ordered Dye to undergo sensitivity training. Dye apologized to Malukas in a social media post, calling his comments “careless.”
“I chose my words poorly and I understand why it upset people,” he wrote. “I’m sorry to anyone who was offended. That’s not how I want to represent myself.”
Eagles acquire veteran QB Dalton from Panthers
Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton is heading to the Philadelphia Eagles to provide depth behind Jalen Hurts, a person with knowledge of the trade told The Associated Press on Wednesday The Carolina Panthers will receive a seventh-round pick in 2027. Dalton joins Hurts and backup Tanner McKee, who could become available for a trade.
The 38-year-old Dalton made three Pro Bowls during his first nine seasons in Cincinnati. He’s also played for Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans and spent the past three seasons with the Panthers. Dalton is 84-83-2 as a starter but was primarily a backup in Carolina. He has thrown for 39,763 yards, 254 touchdowns with 151 interceptions and an 87.5 passer rating in 15 seasons.
nal Four teams and NCAA champions in the 3-point era have utilized it to this year’s levels with their seasons on the line
Higher volume At its core, the 3-pointer is a volatile bet.
The reward can be far-reaching offensive efficiency beyond simply the 50% added value compared to a traditional field goal. But it boasts a tougher conversion rate as officials have moved the arc back multiple times — from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20 feet, 9 inches in 2008-09, then to 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches to match the international distance for 2019-20. As a result, the 3-point shooting percentage has barely moved. Division I teams have bounced from around 33-35% shooting on 3s going back to the 2002-03 season, with this year at 34.1% entering the week.
Yet 3s have gone from accounting for 32.1% of all shot attempts
in 2002-03 to a 24-season high of 39.5% this year, according to SportRadar And 3s account for 29.8% of all made shots in Division I, up from around 25% in 2002-03. Those are thresholds rarely reached by teams that have pushed all the way to the sport’s final weekend:
n Only 28 of 152 (18.4%) teams to reach the Final Four in the 3-point era have had 3s account for this year’s percentage of their made shots;
n Only 21 of those Final Four teams (13.8%) had 3s account for this year’s percentage of shot attempts; n And seven of 38 champions (18.4%) have had 3s account for more than 39% of their shot attempts, including the past three winners in UConn (2023-24) and Florida (2025). Villanova’s two championships under Jay Wright remain outliers. Notably, his 2018 winner that blew
through six tournament games to win it all behind eventual NBA players Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo held the all-time highest marks among the champs; 3s accounted for 38% of the Wildcats’ made shots and 47.5% of their attempts. His other champion, in 2016, won on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Kris Jenkins.
“You’ve got to be able to shoot the 3 to go deep in the tournament,” the retired Wildcats coach said. “Not just because 3s are more valuable than 2s, but now the way teams play defense if you can’t shoot 3s they’re going to load up on your 3-point shooters and take them away And they’re gonna force you to make non-shooters make plays.”
The right looks
That’s Oats’ focus, too. The Crimson Tide’s 4,436 attempted 3s are 339 more than the next closest Division I team, according to SportRadar Alabama has shot 35.5% behind the arc in that span, with 3s accounting for 48.3% of Alabama’s shot attempts.
The approach helped make Alabama the No. 1 overall seed in 2023 and powered a Final Four run in 2024 and last year’s trip to the Elite Eight after hitting a tournamentrecord 25 3s in a Sweet 16 romp against BYU.
“The math part of it is how can you create the most efficient offense, and how can you try to keep the other team from running the efficient offense?” said Oats, whose team is the Midwest Region’s 4-seed. “Well if you’re all in on getting the most efficient shots you can, the 3-point line and taking 3s has to be a part of that. It just does.”
Yankees’ Cole tops 98 mph in eventful first spring start TAMPA, Fla. — Gerrit Cole returned to a mound to pitch in a game after a 377-day absence and threw a scoreless first inning for the New York Yankees in an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox. Cole threw 10 pitches, seven for strikes, including six four-seam fastballs that averaged 97.1 mph He threw two sliders and a pair of knuckle-curves.
A 35-year-old right-hander, Cole had Tommy John surgery on March 11 last year with Los Angeles Dodgers team physician Dr Neal ElAttrache. His last official outing was in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series that Oct. 30. The six-time All-Star pitched in two spring training games in 2025, the last on March 6
Manfred: MLB may consider moving WBC to midseason
MIAMI — Having set attendance and broadcast viewer records, the World Baseball Classic will return in 2029 or 2030 and at some future point could be moved to midseason, when clubs would be less likely to restrict players.
Since the WBC’s inception in 2006, it has been played during spring training. Tournament rules include pitch count restrictions, and teams can demand tougher limits or deny players permission to participate.
“Obviously we have commitments to Fox in terms of the All-Star Game in the middle of the season through ’28,” baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said. “As the game continues to evolve, we have talked about midseason tournaments in general. And certainly if we decided to get serious about this, about a midseason tournament, this would be an ideal opportunity.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANNIE RICE
Texas Tech forward JT Toppin uses crutches to walk after a game against TCU on March 3 in Lubbock, Texas
Toppin suffered a torn ACL in February and is out for the season.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANIE RICE
Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson shoots a 3-pointer while TCU guard Jayden Pierre attempts to block on March 3 in Lubbock, Texas.
LSU women’s basketball star Flau’jae Johnson was named to one of the AP All-America teams on Wednesday for the second time in her career Voters put Johnson on the third team in both 2024-25 and 202526. This year, Michigan’s Olivia Olson, UCLA’s Kiki Rice, Duke’s Toby Fournier and South Carolina’s Raven Johnson accompanied her in that group of honorees. Johnson’s two-star teammates — junior guards Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley — each received All-America votes but not enough to land on one of the three teams. They were instead recognized as honorable mentions for the second season
in a row
UConn stars Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, along with Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Texas’ Madison Booker, were voted onto the first team.
Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards, TCU’s Olivia Miles, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks and Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge landed spots on the second team.
LSU, South Carolina and UCLA were the only teams with three honorees, including honorable mentions.
Johnson, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, recently became just the sixth player to score more than 2,000 points in an LSU uniform. She began her career in 2022-23 — the year the Tigers took home their first national title She started 36 games as a freshman, then quickly blossomed into one of the nation’s top players by the time she wrapped up her sophomore season.
Johnson has career averages of 14.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 as-
sists and 1.6 steals per game. She’s also shot 47% from the field and 38% from 3-point range across all four years of her career
This season, Johnson helped LSU win big road games against Duke, Georgia, Oklahoma and Ole Miss She scored a team-high 21 points on Feb. 14 against South Carolina but missed two key free throws with a chance to give the Tigers a lead late in the fourth quarter
Johnson was also given a firstof-its-kind award last Thursday for her support of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
She’ll exhaust her NCAA eligibility when LSU ends its NCAA Tournament run which begins at 5 p.m. Friday with a first-round game against No. 15 seed Jacksonville in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center The Tigers are a No. 2 seed in the bracket for the first time since 2008.
Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.
Pelicans overcome slow start to defeat Clippers
BY LES EAST Contributing writer
The New Orleans Pelicans started slowly and quickly turned things around in a 124-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night in the Smoothie King Center
ä Clippers at Pelicans 7 P.M.
THURSDAy, GCSEN
The Pelicans trailed by as many as 18 points in the first quarter, allowed 40 points in the first quarter, but caught up by halftime and dominated the second half for their sixth consecutive home victory.
Saddiq Bey scored 25 points, Trey Murphy had 23, Dejounte Murray, returning from a one-game absence due to illness finished with 17 points and 11 assists, Derik Queen and Zion Williamson scored 14 each and Jeremiah Fears added 11 for New Orleans (23-47), which won for the ninth time in 13 games and will try to earn a tie in the season series when it faces the Clippers (34-35) again at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Smoothie King Center.
Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points, John Collins had 18, Darius Garland had 13 and Jordan Miller scored 13 each Brook Lopez had 11 and Isaiah Jackson added 10 to lead L.A., which lost its third straight after winning seven of eight.
Bey’s layup started the secondhalf scoring, broke a 60-all tie, and gave New Orleans its first lead since the score was 12-11. Wil-
LSU
Continued from page 1C
The Tigers are still putting up 94.5 points per game, enough to shatter the league record that Georgia set when it averaged 89.2 ppg across the 32 contests it played in 1985-86. LSU can score zero points at 5 p.m. Friday in its first-round game against No 15 seed Jacksonville (ESPN), and it would still set that record.
It’s much more likely, though, that the No. 2 seed Tigers (27-5) will hang roughly 100 points on the Dolphins — the second-place Atlantic Sun team that won its conference tournament to secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament and a spot in the Baton Rouge regional. LSU hit the century mark in all but two of the 13 games it’s already played against mid-major opponents this season. It averaged 109.2 ppg in those matchups.
LSU already broke the record for consecutive 100-point outings
SOUTHERN
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liamson followed with a layup and the Pelicans expanded the lead to 83-74 on a follow-up by Karlo Matkovic.
L.A. got as close as five points but New Orleans closed with a 10-4 run to grab a 96-85 lead at the end of the third quarter
The Pelicans began the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run to take a 16-point lead. The Clippers closed eight points three times, but Bey made a 3-pointer and Murray
when it crossed over the century mark in each of the first eight games it played this year The previous top mark was six, which Mulkey helped Louisiana Tech set during her sophomore season (1981-82).
Pursuing those records has put the Tigers in some select company Long Beach State’s 1987 team reached the Final Four, and Louisiana Tech’s 1982 team won the national championship the first women’s basketball title game the NCAA ever sponsored Georgia’s 1986 team won both the SEC regular-season and tournament titles but lost in the Sweet 16.
Only two Division I teams have scored more than 90 ppg across the last 10 seasons, and they both won at least two NCAA Tournament contests. Maryland did it in 2020-21, and Iowa did it in 2023-24 — the year it lost to South Carolina in the national championship game. That season, the Hawkeyes scored at least 100 points in 10 contests — four against mid-major
Regular-season fans displaced at PMAC for tourney games
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
The first two rounds of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament are back this weekend at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center LSU takes on Jacksonville at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by Texas Tech-Villanova and a second-round game Sunday Many LSU women’s season ticket holders have found out that they aren’t in their normal regular-season seats and may be mad about that fact as March Madness cranks up. But there’s a reason for the changes come postseason play and it has nothing to do with LSU.
According to Kylee Sulser, LSU’s associate director of ticket operations, the NCAA requires that LSU allot 100 tickets nearest the court (100 level) per school to fans of all four teams, plus the guarantee for each school to purchase 50 more tickets in the PMAC’s lower bowl (100/200 sections).
Tickets for the team’s bands and seats for non-participating teams to watch the game they’re not playing take up another 200 seats in the 100 level, Sulser said. The LSU student section is in the
same place, behind the east baseline near the visitor’s bench. Additionally, you can blame us in the media.
“We lose three rows of seating on both sides of the court for media and game personnel,” Sulser said, referring to extra press row tables not there during the regular season. “Because of this, we have very limited seating available in the 100s to assign or sell to fans.”
Sulser went on to say that NCAA ticket requests by LSU fans are assigned based on TAF priority rankings.
About 9,000 tickets had been sold as of Wednesday afternoon, Sulser added. Tickets books for Friday and Sunday’s games are on sale for $20-40, while singlesession tickets for either Friday or Sunday are $10-25, based on location.
The only remaining tickets through LSU are in the PMAC’s 300 level above the main walkway, though some are available in lower sections through the secondary market.
Tickets are available through the LSU Athletic Ticket Office, at www.LSUSports.net/tickets and by calling (225) 578-2184.
No. 1 seed Gamecocks reset for tourney run after SEC title fumble
BY STEVE REED AP sportswriter
South Carolina coach Dawn
Staley isn’t sweating her team’s 17-point loss to rival Texas in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship. In fact, she thinks it might be a blessing in disguise for her Gamecocks (31-3) heading into the NCAA Tournament, allowing them to refocus.
Funch-
wins. Three Bulldogs received alltournament honors — most valuable player Francie Morris, Kaylee Yarbrough, who scored 25 points in the title game, and Sierra Godbolt Perhaps most impressive, Samford’s Briana Rivera, a player who leads the nation with 109 made 3-pointers this season, wasn’t needed for game-changing performances during the tournament. Morris Yarbrough and Godbolt made a
made a 3-pointer and fed Murphy for a dunk to start a 12-0 run that gave New Orleans a 121-101 lead.
The Pelicans lost to the Clippers 137-117 on March 1 in Los Angeles after falling behind 43-32 after one quarter and ultimately allowing 36 points on 17 turnovers. They trailed by as many as 18 points and trailed 40-26 after the first quarter Wednesday, turning the ball over nine times, leading to nine L.A. points.
teams and six against Big Ten foes. LSU has 14 such games this year, and all but three were against midmajor opponents.
The Tigers’ current scoring average (94.5 ppg) would be tied for the fourth-highest in NCAA Division I history
That number shows that they can erupt on offense, and if they can do so at the right time in the tournament, then they could find themselves back in the Final Four
But first, LSU will have to get past Jacksonville and either the No. 7 seed Texas Tech or No. 10 seed Villanova. Those two teams will play their first-round matchup in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday (ESPNU).
“We’re gonna continue to do what we do,” Mulkey said. “I think we have some seasoned young ones now When you go through the SEC, as y’all well know it’s kind of a breath of fresh air to get out of there and just start the playoffs.
“You just gotta be playing your best basketball at the right time.”
combined 19 3-pointers while Rivera accounted for the other seven.
“They’ve got several young ladies that can shoot the 3, but they have some size, too,” Funchess said. “Their center (6-foot-5 Vanderbilt transfer Emily Snoddy) is a good one, so you can’t just turn around and shoot it over the top in the lane. We’ll have to run some stuff and get some ballscreen action. We need to take ad-
“Our team knows we didn’t play our best basketball — not nearly what we’re capable of doing,” Staley said of the 78-61 loss to the Longhorns, a game in which they fell behind 14-0. “But I told them that the last time we lost in this situation, we won a national championship. So you’ve got to think about that. It might be the very thing this team needs.”
The fourth-ranked Gamecocks (31-3) last lost the SEC championship game in 2022 to Kentucky, but went on to beat UConn 64-49 for the second of Staley’s three national championships since taking over as coach at South Carolina.
South Carolina enters this year’s tournament as a No. 1 seed for the sixth straight time. UConn, UCLA and Texas are the other top seeds. The Gamecocks have reached the Final Four in each of the last five seasons, while making the national championship game three times and cutting down the nets twice during that span. They open this year’s tournament at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday against the winner of a First Four game between Southern and Samford, both No. 16 seeds. If they win their first two games, the Gamecocks will head West to Sacramento for the regionals. Two of South Carolina’s three losses this season have come to Texas and first-team All-American Madison Booker, who has proven to be a difficult matchup. (The other defeat was an overtime loss on the road at Oklahoma.)
South Carolina is 1-2 against Texas (31-3), beating the Longhorns at home in January en route to winning the regular season title outright. The teams are on opposite sides of the bracket, meaning if they meet for a fourth time it would come in the nation-
their
SEC Tournament game on March 7
S.C.
ä South Carolina vs: Southern/ Samford 1 P.M. SATURDAy ABC
al championship game. South Carolina has the firepower to win another national championship despite losing four starters from the 2025 national runner-up squad.
Three of those players had completed their eligibility, and 2025 SEC Tournament MVP Chloe Kitts was lost for the season due to a knee injury Key reserve MiLaysia Fulwiley transferred to LSU.
But returner Joyce Edwards (19.6 points and, 6.3 rebounds per game) has stepped up her game and the Gamecocks feature a strong backcourt led Raven Johnson and Tessa Johnson. They’ve also gotten big contributions from transfer Madina Okot and Ta’Niya Latson. The Gamecocks have responded well to their previous two losses this season, twice rattling off 12-game win streaks.
The big question now will be if they can regroup from the Texas loss and make a run at another national title.
“Things we usually make weren’t necessarily going in,” Edwards said following the loss to Texas. “It just happens. We have other goals in mind — the national championship. This isn’t the end all be all, so we’re just moving forward.”
vantage of our quickness.” One area where Southern has an advantage is experience. Samford is making its third NCAA appearance, but its first since 2012 Southern’s tournament trip is its third in four seasons. Three of Southern’s leaders — Jocelyn Tate, D’Shantae Edwards and DeMya Porter — all saw action in last year’s tournament Tate had seven points and six rebounds in the 68-56 win over UCSan Diego, and followed that with six points and eight rebounds in an 84-46 loss to UCLA. “The experience is big,” Funchess said. “They can tell the other young ladies how it’s going to be, all the things you want to do in
AP PHOTO By CHRIS CARLSON South Carolina guard Raven Johnson celebrates after scoring against LSU during the second half of
semifinal
in Greenville,
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Pelicans guard Saddiq Bey shoots a 3-pointer during the first half of a game against the L.A. Clippers on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center
MICHAEL JOHNSON
STAFF FILEPHOTO By
LSU defensivetackle Dominick McKinleywill be aplayertowatch during the Tigers’springpractice, which begins Tuesday. The former five-star recruit had 12 tackles, twotackles forlossand one sack last season.
Tigers to keep an eyeon
Tenplayers to watchwhenLSU spring practice starts next week
BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer
When LSU begins spring practice next week, alot of new players will be on the field together for the first time.
LSU signed 59 players this offseason, adrastic transformation entering thefirst season under coach Lane Kiffin. They have spent the past two months going through anew strength andconditioning program before they practice again.
With 15 practices over thenext month, there will be plenty of opportunities for players to move around the depth chart and make an impression on the coaching staff. Here arethe 10 we’remost interested to watch once practice begins March 24,listed in alphabetical order by last name.
DT RichardAnderson, Fr How soon can Anderson contribute? It’snot easy for afreshman to play early at defensive tackle, but Anderson was afive-star recruit and the No. 1defensivelineman in the 2026class, accordingtothe 247Sports composite rankings. Listed at 6-foot-3 and360 pounds, he has the physical traits to earn arole nextseason, but he must adjust to ahigher level of competition. Springpractice will give a sense of how he needs to develop.
STyBenefield, Sr
Benefield seemstobeflying under the radar alittle bit, but he might end up being one of LSU’s most impactfultransfers.Benefield made 33 career startsatBoise State while totaling 235 tackles, 18 tackles forloss, 16 pass breakups and five interceptions. He earned first-team All-Mountain West honors last season. One of the top defensive backs in the transfer portal, he’ll likelyfill aneed by starting at safety or Star
WR JayceBrown,Sr. LSU signed ninetransfer wide
receivers, and Brown has had the most productive career so far.He had115 receptionsfor 1,972 yards and13 touchdowns over three seasons at Kansas State, where he ranked top 10 in program history in yards receivingand touchdown catches. With acareer average of 17.1yardsper catch, Brown offers abig-play ability.Hehas thetools to be astarter,but can he be atop SECreceiver?
TWestonDavis,So.
Davis struggled throughout his first season as the starting right tackle. Pro Football Focus grades should be taken with agrainof salt, but he finished with a47.1 over 12 games, thefourth-lowest in the SEC among players with at least350 snaps. However, those grades improved over thefinal three games. LSU saw enough potential in him to bring him back, and now he needs to improve if he’s going to start again.
QB HusanLongstreet, R-Fr
Longstreet is goingtoget more first-team reps than usual with Sam Leavitt limited this spring, giving hima chancetoshowwhat he can do after transferring from Southern California. Longstreet is afascinating prospect as aformer five-star recruit withdual-threat capability.Heplayed well in a small samplesizelast season,and with Leavitt likely eyeing the NFL draftnext year,hemight be LSU’s quarterback of thefuture.
DT Dominick McKinley,Jr.
Thisisthe year that McKinley needs to show whyhewas a five-star recruit and top15overall player in the 2024 class. The Lafayette native worked his way further into the rotation lastyear by playing 370snaps,but he only finished with 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and onesack. He’ll have to compete with Clemson transfer Stephiylan Green and Auburn transfer Malik Blocton to start on the defensive line.
DE Jordan Ross,Jr.
It’snever abad thing whenyou canadd aformerfive-starrecruit whowas considered by at least onerecruiting servicetobea top10overall player in hisclass. That’swhatLSU gotinRoss, a6-5, 245-pound edge rusher.Heappears to have untapped potential after recording 26 tackles, five tackles for loss and 11/2 sacksintwo seasons at Tennessee. LSU needs him to be ready to play more.
TJordanSeaton, Jr
This one is pretty obvious Seaton was the highest-ranked offensive tackle and one of the top overall players in thetransfer portal. He’saformer five-star recruit who started22games during his two seasons at Colorado,and he has allowed only four sacks. LSU got aplug-and-play left tackle, which theteam desperately needed. If Seaton continues to improve, he could be afirst-round pick in the NFL draft next year
DE Princewill Umanmielen,Sr.
Another one of LSU’shighestrankedtransfer additions, Umanmielenrecorded nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss last season at Ole Miss. LSU lacked adominant pass rushereven though the defense improved last year,soUmanmielen could make anoticeable difference if he maintains that levelof production. There should be some good battlesinpracticebetween him and Seaton.
WR Eugene Wilson,Jr.
If Wilson can stay healthy,there’s alot to like about his game. After signing withFlorida as the No. 106 overall recruit in the2023 class, Wilson caught 107 passes for 1,043 yards and10touchdownsover threeseasons.Heevenearned freshman All-SEC honors when he grabbed 61 receptions andsix touchdowns hisfirstseason. Unable to stay healthy sincethen, he still has alot to prove.
WNBA,players unionreach deal in principle; salaries jump fourfold
BYDOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer
NEW YORK
TheWNBAwillhave its first million dollarplayers after the league and its players’ union reached adealinprinciple on atransformational new collective bargaining agreement early Wednesday morning.
Specifics still need to be finalized over the next few weeks as lawyers on both sides work on the new CBA.
Aterm sheet should be done in the nextday or two. It will then need to be ratified by theplayers and then approved by the league’sBoard of Governors.
“I just want to saywehave aligned on key elements of anew collective bargaining agreement together.Westill need to finalize aformal term sheet, but the progress made in these discussions marks atransformative step forward for players and the league,” WNBACommissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “It underscores a shared commitmenttothe continuedgrowth of the game.So, we’ll share additional details as they become available.”
Thelandmark deal is expected to greatly increase player salaries, with topstars potentially making asupermax of $1.4 million in the first year,according to aperson familiar with the negotiations.
The salary capfor the 2026 season is expected tobe$7million with average salaries more than $585,000, according to the person.
The minimumsalary would be around $300,000 as the league enters its 30th season. This would increasesalaries fourfold from last season.
“Forthe first time playersalaries are tied to atruly meaningful share of leaguerevenue,driving exponential growth in the salary cap, increasing average compensation beyond halfamillion dollars and raisingthe standard across facilities, staffing and support,” union presidentNneka Ogwumike said.
Theagreement is set to reflect theleague’sskyrocketing growth andpopularity.Attendance, viewership and investment from stakeholders hasincreased to historic levels over the past few years.
“The deal is going to be transformational,”union vice president BreannaStewart said.“It’sgoing to build andhelpcreateasystem where everybody is getting exactlywhat they deserve and more from on thecourt and off the court
Saints still have plenty to navigate
Alookatsome
keypositions N.O. needstotackle
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
The first wave of free agency is over.That doesn’tmean the New Orleans Saints are done. Even aftertheir flurry of moves last week, the Saints continue to explore their options. That’sbecauseNFL teamsconsistently seek upgrades, and New Orleans is no exception. And the Saints know they can’tplugevery hole in aweek.
“There’splenty of stuff to navigate,” coachKellenMoore said last week. Here are the three spots they notably have lefttotackle.
Cornerback
Notable free agents still available: Trevon Diggs, Marshon Lattimore, L’Jarius Sneed,Adoree’ Jackson Alontae Taylorleftthe Saints to sign athree-year deal with the Tennessee Titans, creating arguably thebiggest hole on New Orleans’ roster.Specifically, the Saints will have to replace Taylor’spresenceonthe inside—a role crucial in defensive coordinatorBrandonStaley’sscheme. But keep in mind that doesn’t necessarily have to be filled by acornerback. Staleyloved using safety Derwin James inside when he coached theLos Angeles Chargers. That makes Ohio State safetyCaleb Downsatempting selection if he’sstill available when the Saints draft eighth overall in April. Regardless of whether Downs is available, the draft probably makes themost sense to replace Taylor. LSU’sMansoor Delane is seen as the best cornerback in this year’sclass, but there’ssolid depth if theSaints prefernot to address the spot in Round 1. In free agency,there are several veterans who would be reclamation projects at this stage of their careers. Sneed, for instance, fitswhat the Saints have pursued in recent years, as he haslocal ties and once played forthe Kansas CityChiefs, but hasn’tlooked like the sameplayer sinceinjuries derailed his two-year stint with the Titans. Generalmanager Mickey Loomis has showna willingness to bring back former Saints, though it would be surprising to see that samecourtesy extended to Lattimore, given his decline in play,the major knee injury he suffered last season and his weapons charge arrest from January Wide receiver
Notable free agents still available: Jauan Jennings, Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel The Saints have done anice job in free agency to boost quarterback TylerShough’s supporting cast.But there’sone area they notably haven’ttouched: Wide receiver
Taking alook at this year’sdraft class explains why.Ohio State’s
Jordyn Tysonand USC’sMalaki Lemon are seen as first-rounders who could each provide ajoltto the Saints’ offense. There are also quality options projected to go in the next fewrounds, such as Louisville’sChris Bell and Georgia State’sTed Hurst.
Based on conversations at the NFL scouting combine, the Saints feel as if another downfield threat to complement ChrisOlave and Devaughn Vele would accentuate the group. The Saints don’tseem to be alone in wanting to rely on the draft for this position. So many big names remain on the wide receiver market, and that’sbefore you get to the Philadelphia Eagles beingopentotrading A.J. Brown. Edge rusher
All eyes are on Jordan and Saintstosee if they can hammerout an agreement for the 36-year-old pass rusher to stay in NewOrleans. Jordansounded content, however,ifhehad to play elsewherenextseason,when appearing recentlyonTerron Armstead’spodcast. Jordan said he understands the “business nature”ifitdoesn’twork out with the Saints.
But even if Jordan returns, the Saints stillprobably needmore juice at edge rusher.One of the biggest questions between now and the draftiswhether any of OhioState’sArvellReese, Texas Tech’sDavid Bailey and Miami’s Rueben Bain will be on the board when the Saints are on the clock. The Saints heavily invest in the trenches, andsoitwould notbe shocking to see them use the eighth pick on an edge rusher Butthose threecould each be gone before pick No.8
Like Jordan, Bosa, Miller and Clowneyare decoratedpassrushers hoping for another shot. Of those, Bosa has experience playing under Staley.Could he be a fallback option if Jordan departs? It’sunclear whether the Saints areinterested,and Bosa could always look to team up with his brother,Nick, in San Francisco, if the 49ers wanthim
Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com
aspects.
The deal cameafter thetwo sides spent the past eight days in intense in-person negotiations that lasted for more than 100 hours. They came to the agreement at about 1:20 a.m. Wednesday after spending morethan 10 hours of discussions on Tuesday
“This is historical for women’s sports. Itold Cathy it’snot just for the players thatare entering the leagueorthe players that aren’t alreadyhere,” Ogwumike said. “We’re just really grateful to be able to come to adeal. We’reproud of ourselves.”
WNBA leadership andthe union met with reporters together in the lobby of aNew York hotelshortly before 3a.m.
The deal comes 17 months after the players opted outoftheir previousagreementand five months after the previous deal was initially set to expire,with talks often becoming contentious.
“Weoptedout because what we were giving to thisleague and whatwewere getting back didn’tmatch,”union executive committee member AlyshaClark said. “You could feel the growth everywhere, but it wasn’tshowing up for the players the way it should. So we stayed with it until it did.
Girls golf at Clark Park Par36 Team scores Brusly 75; Episcopal76; St. Joseph’s 76; Prairieville 105 Medalists 1. Maci Williams, Brusly,30. 2. Marcella Rablais, Episcopal, 36. 3. Berkley Reitzell, St. Joseph, 37. at J.S.Clark Par36 Team score— Dunham 113 Medalists 1. Ainsley Calegan, Plaquemine,
Engelbert
DELHOMME
Continued from page1C
Delhomme barn, has won aremarkable20of 27 lifetime races and earned more than $1.7 million, making him the third-highest earning Louisiana-bred of all time He’sentered to run in the $500,000 Grade II New Orleans Classicon Saturday at theFair Grounds, where he’ll try to repeat the most significant win of his illustrious career against afield of fiveother older stakes horses.
“I’m biased, but Ithink he’sthe best Louisiana-bred to ever live,” said Jeff Delhomme,Jake’solder brother,who serves as the official trainer for Touch. “Who’stosay but Ithink he’sthe best horse in the country.”
Aheritageinhorse racing Horses have run in the Delhomme family for three generations.
Jake’sgrandfather,Sanders Delhomme, raced quarter horses at bush tracks in the Breaux Bridge andCarencro areas during the 1940s and 1950s. Their father, Jerry,started riding for his father at theage of 8and eventuallyraised racehorses on thefamily’s 10-acre farm in Breaux Bridge. The Delhomme boys, Jake and older brother,Jeff,who would go on to break recordsasareceiveratMcNeese State, regularly worked with the horses in the barn stalls behind the family home.
“Wedidn’thunt or fish,” Jake Delhomme said. “Weplayedsports and worked with the horses. Itwas fun. There wassomethingabout the horses. Ijust loved it.”
Delhomme stayedinvolved with the horses throughouthis football career,from his all-state days at Teurlings Catholic in Lafayette to his standout four-year tenureat UL (then Southwestern Louisiana), where he led the Ragin’ Cajuns to two Big West Conference championships and an upset of Texas A&M. The highlight of his 11-year NFL career came in 2003, when he led the Carolina Panthers to their first Super Bowl appearance and passed for 323 yards and three touchdowns in alast-second 32-29losstothe New England Patriots. Delhomme launched his stable in 2012, the yearafter he retired from the NFL, and calleditSetHut in honor of his playing position.Hedesignedhis jockey silks in Carolina Panthers colors and named many of his horses after football terms, former teammates or plays from the Panthers offense (Two Jet, ZSmoke, XClown).
Set-Hut is afamily operation. In football terms, Jake is the general managerof thefive-personstable, but Jerry,aretired state and federal meat inspector,and Jeff are also heavily involved. The Delhommes do it all: care, condition, buy,sell and breed. Whenthey enter ahorse to race at the Fair Grounds, the Delhommes trailer him the 150 miles down I-10 in their Ford pickups. The traits Delhomme applied to ascend to the elitelevel of football —preparation, attention todetail, disciplined work ethic —have been employed with equal success in his horse racing operation Throughlastweek, hishorseshave won 133 of 614 starts for amorethan-respectable 21% win percentage. The stable’scareer earnings aremore than $5.6 million
“The time he spent studying the playbook and watching filmto prepare forgames as aplayer,he spends just as much time studying pedigrees and watching races.” Jeff Delhomme said. “There’sno better horseman in the country He’ssecond to none.”
“It’satestament to Jake and his family and how they manage and treat their horses,” said Andrew Cary,abloodstock agent who is close to the former NFL quarterback. “Coming from his athletic background, Jake canevaluatean equine athleteand adjust on thefly. He gets the most out of his horses at all levels.” Jake Delhomme doesn’tjust train. He is involved at all levels
THURSDAY’S FAIR GROUNDSENTRIES
of thesport.Hesat on the board of the Louisiana Thoroughbred BreedersAssociation andhas counseled Gov.Jeff Landry on horse racingaffairs in the state.
“I’m avery competitive person, andhorse racingisascompetitive as it gets,” Jake Delhomme said. “IfI’m going to do something, then let’sput our effort into it andlet’s do it. Horse racing fills that competitive void for me after football.”
‘Whatabeast’
Delhomme has enjoyed success throughout his tenure, especially in recentyears, when his stable’s annual earnings have climbed to more than $900,000 annually Twoofthe stable stars, Mangum and Kalil, were named after two of Delhomme’sformer Panthers teammates,tight end Kris Mangum andcenter Ryan Kalil. But noneofDelhomme’shorses have comeclose to achieving Touch’s astonishinglevel of success.
The6-year-old gelding haswon eight of his last nine races, includingthe $150,000 LouisianaPremier Night Championship Stakes last month at Delta Downs,where he cantered to an 111/2-length win against an overmatchedfield. It wasthe fourth consecutive time he’swon therace and his final time of 1minute, 44.03 seconds earned a 106Beyer SpeedFigure,the standardized metricfor thoroughbred racehorses createdbyformer Washington Post columnist Andrew Beyer. No older horseinthe nation has recorded ahigherspeed figure in adistance race this year And last year,Touch recorded even faster Beyer figures for winning theDelta Mile (109) and New OrleansHandicap (109).
Forperspective, there have been only16Beyer SpeedFigures of 106 or higher recorded by olderhorses in classic U.S.distance races since thestart of the 2025 racing season. Touchhas recorded three of them. Sovereignty,the brilliant 2025 KentuckyDerbychampion, with two, is the only other horse with more than one.
“What abeast,” said KeithMyers,who bred Touch at his Coteau Grove Farm in Sunset, just north of Lafayette. “He wins these races so effortlessly. He doesn’t like to take pictures with anyone. No horse is ever in theframewhen he crosses thefinish line.”
Fewenvisioned such aremarkable run when Touch was born in 2019. The son of the champion Louisiana-bred sire, Star Guitar, andgraded-stakes-winning mare, Touch Magic, he was well-bred by Louisiana standards. Delhomme noticed thestriking resemblance Touch had tohis sire during his early visits to thefarm with Cary,a longtime friend in the business. As a weanling, he was strong and perceptive and displayed agood demeanor
“There was somethingabout him that just stuck out,” Jake Delhomme said.
Nevertheless, Myers hadmodest expectations for Touch’ssales prospects when he sent him to the Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling SaleinAugust2020. It didn’t help matters thatthe sale took place during theCOVID-19 pandemic and a classic East Texas heat wave.
“Wehad no expectations really,” Myers said. “Wethought we were going to be bringing him back to the farm andputting him in the equestrian program. But Jake said he would take him andtry to race him, and if he could runatall, he thought we might get some breeder’sawards for him.”
Delhomme’sopening bid of $15,000 was the only offer
“I had alot more to spend for him,but for whatever reason that’swhere thebidding stopped,” Delhomme said.
Years later,Cary calls it “one of theall-timegreat purchases in horse racing history.”
“Itwas aperfect storm of it being aCOVIDyear,a lightly attended saleand it beingabout 110 degrees that dayinTexas,” he said.
While Delhomme hadtargeted Touchand madethe trip to Grand Prairie, Texas, specifically tobuy Touch and anothercolt he later named HomeVisit, he had no idea he’d just purchased asuperstar Touch showed athleticism and talent during his earlytraining sessions, but his workouts never opened eyes or revealed his precocity until thefinal breeze before his debut. Working with stablemate,HomeVisit,a fellow 3-yearoldwho’d alreadywon two of his threestarts, Touch bolted from the starting gateand left his competition in atrail of dust
“Welookedateachother,like,
‘Ohhhh, (expletive),’ ”Jeff Delhomme said. Added Jake Delhomme: “Home Visitwas aquality horse, but he cried uncle. It was not pretty.The jockey came back and said, ‘Yeah, this horse is just different.’ Afew weeks later,Touch ran a disappointing second in his debut at Fair Grounds, showing his inexperiencebystumbling outofthe gate and being forced to race wide formost of his six-furlong trip. Six weekslater,hereturnedtothe races and brokehis maiden at 1-5odds witha stunning 21-length score at EvangelineDownsina performance so dominant it drew a“Wow!”from trackannouncer Rob Tuel as he crossedthe finish line. His time of 1:22.82 wasless than asecondoff thetrack record for7furlongs. From there,Touch reeled off wins in 11 of his next 14 races and established himself as the best distancehorse in the Louisiana-bred ranks. To that end, he dusted Tumbarumba by 11/2 lengths in the 2023 LouisianaChampions DayClassic. Tumbarumba recently became the highest-earning Louisiana-bredin history with $3.2 millioninwinnings when he ran an impressive thirdtoBreeders Cup Classic champion ForeverYoung in the $20 millionGrade ISaudi Cup. “Weran against (Tumbarumba),” Jeff Delhomme said. “Wecould have wentaround the track 10 times, andhewouldhave never beat (Touchuponastar).” Touch’scoming-out party, though, came ayear ago at the Fair Grounds, when he wired thefieldin the $500,000Grade INew Orleans Classicagainst afield of opencompanyolder horses, including graded stakes winners Sierre Leone, Hall of Fameand Komorebino Omoide. It was the first time Touch had runagainst “the big boys,” as
Delhomme calledthem, andhe passed the test with flying colors. Touch broke on the lead and carved out fast fractions with a ground-savingrailtripunder jockey TimThornton. When the field turned for home, Hall of Fameloomed to his flank, but Touch responded to the challenge andheldhim at baytothe wire. As his stable star crossed the final line forthe 11/2-length victory Delhomme uncharacteristically leaped in theair andspikedhis program in celebration
“I wasjust so happyfor the horse,” Jakesaid. “It wasunbelievably rewarding and validated what we thought of him.”
Agreat horseracingstory
Touchuponastarhas shown no signs of slowing downasheapproaches his seventhbirthday, which just happens to fall on Louisiana Derby Day.The competition in the NewOrleans Classic will be steep again. Twoentrantsfrom the powerful Todd Pletcher barn, Accelerize, whowon the $175,000 Grade III Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds in January,and Life and Times, will likely test him for every step of the 11/8 mile trip. It will take theirbest to beat Touch on his home turf, though. His confidence has soared with each subsequent win. Jake comparedhis alpha demeanor on race days to Simba, when he assumes his reign in The Lion King.
“Whenhewalks in thepaddock, he takes adeep breath and just stares at allthe horsespassing by,” Jeff Delhomme said. “He makes sure his head is taller,that’shim looking down on them, trying to intimidate them.”
Touch’shistoric run of success has madehim aminor celebrity in Cajun Country.The Delhommes are constantlyasked by friends andfamily about his upcoming schedule, and the winner’scircle has becomeincreasingly crowded after each of his wins.
“There’snothing that makes me happier than seeing this happen forthe Delhomme family,” Myers said. “I don’tknow of anyone more deserving. It’ssuch agreat horse racing story forLouisiana.” Touchhas impacted theDelhommesbeyond the earnings book. Jake believesthe horse’shistoricrun of success has had an intrinsic effect on his family’squality of life, especially his father,who suffered a severe heart attack four years ago.
“(Touch) meansalot to him,and there’snodoubt in my mind it’s kept him going,” Jake said of his father,who turned80inDecember.“Youdon’tfind somebody that dies with agood horse in the barn. There’ssomething about ahorse that’sgood forthe soul of human.
“Touch is not just thehorse of a lifetime. He’sthe horse of two lifetimes.”
STAFFPHOTOSByBRAD
and NFLquarterback JakeDelhomme holds Kalilashetalks about his horses on March 6atthe Copper Crowne Equestrian Center
United States fallsshort againinWBC fi
BY ALANIS THAMES AP sportswriter
MIAMI Aaron Judge walked slowly back and forth in the United Statesdugout Tuesday night while Venezuelan players shed tears and fell to their knees to celebrate the country’sfirst World Baseball Classic title.
Other players from the Americans’ $320 million roster stood frozen for several minutes before receiving their silver medals. Bryce Harper, who hit atyinghomer in the eighth inning, went over to shake hands with Team Venezuela players before leaving thefield
“In those moments, it’slike the Olympics or anywhere else,” Harper said. “I’m really happy for them.Obviously,Iwant to win no matter what. That’swhatI play for,istowin achampionship and agoal medal. Butinthat moment it’snot about me, it’sabout us and our game.”
Team USA broughtits most loaded roster ever to baseball’s premier international event, but the Americans losttheir second straight WBC final after winning thechampionship in 2017.
“Obviously disappointed,” Judge said. “All of us put on thisuniform to go out there and winagold medal. We fell short of that.”
The U.S. produced just three hits Tuesdaynight and four runsover
the final twogames of the WBC —well short of offensive expectations fora rosterofplayers who combined for 382 home runs and 1,111 RBIs last MLB season.
Three years after losing to Shohei Ohtani and Japan in 2023, theAmericanswere againdisap-
pointed, this time by an energetic Venezuelan team led by All-Stars Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia andLuis Arraez.
Left-handerEduardo Rodríguez mowed down theAmericans’ fearsome lineup with measured ease on Tuesday,leaving the colorful
celebration to his teammates who met him with claps as he stoically exited the mound in the fifth.
Rodríguez fanned Judge —the U.S. captain went 0for 4—twice amongfourstrikeoutsand heldthe Americans to just onehit over 41/3 innings.
SCOREBOARD
“I’m not going to make any excuses forus,” saidUnited States manager Mark DeRosa. “I think at the end of the day it’s early in spring training. Guys are getting ready for the season. Eventually I thinkthe tournament gets moved and Ithink the guys are in better form pitching-wise.
“But ultimately it’swho gets hot at the right time, who gets abig swing.”
The Americans have won just onetitleinsix iterations of the tournament. DeRosa indicated that the U.S., which has received more buy-in from marqueeMLB position players over the years, is still lacking thesame commitments from star pitchers.
Reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal participated this year but madejust one start in pool play in order to stick with his ramp-up schedule for the regular season with the Detroit Tigers.
“I thinkevery position player wants to play in it,” DeRosa said. “I think from apitching standpoint, everybody’s at differentstagesin their career.You’ve got to get buyin from the team. You’ve got to get buy-in from the player.You’ve got to get buy-in from the agent. I think everybody in theirheart wants to do it. It’s just, what’s the timing of wheretheyare at in their career?”
Late Tuesday
LSU 7, Grambling 1 GramblingLSU (5-14) (15-7) ab rh bi ab rh bi Johnson ss 431 1Stanfieldlf2 10 0 Bridgescf4 22 6Brownrf 412 1 Hill lf 431 0Curiel cf 512 1 Lopezdh5 22 3Milamss5 00 0 VasQuez 1b 200 0Arrambidedh 511 1 Ashe 3b 000 0Serna c5 12 1 Martin 2b 401 2Yorke1b4 10 0 Marcellus c5 11 0Jh.Pearson3b 200 0 Thomas rf1 30 0Caraway 3b 211 3 Dardar 2b 522 2 Ruckert 2b 52 22
HITTERS
Continued from page1C
Oklahoma (7 p.m., ESPNU) —has used eye-tracking technology developedbyJackMarucci, LSU’sdirector of performance innovation, andMike Mann, theCEO of Python Optics, to better understandhow its hitters track pitches mid-flight
“Your timing is directly related as ahitter to how well you read and react to what you see,” Johnson said, “… I’m abig believer in it.”
ThehardwareMarucciand Manndevelopedisshapedlike goggles; the only major difference being that it has no glassorplastic shield. Twomini-cameras are also attachedtoits frame to track the hitters’ pupils and how their eyes react to each pitch.
LSU hitters can use the technology while taking batting practice or hitting in the cages. Thedevice requires about 10 swings to accurately calculate ahitter’s eye-dominance and ability to track the ball, spitting out adizzying varietyof numbers that Marucci simplifies into areportthatfeatures graphs and charts that explain the results. It also produces apathfinder ratingthat shows how well the hitter’s
LSU
CI —Marcellus. Umpires —HP: RobSchlicher 1B: Brian
EddieNewsom
6:35 pm Time —3:15 Attendance—9916 College softball
State scores, schedule Tuesday’s games Nicholls 10, Alcorn 0 Southeastern 9, JacksonState 0 Wednesday’s
Southern 6, Louisiana
Thursday’s games None scheduled. College basketball
SOUTH Liberty 77, George Mason 71 Auburn 78, South Alabama 67 MIDWEST Howard 86, UMBC83 Wichita State 74,Wyoming 70 Texas68, North CarolinaState 66 SOUTHWEST Oklahoma State 84,Davidson80 Tulsa89, Stephen F. Austin84
FARWEST Seattle 67, St. Thomas 52 UNLV75, UC Irvine72 Wednesday’s games
SOUTH Wake Forest 82, Navy 72
MIDWEST Prairie View A&M 67, Lehigh 65 Illinois State 79, Kent State 58 Dayton 80, Bradley 66 Miami (OH) vs.SMU at Dayton, Ohio ,n FARWEST George Washington 79,Utah Valley 78 New Mexico 107,Sam Houston 83 Murray State at Nevada, n Saint Joseph’s at Colorado State, n UIC at California, n Thursday’s games
SOUTH
RHP SCHMIDT TO START SATURDAY
LSU baseball sophomore right-handed starter WilliamSchmidtisinlinetostartfor the Tigers on Saturday againstOklahoma, coach JayJohnson said on Wednesday. Schmidtdealt with back tightness toward the endofhis last startagainst Vanderbilt on Sunday. Johnson said the ailment played apartinhis decisiontotakeSchmidt out of the game in thefifth inning
“He just started to miss up in the zone, and Ithought he was protecting it alittlebit,” Johnson said on Sunday.“That guy’shealth is thekey to my life for the next 18 months.So it just wasn’t really worthit. Saturday will be Schmidt’ssixth startofthe season.
—KokiRiley
South Florida vs.Louisville at Buffalo,N.Y., 1:30 p.m. Siena vs.DukeatGreenville, S.C., 2:50 p.m. McNeese vs.Vanderbilt at Oklahoma City, 3:15 p.m. VCUvs. North CarolinaatGreenville,S.C 6:50 p.m. Saint Louis vs.Georgia at Buffalo, N.Y.,9:45 p.m
MIDWEST TCUvs. Ohio State at Greenville, S.C., 12:15 p.m Troy vs.Nebraska at Oklahoma City,12:40 p.m. High Point vs.Wisconsin at Portland, Ore. 1:50 p.m. North Dakota State vs.Michigan State at Buffalo, N.Y.,4:05 p.m. Pennsylvania vs.IllinoisatGreenville,S.C 9:25 p.m.
SOUTHWEST Hawai’i vs.Arkansas at Portland, Ore.,4:25 p.m. Idaho vs.Houston at Oklahoma City,10:10 p.m.
FARWEST TexasA&M vs.Saint Mary’s at Oklahoma City,7:35 p.m. Kennesaw State vs.Gonzaga at Portland, Ore., 10 p.m. Friday’s games
EAST Furman vs.UConn at Philadelphia,10p.m.
SOUTH Santa Claravs. Kentucky at St. Louis, 12:15 p.m. Wright State vs.VirginiaatPhiladelphia, 1:50 p.m. Hofstravs. AlabamaatTampa, Fla., 3:15 p.m. Iowa vs.ClemsonatTampa,Fla., 6:50 p.m. Missouri vs.Miami (FL) at St.Louis, 10:10 p.m. MIDWEST Tennessee State vs.IowaState at St. Louis, 2:50 p.m. Queens vs.Purdue at St. Louis, 7:35 p.m.
SOUTHWEST Akron vs.Texas Tech at Tampa, Fla., 12:40 p.m. FARWEST LIU vs.Arizona at San Diego, 1:35 p.m. Utah State vs.Villanova at San Diego, 4:10 p.m. Northern Iowa vs.St. John’s at SanDiego, 7:10 p.m. UCF vs.UCLA at Philadelphia,7:25 p.m. CaliforniaBaptist vs.Kansas at San Diego, 9:45 p.m. Women’s NCAA Tournament Wednesday’s games
SOUTH Nebraska75, Richmond 56
SOUTHWEST Stephen F. Austin vs.Missouri State at Austin, Texas, n Thursday’s games EAST Binghamton at Mercyhurst, 6p.m. Bradley at GeorgeWashington, 6p.m. Drexel at St. Bonaventure, 6p.m. Lehigh at Monmouth, 6p.m. Missouri at Seton Hall, 7p.m. NJIT at Merrimack, 7p.m. Navy at Harvard, 7p.m. St. John’s at Columbia, 7p.m. SOUTH Maryland-Eastern ShoreatWakeForest, 6 p.m. Utah at Eastern Kentucky,6:30 p.m.
GeorgiaSouthern at Miami (FL),7p.m. Quinnipiac at George Mason, 7p.m. Samfordvs. Southern UniversityatColumbia, S.C., 7p.m.
ON DECK
eyes track thebaseball.
“They wear like alittlecomputer on them. It’s real small, and it’s recording as these ballsare coming,”
Maruccisaid, beforeadding that the eye-tracking technology produces 22,000 rows worth of data after just one minute and 40 seconds of use.
Theheadsetthe baseball team uses is the same product that wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase andJustinJefferson used during LSU’s magical 2019 seasontohelptrack footballs throughthe air.The LSU women’sgolfteam hasalso used Marucci and Mann’stechnology to helpimprove putting capabilities.
“Welook at how they target, how they line up and how they’re looking at how they line up the hole,” Marucci said. “… Even if it’sjust astraight putt, howare we looking at it? How are we targeting
it?How are we using our eyes the proper way?”
Marucci,who conductsmost of his workatLSU with the football team,warns thathis eye-tracking technology is nota“panacea” for hitting. It’sonly atool for players to better understand how they see theball in the batter’sbox. Thedevice hasallowed Johnson to betterunderstand his players’ capabilities against certain matchups and help guide him to theright answers when it comes to mechanical adjustments for his hitters.
Before transferring to LSU from Kansas State over the offseason, fifth-year senior Seth Dardar learned that he was left-eye dominant,arevelation that explained whyhesaw left-handed pitching better than right-handers despite being alefty hitter
Dardar,once he arrived in Baton Rouge,verified hisbelief through Mann and Marucci’sheadset.
“That was probably oneofthe coolest things I’ve ever seen,” Dardarsaid. “The resources andall thetechnology and stuffwehave is the best.”
Marucci makes it clear that LSU’ssuccess and failure on the field lie with itsplayers, notwith histechnology. Hisworkisjusta small piece of thepuzzle, he says.
ButJohnson hasembraced his work for areason.And as LSU baseball tries to dig itself out of the hole it hasfound itself in this season, having apersonlike Marucci in the athleticdepartment —with adevice that tracks ahitter’sability to seethe ball —isuseful.
“I really enjoy talking to him,” Johnsonsaid. “And he’sbeen
“You may have to modify your stance. Youmay have to bring your head around acertain way, or you may (need to) open up a stance,” Marucci said. “(The technology) can really identify…how they would perform versus arighthanded (or) versus aleft-handed pitcher.” Additionally,Marucci’seyetracking technology canconfirm what ahitter may alreadyknow about himself.
WHO: LSU (15-7, 1-2 SEC) vs. Oklahoma (17-4, 2-1) WHEN: 7p.m.Thursday WHERE: Alex BoxStadium
PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate.com/lsu ON X(FORMERLYTWITTER): @KokiRiley
WHATTOWATCH FOR: Evans struggled mightily in his firstSEC startofthe season last weekend against Vanderbilt,allowing six earned runs and walking fivebatters in threeinnings. Johnson will makehis first appearance against LSU since transferring fromBaton RougetoNorman afterthe 2024 season. He struggled in his last start on Fridayagainst TexasA&M, walking seven batters in 21/3innings. —KokiRiley
spending alittle moretimeover here, not acrazy amount, but a little more time. And I’m appreciative to that because it’shelped guide some decisions of howto movesome players along.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByLyNNE SLADKy
The United States’ Aaron Judgegestures after striking out in the fourth inning of the championshipgame of the WorldBaseball Classic against Venezuela on Tuesday in Miami.
Sausage gnocchi soup a one-pot feast
Skip from-scratch ingredientsfor ease
BY GRETCHEN McKAY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)
Gnocchi is ago-to food when you’re in the mood for Italian because it’sfairlyeasy to prepareifyou don’tinsist on making it from scratch and are willing to use frozen or refrigerated versions.
Most often the soft and pillowy Italian dumplings made from potato or ricotta are tossed in marinara or Bolognese sauce, pesto or brown butterand sage. But they also can be pan fried or baked in apan with cheese and red sauce for a heartier dinner
Here, miniature gnocchi are added to acreamy sausageand kale soup to create aquick-tothe-table, one-pot meal. Because gnocchi is made with starchy potatoes andflour, theyact as anatural thickener whenadded to hotbroth.They also add agentle chew that,if you’re careful not to overcook them, melts in your mouth
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/
By
Iused baby kale in thisrecipe, but youcould easilysubstitute spinach, arugula or baby chard. The same goes for the sausage —choose whichever you like best. Iprefer sweet Italian sausage and thenadd spice with red pepper flakes. If the soup seems toothick after you add the gnocchiand greens, thin it with alittle more broth or water.Becareful about adding too much salt before the Parmesan cheese because it also has asaltyflavor
Iserved the soup witha childhood favorite —refrigerated crescent rolls—soI had something to dip in the creamy broth. But any breadsticks or crusty bread would be absolutely delicious, too.
The newspaper is reintroducing its Cookie Contest at the Baker Fair from 2p.m. to 5p.m.April 12 at the Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., in Baton Rouge The first-place winner will receive a$100 gift card; second place, $75 gift card; and third place,$50 gift card. The winners and their cookies will be featured in The Advocate’s Living section. For details andto enter the contest, go to ebrpl.co/ advocatecookiecontest.
Therewas atimewhen I often ate aSicilian dish called bruccialuna. My grandmother madeitabout once amonth for ourfamily’sSunday dinner,and my mother made it to celebrate something nice that happened during the month.
It might be abirthday,orgood grades on report card day,or anew client at the family business. And if there was abuffet at alarge family gettogether,therewould be slices of this delicacy on aplatter (on awarming tray).
Iknew it wasserved at Italian restaurants across the city,and even people who were notofItalian heritageknew what it was. But as Igrew older,I watched it begin to disappear likeoyster patties at aparty
Williams TIP OF THE TONGUE
Bruccialuna, known as braciola in Italian, is apounded, stuffed and rolled steak or abutterflied roast.
PHOTO By LIZ WILLIAMS
STAFFFILE PHOTOByMATTHEW PERSCHALL
Chef Michael Gulotta flipsoverthe bruccialuna as it browns while preparing the dish at Tana in 2024.
Serves 6. Recipe is from Gretchen McKay,Post-Gazette
1. Heat adrizzleofolive oil in anonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.Removethe casings from the sausage, crumble it in bite-sized chunks and add to the panalong with dicedonions.
Bond with in-lawsinthe kitchen
1teaspoon
Lemon Tarragon
2. Cook,stirringoften, until the onions are softened and the sausage is cooked through, 8-10 minutes
Drain any grease from pan (mine had very little) and add garlic. Cook untilfragrant,about 1minute.
5. Add chicken broth and use aspatula or wooden spoon to scrape up anybits from thebottom of the pan. Slowly stirinlight cream Bringtoaboil, then reduce to asimmer
6. Addsaltand pepper to taste.
7. Add kale andtortellini and simmer for 3-5 minutes (If your tortellinineeds longer cooking time, add it first, then thekale during thelast 5minutes.)
8. Stir in grated Parmesan.
9. Spoon into warmserving bowls and serve.
3. Addcornstarch or flour andcookfor about1 minutetoremovethe raw flour taste. 4. Addbasil, oregano, fennel, parsley and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
Snapper
Yields 2servings. Recipe is byLinda Gassenheimer 1tablespoon
1/2
1small
3/4 pound snapper fillet about 1/4-inch thick
1. Mix water,1teaspoon oliveoil, lemonzest, tarragon leaves, balsamic vinegar,shallot and garlic together in asmall bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat broiler and place an oven rack about 5inches fromthe heat. Lineasheetpan with foil. Place snapper fillets on the sheet and brush with the remaining 1teaspoon olive oil.
3. Place the sheet pan with the filets under the broiler so they are about 5inches from the heat. Broil 5minutes. Remove from the oven,cover with foil and let sit2minutes. Ameatthermometershouldread 135 F.
Dear Heloise: Isuggest that Cindy,inBloomfield, Michigan, asks her future mother-in-law for help in learning how to cook. She will get valuable time in the kitchen, and even moreimportantly, she will bond with her future mom-inlaw —Steve H., in Banning,California Tabletstothe rescue
Asparagus and Penne Pasta
Yields 2servings. RecipeisbyLinda Gassenheimer
1pound asparagus
4ounces penne pasta (about 11/2 cups)
1tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Place alargesaucepan threefourths filledwithwater on to boil. Snap off thetough woody ends (about 2inches) of the asparagus andcut theremaining stems into 2- to 3-inch pieces.
2. Add the penne to the boilingwater Boil 5minutes.Add theasparagus and continue to boil 3minutes. Test penne to make sure they are cooked. Add2 more minutes if needed.
3. Drain into abowl andtoss with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Divide in half and serve withthe snapper NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 316 calories (22 percent from fat), 7.9 gfat (1.2 gsaturated, 3.3 gmonounsaturated), no cholesterol, 12.3 gprotein, 51.6 gcarbohydrates, 6.4 gfiber,8mg sodium.
Bruccialuna
1. Placethe breadcrumbs into alarge bowl.Ifyou buy seasoned breadcrumbs, check the salt level so that you don’toversalt. (I have arecipe for homemade seasonedbreadcrumbs in my book, Nana’s Creole Italian Table.”) To the breadcrumbs, addthe cheeses, garlic andoregano. Mix. Beat one egg in asmall bowl and addto the breadcrumb mixture. Stir thebreadcrumbs together.Ifitseems very dry,beat theother egg and add it to the mixture. Add the mortadella andthe pistachios.Stirwell.
TO PREPARE THE MEAT:
11/2 pounds beef flank steak, or asmallbutterflied beef roast Salt and pepper
2tablespoons oil
1. Place the round steakorflank steak or butterflied roast between 2sheets of plastic wrap. With an empty wine bottle or arolling pin, beat the meat into an even thickness into theshape of arectangle. (Be carefulnot to beat it to the point that the meat breaks down.)
2. Saltand pepper the meat andspreadthe breadcrumb mixture over the meat. Lay the basil leaves over the breadcrumbs. Center the hard-boiled eggsdown the middle of the
BRUCCIALUNA
Continued from page1D
Today,there are afew restaurants where bruccialuna is stillonthe menu or offered as aspecial, but most don’tserve it. And although old-timers may lament its absence, many young people don’teven know what it is. What is bruccialuna? Bruccialuna, known as braciola in Italian, is a pounded, stuffedand rolled steakorabutterflied roast. It is cooked in aconcentrated tomato sugo and sliced for presentation, jellyrollfashion. Remember,everyone is
1carrot, grated
Grated zest of one lemon
Grated zest of one orange
meat andlay the carrot strips and cheese strips alongeach side.
3. Placethe long side of therectangle paralleltothe edge of the table in front of you. This is edge you will roll up.
4. Usekitchentwine to tie the rollsnugly. Heat theoil in alarge pan and brown the tied meat roll in the hotoil, about4to6 minutes on all sides. Set thepan aside. The roll should be very well browned.
1. In the potwhere youbrowned thebeef roll, mash the anchovy into the hot oil and let theanchovy dissolve. Addthe tomatopaste and letitcaramelize.Keep stirring as it browns,about2 minutes. Addthe onion and garlic, and cook for 8minutes, stirring occasionally.Add thecelery,carrot and zests. Cook for 3minutes.
2. Add the tomatosauce and redwine. When the mixture is simmering. Stir and addthe browned bruccialuna. Cover acook in theoven for 2hours at 325 F.
3. Remove from the oven. Using tongs, takethe roll from the sauce and remove the string. Allow to rest for 20 minutes
4. Place alayer of sauce on thebottom of aplatter.Cut the roll on acutting board andcarefully line up theslices on top of the sauce. Serve with pasta, abowl of sauce for thetable, and cheese at thetable.
Sicilian —oratthe very least Italian —during March. Iencourageyou to make this afamily project, andchildren love to participateinmakingand serving it.
Thekey to making this dish is to make areally good stuffing.Lotsof cheese, really good oliveoil, hard-boiled eggs, carrots, hunks of mortadella studdedwith pistachios, fresh basilleaves, afew pistachios andstripsofcheese. Therecipewill guide you. Butasyou arerolling, keepinmindthat you will be makingslices across the grain,exposingthe beautiful insides, so place your stuffing ingredients artfully It is my hope that people
will readopt the making of bruccialuna, and it will find its place on tables again. If therecipe is too big, or if you want tomake it convenient for agroup, use the stuffing in bruccialutini personal size rolls, cooked in the same way Perhaps you can make it to celebrate good things that happen every month to help keep it in theCreole Italian canon. Mangia bene!
Liz Williamsisfounder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans.Listen to “Tip of the Tongue,” Liz’spodcast about food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts. EmailLiz at lizwillia@gmail.com.
Hints from Heloise
Dear Heloise: Several people have written to you to say thatthey have enjoyed printed newspapers for many years but complained about the cost these days. They don’tlike reading the newspaper on their phone or desktop/laptop computer I, too, enjoyed aprinted newspaper and was tired of the escalating cost.
By The Associated Press
Today is Thursday, March 19, the78th day of 2026. There are 287 days left in the year
Todayinhistory: On March 19, 2003, President George W. Bush announced in atelevised address that coalition forces had begun an invasion of Iraq. (Bush would declare victory just over five weeks later in his “Mission Accomplished” speech, though the main U.S. troop withdrawal would not be completed until 2011.)
Also on this date:
In 1931, Nevada Gov Fred B. Balzar signed a measure that made the statethe first to legalize gambling.
In 1945, during World WarII, more than 800 service memberswere killed when aJapanese dive bomber attacked the carrier USS Franklin near Japan.
In 1953, the25th Acade-
The newspaper print on my phone wastoo small, and sitting at my desk to read the paper on my computer just wasn’tcomfortable enough. But Ifinally found the perfect solution: Ipurchased an inexpensive, oldergeneration 10-inch tablet to read the newspaper on. This allowed me to sit curled up on my sofawith ahandheld tablet that wasn’ttoo big or too small and comfortably read the newspaper Tablets can be expensive, but an older-generation one kept the cost down. It also paid foritself in no timewith the savings from the printed newspaper subscription versus a digital-only subscription.
TODAYINHISTORY
my Awards ceremony was the first to be televised; “The Greatest Show on Earth” would winthe Oscar forBest Picture.
In 1965, archaeologist E. Lee Spence discovered the wreckage of the SS Georgiana, aConfederate ship that had sunk near Charleston, South Carolina, exactly 102 years earlier
In 1966, Texas Western (now the University of Texas at El Paso) became the first team to start five Black players in the NCAA basketball tournament’s championship game; they defeated top-ranked Kentucky in the final, 72-65.
In 1987, televangelist Jim Bakker resigned as chairman of his PTL ministry organization amid asex and money scandal involving Jessica Hahn, aformer church secretary
Hope this works forsome others! —Roma,inNew York Adot will do it
Dear Heloise: Instead of fumbling with the plug to determine which side you need to plug in forfrequently used electronics, paint adab of bright nail polish on the top side of the plug! No more fumbling! Susu, in Houston
Usinganoutside grill
Dear Heloise: Ijustread the letter in your columnabout thewoman who was trying to cook multiple dishesat differenttempsand differenttimes. Isuggest using an outside grill; it can be used as an oven andkeep things warm! —Michele,in Pennsylvania
Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
In 1995, 17 months after announcing his retirement from basketball, Michael Jordan returned to play in the NBAwith his former team,the Chicago Bulls. (He would go on to win three moreNBA championships alongside the three he and the Bulls had already won.)
In 2013, Pope Francis officially began his stewardship of the Catholic Church, greeting tens of thousands of people thronging acelebration outside St. Peter’sBasilica in Rome. The Argentine native and first pope from Latin America vowed to care forthe poor and most disadvantaged, days after his election to the papacy Today’sbirthdays: Actor Ursula Andress is 90. Singer Ruth Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) is 80. Actor Glenn Close is 79. Retired actor Bruce Willis is 71. NFL coach Andy Reid is 68. Actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach is 49. Comedian-podcaster Theo Vonis46. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is 44. MLB pitcher Clayton Kershaw is 38. Actor Ajay Friese is 28.
PHOTO By LIZ WILLIAMS
Bruccialuna is cooked in aconcentrated tomatosugoand sliced for presentation, jellyroll-fashion.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Imagination, desire and discipline will carry you forward. Say no to excessive behavior and overspending. Trust your instincts and choose your associates wisely.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Choose health, fitness, exercise and proper diet over inactivity and overindulgence. Change is in your hands; it's up to you to pick a path and reach your goal.
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Invest in what makes you happy and explore how to use your skills to advance while doing something you enjoy. Balance helps you blend what's essential with what's rewarding.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Spontaneity will undermine you. Let things unfold naturally and adapt to each scenario as it presents itself. An honest assessment of a problem will help you dodge discord.
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Refuse to let others test your patience. Stop worrying about things you have no control over and start living for what brings you joy. A simple rule: Be honest, good and kind.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Reach out with a smile and a helping hand, but don't let anyone take advantage of your generosity. Someone you least expect will have hidden feelings for you. Handle with care.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Volunteer, participate in meaningful events and do
your best to make a positive impact. A change in how you use your skills will open doors to things that interest you. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Pay attention to home, family and meaningful relationships. Maintain balance and integrity to avoid criticism and setbacks. An opportunity that comes your way will have a downside attached.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Put your energy into dismantling negativity and forming a team that shares your vision and has the skills to implement your plans. Don't be generous to a fault.
sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Keep your money and possessions in a safe place, and don't share personal information readily. Keeping up with technology will help you advance.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Problems with communication are apparent. No matter how you proceed, your words and responses will determine how situations unfold and what others expect of you.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You'll have to maintain a balance between budget and quality. Go back to the drawing board and adjust your projects to fit your schedule and financial plan.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
toDAy's cLuE: o EQuALs M
CeLebrItY CIpher For better or For WorSe
SALLY Forth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
LAGoon
bIG nAte
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle basedona9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers. Theobject is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe emptysquares so that each row, each column andeach3x3 boxcontains thesamenumber only once.The difficultylevel of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
Randy K. Milholland,the creator of several webcomics,said, “Typos are very important to all written form. It gives thereader something to look for so he isn’t distracted by thetotal lack of content in your writing.”
Howdepressing!ButlastyearIbought acartoonanthologyandwassurprisedto find two typos.Even if they snuck into the newspapers, why didn’t thecartoonist correct thembefore including them in his book?
At the bridge table, it is easy to be distracted on defensewhenone knows that partner has made amistake. One petulantlyplaysthecardnearestone’sthumb instead of asking oneself if thecontract is still beatable.
In this deal, South was in four spades. West ledthe club queen and East won withhisace,droppingSouth’sking.What happened next?
At trick two, East shifted to his singleton heartjack. Yes, West should have overtaken with his queen, cashed the heartace, and given hispartner aheart ruff to defeat the contract. But thinking that East would have asecond heart,Westsignaled with his 10. Ticked off, East now led atrump. Gratefully, South drew trumps and discarded his lastthree hearts on dummy’s diamonds, which fell into his lap after one finesse.
Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previousanswers:
InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or moreletters. 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’sWoRD cAstER: KASS-ter: Any of aset of wheelsused forthe movement of furniture, etc.
Averagemark 24 words
Timelimit 35 minutes
yEstERDAy’sWoRD— HEREuPon
Can youfind31ormore words in CASTER? here hero
loCKhorNs
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
mallard
bonne/Lafourche Parish Line near Thibodaux, LA southwardtoanarea just northofthe RoySt Bridge near BayouCane, LA.The dredging will deepen BayouTerre‐bonne to variouseleva‐tionsshown on theplan drawings.Fallentrees anddebrisare to be re‐movedaswellasthe re‐movaloftrees on the bankline (leaners and hangers).All dredged material andtree/debris removalshall be hauled anddisposedofatthe AshlandLandfill in Terre‐bonne Parish,LA.
Bids must be submitted on theLouisiana Uniform Public WorksBid Form furnishedwiththe Bid‐ding Documents. Asingle setofBidding Docu‐mentsshall be issued at thecostofreproduction to contractorswho areli‐censed by theLicensing BoardofContractors This Projectshall require aLouisiana Contractors licensenumberfor HEAVYCONSTRUCTION.
BiddingDocuments for this Projectare on file in theoffice of GISEngi‐neering, LLClocated at 197 ElysianDrive,Houma Louisiana, 70363 and a single copy maybeob‐tained by each prospec‐tive bidder at acostof $400.00 by contacting AnnSchouestat985-2191000. Please contactAnn Schouest at aschouest@ gisy.com forany clarifi‐cation or information with regard to thespeci‐fications.
ANon-mandatory PreBidConferencewillbe held on March19, 2026 at
Jury Type: Petit Judge: Alvin Batiste Jr.Date: Monday,April 13, 2026
ALBERADO, APRIL COUSSOU 59855 THOMAS ROSS DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5273
ALBERT, STEVEN PAUL 22210 WARREN ST #JPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5018
ALEXANDER, CHANDIELL TREANDA 24310 ENGOLIO ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3700
CLARK, JEFFREY JAYSON 165 SOUTH CLUB AVESTGABRIEL, LA 70776-4438
COLEMAN, SHAMEKA TRANAY1490 BESSON LN SUNSHINE, LA 70780-3538
COWART, JUSTIN MARTIN 61645 BAYOU RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6035
DALBOR, LANA L62915 BELLEVIEW RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6312
DAVID, TARA SAIZON 58505 MILLE AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3569
DAVIS, JUNIUS L 58667 CAPTAIN THARRIS ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3001
DAVIS, TAWANA LATRICE 15415 DEPOT ST ROSEDALE, LA 70772
DICKERSON, DURELL SHERMON 23715 EPHRAIM ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3205
DISOTELL SR, JAMES E30965 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6119
DORSEY,KEOSHA ROSHAUNDA 58220 COURTSTPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2806
DUCOTE, JOEL J 24640 EDMUND DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3836
DUNBAR, KARENWILLIAMS1975 BESSON LN SUNSHINE, LA 70780
DUPONT,SUSAN DAQUIN 60200 CHOCTAW ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4632
DWYER, PAUL LAURENCE 28700 INTRACOASTAL RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764
FALCON SR, NEIL ANTHONY 25600 SPRING ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6319
FALGOUST, JODI FREMIN 101 TIGER DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4445
FEAST,GALE MARIE 11885 HWY 76 MARINGOUIN, LA 70757-3920
FERNANDEZ, PHILLIP JOSEPH 23560 KIRTLEY DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5536
FLATAU, CEANNA 22715 HWY 1PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2104
FLETCHER, CAROL VANNESE 31834 LACROIX RD WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-3620
FREMIN, ERIN ELECTA14885 HWY 77 ROSEDALE, LA 70772
GAGE, TERRI BROWN 77045 SALARIE LN GROSSE TETE, LA 70740
GAUTHIER, COLLEEN GROB 490 CLOCK TOWERDR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4449
GILCHRIST,TERRYW 58951 BAYOU RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2909
GRAHAM, DUANE RANDOL 270 SOUTHCLUB AVEST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4439
GRANIER, BRANDON JAMES59540 CLIFTS COVEDRPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4611
GRAVES, GREG CRANE 19300 HWY 77 GROSSE TETE, LA 70740
GREEN, KAYLA ANGELLE 4925 LANDRYSTSTGABRIEL, LA 70776-4244
GUERCIO, RITAMARINO 57910 ORANGE DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2122
GUILLOT,JEFFREY PAUL 29330 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6103
GUILLOT JR, KEITH RYAN 77390 MCBAYDRGROSSE TETE, LA 70740-3522
HAHN SR, MICHAEL WAYNE 22210 WARREN ST #F PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5018
HALL, JOSHUA WILLIAMS 1540 ST FRANCIS LN ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4918
HALL,MICHAEL DEPAUL 23970 HARMASON ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3016
HANCHETT,FREDRICK LEE 62975 ROSE DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7803
HARDY,STEPHANIE LEWIS 24675 BELLEMOORDRPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3823
HARRISON, TIFFANY R 77640 MAYER ST #B MARINGOUIN,LA70757
HAYDEL, JEFFREY JOSEPH 23450 KIRTLEY DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5535
HEBERT, BRYLANJOSEPH 27015 BRADY LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5949
HEMENWAY,HAYDEN KILLIAN 59330 SEXTON DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6575
HEMENWAY,ROBIN PERSICK 59330 SEXTON DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6575
HENDERSON, MACARTHUR 57900 GOVERNMENT ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2308
HERNANDEZ, KIM A58615 BAYOU RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2901
HIMEL, BARTJASON 24669 PECAN PLACE DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3804
HOOPER, ROBIN L 1145 BAYOU PAUL LN ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-5104
HUBBARD, JALA LACHELLE 4625 MARTIN LUTHERKING JR PKWY ST GABRIEL, LA 70776
HURDLE, KARLA RACHAEL15015 HWY 77 ROSEDALE, LA 70772
HUTER, BRENNAN 59153 LAUREL ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3813
ISHMAEL II,MARK DAMIAN58605 AUGUSTARDWHITE CASTLE, LA 70788
JACKSON, DIMARIO JAMAL 58513 NATSALY PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2888
JAMES, GARYKNESCHAJYKAYLA 32844 SHADY LN WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2316
JAMES, STEPHEN HARLEY33475 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7202
JENKINS,DIANNE M58206 MERIAM ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2814
JOFFRION, JODI L 25760 TAREK LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6564
JOHNSON, KIRA ANALISE58022 BARKER ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2523
JOHNSON JR, LIONEL 500BAYOU PAUL LN ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-5404
JONES, LAKISHA YAVONNE 6100 MARGARETDR# 15 ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4650
JOSEPH, CARLYLE 5510 MORRIS ST CARVILLE, LA 70721-2222
KELLEY,HUDSON JOSEPH 6115 HWY 74 ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4541
KING, JAMES LYALL 24275 KIRTLEY DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5543
KINNIE, DORIS MARIE 11935 SPARKS LN MARINGOUIN,LA70757-4004
LAGARDE, DEBORAH T 77320 WINSTOCK ST MARINGOUIN,LA70757
LANDRY, LANDON GERALD 36281 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7703
LAWLESS, JAMIE J57839 NEW ERWIN DRIVE PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4362
LEE, HOLLISHA DESHAY 5540 OAK TRACE DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4713
LEGERE, TRISHA CARLINE 36149 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7702
LEJEUNEJONES, TARA JEAN 12860 HWY 76 MARINGOUIN, LA 70757
LEWIS, JASON P5760 OAK TRACE DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4715
LEWIS JR, TRACY 58295 MERIAM ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2868
LILLY, ANDREW TODD 5683 MAGNOLIA DE CHRISTOPHE DR CARVILLE, LA 70721-2131
LODGE, KERRYT 4910 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR PKWY ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4207
MAINIERI, KAREN ANN 715 PECAN DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-5511
MANCUSO, TROY MICHAEL 25256-C TENANT RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6531
MARTIN, JASMINEKENEE 77650 CRUMP ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757-3428
MARTIN, TEVIN 58858 ANNEX ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3044
MCCLAY, MELVIN 58110 GEORGE ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2208
MELANCON,GRIFFIN HARRIS 430 PECAN DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-5503
MENDOZA, GRACEELIZABETH 32095 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6130
MESSINA JR, JOSEPH FRANK 35565 HWY 69 WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-4445
MILLET,BRECKIN MICHAEL 20845 HWY 77 GROSSE TETE, LA 70740-3501
MILLS, BLANCHE BOLLICH881 RIVER RD SUNSHINE, LA 70780-3100
MOMAN,GREGORYD 6200 HWY 74 ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4553
MOORE, CLINT JAMES 57925 JUMONVILLESTPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2020
MORALES, DONALD RAY57830 ERWIN DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4424
NAQUIN, GARRETT MITCHEL 35952 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7700
NELSON JR, JONATHAN WILLIAM 22150 HWY 77 GROSSE TETE, LA 70740-3619
NGUYEN, DUY QUOC 23810 RAILROAD AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3302
NORTHERN,DEDRICKDEDRON 77115 HURDLE RD ROSEDALE, LA 70772
NORTHERN, JARREN JAMAR 77220 COURTABLEAU AVEMARINGOUIN, LA 70757
NORTHERN, JEANEEN A77220 COURTABLEAU AVEMARINGOUIN, LA 70757
OBEAR, SHYLAR SHONTAI 32455 DOC DEAN ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2042
ODOM,DAVID JOSEPH 58310 DESOBRYSTPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3502
OPRY, JULIE BUJOL 24055 CHARLES DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3519
OWENS, RYAN RAY58255 LABAUVE AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3119
PAREDES, KESLIE RENEE 66210 STAMPLEY DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7312
PAUL, MELVINER 10650-B 3RD ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757
PEARCE, CLAIRE ELISE 24120 VINCENT DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3446
PERRITT,WILLIS WAYNE 12070 SPARKS LN MARINGOUIN, LA 70757-4005
PINKNEY,BRANDON DEMARCUS23470 RICH ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2646
PITRE, GRACEL 24550 ENTERPRISE BLVD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6599
PRENTISS, CHARLAYNNE S10525 COATES ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757
PURPERA, KAITLYN BLAIR 1106 MADRID AVESTGABRIEL, LA 70776-5332
QUINTANILLA, BENITO 32505 HWY 1WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-3638
REDDIX, JEREMIAH CHRISHOUN 5469 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR PKWY CARVILLE, LA 70721
REED, DESHAWNEVETTE 5565 OAK TRACE DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4713
RILEY,LAKEISHA JOHNSON 24835 JAMES ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4231
RILEY,SADELL ANN 58454 WWHARLEAUX ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3136
RINEHEARTJR, RICHARD WAYNE 58275 HOMESTEAD DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5202
RIVERS, KRISLYN GRACE23385 IBERVILLE ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2512
ROBERTSON, GARRETT 18005 WILLOW ST GROSSE TETE, LA 70740
ROBINSON,JANA SHAWN1383 HWY 75 #CSUNSHINE, LA 70780-3109
ROBINSON,JOYCEANN 53275 POINT ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6957
RODRIGUEZ, NANETTE MARIE 39415 BAYOU PIGEON RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7749
ROME JR, CLARENCEJOSEPH 59640 SEXTON DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6561
ROYAL, GREGORYFRANK54980 VETERANS ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2336
RYAN, KALEY RANAE 24555 HOLLYDRPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3809
SALVADRAS, JOANNMARIE 24005 JASE ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5548
SAYLOR, LIONEL JARMEL 57535 CPL HERMAN BROWN JR DR #B BAYOU GOULA, LA 707883124
SCRONCE, WENDY MATHERNE 10660 CENTER ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757
SEARLES, BRITTANY RENE29385 INTRACOASTAL RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5815
SINGLETON,SONJI T24715 DARDENNE ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6012
SKIDMORE, TANYAJAMES 57721 CANAL ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3760
SKINNER JR, ROLAND 54625 MAYOR DOC FOLEY ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2053
SMITH, GEORGIANA S77510 MARTIN ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757
SMITH,GERARD ANTHONY 4675 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR PKWY ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4217
SPILLMAN,TERESA MARIE 39865 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7739
SPRADLEY JR, DONALD RAY20210 TONI LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764
STETZER, CHERI COLLINS59760 THOMAS ROSS DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5271
SUTTON JR, FRANKGEORGE 6300 LEGION DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4527
TATE, DAVID WAYNE 22790 JADE DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5229
TEMPLET,BRENNAN MICHAEL 28765 INTRACOASTAL RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5809
THIBODEAUX, BLAKE MATTHEW 22200 WARREN ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5013
THOMPSON,JESSE THOMAS 22295 TALBOT DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5215
THOMPSON,KENNETH TERRELL 10920 MILL ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757
THORNTON, GERALD JEROME24249 BOURGEOIS ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764
TILLMAN, BRENNAN BLAINE 76460 COREY RD ROSEDALE, LA 70772-3810
TREVINO JR, JUAN MANUEL 32135 LAUREL RIDGE RD WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-4837
TROPPLE, KYLE JAMES 58920 DARBY AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3402
VALENTINE, KEADRA 4995 MARYLAND ST ST GABRIEL, LA 70776
VESSEL JR, DARREL 22825 BLAKENEY LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5233
VORISE, CISLYN C77378 LANDRYDRMARINGOUIN, LA 70757-3208
WALKER, DESTINEE L5380 BETTY MARTIN DR CARVILLE, LA 70721-2129
WALKER, KIARA BRINE 57746 TRUE HOPE LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4500
WARNER, JOVONCE57941 CENTER ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4366
WASHINGTON, FREDRICK RASHAD 57345 CPL HERMAN BROWN JR DR BAYOU GOULA, LA 707883122
WESTMORELAND, APRIL LEANNE 1325 GUMMERS LN SUNSHINE, LA 70780-3401
WHITTENBERG, BRAXTON NEAL 65355 MENDOZA DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6223
WILCOXON, CLAY BRISTON 25400 HWY 77 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5432
WILLE, LARRYPAUL 77525 WILLE DR GROSSE TETE, LA 70740-3531
WILLIAMS, DEJAUN RUBY 25186 DUBLIEUX ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6008
WILLIAMS, GERNASHA SHADRELL 32420 FRANCISE ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2063
WILSON, DEDREKA LASHONE5550 MAGNOLIA SPRINGS PKWY #BCARVILLE, LA 70721-2101
WILSON JR, SAMUEL33670 BOUDREAUX ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2728
WRIGHT, JOSEPH JAMAL 57865 GOVERNMENT ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2349
WUNSTEL, WAYNE G25323 DICKINSON RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4415
YORK, ASHTON 58356 MERIAM ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2818
YOUNG, HANNAH BRIANNE 58765 DELACROIX AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3529
Juror Count: 200
Electronic or sealed bids will be received by the City of BatonRouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Purchasing Divi‐sion,CityHallBuilding, Room 826, 222 SaintLouis Street,8th Floor,Baton Rouge, La.until 11:00 A.M. April7,2026 forthe following: A26-0726 OEMSRP &MAS forKOHLERGENERATORS Official biddocuments areavailable at Central Bidding(https://www centralauctionhouse. com/rfpc10656-city-ofbaton-rouge.html)orby requestfromthe City of BatonRouge at dsstew‐art@brla.gov. Bids shallbesubmitted electronically viawww centralbidding.com or on thesolicitationbid forms furnishedbythe City of BatonRouge andParish of East BatonRouge prior to thebidding deadline Electronic bids forthe solicitation will be down‐loaded by theCityof BatonRouge andParish of East BatonRouge,Pur‐chasingDivision. Begin‐ning as soon as feasible after thebid closingtime allelectronicbidswillbe downloaded andpublicly read aloudalong with all paperbidsreceived, if any, in Room 806 immedi‐atelyafter the11:00 a.m. bidclosing.Bidders or theirauthorizedrepre‐sentatives areinvited to be present.
NOTE:The only vendor informationsharedat thebid openingwillbe thereading of thenames of thosevendors who submittedbids.
Note:The City-Parishhas electedtouse LaPAC, the state'sonlineelectronic bidposting andnotifica‐tion system,inaddition to itsstandardmeans of advertisingthisrequire‐ment.ThisInvitationto Bidisavailable in elec‐tronic form at theLaPAC website https:// wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana l d id
2026. Full informationmay be obtained upon request from theabove address or by telephoningDexter Stewartat(225) 389-3259, Ext.3264, or viaemail dsstewart@brla.gov Anyvendorwho would like to listen to theopen‐ingofthisbid canaccess thefollowing link,atthe date andtimeofthisbid opening: NOTE:The only vendor informationsharedat thebid openingwillbe thereading of thenames of thosevendors who submittedbids. Join by phone +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Access code:263 373 080 (followedbythe #but‐ton) Alternatenumbers to call if number aboveisnot available, which may occurdue to network traffic(usethe same Ac‐cess Code,followedby the# button): United States Toll (Boston) +1-617-315-0704 United States Toll (Chicago) +1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Dallas) +1-469-210-7159 United States Toll (Denver) +1-720-650-7664 United States Toll (Jacksonville) +1-904-900-2303 United States Toll (Los Angeles) +1-213-306-3065
OBLIGATIONS
PERFORMING EXCAVATION, GROUND DISTURBING, BORINGORGROUNDBREAKING ACTIVITIES WITHIN THEJURISDICTION OF THE CITYOFZACHARYAND ALL ACTIONS IN FURTHERANCE THEREOF
WHEREAS,in2025, the City of Zachary (“City”),determined that the City’sinfrastructural utilities arebeing unnecessarily damaged by third parties engaged in excavation, ground disturbing, boring and or ground breaking activities. In response the City passed an ordinance requiring all persons engaged in excavation, ground disturbing, boring, or ground breaking activities within the City to submit an Emergency Operations Plan to and to obtain apermit from the City
WHEREAS,the City continues to experience damagetoits Cityownedinfrastructureasaresultofnegligent actions of thirdparties engaging in such activities. Accordingly,the City desires to set forth certain obligations on thepart of all persons engaging in such excavation, ground distributing, boring, or ground breaking activities and to provide for the ability to recover the City’sdamages and costs incurred by such negligent actions.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDAINED by the City Council that §70-40 of the Code of Ordinances be amended in the following manner: §70-40 Permit Required. ***
4. Duties and Obligations of Persons Performing Excavation, Ground Disturbing, Boring or Ground Breaking Activities -All persons engaged in excavation, ground distributing, boring, or ground breaking activities arerequired to exercise special precaution to avoid damage to the City’sunderground utilities, shall immediately remove all debris and broken parts upon completion, and shall assume all responsibility for any and all loss for such damage. Such persons shall immediately report to the City the occurrence of any damage to City utilities or City property caused by such persons, either directly or indirectly.The City shall have the right to recover any damages or costs incurred as aresultof any excavation, ground distributing, boring, or groundbreaking activities that cause damage to the City or otherwise exposes it to liability.Such persons also shall indemnify, protect, and hold the City harmless from any and all claimsfor damages to property and injury or death to any persons that may arise out of or be caused by such person’saction in connection with any excavation, ground distributing, boring or ground breaking activities within the City.Failuretosubmit an Emergency Operation Plan or obtain the necessary permits shall not exempt or relieve any persons from their duties and obligations as set forth under this Paragraph.
In all other instances and applications, the remainder of §70-40 et seq., of the City’sCode of Ordinances shall remain unchanged.
This Ordinance shall becomeeffective at the expiration of ten (10) calendar days after publication by the City Council for the City of Zachary unless the referenced ordinance shall specify another effective date, all pursuant to §2-10 (C) of the Home Rule Charter adopted by the electors for the City of Zachary
INTRODUCED FOR ADOPTION by the City Council of the City of Zachary as aregular meeting of the said Council held on the 24th day of February,2026.
SUBMITTED FOR FINAL APPROVALAND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Zachary at aregular meeting of the said Council, afterbeing duly noticed and publicized, held on the 10th day of March, 2026 and upon which theforegoing ordinance was read in full, the roll was calledonthe adoption thereof, and the Ordinance was adopted.
David McDavid, Mayor ATTEST:
Karen Burdette Brandy Westmoreland Clerk,City Council TemporeMayor ProTempore Ordinance 2026-02 PRESENTEDTOTHE MAYOR PURSUANT TO HRC § 2-11(A),this day of 2026 at ____:___, M.
Karen Burdette –Clerk, City Council
IDOHEREBY ACT TO ADOPT /____VETO THIS ORDINANCE, this day of 2026 at ____:___, M, by my signature below
David McDavid, Mayor
PUBLIC NOTICE
VOUCHER# 26-000727
BIDS TO BE OPENED: 04/07/26
ORDINANCE 2026-03
ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITYOFZACHARY TO AMEND §86-123 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR THE CITY OF ZACHARY REGARDING CUSTOMER NONCOMPLIANCE WITHREPAIROFBACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLIES
NOTE:The only vendor informationsharedat thebid openingwillbe thereading of thenames of thosevendors who submittedbids.
Note:The City-Parishhas electedtouse LaPAC, the state'sonlineelectronic bidposting andnotifica‐tion system,inaddition to itsstandardmeans of advertisingthisrequire‐ment.ThisInvitationto Bidisavailable in elec‐tronic form at theLaPAC website https:// wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana. gov/osp/lapac/dspBid cfm?search=departm ent&term=102. Bids,amendmentsto bids or requestfor with‐drawal of bids received after time specified for bidopeningsshall notbe considered forany cause whatsoever Inquirieswillbereceived up until 5pmonMarch 30, 2026.
NOTICE TO BIDDERS Electronic or sealed bids will be received by the City of BatonRouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Purchasing Divi‐sion,CityHallBuilding, Room 826, 222 SaintLouis Street,8th Floor,Baton Rouge, La.until 11:00 A.M. April7,2026 forthe following: A26-0727 OEMSRP & MASfor TRITON GENERATORS Official biddocuments areavailable at Central Bidding(https://www centralauctionhouse. com/rfpc10656-city-ofbaton-rouge.html)orby requestfromthe City of BatonRouge at dsstew‐art@brla.gov Bids shallbesubmitted electronically viawww centralbidding.com or on thesolicitationbid forms furnishedbythe City of BatonRouge andParish of East BatonRouge prior to thebidding deadline Electronic bids forthe solicitation will be down‐loaded by theCityof BatonRouge andParish of East BatonRouge,Pur‐chasingDivision. Begin‐ning as soon as feasible after thebid closingtime allelectronicbidswillbe downloaded andpublicly read aloudalong with all paperbidsreceived, if any, in Room 806 immedi‐atelyafter the11:00 a.m. bidclosing.Bidders or theirauthorizedrepre‐sentatives areinvited to be present. PUBLIC NOTICE VOUCHER# 26-000730 BIDS TO BE OPENED: 04/07/26 NOTICE TO BIDDERS Electronic or sealed bids will be received by the City of BatonRouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Purchasing Divi‐sion,CityHallBuilding, Room 826, 222 SaintLouis Street,8th Floor,Baton Rouge, La.until 11:00 A.M. April7,2026 forthe following: A26-0730 -Original Equipment ManufacturerStandard ReplacementParts & Manufacturer Authorized
Full informationmay be obtained upon request from theabove address or by telephoningDexter Stewartat(225) 389-3259, Ext.3264, or viaemail dsstewart@brla.gov Anyvendorwho would like to listen to theopen‐ingofthisbid canaccess thefollowing link,atthe date andtimeofthisbid opening: NOTE:The only vendor informationsharedat thebid openingwillbe thereading of thenames of thosevendors who submittedbids. Join by phone +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Access code:263 373 080 (followedbythe #but‐ton) Alternatenumbers to call if numberabove is not available, whichmay occurdue to network traffic(usethe same Ac‐cess Code,followedby the# button): United States Toll
or method, after
given adequate timetodoso, the administrative authority may perform the repair and add the cost of the repair to the customer’sutility bill. The repairs shall be conducted by abackflow prevention technician, after soliciting three quotes from licensed backflow prevention assembly or method. No person who performed an inspection on abackflow prevention assembly or method is permitted to submit aquote to perform the repair.Inconsidering each quote, due consideration shallbegiven to the amount of the quote, the technician’sprior performance in performing similar services, the size and scope of the repairs needed, the technician’sability to perform the work withinthe needed timeframe, and any other factors that the administrative authority may deem relevant.
In allother instances and applications, the remainder of §86-123 of the City’sCode of Ordinances shall remain unchanged.
This Ordinance shallbecome effective at the expiration of ten(10) calendar days after publication by the City Council for the City of Zachary unless the referenced ordinance shallspecify another effective date, all pursuant to §2-10 (C) of the HomeRuleCharter adopted by the electors for the City of Zachary
INTRODUCED FOR ADOPTION by the City Council of the City of Zachary as aregular meeting of the said Council held on the 24th day of February,2026.
SUBMITTEDFOR FINAL APPROVAL ANDADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Zachary at aregular meeting of the said Council, after being dulynoticed and publicized, held on the 10th day of March, 2026 and upon which the foregoing ordinance was read in full, the roll was called on the adoption thereof, and the Ordinance was adopted.
DavidMcDavid, Mayor
ATTEST:
Karen Burdette Brandy Westmoreland Clerk, City Council TemporeMayor ProTempore
Ordinance 2026-03 PRESENTED TO THEMAYOR PURSUANT TO HRC§ 2-11(A), this day of 2026 at ____: M.
Karen Burdette –Clerk, City Council
IDOHEREBY ACTTO_ ADOPT /____VETO THIS ORDINANCE this day of 2026 at ____:___, M, by my signature below
DavidMcDavid, Mayor
ORDINANCE 2026-01
ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF ZACHARY
TO AMEND AND UPDATE THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE FOR THE CITY OF ZACHARY –ARTICLE 6OVERLAY AND SPECIAL ZONING DISTRICTS, ARTICLE 7USE AND TEMPORARYUSE STANDARDS, ARTICLE 8ONSITEACESSORY AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, AND ARTICLE 15 DEFINITIONS
WHEREAS,the City of Zachary (the “City”) has previously adopted it Unified Development Code (“UDC”)topromotethe uniform growth for the health, safety and welfareofits citizens,
WHEREAS,ithas been observed that changes and amendmentsare necessary to continue to further the goals of the UDCbythe implementation of updated standards regarding exterior wall finish materials, permissible use standards, building sizes, and general definitions, WHEREAS,ithas been recommended that certainchanges and amendments the UDCbemade to the UDCtoamend Article 6Overlay and Special Districts, Article7 Useand Temporary Use Standards, Article8 On-Site Accessoryand Performance Standards, and Article15 Definitions as being in the best interest of the City BE IT ORDAINED
time allelectronicbidswillbe downloaded andpublicly read aloudalong with all paperbidsreceived, if any, in Room 806 immedi‐atelyafter the11:00 a.m. bidclosing.Bidders or theirauthorizedrepre‐sentatives areinvited to be present. NOTE:The only vendor information shared at thebid open‐ingwillbethe readingof thenames of thoseven‐dors who submittedbids
Note:The City-Parishhas electedtouse LaPAC, the state'sonlineelectronic bidposting andnotifica‐tion system,inaddition to itsstandardmeans of advertisingthisrequire‐ment.ThisInvitationto Bidisavailable in elec‐tronic form at theLaPAC websitehttps://wwwcf‐prd.doa.louisiana.gov/ osp/lapac/dspBid.cfm? search=department& term=102. Bids,amendmentsto bids or requestfor with‐drawal of bids received aftertimespecified for bidopeningsshall notbe considered forany cause whatsoever. Inquirieswillbereceived up until 5pmonMarch 31, 2026.
Full informationmay be obtained upon request from theabove address or by telephoningDexter Stewartat(225) 389-3259, Ext.3264, or viaemail dsstewart@brla.gov Anyvendorwho would like to listen to theopen‐ingofthisbid canaccess thefollowing link,atthe date andtimeofthisbid opening: NOTE:The only vendor i f i h d
BE
The combinedground floor area of the detached accessory building shall not exceed four percent(4%) of the totalsquare footage of the lot. Any request to exceed this four percent maximum shall requireCity Council approval following review andrecommendation of Planning Director,inaccordance with the UDC.
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Zachary thatDivision 15.300, “Single Family Attached” be deleted andreplaced as follows: Division 15.300 General Definitions
Single-FamilyAttached Dwelling means housing typeswith two or moredwelling units thatare located in asingle or attached structure(s). No morethanone (1)family,as defined herein, shall occupy each dwelling unit.
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Zachary thatthe following be added to Division 15.300: Division 15.300 General Definitions
Family means an individual; or two (2)ormorepersons relatedby blood, marriage, or legal adoption living togetherand occupyinga single housekeepingunit with single culinary facilities; or agroup of not morethantwo (2)unrelated persons living togetherbyjoint agreementand occupying asingle housekeepingunit on anonprofit, cost-sharingbasis; or not morethanfour (4)unrelated persons provided the owner of the premisesalso resides in the dwelling.
National Brand/Chain means business or franchise thatoperates underastandardized trade name,trademark, service mark, or logo, andmaintains aminimum of five (5)locations in multiple municipalities, parishes, or counties, where architecture, signage, andexterior finishesare substantially consistent across locations.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, allotherArticles, Sections and Subsections of the UDCshall remain unchanged.
This Ordinance shall become effective at the expiration of ten(10) calendar days afterpublication by the City Council for the City of Zachary, unless the referenced ordinance shall specify another effective date, all pursuant to §2-10 (C) of the Home Rule Charter adopted by the electors for the City of Zachary
INTRODUCED FOR ADOPTION by the City Council of the City of Zachary as aregularmeeting of the said Council held on the 24th day of February,2026.
SUBMITTED FOR FINAL APROVAL AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Zachary at aregularmeeting of the said Council, afterbeing duly noticed andpublicized, held on the 10th day of March, 2026 andupon
