For driverspassingbyonLouisiana Avenue, theLafayette municipal golf course is asea of green in theurban heart of the city,dotted with liveoaks, water hazards and golf carts visible through athree-storyhigh netting that lines the roadway. For nongolfers, thecourse pro-
videsapleasant backdrop to their daily commute.For residentsof north Lafayette,it’sa 100-yearoldanchor of the community,a placewhere generations have grownupworkingpart-timejobs andswimming at thenearby Domingue Recreation Center
“Thisisthe first place Ieverhit agolf ball,” said Schilling, sharingmemories at theJay &Lionel Hebert Municipal Golf Course’s centennial kickoff celebration on Friday in the clubhouse.
And for people like District5 Lafayette council member Kenneth Boudreaux andHerb Schilling, of SchillingDistributing Co., the course is acore part of theirpersonal histories—aplace that has shaped careers and friendships over decades.
BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer
Providerssay patients aregoing to suffer
KASAKOVE Staff writer
For months, around half of the 147 beds at oneofNew Orleans’ largest addictiontreatmentfacilities have sat empty It’snot because there’snodemand. In fact, the waitlist for the Odyssey House Louisiana’sBroadmoor building runs dozens of names long. It’sbecause the facility cannot treat the growing number of people arriving at its doors without health insurance. It’sa problemhealthcarefacilities are confronting across the state, as roughly half amillion Louisianans have lost coverage through Medicaid since 2023. More are continuing to fall offthe rolls each month, as the Louisiana Department of Health has ramped up eligibility checks ahead of federal requirements that will take effect across the country next year
Treatment providers and advocates say the changeshavebarredlow-income people from receiving needed health care and arethreateningthe bottom lineofhealth
STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN
Lafayette CityCouncil member KennethBoudreaux, left, along withLafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Boulet and family membersofJay and Lionel Hebertkick off centennial celebrations Friday at theJay &Lionel Hebert Municipal Golf Course in Lafayette.
STAFFPHOTO By SOPHIA
At least 64 killedin strike on Sudan hospital
CAIRO— At least 64 people were killed, including at least 13 children, in astrike on ahospital in Sudan’swestern Darfurregion last week, the World Health Organization said Saturday
The strike on the Al Daein Teaching HospitalinEast DarfuronFriday also injured at least 89 people and renderedthe hospital nonfunctional, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the WHO, said on X. Sudan slid into chaos in April 2023 when apower struggle between the military andthe rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into war throughout the country
TheRSF has blamed themilitary for the strike on the hospital.
The army has denied the attack, but two military officials said the strike was targeting anearby police station. They spoke on the conditionofanonymity as they werenot allowed to discuss the matter openly
Thedevastatingwar haskilled more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. figures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher
The WHO has said that over 2,000 people have been killed in attacks on medical facilities since the start of the war
“Enough blood has been spilled. Enough sufferinghas been inflicted. Thetimehas come to de-escalatethe conflict in Sudan,” said Ghebreyesus.
Deadly avalanche kills 2skiers in Italy
An avalanche in high alpine terrain in Italy‘s South Tyrolon Saturday killed two skiers, according to the country’s mountain rescue service.
The avalanche happened at an altitude of around 7,874 feet on the slopes of the 8,757-foot Hohe Ferse (also known as Monte Tallone Grande) nearthe town of Ratschings, close to the border with Austria.
The CNSAS rescue service’s Bolzano emergency center reported that 25 skiers were caught in the avalanche. Besides the two dead, three were seriouslyinjuredand two lightly injured, it said.
The avalanche took place at 11:40 a.m. Arescue operation involved six helicopters and around 80 rescuers from CNSAS, the Alpine Association, police and firefighters, Italian news agency ANSA reported.
This season has seen an unusually high number of death from avalanches.European Avalanche WarningServices reports in its website avalanches. org that fatalities average 100 perseason. As of March 16, reported deaths this season starting Oct. 1were at 127, including 33 in Italy,31inFrance and 29 in Austria.
In early February,just as Italy was hosting the Winter Olympics, arecord 13 skiers haddied on the slopes during one week, including 10 in avalanches.
Experts attributedthe deaths to an exceptionally unstable snowpack and the rush of skiing enthusiasts to off-piste slopes after recent heavy snowstorms.
Japanese national held in Iran released
TOKYO— Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Sunday that one of two Japanese nationals detained in Iran hasbeen released and is headed home.
Motegi, speaking on aFuji Television talk show,saidthe person had beendetained since last year and was released on Wednesday.Hesaid the person took aflight from Azerbaijan which was scheduled to arrive in Japan on Sunday Kyodo News agency and other Japanese mediasaid the former detainee later returned to Japan.
Motegi said another Japanese national who was arrested earlier this year is still in custody
Motegi said the releasecame after his repeated demands to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and that he is “working to win an early release” of the otherdetainee while communicating with his family and other concerned parties.
Iran responds to Trump’sultimatum
BY ALON BERNSTEIN, SAM METZ and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
ARAD,Israel TheUnited States and Iran threatened to target critical infrastructure Sunday as the war in the Middle East, now in its fourth week, puts lives and livelihoods at risk throughout the region.
Iran said the Strait of Hormuz, crucial to oil and other exports, wouldbe“completelyclosed” immediately if the U.S. follows up on President Donald Trump’sthreat to attack its power plants. Trump late Saturday seta 48-hour deadline to open the strait.
Israel deniedresponsibility for hitting Natanz on Saturday.The Pentagon declined to comment on the strike.
TheInternational Atomic Energy Agency has saidthe bulkofIran’s estimated 972 pounds of enriched uranium —the issue at the heart of tensions —iselsewhere, beneath the rubble at its Isfahan facility
Fighting intensifies in Lebanon
An Israeli civilianwas killedin his car in the northern town of MisgavAminwhatIsrael’s military originally said appeared to be a rocket attack. It later was looking into the possibility that the death was caused by Israeli soldiers’ fire. Israeli authorities identified him as 61-year-old farmer Ofer “Poshko”Moskovitz. Twodaysago,he told aradio stationthatlivingnear the Lebanese border waslike “Russian roulette.”
Israelileaders visited one of two southern communities near asecretivenuclearresearchsite struck by Iranian missiles late Saturday,with scores of people wounded. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a“miracle” no one was killed.
Netanyahu claimed Israel and theU.S.werewellontheir wayto achievingtheir wargoals.The aims have rangedfrom weakening Iran’s nuclear program, missile program and support for armed proxiesto enablingthe Iranian people to overthrowthe theocracy
There has been no sign of an uprising, norofanend to thefighting that has shaken theglobaleconomy, sent oil prices surging and endangered some of the world’sbusiest aircorridors. The war, which the U.S. and Israel launched Feb.28, haskilledover2,000 people.
TheIranian-backed Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an airstrikethatkilled aman in northern Israel, while Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called Israel’snew targeting of bridges in thesouth“a prelude to aground invasion.”
“More weeks of fighting against
Iran and Hezbollah are expected forus,” saidIsraelimilitaryspokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin. Power, waterplantsthreatened Iran has effectively closedthe Strait of Hormuz that connects thePersian Gulf to therest of the world, while claiming safe passage for vessels from countries other thanits enemies.Roughly one-fifth of global oil supply passesthrough it,but attacks on ships have stopped nearly all tanker traffic.
Trumpsaid if Iran didn’topen the strait, the U.S. would destroy its “various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONEFIRST!”
The U.S. has argued that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard controls much of the country’s infrastructure and usesittopower thewar effort. Under international law, power plants that benefit civilians can be targeted only if themilitary advantage outweighs the suffering it causes them, legal scholars say Iranian parliamentspeaker Mohammad BagherQalibaf responded on Xthat if Iran’spower plants and infrastructure are targeted,then vital infrastructure across the region —including energy and desalination facilitiescritical fordrink-
owers and notes were left at the Tucson, Ariz home of NancyGuthrie, the missingmother of ‘Today’ showhost Savannah Guthrie.
Family asks forclues in disappearance of NancyGuthrie
By The Associated Press
TUCSON, Ariz. Savannah Guthrie is renewing pleas to neighbors,friendsand residentsofTucson, Arizona, to jogtheir memoriesinthe hopesofsparking new leads in the disappearance of her mother
Nancy
The “Today Show”cohost posted anew family statementonher Instagram account Sunday morning, hours after the show’sInstagram account shared it.
After expressinggratitude to the community, thefamily said in its statement that it believes someone in Tucson or in southern Arizona may “hold the key to findingthe resolution in this case ”
“Someone knows something. It’s possible amember of this community has informationthattheydo notevenrealize is significant.”
The family urgedpeople to go back overtheir memories between Jan. 31 —whenNancyGuthrie was last seen —and Feb. 1aswell as theeveningof Jan.11.
“Please consult camera footage, journal notes,
text messages, observations, or conversations that in retrospect may hold significance,” the statement said “No detail is toosmall.”
They also acknowledged in the statement that theirfamily’smatriarch may no longerbe alive.
“Wecannot grieve; we can only ache and wonder.”
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Feb.
1. Authorities believe the 84-year-old was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will. The FBI released surveillance videos of a masked man who was outside Guthrie’sfront door on the night she vanished.
TheGuthriefamily hasoffered a$1million reward for information leading to therecoveryof their mother Savannah Guthrie visited the NBC “TodayShow” studio in NewYorkCity for the first timesince her mother’sdisappearance on March 5. The show said she plans to return to the air at some point but “remainsfocused right now supporting her family andworking to help bring Nancy home.”
ing water in Gulf nations—would be considered legitimate targets and “irreversibly destroyed.”
Qalibaf later added that “entities thatfinance the US military budget arelegitimate targets.”
Attacks on power plants would be “inherently indiscriminate and clearly disproportionate”and a war crime, Iran’sU.N. ambassador wrote to theSecurityCouncil, according to the state-run IRNA news agency
Strikesbring nuclearconcerns
Iran said its strikes in the Negev Desertlate Saturdaywere in retaliation for thelatest attack on Iran’s main nuclear enrichment site in Natanz, according to state-run media.
Tehran praised itsattack as a show of strength,evenasIsrael’s military asserts that Iranian missile launches have decreased since thewar began.
Southern Israel’smain hospital received at least 175 wounded from Arad and Dimona, deputy director RoyKessous told The Associated Press.
Israel is widely believedtopossess nuclear weapons, though it doesn’t confirm or deny their existence.
Hezbollahlaunchedstrikeson Israel soon after the war began, calling it retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader AyatollahAli Khamenei. Israel thentargetedHezbollahwith airstrikes and expanded its ground presence in southern Lebanon.
Israel on Sundayexpandedits target list to include bridges over the Litani River that Defense Minister Israel Katz said Hezbollah is using to move fighters andweapons to the south. Israel later struck the Qasmiyeh bridge near Tyre, givinganhour’swarning. Destroying bridgesfurtherisolatesresidents from the rest of Lebanon.
Katz also orderedthe military to accelerate destruction of Lebanese homes near the border Lebanese authorities say Israel’s strikes have killed more than 1,000 people anddisplaced more than1 million. Meanwhile, Hezbollahhas fired hundreds of rockets intoIsrael.
Iran’sdeathtollinthe war has surpassed 1,500, its health ministry has said. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian strikes. More than adozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states have been killed in strikes.
California sheriffrunning for governor seizes 2025 ballots
By The Associated Press
RIVERSIDE, Calif. ACalifornia sheriff running for governor has seized more than half amillion ballots castina November special election from countyelection officials, saying he’s investigating aballot count discrepancy
County elections officials have disputed the claims by Riverside CountySheriff Chad Bianco, aRepublican. California Attorney General RobBonta, a Democrat, called Bianco’s move unprecedented and says it is designedtosow distrust in elections
Biancoheld anews conference Friday saying his office hadlaunchedthe investigation after receiving acomplaint from alocal citizens group about the ballot count from aNovember 2025 special electiononredistricting.
In the special election, votersapproved ameasuretoredraw congressionaldistrict lines to favor Democrats in the upcoming midtermelection. Themeasure passed in the countybyamargin of morethan 80,000 votes. Biancoseized ballots in Riverside County, the inland California county of 2.5 million people where he hastwice been elected sheriff. He called the effort “a fact-finding mission.”
“Thisinvestigation is simple: Physically count theballots andcompare thatresult withthe total votes reported,”hesaid Friday
Bianco is one of two prominent Republicans running forgovernor in acrowded June primary that includesmorethan half adozenDemocrats. California runs atop-two primarysystemthatputs all candidates on the same ballot, regardless of party,
and sends the two candidates who getthe most voters onto the Novembergeneral election.
Leading California Democratsare worried thattheir partyhas so many candi-
dates, they risk splitting the vote and sending Bianco and Steve Hilton, another top Republican, onto the general election. That would be astunning outcome in the heavily Democratic state.
Smoke and flames rise Sunday after an Israeli airstrike hit the Qasmiyeh Bridgenear the coastal city of Tyre, Lebanon.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By REBECCA NOBLE yellow fl
Plan for use of ICE officers at airports draws concerns
BY SEUNG MIN KIM and LISA MASCARO Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s decision to order federal immigration agents to U.S. airports to help with security during a budget impasse is drawing concerns that their presence may escalate tensions among air travelers frustrated over hourslong waits and screeners angry about missed paychecks
ä TSA delays at New Orleans airport lasting hours.
Trump made clear on Sunday that he was going ahead with the plan to have immigration enforcement officers assist the Transportatio n Security Administration by guarding exit lanes or checking passenger IDs unless Democrats agreed to fund the Department of Homeland Security Democrats are demanding major changes federal immigration operations and showing no sign of backing down.
Hundreds of thousands of homeland security workers, including from the TSA, U.S. Secret Service and Coast Guard, have worked without pay since Congress failed to renew DHS funding last month.
“Bad idea,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, about the new airport security plan, which Trump said would start Monday
“What we need to do is, we need to get the DHS issues resolved, we need to get the TSA agents paid,” she told reporters at the Capi-
tol, where the Senate held a rare weekend session
“Do you really want to have even additional tensions on top of what we are already facing?”
Senators advanced the nomination of Sen Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to be Trump’s next homeland security secretary by a largely party-line vote, 54-37, with two Democrats joining most Republicans. A vote on the confirmation could come as early as Monday Mullin has tried to make the case that he would be a steady hand after the tumultuous tenure of Kristi Noem, Trump’s first DHS secretary Border czar leads effort
White House border czar
Tom Homan, named by Trump to lead the new airport security effort, has also been meeting with a bipartisan group of senators over the partial shutdown While he characterized those sessions as “good conversations,” he said they were “not at a point yet where we’re in total agreement.”
Meanwhile, Homan said in Sunday news show interviews that the increased role of U.S Customs and Immigrations Enforcement at airports — their specific duties and numbers was subject to discussions with the leadership of TSA and ICE. DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis said “hundreds” of ICE officers would be deployed, but she would not disclose the airports where they would go citing security reasons.
“It’s a work in progress,” Homan said. The priority, he said, was “the large airports where there’s a long wait, like three hours.”
That was the case Sunday at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Some travelers waited in line for nearly six hours at the main security checkpoint, where only two TSA agents were on hand midafternoon to check IDs. Many missed their flights and scrambled to book later flights or add themselves to standby lists that were already dozens of names long.
Homan said immigration officers, as an example, could cover exits currently monitored by TSA agents, freeing them to work screening lines. Another option, he said, was having ICE agents check identification before people enter screenings areas.
“We’re going to be a force multiplier,” Homan said, while also acknowledging there were limits.
“I don’t see an ICE agent looking at an X-ray machine, because we’re not trained in that,” he said. He pledged to have “a plan by the end of today, where we’re sending — what airports we’re starting with and where we’re sending them.”
But Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 50,000 TSA employees, condemned Trump’s plan, saying in a statement that ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security
“Our members at TSA have been showing up every day, without a paycheck, because they believe in the mission of keeping the flying public safe,” Kelley said Sunday. “They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who
have shown how dangerous they can be.”
Budget talks stall
Democrats have said they are willing to fund TSA and most other parts of DHS as they press for immigration operations changes after the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation. ICE and other immigration operations are largely being paid during the partial shutdown, thanks to an influx of cash from Trump’s big tax breaks bill last year
“There are lots of ideas swirling right now,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “The good news in all that is people realizing this has to get fixed, it has to get solved.”
As budget talks stayed be-
hind closed doors Sunday senators said they had few details of which airports or how many immigration officers were being dispatched. Some welcomed the effort.
“I don’t think it can hurt,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, RS.D. “They can help relieve some of the pressure.”
Trump said in a social media post that on Monday, “ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job” despite the partial government shutdown. He further criticized Democrats. Travelers at some airports worried about reaching their gates Sunday At Atlanta’s airport, lines wrapped from one end of the airport to the other The scene appeared more chaotic at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Large crowds of anxious travelers piled toward security checkpoints, and TSA staff shouted through megaphones to tell people not to push one another For Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, one concern is the uncertainty that passengers are facing over possible wait times at
Cuba begins to restore power after nationwide grid collapse
BY ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
Associated Press
HAVANA Cuba began restoring its energy system on Sunday, a day after a nationwide collapse of the entire grid left millions of people in the dark for the third time this month.
Some 72,000 customers in the capital, among them five hospitals, had electricity again early Sunday according to a report from the state-run Electric Union and the Ministry of Energy and Mines, but it’s only a fraction of Havana’s total population of approximately 2 million. In Havana and provinces such as western Matanzas and eastern Holguin, local power microsystems were set up to supply the most vital centers. Residents in some areas of the capital told The Associated Press that power returned during the early morning hours Cuba is currently facing an unprecedented energy crisis. Its aging grid has drastically eroded in recent years, but the government has also blamed the outages on a U.S. energy block-
ASSOCIATED PRESS SPHOTO By RAMON ESPINOSA People spend the night in the dark on the Malecon during a blackout on Saturday in Havana.
ade, after President Donald Trump in January warned of tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba His administration is demanding that Cuba release political prisoners and move toward political and economic liberalization in return for a lifting of sanctions. Trump also has raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba.”
Another reason Cuba has been struggling with dwindling oil is the removal by the U.S. of Venezuela’s former President Nicolás Maduro,
which halted critical petroleum shipments from the nation that had been a steadfast ally to Havana.
President Miguel DíazCanel has said the island has not received oil from foreign suppliers for three months. Cuba produces barely 40% of the fuel it needs to power its economy
Daily blackouts have a significant impact on the population, whose lives are disrupted by reduced work hours, lack of electricity for cooking and damage to household appliances, among
Israeli settlers smash cars and set fires in the West Bank
BY SAM METZ Associated Press
RAMALLAH,West Bank Israeli settlers rampaged through multiple Palestinian villages overnight Saturday and into Sunday, smashing cars, setting fires and wounding several men in the latest flare-up of violence in the occupied West Bank.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported attacks in at least six communities on Sunday The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said at least three Palestinians in the village of Jalud suffered head wounds from beatings and were hospitalized after confronting settlers, who were also reported injured.
The rampage came a day after an 18-year-old Israeli settler was killed in a collision with a Palestinian vehicle in an area near two of the villages attacked. Police
said they are investigating the settlers’ claims that the collision was deliberate.
The violence came as Israel’s government also presses ahead with new settlements in the occupied West Bank. Attacks by settlers have intensified alongside a broader surge in violence since the Iran war started. Israel’s military said it responded to Israeli civilians carrying out “arson against structures and property, as well as engaging in disturbances in the area,” but did not report any arrests or indicate whether investigations were opened. WAFA reported attacks in the villages of Silat al Dahr and Fandaqumiya, both near Jenin; in Jalud and Salfit, both south of Nablus; and in the agricultural regions Masafer Yatta and the Jordan Valley Homes and cars were set ablaze Palestinians were pepper-sprayed and at least
five people were wounded in the overnight assaults, which took place during the Eid alFitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the agency said.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported 25 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers this year as of March 15. The Palestinian Authority has also documented a series of arson attacks, including on mosques, across the territory Also on Sunday, four Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, hospital authorities said.
One strike hit a vehicle in the central Nuseirat refugee camp and killed three police officers, according to the Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. Ten others were wounded, it said. Another Palestinian was killed in Gaza City according to Shifa Hospital.
many other consequences.
“With the blackout and low voltage, my refrigerator broke — that was today
The day before yesterday the voltage also dropped around 10 at night,” Suleydi Crespo, a 33-year-old woman with two small children, told AP on Saturday “If there’s no electricity tomorrow, we won’t be able to get water.”
centers that rely on Medicaid payments.
“It is having real-time effects and is areason why people are not abletoaccess the health care they need,” said Raegan Carter,director of health policy at the Louisiana Primary Care Association, whichrepresents Odyssey House and dozens of other community health centers across the state.
“If our uninsured numbers increase, if we begin to serve even more uninsured patients… we may end up closing health centers.”
Louisiana HealthSecretary BruceGreenstein, who took over the department in April, has said the department’spriority is to improve efficiency and “fight fraud, waste, and abuse” in the state’sMedicaid program.
In astatement, Health Department spokesperson AmyWhitehead said“a combination of proper eligibility redeterminations and arobust economy has ledto appropriate Medicaiddisenrollment.”
Confirmingeligibility
Like in states across the country,Medicaid enrollment in Louisiana expanded in recent years as pandemicera protections kept people from being kicked off the program— from 1.6 million people in February 2020 to just over 2million in March 2023, according to state Health Department data.
Those protections included automatic renewals of Medicaid coverage, regardless of incomeorother changes.
But people in Louisiana and across the U.S. rapidly lost coverage when states resumed eligibilitychecks
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at Congress’ direction —a process known as “unwinding.” In Louisiana, enrollment has since dropped to below pre-COVID numbers, falling below 1.5 millionin February for the first time since 2016, accordingto state data.
Astate law that took effect last year requires the state to verify eligibilityinformation using existinggovernment data and by confirmingdirectly with Medicaid recipients.
Medicaidrecipientsmust be Louisiana residents, and state health officials began last yeartocheck residency through theOffice of Motor Vehicles, Whitehead said. Thestate has also begun to do more frequent eligibility checks for people who have not used Medicaid services for at least 21/2 years. The state discovered more than 39,000people on the Medicaid rolls who wereno longer eligible or who are dead, shesaid At aHouseAppropriations
Committee meetingreviewingthe Health Department’s budgetlast week,Rep Stephanie Berault,R-Slidell, applauded the state’swork.
“I even saw that we are down nowtothe lowest we’ve been since 2016,” said Berault.
“Itseems to me at least from what I’ve heard thatno one who is eligible has lost their benefits to this point which Ithink is great,”Berault said, as Greenstein nodded in agreement
Experts estimatethat as many as 100,000 more people in thestate could lose Medicaid coveragewhen federal workrequirements for theprogrambegin next year,though state officials have put that figure much lower Thoseruleswill require Medicaid recipients to be working on engaging in other activities like community service or school.
Snagsinthe process
But some healthcare pro-
viders saythe state’spractices are flawed.Dr. Alecia Cyprian, CEO of Southeast Community Health Systems, which operates health centersacross four southeastLouisiana parishes, saidthe state hasattimes stripped people of coverage after attempts to reach them have failed. Often,the statehas outdated patient contact information.
“Sometimes their phone numbers, their physical addresses change. …Not keeping thatinformation updated is impacting the abilityofpeople to maintain coverage,” saidCyprian, who noted the uninsured rate among patients at the 21 health centers she oversees increased from 5% in 2022 to 11% in 2025.
Ina Simmons,83, is one of those people. The West Bankresidentsaid sheand her 88-year-old brother both found themselves without health insurance in February after theymissed or didn’tunderstand state
letters that asked them to submit informationaspart of eligibility checks. Simmons’ daughter Nanette McCain rushed to renewtheir plans, andthe family is hopeful that Medicaidwillretroactively reimburse them for bills they incurred during the in-between time. But the experience was frustrating.
“I think it’s hideous that youwould take older people Iam83yearsold, and they’re making me suffer, said Simmons. “Weworked allour livesand nowwe’re on retirement, and this is what you’re doing to us?”
Whitehead did notrespond to aquestionabout Simmons’ claim
Impact on health providers
At the same time, dwindling Medicaid income has hurt the budgets of some Louisiana health care providers.
Kevin Gardere, CEO at Bridge House, aresidential addiction treatment facility, said thefacility’s percentageofpatients on Medicaiddroppedfrom 82% in 2021 to 61% in 2025.
The organization now relies more on othersources of income to keep up services, like revenuesfrom itsusedcar lotand thrift store. It’salso had to cut into savings.
“Wenever hadtodip into savingsuntil theend of 2023,” said Gardere “We’vebeen operating at a deficit.”
Dr.Rochelle Head-Dunham,executive director of the MetropolitanHuman Services District,a mental health and addiction treatmentorganization, said the organization sawan11% decreaseinclients with Medicaidfrom2024to2025 and then another 20% decrease over the past year
“Wemake it happen re-
gardless,” said Head-Dunham,whose organization receives mostofits fundingfrom the state’sgeneral fund andfromfederal grants. “Wedon’thave the luxury of choicehere. They still have to be seen by us.” OdysseyHouse,too, has worked hard in recent years to treat patients, regardless of their ability to pay. From fiscalyear2024 to 2025, the organization spent $2.4 millionatits New Orleans facilities to cover care that wasn’tcovered by insurance, said its CEO, Ed Carlson.
While the organization has typically received reimbursementfor services by helping patients enroll in Medicaidoncetheyare in treatment, Carlson said the denial rate has skyrocketed in recent months. Just around afifthofparticipants who’ve appliedhave been approved since July 1. He said the denial letters don’tinclude areason.
“I’mdealing withpeople whoonlyhavethe shirton their back —Idon’tunderstand how they wouldn’t qualify,” said Carlson.
But this year,the organization’sboard voted to limit spending on care for uninsured people. With fewer patientsbeing treated, Odyssey House has reduced staffing statewide by around 90 people —roughly afifthofits workforce —over the past several months, Carlson said. The consequences of cutting back on treatment can be deadly,Carlson said. “People aren’tgetting access to care, so they’re on thestreets,” said Carlson “Theyjust keep using and they either get arrested, or they’redoing illegalactivity,orthey’re dying.” Staff writer Emily Woodruff contributed to this report.
“I ended up playing golf for USL,” he said referring to the University of Southwestern Louisiana, nowthe University of Louisianaat Lafayette. “Went to the city championship. Iended up living alife because of golf that Inever could have imagined. Ilook forward to the course continuingtogrow,and making it the very best that it can be.” The Lafayette municipal golf course was founded in 1926 at the old Lafayette fairgrounds, and just seven years later,a10-year-old named Jay Hebert would begin caddying at the course, according to speaker Matthew Marsiglia,who reported on thegolfcourse’s history at thecentennial kickoff event.
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New hotels are rising. Restaurants are hiring.
“Wehave been discovered,” said Carolyn Ketchel, who represents the area on the Board of County Commissioners.
The flights are transforming the Florida Panhandle city from aregional retreat for vacationers from metros like New Orleans and Atlanta to agetawaypopular with travelers from across the nation. It is also asign of how much tourism is expanding acrossthe Gulf Coast as the region’spopulation keeps rising.
“This opens up the door to alot of newpeople,”Fort Walton Beach Mayor Nic Allegretto said this month, afew days after the airline JetBluelaunched its first nonstop flights to the region from Boston and New York City.Southwest Airlinesis starting seasonal nonstop service from Pittsburgh in June. New Allegiant routes from Denver and Columbia, Missouri, will also start this spring and summer
“We’re ready for it,” he said. Locals say the newcomers areshifting Fort Walton’s fortunes. The city is still less crowded and developed than Destin, just afew minutes’ drive away.But it is grow-
“He earned $1 that day and decided it was agood deal
ing fast.
Hotelsand restaurants have so many newjob openingsthat some businesses areturning to visa programs that allow employees from around theworldtoclean rooms orwaittables forthe summer
And as advertisements go national, some Fort Walton Beach attractions are already serving customers from theMidwestwho are not used to thewater
“They are wonderingif they’regoing to get seasick,” said Amy Payne, who ownsSandyBottom Boat ToursinFort WaltonBeach and is increasingly meeting first-time visitors who are leery of marinelife.
“People are like, ‘Are there going to be sharks down here?’”she said Flightsfueltourism
Thetouristsare bringing more tax dollars and thrilling local leaders. Tourism jobs areenergizing the
becauseitwas morethan he was making as abat boy.So he continued to caddie until 1936, when his 8-year-old
economy and leading to low unemployment.The boost is funding cityamenities, including parks. And visitorsarriving by plane could bring in even more money because theycannot bring coolers packed with food, and they often visit local stores to buy beach toys.
“It opensituptoatotally newdemographic of visitors,”said TedCorcoran, president of the Greater FortWaltonBeach ChamberofCommerce. “It’snot just peaking in the summer,” he added. “Now you have folks flying down here in March.”
The shift is also fueling debate and creating some challenges. Some leaders disagree on whether the visitorseason should last year-round. Local housing is hard to find, so businesses are trying to lure employees who can drive to work from Alabama. Thecitywants to improve road infrastructure to easetraffic and is working withthe state on a $171 million bridge replacement.
“Visitorswill hopefully pardonour dust,” the mayor said.
Theshift is intentional. County and airport leaders have pushed for morecarriers over the last decade, and Allegiantmadethe DestinFort Walton Beach Airport ahub in 2018. Foryears, Destinhas boasted higher name recognition thanFort
brother,Lionel, joined his brother to caddie at Muni,” said Marsiglia. Jay and LionelHebert grew up to becomerenowned golfers, and the only brothers to both wina PGA championship. Nov.15, 1960, was officially designated as Jay and Lionel Hebert DayinLafayette,and in 2001, the course wasrenamed forthe brothers in recognition of their legacy Lionel Hebert’s granddaughter Danielle Doucet represented the Hebert family at thecentennial kickoff.
“I just wanttosay thank youfrom the bottom of my heart, andonbehalf of my family,for keepingthisplace alive andkeeping his legacy alive, and allowing stories to continue to be told around the table, over some drinks and smiles,” she said.
Walton Beach, amilitary town of about21,000.
“That’sgoingtoall change as the growth comes this way,” Ketchel, the county commissioner,said.
Locals say they arenoticing the difference. Regional tourists are still visiting, but
Lafayette Parish MayorPresident Monique Boulet and Boudreaux both stated their goal to continue supporting the municipal course through city investments in the area and highlighting the course as aunique asset for the community
“My kids have played here.
My husband has played here.
It’s apartofthe community that’sreally special,” said Boulet. “Since 1926, it’sbeen agathering place, sitting among some of our community’sgreatest assets —like the newly renovated Fire Station No. 2.
“It’sacross the street from the future homeofthe new library,whichI’m very excited about. The O.J. Mouton pool is also not very far away,and it’sone of only two Olympicsized pools in the whole state —and we’re about to bring it
charterboatcaptainsare also reassuring waryinland tourists that life jackets are on board. Other visitors are oftendelightedtosee dolphins for the first time.
“If Icould take it off the map as atourist destination and have it just be the quiet
back to life, too.” Boudreaux agreed with themayor-president’s rosy outlook forthe course and surrounding neighborhood, calling District5“God’s country.”
“When Ihave colleagues come in from all over the country,they are in disbelief that we have afull-fledged, 18-hole golf course in thecenter of Lafayette, in this community,inthis neighborhood. Ican tell you it has ahuge impact,” he said. “Know that the Jay &Lionel Hebert Municipal Golf Course is here to stay.We’re going to continue to provide the necessary funding so it can grow,soit can remain modern, so it can continue to keep up.”
Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.
little place it was, I’dprefer that,” saidMichael Percy whoteacheskiteboarding andelectric-poweredsurfing at his Fort Walton Beach business, XLKites.
“Butthere’s no putting that cat in the bag,” he said. “The wordisout.”
STAFF PHOTO By By JOANNA BROWN
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Eying2028, Democratssharpen criticisms of Vance
BY JULIE CARR SMYTH and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press
FAIRFIELD,Ohio
Although
President Donald Trump is the top Democratic nemesis, some of the party’smost ambitious leadersare increasingly looking past him and at Vice President JD Vance.
In the latest example, Kentucky Gov.Andy Beshear traveled to Vance’shome county in Ohio, where on Saturday night he said the vice president hadabandoned the communities that he wroteabout in thememoir that made him famous.
Beshear said “Hillbilly Elegy,” which detailed Vance’s hardscrabble upbringing, had “trafficked in tired stereotypes.”
“His book ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ was really hillbilly hate,” the governor said at aDemocratic fundraiser in Butler County.“It is poverty tourism,becauseheain’tfrom Appalachia.”
Thebroadside wasnot only asign of Beshear’s own potential presidential aspirations, but areflection of Vance’sstatus as the Republican heir apparent to the coalition that twice elected Trump to the White House.
“With every day that passes, we get closer to a day when Donald Trump is no longer president. And we need to preparefor that day,” said Lis Smith, aDemocratic strategist. “Right now, JD Vance is aclear frontrunnerfor the 2028 nomination. And so we should begin
defining him —not in 2027, not in 2028 —but today.”
VancespokespersonTaylor VanKirk brushed off Beshear’scriticism as coming fromaflawedmessenger.
“Every time AndyBeshear attacksthe vice presidentto try to get himself publicity, he ends up humiliating himself in the process, but maybe that’ssomethinghe’s into?” shesaid An earlyfoil
U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California was among the first Democrats to begin focusing on Vance last year Khanna stoppedatthe City Club of Cleveland and Yale University,whereheand Vancestudied law,and gave speeches that attempted to
cast Vance as more extreme than Trump.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, another potential presidentialcontenderin 2028, singledout Vance in November while making the argument that the Trump administration did not care about working people.
“At least with Donald Trump, he’stransparent about that,” Shapirosaid. “JD Vance is atotal phony.”
Some Democrats have coalesced aroundCalifornia Gov.Gavin Newsom as astrongcandidate because of his aggressive strategy in going after Republicans.
He coined the nickname “JD ‘Just Dance’ Vance” on social media, and he has mocked thevice president’s appearance,sayingVance
“grew abeard andlost his spine.”
Smith,the strategistwho ledPeteButtigieg’s 2020 presidentialcampaignand still works with theformer Biden administrationtransportation secretary, said every line of criticism of Vance is an audition.
“There’sdefinitely value in taking on Vancetoshow Democrats, hey, this could be me on the debate stage against him,” said Smith. Vanceinvokes hisroots
The vice president was born and raised in Butler County’sMiddletown, and he rose to prominence with the publication of ”Hillbilly Elegy” in 2016. Thebook earnedVance areputation as someone whocould help
Alaska,grace period formail-in
ods formilitary and overseas ballots.
lawful voter out there.”
BY BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska The tiny Alaska Native village of Beaver is about 40 minutes —by plane —from the nearest city.Its roughly 50 residents relyonweekday flightsfor mail and many of their basic supplies, from groceries to Amazon deliveries of everyday household items. Air service plays an outsize role in thenation’smost expansive state, where most communitiesrely on flights for year-round access. Planes also play acritical role in elections, getting voting materials and ballots to and from rural precincts such as Beaver and in deliveringballots forthousandsof Alaskans who vote by mail some in places where in-person voting is not available The vast distances and relative isolation of so many communities make Alaska unique and are why its residents have asignificant interest in arguments taking place Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Many here worry that a case from Mississippi challenging whether ballots received after Election Day can be counted in federal elections could end Alaska’s practice of accepting latearriving ballots. Alaska countsballots if they are postmarked by Election Day and received within 10 days, or 15 days for overseas voters in general elections.
“These processes have beeninplace for along time just to ensurethatour ballots are counted,” said Rhonda Pitka, apoll worker and first chief in Beaver, which sits along theYukon River 110 miles (177 kilometers) north of Fairbanks. If the court decides ballots in all states must be received by Election Day,she said, “They’ll be disenfranchising thousands of people —thousands of people in these rural communities. It’sjustbasically sayingthat their votes don’t count, and that’sareal shame.” Alaska is one of 14 states that allowall mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive days or weeks later and be counted, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Voting Rights Lab. An additional 15 provide grace peri-
But Alaska’sgeography, weather and great distances betweencommunities Alaska is more than twice the size ofTexas,the nation’s second-largest state —raise the stakes for voters. The unusual way the state counts its votes also makes agrace period important, advocates say Under Alaska’srankedchoicesystem forgeneral elections, workersinsmall rural precincts call in voters’ first choices to aregionalelection office.All ballots, however,ultimately are flown to the stateDivision of Elections in the capital, Juneau. There, the races not won outright are tabulated to determine awinner.
Even with Alaska’s current10-day grace period, ballots from some villages in 2022 were not fully counted because ofmaildelays.They arrivedtoo late for tabulations in Juneau, 15 days after ElectionDay
If theSupreme Court rules that ballots cannot be counted if they arriveatelection offices after ElectionDay, scores of Alaska voters could be affected.About50,000 Alaskans voted by mail in the 2024 presidential election.
“I think there’sprobably no otherstate wherethis ruling could have amoredetrimental impact than ours,” Alaska’ssenior U.S. senator RepublicanLisa Murkowski said in an interview. Murkowski sees the case achallenge by theRepublicanNationalCommittee and otherstoMississippi’sallowance of late-arriving ballots —asaneffortto endvoting by mail nationwide.
The RNC arguessuch grace periods improperly extend elections for federal office, but Mississippiresponded that no voting occursafterElection Day— onlythe delivery and counting of alreadycompleted ballots
The SupremeCourt will heararguments as theU.S. Senate is debating legislation being pushed by President Donald Trumpthatwould require people to show proof-ofcitizenship to register to vote anda photo ID to cast aballot. Takentogether, Murkowski saidsuch efforts coulddiscouragepeople from voting.
“I thinkwe’re seeinga level of voter intimidation, I’ll just say it,” she said. “I feel very,very strongly that theeffort that we should be making at the federal level is to do all that we can to make our elections accessible,fair andtransparent forevery
Alaska’s other congressional members, Rep.Nick Begich andSen.Dan Sullivan, bothRepublican allies of Trumpwho are seeking reelection this year,support the SAVE America Act now before theSenate. But they alsosaid they want to ensure that ballots properly cast on or before Election Day get counted.
“We’llsee what thecourts choosetodoonthat issue, but Idothink thatweneed to allow for timefor ballotsto comeinfromthe rural parts of our state,”Begich said during arecent visit to Juneau. Acourt filing in the Mis-
sissippicasebyAlaska Attorney General Stephen Cox and Solicitor General Jenna Lorence did not takesides but outlined geographic and logistical challenges to holding elections in Alaska In Atqasuk, on Alaska’s North Slope, poll workers countedvotes on election nightin2024, tallies they would normally relayby phone to election division officials. Butthe filing said they could notget through and “chose what theysaw as the next best solution —they placed theballots and tally sheetsintoasecurepackage and mailed them to the Division, who did not receive
explain Trump’sappeal in middle America, especially amongthe working class, rural white voters who helped Trumpwin the presidency Vance carried that reputation to the U.S. Senate, winning election in 2022, and later to the vice presidency That samebackground is likely to be central to any future presidential run —and it is precisely what Democratsare nowworking to undercut.
At Saturday’s Democratic fundraiser,the mere mention of Vance’snamedrew achorus of boos from the audience.
“I don’tthink he’s gotthe magic that everybody looks at with Trump,” said Theresa Vacheresse, aretired physician and business owner who attended the event. “I think when Trump is gone, the Democrats might have a chance. My god, Ihope so.”
The focus on Vance is not unusual foravice president widelyseenasa potential future nominee, particularly one as young as 41. Republicans went after Kamala Harris earlyinher tenure under President Joe Biden to undermine her political future.
Jamal Simmons, Harris’ communications director in 2022 and 2023, said vice presidents canbevulnerable.
“The party is built to defendthe president more than it is the vice president,” he said. “The vice president’skind of out there on their own, to defend them-
self, and find friends where they can.”
Republicans, including Vance, frequently tied Harris to someofthe Democratic administration’smost politicallydifficult issues, such as immigration and border security
“Being vice president is a very mixed blessing,” said David Axelrod,who was a top adviser to Democratic PresidentBarackObama “You often don’thave the assets of the president, but you inherit all of the president’s record.The good, thebad, and the ugly.”
Beshearseessuccess
Beshear is the rare Democrat to lead ared state, and he is positioning himself as someone whocan reach voters who have tunedout his party
He said Democrats can “actually go and winback those voters that JD Vance is so condescending to”if they stay focused on Americans’ basicneedssuch as affordable health care and public safety
“We’ve gotta start talking to people and not at them,” he said. “That’show Iwon counties in eastern Kentucky that normally vote for Republicans by large margins —including Breathitt County. That’s thecountyJD Vance pretends to be from. Donald Trumpwon it by 59 points. Iwon it by 22 points the year earlier.”
Theaudience appeared delightedwithBeshear’s message.
them until nine days later.”
Thefilingseeksclarity from the SupremeCourt, particularly around what it means for ballots to be received by Election Day. While it is clear when aballot is cast, “when certain ballots are actually ‘received’ is open to different interpretations,especially given the connectivity challengesfor Alaska’sfar-flungboroughs,” Cox and Lorence wrote.
Lawyers with the Native American Rights Fund and Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center said in filings with the court that limited postal service in rural areas means that someballots might not
be postmarked until they reach Anchorage or Juneau, which can take days. In the 2022 general election, between 55% and78% of absentee ballots from the state House districts spanning from the Aleutian Islands up the westerncoast to thevast North Slope arrivedatanelection office after Election Day,they wrote. Statewide,about 20% of all absentee ballots in that electionwere received after Election Day
Requiring ballots to be received by Election Day,they warned, would “disproportionately disenfranchise” Alaska Native voters.
or attempting to assert or enforceany Claim againstUSF&G or theIn‐surerReleasedParties (asdefinedinthe Settle‐ment Agreement) or the property or assets of each (all as definedin the Settlement Agree‐ment).The Settlement Trustee is seekingtofully release anyClaims against USF&Gorthe In‐surer Released Parties arising from or relatedin any waytothe Travelers Policies. Thereare addi‐tionalprovisionsinthe SettlementAgreement –beyondthose setforth in the precedingsentences – which should be re‐viewedtounderstand completelythe Settle‐mentAgreement andits effectonyourrights. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that theSettle‐mentAgreement pre‐servesrightsofcertain parties forPreserved Claimswithrespect to Preserved Coverage which relate to claims for Abuse asserted against the DioceseofHoumaThibodaux SD (i.e.the Diocese of Houma-Thibo‐dauxasitexisted on and after June 5, 1977) Specifically, theSettle‐mentAgreement pro‐
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PAUL SANCyA
Cables in Auburn Hills, Mich.
Have us take alook!
Conflict in Iran could increase electric bills
LUS purchasing gas, power in advance of winter
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
The ongoing war in Iran might impact Lafayette residents’ electric bills come winter, Lafayette Utilities System Director Jeff Stewart said last week.
The war in the Middle East, which was launched nearly a month ago, along with the recent Iranian-blamed bombing of the world’s largest liquid natural gas
Mother seeks safety after son shot
BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer
A mother is seeking safety and relocation after her son was shot recently in their St. Martinville home.
St. Martinville police responded to the house about 4:45 a.m. March 13 after gunfire was reported in the 500 block of West Bridge Street. The victim, identified as Jordan Mason, was shot twice in the leg while in his bedroom. Mason was taken to a hospital and survived.
The victim’s mother Teesha Mason, shared her account on Facebook, describing the incident as one of the most frightening experiences she has endured. She wrote that she and her son were sleeping in their home when they were woken by multiple gunshots fired through her son’s window In the post, she expressed frustration with law enforcement,
ä See SAFETY, page 4B
Multiple factors resulted in death of heron
Slidell bird was emaciated, had infection, lab says
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
Lab results reviewed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shed new light on what might have caused the death in January of a Slidell bird that captured the attention of birders around southeast Louisiana, earning the nickname the “Goth Heron.”
Photos of the bird’s striking black feathers drew observers to Davis Landing in Slidell and sparked widespread debate online about whether the bird was a rare melanistic great blue heron or if its feathers were stained. Experienced birders at the Orleans Audubon Society at one point said it might be a great egret. Wildlife and Fisheries identi-
fied the bird as a juvenile female great blue heron.
ä See HERON, page 4B
export facility in Qatar, could send ripples across the energy world, he said. The Wednesday bombing sent global natural gas prices soaring after attacks on the facility that contributes 4% to the global LNG export market. On Thursday, European natural gas prices rose 30%, according to The New York Times U.S. natural gas prices remained level following the attack. While the war hasn’t translated
into an increase in costs for Lafayette consumers yet, LUS said it’s preparing for a winter season that might see elevated prices due to the ongoing conflict and a drop in global natural gas supply, which generates much of the electricity for the parish.
“Everything that happens in the geopolitical realm can have an impact on Lafayette, even if it’s thousands of miles away,” Stewart said.
“When you look at the natural gas
market, prices don’t always reflect that real-time supply, demand, molecules that are actually being delivered. It’s about the futures and the risk, and can it be deliverable. We’re starting to see natural gas prices increase.”
Lafayette’s high-demand times begin in December, when Louisiana starts to see colder winter temperatures and the need for home heating. Stewart said LUS is purchasing natural gas and electricity for the future in an effort to stave off the possible volatility of the real-time market.
“It’s hard for us to predict what happens in eight or nine months, but we’re watching it. We’re taking steps here at LUS, at least, to mitigate high fluctuations or spikes,” he said.
Louisiana could get lucky and experience a mild winter, or the upcoming LNG facilities in Plaquemines and Corpus Christi, Texas, could mitigate some of the global export supply woes, he said. The Qatar facility is expected to take years to repair
Attendees dance on Saturday to the music of Chubby
Sterling Grove Festival, a celebration of Cajun, Creole and Motown
Sterling Street in Lafayette
MUSIC & DANCE
ABOVE LEFT: Attendees sit and dance under the oaks while listening to Chubby Carrier
ABOVE RIGHT: Mojo, left, and Trish Gowl dance on the porch of the Givens House to the music of Honest to Bob.
RIGHT: Visitors sit under the oak trees and listen to the music.
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP
Carrier on the Mouton Stage during the second annual
culture with live music and historic homes, on
ä See BILLS, page 4B
Look to founders to understand whyTen Commandments areimportant
OurFounding Fathersplaced much emphasis on religion and morality when structuring the laws of our nation, and the Bible was their primary educational tool. From theOld Testament comes the TenCommandments. Our first president, GeorgeWashington, warned us in 1796 that “religion and moralityare indispensable supports for political prosperity,”cautioning against “assuming thatmorality canbe maintained withoutreligion.”
The Bill of Rights amended the Constitution in 1791, and the First Amendment confirmed religious freedom. Our second president, John Adams, said our Constitution “was made only for amoral and religious people as it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
In 2022, the Supreme Court set anew precedent when it ruled in theKennedy case,sayingthe new standardisthat alaw must be consistent with the country’s “original meaning and history” in order to comply with theFirst Amendment and going forward the court will be abandoning the Lemon Test —which bringsus back to George Washington and John Adams. Why were they so adamant about religion and morality?
Our Founding Fathers were educated, and theirstudy of history included the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century A.D., which resulted from the slow collapse of family structures andsociety.Historians noted that early Romans valued marriage, fidelity and honorand looked down on self-indulgence.However, late Rome had an epidemic of divorces, sexual freedom and frequentremarriages such that theybecame aformoflegal adultery-prostitution, resulting in low birth rates with thepractice of infanticide and abortion Translation, they lost all morality which resulted in population and societal collapse —with asmaller taxbase, declining economic productivity,declining military,erodingfamilies —which made them susceptible to eventual invasions. So, are the TenCommandments and moralityimportant?
STEVE GARDES Lafayette
Talkingabout whypeople leaveLa. won’t fixanything
This is aresponse to aletter written by JulienneLouis-Anderson about people leavingLouisiana. First off, what people do after they turn 18 is their business. I’minnoposition to tell someone where to live, work or enjoy their lives. If you find abetter opportunity elsewhere, morepower to you. Some of us, however,like where we are and are not interested in moving to an area withtwohour trafficjams and high rent prices. Second, if you want people tostay here, stop voting forpoliticians who think thatlife is only about guns and abortions. We had a governor in the mid-’90s who sat in Baton Rouge and let two car plants and adefense manufacturing factorypass us by.You can’t make peoplestay where there are no jobs to stay for.This statehad an oil bust in the
1980s and after that happened, we missed so manychances to bring good jobs here. We’re apoor state that has areputation forbeing corrupt, and that has hurt our image as a whole.
Andlastly,stop complaining about an issue if you’re not going to help solve it. Talking about people leaving thestate every year and writing about us being abad No. 1on a“list” isn’tgoing to help solvethe issue. Either step up and help fix what’swrong or leave it alone. Talking and complaining will not magically solve Louisiana’spopulation issues. Andbesides, there are other things we need to be proud of as astate,regardless of how manypeople live or leave here.
KRYSTAL WILSON Shreveport
Drug warinLatin Americamisguided
Thearticle, “Trumpencourages military actiontofight cartels,” on March 8does not provide enoughinsight into aseverely misguided and dystopic U.S. policy towardits neighbors in Latin America. It is time to recognize that drug addiction in the U.S.isa public healthproblem as well as apersonal health problem for its victims, andothers —family members and those affected bydrug-related crimes in the U.S. That meansprioritizing the study of the biological andsocio-economic causes, searching for new treatment strategies and providing adequate care for addicts.
In other words, we must reduce thedemand forillegal drugs in the U.S., andnot engageinthe fantasy that destroying the cartels is thesolution —something thatthe article seems to say. As to “combat(ing) violent cartels,” the president and Congress should focus on keeping U.S.-madeweaponsfrom reaching thecartels, rather than vague notions of taking military action, which can lead to worse
consequences.
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to allow asuit by Mexico to go forward against U.S. gun manufacturers whose products reach cartels in Mexico tothe tune of nearly 600,000 guns, amounting to sales of $170 million everyyear.And that’sjust Mexico. Thecourt based its ruling on a2005 statute that was neither written nor enacted to deal with the large-scale transfer of weapons to cartels.
It is not clear what theoutcome of atrial would have been, but it would have drawn attention to the magnitude of the problem and the need for Congress to take effective action.
It is sheer folly to offload our domestic public healthproblem of drug addiction by allowing the transfer of untoldquantities of U.S.-made weapons to cartels, and then ramping up militaryaction against those to whom we are supplying weapons.
BRUCEWILDER NewOrleans
Newspapers hold aposition in our democracy, unlikeany other business
Iread with interest Duke Truby’s viewpoint about anewspaper print medium being a“business” in the strictest sense. As such, that business should cater to its customers and clients. However,asthe newsmedia in its mostnoble form is the “Fourth Estate,” protected by the U.S. Constitution.
It engenders something far moresignificant. Informational, educational, entertaining, and yes, even intellectually challenging or stimulating. Much like my favorite comedian, George Carlin, whosaid outrageous things, he always hit a nerve.
Truby does not state objectively what “liberal” meanstohim.Inmy case, it would be freedom of choice in women’s health, well-funded public education, corporate tax rates in the Reagan era of 34%, worker protections, afully funded Social Security trust fund and abalanced budget. (and banning pharmaads on TV.)
Roger Ailes, whowas the media consultant to Nixon’s1968 presidential campaign, went on to found Fox News
He envisioned aTVstation news that affirmed the beliefsofthe viewers, or confirmation bias. As Katie Couric recently quipped, it’s an “affirmation station” rather than an information outlet. Iprefer to deem it an echo chamber and comfort zone.
MATTHEW MCCANN Marrero
La.elections maybe secure,but SAVE Act wouldapply to all
Youhave printed letters of opposition to the SAVE America Act. The writers have cited the security of Louisiana elections to support their opposition. Here’swhat Idon’t understand: Do these folks not realize that other states have sway over national elections, yet their elections are not as secure as Louisiana’selections?
OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone 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 ALETTER SCAN HERE
Lawyer
adscan influencejuryawards
With all duerespect to my colleague Fred Herman, he misses the point. Billboards, radio spots and TV ads for plaintiffs’ lawyers all tout“big paydays” of the millions that lawyers haveobtained for their clients. These ads have desensitized jurors to the valueofadollar,driving nuclear verdicts, such that it’snothing for jurors to make
disproportionateawards. I’ve seen this personally as adefense attorney.That said, as someonewho does plaintiff worktoo, Ihave no problem withjust compensation, just not because aTVlawyer says what that award should be.
JACK
TRUITT Covington
Letlow wouldhaveearnedrespect by opposing Landry’s judicial district plan
In the article. “Jeff Landry wants to changeAngola’sdistrict,” on March 1, U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow is quoted as standing with Landry and President Donald Trumpinsupporting “conservative judges.”I would have preferredacandidate for U.S. Senatesaying
she supportsimpartial judges. Otherwise, what’sthe point of aseparate judicial branch of government? Toadies to narrow-minded politicians do not makeideal judges.
MARYANN STERNBERG Baton Rouge
For example, California’smotor voter law requires automatic voter registration unless one opts out. Citizenship is not verified. Over 1 million immigrants here illegally have driver’slicenses in California. We have no idea how manyhave been registered to vote, nor if they have voted. Why shouldn’tother states be required to have the same election security as Louisiana?
MICHAEL GALLAGHER Prairieville
Will someone please give our president the Nobel Peace Prize, so that maybe he might stop bombing countries and abducting foreign leaders and becomethe president of peace, as he claims?
JULES LEGER Lafayette
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Atruck passes awelcome sign along Interstate 10 in Orange, Texas,near the Louisiana border
AMERICA250
Adepiction of asiegeduring BernardodeGálvez’s Pensacola campaignin“American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibition,”ondisplaynow at The Historic NewOrleans Collection.
Aplace that embodies whatAmerica is about
French Quarterplayedkey role in ournation’shistory —fromthe beginning
By DanielHammer
What are themost historic places in the United States places that bring all Americans together,despite ourdifferences, real andperceived,toexperience something we bear in common? In other words, are there places best suited to reminding us thatweare Americans? Places that allow us to celebratebothour commonalities and differences as we reflect on250 years of nationhood?
ABOUTTHE IMAGE
Daniel Hammer GUEST COLUMNIST
Yes. Places like this do exist, and in fact, there is one right here in Louisiana. It is perhaps thegreatest oneofall: New Orleans’ French Quarter. Don’t let the name fool you. The French Quarter embodies thehistory and culture of this nation.Its story begins before ourcountry’sfounding, butinforms what America is today.
Earlysupport
Centuries ago, Indigenous people from across theMississippiValley met each other andtraded goods from as far away as Mexico and Canada in aplace theycalled Bulbancha, Choctaw for “place of many tongues.” Todaythatsiteis part of what we now call the French Quarter.In1718, the Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, sieur de Bienville, established anew cityfor France’svast Louisianacolonyat this same strategic location.Thanks to his Indigenous allies, he knew the site allowed access to boththe Mississippi andthe Gulf ofMexico via Bayou St. Johnand Lake Pontchartrain.
In 1776,when Great Britain’s13 American colonies declared independence,planning got underway in NewOrleans that proved critical to the success of the American Revolution. Great Britain was Spain’s greatest enemy,and justacross Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans was British West Florida, extending from Natchez and Baton Rouge east to Pensacola. From his seat in the Cabildo on what wasthen known as the Plaza deArmas, Louisiana’sSpanish colonial governor, Bernardo de Gálvez, began plotting to attackthe British. In aseries of successfulmilitary campaigns between 1779 and1781, Gálvez was able to force theBritish from the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. These moves by theSpanish against the British,plottedinthe
Cabildo, were part of alarger strategy to support theAmerican Revolution by using the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River to funnel money and supplies to theContinental Army.The Irish-born merchantOliver Pollock acted as an American agent in New Orleans. From his French Quarter residence, in what today is the 500 block of Chartres Street, he served as one of the most important financiers of the war effort. Somehistorians credit him with the earliest use of the dollar symbol, claiming the “PF” notation he madethroughout hisledges, meaning “pesos fuertes,” or strong pesos, evolved to become theU.S dollar sign.
Expandinghorizons
In 1803, officials gathered once again in the Cabildo and Jackson Square to complete the Louisiana Purchase, raising theAmerican flag over this territory for the first time. Amoment of supreme national and geopolitical significance, the Louisiana Purchasenot only exponentially expanded the U.S. land mass, it positioned thenew nation to seize dominion over partsofthe Western Hemisphere that warring European powers had wrestled over for centuries.
In many ways, it propelled America towardbecoming what it is today.Also, from this momenton, what happened in New Orleansdid not just influence America, it was, itself, American history In 1862, New Orleans, thelargest city in the rebellious Confederacy, surrendered to the United States’ Union army without afight Thanks to this,the French Quarter today looks much thesame as it did then. The history of one buildinginparticular stands out In 1862, at 527 Conti St., Dr.Louis Charles Roudanez and Paul Trévigne publishedL’Union, the first Black-owned newspaper in the South, and,in1865, they established the New OrleansTribune,the first Black-owned daily newspaper in the United States. In the pages of these newspapers, in both French andEnglish, New Orleanians of color demanded liberty and equality.Inmany ways, the origins of the civil rights movement can be traced through this very building, which still stands on Conti Street.
As thenation rebuilt itself following the Civil War, New Orleans becameacultural nexus of extraordinary influence. Through the19th and 20th centuries, immigrantsfrom all over theworld brought their cultures their languages, religions, foodways and music —tothe city. Newculture is born In the19th century,they came from Haitiand Cuba; from Germany,Ireland and France; from China and the Philippines. In the20th century,they camefromSicily,from Eastern Europe, from Vietnam, from Honduras. They joined an already diverse population, shaped by Indigenous peoples and earlier immigrants from France, Spain, Africa, Canada and the Caribbean. Outofthis diverse milieu,new foodways, musical styles and customs developed. The food Americans eat, the music we dance to, the way we say things would all be very different without New Orleans. And you don’thave to take my word for it, just takealook at an Applebee’s menu thenext time you’re on aroad trip and ask yourself if they’d have all that blackened stuff if 416 ChartresStreet had never been K-Paul’s restaurant
Living history
Just as theMississippi River valleyisthe nation’stopographic watershed, theFrench Quarter is the nation’scultural watershed. Strollingthe French Quarter riverfront, walking its historic streets and admiring its beautiful old buildings, you can get something of afeel for it today
To truly see it though, step into theFrench Quarter’sunparalleled history museums. Here, our nation’s history is revealed withthoughtful intention and in new and engaging ways. As we commemorate 250 years since thesigning of the Declaration of Independence, we invite themillions of Americans who will visit New Orleansthis yearto visit our French Quarter museums to learn our nation’shistory.We, likewise, invite every Louisianan to come to French Quarter museums to reflect on our consequential role in American history and imagine our shared future.
Daniel Hammer is president and CEO of theHistoric New Orleans Collection.
The imageabove features ascene from “American Revolution,”which made its United Statesdebutatthe Historic New Orleans Collection on March 20.Thisfree, interactiveexperience utilizes360-degree augmentedreality to immerse visitors in 20 defining moments of the nation’s founding,from the sparks of theBoston TeaParty to the victoryatyorktown
Developedbyleading historians and scholars, this exhibition celebrates the figures whoshapedthe United States and sharesthe Revolution in afreshway that speaks to the hearts and minds of the American people today.The exhibition will serveasafocal point of theLouisiana America 250 commemorations and coincideswith HNOC’s 60th anniversary.
ABOUTTHE HNOC
Over the last six decades, HNOC has become avital communityinstitution, preserving the world’slargest collection of materials relatedtoNew Orleans and the Gulf South. Locatedinthe heartof the French Quarter, its campus spans 14 historic buildings which serveasacatalyst fordialogue and historical understanding “American Revolution” is producedand designed by Histovery with promotional supportfrom NewOrleans &Company and Louisiana America 250.The exhibition offersa fresh, technologically driven way to explore the American story. Plan your visit at hnoc.org
For more information on events near you commemorating America’s250th birthday, visit america250la.org
PROVIDED By HISTOVERy
TSA delays at N.O. airport lasting hours
BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer
The headaches that have recently affected travelers at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport worsened Sunday morning, as security lines snaked through the terminal, creating hourslong delays and causing some passengers to miss their flights. It looked a bit like an emergency evacuation as passengers exited the elevator on the first floor of the airport’s short-term parking garage, where thousands of people were queued up in an elaborate line that circled through the parking area several times. Airport staffers waved flags to mark the path.
“Welcome to the chaos,” one worker said to newcomers joining the crowd.
Garrett Harper and his family of six were among those in line. They had just returned from a Norwegian Cruise Line trip and were making their way back to Kansas City Like most people in the garage, the family was in remarkably good spirits despite the long odds of making their flight.
“We knew things weren’t right when we could barely get to the baggage check-in, because all the lines everywhere are just flooding the whole airport,” Harper said “You can hardly move anywhere in this whole building, so you’re just cutting through lines, and nobody knows what’s going on.
We’ve got two hours until our flight, and I don’t know if we’re gonna make it.”
Nearby, Larry Albert and Treasure Fryer were trying to get back to Atlanta after spending the weekend in Biloxi, Mississippi, for a bowling tournament and to celebrate Fryer’s birthday
They already canceled their 11:45 a.m flight and were searching for alternatives later in the day as they joined the epic procession in the garage, which fortunately was cool and breezy
Much farther ahead in line, Bruce and Carolyn Stafford, who came to New Orleans from Tampa, Florida, for their son’s wedding last week at Hotel Peter and Paul, were chatting with a
BILLS
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new friend they made during their surprise ordeal.
They arrived at the airport at 8 a.m., then had to wait to check their bags before queuing up.
“We should have been able to get in line as soon as we got here,” Carolyn Stafford said while her husband tracked their flight’s status on his smartphone.
Carolyn Stafford expressed concern for older passengers having to stand for so long
“To be honest, I’m surprised somebody hasn’t fallen out,” she said
‘High callouts every day’
The delays at MSY are being caused by Transportation Security Administration workers calling in sick because they haven’t been paid fully since the Feb. 14 start of a partial government shutdown amid a stalemate between Republicans and Democrats over funding for the Department of Homeland Security
“The TSA has been seeing high callouts every day for the last two or three weeks,” said airport spokesperson Erin Burns. “We feel the impacts more on busier travel days.”
Burns said Sundays and Mondays are busier days for
“Will reality actually meet that? We don’t know,” he said.
As of Friday, natural gas was trading at $3.10 per unit, but futures are shaping up to be above $5.50, Stewart said In late January, when a freeze swept through much of Louisiana and the United States, natural gas was trading at $7.46, according to trade history
Electricity rates in Lafayette reached a historic high in summer 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Stewart said. At the time, LUS charged $0.082 per kilowatt hour
As of March 1, the current electric rate in Lafayette is $0.05 per kilowatt hour and has remained relatively unchanged since the war began in late February Oil prices began to rise alongside gasoline and diesel In early March, Lafayette gas prices sat around $3.14. On Friday, gas prices were around $3.55 with the national average hovering around $3.91.
SAFETY
Continued from page 1B
saying, “Instead my home was searched for illegal drugs and guns which were never found, leaving me with the feeling they look at my child as a suspect rather than a victim.” She also described the emotional toll on her family and their struggle to find a safe place for both of them. A GoFundMe has been launched to help the family relocate. Funds raised will go toward moving expenses, deposits and utilities to help the family establish a safer living environment. The campaign states: “Since that terrifying morning, I no longer feel safe in our home. Every day has been filled with fear and uncertainty, and I know we need to leave our town to find safety, especially since the suspect has not been detained.”
As of Friday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised $645 of its $1,000 goal. Police said they are continuing to investigate the shooting, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the St. Martinville Police Department.
HERON
departing passengers, which means longer lines while there’s a shortage of TSA staff. Sunday departures can hit 24,000 compared with 15,000 on a Saturday, she said.
The airport, which is advising travelers to arrive three hours early, has implemented its overflow queuing system to help keep long lines
orderly Instead of moving from the third-floor check-in area down to the second-floor security area, now passengers go down to the first floor to line up.
Airport staff and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies are helping oversee the process.
“We’re all trying to do what we can to help,” Burns said. “We can’t screen passengers but we’re doing our part to keep things organized.”
TSA PreCheck, which offers shorter lines for precleared travelers, was not available Sunday Clear, a similar service, was operating but not enrolling new customers, and its lines were much longer than normal.
Two travelers, Connor Gorham and Sarah Marchman, found a workaround: They signed up for Clear from their phones while in line and shaved off at least an hour from their wait They’d
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Then, after the bird died, there was further debate about what caused it.
In an initial examination, Jonathan Roberts, the LDWF state wildlife veterinarian, found that the bird was stained due to exposure to an oily substance. The bird was not melanistic, meaning its black feathers were not the result of a genetic mutation.
Roberts sent the bird’s carcass to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study diagnostic laboratory in Georgia for a necropsy — an autopsy performed on an animal.
The necropsy showed multiple factors contributed to the heron’s death, Roberts said in a statement. The heron was suffering from extreme emaciation, a severe gastrointestinal parasite infection and exposure to the chemical compounds contained in the oily substance that coated it, he said.
“Initially, I thought, ‘Did this thing get hit by a car?’ ” recalled Greg Capranica, an avid birder who found the heron dead in a ditch on Jan. 5
“It’s validating to hear that something environmental did have to play in this bird’s death,” Capranica said, adding that he hopes the attention the bird generated will lead to more attention to any possible environmental pollution in the area.
The chemical compounds found in the oily substance are usually created by the burning of petroleum products, Roberts also said, and chronic exposure to them typically causes immune suppression, red blood cell damage and infertility.
Roberts said it was unknown where the bird might have been exposed to burning pe-
already missed their flight, but they planned to book a later one.
Earlier this month, when the apparent TSA sickout began, airport officials encouraged travelers to arrive three hours before their flight. Now, that advice no longer seems to guarantee enough time to get through security screenings and to a departure gate.
Among the many social media posts that showed lines filling the first floor of the airport’s short-term parking garage Sunday, one was titled “Abandon hope all ye who enter here.”
Another social media user said his flight took off with many empty seats as airlines try to keep on schedule.
Meanwhile, about a halfdozen people who had made it through security Sunday said it took around three hours to complete the process. Burns said the airport expected the congestion to last through most of the day and lighten up about 6 p.m.
Maureen Peart, visiting from Kent, England, was frustrated.
“I think we need less politicians and more TSA employees,” she said. “I can’t even blame them, because they’re not getting paid This is an embarrassment to America.
I think the government needs to have a real look at this and look after its people.”
Travel misery
The current partial shutdown is the second to impact the TSA since the country’s longest in history ended on Nov 12. It began after Senate Democrats demanded new restraints of immigration enforcement tactics following the January killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal immigration officials. The lawmakers want immigration agents to wear body cameras and remove their masks, and they are seeking to mandate judicial warrants for arrests on private property
Since the political fight began, Democrats and Republicans have blamed each other as they try to use travel misery as leverage.
Earlier this month, Congressman Troy Carter, DNew Orleans, said on X that the GOP’s refusal to hold Homeland Security accountable for killing U.S. citizens has resulted in the prolonged government shutdown.
“Our TSA workers at MSY deserve to be paid, and Republicans need to stop trying to rewrite the truth and work with Democrats to end
this shutdown to make it happen,” Carter wrote.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, made the opposing argument.
“This is what happens when Democrats cater to their radical base instead of working for the American people,” he wrote. “Enough with the political games. END the shutdown and reopen DHS!”
The shutdown has led to delays at airports nationwide, but not in equal measure. Several travelers arriving at MSY on Sunday said they had no noticeable delays at their departure airports.
At 2 p.m. Sunday, a CNN wait time tracker at 16 airports showed a maximum wait time of 160 minutes at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, 90 minutes at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and 49 minutes at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City On Saturday, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will head to U.S. airports Monday On the Sunday talk shows, different administration officials offered varying descriptions of what the agents would do once there.
Regardless, their deployment might be pointless, according to James Carville, a New Orleans-based political consultant.
“Those are different enforcement entities with different training,” Carville said during a phone interview Sunday “Having ICE help with passenger screening is like having a dermatologist fill a cavity.”
Also Sunday, Gov Jeff Landry said on X he’d be willing to send the National Guard to airports to ease security lines “caused by the Democrat shutdown.”
There’s no indication the impasse on Capitol Hill will break by Friday, the next payday for TSA workers, and before a scheduled recess for Congress.
Homeland Security officials said more than 300 agents have left the TSA since the partial shutdown began.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says a bird with black feathers in
troleum products. The home range of great blue herons is not usually greater than 10 miles from their nesting sites, he said.
that became the subject of debate and fascination online before dying in January was a juvenile female great blue heron stained with an oily residue. The agency says the bird died from multiple factors, including emaciation, a gastrointestinal parasite infection and exposure to some type of oily substance. LOTTERY SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2026 PICK 3: 6-7-6
The oily substance coated and matted the bird’s feathers, causing it to lose the ability to repel water, regulate body temperature and sustain flight, Roberts said. He said there was also cold weather around the time the bird was sighted, Roberts said, which may have caused the bird to have some level of hypothermia because of the oily feathers.
The repeated bouts of hypothermia, the reduced flight and the reduced ability to hunt all likely contributed to the bird’s emaciation, Roberts said, as did its gastrointestinal infection. If a resident sees an oiled animal, they can contact the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries by calling LDWF’s Oil Spill Hotline at (337) 735-8677 and contact the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality by calling (225) 2193640 or the toll-free number (888) 763-5424.
4: 3-6-6-5
STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK
A line slowly moves at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner on Sunday
PROVIDED PHOTO By ERIC McVICKER
Slidell
Tigers toughout to advance in NCAA tourney
LSU was pouring in thepoints and Texas Tech was frantically,futilely trying to bail outthe boat
SWEETEMOTION
The tipping point came with 5:44 left in the third quarter, just after Flau’jaeJohnson hit astreaking ZaKiyah Johnson with a50-foot pass —the kind of throw LSU fans hope new quarterbackSam Keller will be able to make this fall —for a fast-break layup that put the Tigers ahead 60-28.
Tech coach Krista Gerlich called a timeout andtold her team straight:
“If you don’twant them to hang ahundred on you,” Gerlich said, “you’ve got to quit shootingitso quickly.”
Toolate. Even though LSU coach KimMulkey began pullingher starters with 7:44 left —startingwith Flau’jae, asenior,toathunderous andtearful standing ovation —the LSU scoring dreadnought never really dropped anchor.The Tigers indeed hung ahundred on Texas Tech, winning 101-47 Sunday in their NCAA tournament second-round no contest to advance to the18thSweet 16 in program history
“It was the most beautifulthing I’ve been apart of,” said Johnson, who set LSU’sscorchingscoring
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Afew moments after she assisteda3-pointer,Flau’jae Johnson looked up into thePete Maravich Assembly Center crowd. She wanted to take amoment or twotosoak it all in.
This was Johnson’slast game in that building. Herlast chance to toss passes across its floor to Mikaylah Williams. She was running out of opportunities to provide dishes like the one sheflipped over herhead and out to theleft wing, where Williams paused for abeat and rattled in a3
That bucket gave the LSU women’sbasketball team a 40-point lead on Sunday late in thethird quarter of its 10147 second-round NCAA Tournament winover Texas Tech. Johnson and Williams scored 24 points apiece, teaming up
to lead the No. 2-seeded Tigers back past the No. 7-seeded Lady Raiders into the Sweet 16.
LSU has now set the NCAA DivisionIrecord for most 100-point games in asingle season (16). The 54-point winis tied forthe most lopsidedsecond-round NCAA Tournament victory since 1983.
The commanding nature of the win allowedcoach Kim Mulkey to sub Johnson out of the game with more than seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.The starsenior broke down in tears when she realizedshe was checking out, and then she walked off the floor to astanding ovation.
“Itwas the mostbeautiful thing that I’ve been apart of,” Johnson said.
ä See SWEET 16, page 3C
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
It’snot abrand-new practice.Players have changedtheir jersey numbers during their careers for decades. But the desire to have single-digit numbers has made it happenmore often, it seems, in this modern era of college foot-
bers is redshirt freshman Coleman Carter, shifting from No. 15 to No. 3. TwoCajuns will now be wearing
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
This weekend was another rough one for LSUbaseball, which dropped twoofthree games in itsseries with Oklahomaand fell to 2-4 in Southeastern Conference play The Tigers, in their first home series in their SEC schedule, won 7-1 on Thursday but dropped Friday’sgame 4-2 and lost a late leadinanother defeatonSaturday, losing 4-3. Here are five takeawaysfrom another rocky weekend for LSU. PotentialCooperMoore replacements LSU suffered asetback it likely couldn’t affordonFridaywhen juniorright-hander CooperMoore exited hisstart earlyon Fridaydue to soreness in his triceps.LSU coach Jay Johnsonrevealed on Saturday that the best-case scenario forthe Kansas transfer is that he’ll be out forthree weeks. Moore had been solid forthe Tigers this season, posting a3.38ERA in six starts. His loss likely meansthat sophomore right-hander William Schmidt moves into his Saturdaystarting spot, and thatLSU
will have to find anew Sunday starter Acouple of names cometomind for Moore’sreplacement, but the first is likely seniorright-handerZac Cowan. Cowan struggled during nonconference play,but he’sturned things around as of late, giving up just one hit in his last 42/3 innings against Vanderbilt andOklahoma. He also hasplenty of starting experience, starting 17 games at Wofford in 2024 and starting in LSU’swin over Arkansas in Omaha that sent the Tigers to the College World Series final. But after Saturday’sloss, Cowan may have some competition.Seniorright-hander Gavin Guidry threw 70 pitches in relief on Saturday,showing that he can go deep into agame. In comparison with Guidry Cowan hasn’tthrown more than 44 pitches in an outing this year Guidry,who lasted31/3 innings against the Sooners, appeared to lose steam once he began his fourth inning in relief.Healso haslessexperienceasa starterand still allowedtwo earned runs withfour walks on Saturday. Given those factors, Cowan appears to be the morelikely candidate to
STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson celebrates withguard ZaKiyah Johnson during asecond-round NCAATournament game against Texas Tech on Sunday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU guard Mikaylah Williams races overtocelebrate with teammate Bella Hines at the end of thethirdquarter against TexasTech on Sundayatthe Pete Maravich Assembly Center
ä See RABALAIS, page 3C
Scott Rabalais
3p.m. NCAA: Notre DameatOhio
4p.m.
5p.m.
7p.m. NCAA: USC at S. Carolina ESPN
9p.m. NCAA: Oklahoma St. at UCLAESPN WOMEN’S COLLEGE GYMNASTICS
11 a.m.NCAA Selection Special ESPNU COLLEGE SOFTBALL
5p.m. UCLA at Rutgers BTN
6p.m. Oklahoma at Ole Miss SECN GOLF
8p.m. TGL Playoffs:Jupitervs. L.A. ESPN2
MLB SPRING TRAINING Noon Baltimore at Washington MLBN
7p.m.Kansas City at Texas MLBN NBA
6p.m.San AntonioatMiami NBCSN, Peacock
8:30p.m.Golden State at DallasNBCSN,Peacock NHL
6:30 p.m.Ottawa at N.y. RangersNHLN
UL ends TexasState series with athud
Cajuns surrender eighthomeruns in loss to Bobcats
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
TheULbaseballteam’sfinal trip to San Marcos ended withthe worst nightmare of the forgettable weekend, suffering a16-6 loss in seven innings to the Bobcats. The Cajuns fell to 16-8 overall and 2-4 in leagueplayafter getting swept in Texas, while Texas State improved to 15-8 and2-4. UL returns to the friendly confines of Tigue Moore Field against Southeastern at 6p.m. Tuesday Texas State’slineup inflicted unmerciful damage on the Cajuns’ pitching staff with eight home runs.
JR Tollett absorbed the bulk of the damage, surrendering 11 runs on 11 hits, one walk andone strikeout in three innings.
The Bobcats scored three runs
in the second, five in the third, three moreinthe fourth and four more in the fifth.
TexasState wasoverflowing with offensive heroes. Leading that parade was Manny Salas at 4-for-5 with adouble, ahomer and four RBIs
Ethan Farris was 2-for-3 with two homers andfourRBIs,and Dawson Park was2-for-5 with two homers and three RBIs.
Jesus Tovar wasthe recipient of allthat offense, improving to 5-1 after giving up threeruns on five hits, onewalk and three strikeouts in five innings.
TheCajuns got three runs off reliever Alex Yearwood.
StevenSpalitta got atwo-run homerun off the bench.
Colt Brown wasthe only UL hitterwith multiple hits at 2-for-3 with an RBI single in the fifth.
Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.
Cajuns mixsmall ball,power to roll to win
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
Many think about bunting as simply being asacrificialendeavor In Sunday’scritical Sun Belt rubbergameagainstTexas State, the UL Ragin’ Cajuns used the bunt as aweaponand theexecution led to aconvincing 6-1 victory over the Bobcats at Lamson Park
“When adefense gives you something, you have to have an offense that can exploit that,” UL softball coachAlysonHabetz said. “Then, they have to make a change, and it makes themuncomfortable,and makestheir pitcher uncomfortable.
“Finally,today we did that and you create chaos and this is what’s supposed to happen.”
The Cajuns are now 19-13 overall and 3-3 in league play,while Texas State leavestown 20-12 and 3-3. UL willnext play McNeese at home 6p.m. Tuesday For the third time in the series, Texas Stateopened thescoring with aKat Zarate solo homer in thesecond off UL starter Sage Hoover
But when the Cajuns responded with five runs in the third inning, UL took controlfor good
The first four batters—Mia Liscano, Kennedy Marceaux,Dayzja Williams and Brooke Otto —all buntedtoget two runs home
Just getting abunt down isn’t necessarily executing the ball. This time, it was repeatedly done to perfection.
“Weneed thesmall ball to create some things and to exploit the defense,” Habetz said. “Weshould always be able to execute, and we did that superbly today.We worked on it all week. Iwas really proud of that.”
Then Lily Knox smashed a three-run homer to center for a 4-1 cushion.
“My first at-bat, it was there and Ididn’tswingatit, andI endedup popping up,” Knox said. “I was trying to stay on top of the ball. She gave me that pitch again, and Ijust tried to hit it as hard as Icould.”
Haley Hart then collected her second double of the game and scored on —you guessed it —a
bunt single by Madyson Manning.
It was avery different performance against TexasState ace leftyMaddy Azua, who gave up five runs on six hits, one walk and two strikeoutsover 22/3 innings.
“I thinkpart of it was just learningfromthe first game, knowing howshe’s goingattackyou and just seeingthose pitches andbeingaggressive on them,” Hart said.
In thefifth, Hart singled to give her a3-for-3 day and scored on Liscano’sbunt single for afive-run cushion.
“It was justseeing my pitch that Ican hit and swinging hard,” Hart said.
Allofthat offenseworked for Hoover,who had Texas State’s lineup all weekend. The junior righthander allowed
just onerun on thesolo homeron seven hits, one walk and struck outone over seveninnings and 113pitches.
“When Sage is on,her ball moves,” Habetz said. “Sometimes with aslower pitcher,whenthat ball moves,itlooks bigger,sothat high pitch looksgood and then all of asudden, it’snot there.
“So she was effective against thebigger hitters.”
Hoover gave up two hits in the topofthe seventhbut stranded two runners in scoring position. UL outhit the Bobcats 10-7inthe win.
“Itfeels really good,” Hart said of the series win. “I think we were starting to pressa littlebit when things weren’tgoing well,but nowit’slike we can breathe. …We know we can do it.”
LSUsoftballrallies past SouthCarolina, wins series
Edwards’ hitlifts Tigers to road victory
Staff report
COLUMBIA, S.C. Tori Edwards’ lone hit of the seriesagainst No. 21 South Carolina wasa clutch one. Edwards hitatwo-out, two-RBIdouble in the sixth inning that lifted No. 22 LSU to a2-1 win over the Gamecocks on Sunday Trailing 1-0 in thesixth withrunners on first and third with two outs,Edwards blasted a 1-0pitch to right center field, scoring Destiny Harrisand SierraDaniel. Tigers starter JaydenHeavener (7-6) worked a1-2-3 inninginthe sixth, and adiving catch by Daniel at secondbase and astrikeout by Heavener in the seventh secured the victory LSU (21-10 overall, 3-6 SEC) earned its first
SEC series win while South Carolina (21-12, 1-5) dropped its second.
Heavener threw her 11thcomplete game of theseason, finishing with fivestrikeoutsand giving up one run on two hits.
South Carolina’sJoriHeard(4-3) took the loss after pitching 5 2/3 innings, striking out five, walking oneand allowing two runs on Edwards’hit After four scoreless innings, South Carolina broke through in thefifth with aleadoff home runbyJamie Mackay,but LSUanswered in thetop of the sixth. Harris reached on an error, advanced to second base on Avery Hodge’s sacrificebunt and went to thirdonJalia Lassiter’sflyout to right field. Daniel drew awalk to putrunners on thecorners, andEdwards gave LSU itsfirst hit of the gamewith the tworun double. Next, LSU will face Louisiana Tech at Tiger Park on Tuesday before hosting athree-game series vs. No. 6OklahomaonMarch 27-29.
Phillies agreeto6-year contractwith Sánchez
PHILADELPHIA—
The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to anew sixyear contract with opening day starter Cristopher Sánchez. The deal announced Sunday for last season’sNLCyYoung Award runner-upbegins in 2027 andwill runthrough 2032 withaclub option for2033. Termswere notimmediately available.
Sánchez had been pitching under a$22.5 million, four-year contract that was through 2028.
He went13-5 with a2.50 ERA in 32 starts last season and struck out acareer-high 212 batters. He’s3021 overall in four full big league seasons. Originally signed by the Tampa Bay Rays as an amateur free agent in 2013, Sánchezwas acquiredin atrade by thePhilliesonNov.20, 2019, forinfielder Curtis Mead.
Champagnie, Mitchell suspended for fighting NEW YORK Washingtonforward Justin Champagnie and Oklahoma City guard Ajay Mitchell each receiveda one-game suspension for fighting and escalating an on-court altercation that spilledintothe seating area during agame, the league announced Sunday Both were suspended without pay.Thunder forward Jaylin Williams wasfined $50,000, while Oklahoma City guard Cason Wallace and Wizards forward Anthony Gill each received $35,000 fines for their roles in the altercation in the first half of the Thunder’s132-111 victory on Saturday night. Following abasket by Gill,Williamsand Champagniebegan shoving each other. Gill andMitchell becameinvolved, and the quarrel quickly escalated.
Arozarena apologizes to Raleigh over WBCsnub Randy Arozarenahas apologized to Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh after Arozarena cursed outthe catcher fornot returning ahandshake at the World Baseball Classic. The incident took place March9 when Arozarena reacheddownto greet Raleigh in his catcher’ssquat at home plate,and Raleigh declined to offer his hand back in agamein whichthe U.S. beat Mexico 5-3. Arozarena, speaking to Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in Spanish, said Raleigh “has to thank God that he has nice parents, well educated,” and added he recently huggedthem during afriendly greeting at the team hotel. He then used profane Cuban and Mexican slang to insult Raleigh before pivoting to English and saying Raleigh could shove his “good to see you” in his rear.Arozarena was born in Cuba but defected to Mexico to pursue an MLB career
Boxer Sio in medically induced coma after KO SAN BERNARDINO,Calif. BoxerIsis Sio is in amedically induced coma, according to astatement released SundaybyProBox TV,after getting knocked outbyJocelyn Camarillo in first round of their juniorbantamweight bout Saturday night.
Sio, 19, wastaken to ahospital after she wentdownfollowing a series of punchesfrom Camarillo 78 seconds into the opener of the card at National Orange Show Event Center Officials said she was taken to Loma Linda University Health medical center
DeChambeau winsagain by beating Rahm in playoff MIDRAND,South Africa Bryson DeChambeauwon for the second straight week by saving paron the final hole for a6-under 65 and blistering a3-wood fromawet lie in the rough on thepar-5 18thina playofftoset up birdie and defeat Jon Rahm at LIV Golf South Africa on Sunday DeChambeau’sfinal start before the Masters brought out some of his best work in winning his fifth overallLIV title. He won lastweek in Singapore. The large gallery began singing the national anthem as DeChambeau wasjust off the 18th green, needing to getup-and-down to force aplayoff with Rahm (63), andtogive his Crushers the team title over the South African-based Southern Guard. He did that to finish at 26-under 258 and join Rahm in the playoff.
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU’sTori Edwards, shown against Texas A&M on March 14 at TigerPark,had the gamewinning hit against South Carolina on Sunday
STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRAD KEMP
UL’s pitchingstaffhad aroughweekend after Fridaynight starter Sawyer Pruitt’sseven shutout innings, givingup31runs the rest of the way.
STAFF PHOTOSByBRAD KEMP
ABOVE: UL starting pitcher Sage Hooverdelivers apitchagainst TexasState during theirSun BeltConference game on SundayatLamson Park. BELOW: UL right fielder Lily Knox rounds first base after hitting athree-run homer in the bottom of the third inning during Sunday’s 6-1 win over Texas State.
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multiple new numbers among their targets with wide receivers
LATE SATURDAY
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LSU rode a different recordsetting offensive performance into its matchup with the Lady Raiders (27-8). The Tigers (30-5) scored more points on Friday in the Baton Rouge regional (116) than Texas Tech and Villanova combined (109) The Lady Raiders cut their teeth on the defensive end of the floor, as they showed in their tough, physical first-round game.
On Sunday, though, they couldn’t corral LSU’s transition offense.
The Tigers ignited that attack in the first half, when they forced Texas Tech into 18 missed shots and 12 turnovers. Most of the shots the Lady Raiders did make — at least in the first two quarters came at the end of the shot clock and outside the lane. They didn’t score their first paint points until their first possession of the second half.
LSU created much better looks for itself, thanks to Johnson and Williams. They combined to shoot 18 of 28 from the field (64%), while the rest of the Tigers solidified the defense. Sophomore center Kate Kovaltallied10points,10rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson added eight points and three steals. Senior forward Amiya Joyner tallied 11 points and 11 boards. Texas Tech shot only 25% from the field, committed 19 turnovers and finished with just 12 paint points. Its leading scorer, senior guard Bailey Maupin, wound up with 19 points but none of her teammates scrounged together more than eight.
“There was a time in the third quarter,” Texas Tech coach Krista Gerlich said, “that we called a timeout and said if you don’t want them to hang a hundred on you, you’ve got to quit shooting it so quickly We have to limit their possessions to keep them from scoring the ball because they can score it so well.”
LSU opened the game on a 10-0 run, but Texas Tech cut that deficit in half by the time the first quarter wrapped up. Maupin
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pace with 24 points in 24 minutes of court time. “Something I’m going to remember forever.”
Will this end up being a team LSU fans remember forever, like the 2023 team that Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson helped lead to the program’s first NCAA championship?
Despite all the fireworks, it’s still hard to tell. No offense to Texas Tech or Jacksonville, which LSU obliterated 116-58 Friday with its most points ever in an NCAA Tournament game, but these were two mighty outclassed opponents. Gerlich, who is trying to get Texas Tech back to the level it was when she played on the Red Raiders’ 1993 NCAA title team, candidly admitted that.
“There’s a big gap between 1 through 8 and 8 through 64,” she said.
“You saw it today, right? We’re a 7 seed. There’s more parity coming, but there’s still the upper echelon of NCAA Division I women’s basketball and there’s the rest of us LSU (29-5), the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Sacramento 2 regional, is part of that upper echelon. In fact, the Tigers are doing things that put them in their own echelon. Their back-to-back 100-point games this weekend in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (that’s 217 points total) gave LSU the solo NCAA Division I record for most 100-point games with 16. That eclipsed the 15 “hang a hundred” games by the 1986-87 Long Beach State team, which it must be said, did that without the benefit of a 3-point line.
LSU’s 54-point margin of victory Sunday is tied for the thirdbiggest in an NCAA secondround women’s game, or for a different perspective, tied for the largest margin in a secondround game since 1983. The Tigers, who outscored the Lady Raiders 33-7 in the third quarter, already have four 30-point
Cam Riley Safety Lake Bates went from No. 46 to No. 24, linebacker Hayden Darbonne went from No. 51 to No. 40 and fellow linebacker Na’Tori Brown is No. 15 after wearing No. 38 a year ago. Even the special teams got in the action with kicker Brek Schultz now wearing No. 25.
Trenton Chaney switching to No. 4, Jaydon Johnson going to No. 8 from No. 18 and Landon Strother now wearing No. 17. Another new double number is No. 18 with tight end Khristian Mackintrush and cornerback
willed the Lady Raiders back in, first by earning trips to the freethrow line and then by draining contested 3s.
The Tigers, though, made sure that threat was short-lived.
They forced Texas Tech into six turnovers in just the first five minutes of the second quarter, then turned those giveaways into points at the other end. LSU scored the first 10 points of the second quarter too, propelling itself to an 18-point halftime lead that it just kept extending throughout the second half.
“It was a great day,” Mulkey said. “It was a great day in the PMAC. You just wish you could bottle it up and take everybody in this arena with you to Sacramento, but unfortunately, a lot of people can’t afford to go.”
Before Sunday, Texas Tech hadn’t allowed more than 84 points all season.
LSU has now held two powerconference teams to fewer than 50 points this year: Auburn and Texas Tech
The Tigers have advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of the past four seasons — their second-longest streak in program history
Mulkey has led her teams to at least that round of the bracket in 19 of her 24 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Under Mulkey the Tigers are 3-0 in the Sweet 16. Last year, they beat No. 2 seed North Carolina State in Spokane, Washington, to set themselves up for a clash with No. 1 seed UCLA in the Elite Eight.
LSU could find itself in a matchup with the Bruins again, this time in Sacramento, California.
But first, it will have to win in the Sweet 16 against No. 3 seed Duke.
Those two teams met in Durham, North Carolina, back in December, and the Tigers won 93-77. Johnson scored a game-high 18 points that night.
The star senior was even better on Sunday, when she moved LSU one step closer to the Final Four in her PMAC swan song.
“Something I’m going to remember forever,” Johnson said.
“Just so thankful for the fans. Thankful to coach Mulkey The whole program. It’s just been unimaginable.”
quarters in this tournament after posting three against Jacksonville. That’s the most 30-point frames in the NCAA Tournament since the women went to quarters 10 years ago.
But it wasn’t just scoring.
LSU’s defense also put the clamps on a Texas Tech squad that had to grind out a 57-52 win Friday over Villanova to get here. Still, the Tigers outscored the Lady Raiders 26-0 in the paint in the first half and 24-0 on fast-break points for the game.
“That’s just a testament to everybody buying in and locking in and knowing what we need to do to get far in this tournament run,” said Mikaylah Williams, who also knocked down 24 points. “When we lose those games, we slack off defensively We have mishaps, but I think locking in and buying in on the defensive end is what really, really got us here.”
So the Tigers are in the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year under Mulkey, set to take on Duke in Friday’s regional semifinals out in Sacramento, California. Duke (26-8), which LSU beat 93-77 on Dec. 4 on the Blue Devils’ home court, took out Baylor 69-46 Sunday That has to be a relief to Mulkey, who now won’t have to deal with the distraction of facing the program she left for LSU in 2021 after leading the Lady Bears to three NCAA championships.
Beating Duke won’t be a breeze “They’re better, I’m sure, and I think we’re better,” Mulkey said — but everyone anticipates an LSU-UCLA rematch in the Elite Eight. The Bruins, who must beat Oklahoma State on Monday to advance, should have been the No. 1 overall seed over UConn They’re that good and that scary
But, based on the games here, so is LSU. The Tigers appear to be playing their best ball at the best time to do it, pouring in the points and clamping down on defense in equal measure. Can you say “Tough out?”
That’s what LSU has become.
Chio wins SEC all-around, vault titles; LSU finishes third overall
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
Kailin Chio was again stellar Kaliya Lincoln was gutsy But overall, the LSU gymnastics team didn’t have quite enough to win its third straight Southeastern Conference championship on Saturday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma. No. 2-seeded LSU had the lead halfway through the meet but slid to third with a final score of 197.950. No. 3 Florida won with a 198.175, just edging out SEC regular-season champion and topseeded Oklahoma (198.150). No. 4 Alabama finished a distant fourth at 197.475, just ahead of Georgia (197.450), which competed in Saturday’s first session at the BOK Center
“We were very good,” LSU coach Jay Clark said, “but we were not great. We did a lot of things well and continued to fight But with the top four teams (in the country) on the floor, you’ve got to be dialed in.”
Chio won the SEC all-around title with a 39.775, finishing ahead of Florida’sKaylaDiCello(39.725).Chioalso won the vault title with a 9.975. Lincoln, a fellow sophomore, finished in a four-way tie for the SEC floor title with OU’s Keira Wells and Mackenzie Estep and Alabama’s Gabby Gladieaux at 9.95. Florida’s Selena Harris-Miranda won bars and OU’s Faith Torrez won beam, both with perfect 10s. These were the first two SEC titles for Chio, who now has 56 career individual wins and 31 this season.
“She continues to do amazing things,” Clark said. “She’s the model of consistency we all need to ascribe to be. She’s got it dialed in There’s not much more you can say She gets it done week in and week out.”
As the No 2 overall seed, LSU opened the meet on uneven bars. The Tigers got a pair of solid 9.90s from Lexi Zeiss and Madison Ulrich and then a career-high-tying 9.95 from Chio to give her the lead at that point of the meet.
LSU was hoping to erase a 9.85 from 2024 SEC bars champion Ashley Cowan. But the Tigers had to count it because bars anchor Konnor McClain short-armed her
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start among the two, but Johnson’s trust in Guidry and the length he’s provided in relief can’t be ignored.
Getting Serna in the lineup
Johnson made it clear this weekend that freshman Omar Serna isn’t coming out of the lineup anytime soon, and probably won’t sit again this season.
That’s because Serna was the only Tiger who accumulated at least four hits over the weekend. That included a home run on Saturday and a double on Thursday His recent hot streak, which began last weekend against Vanderbilt, has raised his average to .280 and his slugging percentage to .520.
The only question that remains for Serna is where he will play
Serna started in three spots this weekend: catcher, first base and designated hitter He’s consistently caught Moore in weekend series and has spent some time at DH before this recent hot streak, but his start at first base on Saturday was the first time he’d started at the position. He didn’t make any mistakes there, even grabbing a tricky bouncing ball that took an abnormally high hop in the second inning
“You have to be creative a little bit to do that,” Johnson said, referring to how he got Serna into the lineup on Saturday “And that was our way today with the lefthanded starter.”
Even if the start at first base felt somewhat experimental, don’t be surprised if Serna spends more time at the position moving forward. First baseman Zach Yorke has struggled defensively and at the plate. He struck out four times in four at-bats on Friday and committed an ugly error on Thursday before he spent Saturday’s game on the bench.
If Johnson isn’t as comfortable starting Yorke, perhaps that means he can turn to Serna at first and play whichever hitter he feels is the best matchup against the starting pitcher that day at DH Offense took a step back
LSU’s attack appeared to take a step forward last weekend when it scored 31 runs in three games against Vanderbilt on the road But
PROVIDED PHOTO By LSU ATHLETICS
LSU gymnast Konnor McClain sticks the landing after her beam performance on Saturday at the SEC Championships at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. McClain earned a 9.95. SEC team standings Florida 198.175 Oklahoma 198.150 LSU 197.950 Alabama 197.475 Georgia 197.450 Missouri 197.075 Arkansas 196.975 Kentucky 196.925 Auburn 195.300
pass on the high bar and took a step back on the landing, getting only a 9.75 that the Tigers discarded. After one rotation, LSU was in second place with a 49.475 behind Florida (49.525, beam).
The Tigers moved to balance beam for the second rotation and nosed into the lead thanks to strong back half of the lineup performances from Lincoln, McClain and Chio. Lincoln got a 9.90, McClain a 9.95 and Chio, the NCAA
this week was a completely different story for the bats.
The Tigers scored just 12 runs against Oklahoma They were held to just 11 hits over their last two games.
Circumstances played a part in LSU’s offensive explosion in Nashville. A turf field, multiple pitching injuries for Vanderbilt including weekend starter Austin Nye and a handful of top relief pitchers — and a smaller park with winds blistering out to center field resulted in an extremely positive environment for the Tigers’ offense to thrive.
But even when factoring in the more pitcher-friendly elements at Alex Box Stadium and Oklahoma’s better staff, LSU still should’ve gotten more from its attack. And most importantly, LSU needed more production from its stars.
Sophomore Derek Curiel and juniors Steven Milam and Jake Brown combined to go 4 for 29 against Oklahoma. Senior Chris Stanfield was a little better since he homered on Saturday, but even he went just 3-for-11 The foursome went 7 for 40 after going 14 for 47 with plenty of extra-base hits the week before.
For LSU’s offense to get where it needs to be, Milam, Brown, Curiel and Stanfield have to be at their best at the plate Relying on the likes of Serna and sophomore John Pearson, who homered on Thursday, will only take this attack so far The stars will need to play like stars.
Pitching took a step forward
If the winds and the park at Vanderbilt helped LSU’s offense, those same conditions created the opposite effect for the Tigers’ pitching staff. But the drastically different results for LSU on the mound against Oklahoma have more to do with its improvement and not the fairer conditions.
In the starting rotation, sophomore right-hander Casan Evans threw a lot more strikes and had spectacular command of his offspeed pitches. Moore wasn’t allowing as much hard contact and kept the ball lower in the strike zone more consistently Schmidt also did a better job of limiting hard contact, even if he was inefficient for a second consecutive outing.
The bullpen was also much better this weekend than last. Cowan recorded four outs without a problem on Thursday Fifth-year se-
leader on beam, a 9.95 as well. That allowed LSU to cover a 9.80 from Zeiss and score a 49.500, putting the Tigers at 98.975 ahead of Florida (98.950) and OU (98.925) as Alabama (98.600) faded to fourth. LSU went to floor in the third rotation and had its best team score of the meet, a 49.525. Lincoln delivered her 9.95 for the Tigers in the anchor spot, just after a 9.90 from Chio and a 9.925 from Amari Drayton. However, LSU lost the lead to Oklahoma on Torrez’s 10.0 score on beam, giving the Sooners a 148.550-148.500 edge over the Tigers going to the final rotation. Despite Chio’s 9.975 to anchor vault, LSU posted just a 49.450 on vault in the final rotation, with only one other gymnast, Victoria Roberts, getting a 9.90. Florida surged to the team win with a 49.800 on beam, the event score of the meet, while OU settled for second after a strong 49.600 on floor Lincoln performed despite waking up with pain in her elbow that the SEC Network said was caused by her ulnar nerve. She had a 9.90 on beam and a 9.85 on vault in addition to her winning 9.95 on floor
“She was a warrior,” Clark said. “We limited her in warmups. She didn’t do anything with her arm on floor But she was confident from (practice Friday).
“Structurally we feel the elbow is stable or we wouldn’t have let her go. But she’s got some discomfort in it, for sure.”
The Tigers return home to await the NCAA selection show which will be televised at 11 a.m. Monday on ESPNU. LSU is assured of being the No. 1 seed in the regional it will host April 1-4 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center
The top two teams from each of four regionals will advance to the NCAA Championships, April 16 and 18 in Fort Worth, Texas.
“We’ll get a little rest, then get back at it,” Clark said. “The main thing I want to continue to drive home is that this team is capable of winning everything. Our fans shouldn’t doubt that and should get their butts in our arena (for the regional) to support this team. It’s going to be a meat grinder.”
nior right-hander Grant Fontenot and junior left-hander Santiago Garcia combined to allow just one earned run in four innings on Friday On Saturday Guidry and redshirt sophomore right-hander Deven Sheerin were a double play away from allowing one earned run in four innings.
LSU gave up runs late on Friday and Saturday, but it’s hard to pin that on the relief group, given how little help they received from the offense and the error from freshman Jack Ruckert at second base on Saturday, which cost LSU two runs in the eighth inning.
The Tigers always had the talent to be a dangerous team on the mound. This weekend was a big step toward fully realizing it. A rocky road moving forward Oklahoma entered this weekend as the No. 8 team in the nation, but the Tigers’ road moving forward only gets more difficult, as they’ll be without their Saturday starter for at least three weeks and own a pedestrian 2-4 record in SEC play LSU hosts No. 15 Kentucky next weekend and then hits the road for its following two series against No. 22 Tennessee and Ole Miss. The Volunteers have struggled out of the gates, falling to Missouri on Friday and losing four games in nonconference play, but the Rebels and Wildcats have gotten off to strong starts to the year Ole Miss beat Kentucky in a tight three-game series this weekend in Oxford, and Kentucky swept Alabama the weekend before the Ole Miss series.
For the Tigers to have any hope in hosting a regional this year, they’ll need to come out of these nine games with at least five wins. That would keep them in contention for 15+ conference victories, which would likely be good enough for them to play their first round games at Alex Box Stadium. But this weekend’s series loss likely dashes any hope of earning a top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament. And if LSU continues to struggle over the next three weekends, it may find itself in a fight for tournament eligibility
The Tigers are 8-9 over their last 17 games. That’s a trend LSU must turn around, and soon, if it still wants to reach its lofty ambitions. Email Koki Riley at koki.riley@theadvocate.com.
LIVING
“The waywe’ve pivoted andnavigated is just ensuring our shows are tightand clean.Itmightbea little over 30 minutes, but audiences are engaged. When you see characters, even when they’re heightened or over-the-top, peoplestill connectwith them.”
PAyDEN ADAMS,Knott’sBerry Farm vice president of entertainment
Curtaincall
Inside Knott’sBerry Farm,a tiny theaterboasts rowdyshows andalums like SteveMartin
BY TODD MARTENS LosAngeles Times (TNS)
LOS ANGELES— TheBird Cage Theatre has stood inside Knott’sBerry Farm for 72 years —albeitnot always soundly. Long framed by atin roof and atent,the theater had a reputation for discomfort, as it was asource of punishingheat andthe occasional mouse sighting.
“It was hot, it stunk and it was dirty,” says Payden Adams, the park’sVPof entertainment.
Still, though it has long felt like an endangered species, the Bird Cage Theatre is one of Southern California’smost historicrevival houses, aplace for vaudevillestyle, fourth-wall-breaking shows that deviate from the expected theme park fare.Toquote the theater’smost recentproduction,its entertainment can be “flirtatious and alittle bitsaucy.”
And now,againstall odds, the Bird Cage is gettingasecond life. Knott’s Berry Farm recently completed arenovation designed to keep it thriving for another 72 years. Gone is the tarpaulin roof:
TheBirdCage is now afully enclosed, soundstage-like structure. And blessedly,ithas modern air conditioning. Thetheater reopenedthis past weekendwith“TheGreat Bank Robbery,”a30-minute-plus show in which audiences are encouraged to boo,hissand swoon over thecharacters, aBird Cage tradition since 1954. Charactersare caricatures, be it avillain that feels plucked froma cartoon western, complete with apurringraccoon fora sidekick,toa greedy wannabepolitician of abankmanager.Though setinGhost Town with period
garb, there are modern flourishes, such as tongue-in-cheek nods to the theme park’sattractions anda damsel in distress who ultimately proves to be anything but Though it once operated as adaily theater, theBirdCageistoday most active during holidays and seasonal events, such as the park’s annual Boysenberry Festival, whichalso beganthis weekend. Popular summer show “Miss Cameo Kate’sWestern Burle-Q-Revue” is a20-minute cabaret-style performance, complete with atorch song and aslightly risqué cancan finale. When it’s running, theBird Cage is amust-see attraction.Livetheater in theme parks can feel like amoving target, as conventional wisdom oftenarguesthattoday’s smartphone-addled guests areafterthrills and more attention-grabbing, interactive experiences. But when it works,such as during the over-the-top sillinessof“TheGreat Bank Robbery,” or at Universal Studios’ “Waterworld”-themed stunt show,itcan offer guests
ä See BIRD CAGE, page 6C
Marc Jacobs letSofiaCoppola filmand didn’t
BYLINDSEY BAHR AP film writer
VENICE, Italy NeitherSofia Coppola nor Marc Jacobs were convinceda documentary was agood idea. Jacobs wasn’tsure he wanted to be the subject of one and Coppola wasn’tsure she wanted the pressure of being the person behind thecamera. Thiswas her friend of over 30 years, after all. What if thefilm wasn’tgood?
Yetthe idea,which theycredit to producers R.J. andJaneCha Cutler,started to takehold. Coppolahas alwaysbeen interested in fashion and the creative process. Jacobs knew that if anyone couldmake himfeel less self-conscious, it would be her And they decided to jump into the unknown. At leastitwould be together
“There was no off-limits,” Jacobssaid in an interview,alongside Coppola, with TheAssoci-
ated Press before the Venice Film FestivalinSeptember.“It was just likecome as you are andyou getwhatyou getand that’sthe way it’s going tobe.” “Marc, by Sofia,”which opens in theaters Friday,isanevocative,and very Coppola, collage of Jacobs’ influences,his biography and his team at work putting together aready-to-wear collection.
After7 marathons in 7dayson7 continents,Florida runner places first amongwomen
BY PATRICK CONNOLLY Orlando Sentinel (TNS)
ORLANDO,Fla. Imagine running onemarathon, an impressive feat by anyone’sstandards. Now trytoenvisionrunning seven marathons in as manyconsecutive days, all on different continents.
That’sexactly what Orlando resident Beth Reed did, and she made quickworkofittoo. With an overall average time of 3hours, 39 minutesand 28 seconds, Reed placed first among 16 womencompeting in the World Marathon Challenge, whichcelebrated its ninth edition this year with morethan 50 total entrants. Theraces began at Ultima Basecamp,Antarctica, before continuing to Cape Town,South Africa, then Perth, Australia. The challenge then headed to the Middle East for arace in Dubai, then Madrid, Spain, then Fortaleza, Brazil,finally wrapping up in Miami.
As someone who hasrun 31 marathons, including allsix of the originalworld marathon majors, Reed, 42, was no stranger to goingthe distance Still, there’sabig difference between running one marathon in aweek versus seven.
“I was doing 90-100 milesa week,” she said of her training regimen. “In typical marathon training, you’ll do alongrun every weekend. For this one, Iwas doing back to back long runs mostweeks.” Reed raninjuniorhigh, then fell in love with the sport again while living in New York City, where her run club convinced hertorun theNew York Marathon in 2010. More than adecade later,she signed up forthe World Marathon Challenge as a 40th birthdaypresent to herself.
“It’saonceina lifetime thing,”Reed said. “I hadsome idea of whatwas going to happenbut Ireally didn’t, actually, as it turns out.”
It’squite the contrast going
ä See RUNNER, page 6C
Marc Jacobs, left,and SofiaCoppolaposefor aportraitphotograph for the film ‘Marc,by Sofia’ during the 82nd edition of the Venice Film FestivalinVenice, Italy, on Sept. 2.
KNOTT’S BERRy FARM/TNSPHOTOS
Opened in 1954, the BirdCageTheatrehas specialized in vaudeville-style melodramas.
INVISION/AP PHOTO By SCOTT AGARFITT
Awagon at Knott’sBerry Farm in 1970.
Carbsare thekey to lowering bloodsugar
Dear Doctors: Iama 66-year-old woman, and my blood testfrom aphysical exam shows thatmy bloodsugar is getting higher.Iam not in prediabetes yet, but Ireally don’twant to get there. Other than cutting out sweets, how do you eat to improve your blood sugar numbers?
Dear reader: Gettingajumpon even minor changes to measurements like blood glucoselevels is asmart move.Abenefit of getting regular metabolic measurements, such as at annual physicals, is they give you ahistory of baseline readings. As in your case, they offer an overview of the trajectory of your health. This often gives you enough time to make any positive changes that may be needed.
Dr.Elizabeth Ko
Dr.Eve Glazier
ASK THE DOCTORS
When it comes to healthy blood glucose levels, the goal is twofold.One part is tostay within a specific range. In theU.S., blood sugar is measured in milligrams perdeciliter,ormg/dL.For those withoutdiabetes, thetarget range is afastinglevel below 99 mg/dL, and amaximumlevel below 140 mg/dL two hours after eating.The second part of the goal is to avoid
large or sharp swings in blood sugar.Research now suggests that these types of swings can play arole in developing Type 2 diabetes.
When thinking about sugar in the diet, it is easy to focus on sweets. Butgaining control of blood sugar levels requires a morenuanced understanding. It’s not just counting the actual sugar that you consume, but thetotal carbohydrate load. Yes, that does mean simple carbs like candy, soda, processed snack foods and desserts. Butitalso includes hidden added sugars in ordinary productssuch as ketchup, soups, pastasauces, salad dressings, fruit juices,flavored nut milks and frozen dinners. The total carbohydrate load also includes
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some of the most memorable, personal moments at the parks.
“You’re not wrong,especially when it comes to attention spans. We experience that,” says Adams, who oversaw the theater’s restoration. “The way we’ve pivoted and navigatedis just ensuring our showsare tight and clean. It mightbe alittle over 30 minutes, but audiences are engaged. In melodramas, we ask the audience to participate, andwe can train them how to participate beforehand. When you see characters, even when they’re heightened or overthe-top, people still connect with them.”
The Bird Cage Theatre first opened in the summer of 1954, itsfacadeanearreplica of the original Bird Cage in Tombstone, Arizona That the family-focused Knott’swould nodtothe Arizona locale is an oddity in and of itself, as the actual theater had abawdy reputation. Stories today speak of aplace that initially opened with grand ambitions but
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“I’ve never done anything like this wherethere isn’ta plan or ascript,” Coppola said. “What Iwas tryingto do is show his creative process around this one collection and then interweave inspiration and references and artists who collaborated with him to have this full portrait.”
Creating ‘Marc, by Sofia’
It wasa very lo-fi production, they said. Sometimes it would just be Coppola coming into the officewith her own handheld camera Sometimes her brother Roman Coppola would come to help. Coppola had never done afeature length documentary before and found the process exciting, though she said it’snot signaling a new phase or director for her as afilmmaker
She also got to see some of the behind the scenes things she’srarely privy to, including being backstage at arunway show “I had total freedom, which was great. Iwas just filming what interested me,” she said. “It was really the sameas like taking snapshots, which wasn’tunfamiliar to me.”
The twomet in theearly 1990s in NewYork, when Coppolaasked her mother if she could go see the Perry Ellis show that Jacobs was
eventually succumbed to gamblingand prostitution.
At Knott’s, thetheater was built around existingstructures, although park founder WalterKnott,according to the book “Knott’sPreserved” by ChrstopherMerritt andJ.Eric Lynxwiler, oftentalkedabout completing it as afull tribute to the Arizona space. Thatnever really happened. Andyet over theyears the Bird Cage wonover audiences thankstoprogramming from vaudeville veterans. Earlyon, students from nearby colleges would appear at the space, including Steve Martin,whose signed photograph graces acelebrity wall in the Bird Cage’s introductory hall. Donna Mills and singer Rick Nelson havegraced theBird Cage’shorseshoeshaped stage, as have Dean Jones and Skip Young. It was, to say the least, a quirky placetoperform.
“Knott’sPreserved”tellsofa show in whichamouseonce sat at the base of the stage, andquotes Martin as reminiscing over performances affected by the weather “When it rained,noone could hear eachother because the rainwas beating so hardon that tarp,” Martin said.
working on. They quickly hit it off,bonding over shared loves of art, music, fashion and movies, and have collaborated manytimes, on handbags,dresses, commercials and more. Jacobs has visited her film sets and even providedclothes for some of hercharacters,including some of the coats Scarlett Johansson wore in“Lost in Translation ” While Coppola wanted to acknowledge their friendship, even makingalittle cameo in her film, shealso didn’twant it to be about heroreven them, necessarily.The focus wouldremain on Jacobs.
“I didn’twantittobetoo much about me,” Coppola said. “But Iwanted it to feel that it’spersonal and made by me andthat I’m part of it andinthatway it’s notjust agenericinterview or portrait.”
Marc Jacobs’influences
In additiontothe behind the scenes of designing the Spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection, “Marc by Sofia” is full of film and artreferences, with clipsfrom “Hello, Dolly!” “All that Jazz,” “Sweet Charity” and many more of Jacobs’ most beloved films.Hewas particularly blown away thatshe was able to get the rights to use theclips.
“It made me feel very special. And Icouldn’timagine allthose things coming through for just anyone,” Ja-
KNOTT’S BERRy FARM/TNSPHOTO
Noneofthatshould be a problemanymore, although returning guestswilllikely feel they’re in afamiliar space. Thoughthe Bird Cage has been outfitted with modern lighting capable of new theme park tricks and projections, the rigishidden among curtains designed to re-create the look of the original tent. Lights, in bird cage enclosures, still hang abovethe audienceseating area,which hasroom for about 250 guests. And alongthe way afew discoveries were made. Adams says that when they began strippingawaywooden walls added sometime in the 1970s, theyfound the Bird Cage’soriginalwallpaper ascarlet-red strip that surrounds the spacewith flower-adorned bird cages. Not all of it could be salvaged, so Knott’smeticulouslyrecreated thelook.With the new-old wallpaper intact, Adams estimates that guests can count about11,055 bird cages throughout the theater The original pieces will be preservedinthe park and gifted to important Bird Cage players. Adams jokes, “Ifyou have amailing addressfor Mr.SteveMartin, Ihave agift to send him.”
cobs said. “I felt like it was OK because it was for Sofia. That maynot be thetruth but that’sthe way Ilike to thinkofit.”
It also includes some biography,big career moments, and some rare glimpses of Jacobs’ grandmother,an influential figure in his life who he lived with as ateen in New York and who instilled in himthe importance of caring for beautiful clothes.
Afterthe runway show,Coppola andher brother visit Jacobs at his home where, in his silk pajamas, he discusses his comedown.Helikesto borrow aphrasecoinedby his friend, filmmaker Lana Wachowski, to describe the feeling: Post-art-um.
“I just sort of just felt like it could have been any conversation,” Jacobs said. “Nothing felt like director and subject. It just felt completely easy.”
Still, Jacobswas nervous thefirst time she screened it for him. He worried about what he was going to look like, and sound like, and what it was going to be.
“In very typical me fashion, when it was over Isaid I don’thate myself after seeing it,” Jacobs laughed. “I just thought it all felt natural. Iwasn’tpretending. Therewas just nothingsynthetic or false or anything. So whether people like it or not, IknowthatI just felt good about mebeing me and Sofia, you know,sort of seeing that her way.”
complex carbs. Whole fruit, fresh vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, unsweetened dairy productsand nuts all have complex carbs. Thanks to the magic of fiber,complex carbs are apowerful tool.
Limitingsimple sugars often focuses on the foods you need to avoid. It can be easier,more interesting and even funtoset apositive goal. Think about increasing your daily intake of fiber,which you can get through complex carbs. Fiber slowsdigestion,keeps you feeling full and helps preventblood sugar spikes. For women over 50, national guidelines recommendatleast 21 grams of fiber per day.For men over 50, the daily target is 30 grams.
When you focus on fiber-rich foods and also meet the protein goals and calorie range appropriate foryour body,your overall carbohydrate intake often moderates naturally.Focus on complex carbs forsteadier blood sugar For people whodon’thave diabetes, blood sugar levels often respond quickly to thoughtful dietary changes. And it doesn’tjust give you good results in your next checkup. It supports long-term metabolic health.
Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.
Understandingprotein overload
Dear Heloise: Forty years ago, when Iwas doing Weight Watchers, Ihad terrible dandruff until anew hairdresser told me, “It is caused by eating too much protein.” So, I cut back, and lo and behold, Ihaven’t had any moredandruff since then P.M., in St. Louis P.M., dandruff isn’tdirectly caused by protein. It comes primarily from afungus (Malassezia) that feeds on sebum.A diet withprotein helps the scalp maintain a healthy balance. On theother hand, adiet that is heavy in refined sugars, dairy and processed foods seems to worsenthe problem.
desert, it’simpossible to be dust-free formore than a day or so. Idolike to iron, though! I’mretired, so I don’thave work clothes to iron anymore. But ironing napkins and pillowcases is so relaxing to me. —Paula M., in Tucson,Arizona Paula, whenit comes to ironing, I’m with you. Ironing relaxes me,and it’ssonice to see a finished product. —Heloise Vent-hoodtrick
The term“protein overload” (hair,not diet) applies to using far too many protein-heavy hair products. Inflammation and yeast growthare sometimes caused by sugary foods, carbohydrates and alcohol —all of which can lead to dandruff. —Heloise Favoritechores
Today is Monday, March 23, the82nd day of 2026. There are 283 days left in the year
Todayinhistory: On March 23, 1998, “Titanic” tied an Academy Awards record by winning 11 Oscars, including best picture, best director for James Cameron and best original song for “My Heart Will Go On.”
Also on this date:
In 1775, Patrick Henry delivered an address to the Virginia Provincial Convention in which it is said he declared, “Give me liberty,orgive me death!”
In 1806, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began their return to St.Louis, Missouri, after completing the first U.S. overland expedition to thePacific coast. The explorers had begun their journey from St. Louis
RUNNER
Continuedfrom page5C
from frigid, blustery Antarctica to Australia, where thetemperature soared into triple digits.
“Wewent through some extreme temperatures,” Reed said. “(Perth) was my favorite because you’re running along on abike path alongthe water.You hadthe sunsets and the moonrise with the city just absolutely beautiful and stunning in thebackground.”
Each marathon had an 8-hour time limit, and Reed was done in under four hours in all but one race, Antarctica. That gave her alittleextratime to pack and dineout in eachplace, but witha new continent to visit everyday,therewasn’t much time to spare.
“You can only seeso much of aculture through
Dear Heloise: Iread your column daily and have seen manyhints on how to chop onions tear-free. Ihave never seen the one that Iconstantly use, so Ithought Iwould send it along: Iplace achopping block on my stovetop under the vent hood and turn it on high. Chop away without tears! —Elisa, in California Larger duvetneeded
Dear Heloise: We love sleeping with aduvet and acover on our split king adjustable bed. However, king duvets do not seem to go beyond the top of the
TODAYINHISTORY
in May 1804 and trekked thousands of miles to and from the coast.
In 1919, Benito Mussolini foundedhis Fascist political movement in Milan, Italy.
In 1933, the German Reichstag adopted the Enabling Act, which effectively granted Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers.
In 1942, the first Japanese Americans incarcerated by the U.S. Armyduring World WarIIarrived at the internment camp at Manzanar,California.
In 1965, America’sfirst two-person space mission took place as Gemini 3 blasted off with astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom and John W. Young aboard foranearly 5-hour flight orbiting Earth.
In 1993, scientists announced they’d identified the gene that causes Huntington’sdisease.
In 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Afford-
one dining experience, but Iwas able to get out a little bit,” she said, highlighting the experience of eatingManchego cheesein Spain.
Eventhough the experience of running back-toback marathons is exhausting, sometimes sleep was hard to comebyonthisepic journey
“You’remeeting allthese new people and you’re excited. When you’re done running and you get on the plane,you almostwantto just chat all night or hang out. Youhave to remember the plane is where you sleep,” Reed said. “There’s people who Imet who I’ll probably be in touch with for the rest of my life. Some of us have already talked about, ‘When’sour next marathon?’ ” The runner’sfastest and final marathonofthischallenge was run close to home in Miami. Finishing with a
bed, and if one of us turns and takes the duvet with them,the other is not covered. Ineed awider duvet. Any advice will be helpful! —Jan H., via email Jan, this is afairly common problem.You might want to try aCalifornia king duvet or look online foranextra-wide comforter and duvet. —Heloise Clothnapkinhint
Dear Heloise: Along with Cathie D.,I,too, use cloth napkins forcompany and on adaily basis for my husband and me. Iuse fingertip towels in various colors (nothing too light) and have never seen stains on them. They get washed like bath towels do and never need to be ironed. Karen, in Hastings, Michigan Staple removeruse
Dear Heloise: Iuse astaple remover (the kind that is similar to ascrewdriver but wider) to pry open the lids of refrigerator storage containers. —Margaret, in La Mirada, California Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
able Care Act, a$938 billion health care overhaul aimed at making health insurance more accessible and affordable in the U.S. In 2021, acargo ship the size of askyscraper ran aground and became wedged in the Suez Canal; hundreds of ships would be prevented from passing through the canal until the vessel was freed six days later Today’sbirthdays: Singer Chaka Khanis73. Basketball Hall of Famecoach Geno Auriemma is 72. Fashion designer Kenneth Cole is 72. Actor Amanda Plummer is 69. Actor Hope Davis is 62. Musician Damon Albarn is 58. Basketball Hall of Famer Jason Kidd is 53. Actor Randall Park is 52. Actor Michelle Monaghan is 50. Actor Keri Russell is 50. Country singer Brett Young is 45. Actor Vanessa Morgan is 34. Actor Victoria Pedretti is 31.
time of 3hours, 20 minutes and 55 seconds, Reed crossedthe Florida finish line around 2:30 a.m. on the lastday with herhusband andmother-in-lawthere to celebrate with her
“They sprayed me with Champagneand brought flowers, then we got cheeseburgers at like 5a.m. It was one of the best nights in recent memory,”she said.
“It was anicelittle bonus to win.” On heradventurous journey,Reed brought home life lessons in additiontoher medals.
“This is one example of remembering to live and not just exist. It sounds so simple but it’ssomething that’shard to do,” she said. “I think that’sanimportantreminder. Youdon’t always know whenyou’ll be injured or sick.When you’re healthyand youcan do things, you should definitely capitalize on that.”
Hints from Heloise
The Bird CageTheatre nowhas aproperly enclosed roofand air conditioning
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Discipline, along with pioneering ideas, will lead to something tangible. Trust and believe in what you can achieve, and bring about positive change.
tAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Get everything in place before you invite others to weigh in on your progress. You'll accomplish far more on your own than you will while facing criticism.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Take pride in what you do, and finish what you start. Less talk and more action will help pave the way forward and help you distance yourself from emotional confrontations.
CAnCER (June 21-July 22) Stop short of letting others take advantage of your kindness, connections and skills. Offer only what's feasible and what will help you get closer to your personal and professional goals.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Look, leap into action and put your energy into making a difference. Refuse to let the changes others make daunt you. Know your destination and complete your mission.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A window of opportunity will open through communication and honoring your promises. Be the one to lead the way if you want to achieve what you set out to do.
LIBRA (Sept 23-oct 23) Follow the pack and embrace the chance to build strong relationships with the people who are most influential in your life. Let your
actions be your calling card and make your motives clear, and you will make headway.
SCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Breathe, relax and obliterate any notion that using force will surpass using intelligence. Your emotions will be difficult to control when contracts, shared expenses or joint ventures come into play.
SAGIttARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stick close to home. Avoid initiating a situation that could lead to harsh words. Puttering around the house, you'll find a way to lower your overhead and better utilize your space.
CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Slow down, think and plan your next move. Trust your instincts, not what others lead you to believe. Don't limit what you can do or pay too much for what you want.
AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You are sitting in a better position than you realize. With a little ingenuity and discipline, you'll come out ahead of the game, with cash in hand and a sense of accomplishment.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Be nice, kind and a good listener, and you'll ward off an emotional setback. An open mind and heart will help you maintain good relations and positive results.
InstructIons: Sudokuis anumber-placingpuzzle basedona 9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers Theobject is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe emptysquaressothat each row, each column andeach3x3 boxcontainsthe same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
Saturday’sPuzzleAnswer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
Emile-Auguste Chartier, a French philosopher and journalist who died in 1951, said, “We prove what we want to prove, and the real difficulty is to know what we want to prove.”
At the bridge table, we want to prove whether or not a contract is makable.
This is usually easier when we can see all 52 cards, or have been warned there is a trap somewhere. When we are just playing at the table, it can be easy to make a mistake almost on autopilot.
In today’s deal, South is in three notrump. West leads his fourth-highest heart. East wins with his king and returns the heart nine. Who should prevail, declarer or the defenders?
After a one-no-trump opening, some pairs use a jump-response of three of a major to show game values with a singleton (or void) in that suit, three cards in the other major and 5-4 (or 5-5) in the minors. Partner can usually judge the right contract However, without that agreement, North should just jump to three no-trump. Declarer has seven top tricks: two spades, four diamonds and one club. He can get at least one heart trick and three more club winners. How might he go down?
Onlyiftheclubfinesseislosingandthe defenders take four hearts and one club.
The key play is almost counterintuitive.
At trick two, South must play his second low heart, which cuts the communication between the defenders. If instead he covers with the queen or jack, West can play low Then, when East gets in with his club king, a third heart through declarer defeats the contract.
