The Advocate 03-25-2026 by The Advocate

BUSINESS

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks slip after rally as uncertainty continues

NEW YORK U.S. stock indexes

slipped Tuesday and gave back some of their rallies from the day before, while oil prices got back to rising as uncertainty continues about how long the war with Iran will last.

The S&P 500 fell 0.4% after yoyoing through the day The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 84 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite sank 0.8%.

Markets have been on a roller coaster since President Donald Trump raised hopes that the war with Iran could end soon when he said Monday that the United States and Iran held productive talks “regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.” His announcement, which came just before Wall Street opened for trading, caused financial markets worldwide to reverse momentum immediately.

It calmed worries that the war may cause a long-term disruption to the oil and natural gas industry in the Persian Gulf, one big enough to send a blast of inﬂation to the region’s customers worldwide.

But the ﬁnancial market has since gotten both encouraging and discouraging signals about the war On one side, attacks continued in the Middle East Tuesday after Iran denied having direct talks with the United States. On the other, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X that his country is ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” to end the Iran war.

Chances of a Federal Reserve rate hike fade

WASHINGTON The jump in gas prices stemming from the war in Iran has had another impact that may also affect many Americans’ ﬁnances: higher interest rates.

Longer-term interest rates have risen quickly since the war began Feb. 28, pushing up the cost of mortgage loans, auto loans, and business borrowing. And with inflation measures likely to rise in the coming months, the prospect of interest rate cuts this year by the Federal Reserve is fading Wall Street investors instead see the odds rising of an actual rate hike instead.

The fact that a rate hike has become a plausible scenario even as most economists still see it as unlikely — represents a sharp turnaround from early this year, when the debate was more focused on how many times the Fed would reduce its key rate, rather than whether it would do so at all.

Wall Street investors no longer foresee any rate reductions this year, according to futures pricing tracked by CME Fedwatch. And the odds of a rate hike by October have risen to nearly 25%, up from zero just a week ago.

Epic Games lays off more than 1,000

Fortnite publisher Epic Games said Tuesday it is laying off 1,000 employees to save money as it grapples with industrywide and company-speciﬁc challenges.

The Cary, North Carolinabased video game publisher said in a memo to employees that the job cuts are not related to artiﬁcial intelligence Rather, they stem from industrywide challenges such as slower growth, weaker spending and tougher cost economics. Games like Fortnite are also competing for people’s attention against social media and other forms of online entertainment.

In addition, Epic said it’s had its own company-speciﬁc hurdles for example, it is “only in the early stages of returning to mobile” after court battles with Apple and Google over app store payments.

Epic said it has 4,000 employees after Tuesday’s layoffs, which amount to about 20% of the company’s workforce.

The company’s last largescale layoffs were in 2023, when it cut 830 jobs.

Poll: Job market outlook gloomy

Americans have bleak view of job search

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — Americans’ outlook on the job market has turned increasingly pessimistic, a surprisingly negative shift given the low unemployment rate but one that likely reﬂects an ongoing hiring drought.

Just 28% of workers in a quarterly Gallup survey conducted late last year said now is a “good time” to ﬁnd a quality job, with 72% saying it is a bad time. Those ﬁgures are a sharp reversal from just a few years ago, in mid-2022, when 70% said it was a good time.

Americans have quickly gotten more pessimistic: As recently as

late 2024, just under half of workers still said it was a good time to search for a job. The current survey was conducted during the ﬁnal three months of 2025, long before the Iran war that has sent oil and gas prices soaring and threatens to slow the economy as Americans redirect more of their dollars to filling gas tanks and away from other spending.

The figures help explain other surveys that show Americans have a largely bleak view of the economy, even as many headline measures suggest it has been growing and job losses are low

Job pessimism is especially pronounced among college graduates. The shift is likely because hiring in many white-collar professions has been unusually weak for the past two years, in areas such as software,

customer service and advertising. The survey found a split based on education levels, with just 19% of workers with a college degree thinking that now is a good time to ﬁnd a quality job while 35% of workers without a college degree are optimistic. A separate Gallup survey of U.S. adults overall found that college graduates’ optimism about the job market is the lowest it’s been since 2013. Meanwhile, the gap in job market sentiment between Americans with and without a college degree was at its widest in that survey since Gallup started asking the question in 2001. Just about 2 in 10 workers ages 18-34 think now is a good time to ﬁnd a job, compared to about 4 in 10 workers ages 65 and older who say the same.

Gallup’s survey is consistent with what economists call the “low-hire, low-fire” job market: Businesses are largely holding onto their workers and measures of layoffs remain quite low As a result, older workers are largely secure in their jobs. But hiring is also quite sluggish, making it harder for younger workers to break in and ﬁnd permanent work. The Gallup results come as government data shows that overall hiring is at its weakest level in more than a decade. The Labor Department tracks a “hiring rate,” or the proportion of people who are hired each month as a percent of those with jobs. The hiring rate dropped to 3.2% last November, around when Gallup conducted its survey, the lowest since March 2013. It was 3.9% before the pandemic.

Asia boosts coal use as Iran conflict squeezes global natural gas supplies

War in Middle East disrupts other fossil fuel supplies

BY ANTON L. DELGADO and ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL Associated Press

BANGKOK Asian countries are turning to coal as the Iran war disrupts oil and gas shipments.

The continent is exposed because it relies on imported fuel, much of it passing through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint for about a ﬁfth of global oil and natural gas trade.

LNG is a natural gas cooled to liquid form for easy storage and transport. It has been promoted as a bridge fuel in the shift from oil and coal to cleaner energy sources. The U.S has sought to expand exports of LNG across Asia It burns cleaner than coal, but still emits climate change -causing gases, especially methane.

The war has countries shifting back to coal to cover LNG shortfalls India is burning more coal to meet higher summer demand.

South Korea has lifted caps on electricity from coal. Indonesia is prioritizing using its domestic supply Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam are boosting coal-ﬁred power

Burning more coal risks worsening smog in major cities, slowing the transition to renewable energy and increasing the region’s planet-warming emissions.

Coal is a short-term ﬁx, experts say, while renewables are the long-term solution.

Continued reliance on coal exposes Asia to future shocks, said Julia Skorupska, of the global coalition Powering Past Coal Alliance.

“This kind of crisis is a real sort of warning,” she said.

Coal is integral to Asia’s emergency energy plans. Its wide availability in Asia makes it the default backup when renewables or gas fall short, said Sandeep Pai, an energy expert at Duke University China, the top coal consumer and producer, has built record coal power generating capacity since 2021 to improve its energy security Its national policy calls for continued use of coal, even as its vast clean energy capacity offers some relief.

India, the second-largest coal consumer and producer, is bracing for a scorching summer and will rely more on coal to meet peak demand of 270 gigawatts nearly twice the electricity Spain can produce. It

has enough coal for about three months, with some stockpiles earmarked for small businesses.

Two Indian liqueﬁed petroleum gas shipments totaling more than 92,700 tons recently made it through the Strait of Hormuz. Such imports will likely be directed to industries such as fertilizer production rather than power generation, Pai said.

Coal advocates such as Michelle Manook of FutureCoal say the shortfall would be worse without coal and future use should be strategic. “The lesson has to be diversity,” she said.

Pauline Heinrichs, who studies climate and energy at King’s College London, points to China’s boosting use of coal to offset hydropower shortfalls due to droughts, worsening emissions that contribute to climate change.

“You learn to respond to shocks generated by certain insecurities by reproducing the insecurity,” she said.

Adding to the vulnerability for import-

dependent countries, Indonesia, the world’s largest exporter, is prioritizing domestic use over exports. That could tighten regional supplies and push global prices higher said Putra Adhiguna of the Energy Shift Institute. Coal prices are set globally, leaving importers exposed to swings and disruptions. More coal does not guarantee cheap or reliable power said Russell Marsh, of E3G. Vietnam is already facing that volatility It increased imports after weather-related shortages, but supplies from Indonesia are now uncertain so it’s considering importing coal from the U.S. and Laos, according to energy market tracker Argus Media.

The main price for coal used in Asia, called Newcastle coal from Australia, has risen 13% since the war began.

Higher prices will also hurt southeast Asia, the world’s third-largest coal-consuming region. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Tuesday declared a state of national energy emergency

Anthropic and Pentagon head to court over ‘stigmatizing’ label

AI firm seeks end to supply chain risk designation

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE and MATT O’BRIEN AP technology writers

SAN FRANCISCO Artificial intelligence company Anthropic is asking a federal judge on Tuesday to temporarily halt the Pentagon’s “unprecedented and stigmatizing” designation of the company as a supply chain risk.

A hearing scheduled for Tuesday in a California federal court marks a critical step in the feud between Anthropic and the Trump administration over how the company’s AI technology could be used in war Anthropic sued earlier this

month to stop the Trump administration from enforcing what the company calls an “unlawful campaign of retaliation” over its refusal to allow unrestricted military use of its technology

The company is asking U.S. District Judge Rita Lin for an emergency order that would temporarily reverse the Pentagon’s decision to designate the AI company a “supply chain risk.” Anthropic also seeks to undo President Donald Trump’s order directing all federal employees, not just those in the military, to stop using its AI chatbot Claude. Lin is presiding over the case in federal court in San Francisco, where Anthropic is headquartered.

The AI ﬁrm has also ﬁled a separate and more narrow case in the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. Lin sent both sides a number of questions she wants them to an-

swer at Tuesday’s hearing, including about discrepancies between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s formal directive declaring Anthropic a potential threat to national security and what he posted about it on social media.

Anthropic has said it sought to restrict its technology from being used for mass surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons. Hegseth and other highranking ofﬁcials publicly insisted the company must accept “all lawful” uses of Claude, threatened punishment if Anthropic did not comply and condemned the firm and its CEO Dario Amodei on social media.

When Amodei refused to bend, Trump announced on Feb. 27 that he was immediately ordering all federal employees to stop using Anthropic, calling it a “radical left,

woke company” that was putting troops at risk. He gave a longer period of six months for the Pentagon to phase out Anthropic’s technology which is already embedded in classiﬁed military platforms, including those used in the Iran war Anthropic’s lawsuit alleges that the government actions violated the First Amendment and due process laws.

“Put simply, the Executive Branch is leveraging its powers to punish a major American company for the sin of expressing its views on a matter of profound public significance,” it said in a legal filing last week. Department of Justice lawyers countered in their own court filing last week that the Trump administration’s actions targeted Anthropic’s commercial conduct, not its free speech rights.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO BY NG HAN GUAN

Guohua Power Station, a coal-fired power plant, operates as people sell items on a street in Dingzhou, Baoding, in northern China’s Hebei province on Nov. 10, 2023. Asian countries are turning to heavier coal use as the war in Iran continues to disrupt oil and gas shipments.

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Obituaries

Fournet, Emile Jon

Emile Jon Fournet, known affectionatelyto many as "Big E", passed away on March 15, 2026,at the age of 88. Alifelong Louisianian, he was born on January 10, 1938, in Bogalusa, Louisiana, to the late Emile Jon Fournetand Gladys JohnstonFournet. Emile grew up in Bogalusa andwas aproud graduate of Bogalusa High School. He was approached by the Detroit Tigers as apotential catcher in High School but he declined that opportunity in preference of playing football for Louisiana State University At LSU, he became amemberofthe celebrated 1958 LSU National Champion Football Team, originally as amember of LSU's legendary "Chinese Bandits" defensive unit during the

defensive unit during the national championship season.Hewas subsequently promotedtothe starting "White Team" (first-team offensive/defensive unit) for the 1959 season,where he served as aleftguard, an accomplishment that remained a source of great pride throughouthis life. After his time at LSU,Emile built alongand varied career beginningwith American Bank, whereheworked from approximately1960 until 1977. He went on to work at Dunaway Realty andlater as an auditor at Midsouth Transportation before his retirement. Beyond his professionallife, Emile was aman of competitive passions. He was a lover of playing golfand softball as ayoung man, and previously an owner of quarterhorses, thoroughbreds, and for atime, greyhounds,pursuits that reflected his love of competition. He was always warm and approachable,ever ready to strike up aconversation about football, golf, or "old times." Those who knew him understood that time spent with BigE meant good stories, easy laughter,and genuine warmth. Emile is survived by his loving wife, Mary Alice D'amico Fournet of Baton Rouge; his daughter, MichelleFournetFaxon; hissons,Brian "Chad" Fournet, MichaelD'amico, andFrank D'amico;his sisters, Sybil Cashe, Marjorie Fournet Seals and Brenda Fournet and numerous grandchildren, including Justin Fournet, KellyBoles Throckmorton, Nicholas "Nick"Fournet, Blake Borskey, Jaci Fournet Sibley, KevinFournet, Brandy D'amico Rivet, Michael D i T i D i

D amico Rivet Michael D'amico, Travis D'amico Trent D'amico,25Great Grandchildren, and 2Great -Great Grandchildren. He waspreceded in deathby his parents; his son, Richard "Ricky" Emile Fournet;his brothers, SidneyFournetSrand Daniel Fournet;and his sister, Dorothy Fournet Burcham. Emile's faith was aquiet butsteady presence in his life,and his family finds comfort in knowing he restsnow in thepeace of theLord. Amemorial service willbeheldSaturday, March 28, at Rabenhorst Funeral Home,11000 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70815. Visitation willbe from1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., with thememorial servicefrom 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers thefamily kindly requests that donations be madeto thecharityofyourchoice

tal on March 21, 2026 John was born on November 8, 1932, to theunionofFrancis NormanGallaspy and Hazel Weeks Gallaspy.At theage of three, John's mother died of postoperative complications. Hisfather remarried Mary Leigh Marshall of Stonewall,and this unionwouldgiveJohn awonderful,lovingmother and later,two beautiful sisters,Kathleen and Virginia. John enjoyed ahappy childhood in ruralDeSoto Parish butendured the

to Parish but endured the hardships of theGreat Depression andthe fear and uncertainty of WorldWar II. Thefamilyfarmprovided John theopportunityto pursuehis passion of growingwatermelons. With theassistance of his father,Johnplanted his first watermelon patch at theage of 10 in 1943. Given thewar, commercial fertilizer andfuelwerescarce, butJohnmade do with

but John made do with barnyardfertilizer andthe familyhorse. Hisfirst patch produced several varietiesofmelons, including theKeckleySweet andthe Dixie Queen,one so large that he was unableasa young boy to carry it outof thepatch At theage of 15, John graduatedfromPelican High School andenrolled at LSUasone of the youngest students on campus. He majored in history i h i i li h

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Consider these national average costsof treatment. $274for acheckup $299 for afilling $1,471 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethis canbea real burden, especially if you’reonafixed income

pus He majored in history with aminor in English, was amember of Sigma Chi fraternity, and was active in the Corps of Cadets, serving as the company commander his senior year. On graduating, he was commissioned aSecond Lieutenant in theU.S Army FieldArtillery.

After additionaltraining, John was deployed to Korea in the fall of 1952, servingasa forwardobserver for the 39th Field Artillery Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment of the Third InfantryDivision.Hewas involved in intense, often hand-to-handcombat and on one occasion when his position was overrun by enemy forces, John was forced to call in artillery fire on his own position. During another battle, an enemy mortar round impacted right in front of him, lifting John off the ground and leaving him with permanent deafness in one ear. He later participated in the Battle of Outpost Harry, one of the last major engagements of the Korean War. Fighting at nightunder heavy mortar fire, U.S. and Greek troops defended this strategic position from repeated attacks by the Army of the People's Republic of China. More than 50 yearslater, one of John's fellowofficers wrote him aletter of gratitude for his contribution to this battle. John's comrade explained thathe had been severely wounded and as he lost consciousness, the last voice he heard over his radio was that of Lt. Gallaspy, himself underfire, calmly and precisely directing artillery fire. The officer believed John's accurate, unrelenting fire support not only saved his life and many others, but also played asignificant rolein the U.S. and Greek forces retaining control of this critical outpost. For his serviceinthe battle, John was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor in Combat.

After the war ended, John was accepted into LSULaw School, where he served as student body president and was inducted into the Law School's Hall of Fame. As graduation neared and he began interviewing for jobs,a friend set him up on a blind date with Dixie Nell Yates. They fell in love and were married in June of 1958. They remained married for almost 60 years until Dixie's death in 2016.

John and Dixie initially resided in Lake Charles, but the happy couple soon moved to Bogalusa, where they raised their three sons, Whit, Gardner and Lee.John became the Chief Prosecutor for Washington Parish under District Attorney W.W. "Squinch" Erwin, Bogalusa City Attorney under Mayor C.P. Verger,and City Attorney for the villageofSun under Mayor LuLu Mizell. Proud to be a "small town lawyer," John's civil practice included awide range of legal services, including litigation, real estate,successions and wills. He and his longtime law partner, Mickey Paduda, and their staff, Rachel Pierce, FreddieTourne and Anita Lavinghouse, became acornerstone of the legal community whiledeveloping lifelong friendships with each other and their clients. One long time client was so appreciative of John's assistance over their many years that he took the unusual step of publicly expressing his gratitude in alocal newspaper, writing in aletter to the editor that John was "an ever-ready presence i th i li d "t

an ever ready presence in their livesand a"true gentleman and familyman and greatlawyer." After practicing lawfor almost 60 years, John retiredin 2016.

As much as John enjoyedpracticing law, it was often correctlysaid that he wouldratherbe known as achampion watermelon grower.Itwas notuncommon to see John donning alightweight, seersucker suit as he practiced lawduring the day and transitioning to wellworn dungarees in the evening as he tendedto his beloved watermelon patches. His melons won grand champion awards at the state watermelon festivalinFarmerville and were sold formany years at Travis' Supermarket in Bogalusa. But his focus was neveroncompetitions or making money -hemost enjoyed the time outdoors, spending time with fellow farmerslikeMickeyMurphy, and giving awaythe vast majority of hiscropto friends and family. In aletterto afriend justlast year, John cited afavorite author, MarkTwain,when he said: "When one has tastedit, he knowswhat the angels eat. It was not a Southern watermelon that Evetook; we know it because she repented."

John was an activecontributor to the community and garnered numerous honors over the years, including Citizen of the Year andserving as Grand Marshall of the 2023Washington Parish Watermelon Festival parade and the 2026KreweofMCCAparade. He wasanactive memberofElizabethSullivan MemorialUnited MethodistChurch, Mill TownPlayers, RotaryClub, the American Legion, and thehonorary40and 8. AnotherofJohn's passions was John Deere tractors. During the aforementioned parades, he was much more satisfied drivingon oneofhis tractors, towing one of the floats, thantakingpart in otheraspects of the festivities.

In 2014, as part of the City of Bogalusa's100th anniversary, he wrotean extensive,300-page history of the city entitled, "Bogalusa,the City thatRefused to Die." In hiseloquent manner, John saidat the time:"As weall know, we have aratherunique history. The industrialaspects of it have beendocumenteda good bit. Our sawmill has made history allover the world. Iwanted to do something that wouldgive readers a glimpse into the personality of the community

John was an avid reader and relished giving other bookloversa tour of his impressivelibrary on GaylordDrive inBogalusa.Ifa visitorsaw atitle that piqued interest, it was theirstotakehome to enjoy. Christmas Eveatthe Gallaspy home found John infront ofthe fireplace reading Dickens tales to family and friends, conveying the joyofthe season capturedin"Mr.Wardle's ChristmasParty" and the f G b i l G b'

Christmas Party and the wages of Gabriel Grub's coldheart in "The Storyof theGoblins Who Stolea Sexton."Heappreciated oldmoviesaswell, particularlythose featuring W.C Fields,and he became a devotee of Turner Classic and othervintage movie channels in his later years.

After Dixie'sdeath in 2016, John met and married Martha Moak. They enjoyed theirgoldenyears by visiting friends,taking tripstoMobile, attending Sun Methodist Church, and spending timewith family

John was predeceased by hiswife of almost 60 years, DixieYates Gallaspy; his parents, Francis Norman Gallaspy, Hazel Weeks Gallaspy, and Mary Leigh Gallaspy; his younger brother, Jerry Weeks Gallaspy; and his cousinand close friend, Mary RivesGallaspy.

John is survived by three sons, John Whithurst Gallaspy (Stacy), Gardner Weeks Gallaspy (Lori), and LelandRedding Gallaspy (Tonya); eight grandchildren,Caitlyn, Connor, Marianna and Molly Gallaspy (Whit); Willand Emily Gallaspy(Gard); and Caroline and Grant Gallaspy (Lee); and his twosisters, Kathleen Myers and Virginia Garlington.

The family wouldliketo extend heartfeltthanks to thestaff at Our LadyofAngelsHospital, St. Tammany Parish Hospital,Our Lady of theLakeHospital and thesitters and lovedones who providedinvaluable assistance and care during John's final weeks

The final services will be held at Superior Avenue Baptist Church on North Columbia Street in Bogalusa.The funeralwillbe on Thursday,March 26th, from11:00 to noon. Visitation willbeonWednesday, March 25th, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and again on Thursday,March 26th, from9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Gravesideservices will be handledinthe Pelican Cemetery in Pelican, Louisiana, on Friday, March 27th, at 10:30 a.m. Pallbearers are Michael "Micky" Murphy, WalterS "Buddy"Adams, Judge Donald M. Fendlason, Henry Harrison, John Connor Gallaspy, GrantlinYates Gallaspy, and John Wilson Gallaspy. To honor John's memory, thefamily requests donations to Sun Methodist Church, Superior Avenue Baptist Church, Holly Grove Methodist Church, or 40 and 8Nursing Scholarships.

Dottie was born in Port Vincent,Louisiana, the first-bornof11children. She was 83 years old. She died truly peacefully on her farm in Bluff Creek, Louisiana. Dottie was married to HomerKnost for52 years with whom she shared alife of adventure and love.Dottiewas a wife, amother, afriend and awoman of deep faith Sheworemany hats. As a youngwoman on Road RunnerFarm she became a self-taught,accomplished

self taught accomplished cowgirl who earnedrecognition and respect withthe National Gelbvieh Association. Ms. Dottievolunteered her time, talent and resources at Silliman Institute inspiring and encouraging childrenthroughart education.Withher love, whilesometimestough, and her fiery spirit,she never missed an opportunitytoenrich and guide many children's livesin her community.Dottie graduated fromDenham SpringsHighSchool in 1960. She treasured her classmates and maintainedmany of their friendshipsthroughout her life.Dottieand Homer fell in love withWyoming, Buffalo in particular. They had ahome and countless friends that gaveher happinessand many memories until her end.Dottieis survivedbyher threechildren;Thonsa R. "Scottie" Knost,GeorgeH.Knost,III, Edward W. Knost;stepchildren:Jayne Knost Snyder, Dr. James AllenKnost and KarlaKnost Lutrell;daughters in law, Tamara Kauffman Knost, Tonya Fleming Knost,Deborah Knost and Sara Knost and many grandchildren. Dottie is also survivedbyher siblings; Melissa G. Alessi, Alonzo M. Goldman (Lukie), Winnie M. Allen, Horace "Sam" Goldman, Mary G. Fields (Tony) and CecilA.Goldman, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Dottieispreceded in death by her parents MinnieC.Goldman and AlonzoM.Goldman, her late husband,Homer Knost,formerhusband, Richard Rene Rice, siblings; James C. Goldman, SusieB.Goldman, Sarah G. Leeand Patricia G. Yost; step-son, TomKnost, granddaughter,Candace M. Knost,nephew, Andrew J. Alessi and niece, Melissa M. Goldman. Dottie Knost was an independent, strong-willedwoman. Unfortunately, that slowly came to an end when she was diagnosedwith Alzheimer's. She was blessed to havehad devoted,compassionatecaregivers; Ana Elias, Robin Williams and Doll Peavy to whom thefamily willalways be grateful.The family extendsa special thanks to Louis Ringo forhis hard workonher farm. And a debt of gratitudeisowed to Robert "Bob" Selders for his53years of tireless workand dedication in managing her cattleoperation and Road Runner Farms. His commitment, l l i d l

Farms His commitment, loyalty, patience andlove to everymember of Dottie'sfamilywas unmatchable. Pallbearersare Clint Goldman,Blake Goldman, Mario Alessi,DonnieSimoneaux,Mike Hayden andLouis Ringo. Dottie wished that donationsbe made to the Baton Rouge Eye Bank in lieu of flowers please make adonation is herhonor to theBaton Rouge Eye Bank;www.eye bankbr.org\donate\orby mail at Baton Rouge Eye Bank,7777 HennesseyBlvd #1005, Baton Rouge,LA 70808. Come casual. Come celebrate the life of the Dottie Knost you all knew andloved.

for each other Together they were passionate L.S.U.tiger fans. Paulissurvivedbya sister, EllaLombardo Fairchild andher husband, JamesFairchild.Paul is preceded in death by his "always faithfulside-kick twin brother, PeterMichael Lombardo and his parents, PaulJoseph andLois (Sobral) Lombardo Visitation will be at St PatrickCatholic Church on Friday, March27, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. until10:00a.m. A service of remembrance and celebrationoflife mass will begin at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Roselawn Cemetery Arrangements were made throughRabenhorst Funeral Home East. Special thanks fromthe familyto St.Clare NursingHome, Central Guest House, and Hospice of Baton Rouge whoprovidedcare and support for Pauloverthe years. Lombardo, Paul Joseph

PaulJoseph Lombardo alifelongresident of Baton Rouge went to be with Jesus to hisheavenly home on March21, 2026, at the age of 72. He graduatedformRedemptorist High School in 1973. Paul wasa dedicated employee in thegrocery industry. He began at an early ageand workeduntil he became disabledin 2010. Many people recognizedhim as adedicated, caring, andfriendlyfaceat OneStopMarket and Hi Nabor grocery on Winbourne.Many friendships were developedand the Crifasi familyhave been like family. Paul wasa loyal member of theKnights of Columbus, Council #2807. He also served manyyearsasanaltar server, usher, and Eucharistic Minister at St.Anthonyand St.Patrick Catholic churches. Paul enjoyed histimeat familygatheringsand serving othersinthe community. He wasdedicated to helping hisbrother until he became ill. Everyone knew them as "the twins" and they were truly there for each other. Together h i

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Joseph Gayne Marchand, anative andlifelong residentofGonzales, Louisiana, passed away on March21, 2026, at the age of 89. He passedaway peacefully at home, surroundedbyloved ones. Joseph,betterknown as Gayne, or even more so as "Gramps" to his family wasbornDecember1,1936 to DellaYoung Marchand andAlvin Joseph Marchand, whohave preceded himindeathalong with his sister Gilda Marchand Causey, his belovedwife of 64 years BeverlySt. Amant Marchand, andgrandchildren Sara(Stiles) Marchand and Robert Rhodes, III.Joseph Gayneissurvived by brotherMichael "Mickey"Marchand(Christine); threedaughters, Kimberly Rhodes (Bob), Trudy Dedon (Ricky) and D i Eli (Sh ) See more DEATHS, page

Pamela B.,Veriﬁed

Marchand,Joseph Gayne

Knost, Dorothy Goldman 'Dottie'

OUR VIEWS

‘Slammers’

also slammedLa. autoinsurance

ratepayers

Vast criminal conspiracies are, despitethe public fascination with them, rare. When one is real, it’sunusual to get atrue, detailed and vivid picture of the players and how they operate.

But that’swhat happened over the last several weeks in New Orleans during the blockbuster trial of two attorneys who were at the center of asprawling scheme to defraud truckingand insurance companies by conducting staged wrecks and then suing the big-rig ﬁrms for damages.

What’smore, this conspiracy operated alongside an ongoing debate about Louisiana’s sky-high automobile insurance rates. In 2025, apackageofinsurance reform bills passed the Legislature aiming to reducewhat supporters argued was state juries’ afﬁnityfor awarding large jury verdicts to those injured in these wrecks. Trial lawyers balked, but after this trial, it’shard to argue that something was very amiss in asystem where some saw proﬁt in faking crashes for insurance payouts.

The way the scheme workedisthis: “Slammers” would pack acar withpassengers and then head out on the interstate, where they would crash into atruck. They would then tell the police it was the trucker’sfault

One slammer would then direct the people in the car to attorneys like Vanessa Motta and Jason Giles, who sued on their behalf, often netting big settlements.

One of those slammers, Cornelius Garrison III, was shot dead at his mother’shouse in 2020 after he begancooperating withfederal investigators. Another slammer,Ryan “Red” Harris, pleaded guilty to helping arrange the killing. Adisbarred attorney,Sean Alfortish, is also charged in the killing but has not yet gone to trial. The trial, which ended last week in guilty verdicts for Motta and Giles, was full of the sort of bombshell testimony and wild twists that are more at home in anetwork procedural than they are in the staid federal courtroom. But apart from the lurid narratives, the case does shine alight on Louisianans’ dealings with automotive insurers.

Jurors were askedduring jury selection about their historieswiththeir auto insurers, prompting at least one of them tocall insurance a“money grab.”

Another complained that his insurance company had increasedhis premium after an accident, even though the other driver was at fault. Prosecutors in the trial said the scheme went on for so long and involved so many wrecks —before Motta’sand Giles’ trial, almost 50 people had pleaded guiltyinthe case —that it could have affected insurance premiums across the state. One slammer even apologized from the stand for his contribution to the state’shigh rates.

We are glad, of course,tosee these fraudsters caught and brought to trial. And we certainly hope that eliminating this vast criminal conspiracy will also affect rates, even if just a little bit.

Lawmakers choose business over people everytime

As thelegislative session approached, Gov.Jeff Landry and Republican legislators madetheir press rounds. Their top priority? Improving Louisiana’s“business climate.”

Not insurance premiums that have doubled. Not rising utilitybills or grocery costs. Not people losing health care coverage. Not underfunded public schools or higher education growing moreexpensive. Not roads and bridges. The focus is thebusiness climate. For decades, Republicans have promised that cutting taxes and regulationsfor corporations would attract investment and create prosperityfor everyone. Help business ﬁrst, and families will beneﬁt later Butthat promise feels thinner every year.The system now produces politicians who openly represent the“business climate,” not thepeople living in it. This year,the governor said families will feel like they “won the lottery” from income tax cuts —about $500 for theaverage household —while

insurance premiums have risen by thousands. Andthat’sbefore the new tariffs coming out of Washington, apolicy Republicanssupport, push prices higher still. Yes, incometaxes werereduced. Butthe largest savingswent to higher earners. The corporate franchise tax was eliminated, costing roughly $500 million annually.And this May,voters will decide on amendments that would further weaken the corporate inventorytax —another $500 million revenue stream for local schools and governments. When thestate removes hundreds of millions in revenue, local governments raise sales taxes or cut services. Families don’tjust pay the state sales tax rate. They pay the combined state and local rate —amongthe highest in thecountry Louisianadoesn’thave abusiness climate problem.Ithas arepresentation problem What about us?

DUSTIN GRANGER LakeCharles

There is aclosed primary on May 16. The key elections are forthe U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. If you live in the Baton Rouge area, avote in the Democratic primarywill not accomplish much. It is highly likely that aRepublican will winthe Senate seat. The mostlikely winners forSenate are the Republicans, U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow (supported by President Donald Trump) and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (who voted to convict Trumpafter the Jan. 6 demonstration).

Baton Rouge is split between the 5th and 6th districts forthe U.S. House of Representatives. The 5th goes Republican every election. If you are in the 6th, it always goes Democratic. The existing rep for the 6th District is the Democrat Cleo Fields, whohas no one running against him in the May 16 Democratic primary.State Sen. Blake Miguez has been endorsed by Donald Trump forthe 5th District.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

We must remember God remainsin control of all situations. The rising and settingofthe sun occur according to his divine order.Ascitizens,weshould faithfully carry out our responsibilities and trust him with the rest. Since 1989, Ihave written extensively about the importance of remaining on Central Standard Time and appreciate the many media outlets that have published my articles over theyears. I extendspecial gratitude to The Advocate for printing my ﬁrst article and to WAFB for conducting theYou Decide poll, in which amajority of citizens expressed their preference to remain on Central StandardTime.

This issue impacts public health, safety, productivityand overall quality of life. Standardtime best aligns with our natural circadian rhythms, supporting better sleep, improvedfocus and healthier daily routines. Remaining on Central StandardTime promotes consistency and stability for families, businesses, schools and communities. Isubmit these thoughts as aconcerned citizen and dedicated taxpayer, urging policymakers to prioritize the well-being of our communities by supporting thecontinued observance of Central Standard Time.

EARNESTINE D. GORDON Clinton

Kateb Shunnar is such agifted writer His column, “Mardi Gras is calling. Meet us on the neutral ground, touched me deeply.AsIread it, Ifelt that familiar pull of home —the music in the air,the colors, thelaughter,the way Mardi Gras transforms strangers into family.Hecaptured the spirit I’ve

felt so manytimes standing on that neutral ground: that magical moment when people from everywhere come together and, just forawhile, share thesame joy and the sameheartbeat. His words reminded me whyMardi Gras will always be apart of whoI am. SARAH BYES NewOrleans

So, if you are aDemocrat and want to makeyour vote count, you can change your party to No Party.If you are No Party,and you arrive at the polls, you get your choice to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary. If you vote in the Republican primary,your vote will accomplish something.

One can change their party online at https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/ VoterRegistration. It only takes a fewminutes. In the ﬁnal November election, you can vote foranyone you wish.

In response to arecent guest columnbyChad Hanks regarding the challenges faced by family farmers, Icertainly strongly agree with the issues he presented. Iwonder,however,that if he truly feels “blessed” to have our current Louisiana congressional delegation, what has compelled him to write his column?

Just saying.

RICHARD

C. LANDRY Lafayette

JOEL WEST Baton Rouge

COMMENTARY

Happydaysare here again. Fornow.

Finally,awin for Sid Edwards.

East Baton Rouge’smayor-president musthave been delighted to stand at the podium last week and announce big raises for the city’sbeleaguered police officers, making good on acentral campaign promise and finally achieving what he failed to do during hisfirstyear in office.

Even better,hedidn’thaveto pillage the library to do it

But ﬁrst, it’sworthsayingthat these raises are abig deal, not just ﬁnancially,but alsopolitically and practically.

AirlineHighway headquarters was probablyonly matched by therelief felt on the third ﬂoor of City Hall. Happy days and political wins have beenhardtocome by in themayor’s14 months in ofﬁce.

There is no question that Baton Rouge Police ofﬁcers are underpaid, and signiﬁcantly so.

Starting officers make around $41,000, apitiful amount given the training and equipment the citymust invest in them. It’snowonder that there’sanofficer shortage, or that good officers,oncetrained andcertified,bolt for other agencies with better pay If the raise plan is approved bythe MetroCouncil next month,the starting salary will jump to around $58,000. Other sworn officers except thechief will get 15% raises under the new plan as well.

All of this is good news. Baton Rouge ofﬁcersdeserve fair compensation And in return for that increased pay Baton Rouge residents andvisitors deserve aprofessional, efﬁcient andeffective police force.

The joy the new pay plan setoff at the Baton Rouge Police Department’s

Last year,just amonth into histerm, Edwards unveiled his ﬁrst grandplan to raise police salaries.

He proposed to pay for it by rededicating tax revenue for thelibrary system and two smaller agencies and putting that money in the city-parish generalfund.

That idea prompted furious and immediate pushback. People in Baton Rougelovetheir library system, as it turns out, and the entire reason the system hasadedicated tax was to remove it from the discretion of the MetroCouncil and the mayor in the ﬁrst place.

Edwards’ proposal created a“cops versus libraries”narrative, and folks didn’tlike being forced to choose. He was forced backinto the mayoral bunker to revise the plan. And when he emerged, asking for asmaller library rededication, police raiseshad fallen out of the picture entirely.The money would be used for infrastructure improvements. It didn’thelp. Votersrejected those proposals, which Edwards had named “Thrive EBR,” in November That Februaryannouncement and November defeat bookendedEdwards’ ﬁrst year

That’swhat must have madelast week’sannouncement so much fun. Police aregetting raises —that’s good. Edwards didn’thave to plunder another agency to do it —that’s also good (though the library system still does not have adedicated revenue stream for 2027 —that’s bad)

The funds for these raises came from savings created when the Metro Council approved changes to the city-parish insurance plan, amove expected to bring in between $16 million and $19 million per year.Credit goes toRepublicans Metro Council members Jen Racca and Dwight Hudson and Democrat Cleve Dunn Jr.for pushing it through.

Edwards got on board, and last week, got to announce the win. This is what afunctioning governmentlooks like. Sure, it would have been nice to see this plan ﬁrst and not have to have gone through all of that with the library and so on. Butfor now, let’sjust appreciatethat this worked. It would be even nicer to see this sort of effort become the norm in Baton Rouge politics. Or thestate or the nation, for that matter.But I’m not optimistic; politics is blood sport, after all, and you’re only succeeding if it’s somebody else’sblood being spilled.

That’swhy Edwards shouldn’tlet the celebratory mood linger.This win is good. Butthe next battle looms.

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

willpack up and leave the state for one with lower or no state income tax. Unfortunately,one can’tescape the long arm of federal taxes. Proof of this axiom comes from the IRS and its publication of the latest (2023) migration numbers. Unleash Prosperity,which touts its mission to “educate policymakers and the public about government policies that have been proven, in practice, to maximize economic growth and equitable prosperity in Americaand around the world,” constructedagraph from thenumbers. Their ﬁndings should be no surprise except to those Democratpoliticians who are in denial and can’thelpthemselves when it comes to squeezing more money out of successful individuals and businesses.Californialeads thelist for the most people leavingthe state,takingwith them $11.9 billion in revenue. Next is New York, which lost $9.9 billion, followed by Illinois ($6billion), Massachusetts ($4 billion), New Jersey ($2.6 billion), Pennsylvania ($2.2 billion) and four more. All have governors who areDemocrats. Most who left went to Florida, Texas, North Carolina,South Carolina, Arizona and otherstates with no,orlower,taxes. New York Gov.Kathy Hochul takes

the chutzpahprize for begging wealthy formerresidentstoreturntothe state. Thereason? She says they have eroded New York’srevenue base. She offers them no incentive to return. Maybe atax cut would help. New York City’s Democrat-Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani wantstoraise taxesonthe wealthy,but can’t do it without approval from the general assembly.Ifithappens, expectevenmore people to ﬂee. AccordingtoBloomberg.com, approximately 546,000 residentsleft New York between April 2020 and2024. DemocratsinWashington state have adopted a9.9% state tax. It’sscheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2028. That leavestime for the wealthy to make moving plans. Their politicians appear as ignorant, or blind,asthose instates which are alreadylosing overtaxed residentsand businesses. This may not be socialism in its purest form, but it is headed in that direction. As this is the centenary of our 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, his economic philosophy might be instructive forcontemporary politicians who keep taxing and spending beyond themeans of many to keep up. Coolidge said: “A government which requires of the people the contribution of the bulk of theirsubstance and rewards cannot be classedasafree government, or long remain assuch.”

How about this one: “The collectionof any taxes which are not absolutely required, which do not beyond reasonable doubt contributetothe public welfare, is only aspecies of legalized larceny Under this republic therewards of industry belong to those who earnthem.”

Coolidge’seconomic views arethe antithesis of socialism, afailed economic systemthat is gaining popularityamong younger Americans who have never had to live under it While the latecomposer Stephen Sondheim would probably have never allowed any of his songs to be used for political ends, one from his musical “A Little Night Music” could ﬁt thethinking and policies of high taxDemocrat states. The lyrics include “Isn’titrich (no pun intended)? Aren’tweapair (Hochul and Mamdani).”

And thenthe concluding line: “Don’tyou love farce (politicians)? My fault, Ifear (theynever admit error). Ithought thatyou’d want what Iwant (taxpayers) Sorry,mydear But whereare the clowns? Quick, send in the clowns Don’tbother,they’re here.” They are certainly here and not just in high-tax blue states, but also in Congress.

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@ tribpub.com

Twodissimilar government agencieshave inadvertently combined to clarify the immigration debate. Stomach-turning excessesbyImmigration and Customs Enforcement have turned many Americans’ abstract political preferences into something uncomfortably concrete. And the Census Bureau has demonstrated thatthe nation needs immigrants as muchas they need the blessings of American liberty.Given aclear binary choice —for or against deporting immigrants who are here illegally —most Americans favor deportation. However: One Sunday,amoderately prodeportation American goes, as usual, for brunch at the neighborhood diner.Jose, who hasput wafﬂesinfront of this American for 20 years, and who regularly exchanges pleasantries with him about their families, is gone. He has been deportedfor America’simprovement. Suddenly,the immigration issue has aface, and complexity

President Joe Biden’s choice not to enforce immigration laws poisoned the immigrationdebate, and led to government behavior today that is deepening distrust of government. The inﬂux during Biden’sfour years (8.3 million, more than in the preceding 12 years), torrentialand dispersed, has clouded the picture. This, however, seems true:

The foreign-born portion of the U.S. population (15.8%) is higher than at any timesince at least 1850. But as of 2023, only 27 percent were not authorized to be here. More than half of allimmigrants (52%) have become U.S. citizens. Prior to the Biden inundation, most undocumented immigrants had arrived before 2010, 43 percent as of 2020 had been here at least 20 years, about one-third were homeowners, and their 5million children born here were citizens. Talk of sending them “home” is nonsensical. They are home. For which, give thanks:

The Census Bureau reports that between July 2024 and July 2025, the U.S. populationgrewby just 0.5%, 1.4 millionless than in the previous 12 months, primarily because of less immigration. According to the Pew Research Center,during the first six months of this administration, the foreign-born population shrank by more than a million, the first decline since the 1960s.According to the Migration Policy Institute, between 2022 and 2023, for the first time since relevant census data began being collected in 1850, immigration accounted for the entire U.S. population growth. As the U.S. populationages, those leaving the workforce enter Social Security and Medicare. The nation’sbirth rate is below the replacement rate, so immigration must replenish the workforce whose tax contributions fund the entitlements.

Arecent Cato Institute report (“Immigrants’ Recent Effects on Government Budgets: 19942023”) says: Immigrants “generatedmore in taxes than they received in beneﬁts from all levels of government.” They “createda cumulative ﬁscal surplus of $14.5 trillion in real 2024 US dollars,” including $3.9 trillion in savings on interest that did not need to be paid on debt that wasnot added. Immigrants were, on average, more than 12 percent more likely to be employed thanthe U.S.-born population. Cato: “In 1994, the immigrant share of government expenditureswas 18 percent below their share of the population; in 2023, it was 25 percent below.”

In 2023, immigrants constituted almost18percent of the civilian labor force, and more than a third of them were in management, professional and related occupations, almost double the 21% in service occupations (e.g., hospitality). In 2023, immigrant median household income ($78,700) wasslightly above that of U.S.-born households ($77,600).

The Cato data comes from static, not dynamic accounting: It does not, for example,gauge immigration’sdynamism injection: Immigration —risk-taking for improved opportunity —is an entrepreneurial act. Unsurprisingly,immigrants’ workforce participation rate (66.5%) is higher than that of the U.S.-born population (61.7%), and immigrants’ portions of U.S. patents and start-ups exceed immigrants’ portion of the population.

As Cato notes, many illegal immigrants who are employed under borrowed or stolen identities have taxes withheld by employers but are ineligible for many government benefits. And they are less likely than others to file returns in order to claim refunds. This is another reason why Cato says: “Immigrants have created an enormous fiscal surplus for the US government …The $14.5trillion in savings from immigrants is the equivalent of 33 percent of the total inflation-adjusted combined deficits from 1994 to 2023 without immigrants.”

That fellow having brunch at the diner will still get his wafﬂes. But he will miss Jose, and millions like him, in more ways than he caneasily imagine.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

Faimon Roberts

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO OF SETHWENIG

NewYork Gov. Kathy Hochul, center,marches in theSt. Patrick’sDay parade in NewYork on March 17.

George Will

Cal Thomas

Desiree Eliser (Shane);one son, Kendall Gayne Marchand; seven grandchildren, Megan Delatte (Ralph), Erika Heath (Daryn), Adam Rhodes (Breigh), Miranda Hebert, Jenna Rhodes, Ryan Gregoire (Misty) and Danielle Eliser; 21 great grandchildren; 5great great grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews. Visitation for Joseph Gayne Marchandwill be held on Thursday, March 26 from 9:00 AM -11:00 AM with aservice immediately following at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Prairieville, Louisiana. Family, friends, and loved ones are welcome to join this celebration of his life.

DEATHS continued from law. He applied for andgot the job, beginning acareer that brought him immense personal satisfaction as well as high marks from his students. In 1981 John accepted a position teaching business law in the Business School at the University of Arkansas, where he played apivotal role in developing the Honors program and mentoring students. Many students have expressed their gratitude,acknowledging his guidance and influence on theircareers. The winner of several teaching awards over the years, John loved hisprofession, approaching it from the startwithenthusiasm and dedication. John retired in2021 after 40 years at the Universityof Arkansas.

Burial will be private in the family cemetery in Franklin.

John Martel Norwood, 77, longtime professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, passed away on February 15, 2026, in New Orleans. He died from complications from dementia. He was born on January 11,1949 to Colvin Gamble Norwood, Sr. ("Pete") and Dorothy Elise PecotNorwood ("Dot") and raised in Franklin Louisiana with his siblings Carol Ann CramKilburn and Colvin Gamble Norwood, Jr. ("Woody"). John graduated from Hanson Memorial High School in 1966 at the topof his class. He was awarded aBachelor of Arts degree in 1970 from LSU in Baton Rouge and Juris Doctor degree from TulaneLaw School in 1973. In 1977 John returned to LSUtoearn his MBA. Afew months before he was to graduatefrom law school, he noticed aposting fromNortheast Louisiana University in Monroe (NLU) seeking arecent JD to teach business

Colleagues, students and friends areinvited to attend aCelebration of Life in honor of Professor John Norwood. This event will be held April 17, 2026, in Fayetteville at 2:30 pm in the Reynolds Center Auditorium at the Walton College of Business on the University of Arkansas campus.

Rasberry, Lanell Whitehead

Lanell Whitehead Rasberry,age 79, beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, went to be with her Lord and Savior on March 21, 2026. Shewas bornonFebruary 14, 1947, in Livingston Parish, Louisiana. She is survived by her daughter, Lisa R. Peters (Paul);her son, Jason H. Rasberry;five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.Lanell was precededindeath by her devotedhusbandof58 years, Herbert Hal Rasberry;her parents, A.D. and Alice Whitehead; hersister,Gladys Pratt; her brothers, Kelton Whitehead and Mike Whitehead; and her mother- and father -in-law. Serving as pall-

bearerswill be Justin Peters, Lawson Peters,BrandonWhitehead,Kevin Whitehead,Sap Guzzardo, and ChrisO'Neal.Relatives and friends are invitedto join the family for the visitation at SealeFuneral Home, 1720 S. RangeAve., Denham Springs, on Thursday, March 26, 2026, from 9:00 AM until the funeral service at 11:00 AM. The graveside service and burial will follow at Denham Springs Memorial Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to LiveOak Church.

RaybornJr., JohnD

In his home surrounded by his wife and two sons, John D. Rayborn, Jr.passed away on March 22, 2026, at the ageof88. Aresident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, John was born on May 11, 1937, in Lewisville, Arkansas. John graduated fromLouisiana State University, where he was also in the TigerMarching Band and amember of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. John was alongtime State Farm Claims Superintendent. John was adevoted husband,father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend.John found great joyinlife's simple pleasures, especially cheering on LSU football and spending time with his family at the beach. After retirement, John and Mary traveled the world and made new friendsalong the way. He was afaithful member of St. Jude Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. John is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Tinnin Rayborn of Shreveport, Louisiana; sons, Jack (Melissa) Rayborn of Orange Beach, Alabama, and Michael Rayborn of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; cherished grandchildren, Brandon (Kristen) Rayborn of OrangeBeach, Alabama, ChandlerRayborn of Foley, Alabama, Brooke Rayborn of San Diego, California, and AidenRayborn of

Navarre Beach, Florida; great-grandsons, Colton Rayborn, JacksonRayborn, ConnorRayborn,and Mason Rayborn. Family and friends are invited to celebrateJohn'slife on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Resthaven Funeral Home. Visitation will beginat1:30 PM with services beginning at 2:30 PM. John will be remembered forhis loveoffamily, his warm spirit,and thelasting impact he madeonthose who knew him. Family and friends may sign theonline guestbook or leave apersonal notetothe family at www.resthavenbatonroug e.com.

Gonzales, LA -Funeral Serviceswill be held at 12:00 PM on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at St.John the Evangelist Catholic Church -15208 LA 73, Prairieville honoring the life of Rose Spera Smith, 80 who passed away on Sunday March 22, 2026, at The Carpenter House in Baton Rouge, LA. Officiating the Service will be Fr.Pravin Jadhav. Honored to serve as pallbearers will be Vance Broussard, Kyle Broussard,CraigBroussard,HarrisonSmith, Ellie Smithand Robby Smith. Rosiewas born in New Orleans, LA and grew up in Arabie,LAina proud Italianhousehold. Rosie was a trained secretary in New Orleans where she met her husband Bob as he was training to be amachinist. Rosieloved her family above alland was adevoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. All her grandchildren and great grandchildrenadored Rosie, but they know her as theirNonnie.She was a great cook and loved to cook Italian, Creole and

Cajun food. Shealso loved to travelwith friends and family around theworld, buther favorite placewas thecamp in Grand Isle and especially gatheringwith her family on the4th of July. Rosiewas adedicated wife of 59 years and was admired for her devoted care of Bob in hisfinal years with Alzheimer's. Sheissurvivedby, her dedicatedson,Robby Smith andhis wife Wendy; her son-in-law Eric Broussard; and her brother-inlaw Mike Smith andhis wife Dee. Rosieisalso survivedbyher grandchildren VanceBroussard, Kyle Broussard, Craig Broussard, HarrisonSmith and Ellie Smith, andher great grandchildren Audrey, Brooks, Max, Lily, Noraand Eli Broussard. Shewas precededin death by her husband Bob, her parentsAgatha Licciardi Spera andSam Spera, her daughterKaren Broussard and her sister Linda Spera Janusa. Friends and Relatives are invitedtoa visitation on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM. at Ourso Funeral Home 13533 AirlineHighway, Gonzales, La. Visitation will resume at 10:00 AM on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at St. John theEvangelist Catholic Church 15208 LA 73, Prairieville, LA Mass of Christian Burial will be at 12:00 PM.Burial will take place at Serenity Oaks Memorial Cemetery 15304 LA 73 in Prairieville LA.

Alvin Thomas III left this earthylifeonMarch20, 2026 after buildinga lastinglegacythat touched countless people.

He wasbornonMay 29, 1948 in Natchez,MSto

Alvin Thomas, Jr.and CatherineThomas. He grew up in Baton Rouge andwas aproud graduate of Capitol HighSchool c/o '67

Thomas wasa Vietnam Veteran whoservedhonorably in the Army. He was an avid runner and was devotedtohis church

Thomas waspreceded in death by his parents and hisoldest son, Chief WarrantOfficer 2Terry Thomas.

Thomas leaves behind hiswife of 54 years, Patricia; daughters TaRhonda (Mike) and Tressa (Tory); son Timothy; eleven grandchildren; anda hostof friends andfamily who will miss himdearly. Avisitation will be held from9:00 AM to 11:00 AM on 2026-0327 at Cross of Calvary University Lutheran Church 3235 Dalrymple Dr. Afuneral service will be heldat11:00 AM on 2026-03 -27 at Cross of Calvary University Lutheran Church, 3235 Dalrymple Dr.

Smith, Rose 'Rosie'

Norwood, John Martel

Thomas, Alvin

Crawfête sells out, names best dishes

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

This year’s sold-out Crawfête had over 700 guests, Arabian horses and lots of good crawfish. On Sunday, families and foodies assembled at Live Oak at Cedar Lodge, 6300 Jefferson Highway, to taste crawfish from over 12 boilers and crawfish culinary dishes from local restaurants. The annual crawfish festival was held at Perkins Rowe in previous years, so this was the first year at the Live Oak at Cedar Lodge.

The annual crawﬁsh festival is hosted by the Epicurean Society, a 501(c)3 organization composed of culinary professionals like chefs, restaurateurs, food suppliers and wine purveyors who have been raising money to give back to the Baton Rouge community for the last 18 years. Sarah Gray, executive director for the Epicurean Society, said the proceeds of the event go toward supporting nonproﬁt organizations working to combat food insecurity and advance childhood nutrition and health across the Baton Rouge area, including the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Knock Knock Children’s Museum, Big River Economic & Agricultural Development Alliance and Girls on the Run.

The Blue Crab Redemption Band brought live music and Food Network’s Roshni Gurnani, also known as Chef Rosh, performed a live crawﬁsh cooking demonstration.

Crawfête 2026 results

Boiling competition: First place: Sammy’s Grill Second place: B&Z Boilers Third place: Atta Boy Kajun Kitchen

Boiling competition, people’s choice: First place: Hot Tails Culinary competition: First place: Southdowns Grille, crawﬁsh smoked cheddar grilled cheese and pickled pearl onions on the side

The newspaper is reintroducing its Cookie Contest at the Baker Fair from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.April 12 at the Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., in Baton Rouge

The first-place winner will receive

a $100 gift card; second place, $75 gift card; and third place $50 gift card.

The winners and their cookies will be featured in The Advocate’s Living section. For details and to enter the contest, go to ebrpl.co/ advocatecookiecontest.

Smooth servings

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

Soft-serve margaritas have dominated a corner of the internet recently, and some Louisiana businesses are creating their own spin on the viral frozen treat.

In ﬂavors like strawberry, mango and passionfruit, these soft-serve margaritas earned their name for resembling the texture of you guessed it: soft-serve ice cream.

They’re sweet, boozy and the perfect treat for spring and summer Here’s where to get one of the drinks in Louisiana.

Boru Ramen in Baton Rouge

When Boru Ramen manager Lorell Hamilton saw soft-serve margaritas blow up on TikTok at the beginning of the month, he hit

a soft-serve margarita from a frozen margarita, Hamilton said.

Boru Ramen carries the treat in lime, mango, passionfruit, piña colada, pomegranate, raspberry strawberry, watermelon and prickly pear ﬂavors.

“At the end of the day, it’s still a margarita, so it should be drinkable,” Hamilton said. “And when eating stuff like ramen or some of our other food, you want to still be able to sip on it. So that’s why it’s still thick but not too thick where you maybe need a spoon.”

The Japanese restaurant also serves ramen, rice bowls and appetizers like chicken wings, chicken karaage, bao buns and edamame.

Boru Ramen, 4957 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge.

the kitchen immediately and got to work.

“I told the owner,” Hamilton said.

“I was like, ‘Here, try this.’ The next day, we started selling them.”

The restaurant started selling the new treat on March 6, Hamilton said, and that weekend, they sold 80 soft-serve margaritas. His recipe uses triple sec, tequila, lime juice and milk. The addition of milk or dairy is what differentiates

Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and closed Monday

Casa Maria in Denham Springs In Denham Springs, Casa Maria owner Fahim Jamil posted his rendition of the soft-serve margarita on Facebook and TikTok. In one week, he sold over 5,000 soft-serve margaritas.

“I had a table last night from

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL DUNLAP

Lorell Hamilton, manager at Boru Ramen in Baton Rouge, makes a soft-serve margarita. The drinks are going viral on the internet.

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM FAHIM JAMIL

Casa Maria in Watson is serving soft-serve margaritas from their new soft-serve ice cream machine.

By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday,March

25, the 84th day of 2026. There are 281 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On March 25, 1911, 146 people,mostly young female immigrants, were killed when aﬁre broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. garment factory in New York; the tragedy led to legal reforms for workers’ rights and workplace safety

Also on this date:

In 1894, Jacob S. Coxeybegan amarch from Massillon, Ohio, to Washington, leadingan “army” of as many as 500 unemployed workersto demand help from the federal government following the Panic of 1893 and ensuing depression

In 1931, in the so-called Scottsboro Boys case, nine young Black men weretaken off atrain in Alabama and accused of raping two White women; after yearsofconvictions, death sentences and imprisonment,they wereeventually vindicated.

In 1947, acoal dust explosion inside the Centralia Coal Co. Mine No. 5inWashington County,Illinois, killed 111 miners; 31 survived.

In 1965, the Rev.Martin Luther King Jr.led 25,000 people to the Alabama state Capitol in Montgomery, completinga ﬁveday march from Selma to protest the denial of voting rights to Black Americans.

In 1975, King Faisal, of Saudi Arabia, was assassinated by his nephew,Prince Faisal bin Musaid. (Faisal bin Musaid was executed for the killing three months later.)

In 1990, 87 people were killed when ﬁre raced through the Happy Land social club in New York City. (The ﬁre was set by patron Julio Gonzalez, who had been thrown out of the club following an argument withhis girlfriend; Gonzalez died in prisonin2016.)

In 2018, 64 people, including 41 children, died in ashopping center ﬁre in the Russiancity of Kemerovo in Siberia. Relatives of the dead complained the shopping center’semergency exitswere locked and the mall’sﬁre alarms didn’tsound Today’sbirthdays: Film critic Gene Shalit is 100. Activist and author Gloria Steinem is 92. Musician Elton John is 79. Actor Bonnie Bedelia is 78. Actor MarciaCross is 64. Author Kate DiCamillois62. ActorLisa Gay Hamilton is 62. Actor Sarah Jessica Parker is 61. Baseball Hall of Famer TomGlavine is 60. Comedian-actor Alex Moffat (TV:“Saturday Night Live”) is 44. Actor-singer Katharine McPhee is 42. Comedian-actor Chris Redd (TV:“Saturday Night Live”) is 41. Rapper Big Sean is 38. Actor Mikey Madison is 27. World-classsprinter Sha’Carri Richardson is 26. Actor Will Buie Jr.is19.

CRAWFÊTE

Continued from page1D

Second place: Ruffino’sRestaurant, crawﬁsh pot pie

Third place: Mansurs on the Boulevard, crawﬁshcornbread Culinarycompetition people’schoice: Firstplace: Mestizo Louisiana Mexican Cuisine,crawﬁsh and cream cheese poppers

Some people canbealittletoo ‘sorry’

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave MS. I know that most people are aware of what adreadful disease it is. But when I tell someone that Ihave MS,asImust sometimes do, some peoplesay “I’m sorry” —emphasison “sorry,” as if it is adeath sentence.

There are other reactions, as well, though usually not as offensive. How should Irespondgraciously?

mal conversation. Butyou would hardly want your statementtobeignored.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Gentle reader: Few people know howtorespond to bad news in away that is simultaneously respectful and compassionate andeven fewer will know how you, speciﬁcally,would want them to react, particularly as your answer to that may not remain constant

No one likes pity,and perhaps it is the delivery that offends you —the accompanying mournful face and inability to return to nor-

Histrionics are never in order,ofcourse, but a simple, “I’msorrytohear that,” seems like areasonable compromise. The answer tothat is an equally simple, “Thank you.”

Miss Manners hopes that you will take intoaccount thespeaker’sintent in rating theoffensiveness of other responses, but she would think that the quickest way out of the conversation would still be alone “Thank you” before moving on.

Dear Miss Manners: Iattenda women’sgroup in my town with approximately 20 members. The group is growing, and awoman who recently joined has declared she is thrilled to have found us. ButIamnot thrilled to have her, and neither are others, judging by their reactions.

She is self-centered and talks over the rest of us. In my ﬁrst encounter with her,I learned how old she is, her husband’sname, where she worked, how long she’s been retired,her ailments, her family’sailments

Of course, she didn’task asingle question aboutany of us. She has ahusband, so Idon’tthink it’s because she’slonely

It’sobviousshe is going to continue coming to our meetings. I will be avoiding sitting by her (Because she is so brash, if she is snubbed, Ican actually picture her takingmetotask, asking, “Are you avoiding sitting by me?”) Isuspect we are not the ﬁrst group to be stymied by her There has been much written about how to handle the ups and downs of aone-on-one friendship, but what abouthow to handle this in agroup? There is a“leader,” but Ican’tpicture her ever saying anything. And what can one say,

anyway? “You are annoying, so stop it”?

Gentle reader: It would be equally impolite of the leader to correct aguest’smanners if she is not disobeying the rules of the group. But the leader has the power not to invite her to future events. If you cannot effect that, then the alternatives are ﬁnding more patience within yourself,increasing your distance to this person at events, socializing with adifferent group —orapalace coup that leaves you in control of the guest list. Which to choose will depend on how much energy you are willing to invest to be thrilled.

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

Soft-serve lime margarita from BoruRamen

SOFT-SERVE

Continued from page1D

Alabama,”Jamil said. “People have been coming here from Covington, New Orleans, Lafayette.”

The drink is like an ice cream with tequilainit, Jamilsaid. Flavors include mango, strawberry and piña colada, and each 20 ounce-treat is topped withcondensedmilk

This month, therestaurant got a newsoft-serve machine to prepare the treats, differentfromthe margarita machinethey’vebeen using. The soft-servemachine makes the texture even ﬂufﬁer

“It’s like paying for acar,” Jamil said aboutpurchasing the new machine. “But the amount of business we’ve been getting, and the amount of feedback we’ve been getting is amazing. People love our products. People loveour food.” Casa Maria, 33939La. 16, Denham Springs.

Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday,11a.m. to 9p.m. Sunday and Monday and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday

SombrerosinWalker

This Mexican restaurant will have soft-serve margarita ﬂights where foodies can pickfourflavors between strawberry,mango,

raspberry,blue raspberry,watermelon,prickly pear and peach.

Sombreros, 28050 Walker South Road, Walker

Open 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday,10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday and 10:30 a.m.to

9:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday

Superior Grill in Shreveport

TwoSuperior Grill locations are hopping on the trend.

At 6123 Line Ave. in Shreveport, SuperiorGrill is serving up softserve key lime strawberry margaritas. Manager Esteban Valdes’ rendition includes an ice cream base with margaritamix and strawberry puree. He said he’sstill

perfecting the texture.

Superior Grill, 6123 Line Ave., Shreveport.

Open 11 a.m.to11p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.to 10 p.m.Sunday through Thursday Superior Grill in Lafayette

Foodies can also ﬁnd the treat at Superior GrillinLafayette, located at 2320 Kaliste Saloom Road. The restaurantstarted serving them on March 13.

Superior Grill, 2320 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette.

Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday,10a.m.to11p.m.Saturday, 10 a.m.to10p.m. Sunday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday

STAFF PHOTO BY MADDIE SCOTT

Bystanderupset

Dear Harriette: Ilive in New York City,and the other day,Isaw someone’sphone get stolen, and Ididn’tdo anything to help. Ifelt bad, but ultimately,Ididn’twant to get hurt or have anything stolen from me in the process. I’m alittle bit older, awoman and not in the best shape, so I froze in the moment and told myself it was safer to stay out of it. It happened quickly; someone grabbed the phone right out of aman’shand and ran. There were other people around, and for asplit second, Ithought about yelling or trying to draw attention to what was happening. Then Iimmediately thought about the pos-

Getrid of moldysmellsinpurses

sibility of the thief turning on me or havinga weapon. Iconvinced myself that it wasn’tworth therisk.Still, Ican’tshake the guilt. Ikeep replaying it in my mind andwondering if I should have at least shouted, called 911 faster or done somethingother than just stand there. I’vealways considered myself someone who cares aboutothers andbelieves in doingthe right thing. Now I’m questioning whether I failed some kind of moral test. At thesame time, I don’tthink it’sunreasonable to prioritize my own safety If somethinglike this happens aroundmeagain, should Itry to intervene, or

do you thinkIwas right to stay out of it? —Bystander Dear Bystander: First,stop beating yourself up. It’s understandable that you froze in themoment. Upon reﬂection, it’sgood that you see that there could have been other options. Yelling “Stop!”may have startled thephone thief. It probably wouldn’thave saved the phone, but thevictim would have appreciated it Idon’tthink you should have run after the person, but calling out might help in thefuture.

Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

Continued from page1D

ordered the shrimp fried rice. It’shuge. Ieven had some for leftovers.Ilike that Tsunami’sfried rice has apeppery taste to it, along with the addition of edamame.

—Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator Fried catfish

n Dwyer’s Cafe,323 Jefferson St., Lafayette

While in Lafayette visiting the Lafayette Science Museum, Iwalked down to Dwyer’sCafe for lunch. I chose Dwyer’sbecause it looked charming and busy Isat in the bar area and prepared to order apo-boy or asalad, when my server advised Igolook at the plate lunchesfor the day Itook her advice, and I was not sorry Dwyer’shas hot plate lunches everyday, and on aWednesdayI chosefried catﬁsh, cornbread dressing, navy beans, rice and corn-

seewhat lunch specials they arecooking up each day

—Joy Holden, features reporter Jalapeño cheeseburger,fries

n Dearman’s Diner, 7633 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge

Dear Heloise: Ihave ablack leather purse, which I stored in itsfabric bag. Butwhen I pulled it out this year,ithad aterrible moldysmell. Iread that baking soda and/or lemon zest would help get rid of the odor,but neither helped. Any ideas on how to get rid of theodor? —Mel G., via email Mel, here are three methods that might work:

bread. Maybe notthe most well-balanced meal, butI just chose what sounded good in the moment. The fried catfish was thebest I’vehad in years —crispy batter,fresh fish, nicespice and excellentflavor. The cornbreaddressing competed with my Grandma’s,which is saying something.The cornbread andnavy beans were acomfortinghug to accompany the crunchy fish. Checkthe Dwyer’s Facebookpage to

After abusy workday,I decided it was ﬁnally time to tryDearman’sDiner.I ordered aclassic cheeseburger and fries, and I added jalapeños for alittle heat It took one bite for it to becomeone of myfavorite burgers in Baton Rouge. The thick patty was ﬂavorful and juicy,the cheese was perfectly melted,and thelettuce and tomatoes added arefreshing taste. The price ain’ttoo bad either,running me $9.05 for theburger and $3.25 for thefries. Iskipped out on asoda and just drank from my water bottle. Ienjoyed the meal so much that Iprobably won’t order different for my next visit.Itwas just right. —Maddie Scott, features reporter

Hints from Heloise

n Place your empty purse outside in ashady spot and let thefresh air removethe odors. Leaveit open to let air inside.

n Fill asock with baking soda and place it inside the purse. Then seal thepurse in alarger bag or box for 24-48 hours.

n Use activated charcoal or kitty litter.Place the charcoal sachets inside the purse, or ﬁll alarge sock

with kitty litter and place it inside the handbag for about 48 hours. After ﬁnishing whichever method you select, be sure to clean the purse with aleather cleaner.This should also help to rid your purse of the mold odor —Heloise Vacuum to therescue

Dear Heloise: While cleaning out apurse one day,I madethe mistake of shaking it out over the kitchen sink. Apenny jumped out into the disposal, thus creating aretrieval problem Visibility wasalmost impossible, and the disposal hole was too small for my 91-year-old arthritic knuckles, which bruised each time Itried to feel for the penny Idraggedout my old Hoover vacuum cleaner,

put the stretchy hose down into the hole,and powered it up. Lo and behold, it gobbledupthe penny into its dust container! This savedmethe costofaplumberand a newdisposal! —Wanda C.,in Bakersfield, California

Made forwalkin’

Dear Heloise: Ihave two pairs of winter boots with asmallloop in the back to help pull them on. But I can’tget my ﬁnger through the loop, so Iattached key rings to the loop. It’s so easy to pull the ring to get into my boots and go outside! —ToniLee M., in Parma, Ohio Toni, this is agreat hint. Nearly everyone Iknow has mentioned that they struggle with getting their winter boots on. —Heloise

Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Cheeseburger and fries fromDearman’sDiner

STAFF PHOTO BY JOYHOLDEN

Dwyer’s Cafe fried catfish lunch platewithcornbread dressing, cornbread, navy beans andrice

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Channel your energy into making a difference. Working alone will mitigate interference and give you the time you need to get things done to your specifications.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Communication is your specialty today. It's time to follow your heart and use your connections and skills to reach your goals.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Before volunteering your time, skills or money, do your research. Choosing how you want to contribute to a cause will ensure that your actions have the most impact.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Pay attention to detail to avoid criticism. Don't rush when dealing with institutions, government agencies and financial matters that require attention.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Don't count on others for the information you require to make a sound decision. When in doubt, go directly to the source and make the necessary alterations personally.

VIRGo (Aug 23-sept. 22) Participating in functions that interest you or offer insight into unique ways to use your skills will pay off. A partnership will change how you invest in your future.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Avoid anyone using emotional manipulation. Keep tabs on who does what and how you can shine brightly using your charm

and unique skills. Engage in something physical.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Explore the possibilities and consider how you can make the most out of whatever opportunity unfolds. Host an event or start a project that gives you a platform to share your concerns and solutions.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) It's what you do today that counts Making home improvements and developing meaningful relationships will give you plenty to look forward to.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) A sensible plan will save time and money. Avoid getting involved in high-conflict situations. The idea is to complete your objective. Protect yourself from health or financial risks.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put more thought into what's important to you before going on a spending spree. You'll misinterpret an emotional gesture. Ask questions before you respond to someone.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) A domestic problem will surface if you or someone close to you isn't transparent. Choose straight talk and stifle any festering conflict. Choose peace over chaos.

FAMILY CIrCUS

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy's cLuE: E EQuALs t

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

FrAnK And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

SylvesterStallone said,“Successis usually theculmination of controlling failure.”

That does not apply to thisdeal,where declarer needs to retain trump control forsuccess, not failure.

Westleadsthediamondaceagainstsix hearts. Howshould South continue?

The auction might have gone several ways. North chose to show both of his suits (three clubs was game-forcing), thenjumpedtofiveheartstotrytohighlight his diamond void andask for good trumps. South’s three-diamond cue-bid asked hispartner to bidthree no-trump withadiamondstopper.Then,overthree spades, he gave preference to clubs.If North had now bid six clubs, he would havemadethatslameasily,takingthree spades, three hearts and six clubs. Also, North could have deduced that South held strong hearts when he didnot bid three no-trump.

Declarermustresistthetemptationof an overtrick. If hearts are breaking 3-2, Southcantake16(!)tricks:threespades, five hearts, sixclubs and two diamond ruffs in the dummy. But if South ruffs theopeningleadontheboardandtriesto draw trumps by cashing two top hearts immediately, he will fail. Instead, declarer should lead atrump from the board at tricktwo and play low from hishand.

In that way, he retains aheart in the dummy to ruff another diamond, and he canthensafelydrawtrumpsbeforerunning the clubs Finally, notethat if West had led his singleton spade, South probably would have failed. He wouldhave needed mirrors to get home.The curious can work it out. ©2026 by NEA,Inc dist. By

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed

toDAy’s WoRD LocKEts: LOK-ets:Small metal cases enclosing amemento, typically on anecklace.

Average mark18words Time limit 35 minutes

Can you find 25 or morewords in LOCKETS?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —MEsMERIsM

wuzzles

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C. PiCKles

Attendance

Voting

Dr.AtleyWalkerSr.,BoardMember

Mr.Ronald LeBlanc, Board

Ms.

Non-Voting

•Mr.

•Mr. Alden Chustz, BoardMember

•Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member

•Mr.

Voting:

Mr.Burke Fiscus -Yes Mrs. Hayley Clouatre-Yes

Dr.Atley Walker Sr.-Yes

Mr.Ronald LeBlanc -Yes

Ms. Sonceria Evans -Yes

Ms. Chareeka Grace -Absent

Mr.AldenChustz -Yes

Mrs. Teri Bergeron -Yes

Mr.Matthew Daigrepont -Yes

5. Superintendent’sReport

Dr.Smith went over the attached Superintendent Report.

The chairman declaredthe floor openfor publiccomment. Informational Item no action necessary

6. Report from Community Committees/Agencies

7. Unfinished Business

8. Presentation of Consent Agenda

1. Consideration of request forapprovalofthe monthly expenditures and financialreports forDecember 2025 (Finance Committee Report2/10/26)

2. Consideration of requestfor approval of thenew Employer paid Basic Group Term Life Insurancewith Accidental Death & Dismemberment for all full-timeemployees of theWest Baton RougeParish School Board. (Finance Committee Report 2/10/26)

9. Approval of Consent Agenda

Be it resolved that the Boarddoeshereby approveand adopt the Above Consent Agenda Items#1-2

The Chairman declared the floor openfor publiccomment.

Motion made by: Mr.Burke Fiscus

Motion seconded by: Mr.Ronald LeBlanc

Voting:

Mr.Burke Fiscus-Yes

Mrs. Hayley Clouatre-Yes

Dr.Atley Walker Sr.-Yes

Mr.RonaldLeBlanc -Yes

Ms. SonceriaEvans -Yes

Ms. Chareeka Grace -Absent

Mr.Alden Chustz -Yes

Mrs. Teri Bergeron -Yes

Mr.Matthew Daigrepont -Yes

10. End of Consent Agenda

1. To enter into Executive Sessiontodiscuss Superintendent Evaluation. (MatthewDaigrepont)

The boardenters in to executive sessiontodiscuss the SuperintendentEvaluation

The chairman declared the flooropenfor publiccomment.

Motion made by: Dr.Atley Walker Sr

Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre

Voting:

Unanimously Approved

Chareek GraceArrivesat5:24PM

1. Superintendent Evaluation (Matthew Daigrepont)

2. To enter backinto open session.

The boardentered back into open session.

Motion made by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron

Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre

Voting:

Unanimously Approved

3. Consideration of Request to authorize BoardPresident and Vice President to negotiateterms of Superintendent Contract (MatthewDaigrepont)

The boarddiscussed giving permission to theBoard President and Vice President to negotiate terms of theSuperintendent Contract

The chairmandeclared the flooropen for publiccomment.

That theboardauthorize theBoard President and Vice President to negotiate terms of The Superintendent Contract

Motion made by: Mr.Ronald LeBlanc

Motion seconded by: Mr.Burke Fiscus

Voting: Unanimously Approved

11. OrganizationItems

12. Anyother business unanimously approvedbythe boardfor consideration

13. Adjourn

Be it Resolved, That the meetingbeadjourned.

The Chairman declared the flooropen for publiccomment.

Motion made by: Mr.Ronald LeBlanc

Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre

Voting: Unanimously Approved

MEETING MINUTES

Please silence all cellphones

Attendance

Voting Members

Mr.Burke Fiscus, Vice President

Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, BoardMember

Mr.Ronald LeBlanc, BoardMember

Ms. SonceriaEvans, BoardMember

Mr.AldenChustz,Board Member

Mr.Michael Maranto, BoardMember

Mrs. Teri Bergeron, BoardMember

Mr.MatthewDaigrepont, President

Non-Voting Members

Dr.Chandler Smith, Superintendent Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary Jared Gibbs,Supervisor of Business

1. Call to Order

The chairman called the meetingtoorder

2. Pledge of Allegiance

The Chairmandispenses withThe Pledge of Allegiance

3. Roll Call

Jessica Blanchardconducted arollcall

The following boardmembers werepresent:

•Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President

•Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, BoardMember

•Mr. RonaldLeBlanc, BoardMember

•Ms. Sonceria Evans, BoardMember

•Mr. Alden Chustz,Board Member

•Mr. Michael Maranto, BoardMember

•Mrs. Teri Bergeron, BoardMember

•Mr. Matthew Daigrepont,President

AQuorum was made

The following boardmembers wereabsent:

Dr.Atley Walker Sr BoardMember

Ms.Chareeka Grace, BoardMember

4. Agenda

1. Facilities Updates (ChadFontenot)

Mr.Fontenot went over theattached presentation

The chairmandeclared the flooropen for publiccomment

Informational Item,Noaction necessary

5. Adjourn

The Facilities Committee meetingwas adjourned.

Motion made by: Mr.Burke Fiscus

Motion seconded by: Mr.RonaldLeBlanc

Voting: Unanimously Approved

MEETING MINUTES

Please silence allcellphones Attendance

Voting Members

Mr.Burke Fiscus, Vice President

Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, BoardMember

Mr.Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member

Ms. Sonceria Evans,BoardMember

Ms. Chareeka Grace,BoardMember

Mr.AldenChustz, Board Member

Mr.Michael Maranto,BoardMember

Mrs. Teri Bergeron,BoardMember

Mr.MatthewDaigrepont,President

Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary

Dr.ChandlerSmith, Superintendent JaredGibbs, Supervisor of Business

1. CalltoOrder Thechairman called themeeting to order

2. PledgeofAllegiance

Mr.LeBlanc led us in ThePledge of Allegianc

3. Roll Call Jessica Blanchardconducteda roll call:

Thefollowingboardmembers were present:

•Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President

•Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, BoardMember

•Mr. RonaldLeBlanc, BoardMember

•Ms. Sonceria Evans,Board Member

•Ms. Chareeka Grace, BoardMember

•Mr. AldenChustz, Board Member

•Mr. MichaelMaranto, BoardMember

•Mrs. Teri Bergeron,BoardMember

•Mr. MatthewDaigrepont,President

AQuorumwas made.

Thefollowingboard members were absent

Dr.Atley Walker Sr Board Member

4. Agenda 1. Receive and review Head StartDirectors MonthlyReport.

(Crystal Leon)

Theboard member reviewedthe Directorsreports.

Thechairman declaredthe floor open forpublic comment

InformationalItem, No Action Necessary

2. Consideration of requestfor approval of the monthly expendituresand financial reportsfor December 2025 (Jared Gibbs) Mr.Gibbs went overattached report

Thechairman declaredthe floor open forpublic comment That theboard approvesmonthlyexpenditures and financial reports for December2025

Motion made by: Mr.Matthew Daigrepont Motion secondedby: Mr.AldenChustz

Voting: Unanimously Approved

3. Update on the 16th Section Sugar Lease- Heath Morris, Sugar West,Inc. (Jared Gibbs) TabledthisitemtoMarch

4. Considerationofrequest to approve anew sugar lease with Sugar West,Inc. for the terms of January 1, 2027 through December 31,2036. (Jared Gibbs) Table this item to March

5. Considerationofrequest for approval of the new Employer paidBasicGroup Term Life Insurance with Accidental Death & Dismemberment for allfull-time employees of the West Baton Rouge ParishSchoolBoard. (Jared Gibbs and BarbaraBurke) Mr.Gibbs discussed that this would be agreat investment forour employeestowant to come work in WBR it would only cost the district $54,000per year.

Thechairman declaredthe floor openfor public commentThatthe boardapproves offhtnew employer paid BasicGroup Term Life InsurancewithAccidental Death&Dismemberment for allfull-time employeesofthe West BatonRouge Parish School Board

Motion made by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Motion secondedby: Mr.Burke Fiscus Voting: Unanimously Approved

6. Discussion on theimplementation of the bimonthlypayrollto begin July1,2026. (Jared Gibbs) Jaredinformedthe boardBimonthlypayroll is in theworks. Thechairman declaredthe floor openfor public comment

InformationalItem, No Action Necessary

5. Adjourn That theFinance CommitteeMeetingcan be Adjourned.

Motion made by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron

Motion secondedby: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting: Unanimously Approved

181684-630721-mar 25-1t $613.31

“When alumni andsupporters give, they’re helping open doors for current students. It’smore than just ﬁnancial support. It’sencouragement and belief in our potential. Thosecontributions help create acycleofopportunity,where students likemecan gain experience, grow professionally, and one day givebacktothe next generation.”

MadysonBarnett

Lagniappe Internship Fund Recipient

“Donor support funding might notallow.I uisiana’s agricultural locally.” ineering

“Donor support may seem risky or unconventio and do proof-ofconceptwork federal agencies.”

“This schola sue my degree.It has given me going forward. It’s encouraged there’s someone .” ry

“There is no ,onour faculty, on our communit Uand to the experiences faculty,they’re really investin ,all of LSU, our

“My schoolhas been covered through my scholarships. It’sallowed me to really focus my time on pursuing opportunities that would help me become who Iwant to be,rather than trying to find opportunities that would pay me well. Because of my scholarships, Iwas able to find who Iamand figure out how Ican makean impact on my community,mystate,and my country.”

HamoodQureshi

Gerard Family Undergraduate Scholar in Chemical Engineering,

Dr.Ben H. Thibodeaux and Clare RoyThibodeaux Scholar, and Stamps

Scholar

ALL TEAMS

Last Giving Day,more than 4,000 LSU alumni and friends gave nearly $8.5 million to fuel opportunities, discovery, and impact Giving Day 2026 will carry thatmomentum forward. We win together.